Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exposure To Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) Within Rural And Underserved Communities, Lauren T. Sparks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It can be difficult for residents of rural and underserved communities to express their own experiences involving adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs cause negative health outcomes to those who are exposed to physical, mental, or behavioral abuse. These negative outcomes can affect the individual’s mental health; therefore, it is crucial to create recovery mechanisms for communities that are in dire need of resources. The purpose of this qualitative study was to research the exposure of ACEs throughout three rural and underserved states: Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Each of these states had exposure scenarios which was determined based on the distributed …

Texas School Social Workers: Demographics, Work Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, And Work Barriers And Facilitators, Astrid Gandaria

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the demographics, and job, services, responsibilities, barriers, facilitators, and satisfaction of Texas school social workers. A survey was emailed to Texas school social workers identified on a state list. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to compare and discuss quantitative and qualitative data obtained. The data reveal consistency with existing school social work literature related to demographics and provided novel information on work characteristics, job satisfaction, work barriers and facilitators, and program preparation of school social workers. The data shows school social workers are highly involved …

The Sunnyside Movement Towards Mental Health Prevention And Resiliency, Eva Williams

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: To increase Mental Health awareness and resources among adults with untreated mental disorders in the Sunnyside community (Understanding Houston, 2023).

Significant Findings: 18,6004 residents reside in Sunnyside. Nearly half (48%) were between 20 and 64 years of age, 18% were 65 or older, and many out of this group have untreated mental disorders or have been hospitalized for mental health symptoms (Sunnyside Survey Shows Neighborhood's Social Fabric Is Strong, 2019). These findings include the LGBTQ community, which accounts for about 40% of people who reported experiencing mental illness in the last year (Kolanek, 2020). The target problem in …

Social Work’S Role In Addressing Police Oppression: Social Workers’ Perspectives, Jess Husband

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and other marginalized identities experience constant oppression by the systems of policing. Based on the NASW Code of Ethics, social workers have an ethical responsibility to challenge social injustices. Because of the interactions between the two professions, social workers are in a unique position to engage in this social justice issue. Objective: This research study explored social workers’ perceptions of their ethical responsibilities in responding to oppressive policing. Methods: This concurrent nested mixed-method study gathered data from 12 participants. Participants were social workers within the state of Texas, recruited through …

How Texas Migration Patterns Changed During The Pandemic, Pia M. Orrenius, Madeline Zavodny

Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Research

The Covid-19 pandemic led to changes in where Americans work and live. The pandemic also affected international migration as borders were closed to nonessential travel and consulates shut down, slowing visa processing. These changes had implications for Texas, a state that has traditionally experienced large-scale domestic and international migration. This project also talks about the factors that positioned Texas to benefit from pandemic-induced changes in domestic migration patterns.

Texas School Social Workers: Who And Where Are They?, George Padilla, Velma D. Menchaca, Astrid Gandaria

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

School social workers have a long history in American education and much research is needed to better understand their role and impact in schools. Texas schools employ one of the highest numbers of school social workers in the country, but there is also little to no research related to their demographics, working conditions, or effectiveness. Only one recent study on Texas school social workers was found in the research literature. This report analyzes Texas state reports, available to the public on the internet or by specific request from the Texas Education Agency, to develop a descriptive and exploratory overview of …

At Any And All Hazards: Manifest Destiny, The Monroe Doctrine, And The Balance Of Power In North America, Keith Thomas Ressa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Contrary to the beliefs of New Left historians seeking to revive the once discredited theory that American territorial expansion was driven by a motivation to expand the institution of slavery, a position that I have dubbed the Neo-Abolitionist view, rather that Manifest Destiny developed as an early national security strategy and primitive strategic doctrine, what might be termed in today’s vernacular as a kind of preemptive threat displacement theory. That is, early on in the history of the Republic, many American statesmen believed that the most effective means of preventing a “balance of power” geopolitical system from being established in …

Alone In The Lone Star State: How A Lack Of Centralized Public Defender Offices Fails Rural Indigent Defendants, Aiden Park

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The criminal justice system is stacked against indigent defendants. The disadvantages indigent defendants face are exacerbated when mixed with the unique qualities of rural America.

For instance, rural court-assigned attorneys are often picked through ad hoc systems by the very judges these attorneys must appear in front of, creating a judicial conflict of interest. The financial realities of rural public defense work often force counsel to manage a private practice while also balancing court-appointed cases. To the extent integral resources like investigators or experts are present in rural spaces, they are seldom used. This Note highlights the way Texas organizes …

Yield Spreads And Business Cycle Downturn Predictability Across Texas, 1991-2018, Aaron Dodson Nazarian, Steven L. Fullerton, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr.

Border Region Modeling Project

This study analyzes Texas state and metropolitan economic downturn predictability. Publicly available Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas dynamic factor business cycle indices are used in the analysis. Sample data cover Texas and nine of its largest metropolitan economies from January 1991 through May 2018. Dynamic autoregressive profit downturn models are estimated using the United States yield spread plus other regional and macroeconomic variables. Predictive accuracy is analyzed using in-sample model simulations. Results indicate that narrowing yield spreads, real peso appreciation, and oil price declines are generally found to increase recession likelihoods. Varying lag structures and equation specifications indicate that the …

Hustle In H-Town: Hip Hop Entrepreneurialism In Houston, Brittany L. Long

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Imagine a sprawling, overheated American megalopolis that epitomizes diversity and segregation in one of the world’s youngest countries. Despite Houston’s history of structural racism and segregation, Houston Hip Hop entrepreneurs built communities and created storied businesses that culminate in a sense of local pride and Hip Hop identity that has not been replicated in the same manner in any other city. An examination of thought-provoking existing scholarship about the Hip Hop South and Hip Hop in Houston, as well as an examination of existing and collected primary sources (interviews) allow me to demonstrate two things: Hip Hop entrepreneurialism is a …

Evaluating Success Factors And Challenges Among Small-Scale Agricultural Producers: A Texas Case Study, Katie Tritsch, Ken Mix, Michelle L. Edwards, Manuel Piña Jr.

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Literature on small farms in the U.S. is limited though they are the most numerous farm type, generate over twenty percent of agricultural production, and are more likely to be operated by historically underserved (i.e., beginning, minority, veteran, women, young) farmers than large-scale farms. This article details an online survey study of small-scale agricultural producers using a purposive sample from Texas. We used cross tabulations to evaluate qualitative operational and demographic (e.g., age, gender) factors of success, finding several significant variables with moderate effect sizes. Generally, producers regarded quality of life as more important to success than profitability. Producers’ top …

“When You Out In Open Spaces”: Copula Absence In Afro-Texan English And The Origins And Development Debate, Brandon Davis Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is perhaps the most studied variety of American English, and interest in its origins and development has raised enough questions to launch a thousand studies. Naturally, positions on AAVE’s origins and development have become increasingly nuanced since the debate’s inception. Increasingly, AAVE is treated less like a monolith, and interest in the dimensions of its regional diversity has grown. No position on AAVE’s origins and development can be taken seriously if it fails to consider its capacity for areal differentiation. Indeed, most positions on AAVE’s origins and development now strongly assert the likelihood of multiple …

A Pandemic Of Separation Of Powers Violations In Texas: The Interrelationship Of The Texas Disaster Act And Texas Gov’T Code Section 22.0035, Ron Beal

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article is on the interrelationship of the Texas Disaster Act and Texas Government Code Section 22.0035. The author demonstrates that the Governor of Texas and the Texas Supreme Court have grossly violated the separation of powers on a continuing basis since March 29, 2020 by Governor Abbott issuing Executive Order 13, which prohibits the granting of bail to anyone awaiting trial, and the Texas Supreme Court’s unwillingness to invalidate that order administratively or judicially. Finally, the Article addresses the nearly one thousand district and county court judges who are constantly violating the separations of powers by failing to invalidate …

Analysis Of Gentrification And Green Spaces In East Austin, Texas, Carly Fordyce

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gentrification, the urban process that results from uneven development within cities, can cause unjust displacement of traditional, low-income residents in residential neighborhoods, and inequitable access to community services and benefits. Because of the negative social impacts that gentrification can have, many local governments and agencies have been known to attempt to mitigate changes by initiating different types of planning policies. Such policies usually apply changes in housing or zoning rules to enable lower-income residents to have access to housing and community amenities in the area. Another aspect resulting from gentrification that local government will try to rectify is low access …

Protecting A Woman’S Right To Abortion During A Public Health Crisis, San Juanita Gonzalez

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

As COVID-19 infected our nation, states were quick to issue executive orders restricting various aspects of daily life under the pretense of public safety. It was clear at the outset that certain civil liberties were going to be tested. Among them, the constitutional right to an abortion.

This comment explores Texas’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations it imposed on abortion access. It will attempt to address the legitimacy of the “public health concerns” listed in executive orders issued throughout numerous states and will discuss the pertinent legal framework and judicial scrutiny to apply.

According to the Fifth …

Paso Del Norte Economic Indicator Review, March, Hunt Institute For Global Competitiveness

Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

The 1930s: The Decade That Changed Tyler., Vicki Betts

Presentations and Publications

A photographic look at Tyler and the changes brought about by the East Texas Oil Boom.

Answering The Call: A History Of The Emergency Power Doctrine In Texas And The United States, P. Elise Mclaren

St. Mary's Law Journal

During times of emergency, national and local government may be allowed to take otherwise impermissible action in the interest of health, safety, or national security. The prerequisites and limits to this power, however, are altogether unknown. Like the crises they aim to deflect, courts’ modern emergency power doctrines range from outright denial of any power of constitutional circumvention to their flagrant use. Concededly, courts’ approval of emergency powers has provided national and local government opportunities to quickly respond to emergency without pause for constituency approval, but how can one be sure the availability of autocratic power will not be abused? …

2021 Digital Commons Annual Report, Amanda Schwartz

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

System Library Services annual report for 2021 Providence Digital Commons submissions, usage, and interactions.

Paso Del Norte Economic Indicator Review, February, Hunt Institute For Global Competitiveness

Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Still Awaiting Justice: An Analysis On The Impact Of Anti-Immigrant Sentiment On The Reproductive Autonomy Of Migrant Women, Annays Esperanza Yacaman

Senior Independent Study Theses

My research aims to explain the impact of anti-immigrant sentiment on the reproductive autonomy of migrant women. Legislators typically act as their constituents feel on a certain issue, so I aimed to explore how legislators responded with legislation when their constituents held higher levels of anti-immigrant sentiment, hypothesizing that this would lead to more legislation limiting the reproductive autonomy of migrant women. I explore topics of eugenics and how anti-immigrant sentiment has led to modern day eugenics.

My hypothesis did not manifest itself in the expected way, but the results do provide evidence for a causal link between legislation meant …

Trade In Value Added In Gross Exports: A Better Metric For Understanding Texas-Mexico Trade Flows, Noé Arón Fuentes, Alejandro Brugués, Gabriel González-König, Melissa Floca

Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Research

The purpose of this research is to calculate the value-added trade between Texas and Mexico. We argue that a better metric to understand trade flow should be based on value added. U.S. trade deficit with Mexico only reflects gross trade and does not accurately portray the complexities of commercial flows between the two countries. Given that Mexico is Texas' most important trading partner, the transformation of gross trade into value-added trade flows will provide a clearer understanding of this important relationship.

Paso Del Norte Economic Indicator Review, January, Hunt Institute For Global Competitiveness

Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Texas Stakeholders’ Knowledge And Perceptions Of Chronic Wasting Disease Risks: Implications For Wildlife Agency Communications, Elena C. Rubino, Christopher Serenari

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease impacting cervids. The disease can move swiftly through populations, making CWD management a priority for wildlife agencies across the United States. Stakeholder perceptions of CWD may shape behaviors that can negatively impact wildlife agencies. Thus, agencies need comprehensive assessments of stakeholder risk perceptions and enhanced understandings of how perceptions are formed to improve communications. Using a mail- and online-based questionnaire to collect data from September 2020 through January 2021, we surveyed 503 hunters throughout the state of Texas, USA, and 481 Texas landowners who owned property in CWD-affected counties to better …

Letter Report, Re: Analysis Of Three Obsidian Projectile Points From Pete Creek (41cb1), Matthew Boulanger

Anthropology Research

No abstract provided.

Letter Report, Re: Analysis Of One Obsidian Flake From Pete Creek (41cb1), Matthew Boulanger

Anthropology Research

No abstract provided.

Blue Lives Matter: Public Perception In Texas, Nohely Karyme Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Blue Lives Matter, a pro-policing movement, was established across the United States. The movement sheds light on the attacks and killings of police officers while on the line of duty. Also, it raises awareness of the dangers and risks law enforcement agents face while on duty and off duty. Throughout the years, the movement has gained many supporters across the nation. However, it has been controversial, and many considered it as a countermovement to Black Lives Matter. To bridge the gap in the literature, the researcher investigated the perception of Texans towards the movement. Moreover, the research …

Paso Del Norte Economic Indicator Review, December, Hunt Institute For Global Competitiveness

Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Ledgers Of The W.T. Carter And Brother Lumber Company: An Archival Processing Project, Christopher Cameron Cotton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The W.T. Carter and Brother Lumber Company began in 1898 and operated until 1968 when it was sold to the U.S. Plywood Corporation. The Polk County, Texas company harvested longleaf pine during a crucial period of development for the Texas economy. The lumber industry was the state’s first large scale commercial enterprise not dependent on farming and provided a model for future extractive industries in the state. The W.T. Carter and Brother Lumber Company town of Camden, Texas exemplifies rural implementations of the company town system in the Texas lumber industry. This public history thesis provides a brief history of …

Compositional Analysis By Pxrf Of Obsidian Artifacts From Pete Creek (41cb1) In Crosby County, Texas, Matthew Boulanger

Anthropology Research

No abstract provided.