Sociology Commons^™

Podcasting Towards Togetherness: Utilizing Podcasts To Improve Departmental Camaraderie And Well-Being, Michael Petrauskis, Colleen Gutman, Rosemarie Fernandez

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Physician burnout is on the rise, and this is of particular concern in emergency medicine. Burnout is associated with medical errors, adverse events, poor professionalism, and litigation. A sense of community can build engagement and mitigate workplace stressors on well-being. Emergency physicians may have trouble connecting due to the nature of shift-work and various practice settings. Communication technology, and particularly podcasting, has the potential to help overcome these barriers and positively impact relatedness and well-being.

Approach: We developed an inward-facing podcast, “The ER Break Room” within the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida. Through the …

Religion And Attitudes Toward Xenotransplantation: Results Of A Nationwide Survey In The United States., Daniel J Hurst, Luz A Padilla, Amanda Zink, Brendan Parent, Laura L Kimberly

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Religious viewpoints have been shown to influence the ways in which many persons approach medical decision-making and have been noted as a potential barrier to xenotransplantation acceptance. This study sought to explore how attitudes toward xenotransplantation differ among various religious beliefs. A national Likert-scale survey was conducted in 2023 with a representative sample in the United States. Religious belief was self-reported. Regression analysis was used to identify associations with religious belief and hesitations about xenotransplantation. Five thousand and eight individuals across the United States responded to the survey. The two biggest concerns about xenotransplantation across religious groups were the current …

Navigating Gender Dynamics And Identity Formation In Online Mutual Support Communities: Insights From Participant Experiences, Naishuo Sun

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven individuals to seek support through online mutual support groups, which provide spaces for knowledge exchange, social support, and crisis management. While these groups are known to benefit mental health, little is understood about how gender shapes interactions and identity formation within them. This study explores gender dynamics, communication styles, and identity formation in online support groups during the pandemic, focusing on their role in challenging traditional gender norms and fostering inclusivity.

Two focus groups and three semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Chinese adults (9 female, 4 male) aged 24 to 38 in the U.S. …

Resilience, Joshua Liashenko

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Once a ubiquitous framework for assessing the capacity for recovery, perseverance, and success in the face of adversity, resilience has been met with growing critiques in its application. As a frequently used “pretty word” within health disparities research, resilience has come to signify how at-risk communities overcome hardship in ways this work argues overdetermine their labor, activist potential, and existence. This critique examines resilience through the lens of ethnographic research conducted among transgender and nonbinary healthcare providers who provide gender-affirming care within their communities. As a marginalized community experiencing transphobia and increasing structural barriers to life-affirming and life-saving healthcare, trans …

Chief Executive Officers, Accountability And Hidden Violations, Alan Saquella

Publications

Corporate governance demands transparency, ethical leadership and accountability from Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). However, numerous cases suggest that CEOs often wield significant influence over what is reported to their boards of directors, particularly when it comes to internal misconduct, regulatory violations, and criminal activity. This lack of transparency raises serious concerns about ethical and legal obligations, as well as the effectiveness of board oversight.

Breaking Boundaries: A Critical Trans Framework Analysis Of Anti-Transgender Sports Policies In Education, Tori Porter, Briana A. Savage, Dresden June Frazier

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This policy analysis examines the impacts of anti-transgender sports legislation on K-20 transgender students through a critical trans framework. We investigate how anti-transgender laws enforce gender norms and intersect with other forms of oppression, such as racism and ableism, affecting multi-marginalized transgender students in sports and limiting access to a well-rounded education. Epistemic injustice is revealed, as these policies disregard transgender students' experiential knowledge and involvement in decision-making processes. Findings indicate that anti-transgender sports policies impact students at individual, institutional, and cultural levels, perpetuating discriminatory practices and reducing access to gender-affirming spaces and supportive adults. We argue for inclusive, evidence-based …

Enhancing Learning In The Uae: Exploring Chatgpt As A More Knowledgeable Other (Mko) In Science And Non-Science Courses In The Uae, Nagaletchimee Annamalai, S. Abdellatif, Gaforov Ikboljon Uktamovich, Bilal Mohammed Zakarneh

The Qualitative Report

This study examines the role of ChatGPT as a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) in educational settings, encompassing both scientific and non-scientific courses. A qualitative case study involved 20 educators from higher education institutions. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, and the collected data was subsequently analysed using the thematic analysis suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings emphasize the significance of validating educational resources and maintaining control over their usage to mitigate issues related to plagiarism and uphold academic integrity. ChatGPT serves as an MKO by guiding learners in enhancing their technical writing skills and aiding in information …

Framework, Design, And Baseline Data Of A Collective Impact Initiative To Strengthen The Community Health Worker Workforce Ecosystem In Texas, Shreela V Sharma, Heidi Hagen Mcpherson, Jemima John, Rosalia Guerrero, Sisan B Tennyson, Deborah Banerjee, Nadia Siddiqui, Sheila Savannah, Peter Durand, Amanda Gao, Sean A Haley, Elisa Garcia, Jennifer Cofer, Adrick Harris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The Health Equity Collective (HEC), a multi-sector systems-level collective impact coalition in the Greater Houston region, partnered with the City of Houston Health Department (HHD) to launch a 2-year effort to implement a comprehensive approach towards strengthening the regional Community Health Workers (CHW) workforce infrastructure as a pathway to advancing health equity. Our paper presents the logic model, methods, and baseline qualitative and quantitative data from this initiative.

METHODS: In the fall of 2022, the Health Equity Collective brought together a Network of CHW-employing or training organizations in the Greater Houston region. This Network was the working group of …

Clark Moustakas’ Husserl, Thomas Byrne

The Qualitative Report

This paper critically examines Clark Moustakas’s presentation of Husserl in Phenomenological Research Methods. I argue that Moustakas’s account misrepresents two core elements of Husserl’s phenomenology – intentionality and the transcendental reduction – in ways that directly compromise the foundations of qualitative phenomenological research. First, Moustakas treats intentional meaning as something private, located within the individual, rather than as given in the world. This misreading severs the connection between experience and a shared world of meaning, leaving qualitative researchers unable to clarify participants’ accounts beyond private expression. Second, Moustakas reduces the transcendental reduction to introspective reflection, overlooking its function as a …

‘Casar Public Lecture: A History Of American Hubris’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

Guest Speaker: Dr. Mike Reimer - Professor of History, Sultan Al-Qasimi Department of History, AUC About Lecture: Ever wondered if Trump's wild foreign policy was a total game-changer—or just the latest chapter in America's bold (sometimes over-the-top) world adventures? This lecture titled: 'A History of American Hubris' unpacked over 250 years of U.S. global moves, where his ally- shaking style spotlights deep-rooted patterns.

Venue: GAPP Executive Room P090, Aljameel Building - AUC New Cairo Campus

Date: Sunday, February 15, 2026

Time: 1-2 PM

Learn more about CASAR and follow us:

CASAR website: https://gapp.aucegypt.edu/academics/c...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casar.aucegy...

Instagram: https://instagram.com/casar2003?igshi...

Promoting Digital Agriculture Adoption In Community-Based Agricultural Organizations, Jean Hardy, Abbey Palmer

Journal of Extension

Existing research and practice related to digital agriculture technology adoption is largely focused on large-scale producers. In this paper, we describe a case of adopting an advanced soil monitoring system in a community-based agricultural organization. We provide guidance for Extension professionals seeking to implement or promote digital agriculture technology adoption on: selecting appropriate technology, incorporating new technology into existing practices, harnessing local technology champions, and avoiding data-driven mission creep.

“It’S A Constant Wear And Tear”: Trans Visibility As Educational Labour In The Neoliberal School, Bishop Owis, Harper Keenan, Lee Iskander, Mario I. Suárez, Mollie Mcquillan, Christina Cook, Daniel Gallardo

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Although transgender people are increasingly visible in mainstream North America, trans teachers are without adequate resources or protections to support their employment in schools. Legislation in both Canada and the United States that invokes concern about parental rights and “LGBT indoctrination” in schools illustrate the dangerous political landscape facing teachers. In 2023, over 500 anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) bills were introduced in state legislatures across the United States (Choi, 2024). Given this context, this paper explores trans education workers’ descriptions of trans visibility in the workplace. Drawing from interviews from the Trans Workers in Schools Project (TWISP), we …

Mapping The Perceived Impacts Of A Social Innovation Program On Women’S Agency And Life Satisfaction, Dina Tbaishat, Lina Qtaishat, Jannik Joseph Eggerman, Catherine Panter-Brick, Rana Dajani

All Works

Introduction Cross-cultural research measuring how women perceive their sense of agency and catalyze social innovation has been limited. We conducted a mixed-methods study to learn about women's agency and life satisfaction, while evaluating the perceived benefits of a social innovation program (We Love Reading), in the UAE which, in 2022, launched a nationwide reading promotion strategy.Methods and results We implemented the Sense of Agency (SoA) scale and Cantril Ladder of Life Scale with a sample of 78 female Emirati students, then conducted two Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) sessions with 13 respondents. The FCM sessions helped to develop local definitions of …

Architecting A More Gender-Inclusive Curriculum For Graduate Leadership Education, Galen J. Talis

Libraries

Graduate leadership education is an important context for increasing gender-inclusivity. Incoming students are increasingly likely to support an all-gender approach; transgender and nonbinary graduate students report safety concerns on campus; and leadership scholars have identified serious discrimination against trans and nonbinary employees in the workplace as well as the need for greater gender-inclusivity in leadership education. Cis women and men are more widely recognized as gender-diverse, whether due to intersections with other identities or due to within-gender complexity. Yet researchers often fail to identify a gender theory when researching gender and leadership, most commonly assume a gender-binary frame, and do …

Fostering Inclusivity Through Community Arts Programs, Courtney Mayberry

CAFE Symposium 2025

The utilization of community arts projects to build diverse and prosperous communities is vital in fostering inclusion rather than isolation within participating communities. Community arts projects can be built to offer individuals a means to connect with their community through self-expression and the celebration of their individuality. This is especially important in giving marginalized groups a voice, such as people with disabilities.

Book Review Of Relinquished: The Politics Of Adoption And The Privilege Of American Motherhood By Gretchen Sisson. New York: St. Martin’S Press. 2024., Emily Stier Adler, Michele Hoffnung

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Scientific Evidence: Impact On A Jury, Thomas B. Scavone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The goal of this qualitative study was to better understand the impact of scientific evidence ‘s influence on a jury’s verdict. The presence of scientific evidence has the potential to convict the defendant or overturn a guilty verdict as seen in cases involving the innocence project. The theoretical framework for this qualitative study was Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory which postulates heavy exposure to television has the potential to influence the individual’s perception of the world. The researcher implemented an exploratory research design using purposive sampling. A total of 68 participants (prior jurors) applied for the study, 66 from an advertisement placed …

A Critical Appraisal Of Poverty In The Context Of Nature-Based Communities: Selected Cases From The Philippines, Carla Edith Gonzales Jimena

Dissertations and Theses

The Philippines is considered one of the wealthiest countries in both Southeast Asia and the world when measured by biodiversity, mineral resources and natural resources. It is also one of the most highly mineralized countries on earth. However, despite these natural endowments, when measured by established economic and human development indices the Philippines remains poor. Using critical perspectives derived from Marxist tradition, William Chambliss' theory of law and its dialectical nature, Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory, and Fred Block's structural mechanism of the state, this study aimed to critically appraise the persistence of poverty in nature-based communities in the Philippines. …

Marginalized, Secularized, And Popularized? The Prevalence And Patterns Of Paranormal Belief In The United Kingdom, Tom Clark, Joseph O. Baker, Christoper D. Bader

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

There is growing recognition of the prevalence of paranormal beliefs in Western countries. However, most of this interest has been focused on the United States and robust, comparative data remain limited. This study extends this literature to report findings from a national survey of the United Kingdom designed to assess the prevalence and patterns of paranormal beliefs. Although there are many similarities to previous research, the results also suggest that there are significant differences in the scope, clustering, and patterns of paranormalism across contexts. The study makes four contributions to research on the paranormal by a) reiterating the continuing popularity …

Experiencing The First Year Of Covid-19 Pandemic: Feelings And Thoughts Of Emerging Adults, Miljana Spasić Šnele Phd, Ivana Janković Phd, Jelisaveta Todorović Phd

The Qualitative Report

COVID-19 brought many changes in the daily functioning of many individuals, including emerging adults, due to social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and the closure of public institutions, thus representing a threat to physical and mental health. We investigated how emerging adults felt regarding their experience during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were also interested in what they had been thinking about in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic one year after its declaration. To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative study. The participants included 51 students aged 19 to 28 years old. Conducting thematic analysis six themes related …

“But How Do I Start?” A Beginner’S Guide To Your First Qualitative Project, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Bria Nicole Davies

The Qualitative Report

Many new qualitative researchers feel overwhelmed and struggle to find direction in existing books and articles about qualitative methodology. Qualitative methods have a long history that includes different philosophies, practices, and methods, and there are endless ways to interpret and use these tools within these traditions. This article introduces basic qualitative methods with the intent to guide a first-time researcher through a first social science research project, such as a thesis or dissertation. It frames the process as a five-step journey with guidelines to follow and additional resources that can be accessed related to each phase. Although the craft of …

Community Safety Investments: Violence Prevention Initiatives Across New York State, Rebecca Balletto, Jeffrey A. Butts, Sheyla A. Delgado, Justice D. Evans, Gina Moreno, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kathleen A. Tomberg, Michael Rempel, René Ropac

Publications and Research

At the request of New York State's Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted an assessment of over a decade of state-funded violence prevention initiatives implemented at the county level. Beginning in 2010 and expanding significantly after 2021, these initiatives were adopted by nearly two dozen counties by 2014. Research teams from the Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) and the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) analyzed county-level trends in serious and violent crime between 2010 and 2023 to assess the potential impact of these investments on community safety outcomes. The study aimed …

The Disinformation Vaccine: A Case For Integrating Comprehensive Disinformation Education Into First Year Writing Classes, Benjamin F. Jackson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Students’ exposure to disinformation and misinformation is far greater than it has ever been. As the ability of generative AI to produce image, video, and audio deepfakes grows more sophisticated, disinformation will become even easier to spread and harder to detect. The rapid spread of social, political, scientific, and medical disinformation has been deadly and its potential is disastrous. Security experts now warn that dis/misinformation is the greatest threat to national security. Americans at large and students in particular have a demonstrated lack of information literacy when it comes to detecting false information, and bad actors nationally and globally are …

Inclusive Space For Everyone Door Sign (Printable 8.5 X 11 Inch), Joan H. Robinson

Open Educational Resources

This is a printable 8.5 x 11 inch door sign for faculty, staff, and administrators to let people know it is an inclusive space for everyone. For improved visibility, print with a color printer and cut along the dotted line.

See also: 11 x 17 inch door sign.

Restoring School Librarians: Challenges And Strategies, Debrah E. Kachel

Learning Hub

The article examines efforts to restore school librarian positions across eleven urban U.S. school districts, despite significant financial and administrative obstacles. It documents strategies used by district library leaders to advocate for staffing, funding, and policy changes, emphasizing equity in access to certified school librarians. Through structured interviews and analysis, the report highlights key barriers, advocacy methods, and funding mechanisms that have influenced school library staffing. The study's findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational equity and policy reform in K-12 library services.

Exploring The Impact Of Sufficient Childcare On Recruitment And Retention Of African American Women In Law Enforcement, Jo Anne Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although African American women have made progress in multiple fields and careers, they remain underrepresented in the field of law enforcement. There has been a lot of research about women in law enforcement, but there has been little research to show the impact of lack of sufficient childcare on the recruitment and retention of African American women in law enforcement. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American female police applicants, recruits, and veteran officers and their perception of challenges and barriers in recruitment and retention when it comes to the lack …

Investigating Mental Health Disparities In Rural Sexual And Gender Minority Adults: Protocol For The Rural Exploration And Approaches To Lgbtq + Mental Health (Realm) Prospective Cohort Study, Shoshanna L. Fine, Kalai Willis, Iaah L. Lucas, Kirsten F. Siebach, Jennifer L. Glick, Mariah Valentine-Graves, Savannah Winter, Michael Smith, Thomas Waltz, Gina Bailey Herring, Marissa Hannah, Holly C. Wilcox, Travis Sanchez, Stefan D. Baral, Sarah M. Murray

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons experience substantial mental health disparities throughout the life course, including increased vulnerability to depression and suicide. Few existing studies, however, have explored how pervasive experiences of SGM-related stigma, discrimination, and trauma (i.e., minority stress) contribute to adverse mental health outcomes among diverse sub-populations of SGM adults living in rural areas of the United States. This paper describes the protocol for a prospective cohort study, "Rural Exploration and Approaches for LGBTQ + Mental Health (REALM)," that will explore minority stress in relation to mental health conditions and suicidal behaviors among rural SGM adults. METHODS: …

The Rattler (Volume 113, Issue 5), St. Mary's University

The Rattler (Previous issues)

Founded in 1919, The Rattler is the student voice of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. The newspaper documents campus life, academic and social issues, student opinion, and local and national events as they relate to the University community. Content typically includes news articles, editorial commentary, arts and culture coverage, sports reporting, and advertisements.

Bridging The Gap: Analyzing Volunteerism Barriers To The International Humanitarian Ngos In Egypt, Heba Fouad

Theses and Dissertations

In Egypt, volunteerism, within international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), functions in distinctive characteristics influenced by, among other things, cultural, educational, and economic factors. NGOs face challenges and obstacles in attracting motivated volunteers, engaging and training volunteers, as well as managing the staff-volunteers relationship, and implementing adequate human resources (HR) policies and strategies. In this context, this thesis seeks to bridge the knowledge gap of volunteerism challenges in Egypt, delving deep into understanding the barriers existing within the international humanitarian NGOs that directly and indirectly influence its volunteer engagement levels. The thesis also aims to understand the successful implementation of policies …

The Effects Of The Devaluation Of The Egyptian Pound On Auc Student Happiness, Mariam Kharboush, Nour Dabbour, Nelly Abdelwahed, Nour Heikal

The Undergraduate Research Journal

The aim of this research is to investigate the difference in measured happiness between students who pay the full tuition cost at the American University in Cairo (AUC) versus students who are on financial aid/scholarship in light of the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound. The literature review found that there are five key determinants for the happiness of university students: financial satisfaction, academic performance, leisure time, social support, and high levels of self-confidence and esteem. These five factors were used in the conceptual framework along with the utility theory. This study was executed through an online Google Forms survey that …