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Georgia State University

2006

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Articles 1 - 30 of 149

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Glucose Modulation Of The Septo-Hippocampal System: Implications For Memory, Desiree Lynne Krebs-Kraft Dec 2006

Glucose Modulation Of The Septo-Hippocampal System: Implications For Memory, Desiree Lynne Krebs-Kraft

Psychology Dissertations

Extensive evidence suggests that glucose has both positive and negative effects on memory and these effects likely involve an influence on the brain. For instance, direct infusions of glucose into the septum (MS) or hippocampus can enhance or impair memory. The present set of experiments attempted to determine the different conditions that dissociate the memory-enhancing and -impairing effects of glucose in rats. Specifically, these experiments examined the effects of glucose in spontaneous alternation, a measure of spatial working memory and shock avoidance, an index of emontional long-term memory. The results showed that the memory-impairing effects of MS infusions of glucose …

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The Political Use Of "Family Values" Rhetoric, Elizabeth Caroline Powell Dec 2006

The Political Use Of "Family Values" Rhetoric, Elizabeth Caroline Powell

Communication Theses

The bipartisan political slogan “family values,” coupled with discourse surrounding the supposed breakdown of the American family, is a rhetorical move used by political agencies in an effort to excuse the socio-economic failings in America and to reassign responsibility for these failings to the private sphere. This rhetoric tends to promote the idealized nuclear family, while marginalizing the poor and non-traditional family groups.

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The Relation Between Self-Report Mindfulness And Performance On Tasks Of Attention, Stefan Kennedy Schmertz Dec 2006

The Relation Between Self-Report Mindfulness And Performance On Tasks Of Attention, Stefan Kennedy Schmertz

Psychology Theses

The present study examined the relation between self-report mindfulness and performance on tasks measuring abilities for three aspects of attention: sustained, selective, and attention switching. Because attention regulation has been described as a core component of mindfulness, and past research suggests that experience with mindfulness meditation is associated with improved attentional skills, the present study predicted that higher self-report mindfulness would be positively related to performance on tasks of attention. Fifty undergraduate students completed self-report mindfulness questionnaires and completed a battery of attention tasks. There was mixed support for the relation between mindfulness scores and sustained attention, such that higher …

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Older Adults' Satisfaction With Physical Therapists' Communication And Physical Therapy Treatment, Neela M. Lakatoo Dec 2006

Older Adults' Satisfaction With Physical Therapists' Communication And Physical Therapy Treatment, Neela M. Lakatoo

Gerontology Theses

Little research documents the impact of communication on the relationship between the physical therapist and the older patient. As key health professionals, physical therapists need to know the degree to which a therapeutic relationship is occurring with the older adults they treat, and what aspects of the communication process can be improved to effectively meet the needs of this unique patient population. This exploratory study examines the relationships between older adults’ perceptions of physical therapists’ patient-centered communication (PCC), and their satisfaction with communication and physical therapy treatment (SPT). The sample consisted of 40 participants from 4 different physical therapy sites, …

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Getting By Gatekeepers: Transmen's Dialectical Negotiations Within Psychomedical Institutions, Elroi Waszkiewicz Dec 2006

Getting By Gatekeepers: Transmen's Dialectical Negotiations Within Psychomedical Institutions, Elroi Waszkiewicz

Sociology Theses

Transsexuality remains grounded in pathologizing discourses. Mental health professionals largely classify transgender experiences as disorders, and transgender people seeking to alter their bodies typically must obtain authenticating letters from therapists verifying such diagnoses. Physicians usually require these letters to perform transition-related services, and sometimes require additional legitimization. In these ways, psychomedical professionals impose gatekeeping measures that withhold and confer services to transsexuals who desire medical transition. Using qualitative interview data and grounded theory methods with 20 female-to-male transsexuals, this study demonstrates that transmen typically represent informed consumers whom carefully research psychomedical protocol and anticipate providers’ adherence to professional standards. When …

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The Rhetoric Of Volunteerism: Strategies To Recruit And Retain Volunteers In Nonprofit Organizations, Terry Bell Woods Dec 2006

The Rhetoric Of Volunteerism: Strategies To Recruit And Retain Volunteers In Nonprofit Organizations, Terry Bell Woods

Communication Theses

This study analyzes the rhetorical strategies of an international public service organization. Drawing upon narrative criticism, volunteer related literatures of the Continental Societies, Inc. were studied in order to gauge their rhetorical efficacy in light of the existing literature on nonprofit organizations and volunteerism. By analyzing the organization’s literatures – their “story” – it was discovered that part of it was missing. In an attempt to fill this void, more effective materials related to volunteer recruitment and retention have been created to exemplify greater narrative fidelity, along with recommended organizational transformations that create a better fit between these “stories” and …

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Excellence In Incompetence: The Daily Show Creates A Moment Of Zen, Megan Turley Hodgkiss Dec 2006

Excellence In Incompetence: The Daily Show Creates A Moment Of Zen, Megan Turley Hodgkiss

Communication Theses

Jon Stewart, the anchor and purveyor of “fake news,” has catapulted television's The Daily Show into prominence. The show functions as both a source of political humor and a vehicle for political commentary. This thesis explores how the program visually and rhetorically problematizes the hegemonic model of traditional television news, and how it tips the balance between what is considered serious news and what has become cliché about the broadcast industry.

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Stand By Your Man, Redneck Woman: Towards A Historical View Of Country Music Gender Roles, Cenate Pruitt Dec 2006

Stand By Your Man, Redneck Woman: Towards A Historical View Of Country Music Gender Roles, Cenate Pruitt

Sociology Theses

Country music, considered a uniquely American musical genre, has been relatively under-researched compared to rock and rap music. This thesis proposes research into the topic of country music, specifically the ways which country music songs portray gender. The thesis uses Billboard chart data to determine commercially successful songs, and performs a content analysis on the lyrics of these songs. I will select songs from a fifty year period ranging from 1955 to 2005, so as to allow for a longitudinal study of potential changes in presentation. Attention will be focused on the lyrical descriptions of men and women and how …

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Investigating The Utility Of The Film War Zone As A Component Of A Street Harassment Prevention Program, Doyanne A. Darnell Dec 2006

Investigating The Utility Of The Film War Zone As A Component Of A Street Harassment Prevention Program, Doyanne A. Darnell

Psychology Theses

Street harassment, the sexual harassment by strangers in public places, is a common experience shared by many women and has been linked with other forms of sexual victimization. The negative impact of street harassment, such as fear and behavior to avoid being harassed, points to the need for preventing the behavior. This study sought to determine whether the documentary-style film War Zone may be effective in impacting men’s attitudes toward street harassment, and whether the effectiveness of the film would depend on men’s hostility toward women and level of peer acceptance for street harassment. Findings do not support the effectiveness …

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Communicating Cosmopolitanism:An Analysis Of The Rhetoric Of Jimmy Carter, Vaclav Havel, And Edward Said, Rasha I. Ramzy Dec 2006

Communicating Cosmopolitanism:An Analysis Of The Rhetoric Of Jimmy Carter, Vaclav Havel, And Edward Said, Rasha I. Ramzy

Communication Dissertations

This project explores how cosmopolitan personas rhetorically negotiate the space between local and global, discursively tying people to the national as well as to the global or transnational. It examines the possible co-existence of cosmopolitanism and nationalism while identifying how each is articulated in response to the other. As global networks become increasingly complex, rethinking borders and how they are articulated is essential. Can a quintessential cosmopolitan also be a public nationalist? Are cosmopolitan discourses compromised by their presumed lack of attachment to the local? To what extent and with what success are cosmopolitanism and nationalism siultaneously articulated? In order …

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Spatial Analysis Of Substantiated Child Maltreatment In Metro Atlanta, Georgia, Yueqin Zhou Dec 2006

Spatial Analysis Of Substantiated Child Maltreatment In Metro Atlanta, Georgia, Yueqin Zhou

Geosciences Theses

Identifying high-risk areas for child maltreatment to ultimately aid public health agencies for interventions is necessary for protecting children at high risk. Rates of substantiated neglect and physical/emotional abuse in 2000-2002 are computed for the census tracts in the urban area of five counties in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, and analyzed using spatial regression to determine their relationships with twelve risk variables computed from the Vital Records births and the 2000 Census data. After accounting for multicollinearity among risk variables and spatial autocorrelation among observations for neighboring locations, it is found that high percentages of (1) births to non-married mothers, (2) …

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Understanding Access To Essential Pharmaceuticals During A Public Health Crisis, Andrew Jessen Dec 2006

Understanding Access To Essential Pharmaceuticals During A Public Health Crisis, Andrew Jessen

Political Science Theses

Despite the benefits of antiretroviral therapy in treating HIV/AIDS, government responses have varied substantially, from provisions guaranteeing nearly universal access to insufficient provisions providing almost no access. This research seeks to specifically examine primary explanations, such as economic capacity, and emerging explanations, such as the role of electoral accountability and the presence of stigma, and the coordination between the epistemic community and political leadership as potential causes for the variance in the government provision. By controlling for state economic capacity, this research furthers the importance of examining other explanations for state response in light of a public health crisis. While …

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Museums In The Age Of Neoliberalism: A Multi-Sited Analysis Of Science And Health Museums., Taren Laine Dailey Dec 2006

Museums In The Age Of Neoliberalism: A Multi-Sited Analysis Of Science And Health Museums., Taren Laine Dailey

Anthropology Theses

In this thesis, I explore the variety of ways museums operate in a neoliberal, global economy. I describe interactions between museums, people, governments and money. These articles examine the different dimensions and connections between these discursive relationships, such as the ways in which museums work for and also work with governments, schools, tourists and local citizens in their communities. Additionally, I discuss my experiences as an anthropologist who is studying institutions controlled by elites. I use Larua Nader's (1969) theory of "studying up," to describe how anthropolotists must be increasingly flexible when researching museums in the age of neoliberalism. I …

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Paleoecological Reconstructions Of The South African Plio-Pleistocene Based On Low-Magnification Dental Microwear Of Fossil Primates., Brian D. Carter Dec 2006

Paleoecological Reconstructions Of The South African Plio-Pleistocene Based On Low-Magnification Dental Microwear Of Fossil Primates., Brian D. Carter

Anthropology Theses

Cercopithecines are common in hominid producing deposits and are a useful proxy for determining the ecological context of the early hominids. For this study, dental microwear is examined through low-magnification stereomicroscopy and used to reconstruct the diets of sampled primates. Those from the earliest sites, predominantly Parapapio, are primarily frugivorous while the incidence of gramnivory increases in the later Dinopithecus, Gorgopithecus, and Papio individuals denoting a general cooling and drying trend over the South African Plio-Pleistocene with a distinct pulse between 1.9-1.8 million years ago (mya). Australopithecus is reconstructed as a primary gramnivore which indicates that hominids adapted early in …

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Predicting Support For Government Action To Reduce Inequality, Adam James Darnell Dec 2006

Predicting Support For Government Action To Reduce Inequality, Adam James Darnell

Psychology Dissertations

The current degree of economic inequality in the US is the largest it has been since prior to the Great Depression and growing. Economic inequality is linked to mortality, social capital, interpersonal trust, and democratic participation, beyond the effects of poverty. Two main constructs are reviewed as predictors of support for efforts to reduce inequality: 1) distributive justice norms (equity and equality of outcome), and 2) causal attributions (individual and structural). Justification of the unequal status quo is often driven by reference to dominant cultural values personal responsibility and just deserts, which are likened to individual attributions and equity, respectively. …

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Religion And Party Realignment: Are Catholics Realigning Into The Republican Party?, Patrick Lee Burns Dec 2006

Religion And Party Realignment: Are Catholics Realigning Into The Republican Party?, Patrick Lee Burns

Political Science Theses

This thesis examines the influence of religion on party realignment in the United States focusing on Catholic voting behavior. A statistical analysis utilizing bivariate analysis and logistical regressions examines if religion and party realignment is an ecumenical trend expanding beyond Evangelicals to Catholics. It measures scientifically the party trends of the Catholic voter. With data pooled from the National Election Studies from 1960 to 2004, it tests the hypothesis that church attending Catholics are realigning over time into the Republican Party both in vote choice and party identification, because of their pro-life position on abortion. The analysis shows that church …

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Senior Multipurpose Facilities And Quality Of Life Among African American Older Adults: A Case Study, Davette A. Taylor-Harris Dec 2006

Senior Multipurpose Facilities And Quality Of Life Among African American Older Adults: A Case Study, Davette A. Taylor-Harris

Gerontology Theses

Little is known about the impact of senior multipurpose facilities on the quality of life of African American elders. This thesis examined the context of African American elders’ participation in these facilities. Qualitative methods were used. Fifteen in-depth participant interviews, one facility program coordinator interview and eighteen weeks of participant observation were completed. The principles of grounded-theory method were used during data analysis. Findings reveal that racial experiences played an important role in participants’ sense of community. Female and male participants engaged in different types of activities. While some participants reported physical improvements, all participants recounted social and emotional benefits …

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"The American Cookbook: A History" Book Review, Skye Hardesty Dec 2006

"The American Cookbook: A History" Book Review, Skye Hardesty

University Library Faculty Publications

This is a review of the book Kitchen Secrets: The Meaning of Cooking in Everyday Life by Frances Short.

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What Are We Afraid Of? A Survey Of Librarian Opinions And Misconceptions Regarding Instant Messenger., Sarah Steiner, Casey Long Dec 2006

What Are We Afraid Of? A Survey Of Librarian Opinions And Misconceptions Regarding Instant Messenger., Sarah Steiner, Casey Long

University Library Faculty Publications

Buzz about instant messaging (IM) customer service is becoming louder, both inside and outside the library field. In general, librarian opinions of IM are mixed and at times even combative. A survey was distributed to gather librarians' opinions of the usefulness of IM as compared to its feature-rich yet difficulty-prone sibling, commercial chat. Through detailed statistical analysis, this article provides an overview of trends in and opinions of IM reference, and offers analysis of its present and future in libraries.

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Maintaining Online Friendship: Cross-Cultural Analyses Of Links Among Relational Maintenance Strategies, Relational Factors, And Channel-Related Factors, Jiali Ye Dec 2006

Maintaining Online Friendship: Cross-Cultural Analyses Of Links Among Relational Maintenance Strategies, Relational Factors, And Channel-Related Factors, Jiali Ye

Communication Dissertations

Computer-mediated communication (CMC), such as electronic mail and newsgroups, is quickly becoming a pervasive interpersonal communication means. The general research purpose of the present study is to investigate the communicative strategies individuals use to maintain exclusively Internet-based friendships and the extent to which cultural, relational and channel-related factors may affect the use of these strategies. A total of 136 Chinese Internet users and 134 American Internet users completed an online survey that measured maintenance strategies that they used for sustaining a friendship that they had developed on the Internet, their online friendship relational experience (relational and partner certainty and relational …

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November/December 2006, Stall Times Nov 2006

November/December 2006, Stall Times

University Library Stall Times

No abstract provided.

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The Gig Is Up: Combating The Meanings Of Education Proffered By Science, Technology, And Global Capitalism, Deron R. Boyles Oct 2006

The Gig Is Up: Combating The Meanings Of Education Proffered By Science, Technology, And Global Capitalism, Deron R. Boyles

Educational Policy Studies Faculty Publications

Colleagues in the academy seem to have a fascination with conceptual analysis and the term “education.” Debates are held, papers are written, and symposia take place within which definitions are articulated and modulated. Whether the point is to provide narrative, stipulative, or programmatic definitions matters little to the larger point: the quest for the meaning of “education” continues. In their turns, schooling and training are contrasted with education in order to help clarify the differences in scope, purpose, and meaning of the various terms. The concepts are often qualified in discussions of literacy, socialization, and democracy, but why? Why are …

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"Smithsonian Institution Entomology Library" Review, Skye Hardesty Oct 2006

"Smithsonian Institution Entomology Library" Review, Skye Hardesty

University Library Faculty Publications

This is a review of the Smithsonian Institution Entomology Library, available at http://entomology.si.edu/.

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Casualties, Polls, And The Iraq War, Jason Reifler, Christopher Gelpi Oct 2006

Casualties, Polls, And The Iraq War, Jason Reifler, Christopher Gelpi

Political Science Faculty Publications

In their article “Success Matters: Casualty Sensitivity and the War in Iraq,” Christopher Gelpi, Peter Feaver, and Jason Reifler attempt to flush out the relationship between public opinion and the use of force as it pertains to the Iraq war.1 The authors promote the following proposition: “Our thesis is that expectations of future success are the key determinants of public casualty tolerance. That is, the U.S. public can accept that the war is not yet won and will involve continued and even mounting costs, provided that events thus far are not convincing it that eventual success is impossible” (p. 24). …

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Are Public Schools Worth Saving? If So, By Whom?, Philip Edward Kovacs Sep 2006

Are Public Schools Worth Saving? If So, By Whom?, Philip Edward Kovacs

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WORTH SAVING? IF SO, BY WHOM? by Philip Kovacs While there is a loose coalition of individuals and organizations attacking the institution of public schools, there does not appear to be a coordinated defense of public schools. Without a coordinated defense of the institution, public schools will arguably 1) grow increasingly regulated and/or 2) be shut down altogether. Given that progressive scholars believe schools should exist to maintain a pluralistic and participatory democracy, should 1) or 2) continue, the progressive goal of democracy through education becomes increasingly removed from possibility. The failure of progressive educational reformers …

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Swimming Upstream: A Study Of Black Males And The Academic Pipeline, Rhonda Dayle Wilkins Sep 2006

Swimming Upstream: A Study Of Black Males And The Academic Pipeline, Rhonda Dayle Wilkins

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT SWIMMING UPSTREAM: A STUDY OF BLACK MALES AND THE ACADEMIC PIPELINE Rhonda D. Wilkins Post secondary participation and graduation rates of Black males are declining rapidly. Black women, however, are realizing substantial growth in both of these areas and account for the majority of the increase in Black student college enrollment. This qualitative case study addresses the decline in Black male participation in higher education by focusing on six Black men who completed college programs and the academic pipeline that brought them to their degree. The purpose of the research inquiry was to determine various factors that either helped …

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Cultural Identity, Voice, And Agency In Post-Secondary Graphic Design Education: A Collective Case Study, Larry Michael Stultz Sep 2006

Cultural Identity, Voice, And Agency In Post-Secondary Graphic Design Education: A Collective Case Study, Larry Michael Stultz

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT CULTURAL IDENTITY, VOICE, AND AGENCY IN POST-SECONDARY GRAPHIC DESIGN EDUCATION: A COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY by Larry M. Stultz This study investigates areas of conflict between students’ cultural identities and the educational environment established and maintained by their faculty and school. It analyzes the usefulness and value of personal creative expression in the classroom and how treatment of cultural identity and performance influences student persistence and success. Four theoretical frameworks ground this study and comprise the majority of the relevant literature. The inquiry is framed by theories in curriculum, performance, cultural difference, and symbolic interaction. Three purposely selected students participated …

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Exploring The Efficacy Of Pre-Equating A Large Scale Criterion-Referenced Assessment With Respect To Measurement Equivalence, Christopher Stephen Domaleski Sep 2006

Exploring The Efficacy Of Pre-Equating A Large Scale Criterion-Referenced Assessment With Respect To Measurement Equivalence, Christopher Stephen Domaleski

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

This investigation examined the practice of relying on field test item calibrations in advance of the operational administration of a large scale assessment for purposes of equating and scaling. Often termed “pre-equating,” the effectiveness of this method is explored for a statewide, high-stakes assessment in grades three, five, and seven for the content areas of language arts, mathematics, and social studies. Pre-equated scaling was based on item calibrations using the Rasch model from an off-grade field test event in which students tested were one grade higher than the target population. These calibrations were compared to those obtained from post-equating, which …

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Risk And The School-To-Work Transition In East Germany And The United States., Antje Barabasch Sep 2006

Risk And The School-To-Work Transition In East Germany And The United States., Antje Barabasch

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

This study investigates how young adults in vocational education perceive risk in regard to their professional futures in East Germany and the United States. It analyzes students’ career aspirations and life plans in both countries and how they cope with uncertainties at the labor market. It further outlines underlying values, beliefs, and attitudes that guide young Americans and East Germans in their planning. Several theoretical frameworks ground this study and comprise the majority of the relevant literature. This cross-cultural comparative case study takes a mixed method approach using a concurrent triangulation design. The inquiry is framed by theories in the …

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Benefits Or Harms Of No Child Left Behind, Judy Block Sep 2006

Benefits Or Harms Of No Child Left Behind, Judy Block

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT BENEFITS OR HARMS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND by Judy Block The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reauthorizes and extensively amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and establishes control over the majority of federal programs and spending that affect public education. Embedded in the Act are various requirements that states and schools must adhere to as a condition of receiving federal education funds as well as harsh sanctions for failing to meet the requirements. No Child Left Behind notably shifts federal education policy by expanding its role into the areas of standards and assessment, …

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