Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Place Matters: The Role Of Public Libraries As Change Agents In Central Appalachia, Jasmyne R. Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and governing board members are faced with challenges such as decreased funding, community division regarding library services, and soaring costs for library materials and services, as they develop and adopt policies and practices to navigate this ever-changing environment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from the public …

Elementary Classroom Ethics: The Emergence Of Ethical Literacy Within The Morning Meeting, Leo A. Zumpetta

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rituals have proven effective in the elementary classroom. One ritualistic practice, the morning meeting, is rooted in social and emotional learning (SEL), an approach that integrates traditional academic pursuits with an understanding of emotional regulation, self-actualization and interpersonal relationships. Ethical literacy, a facility with ethical concepts empowering individuals to act as autonomous ethical beings, may be cultivated through SEL. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the morning meeting for evidence of foundational experiences leading to ethical literacy in student participants, along with an analysis of the effectiveness of these experiences. Data were collected through nonparticipant observation …

Understanding The Influence Of Childhood Experiences On The Development Of Female Sexual Perpetrators Against Underage Individuals, Cassandra Marie Hershman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Females who are perpetrators of sexual offenses are an understudied population. Due to societies’ failure to recognize that female perpetrators exist and to recognize their abuse when it occurs, sexual abuse completed by females often goes unreported. As a result, females engaging in sexual offenses, particularly pedophilia, is seen as a rare occurrence. However, research suggests that the actual rate of female pedophilic behavior is occurring at a rate three-four times higher than what is actually reported (Cortoni, Babchishin, & Rat, 2017). This study used anonymous data from 2,828 adult females in the IRB approved study [127810-11] Effects of Recalled …

Reflections Of Hope: The History, Development, And Growth Of Service Learning At An Urban Catholic High School In West Virginia, Susan Divita Malinoski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to capture the history, atmosphere, and experience of HOPE (Housing Outreach Project Express). Charleston Catholic High School’s HOPE is a story of service and learning put into action. For 25 years, Charleston Catholic students, teachers, administrators, and alumni have been involved in home renovation projects for fellow West Virginians in need. Since 2005, this service has been focused on the families of Clay County, and during the past 12 years, 124 families in Clay County have warmer, safer, and drier homes as a result of HOPE. HOPE is the call to build a just …

The Perceptions And Effects Of Schools' Names On Black Professional Educators And Their Students, Gregg Suzanne Ferguson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is obvious that there is a variety of perspectives that the educational environment needs to sensitively reflect to serve a diverse society equitably. In Southern communities, in particular, distortions of heritage are conflated with local governance that control public money, public memory, public value, public health, and public landscape, including the public school environment and marginalizes further historically marginalized groups. This qualitative study was grounded in critical race and cultural geography theories that examined dominant paradigms in the educational environment which shape identity. This dissertation explored the effect(s) of race and racism in the educational environment from the perspective …

Re-Vision And Re-Representation : An Exploration Of Awarness And Voice In Marxism, Postcolonialism, Postmodernism And Psychoanalytic Theory, Stacy Sexton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Awareness and voice are explored through case studies of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. Karl Marx’s unaware and voiceless lumpenproletariat, Gayatri Spivak’s possibly aware but voiceless subaltern, and Saul Williams’ losers are compared. Williams’ loser may or may not have access to and engage in re-vision and re-representation, since the loser may exist at any point along the continuum of awareness and voice. Capitalism and the superstructure make everyone a loser. Thus, there is an inherent solidarity among losers, and it is this solidarity that may bring re-vision and re-representation to those who are unaware and voiceless. Unlike the …

"This Isn't For You, This Is For Me": Women In Cosplay And Their Experiences Combatting Harassment And Stigma, Christopher M. Lucas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the past two decades, cosplay, or “costume play,” has become increasingly popular among fans of anime, manga, and video games. Despite the community’s nature of embracing social difference, problems persist with regard to gender discrimination and breaching of consent boundaries. Discussion in the extant literature on cosplay has yet to address the views of women in the community, specifically the idea of cosplay and popular culture conventions being a “boys’ club.” The principle research questions of this study are: (1) What are the lived experiences of women cosplayers at anime conventions? (2) To what degree have they had to …

Exploring The Perspectives And Experiences Of Physicians In Wv Who Prescribe Medication-Assisted Treatment (Mat) To Patients With Opioid Use Disorder (Oud), Kimberly Ann White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of six physicians in West Virginia who treat patients with opioid use disorder using Buprenorphine, often referred to as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is an empirically-supported method of treating people who suffer from the physiological symptoms of opioid addiction and its associated psychological, social, and behavioral components to ease withdrawal. West Virginia ranks first in the nation for opioid overdose deaths, with an estimated 60,000 people needing treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and approximately 280 physicians certified to provide MAT. Semi-structured individual interviews lasting one hour were the primary source of information …

Weathered Mountains: A Qualitative Study Of West Virginia Women And Their Perceptions Of Strength, Land, And Womanhood, Danielle Renee Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Appalachia and those living within the region have been discussed, examined, critiqued, and defined primarily by those living outside of the area, particularly following the 2016 Election. The main narratives of Appalachia form a dichotomous view of the land and its people: beautiful landscapes threatened by resource extraction and a people wrecked by the symptoms of longterm poverty and economic stagnation. Simultaneously, the Appalachian identity has been constructed around a rugged or blue-collar male identity that excludes and makes invisible the female experience. This study seeks to break through the landscape and poverty binary, as well as the male-archetype, to …

The Effects Of Rape Myth Acceptance, Benevolent Sexism, Characterological Self-Blame, And Behavioral Self-Blame On Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity, Jacob Whitaker Camp

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Roughly 35 to 50 percent of victims of sexual assault begin to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relatively early after the assault (Elklit, Due, & Christiansen, 2009). Many victims of sexual assault who are diagnosed with PTSD continue to experience symptoms long after the incident occurred (Peter-Hagene & Ullman, 2015). Rape has serious effects on the psychological health of the victims. Although no study had been done directly examining the relationship between rape myth acceptance and PTSD symptom severity, studies have shown that benevolent sexism affects rape myth acceptance and that rape myth acceptance affects how individuals attribute blame …

"We're Human": An Analysis Of Formal And Informal Training Methods For Direct Care Staff Working With Dual-Diagnosis Populations, Adam Clay Stephenson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Direct care staff, or DCS, are individuals tasked with providing a number of care services to individuals with disabilities in various settings. This study focuses on a group of direct care staff working at a day habilitation program in central West Virginia. Training techniques used to prepare these workers for a diverse array of roles are reviewed comparatively and through a sociological theoretical lens utilizing perspectives from Bandura (1977), Laubach (2005), Marx (1964), and Wolfensberger (1983). Semi-structured interview results indicate that formal training is driven by a less valorous view of disabled individuals as a class than informal training; that …

Douglass High School: Students' Perspectives On Attending A Segregated School, Lee Ann Hvizdak Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Douglass High School (DHS), named for the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, was a segregated high school built in 1924 located in Huntington, West Virginia. For thirty-seven years the three-story brick building served as a major academic, social, and cultural resource for African American families in Huntington. Many students considered the school to be the heart of the black community, even given the challenges of segregated schools of the era. This study traces the historical development of Douglass as a segregated African American junior/senior high school in Cabell County, West Virginia. The research focuses on the experience of DHS alumni to gain …

Portrayals Of Gender In The Media: A Content Analysis Approach To Identifying Gender Oppression And Legitimation Of Patriarchy In Magazine Advertisements, Autumn M. O’Toole

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Advertisements are among the most pervasive forms of media. Portrayals of gender in advertisements constitute a significant subject of social research based on this pervasiveness and the influence that advertising media have on audiences. This influence is based on the notion that media is an institutional vehicle for ideas about products, lifestyles, and oppression. In this study, the institution of media is examined through an analysis of representations of patriarchy and gender oppression in media advertisements. The primary research question is: In what ways can we identify gender oppression and the support of hegemonic masculinity and systems of patriarchy in …

Women Leading To Make A Difference: An Inside Look At A Strength-Based Home Visiting Program In Rural Appalachia, Kathy J. Bialk

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Maternal Infant Outreach Worker Program (MIHOW) is a strength-based home visitation program that uses trained lay women indigenous to the community to mentor and teach parents who are economically disadvantaged or live in geographically isolated areas about healthy and positive pregnancy and parenting up until the child turns age three. This qualitative case study conducted in rural Appalachia at two program sites examined how women involved in the West Virginia MIHOW program – program leaders, home visitors, and mothers – came to recognize their strengths and use them to achieve life aspirations. In addition, this study explored how MIHOW …

The Human Manager: Consent Deal, Informal Organization And Routinization, Jennifer Lynn Conrad

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explores the quantitative and qualitative data relating to the consent deal, informal work organizations, and how job satisfaction links to both. Using a study done by Laubach and Wallace, I will replicate the results in a different industry and on a broader scale. I developed qualitative data through months of participant observation at the general manager level of fast casual restaurants as well as multiple interviews. I gathered quantitative information from the GSS on aspects of the consent deal and how it affects a worker’s subjective response to their workplace in general and their job satisfaction in particular. …

Bodybuilding Is An Art And Your Body Is The Canvas: An Examination Of Bodybuilders And The Built Body, Caitlin Greaf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines the bodybuilding community by conducting interviews and watching the bodybuilding documentaries Pumping Iron, Pumping Iron II, and Generation Iron. Bodybuilders’ performance of the body is not solely acted just on stage for competitions. Rather, bodybuilders are continuously redefining limitations of what we determine a ‘normal’ body looks like. By using the concept of the gaze, I analyze bodybuilders’ bodies as an oddity on and off stage (Mulvey, 1989). The oddity of their body transforms the space it takes up into a stage for entertainment. I then examine gender performances of female and male bodybuilders within the traditionally …

Recruitment, Retention And Socialization Of Underrepresented Minority Populations To West Virginia Higher Education Administrative Positions, Dedriell Dewin Taylor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study contributed to the body of knowledge dealing with recruitment, retention and socialization of underrepresented (UREP) minority populations for academic leadership positions in West Virginia higher education. The purpose of the study was to examine both the institutional and personal factors that are most effective in attracting members of UREP minority groups to administrative leadership positions at institutions of higher education, specifically higher education institutions in West Virginia. The study was conducted using a mixed method research approach consisting of a non-experimental research design in the quantitative phase of the study and individual interviews in the qualitative phase.

Media Narratives And Drug Prohibition: A Content Analysis Of Themes And Strategies Promoted In Network News Coverage, 2000-2013, Maria M. Orsini

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Illicit drugs and drug users have been criminalized and stigmatized in social life and in mass media for more than a century in the United States. Researchers have reasoned that media accounts have contributed to the social construction of drug use as deviant behavior. Depictions of drugs and drug users which utilize alarmist rhetoric have been prevalent in media discourse and have targeted allegedly disreputable populations. The ideology which underpins drug prohibition, punitive public attitudes, and media sensationalism has contributed to the tendency of American society to disallow alternative approaches. This study examines the contribution of televised news broadcasts in …

The Influence Of The Maternal Infant Health Outreach Program On Child Development: Through The Eyes Of Moms And Home Visitors, Debra L. Lockwood

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

MIHOW, the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program, is a parent-to-parent home visitation program that aims to enhance early childhood development in economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated families with children from birth to three. This qualitative case study conducted in two rural Appalachian counties examined the perceptions and experiences of moms and home visitors regarding the influence MIHOW has on child development. Findings were interpreted in relation to extant literature on the prevention of developmental delays. Five themes emerged from the data. The first theme related to the developmental checklists and screening materials and moms’ understanding of how the checklists …

The Geography Of Stuck: Exceptions To Brain Drain In West Virginia, Lindsay Heinemann

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Brain drain, also known as “human capital flight,” can be defined as “the mass emigration of technically skilled people from one country to another country” (Weeks, 2008, p. 250) or one state to another state. This theory surmises that highly skilled people or those with high education levels are more likely to migrate from places with little to no economic opportunities to places with better economic and job opportunities. West Virginia has largely been a state with few high paying or prestigious job opportunities. So why do highly educated people stay in West Virginia? Using census data and personal interviews, …

Willful Disobedience: The Intersection Of Social Dissent And Spirituality In The American Neo-Pagan Movement, Heather Nicole Sprouse

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Despite a history of oppression, the American Neo-Pagan movement is rapidly growing in popularity. Building on the social constructionist basis of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, this work investigates Neo-Pagan perspectives and social responses to the stigmatization of their Neo-Pagan identity. Utilizing phenomenological methods, this study aims to answer three main research questions: (1) Are there common experiences that have led individuals to participate in the Neo-Pagan community? (2) Are there benefits gained by those who participate in the Neo- Pagan community? If so, (3) are there mechanisms utilized by participating members to cope with the stigmatization of their Neo-Pagan …

Antecedents To Mobbing, Anita Lois Lane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The research examines possible antecedents to mobbing behavior. Mobbing typically occurs following a bullying incident. Dyadic Power Theory (Dunbar, 2004) is applied to the behaviors associated with this phenomenon. Indirect Interpersonal Aggression can be perceived as a communicative strategy to demonstrate control attempts. Those who lack in self-assurance may be more apt to join in with the mob and cultivate mobbing episodes in the adult world. Emerging adults are entering vocational spheres in large numbers. Becoming aware of unethical communicative behaviors that lead to severe workplace and individual consequences is the focus of this study.

Female Workplace Self-Help Books: Guiding Women To Become Leaders, Cassandra Lee Craft

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An emergence of top successful women has developed within the workforce, and more are expected to join that group as time continues (Eagly and Carli, 2003; Sklaroff, 2007). This push to the top has encouraged women to turn to self-help books to gain knowledge and insight on moving up and becoming a leader. Dozens of these books claim to provide the help women need to advance in their workplaces. How can potential readers choose the book most appropriate for their needs? This thesis examines two types of self-help books (Bergsma, 2008) -- problem-focused and growth-oriented -- and how these books …

They Call Me Crazy: Factors To Conspiratorial Participation, Rachel Sparkman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study investigates the public perceptions of conspiracy theories and the level and types of participation of those who believe such theories. It addresses the research questions of: (1) Under what conditions would a person speak openly about conspiracy, and under what conditions would they remain silent? (2) What are the social factors that draw a person into joining with others who believe a particular conspiracy has occurred? And (3) is there any relationship between a person's education and profession that would increase or hinder a conspiracist's visible participation of his or her beliefs? A total of thirty interviews were …

Climate Influence On The Health Of An Appalachian City, Ryan Wade Becka

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In 2008 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found Huntington, West Virginia, to be the unhealthiest city in America. A Gallup Poll conducted in 2010 found the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area number one of 188 metro areas where depression diagnoses are most common. Manifestations of poor health in Huntington may be related to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs mainly in winter months. Symptoms of SAD are reported as a lack of energy, sleeping more, and consuming high amounts of carbohydrates and starchy foods. I theorize that these maladaptive behaviors may be a reaction to climate conditions …

Covert Behaviors Occurring In Childhood And Adolescence: Predictors Of Adult Sexual Orientation And Sexual Identity, Shelia Ramona Robinett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the influence pre-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on adult sexual orientation and the influence post-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on sexual identity in both women and men. Retrospective data were gathered via a computer-assisted self interview on 1281 non-transsexual female (age range 18-78) and 804 non-transsexual male (age range 18-84) participants for the outcome of sexual orientation and 1086 non-transsexual female and 692 non-transsexual male participants for outcomes of sexual identity. Same-sex romantic emotional attachment experience before adulthood predicted adult same-sex sexual orientation in both women and men. Such experiences occurred …

A Synthetic Analysis Of The Polish Solidarity Movement, Stephen W. Mays

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study is to arrive at a holistic understanding of how and why the Polish Solidarity Movement succeeded, against great odds, within a regime hostile to its existence. From this movement emerged Solidarnosc, the first independent labor union in the Communist Bloc. Solidarnosc evolved into a political party that succeeded in replacing the Communist Party in Poland. Seven factors are elaborated on, each contended to have facilitated Solidarnosc's success. Some factors occurred naturally (such as the structural conduciveness of Poland's industrially based economy), some occurred fortunately (such as the political opportunity afforded by Mikhail Gorbachev's liberalizing policies), …

Mental Health Services And Alternative Schools, Chasity D. Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the number of children being placed into alternative school settings growing, it is of interest to know if mental health services are a beneficial addition to the traditional alternative programs. To research this issue, case studies of 48 children who had attended an alternative school were assessed. Participants included 48 students, half of whom had received only alternative school services while the other half had received alternative school services in addition to mental health services during their alternative school placement. Findings show no significant correlation between the hours of mental health services received and any of the following variables: …

Stewards Of The Forest: An Analysis Of Ginseng Harvesters And The Communal Boundaries That Define Their Identity In An Area Of Environmental Degradation, Eric Arthur Edwards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research introduced here demonstrates the use of protagonist framing as a means of identifying the boundaries that define a community’s identity in relation to an antagonist. Specifically, this research examines the two-sided nature of boundaries and the impact such boundaries have on the identity of a community. Through the telling narrative of two distinctively contrasting members of the ginseng steward community, this research explores how boundaries and protagonist framing can be used to identify the schemata of interpretation that enables the ginseng steward community to locate, perceive, and label themselves in relation to American society and a capitalist mentality. The …

Nationalism In Cyprus: The Effects Of Institutionalization On Nationalist Mobilizations And Political Conflicts As Reflected In Turkish Cypriot Nationalism And Greek Cypriot Nationalism, Nicel Masarogullari

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Historical events in Cyprus have played a very important role in the institutionalization of nationalist movements and political conflict between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot nationalist movements on the island of Cyprus. In order to make the case of the “Cyprus problem” understandable, the sociological elements of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot nationalism of the island were analyzed in this study in relation to some fundamental elements of the conflict. Internal and external elements including nationalism, the role of outsiders, modernization, and some other cultural factors, such as the educational and religious systems and colonial policies, played an …