Sociology Commons^™

The Sources Of Behavioral Reinforcement : An Examination Of Nonsocial Reinforcement Theory., Heather Tolle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to gain a better understanding of the means by which deviant behavior is perpetuated. Nonsocial reinforcement theory proposes that behavior is reinforced by psychological, physiological, and social rewards of the behavior. This reinforcement of the behavior causes the frequency of the behavior to increase. Specifically, when an individual uses marijuana, the psychological and physiological rewards gained from the behavior can lead the individual to continue using marijuana over time. This dissertation will test this reciprocal impact of increased psychological and physiological responses leading to an increase in the behavior. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth …

The Dangers And Self Protective Behaviors Of Ride Share Drivers., M. Angela Schwendau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ride-sharing companies have sprung up in various countries around the world, starting in the United States, in the past five years (Uber, 2015). These entrepreneurial upstarts have invaded the transportation industry with contract drivers and no regulations. As independent contractors, these drivers are not afforded the rights and protections as employees. Therefore, they question whether the companies, Uber and Lyft, are concerned about their safety and security. The closest profession to ride share drivers are taxicab drivers, who are considered to have one of the most violent jobs in the United States (Richardson & Windau, 2003). Specifically, they have a …

Organizational Collaboration And Its Impact On Immigrants And Refugees In Louisville., Elizabeth Burdette Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To understand the impact of collaboration on internationals’ integration experiences, this study captures the stories of supporting organizations and Somali refugees in Louisville, KY. The study utilized in-depth interviews and participant observations to analyze the programs and services offered by three supporting organizations, the partnerships they have formed in the community, and the impact the partnerships have on the challenges immigrants and refugees face during the integration process. Non-profit organizations, tasked by the government and communities to support internationals in their integration, face limited resources and capacity, which local partnerships help alleviate. The collaboration relies on relational embeddedness and a …

Embeddedness And Commitment : Tracing Patterns Of Family Instability And Child Wellbeing Over Time., Heidi Michele Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes three quantitative papers using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Paper one, “For us or the children: Exploring the association between coparenting trajectories and parental commitment,” is situated in commitment theory and estimates latent growth curves. Findings suggest that unmarried parents’ coparental relationships are: 1) strong across the first five years of their children’s lives, and 2) influencing parental commitment at year 5. Paper two, “Maternal partnership transitions and coresidence with extended kin,” is situated in life course theory and estimates fixed and random effects models. Findings suggest that unmarried versus married mothers …

Fantastical Body Narratives : Cosplay, Performance, And Gender Diversity., Tiffany M. Hutabarat-Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to explore how the phenomenon of cosplay has been able to produce and sustain a diversity of gender expression due to its emergence from an activity-based community that emphasizes creative play. This creative energy is manifested through cosplay as an active, ritualized practice in which gender diversity is invited to be realized as a distinct possibility, resulting in a display of a full range of masculinities and femininities as well as crossplays and genderbend cosplays. I argue that cosplay can therefore be understood as a phenomenon that destabilizes the gender binary—its active practice promotes the production and …

Breaking The Cycle Of Silence : The Significance Of Anya Seton's Historical Fiction., Lindsey Marie Okoroafo (Jesnek)

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the feminist significance of Anya Seton’s historical novels, My Theodosia (1941), Katherine (1954), and The Winthrop Woman (1958). The two main goals of this project are to 1.) identify and explain the reasons why Seton’s historical novels have not received the scholarly attention they are due, and 2.) to call attention to the ways in which My Theodosia, Katherine, and The Winthrop Woman offer important feminist interventions to patriarchal social order. Ultimately, I argue that My Theodosia, Katherine, and The Winthrop Woman deserve more scholarly attention because they are significant contributions to women’s …

Moral Time And Homicide Investigations., David Stuart Lapsey Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature explores the many dimensions of homicide investigations, including case and individual characteristics, evidence and investigative activities. However, little research delves into situational characteristics and their relationship to specific homicides, charge severity sought by prosecutors and sentence length given to homicide offenders. The current study sampled homicide cases (N=68) to gather baseline information and data regarding judicial outcomes. Donald Black’s Theory of Moral Time (2011) is tested and utilized as the study’s conceptual framework for the study’s hypotheses.

The Lose-Lose Situation : Identity Prioritization And Gendered Communication In Co-Recreational Intramural Basketball., Megan Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Co-recreational sports deserve to be studied due to their relationship between the environment, identity prioritization, and gendered communication for individuals. In spite of the environment’s importance in collegiate student development, few have asked the questions of: how do co-recreational intramural basketball players manage their multiple identities and statuses when playing with or against members of the same or opposite sex; and how do players of both sexes use gendered communication strategies to negotiate predominantly masculine leisure environments, like intramural basketball leagues? Using in-depth interviews from co-recreational intramural basketball players at the University of Louisville triangulated with observations of co-recreational intramural …

Governing The Urban Water Commons : Essays On Collaborative Policy Networks In A Polycentric Ecology Of Urban Water Policy Games., Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Governing social-ecological systems, such as the urban water commons, is a multi-scale and multi-sector (polycentric) human-environment process. This dissertation interrogates this process by situating itself within the Ecology of Games Framework by Norton Long (and updated by Mark Lubell) and the literature on polycentric governance by the Bloomington School of Political Economy. The dissertation’s three essays 1) offer both theoretical and methodological means to enact polycentric public economies within the ecology of games framework, and 2) explicate the conditions under which interoganizational collaboration is fostered within a polycentric ecology of policy games in governing the Middle Rio Grande urban watershed. …

Do Juvenile Offenders Hold To The Child Saving Mentality? The Results From A Survey Of Juvenile Offenders Placed On Court Mandated Juvenile Probation, Katelynn R. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The juvenile justice system was established as a result of an unprecedented movement pioneered by the child savers. Child savers strived to protect America's children from physical and moral harm. Since the juvenile justice system's inception, research has focused extensively on the effectiveness of the juvenile system. Numerous studies have observed the perceptions of the general public, juvenile probation officers, and juvenile correctional staff regarding the juvenile justice system. The current study examined actual participants in the juvenile justice system to assess their opinions of the system that was designed to serve, protect, and rehabilitate them into active members of …

English Proficiency Associated With The High School Grades Of Lep Students In Abilene Isd, Donald A. Dolton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, immigration into the U.S. has increased because of growing economic problems around the world. Economic globalization and technological developments (internet access and the ability to move massive amounts of information and people in a short amount of time) have influenced the number of those seeking asylum. Accordingly, the U.S. school system continues to see an increase in students who are culturally diverse with greater educational deficiencies and limited English proficiency (LEP). In Texas there has been a 90% increase in the number of immigrants from 1990 to 2010 (National CE). This means that currently immigrants make up …

Consumers' Perceptions Of Voluntary And Involuntary Deconsumption: An Exploratory Sequential Scale Development Study, Kranti K. Dugar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study of scale development was conducted among baby boomers in the United States to render conceptual clarity to the concepts of voluntary and involuntary deconsumption, to explore deconsumption behavior under the tenets of the attribution theory of motivation, and to examine the components, structures, uses, and measurement properties of scales of voluntary and involuntary deconsumption. It was also an attempt to reiterate the importance of the baby boomer segment(s) for marketing practitioners based on growth, economic viability, and the power of influence, and to establish a deep understanding of the deconsumption processes, which could enable …

Honor, Shame, And Redemption: Explicating The American Evangelical Right's Moral Worldview Regarding Same-Sex Marriage And Abortion, Jeffrey B. Satterwhite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the rise of the New Religious Right in American politics, same-sex marriage and abortion emerged as the seminal political issues in a burgeoning culture wars narrative. While previous literature in the sociology of religion and political science fields has examined conservative evangelical political mobilization around these issues, this literature has not adequately considered the primacy of theology in determining these critical political commitments of the evangelical right. This dissertation utilizes aspects of James Wellman's concept of moral worldview, Ann Swidler's ideas on the cultural toolkit, and Christian Smith's subcultural identity theory to explore the formation of conservative …

The Negotiation Of Racial, Ethnic, And Religious Identification In American Heathenry, Thad Nathan Horrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of religious, ethnic, and racial identification in the social "field" of Heathenry. Heathenry is a reconstructionist religious movement attempting to reconnect with or revive the pre-Christian traditions of the Germanic tribes of northern Europe. Often articulated as an "ethnic religion," Heathenry has also been frequently tied to white supremacist violence and hate crimes. Applying Anthony Wallace's model of revitalization movements, I attempt to make sense of what it is contemporary Heathens are trying to accomplish in today's society: What is it Heathens are trying to revitalize?

As a field of contestation over common-sense meanings …

The Use Of Alcohol And The Impact On The Use Of Threats In Domestic Violence Cases, Amanda Zammit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Domestic Violence is a public health issue that is affecting millions of people annually. Police reports can give a unique aspect of cases that involve domestic violence because the narrative is a firsthand report of the violent incident. Using domestic violence case reports gathered from a law enforcement database at a county Sheriff's office in Florida, the current study examines whether alcohol use in domestic violence incidents influences threats that the victim receives during the incident. Logistic regression analysis indicates that alcohol use does not significantly impact threats that the victim receives during a domestic violence altercation. However, the study …

Funding Of Higher Education: Variations In State Funding, Impacts Of State Funding On Differential Tuition, And Variables Impacting Differential Tuition, Michael Holbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public higher education in the United States has seen many changes since the Morrill Act of 1862. Specifically, the funding of higher education has changed greatly over the last half century, from very low tuition and relatively high state subsidies to an increased reliance on tuition to fund higher education. While this funding change has been the national trend, the impact on specific states and universities has varied greatly. This study examines the funding variation between university peers, normalized using state general funds per resident student FTE, to analyze the variation of state funding between states as well as the …

Rail Rebound: The Impact Of Freight Rails On Regional Development In The United States, 1970-2010, Bishal Bhakta Kasu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Railroads have played a critical role in economic growth and development, and they exert a tremendous impact on the distribution and redistribution of the population. However, the impacts of railroads, especially freight rails, on population change and socioeconomic development are not well understood. This study fills the gap in the literature by examining the demographic and socioeconomic impacts of freight rails using county-level data in the continental United States from 1970 to 2010. The demographic and socioeconomic changes are measured by eleven dependent variables. Of those eleven, six are demographic (population, young, old, White, Black, Hispanic) and five are socioeconomic …

The Transformation Of An Agriculture-Based Economy To A Tourism-Based Economy: Citizens' Perceived Impacts Of Sustainable Tourism Development, Debra P. Laville-Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have explored the perceptions and impacts of tourism development. However, no studies have included the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis where tourism has replaced agriculture as the primary driver of the islands’ economies. Furthermore, recent studies have not explored demographic factors that determine people’s perceptions of the impacts of tourism development in these islands. The purpose of this study was to investigate if citizens’ perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and community impacts of tourism development vary by demographic factors such as age, education, gender and geographical location in relation to tourist areas. Nineteen research hypotheses …

Gesi Mainstreaming In Nepal: Representation Of A New Concept Or Re-Presentation Of An Old Concept In A New Package?, Umit Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a process analysis of a newly implemented Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming process within Ministry of Urban Development in Nepal. The study aims to understand GESI mainstreaming process within theoretical underpinnings of gender mainstreaming and framing. In understanding, the implementation of the GESI mainstreaming process the research also aims to understand the location of the process within different approach towards gender and development. The study analyzes how does GESI Mainstreaming process differs from previous approach in gender and development by understanding whether it creates a new standard for men, women and other vulnerable groups of …

Dual Enrollment And Its Impact On College Freshman Persistence: A Modification Of Tinto's Model Of Student Departure, Douglas L. Simon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which dual enrollment programs directly or indirectly influenced persistence behavior at a small, public liberal arts university in the Midwest. Dual enrollment in this study broadly refers to high school students who take college courses for college credit. The second purpose was to explore the underlying processes whereby dual enrollments programs serve as a transition bridge for matriculating students. This study employed a longitudinal case study using two survey questionnaires, four focus groups, and institutional data collected by the college. The subjects that participated in the study were first-year …

Explaining The Gender Wage Gap In Rural And Urban China, Wei Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The gender wage gap is a long-standing and worldwide issue. Since the equality sense towards gender role are difference between rural and urban China, this paper will (1) compare the gender wage gap in rural and urban settings; (2) examine how the associated factors (such as education, occupation, and housework involvements) affect the wage; (3) assess and compare gender discrimination in the rural and urban labor markets. This paper utilizes the survey data from China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2011. The methods of descriptive statistics, correlation, and stepwise multiple regression models are applied in analyzing the data. The results …

Discreet Only: An Exploration Of Discreet Practices On Grindr In A Mississippi Town, Ian Michael Whalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

War Time Memories Of Shojo (Girl) - An Analysis Of A Japanese Girls' Magazine, Shojo No Tomo, And Its Readers, Ai Yamamoto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study researched a Japanese girls’ magazine, Shojo no Tomo (A Friend of Girls), which was published before WWII and republished in 2009. By focusing on the republication of the magazine after more than 50 years, the study shohow Japanese women remember their girlhood during the war and how this memory is reconstructed. To discuss reconstruction, this study examines not only what is remembered but also what is forgotten. For this research, it analyzed original issues of the time that the republished issue especially focuses on, and intervieformer readers. Also, it analyzed the republished issue and interviethe editors of it. …

"Yeah I'M A Girl. I Play Video Games.": Identity Work Of Collegiate Women Gamers, Emily Rosenbaum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite accounting for almost half of the game playing population, women gamers are an underrepresented and excluded group within the gaming culture, both in regards to the advertising and production of video games. Prior research suggests that male gamers exclude women from gaming activities, question their legitimacy within the community, and create hostile environments for women both virtually in-game and in physical gaming spaces. As such, women gamers can be understood to hold a marginalized status with the gaming community. The current study looks to examine how women define themselves as "gamers" while negotiating this marginalized status. By adopting an …

Keep Your Thoughts Off My Body: Social Attitudes Toward Rape-Related Abortions, Ketty Fernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, abortion continues to be an ongoing debate among pro-choice and pro-life groups, and politicians, and is one of the many barriers women may face. As rape continues in being a significant social issue, rape-related pregnancies and abortions have been understudied. By using the General Social Survey (GSS), this paper analyzes various sociodemographic variables which may influence social attitudes toward rape-related abortions. Findings indicate that Blacks, women, those living in the South, and age were not significant predictors of whether a pregnant woman should have a legal abortion as a result of rape. Other …

Sexual Violence Victimization And Prescription Drug Misuse: An Analysis Using General Strain Theory, Corey Pomykacz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence among college women is a widespread and severe public health issue in the United States. When compared to women in the general public, collegiate women are at an increased risk of sexual violence. Sexual violence can result in damaging and long-term consequences for the victim. Consequences of sexual violence include physical injuries, psychological distress, social withdrawal, poor grades and participation in health risk behaviors. While a connection between sexual violence victimization and negative outcomes is well established, most of the research in this area is atheoretical. To address this gap in the literature this study relied on Robert …

Then And Now: Using Syllabi To Shape The College Classroom, Jessica Valentin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the college classroom has been researched, its climate has received little attention in research. This study analyzes the climate of the classroom using 189 syllabi from various sociology courses. Drawing from data collected by Grauerholz and Gibson (2006) and syllabi from the Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology (TRAILS), the current study compares college classroom syllabi from two different times periods (pre-2005 and post- 2010) to analyze the frequency of classroom climate statements, the variables that may contribute to the presence of a statement, and common language/themes existent in syllabi that did contain a statement. Results showed a …

"The Best Thing Sociology Can Do": The Transformative Potential Of A Community Action And Involvement Class, Brenda Savage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the transformative potential of a Community Action and Involvement course, an undergraduate sociological elective taught at a large southeastern university, to develop or support undergraduates' sense of personal agency and provide the resources necessary for them to engage in the work of social change. The research is rooted in both Bourdieu's conceptualization of habitus and the work of Carmen Mills (2008) on the simultaneous existence of a reproductive and transformative habitus within students. This is a mixed methods study, which includes the analysis of pre- and post-course survey data and over 800 student writings collected during the …

Multiracial Individuals, Gender Dynamics, And Dating, Kayla Mildred Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the role gender and race play in multiracial men and women’s experiences with dating. With the use of interviews, fourteen men and women shared their experiences with dating. There were two main themes that emerged. The first was the development of a multiracial identity. Participants labelled four factors that impact the development of their multiracial identity: family, friends, school, and religion. The other theme was dating approaches which included: finding a partner, family acceptance and non-acceptance, and challenges with dating. Influenced by the theoretical frames of intersectionality and colorism, I demonstrate how race and gender are intersecting …

Stereotypes And The Self-Perceptions Of Black Women: How Places And Identity Strategies Matter, Brieann Avery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black women are one of the most oppressed groups in America because they possess two qualities of being a minority in terms of race and gender. Whether it is magazines, television shows, or music videos, controlling images are established in the preservation of hegemonic power and to condone the remaining marginalization of black women. Black women are seen mostly sexually exploited in hip-hop. Black women are continuously being oppressed through hip-hop’s constructions created to reinforce ideals about race and gender positioning and inferiority in a hegemonic masculine world, Hip-hop promotes negative images of black women as sexual objects and the …