Sociology Commons^™

Examination Of The Differences And Similarities In The Classification Of Multiple Homicide Perpetrators, Lucy M. Papp

Theses and Dissertations

The applied dissertation compares the lifestyle and behavioral characteristics of mass, serial, and spree murderers. Historically, studies have focused on serial murder according to the perpetrator's typology or indicators at the crime scene. The current topics of research lack a comparison of these classifications. While the classification and described typologies are essential for academic and investigative purposes, understanding the impactful lifestyle factors of these perpetrators may also serve as an essential factor in predictive analysis, victimology, and the motive behind their heinous crimes.

The researcher collected data on the classifications for each type of multiple homicide perpetrator: mass, serial, and …

Spouse Violence In Case Of Police Officers In Puerto Rico: Violence In Police Families, Jorge Ismael Suarez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore the relationship between factors related to police work and whether these factors help predict domestic violence in a sample of officers of the Puerto Rico Police. The following factors were explored in this study: external burnout, alcohol abuse, department withdrawal, and authoritarian spillover. This study was based on a previous study by Johnson et al. (2005), which revealed that violence exposure and domestic violence among police officers are linked according to four mediation chains. The mediation chain was a model implemented by the authors to determine the influence of burnout, authoritarian spillover, alcohol …

An Exploration Of Menopause: Young People's Perceptions Of Women In Menopause (Study 1) And Menopausal Women's Self-Reports Of Their Experiences (Study 2), Fiona Therese Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

Menopause is a transitional phase in a woman’s life, and society is filled with negative stereotypes of women in menopause. Menopause is a difficult period for many women due to hormonal fluctuations, changes in their bodies, and various other health effects. The negative stereotypes of menopause in the media can cause the general public to hold negative perceptions regarding menopausal women (Gannon and Stevens 1998). The purpose of my two-part study was to extend prior research surrounding perceptions of menopause and look specifically at young people’s perceptions of women in menopause, as well as women’s experiences with menopause.

Study 1 …

The School Of SharīʿA Judges: SharīʿA Courts’ Reform And Legal Modernization In Egypt (1907-1927), Yamen Nouh

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studied the history of the school of sharīʿa judges (1907-1927) as an essential episode of the reform of Sharīʿa courts in Egypt in the early 20th century. The thesis studied the school in connection with the broader context of legal modernization of the Egyptian legal system. The study explored the institutional, pedagogical, and legal aspects of the reform that the school advocated. The study analyzed the impact of the school’s pedagogy on the practice of the Islamic judiciary and the theoretical conception of Sharīʿa. The study used a significant yet understudied historical source: the judicial press. A comparative …

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Groups: A Content Analysis, Tyson William Lovell

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, racial and ethnic minority (REM) communities have faced reduced access to resources for mental and emotional health issues. While research has placed a greater emphasis on REM experiences, there is still a need to further understand the unique contextual factors surrounding mental health challenges among these marginalized groups. Research on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) among REM communities is one area in need of further evaluation. Therefore, this study is a content analysis of literature analyzing the current research focused on the intersection of REM communities and OCD experiences. The purpose of the study is to analyze OCD research among …

The Association Between Adolescent Mindfulness, Sexual Mindfulness, And Sexual Consent: Does Parent-Child Open Or Controlling Sexual Communication Moderate?, Whitney Lenna Mcewan

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I investigated how mindfulness and sexual mindfulness (i.e. awareness and non-judgment) related to sexual consent beliefs among adolescents, and how these relationships were influenced by mothers' and fathers' communication about sex. My approach was grounded in Self-Determination Theory, which posits that healthy sexuality is best achieved when self-determined sexual relationships meet the fundamental human needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Previous research has suggested a positive link between mindfulness and sexual mindfulness and sexual consent beliefs among teenagers. On one hand, effective open communication between parents and children, especially regarding sensitive topics such as sexuality, can enhance …

Is This My Thing, Or Your Thing?: Differentiation Of Self As A Moderator Between Pornography Use And Marital Outcomes, Naomi Mcallister Noorda

Theses and Dissertations

Pornography use is fairly common in today's society, which suggests that one or even both partners of many couple relationships may use pornography. Persons with high or low levels of differentiation of self may experience relationship attachment and sexual satisfaction differently depending on their partner's pornography use. On one hand, those with high differentiation may view a partner's pornography use as the partner's issue. On the other hand, those with low differentiation may view their partner's pornography use as something they are responsible for or need to change. Using data from 1,665 couples across the United States from Wave 6 …

Age At First Marriage And Marital Success In The Context Of Stress Theory: An Updated Investigation With A Longitudinal, Nationally Representative Sample, Anne Marie Wright Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to use family stress theory to examine the relationship between age at first marriage and marital quality and divorce. Age at marriage continues to increase and the demographics keep changing. Past research suggests that early age at marriage has been a contributing factor to divorce risk. Marital quality outcomes can also give us an idea of how well couples are faring in their marriages. This study employs a sample from a longitudinal, nationally representative investigation (CREATE), which has followed newlywed couples since 2016. The sub-sample for this study comes from wave one and includes …

An Assessment Of Sentencing Disparities By Race In The State Of Arkansas, Viola Schaeffer

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has found that there are often disparities in sentencing outcomes due to extralegal factors such as race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, education level, and geographic location. The most prominent and widely studied of these factors, however, is race. Specifically, studies have shown that minority offenders (e.g., African Americans) were more likely to receive a lengthier sentence than their White peers. The purpose of this thesis is thus to examine if there is racial bias in sentences levied to violent offenders in Arkansas. This is be done by analyzing sentencing data from the Arkansas Office of the Courts between …

We Built This Country For Free – Using A Phenomenological Approach For (Re) Imagining Mississippi Black Small-Scale Farmers, Destiny Denise Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

By the early 20th century, in 1920, Black farmers owned 14% of US farmland. Today, in the 21st century, Black farmers own less than 2% of US farmland. The demise of Black farmers and Black farmland in US Agriculture is a direct result of social, political, and racial weaponization against their foodways, culture, and livelihoods. The history concerning the plight of Black farmers goes beyond USDA's historical discrimination but enters a position where racism is embedded and perpetuated within the structure of US agriculture. In effect, Black small-scale farmers have reaped the downfall of this system, enduring racial biases and …

Economic Governance And Violence: A Cross-National Analysis, Steven Mccain

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how economic governance influences routine activities is crucial within the field of criminology to better understand how grounds for violence emerge. Literature of cross-national studies concerning the effects of economic governance has recently developed to study its relationship with violence, specifically homicide. However, there is a deficit of frameworks related to criminological theory in this literature. Using a routine activity framework, the current dissertation seeks understand how different degrees of economic governance in general and, more specifically, the five areas of economic governance – size of government, legal system and property rights, sound money, freedom to international trade, and …

Investigating Programmer Bias Transfer To Computer Tasks Among Hispanic Csci/Cmpe Students In A Minority-Serving Institution, Ana Cecilia Sánchez Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

Algorithm-driven systems are increasingly being used across a variety of settings (Center for Democracy and Technology, 2020; O’Neil, 2017; Sauppé and Mutlu, 2015). However, many everyday technologies are imbued with racial biases that unfairly discriminate against racially marginalized groups (Hankerson et al, 2016; Crawford, 2016; O’Neil, 2017). While sources of bias like the unintended overrepresentation of elements in an algorithm’s dataset have been well researched (Hankerson et. al, 2016; Lee, 2015), the transfer of personal prejudices onto a system remains understudied. Here I address this issue and draw from Sociological literature on organizational theory, assimilation, and colorblind ideology to develop …

Examining The Conditions Affecting The Success Of Income-Generating Activities By Refugees: A Focus On Programs Provided By Ingos In Egypt., Wesal Elkorashy

Theses and Dissertations

With the global decline in resettlement opportunities for refugees in the so-called Global North, many displaced populations are hosted in the Global South. The shift towards first asylum and transit countries often places them in environments where economic stability is often elusive, coupled with legal, social, and cultural barriers. In this challenging situation, addressing refugees' economic lives resilience, and their contribution in the overall economy of host countries becomes increasingly urgent. This is intrinsically linked to the support provided by humanitarian organizations, particularly INGOs, which play a pivotal role in implementing economic programs aimed at increasing refugees’ engagement in the …

Seeking Connection By Forsaking Self: Associations Of Autonomy And Relatedness With Self-Silencing And Emotional Fusion, Amber A. Price

Theses and Dissertations

Humans innately feel a desire for connection, but in its pursuit, some may inadvertently thwart the very connection they seek. One way this may happen is through forsaking a sense of autonomy in favor of relatedness using behaviors such as self- silencing (stifling the self to preserve a relationship) and emotional fusion (relying on validation from others). To better understand how these four variables—autonomy, relatedness, self-silencing and emotional fusion—function together, I used latent profile analysis to identify classes among US adults in long-term relationships (n = 1065). Separate classes were identified for men and women. I then used the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars …

Navigating Complexity Of Serving Displaced Communities: A Study Of Yemeni Community-Based Organizations In Egypt, Alya Mohammed Al-Mahdi

Theses and Dissertations

Forced displacement is a global crisis that poses challenges for nations like Egypt. Despite international NGO support, escalating displaced individuals have overwhelmed existing capacities. Refugee Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) have emerged as a natural response from the communities themselves to bridge the gap between the state and NGOs and the refugee community. However, CBOs in Egypt face challenges that impact their operation and continuity. Through qualitative research, this study aims to explore the experience of the Yemeni CBOs. Through interviews with seven people from six CBOs conducted through field visits and online calls, this research uncovers the dynamics of Yemeni CBOs …

Intimate Partner Violence, Socioeconomic Status, And The Media, Christianna Victoria Page

Theses and Dissertations

News media’s communication of social issues can create societal pushes for policy change. This is true regarding femicide and violence against women. How news media communicate demographics such as socioeconomic status (SES) of intimate partner femicide (IPF) victims in a digital space is underexplored. This study is a thematic analysis analyzing how digital news articles communicate the SES of IPF victims. The sample for this study was taken from a population of digital news articles about IPF sources from ten major U.S.-based online news sites and analyzed 50 digital articles for news media’s communication of SES of victims. Results from …

"Unraveling Shame": Therapy Experiences Of Religious Sexual Minority College Students, Audrey Louise Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority adolescents and adults experience higher rates of psychological risk factors and mental health disorders than their straight peers. As theorized by the minority stress model, this increased distress may be related to both external stressors (including discrimination and violence) and internal stressors (concealment, expectation of rejection, and internalized homonegativity). For some sexual minority individuals who also hold religious beliefs, conflict between their sexual orientation and religious beliefs may act as another stressor. Sexual minority adolescents and adults present to therapy at higher rates than their straight counterparts, and clients seeking help with religious and sexual conflict make up …

A Grounded Theory Of Relational Masculinity In Brazil, Douglas M. Wendt

Theses and Dissertations

Many societal problems in Brazil, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and fatherlessness, are said to be related to hegemonic masculine development, commonly known as toxic masculinity. Very little research has been conducted in Marriage and Family Therapy and related fields that explores masculinity in the context of family systems and within relational frameworks. Current research in this area focuses largely on the negative aspects of traditional masculinity that reinforce narrow stereotypes rather than highlight possibilities of relationally healthy masculine development. The aim of this study was to develop a constructivist grounded theory of relational masculinity in Brazil by interviewing …

Experimentally Examining Status And Initial Trust, Valerie Kristen Barron

Theses and Dissertations

Trust is a fundamental component of our social relationships. Whether we are interacting with our strong social ties, like family and friends, or complete strangers, there is a degree of trust that we must place in the other person. Because trust is essential to our continued interactions it is important that we learn how this trust forms as well as how it is influenced by various social factors. This paper utilizes an experimental approach to examining the relationship between status and initial trust. Using a two condition experiment with 182 participants, this study found that the presence of a single …

Real Time Tracking Of Sleep Behaviors As A Predictor Of Suicidal Ideation For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Anxiety, Yong Seuk Steven Lograsso

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide continues to be a critical concern for society as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, increasing from 10.4 to 13.5 per 100,000 from 2000 to 2016. This risk is further increased up to 8 times for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been difficult to predict on a moment-by-moment basis, in part due to technological challenges. Suicidal ideation has been identified as an important indicator of suicidal behavior and an important measurement for predicting suicide in both neurotypical individuals and individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In particular, sleep disturbances are …

Estimating Hemispheric Specialization In Autistic And Neurotypical Individuals, Madeline Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

While the brain appears to be symmetrical, macroscopic differences or asymmetries between the two hemispheres emerge through careful quantitative study. Functional asymmetries can accompany these structural asymmetries, and these can be a reflection of hemispheric specialization, or the predominant hosting of macroscale functional network and its accompanying functional properties by a given hemisphere. Prior work has identified the specialization of language to the left hemisphere, visuospatial attention to the right hemisphere, and a dual specialization of executive control to both hemispheres. However, it is largely unknown how specialization is characterized at an individual level, particularly in terms of identifying the …

Pop Gugak And E-Sang: Negotiating Traditional And Pop Genre Categories In Expressions Of Identity, Jessica Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Korean traditional music has a popularity problem among Korea's contemporary audiences; given the choice of what to listen to, few South Koreans choose to listen to gugak. To address and overcome this popularity problem, traditional Korean musicians are negotiating and reconstructing traditional Korean music by adopting, appropriating, and altering elements of Korean and international pop music. To this end, Gugak groups recently have been incorporating western musical practices and aesthetics in their performances in digital platforms (YouTube and reality television programs) and in concerts to contemporize the genre and develop a more positive relationship between Koreans and their national music. …

Predictors Of Adherence To A Brief Sleep Extension Intervention In Emerging Adults, Isabella D. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: It is uncertain what characteristics predict adherence to a brief sleep extension intervention, like that offered in primary care settings. This study examined how mental health concerns (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress), self-control, baseline sleep characteristics, and physical activity predicted adherence to a brief sleep extension intervention. Methods: 184 young adults (ages 18-25; m = 20.96) were asked to extend their nightly sleep to eight hours for one week. Sleep was tracked using actigraphy. Baseline sleep quality, baseline daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, stress, self-control, and physical activity were assessed. Results: Poorer baseline sleep quality predicted better adherence (p = 0.002). …

Does Media Facilitate Parent-Child Race Discussions? A Mixed-Method Study Of White Families, Children's Media, And Implicit Bias During Early Childhood, J. Andan Sheppard

Theses and Dissertations

The study aimed to investigate through mixed methods how White parents approach race discussions with their children, the factors influencing the discussions, and the implications for promoting constructive conversations. The qualitative analysis of the race discussions revealed that White parents preferred ambiguous or scientific language and diverted the discussion to topics other than race, such as gender or general body characteristics. Discussions often involved referencing personal examples of individuals from racial minority backgrounds, even if they were not personally acquainted. The quantitative analysis expanded and clarified these findings, with parent characteristics, such as education level and the frequency of color-evasive …

Predicting The Best Birds And Bees: Parental-Efficacy As A Mediator Between Parental Factors And Parent-Child Sex Communication, Meg O. Jankovich

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature on parent-child sex communication (PCSC) has identified optimal sex communication as being not only frequent, but also open in quality, and proactive in timing. However, no studies have sought to understand what motivates parents to participate in this type of optimal parent-child sex communication, nor assessed these relationships longitudinally. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to inform the analysis, this study investigated parent characteristics (parent's sexual self-concept and parenting dimensions) that may longitudinally predict optimal PCSC. This study further examined whether parental sex communication efficacy mediated these relationships. The sample included 607 mother-child dyads, and the father-figure when available (mother-father-child …

A Refuge And A Bridge: Native American Women's Tribal College Experiences, Morgan Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

This study, which focuses on the experiences of Native women attending a tribal college of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, responds to the call by Baird-Olson and Ward (2000) and Almeida (1997) for research that allows Native women, or the "hidden half," to tell their stories. Scant research has examined the value of tribal schools for Native American women and the experiences they have had in relation to their reservation and college lives. Providing narratives of women's experiences can illuminate how higher education in tribal college settings holds multiple values for Native women students as it acts as a refuge and …

The Generalizability Of Proposed Theoretical Factor Models For Common Assessments For Specific Learning Disability In Reading Using A Community Sample, Sean B. Vanhille

Theses and Dissertations

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) are among the most diagnosed developmental disorders in children, with specific learning disability in reading (SLDR) as the most common. SLDR typically occurs due to deficits in phonological processing that can negatively impact decoding and/or reading comprehension skills. Reading deficits are often diagnosed using formal assessments such as the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2), the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-5), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V), and the Woodcock Johnson Achievement Battery (WJ-IV-A). I did not find any research in which the theoretical factor models proposed in the technical manuals of these assessments were …

Shy But Not All The Same: Adolescent Profiles Of Shyness, Self-Regulation, And Benevolent Values, Christina M. Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

While existing research has posited shyness as a risk-factor for floundering in adolescence and emerging adulthood, not all shy young people may struggle to the same extent. Characteristics such as self-regulation and benevolent values may influence the extent to which individuals with high levels of shyness will have socio-emotional challenges. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to use a person-centered analysis to explore subgroups of adolescents with distinct levels of shyness, self-regulation, and benevolent values and to examine how these groups differ on outcomes in adolescence and in emerging adulthood. The sample for this paper consisted of 682 …

Helpful Or Harmful? The Effect Of Heritage Language Use On Perceived Maternal Closeness In United States Immigrant Families, Catalina Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

Language use patterns and parent-child relationship quality in immigrant families are both subject to change over time, and past research on the impact of immigrant children's heritage language use on various measures of well-being yields mixed results. Extending scholarship on heritage language use and immigrant family dynamics, I examine the association between different language patterns in U.S. immigrant families and mother's reports of parent-child closeness. I analyze data from 1,142 mothers when their children are in kindergarten, third grade, and fifth grade using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study "“ Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011. I find little variation in perceived maternal …

The Effect Of An Elephant Conservation Education Program On The Knowledge Base Of Children In Thailand, Angela Larios

Theses and Dissertations

Habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflict (HEC) are two factors that have caused harm to both Asian elephants and humans in Thailand. Think Elephants International (TEI) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate children on these issues to encourage more interest in and knowledge about elephant conservation in the youth of Thailand. TEI has developed a systematic education initiative and established a method for assessing the program’s efficacy using a pre- and post-survey. The current study analyzes student responses from one open-ended question from this survey collected both before and after the students participated in the TEI program. This …