Community Psychology Commons^™

Slaves To Contradictions: 13 Myths That Sustained Slavery, Wilson Huhn

Akron Law Faculty Publications

People have a fundamental need to think of themselves as “good people.” To achieve this we tell each other stories – we create myths – about ourselves and our society. These myths may be true or they may be false. The more discordant a myth is with reality, the more difficult it is to convince people to embrace it. In such cases to sustain the illusion of truth it may be necessary to develop an entire mythology – an integrated web of mutually supporting stories. This paper explores the system of myths that sustained the institution of slavery in the …

Ogwehoweneha: A Hodinohsonih Research Methodology, Darren Thomas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Critical pathways for the liberation of Indigenous populations will come from “re-membering” our Indigenous ways of knowing, “decolonizing” the Indigenous mind and “re-building” our Nations. Indigenizing the academy allows our original ways of knowing to create space, for Indigenous scholarship to reclaim Indigenous knowledge and reality. By visiting with Hodinǫhśǫ:nih knowledge holders, this MA thesis translates the nature of Hodinǫhśǫ:nih reality, ways of knowing, values, and methods of acquiring knowledge into an Indigenous research methodology. By the ongoing introduction of Indigenous knowledge into a theoretical positioning within the academy, creates opportunity for continued Indigenous knowledge-generation through Indigenous methodologies. Indigenous research …

Identification And Integration Within Campus Life Among First-Generation U.S. Citizens: An Exploration Of Campus Climate Perception, Shannon Marie Williams

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored the relationships within a higher education institution between innovative and inclusive mission-identity perceptions and school sense of community among first-generation U.S. citizens and first-generation college students, with varying racial backgrounds. During Fall 2012, a total of 4,492 participants at a large, urban, and Catholic university completed the Innovative and Inclusive (I/I) subscale from the DePaul Mission and Values Inventory as well as the School Sense of Community (SSOC) scale. Two 2 x 2 x 5 ANCOVAS were run to determine whether there were any differences across generation statuses and racial background for both measures. Additionally, regression …

Examining Attitudes And Exposure To Poverty Among Undergraduate Students: Contextual Factors, Kathleen Elizabeth Mcauliff

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

In light of the recent economic downturn, poverty is an issue of increasing concerns. Attitudes towards individuals living in poverty, as well as explanations for poverty, vary and may be influenced by contextual factors, such as media portrayals, culture, and exposure. Attitudes and explanations for poverty among undergraduate students were compared among undergraduates (n = 268) who had varying amount of exposure (volunteering and socioeconomic status) to poverty. Three 2x3x3 ANOVAs demonstrated no significant three-way interactions between campus ministry engagement, volunteer hours, and self-identified socioeconomic status on three subscales of the Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Attitudes Survey ( …

How Is The Most Segregated City In The Country Addressing Disproportionate Minority Contact With A Juvenile Burglary Restorative Justice Program And What Implications Exist For Community Based Restorative Circles? : Conflict Analysis And Recommendations, Lauren Thrift

Capstone Collection

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is considered the most segregated city in the country and has the most disproportionate rate of minorities in Wisconsin’s juvenile justice system. The State of Wisconsin recognizes disproportionate minority contact (DMC) is a product of both differential offending by minorities and the racist differential processing by the juvenile justice system. Milwaukee’s residents are locked in a conflict about the role of racism in the high rates of minority crime and whether to address DMC with more stringent punishment or increasing alternatives to incarceration. The entrenched segregation between African American and Caucasian neighborhoods and social groups reinforces polarization, increasing …

The First Year College Experience: Predictors Of Natural Mentoring Relationships & Students' Academic Outcomes, Luciano Berardi

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Literature on college mentoring suggests that mentoring relationships has a positive effect on college students’ outcomes (Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Jacobi, 1991). The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of parental attachment and help-seeking strategies in the number of mentoring relationships reported by college students and the role of mentoring in students’ adjustment to the first year transition to college. Moos’ (2002) theoretical framework is used to root the study on an ecological viewpoint of college transition, because it proposes that individual characteristics and the environment thought which a person transitions affect one another and influence individual …

The Role Of The Black Church In Addressing Ipv At The Community Level, Monika Black

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a signific.ant concern within the Black community and, in particular, for Black women. However, IPV is not always identified as a critical issue for the Black community to collectively respond to and/ or adequately address. Without an appropriate support system, many survivors dealing with IPV are left without sufficient resources. The purpose of this study was to conduct an organizational level analysis of the role the urban Black church can play in providing a continuum of supportive services for primarily heterosexual female survivors of IPV in the Black: community. For this study.twenty-five church leaders completed …

Advancing Social Change Goals Through Partnership: Community Partner Perspectives, Liezl Alcantara

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Within recent years, researchers have turned their attention to assessing community impact of community-university partnerships. The sustainability of successful partnerships hinges upon evaluating partnership outcomes and integrating community feedback into practice. Successful partnerships between universities and community-based organizations (CBOs) have the potential to critically address social issues and attain social change goals, but to what extent do existing partnerships actualize this potential? The present Dissertation research yields important insights that address this question.

Marullo et al. (2003) described four types of goals associated with social change initiatives: Enhancing capacity, increasing efficiency, empowering constituents, and altering policies or …

A Needs Assessment Of Communicare's Children Mental Health Services, Shelley Greenwell Fentress

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This document is a review of literature on needs assessments and the benefits of conducting one. Communicare is a mental health agency that serves the Lincoln Trail Region. Currently, most of the revenue from their children programs comes from Medicaid, which is a fee-for-services payer source. The Kentucky Medicaid Program is in the process of contracting with managed care organizations to oversee services that have been paid directly from Kentucky Medicaid. With these changes, mental health organizations must identify specific community service needs as well as expanding revenue sources. Applying for grants is one way mental health agencies can expand …

Building Trust And Collaboration With Rural Minorities: Experiences With Minority Farmers In The Mississippi Delta, Ari Mwachofi

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The paper focuses on the question “What research approach is effective in building trust with minority farmers?” The question is answered through a documentation of researchers’ experiences building trust and collaboration with minority farmers in the lower Mississippi Delta. The researchers applied two research paradigms -logical positivism and paradigm of praxis. The logical positivism research approach was met with mistrust and open animosity and had to be abandoned for one based on the paradigm of praxis. Through this approach, and cognizant of the historical-social-political context, the researchers included insiders from the focus population as collaborators and researchers and succeeded in …

Case Study Of An Art Intervention For Older Foster Youth, Ashley Plushnik, Sarah Morris

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Fostering Art is a photography intervention for adolescent foster youth. Participants in the evaluation study completed a pretest at the start and a posttest upon completion of the one-year program. Seven participants completed both the pre and posttest in their first year of the program. Data about demographics, general feelings, and expression of feelings, as well as standardized measures of self-esteem and stress were collected.,. Results suggest that alternatives to traditional mental health treatment for older foster youth, such as a photography class, may be an effective method of providing stability and continuity for these vulnerable youth.

Attachment Intervention With Parents And Infants In Early Substance Abuse Recovery, Rosana Aguilar

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The current study evaluates the impact of a 10-week infant massage intervention program designed to increase attachment between parents in a drug rehabilitation facility and their infants. Parents were interviewed before and after the intervention. Analyses revealed a non-significant decrease in parental stress. Depression scores were essentially the same before and after the intervention. Knowledge of infant development scores revealed non-significant trends demonstrated higher levels of knowledge after the completion of the intervention. Parents who completed the intervention indicated that they learned about infant development, how to understand and soothe their baby, and how to communicate with their baby.

A Health Needs Assessment Of Arab-Americans In The Washington, Dc Area, Reem N. Ghoneim, Amita N. Vyas

GW Research Days 2012 and Earlier

Although Arab-Americans often face various health challenges due to the stress associated with immigration, cultural conflict in the U.S., and limited knowledge of the complex U.S. health system, there is a paucity of research examining health risks and behaviors among this ethnic group. This cross-sectional study assessed the health needs among Arabs living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Participants were recruited to take the survey online, reporting on health care access and utilization, risk behaviors, and health status. It also measured for associations between reported depression, discrimination, acculturation, and health. Quantitative analysis showed correlations between age and current tobacco …

Ethnic And Immigration Status Differences On Child Indicators Of Health For European Americans And Latinos, Christina Granillo, David V. Chavez, Donna M. Garcia, Kelly Campbell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of ethnicity and immigration status on subjective and objective health (Body Mass Index; BMI) for Latino and European American children. Social identity and comparison theories were used to frame the investigation. Southern California parents were randomly selected to complete a telephone interview about their children’s health yielding a sample of 165 European American and 152 Latino participants. Compared to European Americans, Latinos evidenced poorer subjective and objective health. Latino children who had a caregiver who was a citizen had better subjective health than Latino children whose caregiver was not a citizen. BMI was correlated with …

Hiv/Aids Stigmatization Among Oromo Immigrant Congregations In The Twin Cities : A Call For Biblical And Theological Response, Fikru Andea Eticha

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

Examining Social Anxiety And Depression Among Excessive Online Gamers, Nathan Sharer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlations between social anxiety, depression, and other psychological factors among online gamers in order to better understand the differences between excessive gamers (whose habits interfere with relationship, occupational, social, or health issues) and enthusiastic gamers (who spend much of their free time playing games but do not report any significant functional impairment as a result). A literature review revealed diverse conceptualizations of excessive gaming as well as differing opinions of what classifies gaming to be excessive/addicting/problematic, suggesting a need to more specifically analyze gaming habits in terms of coexisting pathology …

Thank You, Dear: Examining The Association Between Gratitude And Relationship Well-Being, Erica Pearse Ragan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study replicated and extended existing research on gratitude by examining the ways in which gratitude is related to both individual and relationship well-being. A total of 387 participants completed the pre assessment and were randomized into the study, with 251 participants completing the full study (i.e., pre, post, and follow-up assessments). Participants were randomly assigned to list relationship-focused gratitudes, amusing events, or general events that happened during their day for 14 days. The differential impact of the three interventions on both individual and relationship variables was investigated. The relationship-focused and general events conditions experienced decreased negative affect from …

Fostering Critical Thinking About Climate Change: Applying Community Psychology To An Environmental Education Project With Youth, Livia D. Dittmer, Manuel Riemer

Centre for Community Research Learning and Action

This article argues for the participation of community psychology in issues of global climate change. The knowledge accumulated and experience gained in the discipline of community psychology have great relevance to many topics related to the environment. Practitioners of community psychology could therefore make significant contributions to climate change mitigation. To illustrate this assertion, we describe an education project conducted with youth engaged in a community-based environmental organization. This initiative was motivated by the idea that engaged and critically aware youth often become change agents for social movements. Towards this purpose, rather than using mass marketing strategies to motivate small …

Case Study: Wayside Youth & Family Services Empathetic & Innovative Solutions To Community Mental Health, Sarah Mchenry

VA Engage Journal

In this case study, I presented a thorough evaluation of one of Massachusetts’ premier community mental health institutions: Wayside Youth and Family Services. First, I explained a brief history of the deinstitutionalization movement and the early days of Wayside. Following this, I discussed the organization services and how they fit the needs of the community. Finally, I presented my thoughts on the organization’s strengths, and how these strengths are exceptionally significant due to the organization’s business model.

Psychological Observations And Benefits Of Volunteering, Jennifer Ivy

Independent Honors Projects

No abstract provided.