Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 40

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Narrative Policy Framework And Feminist Critical Policy Analysis Of The Welfare Reform Acts, And The Higher Education Of Single Welfare Mothers, Evelyn Jean Mangin Jan 2021

A Narrative Policy Framework And Feminist Critical Policy Analysis Of The Welfare Reform Acts, And The Higher Education Of Single Welfare Mothers, Evelyn Jean Mangin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractScholars approached poverty through welfare reform by focusing on reductions in caseloads, timing out of benefits, and who was and not deserving of a four-year college degree. There is limited research regarding the power of narratives during the policy process and their influences on the language in welfare public laws. This qualitative study addressed the gap in the literature and policy analysis research by comparing and analyzing the welfare narratives and language used by policymakers and political actors from four presidential administrations: Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump, between 1996-2018. This study employed the narrative policy framework (NPF), a theory …


Lived Experiences Of Pakistani American Women Who Sought Mental Health Treatment, Marriam Ashraf Jan 2021

Lived Experiences Of Pakistani American Women Who Sought Mental Health Treatment, Marriam Ashraf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDespite the research on how mental illness manifests in the United States, there is more to be known about mental health in the Pakistani American population. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Pakistani American women who sought mental health treatment. Ecological theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews with 10 participants via telephone and face-to-face conversations. Data were analyzed using managing, reading, memoing, describing, classifying, interpreting, representing, and visualizing techniques. Findings indicated that seeking help for mental health played a positive role in participants being …


Effective Decision-Making Strategies That Support Long-Term Sustainability In Nondenominational Churches, Andre Paul Davis Jr. Jan 2021

Effective Decision-Making Strategies That Support Long-Term Sustainability In Nondenominational Churches, Andre Paul Davis Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective financial decision-making has frequently led to nondenominational church failures and contributes to 4,000 to 8,000 churches closing each year in North America. Grounded in stewardship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective financial decision-making strategies in nondenominational churches that support long term sustainability. Participants were 10 church leaders who successfully used financial decision-making strategies to support long-term sustainability in Central North Carolina was used for this study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews and internal church documents relating to church leadership's financial decision-making and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: budgeting …


The Use Of Social Media In Moderating Feelings Of Belongingness And Suicidal Ideation Among Women, Latasha Davidson Jan 2021

The Use Of Social Media In Moderating Feelings Of Belongingness And Suicidal Ideation Among Women, Latasha Davidson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide among women in the United States increased significantly over the last decade, now accounting for six suicides per 100,000 population. Concurrently, there has been an increase in social media use, with women exhibiting elevated presence on social networking platforms. Grounded in the theoretical framework of the theory of suicide and the interpersonal theory of suicide, the purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to evaluate the association between social media use, feelings of belongingness, and suicidal ideation to address the increased suicide rate among adult women in the United States. One research question focused on how social media use …


Qualitative Exploration Of Catholic Church Leaders’ Perspectives Regarding Counseling Parishioners With Anxiety, Amy Lynn Polster Jan 2021

Qualitative Exploration Of Catholic Church Leaders’ Perspectives Regarding Counseling Parishioners With Anxiety, Amy Lynn Polster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research addressing the mental health literacy of Roman Catholic clergy in their job as spiritual counselors for parishioners with anxiety. Devout individuals struggling with fear- or worry-driven anxiety often call on divine assistance for help as a frontline defense. Anxiety is a leading mental health problem, disturbing about 40 million U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 years. This study explored the mental health literacy perceptions of six Catholic clergy leaders and their awareness of fear- or worry-based anxiety, drawing upon the concept of the triune brain and using evolutionary threat assessment systems theory as a theoretical foundation. …


Intimate Partner Violence: Effects Of Emotional Abuse In Women, Judith Marie Watiti Jan 2021

Intimate Partner Violence: Effects Of Emotional Abuse In Women, Judith Marie Watiti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEstimates by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics point to over 30% of women being victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) yearly. Severity and frequency of violence in childhood have been shown in several studies to predict adult interpersonal violence. Research has shown that emotional abuse predicts other forms of abuse, thus identifying it as a potential causal link to IPV. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether emotional abuse mediates the relationship between history of childhood abuse and IPV. Social learning theory served as the theoretical framework for the study, in which 182 adult female participants from …


The Influences Of Cultural Norms On Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Of Female Adolescents In Jamaica, Valeta Wilson-James Jan 2021

The Influences Of Cultural Norms On Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Of Female Adolescents In Jamaica, Valeta Wilson-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global epidemic that became a national crisis affecting female adolescents in Jamaica. CSA occurs in all cultures, and prevention policies are well researched to address this problem. However, little is known about the influence that cultural norms have on CSA prevention policies in Jamaica. Other researchers have focused on CSA prevention policies, but none have explored the influences of cultural norms from the perception of law enforcement and child welfare workers. With the social-ecological model, this qualitative case study addressed the cultural norms influencing the enforcement of CSA prevention policies affecting Jamaican female adolescents. …


The Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Depression Among Lebanese Young Adults, Noor Alassadi Jan 2021

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Depression Among Lebanese Young Adults, Noor Alassadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a serious mental disorder that impacts the individual and community. It has social, economic, emotional, and physical outcomes. Many psychological studies found that testing and identifying the relationship between attachment styles and depression could help understand the development of depression. Existing literature also indicated that cultural norms could influence the relationship between attachment styles and major depression. The purpose of this quantitative survey study, grounded in bioecological theory, was to test the relationship between attachment styles and major depressive disorder among 69 young adults in a homogeneous Lebanese culture. Data were collected using the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, …


Black Citizens Experiences And Interactions With Police In Coffee County, Brittany Nicole Palmer Jan 2021

Black Citizens Experiences And Interactions With Police In Coffee County, Brittany Nicole Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media attention directed towards the relationship between law enforcement officers and communities of color has increased in recent years, specifically regarding the treatment of African Americans. In some cases, contact between police and African Americans had resulted in excessive and unjustified use of force. These types of occurrences have resulted in a divide between African Americans and police officers. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to understand African Americans’ experiences and interactions with police in communities with less-than-optimal working relations in Coffee County, Georgia. The theoretical framework for this study is the normative sponsorship theory. Data were collected …


Experiences Of Public-Private Partnership Concession Uncertainties In The Federal Capital Territory Administration Of Nigeria, Chigbo Rowland Chikelu Jan 2021

Experiences Of Public-Private Partnership Concession Uncertainties In The Federal Capital Territory Administration Of Nigeria, Chigbo Rowland Chikelu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Structuring successful public-private partnership (P3) concession contracts is a problem for both the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of Nigeria and private concessionaires that partner with the government to finance the delivery of public goods in the territory. Researchers have estimated the percentage of P3 concession failures in Nigeria to be between 50% and 60%. The purpose of this study is to explore concessionaires’ lived experiences involving P3 concession uncertainties, opportunities, and barriers while they partner with the FCTA of Nigeria to deliver public goods. The key research question examined the meaning of P3 concession uncertainty to concessionaires with the …


The Role Of Organizational Socialization On The Ethical Orientation Of Male Police Officers, Megan Marie Bessey Jan 2021

The Role Of Organizational Socialization On The Ethical Orientation Of Male Police Officers, Megan Marie Bessey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap in literature exists surrounding years of service, training, and ethical attitudes within the law enforcement industry. The proposed hypothesis was that years of service in law enforcement and hours of in-service training were interactively related to an officer's ethical attitudes as related to ethical orientation. The purpose of this study was to examine organizational socialization within the law enforcement profession, specifically as demonstrated through the interaction effects of factors relating to ethical orientation and scores measured by the Ethics Position Questionnaire of male Northern Kentucky and Southern Oregon police officers. The major theoretical propositions for this study came …


Health Care Providers’ Responses To Fibroid Prevalence Among African American Women, Sadio Noni Green Jan 2021

Health Care Providers’ Responses To Fibroid Prevalence Among African American Women, Sadio Noni Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are disproportionately affected by fibroids, and many of them have reported health care experiences of discrimination, biases, and differential care that have affected their overall health significantly. African American women are less likely to receive necessary clinical services and often choose not to seek professional help for psychological symptoms. Discriminating experiences and the suppression of internal struggles has resulted in African American women coping independently with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. There is a need for health care providers to analyze their care management of African American women’s fibroid concerns and to provide interactions and interventions that focus …


Why Boys And Men Do Not Report Mental Or Physical Abuse, Retha Stewart Jan 2021

Why Boys And Men Do Not Report Mental Or Physical Abuse, Retha Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe focus of this study was on males who have experienced intimate partner violence. Abused men experience unique stressors that include societal minimization of the problem. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of abused men regarding mental health services and whether their attitudes about services have changed over time. Participants were men over the age of 18 who had previously been involved in a relationship where they were the victims of domestic violence. Six male participants who experienced abuse were interviewed. Upon the completion of the interviews, the process of phenomenological reduction aided in the recognition of the feelings and …


Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti Jan 2021

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …


Indigenous Women: Violence, Vulnerability And Cultural Protective Factors, Christina M. Agloinga Jan 2021

Indigenous Women: Violence, Vulnerability And Cultural Protective Factors, Christina M. Agloinga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The disproportionate rates of violent crimes, historical oppression, and cultural assimilation disrupted the traditional practices and belief system within Alaskan Native communities, thus changing the influence of protective factors that support balance and equality for women. Identifying protective factors provided by cultural practices that support resiliency provides an increased understanding of how cultural strengths can combat distorted stereotypes within the criminal justice system. This study included characteristics of a phenomenological, narrative, and ethnographic study. The social constructionist framework and the social construction of target populations theory was used to explore how traditional cultural practices can influence the current gender identity, …


Attitudes Toward The Electability Of Atheist And Nontraditional Religious Candidates, Brittany Escobedo Jan 2021

Attitudes Toward The Electability Of Atheist And Nontraditional Religious Candidates, Brittany Escobedo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Atheists are underrepresented in political office compared to their numbers in the general population. In the United States, anti-atheist prejudice is prevalent, likely contributing to the disparity in atheist representation. Informed by social identity theory and the sociofunctional approach to prejudice, the purpose of this study was to examine the comparative electability of atheists compared to other minority religious identities, as well as one nonminority option for a baseline reference of attitudes. Using the voter likelihood scale and three 7-point semantic differential scales, 579 participants rated their intention to vote for and their feelings of trust, disgust, and fear toward …


Ghanaian Immigrant Women In The United States Beliefs About Maternal Nutrition And Fetal Development, Yassi Azhdari Jan 2021

Ghanaian Immigrant Women In The United States Beliefs About Maternal Nutrition And Fetal Development, Yassi Azhdari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ghanaian women, in their native country, experience a high rate of anemia, malaria, and malnutrition while pregnant. Poor health outcomes for mother and child are caused by a lack of protein in their diet, food taboos, consumption of nutrient-poor foods, and infections. These conditions may cause pregnancy complications such as premature birth, or maternal or fetal death. There is little known about, the differences between the Ghanaian and U.S. birth experience, and foods used by Ghanaian immigrant women while pregnant. The biopsychosocial model was used in this descriptive qualitative study to examine how Ghanaian immigrant women are impacted by pregnancy …


Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Americorps Program Participants, Dean Michael Hindenlang Jan 2021

Perceptions And Experiences Of African American Americorps Program Participants, Dean Michael Hindenlang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AmeriCorps, a voluntary public service program founded in 1993, has largely consisted of a nonminority middle-class group, generally 20 to 29 years old, who had the financial assistance of family while serving. African American participants may be experiencing AmeriCorps-based programs differently, in areas such as financial solvency, job readiness skills, and the ability to begin or return to college. This qualitative study was designed to reveal the perceptions and experiences of African American participants who have completed AmeriCorps service in a Midwest metropolis. Using the lens of critical race theory, which explored African American Corps members through a historical position …


Social Support Of Caregiver Sons Of Parents With Dementia, Ralph Callanta Pascual Jan 2021

Social Support Of Caregiver Sons Of Parents With Dementia, Ralph Callanta Pascual

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the growing number of male caregivers, few researchers have examined social supports for caregiver sons of parents with dementia. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to contribute to the empirical literature on the social support of caregiver sons of aging parents with dementia. The research question centered on the lived experience of social support of caregiver sons of parents with dementia. The theoretical framework was the social role theory. The sample consisted of eight caregiver sons of parents with dementia. Participants were interviewed using semi-structured, researcher-developed questions. The results were generated from coding and thematizing processes, …


Positive Perceptions Of Mentoring Influences On African American Male Public High School Students, Jazzmea Houghton Jan 2021

Positive Perceptions Of Mentoring Influences On African American Male Public High School Students, Jazzmea Houghton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many African American males face challenges due to historical and current negative viewpoints of this population. However, urban communities also play a vital role in the obstacles encountered, which impacts this population’s well-being. The purpose of this project was to gain knowledge from mentors on how a mentoring program positively affected the cognitions, behaviors, and academic progress of African American, male, public high school students residing in urban communities and effective ways mentorships foster resilience. This qualitative research study used a cognitive behavioral theoretical framework and a resilience theory conceptual framework, and narrative semistructured interviews were conducted. The mentors’ positive …


African American Males’ Unemployment And Their Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Level: A Correlational Examination Of An Exceptional People, Devin J. Smith Jan 2021

African American Males’ Unemployment And Their Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Level: A Correlational Examination Of An Exceptional People, Devin J. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males possess the highest unemployment rates compared to all racial and gender demographics in America, which has persisted since the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics began measuring unemployment. Consequently, African American males are more likely to live in poverty and less likely to own businesses. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental correlational study was to ascertain relationships and predictions between African American males’ unemployment and their entrepreneurial self-efficacy level. The theoretical frameworks of this study employed the critical race theory, institutional/systemic racism, and the entrepreneurial self-efficacy theory. Accordingly, using random, convivence, and snowball sampling, 558 African American …


Post-9/11 Women Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into The Civilian Workforce, Qwynn Anna Galloway-Salazar Jan 2021

Post-9/11 Women Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into The Civilian Workforce, Qwynn Anna Galloway-Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-9/11 veterans’ transitional challenges have become an important topic in veteran studies. However, there was a gap in the literature regarding post-9/11 women veterans’ transitions into the civilian workforce. This interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the lived experiences, challenges, and perceptions of eight post-9/11 women veterans (four enlisted and four commissioned officers) who had transitioned from the military into the civilian workforce within the last 5 years. The study was guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory. Data from transcribed participant interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes. The superordinate themes included navigating the career transition, exploring identity shifts, accessibility and use …


The Long-Term Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Survivors’ Employment Outcomes, Heather Stark Jan 2021

The Long-Term Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Survivors’ Employment Outcomes, Heather Stark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When women experience intimate partner violence (IPV), subsequent effects could impact their performance in the workplace, including physical illness, absenteeism, lack of focus, financial hardship, and other problems. Little information is available, however, as to whether there are long-term negative effects on the victims’ employment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare long-term job success as measured by the dependent variables of job satisfaction, unemployment, underemployment, and job stability among women who have experienced IPV in the past and those who have not. Trauma theory provided the framework for this study. Participants were recruited from women’s organizations and …


Modern Black Codes: Presidential Crime Control Rhetoric And Black Criminalization, Earnest Ujaama Jan 2021

Modern Black Codes: Presidential Crime Control Rhetoric And Black Criminalization, Earnest Ujaama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of Black imprisonment in the United States is nearly 6 times that of Whites. Wholesale criminalization of Black Americans denote institutional racism within America’s criminal justice system. Limited research is available examining crime control rhetoric of U.S. presidents to determine if Blacks are constructed as criminals through carefully coded crime control discourse. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to investigate whether presidents used language that construct Black criminality. A social construction theoretical framework and critical discourse analysis was applied. The data used for this study included scripted speeches. The collection of data began with 54 speeches …


Assisted Living Transitions: Experiences Of Family Members Of Older African American Women, Carol A. Shaw Burns Jan 2021

Assisted Living Transitions: Experiences Of Family Members Of Older African American Women, Carol A. Shaw Burns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLong-term care, also known as aging services, is evolving to meet the needs of the aging population in the United States, which is increasingly ethnically and racially diverse. The objective of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand how immediate family members experienced the transition of older African American women as they moved into assisted living facilities. Black feminist theory provided a theoretical framework. Narrative interview data were collected from four adult children family caregivers who facilitated the move. Three themes emerged from the content analysis: (a) Transition is not planned in advance and does not happen until a …


Relationship Between Religious Beliefs And Systems, Educational Levels, And Victim Blaming, Frances Runyon Jan 2021

Relationship Between Religious Beliefs And Systems, Educational Levels, And Victim Blaming, Frances Runyon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault and victim blaming are a severe problem. Being sexually assaulted increases the risk of physical and mental health issues for the victims. When the victims are blamed for being sexually assaulted, their physical and mental health issues increase substantially. Many victims do not seek help or support services because of the fear of being blamed. People believe in a just world, and blame the victims because it is more difficult to accept that bad things happen to good people. When people admit that bad things can happen to good people, they acknowledge that these things can happen to …


Risks For African American Male Youth Involved In The Juvenile Justice System, Cassandra Showers Jan 2021

Risks For African American Male Youth Involved In The Juvenile Justice System, Cassandra Showers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this action research study was to gain an understanding of the factors and risks that contribute to juvenile delinquency of African American male youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Ecological systems theory was used to examine strategies used by social workers with this population and the effectiveness of those interventions. Individual interviews with 5 social workers recruited using nonprobability sampling were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded, then manually transcribed. Responses were uploaded into the NVivo software system for coding. The software system was used to identify themes and patterns to substantiate the research question. The study …


Catalysts To Transformational Leadership Between Managers And Analysts In Public Service, Eugene Davis Stevenson Iii Jan 2021

Catalysts To Transformational Leadership Between Managers And Analysts In Public Service, Eugene Davis Stevenson Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transformational leadership (TL) is the ability of a leader to convince a subordinate or follower to adopt organizational goals as their goals. Transformational leaders utilize intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence to engage and mold their employees. Within the sphere of public management, current leadership research acknowledges the effect of TL but is still incomplete or inconsistent on how to catalyze TL consistently. The focus of this study was how TL is used between managers and analysts within California state public service. The theoretical framework for this study is complexity theory. Complexity theory states that the world …


Left Behind: Intersectional Stigma Experiences Of African American College Women With Adhd, Angela Lynnette Anderson-Elahi Jan 2021

Left Behind: Intersectional Stigma Experiences Of African American College Women With Adhd, Angela Lynnette Anderson-Elahi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American college women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can experience intersectional stigmas based on race, gender, and learning disability. Intersectional stigmas affect African American college women in self-esteem, social acceptance, and academic progress. The scholarly community has not published literature regarding intersectional stigma experienced by African American college women with ADHD. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American college women who had encountered intersectional stigma based on race, gender, and ADHD. Goffman’s social stigma theory and Crenshaw’s intersectional stigma theory served as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks to explore how African …


Gender Equality And Equity Narratives Amongst Women In Nongovernmental Organizations, Barbara Etta Austin-Lucas Jan 2021

Gender Equality And Equity Narratives Amongst Women In Nongovernmental Organizations, Barbara Etta Austin-Lucas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender equality and equity narratives of women members of registered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been largely unexamined relative to their lived experiences in healthcare, education, socioeconomic status, and political participation. The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives of women members of registered NGOs located in the Northeastern United States. The gender equality and equity narratives of women in registered NGOs related to their experiences with healthcare, education, socioeconomic status, and political participation were explored. For this qualitative narrative research, the conceptual framework was the narrative policy framework theory, which explores how narratives influence public opinion, policy dialogue, …