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Title: EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC ROLES OF SANTERIA FOR LATINX LIVING IN FLORIDA.
Creator: Santiago, Amaris J, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Mental health services within Latinx communities in the United States has been greatly underutilized. Seekers of mental health support face many barriers including internalized stigmas, misconception of mental health serves and low general knowledge of mental health and wellness. For many Latinx, culturally competent mental healthcare has lacked important elements to how Latinx interpret mental healthcare services. The use of Santer�a in many in Florida and the United States has supplemented...
Show moreMental health services within Latinx communities in the United States has been greatly underutilized. Seekers of mental health support face many barriers including internalized stigmas, misconception of mental health serves and low general knowledge of mental health and wellness. For many Latinx, culturally competent mental healthcare has lacked important elements to how Latinx interpret mental healthcare services. The use of Santer�a in many in Florida and the United States has supplemented gaps left by formal mental healthcare services. Santer�a has its own stigmas within Latinx communities were its practiced, forcing many Santeros and seekers to practice in private. Lack of public knowledge of Santer�a allows Latinx with mental illness to freely seek mental healing without the worries of negative judgment and stigma. The purpose of the is thesis is to analyze how mental health services are viewed within Latinx communities in central Florida. This work also examines the various reasons why Latinos generally underutilize mental healthcare services. My research investigates the uses of Santer�a in Latinx community in Central Florida as both a religious and informal therapeutic practice. Specifically, my research examines the extent to which Santer�a practitioners fill this gap as informal therapists and counselors; representing both culturally acceptable form of mental health services as well as reflecting the thoughts and perspective of Latinx towards formal mental healthcare.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000127, ucf:45935
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000127

Title: CULTURAL RELEVANCE IN MEDICINE: AN EVALUATION OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE CURRICULUM INTEGRATION IN SOUTHEASTERN MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
Creator: Gannon, Leslie, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Cultural competence in health care provision has been broadly identified as the need for providers to acknowledge, address, or incorporate an understanding of the cultural and social context of patients' lives into the process of treating and managing patient's illnesses. However, how cultural competence can be incorporated has been the subject of debates in biomedicine and anthropology, and has often been met with difficulties in physician practice. These challenges arise from differing...
Show moreCultural competence in health care provision has been broadly identified as the need for providers to acknowledge, address, or incorporate an understanding of the cultural and social context of patients' lives into the process of treating and managing patient's illnesses. However, how cultural competence can be incorporated has been the subject of debates in biomedicine and anthropology, and has often been met with difficulties in physician practice. These challenges arise from differing perspectives about how cultural competence is understood and institutional neglect of culturally relevant education. While the need for cultural competence integration into health care practitioner training during medical school education has been discussed for over six decades, effective incorporation of cultural competence into medical curriculum remains a multifaceted topic of interdisciplinary debate and a challenging task. The purpose of this project is to evaluate cultural competence integration in Southeastern medical school curriculum. Theoretically, this research utilizes critical medical anthropology as developed by anthropologists Arthur Kleinman, Janelle Taylor and Nancy Sheper-Hughes as a theoretical lens through which cultural competency implementation in Southeastern medical school curricula can be examined curricula Southeastern. This research also fills an interdisciplinary gap in both anthropological and medical scholarly knowledge bases. Methodologically, multiple project parameters have been explored utilizing qualitative data collection methods of cultural competence background and evaluation. This research combines primary data collection and secondary data analysis. Primary data collection involved interviewing individuals from Florida medical institutions concerning their experience and personal views of the benefit of cultural competence integration. The analysis of secondary data explored the integration of cultural competence into medical school curricula. These analyses include an examination of the content, format, and language of Southeastern medical school curricula, demographic trends as related to cultural competence in health care, federal grant allocation as related to cultural competence in health care, and institutional perspectives on incorporating social science concepts in medical education. This thesis makes three distinct but interrelated claims: (1) I argue that based on the provided descriptions of medical institution curriculum guides, there is a substantial discrepancy between the cultural competency incorporation claims made by the schools and what is actually integrated into their curriculum; (2) I argue that cultural competence integration must be delivered vertically across disciplines and horizontally across the entire four year span of medical education, and (3) Available ethnographic guides are presented with too narrow of a focus to apply to all medical school curricula. Understanding the shortcomings of medical school curricula in incorporating cultural competence training is significant because it draws attention to the need to develop more effective and systematic ways to train future health care providers to address the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004717, ucf:45370
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004717

Title: UNDERSTANDING GENDER IDENTITY AMONG WOMEN COSPLAYERS OF THE GOTHAM CITY SIRENS.
Creator: Morrison, Amber, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As popular culture has an increasing presence in America, so do its various sub-cultures. One of such sub-cultures is the world of comic book fans known as cosplayers. Cosplayers dress-up and emulate characters at comic book conventions throughout the United States and the worldï¿½a practice known as cosplay, also described as costume-play. Despite the growing popularity of cosplay, little is known about this population. In this research, I set out to answer the following research question:...
Show moreAs popular culture has an increasing presence in America, so do its various sub-cultures. One of such sub-cultures is the world of comic book fans known as cosplayers. Cosplayers dress-up and emulate characters at comic book conventions throughout the United States and the worldï¿½a practice known as cosplay, also described as costume-play. Despite the growing popularity of cosplay, little is known about this population. In this research, I set out to answer the following research question: why are women choosing to dress-up and embody these characters (the Gotham City Sirens) when they are often viewed as oversexualized. In order to answer my research question, I focused on women who chose to cosplay characters from the Gotham City Sirens - Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy - who are frequently depicted in "glamorized" or hypersexualized illustrations. My data collection included participant observation, literature review, and semi-structured interviews. Recruiting participants from local Central Florida comic book conventions, I conducted 19 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the women cosplayers about their perspectives on the characters and their cosplays. My findings derived from the analysis of the interview narratives identified three emerging dominant themes - sexuality, body image, and personal identity. Based on this research, there is a concluding realization that empowerment and self-reflection are prevalent in women cosplayers. These are important findings because they are essential to the understanding of how gender identity is perceived in cosplay. When cosplayers connect with their characters on a personal level, often empowerment and self-reflection are the outcomes; due to the connection they foster with the character for the sake of performance.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004757, ucf:45364
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004757

Title: PERCEPTIONS OF HOMELESSNESS AND STRATEGIES FOR RECEIVING SERVICES AMONG THE FLORIDA HOMELESS.
Creator: Young, Rebecca, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Homelessness is a complex problem replete with profound social distress and suffering, but with few adequate solutions. The homeless are a marginalized population particularly vulnerable to structural forces and policy decisions, including lack of affordable housing, unemployment, systemic inequalities, and lack of adequate social safety net. Perspectives of homeless people are understudied in anthropological scholarship which tends to focus on service providers, with comparatively less...
Show moreHomelessness is a complex problem replete with profound social distress and suffering, but with few adequate solutions. The homeless are a marginalized population particularly vulnerable to structural forces and policy decisions, including lack of affordable housing, unemployment, systemic inequalities, and lack of adequate social safety net. Perspectives of homeless people are understudied in anthropological scholarship which tends to focus on service providers, with comparatively less attention on homeless people themselves who are commonly subjected to medicalizing and criminalizing discourses. Using ethnographic research methods, including participant-observation and interviews with homeless people who pursue food pantry services at Hope Helps Non-profit organization in Oviedo, Florida, this paper examines the experiences of homeless people in Florida, where the issue of homelessness has been acute and is often depoliticized in public discourses. Specifically , it focuses on coping strategies of homeless people in Oviedo, and ways in which they understand their life circumstances and secure necessary services. Findings demonstrate that the Florida homeless view reasons for their homelessness as primarily economic, but rarely critique policies behind low wages or unaffordable housing. The narratives also show that the homeless in this study obtain resources through networking, and despite use of assistance services, view themselves as independent, active agents. Results of this research have potential to improve the way social services for the homeless are structured, and to inform policy relevant to homeless in Florida. Furthermore, this research brings attention to a marginalized problem and population, and considers how particular discourses function to maintain a structurally inadequate system.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004626, ucf:45286
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004626

Title: EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG LESBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL LATINX PEOPLE IN HEALTHCARE.
Creator: Hernandez, Caleb, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Latinx lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) queer community members have unique health needs compared to non-Latinx heterosexual patients, including sexual and mental health issues, and challenges in ability to access healthcare. But research is unclear whether LGB Latinx patients may also face double stigma related to their sexual orientation and race. This study examined this issue in experiences of queer and Latinx adults with healthcare providers. I conducted semistructured in-depth...
Show moreLatinx lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) queer community members have unique health needs compared to non-Latinx heterosexual patients, including sexual and mental health issues, and challenges in ability to access healthcare. But research is unclear whether LGB Latinx patients may also face double stigma related to their sexual orientation and race. This study examined this issue in experiences of queer and Latinx adults with healthcare providers. I conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with 13 LGB Latinx adults between November 2018 and February 2019. Interviews were audio-recorded, and transcribed. Transcripts were coded, and data analyzed for themes using the Grounded Theory approach. My findings indicate that the quality of individual experience depends on key factors of the provider, in particular the provider's sexuality, gender, age, race, and ability to empathize. When LGB Latinx patients interact with like-identified providers, their experience is significantly more satisfactory, however, differently-identified providers who create open and non-judgmental communication with patients have the ability to provide this level of satisfactory service. More diverse staff in clinics also contributes to a better experience for LGB Latinx patients. This study calls attention to the need for greater diversity of healthcare providers as well as new non-judgmental approaches in care delivery to address LGB Latinx patients' needs.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFH2000472, ucf:45889
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000472

Title: WHOSE SUSTAINABILITY? AN ANALYSIS OF A COMMUNITY FARMING PROGRAM'S FOOD JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA.
Creator: Davenport, Sarah, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As the 1960s Environmental movement has grown, sustainability and justice discourses have come to the fore of the movement. While environmental justice discourse considers the unequal effects of environmental burdens, the language that frames "sustainability" is often socially and politically neutral. This thesis critically examines sustainability initiatives and practices of an urban farming organization in Florida. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in 2017, I explore the extent to which these...
Show moreAs the 1960s Environmental movement has grown, sustainability and justice discourses have come to the fore of the movement. While environmental justice discourse considers the unequal effects of environmental burdens, the language that frames "sustainability" is often socially and politically neutral. This thesis critically examines sustainability initiatives and practices of an urban farming organization in Florida. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in 2017, I explore the extent to which these initiatives incorporate race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class when working to provide sustainably grown food in diverse communities. I argue that the organization's focus on justice for the environment, rather than for communities, and education as a barrier in low-income, food desert neighborhoods neglects to integrate experiences of those living on the margins into their initiatives. This research raises awareness of the need for a critical examination of sustainability in practice and a politically aware incorporation of environmental justice themes into sustainability agendas.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000402, ucf:45805
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000402

Title: THE PERFORMANCE OF HEALTH? MOTIVATIONS BEHIND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' DECISIONS TO WEAR ATHLETIC ATTIRE.
Creator: Payne, Shannon, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: "Athleisure" is a relatively new term to the American lexicon, a portmanteau used to describe athletic clothing used for leisure purposes. Recent studies show a disconnect between consumers' desire to purchase athletic attire and the percentage of Americans considered "active to a healthy level and beyond." While athletic wear sales skyrocket, reported levels of inactivity have slowly increased in recent years. These trends indicate a phenomenon in which consumers prioritize ownership of...
Show more"Athleisure" is a relatively new term to the American lexicon, a portmanteau used to describe athletic clothing used for leisure purposes. Recent studies show a disconnect between consumers' desire to purchase athletic attire and the percentage of Americans considered "active to a healthy level and beyond." While athletic wear sales skyrocket, reported levels of inactivity have slowly increased in recent years. These trends indicate a phenomenon in which consumers prioritize ownership of athletic wear over athletics. In this research, I set out to answer the following research questions: How do university students interpret and understand the purchase and wearing of athletic clothes, in the absence of athletic activity; and is a student's decision to wear athletic clothing for nonathletic activity associated with a symbolic performance of a healthy lifestyle? In order to answer these questions, I focused on a set of UCF students between 18 and 24 years of age who wore athletic attire as leisure attire and exercised less than three times a week. My data collection included participant observation, literature review, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 UCF students who fit my inclusion criteria. Based on recurring narratives, I invited interview participants back to hold a focus group in which three students ultimately participated. In analyzing these data, I found that college students consider athletic attire suitable for a variety of casual situations, and therefore did not conflate wearing athletic attire with participating in athletic activity or the appearance of a healthy lifestyle. Further, research participants used age- and gender-based stereotypes when making judgments about their peers' habits regarding athletic activity and wearing athletic attire. These findings are important because they demonstrate how the boundary between public and private attire can change over time, how discourses of consumption outweigh discourses of personal responsibility, and how dress is a gendered experience.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004855, ucf:45469
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004855

Title: HOMOPHOBIA AND HIV TRANSMISSION: A SIX COUNTRY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.
Creator: Middleton, Tiernan, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This interdisciplinary study combines epidemiological data with anthropological theory to investigate the relationship between HIV transmission rates and systemic homophobia. Previous research has illustrated the link between high levels of structural violence and structural stigma to increased risk of diseases such as the link between African-Americans and heart disease. This study investigates the relationship between systemic homophobia and HIV transmission rates. Through operationalizing...
Show moreThis interdisciplinary study combines epidemiological data with anthropological theory to investigate the relationship between HIV transmission rates and systemic homophobia. Previous research has illustrated the link between high levels of structural violence and structural stigma to increased risk of diseases such as the link between African-Americans and heart disease. This study investigates the relationship between systemic homophobia and HIV transmission rates. Through operationalizing homophobia into seven distinct factors, I evaluated systemic homophobia in six countries, assigning a score 1-10 to each factor using secondary source aggregation. I compared composite scores, as well as scores in each operationalized factor to HIV transmission rates in those countries. The results of this study indicate a correlation between systemic homophobia and increased HIV transmission, particularly in respect to the factors Marriage Equality, LGBT Laws, Religiosity, LGBT Visibility, and Hate Crimes. Though various sociocultural factors play a role in HIV transmission, this study indicates that homophobia plays an integral role in HIV transmission. This project has pertinent applications in epidemiology, anthropology and public health illustrating the integral role of sociocultural and systemic factors that increase structural violence and risk for a disease.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004814, ucf:45458
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004814

Title: SEX EDUCATION OR SELF EDUCATION? LGBT+ EXPERIENCES WITH EXCLUSIONARY CURRICULA.
Creator: Reeves, Karli, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Though much research exists on LGBT+ exclusion from school-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, the strategies used by LGBT+ individuals during their search for knowledge regarding the subject are not as widely documented. Using the ethnographic research method of semi-structured interviews, this research explores the experiences of young LGBT+ adults with formal sexual and reproductive health education and examines the self-education methods employed by this population in...
Show moreThough much research exists on LGBT+ exclusion from school-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, the strategies used by LGBT+ individuals during their search for knowledge regarding the subject are not as widely documented. Using the ethnographic research method of semi-structured interviews, this research explores the experiences of young LGBT+ adults with formal sexual and reproductive health education and examines the self-education methods employed by this population in the context of exclusionary and cisheteronormative curricula. This project also functions to contribute to existing literature in the field of anthropology and other social sciences regarding the subject of SRH education, particularly LGBT+ SRH education. Furthermore, this study supports the need for additional research through the use of applied anthropology concerning interactions between institutions, policy and individual experiences of health.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFH2000500, ucf:45692
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000500

Title: ATTITUDES OF MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS TOWARDS MENSTRUAL SUPPRESSION.
Creator: Devaney, Jacqueline M, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Recent biomedical advancements, cultural practices, and individual preferences have altered the ways in which biological process such as menstruation are perceived and managed. Increasingly, women are interested in suppressing menstruation to alleviate its negative symptoms, including bloating, menstrual cramps, fatigue, and irritability. This topic is especially relevant for adolescent girls, as mothers and daughters might have to negotiate attitudes towards daughters� menstrual suppression....
Show moreRecent biomedical advancements, cultural practices, and individual preferences have altered the ways in which biological process such as menstruation are perceived and managed. Increasingly, women are interested in suppressing menstruation to alleviate its negative symptoms, including bloating, menstrual cramps, fatigue, and irritability. This topic is especially relevant for adolescent girls, as mothers and daughters might have to negotiate attitudes towards daughters� menstrual suppression. Therefore this study aims to examine how this topic is discussed and understood within the mother-daughter dyad. It is also important to consider how these attitudes are shaped by cultural background, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and religion. Through this knowledge health care providers can have a more holistic understanding of how their patients� view menstruation. If health care providers know these basic demographics and the perspectives on this issue, they can be better prepared in administering information and educating their patients. My data collection included literature review, a five category survey, and participant observation in a clinical setting. There were 72 mother-daughter pairs with a total of 144 participants that completed designated surveys for mothers and daughters that had a total of five categories emphasizing participant details, menstrual cycle, reproductive health history, attitudes towards their period and menstrual suppression. Through the experiences of my participants I have found that there is a great desire to learn more of menstrual suppression among both mothers and daughters and that there is some degree of influence of religion and ethnicity on perceptions of menstrual suppression in this population. Age on the other hand, turned out to not be an important factor shaping the positive or negative attitudes toward suppression.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000027, ucf:45573
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000027

Title: HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS' PERSPECTIVES ON MALE INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE NEEDS.
Creator: Milanes, Lilian, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Young men are at the greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within the U.S. male populations, yet are the least likely to make a sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care visit. Clinical approaches in these areas that include the outreach to and the involvement of male partners of female patients can prove particularly useful in expanding SRH care to men and can also improve health outcomes for women who have sex with men. In this study I examined UCF's healthcare...
Show moreYoung men are at the greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within the U.S. male populations, yet are the least likely to make a sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care visit. Clinical approaches in these areas that include the outreach to and the involvement of male partners of female patients can prove particularly useful in expanding SRH care to men and can also improve health outcomes for women who have sex with men. In this study I examined UCF's healthcare provider's approaches to educate and involve men (between the ages of 18 and 30) and male partners of female patients in their SRH needs. I conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 18 health care providers at the Student Health Center; including physicians, physician assistants, and registered nurses. This study found that there were significant differences in perception of men's SRH risk behaviors among the providers. In addition, this study revealed issues that might deter male students from accessing care, specifically how patients are required to state to the operator (who is also an undergraduate student) their name, PID and exactly why they are scheduling a visit to the clinic, thus many men say they have cold symptoms instead of issues with SRH. This study is significant because it can contribute to improvements in the delivery of SRH care to male students on campus.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFH0004225, ucf:44954
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004225

Title: SLEEPING, NAPPING AND STAYING UP: THE MEANINGS OF SLEEP AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: Tate, Natasha, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Throughout public discourse, sleep, despite being a physiological function and an important facet of an individual's health, is frequently utilized as a rhetorical device to comment on an individual's productivity within society. As Antje Richter (2003:34) explains, to consider someone early to rise yet late to bed is less a comment on their sleeping behavior and more an assessment of their dedication to their business. Too often productivity is conveyed as existing in the absence of sleep,...
Show moreThroughout public discourse, sleep, despite being a physiological function and an important facet of an individual's health, is frequently utilized as a rhetorical device to comment on an individual's productivity within society. As Antje Richter (2003:34) explains, to consider someone early to rise yet late to bed is less a comment on their sleeping behavior and more an assessment of their dedication to their business. Too often productivity is conveyed as existing in the absence of sleep, an idea that has contributed to the association of sleep with laziness (Yi 2003:60) and a general misuse of time (Richter 2003:36). The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between sleep and personal perspectives of productivity within a college population. Utilizing in depth, ethnographic semi-structured interviews, and working with 25 college students from the University of Central Florida, it was found that the standards and expectations students have internalized regarding their productivity are influencing the way in which they are practicing in their daily sleeping behaviors and ultimately influencing the amount of sleep they get each night.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004383, ucf:45025
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004383

Title: YOGIC DIFFUSION: THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC PRACTICE AND PHILOSOPHY ON BELIEFS ABOUT COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.
Creator: Siven, Jacqueline, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research is a qualitative study that aimed to anthropologically explore the effects of consistent long-term yogic practice on the acceptance and practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among yoga practitioners at a South Florida yoga center. I wished to determine, through in-depth interviews, whether or not yogic practice affects acceptance of CAM. The main objective was to interview individuals from a single yoga center that have practiced yoga at least once per week...
Show moreThis research is a qualitative study that aimed to anthropologically explore the effects of consistent long-term yogic practice on the acceptance and practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among yoga practitioners at a South Florida yoga center. I wished to determine, through in-depth interviews, whether or not yogic practice affects acceptance of CAM. The main objective was to interview individuals from a single yoga center that have practiced yoga at least once per week for at least one year concerning their beliefs about CAM, yoga, and health. This project will begin to fill the gap in social science, in general, and specifically, the anthropological literature. Scholars of various backgrounds have discussed elements of yogic practice and philosophy that were integral to my understanding of the data. The health benefits of yoga as CAM, the associations between yoga and beliefs about health, and the association between yoga and Indian philosophy and medicine have each been explored. However, anthropological scholarship discussing the effects of consistent, long-term yogic practice on the acceptance of other CAM's or Western biomedicine has not been examined.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003692, ucf:48807
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003692

Title: UNDERSTANDING THE FEMALE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SEXUAL ADDICTION AND THE ROLE OF ADDICTION TREATMENT.
Creator: Douglass, Megan, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Beginning with the diagnosis of nymphomania in the 19th Century, there has been widespread and continued interest across the mental health and bio-medical realm of what constitutes normality of female sexual behavior, and of the boundary at which sexual desire is deemed to be excessive, and thus abnormal. However, research questions that specifically investigate the subjective female voice and perspective in considerations of so-called hypersexuality or sex addiction remain understudied. This...
Show moreBeginning with the diagnosis of nymphomania in the 19th Century, there has been widespread and continued interest across the mental health and bio-medical realm of what constitutes normality of female sexual behavior, and of the boundary at which sexual desire is deemed to be excessive, and thus abnormal. However, research questions that specifically investigate the subjective female voice and perspective in considerations of so-called hypersexuality or sex addiction remain understudied. This research project proposes to examine the cultural pathways and systemic foundations which have historically in the West problematized female sexuality by investigating womenÃ‚Â's own perceptions of sexual addiction and their experiences in seeking (or not) addiction treatment. In addition, this research project proposes to investigate the perceptions of therapists (psychologists and psychiatrists) who treat hypersexual female patients, in order to examine their beliefs about the cultural and biological genesis of the disorder, and its appearance in female patients. Theoretically, this project aims to move away from the concept of individualized bodies suffering singularly from (dis)ease and abnormality, and investigate the ways in which Western cultural notions of normal female sexuality shape womenÃ‚Â's self-perceptions and notions about sexual deviance.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003138, ucf:48641
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003138

Title: UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECTIVITIES OF PASTORS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE CURRENT AMERICAN CHURCH CULTURE.
Creator: Anderson, Michael, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study investigates the spiritual subjectivities of pastors in the Mainstream White Middle Class Evangelical Church in the context of American capitalism. The Evangelical church carries extreme amounts of power and influence in shaping the beliefs of individuals in American society. However, very little pointed research of pastors' spiritual subjectivities that guide their teachings and views in this sub-sect of church culture is present in academia. Anthropology, along with other...
Show moreThis study investigates the spiritual subjectivities of pastors in the Mainstream White Middle Class Evangelical Church in the context of American capitalism. The Evangelical church carries extreme amounts of power and influence in shaping the beliefs of individuals in American society. However, very little pointed research of pastors' spiritual subjectivities that guide their teachings and views in this sub-sect of church culture is present in academia. Anthropology, along with other disciplines, often focuses on dominant churches from an etic perspective of politics and power relations without fully considering the spiritual beliefs of pastors. This etic perspective can miss the deeply interwoven factors, including understanding of the Scriptures and pastors' roles in their congregations, challenges associated with religious consumerist competition, and conceptualizations of church "success" that shape pastors subjectivities, and in turn help shape American Christian culture. Pastors navigate the tension between the broader capitalistic social forces and their spiritual and Biblical beliefs as many pastors of the church aim to change the unquestioned adherence to these ideals. Building on my seven years of experience as a pastor in the Orlando area and drawing on current research with a group of Evangelical pastors, I demonstrate in this study that although capitalistic social forces shape many ideals of individuals in the American Evangelical church culture, understanding pastors' spiritual subjectivities is crucial when investigating the influence of the church in America.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003732, ucf:48771
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003732

Title: THE AMERICAN DREAM SHORT-LIVED: THE DECLINE OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND COLLEGE CONFIDENCE THROUGH ACCULTURATION, PERCEPTIONS OF ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION, AND CONCERNS WITH CONFIRMING STEREOTYPES.
Creator: Miller, Alexis N, White, Grace, Mishtal, Joanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In this exploratory study, the goal was to examine patterns of perceived ethnic discrimination, stereotype confirmation, and acculturation within the context of a diverse, inclusive university. It was predicted that reported rates of perceived ethnic discrimination would be low, but the majority of students would still experience some type of discrimination at least once. The second hypothesis for this study was that higher levels of discrimination, acculturation and stereotype confirmation...
Show moreIn this exploratory study, the goal was to examine patterns of perceived ethnic discrimination, stereotype confirmation, and acculturation within the context of a diverse, inclusive university. It was predicted that reported rates of perceived ethnic discrimination would be low, but the majority of students would still experience some type of discrimination at least once. The second hypothesis for this study was that higher levels of discrimination, acculturation and stereotype confirmation would result in lower levels of college self-efficacy and GPA. These factors were also predicted to be positively associated with each other as well. The personality trait, conscientiousness was predicted to positively associated with acculturation, college self-efficacy, and GPA. The study surveyed 50 undergraduate students from the University of Central Florida taking psychology courses through the online SONA participation system. 86.4% of participants perceived at least one instance of ethnic discrimination. Perceived ethnic discrimination was also associated with lower levels of college self-efficacy, but not GPA. Acculturation and stereotype confirmation had no significant relationships with neither college self-efficacy or GPA. High rates of acculturation to the dominant American society was associated with lower rates of perceived discrimination and stereotype confirmation, opposite of the original hypothesis. The personality trait conscientiousness was also not captured in this study, but agreeableness and openness revealed significant relationships between all ethnicity-related factors and GPA. Acculturation's role in perceptions of discrimination and stereotype concerns is discussed in detail. Limitations and future directions are addressed in the context of sample size, race and ethnicity statistics, and the complexities of discrimination and acculturation.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000394, ucf:45854
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000394

Title: Reproductive Rights and Justice Advocacy in Central Florida: Who is Represented?.
Creator: Hager, Mary, Mishtal, Joanna, Harris, Shana, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the racial understanding and social relationships of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida staff and volunteers. As well, this research explores how Planned Parenthood supporters organize and promote diverse advocacy work to promote reproductive justice in social media and volunteer education. Planned Parenthood has been at the forefront of reproductive rights campaigns for over a century, and their work has often tied into contemporary feminist and...
Show moreThis thesis examines the racial understanding and social relationships of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida staff and volunteers. As well, this research explores how Planned Parenthood supporters organize and promote diverse advocacy work to promote reproductive justice in social media and volunteer education. Planned Parenthood has been at the forefront of reproductive rights campaigns for over a century, and their work has often tied into contemporary feminist and political issues. Of note, feminists of color have called for a shift from advocacy for (")reproductive choice(") to (")reproductive justice(") as a way to identify the needs and predicaments of a wider range of women and to promote advocacy that is more representative of the population it aims to serve. Yet, how key non-governmental organizations such as Planned Parenthood engage with intersectional issues of ethnicity, race, sex, gender, and socioeconomic class in their advocacy work has been understudied. Using ethnographic methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this research examines how volunteers and staff apply their understandings of racial disparities and inclusive advocacy efforts to better aid Central Florida's marginalized communities and communities of color. This project contributes to the greater call for policy and organizational analysis through applied anthropology and feminist studies in the United States and addresses how organizations balance the desires of their funders against the diverse needs of their patients.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007011, ucf:52048
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007011

Title: Navigating Sociotechnical Power Structures: Dynamics of Conflict in World of Warcraft's Player versus Player Events.
Creator: Root, Rachael, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, Underberg-Goode, Natalie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As a result of technological advancement and exponential increases in global access, cross-disciplinary research has recently turned to digital online video games. Most anthropological research within this area has centered around player self-identification, gender construction, and gaming communities. Yet many interactions occur at nodes of dynamic conflict where agentic players navigate intersections of power, which are unaddressed in the scholarly corpus. By utilizing ethnographic methods...
Show moreAs a result of technological advancement and exponential increases in global access, cross-disciplinary research has recently turned to digital online video games. Most anthropological research within this area has centered around player self-identification, gender construction, and gaming communities. Yet many interactions occur at nodes of dynamic conflict where agentic players navigate intersections of power, which are unaddressed in the scholarly corpus. By utilizing ethnographic methods in World of Warcraft's player versus player events, I examine resources, relationships, and tools that underpin player actions and understandings. My findings reveal layered and dynamic patterns of sociotechnical conflict. Players' geographical location impacts access to infrastructure while hardware and software constrain in-game action in fundamental and inescapable ways. Player versus player events add additional restrictions and create fluid situations where players continually negotiate fluctuating social tensions while event-dependent dispersions of power fluctuate between groups and individuals. Players become leaders by legitimizing power in contextually unique ways, and competing imaginaries generate conflicts that are interpreted through game-specific subjectivities. In exploring these occurrences and utilizing theoretical explanations within World of Warcraft contexts, this research contributes to disciplinary understandings and discussions addressing conflict, leadership, and power, and to methodological techniques utilized in virtual world study. By foregrounding how players navigate power differentials in conflict situations, this research informs broader conceptions of how individuals and groups manage social disputes within and outside digital social events, informs game design, and has policy implications for resolving virtual world conflicts in real world courts.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006172, ucf:51140
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006172

Title: Catholic Healing Masses: Intersections of Health and Healing in Yucat(&)#225;n.
Creator: Draper, Suzanne, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The conception of illness and healing in contemporary Mexican Catholic discourse highlights both particular and ubiquitous instances of a health experience perceived locally and widespread. Catholic healing masses are utilized as supplemental methods of individual health restoration coupled with Western medicinal techniques in Catholic dramas. Aside from the spiritual and religious significance of this practice, the use of healing masses as an additional means to achieving an optimal health...
Show moreThe conception of illness and healing in contemporary Mexican Catholic discourse highlights both particular and ubiquitous instances of a health experience perceived locally and widespread. Catholic healing masses are utilized as supplemental methods of individual health restoration coupled with Western medicinal techniques in Catholic dramas. Aside from the spiritual and religious significance of this practice, the use of healing masses as an additional means to achieving an optimal health status implies that something is lacking in current biomedical models. The purpose of my research is to explore the humanistic terms under which healing masses operate and translate these terms into a biomedical conversation towards enhanced secular medical care
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005484, ucf:50332
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005484

Title: "What We Eat Matters": Perspectives on Food and Health in the Mexican Im/migrant Farmworker Communities in Indian River County, Florida.
Creator: Puerto, Hugo, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The dramatic increase of type-2 diabetes within the Latino community is of great concern in the U.S., especially among Mexican im/migrant farmworkers. Anthropological scholarship shows that health issues within im/migrant groups in the U.S. are poorly understood from a sociocultural and local perspective. In Indian River County, Florida, farmworker leaders created a community garden in response to health problems in this community. This initiative was launched to educate families about the...
Show moreThe dramatic increase of type-2 diabetes within the Latino community is of great concern in the U.S., especially among Mexican im/migrant farmworkers. Anthropological scholarship shows that health issues within im/migrant groups in the U.S. are poorly understood from a sociocultural and local perspective. In Indian River County, Florida, farmworker leaders created a community garden in response to health problems in this community. This initiative was launched to educate families about the health and economic benefits of growing their own food. The Indian River County Health Department and the local leaders are working collaboratively to inform the community about the risks of type-2 diabetes by providing educational lectures about health, food, and nutrition, in an effort to engage the farmworkers to actively participate in community gardens. However, little engagement to this initiative has been observed within the farmworker community. This ethnographic investigation examines the challenges of involving Mexican im/migrant farmworkers in community-based solutions to health problems. Based on participant observation, survey, and interview data with farmworkers and key informants from the Farmworkers Association of Florida, this project examines the perspectives of health concerns and the role of grassroots initiatives in addressing health needs. Specifically, it analyzes barriers to healthy eating and explores how community gardens can improve health outcomes in farmworker communities. This research contributes to the understanding of Mexican im/migrant farmworkers' health in Indian River County, and it has the potential to guide health-related policies pertaining to im/migrant communities in general.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005692, ucf:50114
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005692

health (3)	+ -
Florida (2)	+ -
Italy (2)	+ -
Latinx (2)	+ -
cosplay (2)	+ -

cultural anthropology (2)	+ -
feminism (2)	+ -
gender studies (2)	+ -
migrants (2)	+ -
neoliberalism (2)	+ -
resistance (2)	+ -
sexual and reproductive health (2)	+ -
structural violence (2)	+ -
Addiction (1)	+ -
African-American Communities (1)	+ -
Agency (1)	+ -
Anthropology of Sleep (1)	+ -
Attitudes (1)	+ -
Beliefs (1)	+ -
Belize (1)	+ -
Biomedicine (1)	+ -
Bisexual (1)	+ -
Catholicism (1)	+ -
Church (1)	+ -
Community Health Programs (1)	+ -
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (1)	+ -
Cultural Anthropology (1)	+ -
Culture (1)	+ -
DC Comics (1)	+ -
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ETD Collection (14)	+ -
Honors Collection (13)	+ -

Mishtal, Joanna (27)	+ -
University of Central Florida (27)	+ -
Reyes-Foster, Beatriz (8)	+ -
Matejowsky, Ty (7)	+ -
Harris, Shana (5)	+ -

Geiger, Vance (2)	+ -
Young, Rebecca (2)	+ -
Anderson, Michael (1)	+ -
Branting, Scott (1)	+ -
Davenport, Sarah (1)	+ -
Devaney, Jacqueline M (1)	+ -
Donley, Amy (1)	+ -
Douglass, Megan (1)	+ -
Draper, Suzanne (1)	+ -
Falu, Nessette (1)	+ -
Gannon, Leslie (1)	+ -
Gray, Deven (1)	+ -
Grissom, Amber (1)	+ -
Hager, Mary (1)	+ -
Hernandez, Caleb (1)	+ -
Kersch, Adam (1)	+ -
Manzano, Russell (1)	+ -
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Miller, Alexis N (1)	+ -
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Puerto, Hugo (1)	+ -

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