Sociology Commons^™

Barriers And Opportunities To Exiting Prostitution: An Analysis Of Prostitution Diversion Programs, Marina Binti Mohd Hamdan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Problem-solving courts incorporate therapeutic and punitive measures in the court process in the criminal justice system. Prostitution Diversion Programs (PDP) are recognition of women in prostitution's inherent systemic struggles to desist and recover. Specialized Prostitution Diversion in Baltimore City and Project Dawn Court in Philadelphia are two PDPs analyzed through a longitudinal study on participants throughout their involvement as well as after they graduate from the program. By addressing the barriers to exiting prostitution through women’s turning points and providing opportunities to overcome hardships, women are more likely to successfully exit prostitution and maintain their sobriety in the long-term. Findings …

Exploring Cyberterrorism, Topic Models And Social Networks Of Jihadists Dark Web Forums: A Computational Social Science Approach, Vivian Fiona Guetler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This three-article dissertation focuses on cyber-related topics on terrorist groups, specifically Jihadists’ use of technology, the application of natural language processing, and social networks in analyzing text data derived from terrorists' Dark Web forums. The first article explores cybercrime and cyberterrorism. As technology progresses, it facilitates new forms of behavior, including tech-related crimes known as cybercrime and cyberterrorism. In this article, I provide an analysis of the problems of cybercrime and cyberterrorism within the field of criminology by reviewing existing literature focusing on (a) the issues in defining terrorism, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism, (b) ways that cybercriminals commit a crime in …

The Heart Of Everything In The Middle Of Nowhere: The Role Of Rural Identity In The Formation And Deployment Of Political Attitudes In Pennsylvania, Mikaela G. Zimmerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The world of American politics continues to infiltrate households across the United States as technological advancement extends the reach of breaking news and government action. With this expanding reach, communities all over the country are digesting and contemplating their place in national politics more fervently than ever. At the crux of this discussion is the backbone of political engagement and action—identity and its resulting political attitudes. For decades, partisanship has been a point of contention amongst American citizens. Cities across the nation showcase protests, demonstrations, town hall meetings, and more illustrating citizens’ care for their democratized input in government affairs. …

Investigating The Marketing Language Among Online Retailers Of Violin Strings To Determine The Implied Aesthetic, Kira Kay Browning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this research is to determine if language in the advertising of violin strings is acting as an exclusionary tool in favor of a Western art music “sound” produced by “classical” violinists. It posits that the marketing of strings to violinists is a topic laden with unacknowledged biases and values of musicians within Western art music. The aesthetic values attached to playing Western art music for the violin in the United States are passed on through pedagogic practice and acculturation of language. Product descriptions for strings in the United States employ language which adheres to these cultural values …

Gun Culture 3.0, Andrew Phillip Stover

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There exist a criminology of firearms and an epidemiology of firearms use, but little in the way of a sociology of U.S. firearm ownership. Most social science study of firearms concerns illicit gun use and the harm that use produces. Compared to this body of work, little has been done to explore the culture of legal gun ownership. A few social scientists have attempted to change this by contributing their own interpretations of what a sociology of U.S. gun ownership might look like. Professor David Yamane, in doing just this, has posited a cultural model of contemporary gun ownership he …

“I Lost Everything I Owned… Now I’M Growing That Back”: Narratives Of Redemption After Meth Immersed Lives, Danielle M. Stoneberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is a lack of knowledge on how the process of desisting (i.e., maintaining abstinence) works for those leaving immersed drug lifestyles, leaving a need for a better understanding of the role and impact of identity in drug desistance. Through secondary analysis of interview data from a sample of 33 former methamphetamine manufacturers, this study examines the applicability of Maruna’s (2001) redemption narrative framework and identifies other aspects featured in their narratives that signaled identity change. Results found all participants discussed at least one component of the framework in their interviews. Their narrative identities changed over time to recognize that …

Relationships Among Burden, Quality Of Life, And Self-Efficcy In Careegivers Of An Older Family Member, Dr. Marietta Margaret Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractInformal caregivers of a family member who has been dementia diagnosed play a substantial personal, social, and economic role in the care of their family member. However, this type of caregiving can have detrimental effects on a caregiver’s psychological, financial, physical, social, and emotional well-being. This quantitative study addressed possible relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life, and caregiver burden and self-efficacy as measured by the Zarit Burden Interview, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, and the Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale. The theory of transactional stress and the stress process model provided the theoretical foundation. The participants of this …

Roadmap To Reconciliation: An Institutional And Conceptual Framework For Jewish-Muslim Engagement, J. R. Rothstein, Esq., Shlomo Pill, Ariel J. Liberman, Esq.

Touro Law Review

This paper calls for the establishment of a comprehensive academic and theological center to be created and located at a prestigious secular university in the United States. As the first of its kind in North America, it should be affiliated with both American Muslim and Jewish institutions. Modeled on similar Jewish-Christian centers, its mission will be to foster both a neutral ground for dialogue and the development of a theology of Jewish-Muslim coexistence.

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: Toward A Liberatory Heterodox Halakha, Laynie Soloman, Russell G. Pearce

Touro Law Review

The role and function of “halakha” (Jewish law) in Jewish communal life is a divisive issue: while Orthodox Jews tend to embrace Jewish law, non-Orthodox Jews (here deemed “Heterodox”) generally reject Jewish law and halakhic discourse. We will explore the way in which Robert Cover’s work offers an antidote to categorical Heterodox distaste for halakha specifically, and law more broadly, providing a pathway into an articulation of halakha that may speak to Heterodox Jews specifically: one that is driven by creative “jurisgenerative” potential, that is informed by a paideic pluralism, and that is fundamentally democratic in its commitment to being …

Love At First Profile: An Experiment Exploring If Previously Incarcerated Individuals Are Less Desirable While Online Dating, Carina L. Perrone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Incarceration is a rapidly increasing occurrence in the United States with more than 1.4 million people incarcerated and more than 2 million on some form of restricted confinement. While men are incarcerated at a much higher rate than women, women are still at a steady incline of incarceration as well. Also, people of color disproportionately make up a large number of those incarcerated while accounting for a small percentage of the general population. Previous research on people who have been incarcerated focuses on it affects education, employment, and marriage. Little research has attempted to explore how incarceration effects dating, a …

“Where Did Your Christ Come From”? Exploring The Significance And Prevalence Of The White Jesus Phenomenon Among Black Baptist Women And Men, Stephanie Marshelle House-Niamke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Berger's theory of religion and world construction fails to consider the critical issue of power and who is allowed to construct their own reality and thus, does not adequately capture the experience of Black Christians and the Black religious experience. I use White Jesus as a case study to analyze this process. Though the White Jesus phenomenon has been more readily explored in theological and historical fields, very little sociological research discusses this phenomenon. I argue that a Europeanized Jesus has had harmful sociocultural effects on Black Christians and Black people, in the form of cultural trauma. Yet, the White …

It’S A Bleed: Pediatric Hemophilia And Length Of Stay, Rural Vs Urban Hospitals, Daniel G. Liedl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that requires specialty care and treatment. Pediatric patients with hemophilia have unique medical issues that may lead to permanent disability or death if not properly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Due to lack of resources and proper training of staff, rural hospitals are not equipped to properly treat pediatric hemophilia patients. Utilizing the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids´ Inpatient Database (KID) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. I have found, across all hospital types, pediatric hemophilia patients have longer lengths of stay, 2.7 days for rural hospitals, 4.6 …

A Multi-Method Examination Of The Effects Of Students’ Unconscious Biases On Student Evaluations Of Instructors, Brittany M. Kowalski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, I complete three studies to evaluate potential reactions to target role congruity, especially gender role congruity, through an examination of Student Evaluations of Instructors (SEIs). Target role congruity refers to assessments an observer makes of whether or not the various roles a target person fills “fit” with one another. For example, a woman surgeon may be perceived as being in an incongruent role due to the masculine characteristics associated with the occupation and the continued dominance of men in the field. Researchers utilizing congruity theories has shown that both women and men in roles that are incongruent …

Awareness And Knowledge Of Aging And Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder: Service User And Provider Perspectives And Experiences In Southern Nevada, Renato M. Liboro, Brandon Ranuschio, Sherry Bell, Jenna Despres, Trinity Puno, Aruna Sedere, Nadia Sheik Yosef, Esmeralda Villalobos, Janelle Wackens, Lianne Barnes

Psychology Faculty Research

This community report presents the findings and analysis of a survey that was part of the quantitative stage of a mixed-method Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project dedicated to examine the awareness and knowledge of racially and ethnically diverse, middle-aged and older people living with HIV/AIDS, and their healthcare and service providers from Southern Nevada, on aging, brain health, HIV/AIDS, and the condition known as HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder. The CBPR project was conducted in collaboration with community partners such as the LGBTQIA+ Community Center of Southern Nevada, Southern Nevada Health District’s Ryan White Program, Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada, and …

The Thread Of Legality: Lgbtq Parental Identity Construction And Experiences In A Post-Marriage Equality Era, Allison Jendry James

Wayne State University Dissertations

LGBTQ couples have more opportunities to become parents than ever before. This is partly due to advancements in the LGBTQ movement as well as changes in cultural ideologies, changes in families, and more recent medical advancements (Ryan and Berkowitz 2009). Such changes allow LGBTQ couples to become parents, but to do so in differing ways (Dunne 2000). The legalization of same-sex marriage changed the parenting landscape for LGBTQ parents in a variety of ways. Parenthood is presumably different now that same-sex marriage is officially legal. Experiences among LGBTQ couples in the post legalization of same-sex marriage era raises questions about …

The Moderating Effect Of Solar Radiation On The Association Between Human Mobility And Covid-19 Infection In Europe, Wenyu Zhao, Yongjian Zhu, Jingui Xie, Zhichao Zheng, Haidong Luo, Oon Cheong Ooi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic. Some studies have suggested a negative association between sunlight intensity and COVID-19 infection, alluding to the belief that it might be safe to go out on sunny days. This paper examined whether solar radiation mitigated the association between human mobility and COVID-19 infection in Europe using a dynamic panel data model to investigate the effect of human mobility, solar radiation, and their interaction on COVID-19 infection. The results revealed that outgoing mobility was positively correlated and solar radiation was negatively correlated with COVID-19 infection at lag levels of 1, …

A Qualitative Comparison Of Parent And Childcare Provider Perceptions Of Communication And Family Engagement In Children's Healthy Eating And Physical Activity, Danae Dinkel, Maggie Rasmussen, John P. Rech, Kailey Snyder, Dipti Dev

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Parents and childcare providers play a substantial role in the development of health behaviors among the children they care for. In order to ensure the optimal growth and development of children, communication and family engagement in childcare is critical. Previous studies examining parent or provider perceptions about healthy eating or physical activity have explored these concepts individually and/or have only included only parents or providers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare childcare provider and parent perceptions of communication regarding healthy eating and physical activity as well as use of best practice strategies on family engagement for …

Promising Findings That The Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators’ Program (Chime) Strengthens Early Childhood Teachers’ Emotional Resources: An Iterative Study, Holly Hatton-Bowers, Caron Clark, Gilbert R. Parra, Jessica L. Calvi, Michael Yellow Bird, Pearl Avari, Jaclynn Foged, John Smith

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Findings suggest that an eight-week mindfulness compassion-based program, Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME), is a feasible professional development intervention for early childhood (EC) teachers to support their emotion regulation and psychological and workplace well-being. We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in strengthening their knowledge and application of practices to be more mindful and less emotionally reactive and emotionally exhausted at work. In analyzing both EC teacher feedback and survey data from two pilot studies, there was promising evidence that participating in CHIME enhanced awareness of emotions and the development of …

Investigating Moderators Of Daily Marital To Parent–Child Spillover: Individual And Family Systems Approaches, Patty X. Kuo, Kejin Lee, Victoria J. Johnson, Emily J. Starr

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: We tested whether cognitive reappraisal and coparenting quality moderate marital to parent–child spillover in mothers and fathers.

Background: The influence of marital relationship quality on parent–child relationships, referred to as the spillover effect, is well documented. Factors that may attenuate the occurrence of spillover, however, remain unclear. Cognitive reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy that promotes the reframing of emotional situations as neutral or positive, and coparenting—the intermediate subsystem between the marital and parent–child relationships—may buffer the effects of marital to parent–child spillover.

Method: Using daily diary data from mother–father couples (N = 96) of young children (M_age = …

The Development Of Social Competence In Children With Disabilities, Soo-Young Hong, Elizabeth A. Steed, Lori E. Meyer, İbrahim H. Acar

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Children with disabilities experience unique challenges in developing social skills critical to achieve their social goals. Although there are individual differences, children with delays and disabilities may struggle to communicate with others, understand gestures, and take other people’s viewpoints. These differences may prevent children with disabilities from initiating and sustaining social interactions and, in turn, from developing high levels of social competence (Hebbeler & Spiker, 2016).

To support social development of children with disabilities, it is important to promote positive relationships within the family system as well as the teaching of social skills in inclusive early learning environments (Mahoney et …

Rural Parent's Experiences Of Stress And Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic And School Closure, Emily Wilson, Jungwon Eum, Yuenjung Joo, Martinique A. Sealy, Jentry Stoneman Barrett, Gwen C. Nugent, Joan M. Carraher, Angela G. Hinrichs

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated social and economic disruptions, resulting in cascading effects on the health and well- being of global citizens. However, little research has focused on how COVID-19 has affected rural regions, despite rurality being a critical factor for understanding community impact and response to the pandemic. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of rural Nebraskan parents with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and school shutdown, and the strategies they used to support their families during that time. We conducted individual and group interviews with 22 white, non-Hispanic mothers living in rural …

Using Simulation For Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training, Julie Kent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Law enforcement needs simulation practice tailored to de-escalation skills. Law enforcement officers spend most of their training time practicing how to use force appropriately and very little time practicing how to avoid using force. There is little research into the best ways for law enforcement to reduce their use of force and the best ways to provide training to individuals to coach them to avoid using force. There are many training programs promoting de-escalation techniques, but there is little research into the effectiveness of these programs beyond the ability of individuals to perform the skills that are trained. There is …

Budgetary Unoccupied Aerial Systems For Environmental Surveying: A Social Perspective, Tyler Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UASs) have undergone extensive growth in the past decade. This growth has resulted in the application of these systems from highly niche application to application across many fields including consumer usage. This research explores the implementation of UASs for environmental surveying that has an impact on social groups. While much literature exists using custom UAS systems with large budgets, the use of budgetary consumer available UASs for these purposes is still in its infancy. This research suggests that budgetary and accessible consumer UAS systems can be used to benefit social groups that lack access to high-quality geographic …

When Diaspora Politics Meet Global Ambitions: Diaspora Institutions Amid China's Geopolitical Transformations, Jiaqi M. Liu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Through a case study of China, one of the largest emigration states and a rising global power, this article probes how a homeland state envisions diaspora politics amid geopolitical transformations. Drawing on historical, policy, and interview data, I argue that China's changing positioning toward Chinese emigrants, triggered by the state's geopolitical vicissitudes, has reshaped and repurposed diaspora institutions. I find that since the 2010s, China's diaspora policies have shifted away from soliciting diasporic support for domestic economic growth and national unification and toward liaising externally with migrants to expand Chinese soft power abroad. In consequence, diaspora institutions with more extensive …

New Directions In State Crime: A Queer Criminology Perspective, Haley Elizabeth Bates

Online Theses and Dissertations

While recent decades have seen an expansion of state crime literature, the scholarship has been slow to integrate new criminological perspectives. The field is aware of state-perpetrated harms committed against queer and gender non-conforming individuals, yet there are limited works that explicitly frame the state as a criminal actor. This paper argues for the integration of queer criminology into the field of state crime to elevate harms against the LGBTQ+ community into academic awareness. Case studies demonstrating direct state violence in Russia’s Chechen Republic and indirect state violence against trans women in the United States are included to highlight the …

Scope Of Homelessness In Kentucky, Shannon Elyse Catron

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper is based on a data project that pulled together publicly available data from several sources to examine the scope of homelessness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The primary findings of the project conclude that there is a lack of data regarding counting homeless individuals, and that the available data should be examined to determine changes in the homeless population and demographics over time. Examining this data would also reveal the rate of progress in the number of counties that have began participating in the K-count since 2006. Increasing awareness about the topic and encouraging local governments to develop …

Scale Validation Of American Exceptionalism Index, Evan Hunter Charles

Online Theses and Dissertations

A powerful nation that commits reprehensible actions but only holds other countries accountable must be checked, especially if the nation's populace turns a blind eye. This thesis sought to validate a new scale called the American Exceptionalism Index. The current study draws from instruction and examples from academics and professionals who have experience with scale validation – a primer was developed and available to guide future scale development. Following these steps or the inherent purpose behind these steps, the current study seeks to contribute to the American Exceptionalism literature. The current study seeks to validate the American Exceptionalism Index (AEI) …

Hierarchy And Responsibility In Media: Cults, Culpability, And Culture, Max Hargett

Online Theses and Dissertations

This is a descriptive research project that investigates how popular entertainment media portrays cults. My intention is to see how the selected films and television shows portray issues of hierarchy and culpability within the cult and to explore how the genre and theme of the content was utilized in order to evoke certain reactions and sentiments in the audience. The selected films were The Sacrament, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Midsommar. The selected television shows were Waco and American Horror Story: Cult. Each film and series is given its own analysis. Findings indicate that a common theme of the rigid …

Fear Of The Future: A Speculative Exploration Of Cinematic Dystopias, Katarina Megan Mcguire

Online Theses and Dissertations

Dystopia is often thought of as a simple fictional device or some far off possibility of an unrecognizable Earth. But what if dystopias are actually allegorical devices warning of the long-term effects of social controls like criminalization as well as reflections on current socio-political conditions? The aim of this study was to explore cinematic dystopias and their depictions of and reflections on such themes, including how they might act as speculations on the future. Relying on qualitative content analysis, this study gathered data from three dystopic films, including V for Vendetta, Minority Report, and Equilibrium, all chosen for their criminological …

The Road To Justice: Incarcerated Students’ View On Education Behind Bars, Margaret Baker Price

Online Theses and Dissertations

The experience of students that are incarcerated is largely unknown. This qualitative phenomenological research study allowed four college students that are incarcerated to share their experiences. Research shows individuals who are incarcerated are less likely to reoffend this study upon release. This study will show how these individuals view their educational experience during incarceration. Interviews were conducted with each participant and data was coded and organized into themes. By utilizing a phenomenological stance, observations were made of events that led to the placement of participants in the prison system and how education has impacted their time spent incarcerated. Themes discovered …