How do ethnically-oriented mutual support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) exhibit cultural competence and ensure improved recovery outcomes? Previous research suggests that cultural competence, or the distribution of culturally relevant services within treatment structure, can help ensure successful recovery. However, no prior research has examined to what extent such competencies have been integrated into AA meetings or the effectiveness of them in ensuring recovery from alcoholism. This limitation prevents the understanding of necessary practices of substance abuse treatment that could lead to the successful recovery of ethnic minorities. This study investigates whether (1) addiction focused mutual-support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous exhibit cultural competence in organizational practices of ethnic-specific groups, and (2) the relationship between levels of cultural competence and 12-Step treatment completion. I examined six different AA groups in the greater Seattle area, consisting of both general and ethnically-defined AA groups. Interviews were used to assess the prevalence of cultural competence in ethnic-specific meetings and determine whether there was a link between culturally competent practices and successful treatment outcomes. Utilizing the qualitative data analysis computer software package, NVivo, I looked for themes or language within the interviews that corresponds with the different dimensions of cultural competence. The expected results for this study are that ethnic-specific AA meetings do exhibit cultural competence and that levels of cultural competence are positively associated with successful 12-Step treatment completion. My analysis has practical and theoretical implications. It offers insights for future practices of ethnically-defined AA groups and speaks to the broader importance of cultural competence within substance abuse treatment, especially the successful recovery of ethnic minorities from substance abuse issues. 

Debates about the causes and consequences of gentrification for urban poor have been active for decades, but inconclusive due to methodological constraints and inconsistent definitions. However, gentrification research in the context of transit oriented development (TOD) allows scholars to overcome these issues, because of its clear definition. While studies generally theorize that populations change through low-income, often non-white, residents moving out of an area, research finds that urban poor are far less mobile than higher income groups. At the same time, metropolitan cities are currently experiencing technology booms and rapid population growth that reveal puzzling racial trends. In Seattle, Black and Hispanic populations are declining, while White populations are increasing in a way not explained by existing theory. The present study attempts to explain this pattern by suggesting that middle and upper income groups are shifting the racial composition of neighborhoods because of their capacity to move. Using descriptive statistics and difference-in-difference estimates, I examine the effect of Light Rail transit on population race and socioeconomic status compositions of Seattle census tracts between 1990-2019 with a unique time-series dataset composed of American Community Survey estimates and Census data. My study has implications for theories of urban demographic change, as it will illuminate how race and class interact in this context. The study is also relevant to urban planning and public policy professionals interested in how local government policy affects existing residents.

The emergence of social media has changed traditional societal influences on body image development in unprecedented ways, creating a need for updated body image research. Of particular interest is the “body-positive” movement within social media. This movement challenges constrained Western beauty norms by highlighting broader definitions of beauty and showing appreciation for all body types. Notably, it is building momentum at a critical time as rates of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders among young adults are at an all-time high. Prior research disproportionately focuses on young, heterosexual women, while men and LGBTQ+ individuals often deal with differing influences in their social formation of body image. Because the only research conducted on body positivity only studied its effects on young women, its effect on men, transgender, and LGBTQ individuals is unknown. My research expands the demographic scope of body image research and assesses the effectiveness of the body-positivity movement on reducing the discrepancy between actual and ideal body types. Using a quasi-experimental survey design, I ask participants to indicate their actual and ideal body type before and after viewing body-positive, thin-ideal, appearance-neutral, or non-appearance-centric visual Instagram content. The study reveals whether body-positive imagery has differing effects on the discrepancy between actual and ideal body image across demographic groups. My findings are useful as a baseline for future investigations into the social formation of body image. This research answers questions about the effectiveness of the body-positivity movement and expands the demographic scope of body image research in a modern, digital context. Importantly, specialized public health treatment programs and future social media legislation can be shaped by this type of updated body image research.

In the past decade, there has been an increasing focus on the sexual lives of college students. Through this focus, both academic literature and popular culture perpetuate a narrative of “hookup culture” (i.e. environments that accept and facilitate casual sex encounters without romantic or emotional intentions) within this demographic. Though many theories support the importance of studying the sexual lives of college students, this narrative neglects the emotional aspects of intimate relationships, limiting the field’s understanding of intimacy in college. By conducting a thematic analysis of anonymous, written responses from college students (n = 59), this project studied how college students’ perceptions of intimacy differ from the popular narrative of hookup culture and casual sex. Using Erik Erikson’s stages of developmental theory and previous sociological research, I hypothesized that college students will emphasize the emotional components more than the sexual components of their intimate relationships and perceptions. The results of this study expand our understanding of intimate relationships among college students and challenge the limiting narrative of hookup culture and casual sex as ways to study and understand this demographic’s intimate relationships.