Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Statistical Significance Of Juvenile Delinquency And Learning Disabilities, Collette Erica Scandrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency and recidivism have been consistent issues that seem to continually produce substantial numbers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine learning disabilities among juveniles and determine their statistical significance to delinquency and recidivism. Durkheim’s theory of anomie and Merton’s anomie/strain theory were used as the theoretical framework to guide the study. Archived cases for 15,900 juveniles, 2,633 of whom were learning disabled, were collected from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and the South Carolina Department of Education. To provide additional context, age, race, and sex were also analyzed. Chi-square tests were used to analyze …

Florida’S Courts System Funding After Article V Revision 7, Joseph Ernest Smith, Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The state of Florida approached the topic of funding for the courts system from a policy equilibrium position. The process used to fund Florida’s courts system was changed in 2004 to promote an equitable system of funding. However, a gap in knowledge remains regarding whether this new funding scheme improved the financial health of the courts system. This quantitative study, which involved using the punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) as its theoretical framework, examined funding associated with counties before (1998–2003) and after (2005–2018) the 2004 implementation of Revision 7 to Article V of the Florida Constitution. Revision 7 was examined as …

Education Policy Reform In Ghana And The Role Of Avatime Traditional Leaders, Hubert Kwami Akrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWith declining academic standards in Ghana, public attention has been focused on education policies. In 1992, the amended constitution excluded traditional village leaders from being involved in formulating education policies in Ghana. The exclusion of grassroots leaders from education policy reform resulted in low expectations and poor student outcomes in the towns and villages of Ghana’s Avatime Traditional Area. This case study was an investigation into how traditional chiefs in the Avatime Traditional Area participate in democratic governance to improve education in the region. Joshee and Goldberg’s social justice theory in policy making was used to ground the study. Data …

Child Welfare Workers’ Development Of Cultural Competency For Clients In Poverty, Rachel Armstead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children of families living in poverty are at a higher risk of being victims of child maltreatment than children of families not living in poverty. Many families involved in the child welfare system live in poverty and have low socioeconomic status. The National Association of Social Workers requires all social workers to have a level of cultural awareness, knowledge, and skill to engage clients from diverse cultures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore child welfare workers’ understanding of cultural competence and their implementation of culturally sensitive practices as they engage clients living in poverty. Bacote’s cultural competence …

Low Income African American Parents Experiences Managing Obese Young Children Weight Loss, Angela Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

February 2022 Abstract In the United States, 17% of children between the ages of two to 19 years are diagnosed with obesity more than any other chronic health condition. African American children living in the United States have an obesity rate of 22% compared to White children who have an obesity rate of 14.1%. These high obesity rates created situations in which these children are likely to experience significant lifelong health problems. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American parents of low-income managing weight-loss in their young children with obesity between …

Predicted Sexual Risk By Sexual Minority Emerging And Young Adults Who Had Sex Education In School, Jewel Marie Flitcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The topic of abstinence-only sex education and comprehensive sex education in schools, as well as its effectiveness, have been a subject of conversation in the United States since the beginning of the 21st century. The lack of applicable sex education for sexual minorities has been missing from the conversation, and has led to STIs, HIV/AIDs, and pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to test whether sexual minority emerging, and young adults would score higher or lower on sexual risk scale, depending on the type of sex education they received in school. The research question concerned whether the type of …

African American Youth Decline To Extend Foster Care Despite Their Needs, Rhonda Flowers-Corpening

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, African American children are disproportionately placed in foster care and experience a myriad of problems, including physical and emotional abuse. As a result, negative post-discharge outcomes are revealed in existing literature, such as substance abuse, unemployment, homelessness, sexual promiscuity, and mental health issues. The purpose of this generic qualitative inquiry was to explore the foster care experience from the perspective of African American foster care alumni. The goal was to understand why the decision is made not to extend foster care services, despite their ongoing needs for support and lack of preparation for adulthood. Ecological Systems …

Implementing A Chatbot On A Library Website, Michelle Ehrenpreis, John P. Delooper

Publications and Research

A library’s website is a virtual point of contact for interacting with its patrons. Ensuring a library’s website has easily findable content is critical for providing access to library resources and highlighting services and events. One tool for assisting with content findability is a chatbot, a form of artificial intelligence software. In this case study, Lehman College's Leonard Lief Library implemented Ivy, a proprietary educational software chatbot on its website, the first of its kind for an academic library. This chatbot functioned as a new tool that assisted users seeking information and provided insight to librarians about the kinds of …

The Naming Of Homo Bodoensis By Roksandic And Colleagues Does Not Resolve Issues Surrounding Middle Pleistocene Human Evolution, Eric Delson, Chris Stringer

Publications and Research

Roksandic et al. (2022) proposed the new species name Homo bodoensis as a replacement name for Homo rhodesiensis Woodward, 1921, because they felt it was poorly and variably defined and was linked to sociopolitical baggage. However, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature includes regulations on how and when such name changes are allowed, and Roksandic et al.'s arguments meet none of these requirements. It is not permitted to change a name solely because of variable (or erroneous) later use once it has been originally defined correctly, nor can a name be modified because it is offensive to one or more …

Rural Development In Papua New Guinea: Mining, Logging, Agriculture, And Alternatives, Tj Askew

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines multiple approaches to providing rural, indigenous Papuans with improved social services and economic opportunities. Rural Papuans, who make up 80 percent of the population, face below average rates of nutrition, education, disease, crime, and other quality of life indicators. Due to location, land use rights, lack of infrastructure, and minimal access to economic markets, the PNG government has struggled to provide rural communities with basic social services. Historically, the development of resource extraction projects such as mining, logging, and agriculture have been the main strategies used to improve the livelihood of rural Papuans, with limited success. This …

The Lure Of Musical Comfort: An Analysis Of How Consumer Preferences In Popular Music Change Depending On The State Of The U.S. Economy Using Billboard Hot 100, Spotify Api, & Economic Data, Lindsey A. Larson

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines data from Spotify’s Web API for all songs that have been on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from the first chart’s release in August 1958 to May 2021 to determine the relationship between music misery and economic misery. Twelve dependent variables– duration, danceability, energy, key, acousticness, speechiness, mode, loudness, instrumentalness, liveness, valence, and tempo– are used to measure the impact of Arthur Okun’s U.S. economic misery index on each characteristic. Using 12 individual linear regressions– one for each dependent variable– I find that during times of increased economic hardship, consumers are likely to choose to listen to …

Dead Money: Measuring The Influence Of Representatives On Government Spending, Adhitya Venkatraman

CMC Senior Theses

In line with popular criticisms of Congressional pork barrel spending, I find that that individual representatives do wield significant influence in securing government contracts for their districts. Using federal contract data organized at the congressional district level from FY 2001 – FY 2021, I estimate how individual members of the House of Representatives affect funding outcomes. My identification strategy leverages changes in contract funding that occur during exogenous vacancies occurring in the middle of a term. By comparing contract funding outcomes during vacant quarters to non-vacant quarters, I estimate the amount of individual influence exercised by representatives.

During vacant quarters, …

Dissecting Ideologies Embedded In Ford Advertisement, Sidney Rain Shabnam Afsarzadeh

Communication Senior Capstones

The goal of this paper is to exemplify rhetorical criticism to examine an artifact. Specifically, this paper will use the method of ideological criticism to identify ideologies embedded in a commercial. In the case of this paper, the commercial being examined is a Ford truck commercial titled, Ford for the Builders, Built for America. This paper will identify and explain the ideologies used to advertise Ford trucks. It is important to be able to identify ideologies embedded in things like commercials in order to not be blind to cultivation theory. Which is a theory created by Professor George Gerber in …

Children’S Film Media’S Influence On Gender, Race, And Identity, Sara M. Kovis

Communication Senior Capstones

Whether conscious of it or not, media images have been working our entire lives to construct our attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of the world around us. What is the significance of the relationship between media consumption and how we interact in society? Applying communication theories and research into traditional and digital media is vital in understanding the realities around us. It explains where societal norms and values stimulate and how they trigger new behavioral changes. Ideologies are the mixed concepts and elements that create meaning in society. Today, people's ideological feelings produce pre-dated ideologies rather than their ideas. These are …

Ripe For Consumption: Separating Women From Autonomy, Nicole Kasandra Stibbard

Communication Senior Capstones

This proposed position statement privileges the notion that the male gaze is a damning and damaging force for identifying women in both Western societies as well as within patriarchal societies. This particular exploration is driven by my perceived lack of the true effect that this gaze has socially and intrapersonally over women. The male gaze not only strips women of bodily integrity, bodily autonomy, but autonomy holistically. Beyond the stripping of autonomous worth, the male gaze, i.e. objectification and an autonomous reduction to body parts alone, all result in psychological and physiological damage for identifying women. Previous research in the …

Healthy Environmental Communication Practices, Michelle Monique Magana

Communication Senior Capstones

The goal of my academic research is to highlight the importance of appropriate, scientifically correct and accurate communication when discussing Environmental Health. If we want to begin making changes to help our environment to become more sustainable and ultimately provide more years of existence we must stop the lies, propaganda and spread of misinformation. “Communication constructs a social world that is relational, collaborative, strategic, symbolic, and adaptive” (Learning Outcomes in Communication). The objective is to understand the discourse on environmental issues and try to use our communication discipline to engage and dissect this issue from a Communication perspective. Our standards …

The Power Of A Podcast, Breanna Donlon

Communication Senior Capstones

This paper examines the correlation between the Your Own Backyard podcast and the rebooting of the Kristin Smart missing persons case. This case had gone cold and seemingly ignored for nearly 25 years, until 2019 when the podcast was created. The host conducted immense amounts of research to try and figure out what happened to Kristin, and in doing so, brought her case back to to the public’s attention. The actions of the podcast host caused the police to become more active on the case again. Because of the podcast, the prime suspect was finally arrested and will be held …

Non-Verbal Communication, Anxiety, Behavioral Changes Within Covid Regulatory Changes, Sydney Stack, Olivia Mccracken

Communication Senior Capstones

In the current era of education and social communication shifting into a virtual world the students entering the early elementary education system have experienced something that is new to all of us. Within the last two and a half years life as we have known it has vastly shifted. Virtual learning and communication, which is not something that is new, but something that was scarce prior to the Covid-19 pandemic is now the “new normal.” For many of the students affected, this way of learning has shaped much of their educational career. Changes like these are affecting areas of development …

Data Capitalism, Digital Health, And Marxism, Samantha C. Stanger

Communication Senior Capstones

Abstract

When immersed in a capitalist society individuals often fail to see the ways in which they are exploited, and when these discussions do come into discourse they are often geared toward workplace labor. Less commonly do we consider the ways in which these problems arise in conjunction with free labor, mainly performed in digital spaces. While less often considered or discussed, the exploitation occurring in the digital world is real and has substantial consequences, particularly when the digital spaces involve sensitive information and data. This paper aims to address how data capitalism functions in three different digital health spaces: …

Challenges Faced By Recently Emancipated Youth, Williams Peña, Jerry Walter Butkiewicz Iii

Communication Senior Capstones

In this academic research paper, we will be exploring the challenges faced by recently emancipated youth. We chose this topic because of the fact that this is not often spoken about or taught to the general public. This lack of attention to these issues creates hurdles when attempting to solve these sensitive issues. Considering this, we thought it would be a strong choice for further research and review. We explored many obstacles these new adults face. One such issue that we would like to touch on is the unstable housing situation of these recently emancipated individuals. Another prudent example is …

I’M Not A Tragedy: Speaking Up About Ableist Microaggressions, Kasandra Marguerite Colwell

Communication Senior Capstones

Have you heard of ableist microaggressions? Let me tell you about them, as someone who has experienced them. I have a bi-lateral dislocating knee condition that I was born with. I can walk, but sometimes I need additional stability or reduction of pain while getting around, in which case I tend to use a cane. I have had many othering interactions while using a mobility aid in public, whether that be a knee brace, a cane, or crutches. While it often seemed the stranger didn’t mean any harm, the question is how many invasive questions and comments from strangers can …

Interpersonal Communication From Student To Host Family, Tajma R. Magee

Communication Senior Capstones

This research project aims to improve interpersonal communication between international students and their host families. Existing research and data shows that students can have a difficult time adjusting to their life abroad, whether it be within their host home or within the institution they are studying at. This can greatly affect their overall studying abroad experience and can affect the way they communicate with the members of their host family. Factors like the student’s academic performance in school and behavior in school may be affected as well. Identifying the issues that contribute to a negative experience in a host family’s …

A History Cannabis As A Cultural Communication Artifact, Morgan L. Harper

Communication Senior Capstones

This essay aims to detail the mechanics, structure, history, and ideology of cannabis from a socio-cultural perspective within the United States. However, it does contain some content that I believe will correlate with an international perspective. My emphasis in conducting this research is to look at the ways in which cannabis acts as a societal communication artifact, and in doing so, how it has formed a vast and highly identifiable culture. I believe that Cannabis acts as a communication tool both socially and interpersonally, with both notions being equally important to the culture overall. Cannabis has language, looks, and sounds, …

A Critical Analysis Of Mobile Interpersonal Relationships Through Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Rachael L. Kee

Communication Senior Capstones

Through the use of online dating apps, individuals are having the chance to begin, develop, and end interpersonal relationships without ever even meeting the partner in person. It is assumed that this is happening due to the lack of primary tension in initial contact, as uncertainty reduction can take place from behind a screen. This study sought to connect the theories between Uncertainty Reduction Theory and mobile interpersonal relationships. The axioms of Charles Berger’s theory come into play during online dating as the eight key variables of relationship development are utilized in most successful interpersonal relationships to further intimacy, in …

The Misrepresentation Of Women In The Media And Women’S Rights, Hannah M. Endicott

Communication Senior Capstones

This paper is centered around the misrepresentation of women in the media and the implications that it has had on the treatment of women’s rights in society. The media is defined as television, movies, advertisements, etc. Women have been represented as being oversimplified through their stereotypical portrayal as housewives and mothers in the media, alongside being hypersexualized through their clothing and body image. Both of these forms of portrayals have had negative effects on women. Young girls are now being targeted as well through the explicit tones that the advertising of children’s toys creates. This paper aims to demonstrate how …

Reading Rate Gain In A Second Language: The Effect Of Unassisted Repeated Reading And Intensity On Word-Level Reading Measures, Grant Eckstein, Krista Rich, Ethan Lynn

Faculty Publications

Repeated reading is a popular intervention used to help struggling readers by exposing them to the same text multiple times. While the approach has been effective in L1 and some EFL settings, little research has explored its effectiveness compared against a control group or among ESL learners. Our study examined reading rate gains using words per minute and four eye-tracking measures with 46 mid-intermediate ESL learners grouped into three 14-week treatment groups: a control group that read 26 text passages (about two per week) just once through, another that read the same passages twice in each sitting, and a third …

Towards Indigenous Women’S Meaningful Participation: Their Voices, Their Spaces, Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza

Political Science Department Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Restricting Funeral Expense Deductions, William A. Drennan

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

During the Middle Ages, the wealthy often requested burial in mass graves with their fellow mortals, as a sign of humility. But since the rise of the cult of the individual during the Renaissance, individual burial plots have been an expression of prestige, wealth, and social status for some. For example, Leona Helmsley, real estate baroness and “Queen of Mean,” dedicated $3 million upon her death for the care and maintenance of her 1300 square foot, $1.4 million mausoleum. Respectful disposition of the body is a hallmark of civilization and a common law requirement of estate administration, but an extravagant …

Development Of China's Trade Secrets Law In The Us' Shadow: Negative Consequences For China And Suggestions, Yang Chen

University of Pennsylvania Asian Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Study Of Values Of Law Students In South Korea: Does 'Americanized' Legal Education Impact Their Confucian Ethics?, Richard Wu, Jaewon Kim

University of Pennsylvania Asian Law Review

No abstract provided.