Social Statistics Commons^™

When Culture Matters: Frame Resonance And Protests Against Femicide In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Chelsea Starr

The Qualitative Report

Framing theory in social movements is an analytical tool for examining the symbols, slogans, and underlying messages that provide the public with a way to interpret, or frame, a movement resonant with the host culture. The questions I pursue: Looking at how frame resonance varies between movements on the same issue, is there a difference in the movement’s success and failures based on use of different frames? Do frames matter? Using qualitative content analysis as a method and framing theory as an analytical perspective to guide the method, I examine the frames of five movement organizations protesting femicide in Ciudad …

A Woman As A Decision-Maker: Exploring The "Lived Experience" At Home And Outside, Ray Titus, Debashish Sengupta, Sahana Madan

The Qualitative Report

In this research paper, we look at decision-making by women in India from a contextual perspective. This study looks at decision making by women as based on four possible contexts that may arise, and where decisions are called for. These contexts are qualified based on two broad parameters, namely the level of involvement (dictated by the stakes at play) and the predisposition displayed. Involvement is qualified as high or low (on a continuum), whilst predisposition is stated as either cognitive or affective. The results of the research study reveal a difficult act of balancing that women have to do in …

The Great Divide: A Review Of Paying For The Party, Amelia Hoyle

The Qualitative Report

Despite the ubiquitous presence of mass media hailing the value of higher education, these societal messages fail to acknowledge the complexity of contextual factors that influence the outcomes of college educated young adults. Through in-depth personal descriptions from students, the researchers Armstrong and Hamilton for Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality examine the structure of academic and social life on a college campus, exploring the impact of the organization of college on student experiences during college and class trajectories at exit. While previous literature may describe a student’s inequality in college as simply a statistic, the qualitative nature …

Do Marketing Strategies Impact Condom Sales In Uganda?, Meyhar Mohammed

Master's Theses

What attracts people to buy condoms? HIV/AIDS remain one of the biggest health dangers of the world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A lot of efforts have been pursued in the past two decades to drastically reduce prevalence of HIV and increase awareness about preventive mechanisms. In order to prevent relapse of success achieved so far, it is important to recognize transformation of consumer behavior due to growth in social networks, education and awareness over time. There are a lot of behavioral triggers captured by social marketing interventions in the field of public health. In an attempt to investigate the role …

Does Social Support Diminish Depression In Students? Evidence From Athletes And Greek Life, Benjamin Chartoff, Myra Beth Bundy

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Depression and stress are extremely prevalent in college students. The goal of the current study was to examine if social support from athletic teams and fraternities or sororities are related to lower levels of depression and stress than that found in students normally. Participants (N=134) were asked to fill out a questionnaire with scales of depression, stress and social support. It was hypothesized that members of Greek life and student-athletes will show higher levels of social support and lower levels of depression compared to a control group of students. The results supported these hypotheses and suggest that joining social groups …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Empirically Based And Spiritually Based Marital Enrichment Programs, Laura Jacobi

The Qualitative Report

Similarities and differences of two empirically based marital enrichment programs, Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and Couple Communication (CC), and two spiritually based marital enrichment programs, Couples’ Temperament Workshop and Heirs Together were examined. Using published literature and observation, foundations, goals, content, and outcomes were considered. Programs contained similar goals and content, with core curriculum surrounding communication skills and conflict management. Although outcome information is unavailable upon the spiritually based programs, it is possible that these programs may be as effective as empirically based programs validated through research considering the similarities in core curriculum; however, research is needed to …

Faculty Perceptions Of Communication At An Academic Medical Center: A Faculty Forward Qualitative Analysis, Brian L. Rutledge, Jessica H. Bailey

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the study is to examine the faculty’s suggestions on how to improve communication at five schools in an academic medical center. The University of Mississippi Medical Center facilitated the administration of the Faculty Forward Engagement Survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges to faculty in the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and health related professions. This survey included open-ended questions with narrative responses. On these responses to one question about communication, the authors performed the constant comparative method of grounded theory design, a foundational form of qualitative inquiry. In reviewing and coding the 201 responses, …

Dreaming Big And Living Small: Examining Motivations And Satisfaction In Tiny House Living, Lauren Michelle Boeckermann

Senior Theses

The tiny house movement advocates for downsizing and a moving into smaller

residences.1 While living in smaller homes is in no way novel, the roots of the current trend is

somewhat contested as some attribute it to the “Back-to-the-Land” movement of the 1970’s or

Thoreau’s plea to live simply and deliberately.1 In 2002, the first company dedicated to solely

building tiny houses was founded and called Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.2 Jay Shafer,

the owner of Tumbleweed, and several tiny house advocates joined together to create the Small

House Society to serve as a community of like-minded individuals with information sharing …

An Analysis Of Ohio School Districts, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Money has recently been posited to be a panacea for education: the more a district spends on its students, the better their results will be. However, actuarial analysis of school districts shows that this ideology is muddled in inconsistency. To determine the effect of money on education, the Ohio Report Cards of four school districts were observed. Upon inspection, explanations for the evident correlations are made to discover that money does not have an additive effect on academic success.

A Content Analysis Of The Leadership Styles Of Steve Waugh And Sourav Ganguly: Leadership Lesson From The Game Of Cricket, Pratyush Banerjee 21465, Shantanu Shankar Bagchi

The Qualitative Report

In this study, the researchers focus on the leadership styles of two of the game of Cricket’s most charismatic leaders of the twenty-first century – Steve Waugh of Australia and Sourav Ganguly of India in a bid to relate their styles with classic leadership theories. Both Waugh and Ganguly have been arguably recognized as the most successful cricket captains of their respective countries and have earned accolades from cricket pundits as brilliant leaders of men. In this study, a content analysis of the articles about these two legendary captains published in the highly-acclaimed Wisden almanac, electronic media such as Sportstar, …

Change In Everyday Life And In The Communication World: A Co-Constructed Performance Autoethnography, Katie Rivers, Peter Joseph Gloviczki

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, we use a co-constructed performance autoethnography to explore change in everyday life and in the communication world.

You Only Live Up To The Standards You Set: An Evaluation Of Different Approaches To Standard Setting, Scott N. Strickman

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Interpretation of performance in reference to a standard can provide nuanced, finely-tuned information regarding examinee abilities beyond that of just a total score. However, there is a multitude of ways to set performance standards yet little guidance regarding which method operates best and under what circumstances. Traditional methods are the most common approach adopted in practice and heavily involve subject matter experts (SMEs). Two other approaches have been suggested in the literature as alternative ways to set performance standards, although they have yet to be implemented in practice. Data-driven approaches do not involve SMEs but rather rely solely upon statistical …

Analyzing The Impact Of Demographics On Resident Use And Understanding Of Urban Green Spaces, Emily R. Simso

Honors Thesis

Urban ecology is the study of how humans interact with their built surroundings, particularly in cities, which have high population densities and significantly altered natural environments. A subset of this field looks specifically at urban green spaces, which are vital areas for community health and environmental benefits. In this study, residents from Inglewood, Santa Monica, and Culver City, California were surveyed to determine how demographics affect their use and understanding of green spaces in their neighborhood. Data was collected from 98 individuals over the three cities at parks, libraries, and farmers’ markets to best represent the city’s known demographics. Statistical …

Generation And Analysis Of A Social Network: Hamlet, Preston Evans

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the generation and analysis of a social network produced from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. An XML file of Hamlet was parsed to extract the characters within the play and also identify when the characters appeared within the same scene. After parsing the speakers and the connections between characters, a network graph was generated that displayed all the characters in Hamlet, represented by nodes, and edges that represented the connections between characters as measured by their scene co-appearance. The results of the network graph were then compared to a published social network for Hamlet created by hand. The two …

Women Workforce Attrition Dynamics In Indian It/ Ites Sector, Sharda Singh, Shirshendu Ganguli, Rajasekhar David

The Qualitative Report

The objective of the study is to identify various factors responsible for women's workforce attrition in Indian IT/ITES sector. Thematic analysis was used to generate the factors affecting women's workforce attrition. For the purpose of the study, semi-structured in depth interviews were conducted with some of the women employees of different IT companies. Interviews can be broadly classified into four sections. The first section dealt with personal profiles; second part contained a discussion on the benefits provided by organizations; third part elaborates on factors responsible for women's workforce attrition; and the last part dealt with suggestions on reducing attrition rate …

The Design Of An Instrument To Assess Clinical Laboratories Efficacy Post Implementation Of The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, Harry Mcdonald Jr.

Dissertations

The healthcare system in the United States has undergone substantial changes in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). On March 23, 2010, the implementation of the new healthcare law brought universal healthcare access to all Americans, while attempting to increase quality and decrease medical costs. The new law promotes more of a quality-focused, outcome-based model rather than a pay-for-fee service model; thus, moving the paradigm from infrequent to preemptive healthcare. The PPACA postulates as the only way to achieve cost savings while increasing quality and access. Never before has there been such an extensive change to …

Information Sharing, Transparency, And E-Governance Among County Government Offices In Southeastern Michigan, Lawrence Bosek

All NMU Master's Theses

The Internet has given rise to the availability of information at our fingertips. While the public, particularly consumers, are more commonly described as being the leading users and beneficiaries of electronic information services, businesses and governments are also players in the arena for sharing official information. Information can be easily stored on Internet websites for the public, businesses, and other governmental offices to search and peruse when needed. This study examined the ease of locating county governmental information, such as contact information for public officials and financial reports, and surveyed elected county officials for purposes of identifying how information is …

Chandra’S Story: An Adult Education Student Journeys From Fear To Gratitude, Robin L. Danzak

The Qualitative Report

This article presents the story of Chandra (her real name), a middle-aged, Guyanese-American woman attending an adult education center in the Northeast United States. Chandra grew up in extreme poverty in Guyana, and was taken out of school at age eight to help meet the family’s basic needs. At age 22, she immigrated to the United States in hopes of better opportunities. Through narrative methods, Chandra’s story is constructed from 34, narrative and expository, written texts that she composed for a literacy tutoring program, as well as three, in-depth, oral interviews. The result is a moving account of Chandra’s childhood …

Dreaming Despite Despair, Tiffany S. Aaron

The Qualitative Report

Laurence Ralph’s (2014) Renegade Dreams presents a glimpse into the lived experience of Chicago’s gang members. The author details that through various forms of injury people living in urban poverty hold dreams that motivate them through survival. This book review aims to provide an overview of Ralph’s work while offering intriguing reflections.

Enhancing Cultural Competence Among Dental Students Through Active Teaching And Experiential Learning, Linda S. Behar-Horenstein, Xiaoying Feng

The Qualitative Report

Dental schools are required to utilize teaching practices that increase students’ culture competence and ensure their ability to deliver equitable oral care. This study explored the impact of active teaching, an approach that offered comprehensive engagement and experiential learning. Students participated in small group activities, conducted interviews and developed reflective writings. A QUAN→qual sequential mixed method was used to analyze their reflective writings. Quantitative results indicated that students’ cultural competence was significantly enhanced. Qualitative findings showed that students recognized their unconscious biases and reported an increase of cultural competence. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of experiential learning, particularly the addition …

Grounded Theory And The Conundrum Of Literature Review: Framework For Novice Researchers, Mohamed T. El Hussein, Andrea Kennedy, Brent Oliver

The Qualitative Report

The issue of the literature review remains a conundrum and a controversy within the discourse on grounded theory methodology. Grounded theory researchers are expected to minimize preconceptions to ensure the concept of interest is grounded in data, yet at the same time are required to evaluate existing literature to support institutional ethics and scientific review of the research proposal. In addressing this dilemma, we espouse that literature review in grounded theory should comprise a multistage nonlinear approach to the literature and introduce a framework for novice grounded theory researchers. This framework offers a reflexive, dynamic and integrative process for conducting …

Knowledge And Beliefs About Cancer In African American Population, Rabindra P. Gautam Dhs, Deven Shah Phd, Eric Matthews Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, taking the lives of one in four Americans each year (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2015). A total of 1,658,370 new cancer cases and 589,430 deaths from cancer were projected to occur in the United States in 2015 (ACS, 2015). In 2013, approximately 176,630 new cancer cases and 64,880 deaths from cancer were projected to occur in African American communities. The majority of diagnoses were cancers of the prostate, lung, colon, rectum, breast, and colorectal region (ACS, 2013). For most cancers, African Americans have the highest death rate, …

“The Tourists Still Come, But They Don't Buy As Much As Before”: Vulnerability And Resilience In Two Bay Island Communities In The Wake Of The Global Financial Crisis, Racine Marcus Brown

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this article is to elucidate the differential recovery of household livelihood after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in the communities of West End and Punta Gorda on the island of Roatán, Islas de La Bahia (Bay Islands), Honduras; the emphasis is on livelihoods in tourism due to its economic importance on the island. The theoretical approach is a political ecology of tourism with an emphasis on differential benefits and challenges of tourism development at the household level. The study employs a mixed methods ethnographic approach incorporating participant observation, informal interviews, and semi-structured interviews for the qualitative component. …

A Narrative Inquiry: A Black Male Looking To Teach, Edward E. Bell

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how a Black male experienced the interview process while seeking a teaching position. The participant and I attempted to answer how race and/or gender played a role in his interviewing experiences. The researcher used a qualitative approach to interview this individual. Data analysis revealed major findings contributing to this Black male’s interviewing experiences: Racism played into the hiring process in subtle ways, and just because this candidate was prepared to teach, that preparation did not guarantee his employment. The findings from this narrative account might prove helpful in understanding why …

The Untold Stories Of Former Teen Mothers Who Have Achieved A Master’S Degree Or Higher, Tanya M. Benitez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to shed light on former teen mothers who have “beaten the odds” by achieving a master’s degree or higher. It sought to reveal and understand what the external and internal factors are which lead to these women pursing higher education.

Methodology: The methodology of this study is a case study which explored these factors through the personal stories of former teen mothers. The study revealed the commonalities among these women.

Findings: The findings of the study determined Data collection and analysis resulted in four findings in the lived story of the 13 selected …

What Demotivates Foreign Efl Teachers? A Case Study In Turkish Context, Turgay Han, Zinat Mahzoun

The Qualitative Report

This article is the report of a qualitative case study proposed to investigate the demotivation factors of foreign EFL teachers in Turkish context. To that end, two foreign teachers of English language were chosen as the subjects at a primary/ secondary school in east of Turkey. Face-to-face interviews, profile forms, field notes and diaries were used to obtain the necessary data for the research. The findings indicated that lack of effective communication with school administration and colleagues and lack of interest, attention and respect from behalf of students were the main causes of demotivation at work for both teachers.

Transmission Of Araquio Music, Songs, And Movement Conventions: Learning, Experience, And Meaning In Devotional Theatre, Florante P. Ibarra

The Qualitative Report

Araquio, a verse play on the search of the holy cross, is an indigenous folk theatre in the town of Peñaranda, province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines that has survived for over a hundred years. This ethnographic-phenomenological study explores the holistic nature of the transmission and learning processes of araquio music and songs as a theatre-ritual. Its transmission as a social phenomenon is an avenue for music learning that may in fact overshadow its being a diminishing tradition. Using the framework of three modes of enculturation (Merriam, 1964) and interpretation of culture (Geertz, 1973), I investigate the music transmission and learning …

Qualitative Analysis Using R: A Free Analytic Tool, Samantha Estrada

The Qualitative Report

R (R Development Core Team, 2011) is a powerful tool to analyze statistical data. In recent years R has gained popularity because the software is free and open source. However, evaluators and researchers do not exclusively use quantitative data. It is possible to perform qualitative analysis in R. Using data from a case study exploring a family psychoeducation recovery course, this article provides users a tutorial on how to perform a qualitative analysis and data visualization using R.

Employer Attractiveness Through Social Media: A Phenomenological Study, Chetna Priyadarshini, Yln Kumar, Rajneesh Ranjan Jha

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to gain insights into the subjective experience and perception of job seekers about the extensive use of social media as a source of recruitment and selection by the employers and its influence on the overall employer attractiveness. Four focus group interviews were conducted, audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed by following the procedure of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) laid down by Smith and Osborn (2007). By employing IPA, the themes which emerged under the study are: ease of information; navigational usability and user friendliness; person-job fit and person-organization fit; reliability and timeliness; positive and cost effective …

Analysis Of Worcester's Youth Employment Sector, Laurie Ross Phd, Ramon Borges-Mendez Phd, Alex Rothfelder

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Overall, the employment rate for Worcester youth has improved since 2000; yet mirroring the nation, Worcester continues to have a smaller share of youth 16-24 employed. This situation is intensified for youth of color and young people facing barriers such as homelessness, exiting foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and limited English proficiency. Mass, Inc. estimates that in Worcester there are 3400 disconnected youth—756 are between 16-19 and 2644 are between 20-24. From the youth employment program inventory, we learned that the city’s programs offer many opportunities for “first job” experiences; has some exemplary programs that integrate youth development and workforce …