Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Collateral Effects Of Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Violence Against Women In The United States, January 2019 To December 2020, Patricia C. Lewis, Yuk F. Cheong, Nadine J. Kaslow, Kathryn M. Yount

Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The necessary execution of non-pharmaceutical risk-mitigation (NPRM) strategies to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented natural experiment to ascertain whether pandemic-induced social-policy interventions may elevate collateral health risks. Here, we assess the efects on violence against women (VAW) of the duration of NPRM measures that were executed through jurisdictional-level orders in the United States. We expect that stay-at-home orders, by reducing mobility and disrupting non-coresident social ties, are associated with higher incident reporting of VAW.

Methods: We used aggregate data from the Murder Accountability Project from January 2019 through December 2020, to estimate count models examining …

Stronger Together Newsletter October-November 2023, Office For Inclusive Excellence

News, Magazines and Reports

Contents: Pilot of identity-based employee resource groups -- SHU Prode Week -- SHU hosts equity at the Heart of Teaching Symposium -- Inclusive Excellence Faculty and Staff fellows -- National Coming Out Day -- Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month -- Indigenous Peoples' Day and Native American Heritage Month -- SHU Athletics earns a high athletic equity index score -- SHU Community Theater host event on African-American and Jewish Civil Rights Alliance -- SHU honors the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht -- SHU honors Gloria Naylor with conference and exhibit.

A Call To Action: Person-Centered Care Aligned With Reproductive Justice For Incarcerated Pregnant People With Substance Use Disorder, Essence Hairston, Aunchalee El Palmquist, Andrea K. Knittel, Kevin Mensah-Biney, Crystal M. Hayes, Amelia Mack, Hendrée E. Jones

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Although research has proven that jails and prisons are ineffective in preventing or reducing substance use among pregnant people, the USA continues to rely heavily on the criminal legal system as its intervention. Pregnant people with an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience incarceration than pregnant people without an opioid use disorder. In some states, pregnant people are transported from jail to prison through the process of safekeeping in order to receive physical or mental health care that the jail does not provide, despite conviction status. When pregnant and postpartum safekeepers with an opioid use disorder experience incarceration, …

Stronger Together Newsletter, April 2023, Office For Inclusive Excellence

News, Magazines and Reports

Contents: Letter from the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Maurice D. Nelson -- Introducing MACC Pioneers (Mentors Advocating for Cultural Connection) -- Sexual and Gender Equity (SAGE) Center transitioning to OIE -- Inclusive excellence education at SHU -- Multicultural events -- SHU student naqmed AAIDN/CIEE Intern Scholar -- Inclusive Excellence Faculty and Staff Fellowship program -- Spotlights and Events.

Girls Are Good At Stem: Opening Minds And Providing Evidence Reduce Boys' Stereotyping Of Girls' Stem Ability, Emily N. Cyr, Kathryn M. Kroeper, Hilary B. Bergsieker, Tara C. Dennehy, Christine Logel, Jennifer R. Steele, Rita A. Knasel, W. Tyler Hartwig, Priscilla Shum, Stephanie L. Reeves, Odilia Dys-Steenbergen, Amrit Litt, Christopher Lok, Taylor Ballinger, Haemi Nam, Crystal Tse, Amanda L. Forest, Mark Zanna, Sheryl Staub-French, Mary Wells, Toni Schmader, Stephen C. Wright, Steven J. Spencer

Psychology Faculty Publications

Girls and women face persistent negative stereotyping within STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This field intervention was designed to improve boys' perceptions of girls' STEM ability. Boys (N = 667; mostly White and East Asian) aged 9-15 years in Canadian STEM summer camps (2017-2019) had an intervention or control conversation with trained camp staff. The intervention was a multi-stage persuasive appeal: a values affirmation, an illustration of girls' ability in STEM, a personalized anecdote, and reflection. Control participants discussed general camp experiences. Boys who received the intervention (vs. control) had more positive perceptions of girls' STEM ability, d = 0.23, …

Perceived Employability Of Skilled Migrants: A Systematic Review And Future Research Agenda, Ali Farashah, Tomas Blomqusit, Akram Al Ariss, Chun (Grace) Guo

WCBT Faculty Publications

This review examines the perceived employability of skilled migrants (SMs) through an analysis of 88 management and organisational research articles published over 2009-2019 period. We find the extant literature characterised by context-specific studies featuring considerable variety in terms of levels of analysis, theory, and content. Using the notion of perceived employability, key themes in the literature are identified and presented in an integrative framework. The framework encompasses individual, organisational, occupational, and institutional components of the perceived employability of SMs, different forms of work transition and associated mediators (broadening strategies) and moderators (transition conditions). Proposing adoption of process thinking for future …

Introduction: How American Literature Understands Poverty, Clare E. Callahan, Joseph Entin, Irvin Hunt, Kinohi Nishikawa

English Faculty Publications

Together, the essays in this issue of American Literature stage what is at stake in how literature understands poverty, elucidating not only the problem of poverty but also, and especially, the problem of how we see it. To see poverty differently, they might conclude, is not only a matter of what we see. It is a matter of reflecting on how we see.

Volunteer Programs & Service Learning Annual Report 2021-2022, Office Of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

News, Magazines and Reports

Early in the fall semester, we welcomed Colin Petramale to the VP&SL team as the new Coordinator for Community Partnerships, Faith and Justice! Colin manages the frst year Pioneer Service Grant program, in addition to building and maintaining the relationships with our of-campus community partners.

We strengthened the commitment to our partners by on boarding with GivePulse, our community engagement tracking sofware. Nonproft organizations receive free access through their afliation with SHU, allowing them to publicize partnership opportunities; SHU students, staff and faculty can connect with these partners by searching and signing up for upcoming activities. It’s a win-win situation! …

"I Am Not Alone": Supporting Teachers Of Color Through Affinity Groups, Marissa J. White

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

While research has indicated that teachers of color need to be better supported by building and district administrators to retain higher numbers, the literature lacks the best practices for targeted support specifically for teachers of color. This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice utilizes a qualitative participatory social justice design to examine the efficacy of affinity groups as a viable practice to support and retain teachers of color. Through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, this study also explores the reflections of teachers of color at a Pre-k – Grade 5 school in a large urban district in a Northeastern state. …

Gender Differences In The Impact Of Worklife On Executives’ Psychological Health, Marcus B. Mueller

WCBT Faculty Publications

The Impact of Worklife on Executives’ Psychological Health Purpose: This is the first scientific research studying the impact of worklife factors on executives’ psychological health by gender. The study has a particular focus on the factors of ‘Community’ and ‘Work-life balance’.

Design: Survey data were collected from N=481 senior executives to measure seven worklife factors and psychological health. Standardized regression analysis was performed for each worklife in a regression model predicting psychological health by gender.

Findings: Results showed significant differences between female and male senior executives in the profiles of seven worklife factors in terms of their relationship with …

Genocidal Violence, Biopolitics, And Treatment Of Abducted And Raped Women In The Aftermath Of 1947 Partition In India, Nidhi Shrivastava

English Faculty Publications

As we reckon with the #MeToo movement, the gender-based violence that occurred during the 1947 Partition continues to remain forgotten in mainstream discourses and is an emotive and polarising issue within both India and its diaspora. Just like mainstream news in the United States covered the Gabby Petito case, causing a controversy as it led to the realisation that the rape and gender-based violence of missing indigenous women were not covered, it can be suggested that mainstream news channels both within India and in the diaspora construct narratives that privilege the stories of some over others – with issues of …

Section Iii: Gender-Based Violence And Society, Gavin Patrick Gray, Nidhi Shrivastava, Deepesh Nirmaldas Dayal

English Faculty Publications

This chapter is a transcript of an open-ended discussion that occurred between the authors when they met to discuss the subject matter of the third section of the book, which focuses on cultural and normative attitudes toward the problem of gender violence. As with the previous introductory dialogues, the discussion takes place after preliminary drafts have been completed and the authors share their thoughts on the subjects that they will each discuss in more detail in the following chapters. These include the culture of silence surrounding rape in India, the way masculine gender norms impact the treatment of women in …

India – Rape And The Prevalent Culture Of Silence In Indian Cinema And Television, Nidhi Shrivastava

English Faculty Publications

In this chapter, I explore two media texts, Imtiaz Ali's Highway and Alankrita Shrivastava's Netflix original series Bombay Begums (2021). I contend that recent filmmakers have begun to arguably reframe the narratives of rape victim-survivors and disrupting the cultural of silence described above. They offer progressive and multi-faceted representations of these experiences, such that there is an opportunity for a dialogue within both private and public spheres. What I mean when I say that they are ‘progressive representations’ is that the rape victim-survivors are not merely reduced to helpless women in distress, nor painted as vengeful, aggressive characters. Instead, their …

Section I: Gender-Based Violence, Gavin Patrick Gray, Nidhi Shrivastava

English Faculty Publications

This chapter is a transcript of an open-ended discussion that occurred between the authors when they met to discuss the subject matter of the first section of the book, which focuses on areas where serious ongoing problems of gender violence are receiving insufficient attention. The discussion took place after preliminary drafts had been completed and the authors share their thoughts on the subjects they will each discuss in more detail in the following chapters – including the cultural representation of historical gender violence in India, the treatment of women in Japan's sex industry and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ groups in South …

Factors Influencing The Political Activity Of Social Workers: A Comparative Study Among Swiss And United States Social Workers, Tobias Kindler, Jason Ostrander

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Various international and national social work ethical principles call social workers to participate in politics, yet not much research exists in the field of a political social work. Little is known about the actual voluntary political engagement of social workers as well as factors influencing their political activity. Especially, few studies with an international comparison focus have been conducted. Consequently, this study used cross sectional survey design to better understand the factors influencing the political activity of social workers in Switzerland (n = 1242) and in the United States (n = 3033). The results indicate that the political activity of …

Religious Violence And Twitter: Networks Of Knowledge, Empathy And Fascination, Samah Senbel, Carly Seigel, Emily Bryan

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Twitter analysis through data mining, text analysis, and visualization, coupled with the application of actor-network-theory, reveals a coalition of heterogenous religious affiliations around grief and fascination. While religious violence has always existed, the prevalence of social media has led to an increase in the magnitude of discussions around the topic. This paper examines the different reactions on Twitter to violence targeting three religious communities: the 2015 Charleston Church shooting, the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, and the 2019 Christchurch Mosque shootings. The attacks were all perpetrated by white nationalists with firearms. By analyzing large Twitter datasets in response to the attacks, …

Volunteer Programs & Service Learning Annual Report 2020-2021, Office Of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

News, Magazines and Reports

It has been an "unprecedented" year for the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning! Although this year looked very different as we navigated safety regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the office was still busy with ongoing and new programs. VP&SL was involved in creating the SHU Shares initiative, a student-led program designed to address food insecurity on campus. We also kicked off the first SHU National Summer Service Challenge, engaging students, staff, faculty and alumni in service opportunities in their home communities over the summer months. VP&SL continues to collaborate with numerous offices and departments across campus, including …

Using The Civic Voluntarism Model To Compare The Political Participation Of Us And Swiss Social Workers, Jason Ostrander, Tobias Kindler, Janelle K. Bryan

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Various international and national social work ethical principles call social workers to participate in politics, although not all social workers in the USA and Switzerland embrace politics in their professional practice. A growing body of social work literature addresses social workers’ participation in politics. This article presents a comparative study of political participation, political efficacy, and political ideology among social workers in the USA and Switzerland. This study used two separate cross-sectional surveys to better understand the political participation, political efficacy, and political ideology of social workers in the USA (n = 3033) and Switzerland (n = 1242). …

Students Continue Outreach Virtually During The Pandemic, Office Of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

University Briefings & Virtual Events

Sacred Heart University students have been able to carry on their engagement in community service during the pandemic, thanks to the efforts of staff in the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning (VPSL).

The Three-Legged Stool Of Voter Engagement, Addie Sandler, Mary E. Hylton, Jason Ostrander, Tanya R. Smith

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Disparities in voter turnout have increased significantly over the past four decades. Members of historically oppressed groups, those who are low-income, and or who have lower levels of education vote at significantly lower rates than white, wealthy and or more educated community members. These disparities correlate directly to political power and the eventual allocation of resources by elected officials. Therefore, eliminating these disparities through targeted voter engagement with client groups is particularly important for the profession of social work. This article describes the conceptualization of voter engagement as a three-legged stool, consisting of voter registration, regular voting, and basing voting …

Supporting Intersex People: Effective Academic And Career Counseling, Jack D. Simons, Jose-Michael Gonzales, Melissa Ramdas

Psychology Faculty Publications

This phenomenological study explored the academic and career experiences of 10 intersex people. Researchers conducted the study to share knowledge with counselors and other helping professionals about the importance of validating intersex personhood during the school-age years and in work settings. Five findings were uncovered: (a) coping as intersex, (b) range of feelings, (c) gender identity development, (d) bullying at school and work, and (e) body problems. This article reports on specific needs and recommendations of this self-identified sample and includes implications for education and counseling practice, along with limitations and recommendations for future research.

An Analysis Of Police Pursuits In Ct During 2019, Erica Boccuzzi

CJ Masters Theses

Police pursuits can occur at any time, any location and can have numerous outcomes. There is past research on this topic which has been compared to this current study. The purpose of this research project is to analyze pre-existing data alongside the data collected by the researcher. The goal of this project serves to study every aspect of a police pursuit as provided through a mandatory pursuit form. In specific, the research was collected from different departments within the state of Connecticut during the 2019 calendar year. The pursuit form includes crucial information which can provide insight regarding pursuits in …

Envisioning Critical Social Entrepreneurship Education: Possibilities, Questions, And Guiding Commitments, Mark Congdon Jr., Liliana Herakova

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions continue to be increasingly interested in examining how social entrepreneurship and community engaged approaches to education can work together. In light of the recent growth and interest in such programs, scholars and educators have called for attention to specific considerations when developing SE and community-based education, which can be summed up in three areas - pedagogy, relationships, and impact. The present essay builds on such propositions, and calls for a critically-orientated approach to SE, grounded in community engagement, collaborative dialogue among diverse voices, and a commitment to transforming oppressive structures

Volunteer Programs & Service Learning Annual Report 2019-2020, Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

News, Magazines and Reports

It has been another extraordinary year for the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning! Beyond welcoming a record-setting number of first-year students to campus, VP&SL collaborated with students, faculty and staff in all colleges across the university on advocacy, direct service and philanthropic initiatives. We are proud to share that Volunteer Programs & Service Learning has been selected for the 2020 Best of Fairfield Awards in the category of Colleges & Universities!

Theodramatic Themes And Showtime In Nassim Soleimanpour’S White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Charles A. Gillespie

Catholic Studies Faculty Publications

This essay engages the experimental playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s White Rabbit Red Rabbit alongside the theological dramatic theory of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Every Soleimanpour play can only happen once. Actors receive the script as they begin the show; any given actor must perform Soleimanpour’s drama as a cold reading unique in history. I propose “Showtime” to theorize this theatrical temporality, exemplified by White Rabbit Red Rabbit and shared by von Balthasar’s theology, on analogy to stage space. This article further examines the play’s themes of identity, self-sacrifice, free obedience, and writing about time through a “theodramatic structural analysis” keyed to …

Reproductive Justice Disrupted: Mass Incarceration As A Driver Of Reproductive Oppression, Crystal M. Hayes, Carolyn B. Sufrin, Jamila B. Perritt

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

We describe how mass incarceration directly undermines the core values of reproductive justice and how this affects incarcerated and nonincarcerated women.

Mass incarceration, by its very nature, compromises and undermines bodily autonomy and the capacity for incarcerated people to make decisions about their reproductive well being and bodies; this is done through institutionalized racism and is disproportionately done to the bodies of women of color. This violates the most basic tenets of reproductive justice—the right to have a child, not to have a child, and to parent the children you have with dignity and in safety.

By undermining motherhood and …

Gender Stereotypes Of Toys In Target, Gabrielle L. Branciforti

Writing Across the Curriculum

When looking in a department or toy store, it is easy to identify the separation between the boy and girl section. Children’s toys have always reflected society’s typical gender roles. That is, young girls should play with Barbie dolls, while boys play with trucks. When walking into a local Target, or old Toys-R-Us stores, one automatically walks to the socially appropriate side of the stores to buy their young child a toy. Is it because they are afraid of what others will say, because their child is playing with different toys from their peers? Or is it because society is …

Overcoming The Barriers Of Poverty: Intersectionality And Single Black Mothers Of P.T. Barnum Apartments, Laura James

Writing Across the Curriculum

This research investigated the ways in which intersectionality and various forms of support have influenced the ability of single black mothers to overcome the barriers of poverty. Qualitative research included analysis of three interviews of single black mothers from P.T. Barnum, a public housing complex located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The use of an online coding tool, Dedoose, proved effective in identifying where various forms of support have aided these women. These supports included social and community supports. The women cited having various forms of social support, including informational, tangible, and emotional. They also cited having various forms of community support, …

Gendering Toys: How Pink And Blue Define Life Outcomes For Children, Laura James

Writing Across the Curriculum

In order to best understand the established gender “norms” in a society, it is pertinent to observe the behaviors of others surrounding one another. Norms within a society are the usual, typical or standard behaviors that are placed on individuals before they are even born. From the time a baby is in the womb, society established what colors represent them best, buy clothes that will look the “cutest” on them, and name them certain names that will best suite that person’s gender. This type of gender normative behavior will continue throughout that child’s life, placing them within a rigid box …

"Fuck Tha Police": The Poetry And Politics Of N.W.A., Sandra Young

English Faculty Publications

No one withdrew after syllabus day. In the semester I piloted a first-year seminar course, the “Rhetoric of Protest Songs,” on the first day of class, I introduced the topic of the class and myself. However, before I gave students the syllabi, I confessed that I knew little about music. I told them I Googled and YouTubed, and read our text to gain knowledge about protest songs. I told them the “Rhetoric of Protest Songs” was a writing class, and rhetoric means persuasion. “In this class, you’ll write academic essays about protest songs. And we’ll listen to some music.”

My …