Research on differences in STEM outcomes for females and students of color has been an ongoing educational research imperative, but Latinas continue to be under-represented in high school and college science classes and majors (National Science Foundation, 2011; Riegle-Crumb & King, 2010). The aim of this study was to investigate how Latina adolescents seek to establish themselves as future scientists within their environments and how others help sustain these developing identities. I used a mixed method procedure called an exploratory sequential design that starts with a qualitative stage followed by a quantitative stage (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). In the qualitative stage, 32 college-aged Latinas in science majors participated in focus groups with an additional 12 in interviews. Using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (Northcutt & McCoy, 2004), eight factors of science identity development were identified: home environment, teacher influences, school experiences, environmental factors, media influences, using your brain, emotions, and career planning. Participants saw the first four factors as drivers of their development, with media as an irregular contributor. These social factors were filtered through the individual factors of using your brain and emotions, with career planning as the outcome. The qualitative results were used to develop a survey given to middle school students in the next stage. The majority of the survey consisted of previously validated scales that corresponded in content to the qualitative factors. One new measure was developed to address science-related experiences. In the quantitative stage, 90 middle school Latinas from two central Texas school districts participated in the survey study. Univariate analysis showed differences in science-related experiences by demographic variables of parent occupation, parent nativity, first language spoken, and school district. Multivariate regression analysis found positive emotions about science to be the best predictor of science career related outcomes, and that emotions act as a mediator between science experiences and career outcomes. These results are discussed in light of current career theories. / text

The purpose of this study was to investigate sexuality-related topics discussed and not discussed with mothers, the perceived importance placed on sexuality-related communication within families, and the influences of parent-adolescent attachment quality and sexuality-related communication on sexual identity development using a sample of female university students. One hundred and eighty six participants completed an online survey consisting of questionnaires assessing their attachment relationship with their mothers, sexuality-related topic communication, perceptions of family sex communication, and sexual identity development. Sexuality-related topics falling within the development and societal concerns and sexual safety domains were more likely to be discussed than topics within the experience of sex or solitary sex domains. Family sexuality-related communication was perceived as important and valuable. Overall, results of this study indicated that attachment quality was negatively associated with sexual identity exploration, frequency of sexuality-related discussion was related to greater identity commitment scores, and orientation toward family sex communication was associated with greater identity synthesis/integration.

Prior to this exploratory study, issues of multiracial identity development and imposed identity had not been explored in great detail. This study sought to expand the current knowledge base by offering an examination of a) multiracial identity development for different bi/multiracial backgrounds, b) the influence of the perception of race on social interactions (imposed identity), and c) racial identification in the public and private spheres from the perspective of multi-racial individuals. A literature based survey was developed and piloted with an expert panel to increase face and content validity. For the larger study, participants were recruited using snowball and convenience sampling. Forty-five participants provided in-depth interviews and an additional 166 completed the online version of the survey. Respondents were primarily female (n = 132; 83%), 26-30 years old (n = 37; 23%), from the South (n = 57; 36%), unmarried (n = 106; 67%), childless (n = 97, 63%) and reported a yearly household income of over $95,001 (n = 36; 24%). Findings from this study support identity development literature as respondents indicated family members were most responsible for their perceptions of race, even in mixed-raced families. Respondents also indicated they had experienced imposed identity based on what others believed their race to be. Perceptions of power influenced whether or not respondents corrected others' mistaken assumptions. Additionally, respondents indicated their belief that, despite their variances in skin tone, we do not live in a color-blind society, despite widely spread claims that we live in a post-racial society. Further, respondents indicated racial cues (such as skin tone, hair texture, facial structure) are still used to categorize people according to race. Qualitative data provided specific examples of when and how multiracial respondents had experienced racism and/or benefitted from others' beliefs about their race based on skin tone alone. For example, one bi-racial respondent indicated he was placed in advanced classes in high school because he appeared as only Asian, while another indicated his race was questioned at a government agency because of how he looked, but had never experienced that problem when conducting the same business with his White mother present.

The American Muslim presence has been at the center of debates around assimilation, belonging, acceptance or even contribution to the mainstream society. In practice of their right to the free choice of education, some American Muslims have been attending full-time American Islamic schools. These schools have been a focal point in painting the picture and understanding of the American Muslim experience. Using qualitative case study methods, this dissertation explored what teacher practices support successful student experiences in relation to positive identity development at three private Islamic Schools in the U.S. The findings revealed that, despite challenges in operations, instability of staff and finances, at all the three cases studied the teachers offered student identity support through varied approaches including means of mentoring, teacher care and teaching by example, fostering a sense of community, family and belonging in the schools where they worked, in addition to a focus on the formative, non-academic, process of education; focusing on spirituality and character formation.

While early-onset bipolar disorder (EOBD) has increased in prevalence, much remains to be understood about its phenomenology. Research and treatment models remain rooted in neurobiological conceptualizations of the illness that borrow heavily from models for the traditional adult-onset form of bipolar disorder. This study utilized a transcendental phenomenological design as a first step in obtaining an understanding of the lived experience of EOBD. A purposive sample of eight participants ages 18-25 participated in semi-structured interviews that elicited information on experiences of EOBD symptomatology and course of illness, stigma, experience with healthcare and treatment, and impact on identity, interpersonal relationships, and coping responses. Transcendental phenomenological analysis was used to construct individual and composite descriptions of participants’ experience of EOBD between ages 13 and 17. Implications of findings are presented for research and treatment of EOBD, as well as social work education and policy reform.

This study was designed to explore how Black African international students develop an understanding of their racial identity within the U.S. context. Although there has been considerable previous theoretical and empirical work examining the process of racial identity development (e.g. Cross, 1971; Sellers et al.1998), which has provided foundation for how we continue to understand how U.S. racial minorities develop their racial identities. However, there is a paucity of research on the racial identity development process of non-U.S. born Black people (Hocoy, 1999; Asante, 2012). Even less is known about the role that intersectionality of other identities plays in the racial identity development of non-U.S. Black groups. Thus, this study was intended to provide information about the racial identity development process within the U.S. context of Black African international students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Grounded Theory method was implemented in this study to analyze qualitative data from nine individual interviews. Findings highlight the complexity of navigating racial identity in a different cultural context. The final analysis revealed seven axial coding categories that comprised of 22 open-coding categories and subcategories. A Grounded Theory model emerged from the analysis, racial identity development as a flowing river, which depicts how participants developed their racial identity within the U.S. cultural context. These Black African international students’ racial identity development process was characterized by individual understanding of race, race-related incidents and events, constructivist nature of race, and impact of other group identities. At the center of the theoretical structure was the understanding of racial identity development as a journey, rather than a step-by-step process. Participants typically begun the process with the understanding of race within their home country context, and then gradually navigated how to adjust to the U.S. context of what it means to be Black. The process was like traveling down a flowing river, littered with rocks and ripples, and African identity served as a safe vessel in which to navigate the river’s flow. The study’s conclusions have implications for mental health providers in college counseling centers, international student office personnel, and researchers. Prior to providing services to Black African international students, stakeholders are encouraged to be mindful of the personal and cultural needs of individual students, as well as where they might be in their racial identity development journey.

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Thesis advisor: Sharlene Hesse-Biber / This study contributes to and expands upon the existing literature regarding the development of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities as it relates to societal beauty standards. Through conducting nine individual interviews, this qualitative research aims to gain subjugated knowledge regarding the lived experiences of Latina women attending a predominantly white university. Using an intersectional framework, I incorporate theories of social identification, self-categorization, acculturation, and beauty standards. I deploy feminist principles of praxis and utilize a grounded theory approach in my data collection and analysis. My analysis of the data revealed seven major themes: the role of the family, messages about beauty, feeling caught between two spheres, understanding larger social forces, external pressures to identify, creating space for oneself, and defining beauty. The study suggests that despite struggling with elements of ethnic, cultural, and racial identities, the women interviewed ultimately grow to accept and embrace difference, finding value and pride in their identities and experiences. The findings of this study may be of importance to university leaders who seek to better understand ways in which to support this demographic, as well as to other Latina undergraduates who feel isolated in their struggles with identity and beauty standards. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Scholar of the College. / Discipline: Sociology.

Thesis advisor: Stephen Pfohl / This research project looks at components of gender socialization for cisgender college students. Expanding on pre-existing research, I consider traditional agents of socialization and argue that social media should be newly considered as a primary agent of socialization. To do this, I interviewed 12 cisgender college students (aged 19-23). The traditional routes of socialization and social media were both found to be important gender socialization factors. Interestingly, social media was found to have two contradicting functions. It served to counter traditional ideas of gender through its role providing education and exposure to diverse identities. At the same time, though, participants also reported normative ideas on the types of posts that different genders were expected to publish, feeling pressure to meet these standards. As social media only continues to become more pervasive, this provides an important avenue for research on the role that it has played in a population that has been on these websites for nearly a decade. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

A plethora of studies have focused on transracial adoption. While these studies have looked at identity development and/or adjustment, they lacked the investigation into some possible causes to include feelings of belongingness as well as socioeconomic status. The current study explored the lack of cultural socialization and belongingness of people adopted into an environment culturally dissimilar from their birth culture. The nonexperimental, correlational design study examined the relationship between adjustment and identity development, and the impact of transracial adoption when considering socioeconomic status and skin tone. The New Immigrant Survey Skin Color Scale, Multiethnic Identity Measure, and Measure of Psychosocial Development test were administered to a purposeful sample of 119 adult transracial adoptees who were adopted prior to age 13.The analysis utilized both a linear regression and hierarchical linear regression. The results indicated there was a significant positive relationship between socioeconomic status and ethnic identity; however, socioeconomic status had no significant impact on psychosocial adjustment. The results also indicated that skin tone difference had no significant impact on the relationship between psychosocial adjustment and ethnic identity. This research can impact social change by guiding social services organizations, adoption agencies, and mental health professionals in their handling and process of transracial adoptions through providing resources both pre and post adoption to both the adoptee as well as the adoptive family.