Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Generations, Stephanie Christian

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Understanding College Students Perceptions Of Unhealthy Dating Relationships, Kristina M. Cofone

Social Work Theses

This study addresses the prevalence and perceptions of unhealthy relationships at a medium size catholic college campus. An online voluntary survey measured student’s perceptions and understanding of unhealthy relationships through the use of silhouettes. Additionally, participants were asked to define psychological abuse. Results revealed that many of the college students were able to correctly identify types of abuse in relationships. Participants defined psychological abuse to include manipulation, control and guilt. Practice and policy implications were addressed as well.

Bullying At The Middle School Level: A Descriptive Study, Sara C. Johnson

Social Work Theses

Bullying within schools has been a topic of great interest in recent years. Due to various factors, bullying is a particularly large problem at middle schools. In order to obtain further research on this topic, a study was conducted at a small suburban middle school in Connecticut. Teachers were given surveys to complete to address their thoughts on bullying. Additionally, a smaller subsample of teachers and the school social worker were interviewed. The data gathered from the surveys and interviews revealed that bullying was in fact present at the school. Participants expressed that students tend to bully one another in …

Building Stories Of Resilience In The Face Of Childhood Cancer: Exploring The Experiences Of Childhood Cancer Survivors, Gabrielle Lemarier

Social Work Theses

This qualitative study addressed the personal stories, characteristics, influences, and factors which assisted childhood survivors of cancer to be resilient and thrive. Six childhood cancer survivors told stories of coping with the hardships of a cancer diagnosis and eight common themes uniquely experienced by each survivor were revealed. Results of this study indicated that professionals should address a cancer diagnosis as a family diagnosis, constantly facilitating communication within the family system. Health promotion should also be a common professional practice, supporting the individual in self-advocacy. Professionals should also support survivors in the process of making meaning out of his/her cancer …

Sex Discrimination In "The Catbird Seat" And Today's Workplace, Amanda Woolum

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Coping With The Effects Of Deprivation: Development And Upbringing Of Romanian Adoptees In The Netherlands, By Catharina Rijk, Josephine A. Ruggiero

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Transition And Transformation Of Service Agencies Following An Emergency Response, Mary Patrice Bogan

Social Work Theses

This study will focus specifically on the transforming effects service agencies experience as they respond to the highly increased need in the surrounding community. A review of the literature reveals that recovery efforts cannot elicit the needed response and support without a sense of urgency that stems from the event(s) being considered an “emergency.” The lack of longevity of the initial urgency threatens the resiliency of the agency as the availability of funding and necessary attention is not maintained. A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted by interviewing ten individuals involved in the Rhode Island emergency winter shelter crisis and five …

A Traveler From Altruria: Book Analysis, M. Lisa Parenti

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Margaret Sanger: The Fuel Of Her Revolution, Shannon Rohn

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Comparative Analysis Of The Depiction Of Gender Roles In A League Of Their Own, Kristin Liewald

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

History Of Terrorism, Jeff Tosch

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

The Difficult Reintegration Of Soldiers To Society And Family After Deployment, Beth Wegner

ESSAI

No abstract provided.

Attitudes, Behavior, And Social Practice, Harris Chaiklin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The relationship between attitudes and behavior is not symmetrical. A literature review is used to organize a summary of methodological and practical problems in this area. In turn, these findings are used to comment on how sociology and social work practice can take this into account.

“Creating A Nation Of Joiners: Democracy And Civil Society In Early National Massachusetts” By Johann N. Neem, Cedric De Leon

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

God's Liberated People? Men And Women In The Metropolitan Community Church, Kathleen O'Neal

Theses & ETDs

The Metropolitan Community Church, as a liberal mainline Christian denomination that caters to the LGBT community, provides an open and safe space for people with non-normative sexual and gender identities to practice religion. However, Christianity has a history of being a patriarchal and heteronormative institution. As a progressive denomination, the MCC strives for gender equality, but still works within a religion built on rigid hierarchies. Twenty qualitative interviews were conducted with attendants of a MCC church to determine how queer men and women understand gender in their gay-affirming church. The aim was to determine what role gender plays in the …

Yahweh As Father: The Image In Ancient Israelite Context And Modern Appropriation, Joshua Wayne Lovelace

MA in Religion Theses

The goal of this thesis was to appropriate the image of Yahweh as father for modern Christendom in light of feminist critiques of the image. The methods in accomplishing this task were as follows: defining feminism and feminist biblical interpretation, conveying the critiques of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Julia M. O'Brien who were scholarly dialogue partners, studying the social milieu of ancient Israel, using historical, literary, textual, and social criticism to exegete texts that mention Yahweh as father, comparing findings of exegesis with social milieu of ancient Israel, responding to critiques of Ruether and O'Brien, and lastly taking the findings …

"If We Want An Education, We Want An Education It's Our Choice": How Four Youth At Risk Of Dropping Out Of High School Experienced Social Capital, Joanne Mcfarland Malloy

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth who are at risk of dropping out of high school are often challenged by significant emotional and behavioral support needs, and are typically disengaged from the educational process and the social networks that can help them succeed in their homes, in school, and in their communities. This research project investigated the experiences of four youth, two females and two males, who were at significant risk of dropping out of high school as they were engaged in a supportive intervention designed to build skills in self-determination, school-to-adult life transition planning, and leveraging social resources. Using social capital as a sensitizing …

Raping The Raced Body: Trauma In Asian North American Women's Literature, Amy Lillian Manning

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the representation of racial and sexual traumas in short fiction and novels by Asian American women writing post-WWII to the present. The central focus of this project is on Asian American literary representations of the lingering effects of physical, racial, and sexual traumas to Asian American women, specifically the nuances of narrating traumatic experiences. Each chapter explores various literary representations of post-traumatic psychological states of unrest, instability, and incoherence. Most importantly, this study examines the frequently simultaneous narrations of sexual trauma and racial awareness, of how personal narratives of trauma against the physical body become entangled with …

Wage Employment, Traditional Subsistence, And Aspirations Among Inupiat And Yup'ik In The Mixed Economy Of Northwest Alaska, Catherine Turcotte-Seabury

Doctoral Dissertations

This project identifies, investigates, and analyzes factors contributing to the maintenance of a mixed economy in villages and regional centers largely inhabited by Inupiat and Yup'ik in three regions of Northwest Alaska. By examining employment and subsistence patterns, desires for relocation, and employment and subsistence aspirations, this research will contribute to the understanding of work (both traditional and modern), culture, and population shift within indigenous, Arctic populations.

The Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA) is used in conjunction with aggregate demographic data from the Arctic Observation Network Social Indicators Project (AON-SIP) and interviews of residents in the Northwest …

Decoding Minority Student Retention: An Investigation Of Student Experiences And Institutional Characteristics, Stephanie S. Bramlett

Doctoral Dissertations

This study seeks to explain factors that contribute to the retention of black and Hispanic students from their first year through graduation at colleges and universities in the United States. Other studies have investigated the experiences of minority college students (Massey et al. 2006, Steele 1999, and Bowen and Bok 1998) and have focused primarily on student experiences. Using Bourdieu's (1973) conceptualization of capital as the theoretical backdrop, this study is a preliminary investigation of how student experiences and institutional characteristics influence college student graduation.

The study uses data from both the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen and the 2008 …

The Implications Of Socioeconomic Status And A Usual Source Of Care For The Health And Health Care Experiences Of Elders With Chronic Illnesses, Michelle L. Stransky

Doctoral Dissertations

Recently developed models of health care provision have promoted the relationship between providers and patient for improving care continuity and coordination. This may be especially important for the growing population of elders, who often have fragmented care because of multiple chronic illnesses. Previous research shows that elders who have a usual source of care (USC) have better health and health care experiences than other elders. However, research has rarely considered whether the benefits of USCs may be affected by the elder's socioeconomic status (SES), their levels of chronic illness, or various provider characteristics.

This dissertation utilizes the 2007 Medicare Current …

An Exploratory Approach To Social Impact Assessment Of Public Policy Decisions: Multiple Stakeholders Perspectives On The Social Impact Of Overfishing In New England Groundfisheries In The 1990s, Fabienne Lord

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis seeks to understand how stakeholders' perspectives and understanding of social impacts influence decision processes. Understanding stakeholders' comprehension of social impacts provides insight as to how they weigh these impacts against others when making decisions. Moreover, the way stakeholders influence, or are influenced by, management decisions provides information on the use and development of methodologies successful in assessing social impacts and communicating the results. Built on this information, the main objective is to explore and develop a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) approach that could capture and integrate multiple stakeholders' perspectives in predicting impacts from ongoing, renewable resource management actions. …

The Holy Ghost Beyond The Church Walls: Latino Pentecostalism(S), Congregations, And Civic Engagement, Norman Eli Ruano

Dissertations

In what ways is Pentecostalism a catalyst or an inhibitor of congregational and congregant civic engagement among U.S. Latinos? And how does this compare to other religious traditions, specifically Latino Catholicism, Evangelicalism, and Mainline Protestantism? The dissertation argues that Latino Pentecostal congregations, depending on a variety of reasons such as demographics, and pastor's education, can either be very conservative, inward-looking, and otherworldly, or progressive and this-worldly--in addition to other options along this continuum. Such findings are particularly important given the common social scientific research assumption that Latino Pentecostal congregations are generally conservative, inward- looking, and otherworldly.

After surveying a representative …

The Foster Parent Experience Of Attachment, Taylor Cohen

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study explores the attachment experience of foster parents. The researcher used a qualitative research framework to explore what 10 foster parents experienced in regards to attachment with their foster children. Based on the data and content analysis, a foster parent ecology emerged showing that the foster parent/child attachment relationship is affected by doctors, therapists, social workers, case workers, other foster parents, and the biological parents. The temporary nature of foster care and the goal of reunification of child to biological parent also affected the attachment relationship between foster parent and foster child.

Sex, Infection, And Trust: Condom Use Among Gay Men And Their Perceptions Of Hiv, Michael Jeffrey Staley

Master's Theses and Capstones

Unprotected anal intercourse among gay men remains high, despite the well-known fact that HIV/AIDS still disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM). This qualitative, exploratory study seeks to understand the meanings and motivations of gay men's condom use and non-use. I observed three organizations that center on gay identities in the spring and fall of 2010 and in the spring of 2011. Additionally, using a semi-structured format, I interviewed 19 gay or bisexual men between the ages of 19 and 39. Condom non-use was high; 16 men reported not using a condom in their sexually active lifetime. Three …

Designing Incentives For Inexpert Human Raters, Daniel L. Chen, John J. Horton, Aaron D. Shaw

Faculty Scholarship

The emergence of online labor markets makes it far easier to use individual human raters to evaluate materials for data collection and analysis in the social sciences. In this paper, we report the results of an experiment - conducted in an online labor market - that measured the effectiveness of a collection of social and financial incentive schemes for motivating workers to conduct a qualitative, content analysis task. Overall, workers performed better than chance, but results varied considerably depending on task difficulty. We find that treatment conditions which asked workers to prospectively think about the responses of their peers - …

Dying Today: Perspectives Of The Modern Hospice Worker, Nicholas Jay Mac Murray

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

From a sociological standpoint, death is relatively difficult to research. While some individuals may describe near-death experiences, the actual act of death cannot be fully known to the living. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the nature of death and dying in the United States today. This research examines the perspective of modern hospice workers. These individuals work near death on a regular basis and therefore have a privileged understanding of what death is like in US society today. Data consist of ten in-depth interviews with hospice/ palliative-care workers in the Midwestern United States. Respondents were …

The Needs Of Rural Homeless Families In Grafton County, New Hampshire: A Qualitative Inquiry, Pamela B. Thyng

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study explored the experiences of homeless families in the rural area of Grafton County in New Hampshire. In the literature review there is evidence that the needs of homeless people in rural areas are unique. Because of the unique needs of this population the service providers face different obstacles than their counterparts in urban areas. The researcher interviewed (N=7) homeless family members living in, or previously living in, a shelter as well as county government officials in the region. Through the use of a semi-structured interview and a grounded theory approach to the analysis of the data several themes …

Dominance In A Dating Relationship And Violence Approval As Partial Mediating Factors Between Violent Socialization And Perpetrating Dating Partner Violence, Thomas Lopez

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigated the possible mediating relationships between experiencing corporal punishment and partner violence perpetration and witnessing parental violence and partner violence perpetration. The sample used was 14,252 university students in 32 nations who participated in the International Dating Violence Study. For both men and women, self-dominance partly mediated the relationships between corporal punishment and perpetrating minor assault and corporal punishment and perpetrating severe assault. For men and women self-dominance mediated the relationships between witnessing parental violence and perpetrating minor assault and witnessing parental violence and perpetrating both types of assault for males and females. Violence approval did not partly …

Net Resiliency: A Study Of Risk And Protective Factors In Single And Two-Parent Familes, Chad E. Depasquale

Master's Theses and Capstones

The main goal of this study was to discover how family makeup affects net resiliency scores of children. This quantitative study uses Two-Tailed t-tests, and Pearson correlation to uncover any relationships between net resiliency and living in a single or two-parent household. A sample of 91 children ranging from eleven to eighteen years old was utilized for the study's data collection. Their net resiliency scores, risk factors, protective factors, and family makeup were analyzed to discover any potential relationships between them. The analysis of these factors showed children living in single-parent families have: lower net resiliency scores, fewer protective factors, …