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The university environment can be a challenging and highly experiential place for students. This study is an in-depth look at the challenges and experiences of students who practice Earth-Based religions on Porpoise State University’s campus. The theoretical framework for this study draws principally from the work of Chickering (1969), Chickering and Reisser (1993), and Fowler (1981). These works serve as the principle scaffolding around which other literature on the subject can be interpreted and applied. Additionally, this study contains an review of literature relevant to Pagan beliefs and experiences. This study was qualitative in nature and focused on phenomenological methodology. Data were gathered through interviews, semi-structured in format, with students who identified as practitioners of Earth Based Religions and maintained full-time student status with Porpoise State University. Students, and their university, were given pseudonyms for their protection. Data analysis utilized grounded coding introduced by Strauss and Corbin (1997) and produced themes which were common to the experience of each student. The researcher concluded that Pagan students face a variety of challenges at Porpoise State. Conclusions were drawn about spiritual development in the sample, access to resources, campus atmosphere, and student interactions. The researcher also introduced several suggestions for best practice including the development of a designated worship space for students, the establishment of a full time university staff member to coordinate spiritual development, and the inclusion of specific information about Earth Based religions into Porpoise State training materials for new employees. / Department of Educational Studies

Low completion rates have created serious "leakage points" (Astin, 1988) and "severe hemorrhaging" (Lango, 1996) in higher education to a large number of Hispanics. Traditional research on college persistence, which has blamed the students' culture for low performance, is inaccurate. Little research has specifically investigated academic persistence from a cultural perspective. Spirituality is a dynamic dimension among this cultural group. It is an untapped richness that Hispanic students bring with them to higher education. The study focused on six participants' understandings of spirituality from a cultural perspective. The purpose of the study helped participants voice the influence of their cultural spirituality and critically reflect the university's role regarding this cultural dimension. The research question was: What does spirituality, from a cultural aspect, mean in the context of persistence by Mexican American Chicana (o) students who transfer from a community college to a small liberal arts university? Critical theory, emphasizing phenomenology and critical consciousness, was the epistemological perspective. An indigenous methodology was used. Such a critical perspective and indigenous methodology embraced the participants border knowledge. Three data collection methods were used. A 43-Item Likert Survey, twenty-four diaolgos (individual conversations), and three circulos de cultura (group discussions). Data was interpreted with the following findings. The majority of the participants' survey responses indicated that matters of the spirit are important and significant to them. Through the di��logos the participants expressed interpretations and critiques by indigenous modes of language that spirituality did influenced their persistence. In the circulos the participants developed insights interconnecting spirituality and persistence. Spirituality was expressed through various images: "a push," "passion," "a driving force and desire," "an inner force," "La Virgen," and a "quiet inner strength." Most importantly, their persistence was influenced by a family-centered spirituality grounded in their cultural heritage. This qualitative study highlighted the six voices. Each case consisted of an interpretation of the participant's phenomenological understanding and growth in critical consciousness. The co-investigators' enriched the analysis by their cultural intuition and bicultural understanding. The following themes emerged from participants' visual and written summaries: 1) Family. 2) Quien Soy Yo? (Who Am I?) 3) Quiet Inner Strength 4) Recognizing My Background. 5) Encouraging Me to Persist. 6) Critical Consciousness of the Interrelationships of One's Culture. Study concluded with testimonies from the co-investigators. Researcher proclaimed: it is important to listen to students voice why they persisted from strengths within their culture. / Graduation date: 2002

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The purpose of this study was to determine if the level of spirituality in college students influenced the sexual behaviors in which they engaged. Subjects for this study were sampled from among students enrolled in large core curriculum courses at Ball State University. The design of this study was a cross-sectional survey, descriptive, comparative study. The data collection instruments for this study were the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scales (Hatch et al. 1997) and selected questions from the College Risk Behaviors Questionnaire (CDC, 1995). A total of 300 instruments were distributed and 93.3% (n=280) were completed and returned.The Pearson Chi-Square analysis was used to test the hypotheses that there was no association between spirituality and selected sexual risky behavior among college students. Results of the Pearson's Chi-Square analysis revealed that there was an association between spirituality and sexual risk behavior of college students, therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

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This dissertation examined the relationship between the practice of Christian spiritual disciplines and Internet pornography use among Christian male college students. The problem of Internet pornography use by Christians raises the question of why Christian men have such a seemingly low resistance to online pornography, when studies show that they can resist other harmful behaviors, including sexual compulsions, presented through means other than the Internet. In a review of the literature, the theological, historical, psychological, and sociological issues surrounding the use of Internet pornography were explored. The research employed a methodology in which male college students eighteen years and older, who described themselves as Christians, were surveyed to assess problems with Internet pornography use and practices of Christian spiritual disciplines. Research data were gathered using two research instruments: The Cyberporn Compulsivity Scale and The Christian Spiritual Participation Profile. Multiple regression analysis was then employed to ascertain the relationship between scores on the Cyberporn Compulsivity Scale, which functioned as the dependent variable, and scores on the Christian Spiritual Participation Profile which functioned as multiple independent variables. The research found a relatively high level of Internet pornography use among Christian male college students. It also discovered a significant relationship between the practice of some Christian spiritual disciplines and Internet pornography use among Christian male college students. This work suggests that practicing Christian spiritual disciplines can be an effective strategy to overcome the temptation to consume Internet pornography. In addition, practical applications are suggested for personal spirituality, pastoral and Christian counseling, Christian discipleship, higher education, and church ministry. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

The purpose of this study was to assess the strength of religious faith in student-athletes and non student-athletes attending a religiously-practicing and a non religiously-practicing NCAA Division III institution. Participants were recruited from two NCAA Division III institutions in the Midwest (N = 375). Specifically, participants attended either Institution A (n = 201), a religiously-practicing, or Institution B (n = 174), a non religiously-practicing, NCAA Division III institution. Each participant completed a demographic assessment and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire.A 2 X 2 X 2 (Gender X Current Athletic Participation X Institution Attended) ANOVA was employed to determine if significant differences existed in strength of religious faith between students at the two aforementioned institutions. Students attending Institution A displayed higher strength of religious faith than students attending Institution B. Also, a significant interaction indicated non student-athletes attending Institution A reported higher strength of religious faith than students-athletes attending Institution A. In addition, student-athletes attending Institution B were not significantly different in respect to strength of religious faith when compared to non student-athletes attending Institution B. Finally, females indicated higher strength of religious faith than males. This study has provided additional evidence for the impact of religion in the lives of intercollegiate student-athletes and non student-athletes. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

This study used random sample survey data from the Middletown Area Survey of 2000 to examine the use of the Internet for religious purposes. The survey data was supplemented by follow-up phone interviews with survey respondents who identified themselves as frequent users of the Internet for religious purposes. Two hypotheses were tested: the Church Dissatisfaction Hypothesis - that religious use of the Internet is positively correlated with church dissatisfaction, and the Conservative Religiosity Hypothesis - that religious use of the Internet is positively correlated with conservative religiosity. This study found no evidence for the Church Dissatisfaction Hypothesis, but did find evidence for the Conservative Religiosity Hypothesis. In fact, 80% of those who used the Internet for religious purposes fit the study's definition of conservative religiosity. / Department of Sociology

The purpose of this study was to assess whether spiritual well-being and social support functioned as protective variables (moderators) for body dissatisfaction among college women. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine whether spiritual well-being and social support predicted body dissatisfaction, as well as if there was an interaction between the two variables. Approximately 100 female participants between the ages of 18 and 31 were recruited from the psychology department to participate in this study. Expanding the knowledge base on spiritual well-being, social support, and body dissatisfaction can facilitate awareness of preventative measures that may be beneficial to young women experiencing body dissatisfaction. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services