Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Into Discrimination: Racially Identifiable Names And The Effects They Have On The Home Renting Process, Francis Thomas Flynn

Master's Theses

Many urban sociologists do not adequately address ingrained systemic forms of racism

that exist in society today, such as the effects that racially identifiable names representing the larger idea of racial bias have on different social processes. This paper investigates racial housing discrimination in Chicago through analyzing the affect that racially identifiable names have on the home renting process. I conducted a field experiment in which I inquired about the availability of 96 properties throughout various locations in Chicago. Specifically, I created four email addresses linked to four racially identifiable names and sent the exact same fictitious email script from …

“Creating A New Mythos”: Reassessing Race Standards And Latina/O Students, Margarita Vizcarra

Master's Theses

This research will focus on the race and ethnicity categories used to classify people in the United States in relation to school age students. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) first standardized federal race and ethnicity categories in 1977 in order to enforce compliance with civil rights laws. In 1997 revisions were made to these standards due to increasing criticism by the public, advocacy groups, and government agencies (Williams, 2006). The 1977 decision by the OMB designated the category of Hispanic, or Latino, as an ethnicity rather than a race which was once again upheld in the 1997 update. …

Privatizing Laws: Examining The Relationship Between Privatization Elements In State Education Laws And Fourth Grade Academic Performance, Stephanie Romeo

Master's Theses

In the midst of a global context tied to expanding market connections, the United States adopted privatized education reform that has only been increasing over the years. Specific states have adopted privatization in varying degrees and forms, including vouchers, charter schools, public-private partnerships, contracting out services, and virtual education. States have implemented privatization forms for different reasons, such as to improve student achievement, save money, or provide for increased student choice. This research study evaluates the impact of privatization reforms on student achievement by examining the relationship between various privatization elements in state laws and student achievement. To do so, …

The Devil's In The Emails: A Sociological Examination Of Organizational Failure, William Howard Burr

Master's Theses

It is often argued that the market, with its "invisible hand," displays an inherent bent towards maximizing utility and delivering the "greatest good to the greatest number." Faith in the market to act as benevolent overlord is not only misguided but, as revealed during the Great Recession, a fantasy. Analyzing emails made public following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, this paper considers the organizational culture within Lehman Brothers leading up to history's largest bankruptcy in order to emphasize the role of interaction within an outcome otherwise uncritically categorized as the unavoidable product of market fluctuations. Demonstrating how Lehman employees adopted the …

Impact Of Visitation With Incarcerated Fathers On Behavioral Adjustment Among Children In The Foster Care System, Lauren Ashley Hindt

Master's Theses

This study sought to examine whether in-person visitation with incarcerated fathers related to less behavioral problems among children in foster care. The sample consisted of 282 youth (M = 10.18, SD = 2.36 years). Data were collected from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling revealed paternal incarceration was associated with increased externalizing slope trajectories (ß1515 = .18, p = .025), but not internalizing. African American youth had lower externalizing slope trajectories compared to the remainder of the sample (ß20 = -.14, p = .032). The association between paternal incarceration and externalizing was attenuated …

Perceived Partner Sexism And Stigma Consciousness: How 'Prince Charming' Undermines Relationship Satisfaction, Danielle Lauren Kellogg

Master's Theses

Perceived discrimination (outside of the relationship) relates to negative relationship outcomes, moderated by stigma consciousness (DeHart, 2017). Women who report higher (versus lower) levels of perceived partner benevolent sexism (i.e., perceptions of one's partner's endorsement of sexist attitudes) experience more negative relationship outcomes as well (Hammond & Overall, 2013; Hammond & Overall, 2014; Hammond & Overall, 2015). In addition, relationship partners adopt more traditional gender roles after becoming parents, which fosters benevolent sexism (Trillingsgaard, Baucom, & Heyman, 2014). In this study, married or cohabiting women with children were randomly assigned to either a sexism manipulation or control condition, prior to …

Chicago Public Schools And The Creation Of Global Citizens, Rebecca L. Kijek

Master's Theses

This article examines the role different high schools in Chicago Public Schools play in providing students with the type of knowledge needed to better prepare them for success in a globalized society. As Chicago strives to solidify itself as a global city, its need to educate youth for a new economy are clear. The global economy demands that students are educated in science, technology, engineering, and math, world languages, expanded cultural perspectives, and attend a four-year college. Through a comparative analysis of the academic programming features at Chicago's selective enrollment and neighborhood high schools, this study will answer the question: …

Undergraduates' Understanding Of Sexual Consent, Melissa Ann Kinsella

Master's Theses

In 2014, the White House launched its public awareness campaign, It's On Us, to end sexual assault on college campuses. A large portion of the initiative implemented on college campuses has been dedicated to the issue of sexual consent. However, as past research has illustrated, consent is a complex issue (Beres, Herold, and Maitland 2004; Beres 2007; Humphreys 2007; Jozkowski and Peterson 2013; and Jozkowski, Peterson, Sanders, Dennis, and Reece 2014). It is one that nonetheless can and should be studied. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with self-selected sexually active undergraduate students were conducted in an attempt to untangle how students are …

Depressive Symptoms, Neuropsychological Functioning, And Self-Management In Youth With Spina Bifida: Direct, Mediating, And Reciprocal Pathways, Alexa Stern

Master's Theses

Although successful self-management of health care responsibilities is critical to meeting the developmental demands associated with the transition to adulthood in youth with spina bifida (SB), research on individual factors impacting self-management in this population is sparse. Given the increased risk for cognitive deficits and development of depressive symptoms in this population, this study utilized a longitudinal, multi-method, multi-informant design to examine two pathways through which depressive symptoms and neuropsychological dysfunction may be associated with medical autonomy and adherence in youth with SB.

Bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that teacher-reported depressive symptoms significantly mediated the respective relationships between attention and working …

Fear Of Missing Out: A Moderated Mediation Approach To Social Media Use, Brynn M. Huguenel

Master's Theses

This study explores whether fear of missing out (FOMO) mediates the relation between social networking site (SNS) use and negative mental health outcomes, with moderators of Facebook activities and individual-level characteristics included. Short-term longitudinal data was collected from undergraduate students (N=296). Mediation analyses indicated that intensity of Facebook use did not predict anxiety or depression, as mediated by FOMO. Further, Facebook activities did not moderate the relation between intensity of Facebook use and FOMO, and social comparison and social connectedness did not moderate the relations between FOMO and negative mental health outcomes. Post-hoc analyses showed that social connectedness moderated the …

Children's Exposure To Violence Across Contexts: Profiles Of Family, School, And Community Witnessing And Victimization, Catherine Mary Rice

Master's Theses

Children residing in low-income, urban neighborhoods are at a disproportionately higher risk of exposure to violence (ETV) across multiple contexts compared to their peers, including witnessing violence and direct victimization. The many negative effects of ETV are compounded when youth experience ETV across multiple settings and when these experiences are chronic. Despite this, much of the research on ETV during childhood focuses on a single form of violence (e.g., family victimization or witnessing community violence). The current study examines patterns of frequency of ETV, including witnessing and victimization, across family, school, and community contexts, using person-centered methods to elucidate the …

Intersectional Stereotypes Of Race, Gender, And Facial Structure And Evaluative Judgments Of Leadership Ability And Workplace Fit, Avery Nichole Waklatsi

Master's Theses

Though the labor market is highly competitive and diverse, minority groups only hold 26.7%, of board positions, in companies on the Fortune 500 list (Alliance for Board Diversity Census, 2013). When tasked with hiring managers whom are presented with equivalent job qualifications, evaluators may rely on their subjective impressions in making an employment decision. The evaluator's subjective impressions may be informed by stereotypes of the groups to which applicants belong. The current study tests how stereotypes pertaining to race, gender, and facial structure inform evaluator judgments of managerial applicants' leadership ability and workplace fit. Leadership ability and workplace fit are …

Thrown To The Wolves: The Obstacles And Barriers Of International Student Athletes Prior To And During Enrollment In American Universities, Mary Elizabeth Boucher

Master's Theses

International student athletes (ISA’s) play an integral role among our nations university system. They diversify our colleges, provide our American students a chance to become familiar with other cultures, and they add intense value to our collegiate athletic programs. In order to maintain this diversity in our nation’s universities, we need to further understand the experiences of these student-athletes. It is inherent to provide international student-athletes with positive experiences as to fuel the globalization of sport.

This project is a small pilot study which focuses on male and female swimmers from Division I universities. It provides a closer look at …

The Effects Of Parental Functioning And Socioeconomic Status On Initial Child Psychopathology Symptoms And Treatment Outcomes Following A Brief Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group, Anna Ros Ros

Master's Theses

The present study will investigate the impact of parental psychopathology and socioeconomic status on the severity of child PTSD and depression symptoms at baseline, in addition to the impact on treatment effectiveness. First, the study will examine how the presence of parental PTSD, depression and hostility act as proximal risk factors for the baseline severity of child PTSD and depression symptoms. Further, the study will investigate how these proximal parental factors affect symptom reduction following intervention for these children. Additionally, the current study will examine how low socioeconomic status affects baseline severity of child PTSD and depression symptoms as well …

Getting Students Employed: 21st Century Learning Competences And Career Competences, Kelly Cebold Sundberg

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the nexus between education and the economy in the 21st century knowledge-based economy to understand the relationship between the learning competences – as described in 21st century frameworks – and career competences – as recommended in the job descriptions of available employment opportunities. Theoretically, this study is grounded in human capital theory and it explores the indiscriminate nature of the data regarding a student’s required education level to achieve the prescribed learning competences. With the aid of a quantitative content analysis of selected employment opportunities, the research sought to explore: How are learning competences, as outlined by …

The Art Of The Resistance: Participation In The Slipstream And Acts Of Resistance In A Culinary Re-Entry Program, Anna R. Wilcoxson

Master's Theses

Social policies since 1996 require that low income people participate in job training programs in order to receive social benefits under the “New Welfare State.” Many scholars have argued that job training programs aim to produce docile workers, who carry out only highly routinized work where little discretion is needed. Through ethnographic observation and interviews, I identify three means by which trainees manage the dual expectations of docility and the creativity demanded in a kitchen setting. First, they operate in a routine fashion, as if in a slipstream; second, they bank confidence by disregarding rules because of skill or favor …

Coping With Exposure To Community Violence: Assessing The Role Of Avoidance In Reducing Delinquency And Aggression In Low-Income Urban Adolescents, Cara Marie Diclemente

Master's Theses

Exposure to community violence has disabling effects on the mental health of youth in the US, with high rates of exposure for African American adolescents from underserved, urban communities. Past literature suggests that avoidant coping, specifically behavioral avoidance, may be most useful for youth exposed to uncontrollable stress. The current study assessed the utility of coping strategies in reducing aggression and delinquency in 267 sixth through eighth grade African American youth. First, confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure of coping: cognitive approach, behavioral approach, and avoidance. Next, moderated moderation findings showed that for boys, avoidance and approach strategies increased …

The Impact Of Chronic Stress On Childhood Obesity And The Protective Effects Of Parental Warmth, Laura M. L. Distel

Master's Theses

Mexican American children have the highest rates of obesity in the U.S. Mexican American children may experience chronic stress, which has been linked to child obesity. Hair cortisol accumulation has been implicated as a mechanism for this association. Highly sensitive parenting may buffer the harmful effects of chronic stress and hair cortisol on obesity. Thus, the aims of this project were to 1) identify the direct and indirect effects of chronic stress and hair cortisol on children's zBMI and 2) examine the protective effects of parental warmth. This study examined hair cortisol levels, zBMI and chronic stress of children ages …

Comparing The Risk Factors Of Recidivism For Offenders With And Without Mental Illness, Meghan J. Mahoney

Master's Theses

This study examined which risk factors were predictive of recidivism among inmates released from Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) who had no mental illness, a non-substance abusing mental illness (non-SUD MI), a substance use disorder (SUD), or a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder (COD). The predictors of being returned to prison or being rearrested for a violent, property, or drug crime were compared across these four groups. A secondary data analysis was conducted on data obtained by Olson, Stalans, and Escobar (2016) for a study examining the predictors of recidivism for inmates released from IDOC in 2007. Logistic …

Filling Pews, Speaking Truth: Pro-Life Ministry In A Liberal Catholic Parish, Jonathan Neidorf

Master's Theses

Scholars of the pro-life movement in the United States have extensively documented how pro-lifers in this country feel that their cause is embattled by society (Williams and Blackburn 1996; Maxwell 2002; Munson 2008). Other research argues that conservative Catholics tend to feel that their Church is swept up in an increasing liberalization in greater society, which serves to compromise core moral tenets of the faith (Leege 1988; Weaver and Appleby 1995; Wedam 1993). No thorough research exists examining how pro-life Catholics see their Church's and their parish's liberalism as directly suppressing their pro-life work. In this ethnographic study of a …

Developmental Assets And Outcomes: An Analysis Of Male Serious Juvenile Offenders To Promote Evidence Based Approaches For Rehabilitation, Danielle Jordan Nesi

Master's Theses

Positive youth development is an approach that seeks to enhance and promote young people's developmental progress. Although there has been a shift toward asset building in rehabilitation of delinquent youth, research on positive youth development has historically focused on children at risk of adverse outcomes, rather than those who are already engaged in criminal behavior. Without knowledge about the distribution of assets among delinquent youth and the relations of these assets to outcomes later in life, it is unclear if interventions based on research of developmental assets among at-risk youth are appropriate for justice-involved youth. The 40 Developmental Assets (Search …