Sociology Commons^™

Gen Z Voter Turnout: An Analysis Of Barriers To Participation In State And Local Elections, Avery Allen

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This study examines the factors contributing to the generational gap in civic participation, with a focus on smaller-scale elections. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the research identifies barriers to local and state electoral participation among Generation Z and provides recommendations for civic organizations seeking to increase youth voter turnout.

Preserving Roots: Assessing The Assyrian Community In Iraq Through The Eyes Of Aid Workers, Tara E. Dawood

CMC Senior Theses

This study aims to assess the unique challenges and experiences of Assyrians from Iraq from the perspective of humanitarian aid workers. The research questions are as follows: what factors contribute to Christians choosing to leave Iraq, especially in the last 25 years?; what actions by the Iraqi government would deter them from leaving or support them in returning? This study is significant because it focuses attention on the excessive numbers of Assyrians leaving Iraq. Although they are a minority, their translocation produced a massive resettlement of migrants—more than any other group in Iraq. By analyzing the role of the Iraqi …

Customary Corruption, Ani B. Satz, Liza Vertinsky

Faculty Articles

For over a hundred years, it has been well-accepted among tort scholars that physicians—as one of the legally recognized professions— determine their own customary practices. Within tort law, and medical malpractice more specifically, customary practice establishes whether physicians breach or uphold the required standard of care toward their patients. The results of our hand-coded examination of decided cases and statutes show a more complex picture. While some states have endeavored to shift the standard away from professional custom, it continues to play a critical, and in many cases a determinative, role in establishing physician liability in most states.

Using illustrative …

Healing Communities With Police Divestment: Seeking Abolition Through Transformative Reform And Community-Government Collaboration, Jessica E. Gillson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concerns about the efficacy and sustainability of the U.S. carceral system have persisted throughout the country’s history, recently fueling renewed activism and bipartisan calls for reform. However, proposed solutions remain divisive. This thesis first defines the current status of our prison systems, then explores collaborative alternatives to incarceration and policing that support communities and break cycles of incarceration.

Focusing on partnerships among local governments, community organizations, justice-involved individuals, and law enforcement, this study examines holistic approaches to crime prevention, reentry, and reintegration. Using an interdisciplinary framework incorporating restorative justice, community resilience, and systems theory, it investigates how community-based strategies can …

[Review Of The Book Expanding Approaches To Thematic Analysis: Creative Engagements With Qualitative Data By J. R. Wolgemuth, K. W. Guyotte, & S. A. Shelton (Eds.)], Nazmun Nahar Chaitee

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In Expanding Approaches to Thematic Analysis, editors Jennifer R. Wolgemuth, Kelly W. Guyotte, and Stephanie Anne Shelton introduce an expansive, paradigm-shifting book that reimagines thematic analysis beyond conventional coding methods. This edited volume begins with two presumptions: (1) there are multiple methods of theming data, and (2) qualitative researchers are not necessarily required to code to achieve themes. Through the convergence of various qualitative researchers and early-career scholars, this edited collection pushes thematic analysis into new epistemological territories. The 18 chapters of the book reveal new techniques, such as meditative theming, poetic analysis, and making art, underpinned by theoretical …

The New Urbanism In New York City: A Case Study Comparing Battery Park City And Alphabet City, Lena Farley

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis examines two Manhattan neighborhoods, Battery Park City and Alphabet City, through the lens of New Urbanism—an urban planning approach developed in the 1990s. New Urbanist principles prioritize walkability, connectivity, mixed-use development, diversity, varied housing options, architectural quality, green transportation, sustainability, and accessible green spaces. While Battery Park City represents a top-down, master-planned New Urbanist neighborhood based on a 1979 plan, Alphabet City emerged from the 1811 Manhattan grid with significant community-driven design, notably through community gardens and grassroots initiatives. Using a mixed-methods approach including residential surveys, qualitative, and quantitative analyses, this research investigates how these neighborhoods embody New …

The Battle For The Church Of St. Francis In A Town In The Czech Republic Between “Hipster-Culture” And “Tradition” - Discourses In Religiosity, Youth, And Intra-Parish Civic Engagement – A Case Study, Jan Váně, Jan Kaňák

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relationship between civic engagement and religiosity is an already relatively researched and described phenomenon. However, insufficient attention is paid to the phenomenon of civic engagement within the parish, and moreover in the context of various discourses of religiosity In the article, we present an answer to the question: How do various discourses and their dominant positions influence Intra-Parish Civic Engagement of Youths? To formulate the answer, we use elements of constructivist grounded theory. Based on the analysis of 14 interviews and 36 documents, we describe the course of the process of dominance of traditional and hipster-culture discourse, which played …

How The Town Views The Gown: A Case Study Of A Campus-Community Relationship, Dora Kreitzer

Honors Theses

This research uses Bucknell and Lewisburg as a case study to understand the relationship between universities and their surrounding communities. While prior research has focused on urban, large, and/or research-oriented universities, the rural, small, and predominantly liberal arts nature of Bucknell provides an opportunity to explore how campus-community relationships vary by environment. Forty-eight qualitative semi-structured interviews and 12 months of observation of Lewisburg Borough Council meetings are used to explore three main areas of the town-gown relationship: economics, space, and social capital. These three themes emerged from interviews and observations as the most important determinants of residents’ perceptions of the …

Understanding And Doing Research In Education & The Social Sciences, Phillip A. Olt, Yaprak Dalat Ward, Kevin Splichal, Reade L. Dowda, Elliot Isom

All Open Educational Resources

The purpose of this book is to provide an open-access, free textbook for initial learning about research for students in the social sciences and related professional fields (such as education, social work, business, or nursing).

This OER was updated in 2026 to include accessibility updates.

Girl Gamers, Online Community, And Social Identity Theory: The Role Of Positive Distinction Strategies On Group Engagement On R/Girlgamers, Rachael Green

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identity theorists have studied the complex relationship between gender and gaming for over two decades, but research on how women persist in gaming communities despite harassment remains underdeveloped. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, this dissertation examines the subreddit r/GirlGamers to evaluate the prevalence and impact of positive distinction strategies in countering identity threats. Based on a mixed-methods approach, the findings highlight three key strategies (group permeability, social creativity, and social competition) alongside themes of emotion, structural inequality, and interpersonal violence. Statistical tests indicate that posts employing at least one positive distinction strategy receive significantly more upvotes and comments than those …

Global China In Pakistan: Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Symbolic Domination, Social Media Geopolitics, And Security Corridors, Davide Giacomo Zoppolato

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the discursive and material dimensions of China’s global rise through a case study of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan. As China becomes a leading provider of development finance, its infrastructure-led approach is reshaping geographies across the Global South. Focusing on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—the BRI’s flagship project—I examine how Chinese and Pakistani actors co-produce development through discourses, infrastructures, and security regimes. Structured around three articles, the dissertation analyzes: (1) the official diplomatic discourses of Chinese state institutions and their reception by Pakistani media outlets; (2) the curated geopolitical discourses of Chinese social media …

Urban Isolation In The Digital Age- Examining The Sociological Impact Of The Digital Divide On Civic Life In U.S. Cities, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

The digital divide remains a persistent barrier to civic participation and social inclusion in urban America, particularly in historically underserved communities. This mixed-methods study investigates how digital lack of access affects civic engagement, social capital, and community cohesion in U.S. cities, with a focus on Chicago’s South Side, Harlem New York, St. Louis, and Orlando. Drawing on quantitative data from recent surveys and qualitative insights from peer-reviewed literature, the research applies four sociological frameworks, Urban Sociology, Social Capital Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. These were used to examine the structural and interpretive aspects of digital isolation. Findings reveal …

From Conscientious French Canadian To Enterprising American: Making Memory & Measuring Social Mobility Of French Canadians 1880-1940, Brooke S. Schwaderer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis studies the social mobility of French-Canadian immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula 1880-1940 and memory among their descendants to explain how French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw faded over time. Oral histories were conducted to gain an understanding of the current French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw, understand how the current generation perceives changes in culture over time, and provide possible explanations for why French-Canadians thrived in the Keweenaw. Tax records from the Michigan Technological University Archives and social mobility scores, mother tongue, and homeownership information from the United States census was analyzed to measure language loss, and the social mobility …

Slovakian Migration In The Aftermath Of The Velvet Revolution: A Qualitative Study Exploring Gender Relations Through Migration To The United States, Taylor A. Kanuk

Theses and Dissertations

Two million Eastern European immigrants have come to the U.S. in the latter part of the twentieth century, yet there is little research exploring their experiences. Slovakian immigrants represent one group whose presence in the U.S. has not been studied. This thesis investigates how Slovakian immigrants navigate their immigration experience in the aftermath of what is known as the Velvet Divorce, focusing on economic-driven and family-driven migration and transnationalism. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through ten semi-structured interviews with Slovakian immigrants within the greater Chicago area. The informants in this study recalled their reasons for leaving Slovakia, which …

The Munster Statement Om Principerna För Forskningsetik Och Forskningsintegritet (Swedish), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM är en allians av tio lärosäten från tio europeiska länder. Europauniversitetet strävar efter att göra det möjligt för varje medlem i nätverket att erbjuda högkvalitativa studie- och kvalifikationsprogram med digitala komponenter som delas inom INGENIUM Alliance.

Vid universitet och högskolor läggs allt större vikt vid att främja god forskningssed inom alla aspekter av forskning1,2, inräknat allt från grundforskning till tillämpad forskning och kommersialisering. Forskningsetik (FE) och forskningsintegritet (FI) stödjer forskningsverksamhet och excellens och anses utgöra en viktig grund för att forskare ska kunna lita på varandra och på forskningsresultaten3 samt stärka allmänhetens förtroende för vetenskap och vetenskapliga resultat4. Men …

Declarația Munster Referitor La Principiile Eticii Cercetării Și Integrității Cercetării (Romanian), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM este o alianță de zece instituții de învățământ superior din zece țări europene. Această universitate europeană urmărește să permită fiecărui membru al rețelei să ofere programe de studiu și calificare de înaltă calitate, cu componente digitale care sunt partajate în cadrul Alianței INGENIUM.

În instituțiile de învățământ superior se pune un accent din ce în ce mai mare pe promovarea bunelor practici de cercetare în toate aspectele cercetării1,2, de la cercetarea fundamentală la cercetarea aplicată la comercializare. Etica cercetării (EC) și integritatea cercetării (IC) stau la baza activității și excelenței în cercetare și sunt considerate o componentă critică a …

The Munster Statement On The Principles Of Research Ethics And Research Integrity (English), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM is an alliance of ten institutions of higher education from ten European countries. This European University seeks to enable each member of the network to offer high-quality study and qualification programmes with digital components that are shared within the INGENIUM Alliance.

In Higher Education Institutions there is a growing emphasis on promoting good research practices in all aspects of research1,2, including everything from fundamental research to applied research to commercialisation. Research ethics (RE) and research integrity (RI) underpin research activity and excellence and are considered a critical component of the basis for researchers to trust each other as well …

La Déclaration De Münster Sur Les Principes D'Éthique Et D'Intégrité De La Recherche (French), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM est une alliance de dix établissements d'enseignement supérieur de dix pays européens. Cette université européenne vise à permettre à chaque membre du réseau de proposer des programmes d'études et de qualification de haute qualité avec des composantes numériques partagées au sein de l'Alliance INGENIUM.

Dans les établissements d'enseignement supérieur, l'accent est de plus en plus mis sur la promotion de bonnes pratiques de recherche dans tous les aspects de la recherche12, y compris la recherche fondamentale, la recherche appliquée et la commercialisation. L'éthique de la recherche (ER) et l'intégrité de la recherche (IR) soutiennent l'activité et l'excellence de la …

Munster Statement Zu Den Grundsätzen Der Forschungsethik Und Forschungsintegrität (German), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM ist ein Zusammenschluss von zehn Hochschulen aus zehn europäischen Ländern. Ziel dieser Europäischen Universität ist es, jedem Mitglied des Netzwerks ein qualitativ hochwertiges Studien- und Qualifizierungsangebot mit digitalen Komponenten anzubieten, die in der INGENIUM Alliance geteilt werden.

In den Hochschuleinrichtungen wird zunehmend Wert auf die Förderung guter Forschungspraktiken in allen Bereichen der Forschung gelegt1, 2 von der Grundlagenforschung über die angewandte Forschung bis hin zur Kommerzialisierung. Forschungsethik (RE) und Forschungsintegrität (RI) bilden die Grundlage für Forschungstätigkeit und -exzellenz und gelten als wesentliche Voraussetzung für das Vertrauen der Forschenden untereinander sowie in die Forschungsergebnisse3 und stärken das Vertrauen der Öffentlichkeit …

Η Δήλωση Munster Για Τις Αρχές Δεοντολογίας Της Έρευνας Και Ακεραιότητας Της Έρευνας (Greek), Ingenium

Dissemination

Το INGENIUM είναι μια συμμαχία δέκα ιδρυμάτων τριτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης που εκτείνονται σε ισάριθμες ευρωπαϊκές χώρες. Αυτό το Ευρωπαϊκό Πανεπιστήμιο επιδιώκει να καταστήσει ικανό κάθε μέλος του δικτύου να προσφέρει υψηλής ποιότητας προγράμματα σπουδών και κατάρτισης με ψηφιακές συνιστώσες που είναι κοινά στο πλαίσιο της συμμαχίας INGENIUM.

Στην τριτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση σημειώνεται αυξανόμενη έμφαση στην προώθηση ορθών ερευνητικών πρακτικών σε όλες τις πτυχές της έρευνας1,2, συμπεριλαμβανομένων όλων των τομέων από τη βασική έως την εφαρμοσμένη έρευνα και την εμπορική εκμετάλλευσή της. Η δεοντολογία της έρευνας (ΔτΕ) και η ακεραιότητα της έρευνας (ΑτΕ) στηρίζουν την ερευνητική δραστηριότητα και την αριστεία και θεωρούνται κρίσιμες …

Munsterin Julkilausuma Tutkimusetiikan Ja Hyvän Tieteellisen Käytännön Periaatteista (Finnish), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM on kymmenen Eurooppalaisen korkeakoulun verkosto, joka antaa verkoston jäsenille mahdollisuuden tarjota korkealaatuista koulutusta, hyödyntäen INGENIUM-allianssin yhteisiä digitaalisia opintokokonaisuuksia.

Korkeakouluissa painotetaan yhä enemmän hyvien tutkimuskäytäntöjen edistämistä kaikilla tutkimuksen osa-alueilla1,2 perustutkimuksesta soveltavaan tutkimukseen ja kaupallistamiseen. Tutkimusetiikka ja hyvä tieteelinen käytäntö tukevat tutkimustoimintaa ja huippuosaamista, ja niitä pidetään tärkeänä osana tutkimuksen perustaa, jonka avulla tutkijat luottavat toisiinsa ja tutkimusansioihin 3ja vahvistavat yleisön luottamusta tieteeseen ja tieteellisiin tuloksiin4. Koska ohjeita on kuitenkin lukuisia, on välttämätöntä laatia lausunto, joka mahdollistaa johdonmukaisen lähestymistavan tutkimusetiikkaan ja hyvään tieteelliseen käytäntöön koko INGENIUMissa.

Koska tutkimusetiikka ja hyvä tieteellinen käytäntö ovat merkityksellisiä kaikkien tieteenalojen tutkimuksessa, on erityisen tärkeää, että …

Изявлението От Мюнстер Относно Принципите На Научноизследователската Етика И Почтеността На Научните Изследвания (Bulgarian), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM е алианс на десет висши учебни заведения от десет европейски държави. Този европейски университет се стреми да даде възможност на всеки член на мрежата да предлага висококачествени програми за обучение и квалификация с цифрови компоненти, които се споделят в рамките на INGENIUM Alliance.

Във висшите учебни заведения се поставя все по-голям акцент върху насърчаването на добри изследователски практики във всички аспекти на научните изследвания1, 2включително всичко - от фундаментални изследвания до приложни изследвания и комерсиализация. Изследователската етика (RE) и интегритет на научните изследвания (RI) са в основата на научноизследователската дейност и високите постижения и се считат за критичен компонент, …

Dichiarazione Di Munster Sui Principi Etici E Sull‘ Integrità Della Ricercar (Italian), Ingenium

Dissemination

INGENIUM è un'alleanza di dieci istituti di istruzione superiore di dieci paesi europei. Questa università europea cerca di facilitare ciascun membro della rete nell‘ offrire programmi di studio e titoli di alta qualità con componenti digitali che sono condivisi all'interno dell'Alleanza INGENIUM.

Negli istituti di istruzione superiore vi è una crescente enfasi sulla promozione di buone pratiche in tutti gli aspetti della ricerca12, da quella di base a quella applicata finanche alla commercializzazione. L'etica della ricerca (RE) e l'integrità della ricerca (RI) sono alla base dell'attività e dell'eccellenza della ricerca stessa e sono considerate una componente fondamentale della base affinché …

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

Narrative Inquiry Into The Socio Economic Integration And Resilience Of The Mien Community In The United States, Teresa M. Saefong

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the socioeconomic integration of the Mien community, a refugee minority sometimes overlooked in research and policy discussions, in the United States. Five participants shared their experiences through in-depth interviews and community observations. The study utilizes narrative inquiry and is informed by community cultural wealth and resilience theory. The analysis incorporated restorying, comparative, and performative approaches. The findings suggested that Mien integration depended on intergenerational storytelling, clan-based networks, multilingual skills, and the adaption of traditional practices within U.S. institutions. Community organizations were important for keeping culture alive and filling in the gaps in institutional services by giving …

Community Belonging: Experiences Of Outsiderness In Appalachia, Erin Hudnall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study demonstrates the potential long standing social impacts of extractive industries in Appalachia, supported by historical data and literature that defines the region as a sacrifice zone or as resource cursed. As represented by key informants and the communities under observational study, West Virginia communities can exhibit dynamics indicative of collective trauma that is emplaced and complex in nature, given a historical high level of industrial intervention and social control that induced precarious economic, environmental, and social circumstances. Some of the main “symptoms” of this collective trauma are an aversion to outsider intervention and nostalgia about the past that …

The Geography Of Care: Rural Versus Urban Caregiver Perspectives On Community Resources For Parkinson’S Disease Management, Rebecca Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences and perceptions of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in rural versus urban settings, with particular emphasis on their access to and utilization of community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers, the research explored how geographical location impacts caregiving challenges, support systems, and resource accessibility. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a theoretical framework, the study revealed both universal caregiving challenges and location-specific barriers. While all caregivers reported significant emotional burden and healthcare system navigation difficulties, rural caregivers faced distinct challenges related to resource accessibility and specialized care availability. …

More Than Players, More Than Coaches: Institutional Agents And Youth Development In Urban And Suburban Minority-Majority Neighborhoods, Rainah N. Folk

Theses and Dissertations

Institutional agents play a crucial role in shaping youth development. While the institutional agent framework is well established in postsecondary research, less is known about its role during mid-adolescence. Using relational ethnography and responsive interviewing, this study compares an urban and a suburban high school in minority-majority neighborhoods in Cook County, Illinois, to explore how development is influenced through relationships between sport coaches and high school athletes. Athletes in both contexts face significant challenges tied to neighborhood conditions and socioeconomic status. In response, coaches form deeply caring and supportive relationships, though their roles diverge in ways shaped by their urban …

Perceptions And Treatment Decisions For A Drug Offender Based On Social Class, Cocaine Type, Personal Characteristics, And Compassionate Love: A Vignette Study, Yasmin A. Odeh

Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The shift from a focus on rehabilitation to the more punitive, “tough on crime” approach to illegal behavior in the U.S. has been enacted in no small way by policies connected to the use and abuse of drugs. The disparities between crack and powder cocaine—two chemically similar substances—have headlined this shift (Vagins and McCurdy 2006). However, research is scarce on laypeople’s approval of deterrence approaches for drug offenses, including as a function of types (e.g., powder vs. cocaine possession). This study examined people’s perceptions of prosecutorial decisions for drug offenders—whether they are punished, rehabilitated, or both—and whether people perceived …

Identifying Research Paths Based On Main Path Analysis: A Case Study Of Knowledge Graphs, Ruibin Wei, Yidan Wang, Yan Xu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]The main path analysis of citation networks can be used to identify important literature in specific fields and can achieve the extraction of mainstream research threads. This paper will use the main path analysis method to analyze the research path of knowledge graphs and sort out the context of their research development. [Method/process]This paper firstly obtains research papers in the field of knowledge graphs from the Web of Science platform, then uses the HistCite software to generate a direct citation network of the literature, and then imports the data into Pajek to generate multiple main paths of the dataset, and …