Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Empirical And Theoretical Analysis Of Leadership In Two Egalitarian Horticultural Societies, Edmond Seabright

Anthropology ETDs

Leadership is a central subject of interest in anthropology and the evolutionary social sciences more generally because of its ubiquity in human societies as well as its role in the evolution of cooperation, social complexity, and social hierarchy. Explaining the variation in the form and functions of leadership across different societies and settings remains a major challenge for social scientists. Although it is often associated with social hierarchy, here I argue that leadership can and does evolve even in egalitarian settings where leaders cannot hope to fully make up the burdens and expenses associated with their service. I further show …

2022 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2022.

Changing Lives Through Art: A Book Review Of Stephen Snow’S Ethnodramatherapy, Johnny Saldana

The Qualitative Report

This book review introduces qualitative researchers to a specialized art form: ethnodramatherapy, the production of a play based on the study of the actions and thoughts of a group of people which aims to have a therapeutic effect on the individuals in the group. Stephen Snow’s Ethnodramatherapy: Integrating Research, Therapy, Theatre and Social Activism into One Method documents his decades-long work and expertise as a Registered Drama Therapist. Ethnodramatherapy is a multidisciplinary blend of qualitative research, mixed methods evaluation, arts-based research, dramatic improvisation for devised theatrical production, autoethnographic introspection, and—most notably—strategic therapeutic goals with selected participants from various populations. Ethnodramatherapy …

Beliefs About Safe Traffic Behaviors Among Male High School Students In Hamadan, Iran: A Qualitative Study Based On The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Vahid Ranaei, Alireza Shahab Jahanlu, Laleh Hassani, Ghodratollah Roshanaei, Kristin Haglund, Jagnoor Jagnoor, Forouzan Rezapur Shahkolaei

The Qualitative Report

Road traffic injuries are public health challenges with heavy economic and social burdens. Road traffic injuries are common in developing countries and occur disproportionately with adolescents. This study aimed to elicit beliefs about traffic behaviors based on the theory of planned behavior among male high school students in Hamadan, Iran. We used a constructivist-interpretive qualitative design with directional content analysis. Interviews were conducted with 19 adolescent males in Hamadan, Iran. Analysis revealed that theory of planned behavior fit well to explain how perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs influenced traffic behaviors. Perceived subjective norms in the forms of parental encouragement, traffic rules …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Material Hardships: A Qualitative Study Of Undocumented Immigrants In The United States, Erika Chavez-Marroquin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study aimed to recognize the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the undocumented immigrants living in southern California. Utilizing an exploratory method with a qualitative approach. The research interviewed English and Spanish-speaking participants who are a part of the undocumented population and have employee history. The study utilized a purposive and snowball sampling method and explored the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on participants’ personal finances, resources they were able to access, and gaps in programs or additional resources through federal and state aid. Through the data analysis, the research identified the following themes: limitations on accessible …

Underutilizaiton Of Mental Health Services By Marginalized Populations, Jermaine Bennett, Anna Blum

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Underutilization of mental health services is a serious issue in the United States, particularly among marginalized groups. Previous research has not explored this issue in depth in the Inland Empire nor focused simultaneously on the federal protected classes of race, age, gender, and sexual orientation. This study expands the literature by using Systems Theory and Intersectional Perspective to determine whether there exists a difference in utilization of mental health services between marginalized populations and their non-marginalized counterparts in San Bernardino County. Through a non-probability sampling method, this study recruited 87 adults who completed a questionnaire on their participation in mental …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment: A Qualitative Study Of The Hispanic Community In A Southern California County, Fred Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to highlight the perspectives of the Southern California County’s Hispanic community on how to address the underutilization of mental health services and inform mental health stakeholders on steps toward solving a major social issue. Three major themes were identified through data analysis: Hispanic culture/tradition, the need for increased education and promotion of mental health, and lack of information from agencies and organizations. A limitation of this study included results that could not be generalized to the larger population due to the small sample size. Recommendations included educating the community, parents and children, and increased promotion of services …

Working Effectively With Immigrant Families In The Child Welfare System, Angeles J. Tovar, Yvette Robles

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine what social work students and early career professionals need from their agencies, supervisors, and colleagues to work effectively with immigrant clients in child welfare. The literature on social work with immigrants suggests that this work is challenging due to a plethora of barriers related to language, culture, citizenship, eligibility, and organizational environment. The study uses in-depth, qualitative interviews with seven social work students and early career social workers who work in child welfare settings in Southern California, either as interns or full-time employees. These interviews were conducted by the researchers from Fall …

The Impact Of Religion And Spirituality On County Child Welfare Workers, Celeste Ramos, Sonia Magdaleno Ayamel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to identify and analyze how county child welfare workers can utilize their own religious and spiritual beliefs to alleviate some of the work-related stress. In addition, the study will examine how participating in religious or spiritual support groups will benefit county child welfare workers. The findings may encourage social workers to rely on their respective religious and spiritual beliefs while dealing with difficult situations.

Accessibility Of Mental Health Resources In Schools, Zitlaly Lizeth Cruz-Roman, Vianney Consepcion Sandoval

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine parents’ and staff’s perception of the accessibility and awareness of mental health resources in school. Mental health resources are made available in school settings; however, not all families and students are aware of the resources being provided. To address the accessibility of mental health resources, research needs to take place to understand why these resources are not being utilized. Individuals’ mental health will improve by creating awareness of the resources since they will be aware of the resources and use them based on their needs. The research project utilized quantitative research methods and descriptive research …

A Study Of Social Engineering Concepts Within A Deceptive Defense, Jacob Glenn Oedekerk

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Organizations fall victim to costly attacks every year. This has created a need for more successful layers of defense. To aid in this need for additional defense, this study researches a way to bolster an underused defense style called deceptive defense. Researchers agree that deceptive defense could be the future of cybersecurity, and they call for more research in the deceptive category. The unresolved question from these researchers is what attack style could be used with a deception-based defense against an attacker. From this unresolved question, it was also determined that social engineering should be used in this culminating experience …

The Effects Of Foster Care Experience On Foster Youth's Intimate Relationships, Britney Smith

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Former foster youth are in the unique position of taking on the transition from adolescence to adulthood, while also carrying the weight of growing up in non-traditional homes, likely away from their biological families. While the causes of a child being placed in foster care vary, inadequate parental care is a factor that exists within each case. Because of this, former foster youth are at heightened risk to experience several traumas associated with being placed in foster care such as teen pregnancy, dating violence, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, and neglect. An area that is often overlooked when discussing the impact …

Former Foster Youth Who Become Child Welfare Workers, Candace Watts, Shantel Ortega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Former foster youth who become child welfare workers are an asset to the child welfare system because of the combination of their lived experience and professional experience in child welfare, which allows them to understand the circumstances of their clients on a deeper level. This study seeks to uncover the reasons why former foster youth become child welfare workers. There are three main questions that our study seeks to know: What factors lead former foster youth to become workers in child welfare? Do these workers have any advantages because of their past personal experiences with child welfare? And do child …

Improving Social Worker Engagement With Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, Kennisha Lesley

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study used a survey to describe social workers’ most pertinent barriers to engaging Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) and sought to identify the most effective practices currently used to improve engagement with this population. The purpose of the research was to assess social worker’s knowledge, preparedness, training, and most effective approaches to improve engagement. Data was collected from thirty participants. Findings were that social workers’ knowledge was relatively high, despite the expressed need for more thorough training to engage and help the population. Social workers provided insight on what interventions and approaches have been most effective when engaging with …

Integrating Neuroscience Research Into Social Work, Esteban Solis

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Historically, the field of social work has implemented a bio-psycho-social perspective to conceptualize mental illness, and to further investigate how biological, psychological and social factors contribute to client circumstances. Although, the biopsychosocial model aims to emphasize all three areas, in social work, psycho-social realms receive more attention while biological factors—particularly neurological ones receive less. Research and recent findings from neuroscience can enhance social work’s understanding of mental health and improve education, training and practice. However, very limited literature of cross-disciplinary collaborations between social work and neuroscience exists and the rationale for that is unclear. This study seeks to fill this …

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Civilian Response And Expectations, Celeste Nunez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On October 14, 1962, an American U-2 spy plane flying over the island of Cuba discovered Soviet missiles being constructed. This discovery led President John F. Kennedy, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro into a thirteen-day negotiation period to remove the nuclear missiles from Cuba. During this time, the world was the closest it had ever been to nuclear destruction, causing stress and anxiety to many worldwide, especially the American populace, who believed they were invincible in a home front attack. Throughout this thesis, I aim to examine the Cuban Missile Crisis and nuclear fallout through the …

Specialized Services For Commercially Sexually Exploited Children In The Child Welfare System, Ola Morrison-Blair, Jahninia Tarango

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is a prevalent global crisis including a range of crimes and activities involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children for financial and non-financial gain. Due to the vulnerability of children and youth who have been in the child welfare system, this population is at a much higher risk of falling victim to CSEC. This qualitative research study focused on the resources available and the knowledge of community professionals who have regular interactions with CSEC victims, such as social workers, licensed clinicians, law enforcement, and community advocates. Data was collected through video and phone …

Do Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Parenting Skills, Life Satisfaction, And Resilient Coping Skills: A Descriptive Study Of Hispanic Parents In Southern California, Andrea Pineda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES, are traumatic events that happen from ages 0-18. ACEs have been linked to physical and emotional issues in adulthood. Some issues include chronic disease, struggles with mental health, and the adoption of maladaptive coping skills. This research sought to assess the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in parenting skills, overall life satisfaction, and the use of resilient coping skills on Hispanic parents residing in Southern California. The study utilizes an online survey to gather numerical data on the impact of ACES in the areas of life mentioned above. A bivariate analysis was used to …

Motivations To Attend Graduate School For Former Foster Youth And Juvenile Offenders In Placement Facilities And Group Homes, Jessica Parks

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the motivating factors for higher education, foster youth and probation youth experienced while in care. The interviews were designed to pinpoint who and what resources, if any, were attributed by the participant as having a positive influence on their attending college. Moreso, the study was purposely directed at individuals who graduated or were working towards a graduate degree or higher. A qualitative data approach was used to interview six participants in order to analyze any themes or similarities amongst the participants. The participants in this study were able to share their personal experiences while in …

Perception Of Parentification: A Qualitative Study Of Hispanic Families In Southern California, Kaylin Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Previous research has not thoroughly studied parentification in California. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring how is child parentification is perceived among Hispanic families in the High Desert region of California. Guided by the premises of Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory and utilizing a qualitative approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with six Hispanic Americans residing in California’s High Desert area (N = 6). Thematic analysis of the data generated six major themes: (1) children as a resource in the household, (2) parentification requires parental consent, (3) parentification depends on child’s age, (4) parentification …

Averting Educational Disruptions For Migrant Children, Natalie Elisarraraz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Migrant children entering the United States face unique challenges when being introduced to the country’s public education system. Not properly addressing the adversities migrant children and families face and their effective resources and strengths when navigating a new educational system can cause a detrimental delay to their potential academic success. This study sought to investigate the educational disruptions experienced by migrant students. This study also explored the relationship between the unique strengths migrant students possess and their use by school staff to the interventions utilized. This study utilized a qualitative design of primary data collected on the experiences of six …

As Seen On Tv: Representation Of Women In Advertisements And The Effects On Women’S Self-Perceptions, Self-Objectification, And Self-Dehumanization, Kori Gearhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

When women are exposed to sexually objectifying advertisements, they experience many adverse effects such as increases in self-objectification and dehumanization of other women (Vaes, Paladino, and Puiva, 2011). Because these effects might be amplified by food advertisements in which the line between a woman’s body and a food item is non-discernible, we examined whether “women as consumable” advertisements lead women to implicitly self-dehumanize and experience reduced body satisfaction. Women (N=129) viewed a woman in hamburger advertisement. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, control condition (non-sexualized woman with a burger), sexualized condition (topless woman with burger), and edible …

The Impact Of Implicit Bias On The Overdiagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Ace Ogbebor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to the American Psychiatric Association (2017), Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and less likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder in compassion to their White counterparts presenting with the same symptoms. To address mechanisms of implicit bias and the implications for mental health practice, it is imperative to investigate the diagnostic process of students who will enter the field of mental health.

According to the Council on Social Work Education, 80% of MSW graduates work in positions providing micro-level direct service to individuals, families, and groups (CSWE, 2019). Moreover, 80% of MSW graduates …

Overcoming Self-Objectification Through A Mind Body Awareness Program, Alexandra Winner-Bachus

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As previous communication scholars have noted, “In light of epidemic levels of self-objectification leading to a host of negative consequences for girls and women, intervention is crucial” (Kite, 2013, pg. III). The purpose of this MA project is to design and conduct a workshop to assist women in resisting self-objectification. The following literature review outlines the theoretical foundations for the project, as well as the most constructive interventions suggested by previous research. I will first review the literature on objectification and self-objectification, then examine the impacts of self-objectification on women. Next, I will discuss what the literature suggests as the …

The Impact Of School-Based, Trauma-Informed Counseling Programs On Student Mental Health, Student Achievement, And Dropout Rates, Matthew Pacheco

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the integration of trauma-based counseling programs into the school systems would significantly impact students who have been affected by trauma. In addition, this study discusses the importance of implementing school-based, trauma-informed programs to assist trauma-impacted students in addressing student mental health, school achievement, and school dropout rates. This paper examines interviews of clinicians who work at a school-based, trauma-informed program and have first-hand knowledge of working with trauma-impacted students. This study is an exploratory, qualitative study design that utilized non-probability/purposive sampling via in-depth interviews to gather data to study the tangible …

Social Workers’ Knowledge And Preparedness In Serving Clients With Experience Of Intergenerational Trauma, Geneva Gandelman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored intergenerational trauma and self-assessed competency levels of social workers who serve clients experiencing possible intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is a wide-spread issue, as it affects over a quarter of children and over half of adults in the United States. Intergenerational trauma, though affecting many clients, is not often discussed, and many mental health professionals are either uninformed on this topic or not interested. This study explored social workers’ self-assessed general knowledge of intergenerational trauma, training on intergenerational trauma, and whether they have knowledge of interventions or techniques tailored to working with families and individuals with possible …

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

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

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

The Effect Of The Perception Of Mental Health Services On Asian Americans, Angela Dao

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Previous studies have examined mental health issues and barriers in minorities, such as Asian Americans. With a basic understanding of the differences in mental health perception, this study dove deeper into the effect of perception of mental health services has on Asian Americans. The knowledge and understanding that arose from this study will ideally contribute to increased acceptance and usage of mental health services. The study was conducted in an interview format with volunteers from the community. The data was analyzed through transcription and coding. The findings of the study included a difference in generational acceptance of mental health services …

Msw Students: How Prepared Are They To Work With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender And Queer Youth?, Evelyn I. Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) youth population is growing, and it is important that the social work field is prepared to serve this population. There is a lack of data regarding LGBTQ youth due to discriminatory practices that encouraged them to remain closeted or not share their gender identity/sexual orientation. Today youth are feeling more empowered to self-identify as LGBTQ and it is important that Master of Social Work (MSW) students going into the field be prepared to work with this population. This is an exploratory study guided by the critical theory paradigm that aims to capture …

Social Work Students' Understanding Of Childhood Psycho-Emotional Maltreatment By Caregivers, Todd M. Rubin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child psychological, emotional maltreatment (CPEM) presents to the social work profession as one of the most challenging to detect, prevent and intervene. The consequences of CPEM have been equally devastating to a child’s development compared to all other forms of childhood maltreatment. The purpose of this study is to assess graduate social work students’ knowledge of CPEM as a determinant of their clinical preparedness to work with families in practice. The rationale for this study is to explore how the lack of focus on CPEM in university education, field experience, and field supervision impacts a social worker’s ability to prioritize …