UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
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Item Uncovering Typologies of Civically Engaged Latinx/a/o College Graduates(2020) Guzman, Amilcar; Cabrera, Alberto F; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation examined how Latinx/a/o college graduates engage civically. Guided by Morton’s (1995) paradigms of service, Drezner’s (2018) philanthropic mirroring framework, and Moll et al.’s (1992) funds of knowledge, I investigated how Latinx/a/o college graduates engage civically in their communities and with their alma maters. Through an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, I found that Latinx/a/o college graduates vote, volunteer, advocate, donate money, serve as cultural and political resources, and run for elected office. I also identified five typologies, or classes, of civically engaged Latinx/a/o college graduates: Activistas, Mentores, Politicos, Votantes, and Indiferentes. This study sought to address analytical and methodological shortcomings in the existing literature on Latinx/a/os and how college graduates engage civically. Overall, this dissertation expands the knowledge of Latinx/a/os’ civic engagement. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers all have a role to play in fostering and supporting Latinx/a/o college graduates’ civic participation. Moreover, Latinx/a/o college graduates have the potential to serve as change agents that contribute to society and encourage their families and communities to do the same.Item Navigating Multiple Worlds: A Grounded Theory of Latina Students' Identity as Latina First-Generation College Students(2011) Alvarez, Patricia Lynn; McEwen, Marylu K.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore Latina students' identity as Latina first-generation college students. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006) was used to explore two research questions: (a) For Latina students who are the first in their family to go to college, what is their understanding of being a Latina first-generation college student? (b) What strengths do Latina first-generation college students associate with being a Latina first-generation college student? A grounded theory of Latina students' identity as Latina first-generation college students was an outcome of this study. Two interviews were conducted with 12 Latina first-generation college students enrolled at the University of Maryland. Participants were considered first-generation college students if their parents' educational background did not exceed high school in the U.S. or some postsecondary education outside of the U.S., and if a sibling had not preceded them in attending college. Participants were racially/ethnically diverse, with the majority of students identifying as Central and South American. The metaphor, navigating multiple worlds, particularly the Family Environment and the University Environment, describes the negotiation of experiences that inform Latina students' identity as Latina first-generation college students. Core identities of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Role as College Student, and Role within Family represent multiple and intersecting dimensions salient to Latina students' identity as Latina first-generation college students. Latina first-generation college students negotiated Latino/a Values and Expectations, "American" Values and Expectations, College and Family Responsibilities, Pioneering Higher Education, Responsibility to Give Back to Family and Latino/a Community, and Pressure and Pride. Living at the intersection of multiple worlds, including experiences as "the first" to attend an institution of higher education and engaging both in Latino/a culture and in "American" culture, contributed to the pressure that Latina first-generation college students experience. Latina students also received support from these distinct environments that enabled the participants to engage in culturally and educationally distinct worlds. Participants associated six strengths with being Latina first-generation college students: Family, Latino/a Culture, Spanish Language/Being Bilingual, Determination, Support Network - Prior to College and During College, and Sense of Responsibility to Help Others. This study has implications for research, theory, and practice.Item THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERCEPTIONS OF CAMPUS CLIMATE AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO ADJUSTMENT TO COLLEGE FOR LATINA SORORITY AND NON-SORORITY MEMBERS(2005-05-27) Garcia, Gina Ann; McEwen, Marylu K; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to explore whether there were differences in adjustment to college for Latina college students who are members of a Latina sorority and those who are non-members. A second purpose was to examine whether perceptions of campus climate and social support predicted academic, social, personal emotional, goal commitment-institutional, and overall adjustment to college. Using a web-based survey, the University Environment Scale (Gloria & Kurpius, 1996), social support scales (Schneider & Ward, 2003), and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1984) were used to collect data. Respondents included 314 Latina college students (183 members, 131 non-members) from a variety of institutions nationwide. Latina sorority members had significantly higher levels of social adjustment and goal commitment-institutional adjustment than non-members. Additionally, perceptions of campus climate and social support were significant predictors of adjustment for both groups, with 21%-64% variance explained for each form of adjustment.Item The Relationship of Self-Perceived Leadership Style and Acculturation of Latinas in the U.S. Army(2004-11-04) Zoppi, Irene M.; Kivlighan, Dennis M.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: THE RELATIONSHIP OF SELF-PERCEIVED LEADERSHIP STYLE AND ACCULTURATION OF LATINAS IN THE U.S. ARMY. Irene M. Zoppi, Doctor of Philosophy, 2004 Dissertation directed by: Professor Dennis M. Kivlighan, Jr. Department of Counseling and Personnel Services The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship of self-perceived leadership, acculturation and individualistic/collectivistic behaviors in Latino women leaders. Using a canonical correlational design, the study aimed at investigating how acculturation and individualistic/collectivistic behaviors relate to leadership of 524 Latina U.S. Army active duty officers with a participation rate of 72%. The study used a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory research approach to answer the following research questions: What are Latino women's self-perceptions of their leadership style? How does acculturation relate to leadership? What is the relationship between acculturation and Latino women's self-perceptions of their leadership style? What is the relationship of individualism/collectivism on the relationship between leadership and acculturation? How does individualism and collectivism relate to Latino women's self-perceptions of their leadership style? Correlational and t-test analyses were performed to compare the study's findings with those reported in previous research based on samples drawn from the MLQ. Correlation coefficients were computed to examine the relationship among demographic, leadership, acculturation, and individualism/collectivism variables. A canonical correlation was used to investigate the relationship between the set of variables of leadership and acculturation, acculturation and individualism/collectivism. Results indicated that the factor structure of the scales previously reported from Anglo cultures did fit the data from the Latina sample. These Latina officers, however, reported higher levels of transformational and lower levels of transactional leadership than normative samples. Significant canonical correlations were found among the variables under investigation that showed two types of canonical roots: Latina Collectivist and Active Transformational Leadership and Marginalized Individualistic and Passive Transactional Leadership. The Latina Collectivist and Active Transformational Leadership root was composed of the following variables: Latino Orientation, Horizontal and Vertical Collectivism, Idealized Influence (Behavior), Inspirational Motivation, Contingent Reward, Idealized Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation, Idealized Influence (Attributed), Laissez-Faire Leadership, and Management-by-Exception (Active). The Marginalized Individualistic and Passive Transactional Leadership root was composed of the following variables: Anglo Marginality, Latino Marginality, Latino/Hispanic Marginality, Horizontal and Vertical Individualism, Laissez-Faire Leadership, Intellectual Stimulation, Management-by-Exception (Active) and Management-by-Exception (Passive). Findings confirm Bass and Avolio (2004) contention that collectivist cultures nurture transformational leadership. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research were discussed.