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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Working With Trauma : A Qualitative And Retrospective Exploration Of The Experiences Of Clinicians Who Work With Trauma, Allyson Rebecca Lent
Working With Trauma : A Qualitative And Retrospective Exploration Of The Experiences Of Clinicians Who Work With Trauma, Allyson Rebecca Lent
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The current study explored the gap in understanding the experiences of clinicians who work with trauma given the interesting intersection of high prevalence of trauma and demonstrated lack of training in working with trauma survivors. To this end, this qualitative and exploratory study sought to gain a retrospective understanding of clinicians’ training and career experiences in an effort to glean what has worked well in preparing skilled clinicians to work with trauma. Findings confirmed that clinicians do not feel prepared to do trauma work upon graduating from their degree programs and that they must seek out training opportunities in order …
It's Time To Talk About Sex And Social Work : Why Human Sexuality Education Matters For Social Work Practice, Sophia R. Glass
It's Time To Talk About Sex And Social Work : Why Human Sexuality Education Matters For Social Work Practice, Sophia R. Glass
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This researched investigated human sexuality training received in social work programs and its impact on clinical practice. Specifically, it examined clinicians’ comfort and competency addressing sex and sexuality related topics with clients. 67 participants were recruited via a nonprobability snowball sampling technique, and data was gathered anonymously through a secure web-based survey instrument. The findings supported the author’s hypothesis that there is a substantial lack of human sexuality training in social work programs despite the finding that sexuality is highly relevant to clinical work. Barriers to social workers effectively addressing these topics with clients were identified as inadequate education and …
First-Generation College Students And Class Consciousness : Exploring How Social Class Influences College Adjustment, Rachel L. Redd
First-Generation College Students And Class Consciousness : Exploring How Social Class Influences College Adjustment, Rachel L. Redd
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
First-generation college students (FGCS), defined as students whose parents have not obtained a bachelor’s degree, is a new identity constructed primarily over the past decade. Utilizing the umbrella term of FGCS is problematic as it places a heavy concentration on parental education and lack of cultural capital, ignoring how current class experiences in the context of other identities, such as race and gender, shape adjustment to college. The purpose of this quantitative study was twofold: (a) to examine whether class consciousness affects first-generation students’ adjustment to elite, non-profit private undergraduate institutions, and (b) to examine how the intersectionality of race, …
How I Got Over : Young African American Men Tell The Story Of How They Achieved Academic Success : A Descriptive Study, Rebecca M.C. Ramer
How I Got Over : Young African American Men Tell The Story Of How They Achieved Academic Success : A Descriptive Study, Rebecca M.C. Ramer
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
African American males fall behind their White counterparts in almost every measure of academic success. College completion rates for Black males are the lowest among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. This exploratory study interviewed 13 African American men who were currently enrolled in college or who had graduated college. The goal of the study was to identify factors that these successful men identified as having contributed to their academic achievement. Thirteen men between the ages of 18 and 40 who identify as African American participated in semi-structured interviews that were recorded and then analyzed using a grounded theory …
Does Degree Matter? : An Exploration Into The Stigmatization Of Mental Illness By Social Workers And Other Mental Health Professionals, Alexandria R. Huber
Does Degree Matter? : An Exploration Into The Stigmatization Of Mental Illness By Social Workers And Other Mental Health Professionals, Alexandria R. Huber
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This quantitative descriptive study sought to explore any differences in stigmatization by social workers and other mental health professionals. The second research question explored whether mental health professionals felt their degree program actively challenged them to explore stigma towards those with mental illness. Fifty participants completed an anonymous online survey that included the Community Attitudes Towards Mental Illness scale, measuring stigma of mental illness. There were an additional four Likert scale questions exploring stigma of mental illness, and the participants perspectives of their education about stigma. The findings indicated that social workers had a lower mean score on the subscale …
Understanding The Obstacles And Motivations Of Offering Human Sexuality Coursework : An Analysis Of Accredited Msw Programs In The U.S., Nicole M. Nelson
Understanding The Obstacles And Motivations Of Offering Human Sexuality Coursework : An Analysis Of Accredited Msw Programs In The U.S., Nicole M. Nelson
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This mixed methods study aimed to examine the regional variation among MSW programs that offer human sexuality coursework, determine some of the personal obstacles faculty of human sexuality coursework face and the motivations faculty members have in teaching such coursework. After completing a content analysis of 140 accredited MSW programs in the U.S., a series of eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with faculty who teach human sexuality coursework. The content analysis surveyed a purposive sample of MSW programs from each of the five regions of the U.S.; the eight participants were also purposively sampled by region. Findings of this …
Mothers Experiencing Homelessness : An Exploratory Study On Parental Involvement In Children's Education And Perceived Barriers To Involvement :, Marla G. Maccia
Mothers Experiencing Homelessness : An Exploratory Study On Parental Involvement In Children's Education And Perceived Barriers To Involvement :, Marla G. Maccia
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative exploratory study examines the experience of mothers that are homeless with school-age children. The primary research questions were: What is the level of parental involvement of homeless mothers in their children's education? What are the perceived barriers to their involvement? The study was conducted using semi-structured open-ended interviews of eight women that were homeless with at least one school-age child. Study results indicated that level of parental involvement varied depending on the specific temporary living situation of the participant, in addition to her demographics and history of homelessness. Parental involvement was low not due to perceived stigma but …
Exploring Ways White Children Are Taught About Race And Racism, Angela M. Clark
Exploring Ways White Children Are Taught About Race And Racism, Angela M. Clark
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
In this theoretical study, I will explore ways White children are taught about race and racism, and ways this subject can be explored with White youth in therapeutic contexts. In the United States, racism continues to have a significant negative impact on the material and psychological experiences of people of color, limiting life chances while it is largely ignored by White individuals and White-dominated institutions. One factor that serves to maintain the existence and influence of racist systems is White people's ignorance of the degree to which racism is present in our institutions, dominant discourse and ideology, and in ourselves. …
Critical Race Theory : A Lens For Viewing Racism In American Education Policy And School Funding, Susan A. Klupchak
Critical Race Theory : A Lens For Viewing Racism In American Education Policy And School Funding, Susan A. Klupchak
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This thesis discusses Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a foundation to understand race and racism in the U.S. and provides a brief introduction to how components of CRT can be used as a conceptual framework to understand how educational inequity undergirds the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race To The Top (RTTT) policies. This thesis also provides a comprehensive review of CRT and uses CRT as a method of analysis to fully understand how race and racism are applied in NCLB policy. CRT is used as a method of analysis to show that race and racism are embedded in …
A Study Of Self-Efficacy In A Group Of Hmong Refugees, Mai M. Yang
A Study Of Self-Efficacy In A Group Of Hmong Refugees, Mai M. Yang
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Social cognitive theorist Albert Bandura defined resilience as the ability to organize thoughts and actions to manage prospective and unknown situations. He called it the theory of perceived self-efficacy (Bandura, 2010). The tool used to measure this construct is called the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), which assesses a broad stable sense of an individual's personal competence to efficiently deal with a variety of stressful situations. Previous research suggested that due to its positive association with mental health and well being, the GSES and theory of self-efficacy are worthy of further examination in refugees (Sulaiman-Hill and Thompson, 2011). This study examines …
Gender Spectrum : Exploring Gender Diversity In Schools : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Schools That Received Gender Spectrum Training On The Topics Of Gender And Gender Diversity, Meredith S. Abrams
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The world is witnessing a major shift in the way individuals in the helping professions and Western society understand gender outside the historical binary of male/female. In response to the limited literature that examines how gender and gender diversity is understood, taught, and integrated into educational institutions, the researcher provides an overview of a selected literature which informs the specific topics of gender and gender diversity in schools. This study explored how the information presented in Gender Spectrum trainings was utilized and integrated into four identified natural entry points (personal, structural, interpersonal, and instructional) for creating gender inclusive schools and …
Suicide In Older Adults : Helping Case Managers Engage In Difficult Conversations : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation In Collaboration The Producer Of The Film "Talking With Dolores", Darlene O'Connor, Jennelle Liljestrand
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Suicide among older adults is an increasing mental health concern in the United States, and yet depression and other signs of suicide often go unnoticed. The film and discussion guide "Talking with Dolores" was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to increase awareness of warnings of depression and suicide in the elderly and demonstrate ways of conversing with them about suicide. Because of their unique contact with older individuals in their own homes, geriatric case managers are positioned as a gateway to necessary psychosocial support for elders, yet may not be receiving adequate training for the initial detection …
The Other Frontline Workers : Exploring The Symptoms Of Compassion Fatigue Among School Staff Members, Katherine H. Plapinger
The Other Frontline Workers : Exploring The Symptoms Of Compassion Fatigue Among School Staff Members, Katherine H. Plapinger
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was conducted to determine whether or not school employees are experiencing compassion fatigue. The research question for this study is: Are school employees experiencing compassion fatigue? This study included examining ways in which they identified levels of burnout, secondary trauma and compassion satisfaction. A quantitative study was conducted using snowball-sampling techniques to administer an online survey that asked participants to report demographic information and complete the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). 121 participants identified as fulltime employees of a school and as English speaking and over the age of eighteen. Findings point to low levels of compassion …
Surviving Broken Dreams : A Qualitative Study On The Resilience Of Undocumented Students, Kiam Parker
Surviving Broken Dreams : A Qualitative Study On The Resilience Of Undocumented Students, Kiam Parker
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore undocumented students perspectives of their experiences on their pathways to accessing higher education-the many obstacles they encounter and their resilience in facing these obstacles to pursue their educations. The complexities of these students experiences—living in the United States undocumented, their process of navigating the American education system and how this shapes how they perceive themselves and their life path--were examined through the narratives of six students who were enrolled in higher education, or planning to attend. The findings of this research showed that the unique psychosocial stressors undocumented students face--poverty, …
A Queer-Positive Institution And Its Creation Of Gender-Competency In Social Workers : A Project Based On The Exploration Of Smith College School For Social Work Alumni, Haley M. Burton
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This quantitative study explored the inclusion of transgender specific curriculum provided at the Masters level at Smith College School for Social Work and the degree of competency and level of preparedness it provided graduates of the program. The chosen alumni population was reached through the alumni email network. This study utilized a curriculum survey created by previous researchers, as well as a transphobia scale to perform an attitudinal assessment. It was hypothesized that those who indicated receiving more education on issues specific to the transgender population would feel more competent and more prepared. An additional hypothesis was that those who …
The Unique Challenges Faced By South Asian American Social Work Graduate Students : Campus Communities, Academics, And Field : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Sumati Shireen Holman
The Unique Challenges Faced By South Asian American Social Work Graduate Students : Campus Communities, Academics, And Field : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Sumati Shireen Holman
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was conducted to explore the types of challenges faced by South Asian American social work students in all components of their graduate program, perceived to be directly related to their ethnicity. Nine participants were recruited using a snowball method. Participants ranged in age from 31 to 76 years old and were currently attending, or had attended, an MSW or DSW program in the United States. A semi-structured open-ended interview was used to elicit participant response regarding challenges in the areas of social interaction with other students on campus, a sense of belonging, academics, and field experience with supervisors …
An Exploratory Study Of The Life Experiences And Motivating Factors Of White Antiracist Organizers And Educators, Anne E. Bachrach
An Exploratory Study Of The Life Experiences And Motivating Factors Of White Antiracist Organizers And Educators, Anne E. Bachrach
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to explore the life experiences and motivating factors of White people who organize and educate for racial justice. The research was a qualitative study with a sample of 13 White self-indentified antiracists who spent at least five hours per week on antiracism work. Through face-to-face interviews, participants were asked to reflect on life experiences relevant to the development of an antiracist identity and to identify sources of hope and motivation in doing this challenging work. The findings of the study increase our understanding of what it means to be a White antiracist, the complex process of …