Digital Commons Network^™

Parkinson’S Disease Support Groups In Rural America: Barriers, Resources, And Opportunities, Erin J. Bush, Reshmi L. Singh, Mary Jo C. Hidecker, Catherine Phillips Carrico

The Qualitative Report

People with Parkinson’s disease who live in rural communities may lack information and support regarding their condition, compared to those in urban or suburban areas. For the study described herein, the researchers sought to gain a deeper understanding of support group experiences of rural Parkinson’s disease stakeholders through merging an interpretive phenomenological design with Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR). Using this merged approach, we collected qualitative data from five focus groups to gain a community perspective. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically, first, and then further explored for an overall essence. The theme, Support Group Benefits: Opportunities for Communication expounded upon …

In The Group Home: Disenfranchised Youth And The Creative Writing Workshop As Intervention, Alyse Bensel

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Nationwide, creative writing outreach programs serve marginalized groups in the community, empowering participants to regain a sense of control through non-verbal creative outlets. In striving to maintain the humanity and dignity of participants, pedagogies for underserved groups call for workshop facilitators to accompany rather than instruct. Using the group home adolescent population as an example, this article advocates for future alliances between the academy and the community to serve local at-risk populations. This collaboration will foster interdisciplinary cooperation and develop service learning coursework opportunities for positive social change.

Latinas And Sexual Health: Correlates Of Sexual Satisfaction, Christine Marie Velez

Dissertations and Theses

Latinas/os are one of the fastest growing and most heterogeneous minority ethnic groups in the US. One in 5 women in the US are Latina; by 2060, it is projected that Latinas will compose 1/3 of the female population. Latinas continue to experience disparities in sexual and reproductive health outcomes compared to non-Hispanic whites. While factors impacting undesirable consequences of sexual activity for Latinas have been well documented, Latinas' experiences with sexual satisfaction in the broader context of sexual health remains understudied, despite sexual satisfaction having been identified as an integral component of sexual health. A focus on positive sexual …

The Time To Act Is Now: Addressing The Challenges Of Being A Student, Staff, Or Faculty Member At Du While Also Being A Parent To Young Children, Elinor Brereton, Andrew Bair, Jeneba Berety, Shailyn Lineberry, Owen Mcdevitt, Madison Sussmann, Dylan Atkins, Carolyn Kemp, Aimee Spencer, Brooke Connelly, Alya Garrison-Ahmed, Funmilayo Olukemi, Kassandra Neiss, Kirsten Fetrow, Rebecca Kelley, Sophie Van Den Handel, Grace Going, Elizabeth Gouin, Blaise Van Brunt, Margaret Wolf, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Undergraduate Student Scholarship

The growing number of undergraduate and graduate students who are simultaneously raising children while attending school requires the attention of institutions that want to support their students through the completion of their intended program. Compared to traditional students, these students have greater time and financial restraints, lower graduation rates, and require accommodation, support, and resources to help them maintain their academic standing. This issue is not isolated to just students however. Staff and faculty at academic institutions are also balancing their family and work responsibilities. With an increase in the number of households where one or two adults work full …

List: Participants In The Campaign Techniques Workshop, National Women’S Education Fund.

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

A participant list in the Campaign Techniques Workshop for the National Women's Education Fund held in Atlanta, Georgia. July 26-29, 1974.

Tier 1 Intervention: Animals In Schools, Sarah Kavan, Angela Prince, Mary Jo Anderson, Nicole Bricko, Natalie Hoff, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

The use of animals in schools has become an increasingly important topic of discussion, as there are various reasons that animals might be an important component of the school day for our students. Purposes can range from service animals to therapy animals or even recreational or visitation animals. While there are benefits and considerations for all animals in schools, under the current legal mandates, there is only one category of animals that is required be allowed in schools: service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act has set forth clear regulations stating that service animals must be allowed to accommodate …

Enemies Of The Nation: Understanding The Hungarian State’S Relationship To Humanitarian Ngos, Andria D. Timmer Ph.D., Danielle Docka-Filipek Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) occupy a very ambiguous role in society. Historically, NGOs have been both heralded as democracy in action and criticized for being complicit supporters of neoliberalism. Now, in certain contexts, they are rendered as enemies of the nation. In this article, we examine the evolution of nongovernmental organizations in Hungary, a nation where this transformation is exceedingly clear. Hungary provides a pertinent case example to explore the manner in which civil society as an amorphous, ill-defined category becomes a stand-in for whatever the state needs to protect its interests. The current discourse on NGOs in Hungary plays out …

Programming In Restrictive Housing: Considerations For Improving Outcome Evaluations, H. Daniel Butler, Starr Solomon, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A number of studies have identified “what works” in regard to the successful implementation of correctional programming over the past several decades. Few studies, however, have examined the complexities associated with programming in restrictive housing. Using data from a Midwestern department of corrections, we examined whether the provision of programming in restrictive housing achieved desired outcomes (e.g., reductions in inmate misconduct). The findings revealed the amount of time served in restrictive housing and confinement in different types of restrictive housing may influence estimations of a treatment effect. As a growing number of states seek to reform the use of restrictive …

Building An Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach For Moving Integrated Employment Forward, John Butterworth, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jason Billehus, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Using A Light Touch: Engaging Families Using Facebook Messenger, John Kramer, John Shepard, Jennifer Bose, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Research shows that families are essential in the employment process for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Frequently, however, messages they receive about employment are conflicting and can vary between service systems, often due to a lack of coordination across these systems. These conflicting messages can frustrate families and negatively affect their employment expectations and their efforts to support employment outcomes. The present study examines how a well-planned and individualized engagement strategy could improve families’ expectations about employment for their family member with IDD, and how those improved expectations impact the employment planning process. This pilot focused on engaging …

Using Data To Ignite And Sustain Employment Systems Change, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Service Workers Knowledge On The Use Of Technology For Human Trafficking, Raquel Monique Holguin, Athena Noel Barber

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human Trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery. Those who perpetuate it do so because it is lucrative to invest in a product that can be resold multiple times (Ellis, 2017). The recent advancement of technology has tremendously helped traffickers thrive in the illicit business of Human Trafficking. Social media websites, online classifieds, and mobile applications are quickly becoming some of the major mediums perpetrators utilize to traffick their victims (Latonero, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine social service workers’ knowledge on the use of technology for Human Trafficking. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and the participants were …

Burnout Among Bilingual Social Service Providers, Marlene Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study focuses on burnout among bilingual Social Service Providers (BSSPs) and examines their thoughts and beliefs on the interconnection of their bilingual/bicultural skills and higher risk of burnout. The findings from this study have significant ramifications for the social service field on both Macro and Micro levels. At a Micro scale, the data validates the additional responsibilities of BSSP’s, while bringing more awareness to this group of professionals. Additional findings contribute to new policies regarding BSSPs job responsibilities; for example, accurate job descriptions and training for positions that require translation and interpretation. An exploratory study using qualitative data was …

Cold Genocide: Falun Gong In China, Maria Cheung, Torsten Trey, David Matas, Richard An

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The article explores patterns of a cold genocide in the eradication campaign against Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that has been targeted for eradication by the Chinese regime since 1999. In comparison to the documented cases of genocide, the genocide of Falun Gong stands out as anomalous because it is virtually ignored. The article seeks to elucidate the multi-faceted nature of this concealed genocide from an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing social work, medicine and law, In particular, the article demonstrates that the eradication campaign against Falun Gong is distinguishable as a cold genocide as it is: (1) multi-dimensional …

San Bernardino And Riverside County Foster Family Agency Social Workers' Awareness Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Cristin Elizabeth Campbell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking is a crime happening right in our own backyards. Social Workers are seeing this vulnerable population fall through the fingers of social services and into the clutches of traffickers at alarming rates. This research project analyzed San Bernardino and Riverside County Foster Family Agency Social Workers' Awareness of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. This project was a quantitative exploratory research design. A paper survey was distributed to Foster Family Agency Social Workers within San Bernardino and Riverside County, California using a snowball sampling. A bivariate analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship that social work experience in …

Social Work Students’ Attitudes And Beliefs About Mental Health Courts, Nicholas Bettosini, Conrad Paul Akins-Johnson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental Health Courts (MHCs) are a diversion program for mentally ill offenders in lieu of incarceration. The Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (SAMHSA) developed these specialized court programs in the 1990’s to assist mentally ill offenders in overcoming barriers to treatment. While new laws have begun to change the way mentally ill offenders are viewed from a law enforcement standpoint, social workers’ attitudes and beliefs about these programs have not been studied. This quantitative study’s purpose was to examine Master of Social Work (MSW) Graduate students’ attitudes and beliefs of mentally ill offenders and MHCs. Social work student participants …

Therapeutic Justice: Crime, Treatment Courts And Mental Illness, Karen A. Snedker

Sociology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"This book examines Mental Health Courts (MHC) within a socio-legal framework. Placing these courts within broader trends in criminal justice, especially problem-solving courts, the author draws from two case studies with a mixed-methods design. While court observational and interview data highlight the role of rituals and procedural justice in the practices of the court, quantitative data demonstrates the impact of incentives, mental health treatment compliance and graduating patterns from MHC in altering patterns of criminal recidivism. In utilising these methods, this book provides a new understanding of the social processes by which MHCs operate, while narrative stories from MHC participants …

The Role Of Glucocorticoid Signaling In Prostate Cancer Health Disparities, Leanne W. Burnham

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

African-American men are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) and die from the disease than other ethnic groups. Glucocorticoid signaling is a contributing biological factor to worse PCa prognosis, and is emerging as a key driver of PCa progression in the absence of androgens. The mechanism involves glucocorticoids binding to glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and bypassing the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway to activate AR-target genes that promote tumor aggressiveness and therapy-resistance. This is problematic as African-American men have hypersensitive GR signaling and chronically-elevated levels of glucocorticoids linked to cumulative stressful life events. To explore the role of glucocorticoid …

Reinvention V Transformation: Transforming The Personal Reinvention Process, Glick-Smith, Judith L.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Healing Our Planet, Laszlo, Ervin

Journal of Conscious Evolution

In the last few years, and especially since the economic-financial crisis of the fall of 2008, it has become painfully clear that there is something seriously wrong with our world. The media is full of reports of crises, and various experts offer suggestions on what to do about them. But for the most part the diagnosis and the cure are highly sectoral and partial. There is talk about the financial crisis, and the overall economic crisis. Then of the environmental crisis and various resource-crises: energy, food, water, among others. There is also talk about consumerism, power-hunger, and greed. There is …

Investigating Attitude Change Through Psychoeducational Interventions, Elizabeth Claire Toal

Student Theses

Public perception of individuals charged with sexual offenses tends to be both negative and misinformed, leading to popular support for non-evidence based harsh and punitive sentencing. These fear-based attitudes are often more impactful than research in influencing public policy or legislation regarding individuals charged with sexual offenses. Kleban and Jeglic (2012) observed that discussion-based psychoeducation about individuals charged with sexual offenses resulted in significantly fewer negative attitudes about this offending population. The current study replicated these results with the addition of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) intervention featuring an interactive psychoeducational video addressing myths and misperceptions about individuals charged with …

Parenting, Attachment Theory, And God, Erin Olson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Have you ever stopped to consider how experiences in your childhood may have impacted your perceptions of God?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the importance of the parent-child relationship from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/parenting-attachment-theory-and-god/

The Sociology Of Social Class: Recovering The Contributions Of The Women Founders, Joyce E. Williams, Vicky M. Maclean

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Contributing Factors To Mass Incarceration And Recidivism, Nayely Esparza Flores

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The United States has been historically known for having the most incarcerated individuals in its country. Approximately 2.3 million adults can be found under some type of penal control. Since the 1960s, the number of incarcerated individuals can be attributed to decades of tough on crime policies, controversial police practices, and racism. Mass incarceration has raised significant social justice issues, especially since it has been heavily concentrated on poor, uneducated African American men. Moreover, recidivism rates in the United States are at an all time high with over 76.6% of offenders reoffending and returning to prison (National Institute of Justice, …

Formerly Incarcerated Adults In Higher Education: A Life-History Study Of A Restorative Approach To Prisoner Reentry, Robert Michael Ehnow

Dissertations

The U.S. is the world’s “leading jailer” with both the highest incarceration rate and the largest number of prisoners. Each year more than 700,000 inmates are released from prison and re-enter their communities. The majority of released prisoners lack the necessary education, work experience, and life skills to successfully reintegrate back into society.

One alternative to the retributive model of justice used in the United States is a restorative justice strategy. A restorative approach to prisoner reintegration seeks to re-establish community support and acceptance for criminal offenders in order to allow them to become beneficial members of society. The literature …

Vignettes In Qualitative Educational Research: Investigating Greek School Principals’ Values, Pelagia A. Stravakou, Evangelia Ch. Lozgka

The Qualitative Report

Vignettes are hypothetical scenarios of many forms that are presented to interviewees in qualitative studies to elicit participants’ answers on diverse topics. Although there are few scholars having discussed the application of vignettes in qualitative studies, there is no article assessing the implementation of vignettes in the field of educational administration. Therefore, our article discusses the vignette technique as a data collection tool within the qualitative methodological paradigm with a focus on the aforementioned field. More specifically, in the first section we outline the design of hypothetical scenarios and their advantages and disadvantages as a data gathering tool, according to …

Data Make A Difference! (Sometimes), David Sedlacek, Rene Drumm, Alina M. Baltazar, Duane C. Mcbride

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This presentation offers an overview of three studies dealing with pastor family stress in the North American Division. Using these large-scale endeavors as a case study, the research team delineates the study outcomes, the known ways that these data have driven system change, and enumerates barriers that prevent data from having greater impacts in the SDA Church.

Self-Empowerment Of Minorities Focusing On Trans-Border Communities, Lizbet Carrillo

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The purpose of this research is to study how migrants could experience self-empowerment having no representation as they are segregated by the communities they live in. Examining current literature regrading empowerment and how to reach self-empowerment, belongingness and the importance of it in everyone’s’ life including minorities focusing on trans-border communities and migrants. Is it possible for unrepresented minorities to reach self-empowerment? How to successfully cross established boundaries, expectations and stereotypes?

Geographic Variation In Sex Ratios Of The Us Immigrant Population: Identifying Sources Of Difference, Erin Trouth Hofmann, E. Miranda Reiter

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper describes geographic variation in the sex composition of the foreign-born population in the US since 1990, and uses Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify key sources of variation in regional sex ratios. We use data from the 1990 and 2000 US Censuses, and from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey, to create estimates of the size and characteristics of foreign-born populations at the level of Consistent Public-Use Microdata Areas. We find substantial local- and region-level variation in population sex ratios, with the highest sex ratios in the South and Midwest. This variation is partly explained by differences in the age- and …

Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem & Intra Group Conflicts Amongst Latinos, Christian Arevalo

McNair Research Journal SJSU

Unlike Salvadorans, Mexican/Mexican Americans have long established communities revolved around their culture. They have advanced in social class, education and political representation. On the other hand, Salvadorans have only just recently begun migrating and settling in predominantly Mexican/Mexican American communities. Competition over resources and the preservation of Mexican/Mexican American culture has caused continuing conflicts among Salvadorans and Mexicans/Mexican Americans. Additionally, inter-ethnic and in-group conflicts are also affected by generational differences (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation, etc.). Due to acculturation, Latinos/as struggle to retain their cultural heritage and parents often lose the ability to influence their children’s ethnic identity (customs, language, social …