Digital Commons Network^™

Disparities Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Educational Attainment: Exploring Factors Related To Low Average School Naplan Scores In The Northern Territory, Rachel Coleman

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Indigenous population is a small minority in most areas of Australia, except the Northern Territory where Indigenous people make up roughly a quarter of the population. Indigenous people have lower educational achievement when compared to non-Indigenous people in Australia, with almost half as many of Indigenous having completed Year 12 or equivalent as non-Indigenous in 2016. The focus of this study was to identify factors that may be influencing the lower educational attainment of Indigenous students. Factors related to increased Indigenous presence in a school were expected to predict lower educational attainment. Full or partial support for some of …

Understanding College Men's And Women's Perceptions Of Sexual Behavior Responsibility Through The Lens Of The Human Papillomavirus, Angela Mitiguy

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of gender differences in sexual behavior responsibility and safe sex decision making, particularly among a college age population. In this study, I address one main research question: How do college-going men and women perceive their own and their partner’s responsibility for sexual behavior and sexual health? More specifically, I use the case of the Human Papillomavirus as a way to examine if there are gendered differences in the way college men and women think about their sexual behavior and sexual health and if these differences exist in the ways men and women act in certain …

Mobilizing Social Capital: A Qualitative And Network Analysis Of Human Service Organizations, Ethan Christian Adams

Master's Theses

Poverty and homelessness is a social problem that impacts all communities in the U.S. and globally. Social programs that address these issues often focus on mobilizing resources to provide opportunities to increase the social position of their clients and meet their basic needs. Sociological research into this problem, however, has emphasized the influence of social connections in the experiences of individuals in poverty. Social capital is the conceptual representation of actual or potential resources obtained through social network connections. Existing literature regarding social capital has demonstrated that social connections are a critical aspect of human social experience and the ability …

Examining Academic Success For Underrepresented Minority Science Technology Engineering And Mathematics Students Within Hispanic Serving Institutions And Predominantly White Institutions, Denise Romero

Master's Theses

With the higher enrollment among underrepresented minority students (URMs) in higher education, the unique challenges first generation students face has been highly studied, especially in regards to the issue of retention and academic success. That is, how do higher education institutions and professionals best academically support these students through the completion of their undergraduate degree? This paper seeks to compare the identity development of URMs within Hispanic serving institutions (HSI) and predominantly white institutions (PWI) by building on academic literature in higher education addressing identity development and achievement for URMs pursuing an education in STEM. This study offers important insights …

Facebook As A Social Outreach And Advocacy Tool In Intersex/Dsd Groups, Emelie J. Ali Ms

Publications and Research

My project includes a netnography of a Facebook intersex group called Families and Friends of Intersex People. I observed the group’s forms of communication within the group and which topics they discussed. It appears one of the major concerns the group has is the use of nonconsensual, sex assignment surgery on infants to “correct” their body to match a gender identity. I have also discovered a link between being intersex and affiliated with the LGBT+ community. Since the 20th century, intersex people have been stigmatized due to their assumed ability to engage in sexual, same-sex relations. I have concluded that …

"This Dreadful Web": Alienation And Miscommunication In The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Debbie Clark

Senior Theses

Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame hinges on the idea of fate and characters being caught up in situations and fantasies that seem to be out of their control. Esmeralda is the fly caught in Frollo’s web, and yet her beauty and allure attracts and ensnares him in turn. Quasimodo is ensnared by Esmeralda’s beauty but also by society’s perceptions of him. The characters in Hunchback are so caught up in the webs of fantasies and perceptions spun by themselves or society that they can no longer communicate effectively with others, resulting in alienation from the very society …

Gardner-Webb Alumna Leads Habitat Revitalization Efforts In Charlotte, N.C., Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Helping people realize the dream of home ownership is just one part of the mission of Habitat for Humanity. Another main goal of the organization is to build stronger communities. Leading these efforts for Habitat in Charlotte, N.C., is Sherika Eskridge, a 2008 alumna of Gardner-Webb University.

Bridging Civic Engagement To Civic Responsibility Through Short-Term, International Service-Learning Experiences: A Qualitative Analysis Of Student Reflections, Stephanie Malinenko, Justine Tutuska, Lynn Matthews

eJournal of Public Affairs

Written reflection is a tool commonly used by faculty to assess student learning in service-learning courses, which are frequently offered as short-term international experiences. This article discusses a qualitative analysis of students’ written reflections on a short-term, international service-learning project that was conducted to determine whether undergraduate students bridged their engagement to the development of civic or social responsibility. Results of the analysis revealed that students demonstrated nominal progress toward civic responsibility when not specifically prompted by assignments. Multiple themes emerged from the analysis related to students’ goals, challenges, and lessons learned. Based on the findings, the authors recommend that …

Service Learning, Ariane Cando

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Afterward, Shelley Moore Capito

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Causes And Consequences Of Child Marriage Among Syrian Refugee Populations In Jordan: An Investigation Of Perceptions., Alex Buckman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined the perceived causes of child marriage among Syrian refugee populations in Jordan and investigated its perceived consequences. Further, perceptions of mothers with school-aged children were compared to the opinions of children themselves. Through interviews with both target populations, along with an analysis of the responses of humanitarian activists and organizations to Jordan’s marriage law, the reality of child marriage within the country was ascertained. In conducting interviews, the data showed that many believed child marriage to be a normal occurrence in Syria, at least since the beginning of the war, with only two interviewees believing child marriage …

Forward, Jennifer D. Oliva

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Synthesizing The Small Town: Why Conservatism?, Jeffrey W. Lueders

Honors Projects

The small town has often been a romanticized topic for the public at large. Often it is discussed in terms of quaintness and nostalgia for an older time; meanwhile, the effects of the small town in the here-and-now are glossed over and not given sufficient attention to fill in the finer details (Bellah et al. 1985). Prominent sociologists cite the small town and rural society as a source of conservative ideology (Wuthnow, 2014; Smith & Krannich 2000), however, they fail to show how conservative ideology is supposedly created in the small town. Instead, sociologists and the public at large blindly …

Individual And Society: Sociological Social Psychology, Lizabeth A. Crawford, Katherine B. Novak

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

"Unlike the few other texts for undergraduate sociological social psychology courses that present 3 distinct traditions (or "faces") ... Symbolic Interactionist (SI), Social Structure and Personality (SSP), and Group Processes and Structure (GPS) by topic alone, this text initially discusses these "faces" by research tradition, and emphasizes the different theoretical frameworks within which social psychological analyses are conducted. With this approach, the authors make clear the link between "face" of sociological social psychology, theory, and methodology. And students gain an appreciably better understanding of the field of sociological social psychology; how and why social psychologists trained in sociology ask particular …

People Like Me: Providing Relatable And Realistic Role Models For Underrepresented Minorities In Stem To Increase Their Motivation And Likelihood Of Success, Nir Aish, Philip Asare, Elif Eda Miskioglu

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

Despite efforts to increase participation of racial and ethnic minorities (excluding Asians) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States, this group remains underrepresented in these fields. Many efforts to increase minority participation focus on support structures to help this group “get through” the pipeline. However, less attention has been paid to increasing their intrinsic motivation to pursue careers in STEM. Our work is focused on increasing this intrinsic motivation, looking at role models as external influences. Underrepresented minorities are faced with a limited role model pool and in many cases with role models (who we call …

College Of Behavioral And Social Sciences News, Georgia Southern University

College of Behavioral & Social Sciences: News & Publications (2012-2022)

• Department of Sociology and Anthropology hosts Anthropology Week

Empathy Institutionalized: Sociocultural Dialogue As A Strategic Peacebuilding Initiative, Emily Owens

Bridge/Work

A common adage used in psychological exploration tells us that “If you want to know the end, look at the beginning.” While typically employed to emphasize the importance of upbringing and environment on personal outcomes, this phrase can be equally applicable in examining the ways in which society has developed over time to produce our polarized sociopolitical culture of today. This work explores from an integrative psychosocial perspective the potential that exists in working to define a new “end” by shaping a new “beginning,” through going directly to the institutions that comprise our own beginnings— schools. Through a combined research …

Online Exams: The Need For Best Practices And Overcoming Challenges, Margaret H. Williamson

The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology

An online educational environment differs from the traditional classroom in a number of ways. One thing that is consistent, though, is the need to protect the academic integrity of the course. In a face-to-face setting, faculty may be very familiar with how to do this, but in an online setting, there are certain steps that need to be taken to ensure the academic integrity of the course. One of the challenges in an online environment is the effectiveness of online exams and how to prevent cheating. This paper will discuss the need and importance of implementing best practices and some …

'At Least You're Not Neurotypical': Social Barriers To Mental Health At Oberlin College, Charis Justine Stanek

Honors Papers

Previous research shows that mental health issues often manifest in the late teens and early twenties, the age of many college students (Kessler et al., 2007). This report is a case study about mental illness at Oberlin College. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the subculture of Oberlin may incentivize students to maintain their identity with mental illness. Three hundred and eighty-four Oberlin students were surveyed about their perception of conversations around mental illness and behaviors of mentally ill students at Oberlin. In fifty semi-structured interviews, students were asked to elaborate on how they came …

Sex, Ethnicity, And Socioeconomic Status On Attitudes Toward Women As Managers And Perceived Career Impediment: A Study Of Young Adults In Malaysia, Li Teng Voon

ETD Archive

The current study aims at examining the effects of sex, race, and socioeconomic status on young Malaysians; attitudes toward women as managers and the perceived barriers to their own careers. This paper also examined a moderated mediation, with the moderator being the working status of an individual's mother and the mediator being gender role attitudes. A great wealth of research in this area has been conducted in the Western culture, but much less is known about Malaysia and its young adults. This study provides a historical and sociocultural overview of Malaysia, and how its unique sociopolitical and societal structure impacts …

Who’S In Charge Here? Exercising Authority In The Organization-Volunteer Relationship, Patricia A. Groble

ETD Archive

One facet of being a volunteer is the freedom to choose one’s work and schedule. When this ability to choose conflicts with the organization’s need to ensure that volunteers’ work activities fulfill its mission, it creates tension between staff members and volunteers and presents a challenge to the organization’s ability to exercise authority over its volunteers.

Existing research on volunteerism studies volunteer engagement, motivations, and best practices for managing volunteers, as well as how volunteers can be considered a sustainable resource. The volunteer management literature pays little attention, however, to authority’s role in the relationship between organizations and their volunteers. …

More Than Cracking Backs: Exploring Patient-Careers In Chiropractic Care, Timothy J. Loney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The popularity of the concept of patient-career rose at the same time as more people were using chiropractic care in the United States. Yet, patient-career has yet to be applied in a sociological manner to those who seek out chiropractic care. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 19 patients of chiropractic care reveal that pain, to the point of interference with daily-life, is what drove them to seek out help outside traditional medicine. This research investigates how holding preconceived notions of chiropractic care (positive or negative), the influence of social networks, and beliefs surrounding health and pain influence the direction of the …

From Frozen Turkeys To Legislative Wins: How Food Banks Put Advocacy On The Menu, Stephanie A. Galinson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

U.S. food banks emerged thirty years ago as part of a temporary, charitable food assistance safety net to address government welfare shortfalls. Over time their size and scope expanded significantly alongside growing food insecurity. As government entitlement programs continue to erode, the ensuing institutionalization of food banks secured their future. Yet scholars such as sociologist Janet Poppendieck argued over twenty years ago that these charitable programs inadvertently prevent the government from reassuming responsibility by providing the public the illusion of a solution despite their inability to adequately meet the need. This research argues that food bank advocacy can be used …

Housing And Community Development, Yana Kucheva

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Matrix Of Community, Shelby A. Hanson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

ma·trix noun

Origin: Latin

Matter - Matrix - Matrix

Matr- Breeding Female Womb

1. An environment or material in which something develops,

a surrounding medium or structure.

2. A mold in which something is cast or shaped.

3. A rectangular array of quantities or expressions in rows and

columns that is treated as a single entity and manipulated according to particular

rules.

Social Science Perspectives On Drivers Of And Responses To Global, Andrew K. Jorgenson, Shirley Fiske, Klaus Hubacek, Jia Li, Tom Mcgovern, Torben Rick, Juliet B. Schor, William Solecki, Richard York, Ariela Zycherman

Publications and Research

This article provides a review of recent anthropological, archeological, geographical, and sociological research on anthropogenic drivers of climate change, with a particular focus on drivers of carbon emissions, mitigation and adaptation. The four disciplines emphasize cultural, economic, geographic, historical, political, and social‐structural factors to be important drivers of and responses to climate change. Each of these disciplines has unique perspectives and makes noteworthy contributions to our shared understanding of anthropogenic drivers, but they also complement one another and contribute to integrated, multidisciplinary frameworks. The article begins with discussions of research on temporal dimensions of human drivers of carbon emissions, highlighting …

Resisting Gendered Sport Roles: A Criminological Sports Analysis Of Women's Rugby In The U.S., Kelsey Basham

Online Theses and Dissertations

The passing of Title IX has allowed women of all ages to begin engaging with contact sports in the United States. Although growing, women's participation in contact sports remains adolescent in comparison to men's. The elements of physicality, masculinity, and gendered expression often associated with rough sports may affect women's willingness to play them as well as others' perceptions of the women who play them. Rugby, a high-intensity contact sport played by both men and women throughout the world, is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. Rugby offers a unique opportunity for women to play against other …

Can You Feel The Spirit? Towards A Sensory Sociology Of Relgion, Beth Laurel Dougherty

Dissertations

How do the embodied senses play into ritual efficacy? In this dissertation, I argue that the relationship between ritual and This mixed-methods dissertation focuses on the ways individuals, local ritual coordinators, and larger organizations use and understand the senses and embodiment as tools for shaping and experiential results of ritual encounters. Establishing an understanding of the role of the sensory in sociological literature and the historical shifts in the sociology of religion, I build an analysis that models ways that the sensory can be used to understand and analyze religious rituals. Using ethnographic and content analysis of rituals in Pagan, …

Consequences Of Postsecondary Education Institution Policies And Practices: A Structural Model Of Tuition Costs, Student Financial Aid, Selectivity, Proximity, And Enrolled Undergraduate Students' Aggregate Capital, Aaron Michael Skira

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

For decades, U.S. higher education enrollments have been stratified with students from wealthier households consistently attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than low-income students. The disparity in postsecondary participation rates by family income is a systemic issue (M. J. Bailey & Dynarski, 2011), meaning the phenomenon is the result of a combination of factors within society rather than one factor alone. Guided by a critical theory perspective and the assumptions behind Perna’s (2006) proposed conceptual model for student college choice research, the current study sought to examine the extent to which policies and practices at the postsecondary institution level may …

Indios To Vecinos: Identity And Classification In Paso Del Norte, Eric Murillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Identity for Native Americans in the US-Mexico borderlands is still a challenge in many ways. Native Americans in the US-Mexico borderlands often struggle to be seen as such, and many are subjected to a fragmented identity. This research explores how Spanish colonial classification continues to affect Native Americans from the borderlands.