Abstract As the environmental consequences of urbanization and climate change become apparent in coastal communities, it has become important to understand how residents of these communities experience and approach their changing environments. This becomes especially significant in places where nature-based livelihoods constitute a major part of the economy. This thesis focuses on the city of Tarpon Springs, located along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, where sea sponge fishing is an important contributor to the local economy while also being central to place-based tourist and ethnic identities. It seeks to understand how environmental changes in the sea sponge economy will affect the coastal economy of Tarpon Springs. Based on interviews conducted with people closely connected with the sponge fishing economy, including sponge fishers and shops selling sponges, the thesis delves into (i) local perspectives on changing environmental conditions, (ii) how such changes will impact the future of sponge fishing and (iii) the extent to which local governmental support has been sought by sponge fishers and shops. Sponge fishing in Tarpon Springs is connected to its Greek identity so changes in the sponge economy could potentially affect whether tourist experiences which highlight Greek identity linked to sponge fishing continue to be connected to an actual Greek economic presence or reflect nostalgia for a Greek past. The interview responses showed concerns about declining sponge hauls which were connected to more immediate experiences of environmental change and pollution, including red tide events and phosphate runoff. Respondents also reflected on how climate change will exacerbate such environmental issues through rising water temperatures. Respondents viewed Tarpon Springs as a community with a strong Greek identity and sponge shop owners especially seemed to be dependent on links with an active sponge fishing economy to enhance the value of their sponges for tourists. In terms of government support, those involved in the sponge economy had very little interaction with city officials and did not seem keen to enhance such interactions. This thesis thus reveals that the economy of Tarpon Springs continues to be shaped by sponge fishing livelihoods that are directly dependent on nature. However, it seems that concerns related to environmental change remain within the local community and are not being voiced through more public forums, such as through active engagement with local government. The future of Tarpon Springs and its sponge fishing economy therefore remains uncertain, even as local participants in the sponge economy continue to work towards maintaining their unique identity.

This study used data from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to examine variations in relationships among selected psychosocial characteristics, race/ethnicity and expectations of nursing home utilization in the United States, with a particular focus on Latino/a subgroups. This study sought to test a modified version of the Andersen and Newman model of health service utilization. Findings revealed that expectations of nursing home utilization remained lower among Latino/as than in the Non-Latino White sub-groups, even when levels of need, enabling, and predisposing factors were controlled for. However, for Mexican Origin respondents (who are often arbitrarily combined with other individuals of various Latino nationalities as one homogenous group) never differed significantly from the White reference group. The inclusion of the selected psychosocial characteristics (attitudes towards one's own aging, personal mastery, religiosity, and perceived family support/ family satisfaction) increased the explanatory power of regression models tested. Having a high sense of personal mastery, as well as having a more positive attitude towards one's own aging, were associated with lower expectations of nursing home use. An important implication of this study is that the Latino/a population in the United States should not be treated as a homogenous, pan-ethnic group, particularly in regards to health service use. Also, psychosocial characteristics are relevant when considering expectations for nursing home use

While all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. exhibited an increase in longevity during the twentieth century, inequalities in survival remain. Hispanics have the highest life expectancy at birth in the United States, non-Hispanic blacks have the lowest, and non-Hispanic whites exhibit life expectancy between the two minority groups. An overarching objective of Healthy People 2020 is to "achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups." Yet, a similar objective based on the Healthy People 2010 campaign regarding reduction of health inequalities was clearly not met. As the population of the United States becomes increasingly diverse as a result of immigration, intermarriage, and evolving notions regarding race and ethnicity, health demographers must monitor adult survival outcomes and inequalities across racial and ethnic subpopulations. This dissertation examines current inequalities in survival among Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white adults in the United States. Using the 1989-2006 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files and 2010 U.S. National Vital Statistics System, I contribute to the understanding of racial/ethnic survival disparities through three empirical studies: The first chapter affirms that Hispanic mortality rate and life expectancy estimates are favorable relative to blacks and whites, particularly for foreign-born Hispanics and from smoking-related causes. The second chapter shows that, in addition to their higher mean age at death, Hispanics exhibit less variability around that mean relative to non-Hispanic whites. Non-Hispanic blacks, on the other hand, have greater variability and lower life expectancy than the other two racial/ethnic groups. The lower variability among Hispanics relative to whites is largely attributable to lower incidence in cancer, suicide, and other external cause mortality, whereas the greater variability among blacks relative to whites is mainly due to greater dispersion in age at death from heart disease and the residual cause grouping. The third chapter finds that smoking initiation in childhood or adolescence contributes additional mortality risk for current heavy and light smokers relative to never smokers. Lower smoking prevalence and later initiation among foreign-born and U.S-born Hispanics account for much of their lower mortality risk relative to whites. / text

Self-determination is a much researched topic in transition literature. However, very little is known about self-determination experiences in transition-age young adults who are racially/ethnically diverse with developmental disabilities as relates to their home/personal life and school/work life. It is recognized that differences do exist of self-determination by these individuals in various settings but the specifics remain unknown. / text

Why are men seeking other men online? And how does the Internet influence these men and their sexuality? These are the two underlying questions driving this thesis. To answer these general questions, I conducted a qualitative study, which used in-depth individual interviews with 15 men who have sex with other men who self-identified as gay, queer, or homosexual. Through employing a theoretical framework that is inspired in queer theory, I uncovered three main topics in these men’s lives that are intimately shaped by their use of the Internet: friendship, racial and bodily desire, and HIV. First, I show the creative ways gay men are using the Internet, and specifically a sexualized space, in order to build relations with other gay men, despite the larger obstacles a heteronormative society puts in these men’s way to forge these friendships. In using their gay identity to try to establish relationalities with other gay identified men, the informants in this study challenge the impersonable traits associated with modernity, while seeking to build new alliances that could potentially radically disrupt heteronormative society. Secondly, I highlight how the social exclusionary practices toward people of color and non-normal bodies on Adam4Adam.com reifies whiteness and masculinity, which in turn, reifies heteronormativity. Here, I unmask how the structure of Adam4Adam.com, especially its filtering system, normalizes these discriminatory practices in users’ lives. Thirdly, I examine the role and meaning of HIV and sexual health in the lives of my informants. I incorporate the term “doing sexual responsibility” to show how my gay informants manage their anxiety-ridden lives when navigating their sexuality and sexual health. I also show how the gay men in this study engage in online foreplay as a pleasurable way to manage this anxiety and how trust and hegemonic masculinity are unintended consequences of this danger discourse on sexuality. As these men’s narratives and this thesis illustrate, society is still structured through heteronormative standards, but the Internet provides a new space for gay men to navigate their marginalized status in society. / text

Although intra-district performance-based school choice as featured in NCLB and state laws has existed for over a decade, scant attention has been devoted to the study of how the policies and programs are operated by school districts. Policymakers and education practitioners have adopted performance-based school choice to address school achievement disparities, yet it is currently unclear if federal and state mandated choice programs are being managed with fidelity to the egalitarian design of the policy. Few researchers have examined whether these policies achieve their specified goals of increasing access to high performing schools for students residentially assigned to underperforming locations. This study utilizes a qualitative comparative case study design that contrasts school choice implementation in two large, socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse school districts in the state of Texas. As the primary method of data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with: school district superintendents, school board members, choice program administrators, principals, community leaders, and parents. This study contributes to the school choice research literature through analyzing program operations, community influence in policy implementation, and the resulting implications for access and equity. The study concludes with policy recommendations to ensure maximum advantage to the students that school choice is designed to benefit. / text

Efforts to estimate the population prevalence of chemical sensitivities have been limited and have yielded different estimates of the prevalence of affected individuals. Researchers recognize that people differ in their biological susceptibility to environmental contaminants as well as the amount of contaminant to which they are potentially exposed. Lack of information on the population prevalence of people, who report sensitivity to a chemical or many chemicals, as well as variables associated, has been recognized in previous studies (Kreutzer et al., 1999). In a more recent report, Berg et al., in 2007 reported the prevalence and consequences related to inhalation of chemicals in a Danish population. They concluded that the symptoms related to inhalation of airborne chemicals were common, especially among women. A small part of that population reported that these symptoms affected social life or occupational conditions. Details in prevalence on severity of symptoms caused by inhaled odors, chemicals and irritants have not been investigated comparing populations based on ethnical differences. These differences could influence how individuals report their symptoms. This study evaluated the differences between Americans and Hispanics in sensitivity and symptoms related to inhalation of strong odors, chemical and irritants. We also evaluated the differences between both ethnic groups on quality of life due to these symptoms. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between December 2008 and March 2009. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a total of 290 adults and 205 were selected for the analysis. American and Hispanic individuals of 16 years old or more were included. The responses were cross-tabulated and comparisons between means were performed using t-test and ANOVA. 29.8% of study population reported being more sensitive than the average person and women reported more than men (75%). These findings were consistent with previous reported in the literature. The reaction more frequent reported was to cigarette smoke (60%). Statistically significant differences were identified between Americans and Hispanics regarding to sensitivity to chemicals, irritants, odors or strong fragrances and reaction to cigarette smoke when history of Allergy is present. Significant differences between both ethnic groups were detected with Lower Respiratory, Neuro-psychological and Non-specific symptoms; and Quality of life. These differences were disclosed when history of Allergy, smoking habit, used steroids or antibiotics within the last 4 weeks, and age were considered. Americans reported being more sensitive with exposure to recognized everyday irritants, react more to cigarette smoke and reported more Non-specific symptoms than Hispanics. Hispanic smokers tend to report Lower Respiratory symptoms more than the Americans. Hispanics between 50 to 59 years old reported more Neuro-psychological symptoms than Americans. Quality of life was more affected among Americans if they are exposed to common irritants, when Allergy history and use of steroids or antibiotics were considered.

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This study explored the experiences of Hausa young people in the Jos ethno-religious crisis. It sought to answer the following research question: is there evidence of trauma resilience among the Hausa young people in Jos? If established, further enquiry into the methods employed by the social organisation to make its young people resilient was made. A qualitative study of 32 young people (16 females and 16 males) drawn from the social organisation discussed their experiences during the crisis in a focus group forum. In addition, 16 parents (consisting of 8 males and 8 females) discussed their experiences and observations of the young people's behaviours during and after the crisis. Furthermore, focus group discussions were held with some hospital workers (comprising 2 male and 4 female staff) to gain insight into their experiences of working with the young people during the crisis. Five traditional/religious leaders in Jos were also interviewed to share their experiences during and after the crisis. Focus groups, picture drawings and individual interviews were used to capture and illuminate on the young people's experiences. The results revealed that there is high level of resilience among the young people. The young people through their discussions and pictures demonstrated that they had faced many difficulties during the crisis, and presented symptoms of trauma, but these symptoms were not severe enough to attract a diagnosis of PTSD and did not require treatment. All the young people reported a great deal of anxiety and fear (100%), and avoiding some parts of Jos (100%); however, none reported increased irritability (0%) and none reported symptoms of hypervigilance or insomnia (0%). However, the pictures drawn by the young people revealed lots of trauma, some dealing directly with crisis and others in different areas of their lives. Girls reported more traumatic incidents than boys. Likewise, the younger age group (7-12 years) reported more traumatic incidents than the older age group (13-18years). Furthermore, all the young people reported engagement with religiosity/spirituality; social support; cultural factors such as the socialisation process; and individual resources to contain the effects of the conflict and to remain healthy. The young people also gave reasons why they used religion/spirituality; most mentioned it gave them confidence, independence and hope. Gender and age differences were revealed. Girls used more emotion-focused channels to cope with the difficulties in addition to religion/spirituality. Boys used problem-solving channels in addition to religion/spirituality. The younger age group also used more of an emotion focus in addition to religiosity, while the older age group used more problem-solving techniques. The results from the parents, hospital workers and traditional/religious leaders further corroborate the findings from the young people. The findings were discussed alongside the literature (Millwood, 1995, Koenig, King, & Carson, 2012, Bracey, 2010). It is recommended that in times of recovery of a post-conflict society, religion and the indigenous methods should be explored and employed to get the young people out of their emotional difficulties.

How do armed rebellions begin? Scholars often probe the “origins” and “onset” of internal conflict, but rarely scrutinize how violence initially emerges. This study does so by examining the inception of all rebel groups that formed in Uganda since 1986. It focuses in particular on understanding why only some nascent groups become viable, while others fail too early to make an imprint on the historical record and thus remain omitted from scholarly analyses. By comparing the initial stages of rebellion for groups that become viable with those of groups that fail early, this project offers a rare opportunity to examine how armed conflict begins and how it sometimes ends before large-scale violence occurs. The project highlights the importance of information in the initial trajectories of aspiring rebels. While most existing work envisions rebel initiation as a collective action problem, I posit that in fact insurgencies often begin as small, vulnerable, clandestine groups whose primary challenge is to avoid information leaks to the government. Several arguments at the core of the dissertation follow from this conceptualization of incipient rebellion. First, in weak states – those with minimal institutional penetration and thus minimal monitoring of their territory beyond the capital – barriers to entry for clandestine groups are low and therefore rebel formation will occur more commonly and with less spatial predictability than several dominant theories of conflict initiation suggest. Second, the decisions of civilians who live near newly-formed rebel groups, many of who could provide information about nascent rebels to the government, are critical in determining whether nascent groups survive. Civilians make decisions about whether to provide information to the government about incipient rebels based primarily on information they receive from other civilians; thus, variation in the structure of civilian information networks importantly influences incipient rebels’ chances for becoming viable. By showing a link between ethnicity and information networks, the dissertation advances a new understanding of how ethnicity can influence conflict onset. A third argument calls attention to the importance of domestic intelligence institutions in allowing states to access local information networks, deterring the initiation of new rebel groups. / Government