Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

The purpose of this qualitative research was to study the experiences of Latinx women who lead in health information management in the United States. Latinx health information management professionals are faced with everchanging workplace dynamics and biases in which they are repeatedly reminded of their individual and ethnic differences that require them to construct and co-construct new facets to their identities in social contexts. By grounding this work in narrative inquiry and viewing identities critically, space is given for delving deeper into the specifics of how gender, ethnicity, culture, and class influenced Latinx women's leadership practice. Interviews offered the opportunity for discussion about how the Latinx women in this study navigated various faultlines and engaged in internal dialogues that contributed to their ability to construct, co-construct, and refuse identities on offer in two social contexts, family and the workplace. A Model of Dialogic Identity Construction in Practice emerged as a result of the participants' stories. While this study shines a light on Latinx women, it also creates awareness and discussion for all ethnic minorities who are often underrepresented and overlooked in the workplace. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/.

Committee: Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Donna Ladkin PhD, FRSA (Committee Member); Merida Johns PhD, RHIA (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender; Health Care; Hispanic Americans; Information Systems

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

This qualitative study aims to explore the unique experiences and challenges faced by Latino Caribbean cisgender gay men within their cultural and social contexts. Using focus group and thematic analysis, the researcher examines the narratives and perspectives of a diverse sample of Latino Caribbean cisgender gay men (n = 6) to gain insights into their sexual identity process, cultural influences, family dynamics, and support systems utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as the methodological framework. The researcher's findings highlight the themes of Awareness of Sexual Identity, Visibility Management, Spanish Caribbean Families' Influences, Being True to Oneself, and Positive Experiences & Role Models as key factors influencing the participants' experiences. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the intersections between sexual and cultural identities for Latino Caribbean cisgender gay men. The participants navigate the complex process of self-acceptance and disclosure while balancing cultural expectations and societal norms. The role of family and community support emerges as both a source of strength and potential challenge in their journeys of self-exploration and acceptance. The findings shed light on the need to research the sexual identity process for Caribbean LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families within a social justice framework. These findings highlight the importance of creating inclusive spaces, promoting visibility, and providing culturally sensitive support services to address the unique needs of this population. And contribute to the existing literature on sexual identity development, cultural diversity, and family dynamics, and provide insights that can inform interventions, policies, and practices aimed at promoting the well-being and empowerment of Latino Caribbean LGBTQ+ individuals.

Committee: Kevin Lyness PhD, LMFT (Committee Chair); Markie Twist PhD, LMFT, LMHC, CSE (Committee Member); Alex Iantaffi PhD, MS, SEP, CST, LMFT (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Black Studies; Caribbean Studies; Counseling Psychology; Families and Family Life; Gender; Gender Studies; Glbt Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Latin American History; Latin American Studies; Mental Health; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Social Research; Social Work; Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, English

Social Mediated Latinas: Creating and Contouring Digital Latina Looks in the Twenty-First Century documents how new forms of Latina celebrity, media viewership, and cultural critique emerged in the twenty-first century with the onset of entertainment streaming platforms, online subcultures, and the social media influencer industry on the internet. Latinas with internet access used their social media presence to create original content and to participate in conversations related to media representation's impacts on Latina identity in the United States. They utilize the participatory affordances of various digital platforms—such as hashtags, direct messaging, and video editor studios—to post to their personal social media accounts and interact with other users' content online. In doing so, Latinas act as cultural producers whose online activity builds on existing mass media depictions of Latinas while simultaneously interrogating the star marketing strategies, beauty standards, and stereotyped narratives that U.S. legacy media industries have projected onto them. This project uses a combined approach of content, reception, production, and star persona analysis to examine the social media posts related to Latina representation that are produced, viewed, and responded to by U.S.-based Latina cultural producers on the internet. I recognize the 2010s to be the decade when many Latinas utilized the media production and social networking capabilities of sites like YouTube and TikTok to transform themselves into what I define as Social Mediated Latinas: creators of digital content who, in their self-reflexive posts and public discourse, emphasize their ethnoracial identity as an integral part of how they make, view, and critique Latina representation. I survey how three types of Social Mediated Latinas—Internet celebrities, traditional celebrities, and comics creators—foreground their ethnoracial identity on the internet in ways that complicate the legacies of Latina star (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frederick Aldama (Committee Co-Chair); Jian Chen (Committee Co-Chair); Paloma Martinez-Cruz (Committee Member); Guisela Latorre (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethnic Studies; Film Studies; Gender Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Literature; Mass Media; Web Studies; Womens Studies

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Latin American Studies

The heightened awareness and denial of racism in the United States shines a unique light on the complexity of Latinx identity. Latinx people, specifically those that are racially white, need an identity reckoning in order to combat white supremacy that is both internalized and forced upon the community. This thesis will illustrate the complexity of Latinx identity in the United States, the necessity of identity development in primary education and, ultimately, address how we, Latinx people in the United States, can work to eliminate white supremacy that is steeped in our identity. Focusing on Latinx students in primary education can be considered a preventative measure against racism and illuminate how identity development scales could potentially unravel Latinx racial ambiguity that is historically, theoretically, and legally afforded to phenotypically white Latinx folx, but not to phenotypically Black and Indigenous Latinx folx (Dache, 2019; Fordham, 2010).

Committee: Donna Y. Ford (Advisor); Peter Sayer (Committee Member) Subjects: Latin American Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Psychology

This study investigated the influence of socio-demographics on emerging adults': (a) conceptions toward transitioning to adulthood; (b) sense of ethnic identity; (c) social emotional competence; and (d) coping strategies. A sample of N = 494 emerging adult college students (ages 18-30) completed a battery of measures to assess their approaches and attitudes toward adulthood and life functioning. This information was used to compare differences in emerging adult experiences across ethnic groups. It was hypothesized that there would be response differences between ethnic minority (African American, Asian American, and Latinx) and White emerging adults due to differences in cultural framework and socio-demographics. Frequencies and analysis of covariance were run to explore differences based on ethnic group, gender, and ethnic group x gender, controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). A bivariate correlational analysis was also conducted to establish a relationship between social emotional competence, coping strategies, and ethnic identity. Results showed that these variables were positively correlated with each other. There were also significant response differences found between ethnic groups regarding their: views on adulthood, ethnic identity, intra- and interpersonal skills, and dispositional coping tendencies when dealing with stress. Specifically, ethnic minorities reported an overall higher sense of ethnic identity and were more social-emotionally competent than Whites. They were also less likely to feel they had reached adulthood and reported higher tendency to engage in problem-focused coping than Whites. This study provides a nuanced approach to understanding how culture impacts emerging adults' experiences transitioning to adulthood. In turn, it builds a foundation for future research to investigate how social emotional competence and coping approaches may manifest differently for specific subgroups of emerging adults. Such research is especially (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Petrill (Advisor); Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Committee Member); Kelly Purtell (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Asian American Studies; Black Studies; Counseling Psychology; Demographics; Developmental Psychology; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Latin American Studies; Psychology; Social Psychology; Social Work

BS, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Anthropology

In a world of countless identities, people often face challenges when forming their own. These identities are enriched and influenced by many sources. When forming one's identity, some people face the challenge of belonging to several groups that overlap. One such example is the Latin@ communities and the LGBTQ+ communities. These intersecting identities are elaborately intertwined and require a lens that examines this overlap. The theory of intersectionality is the primary lens used in this thesis. The goal of this research is to answer the question: How do Latin@ people who belong within the LGBTQ+ community negotiate their intersecting identities?

Committee: Evgenia Fotiou Ph.D. (Advisor); Michelle Bebber Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauren Vachon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Suzy D'Enbeau Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; Gender; Gender Studies; Womens Studies