Digital Commons Network^™

Out Of Institutions, Into Society: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis Exploring The Shared Experiences Of Veterans And Formerly Incarcerated Persons Reintegrating Into Civilian Life, Hannah C. Pederson

Social Work Theses - Archive

The reintegration experiences of veterans and formerly incarcerated persons (FIPs) share significant parallels, yet there is a notable lack of literature exploring these similarities. This study employs qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) methodology, a cross-study qualitative analysis approach developed specifically for the social work field, to identify commonalities in the reintegration narratives of U.S. veterans transitioning from military service and FIPs returning to civilian life post-incarceration. The author conducted a QIMS on ten studies published between 2006 and 2024 (N=172). The QIMS yielded seven overarching themes: supports, mental health and wellness, institutional residue, culture shock, socioeconomic hardships (“it’s hard out here”), …

No Longer Invisible: 2025 Massachusetts Asian And Pacific Islander American (Apia) Community Survey Report, Watanabe P. Dhaurali S.

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The first Massachusetts Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Community Survey gathered opinions from 1,414 APIAs across the state in March 2025 on issues such as economic stability, political engagement, safety and sense of belonging, healthcare access, as well as recent executive actions by the federal administration. The survey was offered in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer languages in addition to English.The resulting data was disaggregated by the three largest APIA subgroups in MA: Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese Americans.
Key findings include that housing affordability and cost of living are the top economic concerns for APIAs across Massachusetts; both citizens and non-citizens …

Critical Approaches To Climate-Induced Migration Research And Solutions, Rosalyn Negrón, David Hernández, Hossein Ayazi, Pablo Shiladitaya Bose, Nyingilanyeofori Brown, Elora Chowdhury, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Rajini Srikanth, Banu Subramaniam, Farhana Sultana, Patrick Sylvain, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Charles Venator-Santiago

Sustainable Solutions Lab

In this commentary we explore the confluence of factors shaping climate-induced migration and the need for comprehensive solutions grounded in historical and systemic understandings. We argue that climate change, colonial legacies, and geopolitical policies significantly influence migration patterns, particularly for historically marginalised communities. We call for scholars to develop holistic frameworks that consider environmental, political, historical, and economic factors while advocating for the legal recognition and protection of migrants and people displaced by climate impacts. Drawing on examples of internal migration and displacement in the United States and refugee camps globally, we highlight the complexities of resettlement. We propose integrated …

“A Safe Place”: Exploring Black Couples’ Perceptions Of Black Love And Relationship Coping In The Context Of Their Lived Experiences With Racism, Melinda Murdock

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Historically, Black couples have not been studied within the context of their lived experiences as it relates to the effects of racism on relationship health. Only in the last decade have relationship scholars begun to consistently link racism-related stressors to relationship processes and outcomes. Despite the growing literature, recent studies are primarily quantitative in method and rely on samples, theoretical models, and measures that predominantly represent White couples’ experiences. It remains unclear how Black couples’ perceptions of love and relationship coping lead to resilient outcomes despite the negative effects of racism.

Therefore, the goal of the present study is to …

Tuskegee: Mapping Voting Rights, Charles Euchner

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

What is the role of universities and student activism in the struggle for voting rights and access? How do the issues of civil rights and young people’s voting rights intersect? What role is played by Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs)? This case study examines the history of Tuskegee University in Alabama and its long role in the struggle for civil rights and voting rights. The case is a part of a larger project on student voting rights that focuses on the history of four institutions: Tuskegee University, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Bard College.

A Phenomenological Study Of Gender And The Leadership Of Female Academic Library Directors, Julia D. Grace Dr

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the gender of female academic library directors affects their leadership. The theory guiding this study was Acker’s theory of the ideal worker, as it offers a framework for examining the impact of worker gender in the workplace. The central research question of this study examined how the gender of female library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. affected their leadership. This study utilized a phenomenological approach, conducting semi-structured interviews of female academic library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. The …

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.

Partnering For Research At Your Center For Independent Living: Tips From Your Peers, Krys Standley, Hannah W. Pepprock, Rayna Sage

Independent Living and Community Participation

RTC:Rural researchers present advice on collaborative and participatory research projects with Centers for Independent Living (CILs) based on work with CIL partners. The guide includes feedback and priorities from CIL staff on the most effective conditions to address when entering into a research partnership.

Engaging The Community, Providing Hopes, Mackenzie Peeke, Margaret West, Alyssa Wilkinson, Matthew Serrata, Michael Baroody, Conner Tembe, Chrisney Yerena

HOPES Free Clinic Publications

Founded in the 1970s as a grassroots effort to provide care to the underserved population of Hampton Roads, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) has long been committed to community-centered care. The HOPES Free Clinic is a manifestation of that mission. Launched in 2011 as a student-run phone triage service, the Health Outreach Partnership of EVMS Students (HOPES) later transitioned to provide direct clinical services—becoming the first student-run free clinic in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2014, HOPES integrated into Community Engaged Learning to enhance and solidify its efforts. Since its inception, medical and health professions students have partnered with volunteer …

Positive Youth Development For Youth Living In Structurally Diverse Families, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

Research on family structure diversity and youth well-being has largely aligned with deficit orientations, emphasizing that living in structurally diverse families is a potential risk-factor for youth well-being and development. In this article, I advocate for increased strengths-based scholarship on youth living in structurally diverse families by centering this research with positive youth development (PYD) frameworks. Broadly, PYD frameworks orient scholars toward viewing youth holistically, attending to positive indicators of well-being as well as how youth capacities and experiences intersect with family and community resources to promote flourishing and thriving. Approaching family structure diversity and youth well-being from a PYD …

Academic Preparedness And Institutional Support For Low-Income Students: A Scoping Review Of College Success And Retention, Davina Wilson

Social Work Theses - Archive

Students from lower-funded high schools often enter college with lower levels of academic preparedness and limited access to advanced coursework, individualized advising, and extracurricular opportunities, all of which contribute to disparities in retention and academic success. These inequities, rooted in longstanding school funding gaps and systemic barriers, disproportionately affect first-generation and racially minoritized students, who may also experience cultural mismatch or isolation within college environments. This scoping review synthesizes existing research conducted by other scholars to examine how academic preparedness and institutional support services such as tutoring, mentoring, bridge programs, and college transition initiatives influence college readiness for students from …

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 …

Artificial Intelligence And Illicit Drugs: A World Of Possibilities, Ralph A. Weisheit

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Large scale drug production and distribution organizations (DTOs) are businesses. As such they face many of the same challenges faced by legal businesses, such as the creation of new drugs, supply chain issues, and identifying new markets. The legal business world is finding creative ways to meet those challenges utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). This discussion uses a horizon scan methodology to suggest how current and anticipated applications of AI in the legal business world might be adapted by large-scale illicit drug trafficking organizations. The focus in this discussion is on its potential application for the largest organizations that control the …

Fp-25-01 First Marriage Rate, 2023, Natalie Bankey

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Fp-25-04 Age Variation In Prevalence Of Cohabitation Among Unmarried Men And Women, 2009 & 2024, Christopher A. Julian

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Fp-25-02 First Divorce Rate, 2023, Natalie Bankey

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Fp-25-03 Remarriage Rate, 2023, Natalie Bankey

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Mistrust Among Injured Immigrant Workers: A Conceptual Framework, Maude Arsenault, Daniel Côté, Jessica Dubé

Revues de littérature, synthèses de connaissances

Background

In Quebec, injured workers have access to medical assistance, wage replacement indemnities, and rehabilitation measures, with most injuries resolved easily. However, a small percentage of cases require a lengthy rehabilitation process, which is particularly complex when involving immigrants. The therapeutic alliance is at the heart of the process, involving mutual trust and confidence and a degree of consensus about the therapeutic interventions to be used and, ultimately, the return to work.

Objective

This article delves into the concept of mistrust as more than the absence of trust, and sheds light on its role in the rehabilitation process of immigrant …

I Love You, But I’Ve Got To Cancel You: Psychological Determinants And Consequences Of Cancel Culture Participation, Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster, Daniel H. Spitz

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study explores how individuals react to celebrities who take a political stance that contradicts and threatens their social identity. An online experiment examines these questions in the context of the Israeli war against Hamas in the wake of the October 7 terror attack. Israeli Jewish participants who were led to believe that a beloved celebrity fully embraced the Palestinian’s narrative and condemned Israel experienced more negative and less positive emotions and had a greater intention to cancel the celebrity. However, writing a comment or a social media post (particularly if the comment bashed the celebrity) partially buffered these emotional …

“I Learned To Bottle Up My Feelings From A Young Age”: A Narrative Analysis Of Latina Young People’S Family Mental Health Socialization, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Latina young people report high levels of mental health problems and low levels of helpseeking

compared with their white peers, but little research has examined factors influencing

their mental health views. Inductive analysis of 25 participants’ narratives revealed that Latina

young people described three stages in the development of their mental health-related beliefs,

attitudes, and behaviors: undergoing a process of family mental health socialization, suffering

in silence, and attaining a new perspective. Within each of these phases, participants shared

stories that attest to their agency and resilience. This research uncovers a novel theoretical

construct, “family mental health socialization,” which elucidates …

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 …

Tate Speech: Radicalizing Rhetoric And Multi-Level Marketing Recruitment Strategies In The Manosphere, Carey J. Priebe

Theses and Dissertations

My study aims to uncover the discursive elements behind the gendered recruitment strategies that influencers in the manosphere use to pipeline men and boys into their multi-level marketing (MLM) companies. In the manosphere, male supremacy is presented as desirable and subversive, and MLMs take advantage of emotional and economic instability. My study examines the Twitter (X) account of the popular manosphere influencer Andrew Tate as I trace his rhetoric along a three-pronged gendered recruitment framework, a framework originally developed around women selling essential oils online and funneling their followers into radical alt-right politics. What are the similarities and differences in …

Factors Affecting The Joy Of Life In Old Age: A Scale Development Study, Yalçın Karagöz, Yusuf Karaşi̇n, Mustafa Filiz, Mehmet Ateş

Adultspan Journal

This study aims to introduce a measurement tool into the literature that can reveal the factors affecting the joy of life in older adulthood. Participants included 266 individuals aged 55 and over living in Izmir, Turkey. The process of developing the scale includes the following stages: problem identification, item pool creation, expert opinion, form shaping, pilot application, and finalizing the scale. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale consists of 6 different dimensions, and the variance explained by these dimensions was found to be 65.184%. The acceptable values for the scale's fit indicators are as follows: χ²/df0.90, IFI > 0.90, …

การรักษาพยาบาลของประชากรไทยในช่วงก่อนและระหว่างที่มีการระบาดของโควิด-19, ฉัตรชัย เพ็งจันทร์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาปัจจัยที่มีความสัมพันธ์กับการเข้ารับบริการรักษาพยาบาลเมื่อเจ็บป่วยในสถานพยาบาลและค่าใช้จ่ายที่ผู้ป่วยต้องจ่ายเอง ในช่วงเวลาก่อนและระหว่างที่มีการระบาดของโควิด-19 โดยใช้ข้อมูลจากโครงการสำรวจอนามัยและสวัสดิการ พ.ศ. 2562 (n= 9,634) และ 2564 (n= 7,247) สำหรับการวิเคราะห์ในส่วนที่หนึ่งเป็นการศึกษาปัจจัยที่มีความสัมพันธ์กับการตัดสินใจเลือกของวัยแรงงานเมื่อเจ็บป่วยซึ่งมีสามทางเลือกคือ ไม่ได้รักษา ซื้อยามากินเอง และการไปรักษาที่สถานพยาบาล โดยใช้วิธีการถดถอยโลจิสติก และในส่วนที่สองเป็นการศึกษาปัจจัยที่มีความสัมพันธ์กับค่าใช้จ่ายที่ผู้ป่วยวัยแรงงานต้องจ่ายเอง โดยใช้แบบจำลองโทบิต ผลการศึกษาในส่วนที่หนึ่งด้วยวิธีการถดถอยโลจิสติก กำหนดให้กลุ่มของประชากรที่ป่วยและไม่รักษาเป็นกลุ่มอ้างอิง ผลการศึกษาพบว่า ในช่วงเวลาก่อนและระหว่างที่มีการระบาดของโควิด-19 ประชากรที่มียานพาหนะในครัวเรือน ประชากรกลุ่มผู้สูงอายุตอนปลาย ประชากรที่มีสิทธิ์ข้าราชการที่ใช้ในการรักษา ประชากรที่มีโรคประจำตัว มีความสัมพันธ์กับการซื้อยามากินเองเมื่อเจ็บป่วยเมื่อเทียบกับการไม่รักษา ประชากรที่มียานพาหนะในครัวเรือน การมีโรคประจำตัว ประชากรผู้สูงอายุตอนปลาย มีความสัมพันธ์กับการเข้ารับบริการรักษาพยาบาลเมื่อเจ็บป่วยในสถานพยาบาลเมื่อเทียบกับการไม่รักษา ผลการศึกษาในส่วนที่สองด้วยแบบจำลองโทบิต พบว่า ในช่วงเวลาก่อนและระหว่างที่มีการระบาดของโควิด-19 ประชากรที่อาศัยในภาคเหนือ ผู้มีสิทธิ์รับการรักษาในประกันสังคม สิทธิ์ข้าราชการ รวมถึงผู้ป่วยที่เข้ารับบริการในสถานพยาบาล จะมีค่าใช้จ่ายที่ผู้ป่วยต้องจ่ายเองต่ำกว่า ในขณะที่ปัจจัยพื้นฐานทางเศรษฐกิจของครัวเรือน แสดงให้เห็นว่าผู้ป่วยจากครัวเรือนที่มีรายได้สูง จะมีค่าใช้จ่ายที่ผู้ป่วยต้องจ่ายเองสูงตามด้วย

Latine Students In U.S. Schools: An Interactive Resource Book For Educators, Melissa Colón

OER Textbooks

This interactive resource book provides educators with highly curated research, academic scholarship, and community-based materials to better inform and support their work with Latine students, families, and communities. Grounded in critical and culturally sustaining pedagogies (Rendón et al., 2014; Alim & Paris, 2017). This book encourages educators to cultivate a spirit of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning, recognizing that serving Latine students well requires both commitment and ongoing inquiry.

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 …

Sex Work And Covid-19: An Intersectional Discussion Of U.S.-Based Sex Worker Experiences During The Pandemic, Sabrina M. Grandia

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all forms of industry, including that of sex work. Between October 2020 until November 2022, I did field research and interviews with nine U.S.-based sex workers throughout those months of the pandemic. Using a grounded theory approach, I asked open-ended questions about their entrance into the industry, business practices, and personal experiences before and during the pandemic. Their stories allow us to gain insight into the impact the pandemic had on them as individuals and their broader communities. My analysis highlights a prominent influence of anti-trafficking policy, politicization of the virus, and the impact of Black …

Unreadable, Unfindable, And Incomplete: Evaluating Prea Information In State Correctional Handbooks, Jessie L. Krienert, Jeffrey A. Walsh, Caitlyn Donnelly

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was enacted in 2003 to prevent sexual abuse in correctional settings through a zero-tolerance framework. While all states formally acknowledge PREA, the accessibility, clarity, and completeness of the information provided to incarcerated individuals remain uncertain. This mixed-methods study evaluates PREA-related content in 62 state correctional handbooks from 49 states, assessing three core dimensions: readability, findability, and substantive content. Grounded in compliance theory and institutional betrayal, the analysis focuses on how correctional institutions communicate PREA protections, prevention strategies, and reporting procedures. Results reveal that most PREA content exceeds the literacy levels of the intended audience, …

Why Community: The Potentials And Limitations Of Community Engagement In Restorative Justice, Emily P. Chauhan

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of community in restorative justice through both the criminologist and practitioner perspectives. Through investigating the limitations of the U.S. penal system, which ranks highest globally in incarceration rates yet fails to ensure public safety, the research investigates restorative justice as a victim-cantered, harm-driven alternative. It emphasizes how restorative justice redefines crime by focusing on healing and accountability rather than punishment of the criminals/harm-doers. This thesis examines how communities are essential to restorative processes and how restorative justice, in turn, helps to build communities. Drawing from case studies, models, and interviews this thesis questions the assumptions …

2024 Oregon Statewide Homelessness Estimates, Franklin H. Spurbeck, Jacen Greene, Marisa Zapata

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a census of people experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night in January. The federal government requires this at least every other year as a condition of funding it distributes to Continuums of Care (CoCs), networks of government agencies and service providers that manage homelessness services and funding in specific regions. The unsheltered PIT Count is only required during odd-numbered years. Because of the cost and complexity involved, not all CoCs conduct an unsheltered count in even-numbered years. In 2024, all Oregon CoCs submitted sheltered PIT Count data. Only some conducted an …