Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Mindfulness And Narrative: Connecting Experience And Story, Noah Lyons Roost

Masters Theses

Autobiographical narrative is the verbal summary of an individual's personal history. The quality of autobiographical narrative has been found to correlate with both emotional wellbeing (Oppenheim et al., 1997; Baerger & McAdams, 1999) and quality of social relationships (Van IJzendoorn, 1995; Shields et. al., 2001), and yet little has been done to examine other predictors or causes of narrative quality. Mindfulness training could potentially be a promising method of narrative enhancement. Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental, open awareness of what is currently occurring in the self and in the environment. Mindfulness is likely to promote open, objective awareness of new information …

Art In The Archives: A Survey Of Artists' Papers In Tennessee, Celia S. Walker

Masters Theses

This study is the first known survey of visual art materials housed in Tennessee's repositories. Little has been written about the arts materials in the state's repositories and no overview exists for art scholars. The purpose of the study was to create a profile of collecting in Tennessee of visual art materials in relation to policies, funding levels, and collection accessibility. It was determined that almost one-half of responding repositories in Tennessee maintain some visual art primary resources in their vertical files. The presence of collection policies and missions that speak directly to the need to collect art resources was …

The Effects Of Depressive Symptomology On Women’S Childbearing Considerations, Andrea Darlene Marable

Masters Theses

Empirical literature dedicated to pursuing knowledge of the relationship between women who suffer from depression and their considerations of childbearing is lacking. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine the types of relationships that exist between depressive symptomology in women and their childbearing considerations.

Secondary data analysis was the chosen form of research analysis, and the National Survey of Families and Households (Wave 1) was the data set employed. There were a total of four independent variables (depressive symptomology, global life satisfaction, global optimism, and self-esteem) and two dependent variables (10 constraint items and 4 motivational factor …

The Health Status Of Early 20th Century Blacks From The Providence Baptist Church Cemetery (40sy619) In Shelby County, Tennessee, Rebecca J. Wilson

Masters Theses

Paleopathological investigations of health are an important component in the construction of a population’s history. Such studies make possible analyses regarding Black health in the late 19^{th and early 20th centuries, a time period where the availability of relevant and objective literature is limited. Also, these investigations permit a comparison between similar populations to determine the extent to which the demographic, social, economic, and political conditions of this time period affect a specific population.}

This study compares the Providence Baptist Church cemetery in Shelby County, Tennessee to two contemporary historic Black cemeteries in order to address an urban versus …

Transportation And Transformations: An Archaeological And Historical Study Of The Mcbrearty Site (40kn270) And Carriage Houses In The North Knoxville Area, Greta Jill Gomez

Masters Theses

The McBrearty site is located on the northeast corner of West Glenwood and East Scott Avenues in Old North Knoxville, an area of the city that developed as part of the incorporated city of North Knoxville in 1889. Situated on the site is the McBrearty home, a Victorian Queen Anne Cottage built in 1892, and the architectural remains of a carriage house located at the rear of the property. While the McBrearty house has undergone few architectural changes since its construction, all that remains of the carriage house are thirteen brick piers protruding from the earth in the rear yard. …

Marriage Myths And Dysfunctional Relationship Beliefs Among Undergraduates, Mary Lynn Edmundson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to (a) explore what single undergraduate university students who never have been married believe about romantic relationships and marriage myths; (b) determine if there were any gender differences, age differences, or differences between students from divorced and intact families of origin in beliefs in myths about marriage, as well as dysfunctional relationship beliefs; and (c) investigate the possibility of influence by sociodemographic variables on students’ beliefs about marriage. The sample for this study included 164 university students who were classified as undergraduates and who had never been married. Sociodemographic data indicated that 33% of …

The Transition To Neotraditionalism: The Case Of Huntersville, North Carolina, Kelley Ann Hall

Masters Theses

Troubled by the impacts associated with conventional development, the suburban community of Huntersville, North Carolina responded to metropolitan sprawl by adopting strict neotraditional development codes. Although a growing number of municipalities have begun to allow traditional neighborhood developments, few have completely reformed their zoning laws the way Huntersville did in the early 1990s. This thesis asked why Huntersville made the transition to neotraditionalism and what were the consequences of such a drastic step? A number of factors converged, including a rapid build-up of growth pressures and the timely arrival of new urbanist planning philosophies to spur Huntersville’s decision. Crucially, however, …

Psychometric Analysis Of An Inventory Assessing Mental Toughness, Heather Leanne Cherry

Masters Theses

This study involved the development and psychometric validation ofthe Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ). The MTQ is an 18-item questionnaire designed to evaluate an individual's competitive desire, focus, self-confidence, and resiliency. The responses of 117 varsity male and female athletes at a Division I-A university and Division II college were analyzed using a principal component factor analysis. The mean mental toughness score for males was significantly different from than the mean mental toughness score for females (M=2.07, SD=.54) and indicated that males self-reported being more mentally tough than females (t[115] = -3.29, p < .001). The mean mental toughness score for athletes in Division I-A (M=2.03, SD= .51) was significantly different from that for athletes in Division II (M=I.69, SD=.37) and indicated that the Division II athletes self-reported being more mentally tough than Division I-A athletes (t[115] = 3.28, p < .001). The mean mental toughness score on the Final MTQ was also significantly different between the eight different sports, F(7,116) = 2.87, p = .009. Post hoc analyses revealed that athletes in the sport of men's baseball self-reported being more mentally tough than athletes in the sport ofwomen's swimming

The People's Republic Of China's Corrupt Culture: Is The Prc's Arbitration Systems Exempt?, Mary Elizabeth Crawford

Masters Theses

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has struggled with corruption for decades. The PRC' s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has brought some hope to curtail corruption, but this alone has not eliminated corruption within the PRC. One reason for the prevalence of corruption within the PRC is the intertwined relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and judicial and government officials. The purpose of this Masters thesis is to evaluate whether the relationship between Chinese governmental bodies and the PRC's arbitration systems makes Chinese arbitration systems susceptible to corruption.

This study examines the PRC's arbitration systems' close nexus …

Crafting Culture At Fort St. Joseph: An Archaeological Investigation Of Labor Organization On The Colonial Frontier, Brock A. Giordano

Masters Theses

The study of labor organization through the examination of craft production in complex societies has been a topic of intense scholarly interest (Blackman et al. 1993; Costin and Hagstrom 1995; Shafer and Hester 1991). A number of scholars have hypothesized that goods produced in mass quantities by particular specialists can be recognized by their high degree of standardization or homogeneity (Blackman et al. 1993:61; Schiffer and Skibo 1997). As such, this study employs the theoretical framework that in an archaeological context it is possible to differentiate centralized production from noncentralized production by identifying any standardization or variation within the manufacturing …

Effectiveness Of Wavelet Transform, Fractals, Lacunarity And Spatial Indices In Content-Based Image Retrieval, Sivagurunathan Chinniah

Masters Theses

The thesis demonstrates the feasibility of applying wavelet transforms, fractals, and spatial indices in content-based image retrieval (CBIR) of remotely sensed imagery. It consists of three major parts: the design and development of thick-client CBIR software, population of two samples of SPOT™ and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) image databases with metadata describing their visual properties, and, exploration of the effectiveness of region quadtree query and retrieval by content using various combinations of indices. 272 SPOT™ and 507 Landsat 7 ETM+ 512 x 512 pixel panchromatic images of Atlanta, Georgia were subsetted from two scenes. Moran's I index …

Any Given Tuesday: Performance Of Law During Small Claims Court, Michael E. Muhme

Masters Theses

Building on Hasian's examination of Jurisprudence as performance and Nolan's research of performance in drug courts, this study looks at Small Claims Court as cultural performance through the examination of face-to-face interactions in the courtroom. They are evaluated through the metaphoric lens of Tumer's social drama as well as integrating the legal metaphors of law as grid, energy, and perspective. This study found that the court uses scripts to limit issues and that claimants are rewarded more for following the rules of the court rather than resolving the conflict. Additionally, Small Claims Court exacerbates conflict between low-income tenants and the …

An Examination Of Claims Concerning College Student Credit Card Issues, Michael J. Macaluso

Masters Theses

This research project empirically examines claims and counterclaims regarding the matter of college students credit cards issues from a social constructionist perspective through a contextual qualitative examination of public data. First, I first focus on social and historical factors that have brought about claims and counterclaims concerning college student credit card issues. Next, I examine the structure of these public issues through the claims and counterclaims from a purposeful sample made from three specific "owners" or claims-makers of college student credit card issues, including the credit card industry, consumer interest groups, and sociologists. The specific claims examined in this research …

Factors Affecting Individual Attitudes Toward Democratization Of South Korea, Gang-Hoon Kim

Masters Theses

In mid-March 2004, the impeachment of President Roh Moo-Hyun was one of the hottest issues in South Korea. He was the first president to have been impeached by the National Assembly since the South Korean government was established in July 1948. The impeachment reveals a deep political disruption. The purpose of this paper is to scientifically determine to what extent the impeachment of the president may have undermined or developed the democracy in South Korea.

To answer these questions, this study examined the relationship between democratization and factors such as level of education, region, individual income, religion, age, attitude toward …

Assessment Of Sediment And Nutrient Loadings In The Davis Creek Watershed, Southwestern Michigan Using The Swat Model, Peter Kibowen Kimosop

Masters Theses

The Davis Creek Watershed has been impaired for many years by nonpoint source pollution. A recent modeling research on the watershed simulated both nutrient and sediment movements for the single storm events. This study simulates the movement of sediments and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the watershed continuously using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for assessing water quality in the watershed. Multiple databases for climate, soil types, DEM, land use and agricultural management practices were used to derive inputs for the SWAT. Subsequently, the SWAT model was run for the period of 1998-2004. The simulated results show that …

Black River Watershed Management Plan, Erin M. Fuller

Masters Theses

The Black River Watershed encompassses 287 square miles in Allegan and Van Buren Counties in southwestern lower Michigan. The confluence of the North, Middle, and South branches is approximately 2.5 miles upstream of the City of South Haven, where the river empties into Lake Michigan. The Black River Watershed Management Plan was created with input from a variety of stakeholders, from local organizations to state agencies. Input from these stakeholders, field work, and previous water quality studies all helped determine water quality concerns in the Black River Watershed. Stakeholders input also was used to determine goals and objectives that would …

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Relations And The Social Production Of Space In Isabella County, Michigan, Bryan Thomas Swanson

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on how the historical and cultural geography of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Mount Pleasant, Michigan and specifically on through their Soaring Eagle Casino reshaped the physical and cultural landscape of Isabella County. For this research I utilized documentary/archival evidence such as local histories, newspapers, plat maps and I also conducted field surveys. The research findings indicated that through the Soaring Eagle Casino the Saginaw Chippewa tribe has changed Isabella County, as well as their own social standing. Since 1993 the tribe has used casino revenues to purchase 1185 acres of land to add to the Isabella …

Assessing Water Quality Of The Davis Creek Watershed, Michigan Using Annagnps Model, Mustafa Rezaur Rahim

Masters Theses

The Davis Creek watershed is the most polluted tributaries of Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. This study applied continuous simulation AnnAGNPS model, developed by USDA ARS, to estimate sediment yield and nutrient loadings and simulate the effects of proposed land use scenarios on nonpoint source pollution in the Davis Creek Watershed. Daily climate data of 1998 to 2004, Digital Elevation Model, soil, land use, hydrography, and agricultural management information were used to derive the model input parameters. The model was run continuously for the period of 1998 through 2004. The simulated results showed that erosion and sediment loadings are …

Un/Worthy: The Us Print Media's Portrayal Of The Kosovo And East Timor Massacres, Derek De Vries

Masters Theses

This study is a re-examination of Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman’s “Propaganda Model”, which hypothesizes that the market-driven, institutionalized filters determine the way in which the “agenda-setting” media in the United States cover and portray news. Further, the theory posits that these filters will reinforce the modes of control for the dominant elites in power. This evaluation concentrates on the treatment of so-called “worthy and unworthy victims” and relies on a content analysis of news coverage of the massacres occurring simultaneously in Kosovo and East Timor in 1999. In line with the “Propaganda Model,” the analysis showed that the volume …

Design And Implementation Of A Networked Control System, Mi Chen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Crime, Punishment, And Prevention: An Economic Approach, Jeff Arthur

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Foreign Direct Investment And Economic Growth: Further Evidence From Developing Countries, Rui Zhu

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Poverty And Income Distribution In The Transition Economies Of Central And Eastern Europe And Central Asia, Andreea Chiritescu

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Trends Of Employment-Based Health Insurance: Why Did The Coverage For Private-Sector Workers Decrease During Economic Boom, Yan Ni

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Employment On High School Performance, Erik Pizer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of The State Minimum Wages On Youth: Evidence From The States Of Washington And Connecticut, Zhi Su

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Cultural And Individual Influences On Foreign Policy, Emine Sunduz Demir

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Don't Forget About The Me In Afscme: An Analysis Of Collective Bargaining In Municipalities, Michael L. Woods Jr.

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Determining The Outcome Of Secession: The Cases Of East Timor, West Papua, And Aceh, Christopher K. Micks

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Civic Development And Political Socialization Of High School Students: An In-Depth Look At One Southern Illinois School District, Jamie Bolander Weitl

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.