UNT Libraries - 24 Matching Results

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open access

Addressing Social Elements of Wildfire: Risk, Response, and Recovery in Highland Village, TX

Description: Representatives of the City of Highland Village expressed concern over the risk of wildfires for their community. Anthropology provides many tools for and examples of disaster assessment of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. These tools combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide a holistic, cultural ecological look at how such a disaster may take place in the city. The project's methods included a detailed survey of preparedness steps which was analyzed usin… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: MacKinnon, Jessica
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Artscapes: Community Perceptions of City Beautification through Murals in Denton, Texas

Description: Keep Denton Beautiful (KDB) is inspired by Keep America Beautiful's model of community engagement to create a clean, beautiful, and vibrant city. The community mural initiative, Artscapes, aims to enliven public spaces, abate graffiti, and inspire community members to keep Denton, Texas, clean and beautiful. The goals of this research project are to understand the impact of Artscapes initiative, community perceptions of public art, and find ways KDB can better align future mural projects with t… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Robertson, Lindsey
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Assessing Workplace Design: Applying Anthropology to Assess an Architecture Firm’s Own Headquarters Design

Description: Corporations, design firms, technology, and furniture companies are rethinking the concept of the ‘workplace’ environment and built ‘office’ in an effort to respond to changing characteristics of the workplace. The following report presents a case study, post-occupancy assessment of an architecture firm’s relocation of their corporate headquarters in Dallas, TX. This ethnographic research transpired from September 2013 to February 2014 and included participant observation, employee interviews, … more
Date: December 2014
Creator: Ramer, S. Angela
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Bodies of Evidence: A Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Female Central American and Mexican Asylum Seekers in Dallas

Description: This work addresses the experiences of female asylum seekers from Central and Mexico currently living in Dallas, TX. The main purpose is to analyze how these women engage in the gendered processes of both migrating to and accessing legal resources and protection within the United States. As the women move through male-dominated spaces in their home country, the borderlands, and the asylum court they must challenge the patriarchal institutions that attempt to silence their narratives and crimina… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Kober, Ryan K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Caring for Cancer: Understanding the Access and Perceptions of Psychosocial Cancer Services in North Texas

Description: It is estimated that nearly 14.5 million Americans are living with cancer today. A commonly overlooked component to quality cancer care, as defined by the Institute of Medicine, is the role of psychological and social support. Better known as psychosocial support, these needs reflect a broad spectrum of obstacles or assets in an individual’s personal life that may help or hinder their healing experience. Some psychosocial examples include coping skills, transportation to medical appointments, o… more
Date: December 2014
Creator: Quirk, Lisa Erin
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Exploring Food Security among Elderly Residents in Carrollton and Farmers Branch, Texas

Description: Many senior citizens are surviving on minimal Social Security benefits and as a result, struggle with food security. Metrocrest Services in Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, is a non-profit organization that provides several food programs to residents of the community including some programs that are specifically tailored to the needs of senior citizens. This project was to provide Metrocrest with an assessment of the food security of their senior clientele as well as other elderly r… more
Date: May 2018
Creator: Paschal, Carla
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Getting the College Experience: Exploring the Effect of the Residential Component of the Upward Bound Summer Program

Description: Upward Bound is a federally funded program designed to help low-income and first-generation high school students become college graduates by providing them with academic enrichment, financial aid information, and relevant educational experiences. Many Upward Bound programs throughout the country include a 6-week summer program when participants stay in residence halls on a university campus. The Upward Bound program at the University of North Texas is one such program. The goals of this researc… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Krehbiel, Riley M
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Giving Texas Veterans a Voice: Traumatic Experience and Marijuana Use

Description: Disabled veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist in a category separate from many civilians and soldiers. Their experiences land them in a category distinctly marked as atypical. The standard protocol to manage this atypical subject position is prescription drugs- a mark of the ill. In a distorted, post-war American society, what happens when veterans with PTSD refuse to be labeled as ‘sick,' ‘different,' or even ‘disabled'? This thesis explores the actions and intricacies of … more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Berard, Amanda Kay
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Grand Canyons: Authoritative Knowledge and Patient-Provider Connection

Description: In 2011, African Americans in Tarrant County, Texas experienced an infant mortality rate of 14.3 per 1,000 live births. The leading cause of infant mortality in Tarrant County is prematurity and maternal nutritional status. Both maternal under-nutrition and over-nutrition are known risk factors for premature birth. Improving maternal nutrition, by reducing rates of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, and by increasing consumption of essential prenatal vitamins and nutrients, is a road to dec… more
Date: May 2015
Creator: Fowler, Rebecca
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

The Happy Kitchen: Community Designed Cooking Classes

Description: Equitable access to healthy food is a multifaceted issue faced by many underserved populations. Intimate understanding of individual communities’ food practices allows for the creation of community-based interventions that elaborate upon specific needs and desires. Through collaborative research and action, this study aims to become better informed of the current eating habits of community members participating in The Happy Kitchen program at Wesley Rankin Community Center in West Dallas, how t… more
Date: August 2015
Creator: Whatley, Amanda L.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Identifying Community Access to Veterinary Services in Southern Dallas

Description: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas in Dallas, Texas offers an array of services and programs to residents in southern Dallas and other areas. However, interest in the state of access to veterinary care has been questioned for southern Dallas residents. In an area that faces certain compounding stressors, such as food deserts and transportation difficulties, a lack of access to veterinary care for pet owners is considered an additional possible stressor. Pet owners in … more
Date: August 2019
Creator: O'Neill, Skye J
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

The Intervention of Human Modifications on Plant and Tree Species in the Landscape of the LBJ National Grasslands

Description: An analysis utilizing both ArcGIS and ethnographic interviews from private land owners and environmental professionals examined how man-made landscape changes affected plant and tree species in the LBJ National Grasslands in Wise County, Texas north of Decatur. From the late 1800s to the Dust Bowl Era the land was used for crop production and cattle grazing resulting in erosion and loss of soil nutrients. The research indicated by 2001 that cattle grazing and population increase resulted in lan… more
Date: May 2015
Creator: Lang, Brett M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

It's Going to be Different, but It's Going to be Okay: Caregiver Perspectives on Autism, Culture and Accessing Care

Description: Through ethnography influenced by public health and anthropological theory, I explored the cultural perceptions of autism among eight caregivers whose children received services from a local Dallas-Fort Worth autism treatment organization. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews with caregivers and program employees provided a rich and nuanced view into the state of care currently available in the DFW area while also highlighting areas for improvement. This research will be used… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Otwori, Beverly N.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

“Just Tell Me the Truth”: Understanding Health Risks and Community Perspectives in Karnes County, Texas, an Oil and Gas Community

Description: Using ethnographic research methods, I collaborated with the organization Earthworks to conduct a community assessment on the health issues related to the air quality in Karnes County, Texas, an oil and gas community. The research consisted of in-depth interviews with residents on their experiences and knowledge on the health issues associated to air quality. This research is going to be used to inform the community and develop strategies to empower community members in improving their environm… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Villa, Priscilla
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

The Needs and Resources of International Torture Survivors Living in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex: an Investigation of Healing and Assimilation Perceived by Center for Survivors of Torture’s Clients and Staff As Well As the Greater Resettlement Community

Description: Torture survivors find difficulty navigating through an unfamiliar healthcare and social service system. Many survivors who already face Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression also endure a secondary threat which leads to re-traumatization through the struggles of acculturation. The aim of this study is to determine: 1. Identify differences and assumptions between service providers’ and clients’ definitions of self-sufficiency; 2. Examine prominent barriers to self-suf… more
Date: August 2015
Creator: Trubits, Ryan J.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Operationalizing a Reading Culture at Rio Hondo Junior High

Description: A rural Rio Grande Valley school has continuously performed below the state average on the reading portion of the State Assessment of Academic Readiness. One of the concerns expressed amongst teachers and staff is the student’s lack of desire to read for pleasure or for academic purposes. This study examines the attitudes of students and staff in towards reading by focusing on the school’s reading culture. A mixed methods approach consisting of interviews, participant observation, a focus group… more
Date: August 2015
Creator: Manning, Victoria Nicole
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Oral History of Bonton and Ideal Neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas

Description: The Bonton and Ideal neighborhoods in Dallas Texas, developed in the early 1900s, experienced physical and social decay throughout the 1980s. Neighborhood organizations and resident activism were vital to the rebirth of the community in the 1990s. Current revitalization efforts taking place there have been a source of contention as the neighborhood continues to overcome inequalities created by decades of racialized city planning initiatives. This thesis focuses on how the structuring structu… more
Date: December 2015
Creator: Payne, Briana
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

A Place to Call Home: Uncovering the Housing Needs of Veterans

Description: When US veterans return home from serving their country reintegrating into civilian society is difficult. Adjustment is often associated with mental health stress and personal instability. One of the biggest predictors of successful reintegration is homeownership. The research is in partnership with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. The research seeks to explore the challenges veterans face when seeking homeownership.
Date: August 2017
Creator: Conrado, Ana Belen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Teach Healthier: An mHealth Case Study for Piloting Pre-K Health Curriculum

Description: This rapid ethnographic study explored how a 'mobile health education' app might impact preschool teachers and students, interact with organizational protocols and policies, and align with the preschool culture. The researcher evaluated the app's early Pre-K content and user experience. With a systems thinking approach, this study revealed the lived-experiences and processes in preschools around Austin, Texas. The outcomes of this study guided the client with more human-centered approaches to r… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Sarmiento, John
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Understanding Perceptions of Community Gardens in the Dallas Area

Description: This exploratory research focuses on identifying the roles and perspectives of community gardens in the Dallas area. Results from semi-structured interviews reveal the social and political makeup of the neighborhoods where the garden projects in this study are located. While these findings highlight the benefits of gardening in the city, they can also be contested spaces. In advocating for the proliferation of garden projects in the city, community organizations would benefit from understanding… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Ayyad, Raja
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Vickery Meadow Community Needs Assessment

Description: This study represents a community needs assessment conducted for Trans.lation Vickery Meadow, a community-based organization in a North Dallas community, Vickery Meadow. Vickery Meadow is a community where refugee resettlement agencies place incoming clients, and therefore, there is a focus on immigrants and refugees in this study. Using theoretical conceptions of development, immigration policy, and the refugee resettlement process, this project measured residential perceptions of Vickery Mead… more
Date: December 2014
Creator: Jay, Sarah, 1986-
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Welcoming Communities: Examining the Experiences of Dallas Area Immigrants on the Path to U.S. Citizenship

Description: The U.S. citizenship application process is a legal and symbolic journey shaped by many cultural processes. This research project aims to bring to light the experiences of immigrants and citizenship applicants living in Dallas, Texas, to promote a better understanding of Dallas' increasingly diverse population. In addition, the purpose of this project is to provide insights to a specific client, the office of Dallas Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs, about Dallas' lawful permanent res… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Fink, Madeline
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Why Breastfeed? Understanding the Factors that Influence Women to Breastfeed in Southeast Fort Worth

Description: Today breastfeeding is a common conversation with the ever-growing holistic movement and the effort to 'go green' as demonstrated by the proliferation of the organic food industry in recent years within the United States. Breastfeeding may reduce poor health outcomes including infant morbidity and mortality. Infant mortality is a priority in Tarrant County within southeast Fort Worth as defined by this project’s client Healthy Moms – Healthy Babies – Healthy Community. The purpose of this resea… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Jimenez, Lesley S.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
open access

Youth-led Environmental Awareness: Initiatives Towards a Jain Faith Community Empowerment

Description: This project employs participatory action research methods in efforts to create a community specific environmental curriculum for the high school age youth at the only Jain faith community in the North Texas region. Aligned with the community’s goals, the youth led in deciding, creating, and carrying out initiatives that were aimed at increasing the level of awareness about environmental issues amongst community members. The research done by the youth aimed at looking at environmental issues th… more
Date: August 2014
Creator: Otterbine, Joseph R.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
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