Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Crossing The Water And Keeping The Faith: Haitian Religion In Miami (North American Religions), Terry Rey, Alex Stepick

Alex Stepick

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, significant numbers of Haitian immigrants began to arrive and settle in Miami. Overcoming some of the most foreboding obstacles ever to face immigrants in America, they, their children, and now their grandchildren, as well as more recently arriving immigrants from Haiti, have diversified socioeconomically. Together, they have made South Florida home to the largest population of native-born Haitians and diasporic Haitians outside of the Caribbean and one of the most significant Caribbean immigrant communities in the world. Religion has played a central role in making all of this happen. Crossing the Water …

Do Political Parties Matter For Turnout? Number Of Parties, Electoral Rules And Local Elections In Brazil And Bolivia, Carew Boulding, David Brown

David C. Brown

Does the number of political parties influence voter turnout in developing democracies? Some scholars argue that large party systems facilitate matching voter preferences with a specific party, increasing turnout. Others argue multiparty systems produce too many alternatives, decreasing turnout. In developing democracies, there is debate over whether these institutions matter at all. We argue that party systems do matter for turnout in developing countries, but the relationship between turnout and the number of political parties is conditional on the electoral formula. Under proportional representation systems, large numbers of parties increase turnout. Under winner take all systems, large numbers of parties …

Penal Culture And Hyperincarceration: The Revival Of The Prison, Alex Steel, Chris Cunneen, David Brown, Eileen Baldry, Melanie Schwartz, Mark Brown

David C. Brown

What are the various forces influencing the role of the prison in late modern societies? What changes have there been in penality and use of the prison over the past 40 years that have led to the re-valorization of the prison? Using penal culture as a conceptual and theoretical vehicle, and Australia as a case study, this book analyses international developments in penality and imprisonment. Authored by some of Australia’s leading penal theorists, the book examines the historical and contemporary influences on the use of the prison, with analyses of colonialism, post colonialism, race, and what they term the ‘penal/colonial …

Minority Stress Theory: An Examination Of Factors Surrounding Sexual Risk Behavior Among Gay And Bisexual Men Who Use Club Drugs, Michael Dentato, Perry Halkitis, John Orwat

John Orwat

Background: Few studies have examined the impact of minority stress theory (MST) upon sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual men using club drugs. Similar studies have focused on ethnic minorities and women; however, gay and bisexual men demonstrate greater likelihood for risk behaviors leading to HIV/AIDS. Objective: This study examines sexual risk behavior from the perspective of minority stress theory upon substance-using gay and bisexual men and their partners. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression analysis examined minority stress associations with participant sexual risk behaviors, drug use, and partner type, controlling for demographics. Results: 396 gay and 54 bisexual respondents, ages …

Open Access And The Institutional Repository, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Julia Lovett

Slides and other materials from a presentation at the conference Querying the Library: Digitization and Its Impact, sponsored by the James P. Adams Library at Rhode Island College. The conference took place on May 31, 2013. A video of the presentation is available at http://digitalcommons.ric.edu/ql/2013/QTL_May31/5/.

Abstract of the presentation reads: "This panel will discuss the efforts to pass a Harvard-style Open Access Policy at URI which will enable faculty authors to retain the rights to their articles even if they subsequently sign away their copyright to a journal."

University Of Rhode Island Open Access Policy, Andrée Rathemacher, Julia Lovett

Julia Lovett

These are the Powerpoint slides for a presentation on the University of Rhode Island Open Access Policy to the University of Rhode Island Dean's Council on October 23, 2013.

Open Access At Uri: Exciting Opportunities For Faculty, Researchers, And Grad Students, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Julia Lovett

Slides from a presentation, "Open Access at URI: Exciting Opportunities for Faculty, Researchers, and Grad Students" offered at the University of Rhode Island Libraries on October 8 and October 21, 2013.

"Open Access provides you with the opportunity to increase your readership and your scholarly impact, and also improves your access to scholarly information. The DigitalCommons@URI is part of an international effort to increase access to scholarly articles, theses, and dissertations. Come learn about the benefits of open access for your research and how to comply with URI's Open Access policies."

Part of the University Libraries' Search Savvy Seminar series.

Open Access Policy At The University Of Rhode Island, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Julia Lovett

Materials related to a "Lightning Talk" presentation on the University of Rhode Island Open Access Policy, given at the NETSL Annual Spring Conference in Worcester, MA, April 12, 2013.

Ieee Istas13- People As Sensors: The Social Implications Of Living In A Smart World, Alexander Hayes, Katina Michael, Nick Rheinberger

Alexander Hayes Mr.

What is the technological trajectory of people wearing sensors? What are the benefits, risks and costs? What is the vibe going to be like at ISTAS13 with people like Marvin Minsky and Ray Kurzweil attending? What do you hope to gain from the meeting? Can we foresee a time that all glasses will be embedded with sensors? What are the implications? E.g. in the higher education sector? What about the gathering of evidence by law enforcement? What is point of eye?

Workshop | Body Worn Video Recorders: The Socio-Technical Implications Of Gathering Direct Evidence, Katina Michael, Alexander Hayes

Alexander Hayes Mr.

- From in-car video recording to body-worn video recording

- Exploring available technologies: how do they work, pros and cons

- Storing direct evidence in secure storage: factors to consider

- Citizens “shooting” back with POV tech – what are their rights?

- Crowdsourced sousveillance- harnessing public data for forensic profiling

- Police force policies and practices on the application of new media

Reflections From The Wearable Computing Conference In Toronto, Canada, Nick Rheinberger, Katina Michael, Alexander Hayes

Alexander Hayes Mr.

Could sports men and women who are monitored using wearable computers actually be playing to a global theatre to ensure the upkeep of their performance benchmarks instead of consciously watching and reacting to what is happening in the game they are playing? What are the social implications of heart rate monitors and GPS units now embedded into player clothing? What were some of the reflections from the IEEE ISTAS13 meeting on Wearable Computers in Every Day Life? What were some of the main messages that you walked away with from that conference? What made the greatest impression on us was …

Improving Food Safety Through Self-Regulation: Exploring The Applicability Of The Hazard Analysis And Critical Control Points (Haccp) System To The Spinach And Peanut Industries, A. Bryce Hoflund, Michelle Pautz

Michelle Pautz

Abstract: Recent years have seen a plethora of incidents in the United States that have called attention to food safety, including spinach, peanut, lettuce, and ground beef recalls. Unsurprisingly in the wake of these recalls, the propensity has been to advocate for additional government regulation. This proclivity begs the question, however, is more reform what is needed? The food safety regulatory system in the U.S. is massive and fragmented; are more regulations the answer to ensuring the safety of food? Skeptics may argue that the only way to ensure the food processing industry is kept in line is through rigid …

Making Keywords Work: Connecting Patrons To Resources Through Enhanced Bibliographic Records, Mina Chercourt, Lauren Marshall

Mina Chercourt

Libraries seek methods of maximizing users' discovery of relevant resources. One of these methods is to enhance bibliographic records with tables of contents. Limited previous research has shown a positive correlation between record enhancement and circulation, but the costs for enhancement can vary widely. The authors present their research in which they examined circulation statistics after retrospectively enhancing records for anthologies of literature with low prior circulation. Results indicate that circulation increased for some subject areas, but not others. The authors conclude that this service is of value to our users, and discuss the issues of costs and selection of …

Teaching Threshold Concepts: Practical Plans For Meaningful Instruction In Information Literacy, Gayle Schaub, Hazel Mcclure, Patricia Bravender

Gayle Schaub

With the unique constraints that instruction librarians face in the classroom, we often rely on point-and-click instruction sessions that do not always communicate essential information literacy concepts. This program identifies key threshold and core concepts and correlates them with ACRL information literacy standards. The presenters highlight lesson plans that promote critical thinking and engaged learning and offer an opportunity for participants to collaborate in the creation of a standard-aligned lesson plan.

Underclaiming And Overclaiming, Sachin Pandya, Peter Siegelman

Peter Siegelman

Arguments that we have too much litigation (overclaiming) or too little (underclaiming) cannot be valid without estimating how many of the undecided claims that are brought (actual claims) or not brought (potential claims) have or lack legal merit. We identify the basic conceptual structure of such underclaiming and overclaiming arguments, which entails inferences about the distribution of actual or potential claims by their probability of success on the merits within a claims-processing institution. We then survey the available methods for estimating claim merit.

Going Pro: Success Stories, Ashley Dupuy, Eli Arnold, Casey Long, Oscar Gittemeier, Traci Drummond

Eli Arnold

“Going Pro: Success Stories” is the third and final installment of Atlanta Emerging Librarians' 3-part series on becoming a professional librarian.This event will focus on stories from the front with five successful librarians sharing their experiences, insights, and advice. Our panelists include librarians and archivists from academic and public libraries.

Paying It Forward...And Backward, Rita Spisak, Eli Arnold, Sandra Barclay, Linda Golian-Lui, Michael Luther

Eli Arnold

Sturgis Library recently started a Mentorship Program concurrently with the hiring of 5 librarians. Paired with veterans, mentees met regularly (as a group & one-on-one) with mentors to get a feel for the culture of the library & advice on librarianship.

Concepts Of Illness Among The Swahili Of Lamu, Kenya, Rebecca Gearhart, Munib Abdulrehman

Rebecca Gearhart

Research On Second Language Teacher Motivation: From A Vygotskian Activity Theory Perspective, Tae-Young Kim, Qian-Mei Zhang

Dr. Tae-Young Kim (김태영, 金兌英)

Second language (L2) teachers’ motivation has considerable influence on their students’ L2 learning motivation, personal satisfaction, and fulfillment. It has important influence on national educational reform and development. Although a number of studies have examined teachers’ motivation to teach, to date, few have focused on L2 teacher motivation. Based on the limitations identified in previous research, this paper articulates the inherent complexities of L2 teacher motivation and identifies its dynamic characteristics from the perspective of Vygotskian Activity Theory (AT). With a concise overview of AT, this paper elaborates on the applicability and relevance of AT to L2 teachers’ motivation by …

Dynamics Of Rural Labour Markets: Evidence From Longitudinal Panel Data In India, A Amarender Reddy

A Amarender Reddy

Given the slow structural transformation of employment in rural areas in India, this paper tries to probe into the structural transformation in semi-arid tropics of India, by using high frequency longitudinal panel data from 1975 to 2010. The results show that, up to early 1980s, structural transformation was very slow and most of the workers dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Most of the workers are spent more days in self-employment in agriculture with very few days in paid work. Both men and women have more leisure time during the 1970s compared to early 2000s. However, from 2001 onwards, there …

Why Do Small Dogs Have So Many Psychological Problems?, Harold Herzog

Harold Herzog, PhD

A Multivariate Analysis Of The Causal Flow Between Renewable Energy Consumption And Gdp In Tunisia, Maamar Sebri, Ousama Ben Salha

Maamar Sebri

No abstract provided.

Deciphering The Phenomenon Of Elite Corruption In Africa, Segun Oshewolo, Babatunde Durowaiye

Segun Oshewolo

Development challenges transverse the countries of Africa. This explains why the continent has progressed with comparative slowness in the global community. Among these challenges, the phenomenon of elite corruption proves to be one of the most potent. The paper offers a flash of intellectual insight that simultaneously distils the conceptual orientation of the phenomenon of elite corruption and also unravels its various dimensions in the African context. To achieve the latter goal, the paper adopts the theory of rent-seeking. The theory does not only expose the conspiracy to perpetuate poverty by elites, it also reveals the mechanisms for achieving that …

Individual And Society: Sociological Social Psychology, Lizabeth A. Crawford, Katherine B. Novak

Katherine B. Novak

Las Fiestas De Diciembre, Fernando Carrión Mena Arq.

Fernando Carrión Mena

El mes de diciembre es para los habitantes de Quito un mes lleno de fiestas; se inicia con los festejos de la ciudad, sigue con los de Navidad y culmina con los de Año Nuevo. Todas estas fiestas tienen una carga simbólica de singular importancia para la sociedad: son una forma de romper la vida cotidiana para repensarse desde sus cimientos: la fundación española de la ciudad, el natalicio de Jesús y el fin de año que es la búsqueda de un nuevo amanecer. Es decir, todas estas fiestas están vinculadas a la cultura de la sociedad –no del Estado …

The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Strategies And Analysis Of Current Challenges, Lasantha Meegahapola, Lanka Udawatta, Sanjeeva Witharana

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

This paper presents different roots of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) strategies and challenges faced in terms of efficiency and economy of OTEC plants. The conversion strategies primarily focus on open cycle, closed cycle and hybrid plants. The efficiency studies mainly skew towards the effect of plant distance and thermal gradient towards plant efficiency. The economic analysis is based upon the effect of per unit cost for OTEC plant together with other important considerations such as Plant Factor (PF) and offshore distance, which determine the cost of power generation. Some illustrative examples are also provided using the derived equations under …

Impact Of Wind Generator Control Strategies On Flicker Emission In Distribution Networks, Lasantha Meegahapola, Sarath Perera

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

Renewable power generators are increasingly being integrated to electricity networks to achieve future renewable energy targets in power generation. In particular, wind power generation has already reported substantial penetration levels in electricity networks. Traditionally, flicker phenomenon is considered to be one of the power quality issues in power distribution networks due to fluctuating consumer loads connected to the network. Large-scale integration of wind power generators may create significant voltage fluctuations in distribution feeders due to stochastic and intermittent nature of the wind resources. This study aims to investigate and characterize the flicker emission under different control strategies for DFIG based …

Impact Of Wind Generation Mix On Transient Stability For An Interconnected Power System, Lasantha Meegahapola, Damian Flynn, Jason Kennedy, Tim Littler

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

The rapid growth of wind generation in many European countries is pushing power systems into uncharted territory. As additional wind generators are installed, the changing generation mix may impact on power system stability. This paper adopts the New England 39 bus system as a test system for transient stability analysis. Thermal generator models are based on a likely future plant mix for existing systems, while varying capacities of fixed-speed induction generators (FSIG) and doubly-fed induction generators (DFIG) are considered. The main emphasis here has been placed on the impact of wind technology mix on inter-area oscillations following transient grid disturbances. …

Characterisation Of Flicker Emission And Propagation In Distribution Networks With Bi-Directional Power Flows, D Perera, L Meegahapola, S Perera, P Ciufo

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

With the increasing penetration levels of intermittent and fluctuating energy sources such as wind generating systems in the electricity grid, resulting voltage fluctuations and flicker can be expected to become an important power quality considerations. Due to significant bidirectional power flows resulting from large renewable power generation systems connected to downstream, voltage fluctuations may propagate from downstream to upstream. The work presented in this paper investigates and characterises flicker emission and propagation resulting from fluctuating generating sources connected to a distribution network. Mathematical models are developed for flicker emission under different generator control strategies and flicker propagation to upstream network. …

Comparative Analysis Of Dynamic Line Rating Models And Feasibility To Minimise Energy Losses In Wind Rich Power Networks, Mathew Simms, Lasantha Meegahapola

Dr Lasantha G Meegahapola

Wind power generation has indicated an exponential increase during last two decades and existing transmission network infrastructure is increasingly becoming inadequate to transmit remotely generated wind power to load centres in the network. The dynamic line rating (DLR) is one of the viable solutions to improve the transmission line ampacity during high wind penetration without investing on an additional transmission network. The main objective of this study is to identify the basic differences between two main line rating standards, since transmission network service providers (TNSPs) heavily depend on these two standards when developing their line rating models. Therefore, a parameter …