Digital Commons Network^™

Interdisciplinary Studies Masters Degree In Anthropological & Science Based Education, Robert Porter

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to develop anthropological and science-based curricula that will emphasize a place-based approach while actively engaging students in their education. I developed two curricula for elementary aged students in San Bernardino. The first curriculum was based anthropologically on the local history of indigenous groups and early San Bernardino history. The second was based on paleontology here in California with a focus on dinosaurs and fossils.

To improve and validate the curricula I sent the examples to educational experts and had them critique the lessons and information provided. Then I used their input to improve the …

Financial And Familial Challenges Faced By Undocumented First-Generation Students In Higher Education, Alexia Garcia, Karen Murillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As a first-generation student, it is difficult to navigate a higher education with little to no support. Having an undocumented status as a first-generation student the challenges and barriers increase. This study utilized snowball sampling through qualitative virtual interviews with 10 undocumented first-generation students. The data collected from the interviews was presented using content thematic analysis. The three major themes identified were access and barriers to financial resources, meeting family and educational expectations and perseverance. The findings identified the limited financial resources for undocumented students, and the influence of the family unit on the student’s educational experience. A key finding …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On School-Aged Children’S Mental Health: Mixed-Method Study Of Families In Southern California, Christina Williams

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On March 13, 2020, the director of Services to Students with Disabilities came out of the office and stated the employees and students were not returning to school effective immediately due to the world’s shutdown over COVID-19. COVID-19 swiftly created panic causing toilet paper and water to be rationed, but who really took the time to think about how this would affect school-aged children and their families. How does shutting down in-person learning and household dynamics change when a disease taking the lives of almost a million people sweeps across the United States of America. Were parents ready to teach …

How Knowledgeable Are Social Work Students On The Concept Of Compassion Fatigue And Do They Engage In Measures To Prevent It?, Jessica Duran

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the effects of working in a helping field such as social work is the concept known as compassion fatigue. The definition of compassion fatigue varies among the literature but generally centers around the impact that stress has on professionals and their empathy.The literature on compassion fatigue mentions the negative effects it has on professionals and their clients. However, there are protective measures that can be taken in an effort to minimize adverse outcomes. Therefore, this study sought to assess the familiarity of the concept of compassion fatigue among social work students as well as the student’s engagement in …

Foster Care Experience, Group Support, And Life Outcomes: A Qualitative Study, Alameta James

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study utilizes the perspectives of foster care alumni to explore the effectiveness of the child welfare system. Based on experiences with general and peer related services while in foster care, participants were asked to evaluate and discuss how interventions they received contributed to areas of their life, including adult independent living. The study used an exploratory method with a qualitative approach to search for categories and themes related to the services, interventions, and activities implemented with foster youth and the effect that had on their lives. Interviews were deduced into six categories: demographics, therapeutic services, education, social support, …

The Role Of Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy And Shame In The Relationship Between Variants Of Self-Blame And Psychological Outcomes, Melody Robinson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Exposure to sexual violence is associated with deleterious mental health consequences (Campbell et al., 2009). Survivors’ perceptions of self-blame can exacerbate these difficulties (Miller at al., 2007). Characterological self-blame has been associated with negative outcomes (e.g., PTSD, depression, & anxiety; Hassija & Gray, 2013; Janoff-Bulman, 1979). On the other hand, behavioral self-blame may be more adaptive, especially when the victim believes they have control over their future behavior (Hassija & Gray, 2013). However, the underlying mechanisms that account for both variants of self-blame’s impacts warrant further investigation. We predicted that posttraumatic shame, conceptualized as negative attributions and criticisms towards the …

Fostering Resilience Amongst Social Workers In The Social Work Field, Rocio Patino, Yesenia Rojas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The high burnout levels and low retention rates of social workers prove to be significant problems for social service agencies across the country who are experiencing employee shortages and providing a less than adequate grade of customer service as a result. This quantitative study assesses the deficiency of resilience-based skills amongst MSW graduate students who are currently employed/interning within the social services agencies across Southern California State Counties in hopes that these deficiencies may be addressed in the future. This cross-sectional study utilized an exploratory research design and consisted of a self-administered questionnaire which was electronically provided to its participants. …

Identifying Groups Most Prone To Become Homeless, Jesse Kruse

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper will attempt to determine if some groups are more prone to homelessness than other groups within the United States. Then, it will try to determine if some groups are more prone to homelessness within the Inland Empire. Research was conducted to identify if some contributing factors that cause homelessness affect some groups more than other groups. If the contributing factors to become homeless differs between different subgroups of homeless individuals, then perhaps different intervention strategies could be applied to each subgroup.

Contributing Factors Of Childhood Parentification: An Examination Of Familial Characteristics, Tameka M. Ferguson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study provides more insight into childhood parentification's contributing factors, focusing on familial characteristics. The research sought to identify common components present in the family structures of parentified children. The researcher conducted a qualitative study utilizing purposive and snowball methods to recruit ten participants who were social work professionals and/or students working with parentified youth (one of whom also identified as a parentified child themself). The researcher used open-ended questions to determine common factors that parentified clients and their families demonstrate while working with social workers. This study identified four contributing factors to the parentification in youth. The study’s findings …

The Student Perception Of Student Support Services Provided By California State University Of San Bernardino (Csusb) On Social Work Students’ Outcomes At Csusb, Michael Times, Denise Darling

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Student supportive services assist students by providing academic and mental health support. Overall success fulfills academic requirements and supports mental well-being by providing students with techniques to maintain healthy social relationships during rigorous academic programs. The purpose of this research explores the benefits of student support services for social work students at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). The research conducted concluded if supportive services had a direct impact on overall success. Office of Institutional Research as CSUSB has conducted student surveys to assess student satisfaction with supportive services; however, prior research has never been completed per academic program. This …

Parentification: The Long-Term Effects On The Parentified Adult, Andrea Monique Armas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The following is a quantitative study, with a sample of 71 adults, ranging from ages 18 to 60, to gather information about the effects of parentification in developing adults. Topics varied from parentification to trust and ethnic characteristics. There is a limited amount of information on the topic of parentification its effects on the developing adult which impact how professions in social services can help those who have experienced parentification. An online questionnaire was created through Qualtrics with 73 questions. The link was distributed through social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. The results showed the relationship between …

Burden Of Food Insecurity Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Saba Sami

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity is lack of access to proper nutrition for an individual to obtain a healthy lifestyle. The goal of this research is to determine the frequency of food insecurity among college students at a four-year college institution during COVID-19 pandemic in association to mental and physical health status.

Methods: This study was conducted among college students using cross-sectional study method. All data were collection virtually and kept anonymous. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28 with (p<.05), denoting significance.

Results: In the study there were a total of 98 participants who were being analyzed. All the participants were …

Social Work Students’ Coping Strategies During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Margarita Bracamontes, Benjamin J. Johnson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social work college students experience unique challenges in their academic programs. The multidisciplinary nature of social work combined with challenging clinical practicums compounds the amount of stress social work students must cope with. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already difficult discipline to create new challenges for social work students. This quantitative study aimed to assess undergraduate and graduate social work students' coping strategies and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Brief COPE Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale. Active emotion-focused, avoidant emotion-focused and problem-focused strategies were analyzed to determine their effect on perceived stress. Results indicate that …

Slow Violence, Cli-Fi, And Opportunities For Change How Bipoc Futurisms Promote Activism, Francisco Baeza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The threat of anthropogenic climate change is discussed almost exclusively in terms of “scientific” data to the exclusion of the humanities. For some worlds, climate change has already destroyed their ways of life and forced them to adapt. Climate fiction – or cli-fi – written by BIPOC authors is one way we can begin to think of how the planet is not just one world but a plurality of worlds. This project centers authors and world-makers who come from communities that have been left at the margins of the science fiction and cli-fi genres. By looking at fictions from a …

The Caregiver-Biological Parent Relationship’S Impact On Reunification, Karol Valencia Reynoso

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child welfare cases that require the removal of children from the parents require court involvement. Children in foster care are placed in a foster home. Foster caregivers are responsible for the daily care of the court Dependent meanwhile their parent(s) is participating in Family Reunification services.

Interviewing social workers with family reunification case work experience allowed for identification of common barriers or commonalities caused by the relationship between foster caregivers and biological parents. Visitations between the children and bio-parents are a great indicator of reunification likelihood based on the child-parent bond. The study was centered on child welfare social worker’s …

Girl Power?: 2017’S Wonder Woman As A Feminist Text And Icon In An Era Of Post-Feminist Media, Rachel Richardson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Media, including film, have the incredible potential to influence viewers and disrupt or contribute to dominant ideologies. In an era of post-feminist media where women are seemingly empowered under the guise of ‘girl power,’ there continues to be very limited social, financial, and professional options for women and girls. The same can be said for film when female characters appear to be in control of their own lives and bodies, though they are pressured into making the ‘correct’ choices. The 2017 film rendition of Wonder Womandirected by Patty Jenkins intended to change that. This textual analysis of the film …

Identifying Perceptions And Factors Of Pursuing Higher Education In Former Foster Youth, Karina Alicia Galindo, Julissa Arielle Gonzalez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores former foster youth’s perceptions and factors in pursuing higher education. Twelve participants provided insight on their experiences when in the foster care system that had impacted their pursuance of higher education. Many participants elaborated on their lives after aging out of the system, and how they navigated life as former foster youth. This was done through a self-paced audio recorded interview along with questions regarding demographics and information pertaining to the amount of time each individual spent in the foster care system.

This study’s findings were able to identify overarching themes on former foster youth, such as …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Life Outcomes Among Social Workers, Kazandra Dominique Farrell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) constitute a public health threat by increasing the risk of chronic health conditions in adulthood. This study asked two relevant questions: 1) How do social workers with a history of adverse childhood experiences deal with ACEs-related trauma? 2) What are factors influencing social workers' response to adverse childhood experiences-related trauma? Embracing a mixed-methods research approach, this study recruited a sample of 35 social work professionals (N = 36). Spearman Rho Correlation and Mann-Whitney U Test results show no statistically significant relationships between age, gender, ethnicity, education, social work experience and impact of social work on personal …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Social Workers’ Ability To Provide Services, Victoria Fuller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

As the COVID-19 pandemic has widely impacted society, it significantly limited social workers in performing their work. This qualitative study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted social workers’ ability to provide services to their clients, to learn how they overcame obstacles, and what advice they would offer for future crises. The study provides future social workers and policymakers with the benefit of firsthand knowledge of barriers and adaptations discovered, in efforts to support vulnerable client populations. The data was collected through interviews of social workers who worked at human service agencies near the northern region of Los Angeles County, …

From Fast Fashion To Sustainable Slow Fashion, Isabel Agatha Millward-Pena

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to express a need for sustainability within the fast fashion industry, in the form of cultural movement that acts as alternative to the current means of production, consumption, and philosophies. Sustainability within current popular discourses is often human-centered and lacking authenticity, thus I aim to highlight an alternative that is opposite of that. In doing such, I bring to light the negative effects of the industry through a case study on the fast fashion company SHEIN, who claim to be making sustainable efforts. I analyzed SHEIN’s 2021 Sustainability and Social Impact Report (SSIR), focusing …

Sleep Health And Academic Performance During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Rushil Gumasana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Sleep health is an important public health topic that is often overlooked by college students who are trying to juggle between school, work, and social life. Sleep is seen as a luxury and as a result, most often sacrificed for other activities. The purpose of this thesis is to make a connection between the factors that lead to poor sleep quality and its influence on academic performance.

Methods:The study utilized the cross-sectional approach to evaluate sleep health and identify the relationship that exists with academic performance among college students. All data were collected virtually and kept anonymous. All …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces): Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Psychological Distress, Ariana Romero, Sean Panganiban

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Currently, over 60% of adults in the U.S have suffered from at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). The impact of ACEs on mental health and well-being has been immensely researched over the past couple decades. The current study aims to see how emotional intelligence impacts psychological distress among individuals who have experienced ACEs. Researchers conducted a quantitative study in which 3 surveys were administered to a group of 93 voluntary participants via Qualtrics on social media platforms. Participants completed the following surveys: BEIS-10 (Emotional intelligence measure), K-6 (psychological distress measure) and the ACEs questionnaire. Results found that there was …

The Privatization Of The Prison System In The United States: A Comparative Study Of Rehabilitative Resources, Wendi Witherell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Facing high rates of mass incarceration and prison overcrowding, the United States of America seems to believe that the privatization of its prison system could be a viable solution to the aforementioned problems. Despite the increased incarceration rates of the past few decades, the gradual privatization of the prison system is an understudied area. It is therefore important to understand the rationale behind the movement away from the public sector toward the private sector. This cross-sectional study adopted three theoretical approaches—Models of Incarceration Theory, Political Explanation Theory, and Overcrowding Theory—in an attempt to determine such rationale. It was hypothesized there …

Coping Skills Amongst Social Workers, Sandra Quezada

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study used a questionnaire to identify coping behaviors and feelings of social workers dealing with work related stress. The purpose of this research was to identify the most used coping behaviors of social workers. Data was collected from thirty-six participants who had access to southern California social worker blogs. Findings were that over half (63.9) of participants used emotion focused behaviors such as “growing as a person” and “discuss feelings with someone” as a coping behavior. The findings contribute to coping research, but this research also identifies social workers as not using enough coping behaviors. Recommendations for social …

Homelessness In Southern California: A Look Toward Prevention, Briana Sanchez, Esmeralda Arellano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite living in the richest country in the world, many individuals and families across the United States face the harsh reality of homelessness. A social phenomenon, homelessness has affected hundreds of thousands of people every year. The impact of homelessness has been detrimental across the whole country, including Southern California. This exploratory study raised two questions: (1) What are contributing factors to homelessness in Southern California? (2) How can homelessness in South California be prevented? Taking a qualitative approach, this study interviewed 15 participants, 10 social workers and 5 people living in/or having experienced homelessness (N = 15). Thematic analysis …

Sexual Health Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thomas C. Roland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique situation for healthcare providers worldwide. The highly infectious nature of the COVID-19 virus required many countries to impose strict lockdowns and limit access to select health services such as sexual health services. The present study was designed to explore the role of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services, specifically sexual health services.

Methods: A cross- sectional study design was selected to evaluate the burden of the pandemic on sexual health services. Participants responses were obtained anonymously using an online survey. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses using IBM SPSS version …

Pandemic And Sleep Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Among College Students, Jasmine Mitchell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The purpose of this study seeks to address sleep health among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. Data in this study were collected from college students through a virtual survey at a public university in Southern California. Data was collected with SPSS version 28 to conduct crosstabs and chi-square, as well as descriptive statistics.

Results: The study presented key findings that call attention to college students and poor sleep health. Results showed most of the participants (62.8%) reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep on an average school night. 45.7% of …

The Relationship Between Covid-19 Stress, Psychological Inflexibility, And Psycholoical Well-Being, Alyx Duckering

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the literature on the mental and physical health consequences of COVID-19 has expanded exponentially. Much of the published research has focused on the physical health and economic consequences of COVID-19. Research on the mental health effects of COVID-19 has primarily addressed the increase in anxiety and depression and related avoidance/safety behaviors surrounding COVID-19 (Taylor et al., 2020). Although there is an emerging literature on the COVID-19 mental health consequences, there is a paucity of research examining the processes of how people respond to COVID-19 stress and psychological well-being. Specifically, data examining potential psychological …

Social Workers’ Experiences During Covid-19, Maija Slisco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify personal and professional challenges that social workers faced while working in-person with clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This research utilized an exploratory qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants. Participants were MSW postgraduates recruited through convenience sampling methods. Data was collected via in-depth interviews to identify universal challenges social workers experienced. Through thematic analysis of open coding, the following five semantic themes emerged: safety concerns/risks, ethical professional dilemmas, decreased ability to engage in self-care/increased acquisition of unhealthy habits, loss of connection, and emotional distress Through axial coding, it was found …

How Prepared Are Social Workers To Help Their Clients Diagnosed With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?, Isabel Marin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to understand the competence social workers have with diagnosing and treating OCD. The study is significant since there are many sufferers of OCD who are misdiagnosed. Researchers have found that over 50% of individuals with OCD have been misdiagnosed (Glazier et al., 2015). This study will be significant for all mental health workers including MSW graduates and Master in Social Work students. By understanding what social workers know or do not know about the mental illness OCD we are then able to understand what improvements need to be made in the field of …