Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Experiences Of African American Pastors Treating Mental Health Issues Among Parishioners In The State Of Texas, Rosalind S. Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn the practices, attitudes, and self-described competency of a sample of 12 African American pastors, with churches located in Texas, as they counsel their parishioners with mental health issues. Pastoral counseling formed the theoretical framework for the study. The researcher asked each pastor eight open-ended questions, inquiring about the pastor's experiences, practices, attitudes, and training in regard to dealing with their parishioners' mental health issues. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and qualitative methods were used to analyze the responses to determine themes in the pastors' responses.

A total of 10 themes …

Reforming Recusal Rules: Reassessing The Presumption Of Judicial Impartiality In Light Of The Realities Of Judging And Changing The Substance Of Disqualification Standards To Eliminate Cognitive Errors, Melinda A. Marbes

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

In recent years, high profile disqualification disputes have caught the attention of the public. In each instance there has been an outcry when a presiding jurist was asked to recuse but declined. Unfortunately, even if the jurist explains his refusal to recuse, the reasons given often are unsatisfying and do little to quell suspicions of bias. Instead, litigants, the press, and the public question whether the jurist actually is unbiased and doubt the impartiality of the judiciary as a whole. This negative reaction to refusals to recuse is caused, at least in part, by politically charged circumstances that cause further …

Ethics And The “Root Of All Evil” In Nineteenth Century American Law Practice, Michael Hoeflich

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article discusses the bifurcated notions on the purpose of working as an attorney—whether the purpose is to attain wealth or whether the work in and of itself is the purpose. This Article explores the sentiments held by distinguished and influential nineteenth-century lawyers—particularly David Hoffman and George Sharswood—regarding the legal ethics surrounding attorney’s fees and how money in general is the root of many ethical dilemmas within the arena of legal practice. Through the texts of Hoffman and Sharswood, we find the origins of the ethical rules all American attorneys are subject to in their various jurisdictions.

The Mother's Experience : A Phenomenological Study Of Maternal Self-Efficacy Among Mothers Attending Outpatient Treatment For Substance Abuse, Lisa Witkowski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to better understand the perceptions of maternal self-efficacy among mothers in substance abuse recovery. A phenomenological research design using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews captured the lived experiences of mothers attending outpatient drug and alcohol treatment. For this study, the researcher distributed approved flyers to designated outpatient treatment centers to voluntarily recruit mothers for purposeful sampling. Eligibility requirements include women at least eighteen (18) years or older, at least one living child, attended prior rehabilitation services, and display good mental status after assessed by the researcher with the Mini Mental Status Exam. During the interview, the …

Comparing Adult Attachment Styles Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic Undergraduate College Students Using The Experiences In Close Relationships Revised Structures (Ecr-Rs), Guadalupe Flores Valdez

Dissertations

Research on attachment in adult relationships has included minimal studies to encompass a Hispanic population. Mexican Americans have specific characteristics grounded in historical, demographic, and family contexts which are different from other groups. Therefore, cross-cultural validation of instruments to assess family relationships increases the clinical usefulness of the instruments. The purpose of this study was to compare the equivalence of the factor structure of a widely used family attachment assessment, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS; Donbaek & Elklit, 2014; Parker et al., 2011). This study used principal components factor analysis with maximum likelihood extraction to compare the …

Working On What Works (Woww) : Classroom-Level Impact On Teacher And Student Outcomes, Laura B. Wallace

Dissertations

The Working on What Works (WOWW) school-based intervention applies solution-focused theory and techniques to improve learning at the classroom level. This study evaluated WOWW's impact on student and teacher outcomes. Thirty classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions, then compared on teacher-completed measures. Students who received WOWW experienced lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including lower anxiety (p=0.000), sense of irrelevance (p=0.002), inattention (p=0.049), hyperactivity (p=0.044), impulsivity (p=0.044), and need for behavior correction (p=0.000). Overall externalizing behavior was also lower in students who had received WOWW (p=0.018). However, students in the treatment condition also scored lower on …

Translation And The Validation Process Of The Hemingway: Measure Of Adolescent Connectedness (Mac) Into Turkish, Yasir Kurt

Dissertations

Adolescent connectedness has been studied by researchers around the world because of its positive associations with academic, behavioral, and emotional indicators of positive youth development. Researchers in several countries also have found that it could serve as a protective factor against several health risk problems. The Hemingway: Measure of Adolescent Connectedness is one of the few assessment tools to measure connectedness across the adolescent social ecology, capturing connectedness in school and at home, in the present and in the anticipated future. The need for such instrument is particularly great in Turkish society where the scarcity of such psychometric scales constrains …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Locus Of Control And Psychological Flexibility Regarding The Total Mental Well-Being Of Muslims, Hawazan Abdulaziz Binzaqr

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the relationships between mental health, psychological flexibility, and locus of control within the Muslim population, and how these variables are related to demographic characteristics such as gender, level of spirituality, and marital status. The sample of 235 participants was taken from the worldwide adult Muslim population. Mental health was measured by PROMIS-57 survey, psychological flexibility was measured by the AAQ-II survey, and locus of control was measured by the MHLC survey. All data were self-reported via online form. There was an inverse relationship between level of spirituality and poor mental health (high PROMIS-57 scores) …

Immigrating While Trans: The Disproportionate Impact Of The Prostitution Ground Of Inadmissibility And Other Provisions Of The Immigration And Nationality Act On Transgender Women, Luis Medina

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

The Unconstitutional Application Of Apprehension And Detention Laws: Section 236(C) Of The Immigration And Nationality Act, Rigoberto Ledesma

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Judge Posner's Road Map For Convention Against Torture Claims When Central American Governments Cannot Protect Citizens Against Gang Violence, Steven H. Schulman

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Veterans Banished: The Fight To Bring Them Home, Alejandra Martinez

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Total Wellness Of Turkish International Students In The U.S. : Perceptions And Inherent Growth Tendencies, Mehmet Avci

Dissertations

The international student population in the United States has increased exponentially over the past decade. Students are coming from many countries including Turkey who often face stressors proper of migration such as cultural uprooting, family disruption and identity challenges that might influence their wellness while in America. The total impact that this academic adventure has on Turkish’s international students is not well known as there is a dearth of scientific data addressing their total wellness and specially their psychological wellbeing from a holistic perspective. This research study examined the perceived total wellness of Turkish students living in the USA. Survey …

Disenfranchised Grief And The Substance Abuse Counselor: A Heuristic Inquiry, Melissa Pettit

Dissertations

Grief and loss are a part of the substance abuse counselor experience. The purpose of this study was to generate a heuristic inquiry on how substance abuse counselors experience and manage disenfranchised grief in their work with the substance abuse population. A review of the literature indicated health care professionals experience disenfranchised grief. The experiences of disenfranchised grief was noted in relation to substance abuse counselors, who experience ongoing, client-related losses in the workplace. The researcher interviewed 10 Substance Abuse Counselors and asked the research questions, "How do you experience loss in your work as a substance abuse counselor?" and …

Gendered Leadership In Crisis Contexts : Exploring The Intersections Of Discourse Of Renewal And Ethic Of Care, Shoaa Almalki

Dissertations

This study examined the role of gender in crisis leadership discourse by engaging two theories, discourse of renewal theory and ethic of care, in the context of General Motors’ (GM) deadly ignition switch crisis. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersections of discourse of renewal, ethic of care, and gendered leadership focusing on the role of feminine attributes in crisis communication and applying the findings to draw new insights about the glass cliff effect. Using thematic analysis and case study methods, I analyzed current GM CEO Mary Barra’s discourse in speeches and social media posts to answer …

Divorce After Long-Term Marriage : A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study, Melanie M. Somerville

Dissertations

Divorce is an enduring feature of American culture. As much as Americans value marriage, they also assert the right to divorce. The literature makes clear that modern couples expect their spouses to meet their individual personal goals of self-fulfillment and growth. Furthermore, divorce recovery is often portrayed as an individualistic endeavor. Changing attitudes about marriage and divorce have contributed to the current rate of divorce among midlife individuals, who have the highest divorce rates of any age group. Many individuals who divorce at midlife have been married for 20 or more years. Divorce is most often experienced as a disruption …

Navigating The Post-Shelby Landscape: Using Universalism To Augment The Remaining Power Of The Voting Rights Act, Jesús N. Joslin

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Helping Students Develop Affirmative Evidence Of Cross-Cultural Competency, Neil Hamilton, Jeff Maleska

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

The Persistence Of Memory: The Continuing Influence Of Antebellum Missouri Laws Regarding African Americans, Roy Dripps

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.