This paper examines the concept of safety as it encompasses the personal and technological spheres as imagined by a group of active duty service members, veterans, a police officer, and civilians, as well as the agency exercised by those with military or police backgrounds when it comes to safety technology. A group of seventeen individuals took part in a battlefield simulation to test a wearable junctional tourniquet created by ARMR Systems, LLC, an innovative advancement in tourniquet technology. After the simulation, participants were interviewed, surveyed, and took part in a focus group to determine not only product suitability but also to explore the underlying reasons for their recommendations for product changes. Results showed that those with military or police background performed safety rituals prior to duty and exercised agency in the desire to obtain the best possible personal safety devices and technology to be used for themselves and their comrade-in-arms. All participants expressed concerns for their safety in regards to technology in general, specifically, the hacking and use of personal data and what is perceived as lack of governmental oversight. Almost all of the changes to improve product safety, comfort, and utility were adapted. The topics discovered during the course …

This was a mixed-method user-centered study regarding the University of North Texas's student-owned learner record and credentialing system. Through methods of quantitative and qualitative inquiry, student perceptions were unearthed and recommendations to improve the system were provided.

The intersection of race and space in one neighborhood in Denton, Texas, a college town situated within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, reflects the lack of economic opportunities caused by a legacy of racial spatialization. SED, formally known as Solomon Hill, was once a predominately Black enclave; however, the city's population growth has fueled the expansion of the downtown area into neighborhood, transforming it into a hotspot for new investment. As the city rebrands itself in the name of urban entrepreneurialism, SED has become part of revitalization plans that include portraying the neighborhood as part of a cultural district, a tech hub, and an arts district. In order to understand the neighborhood today, we need to first examine its history; therefore, I provide a brief history of racial segregation in SED and examine the power structures that reinforced its marginalization. I then explain how the aforesaid transformation of SED as a cultural district, tech hub, and arts district and the expansion of downtown area into SED is a byproduct of the city's urban entrepreneurialism. Lastly, I discuss the function of the MLK Jr. Recreation Center, and their goals for connecting with the community through program evaluation and development centered around …

This study used ethnographic and qualitative research methods to provide data-driven support for the use of next-of-kin interviews to enhance overdose fatality review (OFR) datasets. This study's community of practice is a group of substance-use professionals that use OFRs to share confidential data and monitor Lucas County, Ohio substance use trends. To analyze OFR data collection, un-silo information, and understand how to include next-of-kin (NOK) interviews in the dataset, this study used rapid analysis, semi-structured interviews, and virtual participant observation methods. Rapid analysis showed current methods sufficiently collected demographic, vital statistics, and postmortem data from coroner reports; however, NOK interviews supplied narrative-derived information often missing or inconsistent in the dataset. Interviews with the community of practice and decedents' NOK showed dissonance between the two's perceptions of overdoses in Lucas County. Participants discussed themes, e.g., stigma, burnout, strained resources, and increasing fentanyl contamination-related overdoses. NOK needed accessible web-based resource options, linkages to current programs or services, stigma-free harm reduction education, and opportunities to form connections. Professionals explained the impact of widespread mental health problems, extreme social isolation, and economic pressures on overdose prevention during COVID-19. Potentially contaminated illicit substance use increased during the pandemic, overburdening the community of practice and straining …

In this thesis, I explore strategies used by the local timber industry to influence forest policy on the Black Hills National Forest. These strategies include leveraging political pressure, proposing alternative interpretations of existing laws, and first requesting and then rejecting scientific data. Discursive strategies used by the timber industry to influence US Forest Service policy are compared and contrasted with those used by the environmental movement. The paper explores when and why stakeholders use different discursive strategies to influence forest policy.

The client for this study, the Entheogenic Research, Integration, and Education (ERIE), was interested in the use of anthropological methods to examine the experiences of people who use psychedelics beyond the clinical setting. Through collaborative discussions with the client, we decided that the central questions guiding this research are to understand the various reasons why people consume psychedelic substances across the United States as well as examine the self-reported influences of psychedelics in various areas of participants' life and identity. Participants were recruited using stratified sampling and were given a confidential, online survey that also provided an option to arrange a semi-structured interview. In total, there were 103 completed survey responses and 25 interviews. The results of this research indicate that the reasons for participants' psychedelic use often change over time from strictly recreational or out of curiosity to intentions based on therapeutic and psychospiritual development. Additionally, the majority of both survey and interview participants believed their psychedelic use to have had a transformative influence on their health and well-being, perception of nature, identity, spirituality, and creative expression of art and music. Another theme uncovered in this research is the impacts of punitive drug laws on psychedelic use such as …

My research explores what laws, such as laws surrounding immigration, child custody, and divorce, negatively affect polyamorous individuals in the U.S. and how people's perceptions of barriers differ along lines of gender-sexual-racial-class identities. My applied research is conducted for my client, a CNM-friendly attorney in D.C. I investigate the experience of polyamorous people that use lawyers they perceive as consensually non-monogamous (CNM)-friendly. I probe what it means to be "CNM-friendly," how one promotes oneself as a CNM-friendly lawyer to potential clients and the world at large, and the relationship between being a CNM-friendly lawyer and activism.

Craft beer as a cultural phenomenon coincided with the revitalization of downtown Denton, Texas. Much of the existing literature on craft beer and its relation to place focuses on breweries rather than bars. This exploratory study aims to explain why people consume craft beer, what factors influenced its popularity in Denton despite little beer production, and to explore considerations for the promotion of Denton as a craft beer destination and making downtown an inclusive space. Data was collected through interviews, participant observation, and a survey. Findings indicated that craft beer consumption in Denton is largely related to perceptions of community, localism, and knowledge seeking. The ethos of the craft beer industry closely aligned with participants' perceptions of Denton as a city.

Farm to school programs are becoming a popular intervention to address childhood obesity. The hope is to prevent later chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that can result from eating high-fat/high-calorie diets that are low in consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This study explores the impacts of one such program, Farm to Keiki, on students, their families, and teachers at two Native Hawaiian preschools on the island of Kauaʽi, Hawaiʽi. This program combined lessons about plants and nutrition with gardening at school and tastetesting in the classroom. Rooted in critical medical anthropology, this study utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to understand these impacts, as well as the historical and cultural contexts that have contributed to dietary changes among Native Hawaiians. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups, families and teachers described how the program encouraged the children to try new foods and eat more produce, and how the children demonstrated new knowledge about plants and healthy eating. Participants also spoke of ways in which their own knowledge and eating habits changed, and families reported carrying over many of the program's activities at home by gardening and preparing meals together. Additionally, participants offered valuable feedback on …

The advancement and incorporation of media in daily life continue to grow exponentially as the median age of humanity continues to rise. While there are media literacy education programs targeted toward children and adolescents, older adults are often left out of these initiatives. Based on ethnographic research conducted at two senior centers in Denton, TX, this thesis explores the way older adults analyze and interact with media. Data collection methods include participant observation and semi-structured interviews with senior center members over the age of 65. The research findings highlight how older adults navigate an expanding information society and how they lean on their community for support. These findings laid the foundation for the creation of a media literacy educational seminar given at both senior centers.

The quality of workplace morale can positively and negatively affect employee engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to participate in active communication with one another. They are also more likely to adopt the organizational goals and work towards creating a productive work environment. Communication and engagement build trust. Established trust between employees and executive leadership is a delicate relationship to maintain, though it is necessary when contending with periods of stress. The organization profiled below experienced the stressor of needing to grow without alienating those afraid of change or used to operating in one predictable direction. There was a desire to generate engagement, build trust and make room for employee-directed change. This desire left the organization open to exploring its culture and its impact on employee engagement.