Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

For One Child, Zion Bereket, Xin Huang, Yitong Lin, Ruobing Pei, Rachel White, Ziyuan Li

School of Professional Studies

The entirety of this project was completed on the foundation of the three focus areas, which were identified by our client as areas of high need. The client wanted to prioritize these three areas as they believed that these three areas were the most integral to the successful achievement of their mission, as well as to the overall health and longevity of the organization.

Hiv/Aids In The Latino Community Of San Francisco: Past And Present, Jessica Da Silva

School of Professional Studies

There are approximately 122,000 people of Latino origin in San Francisco, which account for 15% of the total population (Census, 2010). Historically, Latinos have and still face several barriers to access healthcare and improvements in health (Aguirre-Molina, Molina & Zambrana, 2001). When the world was exposed to the spread of a new and unknown virus, the broader population suffered from the epidemic. The Latino community in San Francisco was and still is one of the hardest hit by the virus.

Changing The Current Perception Of Affordable Housing In Worcester, Simone Mcguinness, William Roberts, Vaske Gjino, Tong Zhou, Mengxin Ma, Sarawadee Sonpuak

School of Professional Studies

One of Worcester Interfaith’s goals is to eradicate the stigma of affordable housing in Worcester. Currently, the perception of affordable housing is of an image of unkept and old residences filled with destitute citizens who cannot afford basic needs to live in a city, let alone housing. This image is perpetuated by media, stigma, and a lack of education of the true reality of affordable housing and who its recipients are. Affordable housing-qualified citizens represent a range of educations, professions, age, race, and income levels. Affordable housing units, too, represent a variety of homes, many of which are extremely well-kept …

Best Training Practices For Probation Officers And Staff Toward Building A More Sophisticated, Fair, And Effective System Of Juvenile Justice In San Diego County, Carissa Carrasquillo

Ethnic Studies Senior Capstone Papers

This report illustrates how probation leadership, officers, and staff in San Diego County can adopt best training practices to address and alleviate incidents in juvenile detention facilities and build a sophisticated, fair, and effective system of juvenile justice. The goal of implementing best training practices for probation officers and staff is to build a knowledgeable workforce to better serve youth and families and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. This report analyzes how innovations in management and the introduction of new programs has proven effective through research- and evidence-based practices and direct community involvement. In particular, …

Do Booster Emails Improve Learning Transfer Among Parenting Professionals?, Benjamin C. Stout

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parenting professionals play a key role in helping parents have a positive influence on their children, which is why it is important to ensure that professionals have and use research-based information and materials. Using data from 96 parenting professionals from Utah and Missouri, who completed a 4-hour Strong Parents, Stable Children training, we examined the effects (at 2-months post training) of reflective reminder emails on parenting professionals’ utilization and learning transfer of training materials. Results from independent samples t tests show that participants who received “booster” emails at 1-week and 1-month post training shared some information and some materials with …

Female Genital Mutilation In The United States: Estimating The Number Of Girls At Risk, Phyllis Chesler

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Female genital mutilation (FGM) destroys the capacity of women to experience sexual pleasure. It causes serious medical complications such as bleeding, painful urination, cysts, dangerous and recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, the growth of scar tissue that make marital intercourse a nightmare and that turns childbirth into an experience of danger and torture. Due to immigration, FGM now poses a potential health crisis in the West, both in Europe and in the United States. To estimate how many girls who live in the West are at risk, one can measure the prevalence of FGM in the non-Western countries where …

Exploring The Role Of Social Support, Ethnic Identity, And Psychological Empowerment On Drug Use And Sexual Risk Behavior Among Black & Hispanic Female Adolescents, Ijeoma Opara

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Adolescent females of color, particularly Black and Hispanic adolescents, are often viewed as a homogenous group with adolescent boys of color, thus ignoring unique gender-racial specific risk and protective factors to drug use and HIV/AIDS that may be present. Such an absence can lead to flawed outcomes in HIV, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), and substance abuse prevention work that may continue to marginalize girls of color. Using empowerment theory and intersectionality as a framework, this study examines the extent to which ethnic identity, social support, and psychological empowerment is on drug use and sexual risk behavior. The study uses a …

Suicide In Younger And Older Adults : A Comparison Of Two Theoretical Models For Suicide, John F. Gunn Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Suicide is a major public health concern claiming over 47,000 lives annually in the United States. Despite efforts at prevention, the rates of suicide have continued to climb. Due to this, research that can shed light on the potential causes of suicidal thoughts is of great importance. The present manuscript outlines three studies exploring two theoretical frameworks for suicide: (1) Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) and (2) Social Pain Model (SPM). Findings from Study 1 partially support the role of low self-worth and low social support in increasing risk for reporting suicidal thoughts in a racially diverse sample of African …

A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Exploration Of A Sense Of Safety In Three-Generation Low-Income Families, Kaitlin Brigid Mulcahy

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite a wide body of literature that suggests safety as critical to human development and individual well-being (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969; Fosha, Siegel & Solomon, 2009; Marvin, Cooper, Hoffman & Powell, 2002; Porges, 2011; Tronick, 2007), a comprehensive review of the literature found a paucity of research that addresses the phenomenon of a sense of safety within family units. This study sought to fill this gap through an entirely strengths-based design that made use of post-intentional phenomenological methods and arts-based analysis. The research question that guided this study was: How is the phenomenon of a sense …

Factors Associated With Food Insecurity Among Individuals, Aged Sixty And Older, In Clark County, Nv, Lisa M. Segler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In Nevada, an estimated 80,000 individuals, aged 60 years or older, were food insecure in 2016. The primary aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with food insecurity in older adults, aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. The secondary aim of this study was to identify which factors interact with each other to explain food insecurity among individuals aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected by …

Y-Bocs Factor Structure Analysis And Calculation Of Measurement And Structural Invariance Between Genders, Sean B. Vanhille

Theses and Dissertations

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is considered the “gold standard” for measuring symptoms for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) due to the high reliability and validity of the measure. Originally, the Y-BOCS was divided into Obsessive and Compulsive factors; however, literature on the factor structure of the Y-BOCS is inconsistent. Models range from one global factor to different interpretations of bi-factor models to three-factor models. Inconsistencies between models may be attributed to sampling error, including participants with subclinical OCD in some samples, and measurement error. In addition, many researchers treat the Y-BOCS measurement as an interval or ratio scale when it likely …

Kyle's "The Girl's Guide To Life" (Book Review), Amy C. Rice

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

What Is The Landscape Of Early Childhood Coaching In Nebraska?, Rachel E. Schachter, Hayley Jackson, Lisa L. Knoche, Holly Hatton-Bowers

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

Background on Early Childhood Coaching in Nebraska

Coaches have become an integral component of supporting teachers and adults working with young children and families nationally (Schachter, 2015). In the state of Nebraska, early childhood (EC) coaching has increasingly become important for this type of work (Jayaraman, Knoche, Marvin, & Bainter, 2014). Indeed, multiple initiatives within the state utilize coaches as a mechanism for supporting change in adult learners that leads to positive outcomes for young children and families. In general, coaching is a unique form of professional development that is relationship-based, whereby coaches work one-on-one or in small groups with …

Inheritances Of Injustice/Transference Of Freedom: An Intimate Project On Black Women's Intergenerational Relationships And The Consequences Of The Punishment System, Whitney Richards-Calathes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project centers the multi-generational familial relationships between system-impacted Black women, mapping and uncovering the ways in which incarceration and practices of punishment impact, shape, hurt, and displace Black femme lineages. Through a qualitative lens and a specific focus on the current social and political landscape of Los Angeles, this dissertation examines the ways Black women are impacted by carceral ideology; from punitive definitions of Black womanhood, to the surveillance on Black femme familial intimacy and the rupture of Black women’s sense of home and place. Understandings of mass incarceration are frequently male-centered and most analyses of Black women’s system …

“It All Starts With The Parents”: A Qualitative Study On Protective Factors For Drug-Use Prevention Among Black And Hispanic Girls, Ijeoma Opara, David T. Lardier, Robert Reid, Pauline Garcia-Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Using intersectionality theory as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study uncovered the protective factors present among black and Hispanic adolescent girls living in an urban, underresourced neighborhood in the Northeastern United States. The sample used in this study includes eight focus groups that consisted of adolescent females only (N = 57). Female participants were sampled through six youth-serving summer programs throughout the target city. The female participants were between 11 and 17 years of age, with 73% self-identifying as black (n = 45) and 26% (n = 12) as Hispanic. Thematic analysis using an intersectional approach was used to analyze …

Thinging : Powerful Objects., Tammy M. Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The works in "Thinging” are inspired by desire, the genuine and the false, systems of real and perceived values, the quest for immortality, the allure of things, our use of them to make ourselves, and imagining pasts and futures via objects. The following concepts are threaded through the work: cathexis, ritual as a value builder, collections, hoarding, display, object history, exchange, use, and sign values, and vibrant materiality. At the heart of my investigation is the quest to examine the origins of object power, and by what measures it can be evaluated: value from belief, market value, and something perhaps …

The Family, Political Theory, And Ideology: A Comparative Study Of John Stuart Mill And Friedrich Engels, David M. Murray Jr.

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project is concerned with the development of the Christian family in Europe and how its sociological and historical characteristics informed the writings of John Stuart Mill and Friedrich Engels. The term “Christian family” refers to the dominant form of the family seen in Western Europe, namely the atomistic nuclear family. The sociological and ideological foundations of the family are explored to provide context for the writings of John Stuart Mill and Friedrich Engels that utilize the concept of the family for their political projects. Both wrote critically about the state of the family in their lifetimes, particularly in regard …

Navigating Colorism And Racial Identity In Dominican Women, Christine Hernandez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Colorism has been perpetuated in Dominican culture across generations. That along with a colonial mentality has shaped the racial identity and ideologies of their people. I explore what historical and societal factors play into identity in Dominican women. Additionally, I delve into the history of blackness on the island of Hispañola and how it has led to the perpetuation of colorism. I show how this perpetuation influences the racial self-identity of Dominican women through different forms of media and culture.

A Narrative Criticism Of Online Anti-Vaccine Stories Of Vaxtruth, Stephanie Willes

Graduate Research Symposium (2018 - present)

Using narrative methods, this professional paper provides a rhetorical criticism of an anti-vaccine community called, VaxTruth. This analysis will aid in understanding why anti-vaccine narratives are so persuasive and what they offer people who join anti-vaccine communities. To explore this phenomenon I first look at the affordances of the Internet, how it encourages participation, which spreads misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories. Understanding how actions through the Internet become rhetorical acts, I turn to rhetorical theories of counterpublics and exigences, which also aids in finding the outcomes of anti-vaccine discourses. Current findings show meta-narratives of government conspiracy theories that break away …

More Kindergarteners Are Exempted From Required School Vaccinations Than In The Past, Kent Jason G. Cheng

Population Health Research Brief Series

The percentage of kindergarteners being granted exemption from vaccination is growing across the U.S. as parents increasingly request exemptions for philosophical reasons. During the 2017-18 school year, 2.2% of kindergartners were exempted from vaccination. This is up from 1.6% during the 2011-12 school year.

Contextualizing Gender Inequality In Division Of Household Labor And Family Life: A Cross-National Perspective, Hyojung Kim

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aims to provide contextual understanding of the persistence of gender inequality at home from a comparative perspective. Although the equality between men and women has been considered desirable and mostly achieved in the domain of paid labor in most industrial societies, unpaid labor in the domestic sphere is one of the most obstinate realms of gender inequality. Previous comparative research on housework provides valuable insights into the mechanism underlying the gender division of household labor and has revealed that both micro- and macro-level gender equalities play a key role in explaining the gender division of household labor. Building …

Parental Influence On The Communicative Behaviors Of Black Young Adults, Sarah R. Brockett

Honors Theses

This study examined communicative behaviors of Black young adults and how they were impacted by the relational dynamics of their parents. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 73 Black young adults 18-35 years of age. The survey instrument measured the students' argumentative approach and avoidance behavior in interpersonal relationships. There were three directional hypotheses, but the data collected did not prove or disprove them. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had parents that were still married. The results showed there to be no significant difference in argumentativeness between the "together " and "strained" groups. Verbal and …

An Examination Of The Mother-Baby Relationship, Morgan A. Winkfield

Honors Theses

This study examines the relationship between postpartum depression and mother-child bonding. The purpose of this study is to help improve the understanding of the bond between a mother and child and the factors that affect postpartum depression. The dependent variable is bonding, it described as the emotional attachment between mother and child. Bonding is measured using the Post Partum Bonding Scale. The independent variable is postpartum depression. This is a disease that arises after birth often affecting the way a woman connects with the world around her. This variable is studied using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. A series of …

The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Parenting Practices, Talisa C. Gonzalez

Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to traumatic sources of stress that a child may endure before the age of 18 such as household dysfunction, neglect, various types of abuse (i.e., physical, verbal, sexual), parental separation, and witnessing violence. These kinds of traumatic experiences have been linked to poor mental, emotional, social, and physical health in adulthood. Researchers found associations between early childhood experiences of abuse and individuals' later abusive parenting of their own children. Although the effects of ACEs can have detrimental consequences, resilience-both internal and external-can mitigate these negative effects

through the use of protective factors such as personal …

An Investigation Into The Conceptualisations Of Leadership Among Early Childhood Teachers In Ireland., Edel Fenlon

Dissertations

Leadership in an Irish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) context is a new and emerging ideology at a policy and practice level. This study aimed to gain an understanding of the conceptualisations of leadership held by early childhood teachers who work directly with children in Ireland. This study explored the associations of leadership held by participants, recognition of leadership potential and attributes of effective leadership; through an interpretivist paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative research design was selected to capture the lived experiences of leadership of participants. Six semi-structured interviews we completed with early childhood teachers from rural Ireland. …

Child Poverty, Physical & Mental Health In Maine, Katelyn Malloy

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Children who live below the national poverty line account for nearly one fifth of Maine’s overall population. Child poverty is a determinant of health that can lead to negative health outcomes that affect childhood development, educational achievement, as well as physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to identify five Maine counties with the highest rates of child poverty according to the national average. Comparison of poverty rates between counties were analyzed along with two leading health indicators – mental and physical distress. This study used 2016 county-level childhood poverty estimates, assessed by the American Community Survey …

Dampak Bumdes Terhadap Kesejahteraan Masyarakat Di Desa Aik Batu Buding, Kabupaten Belitung, Provinsi Bangka Belitung.

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Village development is a priority in national development, because it is closely related to the third point of the President's Nawacita which states that it is developing Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages within the framework of a unitary state. This study aims to describe the impact of BUMDES on the welfare of rural communities. BUMDES is one of the programs to strengthen the role of the region. village aik batu buding, Belitung Districts, Bangka Belitung Islands Province has become one of the best BUMDES in the Province in 2016, because it is interesting to see the …

Guidelines For Selecting Professional Development For Early Childhood Teachers, Rachel E. Schachter, Hope K. Gerde, Holly Hatton-Bowers

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

Engaging teachers of young children in effective in-service professional development is a critical component of establishing high quality early childhood education. However, not all professional development offerings are effective in imparting new knowledge, enhancing teacher practice, or improving child outcomes, making it difficult for teachers and directors to select professional development that will benefit their centers. This paper critically reviews the research literature on professional development for early childhood education to identify what features of professional development make a difference for teacher interactions and children’s learning and development. Guidance is provided for selecting professional development opportunities which meet the needs …

“Oh Lord, Save Us From Such Monsters:” Maternal Impression And Monstrous Births In The Eighteenth-Century Netherlands, Sara Hollar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This historical survey focuses on the memoirs of Catharina Schrader, a Frisian midwife in the eighteenth century, as a lens into beliefs about maternal impression and monstrous births during the early modern period. The then popular theory of maternal impression, where pregnant women could impact their gestating fetus’s appearance or characteristics through their behavior, thoughts, and feelings, was used to explain many instances of monstrous births. Monstrosity, now understood as congenital defects or disabilities, was seen as a result and marker of pregnant women’s moral failings. Using examples of monstrous births from Schrader’s memoirs, I analyze the threat of maternal …

Empowering Women Through Land: An Analysis Of The Barriers In Accessing Land Rights Within Kisumu County, Kenya, Madison Shaffer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project aims to gain a greater understanding of the current state of women’s land rights in Kisumu County, Kenya. It will discuss current barriers women face in accessing land and how land can impact a woman’s empowerment and in turn, her control over her health. Property rights can provide women with a secure place to live, a place of economic activity and reduce dependence on men. Property ownership can also serve to empower women and “give them greater bargaining power at the household, individual, and community level...increasing agency” (Dworkin,2009). Unfortunately, men have almost always been favored in land rights …