Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Populist Nationalism In The Age Of Trump, Vernon D. Johnson, Chelsee Autry

Political Science Faculty Publications

This paper builds upon the arguments advanced by Johnson and Frombgen in “Race and the Emergence of Populist Nationalism in the United States” (2009). Johnson and Frombgen made three central arguments: that the US is two nations, not one; that racial attitudes are central to each national identity, and that social movements of a populist character have critically shaped each national identity. They then offered a typology of left and right national identities, each of which had been shaped by populist social movements. This paper seeks to revisit the two nations thesis in the era of Donald Trump on the …

In The U.S., Mena People Are Legally White. But Their Lived Experiences Say Otherwise, Youcef O. Bounab

Capstones

The U.S. Government classifies people whose origins are from the Middle East and North Africa as racially “white.” This is reflected in the decennial census, as well as in other questionnaires and forms, even as many among those groups prefer to have their own categorization. In this feature article, we explore the history of the issue, how individuals from those backgrounds would prefer to identify, and whether their lived experiences in a post-9/11 United States reflect their current categorization.

An Intersectional Approach To Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Women’S Sexualized Body-Positive Imagery On Instagram, Megan A. Vendemia, Kyla N. Brathwaite, David C. Deandrea

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our work adopted an intersectional approach to investigate how women’s racial identity may influence how they evaluate and are impacted by body-positive imagery of women on social media. In a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment (N = 975), we examined how source race (Black vs White) and sexualization (non-sexualized vs sexualized) in body-positive images affect Black and White viewers’ impressions of self-interest, moral appropriateness, and body positivity. Results indicated that viewers generally responded more favorably to non-sexualized (vs sexualized) images: Participants reported less self-interested motivations for sharing, found the images more morally appropriate, and believed they were more …

Black Cosplayers Push For Proper Dark-Skinned Character Representation In Media, Taylor K. Johnson

Capstones

As cosplay continues to rise in popularity at comic conventions, anime conventions and on social media, Black cosplayers push for media companies to invest in adding more dark-skinned characters in their shows and games.

Implicit Bias In The U.S. Air Force Criminal Justice System And The Excessive Punishment Of Black Airmen, Brandon Lanier Dinkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand whether implicit bias influenced disproportionate commander-imposed punishment of junior ranking Black Airmen from grades E1–E4 who previously served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. The theory guiding this study is the implicit bias theory introduced by psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald in 1995. This theory identifies that attitudes, perceptions, and stereotypes shape specific groups' associations and qualities, which can influence decisions. This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenology research design. This study used snowballing and purposeful sampling methods to recruit 16 participants. Data within this study was …

Pretrial Consequences: The Impact Of New York State Bail Reforms On Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Pretrial Outcomes, Esther Laaninen

Student Theses

This study investigates the impact of New York’s 2020 Bail Reforms on racial and ethnic disparities in pretrial outcomes for New York State. 2019, 2020, and 2021 arraignment data from the Office of Court Administration Pretrial Release Datasets are used to determine whether racial and ethnic disparities for White Non Hispanic, Black Non Hispanic, Hispanic, and other race defendants narrowed after the implementation of the new law. The results from descriptive analysis, binary logistic regressions, and ANOVA tests suggest that racial-ethnic disparities have not abated, even though the proportion of defendants required to pay cash bail has sharply declined among …

Suicide At The Intersection Of Race And Gender, Marina Geider

Masters Theses

Sociological studies have examined suicide rate differences between groups since the work of Durkheim in 1897, and current literature still draws on his classic theories and methods. Although research has begun identifying the social factors that affect the suicides of Black and White populations differentially, little progress has been made towards an understanding of Black female suicide. The present study takes an intersectional approach to Durkheim's social integration-regulation thesis to bridge this gap. Several negative binomial regression analyses were employed to model suicide counts for Black men, Black women, non-Hispanic White men, and non-Hispanic White women in the United States. …

Borderline Personality Disorder And Violent Crime: The Moderating Role Of Sex And Race, Genevieve Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) are at risk of justice involvement. Although it is well-established that borderline personality disorder (BPD) increases risk for criminal involvement, it is unclear whether this relationship exists among people with SUDs. Furthermore, prior research has found sex and race differences in the relationships between BPD and justice involvement as well as violence, but these moderators have not been explored within a substance using sample. The current study utilized a sample receiving SUD treatment to examine whether BPD is associated with prior violent charges and, if race and sex moderated this relationship. Results …

Intersectional Identities Of Race And Religion Of African American Muslims And Their Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services, Cheruba A. Dhanaraj

Dissertations

African American Muslims have overlapping and interconnected identities of race and religion that can be conceptualized by the intersectionality framework to understand the complexities of barriers they face when seeking mental health services. African American Muslims have a higher risk of mental health issues due to systemic racism, racial discrimination, racial trauma, and Islamophobic discrimination. Yet, there is a lack of scholarly research or studies that focus explicitly on African American Muslims' specific mental health needs, barriers, and attitudes related to seeking mental health treatment.

This study sought to fill the gap in knowledge about attitudes toward seeking mental health …

America's 'Chinese Problem' In Southeast Asia And The Emergence Of The Domino Theory [Come Tessere Del Domino: Il Pericolo Comunista E La “Questione Cinese” Nel Sud-Est Asiatico Negli Anni Cinquanta], Wen-Qing (Wei Wenqing) Ngoei, Raimondo (Translator) Neironi

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This essay traces how race thinking in US foreign policy, combined with war memories of Japanese imperialism in Southeast Asia, shaped American strategy toward the region and the rise of the domino theory in US Cold War ideas.

George Floyd In Papua: Image-Events And The Art Of Resonance, Karen Strassler

Publications and Research

This article offers an introduction to the “image-event” as both concept and method through a focus on the circulation of images around the killing of George Floyd. It examines how these images reverberated and resonated in West Papua, a restive region of Indonesia that has been the site of a long-standing separatist movement. It critically examines a celebratory media discourse that sees the US-based Black Lives Matter movement as expanding outward to spark similar movements elsewhere, a logic that reiterates long-standing colonialist narratives that figure places like Papua as backwaters belatedly receiving and imitatively taking up ideas that flow from …

Aggressive Reality Docuseries And Cyberbullying: A Partial Test Of Glaser’S Differential Identification Theory, J. Ra’Chel Fowler, Darren R. Beneby, Kenethia L. Fuller

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Reality docuseries have dominated primetime airwaves for the greater part of three decades. However, little is known about how viewers who are enamored with the genre’s most aggressive characters are influenced. Using Glaser’s (1956) theory of differential identification, this study employs survey data from 210 college students at a historically Black college and university to explore whether identification with characters from aggressive reality docuseries (ARDs) and the frequency of viewing ARD are positively associated with cyberbullying. Results of multivariate analyses revealed that men were more likely than women to publicly shame others and air other’s dirty laundry online. Additionally, the …

Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Report At The University Of New Mexico, Lisa A. Marchiondo, Shannon Sanchez-Youngman, Teagan Mullins, Naila V. Decruz-Dixon, Melanie E. Moses, Julia Fulghum

ADVANCE Reports

This report outlines four overarching issues that the COVID-19 pandemic raised or amplified for faculty, based on a survey of full-time faculty on the main campus of the University of New Mexico in Spring 2022. Some of the issues identified existed before the pandemic, which further exacerbated challenges and inequities. Results based on faculty gender, race/ethnicity, and job title are provided.

The report contains multiple recommendations for each of the four core issues that will assist individual faculty and improve campus climate and culture. Recommendations are often applicable to multiple issues, so we provide an appendix that cross-lists recommendations between …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Employment Characteristics, Eliana Shatkin

Theses and Dissertations

The following study examines ways in which COVID-19 has disrupted the United States labor market. My findings present disproportionately negative effects of COVID-19 on employment, labor force participation, worker absence, and weekly working hours for the female population in my sample, as well as veterans, disabled persons, and racial minorities.

Political Trust: Nature Or Nurture, Kahlan R. Canty

Student Publications

This paper looked into the relationship between political trust, demographics (race and gender), and presidential election votes for 2012 and 2016. The purpose of this research was to see the baseline feelings of political trust in different demographics, as well as how those feelings of political trust changed depending on if they voted for in the winning candidate in the presidential election. Preliminary research has already been conducted on both of these topics; however, in this paper I sought to examine if an individual's race or gender affected the extent of a person's loss or gain in political trust when …

Foster Youth In The Mountain West, Zachary Billot, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Sofia Takhtadjian, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines population trends for foster youth and their experiences with foster care in the Mountain West region. The data are sourced from the report “State-level Data for Understanding Child Welfare in the United States” which cites the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and the “State-by State Data” report by the Casey Family Programs from FY 2020. This fact sheet highlights the number of foster youth in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) and their demographic composition.

How Do You Vote? Breaking Down Party Identification By Racial Resentment, Stellarose B. Emery

Student Publications

Racial resentment has long existed in the United States, with the idea that Black people receive unfair advantages by exploiting their race thus negatively affecting White people. In a time in which politics is drastically polarized, a focus is put onto an individual's political identity. The purpose of this research is to determine under what conditions does race influence vote choice by examining how racial bias influences political affiliation. Using data from the 2012 and 2016 National Election Study, the results revealed that ideological thoughts do have an impact on a person’s political party identity as individuals with a higher …

Book Review: Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race, Laura M. Stanton, Leo M. Taylor, Jenny M. Lobb, Pat Holmes, Steve Brady, Imani Scruggs

Journal of Youth Development

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race is a 2017 revised and updated edition to Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s original book written in 1997. The book explores decades of research on the psychology of racism, with an emphasis on the psychology of racial identity in Black, White, and other ethnic and cultural identities. The author helps readers gain a better understanding of historic and modern racism and the implications it has on individuals today. The book also contains important messages for people who work with diverse groups of adults and particularly …

The Myth Of Meritocracy: Factors Explaining Belief In Meritocracy Within The United States, Kaley Burg

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This study examined data from the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS) to determine what factors influence participants’ view of meritocracy within the United States. Based on existing literature that examines relative power and perception, this study sought to understand the connection between power and belief that America exists as a meritocracy, with the assumption that those belonging to groups deemed as wielding power in society should hold stronger beliefs in meritocracy. Results partially support this hypothesis. Using a multivariate linear regression analysis, those who are older or white assert stronger belief in meritocracy, while those with a greater social justice …

State Tanf Spending: Does Devolution Matter?, Rhucha Samudra

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Using the state-level panel data, this study examines the role of Second-Order Devolution (SOD) in state TANF spending patterns. The study uses the Within-Between RE model to examine this connection. No statistically significant effect of second-order devolution is observed. The race continues to be a strong predictor of state funding and complex effects for Black, Hispanic, and Asian clients are observed. Such effects encourage a nuanced discussion of the racialization of welfare policy beyond the dichotomous exploration of black-white differences. Implications of this evidence are discussed.

The Yellow Figment Of East Asian American Women: A Case Study Of The 2021 Atlanta Spa Shootings, Lily Z. Stewart

The Cardinal Edge

This paper explores how mainstream media frames the racial gendering of Asian women through a case study of the 2021 Atlanta Spa Shootings. Fifteen articles sourced from the top ten national newspaper entities published between March 16^th, 2021 and October 2021 analyze how Asian American women are subjected to at least a double feminized social location on account of their race and gender within a U.S. contemporary context. I explore how themes of race, gender, and hyper-sexualization intersect to produce the archetype of Asian women as exotic, docile temptresses. This analysis centers around the dynamic between Asian women …

Microaggressions, Imposter Phenomenon, And People Of Color: A Quantitative Analysis, Rukiya King

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated the impact of racial and ethnic microaggressions on marginalized groups. However, research has not established the presence of imposter phenomenon as a consequence of microaggressions. Imposter phenomenon has been described as intense and pervasive self-doubt experienced by individuals of marginalized identities. Although imposter phenomenon was first conceptualized as an experience among high achieving women, researchers have demonstrated its presence in other marginalized groups, particularly people of color. However, research on imposter phenomenon has mostly focused on perceived racism and racial identity within people of color. The current study examined the relationship between microaggressions, imposter phenomenon, and mental …

Sports Participation And Labor Market Outcomes: A Correspondence Study, Laura Lorena Rodriguez Ortiz

Dissertations - ALL

Discrimination contributes to gaps in employment between Whites and Blacks and increases racial inequality. Young Blacks, ages 18 to 19, are twice more likely to be unemployed compared to Whites (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). This dissertation is the first study, to my knowledge, to rely on an experimental design to examine whether participation in high school sports affects labor market discrimination. This dissertation uses a correspondence study in which 6,000 fictional resumes are sent to real job openings in Chicago, Dallas, and New York. Call-backs are recorded, and any differences in call-back rates are considered evidence of discrimination. All …

Freyre’S Plantation Playground: The Changing Landscape Of The Sugar Plantation Monjope, Catherine Elizabeth Lavoy

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation investigates the changing landscape of the sugar plantation Monjope in Pernambuco, Brazil from the mid-seventeenth to the end of the twentieth century. I examine this plantation’s changing landscape as part of a number of larger social, economic and environmental forces; in particular the development of racially based labor. Established in the sixteenth century, Monjope was one of the many Brazilian sugar plantations that relied on African slavery for labor until the end of the nineteenth century. I argue the plantation’s built environment in conjunction with the larger plantation landscape was part of a global trend of controlling labor …

Race Disparities In Pain Among Canadian Adults., Harry Alorgbey Sardina

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Pain has significant quality-of-life implications for adults. We aimed to identify racial disparities in pain among Canadian adults. These results are crucial to uncovering which population groups are disproportionately experiencing pain-related suffering in Canada.

Racism In Barnstable County’S Judiciary System, Olivia Brown

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This research outlines how racism is prevalent in the court system in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. When looking at research of racism in Massachusetts’ courts, specifically from the Harvard Law Report titled, “Racial Disparities in Massachusetts Criminal System,” published in 2020, I became intrigued with the topic. This raised the research question of is racism prevalent in Barnstable County’s judicial system. This study consists of interviews with defense attorneys from Barnstable County, detailing their personal experiences and thoughts on racism in the courts. This study demonstrates that there is racism in this court, however it tends to go unnoticed due to …

Racial Inequalities In Booster Shot Uptake: Black Communities In The City Of Toronto, Anjali Bhaheeratha

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has posed a threat to the health and wellbeing of various marginalized communities, including Black communities. The booster shot in particular is not a mandatory vaccine, raising questions whether this would further vaccine inequity. I, along with Dr. Kate Choi of the Sociology Department at Western University, analyzed vaccination rates of the first booster shot across all 140 neighborhoods in the City of Toronto. Through stratifying neighborhoods based on the prevalence of Black residents and high/low socioeconomic status, it is clear to see that race, in tandem with similar socio-demographic characteristics, plays a significant …

Race Disparities In Pain Among Canadian Adults., Harry Alorgbey Sardina

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Pain has significant quality-of-life implications for adults. We aimed to identify racial disparities in pain among Canadian adults. These results are crucial to uncovering which groups of individuals are disproportionately experiencing pain-related suffering in Canada.

School Racial Climate And Discipline Practices, Maya Rivers

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The disproportionate use of punitive discipline practices with students of color in American school systems is prevalent among many sources of literature. Consequently, student experiences and perceptions of school climate are often tainted, which has yielded school-wide initiatives to improve in these areas. As school psychologists work to improve school climate with the goal of decreasing the racial discipline gap, they may consider strategies to improve the school’s racial climate. Using the School Climate for Diversity – Secondary Scale (Byrd, 2017), the current study explored what relationship, if any, exists between school racial climate and discipline at the secondary level. …

Parental Pains Of Imprisonment: A Critical Qualitative Examination Of Reentry Into Family Life, Mitchel B. Michael

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study is to grasp and become better informed about the experiences of formerly incarcerated mothers and fathers transitioning from correctional facilities (i.e., local jails, state & federal prisons) back into family life. Lacking in criminological literature on prisoner reentry is the intersection of parenthood and post-incarceration reintegration. Since available research often focuses on maternal and paternal reentry separately, this study encapsulates both to provide an in-depth analysis of experiences across race and gender. To gauge perspectives and experiences in-depth, this study is grounded in qualitative/triangulated methodologies. The data and findings from this study aim to assist …