Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Moving Beyond A Protective Approach To Stopping Sexual Violence Of People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Katie Crowell, Jenni Elwer, Beatrice Makori, Laura Schultz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have some of the highest rates of sexual violence of any group—at least 7 times the rate for people without disabilities. (6) Attempts to alleviate this problem have been unsuccessful and based on the Medical Model of Disability, which views people with I/DD as inherently vulnerable and in need only of protection. Viewing people with I/DD as inherently vulnerable further stigmatizes them and increases dependency on others, instead of fostering capabilities and independence. Minnesota needs to move beyond taking a protective “recognize, report, and respond” approach, to taking a comprehensive approach to sexual …

'It Feels Like We're Together As A Team': Communal Orientations To Marriage Among Gay Men And Lesbians, Aaron Hoy

Sociology Department Publications

Scholars have observed that gay men and lesbians are more likely than heterosexual men and women to hold individualistic orientations to nonmarital relationships. However, it is unclear whether they approach marriage in the same way. Drawing on interviews with currently married gay men and lesbians, this presentation shows that many actually hold communal orientations to marriage, especially in the ways they describe their mutual interdependence, the division of household labor, and their couple-level decision-making practices.

Voting Rights & Felon Disenfranchisement: A New Path Forward, Jenessa Rudell, Sierra Sanders, Kali Shae, Emily Stensvold, Luke Westman

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The current felon disenfranchisement policies in Minnesota undermine the essential voting rights necessary for democracy to thrive. Minnesota currently outranks many founding NATO countries in incarceration rates per 100,000 in population. If an individual in Minnesota is convicted of a felony, their right to vote is revoked until they complete their sentence, probation, or parole. This is especially problematic because Minnesota’s probationary periods extend into decades long punitive measures. Governor Mark Dayton’s Task Force suggestions of allowing felons to vote after incarceration is a step in the right direction, but does not go far enough to alleviate the problem of …

Framing Discrepancies: A Comparison Of Sex Offender Notification Meetings Between Minnesota Sex Offender Program And Minnesota Department Of Corrections., Justina Bakker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess if there are similarities and / or in how sex offender notification meetings are conducted by two different agencies who are not legally bound to assist in these meetings, but provide assistance, upon the release of sex offenders from custody. The agencies are the Minnesota Department of Corrections who release sex offender after their completion of custody sentences and the Minnesota Sex Offender Program who release sex offenders upon completion of treatment. Interviews were conducted with professional staff from the both agencies. Analyses of the findings of these interviews, along with an …

Spinning Charlotte's Web: Resident Perceptions And Neutralizations Of A Slaughterhouse Town, Ashley L. Flaherty

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Meat production, consumption, and slaughterhouses significantly affect the environment, public health, and non-human animals. Those who live in communities that house slaughterhouses must negotiate what it means to live and work in this community, and be financially supported by the industry. Understanding how people negotiate the roles that the industry plays in their community through semi-structured interviews was the primary purpose of this study. To reconcile the issues the town faces, the respondents in this study used excuses and justifications, specifically techniques of neutralization, to account for both the company's actions and the social issues the city itself faces.

The Effects And Experiences Of Stigma In The Minneapolis Strip Club Industry, Machensey Shelgren

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Utilizing participatory action research with dancers in the Minneapolis strip club industry, the present study examined current dancers’ experiences with stigma, its effects on their quality of life, and stigma management techniques. The present multi-methods study involved an initial survey and follow-up interviews with approximately 60 current dancers within Minneapolis strip clubs. Participants reported experiencing stigma in personal relationships and in the workplace, discrimination by landlords and future employers. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes were identified: dancer identity, assumptions made, loss of social support, profession weaponized against them, housing discrimination, lack of employment mobility, and identity concealment as stigma …

Working Conditions For Erotic Dancers: A Review Of Health And Safety Concerns From A Minneapolis Based Needs Assessment, Alexander Twohy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present studies utilizes data from a needs assessment for dancers in Minneapolis-based strip clubs focusing on structural and in-club safety concerns as well as levels of cleanliness within the club. Research was conducted utilizing Participatory Action Research with help from the Sex Workers Outreach Project: Minneapolis. The assessment consisted of an online survey utilizing both quantitative and qualitative questions (n = 62) with follow-up interviews for willing participants (n = 33). Questions regarding personal safety, structural safety, cleanliness levels, and exposure to diseases were reported using descriptive statistics, and qualitative responses were examined with thematic analysis. Data indicated that …

Certified Nursing Assistant Turnover & Impacts On Rural Skilled Nursing Facilities A Qualitative Study & Recommendations For Practitioners, Marisa E. Hansen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The cumulative growth in the aging population in the U.S. calls for a high demand for long-term care (LTC) facilities. Furthermore, the LTC (e.g., nursing homes and assisted living facilities, etc.) consumers have become widely diverse (i.e., not just limited to older groups but now included children and adults with disabilities); demand for wide range of needs and support services. In coping with this changing environment, the LTCs, especially operating in rural settings, are faced with multifaceted challenges related to direct care staffing and turnover. In response to this outlook, the present study explores a research question to understand, how …

Program Review Of Naloxone Training Within The Wisconsin Department Of Corrections’ Community Corrections Division, Chelsea Calhoon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

One of the fastest growing drug problems in the United States is the abuse of opioids (United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2018). With the rising overdose rates, the criminal justice system may offer a pivotal role in the decrease of overdose deaths through opioid overdose recognition and naloxone administration training (World Health Organization, 2014). Training evaluation based on the Effectiveness Theory find significant predictors of training effectiveness and retention to be correlated with the training program, age, and employment tenure (Cowman & McCarthy, 2016). This thesis’ research question is, “Do demographics correlate to training retention for opioid …

The Effects Of Elderspeak On The Mood Of Older Adults With Dementia: A Preliminary Report, Kenia Torres-Soto

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Barriers to effective and harmonious communication between caregivers and those affected with dementia are common and inevitable. An example of a common barrier is aphasia, which is a prevalent communication deficit associated with dementia. The social environment may further hinder harmonious communication through the use of well-intended, but ineffective speech patterns. Elderspeak (ES), which is infantilizing speech directed at older adults, is one such speech pattern that is commonly used in long-term care facilities (LTC) and is related to negative outcomes for older adults receiving it. Older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment who were residents at a LTC …

Demography, Risk, And Power: An Examination Of The Deceased Patient Population At The Hastings State Hospital, 1900-1978, Dawn T. Whitney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Hastings State Hospital (HSH) and its cemetery (HSHC) within a multidisciplinary framework, invoking discourse analysis, demography, and critical race theory to examine how power and risk factors impact the treatment and disposal of the body at death. It incorporates perspectives from both anthropology and sociology to interpret the data, relying heavily on the ideas of Michel Foucault. Integrating these diverse analytical tools is important to this research because social and structural forces all intersect in the creation of identity, power, and inequality.

All data in this study represent patients that have …