“Care is a very big word”: conceptualizations, reflections, and perceptions related to healthcare, space, and identity amongst queer, young Texans

The modern healthcare industry overwhelmingly advantages white, cisgender, non-disabled, wealthy, heterosexual people to the disadvantage of all people who fall beyond these narrow identities. This trend is explained by existing scholars through various deconstruction means related to Marxism, neoliberalism, and histories of white supremacy in the United States. Outside of leftist scholarship, topics related to healthcare, including abortion and private insurance, are not understood completely enough to make way for meaningful change. In this thesis project, queer Texans in their 20s share their lived experiences and their experiences in healthcare settings in the United States. Abolitionist theory creates new opportunities for understanding and overcoming inequity and discriminatory systemic practices. This qualitative research project explores possibilities for a more equitable, safe, healthy world, and relies heavily on the retold lives of queer Texans

Disconnected youth in rural communities: a case study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the negative effects and impact disconnected youth have on the rural communities they live in. The study was conducted in small rural communities in Arizona, and only youth ages 16 to 24 who were not in school and not working were invited to participate. The study aimed to examine the thought processes and behaviors of disconnected youth, and pair those findings with various struggles in rural communities to find correlations of the information obtained. Both surveys and interviews of disconnected youth were the basis of the research, and this information was compiled and analyzed to provide a more accurate picture of their impact of these small rural communities. The findings of the study are reported in the final chapters

Effectiveness of transgender health training on healthcare students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived competency providing gender-affirming healthcare

Gender-affirming healthcare is essential and potentially lifesaving for many transgender people; however, a dearth of healthcare professionals is available to provide this care. Transgender health literature has identified key barriers among healthcare professionals that decrease their likelihood of providing gender-affirming healthcare. Three of the most common barriers, attitudes towards transgender people, transgender health knowledge, and transgender health perceived competency are the dependent variables in this study. This repeated measures mixed-methods study investigated whether the Transgender Health Learning Series (THLS), an online transgender health training, improved healthcare students' attitudes, knowledge, and perceived competency in transgender health. Thirty-one nursing and physician assistant students at Northern Arizona University (NAU) participated in the study. Participants completed three measures to obtain baseline scores on each dependent variable. They then completed the same measures after the THLS to ascertain whether scores were significantly improved on one or more of the dependent variables. Participants also responded to written open-ended questions regarding their subjective experiences upon training completion. Twenty-one participants were interviewed to obtain richer qualitative data than possible with written responses. Quantitative data were analyzed using a repeated measures MANOVA followed by ANOVAs on each dependent variable. The qualitative data were coded into thematic categories. Results found a statistically significant multivariate effect, with univariate effects for knowledge and perceived competency, and there was no univariate effect for attitude. These results indicated that participants' knowledge and perceived competency in transgender health improved after completing the THLS, while their attitudes towards transgender people remained the same. Statistical results were supported by the qualitative data, which provided context for the statistics and feedback on possible enhancements to the THLS. Implications include that the THLS may be an effective addition to the university curriculum to improve healthcare students' knowledge and perceived competency in transgender health. Future research can help determine whether THLS maintains its effectiveness with licensed healthcare professionals and the generalizability of findings beyond NAU students

The greatest of wrongs ever done: an archaeological examination of a "just" Apache resistance

Without question, the Apache Wars remain an essential topic for understanding the evolution of conflict in the American Southwest (Hass 1990; Kintigh 2014; LeBlanc 1999; McGuire and Villalpando 2015; Vandkilde 2015). However, the examination of the Apache Wars by archaeologists has been, for the most part, marginalized in the American Southwest. The epic tales of Geronimo’s resistance against the U.S. Army make up most of what is known to the public. Yet, this war was not fought by one man; instead, a people fought it to maintain cultural identity and way of life. Thus, I propose that the Apache Wars fought against the U.S. from 1862 to 1882 were fought justifiably using asymmetric warfare. Moreover, they occurred to protect the existence of the Apache people. The intended outcome of this research is to answer three questions. First, how did the colonial entanglement with the Spanish and Mexicans lay the groundwork for the Apache Wars? Second, how did the Apache war shape Apachería, and was it justifiable? Finally, how does the Battle of Big Dry Wash represent Apache resistance? Historical and cultural analysis, oral traditions, and modern Military Intelligence methodologies applied in an archaeological context answered these questions. First, the colonial entanglements with the Spanish and Mexican empires created a collective memory of oppression and warfare among the Apache people that lasted three hundred years. This memory created a need for them to evolve forms of resistance that included a more asymmetric style of warfare to protract the United States into a long war, to escape policies of scalp hunting, extermination, and confinement to reservations lands, providing the Apache ample justification for warfare under European ideals of “Just War” theory. Lastly, the Intelligence Preparation of an Archaeological Battlefield (IPAB) at the Battle of Big Dry wash depicts this resistance and the complexities of warfare that occurred as part of a revitalization movement that exhausted the Apaches will to fight

Protected and extractive spaces: a political ecological analysis of conservation and mining around the Junín National Reserve, Peru

Conservation and mining are distinct forms of natural resource management that have dissimilar impacts on environments and communities and represent contrasting ways of understanding the landscape. Convergences of conservation and mining in the same area, moreover, can have complex social-ecological and spatial implications. The Junín National Reserve (RNJ), located in the highland regions of Junín and Pasco in central Peru, is one such case – yet it remains considerably overlooked by existing literature. Using a political ecology framework, this thesis examines how the intersection of conservation and extractivism around the RNJ produces space across the landscape. An actor-oriented approach is utilized to consider how different actors such as Peru’s protected area service, mining corporations, NGOs, regional authorities, and local communities understand and use resources and space. Interviews with diverse actors were conducted and illuminated a web of power-laden relations that extends far beyond the study site. Pervasive entanglements of both conservation and mining with social life (re)produce emergent spaces and conflicting hegemonies throughout the landscape of highland Junín and Pasco. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the spatialities of conservation activity and subsoil mineral extraction serve to co-produce one another. These insights underscore the political nature of resource governance convergence and suggest that social-ecological systems analysis would benefit from critically engaging with production of space perspectives

How veganism influences relationship with food, in the context of eating disorder recovery

It is a systemic norm for eating disorder treatment centers to prohibit patients from remaining vegan while in treatment. However, literature examining the relationship between vegan diets and disordered eating is very limited. This study examined the influence of veganism on a person’s relationship with food, particularly within the context of recovery from disordered eating. Semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the lived experience of people who had a history of disordered eating and were vegan during their illness and/or recovery process. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used to guide the research and analysis due to the complex, nuanced, and emotional nature of the topic. The findings revealed that veganism is not inherently tied to, or promoting of, disordered eating; although it can lead to the development of disordered behaviors in those who already carry a predisposition. Those who are in the process of eating disorder recovery may be hindered by a requirement to abandon their veganism, and supported by maintaining that value system while recovering. The primary factor influencing how veganism influences a person’s relationship with food is developing a belief system and lifestyle that reflects one’s personal values rather than following rules set by an external individual or group, even if they are derived from honorable motivations of nutrition or sources of expertise. Treatment centers and healthcare professionals should develop resources and models of care that support patients in maintaining veganism while facilitating treatment and recovery

Investigating preclassic occupation in the site core of Xunantunich

Previous studies in the Maya area indicate many lowland Maya site cores developed gradually with continuous construction and modifications extending back to the Preclassic era (1200 B.C. – A.D. 300). In spite of this developmental sequence, few sites exhibiting Preclassic transition phases have been intensively investigated. One example is the Belize Valley site of Xunantunich, where more than a century’s worth of research in the site core has been dedicated primarily to interpreting the political and socio-economic role of the site during the Late to Terminal Classic period. Because of these previous research biases, little is known of the Preclassic occupational component of the site core. In an effort to address this omission, we conducted a series of excavations within the site core during the 2022 field season of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project. These investigations revealed Preclassic architecture and Jenney Creek Phase (900-300 BC) ceramics, as well as Preclassic ceramic figurines. In this thesis, we review evidence of Preclassic occupation in Xunantunich’s site core and provide results of our recent investigations in Plazas A-I, A-II, and A-III. Our findings help enhance the understanding of the construction and development of the site core of Xunantunich during Preclassic times

Adult learner approach to transformational change: an interpretive phenomenological analysis

This qualitative study was an exploration of the lived experiences of adult learners (over age 24) enrolled in graduate teacher preparation programs and their distinct needs and expectations related to program entry, persistence, and completion. Five graduate teacher preparation degree-seeking study participants openly shared their respective academic and lived experiences. With a theoretical framework comprised of Knowles’ andragogy theory and Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism, an inductive approach to data analysis facilitated condensing extensive and varied raw data to code-listed categories and themes. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was appropriate to show how adult learners make sense of their academic and lived experiences and the efforts they made to conquer challenges during program entry, persistence, and completion. Several themes emerged aligned to the research question and subquestion: How do adult learners make sense of their academic and lived experiences as they enter, persist, and complete their graduate teacher preparation program? and, How do adult learners engage and negotiate the university experience to meet their needs and expectations? This study contributed to the literature on how adult learners engage and negotiate their experience in graduate teacher preparation to make sense of met and unmet needs

Food perceptions of black and brown community members are bigger than the map in San diego, California

A relationship between food, health and economics can be traced back to the beginning of colonization and unfortunately these relationships are still heavily prevalent in Black and Brown communities in the United States. The United States had multiple changes in agricultural and economic policies in the twentieth century, which begs the question, what are the perspectives of marginalized groups who may have noticed the food regime changes over the decades? From May 2022 through August 2022, fifteen participants, ages 18 and older were interviewed on their perspectives on food insecurity in Black and Brown communities in San Diego, California. In Chapter One, I explored the history of United States political economics and how these policies effect U.S. food systems today. I, also, observed the policy effects on independent grocers and major chain grocers and how these policies effect consumers without them knowing. Many independent grocers had hidden butcher shops in their stores but had a lay out of a 7-Eleven than a grocery store. Many of the stores sold generic brand names from larger retail chains. In Chapter Two, I focused on where my participants preferred to grocery shop and if their health influenced changes to their eating habits. My participants were very specific about the stores they liked to frequent but felt like it was within their community despite to being in an adjacent city. One of my participants was healthy but noted simple health swaps to avoid a health predisposition. In Chapter Three, I focused on the growth of community gardens and farmer’s markets in Black and Brown communities and how community members benefit from having these options. I personally observed youth cultivating and selling their own produce to learn growing and business skills for them to take into the future. This study would add to the growing anthology of food equality research happening in anthropology by adding discourse from Black and Brown communities from San Diego, California

K-1 discipline support since the enactment of Arizona House Bill 2123

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Arizona Revised Statues 15-843(K) with Arizona elementary administrators, since the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, this research investigated the Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions administrators have found to be effective and ineffective to support K-1 students who have behavioral needs. Participants included 12 elementary administrators from two suburban school districts. The design of this study was a case study with a focus on qualitative data collected, analyzed, and summarized. No additional data were collected. Research Question 1 addressed how administrators’ discipline practices have changed since the revised law. Even though half of the administrators discussed no change has occurred, there was an equal number of participants who explained they had to be creative with their practices. Additionally, they expressed how they had to formalize their MTSS process and focus on early interventions and student relationships. Research Question 2 addressed what Tier 1 behavioral supports were being utilized for K-1 students. Administrators expressed having their teachers utilize a Social Emotional Curriculum to teach daily social skills as a support for K-1 students. They shared having school-wide expectations in place was supportive for the students. Additionally, having the expectations visible around campus, explicitly taught, and using positive tickets helped to support students with behavioral needs. Research Question 3 addressed identifying effective Tier 2 interventions. Administrators identified having extra staff members pull small groups of students in order to provide them with instruction on social skills. In addition, Check-in, Check-out was explained to be effective because it was a staff member, other than the teacher, who did the check-in and reflect on behavior goals with the student. When a student reaches their goal, an incentive is given. Research Question 4 asked administrators to identify ineffective Tier 2 interventions. Because there were none share by participants, there was no conclusion drawn as there was an insufficiency of data