PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Mathematical Sciences

In 1903, Hermann Minkowski started the modern theory of convex geometry, the study of convex bodies in n-dimensional Euclidean space. The foundation for convex geometry is the so-called Brunn-Minkowski Theory. There are a few core facts in this theory: the Brunn-Minkowski inequality, which asserts that volume is (1/n)-concave over compact sets; that the volume of Minkowski sums of convex bodies is a homogeneous polynomial of degree n, whose coefficients are the mixed volumes; that there exist a class of operators on convex bodies, the so-called Minkowski valuations, which create "more symmetric versions" of a given convex body; and that the surface area measure of a convex body is a Borel measure on the sphere, and, in fact, Minkowski's existence theorem states every Borel measure on the sphere (up to some minor constraints) is the surface area measure of a convex body. In this dissertation, we will discuss extensions of these concepts beyond from volume (the Lebesgue measure) to measures with density. The standard Gaussian measure will serve as our prototypical example. We work on extensions of mixed volumes, the so-called mixed measures, and prove a series of inequalities for them. We also establish a weighted version of Minkowski's existence theorem, and studied weighted analogues of Minkowski valuations. Applications to information theory are also shown. Along the way, we establish a weighted extension of a reverse Hölder-type inequality, known as Berwald's inequality.

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science

Expanding the number of employee-owned firms is becoming an increasingly popular strategy of governments aiming to provide quality jobs, increase community wealth, and decrease economic inequality. However, questions remain regarding how existing employee-owned firms shape the economic lives and political behavior of those who work at them. First, I investigate how employee-owned firms may shape the economic lives of workers by comparing them with both typical workers and union members across a wide range of measures including income, wealth, workplace benefits, layoff rates, and workplace participation. Second, I investigate how employee share ownership affects political behavior by focusing on whether employee attitudes, skills, and economic resources developed in employee-owned firms “spillover” and lead to increased individual political activity. Third, I investigate if and how the ownership of stock and higher levels of wealth associated with it are predictive of right-leaning political preferences. All three questions will be answered using the data from the General Social Survey and quantitative methods including multi-variate regressions and structural equation models. By investigating the economic and political impacts of employee share ownership this dissertation provides important information for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars concerned with both economic and political inequality and the relationship between economic resources and political behaviors and attitudes.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Sociology

The “Diverging Destinies” of American families has been a central focus of family demography for nearly two decades. Patterns of union and family formation associated with the second demographic transition have become stratified, particularly along the lines of maternal education, creating inequalities in children's household contexts and resources. Household wealth may also be highly relevant to increasing inequality among families as wealth predicts entry into marriage. However, unlike maternal education, household wealth gaps between family structures may grow throughout childhood as marriage facilitates subsequent wealth accumulation. Understanding the role of wealth in shaping the diverging destinies of children is vitally important given massive wealth inequality in the US and the importance of household wealth for children's college attendance and completion. In this dissertation, I use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to examine (1) the association between children's family structure and household wealth over time, (2) how stability and change in family structure throughout childhood shapes household wealth accumulation, and (3) the consequences of household wealth for child well-being. My analyses lead to three central conclusions. First, family structure disparities in household wealth are wide and have remained quite stable over time, even in the face of growing wealth inequality and over the course of the Great Recession. In line with past research, I find that children living with married parents have the highest levels of household wealth, followed closely by children living with a remarried parent. These children have considerably more household wealth than children living with a divorced parent, and children living with a never married parent have the lowest levels of household wealth. My second central conclusion is that family instability, but not family structure, shapes household wealth accumulation throughout childhood. Fa (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2021, International and Comparative Politics

This study qualitatively examines the impact of three socio-economic inequalities on state terrorism: (1) income inequality; (2) unequal collective labor rights; and (3) land inequality. It proposes a theory of class structure and state terrorism based on the Marxist theory of exploitation and domination and uses Marxist class analysis in the comparison of two case studies, Brazil (1985-1990) and the Philippines (1986-1992), to determine which of the three socio-economic inequalities is most likely to lead to class struggle that will prompt the state to respond with terrorism. Findings from this study indicate that issues concerning land inequality may be a main driver of state terrorism in these two cases.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2018, Sociology

This analysis addresses the role of geographic location, rurality in particular, on the trajectories first-generation college students. I integrate opportunity and resource literatures, which point to background inequalities but focus little attention on space. Analytically, I draw on in-depth interviews with 20 first-generation college students from rural areas. These interviews highlight background disparities as well as the ways in which social, cultural and economic resources have played a part in the academic aspirations and actual trajectories of these students. I find that while some of this was shaped by their race and class background, spatial differences in economic development, geographic isolation and exclusion also played a role. Despite such barriers, some rural poor and first-generation students manage to make it through the college doorways, owing largely to interpersonal encounters that provide a gateway to quality social, cultural and economic resources. Acknowledging the continued importance of geography on educational attainment, even when access to higher education is at its highest, highlights the need for education scholars and policymakers to focus on the psychological and social barriers that not only burden under-resourced urban students, but also isolated rural students who are likewise interested in educational attainment and social mobility.

MS, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Mathematical Sciences

The Brunn-Minkowski Inequality is a classical result that compares the volumes of two sets, in particular convex bodies, and the volume of their Minkowski sum. The proof is elegant and the eects are far reaching in mathematics. In this thesis we will examine the proof of the inequality, and its multiplicative and integral forms. From there we will explore a few applications and an analog to Brunn's slice theorem. Additionally, we will look at how the Brunn-Minkowski Inequality can be used to obtain results regarding general log concave measures, isoperimetric inequalities, and spherical concentrations. We will end the journey with a quick look at what can be said about the intersection body of a convex body.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2018, Political Science

According to empirical data, income inequality within countries has increased in the past several decades, despite theoretical models which predicted the opposite. During this same time period, levels of financial development have also increased. Therefore, what impact does financial development have on income inequality? Current theoretical models predict that financial development should decrease inequality in a negative linear or negative non-linear fashion, yet the direction of this relationship is still empirically ambiguous as there is evidence supporting both sides. Furthermore, in order to elucidate this relationship, I incorporate political science variables to assess this question. Measurements of state capacity, the idea that states need a competent administrative capacity to successfully implement laws throughout their territory, are included because state capacity is indirectly linked to mechanisms behind income inequality, including financial development. Thus, what is the relationship between state capacity, financial development, and income inequality? Using an unbalanced panel dataset of 134 developed and developing states from the years 1960 to 2016 and more appropriate regression estimation techniques, I find evidence which suggests current theories do not hold up to scrutiny. Rather, the relationship between financial development and income inequality is positive and linear. Additionally, the results are ambiguous as to how state capacity acts as a mediating variable in this relationship but we have preliminary evidence which suggests that state capacity dilutes financial development's income inequality inducing affects. Furthermore, I find that different combinations of government, business, and labor relations impact income inequality and financial development's influence as well. These findings have important implications for public policy.

MA, Kent State University, 2014, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Dominant ideologies about poverty draw on personal responsibility and beliefs that a "culture" of poverty creates and reproduces inequality (Banfield 1970; Grusky and Ku 2008; Lewis 1959; Moynihan 1965; Ryan 1976). As the primary recipients of welfare benefits tend to be poor, single mothers of color, discourses surrounding welfare are also influenced by dominant ideologies about mothering, namely intensive mothering, which requires child-centered and resource intensive practices (Arendell 1999; Hays 1996; Lareau 2003). Additionally, mother blame, wherein mothers are held accountable for their children's care, behaviors, and outcomes, is deeply embedded in ideas about and expectations of mothering. Yet, given the centrality of resources involved in intensive mothering, welfare mothers are often precluded from enacting this type of parenting. In this paper, I examine how welfare program managers talk about and evaluate their clients' mothering. In order to do this, I use critical discourse analysis to analyze 69 qualitative interviews with Ohio Works First (cash assistance) program managers from 69/88 counties in Ohio. My findings suggest three themes in the way program managers talk about their clients' mothering: (1) child-centered mothering (2) the "culture" of poverty and (3) mothers (mis)managing child care. By making use of discourse strategies in their talk, program managers illustrate and draw attention to the differences in parenting between welfare mothers and middle class mothers.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2012, Sociology

Spatial and economic inequality has the potential to impact the oral health care of children. This study examined the relationship of high and low capacity rural, Appalachian counties in Ohio and the oral health of children in these areas. A survey was conducted by the Bureau of Oral Health Services (BOHS), and the subjects were Ohio third- graders. Four rural, Appalachian counties were examined in this study; two were considered high capacity and two considered low capacity. Data concerning the inability of children to receive needed dental care and the presence of untreated decay was analyzed. The preceding analyses yielded some significant results. In the 2004-05 and 2009-10 academic years, the percentage of children within Appalachian counties that could not get needed dental care significantly differed by enrollment in Free/Reduced Price Meal Program. During both academic years, the percentage of children enrolled in Free/Reduced Price Meal Program significantly differed by county capacity. During both academic years, enrollment in Free/Reduced Price Meal Program is associated with the presence of untreated decay for both high and low county capacities. In the 2004-05 academic year, the difference between this association level for high and low capacity was determined to be statistically significantly different. In the 2009-10 academic year, the percentage of children that could not get needed dental care significantly differed by county capacity. During both academic years, the percentage of children that had untreated decay significantly differed by county capacity. In conclusion, low economic standing and low county capacity within rural Appalachia appears to negatively impact both ability for children to get needed dental care and the presence of untreated decay. The findings of this study warrant further exploration of contributing factors.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

This dissertation examines whether and how financial policies affect the distributions of income and wealth. It also explores and compares the evolution of income inequality, along an inverted U-shaped Kuznetsian path, when only human capital formation takes place and when the structural transformation of the labor force is accompanied by financial development. This is accomplished by numerically solving for the steady-state equilibrium of a dynamic, stochastic, general equilibrium model of an economy with heterogeneous households (subject to labor productivity shocks), heterogeneous firms (subject to production shocks), and competitive banks that face frictions from policy-induced repression, incomplete institutions, and market imperfections. Policy simulations contrast the effects -of direct interventions in financial markets (namely, changes in required reserve ratios on deposits) and indirect interventions that improve the market environment (namely, infrastructure and institutions that differentially reduce default rates and costs of lending)- on the wedge between loan and deposit interest rates, deposits mobilized, credit available, output levels, wage earnings and shares in the wage bill, wealth levels (household deposits), and the dispersion of wage earnings and wealth (Gini coefficients). Simulation results reveal that, while direct policy interventions (manipulating required reserve ratios) may slightly improve income distributions, they do it at the cost of substantially lowering financial deepening and output and wage levels. While these adverse effects subside at advanced stages of development, these are not appropriate tools to pursue distributional goals. In contrast, pro-informal, pro-poor biased indirect policy interventions, resulting in lower default rates from informal firms or lower costs of lending to informal firms, show strong impacts in increasing output and wages (efficiency) and in reducing inequality in the distributions of income and (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Sociology

Today's educational policymakers must make decisions concerning institutional access within the context of unprecedented success in schooling on the part of girls and young women. While much discussion has focused on gendered patterns of educational participation and accomplishment that favor women, little research has explored the consequences of these patterns for gender inequality in the labor market. This dissertation begins to fill this void by exploring the relationship between gender, higher education, and gender gaps in income early in workers' careers.Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72), High School and Beyond (HS and B), and National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), I compare the gender income differential for young workers (in their mid to late twenties) in 1979, 1991, and 1999. I find persistent gender earnings disparities that narrow in the 1980s and show signs of rebounding in the 1990s, most pronouncedly for workers without bachelor degrees. Analyses based on Estimated Generalized Least Squares regression and regression decomposition techniques suggest that for the college educated, gender composition of field of study is an important source of earnings inequality throughout the closing decades of the 20th century. And its importance for perpetuating gender differences in earnings among the college educated is growing. For those without a bachelor's degree, educational characteristics seem to matter little for mediating gender earnings differences. Regardless of educational level, employment-related factors are the primary contributor to the gender income gap at the end of the millennium. Using change over time decompositions, I find that women's increased participation in higher education contributes to the overall decline of the gender income gap in the closing decades of the 20th century. Furthermore, for workers with at least a bachelor's degree, changes in the gender composition of (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2012, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

Despite ideologies of meritocracy in American education and culture more broadly, inequalities within the educational system have drawn the ire of critics and the attention of scholars. Historic and contemporary processes of uneven economic development have created geographic patterns of race, class, education, and occupational structure. Focusing on the state of Ohio, this study uses data from the 2007-2009 American Community Survey and the Ohio Department of Education to help explain between-district differences in standardized test proficiency. The results find that race and the concentration of family poverty are the most significant predictors of educational achievement. Students classified as economically disadvantaged have substantially higher proficiency levels in wealthier districts, compared to disadvantaged students attending poorer schools, and this gap is wider between third and seventh grade test takers, suggesting a reinforced disadvantage or a ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿disadvantaged student achievement gap¿¿¿¿¿¿¿. Recent educational policies and suggestions are addressed.

BA, Oberlin College, 2007, Economics

This paper examines the effect of income inequality on the impetus of an organized dissident group to initiate a "revolt" in an attempt to wrest power from the government regionally or countrywide. After suggesting alterations and extensions of a mathematical framework developed by Blomberg, Hess, and Weerapana (2004) income inequality, economic growth, urbanization, and political rights data from 102 countries from 1972-1999 are used to determine their respective influences on the likelihood of a revolt being initiated in a given year. Income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient is found to be statistically significant in determining the likelihood of the start of politically motivated conflict, as is political openness, and economic growth while the overall predictive power of the model is found to be weak.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

This study examines the differences in gender role perceptions between Japan and the United States, focusing on the influence of cultural, economic, and educational factors. Using survey data, the findings highlight significant contrasts between the two countries. In Japan, traditional gender roles are strongly supported across various demographic groups, reflecting deeply rooted cultural expectations. In the United States, attitudes toward gender roles are more progressive, shaped by generational changes and economic conditions. The study also reveals the impact of income and education, with higher income groups in the U.S. showing greater opposition to traditional gender roles—a trend less prominent in Japan. These results offer valuable insights into how societal factors shape attitudes toward gender roles in different cultural contexts, contributing to the broader discourse on gender equality and cultural influences.

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Feeling a sense of belonging positively impacts many facets of life, including educational and professional outcomes. For college students, a strong sense of belonging can influence their career paths and intentions to stay in college. However, women and racial/ethnic minorities often struggle with belonging in computing, which can diminish their desire to stay in the field. Existing research on belonging in college emphasizes the role of faculty and peers in promoting belonging, yet few studies have examined the relative impact of these different type of relationships. Furthermore, I could not find any studies that have examined the relative importance of faculty versus peer relationships for belonging within the field of computing. My thesis aims to fill this gap by exploring how relationships with faculty and peers uniquely impact students' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and, in turn, their persistence intentions in computing. Additionally, I evaluate how these processes are moderated by students' gender and racial/ethnic identities. I find that for the overall sample, positive relationships with faculty have a greater direct impact on students' sense of belonging in computing and computing self-efficacy than relationships with peers. In addition, I find that positive relationships with faculty also have a greater indirect impact on students' computing persistence intentions than do positive relationships with peers. While these results are generally replicated across students of varying gender and racial/ethnic identities, there are some notable exceptions. This research increases our knowledge of how faculty and peer relationships impact students' feelings of belonging, self-efficacy, and, in turn, persistence in a field of study. It also helps inform future interventions to broaden participation in computing by highlighting the relative importance of faculty relationships for marginalized students.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

Due to the combined effects of racism and sexism, Black women in the U.S. have a unique health experience. Previous research has established a link between state-level inequalities and gender- and race-based health disparities. However, the current literature on state-level inequalities and health disparities is limited because these studies: a) examine health differences based on either race or gender, rather than both race and gender; b) investigate health outcomes cross-sectionally, rather than longitudinally and; c) focus on health outcomes during young adulthood and/or focus primarily on infant health as opposed to Black women's health and wellbeing. The current research project, Structural Influences on Black Women's Health, examines how state-level inequalities based on both race and gender influence Black women's midlife health outcomes and maternal morbidity. I expand upon previous research by: 1) assessing how state-level structural inequalities shape health outcomes health outcomes based on both race and gender, rather than focusing on either race or gender; 2) examining how structural inequalities pattern health outcomes longitudinally over time; 3) investigating how state-level inequities influence Black women's health outcomes at midlife and; 4) utilizing misogynoir—a theoretical framework which centers the unique health experience of Black women—to explore state-by-state variation in Black maternal morbidity rates.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: Sociology

This dissertation is guided by two questions that drive all three substantive chapters: (1) do some types of extracurricular activities benefit educational attainment more than others? And, (2) do these distinct types of extracurricular activities have more of an advantage for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds (racial/ethnic minorities and females) than for those from historically advantaged groups (whites and males)? I employ three main theoretical approaches to educational attainment. In Chapter 2, I use Hirschi's social control theory to assess whether involvement and engagement in extracurricular activities are beneficial for a higher cumulative GPA while in high school. Chapter 3 embraces James Coleman's multiple role theory, which argues that the more roles a student takes on while pursuing their education can allow them to be more dynamic, educationally successful and add to previous roles they have already acquired. Finally, Chapter 4 implements Pierre Bourdieu's Cultural Capital Theory which states that the more exposure to activities that are considered “high-brow” are more beneficial for educational attainment. Data for my analyses in all three substantive chapters come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Add Health is a nationally representative survey of 7th through 12th graders and their parents and school administrators, first administered during 1994-95 academic year with multiple follow-up interviews of the students. The study used a multistage, stratified, school based, cluster sampling design, including students from 80 public and private high schools, as well as students from one junior high or middle school feeding into each high school. Over 90,000 students completed an in-school interview during a 45- to 60-minute class period between September 1994 and April 1995. All students in the eligible grades were supposed to complete in-school questionnaires, and their responses are th (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Nursing: Nursing - Doctoral Program

Background: The United Nations defines emerging adulthood as a transitional phase spanning ages 15 to 24, marking the shift from adolescence to adulthood. During this period, emerging females often confront heightened levels of gender discrimination, a pervasive global issue rooted in societal biases that discriminate against women. This inequality not only leads to psychological distress but also restricts their access to opportunities. Despite collaborative efforts between Tanzania's Ministry of Health and the United Nations, gender disparities persist. Objective: The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the influence of gender inequality on female emerging adults' psychological well-being by using the social-ecological analytical model at Vijibweni ward in Kigamboni Municipality in Tanzania. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological interpretive research design was utilized to understand and explore perceived gender inequality lived experiences and coping strategies. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Cincinnati Institutional Review Board and the National Institute for Medical Research-Tanzania. Permission was secured from local authorities. Participant recruitment employed purposeful and snowball sampling methods. Participants aged 18 to 20 provided verbal and written consent, while assent and parental permission were obtained for those aged 15 to 17. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was employed while upholding trustworthiness criteria. Results: Ten participants completed interviews, revealing four themes. The first theme, "Lived Experiences of Gender Inequality," unveiled the daily challenges faced by female emerging adults, significantly affecting their opportunities and well-being, with sub-themes highlighting disparities originating from parents, siblings, and the community. The second theme, "Emotional Responses to Gender Inequality," explored participants' reac (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Public Policy and Management

How government delivers public services can have broad societal effects, beyond the impact on programmatic outcomes. Such societal effects are particularly likely in the delivery of public education, as educational concerns drive residential and school choices, and public schools are the second largest public employer in the United States. My dissertation explores how innovations in the way we administer public education may affect societal inequities by race, gender, academic ability, and socioeconomic status. The first essay examines how the emergence of online “virtual” public schooling, which families within a state can access regardless of where they live, has affected school-based segregation by race and poverty. The second essay examines the impact of the sudden closure of a large virtual charter school on district segregation by race and academic ability. Finally, the third essay estimates the impact of introducing teacher collective bargaining—which empowers teachers in the management of public schools—on the diversity of staff and employment and pay of women. Overall, this dissertation explores how education administration affects with whom students interact in school and who has access to quality public sector jobs—all of which, in turn, have well documented long-term impacts on children.

Master of Arts in Professional Communication, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Communicaton

This was an exploratory quantitative study investigating the impact of perceived gender communication differences, double binds, gender inequality, and tokenism on women working in the sports industry. Scales were developed to assess the presence of these variables, and 115 women who work in sports, specifically administration, communication, and media, responded to the online survey. Statistical analysis was used to interpret the data collected. This study found that women are underrepresented in the sports industry and experience workplace discrimination. In addition, Tannen's (1990) suggested gender communication differences and Jamieson's (1995) proposed double bind between femininity and competence were barriers to females in the male-dominated world of sports. The results of this study indicated that, as women experienced the effects of double binds, gender inequality, and tokenism, they had less optimism that an increase in female representation would lessen the perceived negative effects of these variables. Time in the industry and whether women had worked under female bosses also influenced optimism for change. Decreasing optimism for change provides a foundation for future research assessing how the perceived negative effects of the identified barriers may be lessened. In addition, this study gives a foundation for future assessment on how being female and a racial minority in the sports workplace may influence the presence of these barriers.