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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 30 of 48
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Perspectives Of Hispanic/Latina Women Ages 60 And Over On The Impact Of Single Motherhood And Their Long-Term Financial Well-Being, Tess Juno Anselm
Perspectives Of Hispanic/Latina Women Ages 60 And Over On The Impact Of Single Motherhood And Their Long-Term Financial Well-Being, Tess Juno Anselm
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Unmarried women over the age of 60 continue to experience disproportionate rates of adult poverty in the United States, while families headed by single mothers experience the highest poverty rates. This study explores the long-term impact of single motherhood on financial wellness through the perspective of Hispanic/Latina women ages 60 and over who have experienced single motherhood in Massachusetts. A transdisciplinary study, it utilizes intersectionality as a theoretical framework, employs feminist standpoint informed inquiry methods to document lived experiences through in-depth interviews, and engages diffraction as a mode of praxis as it intra-acts with narratives and explores the systems and …
Addressing Health Crises Through Courts? Climate Litigation In Latin America, The Right To Health And Vulnerable Populations, Thalia Viveros Uehara
Addressing Health Crises Through Courts? Climate Litigation In Latin America, The Right To Health And Vulnerable Populations, Thalia Viveros Uehara
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
As Latin America faces increasing climate-related health crises that disproportionately affect populations experiencing poverty and social exclusion, it becomes increasingly urgent to realize the most vulnerable's right to health. While the region's new constitutionalism (NLAC) has made progress in protecting this right, it has only recently begun to intersect with climate change law through rights-based climate litigation. This dissertation takes a transdisciplinary multi-methods research approach to answer the following question: How do health crises emerge within, and how are they addressed by courts through, domestic climate litigation in Latin America? Specifically, it examines how health concerns for vulnerable populations are …
Negotiating Acculturation: A Qualitative Study Of Muslim American Women, Noor N. Tahirkheli
Negotiating Acculturation: A Qualitative Study Of Muslim American Women, Noor N. Tahirkheli
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
The estimated population of Muslims in the United States ranges from 3 to 7 million (Bukhari, 2003; Pew Research Center, 2017; Strumm, 2003), with an estimated 69-75% of Muslim Americans being 1st or 2nd generation immigrants (defined as those born abroad and those with immigrant parents, respectively), hailing from over 80 countries (Bukhari, 2003; Pew Research Center, 2017). Thus, most Muslims are navigating the complex processes of acculturation, which is the adaptation of behavioral, cognitive, and affective aspects of one’s cultural functioning, which result from consistent contact with different cultural contexts and groups (Driscoll & Wierzbicki, 2012). Research has noted …
Brutality Behind Bars: A Look At Prison Violence In Ecuador, Zulema Alejandra Palacios Jaramillo
Brutality Behind Bars: A Look At Prison Violence In Ecuador, Zulema Alejandra Palacios Jaramillo
Graduate Masters Theses
Prisons are frequently perceived as spaces where those unwanted by society are placed. Thus, they are often purposefully ignored and left under-served. This is the reality of prisons and inmates in Ecuador, where violence has reached unprecedented levels, raising concerns about its causes. As this thesis shows, violence inside prisons is not an isolated incident only provoked by the restrictive nature of detention centers, or the character of inmates, but rather a manifestation of a complex mix of institutional, organizational, criminological, and social factors at play in the country. This thesis aims at understanding, from a conflict resolution perspective, what …
Acculturation And Health Services Utilization Among Older Asian Americans: The Roles Of Social Support And Psychological Distress, Mei Chen
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
There are relatively few studies about health services utilization among older Asian Americans. Historically, Asian Americans have been treated as one homogenous race group, and the underlying heterogeneity among specific ethnic groups was underappreciated and neglected. This dissertation investigates the relationship between acculturation and health services utilization among older Asian Americans and several specific Asian ethnic subgroups, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese Americans. In addition, South Asian Americans and members of other Asian groups were also examined.
This study employed two samples of older Asian Americans based on the specific healthcare resources evaluated. The first sample employed five …
Neighborhood And Environmental Predictors Of At-Risk And Problem Gambling In Massachusetts, Kendra E. Pugh
Neighborhood And Environmental Predictors Of At-Risk And Problem Gambling In Massachusetts, Kendra E. Pugh
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Despite the widespread impact and negative effects of problem gambling (PG), limited attention has been paid to the environment where PG occurs. This study investigated the relationship between gambling on lottery and the zip code where gambling occurs, as well as the influence of individual-level characteristics that predict at-risk or problem gambling (AR/PG), among Massachusetts residents. A GIS analysis was conducted to identify vulnerable areas based on neighborhood characteristics, lottery sales, and AR/PG. Overall, residents of disadvantaged areas did not spend more money on lottery or have more lottery agents than residents of less disadvantaged areas. Some indicators of disadvantage …
Opening The Halls Of Power: Implementing A Community Organizing Approach To Parent Engagement In New York City’S Community Schools, Andrew R. King
Opening The Halls Of Power: Implementing A Community Organizing Approach To Parent Engagement In New York City’S Community Schools, Andrew R. King
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City launched a Community Schools Initiative (NYC-CS) in 2014 that now includes more than 300 schools, making it the largest school improvement plan of its kind in the country. Bloomberg, the previous mayor, had championed market-based reform strategies by closing struggling public schools and replacing them with privately run charter schools. In contrast, the community schools model supports struggling schools by providing them with wraparound services to address not only the academic—but also the health, social, and emotional—needs of the “whole child.” Research has shown the NYC initiative has had positive impacts …
The Role Of Physical Activity And Gender As Moderators For The Relationship Between Insomnia And Depression, Claire E. Wickersham
The Role Of Physical Activity And Gender As Moderators For The Relationship Between Insomnia And Depression, Claire E. Wickersham
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between insomnia and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults and to investigate whether gender or physical activity moderates this relationship. Method: This study used nationally representative data from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and binomial logistic regression was used to estimate models. Regression models for risk of depressive symptoms (2018) were based on a longitudinal model with time-lagged indicators of insomnia, levels of physical activity, and covariates (2016). Results: Analyses showed that participants who reported having insomnia in 2016 were more …
Acknowledgment Of Culture And Stereotypes: Black Participants’ Perceptions Of Specific Therapist Behaviors, Tsotso T. Ablorh
Acknowledgment Of Culture And Stereotypes: Black Participants’ Perceptions Of Specific Therapist Behaviors, Tsotso T. Ablorh
Graduate Masters Theses
Mental health disparities for Black people of diverse ethnicities compared to people of other racial identities has been well-documented (Alegría et al., 2008; Maura & Weisman de Mamani, 2017). Research addressing this pervasive systemic and interpersonal problem often focuses on client-related factors that create or intensify barriers to care. However clinician-related factors (i.e., racial identity, multicultural training, implicit biases, behavior, etc.) also have a significant impact on barriers to care, retention in therapy, and clinical outcomes for people of African descent (Larrison & Schoppelrey, 2011; Owen, Imel, Adelson, & Rodolfa, 2012). Researchers suggest that the favoring of historically white perspectives, …
Investigating Women's Sexual Agency And Alcohol Use In The Sexual Consent Process, Julie Koven
Investigating Women's Sexual Agency And Alcohol Use In The Sexual Consent Process, Julie Koven
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Among college students, sexual engagement and alcohol consumption are considered common behaviors, with many students reporting drinking prior to sexual experiences. Given the prevalence of sexual assault on campuses and connection between nonconsensual sex and drinking, colleges have adopted policies and programs with the intention of reducing risky drinking behaviors and sexual practices. The majority of these policies stipulate that students cannot give sexual consent under the influence of alcohol, but students find these policies unrealistic. Further, these policies fail to consider the larger context of traditional heteronormative gender scripts that influence sexual behavior, setting narrow expectations, especially for women’s …
Moving Beyond The Individual: Applying Cultural Identity To Stigma Theory And Methodology, Emily Reichert
Moving Beyond The Individual: Applying Cultural Identity To Stigma Theory And Methodology, Emily Reichert
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Scholarly research on the topic of stigma has endured through half a century, formally beginning in 1963 with Goffman’s influential work, “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity.” Since then, top researchers in a wide range of fields have contributed toward further elucidating the expansive processes of stigmatization and anti-stigma initiatives for a growing number of marginalized experiences. It is within this growing body of work, however, that inconsistencies and contradictions become more onerous and limit the scope of future research. These limitations include a) competing camps of pro- and anti-stigma initiatives toward public health aims, b) siloed approaches …
More Seats At The Table: An Examination Of The Role Of Natural Supports In Promoting Postsecondary Transition For Students With Disabilities In Rural Maine, Elizabeth Stone-Sterling
More Seats At The Table: An Examination Of The Role Of Natural Supports In Promoting Postsecondary Transition For Students With Disabilities In Rural Maine, Elizabeth Stone-Sterling
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Students with disabilities who receive special education services are entitled under federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that includes measurable postsecondary goals and identifies the transition services that are needed in order for the student to reach those goals. Transition planning for students with disabilities in rural areas can be uniquely challenging due to lack of access to transportation, service providers, and accessible programs. Failure to prepare for postsecondary education or employment is correlated with life-long challenges, including poverty, un/under-employment, and limited educational attainment. Natural supports, in the form of family …
The Influence Of Medicare Insurance Type – Traditional Fee-For-Service V. Medicare Advantage – On Rehospitalizations For Patients With Heart Failure In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Andrea Elizabeth Lane Daddato
The Influence Of Medicare Insurance Type – Traditional Fee-For-Service V. Medicare Advantage – On Rehospitalizations For Patients With Heart Failure In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Andrea Elizabeth Lane Daddato
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of rehospitalizations for Medicare beneficiaries from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). This research sought to determine if HF patients’ insurance type (Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) vs. Medicare Advantage (MA)) influences their risk for readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge to a SNF. This research is particularly timely in light of new penalties under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act SNF Value-Based Purchasing (SNF-VBP) program directed at SNFs for 30-day rehospitalizations. Previous literature finds FFS beneficiaries with HF in SNF at greater risk for rehospitalization compared to MA members. This research contributes to the literature …
Kneeling For Social Justice: Epistemologies Of Ignorance, Schemas, And Frames On Twitter, Robert J. Rice
Kneeling For Social Justice: Epistemologies Of Ignorance, Schemas, And Frames On Twitter, Robert J. Rice
Graduate Masters Theses
In this thesis, 6,715 tweets from September 24, 2017 that directly relate to protests during the national anthem during National Football League games are analyzed. Through a qualitative examination of the symbols and logics that are used on Twitter, mechanisms of epistemic ignorance are illuminated. These epistemic maneuvers and techniques of neutralization help to connect individual latent cultural values and the broad framing of the movement to the perpetuation of ignorance and colorblindness. Logical maneuvers that perpetuate racism through constructed ignorance, like willfully reasoned ignorance, are illustrated throughout the data. The concepts of strategic framing and frame amplification are discussed …
Defining Worthy Victims: State-Level Legislative Decisions To Prevent The Criminalization Of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children In The United States, Kathleen A. Price
Defining Worthy Victims: State-Level Legislative Decisions To Prevent The Criminalization Of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children In The United States, Kathleen A. Price
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) includes children (anyone under 18) who are sexually exploited for commercial purposes in its definition of human trafficking victims. However, most states currently arrest and/or prosecute sex trafficked children for prostitution. From 2008 to 2017, six states neither arrested nor prosecuted sexually exploited children for prostitution; eight retained the right to arrest, but not prosecute minors for prostitution; and 36 states both arrested and prosecuted this population for prostitution. All 50 states passed their first human trafficking laws between 2003 and 2013. Washington passed the first in 2003 and Wyoming was …
The Role Of The Environmental Context In Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults, Brittany E. Gaines
The Role Of The Environmental Context In Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults, Brittany E. Gaines
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Research has focused on various individual characteristics associated with advance care planning (ACP), but little is known about how the environment context is associated with ACP. This study examined the role of environmental characteristics in ACP by addressing three key aims: 1) examine the independent effects of environmental factors on ACP, 2) assess the moderating effects of environmental factors on the associations between ACP and individual household income and educational attainment, and 3) conduct a longitudinal examination of ACP and environmental characteristics. I combined individual ACP information from the 2004 and 2011 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study with county …
To Adopt Or Not To Adopt: Factors Impacting States’ Pursuit And Implementation Of Aca’S Home And Community-Based Programs, Lisa Kalimon Beauregard
To Adopt Or Not To Adopt: Factors Impacting States’ Pursuit And Implementation Of Aca’S Home And Community-Based Programs, Lisa Kalimon Beauregard
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to improve the United States’ long-term services and supports (LTSS) system by expanding home and community-based services (HCBS). The ACA contained several optional Medicaid HCBS opportunities for states, including the Balancing Incentive Program, the 1915(k) Community First Choice personal care benefit, and the revised 1915(i) state plan benefit. This research examined these HCBS provisions to explain what factors determine whether states participate in the ACA’s new HCBS programs and, after adoption, what factors facilitate or impede implementation of these programs. To answer these questions, this study used a mixed methods research …
From Victim To Volunteer: A Life Course Perspective And The Transition To Adulthood For Individuals Who Have Sold Sex, Julianne M. Siegfriedt
From Victim To Volunteer: A Life Course Perspective And The Transition To Adulthood For Individuals Who Have Sold Sex, Julianne M. Siegfriedt
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Under the United States definition of sex trafficking, one is considered a sex trafficking victim if she or he sells sex under 18 years old. Once someone turns 18, in order to claim trafficking status force, fraud, or coercion must be proven or that person falls under the illegal status of sex worker (VTVPA 2000). If one can go from being a victim of a crime to a perpetrator of a crime by having a birthday, what does the transition to adulthood and turning 18 look like for those who sell or exchange sex or are at risk of selling …
Developing Age-Friendly Communities: Evidence From Multiple Case Studies, Patricia A. Oh
Developing Age-Friendly Communities: Evidence From Multiple Case Studies, Patricia A. Oh
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Population aging brings opportunities and challenges for local community and economic development. One policy solution that has been adopted by 325+ jurisdictions in the United States is joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities or the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Although the age-friendly movement is gaining momentum in the US, few studies have looked at what influences municipal decision-making about joining a network or making age-friendly changes. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what influences municipal decision-making about joining a formal age-friendly network and how communities mobilize the resources at …
Surveying Identities In Context: Race, Gender & Sexual Orientation ‘At Work’, Justine A. Bulgar-Medina
Surveying Identities In Context: Race, Gender & Sexual Orientation ‘At Work’, Justine A. Bulgar-Medina
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Researchers, practitioners and common practice have imputed a great deal of power onto categories of social identity (e.g. race, sexual orientation, gender, religion). It common practice to collect demographic and identifying information on the categories to which we belong in settings ranging from the Census to the online shopping profile. Moreover, we have come to expect that this information will be used to make meaningful decisions on government program funding, targeted marketing, college recruitment and so much more. We also know that minority identities have a long history of negatively impacting individuals in employment, housing and other realms of daily …
Intergenerational Financial Exchange And Cognitive Well-Being Among Older Adults In China, Ping Xu
Intergenerational Financial Exchange And Cognitive Well-Being Among Older Adults In China, Ping Xu
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Although cognitive loss is part of normal aging, it has unfavorable consequences for older individuals, their family, as well as society. The prevalence of mild cognition impairment is expected to go up in China. How to maintain normal cognition for a longer period of time and to delay impair process is an emerging concern for older Chinese adults. Unlike Western countries, China lacks of formal support system. Intergenerational support between older parents and adult children is a predominant resource when they are in need. This study examines how intergenerational financial exchanges between older parents and their adult children is related …
Observing The Experience Of Racism Through Social Background, Leïla J. Dieye
Observing The Experience Of Racism Through Social Background, Leïla J. Dieye
Graduate Masters Theses
This study explores racism through the eyes of the one that experiences it. If different types of racism have already been established, the initial premise of the study is that some factors make its experience unique, such as one individual’s markers of identity and his history.
Data have been collected from in-depth interviews with ten participants belonging to five ethnic groups (Latino, African American, Asian, African and Middle Eastern). Those participants were asked to reflect on a specific moment when they witnessed racism, and on why it made them think that event in particular was racist. Then, they were asked …
Whether Or Not 'It Gets Better'…Coping With Parental Heterosexist Rejection, Cara Herbitter
Whether Or Not 'It Gets Better'…Coping With Parental Heterosexist Rejection, Cara Herbitter
Graduate Masters Theses
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people face the burden of additional stressors as a result of their experiences of stigma and discrimination regarding their sexual minority status. Parental rejection of LGB people in the context of heterosexism serves as a powerful minority stressor associated with poorer mental health (e.g., Bouris et al., 2010; Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009). Few contemporary theories exist to describe the experience of parental rejection. In addition, the extant empirical research has focused primarily on youth experiences among White and urban LGB samples, signaling the need for research across the lifespan investigating more diverse samples. …
Multiple Roles In Later Life: Role Enhancement And Conflict And Their Effects On Psychological Well-Being, Emma D. Quach
Multiple Roles In Later Life: Role Enhancement And Conflict And Their Effects On Psychological Well-Being, Emma D. Quach
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Holding both work and family roles can be a central experience for men and women, young or old. Yet, to date, the bulk of knowledge on holding roles in both domains is specific to young adults, a critical gap as conditions warrant longer work life. This inquiry thus focused on older working men and women (over 50 years of age) with at least one family role (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, or grandparent). With survey data from the Health and Retirement Study in 2010 and 2012, latent profile analysis, path analyses, and regressions were conducted …
Understanding The Role Of Driver, Vehicle, Environment, And Policy Factors In Crash Injury Severity Among Older Adults In The United States, Chae Man Lee
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Driving is related to quality of life and health outcomes. Older drivers involved in car crashes have a higher risk of experiencing a severe injury or fatality. Understanding factors related to injury severity may identify points of intervention to promote road safety. The purpose of this study is to investigate how individual characteristics, vehicle elements, environmental elements, and driving licensing policy are associated with level of injury severity from no injury to fatal injury resulting from car crashes. Furthermore, this dissertation research utilizes the Geographic Information System (GIS) process to visualize the location of crashes and to identify the hot …
Lgbt Student Experiences In Boston Public Schools: A Case Study, David Geyer
Lgbt Student Experiences In Boston Public Schools: A Case Study, David Geyer
Honors College Theses
While the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community has overcome great obstacles in its fight for equality, the newest challenge has become the poor mental health of the LGBT youth. In this study, the experiences of a recently graduated LGBT Boston Public Schools student were investigated through qualitative research methods. Interviews with the student were analyzed to determine what factors contributed to his overall positive experiences and mental health as a bisexual student attending Boston Public Schools. The showing of support from his mother and peers, along with the presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance club at his school positively affected …
Still Waiting: An Analysis Of The Permeation Of Racial Stereotypes In Top-Grossing Black Romance Films From The 1960s To The 2000s, Jasmine Boyd-Perry
Still Waiting: An Analysis Of The Permeation Of Racial Stereotypes In Top-Grossing Black Romance Films From The 1960s To The 2000s, Jasmine Boyd-Perry
Honors College Theses
In this study, I compare how films portray relationships involving Black people, over the course of 5 decades. I do this by analyzing the characters and relationships in the top-grossing film from each decade (1960’s through 2000’s), that have a focus on Black love. I started this journey curious about how the silver screen portrayed how Black people loved romantically. As a person who regularly frequents my local major movie theatre, I had become tired of only seeing Black actors in comedies, Black men in drag and buddy dramas. I also grew tired of the sappy love stories featuring White …
Living Alone And Subsequent Living Arrangement Transitions Among Older Americans, Yao-Chi Shih
Living Alone And Subsequent Living Arrangement Transitions Among Older Americans, Yao-Chi Shih
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Past research often considers living alone as a risk factor for older persons. In fact, adverse health outcomes are associated with living arrangement transitions, suggesting a need to consider the dynamic process of living arrangements. Using eight waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2012), this study examines three research questions: (1) Do older Americans’ living arrangements exhibit a pattern of sequence? (2) What are implications of living arrangements at particular older ages on life expectancy? (3) What factors predict transitions out of a living alone arrangement?
The first analysis displays and classifies ordered patterns of living arrangements over time. …
Bolling V. Sharpe And Beyond: The Unfinished And Untold History Of School Desegregation In Washington, D.C., Bryce Celotto
Bolling V. Sharpe And Beyond: The Unfinished And Untold History Of School Desegregation In Washington, D.C., Bryce Celotto
Honors College Theses
While the Brown V. Board of Education case is constantly referenced when discussing educational equity and desegregation, Bolling v. Sharpe stands as another important education civil rights case and is perhaps more telling of the story of education in the United States. Bolling V. Sharpe was argued and decided in the United States Supreme Court over the course of 1952 to 1954. Similar to Brown v. Board in terms of intent, Bolling v. Sharpe aimed to desegregate public schools in Washington, D.C. in order to give African-American students equal access to a high quality public education on par with that …
The Benefits Of Shifting From A Punitive Justice System To One That Is Mental Health Aware, Sarah Flatin
The Benefits Of Shifting From A Punitive Justice System To One That Is Mental Health Aware, Sarah Flatin
Honors College Theses
Since the 1950’s there has been an increasingly large population of individuals suffering from psychological disorders within the United States criminal justice system. Many psychiatrists and psychologists attribute this rising population to deinstitutionalization, a period in which psychiatric hospitals drastically reduced the number of patients they would serve. As a result, a larger amount of persons suffering from psychological disorders were released into society, where their symptoms are sometimes misinterpreted and criminalized, thus involving the criminal justice system. In response to this growing population the criminal justice system has begun to implement several methods for handling individuals suffering from psychological …