Digital Commons Network^™

Mystics, Oracles, And Bones: Spiritual Resistance For Justice, Healing, And Resolution, Leah Hollis

Comparative Civilizations Review

This conceptual essay examines the enduring human impulse to seek meaning, justice, and healing through mystical traditions in response to suffering and harm. When traditional solutions through grievance, the law, or mediation fails, some individuals may turn to spiritual practices not as superstition, but as embodied strategies of survival, reclamation, and clarity. Comparing diverse traditions from a variety of cultures, including oracle bone divination in ancient China, the Oracle at Delphi in Greece, West African Ifá, Benin’s Voudou, diasporic Hoodoo, Celtic Druidic law, and Sufi mysticism, this paper explores how mystics have long served as interpreters of suffering and perceived …

Front Matter

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

East To West: Cultural Attitudes And The Perceptions Of Death, Hannah F. Ahmed

UROP Posters

Death is a universal human experience, but cultures teach people to interpret it in different ways. These interpretations influence how individuals understand dying, how they cope with loss, what support looks like, and what meaning death makes in their lives. Eastern, spiritual, and religious traditions emphasize death as a natural transition or return to divinity rather than an endpoint, and as something one must prepare for. In these contexts, people often grow up hearing stories, prayers, and teachings that situate death within a broader journey. Because of this, death becomes something familiar and speakable rather than distant or frightening (Naderi-Afif …

Surface Repression, Substantive Compromise State Capacity, Anti-Chinese Policies, And Thailand’S Low-Cost Path To Modernization Under Phibun, Qiyu Zhang

Asian Review

This paper examines Thailand's anti-Chinese policies during the period of Phibun Songkhram (1938–1944; 1948–1957), exploring why they exhibited a highly contradictory pattern of “initially hardline but ultimately compromising.” It further analyzes how this policy model objectively propelled Thailand's modernization process. The article argues that while the Phibun government implemented radical anti-Chinese measures at the levels of nationalist mobilization and symbolic politics—such as closing Chinese schools, restricting Chinese-language media, imposing occupational exclusion, and promoting nationalist propaganda—it remained economically and organizationally dependent on Chinese capital, commercial networks, and professional expertise. This created a dual-track policy structure of “surface suppression and core concession.” …

Smu Launches Resilient Workforces Institute To Strengthen Singapore’S Workforce In The Age Of Ai, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) announced the launch of the Resilient Workforces Institute (ResWORK), a new university-level research institute advancing workforce resilience and lifelong learning amid accelerating technological change. It is among the first institutes in Singapore and the region to jointly study adult-learning and the future of work through an integrated, interdisciplinary lens spanning economics, management, behavioural science and technology.

The Romanian Orthodox Church And Ukrainian Refugees: Humanitarian Response And Ecclesial Solidarity, Damian Buchiu

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Romanian Orthodox Church’s public response to Ukrainian displacement combined emergency assistance with forms of solidarity that became increasingly connected to ecclesial life. A purposive corpus of twenty-four English-language items published by the Basilica News Agency, the official news agency of the Romanian Patriarchate, between February 2022 and December 2025 forms the principal source base. These materials record humanitarian and pastoral activity while also showing how the Church publicly interpreted its response. The early response relied heavily on structures already present in dioceses and local communities, which could be redirected quickly toward …

Hosts, Scouts, And Female Indentured Sexual Servitude In Contemporary Japan, Caroline Norma, Seiya Morita

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article sweeps away glossy abstractions obscuring the indenturing of women in sexual servitude in Japan. These abstractions were generated by anthropologists writing in English in the first two decades of the 21^st century who inverted the relationship between perpetrator and victim to suggest that female customers exploited hosts. To overturn this view and expose the ‘gendered reality that [i]s really going on’ in Japan, this article differently explains from a feminist perspective how present-day host and scout businesses indenture Japanese women in sexual servitude. This role is one of both procuring victims as well as keeping young women …

Puff, Puff, Pass? Examining Cannabis Use Among Black American Adults, Christopher B. Walker

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In the United States, cannabis has become one of the most widely used controlled substances due to its increase in social acceptance, the growing number of states legalizing it for medical and non-medical purposes, and the expansion of consumption methods.  However, little is known about the modes of cannabis use chosen by Black American adults.  This population is of importance due to existing research suggesting their increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder compared to their White counterparts and their underrepresentation in existing literature.  The goal of this study is to examine cannabis use among Black adults in the U.S., …

Embedded Paradox : The Integration Of Internationalization And Localization In Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities, Jiaxin Guo

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

With the rapid development of Sino-foreign cooperative universities and their growing prominence in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), existing research has begun to focus on this niche sector. While prior studies have examined the tensions of global integration and local responsiveness in such institutions at a macro level, limited attention has been paid to students and faculty—the primary agents of educational practice. To address this gap, this study conducts fieldwork at CUHK-Shenzhen, a cross-border collaborative university in the GBA. This study adopted a qualitative research method and collected field data over six months, including teaching activities and campus …

Singapore As A Global City: Response To Urbanization, Climate Change, And Digital Economy, Idris Sandiya, Arief Nasrudin

Cities and Urban Development Journal

Background: Singapore faces pressures from rapid urbanization, climate change, and digital economic transformation amid limited land and resources. As both a city-state and global economic hub, Singapore develops adaptive strategies that balance growth, sustainability, and competitiveness through technology-driven governance and long-term planning.

Aims: This study analyzes Singapore’s adaptation strategies in addressing urban, environmental, and digital economic challenges while evaluating policy effectiveness and limitations within the frameworks of the global city, state capitalism, and sustainability governance.

Methods: A qualitative literature review and SWOT analysis were conducted using secondary data from academic journals and policy reports. The analysis focuses on the integration …

Research Advances On Foreign Portfolio Investments: A Bibliometric And Thematic Analysis, Ritu Sapra, Dixit Yadav, Kamal Upreti, Nishant Kumar, Rituraj Jain, Akhilesh Tiwari

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Foreign portfolio investments have been at the center of research in the finance, economics, and international business domains since the early 1990s when developing economies started to relax their capital account and allowed the entry of foreign investments. Over the years, various macroeconomic (country-specific and global), firm-specific, and quality factors have been studied as determinants in relation to these flows, Still, there is no consensus regarding which factor influences more than the others. This paper uses bibliometric analysis to understand the existing literature to build a solid conceptual base in this research topic. For this study, bibliometric data of 731 …

Engaging Stakeholders To Build, Sustain, And Grow Responsible Business: Some Frameworks, Meena Raghunathan, Kara Li Liu

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This is a follow-up Dialogue commentary to the MGDR publication:

Raghunathan, Meena and Liu, Kara Li (2024) "Moving from ‘Managing Stakeholders’ to ‘Managing for Stakeholders’: The Imperative for Responsible Business," Markets, Globalization & Development Review: Vol. 9: No. 3, Article 4.
DOI: 10.23860/MGDR-2024-09-03-04
Available at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/mgdr/vol9/iss3/4.

In this commentary, the concepts of stakeholder approach to management is expanded and deepened.

Import Substitution Industrialization In Africa: Guinea's Experience, Mamadou Saliou Diallo

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is such a template that many countries lagging behind in terms of development considered as an essential phase. The process of adopting ISI by these countries, however, displays contrasts in many aspects. The more apparent cases of differences in ISI adoption emanate from the East-Asian and Sub-Saharan African (SSA) models. These two regions are both latecomers in that industrial revolution, compared to Latin American countries being pioneers, was a chronologically later undertaking. Despite constraining factors, the East-Asian model thrives to become a successful experience. Meanwhile, SSA and Latin American countries still strive to achieve this ambition. …

Trustworthy Ai: Prohibited Practices, Ethical Principles, And The Identification Of Problems, Anna Karmańska

Journal of Global Awareness

The following considerations arise from the study of texts of documents of a legal nature and from the author’s judgments. They do not present the results of the author’s own empirical research; however, they constitute a factual study that is important for their undertaking in the next step. Having given concern but also hopes for AI, the author focuses her attention on issues that, not only in her opinion, have a strong bearing on the preservation of humanity in a digital environment and at the same time with technocratic features. These issues (prohibited practices, high-risk systems, and ethics) related to …

Economic Development And Its Transformation In Happiness: A Perspective Of Sustainable Development Goals Of Nepal, Dhruba Bhattarai, Bishnu Bhattarai

Journal of Global Awareness

The present paper attempts to explore the relationship between GDP Per Capita Income based economic measurements of people’s well-being in the form of happiness. The overall development of a country’s economy must be translated into people’s well-being and happiness, which the study focuses on using the relevant data. The secondary data of the Human Development Index, Gross Domestic Product, Per Capita Income, and Happiness Index for the last 20 years have been collected and analyzed. To assess the psychological aspects of the happiness concept, the relevant happiness indicators such as life expectancy, educational attainment, and index of economic freedom have …

Best Integrated Writing Fall 2025 - Complete Edition, Wright State University School Of Humanities And Cultural Studies, Tracy Smith, Kristie Mckiernan

Best Integrated Writing

Best Integrated Writing includes excellent student writing from Integrated Writing courses taught at Wright State University.

Testing Tocqueville’S Troops: American Democracy At War In Mexico, Corbin V. Cali

History Theses

This thesis explores Alexis de Tocqueville's theory of democratic armies through the lens of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), testing his predictions about how democratic social conditions influence military institutions and performance. Tocqueville argued that armies in democratic societies would face tensions between egalitarian ideals and military discipline, with citizen-soldiers resisting hierarchy while professional officers, often isolated from civil society, grew dangerously ambitious for war. He predicted that democratic armies would show energetic initiative but struggle with weak formal discipline, and that equality would fundamentally change the relationship between the military and the broader society. The Mexican-American War serves as an …

How Armenia And Azerbaijan Are Lobbying For Influence In D.C., Gibran C. Boyce, Dawn Kikel

Capstones

In the wake of President Trump taking office, foreign government agencies and U.S.-based non-profits serving Armenian and Azerbaijani interests have been hiring lobbyists in Washington, D.C. as part of their concerted efforts to curry favor, gain influence, and seek policy changes that would benefit the rival post-Soviet nations.

A World Between Worlds: The Hidden Disconnect Of Chinese Autistic Individuals, Joy Lu

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

This paper examines the complex challenges faced by Chinese autistic individuals navigating both Western autism communities and broader Chinese cultural contexts. Drawing on personal experience, community observation, and cultural analysis, it explores how language barriers, cultural stigma, and differing values create a unique form of disconnection for the Chinese autistic community. This paper argues that current neurodiversity discourse is dominated by Western frameworks that often fail to account for this disconnect, resulting in the exclusion of entire groups. By centring Chinese perspectives, it calls for a more culturally responsive approach to autism advocacy: one that bridges linguistic, cultural, and historical …

An Analysis Of Portuguese Colonial Representations Of Sinhalese Women, Chandra R. De Silva, Ramani Hettiarchchi

History Faculty Publications

The history of Sri Lanka until recently has been written mostly as the history of men in the country. This has been particularly true of the early modern period, for which existing records are mostly those of visiting colonizers who were mostly men, writing about their dealings with those in power or with those from whom they could gain profit. This article is an attempt to collect and analyze the admittedly limited data on how the Portuguese who gained political authority over parts of the coastal areas saw local women. It is limited to the women of the majority community …

Public Perceptions Of Leadership Effectiveness In Ethiopia Over The Last Decade, Fikadu Reta Alemayehu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa, with a fast-growing economy, rich history, diverse agroecology, more than 70 languages, and a population exceeding 130 million. However, the country continues to face serious internal conflict, high malnutrition, and economic hardship, while the study of leadership effectiveness remains limited and lacks consistent longitudinal research. To help fill this gap, this study examined how public perceptions of leadership effectiveness and development outcomes changed in Ethiopia between 2013 and 2023, using Afrobarometer survey data. The analysis explored how citizens’ views about governance, wellbeing, and access to services evolved during a decade of …

Political Discoveries In A Žižek Substack Project Critical Digital Studies, Edward Sankowski, Betty J. Harris

International Dialogue

This review essay analyzes Slavoj Žižek’s recent turn to Substack as a publishing platform, examining both his motivations and the philosophical and political implications of this medium for contemporary critical theory. Sankowski and Harris argue that Žižek’s Substack writings continue long-standing themes in his work—anti-capitalism, ecological crisis, updated Communism, and the cultural dimensions of ideology—while also revealing notable shifts, including heightened pessimism about historical progress and new reflections on environmental catastrophe. The authors assess the advantages and pitfalls of Substack for intellectual discourse, including its circumvention of traditional editorial “censorship,” its contribution to information glut, and its role in fostering …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Growing Up Under Mao And Deng: On Politician Ideology And Corporate Policies, Hao Liang, Rong Wang, Haikun Zhu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We provide firm-level evidence on how politicians’ ideologies shape economic outcomes, using a unique setting of ideological discontinuity in China, transitioning from Maoism to Dengism around 1978. We find that ideological exposure during a politician’s early adulthood has a lasting impact on contemporary firm policies in their city. Firms governed by “Maoist mayors” show greater stakeholder spending, lower pay inequality, and less internationalization compared with those governed by “Dengist mayors.” Further evidence suggests that politicians’ ideologies influence corporate behaviors through nonpolicy channels, and these results cannot be fully explained by selection bias, endogenous matching, or the age of the mayor.

Public Views Towards Lifespan, Healthspan, And Healthy Longevity Medicine In Singapore: A Qualitative Study From The Healthy Longevity (Helo) Initiatives, Belinda Wang, Anna Szucs, Elena Sandalova, Zhi Meng Lim, E. J. Horberg, Paul A. O’Keefe, Louis Island, Sonny Rosenthal, Andrea B. Maier

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Introduction: Healthy Longevity Medicine (HLM) offers a strategy to reduce the healthspan-lifespan gap, yet public perspectives remain unclear. This study refines the Healthy Longevity (HELO) framework through a qualitative exploration of public views towards lifespan, healthspan, and HLM.Methods: Individuals living in Singapore participated in semi-structured group or individual discussions to explore (a) their understanding of lifespan and healthspan, (b) motivational factors for health behaviours, and (c) their awareness of HLM. Sampling maximised variation across age, sex, and ethnicity. Data obtained through 13 discussions were analysed with a mixed, inductive-deductive approach employing the HELO framework.Results: Thirty-six participants (mean age = 49.4 …

Violence As An Ecology: Women Making Safety In Khayelitsha, Melissa J. Miller-Felton

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation asks how women in Khayelitsha make safety in a place where danger has become ordinary and where the afterlives of colonialism and apartheid still determine who waits, who walks, and who arrives home. What began as a study of risk and protection grew into an inquiry about time, dignity, and responsibility. I call the framework that emerged an ecology of violence—a way of seeing how harm gathers across generations and infrastructures, and how care, exhaustion, and survival intertwine within it.

In this ecology, violence is not a single act but a confluence of registers—slow, structural, colonial, and …

Ädeeja: Origem Dos Alimentos Cultivados E Práticas Alimentares Ye’Kwana, Viviane Cajusuanaima Rocha (Povo Ye’Kwana)

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

O artigo explora a ligação entre a cosmologia do povo Ye’kwana e suas práticas alimentares tradicionais, com base no conceito central de ädeeja, que representa os alimentos cultivados. Esse termo abrange mais do que a ideia de comida — ele carrega uma dimensão cosmológica e relacional, conectando humanos, espíritos, plantas e o território. Está ligado a uma rede de relações entre humanos, espíritos vegetais e saberes ancestrais. Representa a comida como elo com o cosmos, reforçando a interdependência entre os seres. Minha análise mostra que, para os Ye’kwana, alimentar-se é um ato cósmico, enraizado em narrativas, cantos e relações …

Prosperando Con Otros: Paisajes Multiespecie Y Producción De Alimentos En El Caribe Colombiano, América Larraín

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Este artículo es resultado de un proyecto de investigación asociado a la producción de alimentos en una comunidad arhuaca en las tierras bajas de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Se describen algunas experiencias de la implementación del proyecto, destacando los aspectos relacionados con la articulación entre las técnicas derivadas de la agroacuicultura integrada y la cosmovisión arhuaca. Con este artículo, se espera contribuir a la reflexión sobre cómo las cosmologías indígenas se materializan en prácticas concretas, que en este caso específico podrían pensarse en el marco de lo que se ha llamado el Buen Vivir.

As Donas Do Fogo: Parentesco, Práticas Alimentares E Luta Pela Terra Entre Os Kaiowa E Guarani, Lauriene Seraguza Olegário E Souza

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Os Guarani e Kaiowa apresentam uma relação sofisticada entre as práticas alimentares e a recuperação de territórios tradicionais em Mato Grosso do Sul (Brasil), protagonizada cotidianamente por mulheres indígenas. As mulheres guarani e kaiowa consideram o fogo como uma referência da casa de residência de um núcleo familiar e a palavra se apresenta como potência em seu fazer político. Elas são as “donas do fogo”. Compartilhando suas próprias substâncias corporais e acumulando aprendizados adquiridos no cuidado com pessoas mais velhas da parentela, as mulheres reúnem um conjunto próprio de conhecimentos e ocupam posição de reconhecido destaque no parentesco guarani, habilitando-as …

The Two Hungers: Food Security, Morality, And Cash Transfer Policies For Canela Apanjekra People In Indigenous Central Brazil, Bruno Nogueira Guimarães

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This article examines how the Canela Apanjekra (Porquinhos Indigenous Land, Maranhão, Brazil) engage with conditional cash transfer policies aimed at combating hunger—especially the Bolsa Família Program—and how these policies are interpreted through Indigenous moral economy. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research (2011–2019) and a household survey conducted in 2019, it argues that “hunger” is not a unitary condition measurable solely through individual consumption, but a relational and ecological experience shaped by obligations to share, by shame/respect (paham), and by shifting conditions of subsistence. The analysis develops the notion of “two hungers”: in the village, hunger is commonly articulated as …