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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

An Exploration Of African American Male Community College Students' Experiences Concerning Their Successful Postsecondary Enrollment, Robin Dabney Dec 2012

An Exploration Of African American Male Community College Students' Experiences Concerning Their Successful Postsecondary Enrollment, Robin Dabney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite increased numbers of African American male students in higher education, their academic achievement levels continue to be at disproportionate numbers compared to other ethnic groups and genders (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore lived experiences of African American male community college students concerning factors hindering their academic progress and to understand perceptions of factors that influence their academic achievement in higher education. The current study identifies pertinent factors that will assist African American males to become successful in their postsecondary experiences. Findings from this study provide insights into predictors that may lead …


Just Sing What You Want To Say: The Importance Of Linguistic Tone In Bai Songs, Lisa Andrews Dec 2012

Just Sing What You Want To Say: The Importance Of Linguistic Tone In Bai Songs, Lisa Andrews

Masters Theses

The Bai people, a minority group in the People's Republic of China numbering at least 1.6 million, live mostly in the Dali Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Yunnan. Historically, Bai from the central region would gather annually at the base of Shibaoshan Mountain to sing partner style love songs in search for a suitable marriage partner; today, this time is marked by a three-day festival officially titled "Shibaoshan." The annual song competition invites skilled singers to spontaneously compose melodies in response to their counterpart, crafting lyrics to flatter or tease their singing partner. The study quantifies the close relationship between Bai …


The Korean-American Church In The 21st Century; A How To Model For Church Growth, Dongsik Kim Oct 2012

The Korean-American Church In The 21st Century; A How To Model For Church Growth, Dongsik Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although Korean-Americans have high religious affiliation, they have a low religious commitment. Many Korean-Americans think of the church as a place for relaxation and social connection rather than a place of worship. With the distorted perspective towards the church, the Korean-American churches experience split and division; the church's growth stagnates or declines, and the church is no longer healthy. This project provides suggestions for becoming a healthy church through a case study of the Lord-Jesus Korean Church (LJKC) in Richmond, VA. Based on questionnaires, the project evaluates the effectiveness of the ministries of the LJKC and suggests recommendations for becoming …


Success Factors Identified By Academically Successful African-American Students Of Poverty, Meredith Cooler Aug 2012

Success Factors Identified By Academically Successful African-American Students Of Poverty, Meredith Cooler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore why some low-income minority students were academically successful in school using a three-tiered approach to research including individual student interviews, classroom observations, and photographs and follow up interviews on photographs to identify factors contributing to academic success. Twenty-five students in grades 3-8 meeting the criteria of African-American, low SES, and high achieving were selected and interviewed to identify factors contributing to their academic success as measured by Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress testing. The study participant responses were compared and discussed through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), …


Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships Among Resilience, Goals And Academic Orientation, Matthew Forrester Aug 2012

Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships Among Resilience, Goals And Academic Orientation, Matthew Forrester

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological analysis was to explore the identity development of gifted Hispanic male students in the middle school setting. The study used a survey, multiple interviews and observations, along with focus group data to acquire data in four principle areas: academic orientation, ethnic identity, resilience and goals. Results indicate the importance of resilience as an interactive element in the process of identity development, as well as the importance of ethnic identity exploration and long-term goal setting in formulating a high achieving academic orientation. Other emergent themes such as language use and discrimination are also discussed in light …


A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park Aug 2012

A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study evaluated the psychometric utility of Decisional Forgiveness Scale and Emotional Forgiveness Scale for the North Korean refugee population and explored the relationship among social adaptation, religious commitment, unforgiveness, forgiveness style and mental health variables (trauma symptoms and depression) among North Korean refugees. Confirmatory Factor Analyses were conducted to investigate the North Korean version of DFS and EFS with collected data from 269 North Korean refugees. The forgiveness instruments, when modified with appropriate item deletions, could be considered as useful for North Korean refugees. In the Multiple Regression Analysis, four of five predictors (social adaptation, hurt characteristics, forgiveness …


When Black Meets White In The Heart Of Worship: A Case-Study Of Musical Changes In A Multiracial Church, Serge Volpe Jul 2012

When Black Meets White In The Heart Of Worship: A Case-Study Of Musical Changes In A Multiracial Church, Serge Volpe

Masters Theses

The Worldwide Church of God began as a denomination relying on certain Jewish practices and other Euro-centric distinctions to define its' identity. In the New York City area, African-American churchgoers exceeded that of whites; yet church liturgy retained its European-American flavor. When the denomination underwent transformation in the 1990s, many congregants were unable to accept changes, including new musical styles, and reacted in a manner inconsistent with what church leaders had hoped for. This thesis examines what some African-Americans experienced during this period when liturgy changed to include music representative of their culture. Interviews were conducted with African-American churchgoers from …


A Phenomenology Of Nonparticipation In Extracurricular Activities By Hispanic Middle School Students, Janelle Garner Jun 2012

A Phenomenology Of Nonparticipation In Extracurricular Activities By Hispanic Middle School Students, Janelle Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the reasons why Hispanic middle grade students choose not to participate in school-based extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities have been recognized to have a positive influence on the educational success of students. Despite the positive effects, Hispanic students have been shown to participate in extracurricular activities at school less than other groups of students. The lack of participation by students in extracurricular activities is related to student disengagement and ultimately dropping out of school. This study uses three methods of data collection: analysis of documents and artifacts, a scaled survey, and a …


The Truth Shall Set You Free: The Bible, The Revolution, And The Debate Over Slavery In The American South, Kevin Simon May 2012

The Truth Shall Set You Free: The Bible, The Revolution, And The Debate Over Slavery In The American South, Kevin Simon

Masters Theses

Before the slavery debate pushed a divided American nation to the brink of civil war, the argument divided the family of God. By the time cannon fire erupted at Fort Sumter, Christians had already staked out positions based on sophisticated lines of argument they used to justify or condemn chattel slavery. The generation coming of age during the Civil War era witnessed a debate more intense and contentious than their ancestors had seen, but in terms of the arguments employed, it broke very little fresh ground. Contrary to the assumption that antebellum apologists in the South invented the defense of …


Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom Apr 2012

Perceived Factors Influencing The Retention Rate Of Native American College Students: A Case Study, Tamara Louise Bergstrom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Native Americans entering college is higher now than it has been over the past 40 years; however, the degree completion rate has been less than half that of White students. This research study was a bounded case study of Native American students enrolled in the teacher education program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the perceived factors influencing the retention rate of Native American college students. Some of the theoretical models that explain why students stay or leave an institution before earning a college degree look more toward explaining this phenomenon in a …


A Study Of Ethnic Minority College Students: A Relationship Among The Big Five Personality Traits, Cultural Intelligence, And Psychological Well-Being, Teresa Smith Apr 2012

A Study Of Ethnic Minority College Students: A Relationship Among The Big Five Personality Traits, Cultural Intelligence, And Psychological Well-Being, Teresa Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Institutions of Higher Education are challenged to educate an increasing, diverse ethnic minority population. This study examines (1) if the theory of the Big Five personality traits as a predictor of the cultural intelligence theoretical model remains constant with ethnic minority college students attending a southeastern United States Historically Black College or University, and (2) if there is a predictive relationship between cultural intelligence and the psychological well-being of ethnic minority college students. Ethnic minority college students received an online survey that included demographic questions, the Cultural Intelligence Scale (Earley & Ang, 2003), Goldberg's (1999) Internal Personality Item Pool (IPIP), …


Standing In The Gap: A Study Of College-Bound Latinas' Resilience In Completing High School Within An At-Risk Environment, Shane York Apr 2012

Standing In The Gap: A Study Of College-Bound Latinas' Resilience In Completing High School Within An At-Risk Environment, Shane York

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to look at the life experience factors that led to high school graduation through the eyes of resilient Latinas between the ages of 18 and 25. A grounded theory approach was used in combination with Paulo Freire's praxis and a resiliency conceptual framework to derive constructs directly from the data itself. Participants were selected through a purposive, snowball method until saturation was met. Extensive qualitative interviews were employed to gather the data used to derive theory. All data were coded and reviewed in light of the three research questions. Validity and trustworthiness were established …


Florida Charter Schools: The Effects Of Types And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Achievement, Reginald Thompson Apr 2012

Florida Charter Schools: The Effects Of Types And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Achievement, Reginald Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was established in 2002 with the primary goal of closing the achievement gap between low socioeconomic students and their more advantaged peers. Charter schools are a part of NCLB's school choice policy and are intended to be a form of intervention to close the achievement gap. Much research has been conducted to measure charter school student achievement compared to regular public schools. But little has been done in distinguishing the differences between charter schools and their impact on student achievement. This quantitative study identifies the different types of public charter schools in Florida using Carpenter's …


Exploring Hispanic Teenage Pregnancy And School Resiliency: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Olga Estrada Apr 2012

Exploring Hispanic Teenage Pregnancy And School Resiliency: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Olga Estrada

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teenage mothers face multiple risk factors that may prevent them from graduating from high school. This study examined the phenomenon of Hispanic teen pregnancy and teen mothers' experiences with emphasis on academic, social , and personal factors to stay in school. The study explored the resiliency of twelve Hispanic teen mothers through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Their stories provide an insight into the challenges the young pregnant/mothers encountered during pregnancy and motherhood at home and in school. Their lived experiences also provide a framework for exploring the school, personal, and economic factors that most influenced their ability to remain in …


American Sueño: Hispanic Immigrants' Cultural Adaptation In American Small Cities, Tatiana Almeida Apr 2012

American Sueño: Hispanic Immigrants' Cultural Adaptation In American Small Cities, Tatiana Almeida

Masters Theses

This study investigated certain aspects of the cross-cultural adaptation process of Spanish-speaking Hispanic immigrants residing in small cities in the United States. Using Young Yun Kim's cross-cultural adaptation theory as a theoretical framework, the researcher investigated the journey those sojourners undergo and how their cultural identities are shaped throughout the process. The two questions that guided the research were: (1) What are the difficulties that Hispanics that migrate to small cities in the United States encounter? (2) What are the mechanisms (media usage, language acquisition, habits, life style etc.) utilized by them in order to adapt to the new environment? …