Digital Commons Network^™

Us-Russia Foreign Policy: Confronting Russia’S Geographic Anxieties, Caitlin P. Irby

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The United States must place Russia’s focus on geographic concerns at the center of future strategy development to build a constructive relationship with Russia and achieve US regional goals. This article analyzes Russia’s geography and historical impact on Russian foreign policy, outlines Moscow’s current foreign policy goals, and highlights underlying concerns for US policymakers and military practitioners. By pursuing policies that support Russian goals of economic integration, mitigation of demographic concerns, and security of national borders, the United States can set the foundation for productive engagement on critical issues.

2023 Annual Estimate Of The Strategic Security Environment, Usawc Ssi

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment serves as a guide for academics and practitioners in the defense community on the current challenges and opportunities in the strategic environment. This year’s publication outlines key strategic issues across the four broad themes of Regional Challenges and Opportunities, Domestic Challenges, Institutional Challenges, and Domains Impacting US Strategic Advantage. These themes represent a wide range of topics affecting national security and provide a global assessment of the strategic environment to help focus the defense community on research and publication. Strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China and the implications of …

Improving The Biblical And Spiritual Skills And Knowledge Of Christian Mental Health Counselors At Grace House Counseling Center In Fleming Island, Fl, Larry M. Nichols

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian licensed mental health counseling at Grace House Counseling Center is a multi-faceted spiritual undertaking that is largely in the purview of lay persons who often work and minister to Christians and non-Christians who live and work in a pluralistic environment. Grace House’s mental health counselors are formally trained through their master’s degree program to provide mental health care, not spiritual or soul care, to clients. While some Grace House counselors have some spiritual training, either from an undergraduate Bible college or through years of self-study, most do not have formal training that links Scripture and spiritual disciplines to various …

Combat-Related Moral Injury And Religiosity, James A. Capobianco

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between combat-related moral injury and religiosity. This quantitative study relied on a convenience sample recruited from a 6,000-person database of veterans in upstate South Carolina. The participants were recruited via email invitation and screened for combat exposure and the presence of moral injury. Instrumentation consisted of the 45-item Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Miliary version (MISS-M) and the 15-item Centrality of Religiosity Scale. All participants were anonymous, and responses were given through self-report. Multiple linear regression was conducted on a sample of 119 combat veterans exploring the relationship between the MISS-M’s 10 …

Peacekeeping For Peace: Effectiveness And Impacts, Santosh Sapkota

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This dissertation examines three aspects of peacekeeping research within the overall framework of peacekeeping effectiveness and its impacts on troop-contributing countries (TCC). This dissertation comprises three different papers that employ three different methodological approaches. The first paper investigates why the military failed to achieve its primary mandate of the protection of civilians (POC) in the wake of continued killings of civilians despite the presence of peacekeepers. The general expectation from the military is to contain or eliminate violent incidents and civilian deaths in areas of responsibility (AOR). Utilizing a case study of Beni, DRC —a highly violent and militarized area …

Amazonian Wetland Domestication: A Spatial Analysis Of Pre-Columbian Fish Weirs In Lowland Bolivia, Charlotte Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Recent archaeological studies show that pre-Columbian communities began modifying Southwestern Amazonia approximately 3,500 years ago. In lowland Bolivia, a recently mapped network of fish weirs in West Central Llanos de Mojos (WCM) demonstrates how ancient Mojeño groups built artificial earthworks to harness seasonal flooding and catch fish. In the eastern region of Baures, a similar complex of fish weirs has been studied since the 1990s, generating questions about how this system may function in a different hydrological and anthropogenic setting. Similarly, previous research within WCM has focused on the fields and forest islands that pre-Columbian populations built to elevate themselves …

Inheritance And Inequality Among Nomads Of South Siberia, Paul L. Hooper, Adam Z. Reynolds, Bayarsaikhan Jamsranjav, Julia K. Clark, John P. Ziker, Stefani A. Crabtree

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

At the headwaters of the Yenisei River in Tuva and northern Mongolia, nomadic pastoralists move between camps in a seasonal rotation that facilitates their animals' access to high-quality grasses and shelter. The use and informal ownership of these camps depending on season helps illustrate evolutionary and ecological principles underlying variation in property relations. Given relatively stable patterns of precipitation and returns to capital improvement, families generally benefit from reusing the same camps year after year. We show that locations with higher economic defensibility and capital investment—winter camps and camps located in mountain/river valleys—are claimed and inherited more frequently than summer …

Review, Democracy And Fake News: Information Manipulation And Post-Truth Politics, Peter Krapp

Secrecy and Society

No abstract provided.

The African American Dream Deferred: Exploring The Relationship Between The “American Dream” And The Black American Millennial Reality, Simonleigh P. Miller

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this qualitative study is to highlight and bring understanding to the lived experiences of Black American millennials. This study was conducted from the constructivist and critical research paradigms and utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis methods to analyze qualitative data. The study places specific focus on Black or African American millennials’ associated thoughts and feelings regarding their current reality and positionality within the American context, and its relation to the idealized reality of the American Dream. The influence of the American Dream on the African American millennial reality was explored to gain a better understanding of how, or if …

The Effect Of An Elephant Conservation Education Program On The Knowledge Base Of Children In Thailand, Angela Larios

Theses and Dissertations

Habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflict (HEC) are two factors that have caused harm to both Asian elephants and humans in Thailand. Think Elephants International (TEI) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate children on these issues to encourage more interest in and knowledge about elephant conservation in the youth of Thailand. TEI has developed a systematic education initiative and established a method for assessing the program’s efficacy using a pre- and post-survey. The current study analyzes student responses from one open-ended question from this survey collected both before and after the students participated in the TEI program. This …

The Words. Or Holes. Or Both: Writing As An Integrative Methodology For Trauma, Daniel A. Castle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks to identify methods authors have used to integrate their traumatic experiences. My work will analyze the genre of War Literature and specific authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Kurt Vonnegut to explore the way writers describe the trauma of combat. Using insights from neuroscience and psychology, I will expand the field of Cognitive Literary Studies from a focus on the reader to a focus on the writer by linking neurological functions with narrative tools.

Examining Access To Decent Work Among Women Veterans: A Psychology Of Working Theory Perspective, Rebecca C. Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated predictors of decent work among a sample of women Veterans (N = 354), grounded in the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). A structural equation model demonstrated that women Veterans’ experiences of marginalization, economic constraints, work volition, and career adaptability all directly predicted their ability to secure decent work, and economic constraints and marginalization experiences indirectly predicted decent work via work volition. Proactive personality was additionally examined as a moderator variable and did not significantly moderate any model paths; however, it was found to be a unique predictor of decent work and work volition, as well …

Civilizational Security: Why The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Shows That ‘National Security’ Is Not Enough To Understand Geopolitics, Greg (Grzegorz) Lewicki

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper argues that the idea of “national security” is sometimes overwritten by “civilizational security” in security-related considerations. Civilizational security, as understood in this paper, refers to a country's security stemming from its belonging to a cultural zone or a civilization. The author clarifies the terms “a civilization,” “civilizational identity,” and “civilizational security.” Citing the examples of Poland, Ukraine, and Russia when considering the parameter of civilizational security allows us to better analyze and predict some processes, including geopolitical dilemmas and civilizational trends. It is argued that prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia misunderstood its own civilizational security …

A Manual For The Recovery Of Cbrne (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, And Explosive) Contaminated Human Remains, Patrick Barchett

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Despite many international agreements and treaties prohibiting the use of CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) weaponry, the proliferation of contaminated human remains displays the historic and continued use of inhumane war efforts. Due to the complications of recovery, contaminated human remains are often left unrecovered and unidentified. This thesis works to create a framework for the recovery of contaminated human remains for organizations with a focus on creating safe and sustainable working environments for those conducting the recovery. Much of this thesis assumes the remains are being recovered from interred mass graves. This thesis provides an introduction to …

An Examination Of Faith And Faith-Based Practices On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Afro-Caribbean Immigrants In The United States, Shanta K. Pamphile

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation presents the findings of a qualitative study exploring the negotiation of faith among Afro-Caribbean immigrants regarding their decision to seek support with the stress of adjusting to the United States. The analysis revealed that Afro-Caribbean immigrants experience high-stress levels as they pursue economic, professional and social advancement in the United States. The persistence of these stressors, with long-lasting residual effects, warrants psychological support. Migrants, although relying heavily on their faith for support with this stress, are willing to seek support. However, they must work through worries of caution and trust and need to discern whether seeking support may …

How The Concept Of Race And Ethnicity Played An Integral Role In The Sri Lanka Civil War From A Sociological Perspective, Pasan Vinura Joseph De Silva

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The social constructs of race and ethnicity played a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan Civil War as the intercommunal violence between the Sinhalese and Tamil groups was attributed to discriminatory policies. However, there is a lack of literature from published academic sources and archival/governmental data pertaining to the variables of race and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. The concept of race and ethnicity are an integral component of social conflict that identifies positions through self-consciousness as a cultural, religious, and linguistic community. This thesis utilizes historical research through qualitative secondary data sources to analyze how racial and ethnic inequities …

Converging And Diverging Outcomes Of Posttraumatic Growth (Ptg) And Posttraumatic Depreciation (Ptd) In Combat Veterans: A Case Study, Dayton Williams

Social Work Theses - Archive

Upon examining combat veterans’ psychological responses to combat-related trauma, two emerged for consideration: posttraumatic growth (PTG) through making meaning out of a traumatic experience and a positive outcome or change, and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) an inability to make meaning of a traumatic experience and a negative outcome or change. Understanding how PTG and PTD converge, diverge, and impact an individual is crucial in supporting a veteran’s journey to health and well-being. A comparative study of the cases of two Marine combat veterans who served during OEF/OIF offers numerous similarities: both are in the millennial cohort; both are part of a …

The Theoretical Status Of The Concept Of Civilization, Roger W. Wescott

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper may be regarded as an effort to answer some questions concerning the conceptualization of civilization.

1. Whether or not concepts are essentially verbal, is the concept of civilization primarily denotative (referential) or connotative (emotive) in meaning?

2. If the concept of civilization is primarily emotive, is its emotive force predominantly laudatory or derogatory in effect?

3. When the concept of civilization is derogatory, is it decadence or outdatedness that is primarily derogated?

4. If the concept of civilization is primarily denotative, is its denotation primarily abstract (referring to culture and associated mentifacts) or primarily concrete (referring to people …

The Mything Link: Why Sacred Storytelling Is A Key Human Survival Strategy, Ken Baskin

Comparative Civilizations Review

For several decades, societies across the globe have faced a real existential threat with challenges such as global warming. Yet no one in the elite has been able to do anything to improve conditions. We seem to be trapped in the kind of situation that Einstein described when he discussed problems that can’t be solved with the logic that created them.

Conflict: An Autoethnography On Anthropology And Conflict Management, Rachel Koch

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Anthropology has many goals, such as understanding our evolutionary origins, distinctiveness as a species, and vast diversity of social existence worldwide and through time. The current study looks at the feasibility of combining the theoretical and applied methods of anthropology and conflict resolution to help future anthropologists do better anthropology. I created an interdisciplinary mixed methods study to gauge the compatibility and possibility of integration. Recruiting participants from a conflict management course on having difficult conversations, pre- and post-discussion surveys were given to measure how well narrative inquiry can help those on differing sides of a difficult conversation understand one …

Spatial Layout At Isgrig: A Menard Complex Site In The Lower Arkansas River Valley, Noelle King

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Late Mississippian sites in the Lower Arkansas River Valley, or Menard Complex sites, are not well understood especially as they relate to the larger question of Mississippian response to colonial contact. In this thesis, I will explore how the Menard Complex manifests at Isgrig (3PU0015), a site located on the Arkansas River south of Little Rock. I will examine the spatial layout of the site and use ceramic analysis to understand if the site changed significantly over time. Finally, I will compare Isgrig with other Menard Sites in the Lower Arkansas Valley to understand regional trends in site function during …

Disrupting Whiteness In Education Organizations: Community Testimonios Of Strategy, Resistance, And Perseverance In Educational Justice Organizing, Florence E. Castillo

Sociology ETDs

Through this project, I utilize multiple approaches to disrupt whiteness. I make a case for centering Indigenous and non-Western methods, such as testimonio in sociological studies, to disrupt the academic whiteness of knowledge creation and validation. Whiteness itself is amorphous and looks different depending on circumstances, location, who holds power, and context (Hughey 2016). Utilizing a theory of racialized organizations, I shed light on how whiteness is normalized in education institutions through race-neutral, everyday actions (Ray 2019). This further disrupts whiteness by rendering it visible. Finally, I highlight the different modes of resistance that educational activists use to disrupt whiteness. …

Drug Cartels And Government In Mexico: A Replication And Extension, Lindsey A. Beckstead

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper analyzes the relationship between drug cartels and the government in Mexico. It also seeks to determine the reasons for an upsurge of violence and cartel related murders in Mexico.

A Call To Action: Lessons From Ukraine For The Future Force, Katie Crombe, John A. Nagl

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Fifty years ago, the US Army faced a strategic inflection point after a failed counterinsurgency effort in Vietnam. In response to lessons learned from the Yom Kippur War, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command was created to reorient thinking and doctrine around the conventional Soviet threat. Today’s Army must embrace the Russo-Ukrainian conflict as an opportunity to reorient the force into one as forward-thinking and formidable as the Army that won Operation Desert Storm. This article suggests changes the Army should make to enable success in multidomain large-scale combat operations at today’s strategic inflection point.

Research On Investment Risk And Decision Making In Dry Bulk Ships : Case Study Nijie Shipping World Limited, Mingyu Xu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The San Bernardino Daily Sun And Local Reporting Of The Great War, Jeff Leblanc

History in the Making

The scope and ferocity of World War I (1914-1918) shocked the world. It was the first conflict that was reported to the public in near real-time, engrossing people around the world. This paper analyzes the reporting on World War I by a regional American newspaper in Southern California, from America’s initial debate about entering the war in early 1917 until the end of hostilities in 1918. This paper makes use of the newspaper articles printed by the San Bernardino Daily Sun to analyze and evaluate the substantive content and underlying purpose of news stories published by the Daily Sun during …

The Impact Of Geopolitical Risks On Price Variation And Political Trust In France: Analyzing The Ukraine-Russia Conflict, Olivier Sempiga

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

Geopolitical risks (GPRs) have varied consequences over countries and over time. COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine are some of the recent GPRs. The conflict in Ukraine has had far-reaching economic consequences, not only for the countries directly involved in it but also for their trading partners and allies, and on the global economy in general. France, as one of Ukraine and Russia's major trading partners, has also felt the impact of the conflict on its economy. Using data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the paper investigates the impact of GPRs caused by the …

Decolonizing Kyiv’S Politics Of Memory: Current And Potential Implications Of Russia’S 2022 Invasion Of Ukraine On Ukrainian Monuments And Toponyms., Camilla Gironi

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

History is the basis of our identity, but it sometimes represents a trap. As well explained by Keith Lowe, monuments are representative of our values, and every society deludes itself that its values will be everlasting. However, in a world changing at an unprecedented pace while we move on, urban furnishment such as monuments or streets’ names remain frozen in time. Statues and toponyms that were erected and chosen a long time ago may no longer be representative of the values we now treasure. While Russia’s aggression is still raging, a lot has been written on the potential implications of …

Never Enough: Eu Military Spending Challenges In The Face Of Open Conflict, Katherine Wallentine

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent a jolt of tension and anxiety throughout the European Union, as well as the rest of the world. Lawmakers and strategists scrambled to find a suitable response in the immediate aftermath and now, a year later, the conversation continues as to what the best course of action is for the EU. Should it amplify and radically increase its supranational defense budget and if so, how should it accomplish this monumental task? How much of it should fall on the Member States to meet the two percent threshold as laid out by …

Book Review: Greta Lynn Uehling. Everyday War: The Conflict Over Donbas, Ukraine. Cornell University Press (2023), Patrick Clairzier

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

Greta Lynn Uehling’s book offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government backed forces over the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Begun in March 2014, the conflict was partly due to the events following the Maiden Movement or Revolution of Dignity, which ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Given the escalation of the conflict with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Uehling’s multiyear study of the war in the Donbas region represents a valuable addition to the broader discourse on the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war.