Sociology Commons^™

Fighting For Power: Class Conflicts In Political Participation, David Foley

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that socioeconomic status has on political participation in the United States. The elite of the United States have been able to amass incomprehensible amounts of power and wealth. From a C. Wright Mill’s conflict theory perspective, those who are in power seek a continuation, and those not in power seek to flip the scales—or at least get even. Using socioeconomic status as focal point of conflict, this study completed varying models of binary logistic regression to unfold the relationship present between socioeconomic status—educational attainment, student status, and household income—with political …

Effects Of Religion On Crime In Hampton Roads, Alaina Yvonne Bierdz

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The influence of religion in society has been debated for hundreds of years. Renowned scholars like Max Weber and Émile Durkheim formed frameworks in which to study the relationship between religion and crime. The frameworks are based on the idea that religion promotes desirable behavior in society, while also controlling undesirable behavior. Although religion can be studied across many disciplines, this report examines the relationship between religion and crime. More specifically, the impact of religion on crime in the Hampton Roads area in Virginia. It has been thought that religiosity decreases crime. Using social bond theory as the theoretical perspective, …

A Toolkit To Deal With Negative Reactions In The Covid-19 Crisis, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Understanding our own and others’ biases helps us respond better to difficult situations. Adopt what I call the 3Rs approach - refrain, reflect and resolve, to deal with negative events and manage our negative gut emotions and reactions.

Testing A New Photovoice Model: A Meta-Analysis On Participatory Action Research Methodologies In Geographical Research, Nolan Bergstrom

Masters Theses

Photovoice was developed in the early 1990s for use in public health studies evolving from participatory action research (PAR) and photographic methods. It attempts to mitigate the power dynamics between researcher and researched by allowing participants to be the primary knowledge producers. The Photovoice methodology has left open methodological avenues to implement Photovoice as a research tool in many fields. This research aimed to modify the Photovoice methodology to include mobile technology, social media to create a new model of Photovoice.

This research was conducted in K.I. Sawyer, MI, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan over a …

Agritourism Development In Southwest Michigan: Motivations Of Agritourists And Operators, Esther Akoto Amoako

Masters Theses

National agricultural statistics show that the number of agritourism farms and the proportion of agritourism related revenues in the United States has steadily increased during the last ten years, especially among small family farms. The recent growth in agritourism is both demand - and supply-driven. However, there are limited studies that explore agritourism motivations from both the visitors' and operators’ perspectives. This study examines what the agritourists' and operators’ motivations are and the challenges facing the industry to provide information for those currently involved and those wanting to include agritourism in their operations. Online and in-person surveys and unstructured interviews …

Penilaian Keberkesanan Program Kelayakan Profesional Pemimpin Pendidikan Kebangsaan Dalam Kalangan Pemimpin Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Di Selangor, Raman Nirmala

Student Works (2020-2029)

Pada tahun 2008, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia telah memperkenalkan program latihan iaitu Program Kelayakan Profesional Pemimpin Pendidikan Kebangsaan (NPQEL) bagi meningkatkan pengetahuan dalam kalangan pemimpin sekolah untuk menerajui sekolah. Sehubungan itu, untuk mengenal pasti keberkesanan prpogram ini maka kajian penilaian ini dijalankan di sekolah seluruh negeri sekolah. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah gabungan Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif. Analisis keperluan yang melibatkan kualitatif dengan menemu bual enam orang pemimpin pendidikan sekolah di daerah Klang. Soalan-soalan terbuka-tertutup digunakan dalam analisis tersebut. Ia adalah berdasarkan Konteks, Input, Proses, Produk dan Teori Perma. Kualitatif juga dilakukan dengan mencari nilai persetujuan antara pakar kualitatif tentang unit-unit analisis sesuatu …

Voices Of Mixed-Race Asian Students On College Campuses, Amy Sara Lim

Honors Papers and Posters

Research suggests that there are a growing number of people who identify as mixed-race Asian Americans, and thus there is a growing need to understand and document their experiences (Literte,2009; Sims 2010; Tamai, Nakashima, Williams, 2017). The central question of this study is: how do mixed-race Asian students’ racial identities affect their identities as learners within social, emotional, academic and physical contexts? The goal of this research project is to explore the educational experiences of mixed-race Asian students at a Southern California university with the intention of developing a critical mixed-race pedagogy for educators and scholars. Through mixed methodologies involving …

Latinos In Massachusetts: Dominicans, Phillip Granberry, Krizia Valentino

Gastón Institute Publications

Since the early 1980s, there has been a notable increase in the number of Dominicans in Massachusetts due at first to international migration and later due to nativity. Dominican migration is primarily circular. Dominican migrants embody the notion of transnationalism, that is, they have ties to both the United States and the Dominican Republic. Now after several decades, nearly half of their population is native born. The largest Dominican populations in the state are in Lawrence and Boston. The social and economic analysis that follows paints a mixed picture of their incorporation into Massachusetts. Dominicans have higher labor force participation …

Latinos In Massachusetts: Brazilians, Phillip Granberry, Krizia Valentino

Gastón Institute Publications

Early Brazilian migration to Massachusetts traces itself to the 1970s, and large-scale migration began in the mid-1980s. Though earlier Brazilian migrants settled in Boston and Somerville, by 1990s Brazilians had begun to disperse to Framingham and other cities and towns across the Boston metropolitan area and on Cape Cod. Brazilians have a large unauthorized population and have few avenues to obtain citizenship. Due to their precarious legal status in the United States, many believe that the American Community Survey (ACS) estimates used for this report undercounts the Brazilian population. In 2015, the Brazilian Consulate in Boston estimates 350,000 Brazilians living …

Of Process, Practice, And Belief: What Can We Learn About Old Amish Church History And Polity From This Special Issue’S Source Documents?, Cory Anderson

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

A full history of the “Old Amish Church” project (c. 1865 to c. 1955-1973) has yet to be written, at least not in English, and not as an overarching, analytical narrative. However, several primary German accounts provide a close—albeit partial—analysis of events leading to the collapse of a unified Old Amish church in the aftermath of the 1860s Amish-Mennonite/Old Amish schism. While Amish-Mennonite churches continually drained a minority of Old Amish members, stricter church districts also emerged, moving members in the opposite direction. Though not self-evident as separate denominations at first, these movements were eventually recognized as schisms. These included …

Gender In Masterchef, Kailey Bowers

Scholars Week

This study examines whether the mentioning of family and culture is more common in women or men? Are statements of self-confidence more common in men, and what are the conflicts between contestants? My data in this presentation will show the different characters of men and women portrayed through the show MasterChef. This study adds to a small but growing scholarship about gender and food television. Some of the scholars are, Nilsson, Gabriella; Harris, Deborah A., Giuffre, Patti A.; Hornbuckle, Jamie; Jonatan Leer; Rodney, Alexandra, Josée Johnston, and Phillipa Chong. One episode from every season was randomly chosen, giving me a …

Supporting The Child Welfare Workforce When People Have To Work From Home, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Other QIC-WD Products

Transitioning a face-to-face, people-focused workforce into one that leverages virtual meetings and visits is no small feat, especially in a crisis. Many child welfare agencies are considering how best to incorporate technology solutions into everyday workforce activities. The QIC-WD is focused on strengthening the child welfare workforce by reviewing and translating the evidence about what works for agency leaders. Although there is not a lot of research on the most effective strategies to manage a remote child welfare workforce, Harvard Business Review recently released an article that summarizes the available evidence and provides concrete tips for managers with employees who …

The Poverty-Reducing Effects Of The Eitc And Other Safety Nets For Young Adult Parents, Jess Carson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Jess Carson explores the poverty-reducing effects of key federal safety net programs among 18-24 year old (“young adult”) parents. An estimated 2.5 million very young children live with a young adult parent, with low-income children especially likely to do so. The brief finds that more than four in five young adult parents, regardless of income, participate in at least one major safety net program. Of these, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the most widely used and the most effective at reducing poverty under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and poverty would increase by 6.7 percentage points …

Bay Area Lgbtq+ Millennials: The Newest Generation Leading The Gay Civil Rights Movement, Sara Miyo Hall-Kennedy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ millennials that influenced their participation in the gay civil rights movement in the Bay Area of California. Another purpose of the study was to explore and describe the recommendations LGBTQ+ millennials have for the future of the national gay civil rights movement.

Methodology: A qualitative analysis of the data from a combination of both social movements and symbolic interactionism theoretical perspectives was conducted. Data for this study was generated through the synthesis and triangulation of the thematic coding of 12 interviews conducted by …

Women In County Government Leadership: Using Personal Power To Overcome Self-Sabotage, Jamie R. Crews

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female county government executives and to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by female county government executives to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: An explanatory mixed methods research design was used to explore the use of self-sabotaging behaviors of 9 female county government executives in Southern California. A 10-item survey instrument was administered to participants, followed by a semistructured interview consisting of 13 scripted questions. Data collected …

The Rattler (Volume 108, Issue 7), St. Mary's University

The Rattler (Previous issues)

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

A Qualitative Look At College Students Perceptions Of Social Interactions In College Physical Activity Classes, David C. Barney, Teresa Leavitt

Faculty Publications

Physical activity (PA) has been found to benefit a person in many ways. One of the benefits of being physically active is the social component. This deals with interacting with someone before, during or after the activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of social interactions effects on college-aged students during their PA class. Participants for this study included 408 college-aged students (272 males & 136 females) who were surveyed regarding their interactions during their PA class. The survey contained Likert scale questions and open-ended questions, requiring the students to respond with written answers. In short, …

Recommendations For Secondary Analysis Of Qualitative Data, Sheryl L. Chatfield

The Qualitative Report

Publications and presentations resulting from secondary analysis of qualitative research are less common than similar efforts using quantitative secondary analysis, although online availability of high-quality qualitative data continues to increase. Advantages of secondary qualitative analysis include access to sometimes hard to reach participants; challenges include identifying data that are sufficient to respond to purposes beyond those the data were initially gathered to address. In this paper I offer an overview of secondary qualitative analysis processes and provide general recommendations for researchers to consider in planning and conducting qualitative secondary analysis. I also include a select list of data sources. Well-planned …

Impact Of Indian Demonetization On Working And Non-Working Married Women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Naved Iqbal, Imtiyaz A. Dar, Irum Khan

The Qualitative Report

The sudden announcement of demonetization in India caused an immediate financial crisis that cascaded throughout the whole country and consequently caused suffering in the lives of many people, one such group being married women. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore and understand how married women were impacted by the demonetization policy. A total of 20 working and non-working women were selected from New Delhi and a qualitative research design based on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed. The present study identified three themes (i.e., problems due to demonetization, coping with demonetization, and diverse experiences associated with hidden money) and …

The Sustainability Of Child Protection Services In The Republic Of Kosovo, Shpetim Bylykbashi

Capstone Collection

Today, in Kosovo, are services provided for the children most in need sustainable? Do these services have stable and long-term funding? Did the decentralization of the Kosovo government strengthen or weaken the existing child protective environment? In an attempt to answer these questions, a review of available literature was completed, as well as direct interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders engaged in Kosovo’s child protection services at both the governmental and civil society levels. The main finding of my research is that vulnerable children in Kosovo, such as children without parental care, children with special needs, and child victims of domestic …

Police Sexual Violence: A Few Bad Apples Or A Cultural Norm?, Philip M. Stinson, John Liederbach, Robert W. Taylor, Chloe Wentzlof, Natalie M. Wise, Bethany R. Sager, Marta Bettinelli

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Approximately 1,600 police officers across the United States were arrested for sex-related crimes during the ten year period 2005-2014. The arrested officers were employed by more than 1,100 state and local law enforcement agencies located in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. These data suggest that police sexual violence is a problem involving more than a few “bad apples” and that the phenomenon of police sexual violence may be a cultural norm within many state and local law enforcement agencies.

This presentation was accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in …

The Relationship Between Sense Of Community And Job Satisfaction Among Employees In Campus Recreation Center, Mina Woo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Sense of Community (SOC) and job satisfaction of employees in Campus Recreation Center (CRC), and the impact of demographic information, including gender, job position, and job tenure, on the extent of their SOC and job satisfaction. This study utilized quantitative method and developed a questionnaire with two scales: Spector’s (1985) Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) created by Chavis, Lee, and Acosta (2008). The results indicate positive correlation between SOC and job satisfaction among the employees in CRCs. On the other hand, the results …

Does Inhibitory Control Training Reduce Weight And Caloric Intake In Adults With Overweight And Obesity? A Pre-Registered, Randomized Controlled Event-Related Potential Study, Kaylie A. Carbine

Theses and Dissertations

Overweight and obesity are prevalent public health problems that impact physical, mental, and social health. Many studies have evaluated weight loss treatments, but most individuals are unsuccessful at maintaining weight loss long-term. Behavioral and cognitive interventions may be effective in promoting weight loss and weight loss maintenance. One cognitive intervention that has shown potential success in reducing weight and caloric intake is inhibitory control training (ICT). ICT involves trainings where individuals are asked to repeatedly withhold dominant responses to unhealthy or high-calorie food images in an effort to increase food-related inhibitory control abilities. Reductions in caloric intake or weight may …

Ua94/6/1 My Story: Wku Women's Basketball's Sandra Skinner, Sandra Skinner

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

My Story is a series of first-person feature articles written by WKU student-athletes. The student-athletes will be telling their own stories in their own words. This article written by women’s basketball redshirt senior Sandra Skinner, whose final season was cut short because of the cancellation of the Conference USA Tournament earlier this month.

Examining Healthcare Institutions By Bringing Qualitative Data From Two Eras Into Empirical Dialogue, Judson G. Everitt, James M. Johnson, William H. Burr, Stephanie H. Shanower

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this paper, we argue that there is new insight to be gained by reexamining the classic text, Boys in White, in strategic ways. Specifically, we share excerpts from Boys in White with current medical students and ask for their reactions in qualitative interviews, examining the relevance (or lack thereof) of earlier meanings about professional training for current processes of professional training. We show how we have employed this technique in our current project revisiting Boys in White with current medical students, and discuss preliminary findings that reveal the potential of this technique for documenting evidence of macro-level forces …

Cross-National Incarceration Rates As Behavior Of Law, Christopher J. Marier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Incarceration rates vary substantially around the world. However, systematic cross-national comparisons examining such variation are rare. Using Donald Black’s theory of law, and further informed by other theories in the sociology of punishment with conceptual overlap, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the structural and cultural factors that influence incarceration rates around the world. Using data from the World Prison Brief, World Values Survey, CIA World Factbook, and other international datasets, this study evaluates a series of ordinary least squares regressions in 66 nations. This study is one of few macrosocial tests of Black’s theory of law to …

Covid-19 Is A Major Risk To New York State’S Older Veterans, Mariah Brennan Nanni, Mary Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

The older adult veteran population is at high risk of contracting COVID-19. New York State’s veterans are concentrated in geographic areas with rapidly increasing COVID-19 case counts. As the virus continues to spread, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) must prepare to provide coronavirus treatments to older adult veterans in NYS.

Deaths Exceeded Births In Nearly Half Of U.S. Counties Last Year, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this data snapshot, author Kenneth Johnson reports that even before the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, deaths were at a record high in the United States last year, but there were the fewest births since 1986. Between July 2018 and July 2019, the surplus of births over deaths was the least in more than 50 years. As a result, more people died than were born in 46 percent of U.S. counties last year. Because of this smaller surplus of births over deaths and diminished immigration, the U.S. population grew by just 0.48 percent last year—the lowest population growth rate …

Weight Loss And Healthiness: How Advertisements Target This Phenomenon, Madelyn Coleman

Scholars Week

With advertisements being all around us in the media and in magazines, messages flood into our everyday lives that can impact us both negatively and positively. Research prior to this involved how media has portrayed women and their weight loss as well as how they are looking at “skinniness” and body type. This as well as overall effects of the media in the food world were among many that have been studied. For my research, I wanted to look at the overall targeting of weight loss and health within magazines not as much as the idea of weight loss as …

Highlighting Recipes For Recognition And Social Reform In Soul Food Cookbooks., Jake Hicks

Scholars Week

This research explores the writings of African American chefs Edna Lewis and Todd Richards along with Nutritional activists Fabiola Demps Gaines and Roniece Weaver, who have used their published soul food cookbooks to challenge racial stereotypes while redefining America’s perceptions of the southern cuisine known as soul food. Existing scholarship has found that southern cuisine is branching out into more than just a regional food and has shifted into a social movement. This project offers a progressive view on how this social movement of southern cuisine is aiming to reshape the public’s understandings of what constitutes Soul food. Through in-depth …