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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Perspectives On Data For Good: The Emergence Of Embodied Data Discourses, Kimberly M. Gardner Aug 2023

Perspectives On Data For Good: The Emergence Of Embodied Data Discourses, Kimberly M. Gardner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In policy sciences, data have traditionally been a tool used by scientists and technocrats to guide state policy. Boundaries around what counts as data generally fall along traditional understandings that data are neutral, objective, and abstracted from individual bodies and experiences. Unfortunately, this understanding of data has a history of perpetuating harmful social hierarchies and, especially in the era of “big data”, mirroring our racial and gendered prejudices (Kitchin, 2014). More recently, however, data have been claimed as a tool by a different kind of actor operating in a unique environment. These new actors, such as some police officers and …


Unheard Victims Of Covid-19: The Impact Of Mask Use On Communication For D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People, Kym Couch May 2023

Unheard Victims Of Covid-19: The Impact Of Mask Use On Communication For D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People, Kym Couch

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Masks are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, but they also impact communication for d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people. This research is a mixed methods approach to analyzing the impact that the widespread use of masks in response to COVID-19 has had on DHH people. Building on the allowance for nuance and paradox presented by Deborah Stone in her book Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making (2012) and holding to the Social Model of Disability, this research involves the qualitative and quantitative analysis of a survey of one-hundred and ninety-eight (198) DHH people, interviews with …


A Different Kind Of Shot: The Covid-19 Vaccination Behavior Of College Students, Alexandra Maria Mccann May 2023

A Different Kind Of Shot: The Covid-19 Vaccination Behavior Of College Students, Alexandra Maria Mccann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

COVID-19 and its mitigation through social distancing, masking, and preventative vaccination have impacted societies worldwide, leading to controversy regarding public health policy. This dissertation investigates the determinants of the vaccination behavior of 18-24-year-old college students in four-year public institutions in the United States, specifically concerning coronavirus. Of interest are reasons “why” or “why not” students would opt for or against the COVID-19 shot. Findings could aid in messaging public policy targeted toward a desired audience. Concepts related to policy, public health, beliefs, and their effects on the willingness to receive the coronavirus shot are explored. Prospect Theory – decision-making under …


Owed Work Ahead: Public Service Motivation, Corporate Social Responsibility, And The Deconstruction Of Davis-Bacon Noncompliance In Transportation Contracting, Jasmine Platt May 2023

Owed Work Ahead: Public Service Motivation, Corporate Social Responsibility, And The Deconstruction Of Davis-Bacon Noncompliance In Transportation Contracting, Jasmine Platt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Noncompliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (1931)—the accidental or intentional disregard of a federal prevailing wage law—is among the most unethical crimes committed against a business’s own workforce. With the threat of sanctions unpersuasive to preventing fraud, a more forbearing eye may be required to understand the understudied construction companies pressed to ‘serve two masters’ in public-private partnerships. This dissertation uses nested data from 26,903 highway and bridge construction- and construction-adjacent firms, funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and contracted by 28 state Departments of Transportation between 2010-2019, to answer the overall question: do firms that feel like government comply …