Social Work Commons^™

Educational, Financial, And Social Needs Of Families Of Children With Multiple Disabilities In Saudi Arabia., Mohammed Abdulrahman Alkohaiz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies on the needs of families of children with multiple disabilities are few and limited, and none of these studies have been conducted in the Arab world, in general, nor in Saudi Arabia, in particular. Even though many families suffer from problems that affect their needs and the needs of their children with disabilities, social work research in the Arab world have not focused on the families and their needs. The information collected from such research can help in developing new and superior services to help children with multiple disabilities and their families. Thus, the present study will contribute to …

Exploring The Role Of United States Legal Discourse In Creating, Sustaining, And Disrupting Vestiges Of Slavery, Hanif M. Bey

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

This exploratory study starts from the proposition that the use of the racialized names “negro,” “colored,” “black,” and “white” represent vestiges of slavery that were socially and legally constructed, maintained, and perpetuated to validate a superior position for descendants of Europe in the United States, while assigning an inferior status to descendants of Africa in the United States. I further suggest that the use of these racialized names appear to resemble what Noonan (1976) described as a legal mask: a legal construct that veils the humanity of participants in the legal process. Informed by Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Post-Colonialist …

Understanding College Students With Physical Disabilities, Kimberly L. Hardner

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore what it means to be a college student with a physical disability. The visibility of a physical disability a is distinct characteristic, even within the disability community, which often results in discrimination, oppression, and marginalization that influence both the identity and experiences of the individual. Through the research method of Photovoice, important considerations related to the identity and experiences of college students with physical disabilities were revealed in this study including: visibility (of a physical disability which leads to stigma and stereotypes); independence (ability to do things for oneself); membership …

Intimate Partner Violence: A Narrative Analysis Of The Jamaican Women Experience, Sonia M. Brown

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature and scope of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) experience by Jamaican women. In Jamaica, IPV cases are not documented under appropriate indices and as a result there is a lack of studies with qualitative and quantitative data. Jamaica has serious safety concerns; the majority of murders occur due to domestic violence. Sexual assault is a significant predictor and contributor to IPV, and it is the second most common cause of injury for women on the island. Women attending a religious institution located within the northeastern corridor of the United States were …

Family–School Partnerships And The Missing Voice Of Parents, Laura R. Stein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Educators, researchers, advocates, and others agree that effective family-school partnership is an important component in best supporting the academic outcomes and future success of students. However, schools and educators struggle in forming constructive partnerships with racially and economically marginalized and oppressed parents and families, particularly low-income Black parents and families. This compromises support for low-income Black students that are already served in underfunded and under-resourced schools compared to their White middleclass counterparts. Further, this phenomenon exacerbates a widely understood academic achievement gap between low-income Black students and White middleclass students. In seeking to unearth and better understand effective strategies and …

Pornography As A Public Health Issue: Promoting Violence And Exploitation Of Children, Youth, And Adults, Elisabeth Taylor

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The pornography industry is expanding exponentially as a result of ongoing technological advances. The ability to stream videos over the internet and the ubiquity of the smart phone have meant that pornography producers are able to use algorithms to target potential consumers, to cultivate new sexual tastes and to deliver content to a more diverse audience over mobile devices. The advent of virtual reality pornography with interactive sex toys and sex robots imbued with artificial intelligence promises to unleash a further step-change in the extent to which pornography influences ‘real-world’ sexual culture. The critical analysis of pornography undertaken over decades …

Book Review: Surrogacy: A Human Rights Violation By Renate Klein, Sheela Saravanan

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Mothers' Perceptions Of Educational Access And Engagement In A Context Of Urban Austerity, Amy Krings, Hillary Thomas, Shawna J. Lee, Aayat Ali, Ladonna Miller

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study sheds light upon mothers' perceptions of educational justice in a context of austerity-based educational reforms. Focus group participants (n = 64) described local schools as lacking resources, a shortcoming that contributed to overcrowded classrooms, inadequate transportation, and safety concerns. They were skeptical of elected and appointed state and district officials, who were viewed as misrepresenting the degree of financial strain in the district in order to prioritize financial profit above education services for children. Additionally, respondents struggled to identify opportunities for parent involvement in educational policy making at a state, district, or school level. The shortage of …

Drug Use During Pregnancy: The Impact Of Maternal Drug Addiction On Infants, Eduwem Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug abuse during pregnancy is a universal problem. The recent work sought to identify the extent of the problem in West Texas. Although the available data was limited, the age of use is younger than other comparable areas; drugs of choice were similar to existing report from the literature. Generalizability was insufficient to develop recommendations for intervention.

Allocating Interventions Based On Counterfactual Predictions: A Case Study On Homelessness Services, Amanda R. Kube

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Modern statistical and machine learning methods are increasingly capable of modeling individual or personalized treatment effects by predicting counterfactual outcomes. These counterfactual predictions could be used to allocate different interventions across populations based on individual characteristics. In many domains, like social services, the availability of possible interventions can be severely resource limited. This thesis considers possible improvements to the allocation of such services in the context of homelessness service provision in a major metropolitan area. Using data from the homeless system, I show potential for substantial predicted benefits in terms of reducing the number of families who experience repeat episodes …

The Re-Certification Barriers In The United States: Comparing Refugee Professional Credentials To Texas Standards, Mary Beth Shelton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the re-certification process for college- educated immigrants in the United States, Canada, and Texas. Underemployment is a problem among foreign trained professionals in the United States. Additionally, this study serves as a guide for the International Rescue Committee to assist future clients. The guide provides a general outline for the licensure process within three professions in Texas. A sample of 192 participants was collected from existing client files from a resettlement agency in Texas. The researcher found approximately 24% of participants were college-educated. An advanced level of English proficiency did not correlate …

A Systematic Review Of Rural Veteran Homelessness, Jonathan Fasse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a systematic review to examine homeless veterans identified to be most at risk of unsuccessfully completing the VA’s housing program (HUD-VASH), which promotes the use of Housing First (HF) as it’s model for treating homelessness. The literature review identified those who were rural and experiencing comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health issues to likely be those who were most at risk. There were multiple reasons why this subgroup was most vulnerable including limited access to resources, higher levels of substance use and more serious mental health diagnoses, and chronic health needs. Both the literature review …

Adult Maltreatment In The United States Military, Gordon E. Storey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT The scope of sustained military operations has placed incredible stressors on the men and women of our United States Armed Forces; consequently, this strain has encroached on and impeded their relationships at home and after their military service. Adult maltreatment in the United States military is a serious concern that negatively impacts military members, their partners, their families and subsequently can prove detrimental to the mission of the military. In order to effectively address this growing concern, it is imperative that mental health practitioners understand the military culture and utilize the best interventions in their treatment. This research conducted …

Perceived Maternal Invalidation And Drinking Behavior: The Role Of Action Control, Elise Ann Warner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder is one of the most prevalent disorders worldwide. As such, researchers have examined factors contributing to alcohol use. Perception of emotional experiences in childhood as invalidating by parents is one factor that has been found to predict later alcohol use, though less is known about maternal invalidation specifically. Parental invalidation has also been found to predict difficulty regulating affective states (i.e., negative and positive affect), which is also a determinant of alcohol use. Further, researchers have studied temptation to drink and restraint from drinking as related to alcohol use to better understand drinking behavior. Though there appears …

Covered International: A Proposal For Growth, Sarah Shumaker

Honors Projects

The following proposal examines the operation of Covered International, a nonprofit organization committed to helping women who have been victims of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking, Contemporary ideas and suggested changes are detailed that will foster the growth of the organization through education and awareness, funding, and expansion.

A Workable Balance: Maternity Leave And Female Success In The Workplace In Finland And The United States, Karey J. Murphy

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The Family and Medical Leave Act was signed into law in 1993. FMLA, allowing for a few exceptions and criteria, provides unpaid leave for certain health conditions or for the birth or adoption of a child. While the United States offers a gender-neutral policy unlike most other nations, the leave is not required to be paid. This can have enormous impacts on not only a female’s decision to return to work after the birth of a child but her continued decision to pursue leadership roles within the workforce. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between female …

Should Children Have A Voice In Custodial Placement?, Emily Moore

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

The aim of this paper is to bring to attention the custodial placement of children with divorced parents. Essentially, this paper looks at the importance of involving the child in the process of deciding on a parenting schedule. This is done by examining how children are personally affected by this decision and arguments made to not involve children. Upon examination of these ideas, it becomes clear that during a divorce case children should be given the opportunity to share their opinion on the parenting schedule.

Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities As Advocates For Immigrants, Lindsey Moore

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

the past decade, immigration policy has become the subject of a fiery nationwide debate, with policymakers and lobbyists going head-to-head as policy reform is discussed. As a worrisome trend has emerged in which national security concerns are being prioritized over human rights concerns, it has become necessary that social workers get involved, as well. Due to the professional values and ethical standards laid out in the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics, social workers are ethically obligated to engage in this discussion and advocate for fair and just policies on behalf of immigrants. Based off an understanding of …

Giving Voice To The Voiceless, Victoria L. Palmer

Social Work Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of matriculated, full time college students from a medium-sized Catholic, Liberal Arts College in the Northeast who identify as multi-racial or multi-ethnic, specifically identifying as coming from a white and non-white mixed background. In the ever-changing political climate in the United States, those who identify as mixed white and non-white backgrounds feel conflicted in how they ethnically or racially identify. Emerging adulthood (ages 18-25), and college experiences, are important years for identity development. This study tells the untold narratives of mixed non-white and white multi-racial, multi-ethnic individuals.

Segregation Of Student Financial Aid In Higher Education: The Effects On Low-Income Students When Ebt Is Not Accepted At University Campuses In San Diego, Ca., Tanisha-Jean Martin

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

The student bodies of universities are made up of a diverse financial class of students which utilize various methods to cover financial obligations on campus, even with the use of welfare governmental assistance. Low-income students that are involved in government welfare programs are given an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to support them while they are pursuing an education; however, every university in San Diego, CA (and nearly the entire United States), segregate EBT into an unacceptable category and refuse to accept the card at any venues on campus. The EBT card is a plastic card that can be used …

Differentiated Reactions To Payment For Ecosystem Service Programs In The Columbia River Basin: A Qualitative Study Exploring Irrigation District Characteristics As Local Common-Pool Resource Management Institutions In Oregon, Usa, Spencer Thomas Plumb, Travis Paveglio, Kelly West Jones, Brett Alan Miller, Dennis R. Becker

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Student Research

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs are increasingly employed to encourage individual actors to preserve and/or restore environmentally beneficial instream flows in freshwater ecosystems. However, the success of these PES programs has been mixed across geographic locations and the influence of local resource management institutions remains unclear. In the western U.S.A. little is known about the role of irrigation districts regarding these water transactions. This study addresses that deficit by using existing knowledge about common-pool resource management characteristics to explore the role of irrigation districts in PES programs that incentivize water transactions in the state of Oregon. We conducted 20 …

Students' Attitudes Towards Mental Illness: A Comparative Analysis, Anna Grace Mclaughlin

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

The number of people with mental illnesses continues to increase greatly, yet these remain some of the most stigmatized illnesses in the U.S. The stigma held about mental illness can affect the way individuals are treated in society. This study examinines attitudes towards mental illness among college students. Given that attitudes may vary by areas of study, this research specifically compares social work and non-social work students’ attitudes. Comparing the attitudes of social work students with those of other students could gauge the adequacy of the education that social work students are receiving on mental illness. The study employed a …

Is Therapy Going To The Dogs? Evaluating Animal Assisted Therapy For Early Identified At-Risk Children, Leah Faith Brookner

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the historical context of human-animal relationships and examines the important ways that humans benefit from various types of interactions with domesticated animals. Therapeutic approaches that incorporate animals have been shown to have multiple benefits, including improved physical and mental health. Although this area of study is still largely overlooked in scientific fields of study, including social work, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has become increasingly prevalent in various mental health settings. Despite its popularity and anecdotal support, research on the benefits of AAT with children is minimal; there are no studies examining the ways in which this approach …

A Lumberjack Sunflower, Blooming From Undergraduate Research, Robert J. Hurt

Undergraduate Research Conference

My research focus is a case study on my own self, blooming from the growth that I have experienced from #brfloodsfa, my School of Social Work, and the 2017 Undergraduate Research Conference.

On My Own Terms: Effectiveness Of Death With Dignity Legislation In Oregon, Megan E. Russell

Undergraduate Research Conference

Social Issue: Today the elderly represent a growing segment of the population. This has resulted in a number of different controversies, including rising medical costs and end-of-life issues. In recent years, multiple states have passed legislation to provide guidance to the terminally ill regarding end-of-life issues. Oregon has led the way in providing dignified options for terminally ill individuals wishing to end their lives through the use of legal prescription medication. This issue of a 'death with dignity' has been a controversial topic on which individuals have a variety of strongly held views, and we have only just begun to …

A Blend Of Absurdism And Humanism: Defending Kurt Vonnegut’S Place In The Secondary Setting, Krisandra R. Johnson

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This essay argues that Kurt Vonnegut blends a unique humanist stance into his absurdist plots and characters, ultimately urging readers to confront the absurd with a kindness and human decency his protagonists often find rare. As a result of this absurd and humanist synthesis, I defend and promote Vonnegut’s place in the secondary English curriculum, despite his rank on many banned books lists, since his characters’ journeys correlate thematically with the growth and process of postmodern adolescents and encourage moral responsibility without sentimental manipulation.

Focusing on Cat’s Cradle, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, and Slaughterhouse-Five as primary sources, specifically …

Faculty Perspectives On Financial Capability And Asset Building In Social Work Education: A Research Report, Margaret S. Sherraden, Jin Huang, Lissa Johnson, Peter Dore, Julie Birkenmaier, Vernon Loke, Sally Hageman

Center for Social Development Research

This report is based on a study conducted in collaboration with the Council on Social Work Education. The report presents findings from a national online survey of social work faculty. Results identify financial and economic (F&E) content taught in the current curriculum, gaps in coverage, and strategies for improving the academic preparation of social workers in these areas. Findings will inform financial capability and asset-building curriculum and improve the academic preparation of social workers.

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Exploring The Attitudes Of The Hope Campus Community Towards The Ready For Life Program, Katherine Veldink, Madelyn Mikitka, Elizabeth Lilley, Jordon Lambert

17th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance (2018)

Exploring the attitudes of the Hope College campus community towards the Ready for Life Program was a topic first researched for a fall Genius Hour Showcase, as social inclusion is a primary area of interest for this researcher and her team. Ready for Life is a program that provides post-secondary educational experiences for college-aged individuals diagnosed with cognitive, learning, or social disabilities. Instructors at Ready For Life assist each student in daily instruction and support, and partners with Hope College professors to adapt the academic materials from the courses each student is enrolled in. As a partner with Hope College, …

Social Inclusion And Disability In The Us And China: An International Context For Experiential Learning, Kylie Dekryger, Abigail Duran, Maria G. Garcia Reyes, Gabrielle Werner

17th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance (2018)

Children with disabilities are a highly vulnerable group around the world, including in China (Cheung, 2013). However, China’s context differs in two notable ways: population size and lack of systematic means of delivering community-based services for people with disabilities (Fisher, Li, and Fan, 2012; UNICEF-EAPRO, 2012). This project focused on the study of community-based services in China and their role in the continuum of care for persons with disabilities. In addition, students and faculty participated in experiential learning and professional development through engagement with non-governmental organizations that focus on this population in the cities of Beijing, Xian, Zhengzhou, and Hong …