Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social sciences – Research – United States'

Millions of people are adversely affected by crises and disasters each year. Response to disasters relies heavily on volunteer organizations to assist in the aftermath of these traumatic events. HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) is one organization that provides needed support to those impacted by way of specially trained crisis dogs. Unfortunately, there is a lack of these certified teams able to effectively respond. The research question for this study was how can HOPE AACR expand (recruit and train qualified new teams) into currently unoccupied areas. This question was answered through collaborative action research (AR) with this organization's members, those who possess the specialized knowledge and training for AACR work. Due to the fact that the nature of this AR did not contain sensitive information that posed risk to participants and that written permission was obtained to use the site name, an exemption was granted to name the site in this study. In particular, this study worked with regional directors in charge of various areas of the U.S., elected board of directors responsible for oversight and approval of organizational changes, and a group of current certified volunteer team members. Participants engaged in various interviews and focus groups in order to share perspectives and experiences to solve the identified problem. Through this AR process, this research team determined a plan of action (target area for expansion and strategies to recruit and train new members). The goal of this study was to document a process which can be refined and re-used for future expansion efforts. Implementation of this action plan will also result in expanded territory, increased ability to meet requests for services, and ultimately enhanced recovery for those exposed to crises and disasters.

Keyword: Animal-Assisted Crisis Response

Many U.S. adolescents suffer from sleep disorders. Although poor sleep habits may contribute to health issues, less is known about how parental perspectives influence sleep health in adolescents. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to address a knowledge gap in understanding parental views to promote better sleep habits in adolescents. The blended theoretical framework included the theories of caring science, social learning, advocacy paradigm, and repair and restoration of sleep. Twenty parents in the Southeastern United States participated in open-ended interviews. Research questions were designed to elicit parental perspectives about recognizing unhealthy sleep habits, improving daily sleep health routines, and identifying conditions that led to consultation with health professionals. Colaizzi’s data analysis strategy demonstrated thematic parental reports of declines in attitudes, behaviors, and performances as factors for recognizing unhealthy sleep habits; consistent and routine schedules as options for promoting improved sleep habits; and irregular sleep or health problems as reasons for consultation with health professionals. Recommendations for future research include exploring other geographical locations and investigating school bus schedules interfering with early morning sleep loss. To affect positive social change, dissemination of this study’s findings to health practitioners may influence enhanced provider-patient communications and ultimately contribute to improved sleep habits among adolescents. Additionally, this study’s findings may inform health care administrators with strategies to develop effective parent and provider education programs while reducing unnecessary health services’ utilization and resulting costs for adolescent health.

Important throughout the 20th century, trade unions are an influential social actor that can affect and influence various policies, public opinion, and working standards through collective agreements, social activism, and political partnerships. Both within and extending beyond the workplace, unions have at times played a role in determining solutions to environmental issues, from health and safety standards all the way to national and international policy and solidarity activity, though this subject is rarely studied or analyzed. In particular, trade union stances and action on climate and energy issues represents an under-researched, yet important topic of analysis. Using the United States and Sweden as case studies, with analysis of two blue-collar unions in each, the research analyzes the important factors affecting choices and action regarding climate and energy matters. Within the case study approach, using a neo-institutional theoretical approach, I employed qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, complemented with primary source documentary analysis. The analysis demonstrates that two unions (one in each country) can be described as active and two as defensive on environmental issues, respectively. The United Steelworkers in the United States and Kommunal in Sweden, both affected and acting within a particular structure, have been active at combating and seeking solutions to climate change, while linking work and environmental issues at multiple levels. Key factors such as working within a social unionism paradigm; instrumental leadership combined with multilevel work; and important mergers converge to influence and define behaviour. The United Autoworkers (U.S.) and IF Metall (Sweden), both defensive, though in their own ways, are influenced by factors including historical institutional power; regional concentration of employment; and the types of employment they represent.

Foster care efficacy in the United States is examined in an analytical review of the literature. The question researched was whether or not the foster care placement system in the United States is conducive to the developmental needs of children with high risk factors. Participants included populations of children in foster care, foster parents, and children who had matured out of foster care, throughout the United States. The relating topics of the data analysis within the literature review are: developmental theory, stability, outcomes, continuing education, and foster parent training. Research suggests that many children in foster care, or children who are entering foster care settings, are diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. Support and emotional stability within a foster home for children was shown to have a significant correlation as to if there would be positive future outcomes. The KEEP program, (Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported), was found to be effective in correlation with not how often it is used, but with how well the caregiver understands how to implement the intervention. Further research into the impact of continuing training of foster parents after initial licensing, and the impact foster homes lacking in foster parent support pertaining to schoolwork, extracurricular activities and long-term educational goals , is suggested.

Over the last three decades, collaboration has come to the fore as a way to address natural resource management problems that are often complex and contentious. As such, a new way of doing business has emerged for the United State Forest Service (USFS) as it engages community members in collaborative governance arrangements created to address forest management issues. USFS field-level personnel and the community stakeholders involved in collaborative governance arrangements expend valuable and limited resources to obtain collaborative outcomes. Field observations suggest that in order for collaborative outcomes to be durable and maintain longevity, changes must occur at the organizational level. However, few existing studies that document organizational changes made by natural resource land management agencies as a result of the agency’s engagement in collaborative governance arrangements with community stakeholders. This dissertation provides theoretical and practical insights into the organizational changes occurring at three USFS field offices.

This exploratory, qualitative study employs a case study approach and semi-structured interviews were conducted with agency personnel and non-agency stakeholders. Document analysis of meeting minutes and personal observation data were also conducted. The data yielded the richest results when interpreted through three overarching theoretical lenses: organizational change, public administration, and collaborative governance. The results revealed that organizational changes are occurring at the field-level as a result of the actions of individual actors as they cross organizational boundaries. The outcomes of these changes can be beneficial to the agency, but a cautionary tale is presented suggesting that collaborative processes may impede, if not derailed, by power imbalances. The role of trust, or more accurately, the lack thereof, and its ability to change organizational boundaries and create power imbalances in the shared decision-making arena emerged as finding of importance to land managers and collaborative governance theory.

This dissertation advances the scholarly and practical knowledge of organizational change by presenting empirical evidence of the impact of community collaboration on federal natural resource agencies. It is necessary for the leadership of the USFS to understand their role in the collaborative process and to understand how and why these changes are taking place if they are to be sensitive to the added pressures and tensions that collaboration brings to their individual staff members. Managers in the USFS will need to be cognizant of the attributes of trust and should encourage their staff to build trust with stakeholders if they wish to maintain equitable power positions in the shared decision-making process. Future research that provides evidence of the linkage between organizational change, trust, and power would be useful in further understanding how the collaborative process and the collaborative behavior of individuals in natural resource management links to the outcomes of collaboration.

The perceptions held by high school students concerning patriotism is an indicator of whether education is influencing students to become active citizens in a democratic nation. The United States and England share a common history and philosophical values that have influenced their current democratic forms of government. Understanding the perceptions that high school students in both nations have, alongside a comprehension of the role of education in developing such perceptions, offers an insight into the student’s understanding of their role as a citizen in a democratic nation.

This mixed method study looked at the perceptions of patriotism held by 120 students in England and 120 students in the United States of America. The first part of the study consisted of the administration of a 20-item Likert scale survey. The second part included follow-up interviews of 6 students at each school site. Exploratory factor analysis was administered in order to establish the dominant factors in the students’ understanding of patriotism. The interviews were transcribed and then examined using narrative analysis in order to further investigate how students’ perceived patriotism, and to discover emergent themes.

Exploratory factor analysis of the samples produced dominant factors that were termed constructive patriotism, importance of emotional attachment, and blind patriotism. Analysis suggested that students in both nations understood the terms used in the discussion of patriotism in a similar manner. Analysis also suggested that students were more likely to adopt a constructive patriotism over a blind patriotism. These results suggest that students understanding of patriotism in both nations are more likely to align with the democratic values.

The aim of this thesis is to understand the reasons behind the decision of the United States to stand in opposition to the International Criminal Court. This policy seems to contradict the United States'leading role in international justice and commitment to universal human rights. The opposition to the ICC presents an apparent contradiction between principles and interests, and provokes the question of what role power, identity and principles play in the formation of national interest.

The author reviews the concept of national interest in International Relations theory. It is found that only a constructivist identity approach takes account of both power and identity in the formation of national interest. The constructivist identity approach presents the concept of national interest as endogenous to social interaction and linked to identity. National interest is thus not seen as an objective analytical concept from which one can derive and explain rational behavior by rational actors, but as the very phenomenon that we are trying to understand. This theoretical framework is firmly located in an understanding tradition.

In the search for an understanding of why the United States’ decision-makers considered opposition to the ICC to be in the national interest of the United States, role theory serves as a method. The empirical part of this thesis consists of analysis of speeches and statements, and of role conceptions found therein.

The results of this approach show that the apparent contradiction between principles and interests does not exist. The reason why the behavior examined appears to be contradictory is that the spectator lets his or her own expectations of behavior appropriate for a certain belief or a certain role conception stand as a guide. The only way we can understand the reasons behind a given behavior is by looking at the actors’ view of the problem and what beliefs and role conceptions come into play for the actors when they face a foreign policy issue.

The analysis makes it clear that the United States views its behavior as contradictory neither to its principles, nor to its perceived roles. Instead, it is the roles of the United States, the sources of which include both principles and capabilities, that are the reasons behind the policy.