Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of Parameters. We open this issue with a special “In Memoriam” by General Charles A. Flynn, Commander US Army Pacific, honoring the life and legacies of our director and consummate colleague, Carol V. Evans. We dedicate this issue to her. General Flynn’s memoriam is followed by an In Focus commentary on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. We then feature three forums covering the Russia-Ukraine War, the Middle East, and Professional Development. This issue also contains special essays on the role of professional writing, the US Army War College’s Civil-Military Relations Center, …

The Perceived Benefits Of Diversity Training And Governing Policy For Law Enforcement Agencies, Lance Isaiah Driskell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research confronted a critical public administration challenge within a law enforcement agency: the absence of formal diversity training and policies. The study explored, from the perspective of officers, what the department should consider when developing future diversity training that can positively influence job performance, and from the perspective of officers, the policies or practices regarding diversity that would positively influence job performance. The study drew upon a conceptual framework, emphasizing the necessity of diversity training and its key components: why, who, what, and how. Employing a cross-sectional research design, quantitative data were gathered through surveys administered via SurveyMonkey to …

The Dynamics Of Us Retrenchment In The Middle East, Paul K. Macdonald, Joseph M. Parent

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that conditions favor American retrenchment from the Middle East because the United States can shift burdens to capable states in the region, there are few areas where US commitments are interdependent, and the local conquest calculus favors defense. Forward military deployments do not positively influence potential threats in the Middle East, and maintaining deployments there will detract from meeting challenges from China. Through comparisons to prior cases of great-power ordinal decline, this article puts America’s modest decline in historical perspective and finds that retrenchment policies will likely have positive consequences.

Raven Sentry: Employing Ai For Indications And Warnings In Afghanistan, Thomas W. Spahr

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article examines Raven Sentry, a project that employed artificial intelligence to provide advance warning of insurgent attacks in Afghanistan. During 2019 and 2020, the Resolute Support Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J2) benefited from a command culture open to innovation, the urgency created by the US drawdown, and a uniquely talented group of personnel that, aided by commercial sector experts, built an AI system that helped predict attacks. The war’s end cut Raven Sentry short, but the experience provides important lessons on AI and the conditions necessary for successful innovation.

Exploring The Nexus Of Military And Society At A 50-Year Milestone, Patricia M. Shields

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

There is an ongoing dependence and tension between the military and the society it protects. This article examines the relatively new “military and society” field using the 50-year anniversary of the journal Armed Forces & Society as a focal point. This dynamic field is influenced by world events, cultural trends, and politics. Civil-military relations is at the heart of the discourse. An international and interdisciplinary journal, Armed Forces & Society reflects the changing nature of the field over the last 50 years. I have edited the journal since 2001 and bring this experience to the discussion.

Contributor Guidelines, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

The Combat Path: Sustaining Mental Readiness In Ukrainian Soldiers, Oleh Hukovskyy, James C. West, Joshua C. Morganstein, Eugene F. Augusterfer, David M. Benedek, Oleg Boyko, Robert J. Ursano, Amy B. Adler

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

In Ukraine, soldiers’ psychological resilience is of paramount concern. Therefore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have developed a new intervention, Combat Path Debriefing, designed to address combat stress and promote unit readiness for soldiers returning to combat. This article outlines the components of Combat Path Debriefing and discusses how it is rooted in principles of combat and operational stress control and the unique characteristics of Ukrainian military life. This perspective offers US and allied leaders real-world experience that can inform future efforts to support soldiers’ mental health and combat performance.

Participatory Photography As A Creative And Collaborative Tool In Teaching Peace Education, Rodgen M. Jabor

Peace and Conflict Studies

Peace and education are inseparable. Grounding on the aforementioned premise, peace education has become part of the curriculum in a number of countries including the Philippines. Along with the inclusion of peace education was the challenge of how to provide responsive and meaningful learning experiences in peace education. This article discusses the attempt of the use of participatory photography as a teaching methodology. Ten pre-service teachers participated in a peace education class that trialed the use of participatory photography as a teaching approach guided by a manual that was developed by the researcher. Through conducting a focus group discussion, and …

Violence Or Nonviolence: The Impact Of Public Opinion On Campaign Onset And Tactics, Kana Inata, Wakako Maekawa

Peace and Conflict Studies

Recent scholarship suggests that norms of nonviolent contestation strongly constrain the course of civil resistance campaigns. However, these norms are not uniform across countries. It may be the case that violent campaign groups may successfully mobilize supporters in societies where norms of nonviolent contestation are not established. This study seeks to answer whether campaign onset and tactics are influenced by public opinion, and if so, specifically what components of public opinion do so. We disaggregate public opinion into those on campaign tactics and campaign goals, and argue that public opinion on campaign goals affects the initiation of civil campaigns, while …

Towards A Digitally Mediated Transitional Justice Process? An Analysis Of Colombian Transitional Justice Organisations’ Posting Behaviour On Facebook, Jasmin Haunschild, Laura Guntrum, Sofía Cerrillo, Franziska Bujara, Christian Reuter

Peace and Conflict Studies

In Colombia, Transitional Justice (TJ) institutions were established after years of violent conflict as part of the 2016 peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government. By analysing the posting behaviour of the government-appointed TJ institutions on Facebook, we show how general TJ aims and opportunities for citizen participation were promoted in 2019. Our analysis reveals that the organisations rarely address topics related to reconciliation and that active online participation and two-way communication are rather scarce. Instead, Facebook is mainly used by the TJ organisations to increase solidarity with victims and disseminate information about their work and the TJ …

A Path Towards Trust: Enhancing Relations Between Ngos Using The Intergroup Trust Model, Mariska Kappmeier, Chiara Venanzetti

Peace and Conflict Studies

Trust is a fundamental element of human relations, facilitating positive cooperation among individuals, groups, and organizations, including those dedicated to peacebuilding. While these organizations ideally collaborate toward their shared goals, interorganizational competition often undermines relationships, breeding distrust. Cultivating interorganizational trust can make the difference between failure and success. However, building trust is challenging due to trust’s elusive, multifaceted nature.

This article proposes a multidimensional trust model to facilitate a systematic approach to trust assessment and subsequent trust-building

Through a case study of two NGOs, we present firstly, the Intergroup Trust Model, which proposes trust consists of five dimensions competence-, …

Preference Conflict And Peace Studies: The Line Between Disagreement And Violence, Frederic R. Kellogg

Peace and Conflict Studies

Broadening the definition of conflict defines more comprehensively the condition of peace, focusing on how unresolved shared disagreements can lead to, or avoid, polarization and violence. The line between general disagreement and violent conflict lies in the adjustment of shared preferences. Matters like reproductive rights, medically assisted death, race and gender discrimination, while subject to political polarization, are open to peaceful redress through what John Dewey called the transformative continuum of inquiry, in which the crucial social response to shared problems includes dispute and conflict. Resolution of controversial social problems requires preference adjustment and habit change, often, if not always, …

Minnesota Public Assistance Program Utilization Frequency Among Jurisdiction Types, Heather Ann Winkleblack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the 2014 creation of the Minnesota Public Assistance Program (MPAP), no taxpayer program studies covering the 2014-2017 years have been conducted on how the program was distributed for evaluating the communities impacted and determining if there was a difference between years, threshold changes, and jurisdiction type. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the MPAP for the 2014-2017 years across three different types of jurisdictions: tribal, urban, and rural to assess resource allocation. The study’s theoretical framework was based on Kingdon’s multiple streams theory. A quantitative quasi-experimental approach was used to examine under MPAP (a) …

Women’S Work, Child Poverty, Collective Action And The 1936 Employment Act Recalling Rosie Hackett, Kathleen Lynn, Muriel Gahan, Bob Collis And Hilda Tweedy, Anne Murphy

Level 3

No abstract provided.

Oregon In Motion: Shaping Communities Through State Transportation Legislation, Cassie Wilson

PSU Transportation Seminars

About every eight years, the Oregon state legislature passes a large state transportation funding package. Transportation funding packages in Oregon have historically included funding mechanisms such as the gas tax, program areas such as Safe Routes to School, projects such as freeway widenings, and transparency and accountability measures such as establishing new reporting requirements and advisory committees. The way this legislation is developed and who has a seat at the table highly influences package contents and the public and political support needed for its passage. In this presentation, I will provide highlights from my recently published report, Oregon in Motion …

Crafting A Succession Process For A Nonprofit Organization: Exploring And Plotting The Creation Of A Succession Plan For The Chips Montgomery Foundation, Robert King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this case study, the phenomena of leadership loss and transition within a small nonprofit organization, which is a pivotal cycle impacting businesses of all sizes and types, was explored. The study underscored that employee turnover is an inevitable occurrence, influenced by a myriad of factors, leading to significant decisions on staff replacement and thereby shaping future organizational trajectories. Central to this investigation was the exploration of various organizational development theories, functionalism, and human resource planning, which provided a conceptual framework for understanding leadership transitions. Both for-profit and nonprofit entities grapple with leadership losses, yet nonprofits encounter distinct challenges necessitated …

Contributing Factors Affecting Health Care Access And Utilization Behaviors By Black Men In The United States, Alonzo Pendleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Generational racism, historical abuses, and mistreatment related to health care have long contributed to a lack of trust among Black Americans in the U.S. health system, as well as disproportionate health status due to inadequate medical care-seeking behavior. Black American men have been particularly affected, with worse health and a higher mortality rate than men and women of other U.S. ethnic groups. The causal factors that manifest and sow distrust of the medical community among Black men are not thoroughly understood. The purpose of this study, which had the health belief model as its theoretical framework, was to explore the …

Sexual Abuse: A Multi-Faceted Problem, Marcus Venable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On average, US citizens have experienced approximately 400,000 sexual assaults per year, which results in enormous immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, as well as society in general.

In the U.S., the principal method of combatting this crime has been the creation of Sex Offender Registries used to notify the public of the identity and location of convicted sex offenders who may be living in proximity to their residence. In addition to the Registry, laws have been passed forbidding convicted sex offenders from residing within buffer zones around areas of high child concentration [schools/parks/etc.].

The efficacy and consequences of these …

Effectively Managing Communication After A Crisis: A Phenomenographic Study On Public Health Crises In The Country Of Jamaica, Jehan Donnique Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effectively managing communication after a crisis is the starting point of successful public policy and administration when handling a public health crisis. Jamaica has dealt with several public health crises over the span of its existence; this study compared SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and influenza, two major Jamaican public health crises during the period from 2019 to 2022. This study’s research questions addressed (a) what specific communication strategies were used by Jamaica during the influenza outbreak as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) how the specific communications strategies used during the influenza outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the development of …

Banyamulenge Immigrants' Perceptions Of Police In The United States: A Qualitative Study, Fidele Nkomezi Sebahizi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Banyamulenge are Congolese from South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While research on different minority groups worldwide is prominent, research on the Banyamulenge remains scarce. This study attempts to close this void in literature. The Banyamulenge's ill-treatment was evident during the colonial period, before the DRC’s independence. It stemmed from various ideologies, including the Banyamulenge's denial of being native Congolese. The DRC is a country inhabited by numerous tribes linked to neighboring countries, sharing languages and cultures. Like many other Congolese, the Banyamulenge were on the Congolese territory before the Western colonizers' arrival before 1885. …

The Safest Suburbs In The Mountain West, 2023, Ivan Sun, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data from the Smart Asset report, “America’s Safest Suburbs – 2023 Study,” which examines the 370 safest suburbs in the United States and the 35 most affordable safest suburbs. This fact sheet focuses on data for the nine safest suburbs and most affordable safe suburbs in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah ranking among the top 100 safest suburbs in the United States.

Access To K-12 Educational Opportunity In The Mountain West, 2017-2018, Yashesvi Sharma, Isabelle G. Graham, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet examines K-12 education climate data in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The original report from Research For Action explores a variety of educational opportunity indicators, such as the presence of STEM certified teachers, experienced teachers, offerings of AP/Dual Enrollment classes, and low student/teacher ratios.

Return On Investment (Roi) For Undergraduate Degrees At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas (Unlv) And The University Of Nevada, Reno (Unr), Riley Ruff, Miguel Soriano Ralston, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet examines return on investment (ROI) data for undergraduate degrees at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The original report from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) includes data on the ROI for various undergraduate degree programs across the United States.

Book Review: The Wandering Army: The Campaigns That Transformed The British Way Of War, James D. Scudieri

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Huw J. Davies

Reviewed by Dr. James D. Scudieri, senior research historian, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College

Senior research historian Dr. James D. Scudieri lends his expertise to review King’s College London academic Huw J. Davies’s most recent book, a “powerful monograph” on the 1750–1850 British Army’s “accidental military enlightenment.” Scudieri provides a chapter-by-chapter overview of the book’s contents and praises Davies for “[setting] the standard for military theoreticians and senior British commanders to integrate theory and practice in the big picture and in the field.” He calls the book a “formidable achievement” and notes that the …

Book Review: Thanks For Your Service: The Causes And Consequences Of Public Confidence In The Us Military, James "Andy" Nichols

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Christian Nikolaus Braun

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols, US Army War College class of 2023

Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols provides a thoughtful review of Duke University professor Peter D. Feaver’s book on the reasons for—and proposed ways to maintain—the “high public confidence” that the US military has experienced since 2001. Nichols overviews Feaver’s research methodology and policy recommendations, providing potential readers useful praise of the book’s merits—particularly Feaver’s “discussions surrounding politicization (party) and public pressure”—and some critiques, namely that the policy recommendations are “underdeveloped.” Nichols concludes that “[t]he text advances policy discussions on public confidence in …

Book Review: Limited Force And The Fight For The Just War Tradition, Wylie W. Johnson

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Christian Nikolaus Braun

Reviewed by Reverend Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, US Army War College class of 2010

Retired US Army chaplain Dr. Wylie W. Johnson reviews Christian Nikolaus Braun’s dissertation-turned-book on a “casuistic” approach to just war informed by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Johnson overviews the philosophies with which Braun engages—those of Michael Walzer and of revisionists (virtue ethicists)—and quotes Braun’s central purpose: to provide a “third way” to these philosophies and “remind contemporary thinkers of the tradition’s core—namely, its practical function as a guide to statecraft.”

Book Review: Armies In Retreat: Chaos, Cohesion, And Consequences, J.P. Clark

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Editors: Timothy G. Heck and Walker D. Mills

Reviewed by Dr. J.P. Clark, associate professor of strategy, Basic Strategic Art Program, US Army War College

Dr. J.P. Clark provides a thoughtful analysis of this anthology on retreat, an "under-studied topic in the US military." The book covers case studies spanning from the ancient world to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and even discusses retreat in the context of cyberspace. Clark employs his expertise as a strategy professor to give a valuable critique, highlighting the book’s merits (for example, the “intriguing angle” of the Gallipoli Campaign analysis) and some …

Advances In Data-Driven Life Sciences Research, Haiping Jiang, Chunchun Gao, Wenhao Liu, Yungui Yang, Xin Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The field of life sciences is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in experimental techniques and vast biological big data which gradually arise and play an increasingly important role in life science research. First of all, biological big data has diversity and complexity, including genomic data, epigenomic data, proteomic data and other types. These data provide researchers with more comprehensive information and help reveal the laws behind life phenomena. Second, new data-driven developments and applications in life sciences cover many fields such as gene editing, precision medicine, drug development, etc., providing unprecedented possibilities for human health and quality of life. However, …

Modernization Of Science And Technology From Perspective Of Chinese Path: Implications Of The Era, Characteristics, And Reflections, Baoyu Jia, Yan Ying, Jiang Yu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The modernization of science and technology is the key to Chinese path to modernization and plays a fundamental and strategic supporting role in building a powerful socialist modernization country. This study reviews various stages of development including sprouting and exploration, recovery and acceleration, catching up and leading, summarizes the characteristics and experience, and discusses the improvement in terms of level, concept, culture, topic selection, organization, system, governance, team, and guarantee, and then, proposes the concept of “Chinese Path to S&T Modernization”.

Progress And Challenges Of Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs) In The World And In China, Bojie Fu, Junze Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations is a critical task for countries around the world from 2016 to 2030. Yet, recent assessments indicate that progress on half of the SDGs has stagnated or even regressed, and that most goals are unlikely to be met by 2030. This study reviews the progress globally and in China towards achieving the 17 SDGs, and summarizes five key challenges that are impinging their realization: 1) the data gaps and insufficient monitoring capacity, 2) the high complexity of interlinkages among the SDGs, 3) the influence of regional disparities and negative …