Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Climate Care: Pathways For Coastal Community Resilience, Jessica Reilly-Moman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change increasingly impacts coasts worldwide. The ability of coastal ecosystems and the human communities who are part of them to absorb disturbance and maintain function or transform, or resilience, is of critical importance to managing these impacts. However, to date, climate resilience largely has focused on biophysical impacts and technocratic solutions, while issues of social and environmental justice and human well-being become more acute and entrenched. Consequently, I ask: How can coastal communities cope with climate change? To answer this question, I leverage traditional, emergent, and novel social research methods in Mexico, Central America, and Maine. Using ethnography, interviews, …

Using Photovoice To Navigate Social-Ecological Change In Coastal Maine: A Case Study On Visibility, Visuality, And Visual Literacy, Kevin P. Duffy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Media representations of the environment support specific cultures of viewing that can create expectations about how to observe social-ecological interactions in everyday life. While public perceptions may appear, in some cases, to reflect these normative representations, more critical and participatory approaches to environmental research and management have begun to complicate these representations as they are negotiated through intrapersonal, interpersonal, and group communication. Working from a visual cultural approach that interrogates issues of visibility, visuality, and visual literacy, this dissertation theorizes how coastal residents represent their own observations and experiences of environmental change through photography and what impact their views have …

Resiliency Through Food Security Of A Coastal Culture: The Peskotomuhkati, Natalie Michelle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative study using culturally consistent methods of story circles and individual testimony was completed at Passamaquoddy Indian Nation (Peskotomuhkatik), concerning food security through the ocean fisheries at Pleasant Point (Sipay’k), Maine in 2017. Participants included approximately 24 commercial and subsistence harvesters that involved both fishermen and fisherwomen. The historical and anthropocentric impact on the ontological and epistemological aspects of the Waponaki have constrained cultural customs and practices of indigenous interrelationship and interdependency linking Native food systems within the ecology. The multifaceted implications of regulatory control, climate change impacts, access to safe quality nutrient sources through a mixed subsistence diet …

Evaluating Human-Equine Interactions Through The Lens Of Adult Attachment, Clare Thomas-Pino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attachment Theory suggests interaction with caregivers in childhood impacts relationships and health throughout our lives (Bowlby, 1965, 1969, 1971), leaving many who have experienced insecure attachment with an inability to form healthy relationships or cope with stressors throughout their lifespan (Holmberg, Lomore, Takacs, & Price, 2011). Horses have interacted with humans for over 12,000 years (Hintz, 1995), holding multiple roles in human society, most relying on observation by humans of equine behavior, and formation of a human-equine bond (Hamilton, 2011). More securely attached humans tend to more readily decipher non-verbal cues, positively affecting their felt security and internal working model …

Rejection Sensitivity, Relationship Quality, And Adjustment In Late-Adolescent Romantic Relationships And Friendships, Laura A. Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rejection sensitive (RS) individuals are at greater risk for emotional maladjustment across the lifespan, with consistent links identified with depression and social anxiety. Yet little is known about interpersonal factors that may affect this association for late adolescents, especially with their romantic partners and close friends. The present study examined relationship qualities of support and negative interactions with romantic partners and friends as moderators of the link between RS and internalizing symptoms. Given the differences between male and female social relationships and experiences, these associations were expected to be further moderated by gender, with RS females in poorer quality relationships …

A Social-Ecological Examination Of Moose In Maine: Habitat, Management, And Changing Seasonality, Asha Dimatteo-Lepape

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maine is a New England state with rich ecosystems and diverse opportunities for enjoying the outdoors. Maine is well known as a popular nature-based tourist destination, and is often associated with its notable moose population. Social-ecological systems in Maine are highly intertwined, and as such, are especially susceptible to impacts resulting from climate change. Moose health in the state is already being negatively impacted by climate change with high infestation rates of winter tick resulting in declining moose health and high moose calf mortality. Given that late winter is a time of high stress and increased mortality of moose due …

Letting Accuracy 'Sync' In: The Role Of Synchrony In Perceptions Of Personality Traits And Affective States, Morgan D. Stosic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human propensity to synchronize their behaviors to one another seems to be an ever-present aspect of our social lives. While a breadth of approaches have been taken to explain this phenomenon, the benefit of individuals temporally aligning their behaviors to one another during an interaction remains to be precisely identified. Some have argued that by becoming synchronized to the movements and actions of another, one may become a better perceiver of that other’s internal attributes (Hoehl et al., 2021). The purpose of the present thesis was to explore this potential benefit of synchrony by examining its relation to one’s …

To Know The Land With Hands And Minds: Negotiating Agricultural Knowledge In Late-Nineteenth-Century New England And Westphalia, Justus Hillebrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the eighteenth century, experts have tried to tell farmers how to farm. The agricultural enlightenment in Europe marked the beginning of a long arc of new experts aiming to change agricultural knowledge and practice. This dissertation analyzes the pivotal period in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Germany and the United States when scientists, improvers, and market agents began to develop comprehensive ways to communicate agricultural innovation to farmers. In a functional approach to analyzing the negotiation of agricultural knowledge through its communication in things, words, and practices, this dissertation argues that the process of change …

The Effects Of Recent Minimum Wage Increases On Self-Reported Health In The United States, Liam Sigaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A sharp income-health gradient exists in the United States. Lower levels of income are associated with higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and risky health behaviors, as well as decreased access to health care. Growing evidence of a causal link between income and health suggests that government income-support policies may be an effective strategy for improving health outcomes among poor Americans. One such policy – the minimum wage – has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. In 2019, twenty-five states and the District of Columbia increased their minimum wage, up from only eight states in 2011. Yet the literature …

'Real Men' Don't See Pain, Margaret J. Gautrau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a long-standing tradition of men being held to an unobtainable “man enough” standard of masculinity. Our societal conditioning of men to be emotionless, tough, aggressive and anything-but-feminine through the social punishments of being called a “pussy,” “soft,” or told to “man up” has created an inflexibility for what it means to be a man. The purpose of this study is to capture men’s accuracy in perceiving the pain of masculine as compared to feminine targets when the targets are observed in tourniquet pain procedure. Participants observed ten videos of women and ten videos of men experiencing the tourniquet …

Discards & Diverse Economies: Reuse In Rural Maine, Brieanne Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an ethnographic exploration of diverse reuse economies in rural Maine in an effort to illuminate both how used goods move between people and organizations, as well as the value of that movement for people and communities. In response to a growing number of calls for research into the social dimensions of circular economies, this research explores the varied and uneven impacts of materials reuse as they are experienced by local participants. This work uses a qualitative approach, drawing on two main methods: participant observation in reuse establishments and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with reuse participants. This rich qualitative …

Consumer Preferences And Associated Price Premiums For Agricultural Traits In Maine Markets, Lauren Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I investigate the roles of both consumers and producers in the emergence of traited (i.e. local and organic) goods markets in Maine. I discuss welfare changes after differentiation of the market as well as the impact of changing consumer preferences on market outcomes.

The first chapter motivates the emergence of traited goods markets—as consumers try to satisfy their preferences and producers seek to increase incomes.

The second chapter explores the market for traited goods in Maine, focusing on the evolution of consumer preferences. A market differentiation framework is used to consider factors that impact total welfare changes …

The Holocaust In Białystok: Urban, Rural, And Forest Environments As Spaces Of Resistance, Survival, And Persecution, Dakota Gramour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the German occupation of Poland in World War II, thousands of Jews escaped city or ghetto life by seeking refuge within rural villages or fleeing to the forests. Numerous factors shaped individual survivor experiences within these spaces. In particular, gender, age or familial status, environmental factors like weather conditions or terrain, as well as personal politics and language or technical skills, all molded how one could act or was forced to react in these spaces. This study emphasizes the unique two-way relationships between experience and three kinds of environments found in the Białystok District: the city of Białystok, small …

Individual Differences And Ecological Validity Of Emotion Regulation In Response To Sadness, Colin M. Bosma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research on emotion regulation processes has been restricted to controlled laboratory settingsthat use experimental paradigms to investigate short-term outcomes (Berking & Wupperman, 2012). A true understanding of emotion regulation requires an unobtrusive, ecologically valid assessment of the construct as it naturally unfolds in the environment. Digital phenotyping, or moment-by-moment quantification of individual-level human behavior using data from smartphone sensors (Torous & Onnela, 2016), is a novel method for evaluating human behavior in naturalistic settings. The present project is the first to implement digital phenotyping in the investigation of emotion regulation.

The central aim of the study was …

Counterinsurgency In Iraq: Theory And Practice, William Crisler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small Wars, Asymmetric Wars, Insurgencies, Guerrilla Wars. They have been occupying a larger and larger share of violent conflicts over the last two centuries, and have posed more significant challenges to status quo states as time has gone on. The approach of brutal repression, once considered the only method to wage war, has been questioned more frequently as the only method to approaching the challenge these insurgencies face. With an enemy hiding amongst a non-combatant public, much of the criticism has been about the morality of indiscriminate violence when innocents will necessarily be caught in the crossfire. Increasingly, more of …

The Military Uniform's Impact On Patient Trust And Disclosure In Patient-Provider Interactions, Jessica Correale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beyond a provider’s interpersonal skills, static cues such as a provider’s attire can greatly impact patient impressions. Attire has been found to be an important early determinant of patient confidence, trust, and satisfaction (Petrilli et al., 2015). While previous literature has investigated the impact of providers in white coats, limited studies have looked at the impact of military uniforms. This is an important research question as providers in military treatment facilities always wear their military uniforms. Additionally, service members suffer from high rates of PTSD and depression (Novotney, 2020). Beyond overcoming the initial stigma to make an appointment, disclosure is …

Dietary Change Among Canis Familiaris During The Late Ceramic Period On The Maine-Maritime Peninsula: A Case Study From The Holmes Point West Site (Me 62-8), Machias Bay, Maine, Abby E. Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeological study of Indigenous pasts has been characterized by a focus on objects over people. This study attempts to humanize the past by illuminating human agency in the human-dog relationship through a case study of dog health and diet during the Late Ceramic period (ca. 950 – 450 BP) in the Maine-Maritime Peninsula region. To circumvent the cycle of western knowledge building and marginalization of Indigenous communities, past Wabanaki people and their relationships with dogs are positioned at the center of research questions presented here. Few studies in the Northeast have analyzed dog remains from the Ceramic period (ca. 3050 …

Where Are All The Women?: Understanding The Factors Influencing Potential Departure Intentions Of Women Coaches At The Ncaa Division Iii Level, Jennifer Laney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the factors influencing the potential departure decisions of women coaches in Division III college athletics in the United States. More specifically, this research examined the relationship between gender stereotyping, work-family conflict, burnout, job satisfaction, and organizational support on the potential departure intentions of women coaches at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level. Moreover, the data collected were analyzed to understand how these relationships differed by sport, race, and sexual orientation. A total of 59.3% (n = 118) of respondents had considered leaving their coaching position within the last …

Greta Thunberg's Disruptions: How Rhetoric Breaks Trained Incapacities To Climate Change, Mackenzie Peacock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

After her impactful speech at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit in 2019, Greta Thunberg’s performance set the stage for her generation and children as the central actors for the current climate justice Movement. Although Thunberg’s activism and global youth involvement in environmental politics were prominent prior to this speech, there is a need to understand the rhetoric behind Thunberg’s performance in “The World is Waking Up.” Considering her global impact as a young activist, the following thesis is a critical, rhetorical analysis of her UN speech. I examine Thunberg’s rhetoric in this speech and interpret how it produces …

Marine Aquaculture In Maine: Understanding Diverse Perspectives And Interactions At Multiple Scales, Melissa L. Britsch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal oceans are changing and experiencing increased use. The social and ecological benefits of healthy coastal oceans are well documented and include habitats for marine species, storm protection, and recreational opportunities (MEA, 2005). As the impacts of human activities are recognized, questions about how ocean spaces should be used are becoming more common. These questions are complex and involve many tradeoffs. Understanding the values people hold about uses, and how activities and ecosystems overlap, is critical for weighing tradeoffs and improving future management. I use the northeastern U.S. state of Maine to study human interactions with coastal oceans. Maine is …