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The Experiences of Stigma Amongst Practicing Music Therapists Living with Depression and/or Anxiety: An Exploratory Qualitative Study
Get PDFThis study explored the experiences of stigma amongst practicing music therapists living with depression and/or anxiety. Three study participants were selected from social media groups through purposive sampling. Participants were board-certified music therapists (MT-BC\u27s) living in the United States. They all had been practicing as full-time music therapists for at least 5 years and had depression and/or anxiety for a minimum of 2 years during practice as an MT-BC. Qualitative data sources included in-depth interviews with participants conducted over Zoom. The results of the study suggest that music therapists\u27 experiences of stigma for their mental illness (MI) had a negative impact on their mental health journey, life, and career. The thematic analysis of interviews yielded four themes: Music Therapists with MI Experience Self-, Institutional, and Public Stigma; Music Therapists with MI Need Changes in Society’s Perception of MI, Education, and Workplace Environments; Disclosure, Education, and Self-Reflection are Tools to Tackle Stigma, and Learning to Live with MI is a Process. The results of this study suggest that further research is needed to raise awareness of an underexplored but serious issue, combat stigma, and further develop anti-stigma initiatives to support music therapists with MI
The Power of Brotherhood: Saab\u27s Role in Promoting School Belonging and Cultural Capital Wealth for Black Male Students
Get PDFSchool belongingness is the belief by students that the adults in the school care about their learning and them as individuals. Students are more likely to succeed when they feel connected to their school. In this qualitative dissertation study, I investigated the impact of a mentorship program for Black male high school students and its implications for promoting school belonging and cultural capital wealth. By exploring the experiences of 12 Black male high school student members of SAAB (Student African American Brotherhood), a nationally recognized mentorship program, my research revealed what it means to be a Black male SAAB student, how mentors can create supportive ecosystems for the students, and what conditions make it difficult for students to feel connected at school. During the 1st SAAB Summit held in Springfield, MO, the students in this study shared how the SAAB program impacted their personal growth, leadership skills, networking opportunities, and sense of belonging through the following themes: (1) the transformative power of mentorship and adult connection, (2) cultivating a sense of community and brotherhood, which at times can feel elitist and exclusionary, (3) navigating barriers and fostering resilience, and (4) shaping future goals and personal growth. The implications of this research extend beyond looking at the relationship between a sense of belonging and academic achievement to include the broader context of how SAAB helps to develop student’s strengths, talents, and experiences that people of color bring to their communities and educational settings in the form of cultural capital wealth. My research adds to the literature by illuminating new understandings of the intersections between Yosso’s cultural capital wealth framework and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. It also contributes to the ongoing discourse on diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, providing valuable insights for educators and stakeholders interested in creating environments that foster a sense of belonging and support for the academic success of Black male students
How a Nonprofit Turned to Retail to Help Fulfill Its Mission
Get PDFThis paper presents the results of student efforts in a Spring 2024 undergraduate Capstone course at Molloy University’s School of Business. During the semester, 15 students worked in three teams to address an opportunity for Backyard Players & Friends (BYP), a nonprofit organization based in Rockville Centre (Long Island), New York dedicated to inclusivity for people 14+ years old. To help fulfill its mission, BYP opened a retail store named Front Porch Market (FPM). As FPM celebrated its one-year anniversary, students were asked to help BYP increase store revenue by improving merchandising and marketing efforts, and by offering support to neurodiverse entrepreneurs who create most of the store’s merchandise. Students delivered their recommendations in business reports and presentations at the end of the semester. Recommendations were based on retail best practices and organizational research. Each included implementation plans, potential benefits, risks and mitigation efforts, and more. BYP joins a growing list of repeat Capstone clients—proof of the valuable work of Molloy business students. Capstone is required of all Molloy business students in their final year or semester. This culminating course involves the flipped classroom with community-based experiential learning projects to deliver a unique mixed methods approach to learning
Creating DEI Spaces: Understanding Belonging Among Black Students at a Predominantly White Community College
Get PDFSince the 1960s, colleges have faced ongoing challenges in effectively addressing the needs of Black students, leading to persistent disparities in Black student enrollment, retention, and degree attainment. Despite diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming designed to foster a welcoming and inclusive educational environment, community colleges experienced a significant decline in Black student enrollment from 2010 to 2020. Using a qualitative phenomenological case study approach, I explored how 14 Black students at a predominantly White community college in New York experienced a sense of belonging through DEI programming and related initiatives. The study was guided by two theoretical frameworks: critical race theory in education and the sense of belonging model, which offered a structured lens for examining the insights and perspectives shared during semi-structured focus group discussions. The findings revealed that while participants appreciated institutional DEI programming, it did not cultivate a lasting sense of belonging. Participants emphasized the need for DEI principles to be integrated into all aspects of the institution’s structure to create a more inclusive and supportive environment. They also highlighted that a widespread lack of diversity and awareness of Black culture and identity within the institution contributed to their feelings of alienation and loneliness. Participants also shared experiences of discrimination, stereotyping, and inequitable treatment on campus, which further deepened their sense of disconnect and estrangement from the college. However, some students identified moments of inclusion and belonging through support from Black faculty and administrators, as well as their involvement in college-sponsored clubs and programs. The findings underscored a critical need for increased Black representation within the student body, faculty, and staff to ensure Black students receive the support and care essential for their persistence and academic success
Navigating Race, Equity, and Whiteness: A Case Study Exploring the Culturally Relevant Practices of English and Social Studies Teachers in a Long Island School District
Get PDFToday, American K-12 classrooms are becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, creating a vital need for culturally relevant pedagogical (CRP) approaches and teacher training to support the achievement of all students. However, despite an expanding body of literature on creating culturally responsive schools, implementation remains challenging for many educators. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how, if at all, a group of six English and Social Studies teachers in two demographically different high schools, one a predominantly Black school and the other a predominantly Asian school, within the same district enact CRP and navigate issues of race, equity, culture, power, and whiteness in their pedagogical practice. My findings revealed that teachers generally have varied understandings of CRP and often struggle to implement all three of its core aspects—high academic expectations, cultural competence, and socio-political consciousness. Additionally, CRP practices differed significantly in their application to Black and Asian students, suggesting that teacher training placed greater emphasis on Black students while often overlooking the specific needs and experiences of Asian students in this district-wide context. This research has implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training programs that critically re-evaluate their CRP training to support the decolonization of Whiteness in educational spaces and to provide context-specific training based on school demographics
Optimizing an Imaging Protocol to Quantify Mitochondrial Transfer
No full textMesenchymal stem cells (MSC) play a critical role as connective tissue precursor cells and also have potent immunomodulatory properties. For instance, MSC can increase macrophage phagocytosis when in direct contact. The mechanisms through which they modulate this activity are under investigation and include mitochondrial transfer. The long-term goal of the project is to develop a protocol to image the mitochondrial transfer between the MSC and macrophage cells (MΦ) and quantify the downstream changes of MΦ phagocytic activity. Intercellular transfer of mitochondria was observed by utilizing long-term static, dynamic, and fluorescence imaging. The MSC mitochondria were stained with fluorescent indicator, mitotracker red, and co-cultured with unlabeled macrophage cells. An initial baseline fluorescence image was taken to distinguish between the MSC and the MΦ. This was followed by time-lapse imaging under phase contrast to reduce photobleaching. Images were collected every 30 seconds over 1-2 hours. A final static fluorescent image was taken to analyze mitochondrial transfer. To mark changes in phagocytic activity, the imaging protocol was optimized by decreasing the magnification to observe a wider field and a greater number of cells. pH-rodo conjugated zymosan particles were added to the cultures after the second static image. Another time-lapse video capture was conducted to measure the MΦ phagocytic activity levels followed by a final static fluorescent image. Data analysis will be performed using MATLAB to quantify mitochondrial transfer and the resulting changes in phagocytic activity. This protocol, designed to retrieve quantitative and qualitative data, will further our understanding of mesenchymal stem cell regulation of innate immunity. The molecular pathways that contribute to the mitochondrial transfer from mesenchymal stem cells to macrophages are yet to be clearly defined. This information can be used to develop off-the-shelf immunomodulatory therapeutic treatment for a broad range of diseases including metabolic disorders and cancer
Music Therapy Perspectives in Popayan by Music Graduates From the Universidad Del Cauca
Get PDFThis research explored the perspectives of music graduates from the Universidad del Cauca in Popayán, Colombia, regarding music therapy. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to gather data from participants, who were music educators and performers. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the responses and derive insights. Findings revealed varying levels of awareness and knowledge about music therapy among participants, with the majority expressing interest in gaining a further understanding of how to incorporate music therapy techniques into their practice. Moreover, participants emphasized the potential benefits of music therapy for emotional well-being and mental health in educational and performance settings. This study underscores the importance of increasing awareness and training in music therapy among music educators and performers and suggests potential avenues to integrate music therapy into music education and performance practices. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on music therapy and may inform future efforts to develop music therapy programs in Popayán and beyond
Current Workplace Experiences of Neurodivergent Music Therapists
Get PDFThis study explored the workplace experiences of neurodivergent music therapists, seeking to elucidate how they currently perceive and navigate their work environments, and how these environments accommodate their neurodivergence. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey methodology and collected both quantitative and qualitative data from board-certified music therapists across the United States. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Qualitative responses were subjected to inductive, iterative content analysis to capture personal experiences and perceptions. Results indicated that neurodivergent music therapists broadly disclose their neurodivergence for authenticity and to seek support and accommodations. Participants also reported finding their employers and supervisors supportive of their neurodivergent status and mentioned positive workplace adaptations which facilitated their professional engagement. Furthermore, this study found that disclosure is influenced by the perceived supportiveness of employers and supervisors, and its likelihood increased with music therapists’ total years of practice. The author made recommendations for continuing education trainings/workshops for music therapists based on these findings. As this study is limited by its methodology, the author also included additional recommendations for future research on this topic
Modifed Playfair for Text File Encryption and Meticulous Decryption with Arbitrary Fillers by Septenary Quadrate Pattern
Get PDFCryptography secures data and serves to ensure the confidentiality of records. Playfair is a cryptographic symmetrical algorithm that encrypts statistics based on key costs. This secret is shared with an authorized person to retrieve data. In the conventional pattern, there is an area complexity and deficiency in letters, numbers, and special characters. This hassle has been overcome in previous studies by editing pattern dimensions. The fillers used throughout the enciphering were not eliminated during the retrieval process, which resulted in the indiscrimination of the retrieved statistics. The proposed method uses a separate quadrate pattern that strengthens the Playfair cipher and guarantees that the fillers are eliminated to ensure the authentic retrieval of records. The fillers indiscriminate and strengthen the set of rules in opposition to brute force and avalanche impact. The proposed algorithm was evaluated with a minimal change in the key, and was found to have an avalanche effect between 65% and 93.7%. The encrypted document is further encoded using the Lempel–Ziv–Markov chain algorithm (LZMA) to provide compressed second-level secured text with a compression ratio of 0.75 for a file size of 100 KB. The pattern was designed to subsidize the integrated characters found on the keyboard
The Experiences of Stress and Resilience on the Allostatic Load of Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Individuals During Secondary School: How Their Experiences Can Inform Best Practices
Get PDFTransgender, gender non-conforming, and gender non-binary (TGNCNB) students face many challenges in secondary school that increase their allostatic load and can lead to allostatic overload. Various aspects of their identity cultivate stress, compounded by variables that impact them throughout the day. TGNCNB youth are at a greater risk of bullying and harassment than their cisgendered peers and are at a greater risk of employing harmful mitigating behaviors and suicidal ideation. TGNCNB youth spend most of their day in the school setting, and there is limited research on this population that identifies what schools can do to support this population better. I conducted this research using a phenomenological, heuristic qualitative research design to understand the lived experiences of TGNCNB individuals while they were in high school through semi-structured interviews and a focus group. A phenomenological design permits the researcher to embed their own experiences with those of their participants. The researcher’s positionality as an educator and identifying as transgender benefitted the research by creating a safe environment for TGNCNB to share their experiences. Participants (n=11) were between 18 and 30 years of age, and the study allowed them to reflect on their experiences in high school and have a disc gender identity as it related to the stress they experienced during that time. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for central themes, and I derived findings through data grounded in resiliency theory, transgender theory, and liminality theory. I coded the data through a multi-step analysis process and extracted common themes. The ideas of stress and resiliency permeate all themes and form the central thread throughout this study. Furthermore, in addition to the findings, the participants’ hindsight and recommendations regarding their past selves, other TGNCNB students, and school personnel are discussed. Stressors were placed into three categories: identity, which includes stressors that impact adolescent students (attending a new school, academic achievement, athletic achievement, home lives, ethnic and religious identities, and romantic relationships), and stress associated with embodying gender identity (transitioning, coming out, and embodiment); school environment (school culture, school policy, safe spaces, and champions of safe spaces); and personal connections (family, peers, and technology). Finally, the participants identified the aspects of a positive school culture and recommended that school personnel support the TGNCNB community better. When synthesizing the findings with other relevant studies, three related ideas emerge: fear is the underlying emotion among all TGNCNB youth; allostatic load accrues from a multitude of sources and is cumulative; schools must better support the needs of their TGNCNB students; and the education community must act urgently to determine a course of action