The psychological literature on mental health has shown that oppressions such as racism, sexism and classism can be extremely stressful. Thus individuals' identities, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, and the oppression these can lead to have clinical implications. The current research sought to investigate the intersection of Black Canadian women's identities and how it contributes to their unique experience of depression and coping. The aim of this study was to identify significant experiences of depression and coping of this population in order to develop a theory of healing.

The psychological literature on mental health has shown that oppressions such as racism, sexism and classism can be extremely stressful. Thus individuals' identities, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, and the oppression these can lead to have clinical implications. The current research sought to investigate the intersection of Black Canadian women's identities and how it contributes to their unique experience of depression and coping. The aim of this study was to identify significant experiences of depression and coping of this population in order to develop a theory of healing.

This thesis investigates the rise of the cultures and music of hip-hop and rap in the West and its effects on its female listeners and fans, especially those in academia. The thesis consists of two parts. First I conducted a content analysis of 95 lyrics from the book, Hip-Hop & Rap: Complete Lyrics for 175 Songs (Spence, 2003). The songs I analyzed were performed by male artists whose lyrics repeated misogynist and sexist messages. Second, I conducted a focus group with young female university students who self-identify as fans of hip-hop and/or rap music. In consultation with my former thesis supervisor, I selected women enrolled in interdisciplinary programmes focused on gender and race because they are equipped with an academic understanding of the potential damage or negative effects of anti-female or negative political messaging in popular music. My study suggests that the impact of hip-hop and rap music on young women is both positive and negative, creating an overarching feeling of complexity for some young female listeners who enjoy music that is infused with some lyrical messages they revile. The attraction to hip-hop and rap music and cultures by young women in academia seems to be largely contingent upon an appreciation of the aesthetics of the genre and music, including its rhythmic flow, melodic structure and the general appeal of the artists. Therefore, even when the messaging comes across as antagonizing or antithetical to the well-being of the young female academic listener, her enjoyment of the music remains intact. By organizing a discussion group and candid dialogue between young academic women who are self-described hip-hop and/or rap fans, I was able to obtain an intimate understanding of their personal struggle between this appealing musical aesthetic and the sometimes-violent messages of hip-hop and rap.

This thesis investigates the rise of the cultures and music of hip-hop and rap in the West and its effects on its female listeners and fans, especially those in academia. The thesis consists of two parts. First I conducted a content analysis of 95 lyrics from the book, Hip-Hop & Rap: Complete Lyrics for 175 Songs (Spence, 2003). The songs I analyzed were performed by male artists whose lyrics repeated misogynist and sexist messages. Second, I conducted a focus group with young female university students who self-identify as fans of hip-hop and/or rap music. In consultation with my former thesis supervisor, I selected women enrolled in interdisciplinary programmes focused on gender and race because they are equipped with an academic understanding of the potential damage or negative effects of anti-female or negative political messaging in popular music. My study suggests that the impact of hip-hop and rap music on young women is both positive and negative, creating an overarching feeling of complexity for some young female listeners who enjoy music that is infused with some lyrical messages they revile. The attraction to hip-hop and rap music and cultures by young women in academia seems to be largely contingent upon an appreciation of the aesthetics of the genre and music, including its rhythmic flow, melodic structure and the general appeal of the artists. Therefore, even when the messaging comes across as antagonizing or antithetical to the well-being of the young female academic listener, her enjoyment of the music remains intact. By organizing a discussion group and candid dialogue between young academic women who are self-described hip-hop and/or rap fans, I was able to obtain an intimate understanding of their personal struggle between this appealing musical aesthetic and the sometimes-violent messages of hip-hop and rap.

A food desert is defined as "a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store," (USDA, ERS, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine how African-American residents of a rural food desert navigate their nutrition environment to obtain the foods they eat. Twenty-four in-depth interviews with 17 African-American men and seven African-American women were conducted in Alexander County and Pulaski County, Illinois. The interviews ascertained ways in which individuals navigate the nutrition environment. A quantitative assessment of the availability, price, and quality of African-American culturally-preferred dried legumes (beans), fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables was conducted with the customized Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey-Stores (NEMS-S) in 27 food venues (stores) (Glanz et al., 2007). The qualitative data was coded, categories were established, and themes were derived. The qualitative data analysis software, ATLAS.ti, 7.0 was used in the study. The quantitative data analyses were completed using SPSS 17.0 software (SPSS Inc, 2009). The availability and quality of food items were measured with a customized NEMS Scoring Sheet for Stores. The prices of food items were compared among the food venues (stores). Data obtained from interviews and food venues (stores) data were triangulated. Culturally-preferred foods remain a dietary staple. Fruit was often given as a snack to children. Changes in diet to address health problems were described as well as specific modifications to diet were made to traditionally southern and African-American food preparation. Family history and food practices that maintained the same flavors in childhood were important. Cultural traditions like gardening were also important. The respondents often settled for the convenience of food available in the area. The mean availability score was highest in the "Big Box Stores" and lowest in the gas stations-convenience stores-food marts. Prices were generally the lowest in the "Big Box Stores" and highest in the grocery stores. The "Big Box Stores" had the best quality food items. Coordinating shopping trips, carpooling, and gardening, community sharing, were ways challenges in the nutrition environment were managed. Limits of the nutrition environment were further managed through roadside markets, mobile sources, and pantries or give-a-ways. Health educators can better plan, implement, and administer culturally-appropriate interventions and strategies as well as strengthen social, environmental, and political factors that empower residents of the rural nutrition environment.

This dissertation examines interpretation of congregational traditions, present missional needs, and the role of the senior minister in presenting a vision for the future. This case study involves congregational self-appraisal, interpretation of data, goal setting, program and ministry development, lay leadership empowerment, and the importance of educational ministries in bringing about transformation. The findings of this study revealed that strategies for change take place through a combination of factors. Chief among these are trust, effective communication, agreed upon strategies for change, an understanding of conflict management, and the role of the senior minister in creating an atmosphere for change. The purpose of this study is to examine strategies for change in the life of an urban African-American, mainline denomination congregation. This study was prompted by the discovery of the lack of available information regarding the African-American church's struggle to respond to present and future missional needs. Chapter I outlines the purpose of the study and states the need for additional research particularly as it relates to the impact of tradition on decision making, the planning process for creating an environment for change, and the role of senior minister in presenting a vision for change. Chapter II discusses the current available literature on church growth, the Black Church, and the relationship of the African-American Church to the United Methodist Church. Chapter III examines the ministry issues that bring about the need for change. Congregational self-analysis is utilized to identify available options for change and the process of decision making is illustrated through a series of strategies for change. Chapter IV is a description of the process of implementation through several existing component elements and structures. The fifth and final chapter records the findings of the study. Among the key findings---the pastor as an agent for change must assume multiple roles: visionary, interpreter, enabler, spiritual guide, preacher, teacher, and umpire. The Council on Ministries must understand its role in the planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing and evaluation process. Finally, the policy-making body of the local church must be willing to implement the recommendations for change and transformation.

A myriad of issues face the rural and small membership A.M.E. churches, such as lack of long-range planning, high denominational assessments, recurring financial problems, inadequately trained pastors, frequent pastoral movement, and acceptance versus adoption, making survivorship difficult. Therefore, the EMPRO Model (i.e., The Empowerment Project) is an instrument that will positively impact the A.M.E. Church and its treatment of the rural and small membership churches. To be sure, the Empowerment Project is capable of delivering the necessary tools and skills (planning, budget preparation, polity, calendar preparation, church history, stewardship and tithing) to the leadership (clergy and laity) of rural and small membership churches which will enable them to perform at a much higher level. Succinctly, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate vehicle that enables the Empowerment Project to move forth. It was the invisible presence of the Holy Spirit that empowered the Fairfield A.M.E. Church to exhibit an outward resolve to keep hope alive. Empowerment is the enhanced ability to accomplish clearly identified goals and objectives. The procedure was to select five A.M.E. churches from the Atlanta/North Georgia Conference of the Sixth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church to participate in the Empowerment Project. Each church fits the definition of either rural or small membership, or both. Four of the five churches selected were actually located in rural areas. The other church is located in the city of Atlanta. The churches selected have experienced similar struggles and difficulties. The findings of the study showed that the training seminar forum is a powerful tool for imparting information. Other results were: (1) The topics offered during the seminar sessions strengthened the participants' knowledge and understanding of the A.M.E. Church in general. (2) The information relating to budget preparation and church planning provided additional insights into how the congregation would better be able to meet its goals because of better planning. (3) The session relating to the need for the local church to develop a mission statement that clearly outlined what it saw as its own identifiable mission caused the participants to be better able to identify 'do-able' local goals and objectives. (4) The seminar sessions provided an opportunity for useful dialogue to be exchanged between the key officers of the church concerning the mission and purpose of the local church. (5) The seminars provided the 'how to' for all of the participants involved. (6) Pastors viewed the training as an enormous help to their local church ministry. A more informed pastorate and a more informed laity bring about a much higher level of local church performance, i.e., empowerment . When folks know what to do and how to do it, the overall functioning of the church is enhanced and, thus, empowered.

This dissertation, entitled 'Educating for Christian Discipleship: A Comparative Approach to Contextual Planning and Implementation,' examines the role and importance of Christian education in African-American churches. Included in the dissertation are results of a comparative study, which tested the transferability of the concept and strategies of Christian discipling from a mega-urban African-American congregation to a mid-size suburban African-American congregation. The study resulted in a model for Christian discipleship that includes various theological and practical methods for planning and implementing a Christian discipleship model in a church, Future implications and applications of the model in different church environments are also included. It is proposed that the theological and practical applications of the model may be useful not only in African-American churches, but also in any church that endeavors to make Christian discipleship their primary task.

In today's times, research and common knowledge have substantiated that pastors and clergy persons experience an alarming rate of divorce, substance abuse, and other related issues resulting in mental and emotional burn-outs. This rate can be attributed among clergy to many factors, and these factors may continue to rise unless effective corrective actions are taken to include pastoral care and counseling as an instructional component to the teaching and assessment process for new persons entering the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Ministry in Southwest Georgia. As a whole, empirical research has proven that clergy stress and burnout are multiphasic because of the spiritual and secular demands and expectations from others. The primary purpose of this project is to enhance the present Board of Examiner's process in southwest Georgia to include a pastoral care and counseling component in its teaching and assessment process for new persons entering the A.M.E. ministry because the current Board of Examiner's process does not include the benefits and use of Pastoral Care and Counseling in its seventeen week training program in the preparation of ministry to men and women for ministry. This project has created a Demographic, Pre and Post Test Survey of new persons entering the A.M.E. ministry in Southwest Georgia, developed a Teacher's Instructional and Lesson Plan which includes the history of Pastoral Care and Counseling, various Vignette Case Studies, and most importantly this project developed a method of approaching a parishioner/client in an attitude and modality of acceptance. The emphasis will be on the need to take care of oneself in the ministry and to recognize when there is a need to solicit professional help from a specialist. Plans, after this project, will also include a 'new persons' psychological assessment test for incoming ministers with a continued efforts to reduce or avert the ever-increasing rate of divorce, substance abuse, and mental and emotional burnout among clergy. The methods used in this project will be qualitative and quantitative in a case study format. This project did impact and produce the following results: (1) It did permit a pastoral care and counseling component in the teaching and assessment process for new persons entering the A.M.E. ministry. (2) The Bishop, the Dean, and the Board of Examiners realized the benefits of Pastoral Care and Counseling as an 'equipping tool' for persons entering the ministry and included it in their lesson plans for 2004. (3) New persons in ministry learned about Pastoral Care and Counseling and were more appreciative of a time for renewal, reflections. Lastly, they were instructed to be better prepared to identify the needs for more specialized professional help during their ministerial career in order to maintain a well-balanced mental healthiness.

The aim of the study is to look at the social formative processes of the Somali-Canadian youths, known as the ‘say-wallahi’ generation, go through. My research primarily focuses on how I learned to survive as a racialized person in the White Canadian nation space by holding onto my Somali identity, and how my journey diverges and converges with Somali-Canadian youth. First, I examine how the media socially constructed the Somali identity through a colonial gaze in a Toronto Life article. Secondly, I narrate some of my own schooling experiences for they speak to the deep psychological and spiritual scars that I embody as a racialized Somali. Especially, my interest is to show how instrumental Somali dhaqan was to my survival of the colonial/racializing gaze. Finally, I stress the importance of and the need for Somali youth to engage in de-colonizing/ de-racialization processes that encompasses their re-discovery of their indigenous Somaliness.