Digital Commons Network^™

Doctor, Lawyer, Social Worker?: Exploring The Experiences Of Asian American Pacific Islander (Apia) Social Work Students, Jiabao Zhang, Kathleen J. Bergquist, Arthur Tabrizi

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

This study examined preliminary result using a snowball sample of 121 APIA social work students from accredited institutions that offer social work programs. The purpose of this study was to explore APIA social work students’ perceptions and experiences in the program and their expectations from classmates, APIA faculty, field liaison, and agencies. A 44-item survey was sent through an online survey site to APIA students. The results indicated that while most participants reported that family do not have a strong influence on their profession, 39% out of 83 respondents reported positive experiences with social workers drove them to pursue this …

Systems Of Access: A Multidisciplinary Strategy For Assessing The Social Dimensions Of Sustainability, Christopher Wolsko, Elizabeth Marino, Thomas J. Doherty, Steve Fisher, Amanda S. Green, Briana Goodwin, Ryan Reese, Andrea Wirth

Library Faculty Research

The concept of access to natural resources has been a specific concern of economists and ecologists and is a distinct component in recent models of social sustainability. Using a series of conceptual and empirical examples, this article extends the notion of access broadly to social institutions and sociocultural norms. We argue that access may be usefully construed as an analytic tool that has direct applicability to many sustainability issues as it allows for cross-disciplinary and public engagement. Here the concept of access, linked to Amartya Sen’s theory of capabilities, also makes visible the multi-scaled and interconnected social processes that influence …

Unlv 101, Unlv Communications

UNLV 101

No abstract provided.

State Lotteries And The New American Dream, Jonathan D. Cohen

Occasional Papers

This paper analyzes state lotteries in the economic and cultural context of the late twentieth century. As access to traditional meritocratic advancement declined, many Americans perceived lotteries as new means of attaining increasingly elusive upward mobility. Their turn to lotteries was facilitated by grassroots coalitions as well as lottery advertisers who claimed lotteries as effective means of making money. The relationship of lotteries and social mobility reveals the full implications of lottery playing in the United States and the reasons this form of gambling has assumed new importance as providing access to the American Dream.

The Ideal Judge: How Implicit Bias Shapes Assessment Of State Judges, Rebecca D. Gill, Rafael Oganesyan

Political Science Faculty Research

Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) is generally seen as an important part of the merit system, which often suffers from a lack of relevant voter information. Utah’s JPE system has undergone significant change in recent years. Using data from the two most recent JPE surveys, we provide a preliminary look at the operation of this new system. Our results suggest that the survey component has difficulty distinguishing among the judges on the basis of relevant criteria. The question prompts intended to measure performance on different ABA categories are also indistinguishable. We find evidence that, on some measures, female judges do disproportionately …

You Need The Words?: Portrayals Of Romantic Anxiety In Film, Claudia Chiang-Lopez, Jennifer A. Guthrie

McNair Poster Presentations

Viewers’ interpretations of characters with anxious attitudes in romantic relationships can affect their opinions on what constitutes appropriate relationship behavior. This paper analyzes the impact of media on people through a literature review and offers an explanation of different portrayals of romantic anxiety in film: the language used to describe characters and characters’ ends. The films studied - Sunset Boulevard, Sid and Nancy, Hard Core Logo, Burnt Money, and The Hustler - all showed a pattern where a character with romantic anxiety was mistreated by the storyline or other characters, and most of these characters meet their end through suicide …

Native American Identity: A Review Of Twenty-First Century Research, Bridgett G. Giordmaina, Carolee Dodge Francis

McNair Poster Presentations

The purpose of this literature review is to exam research on Native American identity within the social sciences in the twenty-first century in order to identify trends in research topics, various perspectives, and potential future studies, through the review of a sample of 86 publications relating to the topic of Native American identity. The sample was retrieved utilizing three scholarly databases across a wide range of fields of study. Publications are examined by area of focus and publication year.

Development Of A School District: The Role And Contributions Of Clark County, Nevada School District Superintendents, 1956 – 2000, Patrick W. Carlton

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Homelessness In The Valley, Termaine Turner Ii, Christopher Wakefield

AANAPISI Poster Presentations

• In today’s society, there is a common belief that homeless people are the problem and that they have services at their disposal to end their homelessness. Yet, there is little consideration given to how society has influenced this population.
• Homelessness is a serious problem nationwide and is also a challenge to resolve once you have found yourself within the homeless community. It is important not to judge each homeless individual’s situation the same.
• The demographics of the homeless population is just as diverse as the factors that led to their homelessness.
• This paper examined the available literature on the contributing …

Hawai‘I’S Caring Communities Initiative: Mobilizing Rural And Ethnic Minority Communities For Youth Suicide Prevention, Jane J. Chung-Do, Deborah A. Goebert, Kris Bifulco, Tasha Tydingco, Antonia Alvarez, Davis Rehuher, Jeanelle Sugimoto-Matsuda, Bridget Arume, Pohai Wilcox

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Youth suicide is a serious, yet preventable, public health concern for ethnic minorities and rural communities. This paper describes the youth leadership model utilized by Hawai‘i’s Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) and provides reflections on the important factors for success in implementing a youth and community advocacy project for youth suicide prevention. HCCI partnered with six youth and community organizations who serve ethnic minority and rural communities across the State of Hawai‘i to train youth leaders and community members in suicide prevention, in order to develop community awareness activities that are grounded in each community’s strengths and needs. The work of …

Understanding How Components Of Black Racial Identity And Racial Realities May Impact Healthcare Utilization: A Randomized Study, Alexander M. Chaitoff, Thomas Wickizer, Ismail White

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose: Studies have suggested that even when minority groups have potential access to healthcare, they may have inadequate utilization (realized access). This study explores the application of a theory from the social psychology and political science literatures concerning how racial centrality and racial realities, specifically amongst Blacks, may influence patients’ healthcare utilization preferences.

Methods: We created a survey with two (pseudo) randomized, controlled experimental treatments designed to assess whether racialized hospital and physician characteristics elicited a preference from Black or White respondents, as well as questions aimed at understanding participants’ different beliefs and levels of knowledge about past and current …

The Role Of Adaptive Capacity On The Subjective Career Success Of Former D-I African-American Male Athletes: A Mixed-Method Study, Leon Antonio Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

African-American male student-athletes who played a revenue-generating sport enter the labor market having relatively poor social networks, low grade point averages, few marketable skills outside of sports, restricted work experiences, and marginal subject matter knowledge; most of which are the result of their participation in sports (Singer, 2008). Therefore making the transition more difficult than even the average African-American male (Edwards, 1980). The purpose of this study was to: (1) Determine the factors that predict subjective career success for former D-I African-American male athletes who played a revenue-generating sport, and (2) Explore how former D-I African-American male athletes, who played …

The Visual Framing Of The Three Cycles Of Climate Control In The New York Times 1851 To Present, Jason Lee Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explored the visual framing of climate control in The New York Times through three cycles of media history. Although no peer-reviewed study has explored this specific topic, a wealth of prior communication articles on both the visual and textual aspects of climate change and geoengineering in the media was mined in order to discover the frames present. Once the visual frames of climate control (war, fix, people, and impacts) were revealed a content analysis was conducted in order to see which frame elements were most and least frequent considering the images of climate control. When combining all three …

Multicultural Education In Action: A Multiple Case Study Of Black Elementary Aged Children's Identity Development And Engagement With Civil Rights Literature, Rebekah E. Piper

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the United States education system a large achievement gap between African American and Latino students compared to White American students exists. Various studies have documented the gap, but there has not been much success in closing it. Recognizing that the educational system is growing more, not less, diverse, including due to the rise in enrollments of students of color and the decrease of the same by white students based on birthrates and immigration trends, the success of this increasingly diverse student population is even more important to the success of the nation. Preparing teachers to integrate multicultural content and …

Scardovia Wiggsiae Prevalence In Orthodontic Patients, Brandon Joseph Streiff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dental caries has mainly been associated with Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Actinomyces and Veillonella species. But in recent salivary studies a new cariogenic pathogen, has been identified. This new bacteria, Scardovia wiggsiae (SW), is currently being tested within the UNLV School of Dental Medicine patient population. Although these current studies are being conducted to study its prevalence in both pediatric and adult populations, it has not been evaluated among patients with an altered oral environment as seen in patients with orthodontic appliances. Fixed orthodontic appliances increase the difficulty of removing daily plaque on and in between the teeth with standard oral hygiene …

Division I Men's Basketball Scholarship : The Challenges Of Being A Black Male Athlete, Lonnie Gene Wright

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Qualitative research will explore issues that interface particularly with Black student- athletes on Division 1 basketball scholarships regarding academic readiness, academic support, family support and how the experience of a Division 1 scholarship impacted their lives. The population of Black student-athletes that the focus of the research will concentrate on are the black student-athlete who typically exhaust their scholarship, who may have graduated or not but didn’t advance to the Pro Ranks. Case Study methodology will be applied wherein the researcher will interview nine former Black basketball players, within 1 to 5 years separation from 3 different Division 1 …

Transformational Leadership Increases Self-Determination And Positively Impacts Hospitality Frontline Employees, Xiao Zhang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This professional paper presents literature by exploring the role of self-determination theory between the relationship of transformational leadership and hospitality employees’ well-being. It integrates the present research on leadership style, needs theory and well-being and provides useful and meaningful information for executives and organizations who are dedicated to improve employees’ well-being.

Without Mandate For Conquest: A Transnational Comparison Of Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon And Isabel Allende's Eva Luna, Vivianna Noelle Orsini

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In our current age of globalization, multiculturalism is a key component of human relations. Place, when thought of as a geographic concept is more than just coordinates on a map, it is a concentration of a set of social relations. Geographers use this information to see how places are relational to other places. Morrison and Allende are relational because of their consciousness of place especially exhibited in Song of Solomon and Eva Luna. This project examines the disparate histories, politics, and landscapes that both authors emerged from, and argue the complexity of their work stems from thinking geographically, their conscious …

Television Consumption And Child Obesity: Linking Children's Contemporary Television Use, Physical Activity, And Advertising To Putnam's Displacement Hypothesis, Brittany L. Altamirano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study observed the relationship between television consumption and child obesity through the theoretical construct of Putnam’s displacement hypothesis. It did so by updating the previous research through the investigation of the displacement of both physical activity and advertisements on contemporary television platforms. The inclusion of Putnam’s displacement hypothesis was to provide a foundational framework, not found in previous literature, to study two important paradigms that were represented in previous research: 1) the displacement of physical activity; and 2) the displacement of traditional advertisement exposure.

Several trends became apparent within previous literature. Previous literature did not include an explicitly stated …

The Painted Motifs Of Cypriot Ceramic Art: A Study Of Iconography & Identity, Paige Bockman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aim of this master’s thesis is to explore the iconography of Chalcolithic (c. 3900-2300 cal. BC) Cyprus using ceramic motifs and identify their potential use in revealing differences between the cultural identity present at archaeological sites, as well as the possible causes of such variation. By exploring the existence and origins of subtle differences between the iconographic repertoires of related sites, the study seeks a better understanding of the movement of both ideas and symbols, and how the meaning of symbols developed within the context of a site.

Currently, Cypriot Chalcolithic sites are believed to be largely homogeneous in …

Understanding Employee Work Attitudes: An Integration Of Psychological Contract Theory And Organizational Support Theory, Wen Chang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Employee motivation and retention are critical concerns for the hospitality industry. The purpose of this study was to understand employees’ work attitudes and emotional affect through a social exchange perspective by integrating employee psychological contract theory and organizational support theory. Affective event theory provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and path analysis. The results showed that employees’ psychological contract fulfillment was a strong predictor of their perceived organizational support. In addition, psychological contract fulfillment and perceived organizational support together explained employee affect at work as well as other work attitudes. Affect at …

Electronic Dance Music: From Deviant Subculture To Culture Industry, Christopher T. Conner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Utilizing a mixed qualitative research methods design, including interviews, ethnographic field work, and analyzing historical documents, I examine the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) subculture, since its inception in the late 80s as a deviant subculture. Previous studies of raves and other music subcultures focus almost exclusively on the role of popularity in transforming the subculture. In this research, I found, in the case of EDM at least, a more complicated process in which structural factors such as mass media, public officials (politicians and law enforcement), and major music corporations played a prominent role in the transformation. Media coverage focused on …

Literacy And Social Justice: Understanding Student Perceptions And Conceptions About Literature, Jennifer Marie Crosthwaite

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Literacy and learning is a social process, one that is both transformative, empowering, and can often lead to social change. The following study is based on the idea that literacy can be used as a tool not only to teach the basic skills of reading, but the skills for individuals to learn to be compassionate towards others, understand their individuality, and envision how their self can alter their community for a more just world. The frameworks that support these concepts are socio-cultural theory, reader response theory, and critical literacy theory. The intersection of these three theories highlight the importance of …

Perceptions Toward The Value Of Higher Education For Hotel Professionals In Las Vegas: A Case Study, Gary Lee Deel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study concerns a qualitative investigation of the views toward higher education and its importance to hospitality career success among hotel professionals in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Existing literature supported the premise that education may be important to professional career success in several different ways, and that values concerning education may be passed from one person to another via social learning. However, the relevant theories had not previously been evaluated within the context of the hospitality industry. Professionals in reporting relationships at two Las Vegas hotels were interviewed to determine perceptions about higher education, the sources of those perceptions, …

Thank You For Your Time! Would You Mind Donating To Our Cause? The Effect Of Gratitude On Prosocial Behavior, Matthew L. Hortt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A random assignment experiment examined the effects of three expressions of gratitude on two prosocial behaviors: volunteering and making monetary donations to charitable organizations. The results indicated that two of the expressions of gratitude had a significant opposite effect on the two prosocial behaviors. Both a verbal thank-you speech and a hand written thank-you note, resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of pledged volunteer hours, while resulting in a significant increase in the amount of pledged charitable dollars. The third expression of gratitude, a ten dollar thank-you gift card, produced no significant findings for either prosocial behavior. The …

The Arab Uprisings: An Assessment Of The Roots And Implications Of Contemporary Mobilization In The Arab World, Autoosa Elizabeth Kojoori-Saatchi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Much of the existing theories of mobilization appear to focus on either micro or macro level elements that lead to mobilization, very few seem to focus on fusing the two; specifically psychological dynamics with macro structural components. This dissertation seeks to synthesize the two together to explain how psychology, specifically the perception of deprivation exacerbated by heightened social interaction through technology has introduced a new element to politics in the Middle East and North, which has furthered awareness of the exploitative nature of neoliberalism and the impact that the system has on the greater Arab populace. This dissertation explains how …

Islamophobia: Religious Affiliation, Religious Markets, And Attitudes Towards Islam In Three European Countries, Linda A. Lockett

Political Science Faculty Presentations

The paper compares the effect of religion on public attitudes toward Muslims in three different countries; Germany (religiously pluralistic), Sweden (predominately Protestant) and Spain (predominately Catholic): Are religious affiliation and commitment more common in religiously diverse (competitive) countries? Does religious affiliation or commitment increase or decrease negative affect (feelings) toward Muslims in different religious markets. Catholic and Protestant respondents in Germany, and Protestants in Sweden, are more likely to accept Muslims as neighbors than are the religiously non affiliated. Self-reported Catholicism is not significantly related to attitudes toward Muslims among Spanish respondents.

Implementation And Feasibility Of An Auricular Acupuncture Intervention For Smoking Cessation In A Residential Spiritual Recovery Program: A Pilot Study, Cynthia Johnson, Payam Sheikhattari, Lixing Lao, Yvonne Bronner, Fernando Wagner

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

This study examined the feasibility of recruiting of participants and retention to an auricular acupuncture intervention for smoking cessation at a residential spiritual recovery program for a chemically dependent population in the mid-Atlantic region. The association between beliefs about acupuncture and smoking cessation were also assessed. This was an intervention study guided by the principles of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR).

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol was used as part of the smoking cessation intervention (participants received auricular acupuncture for 40 minutes, 3 times per week for 1 month). Smoking cessation, adherence rate to the treatment plan, …

If There Were A Nobel Prize For Sociology And/Or Social Psychology, Goffman Would Deserve To Be The First One Considered, Thomas Schelling

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Dr. Thomas Schelling, professor emeritus a Harvard University, wrote this memoir at the request of Dmitri Shalin and approved posting the present version in the Erving Goffman Archives.

Defining The 99%: A Rhetorical Critique Of The Occupy Wall Street Movement, Molly Forgey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social actors assume a large task when attempting to legitimize their movement and motivate participation. For Occupy Wall Street (OWS) dissidents this task was even greater given that their grievances lie both with government and with large corporations, two of the most influential entities in the United States. Such obstacles sparked an interest in studying the language strategies OWS rhetors employed when attempting to define the movement. This thesis examines these strategies in order to discover how the movement was framed, and how framing processes relate to the collective’s identity. The discourse analyzed includes the initial call to action published …