Mobilizing Social Capital In Social Entrepreneurship: Strategies, Networks, And Growth In The Egyptian Context, Doaa Alaa

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how social entrepreneurs in Egypt strategically mobilise social capital to access resources, legitimacy, and opportunities within a fragmented and institutionally ambiguous ecosystem. Drawing on qualitative case studies of eight legally registered, mission-driven for-profit enterprises, the study analyses how founders build and leverage offline and online networks through practices such as emotional bonding, community formation, knowledge sharing, symbolic positioning, ecosystem engagement, and digital presence. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and secondary data, the research identifies a set of relational strategies that function as core mechanisms for entrepreneurial growth in contexts where formal support structures and legal definitions …

(Re)Claiming Homeplace: Dance As Embodied Resistance & Healing For Health & Spatial Justice, Preeya G. Kannan

University Honors Theses

This thesis argues that dance functions as both an upstream public health intervention and a form of radical spatial resistance; creating healing, agency, and belonging among historically marginalized communities. Drawing on bell hooks' concept of homeplace, Jasbir Puar's assemblage theory, Nancy Krieger's eco-social theory, and Katherine McKittrick's Black geographies, I position the body as both an ecological and political landscape shaped by histories of colonialism, racial capitalism, displacement, and resilience.

Through this community-based participatory research study, Homeplace, I explore dance as a form of social prescription that centers liberation rather than pathology. Movement is often reduced in public health discourse …

Transforming Equity: A Systemic Analysis Of The Equity Model Of Social Justice Education Through The Lens Of Conflict Transformation Theory, Precious J. Golden

University Honors Theses

Current pedagogical theory and practices grounded in social justice aim to rectify systemic barriers to equity, yet despite decades of teaching through a social justice lens, social inequality and cultural division are on the rise.  "Justice," as a noun, has several meanings (Cambridge Dictionary). It can mean "judge", "law," or "fairness," and justice, no matter its meaning or its need, is achieved through methods of conflict resolution and conflict transformation. This inquiry seeks to present conflict transformation as a radical means of achieving transformative social justice, bringing voice to the voiceless and oppressed, and rectifying the contradictions in the current …

The Contentious Politics Of Abortion: Understanding The Black Protests And Women’S Strikes In Poland, Taubie Sanders

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In 1993, the Polish Parliament, the Sejm, passed a law called ‘The Abortion Compromise’ permitting abortion only in cases when there is a serious threat to the life or health of the woman, pregnancy is the result of a crime, or prenatal tests show the fetus to be severely or incurably damaged. The current abortion laws in Poland are the most restrictive in all of Europe. Poland’s abortion laws have undergone much contestation in recent years. In 2016, the Black Protests erupted across the country in opposition to a proposed total ban on abortion. In 2020, the Women’s Strikes commenced …

Trans And Gender Diverse Experiences With Healthcare Professionals, Victor N. Soto

University Honors Theses

There is a history of state powers working against the interest of Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) people, but since the second Trump election attacks on TGD have reached a new precedent; this suggests the state is engaging in necropolitical actions to gain and maintain power. To better understand how the current climate is impacting TGD people, and add to discussions about TGD-centered healthcare research, this thesis interviewed 15 TGD students from the Portland metro area about their experiences with healthcare providers. All fifteen of the interviews were transcribed and coded. Four primary themes were found: 1) bad provider experience; …

Digital Bodily Autonomy: Consent Issues, Labor Displacement, And Legal Understandings Of Ai Generated Deepfake Pornography, Mariah Barrett

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In the United States, nonconsensual pornographic deepfakes are becoming an increasingly prevalent problem as AI deepfake creation software improves and becomes widely available. Despite this, patchwork legislation across the country is inconsistent and conflicting regarding this issue. In this paper, I explore the background of pornography and obscenity laws and demonstrate how these frameworks are not properly constructed to apply to the digital sphere. Then, I address major themes within deepfake literature such as consent issues, bodily autonomy, labor displacement, and verifiable identity as a commodity through the case study of OnlyFans. I explore current and proposed legislation within the …

Collaboration In Conservation: Examining Environmental Policy Perspectives Among Ranchers In Rural America, Adeline Braun

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Rural Americans play an essential role in environmental protection policy in the United States due to their political influence and their management of large amounts of land. This study examines what factors affect rural support for and opposition to environmental management policies in order to gain a deeper understanding of when and why rural Americans support and oppose certain environment-related policies. Data collected from interviews with seven current and former ranchers in Wyoming along with information gathered from three relevant environmental organizations is analyzed through the lenses of economics, partisan politics, rural identity, and policy framing. The findings of this …

Welsh, British, And Argentine: Identities Of Convenience In The Welsh Colonies Of Patagonia, Benjamin Welch

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In this thesis, I examine the Welsh colonies in Patagonia (in Welsh, Y Wladfa) and how the Welsh negotiated their complex identity. Founded in 1865 as a nationalist project intended to preserve Welsh language, culture, and religion, the colony faced extreme hardships and was forced to ask for help. Drawing on British, Welsh and Argentine sources, I argue that Welsh colonists adopted a pragmatic approach to identity, emphasizing their Welshness, Britishness, or Argentinity as needed. While this flexibility was necessary for the colony to survive, it undermined the original goal of a Welsh homeland free of outside influence. Ultimately, the …

Gendered Justice: The Role Of Women’S Civil Society Organizations In Shaping Chile’S Truth Commissions, Frankie Stroud

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Scholarly literature has increasingly recognized that the inclusion of women and gender in formal transitional justice processes is essential for addressing the gendered nature of mass atrocities. This thesis seeks to contribute to the existing literature on how and why some transitional justice processes have come to address women and gender by specifically studying Chile’s Rettig Commission and Valech Commission. Several hypotheses have emerged from the literature for why the Valech Commission addressed gender to a greater extent, including that women’s civil society organizations, diffusion of international norms, and shifting domestic politics each played a role. Grounded in an anti-reductionist …

Prosocial Behaviors As A Protective Factor Against Suicide Risk: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Approach, Bradley A. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Suicidal ideation (SI) fluctuates substantially over short timescales, and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide proposes that suicidal thinking emerges through dynamic interpersonal states involving perceived burdensomeness (PB), thwarted belongingness (TB), and hopelessness regarding these interpersonal states (IH). Although ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research has demonstrated that these risk factors fluctuate meaningfully within individuals and are associated with short-term changes in SI, comparatively little research has examined interpersonal processes that may attenuate suicide risk in real time. Prosocial behavior — voluntary actions intended to benefit others — may represent one such process, yet no known EMA study has examined whether prosocial …

Open Materials For Ant-Psy 210, Sex And Culture, Melissa Zavala

Open Educational Resources

Sex and Culture explores the cultural construction of human sexuality from the framework of the individual in society. Students will examine the social learning of sexual behaviors, beliefs and practices. Analytic focus will include how culturally prescribed gender roles for men and women inform notions of right and wrong. Specific topics may include institutionalized gender inequality, marriage and the family, homophobia and other issues involved in the relationship between sex and culture. All topics will be considered from a historical and cross-cultural perspectives.

Making Sense In Trump's America: How Material Concerns And Affective Reactions Are Used To Construct Motivated Realities, Benjamin E. Southworth

Sociology Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Tracing The Flow Of Value In Ecotourism: A Case Study Of Lekki Conservation Center, Lagos, Nigeria, Queen Oluwatobi Olafadehan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the flow of value in ecotourism at Lekki Conservation Center (LCC) in Lagos, Nigeria, using a political ecology framework to analyze how economic benefits, participation opportunities, and environmental impacts are distributed among different community groups. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 16 community members, participant observation, and photographic documentation, the study investigates how surrounding communities perceive and experience ecotourism, how revenue is understood to be distributed, and in what ways communities are included in or excluded from conservation decision-making. The findings reveal that ecotourism at LCC generates benefits that are unevenly distributed, that community participation in governance remains …

More Than "Programs For Women": Centering Incarcerated Women's Voices In The Evaluation Of Prison Programming, Winter Ohara-Frantz

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines whether correctional programming in women's prisons reflects the self-identified goals and aspirations of incarcerated women. Existing research demonstrates that prison programming can provide meaningful benefits, including skill development, emotional growth, and preparation for reentry. However, much of this scholarship evaluates women based on institutional outcomes rather than asking whether available programs align with women's own educational, vocational, and personal goals. Drawing on survey responses from 23 formerly incarcerated women across the United States, this mixed-methods study explores participants' experiences with vocational, post-secondary, parenting, and other correctional programs. Quantitative findings indicate that while most respondents viewed programming as …

Testing Potential Correlations Between Childhood Lead Exposure And Authoritarianism In Adulthood, Kragen Anderson

University Honors Theses

A significant body of research links lead exposure during childhood to negative effects ranging from increased impulsivity to societal level effects such as an increased likelihood of committing violent crime in adulthood. Due to exposure vectors such as lead water pipes, lead solder, lead based paints, and leaded gasoline there was significant lead exposure during childhood for large portions of the American population. This paper tested and found a statistically significant association between average population level lead exposure in childhood and likelihood of voting for candidate Trump later in life.

Who Tells Our Stories?: An Analysis Of Lgbtqia2s+ Community-Museum Collaboration In Northeastern Wisconsin, Frances Kerkhof

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, histories of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals have been excluded from mainstream conversations and censored from public records. This exclusion was evident in how LGBTQIA2S+ history is retold in museum spaces. Over the past few decades, public institutions have shifted how LGBTQIA2S+ histories are communicated, with efforts to include more diverse histories and perspectives. During the summer of 2025, I conducted a museum ethnography of the Neville Public Museum’s Telling Our Stories: LGBTQ+ Voices of Northeastern Wisconsin to answer the research question: How does community engagement enhance the representation of the LGBTQIA2S+ community in a local museum in Northeastern Wisconsin? Through this …

Defying Impossibility: Critical Qualitative Reorientations To Black Lgbtqia+ Sense Of Belonging, Olivia H. Hunte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Belonging is a human need central to survival and can be cultivated within all spheres of life. Social environments are vital for experiencing a sense of belonging. In some social environments, Black LGBTQIA+ people encounter greater impediments to their daily lives with consequences for survival, including threatening their belonging needs. Within the United States, systems of oppression create and inform conditions within social environments that can potentially thwart pathways to belonging for Black LGBTQIA+ people. Thus, fulfillment of belonging needs for Black LGBTQIA+ people is one of nuance, pain, resilience, hope, harm, trauma, resistance, and healing; scant research is available …

Characteristics Of Social Capital In Informal Housing Settlements, Lena Parsons

University Honors Theses

Many cities see growth of informal housing settlements as urban populations rise across the globe. Residents of informal settlements are observed to use robust networks of social capital to support themselves in an environment of resource scarcity and marginalization. This review synthesizes research examining characteristics of social capital in informal housing settlements, finding that (1) social capital influences residents' acquisition of basic needs, (2) the structure of social capital networks depend on the context of the settlement, and (3) the built environment of informal settlements has a cyclical relationship to their social capital networks. This synthesis concludes that formal solutions …

The Impact Of Slow Tourism On The Psychological Well-Being Of Urban Recreational Tourists In Jakarta, Ahmad Ghazy Dananjaya

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study addresses the urgent need for psychological escape among Jakarta's population due to high life pressure, noise pollution, and density. While slow tourism offers tranquility and deep connection, its application in fast-paced metropolitan settings remains under-researched. This study analyzes the impact of Tranquility and Physical Activity Involvement on the Psychological Well-being of urban recreational tourists. Adopting a sequential explanatory mixed-method design, quantitative data were collected from 200 purposively selected domestic tourists and analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression, followed by in-depth interviews. Surprisingly, statistical results indicate that neither tranquility nor physical activity significantly influences psychological well-being, either simultaneously or partially. …

Post-Revitalization Accessibility Critique: A Case Study Of Tunggang Parangan Cemetery Vs Kelambu Kuning Cemetery, Achmad Ramadhani

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study examines the disparity between revitalization objectives and the implementation of comprehensive accessibility in cultural heritage sites in Indonesia. Through a comparative analysis of two recently revitalized pilgrimage sites - the Tomb of Habib Tunggang Parangan and the Tomb of Kelambu Kuning - this research investigates how different revitalization approaches affect accessibility outcomes. The study employs a literature review methodology utilizing digital sources and policy analysis, framed within the 3A tourism framework (Attraction, Accessibility, Amenity). Findings reveal that despite implementing different models - public-private partnership versus government-led development - both sites demonstrate similar deficiencies in implementing comprehensive accessibility principles. …

Picturing Africa: Critical Reflections On The Importance Of Imagery In Textbooks, Amber R. Reed, Bailey A. Brown

Essays in Education

While many social studies teachers in the Atlanta metro area are working to combat stereotypical and racist images of Africa, our analysis of three commonly used textbooks demonstrate these are exactly the types of images that tend to get reproduced. This essay draws on an analysis of three commonly used textbooks in Georgia as well as interviews with teachers in the area. We show how stereotypes of Africa as filled with wild animals, primitive, and poverty-stricken are often upheld in publications despite teachers’ fervent desire to dismantle them. Because these images are often decontextualized, it is difficult for teachers and …

Differentiation Of Self As A Therapist Effect In Couple Therapy, Nathan D. Knebel

Theses and Dissertations

Murray Bowen proposed that a therapist's level of differentiation of self influences therapeutic effectiveness, particularly in clinically distressed relational systems. Although existing literature has demonstrated that therapist effects account for a meaningful portion of variance in couple therapy outcomes, differentiation of self has received limited empirical attention as a therapist-level predictor. The present article proposes a framework for empirically examining Bowen's hypothesis by investigating whether therapist differentiation predicts trajectories of couple relationship quality across treatment. Additionally, the article explores theoretical pathways through which therapists may increase their level of differentiation, assuming Bowen's hypothesis is supported.

Examining Data Access Gaps For Tribal Epidemiology Centers: Qualitative Interviews And A 50-State Syphilis Data Audit, Kathleen P. Conte, Ashley Hoover, Levi Mattoon, Brigg Reilley, Jessica Leston

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

Context: Federal law establishes American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) as public health authorities with rights to state data to conduct public health activities. Tribal authorities, however, struggle to access public health data.

Objectives: To examine TECs’ access and barriers to public health surveillance data, and using syphilis as a case study, to assess data availability and timeliness nationwide.

Design: In-depth qualitative interviews and a desk audit of syphilis data by states.

Setting: All 12 TECs who collectively provide epidemiologic and public health support to 574 Tribes and 41 Urban Indian Centers nationwide.

Participants: Sixteen …

Fatherhood In Egypt: Identity Formation And Role Theory Perspectives, Mahmoud Nasr Gawdat

Theses and Dissertations

Fatherhood is a central yet under-researched dimension of family life in Egypt, particularly from a psychological and identity-based perspective. This study explores how Egyptian fathers construct and experience fatherhood through the lenses of identity theory and role theory. Using a qualitative research design, seven focus groups were conducted with 43 Egyptian fathers to examine the meanings they attribute to fatherhood, their perceived roles, challenges, support systems, and personal transformations. Thematic analysis revealed six interconnected themes: (1) describing the father’s role, (2) learning the father role, (3) social and cultural influences on the father role, (4) meaning of being a father, …

Overcoming Behavioral Health Barriers In The Homeless Population: A Healthcare Case Study, Uchenna Godson Ogbuokiri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Silence: A Content And Expert Analysis Of The 2025 Ramadan Series Lam Shamseya's Framing And Subversion Of Child Sexual Abuse Discourse In Egypt, Maya Abouelnasr

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes how the 2025 Egyptian TV series Lam Shamseya served as a sociocultural intervention and awareness platform for reframing and subverting the typical child sexual abuse (CSA) discourse in Egypt. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study triangulates framing theory and two complementary tools of the critical discourse analysis (CDA) and the circuit of culture model through a scene-level content analysis of 304 scenes across all 15 episodes of the series and ten semi-structured interviews with media experts, media practitioners, and psychologists. Key findings include reported corroboration of subversion of traditional tropes and archetypes, as well as reframing of …

Fathers’ Footprints: The Role Of The Father-Son Relationship In Shaping Men’S Experience And Expression Of Anger In Egypt, Lydia E. Wassef

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

In many Egyptian families, the father holds a central position as an authority figure, a protector, and a provider, yet often remains emotionally reserved and relationally distant. The emotional legacy of paternal acceptance or rejection extends into adulthood, shaping patterns of emotional regulation. Particularly, the father-son relationship plays a fundamental role in shaping men’s experiences and expressions of anger. Within cultural contexts discouraging vulnerability and associating masculinity with strength and emotional restraint, anger may become one of the few socially acceptable modes of emotional expression for men. This study positions these dynamics within the cultural context of fatherhood in …

Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …

Beyond Emergency: Charting Pathways To Sustainable Development In Fragile And Conflict-Affected Settings: A Case Study Of Yemen, Sharif Abdurabu Salem Farid Alsahbool

Theses and Dissertations

For nearly a decade, Yemen's eastern governorates of Hadramawt, Shabwah, and Al‑Mahrah have been relatively stable, yet the international aid system has kept delivering short‑term humanitarian relief like food baskets and water trucking instead of shifting to sustainable development that could rebuild people's lives, create jobs, fix infrastructure, and strengthen local government. This thesis investigates why this transition has taken so long. Based on 21 interviews with government officials, international NGO staff, and local NGO managers in these three governorates, the study develops a new way of understanding the problem. It introduces three ideas: the 'emergency mentality', which is a …

Seeing A Future Where I Exist As Myself: An Exploration Of Suicidality As A Response To Sociopolitical Oppression In Transgender And Gender Expansive Populations, Alexander Ray Sequoia

University Honors Theses

Suicide is often considered a mental health issue alone. For Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people, suicide can be a response to erasure of self and living under oppression conditions. The sociopolitical climate in the United States (U.S.), has become more hostile for TGNC people, along with legislative action that criminalizes their existence. This project explores the intersections of identity and nuances of suicide and death. The present study consists of 14 semi-structured interviews. This study examined the intersections of gender and culture on suicide responses, highlighting the importance of culturally relevant and community-led support for Transgender and gender expansive …