Other Sociology Commons^™

Assessing Equity, Environmental Social Justice And Intersectionality In U.S. Federal Policies: A Comparative And Temporal Analysis Of The Department Of Transportation, Department Of Energy, And Environmental Protection Agency, Sneha Basu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the climate crisis intensifies, U.S. federal policies play a critical role in addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens borne by marginalized communities. This thesis assesses how equity, environmental social justice, and intersectionality have been integrated into the policy documents of three key federal agencies: Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over a 20-year period (2004–2024). Using a quantitative content analysis of 46 policy documents, the study evaluates five core dimensions: depth of discussion, clarity of language, inclusiveness of marginalized groups, action-oriented language, and environmental justice considerations. The research reveals significant interagency disparities, with …

Narratives Of Identity: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Biracial Identity Construction And Performance In Family, Education, And Media, Eboni Springfield

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis explores the complex construction and performance of biracial identity within the context of the United States, delving into the historical and ongoing impacts of race and racism, and the pervasive influence of white supremacy. Through an autoethnographic approach, this study investigates how personal narratives illuminate the processes of biracial identity construction, expression, and negotiation across three social institutions: family, education, and media. The findings reveal the intricate and intersecting interactions that contribute to identity formation, highlighting the expansive nature of intersectionality. The analysis demonstrates that biracial identity is continuously shaped in response to white supremacy, which complicates efforts …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault On Sexual Risk-Taking, Melanie Alison Reyes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sexual assault survivors experience a variety of adverse psychological and behavioral outcomes after their assault, such as engagement in sexual risk behavior (Testa, Hoffman, & Livingston, 2010). Previous research has reported risk factors among sexual assault survivors, such as survivors’ self-reported insecure attachment (Oshri, Sutton, Clay-Warner, & Miller, 2015), difficulties with emotion regulation (Walsh, DiLillo, & Messman-Moore, 2012), and substance use coping (Ullman, Relyea, PeterHagene, & Vasquez, 2013). Given that sexual risk behavior is also associated with these variables (e.g., Hotton, Garofalo, Kuhns, & Johnson, 2013), the current study examined whether these variables may mediate the association between sexual assault …

Live Thy Neighbor, Milica Njezic

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This project explored the concept of neighboring from the cultural perspectives of the Bosnian refugees and the researcher who is Bosnian herself. The goals were to answer several research questions: (1) what kinds of tensions do we battle in liminal spaces and how do they, grounded in culture, shape the way we communicate our roles as neighbors, (2) how do Bosnian immigrants perform neighboring, (3) what constitutes a good neighbor, and (4) what are the researcher’s personal stories and are those experiences shared with others? The author argues that neighboring is something we perform, that Bosnian co-participants show unconditional hospitality …

Exploration Of Namibian Adolescents’ Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes And Behavior, Shamani-Jeffrey Shikwambi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behavior among Namibian adolescents.

Data were collected by using a ~edified version of the Prevention Minimum Evaluation Data Set (PMEDS) instrument. The participants were 45 twelfth graders, of which 23 were females and 22 males.

Analysis of the data included an examination of intercorrelation between sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behavior, and an investigation of gender differences among these three variables. Pearson correlations were calculated for each variable and t-tests were run to look for the gender difference. Multiple regression was also …

Sociological Implications Of Technology: The Historical Treatment Of Technology In Sociological Theory And A Proposal For Empirical Research, Martin E. Hansen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Technology, as a form of knowledge, can be an important explanatory variable in empirical sociological investigations. In this thesis the macrohistorical concept of technology within the discipline of sociology is traced and critiqued, with special attention given to analytical misconceptions and reifications, e.g., confusing technology with its processes, products, and social consequences. An analytical model is initially presented which attempts to facilitate a better understanding of the dialectical interrelationships between technological, social, and natural (scientific) phenomena. Recent attempts to measure the effects of technology on social relationships are critiqued, particularly in their inadequate conceptualization and operationalization, confusion of cause and …