Digital Commons Network^™

The Silk Butterfly Effect: Japan And The United States 1853-1941, Melodee Birlew

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the rise and fall of the silk industry in both the United States and Japan in the first half of the twentieth century. While silk had been a valuable commodity for millennia for royalty, aristocrats, and the extremely wealthy, the opening of Japan's ports in 1853 soon made silk more accessible to lower classes around the world.

Consequently, Japan's newfound wealth catapulted her status among other rich and powerful nations. Japan's military might, financed in large part by the silk trade and displayed by her victory over Russia in 1905, earned her even more prestige on the …

Dr. Daniel Brantly Sr.

African American Funeral Programs

Dr_Daniel_Brantley_Sr.pdf - Funeral program for Daniel Brantley

Mother Belinda Simmons Jones

African American Funeral Programs

Funeral program for Belinda Jones. Service was held on May 30, 2024 in Statesboro, Georgia

Disability: A Dirty Word? How Language Historically Perpetuates Exclusion And Systemic Oppression, Kelly E. Imm

Graduate Masters Theses

In 1990, the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) marked a pivotal moment in the American disability rights movement, which began in the 1960s and sought to secure civil rights for people with disabilities. Despite this monumental achievement, this thesis considers how the language used throughout American history and culture to describe people with disabilities, even within the confines of progressive legislation like the ADA, remains deeply rooted in ableist and oppressive historical attitudes. At the heart of this issue, this thesis demonstrates how the medicalization of disability, which has dominated American culture for centuries, continues to frame …

The Finest Orientalism: "The Orient" And Empire In 19th Century Romantic Poetry, Nathan D. Banfield

Graduate Masters Theses

This project seeks to interrogate the way that nineteenth-century Romantic authors incorporated tropes and depictions of the Near East in their poetry, and the relationship that their use of these tropes has to furthering the British Empire’s imperial aims. Drawing from the theory of “Orientalism” articulated by Edward Said, and his theoretical underpinnings in Michel Foucault’s theory of discourse analysis, I consider four major Romantic poets whose works articulate different versions of “The Orient” as a discursive entity. Said postulates that the “The Orient,” rather than being an inaccurate depiction of an existing geopolitical region, is a fabrication which is …

“To Prepare The Mind For Wonder”: Popular Science And Mass Media In The 1920s, Alexander Olson

Journal of 20th Century Media History

This article examines the creation and development of the Science Service, a 1920s initiative aimed at popularizing science through mass media. Founded by biologist William Ritter and newspaper magnate Edward Scripps, the wire service sought to disseminate accurate scientific information to the American public via newspapers, radio, and other popular media. While Scripps favored a commercially viable, accessible style that used entertainment to hook readers, Ritter envisioned science journalism as a tool for democratic education and intellectual empowerment. These conflicting philosophies created lasting tensions within the organization around how to address challenges such as sensationalism, editorial independence, and public skepticism. …

Johnnie Mae Biggins Green

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Territorial Scars: The Legacy Of The Eugenics Movement In Puerto Rico, Audra Desiree Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States-Puerto Rico relationship was strongly impacted by the eugenics movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The groundwork for the paternalistic relationship that the United States imposed on the island was set by the Spanish colonization. Once the United States gained the territory in 1898, many assumed that it would progress to statehood through the same process as former U.S. territories. However, the impact of the eugenics concerns over race, population density, and undesirable genetics had affected U.S. imperialism. The lack of white migration to the island, in combination with the perceived undesirable and overly dense …

Modern Peace Keeping In Africa: Lessons From Nigeria, Solomon Hailu

Journal of African Policy Studies

Different approaches to conflict resolution and peacekeeping in African failed states have taken the centre stage of this analysis. These approaches are based not merely on theory or doctrine but on the self-perceived interests of the stakeholders in peacekeeping inside Africa. The Western powers have repeatedly expressed the view that they will not commit their armed forces to resolve African conflicts. The West’s desire to place responsibility on African states, rather than sharing it, will not bring peace in Africa. The reason is that Africans are not ready to shoulder such heavy responsibility without direct Western military involvement in African …

The Political Economy Of Pension Reforms: An Analysis Of Policy Design And Practice In Ghana, Michael Kpessa-Whyte

Journal of African Policy Studies

There is a gradual move away in African pension policy from the hitherto predominantly pay-as-you-go social insurance schemes to new social security policies that prioritize private pension. But in African economies where capital market is underdeveloped and private sector is generally fragile, the shift to private pensions has implications for income security of the elderly. This study examines the design and practice of three-tier pension scheme with dual private pillars introduced a little over a decade ago. While discussing the various categories of private pension schemes that operate under the three-tier pension plan, it echoes the view that, the design …

The Plague Of ‘Ghost Workers’: Interrogating Payroll Fraud And Executive-Bureaucratic Conspiracy In Nigeria, Mike Omilusi

Journal of African Policy Studies

Like all forms of corruption, ghost workers present a serious drain on state funds. The Nigerian government has tens of thousands of forged or imaginary names on its payroll. These people inhabit the ranks of Nigeria’s “ghost workers,” who receive pensions from the government without ever working a day. This essay examines the impact of ghost workers on the public wage bill and generally, high cost of governance in Nigeria. It interrogates the renewed efforts of governments at all levels in probing this pattern of fraud, particularly in a period of economic recession. It is submitted in this essay that …

Big Data As Potential Tool For Success In Developing Countries, Jean-Claude Pedjeu, Aurore J. Kamssu, Jeffrey S. Siepke-Sambo

Journal of African Policy Studies

Big data and the computer technology to analyze it are said to be one of the top 10 revolutions in the coming decade. While the developed world is making strides in the use of big data for decision making purposes, the Low-income countries (LIC) or poor countries and some medium-income countries (MIC) or developing countries are lacking behind in their collection and use of digital data to aid decision making. This is especially the case with many businesses and government agencies that have the potential to benefit in their policy designs and implementations from big data. The purpose of this …

Accounting For The Decline Of Service Delivery In Urban Local Authorities: A Survey Of Zimbabwean Cities And Towns, Wenceslaus Mudyanadzo, Makomborero Y. Nzwatu

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper presents a review of several factors which account for the decline of service delivery in urban local authorities within Zimbabwe. The study utilised desk research methodology to explore and analyse relevant data which was in government legislation, ministerial statements, public and private media articles, books and journals to come up with the totality of the environment relating directly or indirectly to the decline of service delivery in local authorities (LAs). The evidence cited is based on findings from identified urban local authorities which include Harare, Chitungwiza, Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo and Bulawayo City Councils. Themes surrounding the interference in …

Reinventing E-Governance Policy In Local Governments In Southern Nigeria, Robert A. Dibie, Maryam O. Quadri

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines the extent to which electronic governance policy has contributed to more efficient service delivery in local governments in southern Nigeria. It also explores how e-governance practices has improved the relationship between citizens and local governments in southern Nigeria. It argues that despite the appropriation of funds for the purchase of computers and other electronic equipment in many local governments in the past three decades, the delivery of services in almost all the local governments under study has not improved. The paper uses data derived from questionnaire survey administered to local government staff in southern Nigeria. Two thousand …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

Respectability, Code-Switching, And Expression: Examining The Experience Of Black Expressive Arts Therapists Through A Sociolinguistic Lens, Darrien Bush

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores how the linguistic phenomenon of code-switching can be applied to expressive arts and expressive arts therapy to describe the experience of Black expressive therapists. The review outlines the evolution of the term, reasons why individuals switch codes, and how this affects their experience. The understanding of code-switching is then examined in expressive arts and the expressive arts therapy field. A history and understanding of code-switching in Black communities is also explored, connecting Black experiences of code-switching and expressive arts therapy programs. A discussion suggests that culturally relevant practices are implicitly discouraged due to dominant expectations. Future …

“Stories That Are Silenced For Way Too Long” Silence On Sexual Violence During The Holocaust And The Importance Of Accurate Depiction Of It, Adele Blokh

Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyze the depiction of sexual violence during the Holocaust in scholarly research literature. Until recently, the topic of sexual violence during the Holocaust has been underrepresented or even silenced altogether. Although the Holocaust has been widely studied, due to the immense trauma and the stigmatization of sexual violence as a social taboo, sexual violence during the Holocaust has not been widely discussed, leaving a gap - sexual violence - in our collective memory of the Holocaust. This paper seeks to identify gaps in the representation of sexual violence in existing scholarship, …

Matthew Kinnard, Matthew A. Kinnard M.S., Ph.D.

We Are NIH Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

Soybean Oil-Derived Acrylate/Methacrylate Ether For High Resolution Additive Manufacturing (3d Printing) Technology, Tanuj Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing is one of the rapidly developing techniques, as industries continue to explore new ways to create prototypes and end-use parts, one of the significant challenges that remains is the reliance on petroleum-based plastics for 3D printing, especially in the production of photocurable resins. that may be used to prototype complex structures and sophisticated geometries that are typically challenging to produce with conventional methods. Thus, replacing petroleum-based plastics with renewable resources is increasingly important for additive manufacturing (3D printing) of photocurable resins. The use of bio-based renewable resources in AM is a feasible alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. Henceforth, …

Frannie Pearl Donaldson

African American Funeral Programs

Fannie_Pearl_Donaldson.pdf - Funeral program for Frannie Donaldson

The Cultural Politics Of Women's Equality In Victorian England: The Cases Of Caroline Norton, Annie Besant, And Clementina Black, Jaycie Weeks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis explores the lives of three Victorian women – Caroline Norton, Annie Besant, and Clementina Black – and their campaigns to improve the status of women in the Victorian Era. Each engaged in the condition of women debate writing in distinctive genres- letter writing, social and political commentary and fiction, respectively. In an era of rising literacy, these middle and upper-class women used the power of the pen to shape how Victorians understood the Woman Question. The first chapter shares Norton’s fight to challenge principles of coverture. Using her writing to reach her high connections, she set the stage …

Bell Telephone System’S Preeminent Role In The Growth Of Industrial Design, Ralph O. Meyer, Russell A. Flinchum

Purdue University Press Books

Histories of design pay scant attention to the corded telephone, which played an immeasurable role in early communication. Although the Bell System, with many Nobel Prizes, is justly acknowledged for its technical prowess, it should also be recognized for its early and considerable impact on the developing discipline of industrial design. In 1930, young Henry Dreyfuss, who would later become known as a pioneer of industrial design, was retained by the Bell System as a design consultant and matured in that environment. With substantial input from Bell System engineers, Dreyfuss and his staff produced attractive telephone designs that were manufactured …

The Argument For Lobbyists: How Lobbying Brings Policy Experts Back Into The System, Luke Cambra

Washington Semester Program

No abstract provided.

The Dynamics Of Us-Bangladesh Relations: Before, During And After The 1971 War Of Liberation, 1947-1975., Mdaminul Islam

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis traces the dynamics relations between Bangladesh and the United States before, during and after the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The thesis argues that during the Cold War era the US wanted to build good relations with Pakistan to curb communism in the Middle East and the South Asia. As a result, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, the Nixon administration did not support Bangladesh’s independence, even though US diplomats and other officials reported the ongoing genocide. Despite this fraught history and Bangladesh’s pro-Indian, pro-Soviet leanings, relations formed between independent Bangladesh and the United States …

From Essential To Expendable – Montagnards, Kurds, And U.S. Army Special Forces In Vietnam And Northern Iraq, Jake Brooks

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the Vietnam and Iraqi conflicts, the U.S. Army Special Forces teamed up with indigenous ethnic monitories to bring the fight to all corners of the battle space, and to take advantage of their immense local knowledge and strategic locations. The Montagnards of Central Indochina and the Kurds in Northern Iraq allied with the Special Forces for a number of reasons: protection from their ruling governments, recognition for their movements for autonomy, increased access to better medicine and equipment, and the opportunity to strike back at their historical enemies. The Montagnards and Kurds taught the Green Berets how to better …

Making Their Voices Heard: Virginia Women's Organizations As Agents Of Community Change From 1945 To 1955, Preston C. Morgan

Masters Theses, 2020-current

After World War II, Virginian women’s organizations experienced increases in membership and in community influence. For the next decade, Virginian women in various non-partisan organizations would take intentional efforts to position women as activists of change, creating and training women for public and civic contributions. Organizational women began to see themselves as having growing responsibility for their community’s wellbeing. This study will analyze this growing grassroots organization movement by examining records from organizations like the Winchester Women’s Civic League, the women’s missionary societies of the First Baptist Church and Salem Lutheran Church, and Madison College. This study will analyze this …

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

Living In Paradise? Cameroonian Women In The American Diaspora, Joseph Takougang

Journal of African Policy Studies

For decades after independence, African migration was a phenomenon that could be attributed to a patriarchal culture that encouraged male domination. Later, that traditional mindset was reinforced by a colonial system that often marginalized the role of women in many African societies. Indeed, because young men were more likely to be educated than their female counterparts under the colonial system, they were advantaged after independence to attend institutions of higher learning abroad when it became necessary to train young Africans to occupy important government and other decision-making positions in the newly independent states. Recently, however, women have become important players, …

Socioeconomic Status Of Parents And Provision Of Education In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Cameroon: The Case Of The Southwest Region, Sophie Edume Etomes, Fonkeng Epah George

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study examines the effect of the socioeconomic status of parents on the provision of education during the COVID-19 lockdown in Cameroon. Three major objectives guided this study, which examines the effects of parents’ educational level and level of income on the provision of education and how the emergency response strategy adopted by the government affected the provision of quality education for all. A case study research design was used, and the Southwest Region was chosen as the study site. Forty parents from rural and urban areas within the region were selected while twelve divisional delegates were sampled for the …

Transformation Of Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (Asm) In Ghana: From Pre-Colonial To The Modern Era, Emmanuel Ababio Ofosu-Mensah

Journal of African Policy Studies

Literature abounds on the nature and impact of gold mining activities in Ghana, but limited efforts have so far been directed at exploring a concise historical account of the transformation of artisanal small-scale gold mining in Ghana from the pre-colonial era to the present. Against this background, this article traces the history of gold mining policies and regulations that have brought about the transformation of the artisanal small-scale mining sector in Ghana. Drawing on archival documents, interviews, newspaper reports, and a review of secondary materials, this study reveals that, unlike the situation in the pre-colonial era, artisanal mining from the …