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Social Networks, Supportive Behaviors, And Perceived Social Support As Predictors Of Drug Court Completion, Tasha M. Ramirez

AYSPS Masters Theses

Purpose: The understanding of sociodemographic variables and drug court completion is well documented in the drug court literature, but the application of theoretical predictors is often neglected, leading to a gap in theory and practice. To fill this gap, this study examined the utility of social support theory in explaining the differences between those who complete the drug court program and those who fail to do so. Using Cohen’s definition, social support was conceptualized as social networks, supportive behaviors, and perceived support.

Methods: Participant survey data and drug court data from the National Institute of Justice’s Multi-Site Adult …

Criminalizing The School: An Investigation Of How Current School Safety And Disciplinary Policies Contribute To The Overrepresentation Of Traditionally Marginalized Students Within The Criminal Justice System, Dia Clark

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

This study focuses on the nature of school discipline policies and their impact on student sentiments about how they are viewed by school staff. The study follows the research to illustrate a connection between unremitting surveillance and discipline and corresponding higher levels of violence, drop-out rates, and student, as well as teacher, dissatisfaction. The study concludes that while violence must be met with consequences, too often the perception of potential student violence or criminal behaviors is influenced by racial bias. I contend that hostile school environments in which trust is lacking between school staff and students develops poor student self-perceptions …

Revolutionary Departures: Reimagining The World Of Black Fatherhood, Clinton Boyd Jr.

Sociology Dissertations

The term “Deadbeat Dad” is often associated with Black fathers, suggesting they have relinquished their parental responsibilities. While research has emerged in recent years examining the social institution of Black fatherhood, many of these studies have yet to interpret their findings through an analytical lens that prioritizes race, gender, and social class status. To fill this gap, I utilize the theories of systemic racism and controlling images to explore how race, gender, and class-based oppression affects the fatherhood experiences of low-income, Black men. Further, I draw on these theories to explore how low-income, Black fathers challenge the credibility of the …

Event-Specific And Individual Factors Impacting College Students’ Decisions To Intervene During A Potentially Risky Scenario: A Vignette Study, Chrystina Hoffman

AYSPS Dissertations

Sexual victimization on college campuses is a widespread issue in the United States. Institutions of higher education have attempted to address the issue of sexual violence through various prevention programs, including bystander intervention initiatives. Unfortunately, much of the extant literature on bystander intervention has focused on the relationship between bystander characteristics, group size, group membership, and willingness to intervene. Little is known about how situational characteristics (e.g., victim and offender characteristics) affect a bystander’s likelihood of intervening during sexual violence. It is imperative to understand and investigate the potential impact of incident-specific factors as these variables have the potential to …

Essays On Technology In Presence Of Globalization, Joshua Madden

Computer Information Systems Dissertations

Technology has long been known to enable globalization in ways previously not thought possible, with instantaneous communication allowing members of organizations all across the globe to communicate and share information with little to no delay. However, as the effects of globalization have become more prominent, they have in turn helped to shape the very technologies that enable these processes. These three essays analyze three examples of how these two processes – globalization and technological development – impact one another. The first looks at a national policy level, attempting to understand how increased possibilities for inside leakers can force governments to …

Event-Specific And Individual Factors Impacting College Student' Decisions To Intervene During A Potentially Risky Scenario: A Vignette Study, Chrystina Yong Hoffman

Criminal Justice and Criminology Dissertations

Sexual victimization on college campuses is a widespread issue in the United States. Institutions of higher education have attempted to address the issue of sexual violence through various prevention programs, including bystander intervention initiatives. Unfortunately, much of the extant literature on bystander intervention has focused on the relationship between bystander characteristics, group size, group membership, and willingness to intervene. Little is known about how situational characteristics (e.g., victim and offender characteristics) affect a bystander’s likelihood of intervening during sexual violence. It is imperative to understand and investigate the potential impact of incident-specific factors as these variables have the potential to …

Lost In The Park: Learning To Navigate The Unpredictability Of Fieldwork, Elizabeth Bonomo, Scott Jacques

CJC Publications

No abstract provided.

The Georgia Iud Project: An Ethnography Of Birth Control And Biopolitics, Nicole Elliott

Anthropology Theses

Political events may constrain bodies, bodily autonomy, and agency. They also offer opportunities to embody resistance. Research suggests that the 2016 presidential election may have been a catalyst for people to select a long-acting birth control method that could “outlast a presidency.” The Intrauterine Device (IUD) is a form of highly-effective, reversible, and long-lasting birth control, and after November 2016 IUD insertions increased by 22%. This thesis explores the motivations of people in Georgia who chose to get an IUD after the election of anti-choice politicians in 2016 and 2018, through an ethnographic account of their birth control decision-making process. …

How Does The Association Between Social Support And Drug Court Completion Vary By Drug Of Choice?, Mary Jane Parker

Criminal Justice and Criminology Theses

Drug courts are a common way of handling drug-related cases in the criminal justice system, with the goal of treating the clients’ substance dependency and related criminal behavior. Despite their popularity and effectiveness, some clients are not successful in drug court. Therefore, to improve drug court and client success, this study examines how social support and drug of choice impact drug court completion and how drug of choice moderates the association between social support and drug court completion. Utilizing logistic regression to analyze data from three Indiana problem-solving courts that serve drug-involved offenders, this study finds mixed effects on how …

Atlanta Youth Count 2018 Community Report: The Prevalence Of Sex And Labor Trafficking Among Homeless Youth In Metro Atlanta, Eric Wright, Ana Laboy, Melanie Turner, Nicholas Forge, Cody Wallace, Asantewaa Darkwa, Kara Tsukerman, Zoe Webb, Madison Higbee, Renee Shelby

Sociology Faculty Publications

The 2018 Atlanta Youth Count (AYC18) was a follow-up study to the 2015 Atlanta Youth Count and Needs Assessment (AYCNA), expanded in 2018 to specifically address sex and labor trafficking among youth experiencing homelessness in metro Atlanta. The goals of this project were to: 1) provide metro Atlanta service providers, policymakers, and youth advocates with practical information on the size, nature, and needs of the homeless, precariously housed, and runaway youth in our community who are involved in various forms of sex and labor trafficking; 2) collect information that can be used to develop and refine policies, programs, and interventions …

The Relationship Between Parental Criminal History And Substance Use On Child Mental Health, Janhavi A. Dubhashi

Public Health Theses

Background: Since 1991, the number of children with incarcerated mothers has increased by 98% and those with incarcerated fathers has increased by 58%. Estimates from the National Survey of Children’s Health suggest that more than 5.1 million children have had a parent incarcerated at some point. Parental incarceration and parental substance abuse can have broad negative impacts on children. Both are considered “adverse childhood experiences” that cause high levels of toxic stress and can lead to lasting harms, both psychologically and physically.

Objective: This research analyzes the relationship between two ACES – parental criminal history and parental substance use …

A Multilevel Examination Of The Effects Of Neighborhood Structural Conditions, Program Availability, And Program Attendance On Parole Supervision Outcomes, John Prevost

Criminal Justice and Criminology Dissertations

Between 2008 and 2016 the parole population in the U.S. increased by 44,000 to 870,500 (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018) and about one third of prison admissions annually are parole violators (Carson, 2015). Participation in programs that address criminogenic needs leads to fewer re-incarcerations (Andrews & Bonta, 2010). Moreover, neighborhood conditions and the availability of programs across neighborhoods are related to returns to prison (Hipp et al., 2010).

This study extends research on parole outcomes by investigating whether neighborhood conditions related to disadvantage negatively affect the number of treatment programs available, the number of program attendances by parolees, and the occurrence …

Epistemic Injustice In Sexual Assault Trials, Emily Tilton

Philosophy Theses

Those who commit sexual assault are rarely brought to justice: for every 1000 rapes, only seven will result in a felony conviction. There are numerous factors that contribute to the fact that sexual assault goes largely unpunished, and legal reform alone is not a sufficient solution—but it is an important part of the solution. In this paper, I develop an account of the epistemic injustice that rape victims face in criminal trials, and I argue that this, at least in part, helps to explain not only why conviction rates are so low, but why previous feminist legal reform has not …

The Body Of Ideas: Nietzsche, Embodiment, And The Genealogical Method, Matthew Kelley

Philosophy Theses

How are we to understand Nietzsche’s ubiquitous use of physiological language and imagery in On the Genealogy of Morality? I claim that Nietzsche’s use of physiological language is a crucial element of the method of historical investigation he develops (“genealogy”). If Nietzsche’s genealogy attends to the practices of moral concepts, then the physiological undergoing of those practices will be important data for the genealogist. In other words, in Nietzsche’s critical-historical investigation of morality, accounts of physiological experience will be crucial for having an accurate picture of the practices under investigation. This improved mode of historical investigation sees morality not …

Dismantling Rape Culture: The Need For A Comprehensive Educational Approach, Chase Halsne

Philosophy Theses

The perpetuation of rape culture is a central issue for feminist theory. In this paper, I argue for a comprehensive educational approach for undermining rape culture. I begin by outlining the reliance of rape culture on problematic social norms, particularly dominant conceptions of sexuality. I then briefly sketch a comprehensive educational approach and its advantages. Included in this sketch are critiques of two other feminist strategies for undermining rape culture: feminist legal reform and feminist self-defense training. I conclude by considering possible objections and attempt to provide solutions to foreseeable problems with my approach.

Fear Eats The Soul: American Melodrama And African-American Sports Activism, Dafna Kaufman

Film, Media & Theatre Theses

This project examines the relationship between melodrama, sport, and race. It particularly focuses on Colin Kaepernick’s athletic activism and the many melodramatic media moments surrounding his controversy (initial protest, media reaction, Nike advertisement response). I use genre theory, media framing theory, and cultural studies theories to examine contemporary American athletic activism and its melodramatic mode.

National Income And Trust, Markus Brückner, Alberto Chong, Mark Gradstein

ICEPP Working Papers

We explore whether national economic prosperity enhances mutual generalized trust. This is done using panel data of multiple waves of the World Values Surveys, whereby national income levels are instrumented for using exogenous oil price shocks. We find significant and substantial effects of national income on the level of trust in the economy. In particular, a one percent increase in national income tends to cause an average increase of one-percentage point (or more) in the likelihood that a person becomes trustful. We also identify crime and corruption as potential mechanisms that may lead to the reported causal effect and explore …

Encouraging Action During Overdose Events – The Good, The Bad, And The Barriers, Thomas Griner

Public Health Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Timely medical attention could decrease mortality following drug or alcohol overdose events, but overdose victims and witnesses often delay or fail to seek professional help because they fear police involvement. Statutes that provide immunity from criminal action may have an important impact on the likelihood of seeking timely treatment. As overdose deaths have increased despite legislative attempts to encourage contacting authorities during overdoses, other measures should be considered. In Georgia, recent legislation should make opioid antagonist products like naloxone more accessible to the public.

METHODS: The first paper systematically analyzes variability in Medical Amnesty Laws (or “Good Samaritan Laws”) …

Empty Seats At Circle Time: A Phenomenological Perspective Of Social-Emotional Learning In Preschool, Alicia C. Burford

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

The disparate rate of young children who are removed from early learning programs due to behavioral concerns was the concern addressed by this study. Through the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology, the researcher sought what is known and not yet known about school leaders’ experiences with early childhood expulsions and suspensions, with a particular focus on their perceptions of social-emotional learning as an intervention means for preschool children. Hermeneutics is a research methodology aimed at producing rich, textual descriptions of individuals’ experiences to connect with the experiences of others in a collective sense. Qualitative data were collected from in-depth personal interviews …

Writing Herstory: Examining The Intersectional Identities Of Black Women In Educational Leadership, Natasha N. Johnson

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

There is growing research pointing to the universal, collective identity of black women in the United States. While this is promising, there remains, historically, an underrepresentation of black women in and en route to the highest levels of organizational leadership. The divide is even more amplified in the field of education, a sphere in which women are largely represented as a whole. This is particularly relevant for black women considering the incongruence that lies between their heightened levels of educational attainment as compared to their generally lower status in the organizational pecking order. In the effort to advance both theory …

Community Organizing As A Vehicle To Promote Public Health In Clarkston, Ga: A Literature Review & Case Study Of Georgia Refugee Health And Mental Health, Maylott Mulugeta

Public Health Capstone Projects

Community organizing has long been utilized as an effective and necessary vehicle to promote public health, and more broadly engage communities living at the intersections of racial, gender, housing, education, and immigration injustices. Although meaningful and effective health promotion, and more specifically health equity, requires multiple top-down and bottom-up systems changes, communities organizing around their own health and well-being is fundamentally the crux of many public health strategies and interventions. The aim of this project was to conduct a literature review of community organizing through the lens of: (1) health equity promotion (2) the transformative organizing model (3) impact and …

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership Practices On The Cultural Responsiveness Of Academic Parent Teacher Teams (Aptt) Implementation, Sally Seana Lehmann

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

Purpose: Research has shown that family engagement has a positive impact on student academic performance; however, schools that serve increasingly diverse communities often struggle with forming meaning partnerships with their parents. The primary purpose of this case study was to investigate the impact transformational leadership has on stakeholders’ perceptions of the cultural responsiveness of family engagement, in schools that have implemented Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT). Additionally, this study investigated teachers’ and families’ perceptions of the cultural responsiveness of APTT. Research Methods: This dissertation was guided by the theoretical frameworks of transformational leadership and cultural responsive school leadership. The case …

Seeing Beyond The Stereotype To See The Whole Human: Teachers? Perceptions Of Media Stereotypes And Black Youth, Syreeta Ali Mctier

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

Media, including, news, network television, and film communicate messages about people, places, events, and culture that influence the perceptions of those engaged in the media (Bandura, 2001; Hall, 1973). Media has historically portrayed Black Americans stereotypically as morally and intellectually inferior (Bogle, 1994; Entman & Rojecki, 2000; Greenberg et al., 2002). Similarly, media also portrays Black students stereotypically as violent, disrespectful, lazy, athletic, aggressive, and underachieving (Brown, 2011; Ferguson, 2001; Yosso & Garcia, 2010), while teachers have reported holding deficit perceptions about Black students (Chang & Demyan, 2007; DeCastro-Ambrosetti & Cho, 2011). This single exploratory qualitative case study used the …

Spatial Analysis Of County Level Drug Overdose Deaths And Associated Factors, Over Two Time Periods In The United States, Sunanda Sarkar

Public Health Theses

ABSTRACT

Spatial Analysis of County Level Drug Overdose Deaths and Associated Factors, Over Two Time Periods in the United States

By

SUNANDA SARKAR

April 18, 2019

INTRODUCTION: Recently, drug overdose is being considered as an important public health issue, the magnitude of which is yet to be adequately explored. The United States is experiencing a wide range of drug overdose problems over the past decades, where fatal overdoses have tripled from 1999 to 2016. Geographic approaches to drug overdose death research have emerged in recent years. Studies demonstrated that overdose mortalities are not equally distributed across different geographic areas. Therefore, …

A New Frontier Of The College Alcohol Culture: #Socialmedia, Tammy M. Turner

Learning Sciences Dissertations

The college alcohol culture glorifies high-risk drinking while minimizing potential negative consequences. A social ecological framework can be used to understand the college alcohol culture in institutions of higher education (IHEs) because the framework provides a synergistic tapestry of multiple factors such as: individual, institutional, and environmental. The role of social media is important to explore as social media has created a new frontier for college students to navigate throughout their college experience. The social ecological framework was used as a guide for this study; to explore the college alcohol culture within social media, specifically Twitter. The tweets in IHE …

Peer Influence In Group Mentoring: A Source Of Peer Contagion Or Prosocial Behavior Change?, Hannah Joseph

Psychology Theses

Group mentoring programs aim to foster supportive relationships with and receive constructive feedback from mentors and peers. Given the power of peer influence to promote adaptive and harmful outcomes, it is important to evaluate the role of peer influence on youth behavior in group mentoring. This study examined whether a history of negative behavior among mentor group peers exacerbated individual participants’ behavior problems. A multi-level regression analysis was used to explore group-level influence on participant school suspensions and truancy using school administrative data records and mentee questionnaires. The effect of exposure to peers with a history of problem behaviors on …

"I Felt All The Pangs Of Exile": Trauma And The Fight For Human Rights In The Memoirs Of Nabokov, Soyinka, And Danticat, Lauren Marlatt

English Theses

Subjectivity in memoir allows room for the manipulation of identity and the reflection of how one’s identity has been manipulated. When breaches of human dignity occur, the discourse of trauma becomes an integral part of one’s identity. How then does socioeconomic background integrate with the traumatized self? Looking at the Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov as an example of a male, upper-class, immigrant memoir in relation to immigrant memoirs of different socioeconomic classes, like Wole Soyinka's You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir and Edwidge Danticat’s Brother, I’m Dying, the implicit and explicit expressions of trauma within each author’s …

Invisible Girls: Victimization, Teacher Support, And Pathways To Punishment For Black Girls, Samantha D. Martin

Sociology Theses

Black girls’ unique experiences of victimization, deviant behavior, and punishment are largely obscured from discourse on the cradle-to-prison pipeline. While there have been many studies that establish a link between victimization, offending, and criminalization, few quantitative studies capture the unique processes of resistance and punishment that victimized Black girls experience. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult health, I explore the relationships between adolescent victimization, teacher support, and exclusionary punishment for Black and white girls. By centering the experiences of Black girls, I aim to generate a causal model that accounts for the ways in which …

Race And The Impact Of Parental Incarceration On Childhood Outcomes, Asantewaa Darkwa

Sociology Theses

Using Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this thesis analyzes the relationship between parental incarceration and adverse life outcomes. More specifically, I examine the associations between parental incarceration and education, depressive symptoms, and criminal justice involvement. Using binomial logistic regression, I examine the differences between youth that had an incarcerated parent (mother, father, or both) compared to not having a parent incarcerated. Results indicate that Individuals experiencing parental incarceration were statistically more likely to experience negative outcomes compared to those that have not experienced parental incarceration.

The Devout Griot, Emotional Keeper., Shanequa S. Gay

Art and Design Theses

The Devout Griot, Emotional Keeper evaluates place, tradition, storytelling, and the experiences of African-American women to develop imaginative dialogues and alternative strategies for self-imaging by uprooting social proscriptions and challenging political norms. Within this installation, the paintings, performance, and monumental sculptural figures create an environment of ritual and memorial, depicting amalgamated new gods and mythical figures whose lives have been impacted by systemic inequalities, resulting in counter and

re-imagined narratives that, at times, live within the duality of physical and spiritual worlds. This work also explores the historic and contemporary social concerns of hybrid cultures through the gaze of …