Digital Commons Network^™

Holistic Support For College Students Navigating Food Allergies & Food Insecurity At Higher Education Institutions, Chloe Milliron

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Both food allergies and food insecurity are public health concerns that are becoming increasingly prevalent. However, there has been limited discussion on how to support individuals who experience these two challenges concurrently, particularly at higher education institutions. In this study, I examined the intersection of food allergies and food insecurity among students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). There is a focus on the disparities in access to safe foods, financial responsibility, healthcare, and overall well-being. A total of 221 UCF students completed the survey distributed, which assessed food security status using the USDA’s Household Food Security Survey Module, …

Small Town Voices And Stories: Rural Older Populations And Health Narratives, Wyatt K. Zumbahlen

Masters Theses

Stories play a vital role in our humanity; they help us understand the world around us. As we age, our experiences, along with those of the people around us, shape our perceptions of health and influence our healthcare choices. For older adults, narratives become an essential resource in making healthcare decisions. In rural communities like Coles County, Illinois, these stories are especially important for older adults who are navigating the limited care and services available in the area. This reliance on narratives impacts their willingness to seek care, highlighting the need to recognize the power of stories in empowering older …

Housing Quality For Whom? Housing Quality As A Form Of Housing Insecurity And Housing Inequality For Black Women Renters, Jenee Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Housing quality is an often overlooked but critical aspect of housing insecurity that often impacts one’s well-being physically, mentally, and socially. As a compromise for affordable housing, some individuals reside in substandard conditions, often lacking essential safety measures and amenities needed for a comfortable and secure living environment. Consistent with broader patterns of housing disparities, Black women renters are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity and more likely to live in substandard housing. Although previous literature has explored the impact of poor-quality housing and its characteristics, there is a gap in understanding how Black women renters uniquely perceive and experience housing …

Displaced: Distinguishing Housing Outcomes From Judicial Outcomes In Oregon’S Eviction Cases, Colleen Carroll, Minji Cho, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In an eviction case, the tenant’s housing outcome refers to whether the tenant remains in their home (the unit) at the end of the eviction process. At the end of the eviction process, either the tenant remained in the home or was displaced. Unfortunately, housing outcomes are not systematically recorded as part of the eviction process. In some cases, the tenant’s housing outcome is recorded in the case records or court documents, but this is not always consistent. To address this, we developed three categories of housing outcomes—remained, displaced, and undeterminable—to measure the outcomes of eviction cases filed in Multnomah …

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. …

Black Love, Media Portrayals, And Social Identity, Nigel M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation explores how media stereotypes about Black relationships influence Black individuals' perceptions, shaping their understanding and expectations of love. Using social identity theory as a foundation, a mixed-methods approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the impact of media portrayals on self-concept and relationship expectations. The quantitative findings investigate connections between media exposure, self-esteem, and partner preferences, revealing how media shapes ideas about ideal relationships and internalized racial dynamics. The qualitative analysis identifies seven themes that define Black Love and seven themes that depict media stereotypes of Black relationships. The study shows that while media often reinforce …

I Roll To Attack The King: An Examination Of Far-Right Dissent And Ttrpgs In The Contemporary Age, Jenna C. Johnston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Far-right ideologies have become more prevalent, both in the political sphere as well as fictional and fantasy spaces. This project analyzes the rise of far-right ideology within tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and offers potential reasons as to why this shift is occurring. Through the analysis of three Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) campaigns from TTRPG show Dimension 20, combined with psychological and sociological research, this work highlights the importance of actions within TTRPGs and their impact on our actual reality. Many may act within the confines of fantastical worlds such as TTRPGs in a way that aligns with far-right ideology because …

Identifying Research Paths Based On Main Path Analysis: A Case Study Of Knowledge Graphs, Ruibin Wei, Yidan Wang, Yan Xu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]The main path analysis of citation networks can be used to identify important literature in specific fields and can achieve the extraction of mainstream research threads. This paper will use the main path analysis method to analyze the research path of knowledge graphs and sort out the context of their research development. [Method/process]This paper firstly obtains research papers in the field of knowledge graphs from the Web of Science platform, then uses the HistCite software to generate a direct citation network of the literature, and then imports the data into Pajek to generate multiple main paths of the dataset, and …

Assessing The Predictive Validity Of The Network Inventory Of Risk, Victories, And Needs Assessment (Nirvana) For Youth Receiving Prevention Services., Michael T. Baglivio, Kevin T. Wolff, Katherine Jackowski

Publications and Research

The current study assesses the predictive validity of a newly-developed holistic risk/needs assessment for youth receiving prevention services. Employing a multiyear statewide sample of over 17,000 prevention youth, multivariate and Area Under Curve techniques are used to examine predictive validity in predicting future formal juvenile justice system involvement (new law violations) across sex, race/ethnicity, and multiple youth age ranges. Furthermore, predictive validity across the severity of the subsequent offense type (misdemeanor, non-violent felony, violent felony) was examined. Findings demonstrate large effect sizes for static risk only, dynamic risk only, and total risk plus protective scores on future offending. Sex and …

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 …

Recreational Activity Handbook, Aisha Naz Ansari, Sadia Muzaffar Bhutta

Institute for Educational Development Pakistan (IED-PK) Archives

A thoughtfully designed resource for children in areas where attending school in person has become more challenging.

The Black-Market Commodification Of Human Organs And Bones: A Marxist Perspective, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

The trade and treatment of human remains, while seemingly straightforward, have increasingly become subjects of ethical and moral debate. Over time and in light of recent events, questions have emerged regarding the appropriateness of how human remains are handled and exchanged. This paper examines these issues through the lens of Marxist framework and the perspective of forensic anthropology. The objective is to provide contextual understanding and encourage a reevaluation of current practices, particularly within academic settings, to ensure that human morals, dignity and ethical standards are upheld.

In Search Of A Sea-Life Balance In An Adverse Environment : Understanding Seafarers' Life, Work And Turnover, Bikram Singh Bhatia, Raphael Baumler, Maria Carrera-Arce

Reports

The Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS) commissioned the World Maritime University (WMU) to conduct the Work & Health Balance at Sea (WHEAB) project to examine some dimensions of seafarers’ working lives.

Building on exploratory interviews, a survey was designed and administered. The current report presents findings on work patterns (onboard and home periods), working hours, work-related stress, safety management system, shore leave, mental well-being, and career intention.

The survey gathered responses from 4,372 seafarers, mainly from India (n=1,098; 25.1%), the Philippines (n=690; 15.8%), the United States (U.S.) (n=501; 11.5%), and other worldwide regions (n=2,083; 47.6%). The overrepresentation of U.S. …

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 …

North Carolina A&T: Perfect Storms, Charles Euchner

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

If the problem of race is the “American dilemma,” as the Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal argued in a classic 1944 study, North Carolina’s response to this dilemma presents a complex puzzle. Unlike other states of the old Confederacy, North Carolina has a long tradition of reform in education, labor, business, and voting rights. North Carolina also has robust competition between Republicans and Democrats. Because of this competition, both parties have battled intensely over voting rights.

Bard College: The Battle For Youth Voting Rights, Charles Euchner

GHEA21 Open Educational Resources

When the U.S. ratified the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, supporters predicted a surge of voting among young people. But in fact, voting rates are lower for young people than for other age groups. The standard explanation is that young people are transient, distracted by college and other activities, and have not yet embraced civic habits and responsibilities. However, another reason deserves consideration: state and local election officials create barriers to voting, purposefully or otherwise, especially in college towns. The case is a part of a larger project on student voting rights that focuses on …

Crafting Cultural Power: Artistic Interventions As Tools For Political Organizing Among Los Angeles Street Vendors, Corina M. Silverstein

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis focuses on the intersections of collaborative and artistic interventions (such as collective songwriting and poetry) within the ongoing fight to legalize and decriminalize street vending in Los Angeles. Through the close partnership with Community Power Collective (CPC), this thesis analyzes the use of narrative in artistic collaborations and oral traditions throughout the political mobilization of street vendors in Los Angeles. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this investigation explores the use of early influences of street theater, to collective songwriting workshops, as well as artistic collaborations with local artists. Ultimately, suggesting CPC’s use of artistic practices and collaborations are essential …

Budgeting For Social Equity: Exploring The (Nearly) Unknown, Bruce D. Mcdonald Iii, Sean M. Mccandless

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Public administration has become increasingly concerned with social equity, particularly in budgetary processes. Local governments have adopted so-called equity budgeting practices, yet little is understood about how and why they are adopted; what budgeting practices are deemed social equity budgeting versus traditional budgeting; what is required to adopt and implement social equity budgeting successfully; and how success is measured. We analyzed government and nonprofit documents on social equity budgeting, followed by interviews with local government budget directors serving “early adopter cities” of social equity budgeting practices. We developed a framework of social equity budgeting practices to link the findings regarding …

Essays On Public And Nonprofit Financial Management In Times Of Crisis, Junoh Jeon

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that examine critical aspects of public and nonprofit financial management, focusing on interorganizational relationships, local government influence, and financial reserve management in times of crisis.

The first essay examines how interorganizational relationships, specifically nonprofit organizations’ board interlocks, relate to their financial distress, depending on the temporal and spatial contexts. Organization-level fixed-effects regression analysis with Kentucky nonprofits from 2018 to 2022 shows that nonprofits with board interlocks in urban areas were less likely to experience financial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. I suggest that board interlock acts as an adaptive buffering tool that helps manage resource …

Examining Strategies For The Recruitment And Retention Of Students Of Color In Health Service Psychology Doctoral Programs, Melissa Sital

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Students of color are significantly underrepresented in the field of health service psychology, including at the doctoral level. Doctoral programs in health service psychology utilize various strategies to foster the recruitment and retention of students of color, though limited research has investigated which strategies are used most frequently. As part of the present study, 18 APA-accredited doctoral programs in health service psychology submitted narrative sections from their APA accreditation self-study report describing their efforts to recruit and retain students of color and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts, as well as the racial/ethnic breakdown of their students. Qualitative analysis of …

Seeking Refuge In The U.S.: Liberian Women's Testimonio Of War, Trauma, And Acculturation, Sailume Walo-Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Refugees often experience significant traumas due to the circumstances of their forced migration and displacement, including experiencing or witnessing violence, loss of loved ones, and the destruction of their homes and properties (Badri et al., 2012; Caswell al., 2011; Hollifield et al., 2002; 2006; 2009). This can lead to mental health issues like PTSD, depression, and anxiety (Fazel et al., 2005; Mollica et al., 2004; Patane et al., 2022; Woodward & Gavin, 2012). Yet, mental health support remains overlooked by UNHCR and host countries (Mathema & Carratala, 2020). The Liberian Civil War (1989-2003) killed around 250,000 people, displacing over a …

Trees, Schools, & Stakeholders: Building Partnerships For Schoolyard Greening With Portland Urban Forestry Learning Landscapes, Claire Brase

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Portland Urban Forestry Learning Landscapes is a city program offering free tree planting and establishment services to schools, community groups, and multi-residential zones in the city of Portland, Oregon. This project report, completed on behalf of Learning Landscapes, uses qualitative evidence from interviews with school district administrators, teachers, volunteers, grounds staff, city employees, and outreach experts to gain a deeper understanding of the factors leading to successful collaboration between local school districts and their external community partners. These conversations with school and outreach personnel across the city suggest that district staff are interested in collaborative greening organizations like Learning Landscapes …

Mental Health Perceptions Among Caribbean Adults In The United States, Ambika Ramjawam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate mental health literacy (MHL) among Caribbean American adults and to assess the extent to which mental health perceptions (MHP) and acculturative stress contribute to variations in MHL. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey design was utilized to examine MHL, MHP, and acculturative stress among a sample of 138 participants. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess associations among MHL, MHP, acculturation, and age. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were performed to examine demographics across key variables. Findings revealed moderate levels of MHL (M = 4.7, SD = .99) and a weak, positive correlation …

Searching For The City - A Study Of Tourism And Urban Development, Ethan Miskelly Paul

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis uses an interdisciplinary study of urban tourism development to examine a number of points of interest with regard to urban tourism governance. It explores what motivates cities to plan development projects intended to attract tourism, what distinguishes the city as ‘place to visit’ from ‘place to live’ from the perspective of a resident, and if tourism is a viable strategy for promoting sustainable development and resident wellbeing in an urban environment.

These questions are ever more relevant as tourism itself comes to represent a major driver of the global economy. Beginning with a review of the relevant literature …

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 …

Digital Community Policing: Using Social Media To Engage Students And Enhance Campus Safety, Dathan C. Jackson

Dissertations of Practice

Campus police increasingly rely on social media to reach students, yet little is known about how these efforts influence trust, collaboration, and perceptions of safety. This qualitative case study examined how one public research university’s police department uses social media to support community-policing goals. Data came from student interviews, departmental policy analysis, and a review of social media content.

Findings showed three central patterns. First, top-down, compliance-oriented messaging limited connection and failed to meet students’ expectations for open, two-way communication. Second, consistent and authentic engagement, online and in person, helped build shared responsibility and strengthened trust in campus safety efforts. …

A Study Of Human Services In The Town Of Natick, Caitlin E. Coyle, Mary Krebs, Morgan Clark, Matt Frye

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Town of Natick has committed to engaging the community to guide efforts to update and modernize municipal policies, procedures, and programs such that they appropriately reflect the needs and interests of the community.

Between 2021 and 2022, the Community Services Department underwent some organizational restructuring, which included staffing changes and the inclusion of Recreation & Parks and the Sassamon Trace Golf Course as divisions within the department, which already included the Council on Aging & Human Services, Veterans Services, and the Natick Community Organic Farm4. The Community Services Department is “charged with responding to the needs, interests and quality …

การเข้าถึงบริการด้านสุขภาพและความต้องการในวาระท้ายของผู้ต้องขังสูงวัยในเรือนจำ, ปริญญา หวันเหล็ม, ภาวิกา ศรีรัตนบัลล์

Journal of Social Sciences

บทความฉบับนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาสภาวะของบริการด้านสุขภาพ และการเข้าถึงของระบบราชทัณฑ์ไทยในการดูแลแบบประคับประคองและการดูแลในวาระท้าย โดยอาศัยแนวคิดสิทธิมนุษยชน สิทธิผู้ต้องขัง แนวคิดการดูแลแบบประคับประคอง และกรอบข้อบังคับระดับสากลและข้อกฎหมายระดับประเทศ ทั้งนี้ ยังมุ่งศึกษาแนวทางการให้บริการด้านสุขภาพในมิติของการดูแลในระยะท้าย ความต้องการของผู้ต้องขังสูงวัยในเรือนจำ และรูปแบบการจัดการกับการตายในเรือนจำ ผ่านกลไกของราชทัณฑ์ไทยที่มีทีมสหวิชาชีพต่าง ๆ เข้ามาให้บริการผู้ต้องขังในระยะท้าย การศึกษาครั้งนี้อาศัยการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ และมีข้อค้นพบประการสำคัญว่า สภาพความเป็นอยู่ของผู้ต้องขังป่วยต้องเผชิญความยากลำบากในเรือนจำ ซึ่งส่งผลให้เกิดความเสี่ยงต่อความเจ็บป่วยได้ง่าย สภาพแวดล้อมของเรือนจำไม่สอดรับกับวัยสูงอายุ อย่างไรก็ตาม ผู้ต้องขังสูงวัยในวาระท้ายของชีวิตได้รับบริการทางการแพทย์ที่มีมาตรฐานสากลเทียบเท่าการรักษาในโรงพยาบาลภายนอก ด้วยทีมสหวิชาชีพที่มีความเชี่ยวชาญ ทั้งยังมีบริการระบบการให้เยี่ยมออนไลน์สำหรับผู้ต้องขังในวาระท้ายในเรือนจำ และความต้องการในวาระสุดท้ายของชีวิตผู้ต้องขังในเรือนจำ คือ การได้ “กลับบ้าน” ที่นับเป็นข้อค้นพบสำคัญ และเป็นความหวังสุดท้ายก่อนสิ้นลมหายใจ

การจัดสวัสดิการเพื่อส่งเสริมการรู้เท่าทันสื่อและสร้างความเป็นธรรมทางดิจิทัลแก่ผู้สูงอายุ, เบญจรัตน์ สัจกุล, สุธีรา แสนมนตรีกุล, เพ็ญจันทร์ ประดับมุข เชอร์เรอร์, โกสิน เทศวงษ์, เบญจพร พุดซา

Journal of Social Sciences

ความเป็นธรรมทางดิจิทัล เป็นประเด็นที่ไม่ได้ถูกกล่าวถึงมากนักในประเทศไทย ถึงแม้ว่าเป็นปัจจัยหนึ่งในการเกิดความเหลื่อมล้ำทางสังคม โดยเฉพาะเรื่องการเข้าถึงข้อมูลข่าวสาร บริการ และสวัสดิการสังคมขั้นพื้นฐานของรัฐที่ประชาชนควรได้รับ ส่วนใหญ่เมื่อนึกถึงเรื่องความเหลื่อมล้ำในสังคม ผู้คนมักกล่าวถึงความเหลื่อมล้ำทางเศรษฐกิจและความเหลื่อมล้ำทางสังคมในภาพกว้าง ในขณะที่ความเหลื่อมล้ำทางสังคมถูกซ่อนไว้ในทุกมิติของชีวิต ดังนั้น การกล่าวถึงประเด็นชี้เฉพาะเรื่อง “ความเป็นธรรมทางดิจิทัลด้านสื่อและเทคโนโลยี” จึงมีไม่มากนัก นับว่าเป็นช่องว่างขององค์ความรู้ทางวิชาการที่ควรศึกษาทำความเข้าใจเพิ่มเติม พร้อมทั้งหาแนวทางแก้ไขอย่างเร่งด่วนเพื่อจัดสวัสดิการที่เป็นธรรมให้แก่สมาชิกในสังคมอย่างทั่วถึง โดยเฉพาะประชากรกลุ่มหลักที่จะกล่าวถึงในบทความนี้ นั่นคือ กลุ่มผู้สูงอายุ เพื่อเป็นการเปิดมุมมองทัศนคติที่หลากหลายและกว้างขวางขึ้น อีกทั้งยังช่วยลดวยาคติ (ageism) ของผู้คนในสังคมที่มีความเชื่อว่า ผู้สูงอายุเป็นกลุ่มวัยที่ล้าหลัง และตีตรา (stigma) ว่าเป็นกลุ่มประชากรที่ใช้งานสื่อเทคโนโลยีไม่เป็น ในขณะที่สถานการณ์สังคมปัจจุบันมิได้เป็นเช่นนั้นอีกต่อไป ซึ่งจากข้อมูลที่ผู้เขียนได้ร่วมกันศึกษาวิจัยในประเด็นนี้ ทำให้ค้นพบองค์ความรู้ชุดใหม่ที่แสดงให้เห็นว่ามีผู้สูงอายุเป็นจำนวนมากที่สามารถใช้สื่อเทคโนโลยีได้อย่างคล่องแคล่ว ชำนาญ และหมั่นพัฒนาทักษะตนเอง ศึกษาหาความรู้อยู่เสมอ เพื่อให้รู้เท่าทันสถานการณ์โลกที่เปลี่ยนแปลงไป ในทางตรงข้าม มีผู้สูงอายุจำนวนไม่น้อยเช่นกันที่ยังขาดความรู้และทักษะใช้งานสื่อเทคโนโลยีในชีวิตประจำวัน ทำให้พวกเขาถูกตัดขาดจากสังคมบางกลุ่มไปโดยปริยาย รวมทั้งไม่สามารถเข้าถึงข้อมูลข่าวสารและสวัสดิการของภาครัฐได้

เปรียบเทียบการสร้างรัฐสวัสดิการในกลุ่มประเทศตะวันตกและตะวันออก : แนวทางในการทำความเข้าใจการพัฒนารัฐสวัสดิการ, วรรณภา ลีระศิริ, ภาคภูมิ แสงกนกกุล

Journal of Social Sciences

บทความวิจัยฉบับนี้ศึกษาพัฒนาการของรัฐสวัสดิการในกลุ่มประเทศตะวันตกและตะวันออกเพื่อตอบคำถามว่าการนำเอาความสำเร็จของรัฐสวัสดิการตะวันตกมาเป็นต้นแบบเพียงพอและเหมาะสมต่อการสร้างรัฐสวัสดิการของไทยหรือไม่ผ่านการศึกษาพัฒนาการของรัฐสวัสดิการในยุโรปตะวันตก ได้แก่ อังกฤษ ฝรั่งเศส และกลุ่มสแกนดิเนเวีย และประเทศที่พัฒนาแล้วในเอเชียอย่างญี่ปุ่น เกาหลีใต้ และสิงคโปร์เพื่อเปรียบเทียบให้เห็นถึงความเหมือนและความต่างของทั้งสองกลุ่ม การวิจัยนี้ใช้แนวทางการวิจัยประวัติศาสตร์เชิงสถาบัน (Historical Institutional Approach) เน้นไปที่ปัจจัยทางด้านอุดมการณ์และปัจจัยโครงสร้างเชิงสถาบันเป็นสำคัญ ผลการศึกษาพบว่ารัฐสวัสดิการมีหลากหลายรูปแบบและประวัติศาสตร์เชิงสถาบันมีอิทธิพลต่อการกำหนดเส้นทางการพัฒนารัฐสวัสดิการ การก่อร่างสร้างรัฐสวัสดิการไทยจึงมิอาจลอกเลียนแบบรัฐอื่นได้ทั้งหมดแต่ต้องเข้าใจบริบทและประวัติศาสตร์ของตนเอง ประยุกต์ปรับปรุงให้เหมาะสมกับปัญหาสังคมที่ประสบอยู่ และจำเป็นต้องคำนึงถึงการเปลี่ยนแปลงเชิงสถาบันซึ่งต้องใช้เวลาหลายทศวรรษหรือศตวรรษในการเปลี่ยนแปลงทั้งทางด้านอุดมการณ์รัฐสวัสดิการ โครงสร้างเศรษฐกิจ สังคม การเมือง และวัฒนธรรม