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Sacred Loss And Moral Authority: Religious Leadership And Identity Reconstruction In Post-Conflict Societies, Kimberly C. Kennedy

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

This paper examines how religious leaders shape narratives of identity formation and reconciliation in post-civil conflict societies where violence, defeat, or political transition produces moral injury and crises of meaning. By drawing on themes of justice, forgiveness, and accountability, religious leadership can wield moral authority to influence public perception, guide healing processes, and support transitions from active conflict to more stable forms of peace. The paper explores how religious leaders reframe narratives of defeat, particularly in cases where a community’s cause was endowed with sacred meaning, creating a crisis of faith. It argues that this work is best understood as …

Intermediate College Writing: Building And Practicing Mindful Writing Skills, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 29, Issue 1 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Learning By Doing To Teach Research Skills In Econometrics, Christie Byun

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper examines a revision in an introductory econometrics course at an undergraduate liberal arts college. The instructors have incorporated extensive use of data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS), with applied examples that demonstrate econometric theory. The key element is a short empirical paper assignment in which all students work on a common research question, but with different data sets. The paper assignment includes a series of scaffolding assignments using IPUMS-CPS data. This approach has several benefits, including ease of implementation into any course that has an empirical paper component, significantly streamlined …

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Eating Disorders & Meat Consumption: A Meta-Analytic Review, Urska Dobersek, Laurel Standiford-Reyes, Tyler Robinson, Alex Antony Edwin, Sarah Siebers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In this meta-analytic review, we examined the current evidence on eating disorders in relation to meat consumption and meat abstention. We systematically searched six online databases in December 2025 for primary research on eating disorder-related variables in meat consumers and meat abstainers. Fifty-one studies with 55,984 participants (n_{meat consumers} = 44,282, n_{meat abstainers} = 9,751) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The outcomes were eating disorders and orthorexia nervosa. Meat consumption was associated with lower eating disorder (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.08, 0.32], p = .001) and orthorexia nervosa symptomology (g = 0.47, 95% CI [0.33, …

Call For Papers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction To The Fundamentals, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

Welcome to Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals, an open textbook designed for use in corequisite course pairings of developmental writing and introductory technical writing, or indeed in other lower-division college writing courses that focus on building study skills alongside effective workplace and academic writing skills. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.

This textbook is organized into units, though its chapters are modular so that instructors can select and assign readings and exercises for their particular classes rather than be tied to a fixed route …

Advanced-Level Writing In The University Classroom And Beyond: Mindful Practices For Technical, Business, And Scientific Communication, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

No abstract provided.

The Quest For Sacred Truth In A Secular Society What Is Fueling Gen Z’S Return To Faith And Church Attendance In America?, William W. Dornbush

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation investigated the Critical Research Question: What are the key external factors influencing Generation Z’s internal quest for spiritual renewal? The study examined biblical, historical, and contemporary revival movements, including the Exodus, Pentecost, the Great Awakenings, the Jesus Movement, Charismatic Renewal, Brownsville, Toronto, and Asbury, to identify recurring patterns linking external pressures to spiritual awakening. Using a qualitative design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Generation Z participants who experienced spiritual searching, renewal, or a deepened faith between 2020 and 2025, exploring how contemporary external pressures influence spiritual openness and transformation. The findings revealed six major themes: (1) …

Animating Spiritan Education Through Communities Of Practice, Steve Hansen Phd, Anne Marie Witchger Hansen Phd

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

On Stage: Startling Visibility, Operatic Drama, And George Tooker’S Un Ballo In Maschera, Alex Del Dago

Art Inquiries

As a part of its centennial advertising campaign, the Metropolitan Opera in New York commissioned the American figurative painter George Tooker (1920-2011) to create a fine art image inspired after Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera, Un Ballo in Maschera. Within the artist's composition, themes around masquerading, skepticism, and surveillance arise, all of which are common threads within both Tooker’s and Verdi’s work. Primary questions that can be asked from looking at this type of subject matter include: who is truthfully themselves, who may be someone other than they initially say they are, and most importantly, how does the ambiguity of gendered …

Band-Aids And Bulldozers: Reimagining, Rebuilding, And Taking Responsibility For The Foundational Inaccessibility Of College Speech, Julie Walker

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

Using Demographics And Psychographics To Advance The Great Commission: Lessons From The National Association Of Free Will Baptists, Edward E. Moody Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

For decades, marketers have used demographics and psychographics to engage different segments of the population. Psychographics refers to the study of people’s activities, interests, opinions, values, attitudes, and lifestyles to better understand and predict behavior beyond what can be learned from demographic characteristics alone (Demby, 1974; Wells & Tigert, 1971). This paper examines whether these strategies can be effectively adapted to advance the Great Commission. The practices of the early church, particularly those of the Apostle Paul, reflect principles that are consistent with contemporary demographic and psychographic analysis. In this paper, the process of using an approach to help churches …

Outside The Church Walls: An Empirical Exploration Of Organizational Culture And Pastoral Leadership In Two Urban Churches, Althea P. Gordon-Scott, Joshua D. Henson, Bethany D. Peters, Katrina Hutchins

Great Commission Research Journal

A mini-ethnographic case study explored the interconnections of organizational culture and pastoral leadership with sustainable outreach in two very different churches that focus on ministry to people with life-controlling issues and economic need: a small, primarily Black church in the Great Lakes region and a large, primarily White and Hispanic church in the western United States. Despite their differences, the churches shared similar espoused values and leadership characteristics that facilitated their outreach initiatives. Themes derived from the data include altruistic foundations, the value of relationships, exemplary pastoral leadership, organizational challenges, agile organizational systems, and the centrality of God.

Forest Ecology And Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Tolkien, Le Guin (2026), By Dion Dobrzynski, Martin Simonson

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Martin Simonson, of Forest Ecology and Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Tolkien, Le Guin (2026), by Dion Dobrzynski

The Algorithmic Narcissus: Ai Validation And The Atrophy Of The 'Athletic' Social Self, Ilham Phalosa Reswara, Anggi Mayangsari

Jurnal Psikologi Sosial

Artificial intelligence systems designed around continuous affirmation and minimal friction are becoming increasingly prominent as social and relational partners in everyday life. This article examines how sustained interaction with such frictionless AI systems may reshape the developmental conditions under which social selfhood forms and is maintained. Drawing on Cooley's (1902) looking glass self, Kohut's (1971) concept of optimal frustration, and the developmental literature on social competence, the article argues that frictionless AI may distort the social mirror through which identity forms, remove the manageable frustration that appears necessary for psychological growth, weaken empathic capacity, and erode the social stakes that …

Teachers' Readiness And Suggestions For Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive Classrooms In Saudi Arabia, Abdulmalik Mohammed Alkhunini

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed to identify the level of readiness among teachers who teach students with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive education programs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to examine how prior training, specialty (general vs. special education), and teaching experience influence this readiness. A descriptive survey design was used validated for reliability, was administered to 144 teachers (84 general education, 60 special education). Results indicated a high level of readiness among participants overall. Inferential analysis showed that readiness varied significantly with training and job type: special education teachers and those with prior training reported higher readiness levels, whereas teaching experience …

Compulsive Hoarding Disorder (Hd) And The Dark Future (Dfs) Among Saudi Population, Mohammed Abdulrahman Alghamdi

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aimed to translate and standardize the Compulsive Hoarding Disorder Scale and the Dark Future Scale for use in the Arabic framework, as well as to estimate the prevalence of hoarding behaviors. The study also assessed the effects of age, social status, and educational level on hoarding and dark future tendencies, in addition to exploring the relationships among these variables. The sample comprised of 303 participants (159 males, 52.5%; 144 females, 47.5%), with ages ranging from 16 to 65 years (M = 27.57, SD = 12.59). The results showed that both the Compulsive Hoarding Disorder Scale and the Dark …

The Contribution Degree Of The "University Life Skills" Course Content To Enhancing Academic Adjustment And Self-Confidence Among Students Of The University Of Hail, Wafi Bin Metaeb Derzi Ardan

University of Tabuk Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences

The current research aimed to determine the extent of the "University Life Skills" course content's contribution to enhancing academic adjustment and self-confidence among students at the University of Hail. It utilized the Analytical Descriptive Method to achieve this objective. The research sample consists of (204) students enrolled in the course from six diverse colleges. The research results consistently confirmed that the course's contribution to both enhancing academic adjustment and developing self-confidence was perceived as high (mean scores: 2.57 and 2.60, respectively). A very strong positive correlation was established between academic adjustment and self-confidence development resulting from the course. Statistical analysis …

The N-Word As A Comma, Deshawn Vega

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Deshawn Vega is a Biology major from Boston, Massachusetts. Drawing on his experiences as a mixed-race Black man, his essay examines racism, cultural appropriation, and the ways prejudice can operate both inside and outside the home. Because part of his family is not Black, Deshawn has experienced racism in complex and sometimes unexpected ways. He describes the essay as “an opportunity for me to tell my story and exemplify the ways in which racism has impacted not only myself, but many others just like me.” The project’s creative freedom allowed him to combine personal narrative with a broader analysis of …

The Sad Beige Trap: Why Bold Aesthetics Stay Online, Kauthar Maruf

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Kauthar Maruf is a Biology major from Boston, Massachusetts. Her essay began with an effort to find colorful inspiration for her family’s living room and developed into an investigation of the internet’s neutral “Sad Beige” aesthetic and the contrasting popularity of “Brat Green.” As she encountered increasingly similar homes, products, and social-media posts, Kauthar began asking whether personal preferences are genuinely individual or are shaped by algorithms, corporations, economics, and online culture. Conducting her own survey allowed her to compare her initial assumptions with the perspectives of others. She explains that the project encouraged her to begin “looking beyond the …

When The People You Love Are No Longer Down The Hall, Diego Hernández Hernández

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Diego Hernández Hernández is a Computer Science major and prospective Mathematics minor. Originally from El Salvador, he grew up primarily in Revere and Holbrook, Massachusetts. A first-generation immigrant and nontraditional student, Diego returned to school seven years after graduating from high school. His essay examines how communication between emerging adults and their families changes after they leave home, drawing particularly on his relationship with his mother. To make that relationship visible to readers, he incorporated a series of their text messages into the project. Diego explains that this essay “was special to me because it revolved around my family and …

Trans Joy And The Lesson Of Authentic Living, Emma Victra Danvers

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Emma Victra Danvers is a Psychology major from North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Her essay investigates trans joy and the research demonstrating the positive effects of gender transition. As a trans woman writing during a particularly difficult period for the transgender community, Emma wanted to examine joy not as an escape from political realities but as a meaningful source of strength and resilience. She explains, “The more I started writing it, the more I realized how much I have to be happy about. I found that trans joy again that I lost for a little bit.” The project also helped Emma …

Hamburgers: Great For Dinner, Bad For Writing, Jameison Wirta

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Jameison Wirta is from Somerset, MA, and is a Psychology major with a Chemistry minor in the Pre-Medical Program. For Jameison, this essay was especially important because it completely transformed the way he thinks about writing. “I used to hate writing,” he explains, “but what I really hated was the cookie-cutter, check-the-box process I was always confined to. Learning to set myself a bit freer in my writing was an absolute blessing, and now I love it.” He hopes to share that same sense of freedom with others through his work. This semester was Jameison’s first time back in a …

To Speak Is To Survive: Language, Loss And Holding On, Mathilda Sanon

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Mathilda Sanon is a Psychology major with an English minor from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Mathilda explains that this essay was deeply personal to her because it is tied to her family, her culture, and her own experiences of language. She thought often of her grandmother, who has lived in the United States for decades but has never let go of Haitian Kreyol. “Watching her speak her language so freely while I have spent years adjusting mine to fit into certain spaces really stuck with me,” Mathilda reflects. She says that she did not want to write about language loss as some …

The Dystopian Landscape Of Short-Form Content, Leslie Payne

Undercurrents: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Composition

Leslie Payne is a Psychology major with a Communications minor from Vienna, Virginia. Leslie explains that when her class began discussing the impact of social media, she immediately knew what her essay would focus on. “It felt like the only possible thing I could write about,” she recalls, noting how strongly she felt about its pervasive effects yet lacking the structured expression to articulate them before this assignment. She was particularly interested in the overlap between short-form content, identity formation, and media cycles, and writing this paper gave her both the research and framework to better understand those connections. She …