Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of Service Needs And Preferences Of Dementia Caregivers In Kentucky, Heehyul Moon, Sunshine Rote, Allison Kacmar, Amy Kostelic, Bari Lewis

The Journal of Extension

As Americans live longer, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will increase. Caregivers are critical to the care and life quality of people with dementia. Yet, dementia caregivers are at increased risk for health issues, social isolation, and financial challenges. To help educators with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service work with their local Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Louisville to better support dementia families, we explored caregiver needs and service utilization using an online survey. Our findings highlighted the need for counseling/support, care management skills, resource education, self-care strategies, and legal services. Extension Service Educators …

A Comparison Of The Economic Impact Of Horse Racing Tracks In Kentucky Versus Neighboring Indiana, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty Scholarship

The Louisville metro area is one that spans two states—Kentucky and Indiana. Since the University of Louisville has many students and employees who come from the Hoosier State, it would be interesting to see how the two states compare when it comes to what has been labeled a “signature” industry for the Commonwealth of Kentucky—horse racing.

The Economic Impact Of Buying And Redeveloping Ellis Park By Churchill Downs, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty Scholarship

Churchill Downs’ acquisition of Ellis Park Racing and Gaming in Henderson, Kentucky reflects the growing number of mergers across the US among racetracks, racetracks and casinos, and casinos with other casinos. Some years back, Ellis racetrack closed for one year due to declining profitability, yet after new ownership took over and a gaming center was added, it began a rebound in earnings (Courier and Press 2008). The $75 million that Churchill Downs plans to spend to transform Ellis Park (Schulz 2022) will have a much bigger impact than the construction, revamping, and expansion of park facilities. This is in addition …

Divided We Fall: Gender-Based Occupational Segregation In Kentucky’S Executive Branch 2012-2020., Hillary Mcgoodwin Abbott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fifty-eight years have passed since the Title VII of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 was signed into law, yet discrimination in employment still occurs; the Kentucky Executive Branch is no exception. This paper will use Theodore Lowi’s agency typology and EEOC categorical data from the 2012 and 2020 Kentucky Office of Diversity and Employment Training Semi-Annual Report on Female and Minority Employment (SAR) to identify gendered occupational segregation in three distinct Executive Branch agencies, address potential contributing factors and areas of change (Alkadry & Tower, 2006; Lowi, 1985; Newman, 1994; Escriche, 2007). Addressing any underlying discriminatory practices that may …

Assessing Citizen Attitudes Towards Climate Change, Renewable Energy, And Solar Development In Kentucky., Ryan Patrick Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on public attitudes and perceptions of renewable energy development strategy, solar energy, and climate change using a statewide survey in the 23 counties of Kentucky (KY) where solar developments have been installed or will be installed soon. Results indicate a that the public has a complex view of renewable energy development (RED) and how best an energy transition should be carried out, if at all. Solar RED was generally perceived positively by members of the public, with rooftop or household solar being stated as the preferred model of development. Citizens were most concerned over the visual impact …

Surviving Child Pornography: Fifty Years On, Jeanette M. Westbrook

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Conjugal Relation: The Shakers'question For Frontier Kentucky, Peter Hawes

James W. Jackson Award for Excellence in Library Research in the Social Sciences

At its heart, this is a case fraught with pain and loss that is not unique to this particular period in frontier Kentucky. Although the presence of the Shakers, and a community’s reaction to them, imbue this case with meaning historically, this divorce also speaks to unchanging questions about the nature of conjugal relation in the face of an uncertain eternity. This is a case that reveals something about broader anti-Shakerism, but it also demonstrates that for many, the broader contexts of religious change and budding institutions were not perceptible factors in their experience of life on the frontier. With …

Southeastern Librarian 69(4) Winter 2022 (Full Issue)

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of The Southeastern Librarian Volume 69 Number 4

Kentucky Annual Economic Report 2022, Michael W. Clark, James P. Ziliak, Simon Sheather

Kentucky Annual Economic Report

This report is one of the important ways that the Center for Business and Economic Research fulfills its mission to examine various aspects of Kentucky’s economy as directed by the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS 164.738). The analysis and data presented here cover a variety of topics that range from a discussion of Kentucky’s current economic climate to a broad presentation of factors affecting the economy.

The report covers numerous dimensions of Kentucky’s economy including the effects of COVID-19. As the pandemic approaches its third year, COVID-19 continues to dominate the economic narrative. Many aspects of the economy have improved substantially …

Ballot Measures In The Tristate: An Examination Of Ohio, Indiana And Kentucky, Shauna Reilly

The Journal of Economics and Politics

This paper explores the development, use and challenges facing the use of direct democracy in the Tristate area. Specifically, we examine how ballot language suppresses participation in direct democracy measures.

Assessing Stress Biomarkers As Embodied Identity In Kentucky’S Green River Archaic, Anna-Marie Casserly

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

The primary goal of this bioarchaeology dissertation research is to investigate the relationship between evidence of social identity and indicators of biological stress in the Green River region of Kentucky during the Late Archaic period (5,000-3,000 BP). Utilizing a biocultural perspective, I examine the ways that aspects of identity and social organization are embodied through the experience of biological stress. This research explores how social differences influence the patterning of osteological stress markers in an Archaic population while problematizing categories of difference that are often naturalized in bioarchaeology, such as gender or age cohorts. In so doing, it contributes to …

Covid-19 And Advanced Course Enrollment: Kentucky High Schools, Jessica Thomas

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In Kentucky governments, districts, and schools made decisions about school closures and mode of learning that would impact community health as well as student achievement. Within those schools, students themselves were also making decisions that could impact their futures academically. In spring 2020, students were choosing their courses for the following year. Vast uncertainty about what the 2020/2021 school year would look like had the potential to impact those decisions. Disruptions to spring 2020 classes could also impact whether a student felt they had learned the prerequisite skills needed to pursue advanced coursework. This study found that advanced course enrollment …

Exploring The Relationship Between Place Attachment And Attitudes Toward Tourism Development In Powell County, Lindsay Vance

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This study explores the relationship between Powell County, Kentucky residents’ place attachment, and the perceived sociocultural, environmental, and financial benefits of the future Warrior’s Path development. A survey consisting primarily of five-point Likert scale questions was shared with several local organizations to distribute to their members. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Chi-square test of independence tests were used to discover any correlation between place attachment and perceived sociocultural, environmental, and financial benefits of tourism development. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r=.465) determined a moderate positive correlation between place attachment and perceived sociocultural benefits of the Warrior’s Path and tourism development. Of …

Examining Ky Hb8 For 2022: What Can We Learn From Other States’ Experiences?, Patrick Welsh

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Currently, Kentucky levies an individual income tax on all income earned by Kentucky residents at a rate of 5%. A bill approved in 2022 by the Kentucky legislature, KY HB8 for 2022 will phase down the individual income tax rate from 5% to 0% and expand the sales tax to 39 additional classes of services. Incremental decreases in the individual income tax rate depend on meeting General Fund receipts thresholds established in the bill after an initial reduction of one percentage point. Kentucky will join the ranks of 9 other states that do not impose an individual income tax including …

Statewide Educational Achievement Goals: How Has Kentucky’S 60x30 Goal Affected Postsecondary Credential Completion?, Cameron Childress

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

During the past decade, several states have adopted statewide educational attainment goals. Kentucky’s 60x30 goal seeks to credential 60% of the adult population in the state by 2030, bringing Kentucky closer to the national average. Using a difference-in-differences empirical strategy I compare Kentucky to a control group of states from 2010-2019 in order to understand statewide gains in varying levels of postsecondary achievement, and in what subsamples of the population the largest gains have been made. The results indicate that Kentucky has been successful in increasing educational attainment compared to states who have not adopted an educational attainment goal, and …

Does "Good" Mean White?: Understanding The Complexities Of Refugee Resettlement In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Molly Shaddix

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bowling Green, Kentucky is a relatively small town comparable to its counterparts across the South. However, Bowling Green has a significant population of refugee inhabitants that have resettled in waves since the late 1970s. This paper describes the lived experience of refugees resettling by analyzing community action and troubles faced while working for independence in their new homes. Some factors explored are access to affordable housing, language barriers, and trouble in education. In addition, this paper contextualizes their lived experiences with other resettlement communities across the United States to understand how Bowling Green fits into patterns of societal xenophobia, racism, …

“Don’T Feel Like You Have To Do This All On Your Own”: Exploring Perceived Partner Support Of Breastfeeding Among Black Women In Kentucky, Jardin Dogan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Background: Partner support improves breastfeeding initiation and continuation among mothers. However, few studies have explored partner support for breastfeeding among Black women living in the southeastern U.S., who report the lowest rates nationally of breastfeeding compared to women of other racial groups. Ways to increase support of Black women’s breastfeeding may be best understood from an Afrocentric perspective.

Research Aim: This qualitative study aimed to explore perceptions of partner support among Black mothers to abductively develop a culturally relevant framework of partner support to improve their rates of breastfeeding. Our research question was, “What partner support behaviors do Black …

Scope Of Homelessness In Kentucky, Shannon Elyse Catron

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper is based on a data project that pulled together publicly available data from several sources to examine the scope of homelessness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The primary findings of the project conclude that there is a lack of data regarding counting homeless individuals, and that the available data should be examined to determine changes in the homeless population and demographics over time. Examining this data would also reveal the rate of progress in the number of counties that have began participating in the K-count since 2006. Increasing awareness about the topic and encouraging local governments to develop …

Merged Government: Is This An Option For Bowling Green And Warren County, Ky Governments?, Alice Williams

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In recent history, the most common attempt at reorganization of government in a metropolitan area is the city-county consolidation model. With limited government resources, elected officials along with community members look to this model to make the best use of those resources. “Applied to local government, the term ‘‘consolidation’’ is generally understood to mean the structural merging of two or more governments into one. When a city and county consolidate, a new and different form of local government is created that has elements of both city and county government but is neither.” (Martin, 2011) There are both benefits and problems …

Evaluating The Shift From Income Taxes To Sales And Use Taxes In Kentucky, Benton Kirby

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

House Bill 8 is set up to lower the state's individual income tax from 5% down to 0%. The bill is set up when revenue and rainy-day funds reach a certain level. The state's individual income tax will decrease each year the requirements are met. In addition, the bill has several services that will be subject to the state sales tax to raise tax revenues to offset the revenue loss that decreasing the state income tax would impact the state. However, the Kentucky Legislature Research Committee estimates that the fiscal impact of a net loss of $1.15 billion of tax …

Kentucky’S K-12 Public School Spending And Its Relationship To Enrollment Percentages Of Students With Limited English Proficiency And Students Eligible For The Free And Reduced-Price Lunch Program, Christine Tarne

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Public school funding formulas vary broadly between states in both the levels of funding and the mechanisms through which funding is distributed. Most states provide targeted funding for student populations that need supplemental resources, including low-income and limited English proficiency student populations, as does the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In the past, a lack of school level enrollment and financial data made it difficult to determine whether funding provided to local education agencies has been equitably distributed to the schools with whom they are affiliated. The 2015 Federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires that school-level enrollment and …

Effects Of Emergency Medical Service Funding Policies In Kentucky, Amber Moreland

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Emergency medical services is a complicated component in local Kentucky governments. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operated and managed by local government have various funding mechanisms and each have different methods of reporting. This paper reviews the various ways EMS is funded in Kentucky along with the impact these different funding strategies have on quality and delivery of emergency medical services.

Significant Life Experiences Of Kentucky Youth Climate Activists, Jeri Katherine Howell

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

The purpose of this study is to better understand Kentucky youth climate activism. The research questions explore how youth define their climate activism in Kentucky, their Significant Life Experiences (SLE) that motivated them to commit to climate activism, and what challenges and sustains their involvement. This qualitative study utilizes a blended framework of social/environmental positionality and political ecology to analyze 7 semi-structured interviews with participants between the ages 18 to 24 years old who are acting to address climate change in Kentucky. New contributions to the existing body of SLE literature are discussed.