Digital Commons Network^™

Burning Out: A Narrative Exploration Of The Adaptive Challenge And Scaffolds Built Toward Sustenance Among Immigrant Rights Activists In San Diego County, Anna C. Runion

Dissertations

Activist burnout has been identified as one of the greatest threats to social movement sustainability, and the lived experience of paid immigrant rights activists remains undertheorized. This narrative inquiry explored activist burnout among 10 San Diego County immigrant rights activists, revealing how this community understands burnout, what factors contribute to its production, and how activists sustain themselves within it. Using Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) narrative inquiry methodology, the researcher conducted in-depth individual interviews with ten activists representing a range of intersectional identities and roles. Narrative profiles were analyzed through holistic narrative reading, narrative reporting, structural and emergent coding, and cross-narrative …

Material Costs, Karima Weinman

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how migration fatality and disappearance data can be reinterpreted through material craft to create a more reflective encounter with information. Working with the Missing Migrants Project's dataset, this project asks how design can communicate dimensions of human loss that conventional data visualization cannot reach.

The work situates contemporary border violence within a longer colonial history, arguing that the logics of surveillance and quantification that structured European imperial expansion persist in the databases that govern mobility in the Mediterranean today.

Terrazzo is a 15th-century Venetian flooring technique built from discarded fragments bound together into a unified surface. This …

Hidden Systems, Samuel Choi

Masters Theses

Across buildings and cities, moisture is managed, concealed, and discharged through convoluted systems of containment. Still, water ultimately resists this framework. It reveals itself as leaks, puddles, condensation—moments typically understood as technical failure. Hidden Systems reframes these conditions as architectural knowledge, one that becomes evidence of water’s material capacity, limits of infrastructure, and a record of time.

NYC is constructed on, powered by, and profiting from water. Although it hosts a robust network, seepages disrupt control, allowing systems to be traced across scales. As pipes expand, contract, and freeze, the project unfolds seasonally, moving through water’s three states: solid, liquid, …

Just Between Us (And Everyone We Tell...), Deborah Khodanovich

Masters Theses

Graphic designers are often obsessed with a broader public. The desire to be seen, to be heard, to have our work reach the broadest audience possible—these are goals deeply ingrained in our discipline. But why? Just Between Us (and everyone we tell…) challenges us to abandon this fixation, proposing instead that graphic design should concern itself with the private—the intimate, the local, the unseen.

This is where gossip comes in. Gossip is the language of the invisible, a form of sharing, and a means of knowledge-production and preservation that has historically been dismissed as frivolous, immoral, and—most egregious of all—associated …

Psychosocial Risk Factors And Recidivism Among Violent Offenders, Abbey Elizabeth Burgess

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined whether changes in LS/CMI domain scores between prison intake and release were associated with three-year recidivism among violent offenders following their release from custody. While the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) framework emphasizes the importance of targeting dynamic criminogenic needs to reduce reoffending, relatively little research has assessed whether changes in domain-level risk factors translate into improved outcomes over time. Using administrative data from a state correctional system, this study analyzed domain-level changes in LS/CMI scores and their relationship to rearrest, while controlling for demographic characteristics, criminal history, and institutional factors. Results indicated that changes in most LS/CMI domains were …

Tuning The Neighborhood: Purifying People, Places, And Environments In Suburban Kolkata, Sourav Saha

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

In modern science, disciplines such as physics, mechanical and civil engineering, seismology, and acoustics have conceptualized vibration as a quantifiable mechanical phenomenon, measured through the metrics of frequency, amplitude, and resonance. In contrast, scholarship in anthropology, musicology, and sound studies has approached vibration as a socio-historical, cultural, and political phenomenon. This article examines how vibration (spandan) operates as a metaphysical, sensory, and ethico-affective force that mediates relations among people, places, and environments. Focusing on the practice of satsang adhibesan (devotional congregation), the article demonstrates how members of the Deoghar-Satsang community participate in sonic rituals of prayer, silent chanting, meditation, sacred …

Adapting And Promoting Tourism For Children In Venice And The Lagoon Islands: A Comparative Analysis Of Food-Related Discourse Strategies In English And In Italian, Daniela Cesiri Prof.

International Journal of Islands Research

According to the latest available version of the Annual Tourism Survey drafted by the City of Venice, in 2023, 12,628,079 tourists visited Venice and the Lagoon Islands (Bettiol & Marini, 2025). This survey does not provide data on the age groups of these visitors, but they are available in the previous version of the same Survey (Bianchetto & Marini, 2022), which reports that 29% of tourists were in the 46-71 age group. Therefore, we can presume that, excluding the older age groups, quite a large proportion of visitors is likely composed of young tourists and families with children. This study …

Book Review: Through The Brazilian Streets: The Migration Of East African Athletes To Brazil, Joao Paulo Melleiro Malagutti, Fernando Augusto Starepravo

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

This review examines the book Through the Brazilian Streets: The Migration of East African Athletes to Brazil (Rojo, 2024), which analyzes the migratory processes of African road-running athletes competing in Brazilian races. Situated within the field of the Sociology of Sport, the book combines theoretical discussion on globalization and migration with empirical research based on interviews and documentary sources. The review highlights the analytical framework proposed by the author, which examines sports migration through cultural, political, economic, and personal dimensions. Particular attention is given to the study’s focus on migration flows between regions of the Global South, a perspective that …

Justice By Geography: District-Level Variation In Pretrial Release Outcomes Across Oregon, Ethan Loomis

Dissertations and Theses

AbstractOregon’s pretrial system operates under a common statewide legal framework, yet detention and release outcomes do not appear fully consistent across jurisdictions. Earlier research on pretrial decision-making has largely focused on judicial discretion, individual-level legal factors, and the use of risk assessment tools, while giving less attention to the district-level environments in which those decisions are made. This study examines whether variation in institutional capacity, political context, demographic composition, and socioeconomic conditions corresponds with differences in pretrial outcomes across Oregon’s circuit court districts.

The study draws from focal concerns theory, racial threat perspectives, and organizational approaches to court decision-making. Rather …

Flowing Borders: U.S. Border Externalization In Latin America And The Los Angeles Declaration On Migration And Protection, Magdalena Olvera Hernandez

Master's Theses

In recent years, Latin America has emerged as a central transit region for extracontinental migrants originating from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East who seek to reach North America through alternative routes. This thesis examines the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, among other regional migration governance frameworks that have reshaped migratory flows, state responsibilities, and protection outcomes in the Western Hemisphere. Focusing on the Darién Gap as a strategic chokepoint, the study analyzes the effects of coordinated migration policies, border externalization, and differentiated state roles on extracontinental mobility.

Drawing on official migration statistics from Panama, the United States, …

Asian American Multiraciality And Cultural Wealth In Higher Education, Marielle Song Lyons

Master's Theses

Multiracial Asian American college students endure pervasive and commonplace monoracism, multiracial microaggressions, and deficit-based narratives in higher education, which negatively impact their sense of self, belonging, and mental health. Through narrative methodology, the present qualitative study captures the stories of three multiracial Asian American undergraduate students and how they are making sense of their racialized experiences and cultural wealth in higher education. The results of this study suggest that (a) multiracial Asian Americans experience monoracism and multiracial microaggressions, which shape their understanding of cultural legitimacy and impact their behavior, sense of self, and relationships with others; (b) monoracism and multiracial …

A Qualitative Study Into The Impact Of Sweeps On Homeless-Serving Mutual Aid Groups In Portland, Or, Clover Javurek-Humig

Dissertations and Theses

Sweeps and land use enforcement are among the most persistent issues impacting unhoused communities. Mutual aid groups in Portland network with unhoused people regularly to mitigate the impacts of sweeps, provide direct aid, and build social capital among encampments. This study aims to understand the impact of policing and sweeps on mutual aid groups working with unhoused communities in Portland, OR. I conducted 18 interviews with mutual aid organizers and 8 months of fieldwork with mutual aid groups in Portland, OR in the years of 2025–2026. Transcripts were analyzed using a general inductive approach. This study finds that 1) Mutual …

Shoplifting: Analyzing Spatial And Temporal Patterns, Elizabeth Petrenko

Dissertations and Theses

Shoplifting has contributed to significant losses in Oregon, reaching nearly $956 million in 2022. While overall property crime in Portland, Oregon, dropped between 2023 and 2024, reported shoplifting incidents increased by 50.0%. In Oregon, stealing property worth $100 or less is third-degree theft and a Class C misdemeanor. Second-degree theft involving stealing property between $100 and $1,000 is a Class A misdemeanor. Although often classified as petty or minor theft, shoplifting imposes strain on retailers, consumers, and communities, which raises questions about the spatial and temporal distribution of this crime. This study uses Portland Police Bureau (PPB) offense data to …

Community-Based Participatory Research In Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway To Relevance And Engagement, Laura Justice, Stacy Phillips

EFNEP

This article explains how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can strengthen the design of digital nutrition tools by ensuring they are culturally relevant, accessible, and grounded in community needs. By engaging participants as equal partners, CBPR enhances trust, usability, and long-term impact. The approach aligns with EFNEP’s mission to deliver inclusive, community-driven nutrition education and provides a framework for developing sustainable, adaptable tools that reflect the lived experiences of the families Extension serves.

Dialogue Between Mind And Algorithm: Deep Symbiosis Of Psychology And Artificial Intelligence, Xiaolan Fu, Zheng Yan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from a supportive tool into a collaborative partner, the convergence of psychology and AI is gradually shifting from one-way application toward deep symbiosis. This study discusses the mutual empowerment resulting from their interaction, as well as the challenges they face and potential pathways to breakthroughs. On the one hand, psychology empowers AI by enhancing its human-like intelligence and social adaptability through cognitive modeling and ethical constraints; on the other hand, AI empowers psychology by leveraging multimodal data and algorithmic models to revolutionize psychological assessment and intervention methods. This deep symbiosis requires a clear-eyed acknowledgment of …

Functional And Structural Lesion Network Mapping: Insights Into Acquired Brain Injury And Insomnia, Kathleen Erekson Rugh

Theses and Dissertations

Insomnia disorder is the most reported sleep disorder and can negatively affect daily functioning. Acquired brain injuries can lead to insomnia disorder. Limited research has explored a causal link between brain networks and insomnia symptoms in this population. This study replicated a lesion network mapping methodology of an insomnia study (Helquist et al., 2024) and extended it to examine structural networks linked to insomnia symptoms in individuals with acquired brain injuries. Traced lesions (N =44) were used as seed regions to compare against normative functional and structural network data. For functional analyses, we used resting state fMRI scans from a …

Baseline Moderators Of A Transdiagnostic Adolescent Sleep And Circadian Health Intervention's Effectiveness At Improving Circadian Sleep Health: A Pilot Investigation, Jamon M. Jex

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined whether baseline demographic and clinical characteristics moderate the effectiveness of the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian (TSC) intervention in improving adolescent circadian sleep health. Using an integrative data analysis approach, data from three independent adolescent samples (N = 134; ages 10-18) were pooled to evaluate changes across multidimensional sleep outcomes defined by the RU-SATED model of sleep, including regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess pre-to-post intervention changes and test moderation by age, sex, family income, and clinical status. Results indicated significant improvements in sleep satisfaction following TSC, with greater …

Introducing The Qualitative Software Article Data Analysis Checklist (Qs-Adac), Sheryl L. Chatfield

The Qualitative Report

Authors and researchers have many alternatives to consider when seeking reporting guidance or assessing the thoroughness of reporting in published qualitative research articles.  However, widely used reporting guidance and checklist processes such as CASP, COREQ, SRQR, and the American Psychological Association JARS-Qual have few prompts related to researcher use of Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS) for data preparation, processing, or analysis. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of the Qualitative Software Article Data Analysis Checklist (QS-ADAC), a tool developed to provide authors with reporting guidance and to provide students with a consistent process for examining details …

Towards Critical Agency: A Case Study Of Japanese Peacebuilding And Development In The Bangsamoro, Hana Soma

Master in Public Policy Theses

Asking “In what ways have anthropological methods been part of Japan's peacebuilding and development interventions in the Bangsamoro?”, this research hopes to make a contribution to the study of anthropology and development and their practical application by exploring the possibilities of the role of an anthropological approach in making sense of modern-day development programs, particularly through the case study of Japan’s peacebuilding-through-development efforts in the Bangsamoro. After outlining the research question as well as the design and methodology used to answer it and an overview of the histories of dispossession and the Japanese relationship to Mindanao, the essay …

Memory Parties: Celebration As A Community Mental Health Intervention In Dementia Care, Alexis Ask

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between memory, celebration, and collective experience, and proposes Memory Parties as a community mental health intervention for individuals with dementia, their families, and broader communities. Using a qualitative integrative literature review, this thesis synthesizes interdisciplinary research from dementia care, trauma studies, neurobiology, dance/movement therapy (DMT), cultural practices of ritual and celebration, and social psychology. The primary aim is to reconsider memory as an embodied, relational, and collective process rather than solely an individual cognitive function. Findings suggest that as cognitive and narrative memory change, individuals retain the capacity for emotional expression, relational engagement, and participation …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

Reviving The Sacred: Reintegrating Traditional Tantric Philosophies Into Modern Yoga And Meditation Practices, Cameron J. Geary

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

War Photography & The Limits Of Empathy, Andrea Shi

Student Theses and Dissertations

The proliferation of photography, particularly war and poverty photography, has had massive implications for the level of vividness with which Americans are able to picture suffering beyond their doors. The mass atrocities that have occurred since the advent of photography – that is to say, the last 200 years – are so relentlessly circulated that they feel, sometimes, as an inevitable byproduct of human nature. It’s not surprising, then, that a lot of media theory and analysis reduce the dilemma of atrocity photographs to a psychological level. Do they numb us, or do they incite empathy? Are they a call …

Intersection Of Food Insecurity And Housing Among Veterans And Disabled Adults, Julie Anne Stepp

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how housing tenure is associated with food insecurity (FI) among veterans and adults with disabilities, utilizing the housing-food insecurity nexus framework. Previous research documents elevated FI among veterans and individuals with disabilities, yet few studies assess housing tenure as a mechanism connecting these statuses to food hardship. Using data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey Adult Sample (n=32,629), logistic regression models estimate the independent and interactive effects of renting, veteran status, and disability status on FI. Results suggest renters have significantly higher odds of FI than homeowners, even after adjusting for poverty status, SNAP participation, and …

Fallen Through The Cracks: The Experiences Of Dually-Involved Youth, Kaylee Dawn Faria

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dually-involved youth (DIY) are a uniquely disadvantaged population, simultaneously involved with both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Information regarding the system experiences of DIY and how they compare to their single-system, juvenile justice-only involved (SSY) counterparts is sparse, particularly through a criminal justice lens. Additionally, no research on the within-individual differences between DIY pre- and post-DIY identification is currently available. The present study seeks to bridge current gaps in the literature by (a) establishing a baseline comparison of DIY and SSY in Clark County, Nevada, (b) assessing depth of system penetration differences via case processing outcomes, and (c) …

Multiple Interest Holder Perspectives Of The True Grit Sci Residential Program: A Mixed Methods Program Evaluation, Keara Mcnair

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Young adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) face significant challenges during the transition to adulthood, including barriers to independence, community participation, and psychosocial adjustment (Ingimarsdóttir et al., 2023; Zebracki et al., 2010). Current rehabilitation models in the United States prioritize short-term physical recovery and offer limited support for the developmental and contextual needs that shape long-term outcomes after SCI, particularly during transitions from inpatient rehabilitation to the community (Anderson et al., 2024; Bryden & Gran, 2024). Community-based programs may help address these gaps, though few have been rigorously evaluated using implementation science frameworks that attend to health equity, contextual influences, …

Event Day, Crime Day? A Study Of Event-Driven Crime And Enforcement In Las Vegas, Anna Nakazawa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas is an international tourist destination that welcomes millions of visitors each year. Allegiant Stadium, located in Las Vegas, is an NFL venue south of the Strip that hosts a wide variety of events. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of events on the environmental backcloth within a 10-minute walking distance from the stadium. Calls for service (CFS) and proactive police enforcement were measured and compared across event days and non-event days from 2022 to 2024. The findings from this study demonstrate that event days experience disproportionately more calls and enforcement than non-event days, with …

Factors Influencing K-12 School Homicide Casualties, Melvin Alexander Vargas Melgar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Kindergarten through 12th-grade (K-12) school homicides, defined as homicides that occurred on the property of a school serving kindergarten through 12th-grade students, account for about 2% of all youth homicides, but are still a serious problem in the United States. From 2000 to 2024, 372 K-12 school homicide incidents have occurred, in which 783 victims were killed and injured. However, prior research tends to either generally focus on youth homicides, school violence, or high-profile school shootings with multiple victims. This study aims to add to the literature by examining various incident-level factors of K-12 school homicide incidents that may influence …

Quality Improvement (Qi) Project Aimed At Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Usage Among Older Adult Patients By Addressing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing In Primary And Long-Term Care Settings, Pamela M. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antibiotic overuse among older adults remains a significant patient safety and public health concern. Recent national data indicate that approximately 30%–50% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary, particularly for viral or self-limiting conditions (Chua et al., 2021). Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with more than 1.27 million deaths globally (Murray et al., 2022). This quality improvement project evaluated a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention in primary and long-term care settings. Baseline review of 167 antibiotic cases revealed 37.1% were inappropriate or questionable, and 28.7% lacked adequate diagnostic documentation. The intervention incorporated provider education, electronic health record decision-support tools, audit and …

Queer Ballroom In 1980s-90s New York City: Connections To Joy And Education, Maya A. Gary

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This master's thesis project delivers a concise history of the development of Queer Ballroom in the 1980s–1990s in Harlem, New York City, primarily focusing on low-income Black and Latino queer individuals and how they created spaces of belonging and joy during the HIV/AIDS crisis. This work illustrates how ballroom culture functioned as both a space of refuge and a network for mutual aid, outreach, and advocacy. In addition to the historical analysis, this project includes a free-to-use educational website and lesson plans aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning for grades 6 and 11. This work demonstrates the importance of …