MFA, Kent State University, 2018, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

With low Millennial visitation rates to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), this study set out to employ design thinking to explore the surrounding cities' Millennial generation. This was to aid in evaluating and understanding how and in what ways CVNP could better connect with this target audience. Secondary and primary research created an abundance of Young Millennial data. This information was then used to find potential inclusion tactics, as well as to communicate strategies for building and strengthening CVNP's relevancy with this demographic. Young Millennial data reflected how the lack of audience segmentation negatively affected CVNP's Millennial visitation rate within the park. After discovering what CVNP's greatest needs and desires were, further insight directed development of a segmented social media marketing strategy and visual guide. The solutions served as successful functional tools, adequate for aiding toward building relevant content, choosing appropriate distribution channels, analyzing metrics and implementing creative tactics toward virality. Using the iterative design thinking process of inspiration, synthesis, ideation and implementation proved to successfully guide in acquiring crucial Young Millennial data, as well as creating a progressive solution aimed at bridging audience segmentation gaps.

Committee: Sanda Katila (Advisor); Jessica Barness (Committee Member); Danielle Coombs (Committee Member); Ken Visocky O’Grady (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Design; Environmental Management; Marketing; Recreation

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

Higher education, like most charitable organizations, is dependent on alumni funding as donors pour a tremendous amount of dollars into these organizations. However, the nature of donor involvement in higher education institutions has evolved over the last four centuries. The generational change of the donor base from the Boomers to the Millennials in the wake of a generational wealth transfer has placed the future of philanthropy in higher education in the hands of the Millennial generation. This technology-centered generation of alumni donors continues to challenge the traditional view of philanthropy held by the previous generations and demands a donor-centered relationship that is based on engagement with their alma mater. This non-experimental quantitative research study explored whether there was a relationship between alumni giving and alumni attitudes regarding Feelings of Connectedness, College Experience, Perceptions about Student Loans, and Perceptions about Institutional Mission. Findings within this study indicated that alumni attitudes regarding Perception about Student Loans and Feeling of Connectedness had a non-significant relationship to alumni giving. Significant differences were reported between students who donated and those who did not donate when groups were compared. Women and First-generation alumni reported their attitudes regarding College Experience were significantly related to their decision to donate or not donate. Implications of the study highlighted the need for higher education administrators and fundraising professionals to maximize alumni engagement, thus resulting in sustainable alumni-institutional relationships that are donor-central.

Committee: Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Luis Garcia Ph.D. (Other); Joshua Harraman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Christy Horner Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Pauken Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior

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

African American religious organizations have been the pillar of the urban community since their inception in the late 1700s. Throughout the years, as the religious organization grew, so did the need for church and attendance. In 1990, the number of Christians reported attending church service was 70%. By 2018, it was reported a 50% decline. In that, 50% decline are millennials who serve as important members of that church as it relates to the future of the church's existence. Church attendance continues to decline in the present day. The purpose of this study was to determine those contributing factors and identify opportunities for religious organizations to stop declining participation. I found that focusing on authentic engagement may improve church attendance.

Committee: Dr. Clare Liddon (Committee Chair); Dr. James Olive (Committee Member); Dr. Patrice Hunter (Committee Member) Subjects: Religion; Spirituality

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2023, English

This thesis analyzes the relationship of female novelists to women's literary history through a study of the use of the woman writer character across five novels published in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. Women writer characters and the metafictional texts they produce inside these novels reflect common threads across women's literary history, providing a way to categorize these novels not only by the gender of their authors but also by their engagement with this character—and by extension with this specific vein of women's literary history. The novel, which has undergone several transformations across genres, has been accused of feminization, while also being used to categorize the work of female novelists as outside of the Anglo-American canon. Each of the five novels included in this project reflect these literary biases through metafictional texts that are similarly restricted by socially constructed boundaries of oppressive systems, including gender, race, and class.

Committee: Nicole Reynolds (Advisor) Subjects: American Literature; British and Irish Literature; Literature; Modern Literature; Womens Studies

Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Instructional Design Leadership, Franklin University, 2022, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

Over the years, the forms of communication have changed drastically due to always changing technology. Where face-to-face or phone interactions used to be the only way to communicate with one another, workplaces now can email, post communications on a company-wide portal, or hold virtual meetings. With four generations currently in the workplace, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, research shows there are differences in the way all generations prefer to communicate. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a statistical difference in preferred communication methods, what the preferred channel is, if there is a difference in preference based on the context of what is being delivered, if there is a preference in the technology used for workplace trainings, and whether the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions caused a change in preferences among generations. A quantitative study was performed to analyze the research questions. All participants filled out a survey and questionnaire through SurveyMonkey. ANOVA analysis and comparisons of means and standard deviations were used to analyze the results. While differences were found among the means and standard deviations, only two statistically significant differences were found. This study found valuable information organizations can use to better the communication for all employees. Organizations can utilize this information to create effective communication and trainings across the workplace. Creating a more effective communication method will help keep employees motivated and engaged.

Committee: Courtney McKim (Committee Chair); Jessie Kong (Committee Member); Yi Yang (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Community; Communication; Comparative; Instructional Design; Mass Communications; Personality

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Higher Education Administration

Student affairs is a field compromised of employees representing several generations, each of which has different experiences, preferences, and expectations for the workplace. With these differences comes the potential for misaligned expectations between colleagues and supervisors. Employers need to consider how to understand these differing workplace expectations in order to reasonably manage expectations while balancing the needs of all employees, regardless of generational status. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and expectations of Generation Z student affairs employees, understand their experiences as student affairs employees, and examine how those characteristics, expectations, and experiences compare with those of their non-Generation Z colleagues. Generation Z includes individuals born between 1995 and 2010. This general inductive qualitative study was situated at a mid-sized, public university and participants were student affairs professionals currently employed at the institution. Ten participants completed two semi-structured interviews intended to better understand the individual experiences of employees of different generations in the workplace. Participants ranged in age from 23 to 66 years old and represented Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. The following themes emerged from the study: Generation Z employees are seeking to balance their individualism with clear expectations. Generation Z, Millennial, and Generation X employees would all prefer to see increased opportunities for professional development throughout their career. Employees of all four represented generations are willing to learn from employees of other generations and to share their own experiences and expertise with their colleagues. There are several implications for practice, including the need for supervisors within student affairs to be prepared to exp (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maureen Wilson (Advisor); Abhishek Bhati (Committee Member); Michael Coomes (Committee Member); Joshua Lawrie (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration

Doctor of Ministry , Ashland University, 2021, Doctor of Ministry Program

The purpose of this discovery project was to determine how to best foster a sense of belonging among Lutheran Millennials. This was accomplished through the application of a survey to a cross section of Lutheran Millennials including ELCA, NALC, LCMC, LCMS, and non-affiliated Lutheran Millennials. In doing so it was discovered that Millennials desire to be invited to participate in church via deep interpersonal connection and direct interaction. This participation includes a strong emphasis on engaging the contemporary culture. However, two distinct populations that share millennial characteristics and thought processes were discovered with opposing perspectives on engagement.

Committee: Jeff Stevenson Dr (Advisor) Subjects: Religion; Religious Congregations; Religious Education

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Recently, the concept of “generation” has received considerable commentary in academic and popular circles. Millennials—ages 24 to 39 on Election Day 2020—have gained particular attention due to the generation's size (more than 75 million), spending power (about $1.3 trillion per year), and growing political influence. Accordingly, a host of studies from disciplines such as business, education, political science, and psychology have investigated the nature and possible distinctiveness of Millennials' beliefs and behaviors. Only limited research, however, has been undertaken exploring the possible effects of generational membership on crime and criminal justice issues. This dissertation seeks to help close this void in the literature. This omission in the research is consequential considering the impact that Millennials' public opinion might have on the future of the U.S. criminal justice system. Notably, American corrections is in the midst of a historic policy turning point from offender exclusion to offender inclusion. For four decades, the United States was enmeshed in a punitive era during which offenders were removed and/or ostracized from society through exclusionary policies (e.g., mass incarceration, punitive laws, expansion of debilitating collateral sanctions). Beginning around 2010, however, a paradigmatic shift occurred marked by a halt in the growth of prison populations and the spread of inclusionary policies (e.g., prisoner reentry programs, criminal record expungement). In this context, one way to prognosticate if the current changes are likely to continue into the future is to examine Millennials' views on corrections. If this large generation is supportive of offender inclusion, then its members are likely to be political force favoring progressive policies and reforms as they proceed across their life course. Based on a 2017 opt-in internet panel survey conducted by YouGov (N = 1,000), this dissertation assesses the nature of Mille (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: J.C. Barnes Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Francis Cullen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Edward Latessa Ph.D. (Committee Member); Cheryl Lero Jonson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2019, Theatre Arts-Arts Administration

As generations age, the strategy of how to engage up and coming generations in art museums will need to change as well. One of the rising concerns in art museums are how to philanthropically engage millennial aged people. National data from the National Endowment for the Arts and representative data from the Cleveland Museum of Art illustrate the millennial generation's interest in the arts but lack of actual philanthropy towards the sector. An online platform specific to art museums, like crowdfunding, is explored as one recommendation to mitigate the barriers leading to the current lack of millennial giving in the arts. This platform would be designed to capitalize on the millennial generation's preference for values, digital communications, socializing, and data driven results, while also considering their financial barriers.

Committee: James Slowiak (Advisor); Christopher Hariasz PhD (Committee Member); Arnold Tunstall (Committee Member) Subjects: Arts Management; Fine Arts; Museum Studies

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how the public service millennial leader's lived experiences influence their workplace expectations as it relates to workplace longevity as public sector employees. 12 public service leaders within the City of Detroit were selected for this study because they voluntarily agreed to participate, they self-identified as a millennial, and they held a leadership position within the City of Detroit at the time of the study. Millennial leaders were chosen for this study because they are the future leaders of the U.S. workforce. By 2025, 75% of the workforce will comprise of millennials (Ng & Gossett; Fry, 2016; Henstra & McGowan, 2016). However, millennials are changing jobs every 18 months to 3 years, while many change industries completely. Local government is most threatened by this trend, reporting a 3-4% loss in workforce annually (Ng & Gossett; Fry, 2016; Henstra & McGowan, 2016). The existing literature indicates a disconnect between millennials who want to lead in the public sector, and their ability or willingness to be retained long-term. Key findings from the study indicate that millennials who work in the public sector have a defined life mission and purpose that is deeply rooted in familial and early life experiences. Millennials are also constantly seeking ways to fulfill their purpose and life's calling to serve. Adult development and public service motivational theories were used to frame the study. It was recommended that organizational leaders should understand the connection between familial influences and the millennial's mission, implement cultural honesty, understand what millennials are constantly seeking, provide clear pathways to success and goal attainment, and promote positive peer relationships. Recommendations for future research included understanding psychological contracts and their implications on unmet expectations, understanding millenn (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Paul Johnson Ph.D. (Advisor); Hyungsuk Choo Ph.D. (Other); Christy Galletta Horner Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joyce Litten Ed.D. (Committee Member); Ralph Murphy II Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Public Administration

PHD, Kent State University, 2019, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

The rise of mobile technology and increased school accountability has enmeshed the last two generations of students in unprecedented educational experiences. This has fostered learners who are varied in their communication and academic capabilities. Simultaneously, the number of standardized tests, both mandated and voluntary, has been steadily increasing. Few studies are available that examine the preferred environmental conditions for students during these tests. The current study consists of two parts: (1) the Pilot Study and (2) the Main Study. The Pilot Study examined the psychometric properties of a measure called the Test Environment for Optimal Performance (TEOP), which was created to explore the testing preferences of the current generation of college students. Following this quantitative section, college students were qualitatively interviewed on topics related to test environment preferences to explore the factor structure meaning. Findings from both the quantitative and qualitative portions suggest that students have a partiality for physical (i.e., “Action”) and auditory (i.e., “Sound) activities when testing. The Main Study extended the Pilot Study by investigating current high school students' preferred standardized testing conditions and if these preferred conditions have a predictive relationship with high-stakes standardized test scores (i.e., the ACT). The Main Study analyzed data using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis to examine the psychometric properties of the TEOP in the new population, and to provide further evidence to support the “Action” and “Sound” test environment factor structure, then Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regressions were conducted to examine the hypothesized relationships between the TEOP factors “Action” and “Sound” and high-stakes aptitude outcomes (i.e., ACT scores). The results warranted an additional post hoc Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression using Grade Point Average as the outcome. The results from the M (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aryn Karpinski (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Tests and Measurements

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2018, Educational Leadership

Many of the narratives, media images, and studies depicting the phenomenon of single Black mother are dangerously destructive and misrepresentative of this population. Add into that phenomenon the descriptor millennial and one finds the research is limited. There is need for intervention that will deconstruct the master narratives and decolonize the minds of all who have been affected by them. With Black feminist thought/womanism as a methodological approach and narrative inquiry as the research method, this qualitative study offers that intervention and serves as a space from which knowledge about the mothers being studied is produced by the mothers being studied. One-on-one semi-structured interviews, video group chats, and group texts were used to gather these counter stories from the five single Black millennial mother participants. Choice emerges as the foundational tenet for a “I got this” philosophy that acts as a guiding principle for the behaviors of these intellectuals from “outside academia” (Walker, 2009, p.20). Choosing to embrace single motherhood, secure their children, self-define, determine their own worth and destiny, give and accept support represent a few of the methods the single Black millennial mothers employ to undergird their sense of self-efficaciousness as first teachers to their children.

Committee: Kate Rousmaniere Ph.D (Committee Chair); Denise Taliaferro Baszile Ph.D. (Committee Member); Tom Poetter Ph. D. (Committee Member); Sherrill Sellers Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2018, Design

The term “slow fashion” was coined by Kate Fletcher (2008) to counter the growing trend of the “fast fashion” industry. In recent years, the clothing industry has been dominated by fast fashion that has spurred overconsumption whereby people buy more than they need. This study aimed to develop a critical-creative thinking framework based on the understandings and insights of how millennials view apparel consumption. Lynda Grose and Kate Fletcher's chapter “Transforming Fashion Product” from their book Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change (2012) provided useful information regarding the fashion cycle, helping to reveal new approaches to frame how participants of this study viewed apparel consumption. This research investigated the ways in which consumers viewed material, consumer care, and disposal of their clothing. In order to understand the millennial mindset with regard to apparel consumption, responses were collected from over a hundred millennials through an online survey (Phase One), where they discussed their reasons for placing themselves along a scale from slow to fast fashion. The findings uncovered a new group of consumers, the undecided+exploring, who identified with both slow and fast fashion. The Undecided+exploring consumers are considered to be “intermediates” on the fashion scale. Valuable insights extracted from the survey informed the development of a research toolkit for a series of participatory workshops (Phase Two) with the goal to construct a Framework for Millennial Apparel Consumption Mindset. This framework provided an effective approach to look at the findings from the different apparel consumption levels and stages of fast, intermediate, and slow. The perspective gained on fast and slow fashion, as seen through the millennial mindset, will guide future research and inspire designers, manufacturers, and consumers to make more sustainable decisions when developing, marketing, and buying clothing items.

Committee: Peter Chan Ph.D. (Advisor); Elizabeth Sanders Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Haase Professor (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2018, Allied Medicine

Abstract Introduction: Bullying has been a well-documented issue for healthcare workers employed in the acute care healthcare setting. Retention of healthcare workers is an important issue for today's healthcare managers, as turnover is a costly to the healthcare system. This problem has become even more complicated as managers have had to adopt individualized retention strategies to account for the multigenerational workforce. Intent to leave has been described in the literature to be an accurate predictor of actual turnover. This study explores the relationship between bullying experienced in the workplace on an individual's intention to leave, stratified by generational membership. Methods: A multi-institutional survey was conducted of 134 registered nurses and respiratory therapists working in large academic medical centers throughout central Ohio. Using the 22 item Negative Acts Questionnaire Revised (NAQ-R) and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6), a survey was created and distributed. Results: Over 23% of individuals surveyed stated that they had experienced bullying in the workplace. Survey respondents indicated that they were frequently exposed to unmanageable workloads often had their views and opinions ignored, and were excluded or ignored in the workplace. Baby Boomers had the highest mean score on both the NAQ-R and the TIS-6, indicating that they had experienced the most negative acts in the workplace as well as had the highest intention to leave of the three cohorts. Millennials had the lowest mean score on the NAQ-R, and they had the second highest score on the TIS-6. A Pearson Product moment correlation was used to examine differences in sum scores between the TIS-6 and NAQ-R. The scores were statistically significant (p <.001), but the correlation coefficient was low-moderate (r .30). Conclusions: Bullying is unfortunately still a problem facing healthcare professionals working in the acute healthcare setting. Baby Boomers had the highest scor (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Georgianna Sergakis (Advisor); Sarah Varekojis (Committee Member); Jill Clutter (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Sciences

BA, Kent State University, 2017, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

Nadia Montgomery is unapologetic. She tells it like it is and does what she wants, but on the inside she suffers from her emotionally painful past, which she refuses to confront. One day, she decides to drop out of college and run away by herself, a young woman's journey for self-discovery. She winds up in Washington, D.C. looking for fun and adventure, but the trip is not what she expects. Along the way, she is urged to face her true emotions and her unpleasant past. Nadia tells the story of a young woman's journey of running away in the 21st century and the feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and longing for something "more" that so many of her peers experience today.

Committee: Barbara Karman (Advisor); Edward Dauterich (Committee Member); Kimberly Winebrenner (Committee Member); Joy St. James (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

MA, Kent State University, 2017, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Precarious work is increasingly common in the United States, with 1.8-4.1%% of workers employed in a precarious job (The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2005). Poor mental health is a common consequence of precarious work. Using Waves III and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N=1,076), I examined the relationship between precarious work and depressive symptoms, and tested whether job satisfaction mediated this relationship. Precarious work is measured by the participants' work schedule stability and their ability to control their work. Findings suggest that satisfaction in the workplace mediates the relationship between control at work and depressive symptoms. For Millennials, being satisfied with employment is associated with their mental well-being, while unstable work schedule and control at work are not associated with depressive symptoms once satisfaction is taken into account.

Committee: Adrianne Frech (Advisor); Richard Adams (Committee Member); Janette Dill (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Labor Relations; Mental Health

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, EDU Policy and Leadership

Student involvement scholars have long posited that greater social and academic outcomes accrue for students as they become more involved in college (Astin, 1984, 1993; Wolf-Wendel, Ward, & Kinzie, 2009). Questions left underexplored in the extant literature about the possibility of an upper limit of beneficial involvement and an abiding concern about a growing number of Millennial students encumbered by the stress of their co-curricular commitments motivated this study. Four male and four female undergraduate students, all of whom were involved in co-curricular activities at an exceptionally high level and had experienced a variety of challenges as a direct result of so much engagement, were interviewed to explore the phenomenon of over-involvement. This phenomenological study sought to describe the essence of over-involvement experienced by traditional-aged undergraduates at a large research university. Areas of inquiry included details of the lived experience of over-involved students, the challenges they faced, and the students' motivations for beginning and sustaining such overwhelming levels of activity. Major findings included a lifelong pattern of engagement and desire for achievement prior to college; intense intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to be involved; considerable difficulties faced by over-involved students, including insufficient sleep, poor diet, damaged relationships, and debilitating levels of stress; and cultural norms of students wearing a persona of composure, so as not to reveal their vulnerability to others.

Committee: Susan Jones Ph.D. (Advisor); Marc Johnston-Guerrero Ph.D. (Committee Member); Terrell Strayhorn Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2016, Leadership Studies

The millennial generation is continuing to replace previous work generations within higher education. The way that the millennial generation navigates issues of politics and power is not easily understood by institutions. This qualitative study of millennial professionals investigates how they handle issues of power and politics, their experiences with top-down structure, how they work around issues of power and politics and how their identity plays a role. Individual interviews and a demographic questionnaire were used to obtain data in this study. Participants invited to participate were millennial professionals who had worked at the institution from 1-5 years. Eight participants were interviewed, with five identifying as women, two identifying as men and one identifying as genderqueer. All participants were currently employed at a mid- size four-year, public university in the Midwest in a student affairs position or similar field. Themes that emerged from the interviews included politics and power, experience related to French and Raven's five bases of social power, labels and hierarchy, being intentional within the work, and identity. Limitations of the study, implications for higher education, suggestions for future research and recommendations for professionals working in higher education are also addressed.

Committee: Joanne Risacher Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Dan Abrahamowiz Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Glenn Graham Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

BA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies

Extant research suggests that Millennials seem to be pushing back on traditional constructions of gender that typically constrain gendered performances of men and women. This study extends this research by examining how the ideal Millennial woman is discursively constructed online. Specifically, I conducted a thematic analysis of the Ten Best Websites for Millennial Women 2013 as outlined by Forbes magazine. My analysis demonstrates how the ideal Millennial woman must strategically cultivate a personal brand, is defined by her relationships, and requires ongoing career mentoring. Taken together, these strategies suggest that while some things have changed in terms of gendered messages directed toward women, much remains the same. This study offers practical guidance to assist women in how to navigate their professional lives. Specifically, this study encourages women to look for mentorship and career advice from a diverse group of sources. It also encourages women to push past the limits of individual progress and consider working toward institutional change.

Committee: Suzy D'Enbeau Dr. (Advisor); Stephanie Smith (Committee Member); Natasha Levinson Dr. (Committee Member); Joelle Cruz Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Gender; Organization Theory

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Sociology

Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) this study used two sets of analyses to explore both closeness and conflict between parents and adult children (n=878). This study had three primary goals: (1) to understand how returning to and never leaving the parental home as a young adult influenced parent-adult child relationships; (2) to assess how parenting strategies (i.e., support and monitoring) mediated associations between social class and parent-adult child relationships; and (3) to explore whether economic efficacy (i.e., the perception that the young adult is financially confident about his or her future) mediated the relationship between social class and parent-adult child relationships. Regarding the first research goal, I found that returning to the parental home, compared with living independently, was associated with greater conflict, but was not associated significantly with parental closeness. In addition, staying in the parental home was associated with more conflict compared with living independently. Regarding the second research goal, parental support mediated the relationship between social class and parental closeness. Young adults from more, compared with less, affluent backgrounds reported higher levels of parental support and subsequently higher levels of closeness. Although monitoring of adolescents was related to less conflict, monitoring did not mediate associations between social class and parental conflict. Finally, economic efficacy mediated the relationship between social class and parental closeness. Young adults from more affluent backgrounds had higher levels of economic efficacy and subsequently greater closeness with parents compared with less affluent young adults.

Committee: Monica Longmore (Advisor); Wendy Manning (Committee Member); Peggy Giordano (Committee Member) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Sociology