Browsing by Subject "Youth"
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Item The 5th wall project : projection design applications for transforming education and medical spaces for youth communities(2015-05) Lord, Patrick William; Ortel, Sven; Alrutz, MeganThis paper and project explore how creative applications of existing design and technology can provide a unique service for children anywhere. This project fuses that technology with a belief that youth communities in education and medical spaces deserve access to artistic experiences. By devising original, immersive story performances with two classes from local Austin schools, The 5th Wall Project has begun to develop a process that facilitates educational engagement, and exposes students to design and art where they live and learn. The intention of this project is to continue beyond the performances and residencies completed and documented in this paper. Future applications, such as the installation of this model into pediatric patient rooms is a primary goal of the project that has yet to be explored, but is an integral motivator in the aforementioned investigation of our process.Item Alternative workforce development : the potential of youth, arts-based initiatives and the case of the Rose Kids(2013-08) Brigmon, Nathan; Sletto, BjørnEvery year, the US Conference of Mayors presents awards to mayors and their administrations for programs that enhance the quality of life in urban areas. In 2009, the City of Charleston won and was named America’s “Most Livable” City. The program that won them the honor was the Palmetto Artisan Program, an entrepreneurial skill program helping youth artisans become licensed business vendors. This report seeks to understand the potential for arts-based youth programs, like the Palmetto Artisan Program, to impact local economic development and enhance quality of life. I explore this issue through a literature review of workforce development, arts-related economic development, an analysis of five programs across the country, and an in-depth analysis of the Palmetto Artisan Program in Charleston, SC. The report concludes with recommendations and insights for cities and regions wishing to implement similar programs that benefit young people and their communities.Item An investigation of purchasing practices of Negro, Mexican-American, and Causasian high school students(Texas Tech University, 1971-05) Dunias, Wilma WaggonerNot availableItem Arvind(2014-05) Roberts, Evan (Film director); Raval, P. J. (Paul James)This report will summarize the process of developing, producing and finishing the short documentary film ARVIND. Shot on HD video in Austin, TX from May 2012 to March 2014, the film was produced as my Graduate Thesis Film in the Department of Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin in partial fulfillment of my Master of Fine Arts in Film Production degree.Item The Borderlanders(2009-12) Rodriguez, Marcel Bernard; Stekler, Paul Jeffrey; Perez, Domino; Ramirez-Berg, CharlesThe following report describes the pre-production, production, and post-production of the short film, The Borderlanders, set and shot in South Texas. Its story centers on an immigrant youth who tries to escape the tensions that arise in one family coming together after many years of forced separation because of current immigration policies. It is a meditation on family dynamics and the intimate politics of the border. The report discusses the thought process behind creating images of Latinos in film, the writing of the film, and analyzes the creative choices that gave shape to the film. The original screenplay is included as well as the credits.Item Class negotiations : poverty, welfare policy, and American television(2014-08) Murphy, Nicole Lynn; Beltrán, MaryTelevision impacts the shape of our common culture by depicting our societal fears, myths and hopes in a constantly shifting and negotiated manner. There is a glaring lack of research regarding media representations of children/adolescents in poverty. The study of this intersection is critically important for understanding societal discourse around education, healthcare, government assistance programs and even the opinions and practices of teachers and administrators. Children under 18 years of age represent 24 percent of the population, but they comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty in the United States. Among all children, 45 percent live in low-income families and approximately one in every five (22 percent) live in poor families. In this thesis, I trace discourse in the mainstream news and popular culture regarding children and poverty through welfare debates and policy changes in the U.S. from the 1990s and 2000s through the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. Subsequently, I analyze the construction of this discourse on narrative television in the shows My So Called Life (ABC, 1994-1995) The O.C. (FOX, 2003-2007) and Shameless (Showtime, 2011-). Through this mapping, I examine how gender, sexuality, race, and age are mobilized in constructing televisual representations of poverty; as well as how shifting discourses and depictions make transparent society’s anxieties regarding poverty.Item Communication discriminators between juvenile delinquents and juvenile non-delinquents(Texas Tech University, 1978-08) Sullivan, Chesna R.Not availableItem Context matters : the role of settings in sport development(2011-08) Bowers, Matthew Thomas; Green, B. Christine; Chalip, Laurence; Harrison, Tracie; Hunt, Thomas M.; Todd, JaniceSport participation in the United States is often characterized as a unitary experience that naturally instills a standardized set of values. In this work, however, I challenge the mythology of a unitary conceptualization of sport participation and examine how the experiences and outcomes of playing sports change depending on the setting in which the participation occurs. Specifically, I undertake an investigation into the differences between playing sports in an organized setting and playing them in an informal, unstructured setting. Drawing from the findings of three distinct studies, I first demonstrate through a mixed-method historical study how the field of sport management has narrowed its focus over time to exclude the more playful forms of sport and physical activity. In the second and third studies, I show the experiential and developmental outcomes that are potentially overlooked by maintaining a narrow definition of sport that excludes sport played in unstructured settings. In the second study, a phenomenological examination of pre-teen youth sport participants reveals that the meaning of the experience of playing youth sports derives not from playing in one setting alone, but emerges through the synthesis of experiences accrued in both organized and unstructured settings. In the third study, the relative influences of time spent participating in organized sports and informal sports during childhood are assessed with respect to the development of participant creativity. Like the phenomenological study, the results of this quantitative analysis again point to the importance of balancing participation in both organized and unstructured settings. The most creative individuals are those who split their sport participation time across both settings, as opposed to individuals with below-average creativity, who spent the majority of their sport participation time in organized settings. Combined, the results of these three studies demonstrate the historical shift (in both research and practice) away from unstructured sport settings, and highlight the potentially transformative sport development implications of reincorporating unstructured sport settings on the overall experiences and outcomes of sport participation.Item Direct observations of in-school food and beverage promotion : advances in measures and prevalence differences at the school-level(2013-08) Latimer, Lara Adrienne; Pasch, Keryn E.Previous research shows that food/beverage promotions are prevalent in traditional channels, such as television, and that children's exposure to these promotions may be associated with dietary- and weight-related outcomes. However, little research has been conducted on in-school food/beverage promotions, despite evidence that promotions are present in schools and that similar associations between students' exposure to promotions and weight-related outcomes may exist. In an attempt to better understand in-school food/beverage promotions, the current study was undertaken. Specifically, the reliability of a new electronic tool to document direct observations of in-school food/beverage promotions was examined. Direct observation data, using the new tool, were collected in 30 middle schools in central Texas, and a new coding system was developed to categorize and quantify these data. Analyses were run to examine percent agreement between records for intra- and inter-rater reliability. Analyses were also run to assess percent agreement between coded records in order to examine inter-rater reliability for the new coding system. Descriptive analyses on direct observation data were conducted in order to further examine the types and prevalence of food/beverage promotions. T-tests were run to examine variations in food/beverage promotions by school-level differences including economic disadvantage and percent minority. Overall, sufficient intra- and inter-rater reliability was established for the new electronic data collection tool. Sufficient inter-rater reliability was found for the new coding system. Direct observation data showed that food and beverage promotions are prevalent in central Texas middle schools, particularly those displaying nutrition education messages, commercial products, brand logos, and unhealthier food/beverage items. Additionally, a higher prevalence of food and beverage promotions, especially for less healthy products, and those displaying commercial brands and visible logos, were found to vary by school-level differences. Specifically, lower economically disadvantaged and lower percent minority schools had significantly higher levels of these types of promotions, as compared to higher economically disadvantaged and higher percent minority schools. Future studies should further examine prevalence of and school-level differences regarding in-school food/beverage promotions, and if these promotions are associated with dietary- and weight-related outcomes. Results may inform stricter policies regarding in-school food/beverage advertising aimed at youth.Item Effectiveness of transition interventions within correctional settings(2015-08) House, Lexy Shyler; Flower, Andrea L.; Powell, SarahYouth with disabilities represent a large percentage of the population of youth in juvenile detention facilities. Research concerning this population is critical particularly for youth transitioning from juvenile detention to community settings. This report aims to answer two research questions: (1) To what degree is transition into community settings from juvenile detention facilities studied for youth with disabilities? (2) What are the effects of interventions aimed at transition into the community from juvenile detention facilities for youth with disabilities? After an extensive search using various methods including an electronic search, ancestral search, and hand searches, several articles were collected. Application of the inclusion criteria yielded eight studies. Of these eight studies, only three could be examined for the effect of transition interventions on youth with disabilities. Interventions were psychosocial, educational, or vocational in nature. Results indicated a critical need to advance effective intervention/transitional programs to reduce recidivism and reentry rates. Such intervention must begin immediately during incarceration and continue well after release in order to be successful. Intervention and transition programs must also be individualized to the particular youth’s circumstances in order to optimize successful outcomes. Implications, limitations, and future research are also addressed.Item Effects of the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program on 4-H Youth and the Perceived Impact on Leadership Skills, Livestock Production Knowledge and Agricultural Career Development(2012-02-14) Zanolini, WilliamSelected 4-H youth participated in the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador program. Forty six youth attended one of the 2011 Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Short Courses held on the campuses of Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University. The three-day short course is in an intense introduction of animal science principles delivered by university professors and staff, Texas AgriLife Extension faculty and industry representatives. Upon completing the short course, the students must contribute 30 hours to youth livestock projects and Texas animal agriculture. Two instruments were developed to evaluate the perceptions of the participants regarding their perceived impact of the program on: 1) livestock production knowledge gained, 2) career development, 3) understanding of higher education, and 4) leadership development. The students perceived the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program to increase their understanding of livestock production knowledge, career development, higher education and leadership development. The results of the study validate the need for advanced educational opportunities to develop high school aged 4-H members in the state of Texas.Item Evaluation of Internet education to increase dietary calcium intake in youth(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) Henderson, Valerie SuzanneIn recent years, dietary calcium intake among children and adolescents has fallen sharply. This trend is alarming because childhood and adolescence are the primary ages for building bone mass. Therefore, an interactive website, Clueless in the Mall (http://calcium.tamu.edu) was developed targeting youth to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and equip them to incorporate calcium-rich foods into their diets. This website was created with the help of adolescents at every stage of development and has been pilot tested with adolescents at home and in school, showing improvements in knowledge and attitudes. However, the website has not been tested for effectiveness in changing behaviors, specifically for increasing calcium intake. The present study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of the website for changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The hypothesis of this investigation was that the website intervention would significantly improve attitudes and knowledge about calcium and increase dietary calcium intake among adolescents and pre-adolescents who took part in the study. After the group-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was validated among a local church youth group, a total of 126 middle school and high school students were recruited from 12 local public school classes to participate. Each student took three questionnaires during class time to measure baseline knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (including calcium intake using the FFQ). Then each student took one class period to view the calcium website. Four to six weeks later, the investigators returned to administer the same three tests to each student. Demographic information was collected, and data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA). Results demonstrated that the website alone was sufficient to improve knowledge scores; however, it was not enough to change attitudes and behaviors significantly. In conclusion, the website should be used to promote and reinforce health behaviors, but should not be expected to stand alone as an intervention.Item Examining the impact of social networks and religiosity on adolescent's academic aspirations and voluntary community service(2009-05) Johnston, Carol A.; Zvonkovic, Anisa M.; Harris, Kitty S.; Bell, Nancy J.Public concerns for youth have led social scientists to study adolescents as they navigate through their teenage years. Social scientists have also studied how an individual’s religious views and beliefs affect their outcomes and/or behaviors. However, it is only in recent years that religious and adolescent research has been combined in a meaningful manner by social scientists (Youniss, McLellan, & Yates, 1999; Smith, Denton, Faris, Regnerus, 2002). In this emergent body of research, the methods used to measure religiosity are usually a few questions and are typically limited to youth attendance at church or religious events (Smith et.al, 2002). This conceptualization of religiosity does not address adolescents’ feelings toward God or the way in which their religious beliefs influence their actions and behaviors on a daily basis. Additional influences, such as an adolescent’s social network, are also ignored in previous studies. Studies on individuals and religion have shown that religiosity is associated with positive attitudes and behaviors (Smith, 2003), such as academic achievement (Muller & Ellison, 2001; Regnerus, 2000) and involvement in volunteer/community service (Youniss et.al, 1999). As a result of these findings, this study will use academic aspirations and volunteer/community service as outcome variables.Item Exploring counternarratives: African American student perspectives on aspirations and college access through a critical process of narrative inquiry(2009-08) Hayes, Danielle Christi; Young, Michelle D.This dissertation explored the perspectives of African American youth aspirations for college, their support systems, and their academic and social development towards college. The narratives of 7 student participants were used to gather perspectives of their supports and school circumstances in order to understand how some youth overcome or navigate the path towards higher education. This exploratory study was situated around two primary research questions: (a) In what ways do student aspirations intersect with capacity building systems (supports and interventions) for college, and (b) how does that intersection impact the academic and social development of students aspiring towards college? This study contributed to two areas. The first area had to do with providing an outlet for African American youth’s perspectives, particularly on the role that their aspirations and support systems play in their ability to access college. In the liberating tradition of critical race framework, accessing the experiences and perspectives “of the people” is the defining element of this study. We often hear about the pitfalls of minority students; their families and the communities from which they hail. There is general emphasis on this deficit perspective as the public education system strains under a multitude of contending factors. This dissertation, through the narratives of students, explored what students believed to work, what they perceived to fail, and the direction that their perspectives might contribute towards improved policy and practice. Thus, a second potential contribution of this study is its application for policy studies in that a participant-centered perspective is articulated. This multiframed approach demonstrated a more informed space from which to shape policy.Item Feminist performance pedagogy : theatre for youth and social justice(2013-05) Freeman, Emily Rachael; Alrutz, MeganThis thesis describes the use of feminist performance pedagogy in working toward a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) practice that engages youth in social justice. Drawing on feminist and pedagogical theories, this document explores the processes of writing, rehearsing, and touring a new social justice play for youth called 'And Then Came Tango.' The qualitative study outlined in this MFA thesis uses feminist research methodologies to analyze the engagement of the playwright, the artistic team working on the production of 'And Then Came Tango,' and the second and third grade audiences that participated in the touring production and post-show workshops. The author weaves personal story throughout the document in order to create new meaning around the research experiences as well as to illustrate the personal dimensions of engaging in the struggle around LGBTQ injustice. The discussion invites future artists, educators, and activists to imagine how theory, aesthetics, artists, and communities collaborate in order to work toward socially just and interactive TYA.Item Florence(2015-05) Kuntz, Caleb Brandon; Raval, P. J. (Paul James); Rifkin, Edwin; Spiro, EllenFlorence is an 8-minute narrative film about an adolescent girl with a spectrum of Asperger's Syndrome that is medically misdiagnosed and prescribed psychotropic medication. The following report gives and account of the conception, pre-production, production and post-production phases of the film's realization. The lessons learned through both successes and failures will be considered as well as the future life of the project.Item Fostering youth engagement:(2009-05-15) Maynard, Karen KimberlyYouth-adult partnerships are collaborations between adults and youth in the decision-making and planning processes. When adults enable youth to be a part of the decision-making and planning processes, youth voice, empowerment, and participation become important tools for facilitating engagement. Better understanding these processes can be beneficial for practitioners and programmers. Incorporating these tools increases support and opportunity for youth developmental benefits and increases program retention rates. This thesis focuses on better understanding the relationship between youth voice, empowerment, and participation and critical factors in developing youth engagement and utilizing the power of adult-youth partnerships in youth development. A preliminary model of Systematic Degree of Engagement specifying the relationship between youth voice, empowerment, and participation has been developed and discussed. One of the key issues in developing the model has been that existing literature has rarely made distinctions between voice, empowerment, and participation. The terms have been used interchangeably and, when distinctions have been made, overlaps between the terms have not been fully explored. Therefore, this thesis built on existing literature by defining distinctions among these constructs. After distinctions between concepts were made a model was derived: Systematic Degree of Engagement. From this research, program designers are able to develop programs and assess existing programs that foster youth engagement. Researchers benefit from this thesis in understanding the distinctions in voice, empowerment, participation, and engagement. The findings of this thesis are the distinctions in terminology of voice, empowerment, participation, and engagement; as well as, a model illustrating these terms independence and inter-relatedness.Item Identity, intentionality, transformation : one teaching artist’s journey through an applied theatre process(2011-05) Luck, Jennifer Hartmann; Jennings, Coleman A., 1933-; Zeder, Suzan; Weiner, JessicaWhat does it mean to be a Teaching Artist and how does the creation and facilitation of an applied theatre program with youth shape a Teaching Artist’s identity? This thesis follows the journey of one Teaching Artist and the applied theatre project she created and facilitated at The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin, Texas, surrounding the issues of self esteem and body acceptance. This applied theatre project combined drama-based strategies and creative writing strategies with public performance opportunities to encourage young girls to find their voices in order to promote positive self esteem. The semester long, after-school project was initially entered into by the Teaching Artist as a form of interactive dramaturgy and research, with the intention of developing a one woman play for young audiences about the same issues. But once submerged in the project, the Teaching Artist began to question the ethics of her process; she began to struggle with her identity, her intentionality and the reciprocity found within her work. All educators hope to transform their students; to observe growth and positive change among their pupils, to witness a successful performance event or to behold young people reveling in art making. But this thesis also considers the possibility that some of the greatest transformation in an arts education/applied theatre setting may be found within the educator themselvesItem Mechanisms of change in CBT for depressed early adolescent girls : mediating effects of the cognitive triad on cognitive interventions for depressive symptoms(2009-12) Monnat, Lynn Mie 1970-; Stark, Kevin DouglasDepression is an increasingly common health problem among youth. There is growing empirical evidence that CBT is a promising treatment for childhood depression. It remains unclear what treatment-specific effects of CBT contribute to therapeutic gains. Cognitive theories propose that a primary mechanism of change in CBT are cognitive interventions that target depressogenic cognitions regarding the self, world, and future (cognitive triad), which are thought to mediate depression. The effects of cognitive interventions on depressive symptoms are thus hypothesized to be mediated by changes in the cognitive triad. No studies have investigated whether CBT for depressed youth works by treating the cognitive triad through the implementation of cognitive techniques. As part of a larger study analyzing the mechanisms of change in CBT for depressed youth, the purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) whether specific cognitive techniques are related to depressive symptom reduction in youth, and (2) if improvements in depressive symptoms are mediated through the cognitive triad of depressed youth. Participants were 42 girls, aged 8 to 14, who completed a manualized CBT protocol for depression in group format. Girls completed a diagnostic interview for depression and self-report measures assessing the cognitive triad. Group therapy sessions were coded for cognitive interventions. Results indicated a non-significant relation between levels of cognitive interventions and post-treatment depression scores, after controlling for pre-treatment depression. Therefore, tests of mediation were discontinued. Relevant control variables were added to the model to reduce error variance. After controlling for pre-treatment depression, age, presence of learning disorder, mastery of therapeutic skills, and behavioral interventions, cognitive interventions were significantly and positively associated with post-treatment depression. The relation between cognitive interventions and the cognitive triad was non-significant and meditational analyses were discontinued. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four cognitive interventions factors that were consistent with CBT theory. Further analyses revealed that all factors were not significantly related to post-treatment depression. Tests of interactions between cognitive interventions and behavioral interventions, age, and mastery level of therapeutic skills were also non-significant. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for further areas of research are presented.Item Networked and disconnected : Latino/Hispanic immigrant youths, digital media, and assimilation into the U.S(2015-08) Lombana Bermudez, Andres Alberto; Watkins, S. Craig (Samuel Craig); Kearney, Mary Celeste; Jenkins, Henry; Straubhaar, Joseph; Kathleen, TynerThis study examines how a group of second- and 1.5-generation Latino/Hispanic immigrant youths (14-18) navigate the uneven process of assimilation into the United States by using digital tools and networks. Understanding Latino/Hispanic immigrant youth as social actors and creative agents, I investigate how their new media practices and skills help them assimilate into multiple dimensions of the host country. For this purpose, I use a transdisciplinary framework that combines sociocultural theories of media practice, critical theories of digital inequality, and sociological theories of assimilation. Through a series of case studies of five immigrant youths with Mexican origins (two girls and three boys, ages 14-18) and working class socioeconomic backgrounds, I analyze the mediated activities they have developed in the contexts of their homes, an after-school program, and social media networked spaces. I draw on qualitative data that I helped collect as a member of the Digital Edge project during a longitudinal ethnography (2011-2012) conducted at Freeway High School, a large, ethnically diverse, low-performing, and economically disadvantaged public school in the Austin Metropolitan Area. By revealing the local conditions and structural forces that shape how these Latino/Hispanic immigrant youths use technology in their everyday life, my analysis provides: new insights into digital divides and participation gaps; a grounded understanding of the role of new media practices and skills in the process of assimilation; and a nuanced description of the diverse media environments accessed by minority youth. My findings suggest that Latino/Hispanic immigrant youth use digital media technology to assimilate into cultural, linguistic, and social dimensions of U.S. society. Particularly, as the five youths developed new media practices and gained new media skills, their process of adaptation to the culture and language of the host country accelerated. However, although they obtained skills that helped them to advance in their process of assimilation, their abilities were not developed to high levels of expertise and their participation in new media cultures often remained peripheral. Evidence reveals that digital inequalities and participation gaps persist and continue to evolve in complex ways.