Sociology Commons^™

Good Reasons Or Bad Conscience: A Postscript, Stephen P. Hugh-Jones

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Published in French in 1996, the original article for which this comprises a post-script set indigenous Amazonians’ attitudes to meat alongside those of Euro-Americans. With the accelerating deforestation of Amazonia linked with the cultivation of soya used to feed animals for meat, and with calls to reduce or abandon meat consumption as one way of averting catastrophic climate change, it is topical once again. In this postscript, I reply to two contrasting critiques of the article, the first wary of an excess of ontology, the second distrustful of a deficit of it. Does a focus on ritual and shamanism obscure …

Terras Compartilhadas Por Povos Indígenas Isolados E Contatados: O Alto Rio Envira Como Estudo De Caso, José Carlos Meirelles

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Este artigo aborda as relações que povos indígenas isolados mantém entre si e com os povos contatados, assim como as comunidades não-indígenas, e defende a importância do monitoramento destes povos visando sua proteção. As reflexões, as experiências e os fatos empíricos que são relatados neste artigo partem da trajetória de trabalho do autor ao longo da carreira de 40 anos como sertanista da Funai, pioneiro na construção de base de proteção a povos indígenas em isolamento na fronteira do Brasil com o Peru, assim como na própria concepção do sistema de proteção aos isolados.

This article discusses the relationships that …

Managing Data-Driven Change: A Model Of Unintended Deviation, Sang-Mun Ray Cho

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Data-driven change in hospitality gaming is desirable because of the opportunities to leverage untapped sources of rich and abundant marketing data. However, change has been difficult to implement as indicated by a lack of widespread adoption. Some have attributed these difficulties to cultural, structural, and other generic factors but these explanations fail to explain the root dynamics of data-driven change.

In this dissertation, it is theorized that data-driven change requires a particular form of social interaction, which are called analytical bonds (AB). The suggestion was that there is a sender of an analytic deliverable and a receiver that makes a …

A Controlled Trial Of Mobile Short Message Service Among Participants In A Rural Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program, Maria Odette Gore, Mori J. Krantz, Karen Albright, Brenda Beaty, Stephanie Coronel-Mockler, Sheana Bull, Raymond O. Estacio

Sociology and Criminology: Faculty Scholarship

The statewide Colorado Healthy Heart Solutions (CHHS) program provides cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor screening and education to the medically underserved and has been shown to improve CVD risk profiles. We aimed to enhance its effectiveness through addition of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention using SMS messaging (termed Cardio SMS). We conducted a prospective, non-randomized controlled pilot trial of this intervention implemented at 5 rural program sites (number of participants N = 204) compared with a contemporaneous propensity-score matched control group from 14 CHHS sites not receiving the intervention (N = 408) between 2012 and 2014. All participants were …

Riding The Wave Of Microplastics In Bermuda, Molly E. Riihiluoma

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

The presence of marine debris and microplastics in the Earth’s oceans are a global environmental issue. Bermuda’s location in the middle of the North Atlantic Gyre makes it the perfect case study for this work. As the crisis unfolds, Bermuda’s environment, economy, and population are at risk of witnessing firsthand the effects of plastic pollution. This paper relies on scholarly research as well as anecdotal evidence from retail stores and locals to compile information in order to provide necessary recommendations to benefit Bermuda’s ocean health. This research evaluates the pros and cons of policies which could mitigate the problem. Analysis …

Employee Perceptions Of Organizational Corporate Responsibility And Their Effect On Employee Organizational Commitment, Lisa R. Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The debate over whether organizations play a part in society beyond economic profit has been a major focus of research in corporate social responsibility (CSR). These debates have been mainly looked at from the macro (societal) or the meso (institutional) level. Very little research has been done on the role of the firm and looking at CSR from the micro (individual) level. Questions regarding the role of work for employees, securing economic benefits or making a difference in the world, would vary greatly depending on the individual and the importance they place on these areas in their own lives. Scholars …

An Examination Of Perceived Leadership Behaviors And Employee Engagement In The Us Federal Government: An Exploratory Study, Jason Barker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Leadership can exist in any organization or entity. It has been studied extensively and examined comprehensively. There have been various theories of what type of leadership is ideal or suitable for a group or organization. From transformational to transactional leadership, leadership styles exist that can contribute to organizations and the style they employ. Employee engagement can be based on either or both transformational and transactional leadership factors. Transformational leadership behaviors generally show an increase in employee engagement. Employee engagement has an association with job satisfaction and leadership perception. Leadership styles will be defined, in addition to factors in the employee’ …

Globalization And Cultural Flows: A Three-Article Dissertation Exploring Implications For Education And Culture In India, Dwight Edward Boucher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation follows a three-article format to examine ways in which distinct manifestations of globalization have engaged and manipulated education in India as colonizing initiatives. The articles are interrelated and examine historical, societal, and individual stories related to colonial and global impositions of Western epistemological, economic, and educational forms in India. The introductory chapter outlines the broad implications of globalization and globalizing narratives, and it is intended to demonstrate that while globalization has the capacity to improve the quality and equitability of lives around the world, it also has the potential to serve as a hegemonic conduit for the continuation …

Tall Tales Of Danger And Security: How A Critical Human Security Approach Can Address Major Contradictions Revealed Through A Critical Narrative Analysis Of Dominant U.S. Security Strategies, Stephen Schneider

Master's Theses

Over many generations, humans have developed many perspectives and practices regarding the best ways to recognize and address what they perceive to be dangerous. Stories are used to help shape and narrate perceptions about the world, and they serve to pass on vital information that impacts how a society responds to threats and vulnerabilities. These narratives of danger and security are subjective to the experiences and political intentions of society, and therefore in many ways are partial and biased in their assessments and policies. This results in flawed security practices that may actually exacerbate threats or create new insecurities. What …

Case Study: Armenian And Cuban Ethnic Interest Groups In American Foreign Policy, Harry H. Terzian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current academic research has moved away from comparative models as a mechanism by which to assess and understand socio-political as well as historical phenomena. In addition, comparative analysis when it comes to addressing ethnic lobbies is almost nonexistent within contemporary research. This work implements a comparative framework and as a result has unlocked a new approach when addressing ethnic advocacy organizations. The purpose of this research is to assess and document the history and impact of both Armenian and Cuban ethnic interest groups within the United States. Specifically, focusing upon the Armenian National Committee of America and the Cuban American …

Decolonizing Adoption Narratives For Transnational Reproductive Justice, Sung Hee Yook, Hosu Kim

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their article “Decolonizing Adoption Narratives for Transnational Reproductive Justice,” Sung Hee Yook and Hosu Kim examine narratives emerging from transnational adoption practices, focusing on how birth mothers’ narratives—in which a victim-mother makes choices to give a child for adoption in hopes of a better life for the child, and awaits that child’s return—develop alongside and deviate from the normative orders of motherhood. While birth mothers’ self-transformative narrative illuminates their subjectivities—apart from victimhood, simmering in the latent form of agency—Yook and Kim argue that a compelling narrative of self-mastery produces another discursive trap which renders the numerous less-masterful birth mothers …

Psychosocial Analysis Of An Ethnography At The Cuyahoga County Public Defenders Office, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Too often, social science majors become jaded with their field of study due to a misperception of the nature of many potential jobs which they are qualified for. Such discord is prevalent amongst undergraduates who strive for work in the criminal justice system. Hollywood misrepresentations become the archetypes of the aforementioned field, leaving out the necessity and ubiquity of accompanying desk work. Still other social science majors struggle to identify theoretical interpretations in praxis.

Inequality, Rubber, And Thermodynamics In Indonesia, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Intersectionality has led the charge in ensuring that workplace justice is assured to all people, irrespective of their identities. While intersectionality is a useful theory for explaining inequality, what must not be understated is the contributions that postcolonialism and the blue-collar working identity can have on harsh working conditions. Particularly, miners in Indonesia have had to work in very hostile environments where they are at-risk for sulfur poisoning as they mine for materials to vulcanize rubber. This article serves two purposes. The first is to call attention to how place can help explain the differential experiences of miners in the …

“A New Way Of Thinking”: Frantz Fanon’S True Opinion On Violence, Caroline D. Renko

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

In an attempt to clear Frantz Fanon’s name, on account of his opinion on the role of violence in decolonizing a nation, this paper focuses on two important chapters in his last book, The Wretched of the Earth. By closely reading his articulation of the Algerian war and the wounds brought on by mental illness at such a time, Fanon’s true opinion concerning violence becomes clear. For too long, he has been seen and used as a proponent for inciting violence, but this is a misconception that has been perpetuated by devaluing the importance of his descriptions of the …

A Research Program For Studying Lams And Community In The Digital Age, Andreas Vårheim, Roswitha Skare, Noah Lenstra, Kiersten F. Latham, Geir Grenersen

Proceedings from the Document Academy

The paper outlines a research effort into the changing representations, policies, strategies, activities, and practices of libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) in the digital age. Comprehensive social changes including big slow-moving processes, such as aging populations, global migration, technological change, and environmental change, expose communities and LAM institutions to vulnerabilities. How do the institutions handle vulnerabilities, how do they become more resilient, and how do they contribute to building the resilience of their local communities?

Prescribing The Impossible: State Ideals Of Intensive Parenting, Francesca Vescia

Sociology Honors Projects

The state is a powerful force in private life; families that challenge its framework face erasure or sanction. From what ideals do these families deviate? This paper investigates that question in relation to childrearing. Through a content analysis of three court-approved parenting courses for separating or divorcing parents, I explore what constitutes proper parenting in the eyes of the state. Drawing from the literature on ideologies of family and self, I find courses 1) make efforts to explicitly challenge dominant ideologies of family and parenting while implicitly naturalizing them and 2) grapple to reconcile the logics of intensive parenting and …

Effects Of A Robotic Cat On Agitation And Quality Of Life In Individuals With Dementia In A Long-Term Care Facility, Jillian Nicole Marsilio, Samantha Virginia Mckittrick, Lisa Renee Umbell, Melissa Ann Garner, Sharon Maiewski, Jeanne Wenos

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Study Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether introducing a robotic companion cat into a long term care facility may improve affect and, subsequently, increase participation for residents with dementia, and to determine potential benefits for caregiver roles and relationships with individuals with dementia.

Background: The number of people with dementia is growing, and the behavioral and psychological side effects are negatively affecting the quality of life for these people as well as their caregivers. Additional research is needed to help develop and confirm the use of nonpharmacological treatment for dementia with therapeutic robots.

Study Subjects: Research …

Dios, Drogas, Dinero: ¿QuiéN Gana Con El Traslado De Adictos De Puerto Rico A Ee.Uu.?, Claudia E. Irizarry Aponte, Eliana Y. Perez

Capstones

For the last 25 years, evangelical leaders have been shipping off opioid addicts in Puerto Rico to cities in the mainland US, mainly New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia--under the promise they’ll receive state-of-the-art rehabilitation treatment, only to end up in unregulated transitional homes and flophouses where they don’t receive proper medical care or psychotherapy. In turn, many of these unregulated transitional homes, also run by evangelical leaders, may charge Medicaid kickbacks from their “patients.”

While this so-called “air bridge” from Puerto Rico to the U.S. goes back decades, it gained momentum from 2005 to 2014, when evangelical leaders joined …

Climate Grief Hits The Self-Care Generation, Avichai Scher

Capstones

As the effects of climate change intensify, emotional anguish over the future of the planet is emerging. This piece looks at a 10-step program to deal with climate grief "Good Grief."

At Uplift Climate, a conference on climate change for people under 30 held annually, the creators of Good Grief presented their program. The conference focused on climate justice for Native Americans, who have been dealing with climate grief for a long time.

The setting highlighted the class divide of who is affected by climate change. The effects of climate change are now so strong, that climate grief is hitting …

A Discourse Analysis Of Diversity And Inclusion Terminology In The High-Tech Industry, Michelle Nader

Master's Theses

The field of Diversity and Inclusion is a growing interest within the High-Tech industry, particularly within the San Francisco Bay Area of California. To combat misconceptions of Diversity and Inclusion, this thesis aims to define and analyze the language used at 20 companies in the High-Tech sector. The trends, nuances, and practices of how companies use language in their programming and data dictates the direction of the company. This thesis investigates the underlying complexities of where Diversity and Inclusion is within the industry today and goals for the future. Findings from this research suggest that companies can strengthen their Diversity …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Colombia's Veneer Of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, And The Us Trafficking In Persons Report, Michael Middleton

Master's Theses

This study analyzes the Trafficking in Persons report, an annual report from the United States State Department that ranks each country on its ability to meet “minimum standards” for combating human trafficking. Using Colombia as a case study, this paper heavily critiques the traditional human trafficking discourse by applying a transnational intersectional feminist framework to explore the context and development of human trafficking in Colombia. I will first look at the legal framework for anti-trafficking policy in Colombia with a policy analysis of the laws and legislation that arose after the ratification of the Palermo Protocol in 2000. The strengths …

A Qualitative Case Study On The Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (732) And The Convention On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women, Victoria Hernandez

Master's Theses

On July 17, 1980, Ghana became a signatory to CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) under the United Nations in order to combat all forms of violence, discrimination and human rights violations that harm the security, freedom, privacy, and dignity of every woman. The Domestic Violence Act (732) stemmed from CEDAW in order to add on more layers of legal protection for victims of domestic violence and to penalize all acts according the bill’s definition and the different forms of domestic violence. Although there are stricter laws to punish any acts of violence inflicted …

Finding And Making Home: Poems And Reflections Of Undergraduate Children Of Immigrants, Gladys Perez

Master's Theses

The number of children of immigrants within the United States has grown over the past few decades and more so we are seeing a greater number of these children pursuing a higher education. With a growing number of undergraduate children of immigrants growing, there is a need to understand how they see themselves as a part of the United States. Previous studies take into consideration how these students navigate higher education, however, there is a lack of research on these students’ larger understanding of belonging within the overall nation. Poetry as data and a process was the grounding methodology that …

The Spirit Is Willing, But The Flesh Is Weak: Contemporary Pan-Africanism And The Challenges To A United States Of Africa, Adesola Adeyemo

Master's Theses

Establishing a ‘United States of Africa’ to the average individual is deemed as a mythical idea in contemporary Africa, irrespective of the popularity of this idea several years ago. Today, the idea is idealized as overambitious – considering the balkanized state of the continent post-colonialization. Because of this, attempts made since then have favored enforcing regional integration over continental integration. Undeniably, this idea would not have come into being if it wasn’t for the concept of Pan-Africanism - which has for long guided the political and socio-economic policies created on the continent. The goal of this research is …

Now Hiring: Exploring Deportee Transnational Identities And Socio-Economic Reintegration In Baja California, Mexico’S Call Center Industry, Brenda Vargas

Master's Theses

The anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. intensified deportation, including that of Mexican and Salvadorian migrants with some having served in the U.S. military. Despite weak social connections and explicit/structural barriers in Mexico, many deportees make the decision to stay in Mexico. The focus of this thesis is male deportees belonging to the “1.5 generation,” aged late 20’s-early 60’s, who, after spending their childhood and adulthood in the U.S., have undergone deportation and are faced with social and economic reintegration in the northern border area of Baja California, Mexico. Through 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews, I explore transnational identity negotiations that impact …

The Avenues Of Social And Economic Empowerment For Women In Ghana's Poor Urban Settlements, Comfort Amoah

Master's Theses

Poor urban settlements have over the years and in the present been described as places of despair and destitution with its inhabitants especially women referred to as the most poor and vulnerable of the society. This research however attempts to provide a complete elevation of the Avenues of Social and Economic Empowerment for Women in Ghana’s Poor Urban Settlements by using three contextual framework such as the social networks available to women and the political opportunities available to them in their communities and the role of men and women in achieving this agenda and how it has reshaped the status …

Together But Separate: Uncovering School Segregation In 2018, Eliza Davern

Honors Program Theses and Projects

While many Americans assume that school segregation and other forms of racism are a thing of the past, the reality is that our country still has a long way to go in terms of racial equality, especially when it comes to our public-school system. Schools today are more segregated than they were more than 60 years ago when Brown vs. Board of Education was put into effect. This thesis seeks to understand the concept of school segregation as a part of America today. The following work analyzes both the history of school segregation as well as its role today, through …

Schisms And Conflict Management In New African Immigrants’ Religious Organizations In The Greater Atlanta Area, Christina Edwards

Doctor of International Conflict Management Dissertations

New African immigrant religious organizations (NAIRO) are transnational religious organizations established and led by new African immigrants (NAI). These organizations are experiencing planned growth as outlined in their manuals, but little is known about the internal conflicts that lead to unplanned schisms or break away congregations. Foundational studies in the field of Sociology of Religion failed to include NAI-led churches in their studies and Atlanta was not selected as an immigrant hub city in their follow-up studies. This dissertation explores the social phenomenon of NAIRO internal conflicts that lead to unplanned schisms and therefore contribute to the overall growth of …

One-Sentence, One-Word: An Innovative Data Collection Method To Enhance Exploration Of The Lived Experiences, Shannon L. Sibbald, Dylan Brennan, Aleksandra Zecevic

The Qualitative Report

Experienced-based methods are growing in popularity and are increasingly being utilized in a variety of research programs and investigations. They enable researchers and participants to co-design research strategies and outcomes and subsequently propose solutions to potential problems in the partnership. By applying an experience-based methods lens, we sought to augment traditional qualitative interviewing methodologies by using a novel method we named “one-sentence, one-word” (1S1W). To apply our 1S1W method, we used a phenomenological study that examined the relationship between the risk of falling and the desire of master athletes to engage in competitive sports. Participants reflected and recorded their subjective …