Sociology Commons^™

Overview And Acknowledgments, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

An overview and introduction to the present issue on Inter-Spiritual Dialogue.

Nh Ece Research Consortium One-Pager, Jess Carson, Evan England

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care and Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium is a network of researchers and research users committed to strengthening the state's ECE landscape through the use of data. This one-pager briefly describes what the Consortium does, who is involved, and how to learn more.

Nh Ece Research Consortium 2026 Activity Timeline, Jess Carson, Evan England

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care and Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium is a network of researchers and research users committed to strengthening the state's ECE landscape through data. Discover what Consortium staff have accomplished so far this year in the 2026 Activity Timeline.

Data-Driven Characterization Of Counties In The Prison Industrial Complex Using Clustering Analysis, Riley N. Tuccio

Capstone Projects

This project investigates the complex relationship between counties that house prisons in the United States and the rurality associated with them. The central research question explores how both county characteristics, such as variables corresponding to cost of living and demographics of a county, and prison characteristics, such as programming available to inmates and staffing levels, differ across the census-designated rural-urban distinctions. Furthermore, the study examines whether modern data science methods can more accurately define and distinguish these characteristics, providing a nuanced understanding of the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) and its manifestation across various American communities. The motivation for this research …

Using Needs Assessments To Hear The Voices Of Extension Non-Clients, Odunayo O. Omotilewa, Omolola A. Adedokun

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Using data from the University of Kentucky (UK) Extension statewide community needs assessment, this study uncovers the Extension education needs of Kentuckians who are not familiar with the Extension program. Typically, the Extension program development and evaluation model begins with a needs assessment to identify and prioritize community needs, issues, and/or opportunities that can be addressed through targeted educational programming/outreach. As such, needs assessments amplify and empower the voices of community members, especially those who may not be familiar with Extension, and uncover their self-reported need for practical education and assistance. This study investigates differences in Extension education needs between …

Affirming Farmer Assets And Visions: Results From A Pilot Appreciative-Inquiry-Based Asset-Mapping Workshop, Andrew R. Smolski, Elisabeth Ramsey, Cathy Royal, Michael Schulman

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Cooperative Extension Services and non-profit farm advocacy organizations assist farmers through network development and resource referrals to access information and services needed to operate resilient farms. One method for building networks and assessing existing resources is through participatory asset-mapping tools to document community strengths. In this research brief, we describe the results of a pilot study to test, evaluate, and refine an asset-mapping tool based on Appreciative Inquiry principles. Our goal in the pilot project was to assist the assembled farmers in identifying objectives for a sustainable future and understanding the existing set of resources that would empower them toward …

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard M. Knerr, Athan M. Gregory, Anne Cafer

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

In the Mississippi (MS) Delta, more than 40% of residents are food-insecure despite predominantly agricultural land use. We hypothesized that limited social networks and non-navigable food market systems constrain MS producers, limit market viability, and hinder regional food sovereignty. This ethnography compared rural Italian and Mississippian food systems through semi-structured interviews of food producers, processors, and marketers. We described differences in social networks between groups that led to differential capacities to share capital and to overcome producer and labor constraints. We also described key differences in governmental and Extension support of local food systems. Finally, we provided suggestions for addressing …

Financial Wisdom Across Political Identities: Exploring Insights From A Convenience Sample Of Participants During The Global Pandemic, Miguel Quiñones, Virginia Zuiker, Yiting Li, Hanna Yu

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global economic crisis that magnified financial hardships and revealed how political affiliation shapes financial behavior. This study examined how U.S. residents with differing political orientations navigated financial uncertainty, drawing on open-ended survey responses collected in fall 2020. Results show both commonalities and nuanced differences across political lines. Across groups, participants emphasized saving for emergencies, living within their means, seeking financial support, and building skills to increase income—underscoring the universality of core financial principles during crises. However, distinctions also emerged: Republican participants more frequently emphasized self-sufficiency, often seeking additional jobs or withdrawing from retirement funds; Independents …

A Holistic Christian Perspective On Wellness For College Students - A Qualitative Analysis, Shari L. Jurgens, Deb Majewski, Jessica Clevering

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Aim: This study sought to explore the impact of a Christ-centered, holistic wellness course on college-aged students’ understanding of key wellness principles. The goal was to gain insight into how students comprehend and apply these principles considering their spiritual and personal development.

Background: Wellness education for undergraduate students is both timely and essential, especially within Christian higher education, where nurturing the whole person is a core value. A common misconception is that wellness pertains only to physical and mental health. However, Scripture affirms that human flourishing involves a harmony of body, mind, and spirit. A holistic, biblically informed approach to …

The Virtue Of Hope In Sports Through Spe Salvi And Its Role In Faith, Resilience, And Character Formation In Student-Athletes, Hansson G. Labisig, Arvin D. Eballo

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Pope Benedict XVI, in Spe Salvi, presents hope as a transformative and redemptive virtue that enables believers to live and suffer differently, rooted in faith in God. He writes, “The one who has hope lives differently.” This study develops a theological-pastoral framework for integrating the virtue of hope into the faith formation of student-athletes within Catholic educational institutions, positioning sport as a genuine locus theologicus for Religious Education and evangelization. Employing the See–Judge–Act methodology, it draws from Spe Salvi, Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, and the Vatican document Giving the Best of Yourself, in dialogue with C. R. Snyder’s psychological theory …

If You Want To Fly, Nandi Gayles '29

Black Studies Student Scholarship

My research explores the intersections of Sociology and Literature rooted in the unique gendered perspective of Blackness in the novels The Bluest Eye and Beloved by Toni Morrison. Morrison’s works are rooted in the authenticity of Blackness and being. She inherently studies human behavior and social interaction to communicate narratives that have often gone untold––those that center the Black experience. Morrison’s work is revolutionary as she intentionally wrote to disregard the white gaze. Her work is literature rooted in a sociological landscape that contributes to personal and social liberation of Black people. Using auto-theory as my methodology, this project places …

If You Want To Fly, Nandi Gayles '29

Sociology & Anthropology Student Scholarship

My research explores the intersections of Sociology and Literature rooted in the unique gendered perspective of Blackness in the novels The Bluest Eye and Beloved by Toni Morrison. Morrison’s works are rooted in the authenticity of Blackness and being. She inherently studies human behavior and social interaction to communicate narratives that have often gone untold––those that center the Black experience. Morrison’s work is revolutionary as she intentionally wrote to disregard the white gaze. Her work is literature rooted in a sociological landscape that contributes to personal and social liberation of Black people. Using auto-theory as my methodology, this project places …

South Dakota County Population Trends : Population Estimates And Components Of Change, April 1, 2020 - July 1, 2025, Weiwei Zhang

Center for Rural Vitality and Community Well-being Project Reports

DOI: 10.62812//GRRV1852

Interactive map:  https://arcg.is/1jeTb83

This report is in relation to this interactive map that shows how population change varied across South Dakota’s 66 counties between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2025. It distinguishes overall population gain or loss and the demographic components behind those changes: natural change—births minus deaths—and net migration—people moving into a county minus those moving out.

Overview: 
South Dakota’s population increased from an April 1, 2020 estimates base of 886,656 to 935,094 on July 1, 2025, a gain of 48,438 residents, or 5.5%. This base-to-2025 growth rate ranked 13th among the 50 states. Measured instead …

Tales Of The Empathic Support Provider: How Emerging Adult Women Make Sense Of Providing Empathic Support To Female Friends, Emma R. Eslinger

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current study explored the stories and reflections of 33 emerging adult women who made sense of their empathic support provider (ESP) identity in the context of female friendships. From the standpoint of the retrospective storytelling heuristic, within communicated narrative sense-making theory, participants told stories about their ESP identity, including how they provide support to others and reflect on the benefits of drawbacks of serving in this role (CNSM, Koenig Kellas, 2022). Under Proposition 1 of CNSM theory, meanings, values, and beliefs (MVBs) that ESP women expressed in this role were depicted as key takeaways gathered. Findings illuminated how ESP …

Impacts Of Climate Hazards On Employment And Earnings By Hazard Type, Industry, Race, And Ethnicity, Dania V. Francis, Keren M. Horn

Sustainable Solutions Lab

We examine the relationship between climate-related disasters and subsequent county-level aggregate employment and earnings. We combine earnings and employment data from 2000 to 2023 with data on disasters to estimate local projection impulse response functions relating extreme disaster events to cumulative percent changes in employment and earnings. On average, disasters appear to reduce employment growth three to five years post disaster. There are small positive impacts on earnings. These results are largely driven by responses to hurricanes and tropical storms. Key rebuilding industries such as construction see short-term gains in employment that turn to losses in the longer-term that are …

Gender Differences In The Prevalence Of Anxiety And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Associated Factors Among Adults In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Basil Masinza, Amina Abubakar, Joy Mukubuyi, Patrick Mwangala

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Sex and gender equity in research has a growing focus, but there are gaps in fully integrating it in mental health research, limiting adoption of sex and gender-sensitive interventions. This review adopted a gendered perspective to synthesize prevalence and associated factors contributing to differences in anxiety and PTSD in SSA.

Methodology: Electronic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science databases. Empirical studies conducted in SSA, targeting adults >18 years and having gender-disaggregated anxiety and PTSD prevalence and factors were included. Meta-analysis of proportions stratified by sex was done, and narrative synthesis of the …

When Neighborhoods Change, So Do Schools: Gentrification’S Influence On Public Education, Diego Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Neighborhood change is a common feature in urban life; however, gentrification is a distinct form of urban transformation characterized by rising property values, reinvestment, and shifts in neighborhood socioeconomic makeup. This literature review investigates the mechanisms through which gentrification reshapes public education and argues that gentrification has a direct impact on public schools, as these institutions reflect the socioeconomic communities around them. As neighborhoods gentrify and class demographics shift, education systems struggle to meet the demands of changing student populations, leading to unequal educational experiences. Specifically, this literature review demonstrates how gentrification reshapes public education through changes in school enrollment, …

Investigating And Re-Imagining Contemporary Religious Leadership, Amy Lawton, Feyza Akova

Sociology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Sociologists, anthropologists, cognitive scientists, and others have shown that religion is a feature of life in every known human society (Bellah 2011). While the cultural contexts, organizing principles, and values of each religion differ greatly – so much so that “religion” is a problematic universal category (Asad 1993) – many religions do share certain characteristics. One of those characteristics – shared among most social groups regardless of their purpose – is leadership, variously defined. Spiritual and religious groups, gatherings, and collectives have specific individuals that they turn to for wisdom, spiritual or moral guidance, fostering community, and/or ritual facilitation. We …

Advocacy For Inclusive Play In South Dallas: Expanding Access For Children In Underserved Areas, Aryanna Fellows, Mary Jan Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to advocate for more inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children of all abilities in underserved communities in South Dallas. Guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) Model, the project evaluated playground accessibility and identified environmental barriers that limit participation for children with disabilities. Methods included a community needs assessment, playground observations using a standardized accessibility assessment tool, surveys, and stakeholder collaboration. Participants included community members, caregivers, organizational stakeholders, and children who utilize local playgrounds. Findings were synthesized to develop evidence-based recommendations and educational resources to support future playground improvements. The expected outcomes included increased awareness of inclusive playground …

Nh Ece Research Consortium Community Stakeholder Map, Jess Carson, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Elizabeth Belsito

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

New Hampshire's early care and education (ECE) ecosystem is complex and includes a broad, dynamic community of people and organizations who contribute to and rely upon ECE research. This visual stakeholder "map" documents the community-based organizations that support NH ECE. These maps rely on contributions, updates, and refinements from the field and are meant to be a shared resource reflecting the complexity of partnerships in NH's ECE ecosystem.

Factors/Conditions For Nh Home-Based Providers Operations Survey Recruitment Flyer (Spanish), Child Trends

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

July 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Jess Carson, Evan England, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The July 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter includes a link to the newly released statewide ECE research agenda. Also find the latest research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.

Factors/Conditions For Nh Home-Based Providers Operations Survey Recruitment Flyer (English), Child Trends

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

New Hampshire Families' Ece Needs And Preferences Project Summary, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Cultural Effectiveness In Early Care And Education Systems In New Hampshire Project Summary, Evan England

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Education Of Blacks In The South: A Redux And Revival, John A. Williams Iii, Aminah Crawford, Micayla Gooden, Virginia Redwine Johnson, Stephania Jackson, Salandra Grice-Johnson

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

James Anderson’s seminal text, Education of Blacks in the South,1 is a canonical work that uniquely articulated the educational environment of African Americans immediately, during, and after Reconstruction in the southern United States. Anderson evaluated the intellectual challenges that Black people faced in securing their human right to quality education, as well as the educational fortifications implemented by formerly enslaved Black individuals that laid the groundwork for the U.S. public education system we see today. In homage to this text, this study aims to examine the educational outcomes of Black students in K-12 classrooms using secondary data from the Office …

Enhancing Black Student Outcomes Through Ai And Micro-Credentials At Hbcus, Gloria George, Cheyrl Ensley, Max Ferguson, Adrienne Webber, Kala Burrell-Craft

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

This article employs a conceptual framework illustrated through institutional data from Grambling State University to examine how digital badges, micro-credentials, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools can enhance achievement, engagement, confidence, and persistence for Black students at a rural HBCU. As institutions increasingly adopt alternative credentialing frameworks, limited research explores how these innovations function within rural contexts or how they address longstanding disparities experienced by Black learners. Grounded in culturally responsive and equity-oriented frameworks, this study proposes a model for understanding how micro-credentials and AI-enabled learning environments can operate as mechanisms of empowerment, skill validation, and institutional transformation. The article advances …

An American Literature Classroom In The Twenty-First Century: Critical Race Theory, Deijb, Feminist Theory, And Universal Design For Learning, Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Amelia Wagers, Wendy Cartwright, Hope Zimmerman

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

By engaging in close reading and exploring the cultural purchase of literature in the undergraduate classroom, the authors consider the ethical implications in working with the novella Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen, the novel God Help the Child (2015) by Toni Morrison, and the poetry collection Urban Tumbleweed: Notes from a Tanka Diary (2013) by Harryette Mullen for twenty-first-century readers. The approach the authors take to relevant novels and poetry in American literature is informed by critical race theory (identity politics and intersectionality); the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB); feminist theory; and Universal Design for Learning …

A New Southern Strategy: Building A Policy Agenda To Improve Southern Education, Makiah Lyons, Terrence Wilson, Morgan Craven

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

Black students across the U.S. South are learning within school systems shaped by restrictive state laws and policies, diminished federal civil rights enforcement, and ongoing political hostility toward schools that support deep learning and sustain their identities. To move toward a brighter educational future for Black students, young people, families, teachers, advocates, and school leaders must be policy influencers from classrooms to Capitol buildings. This requires a collective understanding of a policy vision and a constant negotiation of the tension between justice and jubilee: how to influence meaningful change in hostile policy spaces now, while articulating a clear, bold vision …

Bridging The Skills Gap With Micro-Credentials To Strengthen Hbcu Graduate Competitiveness, Kiesha C. Pierre, Samuel Ivy

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

Historically, segregation and systemic inequities restricted African Americans’ access to higher education, prompting the establishment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Currently, the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with employer concerns about graduates’ workforce readiness, underscores the need for strategies to enhance graduate competitiveness. Micro-credentials have emerged as a promising approach amid the increasing popularity of non-degree credentials since the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 100 HBCUs, only 19 offer non-degree credentials, predominantly in the South. This study analyzes the use of micro-credentials across HBCUs and presents examples illustrating diverse methods of integrating competency-based micro-credentials into academic …