Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Pluriversal Energy Justice Through An Intersectional Feminist Lens: Analyzing Rural Electrification Injustices And Policy Pathways At Kenya's Garissa Solar Park, Carolyne M. Musyoka

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Located approximately 4 km from Raya village in Garissa County, the Garissa Solar Park spans

85 hectares and was envisioned as a flagship renewable energy project. Yet, despite its scale and proximity, the marginalized pastoralist community of Raya continues to face acute energy poverty, limited irrigation capacity, and exclusion from the material and socio-ecological benefits of the green energy project. This study critically examines the systemic energy injustices embedded within the Garissa Solar Park—specifically procedural, distributive, and recognition-based inequalities—and critiques the project’s failure to deliver on principles of equity, local meaningful and democratic participation, and gender inclusion.

The research assesses …

Effective Adapted Psychotherapy Approaches For Autistic Adults: Perspectives From Clinical Psychologists, Emily Morgan Hilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autistic adults face a high risk of co-occurring mental health challenges, yet standard psychotherapy often fails to meet their unique needs, raising concerns about treatment effectiveness. This qualitative study aimed to understand how clinical psychologists decide on therapeutic approaches and adaptations for their autistic adult clients through three research questions: RQ1: How do clinical psychologists decide on the appropriate therapeutic approach they use with their autistic adult clients? RQ2: How do clinical psychologists decide which adaptations are appropriate to implement in psychotherapy with their autistic adult clients? RQ3: Does the therapeutic approach affect how a clinical psychologist chooses appropriate adaptations …

The Mediating Role Of Intellectual Humility On The Relationship Between Perspective-Taking And Affective Polarization, Daniel Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Affective polarization, a phenomenon characterized by animosity between opposing political parties, has emerged as a growing and intractable problem in the United States. Affective polarization threatens American democracy, as polarized citizens become increasingly unwilling to trust cross-partisans, hold their political leaders accountable, or support the results of free and fair elections. While prior research has investigated the mitigating effect of intellectual humility and perspective-taking on affective polarization, researchers have yet to investigate whether intellectual humility and perspective-taking work synergistically to mitigate affective polarization. Informed by social identity theory, this quantitative study determined if intellectual humility mediated the relationship between perspective-taking …

Optimal Well Being Of Those Recovering From Alcohol Use Disorder: An Exploration Of Individual Difference Factors And Treatment Outcomes, Jared Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful alcohol use has continued to be one of the largest negative impact factors of daily living worldwide. Despite the pervasive use of alcohol and negative impacts that it has on the individual and society there is large disagreement on how to know when someone has “recovered” from AUD (El-Guebaly, 2012), with much of the literature focused narrowly on negative indicators (e.g., return to heavy drinking, re-occurrence of AUD symptoms). Such views have not only restricted definitions of recovery but has also created public perception that those with AUD will continue to struggle even when cessation of drinking has occurred. …

Adolescent Preventive Care Outcomes Before And After Covid-19 Onset: What Is The Role Of Telehealth?, Sarah Hayden Knipper

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescents are a developmentally distinctive population with unique primary health care needs; they comprise about 10% of Oregon's population and more than half are covered by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). This dissertation investigated significant declines in preventive care utilization (well visits and HPV immunizations) among adolescents enrolled in OHP during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between the decline in utilization and the rise in telehealth availability. The study focused specifically on the role of race/ethnicity, geography, and access to health systems in mitigating or exacerbating decreases in preventive care. A mixed methods approach was employed to understand not …

Toward Culturally Responsive Interpretation: Native American Histories, Lifeways, And Ways Of Knowing At The High Desert Museum, Carol Fitzsimmons, Ajena Cason Rogers

Dissertations

Many public museums and historic institutions reflect settler colonial culture and are primarily non-Native led. Although these institutions are trusted, many have perpetuated cultural harm through the theft of belongings, the misrepresentation of stories and histories, and the inaccurate portrayals of cultural content. When interpreting Native American experiences, many non-Native institutions struggle to co-create culturally responsive interpretation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to apply the four-truth framework, developed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to better understand how the High Desert Museum approached the interpretation of Native American content and stories and to explore how …

The Impact Of Blue Economy Factors On Morocco's Economic Growth, Lqamar Youssef, El Amine Youness Mr, Smouni Rachid Pr

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Purpose - This study examines the influence of blue economy factors on Morocco's economic growth.

Design/methodology/ approach - Using secondary data from 1980 to 2022, the analysis focuses on fishery production and its various sectors as contributing factors to economic growth. The study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and aims to highlight the impact of deep-sea fishing and coastal fishing in the context of a transition to a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.

Findings - The results suggest that coastal fishing has more potential for creating inclusive economic value within the development of the blue economy, thus promoting …

Innovation Highlight - Human Trafficking And Disability, Elizabeth Bowman Phd

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Data To Transform Anti-Trafficking Systems, Laura Hackney

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

AnnieCannons believes that the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Yet in the anti-trafficking movement, data about survivors is often collected without survivors. Co-founder and CEO Laura Hackney will discuss how reclaiming data can transform systems of care accountability, and prevention. She will share lessons learned from the development of ResourceFull, a digital platform led and co- designed with trafficking survivors to safely connect individuals to trustworthy services and track outcomes across fragmented care systems. There are ethical, technical, and human-centered challenges of collecting and of using data in a space where safety and trust are …

A Participatory Approach To Case Management: Co-Creation Of Effective Anti-Trafficking Programming Based On The Self-Identified Strengths, Needs, And Priorities Of Survivors, Angela Robinson Phd, Kelsey Morgan Phd

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

Some estimates claim the existence of 50 million victims of human trafficking and the U.S. Department of State suggests that less than 1% of survivors received services to prevent further exploitation. This presentation shares processes for co-creating knowledge with case management tools that empower survivors while gathering data to improve their care, assist service providers in effectively targeting supportive services, and strengthen anti-trafficking initiatives. Findings will be shared from Freedom Lifemap, a self-assessment used by human trafficking survivors to identity their own strengths, needs, and priorities to prevent the risk of re-exploitation and attain lasting freedom. Global patterns in data …

Keynote - Data? We Don't Have Time For Data: A Realistic Look At Law Enforcement Use Of And Need For Human Trafficking Data, Doug Gilmer Phd

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

Drawing on over 35 years of law enforcement experience (25 years with the Department of Homeland Security), Dr. Gilmer will speak from a government and law enforcement perspective on the need and use for human trafficking data. Some agencies and components of the U.S. government, and individual states, are heavily invested in collecting data to satisfy their reporting requirements. From a law enforcement perspective, however, big human trafficking data sets are rarely examined. Data science in law enforcement is a relatively new phenomenon, and most law enforcement officers do not have the time, resources, or background to collect or analyze …

The Rhetoric Of Responsibilization: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Campaigns For Hiv Prevention, Catherine M. Pabalate

Kentucky Undergraduate Journal for the Health Humanities

Responsibilization refers to the process by which patients are made accountable for their health and wellbeing, which is determined by their habits and behaviors. Though responsibilization affords greater agency to patients, it can also result in anxiety and guilt when the patient appears "deviant" or "noncompliant." Because sexual behavior is attributed to the causality of HIV/AIDS, patients’ sexual patterns and choices are included within their medical decision-making. This rhetorical analysis focuses on pharmaceutical campaigns and commercials for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which were released between 2012 and 2024 and are targeted towards patients at-risk for HIV/AIDS. Findings suggest that specific rhetorical …

Family-Based Support As A Social Determinant Of Health-Protective Factor For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bisola Duyile, Naomi J. Wheeler

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness in managing the demands of caregiving. This study highlights the critical role of family based support as a social determinant of health-protective factor (SDHPF) that enhances the well-being of parents, helping to mitigate depressive symptoms. Using a secondary dataset of 199 parents/ caregivers of children with ASD, this study examines how family based support, child symptom severity, and financial resources (income) influence parental mental health. The findings show that strong family support is positively associated with lower levels of depression, underscoring the strength of social networks in enhancing …

Developing Indicators For Comprehensive Evaluation Of Equity In Transportation Systems, Ruqaya Emad Alfaris

Theses and Dissertations

Achieving transportation equity is essential for social inclusion, access to opportunities, and reducing disparities. However, traditional evaluation methods are often fragmented and fail to capture equity’s multidimensional nature. This dissertation develops a comprehensive framework for creating indicators to evaluate transportation equity effectively. It begins with a literature review to comprehend the theoretical background, followed by expert interviews highlight gaps in current evaluation practices. Statistical modeling and machine learning analysis was conducted to first explore indicators’ impact on transportation equity, and then investigate transportation safety disparities in underserved communities. Findings from literature review, interview with professionals, and analysis results are used …

You Are Here: Defining Our Hidden Born-Digital Backlog, Andrew Mcdonnell

Library Presentations

The digital archivist position was created at the University of Kentucky two years ago to help create and refine workflows and process born-digital collections in our manuscripts and university archives collections. While much of the initial work of these last two years was on newly acquired collections and materials, in the decades prior, a variety of born-digital materials on physical media had been gathered in hybrid collections and stored and described in myriad ways. This presentation will demonstrate my processes for discovering and assessing unmigrated born-digital materials on physical media hidden throughout our collection. The process is built on documentation …

Neural Representations Of Valence And Arousal In Kung Fury, Jason A. Davis

Cognitive Science Senior Theses

Emotions are a core component of human experience and behavior, yet after decades of scientific research, it is still difficult to uncover the neural substrates related to emotion. Recent advances in neuroscience have examined how we interpret emotional signals from static images of facial expressions, but less work has sought to understand how the brain constructs our emotional experiences (Chen, 2020). To investigate such idiosyncratic experiences across participants, we employed naturalistic stimuli to model the real-time, reliable changes in activity that correspond to changes in emotional experience. A primary element of emotional experience is core affect, defined as the mental …

Boys In A Box: A Mixed Methods Study Examining The Masculinity Of Boys In A Private School, Shavar Ryan Bernier

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

My name is Shavar Bernier, and the title of my thesis is Boys in a box: mixed methods study examining boys' masculinity in a private boarding school. I wrote the paper with guidance from my advisors and readers at Dartmouth, Mary Turco, Andrew Garrod, and Douglas Moody.

This mixed-methods study examined masculinity and how it was displayed at a private boarding school in Watertown, Connecticut. The purpose of the study was to use the experiences of students and teaching faculty to understand how masculinity was evident on Taft’s campus. The study participants consisted of 15 former students and forty-five teaching …

Teamwork And Artificial Intelligence (Ai) : Examining The Effects Of Teammate Identity, Deception, And Ai Literacy On Team Dynamics And Performance In Human-Human Vs. Human-Ai Teams, Jenna Korentsides

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be integrated into collaborative work environments, understanding how humans interact with AI teammates is increasingly important. This study examined how people’s beliefs about who they are working with (whether a teammate is human or AI) can influence teamwork outcomes. Specifically, we explored how perceived teammate identity affects task performance and team experience, with a focus on trust and communication as potential mediators, and AI literacy (familiarity and comfort with AI) as a moderator. Participants completed a series of timed, collaborative problem-solving tasks using a bomb defusal simulation. Each participant worked with both a human …

Couples And Pornography: A Dyadic Latent Profile Analysis Of Romantic Partners And Pornography Use, Michelle E. Haddock Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Research on the outcomes of pornography use for romantic couples has been extensive yet inconclusive. Studies have examined pornography use in a wide variety of contexts, leading to a wide variety of outcomes and well-being. The current study uses latent profile analysis to account for many contextual factors at once, dyadic data to examine the perspective of both partners simultaneously, and a range of individual and relational well-being outcomes to understand how different relational pornography use patterns lead to well-being. Results provided evidence for six unique profiles of couples based on pornography use patterns (personal use frequency, perceived partner use …

Risky Business: Organizational Challenges In International Support For Civilian Self-Protection, J. M. Welsh, Emily Paddon Rhoads, J. Masullo

Political Science Faculty Works

Over the last decade, a range of international actors has moved away from direct forms of intervention to protect civilian populations in favor of “bottom-up” approaches that emphasize external support for civilian self-protection (CSP). While this indirect action is often perceived to be less costly, more legitimate, and potentially more effective, we argue that external support for CSP is a “risky business” that presents a significant dilemma for international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Drawing on literature from sociology, economics, and civil war studies, we conceptualize and categorize the risks of unintended consequences that could accompany external support for CSP and …

Econ100 Economics And Society Course -- Queens College, Clive Belfield

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for a contemporary course on Economics for students with no background in Economics. The course blends theory and up-to-date evidence.

Identifying The Drivers Behind The Decline Of Douglas-Fir And True Fir Species In Sw Oregon, Alexander Bryant Bentley

Dissertations and Theses

Increased levels of Pseudotsuga menziesii (DF) and Abies species (TF) decline throughout dry forests in the Klamath Mountains and Western Cascades ecoregions have been recorded in recent years, with preliminary evidence suggesting that factors influenced by changing climatic conditions and encroachment from fire suppression policies are primarily to blame. Yet, the physiological and environmental mechanisms of drought-driven tree decline are poorly understood across biophysical and spatial gradients. Given the complex relations that drive decline, determining the degree of influence of specific drivers is difficult, creating unique challenges for modern forest management. To elucidate the most important factors driving DF and …

Support Beyond Services: Examining The Role Of Neighbor Relationships, Housing Staff, And Place In Mental Health Recovery, Kenna Estell Dickard

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation explores the role of non-clinical support for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Through three interconnected manuscripts, this dissertation highlights the importance of housing staff support, places in the community, and neighbor relationships in fostering recovery for individuals with SMI. The first manuscript analyzes how housing staff support influences residents' well-being through an ecological lens. This study found that staff support is associated with reduced loneliness, higher residential satisfaction, and increased sense of community. This study also considers the role of self-determination as a moderator, demonstrating the importance of resident agency in maximizing well-being outcomes. The second manuscript …

Unspoken Boundaries: The Silent Contract, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"

Something shifted in me this weekend.

Not in a loud or obvious way — but in the quiet, aching kind of way that lingers.

There were moments that left marks.

Trusts stretched too far. Lines crossed without permission.

Words spoken too carelessly.

Stories overheard that weren’t mine to carry.

And emotions — joy, sadness, envy, intimacy — woven tightly into conversations I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

In the middle of it all, one theme kept surfacing: boundaries. "

New Building Permits In The Mountain West, 2024, Taylor Volk, Mohit Pande, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet examines data on new build permits from January 2023 to January 2024 in the five Mountain West States of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.“New Home Construction Statistics,” published by This Old House, reported percent changes on new builder permits and construction manufacturing costs and statistics across all 50 states.

Cultural Continuity And Identity Preservation In Diaspora: The Role Of African Pentecostal Churches In Maintaining Traditions Within African Communities In The United States, Olamide T. Awoyemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of African Pentecostal churches in preserving cultural traditions andshaping identities among African diaspora communities in the United States, focusing specifically on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in Tampa, Florida. Through detailed participant observation and in-depth qualitative interviews, this thesis examines how rituals, religious practices, and community engagement within these churches facilitate cultural continuity and identity negotiation among Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants. Findings reveal that these religious institutions serve as critical sites for resisting cultural erasure, navigating the complex tensions between maintaining African heritage and adapting to American society, and providing …

Reproductive Rights At Work: The Role Of Organizations In Menstrual Support, Emily Julia Ready

Dissertations and Theses

Painful menstrual symptoms affect up to 90% of people with uteruses globally. These symptoms can result in lost productivity at work and absenteeism for working individuals. Normative work structures have not been designed with accessibility and inclusivity for those with uteruses in mind. Therefore, women and those with uteruses have often had to work through barriers with no accommodations or systematic change. Currently, there is no published research in the United States on the nuances of the relationship between menstruation and work with the intention of exploring effective solutions. There has been discussion related to menstrual supportive policies, but there …

Fixed Income Mathematics, Kenneth S. Bigel

Open Touro Created

2025

Bond Math is at the center of the functioning of the bond markets, yet this critical sub-finance discipline is usually not accessible to the typical investor. This is an approachable study of the mathematical theories underlying Fixed Income instruments. It is not a study of bonds per se or the bond markets. The text commences with a basic review of the time value of money, i.e., the theory of compound interest. It then proceeds to discuss how bond prices and yields are determined. Next, it covers the relationships between bond prices and general movements of interest rates in the …

The Love With A Thousand Faces: Heroism As Embodied Love In Action, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

In this article, I argue that heroism is, at its core, embodied love in action -- a morally charged, physically grounded expression of care enacted through selfless deeds, courage, and commitment to others. Rather than reducing love to sentiment or an abstract ideal, I emphasize its embodied dimensions: love as a lived, relational force that motivates people to act bravely and altruistically, often at great personal cost. Drawing on psychological research in empathy, attachment, and prosocial motivation, I show how love undergirds moral courage by activating deep emotional bonds and transforming them into action-oriented commitments that transcend fear and self-interest. …

Scalable Targeting Of Social Protection: When Do Algorithms Out-Perform Surveys And Community Knowledge?, Emily Aiken, Anik Ashraf, Joshua E. Blumenstock, Raymond P. Guiteras, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak

Discussion Papers

Innovations in big data and algorithms are enabling new approaches to target interventions at scale. We compare the accuracy of three different systems for identifying the poor to receive benefit transfers — proxy means-testing, nominations from community members, and an algorithmic approach using machine learning to predict poverty using mobile phone usage behavior — and study how their cost-effectiveness varies with the scale and scope of the program. We collect mobile phone records from all major telecom operators in Bangladesh and conduct community-based wealth rankings and detailed consumption surveys of 5,000 households, to select the 22,000 poorest households for $300 …