A Podcast - Inspirando El Futuro: Stories About Latina Leaders In Northwest Arkansas, Wendy Echeverria

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project aims to showcase the Latina leaders in Northwest Arkansas and empower other Latinas to dream and achieve more. With the Latin American and Hispanic communities growing rapidly, it’s essential to highlight research and changes being done in local communities. The project is a five-episode podcast. Each episode features a Latina leader and experts, and it takes a deep dive into who Latinas are, their challenges, successes, and so much more.

Living And Dying In 'Cancer Alley': Using Human Rights Law And Environmental Justice To Create A Litigation Framework For Marginalized Communities, Neeharika Sistu

Honors Scholar Theses

Cancer Alley, Louisiana is a poignant example of the intersection between environmental justice, legal harm, and human rights abuses. This thesis dissects the laws and policies underpinning the creation of Cancer Alley with special attention to how they constitute human rights abuses under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Then, by performing a comprehensive analysis of litigation surrounding environmental justice in Louisiana, this thesis scrutinizes the efficacy of environmental law in creating environmental justice and suggests the integration of international human rights law and environmental …

Covid-19 & Mathematics Achievement: A Casual-Comparative Study, Jay M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Learning loss due to COVID-19 and the digital divide will have dire consequences for low-income students. This study used the Faucet Theory (Alexander et al., 2001) as a theoretical framework to determine the extent that the COVID-19 learning environment impacted the Southern Public Schools District’s African American, low-income, and high-income high school students’ proficiency level based on the Algebra I section of the 2020-2021 Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP) assessment. The researcher used archival data from the LEAP, a causal-comparative research design, and a one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses and answer the research question. The results of the one-way …

Anti-Racist Resource Guide, Bank Street College Of Education

The Center for Children's Literature

An annotated list of anti-racist children's literature that meets the criteria of having a BIPOC protagonist, the experience of self discovery, self-advocacy, and realizations on the part of the main character and/or a joy or celebration of one's cultural or ethnic identity.

For further information and updates, see the Library Research Guide

Pregnant Black/African Americans' Experiences In Prenatal Genetic Counseling, Latonya Alexander

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Pregnant Black/African American patients have faced systematic racism in the U.S. healthcare system embodied in the high maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Patients have the desire to feel heard and connected with their healthcare providers. Prenatal genetic counselors are not only trained to provide education to individuals, couples, and families who may be seeking genetic counseling, but also to use psychosocial skills with patients. Previous studies with majority of White participants have described how psychosocial skills build patient trust. Therefore, this study aimed to determine what factors made pregnant Black/African American patients feel heard and trustful with their prenatal genetic …

Emancipation: Centering Black Parent Voices In The New Orleans Charter School Experiment, Nicole Moliere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored Louisiana legislative charter school policies and the extent to which those policies empowered Black public-school parents in the New Orleans charter school experiment (NOCSE). Parent empowerment, the sharing of power with parents, has been a missing component both in scholarly literature and in charter school policy and implementation (Ferlazzo, 2011; Hsiao et al., 2018, Murray et al., 2013). Using semi structured interviews, the results of this study yielded three themes related to Black parent empowerment (BPE) and the public-school struggles Black parents face in an all-charter district. Based on the research findings, this study revealed that …

Perceived Negative Political Climate Among Hispanic/Latino Adolescents Before And After The 2020 Us Presidential Election: Associations With Internalizing Symptoms And Substance Use, Pablo Montero-Zamora, Saskia R Vos, Jennifer B Unger, Ingrid Zeledon, Ryan Lee, Daniel W Soto, Eric C Brown, Maria Duque, Maria Fernanda Garcia, Carolina Scaramutti, Beyhan Ertanir, Seth J Schwartz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The political climate often changes following the installment of a new president. This volatility presents opportunities for examining how elections might affect vulnerable subgroups such as Hispanic/Latino (HL) adolescents. The present study explored the perception of negative political climate among HL adolescents before and after the 2020 U.S. presidential election and its association with internalizing symptoms and substance use. We conducted the study in Los Angeles and Miami between 2020-2021, with a sample of 304 HL adolescents (Females = 60.8%), aged 15.3 years on average. Participants completed measures of negative political climate (pre- post-election) and measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety, …

Ethnicity, Nationalism, And Football: Exploring The Construction Of Ethnic Identities And Their Manifestations For Athletic Club Bilbao And Celtic Football Club, Kelly Wetherton

Honors Theses

This thesis centers on the construction of ethnic identities for fans of Athletic Club and Celtic F.C. and the two clubs’ roles in evincing nationalism. Utilizing survey data from an online, anonymous survey posted to fan forums, the research aimed to determine which of the three leading theories of ethnicity—primordialism, instrumentalism, or social constructivism—was most applicable to the formation of identities for Basque Athletic Club fans and Irish Celtic fans. The results demonstrated that the theory of social constructivism most closely aligns with the case of Basque Athletic Club fans while the identities of Irish Celtic fans can best be …

Unlawful, Unjust, And Unchanged; A Thesis Of Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Criminal Sentencing, Jessica Cochrane

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Black people and people of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately incarcerated in the United States of America. For a country that prides itself on being a “melting pot” of people and cultures, this is an extremely impactful issue. One of the byproducts of the disproportionate incarceration that occurs is that Black people and/or people of low socioeconomic status are also given longer sentences than their White and upper-class counterparts. This is a problem because those who have certain traits that they cannot change or would have a hard time changing are being negatively affected by implicit bias held by others …

Police And Their Relationship With The Public, Kevin Hebri

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research essay aims to understand some of the social themes relevant to issues present between the public and the police institutions of the United States. Existing literature about this topic has noted the decentralized nature of law enforcement in the United States and the differences in policies and procedures used by different police departments and agencies. The existing literature has also cited the importance of police officer discretion and the situational factors that contribute to their decision-making. Occupational stress, and characteristics of a civilian involved in a police interaction, influence the decision-making process for police officers. This research is …

Black Girl Magic: History, Identity, And Spirituality In Contemporary Fantasy And Science-Fiction, Taylore Fox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2013, activist and social media influencer CaShawn Thompson composed a Tweet claiming, “Black Girls Are Magic,” which shortened to the hashtag “#BlackGirlMagic.” As the hashtag began to circulate social media, the phrase birthed a digital movement that celebrated the beauty, accomplishments, and mere presence of Black women and girls. This project argues that Black Girl Magic, operating as a social and literary framework, combats the injustice, inequality, and lack of respect and representation that Black women and girls faced in the past and continue to face today. In Black Girl Magic literature, Black women characters perform literal and figurative …

Immediate Response Of Bats To Prescribed Fire And Impact Of Experiences On Women's Self-Image In Natural Resources Professions, Zebria Hicks

All Theses

To inform use of prescribed fire management practice in the southeastern US, we studied its impact on bats, which are important and at-risk species. We evaluated if prescribed fire had a positive, neutral, or negative effect on bat activity in the two weeks following the burns. We recorded bat activity after prescribed burns in February and March 2022 in northwestern South Carolina in select hardwood and pine stands and control sites ≥ 500 m from burn boundaries. We measured insect abundance, canopy cover, basal area, and understory density at each site. We recorded 687 passes during our 45-day study period. …

In-Class Multitasking Among College Students, Huey-Wen Chou, Shuo-Heng Liang

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The use of mobile devices in class has become a common scene on the college campus. The negative effects of in-class multitasking behaviors have been identified in many educational settings, including colleges. This study investigates the factors that drive college students to multitask and seeks to understand the relationship between learning engagement and multitasking behaviors in the classroom. This study also explores whether polychronic traits relate to multitasking behavior.

A total of 282 survey samples were collected from college students in Taiwan. The results confirmed our hypotheses: (1) Students’ multitasking motivation, including social and emotional needs, positively relates to their …

University School Training Model Consultation Practica: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism With Predominately White Educators To Improve School, Family, Community Collaborations With Black Families And Community Stakeholders, Katherine L. Nelson, Joseph R. Morris

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article outlines a consultation case study facilitated in an urban elementary school through the University School Training Model (USTM) (Colles et al., 2019; Morris et al., 2016). The USTM is a collaboration between an APA accredited Counseling Psychology doctoral program and an urban school district to provide racially responsive counseling and consulting services and graduate level training. The case study details a consultation practica to improve school, family, and community collaborations in an urban elementary school with predominantly Black stakeholders and a predominantly White female school staff. The introduction, background, and self-evaluation of the consultation process are reviewed. Project …

Are You Ready For Retirement? Retirement And Quality Of Life As Resources, Hyunsook Kang, Gina Causin, Mary Olle

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Retirement in later life has been considered as an important aspect of life course, because it contributes in many ways to one’s life change, social relations updates, and health declines. Although aging brings with changes and declining all aspects of life, many older adults still remain in active after their retirement. This study will address about relationships between older adults’ retirement and its’ quality-of-life resource. Retirement, itself, may be associated with a loss of professional colleagues and work-related friends (Gloria et al, 2015). By contrast, growing numbers of older adults may maintain their active participation in social networks through …

Attitudes Of Muslim Americans Regarding Prejudice And Discrimination Displayed By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

Abstract

Muslim Americans have reported experiencing racial profiling, physical threats, and verbal abuse based on their religion, ethnicity, and color (Samari, 2016). These types of lived experiences can have negative personal consequences for Muslim Americans and influence their attitudes and behavior toward non-Muslims. A literature review conducted by Simon et al. (2018) suggests the need for research that explores the point of view of minorities regarding intolerance displayed by majority members. Intolerance is defined as the refusal and unwillingness to tolerate or respect individuals from different social or minority groups who hold different beliefs. Prejudice and discrimination can hinder the …

“Nails Done, Hair Done, Everything Did!”: Consumption And The Creation Of Black Feminine Selves, Simone Reid

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how race and gender shape the meaning that Black women associate with their beauty consumption practices and spending. Much of the existing feminist scholarship on beauty has been postfeminist, privileging the concept of agency and empowerment over structural realities. However, the materialist feminist frame has more utility to address how beauty operates within the lives of Black women as a form of distinct gendered racial oppression. The concept of aesthetic capital emerges from the materialist feminist perspective and suggests that beauty demands the investment of considerable economic resources and can deliver economic returns. Despite this, aesthetic capital …

Sense Of Relatedness From Racial Groups Within Maltreated Youth, Jessica Castillo, Jaelin Isquith

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Sense of relatedness is a crucial factor in the development of meaningful interpersonal relationships (Datu, 2017). Interpersonal relationships have demonstrated a significant impact on how individuals cope with their environment (Yulina et al., 2021). Youth in low socioeconomic environments are at higher risk of being exposed to unstable relationships which further increases this vulnerable population to learning ineffective interpersonal skills throughout their lifespan (Colman & Wisdom, 2004). Youth from marginalized groups have higher risk at experiencing negative life experiences, for example economic inequalities, heightened distress, systemic oppression, and economic inequalities (Hatch & Dohrenwend, 2007). Previous research has suggested African-American individuals …

Are Socio-Cultural Factors Correlated With Breastfeeding Among Latina Mothers In Nevada?, Marissa Martinez, Karen Farfan, Luis Aceves

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and their child (e.g., lower rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease, etc.). Recent studies suggest that 93% of children born in Mexico are breastfed their child compared to 81.1% of Nevadan women reported breastfeeding their child. Previous studies suggest that socio-cultural factors such as socioeconomic status, education level, mother’s age, acculturation, cultural beliefs, and perceptions are associated with breastfeeding. Many studies have not use a validated acculturation measure.

The Creation Of Political Survival Strategies By Black Collegiate Women On Virginia’S Predominantly White Campuses, Maya Jenkins

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The University of Mary Washington is a liberal arts institution founded in 1908 as a normal and industrial school for women (Our History - About UMW, 2015). Because of its small size, Mary Washington was historically known as Virginia’s “undiscovered gem” (Boyer, 2011). Mary Washington is described as a place built to support the “innovative, passionate, intellectual, and genuine” (Boyer, 2011). However, in 2020, the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade and a racial protest that took place near the college’s campus caused many Black collegiate women at Mary Washington to question if their university was built to support …

Battle Rap: An Exploration Of Competitive Rhyming In Hip Hop. In African Battle Traditions Of Insult. African Histories And Modernities, Matthew Oware

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Emcees deploying clever and pointed wordplay in order to outduel an opponent remain a staple of rap music. Originating in the South Bronx in the mid-1970s, hip hop started in local parks but grew in popularity, leading to commercial success for many musicians. Now, artists receive record contracts, play in concert venues, and appear on audio streaming and digital platforms such as SoundCloud. Nevertheless, the practice of “battling” or engaging in spirited hyper-competitive banter by insulting adversaries continues (Alim et al.; Mavima). This chapter unpacks “battle” rap. First, we trace its beginnings to New York and the structural and cultural …

Focusing Our Attention On Socially Responsive Professional Education To Serve Ethnogeriatric Populations With Neurogenic Communication Disorders In The United States, José G. Centeno, Loraine K. Obler, Linda Collins, Gloriajean Wallace, Valarie B. Fleming, Jacqueline Guendouzi

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose:

This viewpoint discusses a plausible framework to educate future speech-language pathologists (SLPs) as socially responsive practitioners who serve and advocate for the burgeoning vulnerable ethnogeriatric populations with neurogenic communication disorders.

Method:

We provide an overview of the demographic, epidemiological, and biopsychosocial context that supports the implementation of equity-based, population-grounded educational approaches for speech-language pathology services in ethnogeriatric neurorehabilitation caseloads and discuss a plausible perspective based on the educational social determinants of health (SDOH) framework by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Results:

The NASEM's three-domain SDOH educational perspective integrates education, community, and organization to create a self-reinforcing …

The Worlding Of Arabic Literature: Language, Affect, And The Ethics Of Translatability, Anna Ziajka Stanton

Literary Studies

Critics have long viewed translating Arabic literature into English as an ethically fraught process of mediating between two wholly incommensurable languages, cultures, and literary traditions. Today, Arabic literature is no longer “embargoed” from Anglophone cultural spaces, as Edward Said once famously claimed that it was. As Arabic literary works are translated into English in ever-greater numbers, what alternative model of translation ethics can account for this literature’s newfound readability in the hegemonic language of the world literary system?

The Worlding of Arabic Literature argues that an ethical translation of a work of Arabic literature is one that transmits the literariness …

Who Cares For The Caregivers: How Being A Caregiver Impacts Cancer Survivorship, Cristy Romero

Sociology & Anthropology Student Scholarship

Cristy Romero ’23
Majors: Sociology and Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brandon C. Martinez, Sociology and Anthropology

With an aging population, informal caregiving is rising and is the predominant way for people with chronic illnesses to receive care. Providing care for someone with a chronic illness can take a toll on the caregiver. Caregivers often develop their own chronic illnesses such as cancer. Compared to Whites, Latinx cancer survivors and their families experience disproportionate adverse effects of cancer and cancer therapy as a result of physical, emotional, and financial challenges. This highlights racial/ethnic disparity in cancer survivorship. Due to the interwoven …

Offense Or Defense? Leadership Of The Nba And Nfl In Response To Athlete Activism, Katrina Hale

Honors Theses

Over the past decade, the Black community of the United States has faced great discrimination and violence leading to various protests and instances of activism across the county. In the world of sports, where one may think that political engagement has no relation, some Black athletes use their platforms to speak up about these issues. The National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) recruit the largest percentage of Black athletes compared to any other professional league in the U.S., but their reactions to racial activism on the field and on the court appear very different. In order …

A Remembrance Project: The Lynching Of Brack Kinley And Luther Durrett, Addison Rogers

Undergraduate Theses

From 1882 to 1968, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) estimates that 4,743 lynching’s occurred in the U.S. While other organizations report a slightly different number, the harsh reality of terror and violence remains the same. These violent acts of murder were used as a mechanism by white mobs to promote terror and enforce control upon the black community. Despite the presence of terror and violence in our current society, little is taught about such history and the people who were murdered. Instead of an emphasis on the actual history and the lives lost, the emphasis …

Seeing Beneath The Surface: Using Critical Race Theory To Uncover Racial Inequities In The U.S. Public School System, Lauren Harkins

Montserrat Annual Writing Prize

Many policies and practices perpetuate racial inequities and stereotypes, harming and neglecting the young people in American schools. This paper uses Critical Race Theory as a lens or framework to understand the circumstances in which educational inequities are exacerbated and what systemic barriers and beliefs maintain them.

“Why You Always So Political?”: A Counterstory About Educational-Environmental Racism At A Predominantly White University, Martín Alberto Gonzalez

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Using critical race counterstorytelling, I tell a story about the experiences of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students at private, historically and predominantly white university in the Northeast. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, document analyses, and literature on race and space and racism in higher education, I argue that the racially hostile campus environment experienced by MMAX students at their respective university manifests itself as a form of educational-environmental racism. Through narrated dialogue, Aurora (a composite character) and I delve into a critical conversation about how educational-environmental racism is experienced by MMAX students through a racialized landscape in the …

Lack Of Black Female Diversity Within The Cybersecurity Workforce, Eric Preston

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Cybersecurity methods, strategies, and programs for protecting computers and electronic devices have become critically important in all aspects of the technological infrastructure. However, while this is a vastly growing field that has a large workforce, it suffers from a lack of representation, specifically for Black/African American females. This study examines the barriers that prevent Black women from having representation within the cybersecurity workforce and solutions that address them. Some barriers noted include a lack of role models and resources, historical discrimination and systemic barriers, and cultural norms. Additionally, implications created by these barriers include less diversity, a lack of career …

The Lived Experience Of Hmong Women In Leadership Roles, Nou Vang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Hmong women who have achieved leadership positions.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of 12 Hmong women who have ascent to leadership roles through personal, face-to-face, in- depth, open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes. Related artifacts from the participants, along with the participant interviews, were collected to triangulate data. Research findings were a result of the correlating themes based on the qualitative data analysis and research question.

Findings: The findings of the study indicated that …