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Effectiveness Of Electoral Violence Prevention Mechanisms: Insights From Malawi, Rodrick Henry

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

Elections are vital to democracy and democratic consolidation. Ideally, they are peaceful endeavours, allowing voters to express their preferences and winners to take office. However, elections in the Third Wave of democracy often exhibit violence. Election Violence Prevention (EVP) mechanisms have been employed to address conflicts between various actors. Nevertheless, their effectiveness in curbing electoral violence varies across African countries. This paper examines the effectiveness of EVP mechanisms in Malawi, focusing on the Public Affairs Committee, National Initiative for Civic Education, and Multi-party Liaison Committees. The paper argues that EVP mechanisms have been effective in preventing electoral violence. The effectiveness …

Even A Scorpion Sting Hurts Just As Much: A Sobering Look At Men As Victims Of Intimate Partner Abuse And Violence, Nelson Mwesiga Ishengoma

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

The subject of intimate violence and abuse has piqued the interest of different groups of people, including psychologists, scholars, and human rights activists over the past 45 years. Even though the epidemiological literature has consistently shown that at least one out of every three people who experience intimate partner violence is a male partner, current initiatives have chosen to ignore this fact. Instead, the phenomenon has been described by most of its advocates as a gender-cockeyed social issue, with a man penned in an “offender” position and a woman in that of a “helpless victim”. Consequently, the exploited man and …

Navigating Blended Family Dynamics: Lived Experiences Of Newly - Married Black American Couples With Children, Nichole King-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Remarriage offers the opportunity to create new family structures, giving individuals second chances to forge meaningful connections and develop new family dynamics. This study involved investigating the experiences of newly-married Black American couples with children as they faced challenges inherent to blended family dynamics. The objective was to understand how these families navigated the complexities of integrating different family systems during their formative years. Using a basic qualitative research design, the study was guided by Bowen’s family systems theory, which emphasizes how individuals construct knowledge within their socioemotional contexts. A convenience sample of nine spouses from blended families was purposefully …

Narratives Of First-Generation Mexican American Bilingual Licensed Counselors, Marleny Soriano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the growing demand for mental health services in Spanish, bilingual counselors are often ill-equipped to provide services in Spanish and frequently enter state-required supervised licensure without adequate training or opportunities for clinical supervision to support their growth as bilingual counseling professionals. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to answer the research question: What are the narratives of first-generation Mexican American bilingual counselors during supervised licensure? Guided by Anzaldua’s Borderlands Theory as a conceptual framework, data were collected from eight participants through semi-structured virtual interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed four themes mirroring the stages of …

“Fairy-Tale Beginnings Are Often Pretty Bad.” Filling The Gaps Of The Adoption Experience With Narrative Inquiry, Christina B. Gunther, Michelle A. Cole, Robin L. Danzak

The Qualitative Report

This study utilized narrative inquiry to delve into some of the less-celebrated experiences of adoptees and their families. Drawing on focus group data from 17 adult participants with various connections to adoption, we co-constructed three composite narratives centering on darker aspects of the adoption experience: adoptees’ sense of loss, adoption as a secret or taboo, and the challenging implications of interracial adoption. By weaving together participants' authentic voices, the study provides rich insights into the multifaceted experiences of those touched by adoption. The narratives reveal complex emotional journeys of adoptees, including feelings of rejection and grief, identity struggles, and the …

Effective Leadership Strategies That Enhance Banking Employees’ Productivity, Biljana Matevska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective leader-follower relationships in banks can negatively affect productivity. Branch bank leaders in New Jersey are concerned that low productivity reduces the quality of service provided to clients. Based on leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project is to identify and explore effective strategies that some leaders in the banking industry in New Jersey use to build leader-follower relationships for increasing and sustaining worker productivity. Participants were six bank managers in New Jersey who had implemented strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available industrial documents, and three themes were identified …

Fort William First Nation People’S Perceptions Of Receiving Nursing Care To Meet Their Wholistic Health Needs, Kara Morriseau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There was limited knowledge of First Nations people’s experiences receiving nursing care to meet their wholistic health needs in Northern Ontario. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive description study, grounded in the two-eyed seeing framework and the Indigenous wholistic theory, was to explore First Nations people’s descriptions of receiving nursing care to meet their wholistic health needs in Northern Ontario. The study took place in the community of Fort William First Nation, a First Nations community in Northern Ontario. With approval from the Chief and Council of Fort William First Nation, semistructured interviews were conducted in person and on Zoom …

College Students' Barriers To Mental Health Support Services: A Practitioner's Perspective, Rebecca C. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to accessing mental health support for college students from the perspective of college faculty counselors. In 2022, research indicated that over 60% of college students met the criteria for one or more mental health conditions (Lipson et al., 2022), though data published in the same year revealed that practitioners employed at colleges and universities are only supporting an average of 12.2% of the student population (Bruns et al., 2023). While college counseling centers have reported increasing usage rates, there remains a gap in the number of students utilizing services versus those …

The Ethical Limits Of Physician Autonomy In Reproductive Medicine, Isabel Martens

Honors Theses

In vitro fertilization is a relatively new medical practice that helps people who face infertility be able to reproduce. Reproductive medicine providers face ethical dilemmas often in their field, only some of which have standards of care. There are questions in the medical landscape pertaining to physician autonomy versus patient autonomy, which heavily apply to reproductive medicine providers. Patient autonomy is highly valued in medical ethics; however, physician autonomy should also be considered. When a physician decides who can and cannot reproduce, ethical considerations must be followed to maintain the practice of reproductive autonomy. Limited policies exist that manage reproductive …

Understanding Graduate Occupational Therapy Educators’ Use Of Trauma-Informed Approaches In The Classroom, Sean M. Brim

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Traumatic events can alter the brain structure and affect cognitive capacities and academic performance. Educators at all grade levels are responsible for supporting students through trauma-informed approaches. Previous trauma-informed research focused on K–12 education levels. The experience of graduate-level occupational therapy educators who have applied trauma-informed approaches to improve student learning have not been explored. This general qualitative study explored the experiences of occupational therapy educators who used trauma-informed approaches. The conceptual framework was the trauma-informed care model. Ten graduate-level occupational therapy educators with at least 1 year of teaching experience were recruited and participated in semi structured interviews. Data …

Investigating The Efficacy Of An Online Multigenerational Awareness Course For Occupational Therapy Students – A Pilot Study, Susan Blair, Barbara M. Doucet, Jerilyn Callen, Kirsten Davin, Shelby Hutchinson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

In today’s multigenerational society, particularly in health care settings, thriving can be challenging because of generational differences. Occupational therapy educational programs (OTEPs) prepare students for work environments where three to four different generations may be present. This study examines the effectiveness of an online multigenerational awareness (MGA) course. The secondary objectives include increasing students’ knowledge of enhanced multigenerational collaboration and communication strategies in preparation for future clinical practice. A pilot group of eight participants from various university departments reviewed the course content and completed preenrollment and postenrollment surveys, providing feedback regarding the applicability and perceived usefulness of the multigenerational awareness …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, January 2026, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Aligning Higher Education Preparation Programs With Workforce Needs: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Jeffrey M. Warren

Perspectives In Learning

While institutes of higher education are highly dynamic, academic programs and faculty within them often operate in an isolated, independent manner. As a result, the training they deliver can lack the interdisciplinary perspectives students need to navigate a diverse and evolving workforce successfully. This editorial explores the importance of interdisciplinary training and discusses the challenges college students who lack exposure to collaborative, integrative learning face as they transition to their respective professions. Finally, faculty are encouraged to consider strategies to enhance training in preparation programs and best position their graduates for success in interdisciplinary contexts.

Dialect As Shibboleth Across Generations In Post-Civil War Beirut, Tamara Sleiman, Rosine Zgheib, Nadine Riachi Haddad

Al-Kīmiyā

This article examines the enduring role of dialect in Beirut shaped by the legacies of the Lebanese Civil War. Drawing on interviews with two generational cohorts, 30 participants over 50 who lived through the war and 30 participants aged 18-25 who were born after it, this study investigates how lexical and phonological variation is perceived and experienced across time. Findings demonstrate that dialect remains a salient marker of belonging and difference, but its consequences have shifted from life-or-death stakes to patterns of mockery, adaptation, and negotiation in the post-war era. By integrating Arabic sociolinguistics with theories of indexicality and accommodation, …

Complexity Mindsets, Complex Flow, And More: A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study On The Phenomenon Of Practitioners Working Within Complex Social Systems, Emma D. Stellman

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative grounded theory study addressed gaps in the literature regarding the application of complexity theory to complex social phenomena (CSP), for which no straightforward solutions or simple interventions exist. While complexity theory has played an important role in groundbreaking innovations in quantitative fields such as medicine, engineering, and finance, its application remains limited in human-centered developmental domains including education, social work, and healthcare. Using a grounded theory design informed by phenomenological approaches, this study examined the lived experiences of a group of six CSP practitioners, each of whom participated in two individual, semi-structured video interviews. Interview data were analyzed …

Shedding The Chrysalis: Black Women Leading In Higher Education, Olga M. Welch, Carolyn R. Hodges

Navigating Careers in Higher Education Series

Shedding the Chrysalis: Black Women Leading in Higher Education features the voices of six experienced and emerging Black females in a variety of academic leadership roles. This book provides a Black feminist perspective, highlighting the need to address racial realism within higher education administration. These personal testimonies focus on a variety of levels in the academic hierarchy to emphasize the continuum across the lived experiences of these women, some of whom have served in multiple upper-level administrative roles. The contributors’ positions range from postdoctoral research fellows to positions reporting to central administration at predominantly white institutions. Shedding the Chrysalis underscores …

Socioecological Stressors During Covid-19 Among Urban Refugee Youth In Kampala, Uganda: A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis, Sikky Shiqi Chen, Carmen H. Logie, Frannie Mackenzie, Moses Okumu, Robert Hakiza, Brenda Katisi, Daniel Kibuuka Musoke, Aidah Nakitende, Isha Berry, Bay Bahri, Peter Kyambadde

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Limited studies have examined pandemic-related stressors among urban refugee youth in low and middle-income humanitarian countries (LMICs), such as Uganda. We explored the lived experience of COVID-19-related stressors among urban refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda. We analyzed qualitative data (text messages, WhatsApp chats, photos) collected in an interactive mobile health intervention with 346 refugee youth aged 16–24 in Kampala. Findings revealed stressors across socioecological levels: individual (e.g., financial-related distress), social (e.g., limited social interactions), community (e.g., food insecurity), and policy (e.g., unprecedented lockdowns). Findings can inform social work organization pandemic preparedness strategies for economic empowerment and social cohesion with youth.

Discourses On Psychological Well-Being And Mental Health Of Forced Internally Displaced Persons, Ignasia Paskal Mbatta

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has risen at an unprecedented rate in recent years, resulting in profound psychological, social, and economic consequences for affected populations. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of the unique challenges and needs experienced by IDPs, synthesising existing literature to offer critical insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers striving to improve the mental health and psychosocial well-being of forcibly displaced persons. Employing a qualitative discourse analysis (DA) approach, the study critically examines how psychosocial vulnerabilities among IDPs are constructed, represented, and contested within academic, policy, and humanitarian narratives. It draws upon a range of …

Identifying Best Practices To Decrease The High Rate Of 30-Day Rehospitalization Of Patients With Dementia From Skilled Nursing Facilities, Mavis Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract As CMS continues to prioritize quality care over quantity and positive patient outcomes, hospitals and nursing homes must ensure that their mission and goals align. The high rehospitalization rate is a current and ongoing concern among policymakers and healthcare administrators. Adverse patient outcomes and increased financial costs to both patients and Health Service Organization (HSO) administrators highlight the need to identify best practices to help reduce rehospitalization. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify best practices for reducing the high rate of 30-day rehospitalization among patients with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The review question that …

5539-181 & 182 Prospect Park W. Brooklyn Llc V. Rivera

All Decisions

In this licensee holdover for succession rights to a rent-controlled apartment, the landlord sought possession after the tenant-of-record's death, alleging the respondent was a licensee without succession. The landlord served judicial subpoenas on the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for extensive records related to the deceased tenant's foster parenting. The tenant moved to quash the ACS subpoena, arguing it was impermissibly broad, a fishing expedition, and sought confidential information about non-party minors. The court granted the tenant's motion, finding the landlord was not a proper party to seek foster care records …

The Impact Of Digital Reverse Mentoring On Older Adults' Digital Literacy: Mediating Roles Of Self-Perceptions Of Aging And Self-Efficacy, Jierong Hu, Minzhi Ye, Haotian Wan, Wengian Leong

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Digital literacy is critical for older adults to maintain social connections, access information, and support overall mental well-being. However, many older adults struggle with using digital devices. Guided by the self-fulfilling prophecy theory, this study investigates how digital reverse mentoring (DRM), referring to younger individuals assisting older adults in learning and using digital technology, is associated with digital literacy, with self-perceptions of aging and self-efficacy as mediators.

Research Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 402 community-dwelling older adults aged 60+ in Macao, China. Control variables include gender, age, education, income, self-rated health, and home …

Experiences Of Victim Advocates Serving Military Sexual Assault Victims In The State Of New York: A Phenomenological Study, Neisha Louhar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe victim advocates’ (VAs’) experiences serving victims of sexual assault (SA) in the State of New York. Current researchers emphasize experiences in the areas of professional satisfaction, development of new skills, and work relationships. The theories guiding the current research are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and social cognitive theory (SCT). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that individuals are motivated to meet their needs in a specific order. Social cognitive theory’s observational learning shapes decision-making factors. have an important role in supporting victims of SA emotionally. Understanding victims’ experiences can provide awareness of …

Resiliency Among Service Industry Workers: A Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Assessment, Winston King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to quantify service industry workers’ resiliency’s relationships with their emotional intelligence, understanding of differing personality types, spiritual resiliency, and substance abuse, as these are all applicable to the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, which served as the theoretical framework. The study included administering the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SEIT), a self-reporting of employees’ understanding of differing personality types, a self-reporting of employees’ spiritual resiliency, and the Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS) to social science graduate students working in the service industry. Resiliency was identified as the predictor variable and the other …

Perceptions Of Defund The Police, Russell F. Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research delves into contemporary literature on the Defund the Police movement in the United States, a significant force shaping law enforcement practices and the future landscape of policing and criminal justice. Stemming from the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd protests, this movement has spurred transformations in policing methodologies and resource distribution. With its expansion across the nation, law enforcement agencies are grappling with high turnover rates and a dwindling pool of qualified applicants. The Defund the Police movement, originally aimed at abolishing police departments due to perceived systemic issues, underscores the need for progressive law enforcement reforms, particularly …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Global Remote Leadership, Melissa Morrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leaders of organizations have faced many changes with respect to remote work. As face-to-face interactions decrease, the opportunities and challenges of technological and digital advancement further the complexity of remote work. Leaders serve as prominent figures who use remote technology to communicate and interact with employees that report to them. The relationship between remote work and the development of meaningful social interactions remains largely unexplored (Clark et al., 2018). This phenomenological study explored the described experiences of remote leaders, the role that identity development plays in the success of leadership remote work, how their identity development impacts their well-being and …

The Power Of International Relations In Local Communities: An Institutional Theory Case Study Examining The Implementation Of Sustainable Development Goal 11 In Four Virginia Communities, Latisha R. Rothenbach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

By pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, communities across Virginia may be losing their unique, local characteristics. This study investigates whether communities in Virginia have been implementing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Guided by institutional theory, this study explores the research questions: What effect do global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 have on local institutional integration of urban planning regarding community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? How do local planning documents and institutional actors frame, adopt, or resist global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 in relation to community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? …

Bridging Theory And Self-Development In Human Services And Counselor Education, Kristy Carlisle

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Counselor and human services education increasingly recognize self-awareness as a core component of professional competence and ethical practice. This conceptual manuscript presents a pedagogical framework that integrates major helping theories as tools for structured self-reflection and self-development among students and practitioners. Drawing from experiential learning theory, reflective practice, and models of counselor identity formation, the approach encourages learners to view themselves through theoretical lenses such as person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and existential frameworks, paralleling the very lenses through which they will view their clients in practice. By engaging in guided reflective activities, students examine personal beliefs, emotions, and behaviors to enhance self-understanding, …

Threads Of Empathy: An Integrative Model Of Empathy In The Schools, Arthur J. Clark, Tara M. Simpson

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Empathy has a distinctive and evolving history in education for cultivating human relationships and engendering mutual understanding. Within a school setting, empathic engagement is essential for the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. From an educational perspective, literature from multiple disciplines and specialties illustrate innovative practices to harness empathy in the classroom and beyond. The representative initiatives hold promise for developing an integrative model of empathy within a school or a school district through a program involving interprofessional collaboration.

Boule Report, Mildred Cater Boone

Josie Green Washington Papers

A report for the thirty-third national Boule by Mildred Cater Boone, National Second Anti-Basileus for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

Committee Meeting Minutes 1-13-26, Unk Student Government

Committee Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.