Sociology Commons^™

A Narrative Inquiry Of Successful Black Male College Students, Malou Chantal Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite a growing enrollment of Black males in colleges and universities in the U.S., the nationwide college degree completion rate for Black males remains at disproportionately low numbers as compared to other ethnicities and to that of Black females. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to evoke and promote the voices of successful Black male students and to understand their perspectives on factors that contributed to their college success. Findings from this research provide insight into college experiences and interventions that have positive implications for Black male college student success. Valencia's (2010) work on educational attainment served as …

Efficacy Of Cultural-Based Psychoeducational Group Therapy For Increasing Marital Satisfaction Among Latino Couples, Maria Jesus Ampuero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated the importance of providing marriage education to ethnic minority couples who are struggling with their marital relationships. Despite this known importance, significantly fewer resources are available for Latino couples, who have a high rate of divorce. The purpose of this quantitative, randomized, wait-list control group trial design was to determine whether Couples in Contact, a culturally-based, psychoeducational intervention group program for Latino couples, increases marital satisfaction, as measured by the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, Revised (MSI-R). This study drew on cognitive behavioral therapy applied to couples, and the supportive theories underlying family systems theory and Gottman's theory. …

Symbolic Imprisonment, Grief, And Coping Theory: African American Women With Incarcerated Mates, Avon Marie Hart-Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men have been incarcerated at unprecedented rates in the United States over the past 30 years. This study explored how African American females experience adverse psychosocial responses to separation from an incarcerated mate. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory (GT) study was to construct a theory to explain their responses to separation and loss. Given the paucity of literature on this topic, helping professionals may not understand this problem or know how to support these women. Disenfranchised grief and the dual process model of bereavement were used as a theoretical lens for this study. Data were collected …

Role Conflict And Nonsexual Boundary Violations Among Correctional Officers, Ronald M. Ruggiero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Role Conflict and Nonsexual Boundary Violations Among Correctional Officers

by

Ronald Ruggiero

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Human Service--Criminal Justice

Walden University

May 2014

Abstract

Despite the growing presence of prisons in American society, little is known about challenges experienced in the job performed by correctional officers (COs); specifically, no research has investigated how their intermediary status between inmates and prison management can result in role conflict. This descriptive case study explored role conflict among 10 retired CO's and the presence of inmates who enter prison with a high public …

An Empirical Study Of Appointed Counsel Effectiveness In Jury Trials, James Patrick Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anecdotal evidence supports the belief among indigent individuals who are assigned defense counsel that they would be better represented by privately retained counsel. This perspective jeopardizes attorney effectiveness by reducing communication and trust between the attorney and client. Research on the effectiveness of counsel is sparse. The purpose of this quantitative study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by comparing the effectiveness of privately retained and publicly appointed counsel between 2008 and 2013, both before and after the imposition of state-wide compensation limitations on publicly appointed defense counsel. The theoretical framework was Stuntz's theory, which stresses that one part …

Academically Resilient Minority Doctoral Students Who Experienced Poverty And Parental Substance Abuse, Marcia Boatman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of research on the academic resilience of minority, first-generation, online doctoral students (MFOD) who experienced poverty and parental substance abuse (PSA). The purpose of this study was to explore how MFOD who overcame poverty and PSA developed academic resilience. Resilience theory and Kember's model of attrition in online programs provided a conceptual framework for this study. The research questions guiding this qualitative study concerned how MFOD perceive and interpret their academic resilience and protective factors. A purposeful sample of 6 students participated in semistructured interviews. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted, which included a case by …

Social Consequence, Stakeholder Influence, And Resource Needs For Marcellus Shale Communities, Mary Kathleen Gorman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The process of natural gas recovery by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a major scientific advance in unconventional energy development. Attention has largely been focused on its economic advantages and potential negative environmental repercussions, while less consideration given to its social dimensions. The purpose of this study was to explore the social consequences of fracking for communities in the Appalachian Basin's Marcellus shale. Research questions focused on the role of stakeholders and the resource needs of localities in shaping public policy. This study was guided by the tenets of the Boomtown theory along with key issues …

Motivations For Volunteering In A Faith-Based Mentoring Program, Trudy Weatherspoon Willis-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Adolescent males are being suspended or expelled at high rates. Faith-based organizations have developed programs to address these problems by using adult male volunteers to mentor high-risk youth; however, recruiting sufficient mentors is a problem because organizers lack an understanding of the factors that motivate men to volunteer. If this problem can be alleviated, then faith-based organizations will be better able to recruit volunteers to serve students. Guided by the functionalist theory, the purpose of this study was to determine what demographic characteristics and motivating factors discriminated between volunteers and non-volunteers. A causal comparative design was employed and the …

Fear As A Predictor Of Life Satisfaction For Older Adults In Retirement In Canada, Satoko Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In developed countries, most healthy retirees still have fears about growing old; however, there is little empirical data on the relationship between this fear and quality of life. This cross-sectional, correlational, survey study tested whether a summated measure of fears of growing old (fear) based on Laslett’s theory of retirement (the third age) significantly predicted life satisfaction and retirement satisfaction after adjusting for significant activity theory covariates. 190 Canadian volunteer retirees at 3 community retirement centers completed surveys. A pilot study established the reliability and valdity of the scales, including an instrument Fears about Growing Old derived from Laslett’s exemplifications, …

Information Withholding And The Management Of Productivity In Teams, Dolores Drumheller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The importance of good communications between team members has been well documented. Yet previous studies on communications between team members have neglected to focus on reasons for information withholding between people working on teams. The purpose of this case study of 16 engineers and 6 educators was to understand why team members withhold information when working together. A convenience sample was selected from a software engineering organization. Collective intelligence theory in a modern communications environment was used as the theoretical foundation. This theory posits that the synergy of full group collaboration results in enhanced performance and the spread of new …

The Experience Of Menopause As Reported By Sedentary Women, April Elizabeth Ann Rietdyk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited research exists on the experiences of sedentary women as they transition through menopause. This gap creates difficulty for public health practitioners as they strive to develop resources, implement programs, or influence policy change at the community level for this group of marginalized women. Keeping women healthy throughout the aging process, including menopause, improves their quality of life and decreases the impact aging has on the health care system. This phenomenological study, through in-depth interviews, provided the opportunity for sedentary women to share their thoughts and experiences of menopause. Thirteen sedentary women between the ages of 40 and 60, experiencing …

Religious-Base Social Relationship And The Psychological Well-Being Of The Elderly: Gender And Race Variations, Eugene C. Uche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More people in the United States are approaching retirement age, a trend which has resulted in increased study on life satisfaction and psychological well-being of the elderly. Previous researchers have focused on the relationship between religious social support and life satisfaction; however, there remains a gap in the literature regarding how race and gender may influence this association. Knowledge of interactions between religiosity, gender, and race will enable counselors working with different groups of religiously inclined clients to develop and implement religious-based interventions specific to their clients. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to …

Racial Profiling Policy And Its Relation To Pro-Active Policing, Bradley R. Anders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To address the primary problem of racial profiling by police, many states have passed legislation that require police departments to collect demographic data on those with whom the officer comes into contact; these data are later evaluated by supervisors. The problem lies in the possibility for police officers to disengage, or depolice, when faced with data collection policies that may be viewed as lessening the officer's discretion. It was this potential to depolice as related to policy interpretation that formed the conceptual framework for this study. As a result, implementation of racial profiling policies may negatively impact the very minorities …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Learning Experiences Of Deaf Individuals In Tennis, Robbie Jane. Carmichael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf individuals do not have equal access to participating in sports as their hearing counterparts in the United States. Tennis is one sport to which this lack of access applies. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative research study was to add to the research literature by illuminating the learning experiences of Deaf individuals in tennis in the United States. This study was built on a tripartite conceptual framework consisting of motivation, interaction, and the flow experience. The study explored how tennis influenced other aspects in the lives of Deaf individuals. These other aspects included exposure to the game, learning opportunities, …

The Relationship Among Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Styles Of Law Enforcement Executives, Gregory, Jr. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policing in the 21st century is becoming more complex and dynamic as law enforcement executives deal with operational, political, and economic challenges. Organizational theory and research indicate positive relationships among emotional intelligence (EI), leadership effectiveness, leadership styles, and employee outcomes. But these relationships have not been investigated in law enforcement organizations. The purpose of this quantitative study was to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the above relationships in a sample of law enforcement executives. Situational leadership theory, full range leadership model, and trait EI theory comprised the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected from 139 law enforcement …

Factors Contributing To The Increase In Hiv/Aids And Late Diagnoses Of The Virus Among Older Adults, Lorraine C. Barnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that the incidence of HIV/AIDS among the American population aged 50 years and over would account for 50% of all HIV/AIDS cases in the United States by 2015. Yet there is little research available about the reason for the high prevalence or the availability of interventions available for this population. The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to HIV/AIDS awareness in a group of older recipients of health care and their health care providers. This study was intended to help fill the information gaps in this area by using …

Influence Of Coping Styles On Social Support Seeking Among Cancer Patient Family Caregivers, Sandra Renee Rankin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family caregivers of cancer patients may enter a predeath grief cycle when their loved one is diagnosed with cancer. The emotional upheaval and accompanying stress that define predeath grief may lead to health problems for the caregiver, and also interfere with their ability to provide care for their loved one. The purpose of the present research was to examine the relationship between coping styles of family caregivers and the tendency of those caregivers to seek social support during active caregiving. This study employed a quantitative approach based on the revised coping theory and the process of bereavement, which is grounded …

Perceptions Of White Men On Affirmative Action Planning, Linda Lee Hansken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the perceptions of White men on whether they should or should not be treated with total equality and be included in affirmative action (AA) planning in the workplace. Previous studies explored the topic of discrimination toward white males and AA. Using Festinger's cognitive-dissonance theory and Adams's theory of equity, this study focused on research questions addressing basic knowledge of AA planning, perceived discrimination, dissonance, and, the perceptions of White men about AA planning. Using phenomenological methodology, data were collected from personal interviews, and analyzed by obtaining a sense of the phenomenon, categorizing the interviews into meaningful and …

The Relationship Between Computer-Mediated Communication And The Employment Of Deaf People, James A. Schiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction results from a workplace meeting individual needs for income, belonging, and professional growth. Accordingly, core factors contributing to satisfaction vary across individuals and groups. Deaf people have traditionally located satisfying employment among enclaves of other deaf people working within the predominantly manufacturing oriented economy of the 20th Century. With the current shift toward more spatially distributed service industries in the 21 stcentury, there is little research on factors that contribute to job satisfaction among deaf people engaged in this new workforce. Operating from a theoretical perspective of worker/environment fit proposed by Alderfer, the exploratory correlational study investigated relationships …

A Q Methodology Analysis Of Individual Perspectives Of Public Decision Making Influences Of Collaborative Processes, Perry D. Gross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suboptimal public policy formulation and implementation often result from traditional representative democratic practices. Increasing government fragmentation, eroding trust among policy actors, and an increasingly complex policy making environment contribute to this problem. Collaborative decision making is considered to be a pragmatic alternative by its advocates. The purpose of this research was to explore the claim that process dynamics lead participants to prefer collaborative approaches to decision making among local and regional transportation plans in a western state. The conceptual framework was the diversity, interdependence, and authentic dialogue (DIAD) theory-based model of collaboration in decision making. The research questions focused on …

The Perspectives Of African American Nonprofit Female Executives From The Northeastern Region Of The United States About The Work-Family Balance, Tammy Evans-Colquitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although many studies have been conducted on the increased pressure and stress facing women who are trying to fulfill work and family demands, little is known about African American women in executive positions and their perspectives about work-life balance. A particular gap in the research literature exists on the lived experience of African American nonprofit executive women in maintaining work-life balance. The conceptual framework of this phenomenological study was the bidirectional frame of both work interfering with family and family interfering with work. Data were collected through semistructured telephone interviews of 12 African American women ages 30 to 45 and …

The Potential Role Of Business Intelligence In Church Organizations, Charmaine Felder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business intelligence (BI) involves transforming data into actionable information to make better business decisions that may help improve operations. Although businesses have experienced success with BI, how leaders of church organizations might be able to exploit the advantages of BI in church organizations remains largely unexplored. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of pastoral leaders concerning the potential usefulness of BI in church organizations. Conceptual support for the study was based on the premise that churches may also benefit from BI that helps improve decision making and organizational performance. Three research questions were used to …

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Deterioration In Older Adults, Rakesh Chand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population structure of the United States is changing; the older age group is increasing in size relative to the younger generation. The trend is expected to continue, especially starting in 2020, when the baby boomer population---estimated at 80 million---will be reaching their 65 th birthday, a time associated with increasing health complications, including depression and dementia. The study employed a holistic paradigm as the conceptual framework to examine the association between depression and dementia in older adults, and generated a grounded theory to illuminate the relationship between depression and dementia. This theory was then used to assess the efficacy …

The Evolution Of The African American Mother-Daughter Relationship: A Grounded Theory Study, Toneka R. Etienne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mother-daughter relationship holds a special place in the lives of African American women, given the rich history of women of African descent and the complexities of female relationships. However, few studies have discussed the evolution of this relationship and what it means in the lives of African American mothers and daughters. Using relational-cultural theory (RCT) and Black feminist theory, this qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences and evolution of the African American mother-daughter relationship. A sample of 10 mother-daughter dyads was interviewed together about their relationship. Research questions addressed how African American mothers and daughters define, maintain, and …

Criminal History And Lsi-R Scores Of Rsat Participants In The State Of Massachusetts: Impact Of Offender Age On Program Completion And Rates Of Offender Recidivism, Jewell E. Hankins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand how offender age impacted residential substance abuse treatment (RSAT) program success in reducing rates of recidivism for offenders exiting the judicial system. Despite passing legislation in the 1980s and 1990s, which increased the penalties for certain crimes, offender recidivism remains high, with no apparent drop in the number of incarcerations and re-incarcerations, resulting in high costs and threats to the safety and quality of life experienced within communities. Social learning theory, behavioral decision theory, and biologically based theories of behavior were the theoretical foundations. Archival data collected from a RSAT grant program …

The Utility Of Restorative Justice In Urban Communities For Afro Americans Males 12-17, Johnny Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency continues to be a major social problem in the United States. One of the more salient problems with the juvenile justice system in the United States is its staggering incarceration rate, which poses a significant problem for youth exposed to the juvenile justice system, and the community as a whole. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perspective of the program facilitators about the effectiveness of the restorative justice program in reducing recidivism for African American males aged 12 to 17 in Baltimore City's urban community. This study relied upon restorative justice theory as …

Analysis Of Variance In Recidivism Between Special Needs Offenders And Regular Offender Populations In Texas, Park Esewiata Atatah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A Specialized or Super Intensive-1 (SI-1) supervision level refers to a contact requirement imposed on special needs offenders (SNOs) under Texas parole supervision. SI-1 supervision requires greater contact with parole officers and treatment providers than supervision levels used on regular offenders (ROs), yet little is known about whether SI-1 supervision offenders violate terms of their parole or commit new crimes at a different rate compared to the regular offender population in the State of Texas. Reconstruction theory and the social construction of reality were used as theoretical underpinnings of this study, which examined whether differences in offenders' supervision levels created …

Emotional Support In Managing Cardiovascular Diseases Among Hispanic And Non- Hispanic Menopausal Women, Claudette Andrea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective recognition and proper treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Hispanic woman is a public health problem that needs further investigation. Guided by the stress and coping social support theory, the purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to examine the relationship between attitudes, emotional support, and the perception of success in managing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in 335 Hispanic women living in Atlanta, Georgia. Correlations, independent-sample t tests, simple linear regression, and multiple linear regressions showed ethnicity as a moderating variable between the perception of success in handling CVD and emotional support, while emotional support was shown to be a …

An Examination Of Awareness Of Over-The-Counter Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Adverse Events, Michelle Popa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The elderly population is among the fastest growing populations in the United States. Finding and consuming medications safely and effectively are challenging endeavors for this population. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a widely consumed class of medications among the elderly population, with 70% of individuals consuming over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs once a week and 34% using them daily. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether (a) patients are aware of the risks associated with the consumption of NSAIDs, and (b) there are differences in awareness based upon specific demographic characteristics and levels of patient-physician communication. The health belief …

Board Member Perceptions Of Nonprofit Organization Effectiveness, Laura Levy Maurer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In contemporary American society, the nonprofit board is accountable for ensuring that an organization has sufficient resources to carry out its mission. Filling the gap between demands for services and the resources to meet them is often a struggle for small, local nonprofit organizations. This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how board members of small, local nonprofits in the focal community perceive organizational effectiveness. Understanding the nature of nonprofit organization effectiveness according to board members contributes to understanding how those accountable meet their organizational objectives. A review of the literature revealed that nonprofit effectiveness involves the action of contributing and the …