Digital Commons Network^™

Pastoral Leaders’ Perception Of Obesity And Their Role Within Faith-Based Organizations, Darren D. Moore, Clinton E. Cooper, Charles Williams

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of pastoral leaders regarding obesity and health within faith-based organizations (FBOs). In this study, the authors focused on gaining additional insight regarding how pastoral leaders conceptualize and make sense of their roles in terms of health promotion within FBOs. Utilizing a qualitative research methodological approach, specifically Qualitative Description, authors administered a qualitative survey to 12 participants which yielded three emerging themes: (1) perceived scope, (2) understanding and use of resources, and (3) defining obesity through pastoral leaders’ perspectives. In the study, investigators discuss clinical implications and provide recommendations.

“Your Brain Isn’T All Backwards”: Asexual Young Women’S Narratives Of Sexual Healthism, Anna Sheppard, Emily S. Mann, Carla A. Pfeffer

The Qualitative Report

Scholarship on asexuality is a growing but underexplored area in the social sciences. In the U.S., asexual people (i.e., individuals who do not experience sexual attraction) navigate a society in which being a sexual person is regarded as a normal and even compulsory aspect of human health and subjectivity. Utilizing an asexual subsample from a broader study of queer young women, this article integrates Foucault’s theorizing around sexuality and repression with scholarship on healthism to examine how discourses of sexual healthism operate among asexual young women in the U.S. South. We argue that in rejecting theories of sexual repression and …

Craftivism As Inquiry: Holding Life’S Threads, Chloe Watfern, Gaynor Macdonald, Michele Elliot, Lynne Stone, Imelda Gilmore, Manuel Tecson, Najla Turk, Penny Bingham, Jane Mears, Ann Dadich, Barbara Doran, Katherine Boydell, Sarah Wallace

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we share insights regarding an arts-based research project where carers of people with dementia conveyed their experiences in cloth. Carers face high rates of mental ill health and burnout, while forming a largely undervalued and unrecognised workforce. Through this project, carers’ knowledge was valued and amplified using an innovative methodology – craftivism. During a series of five workshops in 2021, a small group of carers, researchers and artists gathered online to develop an exhibition of craftivist textile works. They evoked the complexity of their makers’ journeys supporting loved ones at the end of life, finding joy and …

Exploring Tefl Research Methods Courses In Iran: A Path To Research Synthesis Pedagogy, Mohammad Amini Farsani Dr, Mojtaba Asaie

The Qualitative Report

There has been inadequate investigation of research pedagogy in applied linguistics, despite the significance of research reform in the field. As such, we examined the status of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) research pedagogy in postgraduate classes in Iran. We described and evaluated 28 research methods (RM) courses in terms of objectives, content, and assessment in Iranian universities. We employed a qualitative content analysis of RM syllabi, utilizing a mixture of inductive and deductive coding. Our results revealed that among the Iranian research instructors whose syllabi we examined, there is a common approach to delivering research methods courses. …

Exploring Women’S Education And Employment Opportunities In India, Syria, And The Philippines, Emma R. Sarcol, Ines Coutinho, Elle Maguire, Helen C. Collins, Patricia A. Jolliffe Dr

The Qualitative Report

The implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 marked a new chapter in global development and laid the foundations for addressing inequalities that hinder holistic progress. However, gender gaps pose a significant threat to achieving these goals. Project DREAM (Developing Resilience, Education, Aspiration, and Motivation) sought to explore women’s sense of aspiration, achievement, and lived experience in India, Syria, and the Philippines, as well as develop pilot interventions to address gender disparities. Semi-structured interviews with 69 young women from India, Syria, and the Philippines informed the development of three interventions, namely an aspiration and job skills workshop …

“Everything Seems To Be The Right Eye In Our Family”: Intergenerational Family Living With Facial Eye Disfigurement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Zali M. O'Dea Ms, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents the lived experience of an intergenerational family, spanning three generations living with Facial Eye Disfigurement (FED). Living with vision loss and FED is estimated to affect nearly 8 billion people worldwide. Inadequate attention is paid to the impact of Living with FED (LwFED) on the lives of individuals. This research offers a deep dive into the lived experiences of one family LwFED. This family comprises a grandfather (deceased), son, wife, and child, all of whom have lived or live with FED. In this Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study three interviewees are deemed the experts. Data were collected …

Associating Academic Identity With Language Socialization In Virtual Community: A Case Study Of A Chinese Graduate Student’S Learning Experiences In Religion Studies, Xiaolong Lu

The Qualitative Report

This longitudinal case study explored the academic identity and language socialization of a Chinese graduate student enrolled in an online religion course at a U.S. university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected via online classroom observations, oral interviews, and artifacts. The theoretical framework was taken from language socialization and identity, together with positioning theory. The study differs from previous research, arguing that instead of language competence, the constructed academic identity is occasionally crucial for the successful academic discourse socialization of international students in bilingual and virtual settings. Moreover, the inclination toward interactive positioning between students and instructors can arise …

Adult-Child Estrangement: Clinical Considerations For Deaf Clients, Emmett B. Kessler Ph.D.

JADARA

This paper provides an overview of specific considerations for counselors when working with DHH parents who have experienced adult-child estrangement. Estrangement is a process continuum brought about by schisms between adult-children and their parents/caregivers. Topics for consideration include early childhood attachment styles, issues surrounding emerging adulthood, psychological well-being, and resilience of DHH clients. Recommendations are offered to clinicians working with DHH clients. Specific individual, couples, and family counseling approaches are recommended as likely modalities to address the needs of clients embroiled in estrangement experiences.

Forgiveness As A Critical And Transformative Factor In Sustainable Peace: Peacebuilding Women In Rumuruti, Kenya, Genevieve Mwella Sabala

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The concept of ‘forgiveness’ in relation to sustainable peace has been extensively writtenabout. However, research shows that many organizations involved in peacebuilding have not actively adopted ‘forgiveness’ as they have done with restorative justice, healing, and reconciliation. Therefore it opens up an opportunity for further inquiry to identify the meaning and role of forgiveness in sustainable peacebuilding. Forgiveness is still being debated and the various meanings accorded by a variety of disciplines from religion, political, sociological, and conflict resolution practitioners, make it more complex. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate women’s lived experiences with ethnic violence post …

Case Study: Iran, Israel, And Saudi Arabia Relations 1979-2022, Sarh Albliahed

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if establishing diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would stabilize the Middle East region and how Iran would affect that. This qualitative research delineated a case study focused on relationships between three of the key actors in the Middle East: Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. It was a time- specific examination of those individual's cases and their interactions from 1979 to 2022. The intersections of the three countries and their individual experiences as sovereign states were analyzed. The research questions were:1) How would the establishment of diplomatic relations and further engagement …

Balancing Acts: Navigating The Impact Of Working From Home On Women, Families And Beyond, Gayle Marie Hardison

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the world and continues to impact us four years later. One of the most significant impacts the pandemic had is on the way we work. To stop the spread of the virus and to safeguard the public, countries around the world issued stay-athome orders which required all but essential workers to stay at home beginning in March of 2020 in the United States and throughout the world. This transformed the way and where we worked and a large portion of the workforce which was able, began working from home or teleworking. What …

Human Resource Professionals And Ombuds: Perceptions, Challenges, And Benefits Of Their Working Relationship And Interactions A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Herbert S. Ambrose

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Many organizations use policies and procedures as well as professionals to manage conflict within their organizations. Human Resource (HR) professionals assist organizations by establishing policies and ensuring that processes are being followed accordingly. Ombuds provide confidential assistance to individuals through various methods but are not associated with the organization’s official procedures for handling workplace conflict and do not have the formal authority of Human Resources. This qualitative descriptive study explored the individual working relationship between Human Resources professionals and Ombuds. Based on interviews with HR professionals and Ombuds who work in organizations that employ both types of professionals to deal …

The Narratives Of Successful Conflict Resolution Entrepreneurs: Evolving Career Pathways And Determinants Of Business Success, Eileen Paige Petzold-Bradley

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The study explores the narratives and best practices of 33 Successful Conflict Resolution Entrepreneurs (SCREs) in the United States. In doing so, the study helps to fill an essential gap in the literature, where research on conflict resolution entrepreneurship with experienced practitioners is rare. Given the focus of the study on narrative inquiry and thematic analysis, this methodological approach achieved an in-depth qualitative analysis of conflict resolution entrepreneurial experiences. The narrative insights gathered from the 33 SCREs provided detailed descriptions of the career pathways, personal motivations, business challenges, and successes of running a conflict resolution business. The research illuminates the …

Privacy Vs. Social Capital: Examining Information Disclosure Patterns Within Social Media Influencer Networks, Eidan James Rosado

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Adversaries have several ways to leverage and expose the data disclosed in social media network engagements for different motives including but not limited to fraud, discreditation, or social engineering. Previous research on social media interactions discussed increased engagements where influencers and viral trends were involved. Studies also discussed engagements declining over time. Within posts or engagements, personal identifiable information (PII) can be shared with varying rate of risk severity. Publicly available data such as this can be leveraged by adversaries. With the absence of insights of whether influencers impact engagements and disclosures, the goal of this study was to obtain …

Design Science Nutrition Label Approach: Satiating U.S. Consumer Concerns For Information Privacy (Cfip) With Privacy Home Automation Assessment Scorecards (Phaats), Andrew S. Ramos

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

In today’s technology-dependent society, information privacy and cybersecurity boundaries between human-to-machine-to-web are non-existent or built on questionable business practices. Consumers are becoming more reliant on and even addicted to their technological enabling, or internet of things (IoT), life tools (e.g., smartphones, smarthome devices, smart-wearable devices). Nevertheless, consumer information privacy rights in the United States have not fully matured to legal ramifications against businesses like in other countries, e.g., the European Union’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The real issue lies in consumers not understanding the opportunity cost of associated privacy trade-offs. While some are unaware, others disregard such trade-offs …

2024 F1rst Look, Nova Southeastern University

First Look

No abstract provided.

From The Fox To Onlyfans: The Changing Landscape Of Property Law, Vicenc Feliu

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Favouring Of Gifted Pupils By Elementary Teachers: A Labelling Theory Perspective, Eva Klimecká

The Qualitative Report

Improving the quality of care for gifted pupils also brings problems related to their favouring. Favouring, as a part of the labeling theory, leads to the selection of gifted and stagnation in their development, making it one of the risk factors. This study identifies and analyses pedagogical situations leading to favouring of gifted pupils. The qualitative research is conducted in the elementary schools in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Data are obtained through observation of school lessons and from interviews with teachers and were subsequently analysed by the situational analysis. The study has found five typical situations, such as teachers’ …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences And Psychological States Of Migrants And Refugees, Zainab Akef, Senel Poyrazli, Isabel Quintero

The Qualitative Report

UNHCR reports that about 82.4 million individuals were forcibly displaced as they attempted to avoid persecution, conflict, or human rights violations in their home countries. In addition to traumatic experiences, refugees encounter stressors such as low income, reduced social support, and language barriers. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of pre-migration trauma and political detainment on mental health outcomes and living conditions. A total of eight interviewees participated in video conferencing interviews. A non-probability convenience sampling using the snowballing technique was utilized to identify participants. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach for thematic analysis. The software Dedoose …

Methodological Challenges In Conducting Cross-Cultural/Language Research With Spanish Speakers: The Role Of The Researcher/Translator, Catherine Flores Ph.D.

The Qualitative Report

With the increase in global research, it is common for researchers to investigate topics in intercultural settings, both in their own home countries and abroad. Although findings from this research are prolific, rarely are detailed examples given or practical suggestions offered, particularly in relation to the role of the translator/researcher. The significant and often undervalued role of the translator/researcher in cross cultural/language qualitative research warrants methodological considerations at the onset and throughout the research. Nonetheless, few qualitative studies transparently report the process of how the translation findings were developed. This paper addresses this gap by examining a Latinx postgraduate student’s …

An Autoethnographic Dialogue With Motherhood Literature, Maya Autret, Brad Van Eeden-Moorefield

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography represents the first author’s journey as a mother and doctoral student researching mothers’ experiences in contending with the demands of work and family. Reading across different pockets of empirical motherhood literature (work-family conflict, contemporary motherhood, maternal gatekeeping, and intensive motherhood) I became troubled by how women’s realities were reflected. Pushing back against traditional methods that endorse separating my researcher identity from my maternal self, I draw on autoethnographic method to dialogue with this literature. This approach empowers me to speak out as a novice scholar uncomfortable with aspects of literature, while also navigating training in the use of …

Nsu Florida Undergraduate Student Catalog 2024-2025, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Predictive Validity Of Sex Offender Treatment Progress Scale (Sotips) Using Iowa Sex Offenders, Holly Kelley-Chown

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a replication study of McGrath, Lasher, and Cumming's 2012 study. McGrath et al.'s population consisted of convicted Vermont sex offenders, while this replication study's population consisted of convicted Iowa sex offenders. Nearly 2,000 sex offenders are under the Iowa Department of Corrections community supervision (Daily Statistics-DOC Offender, 2023). Iowa uses SOTIPS, Static-99R, and the Iowa Risk Revised (IRR) to determine recidivism risk and supervision levels. The Static-99R was developed in Canada and has been validated in several jurisdictions, including Iowa (Statistical validation of the ISORA8 & Static-99 final report, 2010). The IRR was developed in Iowa using …

Harm-Focused Policing: A Comparison Of Citizen And Patrol Deputy Perceptions On The Severity Of Social Harms, Christina Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of Volusia County citizens and patrol deputies regarding the severity of social harms attributed to incidents of criminal activity. Despite the widespread assessments of crime, the perceptions of associated harms remain unclear. Developing a social harm index may provide current insight into the opinions of harm as perceived by both the public and law enforcement agencies. Using a sequential explanatory mixed method design, patrol deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and residents of Volusia County, Florida, were invited to complete a series of surveys and follow-up interviews. This study aimed to compare participant ratings …

Paraprofessionals In A Special Education Setting: A Qualitative Exploration Of Their Perceptions, Chana S. Max, Keisha Mccoy-Dailey

The Qualitative Report

Paraprofessionals support teachers and students in the classroom. Their roles and responsibilities vary; however, their goal is always to improve student achievement. The purpose of the study was to fill a gap in the literature related to special education paraprofessionals’ perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs on the support and trainings they receive prior to and during their job as a paraprofessional for students in a special education setting. Generic qualitative methodology was used to capture the thoughts, experience, and perceptions of 42 paraprofessionals across the United States. Data collection included an eight-question online questionnaire. Results of the study revealed five patterns …

Spouse Violence In Case Of Police Officers In Puerto Rico: Violence In Police Families, Jorge Ismael Suarez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore the relationship between factors related to police work and whether these factors help predict domestic violence in a sample of officers of the Puerto Rico Police. The following factors were explored in this study: external burnout, alcohol abuse, department withdrawal, and authoritarian spillover. This study was based on a previous study by Johnson et al. (2005), which revealed that violence exposure and domestic violence among police officers are linked according to four mediation chains. The mediation chain was a model implemented by the authors to determine the influence of burnout, authoritarian spillover, alcohol …

Percepción Sobre Los Factores Que Inciden En La Utilización De La Plataforma De Microsoft Teams En Tiempos De Pandemia, Jessica Rosa Domenech

Theses and Dissertations

El diseño de investigación fue de naturaleza exploratorio con un enfoque fenomenológico correspondiente al paradigma cualitativo. Se utilizó la entrevista en profundidad para obtener la información. Los hallazgos relevantes demostraron que Los factores internos que incidieron en el uso del Microsoft Team incluyeron la disposición y competencia tecnológica de los maestros, su nivel de familiaridad con la plataforma y su capacidad para integrarla en su metodología de enseñanza. Los factores externos, la disponibilidad de recursos tecnológicos y acceso a Internet en las escuelas y hogares de los estudiantes es un aspecto importante que puede influir en la utilización de TEAMS. …

Should We Disaggregate Latino Youths Based On Ancestral Group When Examining Risk Factors Of Violent And Delinquent Behavior, Elvis G. Sevilla

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers frequently aggregate Latino subgroups during statistical analyses despite findings indicating that cultural distinctions within Latino subgroups have unintended hidden impacts on analyses. This study disaggregated the Latino sample to assess if Latino youth samples differ among subgroups (i.e., Mexicans/Mexican Americans, Cubans/Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, Central/South Americans, and other Latinos) who self-reported violent and nonviolent delinquent behavior. Also, this study used Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory to investigate life-course characteristics that predicted violent and nonviolent delinquent behaviors. A two-step approach analysis determined the differences in violent and delinquent behaviors among Latino subgroups and then which life-course risk factors predicted the …

Examination Of The Differences And Similarities In The Classification Of Multiple Homicide Perpetrators, Lucy M. Papp

Theses and Dissertations

The applied dissertation compares the lifestyle and behavioral characteristics of mass, serial, and spree murderers. Historically, studies have focused on serial murder according to the perpetrator's typology or indicators at the crime scene. The current topics of research lack a comparison of these classifications. While the classification and described typologies are essential for academic and investigative purposes, understanding the impactful lifestyle factors of these perpetrators may also serve as an essential factor in predictive analysis, victimology, and the motive behind their heinous crimes.

The researcher collected data on the classifications for each type of multiple homicide perpetrator: mass, serial, and …

Exploring The Integration Of Technology In Elementary Literacy Instruction: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Melvina L. Barton

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study delved into the challenges faced by elementary educators at a suburban school in integrating technology-enhanced literacy pedagogy to bolster student success. Guided by Venkatesh’s unified theory of acceptance, the research investigated educators’ perceptions and utilization of technology in literacy instruction to foster student achievement. Key questions probed teachers’ perceptions of technology’s role in enhancing literacy outcomes and their views on administrative support for instructional practices.

Data collection involved interviews and surveys with 12 participants, selected based on demographics and teaching credentials. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns and insights. The study explored the alignment among literacy …