First Advisor
Melody Valdini
Term of Graduation
January 2025
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Subjects
Family Cohesion, Social Policy Generosity, Trauma
Physical Description
1 online resource ( pages)
Abstract
This dissertation examines how childhood trauma and family cohesion interact to shape state-level social policy generosity in the United States. The study begins with a multilevel quantitative analysis using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the State Safety-Net Generosity Index to assess how individual-level experiences of trauma and family support relate to state-level welfare generosity. Two trauma indices—one focused on adverse childhood experiences and bullying, and the other on food-related hardship—are used to explore how trauma influences attitudes toward public assistance, and whether family cohesion moderates this relationship. Results from marginal effects analyses indicate that family cohesion, particularly in low-trauma contexts, is associated with a slight reduction in support for generous policy, suggesting a complex and context-dependent moderating effect. Following the quantitative analysis, a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is conducted using most similar and most different systems design to identify combinations of factors—such as family cohesion, trauma prevalence, party control, and cultural conditions—that produce high or low levels of policy generosity across states. The QCA findings reinforce the importance of family cohesion while highlighting the interplay of structural and ideological factors. Together, these methods offer a multidimensional understanding of how relational and institutional forces shape social welfare generosity in the American federal system.
Rights
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Recommended Citation
Fielding, Brandon Kendall Ross, "The Effects of Family Cohesion on the Relationship Between Trauma and State-Level Social Policy Provision in the United States" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6858.