Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Building Partnerships With Indigenous Communities, Andrea Plamondon

Dissertations

Non-indigenous researchers embark on research with indigenous communities with good intentions but can unintentionally continue to oppress. While existing research shows building partnerships with indigenous communities, requires researchers to work “with” not “for” communities and walk side-by-side, and to do so with reciprocity, respect, relevance, responsibility and reverence, this research study identified an iterative model to learn, follow, and emerge research relationships through ongoing connections and outlined the mindsets to consider and assess often. Ten non-indigenous researchers from the US and Canada shared their stories about building relationships with indigenous communities. Through their stories of successes and challenges, strengths and …

Connections Through Stories In A Small Town In Rural Virginia, Andrea Plamondon

Dissertations

Stories are powerful tools used for centuries to entertain, teach, empower, and build community. Neuroscience research shows that stories impact the brain in ways that allow us to increase empathy and connect with people (What Happens in the Brain When We Hear Stories?, n.d.; Yang, 2014; Zak, 2015). Community Psychologists have used stories to collect qualitative data and life experiences to create or change a community narrative and address community trauma (Hyman, 2002; Rappaport, 2000). While existing research describes the power of stories and provides storytelling techniques, this research study identified a new method – The Community Story …

Tarole Theory: Alchemizing The Drama Therapy Role Sort With The Tarot, Brooke Ferguson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this mixed-methods qualitative and arts-based research project, the researcher conducted a community engagement workshop infusing role theory into a personalized tarot reading for each participant. The participants considered the types of roles they currently play and have played in their lives, gave themselves a tarot reading with the researcher’s guidance, and created individual expressive arts presentations based on their reflections of their readings. Data were extrapolated from the prevalent themes observed in the reflections and the performances, which included protection, self-limitation, openness, trust in self, and connection and collaboration. Lack of a focused population was one limitation of this …

Aren't Only Girls Secretaries…?”: Leadership Lessons From Women U.S. Secretaries Of State, Lindsay Allen

Dissertations

American political systems, predominantly steered by White males, often conform to masculine leadership paradigms derived from traditionally male-dominated domains like the U.S. government. Thus, it is vital to explore women’s roles in political leadership to foster a more comprehensive understanding of effective leadership.

The purpose of this study was to examine how women who have served as U.S. secretary of state exhibited leadership. Of the 71 people to have served as secretary of state, just three have been women: Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Due to the complexity of gendered experiences, and the challenges of having direct …

Resiliency, Mindset, And Academic Performance: A College Athlete's Perspective, Trisha C. Giacomazzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was the low graduation rates self-reported by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics institutions when compared to the general student population at a small Christian university in the Southern United States. In this study, I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the degree to which an athlete’s mindset and psychological resilience influenced their perseverance and academic achievement on their path toward graduation. Utilizing semistructured interviews as the primary data collection method, I used purposive, convenience, and snowball selection methods to enlist a total of 10 participants from a pool of 52 …

Understanding The Psychological Significance Of Astrology In Millennial Women's Lives, Rachel June Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In North America, astrology has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This is immediately remarkable given that the United States and Canada are industrialized, modern societies where astrology is widely lamented as a pseudoscience. This dissertation presents a phenomenological exploration of the underlying reasons for this cultural trend, particularly among the demographic that uses it most: millennial women. Existing psychological literature on astrology is primarily dominated by correlational studies or historical analyses and lacks the depth and richness of direct experiences of individuals engaging with this phenomenon. This study sought to address this gap within psychological literature specifically, by conducting …

Wanting Under Surveillance: A Critical Analysis Of Young Women’S Sexual Desire, Jennifer Chmielewski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The negotiation of sexual desire is argued to be a vital part of the development of women’s sense of agency and well-being. Whereas desire is a concept that is widely used, measured, and diagnosed, women’s experiences of desire are poorly understood. Heeding the calls of feminist psychologists for conceptual analysis, and the need to examine desire within the multiple intimate and sociopolitical contexts in which sexuality develops, my dissertation is a critical feminist analysis of young women’s desire, centered on their subjective and embodied experiences. Moving beyond questions of what women desire or how much desire they have, I explore …

“Oh, That’S For Girls”: Barriers To Men’S Enrollment In College Sex Education Courses, Savannah Burke

All Theses

American teens have diverse experiences with sex education that may leave some inadequately prepared for navigating their sexuality as emerging adults. For those who seek higher education, college-level sex education classes could fill this void. Yet, there is a notable gender gap in enrollment in college-level sex education classes across the US, with men being reluctant to taking these courses. Thus, it is important to understand what barriers prevent men from taking these classes. This study explores the roles that masculine ideology plays in dissuading men from enrolling in college-level sex education courses. Interviews with 17 masculine-identified college students who …

Social Spaces, Places, And Substance Use In Shaping Queer Identities, Alessandra Milagros Early

Dissertations

Research has suggested that queer people may be more likely than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts to use substances. Largely, these higher rates are commonly explained through frameworks of victimization or (ab)use that render substance use as a form of coping or inherently problematic. While some queer people do use substances to cope, the social spaces, places, and contexts in which use often occurs are often obscured or ignored. More recently, contemporary queer criminologists have explored queer substance use and have considered how it is intimately linked to social space, place, identity formation, and community building. This dissertation draws from queer …

(Re)Envisioning Factors Contributing To Black Men’S College Success: An Ecological And Critical Reflection Using Photovoice, Collette Brown Rogers

Dissertations

This research uses modified photovoice combined with an ecological and antideficit approach to amplify the voices of Black men who have completed college degrees. The study explores the question: What factors contribute to college completion for Black men? Using a qualitative approach and the Ethos platform to collect images, photo captions, and critical reflection data from a purposive sample of five Black men. Data analysis included inductive and deductive coding, data organization within the ecological systems, and member checking to validate the findings. The study acknowledges the unique challenges Black men face in pursuing higher education. It emphasizes the importance …

Embodied Fatness In Boys: A Critical Phenomenological Study, Sean Leadem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was an exploratory study of experiences of fatness in boyhood using a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative method. The author conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with participants who identify as men and for whom fatness or related body-difference was an issue in childhood or adolescence to gather data on the meanings of fatness for boys and the men they become. Data analysis was organized around the existential dimensions of embodiment, temporality, and relationality. Themes emerging from this analysis included a) the discovery of fatness as ambiguous meanings mediated by others, b) fatness as a problem in a horizon that does not …

Saudi Women's Abuse And Help-Seeking Experiences: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis, Shahad Ahmed Subiani

Doctoral Dissertations

In 2013 the Saudi government established the Protection from Abuse Act, which made domestic violence (DV) a crime, as well as outlined the responsibilities of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in providing reporting mechanisms. These and more societal shifts, along with the creation of the governmental family protection units (FPUs), set the stage for greater recognition of DV and more women seeking help. Though public opinion is slowly changing, DV in Saudi Arabia is still largely perceived as a private family matter (Alhabib et al., 2010). Guided by the help-seeking and change model (Liang et al., 2005), …

Meta-Method Analysis On Therapists’ Experiences: An Inquiry Into Qualitative Psychotherapy Research Methodology, Javier L. Rizo

Graduate Masters Theses

I conducted a meta-method study to explore the methodological and reporting characteristics of qualitative studies on therapists’ experiences conducting psychotherapy. Articles were identified through a PsycINFO search, and through a review of article text their methodological and reporting features were coded and quantitatively analyzed. Consideration was given to standards of qualitative research in psychology, especially methodological integrity. Results showed increases in the number of these qualitative studies from the 2000s onwards. This rise seems to be above that in psychology, but comparable to other psychotherapy literature. Publication characteristics of this body of literature, namely journal discipline and impact score, showed …

Preserving Placement For Children With Behavioral Issues: A Qualitative Study Of Child Welfare Social Workers In The United States, Jessica Katelyn Quin, Tara Belle Beam

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Children in foster care experience complex trauma that puts them at risk for frequent placement changes. Such changes can have a negative impact on child welfare social workers’ job performance. This exploratory study identified areas that need to be addressed for social workers to meet expectations for placement preservation. More specifically, this qualitative study explored the perceptions of child welfare social workers’ competence and confidence regarding placement stability for foster children who have behavioral issues. Interviews were conducted with seven child welfare workers across three states: California, Nevada, and Texas (N = 7). Thematic analysis procedures revealed the following six …

Indigenous Women And Traditional Paths To Healing, Lisa Mariano-Grise

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored Indigenous women’s perspectives about and applications of Traditional healing practices. As Indigenous women experience a disproportionate amount of trauma compared to other populations, this study sought to understand the preferred methods of healing among Indigenous women. Taking a qualitative approach, this study involved semi-structed interviews with five Indigenous women in California (N=5). Results from thematic analysis yielded five different themes: 1) Indigenous women use a variety of Traditional ceremonies and practices for healing, 2) Loss and grief are some of the motivational factors for Indigenous women to pursue healing through Traditional means, 3) Collective healing is important …

Clinician Heal Thyself: Turning The Mirror Inward To Dismantle The Barriers Of Psychotherapy, Lynne-Marie Shea

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practice of psychotherapy developed in the United States within and in response to its sociopolitical context. As such it has always been unable to live up to its stated value of being accessible and effective for all people who are willing to seek and accept help. We explore the practice of psychotherapy within the larger field of Psychology and its ongoing commitment to capitalism and the social hierarchy at its center. We consider how Psychology’s intentional avoidance of class identity in the therapy space has allowed the field to justify and maintain this hierarchy while simultaneously ignoring its existence. …

Framing, Emotion, And Contradiction In The Tampa Bay Times’ Climate Change Coverage, Madison Veeneman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

How the media covers climate change is a crucial issue because it can impact public opinion and influence policy, and local newspapers are an understudied yet essential source of media. Previous media research has utilized framing approaches, considered ideology and hegemony, and begun to seriously examine emotion. The purpose of this research project is to synthesize these approaches to examine how the Tampa Bay Times covers climate change. Using research questions that focus on how the coverage is framed and how emotion is used, I collected two samples of articles from different newspaper sections and conducted textual analysis. I identify …

Salty: A Diffractive Inquiry Of Visceral Knowing And Embodied Aesthetics, Mei Ling Chua

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation takes a diffractive, onto-epistemological approach to everyday practices with salt in order to articulate an expanded understanding of meaning making and knowledge production. This research reckons with and challenges dominant modes of knowing that engage a Cartesian perspective to situate knowing as the exclusive domain of the mind in both form and topic of inquiry. This research acts simultaneously as both a direct practice of and metacognition about knowledge production by examining 1. the embodied (including sensory and emotional aspects) and 2. the relational (including interpersonal and socio-cultural) dimensions of experience as visceral knowing. This articulation of …

How Do College Student-Athletes’ Understanding And Expectations Of Mindfulness And Self-Compassion Change Through An Intervention?, Blake Costalupes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the last two decades, mindfulness has permeated sport, exercise, and performance psychology (SEPP). Mindfulness research in SEPP primarily focuses on the efficacy of manualized protocols on various outcomes related to performance and wellbeing; how athletes understand this complex construct, though, is largely unexplored in the literature. Additionally, some researchers suggest that the potentially paradoxical adoption of mindfulness in Western psychology may be contributing to limited outcomes, low engagement in, and poor adherence to mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). In addition, the exploration of self-compassion as a mechanism for change through mindfulness practice has increased in recent years, making it an important …

The Experience Of Severe Food Allergy At Residential Camp, Alexsandra Dubin

All Dissertations

Severe food allergy is an emerging issue in public, educational, and recreational spaces, as the condition rises in prevalence and severity (Capucilli et al., 2019). Nearly all camps serve children with food allergies (Schellpfeffer et al., 2020). Research focusing on documenting rates of food allergy, anaphylaxis management, and food allergy management in summer camps has been foundational to ensuring a safe experience for youth attending camp (Gonzalez-Mancebo et al., 2019; Schellpfeffer et al., 2020). However, less research has focused on the socio-emotional impacts of attending camp with a food allergy or exploring how children with food allergy experience summer camp …

Method And Interpretation: Gadamer And The Limits Of Methods In Qualitative Research, Jared C. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative modes of research have been working their way into the mainstream of psychological research. Unfortunately, social psychology has largely resisted this trend, despite the particular utility of qualitative research for investigating social phenomena. Curiously, as qualitative research becomes more widely accepted in psychology, much of the discourse surrounding these approaches has revolved around the procedural dimensions of qualitative inquiry. Specifically, it has focused on developing, describing, and defending various codified approaches to qualitative data analysis. Recently, this methodological paradigm has come under some criticism, with scholars critiquing codified methods as leading to shallow, superficial, and formulaic research. Others have …

Recipe For Good: Analyzing The Authenticity Of Csr Commitments Among The Leadership Of A Parent Company To Global Restaurant Brands., Lauren E. Reuss

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a form of private self-regulation conducted by businesses; CSR aims to contribute to societal goals of philanthropy, activism, and ethics by improving society, policy, and or the environment. Corporate social responsibility is becoming a greater aspect of modern business, but as it becomes part of the modern discourse, it is right to question whether its efforts are authentic to those driving these initiatives? This case study seeks to understand how the leadership within the parent company of a global foods brand depicts authenticity and communicates its social and environmental efforts to stakeholders. Building on existing …

Homelessness In Southern California: A Look Toward Prevention, Briana Sanchez, Esmeralda Arellano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Despite living in the richest country in the world, many individuals and families across the United States face the harsh reality of homelessness. A social phenomenon, homelessness has affected hundreds of thousands of people every year. The impact of homelessness has been detrimental across the whole country, including Southern California. This exploratory study raised two questions: (1) What are contributing factors to homelessness in Southern California? (2) How can homelessness in South California be prevented? Taking a qualitative approach, this study interviewed 15 participants, 10 social workers and 5 people living in/or having experienced homelessness (N = 15). Thematic analysis …

Social Workers’ Experiences During Covid-19, Maija Slisco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify personal and professional challenges that social workers faced while working in-person with clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This research utilized an exploratory qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants. Participants were MSW postgraduates recruited through convenience sampling methods. Data was collected via in-depth interviews to identify universal challenges social workers experienced. Through thematic analysis of open coding, the following five semantic themes emerged: safety concerns/risks, ethical professional dilemmas, decreased ability to engage in self-care/increased acquisition of unhealthy habits, loss of connection, and emotional distress Through axial coding, it was found …

Participant Perceptions Of Project Rebound: A Qualitative Study, Martin Johnson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Many formerly incarcerated (FI) individuals choose education to increase the chances of success and lower recidivism. Various interventions like mentoring and reentry programs help alleviate challenges and promote the success of FI students. One reentry program that offers educational and case management services to FI students is Project Rebound (PR). An initiative of the California State University system, PR seeks to enhance student success through support and connections with campus and community resources. However, there is a lack of research on PR's effectiveness. This study attempted to fill this literature gap by exploring the question: How do Project Rebound participants …

Utilization Of Mental Health Services And Culture: A Qualitative Study Of Monolingual Spanish Speaking Parents In The Inland Empire, Valeria Armentilla Cecena

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mental health services in the United States have been underutilized despite the fact that millions of Americans suffer from mental health issues. Previous research has largely ignored the views of Hispanics in the Inland Empire. This qualitative study fills this gap in the literature by exploring the underutilization of mental health services among monolingual Spanish-speaking parents in the Inland Empire. This study consisted of 30 participants (N = 30) with whom semi-structured interview were conducted. 12 themes emerged from the analysis of the data. These themes vary from one another and reflect (a) understanding of mental health, (b) stigma, (c) …

A Necessary Shift? A Qualitative Exploration Of Black Women’S Experiences With Altering Self-Presentation For Job Attainment, Dorothy Rachael Kemp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how Black women describe their experiences with shifting for job attainment, including their perception of identity, and how they interpret and negotiate any outcomes of shifting. The study was guided by the following research questions: (1) How do Black women describe their experiences with shifting for job attainment? (2) How do Black women interpret and negotiate any outcomes of shifting? (3) How do Black women perceive their identity in terms of their experiences with shifting?

Ten participants shared their personal experiences shifting throughout their job attainment process. Each participant self-identified as Black …

Rural Older Adults’ Wellbeing During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christina Clevenger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies reveal adults 65 and over are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. However, this older generation is often vulnerable to exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination, made worse by the events and circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges and disproportionate threats to the integrity and wellbeing of older adults, especially those living in rural communities. Nonetheless, little is known about the effects the pandemic had on rural older adults’ wellbeing. This generic qualitative study explored rural older adults’ wellbeing during the pandemic, using the theoretical frameworks of Erikson’s stage theory of psychosocial development and Seligman's …

Is It A Boy Or A Girl? Constructing A Gendered Identity For Our Companion Animals, Jennifer Ann Wellman

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

A qualitative study of the differences in how we gender our cats and our dogs. Fifty women between the ages of 18 and 50 were interviewed, who kept cats, dogs, or both cats and dogs. Differences were found in how naming cats, with cats being given less humanized gendered names. It was found that cats are treated more as an extension of the self while dogs were given more of a gendered identity of their own.

A Qualitative Study Of Lifetime Residential Transitions And Housing Preferences Among Individuals With Extensive Shelter Utilization Histories, Mackenzie Hudson

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing interest in identifying policies which support a transition to permanent housing for individuals with long stays in emergency homeless shelters. The present study explored trajectories into long-term homeless shelter utilization and the relationship between housing history and housing preferences. Participants were 11 individuals identified by staff at two homeless shelters in a large Midwestern city as being long-term shelter-stayers, defined as staying in shelter a majority of days over a minimum of three years. Using narrative analysis, the present study examined specific portions of text drawn from semi-structured interviews with people who are long-term shelter-stayers; these …