Sociology Commons^™

We Are Worthy Of Investment: Exploring Forms Of Cultural Capital Among Black American Families, Joyice Robinson Myers

Theses and Dissertations

This three-paper dissertation investigates how the cultural wealth of Black American families functions as a foundation for educational, developmental, and economic outcomes, especially for Black males, across childhood, adolescence, and the transition into adulthood. Grounded in frameworks of the Revised Cultural Wealth Model, African American Male Theory, and the Racial Stratification Model, the research repositions Black families as producers of capital rather than subjects of deficit. In Paper Paper 1, I synthesized scholarship on family structure, educational attainment, and economic standing, framing racial "achievement gaps” as long-standing education debts owed to Black males. In Paper 2, I used longitudinal data …

Teacher Perception On The Implementation Of A Culturally Responsive Ela Curriculum, Erica Tate Dial

Theses and Dissertations

While the principles of culturally responsive and culturally relevant teaching hold transformative potential, they can only be fully realized if educators are genuinely equipped and empowered to implement them. This qualitative study examined teacher perceptions of an English Language Arts curriculum through the lens of culturally relevant and culturally responsive teaching. A diverse group of teachers, varying in experience, age, gender, and race, were interviewed to gather a range of perspectives on the implementation of this curriculum. The study focused on addressing the following research questions: 1. What are teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive and culturally relevant instruction and academic …

Confidence In Elections Among U.S. Local Officials: Effects Of Social Trust, Partisanship And Political Ambition, Rebecca Sager, Eric Plutzer, Gary Adler, Jonathan S. Coley, Damon Maryl

Sociology Faculty Works

The U.S. public’s confidence in elections is intensively studied in the last decade but little is known about election confidence among locally elected officials, whose roles and community status may influence public opinion. Using a nationally representative survey of local election officials, we compare election confidence among local elected officials with that of the general public. Local elected officials are more likely to trust both local and national elections. We theorize factors that affect local officials’ trust in elections, including partisan context, state leadership election denial levels, and political ambition. We show how social trust, partisan identity, and ambition significantly …

Nature, Nurture, And Serial Murder: A Biocriminological Analysis Of Jeffrey Dahmer And Aileen Wuornos, Dori W. Jal

Honors Thesis

In recent years, there has been an increase in public fascination with serial killers, however current criminological explanations continue to focus on social and psychological factors, lacking commentary on potential biological implications. This thesis addresses a gap in the literature by examining how biological processes, specifically epigenetic, neurobiological, and endocrinological mechanisms, interact with environmental stressors to shape serial homicidal behavior. The goal is to determine whether serial murder can be more effectively understood through a biosocial framework that integrates biological vulnerability with lived experience, rather than relying on singular explanatory models.

Using a qualitative multiple-case study methodology, this research analyzes …

Exploring The Dynamics And Outcomes Of Family Engagement In Child Welfare Services: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Jianchao Lai, Michelle Graef, Todd Franke

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

Background: Engaging families effectively in child welfare services remains a persistent challenge, shaped by complex interactions between agency practices and family circumstances. While existing research has explored this issue, it has predominantly relied on data from agency and caseworker perspectives, often overlooking the crucial viewpoint of the families. Objectives: This study investigates families’ subjective experiences and perceptions within the child welfare system, focusing on their satisfaction with child welfare workers and overall engagement. Methods: The study draws on data collected through an evaluation of the implementation of Alternative Response in a Midwestern state. Agency administrative data is integrated with additional …

Community Music, Counter-Stories, And Social Inequality In Central Florida's Music Spaces, Katia Destine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Black working-class musicians have shaped American popular culture for centuries. Despite their contributions, they have faced decades of marginalization and exploitation by record companies, executives, and consumers. While systems of exploitation affect musicians of all backgrounds, Black working-class musicians are in a double bind, susceptible to both economic and social exploitation. Musicians who live within the subdominant groups of race, gender, and class frequently face obstacles that place them at a disadvantage. Through semi-structured interviews, the research draws on the lived experiences of Black working-class musicians in Central Florida. I argue that community music serves as a vital resource, offering …

Investigating The Social Effects Of Doomscrolling, Sean Daniel Hronek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the social effects of doomscrolling, a behavior characterized by the compulsive consumption of negative content on social media, which has become increasingly prevalent. The research explores how doomscrolling may contribute to adverse social outcomes. Three hypotheses are proposed: (H1) doomscrolling correlates with increased acceptance of authoritarian behaviors, (H2) doomscrolling correlates with decreased trust in news media, and (H3) doomscrolling correlates with reduced interpersonal trust. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with 108 (n=108) participants. Results indicate modest correlations between doomscrolling and the hypothesized social effects. Qualitative interviews further revealed that users often …

Hidden Wounds And Secret Scars: The Post-World War Ii Western As A Cinema Of Trauma, Maggie Sue Scanlan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this project, I consider the post-WWII Western film as a site that represents and navigates war traumatized American masculinity. Through a discussion of the significance of the Western as a national myth that speaks directly to American masculinity and nation-building through individual violence, I situate the genre as an ideal vehicle to reframe war traumatized masculinity and analyze seven Westerns through a threefold analysis: metaphoric (a cinema of trauma), psychoanalytic (the traumatic gaze), and therapeutic (recovery and reintegration). In Chapter One, I track anxieties and preoccupations signaling the cultural concern with war trauma in genres more routinely associated with …

Statelessness And The Social Construction Of Rohingya’S Citizenship Rights In Myanmar, Md Imamul Hossain

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Rohingya’s statelessness is a result of their systematic exclusion from protection mechanisms and citizenship rights. The Burmese government and the majority Buddhist population have marginalized and discriminated against the Rohingya, deeply impacting identity politics among the Rohingya. Due to their lack of a national identity document in Myanmar, the Rohingya are easy targets for discrimination and violence. The fact that they are not considered full citizens has also made it hard for them to receive essential support. My thesis carefully analyzes how dominant narratives, legal instruments, and bureaucratic mechanisms systematically excluded Rohingya from citizenship rights in Myanmar as well …

Ai Fetishism And Perverse Climate Disavowal: Why Denying Destructiveness Facilitates Our Ecological Collapse, Alexander M. Stoner, Alexander M. Stoner, Anthony J. Knowles

Journal Articles

As ecological crises intensify, scholars and activists increasingly question the sustainability of economic growth. Yet, the dominant growth-oriented paradigm remains foundational to advanced capitalist societies and cannot be altered without significant social disruption. The resulting tension between ecological limits and the imperative for continuous growth generates “climate anxiety.” This article advances the concept of perverse climate disavowal: a mode of climate denial that acknowledges climate threats while maintaining faith in the illusion of infinite economic expansion. This disavowal functions as a psychological defense mechanism, enabling individuals and institutions to avoid confronting structural contradictions. The article examines the increasing use of …

Navigating The Digital Frontier: New Perspectives On Cybercrime And Governance, Christopher S. Kayser, Thomas Dearden, Katalin Parti, Sinyong Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

Modus Operandi And Blockchain Analysis Of Romance Scams: Cryptocurrency-Driven Victimization, Amy Lim, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

The Legal Response To The Intrusion Into Digital Identity In Social Media, Maria González-García Vinuela

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Pattern Of Cybercrime Abuse Of Individual Internet Users In Umuahia North Lga, Abia State Of South-Eastern Nigeria, Ogochukwu Favour Nzeakor, Rita Ngozi Okafor, Chibuike Ndubuisi Nwoke

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Although a number of studies exist on cybercrime and its abuses, little is known about the pattern of cybercrime abuses individual Internet users experience in Nigeria, especially the south eastern region. Using data collected via various methods, this study examines the pattern of cybercrime abuses of individual Internet users in Umuahia, Abia State, of South Eastern Nigeria. The result of the analysis of 1,067 samples drawn from 223,134 Internet users in Umuahia North LGA of Abia Sate showed that: while most users are victims of stolen ICT-gadgets (19%), fraud related offences (17%), and hacking (15%); they rarely fall victims of …

A Feminist Evaluation Of The Joint Programme: Assessing The Cultural Sensitivity Of Unicef And Unfpa's Strategies On Female Genital Cutting/Circumcision In Senegal And Nigeria, Coumba Soumare

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Female Genital Cutting/Circumcision (FGC) encompasses procedures involving the partial or total removal of female external genitalia or other genital injuries, performed for non-medical reasons. Typically carried out on young girls, often between infancy and age 15, FGC is widely condemned in global discourse as a harmful and barbaric practice. However, within certain cultures, it is viewed as a rite of passage or a necessary tradition. I argue that to effectively address FGC, organizations must adopt a culturally sensitive approach. This research examines the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) initiatives in Senegal and Nigeria. …

Yes, Those Are My Biological Parents: Growing Up Multiracial In The United States, Angie Navejas

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

“Multiracial individuals are the fastest growing racial population in the United States” (Atkin & Jackson; 2021:305). Literature highlights how parents transmit culture through racial socialization, however there is a missing piece, the perspective of the children. This study sought to expand the existing literature to include children’s perspectives and how it relates to their multiracial identity formation. Recognizing the complexity of conducting research with children, a survey was administered to adults ranging from the ages of 18 to 35 years old. This resulted in a collection of data from their recollection of experiences and interactions with their parents or caregivers …

Exploring The Experiences Of Collegiate Black Female Student-Athletes From A Phenomenological Perspective, Deja L. Jackson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Collegiate Black female student-athletes at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) face a unique experience as they navigate the complex intersections of race, gender, and sports while striving for academic and athletic success. Their encounters with racism, discrimination, and marginalization remain largely underexplored. This research provides findings from a transcendental phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences of these athletes. The goal was to understand how racism, discrimination, and marginalization impact these student-athletes both individually and in context sport. Grounded in social constructivism and informed by Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality Theory, the study involved semi-structured interviews with eight current and former …

Modern Feminist Social Movements In Rural America: A Three- Part Study, Susan Kroger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern feminist social movement can be characterized by several distinctive features. The use of social media, the incorporation of intersectionality, and the injection of policy into modern social movements requires a broad approach to these movements that allows for examination from multiple angles. The proposed project allows for a nuanced and thorough look into an existing social movement in rural America as it unfolds and examines that movement through several lenses. Additionally, the project incorporates current social movement and feminist theory and notes the importance of examining these theoretical perspectives through an applied lens: in order for change to occur, …

Risk And Prognosis Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Mexican Americans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Rikita I Hatia, Lu-Yu Hwang, Ruosha Li, Catherine Troisi, Prasun K Jalal, Christopher I Amos, Henry F Gomez, Yun Shin Chun, Asif Rashid, Ahmed O Kaseb, Paul A Scheet, Manal M Hassan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) disproportionately affects Hispanic persons with higher age-specific incidence and increased mortality rates compared to non-Hispanic Whites. These high rates of incidence and mortality may be explained by the variation in risk factors. Given the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) among the Hispanic population, we aimed to assess the risk and prognosis of HCC in Mexican Americans with type 2 DM with consideration of treatment for DM.

METHODS: A case-control study of 241 Mexican American HCC patients and 500 healthy controls in Texas was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the …

Untargeted Metabolome Atlas For Sleep-Related Phenotypes In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Ying Zhang, Brian W Spitzer, Yu Zhang, Danielle A Wallace, Bing Yu, Qibin Qi, Maria Argos, M Larissa Avilés-Santa, Eric Boerwinkle, Martha L Daviglus, Robert Kaplan, Jianwen Cai, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sleep is essential to maintaining health and wellbeing of individuals, influencing a variety of outcomes from mental health to cardiometabolic disease. This study aims to assess the relationships between various sleep-related phenotypes and blood metabolites.

METHODS: Utilising data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we performed association analyses between 40 sleep-related phenotypes, grouped in several domains (sleep disordered breathing (SDB), sleep duration, sleep timing, self-reported insomnia symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and heart rate during sleep), and 768 metabolites measured via untargeted metabolomics profiling. Network analysis was employed to visualise and interpret the associations between sleep phenotypes …

The Romanticization Of Human-Vampire Relationships: How 'Twilight' And 'The Vampire Diaries' May Prime Young Women To Accept Dating Violence, Natalie M. Bowen

UROP Posters

The first literary vampire can be traced back to 18th century Germany, with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem “Die Braut von Korinth,” but the stereotypical features of a vampire are traditionally accredited to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Modern vampires, such as Edward Cullen and Stefan Salvatore of the Twilight and The Vampire Diaries series respectively, have managed to win the hearts of teenage girls all across America with their sex appeal and charismatic nature. According to Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, individuals learn new behaviors by modeling and imitating the actions of those around them. This comprehensive literature review investigates the connection …

Spanking And Children's Approaches To Learning: Estimates From A Longitudinal Matched-Sample Design, Jeehye Kang, Christina M. Rodriguez

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

One form of corporal punishment commonly used in the United States is spanking. Spanking is a well-known risk factor for adverse child development, although its influence on children's approaches to learning (ATL) has been largely overlooked. Existing research is particularly limited in inadequately considering multiple confounds and selection biases in children's exposure to spanking. This study examined the links between spanking and children's ATL, using a matched-group design to strengthen causal estimates among children aged 5 to 7.5 (N = similar to 12,800) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011. Entropy-balanced matching mitigated selection and confounding biases, …

U.S. Residents' Current Attitudes Towards Immigrants And Immigration: A Study From The Life In Hampton Roads Survey, Daniel K. Pryce

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Immigration is a fiery topic in U.S. society, as it generally brings to a boil native-born citizens’ disparate attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. While immigration has its fierce supporters and opponents alike, the topic provides fodder for politicians who use it to stoke the fear of an impending “immigrant invasion” among citizens. This is why scholars must regularly undertake empirical studies to assess community members’ views about immigrants and immigration in U.S. society. To add to the contemporary immigration debate, I analyze data from a random sample of 610 respondents who reside in the seven cities that make up the …

Évolution Des Troubles Mentaux Liés Au Travail Au Québec Entre 2012 Et 2021, Jaunathan Bilodeau, Martin Lebeau, Marc-Antoine Busque, Alain Marchand

Études primaires

Introduction : Plusieurs pays ont connu une augmentation du nombre de troubles mentaux acceptés au cours des dernières années, mais les variations possibles de cette évolution dans la main-d’œuvre demeurent à explorer.

But de l’étude : Cette étude examine la distribution dans le temps des troubles mentaux acceptés selon la profession, le secteur industriel, le sexe et l’âge au Québec.

Résultats : Les taux d’incidence des troubles mentaux et leur évolution varient selon la profession et le secteur industriel. Alors que le taux est généralement plus élevé dans les professions mixtes et le secteur tertiaire, l’augmentation de ces taux s’observe …

Is The Defendant Mad Or Bad? The Association Between Mental Health, Race And Sex In Sentencing In Federal Courts, Tracy Sohoni, Sylwia Piatkowska, Briana Paige

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Although US courts regularly sentence individuals with mental health problems, to date, there has been little research on whether mental health indicators are related to sentencing decisions. The focal concerns perspective suggests that sentencing decisions reflect perceptions of the blameworthiness of the defendant, concerns about protecting the community, and practical considerations. Potentially, mental health issues could serve as a mitigating factor in sentencing decisions by making defendants seem less culpable for their actions and more deserving of assistance rather than punishment, and/or due to concerns about practical considerations related to higher costs of incarceration or of exacerbating current mental health …

They Never Saw It Coming: Frames Of Intimate Partner Homicide On Crime Science Investigation (Csi), Tracy Sohoni, Julie Snell, Elizabeth Harden

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

While portrayals of intimate partner homicide (IPH) in news media have been extensively studied, research on depictions of IPH in television crime dramas has been largely absent despite the fact that crime-dramas have a wide audience and have been shown to have a significant influence on viewers' social attitudes.

Methods

We conduct a thematic content analysis of portrayals of intimate partner homicide across four seasons of the crime-drama Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) and compare these depictions to research on common warning signs and patterns of IPH.

Results

Similar to research on news media, CSI depicts IPH in ways that …

Young Adult Chronic Disease And Midlife Subjective Well-Being And Mental Health: Does Social Milestone Achievement Mediate The Link?, Hannah M. Lindl

All ETDs from UAB

Nearly one-in-four young adults ages 18-34 have a chronic disease, which has been linked to worse midlife mental health. Prior studies have little-examined the mechanism behind this association. The life course perspective suggests that because chronic disease in young adulthood is an unexpected and “off-time” event it may disrupt the achievement and timing of key social milestones. Inability to achieve or perceived delays in achieving the social markers of adulthood (e.g., completing school, homeownership, marriage) may therefore lead to worse midlife mental health. To address this proposition, I used panel data from the Youth Development Study (YDS and multivariate regression …

Support Needs Of Agrarian Women To Build Household Livelihood Resilience: A Case Study Of The Mekong River Delta, Tran Thi Ngoc Tran

Dissertations

Problem

Rural livelihood faces significant challenges due to the increasing frequency and severity of climate change impacts. However, the development of women’s livelihood resilience remains constrained by gender-blind policies, limited sex-disaggregated data, and a lack of integration of gender-specific needs and priorities in resilience-building interventions. This study aims to address these critical gaps. This study aims at exploring the perceived support needs of rural agrarian women in building household livelihood resilience to climate change. Specifically, it seeks to (1) understand how household livelihood resilience is perceived by rural agrarian women, and (2) identify the support they require to effectively adapt …

Beyond Strong: A Phenomenology Of Women Executives And The Connection Between Leadership And Fitness, Nozomi Bullock

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Senior-level executive leaders’ work in a dynamic, competitive, 24/7 business environment can be physically rigorous, mentally demanding, and emotionally isolating. The same holds true for women pursuing senior-level leadership roles in corporate America. Women who achieve and succeed in such roles remain the minority: Outsiders in elite spaces who are held to higher standards and overly scrutinized. Among senior-level executive women leaders, those committed to a fitness and training regimen including weightlifting constitute an even smaller minority. Senior-level executive roles require stamina, resilience, and courage—qualities that make up the foundation of the mindset of fitness and strength training (Foyster et …

Reconceptualizing Christian Nationalism, Robert Stevenson

Dissertations

This thesis sets out to critically engage with existing research on Christian nationalism. It argues that current research suffers from a methodological focus that is too broad, and theoretical grounding that is too imprecise, both of which prevent researchers from grasping the full scope and intent of Christian nationalism, as imagined by Christian nationalists themselves. Drawing on data collected from X accounts (formerly Twitter) of Christian nationalist users, Christian nationalist podcasts, and Christian nationalist books, it employs qualitative content analysis, mapped to Bourdieusian field theory to provide a structured approach for the understanding complex data involving multiple spheres of power, …