Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Human Levitation, Simon B. Harvey-Wilson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Human levitation occurs when the physical body rises into the air and then hovers or moves around, seemingly in defiance of the force of gravity. Traditionally most levitation reports have originated from seven groups: shamanism, people supposedly possessed by demonic spiritual entities, those subjected to poltergeist activity, Spiritualism, people who believe they have been abducted by aliens, martial arts such as qigong and mysticism. These anecdotal reports generally describe levitation as rare, spontaneous and involuntary, although some people seem able to levitate at will. So far almost no scientific research appears to have been conducted into this phenomenon. In order …

Processual Media Theory, Organised Networks And The Politics Of Information Societies, Ned Rossiter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis setss out to re-evaluate and re-think theories of communications media and theories of democracy formation under translocal, global and networked conditions. In order to do this, the thesis brings a combination of social and communications theory, political philosophy and "radical empiricism" to the study of the socio-technical dimensions of Net cultures. It examines the ways in which emergent networks of creativity, labour, organisation and intervention challenge the sovereignty of the state-corporation nexus, which functions tu restrict access and control information flows in the interests of security and profit. The thesis investigates the relationship between emergent forms of organisation …

"My Dearest Mum": A Biographical Journey Based On My Mother's Letters From Australia To England 1968-1985, Helen Ritter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

not available

Living Beyond The Unanticipated Sudden Death Of A Partner : A Phenomenological Study, Martin L. Rodger

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project used a Husserlian phenomenologlcal approach to explore grief and Its Impact upon men and women who have experienced the sudden and unanticipated death of his or her partner. The use of Husserllan phenomenologlcal research Into thanatologlcal study Is a valuable method of exposing the experiences of bereaved people In a vibrant and deep manner. Husserlian phenomenology allowed the surviving partner to reveal every aspect of his or her everyday life and experlencas. It Included what grief meant to them, how It was manifested In their everyday lives and how their partner's death had Impacted upon his or …

The Impact Of Events In The Immediate Aftermath Of Suicide On Family Members' Bereavement Experiences, Kelly J. Botha

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Suicide remains a leading cause of death in Australia. Consequently, a considerable proportion of the population is, or will be, bereaved due to suicide. These individuals are referred to as survivors of suicide. Literature suggests bereavement is a significant risk factor for adverse health outcomes. The question of whether or not bereavement after suicide, as opposed to other modes of death, renders individuals more susceptible to enduring and complicated grief reactions remains unclear. Numerous key variables have been found to influence the nature, intensity and duration of the grief process. Variables that are likely to be associated with poor bereavement …

An Examination Of The Mentoring Process: A Study Of The Interaction Between Mentor And Mentee In The Context Of An Adolescent Mentor Program, Christopher K. Konrad

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to explore the mentoring process, specifically the interactions between mentor and mentee in the context of an adolescent mentor program. The data was gathered through in depth interviews with two mentors and feedback sessions from nineteen mentee participants who were involved in a group mentoring program for young people aged 14-16 years. Several adolescent programs, conducted at local high schools, were included in the study. A qualitative methodology of constructivist hermeneutics was utilised to examine the data and link it to the literature related to the study question. The findings indicated that what occurs …

The Changing Face Of Rural General Practice: An Ethnographic Study Of General Practitioners And Their Spouses, Angela Durey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rural general practice is general practice at its best: a comment by one GP interviewed for this study was echoed by colleagues who viewed their work in a rural setting as challenging, diverse, rewarding and satisfying. Despite reported difficulties associated with rural general practice, many GPs argued that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Few wanted to leave. Nonetheless, too few Australian trained GPs are willing to move from cities to work in the country. Consequently, overseas trained doctors have been recruited to fill vacancies or nurses provide health services in communities unable to attract a GP.

An Exploratory Cross-Cultural Investigation Of The Organisational Strategies Employed To Prevent And Ameliorate Workplace Bullying In University Settings, Dragana Krestelica

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Workplaces abound in conflict. Individuals within organisations are therefore vulnerable to a wide range of intimidating interactional tactics. These tactics can have an extremely negative impact upon individual workers and upon subsequent organisational performance. Consequentially, the diverse forms of organisational social harassment, and specifically bullying, place a large financial burden upon both organisations and nations. Therefore, the identification of strategies used to prevent and ameliorate workplace bullying and an examination that highlights their comparative success or failure is of great importance for all employers, employees and government. This study focuses upon those strategies used to prevent and ameliorate such workplace …

The Semiotics Of Visible Face Make-Up: The Masks Women Wear, Madeleine Ogilvie

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation explores the `sign' of visible face make-up and examines how women consume appearance in everyday life in contemporary Australia. Using a semiotic framework, it presents a novel new method for interpreting and gaining increased meaning into an everyday consumption phenomenon. The purpose of the study is to gain insights into why women wear make-up. It seeks to provide understanding of what this medium signifies to women and what the `sign' of make-up symbolises to the female individual. It explores how visible face make-up affects the way women consume appearance in everyday life, how they feel about themselves, and …

The Quest For A Formula : Parliamentary Remuneration In Western Australia, Michael J. Britton

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Western Australian Payment of Members Act 1900 was promulgated upon two tenets, namely, that Members of Parliament should be compensated for their services to society and that other Australian colonies were already receiving some form of compensation. The premise stipulated that all people, regardless of economic background should be given an opportunity to fulfil the honourable duly of a Representative. Remuneration in this thesis covers the minimalist advent of Parliamentary Remuneration whereby Mrs were compensated by way of a basic salary to the current multifaceted Parliamentary Remuneration which encompasses various structures, processes and is often overarched by complicated determinative …

The Implementation Of Knowledge-Focused Practices In International Tourist Hotels : A Quantitative Study Of Knowledge Sharing, Jen-Te Yang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study is to investigate knowledge sharing and leveraging of the flow of knowledge in international tourist hotels In Taiwan. It explores how, employees' competencies for and attitudes towards learning, sharing and storing knowledge influence organisational knowledge sharing. In addition, it examines the extent to which social interaction, leadership styles and organizational culture affect knowledge sharing. A further aim of the study is to explore whether knowledge sharing makes a significant contribution to organizational learning and organizational effectiveness.

The United States Army Chaplain As Prophet In The Twenty-First Century: "Is There A Soul Of Goodness In Things Evil?", Donald W. Kammer

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Predicting Aggression Using Domains Of Self-Esteem: Direct And Indirect Aggression In Males And Females As A Function Of Domain-Specific Self-Esteem, Carolyn Randolph Hodges

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Faultlines, Faults, And Feelings: The Effects Of Subgroup Formation And Appraisals On Emotions In Groups, Katerina Bezrukova, Ira Roseman, John Phebus

Psychology

This study examines the relationships between group faultlines, appraisals (evaluations) of group members, emotional responses, and performance in groups. The study uses a 2 by 2 experimental design, crossing demographic alignment (alignment vs. no alignment) and appraisals (instrumental vs. intrinsic) as between-subjects variables. Data from 5 types of measurement were used to analyze the effects of member alignment and appraisals.

The ‘Wall’ Decisions In Legal And Political Context, Geoffrey R. Watson

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Law Library Design Bookshelf-An Annotated Bibliography, Stephen G. Margeton

Scholarly Articles

Professor Margeton provides an annotated list of selected materials related to library design. The list is arranged by topic and includes books, book chapters, reports, and articles.

Hand In Hand, January-February 2005

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

"We Want Smokestacks And Not Swamps" : Filling In Portland's Guild's Lake, 1906-1925, Kathleen D. Tucker

Dissertations and Theses

Between 1905 and 1926. developers. real estate speculators, and the Port of -Portland filled in Guild's Lake, a riparian marsh that had been the location for Portland's 1905 Lewis and Clark.: Exposition and Oriental Fair. There were two phases in the filling process. The first phase, which began before the fair ended and lasted until 1914, involved developers using high-pressured hydraulic hoses to sluice soil from nearby hills into the lake. Their primary goal was to terrace the hillside to create a high-end view neighborhood; Guild's Lake was a convenient "dump" for the gravel and dirt. During the second phase. …

Re-Imaging A Neighborhood : The Creation Of The Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon, Meredith R. Rizzari

Dissertations and Theses

Art is often used as a catalyst to stimulate redevelopment and neighborhood change. This often occurs inadvertently as the presence of artists in certain communities can attract both public and private investment to revalorize economically depressed areas. Marginal neighborhoods in inner-urban areas offer inspiration and diversity to artists seeking lower-cost housing. Their presence effectively makes these marginal communities "safe" for middle-class residents looking to live in a funky, urban neighborhood. Ultimately, however, artists are eventually priced out of the communities they helped to create.

The Alberta district in northeast Portland, Oregon has used art to create an identity that distinguished …

"Alberta Arts District" : Boundaries And Belonging Among Long-Time Residents In A Culturally Changing Neighborhood, Sammy Shaw

Dissertations and Theses

This study takes a cultural perspective in studying the "Alberta Arts District," a gentrifying neighborhood in Northeast Portland in which bohemian cultural production/consumption has become the dominant and commodified vision of the community. Survey data demonstrates residents' general opinions and levels of participation in the changing neighborhood. Forty long-time residents, black and white, homeowners and renters, are interviewed in-depth regarding their perceptions of change. Long-time residents of gentrifying neighborhoods are often overlooked as a less powerful group that only has to negotiate rising rents and property values. This study approaches the meaning of neighborhood changes for long-time residents who have …

Librarians' Lament, Mick R. Williams

The Christian Librarian

Our agenda is hidden from all but a few,

Not one soul in a hundred has more than a clue.

Not the man of the world or the sweet ingenue

Has the foggiest notion of quite what we do.

Tren Dissertations At Crown College, Nathan Fritz, Ann Reynolds, Dennis Ingolfsland

The Christian Librarian

The Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) provides a gold-mine of information for theological libraries but has previously made this information available primarily 111 microfiche format. Librarians and computer personnel at Crown College in Minnesota worked together with TREN to make this information available 111 full-text electronic format through the library online catalog. This article explains the process so other interested librarians can work with TREN to do the same.

Guardianship And Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Adults: A Measure Of Advantages And Disadvantageous In A Pair-Matched Records Review, James H. Hoerchler

Theses

This thesis examined adults with chronic severe mental illness and the use of legal guardianship executed to protect them from harming themselves or others, while attempting to improve their overall quality of life.

The earliest manifestation of mental health law appeared in the Roman Empire. The Romans established the legal use of surrogates to handle the property and commercial affairs of disabled citizens. By the sixteenth century England had developed standards of supervision by which a guardian might supervise a disabled person. The first guardianship recorded in America was decided under English law in 1637 in Jamestown, Virginia (Goldstein, Alan …

Beyond Gender Differences In U.S. Life Cycle Happiness, Enrico A. Macelli, Richard A. Easterlin

Economics Faculty Publication Series

We employ two decades of General Social Survey data consisting of 83 birth cohorts from 1893 to 1975 to estimate the influence of satisfaction in seven life domains (family, finances, work, health, friends, place of residence, and leisure time activity) on life-cycle happiness among men and women aged 18 to 89 years in the United States. The adult population is estimated to be happiest at age 51, and men are estimate to surpass women in happiness at age 48. Contrary to both genetic or personality (e.g., traditional gender role) and access to resources (“more is always better”) explanations of happiness, …

Why Equality? How Equality?: The Desirability Of A Focus On Income Distribution, Arthur Macewan

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Much of the discussion of economic development in low and middle income countries and of poverty reduction has either ignored the issue of income distribution or has tended to view income distribution only in terms of its impact on economic growth. In this paper I argue that such an approach is misguided. I will explain, first, why I believe that it is desirable to give a great deal of attention to income distribution in the analysis of economic development and poverty reduction. My argument includes conceptual, political and practical elements. Second, I will suggest some of the ways in which …

Massachusetts Recovery Stronger Than First Thought, Alan Clayton-Matthews

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Massachusetts is still in the early stages of the recovery that began in the spring of 2003, but it may still be a couple of years more before it feels as if the recession is finally over. That “feel good” time will come only when unemployment is low enough for the state to achieve what economists call “full employment.” Currently, recent employment estimates from the payroll survey suggest that demand for the products and services supplied by Massachusetts producers is finally outstripping the ability of employers to meet that demand with existing employees. The result is that payroll employment is …

Borrowing Trouble? V: Subprime Mortgage Lending In Greater Boston, 2000-2003, Jim Campen

Gastón Institute Publications

Four years ago, in response to numerous reports of the growth of predatory lending, both locally and nationwide, the Massachusetts Community & Banking Council (MCBC) – whose Board of Directors has an equal number of bank and community representatives – commissioned a study of subprime refinance lending in the city of Boston and surrounding communities. The resulting report, Borrowing Trouble? Subprime Mortgage Lending in Greater Boston, 1999, was the first detailed look at subprime lending in the city of Boston and in twenty-seven surrounding communities.

This is the fifth report in the annual series begun by that initial study. …

Profit Maximization Versus Disadvantageous Inequality: The Impact Of Self-Categorization, Stephen M. Garcia, Avishalom Tor, Max H. Bazerman, Dale T. Miller

Journal Articles

Choice behavior researchers (e.g., Bazerman, Loewenstein, & White, 1992) have found that individuals tend to choose a more lucrative but disadvantageously unequal payoff (e.g., self—$600/other—$800) over a less profitable but equal one (e.g., self—$500/other—$500); greater profit trumps interpersonal social comparison concerns in the choice setting. We suggest, however, that self-categorization (e.g., Hogg, 2000) can shift interpersonal social comparison concerns to the intergroup level and make trading disadvantageous inequality for greater profit more difficult. Studies 1–3 show that profit maximization diminishes when recipients belong to different social categories (e.g., genders, universities). Study 2 further implicates self-categorization, as selfcategorized individuals tend to …

Applying The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model Of Hiv- Risk To Youth In Psychiatric Care, Geri R. Donenberg, Rebecca Moss Schwartz, Erin Emerson, Helen W. Wilson, Fred B. Bryant, Gloria Coleman

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study examined the utility of cognitive and behavioral constructs (AIDS in-formation, motivation, and behavioral skills) in explaining sexual risk taking among 172 12–20–year-old ethnically diverse urban youths in outpatient psy-chiatric care. Structural equation modeling revealed only moderate support for the model, explaining low to moderate levels of variance in global sexual risk taking. The amount of explained variance improved when age was included as a predictor in the model. Findings shed light on the contribution of AIDS informa-tion, motivation, and behavioral skills to risky sexual behavior among teens re-ceiving outpatient psychiatric care. Results suggest that cognitive and behavioral factors …

New Urbanism: Urban Development And Ethnic Integration In Europe And The United States, James A. Kushner

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.