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Maybe less is more : congregation size and social embeddedness in the age of the megachurch.
No full textA growing body of research documents the rise of large congregations, their success in appealing to younger, more diverse demographics, and what these patterns say about the religious landscape more broadly. A commonly assumed, yet underdeveloped, aspect of this literature is the relationship between congregation size and social embeddedness. Using multilevel data from the 2001 U.S. Congregational Life Survey (USCLS), I analyze the relationship between weekly church attendance and congregational belonging and friendship, and how these relationships vary across religious traditions. Results indicate a negative relationship between congregation size and social embeddedness for all traditions except Black Protestants, who display the opposite pattern. For other traditions, meanwhile, in the largest congregations, the negative relationship attenuates for belonging, but not for friendship. These findings suggest some limitations to prevailing narratives about church growth and highlight the importance of accounting for religious tradition in future studies on congregation size and social dynamics
Exploring the power of text data mining : syllabi analysis for information literacy instructional outreach.
No full textThis chapter examines the use of text data mining (TDM) to analyze syllabi as a means of advancing information literacy (IL) instruction and outreach in higher education. Syllabi, often considered “hidden curricula,” embed faculty priorities, pedagogical choices, and disciplinary expectations, making them rich sites for identifying information literacy needs. Drawing on frameworks such as the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy and models of embedded librarianship, this chapter demonstrates how syllabi analysis reveals opportunities for collaboration, targeted instruction, and scalable outreach strategies. Practical examples highlight how libraries can leverage syllabi analysis for curriculum mapping, faculty engagement, and evidence-based decision-making. By situating syllabi mining within both ethical considerations and evolving technologies, the chapter argues that TDM offers librarians a powerful, data-driven approach to aligning IL instruction with institutional goals while fostering more intentional and inclusive partnerships with faculty
¡NYC! ¡Tenemos un problema! a qualitative single case study exploring teacher perceptions of the bilingual teacher shortage on instruction in New York City schools.
No full textEmergent Bilingual Learners (EBLs) in New York City schools face significant challenges due to a shortage of bilingual teachers. This issue is exacerbated by a rise in families seeking asylum in the city (Konrad, 2023). As the fastest-growing student population in the United States, EBLs require support to learn English and grade-level content simultaneously. EBLs have the right to access education. This access includes a teacher who speaks their language and knows their culture (Darling-Hammond et al., 2016; Hernández et al., 2022). Bilingual teachers are ideal for supporting EBLs in growing and developing academically. This qualitative single case study utilized semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations to gather data. The semi-structured interviews provided insight into the experiences of four participants who shared their lived experiences in supporting EBLs. During the non-participant observations, these participants demonstrated creative and intentional methods to aid EBLs. Data analysis occurred using Vygotsky's (1978) Sociocultural Theory of Development, viewed through the lens of Walqui's (2006) adaptation of four components: Culture and Mediation, Social Interaction, Zone of Proximal Development, and Language. The study revealed four findings regarding teacher perception of the impact of the bilingual shortage on instruction in New York City schools. First, teachers struggled significantly with language barriers, which hindered effective communication with EBLs, social interaction, and the quality of educational support provided. This also affected their ability to communicate effectively with EBLs' families. Second, the study highlighted the distinct advantages of linguistic support provided by bilingual teachers. Third, the teachers in the study had limited to no professional development support or training to teach EBLs. In addition, the teachers did not have EBL-specific materials to support their EBLs. Finally, the study also revealed the dire need for the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to adopt more robust and innovative recruitment practices. The overall finding from this study underscored that bilingual teachers, such as Capable Others (Vygotsky, 1978), are ideal in providing the proper language and cultural support that EBLs need to achieve their academic goals
Writing and directing the short film, How to Format : Ctrl Shift Forest.
No full textThe following thesis outlines the script and methodological approach to the short film, Format, including an examination of theoretical and filmic influences that have inspired the director's creative approach. Additionally, outlined in this thesis is the filmmaker's goals and metaphorical content as well as a full script with an analysis of its content
A quantitative examination of team leadership, team behavior, and patient outcomes at a Level I trauma center.
No full textIn this study, I address the critical need to optimize team performance and patient outcomes in high-stress clinical environments. Despite advancements, preventable adverse outcomes in trauma persist, with 30% of trauma-related deaths deemed preventable with optimal care (Institute of Medicine, 2016). Inconsistent team performance in trauma centers leads to variations in patient outcomes (American College of Surgeons, 2018). Ineffective communication and leadership within trauma teams significantly contribute to preventable outcomes, underscoring the necessity for improved team dynamics (Salas et al., 2008). I employed a quantitative, non-experimental methodology to investigate relationships among team leader behaviors—transformational, transactional, and passive—team citizenship behaviors—speaking up, cooperation, and knowledge sharing—and patient outcomes, specifically 30-day mortality. I analyzed a de-identified dataset of 132 cases from a Level I trauma center in the Southwestern United States. Expert physician reviewers scored video observations using the surgeons' team leadership and team behavior model. Using descriptive statistics, I summarized case characteristics, including patient age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and 30-day mortality. I confirmed good inter-rater reliability with the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). I then used Spearman's Rho correlation to explore relationships between team leadership and team citizenship behaviors, while chi-square tests examined associations with 30-day mortality. Mann-Whitney U tests compared team citizenship behaviors between transformational and passive leadership groups, revealing significant differences. The results highlight the crucial relationship between team leader behavior and team citizenship behaviors. Transformational and transactional leadership are positively associated with team citizenship behaviors; transformational leadership inspires and motivates team members, while transactional leadership sets clear expectations and maintains accountability. In contrast, passive leadership is negatively associated with team citizenship behaviors. These results underscore the need for targeted leadership training and mentorship programs, particularly in teaching environments. Notably, the study also revealed a statistically significant association between cooperation and increased 30-day mortality rates, highlighting the importance of cooperation in enhancing team performance and patient outcomes. Further research should explore additional variables and aspects of team leadership to better understand their relationship with patient outcomes, particularly mortality rates. This comprehensive approach enhances team performance, improves patient care, and achieves better outcomes in trauma settings
Greco-Roman friendship in the "Gospel according to Luke".
No full textThe Gospel of Luke contains more references to friendship than does any other work in the New Testament. This dissertation analyzes those references to friendship in light of Greco-Roman discourse on the subject in order to attain a wholistic understanding of friendship in the Gospel of Luke. It finds that the Gospel of Luke draws from the wide spectrum of Greco-Roman friendship in its portrayal of Jesus, his disciples, and ethics, but also significantly transforms the practice of friendship.
The dissertation begins with an overview of friendship in the Greco-Roman world, finding that relationships between men and women, teachers and students, patrons and clients, and many others could all be called friendships. These findings are applied in a survey of passages from the Gospel of Luke in which forms of philos occur. In addition to illuminating those individual passages, this survey identifies friendship with Jesus and friendships among other people as the two main contexts of friendship in Luke.
Luke only uses forms of philos twice in the context of relationships with Jesus, but friendship still plays an important role in Luke’s characterization of its main character. Jesus and his disciples relate to each other as friends throughout Luke, though their friendship ultimately rests on Jesus’s faithfulness and forgiveness rather than the disciples’ virtue. These friendships represent a continuation of Jesus’s other friendships, namely those with sinners and tax collectors. In its portrayal of friendships among people, the Gospel of Luke largely maintains the principles underlying reciprocity and the evaluation of good and bad friendships that prevailed in popular morality in the Greco-Roman world. At the same time, it radically transforms the practical application of those principals by applying them in light of Lukan eschatology and theology.
The Gospel of Luke exhibits remarkable coherence in its portrayals of friendship with Jesus and friendships among other people. It portrays Jesus practicing the kinds of friendships that he promotes in his teaching. These friendships form across status divisions and promote the sharing of resources in ways that differed markedly from most friendships in the Greco-Roman world
Shaping the fragile brain : early-life stress and Fmr1 deletion alter synaptic and behavioral trajectories in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome.
No full textFragile X syndrome (FXS), the most heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affects 1 in 7,000 males and 1 in 11,000 females. FXS results from reduced translation of the Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene and loss of Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), which leads to immature dendritic spines. While genetics plays a central role, environmental factors like early-life stress (ES) can exacerbate cognitive and behavioral deficits. Although stress in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice indicates heightened prenatal sensitivity, early postnatal effects still require further investigation.
Both Fmr1 KO mice and stress-exposed models demonstrate behavioral deficits linked to disrupted neuronal connectivity and impaired synaptic plasticity. This study examined the effects of ES on Fmr1 KO and wildtype (WT) C57BL/6J male mice, utilizing a limited bedding and nesting paradigm from postnatal days 2 to 9. Corticosterone levels were assessed acutely and over the long term. In adulthood, synaptic spine density within the primary somatosensory motor cortex was evaluated via Golgi-Cox staining, and mice underwent behavioral testing to determine lasting deficits.
Corticosterone was unaffected acutely and into adulthood. Fmr1 KO mice exhibited heightened locomotor activity, increased repetitive behavior and decreased anxiety-like behaviors, learning deficits, and altered communication. Stress exposure resulted in learning impairments, decreased anxiety-like behavior, increased activity, heightened startle response, increased repetitive behaviors, and changes in ultrasonic vocalization call type. Early-life stress superimposed on the KO condition enhanced locomotor activity. Both stress and Fmr1 deletion elevated synaptic spine density, though stress in KO mice showed no significant increase, suggesting a potential ceiling effect in KO mice. These results indicate that early-life stress has a harmful impact on its own but does not exacerbate ASD-like behaviors in the absence of Fmr1. The corticosterone findings indicate a potential blunted hormone response from habituation across genotypes. These findings highlight the long-term effects of early-life stress, Fmr1 deletion, and their their combined impact on brain development
Kiai Sadrach Suropranoto (1835-1924) and the Javanese mystical Christian movement.
No full textThis dissertation examines the life, ministry, and theological contributions of Kiai Sadrach Suropranoto (1825-1924), a Javanese Christian leader who emerged as a central figure in the development of indigenous Christianity in colonial Java. Born into a poor farming family and orphaned as a child, Sadrach’s spiritual journey began within the Javanese mystical tradition and later traversed Islamic Sufism before culminating in his conversion to Christianity. Working under the patronage of Mrs. Christina Stevens-Philips, a Dutch laywoman evangelist, Sadrach became one of the most successful native evangelists in Java. His distinctive theological approach, which integrated Javanese mysticism (ngelmu), Islamic Sufism, and Christian doctrine, created a hybrid religious identity that resonated deeply with the Javanese populace.
Using a micro-historical approach and framed within the emerging field of world Christianity, this study reinterprets Sadrach’s ngelmu Christianity not as syncretic deviation, but as a legitimate, contextually grounded expression of Christian faith. Through close analysis of missionary reports, colonial archives, and indigenous perspectives, the dissertation juxtaposes Sadrach’s ministry with the Dutch colonial and ecclesiastical response, especially that of Frans Lion Cachet, whose influential 1896 publication publicly condemned Sadrach as a false teacher. By reading both Sadrach’s and Cachet’s actions as situated expressions of Christianity, the study moves away from applying the concepts of orthodoxy, syncretism, and contextualization to Sadrach. In addition to emphasizing Sadrach as a man shaped by his time and context, the dissertation breaks new ground by exploring Sadrach’s later association with the Apostolic Church (1899–1924), drawing on previously unavailable sources. It further investigates the formative role of Mrs. Stevens-Philips in empowering Sadrach’s early ministry, thereby highlighting the underexamined intersection of gender and power in colonial mission dynamics. Finally, by applying theories of religious hybridity, translatability, and polycentrism, this study positions Sadrach’s movement within the broader mosaic of world Christianity, affirming that the vitality of Christianity as a world religion lies in its capacity to be locally embodied, negotiated, and expressed
Making room at the pew : understanding disability experiences in Christian church settings.
No full textThis qualitative study explores the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities within Christian church settings, examining narratives of exclusion and inclusion that shape a sense of identity and belonging. Through semi-structured interviews with twenty-five participants who have hearing, visual, or mobility impairments, the results identified two primary themes: exclusion (characterized by lack of awareness, misconceptions of disability, and absence of accommodation) and inclusion (marked by presence of accommodation and belonging). Participants' stories revealed how churches often unconsciously create barriers through physical inaccessibility and social alienation, while moments of acceptance and intentional accommodation foster integration and community. Using narrative theory as a framework, the study demonstrates how these experiences influence participants' religious identity and sense of belonging within their faith communities. The findings highlight opportunities for Christian churches to enhance inclusivity through proactive accommodation, increased disability awareness, and authentic listening to the voices of congregants with disabilities. By emphasizing the importance of narrative as a tool for advocacy and understanding, this research contributes to a growing body of literature on disability inclusion in religious contexts, offering practical suggestions for creating more accessible and welcoming environments for all congregants
Relationship between Black female elementary teachers and students : perceptions of holistic social emotional learning (HSEL) interventions.
No full textEquity in education has been a continual discussion in scholarship, with holistic social-emotional learning focusing on interventions related to Black female elementary school students from their Black female elementary school teachers under-researched. This qualitative phenomenological research explored 21 Black female elementary school teachers' perceptions of HSEL interventions with Black female students. The 12 participated in audio-recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews, with nine participating in two separate focus groups. The research questions queried how this sample perceived such aspects as influence, participation of students, and changes in their perceptions when working with Black female students using HSEL interventions. The findings from the data collected were developed into three themes in response to three research questions and included teacher growth and self-reflection, student development and empowerment, and creating an inclusive learning environment. The results first depicted how HSEL interventions influenced teachers' perceptions of their biases, teaching strategies, and expectations of Black female students. Further, the findings showed how teachers reflected on their students' experiences and changes throughout an HSEL intervention. Finally, these findings relayed how the role of teachers as mentors focused on the broader impact on students' identities, families, communities, and mentorship support, which were deemed valuable. Recommendations for future research and practices were made, and suggestions were made to explore new research contexts and test other theories associated with HSEL in different settings