Sociology Commons^™

Animal Agriculture And Cellular Agriculture Futures Workshop Resources, Julia Mcquillan, Linda J. Pfeiffer, Charlotte Brockman, Meghan Leadabrand, Michael Sealy

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The activity was supported by NIST Cooperative Agreement 70NANB22H047T under the project titled, "Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap for Cellular Agriculture: Initiative for Convergent Manufacturing of Agriculture and Food for Equity (I-CAFE).”

Sharing Your Success: Using Photovoice To Document And Communicate The Impact Of Independent Living Services, Lillie Greiman, Rayna Sage

Independent Living and Community Participation

In this brief guide, you will learn about strategies for documenting and communicating the impact of your independent living work. Specifically, this guide will give you a tool for using “Photovoice”, along with some examples of how to share your organization’s outcomes with the communities you serve.

Understanding The Educator-Coach And Student-Athlete Relationship: A Descriptive-Interpretative Study, Thomas J. Saleh

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

A changing landscape in youth sports and educational institutions has resulted in a growing number of high school student-athletes being coached by adults who do not work in the schools they attend. This study provides a foundational understanding of the relationship between in-building coaches, hereafter referred to as educator-coaches, and their student-athletes. Using a generic descriptive-interpretive qualitative research (GDI-QR) approach, this study examines the unique relationship within schools and what benefits and challenges this model may provide for the mentors and mentees involved. Framed around the concepts of natural mentorship and social-emotional learning (SEL), this study highlights how the educator-coaches …

Shaping College Habitus: An Exploration Of The Effect Of The Social/Spatial Construction Of First-Year Classes On The Habitus Of Low-Income, Working-Class Rural Students, Joshua R. Mcconnell Parsons

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Low-income, working-class (LI/WC) students entering spaces of higher education often face completely new social and cultural fields that do not match their prior experiences, requiring them to construct new conceptualizations of their habitus within those spaces—the way they internalize and interact with the world. However, a dearth of research exists on how these students’ conceptualizations of the social and physical spaces that make up their actual classroom and academic experiences play a role in how they come to form their new identities or habitus. This in-depth qualitative analysis of students’ habitus formation leverages Doreen Massey’s theoretical framework of critical spatiality …

De Aquí, Y De Allá: Education, Culture, And Identity Development Of Transnational Latinas, Elizabeth Harris-Medina

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

De Aquí, y De Allá: Education, Culture, and Identity Development of Transnational Latinas This ethnographic case study examines the experiences of three transnational Latina women, descendants of families from Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico, exploring how their migration history and educational backgrounds influence their life trajectories. Focusing on these three women, the study aims to better understand their challenges and inform the development of resources to support their success in the U.S. education system. Using ethnographic interviews and Ecological Systems Theory, the research highlights how places and social systems shape views and life paths, offering insights into how best to support these …

Increasing Expectations For Entry: Analyzing Changes In Labor Market Entry-Level Education Requirements Over Time With Potential Implications For Credential Or Degree Inflation And Returns-To-Education, William Nicholas Grinstead

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The dissertation asks the following question: Have occupations increased academic degree requirements over time?

The literature review provides background on the origin and criticisms of the concept of a “knowledge economy.” It addresses economic “signaling theory” and sociologic “credentialism.”

The methodology relies on a trend analysis using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook and the occupations’ Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and its predecessor the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). In order to address whether occupations have increased academic degree requirements over time, this dissertation will compare entry-level education requirements for BLS SOC occupations that today are …

Examining The Multifaceted Impacts Of Drug Decriminalization On Public Safety, Law Enforcement, And Prosecutorial Discretion, Kelsey S. Henderson, Christopher M. Campbell, Brian C. Renauer

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

This final report provides the findings of a multi-year project to understand the effects of successive drug policy efforts in Oregon. Since 2013, Oregon has implemented three changes that reclassified and lowered the seriousness of low-level drug possession offenses, with multiple years between each policy change: Justice Reinvestment in 2013, defelonization in 2017, and decriminalization in 2021. This project parses out the individual impacts of these unique events on law enforcement, prosecution, courts and sentencing, and public safety & health.

Families At The Center: Leading For Home Visiting Systems Change, Callie H. Lambarth, Beth L. Green, Center For Coordinating Oregon Home Visiting Systems

Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services Publications

The Center for Coordinating Oregon Home Visiting Systems (CCOHVS) launched in February 2024 at the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services at Portland State University. The CCOHVS functions as a program-neutral backbone organization for a coordinated system of prenatal and early childhood home visiting services. Its work will move the state closer to the vision described in the Raise Up Oregon 2.0 (RUO) strategic plan1 for early childhood systems, namely to create “equitable, integrated, accessible, inclusive, anti-racist and family-centered” early learning services, with a focus on ensuring this system meets the needs of pregnant people and families with …

American Indian Census Rolls: An Underutilized Source Of Historical Demographic Information On Tribal Populations, David Swanson, Jeff Tayman

Publications, Reports and Presentations

Historical information on tribal populations in the United States is incomplete. American Indians and Alaska Natives were not enumerated with the general population until the 1940 decennial census. However, Indian Census Rolls were produced for the period 1885 – 1940 under the auspices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S. The information given in the Indian Census Rolls varies but usually includes the roll number, age, gender, tribal identity, and relationship to the head of the family. In this paper, we present background information on Indian Census Rolls and demonstrate how the digitized microfiche census roll schedules can …

Looking At The Past To Change The Future: Showcasing Featured Collections, Building Communities, And Co-Creating, Sherry Buchanan

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Academic libraries have the opportunity and the responsibility to promote and advance content that creates transformative and iterative learning opportunities. To that end, and in an effort to build communities and facilitate co-creation, Portland State University showcases three main Featured Collections in our open access repository, PDXScholar: Climate Justice, COVID-19, and Racial and Gender Equity, with a fourth pilot collection—Student Work: An Open Showcase of Outstanding Student-Created Research & Creative Work—under development. The collections include a broad range of audiovisual materials, such as podcasts and webinar series, as well as sustainability and equity work, student-created content, and numerous future-focused multidisciplinary …

Characterizing The Beneficial Uses Of The Arcata Marsh Constructed Wetland Treatment System And Wildlife Sanctuary, Andrew S. Wolff

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Arcata Marsh Constructed Wetland Treatment System and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Arcata California, has been in operation since 1986. Not only has it served as the wastewater treatment facility for the city, it has also provided other beneficial uses such as acting as a sanctuary for bird, mammal, amphibian, and macroinvertebrate species. With facility upgrades currently underway, it has become important to revisit the beneficial uses of the Arcata Marsh. This project aimed to identify and characterize these beneficial uses. Literature review was conducted, and eleven beneficial uses were identified. Existing and newly obtained data were analyzed to characterize …

Alternative Shelter Evaluation Report, Jacen Greene, Todd Ferry, Emily Leickly, Franklin H. Spurbeck

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes research by Portland State University’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative for the Joint Office of Homeless Services on the cost, participant experiences, and client outcomes in village-style and motel shelters as compared to each other and to traditional, congregate shelters.

Exploring The Realities Of Queer/Trans, Black, Indigenous, And/Or People Of Color Students At Humboldt State University, Kat Hồng Nguyễn

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In this thesis, I use participant interviews with 12 queer student activists at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) and participant observation from 2019-2021 to provide a qualitative analysis of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) student knowledge. While student activism is not a primary site of analysis in this paper, all of the participants of this study identify as student activists which has implications on their overall experience. Participants in this study note the institutional efforts to disrupt institutional memory between student leaders and activists. This study was specifically designed to combat this issue by …

Adoption Of Holistic Education Practices: A Survey Of California K-12 Educator Experiences, Arianne M. Nova

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, the federal government must explicitly consider holistic approaches to education as essential for the well-being and future of students in public schools. Holistic education, which extends beyond traditional academics to nurture the 'whole child,' has garnered substantial support in the literature for its positive impact on academic performance, behavior, and student well-being. This research explores educator perspectives on holistic education in a K-12 California school district. By surveying teachers, counselors, school social workers, and principals within this district, I assess their awareness concerning structural levels, available resources, and implementation capabilities related to holistic education. …

Salvation And Sweet Rolls: An Examination Of Mormon Diet Books, Rachel Noorda

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Religious diet books highlight the overlap between religious and diet cultures. This article examines the intersection of Mormonism, diet culture, and fatphobia through an analysis of Mormon diet books published between 1990 and 2015. The study explores how Mormon diet books leverage the Word of Wisdom (the LDS health code) to promote weight loss and reinforce religious obedience. By framing dietary compliance as a spiritual mandate, these texts link physical health and body size to moral and spiritual worthiness. This conflation of body and spirit, rooted in Mormon theology, amplifies fatphobia by promoting thinness as a sign of obedience and …

“Muchakang Pangkalawakan”: Queering Engagements With Bakla Of The Philippine Tropics, Artemio P. Millo

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

The performance of participants in the Miss Gay Muchakang Pangkalawan [Miss Ugly Gay Universe] in Quiapo, Manila, reflects characteristics of the flamboyant and effeminate bakla. However, these stereotypical depictions may not always be consistent with how participants view themselves. This study argues that an introspective understanding of how participants make sense of their identity work engendered by ever-turning tropes reveals slippages that can liberate them from existing oppressive stereotypes. By utilizing personal narrative and ethnographic reflexivity, this study deconstructs the participants’ performances, revealing identity-making that may reinforce or resist dominant discourses on the bakla under which these narratives are …

Rapid Jail-Based Implementation Of Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution In Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carrie B. Oser, Margaret J. Mcgladrey, Marisa Booty, Hilary L. Surratt, Hannah K. Knudsen, Patricia R. Freeman, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Monica F. Roberts, Michele Staton, April M. Young, Emma Draper, Sharon L. Walsh

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Background People incarcerated in jails are highly impacted by the opioid epidemic, and overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) is an effective strategy to reduce opioid overdose deaths. This study examines barriers and facilitators of fast-track OEND implementation within the jails in the Wave 1 Kentucky counties of the HEALing Communities Study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods Meeting minutes with jail stakeholders were qualitatively coded using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) as the coding framework. The analysis highlighted the top barriers and facilitators to fast-track OEND implementation within the PRISM framework.

Results Space and staffing shortages related …

The Role Of Place Of Birth And Residence In Puerto Rican Health Disparities: Evidence From Disability Prevalence Among Archipelago- Vs. Mainland-Born Puerto Ricans, Mara Getz Sheftel, Frank W. Heiland

Publications and Research

Objectives: This paper provides new estimates of disability prevalence for the archipelago and mainland-residing Puerto Rican populations ages 40 and above and compares disability by place of birth and place of residence to investigate drivers of middle and older age health.

Methods: Large nationally representative samples from 2013 to 2017 American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey data are used to estimate age-specific disability prevalence for archipelago-born/archipelago-residing, archipelago-born/mainland-residing, mainland-born/mainland-residing Puerto Ricans.

Results: Mainland-born/ mainland-residing Puerto Ricans have the lowest age-adjusted disability rates and archipelago-born/archipelago-residing Puerto Ricans have the highest rates. Differences in education explain part of this disparity.

Discussion: …

Aging In Brewster: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Beth Rouleau

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Brewster. The goals of this project were to investigate the interests, preferences, and opinions of Brewster’s residents aged 50 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Brewster citizens 50 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Brewster, the Brewster COA, Senior …

แนวทางการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทางในประเทศไทย, อัจราภา ถนัดเดินข่าว

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิทยานิพนธ์เรื่องแนวทางการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทาง ในประเทศไทย มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาสถานการณ์การกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทาง ในประเทศไทย พร้อมทั้งวิเคราะห์สภาพปัญหาด้านการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับ หนังสือเดินทาง เพื่อนำไปสู่แนวทางการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทาง ในประเทศไทย โดยเป็นการศึกษาเชิงคุณภาพด้วยการวิจัยเอกสารและการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกจาก ผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ ประกอบด้วย เจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจตรวจคนเข้าเมือง ระดับบริหารและ ระดับปฏิบัติการ จำนวนทั้งสิ้น 23 ท่าน ผลการศึกษาพบว่า สถานการณ์การกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทาง ในประเทศไทยที่สำคัญ ได้แก่ 1) รูปแบบการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทางที่พบได้ทั่วไป 2) การกระทำผิดของแรงงาน 4 สัญชาติ 3) การใช้หนังสือเดินทางไทยโดยมิชอบ 4) การใช้ประเทศไทยเป็นทางผ่านในการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทาง 5) ผลกระทบของการกระทำผิดต่อประเทศไทย และ 6) แนวโน้มการกระทำผิดและพฤติกรรมปกปิดตัวตนในประเทศไทย และเมื่อวิเคราะห์สภาพปัญหาด้านการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทางในประเทศไทย พบสภาพปัญหา 7 ด้าน ได้แก่ 1) มุมมองของรัฐ 2) กฎหมาย 3) การบังคับใช้กฎหมาย 4) งบประมาณ 5) เทคโนโลยี 6) ความร่วมมือระหว่างประเทศ และ 7) บุคลากร ซึ่งภาพสะท้อนเหล่านี้นำไปสู่แนวทางการป้องกันการกระทำผิดเกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทางในประเทศไทย โดยผู้วิจัยเสนอให้สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมืองจัดให้มีการฝึกอบรมแก่บุคลากร จัดตั้งศูนย์ข้อมูลหนังสือเดินทางอย่างเป็นทางการเพื่อสนับสนุนการทำงานแก่เจ้าหน้าที่ โดยเจ้าหน้าที่จะต้องมีความตระหนักในบทบาทหน้าที่ของตนอยู่เสมอ อีกทั้งการพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีด้านความปลอดภัย ที่เกี่ยวกับหนังสือเดินทางและงานตรวจคนเข้าเมืองจะช่วยเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพด้านความมั่นคง มากขึ้น รวมถึงการขยายผลการจับกุมที่จะช่วยป้องกันการกระทำความผิดซ้ำต่อไป

Humor Matters: An Adapted Multiple Case Study Exploring Music Therapists’ Perspectives Of Humor With Older Adults, Caleb M. Posey

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Humor is a ubiquitous human experience and a skill retained in older adulthood. It is also an integral but elusive therapeutic tool with numerous benefits and risks to well-being. Therapeutic humor – the application of humor to client well-being – is an emerging area of study. However, scant music therapy literature on humor is available. The purpose of this qualitative thesis was to explore the use and function of humor in music therapy with older adults from the perspectives of experienced music therapists. There were three research questions: (1) how do music therapists describe their use of humor with older …

The Aesthetics Of Environmental Risk In Paolo Bacigalupi’S The Windup Girl And The Water Knife, David Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations--English

Any work of environmentally oriented fiction that seeks to represent the wide-reaching effects of climate change is faced with the problem of scale. These texts must render visible change which is at once ubiquitous and microscopic, along with the cascade of side-effects generated in the wake of rising temperature, rising sea levels, and winnowing biodiversity. In short order, these texts must fully imagine what it means to live within the modern global risk society. Borrowing this sociological model from the late Ulrich Beck, I analyze the literary work of Paolo Bacigalupi, one of the foremost authors in the growing genre …

Democratically Engaged Assessment On Civic Learning For Bonner Scholars, Lesley Boadu, Meredith Bacon

Other Publications

This report will cover the multi-step process to identify and define the most critical civic learning outcomes for Bonner Scholars at the University of Richmond (UR). We will detail a democratically engaged assessment (DEA) involving diverse stakeholders to gather perspectives and insights. We do this by highlighting the work that has taken place and then making suggestions to improve the overall process. Some of this work includes using surveys to capture community experiences, involving students in creating definitions and implementing reflective journaling. We will also discuss the revision of reflection essay assignments to align with the identified outcomes and the …

Social Determinants Of Health: Evaluation Using Rates Of Vision Screening And Follow-Up Examinations, Madeline Dyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Vision care is essential to the quality of life of young children, impacting them over the course of their lives. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) affect the likelihood of a child having access to appropriate care specified by the Bright Futures. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of SDOH on the completion of vision screening and the rate of follow-up with an eye care provider when applicable. In addition, rates of instrument-based vision screening and recommended ophthalmology follow-up were compared with COI, a metric assessing the quality of resources available and the conditions that matter for …

The Ethics Of Involuntary Intervention, Landyn Tipton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This is a deep ethical analysis of the act of non-consensual intervention that discusses the distinction between voluntary and involuntary intervention and explains when it would be considered appropriate and inappropriate to intervene in someone else's life. This paper presents an argument for the right to autonomy, including specific scenarios like consensual types of intervention (psychological therapy), religious intervention (specifically involving LGBTQ conversion therapy), and situations where the person is potentially harming themselves or others. There will also be an interpretation of autonomy and the claim to authority through the lens of Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics.

Spatial Distribution And Significance Of Burdens To Environmental Justice In Parramore, Florida: An Urban Resilience Perspective, Lex Tracton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In response to climate change, economic instability, and rapid urbanization, the notion of urban resilience has gained prominence in city planning and governance. Urban resilience is the ability of a system to adapt to new baseline conditions developing as a result of disturbances. This study is focused on one of urban resilience’s sub-tenets, ecological resilience. Ecological resilience is the ability of a system to sustain ecosystem services following a disturbance (i.e. droughts, flooding, heat waves). The health of the environment prior to a disturbance informs post-disturbance ecological resilience. An already stressed and unbalanced system, or an ecosystem with degraded health, …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Mental Health In The Vietnamese Community: A Comprehensive Analysis, Mai Ly Nguyen-Luu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the complex and multifaceted landscape of attitudes and perceptions toward mental health within the Vietnamese community. Mental health issues remain a significant global concern, and understanding how these issues are perceived and addressed within specific cultural contexts is vital for effective mental health promotion and intervention. In the case of the Vietnamese community, the interplay of cultural values, stigmatization, and access to mental healthcare services makes this study particularly relevant.

The research investigates the cultural factors that shape attitudes and perceptions toward mental health in the Vietnamese community, including traditional beliefs, familial roles, and the influence of …

What Are Munster Technological University Students’ Experiences Of Menstruation And Reusable Period Products?, Kate Dolan Crowley

Theses

This study examines the attitudes of students in Munster Technological University (MTU) towards menstruation and period products. It is estimated that in Ireland, between 53,000 and 85,000 Irish menstruators may be at risk of period poverty (Government of Ireland, 2021). There is also evidence to suggest that some students have experienced period poverty (Ministry of Education, 2023; Brinkley and Niebuhr, 2022; Munro et. al., 2021). Period poverty has an impact on the physical, mental, and social well-being of menstruators, ultimately affecting their quality of life.

A mixed-method study was undertaken, consisting of questionnaires (n=319) and one-toone semi-structured interviews (n=10) to …

Rewriting Reality: The Sociological Context Of Gaslighting, Kristen L. Engasser Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In 2007, Robin Stern published The gaslight effect: How to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life, highlighting gaslighting as a form of psychological abuse that makes victims question the validity of their perceptions. Since then, gaslighting has primarily been tackled from a psychological perspective. Some sociologists, however, theorize that gaslighting is not simply a psychological issue but a sociological one as well. They argue that gaslighting may take place unintentionally when a perpetrator acts on their biases towards members of other social groups, a concept known as epistemic gaslighting. As a form of …

Florida’S Most Recent Anti-Transgender Political Policies And Their Effects On Transgender Adults, Jaron A. Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During May of 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple bills into law, which included House Bill 1521, Senate Bill 1580, and Senate Bill 254. Critics have regarded these bills to directly discriminate against transgender individuals and negatively impact their quality of life. The main research question this project seeks to answer is what impact these bills have, if any, on transgender individuals who live in the state of Florida. This includes experiences that negatively impact quality of life outcomes and mental health disparities. An online survey of a small sample of the population that self identifies as transgender, that …