1825 research outputs found
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Narratives: A Qualitative Researcher\u27s Guide
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Implications of the Second Chance Act for African American Females and Reentry: A Content Analysis Rooted in Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality
Full text linkThis dissertation examines the content of the Second Chance Act (SCA) to understand its potential impact on the reentry of African American females into society, highlighting the intersectionality of race and gender within the criminal justice system. Despite the SCA’s intentions to facilitate the reintegration of incarcerated individuals, its language and implementation have mainly remained gender-neutral, not addressing the unique challenges faced by African American females. This study employs a qualitative content analysis approach to examine the Second Chance Act, assessing its effectiveness in addressing the social determinants and barriers to reentry that are specific to African American females. According to the scholarly literature, to facilitate successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and promote reintegration, policies and programs must address the unique experiences of African American females. Chapter IV offers the findings from the content analysis. Chapter V considers the findings in relation to the literature review and the SCA and, through careful consideration of the previous chapters, recommends amending the SCA’s policies and programs to specifically address the needs of African American females, thereby improving their post-incarceration outcomes and overall societal reintegration.
Dissertation full text has been embargoed until July, 202
Relating to Pain: Attachment as a Framework for Understanding Chronic Pain
Full text linkDespite contemporary Western healthcare’s emphasis on the biopsychosocial model of illness, there has been relatively limited attention given to the way that attachment relationships, as part of the social sphere of the model, impact individuals’ chronic pain experiences and management. Attachment influences help-seeking behaviors, sense of self-efficacy, coping skills, and communication abilities, all of which are implicated in pain experience and management. As such, this dissertation examines the question: Do attachment experiences influence how individuals perceive and manage chronic pain? This study expands on the existing research by conceptualizing attachment as a fluid experience that varies across relationships and circumstances, building upon the adult attachment categories identified by Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991; secure, preoccupied, dismissing, fearful). The study first reviews the existing literature on chronic pain, attachment theory, the pain-attachment link, impacts of attachment on pain experience and communication, self-efficacy as a mediating factor, and sociopolitical factors of pain management. Using a transformative, qualitative paradigm, five individuals with chronic pain diagnoses were interviewed using open-ended, narratively-formatted questions to amplify individual experiences of how intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships shape pain experiences. Using phenomenological methodology, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was used to identify themes across participant interviews, focusing on intersections between relationships and chronic pain. Unlike traditional thematic analysis, each data segment was also coded for attachment experiences, based on the descriptions and categories set forth by Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991), to explore how these mapped onto themes. Seventeen themes were identified, grouped into four categories: helplessness, disconnection, isolation, and regeneration. The helplessness category corresponded to preoccupied attachment, reflecting low self-efficacy and a reliance on others for pain management. Disconnection and isolation were associated with dismissing attachment, stemming from feelings of being misunderstood by peers, healthcare providers, and loved ones. Regeneration aligned with secure attachment, where participants experienced higher self-efficacy and interpersonal connection. Findings suggest that participants experienced their pain as most manageable when they viewed themselves and others as efficacious and responsive, as is characteristic of secure attachment experiences. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research and action are explored. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center
(https://etd.ohiolink.edu)
Psychological Safety and Belonging in High-Risk Search and Rescue Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study
Full text linkWilderness search and rescue (SAR) volunteers and teams are essential for the safety of outdoor adventurers, and yet, organizational culture has not been studied closely within this population. While extensive research is available regarding psychological safety in corporate and healthcare environments, the role of psychological safety in high reliability teams, like wilderness SAR, is limited. Organizational belonging is a burgeoning research area that has yet to be explored in wilderness SAR. This mixed methods phenomenological study increased the understanding of the experience of psychological safety and organizational belonging in wilderness SAR volunteers. Initial quantitative statistical analysis that utilized t-tests, correlation analyses, and analysis of variances identified statistically significant results in the experience of psychological safety and organizational belonging for women and men. The relationship between team learning behavior and psychological safety is partially mediated by organizational belonging. Key principles for guiding the growth of psychological safety and organizational belonging as well as specific recommendations for activities and behaviors were provided by the participants’ own voices. This research can be used as a template to build and maintain psychological safety and organizational belonging for teams. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)
Geriatric Care in Corrections: An Exploratory Study of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on the Needs of an Aging Prison Population
Full text linkThe incarcerated population in the United States is aging. The proportion of adults 55 or older in prison rose from 3% in 1993 to 16% at year-end 2022 (Carson & Sabol, 2016; Carson & Kluckow, 2024). Researchers have consistently found evidence that the prevalence of disabilities and functional impairment is higher among older adults who are incarcerated than among those in the community. As the incarcerated population ages, corrections professionals responsible for providing safety, housing, and health care must respond to the needs of the population. In this qualitative study, 21 corrections professionals from the disciplines of custody, classification, medical, and mental health care in a mid-sized state Department of Corrections shared their experiences and perspectives working with incarcerated older adults who have functional impairments due to mobility, sensory problems, cognitive impairment, or chronic illness. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the findings from the data were organized into five themes: lack of housing options, policies for order and discipline, collaborative care, incarcerated peer support, and risks to staff. This paper will describe these themes with examples from study participants. This paper will also discuss the implications of these findings and recommendations for programmatic improvements and further research
“BE CAREFUL, THAT ONE’S AGGRESSIVE!”: Canine Counterstories: Shifting Shelter Dog Narratives for Improved Welfare
Full text linkThis study uses Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) methodology to challenge dominant narratives surrounding shelter dogs, as well as to examine how human perceptions and subsequent behaviors impact shelter dogs’ experiences in American animal shelter institutions. Drawing from personal and professional experiences as a canine behaviorist, I challenge prevailing “bad dog” narratives and introduce Canine CounterStoryTelling, a framework that I have developed which combines Standpoint Theory, Environmental Enrichment Theory, and Humane Education values. By integrating this theoretical framework in conjunction with the introspective nature of SPN, this study focuses on interrupting the status quo and creating impactful spaces to contribute to a more socially just community for shelter dogs. By examining the contrast in cooperation between dog journeys with or without the inclusion of human kindness and a trauma-informed perspective for each dog’s individual lived experience, this research seeks to uncover alternative viewpoints, or counterstories, through the lens of compassion and empathy.
“Be careful, that one’s aggressive!”—perhaps the dog is thinking the exact same thing
Exploring the Perceptions of Technology Use of Clinicians and Their Clients
Full text linkThe research question guiding this study was: What is the perceived understanding of technology use by clinicians for their work with clients? Fourteen participants completed an online qualitative survey exploring their experiences with technology and media in clinical practice. A thematic analysis revealed four primary themes. The first theme, variations in counselor online media usage, highlighted differences in how counselors engaged with online platforms for education, client connection, and self-care. The second theme, counselor assessment of, and dialogue around, online media use, captured varying levels of intentionality in exploring clients’ digital habits, ranging from minimal inquiry to regular, structured discussions. The third theme, media use and impact on clients, reflected perceptions of technology as both beneficial and problematic, influencing connection, information exposure, attention, emotional well-being, sleep, and developmental trajectories. The fourth theme, technology as it impacts the counseling practice, emphasized the dual role of technology in enhancing accessibility and practice management while also introducing challenges related to misinformation, distraction, and emerging concerns about artificial intelligence. Findings underscore the need for counselor education, supervision, and professional practice to address the evolving role of technology, ensuring clinicians are prepared to navigate its benefits and challenges in supporting client well-being. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)
A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Gay White Men In Mid-level Student Affairs Leadership Roles
Full text linkThe purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the lived experience of mid-level student affairs leaders who identify as cisgender, gay, White, and male in order to further understand the multidimensionality of embodying both privileged as well as marginalized identities. Four participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and the resulting transcripts were analyzed utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) perspective. Experiential themes that emerged from the analysis of the individual cases as well as across the cases include unintended pathways into the field of student affairs, experiences of challenging heterosexual male supervisors and the preference for women supervisors, experiences of bias, strategies utilized to navigate privileged identities, and the role that the COVID-19 pandemic had on prioritizing the pursuit of life-work balance. Overarching themes of the tension between the values and expectations of student affairs and the pursuit of work life balance as well as the complexity of navigating the multidimensionality of privileged and oppressed identities are discussed. Unanticipated findings include the level of variation in the salience of the participants gay identity as well as the scarceness of reference to masculinity. Implications for leadership, the scope of the study, and areas for further research are also discussed. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)
Distal Effects of Teenage Pregnancy and Childbirth
Full text linkWhile pregnancy during adolescence is declining, research on the topic continues, particularly regarding: the reasons teenagers become pregnant and choose parenthood; their experiences as teen parents; and near-term outcomes for themselves and their children. The focus of this dissertation has received little study: how the experience of having been a birthing parent in adolescence continues to affect the personal experiences of individuals in midlife, if it does at all. Eight individuals between the ages of 30 and 43 who gave birth as teens were interviewed, and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to identify how they interpreted and made meaning of their experiences. Nine themes emerged from the data regarding teen birthing parents: the necessity to mature early can lead to positive outcomes; parents and their children may carry labels; parents fall out of sync with their age-peers; shame and distress can lead to disconnection, sometimes followed by healing and rebuilding of connections; biological fathers continue to have an impact on the lives of parents through their children; immediate responses by the parents of teens to the pregnancy can have a lasting impact; parents may develop narrowed and pragmatic approaches to achieving their goals; parents may develop exceptionally close bonds with their children; family stressors can contribute to teen pregnancy, and pregnancy can in turn contribute to family stress. Contextual factors and outside stressors, such as adverse childhood events, race, religion, and socioeconomic status, were found to have affected participants’ experiences, both in becoming pregnant and in their lives moving forward. Although teen pregnancy is not a medically defined trauma, participants reported feeling traumatized, and also reported feelings, cognitions, and actions that suggest posttraumatic growth. Therapists may benefit clients who were teen parents, or their children, by providing trauma-informed care and assisting clients in identifying ways in which they were courageous and resourceful. This study suggests that today, both teen parents and their families could benefit from financial and emotional support, especially as laws change dramatically. Teen birthing parents can re-story the negative narratives they receive from the wider culture in a way that is empowering and affirming. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)
Co-Becoming Our Way from Ecocide to the Pluriverse
Full text linkColoniality/modernity is dying. Rising temperatures over land and sea, the extreme weather of the past decade, rising sea levels, arctic ice loss, and mass extinction are just a few indicators that the world has moved far beyond climate change to climate catastrophe. My arts-informed research takes the view that climate catastrophe, perhaps more accurately described as “collective trauma,” is part of the prevailing story and worldview of modernity, defined by patterns of domination, conquest, extractivism, and capitalism. East Asian and Indigenous worldviews share an emphasis on relationality with the world of nonhuman beings and animist traditions that do not partition the mental, physical and metaphysical (spiritual, energetic, psychic), but rather, regard them as united in what Manulani Meyers calls “holographic epistemology.” I explore forms of artistic engagement that disinvest from coloniality/modernity and bridge those partitions between humans from “the rest of nature,” self from others. My work honors the sacred Earth and explores the medicine of stories to reconnect; the skills of deep listening to and for stories of living and dying well; stories that rise out of the rubble of modernity; how storymaking calls us to earth justice, to hospice the dying world and usher in alter worlds of new solidarities—the Pluriverse. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu)