Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ambivalent Sovereignty: Inquiries Into The Dual Foundation Of Political Realism's Subject, Paul Timmermans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ambivalent Sovereignty inquires into the subject of political realism. This subject, sovereign authority, appears to have a dual foundation. It appears divided against itself, but how can realism nonetheless observe legitimate modes of sovereignty emerge? Against the liberal idea that a "synthesis" of both material-coercive and ideal-persuasive powers should be accomplished, within the world of international relations, realism gives meaning to a structural type of state power that is also constitutionally and legitimately dividing itself--against itself. Machiavelli but particularly also other realists such as Hannah Arendt, Max Weber, and Aristotle are being reinterpreted to demonstrate why each state's ultimate authority …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Resident Readiness, Engagement, And Relocation During Mixed-Income Redevelopment, Laurie A. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 1990, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has supported mixed-income redevelopment (MIR) strategies to address the problems of concentrated urban poverty neighborhoods with traditional public housing structures. This study focused on two neighborhoods in Denver, Colorado, with more than 38% of the residents living in poverty, which are facing transit-oriented MIR in the coming years. Residents in both neighborhoods have engaged in formal planning processes and community organizing as a way to be prepared for the change.

The study posed three research questions: (1) what predicts a community's readiness for MIR, (2) what predicts resident involvement as …

The Impact Of Continuing Education Modules On The Moral Obligations And Responsibilities Of Financial Advisors, Sandy Modell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased life expectancies and a significant reduction in the number of corporate pension plans nationwide have made the prospects of retirement a challenge for many of us. The burden of funding retirement will move from the corporation or government to the individual. Those individuals with limited financial experience will most likely need the guidance of a financial advisor. Can we trust and rely upon them? Following the 2004 late trading scandal and the 2008 financial meltdown, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") implemented Continuing Education requirements at the advisor level. The intent was to improve the quality and integrity of …

Assessing Harm Reduction A Qualitative Investigation About The Impact Of Therapeutic Jurisprudence On Non-Completing Drug Court Clients, Traci R. Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the drug court treatment outcome literature provides little guidance about examining clients that fail to complete drug court. Typically, only successful clients are tracked and measured for outcome success characteristics and not much is known about unsuccessful client outcomes. A large portion of individuals who begin drug court do not complete the program. With unsuccessful rates ranging from 34 to 73%, it seems reasonable to examine the outcome of these cases. Ignoring this phenomenon is problematic because various stakeholders remain uninformed about the drug court model’s full effectiveness. The focus on successful clients may fail to fully capture and …

Fashioning The Self: Performance, Identity And Difference, Jessica L. Neumann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project will examine cultural and rhetorical communication studies to determine how these modes of analysis can be compared with interdisciplinary literature to better understand the role fashion plays within everyday performances and the shaping of identity. Criticisms by second-wave feminist scholars have focused on the fashion industry's overarching male influence; in more recent scholarship, feminist academics have often considered an affinity for fashion to be un-feminist and oppressive. I argue that fashion can instead be viewed as a tool for female agency and expressing individuality, rather than just a mode for reinforcing gendered norms. Using feminist rhetorical analysis …

Do Methods Matter In Global Leadership Development? A Mixed-Methods Study Of A U.S.-Based International Mba Program, Jennie L. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As world communication, technology, and trade become increasingly integrated through globalization, multinational corporations seek employees with global leadership experience and skills. However, the demand for these skills currently outweighs the supply. Given the rarity of globally ready leaders, global competency development should be emphasized in higher education programs. The reality, however, is that university graduate programs are often outdated and focus mostly on cognitive learning. Global leadership competence requires moving beyond the cognitive domain of learning to create socially responsible and culturally connected global leaders. This requires attention to development methods; however, limited research in global leadership development methods has …

China And The United States' Recovery From The Global Financial Crisis, Yufei Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Faced with the global financial crisis, which has a large impact on the world's economy, China and the United Stated took different actions to pull the economy out of it, based on the fairly different financial, fiscal, and even political systems they have. This thesis focuses on the comparison of the financial and fiscal systems and trade structures between the two different countries, and how these have impact on their stimulus packages, thus influencing the economic recovery as a whole.

The Affective Dimensions Of Social Controversy, Susan Ann Sci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social controversy is a sustained, mediated debate between at least two oppositional parties which is more than just a difference of opinion; rather it is a persistent conflict over the political and cultural implications that dominant forms of communicative reasoning, practices, and norms have for a public. Simply put, during social controversies the norms guiding public life can be negotiated, reaffirmed, negated, and/or transformed. This can lead to progressive political, cultural, and/or social change in some instances, while establishing or reifying conservative and even oppressive norms, practices, and laws in others.

Building upon Olson and Goodnight's (1994) theoretical and methodological …

Do Relationships With Helpful And Not-Helpful Teachers Make A Difference? Perspectives From Nine At-Risk Adolescents, Emanuel Pariser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Every year in the United States close to 25% of students fail to graduate with the classmates with whom they began high school. The economic, social and personal impact of not completing high school is staggering on the individual and society. The literature fails to adequately document relational factors in the classroom that can alter the academic trajectory of at-risk students. This dissertation explores how nine at-risk adolescents view the impact of relationships with helpful and not-helpful teachers on their academic success. My three research questions were: (a) what qualities do at-risk students attribute to helpful and not-helpful teachers; (b) …

Quantifying The Impacts Of The 2007 Economic Crisis On A Local Tourism Industry And Regional Economy, Yun Ying Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore the accuracy of the Input-Output model and its derivative, the Occupation-Based model in investigating the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on the tourism-related industries and the local economy in the Metro Orlando Area, Florida. The 2007-2008 total visitor expenditure change is taken as an initial shock from the economic crisis on the region's tourism-related industries, and the total impacts are measured in terms of industry output (sales), employment and annual occupational wage. The estimation results are compared with the actual data to verify the accuracy of the modeling results. Paired-sample T …

The Vegetarian Social Movement An Analysis Of Withdrawal And Backsliding, Jaime Deborah Hecht

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The vegetarian social movement is a “new” social movement based in lifestyle and cultural change. New social movements hold a strong emphasis on collective identity and social networks as a means to sustain participation. The majority of the social movement literature remains focused on movement engagement and mobilization while a large gap exists regarding disengagement. This project explores the barriers to vegetarian maintenance. The primary question answered is, why do some vegetarians and vegans backslide and withdraw from the practice? Fourteen individuals were interviewed to discover the social and cultural factors inherent in vegetarian instability. Over the course of the …

Eliminating The Glass Ceiling How Micro-Financing Empowers Women And Alleviates The Effects Of Poverty In Developing Countries, Garcia, Meldin Graziani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is widely accepted as fact that the creation of a stable financial system is the catalyst which facilitates economic development and prosperity. However, developing countries which embark on a path of change often forget the cardinal rule: addressing the needs of those who suffer from poverty, inequality, and political strife. In other words, change starts from the ground up; not the other way around. First among the challenges facing these countries, is the need to change the lending rules followed by traditional financial institutions- banks and other private lenders- who are unwilling to provide their services to individuals with …

Monitoring Shallow Controlled Graves Containing Small Cadavers Using Ground Penetrating Radar, Joanna Mae Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can be a useful geophysical instrument in the search and detection of clandestine graves in a forensic context. Controlled research in the field of forensic archaeology has demonstrated the applicability of this technology and is vital for improving GPR search methods. The objectives of this research was to evaluate the applicability of GPR, using 250 MHz and 500 MHz antennae, to locate shallow graves containing small pig cadavers in various burial scenarios over a 12 month period. Data was collected on a controlled grid containing six graves at 0.5 m in depth: five graves containing pig carcasses …

A Proposed Methodology For Predicting The Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Measures Of K'Inich Yax K'Uk Mo', Copan Dynastic Founder, Keith Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to show that stable isotope analysis can be used to predict K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’s stable isotope measures based on Stuart’s (2007) hypothesis that K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, the dynastic founder of the Copan royal lineage, was a Caracol lord. There is significant and convincing evidence that K’inich Yak K’uk Mo’ had a non-Copanec origin. Stable isotope analysis is a tested and reliable method for detailing diets and migratory paths of ancient humans and this theory is applied as a predictor of the stable isotope measures of K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, if he did …

Maize And Stone A Functional Analysis Of The Manos And Metates Of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Lisa Glynns Duffy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manos and metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize are analyzed to compare traditional maize-grinding types to the overall assemblage. A reciprocal, back-and-forth grinding motion is the most efficient way to process large amounts of maize. However, rotary movements are also associated with some ground stone implements. The number of flat and trough metates and two handed manos are compared to the rotary-motion basin and concave type metates and one-handed manos to determine predominance and distribution. Flat is the predominant type and, together with the trough type, these grinding stones make up the majority of metates at the site. Manos …

Measuring Multilevel Constructs Theoretical And Methodological Features Of Team Behavioral Process Under Compilational Models, Toshio Murase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since at least the 1950s, researchers interested in studying the dynamics of small groups have struggled with how best to measure interaction processes. Although team process measurement issues are not particularly unique in terms of content, measuring multilevel phenomena presents an interesting problem because structural aspects are integral components of emergence. The elemental content of multilevel phenomena is wholly unique and distinguishable from the elemental content of composite units, and emerges as individual behaviors compile to higher levels of analyses. Analogous to chemical structures, behavioral phenomena manifest at higher levels in different structural patterns as members connect to one another …

Molecular Genetic Basis Of Opposite Gene By Environment Interactions In Reading Disability And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennifer Rosenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to better understand the genetic basis of Reading Disability (RD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by examining molecular G x E interactions with parental education for each disorder. Research indicates that despite sharing genetic risk factors, RD and ADHD are influenced by different types of G x E interactions with parental education - a diathesis stress interaction in the case of ADHD and a bioecological interaction in RD. In order to resolve this apparent paradox, we conducted a preliminary study using behavioral genetic methods to test for G x E interactions in RD …

Cognitive Defusion And Psychological Flexibility With Self-Relevant Academic Distress Stimuli, Laura Ely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A distinctive feature of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is cognitive defusion. Rapid word repetition is one of the exercises used in ACT to promote defusion. Previous research has examined the effect of this exercise with the general population, using words representing negative self-referential thoughts. Studies have found that discomfort and believability of these thoughts decrease more following this defusion exercise as compared to a thought distraction task. The present study evaluated the effects of the word repetition defusion exercise using content reflecting academic distress, in an undergraduate sample primed to feel academic anxiety. The defusion exercise was compared to …

Best Practices For Disaster Coverage: An Analysis Of How The Herald Newspaper And Wlox-Tv Covered Hurricane Katrina, Nicole R. Sheriff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A substantial amount of research has been done on Hurricane Katrina and its effects on New Orleans, Louisiana. However, few studies have focused on how the Mississippi Gulf Coast was affected by the hurricane. The purpose of this study is to bring attention to the reporting efforts of WLOX-TV and The Herald newspaper to cover Hurricane Katrina. This case study analyzes the practices WLOX and The Herald used to cover the hurricane and to explore which practices could be implemented in other newsrooms in the future. A total of four interviews were conducted with members from the newsrooms who had …

Three Essays On Trading And Banking, William Paul Spurlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay, Short Sales in the NYSE Batch Open and NASDAQ Opening Cross, examines opening-trade short volume's relation to short volume for the rest of the trading day and to overnight, previous-day, and same-day price changes. We find that short volume in the batch open and opening cross increases with short volume for the rest of the day, with previous-day, open-to-close price changes, and with overnight price changes for S&P 500 stocks. Batch-open short volume increases with overnight price changes, and it increases (does not decrease) for firms making positive (negative) overnight earnings …

Crashsmith Dope: The Role Of Media In The Development Of Professional Baseball In New York From 1919-1929, Ryan Mcgregor Whittington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

John McGraw's New York Giants were the premier team of the Deadball Era, which stretched from 1900–1919. Led by McGraw and his ace pitcher, Christy Mathewson, the Giants epitomized the Deadball Era with their strong pitching and hard-nosed style of play. In 1919 however, The New York Times and The Sporting News chronicled a surge in the number of home runs that would continue through the 1920s until the entire sport embraced a new era of baseball. This thesis details the role played by these two newspapers in the rise of the Live Ball Era, the New York Yankees, and …

Protecting The Magazine Brand: Brand Manuals, Their Uses And Implementation, Callie Jean Blackwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the need for a brand manual for a magazine after the creation of a first issue. A brand manual ensures each subsequent issue of the magazine has consistent design from issue to issue as well as keeps the tenets of the overall magazine brand intact. This thesis was project based and conclusions were met by means of a literature review of branding, interviews and experiential research. The foundational similarities between brands and magazines through the lens of magazine design was discussed and found to be one in the same: magazines are brands. Brands are only as good …

Impact Of Relationship Context On Evaluations Of The Sexual Behavior Of Men And Women, Olga Vadymovna Berkout

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A number of gender differences have been found in early studies of human sexuality with males following more permissive norms for engagement in sexual behavior. More recently, male and female sexual behavior has become more similar, although literature examining attitudes towards sexual behavior has found mixed support for the idea that similar standards were used to evaluate men and women. This study examined the potential moderating roles of relationship context and traditional gender role adherence on evaluations of sexual behavior among 307 undergraduates at a public Southeastern university. Both men and women having sex within committed relationships were vieas more …

Impact Of Imagine Learning English In Two Northern Mississippi Schools, Dawn M. Waddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study, Impact of Imagine Learning English in Two Northern Mississippi Schools, describes an effectiveness study of the impact that the computer program Imagine Learning English (ILE) has on English language learning. The study sought to determine the impact of ILE on the annual yearly progress and reading skills of mid-level English language learners (ELL). The objective of the study was to see if ILE was successful in raising the reading comprehension skill scores of English Language Learners (ELL) who worked the program as a language training tool. This study is the result of data that was collected from students …

Hungry And Taking The Bus? Assessing Food Outlet Accessibility In Central Florida, Katelan E. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little academic research has been conducted examining access to transportation by those in need. The small amount of research that has been done focuses primarily on mobility issues of the elderly and the disabled, despite findings that income level is an important determinant in access to transportation. The few studies that have examined access to transportation in relation to income simply cite the difficulties that those in poverty face when attempting to access vital resources as problematic, yet very few focus specifically on this issue. This thesis examines how free food recipients commute to and from local pantries, and whether …

Positive Youth Development Among Latino/A Youth In A Service Learning Program, Christopher Fox Drescher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the potential of a service-learning program to cultivate positive developmental strengths among Latino/a youth participating in a school-based program in Los Angles County. Youth (N=112) in grades 5–12, who were primarily from low SES backgrounds, participated in an environmental and humanitarian education program, the Jane Goodall Institute's, Roots & Shoots (R&S) program. Three positive youth development (PYD) variables, including civic responsibility, ethnic identity, and connection to nature were assessed before and after participation. Challenges in program implementation and data collection resulted in a small subset of participants that completed measures at the pre and posttest (n = …

Bp's Use Of Twitter As A Crisis Communication Tool During The Gulf Oil Spill Crisis Response Phase, Lindsay Ann Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On April 20, 2010, British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig located in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, creating the largest oil spill in U.S. history. BP launched a major public relations response that targeted its online audience through strategic use of its corporate website, Twitter feed, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Flickr photostream. This content analysis examines BP's use of Twitter during the crisis response phase of the oil spill. BP tweeted on 1,161 occasions from the time of the explosion to the capping of the well. All tweets during this 13-week period were coded by two separate coders to …

Do Multicultural Experiences And Biculturalism Promote Creativity In International Students?, Patricia Ofili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2009–2010 academic school year in the United States boasted a record number of enrolled international students. An estimated 690,923 students attended universities and colleges across the country (Open Doors, 2011). World markets and educational systems have become more connected and internationally focused. As a result, academic settings around the globe now encourage students to step beyond what is culturally familiar in order to become creative, knowledgeable, and competitive graduates. An empirical study by Maddux and Galinsky (2009) provides pioneering data that supports the connection of increased creativity through extended multicultural experiences. Individuals who are able to effectively incorporate customs …

The Fashion Content Of Vogue's September Issues Under Editor-In-Chiefs Grace Mirabella And Anna Wintour, Danielle Ligato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the two editor-in-chiefs of Vogue magazine in recent history, Grace Mirabella and Anna Wintour, and the fashion content of the September issues of the magazine under their editorships. Fifteen September issues from each editor-in-chief were analyzed to understand how the September issue had evolved as well as the development of fashion content in the magazine. The personal influences of Grace Mirabella and Anna Wintour respectively were found in the fashion content of the September issues. Vogue issues analyzed from Mirabella's editorship shoa concentration of fashion content on the functionality of clothing with a focus on American designers. …

Caring Work: Opening A Space Of Possibility For Exploring Transnational Feminist Solidarity Between Privileged And Marginalized Women, Beverly Romero Natividad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neoliberalism, through its emphasis on personal responsibility and individual freedom in accelerating economic development globally, has only pushed women further into the margin of society. Structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which impose state budget cuts on healthcare and welfare programs, particularly have kept poor women and women of color in poverty and generally, have exploited women's labor. However, in this age of neoliberalism, women's solidarity becomes more significant. Because neoliberalism is founded on individualism, its downfall rests on alliance-building. Against this backdrop, I explore the possibility of fostering transnational feminist solidarity between privileged and marginalized women engaged in formal caring work. …