Digital Commons Network^™

Job Satisfaction And Stressors: The Direct Support Professional's Experience, Saralynn Emery

Master's Theses

The current service system for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is provided in the form of community-based support. This support is carried out by Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide one-on-one services to individuals in their homes, workplaces, and communities. The current system is undergoing a turnover crisis and there is an enormous need for a quality and reliable workforce of DSPs to continue to carry out services. Previous research has explored factors that contribute to DSP burnout and ultimately turnover. By researching the DSP role from the DSP experience directly, this study examines other factors that contribute to …

Testimonios Of The Multiracial Latinx/A/O Student Experience, Victoria Juarez

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the experiences and identity development of multiracial Latinx/a/o students who attend Jesuit higher education institutions by way of testimonios. The research project sought to examine the following research questions: How do multicultural Latinx/a/o students perceive their identities in relation to their campus environment? What are the unique ways that multicultural Latinx/a/o students perceive themselves in the larger framework of society? How do multiracial Latinx/a/o students negotiate racial/ethnic/cultural boundaries? This research project found that multiracial Latinx/a/o understand their positionality as “othered” within a monoracial framework and that they face various barriers to full inclusion in either of their …

The Health Costs Of Political Identity: Evidence From Public Safety Responses In The Us And A Natural Experiment In California, Sahiba Chopra

Master's Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought political polarization in the US to the forefront of the battle against coronavirus. We find that for every one percentage point increase in votes for Trump there are 881 more Covid-19 cases and 17 more Covid-19 deaths. We find that these results are motivated by political identity as it is mediated through public safety behaviors like maskwearing and social distancing. In addition, a natural experiment in California during the first half of the pandemic in the US finds that 36% of the Covid-19 cases at the census tract level in California can be associated with …

Testimonios Of Cultural Wealth: Racial And Ethnic Identity Development For Latinx Youth In Historically White High Schools, Amanda Montez

Master's Theses

My goal for this study was to study the experiences of Latina/o/x youth as they transition from a middle school that serves Communities of Color to Historically White High Schools. I wanted to know how the change of community impacted participants’ understanding of their racial and ethnic identity. Through testimonios, the five participants question the nuances of race and ethnicity, convey the need for educators to challenge existing structures of oppression, and recognize their moral obligation to be part of the movement for racial justice. Utilizing the frameworks of Community Cultural Wealth and Critical Race Theory, I center the lived …

Collective Love And Care: An Examination Of Pinay Leadership In Community-Based Organizations, Emily Enriquez

Master's Theses

Pinays’ experiences are often excluded in history. Despite this exclusion and erasure, Filipinas are utilized around the world to provide labor and care. This study looks at the experiences of Pinays living in the San Francisco Bay Area working in community-based organizations. This study utilized a grounded theory approach to further understand Pinay identities and experiences and the ways they inform their leadership. Attempting to address the lack of research on Pinay leaders in community- based organizations, this study will build on current Pinay epistemologies to further understand Pinay leadership. This study asks three research questions: 1) How do Pinays …

Transitioning Into Retirement: Effect Of Pension Expansion On Elderly Labor Force Participation In India, Devaprasad Sahadevan

Master's Theses

The welfare effects of public social security programs have been extensively studied in the context of developing economies where the reliance on state is much larger for the provision of basic goods and services. Pension schemes and reforms, however, are met with much less fiscal investment considering the demographic composition and the requisite demands of the larger proportion of youth- and working age- population. Given the rapid pace of demographic transition, there will inevitably be an ever-growing pressure and economic problems associated with aging are bound to become more apparent. As transitioning into retirement is an under-studied area in countries …

Police Union Membership And Lethal Use Of Force, Scott Barger

Master's Theses

I examine the Fraternal Order of Police union presence in cities as an explanation for the lethal use of violence. Using a novel dataset of FOP union presence, I utilize a simple log OLS linear model to explore the relationships between FOP unions and lethal use of force. I find robust evidence that FOP unions have higher incidences of death at the hands of police, compared to cities without a FOP union. Exposure to FOP leads to an increase in baseline risk of death by police by 17%. This effect increases for larger cities.

Alliance Building In The Food Sovereignty Movement: Perspectives From Activists Advocating For Farmworker Justice And Agrarian Justice, Sarah Ruszkowski

Master's Theses

The food sovereignty movement has come to encompass a wide-range of constituent groups, all with unique perspectives and interests. While some of these groups’ goals align naturally, others present priorities differently, namely organizations that advocate for farmworker justice and those that advocate for agrarian justice. Because of the power imbalance embedded in this relationship as well as the racist, patriarchal, and neoliberal nature of agrarian capitalism, it can be challenging to navigate an equitable path forward. In this thesis, I examine whether and how food sovereignty as a broader umbrella movement is generative towards building ties between advocates for farmworker …

Temperature Effects On Prevalence Of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among At-Risk Female Sex Workers In India, Rajshri Suresh

Master's Theses

Vulnerability to climate change varies depending on the baseline climate, sensitivity to given exposure, and the presence of social, political, cultural, and institutional inequalities that influence access to essential resources of livelihood, particularly among informal labor market participants. Within the risky informal labor market, the transient nature of sex work implies that sex workers suffer disproportional losses in health, income, protection, and other aspects of general well-being as a result of the effects of climate anomalies. In this paper, I investigate the effect of temperature on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in a high-risk population of female sex workers …

The Role Of Aesthetics In Classroom Design: Implications For Engagement And Equity, Giuliana Barraza

Master's Theses

The desire for achieving greater equity in education has been a prevalent topic of research, with many studies indicating that the current education system in this country is designed in a way that exacerbates initial inequities and has a negative impact on student motivation and engagement (EOCD, 2012). While existing scholarship mostly discusses equity and engagement through the lens of curriculum and instruction, the power of physical classroom environments and aesthetic elements present in those environments is less explored. With student populations becoming more diverse, there is a greater need for new tools for teachers to utilize in pursuit of …

Does Prize Sharing Close The Gender-Based Gap Of Competition In Nepal?, Supriya Adhikari

Master's Theses

Past research has shown that even when women perform
equally as men, they are less competitive when cash is provided as
incentive. Using the experimental design of Cassar and Rigdon
(2021), where in a real effort tournament a social incentive
motivates women to compete more and closes the gender gap in
competitiveness, we examine if this will be found in a Nepal
sample. Following the evolutionary literature that suggests women
need each other’s support for child care, participants are given an
option to share the prize they win to help them earn friendships and
bonds in a competitive game. Our …

Lgbtq Forced Migrants' Labor Market Integration In Mexico City: Perspectives From Mexico's Government Agencies, International Organizations, And Mexican Civil Society, Rolando Diaz

Master's Theses

Mexico holds a unique position as a country of immigration, emigration, refuge, transit, and return migration. In recent decades, researchers have built awareness on the country’s received migrants’ diverse characteristics by posing questions and tackling the challenges that certain migrants face. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) forced migrants have become increasingly visible since the exodus of asylum-seekers from Central America. Many of these LGBTQ migrants flee state and non-state actors that present life-threatening conditions for the LGBTQ community. Though Mexico as a whole is going through its own evolution on LGBTQ and migrants’ rights, its capital city has …

The Construction Of A European Identity Refugees And Europe’S Identity Crisis, Martina Caretta

Master's Theses

The fundamental purpose of my thesis is to consider the ongoing formation of European identity within the context of the contemporary refugee/migrant crisis in Europe. In doing so, I will briefly survey how a European identity has been conceived and constructed through legal documents, treaties, and political speeches. Moreover, I will use different theories such as Anderson’s imagined communities to consider whether European identity is post-modern and post-national as it is sometimes celebrated to be. The EU is frequently regarded as a unique experiment in history and the first real post-modern political entity. However, looking deeper into the identity construction …

The Making Of Crimmigration: The Criminalization Of Immigrants, Dorisa Esparza

Master's Theses

For the past decades, immigrants and immigration policies in the United States of America are significant debates. During campaigns, politicians describe their immigration opinion and their immigration solutions. Media coverage also illustrates the fervor on immigration discourse. Immediately, one can argue that immigration discourse has extreme depictions of immigrants. Politicians use polarizing language that can be damaging for the immigrant community in the United States. The criminalization of immigrants was illustrated within the discourse and immigration policies.

This research will analyze the implication of immigration discourse from political actors on the creation of crimmigration policies. Crimmigration policies are defined as …

Do Letters And Gifts From International Sponsors Affect Child Outcomes? Evidence From Colombia, Ghana, And Haiti, Mai Moua

Master's Theses

Past research has found child sponsorship results in higher aspirations, mental health, and educational outcomes. In this research, I explore the extent to which these outcomes can be influenced by letters and gifts sent from the sponsor to the child. However, there is limited research on the effects of direct relationship between sponsor and child. Using 1142 sponsor letters and a 2017 survey from Compassion International, an international child sponsorship organization, we find that letters and gifts from sponsors have a statistically insignificant impact on outcomes including education, mental health, aspirations, social connectedness, nutrition, religiosity, hygiene, and views on drugs, …

Important Factors For Changing Plastic Consumption Among Highly Educated People In China, Shen Shen

Master's Theses

As the global plastic pollution situation is getting much more serious, how to change the trend of plastic pollution to save humankind itself has become an urgent issue. In China, the country with the world's fastest-growing economy and the largest population, solving the problem of plastic pollution presents a serious challenge. This thesis draws on a survey of highly educated people in China to investigate how these people's understanding and awareness of plastic pollution, willingness to change their behavior and perceptions of who is responsible for addressing the problem might inform strategies for reducing plastic pollution in China. The analysis …

Closing Down The Hall: San Francisco’S Efforts To Redefine Juvenile Justice, Madison Bliss Holland

Master's Theses

Significant research has demonstrated that juvenile prisons are obsolete for the following reasons: they fail to rehabilitate children and prevent future crime, they perpetuate pervasive abuse and trauma, they disproportionately target and further marginalize children of color, and the cost of youth incarceration has skyrocketed to unimaginable amounts. In light of all of these findings, in 2019, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to pass legislation to close its juvenile hall. In order to understand how this was possible and to understand its implications for other cities looking to engage in similar work, I asked the following …

Misogynoir: Undergraduate Experiences By Black Women, Briettny Curtner

Master's Theses

The Black female voice whispers within literature because of the limited focus on their lived experiences, specifically of undergraduate Black women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how Black women in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree navigate racism and sexism. Additionally, this study explored participant resonance with the characteristics and perceived conflicts of the Strong Black Women (SBW) schema. Six Black women from a comprehensive public university in the West participated in a qualitative interview and member checking. The following are emergent themes found as a result of this study: oppositional framing, navigation of intergroup comparisons, inferiority …

Wicked Problems: Understanding How Cities And Counties In California Are Tackling Climate Change And Homelessness, Guadalupe Michelle Franco

Master's Theses

California continues to endure the detrimental effects of climate change, such as poor air quality, flooding, and heatwaves. Concurrently, the state has seen an increase in the number of unhoused communities due to various ramifications such as rapid urbanization, failed political leadership, and restricted housing policies. While unhoused communities fight to access basic services, they must also now adapt to the looming impacts of climate change. Unhoused populations are especially vulnerable to climate change as they have limited access to shelter, spend the majority of their time outdoors, and lack the economic ability to adapt. While cities and counties are …

Jan Van Kessel I. Catalogs And Painting: Redefining The Role Of Animals In Seventeenth-Century Fish Landscapes., Ana Borlas-Ivern

Master's Theses

Images of animals were produced in abundance in the Low Countries during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Animals appeared in prints, the pages of natural history catalogs, and the backgrounds of paintings, eventually emerging in their own right as a primary subject in painting. This thesis begins by examining the economic circumstances that converged in sixteenth-century Antwerp to give way to this development. It then traces the legacy of the animal genre in the seventeenth century through five fish landscape paintings that Antwerp painter Jan van Kessel I (1626-1679) completed in the 1660s. This study argues that van Kessel redefined …

Assessing Convolutional Neural Network Animal Classification Models For Practical Applications In Wildlife Conservation, Julia Larson

Master's Theses

Convolution neural network models (CNNs) can successfully identify animal species in camera-trap images in simplified testing environments. CNN performance in more complex, realistic environments is understudied. Here the Wellington Camera Traps dataset was used to simulate a wildlife conservation project to detect invasive species at low population levels using camera-trap images and CNN models. Ten CNNs were developed and analyzed with seven testing datasets, simulating 13 possible project scenarios. Model performance was measured using standard computer science metrics, top-1, and top-5 accuracy, and two novel performance metrics developed for this research to directly reflect wildlife conservation goals, false alarm rate, …

Ghirardelli Square: The Best Piece Of Urban Space In The Country, Samantha Iverson Johnson

Master's Theses

Ghirardelli Square, which opened in 1964, is well known among many architecture historians and urban planners owing to its origins as the one of the first successful rescue and adaptive reuse of a factory site and its place among the shifting urban renewal policies within San Francisco. Previous analysis has focused primarily on the work of Lawrence Halprin and his impact within Northern California; however very little has been discussed in regards to Roth and his team’s original plan for the space along with the outrage taking place concerning urban renewal policies in San Francisco during this time. By examining …

The Language Of The Creative Person: Validating The Use Of Linguistic Analysis To Assess Creativity, Sana Tariq Ahmed

Master's Theses

Creativity is most commonly assessed through methods such as questionnaires and specific tasks, the validity of which can be weakened by scorer or experimenter error, subjective and response biases, and self-knowledge constraints. Linguistic analysis provides researchers with an automatic, objective method of assessing creativity, free from human error and bias. This study used 419 creativity text samples from a wide range of creative individuals (Big-C, Pro-C, and Small-c) to investigate whether linguistic analysis can, in fact, distinguish between creativity levels and creativity domains using creativity dictionaries and personality dimension language patterns in the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) text …

Academic Advising As A Tool To Analyze The Experiences Of Students Of Color At A Diverse University, Julia Light

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences that undergraduate students of color had at a diverse, private university in Northern California. This study used a qualitative methodology of phenomenological research to learn of the experiences of undergraduate Students of Color. Three participants were interviewed and asked about the resources they relied upon throughout their undergraduate experience and in the academic advising system on this campus as it related to their academic success. Critical Race Theory was used as a lens to frame the results and the findings showed the effects that family and class background had on …

Lived Experiences Of College Football Fans In The Southeast United States: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rosemarie Rachel Pacitto

Master's Theses

While a number of sport-related studies have explored sport fandom and its effects quantitatively, there is a lack of research that exists surrounding the lived experiences of fans, and thus any potential health-related benefits derived through fandom. The present study qualitatively explored the lived experiences of college football fans in the Southeast United States with aims to identify any potential health related benefits derived through fandom experiences. Eight participants were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results are discussed within the context of positive psychology and identity theory and suggest that participants experienced phycological and …

Towards Standardizing System Design And Automating Deployment, Prerana Shekhar

Master's Theses

System design is the foundation for software systems. A well-engineered andwell-thought-out system design leads to the development of a software system that is scalable, reliable, extendable, and secure. It is important to be able to create a good system design. However, current ways of creating system design are inadequate. Software engineers resort to using tools like Microsoft Word, Lucidchart, Draw io, and so on to create system designs. These tools provide a basic drawing interface without the support for a standard set of system design components. There is a lack of common language for creating system designs. With the current …

The Right To Education At The Gates Of The University: The Role Of The University Of San Francisco In The Transformation Of Bay Area Schools, Maximilian Cordeiro

Master's Theses

The right to education, understood from a lens of transformational human rights, is not being fulfilled for youth of color in the Bay Area, particularly in historically Black neighborhoods like the Western Addition and Hunters Point, where high school and college graduation rates are significantly lower for Black and Latino students than for their white counterparts. The systemic barriers to educational attainment for people of color are rooted in legacy of Jim Crow-era segregationist policies, but they only exist today because they have been preserved in contemporary “race-neutral” policies and practices. This ongoing racial inequality in education has incurred a …

Identifying Factors For Voluntary Return Migration: A Case Study Of Uzbek American Returnees, Khojiakbar Gayratbekov

Master's Theses

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Uzbek immigrants found their ways to the United States. Given the unique historic context to their cultural and national identity, Uzbeks experience distinctive integration and adaptation process when they arrive in the United States. Despite political instability and a weak economy in Uzbekistan, data from the United States Department of Homeland Security reveal that many Uzbek immigrants are leaving the U.S. for their home country. Thus, this study investigates factors for return migration among Uzbek immigrants for the period of 2010 to 2020. This study utilizes a mixture of qualitative and quantitative …

Using Language Ideology, Social Positioning And Performativity To Assess Second Language Learning And Identity Transformation: A Qualitative Case Study Of Three Chinese Queer Immigrants In The U.S., Yih Ren

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to explore the directionality of the relationships between cultural identity, sexuality, ideology, and English learning. My study included three participants, and each represents a specific acculturating and immigrant group in the U.S., namely, international students, permanent residents (green card holders), and naturalized citizens. Language ideology and social positioning theory are employed to examine English hegemony and internalized oppression. I argue that English hegemony is ideological and reinforces further discrimination and social hierarchy; further, performativity provides a new cannon to view language production and acquisition as it shifts the emphasis from the technical processes of language acquisition to …

'Disembodied Bones': Recovering The Poetry And Prose Of Elinor Wylie 2021, Sarah R. Bullock

Master's Theses

Picking a book to read is like diving for a pearl, writes Elinor Wylie, a 20th Century American poet, novelist, essayist and prominent magazine literary editor. In her essay "The Pearl Diver", she writes that it is the diver that risks the unknown- unaided by diving equipment in the form of library indexes-who gains the greatest joy, Wylie states (Fugitive Prose, 869). Wylie explains:

I venture to perceive an analogy between the rebellious pearl diver and myself, in my slight experience with public libraries...how much more delightful, how much more stimulating, to abandon the paraphernalia of card indexes and mahogany …