Sociology Commons^™

Ginanaandawi'idizomin: Anishinaabe Intergenerational Healing Models Of Resistance, Zoe V. Allen

American Studies Honors Projects

Since the early 2000s, the opioid epidemic has had a devastating sweep across Indian Country. The White Earth nation declared the epidemic as a public health emergency back in 2011. Since then White Earth has developed community-based harm reduction and culturally grounded models of intervention for substance use disorder that continue to influence Native Nations across the U.S. This project centers on Anishinaabe approaches to the ongoing opioid public health crisis but also elaborates on Anishinaabe forms of healing and resistance. My primary method was conducting oral histories with White Earth community youth workers and advocates. My research project asks: …

Infectious Intimacy: Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm)'S Narratives Of Risk Analysis During Covid-19, Seth Knievel

Theses - ALL

This thesis contemplates how men who have sex with men (MSM) have navigated risks associated with having casual sex during COVID-19 by using skills learned from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I rely on a series of qualitative interviews I conducted with self-reported MSM, as well as qualitative, archival materials from throughout the HIV/AIDS crisis, to better understand how some MSM have performed risk evaluation and management throughout a(nother) pandemic. In my first chapter, I pull from Diana Taylor's theories on the archive, the repertoire, and scenario to argue that some MSM have revived and revised skills used to protect themselves from …

Latest Research In Africa

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

See the latest research in Africa relating to social impact.

The Associations Between Closeness To Residential Mother And Father During Adolescence And Young Adult Depressive Symptoms And The Corresponding Moderation Of Biological Sex, Mckenna Quinn Farley

Theses - ALL

Past research has suggested that adolescent parent-child relationships may have an impact on adolescent and young adult mental health. However, there are gaps in the previous research regarding relationships between these areas. The goal of the present study is to examine the relationship between an individual's closeness to their residential mother and father in adolescence and their depressive symptoms in young adulthood. The study also looks at how the biological sex of the individual moderates this relationship, and further examines if parental closeness has any significant role in the relationship on young adult depression above the effect of adolescent depression. …

Receiving A Queen: A Queer And Trans Feminist Classical Reception Rhetorical Historiography Of Elagabalus, Thomas William Passwater

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation studies representations of Elagabalus, the sovereign of Rome who ruled between 218–222ce, after her assassination to examine how depictions and historical accounts of Elagabalus's life make rhetorical decisions about Elagabalus's identity and being that can foreground the composer's relationship to history and the function of history as a rhetorical force. Thus, this project, through studying Elagabalus's composers, raises questions about the nature of figure studies and history. The project draws on trans, queer, and feminist theories and rhetorics which help highlight the contingent and conflicting nature of Elagabalus's identities across representations without settling them into a singular narrative …

Coparenting Quality In Separated American Parents Of Children Ages 1½ To 5: Anxiety, Social Support, Self-Efficacy, And The Associations With Coparenting And Child Outcomes, Greg Kovacs

Dissertations - ALL

The purpose of this research was to examine the mechanisms determining coparenting processes in parents following divorce or separation and the implications for the emotional and behavioral outcomes for their young children. The complex associations between parental anxiety, parental self-efficacy, social support, coparent relationship quality, and child problem behaviors were examined. Participants were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk and completed a survey regarding their coparenting dynamics. The sample consisted of 322 residents of the United States who had a child between 18 months and 5 years of age and who were no longer living with the child's other parent. Results …

Full Issue - Africa

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

What is the latest research in Africa related to nonprofits and social impact? Read about the latest research and statistics in Africa along with trusted nonprofits working in Africa.

Quality Nonprofits In Africa

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Read about a few nonprofits working in Africa.

The Relationship Between Urban Heat Islands And Redline Districts, Emily Cornwell

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

As climate change worsens and the world attempts to find solutions to global changes, it is important to identify how climate change will affect individual communities. Climate resilience tactics aim to protect vulnerable populations against environmental harms, such as excess heat. Historically, communities of color face forms of environmental racism. One example of structural racism includes the loans given out by the Home Owners Loan Corporation during the 1940s which “redlined” certain communities of color by refusing to give these neighborhoods loans and rated these areas undesirable for loaners. Urban heat islands occur in residential, densely populated areas with lots …

Popular Culture Representations Of Bdsm And Subsequent Implications For Kinky People Of Color, Katelyn Lloyd

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

In this study, the researcher uses a content analysis of popular film and television from the last 30 years depicting acts of bondage, discipline, dominance/submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM), both those committed by white people and by people of color, in an attempt to determine whether this representation is inherently positive or negative. Participation in bondage, discipline, dominance/submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM) is easily considered taboo (Jones 2020), and it is even more so when people of color (POC) are playing with white practitioners (Cruz 2015). Film representations of minority groups can impact how the general public views these groups upon viewing …

Impacts Of Biased Scientific Covid-19 News Reporting On Mortality Salience, Jena Wilkinson

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

COVID-19 has made people aware of their own death, referred to as mortality salience. Mortality salience affects behavior. Public health uses reporting to inform the population, and many news reports reference the pandemic’s death toll. The current study investigated the difference in mortality salience between news supporting CDC-recommended guidelines and news not in compliance with CDC guidelines. It was hypothesized that CDC compliant news would induce higher rates of death anxiety. Additionally, non-CDC compliant news would influence lower perceived control of COVID-19. This was a mixed factorial design of 133 students at a small liberal arts university. Survey responses were …

Unified Philosophy For Music Therapy: Solving The Identity Crisis Through Interdisciplinary Analysis, Janice Lindstrom

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the feasibility of a unifying philosophy for music therapy and to offer an identity for the music therapy profession that is appropriate for the various ways in which music therapy is practiced throughout the world. A systematic review of published music therapy approaches informed this investigation. The central research questions for this dissertation were: (a) Is it possible to articulate a unifying philosophy of music therapy that is inclusive of the diverse ways music therapy is currently practiced; and if so, (b) What might be that resultant integrated philosophy of music therapy? …

Promoting Women Police Officers: Does Exam Format Matter?, Jessica Huff, Natalie Todak

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite decades of calls to diversify policing, women continue to be underrepresented in the field, and this problem compounds when looking up the ranks. One explanation is that police organizations are “gendered” in that their structures, processes, and cultures support men’s career advancement over women’s. To investigate this possibility, we analyzed survey results from 685 women police officers to examine whether career advancement is influenced by the composition of an agency’s promotional process. Most agencies used a combination of testing components, with written exams being the most common, but also a heavy reliance on interviews, assessment centers, and career portfolios. …

Adventure Science As Transformative Outdoor Education: An Exploration Of Learning, Laura Parson, Simon Donato, Jessie Johns

The Qualitative Report

In 2017, the Trump administration announced plans to reduce the size of the Bear's Ears National Monument (BENM) in Utah, greatly reducing the monument designated by the Obama administration and reducing protections on land viewed as sacred by multiple indigenous communities in the United States (Creadon & Bergren, 2019). In response to this Executive Order, a team of scientists and endurance athlete participants visited portions of the former BENM in May of 2019 to identify and map areas of cultural interest to help build a case for why and where the BENM’s original boundaries should be preserved. Through the lens …

Student And Faculty Diversity: University Of Nevada, Las Vegas (Unlv) And University Of Nevada, Reno (Unr), 2012-2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet highlights data on the racial and ethnic diversity of students, tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, and non-tenured/tenure-track faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Data are presented for each year from 2012 to 2020. The UNLV Office of Decision Support and representatives at UNR assisted in the compilation of this data.

Where The Rainbow Ends: The Hidden Humanitarian Crisis For Members Of The Lgbtqia+ Community In International Business, John R. Krendel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Before pursuing an international career, members of the LGBTQIA+ community must be aware of the hardship that may be exacerbated by living and working abroad. This study addresses the trends in laws, including employment and anti-discrimination laws, that provide and restrict certain rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community in eight countries. These nations, both progressive and discriminatory, include the United States, England, Switzerland, Germany, Taiwan, China, the Philippines and Kazakhstan. Eight LGBTQIA+ business professionals spoke on their experiences living and working in each of these countries and provided advice to members of the community wishing to pursue an international …

How Do Co-Curricular Mentorship Programs Meet The Social-Emotional Needs Of Immigrant And Refugee Youth? A Case Study From Harrisonburg, Virginia, Katherine M. Clayton

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Immigrant and refugee youth are at greater risk of encountering the following stressors: trauma, acculturation, resettlement, and isolation. If neglected, these stressors can prove detrimental to one’s social-emotional wellbeing. Although a newcomer’s successful adaptation is often measured in terms of their academic success, social-emotional wellbeing and academic achievement are intertwined. Thus, a focus on social-emotional wellness for newcomer students benefits both the students and the school systems. Co-curricular mentorship programs can be utilized by schools to meet the social-emotional needs of their newcomer students. The Peer Leaders Program (PLP) of Harrisonburg, Virginia offers one such approach. Based on trauma-informed peer …

The Achilles Heel Of Police Body-Worn Cameras: Understanding The Factors That Influence Variation In Body-Worn Camera Activation, Charles M. Katz, Jessica Huff

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

While body-worn cameras (BWCs) are increasingly becoming commonplace in police organizations, researchers and policymakers still know little about their implementation in the field and the factors related to their actual use. Using data collected from 146,601 incidents in Phoenix, Arizona, the present study examines the prevalence and correlates of BWC activation. In doing so, we examine the impact of incident-level factors, officer characteristics, neighborhood context, and changes in BWC activation policy on whether an officer who is assigned to wear a BWC activates their camera during a police-citizen contact. Cross-classified models are used to simultaneously assess the influence of factors …

America: The World’S Police—How The Defund The Police Movement Frames An Analysis For Defunding The Military, Anya Kreider

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

In this article, the author examines the tenets of the Defund the Police movement and applies them to the American military to make the argument that not only should the police be defunded, but so should the American military. The purpose of this piece is to push the conversation regarding policing beyond American borders to examine American influence internationally. The article incorporates various Critical Race Theories to explore the intersection of policing and the military. The Defund the Police Movement also provides a framework for critiquing the American military because the American police and military are inextricably connected. Part I …

Body Image And Relationship Satisfaction In Middle-Aged Women, Julia C. Solem

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the connection between positive body image and relationship satisfaction with middle-aged women. Current research (Ambwani & Strauss, 2007) suggests body image and relationship satisfaction has a bidirectional influence. However, much of the current research focuses on a younger demographic, and middle-aged women are often a neglected population. This study seeks to better understand the interpersonal nature of healthy development in body image and relationships in middle-aged women. A phenomenological approach is utilized to observe the lived experiences of middle-aged women in committed relationships with positive body image. Six participants, between the ages …

Frameworks Used To Measure The Societal Influences & Effectiveness Of Impact Investing, Mya E. Baptiste

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The purpose of this thesis is to learn how capital generates positive returns for society through impact investing. I address the different forms of impact investments along the spectrum and examples of companies that are grouped into each category. Afterward, I highlight the various pre-existing frameworks being used by the industry to properly measure their social returns and then provide insight into my personal experience working with Citigroup, Inc. Impact Fund. This paper includes an empirical study to address my hypothesis that companies who invest in producing social returns receive a positive impact on their financials. It was concluded that …

Covid-19 Has Reduced The Latino Mortality Advantage Among Older Adults, Marc A. Garcia, Rogelio Sáenz

Population Health Research Brief Series

The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly reshaping U.S. mortality patterns, especially among those aged 65 and older. While U.S Latinos have historically had lower mortality rates than Whites, the pandemic and other structural inequities have reduced this advantage. This research brief examines Latino-White differences in COVID-19 mortality rates among older adults and describes how those disparities have reduced the Latino mortality advantage in this age group.

Predictors Of Intensive Supervision Placement Among Committed Youths Within A Maximum-Security Residential Facility, Tiffany Harris

Master's Theses

Some youths committed to juvenile justice residential facilities struggle to adjust and may exhibit institutional rule violations that necessitate an intensive supervision placement (ISP). ISPs require substantial institutional resources and may result in additional negative outcomes for these committed youths (e.g., additional charges, longer commitment). To date, only two studies have examined factors that place committed youths at greater risk of ISPs, and it was found that commitment length, number of arrests, age at admission, impulsive/reactive and psychopathic traits, and anger-irritability were predictive of ISPs (Taylor et al., 2007; Butler et al., 2007). The present study considered additional predictors that …

Training Packages For The Use Of Child Development Tools In Low/Middle-Income Countries: A Review, Maria Neocleous, Katelyn Hepworth, Vanessa Cavallera, Melissa Gladstone

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background We are now moving beyond the focus of ’child survival’ to an era which promotes children thriving and developing rather than simply ’surviving’. In doing so, we are becoming more aware of the large variation of child development screening tools available globally, but in particular, those in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods This narrative review identifies 24 child development tools used in LMICs. We aimed to identify information on training accessibility and training design, assessment methods and cost of training. For those tools with no training information identified or for any tools identified as providing online training, the tool author …

The Secret Recipe: Unpacking The Mentorship Experience Between The Guardians Of Academy And First-Generation Students Of Color In Higher Education, David F. Santos Castillo

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Throughout my academic journey, I have noticed the word “mentor” slowly becoming diluted and used on a solely casual basis. Often, people know what the word mentor means, which provides the sense that mentorship is something anyone can achieve or do. As a result, people constantly attempt to learn the fundamentals of this form of practice as if mentorship is something easily attainable. Reflecting on this idea, I was curious to understand why I can only rely on a few people when needed, especially when it involves higher education. My study analyzes the mentorship experiences between professional staff and first-generation …

The Effect Of Peer Relationships And Cyberbullying Victimization On Young Adults' Propensity To Cyberbully, Taaj Weraphorn Orr

Dissertations and Theses

Technology has deeply engrained itself in our daily lives, leading us to develop a reliance on social media to interact with those in our inner circle and stay connected with what happens around the world. However, with all these changes in technology and how we socialize with one another, we find ourselves exposed to the dangers of cybercrime, cyberbullying. General Strain Theory (GST) could be a useful framework for understanding why cyberbullying exists and why it may be difficult to address it. I collected data through a survey, after recruiting college students, and conducted correlation, mediation, and multiple regression analyses …

Blaqueer And Here: Black Queer And Trans Students’ Path To Thriving, Marvens Pierre

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In this study, I have investigated the ways in which Black queer and trans students have (or have not) fostered community, lived authentically, and benefitted from support of their identity development. I explored what support (or lack thereof) and identity development that exists within the realm of predominantly White higher educational institutions as well as San Diego community resources at large. This study approach consisted of conducting strategic outreach to universities in San Diego, California, and building community circles to facilitate processes of qualitative narrative analysis. This led to an intentional focus group dialogue space that allowed the participants to …

Teaching & Learning Guide For Disability And Climate Justice, Molly M. King, Maria A. Gregg, Ana V. Martinez, Emily Y. Pachoud

Sociology

Disability is widespread: nearly one in four Americans has a disability (Taylor, 2018) and disability cuts across demographic categories. Among individuals aged 15 and over, 12.6% had some type of mobility disability; above age 65, it is nearly 40% (Brault, 2012). Mobility disabilities heighten vulnerability to climate change and climate-related disasters (UNHCHR, 2020). Reduced information resources and mobility, increased health risks, and a lack of visibility in climate change discourse put people with disabilities in a more vulnerable position in the climate crisis. However, this vulnerability can be mitigated through relevant and sufficient access to information, risk mitigation …

On Power’S Doorstep: Gays, Jews, And Liminal Complicity In Reproducing Masculine Domination, Andrew J. Shapiro

Publications and Research

This article explores the gender complexities of men caught between social power and powerlessness. Specifically, I consider the cases of Jewish men and gay men in the late modern West, two demographics with deep historic ties to both abjection and privilege. Such "in-between-ness” steers many, especially those who are white, cisgender, and/or otherwise privileged, toward what I term liminal complicity, a normative adaptation whereby men embrace manly ideals while disavowing femininity in themselves and others. I synthesize cultural, interactionist, and psychoanalytic literatures on stigma, boundaries, and gender practice to articulate liminal complicity as both an emotional retreat from stigmatization and …

Civil Rights, Firearm Safety, And Environmental Protection Policies Predict Better Health Among U.S. Midlife Adults, Blakelee R. Kemp, Jacob M. Grumbach, Jennifer Karas Montez

Population Health Research Brief Series

Americans suffer worse health and shorter lives than do people in most other high-income countries. The poor health and early death of many Americans are pronounced in certain states. One explanation may be the dramatic changes in the policy environment in recent decades, particularly the polarization in state policies. This research brief examines the association between several state policies and self-rated health among adults ages 45-64 from 1993 to 2016. Findings show that more liberal versions of certain state policies, namely civil rights, firearm safety, and environmental protection are associated with better health.