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Hospitality in the Christian school enrollment process: How theology and theory inform professional practice
Get PDFHospitality is an ever-growing area of academic inquiry. While some studies relating hospitality theory to the education field exist, there is a gap in the literature at the intersection point of hospitality theory and private Christian school enrollment practices. This case study seeks to explore the relationship between three theories emerging in hospitality research - social exchange theory, social identity theory, and the commitment trust theory of relationship marketing - and the theological and pragmatic guidelines for private Christian school enrollment offices.
The study related the three hospitality theories to philosophical/theological and pragmatic considerations through the literature review. Data regarding employee’s knowledge of hospitality and a school’s emphasis on hospitality were collected from interviews with private Christian school employees with direct impact on the enrollment office. Data was then analyzed inductively using ATLAS.ti for thematic content. While it will likely take many studies to create a fully-informed, research-based model of best practices of hospitality for private Christian school enrollment officers, this study aims to begin the conversation among enrollment professionals at private Christian schools.
This research project involved little, if any, risk to human subjects. Interviews were not anonymous; therefore, transcripts of interviews were kept in a secure Google file accessible only to the researcher. It is unlikely that anything said in the interview would jeopardize a participant’s standing at work or in the community in any way; however, providing the extra measure of security is a good faith effort on the part of the researcher to maintain privacy for the participants. The project has the potential to begin a conversation regarding the creation of a best-practices model of hospitality for private Christian schools.
To eligible to participate, respondents must have had oversight of the enrollment process at their respective schools. This included admissions office personnel, associate heads of school, heads of school, or perhaps principals. Participants were solicited from among the schools that align with the Council for Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA). CESA is an organization with 53 full member schools and 30 pending member schools at the time of this writing. All CESA schools share the biblical values that will be discussed as an essential part of any future best practices guide
Mothers\u27 perceptions of stigma: Implications for early identification and treatment for children with a history of prenatal opioid exposure
Get PDFThere is a lack of research that specifies the long-term effects on a child’s language development when prenatally exposed to opioids (Fill et al.,2018; Rutherford et al., 2022). Despite this, children prenatally exposed to opioids are more likely to be referred for, qualify for, and receive therapy services secondary to developmental delays and speech/language deficits. (Kaltenbach et al., 2018). Stigma continues to be a barrier to the initiation of early intervention services for children prenatally exposed to opioids (Levickis et al., 2020; Livingston et al., 2011; Peacock-Chambers et al., 2020). This phenomenological study aims to understand the perceptions of the stigma mothers with a history of substance use disorder (SUD) experience when seeking educational or health services for their children. When educators and providers are informed and understand the stigma mothers perceive, relationships and collaboration can be improved. Purposive, criterion sampling was utilized to conduct one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with five mothers. A predetermined, open-ended question set served as the instrument for the study. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis which allowed micro-level reading and understanding of the participants’ multidimensional accounts of their lived experiences (Smith & Osborn, 2015). Results revealed the following three themes and 10 subthemes: need for belonging (family and childhood experiences, identity and self-perceptions, relationships and healing), equitable and accessible care (stigma and discrimination, role of fear in decision making, advocacy and love for their children, challenges and barriers), and resilience and personal growth (recognition of own stigma and discrimination, spiritual and community support and positive change and stability)
Place matters: The role of public libraries as change agents in Central Appalachia
Get PDFThe role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and governing board members are faced with challenges such as decreased funding, community division regarding library services, and soaring costs for library materials and services, as they develop and adopt policies and practices to navigate this ever-changing environment.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from the public library directors, branch managers, and governing boards of directors across Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southern Ohio, to describe the evolving role of the public library to understand how that role is changing in response to multiple threats and challenges, and to identify strategic guidelines and implications for library leaders and governing board members as they plan and develop the library of the future.
The role of the public library is very diverse in Central Appalachia because the community’s needs vary widely based on population, education, economic opportunity, and social services available. However, the public library is most often filling the role of a community center in small Central Appalachian communities encouraging radical positive community change. Funding was found to be the primary challenge facing public libraries. Secondary challenges were found to be access to community education and awareness, technology, and availability of library resources. Administrative and leadership implications were found to be book challenges, political leadership, obtaining and retaining qualified staff and training, aging buildings and infrastructure, and community awareness
Snow Drought Across the Mountain State
No full textMy purpose of conducting this research is to show that during the time period of interest, which is the past 15 years, that most years have experienced a snow drought. The research will explore 4 different sites to provide good coverage across the state. The research shows that El Nino and La Nina don’t have a direct correlation to snowfall rates and there isn’t a general trend. Although there is no direct correlation, El Nino’s tend to produce more snowstorms for our region then La Nina’s do. Research also shows that out of the 15 years that data was collected on, 11 of them failed to reach their seasonal snowfall average. Four years with two of them influenced by an El Nino produced a surplus of snowfall for the 2010 and 2016 winter seasons. With years where there is no influence, snowfall is very minimal
Mental Health in Appalachia
No full textThis literature review examines the barriers of mental health care in Appalachia. The author expects to find disparities in mental health care and a shortage of mental health care services within the area; specifically looking at accessibility of mental health care in Appalachia as a disparity. Demographics of the rural area can impact health care services such as: socioeconomic status, unemployment problems, and substance abuse. Review of the literature has revealed major findings about mental healthcare in Appalachia, including barriers such as transportation, accessibility, availability, and perceived acceptability of services. Findings have also showcased four major themes of the area: barriers faced by communities, distinct culture, unique challenges, and ideas needed to overcome given barriers. The original hypothesis was confirmed. Appalachia does have a shortage of mental health care services and current services are very limited. These findings can directly be linked back to the accessibility and availability of services within the rural area. Future research directions may aim to resolve barriers in Appalachia, specifically looking at accessibility and availability of services
Life in the Holla
No full textI have noticed that in the grand scheme of American identity, Appalachia tends to be a bit of an afterthought. Because of this much of its cultural identity has yet to be explored. As an Appalachian native I learned very quickly that most people’s idea of the area focused solely on its white population. This project seeks to remedy this by studying a small Black community in southern West Virginia. Writers like Edward Cabell have done this before but much of these works discuss the lives of Black Appalachians during the twentieth century. However, much like Karida Brown\u27s Gone Home, the focus of this project is on how these communities are today through ethnography and by way of semi-structured interviews and observations. The history of these individuals’ presence in the area as well as their experiences there have been chronicled and will be used to explore a current understanding of being Black in Appalachia
Abnormal Morphology and Synaptogenic Signaling in Astrocytes Following Prenatal Opioid Exposure
Get PDFIn recent decades, there has been a dramatic rise in the rates of children being born after in utero exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly opioids. Opioids have been shown to have detrimental effects on neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS), but the impact of prenatal opioid exposure (POE) on still-developing synaptic circuitry is largely unknown. Astrocytes exert a powerful influence on synaptic development, secreting factors to either promote or inhibit synapse formation and neuronal maturation in the developing CNS. Here, we investigated the effects of the partial µ-opioid receptor agonist buprenorphine on astrocyte synaptogenic signaling and morphological development in cortical cell culture. Acute buprenorphine treatment had no effect on the excitatory synapse number in astrocyte-free neuron cultures. In conditions where neurons shared culture media with astrocytes, buprenorphine attenuated the synaptogenic capabilities of astrocyte-secreted factors. Neurons cultured from drug-naïve mice showed no change in synapses when treated with factors secreted by astrocytes from POE mice. However, this same treatment was synaptogenic when applied to neurons from POE mice, indicating a complex neuroadaptive response in the event of impaired astrocyte signaling. In addition to promoting morphological and connectivity changes in neurons, POE exerted a strong influence on astrocyte development, disrupting their structural maturation and promoting the accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs), suggestive of a maladaptive stress response in the developing CNS
Moral conflict in a (post)war story: Narrative as enactment of and reflection on moral injury
No full textThis article examines the discursive construction of moral conflict in a military veteran’s (post)war story. By closely examining the linguistic details of a single veteran’s narrative of war, this article addresses how moral conflict is revealed in shifts among varying modes of morality: from the conventional moral dispositions of the military, in which soldiers are socialized into acting, often violently and without reflection, to conscious ethical reasoning, which soldiers have historically been socialized not to engage in. The analysis of this veteran’s narrative, informed by ethnographic research on veterans’ experiences of combat and return after deployment, outlines how structural and linguistic components of the narrative engage shifting modes of moral experience. As such, the article provides a critical discussion of moral injury, as well as a potential model for the study of language and morality
