Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Exploratory Study Of The Presence And Direction Of Agenda-Setting Effects Between Leading U.S. Foreign Policy Think Tanks And U.S. Newspapers, Dzmitry Yuran

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the roles news media and think tanks play in U.S. foreign policy in an analysis of their possible effects on each other’s agendas. In an analysis of salience of, or attention to, multiple countries over time in coverage from leading U.S. newspapers, The New York Times and Washington Post, and in published online materials from leading U.S. foreign policy think tanks, Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the research looks at the presence, direction, and strength of agenda-setting effects in the construction of news agendas and attention foci of think tanks. Findings suggest that the …

Financial Deregulation, Income Inequality, And Partisan Politics From The Great War To The Great Recession, Eric Reed Keller

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines how financial deregulation and partisan politics shaped American market-based income distribution from 1914 to 2012 through a process called market conditioning. By using time-series data analysis, I access the effect of legislative and bureaucratic financial deregulation on market-based income concentration for the very wealthy. Then, I use process-tracing to determine why both political parties converged in the 1980s to support financial deregulation. I find financial deregulation does increase market-based income for top income earners, especially the top .01 percent. In addition, I determine that both parties were captured by neoliberal economic ideology and through the bureaucracy, …

Economic Wealth And Social Welfare: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Transnational Well-Being, Kelly Brooke Martin

Doctoral Dissertations

Macro changes in the financial arena have prompted ongoing research focused on global economic trends. As America emerges from an era of stagnant wages, rising unemployment, and growing class stratification it is necessary to explore differences in cross-national socioeconomic behavior to address the changing needs of our country. Many studies attempt to describe statistical correlations between economic wealth and social well-being domestically and abroad by utilizing methodological perspectives that do not account for longitudinal change. To address the gap in existing research, this study seeks to measure variations in econometric indicators between the U.S. and Nordic countries to further explicate …

Effects Of Optical Sensing And Variable Rate Technology On Nitrogen Fertilizer Use, Lint Yields, And Profitability In Cotton Production, Melissa Reynolds Stefanini

Masters Theses

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is expensive and can be harmful to the environment. Precision agriculture (PA) has the capability to reduce the amount of excess N from crop production released into the environment, increase net returns to the grower, and reduce the risk of profit loss due to spatial and temporal variability. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the profitability, risk management potential, and N use efficiency of using real-time optical sensing with variable-rate technologies (VRT) to manage spatial variability in cotton production. Data collected from 29 field trials in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri from 2011 to 2014 …

Sounding Identity: Soundscapes, Music, And Technoculture In The Chinese Diaspora Of Panama, Corey Michael Blake

Masters Theses

Present in Panama since the 19^th century, the Chinese diaspora in Panama City, Panama represents an empowered community of individuals who identify as both Chinese and Panamanian. These Chinese Panamanian hybrid identities emerge within sonic environments through an engagement with transnational media and digital technologies, notably within retail stores. Specifically, music surfaces as an especially important sonic marker of the Chinese Panamanian hybridity. Within the mall of the Panamanian Chinatown of El Dorado, an interesting mixture of both Chinese and Latin American popular music genres sounds throughout the various stores. This mixture of music genres demonstrates Chinese Panamanian agency …

“Not For Casual Readers:” An Evaluation Of Digital Data From Virginia Archaeological Websites, Mark Antony Freeman

Masters Theses

Archaeological data dissemination is complicated by the need to serve disparate audiences, each of which has different data needs. This study examined the websites of 148 Virginia institutions identified as having archaeological collections or data, and used content analysis to see how they supported characteristics of scholarly publishing, open data and public outreach. Archaeologists are increasingly looking for comparative data sets for research needs, with professional ethics and a desire for public engagement encouraging data sharing. However this analysis suggests that, while there are some exemplary websites, much of the archaeological record remains publicly inaccessible. The majority of websites examined …

Overweight And Obese Children's Social Interactions And Peer Responses, Meagan Johannah Green

Masters Theses

This study examined the nature of obese, overweight, and healthy weight children’s social interactions and experiences in a Head Start preschool classroom. Obese, overweight, and healthy weight children were observed during free interaction periods of the day (times when peers would serve as primary play partners). The children’s social interactions (including number of social bids, invitations, and their outcomes, social construction strategies, social roles) were observed and comparisons were made between twelve obese and overweight children and twenty six healthy weight peers. There were significant differences in the levels of overall assertiveness between the groups, with healthy weight children being …

Four Dimensional Approach To Center City Transformation: A Case Study Of Knoxville, Tn: 1884—1950, Joseph Ryan Roberts

Masters Theses

Urban morphological models were created to enhance our understanding of urban growth and form. Prior to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), these models were supplementary products of ideas and concepts that set out to explain the spatial configuration of the urban landscape. While these models are of great importance to the field, they are mostly two-dimensional (2D) and static. Three-dimensional (3D) modeling has strengths in landscape visualization, manipulation, and planning, where analyses of historical urban landscapes may be carried out efficiently and thoroughly. A method that utilizes 3D modeling through time or four-dimensional (4D) modeling will enhance our understanding of transformation …

Analysis Of The U.S. Electric Power Industry, Yin Chu

Doctoral Dissertations

In the U.S., the power industry is a primary energy consumption sector. Accurate knowledge on production efficiency in the industry has vital welfare implication from both economic and environmental perspectives. The first two essays investigate the causal impact of the vertical separation of the electricity transmission sector from the generation sector on production efficiency. In the first essay, I ask whether the specific market restructuring is sufficient to enhance how efficiently production is allocated among producers. Based on a difference-in-difference comparison on cost-sensitivity of utilization between coal-fired generators in the treatment region (Southwest Power Pool) and that in a control …

Community Gardens In Knoxville: Insight Into Challenges Facing Community Garden Initiatives, Angelia D Rateike

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Casting Stones: An Analysis Of The Late Archaic Period At The Big Pine Tree Site, South Carolina, Based In Behavioral Ecology, Adam Daniel Russell

Masters Theses

The Big Pine Tree site (38AL143) is located in the Central Savannah River Valley in the coastal plain of South Carolina. A chert quarry site, it has been used since the Late Paleoindian period (12,850-11,200 cal yr BP) and is in fact still utilized to this day by employees of the nearby Archroma facility. The site has been extensively excavated under the direction of Albert C. Goodyear III for many years, resulting in a large assemblage. This research addresses an unusual 30-centimeter thick dark-brown soil stain located between 60-90 centimeters below ground surface that dates to the beginning of the …

Social Systems And Psychic Confluence: Flash Mobs, Communications, And Agency, Nicholas John Hauman

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation involves two components: 1) an analysis of the history of flash mobs including detailed descriptions of specific flash mobs and 2) an exploration of what this analysis elucidates concerning the interaction between individuals and social structure. By focusing on the flash mob as a form of communication, the dissertation displays how the flash mob has communicated multiplicitously through various social systems (e.g. art, mass media, economy, politics) to achieve various and often divergent ends. Within this larger understanding of the interaction between flash mobs and social structure this dissertation also finds, through an application of Luhmannian systems theory, …

Mechanisms For Social Influence, Jeremy David Auerbach

Masters Theses

Throughout the thesis, I study mathematical models that can help explain the dependency of social phenomena in animals and humans on individual traits. The first chapter investigates consensus building in human groups through communication of individual preferences for a course of action. Individuals share and modify these preferences through speaker listener interactions. Personality traits, reputations, and social networks structures effect these modifications and eventually the group will reach a consensus. If there is variation in personality traits, the time to reach consensus is delayed. Reputation models are introduced and explored, finding that those who can best estimate the average initial …

Effects Of Noncommercial Open Interest On Corn And Soybean Futures Price Volatility, William Grady Ferguson

Masters Theses

Since the early 2000s a dramatic rise in institutional investment in agricultural futures markets has occurred. This rise may have caused an increase in price volatility, potentially resulting in added risk for farmers, agribusinesses, and consumers. Currently, regulators, hedgers, exchanges, and speculators lack information regarding how modern investments in agricultural futures markets affect short-term price volatility. The objective of this analysis is to examine the effect of institutional investment on short-term price volatility for corn and soybean futures markets. Using daily price data for corn and soybean futures from the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), several measures of price volatility …

Comparing News Frames About The Syrian Crisis Between The Kommersant And The Financial Times, Anton Dinerstein

Masters Theses

This is an exploratory comparative study aimed to examine media frames about ongoing civil war in Syria. The civil uprising started on March 15, 2011, and turned into a civil war after May 8, 2011. The conflict has lasted for more than four years, and more than 220,000 people have died since it began. During the conflict, both the Syrian government and military opposition were accused of extreme cruelty and of using chemical weapons. However, there was no official proof of using chemical weapons until the August 21, 2013, when Syrian government forces used chemical weapons during their attack on …

The Greenhouse Effect: Decomposition Rates In Human Remains Wrapped In Plastic, Barbara R. Forman

Masters Theses

Determining an accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) of human remains is important for several reasons. First, it is used to determine whether the individual is recently deceased, and therefore of medicolegal concern. If so, the estimated PMI is used in narrowing the possible identities of the deceased. PMI can also be used in excluding, or convicting, a murder suspect.

Though deviations may occur, it has been found that PMI can be calculated from the decomposition stages with reasonable accuracy (Galloway 1989, Megyesi 2001, Megyesi et al. 2005, Schiel 2008, Simmons et al. 2010). Some factors, such as low …

Utilizing Inventory Data And Public Opinion To Develop An Urban Tree Management Plan For Oak Ridge, Tn, Thomas E. Jennings

Masters Theses

Proper management by a trained urban forester is essential for the health of urban trees, due to the adverse growing conditions they face. Unfortunately, many cities do not have the luxury of employing an urban forester for various reasons, which is the case for the City of Oak Ridge, TN. This study utilized inventory data of the street trees, park trees, and trees surrounding the municipal complexes in Oak Ridge, as well as evaluated park visitor satisfaction in three of the city parks through the use of a survey to aid in the development of an urban tree management plan. …

When The Dead Are Not Silent: The Investigation Of Cultural Perspectives Concerning Improper Burials In Northern Uganda, Adrianne S Kembel

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the findings of a qualitative examination of the effects of improper burials and the associated cultural impacts on the Acholi population of northern Uganda. Since independence in 1962 Uganda has experienced several internal conflicts, including the notorious struggle between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan government. This conflict, which disproportionately affected the Acholi ethnic group, resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and culturally inappropriate burials. These burials are particularity problematic because the Acholi maintain continual ties to the dead through ancestor veneration with proper burial being one of the most important conciliatory rites. In the …

New Destinations Of Islamic Fundamental Terrorism: The Rise Of Al Shabaab, Damien Evan Pitts

Masters Theses

The rise of Al Shabaab was achieved primarily in three ways. The first way was through the power granted to them as the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union.Governmental legitimacy allowed them to enforce sharia law throughout Somalia, and this was reinforced even further as they were able to fend off Ethiopia's invasion.Secondly, they were able to surpass tribal affiliations and use Islam as the rallying tool to organize, and gain support in the faced of a growing secular government. Lastly, Al Shabaab created alliances that provided them with logistical and financial support, to include Eritrea, Al Qaeda, foreign …

Examining Social Interaction Behaviors Of Students With Disabilities Engaged In Project Trips, Heather Leigh Shultz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of Project TRiPS on social interaction behaviors of students with disabilities. Project TRiPS is a program at the University of Tennessee offered to college students as a class where they go into public schools and implement therapeutic recreation activities to students with disabilities. A total of eighteen students with disabilities were observed on five social interaction behaviors: (1) motor gestural positive behaviors, (2) motor gestural negative behavior, (3) vocal verbal positive behavior, (4) vocal verbal negative behavior, and (5) response to environment. Results indicated there were a few instances where …

Raccoon Scavenging And The Taphonomic Effects On Early Human Decomposition And Pmi Estimation, Jacob K. Smith

Masters Theses

Forensic investigators must consider the effects of numerous taphonomic variables when estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) in forensic cases, such as temperature and insect activity. Efforts to quantify the decomposition process have been made. Megyesi et al. (2005) modified the categories and stages of decomposition presented by Galloway et al. (1989), and introduced a total body scoring system that uses accumulated degree-days to estimate PMI. However, none of these systems include the potential effects of animal scavenging. Galloway et al. (1989) stated that carnivorous activity occurs mainly during advanced decomposition and mummification. Haglund et al. (1989) specifically investigated canid scavenging …

[Re]Constructing Community: A Strategy For Post-Disaster Recovery, Ryan James Stechmann

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on exploring a viable solution for permanent housing after a natural disaster with an emphasis on community rebuilding in a southern coastal context. This region will continue to be affected by hurricanes and it is only a matter of time until another major disaster will happen. In any major disaster the fabric of the community is torn and takes a long time to recover. Communal places are vital to recovery after such disasters because they serve as a place where the people of the community can gather and provide support or receive support from each other and …

Exploring Connections Between Prenatal Physical Activity And Breastfeeding, Emily Alexandria Tucker

Masters Theses

Women who decide to engage in prenatal physical activity are giving themselves, and their child, an advantage over those who are not physically active during pregnancy; not only are there significant health benefits for mothers, but also there are great benefits for the unborn child. Breastfeeding is another important decision parents make that can impact the future health of their children. There has been extensive research on the benefits of both prenatal physical activity and breastfeeding, but the connection between the two is unclear. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to identify potential connections between factors influencing women’s …

Entropy And The Economy Of Violence: Anthropophagy And Sacrificial Violence In Late Modernity, Benjamin Corey Webster

Masters Theses

In this project, I explore the relationship of biosocial perspectives, specifically the study of energy and entropy, to contemporary work in criminology and social theory. After working through an elaboration of entropy, I explore its relevance to social life through an eclectic but necessary survey of a key set of scholars whose work focuses upon the sacrifice and criminalization of the poor, the intensification of exclusion and genocidal contexts, and finally, the possibility of a politics of change through indigenous knowledges. Bringing these various schools of thought together allows us to see the interdisciplinary linkages that might better reveal the …

Developing Social Justice Competence In Group Work Through Intergroup Dialogue Co-Facilitation, Brittany White

Masters Theses

We interviewed 10 doctoral students in counseling psychology who co-facilitated intergroup dialogue (IGD) groups as part of an advanced course on group interventions focused on diversity and social justice in group work in order to understand if and how IGD facilitation contributes to these students’ professional development. IGD is a small group intervention that brings together individuals from social identity groups with a history of conflict (e.g., people of color and White people) to build relationships across groups, develop a critical social consciousness, and develop capacities to promote social justice. Grounded theory was used to code the data and generate …

Economic And Environmental Optimization In The Supply Of Switchgrass In Tennessee, Jia Zhong

Masters Theses

The low efficiency of collection, storage and transportation in the switchgrass supply chain has hindered the commercialization of a switchgrass-based biofuel industry, even given its ecological and environmental advantages in carbon sequestrate, soil quality, water use, and pollution pressure. Thus, designing a switchgrass-based supply chain balancing both environmental and economic performance is important to expedite the development of the cellulosic biofuel industry to meet the national energy plan.

The objectives of this study are to 1) determine economic cost and multiple environmental outcomes in feedstock supply chains and 2) identify the relation between the economic and environmental performances. The first …

Human And Black Bear Interactions In Buncombe County, North Carolina, From 1993–2013, Adam Guy Alsamadisi

Masters Theses

Over the past 20 years the frequency of interactions between humans and black bears in Buncombe County, North Carolina has been increasing, posing threats to human safety, black bear populations, ecological stability, and conservation support. During this time, both the human population and the American black bear population increased in southern Appalachia, which, combined with both urban expansion and landscape fragmentation, led to an increase in human and black bear interactions. Reducing future interactions with black bears is important as these interactions put support for conservation at risk. I performed a landscape analysis to better understand where human and black …

Establishing A Chronology Of Late Quaternary Glacial Advances In The Cordillera De Talamanca, Costa Rica, Rebecca Susan Potter

Masters Theses

Little research has focused on glacial events in the tropics. Providing an absolute glacial chronology in Costa Rica will build a foundation for future glacial chronologies and paleoclimate reconstructions in the highlands of Central America. Evidence of past glaciation, including moraines and glacial lakes, is preserved within formerly glaciated valleys in the Cordillera de Talamanca. Orvis and Horn (2000) constrained deglaciation ages of the most recent glacial event in the Cordillera de Talamanca based on radiocarbon dates of glacial lake sediments. Radiocarbon ages indicated complete deglaciation after 12.4 ka cal BP but before 9.7 ka cal BP (Orvis and Horn, …

2015 Member Node Survey Preliminary Frequencies, Uawg

DataONE Sociocultural and Usability & Assessment Working Groups

No abstract provided.

Summary Of 2015 Public Acts, Elisha Hodge

MTAS Publications: Full Publications

This report summarizes the year's public acts that have the most significant impact on municipal operations. Users of this report are cautioned that much judgment is involved in determining which Public Acts to summarize and how to summarize them. Before taking action or giving advice based upon any Public Act summarized here, one should consult the act itself and not rely on the summary.