Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

A Critical Exploration Of Ideology And Agency In Intensive Motherhood Literature, Maya Autret

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation explores how scholars have extended Sharon Hays’ (1997) influential work on Intensive Motherhood Ideology (IM). In conceptualizing IM, Dr. Hays proposed that IM ideology leads women in cisgender heterosexual unions to spend more time caregiving despite increased participation in paid work, compared to prior decades. Dr. Hays further asserted IM is a form of resistance to neoliberalism (i.e., capitalism based on a free-market system). However, it is unclear to what degree women are driven by an oppressive ideology and/or are making important social contributions based on conscious choice, which carries important implications for women’s agency. Through content analyses, …

Adolescent Cognition As A Dynamic System : Examining Complex Cognition, Concepts And Context, Rachael R. Doubledee

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The transition to adolescence is characterized by the rapid development of many interacting social, emotional, and cognitive processes. Adolescent development is organized around developing successful peer relationships and peer interactions which can improve social standing, define group memberships, and develop a social identity. In the first manuscript, I identified cognitive complexity as an important underlying developmental concept to adolescent development and established a theoretical foundation. Cognitive complexity was explored through a dynamic systems approach which examined the interacting processes of development in addition to outcomes. In the second manuscript, secondary interviews (N = 24) were analyzed in a multi-stage process. …

Pain That Only She Must Bear: On The Invisibility Of Women In Judicial Abortion Rhetoric, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The graphic and bodily facts of a legal question of rights are relevant to the courts, particularly in questions that directly implicate physical bodies and pain, such as right to die cases, or what level of search may be allowable and when. However, in the case of abortion, or more specifically the bodily ramifications of pregnancy and childbirth, this detail is conspicuously absent. This article, relying on a content analysis of over 220 legal opinions on abortion rights, documents this absence of rhetoric. Particularly in the context of other discussions of pain and physical health risks in these very same …

Stigmas Of Alzheimer's Disease And Help Seeking For Alzheimer's Disease Among African Americans, Donna De Levante Raphael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine how the perceptions of stigma of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affected the help-seeking behaviors of African American caregivers. Data used in this study were collected using semistructured interviews with 11 African American caregivers caring for loved ones diagnosed with AD. The conceptual framework of this study was guided by the stigma theory and the sociocultural health belief model. The four types of social stigmas used to assess the effects of the stigma of AD were public, self, courtesy, and structural stigma. Data were analyzed using the Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). Results provided support …

Rising Cost Of Medicare And Its Effect On Recipients 65 And Older, Williesa Toomer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rising cost of Medicare is a growing concern for recipients. Beneficiaries are often forced to implement a host of strategies to meet rising out-of-pocket expenses. This qualitative study was conducted to address a research gap in methods used by senior citizens to manage rising Medicare coverage costs. Garmezy’s resilience theory was used to contextualize the rising costs of Medicare premiums and copays and strategies used to manage healthcare needs. The purposive sample of 12 socioeconomically diverse respondents included eight women and four men ranging in age between 65 and 77, for an average age of 70.2 years. Participants completed …

Co-Use Among Confidants: An Examination Of Polysubstance Use And Personal Relationships In Southeastern Nebraska, G. Robin Gauthier, Kelly Markowski, Jeffrey A. Smith, Sela R. Harcey, Bergen Johnston

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between personal networks and polysubstance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) in a medium sized city in the Midwest. A large body of work has demonstrated that personal relationships have an ambivalent association with substance use. On the one hand, a supportive network is associated with safer drug use practices and dramatically improves the outlook for recovery. However, individuals whose personal networks are composed of co-drug use partners are more likely to engage in risky practices. We argue that this notion of “supportive” social contacts and “risky” social contacts is ultimately incomplete: risky behaviors …

Replicating Or Franchising A Stem Afterschool Program Model: Core Elements Of Programmatic Integrity, Nikolaus Stevenson, Amie S. Sommers, Neal Grandgenett, William Tapprich, Julia Mcquillan, Michelle Phillips, Rachael Jensen, Christine Cutucache

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: Designed in 2012 with a first implementation in 2013, NE STEM 4U is a professional development program for post-secondary students/undergraduates, and serves as a source of outreach, content knowledge generation, and STEM literacy for youth in grades kindergarten through 8th grade (ages 5–14). The model empowers post-secondary students as facilitators of inquiry-based learning within the context of an out-of-school time program. This study investigated the potential for replicating or ‘franchising’ this model by evaluating on the following: (1) Is the model replicable? And, if so, (2) what core elements are necessary for program fidelity? And (3) is there …

Is Perceived Inability To Procreate Associated With Life Satisfaction? Evidence From A German Panel Study, Julia Mcquillan, Jasmin Passet-Wittig, Arthur L. Greil, Martin Bujard

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Most studies of the psychosocial consequences of infertility have focused on those who seek medical treatment, leaving a research gap regarding the psychosocial consequences of perceived inability to procreate in the general population. Moreover, most studies are cross-sectional and the results are thus likely affected by omitted variable bias. Inspired by aspects of the Theory of Conjunctural Action, this study analysed 10 waves of data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) for women and men using fixed effects panel regression and including time-varying control variables suggested by theory and research. This study found that both women and men experienced lower …

Isolation, Cohesion And Contingent Network Effects: The Case Of School Attachment And Engagement, G. Robin Gauthier, Jeffrey A. Smith, Sela Harcey, Kelly Markowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Isolation and cohesion are two key network features, often used to predict outcomes like mental health and deviance. More cohesive settings tend to have better outcomes, while isolates tend to fare worse than their more integrated peers. A common assumption of past work is that the effect of cohesion is universal, so that all actors get the same benefits of being in a socially cohesive environment. Here, we suggest that the effect of cohesion is universal only for specific types of outcomes. For other outcomes, experiencing the benefits of cohesion depends on an individual’s position in the network, such as …

Familial And Individual Risk Markers For Physical And Psychological Dating Violence Perpetration And Victimization Among College Students, Meagan Kunitzer, Kimberly Tyler, Leslie Gordon Simons

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Dating violence (DV) is a prominent problem among college students that can result in harmful physical and mental health outcomes. Though much research has focused on physical DV, fewer studies have examined psychological DV. As such, the current paper compared early/familial risk markers (e.g., child physical abuse, witnessing parental violence, and maternal relationship quality) and individual risk markers (e.g., alcohol use, marijuana and prescription drug use) for physical and psychological DV among college students. Data were gathered at two large public universities using pencil and paper surveys (N = 1,482). Bivariate results revealed more risk markers for men (e.g., …

Factors Associated With Arkansans’ First Use Of Telehealth During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer A. Andersen, Holly C. Felix, Dejun Su, James P. Selig, Shawn M. Ratcliff, Pearl A. Mcelfish

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective. To examine the factors associated with the first use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic using Andersen’s Model of Healthcare Utilization. Andersen’s Model of Healthcare Utilization allowed the categorization of the independent variables into the following: (1) predisposing factors, including sociodemographic variables and health beliefs; (2) enabling factors, including socioeconomic status and access to care; and (3) need for care, including preexisting or newly diagnosed conditions and reasons to seek out care or to utilize a new mode of care. Methods. Potential respondents (n = 4,077) were identified for recruitment from a volunteer registry in Arkansas. Recruitment emails provided …

Associations Of Rheumatoid Arthritis And Depressive Symptoms Over Time: Are There Differences By Education, Race/Ethnicity, And Gender?, Julia Mcquillan, Jennifer A. Andersen, Terceira A. Berdahl, Jeff Willett

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective. To examine associations between changes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms and depressive symptoms adjusted for other time-varying characteristics, and to test if these associations differed by education, race/ethnicity, or gender.

Methods. Data from the 1988–1998 US National Rheumatoid Arthritis Study were analyzed (n = 854). Time-varying covariates included year of the study, pain, functional ability, household work disability, parental status, marital status, employment status, and social support. The time-invariant covariates included years since diagnosis, education, race/ ethnicity, and gender. Multivariate multilevel-model analyses were used to estimate associations within people over time.

Results. Patients with RA experience considerable change in …

Your Best Estimate Is Fine. Or Is It?, Jerry Timbrook, Kristen Olson, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Providing an exact answer to open-ended numeric questions can be a burdensome task for respondents. Researchers often assume that adding an invitation to estimate (e.g., “Your best estimate is fine”) to these questions reduces cognitive burden, and in turn, reduces rates of undesirable response behaviors like item nonresponse, nonsubstantive answers, and answers that must be processed into a final response (e.g., qualified answers like “about 12” and ranges). Yet there is little research investigating this claim. Additionally, explicitly inviting estimation may lead respondents to round their answers, which may affect survey estimates. In this study, we investigate the effect of …

“Are You …”: An Examination Of Incomplete Question Stems In Self-Administered Surveys, Nestor Hernandez, Kristen Olson, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Questionnaire designers are encouraged to write questions as complete sentences. In self-administered surveys, incomplete question stems may reduce visual clutter but may also increase burden when respondents need to scan the response options to fully complete the question. We experimentally examine the effects of three categories of incomplete question stems (incomplete conversational, incomplete ordinal, and incomplete nominal questions) versus complete question stems on 53 items in a probability webmail survey. We examine item nonresponse, response time, selection of the first and last response options, and response distributions. We find that incomplete question stems take slightly longer to answer and slightly …

Pandemic, Politics, And Public Opinion About Crime, Lisa Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Prior scholarship links ontological insecurities, racial tensions, and health issues to public opinion about crime. This project examined these forces in the context of the 2020 pandemic, racial justice demonstrations, and politics using data from the Nebraska 2020 survey (N=2775). Pandemicrelated insecurities and racial animus were associated with avoiding places in the community, worry about crime, and the belief that police in one’s community are underfunded. Trusting politicians but distrusting health leaders, and viewing COVID as an economic threat but not a health threat were associated with the belief police are underfunded. Results suggest that the politicization of the pandemic …

Examining The Influence Of Political Affiliation And Orientation On Political Tolerance, Christopher R. H Garneau, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Political identities are strongly associated with political tolerance. Specifically, previous research shows that American liberals report higher levels of tolerance toward marginalized groups than conservatives. Political orientation, however, varies more among Democrats than Republicans, which might mean that Democrats are relatively diverse in their levels of political tolerance. In this article, the authors ask how the association between political orientation and political tolerance varies across political parties. Using General Social Survey data, the authors find that tolerance is highest among liberals, followed by moderates and conservatives. Regression models with interactions between party and orientation demonstrate that political orientation is consequential …

A Message From The Editors Of Journal Of Survey Statistics And Methodology, Kristen Olson, Katherine Jenny Thompson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In June 2021, JSSAM received its opening impact factor (1.957 for 2020), ranking JSSAM as 46/125 in Statistics and Probability and 29/52 in Social Sciences Mathematical Methods. This ranking is especially gratifying given the relative youth of this journal, and credit should be shared among the dedicated editors (present and emeritus), associate editors, contributing authors, and readership. Truly, the past few years have brought about personal and professional challenges thanks to the coronavirus disease pandemic. Despite this, JSSAM has maintained its high standards, continuing to make great inroads toward its objective of being “the flagship journal for research on survey …

Substance Use, Injection Risk Behaviors, And Fentanyl‑Related Overdose Risk Among A Sample Of Pwid Post‑Hurricane Maria, Roberto Abadie, Manuel Cano, Patrick Habecker, Camila Gelpí‑Acosta

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: While natural disasters like hurricanes are increasingly common, their long-term effects on people who inject drugs are not well understood. Although brief in duration, natural disasters can radically transform risk environments, increasing substance use and drug-related harms.

Methods: Based on a study of people who inject drugs (PWID) and injection risk behaviors in rural Puerto Rico, the present study uses data from two different phases of the parent study. Data for 110 participants were collected from December 2015 to January 2017, soon before Hurricane Maria landed in September 2017; the 2019 phase, in the aftermath of the hurricane, included …

Comparing Readability Measures And Computer-Assisted Question Evaluation Tools For Self-Administered Survey Questions, Rachel Stenger, Kristen Olson, Jolene Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Questionnaire designers use readability measures to ensure that questions can be understood by the target population. The most common measure is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade level, but other formulas exist. This article compares six different readability measures across 150 questions in a self-administered questionnaire, finding notable variation in calculated readability across measures. Some question formats, including those that are part of a battery, require important decisions that have large effects on the estimated readability of survey items. Other question evaluation tools, such as the Question Understanding Aid (QUAID) and the Survey Quality Predictor (SQP), may identify similar problems in questions, making …

Preferences For Paid Paternity Leave Availability, Lengths Of Leave Offerings, And Government Funding Of Paternity Leaves In The United States, Chris Knoester, Qi Li

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study analyzes 2012 General Social Survey data (N = 1,089) about preferences for paid paternity leave availability, lengths of leave offerings, and government funding of leaves. It highlights gender and gendered parenting role attitudes as predictors of leave preferences. Descriptive results revealed sizable (i.e., 53 percent) support for leave availability and moderate (i.e., 33 percent) support for some government funding; still, only modest (i.e., five weeks) lengths of leave offerings were desired. Regression results indicated that women were typically more likely than men to support more generous leave offerings. Consistently, dual-earner expectations were positively associated with preferences for more …

Using Transformational Preaching And Life-Skill Seminars To Promote Conversation And Dialogue On Abuse And Family Violence At Mount Olive Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Toronto, Jacqueline D. Peart

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Domestic violence is a hidden crime globally and it is a problem at the Mount Olive Seventh-day Adventist Church. Very often, the abusers and the abused are from the same family. Children who grow up in homes where physical and mental abuse is prevalent tend to become abusers or marry abusers. Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are not immune and need emotional healing from abuse and family violence. However, Christian communities typically appear silent on the issues of abuse and family violence.

Method

An exploratory process was devised to research the benefits of transformational preaching and life-skill seminars …

Dynastic And Generative Intent For First-Generation Black Wealth Creators In A Modern Racial Enclave Economy, Latanya White

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the underlying causes of the racial wealth gap between Black and White Americans: the absence of intergenerational wealth transfers in Black business families. As American wealth becomes concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, the data reveal that one third of the 400 wealthiest Americans inherited their wealth from the entrepreneurial endeavors of earlier generations in their family, some creating entrepreneurial dynasties. An important aspect of succession planning is the construct of generativity. Generativity is practiced through leading, nurturing, promoting, and teaching the next generation to create things to “move down the generational chain and connect to a …

Appalachian Adolescents In An Out-Of-School-Time Program: Examining The Role Of Social Support From Family And Friends For Coping Skills And Intellectual Risk-Taking Outcomes, Summer Kuhn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research on young adults has emphasized the importance of social support for generating positive physical, mental, and academic outcomes. This study aims to understand the impact of social support from family and friends on coping skills and intellectual risk-taking among high school seniors participating in an Out-of-School-Time (OST) program in Appalachia. Data from the program’s annual evaluation (2014-2018) was analyzed to measure associations between perceived social support from family and friends and students’ coping skills and intellectual risk-taking. Moreover, potential differences in these associations across genders were considered. Analyses found a significant association between family-based social support and coping skills, …

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Impact Of Formative Childhood And Adolescent Experiences In Latinx Children Of Immigrants Adulthood: Analysis Of Educational, Health, And Social Implications, Alma P. Lopez

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As the rates of immigration rise within the United States, it is essential to discuss and bring awareness to the neglect and discrimination that immigrants and subsequently the children of immigrants face within the nation. We know about the journey of immigrants and the effects of such but what about their children? Those who did not specifically make the travel to a foreign country but had the “privilege” to be born there? The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of children of immigrants’ experience in their childhood with this identity and their potential effects into their adulthood …

The Thread Of Legality: Lgbtq Parental Identity Construction And Experiences In A Post-Marriage Equality Era, Allison Jendry James

Wayne State University Dissertations

LGBTQ couples have more opportunities to become parents than ever before. This is partly due to advancements in the LGBTQ movement as well as changes in cultural ideologies, changes in families, and more recent medical advancements (Ryan and Berkowitz 2009). Such changes allow LGBTQ couples to become parents, but to do so in differing ways (Dunne 2000). The legalization of same-sex marriage changed the parenting landscape for LGBTQ parents in a variety of ways. Parenthood is presumably different now that same-sex marriage is officially legal. Experiences among LGBTQ couples in the post legalization of same-sex marriage era raises questions about …

Working With Families With Refugee Experiences In The United States: The Impact Of Forced Displacement On Parent-Child Relationships After Resettlement, Sakshi Kapur

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Refugees resettled in high-income countries like the United States have a unique set of challenges ranging from great psychological disturbance to acculturation challenges. With recent changes to policies related to immigration and refugee resettlement in the United States after the 2016 presidential elections, the refugee diaspora was left with resettlement services focused more on ensuring national security and economic independence rather than services that catered to re-integration beyond economics like acculturation stress, family functioning, and cultural adjustment. This systemic literature review explores the impact of forced displacement and migration on individuals, with an emphasis on family systems and parent-child relationships. …

Diabetes Self-Management Education In The Urban Low Socioeconomic Status Senior Population, Heather Santa Barbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This exploratory quantitative study used a survey design to address a gap in the literature concerning primary care team perceptions about diabetes care for urban low socioeconomic status seniors with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic health problem that is often managed in primary care offices, and primary care teams are often the first source of education and support for patients. Standards of management for seniors with diabetes has changed to eliminate tight control of glucose levels, and primary care team members may have differing perceptions about diabetes care depending upon their role in the primary care team and years of …

Adoptive Parents Are Socially Affected By The Behaviors Of Adolescents With Reactive Attachment Disorder, Latoya C. Geter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research regarding the experiences of adoptive parents in the Midwest has revealed feelings of social isolation. Further research is warranted focusing on social issues adoptive parents of reactive attachment disorder (RAD) youth experience in the South. This could serve as a comparison to the findings from research focused on the Midwest. There is a gap in the research and knowledge regarding the social issues adoptive parents of RAD youth experience in Arkansas. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the daily, lived experiences of adoptive parents of adolescents with RAD living in rural areas. Attachment theory was the …

Human And Social Services Direct Service Professionals' Perception Of Late-Life Cumulative Grief And Loss, Deanna Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, the adult population 65 and older is anticipated to grow, signaling the necessity of awareness of late-life issues and concerns. Although research has shown that losses and changes in late life are anticipated, there is very little empirical evidence of how HSPs direct care professionals understand, assess, or perceive the complexities of cumulative grief and loss in their 65 and older clients. Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory (CGT) (2014) was used as the conceptual framework a qualitative methodology to explore the understanding, assessment, and perception of the complexities of late-life cumulative grief and loss of HSPs working with adults 65 …