Sociology Commons^™

Assessing The Health Effects Of Climate Change, Social Vulnerability, And Environmental Justice In Camden County, New Jersey, Daniil Ivanov

Theses

Climate change negatively impacts health, while socially vulnerable and overburdened communities disproportionately experience climate change and negative health determinants. Camden County is used as a case study for analyzing environment, socioeconomics, and health. Environmental variables—PM2.5 and land cover of impervious surfaces, floodplains, and forests—were compared to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level, finding significant correlations between land cover, air quality, and the SVI. The overburdened communities defined by the NJ Environmental Justice Law experienced a significantly higher incidence of emergency department visitation for respiratory, circulatory, and mental illnesses than non-overburdened communities. Health outcomes were compared …

Central Americans At A Crossroads: Asylum Seekers’ Testimonios Of Mental Health After Detention And Family Separation, Corie E. Schwabenland Garcia

Master's Theses

Though Central American asylum seekers are presently hypervisible in the U.S. consciousness, this population continues to be inadequately understood or cared for. Discussion of this population often presents them as a helpless and damaged population, in need of saving, fixing, or shelter -- beyond their trauma, they cease to exist. This qualitative study utilizes first-person testimonio methodology to understand the psychological experiences of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States, the stressors they face, and the mental health support that can and should be provided to them. Their stories speak to a space of sociopolitical precarity in the …

Opening The Halls Of Power: Implementing A Community Organizing Approach To Parent Engagement In New York City’S Community Schools, Andrew R. King

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City launched a Community Schools Initiative (NYC-CS) in 2014 that now includes more than 300 schools, making it the largest school improvement plan of its kind in the country. Bloomberg, the previous mayor, had championed market-based reform strategies by closing struggling public schools and replacing them with privately run charter schools. In contrast, the community schools model supports struggling schools by providing them with wraparound services to address not only the academic—but also the health, social, and emotional—needs of the “whole child.” Research has shown the NYC initiative has had positive impacts …

Neighborhood And Environmental Predictors Of At-Risk And Problem Gambling In Massachusetts, Kendra E. Pugh

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the widespread impact and negative effects of problem gambling (PG), limited attention has been paid to the environment where PG occurs. This study investigated the relationship between gambling on lottery and the zip code where gambling occurs, as well as the influence of individual-level characteristics that predict at-risk or problem gambling (AR/PG), among Massachusetts residents. A GIS analysis was conducted to identify vulnerable areas based on neighborhood characteristics, lottery sales, and AR/PG. Overall, residents of disadvantaged areas did not spend more money on lottery or have more lottery agents than residents of less disadvantaged areas. Some indicators of disadvantage …

The 2016 Presidential Election Of Donald Trump And Its Impact On The College-Going Experience For Then-Undergraduate Lgbtq+ Students, Nicholas Russo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

On November 8, 2016, businessman and mogul Donald J. Trump won the U.S. presidential election, sending shockwaves across the country given that polls indicated that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would win the election. On U.S. college campuses, students reacted to the election win, and for LGBTQ+ undergraduate students, their marginalized identity was negatively impacted by Trump’s win because of his rhetoric towards this population. Colleges and universities responded to the 2016 election results by sending out communications to affirm their mission and values for all their constituents, but this response was perceived as not supporting by LGBTQ+ undergraduate …

Going Cold Turkey? Changes To Faunal Subsistence In The Northern San Juan Region From Basketmaker Ii Through Pueblo Iii, Tenaya Gatrell-Bedard

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research in the Northern San Juan Region of the American Southwest has revealed a pattern of change in subsistence patterns from the Basketmaker II through Pueblo III periods. Jonathan C. Driver describes the pattern as: cottontail in Basketmaker III (500 to 750 CE) and Pueblo I (750 to 900 CE), deer in Pueblo II (900 to 1150 CE), and turkey in Pueblo III (1150 to 1350 CE). The transition from deer to turkey as the main subsistence has been recorded at several sites throughout the Northern San Juan Region and is thought to be caused by the overhunting of …

Which Came First, The Money Or The Sex? Cross-Lagged, Indirect Associations Between Financial Management Behaviors And Sexual Satisfaction, Matthew Todd Saxey

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have established cross-sectional connections between how married couples navigate their finances and their sexual relationship. For example, financial management behaviors have been shown to predict sexual satisfaction among newlywed couples. However, we know very little about the direction of the association between financial management behaviors and sexual satisfaction. Understanding which might predict the other, or if there might be a bidirectional association between the two, could provide direction on where to intervene to help newlywed couples with financial and/or sexual obstacles in their marriage. With three waves of dyadic data (N = 1,208 U.S. newlywed couples), I used structural …

Examining The Socio-Economic And Gendered Structure Of Canada's Live-In Caregiver Program: A Qualitative Study Of Filipina Women's Health Experiences, Andrea Bobadilla

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The primary aim of this critical ethnographic study was to examine how Filipina women in the Canadian live-in caregiver program (LCP) negotiate their own physical and mental well-being while managing the complex health needs of their clients. Using global care chain and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, I also sought to identify how multi-scalar forces including caregiving and migrant policies in Canada and South East Asia exacerbate pre-existing gendered and labour inequities faced by these women. The distressing impact of this precarious form of employment on family dynamics and relationships among family members in the Philippines was also explored. Data collection took …

Examining The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Violent Crime In The City Of Pittsburgh, Brittany Urban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to examine patterns of Part I crimes [including Part I Person/Violent: Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Robbery, and Part I Property: Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Standards] in The City of Pittsburgh, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a major stressor that Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory suggests may lead to increased opportunity for crime, due to the perceived unjustness of the associated lockdown orders and potential incentive for criminal coping (Agnew 1992). This descriptive analysis is based primarily upon …

Raj Karega Khalsa! - The Evolution Of The Sikh Identity, Vineet Mehmi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Generally, religion has served as a method of creating a unique identity and history for many groups across history. This concept is especially true for the Sikh community, to the point that they have carved their own niche across the different places they inhabit in the world, whether that be their homeland of Panjab or their extensive population in places like Canada or the United Kingdom. However, this expansion and development of their culture did not come without a cost, formed through countless battles, martyrdom, and revolutions. Chardi Kala, a foundational idea in Sikhi that refers to eternal optimism even …

Educating Dietetics Students About The Nutritional Concerns Of Older Adults, Lily Brickman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The percentage of individuals in the United States who fall within the 65 years and older cohort is anticipated to increase substantially over the next decade due to the large baby boomer generation aging into this category by 2030. Consequently, the healthcare demands of older adults are expected to increase, and medical and healthcare providers must be educated and prepared to meet the unique needs of this population. The purpose of this study is to help learn why interest in FSN 406 Nutritional Care of Older Adults has been so low since its inception in 2020, and whether other institutions …

In The U.S., Mena People Are Legally White. But Their Lived Experiences Say Otherwise, Youcef O. Bounab

Capstones

The U.S. Government classifies people whose origins are from the Middle East and North Africa as racially “white.” This is reflected in the decennial census, as well as in other questionnaires and forms, even as many among those groups prefer to have their own categorization. In this feature article, we explore the history of the issue, how individuals from those backgrounds would prefer to identify, and whether their lived experiences in a post-9/11 United States reflect their current categorization.

Navigating Food Affordability In The Two Bridges Neighborhood, Aina S. Izham

Capstones

This report examines a small neighborhood in Lower Manhattan of New York City called Two Bridges and how they're facing gentrification with a focus on food affordability. Ever since an affordable supermarket closed down in 2012, long-time residents have since struggled to get affordable groceries and are forced to face expensive supermarkets that have been on the rise in the area. Incorporating my journey to understand and listen to the community to find ways to support and work with the community, this report demonstrates that the neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying like most black and brown neighborhoods in New York City. …

Energy Efficiency Retrofit And Decarbonization Of Old And Historic Buildings In California, Daria Nikolaeva

Master's Projects and Capstones

Buildings are responsible for almost 40% of total global greenhouse gas emissions and the retrofitting of existing buildings is an essential part of solving the problem. About 75% of buildings in Californian were constructed before the first energy-efficiency building code was adopted in 1978. Old buildings are inefficient, responsible for large carbon footprints and must be retrofitted to stay on track with the state's climate targets. However, current policies do not require substantial changes and tend to favor historic preservation over energy efficiency, missing improvement opportunities. Recognizing the significance of carbon intensity, the 2019 California Energy Efficiency Action Plan shifted …

Press Freedom Under Threat In Europe: A Case Study Analysis Of The Increasing Threat To Press Freedom In Greece, Italy, And Hungary, Maya O'Leary-Cyr

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research critically examines the legal systems of European countries and their relationship to press freedom. This research focuses on the vexatious legal threats used by government officials and corporations to silence journalists. These legal threats are known as SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) and their use has increased exponentially in the last decade. Considering the scope of the problem, this research analyzes the issue through the lens of European countries Greece, Italy, and Hungary. Being members of the European Union, each of these countries have an obligation to uphold the democratic standards put forth by the EU as …

Recommendations For Sustainable Tourism In Patagonia: An Exploratory Analysis Of Sustainable Tourism In Costa Rica, The Nordic Region, And Thailand’S Communities, Julia K. Lowery

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores different levels of governance and its role towards actualizing sustainable tourism in Patagonia. With the growing threat of climate change, international destinations such as Patagonia are looking to continue building their tourism industries in a sustainable way. Through analyzing case studies of national governance in Costa Rica, multi-national governance in the Nordic region, and community-based tourism in Thailand, we can better understand how each form of governance has the potential to create a sustainable tourism industry. With this understanding of successful governance in my case studies, as well as understanding the historical and political forces that have …

Laywoman Of Right Faith: The Religious Writings Of Wang Peihua (1767-1792), Meijie Shen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATIONLaywoman of Right Faith: The Religious Writings of Wang Peihua (1767-1792) by Meijie Shen Doctor of Philosophy in Chinese Language and Literature Washington University in St. Louis, 2022 Professor Beata Grant, Chair

This dissertation is a case study of an eighteenth-century Buddhist laywoman named Wang Peihua (1767-1792) from the affluent Jiangnan area of imperial China. This period saw the flourishing of women’s education and writings, thanks to which we have collections left behind by them that document their own lives and in their own voice, which enabled us to explore their religious experience. As women started to …

An Online Vignette Study To Examine The Outcomes Of A Preclinical Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis, Matthew John Wynn

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As Alzheimer disease research forges ahead, and new potential treatments are developed, a conceptualization is emerging of a presymptomatic disease stage. This stage, known as preclinical Alzheimer disease, is characterized by the buildup of amyloid beta and tau proteins in the brain to abnormal levels in a cognitively normal person. There are unknown potential risks and benefits of communicating biological marker risk information for Alzheimer disease using the preclinical Alzheimer disease diagnostic label. The current study uses a vignette methodology to measure older adults’ understanding of risk information when presented with information regarding their risk for developing Alzheimer dementia. Participants …

“Have You Seen Me?”: Forensic Art For Human Identification, Mckenzie Stommen

Honors Theses

Forensic art for human identification is used to identify victims, suspects, and unidentified decedents. The field is highly interdisciplinary, and forensic artists draw on a broad range of skills, knowledge, and relationships with colleagues to complete this work. This paper will focus mainly on age progression and forensic facial reconstruction, although more applications of forensic art do exist. The case study in forensic art discussed here took the form of an age progression.

New developments in artificial intelligence, facial recognition, computed tomography, and DNA have implications for forensic art, and have already begun to find a place in the field. …

Food For Harlem, Izania Gonzalez

Capstones

Food for Harlem is a resource guide for Harlem residents to find local food-focused organizations. It’s a list for you to find where you can get healthy affordable food in your neighborhood. This project was created after the feedback I heard in discussion during my time at a food market in Harlem. The final product includes a complete list of over 70 food-focused organizations in Harlem, an interactive map, some important information about the included resources, and a list of definitions.

The website can be found here: https://imgjournalism.wixsite.com/food-for-harlem

Complicating The Narrative With The Adoption Constellation, Amanda K. Mchugh

Capstones

From September 2021 through December 2022 I worked with birth mothers and adoptees who are making efforts to complicate the narrative around adoption online. This resulted in a multi-platform project, creating a highly successful TikTok channel, an Instagram page, a private Facebook group and a Substack newsletter. The platforms decided on as well as the content on these platforms were decided upon in collaboration with the community, using deep listening and collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. I conducted six callouts through each ideation phase of the project, learning about where the media is falling short with regards to information …

The Future Of Universal Basic Income: The Impact Of Organizational Strategies On Alleviating Poverty And Maximizing Outcomes, Anna Mathews

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Universal basic income is gaining traction, with pilot programs being conducted all over the world. These programs are all organized differently, from their sources of funding to their eligibility criteria. This research draws correlations between organizational strategies of UBI programs and the outcomes their recipients experience. Specifically, it analyzes three contemporary UBI programs within the United States: the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (APFD), and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians per capita payments (EBCI). The research assesses the physical health, mental health, and economic outcomes of the participants in each case study, in order to …

Medical And Socioeconomic Predictors Of Psychosocial Functioning In Pediatric Hydrocephalus, Vanessa Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. Etiology can be a major factor in health outcomes, but prior research on psychosocial functioning in hydrocephalus has been with limited etiologies. This study examined psychosocial functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 and HOQ parent report scores were compared between hydrocephalus etiologies. Medical factors (number of CSF diversion procedures, history of seizures, and years with hydrocephalus) and SES factors (family income, parent education, and parent occupational status) were examined …

From The Farm To Higher Education: Interpreting The Experience Of Students With A Migrant/Seasonal Farm Working Background And Have Participated In The College Assistance Migrant Program (Camp), Elizbia Xaxni-Capula

Honors Theses

The following thesis presents research on the experience of scholars with a migrant and/or seasonal farmworker (MSFW) background and have participated in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) in a 4-year institution. This research begins the methodology that was used to select the subjects being interviewed individually. This is followed by a literature review of the data that is already available specific about this demographic presenting 3 common barriers. The barriers focused on this are economic constraints, family role in higher education, and the imposter syndrome. An analysis of the respondents' answers will contribute to the sections of this thesis, …

Parental Warmth And Disciplinary Strategies In Two-Parent-Adoptive And Biological Families, Jordan Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adopted children enter families with parents who on average are older, have higher income, and have more education than other family structures. Because adopted children are moving into families with more resources, research suggests that they would do just as well as, and perhaps even better than, children in biological two-parent households. However, this is not always the case. Understanding how different variables could offset any negative results of adoption is a puzzle that researchers are continually exploring. Previous research has investigated differences in investments from adoptive and biological parents through multiple theoretical lenses. I seek to add to current …

Psychological Distress Mediates The Relationship Between Health And Satisfaction With Daily Marital Interactions: A Daily Diary Assessment, Stephanie L. Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Literature has often connected the variables of physical health, mental health, and romantic relationship satisfaction or quality. However, there has yet been any evidence of a mediating relationship. The purpose of this study is to test for mediation of satisfaction with daily marital interactions on physical symptoms through psychological distress. The data is from the Life and Family Legacies Daily Experiences Study and includes 191 older couples over the course of 14 days. Multilevel dyadic models were estimated for both the same-day data as well as lagged data. Indirect effects between the variables were significant, but not for the lagged …

"This Whole Journey Was Sacred": Latter-Day Saint Parents' Process In Coming To Accept A Transgender Child, Julia Campbell Bernards

Theses and Dissertations

This grounded theory methodology (GTM) study examines the process of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in coming to accept a transgender or gender diverse (TGD) child. Data comes from interviews with 38 Latter-day Saint parents of TGD children and 130 Facebook posts from the same population. Data was analyzed using GTM in coding and theory construction. A model of Latter-day Saint parents' process in accepting a TGD child and the factors that impact that process is presented. The results indicate that coming to accept a TGD child tends to engage Latter-day Saint parents cognitively, emotionally, …

Gendered Patterns In Popular Asmr Roleplay, Jason Wayne Begg

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Ongoing Search For Democracy: A Comparative Analysis Of Racial Equality In Cuba And The United States, Michael T. Siderio Jr.

Honors Student Research

This Capstone Project is structured as a comparative analysis of the fight for racial equality for Afro-Cubans in Cuba and how it compares to racial equality for African Americans in the United States, specifically focusing on contemporary issues relating to employment and economic opportunities, as well as police brutality. Historical background will be given on each topic within the scope of racial equality, and a comparative analysis on how they are similar and how they differ will also be provided. The overarching goal of the research on historical background and doing the comparative analysis is to synthesize both respective movements …

Tinder Usage On Bgsu Campus: A Collection Of Interviews, Autumn Zeller

Honors Projects

The purpose of the study is to explore the mental effects Tinder has on Bowling Green State University students. My project explores in-depth interviews of 8 BGSU students, and their usage of the popular dating app Tinder. Dating apps have become very popular since the creation of Tinder in 2012, and research explores the negative self-esteem effects it can cause. My research found that many people use the app simply because they are bored, and stray away from trying for something serious because of the stereotypes attached to the app. I also found that women tend to become more critical …