Digital Commons Network^™

Talkin’ Black And Sounding Gay: An Examination Of The Construction Of A Multiplex Identity Via Intraspeaker Variation, Brianna R. Cornelius

Theses and Dissertations

Gay African-American men hold membership in at least three groups – Gay, Black, and Male – that are grounded in ideologies and which provide linguistic resources that are complex and potentially conflicting. As such, these men exist at the cross-section of socio-cultural groups whose perspectives and presentations are often framed in opposition to one another. This dissertation seeks to explore the ways in which such complex identities are created through the use of language. Specifically, this project will investigate how a Gay Black man (GBM) constructs his complex identity over the course of several interviews/conversations in which topic and interlocutor …

Factors That Influence Screening, Brief Intervention, And Referral To Treatment (Sbirt) Implementation In Non-Medical Settings, Andrew Joseph Flaherty

Theses and Dissertations

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidenced-based intervention model designed to reduce substance use. While initially used in a variety of medical settings, SBIRT is increasingly implemented in non-medical settings. Unfortunately, very little is known about SBIRT implementation in non-medical settings. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to understand if professionals recently trained in SBIRT are using it and factors that influence implementation of SBIRT from their perspective.

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted using a purposive sampling frame, comprised of practitioners recently trained in SBIRT. Interviews were recorded, and then transcribed verbatim, transcripts …

Social Media Potentials In Supporting Women Entrepreneurship: The Case Of Egypt, Gehan Ahmed Aboutaleb

Theses and Dissertations

The number of women entrepreneurs in Egypt starting and running their business online has been remarkably rising in recent years. Thanks to social media’s ability to harness some of the obstacles women business-owned enterprises encounter, it has become an essential platform for providing women with entrepreneurial opportunities and facilitating their own business. Social media is becoming more of an indispensable instrument for the businesses' survival, especially in light of the implications posed by the recent outbreak of global pandemic COVID-19 in terms of movement restrictions and social distancing measures. However, a dearth in the literature on the impact of social …

Measuring Objectivity In Documentary Film, Christopher Gordon Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Documentary films and journalistic work share many common attributes. At their foundation, both tell stories about communities and important topics to people in those communities. Yet, when asked about trust in the medium, individuals generally show a significantly higher respect for documentary films than journalism. One way to understand how a media product may be trusted is through its objectivity, a concept that is important to journalists but not as crucial to documentary films. This thesis considers how the principles of objectivity may manifest in observational documentary film through a qualitative content analysis. Findings indicate that some measures of objectivity …

Not Everyone Is Lovin' It: Work, Class And The Everyday In Al Sahel, Salam Ebeid

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores work in one of the “Big” fast food chains in Al Sahel. In this space I study how multinational ideologies/language are manifested within a local context through notions of control, discipline and power. Throughout the various thesis chapters, I try to understand how work functions with/through a specific social apparatus that is linked to work and class. How the relationships between workers unfold within this restaurant. Unpacking notion of Al Sahel Time Zone that studies different perceptions of time through Al Sahel's space. How work is felt on the body, perceived, tricked and understood by the workers …

The Impact Of Community-Based Learning Programs On Developing Concepts Of Civic Responsibility And Intercultural Sensitivity In Female University Students In Sudan, Azza Abdelmoneim Osman

Theses and Dissertations

Community based learning (CBL) could be defined as a transformational learning approach that promotes students' civic participation and community engagement (Davidson, 2002). CBL’s main objectives are academic, professional, personal and social growth. Additional objectives include awareness of different social challenges impacting the community, and being socially responsible and active (Celio, Durlak, & Dymnicki, 2011). Given the rapid social, political and cultural change happening in recent years in Sudan, and that women in particular, have been given a reduced role in public life and leadership. An in-depth assessment of service learning and its role in developing positive personal, professional and civic …

Not All Factors Are The Same: Examining Institutions Among Sex Offenders Throughout The Life-Course, Brooke Cooley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on the quality of institutions relative to theories of life-course and desistance. Specifically, this study focused on the quality of marriage, parenthood, and employment and whether the quality of these institutions inhibited or encouraged sexual offending/reoffending and how these factors influenced individuals’ offending behavior over time. While there is an abundance of literature relative to institutions and general offending, little is known about how these institutions impact sexual offending. The purpose of this dissertation was to fill this gap in the extant literature by qualitatively examining how the institutions of marriage, parenthood, and employment influenced sexual offending/reoffending …

Prejudice, Personality And Contact: How Personality Traits Affect The Role Of Intergroup Contact In Interethnic Prejudice Reduction, Aurel Haxhiu

Theses and Dissertations

Despite having had the chance to see a broad spectrum of different scholars efforts to attest the impact of the Big Five personality in intergroup contact, we considered that there is still room to furthermore shed some light in spite of those efforts to describe the intertwined impact while conducting a specific analysis how the Big Five personality traits affect the role of intergroup contact in interethnic prejudice reduction, by taking examples of Kosovo’s albanians and their feeling temperature toward the ethnic group of serbs and the role of contact. On our efforts to explain the impact of the Big …

The Role Of Personality Traits In Interview Time Length In Cellphone Public Opinion Surveys, Don Salihu

Theses and Dissertations

Bearing in mind that the role of personality traits and their impact unto the Interview Time Length in Cellphone Public Opinion Surveys hasn’t had the opportunity to be explored to further levels, despite different researches being conducted in order to attest the link that those two have, we considered that there is room for improvement and furthermore tried to shed some more light in this specific prism, specifically argue that they link and the different personality traits of Respondents and Interviewers do impact the Time Length of digitally taken Interviews. On our continous efforts to further explain the impact that …

Fear Of Crime On Campus: An Analysis Of Perceived Risk And Constrained Behavior, James Nathaniel Hurst

Theses and Dissertations

Fear of crime has often been measured as how afraid a person is of criminal victimization within their neighborhood yet, problems inherently arise with utilizing static measures for dynamic concepts. Predominant among such issues lies the environmental and temporal aspects of fear, as it is known that fear is not experienced equally at all places nor by all people. Recent analyses focusing on fear’s spatio-temporal nature have found within-neighborhood fluctuations at specific places and times, however, these studies only addressed emotional fear. Perceived risk represents another facet of fear. As campuses appear to have heightened levels of perceived risk, the …

A Vehicle For Crime: Ridesharing And Victimization, Lacey Roughton

Theses and Dissertations

Ridesharing services that allow the exchange of transportation services between a private vehicle owner and a passenger via smartphone applications (e.g., Uber, Lyft, and others) have revolutionized the way people travel within cities, however, ridesharing may be associated with changes in victimization risks. Few empirical studies have explored the possible connection between ridesharing and crime. This study examined the relationship between ridesharing and crime in Chicago and explored the types of crimes that occurred during ridesharing, the situational characteristics of those crimes, and how many crimes in ridesharing resulted in arrest. Crimes within taxi cabs, similar to ridesharing, were assessed …

The Moderating Effect Of Physical Health On The Relationship Between Coping Style And Engagement In Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Alexander Jaffe

Theses and Dissertations

Coping skills can be used in a myriad of situations, as these alleviate unwanted feelings. While negative coping skills might be effective in the short term, their long term effects are not beneficial. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), a type of negative coping mechanism, has been shown to be reported by college students most when compared to adults and young adults. The independent relationships between coping strategy, physical health, and NSSI have been previously established. There is a paucity of literature assessing NSSI while considering the pre-existing relationship between physical and mental health. As such, this study examines the moderating function of …

Predictors Of Paternal Postpartum Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Zachary Joseph Blackhurst

Theses and Dissertations

While major depression is a well-defined mental health condition, it's presentation can be vastly different across individuals and groups, and many factors impact one's vulnerability. A critical period of vulnerability to depression is the postpartum period. Despite the frequent assumption that postpartum conditions solely affect women, prevalence estimates of paternal postpartum depression (PPPD) are comparable with those of women. Similar to mothers, men experience significant biological and psychosocial changes following the birth of a child that contribute to the onset of postpartum depression. A growing body of research has identified many potential variables related to PPPD, yet there is no …

The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals report a greater prevalence of physical and mental health difficulties, compared to the general population. This study examines factors which impact physical and mental health in the general population to evaluate whether they potentially underlie this increased prevalence in autistic individuals. We compared twenty-two autistic adults, twenty-three adults reporting symptoms of insomnia, and twenty-one neurotypical adults. The primary factors were sleep quality and insomnia; secondary factors were level of autistic traits, alexithymia, and prosocial behavior. Participants completed self-report measures looking at each of these factors as well as their perceived physical and mental health. Participants also wore an …

Executive Function, Eating, And Exercise Duration In Adolescents, Robyn C. Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is an important developmental period for executive function as well as establishing lifelong health habits like diet and exercise. However, connections between exercise, executive function and dietary behaviors have not yet been adequately studied in adolescents, especially in terms of exercise duration. This research seeks to establish how 30 versus 60 minutes of exercise affects the association between executive function, calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition. The current research uses a within-participant design and linear mixed modeling to test the impact of exercise bout duration and executive function on calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition (food Go/No-Go accuracy and reaction time). …

Miamian Meets Mariel Boatlift Refugees: A Reevaluation Of The Effect Of The Mariel Boatlift, Derrick Lee

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1980s, a boatlift brought 125,000 Cuban refugees to Miami, known as the Mariel Boatlift. Using data from David Roodman’s blog and from National Bureau Economic Research and the synthetic control method, I examine the effect of the Mariel Boatlift on low-educated female non-Hispanic ages 18-65’s wages. The results suggest there is little to no effect of the Mariel Boatlift on the wages of low-educated female non-Hispanic aged 18-65.

The Effects Of Alcohol On Bdnf And Cd5 Dependent Pathways, Andrew Jordan Payne

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol represents the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Yet, despite its prevalent role in impeding human health, there is much to understand about how it elicits its effects on the body and how the body and brain change when an individual becomes physiologically dependent upon alcohol. The work presented herein represents an effort to elucidate the acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the nervous system. We investigate two specific protein pathways and their role in alcohol's effects on the body. The first begins with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts on TrkB, and ends …

Evaluating The Unequal Impacts Of Hurricane Harvey: A Critical Gis Analysis In Systems Of Governmental Risk Assessment And Mitigation, Mustafa Ansari Monk

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses flooding driven by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and a history of inundation in Houston, Texas to critique the systems of floodplain mapping through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The role of Geographic Information Systems becomes a subject of interest in the context of U.S governance and the role of property as a driving force in urban development. The shortcomings of existing systems of mitigation are examined through mappings that bring measures of risk, damage, and recovery into contrast with each other. Racial and economic inequality are integrated into the analysis through a deeper consideration of the …

Trans Men And The Criminal Justice System: An Exploratory Analysis Examining Intersectional Experiences, Sarah Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lives of trans men and their experiences with pathways to or avoidance of the criminal justice system. I used feminist criminological theory, specifically feminist pathways theory, as well as queer criminological theory, and intersectionality to explore these men’s experiences with child abuse, sexual victimization, homelessness, the presence of support systems, and coping strategies. Through the use of 27 semi-structured, in-depth phone interviews with trans men across the United States, I find common experiences among those who have been incarcerated (15) and those who have not (12). Regarding trans men’s pathways to offending, I find similar victimization …

Discrimination, Depression, And John Henryism In African American And Caribbean Black Adolescents, Erin King

Theses and Dissertations

Discrimination is associated with poor health outcomes in minority groups. Minority adolescents often do not have the same access to health care providers as white adolescents. In this study, I analyzed the impact of discrimination on the frequency of depressive symptoms in African American and Caribbean black adolescents. I used data from the National Survey of American Life Adolescent supplement and multivariate regression for this study. The dependent variable in this study is the frequency of depressive symptoms. The independent variables in this study are the Everyday Discrimination scale and the psychological coping mechanism John Henryism. I analyzed the relationship …

Examining Attitudes Towards Sexuality In Charge Syndrome, Emily S. Mathis

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to examine attitudes of sexuality of individuals with CHARGE syndrome by exploring potential barriers that may exist due to differences in the attitudes towards sexuality in parents of individuals with CHARGE syndrome and those attitudes of adults with CHARGE syndrome. Participants included 24 adults with CHARGE syndrome and 31 parents of individuals with CHARGE syndrome. The Attitudes of Sexuality-Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ASQ-ID) was completed by all participants and was adapted to address this specific population for the current study. Using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), four themes of sexuality from the ASQ-ID (i.e., sexual …

Investigating Fear: Exploring Mediators And Moderators Of Mental Health Distress Among Lgbtq+ Communities Using The Minority Stress Model, Melanie R. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

The current study is a secondary analysis examining the role of fear of discrimination and its influence and relationship with heterosexist discrimination, social support, and mental health distress among LGBTQ+ adults in the Deep South. A sample of 500 LGBTQ+ identified adults living across Mississippi completed a comprehensive needs assessment survey tapping into nine life domains. The current study investigated fear of discrimination as a form of rejection sensitivity utilizing the minority stress framework (Meyer, 1995, 2003). Mediating and moderating influences within the minority stress model were examined using series of regression analysis. Fear of discrimination operated as a mechanism …

Alcohol Affects The Reward Pathway Of The Brain Via A6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Nucleus Accumbens, Elizabeth Qiufeng Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The prevailing view is that enhancement of dopamine (DA) transmission in the mesolimbic system consisting of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlies the rewarding properties of ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC). Although the dogma is that EtOH enhancement of DA neural activity contributes to enhancement of DA transmission, DA neurons are not sensitive to rewarding levels of EtOH. However, VTA GABA neurons are sensitive to low-dose EtOH. We have shown previously that EtOH modulation of DA release in the NAc is mediated by α6-containing nicotinic receptors (α6*-nAChRs), that α6*-nAChRs mediate …

Holistic Approaches To State School Grading Systems, Darryl Bond Denhalter

Theses and Dissertations

The United States education system has experienced an evolution of school accountability systems that has led to changes and variation in state school grading systems. This study shows that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, a recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, provides greater autonomy to individual states in evaluating and reporting school accountability than in preceding years and provides opportunities for states to implement a more holistic or well-rounded approach to school grading. ESSA policy and this study encourages states to choose to evaluate schools more holistically by implementing a wider …

Logics Of Collaboration: An Ethnography Of Codesign In The Brazilian Amazon, Jacob Hartt Wixom

Theses and Dissertations

Engineers working internationally are increasingly concerned with the social impacts of their work. New frontiers in design show promise in helping practitioners address these concerns. One of these is codesign, a practice of making stakeholders co-decision-makers in the design process. Codesign has the potential to greatly improve the social sustainability of engineered products, but some concerns remain surrounding codesign’s practicability in engineering. I explore three such concerns: that conflicting institutional logics may undermine codesign’s collaborative aspirations, that codesign can perpetuate developmental idealism, and that codesign may insufficiently account for the needs and perspectives of marginalized populations. Through more than a …

Sexual Assault And Online Help Seeking: An Analysis Of Survivor Disclosure And Questions After Assault, Abby Luthi Sagers

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault is a pandemic issue that affects millions worldwide. In the U.S. it is estimated that one in five women and one in 38 men will be victims of rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime (Smith et al., 2018). Sexual assault has several significant long-term effects, including negatively impacting survivors’ psychological, emotional, physical, and interpersonal well-being. After a trauma from sexual victimization, survivors face the difficult process of making sense out of what happened, what to do about it, and whether to disclose the experience to others. Reporting, whether formally or informally, can be extremely …

Does Immigration Help To Explain Child Stress?, Elizabeth Marie Koch Sigler

Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of childhood stressors are harmful to the emotional and physical well-being of children of all ages. Past research has suggested that children experience increased stress due to change. One subgroup of the United States population that experiences change, is immigrants. Research provides empirical evidence of adolescent immigrant stress but has failed to examine stress experienced by immigrant children at a young age. The present study investigates how immigration status and child immigration generation might impact child stress at a young age using OLS regression. I predict that immigrant children will experience more stress than non-immigrant children and that …

A Content Analysis Of Sexuality-Related Scholarship For Sexual Minorities, Chelise Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals face disparities of treatment from clinical and medical health professionals. In particular, there is a dearth of research and training surrounding human sexuality topics for sexual minorities. Research on sexual minority groups in this area can contribute to reducing treatment disparities. Consequently, the proposed study is a content analysis of social science literature in order to gauge trends in the amount of research focused on the intersection of sexual minorities and sex research. Articles from a database search of relevant keywords were coded for several variables, including overall level of focus on sexual minorities and on human …

Understanding Relapse In Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Users, Erin L. Rackham

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored reasons for relapse among a sample of 938 self-identified problematic pornography users. A combination of numeric content analysis and qualitative coding of responses to an open-ended question about pornography relapse revealed six main categories of reasons for relapse. The mental, emotional, and relational categories were then analyzed in detail, and this analysis revealed significant overlap of responses from the emotional and relational categories. Hence, a new category of relational-emotional reasons for relapse was created and analyzed. The findings from this study highlight the complex interactions of different types of factors driving relapse in self-perceived problematic pornography users …

Utility Of High-Definition Fiber Tractography And Eye-Tracking For Measuring Outcome In Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Hannah M. Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

A complete understanding of the functional and structural impairments driving persistent post-concussive symptom (PCS) expression in approximately one-third of those who suffer from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is essential for the development of effective treatment strategies and improving quality of life. While traditional outcome measures, such as neuropsychological testing and structural magnetic resonance imaging, are sensitive to the severe functional impairments and widespread tissue damage frequently seen after moderate-to-severe injuries, more advanced measures that are sensitive to the subtle changes in cognitive function and tissue microstructure that may underlie persistent PCS are necessary for the assessment of recovery from …