Digital Commons Network^™

Themes In Help-Seeking Of Female Military Sexual Assault Survivors, Priscilla Phan

Doctoral Dissertations

While large efforts have been made to address military sexual assault, there are still barriers in the help-seeking journey that need attention. This study aimed to examine barriers and facilitators to formal and informal help-seeking behaviors and to understand the role of stigma in survivors' help-seeking behaviors for female military sexual assault survivors. Through semi-structured interviews, the study explored the help-seeking experiences and mental health sequela of fourteen female military sexual assault survivors. This study focused on cis-gender women over the age of eighteen who experienced a military sexual assault, by another military service member, while on active-duty. Women shared …

Understanding Help-Seeking In Rural Counties: A Serial Mediation Model Of Self-Reliance, Stigma, And Attitudes Toward Psychologists, Emily M. Keller

Doctoral Dissertations

Rural areas in the Southern United States are characterized by certain cultural values, including self-reliance. Prior research has shown that cultural values can affect stigmatizing beliefs about mental health needs and service utilization. The present study examined a four-stage chain of serial mediation where higher levels of general self-reliance would be related to increased levels of public stigma, which would, in turn, be related to greater levels of self-stigma, followed by higher self-reliance about managing mental health problems, and finally, more negative attitudes toward seeking out help from psychologists. Community members who lived in rural counties in the Southern United …

The Lived Experiences Of Graduate Student Veterans Enrolled In Cacrep-Accredited Counseling Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Gerald Spangler

Doctoral Dissertations

Student veterans (SVs)are a population of students studied extensively at the undergraduate level. These students possess military traits and characteristics that influence their academic experiences. Existing research focuses on these experiences to better understand and assist in fostering academic persistence. However, there is gap in literature that explores the lived experiences of graduate SVs. This literature is even more pronounced when narrowed to graduate SVs enrolled in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Therefore, this study sought to address this gap and gain a better understanding of graduate SVs and their academic experiences that lead to …

“If You Could Ball You Were On The Court”: Race, Team, And Culture In High School Boys’ Basketball, Alexander Deeb

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a substantial body of research examining the experiences of Black collegiate student athletes at primarily White universities. Many studies, however, have privileged exploring the experiences of college athletes over high school athletes. The purpose of the current study was to explore the role of race in the context of high school boys’ basketball by investigating whether and how race manifests as part of team dynamics and culture. An additional purpose of the current study was to examine high school boys’ basketball players’ understandings of and experiences with race, particularly within the context of sport. Interpretive phenomenological interviews were …

What Stepmothers Can Teach Us About Contemporary Family Life, The Institution Of Motherhood, And The Reproduction Of Gender Inequality, Melissa Day

Doctoral Dissertations

A substantial amount of scholarly attention has been dedicated to understanding changes in the institution of family and, within the context of these changes, how the institution of motherhood continues to play a central role in reproducing gender inequalities for women in society. Through two distinct, but interrelated papers, this dissertation examines stepmothers’ experiences in the family with the goal of expanding our understanding of the reach of the institution of motherhood into the lives of all women. The first paper draws on 33 semi- structured, in-depth interviews with stepmothers. From these data, my findings are two-fold. First, I find …

The Moderating Role Of Culture In The Job Demands-Resources Model, James A. De Leon

Doctoral Dissertations

During the past few decades, occupational health researchers have examined the effects of work characteristics on job stress and employee wellbeing (Beehr & Franz, 1987; Caulfield, Chang, Dollard, & Elshaug, 2004; Jex, 1998; Jex & Britt, 2014; Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001; Sparks, Faragher, & Cooper, 2001). With the help of the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R model; Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Bakker, Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2003; Demerouti, Bakker, de Jonge, Janssen, & Schaufeli, 2001; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004), researchers have been able to examine the impact of jobspecific work characteristics (demands and resources) on employee wellbeing. The work processes outlined in …

Cultural Models Of Shyness And Parenting Among Local And Immigrant Mothers In Hong Kong, Jia Li Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

Children develop within a complex system of relationships that are affected by their own unique dispositions (e.g. temperament) and by the surrounding environment, including culture. Traditional Chinese culture is influenced by Confucian and Taoist philosophies, which promote self-restraint and discourage self-promotion and individualism (King & Bond, 1985). Until recently, shy behaviors were valued and associated with indices of child adjustment (Chen, Rubin, & Sun, 1992). However, in recent years as China becomes increasingly westernized, there has been an observed shift away from the preference for shyness, with confidence, sociability, and self-assertion becoming highly regarded (Hou, Chen, & Chen, 2005). Researchers …

From Faking It To Making It: The Art Of Cultural Adaptation In The Caribbean, Haley Lee Osborn

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates tendencies of cultural negotiation and adaptation within a Caribbean context. Appropriately, it examines adapted texts, such as novel to film or biography to musical, and looks at sociocultural adaptive mechanisms as a means of coping with a colonial past and neocolonial present. Through my analyses of a variety of original texts and their visual adaptations, I map evolving cross-cultural perceptions of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and cultural exploitation. While drawing theories from Adaptation Studies, I aim to promote a more inclusive, well-rounded logic of how cultural discourses in the Caribbean gain strength and are reified in …

Perceptions Of Primary School Principals In Singapore About Their Role As Justice Agents, Kit Wah Antonia Teng

Doctoral Dissertations

Justice in school is central to both the Catholic church and the government of Singapore. Both institutions have expectations of principals as justice agents to serve the needs of every student by means of equality and equity in educational provision to all students. There is limited research on how principals of Catholic and government primary schools in Singapore perceive their role as justice agents and how they fulfill this expectation.

This qualitative research examined the experiences of primary school principals in Singapore in their enactment of educational leadership for justice. Of the 10 principals interviewed, 4 were principals of Catholic …

Ethnic Discrimination And Psychological Distress Among Middle Eastern/Arab Americans: The Roles Of Religiosity, Coping, Ethnic Identity, And Family Connectedness, Ayse Selin Ikizler

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite increased public attention in the past decade towards the Middle East and Arab world, only a small but growing body of research literature investigating the mental health of individuals with ethnic background originating in these countries exists. Given the major stigma associated with being Middle Eastern/Arab (MEA) in the United States, the mental health-related implications for MEA Americans is of particular interest in the present study. Specifically, we investigated (1) the moderating role of religiosity in the link between religious affiliation and ethnic discrimination and (2) potential mediators (coping via internalization, detachment, and drugs/alcohol) and moderators (ethnic identity and …

African Descent Women: Ethnicity And Condom Use, Yvonne O. Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations

The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among all African American/black women in the U.S necessitates a more in depth response and investigation into all the factors which may heighten women’s risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. Although African American women’s risk has been explored along several variables, there remains a gap in research knowledge around the effects of ethnicity on the rate of infection among African American/black women living in the U.S. Understanding the etiology of HIV/AIDS this diverse group is critical in developing effective prevention strategies. The term African-American/black was replaced with African descent within the main body of this dissertation …

An Exploration Of Worship Practices At An African American Church Of Christ, Lamont Ali Francies

Doctoral Dissertations

The identity of the African American Churches of Christ is deeply rooted in the American struggle for racial equality. Without a formal governing body, the Churches of Christ have survived throughout the majority of the 20th century without making an official stance on racial relations. Many leaders in the religious movement have claimed racial immunity but have not addressed the evident division among ethnic lines. This study explored the extent of cultural influence that Caucasian Churches of Christ have on African American congregations.

This study observed these influences and how they shape religious culture and tradition in Black churches. The …

Implications Of Branding Initiatives In Higher Education Among Trademarked Institutions In California, Joy Victoria Lamboy

Doctoral Dissertations

Many educational institutions across the world create an image to attract students; this process is called branding. Branding began as a channel of choice for consumers and has grown to include what an organziation respresents in worth and values. Corporations commonly implement branding initiatives through trademark-licensing programs due to competition and infringements that mocked their services or marks. Specifically, corporations across the world wanted to be unique from others that might have similar offerings. Likewise, many college institutions such as Harvard, University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California have branded their identity through the use of …

Perceptions Regarding The Identity And Culture Of A Lasallian Catholic Secondary School In Australia, Adrian Watson

Doctoral Dissertations

This 2010 qualitative case study explored the perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the Lasallian Catholic identity and culture of St. John's College (a pseudonym), a secondary school located in Australia. Data collection occurred over a 10-week period primarily from the researcher's interviews with three administrators and 12 teachers, and supplemented by his observations of school events and analysis of school documents.

Overall, the participants in the study identified numerous characteristics of a Lasallian Catholic school, and perceived St. John's College as reflecting many of them. The observed school and faculty activities and the analyzed school documents validated their perceptions. …

"Rapping About Authenticity": Exploring The Differences In Perceptions Of "Authenticity" In Rap Music By Consumers.", James L. Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, social scientists have not only marginalized rap music as a viable unit of scholarly analysis, but failed at attempts to understand the thoughts and actions of rap music consumers. This study analyzes the connection between rap music’s (and the artists’) authenticity and how those perceptions of authenticity affect music consumers’ decision making process, thus providing a possible explanation as to why music fans purchase rap music. The goal of this research was to see if the reasons rap music fans provide explaining the rationale behind their purchases match the images and perceptions presumably held by the general public about …