Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Benefits Of Art Therapy On Stress And Anxiety Of Oncology Patients During Treatment, Helen Shiepe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Within the last ten years research on art therapy and its positive impact on oncology patients’ stress and anxiety during treatment has been minimal. Oncology patients whether they are children or adults when diagnosed experience similar reactions due to their diagnosis, treatment, and in some cases end of life care. The current question is whether or not art therapy does have a positive impact on decreasing the stress and anxiety with oncology patients while undergoing treatment. Deane, Fitch & Carmen (2000), discussed art therapy as a healing art that is “intended to integrate physical, emotional, and spiritual care by facilitating …

Understanding Ethical Dilemmas In Social Work Practice, Arielle Arambula

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study will address how social workers understand ethical dilemmas in everyday practice. Much of the current literature on ethical dilemmas is centered on the NASW Code of Ethics and decision making models and guides. The purpose of this study is to uncover the actual decision making methods that social workers use. This study will be carried out through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with social workers. Data will be analyzed through thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings from this research can shed light on inadequacies regarding education and training, which in turn can help shape stronger social work curriculum.

Attitudes Toward Participation In Organized Religion: Its Impact On Mental Health And Life Satisfaction, Kayla M. Riley, Jonathan Riley

Journal of Graduate Education Research

This is a non-experimental study which is designed to discover potential relationships between an individual’s attitude towards participation in organized religion and their mental health, as well as their life satisfaction. The study contained 203 young adults taken from a convenience sample using social media, e-mail, and SMS messages. The research was conducted using a survey form composed of three instruments intended to measure attitude towards religion, general well-being, and life satisfaction. The results from the study indicated that there is a weak positive relationship between one’s attitude towards organized religion and mental health. Additionally, the results also indicated that …

Review Of Literature Regarding Ethnic Disparities And Minority Student Mental Health And Wellness, Teja Reaves-Mckee

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Racially Restrictive Covenants: A Story Of Segregation, Disinvestment, And Lingering Implications, Fadya Al Hammam, Janeka Haden, Livi Logan-Wood, Joseph Roeder

Center for Social Development Research

Racially restrictive covenants are agreements, typically embedded in property deeds, that limit the transfer of property to non-white people. The covenants remain common features of property deeds in the St. Louis region, though enforcement of them was outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelley v. Kraemer decision in 1948. This brief discusses the covenants and identifies strategies for communities to deploy in addressing them.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event …

Advancing Racial Equity Through Community Land Trusts, Amal Alzhrani, Brittany Kiefer, Da-Yup Kim, Gabby Eissner

Center for Social Development Research

Community land trusts are nonprofit organizations designed to preserve housing affordability. This brief describes the design and operation of such trusts, illustrating the concept by spotlighting the Columbia Community Land Trust of Columbia, Missouri.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in …

Zoning: Issues And Reform, Olivia Borland, Casey Kohlstruk, Lindsay Owens

Center for Social Development Research

What steps can communities take to broaden equitable access to housing and prevent residential displacement? This brief identifies strategies for reforming zoning policy to advance those goals.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in Welcome Home: A Policy Briefing Book for …

Linkage Fees: A Vehicle For Financing Affordable Housing, Lillian Murphy, Stanford Cooper, Russell Beckham

Center for Social Development Research

A linkage fee is a policy instrument for capturing resources to fund affordable housing development and other public services. This brief describes the instrument and offers recommendations on implementing linkage-fee policies.

The contents of this brief evolved from a presentation given in the Colloquium on Inclusive Housing Policy for the St. Louis Region. Held in the Brown School at Washington University on December 15, 2022, the event was organized by the Center for Social Development in partnership with Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Alliance for Interracial Dignity. The contents may also be found in Welcome Home: A …

Welcome Home: A Policy Briefing Book For Housing Opportunity In St. Louis County, Molly W. Metzger

Center for Social Development Research

“Equality of opportunity” is a beautiful American ideal, but it stands in stark relief to the history of racist policies in the United States—including policies in the St. Louis region. Edited by Molly Metzger, this briefing book aims to broaden opportunity by offering ideas for housing policy change in the majority-white, inner-ring suburbs of St. Louis. The policy works in this collection were written by masters of social work students at Washington University’s Brown School as part of a social-policy course taught by Metzger in partnership with Mayor Laura Arnold of Webster Groves, Missouri, Webster Groves’ Alliance for Interracial Dignity, …

From In-Person To Virtual: A Case Study Of An Animal-Assisted Visiting Program In A Pediatric Setting, Whitney Romine

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

This article focuses on the practical aspects of converting a successful in-person AAA program to a virtual program in a health care setting including human, canine, and physical resources; animal welfare considerations; training, infection control, and safety guidelines; and visit delivery procedures. In 1992, an interdisciplinary team at Akron Children’s Hospital founded the Doggie Brigade, an animal-assisted activities (AAA) program where volunteer therapy dogs and their handlers visit pediatric patients. The program has become a cornerstone of the hospital’s culture over its now 30-year tenure. In March 2020, the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic forced health care organizations to suspend …

Sit Less, Move More: A National Study Of Physical-Activity Behavior And Cancer, Stella O. Nwogugu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Physical activity is associated with lower risks of cancer, the second leading cause of death among Americans. Yet, sedentary behavior is the prevailing lifestyle for about 80% of American adults. Additionally, cancer survivors remain significantly inactive, even though physical activity has been shown to decrease risk of cancer and cancer recurrence, improve tolerance of cancer therapy, and reduce mortality. This research explores the relative impact of personal agency, social support, and key demographic variables on physical-activity behavior for a national sample of adults as well as how these relationships differ for cancer survivors and their counterparts.

Methods: Using the …

David Versus Goliath: The Power Of Weakness In Asymmetric Warfare—Lessons From History, Nicholas K. Petaludis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Under what conditions do violent nonstate actors (VNA) succeed against states? Why does David sometimes beat Goliath? Since at least the time of Thucydides and the Peloponnesian Wars, the realist narrative in international relations measures power primarily in relative, coercive, and deterrent terms. Strong states should accordingly face fewer constraints and enjoy more options while pursuing their national interests. Unconventional warfare, and its subsets of terrorism and insurgency, should—given these circumstances, end in VNA failure. Sometimes, however, VNAs find success. By comparing the literature on historical and current case studies, I propose that a set of preconditions and two mechanisms …

Being Multicultural In The Workplace, Fiorella Morales

Dissertations

As the workforce becomes increasingly diverse and organizations elevate their efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), it is critical to engage in a deeper investigation of the experiences of multicultural individuals at work. In this qualitative study, nine multicultural individuals were interviewed using a sociological lens to gain their perspective on the relationship between their identity and their work experiences. The primary research questions that guided this study were: (a) how do multicultural individuals influence the workplace? In turn, (b) how do their workplace experiences affect their identity and sense of self? Data was coded and …

Impact Of Vermont's Single-Use Plastics Ban On Consumers And Food Businesses, Emily H. Belarmino, Claire Ryan, Qingbin Wang, Meredith T. Niles, Margaret Torness

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

To mitigate the harmful effects of single-use plastic products and lessen the burden of plastics on Vermont's landfill, in 2019, Vermont’s State Government passed a single-use products law (Act 69 of 2019). The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2020, prohibits stores and food service establishments from providing single-use plastic carryout bags at the point of sale, expanded polystyrene (commonly called Styrofoam) food and beverage containers, plastic straws (except upon customer request), and plastic stirrers. Additionally, the law permits stores to provide single-use paper bags at the point of sale if the customer is charged at least 10 …

Impact Of Vermont's Food Waste Ban On Residents And Food Businesses, Emily H. Belarmino, Claire Ryan, Qingbin Wang, Meredith T. Niles, Margaret Torness

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In the United States, an estimated 30-40% of food produced each year is wasted, with most of this waste coming from households, food retailers, and food service businesses. To reduce the burden on Vermont’s only municipal landfill, the Vermont Legislature unanimously passed Act 148, a universal recycling and composting law, in 2012. Among other features, the law included a phased-in food waste ban that went into full effect on July 1, 2020. This ban requires everyone in Vermont – from residents to businesses and institutions – to keep their food waste out of the trash. To study the impact of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Quantitative Reasoning Skills And News Habits, Bennett Attaway, John Voiklis, Jena Barchas-Lichtenstein, Eric Hochberg, Jim Hammerman, Uduak Grace Thomas, Nicole Lamarca, Laura Santhanam, Patti Parson

Numeracy

Because people are constantly confronted with numbers and mathematical concepts in the news, we have embarked on a project to create journalism that can support news users’ number skills. But doing so requires understanding (1) journalists’ ability to reason with numbers, (2) other adults’ ability to do so, and (3) the attributes and affordances of news. In this paper, we focus on the relationship between adults’ news habits and their quantitative reasoning skills. We collected data from a sample of 1,200 US adults, testing their ability to interpret statistical results and asking them to report their news habits. The assessment …

Cfis’ Safety Behaviors At Flight Training Schools: Understanding The Effects Of Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy, Risk Perception, And Safety Climate, Vivek Sharma, Meredith Bell Carroll

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

According to Aircraft Owners Pilot Association [2], approximately 63% of the accidents involving certified flight instructors (CFIs) occurred during advanced training, which involves low altitude operations, critical decision-making skills, and accurate judgement. Research in the past has demonstrated that pilots’ safety behaviors also predict their involvement in an accident or incident [6]. Many studies across various work domains have examined how factors such as personality traits, perceived risk, safety climate, and self-efficacy influence safety behaviors [1][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Studies have found that personality traits such as Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness, and Agreeableness were positively related to safety behaviors [3][7][11], whereas Neuroticism was negatively …

Enhancing The Quality Of Life For Senior Citizens: A Facilitator’S Guidebook For Mindful Music And Movement, Shannon Sexton

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Music appreciation and enjoyment enhance well-being throughout the lifespan. The challenges and constraints that people experience as they age can lead to lack of access to music, decreased physical activity, and fewer avenues for creative expression. Group music and movement interventions created for older populations offer opportunities for social connection and improved quality of life. Mindful practices add further benefit when combined with these interventions. Current available programs are scarce and most often do not encompass mixed modalities. In addition, the benefits of these programs do not show long-term sustainability. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the effects …

Preparing For The Next Disaster: Lessons Learned From The Early Experiences Of Autistic Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber Pomponio Davidson, Cecilia Feeley, Beth Pfeiffer, Mark Salzer

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Disasters, such as the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, create significant disruptions for individuals and their communities. Understanding these disruptions is a first step towards planning for future events and disaster recovery. This research aims to explore how the initial COVID-19 restrictions, including lockdowns, impacted adults with Autism (ASD). Method: Using semi-structured interviews to understand how individuals with ASD experienced the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, twelve participants were interviewed: six individuals with ASD (ages 20-38), three parents of individuals with ASD, and three support staff for individuals with ASD. Analysis: Grounded theory methods were used to analyze the impacts …

Understanding Visitor Recreation Experiences On Montana's Public Lands, Kara Grau, Megan Schultz, Glenna Brown, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The grandeur of Montana’s public lands attracts visitors from all over the world who want to experience the beautiful parks, wilderness, wildlife, and waters. Montana is ranked 10th in the nation in federal land ownership, with about 30% or 27 million acres, followed by state agencies that manage a little over 5 million acres. Moreover, Montana is the gateway to the iconic Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.