Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Homelessness Count Methodologies Literature Review, Jennifer Lee-Anderson

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

This literature review on homeless count methods provides a brief history of homelessness in the U.S., an account of count efforts, and an overview of methods used. It illustrates that no method is capable of providing a comprehensive count of the homeless, and all methods have inherent disadvantages that often rely upon flawed assumptions. The practical impact of these counts on policy is substantial. Therefore, this review should encourage discussion as to what data communities need for policy and program development and implementation, and whether homeless counts actually fulfill this need.

Perceptions About The Asylum-Seeking Process In The United States After 9/11, Keith Nalumango

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asylum seekers in the U.S. have faced a plethora of impediments leading to some of them abandoning their applications, which may deny them their rights under the United Nations convention on refugees. Despite the abundance of literature on the plight of these persons, no study has examined the lived experiences of asylum seekers in the U.S. from the time they apply for asylum to the time their applications are adjudicated. Using Benet's polarities of democracy as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this single participant narrative study was to explore these experiences in order to provide policy makers with a …

Financing Post-2015 Development Goals: Shaping A New Policy Framework For Aid In Liberia, Apollos Ikechukwu Nwafor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Liberia, Africa's oldest democracy, has made several efforts in becoming a developed economy and ending poverty, but these efforts have been hampered by lack of appropriate financing mechanisms to achieve this goal. The most recent challenge which was the purpose of this study was to understand how Liberia can finance and achieve the sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. Despite substantial external aid, Liberia was only able to meet 3 out of the 8 Millennium Development Goals, and more than 60% of the population remain extremely poor. The main research question was to understand what …

Myth Or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation In Ontario, Canada, Tracy A. Smith-Carrier, Amber Gazso, Stephanie Baker Collins, Carrie Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Is there an intergenerational causal link in social assistance (SA) participation? There is a dearth of research addressing this question, yet the discourse of ‘welfare dependency’ is hegemonic. The limited research that does attempt to tease out a causal link in intergenerational SA participation remains equivocal. Qualitative research is largely absent in welfare scholarship; research that might provide a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics underlying SA receipt. We employ an inductive qualitative analysis, using procedures from grounded theory, to understand SA participants’ experiences and perspectives on intergenerational SA usage. We find that the two causal mechanisms underlying intergenerational SA …

Social Construction, Knowledge Utilization, And The Politics Of Poverty: A Case Study Of Washington State’S General Assistance Reform, Yu-Ling Chang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses a gap in welfare reform literature by investigating the social constructions of poor people in state policymaking within the context of diminishing General Assistance (GA) after the Great Recession. Using Social Construction and Policy Design Theoryand thematic content analysis of Washington State’s legislative archives, I found that the negative constructions of GA recipients as deviants with undesired psychological and behavioral problems were associated with the reform direction toward a regulated, punitive model. These constructions, intersecting with the ideologies of personal responsibility and work ethic, contribute to the dismantling of the social safety net for the Washington’s poorest …

It’S Like I Have An Advantage In All This: Experiences Of Advocacy By Parents Of Children With Disabilities From Professional Backgrounds, Sarah Taylor, Amy Conley Wright, Holly Pothier, Chellsee Hill, Meredith Rosenberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Supports and services for children with disabilities are not distributed equitably. There are disparities in access to and quality of services for children with disabilities from low-income and ethnic minority groups. There are likely many contributors to these disparities, but one factor may be barriers to access that require parents to advocate to obtain services for their children. This qualitative study explores advocacy experiences of parents of children with disabilities (n=40) who have a high level of education and/or professional achievement. Parents described relying heavily on their professional and educational backgrounds in advocacy, and some commented upon the “advantage” they …

Pilot Study Of Teacher Preparedness For Mandated Civics Education In Illinois, Zoe Michelle Prevatt

Master's Theses

Zoe M. Prevatt Loyola University Chicago PILOT STUDY OF TEACHER PREPAREDNESS FOR MANDATED CIVICS EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS Following thirty-nine states, Illinois became the 40th state to make Civic Education a mandatory class for students to graduate high school in 2015. The mandated class is a semester long and usually occurs in the students Junior or Senior year of high school. The Illinois General Assembly then passed a separate bill that indicated that the 2016-17 school year would be when the mandated class would be fully implemented. Throughout my piece I look to this implementation plan as well as the original …

Counterterrorism And Human Rights Committees’ Influence On Terrorism And Human Rights Atrocities, Janice Marie Gravely

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United Nations Counterterrorism and Human Rights Committees’ current collaborative practices have failed to reduce global terrorists’ activities and human rights abuses associated with counterterrorism activities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and compare collaborative processes between the committees in combatting terrorism and human rights violations associated with counterterrorism. The researched was centered around two key questions: The similarities and differences with information sharing processes and the impacts of the committees’ collaborative processes on terrorists’ activities and human rights violations. For this study, the pragmatic paradigm theoretical framework was used, focusing on the descriptive exploratory design. …

Public Officials' Defense Of Bribery As A Culturally Acceptable Behavior In Ghana, Agyena Osei Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of bribery in Ghana has increased significantly since the mid-2000s and has received considerable attention in both local and international media, as well as among empirical researchers. Although researchers have examined factors that influence the giving and acceptance of bribes in Ghana, limited theoretical research exists concerning the ways public officials in Ghana defend their corrupt behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine ways bribees in Ghana defend their illegal actions, using Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory. Data were collected from telephone interviews with 11 Ghanaian public officials who have served sentences for bribery; their statements …

Principals’ Experiences Leading Strategic Planning In High-Performing Primary Schools In Trinidad And Tobago, Adesh Reitoo Ramlal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the education system in Trinidad and Tobago, only 60% of students are achieving mastery in literacy and numeracy as documented by national tests. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore principals’ experiences leading strategic planning designed to increase achievement in literacy and numeracy in 8 high-performing primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Fullan’s change process theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from interviews with 8 principals. Data analysis included coding, categorizing, and identifying themes. Findings indicated that principals plan, implement, and monitor the facilitation of change processes through in-depth strategies in teaching …

Exploring Regulatory Framework Guiding Bank Employees' Career Advancement In Nigeria, Adenrele Jonathan Adegbite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current global labor market tends to be knowledge based and workers are consistently required to develop new competencies and adapt to changing environments. Bank employees in Nigeria do not have training that sustains future employment in other sectors, largely as a result of regulatory requirements that impede the development of soft skills and life-long learning opportunities. Little attention has been given to the lived experiences of these bank employees who are currently faced with the challenges posed by globalization and technology adoption. Guided by institutional analysis and development theory (IAD), this exploratory study examined the regulatory framework guiding bank …

Corporate Money And Direct Democracy Measures: A Case Study, Dena M. Hester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Direct democracy was adopted by states to balance the influence and power of corporate

interests. Although corporate money has always been a part of American democracy,

dark money expenditures have increased significantly since the Citizens United v. FEC

case. Corporate money in elections poses a problem because it inconsistent with the

tenants of direct democracy. Little published literature addresses the influence of

corporate money on direct democracy measures. Using Kingdon's multiple streams

approach as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to investigate the

perceived influence of corporate money on the 2018 ballot initiative and referendum

measures in …

Effect Of Access To Health Services On Neonatal Mortality In Uganda, Imelda Atai Madgalene Musana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2006, Uganda has experienced a nonchanging neonatal mortality rate of 27 out of 1,000 live births, which is higher than the global average of 19 deaths for every 1,000 live births. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to determine factors affecting access to health services and their impact on newborn deaths in Uganda. Mosley and Chen's model for child survival in developing nations provided the framework for the study. Secondary data from the 2016 demographic and health survey (UDHS) collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOs) was used. A total of 7,538 cases were used and …

Counter-Ideology As A Wider Strategy For Defeating The Boko Haram Terrorist Group, Kwesi Ayima

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a need to address current military strategies to defeat the resilience of the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) group. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a counter-ideology framework as an alternative strategy to defeat the group. The relational/vengeance and relative deprivation theories provided the theoretical foundation for the study, and the research question addressed the extent to which counter-ideology strategies can be instituted to defeat the BHT group. Data were collected through semi structured interviews from 20 participants who were Muslim clerics, community leaders, and military personnel, and data were analyzed using Nvivo software. The themes …

Local Nongovernmental Organization Intervention Approaches In Nigeria's Communities Experiencing Continuous Trauma, Rashid Babalola Raji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found an overlap of psychological symptoms in victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Continuous Traumatic Stress. Although the circumstances inducing the psychological reactions are different, the symptoms mimic one another without a clear cut demarcation, calling for practitioners to be cautious of contexts inducing psychopathology that is triggered through re-experiencing of past trauma when they are assessing and intervening with ongoing trauma-exposed communities. This study explored the subjective experiences of 15 local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) administrators in Nigeria across 5 states, including the federal capital Abuja, about the intersectionality of their clients' persistent trauma experiences and their program …

Expert Perspectives On How The Islamic State Potentially Shaped The Future Of Islamic Transnational Terrorism: An Exploratory Study, Richard Bryant Culp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) declared its caliphate in June 2014, there has been an unprecedented amount of terrorist attacks conducted in the West by individuals either inspired by jihadist ideology or linked to ISIS. As evidenced by the number of ISIS-related attacks throughout Europe and North America, the West faces an ongoing and persistent transnational threat from Islamic terrorism. There is an extensive amount of literature on terrorism and ISIS. However, there is a gap in literature on the potential impact of ISIS on the future of Islamic terrorism. This qualitative case study explored how …

Bioterrorism Hardening: An Exploratory Study Of Emts Preparedness And Practices, Ndubuisi Chinemerem Ejike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2001 anthrax attacks heightened awareness of the possibility of weaponizing biological agents such as Ebola, anthrax, and smallpox and hence, the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 to prevent biological attacks and reduce bioterrorism threats and vulnerabilities. However, the 2014 Ebola epidemic raised concerns about unpreparedness for bioterrorism within the healthcare community and about secondary infections from healthcare workers. Using Kingdon's conceptualization of multiple streams as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the nature of bioterrorism threats and the level of preparedness of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who were involved in the 2014 Ebola epidemic in …

Recruiting Strategies For Increasing The Number Of Emergency Medical Technician Personnel, Carolyn Denise Mack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Demand for the emergency medical technician (EMT) is 2 times greater than that of all other occupations. Sustainability of ambulance services (AS) personnel is dependent upon the recruitment of EMTs into the industry. The purpose of this multiple case study was the exploration of the recruiting strategies that AS administrators used to increase the number of EMTs. Herzberg's 2 factor theory of motivation was the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection instrument included semistructured interviews with 6 AS company executives in southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas. Secondary data and document from each state's emergency medical services personnel …

An Exploration Of The Nongovernmental Organization-€State Relationship Through A Postinternational Framework, Dana-Marie Ramjit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the state contribute considerably to the unique state of Caribbean politics, yet their relationship is turbulent which prevents effective policymaking. Specifically, the problem this study addressed is the turbulent relationship between NGOs and the state in Trinidad and Tobago from a postinternational framework. The purpose of this research was to provide an explanation of the NGO-€state relationship through the postinternational concepts of turbulence and distant proximities. Data for this study were acquired through open-€ended surveys from 22 leaders of NGOs and publicly available documentation pertaining to the relationship between government and NGOs. These data theoretically coded …

Impact Of Temporary Assistance For Needy Families On Poverty Rates In Kansas, Carla Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of the length of time that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients receive benefits on their path out of poverty is not clear. The purpose of this qualitative study with a phenomenological design was to increase understanding of the comparative experiences of TANF recipients who reached their lifetime limit of 60 or 24 months to determine the impact of time limits on their path out of poverty and the fulfillment of the TANF goal and second purpose. Human capital theory provided the framework for the study. Using a purposive, homogenous sampling method, 6 social service professionals were …

Adolescent Girls Of Color And Leadership Development, Veronda Lea Rooks-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent girls of color (GOC) experience significant changes in social expectations during puberty based on gender and racial inequity. This divergence usually changes the trajectory for GOC relative to leadership development and may affect their career choices, life decisions, and overall directions for growth. This qualitative study explored the experiences of women of color (WOC) who hold senior leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Critical theory grounded this study as its aim is to identify marginalization of any kind and determine ways to free those who are oppressed. Research questions focused on the perceived challenges the participants experienced during adolescence …

The Impact Of Faith-Based Organizations On Schools And Families For Prevention Of Bullying And Youth Violence, Jason L. Groce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of research regarding the potential relationship between the reduction of bullying through participation in faith-based organizations may have failed to expand available bullying intervention methods. Faith-based organizations could assist in reducing bullying via moral instruction, boundary-setting guidance, social engagement techniques, and understanding social engagement with the bully's parents. This study explored the relationship between bullying and involvement in faith-based activities through (a) discovering the association between the reduction of bullying incidence or inclinations and faith-based activities, and (b) identifying the mechanisms responsible for the suppression of bullying orientations and behaviors through faith-based activities. The theoretical construct of the …

Key Performance Indicators' Effects On Public Sector Infrastructure Project Efficiency In Grenada, Kelvin Michael George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Grenada is 1 of 15 developing countries in Caribbean Community known as CARICOM. The infrastructure capital projects in these developing countries are plagued with an array of issues: unethical practices, inadequate supervision, lack of transparency and accountability, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, cost overruns, and inefficiencies. In the 1980s and 1990s, the International Monitory Fund and World Bank introduced a balanced scorecard engineered under the structural adjustment program, but it was unable to improve infrastructure project efficiencies. This qualitative case study sought to understand the role of management key performance indicators (KPIs) on public sector infrastructure capital project efficiency on the …

Progress On The Economic Empowerment Of Female Entrepreneurs In Kenya's 30% Preferential Public Procurement Policy, Rukaya Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, a 2013 presidential directive reserved 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to promote economic empowerment; however, as of 2016, female entrepreneurs continued to be outpaced by their male counterparts. The lack of policy evaluation from the female entrepreneur perspective limits the ability to assess progress and identify obstacles. Through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews, this qualitative phenomenological study obtained the perceptions of the implementation and impact of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) on economic empowerment from the perspective of 20 female entrepreneurs in Kenya previously awarded procurement contracts. …

Disparities In Public Charging Infrastructure Deployment And Inequitable Electric Vehicle Ownership Cost Based On Income And Race, Chih-Wei Hsu

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption will be crucial for achieving decarbonization goals in California. The inclusion of marginalized populations in this process is important and involves challenges related to their physical access to charging infrastructure and economic access to EVs. Public access electric vehicle chargers (PAEVCs) and upfront financial incentives for EVs may help reduce the barriers affecting these populations. In this thesis, a spatial analysis at the census block group level shows that, in California, PAEVC access is lower in areas with below median household incomes and areas with a black and Hispanic majority. The PAEVC access disparities are …

The Octofoil, January/February/March 2019, Ninth Infantry Division Association

The Octofoil

The Octofoil is the offical publication of the Ninth Infantry Division Association, Inc., an organization formed by the officers and men of the 9th Infantry Division in order to perpetuate the memory of fallen comrades, preserve the esprit de corps of the Division, promote peace and serve as an information bureau about the 9th Infantry Division. The Association is made up of 9th Infantry veterans from WWII and Vietnam, spouses, widows and lineal descendants.

Counter-Ideology As A Wider Strategy For Defeating The Boko Haram Terrorist Group, Kwesi Ayima

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a need to address current military strategies to defeat the resilience of the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) group. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a counter-ideology framework as an alternative strategy to defeat the group. The relational/vengeance and relative deprivation theories provided the theoretical foundation for the study, and the research question addressed the extent to which counter-ideology strategies can be instituted to defeat the BHT group. Data were collected through semi structured interviews from 20 participants who were Muslim clerics, community leaders, and military personnel, and data were analyzed using Nvivo software. The themes …

School Resource Officers And Student Arrest Inclination, Bill B. Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem examined in this study was the harming of students arrested in schools and related human and fiscal costs. The purpose was to identify arrest decision-making processes of school resource officers (SROs) and non-SROs and examine how arrest inclinations may lead to the concept of a school-to-prison pipeline. Black's theory of arrest and the factors of amount of evidence, suspect demeanor, wishes of the victim, seriousness of the offense, and the relationship between victim and suspect was the theoretical framework for this study. Six research questions were tested to examine relationships between SROs, non-SROs, and the arrest of students. …

Disaster Preparedness: Rescue Planning For People With Disabilities, Alimata Coulibaly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disaster preparedness policy implementation in the United States inadequately integrates people with disabilities (PWDs), most tangibly at the local level, where PWDs do not face an equal chance for survival during disasters compared to those without disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine current disaster preparedness policies and procedures to identify whether local agencies are following existing laws and policies related to integration of PWDs in Orange and Riverside Counties of California. The study furthered understanding of emergency managers’ and planners’ approaches in coordinating local disaster actors and the impact of their attitudes on local preparedness …

How Do You Like Me Now? Social Media Bridging The Distance In Online Education, Lee Heller

Theses and Dissertations

Distance education has disrupted our educational norm, with students taking more online courses than ever before. Some research has assumed that online students experience a feeling of isolation, disconnect with their institution, and overall, have a diminished educational experience. During the last 10 years, another phenomenon, social media, has also experienced explosive growth, including the largest and most interwoven into modern society: Facebook.

With almost 92% of respondents in this study reporting they use Facebook daily, this study found there was statistical significance (1) between using Facebook for social use and the feelings of isolation; (2) between belonging and participating …