Digital Commons Network^™

The Global Credit Crisis Of 2007–2009: An Examination Of Some Of The Causes, Chronology, And Unconventional Monetary Tools Employed, Mark P. Culver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper will first examine some of the causes over many years and conditions that evolved that preceded the 2007-2009 credit crisis as well as some of the events that took place in the midst of the crisis. More importantly, this paper will examine how central banks applied the generally prescribed first line defense in the form of conventional monetary policy to its full extent without complete or adequate satisfaction or result. The bulk of the paper is directed at a description and analysis of the unconventional monetary tools, that which has come to be called quantitative easing, that central …

Hermeneutics Of The Crossroads, Jacqueline S. Farritor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main question posed in my thesis is whether or not the crossroads is a paradigm that might open the event of reading and interpretation. I believe this profound place of possibility is a valid intellectual model for innovative and uninhabited modes of understanding. The hermeneutics of the crossroads is an imaginative approach that keeps us open to the transformative power of literature transpiring when we bring to the text our working scholarly knowledge, but also allow ourselves to receive what it has to offer us.

Using the crossroads theory of surrendering and receiving, I have interpreted Gayl Jones's novel, …

Gender, Empowerment And Coffee In Mexico And Central America: A Policy Analysis, Lisa M. Fry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coffee is an important commodity for Central American countries. Like other agricultural production, coffee production in the region is undergoing a “feminization” in which women become the primary producers. However, female agricultural producers face constraints that their male counterparts do not. This study analyzes policies to determine if they promote or continue the inhibition of empowerment of female coffee producers. The results of the study indicate that policies relating to Central American coffee production are promoting women’s empowerment, but implementation remains weak. Policy recommendations are included.

Influence Of Ethnicity On English Vocabulary Measurement: Using The Montgomery Assessment Of Vocabulary Acquisition In One Rural Southeastern New Mexico School, Eileen M. Gatliffe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined vocabulary acquisition of elementary students in grades kindergarten through fifth in one rural New Mexico school. The school had 277 students. Hispanic students comprised nearly 80% of the student body. All students received free lunch and breakfast. The 65 students who participated in the study were assessed using the Montgomery Assessment of Vocabulary Acquisition (MAVA). This new assessment, published in 2008, tests receptive and expressive vocabulary utilizing the three-tier vocabulary model introduced by Beck, McKeown and Kucan (2001). The study assessed each student for proficiency in identifying and using tier-I, tier-II and tier-III words. Hispanic and non-Hispanic …

Mario Math With Millennials: The Impact Of Playing The Nintendo Ds On Student Achievement, Adam Gelman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the biggest innovations of the last century has been the invention of the video game. Video games are an extremely popular form of entertainment today. While some question the use of video games in education, others argue that video games are one innovation that if introduced into the classroom, might change how teachers effectively engage learners. This quantitative study examined the impact of Brain Age 2 for the Nintendo DS on seventh grade achievement in math and on student attitude towards school. A sample of eighty seventh graders from the same school played the Nintendo DS daily for …

The Theory And Practice Of Leader And Leadership Development: A Multi-Level Perspective, Jacob P. Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The understanding of leadership and how it is developed continues to evolve (Day & Harrison, 2007) and while some essential components of effective leadership have been identified, they have not been forged into a comprehensive framework for development (Avolio, 2005). This paper aims to create a theory of leader and leadership development that can aid individuals in understanding who they are as a leader. Of central importance to this paper is the presentation of the Leader and Leadership Identity Development Model, which provides a framework centered on the development of individual leader and leadership identities at personal, interpersonal, and collective …

Where Have All The Utopias Gone? Ritual, Solidarity, And Longevity In A Multifaith Commune In New Mexico, Linda Prueitt Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Utopian experiments creating new forms of community have dotted the globe throughout human history. Despite grandiose visions, a majority of communal experiments have faded quickly into oblivion. A wealth of scholarship has focused on reasons why communes typically fail. My research of an ecumenical commune in northern New Mexico examines what has facilitated its perpetuation for over 42 years. I participated in this community for different periods of time for over three years. With the assistance of a resident oral historian, I was able to expand my study into a diachronic view that spanned decades. I conclude that there are …

An Examination Of Caregiving Dyads: Community Dwelling Chronically Ill Older Adults And Their Caregivers, Jessica E. Haxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increases in life expectancy among older adults raise important concerns about the availability of resources for an aging population living with chronic and debilitating illnesses. Living longer is complicated by the fact that many elders prefer to reside in their homes until medical or other conditions require an alternative living arrangement. The strong desire to remain at home expressed by older persons in the United States has in turn created an increased demand on informal caregiving. Consequently, adult children often bear the burden of providing care to their aging parents. In view of this demand it is critical that research …

Process For Selecting An Outside Provider For The Closing The Achievement Gap Project, Dianna Rae Hulbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the spring of 2008, Dwight Jones, Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Education, invited six Colorado school districts to partner with the department and an outside provider to close their achievement gaps in reading and math between minority and poverty students and White students and non-poverty students. Districts were invited to partner based on an achievement gap that exceeded the state‟s average gap in reading and math, and its perceived leadership capacity to initiate change.

This study examined the process the six districts used to select a provider to assist in closing its achievement gap. The multi-case study analyzed …

Ethical Elitism: A Burkean Analysis Of The Rhetorical Construction Of A Moral Persona In The First Term Of President George W. Bush, Veronica Lynn Koehn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On November 4, 2004, President George W. Bush won re-election. According to exit polls, a majority of people who voted for Bush over his opponent, Senator John Kerry, did so because they believed that Bush was the “moral values” candidate. In this dissertation, I assess the moral persona that the President rhetorically constructed during his first term in office. To do so, I utilize Kenneth Burke‟s cluster and pentad tools to analyze Bush‟s statements on embryonic stem cell research, 9/11 and the ensuing War on Terror, and same-sex marriage, three issues that the elite press explicitly identified as being “moral …

Unmasking Whiteness: A Framework For Understanding Inclusive Leadership At A Predominately White Institution, Nicole Marie Latino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the personal journey of 11 White college administrators who were identified as inclusive leaders at a predominately White institution (PWI), recognized nationally for its work on partnering diversity and excellence. One overall question guided this study: How do White college administrators describe their journey to becoming successful inclusive leaders at a predominately White institution? This question was explored from the perspective of critical race theory (CRT), that is, inclusive leadership for White administrators could be achieved by intentionally examining their construction of Whiteness and their personal racial identity.

Narrative inquiry was used to co-construct a developmental framework …

Reconode: Towards An Autonomous Multi-Robot Team Agent For Usar, Kang Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban search and rescue (USAR) robots can benefit from small size as it facilitates movement in cramped quarters. Yet, small size limits actuator power, sensor payloads, computational capacity and battery life. We are alleviating these issues by developing the hardware and software infrastructure for high performance, heterogeneous, dynamically-reconfigurable miniature USAR robots, as well as a host of other relevant applications. In this thesis, a generic modular embedded system architecture based on the RecoNode multiprocessor is proposed, which consists of a set of hardware and software modules that can be configured to construct various types of robot systems for dynamic and …

Rescued, Rehabilitated, Returned: Institutional Approaches To The Rehabilitation Of Survivors Of Sex Trafficking In India And Nepal, Robynne A. Locke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite participating in rehabilitation programs, many survivors of sex trafficking in India and Nepal are re-trafficked, ‘voluntarily’ re-enter the sex industry, or become traffickers or brothel managers themselves. This thesis discusses the challenges of institutional rehabilitation from a critical theory perspective. Drawing from three months of participant observation, interviews, and focus groups with rehabilitation professionals, this thesis will show that there has been a recent, positive shift in the discourse of survivor rehabilitation at the institutional level. However, a focus on individual rather than holistic change, the structure of the rehabilitation process, and a lack of assessment tools has made …

Susceptibility Modeling And Mission Flight Route Optimization In A Low Threat, Combat Environment, Brett J. Machovina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Movement and transportation systems are a primary topic in the study of humans and their relationship with the environment. Only a few modes of transportation allow for nearly full freedom of movement that is unconstrained by rigid nodes and networks. Individual human travel (walking, climbing, swimming, etc.) is one example while rotorcraft travel is another. Although other criteria constrain movement, independence from a network allows for a unique examination of human spatial decision-making and choice behavior. This research analyzes helicopter flight route planning in a low threat combat environment with respect to geography. The particular problem addressed, which ultimately concerns …

Mercy Mercy Me (The Media Ecology): Technology, Agency, And "Cleavage" Of The Musical Text, Arthur J. Bamford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores changes that occurred in popular music during the 1960s and early 1970s through case studies involving three significant albums released in 1971 and 1972: Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Sly and the Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On, and Stevie Wonder's Talking Book. These albums deserve attention particularly because, as this thesis argues, existing research on the cultural significance of popular music has focused largely on the periods before or after the 1970s and research on music-making technologies has focused largely on white artists or groups from the late 1960s. Addressing this blind …

Reading And Responsibility: The Grammar Of The Inexpressible And The Poiesis Of Religious Belief, Philip G. Banning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading religious literature is generally considered to be either an "outsider's" practice useful for the determination of a culture's or individual reader's beliefs, whether of the past or present, or an "insider's" practice necessary for guidance in morality and "right" action. Both of these practices mean the text is construed as the motivation or cause of other beliefs and actions, and that the purpose or value of such texts is nothing more than identifying and promulgating certain beliefs. Understanding texts and reading in this way does not allow us to conceive of the text as a work of art and …

"Wanted: Dead Or Alive": Masculinities And Us Military Intervention In Afghanistan, Michelle E. Bellini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hegemonically masculine concepts are frequently employed by decision-makers during times of crisis and war. Language used by leaders is powerful in securing domestic support for US foreign policy decisions, and hegemonic masculinity shapes the ways in which leaders conceive of conflicts and in what ways those conflicts should be addressed. Notions of hegemonic masculinity exert a powerful, structural influence on US Presidential foreign policy decisionmaking.

The attacks of September 11^th, 2001 changed United States foreign policy in fundamental ways. This research examines the role of hegemonic masculinity in President George W. Bush's policy speeches, both how hegemonic masculinity …

Women's Participation In Transitional Justice Mechanisms: Comparing Transitional Processes In Timor Leste And Sierra Leone, Holly L. Guthrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women tend to suffer a disproportionate amount of sexual and reproductive violence during periods of conflict, though they generally participate at a lower rate than men in transitional justice processes. Because participation is discussed in procedural justice literature as being crucial to securing feelings of justice and dignity within victims of violence, the lack of women’s participation in transitional process indicates that justice outcomes could suffer without equitable participation of women. In light of this issue, this study uses a comparative case study analysis method to investigate women’s involvement in the transitional justice processes in Timor Leste and Sierra Leone …

Maritime Terror: A Comparative Study Of The Barbary Corsairs And Modern Somali Pirates, Lauren M. Halton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maritime piracy off the Horn of Africa, although not a new security threat, has grown at an alarming rate in the twenty-first century. This study compares modern Somali piracy with the Barbary Corsairs problem of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to understand what policy responses might be most effective. The comparison focused on pirate characteristics and motives; targeted ships; attack frequency; hostage treatment; counter measures to combat piracy; and outcomes.

Financial motivation, level of organization, and viciousness of attacks are all characteristics the Somali pirates and Barbary Corsairs share. They differ in that the Corsairs operated as part of a …

An Investigation Into Associations With Attachment, Companion Pet Attachment, Empathy, And Prosocial Behaviors In 18–20 Year Old College Students, Christian Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines empathy, parental attachment, companion pet attachment and social behaviors in a sample of 120 students between the ages of 18-20 enrolled at Front Range Community College in Westminster CO during the fall semester 2008. The study is based on the research questions posed by Thompson and Gullone (2008) but pays particular attention to the relationships between and among variables measured in that study as well as their association with variables indicating companion pet companionship. The research questions are: (1) does parental empathic attachment predict prosocial and antisocial behaviors during older adolescence or young adulthood? And (2) does …

Dogs And Technology: Our Most Beloved Companions In Twentieth And Twenty-First Century America, Claire V. Bow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the suburban rush and steep rise in household technological devices in the mid-twentieth century, Americans have drawn apart from each other, a shift that has coincided with a rise in both dog ownership and the adoption of handheld mobile devices. This paper argues that these phenomena, which are both ubiquitous and intimate in many American households, reflect one of the most basic and static human needs: the need for emotional connection. Furthermore, it is the unique combination of canine and digital elements that replace human-to-human social networks; networks that were once both literally and figuratively tightly drawn. In the …

Seeing The Buddha In The Book Of Job Through Maimonides's Theory Of Providence And Eliade's Theory Of Hierophany, Hoi Shan Chong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is an unusual reading of the book of Job with a focus on the intellectual transformation of Job. The reading is stimulated by Maimonides' theory of divine providence and facilitated by Eliade's theory of hierophany. The sequence of reading follows a reorganized order and is divided into three parts: the speeches of Job and his friends, the Lord's speech, and the comparison of Job before and after the Lord's speech. The study ends with a suggestion that the experience of Job's intellectual transformation corresponds to the experience of the Buddha's enlightenment. The reading ignores the enigmatic issues …

Greening The Green Revolution: Moving Beyond Chemicals To Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Elizabeth G. Crawley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture has dominated the economy of many developing countries for centuries, which has led to development policies that center on agricultural development. An obvious approach to improved production is to decrease agricultural losses in the fields and increase efficiency to markets. This study focuses on the developmental role of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on non-traditional agricultural export farming and the adoption of IPM techniques. With farmers in the Comayagua Valley of Honduras, an Asian vegetable production center for the country, as the study population, the costs and benefits of planting oriental vegetables was examined. Statistical analysis was used to examine …

Development Of A Men's Depression Inventory, Andrew Fields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper details the development of a scale to more accurately assess depression in men. It first summarizes the literature on depression, depression assessment, and current research on men and masculinity. It is argued that current conceptualizations of both depression and masculinity influence prevalence studies, which consistently find that men experience depression half as often as women. It is argued that an assessment measure that accounts for masculine variants of depression (substance use, anger, withdrawal, and emotional restriction) may identify more frequent depression in men than previously expected. Next, the paper details the development of a men's depression scale using …

Through The Eyes Of A Child: The Archaeology Of Wwii Japanese American Internment At Amache, April Kamp-Whittaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children’s lives in the World War II Japanese American Internment Camp, Amache are investigated using a combination of archaeology, oral history, and archival research. As part of internees’ efforts to create a more hospitable environment both children and adults extensively modified the physical landscape. The importance of landscape and place in Japanese culture and for the internee community is examined using the development of gardens around the elementary school as a case study. Internees also developed a rich social landscape that allowed for the socialization of children within Amache. The socialization of children at Amache was being influenced by the …

Gis Applications For Coal Mine Subsidence In The State Of Colorado, Charles J. Strickler

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The state of Colorado has an extensive history of subsurface coal mining. Due to the widespread extraction of coal, numerous subsidence events have occurred, causing both costly and potentially dangerous conditions. The two most common types of underground coal mines in Colorado are slope and shaft mines, which are prone to roof collapse that can propagate to the surface in the form of sinkholes and troughs. Sinkholes and troughs can occur over prolonged periods of time or as instantaneous events, which may leave landowners little reaction time and expensive repairs. As of January 2010, no spatial database existed that covered …

Creating A Habitat Suitability Index Model For Argali Sheep (Ovis Ammon), And Siberian Ibex (Capra Sibirica) In Ikh Nartin Reserve, Mongolia, Nanette Bragin

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Mongolia is a country with a park system of protected areas, preserving native flora and fauna. In order to inform decision makers about the status of endangered species and park land health, two species of concern, the Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) and Siberian ibex Capra siberica) in the Ikh Nart Reserve in Mongolia were studied. A Habitat Suitability Index Model was developed to study the Argali and ibex habitat preference and discern if the reserve and core zone offer optimal habitat. A total of 57 animals were examined, creating 95% and 50% home range kernels, and minimum convex polygons. The …

Using Gis To Determine Wind Harvesting Potential To Help Offset Boulder County's Yearly Energy Usage To Become A More Sustainable County, Pete Coventry

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

This project focuses on Boulder County, Colorado as a case study to demonstrate how a Geographic Information System (GIS) can identify potential wind harvesting areas. A step by step demonstration will illustrate the steps needed to determine such harvesting areas and their wind potential. Once potential wind harvesting areas have been identified, concluding analysis will determine the amount of energy generated in efforts to offset current energy use. Harvesting wind has dated back to the 7^th century and is looked at as a mature technology (Edwards 2003). Over the past few decades, public attitudes towards wind harvesting is becoming …

The Expressed Emotion Of Mothers Of Children With Fragile X Syndrome, Jeanine M. Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A review of the literature revealed that mothers with children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) face many challenges, including managing their child's behavior which is a defining characteristic of children with FXS (Epstein, Riley, & Sobesky, 2002). Parents and professionals have become increasingly aware through research and everyday experiences that children with FXS are often overly sensitive to multiple stimuli (Hagerman, 1999; Hagerman & Hagerman, 2002; Miller et al., 1999). This overstimulation often leads to behavioral challenges that are characterized by tantrums, angry outbursts, and other forms of aggression. Additionally, mothers of children with FXS have their own personal challenges …

Addressing Relational Aggression: Assessing The Merits Of Coeducational And Gender-Specific Bullying Prevention Programs, Rena Dulberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interviews with eight bullying prevention program directors from around the country reveal the extent to which research findings are reflected in bullying prevention programs currently in operation. Framed as a list of best practices for coeducational and gender-specific bullying prevention curricula, the purpose of the present thesis was to document the most positive contributions made by various approaches to bullying prevention programs to the overall field, and to highlight practices of programs that reflect insight into what is known about gender differences in bullying. Best practices included new approaches to empathy-building, service-learning, confidentiality, cyberbullying, positive reinforcement, reporting systems and youth-driven …