Social Work Commons^™

Disparities In U.S. Elementary And Secondary Public Education, Myhanh D. Barrette

The Graduate Review

Educational disparities in America’s elementary and secondary public education are illustrated by official statistics on school readiness in young children, per pupil expenditures, high school graduation rates, standardized test scores, advanced courses enrollment, high school dropout rates, school disciplinary actions, and college entrance and completion rates. The astounding disproportionate difference in achievement (or lack thereof) between Black and minority students compared to their White counterparts raises alarming concerns regarding two important aspects of public education: equal access and equal quality. This paper attempts to understand our society’s view of education throughout the nation’s history in order to analyze important public …

Comparing The Physical And Psychological Effects Of Food Security And Food Insecurity, Sarah K. Weissman

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Although much research exists on how food insecurity impacts one's quality of life, there are no studies to date that have compared the quality of life between food insecure and food secure individuals. This mixed-methods study explores these comparisons. The online survey assessed quality of life in the areas of performance at school/work, psychological and physical health, and quality of relationships. The survey included closed and open-ended questions and was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. This study reveals that food insecure individuals had a poorer quality of life in most of the areas that were assessed. The results are …

Gender Differences In Populations With Substance Use Disorders: A Review Of The Literature, Allante Moon

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

'·A convergence of evidence suggests that women with substance use disorders are more likely than men to face multiple barriers affecting access and entry to substance abuse treatment" (Tuchman, 2010). There should never be an issue of receiving substance abuse treatment for any gender and exploring these differences can bring awareness to these issues. Several studies report gender differences in men and women who are experiencing substance use disorders. This thesis is based on a literature review of gender differences in experiencing and treating substance additions among populations of minorities, elderly individuals, and HIV positive individuals. Emphasis is placed on …

Photovoice: Community-Based Research In Bluefields, Jamaica, Renee Romer

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Participatory action research (PAR) approaches to community intervention have demonstrated to be helpful in addressing and identifying community strengths and challenges, along with leading members of a community into action. Photovoice is a qualitative method of community-based participatory action research (CBPR) by which members of a community create and discuss photographs as a means of facilitating personal and community change. While much research using Photovoice has been conducted in rural areas of China and Africa, no research of this type has been found in rural Jamaica. This study implemented PAR research using the CBPR method of Photovoice in the rural …

An Examination Of The Black Honors Student Experience At A Predominantly White Institution, Brandie Bentley

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Nationwide, there are a small percentage of Black students participating in Honors Programs at the undergraduate college level. Due to the limited representation of students of color within advanced academic programs such as honors programs, the unique stories and experiences of this particular population oftentimes goes overlooked. The goal of this qualitative study is to give Black Honors students a voice and highlight their narratives. Analyzing the benefits and challenges that students of color face within their overall experience in The Honors College at Eastern Michigan University, a Predominantly White Institution can assist in knowledge regarding this population. One focus …

Book Review: Social Policy And Social Change: Toward The Creation Of Social And Economic Justice, Jan Vinita White

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Although the book title, Social Policy and Social Change: Toward the Creation of Social and Economic Justice, suggests social change, the focus of the book is social justice, particularly in social work policy and practice. In this second edition of Jimenez, Mayers Pasztor, Chambers, and Pearlman Fujii's seminal exploration, issues of inequality and the widening gap between the wealthy and poor, health care disparities, discrimination, and developing issues are investigated and analyzed in a reader-friendly format.

Sex Education In Montana Schools: An Assessment Of The Needs Of Sexual And Gender Minority Youth, Elizabeth A. Redinger, Annie Sondag

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Youth are particularly vulnerable to infection from HIV and STIs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth between the ages of 13 and 24 accounted for about 26% of all new HIV transmission cases in the United States in 2010, In young MSM specifically, there was a 22% increase in new infections from 2008 to 2010 (CDC, 2015). Education is one of the factors that plays a role in sexual health practices starting in high schools, yet in Montana there is no clear set of guidelines as to what is covered during sex education classes in the …

Changing The Rules: A Guide For Youth And Young Adults With Mental Health Conditions Who Want To Change Policy, Nancy Koroloff, Barbara J. Friesen, Nicholas Buekea

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

To some people, “policy” seems like a mysterious and perhaps boring topic, compared to the busyness and intensity of everyday life. However, a growing number of youth- and young adult-led groups have shown how policy issues can influence their choices and their lives in critical ways, and that they can have substantial influence on policy. Policies may be general, and apply to all people in society (e.g., traffic laws), or they may specifically focus on particular groups of people, such as people with a mental health condition or criminal record (e.g., policies about housing or employment). Organizations such as Youth …

Nonresidential Fathers Parenting Their Children Residing In Shelters: A Phenomenological Study, Karen Denise Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the parenting role of nonresidential fathers of children living in shelters. Special attention was paid to the perceived contributions of these fathers to the overall health and general well-being of their children residing in shelters. Often separations of nonresidential fathers from their children in shelters decreased their contributions to their children's health and well-being. Increased knowledge of these parental roles and contributions can enhance programs and policies to support these fathers in improving the health and well-being of their children. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 demographically diverse nonresidential fathers living in Philadelphia. The …

Hospice Social Workers' Roles And Responsibilities Within Interdisciplinary Hospice, Amy Marie Coffell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role of the hospice social worker is unclear and misunderstood by interdisciplinary team members due to role blurring, communication challenges, and poor collaboration efforts. This is important because these actions may result in decreased quality of patient care and decreased quality of life for the clinical hospice social workers. The purpose of this action research project was to explore communication, role blurring, professional activities and abilities, and cohesive goals among hospice clinical social workers. The theoretical foundation for this research was the model of interdisciplinary collaboration (MIC) which was used to describe both the concepts of interdisciplinary collaboration and …

School Social Workers' Roles Involving Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct And Exploitation, Cedrina Monique Ruffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incidents of sexual misconduct by educators continue to become more prevalent in the United States, resulting in negative social, emotional, and psychological effects on many students. School social workers are professionals with backgrounds in prevention, intervention, and advocacy; however, very little literature has examined the roles of school social workers in preventing and addressing teacher-student sexual misconduct. This case study explored school social workers' roles and their perceptions thereof in relation to incidents that involved teacher-student sexual misconduct and exploitation. General systems theory provided the framework for understanding the roles of social workers and their approaches to working with the …

How Our Service Systems Impact Resiliency And Recovery Of Domestic Violence Survivors : Clinical Perspectives, Emily Riddle Jacobs

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative research study explores clinicians’ perceptions of how current social service systems impact domestic violence survivor resiliency and recovery from abuse. The study utilizes a narrative analytic approach examining semi-structured interviews gathered from nine clinicians working in the trauma field. Through using the theoretical frames of intersectionality, trauma theory, and post-traumatic growth theory, the study focuses on the potential for growth and resilience among trauma survivors. This study found that survivors experienced more nuanced post-traumatic growth with ambivalence around new self-development, resiliency, and feelings of empowerment. The research suggests that the current social service systems re-traumatize survivors and replicate …

Experiences Of Canadian Oncologists With Difficult Patient Deaths And Coping Strategies Used, Leeat Granek, L. Barbera, O. Nakash, M. Cohen, M. K. Krzyzanowska

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Objectives We aimed to explore and identify what makes patient death more emotionally difficult for oncologists and how oncologists cope with patient death. Methods A convenience sample of 98 Canadian oncologists (50 men, 48 women) completed an online survey that included a demographics section and a section about patient death. Results More than 80% of oncologists reported that patient age, long-term management of a patient, and unexpected disease outcomes contributed to difficult patient loss. Other factors included the doctor–patient relationship, identification with the patient, caregiver-related factors, oncologist-related factors, and “bad deaths.” Oncologists reported varying strategies to cope with patient death. …

Review Of The Spirituality Of Awe: Challenges To The Robotic Revolution. Kirk J. Schneider. Reviewed By Daniel Liechty., Daniel Liechty

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Kirk J. Schneider, The Spirituality of Awe: Challenges to the Robotic Revolution. Waterside Press (2017). 142 pages, $14.95 (paperback).

Power, Deviance, Stigma, And Control: A Sociological Reconceptualization Of Sexuality Within Social Work Services, Richard A. Brandon-Friedman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite shared societal and historical origins, sociology and social work have had a contentious relationship, leading some to suggest the two disciplines are inherently incompatible. This article challenges that assertion by examining how sociological conceptions of deviance, power, stigma, and control can contribute to more just social work services, particularly in the contentious area of adolescent sexuality. As respected social agents, social workers can play a role in counteracting the forces that alienate outsiders. By understanding how sociological theories contribute to their ability to contest the social discourse regarding sexuality, social workers can challenge social norms and work with clients …

Predicting And Reducing Aggression And Violence Toward Teachers: Extent Of The Problem And Why It Matters, Susan D. Mcmahon, Andrew Martinez, Linda A. Reddy, Dorothy L. Espelage, Eric M. Anderman

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Although violence prevention has largely focused on students, national and state-level studies suggest that teacher-directed violence warrants attention by researchers, policy makers, and school stakeholders. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the empirical literature on teacher-directed violence, including the extent of the problem, types of violence teachers experience, measurement issues, and how this problem varies across perpetrators and social contexts. We specify recommendations for assessment, including developing and using reliable and valid measures to better understand teachers' experiences with violence. Violence prevention approaches are described, and we advocate for assessment and intervention that incorporate teacher experiences. Using a …

You Don't Know How Strong You Are Until Being Strong Is Your Only Option : Examining Resiliency In Survivors Of A Parent Or Caregiver's Suicide, Haley A. Rice

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Suicide is a prevalent public health issue in the United States as it intimately effects many Americans annually. This study explored the bereavement and coping processes as well as strength and resiliency of adult children who lost their parent to death by suicide. Twelve adult children were recruited for this study through social media and suicide support groups. Participants were interviewed by phone and interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive approach. The following themes were identified: intensity of the loss, secondary trauma of suicide, feelings of stigma, solace in talking about their parent, researching mental illness, attending grief …

The Lived Experience Of Caregivers For Children With Asthma, Caroline Weiss Dawson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Lived Experience of Caregivers for Children with Asthma

Exploring The Role Of Escapism In The Dsm-V Criteria For Internet Gaming Disorder : A Meta-Analytic Investigation, Yeonggeul Lee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been included in the DSM-5 in a preliminary endorsement of excessive video gaming as a behavioral disorder. Further research is required to validate IGD because some criteria are controversial in diagnostic accuracy. Escapism is one such criterion. Despite some research evidence of escapism as the strongest motivational predictor of IGD, recent investigations found that the escapism criterion is highly questionable. Because of the inclusion of escapism in initial IGD measures, previous studies have produced evidence of escapism as a predictor of IGD owing to a tautology. Thus, the present study examined the effect of gaming …

Protection And Empowerment For Indonesian Female Migrant Domestic Workers, Rosita Tandos

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study explores the issue of transnational domestic work. There are three main points discussed: first, factors influencing the women’s decisions to work overseas; second, six stages of transnational domestic work including the recruitment process, training program, placement and signing the employment contract, working overseas, finishing the contract, and travelling back home); third, the women’s perspectives on solutions to the problems. Using a human capabilities approach, empowerment and feminist theoretical frameworks, the study examined whether being a migrant female domestic worker contributes positively to a woman’s and her family’s life.