Digital Commons Network^™

[M]Otherhood: Navigating Work-Family Constraints And Strategies In Pink-Collar Jobs, Madison Brunell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Working mothers continue to confront cultural norms and workplace practices that frame paid labor as incompatible with caregiving. In the workplace, these norms often result in motherhood bias and discrimination due to the incompatibility between norms of the ‘ideal worker’ and the ‘ideal mother’ (Acker 2006; Williams, Blair-Loy and Berdahl 2013). This tension is especially acute in pink-collar jobs, women-dominated occupations in service and care sectors, which are often mischaracterized as mother- friendly despite offering limited flexibility, low pay, and minimal structural support (Sartor, Lange, and Tröster 2023; Deming 2022; Ervin et al. 2022). While prior research has explored the …

From Marriage To Migration: Analyzing Return Migration, Gender Inequalities And Household Resource Allocation Patterns, Saeed Ahmad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In Kyrgyzstan, a country shaped by deep-rooted traditions and high rates of migration, women's lives are often influenced by powerful cultural expectations, economic pressures, and limited choices. My research explores how these forces intersect—particularly through the lens of bride kidnapping, migration, and how families use money and resources. Together, these issues reveal how gender inequality operates in everyday life, and how women navigate both constraint and resilience.

This dissertation includes three connected studies. The first examines how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international labor migration, especially for Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia. Many returnees lost their jobs and faced hostility or …

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences And Bullying Of Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Alyson Connelly Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and bullying can lead to psychological distress, causing both short- and long-term health and mental health problems. Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), including those who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), face a higher risk of ACEs and bullying, which can affect their well-being.

This study builds on existing literature by (a) reviewing ACEs and bullying in CSHCN, especially those who are DHH, and (b) using data from the 2016-2022 National Survey of Children's Health to analyze ACEs and bullying in children who are DHH, DHH+CSHCN, and CSHCN. The literature review found that disability …

Migration As Adaptation: Place-Based Vulnerability Near The Drying Great Salt Lake, Dallin Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The drying of the Great Salt Lake presents a complex and evolving threat to Utah residents, with wide-ranging environmental, economic, and health implications. This study explores the individual and structural factors impacting Utahns' ability to utilize migration as a form of adaptive capacity in response to these threats, using mobility justice and cumulative advantage and disadvantage theory as guiding frameworks. Drawing on survey data, a multilevel logistic regression model identifies key structural factors, including age, income, and gender, that influence perceived migration ability. Additionally, a 2x2 typology categorizes distinct profiles of vulnerability to the Great Salt Lake based on different …

An Exploratory Study Of The Vertical Snarc Effect In Mayan Numerals: Effects Of Language Transparency And Reading Direction, Emmett A. Speed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Mayan numerical system, used by the ancient Maya people, is very different from the Western Arabic numerical system. Instead of being based on 10, it's based on 20, and it uses dots and bars instead of the numbers 0 through 9. This study explored how people learn and understand Mayan numbers.

Participants took a 2.5-hour online course to learn Mayan numerals and number words. They were tested to see how quickly and accurately they could recognize and compare Mayan numerals. The results showed that people can learn the Mayan number system and use it automatically.

The study also looked …

The Experience Of Latine Parents During Covid-19: Coping, Support, And Wellness, Jazmin Lara

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Documentation status affects not just individuals, but entire family units. This project shares the voices of Undocumented Individuals and their Loved Ones (UnLOs), specifically Latine parents navigating multiple, overlapping stressors. Data was collected during a particularly challenging time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and threats to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Participants shared how they cope with stress, who they rely on for social support, how they practice wellness, and the type of community programming they would like to see more of. This research was possible through the collaboration between the Latinx Immigrant Health Alliance (LIHA) and …

Unwritten Rules: Black Utahns’ Experience With De Facto Segregation In Utah, 1940-1965, Jasmine Mercedes Lowe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis examines life in Utah during the Jim Crow era, utilizing oral history interviews with African Americans who lived in the state between 1940 and 1965. The interviewees selected for this project describe their personal experiences with housing, employment, public spaces, medical assistance, and education discrimination.

Still "The Last Best Place"?: Concentrated Ownership, Amenity Migration, And Community Change In Southwest Montana, Elizabeth A. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Across the American West, amenity rich areas have been grappling with population growth, economic shifts, and associated community impacts. Amenity migration, the movement of wealthy suburban and urban individuals to rural areas for the natural amenities and slower paced life, has contributed to much of the change in amenity rich rural places. However, recently, a new process has begun occurring simultaneously with amenity migration. New high net worth (HNW) individuals have been purchasing large parcels of land, often through the acquisition of multiple ranches that are thousands of acres. Little is known about how these new HNW owners impact the …

The Socioecology Of Indigenous Archaeological Maize In The Uinta Basin, Utah, Sara Saouma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis investigates the phenotypic variability of maize (Zea mays spp.) from archaeological sites located in the Uinta Basin, Utah. Maize was first introduced to the American Southwest around 5,000 years ago following its migration via trade routes from its native region of southern Mexico (Vint 2017). The adaptation of maize to the arid and temperate conditions of the American Southwest and Mexico triggered significant phenotypic change resulting from human and environmental selection pressures. This thesis focuses on the analysis of uncharred maize cobs from seven archaeological sites in the Uinta Basin. The analysis includes 70 corn cobs—most …

Wild Water: Hydrosocial Dislocation, Dispossession, And The Symbolic Geographies Of The American West, Leonard Alexander Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation investigates how the confluence of community change and water politics in the American West shapes a discussion about a Wild and Scenic designation for the Crystal River on Colorado’s Western Slope. Ideas about the “Wild West,” influence how many people think about wilderness and small mountain towns, driving growing populations, housing prices, and, as a result, social inequality in many of these areas. At the same time, many people on Colorado’s Western Slope feel that region’s water is taken away by both the state’s more populous Front Range or more politically and economically powerful states like California. Climate …

Associations Between Breastfeeding Duration And Weight Status Transitions In Early Childhood, Hyojun Park, Eric N. Reither

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Empirical evidence with respect to the protective effect of breastfeeding on childhood obesity remains inconclusive, and studies on sex-specific associations are sparse. We investigated whether (H1) longer breastfeeding duration reduces the risk of entry into elevated body mass (EBM); and (H2) longer breastfeeding duration increases the likelihood of exit from EBM. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), our sample comprised 10,550 mother-child pairs after excluding 100 non-biological pairs. The ECLS-B assessed children from 9 months of age through kindergarten, spanning infancy through 7 years of age. We used two transitions in weight status (i.e., entry to EBM …

Review Of Stories On Skin: A Librarian’S Guide To Tattoos As Personal Archives, Steven Bingo

Journal of Western Archives

A book review of Terry Baxter and Libby Coyner-Tsosie’s book Stories on Skin: A Librarian’s Guide to Tattoos as Personal Archives.

Optimizing Accessibility Training By Prioritizing Cognitive Needs Of Students With Disabilities, Lio Jones, Kari Goin, Megan Mcfarland

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Despite the significant enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education, research and practice rarely center the voices and leadership of these students, particularly in accessibility training efforts. This paper addresses this gap by presenting an autoethnographic study of a digital accessibility training initiative co-led by a student with multiple disabilities. Using a process that combines participatory research and first-person narrative, this study outlines the development and implementation of faculty training on accessibility that centers the experiences of a student with cognitive disabilities. We propose a new framework for understanding "dynamic disability," a concept that recognizes the complex and evolving …

Laying The Groundwork: Building Long-Term Community Partnerships Across A Shared Curriculum, Juliana Chow, Eric Robertson, Kate Magargal

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

Maintaining long-term community partnerships is a major challenge for community-engaged classrooms. This poster presents a community-engaged learning (CEL) program template for a project shared between multiple courses and instructors, demonstrating how shared resources, skill sets, relationships, and coordination could result in a long-term community partnership linked to multiple community networks. It shows how 3 courses at the Honors College of the University of Utah can weave together learning objectives and cooperative planning for a course module focused on the Native Plants Program, part of the U of U Climate Action Plan.

Design, Implementation, And Reflection From An Interdisciplinary Course In Museum Studies, Brenna L. Decker

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

In Spring of 2023, I developed a special topics course titled Collection Material Handling to introduce students to museum management using Utah State University collections on the Logan, UT campus. The cross-listed upper-level course brought 16 USU students together from two disciplines: anthropology and natural sciences. The publication details how I used various learning theories to guide the creation of course content and how I structured and implemented activities in the classroom and in the collections. Examples of worksheets, activities, student feedback, and recommended improvements to assignments are provided. I encourage …

Spring 2025 Introduction, Nichelle Frank

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

An introduction to the Spring 2025 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 9, Issue 1, Spring 2025

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2025 issue (Volume 9, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The issue includes five articles addressing challenges in higher education: faculty-student interactions with Generation Z students, experiences of first-generation single-mother college students, implementation of an interdisciplinary museum studies course, guidance for creating educational videos, and a book review on resistance to change in higher education. The journal emphasizes practical strategies for effective teaching, inclusivity, and innovative approaches to pedagogy across various educational contexts.

Collaborative Research: Developing And Testing Innovations: Early Childhood Maker Literacies: Fostering Computational Thinking Among Navajo Youth And Educators, Kristin Searle

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Forging Resilient Futures: The Role Of Community Organizations In Addressing Environmental Injustices Faced By Immigrants Along The Wasatch Front, Utah, Nowrin Fatema

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah’s Wasatch Front is an urban area with a growing population that faces looming environmental challenges, such as the desiccation of the Great Salt Lake, worsening air quality, water scarcity, and the impacts of urban sprawl. If not prevented, the lake’s desiccation or other environmental challenges could result in dangerous air pollution, biodiversity loss, and disruptions to local economies. Immigrant populations may be uniquely vulnerable to these environmental changes because of economic, social, and political marginalization. For example, 50% of Salt Lake City’s foreign-born residents live on the City’s westside—the area on the frontline of the lake’s toxic dust. My …

“Gang, We Have A Mystery On Our Hands!”: A Folkloristic Approach To Conspiracy Thinking In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Sydney K. Brooks

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In this thesis I examined how the 2010 children’s television show Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated both utilizes and critiques conspiracy, embedded within its mystery-solving structure. Through a close analysis of the members of the gang—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo—I broke down their individual behaviors, interactions, and contributions to conspiratorial belief. I then transitioned into a case study of the episode “Where Stalks the Scarebear,” showcasing its connection to larger real-world conspiracy narratives, particularly those related to corporate and environmental cover-ups. Finally, I examined the show as a complete narrative, reflecting on its complex, serial exploration of conspiracy through the framework …

“Floptok Is Not A Trend. It’S A Lifestyle”: Camp, Performativity, And Community Dynamics In An Adolescent Tiktok Subculture, Drake Hansen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Floptok is an online meme-sharing community or subculture that began to take shape in 2021, united by a particular sensibility and set of memetic materials. To outsiders, Floptok is seen as a loud, brash, and often abrasive community whose memes, characterized by low-quality audio and video, often feature “icons”—a range of invented characters and real people—and audio of pop songs heavily edited to feature hypersexual lyrics from the rapper CupcakKe, as well as portions of the 2019 Chinese pop song “Yěhuāxiāng.” This thesis built on scholarship in digital and young people’s folklore in an ethnographic case study of Floptok’s humor …

Tuning Out The Dark: Music As A Defense And Folk Solution, Melanie Kimball

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Music across cultures and throughout history is a tool for engaging with the supernatural. It shares similarities with apotropaic magic. Through research and ethnographic fieldwork, I argued that even in modern times, individuals use music as an apotropaic remedy for fear and negative emotions. These remedies reflect strategies identified by Jeannie Thomas, including companionship, magical substance, neutralization, and displacement. Modern apotropaic music regulates emotions, re-establishes personal relationships, creates safe environments, and provides a means of control.

Contributors used music to combat various negative feelings, selecting genres that matched their emotional needs. In the absence of family and friends, music reaffirmed …

Analyzing Sedentism In The Built Environment: A Case Study In Archaeological Geophysics At Boundary Village, Uintah County, Utah, Alix Sofie Piven

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents a case study that evaluates the ability of near-surface remote sensing to generate archaeological data suitable to answer questions about human behavior. Specifically, this project assesses the ability of two remote sensing methods, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetic gradiometry to resolve subsurface archaeological features that are markers of sedentism. In this study, the markers of sedentism are features of village sites where their variability is linked to the anticipated and actual length of time spent occupying a domestic site. A comparative dataset was generated to assess how specific subsurface archaeological features would look in GPR and magnetic …

Death In A Small Town, Christine Cooper

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Today, those who experience the loss of a loved one are far removed from the process of nursing the dying and watching over the dead. These tasks are relegated to professionals with specific education, certifications, and licensing. With advances in medical technology and hospitals in most communities staffed with well-trained doctors and nurses, the process of dying is more prolonged than that of the late-19th and early-20th centuries in rural small towns. Additionally, with the rise of the death care industry family involvement is often limited to choosing a casket and organizing services. In some ways death has become an …

Domestic Challenges, Cultural Factors Driving Ecuador's Authoritarianism Acceleration, Benjamin F. Berlin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Using the Cultural Topography (CTops) methodology, this paper provides insight to US policymakers into the cultural factors, combined with current domestic challenges, that are driving Ecuadorians toward authoritarianism. The CTops methodology requires practitioners to conduct primary research on a specific group, which is the population of Ecuador in this paper. To conduct this research, cultural texts and artifacts such as newspaper articles, monuments honoring national heroes, websites and blog posts, and many others were analyzed. Secondary research and an evaluation of current operational realities were also used to inform this paper. Once considered an “Island of Peace,” Ecuador is in …

Environmental Racism: The Role Of Racism In The Unequal Distribution Of Environmental Hazards And Resources In Urban Areas, Acadia Petersen

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

There is a large difference in the number of environmental hazards and environmental resources that people live with depending on their race. This is very damaging as certain minorities are being provided with fewer resources and more polluted areas, leading to worse health outcomes.

There is “A strong association between non-white and poor communities and the location of hazardous waste sites…Studies on air quality have documented that minorities and the poor face higher levels of air pollution than other groups” (Pinderhughes 1996).

Are Logan Police Officers Equipped To Deal With Domestic Disturbances Effectively, Jaden Baugh

Student Research Symposium

If officers do not have proper training to deal with domestic violence, then they become ineffective tools to help the public. We as the public need officers to keep the peace but if there is improper training they are ineffective

Child Protective Services Accountability And Reform: The Role Of Judicial Oversight, Caseworker Training, And Systemic Failures In Protecting Vulnerable Children, Amiah Kuykendall

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

What is the purpose of this project?

▪ Investigate systemic failures

o Research question:

▪ How does judicial oversight influence CPS caseworker accountability in child abuse cases, and what legal measures can be taken to ensure policy enforcement?

How Does Social Media Influence Gen Z'S Perception Of American Politics?, Payden Dalley

Student Research Symposium

This study examines whether social media influences Gen Z voters depending on which app they use and their political affiliation. Specifically, it explores how social media platforms shape perceptions of the American political system by analyzing survey responses from Utah State University students regarding the most recent election. Understanding this influence is crucial, as social media plays a central role in shaping political information, particularly for young voters. The findings will help determine whether social media can be used in future elections and which platforms are the most reliable for each party. Given the limited research on the role of …

From Vulnerabilities And Concern To Action: How Perceived Climate Vulnerabilities And Concern For The Great Salt Lake Desiccation Shape Utahns’ Migration Intention, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.