Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Data Analysis: Qualitative And Quantitative Approaches, Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur, Roger Clark

Faculty Publications

Social data analysis enables you, as a researcher, to organize the facts you collect during your research. Your data may have come from a questionnaire survey, a set of interviews, or observations. They may be data that have been made available to you from some organization, national or international agency or other researchers. Whatever their source, social data can be daunting to put together in a way that makes sense to you and others. This book is meant to help you in your initial attempts to analyze data. In doing so it will introduce you to ways that others have …

Stonewalling In The Brick City: Perceptions Of And Experiences With Seeking Police Assistance Among Lgbtq Citizens., Danielle M. Shields

Faculty Publications

Extant research has documented police interactions between racial and ethnic minority populations, including negative perceptions of and experiences with the police; police corruption and misconduct; and the deleterious effects of negative relationships with the police, such as reduced legitimacy and mistrust. Comparatively, exchanges between lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) populations and the police have received limited attention. This is despite work suggesting that LGBTQ citizens face an elevated risk of victimization, and a possible reticence in reporting their victimization, resulting from negative perceptions of police, fear of mistreatment, or even experiences of harassment and abuse by police. To …

What’S Water Got To Do With It? Place-Related Symbolic Meanings Alter Residents’ Perceived Effects Of Coastal Infrastructure, Bryce B. Dubois, Katherine Lacasse, Aaron J. Ley

Faculty Publications

The symbolic meanings residents associate with their local bodies of water and coastal infrastructure can shape their perceptions of the infrastructure’s effects. In this case, we conduct a survey (N = 168) to examine residents’ perceptions of visibly disruptive, yet environmentally

protective cooling towers attached to a long-standing coal-fired power plant on Mount Hope Bay. Residents’ symbolic meanings of the bay corresponded predominantly with aesthetic,

ecological, or recreational themes, whereas their symbolic meanings of the towers also focused on aesthetics as well as the towers’ function or uselessness. Although residents generally perceived the towers as having negative effects on …

The Earth Has Humans, So Why Don’T Our Climate Models?, Brian Beckage, Katherin Lacasse, Jonathan M. Winter, Louis J. Gross, Nina Fefferman, Forrest M. Hoffman, Sara S. Metcalf, Travis Franck, Eric Carr, Asim Zia, Ann Kinzig

Faculty Publications

While climate models have rapidly advanced in s 37 ophistication over recent decades, they lack dynamic representation of human behavior and social systems despite strong feedbacks between social processes and climate. The impacts of climate change alter perceptions of risk and emissions behavior that, in turn, influence the rate and magnitude of climate change. Addressing this deficiency in climate models requires a substantial interdisciplinary effort to couple models of climate and human behavior. We suggest a multi-model approach that considers both a range of theories and implementations of human behavior and social systems is required, similar to how a multi-model …

Incorporating The Critical Music Framework: An Autoethnographic Reflection, Tommy Ender

Faculty Publications

I articulate an autoethnographic narrative of using different songs to counter dominant interpretations of gender, class, immigration, slavery, and education in the secondary social studies classroom. Framing it as the Critical Music Framework, the practice of using music addressing social issues and historical representations of women and people of color provided students with reflective learning opportunities. The resulting conversations illustrate the importance of music not just on the personal but also the academic aspects of individuals.

Conformity To Masculine Norms Predicts U.S. Men’S Decision-Making Regarding A New Male Contraceptive, Katherine Lacasse, Theresa E. Jackson

Faculty Publications

Health decision-making is often explained by affective and cognitive processes, but this processing is rarely explored in relation to gender norms. We investigated how conformity to specific masculine norms are linked to the affective and cognitive processes that lead to U.S. men’s decisions regarding a new male contraceptive. U.S. male college students (N = 151) completed an online survey. They read a description of a long-acting reversible contraceptive, then completed questionnaires measuring their affective and cognitive responses, their information-seeking and willingness-to-try the contraceptive, and their conformity to masculine norms. Participants reported less willingness-to-try the contraceptive when they endorsed masculine …

Social Value Creation And Social Innovation By Human Service Professionals: Evidence From Missouri, Usa, Monica Nandan, Archana Singh, Gokul Mandayam

Faculty Publications

Owing to the contextual challenges, human service professionals (HSP) are creating social value (SV) for diverse vulnerable population groups through social innovation. This qualitative exploratory study investigates the nature of SV created by 14 HSPs, representing a diverse range of human service organizations (HSOs), and examines ‘why’ and ‘how’ they innovate. In addition, the study examines HSPs’ current understanding and practices related to social entrepreneurship (SE). The study findings highlight that increased accountability and new funding opportunities challenged HSPs to innovate. HSPs created SV by addressing new unmet needs, developing new collaborations, and employing alternative marketing strategies, thereby ensuring the …

The Rights Of Queer Children, Robyn Linde

Faculty Publications

The ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) has long been hailed as a major event in the realisation of children’s human rights, combining the need for protection with a desire to grant agency through recognition of the evolving capacities of the child. Yet the idea of children’s agency as articulated in the crc excluded sexual identity and expression, and ushered in an incomplete emancipation for lgbtiq children; children who are gender non-conforming; and children whose sexual expression otherwise conflicts with heterosexuality – hereafter queer children. I argue that while the crc granted …

Experiences Of Hiv Stigma And Spirituality Of Older Black Men Living With Hiv, Warren. L. Miller

Faculty Publications

Previous research on HIV stigma and the use of spirituality by people living with HIV/AIDS is scarce. Moreover, the research with older Black men who have sex with men is scant. This study aimed to investigate experiences of HIV stigma and the use of spirituality among older HIV positive Black men who sleep with men. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of ten men. Data were analyzed utilizing to the modified van Kaam data analysis method. Three major themes were identified that explores the participants lived experiences with HIV stigma and use of spirituality: experiences of stigma reinforcing the …

The Ethics Of Whistle Blowing, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

We can begin with the good news: the vast majority of behavioral health professionals – including psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, addictions counselors, and psychiatric nurses – are ethical and avoid profound moral lapses. That said, the unfortunate reality is that some behavioral health professionals, a nontrivial minority, misbehave or otherwise violate widely accepted ethical standards.

Gatekeeper Persuasion And Issue Adoption: Amnesty International And The Transnational Lgbtq Network, Robyn Linde

Faculty Publications

Network theory is a valuable tool for understanding how transnational human rights advocacy emerges and develops; how norms become salient; and how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) gain prominence within networks. This article evaluates political network theory through the case study of the transnational lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) advocacy network. Through interviews with key figures at human rights and LGBTQ NGOs, I suggest that the transnational LGBTQ network emerged through contestation with the human rights gatekeeper, Amnesty International, and its US section, AIUSA. This process of contestation would produce a specific type of gatekeeper activism that would become a …

Linking Models Of Human Behavior And Climate Alters Projected Climate Change, Brian Beckage, Louis J. Gross, Katherine Lacasse, Eric Carr, Sara S. Metcalf, Jonathan M. Winter, Peter D. Howe, Nina Fefferman, Travis Franck, Asim Zia, Ann Kinzig, Forrest M. Hoffman

Faculty Publications

Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioral changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the CROADS climate model to a social model of behavioral change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behavior influence projected climate change. Our coupled climate and social model resulted in a global temperature change ranging from 3.4–6.2 °C by 2100 compared with 4.9 °C for the C-ROADS model alone, and led to behavioral uncertainty that was of a similar magnitude to physical uncertainty (2.8 °C versus 3.5 °C). Model components with the …

Supporting People As They Age In Community: Housing, Rachel Filinson, Maureen Maigret

Faculty Publications

Aging in community can be a healthier, happier option for many seniors, but only if they have the right resources and support, starting with suitable housing. Homes must be affordable for retirees on fixed incomes and adapted for those with physical limitations. Older people living on their own need access to community services to keep them healthy and connected. Without affordable, age-friendly housing and access to services, aging in community can be stressful, isolating, and limiting, rather than empowering.

Supporting People As They Age In Community: Information And Service Access, Rachel Filinson, Maureen Maigret

Faculty Publications

As people age, they often rely on the support of public and private programs to help them live healthy, independent lives. What if older people and their caregivers had access to a single website, phone number, or office that could connect them with all the support and resources they need, from applying for Medicare benefits and finding long-term care facilities to accessing transportation and meal delivery services?

A Narrative On The Witch-Hunt Narrative: The Moral Dimensions, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Ross Cheit’s The Witch-Hunt Narrative raises a number of complex moral issues. Cheit’s principal purpose is to challenge the belief that our society has overreacted to claims about the sexual abuse of children. Both directly and indirectly, Cheit’s in-depth analysis broaches moral concerns pertaining to the integrity of child abuse allegations, investigations, civil litigation, and criminal prosecution, with an emphasis on the mixed motives of the parties involved in key cases. This article provides an overview of ethical questions pertaining to gathering information from very vulnerable individuals, informed consent, institutional review, protection of research participants, the use of deception and …

What Does It Mean To Be Well? Understanding The Acehnese Youth Refugees' Resettlement Experience, Fairuziana Humam, Traci L. Weinstein, Holly L. Angelique

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study describes the extent to which there is a perception of wellbeing among Acehnese refugees who arrived as adolescents to the United States and settled in the Mid - Atlantic States. Aceh is a province in Northwestern Indonesia consisting of approximately four million people. During 1990 to 2005, approximately 20,000 people left the province due to political conflict to seek asylum in Malaysia, their neighboring country, before resettling in a third country. The participants in this research study are Acehnese refugees that were resettled to the United States as adolescents during that peak migration phase. Results describe how …

Social Work Ethics In India: A Call For The Development Of Indigenized Ethical Standards, Frederic G. Reamer, Jayashree Nimmagadda

Faculty Publications

In recent years, various professional associations in social work and regulatory bodies worldwide have engaged in ambitious efforts to draft and implement comprehensive ethics guidelines, standards, and education. For a variety of complex reasons, the social work profession in India has lagged behind developments in many other nations. The purpose of this article is to assess the current status of social work ethics in India, review relevant developments throughout the world, and present a blueprint to guide the development of much-needed indigenous ethical standards and education in India.

On The Micropolitics And Edges Of Survival In A Technocapital Sacrifice Zone, Peter C. Little

Faculty Publications

This article explores the industrial sacrifice zone of Endicott, New York, which in 1924 became the birthplace of International Business Machines Corporation and quickly established itself as an industrial launching pad for the production and innovation of modern computing technologies. Drawing on ethnographic research and taking a micropolitical ecology approach, I consider industrial decay and community corrosion key agents for understanding the sedimentary record of neoliberal “technocapitalism” [Suarez-Villa, Luis. 2009. Technocapitalism: A Critical Perspective on Technological Innovation and Corporatism. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press]. In particular, I explore here how the flip-side of local narratives of deindustrialization and economic …

Measuring Vapor Intrusion: From Source Science Politics To A Transdisciplinary Approach, Peter C. Little, Kelly G. Pennell

Faculty Publications

Investigation of indoor air quality has been on the upswing in recent years. In this article, we focus on how the transport of subsurface vapors into indoor air spaces, a process known as ‘vapor intrusion’, (VI) is defined and addressed. For environmental engineers and physical scientists who specialize in this emerging indoor environmental exposure science, VI is notoriously difficult to characterize, leading the regulatory community to seek improved science-based understandings of VI pathways and exposures. Yet despite the recent growth in VI science and competition between environmental consulting companies, VI studies have largely overlooked the social and political field in …

Don't Be Satisfied, Identify! Strengthening Positive Spillover By Connecting Pro-Environmental Behaviors To An "Environmentalist" Label, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

Theoretically, performing pro-environmental behaviors can lead to positive spillover (increased future pro-environmental behaviors or strengthened environmental attitudes) by increasing someone’s acceptance of an environmental self-identity, or negative spillover by alleviating guilt motivations which fuel some environmental actions. Labeling someone an “environmentalist” in connection to performance of pro-environmental behaviors could strengthen the positive spillover route through emphasizing environmental self-identity rather than guilt reduction. In Study 1, participants perceiving that they performed many pro-environmental behaviors reported greater environmental self-identity strengthening their environmental attitudes, but simultaneously reported a reduction in guilt weakening their environmental attitudes. Since both positive spillover and negative spillover routes …

Public Higher Education’S Role In Shaping A Workforce In Rhode Island: The Case Of Rhode Island College, Francis J. Leazes Jr., Mikaila M. L. Arthur

Faculty Publications

Skilled human capital plays a major role in sparking innovation, enhancing productivity, raising incomes, and driving economic growth. State prosperity depends heavily on attracting well-educated workers because these workers enjoy significantly higher per-capita incomes and perform well on other economic measures. The knowledge-based economy places a higher premium on an education that challenges those entering the workplace to be able to think beyond the immediate job they will seek. If the most desirable high-value technical businesses cannot find enough skilled workers in Rhode Island, they will neither come to the state or stay in it. Furthermore, in today’s economy, we …

Building Age-Friendly Community: Notes From The Field, Rachel Filinson, Marianne Raimondo, Maureen Maigret

Faculty Publications

Building age-friendly communities is a global as well as a national concern. The purpose of this paper is to explore fundamental tensions underlying the formulation of age-friendly goals and their implementation, based on a review of age-friendly projects and reflections on the journey towards age friendliness in one state (Rhode Island). The authors conducted a comprehensive investigation of the relevant literature on previous age-friendly initiatives, which included case studies of individual projects, meta-analyses of age-friendly work, and educational toolkits for promoting age-friendly community. They also collected original data from ten focus groups with older adults, interviews with key informant service …

Can't Hurt, Might Help: Examining The Spillover Effects From Purposefully Adopting A New Pro-Environmental Behavior, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

This field experiment investigated whether purposefully adopting a new pro-environmental behavior (e.g., unplugging appliances, reusing shopping bags) led to positive spillover by altering people’s subsequent pro-environmental behaviors and political attitudes. Participants (N = 125) recruited through community organizations were randomly assigned to either adopt a new pro-environmental behavior of their choice for three weeks, or were not invited to do so. Behavior adoption increased participants’ likelihood of contacting their Senator about climate change, but had little direct spillover effect on other individual pro-environmental behaviors, their likelihood of making household-wide changes, the political importance they placed on climate-related issues, or their …

Sustainable Science And Education In The Neoliberal Ecoprison, Peter C. Little

Faculty Publications

As part of the general ‘greening’ of prisons in the last decade of neoliberalization and the formation of institutionalized programs to provide science and environmental education opportunities for the incarcerated, the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP), a partnership between Evergreen State College and the Washington State Department of Corrections, has become the most vibrant partnership in the US to mesh the cultures and institutions of environmental science and corrections. Drawing attention to the SPP’s anchoring mission, which is ‘to bring science and nature into prisons,’ this article looks at environmental science education in the contemporary prison in light of recent …

The Importance Of Being Green: The Influence Of Green Behaviors On Americans' Political Attitudes Toward Climate Change., Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

Two studies investigated whether performing green behaviors may influence people’s political attitudes regarding climate change. A survey study revealed that self-reported green behaviors indirectly predicted American participants’ political attitudes regarding climate change, and that this relationship was mediated by their green self-perceptions. This relationship was relatively stronger for conservatives than for liberals. An experimental study included two conditions: One which led people to perceive that they often performed green behaviors and another that led them to perceive that they failed to perform green behaviors. Political-orientation was found to moderate the effect of green behavior perceptions on ratings of the importance …

Going With Your Gut: How William James' Theory Of Emotions Brings Insights To Risk Perception And Decision Making Research, Katherine Lacasse

Faculty Publications

The basic premise of William James’ theory of emotions - that bodily changes lead to emotional feelings - ignited debate about the relative importance of bodily processes and cognitive appraisals in determining emotions. Similarly, theories of risk perception have been expanding to include emotional and physiological processes along with cognitive processes. Taking a closer look at Principles of Psychology, this article examines how James’ propositions support and extend current research risk perceptions and decision making. Specifically, James (1) described emotional feelings and their related cognitions in ways similar to current dual processing models; (2) defended the proposition that emotions and …

Evolving Ethical Standards In The Digital Age, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Ethical standards in social work have matured significantly since the formal inauguration of the profession in the late 19th century. This article traces the global evolution of ethical standards in social work, focusing especially on current challenges in the digital age. The author discusses changes over time in social workers’ understanding of ethical issues and development of conceptual frameworks and protocols for managing them. Social workers’ increasing use of digital technology poses novel and unprecedented ethical challenges pertaining to privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, conflicts of interest, documentation, client abandonment, and professionalism, among others. The article outlines emerging ethical …

Teaching Progress: A Critique Of The Grand Narrative Of Human Rights As Pedagogy For Marginalized Students, Robyn Linde, Mikaila M. L. Arthur

Faculty Publications

With the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, education about human rights became an important focus of the new human rights regime and a core method of spreading its values throughout the world. This story of human rights is consistently presented as a progressive teleology that contextualizes the expansion of rights within a larger grand narrative of liberalization, emancipation, and social justice. This paper examines the disjuncture between the grand narrative on international movements for human rights and social justice and the lived experiences of marginalized students in urban environments in the United States. Drawing on …

Clinical Social Work In A Digital Environment: Ethical And Risk-Management Challenges, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

Clinical social workers’ use of digital and other technology to provide distance counseling services is proliferating. Increasing numbers of contemporary practitioners are using video counseling, email chat, social networking websites, text messaging, smartphone apps, avatar-based websites, self-guided web-based interventions, and other technology to provide clinical services to clients, some of whom they may never meet in person. The advent of this technology has produced a wide range of ethical challenges related to social workers’ application of traditional social work ethics concepts: client informed consent; client privacy and confidentiality; boundaries and dual relationships; conflicts of interest; practitioner competence; records and documentation; …

The Evolution Of Social Work Ethics: Bearing Witness, Frederic G. Reamer

Faculty Publications

The evolution of ethical standards in social work, and conceptual frameworks for examining ethical issues, is among the most compelling developments in the history of the profession. Since the formal inauguration of social work in the late nineteenth century, the profession has moved from relatively simplistic and moralistic perspectives to conceptually rich analyses of ethical issues and ethical guidelines. This article examines the evolution of social work ethics from the profession’s earliest days and speculates about future challenges and directions.