Sociology Commons^™

Equity In Coastal Resilience: A Framework For University Engagement In Community-Based Projects, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Marina Saitgalina, Ogechukwu N. Nwandu-Vincent, Khairul A. Anuar, Thomas Allen, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

As communities face intensifying climate hazards, it is vital to strengthen resilience in ways that explicitly prioritize social equity. This study examines how higher education institutions can better support government, nonprofit, and community partners in advancing equity-centered coastal resilience in the U.S. Utilizing a qualitative research design, we analyze discussions among researchers and practitioners during a three-day workshop. We present a framework derived from a thematic analysis of breakout group transcripts from a three-day national virtual workshop involving 113 researchers and practitioners. The analysis identified four core themes: the necessity of aligning projects with community-defined priorities; the foundational role of …

Social Safety And Social Security: Validating Context-Specific Instruments For Slums, Liss D. Romero, Katherine Palacio, Zacheous Ako Abang, Valeria Silgado, Humberto Llinas, Leidy González, Erika Frydenlund, Daniel Bolivar, Jose J. Padilla

VMASC Publications

Social safety and social security are concepts that help explain a community's well-being by assessing how it manages and mitigate existing, or perceived, risks. However, these terms are often conflated, which can limit understanding, particularly in areas with unstable living conditions. This study explores both concepts in the context of residents living in slums. As the number of displaced people grows, slums and informal settlements are becoming increasingly common worldwide, making it essential to clarify these concepts. Residents of slums face numerous hazards, including crime, violence, inadequate housing, overcrowding, and limited access to essential services. To measure social safety and …

Internationalization Struggles And Student Mobility: Ethnic Exclusion And Racism In Philippine Higher Education, Yasmin Y. Ortiga

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

There is an extensive literature on student mobility that seeks to understand the nature of, rationales for and consequences of internationalisation in higher education. This scholarship primarily focusses on students studying in the ‘west’. This paper shows how ‘atypical’ student destinations also illuminate the contradictions of internationalisation, revealing the challenges faced by higher education settings beyond academic centres in the west. Drawing on the case of the Philippines, I discuss how private universities actively recruited international students to maximise profits from student tuition. Yet, these efforts led to a backlash among Filipino educators and students, prompting administrators to institute policies …

Morals Without Movement: Veganism, Contentious Politics, And The Lifestyle Politics Constraint, Luke M. Carfaro

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines whether veganism constitutes a social movement through Social Movement Theory frameworks, emphasizing Sidney Tarrow's Power in Movement. Through analysis of veganism's empirical properties (collective challenge, common purpose, collective identity, and sustained interaction) and key procedural mechanisms (framing, mobilizing structures, and repertoires of contention), this thesis determines that veganism fails to meet the empirical criteria of a social movement and is more accurately classified as a lifestyle movement—a movement in which political participation is expressed through private consumption rather than sustained collective contention. Using the Make America Healthy Again movement as a counterexample, this thesis comparatively illustrates …

The Steelerville Case: Applying Criminological Theory To Crime And Police Morale, Shamus Smith

Open Educational Resources

Students use a fictional town’s economic decline and rising crime to evaluate at least two criminological theories and their implications for policy. Role-playing as consultants, they develop research-supported recommendations to reduce crime and improve police morale.

On Saying Goodbye: Interactional Role Liminality & Post-Death Symbolic Interaction, Deborah Cobb

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Grief is often understood as a process that culminates in detachment, with "saying goodbye" positioned as both an emotional and social necessity. Yet many bereaved individuals describe a different experience, one in which supernatural post-death contact allows them to receive messages from their deceased loved one. Drawing on 22 in-depth interviews and 47 anonymous open-ended surveys, this study explores how individuals who experience unsolicited post-death communication interpret these encounters and integrate them into everyday life. Analysis revealed three interconnected themes: resistance to saying goodbye, interpretation of encounters as specific messages from the deceased, and emotional stabilization following continued contact. These …

Watching Over Cold Waves: The Influence Of Social And Technology Surveillance On Independent Older Adults’ Safety, S M Ashfaqur Rahman

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cold waves pose a recurring and serious hazard for independently living older adults, yet the monitoring arrangements that shape their protective responses remain understudied. This study examined how social surveillance, defined as check-ins and support from family, neighbors, and community contacts, and technological surveillance, defined as weather applications, smart devices, and emergency alert platforms, jointly and independently predicted cold-wave safety behavior. A cross-sectional, exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. One hundred independently living adults aged 65 and older, residing in cold-prone U.S. states, completed a survey measuring monitoring frequency, source trust, perceived autonomy, concern across six cold-wave hazard types, and a …

The Future Of U.S. Higher Education: Equity Implications Of Shifting Immigration Policies, Research Institute For Social Equity Rise

Research Institute for Social Equity

This report examines the impact of U.S. immigration policies on higher education and international students from 2000 to 2025. It traces five major policy eras, from the post- 9/11 security overhaul and Obama-era expansion to the restrictive turns of 2017–2020 and 2025, and analyzes how shifting regulations have influenced enrollment patterns, economic contributions, and student well-being. Despite hosting more than 1.1 million international students in 2023–2024, the U.S. share of the global student market has fallen from 20% to 16%, underscoring how policy volatility and restrictive measures weaken national competitiveness. Drawing on federal data, scholarly research, and institutional reports, this …

The Empirical Double Standard: Opinion Surveys Across The Civil–Criminal Divide, Kay L. Levine, Bernard Chao

Faculty Articles

Across different legal domains, liability doctrines recognize the value of community input. But do courts truly listen to the community’s voice when deciding these sorts of cases? This study is the first to explore how courts treat community opinion survey evidence within both civil and criminal law. To that end, we comprehensively examine trademark, false advertising, patent, antitrust, obscenity, death penalty, and search cases.

Our research uncovers a significant asymmetry: Courts readily admit survey evidence in civil proceedings but systematically exclude it in criminal cases. This asymmetry does not appear to stem from structural differences between civil and criminal litigation …

Visual Aids And Numeracy In Healthcare: Leveraging The Drawing Effect, Zephyr J. Markley

Capstone Showcase

Healthcare decisions often require patients to interpret numerical risk information under stress, yet many struggle with low numeracy, which can distort comprehension and undermine informed consent. Well-designed visual aids can improve diagnostic inference, calibrate confidence, and support better choices, especially for patients with limited numeracy, but their impact depends on whether users can actually interpret the format accurately. Drawing may further enhance these tools by adding a tactile, generative layer that engages visual, semantic, and motoric processing while helping patients organize information into concrete models.

Passive visual aids appear useful but limited because they often position patients as observers rather …

Roll The Dice: Do Fostered Youth Stand A Chance In Juvenile Justice?, Marina Rios

Capstone Showcase

Foster youth remain dramatically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, accounting for up to almost a quarter of system-involved youth despite comprising less than 5% of the general population. Prior research on this subject indicates that foster youth tend to face disproportionately punitive responses, systemic challenges linked to trauma, placement, and instability, as well as limited access to diversion programs. This project aims to examine the disparities that foster youth face that result in juvenile justice involvement, as well as focusing on how structural barriers influence detention rates, sentencing outcomes, and opportunities for rehabilitation. Through an analysis of current literature, …

Food Stamp Participation And Health Outcomes In Ca Immigrants, Esther Kang

Scripps Senior Theses

The U.S. social welfare system includes programs aiming to increase access to nutritious food to reduce nutrition insecurity. However, studies suggest that immigrants continue to face disproportionate risks of nutrition insecurity and may face barriers to enrollment due to legal status. This study, using secondary data from the 2023 California Health Interview Survey, examines the associations between food stamp participation, food insecurity, and clinical diagnosis of diabetes among adult U.S.-born, naturalized, and non-citizen adults in California. The findings suggest that those enrolled in food stamps are more likely to report food insecurity than those who are not enrolled, and that …

Applying Photovoice To Uncover Fundamental Causes Of Health Inequality In Local Health Contexts, Marisa Booty, Madelyne G. Culbertson, Mason Taylor, Dakota Heise, Heather Stone, Katherine Leanne Kommer, Jennifer Gulley, Jeanette Hart, Christina Nentwick, Margaret Mcgladrey

Sociology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Participatory action research methods like Photovoice are uniquely equipped to identify structural determinants of health based on lived experiences of how they influence proximal and distal population health outcomes. This study uses Photovoice data to examine how structural determinants impact community health needs.

Methods: Qualitative thematic analysis used focus group discussion data (25 transcripts) from four Kentucky counties that embedded Photovoice into their local health department community health assessment processes. Coded excerpts were examined for ways in which participants' community health concerns reflected structural issues rather than individual health behaviors.

Results: Participants perceived issues such as houselessness, food insecurity, …

Factors Associated With Handgun Carriage Among U.S. Adolescents, 2021–2022, Marisa Booty, Maggie K. Richardson, Dylan B. Jackson, Delvon T. Mattingly

Sociology Faculty Publications

Objective: The rise in adolescent handgun carriage over the past decade represents a significant public health concern. Using nationally representative data, this study examines risk factors associated with handgun carriage among U.S. adolescents.

Methods: We used data on adolescents aged 12–17 years from the 2021 and 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health ( n = 20,869), with past-year handgun carriage defined as a binary variable. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine factors associated with handgun carriage across adolescent age groups (12–13 years, 14–15 years, 16–17 years).

Results: The average prevalence of …

Responding To Social Isolation: The Tole Of Chaplaincy In Addressing Social Determinants Of Health (Sdoh) In Pediatric Contexts, Adam Lubbers, Forest Melton, Simbarashe Sigauke, Sophie Le

2026

This poster describes a pilot program that integrated chaplaincy services into the care pathway for pediatric patients and families who screened positive for low social support, a key social determinant of health. The findings suggest chaplain-led interventions provide effective emotional, spiritual, and practical support, helping address social isolation, caregiver burden, financial insecurity, and other health equity concerns while offering culturally responsive care.

Handbook On Gender Mainstreaming In The Maritime Sector, Momoko Kitada

Reports

This handbook aims to serve as an introductory practical guide for maritime organizations that intend to apply gender mainstreaming. It guides them in critically reviewing their policies and practices from a gender and diversity lens. Some organizations may view their maritime operations as having nothing to do with gender and, therefore, not requiring any gender considerations. Such mindsets are good signs that an organization would benefit from gender mainstreaming. Others may view the fact that their organizations have women working in every unit as evidence of gender equality and see no need for further action. Gender mainstreaming can help identify …

Women’S Exposure To Incel Content, Perceived Safety, And Gender-Based Violence Risk In The United States, Deja Bledsoe

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

The rapid proliferation of incel-related content across digital platforms has raised concerns about online misogyny and its potential impact on women’s perceived safety. However, less is known about how exposure to such content shapes women’s perceptions of risk and emotional responses in everyday digital environments. This study examines the relationship between exposure to incel-related content and women’s perceived risk of gender-based violence and safety-related anxiety. Guided by strain theory, social control theory, hegemonic masculinity, and intersectionality, the study employs an anonymous cross-sectional online survey of women aged 18 and older. Quantitative analyses were conducted to assess whether exposure to incel-related …

The Vagabond Way: A Qualitative Study Of Intentional Non-Participation In Structured Society, Lorena E. Black

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study analyzes intentional vagabondage as both a philosophical position and a lived critique of structured society. Using qualitative fieldwork conducted at Fairlawn Family Church in Fort Pierce, Florida—including ten semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and grounded theory analysis—the study examines how individuals who voluntarily disengage from formal systems of housing, labor, and legality construct meaning, identity, and stability beyond institutional boundaries. The analysis identifies three central themes: rhythm, referring to the patterned routines that sustain mobility; reciprocity, which characterizes social exchange and support networks; and refusal, expressed as a deliberate rejection of societal expectations. While many participants describe their paths …

Survey Measures On Perinatal Cannabis Use, Aaditya Balasubramaniyan, Jacquelyn Reiss, Amy Donley

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

No abstract provided.

Conflict Analysis With Chatgpt, Yeju Choi

Open Educational Resources

This assignment asks students to apply the conflict mapping method to a conflict of their choice and evaluate appropriate resolution processes and strategies. Students use ChatGPT as a structured “peer” to generate alternative perspectives, then compare AI-generated recommendations with their own analysis grounded in course concepts. By designing intentional prompts and critically assessing areas of agreement and disagreement, students evaluate the usefulness and limitations of AI in conflict analysis while reinforcing analytical, evaluative, and reflective skills central to conflict resolution practice.

Comparing Chatgpt, Scispace, Copilot, And Human Brainstorming, Sara Martucci

Open Educational Resources

This assignment introduces students to collaborative inquiry, AI-assisted research, and critical source evaluation within the context of contemporary social issues. Working in groups, students brainstorm a course-related social problem, develop an exploratory research question, and generate preliminary explanations grounded in personal experience, common sense, and course concepts. They then use SciSpace Copilot to gather scholarly sources and apply the CRAAP test to evaluate credibility and relevance. Students subsequently compare these findings with responses generated by ChatGPT, analyzing similarities and differences in scope, reasoning, and evidence. Through structured reflection, students critically assess how AI shapes the research and information-gathering process. As …

Using Ai To Analyze Survey Data, Sara Martucci

Open Educational Resources

This assignment in Methodology in Sociology/Criminology engages students in the full research process by guiding them through variable selection, data analysis, interpretation, and critical reflection on AI-assisted decision-making. Using a class-generated survey dataset (or an existing dataset), students develop a research question, identify independent and dependent variables, and formulate a hypothesis. They then compare their selections with those suggested by an AI tool, analyzing differences in reasoning and variable choice. Through SPSS, students generate frequency tables, charts, and scatterplots to examine relationships between variables, including potential intervening factors. The assignment culminates in a group presentation and reflective analysis on the …

Table Of Contents

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

No abstract provided.

Editor's Pen, Ronald E. Goodwin

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

No abstract provided.

“The World Is Yours”: Blackplanet.Com And The Black Birth Of The Social Media Age, Malachi D. Crawford, W. Denae Muhammad Murphy, Bequita Pegram

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

This article examines the rise of BlackPlanet.com as a foundational force in the birth of the Social Media Age. Launched in 1999 by Omar Wasow, BlackPlanet quickly became the largest and most influential online social networking platform for African Americans, challenging assumptions about the so-called “digital divide.” Despite limited household internet access among Black communities, the site experienced extraordinary growth, reaching nearly 13 million users by 2004 (see user growth data in Table 1)

Crawford et al . Through customizable personal pages, forums, messaging, and community-building tools, BlackPlanet pioneered participatory digital culture before the rise of MySpace and Facebook. The …

Book Reviews, Mea Boykins, Kimberly F. Monroe, Denzel Oliver, Latif A. Tarik

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

No abstract provided.

Gender As The Moral Framework Of War: Religious Discourse In Wartime Russia, Olga Vlasova Dr., Ulviyya Khalilova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article explores how wartime religious discourse constructs the moral framework of war through gender rhetoric. Based on the critical discourse analysis of wartime public statements by Russian Orthodox and Muslim religious leaders (2022-2026), the study shows how gender can be used as a framework through which violence becomes meaningful and tolerable. It highlights that the discourse of masculinity provides precisely those moral categories (duty, sacrifice, and protection) which depict participation in war as a moral obligation. At the same time, femininity is primarily associated with the reproduction of social order through care, support, and motherhood, while remaining outside the …

The Rise And Fall Of The First Atheist State: Albania’S Rediscovery Of Faith, Fatos Tarifa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores Albania’s unprecedented experience as the only modern state to constitutionally declare itself atheist. After World War II, Enver Hoxha’s communist regime sought to reshape society through radical ideological transformation. In 1967, the regime banned all religious practice, dismantled churches, mosques, and monasteries, and persecuted clergy. Religion was criminalized, while atheism was promoted as a central component of socialist identity, enforced through education, propaganda, and cultural policy. In 1976, Albania was proclaimed by its constitution the world’s first atheist state. The paper examines the historical circumstances that produced this extreme stance and its consequences: suppression of traditions, erosion …

Acts Of Becoming: A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Lived Experiences Of West Virginia Teacher-Activists, 1990 To The Present, Phillip Elias Howard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This critical phenomenological dissertation explores the lived realities of becoming a West Virginia teacher-activist. Presenting the experiential accounts of three participants, its semi-structured questions Show the lifeworld forces, inherited (factical) self-identities, and occupational, "on-the-ground" classroom experiences that inspired its research collaborators to assert themselves as unionists and natural teacher-organizers. This dissertation utilizes a collection of Marxian, phenomenological, and post-structural interpretation devices to develop robust, sensemaking themes which reveal the meaning of participants’ lived reflections. It also provides thick descriptions of co-researchers' historic and current political, economic, and socio-cultural backdrops amid West Virginia’s right-wing political realignment of the 2010s, the eternal …

Examining The Results Of Revolutions In The Third World: A Case Study Of The Iranian, Libyan, And Nicaraguan Revolutions, Noah A. Mohammedelamien

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines the post-revolutionary trajectories of Libya, Iran, and Nicaragua to explain why some Third World revolutionary projects preserve and use elements of their founding ideology while others fragment, personalize, or diffuse over time. Rather than focusing on the causes of revolution alone, it analyzes the durability of religious-socialist ideological continuity after revolutionary upheaval. Using a (MDSD) comparative historical and institutional approach grounded in primary and secondary sources, the study evaluates five key dimensions across the cases: religious-socialist ideological fusion, religious elite loyalty, popular religious mobilization, institutional embedding of ideology, and external pressure. The findings suggest ideological continuity is …