Research about women in the military helps to address the ongoing concerns about the lack of inclusion of female perspectives, which contributes to oppressive power dynamics and lack of women’s representation in practice, policy, and procedures. The problem this dissertation addressed is the lack of representation and inclusion of female perspectives regarding power and privilege that affect military practices, policies, and procedures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand female Navy veterans’ experiences with representation and inclusion in military practices, policies, and procedures. Applying a larger conceptual framing using radical feminism, liberal feminism, and critical theory helped to situate their experiences within a broader social critique. Seven Navy servicewomen answered open-ended questions in audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Transcribed data were analyzed, leading to five major themes: (a) perceptions of racial and gender bias; (b) lack of mentorship and leadership support; (c) fears of assault, retaliation, shaming, and transitioning; (d) position and colleagues’ effects on inclusivity, and (e) pride in service experience despite challenges.

In this fast-paced, globalized world, certain online sites represent a hybrid personal-public sphere'where like-minded people commune regardless of physical distance, time difference, or lack of synchronicity. Sites that feature chat rooms and forums can offer a deep-rooted sense of community and facilitate the forging of relationships and cultivation of ideologies. This dissertation investigates whether this trend is relevant to web sites concerning hip-hop. This genre is arguably one of the most pervasive and influential global cultural forms, yet it is markedly different from most other forms of globalized culture because it emerged within and is still embedded in a distinct subculture. The notion that the Internet could become a bastion for hip-hop fans is quite paradoxical: hip hop is a cultural form so deeply rooted in the sense of place and so invested in its relationship to spatiality that it could potentially pose a particular challenge to the notion of virtual communities. This research examines the virtual hip-hop experience in the UK in order to assess whether this music and the culture that surrounds it have been adopted in their original American form or whether they have been adapted to make them more relevant to their new locale. In particular, the study probes how the ideology, values, behaviors and attitudes that bestride American hip-hop are represented, consumed, and reproduced on the mediated world of web sites.

<p>Against the backdrop of social and demographic transformations, including increasing longevity and changing family relationships, this dissertation combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine contemporary grandparent-grandchild ties in Canada. Beginning with an analysis of grandparenthood at the population level, this research analyzes the social and demographic contours of grandparenthood, establishing the prevalence of grandparenthood, adults with living grandparents, step-ties, multi-generational households and grandparents raising their grandchildren, as well as the supply of grandchildren and the intersection of family and work roles with grandparenthood. And, given that American data are often used to represent the Canadian situation, the dissertation provides a comparative analysis between the two countries.</p> <p>The demographic analysis revealed high percentages of grandparent-adult grandchild relationships in the population. This finding formed the foundation for the micro-level analysis on which the dissertation is also based-an original qualitative study involving older grandparents and adult grandchildren (n=37). The overall aim of this research was to explore grandparent-adult grandchild relationships from the perspectives of both generations in order to understand the significance of the ties and these family roles, as well as how they are negotiated over time and within the context of contemporary social life. The data reveal that the ties have instrumental, symbolic, existential and material significance, that adult relationships are qualitatively different and more complex compared to young grand relationships and that the broader social context is very consequential to how these family ties and roles are negotiated. Taken together, the qualitative and quantitative findings challenge commonly held assumptions about who and what constitutes 'the family' and shed scholarly light on choice and obligation as they arise in contemporary family life.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine the process of a family therapist entering and then navigating the cultural system of working with substance abusing Seminole tribal clients. The study also utilized two tribal members sharing their opinions about how Seminoles view therapy. As noted in the interview questions and responses, the research presented guidelines for family therapists to follow when working with tribal members. Because there has been no study conducted with family therapists providing clinical services to tribal members, this study introduced tools for clinicians to keep in mind and utilize when working with tribal clients. The interviews illustrated what specific routes therapists may take with tribal clients in order to join and connect. This study provided the field of family therapy an opportunity to become familiar with the Seminole tribe, and guidelines of how to remain mindful when working with this unique population. These results were supplemented by the researcher providing personal reflections on her experiences with tribal clients.

The pervasiveness of sexual violence on college campuses poses a significant problem for students and administrations that seek to promote healthy, safe, and equitable access to higher education. Although federal legislation under Title IX prohibits sexual violence as a form of gender discrimination, cultural climates that promote sexual violence—or rape cultures - continue to inform student experiences on college campuses. This thesis roots the discourse on campus sexual violence in the specific localized context at Scripps College. As a women’s college situated in a small, interconnected consortium of co-ed liberal arts colleges, the case of Scripps College raises critical questions about the ways in which gender and sexism play out on women’s bodies, and influence students’ experiences with embodiment on campus. In this thesis, I present a feminist analysis of the current institutional policies that address sexual violence on campus, in addition to the perspectives of eight student activists currently involved in gender justice work at Scripps College. Due to the fact that each of the Claremont Colleges, including Scripps, is currently in the process of re-evaluating their policies and grievance procedures that address sexual violence on campus, now is a key time to reflect on the past, present, and future of the Claremont Colleges and the role that these institutions play in either deconstructing or reinforcing patriarchal structures of power.

Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia develop awareness of stereotypes about Appalachia. Stratified random sampling was used to select twelve students (Grades 6-12) belonging to a small school district located in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky who were invited to participate in individual interviews. Eight of the participants self-identified as Appalachian, but for distinct reasons. Students characterized Appalachia for its strong sense of community, accessibility to nature, and lack of opportunities. All students readily identified negative Appalachian stereotypes, but most, particularly older students, were quick to defend the integrity of their culture and community. When discussing cultural stereotypes, the richness of student responses varied by grade-level.

Media has the potential to legitimize or spread a belief system to the general public. The 2014 movie Left Behind is an example of a deliberate attempt at promoting the belief system referred to as dispensational premillennialism (DPM), or belief in the imminent rapture of Christians. Producers of Left Behind (2014) sought to promote DPM to the general public, hoping for a mass conversion. Online discussion and interviews were gathered and interpreted qualitatively. Content analysis of audience anticipation and reception show believers were as concerned with the conversion of the general public via this movie than the movie itself. Differences between the text of the movie and discussion surrounding the film provide insights into the DPM worldview. Dispensational premillennialists are observed; rejecting earthly existence as counterfeit, asserting the general inerrancy of prophecy while rejecting “date setting” practices and using the effigy of the Antichrist to criticize perceived socio-political enemies.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo discutir a crítica literária paulista praticada entre as décadas de 1920 e 1950 em jornais. Apoiado nos estudos da sociologia da cultura, pretendo aprofundar a visão sobre essa modalidade de produção intelectual que ocupou posição de destaque na cena cultural brasileira. A crítica de rodapé, como muitas vezes foi chamada, não foi até agora objeto de análise sociológica específica. A partir de uma discussão de contexto sobre o campo literário brasileiro e paulista do início do século XX, seleciono para investigação quatro diferentes jornais paulistas, em torno dos quais mapeio a veiculação da crítica, e quatro críticos literários da época: Plínio Barreto, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Nelson Werneck Sodré e Sérgio Milliet. Realizo uma interpretação sobre as trajetórias dos críticos e sua produção intelectual. O objetivo é aferir a relevância da crítica paulista naquele momento, especialmente em comparação com a carioca, admitindo como hipótese ter havido em São Paulo uma transição mais efetiva e acelerada entre a crítica de rodapé, amadora e feita em jornais, e a crítica universitária, especializada e de recorte acadêmico, conforme conceituado por Süssekind (2002). / This dissertation aims to discuss the state of São Paulo\'s literary criticism held in newspapers from the 1920s to the 1950s. Based on the sociology of culture studies, I intend to deepen the approach on this genre of intelectual production, which has reached a prominent position in the Brazilian cultural scene. The crítica de rodapé [footnote criticism], as it was often called, has not been so far the object of a specific sociologic analysis. From a context discussion on the early 20th century Brazilian and São Paulo\'s literary field, four different São Paulo newspapers were researched, around which the criticism\'s propagation was mapped, and also four literary critics of the period: Plínio Barreto, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Nelson Werneck Sodré and Sérgio Milliet. An interpretation is carried out on the critics\' trajectory and their intellectual production. The goal is to survey the relevance of the São Paulo critics at the time, especially comparing to the Rio de Janeiro critics, assuming the hypothesis that there was, in São Paulo, a more effective and rapid transition from the amateur footnote criticism, published in newspapers, to the specialized academic criticism, according to the concept by Süssekind (2002).

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo discutir a crítica literária paulista praticada entre as décadas de 1920 e 1950 em jornais. Apoiado nos estudos da sociologia da cultura, pretendo aprofundar a visão sobre essa modalidade de produção intelectual que ocupou posição de destaque na cena cultural brasileira. A crítica de rodapé, como muitas vezes foi chamada, não foi até agora objeto de análise sociológica específica. A partir de uma discussão de contexto sobre o campo literário brasileiro e paulista do início do século XX, seleciono para investigação quatro diferentes jornais paulistas, em torno dos quais mapeio a veiculação da crítica, e quatro críticos literários da época: Plínio Barreto, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Nelson Werneck Sodré e Sérgio Milliet. Realizo uma interpretação sobre as trajetórias dos críticos e sua produção intelectual. O objetivo é aferir a relevância da crítica paulista naquele momento, especialmente em comparação com a carioca, admitindo como hipótese ter havido em São Paulo uma transição mais efetiva e acelerada entre a crítica de rodapé, amadora e feita em jornais, e a crítica universitária, especializada e de recorte acadêmico, conforme conceituado por Süssekind (2002). / This dissertation aims to discuss the state of São Paulo\'s literary criticism held in newspapers from the 1920s to the 1950s. Based on the sociology of culture studies, I intend to deepen the approach on this genre of intelectual production, which has reached a prominent position in the Brazilian cultural scene. The crítica de rodapé [footnote criticism], as it was often called, has not been so far the object of a specific sociologic analysis. From a context discussion on the early 20th century Brazilian and São Paulo\'s literary field, four different São Paulo newspapers were researched, around which the criticism\'s propagation was mapped, and also four literary critics of the period: Plínio Barreto, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Nelson Werneck Sodré and Sérgio Milliet. An interpretation is carried out on the critics\' trajectory and their intellectual production. The goal is to survey the relevance of the São Paulo critics at the time, especially comparing to the Rio de Janeiro critics, assuming the hypothesis that there was, in São Paulo, a more effective and rapid transition from the amateur footnote criticism, published in newspapers, to the specialized academic criticism, according to the concept by Süssekind (2002).

This study focuses on correctional officers’ values and perceptions of their workplace, the people they work with and for, and members of the general public. Although prior research has investigated correctional staff members’ feelings about their occupation, far fewer studies have implemented a comprehensive qualitative, microsociological approach. The author conducted 20 in-depth interviews with current and former correctional officers (COs) in public-supported facilities. Additional data were collected through two public Facebook pages designated for COs and citizens interested in the criminal justice system. The study offers insights about the significance of COs’ feelings about their work and how the correctional environment affects their lives at work and away from the workplace among the non-incarcerated public. How COs contend with the devalued nature of correctional work and how female COs deal with a male-dominated workplace are primary analytical themes.