Digital Commons Network^™

Voiceless, Maria Sanchez Diez

Capstones

In 2013, Deisy García, a young immigrant from Guatemala filed two domestic violence complaints against her husband. In one of them she said she was scared he would killed her. The New York City Police Department never translated it and eight months later, Garcia's husband ended up killing her, along with their two daughters. Exploring García's case, this story explores how the access to interpretation services can mean a matter of life or death for Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence.

Reactions Of The Transgender Community Regarding Media Representation, Chani Wellborn

Communication Theses

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues have increasingly been focused on in society and also in communication media research. However, academic studies focusing on transgender reactions to recent representation developments of their community in the media world have not been done. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with those identifying as male to female (MtF) transgender in order to study their reactions to media coverage of the transgender community. Cultural studies and communication theories, as well as transgender and trans-identity theories provided a theoretical structure and basis for developing the study and interview questions. Qualitative methodology using an inductive grounded …

A Review Of 'Body Farm' Research Facilities Across America With A Focus On Policy And The Impacts When Dealing With Decompositional Changes In Human Remains, Brittany M. Wolff

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

In the current research study, the use of content analysis and secondary data analysis provided the exploratory research on the “body farm” research facilities across the United States. Open-ended survey questions were also utilized and sent to the six research facilities across the country. The use of open-ended survey questions in combination with a small sample size, resulted in only one institution participating in the survey and one facility actively declining to participate. To resolve this limitation, the use of secondary data and content analysis from facility publications and websites were utilized to complete some of the gaps resulting from …

Overcoming The Learning Curve: The Use Of Facebook By Members Of Congress, Lucas J. Lothamer

Political Science Theses

This study examines the use of Facebook by members of Congress as a tool for reelection. Specifically, the study looks at the various types of posts congressional members use, such as campaign advertisements or policy positions, and looks for explanatory variables to explain the usage of the social media by members of Congress. To conduct this research the Facebook pages of a sample of Representatives and Senators were examined with a bivariate and multivariate analysis. Overall congressional members employed a distinct strategy in using their campaign pages. Senators up for reelection and in competitive races were more likely to use …

Presidential Speech And The Framing Of Poverty: From The War On Poverty To The War On The Poor, Jamaica Kennedy

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

Presidential narratives are influential components of the national conversation about social issues. In order to gain a better understanding of how the Presidents framed and discussed poverty and the poor State of the Union addresses between the years 1964 and 2014 were analyzed. The focus of this research was to identify the narratives the Presidents crafted about the war on poverty. Narrative analysis was utilized to unpack and these narratives and identify the different narrative forms they took while the Presidents presented and discussed the war on poverty. Initially the war on poverty was presented as a romantic quest to …

Green Criminological Concerns & Philosophical Beliefs, Alexander Allen Anderson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

The purpose of this research project was to test the philosophical argument that people who maintained a dualistic mindset or sustained a belief in the existence of the soul would be less concerned with environmental crime. A survey was collected from a sample of 332 individuals at the University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The survey asked individuals to select on a likert scale how concerned they were with environmental harm. Preceding these, individuals were asked to answer either yes, no, or I don’t know on questions concerning their philosophical beliefs, looking for indicators of dualistic thinking and …

Explaining The Persistence Of Female Genital Mutilation In Egypt, Kristen R. Darling

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project examines the persistence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Egypt, despite a legislative ban on the practice in 2008. Between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, with 27.2 million women cut in Egypt alone. The procedure involves the alteration of aspects of the female genitalia, including removal of the clitoris or narrowing of the vaginal opening. While many contend that the practice continues because of traditional, cultural, or even religious norms, I argue that FGM remains prevalent in Egypt because of a widespread lack of education on the subject, exacerbated by the educational …

A Thematic Insight To A Dialogic Approach Of Nba Organizations Twitter Content, Hannah Altheide

Communication Theses

This study focuses on how, if at all, NBA organizations are creating dialogue with their publics through the use of the social networking site Twitter. With the use of Kent and Taylor's dialogic approach to public relations, three NBA organizations Twitter accounts were observed using a thematic analysis to develop themes within their tweets and replies. I explore themes among the organizations Twitter content that are related to the five tenets of dialogism created by Kent and Taylor. By understanding how the NBA organizations are communicating with their publics we can understand if they are creating a sustainable organization-public relationship …

Terrorism Risk In Mexico And The Impact On Tourism Discourse, Gabriela M. Granado

Communication Theses

This study examined how news about drug-related terrorism and major events in the war on drugs changed tourists' discourse on whether or not to visit Mexico. An examination of hundreds of online tourist discussions were used to determine how people assess an increased travel risk. The results of this study could assist communication and marketing professionals in the tourism and hospitality industry, specifically Mexico, in understanding the feelings and views potential customers have when considering travel to destinations that might be considered riskier than other destinations.

The Initiation Process And Factors Associated With Adolescent Female Gang Membership, Clara Saavedra

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

This study sought to address the numerous internal and external factors associated with gang membership among adolescent females as well as the various ways females are initiated into the gang subculture. Motivations and initiation rites were determined based on a series of audio-recorded focus group interviews conducted on 16 female gang members from the North Texas region. The purpose was to identify internal/external factors as well as initiation methods in order to develop programs to reduce or prevent female gang membership.

Gang Activity: A Deeper Analysis Into The Types Of Crime Committed By Gang Members, Zane Lehman Nash

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

The aim of this study is to get a better understanding of the different types of gang-related crime. The arrests of 410 gang members in Arlington, Texas from 2010-2014 are the subjects of analysis. These records display the date of arrest, age, committed offense, and gang affiliation of each gang member arrested by the Arlilngton Police Department's gang unit during this time span. Characteristics of gang members, such as age and gang type, were compared to attributes of gang-related offenses. Gang members were broken down into different age groups and gang classifications, while criminal offenses were categorized as being violent, …

Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

Many researchers believe that perception of crime is formed by how crime is presented or framed by news media. News media has previously been society's only gateway to the rest of the world. "Violent crimes are prominent and presented as the norm in news media and commercial television programs, thus providing millions of people with a daily diet of rape, murder and drug abuse" (Greer, 2005). Emergence of social media may be removing many of the controls news media had in place with instantaneous, supposedly unbiased, unfiltered information. Social media may also be exacerbating the effects of news media by …

School Interventions And Criminality: An Analysis Into The Types Of School Interventions And Criminality, Holton Silas Hemby

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

The study focuses on the types of school interventions used in the educational system in order to understand a correlation with criminality. The participants consist of 105 individuals that were sentenced to probation in Parker County, Texas, from January 1, 2015 to February 28, 2015. The research displays gender, race, education, school interventions, juvenile criminality, and adult criminality from the participants of Parker County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. The variables of the participants were then analyzed through a cross tabulation and logistical regression. According to the results, there is no significant association with school interventions and adult criminality. In …

Diffusion Of Locally Developed Applications Across The United States Judiciary, Edmund Warren Dieth

Public Affairs Dissertations

Current literature suggests that networks impact the diffusion of innovations. This dissertation seeks to uncover the reasons behind diffusion patterns of locally developed applications (LDAs) across the United States judiciary. Due to a lacuna in the relevant diffusion literature, the effects of professional networks on diffusion patterns are of particular interest in this study. Professional networks include inter-agency networks, national organizational networks, or external personal-professional networks. LDAs are products, mostly software, created within a judicial district to enhance its effectiveness or efficiency. Often these applications are developed to address an internal issue in a district. However, the issue is not …

A Corpus Study Of Requests In Naturally Occurring Spoken American English: A Context Analysis Approach, Lynnelle Rhinier Brown

Linguistics & TESOL Dissertations

Given the variety of ways that speakers of American English can make requests, relatively little has been discovered on why speakers choose the forms they do. Using data from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English, this study investigates what requestive forms American speakers use as well as the contextual conditions that occur with these forms. The study identifies categories of requestive forms, including let statements, if statements, modal statements, need/want statements, imperatives and modal interrogatives and the contextual parameters that occur with them, including social distance, social power, contingency, entitlement, sequential positioning, among others. These forms demonstrate patterns …

Elite Deviance, Organized Crime, And Homicide: A Cross-National Quantitative Analysis, Carol L.S. Trent

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Both elite deviance, committed by the upper echelons of society, and organized crime threaten development and the rights and security of people across and within nations; however empirical research on these topics is limited, especially in the field of criminology. This study addresses this gap in the literature by testing hypotheses derived from Simon’s symbiotic theory of elite deviance, which posits that direct and indirect relationships exist between elite deviance, organized crime, and conventional crimes exist (2008). The intervening effects of national culture and political economic ideology are also considered.

To test the research hypotheses, this study uses homicide rates, …

Individual Differences In The Dopaminergic Reward System: The Effect Of Genetic Risk On Neural Reward Sensitivity And Risky Choice, Heather E. Soder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When making decisions, individuals evaluate several possible outcomes of their choice; however, some display heightened reward sensitivity, despite the potential for future negative consequences, which can lead one to make risky choices. Rewards are processed in the mesolimbic dopamine reward system, and this system is in part modulated by genetic polymorphisms that are associated with dopamine transmission. The current study tested if genetic polymorphisms that are associated with enhanced dopamine neurotransmission will be more neurally reward sensitive, score higher on self-reported impulsivity, and make riskier choices. In a sample of 85 participants, five genetic polymorphisms were genotyped and used to …

Representative Bureaucracy And The Indirect Effects Of Substantive Co-Worker Representation, Nita Clark

Public Affairs Dissertations

The theory of representative bureaucracy has been suggested as an equity oriented tool that could work to alter the negative aspects of majority rule. Ongoing debates over the best way to ensure and enhance equity for underrepresented groups continue to question the value of representative bureaucracy as it has concentrated on passive (descriptive) and active representation. Such representation where administrators look like the clientele they are serving and subsequently work to generate outcomes for those clients certainly has value. However it is not a certainty that a bureaucrat sharing a similar traits as the group being served (passive representation) will …

Diffusion Of Locally Developed Applications Across The United States Judiciary, Edmund Warren Dieth

Public Affairs Dissertations

Current literature suggests that networks impact the diffusion of innovations. This dissertation seeks to uncover the reasons behind diffusion patterns of locally developed applications (LDAs) across the United States judiciary. Due to a lacuna in the relevant diffusion literature, the effects of professional networks on diffusion patterns are of particular interest in this study. Professional networks include inter-agency networks, national organizational networks, or external personal-professional networks. LDAs are products, mostly software, created within a judicial district to enhance its effectiveness or efficiency. Often these applications are developed to address an internal issue in a district. However, the issue is not …

Using Isotope Analysis To Understand The Interaction Between Migration And Burial At The Eastern Structure Of Group 1 At Actuncan, A Maya Archaeological Site In Belize, Destiny Micklin

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

Strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios for seven individuals buried at the eastern shrine of Group 1 at Actuncan were analyzed in an attempt to elucidate the relationship between natal origin, burial location, and mortuary patterns. These data were correlated with archaeological evidence of burial practices to better understand who was interred at this ritually significant space. Results indicate that none of the individuals sampled could be identified as originating outside the Belize River Valley. Burials 7-1 and 9-1 had strontium and oxygen isotope ratios closest to expected values for the area surrounding Actuncan and the Upper Belize River Valley. …

The Idols Of Modernity: The Humanity Of Science And The Science Of Humanity, Lukas Szrot

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

The Idols of Modernity draws upon the work of early thinkers in the sociology of knowledge such as Karl Mannheim in an effort to delineate the history of--and unmask the ideology behind--many of the formative aspects of scientific knowledge that enjoy both a central and potentially controversial role in the twenty-first century. In touching upon the role of imagination and speculation in the `hardest' sciences, normative disputes between biological and social sciences, and the intellectual history of modern science, I attempt to reveal the humanity of science. In examining the democratization of the written word, the profound consequences of language …

Addressing The Grocery Gap: An Ethnographic Study Of Food Access In Three Tarrant County Neighborhoods, Sharnese Thompson

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

This study examines the impact of food insecurity in three neighborhoods in Fort Worth, Texas. The neighborhoods in this study include, Southside, Stop Six, and Como. Food Deserts can be defined as poor urban areas that have little to no access to affordable and healthy food. My methodology in conducting this research was participant observation. Through notes, field observation, and informal interviews I was able to conclude the affects lack of affordable and healthy food had on these three areas. Additionally, I was able to determine if current methods to mitigate food deserts were effective.

Rebound Hardness Results For Raw Material Located Near Pinnacle Point, South Africa And The Implications Thereof, Christopher M. Shelton

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

The focus of this study is to test our ability to glean ancient human behavioral ecology data through a specific form of raw material mechanical properties testing. Through the quantitative analysis of raw material in regards to knapping quality (hereafter referred to as knappability), collection processes and choice patterns of a study group can be inferred. More precisely, this study serves to test the viability of the use of the Schmidt hammer as a means of determining knappability, with the area in and around Pinnacle Point (Western Cape, South Africa) as the focus area and silcrete and quartzite as the …

"If The Hells Are Not Empty": A Framework For A Buddhist Critical Social Theory, John M. Yowell

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

Marx's eleventh Thesis on Feuerbach, which stands immortalized as his epitaph, draws a clear line in the sand between the descriptive philosophy of antiquity and the necessarily prescriptive character which he hoped would mark the philosophers and theorists of modernity; a modernity characterized by rampant alienation and exploitation, income inequality, false consciousness, and suffering on a global scale. Modern critical theory, in its attempt to understand these conditions has grown in scope to include innumerable topics from animal rights to pornography. It has also brought into its fold many distinct disciplines from which it may draw insight into the societies …

The Far East Network Okinawa: Impact, Influence, And Personal Stories From The First 50 Years, Ladonna Aiken

Communication Theses

The American Forces Network (AFN) began during World War II to boost the morale of troops serving overseas, and to that end, military broadcasters at AFN Okinawa have served as the link to home for troops stationed on the island since 1945. This research captures a pivotal time in the history of broadcasting through the memories of military veterans, their families, and the Okinawan people. Interviews with listeners reveal they tuned in for the music, friendly voices, timely weather reports, and American perspective. Military veterans describe the experience of broadcasting as exciting and uniquely challenging, while government reports and archives …

An Exploration Of The Framing Of Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball And Able Bodied Basketball Coverage In Student News Sources, John Charles Watson

Communication Theses

This study used 160 wheelchair basketball and 160 able bodied basketball articles from student news sources to conduct content and textual analyses. Framing theory and the transactional model were used to explore these relationships through qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The study compared the nature of the wheelchair basketball and able bodied basketball articles and photographs. By adapting previous methods of analysis, I examined metaphor use, article genre, direct quotations, and images. Findings from the present study contributed insight to the body of disability sport media research by providing an exploratory look into the collegiate wheelchair basketball student media coverage and …