Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Measuring Competency In Social Work: Lgbtqia Populations, Desirae Nicole Aguirre, Samantha Raquel Stephens

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study conducted interviews to measure the level of competency social workers have assisting members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, and asexual community (LGBTQIA+) using a qualitative exploratory research design. Data was collected from nine social workers from the United States of America. Key findings indicated the participants generally did not feel competent to work with this community, particularly transgender persons. Training at work, through school, or learned on their own about serving LGBTQIA+ clients were generally limited in scope. Lastly, findings on what the participants thought the specialized needs of the transgender population were …

Identifying Associations Between Human-Environmental Factors And Water Quality Trends Observed At Perennial Headwater Streams Of The San Bernardino National Forest, California, Anna Frey

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Anthropogenic factors related to landscape activities, infrastructure, and alterations, coupled with severe climatic fluctuations (i.e., droughts and extreme hydrological events) are increasingly impairing the quality of surface water resources across multiple geographic scales, warranting the need for comprehensive investigations of the cumulative effects of human-environmental stressors at multiple scales within a watershed. This study assessed three perennial headwater streams of the San Bernardino National Forest, California. The streams were tested for one year from October 2019 to September 2020 for conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, turbidity, temperature, ammonium (NH₄+), nitrate (NO₃-), total coliform (TC), Escherichia coli …

Social Workers’ Competency When Working With Latino Immigrant Families, Suleima Corea, Cynthia Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study will focus on exploring the competency of social workers who provide services to Latino immigrant clients, who are court-ordered to complete services, meaning that a juvenile court has had to remove the child from their parents due to abuse or neglect. When social services practitioners provide service to Latino immigrant clients, it is important for them to be familiarized with the culture, beliefs, and behaviors to better understand and serve the population.

This qualitative study used a snowball sampling method to interview six Southern California social workers in two different child welfare agencies via Zoom. The participants were …

Co-Construction Of Identities Within The Home Brewing Community Of Practice, Ryan Julius Miller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project applies Community of Practice (CoP) theory to examine co-constructions of identity and membership within a Community of Practice based around the home brewing of beer. The study focuses on both the interactions of members with each other and within the community, as well as how the members display their membership and expertise while participating in their practice and acting as identifiable members of their community.

By observing members and their interactions as members of a community, this study attempts to both further the development and understanding of Community of Practice theory as well as gaining understanding of a …

Examining Geographic Variation In Mental And Behavioral Health Outcomes Of Sexual Minority Youth, Kerry M. Mcloughlin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual minority youth (SMY) are a population vulnerable to behavioral health challenges. While behavioral health disparities between SMY and heterosexual youth are well documented, less attention has been given to how such disparities vary geographically. The aim of this study is to begin to fill this gap by using a national dataset to examine how behavioral health disparities between SMY and heterosexual youth vary by geography. Understanding how SMY’s experiences vary by location will allow social workers to better allocate resources. Secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study was conducted to …

Latinas' Cultural Beliefs Affect On Their Postpartum Mental Health, Cindy Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Postpartum depression affects Latinas at a higher rate than the general population; however, Latinas often refrain from seeking mental health services due to their cultural beliefs. By examining Latinas’ experiences and perspectives on postpartum depression and how their cultural beliefs impact them. This study provides insight to increase postpartum depression awareness and mental health service seeking among Latinas. In this exploratory study, a qualitative approach was utilized in which Latinas were recruited to participate in interviews containing open-ended questions, then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts were reviewed for accuracy, coded for themes, and examined by utilizing thematic analysis. The findings …

Socioeconomic Landscape Restructuring Caused By Property Appreciation Rates, Abner Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Real estate property has historically been considered the bedrock of the American Dream and a primary method used to build wealth. However, homeownership has not been attainable for many people because property appreciation rates have consistently exceeded income growth. Available research indicates that rapid appreciation rates pressure low to average income earners out of their counties of residence towards more affordable counties’ residencies. This creates a problem where the receiving counties have increased demand and prices which starts a cycle of migration for lower income populations. Shifting populations can change the economic and demographic characteristics of counties. Previous research that …

The Land Of Disenchantment: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, And Race In New Mexico, 1598–1910, Jacqulyne Ruby Anton

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Across the North American continent, white supremacy is often taken for granted as a foregone conclusion by the late nineteenth century. Recently, however, scholars of the Greater Reconstruction, Indigenous history, Latinx history, U.S.-Mexico Borderlands history, and historians of capitalism have challenged this assumption by deconstructing narratives that portray white-European American hegemony as inevitable. My research on settler colonialism adds to the discussion of the establishment of white supremacy in the West by analyzing the evolution of white supremacy in New Mexico over time. It argues that the Spanish, Mexican, and American settler colonial regimes actively used white supremacy as a …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Social Work Students, Rosanne Cabonce

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research project describes the relationship between anxiety and social support in Bachelors and Masters of Social Work students (N = 80) in a public state university. College students, specifically Social Work students, have been adversely affected due to consequences of COVID-19. Different areas of their life including their academic, financial, and especially, their mental health (e.g. anxiety) have been impacted due to the pandemic. A quantitative, descriptive study is conducted utilizing instruments to investigate anxiety and social support these students face during the pandemic. Correlation analysis is utilized to determine the relationship between anxiety and social support. Not many …

Disenfranchised Grief In Queer Companionship And Chosen Family, Derek Lowell Corns

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the ways in which queer people experience disenfranchised grief when mourning the death of a loved one who also identified as queer/LGBTQIA2S+ and whose relationship with one another existed outside of cisgender/heteronormative frameworks. Research suggests that the life experiences as LGBTQIA2S+-identified people can vary in specific ways to those of cisgender heterosexual people, and in the occurrence of death and bereavement, such circumstances can be further complicated and disenfranchised by the types of relationships the bereaved and the deceased shared. Through interviews and qualitative data analysis, this study provided supportive and informative insight into social work practice …

Inter-Agency Collaborations Among Mental Health And Law Enforcement Professionals In San Bernardino County During Covid-19: A Qualitative Study, Sonya Mcisaac

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As first responders, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are constantly sought after regarding the delivery of critical services to people in need. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a halt. It is therefore important to understand how social services were delivered during the crisis. It has been assumed in the literature that interprofessional collaboration is an important service delivery framework. However, because COVID-19 is a relatively recent public health phenomenon, relevant studies on interprofessional collaboration between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals are scant, if not non-existent. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring …

Mary Julia Workman: Catholic Progressivism In Los Angeles (1900-1920), Jose Castro

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mary Julia Workman was a social activist in the early twentieth century. She was the founder of the Brownson Settlement House in Los Angeles. By the 1900s. during the Progressive Era, Mary Julia Workman, a Catholic activist, led a group of women to help the immigrants that were segregated and discriminated in the growing city of Los Angeles. Although Catholic activism was influenced by the Protestant Progressive ideology, Mary Julia Workman provided social justice to the marginalized. Her Americanization methodology would be focused to learn from the foreigner culture and adapted it to our society. Meanwhile, the Americanization efforts promoted …

Perceived Barriers To Mental Health Service Use Among Latinx Women With Postpartum Depression Symptoms, Mayra Alvarado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine what are the perceived barriers to mental health service use among Latinx women with postpartum depression symptoms. The literature on women with postpartum depression symptoms showed that barriers like concern of judgment, lack of support, and lack of knowledge of PPD were some of the reasons why they did not seek treatment.

The study uses in depth, qualitative interviews with seven Latin women who gave birth within the last two years, and experienced postpartum depression symptoms. The interviews were conducted from February 2022 through March 2022.

Thematic analysis uncovered the following five …

Assessing Urban Canopy Program In Redlands California, Joseph Angel Rocha Iv

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Climate change can cause major environmental and human health issues especially in lower income and minority communities (Ros et al. 2020; Bethel et al. 2022). Although studies note tree coverage alone cannot solve all climate related problems (Pataki, et al. 2021; Ross, 2021), tree coverage does provide alleviation for climate change related factors (Free-Smith, et al. 2004). Some ways trees can combat climate change is through improved air quality, improved water quality, and decreasing impacts of Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) (Nowak et al. 2018; Liu, Liu, 2021; Wang, Zhao, et al 2017). Although throughout the United States there is …

Self Care And Burnout Among Child Welfare Workers During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Stephanie Carranza, Claudia Castillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The study was designed to explore associations between burnout and self-care practices among child welfare social workers and how they were impacted during the Coronavirus pandemic. The researchers completed a qualitative study with research participants by completing interviews via Zoom. All research participants composed of current and former child welfare social workers. Through the data gathered, the researchers found that there were no associations between burnout and self-care practices during the pandemic. It was concluded that burnout has remained consistent regardless of self-care practices prior and during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Evolution Of Stigma: Understanding The Progression Of Stigma On Receiving Mental Health Services Within Latinx Communities In The Inland Empire, Joanna Gutierrez, Ciel Rivas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The stigmatization of mental health services within the Latinx community has led to the underutilization of these services within this population. This study examined whether the stigma on receiving mental health services has evolved over the years within the Latinx community of the Inland Empire region. An analysis of the evolution of this stigma brings insight on why this stigma exists, and what has made it increase or decrease. The study was conducted through a qualitative procedure; Individual interviews were conducted where the information gathered was analyzed through thematic analysis to identify overlapping ideas and topics. The findings supported that …

Assessing The Prepardness And Comfortability Levels Of Graduate Social Work Students Discussing Sex And Sexuality, Sarah Anne Champion Macedo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study utilized surveys to assess the preparedness and comfortability levels of graduate social work students discussing sex and sexuality with future clients using a quantitative exploratory research design. The purpose of the research was to assess graduate social work students' preparedness and comfortability levels discussing sex and sexuality and to determine possible recommendations for graduate social work education and potential policy changes concerning sex education for graduate social work students. The data was collected from sixty-two participants, from a Southern California University, who were sent a survey via their student emails. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The study …

Behavioral Effects And Neurobiological Mechanisms Of 3-Aminobenzimide In A Rodent Model Of Chronic Psychological Stress, Liza Wills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence rate of approximately 20%. Inadequate pharmacological treatment methods for MDD are a significant debilitating factor. Patient estimates suggest that the treatment resistance rate for pharmacological interventions is over 30%. Postmortem analyses of human tissue of individuals diagnosed with MDD have shown an increase in Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) mRNA gene expression in prefrontal cortical white matter when compared to psychiatrically normal brain tissue. In order to further investigate this issue, the present study used the social defeat stress/chronic unpredictable stress (SDS + CUS) rodent …

The Lived Experiences Of Introverts And Their Extracurricular Involvement In A Four-Year University Environment, Maigan Wipfli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of introverts who were involved in two or more passive or active extracurricular involvement opportunities during their undergraduate experience at a four-year college or university. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom video conferencing with self-identified introverts who attended public, four-year universities in the South, West, and Midwest regions of the United States. Participants represented both medium and large institutions. The analysis of the data indicated common themes from the participants including personality traits and common misconceptions of introversion, cultural focus of extraversion, personal and professional development, opportunities granted, and individual preferences …

Digital Manipulation Of Human Faces: Effects On Emotional Perception And Brain Activity, Martin Knoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of human face-processing has granted insight into key adaptions across various social and biological functions. However, there is an overall lack of consistency regarding digital alteration styles of human-face stimuli. In order to investigate this, two independent studies were conducted examining unique effects of image construction and presentation. In the first study, three primary forms of stimuli presentation styles (color, black and white, cutout) were used across iterations of non-thatcherized/thatcherized and non-inverted/inverted presentations. Outcome measures included subjective reactions measured via ratings of perceived “grotesqueness,” and objective outcomes of N170 event-related potentials (ERPs) measured via encephalography. Results of subjective …

Reconceptualizing Conservation, S. J. Cooke, Sarah Michaels, E. A. Nyboer, L. Schiller, D. B. R. Littlechild, D. E. L. Hanna, C. D. Robichaud, A. Murdoch, D. Roche, P. Soroye, J. C. Vermaire, V. M. Nguyen, University Of Ottawa,, J. F. Provencher, P. A. Smith, G. W. Mitchell, S. Avery-Gomm, C. M. Davy, R. T. Buxton, T. Rytwinski, L. Fahrig, J. R. Bennett, G. Auld

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Early definitions of conservation focused largely on the end goals of protection or restoration of nature, and the various disciplinary domains that contribute to these ends. Conservation science and practice has evolved beyond being focused on just issues of scarcity and biodiversity decline. To better recognize the inherent links between human behaviour and conservation, “success” in conservation is now being defined in terms that include human rights and needs. We also know that who engages in conservation, and how, dictates the likelihood that conservation science will be embraced and applied to yield conservation gains. Here we present ideas for reconceptualizing …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 6, Number 5, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Taking Health-Risks As A Short-Term Mating Strategy, Alvin Jun Jie Wong

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Diseases pose a recurring, and often indiscriminate threat to the health of individuals. However, there exists a wide range of behavioral responses between individuals when it comes to taking health precautions or undertaking risks in response to this perennial threat, with some responses seeming maladaptive to an individual’s survival. The present study adopts the lens of evolutionary psychology and suggests that taking health risks represent a short-term mating strategy in men, which potentially trades survival for reproductive fitness. Taking health risks is hypothesized to be an honest signal of both good genes and a strong physiological immune system, both of …

Sorry, Locals Only: An Experimental Investigation Of The Affective, Behavioural, And Cognitive Consequences Of National Identity Denial, Nadyanna Binte Mohamed Majeed

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Existing literature shows that experiences of identity denial and questioning (IDQ) present two major consequences for racial minority groups: increased negative affect and behaviours to reassert one’s identity. The current thesis addresses two limitations in this literature—concerns about generalisability to non-US contexts, and potential consequences for cognitive functioning—by examining IDQ effects on individuals from distinct racial groups in Singapore. Through a correlational survey, Study 1 provided evidence for the incidence of IDQ in Singapore across the three racial groups, although IDQ reports were generally higher among racial minority groups (i.e., Malay and Indian) than the racial majority group (i.e., Chinese). …

A Dangerous Pursuit Of Safety: The Value Of Freedom Of Expression And The Folly Of Trading It Away, Nina Katarina Štular '22

Honor Scholar Theses

Freedom of expression has always been weighed against other values. Like all freedoms, it brings with it a degree of risk that it will be misused to do ill. In the work ahead, I hope to offer a reminder of the value of free expression and a warning against the folly of over-restricting it. Those in favor of censoring and regulating expression too often feign to act as protectors of the much desired public or community safety. What censorship really produces, however, is at best a mere illusion of safety. Only an environment in which all ideas, no matter how …

Property Blockchains Have Failed To Realize Their Promise, Alexander Walton '22

Honor Scholar Theses

We analyze the introduction of blockchain technology in the U.S. home sales market. The introduction of blockchain technology into the real estate industry has failed to meet high expectations to streamline operations and reduce costs. Required legal changes in the management of property deeds, high investment costs and unproven technology met resistance in a fragmented industry with many players, some holding monopoly control. Many parties in the complex chain of real estate transactions have resisted the natural Schumpeterian wave of creative destruction which, at the macro level, should bring huge savings. At the micro level, title insurers have the most …

The Simulated Life: A Psychological And Philosophical Examination Of Contemporary Social Media Use Of Adolescents, Lauren T. Lamore '22

Honor Scholar Theses

Suppose you were born 50 years ago. You may not have encountered a screen for several years. Suppose you were born today. You would likely encounter a screen instantly. Unlike 50 years ago, adolescents are exposed to screens and social media quickly and frequently. For those born today, it can be difficult to imagine a world without social media, smartphones, and the internet.

Recently, China limited the amount of time adolescents under the age of 18 can spend playing video games. Bans and limitations like this may sound strange to a western audience, but many people are worried about the …

The Decline Of Mental Health: Pandemic Effects In School-Aged Children Katherine Lenger Depauw University Honor Scholar Program Class Of 2022 Rebecca Schindler,, Katherine Lenger '22

Honor Scholar Theses

This research project examines the mental health impact of Covid-19 on children in primary school. When I first began this research project, there were not many reports on children’s mental health in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were already published studies about adult mental health, college students, and even teenagers, but not much about school-aged children. That is what prompted this study. Since I have begun my research, there have been a few more reports published, including some by the US Department of Education, that have drawn more attention to the current lack of sources available for younger children. …

Identity, Knowledge, And Environmentalism: How The Media Can Affect The Politics Of Climate Change In The United States, Colette Polezonis '22

Honor Scholar Theses

This paper will examine how individual identities can affect both their news media preferences and their belief in climate change. Identity impacts what news sources an individual finds trustworthy, and therefore what news sources they read and watch. Identity also affects an individual’s belief that climate change is already happening, and that it is manmade. Media preferences can also shape those beliefs, based on the way they frame the same story, and what rhetoric is used within each frame. The media uses rhetoric and framing to influence individuals’ knowledge on particular topics, which impacts their voting behaviors. A person’s identity …

The Red Line: An Examination Of The Power Dynamics And Concepts Impacting The Bus Rapid Transit Plan For Marion County, In, Kelby Stallings '22

Honor Scholar Theses

I intend to apply critical theory to the relationship between historic Home Owner’s Loan Corporation (HOLC) residential security maps and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system currently being developed for Marion County, Indiana. This critical examination will aid in the visualization of current power dynamics contained within the Indianapolis city system, which are partial artifacts of the historic HOLC mapping of the city. Visualizing the Indianapolis city system from a critical perspective may in turn help to indicate who will be privileged by the structure and redevelopment of the Indianapolis city with the advancement of zero-emission and/or sustainable infrastructure in …