MA, Kent State University, 2011, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

Older adults typically prefer to age in place. They often have an attachment to their home and neighborhood, but how does attachment to place occur and what factors are associated with attachment? This study used data from the second wave of the Midlife in the United States survey (MIDUS II) to examine how demographic and contextual variables are associated with attachment to place. The findings support the notion that older adults are most attached to their home and do prefer to age in place. It was also found that marital status, socioeconomic status, length of residence, home ownership, health status, and social network contact are all associated with attachment to place. It is important to focus on ways to help older adults achieve their desire to remain in their current home whether through public policy, social services, assistance programs or family support.

Committee: Kelly Cichy PhD (Advisor); Mary Dellmann-Jenkins PhD (Committee Member); Manacy Pai PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Behavioral Sciences; Families and Family Life; Gender; Gerontology; Health; Social Structure

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2008, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

This study explores the meaning of place and the role of the physical setting, relative to sociocultural elements, for long-term, year-round residents of northern New Hampshire for two dimensions of place: attachment and identity. Resident-employed photography was used to prompt research participants to think about how they are attached to place and how it shapes their identity, and their photos served as a way to enter quickly and deeply into a conversation about place meaning. Data was analyzed according to the tradition of grounded theory and five themes of meaning emerged as follows: The physical setting is stable, restorative, where people experience spirituality, provides sustenance, and fosters development and expression of ecological identity. These themes were revealed as instrumental to maintaining resident's well-being through attending to the needs of the self. Conceiving of the physical setting in this way expands our understanding of the relationship between people and place. This research has potential value related to attending to the well-being of residents and for guiding land management policies, particularly in communities where traditional ways of interacting with the land are undergoing change in land use and economic base.

Committee: Thomas Webler Ph.D. (Committee Chair); K. Heidi Watts Ph.D. (Committee Member); Thomas Beckley Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Sociology

This dissertation examines how historical and neighborhood dynamics work their way into the lives of individuals who have aged in place within communities experiencing urban decline since the 1970s. It identifies the various strategies that residents use(d) to maintain a life for themselves in the face of neighborhood change and explores why they stayed. This study moves away from the outcome-oriented approach that many neighborhood effects studies embrace and focuses instead on uncovering various strategies that individuals “adopt to negotiate their social conditions” over the course of their lives (Black, 2010, p. xi). To do this, I take a Millsian approach to connect the lives of the individuals to the structure of their neighborhood over time, as it is clear that “historical time and geographic place are crucial for understanding lives in their full complexity” (Elder, Modell, & Parke, 1993; Laub & Sampson, 2009, p. 47; Mills, 1959). I utilize data from multiple life history interviews and over six years of ethnographic observations with older adults who have aged in place in Cleveland, Ohio. This study is significant as it provides a nuanced understanding of how and why individuals aged in place, even if it is a very “troubled place” (Newman, 2007).

Committee: Timothy Black (Committee Chair); Claudia Coulton (Committee Member); Eva Kahana (Committee Member); Gary Deimling (Committee Member); Dale Dannefer (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Aging; Gender; Gerontology; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Environmental Science

The Appalachian area is characterized as a politically conservative, rural region with an economy that is historically based on resource extraction, factors which are thought to correlate with a lower degree of environmental concern relative to urban, liberal residents. Environmental sensitivity is defined as a nuanced form of environmental concern based on experience. It is not known to what extent multiple contextual factors may interact with each other to shape environmental sensitivity, particularly in the Appalachian region. These factors give rise to the following research questions for this work: What influence does outdoor recreation/nature experience and place attachment exert on environmental sensitivity? How do social effects such as religion, politics, and social capital affect environmental sensitivity? And, how does education in environmental sciences interact with these factors to influence environmental sensitivity within this study context? Within this context, a broad age-and-gender range of eleven Appalachian college students pursuing either an Environmental Science or Wildlife Conservation degree participated in qualitative interviews following a phenomenological, co-constructivist framework. Participants responded to a series of discussion questions exploring place attachment, outdoor recreation and experience, educational experience, and religion, politics, and relationships within an environmental context. Responses were analyzed according to grounded theory methods, providing a series of codes grouped under larger concepts. Under this framework, two broad themes emerged: the relation between place attachment and outdoor recreational effects on environmental sensitivity, and a separate discussion of social effects on environmental sensitivity. Experiences that participants had were found to supply meanings to places where these activities occur, resulting in positive effects on environmental sensitivity. Additionally, having good feeling (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kristi Lekies Ph.D (Advisor); Kerry Ard Ph.D (Committee Member); Richard Moore Ph.D (Committee Member); Anna Willow Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Environmental Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Theatre and Film

In the years following the Great Recession (2007-2009), Detroit has seen an increase in financial investments of which have varied effects for residents across the city; so much so, that many Detroiters are claiming there are two Detroits: “Detroit” and “New Detroit.” “New Detroit” is an small area that has experienced a huge influx of residential and commercial investment. They feature new and/or remodeled housing and commercial services like grocery stores, coffee shops, and new restaurants. These areas are populated with mostly white residents. In “Detroit,” there is a large concentration of divested areas in the city. There is very little remodeled or new housing. There are little to no services like grocery stores or shopping areas. These areas are populated by an overwhelming majority of Black residents. It would appear on the surface that many Black Detroiters who reside in “Detroit” would feel outraged. Yet, in my findings, the Black Detroiters that I spoke with understood that in order to have any chance of basic necessities like safe neighborhoods and financial investment in local infrastructure and public schools, Detroit needs white people. They see more than anyone the complicated entanglements of Black Detroit performativity within racial social spaces that tie them to divested physical places in the city. The field of performance studies offers researchers a myriad of ways to elucidate how Black identity is co-constituted in racial social and physical spaces with varied effects on how Black Detroiters see themselves. In the field of human and social geography, and environmental psychology, the connection among place attachment and racial social spaces offer additional opportunities to see the symbolic and material ways that racism is embedded in the spatiality of social life. In this study, I found that racial social space as materiality can help researchers epistemologically understand how racism permeates and affects the ways in which Black D (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lesa Lockford Ph.D. (Advisor); Kenneth Thompson Ph.D. (Other); Jonathan Chambers Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marcus Sherrell MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Black Studies; Performing Arts; Social Psychology; Sociology; Theater; Theater Studies

MS, Kent State University, 2018, College of Architecture and Environmental Design

This research examines to what extent place attachment influences community involvement in historic downtown revitalization, specifically in the case of Canton, Ohio. Place attachment, defined as the bond between person and place, can be incredibly insightful as to the community desires, especially when dealing with deeply rooted historic sites. Commonly believed to be composed of three major elements - person, place, and process - this breakdown will provide three separate lenses for which to analyze place attachment. The first perspective will look at the socio-cultural influences (person), examining views presented by Sharon Zukin and Jane Jacobs. The second perspective, or lens, is the architectural or built component of the downtown (place), implementing theories of Kevin Lynch and Aldo Rossi. The final perspective is the role of political-economic impacts (process), looking at theories presented by David Harvey and Richard Florida. These perspectives are used to measure the levels of influence of place attachment and its effect on the various aspects at play. The interviews and mapping exercises focus on investigating the bond of place attachment and community involvement, are viewed in three unique ways to assess their importance and influence on historic revitalization.

Committee: Bill Willoughby (Advisor); Adil Sharag-Eldin (Committee Member); Richard Adams (Committee Member); Jennifer Mapes (Committee Member) Subjects: Architectural; Architecture; Political Science; Sociology

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Arts and Sciences: Anthropology

This paper examines how ecological restoration and redevelopment efforts impact community members' diverse sense(s) of place in a small urban neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. The purpose of this study was to understand sense of place, with an emphasis on crucial differences between white and black residents, as well as implications for future place-making in the neighborhood. By employing sense of place and the closely related term place identity as theoretical “tools”, this thesis unveils a hidden politics of place in the context of ecological restoration, a highly normative human-ecological goal that often escapes a critical lens. Qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews were the primary source of information for this study. Secondary methods consisted of more creative methodology such as walking interviews including photographic documentation performed by participants. Results found that current senses of place and place meanings for many white residents and community members in South Fairmount emanate from remembered personal and community engagements with the physical and social landscape of the neighborhood in the past. In contrast, current sense of place and place meanings for many black residents emanate from current engagements with the physical and social landscape of South Fairmount and the underlying structural poverty, neglect, and alienation that undermine their ability to form ties and reservoirs of memory from which to envision future landscapes.

Committee: Daniel Murphy Ph.D. (Committee Chair); C. Jeffrey Jacobson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2015, College of Education and Human Services

School closure has become an accepted method of school reform policy as outlined in federal legislation found in The No Child Left Behind Act. The academic literature regarding school closure is limited and tends to be quantitative in design, focusing on the relationship between student achievement and school closure and/or student transitions. Qualitative studies around this topic have only recently emerged, focusing on the immediate impact of school closure and transition. There is a need for a retrospective study, reflecting on the long-term effects of school closure on individuals and their communities, as told by the students who experienced it. This study seeks to understand the experience of DeVilbiss students who attended the high school in the year its closure was announced, and who transitioned to a neighboring high school for the 1991-1992 school year. Using semi-structured interviews to explore issues related to transitions, the study will examine identity, social capital, relational trust, community connectedness and engagement, school and community pride, tradition, and the sense of belonging. The study will offer insight into the long-term effects of school closure, particularly through the eyes of those who experienced the closing of DeVilbiss High School. The study has implications for current and future policy decisions.

Committee: Anne Galletta Ph.D (Committee Chair); Joanne Goodell Ph.D (Committee Member); Marius Boboc Ph.D (Committee Member); Brian Harper Ph.D (Committee Member); Leigh Chiarelott Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Economic Theory; Education; Education Finance; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Psychology; Public Policy; School Administration; School Counseling; School Finance; Social Psychology; Social Research; Sociology; Sustainability; Teacher Education; Urban Planning

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Developer driven new construction often relates little to its context, and the needs and wants of the community in which it is located. In the last few decades we have seen developers market new projects as creating a sense of place without fully understanding the meaning and complexity of the term, which is especially unfortunate in large scale new developments built in existing communities. This thesis will analyze what sense of place is and will question whether sense of place is something that can be created by a design intervention. In addition, it will try to determine how a designer or planner can facilitate sense of place and allow it to emerge in newly created urban developments in existing cities. Through analysis of literature on sense of place and the study of communities with a strong sense of place, it is clear that sense of place involves three important elements. Strong places allow for a clear sense of the place, or a feeling of being in differentiated space and a feeling of spatial orientation and understanding. They also allow for a connection to and understanding of the spirit of the place; the unique qualities that make up the soul of the place or its genius loci. Furthermore, sense of place involves an attachment to the place, or a subjective perception of and personal connection to a place based on personal experiences in the place. An analysis of the many elements that impact the cultivation of sense of place will be studied through the design of a new mixed use development in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. By understanding what sense of place is and the factors that contribute to it, it is possible to suggest ways in which designers can facilitate a stronger sense of place in the design of newly established urban settings.

Committee: George Bible MCiv.Eng (Committee Chair); Patricia Kucker MARCH (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Arts and Sciences : Communication

We continually try to explain why certain behaviors, attitudes, and ideologies “catch on,” spread, and persist while others do not. Although necessary, quantitative research that uses static, unchanging scales, may merely reinforce the “us versus them” (environmentalist versus non environmentalist) dichotomy when a more complex view of the environmental selves of individuals is necessary. It was the goal of this study to see of there was a significant difference in the way individuals score on the NEP (New Environmental Paradigm) scale and CNS (Connectedness to nature) scale based on student group affiliation, academic major, and other demographic variables. A second goal of this study was to see how tools like the NEP and CNS can be used in conjunction with narrative analysis to get a more complex view of environmental identities.

Committee: Dr. Stephen Depoe (Advisor) Subjects:

MA, Kent State University, 2010, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

The relationship between place attachment and natural resources may be explained by accepting that place attachment is based on feelings and emotions and the value that is placed on natural resources goes beyond their value as a commodity. Place attachment is created by interactions with the physical environment and plays an important role in the identity of residents. In an effort to measure the level of place attachment to the Great Lakes within the region, a survey was conducted of residents of Akron, Ohio. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact was created partly in reaction to an ever increasing need by other regions for freshwater. By excluding others from what they believe to be a regional resource, residents of the Great Lakes region further reinforce their unity as a region. Rather than just trying to curb the environmental impacts of water diversion, the Compact manifested the place attachment of those living in the region when faced with outside threats.

Committee: David Kaplan (Advisor); Thomas Schmidlin (Committee Member); Rebecca Parylak (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2023, Counseling Psychology

Community plays an important role in rural life, and rural residents have a range of positive and negative experiences with community (e.g., Cromartie et al., 2015; Kennedy et al., 2010, Walker & Raval, 2017). Previous qualitative research with rural participants has described experiences of psychological sense of community (e.g., Wilding & Nunn, 2018), place attachment (e.g., Riethmuller et al., 2021), and belonging (e.g., Caxaj & Gill, 2017) across diverse samples. No research to date has quantitatively measured these constructs simultaneously among rural residents. An ecological systems framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) is adopted to conceptualize the influence of sociocultural, demographic, and geographic contexts of rurality on experiences of place, community, belonging, and mental health. The current study sought to add to the understanding of experiences of place and community among rural residents by exploring a conditional mediation model in which place attachment and psychological sense of community are expected to serially mediate the relationship between perceptions of rurality and mental health outcomes, with belonging moderating the indirect effect. Neither the conditional mediation nor serial moderation models were supported by the data. A simple mediation effect for perceptions of rurality predicting well-being through place attachment was supported. In addition, reflecting results of previous research identifying external barriers to sense of community and belonging for those with marginalized identities (e.g., Caxaj & Gill, 2017; Plastow, 2010; Terman, 2014), the proposed study explored demographic group differences among variables of interest. Results indicated significant differences in study variables across socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and age. Post-hoc results explored perceptions of community climate toward diversity as well as supported a serial mediation model in which place attachment predicted mental health outcomes through ps (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Margo Gregor (Advisor); Ingrid Weigold (Committee Co-Chair); Suzette Speight (Committee Member); John Queener (Committee Member); Heather Katafiasz (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Counseling Psychology; Mental Health; Psychology

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2022, Journalism

Spread Out! is a podcast about the pandemic, the national parks and people's place in nature. Weaving together interviews with National Park Service employees and other experts, extensive research and the author's personal experience, each episode illustrates how visitors have both impacted and been impacted by national parks throughout the course of the pandemic. The four-part series visits parks from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Grand Canyon to Denali National Park, including an entire episode about the newest national park: New River Gorge. Outdoor recreation increased substantially during the initial stages of the pandemic and overall park service visitation has been growing consistently since 2016. Spread Out! discusses why these changes matter and how we can take better care of the parks – while squeezing in more than a few fun facts and stories along the way.

Committee: Geoffrey Buckley (Advisor); Bernhard Debatin (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Journalism

MA, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Emotional attachments with places can ease the process of socio-cultural adjustment in the host society. International students in the host society while trying to adjust with the new environment, build social and emotional connection with new places. This thesis identifies certain places which are special and meaningful to international graduate students in Northeast Ohio and examines how place attachment can ease the acculturative stress of international students in the host environment. Using a mixed method, I have interviewed international graduate students from three public universities in Northeast Ohio. Findings suggest that these participants have found social attachment with places, which created opportunities to interact with local people and also have helped them to understand host society's culture. Most of these meaningful places are on campus, which also depicts that graduate students mostly spend great amount of time on campus, as they are engaged with research, study and graduate assistantship. Additionally, findings from my study in congruence with previous literatures also support the notion that, university communities are more tolerant and friendly towards the diversity of international students, when compared to communities outside campus.

Committee: David H. Kaplan PhD (Advisor); Aimee Lou Ward PhD (Committee Member); Chris Post PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2020, Anthropology

A multiplicity of actors and social processes have divided Brazil's urban geography into areas of favela versus asfalto, respectively, the periphery and formal areas of the city. Using a conceptual framework of space and place, this research seeks to position the favela of Serrinha, Brazil at the intersection of these processes. Employing ethnographic data gathered over the course of eight weeks of fieldwork in Serrinha, the study first navigates the Brazilian urban dichotomy and locates the favela of Serrinha in the city of Florianopolis. In doing so, it assesses the constructs of place-identity and attachment that Serrinha residents express and engage with. I found that residents actively mobilize social systems and institutions within the neighborhood, emotional bonds to autoconstructed homes, and even their negative experiences of exclusion from Florianopolis to structure a cohesive sense of place. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that Serrinha's existence is constantly being negotiated with other neighborhoods and global processes.

Committee: Smoki Musaraj Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; Geography; Regional Studies; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, City and Regional Planning

This dissertation identifies factors that influence the subjective perceptions of relocatees after relocation, provides an understanding of the complex ways in which the relocation experience affects relocatees' lives, and fills gaps in the literature about residential satisfaction, neighborhood context, and the effects of residential mobility on low-income households. Existing literature on the subjective perceptions of relocatees is fragmentary, and causality is unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study is to bring all existing concepts together into one comprehensive model and analyze the direct and indirect effects of individual- and household-level characteristics and perceptions of neighborhood context, neighborhood social ties, and place attachment on residential satisfaction. A better understanding of the complex ways in which the relocation experience and process affect relocatees' lives will be valuable in designing or modifying housing policy. To fill in knowledge gaps about residential satisfaction, perceptions of neighborhood context, and the effects of residential mobility on low-income households displaced by public housing redevelopment, the following research question is poseds: 1) How do their subjective perceptions of the original site affect those of the new residential environment after relocation?, 2) How does attachment to public housing mediate the impact of perceived neighborhood attributes on residential satisfaction after relocation to a new place?, 3) How does involuntary relocation affect relocatees' neighborhood social ties, place attachment, and residential satisfaction after relocation to a new place? Using two waves of survey (post-move and two years later) with three time points (retrospective pre-, post-move, and two years later) of the Bremerton Washington's Westpark project, this study investigates: 1) what predicts residential satisfaction over time through a cross-lagged effect modeling, and 2) the causal relations (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rachel Kleit (Advisor); Natasha Bowen (Committee Member); Jason Reece (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2017, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Around the world, municipalities are facing new challenges, not the least of which is climate change. This is especially true for rural communities that, for a variety of reasons, will be disproportionately affected by the climatic changes and accompanying policies or programs. This dissertation, written in manuscript-style, integrates climate change and social-ecological scholarship to address the unique character of rural communities, to communicate the complexity of rural identity through the term "rural character"; and to empower rural communities to incorporate adaptation strategies into their daily municipal operations and planning. Specifically, this dissertation seeks to answer the following questions: What is community character and what does it offer for climate change planning? What is the relationship between rural character and climate change? How can rural communities adapt to create a resilient rural character? Through this research, I argue that there is a common dialogue across multiple disciplines that shows opportunities for interdisciplinary adaptation scholarship that could inform local planning efforts. I identify a common framework of people-place-process across multiple disciplines and identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary communication. To understand the complexity of the rural identity, my single mixed-methods case-study in Northwest Connecticut develops a place-based definition as well as a transferable model of rural character that can be used to understand other rural locales. The model of elements, dimensions, and tensions presents the quantitative and qualitative nature of rurality that, in its composition, represents the components of meaning to local residents. The study also indicates the importance of a regional rural identity. Bringing the scholarship to bear in the last manuscript, I use the theoretical underpinning of socio-ecological systems and place-based definition of rural character to create a guidebook (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Jordan Ph.D. (Committee Chair); James Gruber Ph.D. (Committee Member); Keith Halfacree Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American Studies; Climate Change; Cultural Resources Management; Environmental Studies; Geography; Land Use Planning; Regional Studies; Sustainability

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

In 2005 the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 278, which centralized all control of siting and permitting of oil and gas wells under the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, removing a community’s ability to zone the activity. Advancements in technology and higher prices for the commodities have increased interest and incentive to access natural gas and oil from previously untapped areas and deep shale deposits. The change in the law resulted in an increase in development of natural gas and oil deposits from urban areas in Northeast Ohio. This thesis assesses public perception of urban oil and gas drilling in Broadview Heights, Ohio, a Cleveland area suburb that has seen a significant increase in oil and gas drilling within residential areas of the city. The survey assesses the personal risk-benefit perception of residents and shows that respondents have a high degree of awareness of centralized permitting and the implications for their community, although there are varying opinions about the impact of urban drilling on Broadview Heights.

Committee: David Kaplan Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Geography

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

Identity is a significant aspect of everyday life within the walls of Siena, an Italian city located in the hilly and culturally rich region of Tuscany. Siena is relatively small for a city, comprised of only about 20,000 people in its center; but it is unique because it is divided into seventeen distinct territorial districts known as 'contrade'. Each contrada has its own cultural and historical characteristics, signified by symbols and colors that represent them. Twice a year during the summer, ten of the seventeen contrade take part in the dangerous Palio horserace where riders run horses bare back around Siena's Piazza del Campo. The symbology of the Palio is inscribed within the symbolic landscape of Siena. However, symbols of the contrade system are used to construct and reinforce the various identities of the contrade members throughout the entire year. This study will serve to answer the question regarding how symbols associated with place work to influence and produce community identities through time and space.

Committee: Dr. Harold Perkins (Advisor); Dr. Risa Whitson (Committee Member); Dr. Timothy Anderson (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2013, Recreation Studies (Education)

The links between outdoor recreation participation and environmentalism are hazy at best. This study provides clarity for this relationship by examining the effect that level of leisure participation, mediated by place attachment, had on an individual's level of environmental concern. A questionnaire comprised of three individual measures of serious leisure, place attachment and environmental concern was distributed to rock climbers in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York State (N = 151). A mediation analysis, as outlined by Kenny, Kashy and Bolger (1998) was used to quantitatively explore this relationship. While evidence could not be garnered of a mediation effect, a direct, although weak, effect was discovered between serious leisure participation and environmental concern. Exploratory analyses later revealed a strong direct relationship between serious leisure participation and place attachment.

Committee: Andrew Szolosi PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Recreation