Digital Commons Network^™

Predicting Case Clearance For Victims Of Anti-Transgender Homicide In The United States, Brittaney Alyssa Mann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a shortage of research exploring case clearance of anti-transgender bias homicides. This study will comparatively examine the similarities and differences in anti-transgender bias homicide cases with and without arrests at the victim, situational and incident levels occurring in the United States between 2013 and 2023. Data are extracted from the Bias Homicide Database (BHDB), the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This project will address the gap in understanding case clearance of anti-transgender bias homicides, provide policy implications, and ideas to further the discipline’s understanding of the topic. Keywords: LGBTQIA+ victims, bias …

Crossing Borders: Analyzing The Factors Contributing To Healthcare And Reproductive Preferences Among Residents Of The Texas-Mexico Border, Yamaris Michelle Cordero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Crossing Borders: Analyzing the Factors Contributing to Healthcare and Reproductive Preferences Among Residents of the Texas-Mexico Border explores the complexities of healthcare access and utilization among border residents, particularly in the context of reproductive health. Through qualitative analysis of focus group discussions with promotoras - community health workers - this study identifies key factors influencing cross-border healthcare decisions, including economic barriers, cultural influences, and perceptions of quality. The findings reveal that high costs and limited insurance coverage in the U.S. drive many individuals to seek affordable healthcare and medications in Mexico, where pharmacies provide immediate, low-cost services without the need …

Don't Settle For Less: Incorporating Postcolonial And Settler Colonial Perspectives Into The Sociological Canon, Eli Xavier Ornelas

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

For decades now, post-/de-/settler-/ and anticolonial scholars have advanced the argument that sociology has largely failed to incorporate critical insights from theories of empire into the sociological canon. In this dissertation, I argue that introduction to sociology textbooks offer an important vantage point from which to assess conventional sociological knowledge as textbooks are often thought to be “reflections of the discipline.” I analyze the social theory and race chapters of 21 of the most often used introduction to sociology textbooks in the United States to investigate two chapters where insights from theories of empire would be present if indeed incorporated: …

Carrying Light In The Shadows: Four Portraits Of Critical Literacy Teacher Agency In Unlikely Contexts, Cassandra Schroeder

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative study utilizes portraiture methodology to explore how educators in politically conservative and predominantly White schools enact critical literacy teacher agency. Using a theoretical lens of critical literacy and second-wave Whiteness studies, this research examines the lived experiences and instructional moves of four veteran English/language arts teachers. Through cross-case analysis, the study traces how teacher agency is contextually responsive and dependent on their professional identity, awareness of sociopolitical issues, and traditional school curricular expectations. The findings highlight how educators assess risk, navigate community norms, and maintain critical literacy through dialogic pedagogy and strategic adaptation. The four teachers in the …

Rhetorics Of Encounter: Toward A Biocentric Theory Of Discourse, Matthew D. Whitaker

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Encounters with more-than-human identities are transformative moments that stand to affect dispositional and bodily change in individuals. From close brushes with wild animals in National Parks to everyday interactions with local ecologies, encounters invite us to feel and think differently about the nature of our realities. In Rhetorics of Encounter: Toward a Biocentric Theory of Discourse, I draw from interdisciplinary perspectives to disrupt the idea of rhetoric as a representational medium, arguing that rhetoric occurs not just through textual exchanges of words and symbols, but through embodied moments of contact with other responsive beings. Invoking George Kennedy’s theory …

Genwriter: Reducing Gender Cues In Biographies Through Text Rewriting, Shweta Soundararajan, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Gendered language is the use of words that indicate an individual’s gender. Though useful in certain context, it can reinforce gender stereotypes and introduce bias, particularly in machine learning models used for tasks like occupation classification. When textual content such as biographies contains gender cues, it can influence model predictions, leading to unfair outcomes such as reduced hiring opportunities for women. To address this issue, we propose GenWriter, an approach that integrates Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) with Large Language Models (LLMs) to rewrite biographies in a way that obfuscates gender while preserving semantic content. We evaluate GenWriter by measuring gender bias …

Bridging Generations: Intergenerational Transfers And Time Use In A Changing World, Christine Ho

Research Collection School Of Economics

This Special Issue brings together nine papers that examine how families allocate time and money across generations. Spanning aging societies in East Asia to informal settlements in the Pacific, the contributions employ diverse methodological approaches, from natural experiments and policy variation to administrative data linkage and cross-generational panel surveys. The findings converge on a central insight: intergenerational transfers of time and money are not merely cultural practices, but systematic responses to changing economic environments and institutional frameworks. Family decisions are critical to the provision of long-term care, investment in children’s human capital, and the transmission of preferences, opportunities, and well-being …

From Marriage To Migration: Analyzing Return Migration, Gender Inequalities And Household Resource Allocation Patterns, Saeed Ahmad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In Kyrgyzstan, a country shaped by deep-rooted traditions and high rates of migration, women's lives are often influenced by powerful cultural expectations, economic pressures, and limited choices. My research explores how these forces intersect—particularly through the lens of bride kidnapping, migration, and how families use money and resources. Together, these issues reveal how gender inequality operates in everyday life, and how women navigate both constraint and resilience.

This dissertation includes three connected studies. The first examines how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international labor migration, especially for Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia. Many returnees lost their jobs and faced hostility or …

Wild Water: Hydrosocial Dislocation, Dispossession, And The Symbolic Geographies Of The American West, Leonard Alexander Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation investigates how the confluence of community change and water politics in the American West shapes a discussion about a Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal River on Colorado’s Western Slope. Ideas about the “Wild West,” influence how many people think about wilderness and small mountain towns, driving growing populations, housing prices, and, as a result, social inequality in many of these areas. At the same time, many people on Colorado’s Western Slope feel that region’s water is taken away by both the state’s more populous Front Range or more politically and economically powerful states like California. Climate …

Behaviour Change Design For Reducing Plastic Usage By Perceived Similarity Nudge, Quentin Ehkirch, Ferdi Raharja, Udari Samaranayake, Ken Ichi Sawai, Akane Matsumae

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores the influence of perceived similarity on pro-environmental behavior, focusing on plastic reduction. Participants' daily plastic use and reduction were tracked over 30 days via online chat software, with controlled nudges from an agent. Each group included two examinees and one agent. Behavioral data were analyzed to evaluate predictability from various perspectives and its relationship with behavioral change. Results showed significant differences in predictability based on perceived similarity, particularly during the first 10 days. Furthermore, nudges, consumption levels, and behavioral changes significantly affected predictability within the first 20 days. These findings contribute to understanding how perceived similarity can …

Understanding Power Dynamics Of Latter-Day Saint Marriages In The United States Of America, Bonnie Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Power sharing is a key feature of romantic relationships. It is important to understand how various groups navigate power sharing within their relationships. Thirty-one participants who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (16 women and 15 men) reported on their experience of power-sharing in marriage. In-depth individual and couple interviews revealed that couples engage in four individual and relational processes that impact and promote equality in marriage: systemic influences, self-in-relationship processes, relationship processes, and identity outcomes. These processes have important implications for future research and therapeutic practice with Latter-day Saint, religious, and secular couples.

Still "The Last Best Place"?: Concentrated Ownership, Amenity Migration, And Community Change In Southwest Montana, Elizabeth A. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Across the American West, amenity rich areas have been grappling with population growth, economic shifts, and associated community impacts. Amenity migration, the movement of wealthy suburban and urban individuals to rural areas for the natural amenities and slower paced life, has contributed to much of the change in amenity rich rural places. However, recently, a new process has begun occurring simultaneously with amenity migration. New high net worth (HNW) individuals have been purchasing large parcels of land, often through the acquisition of multiple ranches that are thousands of acres. Little is known about how these new HNW owners impact the …

Do Themes Improve Visitor Outcomes In Interpretive Programs?, Amber K. Hawes

All Theses

Thematic interpretation is widely promoted as being integral to an effective interpretive program. Some studies have suggested that thematic interpretation may enhance visitor outcomes; however, park visitor demographics have changed over the last decade, and others have suggested alternative approaches. In this study, we systematically observed live interpretive programs at 330 programs at 52 National Parks across the United States, monitored the extent and characteristics of theme usage, and collected visitor surveys immediately following each program. We used these data to determine the influence of the presence and characteristics of themes and theme questions on visitor outcomes. The results suggest …

Commitment And Betrayal In Intimate Relationships: A Grounded Theory Analysis, Megan Van Alfen Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Commitment and betrayal are key aspects of a relationship that have impact on the quality or health of the relationship. The purpose of this paper was to use qualitative grounded theory methods to explore how commitment and betrayal are experienced in intimate relationships and to explore the outcomes of both. The data were taken from a larger project on healthy and unhealthy relationships where participants were recruited through convenience and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and constructivist grounded theory methods were used to code, generate, and refine prominent categories in the data. Findings revealed that commitment is experienced through …

Itinerarios Y Vicisitudes De Blogueras Colombianas De Lo Materno: Una Etnografía Digital, Catalina Echeverri Gallo

The Qualitative Report

Los escenarios digitales se han convertido en espacios relacionales significativos para mujeres y madres en la contemporaneidad, integrándose en sus interacciones cotidianas. Sin embargo, la forma en que estas plataformas se utilizan en contextos latinoamericanos para compartir experiencias, emociones, aprendizajes y malestares sobre las maternidades aún no ha sido suficientemente explorada. A partir de una etnografía digital, esta investigación ofrece conocimientos contextualizados sobre cómo siete blogueras colombianas comparten sus maternidades en entornos digitales y crean comunidades que se sirven de sus saberes y trayectorias.

Los hallazgos muestran que las madres blogueras utilizan sus relatos digitales para desafiar los mandatos históricos …

Strengthening Qualitative Research With Visualization: A Review Of Visual Displays In Qualitative And Mixed Method Research: A Comprehensive Guide, Dian Permatasari

The Qualitative Report

Visual Displays in Qualitative and Mixed Method Research: A Comprehensive Guide by Elizabeth G. Creamer (2025) offers a new perspective on the use of visualization to enhance qualitative and mixed methods research. This review examines the book’s content, which includes a variety of examples of visual displays (tables, diagrams, models) at various stages of research, from study design to reporting results. The book demonstrates how visual displays can be used not only to report results but also to enrich the research process from planning to analysis. With real-world examples from a variety of studies, the book is a valuable resource …

Japan’S Military Transformation In Abe Era: A Revolution Or Something Else?, Ganesh Aji Wicaksono, Tangguh Chairil

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

After the World War II, Japan has been adopting a pacifist Constitution and established the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) for narrow self-defense operations. The JSDF are restricted from having offensive military weapons. However, Japan’s pacifism and restrained security policy have been evolving recently, especially during the term of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2012-2020). The latest example is Japan’s plan to enable forward defense and counterstrike. This paper explores the transformation of Japan’s military through the revolution of military affairs (RMA) concept. The findings suggest evolutionary transformation of Japan’s military rather than revolutionary. The factors explored include international and domestic factors. …

Unveiling The Shadows: Exploring The Roles Of The Dark Web And Encrypted Messaging Apps In Facilitating Online Terrorist Networks, Eziho Promise Ogele

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

The paper examines the pivotal roles of the Dark Web and encrypted messaging apps in enabling online terrorist networks. These platforms have become essential tools for extremist groups, empowering them to communicate, coordinate, and share intelligence securely. The Dark Web, a hidden portion of the internet, provides a secure conduit for terrorist organizations to emerge, operate, and coordinate activities anonymously. This digital haven enables terrorists to share resources, plan operations, and execute attacks as part of their secret operations strategy. Encrypted messaging apps, such as Telegram and WhatsApp, offer an additional layer of security, allowing terrorists to send messages anonymously …

Women’S Empowerment And Household Decision-Making: The Role Of Socioeconomic Status In Indonesia, Irvel Christa Fabian, Rafa Fayza Afrizal

Jurnal Ekonomi Kependudukan dan Keluarga

Understanding how women's economic, educational, and social positions influence their roles and choices within households is crucial for promoting gender equality and sustainable development. Despite significant advancements in women's rights and gender equality globally, women in Indonesia continue to face substantial barriers in achieving true empowerment. These barriers are particularly evident in domestic settings, where traditional gender roles often persist, limiting women's influence in household decisions. This research aims to investigate the relationship between women's socioeconomic status and their empowerment in domestic decision-making, examining how various factors such as income, education, and employment status contribute to or hinder their ability …

Are We Witness To The Disintegration Of Capital’S Laws Of Motion? A Review Of Jodi Dean’S Capital’S Grave: Neofeudalism And The New Class Struggle (Verso Books, 2025), Kai Heron

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.

How Beliefs Shape What We Consider When Choosing What To Eat, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

What determines which foods we consider? One factor, certainly, is what we like to eat, and if liking what we eat were the sole relevant outcome of food consumption, there would be little to say about incomplete consideration. However, diet quality has important, well-documented effects on health outcomes (as well as other important considerations, such as differential environmental impact). Close to 75 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, which increases the likelihood that the individual will experience one or more serious non-communicable diseases. A food’s healthiness is an important consideration for many people when making food choices, but, …

The Problem With Consumer Affordability Of Prescription Medications In The United States, Valerie E. Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer affordability of prescription drugs is an ongoing problem in the United States. This study was undertaken to research the financial, physical, and economic effects of drug prices on consumers and the methods used by consumers to address such effects. Rational choice and power and politics theories were used to explain the decisions consumers make when they could not afford their medications and the role policies and politics play in drug pricing. The research questions concerned the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of drug pricing and their ability to purchase medications. The quantitative nonexperimental study involved the administration of a survey …

Economic Stress And Child Outcomes: The Family Stress Model Among Asian American Families During Covid-19, Annie Fanta, Sei Eun Kim, Cindy J. Huang, William Tsai, Cindy Y. Huang

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Limited research has examined the impact of financial stress on families since the onset of COVID-19, specifically among Asian American (AA) parents. Informed by the Family Stress Model, this study examined the short-term longitudinal links between economic stress, parental psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression symptoms), positive parenting behaviors, and child outcomes three months later (i.e., child internalizing and externalizing problems). Results indicated that Time 1 (T1) parental economic stress was directly and positively associated with positive parenting behaviors at T1 and child internalizing problems at Time 2 (T2). Parental psychological distress at T1 was directly and negatively associated with …

Deaf Black Youth's Narratives About Identity And Education, Dominic A. Harrison

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study is significant in exploring the different ways in which Deaf Black youth construct their identities through the use of narrative inquiry. Educators of Deaf youth should acknowledge how the identity journeys of Deaf Black youth are often affected by the school and home communities. This research employed narrative inquiry to understand how Deaf Black youth construct their identities as Black Deaf individuals. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework with the guidance of Intersectionality and Dis/ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) lenses, the study specifically examined four Deaf Black youth’s narratives to highlight how they construct and …

Inequality And Covid Risk At School: Racial Disparities In Indoor Density, Vaccination Rates, And Consequences For Absenteeism, Michael C. Quinn, Michah W. Rothbart, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Brian Elbel

Center for Policy Research

During the COVID pandemic, schools were widely believed to be a venue that facilitated disease transmission. While some worried Black and Hispanic students would disproportionately face greater risk of COVID exposure at school (school COVID risk) – given well-documented racially disparate school environments and resources – little empirical evidence exists documenting or refuting potential disparities in school COVID risk. This paper begins to fill this gap by examining racial disparities in the school environments that contribute to COVID risk at school—specifically, vaccination rates and classroom space per pupil (indoor density) - in New York City elementary schools. We then document …

From Backstage To Front Stage : Understanding Dramaturgical Work Behavior In The Workplace, Yufei Cheng

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Modern organizations often reward “looking busy” rather than genuinely contributing, prompting employees to engage in superficial displays of productivity. This type of behavior can be considered as a previously unexplored yet important form of impression management. While impression management research has predominantly examined outcome-oriented tactics, it has not fully captured the subtler, non-contributory forms of performative behavior that permeate everyday work life. To address this gap, this dissertation introduces Dramaturgical Work Behavior (DWB), a concept grounded in Goffman’ s dramaturgical theory, which outlines how employees enact symbolic “front-stage” performances—such as feigned urgency or exaggerated busyness—to signal conformity without adding real …

Durkheim’S Structural Functionalism And The Integration Of Genocide In His Sociological Framework, Anthonie Holslag

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Synthesizing Co-Reading Behaviors: Insights From Graduate Students’ Experience And A Rapid Scoping Review, Watcharasak Sudla, Wannee Kaemkate

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: Collaborative reading of research articles is essential for graduate students to develop academic reading skills through peer engagement in knowledge sharing, reflection, and feedback. However, limited information exists about the behaviors indicative of co-reading practices. This study aims to identify behavioral indicators and social participation in students’ co-reading of research articles.

Methods: In this study, we integrated key behavioral indicators of co-reading based on data from interviews with 23 graduate students and a rapid scoping review. The collected data were then subjected to content analysis and data visualization.

Results: The findings categorize individuals involved in co-reading into six groups: …

Exploring Giftedness And The Gifted Learner In Education And Beyond: An Autoethnographic Study With Critical Friends, Katrina Reynen-Woodward, Penny N. Round Dr, Pearl Subban, Edwin Creely

The Qualitative Report

The concept of giftedness is complex, contested and evolving and may be thus frustratingly challenging to apply in practice. One area of emerging research is understanding the personal experiences of those who identify as gifted in order to better represent the myriad culturally diverse conceptions of giftedness that evolve over a lifetime. In this article, I employ an autoethnographic approach to explore aspects of my adult identity as an atypical learner. This journey unfolds in crafted vignettes that reveal the complexities and multi-dimensionality of my learning and are analysed using Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT). As I …

Listening To Facilitate Change: Youth And Indigenous Voices Call For Critical Environmental Justice At Great Salt Lake, Sarah Woodbury, Christina Morgan

Transforming Communities

As Great Salt Lake faces rapid ecological decline, nearby communities face serious environmental injustices. Yet, despite threats ranging from toxic dust to migration inequality, state actions have been insufficient to maintain recommended water levels and ecological health at the lake. Our critical commentary uses the lens of critical environmental justice to consider human values connected to the lake. We briefly describe current advocacy efforts for the lake including a 2023 gathering and resultant panel at the 2024 Community Engagement Conference in Moab, Utah. Ultimately, we argue that braiding together multiple types of knowledge encourages the growth of new approaches to …