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

Surrogacy has been a highly contested practice for several decades, with many critics expressing concern for surrogates' loss of bodily autonomy. Although the number of surrogacy arrangements continue to rise in the United States, empirical research that explores surrogates' and intended parents' expectations for, negotiation, and experiences of control and autonomy over medical decisions made throughout surrogacy process is lacking. To fill this gap in U.S.-based surrogacy research, I conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with eighteen surrogates and fifteen intended parents. Of the 18 surrogates, 17 were female and one was a trans male. Of the 15 intended parents, seven were female, seven were male, and one identified as transfeminine. I utilized Neiterman's (2012) concept of “doing pregnancy” to explore decisions around embryo transfers, abortion, pregnancy care, and childbirth—different phases of what I call “doing surrogacy.” I found that a clear division of control between “baby-based” and “surrogate-based” decisions were not always easily determined due to the blurred line between surrogates' bodily autonomy and intended parents' right to control the health of their child. As a result, surrogates sometimes experienced a loss of bodily autonomy when the interests of intended parents became paramount during the arrangement. Many times, however, surrogates were able to assert control over their bodies during surrogacy, a reality often supported by intended parents. This was especially true during the pregnancy phase, when surrogates were able to utilize their embodied knowledge of pregnancy to elicit trust from intended parents in terms of their decisions about pregnancy care. There were also times during the surrogacy process that intended parents chose to forgo their own interests to support their surrogate's autonomy or to protect their surrogate's health.

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.

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

The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread effects on many aspects of well-being, including psychological distress. For particularly vulnerable populations, such as college students, the pandemic has presented unique challenges and coping responses. This study uses a Stress Process Model to examine the relationship between COVID-related stressors and psychological well-being among college students. Using data from a Northeast Ohio university's survey (N=7,248), the study employs three separate regression models to examine the mediating effects of psychosocial resources (perceived social support) on psychological distress, substance use and flourishing. Preliminary findings suggest the pandemic significantly impacted students' mental health, with substance use varying among demographic and psychological distress categories. The study contributes valuable insights into the effects of COVID-related stress on student populations while incorporating aspects of positive well-being, informing future research and intervention strategies.

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This mixed-methods study analyzes the perspectives of educators in middle school regarding the impact of cell phones in the middle school environment. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory of cognitive development along with opportunity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) provide insight regarding implications related to accessing personal devices during the school day. The advantages of cell phones as a learning tool and consideration for the adverse impact is explored. The current investigation focuses on the perspectives of 16 teachers, administrators, and school resource officers (SROs) working in the middle school environment. Data was collected using QMethod Software. Results yielded two factors, including participants who felt strongly about restricting cell phone use and those who felt strongly about banning cell phones in the middle school environment. Qualitative follow-up questions demonstrated common concerns regarding cell phone considerations within the middle school environment. Common themes included Problematic Internet Use (PMI), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) considerations, peer relationships, stress, anxiety, and social perfectionism. Results can be utilized to inform discussion by school administrators and policymakers regarding cell phone use in the middle school environment.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The present study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in order to examine the lived experiences of young adult, cisgender women and the development of internalized sexism. Eight participants completed semi–structured interviews focused on their relationships with other women and subsequent views of womanhood. Themes found were (a) womanhood is taught by women throughout the lifespan, (b) women are sexually responsible for men, (c) women are emotional caregivers, (d) there are biological bases of womanhood, (e) women are expected to “do it all,” (f) expectations of women are fueled by media portrayal, (g) traditional femininity is seen as oppositional to the feminist movement, and (h) womanhood is a community. The results of the study found that young adult women hold similar beliefs and attitudes surrounding what it means to be a woman. Additionally, young adult women's perceptions of womanhood are similarly influenced by common external factors that stem from society's sexism and misogyny and lead to behaviors of internalized sexism. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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

Restorative justice has emerged in the past 30 years as a promising alternative to traditional court sentencing. Prior research indicates its potential efficacy in resolving even violent offenses, as well as interest from some in pursuing such alternatives for their own cases. However, less attention has been given to the practicalities of their application. Namely, how favorably do Americans perceive restorative justice conferences, which rely on community participation, and what demographic factors predict their views? Additionally, how do offender race and violence severity impact willingness to participate as community members in a restorative justice conference? This study addresses these questions through a survey experiment of a representative convenience sample (n=425), using vignettes to test differences in race and severity. The manipulation for severity was unsuccessful, while no differences were found based on offender race. However, more conservative political affiliation, working for an income, and higher fear of crime were all significantly correlated with poorer views toward the use of restorative justice conferences over traditional court sentencing. These results indicate that offender race is unlikely to have a significant effect in recruiting community representatives. However, individuals with more conservative beliefs or higher fear of crime may be less likely to support the use of restorative justice conferences in their communities.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Leadership and Change

In today's mainline Protestant churches, young women clergy navigate a precarious leadership space. While women's ordination is well-established in American Protestantism (Burnett, 2017), Gen-X/Millennial clergy women find themselves at the crosshairs of conflicting gender narratives and unsustainable expectations of what it means to be both a woman and an ordained pastoral leader. Through the use of feminist constructivist grounded theory methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of Gen-X/Millennial clergy women who have left active ministry or a specific pastoral position due to concerns over their own interpersonal boundaries and psychological safety. Through dimensional analysis of in-depth interviews with 20 clergy women representing eight mainline Protestant denominations, this study identified the co-core dimensions of experiencing feminized servanthood as dehumanizing and experiencing feminized servanthood as abusive. The social processes within these co-core dimensions severely compromised the clergy women's physical and psychological safety and informed their decisions to leave their respective ministry contexts. Extending from these co-core dimensions were five primary dimensions: 1) developing a sense of call; 2) differentiating self from system; 3) exposing vs. protecting toxic leaders and harmful systems; 4) nail in the coffin; and 5) reconstituting self. As a result of these findings, this study presents five theoretical propositions that address 1) the shadow side of servant leadership in the context of feminized servanthood; 2) reclaiming Gen-X/Millennial women's leadership strengths; 3) perceptions of self-differentiated women leaders as a “dissident daughter” and an “emasculating disruptor”; 4) gendered scapegoating and the disappearance of Gen-X/Millennial clergy women; and 5) reconstituting self beyond “reckoning” and “resilience.” This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD cent (open full item for complete abstract)

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

To build a safe and supportive community in school climates, we first need to prevent bullying through healthy relationships and safety procedures, which will begin in the classroom. My theory is to start early on in school settings such as Kindergarten. I hope to build a plan to ensure an autonomous mindset that gives students, teachers, and staff a pure and wholesome thought process. This thinking will take some years to develop a nuanced expression. During this starting phase of Kindergarten, I hope to broaden the opportunity for students in elementary school to be role models for students of the same age and younger; this begins with weekly training for them. The design is that this learning will transition into the middle school setting to facilitate a bridge in learning about the middle school student climate. The design continues to bridge students' transition into high school, hoping to eliminate bullying in the high school climate. The mindset structure is the tool to reduce and eliminate bullying, with a nuanced mindset to pivot from daily bullying in school settings. The intent is for this process to govern higher education and into future employment. This is a small piece of the planning process and implementation process with the management of a programmatic solution to building safer school environments.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000 have previously shown when given an excuse to be prejudiced, people are more likely to exhibit their underlying prejudice as opposed to when there's an absence of an excuse—known as the aversive racism hypothesis. We look at this hypothesis for people who have been previously incarcerated as opposed to people who have not, with incarceration offering an excuse to be prejudiced. In addition, we examine suspicion (Fein, et al., 1990) as a possible mechanism that creates aversive racism and the role of political orientation in moderating the effect. In study 1 we found evidence for aversive racism creating suspicion, but only among liberals, in being a possible mechanism behind the stigma that the formerly incarcerated face. In study 2 we examined the role of maintaining a sense of being moral in creating the effect, but we were not able to successfully manipulate feelings of being moral. In study 3 we found evidence that suspicion can have an effect on behavioral intentions such as hiring decisions. For study 4 we found we found that only liberals showed the aversive racism effect and that for liberals suspicion predicted hiring intention consistent with the aversive racism hypothesis.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

Recent cohorts are more likely to identify as bisexual than ever before, surpassing those identifying as gay or lesbian. Moreover, bisexual people make up nearly 50 percent of the sexual minority population and are the fastest-growing sexual minority group in the U.S. today. Despite the growing population of bisexual people, there are significant gaps in our understanding of bisexual people's identity formation and development. Drawing on a queer theory approach and in-depth interview data from 25 bisexual-identified young adults, I ask the following research questions: 1) How do bisexual young adults gain an understanding of their sexuality? And 2) How do bisexual young adults understand their sexuality in the context of other identities such as race/ ethnicity and gender identity? Results suggest that for the participants in my study, seeing and interacting with queer people, spaces, and media, provided them representation to draw from. Queer people, spaces, and media all served as exposing mechanisms for the bisexual people I spoke with, allowing them to discover and form their own sexual identity based on the representation provided. Through examining sexual identity within the context of intersecting dimensions of identity such as race/ ethnicity, gender identity, and relationship context, this thesis informs discussions surrounding identity for bisexual young adults, highlighting the distinctive experiences of bisexual young adults.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

Amidst rising costs of living and concerns over housing inequality in the United States, attention has focused on the role of landlords and other housing intermediaries. Previous scholars have documented the importance of landlord perceptions of risk and discretionary power on renter experiences. However, less is known about how landlords and renters make sense of their relationships with local government, an entity that impacts rental markets through ordinances and other regulations. Based on 18 in-depth interviews with landlords and renters in San Antonio, TX, I find that landlords and renters perceive government in overlapping and distinct ways. Specifically, local governments figure into the self-construction of landlords, but not the self-constructions of tenants. Rather, other tenants, landlords, and public housing authorities more prominently inform the narratives that renters create about themselves. Furthermore, landlords and renters both engage in strategies to reconstruct themselves as good actors. Their perceptions serve as valuable tools and windows, illuminating the contexts in which landlords and renters operate.

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.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Spanish and Portuguese

Barrio Chino de Lima (Lima's Chinatown) and Bairro "Oriental" da Liberdade (Sao Paulo's Japantown) represent orientalization and touristification experiences in Latin American metropolises. The Asiantowns' urban development is the result of national urban policies targeting Asian populations in Lima and Sao Paulo called ethnic cleansing and ethnic touristification. The ethnic cleansing policy was carried out through the displacement of Asian residents, exemplified by the demolition of Callejon Otaiza in 1909 (Peru) and the evacuation of Rua Conde de Sarzedas in 1942 (Brazil). The ethnic touristification policy was implemented through the political alliance between Lima's and Sao Paulo's local politicians and the Asian economic elite from the 1970s onwards. The Orientalist tourification process in Peruvian and Brazilian Asiantowns was shaped by two primary waves of urban renovation: the first, marked by the inauguration of the Chinese and Japanese Gateways under the influence of developmental ideologies by Latin American military regimes in the 1970s; and the second, characterized by the intense architectural Orientalist renovation and gentrification driven by the neoliberal ideologies since 1990s on. Thus, the contemporary tourist experience in Lima's and Sao Paulo's Asiantowns is almost exclusively through the commodification of Asian culture. Using a mixed-method approach that combines urban ethnography, historical archive research, and social media analysis on digital platforms, I conduct a comparative and panoramic study of Orientalized ethnic enclaves in Lima and Sao Paulo from the 1880s to the 2020s. I integrate theoretical approaches from urban sociology and anthropology, comparative race and ethnic studies, media studies in Latin America, and tourism studies. My argument is that the historical transformation of Asian urban communities into tourist and gentrified Orientalist urban areas reflects a shift in the imaginaries about Asian populations in Lat (open full item for complete abstract)

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

This study's aim is to better understand how women who work in the sex industry navigate their multifaceted lives. To accomplish this, 29 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with cis-women who had worked in the sex industry within the past 5 years. This sample contained a significant number of moms (65.5%), which enabled a better understanding of the different needs and challenges that moms and non-moms in the study faced. The interviews addressed the overarching research question of how women who work in the sex industry navigate both their work and private lives. All of the participants noted that support from others, even when minimal or lacking sincerity, had a positive impact on them. This research identified multiple forms of support within the narratives that helped the women navigate their lives. Support themes that emerged from the narratives included conditional support, casual support, steady support, and caregiving. These support themes varied in consistency and strength, with casual support providing the least support and caregiving providing the most support for the women. Additionally, while the source of the support was identified as important, with partners, friends, and close family often providing steady support and caregiving, it was not consistent as many women chose not to disclose their status as a sex worker. Lastly, the narratives identified three caregiving subthemes, understanding, caregiving by proxy, and stigma management, that helped the women navigate their lives. This research increases our understanding of how women in the sex industry navigate their lives and the impact that various types of support have on them.

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies

Online participatory translation and localization spread widely with the advent of Web 2.0, and various collaborative translation practices continue to emerge in different contexts (e.g., the entertainment, technology, and software development industries). Collaborative translation also continues to evolve in online education, particularly in massive open online courses (MOOCs), most of which are delivered in English. Therefore, a range of opportunities must be provided to learners with relatively low English language proficiency. Online collaborative translation has been utilized by several prominent platforms such as Coursera, Khan Academy, and edX to increase linguistic diversity and the use of MOOCs in international development. This study explores the online collaborative translation practices evident on educational platforms, with a particular focus on the translation policies of MOOCs' providers, the motivations driving collaborators to engage in these participatory translation initiatives, and the work models implemented by the platforms. Two MOOC providers were identified as case studies, namely Coursera and Khan Academy. This research investigates their respective translation policies, drawing on Gonzalez Nunez's (2013) systematic approach to translation policy as a complex concept that encompasses management, practice, and beliefs. Additionally, this research adopts Engestrom's (1987) activity system model to explain the technologically mediated collaborative translations involving diverse participants and tools on Coursera and Khan Academy, and to identify contradictions within and between the components of their activity system models. It also explores collaborators' motivations through the functional approach, which identifies specific motives driving participation in collaborative translation, alongside demotivating factors. The research employs a combination of methods, including document analysis, observation, questionnaires, and follow-up interview (open full item for complete abstract)

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)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

The mental health of Black Americans is surely impacted by complex racist practices and systems, with ample research on connections between social inequalities and mental health disparities, revealing how social disadvantages and stressors have the power to impact one's mental health. However, within research that is engaging the Black community, there remains a lack of a way to gauge mental health that is inclusive of Black opinions, culture, and expression: Hip-hop music. Given this gap in the existing literature, the current study seeks to answer the following overarching question, “How does hip-hop music discuss and portray the mental wellbeing of the Black community?”. To understand how Hip-hop music engages with mental health dialogues, I qualitatively coded 550 songs from the Billboard “Year-end charts: Hot Rap songs” from 2013 to 2023. Results revealed twelve overarching dialogues related to the causes and consequences of mental well-being among Black Americans including specific outcomes (e.g. depression, suicide, anxiety/stress), race-related stressors (work, court cases, criminal legal contact, death), and coping mechanisms (e.g. substance use, addiction, and religion/spirituality). Results suggest that Hip-hop music serves as a critical site in gauging narratives on negative mental health symptoms and stressors, and strategies used to mediate the impact of both for Black Americans, which requires deeper attention.

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Health Sciences

This thesis investigated the interplay between foreign accent and social judgments of stuttering with a particular emphasis on American-English monolingual and Arabic-English bilingual speakers. This project underscored the importance of linguistic diversity and how speech disorders and differences are perceived by native speakers of American English. The study aimed to uncover potential biases toward and challenges faced by Arabic-English bilingual non-native speakers who stutter. To do this, an experimental design was used to evaluate contrasting perceptions of stuttering among American-English and Arabic-English bilingual speakers. It was theorized that the foreign accent may intensify negative judgments towards stuttering, potentially due to linguistic prejudices or lack of exposure and potential additive effects associated with multiple out-group features (i.e., accent and stuttering). Findings contributed to the broader discourse on language, stigma, and inclusivity, highlighting the necessity for a more precise understanding of speech disorders and differences within multicultural contexts.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

International students in the United States make unique contributions both economically and culturally during their studies and many of them express their wish to stay after graduation. However, they often face challenges in their attempts to integrate, especially in their struggle to navigate the racially and culturally stratified U.S. society. This study aims to explore the interplay between international students' internalized cultural identities and the unfamiliar racial boundaries they encounter, focusing especially on how this affects their feelings of belonging. I utilize a thematic analysis of 28 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with international undergraduate and graduate students from 13 different countries enrolled at a Midwestern research university. My findings suggest that international students acquire new race-related schemas that allow them to perform ascribed racial roles and thus navigate the U.S. cultural landscape. However, many of them find race mysterious and do not see it as a part of their own identities. Consequently, instead of integrating into the mainstream society, they create international bubbles with others like them, cultivating environments where they can freely express their cultural identities and where they feel they belong. Additionally, many of them actively reject imposed racial categories, dismissing them as divisive and superficial. As race is a major part of the U.S. culture, this leads to further alienation, partial feelings of belonging at best, and even a reluctance to stay long-term and integrate.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Popular Culture

Folklore may be transmitted and diffused through many forms of media, adding to pre-established meanings and interpretations. This may be accomplished through the reinterpretation of mythological or legendary figures or stories in popular media, such as video games, novels, or cinema. Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons are often built on a foundation of mythology and folklore, which players use as inspiration to craft their own shared stories and experiences, allowing for endless reinterpretations and transmission of those interpretations. Through forms of subtle performative acts, players may experience different resistances to the narratives of dominant society. These resistances present themselves in different ways but may come as an active choice by the players or because of underlying shifts in framework or perspective. Medusa has become a symbol of feminine rage and resistance against Patriarchal institutions, which has been reflected in the developing resources of TTRPG material. This allows players to engage with that resistance on personal scales through performance in a safe, imaginative space. The types and styles of games that players engage with are varied, but many have correlations with other forms of media. These cross-media genres bring their own motifs and underlying frameworks into the TTRPG medium. Inspired by Dark Souls, the Soulslike subgenre provides a series of rules heavily, and subtly, influenced by European Christian motifs reinterpreted through a Japanese framework in a form of hybridization. The genre conventions that have been translated into TTRPG mechanics allow players to explore these hybridizations which themselves act as a resistance against globalization in a type of cross-pollination of cultural elements. Recent additions to the TTRPG library are also showing a shift in the outlook on accessibility and respectability of the player-base. Older TTRPGs often succumb to Orientalist and insensitive approa (open full item for complete abstract)