Digital Commons Network^™

Bittersweet Realities: Field Research, Human Rights, And Questioning Intentions, Laura Roost, Ryan M. Lowry, Patrice Mcmahon

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

When Laura Roost and Ryan Lowry returned from their respective graduate fieldwork in Rwanda and the Balkans, their excited but bewildered debriefings were met by Professors Chantal Kalisa and Patrice McMahon, smiling and shaking their heads. Combined, Kalisa and McMahon had had extensive fieldwork experience in Africa, Europe, and Asia, and they saw in this debrief that the next generation of scholars was experiencing the same bittersweet realities of fieldwork that keeps researchers returning to the field despite ambiguities and frustrations. In an ever-connected world, doing fieldwork is necessary even when it seems redundant. Scholars now have large and accessible …

Ua37/30/4 Faculty Personal Papers Lowell Harrison, Sam Bruer, Bess Mchone, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Personal papers created by and about Lowell Harrison.

Political Campaigning: Where Scientific And Ethical Arguments Meet Public Policy, Emily Mcivor

Animals and Public Policy Collection

The ambition of the paradigm shift we seek is vast, and the obstacles we face are intractable. For anyone opposing the use of non-human animals (hereinafter referred to as animals) in research and testing, the story has been the same from the start. Legitimate concern for animals has been all-too-easily dismissed as misguided sentimentality, and powerful vested interests have claimed scientific, economic, and moral superiority. But the ground is shifting. Animal researchers accept the need to provide scientific justification for their choices, and the protection of animals is increasingly recognized as a public good. Concern among citizens has been translated …

“Square Peg In A Round Hole” An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Workers’ Experiences With Workplace Conflict, Katherine Joanna Sosa

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a predictable aspect of organizational life. Research indicates that workers spend the majority of their lifetime at work and that unresolved conflict is one of the largest reducible costs in organizations. However, the majority of employee conflicts are not accurately addressed by rights-and-power based conflict management systems. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the experiences and perceptions of workers who had been involved in an unresolved or escalated workplace conflict that was of consequence in their lives. The study sought to learn how it impacted them and how they made sense of the conflict, their organizations, and …

Examining The Experience Of Nepotism In A Protestant Church, Monica L. Austin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research literature reveals a number of studies conducted on unethical behavior, including nepotism, within the broader nonprofit sector. However, the effect of faith community leadership nepotism on parishioners has not been studied. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill a gap in the literature by exploring parishioner perceptions of leadership nepotism through the lens of servant leadership. Specific to this study, it was unknown whether parishioners of a Protestant church view nepotism as having a positive, negative, or neutral impact related to leadership performance. Specifically, the study explored parishioner impacts related to 5 elements of servant leadership: …

Ua1b3/6 Parking & Traffic Committee, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the Parking & Traffic Committee.

The Ethical (Or Not So Ethical) Story Behind Your Bar Of Chocolate: The Untold Tale Of A Distressed Ghanaian Farmer, Nadia Ayensah

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

In a time where the ethics of business dealings have become a key factor in the likelihood of the success of that venture due to globalization, it is important to start considering those ventures that are so popular, but whose inner working are rarely heard of. This paper analyzes the history and process of cocoa production in Ghana. It looks at the status quo with regards to the social and economic standing of Ghanaian Cocoa farmers as opposed to the earnings made by cocoa processing companies. With the statistics derived, the paper then considers who is to take responsibility for …

Developing A Model For Effective Community Development Agreements In The Extractive Industries, John Nikolaou

CMC Senior Theses

Natural resource development has tremendous potential to create inclusive economic growth in countries well-endowed with oil, mineral, and agricultural resources. At the same time, natural resource development can cause negative environmental externalities, and, in several cases, extractives companies can engage in labor abuse.

The intersection of the government’s and the corporation’s interest can lie in Corporate Social Responsibility Projects.This thesis will analyze an alternative model of CSR: community development agreements (CDAs). CDAs are voluntary, or sometimes government mandated, agreements between the project developer and the project affected community that define company commitments to issues such as environmental impact mitigation, benefit …

Demography, Risk, And Power: An Examination Of The Deceased Patient Population At The Hastings State Hospital, 1900-1978, Dawn T. Whitney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Hastings State Hospital (HSH) and its cemetery (HSHC) within a multidisciplinary framework, invoking discourse analysis, demography, and critical race theory to examine how power and risk factors impact the treatment and disposal of the body at death. It incorporates perspectives from both anthropology and sociology to interpret the data, relying heavily on the ideas of Michel Foucault. Integrating these diverse analytical tools is important to this research because social and structural forces all intersect in the creation of identity, power, and inequality.

All data in this study represent patients that have …

Gendered Recreational Fisheries Management And North American Natural Resource Policy, Erin Burkett

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation applies feminist theory to investigate women’s participation in wildlife-based recreation and how natural resource management organizations conduct stakeholder engagement in a North American context. Gendered social processes, including norms and expectations, as well as gendered cultures, can constrain women’s participation in recreation through social sanctions and disenfranchisement. Gender and leisure scholars have studied these dynamics in sport and leisure contexts, but how individuals negotiate these constraints is understudied in a wildlife-based recreation context. Social constructions of gender also contribute to imbalances of power within formal natural resource management organizations and influence how stakeholder engagement policies and programs are …

Mining The Evidence: Public Comments, Evidence-Based Policymaking, And A Controversial Mine, Sun V. Nguyen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In policymaking, evidence-based policymaking is an essential method for influencing policies and decisions by telling decision-makers “what works” (Head, 2008). Western sciences typically make up most of the evidence decision-makers use, but because people are boundedly rational in understanding and incorporating it—politics, values, and beliefs impact thought processes— scholars and policymakers also include other types of knowledge to make decisions. One way for decision-makers to incorporate other types of knowledge into policies is through public comments. Although public comments may provide different types of knowledge to improve policy decisions, decision-makers face challenges with valuing different types of knowledge as evidence. …

Martin School Alumni Survey, Carl Sims

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Martin School of Public Policy and Administration is subject to reaccreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) every seven years. To initiate the reaccreditation process, the Martin School must conduct a programmatic self-study that analyzes the program’s mission, governance, faculty, students, competencies, resources, and communication. The self-study is beneficial not only for the purpose of reaccreditation but also can better inform the school’s strategic planning process

To assist in providing the self-study relevant data, the Martin School can solicit information from its alumni. Alumni data can be used to establish how well the …

Tuition Revenue Distribution Models In Higher Education: An Exploration Of Alternative Tuition Funding Methods At The University Of Kentucky, Megan A. Bowles

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

State appropriations for higher education have been volatile during the past decade. While some states have seen improvements in state appropriations since the last recession, other states have seen continued declines. For public colleges and universities facing these consistent decreases in appropriations they have had to develop alternative methods for revenue generation. One of the most common changes to a university’s revenue model is by increasing their tuition and fee rates. Public colleges and universities can increase their own tuition and fees, within the boundaries of state oversight boards like the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). This is a big …

Culture And The Development Of Traditional Medicine In Africa, Rowland Edet, Oyedolapo Isaac Bello, Julianah Babajide

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Traditional medicine has been the dominant healthcare system in Africa before westernization, civilization and colonialism. For people living in the rural areas, traditional medicine is easily available, accessible and affordable. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the cultural way of the life of Africans has contributed to the emergence and development of traditional therapeutic systems in the continent. By explaining the way Africans perceive illness and disease, this paper argues that various forms of healing were predicated on the sociocultural environment of the people. The paper therefore opts for concerted efforts in the development of traditional medicine …

Evaluation Of Restoration Techniques And Management Practices Of Tule Pertaining To Eco-Cultural Use, Irene A. Vasquez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Tule (Schoenoplectus sp.) is a native plant commonly used by California tribes and Indigenous people throughout the world (Macía & Balslev 2000). Ecological, social and regulatory threats to its use in contemporary Indigenous culture highlight major issues concerning natural resource management. My ancestral homeland, what is now Yosemite National Park, stands as a figurehead in the intersection of land management and Indigenous peoples. An important element of Traditional Ecological Management (TEM) for quality basketry materials is prescribed fire, an element western science is increasingly acknowledging for creating a more biodiverse and heterogeneous landscape. This research was conducted in Mariposa and …

Effective Planning Of Urban Communities' Vulnerabilities For Mitigation Of Homelessness After A Natural Disaster, Tamara Michelle Lapsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban communities often lack the ability to recover after disaster plans have been implemented because of a lack of coordinated resources among federal, state, and local agencies. As a result, economically marginalized citizens find themselves in risky conditions, particularly concerning finding and securing post-disaster housing. Using social conflict theory as a guide, the purpose of this exploratory case study of an urban area in a southern state was to better understand the specific vulnerabilities of urban communities and develop solutions for challenges related to emergency or temporary shelters to victims. Data were primarily collected through interviews with 10 residents who …

The Culture Of Football In The United States: How Hegemonic Masculinity Affects And Is Expressed In American Football, Hallie Gillam

Honors Theses

The construction of an American hegemonic masculinity has been solidified and protected since the 19th century, allowing particular groups, but not all groups, of men to wield power over others through strength, aggression, and toughness. The popularity of American football is a manifestation of society’s value of this form of masculinity, accepted as an aspect of American culture. My thesis work aims to answer the following question: how has American hegemonic masculinity shaped and been expressed through football, and in what ways has the NFL responded? In order to answer this question, I utilize a mixed methods approach to investigate …

Exploring Paths For Water Services And Human Capabilities In U.S.-Mexico Border Colonias, Chilton Tippin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis examines causes and consequences of water insecurity in colonias on the U.S.-Mexico border and explores potential pathways for improving situations wherein low-income households lack reliable access to water and sewer services. Colonias are low-income, rural and/or semi-rural communities that lack basic services, such as paved streets, water, and sewer. Through in-depth interviews, surveys, and ethnographic observations, the research presented here describes needs, desires, and capabilities of residents in two high-needs Texas colonias. First, findings elucidate the lived experiences of water insecurity in colonias households, leading to an argument that lacking water access constitutes a nexus, wherein water insecurity …

Developing And Sustaining Political Citizenship For Poor And Marginalized People: The Evelyn T. Butts Story, Kenneth Cooper Alexander

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study tells the deep, rich story of Evelyn T. Butts, a grassroots civil rights champion in Norfolk, Virginia, whose bridge leadership style can teach and inspire new generations about political, community, and social change. Butts used neighbor-to-neighbor skills to keep her community connected with the national civil rights movement, which had heavily relied on grassroots leaders—especially women—for much of its success in overthrowing America’s Jim Crow system of segregation and suppression. She is best-known for her 1963 lawsuit that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1966 decision to ban poll taxes for state and local elections, a democratizing event …

Knowledge Circulation In Urban Geography/Urban Studies, 1990-2010: Testing The Discourse Of Anglo-American Hegemony Through Publication And Citation Patterns, Lily Kong, Junxi Qian

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article approaches the question of Anglo-American hegemony in urban studies by examining publication and citation patterns. The past one or two decades have witnessed critical arguments about how knowledge production in social sciences is characterised by centre–periphery relations, and risks universalising US–American and European knowledge and epistemology. While not much systematic analysis has been done to address the extent to which urban knowledge has been shaped by Anglo-American centrism, it is not difficult to tell that the field is dominated by the Anglophone world in terms of authorship, institutional affiliation, the cities under scrutiny, and the urban theories arising. …

Bare Mountaintops And Thirsty Cities: On California And Its Snowpack, Sayd Randle

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Figuring how to represent the oncoming effects of climate change is a common challenge faced by whistleblowers and policymakers attempting to alert populations. Sayd Randle shows how the state of California is trying to mobilize the monitoring of snow in the Sierra Nevada as a harbinger of a durable state of drought in the coastal cities.

Sexual Behaviours Of Adolescents In Creek Town, Cross River State, Nigeria, Kabiru K. Salami, Rowland E. Edet

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Risky sexual behaviors of adolescents in Creek Town have not been fully profiled. This study investigated the sexual behaviors of adolescents and their various dimensions in Creek Town, in Cross River State, Nigeria. This cross-sectional survey design adopted multi-stage sampling procedure to administer a 112-items questionnaire to 422 adolescents, to elicit information on their sexual behaviors and practices. Four focus group discussion sessions were also conducted with in-school and out-of-school adolescents. The mean age of adolescents was 17 years. Majority (65.4%) of the adolescents were sexually active. The mean age at sexual debut was 15 years for both male and …

Educator Perspectives On Suggested Changes To The Jordanian Education System As A Result Of The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Sara Sydney Caplan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The research investigates the question: How do teachers believe the Jordanian education system should change in order to best meet the needs of all students given the recent influx of Syrian refugees? The researcher interviewed seven teachers in Amman and Madaba, Jordan to gather qualitative data on their perspectives on the current Jordanian education system. Educators interviewed represented a vary of different school populations, grade levels, environments, resources and subject areas. Teachers interviewed and material culture demonstrated that the current education system is in need of multifaceted reform. The primary issue raised by many interviewees is enhanced discrimination and inequitable …

Competency Development And Implementation Among Direct Support Professionals In New York State, Johanna Loporto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Direct support professionals (DSPs) serve an important function in the daily supervision and care of clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) through standardization of technical, cognitive, and ethical competencies for all DSPs. It is not clear, however, how these DSPs and managers perceive the implementation process and utility of these competencies or whether implementation results in meeting the desired outcomes for clients. Using Donabedian's quality of care model as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative case study in New York State to understand how DSPs perceived the implementation of the DSP core competencies under the direction of front-line …

Human Trafficking Crime Awareness Among Remote Communities In Central Vietnam, Ngoc Tb Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking crime is rising globally at an alarming rate, and Vietnam is one of the nations with the highest prevalence of trafficking female victims for forced sex services and forced marriages. This study explored human trafficking awareness in remote communities of central Vietnam and the factors for young girls dropping out of school for work at an early age. The study also investigated the link between gender inequality and the child labor problem in these communities. There is no extant empirical research pertaining to human trafficking awareness in the remote communities of central Vietnam. This research fills this gap …

Microlevel Fragility Of The African American Lgbt Community In North Carolina After House Bill 2, William Flozell Clements

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social marginalization and isolation of target populations are growing areas of concern for policy administrators. African American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (AA LGBT) individuals are not permitted full political, economic, or moral citizenship and thus are in society but not completely of it. Legislation such as North Carolina's House Bill 2 (HB2) has the potential to dissolve the social contract connecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness at the microlevel. The emerging U.S. trend of moving societally from universal access in microlevel institutions toward more market-based strategies poses a formidable challenge for this target population. The purpose of …

Resistance Beyond The Frontier: Concepts And Policies For The Protection Of Isolated Indigenous Peoples Of The Amazon, Minna Opas, Luis Felipe Torres, Felipe Milanez, Glenn Shepard Jr.

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

No abstract provided.

"Who Are These Wild Indians": On The Foreign Policies Of Some Voluntarily Isolated Peoples In Amazonia, Peter Gow

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

This paper is a reflection on the phenomenon of voluntary isolation in Amazonia, about anthropology’s implication in its formation as a concept, and what anthropologists might profitably say about it as a concrete phenomenon in the world. While knowledge based on ethnographic fieldwork might by minimal or even totally absent for people in voluntary isolation, anthropological research has produced a very impressive understanding of indigenous Amazonian social forms in general, knowledge that can be brought to bear on the question.

O Papel Dos Povos Indígenas Isolados Na Efetivação De Seus Direitos: Apontamentos Para O Reconhecimento De Suas Estratégias De Vida, Fabrício Amorim

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

Este artigo discute conceitos e apresenta reflexões sobre questões relacionadas aos povos indígenas isolados no Brasil a partir de trajetória profissional do autor junto à temática. Aborda diferentes temas relacionados aos povos isolados, tal como “vulnerabilidade,” “isolamento voluntário” e “políticas públicas,” com o objetivo de informar e descontruir equívocos que a sociedade em geral possui sobre esses temas. Argumenta que os povos isolados são coletivos ativos na construção e garantia de direitos indígenas por meio de processos de resistência, e que suas estratégias de isolamento devem ser reconhecidas como expressão máxima de sua autonomia.

This article presents a series of …

Sobre La Antropología Amazónica (Amazonista) En El Perú: Comentarios Al Texto De Jean-Pierre Chaumeil, Oscar Espinosa

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

Commentary on the Opening Lecture, “A Window into Twenty Years of Amazonianist Anthropology in Peru (1997–2017)” proffered by Jean-Pierre Chaumeil at the XI Salsa conference and featured in the previous volume of Tipití (15:105–117).