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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Strategic Planning In Small Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organizations, Amanda Machamer Becker Jan 2021

Strategic Planning In Small Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organizations, Amanda Machamer Becker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural communities in the United States depend on small community-based nonprofits to provide access to food, nutrition, transportation, and other social determinants of health. Despite this essential role, some leaders of small nonprofits forgo participating in strategic planning because they believe that the process can be time consuming and expensive. Strategic planning may help organizations of any size to be organized, mission focused, outcome based, and successful. The strategic planning process helps to identify which outcomes demonstrate effectiveness and increase program sustainability. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways that strategic planning may assist small rural community-based …

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Exploring Motivation To Adhere Among Crossfit Exercise Participants, Lauren Elizabeth Falgout Jan 2021

Exploring Motivation To Adhere Among Crossfit Exercise Participants, Lauren Elizabeth Falgout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of exercise and obesity are prominent social problems in the U.S. population. Therefore, understanding the experiences that promote or hinder motivation and exercise adherence is important. A total of 15 adult participants who engaged in CrossFit for a minimum of 6 months were recruited for this generic qualitative study using purposeful sampling methods. They responded to an invitation on a social media page for CrossFit participants. They shared their exercise adherence experiences and motivation through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Trustworthiness procedures included reflexive journaling, and member checking. Data analysis proceeded from transcript reading to working with broad themes and phrases …

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Race, Class, And Socioeconomic And Sentencing Laws In Opioid Cases, Phaedra Denise Jackson Jan 2021

Race, Class, And Socioeconomic And Sentencing Laws In Opioid Cases, Phaedra Denise Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to explore social constructs and bureaucratic decisions to assess their effects on sentencing laws based on race, class, and socioeconomic status (SES). The research question guiding the study whether there was a relationship between race, class, SES, and arrests among opioid users. A cross-sectional correlational design using secondary data from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2010-2018 surveys of 265,442 participants and FBI Uniform Crime Reports were assessed to understand the bureaucracy of the opioid epidemic. Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory was used to examine the historical, political, and racial structures within the judicial …

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An Interrupted Times Series Of The Personnel Security Section's Method To Address The Periodic Reinvestigation Case Backlog, Lathaniel F. Mills Jan 2021

An Interrupted Times Series Of The Personnel Security Section's Method To Address The Periodic Reinvestigation Case Backlog, Lathaniel F. Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of periodic reinvestigation case backlogs faced by the personnel security section of the Transportation Security Administration was explored in this study. Specifically, a quantitative, quasi-experimental, interrupted time series methodology was employed to examine the effectiveness of the periodic reinvestigation team creation by the personnel security section to mitigate the case backlog. The administrative study was needed because the case backlog prevents the organization from following government guidance on periodic reinvestigation case processing. Organizational change theory was the conceptual framework that guided this study. Data gathered from the Integrated Security Management System helped answer the central research question regarding …

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Phenomenological Study Of Parental Perceptions Regarding Components Of Early Home Reading, Shakiba Amini Mobaraki Jan 2021

Phenomenological Study Of Parental Perceptions Regarding Components Of Early Home Reading, Shakiba Amini Mobaraki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany children struggle with developing their reading skills at the point of starting formal elementary school. Parents contribute to their children’s literacy development through early home reading engagement aimed at improving their children’s reading skills. Parental styles of literacy interactions are associated with their beliefs and perceptions regarding literacy development of children. Therefore, there was a need to understand parental perceptions regarding (a) the importance of child’s readiness for reading interactions, (b) the quality of parent-child reading activities, and (c) the importance of parental preferences regarding specific reading materials. The research questions focused on parents’ lived experiences regarding the values …

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Parents' Perceptions Of And Reactions To Their Child's Intergroup Marriage, Theresa Aikens Jan 2021

Parents' Perceptions Of And Reactions To Their Child's Intergroup Marriage, Theresa Aikens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that parental support and acceptance are integral to the success of interracial romantic relationships (IRRs) and well-being of interracial romantic relationship participants (IRRPs). Research on couples involved in IRRs is prevalent, but researchers neglected to include the perspectives of the parents of the IRRPs. The lived experiences of parents of adult children involved in Black-White IRRs and their perceptions of societal reactions to the IRR were explored to better understand the mechanisms behind parental support or disapproval of IRRs. Bronfenbrenner's PPCT model of bioecological theory allowed for a focus on a parent's development within the parent-child relationship …

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Predictive Applications Of Debarment List In Public Procurement, Nester Oluwafemi Komolafe Jan 2021

Predictive Applications Of Debarment List In Public Procurement, Nester Oluwafemi Komolafe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Predictive applications of a debarment list involve gathering historical data in the list to capture the relationships between the relevant variables in the data to predict the most likely future outcomes. Exploring whether the data in the debarment list could produce predictive analytics, which agencies may use to deter contractors from committing fraud, is unknown. This study closed the literature gap through a quantitative nonexperimental analysis of secondary data, inspired by real-life administrative decisions. The purpose of this study was to analyze the City of Chicago's debarment list to determine the statistical probability of business entities that may be debarred …

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Grandparents In Parental Roles With Grandchildren And Social Work Practice, Anetrice Nicole Rogers Jan 2021

Grandparents In Parental Roles With Grandchildren And Social Work Practice, Anetrice Nicole Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the last 30 years, there has been an increase of grandparents who are raising grandchildren. Grandparents often need social services such as case management, legal services, counseling, adoption, and custody services. Although grandparents feel it is rewarding to raise their grandchildren, there are also challenges. Participatory action research was used as the method of study. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used to guide the participatory action research. Participants included social workers and social service workers from various social service agencies in Atlanta, Georgia. This study aimed to understand grandparents' needs and how prepared social workers and social service workers are …

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Influence Of Personality Traits On Trooper Retention In The Southeast United States, Amethyste Marie Sanchez Jan 2021

Influence Of Personality Traits On Trooper Retention In The Southeast United States, Amethyste Marie Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence suggests an issue with trooper retention at state law enforcement agencies in the Southeast United States. A current literature gap exists in understanding how personality affects long-term employment at law enforcement agencies in the Southeast United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there are personality traits that influence the retention of a trooper in the Southeast United States for 5 or more years. The personality traits tested were taken from the 16 Personality Factor 6th Edition Security Selection Report and included emotional adjustment, integrity/control, intellectual efficiency, and interpersonal relations. The theoretical basis for this …

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Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Treatment Intervention From Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Laurinda Cumming Jan 2021

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Treatment Intervention From Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Laurinda Cumming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national health care problem. This violence affects 10 million people on average in the United States every year. This research focused on the treatment resistance for PTSD, a severe and disabling condition. This qualitative descriptive study provided a purposeful sampling of female survivors’ lived experiences and perceived effectiveness of EMDR in treating PTSD symptoms as a result of IPV. Study participants were 7 females, 18 years or older, residing in the Southwestern United States. The theoretical framework of the self-efficacy model was used to look at how posttraumatic symptoms can be so severe from …

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Reentry Challenges Of Formerly Incarcerated African American Adult Men In Louisiana, Marquita Higgins Jan 2021

Reentry Challenges Of Formerly Incarcerated African American Adult Men In Louisiana, Marquita Higgins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although African Americans make up most of the habitual offender population in Louisiana state prisons, there is a dearth of information about the reentry challenges of formerly incarcerated African American men in Louisiana and how they perceive those challenges to impact their reentry into the community after imprisonment. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to better understand how formerly incarcerated African American men in Louisiana perceive their challenges when they transition back into their communities and how they make sense of those challenges in relation to recidivism. The theoretical framework for the study was critical race theory. …

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University Students’ Low Participation Of The Emergency Text Alert Systems, Charyl Marie Ramsey Jan 2021

University Students’ Low Participation Of The Emergency Text Alert Systems, Charyl Marie Ramsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Text alert systems can help save lives by alerting individuals to dangers in the area, allowing them to react appropriately to the threat. For example, text alerts can give an individual the time to either run, hide, or fight during an active shooter incident. Conversely, when an individual does not receive an alert, they cannot respond to a threat and may be vulnerable to potential risk. Because no research had been completed on why individuals choose not to enroll in text alert programs, this qualitative study explored why students did not enroll in the text alert programs at their higher …

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Operational Analysis Of Child Protection Investigations During Disasters, Derek Smith Jan 2021

Operational Analysis Of Child Protection Investigations During Disasters, Derek Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Two decades of research documents the lack of conclusive relationships between childprotective investigations and natural disasters. While trends regarding child abuse report generation and natural disaster have been previously explored, those results do not provide generalized conclusions. This study explores the relationship between the Hurricane Irma natural disaster and child abuse report generation of a child protection organization in the state of Florida, while introducing child maltreatment types and child protective investigator response times as contributing factors. Utilizing the emergency management conceptual framework, the purpose of this study is to provide an updated analysis of the child abuse report generation …

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The Paramilitary Police Academy And Conflict Resolution, James Charles Jan 2021

The Paramilitary Police Academy And Conflict Resolution, James Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A police officer’s ability to use conflict resolution is a skill that starts with the training environment of the police academy. This study sought to determine if the paramilitary training environment is affected the students’ ability to use discretion in stressful situations or is promoting threat elimination. This ability to communicate under stress is important as it affected the relationships between communities’ law enforcement agencies. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate whether the paramilitary police academy training environment affects the students’ ability to use verbal conflict resolution skills in place of aggressive physical control methods. This …

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A Narrative Policy Framework And Feminist Critical Policy Analysis Of The Welfare Reform Acts, And The Higher Education Of Single Welfare Mothers, Evelyn Jean Mangin Jan 2021

A Narrative Policy Framework And Feminist Critical Policy Analysis Of The Welfare Reform Acts, And The Higher Education Of Single Welfare Mothers, Evelyn Jean Mangin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractScholars approached poverty through welfare reform by focusing on reductions in caseloads, timing out of benefits, and who was and not deserving of a four-year college degree. There is limited research regarding the power of narratives during the policy process and their influences on the language in welfare public laws. This qualitative study addressed the gap in the literature and policy analysis research by comparing and analyzing the welfare narratives and language used by policymakers and political actors from four presidential administrations: Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump, between 1996-2018. This study employed the narrative policy framework (NPF), a theory …

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Relationship Between Perceived Social Support, Phase Of Program, And General Health In Phd Ces Students, Sara Moubayed Jan 2021

Relationship Between Perceived Social Support, Phase Of Program, And General Health In Phd Ces Students, Sara Moubayed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor education and supervision (CES) doctoral students face various challenges throughout their doctoral journey. A quantitative, correlational study was conducted to determine if there is a predictive relationship between the independent variables of perceived social support and phase of program (core courses, internship, or dissertation) and dependent variables general health, somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression in PhD CES students (N = 73). The goal of the study was to contribute to a greater understanding of the general health of CES PhD students. Self-Determination theory and basic psychological need theory were applied as the theoretical framework of this …

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An Educational Program For Nursing Home Nurses On Sepsis In Older Adults, Wendy Belden Jan 2021

An Educational Program For Nursing Home Nurses On Sepsis In Older Adults, Wendy Belden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elderly nursing home patients’ high rates of hospitalization due to sepsis impact their morbidity and mortality and significantly cost the U.S. healthcare system. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) nurses who have the knowledge to assess older adults for signs and symptoms of sepsis and communicate findings to providers are instrumental in providing improved care for patients. The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide a group evidence-based educational intervention on sepsis care of older adults geared toward nurses working in SNFs. The practice-focused question asked whether an educational intervention focused on the signs and symptoms of sepsis in the elderly …

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Assisted Living Transitions: Experiences Of Family Members Of Older African American Women, Carol A. Shaw Burns Jan 2021

Assisted Living Transitions: Experiences Of Family Members Of Older African American Women, Carol A. Shaw Burns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLong-term care, also known as aging services, is evolving to meet the needs of the aging population in the United States, which is increasingly ethnically and racially diverse. The objective of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand how immediate family members experienced the transition of older African American women as they moved into assisted living facilities. Black feminist theory provided a theoretical framework. Narrative interview data were collected from four adult children family caregivers who facilitated the move. Three themes emerged from the content analysis: (a) Transition is not planned in advance and does not happen until a …

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Diversifying Funding Streams For A Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organization, Danielle Hurt Jan 2021

Diversifying Funding Streams For A Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organization, Danielle Hurt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business sustainability is essential for any nonprofit organization. Revenue diversification can play a key role in business sustainability. In this case study, the revenue diversification practices and challenges of an international, behavioral health, nonprofit organization based out of the western United States were examined. The organization provides training, support, and resources in an experiential modality of behavioral health treatment for clients worldwide. Data collection processes consisted of a review of current revenue diversification literature, semistructured interviews with three senior-level leaders in the organization, and a review of select organizational documents. The Baldrige Excellence Framework for Healthcare provided a proven framework …

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A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Familial Contact For Releasees On The Route To Desisting From Crime, Whitney N. Johnson Jan 2021

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Familial Contact For Releasees On The Route To Desisting From Crime, Whitney N. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of imprisonment in the United States have surpassed historical records, with the United States having the highest per capita incarceration levels in the world. Criminal desistance research has been conducted to create reentry programs and to reduce recidivism. To contribute to previous studies and promote social change and future research opportunities, this study was designed to explore familial contact during incarceration and how it helps releasees desist from crime. Familial contact, as a component of desistance, relates to social relationships, decision making, positive behaviors, and self-concept; as such, it may be critical to successful reintegration into society. Social …

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Striving For Homeostasis: Balancing The Inclusion Of Students With An Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, Rob Mcgarva Jan 2021

Striving For Homeostasis: Balancing The Inclusion Of Students With An Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, Rob Mcgarva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social justice advocates have championed inclusive education, leading to its adoption in many jurisdictions. Despite policy changes designed to support learners with disabilities and research on inclusive education, students with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) experience significantly poorer outcomes than their peers. Teachers often describe including this group of students as impossible and attempts to achieve inclusion often result in extreme stress. Research has identified proven inclusion strategies, but there are often problems with implementation in real-world settings. There is a research gap concerning how teachers understand and select interventions. Classic grounded theory methodology was used to identify the primary concern …

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Previously Incarcerated Individuals' Perception Of Job Acquisition Post Transitional Program Participation, Arbutas Antinet Washington Jan 2021

Previously Incarcerated Individuals' Perception Of Job Acquisition Post Transitional Program Participation, Arbutas Antinet Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTransitional programs prepare previously incarcerated individuals (PIIs) to re-enter society and acquire employment. However, many such programs have failed to offset the effects of prisonization, a process that affects the social skills needed for the job interview process and employment acquisition. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of PIIs after participation in a transitional program and a job interview. The theoretical foundation for the study included the theories of prisonization and self-efficacy. The research question concerned experiences and perceptions of 23 to 39-year-old PIIs regarding the job interview process after serving …

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Modern Black Codes: Presidential Crime Control Rhetoric And Black Criminalization, Earnest Ujaama Jan 2021

Modern Black Codes: Presidential Crime Control Rhetoric And Black Criminalization, Earnest Ujaama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of Black imprisonment in the United States is nearly 6 times that of Whites. Wholesale criminalization of Black Americans denote institutional racism within America’s criminal justice system. Limited research is available examining crime control rhetoric of U.S. presidents to determine if Blacks are constructed as criminals through carefully coded crime control discourse. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to investigate whether presidents used language that construct Black criminality. A social construction theoretical framework and critical discourse analysis was applied. The data used for this study included scripted speeches. The collection of data began with 54 speeches …

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Helping In The Home: Counselors’ Experiences Providing Clients With In-Home Services, Melissa Jane Franzen Jan 2021

Helping In The Home: Counselors’ Experiences Providing Clients With In-Home Services, Melissa Jane Franzen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counseling is an essential service that helps individuals work through struggles and live their best lives. Such service now includes providing counseling in clients’ homes. Counselors may require specific training or education to prepare for counseling in a home environment. This need for training and education is due to a lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of counselors providing services in the home. Transcendental phenomenology was used to guide a qualitative exploration into the lived experiences of counselors providing services in clients’ homes. Participants were 7 professional counselors, 5 female and 2 male, having met minimum state licensure requirements …

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Job Burnout And Turnover Intentions Among Telecommuting Call Center Agents, Gigianna Griffin Jan 2021

Job Burnout And Turnover Intentions Among Telecommuting Call Center Agents, Gigianna Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telecommuters have been shown to have higher job satisfaction and job performance and lower turnover intentions and job-related stress than office-based workers. The association between telecommuting, job burnout, and turnover intentions of call center agents has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine if telecommuting is associated with job burnout, and turnover intentions among call center agents. Maslach and Jackson’s burnout theory was used as the theoretical framework. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 89 nontelecommuter and 63 telecommuter call center agents in the United States via an online survey. This nonexperimental correlational …

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Psychological Distress As A Predictor Of Methamphetamine Use Among Racial Minority Women, Sundra Barnett Allen Jan 2021

Psychological Distress As A Predictor Of Methamphetamine Use Among Racial Minority Women, Sundra Barnett Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe scope and magnitude of methamphetamine (MA) use among racial minority women (RMW) created pivotal health concerns due to its highly addictive nature. Despite much available research, the problem of psychological distress (PD) as an attribute of MA use among RMW remained as a gap in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relevancy between PD and MA use among RMW to determine if distress predicts MA use among this population. The attributes of PD, as defined in the K6, are nervousness, restlessness, hopelessness, feelings of sadness or depression, feelings that suppress effort, and a …

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Cell Phone Use And Adolescent Weight Problems, Florence Kenkor Njang Jan 2021

Cell Phone Use And Adolescent Weight Problems, Florence Kenkor Njang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOverweightinadolescenceincreasestheriskofobesityandmanyadversehealthoutcomeslaterinlife.The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectionalstudy was to investigatetheassociationbetweencell phoneuseandweightstatusinadolescents,ages14 17yearsold,livingintheUnitedStates.Thesocio-ecologicalmodel(SEM)wasusedtoexplainthelinkbetweencellphoneuseandoverweightamongadolescents.Threeresearchquestionswere used to explore(a)therelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentweightstatusaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace;(b)the effectofcellphoneuseonoverweightandnormalweightstatusesamongadolescentsaged 14 17yearsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity;and(c)themodifyingeffectofraceontherelationshipbetweencellphoneuseandadolescentoverweightaftercontrollingforageandgender.Secondary data from the2017YouthRiskBehavioralSurveillanceSystemwere analyzed usingbinarylogisticregressiontoanswer theresearchquestions.Highcellphoneusesignificantlyandpositivelypredictedoverweightinadolescentsaftercontrollingforage,gender,andrace(p<0.001).Afteraccountingforage,gender,andphysicalactivity,highcellphoneusewasasignificantpredictorofoverweight(p<0.001).Similarly,racehadasignificantmodifyingeffectonthepositiveassociationbetweenhighcelluseandoverweightamongadolescents(p<0.001).Thekeypositivesocialchange implication of this studyis the potentialtointegratehealthycellphoneusewithexistingobesitypublichealthinterventionsthatcanreduceoverweightandpositivelyimpactindividuals,families,andcommunities.

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African American Fathers’ Experiences Of Alienation From Their Children Due To Texas Family Code, Fatima Tremale Thomas-Moody Jan 2021

African American Fathers’ Experiences Of Alienation From Their Children Due To Texas Family Code, Fatima Tremale Thomas-Moody

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout the years, Texas Family Code: Title 5. The Parent-Child Relationship and the Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship has the coined termed best interest of the child. In fact, it has created an unintentional indoctrination to parental alienation therefore, leaving little to no access for courts to rectify and resolve the parent-child relationship. Arguably, researchers have suggested that the legal system engages in gender ideologies that contributes to parental alienation. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of African American noncustodial fathers’ interaction and how Texas family code possession order impacts the father-child relationship. Social construction …

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Black Fathers Experiences Of Paternal Abandonment Through Raising & Disciplining Their Sons, William Douglas Harvey Jan 2021

Black Fathers Experiences Of Paternal Abandonment Through Raising & Disciplining Their Sons, William Douglas Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black male children have long experienced paternal abandonment. In some instances, those male children grow up to have sons of their own, yet have no frame of reference of fatherhood from their upbringing. The specific issue for this study was exploring the capacity to control the quality of one’s life entering fatherhood, even when considering the influences related to paternal abandonment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of paternally abandoned Black fathers and their experience of raising their male offspring, to understand how those Black fathers’ past occurrence may affect their relationships with their …

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Perceptions Of Help-Seeking Experiences Among Female Veteran Survivors Of Military Sexual Assault, Hiza Jackson-Price Jan 2021

Perceptions Of Help-Seeking Experiences Among Female Veteran Survivors Of Military Sexual Assault, Hiza Jackson-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe numerous obstacles that female military sexual assault (MSA) survivors face after discharge from military service are well documented in research. However, there is a need for qualitative studies regarding perceptions of female veterans’ help-seeking experiences in disclosing MSA to understand how to encourage them to seek help and provide it for them when they do seek help. Based on this scarcity of knowledge, this study aimed to provide a voice to this population as well as provide results that can be used to aid this population. A social constructionist perspective, which postulates that knowledge and experience are constructed by …

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