Digital Commons Network^™

A Focused Ethnography: Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Cultural Competence And Social Justice, Wanda Elizabeth Thuma-Mcdermond

Dissertations

Disparities in health care suggest a need for greater social justice in national and international health care systems. Nurses are uniquely involved with disparities since the nursing profession has emphasized social justice not only as a moral value but also as the foundation for social action. Social justice, however, may be difficult to conceptualize, especially for nursing students. Since cultural competence has been identified as an important aspect for decreasing disparities, it may be a vehicle or tool students could use for the social action necessary for social justice. A focused ethnographic design was selected for this study because of …

Non-Traditional Church Involvement As A Life-Course Turning Point: Qualitative Interviews With Religious Offenders, William Hunter Holt

Dissertations

This research project conducted and then analyzed qualitative interviews from former and current addicts and criminal offenders who are voluntarily participating in the Christian faith at the same non-traditional, Protestant church. An abridged case study of this church is also provided for background and context. Life-course theory and grounded theory are utilized.

Both the offenders and this church were chosen in an attempt to better understand how the offenders’ involvement at this house of worship, along with their faith in general, have impacted them. Obtaining the perspectives of the offender is essential for three reasons. First, qualitative research conducted in …

An Exploration Of Preschool Choice With Low-Income Families: The Critical Role Of Positive Attitudes, Behavioral Norms And Control Beliefs, Laurel E. Schmitt

Dissertations

Since the 1960s preschool has been seen as a potential equalizer for children of poverty as they enter kindergarten and long term studies of state and federal preschools have documented positive impacts, especially for low-income students. What has yet to be deeply explored is guardians’ decision-making processes to explain the lack of enrollment even when the stated barriers are eliminated (Obi, 2011; Payne, 1994; Swartz, 1996).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and interpret, through a phenomenological lens, how low income parents and guardians made decisions to enroll their child or dependent in a preschool program. I …

Bay Area Lgbtq+ Millennials: The Newest Generation Leading The Gay Civil Rights Movement, Sara Miyo Hall-Kennedy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ millennials that influenced their participation in the gay civil rights movement in the Bay Area of California. Another purpose of the study was to explore and describe the recommendations LGBTQ+ millennials have for the future of the national gay civil rights movement.

Methodology: A qualitative analysis of the data from a combination of both social movements and symbolic interactionism theoretical perspectives was conducted. Data for this study was generated through the synthesis and triangulation of the thematic coding of 12 interviews conducted by …

Characteristics Of Notes Taken During The Employment Interview And Their Impact On Organizational Outcomes, James T. Mundell

Dissertations

Note-taking during the interview process has been recommended by both academics and practitioners. However, little research on note-taking in employment interviews exists. Although the limited amount of research points to the benefits of note-taking, characteristics of the notes taken have not been studied in detail and in relation to many organizational outcomes. As such, this study examined characteristics of note-taking (including job relatedness, detail, and valence) and their impact on interview question scores, hiring recommendations, hiring decisions, employee performance, and turnover. Archival data from an organization was utilized and the notes taken during employment interviews were coded to better understand …

The Perceptions Of High School Students In Northern California On Proactive Restorative Justice Elements, Chasity Raybuck-Bonilla

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the perceptions of high school students who attend school in one Northern California district who have implemented the proactive strategies of Restorative Justice Practices.

Methodology: This qualitative case study examined and described 18 high school students’ perceptions of Restorative Practice strategies used to develop and maintain trusting relationships on a high school campus. The researcher conducted 30 minute one on one interviews with each respondent that were picked using specific criteria.

Findings: Examination of qualitative data from the 18 students participating in this study indicated a variety …

The Paradox Of Respect And Risk: Six Lakota Adolescents Speak, Mary J. Isaacson

Dissertations

Adolescence is a time of turbulence as young people stretch parental boundaries, seeking where they fit in society. For many American Indian adolescents this time involves the initiation of dangerous high-risk behaviors. Potential causes posed for this are: loss of identity, loss of cultural values and traditions, lack of positive role modeling and feelings of hopelessness. Survey research has been the predominant method of data collection. Very few studies of Native American youth use storytelling, even though stories are a part of many Indian cultures. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the phenomena of respect and risk …

Brokering Student Well-Being: Understanding The Work Of School Health Administrators, Samantha Blackburn

Dissertations

Despite a well-documented need for school health programs (SHPs) among school children who have chronic conditions, require medically complex interventions at school, or experience socio-emotional health issues, there is little school health funding in California. There is limited research on the role of those who manage SHPs.

This qualitative study investigated the work of a selected group of school health administrators (SHAs) in California. Study aims were to explore SHA job pathways and responsibilities, the contextual factors influencing their work, and how they get their work done given limited funding for SHPs.

The Experience Of Violence And Help-Seeking Among Mothers Of Adult Chronically Mentally Ill Individuals, Darcy A. Copeland

Dissertations

Mothers of mentally ill adults are frequently primary caretakers. If mentally ill individuals become violent, mothers are most often victims. In their role as primary caretakers, mothers are knowledgeable regarding their children's illnesses. They are also familiar with the mental health system, including criteria for involuntary hospitalization. Mothers can identify signs of decompensation in their mentally ill children and recognize their need for hospitalization. They cannot, however, always access mental health treatment due to their children's refusal and/or not meeting legal criteria for involuntary hospitalization. This is problematic, particularly for mothers whose mentally ill, adult children have a history of …

Revisiting Rural Crime: The Contributions Of Labor Markets And Interdependency, Kristina J. Thompson

Dissertations

Although rural communities – which are home to nearly 20 percent of the U.S. – have experienced disruptive labor market restructuring, few studies examine how such events influence rural crime. Moreover, general methodological approaches to rural crime treat rural places as isolated and unaffected by the broader labor market conditions around them, despite a growing body of sociological literature which suggests that urban and rural communities have varying degrees of interdependence. Drawing from urban crime theories emphasizing the importance of place and systemic relations, this dissertation explores how shifting labor market conditions and extra-local labor market opportunities influenced crime in …

A Self-Study Of The Relationships Between My Leadership And The Promotion Of A Supportive School Environment, Cory Overstreet

Dissertations

A SELF-STUDY of the RELATIONSHIPS between MY LEADERSHIP and the PROMOTIon of a SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT There has been a recent focus in education on Social Emotional Learning, Restorative Justice, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). All of these areas are tied to creating a Supportive School Environment that will help students be successful. Chicago Public Schools created a Supportive School Certification process in 2017 and works closely with schools to help them achieve certification (Mathewson, 2017). as the fifth principal in the past ten years at J. P. Miller School, there has been a significant change in leadership styles, …

"Lifting As We Climb": Black Feminist Action Research With Women Of Color Student Affairs Administrators, Paige J. Gardner

Dissertations

Black feminist action research is a methodology designed by Dr. Gardner to cultivate agency and solidarity among Women of Color student affairs administrators. by engaging participants as co-investigators, Women of Color student affairs administrators' co-constructed knowledge to examine the challenges and barriers experienced in career navigation as well as the strategies used to disrupt oppressive working environments at historically White institutions. in this study the principle investigator and co-investigators explored the following research questions: (1) How do Women of Color student affairs administrators define systems of support? (2) How and why do Women of Color student affairs administrators establish systems …

Victims Of Child Sex Trafficking: Are U.S. Pediatricians Ready To Identify, Assess, Treat And Protect Them?, Bidisha Sinha

Dissertations

The trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation is a gross violation of human rights and a global, public health issue that is rapidly growing and prevalent. Due to the clandestine nature of this crime and the general lack of public knowledge about it, identifying and protecting victims of child sex trafficking (CST) is fraught with challenges. Therefore, it is imperative that healthcare professionals - often the only professionals with whom CST victims come in contact while in captivity - are properly educated and trained on this topic. A literature review reveals there is little knowledge about pediatricians' education and …

“You Never Know What You’Re Gonna Get!”: The Lived Health Care Experience Of Individuals Who Identify As Transgender, Joyce Lyn Cole

Dissertations

This study used descriptive phenomenological investigation to explore the lived health care experience of individuals who identify as transgender. Results gleaned from the study provide a resource for nurse educators to employ when preparing future nurses to practice in an increasingly diverse environment. Eighteen adult members of the transgender community who had experienced health care completed virtual face-to-face, in-depth interviews. The data provided a rich description of the experiences, and analysis yielded the identification of themes that illuminate the essence of the lived healthcare experience. Findings from the data indicate that the transgender health care experience can be unpredictable and …

Developing Moral Education To Combat Human Trafficking, Shima Rostami

Dissertations

Leaders are challenged daily to improve their organization's products and outcomes. “When the character of leaders is low, so are their standards” (Maxwell, 2010, p. 41), and accordingly the products and programs. No field or profession was exempt from this challenge at the leadership level. On this note, human trafficking as a humanitarian crisis was of particular interest for activists, but one that may still suffer from this same weakness at the leadership level. Consequently, having a concern for how to improve the character and standards of the leaders in the anti-human trafficking movement, the Investigator of this study questioned …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The School Resource Officer’S Role In Two K-12 School Districts, Christopher T. Muench

Dissertations

The researcher conducted a qualitative exploration on the role of the School Resource Officer (SRO) specifically on safety/security, law enforcement duties, and interaction with students. The idea of an SRO was present in school systems since the 1950s and over the decades showed considerable expansion. On the surface, the SRO position seemed to need little definition but attempting to clarify the role led to conflicts, vagueness, and confusion among organizations served, the community, and the SROs themselves. The research was diverse concerning the roles and responsibilities of the SRO whether it be from a legal, educational, or tactical standpoint. This …

Students Of Black Or African American Ancestry In Grades 10th -12th Perceptions Of Their Schooling Experiences, Annette Renee Kennedy

Dissertations

California continues to tackle blatant racist acts within school systems across the state as recent headlines read, “Deeply offensive blackface video of California high school student sparks backlash” (Yancey-Bragg, Guynn, & Rhor, 2019, n.p.) and “Four teachers and their principal placed on leave after cheerfully posing for photo with noose” (Lunning, 2019, n.p.). Gaining a greater awareness of the non-headlining actions that take place on a day-to-day basis that have an equally powerful adverse effect on the school experiences of black learners was the focus of this study. Microaggressions are “subtle, stunning, often automatic, and non-verbal exchanges which are put …

Baseline Trauma Symptoms: Residential And Non-Residential Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Brooke R. Jacobs

Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a preventable public health problem that’s literature has documented the clinical presentations of those who have experienced IPV. These presentations include what is generally consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a wide range of other symptoms including different medical comorbidities, defensiveness, difficulties in self-regulation, externalizing behavior, difficulties in relationships, withdrawal, and somatic preoccupations. These presentations are typically assumed to be symptoms of IPV but some argue that some of these, such as insecure attachment or trauma exposure, may be precursors to experiencing IPV. This has been discussed with great caution to avoid victim …

Development Of The Woman Abuse Screening Tool, Wendy K. Taylor

Dissertations

Researchers reported that 25%-33% of female trauma victims had injuries caused by battering. More than one million women per year seek medical care for injuries caused by battering. Of those who seek medical care, only one in ten is officially identified as a battered woman. Women are routinely screened for a variety of problems, conditions, or medical disorders, but violence is not included. An important issue related to identifying battered women is the lack of an appropriate comprehensive screening tool. The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) determine whether using a comprehensive abuse screening tool results in an increased …

Enablers And Barriers Influencing African American Administrators’ Career Advancement At Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Learning, Larry Webster

Dissertations

Many Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) of higher learning do not have enough African Americans to lead their institutions in curriculum development, mentoring, recruitment, and governance (Reyes & Rios, 2005). Previous studies have attributed the modest representation of African American administrators to systemic barriers impeding the recruitment and advancement of African Americans at PWIs of higher learning (Jones, 2007; Perna, Gerald, Baum, & Milem, 2007). Ideally, the administrative leadership at PWIs of higher learning would adequately represent—ethnically and racially—its student population (Higgs, 2014). Levin, Walker, Haberler, and Jackson–Boothby (2013) suggest minimal progress in hiring African American administrators at PWIs of higher …

Social And Literacy Development Of School-Based Pre-Kindergarten Students, Stewart Smirthwaite

Dissertations

In order to meet the demands of college and career ready standards, students are expected to enter kindergarten knowing more than ever before. A need exists to examine data that provides evidence of desired social and literacy outcomes for students in kindergarten. In order to address the need for further study of school prekindergarten opportunities for young children, two different sets of data were collected, examined, and discussed. Literacy proficiency was measured by using data from the Mississippi K-3 Assessment Support System’s (MKAS²) Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). Social competence was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, …

Gender And The Enactment Of Suicide Bombings By Boko Haram, Jordan N. Galehan

Dissertations

The Boko Haram terror group has utilized more women as suicide bombers than any other group in history. While prior research has examined why this phenomenon is occurring, and what makes Boko Haram a unique terror group, the present study examines how these attacks are being perpetrated, or enacted, by the female bombers. Utilizing the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), which is the largest terrorism incident database available, the study examined the incidents of female suicide bombings perpetrated by Boko Haram. The open-sourced citations provided by the GTD were compiled and turned into a complementary qualitative dataset. Overall, there were 151 …

Exploring Restorative Justice, Suspensions, And Expulsions With African American Males, Dorothy L. Mosby

Dissertations

Zero tolerance programs led to unequal consequences for African American males because the programs targeted behaviors African American students were more likely to receive discipline for, which resulted in an increase of disciplinary situations for the students. With the disproportionate suspensions and expulsions of African American male students in public schools, Illinois Senate Bill 100 addressed the discipline issues to reduce the number of long-term suspensions and expulsions. In the 2016–2017 school year, the state of Illinois implemented Senate Bill 100. The bill reconstructed the procedures on how school administrators suspended and expelled students; Restorative Justice was a technique used …

The Influence Of Social Capital On Community Sustainability In Meacham Park, Missouri During 1996 -1999, Sheila Green-Samuels

Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social capital on the phenomenon of community sustainability in Meacham Park Missouri, a Black neighborhood located in south St. Louis county. It is believed that social capital influences the collective action needed to create structures which lead to economic growth essential to community sustainability (Farrell, 2007, Ginwright, 2015; Putnam, 1993). The core idea of Robert Putnam’s social capital theory is there is value in social networks (Putnam, 2000, 1993). Examined were experiences of current and past residents of Meacham Park using social capital constructs to analyze the significance …

The Use Of Vouchers To Negatively Reinforce Number Of Weeks Compliant Among Clients In A Mental Health Court, Michele Nicole Murdock

Dissertations

The literature is sparse on the use of contingency management procedures in a mental health court (MHC). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of negative reinforcement for behavioral changes in a MHC. Specifically, the present study explored whether a voucher-based contingency management intervention improved the number of weeks compliant on MHC probation and whether participants were more externally than internally motivated to comply with MHC probation requirements. Vouchers were given for compliance with MHC probation requirements. The vouchers allowed participants to miss a future court date. It was hypothesized that participants who received the voucher would …

Examining Protective Factors That Promote Resilience Among Children With An Incarcerated Parent, Celeste A. Jackson

Dissertations

Children of incarcerated parents (CIP) represent one of the most vulnerable, at-risk populations in the United States (Johnston, 1995). Best estimates suggests there are 2.7 million children with an incarcerated parents and African-American children are disproportionately represented at a figure of 1 in 9 children (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). Much of the research attempting to understand this population and guide intervention efforts has employed a deficit-based approach, highlighting the plethora of adverse risk factors and negative outcomes associated with being the child of an incarcerated parent. This approach fails to acknowledge the presence of resilience inherent in these youth. The …

An Evaluation Of The Restorative Justice Program At One Middle School, Edward Jerome Thompson

Dissertations

This project evaluated the initial implementation of the restorative justice program and practices at a middle school. As data-gathering instruments, I surveyed teachers and administrators, interviewed my area superintendent, senior administrator for instruction, and two resource teachers who train individuals districtwide on the restorative justice program and practices. The results indicated a lack of training for many staff members and a need for more training for those previously trained. Improving the training protocol process of the teachers and administrators was a dominant need that I identified based on my Change Leadership Plan. Consequently, this included a policy amendment regarding mandatory …

Employee Engagement And Burnout: A Quantitative Study Of Their Correlations With Job/Organizational Satisfaction, Sarah Burnett

Dissertations

Since Kahn introduced the concept of employee engagement in 1990, the focus on motivating employees has been en vogue in practitioner literature. The federal government as well now measures its agencies annually on how well they implement conditions conducive to engagement. Federal agencies are also ranked annually as “Best Places to Work” based on their aggregated score on three survey items deemed to represent job/organizational satisfaction. The concept of burnout, or the so-called “erosion of engagement”, however, has received significantly less attention. To begin to fill this void in the literature, secondary survey data from the 2017 Organizational Assessment Survey …

How Navy And Marine Corps Veterans Make Meaning Of The College Choice Process In The Post-9/11 Gi Bill Era, Derek Abbey

Dissertations

The Post-9/11 GI Bill was implemented in 2009. Since then more than 1,900,000 people have used the benefit and more than $90 billion have been paid to institutions of higher learning and to Post-9/11 GI Bill users. During this period there has been a shift in the types of college and universities veterans attend, as well as the educational models they select. These shifts are different than the general population of students. This period also included a spike in questionable recruiting practices by some colleges. In response to many institutions taking advantage of veterans, the President of the United States …

An Investigation Of The Ability Of The Minnesota Early Childhood Screening Program To Predict Educational Achievement In Third Grade Children, Martha Dewey Bergren

Dissertations

The ecological model assumes school, community, family, and friends shape child outcomes. Minnesota mandates comprehensive Early Childhood Screening (ECS) for preschool children including vision and hearing, and cognitive, language, motor, growth and speech, with optional screening for health, behavior, and life stresses. Children meeting federal criteria for special education programs are recommended for interventions. Children with less serious health and/or behavior problems or who lack sufficient resources may also be at risk for academic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of family, health, development, behavior, and stress data collected at Minnesota ECS to predict grade …