Digital Commons Network^™

Regulating The Dead: Rights For The Corpse And The Removal Of San Francisco's Cemeteries, Lance Muckey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A specialized facet of American common law developed throughout the nineteenth century; that being mortuary law or the law of the corpse. This jurisprudence transferred limited property rights to dead bodies, which was a radical departure from the treatment of the dead under the English common law tradition that the United States had adopted after the American Revolution.

The dead fit into a unique category in law. Legally they do not exist and therefore have no voice. It thus falls to the state to speak for them in the form of statutes and judicial decisions, which represents a continuation of …

The Ethics Glass Ceiling: A Historical Analysis Of Actions By The U.S. House Of Representatives Committee On Ethics, Michael James Gordon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The breaking of moral and ethical codes has been with humankind since history was first recorded. As such, the public wants to know that their elected officials are held accountable and cannot disregard enshrined legal rights without incurring broader personal and societal consequences. Within the hallowed halls of government, the "unrequested" House Committee on Ethics (HCE) provides the forum of accountability.

In this qualitative, historical case study, HCE documents are analyzed and both the internal and external motivating factors behind the actions of the HCE members are examined. Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software, namely ATLAS.ti, was used to look …

Dressing Indian: Appropriation, Identity, And American Design, 1940-1968, Alison Rose Bazylinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines the ways the American fashion industry and fashion publications appropriated aspects of Indian cultures as marketing tools from 1940 to 1968 and the ways representations stereotypes created through fashion outlets denoted American and individual, rather than Native, identity. Representational stereotypes created at the turn of the twentieth century provided fashion merchandisers and sellers with a home-grown marketing scheme, while the development of an American fashion industry based on mass-produced, ready-to-wear sportswear led to nation-wide dissemination and use of "Indian" colors, patterns, and designs.

From Daimon To Demon: The Evolution Of The Demon From Antiquity To Early Christianity, Hailey Marie Fuller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the most fascinating entities of religious thought is the demon, which is still pervasive in both religious and popular culture today. The demon is something that is present not just in various religious texts, but is also a staple of the modern horror film. The question at hand in this thesis is whether or not the demon was always considered to be synonymous with evil. The demon itself has existed in religious culture and magic practice since antiquity, but most scholars tend to either ignore the entity, or conflate it with ghosts or minor gods. This thesis traces …

School Reform: Where Does Policy Come From? Where Should It Go?, Kim Karman Friel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Policy analysis helps to develop a greater understanding of societal problems and provide possible solutions for elected and non-elected government decision makers. Ultimately, the product of analysis is advice relating to public decisions and informed by social values. In light of the pressures placed on education by policy-makers concerning implementation of educational reform there are surprisingly few studies concerning the changing role of the federal government from a historical perspective. Looking at the past, with the present in mind, reminds us that the current shape of education was not inevitable.

This qualitative dissertation study analyzes the evolution of the intentions …

Reclaimed From A Contracting Zion: The Evolving Significance Of St. Thomas, Nevada, Aaron James Mcarthur

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Historians tend to treat Mormon history separately from the larger patterns of western American and U. S. history. The history of St. Thomas, Nevada, the remains of which are within the boundaries of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, show that this segregated treatment is inadequate. St. Thomas was established in 1865 by Mormon missionaries after the Mormon leader Brigham Young sent them to the Moapa Valley in what is now southern Nevada to grow cotton. The town, like a few other Mormon sites in the region, was abandoned by the LDS Church, taken up by other people, and assigned …

"So Much For Fond Five-Dollar Memories": Prostitution In Las Vegas, 1905-1955, Marie Katherine Rowley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over the fifty years examined in this thesis, the interactions between federal and local officials shaped prostitution policy in Las Vegas and Clark County. At times that federal authorities were concerned about prostitution in the county, local leaders balanced tradition and economic necessity in their responses. In the early twentieth century, prostitution's benefits to the local economy outweighed fear of federal reprisals, so local officials worked to protect the city's brothels. By the start of World War II, the federal government's increased power and presence in the West made local officials more willing to abandon the tolerance for prostitution in …

The Jasmine Revolution And The Tourism Industry In Tunisia, Mohamed Becheur

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction:

The tourism industry is one of the most important industries in the world since it employs “more than 250 million people worldwide” (Coshall, 2003, p. 4). This industry, which includes transport, lodging, and catering, is expected to generate $12,119 billion of revenues and 279,346,000 jobs in 2016 (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2006). The tourism industry worldwide is also expected to indirectly and directly contribute 10.9% to Gross Domestic Product (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2006). However, the tourism industry is an extremely sensitive and vulnerable activity which can be impacted significantly by important events such as terrorism, political insecurity, and natural disasters …

From Sin To Sickness: A Sociological History Of The Problem Gambler, Bo Jason Bernhard

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Long before medical and psychological experts determined that problem gambling qualified as a mental illness, moral experts determined that this problem could be "diagnosed" as a sin. This research examines pre-1915 gambling literature to determine the ways in which people who gambled too much were identified, named, and "treated" socially. Interestingly, virtually all of our current diagnostic criteria were identified by moral thinkers hundreds of years ago. Implications for the sociological history of problem gambling, the sociology of mental illness, and the sociology of religion and morality are discussed.

"Welcome, Fellow Toastmasters": The History And Membership Of A Public Speaking Phenomenon, Ellen Beth Levine Bremen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Since 1905, Toastmasters International (TI) serves as the most recognized organization for voluntary oral communication practice in the world. Due to the dearth of scholarly communication research regarding TI, this thesis details the history, educational structure, and program dynamics of the organization. Literature review included the nature and extent of post-secondary communication education, as well as social affiliation and leisure theories. Finally, an Internet survey of 343 international TI members revealed the demographics of the "typical" TI member: a male or female college graduate between the ages of 36--50, who works in a wide range of professions. The study also …

The Breast Feeding Practices Of Women With A History Of Breast Cancer, Lynn Ann Marlett

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive study examined the history of breast feeding experiences in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and resided in a large southwestern city. A questionnaire modified by the researcher, based on previous research regarding lactation and breast cancer was used to collect demographic data, reproductive and breast cancer histories, and breast feeding practices for each of the subjects first five pregnancies. The Neuman Systems Model was the conceptual framework for this study. Women, diagnosed with at least stage I breast cancer sometime during the last year were given a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate …

Exercising Authority: A Critical History Of Exercise Messages In Popular Magazines, 1925-1968, Dahn Edward Shaulis

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze exercise messages in American popular magazines. A critical perspective and historical sociological methods were used to examine more than 500 magazine articles published from 1925 to 1968. A common factor in many articles was the use of ideology mixes. Magazines used biomedicalization, materialism, nationalism, and patriarchy in several combinations to authorize restrictive exercise norms. Exercise norms were stratified by age, class, gender, and race, but changing ideology mixes and exercise norms often reflected changes in society. Biomedicalization authorized doctors as gatekeepers. It prescribed moderate activity for affluent men, but discouraged vigorous exercise …

A Review Of The History And Structure Of Public Speaking At Nevada Power Company: A Case Study, Julie Ann Foley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The author reviews the history and structure of public speaking at Nevada Power Company. It seeks to: (1) determine whether the principles of public speaking as described in college text books are applied in corporate training, and (2) determine the level of support given by Nevada Power to its speakers; Findings indicate that the corporations studied utilize most aspects of Neo-Aristotelian model. Much of the training deals with delivery, style, motivation and arrangement, with some attention to language. However, heavy emphasis is also placed on evidence and reasoning, with relatively little attention to speaker credibility development or emotional appeal; Corporate …

A History Of Literary Study Of The Bible, Joseph Patrick Wall

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Dogmatic biblical exegesis had a near monopoly until well into the modern era. Similarly, in academic circles, "biblical criticism" has invariably meant historical-critical study of the Bible. Both dogmatic and historical interpreters have read the Bible primarily for information--either about religion or history. The Bible's cognitive content has been primary. But now, in the latter part of the twentieth century, the intrinsic literary worth of the Bible is being widely noted; scholarly articles on the Bible regularly appear in standard literary journals; The current explosion of interest in this field may lead one to suspect 'faddism.' Nothing could be further …