Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bienvenidos, Amigos! : The Tapestry Magazine, Liz Rog

Postville Project Documents

Article on the arrival of 10 men in Decorah after their incarceration from the Postville raid.

The Kozolec: Material Culture, Identity, And Social Practice In Slovenia, Toby Martin Applegate

Masters Theses

This research investigates the intersections of national identity, representation, and material culture in the Republic of Slovenia. The subject of the thesis, the kozolec, is a freestanding farm implement, usually made of wood, used to dry hay as fodder for animals and, occasionally, corn for human and animal consumption. It is found on the landscape of Slovenia, a small alpine country that was formerly part of Yugoslavia. The kozolec has been romanticized as being indicative of “where” Slovenia is. It has also been cast aside as a symbol marking the Slovene landscape for both representational and practical reasons.

This thesis …

Response-Contingent Positive Reinforcement: Incremental Validity In Predicting Depression Severity, John Paul Carvalho

Masters Theses

Insufficient response-contingent positive reinforcement (RCPR), or pleasure obtained through interaction with the environment that increases the likelihood of rewarding behavior, has been hypothesized to directly contribute to the onset and persistence of depression symptoms (Lewinsohn, 1974; Lewinsohn, Sullivan, & Grosscup, 1980). The present study examined the utility of RCPR in predicting the presence and severity of depression symptoms relative to other well-established risk factors that included gender, stressful life events, traumatic life events, childhood maltreatment, and cognitive vulnerability. Based on bivariate and hierarchical regression analyses, all variables except gender were significantly associated with the severity of depression symptoms, with RCPR …

A Comparison Of Us And Korean Consumers: A Cross-Cultural Study Of Brand-Related Ugc Found In Discussion Boards Of Product Review Sites, Hyuk Jun Cheong

Masters Theses

This study is a partial replication of Fong and Burton’s 2008 study. Fong and Burton (2008) conducted a cross-cultural study comparing Chinese and US Internet users in terms of willingness to engage in information-seeking and information-giving, utilizing Hofstede’s (1980; 1991) individualistic/collectivistic cultural dimension.

The current study examines cross-cultural differences in the use of UGC between US and Korean consumers by conducting a content analysis of the discussion boards of six digital camera review sites based in the US and Korea. It content-analyzes 1871 online postings on discussion boards of US-based and Korea-based product review sites.

The study adopts Hofstede’s (1980; …

Quantitative Comparison Of Mechanical Harvesting Methods And Conventional Harvesting Methods Of Burley Tobacco In The Southeast, Robert Bailey Elliott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine burley tobacco growers decision making processes as they pertain to labor usage during the harvest of their crop and adoption rates of mechanical harvesting technology in order to create a laudable document that could be used by those who disseminate knowledge in agricultural communities. This study sought to compare current conventional harvesting methods to mechanical harvesting methods to determine efficiency and affordability of each of the two methods for the tobacco grower. This study incorporated both survey data and focus group data in order to develop the findings herein. Survey data were …

Behavioral Activation For Mildly Depressed Students: Randomized Controlled Trial, Michael John Gawrysiak

Masters Theses

Although depression is prevalent among university students, limited and dated research has examined the efficacy of behavioral interventions in treating this population. Based on a modified version of the Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD; Hopko & Lejuez, 2007; Lejuez, Hopko, & Hopko, 2001) that involved a structured single-session intervention and 2- week treatment period, we conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing individualized BATD and a no-treatment control for university students with mild to moderate depression symptoms (N = 30). Outcome measures assessed depression severity, environmental reward, social support, and somatic anxiety. Repeated measures analyses of variance and reliable change …

Fire History Of Gum Swamp And Black Pond In Eastern Tennessee, U.S.A., From Macroscopic Sedimentary Charcoal, Alisa Lynn Hass

Masters Theses

Eastern Tennessee and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are biological hotspots in which settlement by Native Americans and Euro-Americans dramatically changed the landscape through land clearance and changes in fire occurrence. I present two local fire histories using macroscopic sedimentary charcoal, one from a highly managed area and one from private agricultural land. Gum Swamp (35°35' N 83°50' W) is a pond located in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park that experiences seasonal drying. The 0.94 m sediment profile extends to about 425 cal yr BP, based on an AMS radiocarbon date on charcoal fragments at mid-depth in the …

Institute Brief: Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Quality Employment Practices, Alan Kurtz, Melanie Jordan

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

It has been known for decades that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with significant impairment or who have behaviors that others find challenging, can work when they are given appropriate supports. It is also clear that individuals with ASD can benefit from employment. Benefits include improved emotional state, greater financial gain, decreased anxiety, greater self-esteem, and greater independence. Nonetheless, employment outcomes for individuals with ASD have traditionally been poor. Even those who do find work are often underemployed or do not hold onto jobs for a long period of time.

Demographic, Economic, And Social Transformations In Bronx Community District 9: Parkchester, Unionport, Soundview, Castle Hill, And Clason Point, 1990 - 2006, Astrid Rodríguez

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report analyzes demographic and socioeconomic characteristics among the five largest Latino nationality groups during 1990-2006 in the NYC Community District 9 of the borough of the Bronx, which comprises the neighborhoods of Parkchester, Unionport, Soundview, Castle Hill, and Clason Point.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: Puerto Ricans are the largest Latino subgroup in the Bronx Community District 9, accounting …

The Latino Population Of New York City, 2007, Laura Limonic

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report provides and in-depth demographic profile of Latinos in 2007 New York City.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: New York City’s Latino population increased by 2.5% between 2006 and 2007. Puerto Ricans remained the largest national group among all Latinos (778,628) and 33.3% of the total Hispanic population of the City, an increase of .9% since 2006. Even though …

Research To Practice: Comparison Of Vr Outcomes For Clients With Mental Illness Across System Indicators, Joe Marrone, Frank A. Smith, Susan Foley

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The argument that people with psychiatric disabilities cannot work is an empty one, as anecdotal and research data have shown (Bond, 2004). Recently, there has been a plethora of information on evidence based employment strategies, prominently connected with the research on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model associated with Drake and colleagues at Dartmouth College (Drake, 1998).

America’S Biggest Low-Wage Industry: Continuity And Change In Retail Jobs, Françoise Carré, Chris Tilly

Center for Social Policy Publications

For those concerned with job quality in the United States, the retail industry commands attention. Retail is not only the largest low-wage industry in the country’s economy; it is the largest industry, period. It generates numerous entry level jobs for those with limited formal training. Hourly wages of nonsupervisory workers in retail languish at about three-quarters the national average. Retail is a very important employer of young workers. Its workforce is also disproportionately female. Women are concentrated in particular retail sub-sectors and some minority groups seem to remain employed in retail over time. At the same time, retail jobs—at least, …

An Overview Of The Gloves-Off Economy: Workplace Standards At The Bottom Of America’S Labor Market, Annette Bernhardt, Heather Boushey, Laura Dresser, Chris Tilly

Center for Social Policy Publications

When we talk about the “gloves-off economy,” we are identifying a set of employer strategies and practices that either evade or outright violate the core laws and standards that govern job quality in the U.S. While such strategies have long been present in certain sectors, such as sweatshops and marginal small businesses, we argue that they are spreading. This trend, driven by competitive pressures, has been shaped by an environment where other major economic actors—government, unions, and civil society—have either promoted deregulation or been unable to contain gloves-off business strategies. The result, at the start of the 21st century, is …

Can Deaf People Survive "Deafness?", Jessica Rogers

JADARA

The article review was completed as an assignment for a Gallaudet University Counseling graduate course, “Psychosocial Aspects of Deafness, "reviewing MJ Bienvenu's (1991) article entitled "Can Deaf People Survive 'deafness?'" In the review, main points in Bienvenu's article are discussed and the author's reasons for reviewing this particular article are elaborated. Comparisons are made between issues within the Deaf community in 1991 and issues found today for the purpose of advocating Bienvenu's point; additionally, another article is presented to assist in Bienvenu's position. The author discusses the relevance of Bienvenu's article to her developing profession as a counselor for Deaf …

Parental Influences In Child Obesity, Janel Lynn Calinisan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

One of the greatest concerns in American society is peoples’ health. In the past several years there has been an overwhelming increase in obesity in Americans. This concern relates not only to adults, but also to children, as more are found to be overweight. Many factors have been suggested as to why more children are becoming obese, including parenting, demographics, physical activity, nutrition, and biological factors. Studies have shown that parental influence or involvement can be related to child obesity such that neglected children were more likely to be obese in adolescence and sustain it through adulthood. In order to …

The Evaluation Of Sharper Future: A Community-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program, Lindsay M. Cunningham

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A program evaluation of Sharper Future’s Substance Abuse Services Coordinating Agency (SASCA) sex offender treatment program was conducted in order to ascertain whether the program is meeting its treatment goals as outlined by the SASCA contract and Sharper Future program goals. The participants of this evaluation were 248 past male Sharper Future clients who had been mandated to treatment at the Sharper Future facilities and were funded by the SASCA program. The data used in this program evaluation was archival, as it existed in the clients’ file as supplied by the Sharper Future clinics that run a SASCA treatment program. …

How Does A Riverine Setting Affect The Lifestyle Of Shellmound Builders In Brazil?, Sabine Eggers, C. C. Petronilho, K. Brandt, C. Jericó-Daminello, J. Filippini, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

The contact of inland and coastal prehistoric groups in Brazil is believed to have been restricted to regions with no geographical barrier, as is the case in the Ribeira de Iguape valley. The inland osteological collection from the riverine shellmound Moraes (5800–4500 BP) represents a unique opportunity to test this assumption for this region. Despite cultural similarities between riverine and coastal shellmounds, important ecological and site distribution differences are expected to impact on lifestyle. The purpose of this study is thus to document and interpret health and lifestyle indicators in Moraes in comparison to coastal shellmound groups. Specifically we test …

Body Mass Index: Effects On Overt Behaviors And Perceived Reward, Christin Nicole Mullane

Masters Theses

The incidence of obesity, defined as a BMI [body mass index] of over 30, has increased by 50% in the past 20 years (Carlson, 2004). Some notable behavioral differences as a function of weight have been identified, including the findings that individuals with obesity participate less often in physical activities, and spend more time engaging in sedentary behaviors. Using a daily-dairy assessment method as completed by undergraduate college students (n=99), the current study examined the impact of BMI on the duration of time spent and pleasure experienced within 13 behavioral domains: 1) Social, 2) Physical, 3) Health/Hygiene, 4) …

A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices: America And China, Christine Carol Ray

Masters Theses

This study examines the cross-cultural similarities and differences of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices between leading America companies and leading Chinese companies. It pays particular attention to the why, what, how and where of CSR practices and discovers how these companies manage and localize their efforts through the comparison of corporate websites. Utilizing corporate websites to perform a content analysis, fifty of the top American Fortune 500 businesses were analyzed. The results from the fifty American Fortune 500 companies were then compared to twenty-three top Chinese Fortune 50 companies. The codebook elements that were used to compare CSR practices between …

Podcasting The Primaries: A Comparison Of The Washington Post’S Print And Podcast Coverage Of The 2008 Presidential Primaries, Billy J. Roberts

Masters Theses

Podcasting has become something of a buzzword in several different circles from education to entertainment. It is being used as a way to disseminate lectures at major universities. Government officials are using it to broadcast messages to their citizens. It is also a new venue for independent artists and Internet users to generate publicity and to express themselves creatively. Yet, very little research on podcasting has been published.

This thesis explores podcasting, and the differences between the print edition of a national newspaper, The Washington Post, and two of its podcasts by asking: How does the political coverage of …

Identifying Rural Comparative Advantage: Ethanol Plant Location Determinants And Tennessee Value Chains, Lance Andrew Stewart

Masters Theses

As rural areas struggle to adjust to the changing U.S. economy with increasing unemployment, falling wages, and constrained capital markets, economic developers look for strategies to promote economic expansion. Development strategies identifying and evaluating county comparative advantage may offer the promise of economic growth in rural areas. This thesis develops two models whereby county comparative advantage can be empirically identified and evaluated. The study first examines ethanol plant location determinants at the county level, in the contiguous forty-eight United States, the second identified industry clusters within Tennessee at the county level and estimated the extent to which these clusters contributed …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Impact Force Attenuation In Landing And Isokinetic Strength Of Knee Muscles In Individuals With Different Training Backgrounds, Jeremy Adam Steeves

Masters Theses

Skeletal muscle is a major active mechanism of impact force attenuation in human movement. During the landing phase impact attenuation is achieved through eccentric contraction of the muscles of the lower extremity. However, few studies have investigated the effects of knee strength, especially eccentric strength, on impact attenuation during landing. Therefore the relationship was assessed in fourteen healthy, male volunteers. Seven NCAA Division I College football players (TRAINED) and seven recreationally active university students with limited sport training or competitive sport background (REC) participated in two testing sessions. Isokinetic testing of the knee extensor and flexor muscles was performed concentrically …

A Descriptive Study Of Sustainability Strategies Among Local Parks And Recreation Departments In Tennessee, Jennifer Yowell

Masters Theses

This thesis represents the first study ever performed in the state of Tennessee on the usage of ecological sustainability strategies in the local parks and an analysis of the existing barriers preventing their implementation. A survey was e-mailed to all of the 105 Tennessee Recreation Park Association park directors requesting this data. As a result of this analysis, a list of 34 environmentally friendly sustainability strategies has been identified that should be considered for implementation in the local parks by their directors. The most common perceptions the directors listed as barriers to their implementation of sustainability strategies included staff knowledge, …

Gis Data And Geoprocess Modeling For Hydrologic Network Conservation Analysis In A Green Infrastructure Plan, Andrew Lorenz Wunderlich

Masters Theses

As urban sprawl swallows the areas around cities, planners are looking for alternative methods of development that help to protect and preserve the environment, enhance the lives of residents, and help reduce the skyrocketing costs of maintaining sprawling infrastructure. Green Infrastructure (GI) planning principles have gained in popularity due to their holistic nature and ability to balance preservation and development. A GI plan seeks to identify the critical “green” infrastructure in an area (the environmental resources that we rely on for clean air and water) and proposes complementary development strategies. One plan component of particular interest is the analysis of …

Historic Maps Meet Google Maps : The University Of Louisville's Kentucky Maps Collection., Terri L. Holtze, Rachel I. Howard

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Online access to historic maps, enhanced by JPEG2000 format and, in some cases, Google Maps, has proved popular with scholars, students, community members, and librarians. This article will discuss the planning, scanning, metadata creation, and Google mapping of the University of Louisville's Kentucky Maps Collection (http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/maps/).

Effects Of Motivational Interviewing On Levels Of Physical Activity In Older Adults, Anna M. Pignol

Theses and Dissertations

In Canada, 68% of women and 53% of men 65 and older are inactive. Physical activity is crucial for older adults being able to maintain physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. Even the frail, chronically ill, and very old adults can increase mobility and functioning through physical activity. The current study examined the effects of Motivational Interviewing (MI) on levels of physical activity in older adults. A total of 86 participants aged 55 and older were recruited in Prince Edward Island. Participants were randomly assigned by gender to the intervention plus information or to an information …

Cortisol Response Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injurers Versus Non-Self-Injurers Exposed To A Social Rejection Laboratory Stressor, Patrick L. Kerr

Theses and Dissertations

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSI) represents a growing area of concern in a variety of clinical settings, yet remains a poorly understood phenomenon. An influx of research on the functions of NSI over the past decade has suggested a biopsychosocial emotional regulation model of this behavior. This model proposes that self-injurers engage in NSI to reduce negative emotions, and presupposes that self-injurers are characterized by emotional dysregulation. The present study evaluated the biological component of this model by assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPAA) functioning in a group of self-injurers(n=26) and non-injuring healthy controls (n=28). HPAA functioning was assessed via measuring salivary cortisol levels …

La Libertad De La Ciudad, David Harvey

Publications and Research

David Harvey explora aquí la relación existente entre el problema de la reubicación del excedente de capital y las transformaciones del espacio urbano a una escala cada vez mayor. En este artículo, escrito antes de que fuera declarada la crisis económica mundial, Harvey ofrece un análisis espacial que anticipa dicha crisis y analiza las consecuencias que la continuidad del modelo económico vigente tendrá para el futuro de la vida urbana.

In this paper David Harvey explores the existing relation between the problem of surplus capital allocation and the increasing transformations of urban space. The paper, written before the world economic …

From Suffragettes To Grandmothers: A Qualitative Textual Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Five Female Politicians In Utah's Deseret News And Salt Lake Tribune, Holly M. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines press coverage in the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune of five female politicians in Utah history: Martha Hughes Cannon (1896), Reva Beck Bosone (1948), Karen Shepherd (1992), Enid Greene Waldholtz (1994), and Olene S. Walker (2003). A total of 438 articles were reviewed using qualitative textual analysis. Coverage by candidate varied, though it was not in general overtly biased concerning candidate gender. However, the press did call attention to the gender of candidate and gendered commentary was present. The press also called attention to the rarity of women running for high political office and addressed the …

Reasonable Suspicion Or Real Likelihood: A Question Of Semantics? Re Shankar Alan S/O Anant Kulkarni, Lionel Leo, Siyuan Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The law on apparent bias has been mired in some controversy following the High Court decision of Re Shankar Alan s/o Anant Kulkarni, where Sundaresh Menon J.C. seemingly departed from the tentative views of Andrew Phang J.C. (as he then was) in Tang Kin Hwa v. Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board on the issue of whether there were any material differences between the “reasonable suspicion of bias” test and the “real likelihood of bias” test, the two formulations of the test for apparent bias that have been variously adopted by different jurisdictions in the common law world. In Tang Kin …