Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

A Father-Friendliness Survey: How Do Community Organizations Report Engaging Fathers?, Kyle Miller, Jordan A. Arellanes

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This community-based project explored levels of father-friendliness across local organizations, agencies, and schools. A community coalition of individuals from diverse backgrounds and roles created a community survey to gather quantitative and qualitative information from individuals who worked with children or families. An analysis of survey responses (N=122) led to descriptive and thematic results of how the community served or marginalized fathers. Results were used to guide efforts in father engagement across various professional sectors.

Curiouser And Curiouser: Cultivating A Love Of Learning Within Elementary-Aged Children Through An Activity-Based Curiosity Program, Rayne Rickards

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This synthesis paper explores how a curiosity-centered educational design can promote lifelong learning (LLL) in elementary-aged children by actively engaging caregivers as co-learners. Grounded in the author’s personal and professional experience, the project responds to the underutilization of natural curiosity in traditional education. Drawing from metacognition, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, the author develops an activity-based curiosity program that integrates caregiver involvement into reflective, autonomy-supportive learning experiences. The program design applies principles such as collaboration, relationship-building, creative problem-solving, and metacognitive scaffolding, all explored through coursework in the Critical and …

The Voices Of Black Motherscholars: Navigating Academia, Motherhood, And Beyond, Danae Peterson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The experiences of Black women in academia are shaped by the intersection of multiple, often conflicting identities. As mothers and scholars, Black women navigate the complex terrain of competing responsibilities, societal expectations, and institutional barriers, all while striving to achieve personal and professional aspirations. This daily balancing act is complicated by the compounded effects of racism and sexism in academia, coined as misogynoir (Bailey, 2018). Misogynoir, a specific form of anti-Black racist misogyny, manifests through stereotyping, marginalization, and invisibility affecting Black women’s ability to thrive in academic spaces that were not designed with them in mind (Patton & Njoku, 2019). …

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.

“Let Me Be A Bridge”: Language Brokering Among Emerging Adult Latina Professionals In The Midwest, Elise M. Dubord

Faculty Publications

In immigrant families, bilingual children and adolescents regularly act as translators and interpreters for family and community members who are not fluent in the dominant language. These childhood language brokers later shift the focus of their translation activities as they transition into adulthood and develop professional skills. This research explores narratives of language brokering trajectories of three bilingual Latinas who were emerging adult professionals in three cities in Iowa. Based on a series of interviews collected over a 15 month period, this analysis examines how participants described realigning their family language responsibilities while simultaneously transferring their language brokering skills to …

Transforming Criminal Justice Leadership With A Servant-Oriented Trauma-Informed Approach, Janina Cich

Forensic Scholars Today

This paper explores the transformative potential of a criminal justice leadership model by integrating principles of servant leadership, emotional intelligence, and trauma-informed care, focusing on rebuilding community trust, improving officer well-being, and fostering equitable, empathetic public service. This transformative module emphasizes humility, accountability, and emotional awareness to address the deep-rooted effects of trauma on both criminal justice personnel and the communities they serve. Through proactive strategies, such as open communication, cultural competence training, and mental health support, future leaders can cultivate resilient, community-focused agencies prioritizing healing, justice, and human dignity.

On The Multi-Modal Psychological Experience Of Competence In Youth Sport, Liam O'Neil

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Over the past half century, beliefs about athleticism (i.e., sport competence) have been thought of as central to motivation for youth sport. In this time, however, these competence beliefs have been narrowly studied which has limited their value in explaining youth sport participation. To expand our understanding of competence beliefs and their motivational significance in youth sport, the three studies of this dissertation tested a longstanding but understudied idea that competence beliefs encompass both judgments of, and emotions about, competence. In Study One, existing research on judgments of competence in youth sport was reviewed. This study showed that many personal …

Familismo And Family Achievement Guilt In Latine College Students: Relationships With Psychopathology And Wellbeing, Abril Rangel-Pacheco

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relations between familismo, family achievement guilt, subjective wellbeing, and anxious and depressive symptoms in a sample of Latine young adults enrolled in college in the United States. Familismo has previously been linked to educational success and psychological and behavioral health. On the other hand, family achievement guilt has been linked to low self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. However, it is unclear how these factors interact to impact the psychopathology (i.e., anxious and depression symptoms) and psychological wellbeing (i.e. subjective wellbeing) of Latine young adults in college. Data were collected from 83 Latine …

Development Of The Sexual Mindfulness Measure For Abstinent Persons, Kaitlyn Zito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Sexual wellbeing plays a crucial role in overall health, influencing physical, emotional, social, and even spiritual aspects of life. One key factor in sexual wellbeing is sexual mindfulness, or the ability to be aware and accepting of one's sexual thoughts, feelings, and sensations. While previous research has focused on sexual mindfulness in romantic relationships, little is known about how it applies to abstinent individuals. To address this gap, I developed a 16-item validated measure of sexual mindfulness specifically for abstinent individuals: the Sexual Mindfulness Measure for Abstinent Persons (SMM-AP). This tool adapts key elements from the Five Facets of Mindfulness …

Giving Voice To Student Grief: Using Community-Based Participatory Research To Develop And Pilot A Translational Storytelling Intervention For Bereaved College Students, Cassidy Rae Taladay-Carter

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

The purpose of this dissertation was to employ community-based participatory research (CBPR, Wallerstein et al., 2018) methods to attend to a pressing issue in the community. In partnership with one local grief center, we identified the need for enhanced grief support for current emerging adult undergraduate students in our area. Nearly 50% of U.S. emerging adults enrolled in four-year residential universities experience the death of an important figure (Cox et al., 2015; Cupit et al., 2021), at a time when they are developing important facets of their narrative identity. Without the coherence and meaning structures provided by narrative identity, students …

Short Duration Relationship And Marriage Education (Rme) During Covid-19: Outcomes And Future Directions, Pamela B. Payne, Naomi Brower, Melanie Jewkes

Transforming Communities

Abstract

COVID-19 reshaped short duration relationship marriage education (RME), requiring that previously in person programs, including the Utah Marriage Celebration (UMC) move to remote formats. It is critical that outcomes of such transitions are evaluated and assessed. Marriage Celebration 2021 included 348 participants who responded after participating in the virtual event and 148 participants who responded to a one month follow up. Results indicate that like prior Marriage Celebration events, participants indicated their perceived relationship knowledge increased. Commitment to change was evaluated for the first time and showed significant results related to age and issues being covered. Implications for RME …

A Review Of The Ripple Effect Of Parental Incarceration: Suggestions For System Improvement From Neonatal Development Through Adolescence, Karen Thew, April Terry

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Parental incarceration has the potential to drastically affect the social, behavioral, and physical lives of children. Such negative impacts include prenatal and chronic health conditions, behavioral and mental health issues, developmental delays, juvenile and criminal legal system involvement, and overall declines in well-being. These damaging outcomes occur for babies delivered during their mothers’ incarceration with negative lingering effects seen throughout the lifespan. Due to the stigmatization of incarceration, these children may experience bullying, engage in isolating behaviors, and struggle within the school, which may lead to the school-to-prison pipeline. While prevention and intervention services directed at these youth could not …

Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement: Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga, Gianna R. Delfino

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

This doctoral capstone program, Social-Emotional Wellness Through Yoga: Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement, aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a family-centered occupational therapy (OT) program designed to enhance emotional connection, co-regulation, and wellness in caregiver-child dyads at a pediatric outpatient clinic. This project was guided by a systematic review of literature on the effects of yoga on the mental health of children 3-10 years old, which suggests that yoga has positive outcomes on the mental health and wellbeing of children (Khunti et al., 2022). Grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and strengths-based care, the 10-week group was designed for children ages 3–11 and their …

Layers Of Identity, Elizabeth Toffel

Teaching Resource Archive

Students explore identity, specifically that identity is layered, shaped by personal experience, cultural background, community ties, and unique traits. Students conduct interviews with peers, reflect on identity components, both individually and collectively, and create a layer artwork on transparent acetate sheets. When stacked the layers visually showcase the layers of the student’s identity and represent how identity is complex, constructed, and always shaped by multiple influences.

Addressing Economic Instability And Workforce Turnover In Early Childhood Education: The Role Of Stipends, Wage Supplements, And Professional Development, Lucinda J. Leffler

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Child care workers are vital to early childhood education, yet they face persistent economic instability, low wages, and high turnover rates. To address these challenges, states and policymakers have implemented stipends, wage supplements, and professional development programs aimed at improving financial security, job satisfaction, and workforce retention. This literature review examines the effectiveness of these initiatives across the United States, drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to contextualize their impact. Research indicates that financial incentives significantly reduce turnover, while professional development fosters job satisfaction and career advancement. However, sustainability concerns remain, particularly with …

We Are Worthy Of Investment: Exploring Forms Of Cultural Capital Among Black American Families, Joyice Robinson Myers

Theses and Dissertations

This three-paper dissertation investigates how the cultural wealth of Black American families functions as a foundation for educational, developmental, and economic outcomes, especially for Black males, across childhood, adolescence, and the transition into adulthood. Grounded in frameworks of the Revised Cultural Wealth Model, African American Male Theory, and the Racial Stratification Model, the research repositions Black families as producers of capital rather than subjects of deficit. In Paper Paper 1, I synthesized scholarship on family structure, educational attainment, and economic standing, framing racial "achievement gaps” as long-standing education debts owed to Black males. In Paper 2, I used longitudinal data …

Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative Of A Black Gay Father, Russell E. Thornhill

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines the roles, challenges, and contributions of a Black Gay father, a demographic largely absent from academic discourse. While literature explores themes of the church, LGBTQ+ identities, and social justice, there remains a critical gap addressing the lived experiences of a Black Gay father. This study fills that void by elevating narratives as community activists, family leaders, and clergy members, acknowledging their transformative impact within familial and societal structures. The methodology used is the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN). It allows for in-depth, reflective engagement with personal experiences in conversation with scholars while situating them within broader sociocultural, theological, …

Cultivating Empathy: A Content Analysis Of Empathic Themes In Best-Selling Children's Books, Elnaz J. Afousi

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the presence and nature of empathic content in best-selling children’s picture books, with a focus on developmental relevance for preschool-aged readers. Using a modified version of the iEPIC empathy coding system, 10 titles from the New York Times best-seller list were analyzed to assess the frequency and complexity of three empathy-related constructs: Emotion or State Description (ESD), Exploring Emotion or State (EES), and Empathic Understanding or Concern (EUC). Results indicate that while all books contained some empathy-related content, ESD3 (self-reflective emotional descriptions) and EUC2/EUC4 (understanding and helping others) were most prevalent, suggesting an emphasis on both intrapersonal …

The Geography Of Care: Rural Versus Urban Caregiver Perspectives On Community Resources For Parkinson’S Disease Management, Rebecca Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences and perceptions of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in rural versus urban settings, with particular emphasis on their access to and utilization of community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers, the research explored how geographical location impacts caregiving challenges, support systems, and resource accessibility. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a theoretical framework, the study revealed both universal caregiving challenges and location-specific barriers. While all caregivers reported significant emotional burden and healthcare system navigation difficulties, rural caregivers faced distinct challenges related to resource accessibility and specialized care availability. …

Peer Relationships, Social Identity, And Motivational Experiences In Youth Sport, Justin T. Worley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Organized sport is a setting in which youth can make friends and explore their identity. Teammate relationships may make important contributions to athletes’ social identity (i.e., their psychological connection to their sport team) and their motivation for sport. This idea was tested across three studies. A review of literature was conducted in study one to identify factors that may contribute to athlete social identity. Seven categories were identified across 60 studies including leadership factors, environmental factors, personal factors, team factors, interventions, moral factors, and interpersonal factors. Less than a third of these studies were conducted with youth athletes and interpersonal …

Alternatives To Screen Time Given In Parenting Advice, Emma Romeo

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Screen time within the last decade is an area of rising interest, especially in a "Post-Covid" world. Despite a diversity of opinions being written and research being done on screen time, what is being presented as an alternative is lesser known. In this research, the aim is to identify types of activities that are presented to parents as alternatives' to screen time in parenting websites and blogs. This study uses qualitative content analysis of over 240 articles from 2019-2023 mentioning media use or screen time from two regularly consumed and popular parenting websites, Sheknows.com and Parents.com. The data so far …

Collaborative Pedagogy: Teaching (With) The Grateful Dead On Tour, On Campus, And Online, Rebecca G. Adams

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay describes my experiences teaching with the Grateful Dead “on tour” in 1989, on campus in the early 2000s, and online in 2019. Using a life course framework, I discuss how my own development as a teacher, Deadhead, and Grateful Dead scholar and the changing context over time shaped these experiences and how teaching with the Grateful Dead opened a pedagogical space for experimentation that allowed the students and me to take risks and to collaborate despite status differences. Rather than unpacking these experiences entirely, my goal here is to focus on how these three experiences of teaching with …

Unmasking Male Voices In Woman Hollering Creek: Contributions To Pedagogy And Masculinity Studies, Ramón Javier Guerra, Joan Latchaw

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

In teaching Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek to undergraduates, we have developed a sociocultural and historical framework, beginning with the theoretical work of Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands and the concept of transfrontera feminism. With incidents of seduction and sexual abuse of women, spousal abuse, and patriarchal family structures, the collection of stories strongly indicates the oppressive representation of machismo. Scholars and teachers have drawn important critiques of Cisneros’s work based on destructive sociocultural forces on women. However, in rereading the text with an intended focus on the representations of male characters, we have surmised that Cisneros structured the stories in the …

Exploring The Associations Between Perceived Parent Communication And Involvement, Community Violence Exposure During Adolescence, And Subsequent Risk For Alcohol Use Disorder In Young Adulthood, Alexandra Toscova Tonigan

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

This dissertation explores the dynamics between parenting practices, family structure, community violence exposure, and adolescent development through three interrelated studies. Collectively, these papers address how family environments shape adolescent experiences and outcomes, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Using data from the Add Health study, this dissertation offers insights for researchers and clinicians supporting youth in vulnerable contexts. Chapter 1 examines the influence of average perceived communication and involvement, as well as differences in these behaviors between parents, on adolescent community violence exposure. This study critiques the conventional focus on averages, emphasizing the impact of discordant parenting. Chapter 2 investigates how …

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Principal Agency 50 Years After The Lau Decision: Building And Sustaining Bilingual Education Programs For Asian Languages, Kevin M. Wong, Zhongfeng Tian

Education Division Scholarship

This study examined how three champion principals of Asian language dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs—Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin—in California have navigated the oscillating language-in-education policies after the Lau decision. We explored principals' various roles through a lens of agency in a social justice leadership framework, specifically considering the opportunities and challenges for agentive leadership from three different phases: foregrounding and engaging, planning and implementing, and evaluating and sustaining. Findings demonstrate that the success of DLBE programs goes beyond the overarching language policies that supposedly enable bilingual education; rather it hinges on the bottom-up commitment, collaboration and resilience of principals, …

Exploring The Role Of Whiteness In Sociopolitical Development: Predictive Contexts And Trajectories, Jesiah P. Salazar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Critical consciousness is the ability to understand and challenge oppressive social systems, believe in one's power to create positive social change, and take actions toward making those changes. Sociopolitical development theory suggests that this awareness grows through a mix of social influences, opportunities for activism, and personal identity. Historically, this concept has been viewed as a way to empower youth of color to challenge systemic oppression, rather than just cope with it. Therefore, most research has focused on critical consciousness in youth of color. Recently, however, researchers have begun to explore critical consciousness among White adolescents. Using a person-centered approach, …

Do Older Siblings Differentiate From Their Younger Siblings? Predictors And Longitudinal Correlates, Iliana Wilkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Families are a critical part of an individual's development, yet sibling influences on development are rarely studied. Siblings often share the same genetics and live in the same environment, yet many remark that they are nothing like their brothers or sisters. One proposed reason for these differences is sibling differentiation, a process by which individuals become different from their sibling in order to reduce conflict and rivalry as well as increase intimacy in the sibling relationship. To date, this process has been studied from the perspective of the younger sibling; the current study focused on older siblings. Using longitudinal data …

The Credit Card Behaviors And Financial Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jessica Ralphs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Using data from the 2021 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this study focused on poor credit card behaviors and financial satisfaction of emerging adults ages between 18 and 29 (N=1,944). The descriptive results show that 45.8% reported carrying over a balance in the past 12 months and 51.3% reported paying the minimum payment some months. It was also found that 28.3% reported being charged a late fee for late payment some months in the past 12 months, whereas 21.7% reported being charged an over the limit fee for exceeding their credit limit some months.

The multivariate results indicated …