Sociology Department Theses and Dissertations

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The IUPUI Department of Sociology offers a Master of Arts degree specifically designed to prepare its students for careers conducting applied and policy-oriented research, and to equip those already in the workforce with the critical skills necessary for assessing and applying sociological knowledge in their everyday responsibilities.

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Acceptance or denial : interracial couples’ experiences in public spaces
(2015-11-22) Bell, Lisa Jo; Aponte, Robert; Foote, Carrie Elizabeth; White-Mills, Kim D.
Adolescent Worry about School Gun Violence: Data from a Nationally Representative Study of 14 – 17 Year Olds in the United States
(2024-09) Kirkland, Danielle Renee; Hensel, Devon J.; Mintus, Kenzie L.; Shasanmi, Amy C.
Using a nationally representative sample from the 2022 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (N = 1,004), this research examined the prevalence of school gun violence worry (SGVW) among U.S. adolescents aged 14 – 17 in the United States and its impact on anxiety and depression. This research draws upon Minority Stress Theory, which states that stigmatized individuals face unique stressors contributing to health disparities. The impact of minority status including racial, sexual, and gender identity on SGVW and its relationship to mental health were also explored. Results revealed that almost three out of four adolescents (73.3%) experience some degree of SGVW. The youngest and oldest respondents reported being more worried compared to the remaining age groups. Higher levels of SGVW were associated with increased anxiety (OR = 1.396, 95% CI: 1.196 – 1.629, p<0.001), but not depression. In separate models, racial minorities (OR = 2.012, 95% CI: 1.455 – 2.784, p<0.001) and gender minorities (OR = 1.948, 95% CI: 0.989 – 3.838, p < 0.05) had higher odds of SGVW than White adolescents and cisgender females, while cisgender males had lower odds (OR = 0.698, 95% CI: 0.501 – 0.974, p<0.01) than cisgender females. The impact of SGVW on anxiety was significant for both heterosexual (OR = 1.350, 95% CI: 1.137 – 1.603, p<0.001) and sexual minority adolescents (OR = 1.763, 95% CI: 1.119 – 2.777, p<0.1). These findings suggest that SGVW is prevalent among adolescents in the U.S. and is associated with increased anxiety.
Aging in Urban Communities, Neighborhood Senior Attachment and Youth Offending: New Roles and New Goals
(2012-03-16) Hobson-Prater, Tara L.; Leech, Tamara G. J.; Pike, Lynn M.; Chumbler, Neale R.
Relationships among neighbors contribute to the well-being and outcomes of all who live within a neighborhood. Existing literature provides us with a wealth of information on individual seniors’ isolation but does not seem to consider how neighborhood factors add to the attachment of seniors. Given the increasing number of seniors in our society who have the ability to remain living in their neighborhoods as they age, this study focuses on understanding neighborhood attachment to seniors living in the community. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on the potential impact that senior attachment could have on youth as one subset life stage who reside in a neighborhood. This thesis describes the characteristics of neighborhoods that foster low, normal, and high levels of senior attachment in urban areas and explores the relationship this attachment has to neighborhood youth outcomes. This research opens the door for other scholars to begin to place greater emphasis on the understanding of neighborhood dynamics, intergenerational ties to seniors, and the well being of residents across the life course.
Are You My Nurse? An Examination of Men in Nursing
(2008-08-22T14:57:14Z) Smith, Tiffany Marie; Haas, Linda
This project examined several research questions using survey research of men working in nursing at a Midwestern hospital corporation. The first is why do men enter a nontraditional occupation, such as nursing? Second, what are their experiences working in nursing, as a nontraditional occupation for men? What problems do they encounter, such as discrimination or stereotyping? What advantages do they enjoy, such as promotions or preferential treatment? Third, what factors cause men to stay in nursing for long periods of time? Answers to these questions can help us understand how more men might be recruited to enter nursing, including breaking down the challenges men in nursing might face.
The Body Images of Black and White Women at an Urban University
(2007-06-11) Vincent, Sarah M.; Foote-Ardah, Carrie Elizabeth
This thesis examined the body images of Black and White women at an urban university. Self perception of body image may be positive or negative, healthy or unhealthy, and may be influenced by various factors. Qualitative interviews were completed with eight Black and eight White non-Hispanic female college students. A common theme emerged regarding images of beautiful and ideal bodies. The women held similar standards of beauty for White and Black women with one exception: White women were expected to be thinner whereas Black women were expected to be heavier. In addition, the women were of a common mind with regard to the influence of men, fashion, and relationships with female family members on their body images. Racial differences emerged when the women discussed male perceptions of female bodies. Women of both races believed that racial and ethnic minority men were more accepting of women with diverse body types than were White men. Familial influences on body image included the mother-daughter relationship and a new finding of the sister-sister relationship. Finally, an emergent and unexpected finding centered on a woman's history of sexual and physical abuse. Each of the six women who experienced sexual or physical abuse reported some level of negative body imagery. These findings are discussed in the context of the existing body image literature and recommendations are made regarding directions for future research.
Bullying, Weapons Carrying, and Mental Health Outcomes Among U.S. High School Students
(2019-05) Kriech, Amber C.; Hensel, Devon J.; Mintus, Kenzie L.; Seybold, Peter J.
Using data from the 2007-2017 cycles of the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), this researcher aimed to understand how weapons carrying mediates the association between bullying and mental health outcomes. I dichotomized four bullying outcomes to create one new carried a weapon after bullied (CWB) (no/yes; e.g. did not carry a weapon post-bullying vs. did carry a weapon post-bullying) for each bullying type. Mental health outcomes included (all dichotomized, past 2 weeks, no/yes): felt sad or hopeless, seriously considered suicide, had a plan for suicide and attempted suicide. I used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression adjusted for YRBS sampling methods and weighting (Stata 15.0). Initial results showed that weapons carrying has a complex relationship with mental health after bullying. One notable finding is that individuals who had been in a physical fight were the most likely to carry a weapon (N = 268), followed by those who had been threatened at school (N = 233). Additionally, more students who had been bullied at school (N = 185) carried a weapon than those who were victims of cyberbullying (N = 166). Another interesting result found that across all bullying types, males were 2 to 3 times more likely to carrying a weapon as a result of being bullied. In terms of mental health, being threatened at school was the most significant bullying type in relation to suicidal ideation.
Comparing and contrasting lifestyle and professional dominatrices: a division by tribute
(2017-09-28) Farrington, Elizabeth Marie; Aponte, Robert
In the realm of BDSM there are a few different roles. There is a dominant, which is a person who controls a BDSM scene. There is a submissive, which is a person who gives up control to the dominant during a scene. In a BDSM scene, there must always be a person who is playing the role of a dominant and a person who is in the role of the submissive. This study looks at two different identities associated with the dominate role, lifestyle and professional. This study aims to compare and contrast the two identities on their backgrounds, how they identify themselves, and their views on tribute. Tribute is receiving either gifts or money in exchange for BDSM services. Two theories, social constructionism and exchange theory, were used to create the interview questions for this survey. For this study I interviewed four lifestyle dominatrices and three professional dominatrices. Data from six blogs, three lifestyle dominatrices’ blogs and three professional dominatrices’ blogs, were used as well. My findings suggest that in discovery of, and in BDSM play, the dominatrices are similar and that the defining difference between lifestyles and professionals is the acceptance of money. My findings also conflict a little with Viviana Zelizer’s theory that the receiver of a gift is necessarily submissive to the giver.
The comparison of religious nonprofit organizations between mainland China and Taiwan: A comparative case study based on Tzu Chi
(2016-10) Tao, Ling; Wittberg, Patricia
Nonprofit organizations in mainland China have been increasing at an amazing rate in the past two decades, and the religious sector is now organized to actively participate in providing social services as well. Religious NPOs in both mainland China and Taiwan follow rather different developmental paths. Why do they follow dissimilar paths? I suggest that the different institutional environments shape religious nonprofit sectors and influence their developmental trajectories. In this thesis, I use a Buddhist charity –Tzu Chi– as a comparative case study and propose three factors to explain the different developmental trajectories between Taiwan and mainland China.
Competing Frames? The War on Terror in Campaign Rhetoric
(2007-06) Kaufman, Heather L.; Seybold, Peter James, 1950-; Wittberg, Patricia; Foote, Carrie
The Iraq War and the War on Terror were pivotal issues in the presidential race for the White House in 2004. Competing frames about the meaning of September 11, 2001, terrorism, and American power were constructed by the rival candidates and established a limited debate that marginalized alternative interpretations of war and peace. It is likely that the dilemma over U.S. forces in Iraq and the War on Terror will continue to be a major issue in the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election. Therefore, the campaign speeches of the presidential candidates, President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry, during the 2004 Election regarding terrorism were important to understanding the themes that initiated public debate in the U.S. about the conflict in Iraq and the War on Terror. In this document analysis, these candidates’ public addresses illustrated how the role of the U.S. power to combat terrorism shaped a particular perspective about the post-9/11 world. Ideas that challenged “official” debate about war and national security were excluded from mainstream media coverage of the campaign. In order to examine the narrow debate over terrorism and how alternative “ways of seeing” war have been and continue to be marginalized, this study compared how the candidates framed the war in contrast to anti-war voices. Cindy Sheehan, who is an emergent leader in the peace and social justice movement, and more “official” voices of dissent like Representative Dennis Kucinich, have criticized “official” framing of the war. Dissenting perspectives about the Iraq War and the War on Terror invite a different understanding about U.S. hegemony, terrorism, and the consequences of the War on Terror for foreign and domestic policies. The impact of the war upon domestic policy and national crises, such as the widely televised and heavily criticized federal response to Hurricane Katrina Summer 2005, were examined to explore how domestic crises undermine “official” framing of the Iraq War and the War on Terror and empower alternative understandings of war and peace.
Coping with Stigma: An Adult Learners' Perspective
(2010-07-19T19:38:50Z) Solinski, Cynthia Leigh; Seybold, Peter James, 1950-; Wittberg, Patricia, 1947-; Leland, Christine
This study contributes to the research on stigma and adult literacy by giving voice to an understudied and marginalized group. It allows adults with literacy challenges to elaborate on how they accomplish everyday activities, to describe what strategies they use to manage stigma, and to tell their stories about how stigma has affected various domains of their lives. This study also explores some participants' experience with stigma during childhood and its impact on their self-esteem and self-efficacy for learning. It situates these findings in a larger social context by analyzing changes in self-concept and lifelong learning goals of adult learners who have been participating in a literacy program for at least two years.

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