Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Happy New Year, Delaney Brown

Persimmon Creek

"Happy New Year," following the poetic style of writers like Kaveh Akbar and Richard Siken, uses freestyle form and interpretive spacing to convey its narrative. The work explores the emotional recoil of a badly ended relationship and the self-doubt that often lingers when one questions their own actions and decisions.

Gravity Squared, Delaney Brown

Persimmon Creek

"Gravity Squared" explores cyclical themes of growth and spirituality. Inspired by Victoria Chang's The Trees Witness Everything, this poem loosely follows the tanka style of alternating 5 and 7-syllable lines.

The Echoes Of Anguish, Karis Del Toro

Persimmon Creek

This is a poem written about the self-inflicted, internal anguish that we feel and carry from pass regrets.

Homeplace, Monica P. Greene

Persimmon Creek

Poetry - home, peace, mountains, rest, belonging

Lindenwood Digest, October 14, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Document Type & Date: Institutional internal newsletter; October 14, 2026.

• Core Entities & Provenance: Lindenwood University; President John R. Porter ("Porter's Post-It"); Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise; Young America's Foundation; guest speaker Yeonmi Park; Alpha Chi National College Honor Society; NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Head Coach Keith Fisher; Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) AI Ready Initiative; Ameristar Casino Resort Spa (St. Charles, MO).

• Key Themes & Context: University operations and retention initiatives; governance updates including Lindenwood Educational Services (LES) and Lindenwood University Board meetings; institutional events including Homecoming Weekend, the 2026 Lindenwood University Gala, and GIS Day; student co-curricular lectures …

Wildwood Park Area Correspondence To Mary Alyson Prude, 8.7.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mary Alyson Prude concerning the history of Wildwood Park and the surround vicinity in Florence, Alabama.

The pdf is faded and difficult to read, so it has been transcribed below.

August 7, 1993

Miss Mary Alyson Prude

426 Robinhood Drive

Florence, Alabama 35630

Dear Mary Alyson:

Please forgive an old man who finds it more and more difficult to hear. And I feel terrible for not recognizing you until after we had talked over the telephone. It then hit me: You are Joel and Jayne's beautiful young daughter. I am so sorry. Your entire …

The Experiences Of African American Married Couples In Blended Families: A Descriptive Case Study, Tia Jones Medine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to describe the perceived influence of emotional regulation and marriage quality regarding custody conflicts for 13 married African American husbands and wives navigating co-parenting dynamics. The theory guiding this study was Family Systems Theory by Dr. Murray Bowen, which explains how external relational stress and internal emotional boundaries directly impact marital stability and family systems. Data collection methods comprised separate semi-structured interviews, three reflective journal prompts, and a focus group. Data analysis was conducted using Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify primary codes and recurring themes. The findings revealed that participants experienced …

Paying The Success Tax: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Women Navigating Workplace Microaggressions, Santisha Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of professional Black women as they relate to microaggressions experienced in professional spaces. Professional, for this study, refers to Black women in professional positions that require a degree, advanced degree, professional licensure, and those with current/past military service in the enlisted rank of E-7 and above or commissioned officers in the rank of O3 and above. The theory that guided this study was the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST), which emphasizes how people develop, considering the unique intersectionality of multiple social identities (Spencer et al., 1997). …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The Personal Branding Practices Of Forbes 30 Under 30 Honorees, Hannah Naylor Regitz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study examines the personal branding practices of 10 honorees from the Forbes 2025 North American 30 Under 30 list. Through a thematic content analysis of Instagram, the honorees’ posts, captions, and the conversation climate of their comments from October 2025 were analyzed to determine patterns and similarities in their personal branding practices. Grounded in cultivation theory, this study explored how repeated exposure to curated content of these high-achieving young professionals shapes their personal brand perception. Additionally, it explored their interaction with commenters and the types of comments they engaged with. The analysis revealed seven themes that were present …

Standardized Testing For U.S. Defense Contract Proposals, Brian Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative correlational study examined whether readability in Department of War (DoW) Requests for Proposals (RFPs) influences contract performance outcomes. The research employed the Flesch Reading Ease Scale (FRES), a standardized readability measure used within Department of War documentation, to assess 250 randomly selected and published RFPs issued in February 2023. The theoretical framework for this study was the Flesch Reading Ease Score, used as a baseline for clear writing style. The Flesch Reading Ease Score is a well-established readability test that measures the complexity of written material and its level of comprehension and content delivery. The purpose of this …

The Literacy Link: Connecting Parents Who Are Incarcerated With Their Young Children Through Reading Aloud, Mary Campbell Wood, Heidi Ungrodt, Pamela Wedig-Kirsch, Ronda Davis, Jacqueline Buck, Lindsay A Weymouth

Journal of Extension

Parental incarceration is consequential for children. Outreach strategies can maintain parent–child relationships during incarceration. The Literacy Link connects parents in jail and prison with their children through two strategies: a dialogic reading workshop and a recorded book reading program. Over 3 years, we implemented these strategies with parents in jails and prisons located in 12 counties. We surveyed parents and the caregivers with whom children live during their parents' incarceration. Parents reported improvements in attitudes and confidence related to reading aloud. Most parents and caregivers reported that these strategies provided a connection between parents and children during incarceration.

Outlaws In The Shoals, Al From Bernie Delinski And Mike Goens Of The Times Daily, April 27, 2000, Bernie Delinski, Mike Goens, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from Bernie Delinski and Mike Goens of the Times Daily requesting a list of the "10 worst outlaws" from the Shoals, Alabama for a series of articles they planned to write. William L. McDonald's reply with a list of eight groups of outlaws, dated April 30, 2000, is also enclosed, and provides a small synopsis of their crimes.

The list includes:

1. John Melton
2. John A. Murrell
3. Clerk from John Edie's Store
4. Mountain Tom Clark
5. Elias "The Man" Thrasher
6. Frank and Jesse James
7. Arline "Speck Wylie, his younger brother Eugene Wylie, and Elmer Bentley "Slick Pickens
8. F. W. Seay

Arab Media Summit 2026 - Film Forum, Razan Takash

Exemplars

How to Get Your Short Film to the Oscars – Arab Media Summit 2026

Presented at the Arab Media Summit 2026, the region’s largest gathering of media leaders, industry professionals, content creators, and innovators, this masterclass explored the journey of a short film from production to Oscar consideration. As part of the Summit’s wider discussions on the future of media and the creative industries, the session offered practical insights into international film festival strategies, Academy Award qualification, submission processes, and Oscar campaign planning. Drawing on real-world filmmaking experience, it highlighted the importance of marketing, publicity, and strategic distribution in expanding …

Contextualizing Trends In Television Viewing And Computer Use Among U.S. Children Aged 5–11 Years, 2001–2018, Ashley W. Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Excessive screen time among children is linked to adverse physical, mental, and developmental outcomes. The putative drivers of increasing screen time among school-aged children in the United States remain unclear. Population-level changes may arise from intracohort change (IC)—change in average screen time across survey cycles—or cohort replacement (CR), as later-born cohorts with different levels of screen time replace earlier-born cohorts.

Methods

We analyzed nine 2-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles from 2001 to 2002 through 2017–2018, including 9,841 children aged 5–11 years old. Screen time was measured as the sum of proxy-reported estimates of daily hours …

Clinical Social Workers’ Process Of Diagnosing Black Women With Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Deilia M. Mclaughlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition characterized by the persistent preoccupation with perceived or actual flaws in one’s physical appearance and is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed among Black women. Grounded in social learning theory, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the diagnostic process executed by licensed clinical social workers when assessing Black women expressing symptoms of BDD. Five licensed clinical social workers with experience diagnosing and treating mental health disorders participated in in-depth semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged: (a) diagnosis of BDD requires longitudinal clinical assessment, (b) …

Client Turnover And Service Engagement In Organization X, Chenee Lajuan Glaspie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral health organizations face challenges related to client turnover, inconsistent service engagement, workforce instability, and operational inefficiencies that can disrupt continuity of care and organizational performance. Guided by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore organizational and leadership factors contributing to client turnover and inconsistent service engagement within a nonprofit outpatient behavioral health organization. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with organizational leaders and review of organizational documents, attendance reports, retention-related data, and operational records. Thematic coding and triangulation identified eight themes: leadership communication and responsiveness, workforce strain and burnout, inconsistent engagement …

Perceptions Of Jail Administrators Regarding Implementation Of State Jail Standards, Penelope Dawn Sapp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jails have increasingly become de facto institutions for managing individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) and opioid use disorder. Yet, jail administrators often lack resources and treatment capacity needed to adequately serve this population, which was supported by existing literature that highlighted resource insufficiencies including clinical resources. Since the late 1990s, the population of SMI individuals held in jails has tripled, a trend attributed to declining community mental health infrastructure and limited alternatives to arrest. the purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to examine the challenges Washington State jail administrators faced in managing these individuals while balancing priorities among …

Trail Of Tears Correspondence From Southwest Us Dept. Of Interior, 2.9.1994, John Harely

Correspondence

Correspondence issued by the National Park Service Southwest Region to William L. McDonald concerning his collaboration with Richard Sheridan of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council. The correspondence also includes an enclosed itinerary of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council Field Trip held on March 3, 1994.

Spring Street (Veteran's Blvd) Correspondence To Steve Pierce, 12.15.1992, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Steve Pierce, the President of the Florence City Council, regarding the proposed change of Spring Street's to Veterans Boulevard. The letter outlines the historical significance of Spring Street.

Sunken Trace Sign Correspondence To Johnny Sims, 8.6.1999, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Jonny Sims, a ranger of the Natchez Trace Parkway, concerning the interpretative sign at Sunken Trace located at mile marker 350.8. Within the correspondence, McDonald proposes that the verbiage be adjusted to be more respectful of the early Native American inhabitants of the area. He also highlights another instance in which National Park signage was changed at the George Colbert parking area and home site.

The current historical markers for the Sunken Trace and Colbert's Stand are accessible on the historical marker database.

Donation Of The William Lindsey Mcdonald Papers To Collier Library Archives, Dec. 2005, William L. Mcdonald, G. Garry Warren

Correspondence

Correspondence between William L. McDonald and Dr. Garry Warren, Dean of Information Technologies at the University of North Alabama, discussing the donation of the William Lindsey McDonald Collection, an expansive body of "rare books, magazines, wills, deeds, diaries, notes of interviews, and a wealth of early photographs," to the Collier Library Archives.

A Qualitative Case Study Of Law Enforcement Supervisors’ Perspectives On Agency Efforts To Identify And Prevent Extremism Among Active-Duty Officers, Enoch D. Irvine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The presence of political extremism among active-duty law enforcement represents a very real threat to the safety of citizens and the integrity of the policing profession. The purpose of this study was to have law enforcement supervisors describe what their agencies are doing to identify and prevent political extremism among active-duty officers in Utah. Law enforcement supervisors from three specifically chosen case-study agencies were invited to participate via a combination of semi-structured in-person interviews and an online survey. The findings of this study demonstrate the challenges law enforcement supervisors face in addressing extremism among officers while thoroughly highlighting the lack …

The Correlational And Predictive Effect Of Evangelical Adolescent Church Volunteering And Mental Health Flourishing, Todd Reiff Lesher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is a time of significant development, often characterized by pubertal changes, identity exploration, and shifts in interpersonal relationships from parents to peers, all of which are necessary for the transition from childhood to adulthood. In addition to these aspects of adolescent development, personal and contextual changes can contribute to internalizing vulnerabilities throughout adolescence that can jeopardize their mental health. The focus of this study concentrates on religious volunteering, to better understand how variables related to volunteering contribute to adolescent mental health. The purpose of this study is to understand how Evangelical church volunteering impacts mental health flourishing in adolescents. …

Adult Children Of Alcoholics: How Growing Up With An Alcoholic Influences Parenting Practices And The Parent-Child Dynamic, Taylor Sayre Bart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how the influence of growing up with an alcoholic parent influenced one’s parenting practices and the parent-child dynamic. This study explored the lived experiences of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) as it related to their alcoholic parents’ parenting practices and styles. This study also explored how the participants’ childhood experience affected their relationship with their children and subsequently influenced their own parenting practices and styles. Bowlby’s attachment theory and Bowen’s family systems theory guided this study. Attachment theory was used as it is a key factor in building relationships between …

Politicians’ Attitudes And The Federal Bargain: A Quantitative Examination Of Sudan, Nigeria, And Ethiopia, Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines how commitments to federal political culture influence the stability and viability of federal systems in Sudan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, focusing on the politicians’ attitudes toward federal principles. Although federalism is often promoted as a remedy for ethnic conflict and instability, outcomes in Africa remain inconsistent, showing that institutional design alone cannot explain the fragility of federations. Guided by William Riker’s bargaining theory and Daniel Elazar’s framework of political culture, this dissertation investigates how politicians’ orientations, shaped by regional ties, political leanings, perceptions of federalism’s effectiveness, and advocacy for autonomy, affect their commitment to federalism. A quantitative correlational …

Pandemic-Driven Mediatization Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Jamaica, Gervon Garcia Marsh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica experienced a radical shift in its relationship with information and communication technology (ICT) due to the COVID-19 mandatory lockdowns imposed by the Government of Jamaica. Prior to the pandemic, ICT use was less pronounced in the life and ministry of the Church, suggesting limited susceptibility to mediatization. This shift accelerated the mediatization of the Church, leading to a heavy reliance on ICT that has become entrenched in its life and ministry post-pandemic. This qualitative exploratory case study examined how pandemic-driven mediatization shaped the collective agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica through ICT, …

Building A Defense Economy: World War Ii, Federal Investment, And Georgia’S Economic Transformation, 1940-1965, William Heath Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how World War II transformed Georgia’s economy from a predominately rural, agricultural economy into a more diversified economy increasingly tied to federal investment, military activity, industrial production, transportation, and commerce. It argues that wartime mobilization accelerated this transformation by directing federal funds into military installations, defense industries, infrastructure, and public services while drawing workers into expanding centers of employment. Using federal records, census data, military publications, corporate reports, newspapers, and oral histories, the study examines Fort Benning, Robins Field, Camp Toccoa, Bell Aircraft, the Brunswick Shipyards, Delta Air Lines, and The Coca-Cola Company. These cases show how …

How The Economic And Fiscal Benefits Of Economic Development Incentives Are Affected By Targeting, Housing Policy, And Incentive Design, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

This report finds that reformed state economic development policies can raise residents' per capita incomes by over 5 percent while generating a fiscal surplus exceeding 4 percent of state and local tax revenue. In other words, they can pay for themselves. Traditional policies, by contrast, boost incomes by less than half a percent and carry a net fiscal cost of more than 3 percent of tax revenue. Traditional policies rely on untargeted cash incentives such as tax abatements, credits, and grants, and leave zoning unchanged. Reformed policies instead provide customized business services (site-specific infrastructure, job training, business advice, incubators), target …

Provorov Fights Pride Night: Hockey, Homophobia, And Reactionary Athlete Activism, Matthew R. Meier

Communication & Theatre Faculty Publications

The 2022–2023 NHL season witnessed a spate of reactionary protests to team-sponsored Pride Nights by players set off by Philadelphia Flyers defensemen Ivan Provorov. In this essay, I consider the reactionary side of athlete activism through an analysis of these protests. Drawing on a critical rhetorical perspective, I critique the discourse of players, coaches, teams, and the league to outline the discursive features of athlete activism that advocates for the hegemonic status quo. I argue that these reactionary protests feature a refusal to engage in public discourse, a reliance on individual beliefs and personal choices, and tacit institutional approval from …

Upjohn Regional Economic Outlook, Vol. 1, No. 2, July 2026, Iryna V. Lendel, Chloe Wieber, Sevrin Williams, Gerrit Anderson, Lee Adams, Emily Petz

Reports

No abstract provided.