Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender And Sexuality In Blame Attributions For Intimate Partner Violence, Jennifer April Balliet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this project I explore how gender and sexuality impact how respondents blame perpetrators and victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Victims of same sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV) have different experiences with IPV than do heterosexual victims, both in articulating their experiences and in seeking legal recourse or professional aid. Blame is at the core of the biases that result in differential treatment, and I discuss belief in a just world (BJW) and groupness perceptions in blame attributions, blame in relation to gender, sexuality, and IPV. I elaborate on the results of blame in practical terms. I used an …

Rewriting The Future: The Construction Of Masculine Subjectivity Within Articulations Of Russia's Post-Soviet National Idea, Arianna L. Nowakowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the construction, negotiation, and contestation of masculine Subjectivity within articulations of Russia's post-Soviet national Idea. As Russia endeavors to define itself after years of turmoil and strife, gender identities have become deeply enmeshed in understandings of quintessential Russianness. From discourses of the state under Vladimir Putin to those of the Russian Orthodox Church, actors with significant social and political power have constructed particular understandings of what it means to be Russian, and in so doing, have delineated the parameters of normal, or natural gender identities and sexualities for men.

Drawing from the ideas of Michel Foucault, Jacques …

Mais Bonito Da Região: The Cacao-Producing Region Of Cachoeira Alta, Bahia, And The Transition From Wage Labor To Small Farming, Rodney D. Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The support needed for upward social mobility within the field of agriculture, from a laborer to a self-sufficient, small farmer, requires an agricultural and market-based knowledge to which few wage laborers are privy. Small-scale farmers suffer shortcomings within regional and global markets because of their inability to respond to increased demand due to a lack of access to assets and capital. Despite such difficulties, in some agricultural sectors wage laborers have successfully made the transition to small landholders. In this thesis I seek to answer what factors led to the emergence of a smallholding cacao-producing population from a wage-laboring class …

The Effects Of Adding Values To An Acceptance Intervention On Willingness To Engage In A Difficult Task, Maureen Kathleen Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a relatively large body of evidence supporting acceptance as a treatment component. According to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) proponents, acceptance is done in the service of values (Hayes et al., 2011). This study aimed to examine the effects of adding a values component to an acceptance intervention on persistence in a frustrating task. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: acceptance, acceptance plus values, and suppression. Following a mood induction, participants listened to a recording of their assigned coping strategy and were then asked to use this strategy during a frustrating computer task. No group …

Investor Behavior Surrounding Trading Halts: Short Sales, Predation And Contagion Effects, Mary Celeste Funck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that focus on the interaction between exchange-mandated trading halts and short selling activity in the financial markets. In the first essay, the behavior of short sellers is examined surrounding interruptions in trading to determine if informed short sellers alter their trading patterns prior to and/or following a trading halt. This investigation also addresses the impact of short sales on market quality for halted stocks surrounding periods of interrupted trading, by examining returns, price volatility, and spreads. The second essay investigates if a short-selling contagion effect exists for contemporaries of firms experiencing a trading …

The Political Implications Of Natural Disasters, Leah Cathryn Windsor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When natural disasters like floods or droughts happen, people experience their wrath, losing lives, livelihoods, homes and security. Natural disasters disrupt the status quo, and create social, humanitarian and political needs. In most cases, people turn to their governments to provide for these needs. However, governments vary widely in their ability and willingness to provide for these needs. Citizens evaluate the outcomes of the government's actions in response to their needs arising from the effects of the natural disaster. Much work on the effects of natural disasters has been undertaken by civil war scholars. This project uniquely contributes to our …

The Applicability Of Video Self-Modeling For Adults With Developmental And Intellectual Disabilities, Lauren Elizabeth Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Self-Modeling (VSM) has shown to be an effective intervention in modifying maladaptive behaviors in children, particularly those with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD). Although the effectiveness of VSM with children with ID/DD has been well established in the extant literature, considerably fewer studies have addressed the applicability of VSM with adults of the same population. Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the utility of VSM with three adults with ID/DD, specifically targeting table manners as the behavior of interest for the intervention. Two aspects of table manners were measured utilizing a multiple baseline design: food …

Three Essays On Quote Stuffing, Dealer Liquidity And Stub Quoting, Jared Frank Egginton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays on quote stuffing, dealer provided liquidity, and stub quoting. The first essay examines the impact that intense episodic spikes in quoting activity (frequently referred to as "quote stuffing") has on market conditions. We find that quote stuffing is pervasive with several hundred events occurring each trading day and that over 74% of US exchange traded securities experience at least one episode during 2010. We find that during periods of intense quoting activity stocks experience decreased liquidity, higher trading cost, and increased short term volatility. In the second we examine the role of the NASDAQ …

An Examination Of The Effects Of The Sexual Double Standard On College Students' Condom Use, Cahryn Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Men and women have historically been held to different standards regarding sexual behavior, known as the sexual double standard. Women have typically been judged more harshly than men for engaging in similar sexual behavior. Both genders report higher levels of sexual activity and more liberal attitudes since the 1940s. Males historically report engaging in more sexual activity than females. However, current studies indicate both genders are engaging in similar levels of sexual activity, although men continue to report slightly higher levels. It is unclear whether attitudes and judgments related to gender and sexuality have kept pace with reported behavior changes. …

Identifying Dysfunction In Persistent Social Deviance: Perspective Taking As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Social Aggression, Olga Vadymovna Berkout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy has been associated with social aggression in a number of studies. Perspective taking (e.g. theory of mind and empathy) has been inversely associated with both psychopathy and social aggression, suggesting that it may serve as a potential mediator of this relationship. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess perspective taking as a potential partial mediator of the relationship between psychopathy and social aggression in a sample of 439 undergraduates. Although bivariate correlations produced the expected negative relationships between perspective taking and psychopathy and social aggression, perspective taking did not function as a mediator in the SEM analysis. Implications …

The Art Of Going Beyond In Hossana, Ethiopia, Megan Elizabeth Flowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine what education as development means for the men and women who live in Hossana town, Ethiopia. The ethnographic focus of this study is on understanding how education as development evokes different meanings for socio-political participation by rural students at a teacher training college and townspeople respectively. I discuss these conceptual differentiations in relation to the changes in beliefs and strategies that have occurred in Hossana and greater Ethiopia elsewhere over the course of several decades of local and global changes in the social order. I use the emic category of yilhunnta, as the social recognition …

Developing Social Networks And Language Learning: Japanese Esl Students In A Study Abroad Context, Michiyo Fujimoto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigates the relationship between the English language proficiency of Japanese students in a short term study abroad (SA) context and the structure of their social networks. Their personal social networks were investigated through individual interviews. Analyzing their investment in English along with examining their construction of social networks, the purpose of this study is to investigate if there are any relationships between their type of social network and their English proficiency. The data was collected through individual interviews. Their oral English proficiency was evaluated by the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) developed by the Educational Testing …

Assessing The Timing Of One-Sided Violence In Civil Conflict, Nicholas Christopher Galanos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In times of civil conflict, civilians often attempt to distance themselves from the horrors of combat. However, noncombatants play an integral role in the prospects of victory for both an incumbent and an insurgency. By choosing to support a belligerent in times of civil conflict, civilians can become targets. This thesis looks to determine at what points during civil conflict are noncombatants likely to be targeted by either an incumbent or an insurgent group. Through logistic regression, using Uppsala Conflict Data Program data, this thesis finds that insurgents increase the likelihood of committing one-sided violence after the initial months of …

Functional Morphology Of The Sphyrnid Shark Cephalofoil: An Assessment Of The Hydrodynamic Lift Hypothesis Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Matthew K. Gaylord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The hammerhead sharks (Family: Sphyrnidae) are all characterized by a conspicuous lateral expansion and dorsoventral flattening of the head forming a structure known as a cephalofoil, however, there is substantial morphological variation within the clade. Many theories have been proposed regarding the functional aspects of this structure. One of these is that it may produce beneficial dynamic lift as the shark swims (in similar fashion to the cambered wings found on many modern-day aircraft). As sharks do not possess a swim bladder, part of their energy intake is expended on simply maintaining vertical station in the water column. If indeed …

Cultivating A Rainbow Median Through The Study Of Sexuality In Second Language Acquisition: Identity Construction Of Lesbian Women Native To The Southern Region Of The United States, Elizabeth Walker Graves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite diverging theories concerning the dissimilarities between male and female speakers, there is a general consensus that there is relevance in the relationship between gender and language, especially when considering the sociolinguistic effects of gender in second language acquisition and for the L2 learner. While there is a wealth of publications dedicated to examining the relationship between gendered roles and language, the idea of superseding the study of gender roles with a more comprehensive and considered study of gender identities has not been as forthcoming until very recently. Furthermore, there is little significant research into the relationship between gender identity …

A Generic Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of International Students Participating In The Cultural Connections Program At The University Of Mississippi, Nadezda Nikolaevna Kholomeydik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of international students participating in the Cultural Connections Program at The University of Mississippi. A generic qualitative design was utilized using purposeful criterion sampling. The data was collected from two focus group interviews with 11 participants in focus group 1 and 10 participants in focus group 2. Using a generic qualitative approach, eight initial themes were identified after focus group 1 and eight clarifying questions were developed based on these themes. During focus group 2, these clarifying questions were utilized to further explore the eight initial themes in more depth …

The Archaeology Of Mortuary Ritual As Rite Of Passage In Prehistoric Europe, Jacquelyn Mary Roberts Kyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the ways in which mortuary ritual functioned as a rite of passage at three sites in prehistoric Europe: Wor Barrow on Cranborne Chase, Tumulus 17 in the Speckhau Mound Group at the Heuneburg, and the Hochdorf tomb in southwestern Germany. The sites were selected with diversity among the dimensions of mortuary practice, including the presence and types of grave goods, the structure of the grave, and the treatment of the corpse, as a priority. By examining the ways in which cemeteries functioned as spaces of personal and group separation and transformation, I seek to clarify the role …

Psychological Birth Order And Career Adaptability In An At-Risk College Population, Joshua Alexander Magruder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological birth order and career adaptability of college students who were at-risk academically. Psychological birth order is a main construct from the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler (1927, 1946). Adler posited that individuals discover life differently when they perceive the world from different birth positions. The literature on psychological birth order outlined four birth order positions: firstborn child, middle born child, youngest child, and only child (White, Campbell, Stewart, & Davies, 1997). The psychological birth order of each participant was assessed using the Psychological Birth Order Inventory (PBOI) (Campbell, White, & …

Price Dynamics And Spatial Market Structure For Three U.S. Southern Pine Timber Products, Dekuwmini Mornah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence of price correlations or cointegrations in timber markets is often interpreted as indicative of the competitiveness and efficiency of these markets. This conclusion is based on the assumptions that firms price F.O.B. and F.O.B. pricing in spatial markets is expected to yield results analogous to the usual competitive results in spaceless markets (i.e., firms set price equal marginal cost plus transportation costs). Competitive arbitrage is the error correction mechanism assumed through which spatial markets are linked. This conclusion could be misleading. In the presence of significant intra-regional transportation costs between spatially dispersed markets, firms have an incentive to exploit …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Container Security At Seaports Along The Gulf Coast, William Augustus Neely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With approximately 90% of the world's goods shipped via cargo containers, it is vital for the security of these containers to be complete and effective. However, given the volume of containers transiting U.S. seaports, the task of providing complete security is complicated and, arguably, impossible. Nevertheless, the data analyzed throughout this study indicates that the current container security paradigm can be enhanced to accommodate the significant workload. The research conducted throughout this study provided perceptions that were indicative of a security environment that can be and must be improved. More specifically, the data revealed that the biggest threat facing containers …

Perception Of Resistance As A Predictor Of Self-Blame In College Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault, Mary Ashton Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between resistance and perception of resistance during sexual assault and feelings of self-blame in college aged women. The literature has shown that self-blame has uniformly negative effects on a victimized woman's emotional and psychological health, including poor adjustment, and higher levels of sexual dissatisfaction, depression and global distress. Behaviors and situations during and after the experience that correlate with self-blame that have been studied include alcohol use and knowing the perpetrator. Although other studies have been done showing that resistance is lower during those situations, no one has looked at …

Racialized Perceptions: A Comparative Study Of Symbolic Racism In Europe, Brandi D. Pikes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Symbolic racism is a concept that has been heavily publicized and studied in the American context. However, less is known about what factors may influence levels of symbolic racism outside of America, and more specifically, in Europe. Nevertheless, it expected that symbolic racism is present in European countries whose residents have a relationship with the African Diaspora and/or Great Migration of North Africans and Caribbean. Furthermore, symbolic racism is present where the state has laws implemented that prohibit actions of overt racism, old-fashion racism, and discrimination. Thus, this thesis examines symbolic racism in eight European countries: France, Italy, United Kingdom, …

King Of The Hill's Souphanousiphones, The New Model Minority, And The Subversive Model Minority, Robert Reece

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the term "model minority" was only coined in the 1960s to apply to Asian-Americans, in the white imagination, a "model" way to be a minority has always existed. This model has gone through various iterations from the "happy" blacks of the antebellum years to supposedly over-achieving Asian-Americans of the 1960s. I argue that we are witnessing the emergence of a new model minority that includes not only Asian-Americans but other high-achieving minorities as well. This model minority is characterized by economic success, formal education, American values, and conservative racial politics or a complete silence about race. Because an inability …

Hazel Brannon Smith: An Examination Of Her Editorials On Three Pivotal Civil Rights Events, Lauren Nicole Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hazel Brannon Smith was born in Alabama but moved to Mississippi in 1936 when she acquired the Durant Times in Durant, Mississippi. Seven years later she added the Lexington Advertiser to her growing collection of newspapers and it is at the Advertiser that Smith made her greatest journalist impact. This study did a small content analysis to exam Smith's opinion on three pivotal civil rights events: the Freedom Riders of 1961, James Meredith's integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962, and Medgar Evers' assassination in 1963. Results indicate that Smith was unwavering in her opinions on all three events. …

Thin Is In: A Content Analysis Of Images In Women's Magazines From 2009-2011, Jennifer Kate Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many research studies have shown that women constantly compare themselves to the models they see featured in women's magazines, and in turn, develop body image issues, negative mood changes and even eating disorders. The majority of findings show that women often develop these serious side-effects because they are bombarded with images of mostly thin models. Yet editors of women's magazines continue to choose women much smaller, in most cases at least six times smaller, than the average sized American women to feature. It is very unusual to see fashion spread in a women's magazine featuring a model close to the …

The Relative Effects Of Mindfulness And Values On Therapeutic Relationship: Developing Methods Of Manipulating Alliance, Regan Michelle Slater

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comfactors research indicates that there is a positive relationship between therapeutic relationship and improved client outcomes. However, little research has been done to examine the nature of this relationship. The current study examined the relationship between mindfulness, values, and working alliance. Participants were 59 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mindfulness plus values, mindfulness, or control. Depending on condition, participants engaged in a mindfulness plus values exercise, a mindfulness exercise, or a wait control. All participants then engaged in a conversation with the experimenter regarding a recent disagreement. Mindfulness and values connectedness were assessed pre-intervention, …

Impacts Of Race/Ethnicity And Self-Esteem On Body Dissatisfaction In Women, Kristie Vail Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, there is a push for individuals to be of a particular size, and for women, that ideal size is extremely thin (Katzmarzyk & Davis, 2001). Overall, females indicate a greater drive for thinness and put more emphasis on weight and shape salience than do men (Anderson & Bulik, 2001), and they prefer a less muscular body type than men as well (Oehlhof, Musher-Eizenman, Neufeld, & Hauser, 2009). Among women, Caucasian females report more body dissatisfaction than do African American women (e.g., Kelly et al., 2011). Body dissatisfaction can be influenced by many factors; in addition to …

We're Paid To Take Care Of The Movement. The Movement Ain't Paid To Take Care Of Us: The Promise And Challenges Of Workplace Strategies Of Black Feminist Organizations, Jazmine Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reproductive justice is a social justice movement based on black feminist principles that is also a direct response to women of color's invisibility within white mainstream feminist organizations and workplaces. This ethnographic case study of WomenUnited, a woman of color reproductive justice organization, demonstrates that a key difference between black feminist and white feminist workplace cultures is black workplace's centralization of and emphasis on their intersectional identities in their definitions of work and the ways they enact emotional labor. I find that identity within black feminist workplaces is managed differently as the organizations: (1) embrace alternative standards of beauty through …

Entry Age And Reading Level By The End Of Third Grade., Tony Lynn Dalton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to see if a difference exists in the mean Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills: Oral Reading Fluency scores of students who entered kindergarten as 4 year olds, 5 year olds, and 6 year olds inclusively. Specifically, this dissertation considered the possibility that holding children out of kindergarten an extra year increased their reading level, while sending children to school too young delayed their ability to read and comprehend.

A quantitative study was used to find differences between the mean reading levels at the end of 3rd grade for students who entered kindergarten on or …

A Content Analysis Of Reliability In Advertising Content Analysis Studies., Weize Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Content analysis is a systematic research method for examining symbolical content in communication by recording or transcribing these messages into categories. Reliability is one of the most distinctive attributes of content analysis methodology comparing to other techniques in communication. A content analysis was conducted by analyzing the method sections of published journal articles in Communication Abstracts from January 2006 through January 2011 by searching "advertising" and "content analysis". Results suggested that television is still the most focused medium in advertising content analysis research. Most of the content analysis studies employed 2 coders for coding reliability assessment data and final data. …