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The Relationship Between Trauma & Conspiracist Thinking on COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
Full text linkPrevious research has found a relationship between childhood trauma & COVID-19 vaccine uptake and conspiracy beliefs & COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The current study intended to expand upon previous research findings to examine the potential mediating effects of trust and worldview on the relationship of childhood trauma, conspiracy theories, and vaccine uptake, as well as examining the potential differences between different age groups (20–30-year old’s and 50–60-year old’s) and gender (male and female). Trauma was measured using the Adverse Childhood Experience Scale (Fellitti et al., 1998); Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form (Bernstein et al., 2003); vaccine conspiracy beliefs was measured using the Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Questions (Shapiro et al., 2016); trust was measured using the Trust Scale (developed by researchers); and worldview was measured using the World Assumption Scale (Jannoff-Bulman, 1989). Results of the study indicate that an increase in childhood trauma decreases vaccine uptake and increases vaccine conspiracy beliefs. The only mediating that was found to be significant was worldview as a mediator of the relationship between childhood trauma and vaccine conspiracy beliefs. Potential future research should expand on other ways to measure trust and worldview as mediating variables. Researchers may also want to explore other potential psychological factors like anxiety, anger, and avoidance that may influence the relationship between trauma and vaccine uptake and vaccine conspiracy beliefs.
Keywords: Childhood Trauma, Conspiracist Thinking, Vaccine Uptake, Trust, Worldview, Age, Gende
Exploring Possibility Under Constraint: A Human Rights Approach to Higher Education in Connecticut’s Prisons and Jails
Full text linkThis thesis investigates the landscape of higher education in prison (HEP) programs in Connecticut, aiming to evaluate their efficacy in ensuring a genuine right to education for incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive exploration grounded in human rights principles and informed by abolitionist perspectives, the research scrutinizes the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability of these programs. Drawing on insights from incarcerated students, program leaders, and existing scholarship, it delves into the intersection of education and incarceration, challenging prevailing neoliberal narratives. Furthermore, the thesis proposes actionable strategies for everyday abolition, emphasizing the need to dismantle carceral cultures and foster transformative approaches to justice and education
The Miller Trilogy, Jones, and the Future of Juvenile Sentencing and Constitutional Interpretation in the Post-Jones America
Full text linkThe United States is an outlier in juvenile sentencing practices, often subjecting youth offenders to extreme and lengthy punishments. While the Supreme Court over the past two decades has been slowly narrowing the nation’s use of such sentences against children through a series of cases known as the Miller Trilogy, this progress came to a sudden halt in the 2021 case of Jones v. Mississippi. However, in surprising turn of events, the Supreme Court’s recent national display of restraint has not stopped sentencing reform efforts in the states. Contrary to the current Supreme Court, states in the U.S. have preserved the values and precedents set by the Court in the Miller Trilogy. Today, over half of the states in the United Sates have abolished the harshest sentence a child can receive through a combination of legislative and judicial efforts that prevails despite political differences. The trends in recent years of state reform display a renewed hope for the status of juvenile sentencing in the face of present Supreme Court inaction
Windows of the World: Postmodern Urbanism in Los Angeles and Shenzhen
Full text linkThis work draws upon the ideas of Edward Soja and other spatial theorists to compare the postmodern urban development of Los Angeles and Shenzhen, China. Both cities have undergone rapid growth and become major urban metropolises, offering potential paradigmatic forms for contemporary urban studies. The thesis is based on the ideas of the LA School of Urbanism, of which Soja was a part, and reviews the school’s collective case for Los Angeles as a paradigmatic city for the postmodern age. This work then compares this account of Los Angeles with Shenzhen, a city that has risen from nothing to one of the most prominent cities in China in the last 50 years. I find that both cities exhibit similarly postmodern traits, with Shenzhen appearing as a manifestation of the other side of the globalization spurred by cities like Los Angeles. I conclude with a discussion of the continuing utility of Soja’s work and the postmodern label for contemporary urban development
How Do People Understand the Decision to Medicate or Try Alternative Treatments for Children with ADHD?: Understanding the decision making process and alternatives through the eyes of an Educator, Psychologist, and a Parent
Full text linkThis study looks at how people understand the decision to medicate or try alternative treatments for children with ADHD through the eyes of a parent, educator, and psychologist. There has been an increase in the diagnosis of ADHD along with the prescription of pharmaceuticals as a treatment. However, there are detrimental long-term effects of pharmaceutical medications for young children. If there is an increase in diagnosis for ADHD, are there healthier treatment alternatives? What are these alternatives, and how do people make the decision to try alternatives or use medication as treatment for children with ADHD? This study finds that two stakeholders (Educator and Psychologist) had similar perspectives regarding the diagnosis process and treatment with alternatives for children with ADHD, one stakeholder’s (Parent) decision making process which resulted in medication was influenced by their own philosophy, occupational background, and personality. In addition, this study also finds that regardless of the stakeholders beliefs and philosophy regarding alternatives or medication, the use of medication to treat ADHD can be game changing for certain children, and there are multiple ways people can support children with ADHD in the home and the classroom. Since this study only uses the perspectives and experiences of three individuals, a future study can look at a larger sample of these three stakeholders to find more opinions and alternative methods
Relations among Acculturative Stress, Family Pressure, Resilience, and Substance Misuse in International College Students
Full text linkThe rising number of international students in U.S. higher education highlights the need to grasp the challenges they face, from acculturative stress to familial pressures, which can impact their well-being. Resilience, encompassing personal and social competencies, family harmony, and organizational skills, may play a vital role in helping international students effectively manage acculturative stress and avoid problematic coping like substance misuse. To that end, we investigated whether family recognition through achievement, resilience, and acculturative stress predicted alcohol and cannabis consequences and drinking to cope with negative emotions. Participants were international students from six US colleges/universities (N=190; 74% female) who completed an online survey. Only one of the eight acculturative stress subscales (unclear career direction) was positively associated with alcohol and cannabis consequences. Contrary to my hypothesis, higher resilience did not change the positive association between acculturative stress and alcohol consequences. Notably, family recognition through achievement was positively related to alcohol consequences. Interventions for international students should target unclear career paths and familial expectations regarding achievement
In Her Own Voice: Examining the Portrayal of Briseis Across Ancient Sources and Modern Retellings
Full text linkThis thesis attempts to reconcile the modern perspective on the Iliad with that of the ancient material through translation, utilizing two translations of the Iliad from its original Greek to English, from 1951 and 2023, Ovid’s letter from Briseis to Achilles in translation from Latin to English, and two modern novels published in 2012 and 2018