Digital Commons Network^™

Postpartum Experiences Of Arab Women And The Educational Role Of The Mother, Diana Ikki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women in the Arab world traditionally observe a 40-day postpartum rest period, during which they rest, follow specific rituals, and learn to care for their newborn under the guidance and care of a family matriarch, typically their mother. Despite the prevalence of this practice, there is limited empirical research exploring the educational role of Arab mothers during their daughters' postpartum period; this qualitative study addressed this gap. Foundational to this study’s theoretical framework was Ramona Mercer’s theory of maternal role attainment. The study addressed two research questions: how Arab women describe their postpartum experiences and the educational role their mothers …

Social Justice & Advocacy In Human Services, Cailyn F. Green, Bernadet Dejonge, Nikki Golden, Kim Brayton, Carrie Steinman, Shannon Raybold

Milne Open Textbooks

Read this book online at: https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/social-justice-in-human-services/

Social Justice & Advocacy in Human Services delves into the complex realm of social justice, offering a deep dive into historical roots and theories to practical applications in the field. This text covers fundamental concepts, including power, privilege, and oppression, and explores critical issues like racism, gender, sexuality, poverty, religion, and disability in the context of the United States. The last section of the book hones in on the field of human services, discussing power, privilege, and bias in this context, and lastly exploring equitable distribution, human rights, and the systems and entry points …

Exploring The Perceptions And Lived Experiences Of African American Women With Past Criminal Histories, Georgett Tracyann Kerr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the reintegration experiences of African American women with prior criminal histories, focusing on how they navigated systemic barriers and demonstrated resilience. These women often face compounded challenges stemming from systemic racism, gender discrimination, and economic hardship, which hinder successful reentry into society following incarceration. Historical policies such as the War on Drugs and the Welfare Reform Act disproportionately impacted African American women, contributing to higher arrest rates and increased stigma within the criminal justice system. Upon release, many encounters significant barriers to employment, housing, mental health care, and social acceptance. Despite these adversaries, some African …

How Beliefs Shape What We Consider When Choosing What To Eat, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

What determines which foods we consider? One factor, certainly, is what we like to eat, and if liking what we eat were the sole relevant outcome of food consumption, there would be little to say about incomplete consideration. However, diet quality has important, well-documented effects on health outcomes (as well as other important considerations, such as differential environmental impact). Close to 75 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, which increases the likelihood that the individual will experience one or more serious non-communicable diseases. A food’s healthiness is an important consideration for many people when making food choices, but, …

The Effects Of An Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Program On Belonging And Success, Alexa Darracq

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in an undergraduate peer mentoring program led to increased feelings of belonging and success compared to students who have never received BYU ComD peer mentoring. Outcomes were measured using pre- and post-experiment surveys and focus groups. This study had ten participants in the experimental group and 12 participants in the control group with seven participants from the experimental group who participated in the focus groups. Analysis of the results determined there were three key findings from the study: mentees benefited from the peer mentoring program, students signed up to receive …

School Leadership Preparation Program Redesign: Purpose, Process, And Perspective, Rebecca L. Gerber

Theses and Dissertations

This paper reviews a collaborative effort between Brigham Young University's Educational Leadership and Foundations (EDLF) department and five school districts to redesign the School Leadership Preparation Program. The initiative aimed to bridge gaps between the practical needs of schools and the offerings of the university. A qualitative case study was conducted, focusing on three key groups: EDLF faculty, school district leaders involved in the redesign committee, and recent graduates of the updated program. Through detailed interviews, valuable insights were gathered into participants' experiences and perceptions concerning six major commitments of the newly designed program. This approach provided insights about the …

Humans Rule? Implications Of Religious Undergraduates’ Changing Environmental Perceptions, J. Robert Nielson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Addressing climate change requires correctly appraising one’s ethic toward the Earth. Historically, people have navigated their relationship to the natural world via environmental ethics of both religious and secular origin. Aldo Leopold described developing this relationship via the land ethic, a culturally informed process, as “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.” A land ethic provides a reference point from which individuals and societies make decisions about the Earth and its resources. This thesis considers the evolving land ethic of a young population of conservative Christian students at Brigham Young University with two separate cohorts of non-biology major undergraduates enrolled …

A Workplace Posture Initiative To Reduce Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Carrie Isaac

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a leading cause of occupational injury and discomfort in industrial workplaces. Although an ergonomic program existed at the project site, a formalized process to detect postural misalignments early had not been established. Relying on employee self-reporting, delayed intervention, and limited opportunities to prevent injuries before they progress.

Aim of the Project: A proactive posture screening program using PostureScreen® was implemented to identify postural deviations that could contribute to WRMSDs. Emphasis was placed on supporting employees through early awareness of posture-related issues and evaluation of alignment improvements following individualized intervention.

Review of the Evidence: Evidence …

Lanskap Linguistik Di Taman Literasi Martha Christina Tiahahu, Jakarta Selatan, Suryani Indrastuti, Sri Munawarah

Multikultura

Taman Literasi Martha Christina Tiahahu (TLMCT) is a tourist attraction located in South Jakarta that has been established since 1948. As a tourist attraction, TLMCT has signages and facility markers to facilitate visitors to find and utilize the facilities at the park. Those signs use code preference, inscription, and emplacement to maximize the information delivery. The formulation of the problem in this research is how the code preference, inscription, and emplacement of linguistic landscape (LL) at TLMCT. This research aims to explain the code preference, inscription, and emplacement of LL at TLMCT. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this …

The Tulong Dunong Program: A Literature Review Addressing Challenges In Supporting Filipino Students, Dolly P. Maroma, Allen N. Maroma

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This article evaluates the opportunities and challenges of the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), a government-sponsored program that seeks to provide access to education for disadvantaged Filipino learners in the Philippines. The research tackles contextual literature, from international to local, on how far TDP has expanded education access, an offshoot of which has decreased the dropout rate and increased socio-economic mobility. This research employs a systematic literature review to analyze the impact and challenges of the TDP of the Philippines. The dominant thematic categories that emerged were the positive effect of financial assistance on performance and retention, the importance of financial …

Revisiting The Post-Tsunami Aceh School: A Community-Based Evaluation Framework For Improving Build Back Better Projects, Muhammad Naufal Fadhil, Aji Sofiana Putri, Muhammad Fadli Muslimin

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This study proposes a community-based evaluation framework to assess and improve the existing conditions of post-tsunami schools based on the occupants’ evaluations. Rapid, donor-driven reconstruction often defaults to ‘fit-for-all’ solutions that bypass community needs, resulting in facilities that are misaligned with local contexts. This project focused on Lampageu State Elementary School in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, which was reconstructed in 2009 by a German NGO after the 2004 tsunami. The project began by observing the school’s physical condition through the community engagement team, followed by a review and exploration of the school’s design needs with the school community. The community-based evaluation …

Development Of Adjustable Static Test Equipment For Below-Knee Prosthetic Feet: A Case Study, Firmansyah Hafizh Rizal Nurrokhim, Fauzan Raka Mawandi, Puspa Dinda Safitri, Imam Mahmudah, Dwiky Mirnanda, Ndaru Adyono, Wahyu Dwi Lestari

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The high prevalence of physical disabilities in Indonesia, particularly among the productive-age population, highlights the urgent need for advancements in prosthetic technology. While local fabricators have begun producing prosthetic feet, the lack of standardized testing procedures compromises safety and performance. This study addresses that gap by developing an adjustable static testing device tailored for below-knee prosthetic feet, focusing on keel and heel tests to evaluate mechanical performance. The device includes a jig-fixture platform adjustable to 8° and 15° for heel and keel tests, respectively. It applies a 1230 N load based on AOPA standards and integrates load and displacement sensors …

Associations Between School-Based Arrests And High School Graduation Status Of African American Female Students In Florida, Rannisha Missick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zero tolerance school discipline policies, originally intended to address serious threats such as weapon and drug possession, have increasingly been applied to minor behavioral infractions, disproportionately affecting African American students, particularly females. These exclusionary practices, including school-based arrests, have been linked to adverse educational outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine associations between school-based arrests due to zero tolerance policy violations and high school graduation status of African American female students in Florida. The study was guided by the intersectionality theory, which posits individuals who belong to multiple marginalized groups experience compounded forms of discrimination. Archival …

Fathers’ Experiences With Reunification With The Massachusetts Child Welfare System, Phernel Joseph Manigat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study focused on fathers’ experiences with the Massachusetts child welfare system (MCWS) or the Department of Children and Families (DCF) during the reunification process with their children, particularly those fathers who received sole custody of their children during this process. Researchers have demonstrated that fathers are minimally engaged and mostly ignored in the child welfare system (CWS). A research gap was identified regarding the experiences of fathers who received sole custody of their children through the CWS. The purpose of this study was to explore these fathers’ experiences with the MCWS or the DCF during the reunification process with …

Equal Access To Justice: A Case Study Of Eviction Victims Without Legal Aid And Post Criminality In Houston, Texas., Okanlawon Jamiu Akinwonmi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The unending increase in eviction rates and existing housing problems in the United States of America is not an exaggeration. Heterogeneity of requirements or eviction laws is a pervasive phenomenon across the states nationwide. These fundamental issues require immediate attention and must be addressed. The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamic gap in our criminal justice system, the lack of legal aid, and potential criminality resulting from eviction and housing problems. Moreover, the psychological, physical, and emotional effects of these problems on the victims in relation to the roles of social workers, community advocates, and housing policy …

The Problem With Consumer Affordability Of Prescription Medications In The United States, Valerie E. Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer affordability of prescription drugs is an ongoing problem in the United States. This study was undertaken to research the financial, physical, and economic effects of drug prices on consumers and the methods used by consumers to address such effects. Rational choice and power and politics theories were used to explain the decisions consumers make when they could not afford their medications and the role policies and politics play in drug pricing. The research questions concerned the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of drug pricing and their ability to purchase medications. The quantitative nonexperimental study involved the administration of a survey …

Shared Themes Among Teachers And Students On The Impact Of Teacher Well-Being On Student Wellbeing And Academic Success, Brian Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers have experienced increasing burnout and high attrition rates, alongside a parallel decline in student well-being and academic success. Prior research has linked teacher well-being to student outcomes; however, little is known about whether teachers and students perceive this relationship similarly. This phenomenological qualitative study explored the shared perceptions of teacher well-being’s impact on student well-being and academic success among 10 high school teachers and 10 students from public schools in the southwestern United States. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bowlby’s secure base theory, the study employed semistructured interviews and Saldana’s two-cycle coding to identify themes across both …

Early Childhood Education – A Unique And Quasi-Hidden Curriculum, Verity Campbell-Barr

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper considers the complexities and debates surrounding the concept of curriculum in Early Childhood Education (ECE). The paper highlights the tension between traditional, structured curriculum models found in schooling and the more flexible, child-centred and play-based approaches advocated in ECE. Starting from the premise that curriculum theory in ECE is underdeveloped, the discussion draws on Bernstein’s Pedagogic Device to provide a theoretical framework with which to analyse how knowledge is produced and recontextualised in ECE in both the official (state) and pedagogic field. Central to the recontextualisation are theories of child development and how they provide an underlying course …

Breaking The Cycle Of Burnout In Financial Aid, Ashlee Thayer

Masters Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the causes and effects of burnout in financial aid staff and what potential strategies could be implemented to support staff experiencing burnout. Lack of work-life balance and increased work-related stress are a few causes of burnout seen throughout the literature. The intention of this project is to create a workshop that provides managers and directors with the necessary tools to identify the sign of burnout in their employees and provide the necessary support to mitigate the effects of burnout. Addressing and preventing burnout in financial aid staff will increase staff retention and …

Logged Out Or Logged In? Stress, Burnout, And Job Satisfaction Between Remote And In-Person Workers, Ryan H. Nguyen

McNair Scholars Research

There is an increasing concern about job-related stress, burnout, and satisfaction. This study explores stress, burnout, and job satisfaction patterns among remote and in-person workers. The sample for this study comprised 88 adults recruited through social media who voluntarily completed a 40-item Google Forms survey. The survey included 10 demographic items and incorporated items from three inventories: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), and Aggregate Job Satisfaction Scale (AJSS). The data were analyzed quantitatively using Pearson correlation and independent samples t-tests to assess the relationship among burnout, work-related stress, and job satisfaction, and to determine the influence of …

2020-11-17 Executive Council Minutes, Dianne Pipes

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Cultivating The Wild: Strategies For Entrepreneurs Navigating Niche And Specialty Food Markets, Trey Malone, Courtney F. Cooper

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction Consumer demand for authenticity and sustainability in food systems is growing, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs in niche and specialty markets. While wild-foraged and hunted foods are often perceived as more "natural" and sustainable, attempts to scale these products through farming may compromise their perceived authenticity.Methods To explore these dynamics, we conducted discrete choice experiments with a nationally representative sample of 1,039 U.S. consumers. Participants evaluated their willingness to pay (WTP) for salmon, venison, and morel mushrooms, presented in both wild-foraged/hunted and farm-raised forms.Results Consumers exhibited strong preferences for wild versions of all three products, with average …

On Expertise Change: The Use And Misuse Of Cultural Evolutionary Models, Ge Fang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Expertise is a major topic in the thoughts of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in the West, as well as in the thoughts of Daoist and Buddhist philosophers in the East. Expertise interests ancient philosophers due to the distinctive phenomenology of expertise, the puzzle surrounding the relationship between declarative knowledge and expertise, the practical process of expertise formation, and the use of expertise acquisition as a model for ethical and epistemic development. Philosophical interest in expertise has resurfaced in the last century, particularly regarding the phenomenology of expert performance, the relation between knowledge and expertise, and expertise-based models of ethical and …

Indirect Genetic Effects Among Neighbors Promote Cooperation And Accelerate Adaptation In A Small-Scale Human Society, Jordan S. Martin, Bret Beheim, Michael Gurven, Hillard Kaplan, Jonathan Stieglitz, Benjamin C. Trumble, Paul Hooper, Daniel K. Cummings, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Adrian V. Jaeggi

ESI Publications

Explaining the rapid evolution of human cooperation and its role in our species’ biodemographic success remains a major evolutionary puzzle. To address this challenge, we tested a social drive hypothesis, which predicts that social plasticity and social selection in human groups cause indirect genetic effects that accelerate the adaptation of fitness, promoting population growth via feedback between the environmental causes and evolutionary consequences of cooperation. Using Bayesian multilevel models to analyze fertility data from a small-scale society, we demonstrate that density- and frequency-dependent indirect genetic effects on fitness promote the evolution of cooperation among neighboring women, increasing the rate of …

From Affordance To Passive Flow: Unveiling The Mechanisms Behind Young Adults' Unplanned Use Of Short Video Platforms, Shishi Wu

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Unplanned usage of short video platforms has become a widespread behavioral pattern, especially among young users who often spend more time on these platforms than they intend to. This phenomenon cannot be fully explained by addiction or self-control failure. This study introduces the construct of Passive Flow, a non-volitional immersion state shaped by platform design. Passive Flow includes three experiential features: users engage without clear goals, gradually lose self-awareness, and experience time distortion. These states are not initiated by deliberate choice but are triggered by algorithmic and interface-level features. To examine this mechanism, the study adopts a two-phase design. The …

Data-Driven Approach To Dynamic Resting State Functional Connectivity In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Enigma-Pgc Ptsd Study, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with aberrations in brain networks in the absence of a given cognitive demand or task, called resting-state networks. Prior work has focused on disruption in the static functional connectivity (FC) among specific regions constrained by a priori hypotheses. However, dynamic FC, an approach that examines brain network characteristics over time, may provide a more sensitive measure to understand the network properties underlying dysfunction in PTSD. Further, using a data-driven analytic approach may reveal the contribution of other larger network disturbances beyond those revealed by hypothesis-driven …

Health Patterns Of Dementia Caregivers With Chronic Pain: Latent Profile Analysis Of The Promis-29 Measure, Shelbie G. Turner, Dakota D. Witzel, Shana Garza, Karl Pillemer, M Carrington Reid

Human Genetics Publications

We identified patterns of health and functioning in a national sample of dementia family caregivers experiencing chronic pain (N = 273). Utilizing latent profile analysis of the 29-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29), we identified three discrete groups: an average group (48%), a low health challenges group (30%), and a high health challenges group (22%). Women were more likely to be in the high (vs. low) health challenges group. There are discrete health patterns of caregivers with chronic pain, with over 20% reporting comorbid poor health and functioning that may negatively affect caregiving quality. Screening caregivers for high …

Collection Of Instructional Slides From Molten Salt Electrochemistry Symposium (Moses), Devin Rappleye, Carlos Mejia

Faculty Publications

During the Molten Salt Electrochemistry Symposium (MoSES) on July 30-31, 2025, interactive instruction was given to the attendees including live demonstrations. These slides contain the introductory instructions given for each learning module at MoSES 2025. Please visit https://pyro.byu.edu/moses for more information.

Analyzing National War Propaganda Through Comparison Of Diverse Case Studies, Ike Sugitani

Dissertations and Theses

In the build-up to war, national governments utilize propaganda to gather public support for the war effort. In some instances, propaganda campaigns are conducted but war does not occur. This begs the question as to why war follows propaganda campaigns in some cases, but not in others. I argue that propaganda efforts that lead to war can be generally characterized through three major strategies based on a patriotic participatory social structure, a claim to moral authority, and the blending of individual concepts of the state, government and nation. In this study, I analyze the major historical case studies of the …

Transnational Politics Of Cambodian American Ethnic Organizations: Strategies, Motivations, And Impacts, Simin Tan, Wen Chen

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Since several large-scale migrations to the U.S. in the 1970s, Cambodian Americans have established a number of ethnic organizations aimed at intervening in the political landscape of their homeland. These organizations span from subversive groups seeking to overthrow the Cambodian government through armed insurgency to reformist groups advocating for human rights improvements and peaceful political transformation. The refugee experiences of first-generation Cambodian Americans have served as a key motivator for their involvement in transnational politics, while the degree of social integration shapes the extent to which different generational cohorts engage in these political activities. In addition, both the Cambodian government’s …