Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Social Construction Of Risk: How Media Socially Constructs Risk Perceptions Surrounding School Shootings Among College Students, Natalie Jobe

University Honors Theses

Although school shootings are statistically rare events, public fear surrounding them has continuously increased across the United States. This thesis explored how college students perceive the risk of school shootings despite the relatively low probability of experiencing these violent events, with particular attention to the role of media framing, sensationalized reporting, and repeated exposure to violent social and digital media. In order to examine how media framing, social and digital media exposure, as well as ongoing encounters with violent content affect risk perception, this research conducted six interviews with traditionally aged college students from Portland State University regarding their experiences …

Grief, Silence, And Surveillance In Academic Settings, Rakhi Grey

University Honors Theses

This study examines how grief is silenced, monitored, and regulated within higher education settings. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students who experienced the death of someone significant, this study explores how institutional expectations surrounding productivity, professionalism, emotional control, and academic functioning shape grief disclosure, emotional expression, and help-seeking behaviors. Using a critical theoretical framework informed by concepts of disenfranchised grief, legitimacy hierarchies, and surveillance, findings suggest that grief within higher education is not simply individually experienced, but socially and institutionally regulated. Participants described academic environments that often left little space for ongoing grief, requiring students to compartmentalize emotional distress, …

Psychological Architecture: Evaluating The "Greenhouse Model" As A Structural Standard For Lgbtq+ Well-Being, Ava Lee

University Honors Theses

Traditional LGBTQ+ mental health frameworks often conceptualize psychological safety as a matter of individual endurance. This paper critiques this focus on adaptive resilience, which systematically shifts responsibility from institutions to individuals. To counter this, the study introduces "Psychological Architecture," a framework viewing social environments as constructed infrastructures that can either support or undermine queer well-being. The model contrasts performative "Glasshouses," which prioritize visibility over safety, with engineered "Greenhouses" that nurture sustainable safety through three sequential pillars: Authentic Representation (walls), Emotional Validation (insulation), and Vocal Activism (ventilation).

Grounded in the findings of a 2024 qualitative pilot study of a queer roller …

The Cleansing Effect Of Technological Investment: An Empirical Analysis Of Episodic Labor Market Polarization (2000–2010), Adam Murphy

University Honors Theses

This paper investigates the episodic nature of labor market polarization in the United States between 2000 and 2010. While the Skill-Biased Technological Change (SBTC) framework may have successfully explained the rise of inequality in the 1980s, it struggled to account for the wage stagnation and hollowing out of the middle class that followed in the 1990s and 2000s. Utilizing Task-Biased Technological Change (TBTC) as a primary lens, this study examines how the codification of routine tasks allowed for the widespread substitution of middle-skill labor by technological capital. By synthesizing IPUMS-CPS occupational data with Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) investment statistics, …

Fundamentalist Disorientations For Queer Subjects: Narrative And Theory, Betty Canoso

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines disorientation experienced by queer people who were raised in high-cost fundamentalist Christianity–people like me. Disorientation is a philosophical concept useful for examining specific intersections of human experience, like queerness and fundamentalism. Philosophers such as Sara Ahmed (2006) and Ami Harbin (2016) have been exploring the intersection of queerness and disorientation. Psychologists, sociologists and researchers from other disciplines are analyzing the interrelatedness of queerness and religion, and disaffiliation and deconversion from high-cost or high-control religions is another ongoing area of interest. Yet, despite widespread interest in these concepts, few have looked at instances of disorientation as they pertain …

Who Keeps Us Safe? Youth Resistance And Security Regimes At The Neoliberal University, Arwen Hansell

University Honors Theses

In a political climate shaped by surveillance, labor precarity, policing, and immigration enforcement, questions of (in)security increasingly organize everyday life. Governments justify security measures through the language of public safety, even as many people experience insecurity surrounding housing, healthcare, employment, and the future itself. Although critical security studies have examined policing, militarism, and surveillance extensively, youth are often overlooked as political actors despite their central role in social movements. This study addresses that gap by focusing on student labor organizers and activists navigating (in)security. Using collaborative ethnography, I conducted fieldwork at protests, labor organizing meetings, workshops, and demonstrations connected to …

Not Everyone Gets A Tree: Housing Values, Street Trees, And Equity In Portland, Matthew Moller

University Honors Theses

Street trees are positively associated with Portland home sale prices, but exposure and capitalization are uneven by race/ethnic neighborhood context. Urban trees are ecological assets, but their economic and equity implications remain uneven. This thesis examines street-tree exposure and 2023 residential sale prices in Portland, Oregon (n = 6,414) using a mixed-methodology hedonic design. Ordinary least squares models measure inventoried street-tree counts within 20m, 50m, and 100m buffers together with structural controls and census-block racial and ethnic context. Trees are positively and significantly associated with logged prices at all radii, with scale-sensitive magnitudes and modestly better fit as wider buffers. …

Reconfiguring Dependency: China's Belt And Road Initiative And Development In Ethiopia And Nigeria, Alexander Freund

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa through the frameworks of dependency theory, postcolonial theory, and neo-colonialism. As China's global economic influence has expanded throughout the twenty-first century, the BRI has emerged as a major source of infrastructure financing and development across the Global South, particularly in Africa. While critics frequently portray the initiative as a form of "debt-trap diplomacy," supporters argue that Chinese investment offers an alternative to the neoliberal conditionality historically associated with Western-led International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. This study addresses two central research questions: …

The Scars Of Renewal: How The Legacy Of Urban Renewal Informs Community Response To Gentrification In San Francisco's Fillmore District, Christopher Hayes

University Honors Theses

What is the disconnect between what the people living in the city say that they want, what the politicians say they're doing to address it, and where does that disconnect come from? Using a case study of San Francisco's Fillmore District, this study investigated discourses of gentrification in media coverage. As a historically Black neighborhood that was severely disrupted by post-World War II Urban Renewal programs, the Fillmore's story mirrors that of many other neighborhoods in the United States. Today, there are heated debates about how to move forward with development given this history and the declining numbers of African …

Ecological And Political Grief In College Students: Making Meaning In Uncertain Times, Kate Hlad

University Honors Theses

The study aims to explore grief experiences of college students in relation to world issues, namely ecological and political concerns and ways of making/finding meaning, hope, and purpose. To address a gap in research on manifestations of combined and multifaceted world grief experiences, qualitative research was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with 6 different college students. Common themes arose from the interviewees' grief experiences including hopelessness, overwhelm, anger, and changed future planning. Additionally, participants shared their experience finding community, engaging in creative pursuits, and taking action against oppressive systems in order to experience hope and purpose individually and …

"I Still Care About Her": Ambiguous Loss And Social Death In Substance-Affected Relationships, Margaret M. King

University Honors Theses

Substance use creates a ripple effect, affecting the individual as well as their family members. The struggles associated with problematic substance use result in feelings of ambiguous loss towards the substance using individual, a type of loss in which a person is still living but either psychologically or physically unavailable. This research explores the experiences of ambiguous loss in college students with loved ones struggling with substance use, examining how they are thrust into caregiving roles, experience support, and find meaning within their loss. Seven semi-structured interviews were held with adult college students who identified as having a loved-one struggling …

Meeting The Needs: Examining The Response To Houselessness In Portland, Or, Miguel Angel Lopez Paz

University Honors Theses

All across the nation, there is an affordable housing crisis that has led to many people losing their homes. In this paper, This paper examines the current response to ending unsheltered homelessness in Portland, Oregon, and the ways that this response impacts the people it is intended to serve. The current mayor, Keith Wilson, ran his campaign with a plan to expand the number of shelter beds available. This plan has had mixed results as some people have been able to benefit, while others choose not to access shelters for various reasons. Besides opening more shelters, the city has another …

The Power Of Perception: Latine Threat Narratives And Immigration Control In The United States, Nina Gallo

University Honors Theses

Despite America's rich history as a self-proclaimed "nation of immigrants," immigration policy in the United States has functioned as a tool of social control designed to systematically exclude and restrict groups of people that pose a perceived threat to national identity and safety. This perceived threat has effectively been communicated through harmful narratives that stratify immigrant communities from the rest of society. Through this framing, support for punitive immigration policies thrives. Currently, Latine immigrants and their families have been the target of discriminatory immigration policies and enforcement tactics. No work to date has synthesized the current state of the immigration …

School Counseling With Indigenous Students In Rural America: The Role Of A Counselor In Supporting An Indigenous Pedagogy Based Curriculum, Donovan Greene

University Honors Theses

Indigenous students are a huge population that are not fully supported by the school psychology field. This is primarily due to cognitive imperialism and the focus on a Western monoculture in education. This has led school psychologists and counselors feeling underprepared and lacking the tools to work with Indigenous students and as a result these  students are harmed academically and in terms of their mental wellness. This essay opens with a literature review of scholarship on school counselors working with Indigenous students. To improve relations, I suggest implementing more culturally focused interventions. Unfortunately there is a lack of research on …

Of Climate Justice And Magical Realism, Sonya Ziaja

Michigan Law Review

A review of Climate Justice: What Rich Nations Owe the World—and the Future. By Cass R. Sunstein.

Evidence Brief: Shifting Attitudes And Social Norms On Fgm Through Community-Based Interventions In Isiolo And Narok Counties Of Kenya, Stella Muthuri, Dennis Matanda, Francis Obare, Robert Omondi, Stephen Kizito, Chi-Chi Undie

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa-Led Movement (TGG-ALM) programme in Kenya demonstrates that community-based, dialogue-driven interventions can shift social norms, attitudes, and behavioural intentions related to female genital mutilation (FGM), while also strengthening gender-equitable beliefs. Drawing on evidence from Isiolo and Narok counties, this evaluation shows that exposure to intergenerational dialogues, women’s reflection circles, and couple-based engagement is associated with stronger personal opposition to FGM, increased acceptance of uncut girls, and greater willingness to abandon the practice.

Strategic Communication For Population Stabilization: From Narrative To Sbcc Action, Population Council Pakistan

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

The Population Council led a landmark national effort to redefine population discourse in Pakistan through the development of a unified, rights-based national narrative—Tawazun (Balance). This narrative, endorsed by the Federal Task Force on Population and adopted at the highest policy forums, reframed population from a fragmented and sensitive issue into a shared national development priority. Tawazun established a clear framework—balancing rights, responsibilities, and resources—positioning family planning within the broader goals of family well-being, human development, and national sustainability. Importantly, the narrative was formally adopted by federal and provincial governments, and integrated into policy frameworks, communication strategies, and development planning processes.

From The Editor: The Journal: Supporting Michigan’S Dental Community, Romesh Nalliah

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Editor-in-Chief Dr. Romesh Nalliah explores the concept of "community" as a shared responsibility within the dental profession. He positions the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association as a vital tool for connecting practitioners and delivering rigorously reviewed scientific content to guide clinical decision-making. While acknowledging technological advances like artificial intelligence, Nalliah maintains that "soft skills"—including listening, empathy, and critical thinking—remain the most essential factors for success. He encourages members to utilize the Journal for mentorship and professional support.

Volume 46, Number 2, June 2026 Olac Newsletter, Laura Kane Mcelfresh, Kyla Jemison, Tanesa G. King, Nerissa Lindsey, Amanda Mack, Michael Herrick, Heather Pretty, Lisa Romano, Janelle Zetty

OLAC Newsletters

Digital version of the June 2026 issue of the OLAC Newsletter.

(Wp 2026-03) Fomc Forecasts, Constant-Gain Learning, And Optimism/Pessimism, Stephen J. Cole

Economics Working Papers

This paper uses an adaptive learning framework to study FOMC forecasts from the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) dataset. FOMC expectations are modeled as the sum of two components: (1) an endogenous learning part and (2) a sentiment part capturing waves of optimism and/or pessimism. The results include key policy takeaways. FOMC forecasts are responsive to incoming macroeconomic information, consistent with adaptive learning, while sentiment is persistent, correlated across GDP growth and inflation forecasts, and becomes quantitatively more important during and around recessions. FOMC participants also rely more on their endogenous/learning model to form expectations, but sentiment plays a larger …

A Simulation To Compare Models For A Longitudinal Ordinal Response With A Multilevel Cross-Classified Data Structure, Rachel S. Perlin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This is a simulation study that compares four models for analyzing three-level longitudinal cross-classified data with an ordinal outcome, treatment effect and a category-specific effect. The models include the cumulative model, the sequential model, the adjacent category model, and a metric model. Data were generated for each of the first three models with 27,000 generated datasets each, totaling 81,000. The datasets vary along three continuous variables: the number of level-3 units, the ratio of treatment groups to control groups, and the treatment effect size. The outcome has four ordinal response categories. Each model had two predictor variables: treatment and time. …

Counterinsurgency In Afghanistan: Doctrine, Implementation, Cannibalization, Noah S. Fischer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Taliban return to power in Afghanistan on August 15th, 2021, is a watershed moment in the 21^st century history of the United States of America. The swift collapse of the U.S. backed Afghan government shocked American politicians, military leadership, and the general public. To many, trillions of dollars were wasted in funding a government that could not even survive a month without U.S. troops. But those dollars were used by U.S. military leadership to implement a new and innovative strategy those same leaders thought would guarantee success: counterinsurgency, abbreviated as COIN. In this thesis, I will ask: what …

Gathering Knowledge, Sustaining Science: The Female Forager And American Mushroom Culture, 1880–1930, Madeline S. Dede-Panken

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Unearthing origins of modern mycophilia, this dissertation explores the mushroom mania which reverberated through American society at the turn of the twentieth century, empowering Anglo-American women in new ways. America’s largely forgotten first mushroom fad illuminates gendered negotiations of foraging culture and public science. Beginning in the 1880s, a remarkable cohort of women helped turn mushrooms from shunned, mysterious organisms into wholesome delicacies for culinary and intellectual enrichment. Female enthusiasts fostered a vibrant mushroom culture and nationwide network of mycophiles. Culinary applications and poisoning fears legitimized women’s presence in scientific endeavors, positioning mycology as vital female knowledge for public safety …

A Data Analysis Study Of Temperature Based On California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (Calcofi) Data., Afsana Mimi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research presents an integrated analytical framework for predicting ocean temperatures using long-term observations from the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) data files. The study applies advanced data engineering and statistical modeling to assess how a variety of indicators, such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, key nutrients, and ocean depth shape oceanic temperature patterns along the California coastline. Using Microsoft SQL Server software for large-scale data integration and the R for statistical packages (R Core Team, 2025) for statistical computation, I developed and compared multiple regression models, including the ridge regression model, to evaluate the relative influence of physical and …

Essays On The Economics Of Aging: Structural And Machine Learning Approaches, Alexander S. Kwon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Population aging has made the study of older workers’ economic behavior increasingly important for understanding labor markets, retirement systems, and public policy. In many advanced economies, rising old-age dependency ratios have increased the need to understand labor-supply, retirement, and savings decisions later in life (OECD, 2025). In the United States, these issues are especially important because Social Security faces long-run financing pressure, with the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund projected to be depleted around 2033 (U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary, 2025). Longer life expectancy increases the expected length of retirement and raises the fiscal importance …

A Machine Learning Approach To Disentangling Developmental Language Disorder From Typical Development In Russian-Speaking Children, Katsiaryna Aharodnik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigated a machine learning (ML) approach to identifying Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in Russian-speaking children using narrative data. ML methods can capture subtle linguistic patterns that distinguish typical and atypical development, which is especially important in cross-linguistic contexts where morphosyntactic variation affects the manifestation of DLD. Diagnosis remains challenging in less-studied languages due to limited knowledge of language-specific deficits and a lack of validated assessment tools. This study evaluated whether ML algorithms can provide a more efficient alternative to traditional screening methods.

Two binary classification studies were conducted using corpus data: 1) classification of narratives told by Russian …

Building On Rented Land: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Black Women’S Digital Homeplace-Building On Tiktok, Monica Thompson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) examined the lived experiences of seven Black women TikTok users, exploring how they describe and make meaning of TikTok as a space of digital expression amid algorithmic constraint and platform precarity. Grounded in Black Cyberfeminism, Critical Race Theory, and hooks’ (1990) homeplace theory, the study asked three questions: how Black women describe their use of TikTok; how they make meaning of the platform as a space of expression; and how they navigate platform instability, political threats, and content restrictions while maintaining authentic expression. Drawing on semi-structured Zoom interviews and analyzed using Smith et al.’s (2009) …

New Age Spirituality In Post-Secular Turkey: Navigating Secular Sensibilities And Class Privilege, Zeynep Ozbarlas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The conflict between religion and secularism has been one of the major forces shaping Turkey’s socio-political landscape since the late nineteenth century. With the radical secular turn during the founding of the Turkish Republic, secularism remained the dominant force until the rise of political Islam in the 1980s. This dissertation, grounded in ethnographic fieldwork, argues that New Age spirituality, adopted by the secular upper-middle class, has become an alternative venue for the reproduction of secular sensibilities and socio-economic privilege in contemporary Turkey, at a time when the two-decade tenure of the Erdoğan regime has undermined secular hegemony.

Although New Age …

News Media Coverage Of Measure Ula: How The Story Of La’S Big Project To Address Homelessness And Affordable Housing Got Sidetracked By The Story Of Big Real Estate, Christopher R. Martin

Faculty Publications

“Measure ULA,” named after United to House LA, was approved by voters in Los Angeles in 2022 to create a dedicated, long-term funding source for solutions to homelessness in LA, including funding the construction of affordable homes and preventing homelessness by helping tenants stay in their homes. The funding would come from a new tax on the most expensive real estate transactions in L.A. (i.e., mansion tax), and would affect fewer than 4% of all property transactions. At the end of three years of local news coverage about Measure ULA from the Los Angeles Times and LAist, the news audience …

Japanese Learners And Mixed-Speech Styles, Nana Kawada

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores to what extent Japanese as a Target Language (JTL, henceforth) learners use mixed-speech styles. "Mixed-speech styles" refers to the phenomenon that occurs when speakers shift speech styles during the course of an interaction. The three primary speech styles are (1) the desu/masu forms, which are generally considered formal speech-level markers, (2) the non-desu/masu forms, considered informal speech-level markers, and (3) the Chūto shūryō-gata, which I translate to unfinished utterances that do not contain a clear style-marker.

The studies examined naturally occurring conversation point out that Japanese speakers often strategically manipulate and mix these speech styles …