Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Canadian Women With The Healthcare System, Salma Debs-Ivall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrants to Canada report better health status than the Canadian-born population when they first arrive in Canada, a phenomenon called the Healthy Immigrant Effect. However, by the fourth year after immigration, immigrants report a health status that is worse than that of the Canadian-born population. Visible minority immigrant women report the largest deterioration in health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of visible minority immigrant women with encounters with the Canadian healthcare system to examine the multiplicative impact of gender, ethnicity, and immigration on their health. This phenomenological study, guided by Crenshaw's feminist intersectionality …

The Lived Experiences Of Counselor Educators Using Mindful Teaching Approaches, Abby E. Dougherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that mindful teaching approaches support students and educators throughout the learning process. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselor educators with a daily mindfulness practice in the classroom with culturally diverse students. Relational-cultural theory (RCT) was the conceptual framework. Relational cultural theory concepts of relational connections and disconnections were used to explore the participants' lived experiences implementing a mindful teaching approach. Purposeful sampling yielded 10 participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. Using an inductive approach, the data were analyzed to identify essential themes. Thematic analysis was conducted by hand …

African Americans' Understanding Of The Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act, Ewang Theo Epie-Alobwede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans as a group tend to have numerous health issues, and by the time they seek healthcare, the conditions often advance into more serious ailments. Researchers have shown that cultural distrust of the U.S. healthcare system coupled with some discriminatory practices has hindered African Americans seeking care and taking full advantage of the healthcare system. With the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is some confusion about the application of the law, resulting in many intended beneficiaries misinterpreting it, and not accessing quality healthcare. This interpretive phenomenological study explored how African Americans in the …

Texas Sheriff Perceptions Of The Militia Movement, John F. Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the election of President Barack Obama, the United States has seen a steady increase in the number of right-wing militia groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Department of Homeland Security have claimed that the various militia groups are a dangerous domestic terrorism threat. Law enforcement perceptions of the threat that these militia groups pose served as the focus of inquiry in this multiple case study. These perceptions were explored through the theoretical frameworks of groupthink, Credulous Bayesianism, and nudge theory. A purposeful sample of 12 local sheriffs in Texas were interviewed in an attempt to identify common …

Graduates' Perceptions Of An Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Program In Jamaica, Patricia Jacobs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher training institutions in Jamaica have been introducing, developing, and revamping undergraduate degree programs. There is, however, little evaluation of these efforts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine The Mico University College's early childhood education undergraduate degree program by exploring the lived experiences of its graduates. The research questions elicited from the participants their views about how changes were being implemented in the program, and how they impacted the institution's development and improvement, how major policy shifts related to changes in national educational policies, and how together these shifts may impact future processes at The Mico and …

Compassion Fatigue And Crisis Workers' Attitude To Work, Maria Adneza Loolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that mental health practitioners experience challenging reactions in the course of their professional interactions with traumatized clients in the clinical work setting. The demands of caring, without commensurate replenishment, deplete the practitioners' empathy and produces forms of apathy and indifference towards the suffering of others, known as compassion fatigue. This quantitative, exploratory, cross sectional study examined the predictive relationships between compassion fatigue and work attitudes in primary care physicians located in West Africa. The etiological model of compassion fatigue and constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) formed the conceptual framework for examining clinician responses to trauma-related experiences in …

Reimagining Equity And Egalitarianism: The Basic Income Debate In Australia, Jennifer M. Mays, Gregory Marston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Reimagining equity and egalitarianism calls for rethinking traditional welfare responses to poverty and economic security in Australia. Similar to other advanced Western democracies, Australia has pursued policies underpinned by neoliberal economics in an effort to curtail perceived excesses in public expenditure over the past three decades. In response to these policy settings, commentators and policy activists have increased their attention to the potential of a universal and unconditional basic income scheme to address economic insecurity. This paper positions basic income within the context of Australia's welfare state arrangements and explores the potential of the scheme to respond to economic insecurity, …

Lessons From Sweden: Solidarity, The Welfare State, And Basic Income, Almaz Zelleke

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Progressive critics of a universal basic income argue that most nations face a budgetary choice between a full basic income and investment in public goods, including universal health care, free and well-funded education, and universal pensions, and have prioritized a robust welfare state, or the "Swedish Model," over basic income. But examination of Swedish economic policy reveals that the welfare state is only one of the ingredients of the Swedish Model, and that another is an interventionist labor market policy unlikely to be expandable to larger states without Sweden's cultural and demographic characteristics. Indeed, evidence suggests that Sweden's own recent …

Susu: Capitalizing Development From The Bottom Up, David Stoesz, Isabella Gitau, Richard Rodriguez, Frank Thompson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Susu, a common way of saving money in the majority of developing countries, has migrated to developed nations. Originating in the 18th century in Ghana and Nigeria, susu is an indigenous method of microfinance, benefiting poor and minority groups. Significantly, susu relies on social capital as collateral, enhancing solidarity and building community. When American public assistance programs deny benefits to immigrants, susu becomes an important source of savings. The differentiation of susu from other savings strategies in the United States is explored.

Introduction To The Symposium On The Basic Income Guarantee, Richard K. Caputo Ph.D., Michael A. Lewis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Introduction to the special issue, Symposium on The Basic Income Guarantee

Prospects For A Universal Basic Income In New Zealand, Keith Rankin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

New Zealand is a small liberal capitalist country with a history of egalitarian values and political reform—including the early introduction of universal welfare benefits—and with an uncomplicated relatively flat income tax structure. As such, it has sometimes been seen as a "social laboratory," a theme of writing about New Zealand and of New Zealand social historians. It therefore has all of the elements in place that could make New Zealand a candidate to become a world leader in integrating income tax and social welfare regimes into a form of universal basic income. Nevertheless, through a combination of intellectual inertia, media …

Next Steps On The Road To Basic Income In Canada, James Mulvale, Sid Frankel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Canada has had recurring debates about guaranteed or basic income over several decades. This article outlines reasons for implementing basic income in the Canadian context—reducing poverty and inequality, addressing precarious employment, and building an ecologically sustainable economy. Recently there has been a strong renewal of interest in basic income in Canada. Expressions of interest have come from the Liberal federal government elected in 2015, from provincial governments, from political parties not in power, and from municipal governments. Support for basic income also is found in a growing range of prominent individuals and organizations. While basic income advocates are encouraged by …

Basic Income Guarantee: The Gender Impact Within Households, Sara Cantillon, Caitlin Mclean

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The potential of a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) to contribute to gender equality is a contested issue amongst feminist scholars. This article focuses on the nature of BIG as an individually- based payment to explore its potential for reducing gender equality, specifically intra-household inequalities in material or financial welfare; economic autonomy; psychological well-being; and time allocation, especially leisure time and time spent in household and care work. We employ a gender analysis of existing BIG pilots/schemes as well as close substitutes (e.g., universal child benefits) to assess some of the key claims about the effects of a basic income (BI) …

Friends Or Foes: The Impact Of Political Ideology And Immigrant Friends On Anti-Immigrant Sentiment, Elizabeth Kiehne, Cecilia Ayón

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years, an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment has been witnessed in the United States, particularly from politically conservative groups. According to intergroup contact theory, increased contact between in-group and out-group members, especially cross-group friendships, has been found to reduce intergroup prejudice. This study analyzed nationally representative U.S.-based data (n = 1,000) from the Transatlantic Trends Survey, 2013 to examine if having immigrant friends interacted with political ideology, such that having immigrant friends weakened the association between conservative ideology and anti-immigrant sentiment. Findings revealed that immigrant friends and political ideology each had a significant but opposite main effect on …

Review Of Prisoners Of Reason: Game Theory And Neoliberal Political Economy. S. M. Amadae. Reviewed By James Midgley, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

S. M. Amadae, Prisoners of Reason: Game Theory and Neoliberal Political Economy. Cambridge University Press (2016), 360 pages, $34.99 (paperback).

Review Of Queer Excursions: Retheorizing Binaries In Language, Gender And Sexuality. Lal Zimman, Jenny Davis And Joshua Raclaw (Eds.). Reviewed By Sherri Shimansky, Sherri Shimansky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Lal Zimman, Jenny Davis, and Joshua Raclaw (Eds.), Queer Excursions: Retheorizing Binaries in Language, Gender and Sexuality. Oxford University Press (2014), 231 pages, $23.70 (paperback).

Review Of Life In And Against The Odds: Debts Of Freedom And The Speculative Roots Of U.S. Culture. Heidi Hoechst. Reviewed By Cindy Vang, Cindy Vang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Heidi Hoechst, Life In and Against the Odds: Debts of Freedom and the Speculative Roots of U.S. Culture. Temple University Press (2015), 312 pages, $30.00 (paperback).

Review Of The Dynamic Welfare State. David Stoesz. Review By Daniel Liechty, Daniel Liechty

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

David Stoesz, The Dynamic Welfare State. Oxford University Press (2016), 282 pages, $35.00 (hardcover).

Evolving From An Illusionary And Self Destructive Quest For Power To A State Of Empowerment: The Curative Potential Yoga May Hold As A Vehicle To Reclaiming Bodily Empowerment For Women With Anorexia, Heather C. Pizzanello

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Eating disorders disproportionately afflict women and they are one of the most lethal mental health conditions that practitioners in the field of social work and related mental health fields encounter. Equally alarming is the fact that Anorexia Nervosa is the deadliest of all eating disorders, yet, we are struggling to find an efficacious means of successfully intervening in the treatment and recovery maintenance of anorexia. Drawing from past empirical and theoretical literature, this study explored the potential that the mind body practice of yoga might hold as a complementary therapeutic tool for women struggling to recover from anorexia. The findings …

An Environmental Scan Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions On University And College Campuses: A Research Note, Kaley J. Cieslak, Lehanna E. Hardy, Natalie S. Kyles, Erika L. Miller, Becky L. Mullins, Katelyn M. Root, Christina M. Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of this research note is to provide readers with an understanding of the diverse types of student mental health interventions that are being offered on North American universities/ colleges broken down into two types of interventions: (1) traditional, or non-mindfulness-based interventions, and (2) mindfulness-based interventions.

Data were collected, organized, and synthesized during the first 5 months of 2016 (via a simple Google searches) for all North American universities/colleges that offered their students mental health interventions on their campuses.

Traditional, or non-mindfulness-based interventions remain widely in use on university/college campuses and include: prevention and outreach, support groups and workshops, …

How Are Social Problems Viewed And Analyzed In Social Work Policy Textbooks?, Marietta A. Barretti

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews seven of the most frequently used policy textbooks in social work and examines how social problems are viewed in the narrative, and then analyzed in policy analysis frameworks. Questions include: (1) how the authors define social problems; (2) who they say "gets" to define problems in policy analysis; (3) how problems should be analyzed; and (4) whether contextual influences on the problem are considered. Findings include that most authors argue that social problems are constructions in their narratives, but do not transfer that perspective into their policy analysis frameworks. Implications for education and policy practice are explored.

Tribute To Marguerite Rosenthal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Tribute to Marguerite Rosenthal

Review Of Shared Prosperity In America's Communities. Susan M. Wachter And Lei Ding. Reviewed By Cynthia Edmonds-Cady., Cynthia Edmonds-Cady

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Susan M. Wachter and Lei Ding (Eds.), Shared Prosperity in America's Communities. University of Pennsylvania Press (2016), 274 pages, $53.99 (hardcover).

Review Of Cultural-Existential Psychology: The Role Of Culture In Suffering And Threat. Daniel Sullivan. Reviewed By Daniel Liechty., Daniel Liechty

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Daniel Sullivan, Cultural-Existential Psychology: The Role of Culture in Suffering and Threat. Cambridge University Press (2016), 295 pages, $110 (hardcover).

Review Of Invisible In Austin: Life And Labor In An American City. Javier Auyero. Reviewed By Danielle Docka-Filipek, Danielle Docka-Filipek

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Javier Auyero (Ed.), Invisible in Austin: Life and Labor in an American City. University of Texas Press (2015), 280 pages, $24.95 (paperback).

Review Of Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City. Mathew Desmond. Reviewed By Yeqing Yuan., Yeqing Yuan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mathew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Crown Publishers (2016), 432 pages, $28.00 (hardcover).

The Exposure Of Workplace Conflict On Residential Mental Health Clients, Shawna Deann Stoneking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who receive residential mental health services rely on caregivers for support, supervision, and a safe living environment. Residential clients exposed to workplace conflict among staff may feel insecure and mistrust their caregivers, which in turn could negatively impact quality of life and treatment outcomes. The theory of therapeutic alliance proposed by Zetzel, emphasizing the client's perception of the therapist as a nurturing beneveolent figure, was used as the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 adults, recruited with homogenious sampling, who had experienced conflict among staff members and who had been discharged from residential …

Understanding Host Community Distrust And Violence Against Oil Companies In Nigeria, Abby Kalio Amabipi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The violence of the Niger Delta host communities against the international oil companies (IOCs) is rampant and dogged. The extent of violence that occurs is harmful to communities, individuals, and oil companies that provide a certain degree of economic stability to the region. The Nigerian government faces a major challenge of resolving community violence in Nigeria. This case study used social exchange theory to better understand the causes and consequences of the lack of community trust against the oil companies that is pervasive in the region. Purposeful sampling was used in the selection of 10 community members, 8 representatives of …

Affecting Teen Attitudes Through Positive Media Portrayals Of Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sheila Orta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of knowledge about individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can create stereotypes, which serve as barriers to interaction. Television is a component in the development of social attitudes in teenagers. Using social learning theory as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative 2-group, posttest only, experimental design was to determine whether observational learning could be effective in generating positive teen attitudes toward peers with ASD. Senior high school students (N = 130) completed the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Survey to determine whether observing a video clip can positively affect the attitudes of teens about their peers with …

Social Influence And Organizational Innovation Characteristics On Enterprise Social Computing Adoption, Vincent Di Palermo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ample research has been conducted to identify the determinants of information technology (IT) adoption. No previous quantitative researchers have explored IT adoption in the context of enterprise social computing (ESC). The purpose of this study was to test and extend the social influence model of IT adoption. In addition, this study addressed a gap in the research literature and presented a model that relates the independent variables of social action, social consensus, social authority, social cooperation, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and organizational commitment to the dependent variables of social embracement and embedment. A …