Digital Commons Network^™

Neighborhood Disadvantage And Pediatric Inpatient Opioid Prescription Patterns, Ashley W. Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac, Zeev N. Kain, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Candice Donaldson, Brooke N. Jenkins

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

To explore the role of children's residential environment on opioid prescribing patterns in a predominantly Latinx sample.

Methods

We connected geocoded data from electronic medical records in a diverse sample of pediatric patients to neighborhood environments constructed using latent profile modeling techniques. We then estimated a series of multilevel models to determine whether opioid prescribing patterns vary by residential context.

Results

A stepwise pattern exists between neighborhood disadvantage and pediatric opioid prescription patterns, such that higher levels of disadvantage associate with a greater likelihood of opioid prescription, independent of the patient's individual profile.

Conclusion

In a largely Latinx sample …

The Impact Of Masculinity And Gender Norms On Men's Mental Health In The U.S.: A Literature Review, Isabella Slobojan

University Honors Theses

Research on the impact of masculinity and gender norms on men's mental health in the United States of America falls into 5 main categories: men and mental health resources, men and guns, men and suicide, men and domestic abuse, and men and sexual assault victimhood. All of the facets tie into the impact of hegemonic masculinity on men's mental health, and the consequences that come with it. Some of those consequences include the cyclical theme of violence among men and lack of emotional wellbeing. In the United States of America, masculine gender norms play a significant role in how our …

Our Lady Of La Vang Journeys With The Nation: Marian Devotion And Pilgrimage In Vietnam, Dung Trang Ph.D., Lhc Khiet Tam

Journal of Global Catholicism

The sanctuary of Our Lady of La Vang (OLLV) reveals the role of popular devotion in Vietnamese Catholicism. It manifests the recent strategy from Vietnamese Church leaders to maintain a public presence with an emphasis on reinforcing a sense of Catholic identity through popular devotion and liturgy. Devotion to OLLV then reflects the interaction of several factors: the promotion of the clergy, political influence, and the collaboration of the Vietnamese Catholic laity. Building on existing scholarship that focuses on the cultural inheritance and collective identity of Vietnamese Catholics around the world, this paper explores the case study of the basilica …

Worship Space And Immigrant Memory: Korean Parishes In Los Angeles And New Jersey, Hansol Goo Ph.D. (Cand.)

Journal of Global Catholicism

It has been often observed that national parishes in the US play a central role for Catholic immigrants in preserving and transmitting the cultural heritage of the community. For Catholic immigrants, a parish is more than a place of worship. It is a source of belonging, comfort, friendship, social interaction, and most importantly, a place in which the immigrant’s cultural heritage is reaffirmed and preserved. The early European immigrants to the US built their national parishes following the architectural style of their homelands, by which they could express their cultural identity. However, more recent arrivals like Asians and Hispanics are …

Theological Implications Of The Symbols And Signs In The Sacrament Of Matrimony Of The Syro-Malabar Church, Nelson Mathew O. Carm.

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article discusses the significance of the signs and symbols used in the sacrament of the marriage of the Syro-Malabar Church and the adaptations from different cultures, particularly the Hindu culture of India. It concentrates on the specific elements found in the marriage celebration of the St. Thomas Christians. The rituals that are unique to the Sacrament of Matrimony of the Syro-Malabar Church, mainly expressed through symbols and signs, remain a significant contribution to the liturgy, spirituality, and theology of the Sacrament of Matrimony, and to the theology of inculturation. In the Syro-Malabar liturgy, marriage rituals, and signs and symbols …

Rethinking The Panata To The Nazareno Of Quiapo, Wilson Espiritu Ph.D.

Journal of Global Catholicism

Filipino Catholicism’s hallmark is its festive and colorful celebrations of popular piety, which exhibit the Catholic faith’s embeddedness in people’s lives and culture. One of the most renowned Filipino devotions is rendered to Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno of Quiapo, Manila. The devotion of making a pledge to the Nazareno, known as panata, is commonly understood as a sacred promise that must be kept in return for a request that is granted. In this paper, I propose a theological reading of panata performance that unites devotion to the Nazareno and commitment to the wellbeing of others. This interpretation aims to …

Overview & Acknowledgments, Marc R. Loustau Ph.D.

Journal of Global Catholicism

An introduction to the current issue of the Journal of Global Catholicism.

Forecasting Migration To The United States From Hong Kong And India, Priyanka [email protected]

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the forecasting of migration from India and Hong Kong to the United States. To study this, quantitative design is employed so numerical data can be used. The proposed research strategy uses the post-positivism approach, as this method can help with looking for explanations via numerical data. The data collection is through using archived data available from the Department of Homeland Security’s website, which is analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The results show how migration trends increase for India but slowly decrease for Hong Kong, along with the best models used to forecast migration.

Medicalizing Homelessness: Narratives Of Individualization And Systemic Critique On Homeless Shelter Websites, Ella Mae Sowards

University Honors Theses

The medicalization of homelessness distracts from the systemic drivers of poverty and housing insecurity in favor of treating supposed psychological deviance within unhoused individuals. This article describes a mixed-methods content analysis of 35 Oregon homeless service organization websites investigating how the medicalization of homelessness is perpetuated in homeless service organizations' public-facing materials. Narratives that associate homelessness with mental illness and addiction and encourage self-reform among unhoused clients are identified as key drivers of the medicalization of homelessness on organization websites. Moreover, expressions of neoliberal ideology are found to coincide with medicalizing narratives, shedding further light on medicalization's ties to the …

Queering/Querying Educational Spaces: The Lgbtqia2+ Learning And Affirming Challenge, Jennifer L. Bonnet, Liliana Herakova, Tausif Karim

Feminist Pedagogy

Legislation regulating learning content and approaches seek to limit exposure to and consideration of non-cis-heteronormative ways of being and knowing (Sawchuk, 2022). Denial of access to a more difference-affirming curricula reinforces hegemonic cultural norms (Chen & Lawless, 2018). Research on the college experiences of LGBTQIA2+ identifying individuals indicates a generally chilly campus climate, recognizing that “colleges and universities have historically been shaped by and for cisgender, straight individuals” (Pryor, 2017, p. 36). Educators can play a key role in reshaping this reality by co-constructing affirming environments where learners can generatively engage with difference and grow their capacities for cultural responsiveness …

College Teaching As Care Work, Julie Collins-Dogrul

Feminist Pedagogy

Sociology and higher education pedagogy scholars argue that college teaching is care work. I analyze reader comments generated by two essays published in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed about academic care work and find that many commentators think women should care less. Commenters argued that care work was detrimental to student development and faculty performance. In contrast, I argue that care work promotes learning. What is needed are institutions that make it clear that care work is an expectation for all professors, that provide training to enhance care in the classroom, office, lab, and the field, …

“I Can’T Learn When I’M Hungry”: Responding To U.S. College Student Basic Needs Insecurity In Pedagogy And Praxis, Jasmine R. Linabary, Rebecca Rodriguez Carey

Feminist Pedagogy

Food insecurity and other basic needs insecurities were pressing concerns for U.S. college students prior to the COVID-19 crisis and are even more so now. These issues disproportionately impact minoritized students, making addressing basic needs an issue of educational equity. As feminist teacher-scholars, we reflect in this essay on what it means to teach in the context of student basic needs insecurities, drawing on our experiences from launching an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to combatting food insecurity on our campus. In doing so, we seek to catalyze changes within and beyond the classroom to better support students.

Book Review: A Women’S Place: U.S. Counterterrorism Since 9/11, Tahmina Sobat

Feminist Pedagogy

Cook, J. in her book named "A women’s place: U.S. Counterterrorism since 9/11" identifies shortcomings in the accessibility of gendered security studies and tries to bridge the gap between the academic world and government actions regarding security and its relation to women's position. Accordingly, Cook provides a framework to organize and assess how women can be brought into all security aspects, particularly countering terrorism (p. 2). This review will highlight different aspects of the above-mentioned agencies' work concerning women, and I will mostly reference examples of Afghanistan from the book.

“Prison Tiktok”: Incarcerated Life Shared On Social Media, Kayla Reid, Nicole Niebuhr

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Different areas of the criminal justice system interact with social media, but not much is known about how those incarcerated may be using it. A thematic analysis of “Prison TikTok” videos was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of what those incarcerated are sharing. The most represented themes in the sample are performance, food, prison views, and pains of imprisonment. Performance and food demonstrate creativity within the sample, and highlight how those incarcerated may be looking for creative outlets. Prison and pains of imprisonment include the realities of life incarcerated, and contain messaging that those incarcerated may be …

Blowing In The Wind: Cannabis Legalization, Insiders, And Methodological Insights From British Columbia, Jon Heidt, Johannes Wheeldon

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Legalizing cannabis in Canada has proven momentous in some ways and insufficient in others. This paper presents findings from a re-analysis of two studies on cannabis legalization conducted in British Columbia (B.C.) before and after legalization. Prioritizing public health over access appears to prolong stigmatization, complicate policing, and undermine efforts to disrupt illicit cannabis markets. We outline three contributions to the nascent post- prohibition cannabis research agenda. First, we demonstrate the potential for secondary data analysis (SDA) and model an approach to address recent concerns about this practice. Second, we show the value of insiders when assessing cannabis policy by …

“I’M Not Unemployed, I’M Unemployable”: Challenges Finding And Sustaining Work For People Requires To Register As Sex Offenders, Jennifer L. Wooldridge, Danielle J. S. Bailey

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Many individuals convicted of a sexual offense (ICSOs) experience various collateral consequences due to registration requirements, including income loss, unemployment, harassment, social isolation, homelessness, and more. Finding employment post-conviction is a difficult endeavor for many reentering citizens with criminal records, but for ICSOs, the difficulty increases due to their label as sex offenders. When these individuals are unsuccessful in obtaining steady, living-wage employment, it can result in mental health impacts such as depression, hopelessness, and other reactions. This paper seeks to analyze participants’ emotional and mental health reactions to their direct experiences with employment struggles due to registration. What feelings …

Stroking Reflexivity Into Practice: The Pros And Cons Of Resorting To Gatekeepers To Conduct Qualitative Criminological Research, Gabriela Mesquita Borges, Ana Guerreirro, Leonardo Conde

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Accessing research settings and participants can be deeply challenging for scientific research, especially when gatekeepers are involved. Gatekeepers are known to affect research through, among other reasons, their position inside institutions, their knowledge of the research topic, and their power over prospective participants. This article explores the methodological and ethical challenges that may arise from resorting to gatekeepers to access participants in qualitative criminological research. Using reflexive notes from the fieldwork of two doctoral research projects in criminology, this article emphasizes the central role gatekeepers can assume in qualitative research regarding gaining access to participants for a study and conducting …

Dying In Prison: End-Of-Life Care Services In A State Correctional Facility, Brook Cooley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, Tusty Ten Bensel

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

The aging inmate population in American prisons has noticeably increased, contributing to a more significant number of offenders who will die in prison, thus forcing correctional facilities to aid in caring for prisoners at the end of life. Two common responses have emerged to deliver adequate healthcare to inmates, including hospice programs and End-of-Life (EOL) care services. This study aimed to explore the nature of EOL care in a state prison by interviewing correctional administrators, correctional officers, and relevant medical personnel (N=17). The current study provided insight into the inclusion criteria for inmates who utilized EOL care in the prison …

Working Paper No. 76, An Inquiry Into The Foundations Of Primary Socialist Accumulation, Jason Mcghee

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that author and economist Evgenii Alekseevich Preobrazhenskii provided a substantial theoretical foundation for the Soviet “Grand Experiment.” What Preobrazhenskii sought to address were identifiable contradictions inherent in a nascent socialist system surrounded by capitalist countries. This inquiry focuses on Preobrazhenskii's contributions during the implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP) at the start of the 1920s and to an area in the field of the “History of Economic Thought” known as “The Soviet Industrialization Debates.” Efforts are made to highlight key ideas advanced in his article On Primary Socialist Accumulation [1926]. In addition, this inquiry …

Working Paper No. 78, On Lenin, And The State As A Necessary Tool, J.P. Trafford

Working Papers in Economics

In his The State and Revolution [1918], Vladimir Illich Ulyanov—also known as Lenin—singles out the organ of the “State” as the institution essential for realizing a successful communist revolution. Lenin’s draws his thinking on the State from Karl Marx, who in his writings expresses the view that a State emerges in order to mitigate class conflicts. From this perspective, the State becomes an organ for class rule. History teaches us that the State occupies a position above society and is utilized as a special coercive force for exerting the wills of members of the ruling class upon the working class. …

Historical Trauma: Literary And Testimonial Responses To Hiroshima, Mariam Ghonim

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of trauma is controversial in literature. While one may be able to come up with ways to describe trauma in fiction, representing historical trauma is a hard task for writers. Some argue that trauma can not be described through those who did not experience it, while others claim that, provided some elements are added, one can represent trauma to the reader. This thesis focuses on twentieth-century historical traumas related to a nuclear catastrophe and explores the different literary and testimonial responses to the catastrophic man-made event of Hiroshima (1945). In this thesis, Kathleen Burkinshaw’s historical fiction The Last …

The Sidelined Front-Liners: Eritrean Cbos In Greater Cairo, Nada Hegazy

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the recognition of the important role that community-based organizations play, among international actors concerned with refugee issues, as well as UNHCR’s adoption of a community-based approach to protection; community-based organizations continue to be sidelined by these actors. This thesis explores the role that Eritrean CBOs play in improving the lives of Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers living in Greater Cairo. It also investigates the challenges that they face while trying to operate in Egypt. Using a multi-scalar lens, the research examines the relationships between Eritrean CBOs and Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers, the State, UNHCR and its partner organizations, in addition …

Choosing To Come Back: Second-Generation Egyptians Returning As Social Change Agents, Hajar Khalil

Theses and Dissertations

Research has found that upon visiting their parents’ homeland, second-generation immigrants were able to gain a better understanding of where they came from, allowing them to reflect upon their own lives in respect to their family history (Marschall, 2017). Some researchers call this journey the ‘self-awakening’ or ‘searching-self’ journey (Christou, 2003). The aim of this research is to understand the process of second-generation Egyptians return journey to their parent(s)’ homeland in order to create social change. The two main questions posed are: 1) How do second-generation Egyptians construct their narrative identity, and 2) How do they conceptualize themselves as social …

Rural Development Hubs: A Possibility For Nebraska?, Marilyn R. Schlake

Cornhusker Economics

The Aspen Institute, Community Strategies Group conducted an analysis of 43 Rural Development Hubs from across the country to discover their strategies, organizational structures, regional roles, and practices. Their aim was to learn how rural regions can help investors, policymakers and other local and regional decision-makers better serve their regions. The following provides an overview of their findings detailed in the report: Rural Development Hubs: Strengthening America’s Rural Innovation Infrastructure. The report provides an opportunity for further discussion on the potential role of Rural Development Hubs in Nebraska. Rural Development Hubs are defined as a “place-rooted organization working hand-in -glove …

“I Don’T Want To Die”: A Qualitative Study Of Coping Strategies To Prevent Fentanyl‑Related Overdose Deaths Among People Who Inject Drugs And Its Implications For Harm Reduction Policies, Roberto Abadie

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background Fentanyl and fentanyl-related analogues are the main drivers of overdose death in the USA, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite the fact that non-Hispanic whites exhibit higher population rates of synthetic opioid mortality, overdose deaths have increased among African American and Latinos in urban areas. Yet little attention has been paid to the introduction of fentanyl among rural PWID in Puerto Rico.

Methods We conducted N = 38 in-depth interviews with PWID in rural Puerto Rico to document participants’ experiences of injection drug use after the arrival of fentanyl and the strategies they implemented to manage overdose …

Peeling Away The Taken-For-Grantedness Of Research Subjectivities: Orienting To The Phenomenological, Melissa Freeman, E. Anthony Muhammad

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative research is a multidisciplinary field of practice that acknowledges and values the situatedness and subjectivities of the researcher. Therefore, reflexively accounting for one’s subjectivities is a crucial part of a research report. Less discussed is how subjective understandings are historically, culturally, and socially mediated, often challenging researchers’ abilities to orient themselves critically to this self-reflective undertaking. Phenomenology is a philosophical approach investigating how phenomena such as subjectivity are constituted in experience. This makes phenomenology an essential resource for understanding how complex subjective responses manifest differently depending on one’s orientation to the situation. This paper aims to familiarize qualitative research …

Spotlight On Innovative Recruitment Strategies: Northwest Ohio Fellowship Program, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Other QIC-WD Products

Ohio is a county-administered children services (formerly known as child welfare) system. Like many other states, Ohio is experiencing a shortage of child protective services (CPS) workers. County leaders report that this is due to high rates of turnover compounded by rising wages and competition from outside employers. Traditional recruitment techniques and programs, including traditional partnerships with universities with social work programs, are not adequate to meet the current level of need for new children services workers. Although social work majors come to children service agencies with a training set that allows faster onboarding, social work majors make up less …

Average Or Outlier? Introductory Statistics Adjunct Instructors’ Beliefs, Practices, And Experiences, Samantha Estrada Aguilera, Erica Martinez

The Qualitative Report

In recent years, the adjunct faculty phenomenon has grown steadily. This research focused on adjunct instructors teaching introductory statistics courses. The purpose of the study was to give a voice to adjunct instructors by allowing them to describe their experiences teaching statistics. We conducted a qualitative study with 15 adjunct instructors of introductory statistics through semi-structured interviews. The participants came from several fields: psychology, nursing, and business, among others. Thematic analysis was used to find themes of statistical anxiety, use of technology in the classroom, lack of curriculum flexibility, and connection to the host institution. Our findings can inform institutions …

Trans Futures In The Present Moment, Willow Grace Eckmayer

University Honors Theses

The current climate for trans folks in the U.S. remains increasingly hostile and many researchers have called attention to the "joy deficit" within the existing trans literature (Shuster & Westbrook, 2022). This study investigates what trans individuals are currently doing to survive, thrive, and resist in a belligerent socio-political climate. To answer this, five community conversations with 25 participants were held using a semi-structured conversation guide. Within the analysis, the central theme that emerged was that trans individuals are using their communities to create radical futures. Our communities are supporting us through mutual aid and radical acts of care, which …

Scholars From Underrepresented Groups In Engineering And The Social Sciences (Surge) Capacity In Disasters: The Benefits And Challenges Of Mentoring For Racial And Ethnic Minority Graduate Students, Melissa Villarreal, Nnenia Campbell

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mentoring program of the Minority Scholars from Under-Represented Groups in Engineering and the Social Sciences (SURGE) Capacity in Disasters initiative, a pilot program that aimed to address the challenges that graduate students of color face in academic programs. SURGE promotes mentoring and professional development through its mentoring program for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students.

Methods: Data collection involved distributing online surveys designed in Qualtrics to mentors and mentees five months after the SURGE program’s initiation. Separate surveys were created for student mentees and faculty mentors in order to …