Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Cross-Cultural, International Education

This study examines the shifts of international Muslim and former Muslim students' religious and/or cultural identity as they studied at one of two Midwestern universities. This study uses an inductive approach to analyze interview data for the purpose of answering the central question: What are the shifts international Muslim students are experiencing in regards to their Muslim and/or cultural identity? And, the following sub-questions are addressed: What is contributing to international Muslim students' shifts in Muslim and/or cultural identity? What are the implications of these shifts? Using a grounded theory approach, these questions are answered using inductively arrived at axial categories, which include independence, exposure, and questioning, and a central category of discernment. The categories resulted from the participants' data, and help understand what shifts international Muslim students are experiencing. Additionally, these categories help to understand what is contributing to these shifts, and what the implications of these shifts are. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with international Muslim and former Muslim students who were studying, or had studied at one of the two chosen universities. These participants were selected as a result of their status as international students, in addition to their Muslim or former Muslim identities. The results of the study revealed that many of the participants did experience a shift in their Muslim and/or cultural identity while studying at one of the two Midwestern universities. Furthermore, the results showed that many of the participants' shifts in their Muslim and/or cultural identity, were a result of studying at one of the two universities. The participants who experienced a shift in their Muslim and/or cultural identity appeared to all share in a similar process, which led them to their shift. In this process, the participants had to consider what the implication (open full item for complete abstract)

Undergraduate Honors Program, Malone University, 2025, Honors Thesis

This study aims to gain a better understanding of the experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Christians and their experiences within Protestant evangelical contexts. Throughout nine interviews, this study gained insight into the process by which participants formed their identity, supportive and unsupportive experiences within family systems and faith communities, and explored implications for both faith communities and relationships. This study notes the importance of policy transparency, creating inclusive spaces, using inclusive language, and advocating for LGB communities in a public manner—however that looks in one's specific faith context. This research highlights specific ways in which readers can support LGB people when they disclose their identity to individuals in their lives. Finally, for individuals and faith communities looking to create more hospitable spaces for LGB individuals, the results of this study point towards maintaining a posture of humility and open-mindedness as LGB individuals share their stories and their experiences within faith communities.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Trans members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and other marginalized sexual and gender identities (LGBT+) community may be at risk of erasure from both dominant sociocultural scripts and clinical psychological research. Identity development experts have asserted that identity is fixed by late adolescence, with some room for evolution depending on context (Marcia, 2002; Sokol, 2009). Research about grief suggests that anything that has been lost has the potential to be experienced through the lens of grief (Chapple et al., 2016; Collings, 2007). This grief of non-death loss has been linked to loss of relationships, expected life trajectory, and self-concept. The loss of relationship to the previous gender label has not been discussed in the extant literature. This lack of research might both be endemic to and perpetuate self-concealment in LGBT+ communities. Trans individuals might also be vulnerable to grief, becoming disenfranchised and exacerbated by lack of representation. The current dissertation offers a mixed-method Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to address gaps in the extant literature. Surprisingly, the current research supports that, while internal processes may play a role in shifting gender labels, participants are more impacted overall by the loss of social factors such as understanding self in relation to social environment. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

The origination and application of a textual analysis of identity, identity formation, and perception of the self and the individual is, as a part of a specific time and space, something that is sociological in nature. The anthropological links between fiction and its sociological aspects highlight symbols of identity and interactions between the self, the other, and the individual. The end goal of this project's articulated theoretical model is to contribute to readings and analysis of the self and identity in different, othered spaces. This project works towards locating patterns and understanding that make the text and its underlying archetypal and mythological structures work so well with contemporary readers. It is grounded in the serious nature of contemporary storytelling as a part of the self, individual identity, and its place in society and culture. There is no shortage of specific work in literary analysis that relies on aspects of the hero's journey, the archetypes, and identity. This theoretical model of analysis adapts myth and C.G. Jung to incorporate much of this material into something cohesive and applicable to contemporary genre fiction. Because of this, this project necessitates the introduction of a definition of myth that situates contemporary genre texts as uniquely anthropological artifacts and as items worth analyzing and containing content capable of explicating overarching themes of the individual, the self, and the other in relation to identity formation in opposition. This new and adapted terminology from both myth and Jung assists in reorganizing a vocabulary that allows the analysis to delve into discussions on the creative representation of self, other, gender, sexual identity, the mind and body, transhumanism, and trans(inter)national identity, as well as help highlight how these representations are internalized or externalized by those who read these works of contemporary genre fiction and how these representations and internalizati (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Higher Education (Education)

Despite a renewed focus on professionalism and professional identity in medical education literature, the experiences of students developing professional identity are still not well understood. Drawing on frameworks of Communities of Practice and Landscapes of Practice, the present study provides greater understanding of the medical student experience of professional identity formation at its earliest stages, during clinical years prior to graduating and entering residency training. This qualitative study gathered data from interviews with fifteen third and fourth year D.O. and M.D. medical students across seven U.S. medical schools. Interview data was coded and analyzed to gain insight into how medical students conceptualize and integrate their identity formation experiences within their community and landscape of practice, and how these learning experiences contribute to their emerging professional identity. Findings indicate that students' medical professional identity is rooted in a desire to help and serve others, enabled through meaningful interactions with all members of the landscape of practice, and refined through processes of identification and dis-identification with the values and behaviors of practitioners in the landscape of practice.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

Professional identity impacts the career choices, professional development, and wellbeing of the clinician educators (CEs) who are foundational to the evolving medical education and health care system. Physicians, who fulfill educator roles in an academic health center, can develop clinician educator identity (CEID) as they participate in longitudinal faculty development programs (LFDPs). It has also been demonstrated that after the program ends, professional identity salience depends on a participants' individual agency and ability to connect to supportive resources in the larger local context including regional and national educational societies. However, how CEID forms and what factors impact its salience remain unexplored. The central research question is, “How is an CEID formed and transformed in physicians?” In order to explore CEID formation, a collective case study was conducted of physicians with formal educational leadership roles. Data collection strategies included collecting documentary evidence, identity maps and curriculum vitae, as well as two interviews. Interview questions explored interpretations of experiences that influenced the formation of the participants' CEID as well as factors that influence CEID salience. The data were analyzed using qualitative methods informed by professional identity formation theory and literature. Participants in this collective 1) described their CEID as a profession, leveraging specialized competencies to serve others, 2) explored a unique career path in multiple communities of practice outside their local clinical departments, with guidance from mentors, role models and sponsors, and 3) associated the importance of their roles as a CE with its contribution to patient care as well as felt affirmed by recognition from import individuals in the medical education community. This study has implications for how professional developers imagine, implement, and evaluate the initiatives designed to encourage the developm (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Interdisciplinary Arts (Fine Arts)

This dissertation explores the role of African media in shaping Africa's image through both the analysis of newspapers over the course of the 2014 Ebola crisis and an exploration of African films. This methodology redeploys aspects of Africa's (in)visibility in global politics and discourse on representation in geopolitics. Placing African film and media organizations at the center of analysis in this study is vital, as they add diversity of voices to the conversation about Africa's image in the media. The dissertation looks at how Africa is framed as perpetually “in crisis.” Specifically, the research engages analysis of African film and media depictions under the premise of crises to advance Africa's visual culture and representation. I am interested in exploring how coverage of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in The Inquirer, a major English newspaper in Liberia, compares with that in the New York Times coverage of the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Likewise, I explore how African cinema frames and represents crisis through three films – Xala (Ousmane Sembene, 1975); Pumzi (Wanuri Kahiu, 2009); and Les Saignantes (Jean-Pierre Bekolo, 2005). I argue that African films speak to the possibility of positive anticipated outcomes ignored by western scholars, and, therefore, possess the agency to decolonize minds. For instance, Pumzi and Les Saignantes offer an outlook on Africa's challenges and possibilities through newly imagined futures. Precisely, the selected films first address Africa's crisis in relation to the political, economic, and environmental struggle as well as gender discourses and, second, offer a prescription of development and progress. How do African filmmakers and media personnel, through their various creative works, reconstruct Africa's global identity? Finally, I advance that this research gives voice to how Africa frames crisis. This dissertation interrogates an unbalanced global power structure that has been typically Eurocentric. Taking an opposing pos (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, Counselor Education (Education)

This investigation examined whether the independent variables of athletic identity (AIMS) and ego identity statuses of diffusion (DIFF), foreclosure (FOR), moratorium (MOR), and identity achievement (ACH) can predict psychological health outcomes among intercollegiate athletes. The dependent variable consisted of two sub-variables – psychological well-being (PW) and psychological distress (PD). Theories on identity formation were reviewed including the developmental theory of on emerging adults (Arnett, 2000). Data were collected using the Athletic Identity Measure (Brewer, VanRaalte, & Linder, 1993); the Objective Measure of Ego Identity (Adams, 2012); and Mental Health Inventory (Veit & Ware, 1983). Data were collected from (N=203) Division 1 athletes at a public university in the Mid-West. Two standard regression analyses were performed to answer the research question and to test the null hypothesis. The result of the standard regression showed MOR and ACH as significant predictors of PW and MOR and AIMS as significant predictors of PD. A negative relationship among some of the variables were also found. A post hoc backward regression was performed to assess the usefulness of the variables and to better understand the relationship between the predictor variables and the dependent variables. The results showed that all the variables are useful for future research and found DIFF to serve as a suppressor variable between AIMS and MOR when predicting PD

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, History

This dissertation examines how the Ottoman state incorporated Bosnians and Hercegovinians, and how Bosnians and Hercegovinians incorporated themselves, into the Ottoman bureaucratic, military, and social apparatus. This was a multilayered and multilateral process of Ottomanization and Islamization that involved the state and its subjects, two groups that were not mutually exclusive. I focus on the devshirme institution, a levy of mostly Christian young men from among Ottoman subjects in Anatolia and the Balkans. These youths were converted and trained as elite slaves of the sultan, instrumental in the governance and defense of the empire. I argue that the devshirme was a tool of integration and socialization used by the state and its subjects. I contend that the peculiar ways in which it functioned in Bosnia and Hercegovina, and the ways in which its products were mythologized, contributed to the establishment of Ottoman Bosnian and Hercegovinian communities and identities that still resonate. Chapter 1 explores how the Kingdom of Bosnia, following the Ottoman conquest in 1463, made the transition into the provinces of Bosnia and Hercegovina. This is the origin point of the provinces' Muslim populations. Chapter 2 focuses on Bosnian and Hercegovinian Muslims in the Ottoman military and administration during the sixteenth century, a period of ascendancy for these groups in the Ottoman state. I analyze how this ascendancy shaped Bosnian and Hercegovinian identity and how and why particular individuals from these provinces came to prominence. Chapter 3 is devoted to the period of empire-wide crisis in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Military rebellions by devshirme elements were a hallmark of this crisis, and Bosnians and Hercegovinians, along with other devshirme recruits, were denounced by rival factions within the military and administrative elite. During this period, an origin myth emerged rationalizing the distinctive and privileged status (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2017, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

This qualitative study addressed the formation of student identity (servant and civic) as well as how students formed community through experiencing difference in a service-learning classroom. An interpretive qualitative study of five high school students was conducted in a service-learning program at Willow Falls High School, a public high school in Ohio. Interviews, journals, observations, student photographs, and contextual artifacts were collected and analyzed with a critically oriented, interpretivist researcher lens. The findings included: 1) Participants' experiences in a service-learning program contributed to shifts in how they viewed themselves and their classmates as well as their relationship as servants to those they served. 2) Aiming for “buy-in,” teachers challenged participants through program specific-aims to think about their position and context and were encouraged to push out of their comfort zones in order to do so. 3) Participants were purposefully challenged to accept exposure to difference in a variety of capacities and internalized these challenges. 4) Participants found a variety of outlets for community-making in their service-learning experiences; in group/out group distinctions, class sections, site experiences, and bonding activities. 5) Citizenship and democracy were linked with service work in an uneven fashion, with some participants making direct connections while others made partial or nascent links. 6) Personal growth and community change for participants were incomplete. Teachers and students recognized that there were barriers to fully achieving program goals. The findings of the study offer implications for future research in service-learning as well as for teachers, administrators, and, stakeholders interested in implementing service-learning programs in their schools. Through service-learning and experiences with difference, students formed servant and civic identities and wrestled with community formation and (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Cross-Cultural, International Education

An increasing number of people are relocating to foreign countries due in part to the influence of globalization, internationalization, and enhanced vocational opportunities abroad. By 2025, the workforce is expected to be the first generation of workers anticipated to live overseas due to improved employment opportunities and ease of travel (HR Grapevine, 2013). This increase will affect the lives of a large number of adult workers who reside in an Asian context such as Japan. This qualitative collective case study includes interviews with eight foreign participants from what is commonly referred to as “Western” countries who have lived in Hokkaido, Japan for five or more years. This study describes the identity formation and/or development process of these participants, who range in age from thirty-one to seventy-seven years old, and the influence this cultural context has on their adult identity development. This research applied the prevalent Japanese discourse of Nihonjinron and the cultural belief of the binary of uchi and soto to determine how and to what extent foreigners are accepted into Japanese society and/or culture. In addition, acculturation theories such as Sam & Berry’s Acculturation Strategies and Benet-Martinez & Haritatos (2005) Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) were implemented to indicate the individual changes to the identity of each participant due to their time in Japan. The results of this research suggest that Japan pushes foreigners and outside elements away from its culture and society, but it also requires them to reinforce Japanese identity. This dynamic resulted in participants often feeling between Japanese culture and their own respective culture while some defended their culture of origin. Alternatively, other participants changed in order to interact with Japanese society and enjoy the benefits of living in Japan.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2011, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis presents the role of the mosque in identity formation among Somali adolescents in Columbus, Ohio. I conducted my research in the Somali Mosque of Columbus, the largest ethnically Somali mosque in Columbus, utilizing the methods of participant observation and intensive interviews. I observed two movements among adolescents in their identity formation. First, a group of adolescents has developed Muslim identity from their Somali ethnic and American identities after they attended the mosque. The second group of adolescents in the mosque has experienced identity conflict between their Muslim, Somali, and American identities.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Psychology

Research has shown that gay and bisexual males use alcohol in higher quantities and more frequently than their heterosexual counterparts. In this study, I examined the relationship between sexual identity (internalized homonegativity and gay identity formation) and the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, drinking-related consequences, and drinking-related outcome expectancies in gay and bisexual males. I recruited two samples (n1 = 529; n2 = 337) via the World-Wide-Web who completed my survey online. Participants in both samples who reported a more integrated gay identity also reported less internalized homonegativity. In the second sample, there was a small but consistent relationship between internalized homonegativity, quantity and frequency of alcohol use and drinking related consequences. There was no relationship between gay identity formation and any of the drinking outcome variables. None of the sexual identity variables explained more than 10% of the variance in alcohol-related behaviors. Although the methods of this project attempted to address some of the limitations of previous research by using a larger sample size, using more than one measure of internalized homonegativity, and attempting to recruit a demographically diverse sample, my results are similar to previous results. Future directions for research include recruiting a wider range of problem and non-problem drinkers, more subjects in the lower stages of gay identity development, and subjects who are less educated, older, lower income, and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Psychology/Clinical

Although the idea of identity construction from component parts into an integrated whole was theorized decades ago by Erickson (1968), it has only recently begun to be studied. Susan Harter's extensive work on the construction of the self attests to the fact that adolescents do perceive and evaluate themselves differently in different domains of life, and that these self-representations differ substantially from early to late adolescence (e.g., Harter, 1999). However, most of the research in this area has tended to focus on adolescents' self-evaluations (i.e., How good am I?) instead of valence-free adolescent self-descriptions (i.e., Who am I?). Not only is more research on adolescent self-descriptions warranted, but there also needs to be more research done on how adolescents actually go about integrating their multiple “selves” into whole identities, or “theories of self,” as defined by Marcia (1987). Therefore, the present study aimed to add to the current body of knowledge on adolescent identity construction by investigating how Jamaican adolescents comparatively valued six major life domains (academic, social, sexual, religious, family, and friends). A new graphical measure of relative domain valuing, the “Identity Pie”, was adapted from Cowan, Cowan and colleagues work (e.g., Cowan & Cowan, 1988) and validated for use in this study. The relations between particular self-identification profiles and life adjustment were explored in addition to gender and developmental stage differences. Overall, Jamaican adolescents reported comparable levels of domain valuing, and academic, psychological and behavioral functioning to U.S. adolescents. The Identity Pie proved to be a valid measure of domain valuing and identity construction. The total sample valued life domains in the following order: schoolwork/family > religion/friends > sports > dating. Many expected gender and grade differences emerged; however, the similarities across gender and grade were overwhelming. Ad (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

A CASE STUDY OF AN EARLY CHILDHOOD MINORITY TEACHER AND HOW SHE FORMED HER PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY (pp. 274) Director of Dissertation: Martha J. Lash, Ph.D. This qualitative case study is an investigation of the role of race, school context, and personal and professional experiences in the formation of an early childhood teacher's professional identity. Data sources included interviews, observations, conversations, field notes, and school artifacts. Member checking, triangulation, and extended observation supported the trustworthiness of the results. The findings of the research indicate that major themes related to identity formation included family influence, teaching values and beliefs, and identity shift. Main themes related to the minority status of the participant were emotions and feeling of alienation. Finally, major themes related to school context and personal and professional experiences included relationships with children and parents, relationships with teachers and staff members at the school, early learning experiences, and images of a good teacher. The study concludes with suggestions for early childhood education programs and future researchers.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2025, Management

This dissertation explores the persistent gender gap in partnerships at Big Four public accounting firms, employing a mixed-methods approach to examine both individual experiences and career trajectories. Despite women entering the profession at equal rates to men, only about 23% of partners are women. This study aims to understand why this disparity persists and how career paths influence partnership attainment. Study 1 utilized qualitative interviews with 11 female advisory partners to investigate their lived experiences in reaching partnership. Findings revealed a common internal mental model for evaluating the partnership career path, consisting of three iterative phases: partner inquiry, developing partner behaviors, and solidifying a partner identity. This process highlights the importance of personal reflection and identity development in pursuing partnership. Study 2 employed Optimal Matching Analysis to quantitatively examine the career trajectories of 312 partners (159 women, 153 men) across audit, tax, and consulting functions. Results showed no significant gender differences in time to partnership or career transitions. However, distinct patterns emerged among business units, with audit and tax partners typically achieving partnership faster than consulting partners. Notably, only about 40% of partners followed traditional linear career paths within their initial function. The integrated analysis of these findings revealed a complex interplay between individual mindsets and organizational structures in shaping the path to partnership. Key elements include early career goals, professional socialization, self-managed career progression moderated by sponsorship, and making a strong business case for partnership. This analysis highlighted that while women and men who make partner do so in similar timeframes, the journey to partnership involves navigating psychological transitions, organizational changes, and social dynamics that (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Higher Education (Education)

The changes in medical education have not kept pace with societal expectations and the rapidly evolving business model for healthcare delivery. Meanwhile, the socialization process in medical education has remained relatively unchanged. This has resulted in physicians with a high level of technical competence but lacking a comprehensive understanding of the ethical pitfalls of being a physician. It is crucial for medical school leaders to develop proactive strategies that are coherent, coordinated, and explicit in training physicians capable of navigating conflicting values and managing transient stressors. The findings in this study challenge the fundamental premise that it is enough for medical school leaders to simply view professionalism as an array of behaviors expected of others who offer services according to a social contract. Nor is it sufficient to promote teaching professionalism guided by directives of prescribed and prohibited activities or by guidance from aspirational goals. Moreover, the means of assessing any behaviors deemed problematic or unprofessional are varied and imprecise, and they do not account for those behaviors that are hidden or unobservable. This study examined two relevant theoretical frameworks within moral psychology and social learning theory. Specifically, they include professional identity formation and communities of practice. These frameworks present different facets for viewing the fostering of professionalism in medical education through the lens of moral psychology and social learning theory. They provide greater detail, build upon, and occasionally challenge established theories based on cognitive theory and moral development. They may also serve as a beacon to higher education leaders by influencing support efforts to form the students' professional identity and identify communities of practice in the professional journey of medical students.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, American Culture Studies

This dissertation is based on the lived experiences of five first-generation Latina Immigrants in Norwest, Ohio. The project situates Ohio–a state that is not currently seen as a border state–as a physical border and a borderland. The participants became Latina after they arrived in the United States. I explore my participants' understanding of their Latinidad and what their definitions involve. The last chapter focuses on the relationship between being Latina with belonging and citizenship in Northwest Ohio. Through their day-to-day activities, my five participants have learned to be Latina and have created a sense of belonging in the place where they live via their own definitions of belonging and citizenship.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

The development of leadership skills and promotion of Professional Identity Formation (PIF) are expected among residents who will soon enter the field of medicine as practicing physicians. This action research study aimed to bridge the gap among what is taught and what leadership skills are expected of Internal Medicine residents in the Multispecialty Residency Program (MRP) as well as enable the promotion of PIF to take place. This study engaged in qualitative data collection and analysis to identify what leadership focused educational activities could be used to develop leadership skills and promote PIF among MRP residents. Through purposeful convenience sampling, one observation, two focus groups, and two 1:1 interviews, participants expressed what leadership skills and PIF mean to them. A combination of in vivo coding, open-coding, axial coding, and selective coding occurred, and a deductive analysis approach took place using two established frameworks. The data yielded that Feedback & Reflection, Coaching, Culture, and Mentoring & Role-Modeling influence the development leadership skills and promotion of PIF among MRP's residents. Four activities related to each theme have been identified to mend this leadership gap.

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences, Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Graduate Studies in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Individual values are an integral component of personal identity, guiding attitudes, behaviors, and dispositions and are the foundation for professional values formation in physical therapy. Professional identity formation occurs throughout a physical therapist's academic preparation and career. During this process, introduction to professional values as defined by the Core Values for the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant occurs within an educational context. The integration of professional and programmatic values within the framework of individual values yields a complex multidimensional understanding of values and values formation. A scoping review was conducted to understand the existing understanding of values within physical therapy. A survey of physical therapists explored basic human values of physical therapists across the United States. Thematic coding and analysis of Doctorate of Physical Therapy program mission and vision statements was completed to determine the values of academic programs. Findings from the studies within this manuscript suggest that a diverse and changing understanding of values exists within physical therapy with the need for a contemporary perspective on values. Physical therapists embrace values that are others-centric though differences in values exist, and programmatic values center on societal benefit, competence, scholarship, recognition, and excellence. The findings suggest that physical therapists hold values associated with the betterment of others and society while physical therapy programs value their societal impact and the societal influence of their graduates. However, further studies are needed to understand the process of values formation and to create an updated values framework for physical therapy.