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Borderline Personality Disorder And Violent Crime: The Moderating Role Of Sex And Race, Genevieve Allison Dec 2022

Borderline Personality Disorder And Violent Crime: The Moderating Role Of Sex And Race, Genevieve Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) are at risk of justice involvement. Although it is well-established that borderline personality disorder (BPD) increases risk for criminal involvement, it is unclear whether this relationship exists among people with SUDs. Furthermore, prior research has found sex and race differences in the relationships between BPD and justice involvement as well as violence, but these moderators have not been explored within a substance using sample. The current study utilized a sample receiving SUD treatment to examine whether BPD is associated with prior violent charges and, if race and sex moderated this relationship. Results …


Perceptions Of Race, Status, And Instructional Modality As Predictors Of Degree Attainment For African American Male Community College Students, Roderick C. Lewis Sr. Apr 2022

Perceptions Of Race, Status, And Instructional Modality As Predictors Of Degree Attainment For African American Male Community College Students, Roderick C. Lewis Sr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the large number of students who begin their college education yet never graduate, it is essential that, as higher education leaders and policymakers develop student success strategies, they consider the persistence and degree attainment dynamics of all populations. This study focuses on the problem of degree attainment from the perspective of male, second-year, African American, community college students. A qualitative narrative case study approach was used to ascertain their perception of race, status attainment, and instructional learning modalities as predictors of degree attainment. Accordingly, those perceptions were then evaluated to determine their utility as predictors of degree attainment. Six …


The Continued Prohibition Of Cannabis & Racism At Canada’S Borders, Dara Vosoughi Oct 2021

The Continued Prohibition Of Cannabis & Racism At Canada’S Borders, Dara Vosoughi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Canada is one of the few jurisdictions in the world where cannabis for personal and recreational purposes is legal. Prior to October 17th 2018, the possession of any quantity of cannabis was a criminal offence, making individuals vulnerable to onerous criminal sanctions. The legislative act that resulted in the decriminalization and regulation of cannabis was framed as a means of advancing public health goals and reducing inequalities. Those once engaged in low level cannabis activities were no longer subject to criminal sanctions within Canada. However, the criminal status and practices upholding the prohibition of cannabis continues at Canada’s borders and …


Encroachment: College Athletes’ Experiences With Identity Development As Affected By Media Representations Of Social Justice Demonstrations, Madison Remi Vanwalleghen Jan 2021

Encroachment: College Athletes’ Experiences With Identity Development As Affected By Media Representations Of Social Justice Demonstrations, Madison Remi Vanwalleghen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to understand how communication and identity are experienced by Black university athletes in asking about their experiences and how they gauge mainstream media portrayals of Black NFL athletes making verbal or physical statements about or in protest of social injustice, racism, and inequality in America. I interviewed five university athletes identifying as Black/African American or Mixed- Race using media representations of Black NFL athletes’ protests since the NFL has dominated mainstream media headlines regarding recent athletes’ protests, especially in connection to the Black Lives Matter social movement. I also used several theories to interpret the data …


The Effects Of Race, Sociopolitical Attitudes, And Geographic Location On Criminal Scripts, To'meisha S. Edwards Jan 2021

The Effects Of Race, Sociopolitical Attitudes, And Geographic Location On Criminal Scripts, To'meisha S. Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent social unrest has highlighted differences in how crime is perceived based upon the race of the perpetrator. Decades of research suggests criminality is more easily associated with racial and ethnic minorities leading to the racialization of crime. Mutz (1994) noted there are personal factors as well as impersonal factors influencing views regarding race and crime. Research suggests the strongest impersonal influence on society’s perception is the media (Gilliam et al., 2002; Umair, 2016). Therefore, the narrative of linking race and crime, which is prevalent in news media, is reinforced every time viewers tune in to their local news. Additionally, …


Gun Ownership As An Expression Of Whiteness And Masculinity., Michael Daugherty Aug 2020

Gun Ownership As An Expression Of Whiteness And Masculinity., Michael Daugherty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public discourse on the topic of gun ownership in the U.S. is polarized, with the debate framed as a binary between unquestioned gun rights versus a complete ban. Gun ownership can have grave consequences: guns are used to commit acts of violence and suicide. Interviews with white male gun owners explore the influence of white backlash, masculinity, and racial identity development in their decisions to own guns. This project explores the extent these reasons are related to race on the part of white males, starting with these two questions: How much does race play a factor in the action and …


White Supremacy And The Racial Contract In The United States, Cayna Laurene Sharp Jun 2020

White Supremacy And The Racial Contract In The United States, Cayna Laurene Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project conducts an investigation into the evolution of the American polity through the lens of the racial contract. By relying on Charles Mills' The Racial Contract, I show through three episodes of American history, how the racial contract has been instituted and revised over time. The three periods of history I investigate are: the end of Reconsturction to the rise of Jim Crow in the nineteenth century, suburbanization in the mid-twentieth century, and the rise of mass incarceration as a means of replacing slavery since the end of the American Civil War. Through this analysis, I hope to …


Out Of The Core: Negotiating Everyday Difference And Belonging Among Racialized Youth In East-End Toronto Neighbourhoods, Anuppiriya Sriskandarajah Oct 2017

Out Of The Core: Negotiating Everyday Difference And Belonging Among Racialized Youth In East-End Toronto Neighbourhoods, Anuppiriya Sriskandarajah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to examine the way youth negotiate belonging in two priority neighbourhoods - Malvern and Chester Le in Toronto’s east-end. It asks how youth experience belonging and negotiate difference in ‘priority neighbourhoods’. In what ways does space shape belonging and difference? How do youth reproduce dominant scripts and rupture others in their quest for belonging in their communities? In contrast to the previous studies that are spatially decontextualized, I argue that neighbourhoods are the very sites where youth negotiate differences and connections as they engage with peers, families, friends and residents. The importance of space …


How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates Aug 2016

How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores a series of events that occurred in the spring of 1876. The relationship between the Indianapolis city government, the Marion County Courts, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the African American community came together to usher in changes never before envisioned. The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) was formed in 1855, then disbanded 12 months later in a political dispute. From 1857-to-1876, the IPD was all white. These changes took place as the Reconstruction era was coming to a close. The first Ku Klux Klan was at its apex, terrorizing black communities, and Jim Crow was coming into its …


Stories Of The Trenton Six: Race And The Early Cold War In America, 1948 - 1953, Harry Roger Young Nov 2015

Stories Of The Trenton Six: Race And The Early Cold War In America, 1948 - 1953, Harry Roger Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reveals the complex post war world, in the emerging Cold War era, with the intersecting disputed worlds of race and ideology through the lens of the Trenton Six case. It provides the reader with a glimpse of one city's story, but it enveloped the entire nation; as Americans attempted to make sense of their chaotic and complicated world, prior to the 1960s civil rights movement. This study explores the problem of race in the criminal justice system. Even as racial attitudes were liberalizing in the post war world, race still pervaded criminal justice proceedings in subtle and unsubtle …


The Effects Of Gender, Race, And Age On Judicial Sentencing Decisions, April Miller Aug 2015

The Effects Of Gender, Race, And Age On Judicial Sentencing Decisions, April Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found significant effects of gender, race, and age on sentencing decisions made by state and local court judges (e.g. Johnson, 2003; Mustard, 2001; Steffensmeier, Ulmer, & Kramer, 1998). The current study used criminal district court data from two counties in western North Carolina to further research of the effects of the aforementioned variables on sentencing. Using knowledge acquired from past studies, the hypotheses for the current study asserted that younger offenders, male offenders, and nonwhite offenders would be more likely to be found guilty of their offense and receive fines than their respective offender counterparts. The results …


Race, Social Disorganization And Delinquency, Alina Bazyler Dec 2013

Race, Social Disorganization And Delinquency, Alina Bazyler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in crime has been an issue of debate. Some evidence, however, has shown that racial differences in offending are largely accounted for by economic disadvantage. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 4,290), the relationship between race and delinquency was examined looking at social disorganization factors. It was hypothesized that there would be racial and ethnic differences in delinquency and that these differences would be accounted for by social disorganization factors, specifically collective efficacy and economic disadvantage. The results show that compared to White adolescents Hispanic adolescents …


The Relationship Between Risk And Resilience, Racial Microaggression, Ethnic Identity, And Well-Being In Young Adulthood, Shandra S. Forrest-Bank Jun 2012

The Relationship Between Risk And Resilience, Racial Microaggression, Ethnic Identity, And Well-Being In Young Adulthood, Shandra S. Forrest-Bank

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young adulthood is the developmental period characterized by the transition from adolescence to the roles and responsibilities of adulthood. While most young adults experience positive growth and accomplishments, many others struggle, especially those with disadvantaged childhoods who lack financial, social, and emotional resources. Substance abuse, crime, educational failure, unemployment, and mental health problems are common among young adults. Unfortunately, many of these problems occur at disproportionately high rates for young people of color. Considerable knowledge of the child and adolescent risk and protective factors that contribute to the onset of problem behavior or to well-being during adolescence has been developed. …


An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Dropout Variables And The Race And Gender Of High School Students, Eddie M. Jones Jan 2012

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Dropout Variables And The Race And Gender Of High School Students, Eddie M. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between dropout variables and the race and gender of high school students in a mid-south suburban school district. Data was collected on 353 dropouts and 316 graduates that attended one of the district’s eight high schools between the years 2006 - 2011. Variables selected for study included ethnicity, gender, special education classification, socioeconomic status, retention occurrences, absentee rates, behavioral infractions, and grade point average. Descriptive statistics, Correlations, Tests for Differences, and Logistic regression analysis were run to determine both the predictability of these variables and their relationship among the two …


Self-Control Theory : An Exploration Of Racial Disparities In Offending., Emmaleigh E. Kirchner May 2011

Self-Control Theory : An Exploration Of Racial Disparities In Offending., Emmaleigh E. Kirchner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to examine whether racial disparities in offending can be explained through self-control theory. The study utilized longitudinal responses of a nationally representative sample of 1700 adolescents. Parenting and self-control measures are taken from the mothers supplemental survey and peer pressure and offending are taken from self-reports from the adolescents at a later time. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the racial differences in self-control theory. Both a measurement model and a structural model are presented. The results of the study find empirical support for the construct of self-control theory, even within the face of racial disparities. …


Delinquency : A Trajectory Analysis Of African-American Males., Wyatt Brown 1985- May 2011

Delinquency : A Trajectory Analysis Of African-American Males., Wyatt Brown 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The initial goals of this study include locating and identifying the taxonomic groups mentioned in Moffitt's (1993) (i.e. life-course persistent offenders, adolescent-limited offenders) using data from the National Longitudinal Survey 1997 (NLSY97). Further, this study compares the social demographics with the predictions of Moffitt (1993,1994) as her theory describes race, particularity those of African-American offenders. This study also examines the role of parental and peer relationships and their effect on the offender disparity among the typologies defined by Moffitt (1993). This study explores one hypothesis: there is a relationship between social bonds, particularly peer association and admittance into Moffitt's (1993) …


Correlates Of Intake And Disposition Decisions By Child Protective Services Professionals., Lisa Michele Johnson Aug 2009

Correlates Of Intake And Disposition Decisions By Child Protective Services Professionals., Lisa Michele Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined intake and post-investigative disposition decision making among professionals engaged in child protective services to understand disproportionality and disparities in the child welfare system. Using child welfare, decision making, and attribution theories as a framework, a multivariate 2x2x2 factorial vignette design was used to examine intake and post-investigative disposition decision making among 400 child protective caseworkers and supervisors employed in a Midwestern state. Data were gathered through an online self-administered survey. Among the key variables of interest--race, socio-economic status, and family structure--only the family's socio-economic status was found to influence the intake decision but none were associated with …


Support For Social Programs: Effects Of Class, Race, Political Ideology, And Poverty Beliefs, John Edwin Roller May 2009

Support For Social Programs: Effects Of Class, Race, Political Ideology, And Poverty Beliefs, John Edwin Roller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the main factors affecting support for social programs: class, race, political ideology, and beliefs about poverty. Using ordinary least squares regression (OLS) and bivariate correlation models, I examine how racial priming influences blacks' and whites' support for social programs such as welfare and unemployment. The premise of a racial primer is that people's racial attitudes or beliefs, overt or hidden, will be enhanced when reading information that confirms their attitudes or beliefs. While the racial primers did not directly influence support for social programs, they did moderate the independent variables' affect on the levels of support for …


The Driving Force: A Comparative Analysis Of Gang-Motivated, Firearm-Related Homicides, Christa Polczynski Jan 2009

The Driving Force: A Comparative Analysis Of Gang-Motivated, Firearm-Related Homicides, Christa Polczynski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The knowledge of gang homicides is constantly increasing, but one aspect of gangs rarely studied is drive-by shootings (Dedel 2007; Hutson, Anglin, and Pratts 1994; Hutson, Anglin, and Eckstein 1996; Polczynski 2007; Sanders 1994; Sugarmann and Newth 2007). In this paper are comparative analyses of gang-motivated, firearm-related homicides perpetrated through a drive-by shooting to those which are not perpetrated through a drive-by shooting, by spatial and regression analyses. The data used for the analyses are a combination of incident variables, such as victim, offender, and incident characteristics, as well as social and economic characteristics of the communities in which the …


Driving While Black: Stories Through The Driver's Car Window—A Communicative Analysis, Tracie Lynn Keesee Jan 2008

Driving While Black: Stories Through The Driver's Car Window—A Communicative Analysis, Tracie Lynn Keesee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the communicative dynamic that occurs between Denver police officers, and citizens of the African-American community, during traffic stops characterized as "Driving While Black." Thirty four interviews were conducted regarding this study. Derived from the interviews were transcribed narratives, which were examined through the use of narrative analysis and various theoretical frameworks. The narrative analysis and theoretical frameworks provided a new lens for exploring the police/citizen communicative dynamic, and a foundation for additional communication research between police officers and the African-American community.


Cinema, Race, And Justice: A Qualitative Analysis Of Selected Themes., Katherine Clay Thompson Aug 2007

Cinema, Race, And Justice: A Qualitative Analysis Of Selected Themes., Katherine Clay Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine 7 different crime and justice films and provide a content analysis incorporating restorative justice and peacemaking perspectives. The 7 films examined in this study included 12 Angry Men, A Family Thing, American History X, American Me, Crash, Shawshank Redemption, and Traffic. The researcher examined the films and used content analysis to examine the behaviors and actions of the characters. The films were examined using 5 different analytical themes: "embracing change", "second chances", "hope", "connectedness", and "becoming more human". The current study found the 7 films …


Racial Profiling And Policing In North Carolina: Reality Or Rhetoric?, Randal J. Sluss May 2007

Racial Profiling And Policing In North Carolina: Reality Or Rhetoric?, Randal J. Sluss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined police practices of the North Carolina Highway Patrol concerning the occurrence of racial profiling. The sample data consisted of motorists stopped in North Carolina by the Highway Patrol between January 1, 2000 and July 31, 2000 (N = 332, 861). The findings suggested that race was a likely factor in pretextual stops. The results also indicate that racial profiling was occurring more in the western region than the eastern region of North Carolina. Theoretical reasons are offered in support of these findings.


Race Reform In The Early Twentieth Century South: The Life And Work Of Willis Duke Weatherford., Sara Trowbridge Combs Dec 2004

Race Reform In The Early Twentieth Century South: The Life And Work Of Willis Duke Weatherford., Sara Trowbridge Combs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Willis Duke Weatherford, a liberal pioneer in Southern race reform, argued that the ethics of Christianity obligated Southerners to address the social and economic problems faced by blacks in the early twentieth century. His strategy for improving race relations centred on educating Southerners and promoting economic uplift for blacks. Weatherford advocated race reform through the Young Men's Christian Association, the Southern Sociological Congress, and other voluntary organizations. He published books, taught courses, preached sermons, organized conferences, and raised funds from Northern philanthropists. Through an analysis of Weatherford's published writings and of his papers archived at the Southern Historical Collection, the …