Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Financial Crisis, Inclusion And Economic Development In The Us And Oic Countries, Shadiya T. Hossain

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation contains two distinct empirical essays which contribute to the overall field of Financial Economics. Chapter 1, entitled “Financial Inclusion and Economic Development in OIC Member Countries,” examines whether the presence of Islamic finance promotes development and alleviates poverty. To do so, we estimate the influence of financial inclusion variables on development and poverty variables for OIC countries. Using data from the World Bank, we use dynamic panel analysis using methodology similar to Beck et al (2000) to study the effects of financial inclusion on economic development and use simple cross-sectional analysis similar to Beck et al (2004) …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Micro-Level Poverty Interventions In The Highlands Of Guatemala, Jacqueline A. Castro

Master's Theses

Despite immense efforts of poverty alleviation in the Western highlands of Guatemala, poverty is intense and widespread. Amidst an abundant array of poverty interventions, existing evidence on those interventions are not sufficient. Highlighting basic knowledge regarding impact evaluations, this paper aims to determine the most effective poverty intervention for the Western highland areas of Guatemala. Focusing on impact evaluations, this paper reviews 17 Latin American interventions, paying close attention to what may be applicable to this region. Using only the highest quality data from Latin America, it is clear that cash transfers and graduation programs are the most impactful interventions …

The Effects Of Income Inequality On Social Assistance Services Caseload: A Local Perspective Of London, Ontario Using Multiple Linear Regression Statistical Model, Juan Cardona

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explores the relationship between income inequality and social assistance caseload within the context of London, Ontario from 1993 to 2013. Gini coefficients, social assistance caseload, and control variable data have been gathered and calculated using a multiple linear regression statistical analysis and academic investigation. The findings suggest that there is a 68 percent correlation between the regression model and the independent variable of social assistance caseload, with unemployment being the strongest explanatory variable. A negative relationship between income inequality and social assistance caseload variables was found, but important endogenous variables, such as policy interventions and macroeconomic cycles, have …

Essays On Malawian Agriculture: Micro-Level Welfare Impacts Of Agricultural Productivity; Profitability Of Fertilizer Use; And Targeting Of Fertilizer Subsidy Programs, Francis Addeah Darko

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation comprises of three essays that address different aspects of agriculture in Malawi using a two-wave panel data collected by the National Statistical Office of Malawi with support from the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) program. Each essay stands alone as an independent study because of differences in research questions and the methodologies used in addressing the questions.

The first essay analyzes the micro-level welfare impacts of agricultural productivity. Welfare is measured by various dimensions of poverty and food insecurity; and agricultural productivity is measured by maize yield and value of crop …

Decreasing Cost Associated Medication Nonadherence, Shawn E. Raymond

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Shawn E. Raymond

Medication cost is a major contributor for patient medication nonadherence. Take in the fact that a large population lives in poverty, many cannot afford to pay the retail prices associated with purchasing their medications. By incorporating wholesale medications into a charitable health clinic, the reduced cost of medications for treatment of both acute and chronic illnesses could be passed on to those in need thereby decreasing cost associated medication nonadherence. Nurse Practitioners in the state of Kansas are not afforded the privilege to purchase, repackage and distribute or resell wholesale …

Development Of The Early Childhood Traumatic Stress Screen, Sara Elisabeth Harris

Dissertations (1934 -)

The study aimed to develop a brief screening instrument to assess symptoms associated with potentially traumatic experiences (PTE) in very young children (under 6). Potential items for the Early Childhood Traumatic Stress Screen (ECTSS) were sampled from each of the major content areas implicated in trauma. The items underwent a principle component analysis, which produced a 34-item screening measure with four reliable factors and one sub-scale assessing response style. All subscales and the overall trauma composite score significantly correlated with pre-established measures of traumatic stress in very young children, and a receiver operating characteristics curve analysis identified a cut-score with …

Exploring The Relationship Of Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics With Food Behaviors Of Low-Income, Food Insecure Women In The United States (Us), Kimberly Ann Wollard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) self-reported surveys from 2007-2012, this research explored the relationship between four healthy lifestyle characteristics - healthy weight, adequate daily fruit and vegetable intake, regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and not smoking - with food behaviors of low-income, food insecure women. The study examined three specific food behaviors (the use of SNAP, consumption of fast foods, and the utilization of community emergency food programs) to determine if these behaviors had a significant impact on low-income, food insecure women to follow healthy lifestyle characteristics. A secondary data analysis was conducted …

Neighborhood And School Influences On Academic Achievement And Educational Attainment, Crystal Monique Coker

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that poverty is a greater predictor of educational disparities than race, despite the national focus on racial disparities. Further, living in disadvantaged neighborhoods that are characterized by qualities such as high poverty and unemployment can place a double burden on already poor students, further undermining educational achievement and future success. Neighborhood disadvantage is linked to a range of poor academic outcomes, yet only recently has research begun to explore the processes underlying the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and these outcomes. Drawing on ecological theory, the following study proposes to examine how multiple settings relate to student outcomes. …

Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of The United States Social Class System, Tracy M. Stevenson-Olson

Dissertations

As the number of school aged children living in poverty increases, the inherent inequities within the United States class system continue to grow. Teacher perceptions regarding the United States social class system are examined through focus group interviews with four teachers in an urban high school. A critical qualitative methodology was used to explore how the participants make sense of the complex social class system and how they perceive the impact of social class within the school context. The findings include two overarching themes that influenced these teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of social class; their own personal narrative /identity construction …

Three Essays On Finance, Agricultural Aid, And Development, James Squires

Dissertations

This work investigates several roles that financial development and agricultural aid have on economic development. In the first essay, I find that development of two of the major components of the financial sector—the banking sector and market sector—have a positive effect on incomes of the poor. In the second essay, I find a beneficial link between agricultural aid and agricultural productivity in that stable agricultural aid increases the Sharpe ratio for agricultural productivity. The third essay shows an agricultural productivity convergence across 140 countries. I do not find any evidence that agricultural aid has a supportive role in this convergence …

Analysis Of The Responses To Poverty In Harrisonburg, Virginia, Kara Krantz

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty was established in 1964 to eradicate poverty in the United States. There have been great strides towards accomplishing this goal; however, poverty continues to persist. The purpose of this study is to analyze poverty in Harrisonburg, Virginia and how it compares to poverty at the state and national levels. In addition, this study evaluates the services provided by nonprofits and government agencies to the poor in Harrisonburg. Finally, it investigates the interactions among the nonprofits and government agencies. Poverty statistics come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Analysis of the data reflects that the presence …

The Achievement Gap And Students Living In Poverty: The Role Of Core Self-Evaluation And Transformational Leadership In Teachers, India Harris

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Research has shown that the combination of locus of control, self-efficacy, self-confidence, and emotional stability is a good predictor of life success. Until now, this second order factor, called core self-evaluations (CSE) has only been studied in adults. Findings from this study, showed levels of CSE were significantly and positively connected with academic achievement for middle and elementary aged students. CSE appears to play to a similar role between students and academic achievement as it plays with adults and job performance. In this study, the dimensions of transformational leadership were applied to teacher behaviors and students were grouped based on …

Challenging Students At Fort Worth Christian School To Engage The Economically Disadvantaged In Their Community, James Hensley

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This doctor of ministry thesis presents a project in which I led a group of students at Fort Worth Christian School in experiences that challenged them to be more engaged with the economically disadvantaged in their community. The problem I identified at the outset of the project was a lack of such experiences along with troubling attitudes about poverty. Many students initially demonstrated ambivalence or even outright hostility toward the notion of helping people who live in poverty. I found such attitudes to be contrary to the teachings of Jesus and to my central beliefs as a Christian. I believed …

Systematic Review: Social Work School Interventions For Food Accessibility Among Impoverished Children, Rebecca Christensen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Mothers and children from impoverished families discuss the continuous sacrifices related to food insecurity. Sacrifices like trade-offs can lead to attention of a family’s immediate needs like food but these often come with the cost or sacrifice of other long term needs such as a means of income. Working with children and their families in attending to the underlying causes for their food insecurity may not only help to alleviate their immediate but also their long term needs in maintaining a standard of living. This systematic literature review was designed to investigate the research question: What interventions are being taken …

Smoking Cessation And The Role Of Stigma: A Systematic Review, Carl White

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There have been smoking cessation programs in existence for more than three decades. Stigma has been used in smoking campaigns with good results for individuals in higher socioeconomic status, but not for those in poverty. Perceptions of smokers and behaviors of smokers continue to be stigmatized. This paper reviews the existing literature in an attempt to understand what role stigma plays in smoking cessation programs for those living in poverty.

Geospatial Analysis Of Droughts, Rice And Wheat Production, And Agrarian Vulnerability: A District-Level Study Of The Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index In India, Aaron Michael Shew

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Droughts have affected more people than any other natural disaster in the last century, causing billions in economic damages and millions of deaths. As the Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) have heated in the Indian Ocean, drought patterns across South Asia have changed; the Indian monsoon has become more volatile and less predictable. In this study, monthly self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (sc-PDSI) data for the time period between 1950 and 2009 were interpolated to India’s districts; then the data were analyzed for changes in frequency and severity. The data were further evaluated using Anselin’s Local Moran’s I Statistic to elicit …

Path To Higher Education, Rebecca L. Francis

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on the career aspirations of middle and high school students living in an impoverished area of Cape Town, South Africa. It was discovered that students in this area tended to have high expectations of themselves pertaining to success after graduating high school, as well as their classmates. They believed they would be accepted into prestigious universities and achieve their career goals, despite being unaware of several key pieces of information, such as how to apply to university and how to get financial aid. The ultimate conclusion of the study was that these students required more extensive career …

The Intersectionality Of Poverty, Disability, And Gender As A Framework To Understand Violence Against Women With Disabilities: A Case Study Of South Africa, Megan Humphrey

Sustainability and Social Justice

Impoverished women who have disabilities make up some of the most isolated and overlooked people in the world. Often, they are excluded from women’s movements due to their disability, disability movements due to their gender, and One-Third World contexts due to their poverty. Gender, socioeconomic status, and disability create multiple layers of discrimination. These intersectional forces impact the ways in which impoverished women with disabilities experience violence, making them two to four times as prone to violence as their able-bodied counterparts. In low resource settings, women with disabilities encounter many forms of violence, including caretaker abuse, forced sterilization, and sexual …

Natural Disasters Aren't The Problem: Poverty And Environmental Degradation In Rural Coastal Tanzania, Sarah R. Martin

Sustainability and Social Justice

This paper examines how two theoretical frameworks, systems and resilience thinking, provide differing understandings of natural disasters, poverty and environmental degradation in rural coastal Tanzania. Both frameworks aim to expand the scope of reductionist thinking, in order to better understand the complex interrelationships between various actors, which may have not otherwise been considered. Although both theories have their individual strengths and weaknesses, neither have been able to catalyze effective solutions to these problems. As a result, I propose a hybrid version of systems and resilience thinking, as a means to best examine poverty and environmental degradation in rural coastal Tanzania. …

Unmarried Midlife Adults And Economic Well-Being, Katie Finch

Honors Projects

Much research has been conducted on how married older adults fare in comparison to unmarried older adults. Since the amount of unmarried older adults is increasing, I found it important to see how these unmarried groups (early divorcees, gray divorcees, never-marrieds, and widoweds) stacked up against each other in terms of economic well-being. Using the 2012 Health and Retirement Study, I looked at how demographic factors and economic well-being indicators were correlated to another. The demographic factors examined included gender, marital status, race, and educational attainment. Income, poverty level, and assets were used to assess economic well-being. Similar to previous …

Crossroads: How Race, Class, And Gender Affect Views Of Poverty, Heather Webb

Honors Projects

The existence of poverty in the United States is paradoxical and how people view poverty is complicated. This research provides details about the history of poverty, what causes it, how it is measured, and current statistics. It also provides a condensed history, including relevant types of welfare, of social policies, as well as an overview of social-policy making and current statistics. Secondly, this research analyzes how race, class, and gender affect how we view poverty and policies to amend it. It also uses intersectionality to analyze how intersections between identities contribute to changing these views. The goal of this research …

The Relationship Between Counselors' Multicultural Counseling Competence And Poverty Beliefs, Madeline Elizabeth Clark

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between increased levels of poverty and decreased levels of psychological wellbeing and overall wellness is well documented. Although poverty clearly impacts mental health and wellness, little research in counseling has been conducted exploring the poverty attitudes of counselors. This study explored the relationship between professional counselors’ multicultural counseling competence (MCC), poverty beliefs, and select demographic factors (i.e. counseling specialty, gender, age, ethnocultural identity, poverty counseling experience, and personal poverty experience). Data were collected using survey-based methods from professional counselors of all specialties. Results of a hierarchical linear regression indicate that increased MCC, adjusted for select demographic factors, is …

Investigating Alternative Subsistence Strategies Among The Homeless Near Tampa, Florida, Matthew Peter Rooney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern homelessness is one of the most pressing social and political problems of our time. Several hundred thousand people experience homelessness in the United States each year, and the U.S. Department of Housing, which attempts to count those people, has admitted that their statistics are conservative estimates at best. A recent archaeological study (Zimmerman et al 2010) examining material culture associated with homeless communities in Indianapolis has suggested that those who are considered chronically homeless have generally abandoned wage labor and are instead pursuing urban foraging as a subsistence strategy. In order to better understand the structures of homeless communities, …

Oppression, Manifesting From A Government Mission Of Positive Social Change, David Palmer Ramstad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government social interventions hold considerable power over what choices and opportunities impoverished households have available to escape the oppressive socioeconomic trappings of poverty. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one such program. While there are many positive mission statements of social governance, this study focused on the regressive potential for oppressive institutional policies and practices. Theoretical frameworks guiding the study were Pierce’s 1979 model of oppression and Crenshaw’s 1989 intersectionality theory. The quantitative design’s hypothesis and research question focused on whether significant relationships exist between LIHTC project placement and highest concentrations of six commonly …

Poverty, Food Insecurity, And Obesity Among Urban And Rural Populations, Tameka Ivory Walls

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 17 million food-insecure households are associated with increasing obesity rates across the United States. Although food insecurity and obesity are distinct social concerns, the two are linked and may be influenced by poverty and geographic location. Public health authorities and state leaders responsible for the health and nutrition of rural populations in particular would benefit from this information. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine whether poverty mediated the relationship between food insecurity and obesity among urban and rural adults. The study was guided by the poverty, food insecurity, and obesity conceptual framework. The study addressed …

Parenting Under Stress: Examining The Protective Role Of Parenting Self-Efficacy In A High-Risk Environment, Lindsy Jean Magee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that risk factors such as poverty, neighborhoods that are lacking in resources and high in danger, and experiences with racism can compromise a parent’s ability to engage in parenting behavior that results in the most favorable child outcomes. It has also demonstrated that African American mothers are much more likely to face these risk factors. While research has demonstrated the protective effect of parenting self-efficacy against poverty’s influence on parenting behaviors, it has not examined whether or not parenting self-efficacy serves as a buffer against other risk factors. As such, it is the purpose of this study …

High Wire, No Net: Emergence From Generational Poverty Without Higher Education, Corey Alan Caugherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing literature indicates that education is vital to overcoming poverty, yet educational prospects for those in persistent, generational poverty (GP) are often limited. This qualitative phenomenological study centered on the emergence from GP of individuals without formal education beyond 12th grade or a high school equivalency certificate, and explored how those who have done it perceived their experiences. Rutter's resilience theory was the conceptual framework for examining this phenomenon and its challenges and processes. A sample of five adult participants from the United States were recruited using a snowball method, completed a screening survey, and then participated in in-depth interviews. …

The Persistent Fear Of Crime In A Safe Metropolitan Area: The Continual Impact Of Social Disorganization, Guillermo Rivas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While the association between physical and social disorder on crime have been established (Skogan, 1990), it is less clear how they influence fear of crime. Fear of crime is important to consider given that is can decrease both physical and mental health (Gee & Payne-Sturges, 2004). Utilizing data based on a randomly selected household survey in El Paso County, Texas (N= 1,070) I seek to examine the influence of physical and social disorders and social cohesion on fear of crime. OLS linear regression results illustrate the persistent impact of physical and social disorders regardless of neighborhood characteristics of poverty and …

Diversification Strategies And Contributions Of Coffee Income To Poverty Alleviation Among Smallholders In Northern Huehuetenango And Quiche Departments, Guatemala, Andrew Gerlicz

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In the past two decades, Mesoamerican smallholder coffee farmers have had to confront several stressors and shocks, such as price crises and natural disasters, with debilitating impacts on the viability of their livelihoods. More recently, many farmers have suffered crop losses in the wake of the spread of coffee leaf rust disease, and researchers are predicting that some areas will become less suitable for coffee growing in the near future as a result of climate change. In response to these conditions and in the context of the withdrawal of the state from provision of agricultural services, development practitioners have mainly …

Accessing Alternative Response Services : A Multi-Level Examination Of Family And Community Characteristics On Racial Equity, Tana D. J. Connell

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although research has identified factors associated with child welfare involvement, less attention has been given to how Black families are assigned to types of child welfare services. The advent of alternative response pathways allows child protective workers to assign child abuse prevention services to families based on the type and seriousness of the maltreatment, history of prior reports and age of the child. Given the history of disparate outcomes in child welfare for Black families and the fact that alternative response pathways are a promising approach for improving outcomes for families, this study examines the effect of family and community …