Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Racial Justice Study: An Examination Of Ticket Citations In The City Of Mankato, Minnesota, Meagan Hammers, C. J. Hays, Hannah Laniado

Public Sociology Publications and Projects

This study examines if there is racial disparity in policing in the city of Mankato, Minnesota by examining all traffic ticket citations given for a six-month period in 2014. The authors created a data set and examined statistical relationships between the observed race of those receiving tickets and the types of tickets received. This study discovered statistically significant findings of over policing of minorities; while minorities represent roughly ten percent the population in Mankato, they make up approximately 22% of the population cited. Further, minorities were about three times more likely than whites to receive a ticket for administrative offenses, …

Analyzing The Missing Meal Gap Beyond Elementary School, Timothy Loney, Samantha Milheiser, Brittney Wacholz

Public Sociology Publications and Projects

This paper examines ways in which Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP) can productively expand on its current work to alleviate hunger in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. This report contains a literature review addressing hunger and food insecurity, a needs assessment of hunger in Blue Earth County, case studies of existing programs, and qualitative interviews with professionals who work with the youth in these programs. We conclude by recommending three potential ways that FOCP can expand their current programs to address hunger among school-aged youth in Blue Earth County.

Race And Punishment: Demographic Disparities And Patterns In The Blue Earth County Court System, Aaron Guerdet, Alyssa Haugly, Kelsey Mischke

Public Sociology Publications and Projects

This study examines potential race and gender disparities in sentencing decisions in Blue Earth County, MN courts. Using qualitative field observations and a grounded theory approach, authors observed and analyzed court proceedings. In total, three researchers conducted seven weeks of observations; the final sample consisted of 95 observed court sessions, 50 of them being closed court cases. Results show little discrepancy in gender and charges and sentencing rates. Though there are racial discrepancies in charges that suggest discriminatory policing decisions, the data shows that minority members are being sentenced at a similar rate compared to white defendants. In all cases …

Project Close At Hand: Addressing Homelessness Through Community Engagement, Kristin Wibben

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This project examines the power of college students to positively sensitize their host community’s residents to the problem of homelessness and to implement “Project Close at Hand”, a project that focuses on breaking down the stereotypes associated with homelessness and collecting donations sufficient to save a local men’s homeless shelter from closing.

Investigating Changing Moral Boundaries Through Tattooing, Nikolas L. Proehl

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study examines undergoing tattooing as a basis for understanding moral passage. Moral passage occurs when a social act undergoes a transformation from an undesirable or deviant act, to one that is generally tolerated or accepted by the greater society. Interviews were conducted with individuals who have undergone tattooing, and their experiences and encounters with others in social settings were documented and analyzed. Results indicate that while individuals often undergo tattooing because of their attraction to its deviant connotations, many of these same individuals do not identify themselves as deviant. At the same time, persons with tattoos typically find toleration …

Political Attitudes Towards The Bush Administration By Ethnic And Racial Groups, Amber Elzen, Mai Inoue, Julianna Koomen

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This project analyzes the attitudes towards political statements according to a person’s ethnic and racial groups. The statements relate to the Bush administration and some of its policies. The different responses are categorized by age, gender and location as well. It is hypothesized that Caucasians would have a more positive outlook on the administration and its policies while racial and ethnic minorities would have a less positive response to the questions. Overall, a total of 219 participants were surveyed from Minnesota State University, Mankato and from communities of southeastern Minnesota through questions asking them to indicate their political attitudes. When …

Where Have All The Women Gone? Trafficking On Women, A Global Problem, Kristeen L. Giese

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study examines the problems related to the trafficking on women. Trafficking on women presents a variety of social, legal and moral problems. This study uses a global perspective to define the role of women in society and its implications for the study of trafficking. Secondary data analysis was performed with specific emphasis on the role of women in society, economic factors and documented governmental and non-governmental responses to the problem. Results indicate that trafficking of women is a multi-layered issue. Research on trafficking is further complicated by in availability of data, inconsistent responses to the issue and the global …

Comparative Analysis Of Urban Design And Criminal Behavior: A Study Of New Urbanism And Defensible Space As They Pertain To Crime, Afton Enger

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This research evaluates the correlation between urban design and criminal behavior. Environmental designs observed are New Urbanism, also known as Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) and Neo-Traditional Neighborhood Design; and Defensible Space, otherwise known as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) or Secure by Design (SBD). This study analyzes and compares crime rates in Minnesota cities and neighborhoods which have characteristics of one of these urban designs or a 3rd, Vernacular Design. Similar research has been done in a 2004 thesis by Marie E. Hafey titled New Urbanism Versus Defensible Space: Design Philosophies Related to Neighborhood Satisfaction and Perceived Crime, which …

Killing For Fun: A Study Of The Effect Violent Videogames Have On The Player, Mike Goracke

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Many studies have been done to see if there are aggressive effects on people that play violent videogames. Even in the early 80s, there was concern that games like Pac Man were too violent for youth. Most studies have concluded that violent games have a negative effect on young people. Yet, I believe that many of these studies had flaws in the research methods. Therefore, I based my study on a previous study done by Bushman and Anderson (2002). My study consisted of a sample of 10 male Minnesota State University (MSU) students who listened to a scenario that would …

Mathematical Modeling And Simulation Of Multialleic Migration-Selection Models, Chad N. Vidden

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Population ecology is concerned with the growth and decay of specific populations. This field has a variety of applications ranging from evolution and survival at the environmental level to the spread of infectious disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Many ecological circumstances require the use of mathematical methods and reasoning in order to acquire better knowledge of the issue at hand. This study considered and analyzed multiple different mathematical models of population dynamics along with their purposes. This foundation was then applied in order to explore the migration of populations from one isolated region to another along with the …

Critique Of The Appropriation On Black Culture By White Suburban Youth, Julie Lemley

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This critique is an examination of the appropriation of black culture by white suburban youth as being not only racist, but sexist. The primary view of this phenomenon is through the lens of hip hop culture and its commercialization by patriarchally dominated white corporations to increase profit by targeting the music to white suburban youth. This creates a distinct change within the critical content of the culture as an original context by replacing it with a focus that objectifies women, encourages violence and glamorizes the consumption of drugs and alcohol. In addition, there exists an intentional promotion of luxury consumerism …

Narratives From The Former Soviet Union To The United States, Kimberly Maas

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This paper examines the impact of the transition of the Soviet Union on the experiences of citizens from the republics of the former Soviet Union and American tourists. It is an ongoing project that will, upon completion in fall 2008, include data collected from at least eight semi-structured interviews. So far, five semi-structured interviews have been conducted with individuals who are from the United States and who have traveled to the former USSR; or were natives of the former Soviet Union. The interviews have been transcribed and analyzed inductively with the goal of understanding (a) differences in life experiences across …

Relationship Violence: Risk Factors For Adolescents, Antionette Wall

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The term domestic violence usually elicits a picture of an adult relationship where the man batters a woman. This picture is an accurate picture, but there are other individuals who are affected by domestic violence. Couple from all socioeconomic backgrounds, including homosexual and adolescent couples can face domestic violence situations. Research on adolescent relationship violence is fairly recent. Adolescents seem to be a population missed by general society when it comes to being involved in relationship violence. This paper strives to examine risk factors such as self-esteem, rigid sex-role ideas, parents‟ in violent relationships, and friends who are in violent …

You've Got Mail: Identity Perceptions Based On Email Usernames, Laura Pelletier

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This study explores the idea that email recipients use the email username of the sender as a mediated cue to make basic assumptions of the identity of the sender. For this study 215 participants completed self-report surveys asking their perceptions of a fictional work group member including sex, age, race, and work productivity. Most participants were able to create a basic identity of their fictitious group member based solely on their email username.

A Critical Analysis Of Media Images Depicting The New Athletic Body Ideal And One Woman's Experience With Them, Kelsey Mischke

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The ideal body type for women in the United States is morphing into one that not only requires a thin physique, but visible muscle definition and fitness. The athletic body type must still possesses feminine qualities such as large breasts, a smaller buttocks, and soft curves. Advertisements, fitness magazines, and internet memes have created a new level of perfection. However, this new ideal body type is still computer generated, created from parts of multiple women, and largely unobtainable. Since its emergence, little research has critically assessed these images and their effects of women’s self-evaluations. A feminist perspective was used to …

Coexistence Of Multi-Allelic Polymorphism With Migration And Selection, Andrew Flick

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Population ecology is concerned with the growth patterns of populations. This field has many applications, ranging from survival at the environmental level, to the spread of infectious diseases at the cellular level. Mathematical modeling and computer simulation can be powerful tools in researching this area. I will be investigating the spatial patterns in populations (or gene frequencies) due to migration and selection. My research conditions are for the maintenance of polymorphism under a variety of migration schemes in discrete-space and continuous-time mathematical models. The results will be applicable from the ecological level to the molecular level. Some species are better …

Becoming Mom: Understanding Challenges And Presentations Of Self Among Mothers, Annakeiko Frink Reichel

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

When a woman becomes a mother it is arguably one of the most life changing and defining moments of their lives. Becoming a mom and the emotions that are involved in the process are often a neglected topic in the United States. It is clear that the social world assumes mothers will automatically adjust to the role of being a mom without asking questions such as, what are the challenges moms face after having children? Or more importantly, how is a mother’s identity shaped after having children and while adjusting to the role as mom? The first author (AR) became …

The Secret Life Of Your Personal Information: Government Resources On Identity Theft, Washington State University

Consumer Fraud

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Washington State University.

What Constitutes A Welcoming Community? Mankato Leaders Go Beyond The 'Welcome Wagon' For New Immigrants, Sarah Lieske, Sadie Leidall, Philip Munkvold

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to understand how leaders responded to the community’s increasing diversity. According to previous research, “adults in the state demonstrate both marked support for programs and policies supporting immigrants and refugees, and considerable xenophobia” (Fennelly, 2006). Of all the states receiving new immigrants, Minnesota has the greatest diversity (Somali, Hmong, Sudanese, Hispanic, Russian, South Asian) (Brower, 2013). Fennelly & Federico (2008) also found that rural residents hold more negative attitudes toward immigrants. Intergroup contact theory and acculturation studies address these issues. The study responded to these research questions: How do leaders conceptualize the ideas of …

Follow The Legislation - Human Trafficking And Child Abduction, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Crime/Violence

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Civil Commitment And Sex Offenders, Ashley Pederson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Currently there is insufficient training for staff at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) about the civil commitment process of sex offenders. Thus, the purpose of this Capstone Project is to educate current MSOP staff about the history and important markers that have contributed to the current civil commitment law in Minnesota. Conducting trainings and educating staff are important for maintaining and enhancing the therapeutic environment for clients.¹⁵ Therefore, I hypothesize that educating staff about sex offender’s civil commitment will enhance staff knowledge, thus contributing to the quality of the therapeutic relationships and environment at MSOP.

Impact Evaluation On The Parents Support And Outreach Program (Psop) Olmsted County Child And Family Services, Lucy Matos

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this impact evaluation was to identify critical components that support the work done by PSOP by analyzing the effectiveness in serving all families, and to monitor the relative cost of providing these essential services to the at risk population in Olmsted County.

1. To obtain a sample of cases closed in 2011 and categorize them by type of services / determinations prior, during and after PSOP involvement.
2. To conduct a two-year follow up on PSOP impact; including a) maltreatment report by type and finding, and b) reentry for Child and Family Services by type and intensity (voluntary/involuntary).
3. To …

The Impact Of Race And Ethnicity On Sexual Violence: A Case Study On Underserved Populations In Minnesota, Lindsay Bolstad

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sexual violence in Minnesota impacts hundreds of thousands of lives and costs billions of dollars each year. This qualitative case study describes how victims that are people of color experience sexual violence at disproportionately high rates and face additional barriers when seeking legal, medical, and mental health and crisis advocacy services in Minnesota. The methodology employed includes secondary data collection using books, scholarly articles, and archival data. Individual interviews and a focus group interview were used to collect primary research. The voluntary interview participants were advocates that provide services for victims of sexual violence in Minnesota. The interviews were audio-recorded …

"All The Single Ladies:" Single College-Educated Black Women's Perceptions Of Marriage And Intimate Relationships, Brittany Henderson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project, ""All the Single Ladies:" Single College-Educated Black Women's Perception of Marriage and Intimate Relationships," is an exploratory study that gathers single heterosexual college-educated Black women's perceptions of intimate relationships. Using semi-structured interviews, the women disclosed how their family structure, career and education goals, race, location and standards influence their perceptions of forming and obtaining intimate relationships. This particular cohort of women brings an interesting perspective, as they have experience in higher education and as career women, but maintain a "single" marital status. This research was done because there was a deficit in the research on Black women's perceptions …

An Outreach Program Case Study: Assessing And Imparting Social Capital, Autumn Lynn Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

College outreach programs have been on the rise in the past couple of decades. They hope to help historically underrepresented students (first generation, low income, and minority) aspire to and prepare for higher education. However little research has been done on the effectiveness of these programs and more specifically which components are most effective for increasing student enrollment and retention. This study addresses this lack studying the effectiveness of social capital in college outreach programs, in an effort to move towards more evidence based research and practice. The study uses qualitative methods and in-depth interviews to directly investigate social capital …

Dsm-Iv-Tr/Dsm-5, An Evidence-Based Comparative Analysis With Focus On The Cultural Context Of Mental Health Illness Of: Bipolar Disorders, Depression, Autism Disorders, Anxiety And Adhd., Claudia Zendejas-Finley

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The DSM-5 presents many changes in the criteria and categories used in the clinical diagnosis of clients. In addition, the proposed changes within the DSM-5 also attempts to address some of the concerns regarding the lack of a contextual assessment process regarding the role of culture within the lives of clients (Warren, 2013). This research aims to create a comparison between the DSM-IV-TR and the DSM-5 of some of the most common diagnosis used by Family Service Rochester including: bipolar disorder, depression, autism disorder, anxiety and ADHD. In addition, this project also intends to develop a comprehensive cultural analysis of …

"My Baby Is A Dog": Exploration Of Pet Parent Identity, Lacey Y. Boston

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative research examined dog owners (n = 100) regarding their relationship with their pets. After beginning to treat her own dog as a child she questioned what happens when a human child enters a family and what impact that has on the pet owners' identity. The researcher hypothesized that having children under the age of 18 in the home would impact dog owners' identity and salience based on their relationship with their pet. She created 13 questions for the survey which operationalized the concepts of identity salience and prominence. By surveying 100 dog owners and asking them about certain …

The Influence Of Religiosity On The Attitudes Towards Homosexuality Among College Students, Anastasiia Kuptsevych

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This is a descriptive study of the influence of religiosity on the attitudes towards homosexuality. The hypothesis for this study was that the degree to which one is religious influences the attitudes one has towards homosexuality. Data was analyzed by using regression analysis. Results show that students who attend church often and interpret Bible as true and correct tend to have negative attitudes towards a homosexual person, homosexual behavior between same sex partners as well as same sex unions. On the other hand, the degree to which students view God as active and angry in their life is not a …

Defining Traditional American Indian Identity Through Anishinaabe Cultural Perspective, Joshua Edward Maudrie

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study addresses the question of American Indian Identity, specifically, what makes an Indian an Indian from a traditional Anishinaabe Indian cultural perspective? Perspectives were gained through life experiences as an active member of Anishinaabe Indian communities in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, as well as traditional cultural ceremonies. There are two primary reasons for this study: first to provide insight into the traditional cultural perspective of American Indian identity for non-Indians and its relevancy in present day; and second, to start a discussion within tribal nations about utilizing their traditional culture in governance and membership issues. For this Qualitative study, …

Wheelchair Bound Not Sex Bound: Reconstruction Of Self And Sexual Identity After Spinal Cord Injury, Elisabeth Mumford

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Wheelchair bound not sex bound explores how individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) create a new sexual self and identity after their injury. Graduate student Elisabeth Mumford in the Sociology and Corrections Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato examined how individuals reconstruct a new sexual self. Physical disabilities have become more prevalent with the increase of sport injuries. Most of these disabilities are often result in SCI leaving individuals in a wheelchair. In the hospital, individuals receive information on how to live with this new injury, but often rehabilitation programs ignore the aspect of sexuality. Without this aspect being covered …