One Pager - “How Scared Are You?” Mapping The Threat Environment Of San Diego’S Elected Officials, Rachel Locke, Carl Luna

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This one pager includes data summary points from survey sent to San Diego County elected officials.

Targeted threats and the perpetration of physical violence against elected officials have been increasing steadily around the world. Democracy cannot function without individuals serving in elected governance. The presence and growth of threats and harassment undermines community cohesion, further undermining our ability to address our collective challenges.

Generative Stresnet For Crime Prediction, Ba Phong Tran, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this work, we combine STResnet (Zhang et al., 2017) with VAE Kingma & Welling (2013) to generate crime distribution. The outputs can be used for downstream tasks such as patrol deployment planning Chase et al. (2021).

Occupational Therapy Fieldwork In An Emerging Justice-Based Setting: Hope For Prisoners, Noah Claypool

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This capstone occurred through a partnership with HOPE for Prisoners in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an emerging area of practice, the occupational therapy profession needs more resources and programs focused on the justice system. The lack of evidence-based resources to support future level I fieldwork students at HOPE for Prisoners poses a barrier for students to maximize their fieldwork experience and effectively engage with the organization’s population of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, women, and young adults in southern Nevada.This capstone experience involved a 14-week immersion at HOPE for Prisoners, including participation in training and workshops and engagement with clients, …

Coercive Sexuality: The Effect Of Early Victimization On One’S Views And Attitudes Toward Sex, Kevin Elias Hoover

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The prevalence of childhood sexual abuse is difficult to assess but research is growing on possible long-term consequences of this victimization. Two areas of concern are potential repeat victimization and changed attitudes toward the coercive nature of sexuality. Children who have their sexual boundaries violated at a young age may be more likely to experience sexual assault later in life (Scoglio et al., 2021). Research continues to confirm that many sexual abusers were in fact abused themselves as children (King et al., 2019). This research seeks to make connections between these experiences of sexual victimization and support for coercive sexual …

Emancipation: Centering Black Parent Voices In The New Orleans Charter School Experiment, Nicole Moliere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored Louisiana legislative charter school policies and the extent to which those policies empowered Black public-school parents in the New Orleans charter school experiment (NOCSE). Parent empowerment, the sharing of power with parents, has been a missing component both in scholarly literature and in charter school policy and implementation (Ferlazzo, 2011; Hsiao et al., 2018, Murray et al., 2013). Using semi structured interviews, the results of this study yielded three themes related to Black parent empowerment (BPE) and the public-school struggles Black parents face in an all-charter district. Based on the research findings, this study revealed that …

Developing The Food Navigator Role At Everyone's Harvest, Chase Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Everyone’s Harvest (EH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates farmers’ markets. In order to reduce hunger in Monterey County, Everyone's Harvest offers several food assistance programs for low-income people including the Market Match (MM) incentive program which matches CalFresh money, modern day food stamps, dollar for dollar. The problem is that in Monterey County 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 3 children are food insecure. The purpose of the Food Navigator (FN) at EH is to engage with the local community and connect low-income people with food assistance resources, primarily the MM program. This project was a role development …

Cultural Lag Does Not Exist: An Exposition And Critical Evaluation Of W.F. Ogburn’S Hypothesis, Heather L. Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite a century of scholarly critique, William Fielding Ogburn’s cultural lag hypothesis (CLH) endures. The inclusion of Ogburn’s hypothesis in introductory sociology textbooks, reference books, and histories of technology lends an unwarranted authority to its scientific credibility. I critically assess Ogburn’s CLH and find that it is neither scientifically nor theoretically sound. Specifically, I discover presumptions of cultural integration and normative progressivism, the fallacy of ambiguity, problems of causal explanation, operationalization, and selective bias, which renders the CLH unmeasurable, unfalsifiable, and non-replicable. Finally, I briefly discuss the implications and make suggestions for future research.

Don't Say Gay: How Laws Are Tools For Hate, Discrimination, And Violence, Christina Hartman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

American society teaches the narrative that the law is preeminently fair and just. The law is not now and never has been a bulwark for the rights of the marginalized, voiceless, or those who remain powerless. Instead, states effectively wield law to alter the social meaning behind thought patterns and behavior—whether through the writing of new laws, passing of new laws, or the disregarding of current laws—to mobilize a large population to accept a group as different or other. Florida’s 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” law is an example of that method aimed at the LGBTQ+ community and part of a …

Alternative Approaches To Police Interventions When Responding To Mental Health Crises Incidents, Karen Rivera Apolinar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This study explored mental health workers perspectives on alternative approaches in responding to mental health crises.

The study was carried out in Southern California, in collaboration with mental health workers who currently work or previously have worked in mental health crisis. It adopted a post-positivists paradigm and data was gathered through individual interviews with mental health workers who have direct experience with mental health crisis response in the community and with the police. The twenty participants in the study were men and women working in the mental health field, and of various backgrounds, licensures, and ages.

The study found …

The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Gang Membership, Johanna Ulloa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Youth gang membership is on the rise and has become a significant problem within communities and has led to serious consequences, such as high degrees of delinquency and homicide. Prior research has proposed that history of exposure to childhood trauma is a significant risk factor. Objective:This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences and gang involvement. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional observational study used to gather quantitative data, using a non-random sampling strategy. Participants for this study included adults (i.e., 18 years or older) within the general population, who were literate in English and …

Services Available In The Mixtec Community And The Barriers To Those Services, Currie Bailey Carmon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: While outreach and services continue to expand within marginalized communities, this research aims to identify services accessible to the Mixtec population within the North County of San Luis Obispo and identify the barriers to accessing those services. Methods: This study was conducted by interviewing service providers 18 years or older, who work within the Mixtec community in the private sector, child welfare services and within the school settings. The researcher utilized the post positivist paradigm, and data was gathered through semi-structured Zoom interviews with the service providers. Results: The study sample featured 6 participants who work within the Mixtec …

Awe And Relationship Quality, Gloria Junyan Lai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The experience of awe has been studied as having self-transcending outcomes that produce a decrease in importance of the individual’s interests and an increase in the interests of others. This shift in self-concept is said to be a sense of self-diminishment vis-à-vis perceived vast stimuli. When applied to a romantic relationship context, it is possible that a shift of attention away from self-serving motives, towards relationship-enhancing motives, may promote positive relationship outcomes. As such, the current study examined how experimentally induced awe may influence relationship commitment and forgiveness via an expected increase in self-diminishment. 607 participants were randomly assigned to …

Perceived Negative Political Climate Among Hispanic/Latino Adolescents Before And After The 2020 Us Presidential Election: Associations With Internalizing Symptoms And Substance Use, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Saskia R Vos, Jennifer B Unger, Ingrid Zeledon, Ryan Lee, Daniel W Soto, Eric C Brown, Maria Duque, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Carolina Scaramutti, Beyhan Ertanir, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The political climate often changes following the installment of a new president. This volatility presents opportunities for examining how elections might affect vulnerable subgroups such as Hispanic/Latino (HL) adolescents. The present study explored the perception of negative political climate among HL adolescents before and after the 2020 U.S. presidential election and its association with internalizing symptoms and substance use. We conducted the study in Los Angeles and Miami between 2020-2021, with a sample of 304 HL adolescents (Females = 60.8%), aged 15.3 years on average. Participants completed measures of negative political climate (pre- post-election) and measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety, …

Organized Crime: A Test Of Durkhein's Theory Of Punishment And Society, Mary M.G. Rader

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Emile Durkheim is known as one of the founders of sociology. For Durkheim, crime and punishment were integral features of organized social life. Among his many ideas regarding law, he hypothesized that as societies develop from less to more 'advanced,' there would be a shift from mechanical to organic solidarity. Durkheim believed this social transformation could be measured by a society's form of law, with predominantly penal law among simple societies and complex societies evolving into a more civil and restorative form of law. In contradiction to Durkheim's assertation, I will argue that societies can evolve to be highly advanced …

Ethnicity, Nationalism, And Football: Exploring The Construction Of Ethnic Identities And Their Manifestations For Athletic Club Bilbao And Celtic Football Club, Kelly Wetherton

Honors Theses

This thesis centers on the construction of ethnic identities for fans of Athletic Club and Celtic F.C. and the two clubs’ roles in evincing nationalism. Utilizing survey data from an online, anonymous survey posted to fan forums, the research aimed to determine which of the three leading theories of ethnicity—primordialism, instrumentalism, or social constructivism—was most applicable to the formation of identities for Basque Athletic Club fans and Irish Celtic fans. The results demonstrated that the theory of social constructivism most closely aligns with the case of Basque Athletic Club fans while the identities of Irish Celtic fans can best be …

Determinant Factors In Abortion Support Preceding Dobbs: Has Scotus Left Popular Opinion Behind?, Caden Hall

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The present research analyzed the Wave 52 dataset of the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel to understand public opinions regarding abortion legality and the overturning of Roe v. Wade before the landmark case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Clinic. Previous literature has suggested a dissonance between the decisions of the Supreme Court in constitutional interpretation with respect to reproductive rights and the disposition of most Americans towards the subject. However, due to the recency of the Dobbs decision, the large gap in research is still developing. Regression models were run on key variables in tandem with two dependent …

The Role Of Multiracial Identity On Chronic Health Conditions In The U. S.: Evidence From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, Anna Ruth Jinlong Wahls

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Racial identity as it informs health disparities has largely been examined using monoracial groups and a binary framework. This study, informed by critical race theory and stress process theory, investigates the relationship between multiracial identity and health. Data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, a national telephone survey that collects health data on adult aged respondents, will be analyzed using a set of regression techniques. Specifically, the number of chronic health conditions reported by those identifying with more than one race will be compared to the number of conditions reported by monoracial individuals.

Lgbtqia+ People And Religious Trauma, Cira Abiseid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual people (LGBTQIA+) experience religious trauma caused by the harmful messaging often aimed at sexual and gender minorities. Identity dissonance can be created when LGBTQIA+ people find their religious and sexual or gender minority identities at odds with each other. A review of existing literature revealed themes of identity erasure, internalized homophobia, and resilience, but there was limited research involving this population. This qualitative study centers the voices of those who have experienced religious trauma based on their identities and works to understand their healing journeys. Fifteen LGBTQIA+ individuals participated …

Supervision In The Digital Age: Online Sexual Solicitation Of Children And Youth, Kaitlyn Taylor Swanberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the creation of the internet, offenders have been using cyberspace as a means to solicit children and adolescents for sexual content. With children having unrestricted access to the internet at an earlier age than ever before, it is crucial for academics to better understand the digital world in order to protect children online. This study aims to understand the relationship between internet activities, age, and online sexual solicitation largely using an environmental criminology framework, utilizing the Routine Activities Theory by Cohen and Felson (1979) and Target Congruence Theory by Finkelhor and Asdigian (1996). The sample of this study consisted …

Finish This Over Drinks? A Study Of Sexual Harassment Perceptions, Hannah E. Barti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The awareness of sexual harassment has been growing within the workplace, in the home, and within public areas. The #MeToo movement has shined light on this issue in recent years. This study aimed to understand how college students perceive sexual harassment within three scenarios: a music student and their teacher, two coworkers, and between an academic advisor and an adult student. This study included 531 responses from a diverse student population at a Southwest university. Consistent with previous findings, women were more likely to recognize sexually harassing behaviors. There were no significant gender differences in blame attribution in any of …

Unlawful, Unjust, And Unchanged; A Thesis Of Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Criminal Sentencing, Jessica Cochrane

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Black people and people of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately incarcerated in the United States of America. For a country that prides itself on being a “melting pot” of people and cultures, this is an extremely impactful issue. One of the byproducts of the disproportionate incarceration that occurs is that Black people and/or people of low socioeconomic status are also given longer sentences than their White and upper-class counterparts. This is a problem because those who have certain traits that they cannot change or would have a hard time changing are being negatively affected by implicit bias held by others …

Unemployment And Opioid-Related Mortality Rates In U.S. Counties: Investigating Social Capital And Social Isolation–Smoking Pathways, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We examine two mechanisms—social capital and sociobehavior—potentially linking unemployment rates to opioid-related mortality and investigate whether the mechanisms differ geographically by the pace of the opioid crisis. Applying path analysis techniques to 2015–2017 opioid-related mortality in U.S. counties (N = 2,648), we find that (1) high unemployment rates are not directly associated with opioid-related mortality rates; (2) high unemployment rates are negatively associated with social capital, and low social capital contributes to high opioid-related mortality; (3) high unemployment rates increase social isolation and the prevalence of smoking, which is positively related to opioid-related mortality; and (4) the pathways are stronger …

The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Career Planning, Spencer A. Rowan

Honors Theses

Social media use is prevalent and necessary in society—nearly anything can be accomplished with a mobile device or smartphone. Among the US population, two thirds of American adults admit to using social media (Perrin, 2015) and in 2022, Georgiev (2023) found Americans spent an average of two and a half hours daily on social media. Furthermore, social media use is tied to mental well-being, work confidence levels, and feelings of being an imposter (Johnson et al., 2020; Uram & Skalski, 2022; Hernandez & Chalk, 2021; Myers, 2021; Ramm, 2019).

This project examined the role of social media use among college …

Inner Portraits, Bethany Salisbury

Graduate Theses

This paper investigates the many interconnected layers of women’s mental health through portraiture and how animal and plant symbolism can represent the way women's hormones and bodily health affect their mental health. I reveal how the artwork created presents these connections and inner mental health narratives to the viewer, creating a space of empathy, destigmatization, and self-reflection. This body of portraiture art connects five women through a series of both two-and three-dimensional portraits based on interviews using my own adaptation of Sara Lawrence-Lightfoots’ (1983) portrait methodology.

Women and non-binary individuals have always dealt with difficult interactions of bodily and mental …

Attention To Attendance At Marina Vista, Jaylord Gapol

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Marina Vista Arts Elementary school has a high rate of absenteeism among students, which is negatively affecting their education. Problems associated with chronic absenteeism include illness, communication issues between schools and parents, and socioeconomic status. Consequences of chronic absenteeism include being at an academic disadvantage, increased risk of not graduating, and potential involvement with the criminal justice system. The capstone project created an educational flier that standardized the expectations for student attendance and highlights the negative consequences of chronic absenteeism. A database of 50 students were selected for the project with their attendance inputted into a database for tracking. Results …

Police And Their Relationship With The Public, Kevin Hebri

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research essay aims to understand some of the social themes relevant to issues present between the public and the police institutions of the United States. Existing literature about this topic has noted the decentralized nature of law enforcement in the United States and the differences in policies and procedures used by different police departments and agencies. The existing literature has also cited the importance of police officer discretion and the situational factors that contribute to their decision-making. Occupational stress, and characteristics of a civilian involved in a police interaction, influence the decision-making process for police officers. This research is …

Hispanic Human Capital And Financial Aid Application In The West Census Region, Benjamin Lundy-Paine

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As of 2021, very few Hispanic residents in the United States held a college degree in comparison to non-Hispanic residents. Research has shown that, particularly for Hispanic students, financial aid increases college persistence. Hispanic Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submission rates rank among the lowest, preventing many Hispanic students from receiving financial assistance. This issue is most prevalent West Census Region (WCR), where there is the highest concentration of Hispanic residents. To understand what barriers may be preventing Hispanic submission in the WCR this Capstone used logistic regression models to analyze student-level data from the National Center for …

A Cultural Analysis Of Ethnic Identity, Socialization, And Familism From The Perspective Of Latino Csumb Students, Angelica Gutierrez Del Toro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone aims to study the gender differences within Latino communities from the perspective of California State University, Monterey Bay students and whether these gender differences affect their ethnic identity/pride. This research intends on exploring two questions 1) Are there gender differences among college-going students and the way they are socialized to understand their ethnic identity? 2) If so, Are the respondents' ethnic identity index score and Familism index scores influenced based on their gender? These research questions will be tested by a convenience sample survey by two replicated survey scales. The first replicated study involved surveying 127 Latino adults …

"They Can Murder Us Today And It Wouldn’T Be A Novelty” U.S. Expulsion Policies And The Violent Structure Of The U.S. Enforcement Matrix, Cinthia Romo Alba

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the United States implemented two migrant expulsion policies: The Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a policy which forces migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to remain in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings, and Title 42, a policy that expelled migrants back to Mexico under the guise that it was a preventative measure for spreading COVID-19. I ask: What are the experiences of asylum seekers subjected to expulsion policies, and what do their experiences tell us about the structure of the U.S. Border Enforcement System? Relying on six months of ethnographic fieldwork at the Matamoros camp …

Maternal Health In The Context Of Social, Political, And Economic Change Among Hadzabe Foragers Of Tanzania, Kristen Herlosky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many low and middle-income countries have implemented new national policy measures aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality due to globalized efforts to improve women’s maternal health. One of the main goals is to move childbirth into hospital facilities and improve health access and education outreach. For Indigenous communities around the world, these measures have fallen short of their goals. Indigenous women suffer from greater social, political, and economic disparities and inequalities, have poorer health indicators overall, and worse maternal health outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. For small-scale communities, we have limited data on reproductive health among women, specifically …