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Protest Policing And Legitimacy: A Comparative Analysis Of Myanmar And The United States, Khaing Sandee Lynn

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Political protests garner immense attention during academic, socio-political, and policy discourse discussions. More specifically, the manner in which government, police, and protestors interact during protest events is heavily observed and debated. Research shows that legitimacy is established when power-holders act in accordance with legal frameworks and various political and institutional norms. With focus on the intersection of legitimacy and protest policing, the current study aims to explore how political, legal, and institutional legitimacy influence police compliance with state and institutional directives, and protestor compliance with police directives in two distinct sociopolitical contexts.

For this purpose, qualitative data was collected through …

Organizing The Life Story: The Structure, Retrieval, And Flexibility Of Autobiographical Memories, Erin Murphy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation focused on the characteristics and flexibility of autobiographical memories within the life story, based on Conway and Pleydell-Pearce’s (2000) self-memory system and McAdams’s (2001) narrative identity theory. In two experiments, the research examined how retrieval goals and hierarchical organization influence the recall of different autobiographical memories (i.e., specific events that occur within one day, and chapters that are longer) and the flexibility of the temporal boundaries and duration of these memories. In Experiment 1, task instructions about recalling life story memories were manipulated to examine whether subtle shifts in retrieval goals influenced the type of memories recalled. Experiment …

Shaping Narratives By Defying Math: How Black Congressional Candidates Frame Economic Issues From 2018–2022, Dante Allen Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation moves the discussion of Black candidates economic policies beyond race to understand how Black candidates participate in racial capitalism. Using a mixed-methods approach, including textual analysis, and multinomial logistic regressions, I interrogate how 374 Black candidates navigate economic framing. Candidates use four distinct economic frames, three of which are rooted in neoliberalism, traditional, welfare state, progressive, and vague values. I present the findings in three papers which examine framing via textual analysis, the intra-categorical differences, and differences by congressional district demographics. In the first paper I show that Black candidates framing of economic issues reinforces racial capitalism even …

“I Just Kept Showing Up”: On Institutional Actors’ Motivations, Change Work, And Homeplaces At Desert Rose University In Support Of Undocumented Students, Vanessa Núñez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

My dissertation examines the roles that faculty and staff play in (re)shaping institutional policies and procedures to support undocumented students. While access to higher education has been examined through various lenses, we know very little about the “institutional activists” who advocate for undocumented student support in a bounded system like a college campus. The extant literature on faculty support of undocumented students focuses on the ways they create a sense of belonging and validation through mentorship and encouragement (Pérez-Huber, 2010; Gámez, Lopez, and Overton, 2017). My research suggests that while undocu student activists are the driving force behind change at …

Is Forgetting Independent Of Learning? An Examination Of Initial Learning Across Alternative Forgetting Analyses, Rhiannon Nicole Soriano Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A long-standing debate has reappeared regarding whether the rate of forgetting is independent or dependent upon the initial degree of learning. Interestingly, both conclusions have been supported. These diverging conclusions could be due to the analytical method and operational definition of forgetting employed: Researchers supporting independence typically measure forgetting as the number of items forgotten at a given retention interval, while those in favor of dependence typically measure forgetting as the number of items forgotten between test intervals. The current study tested whether the degree of learning affects the rate of forgetting for recognition accuracy (da) and other memory processes …

Navigating The Unknown: Understanding The Impact Of Mentorship For First-Generation Students In Stem, Shanika Roshanie Wickramarachchi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

First-generation students often encounter systemic barriers and inequities in academic pursuits related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Many institutions implement mentoring programs to mitigate these challenges; however, the effectiveness of STEM mentoring relationships for first-generation college students has been underexplored in the empirical literature. The current study centers the voices of first-generation college students to explore how mentors and institutions can better support their success through STEM mentoring relationships. In addition, this study examines how mentors’ generational status informs how they approach mentoring relationships with first-generation mentees. Participants included mentors and first-generation mentees in STEM research mentoring relationships …

Exploring A Boxing Community Exercise Porgram For Women With Parkinson's Disease, Emily Truong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: The purpose of this capstone project was to explore the lived experiences of 10 women with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who participate in the Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) program, an exercise community-based non-contact boxing program. Because women remain underrepresented in PD research and exercise-based interventions, this project aims to better understand how women perceive the physical, emotional, and social impacts of participating in RSB.

Methods: This qualitative case series included 10 women diagnosed with PD that participate in RSB at the Tony Cress Training Center. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews and audio recordings. Interviews were consented, transcribed verbatim, …

Vietnamese American Anti-Imperialism: South Vietnamese History And Analysis Of Publications Pre-1975, Jeannie Nguyen

Master's Theses

During the Vietnam War, citizens contested US imperialism at multiple levels. In South Vietnam, citizens published newspapers and magazines to challenge their government and expose the depth of US aggression in South Vietnamese society and culture. Inside the imperial core, Black, Chicano, and Asian American activists formed solidarities to resist the war and challenge racial inequality. At the intersection of imperialism inside and outside its borders, lies a group of South Vietnamese students and scholars who became American, migrating during the war via state-structured projects. However, in response to the heightening of war and drawing inspiration from their ‘Third World’ …

Cultivating Confidence And A Habitus Of Ex Corde Prayer Among The Baptized, Abigail Reynolds

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Reynolds, Abigail C. “Cultivating Confidence and a Habitus of Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized: Encouraging Ex Corde Prayer Among the Baptized as Part of Diaconal Soul Care.” M.A. thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2026. 77 pp.

Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions abound with encouragement to pray, describing prayer as communication between children and their heavenly Father. Yet, for many parishioners in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, praying ex corde prayers aloud with other Christians (family or friends) causes anxiety and is not a common practice. This thesis examines the Lutheran teaching that prayer is based in baptismal identity as God’s child and …

Our Home Away From Home? A Transnational Intersectional Exploration Of Colorism And Group Identity Among Black Surinamese Dutch People, Ashley Melcherts

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explore the influence of colorism on Black Surinamese Dutch group identity formation. Through a transnational intersectional lens rooted in Black feminism, I examine the role of colorism in the formation of group identity of Black Surinamese Dutch people. I also examine gendered aspects of colorism. Data for this dissertation come from virtual and face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews I conducted with 25 Black Surinamese diaspora members in the Netherlands, one Black Surinamese diaspora member in Spain, and one Black Surinamese diaspora member in the United States. Interviews reveal how Black Surinamese Dutch people negotiate colorism coming from …

Bridging The Gap: Implementing A Modified Pacing Guide For Students 2-3 Grade Levels Behind In An Accelerated Program, Crystal T. Tyson

Theses and Dissertations

Accelerated secondary programs serving students performing two to three grade levels below proficiency often operate within compressed instructional timelines aligned to state accountability requirements. However, limited research examines how state-level policy structures influence district pacing practices within these settings. The purpose of this capstone study is to examine how accountability frameworks shape district pacing implementation and how pacing compression affects instructional flexibility for accelerated learners. Guided by a policy-to-practice conceptual framework linking state accountability systems, district pacing structures, and instructional impact, the study addresses three research questions focused on (a) policy influence on pacing design, (b) structural implications of pacing …

Constructing Imperial Connectivity: State Infrastructure Projects And The Imperial Gaze In Bengal Presidency, 1849-1856, Richard William Bradley Gaspers Iii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The construction of roads, canals, and supporting infrastructure in British India connected urban environs of power to interior peripheral spaces. The conclusion of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 saw the East India Company stand alone as the paramount power over the Indian subcontinent. A century of conquest gave way to a century of internal management. This shifted the state’s ‘gaze’ inward. Public infrastructure construction skyrocketed after 1849, transforming the role of the colonial state as it built roads, canals, bridges, courthouses, police stations, and jails on an unprecedented scale. This thesis will explore how these physical constructs bolstered connectivity, …

"Home Means Nevada": Latinx Belonging In A New Destination, Maria G. Hermosillo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project examines how Latinx individuals construct meanings of home and belonging in a Southern Nevada micropolitan city. Nevada is considered a new “Hispanic settlement state” and “New Immigrant Destination” as the state has experienced significant Latinx population growth since the 1990s. This research addresses an empirical gap by centering Nevada in understanding Latinxs lived experiences through the taken-for-granted concept of “home” and a theoretical gap by advancing New Destinations research where moral order, economy, and region influence ethnic incorporation.

Drawing on 32 in-depth semi-structured interviews with current and former Latinx residents and supplemented by participant observation, the study analyzes …

The Effect Of Dialogic Reading With An Adapted Reader On Narrative Reading Comprehension Of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ramella Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading comprehension is essential for accessing grade-level content; however, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate narrative comprehension difficulties related to language inferencing and self-regulation (Constable, 2013; Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Dialogic reading is an evidence-based shared reading practice that uses systematic prompts and contingent consequences to strengthen verbal behavior (Whitehurst et al., 1988; IES, 2007). Despite demonstrated effectiveness with young children with ASD, experimental research on dialogic reading with secondary school-aged students, particularly those requiring adapted instructional materials, remains limited (Hudson & Test, 2011; Spooner et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects …

Impairment And Disability In Mesoamerica: Bioarchaeological Evaluation And Interpretation Of The Maya Of Palenque, Dayanira Lopez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The application of disability theory to the past is of growing interest among bioarchaeologists, both nationally and internationally. However, its application poses greater challenges when considering ancient contexts, such as Mesoamerica. Nonetheless, engagement with disability studies has led to the development of various theoretical frameworks in bioarchaeology, including dis/ability. This model views physical impairment as a fluid state that may exhibit adaptability and resilience rather than a biological deficit. Importantly, it views ability on a spectrum and does not make assumptions about social and cultural perceptions of ability where there is a lack of contextual data. Thus, it is a …

Are The Dollars Equal? Investigating Racial And Geographic Disparities In New Market Tax Credit Allocations, Brian L. Maddox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When Minority led CDEs are deprived an allocation of NMTCs and minority small businesses are deprived an investment, successes for minority communities are not as plentiful and economic gains are not shared in the community. Putnam (2000) believes economic empowerment of individuals in and from low-income communities can result in positive impacts to community dynamics, such as a reduction of disparities and enhance social cohesion. According to Putnam (2000) having examples of success breeds more success and often creates a community of individuals who form ties.

Collaboration Between Non-Denominational Community-Based Support And Social Work Professionals For Substance Use-Related Family Crises, David Marcelo Siqueira

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family social problems such as child maltreatment and domestic violence continue to impact vulnerable populations, despite societal progress. Evidence of negative results due to these factors is found not only in vulnerable populations in the United States but also throughout the world. These issues are often interconnected and cyclical, with substance abuse both contributing to and resulting from familial trauma. Addressing such issues requires interdisciplinary interventions and socioecological models that consider the broader environments influencing an individual's well-being.

One such environment is the non-denominational Christian church. While churches have traditionally offered community support, the professionalization of social work, including licensure …

Exploring Non-Native English Learners’ Attitudes Towards Ai And Online Multimedia Persuasive Opinions And The Role Of Sentiment, Zvetomira N. Svetleff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study and various other studies use quantitative models to identify which persuasive features predict persuasiveness. Most studies in the field do not explain why participants responded as they did nor do they focus on studying adult non-native English learners also referred to as second language (L2) English learners. Despite seemingly remarkable progress on research related to how to convey persuasive messages, there has been little work related to persuasive messaging targeted at second language learners or non-native speakers. In addition, despite the increasing reliance on AI technologies and tools in language learning within educational and work settings, there has …

Examining Demographic And Contextual Differences In Stress-Related Sport Interference Among U.S. Collegiate Sport Participants, Heather Tran

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Collegiate athletes experience a range of stressors that may interfere with sport performance; however less is known about how stress-related sport interference varies across demographic groups and contexts. Guided by the transactional model of stress and coping, this study examined differences in stress-related sport interference by gender, race/ethnicity, and year in school, as well as across situational contexts (training, competition, and life outside of sport). Data were drawn from a secondary dataset of 288 collegiate sport participants who completed the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC). Independent samples t-test and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examined demographic differences, and a …

Addressing Sexual Health For Older Veterans By Healthcare Providers: A Mixed Method Study, Andrew James White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Older adults remain sexually active, yet sexual health is frequently under-discussed in healthcare settings, particularly within veteran populations. Sexual health is essential to overall quality of life, and prior studies have shown that older patients value these conversations. However, veterans often face unique factors such as military-related trauma, including military combat exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to compounded stigma from these topics in regards to open discussions about sensitive health issues to their healthcare providers. This study is significant in its potential to uncover systemic, cultural, and interpersonal influences that shape these dynamics, with a particular emphasis …

Bodies Under Command: A Feminist-Foucauldian Narrative Analysis Of Institutional And Cultural Betrayal In Military Sexual Misconduct, Chelsea Wheeler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The military continues to experience alarming rates of sexual aggression, reaching epidemic levels. While all people can experience sexual aggression, women, compared to men, are more likely to experience this, despite women making up only 17 percent of the military. Throughout history, the military has demonstrated several instances of reactive attempts at combating the concerns of sexual aggression; however, these attempts have not been successful. From a feminist-Foucauldian lens, this dissertation research explores narratives of service members to gain a more in-depth understanding of the systemic dynamics that contribute to institutional and cultural betrayal in sexual victimization experiences. Additionally, this …

Enhancing Psychosocial Well-Being And Quality Of Life In Parkinson’S Disease: Integrating Patient Experiences And Physical Therapists’ Expertise, Adetayo Adeoti Babarinde

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by a wide range of non-motor symptoms that often affect the quality of life of persons with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) even more profoundly than the motor symptoms typically associated with the condition. These non-motor symptoms include olfactory and gastrointestinal dysfunction, cognitive impairments, sleep disturbances, and psychological and social concerns. Psychosocial concerns include the mental, emotional, and social impact of PD on an individual’s functioning and, overall well-being. They reflect the interplay between symptoms of the disease, psychological development and functioning, personal relationships, and environmental factors. Mental health and psychosocial concerns such as depression, anxiety, fear …

And Now It Blooms And Sings: The Music And Poetry Of Noël By Clémence De Grandval, Nicholas Stephen Carozza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document presents a historical background with poetic and musical analysis of Noël for voice, oboe, and piano by Clémence de Grandval (1828–1907) to contextualize the work within the lives of the composer, performers, and poet. Noël occupies an important period in Grandval’s life as one of the few pieces composed after 1900, and features a unique instrumentation of voice, oboe, and piano. The work is a musical setting of poetry by Nobel laureate Sully Prudhomme and was dedicated to oboist Louis Bleuzet and baritone Paul Daraux. This document presents biographical information, compositional background, records of performances, and analysis to …

Stalking Victimization Risk Factors Among College-Aged Men And Women: Does Relationship Type Matter?, Nicole Cebak

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research assessing stalking—or a pattern of repeated, unwanted behaviors directed at a specific individual that causes fear, distress, or concern for their safety—has identified several factors that can increase a person’s vulnerability to this form of victimization (e.g., demographic predictors, lifestyle factors, individual characteristics) (Fissel et al., 2023; Fox et al., 2016; Reyns et al., 2016; Reyns & Scherer, 2016). However, stalking can manifest within a wide range of relational contexts, suggesting that risk factors identified for stalking victimization more broadly may be insufficient across different victim-offender relationship types (e.g., stranger, intimate partner) (Reyns et al., 2016; Strauss et al., …

Organizational Justice And Staff Well-Being In Probation And Parole, Deena R. Devore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines how probation and parole (P&P) officers perceive fairness within their organizations and how these perceptions relate to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and emotional exhaustion. Organizational justice research has been conducted primarily in business and policing contexts, with limited attention to whether established measurement models accurately capture fairness in community corrections. Because P&P officers operate within hybrid roles characterized by discretion, sustained supervisory relationships, and bureaucratic constraint, fairness perceptions in this setting may not align cleanly with existing dimensional frameworks.

Using survey data collected from P&P officers in a western U.S. state, this study evaluates competing measurement structures …

Perception Of Emotions In Autism With Controlled Elicitation, Rachel E. Dewald

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research on emotion recognition in autism has traditionally relied on stimuli developed and validated exclusively with allistic populations. Whether these stimuli function equivalently for autistic individuals remains unclear, limiting the field’s ability to draw conclusions about cross-neurotype differences in emotional processing. Grounded in double empathy theory and cross-cultural research demonstrating in-group advantages in emotion recognition, this thesis investigated whether the Database of Emotional Videos from Ottawa (DEVO), a dynamic emotional elicitation database validated with allistic participants, elicits comparable emotional responses in autistic individuals. Participants (N = 116) viewed DEVO video clips and rated their emotional responses using the Multidimensional Visual …

Functional Domains’ Ability To Predict Outcomes In Comparison To Absenteeism In A National Sample Of School Age Children, Randolph Dupont

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School absenteeism poses a critical challenge for educators, clinicians, and policymakers due to its strong associations with impairments across academic, social, mental health, and family domains. Traditional models conceptualize absenteeism systemically, using dimensional definitions (e.g., chronic absenteeism defined by missed days), or analytically, using categorical definitions (e.g., truancy, school refusal). Both approaches are limited in capturing the functional consequences of school attendance problems (SAPs). This study evaluated whether a functional impairment model, which emphasizes how domains of functioning are disrupted by absenteeism, provides a more accurate framework for predicting outcomes than absenteeism frequency alone. Using longitudinal data from the Adolescent …

What Are You?: The Impacts Of Salient Relationships And Monoracist Experiences On Multiracial Individuals’ Well-Being, Annika E. Duquet

Doctoral Dissertations

The multiracial population is one of the fastest growing groups as interracial partnerships continue to rise (Lee, 2008). This dissertation focused on multiracial Indian and white individuals and explored the processes of developing one’s identity and social relationships through identifiable experiences. The adult participants, located throughout the United States, recalled experiences from throughout their life that they encountered with peers, family members, community members, romantic partners, and other systems of support. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology, the research questions guiding the study were: 1) What are the ways in which salient relationships affect an Indian and white individual’s meaning-making …

Adapting Genderlect Styles: Toward A Genderlect Spectrum Model (Gsm), Lauren Shepard

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Traditional models of gender communication studies have often conceptualized communicative behavior through binary distinctions between masculine and feminine interactional styles. While foundational frameworks such as Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect Styles theory provided important insight into culturally learned communication patterns, contemporary scholarship increasingly suggests that communication is fluid, context-dependent, and shaped by overlapping social and relational influences. In response, this study developed and evaluated the Genderlect Spectrum Model (GSM), a multidimensional framework that reconceptualizes communicative tendencies as independent, co-occurring spectrums rather than mutually exclusive categories.

Grounded in interactional sociolinguistics, performativity theory, and intersectional perspectives on gender and communication, the study employed a …

Maurizio Lazzarato. War And Money: The Imperialism Of The Dollar. New York, Ny: Verso Books, 2025. 216 Pp., Victor Stout

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.