Nigeria is a patriarchal society, which puts women in subordinate positions that may prompt gender-based discrimination. While evidence of this phenomenon has been investigated in Nigeria and other African countries, no such investigation has been conducted with immigrant and first-generation Nigerian women in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a Nigerian woman's perceived empowerment and status on her willingness to access reproductive health services. The research questions examined views of Nigerian traditional beliefs' influence on status and how attitudes around traditional beliefs relate to access to reproductive health services and/or knowledge. Data were gathered through semi structured interviews with 9 Nigerian women in the Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia area. The women were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using the ecological systems theory as a framework, which theorizes that a woman's status is related to her ability to access services or information; empowerment increases that access of services/information, and that traditional Nigerian beliefs have mostly positive effects on their status. However, the findings revealed that, among these 9 women, traditional beliefs did not have an overwhelming direct effect to access to services or information. Empowering women is vital for social growth, no matter what the place of origin. This study contributes to positive social change by providing a resource that demonstrates the importance of these women's contributions to society, thus helping to move society forward.

This study aims to explore the working methods used by service providers in Germany when working with women affected by sex trafficking, as well as connected challenges and how these can be tackled. The authors used a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool. The participants of the study consisted of four service providers working with women affected by sex trafficking in Germany. The collected empirical data was analysed with the ecological systems theory. The collected data was divided into three themes: methods and interventions, challenges, and tackling challenges and desired changes. These themes represented the most important information collected within this study.  These findings illustrate trust-building as the most important method to effectively work with women affected by sex trafficking. Besides that, one of the key challenges identified was lack of awareness and misconceptions on the issue of sex trafficking.

Indigenous youth are overrepresented within homelessness and form approximately 20 percent of the total youth homeless population in Canada that uses emergency shelters. While extensive studies have been conducted and new practices have been put in place in an effort to reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, the number of Indigenous youth journeying into homelessness continues to increase. This suggests that the solutions implemented to date have inadequately addressed the needs of Indigenous youth and the situations integral to their worlds. The purpose of this research was to explore Indigenous youths’ experiences of homelessness that promote positive identity development. It used a community-based Indigenous methodology. Building on research by Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics with the stories of Indigenous homeless youth, this research was centered at the intersection of Indigenous youth homelessness and their engagement in behaviours affected by past and present events that impact their processes of identity development. With its strengths-based lens, it deepens understandings of how Indigenous homeless youth create prosocial outcomes that bolster their self-esteem and encourage positive identity development that will support them in young adulthood and stages beyond. Indigenous youth prosocial outcomes must include holistic health outcomes that encompass spiritual, physical, mental and emotional well-being. Ultimately, this research challenges existing conversations held in society regarding Indigenous youths’ behaviours exhibited in homelessness and contributes to Indigenous resurgence, equitable colonial-Indigenous relationships, and reconciliation consistent with the goals put forth in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s recommendations. / Graduate / 2023-08-30

The purpose of this research was to study identity performance among undergraduate Muslim international women on college campuses in the U.S. Identity performance was defined as the way in which these women acted, engaged, interacted, behaved, and situated themselves in their various environments (Goffman, 1959). The conceptual framework for the study was Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (1979) that identifies five environmental systems in which an individual interacts (microsystems, mesosystems, ecosystems, macrosystems, and chronosystems). This study focused on identity performance in microsystems. Narrative inquiry, a qualitative methodological approach, was utilized to pursue two research questions: (1) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance inside college environments; and (2) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance outside college environments? Two in-person interviews were conducted with eight participants representing six countries (Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed with four iterations of coding (narrative coding, refining narrative coding, pattern coding, theming the data) (Saldaña, 2015). Five themes emerged: Muslim identity performance in home country, Muslim identity performance and family, Muslim international identity consciousness, religious engagement on campus, and understandings of new Muslim international identity. The stories shared revealed that identity performance was a complex process; it was ever changing and evolving as Muslim international women navigated their way from a religiously homogeneous environment in the home country to a heterogeneous environment within the U.S. Their microsystems and interactions with various environments influenced their performances of their various identities. These influences were also related to contextual conformity, psychological awareness, agency, resilience, persistence, positivity and appreciation of their experiences in the ever-changing environments. The study has implications for faculty and university administrators who are seeking to create inclusive and encouraging academic and social environments. Findings also have implications for future research on identity performance, contextual conformity, and experiences of Muslim international students. / Doctor of Philosophy / The population in the United States of America is rapidly becoming more diverse in terms of ethnicities, religions, and resident demographics. As a result of this shifting pattern towards heterogeneity, colleges and universities are also becoming more diverse (Seidman, 2005). International students and Muslim students are two such populations that have contributed to the increased diversity of the student body. Among these populations, international Muslim women reside at a unique intersection of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, and national identities. Literature reveals that Muslim international women are often stereotyped and they experience Islamophobia in gendered ways (Cole & Ahmadi, 2003). The purpose of my research was to study identity performance of Muslim international women on two college campuses in the U.S. Identity performance was the ways in which these women acted, engaged, interacted, behaved and situated themselves in their various environments (Goffman, 1959). I used Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (1979) as the conceptual framework for this study. This theory identifies five environmental systems in which individuals interact (microsystems, mesosystems, ecosystems, macrosystems, and chronosystems). This study focused on identity performance in microsystems, which were their immediate environments. I used narrative inquiry, a qualitative methodological approach, to pursue two research questions: (1) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance inside college environments; and (2) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance outside college environments? I conducted two interviews each with eight participants to collect their stories of identity performance. The stories shared revealed that identity performance was a complex process. Contextual conformity, psychological awareness, agency, resilience, persistence, positivity and appreciation of their experiences influenced their identity performances. This study has implications for faculty and university administrators who are seeking to create inclusive, convenient and encouraging academic and social environments for all students. Findings also have implications for future research on identity performance, contextual conformity, and experiences of Muslim international students.

SAMMANFATTNING Bakgrund: Fysisk aktivitet främjar hälsan och medför positiva effekter för kroppen. Barns och ungdomars fysiska aktivitet påverkas av olika faktorer på individ- och omgivningsnivå. Faktorerna interagerar med varandra och påverkar den fysiska aktiviteten på olika sätt och i varierande grad, faktorerna kan delas in i olika system i den Ekologiska systemteorin. Det kan exempelvis handla om föräldrars och vänners attityder och hur den fysiska miljön är utformad. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att utifrån ett Ekologiskt systemteoretiskt perspektiv undersöka 20-åringars upplevelse av vilka faktorer som har haft betydelse för hur fysiskt aktiva de har varit från 11-års ålder fram till idag. Metod: Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ design med induktiv ansats. Fem deltagare intervjuades utifrån en intervjuguide innehållande semistrukturerade frågor. Kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes för att analysera och tolka materialet. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i 4 kategorier med 14 underkategorier. Kategorierna blev: ”Engagemang i idrotten påverkas av inre känslor och yttre krav”, ”Att vara en del av gemenskapen”, ”Den fysiska miljön och de socioekonomiska förutsättningarnas inverkan” och ”Andra möjliga påverkande faktorer på utövande”. Slutsats: Resultatet visade att de faktorer som har störst påverkan finns inom micro- och exosystemen. Faktorerna varierar med åldern och innefattar främst föräldrar, vänner och tillgänglighet. / ABSTRACT Background: Physical activity promotes health, and will have positive effects for the body. Children and adolescents physical activity is influenced by different factors at individual and environmental level. The factors integrate with each other and affect the physical activity in different ways and can be divided into different systems according to the ecological systems theory. It could for example involve the attitudes of parents and friends and how the physical environment is designed. Aim: Based on Ecological systems theory the purpose of this study is to examine 20-yearolds experience of which factors that have had an impact on their physical activity from 11 years old until today. Method: The study was conducted with a qualitative design with inductive approach. Five participants were interviewed based on an interview guide containing semi-structured questions. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and interpret the material. Result: The analysis resulted in 4 categories with 14 subcategories. The categories were: "Involvement in sport is affected by internal feelings and external demands", "Being a part of the community", "The impact of physical environment and socioeconomic conditions" and "Other possible factors affecting the activity". Conclusion: The result showed that the factors with the greatest impact is within the micro and exosystems. The factors varies over time and focuses on parents, friends and availability.

Though many studies have been conducted on bullying and ways to prevent it, there is still little evidence that bullying has been reduced (Bauman, 2008). Since bullying behaviors have become prevalent, incidences of negative outcomes for students who are bullies and victims have increased, hence more discussion of the topic is taking place at school, home, and in the media (Bauman, 2008; Kaiser & Raminsky, 2001; Salmon, James, & Smith, 1998). This study proposes to learn how students make sense of these multiple messages. Through an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith & Osborn, 2003), 8-10 year old students were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, in addition to student drawings and elaborations from the draw-and write-technique (Williams, Wetton, & Moon, 1989). These methods were used to explore student bullying experiences and the process in which they make sense of the education provided to them. The study is framed through Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 1994) ecological systems theory considering the multiple influences that individuals face through systems and their interactions. Data from the semi-structured interviews and the draw-and-write technique were analyzed through coding according to IPA guidelines, compared, and converged. Results showed that students confuse conflict with bullying, and receive conflicting messages about how bullying should be handled. Students are confused by what is the best reaction to a bullying situation due to conflicting messages from school and home, and the possibility of disappointment or trouble if they do not follow suggestions from one or the other. The media had minimal influence on children of this age in regards to bullying.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on students of two coastal Louisiana secondary schools. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory was used as a framework to understand how exposure, gender, socioeconomic status, and resilience interact to influence the impact of the spill on students. Cross-sectional questionnaires were administered to 155 high school students in May 2012 and 225 middle school students in January 2013 out of 1247 possible for a return rate of about 30%. Results showed that exposure groups differed significantly on students’ Impact of Event Scale (IES; Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979) scores. Students with high exposure to the oil spill had significantly higher IES scores than those with no exposure and low exposure. Logistic regression results indicated that exposure was a significant predictor of higher IES scores and as exposure increased by 1, students were 1.46 times more likely to experience higher impact. Males were found to have significantly higher IES scores than females, with a low effect size. Students did not differ significantly across resilience levels. In the entire sample, lower-SES students did not score significantly different on IES scores than higher-SES students. However, in the high school significant differences were found between SES groups and SES was a significant predictor of higher IES scores. Implications are provided for counselor educators interested in disaster mental health. Conclusions include suggestions for counselors servicing areas affected by the oil spill and how individual and environmental characteristics of students can influence risk factors. Keywords: Disaster mental health, crisis intervention counseling, ecological systems theory, BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, secondary school students, resilience, risk factors

Magister Artium - MA (Child and Family Studies) / Early childhood centres play a profound role in shaping the behaviour of children. Research indicates that early childhood centres contribute to the holistic development of children, encompassing their motor, congnitive and behavioural skills. Research has further shown that the South African authorities have an early childhood policy which spans various aspects of childhood development. To establish the nexus between early childhood centres and the behaviour of children, this study explored the role of practitioners in early childhood development centres in shaping the behaviour of children. The study uses the Ecological Systems Theory to interrogate its tenets of the theory and the research findings. The study engaged a qualitative approach to explore this phenomenon. Semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations were used to obtain data from parents, principals and practitioners at early childhood centres. Data was analysed thematically and as such, three main themes emerged from the research: the behaviour of children in early childhood development centres; practitioners' perceptions of their own roles in early childhood development centres; and the attitudes of practitioners towards their roles in early development centres.

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abstract: Students may be situated within complex systems that are nested within each other. This complexity may also envelope institutional structures that lead to the socio-economic reification of student post-secondary opportunities by obscuring positive goals. This may be confounded by community misunderstandings about the changed world that students are entering. These changes include social and economic factors that impact personal and economic freedoms, our ability to live at peace, and the continuing trend of students graduating high school underprepared. Building on previous cycles of action research, this multi-strand mixed-methods study examined the effects of the innovation of the I am College and Career Ready Student Support Program (iCCR). The innovation was collaboratively developed and implemented over a 16-week period using a participatory action research approach. The situated context of this study was a new high school in the urban center of San Diego, California. The innovation included a student program administered during an advisory period and a parent education program. Qualitative research used a critical ethnographic design that analyzed data from artifacts, journals, notes, and the interviews of students (*n* = 8), parents (*n* = 6), and teachers (*n* = 5). Quantitative research included the analysis of data from surveys administered to inform the development of the innovation (*n* = 112), to measure learning of parent workshop participants (*n =* 10), and to measure learning, hope, and attitudinal disposition of student participants (*n* = 49). Triangulation was used to answer the studies’ four research questions. Triangulated findings were subjected to the method of crystallization to search for hidden meanings and multiple truths. Findings included the importance of parent involvement, the influence of positive goals, relational implications of goal setting and pathway knowledge on agentic thinking, and that teacher implementation of the innovation may have influenced student hope levels. This study argued for a grounded theory situated within a theoretical framework based upon Snyder’s Hope Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory. This argument asserted that influence on pathway and agency occurred at levels of high proximal process with the influence of goal setting occurring at levels of lower proximal process. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018