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Negotiating Migration In The Mediterranean: A Comparative Study Of Morocco And Italy’S Border Policies And Their Humanitarian Impact On Irregular Migrants, Shennel Ep Henries

Master's Theses

Serving as both a barrier and a bridge that connects Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean is today the focal point of global controversies around migration, where humanitarian interests balance against border policing and meet securitization policies. This thesis examines the questions: How do irregular migrants adapt, interpret, and maneuver around securitized Moroccan and Italian migration policies, and what do their strategies tell us about the relationship between humanitarianism and securitization in Mediterranean bordering processes? Drawing on qualitative evidence, including expert interviews with organization employees and volunteers in Morocco and Italy (Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas, Nosotras Onlus, and Caritas Maroc), field observation, …

Framing The Future: A Community Health Analysis Of The Pee Dee Region, Stephen Borders, Jean Anton, Rian Fontaine, Donielle Phillips, Treyton Ringer, Jessica Robinson, Caitlin Thompkins

Public Health

This report presents a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of community health across South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, encompassing Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Marion, and Dillon Counties. Using tract-level data from CDC PLACES, the U.S. Census, and the National Provider Identifier registry, it assesses chronic health conditions, health behaviors, and social determinants of health. The analysis incorporates the South Carolina Healthy Communities Index (SCHCI) and a Suitability Analysis to identify the region’s most disadvantaged communities. The findings highlight persistent disparities, particularly in rural counties, where high rates of poverty, chronic disease, and unmet basic needs intersect with limited access to care. Despite …

Frontlines Of Influence: State Vs. Nonstate Disinformation Campaigns, Lily Wershbale

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This paper examines the evolution of disinformation campaigns conducted by state and nonstate actors, focusing specifically on Russia and the Islamic State as representative case studies. Through historical examples and qualitative comparative analysis, this research identifies the similarities and differences in disinformation’s role in actors’ core missions, resource allocation, and targeting decisions. This paper further explores the implications of artificial intelligence on disinformation campaigns, investigating how emerging technology will impact the influence operations of state governments and nonstate organizations alike. The findings reveal that while the ultimate intent of both state and non-state actors is to destabilize societies, their approaches …

Passive Envelope Retrofits As Climate Justice Infrastructure Against Extreme Heat: A Gis-Guided Approach For Outdated Single-Family Homes In Urban California, Mert Oztekin Mr.

Master's Projects and Capstones

I examined the opportunities to enhance equity in energy performance, climate resilience, and environmental adaptation through climate-resilient envelope retrofitting and spatially guided implementation strategies (via mappings of the Urban Heat Island -UHI- and socio-economic vulnerability indicators). Passive envelope retrofits of attic insulation; high-performance windows; cool roofs; and green roofs / walls, are examined across multiple climate zones of California' aged single-family housing stock, focusing on the Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). Through spatial analysis, strong overlap between Urban Heat Island(UHI) exposure; pre-1980 housing; socioeconomic disadvantage, and thus the need for spatially-directed action is underlined. The policy landscape analysis provides confirmation of the …

The Extreme Poverty Alleviation Impact Of The Conditional Cash Transfer Program In Nigeria, Oluseun Omolara Olagunju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite several social investment programmes (SIPs) to reduce poverty, Nigeria had a high poverty rate, particularly in remote rural areas. The SIPs included conditional cash transfers (CCTs) to eligible households under certain conditions, such as extreme poverty in remote rural areas without access to water, electricity, shelter, basic health care, and education. While a few studies conducted on the effectiveness of CCTs have shown that Nigeria invested significant resources in poverty alleviation without the desired results due to factors like poor implementation and corruption, none reflects the perspective of CCT beneficiaries. The purpose of this study was to fill this …

Federal And State Governments Can Help Solve The Employment Problems Of People In Distressed Places To Spur Equitable Growth, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

Places in the United States differ greatly in their residents’ access to jobs, especially good jobs. Although the federal and state governments provide about $80 billion annually to create jobs through multiple programs, these job-creation initiatives are rarely targeted to economically distressed places, where the job-creation benefits for local residents are greatest. Moreover, many of these programs take the form of business tax incentives, which are less effective at job creation than customized services for businesses and workers. I argue that the prime-age employment rate of places should be used to target job-creation programs and review which such programs are …

Puerto Rico's Coast: Preservation Through Positive Obligations On Property Owners And The State In The Context Of Climate Change, Jaime Villeta-Garcia

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

The rise in sea level, the obvious rampant coastal erosion and the uncertain future due to climate change urge the need to rethink the coast, through property and administrative law. The security of life, property and the fair and orderly use of the ultra-valuable resources that is the coast depend on a new concept for properties in the coastal zone and its effective execution by a conscious and responsible State. Centered on the community of Ocean Park in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it’s no longer a question of whether coastal property rights can contribute to safeguarding the coast, but rather …

Should Physicians Take The Rap? Normative Analysis Of Clinician Perspectives On Responsible Use Of 'Black Box' Ai Tools, Ben H Lang, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Jared N Smith, Meghan Hurley, Rita Dexter, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Increasing interest in deploying artificial intelligence tools in clinical contexts has raised several ethical questions of both normative and empirical interest. One such question in the literature is whether "responsibility gaps" (r-gaps) are created when clinicians utilize or rely on such tools for providing care, and if so, what to do about them. These gaps are particularly likely to arise when using opaque, "black box" AI tools. Compared to normative and legal analysis of AI-generated responsibility gaps in health care, little is known, empirically, about health care providers views on this issue. The present study examines clinician perspectives on …

Climate Change Behind Prison Walls: Environmental Justice, Prison Abolition, And Social Welfare, Mia Moody

Student Theses 2015-Present

Unbeknownst to many, human rights violations occur on a large scale behind prison walls. This paper examines some of these violations, especially those exacerbated by climate change, through an environmental lense in order to emphasize the need for social welfare-based solutions in the abolition of the prison industrial complex. It also seeks to illustrate the connection between the environmental justice movement and the prison abolition movement so that marginalized peoples may be free from shouldering disproportionate effects of environmental hazards and imprisonment. This paper is introduced with a brief overview of the human rights violations occurring in prisons. Using quantitative …

Exploring The Landscape Of Animal Advocacy In Egypt: Insights Into Stray, Wildlife, And Farmed Animal Rights, Yara Moussa, Wasseem Emam

General - Animal Protection

This article examines the landscape of animal advocacy in Egypt, a nascent and growing field in one of Africa’s largest economies and most densely populated countries. It focuses on three types of animal advocacy: 1) stray animal welfare, 2) wildlife conservation, and 3) farmed animal welfare. The paper critically analyses current practices and trends in each of these areas, highlighting the main challenges and opportunities facing the growth of the movement. Our research draws on insights from interviews with active animal welfare organizations, situating their practical experiences, daily operational struggles, as well as instances of success, within Egypt’s wider socio-economic …

Church And State Relationships Explored In Mississippi's Foster Care System, Olivia Gray

Honors Theses

Historically, the entities of church and state were never meant to be wholly separate. Yet, varying ideas as to what this relationship should be evolved over centuries to become the notion of a separation of church and state that Americans cling to today. Despite common misconceptions regarding this ideal, Mississippi’s foster care system maintains strong and beneficial relationships with local churches throughout the state to better impact and meet the needs of foster children in local communities.

This research seeks to explore the relationship between the church and the state utilizing the example of Mississippi’s foster care system. The findings …

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 …

2025 Craft Academy Senior Send-Off Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The Morehead State University 2025 Craft Academy Senior Send-Off Program from May 9, 2025.

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.

Evaluating The Factors That Lead To A Lack Of Gender Diversity Among Senior Level Executives In The Federal Bureau Of Investigation, Joyce A. Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite progress in workplace equality, women face barriers to advancement in the FBI. This underrepresentation raises concerns about organizational performance and decision-making. The purpose of the study was to explore the obstacles to promoting women to senior leadership positions within the FBI by focusing on gender roles, social expectations, and organizational culture. The qualitative phenomenological approach used interviews with female law enforcement officers in conjunction with feminist theory. The study findings identified biases in selection processes, discriminatory hiring practices, non-inclusive workplace culture, and limited professional development opportunities as barriers to promotion. Cognitive and cultural biases that hindered progress were stereotypes …

Leading Schools In The Midst Of Covid-19: Experiences Of Basic School Leaders Of The Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District Of The Central Region Of Ghana, Corinne Brion

Journal of African Policy Studies

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach to understand the experiences of thirteen Ghanaian head-teachers in suburban and rural areas of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem district during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings revealed that these leaders faced numerous challenges related to pivoting to remote learning for the first time combined with the lack of access to technology. Other challenges pertained to the absence of infrastructure and resources such as books. Despite these challenges, these Ghanaian head-teachers were able to adapt to the crisis and alter their leadership style to educate the children they served. Currently, there is a limited …

Nigeria's Federalism And The Threat Of Secession: The Case Of The Ipob, Emmanuel Oladipo Ojo, Osadola Oluwaseun Samuel

Journal of African Policy Studies

Since 2015, there has been renewed agitation for the creation of the Republic of Biafra. This article focuses on one of the two organizations involved in that struggle: The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB, the second being the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB). The Federation of Nigeria, inaugurated on 1 October 1954 under the Lyttelton Constitution, which became operational on that date, has been assailed by a plethora of centrifugal pulls and secession threats since 1950. While many of these threats were resolved politically and at round tables, a few had involved armed confrontation …

Disclosure Of Positive Serostatus Among People Living With Hiv In Terna, Ghana: Decisions And Outcomes, Ethel O. Sakitey, Ami R. Moore, Foster K. Amey

Journal of African Policy Studies

Disclosure of a positive HIV serostatus is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. This study uses a mixed methods approach to examine disclosure and outcome related issues among a randomly selected group of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLH) in Terna, Ghana. Overall, disclosure was relatively high among the PLH. The qualitative data showed that PLH first assessed people in their lives to whom they could potentially disclose and only disclose to those they believed would accept them, provide them support, and/or keep disclosure secret. However, some PLH inaccurately predicted the reactions of people to whom they disclosed their serostatus. Also, an …

Nigeria's Retirement Pension System And Elderly Poverty, Tonyesima Furro

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study examines the nature of Nigeria's contributory retirement pension system. It shows that the government took monthly payroll deductions from the incomes of retirees and deposited in said retirement funds. Prior to retirement, retirees would receive a severance package of a lump-sum payment of a few months to a few years' earnings. They were assured that their regularly scheduled monthly disbursement would be remitted to their designated bank accounts. But due to the cumbersome bureaucratic procedures, many pension claimants were unsuccessful in receiving their benefits before death. The study reveals that the nation's pension administration system is characterized by …

Methodological Analysis Of The Guinea Bissau Nationalist Movement 1963-1974: Amilcar Cabral-Marxist Or Pragmatist Revolutionary?, Aliou Ly

Journal of African Policy Studies

On 24 September 1973, the former Portuguese colony of West Africa, Guinea Bissau, under the leadership of Amilcar Cabral and the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and the Cape Verde Islands), declared its independence after fighting a national liberation war against their Portuguese colonialists. This was the first and the only war for independence in West Africa, with the complete defeat of a European colonial army. During and after the Guinea Bissau Liberation war; 1963-1974, many social scientists, particularly those using the Marxist framework analyzed this African nationalist struggle as a successful Marxist revolution in West Africa. …

Uganda Intervention, Saba Jallow

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Women And Politics In Nigeria: A Typology And An Assessment, Emma Chukwuemeka

Journal of African Policy Studies

The study was carried out to investigate the extent women participate in politics in Nigeria. Abia and Imo states were closely studied. Two hypotheses were formulated. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion. A total of 354 copies of questionnaire were distributed, out of this number, 349 copies were completed and returned by the respondents. Z-test statistical tool was used to analyze the data, Based on the analysis, the major findings revealed that violence against women deters women from getting actively involved in politics in Nigeria. Also culture and traditional ethos prevent the advancement …

Insecurity And The African State: The Myth And Reality Of Armed Non-State Actors, Eliza M. Johannes

Journal of African Policy Studies

Armed non-state militia groups of different shades—comprising rebels, criminals, extremist religious militants, and other opportunistic outfits—have played a significant role in creating instability and undermining human security in Africa. The militia and rebel groups, including the Islamist militant groups have fomented unending ethnic and religious tensions and conflicts in the region. Cognizant of this state of affairs, in this paper I analyze and try to explain the rise of some notable militia groups in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Central African Republic. While focusing on the Mungiki, the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) in …

Learning A Little Bit Harder: The Intersecting Experiences Of First-Generation And Single-Mother College Students, Natalie Lecy, Elizabeth Hendrix, Brian A. Droubay

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study examines the experiences of nine first-generation, single-mother college students, focusing on these intersecting, double-jeopardy identities. Participants’ difficulty navigating college varied; contributing factors included family background, social capital, the type of college attended, and whether they established a mentor. The following themes were established: 1) realizing college is an option, 2) caught between two worlds, 3) college wasn’t designed for us, 4) economic barriers, and 5) disparities in social capital. Our findings indicate colleges were unprepared to meet the unique challenges faced by this group. We present recommendations for the …

Factors Affecting Voting Behavior And Voting Patterns In Zimbabwe's 2008 Harmonized Elections, Dorothy Goredema, Percyslage Chigora

Journal of African Policy Studies

Elections in Zimbabwe in 2008 reflected a changing behavior and pattern that has existed since her attainment of independence in 1980. History has it that the ruling ZANU PF has always had a sweet and easy victory over the opposition. The 2008 elections reflected a different picture. The 2008 elections were unique not only in as far as results are concerned but also in as far as the indirect and direct players' contributions. The uniqueness was manifested in behavior of the voters and the parties themselves. There were many political contesters and many offices up for grabs at once. These …

Democracy And Poverty: The Nigerian Experience, Tonyesima Furro

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study examines the plight of the poor within the new democratic rule in Nigeria. Since the inception of democracy in 1999, there has been a sustained prosperity in terms of oil windfall that swells government's revenues on the order of over $30 billion annually. For the first time in over 20 years, the GDP growth rate is 7.5 percent. The nation has accumulated an impressive foreign exchange reserve of $60 billions. This reserve is the highest ever in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this financial outlay has not resulted in improved standard of living of the broad majority of the people. …

Cover And Table Of Contents, Institute On African Affairs

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Finance For Development And Developing Countries: The Preconditions Revisited, David E. Amadasu

Journal of African Policy Studies

Increasing the rate of inputs- private foreign direct investments to accelerate development in LDCs or developing countries has not been attained over the years. The reason is that more poverty stares the faces of the people in these countries. This is the problem. The literature has said that accelerating development through the rate of inputs has preconditions of friendly environment, sound macroeconomic policies, absorptive capacity, competitiveness of the market, capital accumulation, technology assistance, etc, for private investment to strive. But the situation has not changed much. Do we not need to revisit the preconditions? Consider the non-economic, i.e., personality traits, …

Pathologies In De-Bureaucratic Public Organizations In Nigeria, Joseph E. Imhanlahimi

Journal of African Policy Studies

Because of the nouveau and rapidly growing interests in, and acceptance of, de-bureaucratization (popularly called "deregulation" in Nigeria), as a more attractive organization concept than bureaucratization, the central concern of this paper is an identification and objective analysis of bureau-pathologies in de-bureaucratic public organizations in Nigeria, in response to those of bureaucratic organizations which have already been analysed in the literature. The major and prevalent bureau-pathologies identified and analyzed are inconsistency and unpredictability, informality and denials, unlimited or uncircumscribed flexibility, personalization, limitation of de-categorization, laziness, and goal displacement. Their effects can be summarized as the prevalence of worrying degree of …

From Importer To Exporter: The Changing Role Of Nigeria In Promoting Democratic Values In Africa, J. Shola Omotola

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper takes a critical look at Nigeria's changing role in the promotion of democratic values in Africa since its return to democracy in 1999. The paper argues that the changing role of Nigeria from an importer to an exporter of democracy can be understood in terms of the global wind of change; Nigeria's African centre-piece policy; perception of threats to its leadership position in Africa especially from South Africa; and the personality of Obasanjo given his international credentials and stature. The paper however notes that inherent contradictions in the domestic political economy such as nsmg poverty, inequality and politics …