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Community Supervision And Mental Health: The Psychological Well-Being And Expectations Of Officers Supervising People With Serious Mental Illness, Nicholas Powell

Sociology Dissertations

People with serious mental illness (SMI) are significantly overrepresented in the criminal justice system and often experience worse outcomes in the form of being rearrested for new offenses and probation/parole violations. Addressing the needs of supervisees with SMI can create unique challenges for probation and parole officers (PPOs), which in turn, may increase job related stress and impact PPOs’ mental health. However, few studies examine the stress and mental health consequences of supervising people with SMI, and how these consequences influence officers’ attitudes toward clients. Using survey and administrative data from 793 PPOs, this study assesses whether the number of …

Mental Health Stigma And Indigent Defense, Ruth Richardson

Sociology Dissertations

This study aimed to facilitate a greater understanding of the attitudes, and experiences of stigma among indigent clients of two urban Atlanta public defender offices. In order to gain insight into the experiences of this hard to reach population and the factors associated with mental health self-reporting. By examining the general views of self stigma, public stigma and structural repercussions this study will contribute to the understanding regarding stigma concerns, experiences and coping strategies. Findings can inform efforts to effectively increase understanding of how indigent clients viewed themselves and others identified formally or informally as mentally ill

Black On Both Sides: An Examination Of Race And Class In The Ghetto Mecca, Jonathan P. Grant

Sociology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

From Spike Lee’s School Daze to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, mainstream entertainment has portrayed Atlanta as a “black mecca,” largely due to its consortium of black colleges, expansion of minority-owned businesses and growing black middle class. This title is called into question with research showing that Atlanta maintains high levels of poverty and income inequality. While a disproportionate number of blacks in Atlanta and the United States live below the poverty line, 75 percent of blacks in the U.S. report income above the poverty line. However, most research on African Americans emphasizes disadvantaged communities and many stories …

Navigating Food Deserts: A Geo-Ethnography Of Atlanta Residents' Experiences, Routines, And Perceptions, Lakeisha Tate

Sociology Dissertations

Food deserts and food access have increasingly become topics of concern in many urban and rural areas. Food deserts are areas in which there is relatively poor access to healthy and affordable food and/or areas where such available establishments are separated by great distance making them difficult to access. Lower income, racially segregated neighborhoods have fewer healthy food choices and higher rates of disease related to diet. Much of the research has focused on the health disparities and how there is an increased risk of unhealthy lifestyles among people who do not have access to healthy foods. The focus has …

Everybody Has It But No One Knows Much About It: How Patient-Provider Communication & Hpv Knowledge Impact The Lived Experience Of Having Hpv, Kelsey Schwarz

Sociology Dissertations

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Many individuals, however, are misinformed about key aspects of the STI, negatively view the disease and those infected with it, and do not use preventive methods to protect themselves and others from transmission. For this study, I used in-person, semi-structured interviews to examine HPV knowledge among those with HPV and how this knowledge impacted individuals’ emotional state upon diagnosis. I also analyzed feelings of stigma among individuals with HPV and how these feelings and HPV knowledge impacted individuals’ motivations to disclose their status to others. I …