Digital Commons Network^™

A Medieval Pirate's Life: The Role Of Piracy In Medieval Life Versus Its Role In Modern Historiography, Leah Lam

History ETDs

Medieval piracy is a mysterious phenomenon that is interwoven within the politics, culture, economic histories of the Middle Ages. Its presence throughout the Middle Ages is not questioned, yet it is rarely researched thoroughly. The subject of medieval piracy falls prey to the biases and assumptions that modern historians carry towards piracy as a whole, making the subject be under researched and improperly utilized. In this thesis, I will be highlighting the role that piracy played in medieval life and the way that modern historiography has neglected it. To do so thoroughly, I have pulled examples from different times, regions, …

Measurement Invariance Of Relationship Intimacy And Attachment Across Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White College Women, Kristen N. Vitek

Psychology ETDs

The study of relationship intimacy and attachment has gained increasingly greater attention within the field. As such, researchers have developed numerous self-report measures of relationship intimacy and attachment. However, a majority of such measures have been developed and validated with White, Western populations, which calls into question the validity of such measures when used with minority populations. One way to establish validity of measures is to test for measurement invariance; namely, that the measures assess the same constructs across groups. The focus of this study was to test the measurement invariance of two commonly used measures of relationship intimacy, the …

What Does Social Entrepreneurship Mean To Change Agents In New Mexico? A Phenomenographic Approach To Understanding Social Entrepreneurship, Audriana Stark

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

Social entrepreneurship has been identified as a solution to some of the world’s most pressing problems, including health, education, and environmental issues. Despite the rise in literature about social entrepreneurship, there is still a lack of understanding how place-based social entrepreneurship is being conceived and experienced by practitioners. Therefore, this study uses a phenomenographic approach to understand what social entrepreneurship means to change agents in New Mexico, a place characterized by social and economic challenges, as well as an abundance of natural and cultural resources. The findings revealed five distinct categories of description for social entrepreneurship including: Category 1. No …

“We Practice Lakota Way, But We Are Not An Indian Church”: The Diverse Ways Lakota Christians Articulate, Perform And Translate Ethnicity In Congregational Life, Kristin A. Fitzgerald

Anthropology ETDs

This study looks at articulations, performances and translations of ethnicity among urban Lakota Christians at St. Matthew’s and St. Isaac Jogues in Rapid City, South Dakota. Within the context of increased ethnic revitalization and recognition, Native American Christians are negotiating new models of ethnicity in typically Western arenas, often manifesting through actions and discourse that are ostensibly traditional. Yet even in this era of recognition, the public performance of cultural authenticity is not the only thing on people’s minds. Native people mark various practices, symbols, and persons as traditional or modern at different points in history or within different contexts …

Exploration, Disruption, Diaspora: Movement Of Nuevomexicanos To Utah, 1776-1850, Linda C. Eleshuk Roybal

American Studies ETDs

ABSTRACT

Nuevomexicano villages of northern New Mexico have experienced disruptions throughout their existence. This dissertation is a study of what occurred in early disruptions leading to the great departure of the 1940s, during World War II and immediately following, known as the New Mexico diaspora, where a number of villagers moved out of New Mexico to other states, including Utah, most expecting to settle for a time with hopes of return to their home villages. The study asks what happened especially during the great disruption, discourses of disruption and movement, what Nuevomexicanos carried with them in movement, whether they returned …

It Is More Than A Game: An Ethnography Of Communication Treatment Of Resilience As A Key Element Of Basketball Culture, Matthew Charles Higgins

Communication ETDs

This study, theoretically and methodologically grounded in the ethnography of communication (Hymes 1974; Carbaugh, 1992; Covarrubias, 2008; Philipsen, 1992; Philipsen, Coutu, & Covarrubias, 2005), investigated the relationship between communication and resilience as expressed by professional basketball players and coaches from a particular city in southwest United States, referred to as PG City. Guiding questions include: Is there a basketball culture? Does basketball constitute a speech community? How do basketball and basketball culture help players and coaches fight through adversity? What is the role of resilience within basketball culture? Interviews, using ethnography of communication approaches, were used to uncover elements …

Becoming Biculturally Competent An Autoethnographic Journey Of A Guera Woman, Bernadette M. Hall-Cuarón

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Becoming Biculturally Competent

an Autoethnographic Journey of a Güera Woman

Bernadette Hall-Cuarón

ABSTRACT

This dissertation represents a personalized account of my lived experiences and analytically describes the autoethnographic and qualitative processes of bicultural development and bicultural competency. My autoethnographic study advocates that cultural self-reflection allows for an accurate determination of one’s cultural-self and more importantly provides an instrumental passageway to cultural awareness, bicultural awareness, and proposedly bicultural competency.

Through the implementation of this qualitative research method, I explored my role as the subject, researcher, and narrator of this autoethnographic examination. This bicultural autoethnography necessitated attending to the details of genuine …

A Church’S Approach To Intercultural Communication Encounters In Short-Term Missions, Carolotta Anweiler

Communication ETDs

The prevalence of short-term mission trips by churches and/or faith-based organizations has increased tremendously (Howell & Door, 2007, Anaheier & Themudo, 2005). However, no research has been completed on the training offered to in preparation for these types of trips, specifically, training for intercultural trips. I joined a church on their short-term mission experience to examine as a participant observer how they were trained to interact with people of another cultural group and then, how the training affected the interactions on the trip.

Through the use of Grounded Theory, I examined the discourse used in the trainings offered and throughout …

Humanature Relations In Oman: Connections, Disconnections And Globalization, Maryam A. Alhinai

Communication ETDs

In this dissertation, I explore agricultural practices as a window into ecocultural communication. Using agricultural practices of villagers in Village G, Oman, as a case study, I explore the ways in which villagers and government officials conceptualize humanature relations and the forces that enhance and/or impede these relations. My specific goals for this study were: (1) to build an interpretive understanding of ecocultural orientations of villagers and officials in Oman and how they conceptualize their humanature relations; (2) to critically examine ideologies and uncover structural forces that enable/constrain humanature relations; and (3) to co-create community engagement work that honors the …

A Community Well-Being Model: Considering Audit Scores And Social Class In Non-Hispanic White And American Indian College Students, Violette Marie Cloud

Psychology ETDs

Although American Indian (AI) ethnic/racial identity and lack of social support have been linked with alcohol use problems in AI populations, little research has examined the impact of socioeconomic status, or the protective benefits of high ethnic identity with strong social connection in AI samples. This study developed and investigated a latent construct labeled community well-being (CWB) and tested it as a predictor of scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) in a sample of non-Hispanic White (NHW) and AI college students with consideration of self-reported childhood social class (birth to 18). Using structural equation modeling (SEM) this …

The Influence Of Student Characteristics On The Preferred Ways Of Learning Of Online College Students: An Examination Of Cultural Constructs, Linda Barril

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The ongoing popularity and increased availability of online college courses and programs has attracted a greater diversity of students. Along with continued female-majority enrollment, increasing numbers of students of traditional college age and students from a variety of ethnicity groups are taking online courses. The prevailing guiding assumptions that have informed much of the online pedagogical and instructional practices have primarily come from theories of adult learning, particularly andragogy, which has been heavily criticized for not acknowledging student diversity. As online education becomes ever more established in higher education, it is vital to examine the diversity of contemporary student populations …

Discourse On Gender, Religion, And Culture In Pakistani Films: A Narrative Analysis Of Contemporary Independent Films From Pakistan, Mohib Rehman

Communication ETDs

This thesis examines the discourse about gender, religion, and culture in four independent films produced in Pakistan between 2000 and 2013 to advocate for women's empowerment: Silent Water and Good Morning Karachi from female director Sabiha Sumar, and In the Name of God and Speak from male director Shoaib Mansoor. I analyzed plot, characterization, dialogues, and visual images to discuss how the filmmakers represented the dynamics of women's oppression, struggle against oppressive agents, and options or solutions for women's empowerment. Further, this project explored the ideological implications of the narratives constructed in the films within the Pakistani society in the …

Cultural Competency In The Dental Hygiene Curricula: A Survey, Christina Calleros

Dental Hygiene ETDs

As the population of the nation becomes more diverse, dental hygiene programs must ensure graduates are receiving cultural competency training in entry-level educational programs. The purpose of this study was to establish a baseline for what topics of cultural competency training are or are not being incorporated into dental hygiene schools and to determine if differences exist between topics covered amongst the types of degree-granting institutions. Topics were investigated via survey instrument and data was collected from 76 U.S dental hygiene program directors. Results of this study emphasized the similarities between entry-level dental hygiene programs and illustrated a lack of …

Culture And Coping: A Qualitative Study Of A Sri Lankan Village Post Tsunami, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Damien Sanchez, Piyadasa Kodituwakku, Michael Hollifield, Chandanie Hewage, Kalum Bopagoda, Krishantha Weerarathnege

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

On the tenth anniversary of the Tsunami on December 26, 2014, Sri Lankan newspapers highlighted the issues that still prevail in Peraliya and other tsunami affected regions in Sri Lanka such as unresolved housing problems, displacement from homes near the ocean, poor infrastructure, and loss of livelihood (Hussain, December 26, 2014, p. AA1), and at the same time commemorated “the resilience of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who rose from the debris and the carnage, picked up the pieces and soldiered on amidst the tears and the pain” (Editorial, Sunday Times, December 21, 2014, p. 12). A …

How To Design Culturally Inclusive Online Learning Experiences, Casey Frechette, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Ludmila Layne

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

In this paper, we argue that adapting online courses for specific cultural groups takes time-intensive guesswork. Instead, instructional designers should employ the principles of universal design and social constructivism to build a course culture inclusive of all learners. Culture affects learners’ experiences in important, interconnected ways. Yet, it is equally difficult to predict culture’s effects on learning (Guild & Garger, 2016). These difficulties stem from the inherent complexity in human behavior. First, individuals may not reflect their cohort, especially when they belong to groups with conflicting values. Second, beliefs can influence one another in unforeseeable ways, and cultural values can …

Discrimination, Substance Use, And Cultural Buffers Among Native American College Students, Brenna L. Greenfield

Psychology ETDs

The negative effects of racial discrimination and microaggressions on health have been consistently documented, but only a handful of studies have examined this topic among Native Americans. The goal of this study was to test the Indigenist Stress-Coping Model (Walters, Simoni, & Evans-Campbell, 2002) among Native American college students attending two post-secondary institutions in the Southwestern United States. It was hypothesized that microaggressions would be positively related to substance use, and that cultural factors would attenuate the strength of this relationship. A total of 347 participants (65% female) completed a one-time online survey that included the Microaggressions Scale, the Actualization …

Through Their Own Eyes: Exploring New Mexico High School Students' Perceptions Of The Influences On Their Food Practices, Lynn Marie Walters

Communication ETDs

This project explores New Mexico high school students' perceptions of the influences on their food practices, with a particular focus on how family, culture, interpersonal communication, and cooking influence dietary habits. In light of changes in food practices that have led to unhealthy dietary habits, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of the interplay between food, culture, and communication in order to inform health communication and nutrition education interventions and public policy strategies to promote healthy eating behavior among young people. The theoretical framework of this research is grounded in health communication theoyr--with the socio-ecological model as a …

Material Embodiments, Queer Visualities: Presenting Disability In American Public History, Andrew B. Marcum

American Studies ETDs

This dissertation examines the presentation of disability at three of the most popular sites for the consumption of public history in the United States including the U.S. Capitol, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. I de-construct the cultural and historical narratives and discourses of disability circulating at these sites and offer a visual culture analysis of the images, artifacts, and statuary found at each of them. My study is informed principally by the theories and methods of queer disability studies, visual culture studies, and cultural studies critiques of neoliberalism. I consider how …

Building On The Past, Facing The Future: Renewing The Creative Economy Of New Mexico, Jeffrey Mitchell, Gillian Joyce

BBER Publications

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs commissioned UNMs Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) to study the role of arts and cultural industries in the New Mexico (NM) economy. This study resulted in a report that reviews the economic impact of these 'creative' industries, discusses the challenges and opportunities they face, and concludes with policy recommendations. BBER researchers found that these industries employ over 43,000 persons in NM, pay $1.37 billion in wages and salaries, and generate $137.1 million in state and local government revenues. The study used a broad definition of 'arts and culture' to include persons …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Language, Culture, Safety, And Training In The Construction Workforce In New Mexico, Luis Guillermo Amezcua

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The purpose of safety training is to avoid or at least decrease the number of work-related accidents and deaths. This study was concerned with the role that native language plays in effective training of adult construction workers in New Mexico. Specifically, this study examined workers and trainers' perceptions of the effectiveness of safety training as these perceptions relate to language and cultural considerations. Bilingual safety training is often ineffective because the trainers are limited in their use of the second language. In some cases, individuals without a true grasp of the second language become trainers due to the large demand …

Globalization, Culture, And Online Distance Learning, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Globalization, the Internet, and access to telecommunication networks have increased the demand for education and educational quality across the globe. The reasons for this demand explains Carnoy (2005) are two-fold: The first is economic, the rising payoffs to higher education in a global, science-based, knowledge intensive economy make university training more of a “necessity” to get “good” jobs, which in turn, changes the stakes at lower levels of schooling and the demand for high-quality secondary schools. The second reason is socio-political: Demographics and democratic ideals increase pressure on universities to provide access to groups that traditionally have not attended university. …

Attention To Sport In A Globalizing World: A Cross-National Analysis, Andrew Breidenbach

Sociology ETDs

Throughout the last century, sports have become more important than ever to individuals around the world. This project seeks to explore and help explain variation in attention to sport among 34 countries in 2007 using two theories about world development coupled with modernization- and globalization-related arguments. The aim is to show how the host of concepts contained within these theories can be used cohesively to help understand world regional and national differences in participation and viewing rates, as well as the motives which drive these forms of attention to sport. The project seeks to push predominant development theories to consider …

Identification Of Genes Required For Differentiation Of Quiescent And Nonquiescent Cells In Stationary Phase Cultures Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Elaine Manzanilla

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Cellular differentiation is an important process for the development and maintenance of an organism. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) has been successful as a tool for important discoveries relating to eukaryotic cellular processes. Stationary phase yeast cultures have been found to differentiate into two major cell types with distinct phenotypes. This genome-wide study using pooled samples of the yeast homozygous deletion set has identified over 400 genes which are important for differentiation of stationary phase yeast. These genes are predominantly involved in mitochondrial function thereby supporting our hypothesis that mitochondrial function is integral to the differentiation process. In addition, further experimentation focused …

Culture And Online Distance Learning, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Online distance learning (ODL) has become a global phenomenon transcending national, political, and geographical boundaries challenging distance educators to re-examine notions of teaching and learning and issues of culture inherent in cross-border delivery of online courses and programs. Rogers, Graham and Mayes (2007) note that the sheer amount of learning content being developed in the West (defined for this chapter as Eurocentric, North American, Australasian) and exported via the Internet to other countries, highlights the crucial need to explore questions of culture more thoroughly in our online course designs to provide a more equitable learning experience for all. Global universities …

Unesco Designates Mariachi Music As Important To World’S Intangible Cultural Patrimony, Carlos Navarro

SourceMex

No abstract provided.

Effort Emerges To Ban Bullfighting In Mexico City, Other Parts Of The Country, Carlos Navarro

SourceMex

No abstract provided.

Land, Gender, And The Politics Of Identity Formation: Uncovering Hispana/Mexicana Voices In The Southwest, Karen R. Roybal

American Studies ETDs

The southwestern United States has an exceptional history that makes the region a prime focus for study concentrating on culture, tradition, language and land. As an area closely tied to the concept of conquest, the Southwest has had its share of issues related to colonization, imperialism, Manifest Destiny, and cultural erasure. This study focuses on the Southwest as a region that is closely linked to the land as it relates to the formation of identities of its people. Mexican Americans in the Southwest have historically experienced struggle, particularly after 1848 and the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when …

Not A Cinematic Hair Out Of Place: Examinations In Identity (Transformation) As Evidenced Through Haircuts In The Crying Game, Allen Herring Iii

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

This thesis asks a question: Can transformations to a cinematic character's hair be indicative of a realignment or shifting of that character's identity? As an attempt to answer this question, I introduce three new concepts: the Opaque Movement (OM), the Transparent Violent Moment (TVM), and the Transparent Moderate Moment (TMM). All of these concepts revolve around the treatment and appearance of a character's hair within a film. In this examination, I establish a theoretical foundation for cinematic haircutting and apply the three concepts to several films. I ground the discussion in a thorough examination of The Crying Game by Neil …

Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2010, United States 111th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Claims Resolution Act of 2010, Title V: Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement of 2010 (Sec. 501) Parties: Pueblo of Taos, NM, US, Town of Taos, El Prado Water & Sanitation District, Acequia Madre del Rio Lucero y del Arroyo Seco, Acequia Madre del Prado, Acequia del Monte, Acequia Madre del Rio Chiquito, Upper Ranchitos Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn, Upper Arroyo Hondo Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn, Llano Quemado Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Assn. Federal Legislation to approve, ratify, and confirm the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement; to authorize and direct the Secretary to execute the …

A Juxtaposition Of Rational Choice And Socio-Cultural Approaches To Explain Changes In Family Size Throughout The Process Of Economic Development Using Household Survey Data From Brazil, Daniel Delfino

Economics ETDs

This research juxtaposes empirical approaches to analyze the relationship between fertility and economic development. Using household survey data from Brazil in the mid 1990s, separate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models are run that comparatively evaluate the explanatory power of divergent methods used to explain fertility in developing countries. Rational choice approaches, in the spirit of Gary S. Becker, are presented alongside approaches that account for heterogeneous socio-cultural traits to see which method explains more about family size in Brazil. The paper finds evidence to support the relevance of both the rational choice and the socio-cultural approaches to fertility studies. The …