Sociology Commons^™

Changes To Climate Central’S Risk Finder Tool: A Usability Report, Justin Sikes

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Students in the Fall English 231C Honors Climate Change and Crisis Communication course worked with instructor Megan McKittrick and Dr. Richards to conduct a usability test of Climate Central’s Risk Finder tool. Using the qualitative data, general trends that indicate potential areas of improvement for the website were identified. Students’ tasks were to find volunteers for the usability test through systematic sampling, conduct the test and analyze the audio recordings, and finally to code the data for themes to see if any trends became apparent. Several things became noticeable after looking at the responses of the four research participants, particularly …

Climate Change And Infrastructural Damage, Macey Vansavage

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

With the assistance of ENGL 231C students at Old Dominion University, Dr. Daniel Richards and Mrs. Megan McKittrick led this study testing the usability of Climate Central’s Risk Finder tool. The study was conducted as a client-based, service learning project for a Technical and Scientific writing course, serving client Dan Rizza at Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization. The study serves as a way for local collegiate students to be able to gain knowledge about the execution of faculty-level research. The Risk Finder tool allows users to view the potential effects of sea level rise on their area. The tool …

The Impact Of Population, Health, And Environment Projects: A Synthesis Of Evidence, Rachel Winnik Yavinsky, Carolyn Lamere, Kristen P. Patterson, Jason Bremner

Reproductive Health

This working paper synthesizes the existing research and results from projects that integrate family planning with environment, livelihoods, natural-resource management, and other non-health development sectors. The report synthesizes the published and gray literature on current and past integrated projects and the experiences of implementers to generate a summary of the state of knowledge on integrated family planning and environment projects. Specifically, this synthesis documents what is being measured by integrated projects, the proven benefits of integration, and gaps in the evidence base. Based on this analysis, the synthesis highlights and discusses successes and challenges for documenting the impact of integrating …

Low Use And High Discontinuation Of Modern Contraceptives In Pakistan: Reasons And Policy Recommendations, Population Council

Reproductive Health

According to the latest Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, 20 percent of married women of reproductive age have unmet need for contraception. Moreover, the country’s contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), for modern and traditional methods combined, is only 35 percent—one of the lowest CPRs in the region. In addition to the problem of nonuse, the country is finding it difficult to keep current contraceptive users onboard: compared to other developing countries, Pakistan has the highest rate of discontinuation of contraceptive use. Thus, while there has been an overall increase in the use of contraceptives—modern and traditional—there is a large difference between …

The Effect Of Integrating Hiv Services On Quality Of Postnatal Care, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

Addressing the postnatal needs of new mothers is a neglected area of care throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Unintended pregnancies during the first 12 months following delivery, and vertical transmission of HIV during labor and delivery, are some of the challenges faced by women during the extended postpartum period. Many women want to delay or avoid another pregnancy, but are not using a modern contraceptive method. Few developing countries ensure that mothers and newborns are assessed early and monitored during the initial six-week period as recommended by WHO, which contributes to discontinuity of services received during pregnancy and delivery and limits linkages …

Expanding Young People's Access To Integrated Services In Malawi, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

In sub-Saharan Africa, uptake of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among young people remains low, placing millions of young people at risk of poor reproductive health outcomes and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Population Council. Issue 7 of the series focuses on expanding young people’s access to integrated services in Malawi. Conclusions include: improving the quality …

Reducing Maternal And Child Mortality In Punjab: The Untapped Potential Of Family Planning, Zeba Sathar, Maqsood Sadiq, Seemin Ashfaq

Reproductive Health

Family planning (FP) is recognized as a necessary tool for faster fertility decline leading to accelerated economic development. However, its unique and potent role in preserving mother and child health is less well understood. This Population Council/Evidence Project policy brief explains why FP must be prioritized in Punjab’s health strategy as a key intervention for reducing maternal, infant, and under-five mortality in the province. By fulfilling the existing unmet need for birth spacing and limiting, it is possible to prevent 45 percent of maternal deaths, 26 percent of infant deaths, and 76 percent of young child deaths. FP’s wider health …

Documenting Portrayals Of Race/Ethnicity On Primetime Television Over A 20-Year Span And Their Association With National-Level Racial/Ethnic Attitudes, Riva Tukachinsky, Dana Mastro, Moran Yarchi

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The current study content analyzes the 345 most viewed U.S. television shows within 12 separate television seasons spanning the years 1987 to 2009. Using multilevel modeling, the results from this comprehensive content analysis then are used to predict national-level racial/ethnic perceptions (between the years 1988 and 2008) with data from the American National Election Studies (ANES). Content analysis results reveal severe underrepresentation of Latinos, AsianAmericans, and NativeAmericans, and a tendency to depict ethnic minorities stereotypically (e.g., overrepresentation of hyper-sexualized Latino characters). Multilevel-modeling analysis indicates that both the quantity and quality of ethnic media representations contributes to Whites’ racial attitudes.

Safety Concerns, Fear And Precautionary Behavior Among College Women: An Exploratory Examination Of Two Measures Of Residency, Adam J. Pritchard, Carol E. Jordan, Pamela Wilcox

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

This study examines the impact of two distinct measures of residency on college women's perceptions of safety, fear of crime and precautionary behaviors within both on-campus and off-campus areas. A student's current residency either on- or off-campus and a student's prior residency in a metropolitan, micropolitan or rural county prior to college are compared across these three aspects of campus safety. Current residency is found to be significantly related to a student's perceptions of safety in off-campus areas around campus, as well as the likelihood of engaging in precautionary behaviors such as avoiding specific locations on campus or carrying or …

Police Opinions Of Digital Evidence Response Handling In The State Of Georgia: An Examination From The Viewpoint Of Local Agencies’ Patrol Officers, Tanya Macneil

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This research examined opinions of local law enforcement agencies’ patrol officers in the State of Georgia regarding preparedness and expectations for handling of digital evidence. The increased criminal use of technology requires that patrol officers be prepared to handle digital evidence in many different situations. The researcher’s goal was to gain insight into how patrol officers view their preparedness to handle digital evidence as well as their opinions on management expectations regarding patrol officers’ abilities to handle digital evidence. The research focused on identifying whether a gap existed between patrol officers’ opinions of digital evidence and the patrol officers’ views …

Un-Becoming: A Confluence Of The Poetic Voice And The Sociological Imagination, Stephanie Walls

Department of Writing and Communication Theses

No abstract provided.

Low Income Lgbtgnc (Gender Nonconforming) Struggles Over Shelters As Public Space, Michelle Billies

Publications and Research

As a focal point of neoliberalism in the US, New York City has been made the advance guard of both welfare reform and order maintenance policing, making the 2008 recession all the more destabilizing among low-income LGBTGNC (gender nonconforming) residents. At the same time, expanding gay rights have accompanied this neoliberal turn, defining while masking new intersectionalities of oppression, policing some raced and classed sexualities and genders while protecting others, producing an urban landscape conducive to neoliberal aims (Ferguson, 2004; Puar, 2007). In the process of attracting capital, homonormative discourses and practices have increasingly bolstered white and multicultural classprivileged gay …

Immigration And Family Violence At The Household Level Of Analysis: Examining The Effects Of Immigrant Culture And Neighborhood Structure, Jorge Luis Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study concerns the relationship between immigration and family violence at the household level of analysis. Previous studies have suggested that immigrant status - particularly first generation immigrant status - is not associated with crime. However, the same cannot be said about their descendants the second and third generations; as they are not as insulated from crime as their forefathers. This study measures the following variables which are relevant to the immigration and family violence relationship; immigrant generational status, acculturation levels, patriarchy, family oriented values, collective efficacy, surveillance, and measures of informal social control. This study finds that there is …

Remaking Nature In Montana: Topophilic Considerations Of Wolves And Wolf Trapping, Andrew Myers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2011, after nearly forty years of federal protection, the gray wolf was removed from the Endangered Species List in Montana and its management entrusted to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The implementation of public trapping seasons in 2012 as a method to control wolf populations has further inflamed an already embroiled debate. The purpose of this research was to investigate how the presence of wolves and wolf trapping impacts human attachments to landscapes of “nature” in Montana by focusing on the following questions: What are the public’s social constructions of wolves? What are the public’s social constructions of …

A Village Adoption Project In Yunnan, China : Sustainable Micro-Economy Pilot : Feasibility Analysis Of Agricultural Transition From Tobacco To Walnut Planting, Karon Wan, Hok Ka, Carol Ma, John Law, Jenny Chen

OSL Book / Book Chapter / Manual 書刊/文章/教材冊

This report has been compiled to record and share our experiences and lessons learned from our walnut planting pilot program which is part of a micro-economy stream of our Village Adoption Project in Yunnan.

The walnut planting pilot was initiated to assist the sustainability of the micro-economy of Gezhangla Village, Yunnan, by working with the community to evolve its agriculture and reduce its a dependency on tobacco.

Jenny Chen, a student of Lingnan University, went to Yunnan for a preliminary study of the development of walnut planting program in Gezhangla Village from 30 December of 2012 to 5 January of …

中国云南山区服务研习计划 : 可持续的微观经济试点 : 从烟草到核桃种植农业转型的可行性分析, Karon Wan, Hok Ka, Carol Ma, John Law, Jenny Chen

OSL Book / Book Chapter / Manual 書刊/文章/教材冊

本报告的编制旨在纪录及分享从核桃种植试点计划所学习的经验和汲取的教训。核桃种植试点计划为中国云南山区服务研习计划中微观经济的一部份。

核桃种植试点计划的目的是协助发展云南格章拉村微观经济的持续性，透过与社区合作，逐步发展其农业，及减低对烟叶种植的依赖性。

岭南大学学生陈珍妮于2012 年12 月30 日至2013 年1 月5 日及2013 年暑假前往云南，并就当地核桃树的种植进行前期研究。及后，德勤中国企业管理咨询的顾问罗兆湝于2013 年9 月15 至18 日亦随团前往云南当地跟进有关项目，并在相关的农村及学校访问了多位农民、校长及教师以进行更深入的资料搜集。

此报告由德勤中国及岭南大学共同制作，集结两者在行程时对核桃树种植的观察及发现，并简述核桃树种植在云南农村的发展及进度。报告简介了相关农村的烟叶种植；探讨格章拉村、杨家村、格章拉小学、弯腰树小学及石腊它中心小学的核桃树种植进度，和反思学校及农村在种植核桃树时所遇到的机遇及挑战等。本报告针对性地就各项挑战提供了一些建议，并就在云南农村种植核桃树的整体可行性做出总结。

Fp-15-05 Median Age At First Marriage, 2013, Krista K. Payne

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Fp-15-15 Assortative Mating: Educational Homogamy In U.S. Marriages, 1964-2014, Esther Lamidi, Susan L. Brown, Wendy D. Manning

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Women And Violence In The Age Of Migration, Lilia D. Monzó, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Women from across Latin America are migrating north at great peril to their lives – their intended destination is, as expected, the US – that giant powerhouse that in spite of its well documented historical and continued imperialist violence and exploitation against Latin America is still able to create the ideological haze that encourages hope for that illusive “American dream.” Pushed to the brink of desperation resulting from unimaginable poverty, privation, and fear, these women muster the courage that only women of color know that they have (it is imbued in their flesh and in their hearts as a result …

Evaluation Of A Home Visiting Program Aimed At Facilitating Refugee And Immigrant Children's Acclimation And Development, Laurie Lynn Grad

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Ready To Learn is a home visiting program that uses the Growing Great Kids curriculum to improve child development and parent education of immigrant and refugee families. This study completed a program evaluation to determine the effectiveness of Ready To Learn using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Five areas of development were assessed using this evaluation: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal/social. Results found that 36% of children improved from their first ASQ to their most recent ASQ. All together, 78% of children were ready for kindergarten after graduating from the program, which decreases their chance …

The Relationship Between Sexual Functioning And Sleep Quality In A Female Undergraduate Student Sample, Alexander Kuka

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A relative lack of literature exists regarding the relationship between sexual functioning and sleep quality in women. The current study assessed these constructs in a sample of 260 undergraduate female students via online administration of relevant measures for sleep quality, sexual functioning, stress, and medical conditions and prescription medications. The relationship between sleep quality and sexual functioning was positive but not significant, even when controlling for relevant variables such as stress. As such, future research might seek to clarify this relationship and to identify variables that mediate or moderate this relationship.

Beyond Masculine And Feminine: Gender Non-Conformity And The Evolution Of Gender-Appropriate Clothing, Jose Flores

Whittier Scholars Program

From the moment we are born, we are put into categories of gender. Throughout our lives we are expected to perform these genders appropriately, according to what society has established as normal. Because of this, inappropriate displays of gender are often seen as abnormal and deviant, especially when done by males. This paper explores the notions of gender fluidity and gender non-conformity, and how they are perceived by our society. Through informal interviews and surveys conducted at Whittier College, and by drawing on their own experience as a person who often disobeys traditional gender norms, the Scholar gathered information about …

The Prevalence Of Sex Trafficking: Globally, Nationally, And In San Diego, Jessica Littlefield

Whittier Scholars Program

While we are led to believe that slavery ended hundreds of years ago after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the issue of sex trafficking within the United States proves otherwise. The purpose of this study is to explore the structure and functioning of sex trafficking and domestic sex trafficking. I examine the evolution of sex trafficking within San Diego and its shift from being closely linked to drug cartels to, now, being run through San Diego gangs. Research methods included a qualitative review of literature, as well as a study of news articles, official documents, and international …

Mapping The Hidden: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Multigenerational Family Secrets, Tracy Oliver

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Family secrets can be a driving force, whether explicitly or implicitly, for many seeking therapy. Despite this, there is little qualitative research examining how individuals experience and make sense of their family secrets. Through this study the researcher examined the phenomenon of family secrets amongst five individuals from different families. Qualitative research using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) along with a Bowen Family Systems Theory approach was used to explore multigenerational family secrets. Purposive sampling was used to select that participants and data was collected through semi-structured interviews. A genogram was also drafted to identify multigenerational relationships and the history of …

Metaphoric Generative Genograms: A Journey To Bring Genograms To Life Through Metaphorical Components, Elisa Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to offer a greater understanding of the potential of genograms through my clinical work from a Bowen Family Systems lens. I account for how I processed and effectively blended metaphorical components, by examining six cases from my two-year journal entries, of bringing genograms to life in sessions. I also explain how I created a useful tool, the Metaphoric Generative Genogram, that can benefit other clinicians working with children and families in the foster care community.

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Marriage And Family Therapy Students Who Study Bowen Family Systems Theory, And Relating Those Experiences To Concepts Of Differentiation Of Self And Emotional Intelligence: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Tracey-Ann Dushane Spencer

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Bowen Family Systems Theory’s (BFST) concept of differentiation of self has the ability to contribute to the self-development of the therapist, and is considered the technique of this theory (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). Emotional intelligence is an essential skill for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), as it provides the ability to accurately perceive, express, and evaluate emotions in one’s self and others to facilitate thought, and the regulation of emotions in order to enhance emotional and intellectual growth (Salovey & Mayer, 1997). This study explored the lived experiences of Marriage and Family Therapy students who studied BFST and related those …

Health Care Coverage In South Dakota Counties, Mary Killsahundred

Census Data Center News Releases 2015-2017 Archive

In September 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau released a national report on health care coverage. Providing figures from 2014, the report details not only the types of plans people in the nation may be covered by (private or governmental insurance) but also details the population that is uninsured. As shown in the report, for South Dakota, the uninsured population was reported as declining by approximately 1.5%, or from approximately 93,000 to 82,000 people between 2013 to 2014 (p. 20). As the report clarifies, the data comes from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic supplements.

Family Therapist Connecting And Building Relationships With Substance Abusers In The Seminole Tribe Of Florida: An Ethnographic Study, Sunny Nelli Khachatryan

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine the process of a family therapist entering and then navigating the cultural system of working with substance abusing Seminole tribal clients. The study also utilized two tribal members sharing their opinions about how Seminoles view therapy. As noted in the interview questions and responses, the research presented guidelines for family therapists to follow when working with tribal members. Because there has been no study conducted with family therapists providing clinical services to tribal members, this study introduced tools for clinicians to keep in mind and utilize when working with tribal clients. …

Using Interpersonal Process Recall (Ipr) To Examine The Effects Of Equine Assisted Activities On The Personal And Professional Development Of Student Therapists, Dianna Isabel Giraldez

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The Introduction to Equine Assisted Family Therapy course offered at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) provides Master’s and Doctoral level student therapists the opportunity to learn how to conduct an equine session and how to utilize horses as part of the therapeutic process. Students learn about the underlying theories and framework behind the equine activities and methodology, as well as participate in the equine activities themselves. For the purpose of this study, classroom discussions centered around processing the students’ experiences and were further enriched by viewing photographs and videos that had been taken of the students conducting the equine activities. The …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Marriage And Family Therapists And Their Experiences With Mindfulness As A Means Of Self-Care To Sustain Productive Professional Practices, Isaac Farin

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This research study was designed to record and consider lived experiences from marriage and family therapists (MFTs) who have experience with mindfulness as a form of selfcare in sustaining productive professional practices. The primary focus of this project was to understand, through interviews, reports from marriage and family therapists about how they utilize such mindfulness as a form of self-care for their professional practice. This research study has sought insight into whether mindfulness self-care could be helpful in maintaining effective resiliency in professional practice. I used a phenomenological approach, specifically Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) interviewing, to gather reports from participants …