Digital Commons Network^™

Gender-Targeted Substance Use Interventions For Young Cisgender Women And Transgender Women – A Scoping Review, Stephanie A. Nairn, Jason Phillips, Thomas Jones, Debbie Schmill

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Polysubstance use among young people has recently become the focus of popular media, public health interventions, and research due to alarming increases in polysubstance use-related morbidity and mortality in younger age groups. Data in Canada and the U.S. indicates that morbidity and mortality due to polysubstance use among youth is increasing. Researchers have shown that adult-focused interventions for polysubstance use cannot simply be ‘mapped onto’ youth, as young people occupy lifeworlds distinct from those of older adults. Adult-focused interventions may be irrelevant and not efficacious for youth. Further, some researchers have argued there need to more gender-targeted interventions to attenuate …

Spatial Patterns In Anthropomorphic Fremont Rock Imagery Of Central Utah, Alyssa Pitts Merrill

Theses and Dissertations

Rock imagery from the late Fremont period (1000-1300 AD) has captivated the interest of both professional and avocational researchers for the past century. In this thesis, I apply a highly systematized method of cataloguing and analysis to 482 anthropomorphs from Clear Creek Canyon (CCC) and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The primary theoretical assumption in this thesis is that the shapes used in anthropomorphic imagery convey ideas about how the Fremont saw people. I therefore recorded the head and body morphology and presence of arms, legs, and genitalia of each anthropomorph. By observing the data spatially, I discovered both …

Gender Diversity In U.S. Adolescents: An Exploration Of Multidimensional Survey Measures Of Gender And Their Associations With Health And Social Outcomes Using A National Sample Of Adolescent-Parent Dyads, Christopher Hansen

Dissertations

The measurement of gender is an evolving area of survey research. Extant research has assessed different approaches for measuring gender identity and expression among adults; however, comparatively less research has evaluated their use among adolescents who are developing their gender identity and expression. This dissertation uses data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. teens and their parents to evaluate multidimensional measures of gender in adolescents. Three research questions represent separate empirical chapters of the dissertation. The first research question examines the measurement of femininity and masculinity in adolescents based on a comparison of different survey scales. The second research …

A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Honesty And Deception In Intimate Relationships, Lyndsey Kunzler Gerring

Theses and Dissertations

Although honesty is valued in intimate relationships, there has not been significant research on the range and different types of honesty and deception and their impacts on couples. The purpose of this study was to explore and define the role honesty plays in intimate relationships by examining the spectrum of honest and deceptive behaviors as described by participants. The study utilized qualitative methods to examine how romantic partners describe various types of honesty and deception in their relationships and the influence these have. The data was taken from part of a larger project on healthy and unhealthy relationships where semi-structured …

Cleaning The Dirty Pool: Testing Interaction Effects Using Different Panel Model Specifications, Rhiannon Berry

Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study seeks to uncover the most effective approaches for constructing interaction terms within panel models. With no preconceived hypothesis in mind, the primary aim is to discern which modeling configuration yields the most robust results, laying the foundation for future research in statistical modeling. Using a large data set of sentencing reforms passed between the mid-1970s and mid-2000s, this study systematically assesses interaction terms and determines the most appropriate modeling. Different specifications of sentencing reforms at the state level within different modeling specifications will be explored to highlight which models are most appropriate in predicting imprisonment rates. By …

Stories Of Those Untold: Identifying Retention, And Graduation Obstacles And Solutions Of Black Women At Four-Year Predominately White Institutions, Courtney Alicia Griffin

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Experiences of Black women in college are often lost in conversations about college students. Although underrepresented students are highly researched, the focus is usually on Black males and White females. This research identifies the obstacles encountered by Black women at predominately white institutions on their pursuit of a college degree, how they overcame those obstacles and how universities can assist future Black women in overcoming these obstacles. The researcher used counter-storytelling to “expose, analyze, and challenge the majoritarian stories of racial privilege, shatter complacency, challenge the dominant discourse on race, and further the struggle for racial reform”. This study concludes …

Culturally Responsive Leadership For Newcomer Students: A Case Study Of An Elementary Newcomer Program School Leadership Team, Ahmad Fayaz Amiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study focuses on the pivotal role of an urban elementary school leadership team with a newcomer program. It aims to uncover how school leadership decisions, practices, and policies address the diverse needs of newcomer students. Challenges faced by newcomers, including economic and social needs, cultural adjustments, and potential feelings of alienation despite academic success, are explored. The tension between preserving home culture and adapting to a new one adds complexity to newcomer students’ identity formation.

This study examines the practices of a newcomer school leader who addresses the diverse needs of vulnerable newcomer students. With schools being …

Youth Offending In Denver: The Increasing Trend And Essential Elements To Successful Intervention, Olivia Crimaldi

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Recent years have witnessed an alarming increase in youth offending across Denver, necessitating a thorough analysis of factors influencing the surge, as well as areas of improvement for current intervention methods. Juvenile delinquency is largely affected by complications associated with the transition to adulthood, such as the development of personal identity or a decrease in parental supervision. A full understanding of at-risk individuals must consider risk, promotive and protective factors, as well as the interaction between these three components. Past successful prevention and intervention methods have included relationship-building implementation, therapeutic strategies, and consistent measures of quality and accountability. Despite many …

Miss Americana: Taylor Swift As A Battleground For Feminist Discourse, Juliet Eklund

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

The United States finds itself at a historical moment in which feminism is perhaps more polarizing than ever before. On the one hand, it is no longer taboo to identify as feminist; in fact, men and women alike are embracing feminist perspectives. A recent Pew Research survey found that 61% of American women identified as feminists, with this proportion even higher among Democrats and those who had received higher education (Barroso, 2020). At the same time, women are faced with more opportunities and fewer barriers to achieving success than ever before. Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the 2020 election …

Paradoxes And Potential Of Tourism Development In Nicaragua, Cody J. Silveira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research evaluates the successes and challenges of tourism integration and expansion as both a broad human development strategy and a catalyst for local populations to achieve greater economic and social opportunities. The country of Nicaragua serves as the primary case study for such an evaluation due to its relatively recent promotion and expansion of tourism through government led incentives and oversight. As a case study, Nicaragua is a country whose tourism industry remains nascent, yet commands great economic potential and influence, which can serve as an example for future tourism development initiatives for developing countries in the region …

Changing The Narrative: Student Empowerment In Unequal School Contexts, Stephanie A. Nisle-Mikos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational experiences affect a wide variety of life outcomes for individuals. The type of education an individual receives influences their occupation, the neighborhood in which they live, and even their risk of mortality (National Research Council, 2013; Sasson, 2016). In particular, the life trajectories of students who attend high-poverty schools are not the same as youth who attend schools with greater resources (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013; Taylor, 2005). In this dissertation, I provide a brief background on current rates of disproportionality in education and examine how specific theoretical constructs and educational policies may be used to explain …

The Role Of Care Practices, Mutual Aid, And Racial Formation In Black Newcomer Practitioners’ Lived Experience Within Organizations: A Critical Qualitative Inquiry, Annie Zean Dunbar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black newcomers, defined as people who have migrated to the United States regardless of legal status, are one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups. (Morgan-Trostle et al., 2016). Within this population, a small percentage work within the social service sector with other migrants. Using critical qualitative methods, a critical phenomenological methodology and semi-structured interviews, a sample of 17 participants were asked about their experiences of living and working in the U.S. social service sector. The study uses racial formation theory (Omi & Winant, 2014) to conceptualize how participants experienced their racial identity formation and how racism shapes their personal and professional …

Anal Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Disagreement By Linear Array Compared To Spf10 Pcr-Deia-Lipa25 System In Young Sexual Minority Men, Trisha L Amboree, Jacky Kuo, Bradley A Sirak, John A Schneider, Alan G Nyitray, Lu-Yu Hwang, Elizabeth Y Chiao, Anna R Giuliano, Kayo Fujimoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Young sexual minority men (SMM) bear the greatest burden of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. We assessed anal HPV genotype discordance between the Linear Array (LA) and SPF10 PCR-DEIA-LiPA25 (LiPA25).

Methods: Discordance was assessed between LA and LiPA25 using self-collected anal swabs from 120 SMM aged 18-29 who were recruited in 2014-2016. Multiple-type infection was explored as a potential confounder of testing agreement, along with clinical and behavioral factors such as HIV status, syphilis status, incarceration history, health insurance coverage, having 3 or more sex partners in the past 6 months, and co-infection with HPV-16.

Results: Significant discordance was …

Progressive Paradox In Political Rhetoric: The Hart-Celler Immigration Act Of 1965, Amanda Rolston Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the interplay between U.S. norms for inclusion, the embedded role of religion within these norms, and how political rhetoric challenges or sustains them. Using a historical lens, I outline key moments in U.S. history, unravel central ideologies entrenched in U.S. narratives, and illuminate the ideographic function of the key concepts land, family, and work. These terms serve as conduits for conveying complex systems of meaning, which are entrenched in societal assumptions and concretized through political discourse and action.

These dynamics are demonstrated in a case study of the discourse surrounding the Hart-Celler Immigration Act …

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Flagler County, Fl, 2016-2020, Fiona Chanlatte, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The current white paper tabulates non-fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses across Flagler County, FL by using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

You In Or Out?: Reflecting On Positionality In Gang Research, Sou Lee, John Leverso

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Positionality is an important consideration when carrying out research. An effective tool for understanding this process is reflexivity—a continual dialogue that explores the interplay between our identities and how data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted. These reflexive accounts have been used in various disciplines, including criminal justice and criminology. In advancing this important practice, we offer insight into our experiences studying a hard-to-reach population: gangs. Specifically, we document how our insider and outsider identities, as well as the space between facilitated access, were used strategically and informed our interpretations of data. We conclude by encouraging reflexivity within criminology broadly and …

Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Violence In Hardee County, Fl, 2016-2020, Fiona Chanlatte, Jonzelle Bell Bs, Julio Montanez Ma, Amy Donley Phd

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

The current white paper tabulates non-fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) offenses across Hardee County, FL by using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data.

Technology And Homelessness: How Website Design And Blockchain Technology Could Impact The Unhoused, Casey Pratt

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Although technology could be used to combat inequality, it is instead increasing it. This paper discusses how the unhoused population suffers at the hand of technological inequality despite being relatively offline. It presents theories on how this would change if we reapproached how technology is used to assist the unhoused. It suggests implementing blockchain as a resource as well as modifying the websites built to assist in accessing benefits. Employees at shelters are interviewed for this paper about their experiences with using digital resources to rehouse and restabilize the vulnerable. They are asked how the sites can be improved for …

The Applications And Implications Of A (Re)Humanizing Praxis For Early Childhood Educational Contexts, Kristopher M. Tetzlaff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dehumanizing preschool policies and practices and a lack of access to affordable, (re)humanizing early childhood educative experiences threatens to exacerbate the opportunity gap and deleterious preschool-to-prison pipeline. The purpose of this study was threefold; foremost, it aspired to elevate the role and power of critical resource pedagogies in individual and collective liberation. Second, it aimed to identify vital pedagogical and programmatic assets that advance the pursuit of mutual humanization in early childhood educational settings. Third, it sought to discern and address the pedagogical and programmatic limitations and systemic barriers that otherwise impede access to high quality early childhood programming. In …

Same Story, Different Narratives: The Influence Of Refugee Concerned Organizations On Egyptian Media, Shaimaa Gheith

Theses and Dissertations

It has been documented in the literature that media usually portrays refugees negatively, which affects how the public reacts to them. Consequently, organizations catering to refugees, referred to in this thesis as Refugee Concerned Organizations (RCOs), try to influence the media aiming to influence the public. So, they produce prepacked information and employ different communication tools. Using the agenda building theory, this research investigated the influence of communication tools used by RCOs on Egyptian media focusing on Facebook and news websites. Qualitative content analysis was conducted for 615 Facebook posts and 111 News reports and supplemented by semi-structured interviews with …

Does Suicide Prevention Knowledge Predict Suicide Prevention Behaviors Among Hope Squad Members?, Angie S. Bledsoe

Theses and Dissertations

This was one of the first studies that looked at the effect that suicide prevention knowledge acquired through suicide prevention training (QPR training and Hope Squad curriculum) may have on suicide prevention behaviors (gatekeeping behaviors) in an adolescent population (Hope Squad members). Additionally, this study looked at how Hope Squad members' intent to intervene may mediate the relationship between suicide prevention knowledge and suicide prevention behaviors. The current study found that on average Hope Squad members' suicide prevention knowledge, gatekeeping behaviors, and intent to intervene increased from prior to starting the Hope Squad program's curriculum to the end of the …

Harmony Or Discord? The Intersection Of Religious Beliefs And International Mindedness, Ranjan Kumar Lima

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental concept of the International Baccalaureate (IB) educational philosophy is international mindedness. International mindedness refers to being, thinking, and acting with openness to the world and an understanding of the interconnectedness of oneself with others. Despite extensive research on religious beliefs and international mindedness separately, there remains a dearth of studies exploring their intersection, especially among the International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers in their early professional years. This study examines how the religious beliefs of early adult and early-career International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers influence their perceptions and manifestations of international mindedness. This study utilizes phenomenological research strategies. It involves eight …

Differential Effects Of Social Media On Body Esteem: An Ecological Momentary Assessment On Weight Satisfaction And Muscularity Importance, Megan Van Alfen Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how social media use is related to body esteem (particularly weight satisfaction and muscularity importance) in adolescents. We conducted a 17-day Ecological Momentary Assessment study among 183 adolescents (12–17 years, 58% girls). Each adolescent reported on his/her social media use, weight satisfaction, and muscularity importance four times per day (68 assessments per participant; 6,863 completed in total). Using a person-specific, N=1 method of analysis (Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling), we found that at the between-person level, social media use is not associated with lower satisfaction with one’s weight and greater importance of looking masculine. At the within-person level, …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

Trends And Shifts: Migration, Reverse Missions, And African Catholic Priests In Iowa City, Usa, Kefas Lamak

Journal of Global Catholicism

This study uses ethnographic research to examine the work and self-conception of African-trained priests in a city in the American state of Iowa. This phenomenon is part of a broader trend and shift as African-trained priests take up positions as pastors and missionaries throughout Europe and America. The article argues that the movement of African priests to the West in recent years should be understood as “reverse mission” because of its similarities to Western missionary activity in third world countries in earlier historical periods. This study mainly focuses on Iowa City, where the researcher interviewed five African priests serving in …

“I Tell Them Generics, But Not The Specifics”: Exploring Tensions Underlying Familial Support For First-Generation Latinx Undergraduate Students, Stephany Cuevas

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Families continue to play an essential role in the experiences of first-generation Latinx undergraduate students and can serve as powerful partners to support student retention and socioemotional wellbeing. This qualitative phenomenological study uses the notion of emerging adulthood to explore how first-generation Latinx undergraduate students (n = 16) conceptualize their families’ role in their college education. Specifically, this study shows that while students describe feeling supported by their families, they also experience distinct and unique tensions tied to this support, which students associate with their first-generation student status. These tensions include (1) the family’s unfamiliarity with college culture; (2) bidirectional …

Embodied Urban Political Ecology Of Oil: Social Reproduction In Oil ‎Geographies Case Study: Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iran, Maryam Amiri

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines the transformative impact of the oil industry on social ‎reproduction ‎‎within the urban and ecological landscapes of Khuzestan Province, Iran, and ‎its center, the city ‎of Ahwaz. Specifically, the study sought to understand the effects of ‎the oil industry on social ‎reproduction in three key areas: gender relations, race/ethnic ‎relations, and daily life ‎amidst ‎environmental pollution caused by the oil industry.

‎This is explored through three sub-questions: 1) How are hierarchical socio-‎spatial ‎relationships perpetuated through practices of ‎everyday life? 2) How are gender ‎relationships redefined and ‎reproduced in the oil city? 3) How ‎are ethnic relationships ‎redefined …

Charting Canons: Identities And Institutions Behind Bestselling And Award-Winning American Fiction From 1913 To 2023., Katherine M. Arrington

Sociology Undergraduate Senior Theses

How has the level and type of education received by bestselling and award-winning authors changed? How has publisher size and type changed for these same books? Does an author’s education influence the kind of publisher who produces their book? This study examines two of the institutions most involved in producing works of fiction—universities and publishers. I pull from the top-ten bestsellers as listed by Publishers Weekly as well as winners and finalists of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award between 1913 and 2023. I compare bestselling and award-winning fiction along the metrics of their authors’ …

Tsunami Exposure And Mental Health Consequences: Protective Role Of Cultural Coping Strategies, Thulitha Wickrama, Michael J. Merten, K. A.S. Wickrama, Amanda Terrell

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

There is a knowledge gap regarding the link between disaster exposure and adolescent mental health problems in developing countries. This study examines the case of Sri Lanka to investigate (a) the immediate and long-term mental health impact of the 2004 tsunami disaster on adolescents and (b) the potential moderating effects of unique cultural and family practices that prevail in Sri Lanka. This study used a random sample of 160 adolescents (ages 12–19) and their mothers who were exposed to the tsunami disaster while living in a southern Sri Lankan village and provided prospective data immediately after the disaster (2005) and …

Deconstructing The Richness Of Understanding The Nature Of Language, Learning, And Social Change: A Journey Through Sfl Action Research For Teachers In Pursuit Of A Multilingual Equity Agenda, Elih Sutisna Yanto

The Qualitative Report

This essential volume, edited by Meg Gebhard, illustrates how K-12 teachers use Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and action research to support the development of disciplinary literacy among diverse learners in high-stakes school reform contexts. With contributions from teachers, teacher educators, and researchers, this book empowers teachers to be agents of change in their schools by designing and implementing of curricula, instruction, and assessment that build on students' cultural and linguistic knowledge. This book provides a framework, tools and resources for teaching and supporting multilingual students and ELLs through case studies and contexts. This book aims to improve teachers' professional practice …