As with many cities in Florida, Orlando is becoming a melting pot of various ethnic groups. In particular, the Hispanic population in Orlando and throughout Central Florida is steadily increasing in numbers and influence. Groups such as Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Colombians are enriching the area with their culture, language, and diversity. Puerto Ricans, the largest of the Hispanic groups in Central Florida, are also emerging as the dominant group in the region as evidenced by their common language, historical and cultural heritage, shared common interests, and in some cases, residence within clear geographical areas. Between 1980 and 1990, Central Florida witnessed its largest influx of Puerto Ricans. In 1980, Orange County had a little over 6,660 Puerto Rican residents, Seminole County had over 2,000 and Osceola County had a mere 417. These numbers rose steadily, and by 2003, the Puerto Rican population in Florida numbered 571,000, ranking second behind New York, and followed only by New Jersey. Central Florida has seen the biggest jump in these numbers and now has more than 250,000 Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin making them the largest single group of Hispanics in the region. They now represent 49 percent of all Hispanics living in Central Florida. My thesis examines the development of the Puerto Rican community in Central Florida, its impact, and its contributions by utilizing such sources as newspaper articles from local papers including Spanish-language papers, interviews with Hispanic community leaders, statistical data, and secondary literature on the overall Puerto Rican migration to the United States and their experiences once here. To fully understand why the Puerto Rican community is developing in the Orlando area, I first place the analysis within the larger scope of immigration history. In this section, I examine some of the debates and patterns in overall immigration to the United States by various groups. Next, I provide a brief introduction to the history of the Puerto Rican people and the reasons for their migration to the United States and how this migration fits into the patterns examined in the first section. Furthermore, this introduction leads to an examination of other cities with large Puerto Rican communities and a comparison between the development of Puerto Rican communities in these cities and Central Florida. Finally, I explore the origin of the majority of Puerto Rican's moving to Central Florida, to discover if they are coming from the U.S. cities that originally saw a huge influx of Puerto Rican immigration (such as New York) or if the population is arriving directly from Puerto Rico. This determination sheds light on why the Puerto Rican population is choosing Central Florida as a place for settlement. I analyze my findings by examining factors such as better employment opportunities, better educational opportunities, and an overall improvement in quality of life, which are drawing Puerto Ricans to this area, when compared to these factors or conditions in Puerto Rico or other cities in Florida. In addition, I seek to determine if there are specific problems occurring in Puerto Rican cities that are compelling native-born Puerto Ricans to leave. I also examine the ways that the growing presence of Puerto Ricans has changed Central Florida economically, socially, and politically. I also discuss the effectiveness of Puerto Rican organizations that have arisen to serve the needs of this population and I seek to gain some indication of the long term implications for the region as a whole, especially in terms of their voting trends. Culminating this section is a description of the unique cultural contributions that the Puerto Rican community is bringing to the area. My thesis proves that Puerto Ricans are finding the Central Florida area is offering them many of the opportunities that cities such as New York City provided them long ago. In addition, it offers the added appeal of a better quality of life than can be found in Puerto Rico or in other American cities, such as New York City. Among the important factors here are affordable housing, good employment opportunities, and more adequate schools.

Florida has the second-highest incidence of human trafficking in the country. Sex trafficking of women into and out of the state of Florida is defined by various terms from international, national and local terms. The United Nations defines sex trafficking in Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as: "Trafficking in persons: shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation". This study explores the experiences of women who have been trafficked as well as the recruitment strategies by which women are trafficked and to what extent their life changes. This study aims to understand the extent to which local nonprofits in the state of Florida have tackled the issue as well as the international, federal and state government laws are enforced. The findings will provide useful guidelines to help nonprofits in the state of Florida work together to combat the issue as well as be used as an informative research proposal for the community to push stronger legislation and raise more awareness.

Within the last few decades, public opinion has greatly shaped the justice system to prevent "slippery slopes". This is most evident in the common law doctrine that restricts an alleged victim for recovering damages of emotional distress without notable physical manifestation in the eyes of a layperson—The Impact Doctrine. However, emotional distress is manifested in many psychological illnesses that do not require physical injury that are recognized as legitimate in psychology. This research explores the history of the rule and how it is inconsistent with not only areas of science; but also, other areas of the law. The purpose of this thesis is to explore alternatives to The Impact Doctrine. Through analysis of American common law, Florida common law, and British common law, it can be concluded that the British have found the best alternative to the rule that helps prevent "slippery slopes", while also bridging the gap between science and the law. By analyzing the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community and Civil Rights Actions, the LGBT community may bring a suit for emotional distress based upon a Civil Rights action.

According to well-known political science professors in Florida universities, the only constitutional mandate to which the Florida Legislature must adhere is to pass a balanced budget (MacManus, Jewett, Bonanza, & Dye, 2015, p. 184). The process begins with each of Florida’s state agencies crafting their individual budgets almost as soon as the new budget year takes effect (July 1). These budgets are submitted to the Governor’s office where they are reviewed by staff and then ultimately submitted to the legislature (p. 243). During the budget process, legislators are careful to ensure that they procure state dollars, oftentimes referred to as “pork,” for the constituents who elected them (p. 209). The premise of this paper is to explore the possibility that political influence or power has a direct effect on the amount of tax dollars appropriated to Florida’s 67 counties, 10 media markets, and in turn to Florida’s three geographic regions. First, a legislative power index is developed. We then analyze county by county allocations of budget year 2016/2017 and the legislative power index to determine if there is a relationship between the amount of money distributed by county and the legislative influence that exists in that county. The research finds that the legislative power of a county as measured by the legislative power index had no statistically significant effect on per capita allocation. The presence of a state university and miles of roadway in a county did have an influence.

Income inequality in Florida is higher than in many states and has been getting worse over time. Inequality has been argued as responsible for a wide-ranging array of economic and social problems, including suppression of lower- and middle-income growth, social fragmentation and separatism, urban sprawl, poor health and mental illnesses, violence, and shortened life expectancy. What explains variance in Florida county income inequality as measured by the GINI coefficient? Bivariate and multivariate weighted least square regressions are conducted for the years 2000 and 2016, and for the change between 2000 and 2016. Three variables achieve statistical significance in all three multivariate models: poverty rate and population density have a positive effect as does educational attainment (although that variable is negative in the 2000 model). Income per capita has a statistically significant positive relationship with inequality in the 2000 model and in the change model. Unemployment rate is statistically significant in the 2016 model and in the change model but has a positive association with the GINI index in the former and a negative association in the latter. Several variables were statistically significant in just one model: cost-burdened housing with a positive relationship to inequality and percentage of minorities with a negative relationship in 2016; and county tax rate with a positive association with inequality in the change model. Conclusions are drawn regarding policy that might be implemented to mitigate worsening inequality in the Sunshine State.

This research explores the visibility of women physicians, specifically in gynecology and obstetrics. It focuses upon their perspectives of gender inequity and sexual harassment within their broader profession and individual daily workplace. This study explores the medical and STEM women’s awareness and understanding of sexual and gender microaggressions within their professions by interviewing six women physicians. I analyze these narratives in relation to the #MeToo movement and how this movement gives visibility to the voices of women across workforces, including medicine, STEM, and other academic areas. This study shows the ongoing need to develop deeper conversations and interventions about women doctors’ experiences with gender discrimination and sexual harassment. This study adds a feminist interdisciplinary discussion of women physicians paving the way for further research across all specialties of medicine where women occupy space. My methods include five telephone and one in-person interviews and review of public statements such as medical professional associations and other public discourses. I analyze the women’s narratives alongside how the #MeToo movement has intervened on behalf of women in medicine. My data showed how the women experienced microaggressions whether they realized it or not. From men in positions of power and written rules within hospitals written by men, women were placed at a disadvantage within the workplace. Further research can be implemented to study the intersectional identities along with gender in medical specialties.

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The mass loadings of pollutants common in surface waters result from the discharges of many different sources. In the last few years it has been noted that nonpoint sources contribute more pollutants than point sources. This is because in many cases the point source discharges have been, by law, reduced drastically. In the State of Florida many water quality parameters were examined to estimate the mass loadings in streams related to, drainage area, average flow, land use, soil type and management practices. A total of sixteen streams were examined. The information was first calculated for mass loadings as a function of stream flow. Next the slopes and intercepts were related to drainage area. Both steps were accomplished using bi-variate regression analysis. The final results show a relationship of Total Organic Carbon, Orthophosphate, Total Phosphate and Nitrate to drainage area and stream flow. However, the final results of this study when related to another study in Florida showed different mass loading rates for TOC and TP. The differences were attributed to background levels of pollutants, local geology, hydrologic variability and management practices.