Digital Commons Network^™

Let’S Talk About Sex ( Work ), Baby: Women College Students And Their Experiences Producing Online Sex Work, Courtney Lynn Ebersole

Theses and Dissertations

Young college-age women have increasingly been using online sex work as a popular avenue to raise capital. I explored the experiences of women undergraduate students who engage in self-produced sex work online. In particular, this study examines the experiences of college women who turned to the online platform, OnlyFans, a mainstream adult entertainment platform that has allowed many college women to earn an income and fund their university costs, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, by posting explicit pictures and videos onto the OnlyFans platform. This study identifies interpretative narratives used by undergraduate women in the U.S. to make sense …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Faculty Perceptions And Self Assessments Of Constructivist Teaching Methods At A Regional University In The State Of Georgia, Santha Kumari Jetty

Theses and Dissertations

The study, "A Mixed Methods Study of Faculty Perceptions and Self-Assessments of Constructivist Teaching Methods at a Regional University in the State of Georgia” examined the self-assessments and perceptions of faculty at a regional university in the State of Georgia. The study followed a sequential mixed-methods study with three phases of the study, namely, a quantitative ‘descriptive’ phase, a qualitative ‘bounded case study’ phase, and a mixed-methods phase in a joint display table. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine the understanding and implementation of constructivist teaching practices by faculty in their classrooms at a regional …

A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Resource Utilization Of Enlisted Airmen During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hassahn Khali Wade

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Airmen serving in the aircraft armament systems career field, while also studying the utilization of mental health resources among those same Airmen. Nine Airmen chose to participate in interviews, received an intervention in the form of a resource guide outlining mental health resources offered on-base, and received a second interview to measure any changes in attitude. Respondents found COVID-19 impacted their workload negatively, and adversely affected their personal lives. Culturally, there is an unenthusiastic viewpoint on mental health assistance, which leads many Airmen to suffer in silence and not …

“We Are Created Inferior To Men”: Leveraging Horsemanship To Reinforce Gender Expectations, 1830-1861, Gabrielle Marie Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations

Horses have played a central role in human society since 3500 BCE when humans began domesticating and riding horses in large numbers. Horses continued to be important to human society during the nineteenth century as people used horses to drive industrialization, manage plantations, and transport goods, among other uses. Although historians and anthropologists have long extolled the horse’s laboring value, this paper views the horse and horsemanship (i.e., horseback riding, horse training) in a social context. Through the examination of newspapers, fictional literature, and manuals, this paper argues that Americans used horses and horsemanship to reinforce antebellum gender expectations. Reinforcing …

Family Therapy, K-12 Public Education, And Discipline Risk: A Scoping Review And Relationship Analysis Multiple Manuscript Dissertation, Cara Melinda Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains two studies that examine family therapy services within public schools related to behavioral or discipline concerns. Both studies stem from an ecological and family systems theoretical framework in examining relationships between the student, family, and school systems. The first study is a scoping review on family therapy within a school context related to a behavioral or discipline concern and provided by a clinical mental health counselor or family therapist. This scoping review summarized both empirical and conceptual literature by type and degree of school context, type of behavioral issue addressed, interventions, and outcomes measured or contributions. The …

Advancements In Parametric Modal Regression, Qingyang Liu

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers statistical inference methods for parametric modal regression models. In Chapter 1, we motivate the mode as the measure of central tendency instead of the median or the mean with an example. Following the motivational example, we include an overview of existing modal regression models. Later, in the same chapter, we explain advantages of the parametric modal regression models over existing nonparametric modal regression models. In Chapter 2, we address issues in statistical inference brought in by data contaminated with measurement error. With measurement error in covariates, statistical inference methods designed for modal regression models with error-free covariates …

Diffracting The Christine: Documenting A Building Multiple, Charles Brian Dedrick Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

The recent mingling of rhetorical theory and new materialism provides the space to ask different kinds of questions about our built history. Simultaneously, a parallel disciplinary interest in qualitative rhetorical field methods provides a growing arsenal for researchers who are invested in ‘being there’ and making a difference in the world. Working at the intersections of rhetorical theory, documentary film studies, and historic preservation, this project engages the Christine building differently. I offer a methodological framework to bridge rhetorical new materialism and rhetorical field methods and create a heuristic based in documentary theory and practice. As an archival, performance ethnography, …

Planting Rhizomes: Roots And Rhizomes In Maryse Condé’S Traversée De La Mangrove And Calixthe Beyala’S Le Petit Prince De Belleville, Rume Kpadamrophe

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, migration has played a crucial role in the development of human civilization, with the transplantation of cultures from one region to another shaping identities worldwide. The African diaspora, beginning with the Atlantic Slave Trade, saw the forced transportation of around 12 million Africans across the ocean, resulting in the creation of creole identities in the Antilles. Literature has long reflected the experiences of migrants. In Maryse Condé's Traversée de la Mangrove and Calixthe Beyala's Le Petit Prince de Belleville, the complexity of Antillean and Afro-French identities is explored. This thesis delves into how Condé's work highlights the …

If Not Me, Then Who? A Study Of Racial And Cultural Competence In A High School English Department, Dianna Sox

Theses and Dissertations

While the student population in U.S. public schools is diversifying, the teacher population and curriculum remain monochromatic. This action research study grew from the observation that racial and cultural content and discourse were absent from the English classrooms in my suburban high school due to a perceived lack of teacher cultural competence. Through this convergent mixed-method study, grounded in critical race theory, whiteness, and cultural competence, I sought to examine the factors that contribute to racial silence and improve teacher cultural competence in order to transform our classrooms into more racially and culturally just spaces. Surveys, independent reflections, focus group …

Supporting Lgbtq+ Ela Students Through Action Research, Nicole Mustaccio

Theses and Dissertations

English Language Arts curriculums traditionally include canonical authors such as Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and William Shakespeare. However, educators may not discuss the writers’ nonnormative sexuality. Moreover, educators may avoid teaching literature from a queer perspective, whether due to discomfort with LGBTQ+ terminology or because of a lack of professional development opportunities related to queer authors and queer theory.

In response to this problem of practice, I conducted this action research study to change the heteronormative culture at my high school. By providing professional development to fellow English Language Arts teachers, I sought to encourage the inclusion of LGBTQ+ authors …

The Impact Of Follower-Influencer Relationship Stages On Consumers’ Perceptions And Behavioral Intentions In The Context Of Influencer Marketing, Khalid Obaid Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the impacts of the relationship between social media influencers and followers on consumers trusting influencers, being inspired by them, and perceiving mutual benefits in this relationship, which could increase how consumers value and respond to influencers' endorsement. Using an online panel (N = 559), the survey results indicate a stronger relationship between an influencer and a follower increases the likelihood that the follower will view the influencer as trustworthy, draw inspiration from the influencer, and perceive that they share reciprocal benefits in this relationship. The trustworthiness and inspirational value of an influencer, as well as their …

“Oh My God, Everyone Was Staring At Us”: The Experiences Of Transracial Fostering From The Perspective Of White Foster Parents Raising Black Youth, Christian Holmes Gorchow

Theses and Dissertations

Racial-ethnic identity is an essential component of a Black child’s development. Little is known about how transracial foster parents support Black foster children’s racial-ethnic identity development. The purpose of this dissertation was to address this gap by: (1) exploring transracial foster parents’ racial socialization practices as it relates to the care of Black foster children, (2) understanding transracial foster parents’ experiences with addressing racism and racial bias directed towards Black foster children, and (3) exploring transracial foster parents’ knowledge as it relates to the cultural needs of Black foster children. Using a thematic analytic approach, a sample of 8 White …

The Effects Of Hip-Hop And Rap Music Intervention To Improve The Wellbeing Of Black And African American Men, Lanita Michelle Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

Wellbeing affects an individual’s functioning regarding personal, interpersonal, social, and overall wellbeing (Tennant et al., 2007). This study investigated the wellbeing of mental health among African American college-aged men by reading hip-hop and rap lyrics (Gonzalez & Hayes, 2009). The study explored the effects of reading hip-hop and rap lyrics on Black and African American college-aged men's wellbeing. Through peer review articles, this study investigated the effects of reading hip-hop and rap lyrics on the wellbeing of Black and African American college-aged men. The researcher identified the lack of research on wellbeing and marginalized communities, specifically Black and African American …

Academic Success And Student Development In The Health Professions: An Action Research Study, Molly Ellen Higbie

Theses and Dissertations

The first year of college is a time of challenging transition for many. Students are adapting to a new way of learning as well as developing as adults. Using a mixed methods design, this action research study aimed to provide insight into the student experience for academically at-risk first-year students in a health professions program at a mid-size university in New England. Quantitative data showed that most students’ academic performance met or exceeded the minimum requirement for their major with support from their advisor through this intervention. Further, quantitative data showed that student development did occur for participants. Qualitative data …

Complex Stereotypes: Stereotypes Across The Intersections Of Gender, Sexuality, Age, Race/Ethnicity, And Social Class, Nicholas Heiserman

Theses and Dissertations

Research on stereotypes and their consequences often focuses on discrete categorical stereotypes in isolation from each other (e.g. gender or race categories), and rarely centers the fact that people belong to many social categories at once (e.g. gender and race categories). I address this issue using two large factorial experiment (N=1,762 and N=1,481) designed to measure two core aspects of stereotypes, warmth and competence, across the intersections of multiple social categories: Gender, Sexuality, Age, Race/Ethnicity (Chapter 3), and Social Class (Chapter 2). In Chapter 2, I develop a framework for analyzing intersectional complexity in these data, beginning with overall measures …

Language Ideologies In Transgender Communities In The U.S. South, Archie Crowley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how metalinguistic discussions within transgender communities in South Carolina are shaped by experiences, identities, and ideologies related to intersecting social dimensions, specifically, gender, age, race, and regional identity. Based primarily on 20 ethnographic group and individual interviews with 41 transgender individuals living in South Carolina, as well as over 24 months of participant-observation in two trans organizations, the analysis illustrates how trans South Carolinians simultaneously navigated changing norms of community language use, expectations of regional linguistic practices, and mainstream discussions of trans linguistic affirmation. I draw on these sociolinguistic and linguistic anthropological methods to examine how discourses …

Effects Of Choice Reading On Intrinsic Motivation In Underperforming Sixth-Grade Students, Heather M. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

This single-case study was designed to evaluate the effects of autonomous text choice on reading motivation and reading comprehension in underperforming sixth-grade students. This study was built upon the theoretical framework constructed using self-determination theory, situational expectancy–value theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy. Study participants were asked to read a text of their choice for ten minutes each day. Once a week, study participants were observed during their reading time for off-task behaviors to frame discussions on student engagement with their chosen texts, and every other week during the course of the intervention, participants were provided with an opportunity to give …

Racial Equity Analysis: Access To Permanent Housing And The Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool (Vi-Spdat), Mary Ann Priester

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to replicate and extend national research within the local context of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care by using propensity score methods to examine the relationships between race, program outcome, and housing prioritization among subpopulations of individuals experiencing homelessness.

Methods: This study used secondary data analysis and propensity score methods to examine deidentified client-level Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data collected from January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2021 by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care (CoC).

Results: Findings indicate that Whites are more likely to exit homeless services programs to temporary or institutional destinations vs. permanent housing …

The Code Of The School: Investigating The Age At Which The"Code"Begins To Influence School Violence Among Students, Yoo Akakpo

Theses and Dissertations

The school-to-prison pipeline has sparked debate about disciplinary measures amongpolicymakers and school officials. Despite extensive research into student violence, there is little data on the age at which students start using violence in school. This study uses a critical qualitative analysis to determine what age or grade level students understand the importance of fighting, respect, and social status. I conducted the study's research in the Midwest, primarily focusing on students suspended after fighting in Chicago and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The Code of the School will be utilized as a theoretical basis to explore this qualitative study of African American students and …

Changes In Athletic Identity And Factors Influencing Change During Collegiate Sports Career, Lilla Kisvari

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and understand how athletic identity and life satisfaction changed in college student-athletes during their college careers and explore the factors that influenced the changes in athletic identity over time. Specifically, the three research questions were: (1) how does athletic identity, and its dimensions (social identity, exclusivity, and negative affectivity), and life satisfaction change in college student-athletes over a college career? (2) what are student-athlete perspectives on the factors influencing changes of athlete identity over a college career? And (3) what is the relationship between athletic identity and life satisfaction? The study included …

Class, Politics And Family Life: A Study Of Progressive Working-Class Parenting, Elise Danielle West

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting is entwined with political and social class realities, but rarely is this intersection explored. Seminal research in social reproduction theory finds that working-class parents pass on to their kids a “sense of constraint,” while middle-class parents successfully transmit class advantages that reproduce inequality (Lareau, 2011, p. 3). This research could be enriched by a political analysis that considers parents’ political ideology. On the other hand, research addressing ideological reproduction describes a model of progressive parenting that takes a stand against inequality, but it is not known how this model applies to working-class parents (Lakoff 2002). In this exploratory project, …

Omnipotence And The Psyche: On A New Psychoanalysis, Dani Park

Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter, I propose a new psychoanalytical framework in which the subject is driven by a need for omnipotence. Omnipotence, which is redefined in my framework, propels the subject to overcome the Father, or the awareness of self that arises due to psychological maturation and sophistication. I also introduce a psychological development that is defined by the entrance of the subject into different stages (Womb, Eden, Wandering), which are punctuated by events (In-the-Beginning, Fall, Death) which transition the subject into the next stage. Lastly, I introduce my own topographical model of the self in which the subject is …

Burned Beauty: Stories Of How Black Women Burn Survivors Manage Their Trauma & Recovery, Bree Mccall

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on an under-researched segment of the burn-survivor community, Black-women burn survivors, who tend to go unrecognized beyond the initial observation of physical scarring or disfigurement. Recent data indicates that burn survivors of color, post-injury, report less satisfaction with their appearance and lower levels of community integration when compared to white burn survivors (Mata-Greve et al. 2022). Likewise, men burn survivors fare better than women during the post-injury recovery period when it comes to navigating romantic relationships, social interactions, and work and employment opportunities (Levi et al. 2018). This topic of burn survivors at the race-gender nexus is …

Awe And Positive Affect: The Role Of Self-Transcendence And Self-Focused Attention, Autumn Chall

Theses and Dissertations

The present study discussed the mechanism behind awe’s ability to improve affect. Proposed mechanisms include a lowered level of self-focused attention and a heightened level of self-transcendence since awe experiences have been found to decrease self-interest and significance (Bai et al., 2017; T. Jiang & Sedikides, 2021). To examine self-focused attention and self-transcendence as potential mediators for the relationship between awe and positive affect, this study utilized therapeutic writing techniques. In a between-subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to write about either a personal experience of awe or a neutral experience. Following this, participants filled out questionnaires assessing affect, level …

Gyno-Gerontological Discourse And The Dearth Of Old Women Narrators In British Fiction 1790-1860, Lavender Elisabeth Earnest

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the remarkable dearth of old woman narrators in British fiction between 1790 and 1860, both documenting their under-representation and explaining it as, in part, a product of a wave of medical discourse disparaging the physical and mental vitality of post-menopausal women. Regarding methodology, I perform a random sample upon a corpus of first-person novels published in the period and categorize each according to the gender and age of the narrator. This analysis exhibits, unsurprisingly, that most narrators in the dataset are either in the first half of their life, male, or both. Old women represent only a …

Delivering Computer-Based Training Within State Prisons, Kunal Jha

Theses and Dissertations

Internet-connected devices are ubiquitous, and our built environment allows us to tap into formerly impossible solutions. As our world increasingly depends on technology to operate, one demographic cannot gain exposure to internet-connected devices or web-based educational programs: incarcerated individuals. The Department of Justice reports that 5 out of 6 State Prisoners are arrested and returned to prison within nine years of their initial release. Research shows that education is a pathway to reducing the U.S. prison population. Individuals who participated in any educational program are 43 percent less likely to return to prison.1 Prisons in the United States often partner …

Lynch Law In The Land Of Lincoln: African American Intellectuals And Early Twentieth Century Race Riots, John Patrick Pleming

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: In the early twentieth century, more and more African Americans began to leave the American South in search of better jobs and more equal treatment in the North. These black migrants found a less rigid racial hierarchy and employment in industrial and domestic settings. However, racism in the North was alive and well. As African American communities began to exert their economic and political power, they were often targeted by white mobs who would rampage through black neighborhoods, killing and burning as they went. In response to race riots in Springfield (1908), East St. Louis (1917), and Chicago (1919), …

Topological Variability In Water Distribution Networks, James M. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Water distribution networks are critical infrastructure characterized by difficulties in their assessment and deteriorating performance due to aging components. Resilience analysis of networked infrastructure has replaced traditional risk analysis to focus on performance. Global Resilience Analysis can provide useful information to decision makers and system managers regarding repair and expansion of networks. Network performance has been found to be directly informed by network structure. This work leverages graph theory to assess network qualities that correlate with resiliency characteristics across 69 real world water networks. These networks are then grouped by their structural properties through k-means clustering and compared using parametric …

Exploring Informal Mentoring Relationships Between Faculty And Undergraduate Students At A Midwest, Urban Institution, Thomas O'Ryan Menchhofer

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has long been a strategy leveraged to support college students' development and academic success. The majority of studies on mentoring have focused on formal mentoring programs that involve a structure and the support of a program administrator. Studies have focused on mentorship outcomes such as increased academic achievement, persistence and retention, and career support. However, research focused on informal mentoring and the process of initiating and developing a relationship remains limited. This study uses qualitative interview data from 6 faculty and undergraduate student mentoring dyads to understand how participants initiate and further develop informal mentoring relationships and the perceived …

County-Level Social Determinants Of Health And Covid-19 Health Outcomes, Bret R. Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

Social determinants of health are associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, including COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. However, most research evaluating this relationship have been case studies, retrospective cohort studies, and case series studies and/or have used use analytic techniques, such as linear regression, that can struggle to adequately model the social determinants' complex nature. This study used United States county-level social determinants of health data and March 2020-December 2020 COVID-19 morbidity and mortality data. Structural equation modeling was used to develop a latent measurement model for the social determinants of health. Substantial cross-loadings among the social determinants of …