Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

United States Foreign Policy Towards South Africa: From Constructive Engagement To Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act Of 1986, Jennifer J. Squires

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

U.S. domestic pressure groups have historically utilized the tactic of lobbying Congress as a tool to pressure the legislative body to make specific foreign policy decisions. My research findings suggest that over various periods of time, in total spanning approximately four decades, first heralded by African American human rights leaders and organizations, the actions of six separate domestic anti-apartheid economic sanctions and divestment organizations, influenced by episodic anti-apartheid protest actions in South Africa, used their varied American protest actions to remind and to admonish Congress that apartheid is synonymous with racism. Thus, apartheid had to be dismantled. An important number …

Gendering Diaspora Across Generations: Lebanese Motherhood And Daughterhood Post-Emigration, Janan Shouhayib

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation sits at the intersection of critical diaspora studies and Arab feminism, seeking to explore how migrant Lebanese women embody, design, and understand home, examined through the lens of motherhood and daughterhood. The following opening questions guided the study: Which aspects of Lebanese culture do women preserve, adapt, and/or abandon once they emigrate from Lebanon? How do these choices manifest in mother-daughter relationships? How do Lebanese women’s relationships to their culture change over time within the diaspora? To address this complex inquiry, this study employs two methods across three datasets. The first method includes archival data that was collected …

Musical Semiotics In Kate Soper’S Ipsa Dixit (2010–2016), Scott A. Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation analyzes the six parts of Kate Soper’s Ipsa Dixit (2010–2016). While individual parts have received some music theoretical attention, this is the first analysis of the entire Pulitzer Prize-nominated work. Ambiguity and contingency are major themes of Ipsa Dixit, and by treating each part independently and in combination, I hope to honor Ipsa’s contingent status as a unified work comprised of six complete works. Soper’s libretto unifies an assemblage of texts with adaptations of Aristotle to investigate the intersections of language and music with authority, veracity, and (un)intelligibility.

I theorize that Soper’s “philosophy-opera” dramatizes the formation of …

The State Of The Unions 2024: A Profile Of Organized Labor In New York City, New York State, And The United States, Ruth Milkman, Joseph Van Der Naald

Publications and Research

This report released by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, State of the Unions 2024: A Profile of Organized Labor in New York City, New York State, and the United States, is a part of an annual publication series, documents recent trends in unionization patterns. The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies’ latest annual report on unionization patterns shows that private-sector union organizing efforts continued to increase across the country over the last year. The report documents that growth in union election petitions since 2020 has reversed a decade of decline, reaching a level not seen since …

An Analysis Of Relationships Between Demographics In Vermont’S Court Diversion Participants, Jennifer Hill

Student Theses

As solutions to mass incarceration continue to emerge, court diversion programs and specialty courts across the United States have grown as alternative options to the traditional criminal legal system. The State of Vermont has been utilizing court diversion programs for over 50 years to address harm in their communities. Court diversion has proven to be effective in reducing recidivism, improving cost efficiency and connecting individuals to their communities. However, what has gone unexamined are the potential disparities in opportunities for diversion participation along demographic lines. This study utilized a chi-square test of independence to explore the relationships between age, gender, …

Phe 302 Social And Environmental Determinants Of Health, Tailisha Gonzalez

Open Educational Resources

This course is an introduction to the social, behavioral, and commercial factors that influence health. Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of these determinants will be discussed from a social ecological perspective. Social determinants cover five domains: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Behavioral determinants include such factors as smoking, physical activity, and alcohol use. Commercial determinants include economic and political domains with examples such as cigarette marketing and the placement of toxic waste sites in low-income communities.

Use Generative Artificial Intelligence (Genai) To Learn: A Presentation Deck For Learners, Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

This presentation explores the effective and ethical use of Large Language Models (LLMs) by students, in higher education. It covers the purpose of higher education, the potential use cases of LLMs as tutors, editors, creative directors, and coaches, and offers guidance on how to use these tools to enhance learning while avoiding common pitfalls. The presentation also emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, ethical considerations, and prompt engineering in maximizing the benefits of LLMs while maintaining academic integrity.

Corporate Social Advocacy: A Study Of Brand And Consumer Activism In The Era Of Social Media, Christa L. Taylor

Student Theses and Dissertations

As corporations recognize the importance of balancing profitability with social responsibility, the adoption of corporate social advocacy has become a critical approach for addressing pressing social issues, fostering trust, and enhancing brand reputation. Growing public pressure has forced corporations to take a more vocal stance on social and political issues. Considering that corporate social advocacy is an emerging trend and is viewed as a practice outside of a corporation’s standard business practices, organizations have been presented with a new challenge of achieving legitimacy in their advocacy and taking on an expanded role as corporate citizens. This study explores the ways …

Past And Present Of The Cvs: Empirical Research And Evidence-Based Policy, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

In this keynote address, I emphasized the critical role of accurate crime measurement in developing evidence-based policies. I discussed the "dark figure of crime," highlighting how many crimes go unreported, and stressed the importance of victimization surveys in uncovering these hidden crimes to provide a more complete picture of criminal activity.

I also explored how technological advancements, particularly AI, are transforming how we collect and analyze crime data. While AI offers significant benefits in predictive policing and resource allocation, I cautioned about the risks of bias and privacy issues that must be managed carefully.

Regional collaboration, standardization, and inclusivity are …

Strategies For Addressing Substance Abuse And Gambling Among Youth, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

This keynote address opens with a description of recent trends in substance use and gambling among youth, sharing insights from relevant research. I highlight that while some global trends indicate a decline in adolescent substance use, other areas, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have seen increases. I emphasize the importance of comprehensive prevention strategies, such as school-based, community-based, and family-based programs, and effective treatment approaches like behavioral interventions and integrated mental health services.

On the topic of youth gambling, I highlight the rising normalization and accessibility of gambling, particularly through the internet. I describe specific challenges in regions like South …

Electrifying Choices: Decoding Electric Vehicle Adoption And Policy Incentives In America, William T. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Countries, states, and municipalities are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector by leveraging policy incentives to promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption. I study the efficacy of state-level time-of-purchase rebate incentives in the United States between 2016 and 2022, and employ a generalized difference-in-difference two-way fixed effects model that enables causal inference. I find that EV rebate incentives cause an increase of 1 EV per 1,000 vehicles. EV rebate incentives also cause a decrease in gasoline powered vehicles by 3 vehicles per 1,000, and a decrease in diesel powered vehicles by 1 per 1,000. EV rebate incentives …

Maternal And Other Social Influences On Signature Whistle Structure Of A Captive Group Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Riley Synan

Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are social animals that use acoustics as a major method of communicating across a marine environment. They also live in fission-fusion groups and thus interact with many conspecifics over a lifetime. Individual dolphins have a signature whistle that functions as an identity call and serves to maintain group cohesion in murky waters or during reconciliation. Dolphins exhibit vocal learning and the signature whistle of a calf may be modeled after the whistle of their mother or another individual in the pod as they develop. Mother-calf pairs or other related animals sometimes have similar whistle types. Some …

Assessing Comprehension And Competence In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) On The Concept: Do Something Different, Charlotte M. Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have been conducted using a training paradigm based on the research of Pryor et al. (1969) wherein the participants are trained on the abstract concept: do something different. This paradigm challenges working memory and requires the participants to respond with a behavior, either previously trained or novel, which has not yet been offered within the session. The work of Braslau-Schneck (1994) expanded this concept and demonstrated the ability of dolphins to successfully complete this task in synchronized pairs, though the method of accomplishing this task remained unclear. The present research was conducted as part of a broader …

Envelope Of Ruin : Material And Spatial Responses Of New York City Homeless To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kyle C. Maxey

Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to understand human material responses to catastrophic urban collapse. Using Henri Lefebvre's theories of spatial production and the history of a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) this paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding the dynamics present in the creation of an urban ruin. Through the observation of homeless material responses, particularly the construction of encampments under the BQE, during the COVID-19 pandemic "lock-down" in New York City, this thesis illustrates how populations respond to urban ruin and social collapse. Moving forward, this paper hopes to serve as a synthesis of urban theory and archeological observation …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Mental Health- A Comparison Between Gender & Race, Taliyah Quinn

Theses and Dissertations

My study will focus on the rise of mental health toward the African American, Latinx and Asian Americans communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of the virus, the high percentage rate of infections among minorities, isolation, quarantining and socio economic disadvantages played a major role in the increase of mental disparities.

Enhancing The Visual Environment Of Indoor Housed Laboratory Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis) To Reduce Stress And Maladaptive Behavior, Jeannine C. Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

Nonhuman primates housed in indoor laboratory environments are generally exposed to nondescript background visual stimuli. This environment is not ideal for species whose primary sensory modality is visual. To provide a more naturalistic visual environment that would potentially improve their welfare, this study assessed the efficacy of a passive natural visual stimulus in the reduction of stress and stereotypy and agonistic behaviors in a cohort of four (2 male, 2 female) Cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) housed in an indoor laboratory facility in New York City. The macaques were exposed to four different videos depicting scenes of natural landscapes that were …

Caring Until It Hurts: A Survey Of Compassion Fatigue And Moral Injury Among Wild Animal Caregivers And Its Implications For Animal Welfare In Zoos, Aquariums, Rehabilitation Centers, And Sanctuaries, Nadiya L. Delgado

Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers for captive wild animals are fundamental to the overall care, welfare, and conservation of animals in their charge, fulfilling diverse and critical roles. Caring for others, whether humans or animals, exposes caregivers to compassion fatigue – a state of emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from prolonged empathetic engagement with those they assist, and moral injury – psychological distress that arises from actions, or the lack of them, which violate one's moral or ethical code. This distress can manifest as intense feelings of guilt, shame, or a sense of betrayal by oneself or others. These phenomena are pertinent in environments …

Sex Differences In The Diets Of Forest-Dwelling Baboons (Papio Anubis), Kara Hartunian

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to eat and switch between many food sources is an adaptative feeding strategy utilized for meeting nutritional needs across different environments, seasons, and physiological conditions. Baboons (genus Papio) excel at both dietary flexibility and foraging selectively, and consequently have one of the most widespread geographic distributions in the Order. To further expand to our understanding of baboon feeding ecology, I analyzed foraging activity and the nutritional characteristics of the diets of the relatively understudied rainforest baboons (Papio anubis) living in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I also investigated if there are differences in food type choice …

Dyslexia And Proofreading: Examining Error Detection And Cognitive Compensation, Gillian Glasser

Theses and Dissertations

Little is currently known about how well dyslexic readers can recognize written errors in English as compared to typical readers. The current study asked adult monolingual English-speakers (97 typical and 81 dyslexic) to detect spelling errors in isolated words and single-sentence contexts. Outcomes and possible dyslexic compensatory mechanisms are discussed.

Effortless Mindfulness Toolkit: Easy Meditation Scripts To Begin Each Class., Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

The Effortless Mindfulness in the Classroom Toolkit is an open educational resource designed to create happier classrooms, boost student engagement, and foster a sense of community through brief, effective mindfulness exercises. This comprehensive toolkit provides educators with everything they need to seamlessly integrate mindfulness practices into their teaching routines, regardless of prior experience. The toolkit includes introductory slides, 15 ready-to-use meditation scripts, and accompanying audio recordings, covering a variety of mindfulness techniques such as focused breathing, body scans, and loving-kindness meditations. Each meditation is paired with a reflective prompt to deepen student engagement and reinforce the benefits of mindfulness. Additionally, …

Mental Health Stigma Related To Depression And Suicidal Behavior In Korean-Americans, Soo Min Kim

Student Theses

Despite the surge of the Korean population within the United States, the Korean-American population is significantly underrepresented in research when observed separately from other Asian groups. The Republic of Korea has had the highest suicide rate within the OECD nations for well over a decade (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development), and evidence suggests that the risk of suicidality may extend to Koreans living abroad (Kung, 2018). There is also evidence of high prevalence of depressive symptoms in Korean-Americans (Bernstein et al., 2011). In addition, Koreans are consistently demonstrated to hold stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness, however, very little research …

An Investigation Of Continued Contact Between Victim And Perpetrator After Sexual Violence, Maria Bates

Student Theses

Given the prevalence of sexual violence and child sexual abuse (CSA) it is imperative to accurately conceptualize victim experience following sexual violence. Rape myths do not provide an adequate understanding of victim behavior post-abuse/assault (e.g., Denne et al., 2013; Harsey & Freed, 2023; Romero-Sanchez et al., 2018; Russel & Hand, 2017), such as prescribing that victims of sexual violence would never hold contact with a perpetrator post-abuse/assault (e.g., Maurer, 2015; Shepp et al., 2019; St. George et al., 2022; Smith, 2023). Since research shows that many victims, particularly CSA victims, know the perpetrator, (e.g., Basile, 2020; Gewirtz-Meydan & Finkelhor, 2020; …

Librarians Need Accomplices!, Robin Naughton Ph.D, Simone L. Yearwood

Publications and Research

The term “ally,” used to categorize a group of people from a dominant or majority group working to support marginalize people in the fight for justice is very active and well-known. Allies support without getting too involved or experiencing any trouble with their own life or profession. However, allies are not enough to fight for justice. People need to have accomplices, someone who will fight with them while the fight is happening, not stand idly by while injustices are being committed, and be an active partner and conspirator in the fight against racism, microaggressions, and injustice even if it means …

Cuny/Suny Alma Resource Sharing: A Review From Two Cuny Campuses, Tokunbo Adeshina, J. Silvia Cho

Publications and Research

On January 17, 2024, The City University of New York (CUNY) library system and the State University of New York (SUNY) library system went live with Alma Peer to Peer Resource Sharing partnership. This partnership significantly expanded CUNY and SUNY patrons’ ability to access materials easily and efficiently through their Onesearch interface, enabling them to browse through and request physical items from both library systems. Coming from a two-year community college and a graduate institution respectively at CUNY, the presenters shared their experiences and lessons learned in their different campus environments through this project. The discussion included initial concerns, priorities, …

Using Ifms To Pay For Lost Items, J. Silvia Cho

Publications and Research

In this presentation, I discuss using OCLC's IFMs (Interlibrary Loan Fee Management) to pay invoices for lost and damaged items borrowed via interlibrary loan. After starting with a discussion of the benefits and challenges of this method, I will share examples showing the process and how to check results. Using IFMs to pay invoices can help alleviate the time and transactional burdens of making such payments for interlibrary loan departments.

Pol 241 Globalization Syllabus, Jeannette Graulau

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus offers meaningful, open-access academic texts, art expositions, interactive maps, timelines and conferences that introduce students to the study of the 16th-century birth of globalization. This was a period in which for the first time after A.D. 1492, trade connected Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, creating dynamic and enduring change everywhere. The Columbian Exchange took off and Spain became a global superpower. Europe spread 'Western civilization' to the rest of the world, carrying xenophobia, wars, and economic exploitation everywhere it went. Military conquests and crusading campaigns against aboriginal peoples of the Americas and religious and ethnic minorities gave …

Proceedings Of The Cuny Games Conference 10.0, Robert O. Duncan, Grace Axler-Diperte, Joe Bisz, Christina Boyle, Devorah Kletenik, Carolyn Stallard

Publications and Research

The ten-year anniversary (!) of the CUNY Games Conference combines workshops, idea exchanges, interactive participant presentations, playtesting, and playing tabletop games into a two-day hybrid event to promote and discuss game-based learning. The conference focuses on creative pedagogy, such as playful learning activities or games, that teachers can use in the classroom every day. Day 1 featured interactive presentations by attendees, informal idea exchange sessions, and workshops by the conference organizers. Day 2 featured select presentations and workshops, poster sessions, playtesting and game modding, and casual play of tabletop games.

Change Is Possible: Implementing Assessment Of Library Instruction With The Help Of Change Management Theories, Carrie Jedlicka

Publications and Research

Kingsborough Community College Library was tasked with formally assessing our instructional sessions, in order to align with the college’s evaluation of students’ information literacy skills. We formed a working committee and soon realized that conducting assessment would necessitate that librarians make changes to their instructional work and routines. To make this transition more manageable and to help create buy-in among librarians, the committee has begun rolling out assessment incrementally, drawing inspiration from different change management models. This poster will describe the steps taken in our assessment’s soft launch, change management theories that we’ve found helpful, and our successes and challenges. …

Rpe-3100 Therapeutic Recreation For Individuals With Disabilities I, Mary Lou Fierle Ms.

Open Educational Resources

This is the syllabus for the course RPE-3100 Therapeutic Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities I

Soc 11 Introduction To Sociology, Gilbert Marzan

Open Educational Resources

This OER Syllabus is created by Dr. Gilbert Marzan for use in his Introduction to Sociology (Soc 11) course. This course will be taught as a ZTC course using the OpenStax Sociology OER textbook.