Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Oh, You've Come To Visit The Yard?": Phenotypic Capital, Intragroup Marginalization, And The Gated Sanctuary In Black Lgbtq+ Communities, Keith J. Watts, Shawndaya S. Thrasher, Nicole Campbell, Laneshia R. Conner, Julian K. Glover, Janet K. Otachi, Dekeitra Griffin

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Identity-based communities that share common characteristics, beliefs, and experiences (e.g., Black LGBTQ+ communities) have historically been conceptualized as protective bubbles that buffer Black LGBTQ+ individuals against the deleterious effects of systemic racism and cisheterosexism. However, this monolithic narrative often masks the internal power dynamics that divide belonging. This study explores the exclusionary dynamics embedded within these safe spaces, examining how internal hierarchies of skin tone, socioeconomic status, and gender performance function as proximal stressors. Guided by a critical constructivist paradigm, this study utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze open-ended survey responses from 74 Black LGBTQ+ adults. Data were drawn from …

Editorial For Issue 20(2), Jeff Moe, Peighton Corley, Aaron Albright

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Hello to the readers of the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling. Like many counselors, counselors-in-training, scholars, and other individuals you may be coming to the journal looking for insights into your counseling work. Along with publishing original research that creates space for exploring LGBTQ+ lifeways from an open and affirmative perspective, the manuscripts published in the journal have always been grounded in application.

Call To Action: A Telebehavioral Health Framework For Counselor Development, Brittany G. Suggs, Brittany J. Bice-Urbach, Marlene M. Maheu, Kenneth P. Drude, Donna Ford, Jocelyn Novella, Bradford Felker, Donald M. Hilty

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The widespread implementation of telebehavioral health (TBH) services, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, created an urgent need for standardized competencies in counselor education. Many practitioners report minimal formal training, leading to significant variability in competence and a concerning gap between their confidence and actual preparedness. This article issues a call to action for counseling programs to adopt the interprofessional TBH competency framework from the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS). This structured, evidence-based roadmap outlines knowledge and skills for competent, ethical TBH practice across seven domains and three progressive levels: novice, proficient, and authority. Adopting this framework will enhance …

Editorial For Issue 20(3): Special Issue: Developmental Trajectories In Lgbtqiqa+ Lifeways, Jeff Moe, Aaron Albright

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Hello and welcome to the community of counselors, advocates, and scholars who read the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling. Over the course of the past 20 years, affirmative counseling with and on behalf of LGBTQIQA+ people has developed into a profession-wide expectation as opposed to a specialty area. The synergy of consistent and prolonged social and professional activism with research and practice led the leaders of organizations like the American School Counselors’ Association (ASCA) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) to adopt LGBTQ+ affirmation as the ethical and professional perspective of the counseling field. The leaders of the …

"We've Gone 100 Years Back:" School Counseling District Leaders' Making Sense Of Their Lived Experiences Navigating Dei Restrictions In K-12 Education, Emily Goodman-Scott, Rachel S. White, Darrell Sampson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Over the last several years, K-12 education has seen a renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives followed by a substantial counter response through anti-DEI laws, often developed and implemented via anti-democratic processes, targeting students based upon racial, ethnic, sexual, cultural, and gender identities. While research has focused on the experiences of educational administrators such as principals or superintendents, there exists very little literature that illuminates the experiences of other district leaders. This study sought to examine one substantially understudied group of district leaders, those who oversee school counseling, and how they have made sense of their work …

How Exemplary Middle School Administrators Who Utilize Heart-Led Principles Achieve Extraordinary Results, Christina Michal Foster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary middle school principals in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties lead from the heart using Crowley’s (2011) four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organization.  Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the lived experiences of eight middle school principals using the qualitative phenomenological research method to gather and draw conclusions. All eight interviews were conducted virtually using the Zoom platform. After the interviews, transcripts were completed and …

A Phenomenological Study On Unleashed Special Education Directors: Examining The Effects Of Empowerment Leadership In Public Tk-12 Schools, Jamie Lyn Holmes

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study is to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary Special Education Directors in public TK–12 schools in the greater Sacramento, California area to foster empowerment within their organizations. This study is grounded in the five variables of empowerment leadership identified by Frei and Morriss (2020): trust, love, belonging, strategy, and culture.Methodology: This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of exemplary Special Education Directors in the greater Sacramento, California area. Using purposeful convenience sampling, ten participants who met the study’s criteria were selected. A semi-structured, open-ended interview protocol was developed collaboratively by …

Minority Stress And Drug Use Among 2slgbtq+ Canadians, Robert Chin-See, Todd Coleman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Several social and environmental factors influence drug use behaviors and contribute to frequent drug use among Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other (2SLGBTQ+) individuals. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between the minority stress, drug use, and other socio-ecological factors.

Methods: This study employed structural equation modelling on data (2021—2022) from a nationally representative pan-Canadian survey (N = 1542) on 2SLGBTQ+ health to examine the association between minority stress, drug use, and relevant socio-ecological predictors. A separate mediation analysis was conducted and controlled for socio-demographic characteristics.

Results: SEM results showed parsimonious fit …

The Influence Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Female Violent Offending: A Scoping Systematic Review, Alexis M. Wolgemuth

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Female-perpetrated violence has exhibited concerning data trends in recent years. Prior scholarship indicates that past victimization and trauma in childhood, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are highly prevalent among women offenders. However, the research concerning ACEs and violent females is scattered. This thesis provides a scoping literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) updated 2020 guidelines. A systematic database search was conducted using Academic Search Complete, SAGE Journals, Springer Nature Link, and HeinOnline to identify relevant peer-reviewed journal articles. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are established, focusing on studies published after January 2015. These …

Beauty Isn't Always Better: How Salesperson Attractiveness Affects Consumers' Approach Behaviors, Veronica L. Thomas, Stephanie M. Mangus, Dora E. Bock

Marketing Faculty Publications

This research examines how a consumer's committed romantic relationship influences their decision to approach an attractive salesperson in a retail environment. To date, the majority of research espouses the benefits of salesperson attractiveness in enhancing consumers' perceptions of the salesperson and the represented retailer. This is problematic because it creates a managerial bias toward attractive salespeople and, as we propose, provides an incomplete view of the effect of salesperson attractiveness on consumers' behavior. Drawing on the interpersonal relationship literature on commitment, we propose that consumers in committed relationships activate relationship-maintenance motives that override the beauty bias when a salesperson's attractiveness …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Identity-Based Support Groups On Students' Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Jasmine D. Patel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Students who hold marginalized social identities report experiencing a lower sense of belonging at their institutions of higher education than their peers. A low sense of belonging has in turn been linked to lower academic performance, lower scores on mental health and well-being measures, and lower rates of degree completion. Utilizing a mixed method approach, this researcher examines the experiences of students who participated in a social identity-based support group intervention intended to improve the sense of belonging of students who hold marginalized social identities. Eight university students participated in the support group intervention over the course of one academic …

(Critical) Hope As An Arrow: A Mixed Methods Study On Student-To-School Counselor Ratios And Student Outcomes In High-Poverty School Districts, Hien Pham

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

School counselors serve on the front line of student support in K-12 public school settings. However, not all school districts are adequately resourced nor require school counselors as essential members of the school team. Review of extant literature found that school counselors’ service delivery is affected by issues related to role clarity, program evaluation and existing policy. A lack of understanding of school counselors’ work and inconsistent training in program evaluation hinders the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program, with high student-to-school counselor ratios remaining the status quo. In California, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) legislation holds local …

The Relationship Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms And Reading Abilities And The Moderating Roles Of Parent-Teacher Involvement And Family Emotional Expressiveness, Tatiana Lombana Mims

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms influence reading abilities and whether parent-teacher relationships and family emotional expressiveness moderate that relationship. This study provides further knowledge on the relationship between mental health struggles and academic performance and possible risk/protective factors. Structural equation modeling through AMOS 31 was used to construct path analysis models to analyze the significance of OCD symptoms on reading abilities with parent-teacher involvement and family emotional expressiveness, both positive and negative, as moderators. The relationship between OCD symptoms and reading abilities indicated a consistent negative association though not statistically significant. Parent-teacher involvement did indicate …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Students And Their Sense Of Belonging, Sonam Singh

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explores the lived experiences of immigrant high school students at a suburban school in Northern California. The focus is primarily on understanding how they navigate their educational journey and construct their sense of belonging. Immigrant students face numerous challenges due to many factors, including language barriers, cultural differences, social integration, and concerns regarding immigration status, which can significantly impact their academic progress and well-being. Using a qualitative descriptive study approach, this study amplifies student voices through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with students in grades 10 and 11, enabling them to share personal stories that shape their perceptions …

An Exploration Of The Professionalization Of Graduate Students Using Rhetorical Theory, Jennifer M. Crowell

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This qualitative study examines the professionalization of graduate students as a rhetorically mediated and relational process of identity development within an interdisciplinary doctoral program. While existing scholarship emphasizes institutional structures and formal mechanisms of professional preparation, less attention has been given to how graduate students experience professionalization at the individual level. This study addresses that gap by exploring how students interpret expectations, use rhetorical strategies, and construct professional identities across multiple disciplinary contexts.

Grounded in organizational rhetoric and community of practice theory, the study investigates how graduate students in the Texts & Technology Ph.D. Program at the University of Central …

Assessing Fisheries Dependence Of Coastal Communities In Managed Mangrove Forests In Latin America, Ariel Alexander Quintanilla Magana

Open Access Dissertations

Fisheries dependency refers to the action of a person, community, or society linking their social, cultural, and economic actions to different ecosystem services (ES) for covering their food system with essential marine species, developing a governance system to conserve these fishing areas, their local ecological knowledge, and guaranteeing food security in the coastal areas. In Latin America, most fishing activities are practiced within three nautical miles of the shoreline, estuaries, lagoons, and mangrove forest channels, using small vessels and traditional gear such as hooks, trammel nets, and gill nets. Some coastal communities have developed their subsistence and livelihood activities in …

The Relationship Between U.S. Presidents And Governors From Opposing Political Parties: Policy Implementation And Crisis Management, Adam Richey

Honors College Theses

This thesis studies the impact of partisan divisions between U.S. presidents and state governors in regard to policy implementation and crisis management of the American federal system. While previous research has mainly addressed congressional polarization, executive relationships across different levels of government have received comparatively less scholarly focus.  Particularism theory argues that electoral incentives shape executive behavior, and this study finds that political alignment significantly affects cooperation, coordination, and responsiveness during times of crises. Focusing on qualitative comparative case study methods, the analysis examines Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021). The results show that partisan division most often …

Perinatal Inflammation And Oxidative Stress Alter Adult Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) Motor Behavior, Alexander Young

Honors College Theses

Recent evidence in comparative animal models suggests that early life exposure to elevated inflammation (via LPS exposure) and oxidative stress (via acetaminophen exposure) may synergistically interact to alter typical neurodevelopmental trajectories, resulting in lasting effects on both behavior and gut-brain neurochemistry. The current study observed emotional and motor behaviors and collected fecal-boli to measure Tyrosine (TE) levels in male and female Long-Evans (Rattus norvegicus) rats. Subjects were either treated with [1] saline [2] lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to introduce an inflammatory state, [3] acetaminophen (APAP) to introduce oxidative stress, or [4] a dual-hit of both LPS + APAP on postnatal day (PD) …

From The Classroom To The Workplace: The Role Of Internships In Shaping Student Values, Jasmine Williams

Honors College Theses

A significant degree of research on workplace values has been conducted to better understand how employees are motivated in the hopes of reducing turnover. There also exists a significant body of literature on how internships impact career outcome and can effectively prepare students for the workforce. However, previous studies have not explored the differences between students who have completed internships in comparison to those who have not. The goal of this research is to determine whether internships create a significant impact on students’ workplace values (e.g. intrinsic, extrinsic, altruistic, and social) when compared to students who have not completed an …

Working Mule Or Sacrificial Lamb: Examining Agrarian Backlash And Populism In Rural Europe, Ava Elaine Rumsey

Honors College Theses

This thesis examines to what extent populism has become a political force across rural and agrarian communities in the European Union from 2023 to 2026. It distinguishes between ‘structural’ shifts, meaning the broader transformations in agrarian political economy, and ‘policy’ shifts, meaning the cumulative impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, notably its welfarist and regulatory priorities. This study draws on two types of evidence. First, it pulls from a wide range of secondary sources on the CAP and agrarian political transformation. Second, it analyzes the position papers, statements, and digital media of three organizations that represent important farming constituencies …

A Proposed Conceptual Framework For Assessing Quality Of Life In The United Arab Emirates: Application To Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, Aaesha Saif Al Shehhi

Dissertations

Quality of Life (QoL) has become a central concern in urban planning and sustainable development, particularly in rapidly transforming contexts such as the United Arab Emirates. This dissertation proposes and empirically validates a comprehensive framework for assessing urban QoL, with a focused application to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. A mixed-methods approach integrates objective indicators and residents' subjective perceptions, aligned with national strategies including UAE Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, and UAE Centennial 2071.

The methodology combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical analyses to evaluate seven key sectors: environment, infrastructure …

Assessment Of Advanced Glazing Systems For Building Energy Efficiency In Hot-Arid Climates, Ahmad I. Elshamy, Yousef Elgefly, Yara El-Metwally, Serag Salem

Architectural Engineering

The built environment is considered among the most contributing factors to energy consumption. The building envelope plays a crucial role in determining the building energy consumption, regulating heat transfer and maintaining adequate indoor environmental quality. Hence, optimizing the thermal performance of the building envelope by achieving optimal glazing solutions while fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) is the main aim of this research. This study investigates the impact of various facade glazing systems on the building energy performance, focusing on the cooling energy consumption of an office building in a hot arid climate, Cairo, Egypt. The novelty of this …

Enhancing Urban Resilience In Ariha City, Syria: Integrating Active And Passive Climate Adaptation Strategies, Rania Rushdy Moussa, Ayham Ahmed Karoum

Architectural Engineering

Ariha City in Syria faces urgent challenges for post-war reconstruction, including damaged infrastructure and environmental pollution resulting from the conflict. Enhancing urban resilience has become a priority to ensure sustainable recovery and mitigate the ongoing environmental impacts. This study investigates how combining traditional passive design strategies with modern active technological systems can strengthen urban resilience in this context. A two-phase methodology was employed. In the first phase, a field assessment examined existing urban conditions through site surveys, spatial analysis, and documentation of passive and active resilience strategies in both the historic center and new growth areas. In the second phase, …

Perceptions Of Managerial Roles In Physician Leadership Among First- And Final-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Mintzberg’S Framework, Sari Huikko-Tarvainen, Timo Tuovinen, Petri Kulmala

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This study investigated how medical students – as future physicians – perceive the relevance of Mintzberg’s ten managerial roles to physician leadership, and whether these perceptions change throughout medical education.

Method: In 2021, all first‑year (n = 116/116) and 98% of final‑year (n = 107/109) students at the University of Oulu, Finland completed a web‑based survey rating Mintzberg’s ten managerial roles in fulfilling physician leaders’ leadership work on a 5‑point Likert scale. Item reliability and internal consistency were examined with Cronbach’s α. Because Likert data are ordinal, medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated, and group differences were tested …

Parents’ Perceptions Of Childhood And Adolescent Gender Dysphoria: A Systematic Review, Stella O’Malley, Robin Ion

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Parents play a central role in supporting children experiencing gender dysphoria and in navigating decisions regarding social and medical transition. Despite this, parental perspectives remain underrepresented within the academic literature. This systematic review synthesized research examining how parents understand and interpret experiences of gender dysphoria during childhood and adolescence. Searches were conducted across multiple databases. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The literature consisted predominantly of qualitative studies and showed variation in recruitment methods and sampling strategies. Several themes emerged. Parents frequently described shock, confusion, grief, and uncertainty, followed by processes of meaning-making and adaptation. Social stigma and concerns regarding …

Media And Democracy, Claire Fitzpatrick, Kurt Sengul

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The relationship between media and democracy has become increasingly fractured in Australia. Foundational democratic ideals, once mutually reinforcing, such as freedom of information, transparency and accountability, pluralism and diversity of opinion, and public trust are showing signs of strain. Under mounting pressure from media commercialisation, information pollution, populism and polarisation, democracy faces what André Bächtiger and John Dryzek (2024) describe as ‘diabolical times.’ They argue that the current crisis of democracy is, at its core, a crisis of public communication.

Identifying Occupational Stressors: A Storyboard Challenge, Marlene Goldstein

Open Educational Resources

Students analyze four illustrated workplace scenarios to distinguish among occupational stressors—role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and role insufficiency—with explanatory feedback and an optional scenario-writing activity to reinforce understanding.

How To Build A Black Girl Traphouse:A Meditation And Manual For Black Feminist Survival In And Beyond The Academy, Loren Cahill, Brandyn-Dior Mckinley, Arianne Napier-White, Janae Peters, Jalisa Williams

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

By design, the university is a colonizing, racializing, and classed space, built through unequal structures that perpetuate systemic violence (Peña, 2022). When many marginalized folks enter any university setting, they are marred by projections, judgments, assumptions, and assaults by those who question their worth, ability, and competence (y Muhs, Niemann, González, & Harris, 2012). Discriminatory actions and attitudes endured by Black women in academia often make us severely angry as well as mentally andphysically ill. Many of us are so traumatized that we choose to leave and/or are pushed out of our jobs. Those of us who choose to stay …

Tooth Ablation And The Jōmon - Yayoi Transition In Japan, Laura R. Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

The Jōmon – Yayoi period transition in Japan is marked by many migrants coming through the Korean Peninsula into Kyushu, sparking changes such as the introduction of wet-rice agriculture to the native hunter-gatherer-fisher Jōmon population and decreases in tooth ablation patterns and percentages. Ritual tooth ablation, or the removal of healthy front teeth, is typically seen as a coming-of-age practice, with the Jōmon having a diverse amount of ablation patterns. In this study, I explored how the rates and variation of tooth ablation changed throughout Japan after the arrival of Yayoi migrants from the continent. After calculating ablation rates per …

Parental Behavior, Attachment, And Sibling Outcomes In Asd Families, Bridget W. Mwaura

Theses and Dissertations

Neurotypical siblings of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience unique challenges, including increased familial stress and differences in parental treatment, which may affect the sibling bond. Grounded in the Attachment Theory and Siblings Embedded Systems Framework, this study examined relationships among attachment security, parenting behaviors and sibling relationship quality. It was hypothesized that secure parental attachment and helpful parenting behaviors would predict greater sibling closeness and lower conflict, and that attachment security would mediate the relationship between parenting behaviors and sibling relationship quality. Results from a sample of emerging adults (N=91) partially supported these hypotheses. Bivariate …