Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Variation In Masculinities And Fathering Behaviors: A Cross-National Comparison Of The United States And Canada, Kevin Shafer, Richard J. Petts, Casey Scheibling

Faculty Publications

Research continues to examine the barriers to and facilitators of positive fathering behaviors. One area recently addressed by researchers focuses on the relationship between masculine norm adherence and father involvement. Yet, little work has examined cross-national variability in this relationship—despite differences in gender norms, fathering expectations, and social policies across countries. The present study considers possible differences in the relationship between masculine norm adherence and fathering behaviors in the United States and Canada—two rich, multiethnic countries with many similarities but some distinct policy and family support differences. Using data from fathers in Canada (n = 2057) and the United …

Effects Of Sex, Race, And Education On The Timing Of Coming Out Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Adults In The U.S., Trenton M. Haltom, Shawn M. Ratcliff

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Sexual identity formation or “coming out” as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) involves a complex process including both private realization and public disclosure. Private realization refers to the process through which an individual becomes aware of their LGB identity, whereas public disclosure reflects when an individual discloses their identity to another person. Sex, race, and class affect the timing of these processes across the life course. While extant research has identified the bivariate nature of these processes, we took a multivariate approach to understand the timing of these sexual identity milestones from a life-course perspective. Using data from the Pew …

Social Withdrawal Associated With Regret And Fulfillment In Three Long-Term Care Facilities, Melanie Mei Yukie Serrao

Theses and Dissertations

The study of social withdrawal continues to grow among younger samples, including childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Little research has addressed socially withdrawn older adults, despite the various losses, declines, and changes experienced by those in later life and their known benefits resulting from social interactions. Shy, avoidant, or unsocial individuals at younger ages may withdraw and possibly miss out on important opportunities; as a result, when they are grown, these same socially withdrawn individuals may experience greater regret and lower fulfillment in later life. Further, socially withdrawn older adults residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities may have more time …

Measuring Empowerment Among Adolescent Girls In The Context Of Intervention, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Empowerment is an important goal in adolescent girl programming but remains elusive and unobserved from a quantitative measurement perspective. This brief describes a statistical exercise conducted to explore adolescent girl empowerment as a latent or underlying concept that, while not directly observed, may be illustrated through responses to questions on behaviors and attitudes asked in quantitative structured interviews. Data were used from a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated the impact in delaying girls’ age at marriage in rural Bangladeshi communities with a high prevalence of child marriage. The study collected extensive data on potential measures of voice, choice, and agency …

Redefining The Meanings Of Daily-Occupations And Life Quality Amongst Mothers Living With Their Autistic Children, Eko Sumaryanto, Gandes Mutiara Aziz

International Programs

Raising children with autism is very challenging for mothers due to changes on how occupational performance and occupational roles are performed. This circumstance demands these mothers to redefine the meaning of doing occupations and how they perceive their well-being in general. This study empirically investigates how mothers redefine the meaning of daily activities and self-report their well-being. The study employs in-depth interviews and formulates specific themes of findings. The study uses the phenomenology approach to investigate the dynamics of meanings experienced by the respondents and how they construct the new version of well-being from raising the autistic children.

Play Spaces As Heterotopia: Seeking New Ways To Trouble The Discourses And Enactments Of Playwork, Linda J. Shaw

International Journal of Playwork Practice

In 1966 Foucault broadcasted a talk on French radio about “heterotopia.” These, he claimed, were institutional spaces that could be identified as being part of society, but at the same time outside contemporary social and political norms in their structure, discourses and iconography. The discourses and enactments of playwork frequently occur in shared spaces, in which they come up against powerful counter-discourses, particularly those generated by educational institutions. A (re)turning to data collected in three primary schools, their partner nursery and out-of-school provision revealed tensions and opportunities for playwork and playworkers during school play times and before and after school …

"We Had To Rely On Each Other": Voices Of Latinx Foster Youth With Experiences In Care With Siblings, Isabella B. Ginsberg

University Honors Theses

Relationships between members of sibling groups have been found to impact well-being for children who enter foster care. Being placed in stranger foster care is often challenging and can be traumatic with children reporting confusion, worry, and loss of identity and sense of belonging. While there is some research that explores the experiences of siblings groups in foster care and others separately that examines Latinx children in foster care, there is very little information that looks into the potentially unique experiences of Latinx individuals who were in care with siblings that also accounts for cultural nuance.

This study used a …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware. The commonly known screening method among …

Exploring College Student Identity Among Young People With Foster Care Histories And Mental Health Challenges, Rebecca Miller, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, Chanel Ison

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Young adults with foster care histories experience unique barriers to success in postsecondary academic settings, including higher rates of mental health challenges. This study reports the perspectives of college students with foster care histories and self-identified mental health concerns (N = 18) about how these factors relate to their post-secondary academic experiences. Study participants describe managing their mental health amid other academic and life stressors, share their perspectives on campus-based support and help-seeking experiences, and highlight the need for acknowledgement of their foster care identities in conjunction with their developing college student identities. Participants make a case for programming to …

Building Assets For Humanitarian Settings, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document is the Women’s Refugee Commission and the Population Council’s adaptation of the Building Assets Toolkit and its core activity, the Asset Exercise, for use in humanitarian contexts. An asset-building exercise is a thoughtful way to build intentional program content for girls to determine what assets they need in order to survive and thrive. This is particularly important for programs intended to reach the poorest girls in the poorest communities based on sound evidence on the reality of their lives. The Council’s Building Assets Toolkit is rooted in this exercise, helping practitioners, policymakers, and advocates build tailored, meaningful, …

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a cultural practice that has health and human rights impacts on girls and women. The health sector has responsibility for prevention and response to provision of care services to women/girls with FGM/C-related complications. The mandate for the health sector response to FGM/C is anchored in nationwide or sector-specific legal/policy instruments. Kenya and Nigeria have ratified global legal/policy instruments and adopted WHO guidelines/tools for the prevention and management of FGM/C. The extent to which existing legal/policy documents in these two countries address prevention and response to management of FGM/C has been unclear. A desk review was …

Appendices—Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu

Reproductive Health

This document contains Appendices to “Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review of Laws and Policies in Kenya and Nigeria.” Appendix 1 contains two tables: “Components of Kenyan Laws Related to FGM/C Prevention and Management,” and “Components of Nigerian Laws Related to FGM/C Prevention and Management.” Appendix 2 contains seven tables: “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in Kenyan Policies,” “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in Nigerian Policies,” “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in the Kenyan Plans of Action,” “Components Relevant to …

Women’S Attitudes Towards Wife-Beating In Tanzania: Evidence From The 2015/16 National Demographic And Health Survey, Magashi Joseph, Neema Msenda

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Approval of wife-beating implies a continuous women victimisation which affects their health, wellbeing, and their involvement in productive activities in the economy. The study intends to investigate socioeconomic determinants of approval of wife-beating in Tanzania. The analysis uses cross-sectional data of a representative sample of 5,889 married women from the 2015/16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey. Result shows that about 60% of married women approve wife-beating from their partners/husbands in Tanzania. Further, multivariate logistic regression estimates reveal that approval of wife beating is negatively associated with women involvement in decision-making, household economic status, women’s and partner’s education, and women media …

Creative Assets And Program Content Guide: To Build Social And Emotional Learning And Promote Trauma Mitigation And Healing, Adolescent Girl And Creativity Network

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2016, the Adolescent Girl and Creativity Network was commissioned by the Population Council’s Community of Practice to utilize their wealth of knowledge and field experience to critically examine, adapt, and expand the Council’s Building Assets Toolkit^© and complementary Asset Exercise. The question explored was: What are the essential assets pertinent to the most-at-risk girls and how can they be built through creative techniques/activities? This guide is the result of that activity—13 creative assets and 50 activities (program content) to build social and emotional learning, mitigate and manage trauma, and promote healing. The 50 creative program content activities to …

Examining Fatherhood Through Historical Empathy In Tristram Shandy, Marygrace King

The Criterion

Laurence Sterne’s eighteenth-century novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy follows the tangential musings of Tristram Shandy — musings so roundabout and convoluted that they force modern readers either to eyerolls of frustration or to a reconceived sense of humor. Within this essay, I explore the character of Tristram’s father, Walter Shandy, through a lens of historical empathy. To twenty-first century standards, Walter’s fatherhood is lacking and distant, even uncaring; yet when viewed through the lens of an eighteenth-century perspective, Walter’s motivations and eccentricities begin to make sense in the context of eighteenth-century mortality rates. I explore his unorthodox …

Aces And Substance Use: Understanding The Influence Of Childhood Experiences On Substance Use In Adolescence Across Race And Ethnicity, Tacey Micole Matheson Shurtliff

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect numerous outcomes in adulthood, but relatively few studies examine their implications for adolescents. Understanding the effects of ACEs is important since adolescent behaviors affect subsequent life course milestones and transitions. One area of the ACEs research that is deficient involves adolescent substance use. In addition, there is a paucity of studies addressing whether the association between ACEs and substance use differs by race/ethnicity. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study aims to fill these gaps by (a) examining whether adolescents who experience more ACEs tend to be at higher risk …

Social-Emotional Outcomes In Children With Hydrocephalus, Vanessa L. Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and social-emotional functioning. The social-emotional health of children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus is not well characterized. This study examined social-emotional and behavioral functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 parent report scores were compared to the BASC-3 normative sample using one-sample t-tests to evaluate overall social-emotional functioning. BASC-3 scores were correlated with the social-emotional domain of the HOQ using Pearson's r to determine if the HOQ accurately captures the social-emotional …

Client Experiences Of A Brief Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Protocol, Sheilagh Fox

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of clients who completed a brief heart rate variability biofeedback protocol. The purposes of this study were to (1) learn about client experiences of biofeedback because almost no previous research has done so and (2) explore the potential role of common factors in biofeedback. Fifteen clients were interviewed and their data analyzed according to the methods of Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill, 2012). CQR relies on the use of group consensus to construct representations of participant experiences and categorize themes within the data. The results of the study showed that participants generally experienced the HRVB+ …

Domestic Work, Sexual Abuse, And Exploitation In Tanzania, James K. Matheka, Elizabeth Shayo, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Domestic work is characterized by excessive working hours, extremely low pay or no pay at all, and conditions that make the profession exploitive in many cases. Evidence is emerging that domestic work is a feeder profession for sex work. One study of more than 2,000 commercial sex workers in Ethiopia found that 42 percent were former domestic workers. However, little is known about transitions to commercial sex work or commercial sexual exploitation in Tanzania. The objective of the research detailed in this brief was to expand the understanding of child domestic workers and commercial sex workers/girls who are commercially sexually …

How Taiwanese Death Rituals Have Adapted For Families Living In The Us, Pei-Lin Yu

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Taiwanese people living in the United States face a dilemma when loved ones die. Many families worry that they might not be able to carry out proper rituals in their new homeland.

As a biracial Taiwanese-American archaeologist living in Idaho and studying in Taiwan, I am discovering the many faces of Taiwan’s blended cultural heritage drawn from the mix of peoples that have inhabited the island over millennia.

Treatment Engagement And Effectiveness Using An Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy At A University Counseling Center, Meredith S. Pescatello

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. Mental health services do not meet demand due to accessibility issues, financial burden, and increasing needs. Technology can provide affordable, accessible mental health care and some research suggests internet-delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy (iCBT) may be an effective treatment. In iCBTs, participants typically complete Cognitive Behavior Therapy modules and videos and are supported by a therapist. Advantages of iCBT over face-to-face therapy include lower cost, no travel time, easy access, no waitlists, and trackable progress. To our knowledge there have been no naturalistic studies of iCBT programs. Therefore, this …

Long Distance Interaction In Viejo Period Casas Grandes, Jaron Troy Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses how interregional interaction changed between the Viejo period (AD 700-1200) and Medio period (AD 1200-1450) in northwest Chihuahua, Mexico. Non-locally procured or created artifacts, features, and iconographic elements are used as proxy evidence for past long-distance relationships. Data available in technical reports and other publications concerning these materials in Viejo period contexts and a sample of excavated Medio period sites are synthesized and presented. The data are used to create a geospatial dataset and distribution maps with quantities and contextual information for each of the nonlocal materials. I argue that interaction and social networks with long-distance neighbors …

Insomnia Symptom Severity Is Associated With Increased Suicidality And Suicide In A Psychiatric Sample, Zachary Alan Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Insomnia is a risk factor for suicidal behavior including attempts and suicide. We investigated whether insomnia symptom severity predicted suicidality and suicide in an at-risk sample. The sample included deceased psychiatric patients seen at Weber Human Services since 2008 (N=180) who completed the Outpatient Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ) prior to death. Insomnia symptom severity was assessed using item 41 from the OQ. Manner of death was determined by death records and autopsy reports. History of suicidal ideation and prior suicide attempts were determined through review of electronic medical records. Cases were grouped into 4 categories: no history of suicidality (n = 30), …

Efficacy Of An Online Self-Compassion Training For Improving Well-Being And Body Image: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial, Lauren Benyo Linford

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the efficacy of the My Best Self 101 (MBS101) self-compassion module, an internet-delivered self-compassion training within a non-clinical general population sample. Using a randomized-waitlist control design, this study examined whether module participants experienced significant improvements in self-compassion, well-being, and body image compared to waitlist controls. Participants were 228 adults (mean age 30.3, 23.5% male and 76.5% female). At pretest and posttest, both groups completed self-report measures of self-compassion, subjective well-being, and body image. Repeated measures mixed model analyses revealed that compared to waitlist controls, participants who used the MBS101 self-compassion module reported significant improvements in self-compassion, well-being, …

Post-Birth Marriage, White-Hispanic Families, And Child Academic Achievement, Sadie Andrews Slighting

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, policymakers have promoted marriage as a pathway to improve child outcomes in single-parent households. However, previous research on single mothers who later married in the United States has failed to examine how the structural advantages and disadvantages of race influence post-birth marriages and the advantage they may confer. I investigate how white advantage—the human- and social-capital benefits that come from being a white individual—acts as a resource distributed differently across three couple configurations. I predict that having access to white advantage via a white parent will improve child academic achievement. Using the US Early Childhood Longitudinal …

How Receiving And Providing Relational Compensators And Religious Expectations Influence Religious Experiences, Elisabeth R. Kimball

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done on the concept of why people remain religious, formulating Rational Choice Theory. This involves the idea of compensators and religious expectations. In addition, other research and subsequent theories go into the duality of religious expectations and relational compensators—these relational compensators include love, support, forgiveness, and kindness from others. However, research has rarely explicitly explored what reportedly encourages individuals to stay in religious institutions despite religious demands. Through qualitative interviews with 198 highly religious families, this study analyzed the various expectations and demands individuals and families encounter, as well as the relational blessings they report receiving …

Baby On The Way, Sex Gone Away? A Dyadic Investigation Of Sexual Satisfaction In Pregnancy, David Brent Allsop

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that having high sexual satisfaction during pregnancy is difficult for couples. This negative trend is important considering that low sexual satisfaction can negatively affect both relationship satisfaction, psychological health, and child outcomes. However, there is evidence that this trend does not apply to all and different groups of couples exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction in pregnancy. Guided by family systems theory and the biopsychosocial model, the current study explored if different subsets of couples, composed of pregnant wives and husbands, exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and what factors distinguish potential subsets. Using …

Developmental Predictors Of Adolescent Alcohol Intake: A Nonhuman Primate Model, Elizabeth Katherine Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse is one of the costliest human health problems in the United States. Studies assessing the etiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in adulthood suggest that these disorders are predicted by trait-like differences, such as low or impaired central serotonin or temperamental anxiety. Few studies, however, have assessed neonatal, infant, and adolescent characteristics that lead to alcohol abuse in adolescence. Given that the expression of AUDs is rooted in biological processes, the set of studies presented in this work investigate the early origins of excessive alcohol use in adolescence, with an overall goal of identifying risk factors that may …

Cross-National Associations Among Cyberbullying Victimization, Self-Esteem, And Internet Addiction: Direct And Indirect Effects Of Alexithymia, Sebastian Wachs, Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Michelle F. Wright, Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova

Family Sciences Faculty Publications

The relationship among cyberbullying victimization, lower self-esteem, and internet addiction has been well-established. Yet, little research exists that explains the nature of these associations, and no previous work has considered the inability to identify or describe one’s emotions, namely, alexithymia, as a potential mediator of these links. The present study sought to investigate the indirect effects of cyberbullying victimization on self-esteem and internet addiction, mediated by alexithymia. The sample consisted of 1,442 participants between 12 and 17 years (M_age = 14.17, SD = 1.38, 51.5% male) from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. Results showed a direct …

Strengthening Couple's Relationships With Nature Recreation, Brock W. Sumner

Theses and Dissertations

Nature has been shown to be beneficial for numerous individual outcomes and this article investigates the link between of individual's nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. First, we outline the theoretical underpinnings of nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. Then we examine the following hypotheses: (1) nature recreation has a positive direct effect on relationship satisfaction, (2) there is a positive indirect effect of nature recreation on relationship satisfaction through the environmental effects, and (3) the relationship between nature recreation and relationship satisfaction will be moderated by the recreational factors. These were examined using data obtained from a cross sectional …