Digital Commons Network^™

The Dark Side Of Sport: Exploring Conceptualizations And Operationalizations Of Authority Figure-Athlete Abuse, Katherine Nicole Alexander

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Although sport can be a fun and positive environment, it can also be a unique and common setting for athlete abuse. Coaches and other authority figures can serve in positive and negative caregiving roles, and many athletes report experiencing at least one form of abuse perpetrated by these important authorities during their sporting careers. We have less research on experiences of abuse in athletes from the United States. The current dissertation was designed to explore ways to more effectively and accurately define and measure athlete abuse perpetrated by authorities and coaches among adults in the United States. Given that there …

The Impact Of Parental Infidelity During Childhood On Emerging Adult Relationships, Rachel Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this master’s thesis, I collected and analayzed data from 429 participants, 78 of whom reported having experience with parental infidelity, namely having at least one parent be sexually unfaithful to the other. The purpose of this study was to better understand the long-term impacts of experiencing parental infidelity during childhood. Participants with and without experience of parental infidelity were invited to complete an online questionnaire about potential experiences with parental infidelity, emotional well-being, attachment security in adult romantic relationships, couple satisfaction with current romantic partner, and attitudes (permissive versus accepting) towards potentially unfaithful behaviors of infidelity and pornography. I …

Real-Time Adaptable Residential Kitchen: A Plug-In Standard, Rachel Fuelberth

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This thesis looks at how a real-time adaptable standard could be put in place within the modern kitchen to allow for equitable use of the space by numerous members of the household and their differing physical characteristics. The residential kitchen is a fundamentally exclusionary architectural construction designed around able-bodied, average-height adults. This excludes children, the elderly, anyone outside of the average height, and people with mobility differences. The kitchen has never been a place of equity. It has been designed to be used by an average-height female, and it does not account for the discomfort of those outside this norm. …

Growing Older Across Time And Space: The Impact Of Various Forms Of Capital On Social Support Networks Among Older Vietnamese Migrants, Hien Thi Nguyen, Lukasz Krzyzowski, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Much has been written about the important role of social support networks (SSNs) for the well-being of older adults, encompassing their social, emotional and practical needs. Less is known about what happens to the SSNs of older people when they migrate, and even fewer studies have examined the impact of different forms of capital on these networks. Drawing on ethnographic interviews and participant observation with 22 older Vietnamese migrants in Australia (2020–21), this paper explores the influence of different forms of social, cultural, economic and symbolic capital on their SSNs. Data analysis comprised egocentric social network analysis of the connections …

‘Taking Out The Trash’: Domestic Care & Women’S Immigration, Mari Arrieta

Student Scholarship

Spring 2026 SOCI 232: Social Policy and Global Issues course.

Research questions:

2.1. Private Childcare

Why is childcare in the United States treated as a private responsibility rather than a public good?

2.2. Immigrant Women & Childcare

In what ways does the U.S. childcare system rely on and reproduce immigrant women’s labor through labor regulations?

Stability Without Support: Kinship Care And The Reproduction Of Inequality In Child Protection, Kiera Fischer

Senior Seminars and Capstones

This project examines child protection outcomes in Minnesota through a structural and inequality focused lens, analyzing how poverty, housing instability, racism, and system overlap shape family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). This literature review draws from sociology, anthropology, social work, and child welfare research, to examine how child protection systems disproportionately surveil and penalize low-income families and families of color, often framing structural disadvantage as an individual parental failure rather than a systemic or institutional issue. I specifically consider placement outcomes following child removal, with particular attention to differences between kinship care and non-relative foster care. Kinship placements are …

Caregiving For Older Adults: How The Child And Dependent Care Credit Could Help, Gabrielle Pepin, Yulya Truskinovsky

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

The Relational Good Life: Entrepreneurship Education And Grounded Sumak Kawsay In Otavalo, Ecuador, Vanessa I. Lozano Hardman

Theses and Dissertations

Indigenous Kichwa communities in Ecuador’s Otavalo region have long participated in local and transnational markets, historically as mindalaes, specialized traders of the northern Andes. Yet in recent years, international development-oriented NGOs have framed entrepreneurship education as newly necessary for economic development. These approaches emphasize individualized narratives of vision, self-reliance, and growth, often characterizing Indigenous peoples as lacking entrepreneurial skills or the appropriate mindset. Drawing on ethnographic research with youth, mothers, and teachers at Saminay–El Legado, an agro- technical, intercultural bilingual secondary school (UECIB) in the parish of San José de Quichinche, this article examines how entrepreneurship education intersects with grounded …

Self-Concept Clarity And Relationship Satisfaction: The Mediating Role Of Approach And Avoidance Motives For Sacrifice Among Heterosexual Couples, Hannah F. Hatch

Theses and Dissertations

While individuals often engage in relational sacrifice to promote positive outcomes like connection (approach motives), they may also sacrifice for a partner to avoid negative outcomes like conflict (avoidance motives). These distinct motives for sacrifice have been repeatedly linked with divergent couple outcomes, yet little is known about the personal and relational factors which shape them. The current study addressed this gap using dyadic data from 289 mixed-gender couples to examine how self-concept clarity (SCC) predicted changes in relationship satisfaction via approach and avoidance motives for sacrifice. Participants represented diverse ethnic and sociodemographic backgrounds across all demographic regions of the …

The Artificial Maintenance Of Relationship Satisfaction: Romantic Ai Companion Usage Sustains Emerging Adults' Human Romantic Relationship Satisfaction While Eroding Relationship Stability, Rebekah M. Hakala

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, romantic AI companions--AI systems designed to simulate romantic, emotional, or sexual relationships--have emerged as a novel relational phenomenon. Nearly one in four emerging adults now engage with romantic AI companions, yet little is known about how this usage affects their romantic human relationships. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and the Investment Model of Commitment, and employing structural equation modeling, this thesis uses data from 2,431 emerging adults in romantic relationships to examine whether romantic AI companion usage influences relationship satisfaction and relationship stability among emerging adults in the United States (ages 18-30), and whether …

Shame On You! The Socialization Of Self-Conscious Emotions In Early Childhood, Ashton K. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how parents and children discuss self-conscious emotions across early childhood. Self-conscious emotions such as shame, guilt, embarrassment, awe, and pride play a critical role in children's social and emotional development. Although prior research has demonstrated links between parent and child emotion talk about basic emotions such as happiness, anger, disgust, fear, sadness, less is known about how parents and children talk about self-conscious emotions. Participants for the current study were 247 parent-child dyads. The dyads completed a wordless storybook task designed to elicit discussion of five self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, embarrassment, awe, and pride) annually across three …

Family Processes As A Protective Factor Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adolescent Delinquency, Tessa Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether family processes (i.e., parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring) serve as protective factors between the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent delinquency. Prior research has established an association between ACEs and many negative life outcomes, including delinquent behavior, while strong parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring are linked to lower rates of delinquency. However, the interplay of these three factors has been understudied. Drawing on data from the 2024 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N=22,016), this study examines the relationship between ACEs, family processes, and delinquency using negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that parental …

Creative Engagement For Community Through The Life-Span, D. Nicole English, Pelgy Vaz

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Creative Engagement for Community Through the Life-Span

Creative Engagement includes crafts, cultural practices, expressive arts, and activities that bring people together. Having access to such activities enables people to develop healthy habits, social interactions, and build community that can sustain one throughout the lifespan. On-going research indicates that Creative Engagement Activities, and the Communities of Practice that build around them, benefit people throughout the life-span, but become particularly important to older adults, by building resilience and social connections, in the face of inevitable life losses.

https://youtu.be/r3JS5YP-MnM

Blessing Or Burden?: Parental Religiosity And Lgbtq Adolescent Well-Being, Emma S. Griffitts, Lindsey Maner, Adam Rogers

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study investigated the associations between parent religiosity and their LGBTQ teen's psychological risk and resilience factors. LGBTQ youth showed higher risk factors, but parent religiosity also predicted greater resilience, mediated by child religiosity. These effects were stronger among LGBTQ teens than non-LGBTQ teens, suggesting that their internalized faith may lead to increased coping and well-being in minority contexts.

Transforming Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights For Adolescent Girls In West And Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

This brief summarizes the evidence on adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in West and Central Africa (WCA), particularly evidence from the GIRL Center’s priority countries. It explores social norms and structural barriers to adolescent girls’ SRHR, pregnancy, harmful practices, unmet need for contraception, service gaps, SRHR in conflict settings, and legal and policy barriers. The brief informs strategies and promising entry points that have the potential to transform SRHR outcomes for girls in the region.

Accelerating Adolescent Girls’ Education In West And Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

This brief summarizes the evidence on gender inequality in education in West and Central Africa (WCA), particularly the GIRL Center’s priority countries. It explores attendance, progression, transition to secondary, and re-entry. This brief informs strategies that address persistent inequalities and promote transformative outcomes for adolescent girls in the region.

Testing The Effectiveness Of Integrating Family Planning Information And Counselling Services In Food Distribution Programmes In Refugee Settings In Ethiopia, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Bonnie Wandera, Yadeta Bacha, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Dagim Habteyesus, Peter Kisaakye, Stephen Kizito, Stella Muthuri, Gloria Seruwagi, Hellen Akinyi, M. Alemayehu, M. Girma, M. Enjamo, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chi-Chi Undie

Humanitarian Task Force

Humanitarian crises expose women and girls to heightened risk of unintended pregnancy due to increased risk of sexual violence as well as disruption in access to and provision of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Unintended pregnancies in turn result in unplanned births and, in contexts with restrictive abortion laws, maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion or miscarriage. This makes innovative, evidence-informed solutions to address unintended pregnancy that take into account the unique circumstances of women and girls in humanitarian settings critical. Evidence-informed solutions should consider how best to reach women and girls with SRHR services …

The Power Of Asking: A Feasibility Assessment Of Incentive Social Worker-Led Screening For Sexual Violence Against Children In Humanitarian Settings In Ethiopia, Yadeta Dessie, Abir Nur, Dagim Habteyesus, Bonnie Wandera, Gloria Seruwagi, George Odwe, Peter Kisaakye, Francis Obare, Et Al.

Humanitarian Task Force

Sexual violence against children (SVAC) is an acknowledged concern in humanitarian contexts. In response to recent findings on the prevalence of SVAC in refugee camps in Ethiopia, coupled with low levels of disclosure and service-seeking by child/adolescent survivors, the Baobab Research Programme Consortium collaborated with humanitarian stakeholders in Ethiopia to establish mechanisms for promoting sexual violence disclosure and service uptake among young survivors in refugee settings.

This study employed a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation study design (involving a combination of service statistics, group interviews, and fieldnotes) for evaluating the feasibility of the aforementioned intervention, which specifically entailed sexual violence screening (of …

Acceptability, Feasibility And Effectiveness Of Integrating Family Planning Information And Services In Food Distribution Programmes In Refugee Settings In Uganda, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Peter Kisaakye, Stephen Kizito, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Bonnie Wandera, Stella Muthuri, Gloria Seruwagi, R. Nannungi, S. Achiro, A.C. P'Moru, A. Tezita, Prosmolly Ayebale, R. Rwotman, Jane Harriet Namwebya, R. Nyakoojo, Chi-Chi Undie

Humanitarian Task Force

Humanitarian crises expose women and girls to heightened risk of unintended pregnancy due to increased risk of sexual violence as well as disruption in access to and provision of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Unintended pregnancies in turn result in unplanned births and in contexts with restrictive abortion laws, maternal morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion or miscarriage. This makes innovative solutions to address unintended pregnancy that are informed by evidence and that take into account the unique circumstances of women and girls in humanitarian settings critical. Evidence-informed solutions should, for instance, consider how best to …

"Nobody Forced My Mom To Stay Home": College Men’S Perspectives On Parental Leave, Marisa Conners

Student Publications

From "The Second Shift" to Claudia Goldin’s Nobel Prize-winning research on women in the labor market, the inequities affecting women in the labor market have been widely documented. However, progress on this issue has been largely one-sided on behalf of women, perpetuating gender inequality. The goal of my research is to understand how social subgroup values influence male-identifying Gettysburg College students’ predictions on how they will engage with parental leave. This project gathered information on ways to increase male uptake of parental leave, which, if implemented, will help improve gender equity in the labor market.

How are male-identifying Gettysburg College …

Being There For Mom: The Strengths Of Daughtering, Allison M. Alford, Kaitlin E. Phillips, Luke V. Stipanovic, Cayd A. Rocha-Barnette, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Daughters undertake daughtering, or the everyday role portrayal of contributing to a meaningful family relationship with their mothers, but the labor of it is often invisible.

Background

Using a strengths-based approach, we investigated what daughters do well in their relationships with mothers.

Method

We analyzed the responses of 1,444 women to the open-ended question, “What do you do well as a daughter?” to learn more about how women describe their daughtering. Utilizing the artificial intelligence of a large language model for data analysis, we supplied definitions and descriptions of 12 virtues and strengths from existing literature and created a …

Negotiating Fatherhood: Young Men’S Narratives Of Care, Responsibility, And Struggle In A Low-Income South African Setting, Urlridge A. Thompson Dr, Tshepang Headman Mr, Leballo Tjemolane Mr, Lukhanyo H. Nyati Dr

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Financial provision continues to factor significantly in how Black men perceive and enact fatherhood, influencing the extent and manner of their paternal engagement. The enduring representation of men primarily as financial providers constrains the generation and enactment of alternative modalities of fatherhood within families and society. This qualitative study explored how the everyday lived experiences of young Black men in Soweto, South Africa, influence their varied engagements with fatherhood as they navigate structural constraints to pursuing their ideal of fatherhood. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed. We conducted two sets of semi-structured interviews with 19 young Black men in …

Evaluation Of Community-Based Interventions Addressing Social Attitudes And Behavioural Intentions Related To Female Genital Mutilation In Somaliland, Francis Obare, Dennis Matanda, Stephen Kizito, Chi-Chi Undie

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

This study aimed to assess changes in social attitudes/beliefs and behavioural intentions related to FGM and gender as a result of community-directed interventions to accelerate positive changes in social attitudes towards ending the practice. The study was conducted in the context of The Girl Generation support to – Africa-Led Movement (TGG-ALM) programme implementation in Somaliland using public opinion poll and vignettes. Key intervention activities implemented by TGG-ALM included conducting community intergenerational dialogues and small grants for community-based organizations to implement interventions at the community level.

Beneath The Northern Sky: A Family’S Story Of Faith, Work, And Loss In 19th Century East Friesland. A Generational Narrative For Descendants Of East Frisian Immigrants., Derek M. Heeren

Genealogy Resources

Beneath the Northern Sky traces the quiet endurance of one East Frisian family as they live, labor, and worship along the lowlands of northwest Germany in the early nineteenth century. At the center of the story stands Wessel Heeren, a farmer and shipmaster whose days move between the ledgers of the farm, the rhythms of the Gulfhaus, and the waterways that connect his village to the wider world for trade. Alongside his wife Foske and their growing family, Wessel navigates a life defined by faithful attention to land, to kin, to church, and to a tradition of self-governance known …

Endline Evaluation Of Community-Based Interventions Addressing Social Attitudes And Behavioural Intentions Related To Female Genital Mutilation In Isiolo And Narok Counties, Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Francis Obare, Robert Omondi, Stephen Kizito, Stella Muthuri, Chi-Chi Undie

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa-Led Movement (TGG-ALM) programme works to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by shifting social attitudes/beliefs and behavioral intentions related to FGM and the gender ideologies that sustain its continued practice through interventions implemented at the community level. This study aimed to assess such shifts in the context of TGG-ALM intervention sites in Kenya, while also tracking the diffusion of the intervention beyond intervention sites. Key intervention activities implemented by TGG-ALM included conducting community intergenerational dialogues in both Isiolo and Narok counties, women-only reflect circles in Isiolo and couples-only/homestead dialogues in Narok.

“Care Work” In Facilitative Mediation: Interactional Techniques For Emotional Support In The Context Of Conflict Resolution, Angela Garcia

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper investigates how facilitative mediators use “care work” techniques when participants display emotional or relational concerns during the session. Conversation analysis is used to analyze a pre-existing dataset of video-recorded small claims and divorce mediation sessions. Techniques the mediators used to do care work include reflection, topic refocusing, complimenting, role modeling, and coaching. The analysis shows how the trajectory of the talk in the mediation session is impacted by care work. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the mediator’s role and the effectiveness of the interaction for the conflict resolution process in mediation.

“Sometimes You Need A Middleman”: Negotiating Family Engagement For Foster And Kinship Caregivers Involved With Child Welfare, Anna Wasim, Catherine A. Labrenz, Nelkasia Graves, Samantha Zuniga Thompson, Monica Faulkner

Graduate School of Social Work: Student Scholarship

Family engagement is increasingly prioritized in child welfare policy and practice, yet limited research has explored how foster and kinship caregivers perceive and navigate this process. Understanding caregivers’ experiences is critical to advancing relational permanency and improving outcomes for children in foster care. Using an adapted grounded theory design, this qualitative study examined the experiences of 24 foster and kinship caregivers from two agencies participating in a family engagement practice model in one state. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and were analyzed thematically. All participants provided informed consent, data were de-identified, and pseudonyms were assigned to …

Children And Youth With Special Health Care Needs (Cyshcn) Regional Support Centers (Rsc): A Framework For Effectively Engaging Stakeholders, Jenna Lequia, Susan Burlazzi, Abby Beer, Miriam Franco, Kathleen Mcgrath, Angel Morales, Joanne Siegel, Susan Hetherington, Tricia Patrick

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The three University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) in New York served as Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Regional Support Centers (RSC). The RSCs aimed to increase the capacity of local CYSHCN programs to connect with and support CYSHCN and their families in their community. RSCs conducted activities in the areas of family engagement, training and educational materials development, and technical assistance. RSCs engaged in ongoing dialogue with CYSHCN and their families to learn about experiences to inform systemic improvements through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. This article describes a statewide framework to serve …

Under The Guardianship: Experiences Of Mothers In Egypt’S El Nayaba El Hesbaya, Hana Khayry

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the intersectional lived experience of El Nayaba El Hesbaya in Egypt. El Nayaba El Hesbaya, operating under Law 119/1952, is the administrative and judicial body responsible for overseeing the financial and legal affairs of minors whose father or mother had passed. Hundreds of thousands of mothers in Egypt have (had) children under the guardianship of El Nayaba El Hesbaya. This research delves into the experience of mothers whose children are or were under the guardianship of El Nayaba El Hesbaya, examining how it shape(s/d) their everyday life as women, mothers, widows or ex-wives, citizens, and legal subjects. …

In Her Words: The Silent Battles Of Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer, Nada Mohamed Ahmed Hassan Nh

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the emotional, social, and economic difficulties encountered by Egyptian women from middle- to working-class origins after a breast cancer diagnosis. Despite being a worldwide health concern, local cultural, institutional, and economic circumstances have a significant impact on the lived consequences of breast cancer. Women's post-diagnosis experiences in Egypt are greatly exacerbated by deeply ingrained gender stereotypes, stigma associated with cancer, and systemic injustices in the healthcare system. This research emphasizes women's situated knowledge and views their bodily experiences as crucial sources of insight into larger societal power relations. It is based on feminist perspective theory, especially the …