Digital Commons Network^™

Better Balanced Representation In The Imo Forum, Pongchol Kang

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Socio-Economic And Health Disparities, Athena Ramos

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

Gaps exist in wages and health outcomes based upon your race or age. The ZIP code where you live determines much about your financial and personal well-being. Discuss aspects of the differences and current research in this expanding field of study.

Misrecognition In A Sustainability Capital: Race, Representation, And Transportation Survey Response Rates In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Raoul S. Liévanos, Amy Lubitow, Julius A. Mcgee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

US household transportation surveys typically have limited coverage of and responses from people of color (POC), which may lead to inaccurate estimation of POC transportation access and behavior. We recast this technocratic understanding of representativeness as a problem of “racial misrecognition” in which racial group difference is obscured yet foundational for distributive transportation inequities and unsustainability. We linked 2008–2012 population and housing data to an apparent stratified random sample of 6107 household responses to the 2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey (OHAS) in a “sustainability capital”: the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. We detailed how the 2011 OHAS consistently overrepresented White households …

More Buildings Make More Generalizable Models—Benchmarking Prediction Methods On Open Electrical Meter Data, Clayton Miller

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Prediction is a common machine learning (ML) technique used on building energy consumption data. This process is valuable for anomaly detection, load profile-based building control and measurement and verification procedures. Hundreds of building energy prediction techniques have been developed over the last three decades, yet there is still no consensus on which techniques are the most effective for various building types. In addition, many of the techniques developed are not publicly available to the general research community. This paper outlines a library of open-source regression techniques from the Scikit-Learn Python library and describes the process of applying them to open …

From The Boots On The Ground: A Comparison Of The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Military Members And Mental Health Professionals Regarding The Moral Injury Construct, Karis L. Callaway

Dissertations

An increasing amount of research conducted in recent years indicates that, in addition to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, moral injury is a key concept to recognize when considering the deployment experiences of service members. Although related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which is a fear-based mental health diagnosis, moral injury is a distinct concept. It acknowledges the possible prolonged negative psychological, social, and spiritual consequences that may occur after experiences that challenge and transgress one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Events such as perpetration of harm, failing to protect or prevent harm, and witnessing or learning about distressing acts committed by influential others …

How Pennsylvanians Define Environmental Justice, Kayla Hofmann

Sociology Summer Fellows

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) defines an environmental justice area as any census tract that partially or wholly includes a 30 percent or greater minority population or 20 percent or more of a population living in poverty. However, little is known about how the average Pennsylvanian defines environmental justice, hindering our ability to determine whether the current definition is adequate. Using transcripts from nine listening sessions on the DEP’s tour of affected counties, I address 3 questions: (1) How do people define environmental justice? (2) What do people think are the most pressing issues in each county? And …

Conceptualizing Governance Decision Making: A Theoretical Model Of Mental Processes Derived Through Abduction, Matt Loesch

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

The field of Public Policy and Administration is heavily influenced by the decisions individuals make regarding matters of governance. These types of decisions can affect a broad scope of government-related activities ranging from esoteric debates about political ideology to policy development to specific ways in which people directly interact with public services. Unfortunately, in the view of this research, there is no sufficient model for conceptualizing governance decision making. This creates the focus of inquiry for this work, which is to examine how governance decisions are conceived of and formulated. The purpose of this research is then to analyze the …

Media Discourses That Normalize Colonial Relations: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of (Im)Migrants And Refugees, Meng Zhao, Jorge Rodriguez, Lilia D. Monzó

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The im(migration) and refugee crisis that are being exacerbated under the Trump administration, is a manifestation of empire-building and the long history of colonization of the Global South. A Marxist-humanist perspective recognizes these as consistent aspects of a clearly racist global capitalism that functions in the interest of multibillion dollar U.S.–based corporations and increasingly transnational corporations. Trade agreements, international economic policy, political intervention, invasion or the threat of these, often secure corporate interests in specific countries and regions. The authors use critical discourse analysis to examine the discourses around Mexican, Central American, and Syrian im(migrants) and refugees as examples of …

مدى امكانية قياس الاداء المستدام للشركات الصناعية بواسطة بطاقة الاداء المتوازن دراسة تطبيقية في معمل اسمنت الكوفة, افتخار جبار عبد

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Neurocognitive Process Of Digital Radicalization: A Theoretical Model And Analytical Framework, Tiffiany Howard, Brach Poston, Stephen D. Benning

Political Science Faculty Research

Recent studies suggest that empathy induced by narrative messages can effectively facilitate persuasion and reduce psychological reactance. Although limited, emerging research on the etiology of radical political behavior has begun to explore the role of narratives in shaping an individual’s beliefs, attitudes, and intentions that culminate in radicalization. The existing studies focus exclusively on the influence of narrative persuasion on an individual, but they overlook the necessity of empathy and that in the absence of empathy, persuasion is not salient. We argue that terrorist organizations are strategic in cultivating empathetic-persuasive messages using audiovisual materials, and disseminating their message within the …

Determining The Level Of Cultural Competence Of College Police Departments: A Study Of Three Different Campuses, Michelle Fletcher, Randolph Burnside, Stephanie Pink-Harper

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This research examines the understanding that police chiefs on three college campuses have about cultural competence and determines how organizationally integrated cultural competence is in their police departments. This article uses semi-structured interviews and surveys to determine the levels and organizational integration of cultural competence. The findings indicate that there are varying degrees of cultural competence across the three departments. This was primarily based on three factors: the level of understanding of cultural competence, the emphasis placed on promoting cultural competence by departmental leadership, and administrative or legal barriers. Given the complexity of cultural competence, the article concludes by offering …

The Accounting Doctoral Shortage: Accounting Faculty Opinions On Hiring Jd-Cpas As Accounting Educators, Ramsey L. Cardwell, Ronald O. Cardwell, J.T. Norris, Michael P. Forrest

Administrative Issues Journal

Objectives: Prior studies have noted that the number of PhDs in accounting are far below the number needed to meet program hiring needs. This paper reviews how the JD-CPA alternative credential is viewed by three academic accreditation bodies (SACS, ACBSP, and AACSB), the American Bar Association (ABA), and current accounting faculty at SACS-accredited institutions of higher education. Methods: An online survey was distributed to accounting educators at 439 institutions accredited by SACS, with 248 complete responses received. Individual demographics and institutional information were summarized statistically. Responses to two questions assessing inclination to hire an otherwise-qualified JD-CPA candidate using …

Less Than/More Than: Issues Associated With High-Impact Online Teaching And Learning, Ricardo Montelongo

Administrative Issues Journal

The increased presence of online education in higher education in the United States continues to challenge educators in their perceptions of teaching and learning experiences in virtual environments. While critiques of online education typically focus on its “less than” shortcomings, this literature review encourages educators to take a “more than” approach when providing institutional support. Online education provides beneficial outcomes for faculty, students, and administration when viewed for its potential in providing innovative teaching and learning. The financial challenges involved in providing these practices are addressed to justify investment in faculty effort, organizational support and professional development, and equitable student …

Geneva International Centre For Humanitarian Demining 2018 Annual Report, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

In 2018, GICHD staff visited and supported 61 countries to improve mine action globally and locally and delivered over 30 training sessions and workshops. To carry out this work, our staff grew. As of the end of 2018, the GICHD is made up of 74 staff members representing 23 nations.

Read about all the main areas of the Centre's work in 2018, as well as highlights of some of its major achievements. The report also includes a summary of the financial statements and the most recent list of the members of the Council of Foundation and the Advisory Board.

Examining Resilience In The Lives Of Black Women, Laurellé C. Warner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Challenges and adversity are ubiquitous, but there is differential distribution by sex and social location. Women have an increased likelihood of experiencing social and biological challenges with an even greater probability among Black women because of the enduring historical context of oppression, devaluation, and inequality. As a result, Black women experience stressful and chronic strains over their changing life course, requiring early and greater adaptation and evolving regulatory processes that can lead to stress proliferation and allostatic load. Despite hardships, however, many have demonstrated historical and contemporary patterns of adapting and flourishing. This is suggestive of resilience. Yet, the extant …

Latino Political Leadership In Massachusetts: 2019, Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, Christa M. Kelleher, Fabián Torres-Ardila

Gastón Institute Publications

There is very limited Latino presence in the State Senate, with one Latina State Senator in office; having five Latinos in the Senate would be proportionate to the statewide Latino population. Six Latinos serve in the 160-member House of Representatives; eighteen would be proportionate. There are no Latinos in the state’s congressional delegation.

City councilors and members of school committees account for 83% of all Latinos serving in key elected leadership positions. The top 20 cities and towns with the largest proportions of Latino residents in Massachusetts account for 57% of the Latino population in the state. Among these cities …

Power Sharing And The Rule Of Law In The Aftermath Of Civil War, Caroline A. Hartzell, Matthew Hoddie

Political Science Faculty Publications

What effect do power-sharing institutions agreed to as part of civil war settlements have on the development of the rule of law in post–civil war states? We contend that power-sharing measures facilitate the emergence of the rule of law in two ways. First, they establish a form of institutional constraint that promotes judicial autonomy and independence. Second, they foster a sense of security among judges and other political actors that bolsters commitment to the law. We demonstrate the plausibility of a positive relationship between power sharing and the rule of law through an analysis of post–civil war states between the …

Sahrawi Self-Determination Within Existing Borders: Adapting The Right To Self Determination To Modern International Norms, Alma Ruedas

Student Research Symposium

This paper provides an overview of the attitudes towards the Sahrawi people and the POLISARIO Front in Algeria and Morocco, with a more specific focus on how these latter have impacted their endeavour to establish the former’s own sovereign state. The paper provides background on the political, social, and economic, atmospheres in both countries, to contextualise the modern state of democratic institutions and voter engagement. With this information in mind, several potential pathways forward are presented for Sahrawi self-determination, weighing the pros and cons of seeking political representation within existing states, or through secession.

Population Decline And School Closure In Puerto Rico, Jennifer Hinojosa, Edwin Melendez, Kathya Severino Pietri

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

According to the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates, Puerto Rico’s population is 3.1 million, having declined 4% since 2017 (3.2 million).1 This is the first official estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017. Since Hurricane Maria, migration has intensified, especially among adults and the children accompanying them (family units), and this pattern shifted the Island’s demographic structure. This declining population has had a series of social and demographic impacts, such as increasing vacancy rates for housing units, lower growth rates in child population, and school closures throughout the Island. In …

Worcester Chamber Of Commerce: Recruiting Minority Business Owners, Ryan Dimaria, Alexander Hull, Xikun Lu, Haopeng Wang, Jiacheng Hou, Danning Zhao

School of Professional Studies

Our capstone project was to help the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce identify how to re-frame their marketing so it would be appealing to immigrant and minority owned businesses. Based on interviews and external research, our group was able to create a tangible and resourceful data set that provided justified recommendations and ideas on how the Chamber could make adjustments to their marketing plan to attract more businesses of this particular demographic in the city of Worcester. By implementing these recommendations, we believe the Chamber has the opportunity to create a more diverse group of Chamber members, add value to …

Spatial Decision Support Systems Use In Peacekeeping And Stability Operations Analysis: Spatial Analysis For U.S. Army Civil Affairs Civil Information Management, Earnest R. Lloyd

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Becoming a core U.S. military mission in 2005, Stability Operations deals with the political, economic, social and structural resiliency of a county or region. It is conducted to support and develop a host nation’s government, or to initiate governmental services in a non-governed area until the host nation can do so itself. Inherent in this is the provision of public goods, whether the military is the principal provider or to understand the relative public good provision levels within a given area. This understanding is known as situational awareness of the operational environment (OE), a significant issue for any military commander …

Contextualizing Approaches To Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences Of Intractable Conflict, Michele A. Sam

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article contextualizes intractable conflict within the lived experiences and worldviews of an Indigenous person, imbued with academic and scholarly research. The text illustrates how intractable conflict is experienced within the “developed world,” resulting in both freedom and fragmentation. Whether intractable conflict stems from colonial and postcolonial development and influences current Indigenous Peoples’ self-development efforts in Canada, specifically, and possibly across British colonies in general seems to be a new inquiry. The author relates her intergenerational experiences of contact, unpacking research and development in its many forms alongside the characteristics of intractable conflict and related federal Indian and social policy. …

"Home" In Peace And Conflict Studies: A Site Of Resistance And Of Reform, Ali Watson

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article aims to examine one aspect of the "local" that has been little considered in IR: the concept of home and its significance as a place of meaning and as a site of resistance. Existing studies of the concept of home in other disciplines include their study as "profound centers of human existence" in human geography and as the place of "many cultural practices that forge social memory." More recently, the plight of refugees has thrown into sharp relief both the need for an examination of home and its current under-theorization. After a wider examination of the meaning of …

Poetic Representation Of Immigrant Bengali Women From Queens, New York: A Qualitative Exploration Of Narrative In Relation To Physical And Cultural Migration, Tabashshum J. Islam

Publications and Research

Poetic Representation of Immigrant Bengali Women from Queens, New York: A Qualitative Exploration of Narrative in Relation to Physical and Cultural Migration is a qualitative poetic inquiry and collaborative creative writing project. Five participants were interviewed and invited to engage in a collaborative writing process with the themes of immigration, cultural negotiation, and oral family history. All participants identified as college-educated Bengali women with a connection to Queens, New York, as well as being an immigrant or relative of an immigrant in the United States. From transcriptions of one-on-one interviews and personal notes, research-poetry was created to center on the …

Understanding Local Vulnerability In The Rio Grande Valley, Yajaira I. Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

Located on the Texas-Mexico border, the Rio Grande Valley is characterized by its geographical susceptibility to hurricanes and floods. With high poverty rates and a majority Hispanic and Latino population, “the Valley” faces multiple challenges; many residents of the area live below federal poverty rates, have low educational attainment, speak little to no English, or are migrants with low social capital. These prevailing conditions have established the Rio Grande Valley as a highly vulnerable region compared to other areas in the United States. This paper aims to bring awareness of these prevalent inequalities existing within the area, and to participate …

Teacher Diversity Issues Among Hispanics And English Language Learners (Ells): Perspectives Of Administrators And Teachers In A Mid-South Town, Samantha Juncia Julien

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the English Language Learner (ELL) student population is steadily increasing, the American teaching workforce remains mainly white and monolingual. This sector has yet to reflect the change in ELLs and teachers of color, who will be able to adequately provide culturally responsive instruction to these students. There is an urgent need to recruit and train teachers in culturally responsive pedagogy with the purpose of providing educational, cultural and social supports for the growing ELL population in the country (Farahnaz, 2012). Because of this, the American educational system is revamping some of its earlier pedagogical approaches, including the introduction of …

Municipal Police Under Federal Control: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Title 42 U.S.C. Section 14141 Negotiated Settlements, Jason W. Ostrowe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Passed as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Law Enforcement Misconduct Statute 42 U.S.C. 14141 (§ 14141) authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate, and enter into a court-enforceable structural reform agreement with a law enforcement agency engaged in patterns or practices of systemic misconduct, violations of federal law, and unconstitutional policing.

Under § 14141 authority, 33 investigations of municipal police have been conducted since 1994 where the DOJ determined that a police agency was engaged in, or at unreasonable risk of engaging in, a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing. Publicizing …

The Patient-Physician Relationship: Overcoming Language And Cultural Barriers, Corrilynn Lynch

Senior Honors Theses

The patient-physician relationship governs the field of medicine, forming the basis for all relationships, interactions, and procedures in medicine. The degree to which a patient trusts his physician and thus is willing to be receptive to medical advice and adhere to assigned treatment is dependent on the quality of his relationship with his physician. The method of relationship chosen will dictate how the patient feels he is perceived and thus to what extend he will participate in his healthcare. A patient-centered approach to medicine will increase this confidence and lead to improved clinical results. Additionally, the rise of physician burnout …

Examining The Receptivity Of Foreign Guests: A Study Of Economic Community Of West African States (Ecowas) Students In Higher Educational Institutions In Accra, Ghana, Kezia Darkwah

Doctor of International Conflict Management Dissertations

With an increasingly global demand for higher education, countries are competing for international students. Popular destinations like the United States are facing a decreasing number of international student enrollments due to restrictive policies that are perceived as unwelcoming to foreign guests. Regional hubs are emerging as alternative destinations for international students. Ghana, today considered one of West Africa’s most stable democracies and an important destination country in the region, receives many foreign guests including economic migrants, students, tourists, and refugees. Ghana is also emerging as a regional hub for educational migrants. How are these foreign guests received, integrated, and ultimately …

Stories Matter: Reaffirming The Value Of Qualitative Research, Samantha Mcaleese, Jennifer M. Kilty

The Qualitative Report

While the social sciences are experiencing narrative and emotional turns that are largely based on exploratory and theoretical qualitative research, the problematic dismissal of qualitative research approaches continues to loom large outside academia. Frequently described as a collection of “anecdotal stories,” qualitative research is dismissed as unscientific and unreliable— comments that limit the perceived usefulness of qualitative findings, especially in terms of policy reform. This article problematizes evaluating qualitative research according to quantitative measures of rigour and explores the richness and value of documenting experiential stories and the process of storying in social science research. Notably, we take up the …