Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Correlation Between Google Trends And Crime Statistics: A Focus On Motor Vehicle Theft In The United States, Yu-Hsuan Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the linear relationships between motor vehicle theft (MVT) estimates from Google Trends--a form of digital trace data--and official crime statistics, including the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and 911 calls for service (CFS 911). It offers a comprehensive analysis of the limitations inherent in current crime statistics, discusses measurement errors, and explores statistical models to mitigate the impact of measurement error, applying these methods to validate Google Trends MVT data and other official MVT statistics. Furthermore, this study incorporates social disorganization theory and …

Digital Environments Of Reception And Governance: A Landscape Analysis Of Immigration-Related Webpages On U.S. State Websites, Orunima Chakraborti

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

American state governments occupy unique political roles when it comes to critical public-facing policy areas like education, health, transportation, and commerce, and therefore they administer many public services and benefits that affect immigrants and their communities. This study expands the existing knowledge of the ways in which U.S. state governments digitally engage with their immigrant populations, doing so through a landscape analysis that maps the information and resources provided for and about immigrant communities on 413 immigration-related webpages across all 50 U.S. state governments’ official websites. Data was collected in four categories for each webpage: its bureaucratic orientation, the government …

Ordinary Care: Affective Politics Of Migration And The Everyday Lives Of Syrian Refugees In Istanbul, Yasemin Ozer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation makes two significant interventions into the literature on Syrian refugees in Turkey and the anthropology of migration and refugee studies more broadly. First, it focuses on the everyday lives of working-class urban refugees and argues that “ordinary care” is a crucial means by which they build sustainable and dignified lives while living in precarity in an often hostile environment in the aftermath of war and displacement. Ordinary care, as I theorize in this ethnography, includes sharing of resources, information, and advice as well as the formation of mutual relationships between kin, neighbors, and friends. Compared to the more …

Disappearing Immigrant Shadows: A New Analytical Framework And Typology For Second-Generation Chinese American Ethnic Engagement, Annie Wang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone challenges the predominant narrative that upwardly mobile, second-generation individuals prefer to socially distance themselves from working-class, first-generation co-ethnics, a concept referred to here as ethnic distancing. It argues that this narrative fails to capture the second generation’s affinity and capacity for ethnic engagement, which includes desired and actual participation in ethnic-based activities ranging from casual consumption to more meaningful volunteerism, activism, and community building with co-ethnics of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Drawing on 32 interviews with second-generation Chinese Americans aged 18-35, I argue that we can better understand ethnic engagement in New York City’s Manhattan Chinatown by …

How “Ceremonial Openness” Prevents Organizational Change : An Analysis Of Corporate Earnings Calls In The Oil And Gas Industry, 2007–2020, Isak Ladegaard, Annika Marie Rieger

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Incumbent firms resist change as they have much to lose if things go wrong. But inertia can also be costly, particularly in times of crisis. In a world on fire, does corporate transparency foster engagement with external threats to future organizational success? To answer this question, we conduct a mixed-methods analysis of 887 public earnings-calls meetings between executives, investors, and outside analysts from 24 major oil and gas companies in 2007-2020, a period marked by extreme weather events and increased popular and political pressure to slow global warming. We find that formal rituals that promote openness and debate to protect …

Nuanced Relationships Between Indices Of Smartphone Use And Psychological Distress: Distinguishing Problematic Smartphone Use, Phone Checking, And Screen Time, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Recent theoretical and empirical accounts maintain that different indices of smartphone use—including problematic smartphone use, phone-checking, and screen time—tap distinct facets of smartphone use. This highlights the importance of disentangling potentially unique associations between facets of smartphone use and psychological distress outcomes. The present study examined fine-grained relationships between several smartphone-use indices and facets of psychological distress. Further, we probed whether sex modulated the relationships between smartphone-mediated behaviours and distress outcomes. Using structural equation modelling, we analysed data from young adults (N = 364) and evaluated the associations of smartphone-related behaviours—problematic use, phone checking, and overall screen time—with depression, anxiety, …

No. 01: South Africa At War: Food Insecurity, Migrant Exclusion And Covid-19 Policies, Jonathan Crush, Sean Sithole

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

The policy audit critically examines the South African government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on the militaristic enforcement of lockdowns and the resulting food insecurity and exclusion of migrant populations. The report aims to inform policy-makers about the impacts of these policies and provide recommendations for crisis management.

On 27 March 2020, South Africa imposed a nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19. This lockdown, enforced by the police and the military, was characterized by stringent measures including curfews, bans on inter-provincial travel, and the closure of non-essential businesses. These measures, while necessary to control the pandemic, …

Faculty Perspectives On Research Mentoring Across A Multi-Level Statewide Lsamp Alliance, Tokesha Warner, Shaniqua Nixon, Terrance Mcneil, Denise Green, John T. Robinson

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

In this, mixed-method exploratory sequential design study, we examined a multi-level state-wide mentoring program for underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study examined faculty perspectives on the factors involved in, and the impact of, mentoring minoritized students at the critical retention-to-graduation stage. Between 2020 and 2022, an online survey and two rounds of focus group interviews were conducted with faculty members at participating institutions. Data were analyzed using an iterative, thematic coding method. Analysis of the comments from faculty focus groups and a faculty survey revealed eleven themes that codified the faculty member’s perspectives on mentoring. …

Leveraging The Science Of Early Life Predictability To Inform Policies Promoting Child Health, Laura M. Glynn, Sabrina R. Liu, Candice Taylor Lucas, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Addressing the tremendous burden of early-life adversity requires constructive dialogues between scientists and policy makers to improve population health. Whereas dialogues focused on several aspects of early-life adversity have been initiated, discussion of an underrecognized form of adversity that has been observed across multiple contexts and cultures is only now emerging. Here we provide evidence for “why unpredictability?”, including: 1. Evidence that exposures to unpredictability affect child neurodevelopment, with influences that persist into adulthood. 2. The existence of a translational non-human animal model of exposure to early life unpredictability that can be capitalized upon to causally probe neurobiological mechanisms. 3. …

Mining Safely: Examining The Moderating Role Of Safety Climate On Mineworkers' Mental Health And Safety Behavior Nexus, Emmanuel K. Amoako, Saviour A. Nubuor, Abdul-Razak Suleman, Amin A. Bawa, Bridget Akwetey-Siaw

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the impact of anxiety and depression (dimensions of mental health) on mineworkers' safety behaviors (safety compliance and safety participation) while examining the moderating role of safety climate on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach with an explanatory cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. A total of 274 purposively selected mineworkers participated in the study. Responses were obtained from participants through a structured questionnaire which was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings: Anxiety had a significant negative effect on safety compliance but not participation. However, depression was found to have …

The State Of The Unions 2024: A Profile Of Organized Labor In New York City, New York State, And The United States, Ruth Milkman, Joseph Van Der Naald

Publications and Research

This report released by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, State of the Unions 2024: A Profile of Organized Labor in New York City, New York State, and the United States, is a part of an annual publication series, documents recent trends in unionization patterns. The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies’ latest annual report on unionization patterns shows that private-sector union organizing efforts continued to increase across the country over the last year. The report documents that growth in union election petitions since 2020 has reversed a decade of decline, reaching a level not seen since …

Climate Science, The Military-Industrial Complex, And The Political Economy Of Knowledge-Making: Beyond The Capitalist Ontology Of Nature?, Daniel Cunha

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

Climate science is one of the main political drivers of today’s world, informing critical scholars and social movements alike. Yet, many scholars associate it with projects of domination (the Cold War, capitalism, imperialism) while relying on it to elaborate a critique of capital. This article proposes a new historical account of climate science. Drawing from archival findings, interpreted with historical sociology combined with the critique of political economy, the article shows that a conflict developed at the National Academy of Sciences during the Vietnam War, between scientists who wanted atmospheric research to be under the auspices of NATO, as proposed …

Eisenhower As Supreme Allied Commander: A Reappraisal, Richard D. Hooker Jr.

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that the historical assessment of Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II lacks objectivity and balance. It identifies several strategic errors and missteps attributable to Eisenhower, which resulted in severe casualties and prolonged the war in Europe. The conclusions can help US military practitioners and policymakers assess the background and qualities required for successful theater command during wartime and senior commanders’ performances.

Parameters Autumn 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of Parameters. The Autumn issue consists of a special piece from the US Army War College Commandant and Provost on their strategic vision for the college, three In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Cooperative Partnerships, Professional Development, and Historical Studies), two regular forums (A Major’s Perspective and the Civil-Military Relations Corner), and a review essay focused on strategy in India.

The Role Of Health Campaigns In Stigma Toward Those With Anorexia Nervosa, Crystal L. Hoyt, Jeni L. Burnette, Anna Marston, Meghan Moore, Samara Rosen, Ilana Lavine

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Media health campaigns often seek to bring awareness to medical conditions and to eradicate or, at least, minimize stigma. However, these campaigns can result in unintended consequences. In the current work, we examined elements of anorexia nervosa messages. Specifically, we compare a more biofocused approach to one focused on treatment. In doing so, we build on mindset theory and suggest that a biofocused message sends more of a static and stable message (fixed mindset), whereas treatment-focused communications send an implicit message that anorexia can change (growth mindset). We investigate how these messages and mindsets relate to stigma. Across three studies, …

A Qualitative Study On Transnational Caregiving For Older Parents In China, Silai Dong

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

The increasing number of international migrations in China poses challenges for the care of older parents who are left behind, considering China’s emphasis on family support. This study aims to investigate transnational care arrangements for older parents whose children are overseas. It mainly addresses three research questions:1) What are the contents of filial piety in the context of international migration? 2) How do Chinese transnational family members negotiate and distribute elder care responsibilities? 3) To what extent can the transnational caregiving model explain elder care in Chinese transnational families?

The transnational caregiving model proposed by Baldassar, Baldock, and Wilding, in …

Launchpad And Homebase: Columbus Ohio’S Arts Ecosystem, Rachel Skaggs, Amanda Tobin Ripley

International Journal of Regional Issues in the Arts

This article draws critical attention to strengths and needs within the arts ecosystem of Columbus, Ohio. Relying on interviews and focus groups with artists and arts leaders, we establish three themes as the most prevalent and cross-cutting among artists and arts leaders: needs for community building, paid work, and space. Based on these stated needs, we identify two aspects of the arts ecosystem in Columbus: launchpad and homebase, neither of which fully support artistic careers. We argue that with investment will also come the opportunity to develop a stronger ecosystem that allows artists to live, work, and thrive in Columbus.

Reproductive Coercion And Intergenerational Trauma: The Role Of Reproductive, Sex, And Relationship Education And Family Messaging, Maria-Ernestina Christl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women’s knowledge of reproductive choices as well as ability to decide and implement those choices are critical to promoting healthy parent-child relationships and avoiding potentially harmful family dynamics. Reproductive coercion (RC) is a form of intimate partner violence in which abusive partners control reproductive outcomes of their partners. The field of RC is a relatively new field of study compared to the literature on IPV, and this study is one of the first to examine the role of formal and informal messaging women received in childhood related to sex, dating, and relationships in relation to RC. Furthermore, parenting attitudes were …

Raising Their Voices: Lived Experiences Of Gifted Women With Adhd, Jessica Leigh Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the imbalance in the ratio of male to female ADHD diagnosis, there is a dearth of information on the profile for women with ADHD, especially in adulthood and with those of higher intelligence levels (Rommelse et al., 2016). Each, if not all, diagnoses of ADHD or giftedness come from a parent, teacher, or outside observer’s scale of symptoms and behaviors (Hay et al., 2007; Klesfjo et al., 2020; Polderman et al., 2007). In this study, ten gifted women with ADHD aged 29-77 completed semi structured interviews to examine their lived experiences of education, career, and relationships. Using a dual …

(Dis)Invested Bodies: The Neoliberal Crafting Of Disability, T. Wesley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a unifying text, my dissertation explores the relationship between cultural production and the neoliberal crafting of humanity, the term I use to describe how social dimensions—including the construction of the textual and material body—become reorganized and governed through market relations. While many disability scholars and activists frame the ADA’s failures through social misunderstandings of disability, few have seriously attended to the limits of the ADA as a neoliberal fusing of economic governance and classical liberal individualism.

Tracing convergences between the ADA and earlier US disability legislation to socioeconomic and political reforms enacted …

The Naked Truth Of My Voice: Surveying The Soul Of An Aspiring Educator From Dusk To Dawn: An Arts-Based Auto-Criticism Inquiry, Siddharth Maan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is based on auto-criticism, a new qualitative inquiry that combines educational criticism and arts-based research. It focuses on my own experiences as an aspiring educator who struggles with stuttering and public speaking anxiety. The study aims to describe, interpret, evaluate, and thematize my experiences of dealing with public speaking anxiety and stuttering before, during, and after classroom teaching. In addition, this dissertation highlights the potential contributions of auto-criticism as a methodology to qualitative research and higher education. I utilized journaling to document data. Photos and music were also used to enhance the understanding of my lived experiences and …

Promoting Community Responsive, Trauma-Informed Consultation Practices In Rural School Communities: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Sequential Approach, Elly Q. Maras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural youth are placed at greater risk for experiencing adverse childhood experiences, developing mental health disorders, and dying by suicide when compared with the general population. Due to a widespread need for better access to mental health treatment, many are left untreated. These concerns are often exacerbated by individual and systemic risk factors that are endemic to rural communities. Rural school districts are being asked to deliver mental health services to students, with school psychologists as key stakeholders. Though school psychologists are uniquely qualified to support this need, graduate programs typically do not provide adequate coursework and training on consultation …

Influences On Small Business Leaders’ Decisions About Supportive Policies And Practices For Employees Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Abuse, Marilyn Lucille Brock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner abuse affects millions of individuals from all segments of society, and existing literature demonstrates that it has extensive impacts on American companies through loss of workplace productivity, reduced workplace safety, and employee turnover. While several supportive policies and practices have been suggested for implementation in business environments, many business leaders do not perceive the utilization of such measures as having business value. Thus, this study addresses the question, What influences business leaders’ decisions about whether and to what degree to adopt policies and practices for responding to employees’ experiences of intimate partner abuse? This dissertation is a qualitative …

When Social Media Recruiting Goes Wrong: A Cautionary Tale Of Sample Engagement, Ezra N. S. Lockhart, Joel B. Goodin

The Qualitative Report

Doctoral candidates’ experiences with recruiting participants vary in many ways. While some execute plans with ease, others implement their strategic plan for recruitment only to find that it does not work well or does not work at all. While successful recruitment is rarely reflected upon, the candidate who experiences unexpected difficulty with recruitment has several potential negative effects including increased time to degree completion, increased program and recruitment costs, and increased potential for dropout. In this case study, we present a cautionary tale of sample engagement from the gaming community where a doctoral candidate experienced doxxing, social media banning, and …

Investigating Servant Leadership Measurement: A Mixed-Methods Study Integrating Content Analysis And Meta-Analysis, Kai Torsten Schramm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the similarities and differences among servant leadership measures and the variations in their effect sizes on job performance and job satisfaction. This paper explores how the items in servant leadership measures portrayed the servant leadership construct and how these relate to the outcomes. The researcher used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. Which involved a qualitative content analysis of the measurement items and a meta-analysis of outcomes, considering the findings from the content analysis. Six key categories determined the three main themes: selfless generosity, inspiring influence, adaptive humility, integrity, empowering, and harmonious engagement. The three …

Paycheck-To-Paycheck: How Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inhibits Generational Wealth Attainment For Black Women, Ashley Patrice-Rose Sherman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black women who attend college in the United States are more likely to borrow to cover the cost of attendance and carry the largest amount of student loan debt than any other racial and gender group. Federal student loan borrowers are encouraged to work in public service to take advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), an income-driven repayment program established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) of 2007. PSLF offers total debt relief after ten years of uninterrupted full monthly payments based on an income-driven repayment plan. The significance of this qualitative study will …

Motivation And Treatment Readiness Of Those Participating In Correctional Educational Programming, Kelly Eileen O'Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined what motivated male inmates in a private Oklahoma prison to participate in general education diploma or the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program. Research questions explored, what factors motivated program participants to participate in educational programs while incarcerated? Next, whether those who were eligible to participate in the program exhibited treatment readiness? Finally, were those who exhibited higher levels of treatment readiness and motivation were more likely to participate in and complete the program? A survey was used to collect demographic information and assess treatment readiness and motivation through the Corrections Victoria Treatment Readiness Questionnaire for 48 inmates. …

Making Sense Of The Borderlands: Short-Term Immersions And Communicating Upon Returning, Joseph B. Johnston

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Educational immersions provide opportunities for students to experience a lot in a short time. How do instructors aid students in processing and meaningfully reflecting on their experiences? I describe the development of an immersion—and an accompanying pre- and post-trip class—to sites along the U.S.–Mexico border. Then, I analyze student reflective writing assignments to see if and how the students were able to communicate their learning.

Virtual Service Learning: An Exploration Into How Physical Therapy Students Make Meaning Of Professional Skill Development Online, Pamela Donlan, Ann Golub-Victor

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This study explores the perceived effect of a virtual service-learning (SL) experience upon the development of professional skills among physical therapist students. A qualitative case study approach was used to analyze reflection papers through the lens of the constructivist learning theory. Data revealed that virtual SL strengthens communication, fosters adaptability, and cultivates leadership practices. Findings suggest that virtual SL may be less likely to enhance certain affective skills that are crucial to patient-centered care.

Improving Students’ Mineral And Rock Identification Skills Through Service-Learning, Josphine Chaumba, Jeff Chaumba

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper reports on a service-learning component introduced in an upper-level undergraduate geology course. Students identified rock types used by a local countertop manufacturing company and made fliers describing their mode of formation. Students then completed a final rock identification exam. To assess the effect of participating in the service-learning on students’ rockidentification abilities, an Independent Samples t-test was used to compare scores of students that completed the course to those from previous semesters who did not participate in service-learning. Students who participated in service-learning achieved higher final rock identification exam test scores (M = 91.71, SD = 1.59) in …