Cohen Honors Theses
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Item An examination of policy-level factors and affect behavioral health and behavioral health care in Kansas(Wichita State University, 2022-05) Vuong, Ngoc X.The lack of access to behavioral health care, trends in behavioral health issues, and the impact of social determinants of health underlie the need for behavioral health reform in Kansas. A mixed-methods study examined the attitudes and recommendations of elected officials, state employees, payers, and health advocates. Although stakeholders supported most policies that facilitate primary care and behavioral health integration, elected officials and payers were less likely to support financial incentives for primary care practitioners who treat gender dysphoria than health advocates and state employees did. Payers perceived legislation to improve insurance coverage for behavioral health issues as less beneficial than state employees and health advocates did. Elected officials perceived legislation to address various social determinants of health as less beneficial than health advocates did. Seven themes were identified from text-based recommendations to improve behavioral health services and outcomes: (1) access; (2) capacity and sustainability; (3) social determinants of health; (4) public safety and criminal justice responses; (5) parity; (6) integration; and (7) opposition to government involvement in the behavioral health system. Five themes were identified from semi-structured interviews: (1) behavioral health workforce development; (2) criminal justice reform; (3) payment and health insurance reform; (4) policymaking processes; and (5) access to care. Preliminary findings may reflect both the barriers and facilitators to behavioral health reform in Kansas. However, several limitations undermined the generalizability of these findings. Future studies should consider more representative sample sizes, additional variables in behavioral health and social determinants of health policies, and more comprehensive, validated measures.Item The things that scare us: Analyzing the impact of the series "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell(Wichita State University, 2022-05) Magathan, Kathleen L.; DeFrain, DarrenOne of the most influential collections of folktales for children in the last half century are those found in the three-volume series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark compiled by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Schwartz took the strangest and creepiest tales being shared across the country around countless campfires, in backyard tents, and living room blanket forts, stripped them down to their most basic form and gave them back to America with Gammell’s uniquely imaginative and terrifying illustrations to accompany them. These books have influence young readers for over forty years, some of whom have grown up to become artist and writers themselves. This collaboration of Schwartz and Gammell’s frightened some parents and adults far more than the children who read them, leading to the controversial efforts to remove them from library shelves. Efforts at censorship are a testament to the power these words and images hold.Item Investigating the nature of borrowed French color terms in Congolese Kiswahili(Wichita State University, 2022-05) Hemberger, Kaitlyn S.; Menon, MythiliThis research project investigates the nature of French color loanwords in Congolese Kiswahili. Although the nature of color terms in Tanzanian (standard) Kiswahili has been investigated (Berlin & Kay, 1969), no studies exist on the nature of color terms in Congolese Kiswahili, which is a group of pidgins and creoles of French and standard Kiswahili spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Color terms that have been studied in standard Kiswahili do not behave consistently; some have adjectival capabilities, others only exist within adjectival phrases, and a few can even behave as nominals. Previous studies have seldom noted that borrowed French color terms exist in Congolese Kiswahili and therefore, lexical categorization of these color terms is unstudied. Standard Kiswahili has multiple equivalents for color terms due to the way the language constructs certain color expressions; however, there are no studies specifically investigating whether the standard color terms or the borrowed French color terms are preferred by Congolese Kiswahili speakers. This thesis focuses on three primary research questions. Firstly, are French borrowed color terms truly in use, and if so, how many? Secondly, are these color terms preferred over their standard Kiswahili equivalents? Thirdly, how are these terms lexically categorized, i.e., are they nouns or true adjectives? To test these questions, a mixed-methodology survey was designed and data was collected on Qualtrics. Participants had the option to take the survey in French or in English as well as an option to take it online, in-person, or virtual assistance. 15 respondents took the survey. The participants were Congolese refugees living in Wichita, Kansas who are native speakers of Congolese Kiswahili and over 18 years of age. Results indicate that although many speakers recognize French color terms, they do not prefer them over other standard Kiswahili options. Results regarding lexical categorization are inconclusive but indicate that these terms may have both nominal and adjectival properties. This research has many follow-up questions: Do attitudes surrounding borrowing in Congolese Kiswahili affect use of French color terms? Why are some French color terms more universally recognized and preferred than others? Can differences in use and preference be explained by differences in dialect? Since some color expressions in Kiswahili can be highly dependent on hue, are these French terms also only used to describe certain shades and hues?Item The need for dance: An analysis of dance access in Wichita, Kansas(Wichita State University, 2022-05) Chauncey, Jadie L.; Clawson, CheylaDance is an art form that has grown and developed throughout history. Today structured dance classes can be seen in many settings and in many varieties. While many studies have looked at access to art and recreational activities across the United States few have looked at access to dance, specifically when compared to the demographics (income and race/ethnicity). This research uses publicly available information to look at dance opportunities in Wichita, Kansas a metropolitan area with a population of three hundred, ninety-seven thousand, and five hundred people The study focuses on where classes located in Wichita geographically, the average cost of classes, the demographics (specifically race/ethnicity and income levels) of the neighborhoods the classes are located and if there is a connection between the demographics of the neighborhoods and the number of dance class locations available.Item Application of radicalization models to Proud Boys leadership on January 6th, 2020(Wichita State University, 2022-05) Ihrig, Ella B.; Proctor, PatrickThe breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th by among others, Biggs, Nordean, and Pezzola was not a spur of the moment decision but rather a planned and coordinated movement by trained individuals. Understanding the path they took to reach the level of extremism needed to carry this out is essential to preventing similar attacks of this kind.