Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Research Brief: "Provider, Veteran, And Family Perspectives On Family Education In Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Facilities", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research examines military family perspectives on community- based outpatient clinics (CBOC) and potential barriers to educational initiatives. Findings from this study indicate that although providers strongly support educating families about mental illness and PTSD, few providers are specifically trained to deliver this kind of education to families. Therefore policies should encourage providers to inform veterans and family members of CBOC family services. Further research in this field should include a more nationally representative and diverse sample of veterans.

Attachment Security Among Toddlers: The Impacts Of Supportive Coparenting And Father Engagement, Sangita Pudasainee-Kapri

Child and Family Studies - Theses

The present study examined the longitudinal associations among supportive coparenting and father engagement during infancy and mother-child attachment at age three within an at-risk sample (N= 1371), using secondary data from Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing (FFCW) study. Mothers reported on coparenting and father engagement during the one-year phone interview and mother-child attachment was assessed using the Toddler Attachment Sort-39 (TAS-39) at age three during the three-year in-home interview. Findings suggest that supportive coparenting was significantly associated with higher levels of father engagement and more secure mother-child attachment relationship across three racial/ethnic groups including white, African American, and Hispanic. Interestingly, …

Pagkababae At Pagkalalake (Femininity And Masculinity): Developing A Filipino Gender Trait Inventory And Predicting Self-Esteem And Sexism, Vivienne Velez Valledor-Lukey

Child and Family Studies - Dissertations

This study focused on the construction of a gender trait inventory from a Filipino perspective, guided by social constructionist, symbolic interactionist, and feminist theories. Traits that were identified as being typical of Filipino men and women were grouped into positive (i.e., socially desirable) and negative (i.e., socially undesirable) subscales. Development and validity testing were conducted using data from 296 Filipino university students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to develop the subscales of the instrument. The Filipino femininity subscale included positive traits such as being caring and supportive and negative traits such as being timid or keeping things to one's …

Research Brief: "Exploring The Role Of Social Connectedness Among Military Youth: Perceptions From Youth, Parents, And School Personnel", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The purpose of this study is to analyze the experiences of military youth as they go through the process of parental deployment, relocation, and interacting with the stressors of consistently adjusting to new places (including making new friends, etc.). The future research recommended for this study includes sampling from a larger population, as well as from a greater number of families involved with other armed forces' experiences.

Research Brief: "Risk And Resilience In Military Families Experiencing Deployment: The Role Of The Family Attachment Network", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief details the military families attachment network model to demonstrate how family relationships are impacted during deployment and reintegration. The model shows that returning veterans face concerns with intimate relationships, which often result in poor communication, intimacy problems, domestic violence and other issues. The authors of this article address specific needs within attachment relationships among military families. These families would benefit from increased federal funding for research that examines adult attachment styles and parent-child attachment relationships in military families. Further research should also include the experiences of single parents who are deployed.

Research Brief: "Meeting Family And Military Needs Through Military Child Care", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief summarizes an examination of how members of military marriages were affected by and adapted to OIF/OEF deployment.

Research Brief: "Military Marriages: The Aftermath Of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) And Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef) Deployments", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research studies military families and personal relationships after returning from conflict. The study found that couples with open communication increase the ability to bond and build empathy, therefore policies supporting family communitation are reccomended. In future studies, researchers should include a more diverse sample of military families and also service members with and without war-related trauma.

Research Brief: "Health And Health Behavior Differences: U.S. Military, Veteran, And Civilian Men", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the health differences between veteran men, active duty men, National Guard/Reserve men, and civilian men. In policy and practice, organizations besides the VA should expand their preventative health services and health education for veterans, and policymakers should push health and healthcare access initiatives for veterans and service members. Suggestions for future research include collecting data over time, accounting for deployment and combat experience, and adding more thorough measures of health conditions within both veterans and civilians.

Research Brief: "Adolescent Well-Being In Washington State Military Families", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the quality of life experienced by adolescents when dealing with the stressors associated with parental deployment, which include increased problems with mental health and well-being. Suggestions for future research include testing different variables not previously examined by this study, such as length of parental deployment, as well as greater sample of military families which are able to reflect a wider array of the population.

Research Brief: "Access To Care For Women Veterans: Delayed Healthcare And Unmet Need", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study builds on previous research that shows there are female veteran-specific access barriers to health care, and explores reasons for those barriers. For policy and practice, the study shows that potential barriers to healthcare for female veterans include not being able to afford healthcare or time to seek treatment, and that healthcare reform policies could eliminate some of these barriers. Future research includes analyzing the health consequences of delayed care, various caregiver responsibilities that serve as barriers to seeking treatment, and non-VA users' access to healthcare.

Research Brief: "Risk Factors For Homelessness Among Women Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the characteristics of female veterans who are affected by homelessness. In policy and practice, gender-specific care and treatment should be given to homeless female veterans since veteran women experience more homelessness than non-veteran women; policymakers should increase female-only homeless veteran programs and broaden transitional housing programs for female veterans who have experienced trauma. Suggestions for future research include analyzing non-institutionalized female veterans by having control groups in the study, expanding the sample to be more geographically representative, collecting data over a period of time, and finding job training, housing, and military sexual trauma treatment for homeless …

Exploring The International Union For The Conservation Of Nature (Iucn's) National Program Development In Biodiversity Conservation: A Comparative Study Of India, Pakistan, Nepal, And Bangladesh, Medani Prasad Bhandari

Sociology - Dissertations

This dissertation investigates IUCN's role in global biodiversity conservation policy as well as in national program development in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. It explores how nature protection priorities and approaches are promoted or addressed by IUCN, an international organization, and how environment conservation policies are created and maintained in states with different capacities of South Asia. This study is the first detailed scholarly study on the IUCN as an organization as well as on its efforts in biodiversity conservation.

This research adds to our knowledge firstly by contributing to a small but growing body of work on the sociology …

Family Structure And The Economic Wellbeing Of Children, Leonard M. Lopoo, Thomas Deleire

Center for Policy Research

An extensive literature that examines the relationship between family structure and children’s outcomes consistently shows that living with a single parent is associated with negative outcomes. Few studies, however, directly test the relationship between family structure and outcomes for the child once he/she reaches adulthood. We directly examine, using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, whether family structure during childhood is related to the child’s economic wellbeing both during childhood as well as adulthood. Our findings suggest that the economic wellbeing of children of mothers who experience a marital dissolution and remarry are no different from the children of mothers …

Quality Of Life For All Ages, By Design. A Conversation With Patricia Moore, Patricia Moore

Center for Policy Research

On November 3, 2011, Patricia Moore presented the Syracuse Seminar on Aging to a packed audience of over 250 faculty, students, and community members. She delivered an engaging lecture on “Quality of life for all ages, by design”. Afterwards Janet Wilmoth, Director of the Syracuse University Aging Studies Institute, and Patricia Moore had a chance to sit down and talk about her path-breaking career, ability-based design, and aging in America.

Integrating Care: Improving Overall Health By Integrating Behavioral/Mental Health Care Into Primary Care, Macaran A. Baird

Center for Policy Research

Hippocrates noted that the patient must be attended in light of “his” diet, work, home, and community setting. Since that time, we have struggled with the dilemma of how to put the patient’s presenting problems in the context of the patient’s life circumstances. That goal has proven elusive. So how do we sort out where to put the emphasis with our healing arts?

Debunking The Jockette Myth

Syracuse University Magazine

Over 20 short years,we have witnesseda revolution inour acceptance of thefemale athlete.Nowhere is thismore evident thanon a college campus.

Research Brief: "Work-Related Quality Of Life And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Female Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among female veterans, and found that about 10.2% of female veterans using the VA in 2009 had a diagnosis of PTSD, compared to 7.8% of their male counterparts. In practice, occupational program facilitators and health professionals should focus on creating interventions that target the needs of veterans with multiple diagnoses. For policy, policymakers should also focus on initiatives that serve both female veterans with multiple diagnoses and health professionals providing care to these veterans. Suggestions for future study include having large samples of female veterans and performing gender comparisons in data analysis, …

Research Brief: "A New Generation Of Women Veterans: Stressors Faced By Women Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study analyzes the effect of experiencing combat on the physical and mental health of female veterans as compared to male veterans. For policy and practice, the research shows that female veterans who experienced combat might not reach out for health services, and therefore those barriers should be identified and addressed. Suggestions for future research include conducting studies with larger sample sizes and representative samples, as well as addressing the interpersonal stress female veterans experience.

Research Brief: "Coming Home: Student Veterans’ Articulation Of College Re-Enrollment", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study indicated that veterans experienced initial academic challenges but employed maturity, mission mentality, and perseverance to mitigate these obstacles. In practice, identifying student veterans as they enter and re-enroll in college is crucial, as some may not overtly identify as military veterans. Policymakers can work to create policies that provide resources and support for educational institutions focused on positive outcomes for student veterans. Suggestions for future study include obtaining a random, diverse sample of veterans, as well as comparing veterans’ experiences across institutions with strong military heritage and those without such a history in order to determine whether or …

Research Brief: "U.S. Military Veterans Transition To College: Combat, Ptsd, And Alienation On Campus", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study uses stress process theory to explore the effects of various stressors and resources on student veterans’ campus experiences. In practice, on-campus initiatives should focus on social integration for student veterans, as many have stated that they do not fit in on campus, or feel unfairly judged by faculty and their peers. In policy, policymakers can ensure that educational institutions with student counseling and resource centers hire trained professionals for those centers. Suggestions for future study include using longitudinal data to investigate the relationship between combat experiences, available resources, and the severity of mental health problems over time, as …

Research Brief: "The Long War And Parental Combat Deployment: Effects On Military Children And At-Home Spouses", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research examines stress on spouses and children as a result of family deployment during the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and found that the cumulative length of parental deployment was associated with an increased risk of child depression. This study indicates that children who have experienced more cumulative months of combat deployments over their lifetime are at a greater risk for psychological distress, and would benefit from policy that promotes programs addressing the needs of families during deployment and upon return from active duty. Future research should draw a random sample of families to counter any bias …

Research Brief: "Family Reintegration Difficulties And Couples Therapy For Military Veterans And Their Spouses", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The research in this brief shows that there is a negative association within combat deployment, military families, and spousal relationships. These groups need the proper resources to have successful family reintegration, and additional issues during this process can be exacerbated by pre-existing psychological trauma and family issues. Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) is a potential solution to relieving these challenges. Future research in this field should include additional research into types of therapies and their effects on comorbidities in military families, as well as empirical research into elements which might help prior to deployment.

Research Brief: "Psychological Sequelae Of Combat Violence: A Review Of The Impact Of Ptsd On The Veteran’S Family And Possible Interventions", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief summarizes a review of how veterans' PTSD following exposure to combat violence affects veterans' familial relationships and the psychological adjustment of family members.

Reviving American Democracy: Fueling Civic Engagement Through Campaign Finance Reform, Christina Levin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In this paper, I contend that the skyrocketing influence of money from wealthy individuals and special interest groups has thwarted accountable policymaking and disengaged the average American voter from civic life. This is a pressing concern for a participatory system of government, which relies on its citizens to contribute to lawmaking and the selection of its officeholders.

I begin by outlining how civic engagement has been the bedrock of American democracy.

Then, I proceed by asserting that the rise of the corporate state has sparked the downfall of a representative political structure that is accessible and responsive to all voters. …

Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Empowering Local Communities, Rachel Lequire

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper explores a community-based ecotourism initiative called La Tortuga Feliz, in Pacuare Beach, Costa Rica. This organization founded and run by Western expatriates using a conservation approach provides benefits to the local community while meaningfully involving them in the process.

My research included an extensive literature review, informal and formal interviews as well as participant observation for one month on-site. The objective was to understand what it means to empower and involve local communities in a meaningful way in community-based ecotourism projects.

I will argue that La Tortuga Feliz, although facilitating some benefits to the community, also disempowers the …

Waiting In “The House Of Life”: Experiences Of Seeking Asylum In The United States While Living In Buffalo, New York, Meagan Nicole Salisbury

Honors Capstone Projects - All

I am interested in the experiences of individuals in Upstate New York throughout the process of seeking asylum. I want to know asylum law influences the daily lives of individuals in relation to their cases and other emotions and activities. To address this, I traveled to Vive, Inc. in Buffalo, a shelter for individuals seeking asylum in either the U.S. or Canada, and conducted nine interviews. I interviewed people seeking asylum, one woman who already obtained asylum in the United States, and the two staff members.

Based on my interviews, I argue that seeking asylum in the United States is …

The Real Virtual World: Connectivity And Techno-Mediation In The Lives Of College Students, Alecea Standlee

Sociology - Dissertations

This dissertation examines the way in which techno-mediated communication technologies, such as social media, text messaging, and virtual communities are used to negotiate, establish and maintain interpersonal relationships among college students. Using in-depth interview and online participant observation, I explore the relationship between technological communication and social behavior, interpersonal relationships and social networks. I focus on three broad questions: how do developments and structures of technological communication allow for the emergence of new social expectations and behaviors in the realm of connectivity and social interaction? How do individuals experience social pressures for connectivity and how do such pressures shape relationships? …

Models Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior, Jodi Canfield

Child and Family Studies - Dissertations

This dissertation tested conceptual frameworks for models of physical activity and sedentary behavior based upon social cognitive theory and ecological models. The sample consisted of 527 7th and 8th graders from 3 rural schools in upstate New York. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that there were direct influences of environmental support, intrapersonal factors, parental modeling for physical activity, and physical health to levels of adolescent physical activity. Sedentary behavior was influenced by parental modeling for sedentary behavior and parental encouragement for sedentary behavior. In addition, using a mediating conceptual framework, intrapersonal factors mediated the relationships of environmental support, encouragement, mental health, …

Research Brief: "Caregiver Objective Burden And Assessments Of Patient-Centered, Family-Focused Care For Frail Elderly Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about quality care for elderly veterans and how mental health of the patient can impact caregiver burden. For practice and policy, healthcare providers should include family caregivers in decisions about best course of care for elderly veterans, caregivers should communicate with physicians on the things that increase caregiver burden, and veterans' health organizations should create programs for caregivers to address caregiver burden. Suggestions for future research include using data from different points in time and looking at elderly veterans' health experiences outside of the VA system.

Research Brief: "The Effect Of Veterans Benefits On Education And Earnings", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study found that veterans’ benefits which subsidize education make up the largest federal program for student aid, and that veterans’ benefits are estimated to increase future schooling by 1.4 years, meaning annual earnings for these veterans will be 6% higher than they would have been otherwise. In practice, that implies annual earnings approximately 6% higher than would have been expected in the absence of the benefits. In policy, policymakers should note that this study found smaller effects on earnings and education than previous studies have found. Suggestions for future study include comparing the annual earnings premium for veterans’ benefit …