Human Development and Family Sciences electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (formerly the Department of Human Development and Family Studies [2017]). Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia.
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Item Shades of prejudice : the moderating role of skin tone and gender in the link between racial discrimnination and sexual risk-taking among African American young adults(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Jasso, Jailyn; Landor, Antoinette M.[EMBARGOED UNTIL 12/01/2025] Racial discrimination is a pervasive social issue affecting various domains of life, including sexual behavior. The prospective study explores the relationship between experiences of racial discrimination and risky sexual behaviors in a sample of 572 African American young adults. Data on experiences of racial discrimination during adolescence were analyzed to predict engagement in risky sexual behaviors during young adulthood. The primary outcome variables included inconsistent condom use, engagement in sexual activity with someone suspected of having HIV, drug/alcohol consumption before sexual engagement, prior STI diagnoses, overall sexual partner count, and number of sexual partners during the past three months. Findings revealed that experiences of racial discrimination significantly predicted overall sexual partner count and the number of sexual partners in the past three months. Skin tone significantly predicted overall sexual partner count when racial discrimination and gender were included in the model. Gender significantly predicted inconsistent condom use, prior STI diagnosis, and when all factors were included, engagement in sexual activity with someone suspected of having HIV, and overall sexual partner count. Significant interaction effects included racial discrimination and gender on sexual engagement with a suspected HIV-positive partner; racial discrimination and skin tone on overall sexual partner count; racial discrimination and gender on the number of sexual partners in the past three months; skin tone and gender on overall sexual partner count; and the three-way interaction predicting overall sexual partner count. This study highlights the intersection between racial discrimination and sexual health, underscoring the importance of addressing discrimination as a social determinant of sexual risk behaviors. Public health interventions should consider these impacts, and future research should explore mechanisms underlying these relationships and potential protective factors.Item Sense of place and social capital in community centers : the role of the physical environment(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Aly, Shahnaz Joneilia; Cole, Laura; Kim, Jong Bum[EMBARGOED UNTIL 12/01/2025] While previous studies address the social viability of community centers, research has been scarce on the physical design and spatial quality of these "third places" contributing to social factors. Hence, this study explored how the physical environment of an essential third place--community centers--fostered the feelings of connectedness to place and the development of social capital for its users. Four research questions guided this study: (1) What design features attract patrons to the community center and why? (2) How does the environment of the community center support the psychological processes of place identity, place attachment, place dependence, and place satisfaction? (3) How does the environment of the community centers support the ways in which users develop a sense of community, social networks, neighboring, trust, reciprocity, and cooperation? (4) What is the relationship of the process of developing satisfaction of place to the process of developing social capital in the context of the physical environment of community centers? For this study, sense of community, social networks, and neighboring were considered the dimensions of social capital. The dimensions for sense of place were place identity, place attachment, place dependence, and place satisfaction. Conducted in two regional community centers in a diverse metropolitan area of a southern state, this qualitative multi-case study included 34 semi-structured interviews, observations, and photographic documentation as methods. Participants were primarily female, African Americans, and over 55, providing unique perspectives and adding depth and richness to the study. Results showed that physical attributes influence place identity, place attachment, place satisfaction, and sense of community. Aspects of cleanliness, safety and security, openness and transparency, natural lighting, adequate spaces, and furniture and fixtures were essential considerations for users. Physical and social factors were inextricably linked. Place attachment was related to all dimensions of social capital, and sense of community was related to all dimensions of sense of place. Implications of findings contribute to the design of community centers and the literature on African American seniors' participation. The study brought to the forefront how the design and quality of the built environment support the development of social capital and sense of place.Item Transformations in the Midwest landscape through perennial agriculture(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Caruthers, Andria Deneise; Rotman, Robin M.Integrating perennial crops into working lands is proposed as one strategy to support ecologically-friendly farming practices that benefit farmer livelihoods and healthy lands. However, transitioning into perennial practices must occur in an agricultural regime that increasingly prioritizes the cultivation of a few annual crops on a very large scale. These agricultural practices benefit from institutional support and mechanisms that rarely extend to perennial crops. Accordingly, growers who wish to adopt perennial crops as a livelihood strategy are required to innovate, assemble resources, and strategize to meet their objectives. This study uses spatial autocorrelation methods, semi-structured interviews, and a survey to explore current trends and perennial cropping practices in the US. The interviews and survey use American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) production to understand growers' values, motivations, and challenges they experience with elderberry production. Results from these studies are intended to provide guidance on optimizing strategies for targeting technical assistance, policy, programs, and provide a deeper understanding of the various capitals and resources that growers use and need to maintain and enhance production. Addressing these knowledge gaps will hopefully improve the efficacy of perennial agriculture as a viable livelihood strategy that continues to spread through US working lanItem Natural resource justice as an anticolonial practice : policies of sovereignty(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Carter, Samantha Joe; Rotman, Robin M.Natural resources underpin our wellbeing as a species. Humans attribute value to these resources in different and sometimes competing ways. For Indigenous peoples, government dismissal of their natural resource values has created an unequitable relationship, where Indigenous social, political, economic, and cultural ties to nature are damaged. The shared struggle for Indigenous people living in post-colonial governments is that the pervasive effects of settler colonialism are ongoing, and the pursuit for natural resource rights continues. This dissertation uses legal document analysis and unstructured interviews with key informants to examine governance policies and structures through the lens of Indigenous rights. The dissertation is formatted in three manuscripts. The first manuscript examines jurisdictional tensions over surface mining rights on tribal lands in the state of Oklahoma following the United States Supreme Court case McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020). The second manuscripts examines the implications of changing federal Cannabis policy for the enforcement of criminal law, regulation of commercial activity, and regulation of cannabis research in Indian Country. The final manuscript identifies challenges in multilevel governance of natural resources with Indigenous peoples based on the perceptions of key informants in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hawaii. Overall findings reveal natural resource management challenges specific to Indigenous populations are complicated by legal pluralism, cultural mismatch, and institutional voids, and action must be taken by post-colonial governments to uphold the land and natural rights guaranteed to Indigenous peoples.Item The impact of maternal incarceration on family functioning over 15 years(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Neppl, Ashlyn Kay; Lohman, BrendaThe U.S. has seen a substantial increase in incarcerated women since the 1990s, most of which are mothers. Women who experience cumulative oppression prior to incarceration (e.g., financial strain, substance use, violence, etc.) often commit crime to alleviate negative emotions. Moreover, adolescents with an incarcerated parent are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. Within the limited literature, there is a clear connection between maternal incarceration and negative child outcomes. Guided by feminist theory and using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) Years 1--15-year follow-ups, I hypothesized that 1) financial strain, substance use, and IPV (Years 1 and 3) would be associated with maternal incarceration (Year 5), 2) maternal incarceration (Year 5), would be positively associated with adolescent delinquency and negatively associated with family well-being, and 3) maternal incarceration (Year 5) would mediate the relationship between the early childhood environments (Years 1 and 3) and adolescent delinquent behaviors and family well-being (Year 15). Results indicated that maternal incarceration medicated the relationship between increased maternal substance use and IPV with higher levels of parenting stress and lower levels or family engagement. Results demonstrate implications for family well-being, as an event of maternal incarceration is predictive of lower levels of family engagement over time. Thus, efforts should be made to increase and maintain family contact and engagement, especially after an event of maternal incarceration.