Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Single Mother Poverty In A Global City, Gregory Cala

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The thesis explores how New York City's emergence as a "Global City" and welfare reform uniquely impacted single mothers’ lives on the matter of labor, housing, cost of living and more. New York City’s recovery from near bankruptcy in the 1970s began after cutting social programs and luring corporate firms with financial incentives. As firms moved to the city, so did their workforce of employees with skills in specialized service roles. Concurrently, the need for cheap, part-time, and temporary services emerged. By the 1990s, the growth of these less specialized service jobs outpaced all others, all while calls for work …

Global Constructions Of Gender, Sexuality, And Migration: An Analysis Of Five Immigrant Memoirs, Grace Halvorson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone analyzes five memoirs by LGBTQ+ migrants—Jose Antonio Vargas, Edafe Okporo, Staceyann Chin, Danny Ramadan, and Samra Habib—to explore how governments weaponize gender and sexual orientation to construct national identity and exert control over both citizens and migrants. Their diverse migration experiences highlight how “gender border control” operates across families, communities, and national government systems, reinforcing heteronormative structures that regulate queer identities. My analysis of their memoirs reveals how both formal tools, such as immigration policies, and informal tools, such as social exclusion, make individuals outside heteronormative identity categories susceptible to state and societal violence. These personal narratives shed …

The Warmth Of Welcome Of Refugees And Migrants In The Western Balkans, Zylfie Demushi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite it getting harder to immigrate to the EU legally, refugees from the global south still try to immigrate to developed countries in the EU through transit states in the Balkan region. In search of refuge from wars, better economic prospects, or family reunions, over the past decade, many migrants have attempted to travel North through transit states like North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. A qualitative study was conducted following a theoretical approach by Adamson and Tsourapas (2019), who categorized migration states in the global south into three types, i.e., nationalizing, developmental, or neoliberal. The paper followed this approach to …

Spirometry: For The Winds In Us, Kendall Allison

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Spirometers are devices used to measure lung capacity. This capstone is a creative study of what restores our breathing aptitude as a response to the suffocating and alienating consequences of whiteness for people racialized as white. The project is a sequence of lyric essays. The first lyric essay frames whiteness as a condition of exile and examines the cultural and emotional currents that shore it up. I use exile as a frame to emphasize the intensity of the spiritual and cultural alienation that people racialized as white experience. I also contextualize the dis-ease of suicide in my own lineage, and …

Podcast: One To Grow On – Why Black Studies Matter When Working And Living In Black Communities, Celia E. Ceballos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper examines the transformative potential of Black Studies in enhancing community work within Black and Brown communities in New York City. The research is driven by the author's firsthand experiences and the realization of the importance of Black Studies, which was largely absent from earlier education. Through the interdisciplinary approach of the Graduate Center’s MALS program, the author has gained a deeper understanding of key topics such as the legacy of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movements, and the ongoing struggle for racial justice. This journey inspired the creation of a capstone project, …

Breaking Out Of Burnout: Leveraging Informal Learning To Encourage Needs Satisfaction To Reduce Employee Burnout, Kaitlin Busse

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Given its negative effects on employees and organizations, burnout is seen as a crucial concern in the workplace. To combat burnout, researchers and organizations have explored some individual-level strategies to manage work-related stress effectively. An overlooked employee-driven strategy is informal learning within the workplace. While existing research has focused on learning outside work hours for stress recovery, the current study examined whether informal learning at work is a beneficial proactive behavior for employees to help alleviate stress in real-time, and thus, potentially reducing burnout. Specifically, the current research was interested in whether employees’ psychological needs at work would be satisfied …

Exploring Guyanese Identity In Nyc: A Research Exploration, Shivanie E. Hariram

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores racial and ethnic self-identification among members of the Guyanese diaspora in New York City, with particular emphasis on individuals who select "Other" as their racial or ethnic category. Utilizing an IRB-approved quantitative methodology, data was collected through a structured survey targeting Indo-, Afro-, and mixed-heritage Guyanese populations. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity Theory and Cultural Hybridization Theory, this research analyzes how participants negotiate potentially fluid identities within social contexts that often favor rigid racial categorizations. My findings indicate that those who identify as "Other Race" frequently resist binary classifications, instead constructing hybrid forms of "Guyanese-ness" that …

The Long Arm Of The Law: The Far-Reaching Effects Of The Carceral State On Families, Madison Squiers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the extended consequences of mass incarceration in the United States, focusing on the social, economic, and psychological impacts on the nuclear families of incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, this study highlights how female partners and children of imprisoned men face significant hardships, including emotional trauma, financial instability, and social stigma. These burdens are most acutely experienced by low-income families and communities of color, reflecting broader patterns of structural inequality. The findings underscore how punitive criminal justice policies—especially mandatory minimum sentencing and the War on Drugs—have created ripple …

Comparing Campaigns To End The Subminimum Wage With A Multiple Streams Approach, Chris Peraino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Labor organizations do not significantly represent the interests of restaurant workers in the United States. In the absence of labor representation, nonprofits have become the main advocates for restaurant workers in politics. Among the most active is OneFairWage (OFW), a nonprofit focused on eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped restaurant workers. OFW’s legislative efforts have had mixed outcomes. Two of its campaigns - D.C. and Chicago - were successful. All other campaigns, like those in New York state and Michigan, have struggled to achieve their goal. Why has nearly identical legislation with the same target population of restaurant workers passed …

Alle Or Elle: Automatic Speech Recognition On Louisiana French, Emily Chiu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Applications of automatic speech recognition largely serve the most commonly spoken languages, but can cause harm through bias when used for speakers of underrepresented language varieties who are not adequately supported. This experiment’s goal is to reveal how state-of-the-art end-to-end ASR systems perform with Louisiana French, a nonstandard variety of French that has suffered a history of state-sanctioned language oppression in Louisiana.

The Unholy Matrimony: Russia And Violent Non-State Actors, Justin Castro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Russia’s contemporary relationship with violent non-state actors has been at the forefront of news due to the conflict in Ukraine. Despite the international shock at this phenomenon, this is an age-old practice for Russia. Since the 17^th century, the Russian state has developed a strategy of utilizing violent non-state actors in order to achieve its geopolitical objectives that consist of expanding its territory, extending its influence abroad, and weakening the capabilities of adversaries. While this strategy seems clear-cut, it contains a rich history of Russia trying to manage its relationship with non-state actors from a position of weakness and …

Agents Of Alignment: Political Realignment As Social Movement Strategy, Matthew Miles Goodrich

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The fields of social movement studies and political realignment theory do not often overlap in political science. But by conceiving of realignment as a strategy of social movements, this paper reveals terrain in the political struggle that conventional scholarship can miss. I draw from two historical case studies – the industrial labor movement in the 1930s and the civil rights movement in Mississippi the 1960s – to explore how social movement strategists fought to shape the contours of emerging political orders to achieve their goals. I find that the labor movement pursued a reciprocal strategy of alignment with the Democratic …

Moving The Needle: The Policy Of Change On Syringe Access, New York City And State, 1988–2023, Joyce Rivera

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

By the mid-1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic breached a longstanding consensus between the political class and its bureaucratic alliances that had relied for decades on attitudes and orientations that championed punitive prohibition toward drugs as a bedrock principle of policy making. This ‘focusing event’ created an opening for HIV/AIDS activists to build a movement that offered an alternative, a more effective and just approach to how government policies and practices can manage illegal drugs and the persons who use drugs.

The dissertation uses several theoretical and methodological tools to address the central research objective that highlights the critical role played by …

Manny The Barber: Transitioning The Neurodivergent From High School To Workplace, Julia Barlas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a documentary short film. The narrative focuses on Manny, a young man on the autism spectrum, who dreams about working in a barber shop. He lives in New York City and attends a specialized public high school. The film empathizes with Manny and with his community at large, illustrating the need for further job training and hiring initiatives acknowledging the potential and value of the neurodivergent. The observational mode of this documentary with some participatory elements serves to present the neurodivergent behavioral nuisances, patterns of speech, and interactions with the surroundings. Pieces of interviews with teachers …

Cuny In The News: A History Of Reporting On The Humanities At The City University Of New York, Jacqueline R. Cahill

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project compiles newspaper articles concerning humanities at the City University of New York, placing them on a timeline to establish patterns and changes within media reporting and public perception. The archival research of this project explores four distinct eras, grouped around major events in the history of the university: 1961-1971, for the founding of the university and open admissions struggle; 1980-1990, for the response to the ‘70s fiscal crisis and introduction of the Board of Trustees; 2000-2010 for the post-open admissions era and the centralization of CUNY; and 2020-present, for COVID and a new fight for racial equity. Examining …

An Exploratory Study Of Household Alcohol Consumption From The Us Bureau Of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey With A Focus On Market Conditions And Regulatory Structures, Mayya Makarycheva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alcohol consumption and use is not just a harmful behavior or a potential recreational activity, but it also may form a way of self-identification.

Each type of beverage apparently has their own profile of dedicated drinkers. Those drinkers are also apparently loyal to the location of purchase. However, one may also consider whether consumption in one location is a predictor of consumption in the other location. This distinct tendency highlights the intricacy of consumption patterns, as on-premise and off-premise consumption simultaneously serve as complements and substitutes in the long run in terms of both location and type of beverage.

The …

Black Incarcerated Veterans And Va Service Access, Kimona S. Spencer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigates racial disparities in access to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services among incarcerated Veterans, with a specific focus on Black incarcerated Veterans. Drawing from critical race theory and the minority stress model, the study explores how race, discharge status, military experiences, and mental health conditions intersect to affect potential eligibility for and receipt of VA healthcare and benefits. Utilizing a secondary analysis of data from the Survey of Prison Inmates (SPI), the research employs quantitative methods to examine whether disparities exist in discharge characterizations, potential eligibility for VA care, and service utilization by race. Findings highlight …

The Language Of Development: A Case Study Analysis Of Climate Development In Central America, Alexandra Altomare

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to better understand the impact of locally led development activities on local populations. The focus of this thesis is on climate mitigation and adaptation activities in Central America led by international donor organizations such as USAID. The research consists of an in-depth review of existing literature and analysis from the fields of environmental justice, political ecology, postcolonial studies, and Indigenous Studies. This is accompanied by a case study analysis of various development projects in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as auto-ethnographic observations. In addition, this thesis analyzes the power and impact of language and …

Seeing And Sanctioning Structural Unfairness, Grace Flores-Robles

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

People tend to explain wrongdoing as the result of a bad actor or bad system. In five studies (including U.S. online convenience samples, and one U.S. census-matched sample), we tested whether the way people understand unfairness affects how they sanction it. In Study 1 (N = 370), people interpreted unfair offers in an economic game mostly as the result of a bad actor (vs. unfair rules), which predicted costly punishment of individuals (vs. changing unfair rules). In Studies 2 (N = 500) and 3, (N = 470, census-matched on age, gender, and ethnicity in the U.S), we …

Menstrual Math: The Price Of Bleeding, Gabrielle Langston

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project examines the landscape of menstrual equity in the United States through a data storytelling lens, focusing on state-level policies regarding taxation and access to menstrual products. The analysis explores which states impose sales tax on menstrual products, if state schools provide free menstrual products, and which states ensure access for incarcerated individuals using publicly available datasets from advocacy groups. Additionally, there is an investigation into potential correlations between the gender wage gap and states that tax menstrual products, shedding light on economic and policy disparities.

Through its data visualizations, this project aims to provide a clear, although not …

Beyond Country: Southern Language And Identity In North Mississippi, Meredith Hilliard

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is about the language of the US South and the identities of the people who inhabit it. Its purpose is twofold: (1) to explain, on micro- and macro-levels, the processes of enregisterment (Agha 2003) of Southern US English, drawing conclusions about the phenomenon of enregisterment more generally; and (2) to articulate the relationship of Southern redneck identity to this process of enregisterment. It uses a mixed-methods approach that relies primarily on a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodology, adopting a stancetaking approach (Du Bois 2007) and an enregisterment approach to language and identity, with some quantitative elements, to analyze …

Path Dependency And The Politics Of U.S. Health Reform, Sophia Spadafore

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines the impact of path dependency on health reform efforts in the United States, specifically analyzing how past policy decisions constrain subsequent reform possibilities. Utilizing the theoretical framework of historical institutionalism, the study investigates two significant cases—the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 and the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010—to illustrate how successful healthcare reforms embed institutional arrangements that limit future policy innovation. Through a comparative case study approach grounded in legislative records, historical texts, and scholarly analyses, the research highlights that major healthcare reforms in the U.S. have consistently been structured …

The Neurobehavioral Consequences Of Prenatal Opioid Exposure On The Play Behavior Of Juvenile Rats, Rebecca S. Smart

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Prenatal opioid exposure has increased as a consequence of both increased Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and prescription use for treatment of pain and OUD. However, human studies on prenatal opioid exposure are complicated by several confounding variables and thus, use of an animal model can lessen these confounds. Illicit use of opioids produces fluctuating blood levels whereas prescribed use of opioids results in stabilized blood levels of opioids. Our first study sought to determine if different methods of opioid administration, resulting in differing blood levels of opioids, would impact social play, a developmentally important behavior that is modulated by the …

Not Meant To Be Read: The Stories They Silence, The Resistance That Speaks, Cristina Onea

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I trace the evolution of surveillance from overt state violence to the more insidious forms of ideological policing embedded in everyday life. Through lived experience, oral history, and critical autoethnography, I explore how surveillance moves through bodies, families, institutions, and memory—not simply as external control, but as internalized rhythms of fear, vigilance, and self-surveillance. I move between my father's life under Romanian dictatorship, my own embodied inheritance, and the contemporary struggles of librarians facing ideological suppression to reveal surveillance as a structure that persists through generations, mutates across contexts, and demands new forms of resistance.

I argue …

Individual, Social, And Environmental Factors Associated With Patterns Of Parasitic Infection In Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus Imitator), Megan C. Henriquez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Parasites, and the infectious diseases they carry, are thought to have significantly impacted our evolutionary trajectory for millennia. Exploring how parasites are acquired and transmitted by their hosts in wild, natural populations is integral to understanding how similar processes may have shaped host-parasite co-evolutionary relationships over time. However, parasitological studies in humans and in non-human primates have produced inconsistent results, highlighting the dynamic, nuanced, and unique relationships individual parasites have with their hosts. These relationships are largely regulated by variation in factors at host, social, and environmental levels. Characteristics unique to the host (e.g., age and sex), factors pertaining to …

The Invisible Hand Of Networked Repression, Thuy Anh Tran

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

U.S. history is awash with contentious episodes involving a legion of governmental and non-governmental actors operating through an array of means and arenas to destroy the political opposition. Yet, there has been little systematic examination in the repression literature of how and why repressive efforts proliferate so far beyond the police, military, and intelligence agencies tasked and equipped to preserve the existing order. This dissertation presents a novel framework for studying the relational basis of repression—particularly as it is organized, mobilized, and extended through a networked social structure. Social network analysis and interpretive case studies are conducted on two historical …

The Giants Of Coercion: Major Powers And The Mobilization Of Global Sanctions Coalitions, Louis Charbonneau

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the conditions under which sanctions-sending states can successfully mobilize broad international support for coercive measures on a target state for violating international security norms. Using the case of international sanctions on Iran from 2006 to 2016, I develop a theory of how sanctions senders mobilize support for, and cooperation with, coercive measures on target states. The theory has two parts. First, states seeking international sanctions against a target with broad participation and support need unity and cooperation on the part of major powers in the international system. Second, securing the unity and cooperation of major powers makes …

Guardians Of The Iranian Revolution: Clerical Authority, Bonyads, And The Irgc In Iran's Economic Landscape, Chase M. Toscano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the ideological and institutional foundations of Iran's post-revolutionary political economy, focusing on the triumvirate of clerical authority, bonyads (charitable foundations), and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Drawing on Kevan Harris’s “subcontractor state” framework, this study argues that Iran’s political economy is simultaneously a decentralized yet state-dominated system, where semi-public institutions like the bonyads and the IRGC act as key subcontractors, enabling the Islamic Republic to further economic development and circumventing Western sanctions. This analysis examines the development of Iran’s political economy from the 1979 revolution to identify the influence of left-wing Islamic ideologues like Ali Shariati …

Issues Of Religious Dominance: The Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif And The Western Wall At The Center Of Islam, Judaism, And Failing British Mandatory Responses (1917-1931), Kyra Young

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper explores how religious space and symbolism became central to Arab and Jewish nationalist identities in Mandatory Palestine, focusing on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and the Western Wall during the transition from Ottoman to British rule. It argues that the collapse of Ottoman sovereignty, alongside British support for a Jewish national home, transformed Islamic institutions into arenas for political expression. Muslim notables, particularly the Husayni family, strategically engaged with British colonial notions of “tradition” to reassert influence, exemplified by the politicization of the Nebi Musa festival. At the same time, Zionism—both political secular and religious—began to attach renewed …

Unpacking The Orders, Leonard J. Santos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

At the end of the first week of his presidency this year in 2025, Donald Trump signed a total of thirty-six executive orders. After only one month, that number had gone up to seventy-six. He is currently on track to sign the highest number of executive orders in his first year in office of any president in the last 50 years, and potentially even the last 100 years if he keeps moving at this rate. In the first 90 days of his term, Donald Trump has signed 159 executive orders, more than any other president in the history of the …