Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Crises In Education: A Study Of Communication Strategies In Pk-12 Public School Districts, Darian Byrd

All Dissertations

This study explores the crisis communication strategies utilized by superintendents and communication leaders in PK-12 public school districts, focusing on their structural, human resource, political, and symbolic dimensions. Employing a qualitative, multi-site, multi-case study approach, this research delves into the communication frameworks, practices, and decision-making processes during crises, providing a comprehensive understanding of effective crisis management in educational settings.

The research is anchored in Bolman and Deal’s Four-Frame Model, which offers a multidimensional perspective on organizational analysis. By integrating this theoretical framework, the study examines how different communication strategies align with structural, human resource, political, and symbolic aspects …

Answering The Call: Harnessing Internal Boundary Spanning Infrastructure To Organize For Rural District Improvement, Cynthia Ward

All Dissertations

Despite the number of students and the growing diversity of the students served by rural districts, a lack of research exists on rural district systems to support the continuous improvement of schools. The lack of understanding around systems for rural district improvement stands to exacerbate long-standing inequities for rural communities. Using a three-article format and a qualitative case study approach, this dissertation contributes to what is understood about rural district systems for continuous improvement of schools. The first article examines how a rural district organized for the continuous improvement of its schools. The second article uses an improvement science approach …

Enhancing Black Student Success At Hbcus: The Impact Of Black Faculty Representation On Graduation Rates, Brandon A. Purnsley

All Dissertations

This study examined the pivotal role Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play in the United States economy by producing skilled and inventive graduates who contribute significantly to the workforce. Despite representing a small fraction of higher education institutions, HBCUs are instrumental in the educational achievement of Black students. This research specifically investigated the impact of Black faculty representation on the graduation rates of Black students at HBCUs, amidst concerns of lower graduation rates compared to other Title IV institutions. Employing a linear regression model to analyze empirical data, the study found a significant, positive correlation between the presence of …

Residential Street Trees And Cardiovascular Disease Among Urban-Dwelling Mexican Adults, Christine Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant public health burden in Mexico despite national efforts to address traditional risk factors. With growing evidence that elements of nature can improve physical and mental health of people living in cities, this quantitative epidemiological study of secondary data examined the relationship between the presence of street trees in Mexican metropolitan areas and self-reported CVD in adults over age 40. The integrated socio-environmental model of health and well-being provided the conceptual framework for the study. A secondary data analysis was performed using combined individual health data from Mexico’s 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey and …

Remembering, Forgetting, And Artifact Deposition In Late Prehistoric Florida, Andrew Bowen

Master's Theses

Material culture plays a fundamental role in memory processes. Artifacts are an important means of both connecting with and cutting ties with a real or imagined past. They can be reminders or symbols of connection to other people, places, things, powers, or memories, making them key components within networks and relations. The way materials are deposited or destroyed often follows specific customs or responds to environmental factors. Specific situations, like interactions with outside groups or socio-political changes, prompt particular depositional events. During the Mississippi period, such circumstances were prevalent throughout the Southeast. By treating artifacts in specific ways during deposition, …

Quality Of Life Domains For Students Living With A Severe Disability And Their Families, Eden Withers

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Background and Purpose

From the latter half of the 20th century to now, the United States has dramatically focused its efforts on increasing life longevity and quality of life for people with disabilities, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Federal legislation has taken steps to increase quality of life for people with IDD. Quality of life can be assessed through a variety of questionnaires, including the familial perspective of quality of life. Although quality of life can be assessed and it is supported by federal legislation, people with IDD broadly have yet to experience an enviable quality of …

Addressing The Great Salt Lake Desiccation: Exploring Support For Alternative Frameworks On Rights Of Nature And Multispecies Justice, Sadie Braddock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Currently, there is a lack of social science research on the Great Salt Lake – a shrinking lake that faces potential ecological collapse as more water is taken upstream for human uses before it can get to the lake. The drying lake has received national attention, as it will lead to a loss of wildlife habitat, contribute to public health concerns, and impact Utah’s economy. In response to this issue, environmental scientists and activists have pressured policymakers to prioritize actions to conserve water for the lake. However, while polices have been implemented, water saved from these efforts are not guaranteed …

The Credit Card Behaviors And Financial Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jessica Ralphs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Using data from the 2021 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this study focused on poor credit card behaviors and financial satisfaction of emerging adults ages between 18 and 29 (N=1,944). The descriptive results show that 45.8% reported carrying over a balance in the past 12 months and 51.3% reported paying the minimum payment some months. It was also found that 28.3% reported being charged a late fee for late payment some months in the past 12 months, whereas 21.7% reported being charged an over the limit fee for exceeding their credit limit some months.

The multivariate results indicated …

Identifying Sociodemographic Group Changes In A Blended Family Relationship Education Program, Takoma R. Lindsay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study evaluated if levels of change in mental health, conflict resolution, support, and companionship differed between sociodemographic groups who participated in a blended family relationship education program. Regarding individual mental health, females who were students improved more than non-students and those who had a bachelor’s or advanced degree improved more than those with a high school education or less. Male mental health across sociodemographic groups tended to be worse at posttest than baseline. Among couples, conflict improved more for those who were married and the female partner had a bachelor’s or advanced degree, were low income and female partners …

Differences In Debt Holdings And Financial Satisfaction Across Age During Covid, Loryn Elaine Law

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Access to credit has allowed many individuals to reach their own version of the American dream as credit offers them resources to improve quality of life by buying homes, purchasing automobiles, funding higher education, and financing everyday needs. However, accumulating debt may have negative impacts on their financial satisfaction. Since the 2021 wave of the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) was collected during the COVID-19 Pandemic, this study was able to look at how financial stressors (e.g., unexpected income drops, being laid-off, difficulty paying on-going bills), financial anxiety, and financial literacy variables (e.g., subjective financial knowledge, objective financial knowledge, perceived …

An Xrf Elemental Analysis Of Prosser Molded Beads From Southwest Oregon, Michele Hoferitza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Glass beads were brought to the North American continent by European explorers and traders beginning in the 17^th century. Native Americans quickly adopted beads as trade commodities and personal ornaments. Prosser beads were made predominately in France and Bohemia from the 1860’s to the 1970’s and can be found in archaeological contexts from coast to coast. In this study, elemental analysis using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) technology is used to determine if there is a way to chemically discern where and when the beads were made.

Statistical analysis of three categories of elements was done to determine whether the creation …

Do Older Siblings Differentiate From Their Younger Siblings? Predictors And Longitudinal Correlates, Iliana Wilkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Families are a critical part of an individual's development, yet sibling influences on development are rarely studied. Siblings often share the same genetics and live in the same environment, yet many remark that they are nothing like their brothers or sisters. One proposed reason for these differences is sibling differentiation, a process by which individuals become different from their sibling in order to reduce conflict and rivalry as well as increase intimacy in the sibling relationship. To date, this process has been studied from the perspective of the younger sibling; the current study focused on older siblings. Using longitudinal data …

Online Act For Caregivers: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study, Jacob D. Gossner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Family caregivers for people with dementia are a resilient population operating under stressful circumstances that can put them at risk of multiple negative outcomes. Existing interventions may be difficult for family caregivers to access due to time and transportation constraints; an alternative is online, self-guided interventions that caregivers can access from their own homes. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the impact of ACT for Caregivers, a six session online, self-guided program based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants had an average age of 61.93 (SD = 13.69), had been caregiving for an average …

To Pot Or Not To Pot: Understanding Technological Investment In Ceramics And Marine Mammal Oil Rendering In Kodiak, Alaska, Elizabeth Groat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Why do groups choose to use certain technologies, but not others? This study focuses on an especially confusing instance of this question: the adoption of pottery in Kodiak, Alaska. This event was strange for two reasons. First, by AD 1500, when Alutiiq ancestors in the Kodiak Archipelago began making pottery, their neighbors on the mainland had already been doing it for centuries—so why did they wait so long? Second, pottery is also only found in the south of the islands—so why did some people use it, but not others? Whale and seal are more abundant in southern Kodiak, so one …

Linking Community-Level Food Sovereignty To Subjective Wellbeing: Framing Perspectives On Food Systems In The Upper Yakima River Basin, Alexander W. Theophilus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Food sovereignty is a framework focused on achieving a wide range of changes in food systems that yield more equitable outcomes for consumers, workers, farmers, and future generations. Food sovereignty is also believed to be an important driver of community wellbeing. However, there is limited research linking perceptions of community-level food sovereignty to subjective wellbeing. Additionally, the complex determinants of food sovereignty are not fully understood. Through two papers linking community-level food sovereignty and subjective wellbeing, I discuss the factors that influence food sovereignty and the impact of food systems on wellbeing in Washington’s upper Yakima River Basin.

In the …

Exploring The Role Of Whiteness In Sociopolitical Development: Predictive Contexts And Trajectories, Jesiah P. Salazar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Critical consciousness is the ability to understand and challenge oppressive social systems, believe in one's power to create positive social change, and take actions toward making those changes. Sociopolitical development theory suggests that this awareness grows through a mix of social influences, opportunities for activism, and personal identity. Historically, this concept has been viewed as a way to empower youth of color to challenge systemic oppression, rather than just cope with it. Therefore, most research has focused on critical consciousness in youth of color. Recently, however, researchers have begun to explore critical consciousness among White adolescents. Using a person-centered approach, …

Essays On Esg, Trang Pham

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The dissertation consists of two essays. The first essay examines the effect of local corruption on a firmâ??s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance by taking into account the role of liberalism in each state. I propose that since liberals are generally more environmentally and socially concerned than conservatives, ESG performance of firms located in states with liberal views will be less negatively impacted by the local corruption than conservative-leaning states. The results provide some support for my projection. I find that for a particular level of corruption, firms located in states with liberal leaning views exhibit better ESG performance …

Border Soundscapes: Latinidad, Belonging, And Sense Of Place In The Paso Del Norte Region., Josã© Manuel Flores Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the acoustic ecologies of the Juárez-El Paso border, investigating how soundscapes shape and reflect the cultural identity, sense of belonging, and sense of place within this unique transnational region. Guided by the theoretical lenses of belonging (Kohut, Tajfel, Turner, Hooks), sense of place (Feld & Basso), and habitus (Bourdieu), the research takes a phenomenological approach, informed by Merleau-Ponty's concepts of perception and Ceraso's notion of embodied listening. The study analyzes soundscape samples through Krause's categories of biophonies, geophonies, and anthropophonies, uncovering how these sounds contribute to the development of Latino identity and cultural cohesion in the borderlands.Focusing …

Mental Health Calls For Service During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Examining The Geographic Distribution And Correlates Of Service Requests In Little Rock, Arkansas, Mckayla Bishop

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to the Covid-19 global crisis, the United States implemented social interaction restrictions to curb the infection rate amongst citizens, affecting residents' mental health by adding strain from daily routine change. This study examines how mental health has changed during the pandemic by focusing on geospatial differences of volume and concentration within 311 calls in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018 and 2020. Our data comes from the City of Little Rock’s open database to construct geospatial maps (n= 155 block groups), along with Census survey data logistic regression models to show differences in community characteristics. Overall, mental health worsened …

The Harms Of Imprisonment And Envisioning A Desistance-Supporting ‘Good Society’, Patricia Gray, Julie Parsons

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Research evidence in the 21st century strongly indicates that prisons are inherently harmful environments in which to try to support rehabilitation, because of their destructive impact on identity, self-actualisation, mental health and social relationships. Yet HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to propose that prisons can be legitimate sites of rehabilitation as well as centres of punishment. This article begins by interrogating this proposition by looking at research conducted in an adult male prison. By specifically focusing on the interpersonal conflicts and tensions that the men experience in their daily lives, the research highlights the ‘relational’ and ‘self-actualising’ harms …

Labour And Democracy, Kate Andrias

Faculty Scholarship

Democracy has always been a central project of labour law, but it is all the more important today, with authoritarianism on the rise and democracy under threat across the globe. This chapter examines the relationship between labour law and democracy. It explores the central tension between democracy and labour under capitalism; traces how ideas and arguments about workplace democracy have evolved over time; and explores the relationship between workplace democracy and political democracy, including how and when unions serve as a bulwark against authoritarianism. Ultimately, it argues that a critical task for labour law scholarship is to rethink the body …

The Riddle Of Religious Language, Luke Hillman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following project analyzes religious life through the lens of religious language. Motivated by ideas of Wittgenstein and Wittgensteinians, religious language is shown to be nonsensical, and yet significant. Wittgenstein connects how we understand language with how we understand life, and this connection extends to religious life. This project offers an answer to how religious language is unique by comparing religious language to riddles and the process of answering riddles. In addition, religious language becomes understandable with imagination, a relationship with the transcendent, and an understanding of the kinds of language present in religious discourse. These ideas are solidified with …

News Media Coverage And Framing Of Human Trafficking In The United States, Chloe Junkerman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines what makes mainstream news media representations of human trafficking cases newsworthy, and how news media choose to frame sensationalized human trafficking stories. While there have been several notable studies examining news media framing of human trafficking as a social issue more generally, prior research has yet to empirically investigate how the news media cover specific human trafficking cases, thus overlooking what types of attributes make cases newsworthy. This is an important gap in research as the types of cases that get covered, or ignored, by news media, and how stories frame various aspects of these crimes, informs …

Cultural Theory And Climate Change Risk Perceptions: Factors That Affect Support For Climate Change Mitigation Policy In Arkansas, Benjamin Galloway

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intricate interplay between climate change perceptions, policy preferences, and the role of Cultural Theory in shaping public opinion. It begins by acknowledging the multifaceted impact of the climate crisis and emphasizing the critical importance of policy responses to mitigate its effects. Recognizing the diverse perspectives within the general public, the dissertation adopts a nuanced approach, leveraging Cultural Theory to investigate climate change risk perceptions and policy preferences. First, I examine disparities in fracking policy preferences between the general public and policy elites, employing Narrative Policy Framework-style narrative treatments. It reveals divergent responses to narrative elements, signaling …

Beyond Single Connections: An Exploration Of How Overlapping Networks Drive Policy Change Among State Legislators, Melanie B. Hoskins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current research on policy diffusion and innovation primarily focuses on the policy idea as the unit of analysis. While diffusion studies incorporating social network theory often examine networks at the collective entity-level, they tend to neglect the actions of individual members. This study investigates how state legislators' exposure to novel policy ideas through their multiplex network ties influences their sponsorship of related bills and how legislators’ collaboration and coordination within these networks may significantly impact public policy outcomes. This three-article dissertation addresses three key areas by: 1) examining Arkansas legislators' participation within the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) network; 2) …

A Qualitative Exploration To Inform An Oral Health Training For Disability Care Workers In Burkina Faso, Ave Põld, Dan Filwendé Kientega, Jocelyne Valérie Garé, Michael Lorenz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To explore enablers and barriers to the creation of an oral health training for care workers at specialized centres for children with disabilities in Ouagadougou.

DESIGN: This was a formative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework using qualitative methods.

METHODS: Qualitative observations and 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with care workers from six specialized centres for disability.

RESULTS: Carer workers emphasized that a successful oral health training must account for available resources and competencies in each specific centre. Part of the training must be dedicated to oral hygiene targeted for people with disabilities and provide knowledge about risk …

Praying To Tiktok, Seeking The Self: How Rhetoric Reveals And Conceals The World’S Most Powerful Guru Of The Postindustrial Age, Samantha L. Gillespie-Hoffman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Imagine a world where the most powerful leader is a wellness guru that runs an elaborate church with millions of followers. The guru is so powerful that everyone believes they can read minds and make ordinary people rich and famous. The guru controls forms of communication, media channels, consumer tastes, and what people eat, drink, say, and even think. What if this guru was not human but actually an algorithm? Does this sound like the plot of a science fiction novel? I argue that this scenario is closer to reality than most will admit. In this project, readers encounter a …

Human Trafficking Screening Tools Amongst Migrants And Refugees: Current Tools And Future Outlooks, Audra Fox

Student Theses

While various human trafficking screening tools exist to help stakeholders identify indicators and risk of trafficking, few tools are designed specifically for use amongst migrants and refugees. Via interviews with anti-trafficking stakeholders, the following qualitative study describes what tools stakeholders currently use to asses trafficking amongst migrants and refugee, and if stakeholders desire a new tool specific for migrant/refugee populations. Thematic results indicate that most stakeholders are not using validated tools for trafficking victims, let alone migrants and refugees (n=5, 38.5%). Of the total sample, 62% of participants (n=8) reported various screening discrepancies across stakeholders. Additionally, …

Examining Novice Teacher’S Perspectives On Mentoring Programs And Their Influence On Attrition, Lakeisha Ector

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of novice teachers on mentoring programs and their influence on attrition. Mentoring programs present opportunities for skilled educators to teach, sponsor, encourage and advise novices, improving their personal and professional development. The research determines whether mentoring and induction programs strengthen teacher efficacy and their influence on attrition rates. The study is rooted in constructivism, which seeks to develop an understanding and knowledge of individuals through their experiences and reflection. The research employs an inductive and deductive approach, facilitating pattern and theme identification. The study involves nine participants – novice teachers – from Martin-Ellison County …

A Theory Of Host Country Sentiments: An Illustration In Cross-Border Acquisitions, Daphne W. Yiu, William P. Wan, Xiaocong Tian, Kelly Xing Chen

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Capitalizing on massive sentiment diffusion and mobilization aided by mass media and social media nowadays, we introduce a general theory of host country sentiments to illuminate the granular, context-situated, and time dynamic power of social sentiments. We posit that host country is a value-laden context wherein a foreign entity’s strategic action stimulates host country stakeholders’ social sentiments and engagement in systems of discourses (“sentiment arousal”), mobilizes social sentiments toward the foreign entity (“sentiment competence”), and legitimizes social sentiments and the strategic action of the foreign entity (“sentiment resonance”). To test our theory, we employ a context of inward acquisitions by …