Sociology Commons^™

Do Juvenile Offenders Hold To The Child-Saving Mentality? The Results From A Statewide Survey Of Juvenile Offenders In A Correctional Facility., Katelynn R. Adams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

At the end of the nineteenth century, individuals identified as child savers pioneered an unprecedented movement to save America’s children from physical and moral harm. The establishment of the juvenile justice system came as a result of the actions of the child savers. Researchers have focused extensively on many aspects of the juvenile justice system including studies on the effectiveness of the system to tracking the changes the system has undergone since its establishment. Numerous other studies examined opinions of the juvenile justice system. However, the research has focused solely on the general public, juvenile probation officers and juvenile correctional …

Imagining The Unimaginable: Torture And The Criminal Law, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article examines the use of torture by the U.S. government in the context of the late 20th-century preventive turn in criminal justice. Challenging the assumption that the use of “enhanced interrogation tactics” in the war on terror was an exceptional deviation from accepted norms, this article suggests that this deviation began decades before the terror attacks, in the context of conventional criminal procedure. I point to the use of the “ticking time bomb hypothetical,” and its connection to criminal procedure’s “kidnapping hypothetical.” Using case law and criminal procedure textbooks I trace the employment of that narrative over several decades, …

Exploring The Social Integration Of Sexual Minority Youth Across High School Contexts, Alexa Martin-Storey, Jacob E. Cheadle, Julie Skalamera, Robert Crosnoe

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Mental health disparities between sexual minority and other youth have been theorized to result in part from the effects of the stigmatization on social integration. Stochastic actor-based modeling was applied to complete network data from two high schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (mean age =15 years, n=2,533). Same-sex attracted youth were socially marginalized in a smaller predominantly White school but not in a larger, more racially diverse school. For both schools, homophily was a critical network feature, and could represent social support for and social segregation of such youth. These findings emphasize school context in studying …

Racial Disparities In Infant Mortality, 1990 To 2004: Low Birth Weight, Maternal Complications And Other Causes, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Hyeyoung Woo

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Demographers have long studied the unacceptably high rates of infant mortality in the U.S., relative to other advanced countries. These higher rates are largely attributable to persistent racial gaps in infant health outcomes and are likely a reflection of social inequalities, which manifest as poorer infant health outcomes in certain groups. We extend on previous research in this area by utilizing the restricted 1990 and 2000 cohort linked birth-death files to examine the risk of infant death due to several main causes including: maternal complications, low birth weight, and other causes, and how it has changed over time. We estimate …

Trends And Disparities In Postpartum Sterilization Following C-Section, 2000-2008, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Dawn M. Richardson, Kelly Gonzales, Adolfo Gabriel Cuevas

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives. We examined variations in the prevalence of postpartum tubal sterilizations following cesarean sections (C-sections) from 2000 to 2008. Methods. We used data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) to estimate odds ratios for patient- (race, marital status, age) and system-level factors (hospital size, type, region) on the likelihood of receiving tubal sterilization after C-section. Results. A disproportionate share of postpartum tubal sterilizations following C-section was covered by Medicaid. The likelihood of undergoing sterilization was increased for Black women, women of older age, and non-single women. Additionally, they were increased in proprietary and government hospitals, smaller hospital settings, and …

Mothers Who Choose Traditional Public Education In Times Of Economic Stress, Criticism, And District Reform, Brian W. Davis

Dissertations

As districts attempt to achieve higher accountability for student results while making complex decisions to balance budgets, it has become increasingly more common to restructure or reorganize educational delivery systems in ways that affect children and their families. Understanding how families and, in particular, mothers translate their experiences with structural and other changes enacted by the schools serving their children can assist in defining a new strategic direction of renewal, growth, and revitalization.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of 18 mothers, and their children, who were participants in multiple school reform initiatives in an …

Police Response Time To Domestic Violence Calls And Its Effects, Brittney Thorndyke

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence stated that 1.3 million individuals are victims of domestic violence (DV) every year. This staggering statistic uncovers just how relevant the issue of domestic violence is in the United States. Research has been relatively silent concerning the examination of police officer response time to DV calls for assistance. Response time is important to all calls for service, but is extremely important in domestic violence calls where victims run the risk of physical injury.

This study found that response time did not have a significant effect on whether the offender was present on-scene …

Microconsignment As Magic Or Sleight-Of-Hand: How Social Entrepreneurship Affects Women's Political And Economic Participation In Guatemala, Briana Bardos

Honors Scholar Theses

Much research has been done on increasing the amount of female participation in both the formal economy and political sphere across the globe. This project seeks to go beyond this idea and analyze whether economic empowerment leads to increased political participation. By analyzing a specific type of empowerment, social entrepreneurship, through the specific lens of Soluciones Comunitarias’ MicroConsignment Model, my paper looks to explore if and how women in Guatemala are affected by this model politically and economically. Existing work in the field of women’s social movements makes clear the linkage between social mobilization and positive outcomes, such as increased …

‘Toxification’ As A More Precise Early Warning Sign For Genocide Than Dehumanization? An Emerging Research Agenda, Rhiannon S. Neilsen

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In genocide scholarship, dehumanization is often considered to be an alarming early warning sign for mass systematic killing. Yet, within broader research, dehumanization is found to exist in a variety of instances that do not lead to aggression or violence. This disparity suggests that while dehumanization is an important part of the genocidal process, it is too imprecise as a salient early warning sign. Genocide scholars have acknowledged such a conjecture in the past. This article initiates an embryonic research agenda that offers ‘toxification’ as a more precise early warning sign for genocide than dehumanization. It contends that while dehumanization …

Siren Song: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Gender And Intimate Partner Violence In Gotham City Sirens, Katlin Schmidt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project investigates comic book discourse. Specifically, I investigate how comic narratives provide readers with an interpretation for how they should discern and assess “appropriate” behaviors for women. The artifact of analysis included in this project is DC Comics Gotham City Sirens (2009). This text features popular female superheroes, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. Because comic books utilize both textual and visual means to disseminate a message, this project evaluates the visual rhetoric of these characters within the narrative. Walter Fisher’s narrative paradigm is used to provide an understanding to how these visual means contribute to the meanings assigned …

The Struggle Itself Toward The Heights Is Enough To Fill A Man's Heart: Calling, Moral Duty, Meaningfulness And Existential Self Of Zookeepers, Luisa G. Allen

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Applying Existential Sociology (Douglas & Johnson 1977, Manning 1973, Lyman and Scott 1989, Kotarba and Fontana 1984) as a theoretical foundation, this thesis endeavors to formulate first-order experiential understanding of zookeepers. Utilized is a mixed method approach comprising the survey and interview methods to explore zookeeper sense of calling as a moral duty, meaningfulness of work, and the possible connections formed with animals under their care (Bunderson & Thompson 2009, Spreitzer 1995, Wrzesnesweki et al 1997, and Pratt and Ashforth 2003, Hosey & Melfi 2010). Thirty zookeepers completed questionnaires containing measures of sense of calling, moral duty, work meaningfulness and …

Does Parental Mediation Of Media Influence Child Outcomes? A Meta-Analysis On Media Time, Content, Aggression, Substance Use, Sexual Behavior, And Health Outcomes, Kevin Matthew Collier

Theses and Dissertations

As the world evolves into a media saturated environment, the focus of many studies have been the negative effects of media on children and adolescents. For at least the past two decades, researchers have explored how parental involvement in their child's media consumption can influence child outcomes. Parental mediation of media includes restrictive mediation, active mediation, and co-viewing. Three meta-analyses, one for each type of mediation, reviewed a total of 69 studies. Each analysis assessed the effectiveness of parental mediation of media on five pertinent child outcomes: media use, aggression, substance use, sexual behavior, and negative health outcomes. The overall …

Values Assigned To National Parks By Hispanics In The United States: Castillo De San Marcos And Fort Matanzas Nm And Great Smoky Mountains Np, Carla Mora-Trejos

All Dissertations

The integrity of Parks and Protected Areas (PPA) depends on management that acknowledges their position as part of the socio-cultural context and demonstrates awareness and attention to ethnic and racial dimensions of the communities adjacent to these areas. The Unites States National Park Service has dedicated resources and effort to determine ways to keep units in the national park service relevant in a changing world. The fastest growing and second largest demographic in the Unites States is the Latino or Hispanic population. Very little has been published about this rapidly growing population of Latin Americans residing in the United States …

Jus Post Bellum And Transitional Justice, Edited By Larry May And Elizabeth Edenberg, Barbara R. Walters

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Puerto Rican Mother-Child Communication About Sexuality And Sexual Health: Results From An Ethnographic Community Survey In Springfield, Ma, María Idalí Torres, Phillip Granberry, Sarah Rustan

Gastón Institute Publications

This bilingual report presents data from an ethnographic survey on the experiences of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican mothers communicating with children ages 10 to 19 regarding sexuality and sexual health. Results of this survey will be used as baseline data to evaluate a media campaign promoting Puerto Rican mother-child communication. This Spanish media campaign was implemented from March to May, 2015 using public service announcements in television, radio, and newspapers and on public transportation.

In this report, we use three main concepts with specific definitions: mother, sexuality, and sexual health protection, defined as follows. Mother is defined as the female adult …

"Because I Shave My Armpits…": A Content Analysis Of #Womenagainstfeminism On Twitter, Marina Brandman

HIM 1990-2015

Because of the speed and convenience of Twitter, it has become one of the most widely utilized platforms for breaking news and is often used to raise awareness of current social issues, political happenings, and social injustices. As more women use Twitter and other social media to embrace the feminist label online, an array of criticism has come to surface. A new movement, #WomenAgainstFeminism, has become popular with Twitter users who reject feminism ideals and the feminism label. Research has been done examining the presence of online feminism, “hashtag feminism,” and online activism in general. Currently, there is no research …

Exploring The Stigma Associated With Depression, Amanda Gold

HIM 1990-2015

This study explored whether depression is stigmatized, and whether these perceptions of depression vary by gender, a person’s own experience with depression, or knowing other people with depression. These questions were examined through the use of an online survey, which included questions measuring demographics, personal history of depression, tolerance of depression, and stigma toward depression. Responses from 106 participants were analyzed using t-tests. The study found that depression is stigmatizing. There is also more stigma for a male with depression than a female with depression. In regards to personal history with depression and stigma, it was found that personally dealing …

The Great Escape: Making The Choice For Upward Social Mobility, Trina Gilliam

HIM 1990-2015

The goal of my research is to examine motivations for upper mobility vs stagnation of people in poverty. Bandura (1971) states people’s motivations do not come from their willpower and people are not trapped in their situation. However, 43% of Americans born poor, remain poor as adults and 27% of people remain near poor to poor (Pew 2013). I will examine individuals with higher upper mobility aspirations (HUMA) and those individuals with lower upper mobility aspirations (LUMA) in order to provide the salient factors contributing to the desire for upward mobility. Five hypothesis will be analyzed; (1) Individuals with aspirations …

In A Pickle: A Marketing Analysis Of Images And Textual Descriptions On Food Packages And How They Influence College Students' Grocery Purchases, Lauren Doyle

HIM 1990-2015

The reason for confusion in grocery stores is the fact that many of the same types of food products are being marketed with different labels. Many packaging labels contain keywords such as “organic,” “farm fresh,” and “all natural.” Some products incorporate the use of images such as a picturesque farm or a “happy” cow. Using data collected from the surveys of 349 college students, this study examines student choices of food products based on organic and non-organic and brand and generic foods. Variables also examined include sex, health, and living arrangements. The results of this study can help provide an …

An Analysis Of Human Trafficking Victims In Federal Court Cases, Brandon N. Chapman

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human Trafficking largely affects over 160 different countries worldwide. Not only is it an occurrence in America, but estimates suggest that there are 14,500-17,500 victims trafficked into the United States annually. The U.S. has taken a direct approach in combating this social injustice by enacting the TVPA (2000). The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze federal court cases and address certain claims that have been made by critics of the TVPA (2000). The database constructed throughout this research draws from 354 federal human trafficking court cases and uses variables to create data from case descriptions. This thesis analyzes …

Opportunity, Temporal Patterns, And Successful Outcomes Of Far-Right Terrorism Incidents In The United States, Brent Ryan Klein

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact that far-right terrorism opportunity structures and temporal patterns of precursor activity have on incident outcomes. Data from the American Terrorism Study (ATS) are extracted for several attributes of far-right opportunity, in addition to measures for temporal patterns of planning and preparatory behaviors. Bivariate and multivariate findings generally support expectations that target attractiveness and vulnerability, far-right group structures, and patterns of precursor activity are significantly associated with incident outcomes. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research and several implications for homeland security policy.

Policing And The Likelihood Of Terrorism: A Community Structural Approach To An Uncertain Relationship, Andy Bellamy Brooks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on terrorism has argued that local law enforcement play an important role in counterterrorism though the mechanisms by which the police should prevent terrorism are empirically unsettled and atheoretical in nature. Even less understood is how policing might differentially impact terrorism across specific ideological movements (e.g., far-right, environmental, Islamic extremism). Drawing from prominent sociological and criminological theories (i.e., Environmental perspectives, Social Disorganization, Conflict/Marxist) the current study addresses several key gaps in prior literature by utilizing data from the American Terrorism Study (ATS) paired with data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report and U.S. Census Bureau. Results suggest that …

Statement And Action Agenda From The Girls In Emergencies Collaborative, Omar Robles, Judith Bruce, Holly G. Atkinson, Dale Buscher, Karen Scriven, Kristin Kim Bart, Shelby French, Judithe Registre, Audrey Anderson

Publications and Research

Many adolescent girls—the poorest girls in the poorest communities—already live in an “emergency.” Humanitarian crises only amplify the call on their coping and caring capacities, while exacerbating their vulnerabilities. The frequency and intensity of emergencies, including natural disasters, conflicts, and infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, appear to be growing. These emergencies threaten entire communities and whole countries, often with global implications. Many become virtually permanent.

Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth: 2014 Farm Bill Insect And Disease Restoration Provision -- True Gift Or False Hope?, Jamilee E. Holmstead

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill were meant to increase the speed within which natural resource managers could treat insect and disease issues on National Forests. In order to use this new authority, each state was required to nominate acre portions of each National Forest with insect and disease risks.

The 35 nominations that were submitted differed substantially, from the amount of acreage nominated to the amount of effort that went into developing the nomination. The purpose of the research was to understand why there was such variation in the nominations. Several of the states that submitted nominations were contacted …

Food Safety : Analyzing The Connection Between Government And Industrial Influence., Jennifer Lee Hall 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leaders within the U.S. food safety agencies and the top U.S. food producing companies, including meat, grain, and seed, and determine the presence of connectivity between the separate organizations. This involved looking at detailed biographical information on each leader, including previous and current employment, educational background and board memberships. Following identification of the agencies, companies, and their leaders, social network analysis was utilized to locate visual and quantitative links. Using the theories of C. Wright Mills and William Domhoff, the results showed a powerful argument that the power elite is still …

A Comparison Of Infant And Toddler Reactions To Strangers Who Have Similar Attributes To An Established Attachment Figure Vs. Strangers Who Have Different Attributes, Jessica Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A child's early attachment experiences can have a lasting impact on later development. Early attachment relationships often result in greater Social and cognitive skills, as well as better school performance (Peisner et al., 1999). For these reasons, it is important to address those components that may contribute to secure attachments with care givers in the child care setting. The current study looked at the reactions of infants and toddlers when presented with two previously unknown individuals: one who physically resembled an established caregiver with whom they had already established attachment and one who looked different from this caregiver. The study …

Examining Factors Influencing Ncaa Division-I Conference Realignment, Ginikachi O. Nwosu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve and become

more dynamic. One of the most visible aspects of these changes is athletic conference realignment. During the period from 2010 to 2014 alone, over 30 institutions across the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) changed or announced imminent plans to change athletic conference affiliation (Mandel, 2012). Conference realignment is described as institutional changes in athletic conference affiliation (Covell & Barr, 2010; Groza, 2010; Sweitzer, 2009). Various literature has identified variables which influence NCAA Division-I institutions’ decisions in regard to conference realignment, yet no comprehensive study has examined …

On The Divide: Examining Residential Segregation In Marin County, California, Felicia Burgess

Senior Theses

Today, segregation is a term rarely used or heard in public discourse, as it has been illegal in the U.S for the past 50 years. However, despite its illegalization, scholars and sociologists have noted that patterns of segregation are still a prominent feature of many U.S counties, cities and suburbs. Reflecting upon my experiences as a black woman living in an all-white community, this paper offers a critical analysis of the causes and consequences of residential segregation in Marin County, California: a county of urban and suburban communities just 20 minutes north of San Francisco. Despite its liberal image, Marin …

Social Disorganization, Extra-Curricular Activities, And Delinquency, Robyn G. Dougherty Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neighborhood social disorganization has been found to be related to crime and deviance. In explaining this relationship, most have focused on specific factors of informal social control and collective efficacy. Using data from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (n = 12,800), the relationship between social disorganization and delinquent outcomes was examined by looking at extra-curricular activities as intervening mechanisms with logistic regression in SPSS. While the effect of social disorganization on delinquency remained significant, results indicated some evidence of mediation when accounting for extra-curricular activity measures predicting binge drinking. Specifically, the coefficient for social disorganization was …

The Process Of Musical Acquisition For Traditional String Musicians In The Homeschool Environment, Keith R. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how three accomplished traditional string musicians learned music in their homeschool environments. Data were derived from formal interviews of the three musicians. The research framework for this qualitative study is based upon the socio-educational model of second language learning motivation developed by R. C. Gardner (1959, 1985, 2004, 2010) and applied to the study of instrumental music learning motivation by P. D. MacIntyre (2012). Structured interview questions, triangulated by additional informal dialogues, field observations, externally documented sources, and collaboration with an expert review panel were the data collection activities utilized in the research. Five overarching themes …