Sociology Commons^™

Social Construction, Knowledge Utilization, And The Politics Of Poverty: A Case Study Of Washington State’S General Assistance Reform, Yu-Ling Chang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses a gap in welfare reform literature by investigating the social constructions of poor people in state policymaking within the context of diminishing General Assistance (GA) after the Great Recession. Using Social Construction and Policy Design Theoryand thematic content analysis of Washington State’s legislative archives, I found that the negative constructions of GA recipients as deviants with undesired psychological and behavioral problems were associated with the reform direction toward a regulated, punitive model. These constructions, intersecting with the ideologies of personal responsibility and work ethic, contribute to the dismantling of the social safety net for the Washington’s poorest …

Gender, Social Networks, And Microenterprise: Differences In Network Effects On Business Performance, Seon Mi Kim

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article aims to find if female micro-entrepreneurs have different social networks that affect their business performance from males. This article uses the longitudinal Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamic (PSED) II data set (2005-2011) in the U.S. The key finding is that even in cases where female micro-entrepreneurs gained the same number of weak ties and resources from their networks as their male counterparts, their weak ties and gained resources did not help them to improve their business performance unlike their male counterparts. Implications for Microenterprise Development Programs and future studies are informed.

Women's Education And Child Stunting Reduction In India, Vijayan K. Pillai, Arati Maleku

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Aim: In spite of India's healthy economic growth during the last two decades, about 40 percent of all children in India today are stunted. Though the problem has received widespread attention in the public health literature on stunting in India, very few studies have attempted to explicitly account for the progressive stages of stunting among children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects women’s education on various levels of stunting among Indian children. The study attempted to assess the effects of women’s characteristics such as age at motherhood on four levels of stunting, no stunting, and mild, …

Adolescent Girls Of Color And Leadership Development, Veronda Lea Rooks-Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescent girls of color (GOC) experience significant changes in social expectations during puberty based on gender and racial inequity. This divergence usually changes the trajectory for GOC relative to leadership development and may affect their career choices, life decisions, and overall directions for growth. This qualitative study explored the experiences of women of color (WOC) who hold senior leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Critical theory grounded this study as its aim is to identify marginalization of any kind and determine ways to free those who are oppressed. Research questions focused on the perceived challenges the participants experienced during adolescence …

Restorative Justice And Responsive Regulation In Higher Education: The Complex Web Of Campus Sexual Assault Policy In The United States And A Restorative Alternative, David R. Karp Phd

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

Sexual assault policy on college campuses in the United States is a complex system guided by federal policy, state policy, and local mandates. When students violate sexual misconduct policies, campuses primarily rely on suspensions and expulsions, paralleling the criminal justice system’s reliance on incarceration as a solution based on stigmatization and separation. Since the 1990s, restorative justice has made inroads as an alternative response to student misconduct, but application to sexual misconduct is rare. The Campus PRISM Project (Promoting Restorative Initiatives on Sexual Misconduct) is a network of academics and practitioners exploring a restorative approach within a responsive regulatory framework. …

Iron Deficiency Anemia, Population Health And Frailty In A Modern Portuguese Skeletal Sample, Samantha M. Hens, Kanya Godde, Kristin M. Macak

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION

Portugal underwent significant political, demographic and epidemiological transitions during the 20th century resulting in migration to urban areas with subsequent overcrowding and issues with water sanitation. This study investigates population health during these transitions and interprets results within a framework of recent history and present-day public health information. We investigate skeletal evidence for anemia (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis) as indicators of stress and frailty-i.e., whether the lesions contribute to susceptibility for disease or increased risk of death.

METHODS

The presence and severity of skeletal lesions were compared against known sex and cause of death data to investigate potential …

Using Labeling Theory As A Guide To Examine The Patterns, Characteristics, And Sanctions Given To Cybercrimes, Brian K. Payne, Brittany Hawkins, Chunsheng Xin

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, reports of cybercrime have soared across the globe. Criminologists agree that the increase in cybercrime stems from technological advancements that have changed all facets of societal interactions. While it is agreed that technology has shaped cybercrime, there is less understanding about the dynamics of cybercrime. In particular, some researchers have explored whether these offenses are simply traditional types of crime that are now carried out through different strategies, while others have argued that cybercrimes are, in fact, new types of crime. This ambiguity potentially limits prevention and intervention strategies. In an effort to build our understanding …

The Latino South: Race And Racialization, Brittany M. Brown

Honors Theses

Taking into consideration the South’s historic black-white racial binary, this multi-media research project documents the place-specific experiences of 23 Latinos living in Oxford, Mississippi, using anthropologic methods. A digital archive accompanies the written thesis. Through interdisciplinary methods, this research examines and seeks to understand how the Latino community is conforming to or challenging the staunch view of race and identity in the U.S. South, where race is and has always been at the forefront of culture and society. Through knowing the history of race in the South and understanding the black-white racial binary, the presence of Latinos is creating space …

The Structural Dimensions Of Race: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, And Binary Disruptions, Cedric Merlin Powell

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Disrupting traditional conceptions of structural inequality, state decision making power, and the presumption of Black criminality, this Essay explores the doctrinal and policy implications of James Forman, Jr.’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Locking Up Our Own, and Paul Butler’s evocative and transformative book, Chokehold. While both books grapple with how to dismantle the structural components of mass incarceration, state legitimized police violence against Black bodies, and how policy functions to reify oppressive state power, the approaches espoused by Forman and Butler are analytically distinct. Forman locates his analysis in the dynamics of decision-making power when African American officials wield power …

Dismantling Structural Inequality: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, And Race-Based Policing - A Symposium Summary, Cedric Merlin Powell, Laura R. Mcneal

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The prominence of the carceral state in American society serves to undermine basic principles of democracy and justice, disproportionately displacing people of color and excluding them from all viable avenues of citizenship.

Faith-Based Support For Alzheimer's Family Caregivers In Madison County, Alabama, Meredith Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer's disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, is incurable. Because of the extensive long-term care required for patients with Alzheimer's, the typical caregiver is often a middle-aged family member with his or her own health problems. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which there was a difference in the perception of quality of life between Alzheimer's family caregivers who receive tangible faith-based support compared to the Alzheimer's family caregivers who receive no social support. The theoretical basis was social support theory, which suggests that support buffers stress. The …

Recidivism Differences And Measures Of Predictability For Federally Convicted Child Pornographers, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in research on the effectiveness of mandatory-€minimum sentences on the recidivism rates of federal child pornography offenders, resulting in policy that may be ineffective and costly. Relevant research can further understanding of criminogenic behavior that results in the exploitation of children and aid future policy making decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between federal sentencing and federal child pornographer recidivism. Central to this study is the research question of whether there exists a statistically significant difference between the likelihood of recidivism in 2 child pornographer cohorts that receive different …

The Moderating Influence Of Social Media On The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Police And Community Violence Among African American Men, Herman Charles Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males experience homicides significantly higher than other groups throughout the United States. More African Americans are victims of violence, especially deadly violence, compared to any other racial or ethnic group. While research has been conducted on the association between perceptions of police and violence among African American men ages 18 to 44, no research exists on whether social media use moderates this association among African American men ages 18 to 44. This quantitative, cross-sectional study included 45 African American men. The Past Feelings and Act of Violence (PFAV) instrument, the Perceptions of Police (POP), and the Social Media …

Social Work Crisis Interventions With Traumatic Death Survivors In Medical Settings, Sabrina R. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic death survivors are an at-risk population that could benefit from social work interventions. This action research study explored social work perspectives on crisis practice with traumatic death survivors in acute medical settings. The research questions focused on whether early crisis interventions by social workers would benefit traumatic death survivors, which interventions were recommended in crisis practice with this population, the potential effects of repeated trauma exposure on the social workers providing the crisis interventions, and recommendations to manage this professional exposure to trauma. The purpose of the study was to explore social work perspectives on potential benefits of crisis …

Exploring Social Worker Knowledge, Conceptualization, And Use Of Cultural Humility In Hospice, Shelby L. Schiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This capstone project examined social workers’ knowledge, values, and beliefs as related to the concept of cultural humility to determine how hospice care professionals treat patients’ cultural preferences and traditions with respect and sensitivity at the end of life; as such practices have the ability to improve the hospice experience. Research questions addressed in the study (a) how social workers in Nevada define cultural humility in the context of hospice social work practice, (b) the values or principles hospice social workers in Nevada consider most important in providing culturally appropriate care to hospice patients, and (c) the ways hospice social …

Strategies For Increasing Self-Efficacy In Long-Term Welfare Recipients, Crystal Mcclure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the imposition of lifetime limitations on an individual's ability to receive cash assistance, there is a group of long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients that have approached the lifetime limitation without becoming gainfully employed. Many long term TANF recipients report low levels of self-efficacy which inhibits their ability to successfully transition off welfare and into the workforce. However, most welfare-to-work programs do not address the emotional or psychological well-being of their clients, instead they focus on job placement and job readiness skills. The purpose of this sequential–exploratory mixed methods study is to identify the primary barriers to …

Assessing Perceptions Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among A Cohort Of Noncontracted Rotc Cadets, Stephen P. Gontz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigmatization has shown to negatively impact service members with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Published research has shown stigma to significantly affect service members through increased suicide, homicide, unemployment, homelessness, and criminal justice system interaction rates. Additionally, stigma also affects overall readiness and cohesion of the military organization. However, little research has focused on the perceptions of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets about service members with a combat-related stress disorder in which they will eventually be charged with leading. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure a cohort of ROTC cadets and determine their perceptions about service members …

Associations Between Perceptions Of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policies, Physical Health, Psychological Distress, And Health Care Utilization In A Hispanic Border Community, Isabel Katharina Maria Latz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since the beginning of the current U.S. federal administration, immigration policies have become more restrictive and immigration enforcement has been strengthened. This cross-sectional survey study examines associations between perceptions of and experiences with current immigration enforcement policies and self-rated physical health, psychological distress, and health care utilization among Hispanic adults with different residency statuses in the U.S. Paso del Norte region. This study further investigates moderating effects of collective efficacy and engaged coping strategies on associations between policy perceptions and psychological distress.

The study sample included 211 Hispanic adult residents of the U.S. Paso del Norte Region (i.e., El Paso, …

Critical Political Correctness In The Era Of Properness, Isaac Tapia Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In an Era of Properness, opinions, beliefs, expressions, attitudes, and actions are suppressed through Repressing Situationalities with the ultimate goal of portraying an acceptable and mainstream proper personal display. Repressing situationalities are stances an individual takes that limits it from attempting or reaching their full potential on diverse objectives as they are disempowering states of mind and body linked to deterministic, fatalistic and conformist ideological frameworks. Inner motives and external pressures play a critical role in how decisions are made, especially those related to behavior. This Dissertation investigates and describes from an advocacy and participatory worldview, how mainstream Repressing Situationalities …

"Nací De Nuevo:" Examining The Functions Of A Prosthetic Limb Through The Lived Experiences Of People In México, Roger Andrew Renteria

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

80% of the people living with a disability live in developing countries (WHO 2018). With this being said, there is limited social research examining the experiences of this population (Connell 2011; Meekosha 2011). This Thesis seeks to gain an understanding of the broad functions of a lower-limb prosThesis through the lived experiences of people living in México. Through the use of qualitative data collected from participants living in Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Cuernavaca, the conversation on the "functionality" of a prosthetic limb has been expanded to include the social function that the prosThesis serves in the roles of navigating …

Narcocultura As Cultural Capital For Latinx Youth Identity Work: An Online Ethnography, Emiliano Villarreal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Why would young Latinxs want to be, talk, look, and act like narcos? This work analyzes the ways in which narcocultura has become an important source of cultural capital for many Latinxs. Narcocultura is the assemblage of music, video, television, and other forms of cultural production that feature figures of transnational narcotrafficking as central protagonists of their narratives. Based on a yearlong online ethnography, I examine the ways in which Latinx Facebook users appropriate and recontextualize narcocultura in their identity work through the lenses of LatCrit theory, critical discourse analysis, and personal lived experiences, which provided the departing point for …

The Battle Off The Battlefield: Exploring Medical Cannabis Use Among U.S. Veterans Looking For Relief, Viridiana Edwards

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed the reasons U.S. veterans use cannabis, focusing on what ways cannabis is socially acceptable, what ways it is viewed as deviant, and to what extent veterans are using cannabis for pain and/or mental relief. To answer these questions, an open and closed ended questionnaire was created and was available online. My results showed that U.S. veterans were using medical cannabis due to the negative side effects from the pharmaceutical medication that they were prescribed, physicians not listening to them during their appointments, and for social integration.

Patient Perception In Quality Of Health Care In Civilian And Military Hospitals, Rodolfo Gonzalez Garza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine and relate Erving Goffman's theory and concept of total institution to the perceived experienced quality of health care that occurs in the treatment of patients, in both preoperative and postoperative surgical procedures, at civilian and military hospitals. Goffman argues that there is a distinct relationship between the medical staff and patients at the hospitals. The staff most often feels superior and correct in their actions, while the patients perceive themselves as weak, inferior, and defenseless. In my thesis, I use a qualitative method approach to determine how veteran patients perceive their quality …

The Good Bloke In Contemporary Australian Workplaces: Origins, Qualities And Impacts Of A National Cultural Archetype In Small For-Profit Businesses, Christopher George Taylor

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the nature and significance of a common but widely misunderstood phrase encountered in Australia: The Good Bloke. Underlying this enquiry was awareness, based on the researcher’s personal and professional experience, that the idea of a Good Bloke powerfully influences individual perceptions of leaders in Australian small-to-mid sized for-profit firms. The study commenced with an exploration of the origins and history of the phrase, tracing it to the 1788 arrival of a disproportionately male Anglo-Celtic population was composed significantly of transported convicts. The language and mores of this unique settler population evolved for two centuries based on relationships, …

Polyamorous Millenials In Therapy: Interpreting Experiences To Inform Care, Rebecca Calhoun-Shepard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Polyamory (poly) refers to a way of loving involving multiple concurrent romantic relationships. It has been suggested that consensual non-monogamies are becoming increasingly visible, particularly in the millennial generation. This warrants exploration of cultural considerations and the unique needs of this population to inform care and minimize potential for harm. The present study used interpretative analysis to explore the phenomenon of polyamorous millennials in therapy as described across semi-structured interviews with therapists and poly clients. Three primary themes emerged from aggregate data, including Idiographic Experiences in Therapy, Therapy with Polyamorous Millennials, and information about Polyamory and Millennials beyond a therapy …

Intersectionality: Engaging The Epistemology Of Leadership Theory, Carolyn J. Morales

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation investigates the potential of linking intersectionality and leadership theories utilizing a theoretical bricolage research strategy. In order to explore a theoretical merger between these two disparate disciples warrants a preliminary understanding of how the production of knowledge has constructed a long-standing epistemic bias against marginalized perspectives. This analysis will seek to illustrate how androcentrism pervades the corpus of intellectual thought and the resulting impact which extends beyond the traditional canon of epistemology to the field of leadership. Intrinsic to this analysis will be an exploration of social identity and how it interacts with larger social environmental factors such …

Let's Talk About We Otherwise Risk Ignoring: Sexual Health Among Women Who Have Sex With Women, Denise Natalia Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sexual health research suggests that women who have sex, or have had sex, with women (WSW) are at a higher risk for negative reproductive health outcomes, however, WSW are less likely to use preventive reproductive health care than heterosexual women. This research aims to examine the constructions of knowledge and risk perceptions of sexual health practices and sexual health behaviors among WSW in the US. Sexual health practices and sexual health behaviors measures were based on self-reported sexual health knowledge, sexual health perceptions, and sexual activity. A convenience nationwide sample of 254 WSW participants recruited through online LBGTQIA+ social groups …

Disciplining The Female Body Through Fitness: "Women Participating In Crossfit And Perceptions Of The Body", Noemi Dimuzio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Women's self-surveillance has been shaped through nutrition, technologies, social media and fitness. Women are constantly struggling with disciplining their bodies to produce a particular body image. The use of technologies has produced images of ideal bodies of beauty, perfection and constant awareness of body parts. The body can be shaped and molded in a variety places, most notably the gym. Fitness allows for the construction of the perfect body. Fitness creates a constant urge to develop and change the body and produces self-surveillance and discipline. There has been a shift from the Western thin ideal image to a new fitness …

Skirting The Law: Women In Vice During U.S. Prohibition In South Texas, 1900-1933, Carolina Monsivais

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation explores both women's participation in the vice industry north of the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas and the ways in which women were policed. The Dissertation analyzes the interactions that occurred between law enforcement agents and the women they arrested, primarily ethnic Mexican women. This analysis illuminates law enforcement tactics that were honed during this era through the interactions that agents had with women who worked in vice industries. I also argue that women in this industry demonstrated knowledge, agency, and resistance. In addition, it created avenues of work for women, particularly in South Texas. However, studies examining …

Masculinity In The Kitchen: Gender Performance In The Culinary Arts Industry, Mariel Cano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Men are still far more likely than women to occupy top positions in corporations, governments, agencies, and organizations. Furthermore, when women do occupy a top position they tend to feel uncomfortable with doing or saying anything that may impose on the dominant male culture. An interesting window into understanding gender inequality in the labor force and the issues brought by it is the culinary world. This is because it has become a masculine trait to show authority in all areas of the kitchen and to show a need for creative culinary potential. Despite the traditional role of women in household …