Community-Based Research Commons^™

As If We Could Get Along: Dramatic Reality’S Influence On The Prosociality Of Adolescent Boys With Problematic Sexual Behavior, Joel David Bender

Expressive Therapies Theses

There is a strong need for novel treatment approaches for adolescents with problematic sexual behavior (PSB), considering that historically, treatment approaches for adult sex offenders have been blindly applied to youth. Adolescent boys with PSB are at risk for poor treatment outcomes when they engage in anti-social behaviors and group hostility. Dramatic reality, a core process in drama therapy, may assist in transforming the experience of boys in their capacity to exhibit prosocial behavior, given that dramatic reality inherently augments reality. This community arts workshop used purposive sampling in a day treatment center for adolescent boys with PSB and explored …

Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission Comment Tool For Proposed Changes To Bear Hunting Regulations, Amy Donley, Jacquelyn Reiss, Alexandria Mcclarty, Elise Lorenzo

Institute for Social and Behavioral Science (ISBS)

No abstract provided.

Finding Freedom In Appalachia: Evaluating A Mental Health Intervention In West Virginia, Elizabeth A. Claydon, Karen Haring, Jessica Haring, Kelsey Riggi, Beth Currence

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Rural areas have limited capacity to provide comprehensive mental health treatment and resources. This creates the need for interventions to ensure individuals with mental health concerns have access to resources to improve their mental health.

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods evaluation was to assess the effectiveness and impact of Libera, a mental health program tailored for girls and women within the Appalachian region.

Methods: Quantitative surveys, including validated measures for depression, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms, and life satisfaction, were collected pre- and post-Libera intervention for participants. Simultaneously, annual surveys were sent to Listeners in addition to qualitative …

Famílias Indigenas Entre Mundos: Standing In Pachakuti, Living In Chi’Xi Within The Constellation Of Their Comunidad De Saberes, Ymasumac Marañón Davis

Dissertations

To be Indigenous is to be la luz del mundo, to stand in your light and spread your sunrays, no matter winds or clouds of colonization that strive to dim you. This qualitative study explored ways Indigenous Latine families negotiate a sense of place within onto-epistemological realities and their home culture of learning and Western education. This research is desire-based (Eve Tuck, 2009), creating our own project of modernity, grounded in one Indigenous family’s experience within their Andean community. Drawing from Critical Latine Indigeneities Framework (Blackwell et al., 2017) and Chicana Feminist Epistemologies (Bernal, 1998), using an Entre Mundos methodology, …

Seven Themes About Substance Use Among Asian Americans, Carolyn Wong, Sun S. Kim Phd, Aprn-Bc

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This research brief summarizes the findings from a study on improving services for Asian Americans at risk for substance use problems that was conducted by the Institute for Asian American Studies in collaboration with the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The full report, Exploring Substance Use Among Asian Americans: Seven Themes from Interviews with Service Providers and Community Residents by Drs. Carolyn Wong and Sun S. Kim is available here: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/iaas_pubs/51/

Barriers Individuals And Families Experience Utilizing Anti-Poverty Programs, Miranda C. Dube'

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study aims to explore the barriers experienced by residents of the High Desert communities. Using a quantitative method approach, the proposed research will employ surveys to provide a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes experienced by the High Desert residents. Participants will be selected within the High Desert communities, aged 18 years or older, who have or are currently experiencing poverty. The findings from this proposed study would contribute to bridging gaps in understanding the barriers residents of the High Desert experience. By identifying factors that suppress successfully utilizing anti-poverty programs, this research proposal would aim to inform the …

The Influence Rural Leaders Have On Local Population Change: A Two-Part Study, Nichole T. Reiner

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This two-part research study aims to understand factors that influence a rural community population and how local leaders believe they can influence those factors to impact population changes. The first study focuses identifying factors that predict population change using a linear regression model. The second study is a multiple case study focused on three communities, where a mix of secondary data and community leader interviews provided an in-depth understanding of how local leaders perceive their capacity to influence factors influencing population change in their communities.

Advisor: LJ McElravy

Community Voices, Climate Action Choices: Working Towards A Resilient Monterey County, Lesley A. Solano Alonso

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Vulnerable communities in Monterey County face disproportionate environmental and health impacts due to climate change, yet many residents remain unaware of the tools and resources available to support local action. This capstone project was implemented in partnership with Ecology Action (EA) and the Resilient Central Coast (RCC) campaign to increase awareness and engagement with the RCC platform. Serving diverse communities across Monterey County, the project included bilingual outreach efforts, community tabling, educational presentations, and a climate action survey. Over 650 residents were engaged directly, resulting in 99 new household sign-ups on the RCC website, a major milestone for the agency. …

Examining The Perceptions Of Restorative Practices In A Non-Profit Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Staff And Youth Attitudes, Autumn N. Alicea, Anne Hobbs Dr

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines the attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) among staff and youth at a non-profit residential organization. Using the Restorative Justice Attitude Scale, data was collected from 14 staff members and 14 youth participants (N=28). Results indicated that staff members reported significantly higher mean scores (M = 84.50, SD = 8.38) on the Total Restorative Justice Attitude Scale than youth participants (M = 67.93, SD = 15.81). ANOVA results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on attitudes toward restorative justice, F (1, 26) = 12.007, p = .002. Effect size analysis (η² = .316) indicates that approximately …

Exploring User Sentiment On Social Issues Via Neural Network Transfer Learning In Digital Communities, Ananya R. Vangoor

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Understanding public sentiment on social issues is crucial for gauging the stance of the general population. Traditionally, surveys have been a common approach for this. However, to capture more candid opinions, social media provides a rich source of unadulterated opinions. By analyzing social media statements, we can gain insights into the perspectives of specific groups. More specifically, we will investigate the attitudes of the public into the relationship between hard work and success in the workplace.

Using a neural network trained on tweets from X, formerly known as Twitter, we can categorize each tweet as either pro-luck or pro-meritocracy. But …

Living In Essex: A Community Needs Assessment, Sue Berger, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Essex. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Essex residents age 18 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Essex citizens 60 and older.

A Theoretical Model Of Participatory Team Science Training, Angela E. Jordan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

BACKGROUND: Teams have long been used to address major scientific and societal problems, and interdisciplinary teams are understood to be the best approach to complex systems-based problems like climate change. Engaged research collaborations incorporating community members as equal partners in research projects are recognized as both a means of advancing equity and justice in research, and also of improving the success of research translation by developing solutions with community use-value. The science of team science (TS) and community-engaged research (CEnR) have emerged as scholarly disciplines, with attempts to define competencies, skills, functioning, and success. A growing body of literature in …

Educational Leadership In A Vuca World: The Crisis Management Experiences Of Rural School Superintendents, Lucas J. Grossnicklaus

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The job of both urban and rural superintendents is challenging, but it is the rural school superintendency that comes with unique challenges that aren’t always faced by their urban and suburban counterparts. The COVID-19 Pandemic brought about a number of crises for school superintendents such as school closures, mask mandates, and navigating positions taken by governors, teachers unions, and school boards. While concerns about school closures and mask mandates has dissipated, conflict within school districts has only seemed to grow since the pandemic.

This multi-case study explored the lived experience of rural superintendents in the Midwest who have experienced a …

Limitations Due To Occupational Credentialing For Immigrants In Massachusetts: Survey Report, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Jonathan Vega-Martinez, Maria M. Pache De Athayde

Gastón Institute Publications

The Gastón Institute began investigating occupational credentialing because of a previous research project with English for New Bostonians, which had found that many people in its ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes complained that lack of an occupational credential had caused them to suffer unemployment or underemployment. The Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation provided the funding for a study addressing the problem of determining the extent to which Massachusetts immigrants are having trouble in the labor market because they lack the proper occupational credentials. The study has two complementary components: a qualitative study with interviews of …

Ritual Monibi Sebagai Performatif Realitas Sosial Dalam Menjaga Stabilitas Desa Siniyung Kecamatan Dumoga Bolaang Mongondow, Rivo Ronaldo Rivo Inkiriwang, Tony Tampake

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article aims to explore the practice of Monibi cultural rituals in Siniyung Village, Dumoga Bolaang Mongondow District. The focus of research on Monibi culture is rarely carried out in Bolaang Mongondow. The fact that the only one, that still practices Monibi culture in Bolaang Mongondow is Siniyung Village. The author uses literature review with the aim of exploring the cultural values of Monibi ritual practice in Siniyung Village, and is equipped with interview collection techniques to support the validity of fdata. The Monibi Ritual is studied in the perspective of David Salomon, Monibi ritual as a performative act of …

#Genderaffirminghormonetherapy And Health Information On Tiktok: Thematic Content Analysis, Julia Beatini, Nora Yanyi Sun, Julianna K. Coleman, Maetal E. Haas-Kogan, Andrea Pelletier, Deborah Bartz, Alex Sogomon Keuroghlian

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender diverse people often turn to online platforms for information and support regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); however, analysis of this social media content remains scarce.

OBJECTIVE: We characterized GAHT-related videos on TikTok to highlight the implications relevant to GAHT prescribers.

METHODS: We used a web scraper to identify TikTok videos posted under the hashtags #genderaffirminghormonetherapy and #genderaffirminghormones as of November 2023. We identified recurrent themes via qualitative content analysis and assessed health education videos with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) scale and a modified Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) …

Establishing The Creative Network: Wv's Arts Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project, Mckayla R. Braun, Domenica Queen

CRC Research Symposium

The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts’ (TFA) the fellowship for the arts is an art foundation committed to nurturing the next generation of artists by providing a comprehensive support system designed to promote both creative and professional development. Through its fellowship program, TFA provides artists with access to critical resources, including financial literacy education, mentorship, and structured opportunities for artistic and professional growth. Recognizing that creative talent alone is not always sufficient to sustain a long-term artistic practice, TFA’s mission is to equip fellows with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive both within and beyond the studio. As part …

God’S Got Me:The Intersection Of Faith And Mental Healing, Bre'anna Coleman

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of healthcare accessibility and other factors within the Mississippi Delta, faith and the church is often utilized within African American communities in the area as a form of mental wellness. The Intersection of Faith and Mental Healing was a photo voice methodology project that highlighted how faith and mental healing intersect and impact African Americans within the Mississippi Delta. Through three prompts, six participants discussed mental health and how faith, location, and their identities shaped their views of mental wellness. Five participants were male with one female participant. Their ages ranged from eighteen to sixty five …

Psychological Treatment Behind The Walls:Insights From The Inside, Rogelio Serrano

Psychology Division Scholarship

Repeated eras of mass incarceration, criminalization of marginalized communities, and substance use policies have created a revolving door of justice involved populations. The ever-increasing prison population has repeatedly become the largest contingency of mental health clientele for an overburdened mental health system. Those who work with formerly incarcerated individuals in the community often don’t know the unique set of challenges faced by practitioners within the system. Increased understanding and coordination of care can offer opportunities for sustained recovery and reduced levels of recidivism. In this presentation participants will learn about the unique insights on mental health treatment that can be …

Empowering Rural Communities: Unlocking Potential Through The Online Rural Economic & Community Vitality Graduate Certificate, Daniela Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In today’s evolving economic landscape, rural Nebraska stands at a crossroads. While communities face challenges like population decline, job loss, and infrastructure needs, they also have enormous potential for growth, innovation, and resilience. The key to unlocking this potential lies in skilled, passionate leaders ready to shape the future.

The Rural Economic & Community Vitality (RECV) Graduate Certificate offered 100% online by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics, provides a powerful platform to do just that. This 12-credit, no-prerequisite program is designed for individuals eager to create real, lasting impact in rural communities—whether you're already working in …