Digital Commons Network^™

Gender, Integration, And Labor Market Access: The Case Of Syrian Refugees In Germany, Feras Al-Mekhlafy

Theses and Dissertations

Germany hosts one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees in Europe, making their successful labor market integration critical for social and economic stability. This study investigates the gender gap among Syrian refugees in Germany within the broader refugee–native labor market gap. Using cross-sectional data from the 2022 SOEP refugee survey, it applies a Heckman two-step selection model to jointly analyze employment and wage outcomes while correcting for selection bias. Results reveal that structural barriers (e.g.: legal and bureaucratic) and compositional factors (e.g.: human capital) rather than wage discrimination drive most observed disparities. Female refugees face significantly lower employment probabilities, …

“I Deserve Better” – The Lived Experience Of Toxic Leadership Among It Employees, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Pooja Sharma

The Qualitative Report

This study investigates the lived experiences of individuals who have been subjected to toxic leadership to elucidate its complex and extensive impact on the lives of subordinates. The primary focus was on survivors who navigated the challenges posed by toxic leadership and its detrimental consequences. Employing Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the researchers conducted an in-depth examination of the experiences of five participants, emphasizing depth and nuance over breadth. Through the analysis, six key themes emerged: excessive workload, breakdown of trust, personal sacrifices, psychological effects, emotional spillover, and expectations imposed by managers on employees. Collectively, these themes offer a comprehensive and …

In Her Words: The Silent Battles Of Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer, Nada Mohamed Ahmed Hassan Nh

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the emotional, social, and economic difficulties encountered by Egyptian women from middle- to working-class origins after a breast cancer diagnosis. Despite being a worldwide health concern, local cultural, institutional, and economic circumstances have a significant impact on the lived consequences of breast cancer. Women's post-diagnosis experiences in Egypt are greatly exacerbated by deeply ingrained gender stereotypes, stigma associated with cancer, and systemic injustices in the healthcare system. This research emphasizes women's situated knowledge and views their bodily experiences as crucial sources of insight into larger societal power relations. It is based on feminist perspective theory, especially the …

An Ethnographic Exploration Of The Lived Experiences With Gynecologic Cancers, Norma Naser Aldeen

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This thesis stays close to conversations with nine women who spoke about living with and through gynecologic cancers, from moments of finding out, through treatment, and into what follows. These encounters unfolded primarily through digitally mediated exchanges across Baalbek, Beirut, and other translocal settings shaped by distance and movement. Rather than approaching illness as a bounded biomedical event, this thesis attends to how gynecologic cancer is narrated as something that lingers—pressing into everyday life through bodily sensations, altered rhythms, and ongoing recalibrations of care, responsibility, and what remains possible.

Across these encounters, care rarely appears as a stable system …

Egyptian Feminist Critiques Of Neoliberalism, Asmaa Elmalky

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines Egyptian feminist critiques of neoliberal economic policies through a Third World feminist and feminist political economy framework. It argues that neoliberalism in Egypt has produced controlling power dynamics through restructuring labor markets, social reproduction, and legal systems in ways that disproportionately impoverish women, particularly working-class women. The research maps diverse feminist engagements with neoliberal reforms, including structural adjustment programs, privatization, labor reduction, and legal liberalization. These critiques were influenced by the debates between Third World and transnational feminism, the thesis emphasizes the importance of national specific analysis in understanding how global neoliberal policies are mediated through national …

Staff Education To Improving Patient Safety Outcomes Through Structured Staff Education, Imuetinyan Phillipa Ehondor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education doctoral project was implemented to address inconsistent staff knowledge of patient safety principles, disproportionate adherence to safety practices, and underutilization of standardized educational resources in an acute care clinic setting. It was important to address this issue in the context of nursing practice because patient safety is foundational to high-quality health care, directly influencing patient outcomes, regulatory compliance, organizational performance, and workforce morale. The practice-focused question was the following: In an acute care clinic, how does the implementation of a standardized safety protocol education program, compared to existing practices, impact staff knowledge regarding a culture of safety? …

Beyond The Gpa: What Your Gpa Really Means, Su Nguyen, Erick Leiva, Azzurra Bitti

CAFE Symposium 2026

The project applies sociological concepts to analyze the function of the Grade Point Average (GPA) in student life. This analysis focuses on three areas: understanding why some students attribute significant meaning to GPA while others do not; investigating the broader societal implications of this metric’s existence; and examining the appropriate approach to this seemingly objective measurement.

Comparing Sociological Suicide Studies In The 1800s To Psychological Suicide Studies Now, Amanda Mic

CAFE Symposium 2026

Sociology can look at the numbers and explain to us the physical, concrete facts about when, where, and how suicides happen, but psychology gives us an explanation as to why it happens. This project looks into the ways that 19th century societal stigmas around suicide caused inaccuracies in the statistics that sociologists studied, and therefore their findings, as well as the abundance of discoveries on suicide and mental conditions by psychologists in more recent times.

The Last Human Place: Efficiency Is Killing Libraries, Gabriel Morley

Mississippi Libraries

This essay argues that libraries should de-prioritize efficiency. Instead, libraries should promote their value around connective labor, which is the human work of attention, care, and emotional understanding. Libraries are increasingly dominated by automation, data metrics, and speed. This essay puts forward the idea that libraries should shift focus to human relationships as an organizing principle. Drawing on Allison Pugh’s concept of connective labor, this essay contends that human-to-human engagement is essential infrastructure, as vital as technology or buildings. Efficiency-focused metrics like circulation and attendance fail to capture the deeper social function libraries play in communities and on campuses related …

“Wi” Segregation Still Exists: An Analysis Of Digital Segregation In Los Angeles, Ethan Lin

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Malaysia’S Social Media And Virtual Communities: Investigating Digital Engagement, Social Problem Management, And Economic Mobility, Muhammad Ridhwan Sarifin, Nur Hafizah Yusoff, Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

This study explores the evolving role of social media in shaping users’ digital engagement, social problem management, psychological well-being, and economic mobility in Malaysia. A total of 374 respondents participated in an online survey, selected using purposive sampling to capture active users across diverse age, income, and educational backgrounds. The study employed a structured questionnaire with Likert-scale items to evaluate perceptions of virtual community participation. Linear regression and moderation analysis were conducted to determine how social media usage predicts social issue management, emotional and social needs fulfillment, and economic opportunity access. Digital literacy was tested as a moderator between social …

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born--to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

Associations Between Big Five Personality Traits, Facets, And Sexual Fantasies, Emily Cannoot, Amy C. Moors, Wiliam J. Chopik

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The present study investigated associations between Big Five personality traits, their facets, and the frequency and variety of sexual fantasies in a sample of 5,225 adults (M = 58.30 years old; 56.5% men). People high in conscientiousness and agreeableness report fewer sexual fantasies across exploratory, intimate, impersonal, and sadomasochistic domains; these effects were primarily driven by respectfulness and responsibility facets. Negative emotionality, particularly the depression facet, was associated with more frequent sexual fantasizing. Extraversion and open-mindedness showed minimal relationships with sexual fantasy frequency. These results underscore the importance of personality dimensions in understanding sexual thoughts, emphasizing the heterogeneity of …

A New Tool For Handling Multiracial And Multi-Identity Data In Health Research, Gabriel J. Merrin

Population Health Research Brief Series

When surveys ask about race or ethnicity, a growing number of Americans select more than one category. The multiracial population now represents over 10% of the U.S. population and is the fastest growing racial group in the country. Yet researchers routinely collapse these individuals into an “other race” category for statistical analysis, rendering specific subgroups invisible. This brief introduces CATAcode, a free software tool that helps researchers systematically explore, document, and prepare check-all-that-apply demographic data for statistical modeling. In a demonstration with over 8,000 high school students, CATAcode revealed 85 distinct racial identity combinations from just eight response options. The …

Lgbtqiapn+ Leadership: Barriers And Challenges In Organizational Work Relations, Luiz Henrique Gardini De Silva, Emerald Jay D. Ilac, Tatiani Schmitt

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To identify the main barriers and challenges faced by LGBTQIAPN+ leaders in the workplace and examine their relationships with leadership self-efficacy. Methodology: Data collection involved LGBTQIAPN+ individuals in leadership positions, resulting in responses from 1,156 participants. To test the proposed theoretical model, Structural Equation Modeling analysis was performed. Main results: The findings highlighted issues related to group composition and diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity as the main barriers and challenges. The validation of the hypotheses supported the notion that the difficulties experienced by LGBTQIAPN+ individuals at work can provide them with valuable skills that lead to leadership, making …

Experiences Of Stigma And Barriers To Care Among Transgender And Gender Expansive Populations Seeking Mental Healthcare, Amanda Veldorale-Griffin, Elizabeth Banks, Elizabeth Patrick, Judith Cannon, Caidan Thomas Smith

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Transgender and gender expansive (TGGE) people experience increased risk for mental health issues and suicidality, as well as significant barriers to mental healthcare, due to stigma and discrimination, including from mental healthcare providers. A sample of 945 TGGE participants completed self-report surveys, measuring experiences of stigma and barriers to care, and counselor competence. Data were divided into two groups by age and analyzed through linear regressions and one-way ANOVAs. Across groups, participants (approximately 58% of younger participants and 49% of older participants) reported experiencing stigma from a healthcare provider, and all reported some barriers to care, with more than half …

Older Adults And Suicide: Protective Pathways To Apply Shores In Counseling, Anna A. Ellenson, Jenny L. Cureton

Adultspan Journal

Older adult suicide (OAS) is a growing concern as the U.S. population continues to age and access to counseling expands. Despite legal and ethical requirements, counselors are often underprepared to address suicide in later life, especially through the lens of suicide protective factors (SPFs). This conceptual article introduces SHORES, a research-informed mnemonic (Skills and strategies for coping, Hope, Objections to suicide, Reasons for living/Restriction of means, Engaged care, and Support), to help counselors assess, intervene, and plan treatment with older adults. We review literature on OAS, highlight gaps in counselor training, and provide an application guide for using SHORES with …

Empowering Rural Voices Through Deliberative Mini-Publics, Elizabeth B. Hinchcliff

The Rural Educator

This conceptual paper explores the tension between valuing and listening to community voices, while also providing a space wherein rural advocates and community members can come together to address difficult issues prevalent within rural schooling, through deliberative mini-publics. A multiplicity of reasons supports deliberative mini-publics, but I explore three in particular, the first being that they provide a space wherein an intentionally diverse set of community voices and perspectives can be shared, listened to, and explored. Second, the goal of any democratically deliberative space is to explore multiple perspectives as part of the process to seek solutions that contribute to …

Social, Environmental And Policy Contexts Affecting The Feasibility And Acceptability Of Improving Household Flooring For Better Health In Rural Kenya, Ulrike Fillinger, Victoria Ochwal, Hugo Legge, Sharon Muli, Karisa Kazungu, Carlos Mcharo, Jacinta Mwongeli, Charles Mwandawiro, Katherine Halliday, Doris Njomo

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background Homes with unimproved floors (earth, sand, or clay) are associated with increased risks of soil-transmitted parasites and enteric infections, leading to higher morbidity and reduced quality of life. This study explored the enablers and barriers to adopting improved flooring (sealed, washable, and durable) in three culturally diverse regions of Kenya - Narok, Bungoma, and Kwale - to mitigate disease burdens.

Methods Between August 2021 and July 2022, we conducted 24 focus group discussions with homeowners, stratified by age, gender, and floor type. Additionally, 28 key informant interviews with local government officials, microfinance representatives, and masonry trainers in Kwale and …

Living Well: The Built, Lived, And Social Determinants Of Well-Being, Yi Wen Tan, Zidane Tiew, Emi Loh, Shania Go, Wensi Lim

ROSA Research Briefs

As Singapore transitions into a super-aged society, it becomes imperative for us to develop sustainable, inclusive, and effective models of care. In recent years, there has been growing emphasis on embedding healthcare, social services, and everyday amenities within the community. During this year’s National Day Rally, the Government introduced Age Well Neighbourhoods, a new scheme that builds on existing efforts from the Age Well SG initiative. Age Well Neighbourhoods seeks to expand active ageing centre networks, bring healthcare closer to homes with the establishment of community health posts, and provide greater home personal care services, further cementing its focus on …

Living Between The Lines: Economic Insecurity And Older Americans, Caitlin E. Coyle, Michelle Ward, Nidya Velasco Roldán, Ceara Somerville, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates from the 2025 Elder Index(TM) suggest that over half of older adults living alone, and about one out of four older couples, lack the financial resources required to pay for basic needs. We compared household incomes for adults age 65 and above living in one- and two-person households to the 2025 Elder Index for each state to calculate Economic Insecurity Rates (EIRs), the percentage of independent adults age 65 or older with annual incomes that do not support economic security. National averages suggest that 53% of older adults living alone and 25% of older couples have annual incomes …

Finding Luis: A Creative Nonfiction Account Of Law & Society, Jason M. Leggett

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This essay explores the contradictions in legal theory and human experience through creative nonfiction. Its main purpose is to argue that a truly just society requires acknowledging the profound influence of individual narratives on the law. This is supported by blending personal narratives, critical analysis, and philosophical inquiry to reveal the gap between codified law and lived realities for marginalized individuals. This unique Legal Poetics methodology employs a series of six vignettes, such as the author's and Luis's shared experiences with traumatic brain injury and the denial of justice, as data. By integrating autoethnography, law as narrative, and performativity theories, …

Reimagining Safety And Justice: Experiences Of And Resistance To Police Sexual Violence In New York City, Priscilla Bustamante

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the era following both Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, police sexual violence (PSV) currently constitutes the second most commonly reported police complaint after excessive force. Police across the U.S. are caught for some form of sexual misconduct once every five days, with on-duty officers found to commit sexual assaults at more than double the rate of the general population. The gendered and racialized perpetration of sexual violence extends far beyond policing; however, it has been intensified within the masculine, militarized carceral structures designed to legally control and punish.

Accordingly, this dissertation utilizes an interdisciplinary, multi-method approach to offer what …

Marx And Engels On Prisons And Capitalism, James Parisot

Sociology Faculty Publications

This paper rethinks Marx and Engels’ comments on imprisonment and capitalism. While there has been a tendency to suggest the authors’ comments on crime and punishment were peripheral and secondary to their major projects, such as Marx’s Capital, this paper claims, in fact, their writings on incarceration were guided by their shared theoretical project which included historicizing systems of punishment as correlating with modes of production. Also, while more has been written on their ideas of criminality, instead, this paper excavates their thoughts on prisons, which have often been neglected. Overall, it shows there has been a tendency to …

How Do Social Isolation And Loneliness Vary By Age?, Jihye Baek, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Social isolation and loneliness, which are experienced by many older adults, can negatively impact health and well-being. Although often used interchangeably, social isolation is defined as an objective lack of social ties (e.g., number of close family members or friends) and loneliness as an internal sense of disconnection (e.g., feeling alone even when surrounded by others). Because social relationships, health, and life circumstances change as we age, patterns of social isolation and loneliness may differ by age group. Therefore, this research brief asks, How do patterns of social isolation and loneliness differ across age groups among community-dwelling older adults? 

February 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Evan England, Jess Carson, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The February 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter features a spotlight on the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. Also find the latest data, research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.

Good Mothers: Black Disabled Mothers & The Family Policing System, Siobhan Pokorney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Good Mothers: Black Disabled Mothers & the Family Policing System is a qualitative study utilizing 16 in-depth individual interviews with mothers who broadly identified as Black, disabled mothers who had at least one interaction with the family policing system as adults in or around NYC. The study examines the work these mothers engage in to navigate their identities and strategically present themselves as good mothers while facing state surveillance and oppressive systems (specifically the family policing system) which automatically frame them as “unfit mothers.” It traces their experiences and the identity work that they engage in through the anticipatory trauma …

Girl Center Special Feature: 2025 Impact Report, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

This report highlights the impact, research, publications, events, and activities that the GIRL Center accomplished in 2025.

Beyond Resilience: The Case For Regenerative, Restorative Cities, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong mentioned that at the City Dialogues event, co-convened by SMU and Urban Innovation Vienna, participants agreed that cities must equip their residents to withstand shocks and thrive in an evolving urban environment. Prof Kong said resilient cities anticipate, adapt and respond effectively to disruptions, which involves attention not only to physical infrastructure, but also to social cohesion and institutional foresight. She said that embedding sustainability into urban design is fundamental to ensuring cities flourish in a world of climate uncertainty and resource constraints. She added that the value of urban resilience lies …

Counter-Urbanization In China: A Systematic Review Toward A Comprehensive Typology, Chengxue Yang, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Drawing on a systematic review of both international and Chinese-language scholarship on counter-urbanization in China, this article proposes a comprehensive typology of counter-urbanization migrations—consisting of eight types of new migrants—based on the diverse motivations driving such migration. We build a bilingual corpus of 273 research papers published between the 1970s and 2025. Integrating bibliometric mapping and qualitative synthesis, we conduct a systematic review to trace the temporal evolution and thematic diversification of counter-urbanization research. The review reveals persistent conceptual ambiguity surrounding counter-urbanization in the Chinese context, which this study addresses by conceptually distinguishing counter-urbanization from suburban expansion, population decentralization, and …