Digital Commons Network^™

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

(Un)Becoming Human: The Systemic Exclusion Of Transgender/Gender Nonconforming/Nonbinary Individuals Through Hegemonic Conceptions Of Personhood, Lucy Sloan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this essay, I explore the issue of transgender/nonbinary/gender nonconforming (henceforth referred to as TNBGNC) oppression and exclusion through a philosophical lens. To do so, I use the notion of personhood. I ask the question: How are TNBGNC individuals excluded from personhood and its associated rights? To be a person is the first qualification for rights such as political involvement and social inclusion. I argue that societal conceptions of personhood are rooted in the gender binary, and that sexual difference and gender performance are essential for recognition as a person worthy of such rights. Therefore, TNBGNC oppression and exclusion is …

To Build A Space: A Reading Of Bodies, Temporality, And Urban Colonization, Delaney Tax

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Historical and modern urban planning theory often focuses on an idealized body and subject, shaped by race, gender, and sexuality, that exists within the city. This passively and actively divides space into thresholds impenetrable by bodies othered by social and political ideologies. This project looks at the realities of colonial urban planning and the gendered, raced, and queered implications forced onto bodies and communities through the built environment. This investigation examines the frameworks present in colonial urban theory that engender meaning and knowledges onto bodies as they move through the cityscape. Exploring modes of in/access and power along built …

The Glass Ceiling: Exploring The Leadership Journey Of Men And Women In High-Tech, Shelia Faye Krueger

Dissertations

The literature is replete with evidence of the proliferation of women entering into the workplace, their remarkable progress in attaining higher education, their overrepresentation in professional and management roles, and their placement in CEO leadership positions in certain high-profile S&P 500 global companies. Yet women continue to be noticeably underrepresented in leadership roles, especially in high tech companies. Through the lenses of social constructivist and feminist theories of gender stereotypes, social/gender roles, and role congruity expectations, this instrumental case study was conducted to gain insight into the reasons women are underrepresented in leadership roles in high tech and the ways …

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Gender, Drinking Motives, Alcohol Involvement, And Neuroticism, Jaymi Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The onset of problem drinking behaviors for many college undergraduates occurs as they enter a new environment devoid of previous inhibiting factors. For whatever reasons college students choose to drink—and not all of them do—it is imperative to understand both the motives and influences affecting increased alcohol related risks. After conducting a thorough literature review, I propose a research design to test the hypothesis that drinking motives and alcohol involvement are mediated by neuroticism. To support this prediction, I will present a model that considers the impact that subject personality, namely neuroticism, may have in mediating the relationship. Specifically, this …

Full Of Pride: Improving Latino Engagement And Retention In Usd's Lgbt+ Community, Miguel Rios

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my study was to examine and implement strategies that would get gay Latino students at USD to engage more with the LGBT+ community on campus. Using McNiff’s action research method, I researched how I can work effectively with USD’s LGBT+ community to create a more diverse community that enhances the involvement of Latino students. My findings indicate that Latino students choose to explore their LGBT+ identity through other identity-based organizations and that a stronger need for community building is critical to enhance the involvement of Latino students within the LGBT+ community.

Gender Norms Influence On Student’S Career Goals And Outcomes, Meagan Trudeau

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this research is to examine women’s understanding of gender norms in relationship to their studies and career aspirations at the University of San Diego (USD). This research provided students with a better understanding of the social constructs that exist in the classroom and workforce, specifically in business related industries. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycles is the method I used to analyze my professional development as a career counselor and educational development as a researcher. Achieving this required the six participants to share stories in regards to their academic and professional experiences in a one-on-one interview. Participants also created …

Psychoneuroimmunology And Chronic Pain, Sarah E. Giron

Dissertations

There is increasing evidence linking chronic pain to altered levels of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and increased levels of perceived pain, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. However the inflammatory molecules responsible for physiologic and psychological components of chronic pain still warrant identification and exploration. Using central inflammation as a paramount factor in the creation and maintenance of chronic pain, this study aimed to investigate and describe the physical and psychological aspects of chronic pain associated with CNS inflammation.

Using a cross-sectional correlational design, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory cytokine patterns present in 8 chronic pain participants were compared to inflammatory …

A Multi-Level Investigation Of Leadership Effectiveness And Systems Awareness In The Leadership Circle Profile, Crystal L. Dujowich Phd

Dissertations

Leadership is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, with scholarly literature that documents the progression from leaders focused on inspiring transformation in others, to leaders who can engage entire systems towards more globally conscious and ethically focused actions. Such leadership involves increasingly complex relationships, perspectives and context. Empirical contributions to the study of leadership, however, have remained focused on the individual and thus limited to a single level of analysis. As researchers acknowledge the dynamic process of leadership, it is paramount that studies identify and investigate the multiple layers of analysis present. This study sought to uncover patterns in leadership effectiveness …

Study Abroad As A Multifaceted Approach To Supporting College Sophomores: Creating Optimal Environments To Promote Intercultural Maturity, Jessica Luchesi Phd

Dissertations

Leaders in higher education bear the responsibility of creating educational environments and programming that promote student development and help prepare graduates to work, live, and lead in today's interconnected and global society. Such institutional programming, which fosters intercultural maturity, defined as the cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal developmental capacities that enable students to act in ways that are aware and appropriate, should be available to all students. Scholarly work, however, demonstrates that sophomore students receive the least amount of institutional attention and thus have fewer programs directed at fostering their development. As a result, sophomores can find themselves negotiating developmental challenges …

Gambling In San Diego County: A Case Study, Michael Kelley Phd

Dissertations

Legal gambling operations in the United States are based on public policy decisions. Although research has shown that gambling intensity levels are related to a number of individual disorders and impose significant economic costs on society, the data is incomplete. For example, while research indicates that certain demographic categories and proximity to places of gambling are predictors of high gambling rates, there is little information on the impact of economic conditions on gambling intensity, as well as the prevalence of such behavior in specific locations. With multiple gambling venues, a growing population of the demographic groups associated with higher gambling …

Advising To Promote Self-Authorship: Exploring Advising Strategies And Advisor Characteristics Among New Student Affairs Professionals, Emily Marx Phd

Dissertations

Self-authorship, a theory developed by Robert Kegan (1982) and applied to college students by Marcia Baxter Magolda, is the ability to internally define one's own beliefs, identity, and relationships (Baxter Magolda, 2001). People who self-author have the ability to make career, academic, relationship, and life decisions that take into consideration their own internal voice rather than relying on others' advice. The development of self-authorship has been correlated with gains in key learning outcomes, such as cognitive complexity and independence (Baxter Magolda, 2001; Pizzolato, 2008; Pizzolato & Ozaki, 2007). Achievement of self-authorship does not typically occur until after college, when young …

The Motivation Beliefs Inventory: Measuring Motivation Beliefs Using Four Motivation Theories, David C. Facer Jr. Phd

Dissertations

Among organizational consultants, human resources practitioners, and organizational leaders, there has been a resurgence of interest in the subject of employee motivation, in part due to the best-selling book, Drive (Pink, 2009). In this book, the author challenged readers to question their beliefs about what motivates employees; this challenge was based on research that questions the validity of widely used management approaches to employee motivation, particularly those based on reinforcement theory. Answering this challenge was difficult, however, given the lack of instruments designed to measure motivation beliefs at all, much less beliefs from a range of prevalent theories. Using principal …

Toward An Integrated Self: Making Meaning Of The Multiple Identities Of Gay Men In College, Daniel Weston Tillapaugh Phd

Dissertations

Since the mid-twentieth century, a shift in demographics of those attending higher education institutions has resulted in increased attention to underrepresented students and their development, specifically their social identities, including race (Cross, 1991), gender (Gilligan, 1982), and sexual orientation (Cass, 1979; D'Augelli, 1994; Fassinger, 1998). However, many theories have compartmentalized aspects of one's overall identity with little understanding of how one's social identity may influence the development of other identities. In the past decade, the concept of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1995), which explores the interplay between one's multiple identities and the larger systems of power and privilege within society, has been …

Associations Among Perceived Benefits, Barriers, Cues, And Physical Activity In Thai Primary Students, Sireewat Ar-Yuwat Phd, Mph, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and cues to action and levels of physical activity in Thai fourth grade students. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework of the study to investigate students' beliefs related to physical activity. The participants in this cross-sectional study were fourth grade students selected by a simple random sampling method. A sample of 123 students was recruited from primary schools in Muang district, Phitsanulok province. The sample schools were selected by stratified random sampling. For data collection, the study utilized two instruments: the …

Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon In Law School Students, Owen Glenn Smith Phd

Dissertations

Law schools compel students to think like lawyers by using intensive Socratic dialogue built around voluminous case readings. This method sometimes pushes students to feel overwhelmed, to lose self-confidence, and even to wonder whether law school was the right choice for them. To some extent, such outcomes are intended because the articulated goal of law school pedagogy is to tear law students down so they can be rebuilt to think like lawyers. Unfortunately, this demanding and competitive atmosphere prompts some law students to develop the impostor phenomenon (IP). The IP hampers students' leadership abilities because the students persistently feel like …

How Working Mothers Negotiate Work-Family Conflict: An Exploration Of Work Satisfaction, Home Life Satisfaction, And Partner Supportiveness, Karen Kramer Horning Phd

Dissertations

The demographics of the American workforce and family structures have shifted dramatically over the past 60 years, but traditional work and domestic roles have evolved only slightly. Women are more impacted than men by fixed interpretations of gender roles due to their assumption of professional positions in the workplace without relief from domestic responsibilities. For many women who are engaged in the professional realm while raising a family, the result is often a work-family conflict. Despite significant research and some governmental policy and organizational policy changes, limited progress has been made in resolving the conflict. Some dimensions of work-family conflict …

The Lost-Boys Phenomenon: Case Studies Of San Diego High School Males, Richard Stakelum Edd

Dissertations

By most measures of success—e.g., academic Grade Point Average (GPA), graduation rates, participation in extracurricular and civic activities, and college enrollment—adolescent males are less successful than females. Young males are falling behind in reading and writing and are more likely to be involved in truancy, violence, crime, suicide, and substance abuse. While the nation mobilized to address historical gender discrimination issues for females since the 1970s, there has not been a similar effort mounted to assist adolescent males. The trends alluded to in the previous paragraph have begun to be recognized by popular-press authors. Some have begun to refer to …

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Of High Risk Infants, Lisa E. Miklush Phd, Msn, Rnc, Cns

Dissertations

Background: Infant developmental research has revealed amazing physical, cognitive, and social capacities of the human infant. Along with this knowledge is a growing appreciation of numerous factors that have the potential to impact the individual infant's developmental trajectory, either enhancing or compromising the eventual outcome. Enhanced understanding of those factors that shape infant developmental trajectories will provide an evidence base for the establishment of a supportive environment for the youngest members of society. Purpose: To determine the relationship between neurodevelopmental outcome and gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, NICU admission, infant gender, maternal depression, home environment, and parent-child interaction. Methodology: …

Gender Differences In Depression And Immune Response In Colorectal Cancer, Barbara Anne Rose Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The focus of this descriptive comparative study was to examine the relationship between gender and depression and immune system function in patients with colorectal cancer. The research questions were answered through secondary analysis, using data obtained from the answers of 117 men and women (71 men and 46 women) enrolled in a colorectal cancer study conducted between 1990 and 1991 in Pennsylvania. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample, and general estimating equations were used to analyze depression and immune system function between men and women. Depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory, and immune system function was …

A Mixed Methods Study On Cbam And The Adoption Of Thin Client Computers By Adolescents, Cynthia Sistek-Chandler Edd

Dissertations

Although stages of change and adoption of innovation dynamics have been examined for adult populations, comparable research for adolescents is limited. Applying a change instrument grounded in Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to an adolescent population, this study investigates perceptions of 45 middle school students who used thin client portable computers in a one-to-one program at home and at school for 3 years. A mixed methodology design identified which of the 7 stages of concern students passed through and why some students adopted the innovation more readily than others. The Change Facilitator Stages of Concern Questionnaire, a modified version of CBAM, …

Politics And The Glass Ceiling In American Law Enforcement: Why Not More Women Chiefs Of Police?, Madeline G. Meistrich Edd

Dissertations

Law enforcement is one of the last male-dominated occupations. Out of 18,000 police departments in the United States, only 200 to 250 have women chiefs. Such under-representation reflects the "glass ceiling" effect of a gender-based metaphorical barrier that prevents women from rising to the top of an organization, regardless of qualifications. The research examined three questions: what are the issues and problems articulated by women officers attempting to move upwards; what strategies were employed as they attempted to advance; and what strategies could help other women reach the top? Nine female primary participants in law enforcement leadership were interviewed, as …

Confronting The Intra-Racial Gender Gap: A Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Gender On African American Students' Perceptions Of Campus Climate At A Predominantly White Institution, Tiffany N. Carpenter Edd

Dissertations

For the last decade, the attainment gap in college graduation rates between Black males and females has continued to grow, despite the best efforts of researchers interested in identifying both its causes and suggesting possible policy remedies. Although much of the work has focused on the search for cognitive differences between African American males and females, there has been little, if any, research on the different ways that Black males and females may perceive their campus climate. In an attempt to broaden the literature in this area, this study examined the perceptions of 366 undergraduate African American students at a …

Linking Succession Planning To Employee Training: A Study Of Federal Employees, Douglas E. Fenner Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences emerged in federal male and female middle managers and supervisors' perceptions concerning organizational career development culture, succession planning components used for linking employee-training activities, reasons for succession planning and barriers impacting succession planning within their organization. Quantitative methodology supported this research study. A test-retest of the eighty-two-statement survey instrument was conducted for reliability among 40 participants (20 male and 20 female). The survey was then administered to 300 federal middle managers and supervisors (150 male and 150 female). Participants' grade level ranged from general schedule (GS) GS-12 to GS-15. Of …

The Effect Of Embedded Metacognitive Prompts And Probes On Students’ Awareness In A Multimedia Lesson For Elementary School Students, Wendy Janine Parcel Edd

Dissertations

In a study he called The Effect of Embedded Metacognitive Cues and Probes on Use of Learner Control Features in an On-line Lesson for Elementary Students, Watson (2001) found that minimal prompting by an online tutorial increased 5th grade students’ comprehension of how much they understood. While Watson’s findings demonstrated a significant difference in the ability of prompted and non-prompted students to accurately predict their own performance on posttests, actual scores were not greater than those of control students until the results were analyzed by gender. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend Watson’s study to determine …

Wresting And Arresting Sense In Academe: The Complicated Discursive Structures Of Female Assistant Professors, Alana M. Nicastro Edd

Dissertations

Women in academe often become entangled in an intricate equation of sensemaking as they work to balance the professional demands of teaching, research, and service, while at the same time learning the political and moral meanings of being a scholar. Structuration theory offers avenues for closely examining communicative strategies women utilize to navigate their roles as assistant professors. Through intensive interviews with seven female assistant professors this research investigates their process of wresting and arresting sense of the complicated roles, rules, and structures in academe. Analysis of interview data reveals the multiple discourses that frame organizational practices that facilitate and …

Job Satisfaction, Leadership Styles, And Teaching Practices Among Cnmi Public Elementary School Teachers, Charles J. Algaier Edd

Dissertations

This study investigated whether teacher leadership styles and teaching practices influenced teacher job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The study answered the following questions: (1) what is the level of job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the CNMI; (2) to what extent do CNMI teachers fall into the personal leadership style categories of transactional or transformational; (3) to what extent do CNMI public school teachers prefer either didactic or constructivist teaching practices; (4) to what extent do demographic factors, preferred leadership styles, and preferred teaching practices affect the degree …

Career Paths To Navy Admiral, Lilly "Ericka" A. Jordan Edd

Dissertations

A significant disparity exists between the numbers of male and female personnel among high-ranking officers serving in the U.S. Navy. The general perception is that women have not been part of the Navy long enough to be in the flag officer's ranks. However, it has been over 30 years since the Navy first placed women in the ranks of flag officers. The purpose of the study is to trace the most common professional career paths followed by male and female flag officers in the U.S. Navy and to examine how certain aspects of a military career might have influenced selection …

The Relative Importance Of Academic Achievement In Determining The Self-Esteem Of Students In Rural British Columbia: An Empirical Examination Of Students In Grades 6, 8, 10 And 12, Scott E. Bergstrome Edd

Dissertations

As school systems across North America struggle to redefine themselves, educators everywhere are seeking a balance between academic achievement and the human and social needs of their students. The purpose of this correlational study was to quantitatively assess the construct of the school experience, as determined by academic achievement, as measured by GPA, and the level of involvement in school activities, from the perspective of four measures of student self-esteem. Data were collected from 263 students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in a small district in southwestern Canada. The first part of this study explored the relationship between …

Values Education Influence On Elementary Students' Self-Esteem, Ron W. Germaine Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if there was a significant difference in measures of self-esteem between elementary school students to whom specific values were formally taught in their school as part of the curriculum and those who did not receive such instruction. The setting for the study was a school district in Canada that had identified sixteen values through community consensus. The district developed curriculum and lessons for the teaching of these values. A quasi-experimental research design was utilized. The treatment group was taught values as a formal part of their curriculum for a period of four …