Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Working Women: The Transition’S Impact On Female Labor Force Participation In Former Communist Countries, Emily Rose Levine

Senior Projects Spring 2021

In the late twentieth century, Central and Eastern European countries went through a transformation from a command economy to a market economy. Under the command economy there was virtually no unemployment, and most citizens were employed by the government. Women experienced high labor force participation and received generous family benefits. During the transition from a planned to a market economy, labor force participation rates for women dropped significantly and the benefits families received were no longer universally assured. The dismantling of social family benefits in a post-socialist economy resulted in a low female labor force participation rate, hindering a full …

New Perspectives On Contemporary Chinese Growth: The Developmental State Model And China’S Success In The Reform Period, Adam T. Savino

Senior Projects Spring 2021

The success of China since 1979 has often been boiled down to market fundamentals, neglecting its largely state directed system. This essay compares the developmental state theory of growth, established by historian Chalmers Johnson, to China’s economic practices over the last 40 years. Ultimately, the purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that China’s growth is based on a unique application of the developmental state model, and that this model is potentially transferable to other economies that have yet to develop as robustly.

The Effect Of Remittances On Ethnic Tension, Suyog Shrestha

Senior Projects Spring 2021

With the massive increase in global remittances in the recent decades, migration study has gained a lot of attention from scholars in social sciences. In particular, the effect of remittances on various socio-economic variables have been studied. Furthering this literature, we study the effects of remittances on ethnic tension. Using the Ordinary Least Squares with Panel-Corrected Standard Errors, we find that i) remittances has less impact on ethnic tension in countries with lower variance of ethnic tension than those with higher variance ii) remittances increases ethnic tension in countries that already have higher ethnic tension than the global mean, whereas …

Llamas No Son Ovejas The Pervasive Impacts Of Colonization On Indigenous Peoples Labor Market Choices In Peru: An Examination Of Exclusionary Institutions Through Sociohistorical And Economic Lenses, Molly Jeanne Devine

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Using historical and empirical evidence, this Senior Project looks at the long-term impacts of colonization on economic, social, and cultural institutions. This project explores impacts both immediately upon Spanish arrival in 1532, and created during the Spanish colonization of Peru. Systems of forced labor created through colonization created two separate paths of development: one for the Spanish and Spanish-selected Peruvian elite and another for the Indigenous people of Peru. Vestiges of the Spanish colonization of Peru continue to manifest themselves in modern times in many ways. This Senior Project examines the link between Indigenous individuals and their participation in the …

Systems Of Erasure: An Archival Analysis Of Gentrification In Hudson, N.Y., Danielle Ashley Ranieri

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Past analyses of gentrification have largely examined the phenomenon along the consumption-production theory binary; the former contending that the middle-class consumer is to blame for initiating the process, the latter illuminating the contributions of larger political entities. This oversimplifies the complex process of gentrification, boiling its causal factors down to a singular class, policy, event, or point in time. This tendency to homogenize the root cause of gentrification gives a narrow understanding of a city’s history and largely ignores the overarching, systemic patterns of class and race-based oppression that have played into a city’s development over time. Furthermore, colonizers and …

Cock: Essays And Illustrations On Attention, Accessibility, And Deep Play, Buck Holbrook Buettner

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Clifford Geertz's theory of "deep play"--most thoroughly explored in his 1973 essay "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight"--states that acts of recreation and sport carry within them the greater values, traumas, and taboos of the individual cultures which practice them.

An illustrated anthology, Cock: Essays and Illustrations on Attention, Accessibility, and Deep Play elaborates upon Geertz's pre-established definition of deep play by applying its terminology to cultural practices beyond the Balinese cockfight, analyzing brief parentheticals and asides in Geertz's text, and exploring methods of making the greater anthropological field more accessible via multimodal anthropological publication. Also, it is filled …

The Real On Food-Related Medical Conditions: Narrativizing The Respective Lived Experiences Of Eight Interlocutors Around Their Unique Food Needs, Christina Sinclair Jones

Senior Projects Spring 2021

This native ethnographic research project disrupts narratives which limit analytical engagement with food-related medical conditions to the medical, and creates space for unpacking the very real social and emotional implications of suffering from a food-related medical condition. Eight interlocutors’ respective lived experiences, thoughts, and feelings are narrativized and used to understand what it means - holistically - to have medically-imposed dietary restrictions. Some key themes explored in this work include: stigma; embarrassment; the desire to render one’s food-related medical condition imperceptible to others; bullying; privilege (which takes multiple forms); fear of being seen by others as “that person”; race; systemic …

The Burden Of Whiteness & The Misery Of Antiracism, Or How I Learned To Care About White People, Adrian S. Costa

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Responding to the ever growing conversations surrounding racism, this essay argues for an examination of white people in the interest of further explicating the systemic hesitation surrounding the earnest confrontation of white supremacy. I do so by firstly diagnosing whiteness as an identity that is burdened by the sociopolitical responsibility of confronting the institutional legacy of white supremacy and redressing its material costs and practical harms against people of color. I continue this line of reasoning to argue that, although these infrastructural mechanisms have largely been vacated out of the legal and moral frameworks of society, that white supremacy has …

Opening The Fridge: An Exploration Of Mutual Aid And Community Care In Queens, New York, Caitlin Hamilton

Senior Projects Spring 2021

This project embarks on an exploration of Queens Mutual Aid Network, which was started in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This group has provided food assistance, unemployment support, help procuring prescription medicine, and a digital space for community networking to the people of the extended Queens community. I also analyze the Corona community fridge and its implications for community care networks in the wake of overwhelming need. As part of my research, I spent time conversing with community activists about these efforts, and made food deliveries to the community fridges in my area. I then contextualize these …

The Cross-Dressing Terrorist, The Malaccan Mouse-Deer, And Indonesian Prison Surveillance: An Examination Of Radical Indonesian Islamist Cells And Their Relationship To Prison Indoctrination, Violent Recidivism, And State Surveillance, Miranda Kerrigan

Senior Projects Spring 2021

This thesis explores the historical context that has lead Indonesian prisons to be one of the dominant locations for radical Islamic indoctrination in the archipelago. Through an exploration of several key historical stories and events, from Islams' introduction to the region to the current ramifications of bombings and riots, I conclude the most viable solution to prevent further violence is the incorporation of surveillance technology within prisons.

Configural Face Processing: How Face Coverings Impact Social Judgements In The Covid-19 Era, Linsey D. Culkins

Student Academic Conference

The behavioral immune system has been implicated in both adaptive and maladaptive social judgements and behaviors affecting a social environment (Murray & Schaller 2016). As norms change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how will covering the nose and mouth—with face coverings as a preventative measure to limit COVID-19 community spread—impact social environments? The study seeks to investigate whether face coverings influence affect, social comfort, and judgments of trust. Undergraduate college students were shown images of target faces with and without face coverings covering the eyes, the nose and mouth, or both. Results suggest that observing a surgical mask which …

A Cognitive-Behavioral Program For Improving Self-Esteem In At-Risk Adolescents, Amelia K. Chase-Wise

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Youth who have experienced adverse events in childhood are more likely to experience negative health outcomes. Increased exposure to adverse experiences such as abuse or neglect are associated with increased risk for outcomes such as smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, depressed mood, and attempted suicide. These outcomes may be mediated through the development of more positive coping strategies. Currently, there are no group programs for young adolescents that are designed from a cognitive-behavioral perspective that aim to improve self-esteem in this population. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective at reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental …

[Nahm] Native American Heritage Month 2021 Library Events, Raquel Estrada, William Flores

Library Display Posters

Poster for Native American Heritage Month 2021.

The Relationship Between Parasocial Relationships And Chronic Ostracism Among Differing Belongingness Needs, Kaitlin M. Mitchell

Undergraduate Research Awards

Some media consumers are prone to developing parasocial relationships (PSRs)—one-sided attachments viewed as a reciprocal bond—with fictional characters. Study of parasocial relationships has linked this tendency to heightened belongingness needs. However, there is a lack of exploration of how chronic ostracism, a threat to belongingness, relates to PSRs. Thus, the current study examined whether belongingness needs moderated the relationship between forming PSRs and feelings of chronic ostracism. One hundred and eleven participants from a small historically women’s university and the Twitter book community participated in a study which included a survey on tendency to form parasocial relationships, feelings of chronic …

Information, Identification, Or Both? A Rhetorical Analysis Of How Blm Uses Their Official Website, Candice L. Edrington

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Federal Employee Views Across Administrations: An Examination Of The 2010 Obama And 2018 Trump Leadership Capital And The Perceptions Of The Agency Employees, Dimple Sunayna Johnson

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

One of the many responsibilities of the president is the management of the expansive federal government. From agenda planning to reform implementation, a political leader can impact the federal employees’ job role. The federal government, however, does not administer alone, top-down mandates are managed by tiers of management, with the front-line supervisors acting as the liaison to federal employees. Understanding a president’s leadership capital alongside the federal employee perceptions of job satisfaction and supervisory support can provide opportunities to gain insight into establishing and maintaining a public sector landscape that is effective and efficient.

The study consisted of a quantitative …

Mental Health Issues Development In Law Enforcement Officers And Its Impact On Law Enforcement Agencies: The Need For Policies Focused On Law Enforcement Officers Mental Stability, Joseph A Sorgini

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study examines the existing literature on PTSD and PTSD symptomology that law enforcement officers experience, and the post-exposure intervention protocols that aid in mental stability of impacted law enforcement officers. The study uses a survey of 155 active-duty law enforcement officers from Montgomery County Pennsylvania. The central question that grounded this research is: are mental health stressors impacting the ability of law enforcement officers to complete their duties despite the existence of post-exposure intervention protocols? There are six tested hypotheses that are tested via logistic regression to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between demographic characteristics of law …

Avengers Disassemble! How Varying Views On Public Administration Dismantled The Avengers In The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tynslei Spence-Mitchell

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Since the inception of the discipline, public administration theorists and scholars have disputed how much, or how little, politics should be involved in public administration. Woodrow Wilson believed that politics and administration should be separate, while Dwight Waldo believed that it is government that should dictate administration, as that builds efficacy, efficiency and measurable outcomes.

Like scholars of the discipline, The Avengers (a fictitious group of superheroes) also could not agree on if administration should be governed with or without political guidance and find themselves at the forefront of a governance dispute regarding their management in the film, Captain America: …

Covid-19 Governance, Legitimacy, And Sustainability: Lessons From The Australian Experience, Michael Lester, Marie Dela Rama, Julie Crews

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

During 2020, Australia managed the global and systemic COVID-19 crisis successfully as measured by health and economic indicators. It marshalled the government’s delivery capacity to control the health crisis and put in place measures to offset the induced economic and social costs. At the same time, the crisis revealed long-standing structural weaknesses in a small, democratic, wealthy, and economically successful country that raised questions about post COVID resilience and sustainability. This paper examines that experience by applying a “co-production” governance model that sees success in “crisis management” as the striking of a balance between government capacity and its legitimacy in …

Supporting The Performance Of Noongar Language In Hecate, Clint Bracknell, Kylie Bracknell, Susan F. Studham, Luzita Fereday

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As the first adaptation of a complete Shakespearean work presented entirely in one Aboriginal language of Australia, Hecate is a landmark production in Australian theatre. The Noongar language of the southwest of Western Australia is a critically endangered language impacted by colonisation since the early 1800s and suppressed until the 1970s. Working with an all-Noongar cast learning what is by birthright their mother-tongue, the Noongar language, on a full Shakespearean work presents a range of challenges. Consideration of effective rehearsal strategies to support brave spaces for the cast to flourish holistically, both as language learners and performers, was imperative. As …

Directions For Research Practice In Decolonising Methodologies: Contending With Paradox, Tamara A. Lipscombe, Antonia Hendrick, Peta L. Dzidic, Darren C. Garvey, Brian Bishop

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The complex nature of colonisation presents with the potential for paradoxes in decolonising approaches, hence, fixed conventions and methods are discouraged. In this way, decolonising methodologies concerns interrogating dominant conventions in research that have typically excluded alternative ways of knowing from academia. This raises concern about the issue of breaking conventions, when it is potentially difficult to realise that one is depending upon them. An incremental approach to the research process and subsequent knowledge generated provides opportunity to challenge the conventions that typically dictate research praxis. In addition, fostering epistemological transformation and pluralism presents a solution to problems derived from …

Examining Social-Cognitive Theory Constructs As Mediators Of Behaviour Change In The Active Team Smartphone Physical Activity Program: A Mediation Analysis, Amelia V. Romeo, Sarah M. Edney, Ronald C. Plotnikoff, Tim Olds, Corneel Vandelanotte, Jillian Ryan, Rachel Curtis, Carol A. Maher

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Regular engagement in physical activity has well-established physical and psychological health benefits. Despite this, over a quarter of the global adult population is insufficiently physically active. Physical activity interventions grounded in behaviour change theory, such as the social-cognitive theory, are widely considered to be more effective than non-theoretical approaches. Such interventions set out to intervene on the ultimate outcome (physical activity), but also influence intermediate factors (social-cognitive theory constructs) which in turn, are believed to influence physical activity behaviour. The primary aim of the study was to use mediation analysis to examine whether changes in the social-cognitive theory and related …

To Dine In Or Not To Dine In: A Comparison Of Food Selection And Preparation Behaviours In Those With And Without Food Security, Lucy M. Butcher, Therese A. O’Sullivan, Maria M. Ryan, Johnny Lo, Julie Nyanjom, Hugh C. Wilkins, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 The Authors. Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association Issue addressed: Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, resulting in heightened risk of suboptimal dietary intake. Food insecure people appear to implement several coping strategies and dietary compromises to avoid hunger. Less explored in the literature is how these strategies impact consumption of food inside and outside of the home. Methods: An online survey was completed by adults (n = 1292) residing in one of five Australian states. The questionnaire comprised of the six-item …

Going-It Alone: The University Progression Of Women Nursing Students Who Are The First Person In Their Intimate Relationship To Go To University, Lesley Andrew, Leesa Costello, Ken Robinson, Julie Dare

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This article argues for an expansion of the idea of the first-in-family student to include the student whose spouse or partner has not been to university. Between 2015 and 2016, a qualitative longitudinal study, guided by Gadamer’s hermeneutic philosophy, was undertaken. Twenty-nine undergraduate women nursing students who began university in a heterosexual intimate relationship participated. All 29 were interviewed in their fourth semester of their degree (or part-time equivalent), and 23 of these 29 completed a second interview in their last semester. Thematic analysis of …

Taking The Pulse Of A New Football Franchise': Team Identification And The Melbourne Heart Fc In Australia's A-League, Anthony K. Kerr, Aaron J. Wijeratne

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In a bid to revive soccer’s fortunes in Australia, the A-League was created whereby private franchises represented the country’s major cities. This article examines the Melbourne Heart FC and the emotional attachment of members during its first two seasons. A survey methodology was used to identify attitudes towards the brand and the Sport Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS) measured their identification with the franchise. There is conclusive evidence that strong levels of identification can develop quickly for a new team, yet three of the scale’s items made a weaker contribution. There is also a suggestion that identity is multi-layered. New sport …

The Specific Deterrent Effects Of Criminal Sanctions For Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis, Joel H. Garner, Christopher D. Maxwell, Jina Lee

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

A dozen systematic reviews published since 1978 have sought to clarify the complexities of deterrence theory. These reviews emphasize the general deterrent effects of police presence, arrest, and incarceration on rates of homicide and other serious crimes, such as assault, rape, and burglary. These reviews provide less attention to specific deterrence processes and to the deterrent impacts of intermediate sanctions, such as prosecution or conviction; none of these reviews incorporate any of the research on criminal sanctions for intimate partner violence. To address these limitations, this research uses meta-analytic methods to assess the specific deterrent effects of three post-arrest criminal …

Constitutional Pandemic Surveillance, Matthew B. Kugler, Mariana Oliver

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

How do people view governmental pandemic surveillance? And how can their views inform courts considering the constitutionality of digital monitoring programs aimed at containing the spread of a highly contagious diseases? We measure the perceived intrusiveness of pandemic surveillance through two nationally representative surveys of Americans. Our results show that even at the height of a pandemic people find surveillance for public health to be more intrusive than surveillance for traditional law enforcement purposes. To account for these strong privacy concerns, we propose safeguards that we believe would make cell phone location tracking and other similar digital monitoring regimes constitutionally …

Mental Health Effects Of Maternal Substance Abuse Policymaking: Finding A Solution, Sarah Foster

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

While each state has varying substance abuse laws and resources for those seeking treatment, many states have regulations that criminally charge expectant mothers seeking substance abuse treatment. Restrictive policies like these encourage these women to conceal their addiction to avoid criminal retaliation and stigmatization. These effects reverberate through communities plagued with poverty, forcing these women to choose between being clean and sober or protecting their children and freedom. Thus, this dissertation examined the adverse effects that strict substance abuse policies have on expectant mothers and suggest that more people in this position would seek treatment if these policies were less …

Drinking Water Affordability In Georgia. Are Water Rates Affordable In Georgia And Is Infrastructure Investment Influencing Rates?, Guyer Boyle

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This research project starts with a review of the literature that addresses the challenges facing public drinking water utilities and the impact these challenges are having on rate affordability. The degree and frequency at which water infrastructure is failing has escalated over the past few decades. These infrastructure failures along with the increased costs of operating a water utility have put enormous upward pressures on water rates charged by utilities for service.

In the state of Georgia, a large percentage of the population is living at or below the federal poverty level and many of the poorest are minorities. …

Development Of An Unorthodox Support Model To Mentor Undocumented Immigrant Students, Keisha Chin Goosby

Journal of College Access

This article addresses the need to better understand impactful mentoring models for undocumented immigrant students (UIS). Based on interviews of 18 mentors of UIS who were college graduates, findings include diverse effective mentoring models, specific mentoring styles and strategies, how mentors identified and leveraged the community cultural wealth of UIS, and the forms of support that mentors used which highlight an unorthodox approach to mentoring UIS. A new model for mentoring UIS is presented with a framework on how to engage in new research. Recommendations are provided for schools, districts, colleges, and universities.