Digital Commons Network^™

Nipple Matters: A Black Feminist Analysis Of The Politics Of Infant Feeding Among African American Mothers, Nicole Elaine Banton

Sociology Dissertations

During this unique moment of feminist inquiry wherein breastfeeding has been a focal point of interdisciplinary research, little sociological scholarship has been presented which has centered on the various meanings that African American mothers, as a diverse group, attach to their experiences with breastfeeding and/or infant formula use. While patterns of behavior have been explored in a cross-racial context, most social science studies have not focused on how the choice between breastfeeding, using infant formula, or using a combination of the two has impacted (or has been shaped by) African American mothers’ constructs of self, motherhood/mothering, their birth experiences, and …

A Greener Vertical Habitat: Creating A Naturally Cohesive Sense Of Community In A Vertical Multi-Family Housing Structure, Justin Onorati

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout multiple dense, tropical, urban contexts, high rise residential environments have created a sense of social detachment, where public and private green spaces do not often exist. It is through these varieties of green spaces that social interaction is encouraged, and without these social activities taking place, this vertical community becomes almost a meaningless entity within the urban realm. The issue being addressed within this thesis is the scarcity of public and private green spaces within our high density tropical urban fabrics that help to create a sense of community. The majority of dense urban settings that we inhabit today …

Conflicts And Compromises College Women Talk About Sex And Sexuality, Lanier Francis Basenberg

Masters Theses

In this thesis I examine the messages college women have received about sex and sexuality, and how the young women choose to act on those messages. The women in this study have been raised receiving messages regarding sexuality from their parents, their religions, their female and male friends, the media, and sexual education. When they reach college, certain sexual norms change, and it becomes more permissible for women to be more sexually open. This change in sexual norms creates a unique point in the sexual timeline of young women. In this thesis I examine interviews done with twenty-one college women …

Exploring Differences And Similarities In The Content Of Reports On Hurricane Andrew In Five Point Media Sources, Reigan Jacoba Minchey

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the content of print media sources in their reporting of a major disaster, Hurricane Andrew. At the time, Andrew was the most expensive natural disaster in United States history with damages estimated at twenty five billion dollars. In Dade County, Andrew resulted in fifteen deaths and one-quarter million people were left temporarily homeless. In terms of sociological knowledge, the findings will show what different institutions print in accounts of a major disaster. These findings will provide an opportunity to reflect on the nature and character of these institutions. This study includes media …

Stewards Of The Mountains: A Case Study Of The Lindquist Environmental Appalachian Fellowship, A Faith-Based Environmental Organization, Lyndsay Hughes Dawson

Masters Theses

The case study explores the concepts of the mental constructions of humans' perceptions of their relationships to the environment. The ancients were intricately connected with the biophysical environment. Ancient religions such as Paganism and Pantheism produced environmental sentiments to revere and respect nature. As pantheistic and pagan ideologies transitioned to Judeo-Christianity, humans' mental constructs of nature and their environmental attitudes substantially shifted. Environmental attitudes transitioned from a deep connection with the biophysical world to dominance, superiority, and hierarchy. To explore subjects' perceptions of the relationship between humans and the environment, my primary research question investigates the influence of LEAF members' …

Water Conservation Behaviors In Georgia The Effects Of Place, Amber Kay Scott

Masters Theses

This piece is an examination of water conservation responses to the 2007 Georgia drought. The research questions for the study are: (1) Are those living in close proximity to the harshest drought conditions more likely to engage in water conservation behaviors than those not in close proximity to the conditions? (2) Are those living in close proximity to the harshest drought conditions more likely to report a greater likelihood of engaging in water conservation behaviors in the future? In other words, it is a question of actual versus intended behaviors. The data for the study come from the 2007 Peach …

Creating Cultural Monsters: A Critical Analysis Of The Representation Of Serial Murderers In America, Julie Bethany Wiest

Doctoral Dissertations

Serial murder and serial murderers have been the subject of considerable attention in fictional crime shows (e.g, the various versions of "Law and Order" and "CSI") and movies (e.g., "The Silence of the Lambs"), as well as in the print media, since the term and profile for "serial killer" were developed by the FBI in the 1970s. White, American men are frequently identified as being over-represented as serial murderers, but no adequate sociological explanation has yet been developed for this. Biological and psychological explanations are deficient, and the cultural context generally has been ignored in previous studies. Informed by a …

Curriculum Assessment In The Division Of Sociology And Anthropology At West Virginia University, Jennifer Luise Mitchell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Program evaluation is essential for any organization to be successful. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the curriculum assessment in Division of Sociology and Anthropology and to make recommendations for next steps. Graduating senior surveys from 66 seniors during the Spring 2008 semester and transcripts from 504 students that graduated from the department between May 2004 through May 2008 were analyzed. Results suggest that department needs to improve upon advising, the coordination of internships, and the statistics requirement for their students. Through careful planning the department can improve upon these areas. To move forward with assessment in …

Exploring Teachers' And Black Male Students' Perceptions Of Intelligence, Patrick Anthony Williams

Open Access Dissertations

This study explored teachers' perceptions of intelligence of 11th-grade Black male students and how students themselves perceived their own intelligence in light of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Qualitative research methods were used to gain novel understanding of the students' and teachers' feelings, and perceptions as outlined in the research questions. Two versions of ecological systems theory provided the underpinnings for the framework of this study: 1) Brönfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, and 2) Spencer's PVEST (Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory) model, which is an adaptation of the ecology model to Black students in the United States. In a …

Race, Class, And Herman Melville, Joan A. De Santis

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Analyzes two of the short stories in Herman Melville's The Piazza Tales, "Bartleby the Scrivener: a Story of Wall Street" and "Benito Cereno" and argues that these stories are highly critical of the bourgeois class structure of American society that inform Wall Street, as well as the slave trade, in mid-Nineteenth-Century America. Posits that in these works Melville addresses the questions of hierarchical power in the workplace and the effects of racism and slavery in the colonization of America.

Sociological And Psychological Predispositions To Serial Murder, Katie Marie Krueger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This paper looks specifically at the true definition of a serial killer, attempting to clarify the misleading depiction that has come from the media influence. Twenty-one people, including infamous murderers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as more obscure killers, such as Carl Panzram, were studied in depth. Data was gathered from a variety of published sources on each convicted serial killer focusing on his/her life prior to the beginning of the killing spree. Unlike previous research on the topic, this investigation looked at a larger sample of serial killers, as well as a more complete set …

Pubs, Punters, And Pints: Anthropological Reflections On Pub Life In Ireland, Jason Cucchiara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ireland is a country with a rich and unique cultural heritage. It is difficult to imagine that certain facets of Irish culture (e.g. Saint Patrick's Day, the Blarney Stone, or the Ring of Kerry) can ever be taken for granted since they are so widely recognized internationally. One common feature of Irish life that possibly warrants more scholarly attention is the public house or pub. Much has been written about pubs as quaint institutions in popular literature and fiction. Curiously, they remain largely overlooked as vital aspects of Irish culture by anthropologists and others in the social sciences. In many …

Masculine Gender Roles And Therapy: A Conceptual Workshop, Sara Lindsey Gray

Master's Theses and Capstones

Traditional gender stereotypes, no matter how inaccurate they may be, still greatly affect how we view ourselves as men and women in our society. While all these stereotypes are constricting male stereotypes present some of the most limiting expectations for individuals. Within the realm of counseling and psychotherapy, these stereotypes conflict with such ideals as self exploration and emotional awareness and expression.

This paper reviews past and recent research and theories on the development and reiteration of male stereotypes as well as how these expectations play a role in therapeutic techniques. A conceptual workshop model is also presented as an …

The Federal Art Project In Provincetown, Massachusetts: The Impact Of A Relief Program On An Established Art Colony, Whitney E. Smith

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration had a lasting impact on the American art scene. The experiences of artists associated with the Provincetown, Massachusetts art colony make evident the impact of the federal relief programs. The importance of the Provincetown art colony to the American art scene survived through the 1930s because of federal support. The focus on Provincetown and this smaller group of artists allows for comparisons to be made with the national society and art scene. The value of the Federal Art Project did not lie mainly in the finished artwork, but rather in the …

The Effects Of Perceived Risk And Responsibility On The Acceptance Of A Human Papillomavirus Vaccine By College Men, Angela Marie Mitiguy

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the summer of 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine to prevent four types of the Human Papillomavirus believed to cause the majority of genital warts and cervical cancer in women. Since that time the vaccine has experienced considerable uptake among women while it has also been met by some criticism. Current medical research aims to understand if the vaccine, which has been approved only for women, could be used to prevent HPV in men.

Little empirical research has been conducted to understand whether or not men would be willing to receive a vaccine for a …

Chronic Pain As The Result Of Traumatic Injury: A Group Counseling Model For Survivors, Corianne S. Woodard

Master's Theses and Capstones

Millions of Americans live with chronic pain as the result of traumatic injury. These individuals face countless challenges as they attempt to cope with daily pain and grieve the many losses caused by their injuries. The physical and emotional stresses associated with chronic pain and traumatic injury place these survivors at significant psychological risk and contribute to the perpetuation of their chronic pain. Group counseling with a grief model emphasis is a cost effective way to meet the specific needs of survivors living with chronic pain. These needs include: the establishment of a social support system, an opportunity to grieve …

A Compatibilist Theory Of Justice And Desert, Matthew John Cutler

Master's Theses and Capstones

This thesis argues against the asymmetry of desert observed across theories of distribution and retribution. While distributive theories have downplayed the significance of desert, retributive theories have outwardly embraced the role of desert in punishment. At the heart of this imbalance rests an unresolved tension between determinism and freedom. In the interest of bringing symmetry to theories of justice, this thesis reconciles determinism and freedom as two compatible notions of human actions and traits.

Additionally, this thesis argues for an increase in opportunities afforded to the least advantaged in order to balance punishments and benefits. This position stems from an …

Seriousness Perceptions Of Computer Crime Vs Traditional Crime, Abbie Beaulieu

Master's Theses and Capstones

With the various advancements made in technology over the last few decades, computer crime has evolved and many are used to victimize more and more American internet users every year (NW3C, 2008). However, no researcher has examined neither how computer crime seriousness is perceived by internet users nor which (if any) social factors affect how the seriousness of computer crime is perceived. The current study attempted to determine internet users' perceptions of computer crime seriousness versus traditional crime seriousness. In addition, the study tried to determine the effects of the following factors as they relate to computer crime seriousness: personal …

Apco Project 25 Wireless Data Services Over Land Mobile Radio Channel For Smaller Law Enforcement Agencies, Ivan Elhart

Master's Theses and Capstones

Digital data messages are very important in modern communication systems and advanced mobile data technologies have opened the door to a wide range of applications and services in the public safety environment. Still, the availability of mobile data services among public safety agencies is hampered by two issues of the implementation of data communication: the reliability of commercial data services and the high cost of the equipment needed to support mixed voice and data transmissions over private land mobile radio channels.

This thesis describes the design and development of an inexpensive Software Defined APCO Project 25 Data Base Station that …

Instability Among Middle Class Families And The Impact Of Health Insurance, Sarah A. Savage

Doctoral Dissertations

What it takes to be middle class in the United States has changed dramatically from the post World War II period to the 1970s and the present. At the same time the requirements for attaining the income and assets associated with a middle class position changed, many financial protections available to the middle class weakened. The new economic landscape following a period of economic restructuring has made it harder to earn a position in the middle class while the changed political landscape has possibly made it harder to maintain one's position. This research examines the extent to which middle class …

"Racism Is A Misunderstanding": Rhetorically Listening To White Students' Performances Of Race, Meagan Rodgers

Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes white student talk about race in terms of performance. I show what white talk regarding race looked like in my study, thus inviting the reader to reflect on her own experiences in terms of performativity and common sense. Recognizing student talk as a complex performance enables us to introduce the practice of rhetorical listening into the classroom in order to encourage students with differing common senses to work toward mutual understanding.

The dissertation is based on an empirical multivocal study in which white first year writing students and teachers were asked to comment on a racial text, …

Substance Use Among New Hampshire Adolescents: Attitudes As Predictors Of Substance Use Behavior, Jessica Aimee Bean

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship between substance-related attitudes and substance use behaviors among a sample of New Hampshire adolescents. Data from the New Hampshire Youth Survey, a longitudinal survey of deviance among adolescents, were used, yielding a sample of 760 middle- and high-school students. Hypotheses tested include whether substance use and attitudes varied by sex or age, whether attitudes and behaviors had predictive ability on one another, and whether that predictive ability varied by sex or age. Data were analyzed through a series of logistic and ordered logistic regression models. Findings showed that (1) age, …

Correctional Group Treatment For Victims Of Sexual Assault, Todd Derbyshire

Master's Theses and Capstones

There is a lack of research regarding therapeutic treatment for inmates who suffer from suicidal ideation after being sexually victimized. This paper reviews the existing research on sexual assault in prisons and the various impacts an event can lead to including suicidal ideation. A model is proposed in using reality therapy to introduce a new perspective in treatment for inmates that suffer suicidal ideation from being sexually victimized.

Many psychological theories are suggested when working with the sexually victimized population. The uniqueness of the correctional population emphasizes the strengths of reality therapy. In reality therapy the individual is limited only …

A Study Of Regional Language And Identities In A Small Occitan Village, Patrick Sacleux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study utilized qualitative methods to approach regional language abilities of local respondents and how it affects their regional identity. The theoretical framework of this study explored some of the tenets of symbolic interaction emphasizing on identity theory and how the flexible aspect of face-to-face interaction can define the self and someone's regional identity as it relates to their regional language use. Data for this study were collected in a small Occitan village in Southern France. In particular, the study explored the link between an individual residential setting, his/her age and his/her ability to speak the regional language. The …

Global Climate Change And The Industrial Animal Agriculture Link: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Elizabeth Bristow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the discourses of a variety of stakeholders regarding global climate change (GCC), assessing if and how they construct industrial animal agriculture as a risk, and if and how these discourses may have shifted since the release of the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Livestock's Long Shadow report. Using Ulrich Beck's concepts of risk society, risk conflicts and relations of definition, this thesis examines how various animal rights and welfare groups, environmental organizations, meat industry stakeholders, governmental agencies and newspapers in Canada, the U.S. and internationally, investigate and construct industrial animal agriculture as a risk, if at all, …

The Role Of Zionism In Diasporic Jewish Education: On Education, Language And Community, Stephen Sheps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zionism has become more than just a social movement; it has become a politicized ideological construct, an institution, an extension of Israeli politics and is commonly viewed as the unifying facet of what it means to be Jewish in the North American Diaspora. Within the Diaspora, there is an element of Zionism contained in Jewish educational resources that cannot go unnoticed. It is my belief that the methods of education used within these Diasporic communities impacts the way that Jews perceive themselves, each other and their relationship to the conflict in Israel/Palestine, reinforcing Zionist ideologies, beliefs, and a sense that …

Tradition And Change In Urban China : A Critical Hermeneutic Inquiry Of Language, Culture And Identity In Shanghai, Amy E. Pierovich

Doctoral Dissertations

unavailable

The Social Situatedness Of Sexual Expression Among Youth In Rural Edo State, Nigeria, Jessica Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research, utilizing data gathered among adolescent students living in rural southern Nigeria (Edo State), elucidates the youths' sexual understandings and their connections to HIV risk. I found that gender and age-related understandings acted as 'hubs' for the organization of the youths' sexual scripts. Overall, scripts that promote vulnerability to HIV include sex as controlled by the male, inherent in valued female/male relationships, a means to social status, and 'normally' violent. In addition, the youth do not view HIV as a present or preventable danger and view condoms as unreliable protection from disease that mainly work to disassociate oneself from …

Housing Responsibility And Advanced Liberal Government: Programs For The Homeless In Ontario, Silke Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the politics of homelessness in Ontario by examining two programs, the Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program (CHPP) and the Hostels- to-Homes (H2H) program, that were created in 2006 and 2007 respectively by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. The CHPP program is designed at the local government level and provides funding and social services to the homeless and hard-to-house. The H2H program is a pilot project directed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and uses a 'Housing-First' approach to get chronic shelter users into more permanent housing. From a governmentality perspective, this thesis examines how …

On Time And Off Time Career Trajectories In The New Economy: The Case Of Information Technology Work, Emily Vera Jovic

Digitized Theses

There are significant changes happening in the world of work, under the guise of a 'new' economy that embraces innovation and technology, flexible labour, and risk and uncertainty. With the proliferation of less conventional work arrangements and new career forms, traditional notions of employment careers and life trajectories are in flux. To better understand these trends and potential consequences for workers, this research considers the relative timing of entry to a prototypical new economy sector, information technology (IT). Using the life course perspective as a guide, I investigate entry pathways to IT, assessing who is 'on time' (i.e., made a …