Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Think Of The Children!": Understanding Parental And Community Opposition To Critical Race Theory, Daniela S. Tierra

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools has become a controversial topic nationwide, leading to widespread and alarming bans on the teaching of CRT. CRT has been accused of shaming white children, creating racial division, and creating a “victim mentality” amongst people of color. The CRT utilized in critical legal studies, ethnic studies, and sociology looks drastically different from what opponents claimed. So, what exactly is CRT - more importantly, what do opponents of CRT believe it to be, and why are they opposed to it? This thesis builds on the sociological field of critical whiteness to examine the academic origin …

Individual Differences In The Coordinated Behavioral And Physiological Immune Response To Pathogenic Threat, Edwin Joel Rosales-Vijil

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Previous research has shown that simply viewing a pathogenic threat (e.g., a photo of someone sneezing) can trigger our immune systems to activate. Activation of the immune system can be measured through a variety of physiological markers, including inflammatory cells (i.e., cytokines) in the blood or saliva. The current study aims to replicate that finding that viewing pathogen-relevant images will trigger an immune response, and extend this work by investigating whether individual differences in perceived vulnerability to disease impacts the size of this immune response.

Carnivore And Ungulate Occurrence In A Fire-Prone Region, Sara J. Moriarty-Graves

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Increasing fire size and severity in the western United States causes changes to ecosystems, species’ habitat use, and interspecific interactions. Wide-ranging carnivore and ungulate mammalian species and their interactions may be influenced by an increase in fire activity in northern California. Depending on the fire characteristics, ungulates may benefit from burned habitat due to an increase in forage availability, while carnivore species may be differentially impacted, but ultimately driven by bottom-up processes from a shift in prey availability. I used a three-step approach to estimate the single-species occupancy of four large mammal species: mountain lion (Puma concolor), coyote …

Extremism In America: Explaining Political Extremism Using Uncertainty-Identity Theory, Natasha A. La Vogue

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Navigating a post-pandemic society, climate-change, political conflict and international wars have become part of most people’s daily existence. These crises are sources of societal and personal uncertainty. An effective method of uncertainty reduction comes from people’s entrenched group memberships (e.g. nation, political party). Unfortunately, groups with extreme norms and ideologies provide rigid structures that aid in uncertainty reduction. From white nationalists to anti-fascists, the political arena is tumultuous to the point of explosion. These eruptions can be violent, even deadly, and are becoming too familiar and recognizable. Extremism poses both international and domestic threats. There is no nation or society …

The Socio-Political History Of Cannabis In Costa Rica, Winston C. Grady

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The socio-political history of cannabis in Costa Rica is one of external global influence; from colonization to independence; from neocolonialism to neoliberalism. Cannabis in Costa Rica has gone from failed agricultural crop to non-indigenous intoxicant import to controversial cultural mainstay. As Mexico influenced cannabis prohibition in the United States, so too has the U.S. approach to cannabis prohibition influenced Costa Rica. Costa Rica now grapples with attempting to reorient its general anti-cannabis status quo to one of regulated marketplace acceptance. My research findings indicate that cannabis originally entered Costa Rica in the late 19^th century by way of imported …

California State University (Csu) Police Department Leadership Evaluation, Berkeley Kijsriopas

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Leaders have the ability transform lives and societies and can motivate people for greatness or terrible things. Within a California State University police department, Chiefs of Police are important decision makers that can influence and shape the departments norms, values, goals, behaviors and attitudes. A leadership evaluation (N = 333), was used to explore the effects of leader prototypicality, officer self-uncertainty and social identity continuity through union leadership evaluations. The initial hypothesis that social identity continuity positively predicts group identification and is moderated by leader support was supported. However, the second hypothesis that the relationship between prototypical leaders and …

Developing Agrihoods: The Context For Petersburg, Brandon L. Archer

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Petersburg has an extensive history of navigating through challenging times. From its inception, African Americans have played an important role in the development of the city, and today that spirit is still present. As evidenced by an extensive network of community support and stakeholders, the Petersburg Youth Farm has matured into a resource for not just the residents of the neighborhood but of the city as a whole. By incorporating some innovative planning techniques and building a housing development truly dedicated to community needs, we can improve lived experiences in the city.

By adopting the recommendations set forth in this …

Designing An Eco-Resilience Community In Brentwood, Washington D.C., Nadya Syazsa

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

As the world urbanizes at a dangerously rapid pace, this Professional Plan helps with addressing the need for urban resilience – the ability of a city’s systems to withstand and adapt to the shocks and stresses it may endure, such as natural disasters.

The purpose of this Plan is to design a network of green infrastructure projects (GIs) as part of establishing an eco-resilient community in Brentwood, Washington D.C. These projects are meant to be low-impact developments (LIDs) in order to minimize disruption to the existing fabric of the Brentwood community, yet still aid residents by increasing their capacity to …

Preserving Historic African American Cemeteries: Strategies For Richmond, Virginia, William T. Teeples

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Historic cemeteries across the United States are facing a crisis. These culturally and historically significant spaces have faced significant degradation over time without the means of preservation. Historic Black and African American Cemeteries have been particularly impacted by the combined negative impacts of weathering, vandalism, and development pressures alike. These cultural landscapes have the added hindrance of little to no access to the complex resources necessary for preservation and restoration afforded to most White cemeteries. However, many activists, descendants, and volunteers toil on saving these spaces from the onslaught of time and ensure that cultural spaces are preserved for generations …

The Association Between Survivors’ Guilt And Gratitude In The Belongingness Of Refugee College Students, Mehwish Safdar

Undergraduate Research Posters

Many refugees experience significant stress and trauma before relocating to their host country (Leo, 2021) and often encounter new challenges when adapting to their unfamiliar environment. Refugee college students, who are often the first in their families to attend college, face additional pressure to excel academically to give back to their families and host country (Turjanmaa & Jasinskaja-Lahti, 2020). Despite prior research on refugee individuals, little work has focused on refugee college students. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the relationships between survivors’ guilt, gratitude, indebtedness, and belongingness in 16 refugee university students. Specifically, the study investigated …

Small Firm Electricity Demand In Las Cruces: 1978-2018, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Daniel J. Pastor, Michael Pokojovy, Andrew T. Yurachek

Border Region Modeling Project

Research examining small commercial and industrial electricity usage patterns have historically received less attention than residential electricity consumption patterns. This study examines electricity as an input to small firm commercial and industrial (CIS) production in Las Cruces, the second largest metropolitan economy in the state of New Mexico, using annual frequency data from 1978 to 2018. Those data include labor, per capita personal income, price measures for electricity and natural gas, and weather variables. The long-run and short-run elasticities of the data are then estimated using an autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL). In the long-run, the CIS derived-demand curve is …

A Comparative Climate Policy Study Between The Federal States Of Germany And Canada: The Case Of The German Energiewende, Evelyn Kyeremateng

Major Papers

Climate change has become one of the most difficult problems that humankind is confronted with in recent times, especially since the problem seems to defy most policies developed to curb it. In a problem-solving context, it is classified as a wicked problem and by far, the most concerning environmental problem humans have had to face. As much as many climate mitigation efforts have failed across the globe, a couple of them have also gained some success. The German Energiewende is one such case. The Energiewende, according to most authors and observers, has been a resounding success, but the problem is …

Design Enhancement Plan For Waverly, Virginia, Ankita Parekh

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Waverly is experiencing some challenges like population decline, loss of businesses, and losing the importance of its community. The primary reasons behind this are traffic, road circulation issue, and urban design and aesthetic conditions in some of the areas in Waverly. This plan address strategies to provide traffic solutions and create effective road circulation, safety concerns, and functional and aesthetical improvements by providing design recommendations. The study area for this plan includes the significant intersection of U.S. Route 460- Route 40 and its connections with Waverly downtown. The existing condition of the study area comprises the poor truck traffic situation …

Business Hacking: A Case Study Of Business Information Systems, Donald W. Wright

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This study aims to explore, understand, and explain the hacking of business information systems (BIS) and the measures managers can take to secure their systems. Eight research questions guide the study: 1. What are managers' perceptions of hacking business information systems? 2. What types of attacks do business managers perceive as current and potential dangers to their organizations? 3. What issues prevent participants from participating in BIS security research studies? 4. What protocols are in place to prevent hacking? 5. What measures can managers take to secure their business information systems against hacking? 6. How can knowledge management and information …

January 2023 Digital Commons Readership Snapshots, Georgia Southern University

Digital Commons Readership Snapshots

No abstract provided.

Authentic Mindfulness Within Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study Of Participants' Experiences, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin, Paul Barrows, William Van Gordon

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

There are concerns that participants of some modern mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are receiving a superficial form of mindfulness training. However, empirical investigation of this issue according to participants’ first-hand experiences has been limited. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to capture the first-hand perspectives relating to authentic mindfulness of participants who had recently attended an MBI in the UK. Ten adults completed a recorded, online semistructured interview. Based on a thematic analysis, the following four master themes were identified: (a) authentic mindfulness as a construct, (b) positive aspects of the training, (c) something missing, and (d) recommendations for authenticity. Although all …

Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading In Smart Residential Environment With User Behavioral Modeling, Ashutosh Timilsina

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Electric power systems are transforming from a centralized unidirectional market to a decentralized open market. With this shift, the end-users have the possibility to actively participate in local energy exchanges, with or without the involvement of the main grid. Rapidly reducing prices for Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs), supported by their ease of installation and operation, with the facilitation of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Smart Grid (SG) technologies to make bidirectional flow of energy possible, has contributed to this changing landscape in the distribution side of the traditional power grid.

Trading energy among users in a decentralized fashion has been referred …

Windmill Ridge Park: A Sustainable Park Design, Sean Benson

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan proposes designing and developing a new park in Chesterfield County that will promote sustainability in its design and implementation, as well as provide a stepping stone to promote these practices throughout Chesterfield County parks. This plan achieves this by providing research, concepts, and recommendations centered on the three Es of sustainability: environmental quality, social equity, and economic efficiency.

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids In Rural Uganda, Godfrey Ddungu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

HIV/AIDS is the most stigmatized health condition globally, yet there are limited studies that have examined the needs of rural Ugandans diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. At a time when Ugandan voices could assist in the development and implementation of prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the spread of the virus, these voices remain unheard and silenced. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of HIV-positive men and women in rural Uganda. A transcendental phenomenological approach provided the framework and design. This research used eight participants who were attending an AIDS health care center in Uganda. In-depth …

Homophobia In Jamaica And Its Impact On The Victimization Of Homosexual Adult Males In Montego Bay, St. James, Dr. Shahila D. Edwards-Grey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractJamaica has been listed among the most unfriendly nations for homosexual males. Previous research indicated that due to the biopolitical and sociocultural norms of the Jamaican society, homosexual males continued to be targets of various forms of discrimination based on their sexual orientation. However, research reflecting the lived experiences of homosexual males in Jamaica is sparse. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to provide details on the encounters of victimization due to homophobia of adult homosexual males in the parish of St. James, Jamaica. Data were collected through observations and in-depth interviews with eight men who identified as …

Guide To The Dr. Owen B. Kiernan Collection, 1934-2010, Undated, Noah Smith, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Owen Kiernan was born on March 9, 1914, in Randolph, Massachusetts. Kiernan graduated from Bridgewater State University in 1935 (known then as Bridgewater State Teachers College) and went on to get his masters at Boston University and his Doctorate at Harvard. Kiernan participated in baseball and basketball while at Bridgewater State and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. After graduating from Bridgewater State in 1935, Kiernan kept a strong connection to the school for the rest of his life.

Kiernan became the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education in 1957. He would stay in that role until …

Criminology And Violent Extremist Radicalization, Starlett Michele Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, research on foreign terrorism became extensive in the United States while research on domestic terrorism and violent extremist radicalization was lacking. Despite the research that has been done, there was a lapse in scholarship analyzing terrorism radicalization and its relationship with criminology. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to analyze the perceptions of experts in terrorism and criminology about how factors of criminology can explain violent extremist radicalization. This study used two conceptual models of terrorism radicalization: (a) the staircase to terrorism and the (b) 4-stage model of the terrorist mindset. In addition, …

2023 Create, Grow, Scale Entrepreneurship Convening: Summary Report, Research Institute For Social Equity At Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Institute for Social Equity

In partnership with Capital One Insights Center, the Research Institute for Social Equity (the Institute) hosted a convening to discuss the ecosystem around Black and Hispanic businesses in Richmond, Virginia. This full-day experience brought together thought leaders, policymakers, practitioners, community influencers, and entrepreneurs from the greater Richmond community to strategize how to translate research into action toward economic outcomes that benefit Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs. This summary paper offers an overview of the sessions and outcomes of this convening.

Improving A Library Faq: Assessment And Reflection Of The First Year’S Use, Vanessa Arce, Michelle Ehrenpreis

Publications and Research

In 2020, the Leonard Lief Library created a searchable online knowledge base (FAQs) as a complement to virtual reference during the library’s pandemic-related closure. One year of search query data was used to assess the online knowledge base. This paper discusses the assessment’s findings and planned improvements to the FAQs.

A content analysis of user queries revealed what users are seeking in the knowledge base. The study examined the actions taken by users after conducting a search to determine the knowledge base’s success rate.

The knowledge base was successful in answering user questions almost half of the time. The top …

Training On Law Enforcement's Response To Interpersonal Violence, Genna Hilt

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The current study examines how police officers in various settings perceive interpersonal violence response training as well as how they respond to vignettes detailing hypothetical scenarios of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. A common criticism of experience with police following a traumatic occurrence of sexual or interpersonal violence is inappropriate attitude and conduct on behalf of law enforcement agents. Trauma and victim centered training may improve police responding within this field; however, the training received is variable (Campbell et al., 2019; Kinney et al., 2007). In this study, ten participants answered interview or survey items detailing the extent of …

It Assessment In Arl Libraries, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

With the rapid pace of change and the high cost invested in information technology, it is important for academic libraries to evaluate the information technology solutions they use in their institutions to determine whether they are meeting the needs of their students, faculty, staff, and other users of their libraries and resources. This study presents the results of an online survey of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic library members to benchmark the assessment strategies that they used to evaluate their IT activities. This article compares their responses with earlier studies to identify trends and make recommendations for effective assessment …

The Organization Of Information Technology Activities In North American Research Libraries, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Janetta Waterhouse

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This study presents the results of an online survey that benchmarked the organization of information technology (IT) functions in academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries. The survey investigated whether responsibility for 14 key areas resided in the libraries or in an institution-level information technology department, whether responsibilities have shifted over the past 20 years, satisfaction with services provided, assessment methods used to evaluate information technology services, and top challenges facing library IT. This paper considers the survey results addressing where the responsibility lies, satisfaction with the support, and whether and when the responsibility changed.

So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, And Mac Miller, Ryan Hiemenz

Capstone Showcase

Hauntology is a relatively new concept born out of the current state of late capitalism, wherein it has become increasingly common for new releases of popular culture, art, and media to appease the societal desire to return to the past. First coined by Jacques Derrida in his book Specters of Marx, the term “Hauntology” was used to describe the phenomenon of the “death” of communism and how the capitalist powers that “killed” it essentially made the idea of communism immortal. They made it a specter, and ghosts cannot die. This concept was then altered by the late Mark Fisher, …

The Role Of Information And Education On Modifying Support For Gas Tax Alternatives Using An Informed Choice Questionnaire, Clare Nelson, Gregory Rowangould

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

In the United States, transportation fuel excise taxes commonly referred to as the “gas tax” provide a large share of funding to state agencies for transportation maintenance and construction projects. The revenue generating capacity of the gas tax is threatened by increasing vehicle fuel efficiency, electric vehicles adoption and inflation. Alternative funding schemes are necessary, but public acceptance of tax changes is low. We surveyed residents of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire to gauge understanding of and support for a mileage-based user fee and a flat fee as potential replacements for the current gas tax and the potential to modify …

Traffic Safety Toolbox: Speeding Countermeasures Toolbox For Vermont, James Sullivan, Dana Rowangould, Erica Quallen, Danica Dytioco

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

Reducing vehicle speeds is an important strategy for reducing the risk and severity of collisions and ensuring the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, especially in transition zones, where rural highways with higher posted speeds (typically 50 mph) enter a village or town center. This Traffic Safety Toolbox (“Toolbox”) of speeding countermeasures is intended for use by Vermont towns with posted speeds that are not widely adhered to by drivers, whether in a transition zone entering a village or town center (roads with speed limits of 35 mph and above and functional classifications of 3 or 4), or within the …