Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Discretion, Deference, And Dysfunction: U.S. Refugee Resettlement From Egypt, Cassandra Mcclellan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates refugee resettlement from Egypt to the U.S., as facilitated by UNHCR Egypt and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Accordingly, the research questions ask what factors determine the volume and profile of refugees UNHCR Egypt submits to USRAP for resettlement, as well as the related determining factors for refugees rejected from and accepted to USRAP. A fourth research question examines the impacts of U.S. refugee policy on the resettlement system in Egypt, including on UNHCR Egypt and refugees. To answer these questions, the thesis first delves into the history of U.S. immigration and refugee policies, with a …

National Efforts In Climate Change Adaptation In Agriculture: Assessing Policies And Practices In Egypt’S Nile Delta, Youssef Raafat

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change significantly threatens global security and environmental stability, impacting various sectors, especially the agricultural sector (IPCC, 2021). Climate change has already diminished Egypt’s agricultural productivity by 15 percent (Nassr et al., 2021). In response, the Egyptian government has intensified its efforts to increase agricultural practices adaptation, such as Egypt's 2050 Climate Strategy, the National Water Resources Plan (NWRP 2017-2037), and the NWFE program (NCCS, 2022; NWRP, 2017; NWFE, 2022). Nevertheless, the national policies and efforts remain underexplored in the literature, and their evaluations are not accessible to the public (Grindle, 2017). This research aims to assess the extent to …

The Effect Of Age Of Acquisition On The Development Of Lexical Attainment And Oral Proficiency In English As L2 In Adult Native Arabic Speakers, Mona Ahmed Kamar El-Zaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of the age of acquisition (AoA) on the development of lexical attainment and oral proficiency in English as a second language (L2) among adult native Arabic speakers, focusing on classroom foreign language learners within the Egyptian context. AoA, a critical variable in second language acquisition (SLA) research, is explored in relation to two key domains: lexical knowledge and oral proficiency. The study examines the role of AoA and AoA related effects, such as the order of bilingualism and the length of exposure to rich language input (LoE) as a confounding factor. Through a mixed-methods approach, …

Bridging The Gap: Analyzing Volunteerism Barriers To The International Humanitarian Ngos In Egypt, Heba Fouad

Theses and Dissertations

In Egypt, volunteerism, within international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), functions in distinctive characteristics influenced by, among other things, cultural, educational, and economic factors. NGOs face challenges and obstacles in attracting motivated volunteers, engaging and training volunteers, as well as managing the staff-volunteers relationship, and implementing adequate human resources (HR) policies and strategies. In this context, this thesis seeks to bridge the knowledge gap of volunteerism challenges in Egypt, delving deep into understanding the barriers existing within the international humanitarian NGOs that directly and indirectly influence its volunteer engagement levels. The thesis also aims to understand the successful implementation of policies …

The Feminization Of Deteriorated Labor Force Participation In Egypt: 1990 – 2024, Mennan Gamal Nour El Din

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explain why female labor force participation deteriorated in quantity and in quality despite the recent rise in female educational attainment levels over the past three decades (1990 – 2024). On the one hand, labor participation declined, whereas on the other hand, female informal employment remains high in Egypt. This thesis dissertation utilizes a qualitative research methodology through both secondary data in the form of descriptive statistics on the phenomenon of female labor force participation as well as primary data in the form of six in-depth expert interviews with experts in the fields of …

Investigating The Risk And Protective Factors Of Internet Addiction Among Adolescents Through The Lens Of Cognitive Behavioral Theory: A Cross-Sectional Study, Noura Shaltout

Theses and Dissertations

—Introduction: The Internet has become a central part of modern life, enhancing education, providing means of global communication, and facilitating access to information and entertainment. However, an attendant risk of excessive Internet use is becoming unconsciously addicted to virtual online activities, especially when large tech companies design their products in a way that makes them addictive to users. These companies have the tools and knowledge that allow them to manipulate and transform the behavior of their target audience. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential risk and protective factors for Internet addiction among adolescents. Methodology: This cross-sectional study employed …

Integrated Agricultural Interventions And Women’S Empowerment\ A Case Study Of “She Feeds The World” – “Aysheen Bekhirha” Program In Egypt, Pakinam Shibl

Theses and Dissertations

“She Feeds the World” program is a program that empowers women in farming communities by integrating them into the agricultural value chain. With increased access to essential resources such as land, seeds, water, and technical training, women are expected to actualize their full potential and generate more income. This paper explores the intersection of societal mobilization and economic development through a case study of the “Aysheen Bekhirha” program. By drawing on primary sources, the researcher aims to provide insights into the program’s multifaceted approach and its impact on economic and social outcomes. The analysis focuses on the significance of women’s …

The Role Of Social Support In Protecting Against Perinatal Depression Among Egyptian Women, Radwa Raafat Abdelshafi

Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal Depression (PND) is a global public health issue affecting many women as they transition to motherhood, and carrying detrimental consequences for both mothers and infants. Research in low and middle-income countries shows higher PND prevalence rates than in high-income and Western countries. In addition, social support has been shown to strongly protect or reduce the impact of PND. This study aimed to address a gap in research on PND in Egypt, and to build an understanding of the social support ecological system of new mothers. A survey was conducted with 81 first-time middle-class mothers living in Greater Cairo between …

Exploring The Contributing Factors To Irregular Migration Towards Sweden Among Eritreans In Egypt, Mohammad Ammar Alhasn

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides an understanding of the interplay between individual aspirations, social networks, and policy frameworks to explore the impact of such factors on the mobility of Eritreans from Egypt towards Sweden. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, the study engaged with twenty-four Eritreans through semi-structured interviews to delve into their lived experiences and decision-making processes. The research is underpinned by theoretical frameworks as follows: social network theory, and institutional theory, which collectively inform the analysis of the migratory phenomenon. The findings reveal that the decision to undertake irregular migration is driven by a confluence of factors in Egypt as a …

Unveiling The Public Sector Hold: Egyptian Women And Work-Life Balance, Safa Gadelhak

Theses and Dissertations

Educated women in Egypt view the public sector as their preferred employer, irrespective of their educational level or recent efforts towards women empowerment and the rise of digitization. This study attempts to understand the perceptions of working women, through analyzing their reasons whether prominent or underlying to make this career choice. To better understand this behavior, twenty semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted with a total of thirty women from both public and private sectors. The findings revealed that women gravitate towards the public sector mainly because of five reasons: (a) convenient working conditions, (b) feeling stuck, …

Determinants Of Physicians' Brain Drain In Egypt, Mennatallah Elbeheiry

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt is enduring a significant shortage of physicians, despite the annual graduation of approximately 10,000 medical students from its 27 medical schools. In 2016, the physician density was alarmingly low, with only one doctor per 12,285 people. This shortage is exacerbated by a physicians’ brain drain, as Egypt is a leading exporter of physicians to countries like the United Kingdom and Australia. As of 2020, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate reported 212,835 registered physicians, yet 56 percent of them work abroad, and only about 62,000 are actively employed in public hospitals, serving a population of over 110 million. The government’s efforts …

Assessing Egypt’S Readiness To Introduce Program And Performance-Based Budgeting, Eman Negm

Theses and Dissertations

Program and performance-based budgeting is one of the recent and most controversial developments in the Egyptian budgetary system. As a results-based budgeting methodology, it can potentially support the government's endeavors to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and improve the overall levels of transparency and accountability. As per the new Unified Finance Law, Egypt is preparing for the full implementation of the program and performance budgeting reform to start in FY 2027-2028. The main objective of this study is to assess the readiness of Egypt to introduce program and performance-based budgeting based on six main assessment pillars which …

Breaking Taboos: Syrian Women Reshaping Gender Roles In Zarqa, Jordan, Farah Qonaish

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the changes in gender roles among Syrian refugee women in Jordan. Since 2011, more than a million Syrian refugees have settled in Jordan. Around 83% of Syrian refugees have resided in host communities in Jordan and around 70% of the Syrian population come from the rural areas in Syria refugees. Syrian refugees have experienced change on different levels of their lives since the beginning of the displacement. This ethnographic study was conducted in Zarqa, a major city in the middle region of Jordan, and a major host community for Syrian refugees in Jordan. The city is known …

Early Intervention System Contextual Factors Contributing To Treatment Attendance And Clinical Outcomes, Anthony Eldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Early Intervention Programs (EI) are an established method of addressing and treating earlier childhood developmental problems that involves a system of complex processes which families must navigate to secure and maintain care. Extensive wait times and multiple service providers burdensome caregivers which may impact treatment engagement. Telehealth offers some clinical utility for improving EI service provision. However, little is known how system contextual factors predict a child’s Part B Eligibility and level of engagement with treatment. The primary aim of this study is to describe the effect that wait time, number of service providers, number of treatment services, and treatment …

"Remember Me": A Narrative Analysis On Latino Representation In Disney's Coco And Encanto, Angie Nicole Vega

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the authenticity of Latino representation in Disney animated films by reviewing the visuals, symbols, and themes incorporated into the animations. Using a narrative analysis method, the study examines themes present in the films, including characters, setting, music, and language, to uncover deeper meanings and cultural references. Through this analysis, the study aims to identify commonalities in how Latino culture is represented in mainstream media and to uncover any underlying messages or biases that may be present. The findings of the study suggest that both films showcase Latino culture in a positive and celebratory manner, highlighting the importance …

Structural And Functional Correlates Of The Sleep-Suicidal Ideation Association, Jolynn Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Each year, about 800,000 individuals die by suicide globally, affecting millions more. Mitigating suicide risks by targeting modifiable factors such as the sleep disturbances of insomnia and nightmares, which are prevalent and linked to suicidality is important. This study investigated the structural and functional brain differences related to sleep disturbances and suicidality, with the anterior cingulate (caudal and rostral), insula, middle frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, thalamus, amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex as seed regions. Participants had no history of suicidal ideation (NSI; n=43) or suicidal ideation within the past two weeks (SI; n=25). Measures for analyses included the Insomnia Severity Index …

What’S Mine Is Yours: Managing Student Loans Within Different Gender Couples, Samantha Leigh Moser

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, borrowing student loans from the federal government or private market to attend college has become increasingly common. Roughly one in eight Americans has student loans (Looney, Wessel, & Yilla 2020). Reports on federal student loans indicate that roughly 1.6 billion dollars was outstanding in May of 2022 (Hanson 2022b). Additionally, about 43.4 million borrowers each owe an estimated $37,014 in federal education loans (Hanson 2022a). Privately, as of July 2023, $131 billion dollars was outstanding for education loans.

Sociologists have begun researching the consequences of student loan debt on borrowers and their families. Consequences of student …

Using Landscape Archaeology To Gain Insight Into The Human Experience During The Late Woodland And Mississippian Periods In South Carolina’S Pee Dee River Basin, Noah Safari

Theses and Dissertations

People move through and use the landscape in the ways they do for myriad reasons. The goal of this thesis was to elucidate how people viewed and settled in the Pee Dee River Basin area during the Late Woodland and Mississippian Periods in South Carolina. Framing my research with a landscape archaeology focus, by considering sites within a larger region or landscape, we can inhabit the “taskscapes” of the past and gain an understanding of the past (Ingold 1993).

To do this, I used the methodological lens of settlement ecology “to build a balance sheet of varying priorities (Stone 1996:8) …

An Assessment Of Drinking Water Equity In South Carolina: Access, Affordability, Quality, And Private Well Resources, Catherine Lippert Min

Theses and Dissertations

Universal access to good quality, affordable drinking water is a goal that has not yet been reached in the United States. Recently, national studies have investigated drinking water burdens including lack of access to complete plumbing, unaffordability, and poor quality individually. However, no study has examined all of these drinking water burdens together to identify communities facing multiple burdens. This study addresses this gap by analyzing disparities in access to complete plumbing, affordability of public water sources, and drinking water quality of community water systems in South Carolina and identifying communities that face multiple burdens. This study also provides the …

Businesses Or Beneficiaries: The Submerged Consequences Of Workfare Policy Design, Morgan Alexander Lowder

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation critically analyzes the policy association between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), and in doing so, sheds light on the employer-uplifting design of the U.S. welfare state. I examine this association in three stand-alone Chapters with the intent of answering the following questions: 1) Is the SNAP-WOTC association mutually beneficial to SNAP recipients and the employers that access the WOTC; 2) Is the SNAP-WOTC association truly intended to be mutually beneficial; and 3) What are the perceptive consequences of revealing how SNAP benefits employers through the WOTC. Using both quantitative and …

Exploring Heat Variations In Columbia, South Carolina, Michael Graeme Hohlfeld

Theses and Dissertations

As the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States, the concept of heat as a hazard has been studied for decades, especially in the urban environment. Urban heat island research is limited by the fact that most investigate land surface temperature rather than air temperature and other variables that affect human comfort including humidity. This thesis utilizes a public network of weather stations in Richland County, South Carolina to investigate differences in heat between the city of Columbia, and more rural parts of the county. The study period was June, July, and August of 2022. Results indicate that …

The Importance Of Sense Of Community In Recovery For Individuals Living With Serious Mental Illness, Natalia Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

People with serious mental illness face a variety of barriers to participating in community life. Some of these barriers include limits in social functioning which can then affect social relationships and life satisfaction (Sanchez et al, 2016). Devaluation based on mental health status is an important barrier to address due to its connection to stigma and relationships. The more an individual fears that they will be undervalued and discriminated against, the more they may fear interacting with others. They may hide that they are in mental health treatment or avoid social encounters that they consider as possibly rejecting. These behaviors …

Housing Buyouts At The Intersection Of Flooding And Toxins: A Case Study Of Cheraw, South Carolina, Victoria Ponds

Theses and Dissertations

As climate change increases extreme weather events, efforts of managed retreat will also increase, particularly through housing buyout programs. The largest scale housing buyout programs are run through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These buyout programs focus primarily on flood hazards and exclude anthropogenic hazards. This policy is problematic in the modern technological age where compound hazards, including those involving toxin releases, are occurring more frequently. In this thesis, I investigate how disaster policies account for the intersection of these hazards in Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation buyouts in Cheraw, South …

Three Essays On Financial Institutions And Financial Intermediation, Xinxin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

In the first essay, I examine the trading relationship between the manager of a collateralized loan obligation (CLO) deal and the borrowers and/or lenders of the underlying portfolio of the CLO deal. I investigate how these relationships affect the structure and pricing of CLO deals. I find that a stronger relationship between a CLO manager and either borrowers or lenders of loans in the underlying portfolio leads to a smaller equity tranche in the CLO deal and a lower yield spread of the AAA tranche, on average. These results suggest that the CLO manager uses private information from trading relationships …

British Fortification Strategy In The South Carolina Backcountry During The Southern Campaign Of The American Revolution: Archaeological And Historical Perspectives On Infrastructure And Landscape, Charles Brian Mabelitini

Theses and Dissertations

During the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, the British military established a series of fortified posts to secure the South Carolina backcountry. This chain of posts was comprised of at least 25 fortified positions that extended in an east-west arc from Georgetown, South Carolina, at the mouth of the Pee Dee River to the village of Augusta, Georgia, on the Savannah River. This dissertation examines the British fortification strategy in the South Carolina backcountry during the Southern Campaign from the anthropological perspective of infrastructure theory. It also examines the archaeological landscape of these positions to better understand their strategic …

Associations Between Infant Vagal Regulation, Early Social Communication, And Socidemographic Risk, Tessa Djiko

Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activation, has been linked to socioemotional and language development (Porges, 2007; Thayer & Lane, 2000). Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show lower RSA (Patriquin et al., 2011) while both children with ASD and children from lower SES backgrounds show differences in early social-communication development (Jones-Mason et al., 2018). However, little is known about interactions between sociodemographic risk and physiological regulation within the context of ASD and social-communication development. The present study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between RSA (as indexed by RSA suppression and resting-state RSA), …

South Carolina School District Takeover: A Critical Policy Analysis, David Osworth

Theses and Dissertations

School takeover is a reform strategy where a school or district is placed into the control of a state or municipal government agency. Takeover has become increasingly popular in many states as an attempt to improve schools and district that are struggling either academically or financially. Takeover, however, is more likely to be implemented in districts serving a higher proportion of Black students. Due to the racialized nature of this policy this study uses a Critical Race Theory (CRT) methodology to engage in a critical policy analysis of school takeover in one rural school district in South Carolina. This study …

Maternal-Child Cortisol Attunement Differs In Preschoolers With Autism, Fragile X Syndrome, And Neurotypical Development, Rachel Hantman

Theses and Dissertations

Early maternal-child attunement sets a critical foundation for later social development. While maternal and child cortisol attunement in neurotypical (NT) development has been clearly established, little research has examined these relations in neurodevelopmental populations, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Given their elevated-risk for disrupted maternal-child attunement and given elevated stress and dysregulated cortisol patterns in both children with ASD and FXS and their parents independently, this is a critical gap. This study addressed this gap in the literature by examining early maternal-child cortisol attunement in 97 mother-child dyads (_nNT = …

The Gendered Patterns Of International Migration Systems: The Role Of Need For Care, Chang-Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for feminized jobs in developed countries—e.g., care, domestic, and entertainment work—has provided women with an opportunity to work abroad independently. However, while numerous studies have discussed gendered opportunities and barriers to women’s migration, few studies have examined these correlates globally. According to traditional gender norms, one such potential barrier is women’s childcare responsibilities at home and, more specifically, the number of children who need to be cared for. Here it is argued that, contrary to men, the higher the number of children who need to be cared for in a given country, the more difficult it would be …

Unpacking The Relationship Between Legitimacy, Procedural Justice, Identity, And Desistance, Qassim Bolaji

Theses and Dissertations

Knowing why people stop offending over time and the criminal justice agencies' role in this process is essential for designing effective crime control interventions. Legal authorities have the core function of ensuring that social norms and laws are obeyed. However, the coercive and punitive tactics that police, judicial, and penal authorities typically resort to have been shown to have only limited impact on controlling and preventing crime while having the unintended consequence of worsening the public's perception of their institutional legitimacy. Specific to policing, the use of coercive policing tactics and their perceived ineffectiveness has, in recent decades, led to …