African American Studies Commons^™

Hopelessness Depression As A Predictive Risk Factor For Recidivism And Survival Time Among Juvenile Offenders, Todd Milton Mcginnis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, there is a high incidence of recidivism among juvenile offenders with mental health disorders. This is a critical social issue facing the public and the Department of Juvenile Justice Administration today. However, research is not clear on the role of psychological factors in recidivism frequency and survival time. The purpose of this study was to examine whether hopelessness depression, as measured by suicidal-ideation, depression-anxiety, anger-irritation, and alcohol-drug use, and offense type, were predictors of recidivism frequency and survival time when controlling for age, gender, and race. The total sample consisted of archival data from 404 juvenile …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Leadership Style, Kim Renee Haney-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported workforce disparities in the representation of minority ethnic groups in leadership positions for more than 5 decades. In 2011, Executive Order 13583 initiated the Government-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, directing federal agencies to recruit a diverse workforce, cultivate inclusion across occupations, and develop strategies to enable leading a diverse workforce. This plan is important considering other research studies show various approaches to understanding leadership behaviors; however, empirical studies have yet to explore if there is a relationship between ethnic identity and leadership style to inform diversity and inclusion efforts. The …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Parents In The Management And Care Of Obese Children, Priscilla Ann Huggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a global concern among all ethnic groups. Childhood obesity is a problem that continues into adulthood, exacerbating the incidence of diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore, understand, and describe the perceptions and experiences of African American parents in the management and care of their obese or overweight children. This study used the health-belief model (HBM) as its theoretical foundation, focusing on the constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. This research study used an interview tool and an 8-item …

Elementary Teacher Knowledge Of And Practices For Teaching Reading To African American Students, Camille Jacqueline Little

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State standardized tests results indicated that between 2012 and 2016, fewer African American students at a rural, Title I elementary school met state standards in reading compared with other racial/ethnic groups of students. A gap in practice existed because the school and district had not conducted studies to understand teacher knowledge and practice as they related to teaching reading to African American students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address the problem and gap in practice by exploring elementary teacher knowledge and understanding of the learning needs in reading among African American students. Tomlinson's theory of differentiated …

Diabetes Self Care Behaviors And Social Support Among African Americans In San Francisco, Liseli Inonge Mulala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are significant public health issues that affect people of all races; Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans with higher diagnosis, morbidity, and mortality than it affects Caucasians, and Type 1 has been increasing in incidence. Diabetes self-care activities (DSCAs) and social support have been shown to help in managing both types, which can reduce morbidity and mortality. African Americans with diabetes in San Francisco have higher rates of complications, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits secondary to diabetes. This study assessed whether a relationship exists between emotional support, practical support, affirmational support, informational …

Barriers And Perceptions Of Black American Men About Prostate Cancer In Georgia, Martins M. Nnoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2016, prostate cancer was the second leading cause of fatality in the United States. However, the population in this study 'Black American men, ages 40 and older, in selected counties in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton and Atlanta metropolitan areas' tended to underutilize prostate cancer care. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental descriptive study was to determine whether socio-economic barriers and perceptions of Black American men about prostate cancer reduce their ability to access quality care in this county in Georgia. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to inform the predictive validity of perceptions, attitudes, and belief on individual …

African American Small Business Strategies For Financial Stability And Profitability, Jermell T. Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the high failure rate of African American small businesses in the United States, only 2% of the U.S. Small Business Administration loans in 2016 were awarded to African American business owners. Most small business owners cite lack of access to financial resources as an influential factor that leads to business failure. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies African American small business owners in Los Angeles County, California use to obtain financial resources to achieve sustainability for at least 5 years. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 4 purposively …

We Can Do Better: Evaluating An Intervention Remedying Caseworkers’ Negative Racial Bias Towards African American Families Involved In Child Welfare, Adrianne Michele Fletcher

Dissertations

Given that U.S. history documents the severing of African-American family ties by isolating parents from each other and their children under slavery, it is imperative that the child welfare system be free of any echoes of that holocaust. Yet many scholars and practitioners who lament negative racial attitude, both implicit and explicit, may continue to contribute to the over-representation of African-American children in the U.S. child welfare system. This study proposes to examine a subcategory of practitioner attitudes, those about the caregivers’ race, and how those attitudes can be altered through a reflective educational experience. Drawing from pre-existing research about …

Laughing Against White Supremacy: Marginalized Performance Of Resistance Comedy, Caren Holmes

Senior Independent Study Theses

This study examines the political influence of charged standup comedy as a form of protest in resistance movements against white supremacy. It examines the experiences of seven marginalized comics who confront oppression through this non-traditional and humor based form of protest. Over the course of two months I conducted and filmed eight in-depth, semi-formal interviews with seven comics of color; six women and one trans-non-binary person, as well as an academic who specializes in studying the production of “charged humor.” I attended more than 30 standup shows and filmed several performances. In my analysis I explore four major themes, (1) …

Spiritual Journeys: A Study Of Ifá /Òrìṣà Practitioners In The United States Initiated In Nigeria, Tony Van Der Meer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the culture of one of the newest branches of traditional Yorùbá Ifá/Òrìṣà practice in the United States from practitioners born in the United States that were initiated in Nigeria, West Africa.The epistemology of the Ifá/Òrìṣà belief system in the United States has been based on the history and influence of Regla de Ocha or Santeria that developed out of Cuban innovation and practice.This is an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic study that pulls from participant observation, field notes, interviews, and photos as data.The central question of this dissertation is what are the challenges and …

Back To Africa In The 21st Century: The Cultural Reconnection Experiences Of African American Women, Marcia Tate Arunga

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of 18 African American women who went to Kenya, East Africa as part of a Cultural Reconnection delegation. A qualitative narrative inquiry method was used for data collection. This was an optimal approach to honoring the authentic voices of African American women. Eighteen African American women shared their stories, revelations, feelings and thoughts on reconnecting in their ancestral homeland of Africa. The literature discussed includes diasporic returns as a subject of study, barriers to the return including the causes of historic trauma, and how Black women as culture bearers …

The Enigmatic "Cross-Over" Leadership Life Of Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune (1875-1955), Greer Charlotte Stanford-Randle

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The dissertation is a deep study of an iconic 20^th century female, African American leader whose acclaim developed not only from her remarkable first generation post-Reconstruction Era beginnings, but also from her mid-century visibility among Negroes and some Whites as a principal spokesperson for her people. Mary Jane McLeod Bethune arose from the Nadir- the darkest period for Negroes after the Civil War and three subsequent US Constitutional Amendments. She led thousands of Negro women, despite social adversity, to organize around their own aspirations for improved social and material lives among America’s diverse citizens., i.e. “the melting pot.” The …

The Parton Paradox: A History Of Race And Gender In The Career Of Dolly Parton, Lindsey L. Hammers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With a career that has spanned over five decades, country music artist Dolly Parton has continually redefined her image and her music to remain relevant. By incorporating the musical and lyrical stylings of disco and other popular music genres into her songs, Parton moved beyond music’s color line to increase her popularity as an artist. This thesis shows how Parton established a distinct career that catered to different audiences as she traversed the musical color line and repackaged what feminism looked like to country music fans during the Women’s Movement of the 1960s. Placing Parton’s actions in conversation with music’s …

Queens Speak - A Youth Participatory Action Research Project: Exploring Critical Post-Traumatic Growth Among Black Girls Within The School To Prison Pipeline, Stacey Michelle Ault

Doctoral Dissertations

A gap exists in both research and practice when it comes to issues related to girls within the school-to-prison pipeline. Girls are also often ignored in the educational literature about trauma. Educators tend to take a deficit approach toward youth experiencing trauma and often reinforce trauma through discriminatory and exclusionary disciplinary practices. Using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methodology centered in the lives of Black girls, with an intentional focus on their agency and growth, this study educated, coached, and supported a research team called Queens Speak. The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to elevate the voices …

Exploring The Leadership Experiences Of Minority Women In A Black Greek Letter Sorority, Ashley Nichole Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological research study was designed to explore and reveal the lived experiences of minority women in Black Greek Letter Sororities and their understanding of sorority membership and leadership development following graduation. Data collection was completed using two qualitative streams: online questionnaire and one-on-one interviews. This study will contribute to the discussion of leadership development for Black Greek Letter Sorority members. More specifically, this study focused on the role that a Black sorority has in developing minority female leaders as they matriculate and develop within higher education and simultaneously in the sisterhood. This research study provided suggestions on opportunities …

Afro Culture And Performance Within The Bar Space, Jessany Maldonado

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this thesis, I engaged in an ethnographic study of a predominantly Afro social space, specifically the bar setting. Utilizing authoethnobiographical and critical ethnographic methods, I established rapport with participants in order to learn the dynamics of their communication performances within the space of the bar. I explored the ways that Afro folk communicatively (re)established the Afro bar as a location of discursive performances and practices out of the dominant public gaze, indicative of a counterpublic (enclave) space.

My thesis sought to address two research questions. First, I wanted to know what communicative practices characterize Afro bar culture. In addressing …

Spirituality Among African American Christian Women Who Have Contemplated, Marilyn Wiley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that African American women had the lowest recorded number of suicide completions among all ethnic and gender groups in the United States. In addition, the number of suicides among African American women continued to soar without a clear reason or understanding of their lowest completion rates. Further research in the area of spirituality among African American women may be critical in understanding why African American women's rates of completed suicides are statistically lower than other ethnic groups and how to prevent future rate increases. A phenomenological framework was used to examine the …

Influence Of Media Messages On Obesity And Health Perceptions Among African American Women, Carolyn Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, thus increasing their risks for chronic diseases. Their understanding of their health status and response to it could be triggered by messages in the media, yet few researchers have examined this topic with African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how advertisement and editorial content in media contributed to perceptions African American women have about overweight and obesity. Following the theoretical foundation of the social cognitive theory, the research questions explored what messages study participants encountered and which messages prompted …

Perceptions Of Childhood Obesity Among African Americans In A Low-Income Community, Cotella Wilkes Wilkes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a prevalent chronic condition affecting millions of children and adolescents in the United States and is rising in record-breaking numbers among African Americans in low-income communities. Guided by the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this evidence-based project was to understand the impact of an educational intervention on parents' perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors, weight status, and prevention strategies in a rural South Carolina community. A convenience sample of parents who attended a church-based community health promotion service in a low-income area (n = 10), aged 28 to 54, completed The Childhood Obesity Perceptions survey before …

Biosociocultural Factors And Motivation To Lose Weight Among Obese African American Women, Odette Marie Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a pandemic that has a substantial impact among African American women. Biological, social, and cultural acceptance of obesity, collectively referred to as biosociocultural factors, represents an obstacle to efforts to address this health risk among this group. The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the relationship between biosociocultural factors and motivation to lose weight. Self-determination theory, objectification theory, and social learning theory formed the study's theoretical framework. The key research question concerned the extent to which the investigated constructs (BMI, internalized body image, and social networks) helped to explain motivation for weight loss …