Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Information Needs, Accessibility And Utilization Of Library & Information Resources As Elements Of Improving The Spiritual Well-Being Of Prisoners In Sri Lanka, Jayasundara Gamage Chandani

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The main objective of this research is study of impact of the prison library services on prisoners’ spiritual well-being. Descriptive survey method was adopted and four null hypotheses were tested to achieve the main objective. A research questionnaire was used to collect data on the sampled 80 prisoners. Result indicated that information needs, accessibility to library information resources and utilization of library information resources are very critical ingredients in determining the spiritual well-being of prisoners. There was significant relationship between: spiritual well-being and utilization of library information resources (r=0.660; (p=0.000) ≤0.05), accessibility to library information resources by prisoner (r=0.341; (p=0.016) …

The Path A Pilot Program Bringing The Hero S Journey To Occupational Therapy, Cole Milkovich, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The "Hero’s Journey" is a powerful narrative therapy tool that uses the hero metaphor to help clients reframe their life circumstances (Robertson & Lawrence, 2015; Williams, 2017). However, this concept has only been utilized in the department of psychology. Occupational therapists utilize narrative reasoning to guide client-heroes through a rehabilitative rite of passage through the collaboration (Kelly, 2007). As mentors, clinicians assist client-heroes to create their stories that will be acted out to reflect their identity. Therefore, the therapeutic process aims to empower the client and enact a real positive storyline through meaningful occupation (Clark, 1993; Mattingly, 1998).

The challenge …

Comparing Experiences Of Constitutional Reforms To Enshrine The Right To Water In Brazil, Colombia, And Peru: Opportunities And Limitations, Lara Côrtes, Camila Gianella, Angela M. Páez, Catalina Vallejo Piedrahíta

Public Administration Faculty Research

In this paper we compare recent efforts towards the constitutionalization of the right to water in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru to understand the opportunities and limitations related to the attempts to enhance access to piped water to the highest normative level. Peru passed a constitutional amendment in 2017 while Brazil and Colombia have seen much right-to-water activism but have not succeeded in passing such reforms. We explore the role of the existing domestic legal frameworks on drinkable water provision and water management towards the approval of constitutional amendments. We find that all three countries have specialized laws, water governing institutions, …

Multicultural Considerations For Latinx And Latinx-American Children In Play Therapy, Andrea Carolina Guerrero León

Counselor Education Capstones

This paper is predominately focused on the exploration of the research available on play therapy and its efficacy with Latinx children. Play therapy is a counseling approach used to process behaviors and emotions in children through interactive play. There are several modalities to play, which all stem from Sigmund Freud’s landmark work with “Little Hans”; these modalities are applied to help children process issues in their lives. However, multicultural considerations have not always been traditionally present in the broader counseling community in the United States. Since the Latinx population is the fastest growing minority in the U.S. with rich, diverse …

Survey Of Utah Onions For Bulb Rot Pathogens, Elizabeth Hansen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Bacterial pathogens cause an estimated $60 million in damages every year in the USA. Little information is currently known about the bacterial bulb rot pathogens found in Utah that impact the onions. Surveys of onion fields and packing sheds have been conducted over the past two years to find symptomatic leaves and bulbs. Symptomatic onions were collected and cultured to grow bacterial strains and identified using PCR and DNA sequencing of the partial 16S gene. Individual isolates went through pathogenicity testing using onion scale as well as leaf assay tests. There was a total of 191 isolates from 2019 and …

Students Perception Of Racial Inequality On Utah State Campus, Abigail Pilling, Elmer Reyes

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

This paper will discuss racial inequality studies at Utah State University Campuses and include multiple studies of racial inequality on campuses around the United States. Each of these additional studies is focused on different aspects of how a campus can be neglecting or hurtful to their students or patrons, in ways such as academics, financial aid, athletics, rigorous schedules, student and classroom atmosphere, and lack of student resources and encouragement. This paper and study will focus on different racial minorities and what racial oppression and social class inequality they have experienced on campus, and how it creates barriers for them …

Employees' Expectations Of Leadership Development Programs And Their Effects On Anticipated Voluntary Employee Turnover And Organizational Commitment, Candace Johnson

Dissertations

Employee retention and commitment have gained attention over the past years (Mutsuddi, 2016). Commitment is the link that connects an individual to their organization, thereby decreases the probability of turnover (Allen & Meyer, 1990; Hague et al., 2019). According to Mutsuddi (2016), decreasing employee turnover remains a critical element for sustainment in any organization. However, most organizations invest in policies and practices to increase employee commitment; those same practices can lead to employee turnover (Mutsuddi, 2016). This study explores the effects of leadership development programs and their impact on organizational commitment and anticipated voluntary employee turnover. A qualitative research design …

The Understanding Of Digital And Multimedia Evidence (Dme) By Attorneys And Digital Forensic Examiners (Dfe) Within The United States Criminal Justice System, Joseph Levi White

Dissertations

One goal of this research was to determine potential themes that may influence the understanding of Digital and Multimedia Evidence (DME) by attorneys and Digital Forensic Examiners (DFE) within the United States Criminal Justice System. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information from experienced criminal attorneys and DFEs regarding potential influences on their understanding of DME. The results of these interviews were transcribed, and the data coded to allow for qualitative analysis. Five themes were developed from this data and are thought to play a role in understanding of DME by attorneys and DFEs: motivation for involvement in the …

Covid-19 & University Stakeholders: A Faculty Perspective, Torie Fowler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction, response efficacy, organizational communication efforts, along with organizational trust and goodwill in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using faculty members employed at their institution of higher education during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. A total of 285 responses were analyzed.

Results of this study suggest faculty member perceptions of job satisfaction and response efficacy were significant in predicting perceptions of trust and goodwill. The most significant predictor of organizational trust and goodwill was perceptions of organizational communication efforts. Also, this …

Walking Into A News Desert: How Arkansas College Newspapers Are Coping With The Decline In Print Journalism, David Keith

Dissertations

News deserts is a reference to geographic areas — most commonly counties — where no newspaper is published. The number of these areas continues to grow as more newspapers shut their doors because of financial difficulties brought on by a lack of advertising, a lack of readers, and the shift to online news consumption. College students studying journalism find themselves on the cusp of entering a profession where the number of workplaces and jobs is shrinking. They know it and the advisers of their college newspapers know it. Even with this arid prospect before them, the students are reporting news …

An Exploration Of Black Church Leaders' Intentions To Develop Critical Consciousness Among African-American Students, Taheesha Quarells

Dissertations

African-American students experience human capital opportunity and achievement gaps. Researchers have called for culturally relevant strategies to help close the gaps. The historic Black Church, a part of many African-American students’ culture and community, is a historic and current source of social capital for positive human capital development outcomes. Critical consciousness develops positive human capital outcomes, such as academic achievement, in African-American and other minority students. Much of the literature on critical consciousness is quantitative in nature and therefore does not include the intentions or the willingness of organizations to develop critical consciousness. Therefore, there is a need to understand …

Personal And Organizational Characteristics Impacting Employee Self-Efficacy, Justin Chandler

Dissertations

COVID-19 forced organizational shutdowns across the globe in 2020, sending unemployment levels in the United States to nearly 15%, with approximately 20.5 million Americans unemployed by May 2020 (Falk et al., 2021; Kochhar, 2020). Virtual business meetings became the norm, while some employees experienced job loss and salary cuts (Prochazka et al., 2020). Many employees worldwide became unsatisfied with their work situation and less confident of their capabilities (Ragheb et al., 2020) and have experienced career shock due to the pandemic. Career shock can lead to many adverse effects on individual employees and organizations, including low self-efficacy, and COVID-19 has …

Sustainable Development Among Four–Year Higher Education Institutions In The United States: A Geographic And Anthropological Perspective, Kori Nadine Armstrong

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the factors that contribute to the cultural characteristics of sustainability among higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United States to shed light on how they represent themselves as sustainable. It documents four-year HEIs in the United States that self-identify as sustainable; evaluates how these institutions portray themselves to society as sustainable; and documents who is leading sustainability on U.S. college campuses. This dissertation fills an important gap in the literature on sustainable development in higher education that Holm and others (2016) have identified. Although education for sustainable development (ESD) has been recognized as an important topic, and …

The Relationship Between Social Isolation, Telecommuting Intensity Levels, Autonomy, And Job Satisfaction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristy Williams

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic forced workplaces to social distance, and millions of workers began telecommuting or working from home (Kniffin et al., 2021). Becker (2002) stated, “How well companies manage their human capital is a crucial factor in their success (p. 8).” The pandemic has profoundly affected human capital (Ballotpedia, 2021; Collings et al., 2021; Jesuthasan et al., 2020; Kniffin et al., 2021). This study examined the relationship between social isolation, telecommuting intensity levels, autonomy, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher attempted to answer the research question and objectives by conducting a quantitative correlation study using a survey …

Conflict Management Strategies Among Nurses In Hospitals, Rita Nassuna

Dissertations

In the present study, participants described their conflict management strategies. After obtaining the participants form nursing associations, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted. The twenty-seven individuals responded to questions relating to the communication strategies they used in a conflict, the factors which affected their approaches to conflict management, the types of Emotional labor (EL) they performed, how deception could be correlated with EL and whether EL contributed to conflict between nurses. After analyzing and transcribing the data, the qualitative software program NVivo was utilized to discover themes and subthemes.

The results indicated that nurses adhered to the Code of conduct’s mandate …

Communication Crisis On Campus: The Public Relations Strategies, Tactics, And Results Of Mississippi’S Leading Universities In Response To The State Flag Debate, 2015-2020, James Coll

Dissertations

This dissertation utilizes W.T. Coombs’s Strategic Crisis Communication Theory to examine the public relations strategies and effectiveness of Mississippi’s three largest public universities, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi, related to the historic decision to retire the state of Mississippi’s flag in 2020. Facing significant reputational threat and public pressure from students and faculty, the universities became public advocates for a new state flag in 2015 and 2016, when each chose to refrain from flying the flag—a flag that featured the Confederate battle emblem for more than 100 years—on its campuses. The universities …

Ot’S Role In A Social Enterprise Jobs Training Program For Homeless Youth, Luke Drohan, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone outlines a jobs training program for transition-aged youth (TAY), ages 18 – 25, currently residing at Urban Street Angels, a transitional housing facility for youth experiencing homelessness located in San Diego, California. The purpose of this project was to incorporate occupational therapy services into the site’s dormant social enterprise program, 8West. 8West produces a line of artisanal hand soaps created in-house by the youth living at Urban Street Angels. Through experiential and didactic learning, youth developed integral skills in customer service, communication, sales, marketing, professionalism, and production. The project addressed an unmet need for job skills training and …

Hating Pink: The Development Of Internalized Misogyny, Jacey Wilson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

For women, expectations of gender roles as placed on them as children can mean growing up with a self-perception of inferiority and a prediction for themselves of incapability. Misogyny’s place in society is a concept which is fairly widely-recognized. Women face misogyny in day-to-day interactions and in larger-scale issues like the gender wage gap. More recognizable are more violent acts of sexism such as sexual violence against women and the structural wage gap. However, less commonly recognized and discussed are the acts which perpetuate sexism quietly, such as benevolent sexism. Many women experience negative psychological effects due to the patriarchal …

Reflections On Co-Creating, Developing And Evaluating Virtual Reality Fieldtrips (Vrf): The Student’S Perspective, Catherine Gorman, Jennifer Stewart, Louise Bellew

Conference papers

To ensure graduates have the skill to work within the tourism industry, and spurred on by the paradigm shift in teaching due to Covid 19, this research focused on developing innovative solutions using technology. Using virtual assessment techniques, industry co-created evaluation, and integrated assessment, it explored how virtual field-trips can be developed as part of remote teaching methods. To provide context to the topic of sustainable tourism and technology, a student-led virtual seminar with industry was undertaken linking with TU Dublin Green Week 2021. In place of a fieldtrip using Google Earth and Screen-casto-matic, students created videos incorporating the sustainability …

Antisocial Personality Disorder/ Psychopathy With An Increase Of Violent Crime, Meagan Lym

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The work below is other research conducted in the same area, does having antisocial personality disorders or psychopathy make a person more violent. The study will include those who have committed a violent crime; to narrow the pool more, these individuals will be serving life sentences or be on death row. The individuals will have a rigorous interview to go through that will establish what traits they carry and if they have any specific disorders. The individuals’ files will then be analyzed. We are looking for what kind of crime, the nature of the crime, the violence used during the …

The Knights Templar: Blood And Banking, Morgan Thatcher

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The Knights Templar were a martial religious order founded in the 12th century AD. Though they were known for their prowess on the battlefield, more importantly, they became an important and integral part of the Medieval financial and economic world. This was only possible due their unique position as a sanctioned part of the Catholic Church, their reputation, political connections, and a changing idea of what money was. The Templar utilized every facet of their position in order to gain wealth and power, but were ultimately brought low at the hands of Philip IV of France.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Students At Usu Eastern, Marcos Suarez, Brielle Mccourt, Aurelio Rodriguez, Jessica Hansen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people throughout the world in numerous ways. The ramifications of the pandemic will be studied for years to come. We are interested in the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on college students, specifically those at Utah State University Eastern (USUE). We will be conducting an exploratory quantitative survey, in conjunction with the Student Counseling Center, for current students enrolled at USUE, ages 18 and above and will be asking questions about their mental, educational, financial, and social wellbeing. The survey will be distributed by email and will be available through the …

Perceived & Personal Mental Health Stigma, Katie White, River Jarman, Brenden Jones, Gabrielle Archambault

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

An exploration of stigmatizing beliefs held by college students, as well as the students' experiences with stigma and discrimination in relation to their own reported mental health problems. The Day's Mental Illness Stigma Scale and the Mental Health Stigma Scale were used to measure varying aspects of stigmatizing beliefs including treatability, relationship disruption, hygiene, anxiety, visibility, recovery, professional efficacy, discrimination, disclosure, and positive outcomes.

Racial Disparity On Holding Penalties In The Nfl, Alex Dayley, Katelyn Williams, Terrance Bankhead, Cameron Wood

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Numerous studies have identified and analyzed the existence and impact of racial discrimination on different aspects of United States culture, including the criminal justice system and professional sporting associations. For example, in the criminal justice system, research has found that minorities are more likely to experience a search of their vehicle during a traffic stop especially if the police officer is of a different race than the motorist. This analysis of racial bias can be applied to professional sporting associations, where split-second decisions are made which allows for the possibility of racial discrimination. In the NBA, research has found that …

Unmasked: A Comparative Glimpse Into East Asian Theatre, Marcilene Hyer

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

From the more simplistic costumes, makeup and performances of Pansori (판소리) meaning ”Gathering place” or “varying sound” from Korea to the elaborate, colorful, and vibrant costumes, makeup, and performances we see in Kabuki (歌舞伎) which means “Song-Dance Skill” or “Bizarre Theatre” from Japan and Jīngjù/Jīngxì (京剧/京戏) or Beijing/Peking Opera or “Theatre of the Capital” from China. These beloved Eastern Asian Theatres are a treasure for each country being the embodiment of aesthetic ideals, and a bridge to connect people of many different cultures. These traditional performances with similar origins in religious practices or other culture celebrations such as a bountiful …

Gender & Social Support In Young Adults, Sierra Howe, Amy Jensen, Kaitlin Welsh, Jalena Warner

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The effect of social support on mental health outcomes is important in understanding how best to address mental health issues in the general population. Young adulthood is a time of extreme stress and change which can often be a trigger for mental illness to occur. Previous research indicates gender as a major determinant for mental health outcomes, especially when exploring help-seeking behaviors. While women are more likely to seek support for mental illness, men are much more likely to self-medicate rather than seek help. Trans and gender diverse individuals were much less likely to receive social support for mental illness, …

Re-Envisioning Transforming Communities Initiative, Alyssa Cronin

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Have you ever seen a large problem you wished we could just solve already? There are many: poverty, homelessness, racism, hunter. The list goes on. Huge issues like these require people to step up to the plate and dismantle oppressive systems and construct better ones. Social workers have been doing this since their conception; however, engagement in these areas have been dwindling over the past decades. TCI was born in 2014 to help combat this by training the next generation of civically engaged social workers while conducting research and working with communities in Utah to create change. It is now …

Microaggressions Experienced By Lgbtq Individuals In Cjclds Contexts, Jane Bell

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Relative to heterosexual and cisgender individuals, sexual and gender minorities (SGM) have elevated rates of minority stress and heightened chances of health problems, including mental health disorders and suicidal ideation. This process can be exacerbated in a conservative Christian religious setting, such as in the context of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS). Although CJCLDS doctrine embraces love for all, LGBTQ+ individuals experience discrimination, sometimes through subtle verbal/nonverbal barbs called microaggressions. There is limited research on this intersection of experience, which makes it difficult to understand how to help the individuals being adversely affected. This study seeks …

Trauma: Forced Sterilizations Of Latina Women In The United States, Lisset Delgado, Wystan Hampton

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The purpose of our research is to understand the history of how American society has viewed Latina women and the oppression they have faced mainly due to forced sterilizations. Between the 1930s and 1970s, Latinos in the United States were forced to undergo sterilizations which have been a large contributor to the cause of multiple underlying mental health issues. Although the book Taína, written by Ernesto Quiñónez, is considered fiction, we understand that many of Quiñónez's stories within the book are based on actual events that took place in his life. As a result, his literary work will be …

Violent Crime With The Influx Of Immigrants Along The Southern Us Border., Jesse Clark

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The United States citizens have a perception that the foreign-born, especially “illegal aliens,” are responsible for the carnage and the reported increase in violent crime rates along the U.S.and Mexico border, and the media and popular myth often perpetuate this mentality. But these perceptions are not supported empirically; instead, they are proven wrong by the scientific evidence. If we understand “carnage” to mean criminal violence and killings, state and national crime data doesn’t support this narrative. Although an increase of property crimes, due to the sheer number of border crossers, have been attributable to traveling migrants — like break-ins, cut …