Digital Commons Network^™

Acknowledgements: Richmond, Race And Regionalism, Richmond Peace Education Center

Richmond, Race and Regionalism

Acknowledgements of contributors to Richmond, Race and Regionalism video project, sponsored by the Richmond Peace Education Center and funded by Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Educational Leadership.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin Courses [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Listing of undergraduate courses for 2014-2015.

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate And Professional Programs Bulletin [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Graduate and professional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2014-20015. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University Undergraduate Bulletin [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Bulletins

Undergraduate bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2014-2015. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for undergraduate programs.

Virginia Commonwealth University Fall Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Big Data Visualities, Ron Wigglesworth

High School Resources

Make sense of abstract Big Data numbers by creating concrete, static or kinetic images/visualities which communicate or translate the meaning of the numbers to a human scale of understanding. The subject of the visualities should be created in each student’s artist voice, with the freedom and empowerment to express their own social, economic, political and ecological concerns so his/her work has personal meaning and strength of concern. Employ art hand skills in 21st century postmodern art by using Big Data to illustrate interdisciplinary social justice concerns in visualities, created to move a viewer to action.

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2014], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

A Test Of Spielberger’S State-Trait Theory Of Anger With Adolescents: Five Hypotheses, Colleen Quinn, David Rollock, Scott R. Vrana

Psychology Publications

Spielberger’s state-trait theory of anger was investigated in adolescents (n = 201, ages 10-18, 53% African American, 47% European American, 48% female) using Deffenbacher’s five hypotheses formulated to test the theory in adults. Self-reported experience, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses to anger provoking imagery scripts found strong support for the application of this theory to adolescents. Compared to the low trait anger (LTA) group, adolescents with high trait anger (HTA) produced increased HR, SBP and DBP, and greater self-report of anger to anger imagery (intensity hypothesis) but not greater self-report or cardiovascular …

Qualitative Inquiry In An Age Of Educationalese, Gustavo F. Fischman, Adai Tefera

Foundations of Education Publications

In this introduction we reflect on two key questions that initiated this special issue on qualitative inquiry: What can qualitative researchers do to regain their post-paradigm-wars cache? How do we avoid distracting “science wars” in the future? We suggest that the strong tendency to narrow the research methods accepted as “scientific” – because they adopt quantitative perspectives and are presumed a priori to be more rigorous – has created an educationalese, a narrative of rigid categories that has not necessarily contributed to more effective or persuasive educational research. The article ends by suggesting that the use of “knowledge mobilization” strategies …

Identifying Perceived Barriers To Monitoring Service Quality Among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers In South Africa, Bronwyn Myers, Zainoisa Petersen, Rehana Kader, J Randy Koch, Ron Manderscheid, Rajen Govender, Charles Dh Parry

Psychology Publications

Background

A performance measurement system is planned for South African substance abuse treatment services. Provider-level barriers to implementing these systems have been identified in the United States, but little is known about the nature of these barriers in South Africa. This study explored the willingness of South African substance abuse treatment providers’ to adopt a performance measurement system and perceived barriers to monitoring service quality that would need to be addressed during system development.

Methods

Three focus group discussions were held with treatment providers from two of the nine provinces in South Africa. These providers represented the diverse spread of …

Carrying The World With The Grace Of A Lady And The Grit Of A Warrior: Deepening Our Understanding Of The “Strong Black Woman” Schema, Jasmine A. Abrams, Morgan Maxwell, Michell Pope, Faye Z. Belgrave

Psychology Publications

Across varied disciplines, attempts have been made to capture the multidimensionality of Black womanhood under a unifying framework illustrative of Black women’s perceived roles, responsibilities, and experiences of intersectional oppression. The result has been the emergence of a number of divergent but overlapping constructs (e.g., Superwoman Schema, Sojourner Truth Syndrome, Sisterella Complex, and Strong Black Woman [SBW] Schema). The goal of our study is to integrate overlapping attributes of existing constructs beneath a single term while also expounding upon the defining characteristics of the SBW Schema. Thematic analyses were conducted with data gathered from eight focus groups with 44 Black …

Excellence In Community-Engaged Research At Virginia Commonwealth University: A Compendium Of Case Studies Developed Through A Faculty Learning Community, Division Of Community Engagement, Center For Clinical And Translational Research

Community-Engaged Research Resources

Since 2005, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at VCU has offered faculty learning communities (FLC) on a variety of teaching and learning issues. For 2013-2014, VCU's Division of Community Engagement, Center for Clinical and Translational Research, and Center for Teaching Excellence collaborated to offer the first FLC focused on community-engaged research (CEnR). This FLC included 9 faculty members who are or who had been engaged in complex research projects that intentionally connect the campus and community. The members represented a wide range of disciplines, including education, social work, arts, public health, cancer prevention and control, psychology, family medicine, nutritional …

Frequently Asked Questions: Community-Engaged Research (Cenr) And Vcu's Institutional Review Board (Irb), Cynthia George

Community-Engaged Research Resources

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Coverage Decisions In Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumers' Decision-Making Abilities And The Amount Of Information In Their Choice Environment, Andrew J. Barnes, Yaniv Hanoch, Thomas Rice

Health Policy Publications

Objective

To investigate the determinants and quality of coverage decisions among uninsured choosing plans in a hypothetical health insurance marketplace.

Study Setting

Two samples of uninsured individuals: one from an Internet-based sample comprised largely of young, healthy, tech-savvy individuals (n = 276), and the other from low-income, rural Virginians (n = 161).

Study Design

We assessed whether health insurance comprehension, numeracy, choice consistency, and the number of plan choices were associated with participants' ability to choose a cost-minimizing plan, given their expected health care needs (defined as choosing a plan costing no more than $500 in excess of the total …

Middle Grades Math: Assessing The Debate Over The When And How Of Algebra, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

Within discussions of K-12 math, the middle grades are framed as a critical period of transition between the foundational concepts presented in elementary math classes and the more abstract upper-level math classes that are traditionally associated with the high school level (i.e. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus). Over the past two decades important debates have occurred among educational researchers, math educators, and education policy makers as to the proper approach to middle grades math policy. At the center of this debate is the question of how and when to integrate algebra into the math course sequence. This focus on algebra …

Typologies Of Black Male Sensitivity In R&B And Hip Hop, Cassandra Chaney, Krista D. Mincey

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the lyrics of 79 R&B and Hip Hop songs from 1956-2013 to identify the ways that these Black male artists expressed sensitivity. The songs were determined by Billboard Chart Research Services, and Phenomenology provided the theoretical foundation on which the themes were identified. Qualitative analysis of the lyrics revealed Black male sensitivity in R&B and Hip Hop to be based on the following four typologies: (a) Private Sensitivity; (b) Partnered Sensitivity; (c) Perceptive Sensitivity; and (d) Public Sensitivity. Private Sensitivity occurred when the Black male is alone; feels lonely; disguises or hides his …

Cultural Appropriation Of The Plains Native American Headdress In The 21st Century By Middle-To-Upper Class American Non-Indians, Marisa Wood

UROP Posters

My research addresses the cultural appropriation of the Plains’ Native American headdress by middle to upper class American non-Indians belonging to the hipster subculture. The hipster subculture appropriates minority cultures while also receiving the benefits of the majority culture to which they belong. The hipster subculture is influenced by a generally limited knowledge of Native American culture and the trends pressed by corporations. Native Americans also contribute to stereotype continuation in order to make money.

I reviewed six journal articles addressing culture appropriation in fashion, spirituality and stereotypes as well as six journal articles addressing the relationship between identity and …

Assessing Design Thinking Through The Activation Of A Social Challenge In Higher Education: An Academic Inquiry, Amin Matni

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an inquiry that documents, identifies and assesses the effectiveness, circumstances, and potential resources related to addressing the gap between social needs and higher education as stated in the National Development Strategy 2011-2016. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the response of the students on the collaborative, human-centered, result-oriented aspects of design thinking while addressing the eating experience topic, an articulated theme from the wicked problem of obesity. The eating experience theme provided students from design, business and engineering majors a contextualized topic to test design thinking in a series of workshops conducted in three different …

Inoperative Art Education, Nadine M. Kalin, Daniel T. Barney

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Increasingly, assessment has encroached on art education, inextricably linking visual arts learning to standardized performances wherein, art educators are becoming technicians accountable to the neoliberal state of education. Under these circumstances, the authors’ hearts and minds are understandably heavy for a postponement of art education as usual, proposing the question: Given the permission to escape art education’s current workings, what might art educators abandon, and how might they undertake this? IN order to delve into this provocation, the authors propose a limbo space of deferral in relation to art education that might inspire any predetermined usages inoperable. From this paradoxical …

Caught With Our Pants Down: Art Teacher Assessment, Jill Elaine Palumbo

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Teacher assessment is a hot topic in today’s high-stakes, test-drive, accountability-focused educational environment. My recent research addresses how high school art educators, under the umbrella of non-tested subjects and grades (NTSG), are assess in their classroom teaching practices in the United States, Virginia. Based on my findings, it is clear that while the teachers surveyed do not fear accountability, they are wary of being evaluated by those who lack content knowledge in the arts, by methods that are subjective, and with criteria that are inflexible. This article addresses the need to develop open forums that include educators’ voices in order …

The Creatures We “Assessinate”: Mental Testing As Science Fiction In Chicago Public High Schools In 1909, Clayton Funk

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

This article tracks the development of what educators and psychologists, in 1909, termed “mental testing” in relation to art education in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). According to CPS Superintendent Edwin G. Cooley (1857-1923) American civilization was in trouble due to the influx of Southern and Eastern European immigrants in Chicago. He and other educators sought to ward off the social collapse they feared with the efficiency of science. As part of what Sol Cohen termed the “medicalization of education,” Chicago’s Department of Child Study tested students for mental capacity and those considered less intelligence were placed in technical classes, while …

The Journal Of Social Theory In Art Education

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

No abstract provided.

The Hip In Hip Hop: Toward A Discipline Of Hip Hop Studies, Monica Miller, Daniel White Hodge, Jeffrey Coleman, Cassandra D. Chaney

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Editorial.

Speech Is My Hammer, It's Time To Build: Hip Hop, Cultural Semiosis And The Africana Intellectual Heritage, Samuel T. Livingston

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

The article examines Hip Hop music's relationship with African cultural symbolism and the discipline of Africana Studies. The author maintains that Africana Studies must reclaim the study of cultural semiosis, which may be used to contextualize Hip Hop praxis. Examining semeiotic traces within African and Afrodiasporic primary sources, including Hip Hop lyrics, the article posits that Hip Hop is the latest development in a long tradition of Afro-Kemetic oral artistry, semeiotic systems and the uses of these dual literacies as modes of resistance and affirmations of Black historical and cultural agency. The article adapts Harryette Mullen's literary model of African …

Baadassss Gangstas: The Parallel Influences, Characteristics And Criticisms Of The Blaxploitation Cinema And Gangsta Rap Movements, Dustin Engels

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Serving as two of the most visible African American cultural movements, blaxploitation cinema and gangsta rap played essential roles in giving African American artists an outlet to establish a new black identity for mainstream audiences. After exploring the similarities between the cultural and economic conditions that spawned both movements, this essay examines the parallel techniques by which the preeminent entries in both genres established themselves as culturally relevant for African American audiences. These techniques included a reliance on place and space to establish authenticity, as well as employing African American myths and folklore such as the Signifying Monkey and the …

Journal Of Hip Hop Studies

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Listen To The Story: Banksy, Tyler The Creator, And The Growing Nihilistic Mindset, Duri Long

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Art, as an expression of feelings, worldviews, and personal beliefs, is a reflection of our environment and how we interact with it. In this way, urban art such as rap music and graffiti can serve as a lens through which we are able to examine the state of the urban environment. Building on community literature that addresses the presence of nihilism in rap music, this work will establish that nihilism is a prevalent theme in the work of two artists: Tyler the Creator's rap music and BANKSY's graffiti art. By examining the growing subculture and appeal of urban art in …

Domestic Violence: Contemporary Interventions And The Rise Of Specialized Domestic Violence Units, Laura E. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines recidivism for domestic violence offenders under both traditional probation and specialized probation conditions. This research compares recidivism at a traditional probation locality (Riverside Criminal Justice Services) and a specialized domestic violence unit (Chesterfield Community Corrections Services) in order to determine the nature of recidivism at both localities. In addition, the research aims to identify individual risk factors which are statistically associated with recidivism. The research is based on secondary data and draws on offender criminal records generated by the Virginia State Police, as well the extraction of information from probation files at both localities. The multivariate models …

Food Landscapes: A Case Study Of A Cooking And Art- Focused Program For Teens Living In A Food Desert, Jessica R. Norris

Theses and Dissertations

This study constructs themes and propositions about the experiences of youth participants in the fall 2013 Food Landscapes program at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Richmond, Virginia. During the program, youth participated in cooking-based volunteerism with adults with disabilities and created short videos about their experiences. In this study, I analyzed pre- and post-program participant interviews, twice-weekly program observations, and facilitator reflections to understand how Food Landscapes affected youths’ conception of community engagement and communication strategies. This case study offers insight into how youth experience after-school programming of this design. Based on my findings, youth develop and rely upon a …

Cultural Factors Associated With Utilization Of Antenatal Care Services In Rural India, Anjali Om

UROP Posters

Despite vast economic growth in developing countries in the past few years, infant mortality continues to plague underdeveloped regions, particularly rural regions of India. Many of these deaths are caused by a lack of education and motivation in regard to utilization of antenatal and neonatal care services to prevent and treat consequences of unhygienic umbilical cord care.

For years, high incidences of neonatal tetanus have plagued rural areas of India as a result of cultural practices that encourage topical applications of cow dung to cut umbilical stumps either directly or by using ghee heated with cow dung to warm umbilical …