An Examination of the Impact of Gender and Culture on Facebook Privacy and Trust in Guam

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, allows users to develop a profile containing personal information. Users may choose privacy settings to control information access, but improper settings risk personal exposure. Several US studies examining gender differences in privacy management found that females have more privacy concerns. This study investigates gender differences in Facebook privacy settings among college students in Guam, a US territory whose ethnicity and culture differ from mainland US. Results show that neither gender trusts Facebook nor feels Facebook protects them. Significant differences in number and type of privacy settings indicate females are more security conscious. Gender differences exist in three of Hofstede’s five cultural factors, but only Masculinity-Femininity significantly influences perceptions of Facebook Privacy and Facebook Trust. There is also evidence of “privacy paradox” phenomenon. Summarizing for the case in Guam, the findings indicate that culture, in particular Masculinity-Femininity, influences the formation of perceptions regarding both trust in social media and the privacy protection provided by social media, while gender can influence the protective measures actually taken by individuals

Where Are the Brothers? Native Hawaiian Males and Higher Education.

Ed.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

Multilingual Families Homeschooling: Reasons, Goals, and Challenges

This study examines homeschooling among multilingual families by providing insight into multilingual parents’ motivations, goals, and challenges in homeschooling, along with their perception of the role their diverse language background plays in their homeschooling experience. Through the LangCrit framework, this study explores the intersection of language and parental involvement in the identities multilingual parents live as they homeschool their children. Findings demonstrate that parents’ goals and challenges center on academic and social concerns, rather than language issues. Rather, the influence of their language background emerges in descriptions directly focused on language and culture. The fluid dimensions of their identities are expressed according to the domain of the discussion. Their language background pervades their lived experience as they accompany their children in homeschooling

Push and Pull: Factors Influencing Parent Motivation and School Choice in a South Carolina School District

The demand for school choice options is increasing, as is the number of families selecting to educate their children through alternative means, including homeschooling, faith-based schooling, and charter schooling. As both the number of school choice options and the number of families choosing such options increase, the relationship between the two is worth examining. The purpose of this explanatory sequential study was to determine the factors motivating parents to select alternatives to traditional public schools and to find those similarities and differences existing across the three subgroups (homeschooling, faith-based schooling, and charter schooling). The phenomenon was examined through the lenses of Lee’s (1966) Theory of Migration and Rational Choice Theory and built on the Push-Pull Model for Parent Choice. This study addressed two research questions: “Why do parents select homeschooling, faith-based schooling, and charter schooling as alternatives to traditional public schooling?” and “What are the similarities and differences among parental motivators for choosing between homeschooling, faith-based schooling, charter schooling?” Descriptive statistics were employed during data analysis to assist in reporting the results and to form conclusions. The Likert scale data contradicted the open-response data. Ultimately, the findings showed that parents in all three subgroups were motivated by an equal push and pull

Expanding the collective narrative: exploring the experiences of American Sign Language/English interpreters of Asian heritage

This study focuses on the experiences of Asian and Asian American/Pacific Islanders in the field of American Sign Language/English interpreting within the United States. This study was conducted in two phases, an online survey followed by one-on-one interviews either online or in-person. The information was gathered, coded, and then analyzed for common themes to see if there was a common trend or experience among this particular minority group. The literature review revealed that a majority of the Asian and Asian American/Pacific Islander community does experience microaggressions on a weekly basis, if not daily; however, this has not yet been investigated among current and former practitioners of American Sign Language/English interpreting. It was found that many Asian and Asian American/Pacific Islander interpreters experienced their interpreter education programs (IEPs) to be lacking in discussions about diversity and multiculturalism. The same holds true for practitioners who did not attend an IEP. Working interpreters often felt there was a lack of understanding and conversation about cultural differences and diversity among their peers and consumers. This lack of understanding can lead to more microaggressions and frustration experienced by the Asian and AAPI interpreter. To increase discussion and awareness, participants desired more education and discussion about race, racism, and microaggressions in their education and with their colleagues and consumers

Factors That Influence Minority Student Enrollment at Various Levels of Postsecondary Education

Research indicates disparities in the enrollment of minorities in postsecondary education. However, the reasons for the lower enrollment rates of minorities are less clear. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between sex, income, GPA, racial/ethnic identity, academic self-concept, and sense of school belonging for African American and Latino/Latina students with level of enrollment at postsecondary schools (two-year community college or four-year university). Participants included 256 African American and Latino/Latina students at two-year community colleges and four-year universities in Virginia. GPA and academic self-concept were found to be predictors of enrollment. Specifically, students with higher GPAs are 5.4 times more likely to enroll in a four-year university and students with higher academic self-concept are 1.8 times more likely to enroll in a two-year community college, when controlling for all other variables. There was also a significant interaction of race and sex on academic self-concept, specifically that African American males had the lowest academic self-concept. No group differences were found between African Americans and Latinos/Latinas in ethnic identity, sense of school belonging, and academic self-concept. The limitations of the current study as well as implications for educators and counselors are also presented

Successful Practices of Micronesian College Students in Hawai‘i: Utilizing Positive Deviants to Develop Strength-Based Student Support Services in Higher Education.

Ed.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017