Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Dance Of War Or Love: Applying A Gendered Lens On The Lived Experiences Of Women Social Entrepreneurs In Nigeria, Grace C. Ihejiamaizu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores the lived experiences of Nigerian women social entrepreneurs, using a qualitative methodology rooted in yarning circles, a culturally respectful, relational approach that foregrounds storytelling and co-construction of knowledge. Through this method, the research examines how these women navigate the intersections of gender, culture, power, and purpose within highly patriarchal and institutionally constrained environments.

The findings assert that Nigerian women social entrepreneurs are not static actors driven by fixed motivations, but dynamic changemakers whose goals shift as they gain access to resources, legitimacy, and social capital. The Cycle of Privilege framework helps us understand this evolution as an …

The Echoes Of Heartbreak: Shaping Confidence In Future Relationships Through Metaperceptions Of The Past, Anika P. Patychuk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Romantic relationship dissolution can be deeply destabilizing. Existing research has documented the emotional and psychological consequences of breakups but has rarely examined how these experiences shape subsequent relationship functioning. While breakups often trigger self-protective responses that can inhibit future relationship formation, individuals may also derive valuable relational insights from these experiences. The present research examined whether perceiving past romantic relationships as valuable sources of relational knowledge (epistemically valuable) enhances confidence in future romantic pursuits. I propose that perceiving past relationships as high (vs. low) in epistemic value encourages confidence in future romantic pursuits. I tested this hypothesis in three experimental …

Exploring The Role Of Collective Narcissism And Ideology In Support For Reparations, Melih Can Sahin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Many societies with colonial histories have begun to grapple with their legacy of historical injustices and their ongoing consequences, leading to national apologies and sometimes consideration of reparations. In this context, it is important to understand the factors enhancing or impeding public support for reparations. This dissertation focused on the role of beliefs (ideology) and identity (collective narcissism) as predictors of support for reparations addressing historical injustices. Drawing from existing research, we expected that those higher in conservatism – and those higher in collective narcissism - would oppose reparations more strongly. We also examined the interaction between ideology and collective …

Nature For All? Assessing Equitable Public Access To National Urban Parks In Canada: A Comparative Analysis, Andrew Tenute

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The number of health challenges is rising both globally and in Canada. Research consistently shows that time spent in nature can mitigate some of these health challenges, offering significant mental, physical, and well-being benefits. Parks and protected areas in Canada, including the expansion of the National Urban Park (NUP) program by Parks Canada, provide valuable opportunities for nature-based engagement. However, access to these spaces is unjust, as many individuals face structural, intrapersonal, and interpersonal constraints. While prior studies have explored the motivations and well-being outcomes of women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals, there remains a limited …

Exploring The Experiences Of Racialized Immigrant Mothers In Contributing To Patterns Of Community Life In The Victoria Hills Neighbourhood, Carmel Tatiana Mahdi Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The experiences of racialized immigrant mothers are complex, nuanced, and beautiful. Oftentimes, their stories are described in a way that frames women as helpless victims, merely writing about their challenges in the absence of their protagonism. The stories in this thesis suggest that, against the obstacles unique to racialization, motherhood and immigration, mothers are often the primary caretakers of their families and play a significant role in the development of children, while creatively exploring and responding to questions pertinent to community development. They navigate community life in a place different from the one they grew up in – addressing questions …

The Body’S “Why?”: Therapists’ Embodied Approaches To Meaning-Making In Trauma And Complex Ptsd, Tanya D. Rock

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The challenge of finding meaning in trauma is one that has inspired conversations in psychotherapeutic circles as well as amongst theologians and philosophers. Finding meaning following trauma has been positively associated with growth following the traumatic incident and has been labelled as critical to the progression of healing (Herman, 1992). This study aims to examine the role therapists play in meaning-making with clients who have experienced trauma. The research question is “how do therapists handle meaning of life challenges with traumatized clients?” Ten experienced therapists participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Key findings included common therapist responses to client’s “why?” …

Integrating Indigenous Values And Community Strengths To Achieve Indigenous Food Sovereignty And Community Well-Being In The Ka’A’Gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories, Jennifer K. Temmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities face disproportionate impacts from interconnected challenges related to climate change, food security, health, and cultural preservation, that threaten traditional food systems and practices. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven solutions, existing frameworks fail to integrate Indigenous values and local priorities effectively. This research addresses this gap by exploring how the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) is responding to these crises through climate change adaptation efforts focused on food system sustainability as a pathway to self-sufficiency and community well-being. To contribute to these efforts, this dissertation uses Participatory Action Research to facilitate community-driven …

The Experiences Of Mothering With An Intimate Partner Violence-Related Brain Injury, Emily L. Sebben Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

One in three Canadian women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime, and 75% of them have a probable brain injury (BI) (Haag et al., 2022). Despite the recent growth of IPV-BI research, many survivors remain undiagnosed and many aspects remain unexplored. The experiences of being a mother with an IPV-related BI has been left untold. These gaps leave frontline workers with little guidance in supporting survivors who are specifically mothers. This research reports on a qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of mothering with an IPV-BI. The study uses a constructivist worldview and hermeneutic phenomenology to amplify …

Exploring The Shadows: How Taylor Swift's Music Embodies Dark Sound As A Popular Music Artist, Kristyn E. Cole

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To challenge the conceptual matter of “dark sound”, this major research paper centers around the popular music artist, Taylor Swift to demonstrate an overarching feminist wisdom in an alternative style of music to identify how Taylor Swift presents and embodies qualities of “dark sound”. Research done by D. Ferrett, Theodor Adorno, Roland Barthes and Paul C. Jasen are used to examine her popular music, and its intersections and influence on our culture and society. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, this research paper discusses three of Swift’s songs; “willow” (evermore, 2020) for her sound, All Too Well: The Short …

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling And The Criminalization Of Black Students At Post-Secondary Institutions, Yugita Looknauth

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

“Just Checking”: Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Black Students at Post-Secondary Institutions

This dissertation examined the experiences of Black students who came into contact with campus security at five universities and one college in Ontario, Canada. Critical race theory and methodology, and qualitative research design amplified the voices of 17 participants who shared stories of racial profiling marked by racialization, criminalization, surveillance, and the normalized scrutiny of Black life. These experiences are legitimized by post-secondary institutions that are actively reproducing the very racism they are often celebrated for interrogating by allowing a culture of anti-Black racism to exist with …

Affective Forecasting With A Chance Of Collective Action: Women’S Anticipated Affect After Acting Against Sexism And Its Relationship To Collective Action Intentions, Adrianna Tassone

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Confronting sexism elicits social costs like name-calling (Mendes et al., 2018) and anticipating these costs inhibits confrontation (Good et al., 2012). But taking collective action can also improve women’s wellbeing and reduce negative emotion (Foster, 2015). How women anticipate their own emotions in response to social cost may be a predictor of action. However, it is not yet known how women anticipate taking action will make them feel, and how perceived costs relate to these predictions and action intentions. The present thesis integrates two previously distinct literatures, affective forecasting (Gilbert et al., 1998) and collective action motivation to assess the …

The Role Of The Individual In Animal Collectives, Tanya T. Shoot

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Animals form groups for a variety of reasons, primarily as a way to increase access to food, mates, and safety. An important attribute of these groups is their personality composition. Personality is defined as repeatable traits over time and context, and has been found across multiple taxa. Traits have been found to be heritable, and are thus a unit for natural selection to act upon. Having a heterogeneous group may be beneficial for survival in a changing environment. The question of how the personality composition of the group affects group behaviour has rarely been asked in the field of animal …

Social Behavior & Personality In Corn Snakes, Maggie-Rose Johnston

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The sociality of snakes, long thought simplistic, has been shown to be governed by a host of different factors such as kinship, experience, sex, weight and personality. There is, however, still a need to untangle how snakes prioritize different kinds of information when interacting. I hypothesized that examining each dyad that composes a group could partly predict how individuals would behave in a larger group context, providing insight into the mechanisms governing aggregation. Six groups of six corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) had their personalities tested, then underwent dyadic interactions with each member of their cohort followed by a …

Political Communication In A Multicultural Metropolis: Chinese Ethnic Media And The 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election, Dongwei Lin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Chinese are the second largest visible minority group in Canada and the most frequently reported ethnic or cultural origin in Toronto. Mandarin and Cantonese are, respectively, the largest and third largest non-official languages in Toronto. However, little research exists on the role of the Chinese ethnic community in Toronto municipal politics, especially the role of Chinese ethnic media in Toronto municipal elections.

The key argument of this thesis is that “Chinese ethnic media represent complementary public sphere(s) for informing and engaging Chinese Canadians in local political participation and discussion.” Through the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election case study, this thesis examines …

“People [Are] Not Dying Because Officers Aren't Following Their Training. ‘It's Because They Are.”: The Construction Of Police De-Escalation Of Individuals In Mental Health Crises In Canadian Media, Renée Haddock

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Police are often assumed to be the "de facto" response to people in mental health crises. Contact between police and Canadians with mental illness and in crisis is routine and on the rise (Livingston, 2016). Police responses to these incidences have been criticized after several, highly publicized and tragic encounters between police and people in mental health crisis and the overrepresentation of people of colour in these instances. Media outlets determine which stories are prioritized, how they are framed, and which information to include or omit (Fawzi, 2018). Notably, public knowledge of police activities greatly impacts community perceptions of police …

Children's Interpretation Of Others' Faces Covered With Medical Masks, Sevval Cinar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

How we recognize and regulate emotions is fundamental to overall health and wellbeing. Emotional recognition and understanding are key to proper communication and emotion regulation. Barriers, such as masks, might have an impact on the way children recognize and interpret others' emotions, and therefore the way they learn, communicate, and regulate their own. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread mask-wearing, raising questions about its impact on children’s emotional development. Using a sample of children with varying levels of exposure to mask wearing adults (N= 13, ages 4 to 6), we investigated how prolonged mask wearing predicts emotion recognition, particularly …

Capital Structure Models And Contingent Convertible Securities, Di Meng

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The 2007-09 financial crisis showed financial institutions are vulnerable during distressed times. As an alternative resolution to a government bail-out, contingent convertible securities (contingent capital or CoCos) were proposed by various researchers. CoCo is a hybrid capital security that converts from a bond to common equity when a pre-determined event occurs. The loss absorption mechanism of CoCo is essential to the financial health of a bank during a crisis as it provides an instant capital infusion when public capital is difficult to access.

In this thesis, we first implement a methodology to calibrate capital structure models for large Canadian banks. …

Constructions Of Serial Killers And Victims: Analysis Of True Crime Docuseries, Mira Dhaliwal

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Stories of crime have consistently captured the attention of the public, with stories of heists, kidnappings and murder. The true crime genre receives enormous attention and serves for many as the primary source of crime knowledge, including who commits crime, how they commit crime and how law enforcement responds. Books and podcasts have been interrogated by researchers to understand the nature of the content but missing are the true crime documentaries and docuseries that have dominated streaming platforms in North America. The present study examined three true crime series about serial killers using social constructionism and social problems theory, and …

Co-Creation, Interpretations And Engagement With A Movement-Based Symbol For Climate Justice: A Qualitative Inquiry, Kai Reimer-Watts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The climate crisis demonstrates with complete clarity the need for massive systems-level changes towards far more sustainable societies. Global and local emissions need to decline rapidly to mitigate intensifying climate breakdown, accompanied by climate and sustainability solutions, to secure a far more stable, safe, and just future for all people and all life. Within these changes, engaging in our communities is essential to support and co-create broader solutions to help advance more sustainable societies, reduce negative impacts of a changing climate, and to move towards cultures and systems that recognize natural limits and centre care for people and planet.

‘Climate …

South-South Migration: Examining The Links Between Food Security And Migration From Ghana To Qatar, Bernard Owusu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation contributes to the migration-development literature by integrating food security into the analysis of South-South migration. While migration and development have been extensively studied, the connection between migration and food security remains underexplored, particularly in South-South migration contexts. The dissertation highlights the role of migration as both a coping strategy for food insecurity and a source of vulnerability for migrants in the specific context of temporary labour migration between Ghana and Qatar. Addressing this gap, the research examines how migration decisions are influenced by food insecurity in Ghana, the food security challenges faced by Ghanaian migrants in Qatar, and …

Creativity, Fame And Power: A Critical Political Economy Of Social Media Comedy Skit In Nigeria, Idowu Badmus

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores social media comedy skits in Nigeria as a novel type of creativity that is both an economic and cultural activity with political and social implications within the context of the rapidly expanding global ecosystem of online content creation. Academic interest in social media comedy skits has grown as a result of their emergence as a popular culture within Nigeria's entertainment landscape. However, most research has focused on understanding this form of humour through its positive societal correlates. Hence, within the notion of industrialization of culture, which suggests that various methods of financing and arranging communication resources have …

From The Intimate, Regional To The Global: Examining The Indian International Student Migration To Canada, Neil Amber Judge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines Indian international student migration to Canada focusing on students from the north Indian state of Punjab, a region with extensive history of migration and transnational social ties to Canada. Punjab has historically been the predominant sending region within India to Canada, and which continues to dominate in the present phase of international student migration to Canada. The pursuit of higher education has become particularly popular in Punjab. Furthermore, Canada has recently emerged as a significant international study destination following its international education strategy aimed to attract and increase the number of international students. The study employs qualitative …

From Cuffs To Compassion: The Impact Of Relational Policing De-Escalation Approaches On Public Perceptions Of Safety, Satisfaction, Procedural Justice, And Police Legitimacy., Brook Snider

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Academics, policy makers, and the public have called for the prioritization of de- escalation training and use in public-police interactions to reduce police use of force (PUoF) (e.g., Dubé, 2016; Iacobucci, 2014; Todak, 2017; Wortley et al., 2021). In response to various calls to action, the Ministry of the Solicitor General launched the Ontario Public-Police Interactions Training Aid Framework in 2023, which emphasizes the importance of utilizing a relational policing approach in public-police interactions (see Lavoie et al., 2022). However, despite changes in police training frameworks, relatively little is known about PUoF in Canada (Wortley et al., 2021), with similarly …

Grief On The Margins: The Death Of A Family Member To Substance Use, Adair Shaw

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite Canada's high death rates from substance use, there is limited research on the sociopsychological impact on families, who often face stigma and disenfranchised grief. This study explores how family members make meaning of a substance-related death. Through qualitative inquiry, eleven family members were interviewed on their experience of grief from substance death. The imprint of losing a family member to mental illness and substance use is fraught with intergenerational grief, ambiguity, prolonged mental-emotional distress, and relationship challenges. Substance death was also associated with stigma, social withdrawal, and shame for many participants. However, grievers reconstructed the socially prescribed negative perceptions …

Moral Identity: From Theory To Research, Jean Paul Lefebvre

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral identity, often defined as the importance or centrality of moral values to a person’s sense of self, has long been understood to play an important role in moral functioning. However, critical gaps remain regarding its development, cross-context stability, and behavioural significance. This dissertation addresses these gaps in three empirical studies, providing new insights into the nature and function of moral identity across the lifespan and in daily life.

The first study (Chapter 2) explores developmental trends in moral identity, testing predictions from moral identity goal theory (Krettenauer, 2022). Using a cross-sectional sample spanning adolescence to old age, the study …

Mental Silence For Emotional Intelligence Development, Mina N. Nandwani

Theses and Dissertations

While emotional intelligence is considered key for effective leadership, and perhaps the most vital competency for current and emerging leaders to cultivate, there appears to be uncertainty on how to develop it. This study examined how the practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation (SYM) influences the development of emotional intelligence and contributes to the advancement of global leadership capacities, addressing a gap in the current literature. The conceptual frameworks of SYM, Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Model, and the literature on global leadership, particularly Jeffrey Sachs’ Ages of Globalization, guided the research question. By implementing a qualitative phenomenological research approach, ten long-time …

A Pilot Study Of The Freeze Response: Physiological Markers Under Threat Versus Safety Video Conditions, Ula Mccarthy

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This pilot study examined physiological markers of the human freeze response during exposure to threat and safety-based video stimuli. The freeze response is an adaptive defense mechanism characterized by reduced heart rate and heightened sympathetic arousal (Roelofs, 2017; Hagenaars et al., 2014; Sagliano et al., 2014; Hermans et al., 2013). 20 university students were randomly assigned to view either a threatening or safety-based video clip while heart rate and electrodermal activity (EDA) were recorded using Biopac Bionomadix wireless systems. Trauma severity and PTSD symptomatology were assessed through validated self-report measures (BTQ; Schnurr et al., 1999), (PCL-5; Weathers et al., 2013). …

What’S For Dinner? A Multi-Pronged Approach Investigating The Foraging Habits And Diet Of St. Johns River Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Erebennus), Andrea Leigh Swinehart

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife population management depends on knowledge of the population’s foraging ecology. A community of resident Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops erebennus) utilizes the St. Johns River (SJR) in Jacksonville, Florida, and members of the community are regularly sighted emaciated or with skin lesions. Anthropogenic disturbances may contribute to further health decline, therefore Chapter One analyzed SJR foraging dolphin group habitat use before, during, and after a large-scale dredging event known as the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project (JHDP). Kernel density estimates (KDEs) of foraging dolphin group sightings were generated to estimate 95% utilization distributions (i.e., foraging home ranges) for three …

Exploring The Connections Between Social Media Posts About Intimate Partner Violence And Their Influence On Women’S Physical And Mental Health, Joanna Lynn

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) can happen to anyone and is considered a common occurrence in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice, 2025). Social media platforms have allowed individuals to post about their IPV experiences, but such posts can be met with negative comments that are not beneficial to the survivor. This study explores how social media posts regarding IPV affect an individuals’ mental and physical health through a quasi-experimental design. Three out of the four groups of participants were exposed to a mock Instagram post that included the same caption and photo for a supportive, unsupportive, and neutral condition. …

The Abuse Of Neutrality, Rebecca Ingber

Articles

Neutrality law is a musty and obsolete body of international law that nevertheless rears its creaky head now and again in dangerous ways, most recently in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The law of neutrality is a study in contradictions. It is obsolete yet remains on the books in treaties and military manuals. It purports to keep the peace and protect non-warring states yet today is invoked to expand conflict and protect aggressors. The legal benefits of neutrality have been entirely overtaken by other regimes. And yet neutrality law has not lost its luster despite losing its value. Instead of letting it …