Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Effects Of Leadership-Fostered Organizational Priorities On Employee Mental Health, Lauren Cornelio

Thinking Matters Symposium

This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge by addressing the gap in the current literature regarding how organizational priorities enacted by a leader foster a work environment that can impact the mental health of employees. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in phenomenology, this study explores employees’ subjective experiences within different organizational cultures. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the study uncovers nuanced insights into employees’ lived experiences, shedding light on the intricate interplay between organizational priorities determined by the leader and employee mental health. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, allowing participants to reflect upon their perceptions of …

Economic Empowerment Through Art, Ava Ellis

Thinking Matters Symposium

Economic Empowerment Through Art: Final Abstract

Ava Ellis, Shaw Innovation Fellow, USM, MSW graduate student

My research project focused on using drawing and one-to-one art workshops as a way into discussing money habits. Participants shared their beliefs about money and responses to questions about money. They considered ways they may want to alter habits related to money within the 1 hour workshop, art was used as a scaffold to envision future-oriented economic goals. Participants mentioned uncertainty regarding financial planning and a lack of education regarding money in childhood. All felt they often needed more financial insight, in terms of developing …

Word Order Variation In "The Canterbury Tales", April Kurtz

Thinking Matters Symposium

Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of stories told from the perspective of various people on pilgrimage to Canterbury, England, in the late 14^th century. The tales vary in both content and style, in a way that reflects personality traits and background of the teller of the tale. This study explores whether syntactic structure, specifically word order, varies systematically for different characters. At the time, both English and French word order had recently shifted from verb-final to subject-verb-object. Verb-final order, though still grammatical, was much less common. Since the use of older vs. newer structures tends to signal …

Identifying The Support Women Entrepreneurs In Rural Maine Need From Each Other And Their Communities To Thrive, Lisa Luken

Thinking Matters Symposium

Rural women entrepreneurs have the power to positively impact the sustainability of their communities, yet they are faced with internal and external challenges in their pursuits to grow successful businesses and create sustainable livelihoods. While a number of scholars in the past 10 years investigated these challenges and suggested some solutions, more research is needed to identify additional solutions, including those specifically relevant to rural Maine communities. This qualitative study explored the support women entrepreneurs in rural Maine need from each other and their communities to thrive. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews with eleven women entrepreneurs from rural Maine revealed …

Transgender Experiences In Healthcare, Paige Grover

Thinking Matters Symposium

No abstract provided.

Substance Use & Misuse Disorder Among Immigrant Youths, John Sebit, John O. Sebit

Thinking Matters Symposium

No abstract provided.

To What Extent Has Covid19 Impacted Substance Use Among Homeless Populations In Portland, Maine, Daniela Mason, Madison Chadbourne

Thinking Matters Symposium

COVID19 pandemic has vastly impacted all populations within our society, homeless populations in particular. This study aims to uncover how the COVID19 pandemic has affected substance use among the homeless population in Portland, Maine. In particular, this study asks to what extent has COVID19 impacted substance use among homeless populations in Portland, Maine? We asked individuals to participate via convenience sampling, whereby anonymous surveys were completed through Survey Monkey by staff members employed at Preble Street in Portland, ME, who have worked directly with the homeless population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the results to suggest an increase in …

How Risk-Related Statistics, As Reported In News And Social Media, Are Linked To The Use Of The Public Transit System, Prashiddhi Pokhrel

Thinking Matters Symposium

Due to the pandemic, people have started relying more on televisions, news, social media, and other news outlets for guidance. Moreover, with the increasing amount of news, data, and information there is also an increase in the amount of misleading statistics. People’s opinions and decisions significantly depend on the data, statistics, and information that they are exposed to, as well as their sources. For this project, we want to look at how information and its sources are affecting the decision made by the general public for the usage of the Portland Transit System. It is very important to know why …