Digital Commons Network^™

Authoritarianism, Hostility And Threat: An Analysis Of American Political Podcasts Surrounding The 2024 Presidential Election, Noah D. Cohen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Political rhetoric surrounding key events has seen sharp increases in emotionally affective speech, intergroup sentiment, and rhetoric unbecoming of democratic societies in recent years. Similarly, semi-democratic and ideologically driven speech has become increasingly normalized within an era of political polarization and hardline beliefs in modern media. Within this economy of outrage, sensational and largely unmoderated media formats, particularly podcasts, have become a mainstay of political information and discourse. This raises an important question: how does rhetoric surrounding political events construct intergroup sentiment and authoritarian rhetoric within political media, particularly American political podcasts? Further, given political podcasts’ growing social influence in …

The Role Of Temperament In Criminal Trajectories: Development, Stability, And Predictive Power Across The Life Course, Joshua A. Lang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Temperament, an individual's largely innate tendency to experience and regulate responses to their environment, has long been studied but was only recently introduced as a primary predictor of criminal behavior (DeLisi & Vaughn, 2014). While prior criminological theories have incorporated temperament-related constructs, such as negative affect (Agnew, 1992; Moffitt, 1993) and self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990), no other theory has explicitly positioned temperament as the central factor in offending. DeLisi and Vaughn’s temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior posits that individuals with low effortful control and high negative emotionality—features of a difficult temperament—are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Despite …

Skipping Town: An Examination Of Fugitive Travel Patterns, Flight Duration, And "Journey-From-Crime", Shun Q. Feng

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose: Existing research on fugitive mobility has largely examined fugitive travel patterns and flight duration as separate phenomena, often relying on limited geographic areas or a cross-section of the fugitive population. This dissertation addresses these gaps by examining where fugitives travel relative to their originating county, and how long they avoid apprehension. Utilizing a national sample of fugitives with data provided by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the study investigates how individual characteristics, situational warrant factors, and county-level characteristics influence fugitive travel patterns across a broader, more comprehensive scope.

Methods: Using data from the Justice Detainee Information System (JDIS) …

The Stickiness Of Meritocratic Beliefs From Adolescence To Adulthood In Singapore, Yen Kiat Chong, Shin Bin Tan, Vincent Chua, Han Ei Chew

Research Collection Office of Impact

The belief in meritocracy has been rising over the past few decades in developed countries. While many studies have focused on the belief in meritocracy, its distribution across groups and its effects, much less is known about how beliefs may change as individuals age and undergo major life transitions. Using linear growth models on three waves of panel data from a national youth survey in Singapore, we found that the major life transitions to adulthood – progressing through the education system (e.g., completing tertiary education), transiting from full-time studies to full-time work, getting married and becoming a parent – predicted …

Intracommunity Social Capital Systems Of Class And Caste In South Asian Intimate-Partner Violence Survivor Outcomes, Vriddhi Vinay

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study theorizes how caste and class function as transnational forms of social capital that structure intimate partner violence (IPV) outcomes among South Asian diasporic women in the New York City metropolitan area. While existing IPV scholarship foregrounds migration status, gender, and legal precarity, it often treats South Asian communities as internally homogeneous and overlooks how intracommunity hierarchies mediate access to support. Drawing on social capital theory and postcolonial feminist frameworks, this research positions caste and class stratification as underexamined axes of stratification within United States-based IPV analysis. Using survey data from 24 South Asian woman-identifying IPV survivors in New …

The Game Within: An Anthropological Approach To Games And Play, Nehal Maged Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is based on an eighteen-month ethnography of El Ghawasa, an Egyptian play-based organization that designs educational games, tools, and services. Claiming that El Ghawasa, with its ethos of play, seeks to create an alternative to the capitalist corporate structure. Through tracking how this organization navigates ruptures, negotiates constraints, and experiments with different practices and internal restructuring, I explore the possibilities and limitations of El Ghawasa, while attempting to resist absorption by the very system it opposes. I ask: when the rules keep changing (while the logic of the capitalist corporate structure remains the same), and the boundaries of …

Investigating How Personal Values Shape Tourism Experiences: A Case Study Of The Irish National Stud And Gardens, Amy Monahan, Ann T. Conway

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

This Paper explores the relationship between personal values and tourism experiences  that are  satisfying. A case study of the Irish National Stud and Gardens was undertaken in order to explore this concept. Interviews were conducted to investigate how qualities of the attraction appealed to the visitors’ personal values, thereby enhancing the overall visitor experience. A set of personal values were identified which were specific to the destination. The research demonstrated how an understanding of personal values can assist attractions with various aspects of their operations, with context specific recommendations provided at the end. This approach was taken was taken to …

Religion And Economics: The Economic Views Of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia Ii Of Georgia, Giuli Giguashvili

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper examines the impact of religion on a country’s economic development, analyzing how religious values and institutions influence economic behavior. The research employs a qualitative, comparative, and historical approach based on the systematic analysis of primary and secondary sources. Religion can promote economic growth by strengthening work ethics, education, and social order. Still, it may also hinder development through inefficient resource allocation and regulatory influence. In the context of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Georgia, the study highlights the relationship between Orthodox teaching and economic thought. Drawing on the epistles and sermons of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, …

The Orthodox Church Of Georgia In A Shifting Political Landscape: Long Traditions, The Holy Patriarchate And Geopolitics Between The European Union And Russia, Elina Mirjam Siekkinen

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper examines the geopolitical and societal effects of the 2026 patriarchal succession within the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), by analyzing how the recent election of Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III on May 11, 2026, impacts Georgia’s European Union integration efforts. The GOC is seen as the foundation of Georgian national identity and state legitimacy, also deeply rooted in the legacy of the late Patriarch Ilia II. The enthronement of the new Patriarch Shio III may reinforce the anti-Western narratives deployed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has actively delayed Georgia’s EU accession through illiberal policies such as the "Foreign Agents …

Volume 9 (2026) Climate And Responsibility

International Journal on Responsibility

This issue focuses on the various ways responsibility affects environmental justice. Specifically, this volume urges us to think about how societal and individual (in)action influences ecological crises and what informs this behavior, with a specific focus on religious and Indigenous beliefs and values.

The Lived Spirituality Experiences Of Adult Diabetes Patients In Adhering To Treatment, Dwight Mahaputera Marulitua Hutapea

The Qualitative Report

This descriptive phenomenological study explored the lived spirituality experiences of adult patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in adhering to treatment. Prior research has indicated that spirituality may influence attitudes toward and adherence to chronic disease management; however, empirical evidence addressing the spiritual dimension among people with diabetes remains limited. Guided by Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological method, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 purposively selected participants, equally distributed among Christians and Muslims. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to rigorous phenomenological analysis. Seven themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) spirituality strengthens relationships; (b) spirituality affects choices and outcomes; …

The Furry Community As A Case Study In Identity-Related Conflict, Patrick Hampton

Graduate Masters Theses

The “furry” community has gained notoriety both on the internet and in physical spaces for the dramatic portrayal of animal-based personas referred to as “fursonas.” This group has become the subject of ridicule and moral concern due to the occasionally controversial nature of the content produced by some members of the community. However, there are many different interpretations both within and outside of the community around what the community entails. In this thesis, I examine how the furry community and the identity of its members is shaped by external pressure or social stigmatization? I answer this through the following three …

From Structure To Experiences: How Facility Capacity And Staffing Shape The Adoption And Impact Of Lgbt-Affirming Policies In Long-Term Care, Andrew Alberth

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Long-term care (LTC) settings – including nursing homes (NHs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) – provide necessary care for individuals with extreme health and functioning limitations. Sexual and gender minority (LGBT) older adults report challenges receiving effective, person-centered care LTC. Some LGBT older adults may hide their sexual orientation and gender identity when entering LTC settings or delay seeking needed LTC fearing discrimination from staff and other residents. Furthermore, staff in LTC settings indicate little awareness of LGBT-residents and possess inadequate LGBT-cultural competency necessary for providing person-centered care. Therefore, LGBT-residents LTC experiences remain underexplored in the broader research. Adopting LGBT-affirming …

Our Claims Matter: Latin American Migrants’ Nonviolent And Everyday Resistance Across Transnational Spaces, Pryanka Penafiel-Cevallos

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Latin American migrants engage in nonviolent resistance across transnational spaces in Ecuador, challenging dominant narratives that portray migrants primarily as passive actors or humanitarian subjects. Focusing mainly on Venezuelan, Colombian, and returned Ecuadorian migrants, the study places migrants’ political agency at the center of analysis. It asks how migrants resist, for what purposes, and under which conditions they mobilize nonviolent and everyday resistance practices to claim rights, dignity, and human security in a host country marked by both legal innovation and growing exclusion.

Drawing on civil resistance theory, everyday resistance approaches, and migration scholarship, the research …

The Effect Of State Policy On Individuals With Mental Illness In Nursing Homes: A Multilevel Analysis, Adrita Barooah

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECT OF STATE POLICY ON INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN NURSING HOMES: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

August 2026

Adrita Barooah, B.Sc., University of Delhi, India

M.S., University of Massachusetts Boston

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Pamela Nadash

The proportion of individuals living with a mental illness in U.S. nursing homes has grown substantially over the past few decades (Fashaw et al., 2020), raising serious concerns about care quality, resource adequacy, and costs to both nursing homes and government payers. The lack of adequate resources and knowledge has resulted in sub-par mental health care (O'Connor et al., …

Home, Neighborhood, And Community Environments And Social Isolation In Later Life: Joint Associations And Their Moderation By Life-Course Socioeconomic Mobility, Jeein Law

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Social isolation is a major public health concern among older adults, yet less is known about how multilevel residential environments shape isolation among those aging in place. Guided by the Socio-Ecological Model, Person–Environment Fit, and a life-course perspective, this dissertation examined whether micro-level home hazards, meso-level neighborhood social cohesion and physical disorder, and macro-level census-tract structural conditions were associated with social isolation. It also examined whether life-course socioeconomic mobility moderated the associations between home and neighborhood environments and social isolation.

This dissertation used two nationally representative longitudinal studies of U.S. older adults. Aims 1 and 2 used the National Health …

With Students, As A Student: Using Reflexive Autoethnography To Make Sense Of Navigating Student–Researcher Liminality In A Ph.D., Melody Bishop

The Qualitative Report

Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are increasingly encouraged to practice reflexivity. But there is a lack of PGR-authored literature about what it means to negotiate multiple identities, particularly for student–researchers doing research with students. This paper explores challenges experienced during a longitudinal Ph.D. project involving undergraduate students with long-term health conditions. I present outcomes of a reflexive autoethnographic analysis of a diary kept making sense of research challenges, including holding dual positions as a student–researcher at the same institution. Drawing on the notion of liminality, I argue that the boundaries between my student–researcher identities, and between myself and participants, have been consistently …

“When I’M Not Heard, I Feel Like I Don’T Matter”: Advancing Equity In Disability Policy Through Critical Participatory Action Research With People With Intellectual Disability, Cris Marchionne

Student Theses

People with intellectual disability deserve a system that offers flexible, timely, and person-centered support — one that is innovative, sustainable, and holistic in enabling them to live fulfilling lives. This qualitative study, grounded in Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR), examines how people with intellectual disability experience participation in decision-making within New York State's disability service system. By centering lived experience, the study identifies factors that facilitate or hinder participation in decision-making and examines structural, social, and policy-related barriers that limit agency. Through six focus groups and a Photovoice project with self-advocates receiving OPWDD services, participants described systemic barriers that limited …

A Treasure House Called Traditional Knowledge, Sudha Seshayyan

International Journal of Traditional Knowledge

Centuries of observation, experimentation, and cultural continuity have formed the basis of traditional knowledge, which is a huge and complex repository of scientific information. Engineering, hydrology, fluid dynamics, medicine and cosmology are just a few of the many domains in which ancient Indian wisdom demonstrates an astonishing depth of factual understanding that is ingrained in daily activities, architectural principles, and literature. From Avvaiyar’s verses of wisdom to the magnificent temples whose architecture continues to amaze humanity and the structural brilliance of the Kallanai dam constructed in the second century CE and still serving the local population, all serve as testimony …

Artificial Intelligence And Social Equities: Navigating The Intersectionalities In A Digital Age (Editorial), Daisuke Akiba, Julie Albright

Publications and Research

This editorial article introduces and synthesizes the Special Issue, “Artificial intelligence and social equities: navigating the intersectionalities in a digital age,” which examines how AI systems intersect with race, ethnicity, and interconnected identity dimensions across global contexts. The eight contributions span healthcare, digital media, higher education, organizational communication, and speculative futures, addressing anti-racist psychiatric algorithms, AI-generated visual disinformation, epistemic injustice between the Global North and South, algorithmically mediated rural–urban divides, culturally untranslated technology transfer, accessibility auditing across the AI lifecycle, and the tension between mechanical objectivity and empathic understanding. Read together, they show that AI is neither inherently …

Psychosis Among Justice-Involved Youth, Muhubo Y. Alinur

Master of Arts in Human Services

Abstract

Justice-involved youth face considerable mental health challenges, yet psychotic symptoms are frequently overlooked or misclassified as behavioral problems. This capstone critically reviews peer-reviewed literature on the prevalence, risk factors, assessment strategies, clinical needs, and systemic responses related to psychosis in justice-involved adolescents. Literature was sourced from Concordia University, St. Paul Library, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Research indicates that these youth often experience complex, overlapping issues such as trauma, substance use, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental difficulties, and barriers to accessing appropriate mental health care. Unaddressed, these co-occurring needs can result in punitive or unsuitable responses from justice and related systems when …

Supporting Children's Mental Health Through Early Prevention: The Role Of Human Service Professionals, Antwan Kimmons

Master of Arts in Human Services

The mental health of children is a growing concern around the world. According to the World Health Organization (2025), mental health conditions affect approximately one in seven adolescents aged 10–19 years; however, many of these young people do not get the help they need. Mental health problems can affect a child’s ability to learn, manage emotions, develop relationships and cope with stress at home, school and in the community. This review of the literature speaks to the promise of early prevention, early intervention, and trauma-informed care to support children’s mental health before issues develop into more serious levels. It also …

Representations Of Cartel Leaders In Narcocorridos: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Gael Gamboa

Theses and Dissertations

Narcocorridos have become one of the most recognized expressions of narcoculture in Mexico. Despite growing scholarly interest in narcoculture, relatively few studies have examined how cartel leaders are represented across narcocorridos. This study addresses this gap by examining the symbolic representations of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, and Amado Carrillo Fuentes in narcocorrido lyrics. The study is guided by cultural criminology and subculture theory; this study employed a qualitative research design using reflexive thematic analysis. A purposive sample of 25 narcocorridos was analyzed to identify recurring patterns in the representation of cartel leadership. As a result, six …

Paragliding The Cliff Edge: Introducing Open Mic Studies. A Creative Response To Navigating The Post-18 Landscape For Young Adults With Send., James Tarling, Charlie Robinson, Nick Hall, Sammy Shepherd

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This conceptual article investigates novel ways of thinking about Open Mic Nights (OMN) – performance spaces understood as free, community arts and performance opportunities where the members of the public are welcome to perform music, poetry and comedy in front of an audience. For the purposes of this article, music-related OMN that take place in pubs or community centres are discussed.

The article is intended to be a primer for OMN studies that offers new and emerging trailheads for future research and discussion. Its central focus is how OMN may benefit the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) community with …

When Childcare Becomes A Crime Space In Contemporary Indonesia, Isyana Kurniasari Konoras, Dr. Dra. Vinita Susanti, M.Si

Jurnal Kriminologi Indonesia

Abstract. The increasing incidence of violence against children in daycare institutions reflects a structural crisis in contemporary child protection systems. This study examines the violence case at Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta to identify the criminogenic factors underlying abuse in institutional childcare settings. The research applies a normative-empirical qualitative method through media-based case studies, legal analysis, and criminological interpretation. The findings demonstrate that violence emerged from the convergence of three major factors: structural strain experienced by caregivers, weak capable guardianship within daycare institutions, and the normalization of abusive disciplinary practices. Robert K. Merton’s Strain Theory explains how economic and occupational …

The Banality Of Evil And Delayed Rehabilitation: Uncovering Post-1965 State Crime Through The Lens Of Decolonial Criminology, Farhan Arif Sumawiharja, S.H., M.Si., M.Krim

Jurnal Kriminologi Indonesia

This study sets out to reconstruct the history and structural repression that followed the 1965–1966 events in Indonesia—events that have long been reduced to a simple “horizontal conflict” between ordinary citizens. Using a socio-historical method, the study examines a wide range of historical literature and documents in order to reframe this violence as a State Crime, seen through the lenses of Critical Criminology and Decolonial Criminology. The findings show that the New Order regime borrowed the tools of subjugation first developed in the colonial era to crush progressive groups—a project that, in essence, served the interests of global capitalism during …

Symbolic Reform And Police Legitimacy In Indonesia, Nur Zena Anggita Raissa

Jurnal Kriminologi Indonesia

The Indonesian National Police (Polri) are facing a sustained crisis of legitimacy amid increasing public distrust, digital activism, and intensified external oversight. While reform has been repeatedly promised since the post-authoritarian transition, institutional change remains fragmented and largely symbolic. This article examines Polri’s reform trajectory through a criminological lens, drawing on theories of social solidarity (Durkheim), procedural justice (Tyler), and the sociology of professions (Abbott) to analyze the interaction between external pressures and internal organizational dysfunctions. Using theory-driven qualitative analysis of corruption cases, recruitment controversies, and public trust surveys, the study argues that Polri’s legitimacy crisis is rooted not only …

Unboxing Relations: An Ethnographic Study Of Blind Box Consumption In The U.S., Wendy Zheng

Sociology Honors Projects

Blind box consumption is a format for purchasing packaged toys without knowing the specific item in advance. It has become a global trend and is often viewed as irrational or gambling-like behavior in past literature. Drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews conducted in retail settings, this study examines how consumers make sense of uncertainty through social interaction. This study proposes a two-layer model of consumption. In the first layer, social interaction during the consumption process helps consumers negotiate risk, generate meaning, and become more skilled buyers. In the second layer, consumers engage in moral and value judgments that involve distancing …

Unmanned Aerial Support Program In Portland Police Bureau: A Case Study, Eiryn Renouard

Dissertations and Theses

With the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) adopting drone technology in 2024 as a tactical tool, officers have begun to experience change in the way they approach their roles as they learn to work in conjunction with this new technology. Known as the Unmanned Aerial Support program (UAS), this drone program is embedded into PPB's patrol unit. The recency of the program offers an opportunity to examine how a new program using new technology builds its culture and impacts the perspectives and behaviors of its participating officers. By interviewing officers and conducting field observations of the officers and drones in action, …

Adolescent Depressive Symptoms And Adult Functioning Within Major U.S. Racial Groups, Summer N. A. Millwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S and is associated with negative short- and long-term social, emotional, economic, and physical health outcomes. Notably, rates of depression among children and adolescents are rapidly increasing across the globe. Depression in youth disrupts crucial developmental processes that can adversely affect concurrent and longitudinal socioeconomic and health outcomes. Although extant research delineates the consequences of adolescent depression for adult functioning (e.g., lower educational attainment, fewer economic resources, worse physical health), studies that examine these associations within racially minoritized populations are scarce. This gap in the literature is especially striking …