Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Body-Worn Cameras On Officer Training, Report Writing, Discretion, And Officer-Initiated Enforcement, David I. Rios

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research addressed police officers' perceptions of body-worn cameras and how the technology impacted their assigned responsibilities. The research allowed police officers to discuss their personal experiences with a device geared to provide law enforcement transparency and accountability. This qualitative study was guided by Smith's institutional theory, in which organizations strive to attain and maintain legitimacy within the communities they serve. Under the institutional theory, police-issued body-worn cameras (BWCs) have become the latest technological gadget, allowing transparency in law enforcement encounters with citizens. The methodology used was a qualitative research approach to capture data until saturation was met. Patrol officers …

General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Low-Intensity Behavior Management Strategies: A Phenomenological Study, Jessica D'Orazio

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore general education teachers’ successes and challenges implementing low-intensity behavior management strategies while teaching in a public school setting. Guiding this study was Bernard Weiner’s attribution theory, as the theory relates to teachers’ perceptions and use of behavior management strategies. The central research question was, “How do general education teachers describe their experiences implementing low-intensity behavior management strategies?” Fifteen teachers participated in the study, and all teacher participants previously received training in low-intensity behavior management strategies from the district Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Data collection involved three approaches: open-ended surveys, individual interviews, …

Leading The Families Of First Baptist Church Of Long Beach, Ca, To Support The Foster Care And Adoption Community, David B. Delaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The PLACED project is a faith-driven initiative to equip First Baptist Church to support the foster care community through practical care, education, and community engagement.

Relationship Among Parenting Styles And Latino Adolescent Self-Esteem And Aggression, Jocelyn Evans-Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is considerable evidence that parenting influences the development and growth of children. Research on the psychological effects of parenting styles on children has traditionally neglected some cultures, such as the Latino community. The proposed study explored Latino parenting (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) styles and how they affect children's wellbeing. This quantitative study used correlational analysis to examine the relationships among aggression, self-esteem, and parenting styles among Hispanic adolescents. The study sample consisted of 77 participants. Snowball sampling (technique used in which research participants are asked to identify other potential participants) and social media platforms were used to acquire a …

Purpose In Life And The Liberal Arts: An Investigation Of Antecedents, Barriers, And Purpose Among And Between Emerging Adults With And Without A Liberal Arts Degree, Caroline Elizabeth Sawyer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The construct of life purpose and the vast array of associated positive outcomes has been widely studied in recent years. While research has contributed to the knowledge of the construct, there remains a gap in understanding how life purpose develops in emerging adulthood and what, if any, contribution a liberal arts education makes towards developing purpose. This quantitative, cross-sectional study utilized a survey instrument to explore family and social supports (PSSFa/PSSFr), religiosity (DSES), and gratitude (GQ-6) as antecedents to purpose (SOPS-2) and group differences between 308 emerging adults 20-30 years of age who did versus did not hold a degree …

Exploring School Counselors’ Perceptions Of How Poverty Impacts Elementary School Students’ Capacity For Academic And Emotional Success: A Phenomenological Study, Latesha Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate school counselors’ viewpoints regarding poverty’s influence on elementary school students’ executive functioning, self-regulation abilities, and academic performance. The impact of poverty on children’s academic achievement is widely acknowledged, and school counselors’ assistance to students from low-income families is considered paramount. The study provided a unique viewpoint regarding alleviating poverty by highlighting the crucial significance of education and skills. The guiding theory in the research study was the social cognitive theory that offers a conceptual structure for comprehending how school counselors’ observations and experiences within the educational setting influence their perspectives regarding …

Gop's Future: Adapting Professional Writing To Engage And Attract Gen Z Voters, Kerry Mckim

Masters Theses

In an evolving political landscape dominated by digital media, the Republican Party faces significant challenges in connecting with Generation Z (Gen Z) voters. This thesis explores the critical role of professional writing in bridging this communication gap between generations. With the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, traditional communication strategies are becoming increasingly obsolete. Gen Z's unique consumption habits, values, and communication preferences necessitate reevaluating how political messages are crafted and disseminated.

This research highlights the importance of professional writing in political communication, focusing on its impact within the GOP. By examining Gen Z's demographics and …

Cover And Forewords, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Economic Geography And The Unequal Development Of Regions. Jean-Claude Prager And Jacques-François Thisse., Anne M. Meltzer

The Geographical Bulletin

Economic Geography and the Unequal Development of Regions seeks to discuss the major economic reasons for the stratification and variation of the spatial distribution of wealth. The role of cities and agglomerations are emphasized as vectors of economic development. The authors argue that the recent dropoff of the average global cost of transportation and communication is a main reason why economic development has been able to spread around the world to previously underdeveloped regions. Another recurring theme of this book is that, when looking at uneven development broadly, there is tremendous variation between regions. Therefore, there can be no blanket …

Volume 54-1 Complete Issue, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 54-1 Complete Issue

Using Music To Learngeomorphology:An Undergraduateexperience, Casey D. Allen, Tyler J. Thompson, Matthew T. Hansen

The Geographical Bulletin

As an alternative to traditional upper-level physical geography pedagogy (labs, quizzes, tests, papers, and occasional field exercises), this article outlines and analyzes a 10-week large-group research endeavor conceived and executed by undergraduates where they explored aspects of project construction, methods, analyses, and group dynamics. These experiences are then critiqued from both instructor- and student-based perspectives. We suggest that pedagogies linking physical geography and traditional humanities disciplines should not be overlooked, especially in physical geography-based courses, as they can expose students to high-level thinking skills such as: not limiting research projects to quantitative observations in a natural setting; implementing a student-friendly …

Sky-View Factor Estimation: A Case Study Of Athens, Georgia, Neil Debbage

The Geographical Bulletin

A better understanding of the urban heat island (UHI) effect can be facilitated by accurately measuring urban geometry. One commonly utilized approach is to calculate the sky-view factor (SVF), which represents the proportion of the sky visible from a given location. The overall purpose of this study is to assess the spatial distribution of SVF values for various land use classes in Athens, GA. Since fish-eye lens imagery can effectively capture the complex nature of the urban canyon, I used a simplistic photographic methodology. I took fish-eye photographs within four land use classes (downtown, commercial, residential and rural/open space) and …

Gated Communities: Institutionalizing Social Stratification, L. Joe Morgan

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper argues that an increase in gated and separated communities is being perpetuated by social structure and de facto government policies. A review of the contemporary literature indicates the development of “gated communities” has become more pronounced in recent years. This paper demonstrates that the processes of social separation and stratification playing themselves out in these communities result from the extant structure of society at large. “Pro-growth” policies and pushes to preserve property values, both rooted in class differentiation, have become a new mechanism promoting segregation, and have been employed by governments, developers, police, and public policy makers. This …

Nonpoint Source Pollutionrisk Mapping Foralabama’S Big Creek Lake, Marco Allain, Jason Jones

The Geographical Bulletin

Big Creek Lake is the primary water supply for Mobile, Alabama. Management of the watershed is important because nonpoint source (NPS) pollution can introduce contaminants into the lake. After the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS) expressed a need for a land suitability assessment to aid in mitigating NPS pollution in the watershed, we worked to assist them in mapping potential sources of NPS pollution there. First, we created a system for rating the relative contributions of various land cover and soil types to NPS pollution in the watershed. Then, we utilized land use/land cover information generated from ASTER …

A Note From The Editor, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

A Note from the Editor

Cover And Forewords, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 60-2 Complete Issue, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 60-2 Complete Issue

What Can We Do? An Exploratory Study On Undergraduate Student Climate Change Perceptions, Walker J. Skeeter, Jacob R. Reed, Jordan R. Cissell, Riffat Islam, David J. Keellings

The Geographical Bulletin

A survey was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory atmospheric processes course towards various climate change related topics, such as the validity of, and the scientific consensus surrounding climate change. Further questions sought information regarding student knowledge of climate change, such as when they were first exposed to the science, and their methods of seeking out information regarding climate change. This study additionally seeks to identify sectors of the human and natural world that students feel climate change negatively affects. Results indicate that students desire information about mitigation strategies, regardless of whether they believe …

The Volcanic Field Of The Middle Atlas Causse:Highlights And Heritage Appropriation, Sara Mountaj, Toufik Remmal, Kawtar Lakroud, Pierre Boivin, Iz-Eddine El Hassani El Amrani, Fouad El Kamel, Samira Makhoukhi, Halima Jounaid, Fouad Amraoui, Mohamed Soufi

The Geographical Bulletin

The Middle Atlas Causse is a vast natural park that includes a large part of the volcanic province of the Middle Atlas between Azrou and Timahdite that is characterized by large effusions of basaltic rocks among which emerge well preserved monogenic volcanic edifices. Taking advantage of its impressive and significant presence in the landscape, our priority will be to enhance this natural element to make it a powerful lever for tourism and territorial development. We propose an action for the development and heritage appropriation of this geosite, as part of a project that brings together the natural and human assets …

Monogenetic Strombolian Activity At Aguelmane Sidi Ali Volcano (Middle Atlas Volcanic Province, Morocco), Kawtar Lakroud1, Toufik Remmal, Iz El Amrani, Sara Mountaj, Fouad El Kamel, Benjamin Van Wyk De Vries, Pierre Boivin, Hélène Balcone-Boissard, Samira Makhoukhi, Mohamed Soufi

The Geographical Bulletin

The Quaternary Middle Atlas Volcanic Province is the largest and youngest volcanic field in Morocco. It hosts a hundred of well-preserved strombolian cones and maars which emitted numerous mafic pyroclastic deposits and lava flows covering a surface of ca. 960 km2 . The 2.27 Ma Aguelmane Sidi Ali monogenetic scoria cone was emplaced in a tectonic basin of the same name on the southern edge of the Bou-Anguer-Aïn-Nokra syncline in the eastern folded part of the Middle Atlas. Aguelmane Sidi Ali scoria cone was formed by a short-lived eruption of days to weeks. The eruptive dynamic recorded in the volcanic …

Watershed Surface Characteristics And Storm Distribution Impactson Low-Order Urban Stream Hydrology Response, C. Andrew Day, Garrett Seay

The Geographical Bulletin

This research observed and modeled rainfall-runoff processes for six ungauged low-order urban watersheds within the Louisville Metro area, KY for a variety of storm distributions. We collected rainfall/runoff event field data while surface biophysical data in the form of gridded elevation, landcover and soil type were also collected and processed for each watershed. These datasets enabled an adjustment of Green-Ampt infiltration loss and NRCS unit-hydrograph transform method time parameters to simulate runoff using the HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model. Results indicated that impervious cover and watershed shape/hydraulic length most strongly influenced hydrograph responses, while positive-skew storm distributions resulted in higher peak runoff …

A Note From The Editor, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

A Note from the Editor

Cover And Forewords, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Introducing The Concept Ofthe “Causal Continuum” Inintroductory Weather Andclimate Courses, Brent R. Skeeter

The Geographical Bulletin

In any introductory meteorology, climatology, Earth science, or physical geography course, students will likely gain a much greater understanding of the weather and/ or climate material if their course instruction is effectively rooted within the framework of why weather occurs and why climates exist. Indeed, without an early understanding of why weather even occurs, much of what is taught within an introductory course will likely never be fully grasped or appreciated by students. Along those lines, it should be extremely beneficial to include an explicit discussion of what is here termed the “causal continuum”, in the early portion of such …

Volume 60-1 Complete Issue, Casey D. Allen

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 60-1 Complete Issue

Climate Change Andperceived Vulnerability:Gender, Heritage, Andreligion Predict Riskperception And Knowledgeof Climate Change Inhawaii, Kevin Showalter, David López-Carr, Daniel Ervin

The Geographical Bulletin

This study explores climate change related risk perception among residents of the ‘Big Island’ of Hawaii, an environmentally vulnerable region. Adapting established instruments, we investigated potential links among socio-demographic variables, risk perception, and perceived preparedness and knowledge, as they relate to climate change. Results reveal relationships between risk perceptions for climate change and gender, with females significantly more aware of the risks posed by climate change, but less prepared than men. Additionally, indigenous and native respondents felt that climate change events posed more risk and felt less prepared compared to non-indigenous. Results suggest that an understanding of how risk perceptions …

Gamma Theta Upsilon By The Numbers At The End Of Its First Century: Where Are Our Growth Poles?, James Lowry

The Geographical Bulletin

Editor’s Note: This essay-report fits nicely with the spirit of our Diamond Anniversary volume. I appreciate Dr. Lowry compiling “the numbers”

Locational Analysis Of Seasonal Migration Of Nomadic Pastoralists In Apart Of Northern Nigeria, Nathaniel Olugbade Adeoye

The Geographical Bulletin

There seems to be paradigm shift in the direction of seasonal migration among the nomadic pastoralists in southern Nigeria owing to recent social events and hostility confronting them in their communities. This study examined the new directions of seasonal migration among nomadic pastoralists, the migration pattern, distances covered during migration, period of return to the home area, factors responsible for the migration pattern, and the challenges encountered in the new area. The study relied mainly on primary data, which emanated from a survey questionnaire. The resultant data were used to elicit information on the relevant variables of the study. One …

Geographic Distribution Ofpublic Health Hospitals Inriyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Alhomaidhi

The Geographical Bulletin

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia City of Riyadh faces many challenges and problems in distributing public health services. The Ministry of Health (MOH) operates eight hospitals within the city, delivering a variety of basic, specialty, and emergency services. Population growth and urbanization has led to an imbalance in facility locations and service delivery for the city, which fails to adhere to the MOH’s recommendations. In this paper, nearest neighbor analysis, service area, and range analysis, as well as a spatial model are used to determine the distribution of hospitals, areas of under-coverage, and potential locations for new hospitals. This methodology …

Economic Impacts Of Establishing A Neutron Source Facility In Windsor, Abdur Rahman

Major Papers

Cancer poses a significant health challenge in Canada, with two in five individuals likely to develop the disease. This paper explores the economic impacts of establishing a prototype compact accelerator-based neutron source (PC-CANS) facility in Windsor that will produce medical isotopes locally in Windsor, Ontario, rather than relying on centralized production and transportation from London, Ontario. Fluorine-18 medical isotopes, crucial for positron emission tomography (PET) scans, experience significant decay losses during transportation due to their short half-life of 109.8 minutes, increasing costs and restricting availability. Using a differential analysis approach, the study quantifies economic benefits, focusing on three main impacts: …