Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The International Humanitarian Law Status Of Foreign Fighters In The Ukrainian International Legion Of Territorial Defence, S. Bosch

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper explores the international humanitarian law classification which applies to foreign fighters that have been enlisted in the Ukrainian International Legion of Territorial Defence pursuant to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The paper explains the legal rights, obligations and consequences which attach to mercenary, combatant and prisoner of war status; and explores how these foreign members of the Ukrainian International Legion of Territorial Defence fit into this legal landscape. This paper challenges the legality of Russia's decision to classify these individuals as mercenaries. The paper supports the argument that these foreign members of the Ukrainian International Legion …

Deterrence Gap: Avoiding War In The Taiwan Strait, Jared M. Mckinney, Peter Harris

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The likelihood China will attack Taiwan in the next decade is high and will continue to be so, unless Taipei and Washington take urgent steps to restore deterrence across the Taiwan Strait. This monograph introduces the concept of interlocking deterrents, explains why deterrents lose their potency with the passage of time, and provides concrete recommendations for how Taiwan, the United States, and other regional powers can develop multiple, interlocking deterrents that will ensure Taiwanese security in the short and longer terms. By joining deterrence theory with an empirical analysis of Taiwanese, Chinese, and US policies, the monograph provides US military …

Don Brown And Japanese Librarianship During The Occupation Period, Taro Miura

Proceedings from the Document Academy

Japanese library policy during the post-war occupation was primarily driven by the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE) of the GHQ/SCAP. Donald B. Brown was a head of the Information Division of CIE, in charge of occupational media policy. He had experience as a journalist of The Japan Advertiser in 1930s and as an analyst in the Office of War Information (OWI) in early 1940s. He led the dissemination of democratic ideas in the media sector, publicizing the purpose of occupation to the general public, and eliminating militarism/non-democratic ideas. Branch Library Bulletin was published 45 times from 1948–1949 and conveyed …

Revisiting Robert Pagès: Documents And Culture, Michael K. Buckland

Proceedings from the Document Academy

An introduction to the life and work of Robert Pagès (1919–2007), French social psychology researcher and theorist of documentation. From 1946 to 1948 Pagès was a student in the program in documentation directed by Suzanne Briet that later became the Institut National des Techniques de Documentation (INTD). A 1947 thesis was published in 1948 as an article entitled “Transformations documentaires et milieu culturel” (Documentary transformations and cultural context). It received little attention until recently. The article, now reprinted and translated, examines the rise of new media and how they have largely displaced lived experience and bookish knowledge in a society …

Focus Group Discussions With Rural Women In Yobe State On Information Services For Community Engagement On Development Issues In Nigeria, Aondover Eric Msughter, Mohammed Khalid Idris

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

In this information age, it is recognized that women's active participation is an essential component of community engagement, and sustainable development. Within this context, this study examined information services for community engagement on development issues in Nigeria with rural women in Yobe State. Qualitative method of data generation was adopted. Focus Group Discussion was carried out with women from the four (4) selected communities. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 24 participants for the FGD. The tenets of Source Credibility Theory served the study goal. Based on the findings, it is apparent that most of the women in these …

The Last Colony: Theoretical Explanations On The Protractedness Of The Western Sahara Conflict, Elisabeth H. Austrheim

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

“There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited” (Tzu 1963: 73).

The forty-eight yearlong Western Sahara conflict over the former Spanish colony between Polisario and the Kingdom of Morocco continues its low prospects of resolution. The future of the territory, with both strategic geopolitical and financial relevance, remains uncertain in which the reasons for the continued prolongation appear to be many. Different conflict theories emphasise various factors causing protractedness, suggesting that many different causes, together, have engendered the current lack of settlement. Whilst the theory of protracted social conflicts emphasises developed high-tensioned, hostile relations between …

High Suicide Rates Among Young Adults In The United States, Glory Thomas

Ballard Brief

The United States has a much higher suicide rate than other developed countries with an average of 14.5 deaths by suicide per 100,000 people per year. By contrast, the majority of countries across Europe, South America, and Asia report substantially lower rates, typically falling below 10 deaths per 100,000 people each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults in the United States. Suicide is a public health crisis and is caused by multiple factors like untreated mental illness, individual attitudes towards suicide, and socio-economic status. Suicide leads to the negative consequence of suicide copycats, or …

Psychological Energy: Early Theorists In The Analytical Tradition, Michael Da

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Since the dawn of Western psychology, theorists have used variations of the term “energy” to describe the dynamic forces at work within the psyche and the soma and the psychotherapeutic processes of change. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, terms used for psychological energy included “libido,” “psychic energy,” “orgone energy,” “bioenergetics,” and “psycho-energetics.” This paper uses philosophical hermeneutics to compare the major theorists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century: William James, Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud, C. G. Jung, Wilhelm Reich, Alexander Lowen, and Roberto Assagioli. The analysis reveals that these theorists generally agreed that psychological energy …

Theorising Political Legitimisation: From Stasis To Processes, Paddy Dolan, Stephen Vertigans, John Connolly

Articles

Legitimacy remains a key concept in political sociology, and perhaps even more so in lay understandings of political processes and structures, as evidenced by conflict over territories and regimes around the world. However, the concept suffers from a rather static representation, and even when addressed in processual form, in terms of specific moments in the process, such as conditions favouring legitimacy or its effects. Building from an Eliasian perspective, we argue for a more processual concept of legitimisation to encompass the dynamic social networks (figurations) that constitute the more unintentional context for deliberate legitimation claims. As networks expand and intensify, …

From The Deceptive Delinquent To The Illusive Illicit Alien: A Qualitative Study Of 21st Century United States Border Security Law Enforcement’S Capabilities, Competencies, And Capacities Designed To Counter Transient Criminality Recruitment, Christopher C. Palme

Theses and Dissertations

The transient criminal enterprise progressively evolved through expansion of illicit trafficking pathways throughout the 21st century. Scholars and practitioners share roles and responsibilities in missed opportunities to combat transient criminality. The Intelligence Community’s intelligence process is deficient in timely production and dissemination of their products. Starting with the transient criminality recruitment process, a correlated lack of psychosocial training programs dedicated to countering the transient crime threat exists. This study is rooted in sociological theory. It addresses Homeland Security dilemmas through the theoretical lens of sociology of security (Bajc, 2013) and is enhanced by concepts from Social Identity (Tajfel, 1979), Social …

Senatus Exesa: Explaining The Abuse Of Procedure In The U.S. Congress, Ian Klenk

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

Senatus Exesa: Explaining the Abuse of Procedure in the U.S. Congress

Abstract

On October 3^rd, 2023, Rep. Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker of the House of Representatives to be forcibly removed from his position as Speaker of the lower chamber of Congress. Though dramatic, this episode is indicative of the current state of American politics. At a time when political polarization between the two parties has never been higher, norms that were once considered the nuclear option are now understood as the norm. Cynicism and distrust of Congress is at an all-time high, with many Americans disabused …

Beyond Combat: Moral Injury Exposure In Officer And Enlisted Marine Veterans With Diverse Deployment Histories And The Relationship With Posttraumatic Growth, Hira Jean Byrne Paulin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Moral injury has been widely studied in male combat-deployed active-duty personnel and veterans, with little inclusion of non-combat or never-deployed experiences. Moral injury research has primarily focused on adverse outcomes. Within military moral injury research, there is limited information on individual branches of service or rank-specific experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore moral injury event exposure and posttraumatic growth within a single branch of service, the Marine Corps, with a focus on rank status and the inclusion of non-combat and never-deployed veterans. A community-based approach was used to recruit participants over a 2-month period. Participants completed a …

Beyond “The Forgotten War”: A Multidimensional Exploration Of The Korean War And Its Enduring Impact, Matthew Weishaupt

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay...................3

II. Primary Sources................20

III. Textbook Critique..............30

IV. New Textbook Entry..........34

V. Bibliography.......................40

Humanitarian Intervention: Motivations And Norms In Cases Of Genocide, Jaelynn Thomas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In 1948, the international community came together and promised to “prevent and punish” genocides under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). Despite the Genocide Convention’s commitment to humanitarian intervention, states are selective and inconsistent in intervention. While there are many case studies done on state motivation for intervention, statistical studies are rarely done and a system for predicting what variables will likely produce humanitarian intervention on a wide scale has not been explored. This study uses a Cross-Sectional Time Series Estimator Model to track whether states were more likely to intervene in …

What Explains American Perceptions Of Russia And China?, Shane Stryker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This undergraduate senior thesis project aims to investigate the question of how Americans perceive the challenges posed by Russia and China comparatively, and which factors have the greatest influence on these perceptions. This is important for many reasons, such as a greater understanding of American public opinion on foreign affairs that may help frame approaches to U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, finding where the American public agrees and disagrees on competitors and challengers provides us with insight that can be used to explain perceptions.

First, there will be a literature review concerning the importance of understanding public opinion, explanations and theories …

I Am Gay And Catholic: An Analysis Of Identity Integration In Lgbtq+ Members Converting To Catholicism, Maria Julian

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This article examines the negotiation of sexual and religious identities among Catholic members of the LGBTQ+ community. I explore context-specific identity negotiation to determine how and why, in a time of “cultural warfare” within the Catholic Church surrounding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants, LGBTQ+ members choose to convert to Catholicism. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the LGBTQ+ community, I identify and discuss several themes based on the identity integration process of these individuals: (1) Experiencing “The Call” (the initial interest in Catholicism), (2) Encountering the Religious “Other” (association with a welcoming and enduring Catholic LGBTQ+ Community), (3) Immersion …

Ua1c11/128 Lucian Flora Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs and postcards removed from Lucian Flora's World War II scrapbook.

Them, John Adams

Writing Beyond the Prison Living Archive

Reflective essay on Homelessness; Military Service; Social Inclusion/Exclusion; Race; Social Invisibility

Assessment Of Trauma In Youth With Intellectual Disabilities: Comparison Of Research And Clinical Practice, Olga Joyce Bilardi

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study seeks to assess clinician use of trauma assessments when working with youth with lower cognitive and adaptive functioning who meet criteria for having an Intellectual Disability. Given the limited assessment instruments discussed in the literature, it is essential to determine what practices clinicians use to assess trauma with intellectually disabled youth. This study aims to determine the prevalence of trauma measures used with the Intellectual Disability population and assess clinician comfort with this population. This study will highlight the necessity for further development of appropriate and standardized trauma measures in the Intellectual Disability population and training for clinicians …

A Cherokee Historiography: 125 Years And The Trail Of Tears, Joshua Huberman

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

Synthesis Essay..............................3

Document Section.........................28

Textbook Engagement...................38

Bibliography....................................48

Global Deaf And Disability-Led Partnerships For Accessible Emergency Response And Humanitarian Action, Alina A. Engelman, Joe Booze, Alexia Izquierdo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Disability-serving non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in fostering care networks and supporting humanitarian action for disabled people before and during emergencies, particularly in the absence of targeted philanthropic and governmental support. However, relatively few NGOs serving disabled people are led or operated by people with disabilities, especially by disabled women. This analysis, based on survey and interview data with leadership, explores the impact of two disability-led operations. Findings have profound implications for how social work practice can center disability justice both in preparing for and responding to emergencies. This paper assesses the needs and impact of two …

Russian Chemical And Biological Weapons: Limiting The Effects Of Russian Cbw Programs On Nato Security Through 2035, Jason Gregory Porter

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis uses qualitative research methods to: (1) assess the extent and capabilities of Russia’s modern chemical and biological weapons programs, (2) assess Russian compliance with arms control agreements, (3) determine the threats Russian chemical and biological weapons pose to NATO security, (4) assess NATO’s existing strategy against the modern chemical and biological threat, and (5) provide recommendations for U.S. and NATO policies and programs to mitigate the threat of these programs in the short and medium term. This project demonstrates that Russian chemical and biological weapons programs have remained consistently in violation of international arms control agreements since the …

Strategic Implications Caused By Hypersonic Strike Weapons, Marc D. Johnson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Emerging technology is having a substantial impact on strategic stability. This thesis will analyze the impact of developing hypersonic weapon systems globally on strategic stability. Hypersonic weapons are defined as weapons that travel at least five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Hypersonic Strike Weapons (HSW) are hypersonic weapons capable of maneuvering at hypersonic speeds that makes them much more difficult to engage when traveling at such high speeds. They are a relatively new technology that is currently being pursued by multiple nations throughout the world.

The United States is currently the only country that has officially declared all …

Foreign Intervention And Internal Displacement: Urban Politics In Postwar Beirut, Amanda Rizkallah

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Uneven democratization is a common yet poorly understood legacy of civil war. In the aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), wartime processes of displacement interacted with Syria's intervention to transform local postwar political orders. In Beirut's suburbs, the bonds built between armed actors and displaced populations created opportunities for displaced people to extract responsiveness from local institutions, despite their vulnerability. But the power of displaced populations in their host community hinges on the fate of the locally dominant armed actor. If the armed actor is an ally of the intervening power, it can maintain political control over its strongholds, …

Impediments To Peace: In Response To ‘The Evolution Of Peace’ By Luke Glowacki (December 16, 2022), Raymond B. Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

A response to ‘The evolution of peace’ by Luke Glowacki (December 16, 2022)

While effective institutional practices are critical for the evolution of peace certain factors deter their effectiveness. In-group and out-group dynamics may make peace difficult between culturally distinct groups. Critical ecological conditions often lead to intractable conflict over resources. And within group conflicts of interest most prominently between generations may inhibit effective peace making

Psychological Energy: Early Theorists In The Analytical Tradition, Michael Da

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Since the dawn of Western psychology, theorists have used variations of the term “energy” to describe the dynamic forces at work within the psyche and the soma and the psychotherapeutic processes of change. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, terms used for psychological energy included “libido,” “psychic energy,” “orgone energy,” “bioenergetics,” and “psycho-energetics.” This paper uses philosophical hermeneutics to compare the major theorists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century: William James, Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud, C. G. Jung, Wilhelm Reich, Alexander Lowen, and Roberto Assagioli. Analysis reveals these theorists generally agreed psychological energy is (a) a …

Warsaw Uprising Of 1944, Vanessa K. Gusciora

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from Nazi German occupation. It began on August 1, 1944, and lasted 63 days, as the poorly equipped resistance fought against well-armed German forces. The Soviet Red Army, stationed across the Vistula River, offered no significant aid, leaving the insurgents isolated. The uprising was brutally suppressed, resulting in approximately 200,000 Polish civilian and combatant deaths. Warsaw was left in ruins, and the city’s population was forcibly expelled. Despite its tragic outcome, the uprising symbolized Polish resistance and …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Findings From Humboldt County: The California Cannabis Worker And Equity Survey, Jennifer A. Smith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explores how intersectional axes of identity, particularly gender and race, shape the experiences of precarity and resistance among cannabis workers in Humboldt County amid the industry's ongoing transition to legalization. Drawing on survey data from a diverse sample of 58 cannabis workers, the analysis revealed complex dimensions of precarity, including structural, physical, socioemotional, and material issues. Findings indicate that BIPOC workers, particularly men, face heightened structural precarity compared to their white counterparts, while the intersection of race and gender exacerbated vulnerabilities for BIPOC women and beyond binary individuals. Despite these challenges, workers demonstrated resilience and advocacy, emphasizing their …

The Lion, The Fox, And The President: Machiavelli's Foreign Policy And Barack Obama, Eli Chancey

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

This undergraduate thesis is a culmination of a senior seminar course focused on the works of Florentine politician and statesman Niccol. Machiavelli. Infamous for his common caricature as an amoral shoulder devil for authoritarians, Machiavelli’s works have been interpreted in countless fashions. While The Prince and the Discourses, his two most significant writings, mainly focus on domestic politics, they give some attention to international affairs. This thesis serves to identify Machiavelli’s foreign policy philosophy within these works and reconcile the differences between their varied interpretations. Then, it will turn toward a modern-day prince, President Barack Obama, to determine his level …

Responding To Hurricane Maria: The Role Of Mutual Aid Societies In Withstanding Federal Failures, Caitlin Bracken

Honors Theses

Through a combination of research and interviews, this paper unpacks the policies that expose colonialist realities and how Puerto Rican mutual aid societies engaged with those policies in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Policies and decisions such as cabotage law under the Jones Act; the quality of Puerto Rican bonds being triple-tax exempt; the inability to refinance or default on debt; the Insular Cases and other Supreme Court cases; and PROMESA, have established a colonial relationship with significant material and political consequences for Puerto Rico. These consequences were brought to light after Hurricane Maria, where the U.S.’s inadequate response resulted …