This dissertation asks how the communication dimensions of technological literacy are understood in three informal education programs in Texas that aim to bridge the digital divide for female and low-income minority youth. Technological literacy is a prerequisite for economic, political, and cultural equality, yet different rationales for technological literacy highlight the economic, democratic, and social benefits for marginalized youth. Economically, technological literacy prepares youth to enter the workforce and positions the U.S. as competitive in the global market. Democratically, technological literacy allows citizens to participate in political discussions. Socially, technological literacy helps citizens make decisions in their everyday lives. Drawing from developmental democratic theory, I argue for an expanded definition of technological literacy that highlights the importance of communication and cultural production to democratic societies. Developmental democratic theory stresses the importance of individual development, including self-expression and creativity, to fostering democracy. I argue for an analysis of the digital divide that looks at capabilities, or the freedoms individuals have to pursue their own desires. These capabilities include self-representation, accessing information that is relevant to one’s life, learning to communicate about technology, and the freedom to achieve what one values. My research questions are grounded not only in the processes through which youth engage in technological learning through their participation in these informal educational programs, but also how the programs’ missions and activities envision technological literacy. Thus, I ask how is technological literacy conceptualized in three informal education programs? How is technological literacy implemented in program activities? How do youth themselves respond to technology and technological learning? I investigate these research questions through participant-observation, interviews, self-administered questionnaires, and analysis of program documents and students’ projects. I analyze these research questions in light of the economic, political, and social rationales for technological literacy. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Tübingen, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 277-305).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Ethnic identity is an essential component of youths' sense of self and is influenced by social relationships and experiences. Despite the large amount of time adolescents spend in the school environment and with their peers, little is known about the influence of the overall school context on ethnic identity development. This study examined the direct and indirect effects of sixth grade school context (defined by negative peer relationships and school environment) on ethnic identity development and depression in ninth grade. Using cross-lagged analysis, the bidirectional impact of discrimination experiences on ethnic identity development was also explored. These relationships were also examined separately for European American youth, youth of color with one ethnicity, and multiethnic adolescents. For all adolescents, less negative peer relationships were related to higher ethnic identity level. Ethnic identity was also positively associated with later adolescent depression. In addition, school environment was related to ethnic identity development for European American and adolescents of color; for youth of color with one ethnicity, ethnic identity also predicted later depression levels. School context was not found to be associated with ethnic identity development for multiethnic adolescents, although negative relationships were related to higher depression levels for this group. Finally, the cross-lagged model of ethnic identity and discrimination suggested no bidirectional influence between these two variables. This study supports existing studies on the importance of ethnic identity on adolescent development. It also provides much needed knowledge of how the school context contributes to adolescent ethnic identity and depression. Furthermore, these findings contribute to the growing body of literature on the developmental trajectories of multiethnic adolescents. Findings from this study have implications for intervening at the school level. Promoting cultural sensitivity among students and staff can decrease negative peer interactions (e.g., bullying) and other negative social experiences, thereby decreasing the risk of poor academic and psychological outcomes for adolescents at risk of experiencing adversity.

Studies consistently find sexual orientation disparities in tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents in the United States (Goldbach, Tanner-Smith, Bagwell, & Dunlap, 2014; Hatzenbuehler, Jun, Corliss, & Austin, 2015; Kann et al., 2018; Marshal et al., 2008; Mustanski, Van Wagenen, Birkett, Eyster, & Corliss, 2014). Having documented this elevated risk, the field has turned to identifying mediators that may explain the sexual orientation disparity in substance use behaviors. There is growing evidence that one of the mediators of sexual orientation-based health disparities is structural stigma—defined as “societal-level conditions, cultural norms, and institutional policies that constrain the opportunities, resources, and well-being of the stigmatized” (Hatzenbuehler & Link, 2014, p.2). Structural stigma can in turn lead to greater stress and subsequent negative coping behaviors among sexual minorities (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2015; Hatzenbuehler & Link, 2014; Hatzenbuehler & McLaughlin, 2014; Pachankis, Hatzenbuehler, & Starks, 2014). However, most of this work has been conducted among adults and has focused on mental health outcomes (e.g., suicide attempts, psychiatric morbidity, mental distress) as opposed to specific substance use behaviors; further, if structural factors are found to affect sexual orientation health disparities and these can be altered, the gap between sexual minority and heterosexual substance use can be narrowed through policy change. State-level substance use policy (e.g., levels of taxation of cigarettes and alcohol, policies that remove adolescent access to driving upon substance use infractions) may also explain the gap in substance use prevalence between sexual minority and heterosexual youth because tobacco, alcohol and marijuana are also stigmatized substances and restrictive substance use environments may enhance the stigma attached to sexual minority youth. However, only one study has explored this research question, and it was conducted with an adult sample (Hatzenbuehler, Keyes, Hamilton, & Hasin, 2014). This project aims to address these gaps in the literature. It uses multi-level modeling to test the association between (1) state-level sexual minority structural stigma (SMSS) and (2) state-level substance use policy environments (SUPEs) and sexual orientation disparities in recent substance use as measured in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS). Analyses were also conducted to assess the size and direction of the association between SMSS and SUPE and state-level prevalence of substance use within heterosexual and sexual minority youth subpopulations. Analyses were conducted in subpopulations of female and male youth. Support was found for the structural stigma hypothesis among girls but not boys. Higher overall measures of sexual minority structural stigma were associated with larger disparities in tobacco use, alcohol use, and marijuana use among girls. Higher scores on the SMSS scale were associated with tobacco use among sexual minority girls but not heterosexual girls. Individual indicators of structural stigma (e.g., specific state-level policies) were also associated with disparities in these outcomes, as well as with the other outcomes tested (binge drinking and drunk driving). No such associations were found among male youth. Very little support was found for the hypotheses that restrictive substance use policy environments would be associated with larger sexual orientation disparities in substance use and that heterosexual but not sexual minority youth would demonstrate lower prevalence of substance use in restrictive states. Among girls, no associations were found between scales measuring the restrictiveness of substance use and sexual orientation disparities in substance use. A smaller sexual orientation disparity in recent cigarette smoking was associated with one indicator of restrictiveness: state enforcement of underage tobacco sale laws. Among boys, no associations were found between scales measuring the restrictiveness of substance use and sexual orientation disparities in substance use; two indicators of restrictiveness were associated with smaller sexual orientation disparities in binge drinking and three indicators were associated with smaller sexual orientation disparities in drunk driving. Among heterosexual but not sexual minority boys, higher tobacco taxes were associated with lower prevalence of smoking. This study raises several questions for future research on structural factors that may explain sexual orientation disparities in substance use behaviors among youth. For instance, future work is needed to understand the gender differences in response to structural stigma among sexual minorities. Sexual minority girls may have greater rejection sensitivity than sexual minority boys and thus may be more likely to use substances in response to structural stigma; however, further research is needed to test this hypothesis. In addition, the current study lacked data on the implementation of substance use policy environments, which may have masked important effects. A study of SUPE that includes measures of implementation of restrictive substance use policies is therefore needed to expand the work reported herein. Finally, a better understanding of gender identity and expression is needed; while the YRBSS measures “sex” and not gender or gender expression in these datasets, more information about these topics will help to understand how these factors may play into experiences of structural stigma and substance use policy environments.

There is a rationale for investigating the impact of racism and discrimination on adolescents and young adults in the United States. Racist or discriminatory experiences within educational settings, as well as in their communities, place Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in a precarious position. This study examined potential factors related to high frequency of exposure to school-based racial and ethnic microaggressions, including: teacher cultural competence, school disciplinary structures, everyday discrimination, the race-related stress potentially associated with these experiences for BIPOC adolescents and young people, as well as mental health impacts. Through an online social media campaign, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) ages 18-25 were surveyed (N = 287), recalling experiences in high school and society with racism, microaggressions, and discrimination. The study sought to identify predictors of school-based racial and ethnic microaggressions. While controlling for social desirability, findings showed how having experienced a higher frequency of school-based racial and ethnic microaggressions while in high school was significantly predicted by various factors, such as: (1) older age; (2) darker skin; (3) lower education; (4) less teacher cultural competence; (5) more discrimination; (6) less fair discipline; (7) greater race-related stress; (8) better mental health during the past year; and (9) higher drop-out rates or consideration of dropping out due to racism. Additionally, participants experienced moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and trauma in the past year due to race. The study provides future researchers with a set of measures for examining what BIPOC students endure in school settings, along with the frequency and impact of such encounters with racism, microaggressions, and discrimination. This research is especially useful for the fields of counseling and education, given implications for meeting the needs of BIPOC adolescents while they are in high school, in order to address their experiences with racism, microaggressions, and discrimination—and to prevent drop-out from high school. The needs of BIPOC young adults also need to be addressed, given evidence of an impact for young adults beyond their high school years from school-based racial and ethnic microaggressions—which are compounded by exposure to societal-wide racism, microaggressions, and discrimination.

No description available.

Gay/Straight Alliances aimed at providing sexual minority youth and their allies with support, social events, and activism and education opportunities have proliferated in high schools in the United States over the past two decades. This study employs a qualitative, grounded theory approach to examine how sexual minority youth and their allies navigate gender, sexuality, and social movement participation. A year and a half of observation and 16 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with Gay/Straight Alliance members in a high school setting in the southeastern United States. The study reveals that, through the lens of frame analysis, the G/SA is analogous to larger and more organized social movement organizations. The findings also suggest members often struggle and engage with issues surrounding sexuality, including its origins, coming out as a process, and judgments and evaluations surrounding sex and desire. Additionally, the findings address elements of gender conformity and nonconformity

Disparities in mental health service use among People of Color (POC) adolescents with depression is a serious public health concern. Engaging and retaining POC adolescents in treatment is imperative to improving mental health outcomes. Parents/caregivers play a critical role in POC adolescent engagement in the therapeutic process, yet POC adolescents’ and parents’/caregivers’ preferences for parental participation engagement (PPE) in depression treatment are unknown. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate POC adolescents’ and parents’/caregivers’ preferences for PPE in adolescent depression treatment. A qualitative approach was used through individual semi-structured interviews with POC adolescents and parents/caregivers. A brief quantitative preferences questionnaire was also administered. Questionnaire data were analyzed via descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed via thematic analysis procedures. Results indicated that teen and parent/caregiver preferences for PPE included: (a) direct parental involvement, (b) indirect parental involvement, and/or (c) limited involvement. The quality of the teen-parent relationship and logistical factors informed teen and parent/caregiver preferences for PPE, with therapists having a key role in influencing these preferences and facilitating the initiation and continuation of PPE. Factors associated with the quality of the teen-parent relationship included: (a) parent mindsets and behaviors, (b) teen and parent perceptions of adolescent development, and (c) severity of teen symptoms. Themes related to the perceived outcomes of PPE included: (a) improved teen-parent communication, (b) improved parental support behaviors, (c) improved teen-parent connection and trust, (d) negative outcomes, and, (e) treatment retention. Based on these findings, implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

No description available.