Sociology Commons^™

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Well-Being Of People Incarcerated In United States Prisons, Kimberly Rivera

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the population as a whole. However, the incarcerated population (which also experiences a variety of health disparities) has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Due to overcrowding, poor ventilation, and lack of resources, the incarcerated population already is at a heightened risk for negative health outcomes, made worse by the recent pandemic. To adapt to the rapidly changing conditions during the pandemic in 2020 and into 2022, new safety measures were implemented, but the unintended consequences associated with the implementation of these procedures have yet to be examined empirically. I conducted a qualitative content …

Attitudes Towards Public Basic Needs Programs: An Analysis Of Question Order Effect, Period And Cohort Changes, And Differences Across Religious Traditions, Jamy K. Rentschler

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation examines public opinions towards public basic needs programs (PBNPs), focusing specifically on differences in attitudes towards spending on assistance to the poor (ATP) and welfare. To do this, I use two different approaches, one focusing on survey methodology and the other looking at social change across time and religious tradition. The first research question addresses potential survey question order effects based upon which question came first, ATP or welfare, and examines how other federal spending priorities may impact opinions towards welfare. I do find question order effects, some of which vary based on the respondent’s race, but the …

A Case For Friendship: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Close Friendships In Adulthood, Grace Kelly

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social connections profoundly impact mental and physical health, identity development, and overall well-being. The landscape of personal relationships has changed dramatically over the past decades. Formalized connections and older social structures are evolving (Smock and Schwartz 2020). Loneliness and social isolation are at epidemic proportions and rising, posing widespread societal consequences (Buecker et al. 2021; Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018). Sociologists have studied relationships like kinship and romantic partnership extensively but have devoted substantially less attention to friendship as a means of providing connection (Eve 2002). My dissertation investigates the importance of platonic friendship bonds in adulthood and explores how these …

Coverage Error Properties Of Smartphone And Smartphone Operating System Ownership On Web Surveys: A Total Survey Error Perspective, Angelica Phillips

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While smartphone ownership rates near 90% of the US population, differences in the types of people who do or do not own smartphones may contribute to coverage error biases within smartphone-exclusive web surveys. Therefore, understanding the predictors of smartphone ownership is of interest for survey researchers. Further, differential ownership of smartphone operating systems (OS) such as Android OS and iOS across groups of the population is also of interest for researchers who administer smartphone application surveys which are only compatible with one OS. However, little research has assessed differential rates of smartphone ownership over time nor has any research to …

Effects Of Victimization And Community Characteristics On Health Outcomes, Katie Meyer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drawing on the neighborhood disorder model, the environmental stress model, and general strain theory, this study examined the effects of victimization experiences, anticipated victimization, and perceived community characteristics on overall physical health and mental health outcomes. This study used cross-sectional survey data from the 2014-2015 Nebraska Annual Social Indicator Survey (NASIS). Linear regression was used to examine how victimization experiences, worry about victimization, community context, and perceptions of crime and policing were associated with the health outcomes, controlling for demographic characteristics. The findings show that more worry about crime, less positive community perceptions, and less perceived police protection were associated …

Effects Of Victimization And Community Characteristics On Health Outcomes, Katie Meyer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drawing on the neighborhood disorder model, the environmental stress model, and general strain theory, this study examined the effects of victimization experiences, anticipated victimization, and perceived community characteristics on overall physical health and mental health outcomes. This study used cross-sectional survey data from the 2014-2015 Nebraska Annual Social Indicator Survey (NASIS). Linear regression was used to examine how victimization experiences, worry about victimization, community context, and perceptions of crime and policing were associated with the health outcomes, controlling for demographic characteristics. The findings show that more worry about crime, less positive community perceptions, and less perceived police protection were associated …

Factors Associated With Racial Differences In Health Care Access, Memory Manda

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this study examined racial group differences in health care access, including measures for usual place of sick or preventative care and delayed or forgone care and the mechanisms that explain those differences. This study integrated the Fundamental Cause Theory and Anderson’s Behavioral model to understand the causal mechanism responsible for racial disparities in health care access. Results showed that Hispanics were more likely to have no usual place for sick or preventative care and more likely to delay care than other racial groups. Blacks were more likely to use other …

The Burden Of Giving: Race, Ses, And Nativity Differences In Providing Informal Financial Assistance, Nestor Hernandez

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Interpersonal relationships within social networks provide resources for individuals to overcome financial hardships and emotional uncertainty. One form of support, giving money to family members and friends (i.e., informal financial assistance), has received little empirical attention, even when it comes at an economic and social cost to the person providing support. Drawing on negative social capital theory, it is hypothesized that racial minorities and immigrants may be more likely to provide monetary support to members of core discussion networks, given the persistent economic embedded in their social networks. The objective of this study is to examine i) racial differences in …

Settler Colonial Origins Of Intimate Partner Violence In Indigenous Communities, Maia C. Behrendt

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Indigenous women in the United States experience disproportionately higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Through a framework of settler colonialism, this article examines how settler colonial gender practices disrupted and eroded generational patterns of gender roles and power relationships within Indigenous communities, contributing over time to today's higher levels of IPV perpetrated against Indigenous women. I argue that future research on IPV must attend to the historical, contemporary, and legal impacts of settler colonial policies and laws that contribute to increased rates of violence within marginalized and racialized communities. In this article, I first …

Twitch.Tv And Its Lgbtqia+ Tag: A Digital Ethnography Investigating How Lgbtqia+-Affirming Video Game Streamers And Viewers Interact And Build Lgbtqia+ Spaces Online, Cadyn Alexander Williamson

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LGBT people use online communities to find information and people with shared experiences. Many also find communities within video game culture. However, there is some tension between LGBT people and “true gamers” who are typically white cisgender heterosexual men. For those who do not fit the “true gamer” label, studies have found high levels of online harassment. This study investigates how LGBT people use Twitch.tv, a livestreaming video game website. Built on previous research of LGBT people, online communities, and video game culture, I answer the question: How, and to what extent, do interactions between streamers and viewers using the …

Measuring Social Integration: Linking Personal And Associational Ties In Ego Networks, Sela Harcey

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: Social integration is a foundational feature of society that influences individual-level outcomes. However, as our social worlds increase in complexity, integration becomes difficult to precisely measure. Contributing to research on social integration, this dissertation: (1) develops more precise ways to measure social integration, (2) identifies who is socially integrated, and (3) explores which social ties have the most influence on social integration.

Study 1: The first study aims to measure social integration more precisely by establishing a network structure and set of measures that utilize personal and associational ties with ego network data. Defined as personal affiliation networks (PAN), …

Cover Guys: Masculinity, Sexuality, And Representations Of Men's Bodies In Popular Magazines For Men, Trenton M. Haltom

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Scant research puts magazines into conversation with sociological theories of masculinity or sexuality. Yet, magazines have long projected idealized images of masculinities, the male body, and men’s sexuality. In this dissertation, I examine representations of men in popular magazines, highlighting the multifaceted ways magazines have marketed masculinity and the sexualization of men.

Using an explanatory sequential mixed method content analysis, I analyze 38 years (1980–2018; N=2,750) of magazine covers from GQ (n=516), Men’s Health (n=277), and Sports Illustrated (n=1,671). Each cover was coded using a standardized coding form developed for this dissertation. The coding …

The Relationship Between Quality Of Life, Extreme Climatological Conditions And Social Unrest In India, Daniel Schaefer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Scholars have grown increasingly interested in the association between climate conditions and social unrest. Though no consensus exists regarding the specific mechanisms that connect both phenomena, scholars have found a links between rising temperatures, precipitation, or the magnitude of disasters and social unrest. However, is unclear to what extent deviations from historical trends rather than absolute levels might serve as important indicators of unrest. Moreover, it remains unclear how effectively socio-demographic factors like quality of life and ethno-religious fragmentation can explain trends on unrest, net of climatological indicators. This project tests the extent to which deviation from historical trends in …

Protective Factors Against Dating Violence Perpetration And Victimization, Meagan Kunitzer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Dating violence is a prominent problem among college students that can result in harmful physical and mental health outcomes. To date, much research has focused on risk factors, but less is known about protective factors that may decrease the likelihood of dating violence. As such, the current paper examines protective factors (e.g. religion, positive parental relationships) against perpetrating and/or experiencing dating violence and whether these protective factors operate similarly for both perpetration and victimization. Data were gathered in 2013-2014 at two large public universities using pencil and paper surveys (N = 1482). Bivariate results revealed that women have more protective …

Housework: Socialization Influences On Individual Performance, Couple Division Of Labor And Mental Health, Jaala Robinson

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Despite the continued gender inequality in the division of housework, little research has considered how family housework socialization influences the amount of housework a person performs and their mental health. Socialization processes occur via the amount of housework performed in the home during childhood by each parent and the parents’ gender division of household labor. This analysis details three studies that explore the impact of socialization to housework. All three studies take advantage of intergenerational data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The first study uses a social learning framework to test whether the amount of housework a …

The Relationship Between State-Level Dynamics, Firearm Policies, And County-Level Homicides, Shawn M. Ratcliff

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation examines the causes and effects of four major firearm-related policies in the United States: Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW), Stand Your Ground (SYG), Child Access Prevention (CAP), and Universal Background Checks (UBC). Applying a social movement approach, the first research question addresses how a social movement organization (SMO) has employed resources to shape the adoption of (counter-)movement-related legislation. Using the gun rights movement as a case-in-point, I explore how campaign contributions – conceptualized as a professionalized SMO resource – have been employed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to shape the adoption of CCW, SYG, CAP, and UBC laws …

The Consequences And Correlates Of Racial Identity Discordance: An Explication Of The Social Construction Of Race, Eli X. Ornelas

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study analyzes the rates at which different racial groups experience identity discordance, or the phenomenon of one’s self-ascribed racial identity not being commensurate with external perceptions of one’s race. While previous research has documented the possibility of discrepancy between self-ascribed and external classifications of racial identities, few empirical studies have sought to determine which racial groups are most susceptible to experiencing identity discordance or investigated specific mechanisms that may contribute to that discordance. Utilizing the 2006 wave of the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS), the current study investigates the rate of identity discordance for Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, …

Examining The Association Between Interviewer And Respondent Speaking Pace In Telephone Interviews, Angelica Nicole Phillips

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Telephone interviewers are typically trained to speak at a pace of two words-per-second to enhance respondent cognitive processing. Although interviewer speaking pace varies across different question characteristics such as question length and complexity, the pace at which respondents answer questions in a telephone survey and whether pace varies by question characteristics has received scant attention. Furthermore, although there is a longstanding hypothesis that the speed at which interviewers ask questions influences the speed of respondent replies and that this in turn influences the quality of answers provided by respondents, few empirical studies directly examine the relationship between interviewer speaking pace …

‘Do Unto Others’: Religiosity And Bullying In Adolescence And Emerging Adulthood, Joseph Jochman

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation examines associations between religiosity and bullying in adolescence and emerging adulthood across three empirical chapters. The first empirical chapter uses data from the National Study of Youth and Religion Wave 1 (N=3,137) to assess the likelihood of bullying and religious victimization by key religious factors in youth. Results show that religious affiliation, religious practices, and religious views and beliefs are all associated with differential likelihoods of bullying. Mainline Protestants and youth with higher religious salience and scripture reading had lower likelihoods of bullying perpetration. Higher service attendance and religious youth group participation, however, were associated with increased likelihood …

How Does The Social World Shape The Experience Of A Rare Disease? Social Position And The Development, Progression, And Medical Care For People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jennifer A. Andersen

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation focuses on the implications of social position and life course on the experience of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Using a sociology in medicine frame, I test three theoretical perspectives (fundamental cause theory, social determinants of health, and life course theory) to determine the influence of social conditions on the development and progression of, and medical care for, people with ALS (pALS). Further, I use ALS as an exemplar of the need for a sociology of disease.

Using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis National Registry, I first assess the association of social position with the reported onset location at the …

Relationship Quality In Kin And Chosen Kin Familial Networks, Eliza Thor

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Family relationships are sources of both stress and support for most individuals. They are also among the most resilient, offering support through long periods of conflict. Growing scholarly research on LGB families demonstrates that LGB individuals face greater levels of conflict, which stems from a lack of acceptance of their identities. As of yet, little work has directly compared LGB familial relationships to heterosexual family relationships. This study seeks to fill this gap by comparing the relationship characteristics of LGB and heterosexual individuals using network data drawn from the Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (2018 and 2019). I employed multilevel …

The Perfect Match? Correlates Of Job Placement Among Phd Earners, Andrea Johnson

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Earning a doctorate in a field implies a strong desire to stay in that field, yet not all who earn a PhD do stay in their field. Therefore this study assumes that those who leave their chosen field do so either involuntarily or because of strong “pull” factors. Using the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (2015), this study examines a variety of factors that affect job placement among PhD recipients, specifically efforts to “match” doctoral field credentials with occupational outcomes. Analyses explicitly test classic assumptions underlying Human Capital Theory, while also taking into account demographic characteristics social capital differences. Findings indicate …

Social Networks And Science Identity: Does Peer Commitment Matter?, Grace Maridyth Kelly

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

White men continue to be overrepresented in STEM fields compared to women and minorities, despite several decades of scholarly interest the disparity. Studies have shown that early adolescence is when children begin to lose interest in science. It is also in this period, that children start to develop ideas and stereotypes about who should be a scientist. It is essential that youth are able to see themselves as science kinds of people. Students who have strong science identities have been shown to perform better in science classes, retain interest in science and continue on to STEM careers. During adolescence, peer …

Drinking Behaviors, Relationships And Recovery: A Relational Sociological Examination Of Addiction, Maia C. Behrendt

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Examination of addiction from the theoretical framework of relational sociology contributes to growing efforts to understand and develop addiction recovery programs that focus on the restoration of important social relationships and ties. Aims of the study include understanding how alcohol addiction has been addressed in earlier sociological studies and to provide evidence for how relational sociology may be utilized to better understand and explain how alcoholics and Alcoholics Anonymous operate within Bateson’s Theory of Alcoholism and Addiction. Through a qualitative study and analysis of 20 in-depth audio recorded interviews with individuals in either active recovery or active drinking, this study …

Interpersonal Discrimination And Mental Health Among Minority Students At Predominantly White Institutions: Does Racial Identity Matter?, Marissa Lynn Cardwell

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Large proportions of minority group members commonly report experiencing interpersonal racial discrimination in many different domains of their lives, and this exposure to discrimination may be particularly salient for minority group members attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Persistent exposure to discrimination has been linked to diminished wellbeing. Given this link, research has begun to identify potential buffers to the association between racial discrimination and diminished mental health. One such protective factor is racial ideology. The current paper investigates whether racial identity attitudes serve as protective factors between racial discrimination and mental health outcomes using daily diary data from 146 students …

Understanding Mental And Behavioral Health Of American Indian Youth: An Application Of The Social Convoy Model, Jerreed D. Ivanich

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine three distinct, yet related studies. The primary focus of each chapter is the examination of mental and behavioral health among North American Indigenous (American Indian, Alaska Native, and Canadian First Nations) youth - motivated by relational perspectives.

Method: Data for this dissertation came from baseline data of a larger randomized control trial of a culturally adapted evidence-based substance use prevention program among 375 youth and 304 caregivers across four reservations that share a similar language, history, and culture.

Study 1 Results: The aim was to examine caregiver and youth agreement on …

How State-Level Dynamics Shape Individual-Level Welfare Payments, Jamy Rentschler

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines how welfare program implementation varies across states, and what those differences in implementation mean for welfare (TANF) recipients across the country. Specifically, I examine the extent to which state-level context related demographics and economics as well as political ideology, religious culture and race may contribute to contemporary disparate economic outcomes for low-income racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. This study relies on a sample of welfare recipients from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) during 1998-2013 to examine individual recipients’ average monthly TANF payments. Analyses combine SIPP data with state-level information drawn from …

Birds Of A Feather? Friendship Utilization By Sexual Minority Students During The Transition To College, Jessica Morrow

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Friendship is important for individuals at any point in their lives, but takes on a new role during emerging adulthood as individuals make the transition into adult roles and responsibilities (Arnett 2000, 2006). Potentially even more significant is the importance of friendship to sexual minority young adults who are also forming their identities at this stage (Brandon-Friedman and Kim 2016). Since the transition to college takes place during emerging adulthood, it is important to examine how sexual minority young adults utilize their friendships with other sexual minorities as well as heterosexual peers to navigate this transition. Drawing on in-depth interviews …

Examining Retrospective Measurement Of Ambivalence About First Births And Psychological Well-Being Using A Hybrid Cross-Survey Multiple Imputation Approach, Stacy Tiemeyer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation follows a 3 article format. First, I implement strategies for combining the three surveys and evaluating the individual unique measures of fertility intentions status to a combined survey latent class analysis. I found that the best fitting solution, based upon theories, qualitative research, and prior research with each survey alone, included four latent classes of first birth intentions: intended, unintended, and two categories of ambivalent: okay either way and conflicted. Second, using fertility intentions classes identified in the second chapter, I use three theories (Theory of Planned Behavior, Traits-Desires-Intentions-Behaviors and Theory of Conjunctural Action) to extend research …

Disentangling The Roles Of Modernization And Secularization On Fertility: The Case Of Turkey, Dogan Hatun

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory argues very low fertility results from the simultaneous processes of modernization and secularization. However, this theory has primarily only been examined in the Christian countries of Northern and Western Europe. The assumption that modernization and secularization are co-occurring processes may not apply in other non-European, non-Christian contexts. Notably absent are studies of Muslim-majority nations, where modernization has occurred separate from secularization because the primary interpretation of Islam views the pursuit of secular knowledge is as important as the pursuit of religious knowledge. Therefore, there is a critical need to examine the applicability of the SDT …