Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Perceptions Of First-Year Stem Students On Retention Factors At The University Of The West Indies., Joy A. Harewood Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study explored the relationships between student attributes and institutional experiences associated with re-enrollment status in first-year Caribbean students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The research was conducted during student’s first semester at two campuses of the premier Caribbean university. The nature of academic advising and student’s satisfaction with the advising process, a program perceived in the literature as contributing to student’s persistence and retention, was also explored. This study tested the relevance of Tinto’s (1993) Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure to the Caribbean tertiary level education system. The study adopted a survey research design and …

The Citizen Police Academy : Rational Myths, Legitimization, And Emotion Work : The Effects Of Emotion On Acceptance Of Rational Myths., Michael Wayne Littrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The citizen police academy (CPA) is an example of how police departments around the United States are bridging the gap between the police and the community in which they work. The operation and curriculum of the citizen police academy are open to examination by police managers and community-relations officers and the public. This work adds to the existing literature on citizen police academies, community oriented policing, and institutional organizational theories by providing an in-depth qualitative look at participants’ experiences with a citizen police academy and addresses why police agencies adopt these groups into their outreach programming. This work does that …

An Ethnographic Study Of Scrappers And Metal Thieves., Benjamin Fred Stickle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal theft is a crime that has significantly affected the U.S. in the last decade causing millions of dollars of damages and losses. However, little is known about its prevalence and harms to society. Moreover, even less is known about the individuals who are involved in metal theft. This lack of knowledge has hampered the ability of law enforcement, governments and individuals to prevent metal theft. The present study provides the first known qualitative examination of scrappers and metal thieves. Qualitative data is derived from participant observation and unstructured interviews with scrappers as well as metal thieves. The goals are …

Intimate Partner Psychological Abuse And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms : The Role Of Shame During Recall Of Psychological Abuse Memories., Kimberly N. Fleming

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To help understand why intimate partner psychological abuse has been associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in past studies, two studies of college-aged individuals tested a mediational model in which shame during recall was hypothesized to mediate associations between psychological abuse memory recall and PTS symptom severity. The model was partially supported. Experiment 1 established the first piece of the model by linking recall of a psychological abuse memory to increases in state shame from pre- to post-recall. Consistent with the hypothesis, there was a statistically significant interaction between memory condition (psychological abuse memory, non-abuse relationship memory) and time of …

Support Partners Of Registered Sex Offenders : Exploring Their Experiences, Identities, And Perceptions., David Patrick Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although it is widely recognized that many convicted criminal offenders experience considerable setbacks in communities that make their lives more arduous, registered sex offenders (RSOs) who live in American society arguably face more challenging impediments. As a result, ensuring their access to social support is especially salient. The notion that social support is particularly relevant to RSOs is perhaps best manifested through a common feature of community-based sex offender treatment programs, where participating RSOs are obligated to forge social relationships with primary support partners. These individuals are an important population to examine, as they purportedly play important roles with respect …

Community Characteristics Associated With Local Intergovernmental Cooperation., Sarin Adhikari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metropolitan fragmentation is considered the root cause of inequality among local governments. Self-governing localities have the power to exercise zoning and land-use laws to lock up their resources, which gives them a competitive edge against their neighbors. Localities are unique in terms of their economic capacity, fiscal strength, geographic location, racial makeup of their residents and their income status. Such differences reflect into variation in preference for urban infrastructure and the capacity of local governments to provide preferred services at the lowest possible taxes and fees. Some scholars have suggested consolidating localities into large regional governments to overcome such inequalities. …

The De-Feminization Of Femininity : Exploratory Content Analysis Of Gay Male Fashion Magazines., Christopher J. Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project is an exploratory content analysis that seeks to measure the ways in which gay male fashion magazine de-feminize their representations of feminine performing gay men. 125 images across five summer editions of Instinct Magazine, from 2010-2014, were randomly selected and were measured along the lines of race/ethnicity, fitness of clothing, build, touch, gaze, and body curvature. The research confirmed that gay male fashion magazines do in fact de-feminize their representations of femininity along these variables. The research also reflects pre-conceived ideas of representation along the boundaries of race. Using Michael Warners theory of Publics and Counterpublics as …

Contentious Spaces : A Comparative Analysis Of Latin American Resistance Campaigns, 1956-2006., Sean Lee Welch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Why do resistance campaigns have different outcomes? Specifically, why do some resistance campaigns succeed, while others fail or fall somewhere between success and failure? Examining Latin American resistance campaigns between 1956 and 2006 through a theoretical lens of spatial agency, the varying outcomes of resistance campaigns (success, partial success, and failure) could be explained schematically by the same conditions. Generally, successful campaigns had the same conditions present, which include: facing an authoritarian regime; the ability of the campaign to build cross-class alliances that included urban elements; military shifts through defection, desertion, or open rebellion; the United States’ withdrawal of support …

An Electronic Theory Of Democracy : House Members On Their Computers., Doug Murdoch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes the use of the Twitter use of all House of Representative members in the 111th Congress. The data used is a secondary dataset originally created by Gainous and Wagner (2014). This paper aims to demonstrate the methods members of Congress to create a public image. In traditional campaign literature, campaign statements are divided into four mutually exclusive categories: positive competitive, negative competitive, substantive, and information dissemination. This paper seeks to add a fifth category to the discussion, the presentation of self. The presentation of self is not a traditional form of campaigning. Rather, it is the strategy …

Provisions Of Labor : Prehistoric Evidence For Economic Behavior At Ghost Ranch, New Mexico., David Alan Hoefer 1959-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excavations at Ghost Ranch of two hunter-gatherer rock shelters, GR-2 and GR-145, offer new opportunities for assessing prehistoric land-use in the Piedra Lumbre Basin of northcentral New Mexico. Intersite analysis of these remains provides new data for understanding subsistence organization during the Southwestern Archaic and Formative periods. Faunal and floral assemblages from the two sites, located five km apart and overlapping chronologically, suggest divergent patterns of resource collection, processing, and use by groups taking up temporary residence in a seasonal round. I argue that economic agency provides the best explanation for the sites’ differentiated remains. Furthermore, I propose that, based …

Judges' Perceptions Of Sex Offender Registration, Community Notification, And Residency Restrictions., Lauren Nicole Lennon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a meager amount of literature available on how criminal justice system actors perceive the range of sex offender registration and community notification (SORN) policies and their effectiveness, as well as sex offenders themselves. To date, only one study has been done on judges regarding their attitudes toward sexual offenders by Bumby and Maddox (1999). However, a study has not been completed in regard to judges’ perceptions of SORN and its efficacy in addition to their views on residency restrictions. The following study tries to expand the literature available and examines the perceptions of judges concerning SORN, residency restrictions, …

The Impact Of Victimization On The Disabled., Derek James Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date victimizations amongst the disabled has been researched, but the literature tends to group these victimizations amongst disabled as a whole. This research is also limited for this particular population and this review tries to outline, expand, and attempts to explain improvements for research by identifying the disabled into specific groups rather than all as one group. For example, individualizing policies and research for the blind specifically or any disability in an individualized approach. In the following an intensive online search of literature regarding different victimizations rates, types of disabilities and correlative victimizations, and the relationship these disabled individuals …

Food Safety : Analyzing The Connection Between Government And Industrial Influence., Jennifer Lee Hall 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leaders within the U.S. food safety agencies and the top U.S. food producing companies, including meat, grain, and seed, and determine the presence of connectivity between the separate organizations. This involved looking at detailed biographical information on each leader, including previous and current employment, educational background and board memberships. Following identification of the agencies, companies, and their leaders, social network analysis was utilized to locate visual and quantitative links. Using the theories of C. Wright Mills and William Domhoff, the results showed a powerful argument that the power elite is still …

Identity As A Buffer Against Negative Outcomes Of Public Stigma Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Emma G. Fredrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals suffer stigmatization which often predicts negative mental health outcomes and low self-esteem. However, specific dimensions of identity have been shown to buffer against negative outcomes in racial minorities and other stigmatized groups. Yet, limited research has examined identity as a buffer for sexual minorities. This thesis aimed to explore the moderating role of identity characteristics between sexual stigma and mental health outcomes. Findings in a sample of 209 gays, lesbians, and bisexuals suggested that public stigma, centrality, and private regard predict psychological distress. Private regard also emerged as a predictor of self-esteem. Additionally, centrality and public stigma …

Atheists In The Media: How Public Figures And Fictional Characters Affect Public Perceptions Of Atheists, Joseph Michael Stepniewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how media depictions of atheists might influence perceptions of them based on media theories of cultivation and priming. Severe distrust and dislike of atheists found in the literature indicated a need for the study. The measurement instrument used in the study asked a sample of 195 respondents to report their media consumption habits, including news sources, television shows, and movies, as well as identify real atheists in the public eye. Respondents were then asked to rate positive and negative statements about both atheists and religious people on a Likert scale and provide basic demographic information about themselves. …

The Effects Of Cumulative Victimization On Psychological Distress., Amanda Dishon Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Justice-involved women experience significantly higher rates of victimization and psychological distress when compared to the general population. While both childhood victimization and adult Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) both directly contribute to psychological distress, scant research examines the effects of cumulative victimization (both child and adult IPV) across a woman’s lifetime on psychological distress. Additionally, a gap in the literature is the investigation of behavior specific mechanisms (self-esteem, social support, coping, and substance use) that may mediate the relationship between victimization and psychological distress. As such, the primary aim of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between cumulative victimization (childhood …

Racial Profiling : Using Propensity Score Matching To Examine Focal Concerns Theory., Anthony Gennaro Vito

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines traffic stops by the Louisville Police Department between January 1 and December 31, 2002 to see if racial profiling was evident. Focal concerns theory is tested as a theoretical explanation for racial profiling. The method of statistical analysis used is propensity score matching. The analysis examines all White and Black drivers, all White and Black male drivers, and all White and Black female drivers to see if there was evidence of racial profiling by the Louisville Police Department.

Sex Offenses At Protestant Christian Churches : A Typology And Examination Using Social Disorganization Theory., Andrew Stephen Denney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study is two-fold. First, using data obtained via content analyses of published news articles, this study examines sexual offenses that have occurred at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian churches in the US. Drawing upon 326 identified cases spanning from 1999 until 2014, this study aims to explore common offense, offender, and victim characteristics of sex offenses that occur at these locations. Moreover, this study aims to create a typology of offenders and victims at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian churches. Second, using the data from the content analyses and social disorganization measures …

Another Collateral Consequence? : Examining Homeless Shelters Policies On Sex Offenders Across Four States., Shawn M. Rolfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus throughout the literature regarding sex offenders has been on the efficacy and collateral damage of sex offender laws such as Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) and residency restrictions. However, there is a lack in scholarship regarding transient sex offenders. The current research examines homeless shelter’s policies on permitting sex offenders to use their services in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Previous research has found that sex offenders face reoccurring obstacles throughout the reintegration process, which has affected their ability to find suitable housing, employment and social support. The author explored homeless shelters’ policies and whether or …

Using Kriging, Cokriging, And Gis To Visualize Fe And Mn In Groundwater, Crystal Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For aesthetic, economic, and health-related reasons, allowable concentrations of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) found present in drinking water are 0.3 mg/L and 0.05 mg/L, respectively. Water samples taken from private drinking wells in the rural communities within Buncombe County, North Carolina contain amounts of these metals in concentrations higher than the suggested limits. This study focused on bedrock geology, elevation, saprolite thickness, and well depth to determine factors affecting Fe and Mn. Using ArcGIS 10.2, spatial trends in Fe and Mn concentrations ranges were visualized, and estimates of the metal concentrations were interpolated to unmonitored areas. Results from this …

In The Shadows Of Dominion: Anthropocentrism And The Continuance Of A Culture Of Oppression, Christopher A. Shields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The oppression of nonhuman animals in Western culture observed in societal institutions and practices such as the factory farm, hunting, and vivisection, exhibits alarming linkages and parallels to some episodes of the oppression of human animals. This work traces the foundations of anthropocentrism in Western philosophy and connects them to the oppressions of racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism. In outlining a uniform theory of oppression detailed through the marginalization, isolation, and exploitation of human and nonhuman animals alike, parallels among the groups emerge as the fused oppression of each exhibits a commonality among them. The analysis conducted within this work highlights …

The Process Of Musical Acquisition For Traditional String Musicians In The Homeschool Environment, Keith R. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how three accomplished traditional string musicians learned music in their homeschool environments. Data were derived from formal interviews of the three musicians. The research framework for this qualitative study is based upon the socio-educational model of second language learning motivation developed by R. C. Gardner (1959, 1985, 2004, 2010) and applied to the study of instrumental music learning motivation by P. D. MacIntyre (2012). Structured interview questions, triangulated by additional informal dialogues, field observations, externally documented sources, and collaboration with an expert review panel were the data collection activities utilized in the research. Five overarching themes …

Discovering Rock Features With Geophysical Exploration And Archaeological Testing At The Mississippian Pile Mound Site, Upper Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, Jeremy G. Menzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Pile Mound survey includes magnetometry paired with targeted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys of the mound and testing of associated features over the ca. 6.5 ha site. The GPR survey discovered six rock features (five large rock features within the mound and one marking the outside of the mound). Knowledge of mounds in the Upper Cumberland Plateau (UCP) is lacking—the closest other studied sites are at the Corbin Site, Croley-Evans, Bell Site, and Beasley Mounds, approximately 75 – 100 km away. However, the most similar mound construction is found at Corbin and Cherokee sites, some 175 …

Knocking On The Door : Police Decision Points In Executing Search Warrants., Brian Patrick Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that search warrants raids increased during the 1990s and continue to be a common enforcement tool for law enforcement. The extant literature does not provide a detailed understanding of why police departments are increasingly using search warrants and in particular why plainclothes detectives are conducting these raids at a higher rate. Furthermore, the research does not provide an understanding for how search warrants are secured and executed by police departments. This research examines the social constructions detectives use to justify and carry out the various stages of the search warrant process. Ethnographic research was used to observe 73 …

Capital? Child Rape : Does Public Opinion Support The Use Of The Death Penalty On Child Rapists?, Charlene Kaye Chudacoff 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years scholars have quested to determine public support for the death penalty while achieving varying degrees of accuracy. Some studies have asked respondents to rate their level of agreement with the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of murder while others simply ask respondents if they agree with the use of the death penalty at all. The purpose of this thesis is to challenge oversimplification of death penalty polls while testing citizens’ willingness to impose the death penalty for the crime of child rape. Two surveys were administered, one survey with statements of five different crimes …

Social Disorganization, Extra-Curricular Activities, And Delinquency, Robyn G. Dougherty Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neighborhood social disorganization has been found to be related to crime and deviance. In explaining this relationship, most have focused on specific factors of informal social control and collective efficacy. Using data from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (n = 12,800), the relationship between social disorganization and delinquent outcomes was examined by looking at extra-curricular activities as intervening mechanisms with logistic regression in SPSS. While the effect of social disorganization on delinquency remained significant, results indicated some evidence of mediation when accounting for extra-curricular activity measures predicting binge drinking. Specifically, the coefficient for social disorganization was …

Narrative Advertising, Meng Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brand meaning, which is often used in narrative advertising, is an important value that companies try to build around their loyal consumers. This exploratory research aims to explore brand meanings from consumers’ narratives. This study analyzed 2,382 consumer submitted narratives for a real brand in the food service marketplace. Brand narratives were analyzed using a mixed method content analysis approach by applying Leximancer software to generate key themes and their related concepts. The results indicate brand meaning with some thematic similarities as well as differences when comparing narratives submitted by females and males. This exploratory study introduces analyzing narrative as …

Organizational Communication: Perceptions Of Staff Members’ Level Of Communication Satisfaction And Job Satisfaction, Priti R. Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the topic of organizational communication in higher education and examine staff members’ perceptions about their level of communication and job satisfaction in their workplaces. This study was also designed to test the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction by analyzing the significance of different dimensions of Communication Satisfaction with the view that satisfaction is multifaceted.

A total of 463 non-faculty staff members from different units of a single higher education institution participated in this study. This study included non-teaching staff, including student workers and both full-time and part-time staff members. …

Gender, Personality, And Self Esteem As Predictors Of Social Media Presentation, Heng Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an age when people make and maintain relationships in online environments, creating and sustaining impressions online becomes equally important. For a better understanding of social networking sites usage, the present study examines the influence of gender, personality, and selfesteem on social media presentation. The goal of this study is to investigate individuals‘ expressions through social media in order to determine if they reflect the author‘s gender, personality, and levels of self-esteem. Quantitative analysis was used in this study through survey and SPSS content analysis. The researcher found that neuroticism was related to selfpresentation, and agreeableness is related to Facebook …

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Understanding Culturally-Produced Limitations On Gay Male Community Formation In South Central Appalachia, Michael Brandon Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines limitations presented to gay men living in south central Appalachia that are produced by Appalachian culture itself, in regard to community formation. This qualitative study intersects existing scholarship on rural sexualities, gay communities and Appalachian culture in order to gain insight into the complexities that effect men in the region. The data is synthesized through a contextual dialectics framework in order to position both the Appalachian culture in its entirety, and gay men residing in the region, as agentic actors that are simultaneously informed by and produce tensions between the two. This study explores ways in which …