Digital Commons Network^™

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Black Women In The Us, Brittany C Slatton, Farrah G Cambrice, Serwaa S Omowale

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black women is a critical public health concern, potentially exacerbating existing health disparities and impacting community-wide vaccination efforts.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black women in the US and identify the specific concerns and experiences shaping hesitant attitudes toward vaccination.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Qualitative study using in-depth, semistructured interviews conducted virtually between June and November 2021. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes from the interview data. Participants were recruited through social media platforms and word-of-mouth referrals from various regions of the US. Interviews were conducted remotely …

Within-Day Diversity Change, Neighborhood Social Cohesion And Fear Of Crime, Chris Hess, Youngmin Yi, Gregory Sharp, Matt Hall

Faculty Articles

Research on neighborhood social organization and crime typically conceptualizes neighborhood change on the order of decades, even though the local social contexts that individuals experience change daily through mobility for work, errands and recreation. In this study, the authors analyze data from the Seattle Neighborhoods and Crime Survey linked to the Census Transportation Planning Products to investigate whether within-day changes in neighborhood diversity are associated with an individual’s social cohesion and fear of crime. The authors find that individuals living in neighborhoods where diversity increases during the daytime tend to report more social cohesion and relatively less fear of crime. …

National Assessment Program Civics And Citizenship 2024 : Technical Report., Kate O'Malley, Renee Kwong, Dulce Lay, Jorge Fallas

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This report describes the procedures and processes involved in the conduct of the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP – CC) 2024. The report is divided into chapters covering: the assessment framework and instrument design, item development, test design, scoring student responses, the student questionnaire, student background information, sampling and weighting, data collection procedures and data management, and scaling procedures. The report include an extensive collection of tables and figures.

No. 87: Mythologies Of Mixed Migration And The Southern Route, Jonathan Crush, Zack Ahmed

Southern African Migration Programme

In Africa, various international organizations have promoted “mixed migration” as a new governance challenge requiring innovative policy responses. The narrative, which has been repurposed from discussions on African migration to Europe to include intra-African movements, positions migration flows as primarily irregular, organized and driven by smugglers, and requiring tight control by states. This report shows that textual and cartographic representations of the so-called Southern Route are a form of cartopolitics, constructing migration as a permanent flow of irregular migrants from a singular origin toward a common destination. By portraying migration as solely a function of smuggling and coercion, the Southern …

The Effect Of Participation In A Place-Based Engineering Learning Experience On Engineering Career Aspiration Of Nebraska’S Rural Students: A Mixed Method Study, Samereh Soleimani Babadi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

This study investigates the influence of a place-based, hands-on engineering learning experience on rural middle school students' engineering career aspirations, using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a framework. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we explored how these localized learning experiences shape students' career goals through socio-cognitive factors such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and interest. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-activity surveys revealed significant increases in career aspiration scores, particularly among students from farming backgrounds and female students with initially lower expectations. Path analyses indicated that self-efficacy and interest were the strongest mediators between Place-based learning and engineering career aspirations. …

Introduction: Beyond Hollow Materialism, Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth, Zada Komara

Art Faculty Publications

This introduction to the special issue, “Transformative Approaches to Materiality in Appalachian Studies,” provides theoretical background and examples that demonstrate applications of new material culture and materiality theory to key Appalachian studies themes. It offers new directions for the study of material entanglement in social relationships by reviewing the history of material culture studies in the Appalachian context, fundamental theoretical propositions emerging from the “material turn” in social theory, and examples drawn from ethnographic and archaeological research into the patterns of use of material culture in the timber country of West Virginia and coalfields of eastern Kentucky. Finally, this introduction …

Preventing Suicide In Jails: Examining Community, Facility, And Individual Differences, Mijin Kim, Victor J. St. John, Jason Szkola

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Suicide remains the leading cause of death in U.S. correctional facilities, underscoring the importance of identifying factors contributing to elevated risk. Drawing on national data on jail fatalities from 2011 to 2019, this study examines suicide risk across macro-level (community infrastructure), meso-level (facility characteristics), and micro-level (individual vulnerabilities) domains. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that, at the micro-level, being young, White, male, unconvicted, or serving a short length of stay increases suicide likelihood. Rural isolation is associated with higher suicide rates, whereas overcrowding is linked to lower rates. Interaction models further demonstrate that rural jails without overcrowding experience the highest suicide …

Base Building Evaluation: Three Opportunities To Improve Its Use And Relevance, Katie Fox, Margaret Post

Sustainability and Social Justice

Philanthropic support for grassroots organizing, power building, and community-led social change strategies has increased over the last 15 years. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 sparked greater interest in community organizing, and, with it, increased philanthropic investment in organizing as a strategy for social change (Rebanal, 2022; Suárez, 2012). With that has come a growing interest in evaluating and learning about practices of “base building,” a cornerstone of organizing efforts (Pastor et al., 2020). However, not all base building is the same, and there is a lack of understanding and clarity about base building definitions and practices within the …

Intersections Of Inattention: A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Multiply Marginalized Students In Community College Settings, Jana N. Knibb

Open Access Dissertations

Educational research has examined the impact of expanded access to higher education for historically marginalized groups. However, research on the experiences of students who are both racially minoritized and dis/abled is limited. Findings suggest that, due to their intersectional identities, multiply marginalized dis/abled students (MMDS) navigate policies and practices related to racist ableism, which further marginalize them and create additional barriers in their higher education experiences. Expanding this research requires theoretical frameworks that account for students' identities, experiences, and barriers in higher educational spaces and contexts. This qualitative study, grounded in Dis/ability Studies and Critical Race Theory in Education (DisCrit), …

Global China In Pakistan: Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Symbolic Domination, Social Media Geopolitics, And Security Corridors, Davide Giacomo Zoppolato

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the discursive and material dimensions of China’s global rise through a case study of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan. As China becomes a leading provider of development finance, its infrastructure-led approach is reshaping geographies across the Global South. Focusing on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—the BRI’s flagship project—I examine how Chinese and Pakistani actors co-produce development through discourses, infrastructures, and security regimes. Structured around three articles, the dissertation analyzes: (1) the official diplomatic discourses of Chinese state institutions and their reception by Pakistani media outlets; (2) the curated geopolitical discourses of Chinese social media …

Toward A University-Led Community Indicator Project For West Virginia, Daniel Carson Eades

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rural communities across the United States are experiencing profound social and economic transitions that demand innovative, asset-based approaches to community development (CD). This study responds to calls from West Virginia (WV) community development practitioners, funders, and university leaders for a standardized, contextually relevant framework to assess and track community well-being. The objective of this study was to develop a university-led community indicator project in West Virginia (WV CIP) that incorporates best practices recognized by the literature as critical to successful community-based indicator projects, specifically, the identification of scientifically and normatively grounded indicators rooted in a conceptual framework (the Community Capital …

Church Attendance, Gender Roles, And Human Sexuality, Derek D. Goodrich

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This research examines how the frequency of religious attendance impacts views on gender roles and sexuality in Christian subgroups in the United States. Prior research on the varying worldviews of American Christians has revealed a diverse group of opinions that cannot be explained solely by denominational affiliation. Based on social identity theory, this study explores whether the frequency of attendance at religious services influences congregants’ beliefs on six issues: legalization of gay marriage, the acceptance of homosexuality in society, the acceptance of transgender people, whether a parent should stay home with the children, which parent should stay home, and women …

Building Place-Based Experiential Learning Into The Honors Curriculum At Ohio University, Geoffrey L. Buckley, Nicole Finnicum, Michelle O'Malley, Jennifer Bowie, Yolonda Youngs

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Observing the demand for interdisciplinary experiential learning opportunities post-COVID, authors present a place-based curriculum in honors. Workshop-style special topics classes provide students with an immersive and flexible learning environment, energize faculty, and engage alumni and community partners. Coursework, fieldwork, internships, and study abroad opportunities all contribute to the development of an informed and engaged citizenry. Authors address challenges in funding, access, and equity, and they suggest ways these challenges might be met.

Unmet Family Planning Care And Health-Literacy Needs Among Low-Income Immigrant Women In The United States, Priyanjali Chakraborty

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Unintended pregnancies have been linked to adverse outcomes such as pre-term births and low infant birthweight (Harron et al., 2020), psychological distress(Abbasi et al., 2013; Barton et al., 2017; Gauthreaux et al., 2017; Mercier et al., 2013), relationship strain (Barton et al., 2017; Moseson et al., 2019), intimate partner violence (IPV) and reproductive coercion (K. T. Grace & Anderson, 2018), and economic strain from unanticipated medical costs despite insurance coverage (Trussell, 2007). Unintended pregnancy outcomes offer crucial insights into the complexities of women's reproductive desires and intentions (CDC, 2023; Rossen et al., 2023). These outcomes inform public health interventions to …

Evaluating The Extent And Role Of Youth Engagement With Community Development Programs Broadcast On Television In Uganda: A Case Study Of Bukedde Tv’S Pakasa, Sentongo Frank

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

This study investigated the extent and role of youth engagement with community development programs broadcast on television in Uganda focusing on Bukedde TV’s Pakasa program. The research evaluated the program’s content, its effectiveness in raising youth awareness of development initiatives and the different factors influencing youth participation in these programs. A qualitative approach was adopted consisting of in-depth interviews with Bukedde TV staff (manager, producer and presenter) and two program implementers (PDM and Emyooga focal persons) as well as focus group discussions with youth beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga initiatives in Nangabo Sub- County, Wakiso District. …

Examining Mental And Sexual Health Themes In Latina Youth Zines: A Multi-Modal Content Analysis, Jenn M. Lilly, D'Andrah Almanzar, Doreen Dorcely, Luisa Fernanda Sandoval Cortes, Ana Iris Murcia

Social Service Faculty Publications

Multiple, convergent risk factors place Latina youth at disproportionate risk for mental

and sexual health issues. Yet, their firsthand perspectives and experiential knowledge of

how to navigate mental and sexual health challenges is rarely the subject of scholarly

inquiry. This article presents a multi-modal content analysis of themes and messages

conveyed by two digital zines created by Latina young adults for Latina teens through an

arts-based research project. In this arts-based research, zines functioned as both data and

method, capturing Latina youth’s nuanced perspectives and lived experiences of mental

and sexual health. We identified six themes in their works—acknowledging and …

Our Stories Of Coming Home: Project Rebound Student Experiences At Cal Poly Humboldt And College Of The Redwoods, Eddie Peña

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The explosion of the prison population over the last 50 years has dramatically increased the number of people in the reentry process. Understanding the reentry process, and how students connected to Project Rebound experience reentry is crucial to developing prescriptive services that will support student success. The study used semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions. The questions focused on the time before release, immediately after release, and future goals. Interviews were coded line-by-line and themes were discovered using a modified Grounded Research approach. Results suggest being incarcerated and the reentry process comes with mixed emotions. Students felt anxious and afraid in …

The Geography Of Care: Rural Versus Urban Caregiver Perspectives On Community Resources For Parkinson’S Disease Management, Rebecca Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences and perceptions of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in rural versus urban settings, with particular emphasis on their access to and utilization of community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers, the research explored how geographical location impacts caregiving challenges, support systems, and resource accessibility. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a theoretical framework, the study revealed both universal caregiving challenges and location-specific barriers. While all caregivers reported significant emotional burden and healthcare system navigation difficulties, rural caregivers faced distinct challenges related to resource accessibility and specialized care availability. …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Neighborliness Vs. Car Culture: Traffic Violence, Pedestrian Deaths In Philadelphia, And Vision Zero's Concept Of Equity, Regina Austin

Journal of Law and Mobility

Vision Zero (VZ) is a transportation policy adopted by major cities like Philadelphia that aims to reduce or eliminate traffic violence, primarily through improvements in the transportation infrastructure. VZ prioritizes engineering (over enforcement), community engagement, and perhaps most importantly, equity. In the battle for superiority among users of land-based travel modes in America, automobile drivers have benefited from arterial highways that speed traffic flows around and through urban enclaves to reach center city business districts and from a car culture that encourages dominant behavior behind the wheel. Pedestrians have been among the losers.

In Philadelphia, as elsewhere, pedestrians who are …

A Geospatial Analysis Of Simple Assaults In Missoula: Temporal And Land Use Category Trends, Madison A. Headrick

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This study observes and analyzes the time and geographic locations where simple assault was reported to occur most frequently inside Missoula city limits from 2015 to 2023. Secondary data was sourced and collected from the Missoula City Police Department using their local records system, Law Enforcement Records Management System (LERMS). The neighborhood data were broken down into eight land use categories that exhibited a high frequency of assault: homeless/mission shelters, schools, retail establishments, alcohol serving venues, medical centers, government/public buildings, residential, and hospitality. Results found distinct temporal patterns between land use categories with specific hour blocks seen to have more …

How Raciolinguistic Ideologies Shape Afro-Anglophone Caribbean Students' Negotiations Of Their Linguistic Identities, Merlyn Andrea Vanderstarre

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

During the last and current century, the United States has witnessed an increasing upward trend in immigration from the racially and linguistically diverse English-speaking or Anglophone Caribbean (Lorenzi & Batalova, 2022). However, there needs to be more research on Afro-Anglophone Caribbean (AAC) students recounting their experiences in schools in the United States. Framed by a raciolinguistic perspective and post-colonial theory, this qualitative study captures the experiences of seven (7) student participants from four (4) academy high schools in an urban school district in the U.S. Northeast, who provided insights into their linguistic identities and experiences in high schools in the …

The Paradox Of Survival: Gendered Food Insecurity, Labor Inequalities, And Coping Strategies During The 2023/4 Drought In Eastern Ethiopia, Meron E. Lemma

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In drought-prone regions of Eastern Ethiopia, recurring droughts profoundly reshape everyday life in ways that deepen existing gendered inequalities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Fedis district, including semi-structured interviews with women, project implementers, and government officials, as well as group discussions with community members, this study explores how women experience, navigate, and resist the gendered impacts of drought. By attending to the sociopolitical dynamics of drought and the development interventions that accompany it, I analyze how these forces restructure labor, land, food systems, and authority in ways that reproduce and exacerbate existing inequalities. Women’s coping strategies, ranging from begging and …

Equity In Education: How High School Attributes Determine An Admission Into Elite Colleges, Alexia Y. Ortiz

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to answer the question “Does the type of high school and location affect one’s admission to the three elite colleges: Claremont McKenna College (CMC), Pomona College (Pomona), and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)?” I used a dataset of high schools from five counties in Southern California, San Diego, Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles, to create a regression model that determines whether students from charter, magnet, private, or public schools, and where one’s high school is located neighborhood’s income levels have different rates of admission.

This study found that attending public high school negatively …

The Work And Lives Of Agricultural Workers, Cynthia Caron

Sustainability and Social Justice

In 2022, the World Bank estimated that roughly 27% of Sri Lankans worked in the agriculture sector. This chapter focuses on the lives of agricultural workers who cultivate their own farms or work as temporary labourers. It provides an overview of the factors that influence their agricultural livelihoods including but not limited to the structure of the country's agricultural economy and wages. The chapter discusses the risks and uncertainties that climate change, government policies, and agrochemical use present to workers and how they adapt. The chapter's final focus is the incorporation of workers including women into commercial agriculture and export-oriented …

Vice Capital, Andrew K. Jennings, Kimberly D. Krawiec

Faculty Articles

Academic and market interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has grown markedly in recent years. Although less prominent, a substantial literature also explores whether “sin pays” in the public capital markets. This literature’s underlying theory is that social norms discourage the funding of businesses that promote vice. According to this theory, some investors—particularly institutions sensitive to social norms, such as pension funds and foundations—will shun vice investments. A consequence of this aversion is a “vice premium” for those investors who will invest in such companies. Largely unexplored, however, is what industries or business models qualify as “vice,” how …

การพัฒนามาตรการด้านความปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับนักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติในจังหวัดเชียงใหม่, ปราบดา สุขสุนทรีย์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ (1) ศึกษามาตรการด้านความปลอดภัยสำหรับนักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติในจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ตั้งแต่อดีตถึงปัจจุบัน (2) วิเคราะห์สถานการณ์ สภาพปัญหา จุดแข็ง และจุดอ่อนของมาตรการดังกล่าว และ (3) พัฒนามาตรการด้านความปลอดภัยที่เหมาะสมต่อบริบทจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ การวิจัยใช้วิธีการเชิงคุณภาพผ่าน การสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ 23 คน ประกอบด้วยข้าราชการ ภาคเอกชน และนักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติ รวมทั้ง การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลสถิติคดีอาชญากรรมที่เกิดกับนักท่องเที่ยวในช่วงปี พ.ศ. 2563–2568ผลการศึกษาพบว่า มาตรการด้านความปลอดภัยในอดีตมุ่งเน้นการใช้กำลังคนและการตั้งจุดตรวจในพื้นที่ท่องเที่ยว ขณะที่ปัจจุบันพัฒนาไปสู่การบริหารจัดการเชิงรุกและการบูรณาการระหว่างหน่วยงาน โดยมีการใช้เทคโนโลยีขั้นสูง เช่น กล้อง AI ระบบ Biometric แอปพลิเคชัน CM-CHANA ระบบขนส่งสาธารณะประเภทไฟฟ้าความเร็วต่ำ รวมถึงการจัดตั้งศูนย์ปฏิบัติการด้านความปลอดภัยการท่องเที่ยว การทำ MOU กับผู้ประกอบการ และการมีส่วนร่วมของภาคเอกชน เช่น หอการค้า สมาคมมัคคุเทศก์ และสมาคมโรงแรมจุดแข็งสำคัญของจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ ได้แก่ ความร่วมมือภาคเอกชนและชุมชนที่เข้มแข็ง นวัตกรรมด้านเทคโนโลยี ภาพลักษณ์ด้านความปลอดภัยที่ดี และการมีส่วนร่วมของสถาบันการศึกษา อย่างไรก็ตาม จุดอ่อนสำคัญ ได้แก่ การทำงานแบบแยกส่วนฐานข้อมูลไม่เชื่อมโยงกัน ช่องโหว่ด้านกฎหมายที่ทำให้การดำเนินคดีในกรณีผู้เสียหายเป็นชาวต่างชาติดำเนินการได้ยาก การสื่อสารความปลอดภัยเชิงรุกยังไม่ถึงนักท่องเที่ยว และความคลาดเคลื่อนของนิยาม “ความปลอดภัย” ระหว่างรัฐและนักท่องเที่ยว โดยนักท่องเที่ยวให้ความสำคัญกับอุบัติเหตุและมลพิษ PM2. 5 มากกว่าอาชญากรรมแนวทางพัฒนาที่เสนอ ได้แก่ การจัดตั้ง “ศูนย์ข้อมูลอัจฉริยะด้านความปลอดภัยการท่องเที่ยวเชียงใหม่” เพื่อบูรณาการข้อมูลระหว่างหน่วยงาน การพัฒนาแอปพลิเคชันที่รองรับการสื่อสารหลายภาษาและระบบแจ้งเหตุฉุกเฉิน การสร้างเครือข่ายความร่วมมือระหว่างรัฐ เอกชน การขยายอาสาสมัครความปลอดภัยสู่ชุมชนรอง การนำแนวคิด Tourism Risk Governance มาประยุกต์เพื่อให้ความปลอดภัยครอบคลุมสุขภาพและภัยพิบัติ รวมทั้งพัฒนามาตรการเพื่อกลุ่มเปราะบาง พร้อมทั้งเสนอให้ตราข้อบัญญัติท้องถิ่นและจัดตั้งกองทุนด้านความปลอดภัยการท่องเที่ยว เพื่อสร้างความยั่งยืนด้านงบประมาณและการบริหารจัดการ รวมถึงความร่วมมือระดับภูมิภาคในการรับมืออาชญากรรมข้ามชาติ

Enhancing Community Value Through Cultural Product : A Case Study Of Sud Siam Beer, Chonthicha Rungjaroensin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This independent study investigates how Sud Siam beer functions as a cultural product that enhances community value and communicates the cultural identity of Yala Province to outsiders. The study pursues three objectives: to examine the role of local craft beer in strengthening Yala’s community value and identity, particularly in external perceptions; to analyze the cultural product development strategies applied by Sud Siam beer; and to explore how Sud Siam beer serves as a medium for Yala community promotion and cultural representation. A mixed-methods approach was employed to the research study, combining a single in-depth interview with the brand owner and …

Curating Difficult Heritage : Interpreting The Thai-Burma Railway In The Museum Context, Eriko Kawaguchi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study examines how the difficult heritage of the Thai–Burma Railway is curated and interpreted in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. As debates in contemporary museology evolve, museums are increasingly expected to function as inclusive platforms with social responsibility. Although the railway was constructed in Thailand, its traumatic memories are shared transnationally among Allied prisoners of war (POWs), Asian laborers, Japanese imperial military, and local Thai communities, making its representation complex.The research aims to understand how difficult heritage is curated through a case study of the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre (TBRC), focusing on its curatorial approach, challenges, and representation of transnational narratives. Qualitative methods …

A Comparative Study On The Development Of "Meditation Tourism"; Putuo Mountain In Zhejiang, China & Suthep In Chiang Mai, Thailand, Xingyu Liu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

AbstractThis study uses Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, China, and Mount Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand, as case studies to compare and analyze the development models, cultural connotations, and tourist experiences of "meditation tourism" in the two countries. The research aims to explore the resource composition, development path, and the tension between commercialization and sacredness faced by meditation tourism within the context of Buddhist culture.The study finds significant differences between meditation tourism in China and Thailand: Mount Putuo adopts a "government-led, standardized management" model, while Mount Doi Suthep follows a "community self-governance, natural development" path. Regarding commercialization, tourist acceptance does …