Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Multiple Paths To Self-Sufficiency: A Phenomenological Study Of South Florida Refugees’ Lived Experience, Regina Bernadin

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The United States resettles more refugees within its borders than any other country. The federal government and its partners measure success by determining if the refugee has achieved self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency is achieved when a refugee becomes employed shortly after arrival. With a resettlement program that is almost forty years-old and unprecedented budget cuts, refugees themselves can aid in redefining the goals of the program. Using the theories of Human Needs and Social Identity to analyze the data, the aim of this study was to address the following questions: “What is the lived experience of refugees seeking self-sufficiency?” and “How do …

The Political Animal: The Animal Rights Movement And Public Policy, Dorothy Jean Simnett

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Social movements are consequences of social conflict. This project examines the conflicting and contentious efforts of animal rights activists at changing public policy and it evaluates the successes and failures of the animal rights movement. Animal rights activists’ challenges concerning animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection, combined with divergences from the special interest consortiums compounded by societal norms will all be addressed here. Furthermore, none of this has been previously addressed in the field of Conflict Resolution. This project highlights the challenges that animal rights advocates encounter when attempting to safeguard animal protective measures. The power struggle between animal …

Conflict Dynamics And Opportunities For Second-Generation Family Businesswomen In Saudi Arabia: A Phenomenological Research Study, Basmah Sulaiman Alzamil

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of second-generation Saudi Arabian females working in their family businesses, in order to reach conclusions and make recommendations to improve the dynamics and outcomes of conflict experienced now and in the future. Research here analyzed the lived experiences of twenty-two second-generation Saudi Arabian females who work in a family business, inquiring about their perceptions of female roles within the Saudi Arabian business world, their lived experiences of conflicts in their family businesses, and their understandings about best management and resolution of such conflicts.

This pioneering study’s findings about …

Architecture, Emotion, And Conflict Resolution: The Power Of Space In Developing Or Obstructing Human Identity, Peren Sabuncu

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

A grounded meta-analysis study was conducted to explore underlying hidden agendas in the design and proposed use of architectural spaces. The introduction of architecture as a discipline into the field of conflict resolution adds a new definition of conflict. It comprises the concepts of architecture in emotion, emotion in conflict, and follows through to show that architecture is tied to conflict, not only through the classical assumption of built environments, but more through the underlying emotions felt by individuals experiencing the spaces. How does architecture influence conflict? How do spaces affect emotions? How do these emotions trigger conflict? Data was …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Impact Of The Media On The Opioid Crisis, Mark Haskins

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the systematic shift in the decades-old ‘war on drugs’ from its roots in criminality to what is now viewed as a public health crisis due in part to the media framing of the crisis and perhaps, more importantly, a shift in the socioeconomic status of current drug users. This research utilized a qualitative content analysis approach to examine print news media articles from the top producers of print news in the United States. Through a content analysis methodology, these articles were examined, and several patterns emerged, and the themes explored further. Some of the more critical themes …

Intragroup Conflict Among Caribbean Students In Higher Education While Engaging In Group Work, Martha Cilla Des Vignes

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of Caribbean students in higher education who experience intragroup conflict as they engage in group work. The site for this study was the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the participants were nine Caribbean students studying at the higher education level in the Republic who experienced intragroup conflict while engaging in group work. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to gain insight into the phenomenon and the key theories forming the theoretical framework were interpersonal theory, group development theory and intragroup conflict theory. The following …

“To Gallop Together To War Is Simple-- To Make Peace Is Complex” Indigenous Informal Restorative Conflict Resolution Practices Among Kazakhs: An Ethnographic Case Study, Ronald Brooks Wiley

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Advocates of restorative and transitional justice practice have long drawn from practices of indigenous peoples to form the basis for more sustainable, relational, participatory, community-based approaches to conflict resolution. With the resurgence in Kazakh nationalism since the Republic of Kazakhstan independence, repatriated diasporic Kazakhs, who through cultural survival in diaspora retain more of their ethno-cultural characteristics, influence a revival of Kazakh language and culture. The purpose of this study was to understand the indigenous informal restorative conflict resolution practices of the Kazakh people. The questions that drove this study were: What indigenous informal forms of dispute resolution have been in …

The Rise Of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis Of American Religious And Political Extremism From Presidents Jimmy Carter To Barack Obama: 1977-2016, Alwyn J. Melton

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to address the problem of domestic terrorism facing the United States. This concern led to a comprehensive examination of historical documents that focused on the temporal evolution of the problem beginning with the Carter administration and continuing through the Obama administration. The conceptual foundation centered on resolving the research question and validating three hypotheses directed at qualifying the escalation of domestic incidents of terrorism. This led to developing a behavioral model to assist law enforcement agencies in combating the issue of domestic terrorism. Bivariate and clustering statistical analysis validated the data while …

Public Participation In Intractable Conflict: A Case Study Of New York State’S High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Policy Development Process And Stakeholder Engagement Outcomes, Nancy M. Pattarini

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The permitting process to determine whether high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) should be allowed in New York State has been controversial and protracted. There have been intense disputes between those who see HVHF as an economic benefit and those who assert it will jeopardize health and the environment. Using the case study research method, perceptions of directly affected stakeholders regarding the issues, benefits and limitations associated with the public participation process were explored. Purposive sampling yielded participants from the natural gas industry, municipal governments, local landowners and residents. Data collection methods involved in-depth interviews, focus groups and document analysis. Since …

The Future Of Work: An Investigation Of The Expatriate Experiences Of Jamaican C-Suite Female Executives In The Diaspora, On Working In Multi-National Companies, Suzette Amoy Henry-Campbell

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Jamaican Expatriate Female C-suite executives in the diaspora of working in Multi-national Companies (MNCs). A further question to be answered was the meaning they derived from their experiences. With little research emerging from the Caribbean about this elite class of professionals, the research intended to expose the challenges faced as an outsider in unfamiliar spaces. Research on other groups have exposed limiting factors to women’s progress in MNCs. Critical Race Theory with a brief mention of Critical Human Geography and Intersectionality are lens applied to critique the experiences …

Covert Singing In Anticipatory Auditory Imagery, Tim A. Pruitt, Andrea R. Halpern, P. Q. Pfordresher

Faculty Journal Articles

To date, several fMRI studies reveal activation in motor planning areas during musical auditory imagery. We addressed whether such activations may give rise to peripheral motor activity, termed subvocalization or covert singing, using surface electromyography. sensors placed on extrinsic laryngeal muscles, facial muscles, and a control site on the bicep measured muscle activity during auditory imagery that preceded singing, as well as during the completion of a visual imagery task. Greater activation was found in laryngeal and lip muscles for auditory than for visual imagery tasks, whereas no differences across tasks were found for other sensors. Furthermore, less accurate singers …

The Socialization Of Female Hostage Negotiators: Their Voices, Perspectives, & Experiences, Lieutenant Superville

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In its fifth annual study, the National Center for Women and Policing reported that women continue to face widespread bias in police hiring and are under-represented because of biased selection practices and recruitment policies that keep their number artificially low. Once hired, women face discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and are maliciously thwarted as they move up the ranks. With respect to gender and organizational culture, the NCWP study failed to capture and describe the perceptions and socialization experiences of those who moved up into the specialized units, particularly female hostage negotiators. For this reason, the current study was designed to examine …

Complexity And Conflict: The Interplay Of Policy, Perception And Language In Post Ada America, Sheila Northrop

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the dissertation is to examine the language used to discuss disability and the attitudes and perceptions that the general American public has about people living with disabilities. Using the transformative research and evaluation method, the content analysis study examines the use of “deficit perspective language” versus “non-deficit perspective language” as defined by Mertens in materials available to the general American public that address the five areas described in the World Health Organization matrix on community rehabilitation for people with disabilities. The mixed methods study explores both the frequency of deficit perspective language and the frequency non- deficit …

Truth Talks: How North America’S Truth And Reconciliation Commissions Engage The Public In Change, Lawrence Schooler

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Within the last 15 years, the first three Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs) in North America formed and completed their work. Patterned after similar efforts in South Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere, the TRCs in Greensboro, North Carolina; Maine; and Canada heard voluntarily-offered testimony from members of the general public and key parties to decades-long conflicts. The Commissions also evaluated responsibility for the conflicts and offered recommendations for change in their respective communities and countries, informed by the testimonies they received.

This qualitative methods multiple case study of the three Commissions’ recommendations involved archival research and data analysis of testimony …

A Phenomenological Research Study On The Effects Of Paternal Abandonment On Hispanic Women In South Florida And Their Conflict Management Skills, Diana Herrera

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Even though women who have been abandoned by their fathers at a young age are more likely to exhibit destructive behaviors as adults, there are cases in which women develop new social skills and become successful at building new relationships (Stolberg, Complair & Wells, 1987). The main purpose for this phenomenological research wasto understand the shared experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers at a young age and explore their conflict management skills. This research wasguided by the following research question: What are the lived experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers before the …

Youth’S Conceptualization Of Peace, Violence, And Bullying And The Strategies They Employ To Address The Violence And Bullying In Their Lives, Charles H. Goesel

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation allowed the researcher to analyze 171 pieces of youth-created artwork and narratives by children aged six to nine who took part in the peace education, mentorship, and literacy program, READING PEACE PALS, implemented with an underserved population at a Boys and Girls Club in the U.S. Qualitative content analysis (Krippendorf, 1980; 2004) was used to analyze the artwork and narratives to gain insight into children’s conceptualization of peace, violence, and bullying and their strategies for addressing bullying and violence.

The findings uncovered the myriad of unique ways youth conceptualize and define peace and the strategies they employ to …

A Case Study Of Crisis Management Training Needs: Saudi Airlines, Hussain Saad Alqahtani

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores crisis management policies, programs, and training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s premier airliners, Saudi Arabian Airlines. Saudi Arabian Airlines is a domestic and international carrier with a major role in the transportation of millions of Muslim pilgrims to the Kingdom during the annual Hajj season. This event places enormous strains on the capacity of the carrier, the airport, ground support systems, and the societal infrastructure of country. There have been tireless efforts by the Airline’s staffers to serve millions of visitors including pilgrims in a timely, safe and appropriate manner. Crisis management for Saudi Arabian Airlines …

U.S. Immigration Reform: A Policy Analysis Of The Development, Relief, And Education For Alien Minors (Dream) Act Between 2001 And 2012, Nickola Elliott

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the policies and legislation connected to the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act between 2001 and 2012 were reviewed and analyzed to identify how the DREAM Act perpetuates structural violence. The DREAM Act purported to assist many undocumented immigrant children and young adults in becoming legal residents of the United States of America. This study applied both the qualitative content analysis approach and a policy analysis methodology guided by David Gil’s methodology for analysis and development of social policies. Data collection sources included legislative bills crafted on the DREAM Act, research articles and studies, …

Conflict, Stress And Faith Experienced By Caregivers Of Bipolar Family Members, Sharonrose Bollers

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues present challenges to the mentally ill, and to the family members who are their caregivers. Among the challenges faced by caregivers are conflict and stress. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the experiences and perceptions of caregivers of conflict, stress, and the role of faith. In addition, this study sought to learn what lessons and strategies caregivers utilized and often created while caring for their family member with bipolar disorder. In this study ten caregivers were interviewed, telephonically or face-to-face, using a semi-structured interview format. Coming from four states, some were employed, some were retired, and one was …

Women In Ministry: How Conflicts Between God's Purpose And Church Doctrine Impact The Efficacy Of Female Church Leaders, Nicole L. Davis

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The following research was a biographical narrative that examined the lived experiences of male and female church leaders and their perspectives on the social, moral, and religious implications of female church leadership. The purpose of this research was to explore the ideologies and identities of women leaders within the faith ministry, the definitions of ministry and leadership, the role of women in church ministry, and their understanding of marketplace ministry. I employed conflict resolution theories relating to power, change, and mental modeling as the basis of analysis for evaluating the impact of church policies and practices on the utilization of …

“Square Peg In A Round Hole” An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Workers’ Experiences With Workplace Conflict, Katherine Joanna Sosa

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a predictable aspect of organizational life. Research indicates that workers spend the majority of their lifetime at work and that unresolved conflict is one of the largest reducible costs in organizations. However, the majority of employee conflicts are not accurately addressed by rights-and-power based conflict management systems. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the experiences and perceptions of workers who had been involved in an unresolved or escalated workplace conflict that was of consequence in their lives. The study sought to learn how it impacted them and how they made sense of the conflict, their organizations, and …

The Concrete Rose: A Phenomenological Study Of African American Women’S Postgraduate Matriculation Experiences, Anne-Marie L. Soto

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the educational matriculation experiences of African American (AA) women in pursuance of postgraduate degree status from the pre-kindergarten to doctoral levels. This study used a transcendental phenomenological approach, guided by the following research questions: 1) What are the elements within academia that define and influence the educational experiences for post-graduate degreed AA women? 2) What (if any) challenges to post-graduate degree attainment, were experienced by the population; what meaning do they find in those experiences? And 3) What are the perceptions of this population regarding how their intersecting identities pertaining to …

'Fresh Seal Blood Looks Like Beauty And Life': #Sealfies And Subsistence In Nunavut, Edmund Searles

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper, I analyze the various functions, meanings and affects associated with seal hunting, eating and sharing seal meat, wearing sealskin clothing and posting #sealfies. Drawing on several decades of research with hunting and gathering families in the eastern Canadian Arctic, and starting with the cultural premise that hunting seals unites the worlds of humans, animals, and spirits, I argue that the seal is a prominent metaphor for the Inuit self. By extension, I examine how Inuit use #sealfies as an extension of other subsistence practices, as a way of making identity (personal and collective), and as a way …

An Exploration Of Racial/Ethnic Differences In The Association Between Perfectionism And Disordered Eating In College Students, Neha J. Goel, C Blair Burnette, Suzanne E. Mazzeo

Graduate Research Posters

Perfectionism is a robust risk factor for eating disorders (EDs). Although individually-oriented dimensions of perfectionism are strongly related to eating pathology, less is known about the contribution of parent-oriented dimensions, specifically parental expectations (PE) and parental criticisms (PC). Further, few studies have investigated these effects within racially/ethnically diverse samples. However, PE and PC might be particularly relevant to eating pathology among certain cultural groups, such as those from collectivistic and interdependent societies. This study examined associations among PE, PC, and ED symptoms across racial/ethnic groups. Undergraduates (N=706; 74.8% Female; 48% White, 19.8% Black, 7.1% Latinx, 16% Asian, 9.1% …

Impact Of Socialization In Elderly Public-Housing Residents, Taylor M. Wilkerson, Schanea Ward, Amy Popovich, Pamela Parsons, Faika Zanjani

Graduate Research Posters

Older adults who experience social isolation have higher rates of mortality relative to their counterparts. Social interactions are an important way to combat this isolation. This research aims to better understand how social isolation in older adults living in low-income households in Richmond, Virginia (RVA) is related to their economic, physical, and psychological health status. As part of the iCubed Health and Wellness Aging Core and in collaboration with the Richmond Memorial: East End Housing Coalition for Older Adults, older adults from a selected public housing unit (n=28) self-reported their financial status, experiences with physical and psycho-social health, and feelings …

Mandarin -Guo Under Control: An Experimental Study, Wei Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the experiential aspectual marker -guo under control in Mandarin. The status of -guo under control has been a subject of controversy, involving two important theoretical questions. The first question concerns whether -guo under control is syntactically associated with the matrix verb or the embedded verb. The second question deals with whether, in terms of interpretive effects, -guo under control triggers actuality entailments. This thesis addresses the latter question through an interpretive judgment test conducted among 260 native Mandarin speakers. In the test, three control verbs (changshi ‘try’, guli ‘encourage’, and zuzhi ‘oppose’) were selected, each of …

Living Tangent, Cornelius Alexander Hugo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A living tangent is how I am known by many and how I have lived my life for some time. I think in tangents and my life and art seem to evolve through them. Everything I make is connected by multiple thoughts or tangent lines that run from something as simple as the color red, to the idea that I believe communism has invaded my family’s homeland. This then leads to the recollection of childhood games, taught to me by my family in Venezuela and the importance these games played in my psychological development and in my presence as an …

Distinguishing Beliefs About Social Inequality: Associations Among Dimensions Of Critical Consciousness, Lauren M. Alvis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Critical consciousness researchers posit that critical reflection, which refers to a critical awareness of structural inequalities between socially constructed groups and external political efficacy beliefs (i.e., perceptions of government responsiveness) are important precursors to effective political action (Diemer et al., 2016; Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). However, little is known about emerging adults’ views of social inequality and political change regarding specific marginalized groups. There are different forms of social inequality and the extent to which individuals experience these inequities is partially determined by multiple sociodemographic characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, sexual-orientation, and gender identity (Hurst et al., 2016). Identifying potential …

Three Essays On Applied Semiparametric Methods, Qinling Lu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first chapter studies a varying coefficient panel data model with different smoothing variables and fixed effects using a two-step estimation approach. The first-step pilot estimator is constructed by ap- approximating the varying coefficients with B-spline functions. The pilot estimator is then used to perform a one-step backfitting to obtain the second-step efficient estimator with kernel local linear estimation. The second-step estimator is efficient in the sense of being equivalent to a procedure knowing the other components of the varying coefficient. The asymptotic properties of both the pilot and efficient estimators are obtained. A Monte Carlo simulation indicates that the …

The Role Of Communication Accommodation In Mother-In-Law/Daughter-In-Law Relationships, Erin Claire Shelton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this thesis was to further the literature on mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships by directly employing Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) to examine relationships between categories of accommodation and relational quality in these relationships. Daughters-in-law (N= 677) were solicited via private Facebook groups to complete an online survey regarding accommodation (their own and their mothers-in-law’s), their feelings of shared family identity, and their relationship satisfaction in their relationship with their mothers-in-law. Results demonstrated relationships between mothers-in-law’s accommodation, overaccommodation, and underaccommodation of their daughters-in-law and daughters-in-law’s feelings of shared family identify and relationship satisfaction. Additionally, relationships were present between daughters-in-law’s …