Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Needs Of College Students Experiencing Housing Instability, Sandy D. Dawoud

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study explored the needs and experiences of college students who have aged out of the foster care system and facing housing instability at a large public institution. The study explores the participants' pre-college experiences and college journey to identify challenges they faced, sources of support, and unmet needs impacting their education. Analysis of 14 individual interviews highlighted key themes related to motivations, obstacles, and desired assistance across areas like finances, mental health, academics, and support systems. This work has implications for implementing tailored institutional support, community partnerships, transition programs, and advocacy efforts to promote resilience and success for …

Daughters Of Depression : A Critical-Hermeneutic Phenomenological Examination Of Adult Black Women’S Experiences With Strong Black Woman’S Role When Mothered By Women With Perceived Depression, Christin D. Haynes

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Black American women are experiencing chronic depression at alarming rates. Major racial/sex disparities in disease prevalence indicates Black American women are at increased risk for depression onset due to exposure to poverty and traumatic life events. With the rise of single, female-headed households, children are at increased risk for exposure to maternal mental illness which is defined as an adverse childhood experience impacting their development through adulthood. Black American mothers have the additional burden of racially socializing all children to learn how to manage systematic racist structures embedded in American society, yet daughters require the additional socialization for gender biases. …

Parental Influences On Korean Youth Academic-And Career-Related Motivation During The Transition To Tertiary Educational Settings : A Situated Expectancy-Value Theory Approach, Jeanie Park

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Adolescence is a universal developmental stage where many changes occur (i.e., biological, social, and psychological) during the second decade of life. Emerging adulthood a subsequent development period between adolescence and young adulthood; during emerging adulthood individuals go through various transitions such as academic and career planning, navigating one’s identity, and fostering relationships. It is important to understand individual and familial factors with parents and adolescents that are related to academic outcomes during these developmental stages, since the final years in secondary school are critical for future academic and career development. Also, studies using a culturally situated approach investigating parent- youth …

Exploring Lgbtq Latino/A/X Stories Of Chosen Families, Carlos A. Flores

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Latino/a/x Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people may face rejection from their families upon coming out (Hailey et al. 2020; McConnell et al. 2018). In response to this rejection, some Latino/a/x LGBTQ people become part of chosen families that provide them with the support that would otherwise be provided by their family of origin (Carpineto et al., 2008; Horne et al., 2015; Hwahng et al., 2018; Kubicek, Beyer, et al., 2013; Kubicek, McNeeley, et al., 2013; Levitt et al., 2015; Muraco, 2006). Research exploring the experiences of LGBTQ Latino/a/x individuals experiencing rejection from their family of origin and …

Undocumented Young Adults Navigating Liminal Space To Carve Their Futures In The U.S., Ismat Abbas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative interview study focuses on the challenges and barriers of 1.5 generations of undocumented young adults with their liminal status in carving their present and curating their future lives in the United States. The study focuses on how these 1.5 young emerging adults navigate their lives to pursue their life goals with the limitations attached to their impermanence status. The study used a qualitative in-depth, and constant comparative methodology to approach empirical findings. In addition, the life-course theory was utilized as a theoretical framework to study different milestones in the lives of these 1.5 undocumented young adults (Elder,1998). The …

“It Was Like Double Damage” : An Exploration Of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse, Institutional Response, And Posttraumatic Growth, Krystal Lynne Woolston

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examines the relationship between institutional responses to reports of clergy- perpetrated sexual abuse of adult women and the survivor’s level of posttraumatic growth, current spirituality, current religious commitment, well-being, and flourishing. The experience of adult women abused by clergy is not well-researched; this study seeks to highlight those experiences to the extent possible. This study utilized a mixed methods approach wherein surveys were collected from 108 participants, and follow up interviews were conducted with ten participants to further illustrate their experiences. All participants experienced some level of institutional betrayal which left lasting impacts on their ability to achieve …

The Influence Of Community Trauma And The Behaviors Of Gang Members, Leshelle Franklin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Although there is an abundance of research done on gang members, gang activity, and gang activity in low-income neighborhoods, there is not much research that focuses on the community trauma in low-income neighborhoods; and any relations it may have on or to gang members. Research pertaining to gang members usually focuses on how gang activity affects the lives of non-gang members living in the community. This research study aims to explore community trauma and the behaviors of gang members, from a gang member’s perspective. This research study gives insight into the minds of 10 male African American gang members, as …

Black First-Generation Professionals : Leaders That You Never Heard Of Before, An Exploratory Study Of Lived Experiences, Duane A. Williams

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Black First-Generation Professionals (BFPs) represent groups of individuals who were the first in their families to attend and complete a college degree; they are also first in their families to attain White-collar professional careers. This qualitative study sought to understand the lived experiences of BFPs in the workplace; complexities of upward mobility, identity development and family relationships were also explored. The success stories for all participants came at a cost, a burden, a toll, or some sacrifice for a greater good. Upward mobility in the Black community can be viewed from two opposing ends of a gains-loss spectrum. On one …

Community-Based Programs As Spaces For Critical Consciousness, Not Containment : Exploring The Perspectives Of Black Youth, Carrie Bergeson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Historically Black youth have been labeled as needing to be “saved” and “fixed” because they are “at-risk,” “broken,” and more likely to subscribe to deviant behavior. This deficit rhetoric frames community-based education programs (CBEPs) that serve Black youth as vital spaces that must prevent and save Black youth from subscribing to undesirable behaviors. Therefore, this study builds on the paucity of literature regarding CBEPs as spaces that view Black youth as valuable and worthy and encourage youth to critically examine the world around them, often withholding opportunities and resources. With critical consciousness (Freire, 1968) as the framework, this qualitative study …

Impact Of Family Expectations On The Marital Practices Of Haitian-American Couples, Kencia Mele

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This paper analyzes how family expectations from the Haitian culture manifest in the marriages of middle-aged Haitian-American couples. This study emphasizes that the evolution to biculturalism is a major factor in the adjustments of cultural expectations. Four middle-aged Haitian-American couples were interviewed via Zoom individually. They were asked to describe how they believed Haitian culture and family expectations influenced their family and marriage life. The results indicate that the middle-aged Haitian-American couples adhere to explicit and implicit family expectations set out by their families of origin; these expectations were influenced by Haitian culture. The major themes from the study were: …

For The Culture : Using Ethnographic Interviews To Describe The Attempts And Strategies Used By Black, First-Generation, Female, College Students To Combine Family, Community, And College Life, Fatimah Turner

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Using qualitative methodology, 10 Black, first-generation female college students were studied at Predominately White Institution in Northern New Jersey. The study examined how Black, female, first-generation college students combined the diverging aspects of their home and school lives and the strategies they used to do so. The theoretical perspectives used in this study were Black Feminist and Life Course Theory. Combining these theoretical perspectives revealed how Black women used agency and linked lives to navigate college and renegotiate family and societal expectations. Analysis of 10 individual ethnographic interviews highlighted two major themes and several sub-themes. The major themes were: 1) …

How Exposure To Poverty Related Issues In The Classroom Affects Students’ Attitudes And Interactions With Their Social Environment, Rocco Placenti

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Impoverishment and its presence are the saddest forms of brutality and have long been recognized in the United States (U.S.). The common attitude of Americans is to view impoverishment from individualistic characteristics in which it is believed that individuals will not want to work if aid is offered to them. People’s attitudes towards those in poverty play a part in policy and practice in the American government. Therefore, this study explored how and the magnitude with which students’ connections within their ecological systems and their attitudes shifted after the introduction to an undergraduate course on families in poverty. A qualitative …

Adolescent Cognition As A Dynamic System : Examining Complex Cognition, Concepts And Context, Rachael R. Doubledee

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The transition to adolescence is characterized by the rapid development of many interacting social, emotional, and cognitive processes. Adolescent development is organized around developing successful peer relationships and peer interactions which can improve social standing, define group memberships, and develop a social identity. In the first manuscript, I identified cognitive complexity as an important underlying developmental concept to adolescent development and established a theoretical foundation. Cognitive complexity was explored through a dynamic systems approach which examined the interacting processes of development in addition to outcomes. In the second manuscript, secondary interviews (N = 24) were analyzed in a multi-stage process. …

A Critical Exploration Of Ideology And Agency In Intensive Motherhood Literature, Maya Autret

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation explores how scholars have extended Sharon Hays’ (1997) influential work on Intensive Motherhood Ideology (IM). In conceptualizing IM, Dr. Hays proposed that IM ideology leads women in cisgender heterosexual unions to spend more time caregiving despite increased participation in paid work, compared to prior decades. Dr. Hays further asserted IM is a form of resistance to neoliberalism (i.e., capitalism based on a free-market system). However, it is unclear to what degree women are driven by an oppressive ideology and/or are making important social contributions based on conscious choice, which carries important implications for women’s agency. Through content analyses, …

Exploring Trauma, Loss, And Posttraumatic Growth In Poles Who Survived The Second World War And Their Descendants, Alexandra Rush

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Life Course Theory’s (Elder, 1998) paradigmatic themes of historical time and place, linked lives, timing of events, and human agency were applied to explore the experiences of Poles who survived the Second World War in Poland and the impact of intergenerational transmission of traumatic effects and/or features of posttraumatic growth, and meanings constructed. A phenomenological analysis was based on 13 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with one 1st generation survivor, seven 2nd generation and five 3rd generation descendants; four females and nine males, ranging in age from 23 to 90. The conceptual framework of Posttraumatic Growth (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2006); positive changes …

Sibling Relationship Quality And Its Link To Flourishing Among Emerging Adults, Shannon P. Lummer-Aikey

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Sibling relationships are one of the longest lasting, close relationships individuals have over the life span. Common in emerging adulthood (ages 18-25 years), life transitions (such as college, marriage, and parenthood) can greatly impact the dynamics within the sibling relationship, and may cause a shift in the relationship trajectory. Individuals who have a sibling living with a chronic illness or developmental disability may experience greater difficulty in adjusting to new life transitions because they often worry about their sibling’s needs and future accomplishments. The current study explored the relationship between flourishing and sibling relationship quality among emerging adults who have …

Leaders Of The New School: Exploring The Origins Of Leadership Qualities In First Generation Black Male College Students, Rahjaun J. Gordon

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study explored the origin of leadership qualities in Black male first generation college student leaders at a Predominately White Institution. The participants were identified as student leaders in various leadership roles on their college campus. The study explores the participants pre-college experience to identify any influences, primarily in their family, peer relationships, and communities to identify how their leadership qualities formed and originated. Analysis of 12 individual interviews highlighted 5 themes: 1) leadership qualities defined and utilized, 2) self-awareness, 3) family influences, 4) mentorship, 5) the importance of exposure. This work has implications for the exploration of the …

Assessing The Association Of Acculturation, Racial Discrimination, Social Support, And Breastfeeding Intention With Postpartum Depression: Findings From The 2012-2014 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Among Latinas, Diana L. Cabezas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Postpartum depression (PPD) nearly doubles among immigrants. When we consider that Latinas are densely represented in the United States, the need to explore the risk and protective factors that may be associated with PPD onset among Latinas is critical. A consideration of racial discrimination, social support, and breastfeeding practices may aid in incorporating contributors that may be prevalent among Latinas. In particular, breastfeeding practices have differed by acculturation, yet there are inconclusive relations with depressive symptoms, therefore, examining the relationship with predictors may shed light on the intersection among individual, cultural, and societal factors by acculturation among Latinas. This dissertation …

Latino/A Adults With Down Syndrome Make Sense Of Family While Growing Up In A Bilingual Home, Linda M. Baron Cortes

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Previous research focuses on the linguistic capacities of individuals with DS and how dual language exposure can hinder or support their cognitive development (Chapman & Hesketh, 2001; Kay-Raining Bird, et al., 2005), yet research regarding how an adult with Down syndrome (ADS) makes meaning of family within Latino bilingual homes, where the ADS is the primary perspective taken into account, is missing in the research. This study aims to provide the perspective of adults with Down syndrome since conversations and research about their development should include their opinion and thoughts, especially when there continues to be a push for English-only, …

From Social Exclusion To Social Inclusion : A Feminist Action Research Intervention For Low Income Latina Mothers, Diana CedeñO

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Social exclusion and inclusion are concepts that have been researched and debated in European contexts, among middle-class families, and from a quantitative perspective. However, these concepts have not been explored in depth within an American context. The social exclusion debate often centers around its several definitions where no clear consensus has been achieved, which results problematic among researchers. This dissertation had several purposes: 1) To describe how I researched, developed, and delivered a financial intervention literacy program with participating low-income Latina mothers. 2) To provide a critical overview of the social exclusion literature, where a distinction between social exclusion and …

Tag-Team Back Again : Using Memory As Method To Understand The Intergenerational Transmission Of Egalitarian Parenting In My Black Family, Rebecca M. Swann

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Life course theory’s (Elder, 1998) principles of linked lives and historical time and place can be used to understand how attitudes, values, and behaviors are passed down across generations amid the historical context of Black families in the United States. This dissertation used autoethnography to explore the construction and transmission of egalitarianism, allowing the researcher to be both participant and analyst. Qualitative data consisted of critical reflections and 17 individual oral history interviews with family members across four generations. Procedures outlined in Gilligan’s Listening Guide were used to analyze data, resulting in pronoun-poems for each interviewee and generation. Individual voices …

Korean American Immigrant Mothers’ Child Launching Experiences : Understanding Of Parenting And Mother-Child Relationships In Midlife, Soo-Bin You

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Guided by the theoretical frameworks of family development and family systems theories from the life course perspective, the present study explored how Korean American mothers make sense of their child launching experiences in immigration context, and describe the family dynamics around parenting and parent-child relationship during the life transition. Focusing on the developmental task of child launching, thus, this study examined the topic that has received scarce attention in scholarly literature – culturally specific experiences of parenting and parent-child relationship from the perspective of Korean immigrant mothers in midlife.

To delve into the lived experiences of Korean immigrant mothers, this …

The Impact Of Social Support, School Connectedness, And Community Organization On Academic Achievement Among Black & Hispanic Adolescents In An Urban Low-Income School District, Stephanie M. Compasso

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The disparities in education disproportionately facing Black and Hispanic adolescents, particularly those who attend low-income urban school districts, have far too often been examined through a deficit-based lens, in comparison to White middle-class adolescents. Such comparisons can overlook the cultural strengths of low-income Black and Hispanic adolescents and create a biased interpretation of educational and developmental research. Grounded in the Social Development Model and the Convoy Model of Social Networks, this study examines the interactions of parental support, peer support, school connectedness, and community organization as sources of strength, influencing academic achievement for low-income Black and Hispanic adolescents through a …

"People Think It's Easy Because I Smile, But It's Not Easy" : A Phenomenological Study Of Single Parents/Guardians Raising An Adolescent Who Is Enrolled In Special Education And Engaging In Risk Behaviors, Shaniqua J. Bradley

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Grounded in Resilience Theory (Masten et al., 1990; Masten, 2001; Walsh, 1996; Walsh, 2002; Walsh 2003a, Walsh 2003b) with a specific focus on parental resilience (Gavidia-Payne et al., 2015), this qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of low-income single parent families (FASP) with at least one adolescent aged 11 through 21 who was enrolled in special education classes in school and was engaging in risk behaviors. Two central research questions were addressed. The first focused on the lived experiences of FASP and the second focused on their perspectives on how schools can better support these families. Data for this …

Young Adult Future Outlook In The Context Of Parent Advice, Parent-Young Adult Closeness, And Young Adult Ability Self-Concept, Jennifer A. Pax

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The current study examines the associations between parent advice and parent-young adult closeness, young adult ability self-concept, and young adult future outlook, specifically future worry and future expectancy during transition to adulthood. The data for the current study are from the Transition into Adulthood Supplement (TAS) waves 2009, 2011, and 2013, a supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Findings include that higher mother and father closeness are associated with both higher future expectancy and less future worry. In contrast, mother and father advice are associated with higher young adult future worry, but ability self-concept was identified as …

The Beginning : Exploring Educational Experiences Of Black Boys In State-Funded Preschools, Keisha M. Wint

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Understanding their early educational experiences may provide valuable information for supporting optimal development. However, there is limited research to account for the subjective relational experiences of young children in school. Through a life course perspective, this qualitative study explored the educational experiences of four preschool-aged Black boys attending a state-funded program in an urban district in New Jersey. Using a narrative inquiry approach, their stories captured positive aspects of their relational experiences with their teachers by highlighting the individual, relational, and contextual aspects of child well-being. Their voices offer unique considerations for supporting Black boys in preschool and will enrich …

A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Exploration Of A Sense Of Safety In Three-Generation Low-Income Families, Kaitlin Brigid Mulcahy

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite a wide body of literature that suggests safety as critical to human development and individual well-being (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969; Fosha, Siegel & Solomon, 2009; Marvin, Cooper, Hoffman & Powell, 2002; Porges, 2011; Tronick, 2007), a comprehensive review of the literature found a paucity of research that addresses the phenomenon of a sense of safety within family units. This study sought to fill this gap through an entirely strengths-based design that made use of post-intentional phenomenological methods and arts-based analysis. The research question that guided this study was: How is the phenomenon of a sense …

Exploring The Role Of Social Support, Ethnic Identity, And Psychological Empowerment On Drug Use And Sexual Risk Behavior Among Black & Hispanic Female Adolescents, Ijeoma Opara

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Adolescent females of color, particularly Black and Hispanic adolescents, are often viewed as a homogenous group with adolescent boys of color, thus ignoring unique gender-racial specific risk and protective factors to drug use and HIV/AIDS that may be present. Such an absence can lead to flawed outcomes in HIV, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), and substance abuse prevention work that may continue to marginalize girls of color. Using empowerment theory and intersectionality as a framework, this study examines the extent to which ethnic identity, social support, and psychological empowerment is on drug use and sexual risk behavior. The study uses a …

Suicide In Younger And Older Adults : A Comparison Of Two Theoretical Models For Suicide, John F. Gunn Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Suicide is a major public health concern claiming over 47,000 lives annually in the United States. Despite efforts at prevention, the rates of suicide have continued to climb. Due to this, research that can shed light on the potential causes of suicidal thoughts is of great importance. The present manuscript outlines three studies exploring two theoretical frameworks for suicide: (1) Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) and (2) Social Pain Model (SPM). Findings from Study 1 partially support the role of low self-worth and low social support in increasing risk for reporting suicidal thoughts in a racially diverse sample of African …

The Culture Of Nondisclosure Of Sexual Abuse, Veronica R. Barrios

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The existing understanding of the culture of nondisclosure of sexual abuse is almost entirely absent. It lacks a theoretical framework, an empirical exploration into how it occurs in family relationships, and little is known about disclosure barriers in practice. This dissertation will address these three areas through three separate but related papers. First, the researcher will present a new cohesive theoretical framework that integrates and expands on existing theories for nondisclosure and that incorporates how individual decision-making is nested within social and familial contexts. Second, the researcher will report on an exploratory research study about sibling relationships regarding sexual abuse …