Digital Commons Network^™

Structural Realism And The New Cold War, Ka Ho Wong

Bachelor of Social Sciences – Senior Theses

The Cold War mentality such as misperception which is deep-rooted in the American and Russian government has triggered the revival of U.S.-Russian conflicts. The new Cold War would be a continuation from the past that operates with an action-and-reactions model. However, with the change of geopolitical situation, the new Cold War would be conducted in different means.

The structural constraints suggested by the structural realist would be an explanation for the emergence of new Cold War. The structural realism makes contributions of the idea of misperception，over-exaggeration, and balance of power that is a product of an anarchic international system. The …

When Security Dominates The Agenda: The Influence Of Interstate Rivalry On Women's Status, Theresa Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

The overarching theme of my dissertation is the effect of interstate rivalries on women’s status. Specifically, I investigate the influence of rivalries on the election of women, the adoption of a gender quota, and the overall level of gender equality. National security is a prime concern in states involved in an interstate rivalry, which can influence women’s lives in a number of key ways. Through the actions of individual voters and rational parties, I find that being in an interstate rivalry leads to lower levels of female representation. In addition, I theorize that rivalries lessen societal pressure to increase female …

Structure Matters: How Organizational Characteristics Affect Military Efforts, Michael A. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

Military organizations develop a unique set of practices and procedures in response to their particular political, economic, and social circumstances. The characteristics of these organizations shape standardized behaviors, methods of training personnel, and the degree of stratification within their bureaucratic hierarchies. This study examines how organizational characteristics influence battlefield effectiveness, patterns of alliance formation, and the security of United Nations peacekeepers.

Chapter 2 evaluates how differences in personnel sophistication and bureaucratic stratification influence battlefield efficacy. A military may devote substantial resources to develop war plans and procure advanced technology, but these assets are of limited consequence in the absence of …

Decentralization In Violent Conflict Zones: Views From The Periphery, Emmi Bevensee

Capstone Collection

This thesis looks at the question of, “How can nations on the periphery of global capitalism sustainably negotiate with nations in the center of global capitalist power in the process of governance decentralization in violent conflict zones?” Decentralization here describes the process of power transfer of fiscal, political, and administrative duties from higher and more centralized entities to lower and more localized divisions. The process of decentralization is employed to cultivate participatory democratization, minority advocacy, peacebuilding, and development. Because of the nature of these needs decentralization is often accompanied by international intervention that uses the justification of “failed statehood.” This …

Democracy On Trial: Examining Argentina's Response To The 1994 Terrorist Attack On The Amia Jewish Community Center In Buenos Aires, Amy Crawford

HIM 1990-2015

On July 18, 1994, the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, was bombed in what has been called the worst terrorist attack on Argentina in history. The bombing killed an estimated 86 people and wounded over 200. The Argentine government began a judicial investigation and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Twenty years later, the case remains unresolved. The investigation has been marked by inefficiency and allegations of corruption. The recent, suspicious death of the lead prosecutor of the case has further called into question the legitimacy of Argentina’s government and justice system. …

To Be Judged By Twelve Or Carried By Six? Quasi-Involuntariness And The Criminal Prosecution Of Service Members For The Use Of Force In Combat - A Grunt's Perspective, Lupe Laguna

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Post-9/11 conflicts have altered the way that the United States of America and her allies fight wars. Over the last ten years military commanders have embraced counterinsurgency doctrine as the path to victory in the War on Terror. As they have done so, commanders have been faced with the difficult task of balancing the need to protect local civilian populations with the need to proactively target insurgent fighters. To accomplish this mission, the military has adopted rules of engagement that allow a service member to engage a target when he or she perceives that the target exhibits “hostile intent.” The …

Hiroshima And Mass Trauma Today: Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Individuals And Communities, Ashley Martinez

International ResearchScape Journal

At 8:15 am on August 6^th, 1945, the world and the way in which we fight wars changed forever. Immediately following the drop of the Little Boy atomic bomb, the city of Hiroshima was decimated, leaving the surviving citizens to deal with poverty, starvation, loss of loved ones, and utter destruction of their lives. After the bombing, survivors were left with burns, radiation poisoning, and physical scars. Unknown to the survivors of the atomic bombings, or Hibakusha, were the ensuing psychological and emotional damages. In 2014, we know more about traumatic experiences than in 1945. Studies from …

Coping Methods That Predict Reduced Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Autumn Van Meter

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Objective: Most individuals experience a stressful event at some point in their lives. A third to half of those individuals will meet criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during their lifetime. Individuals that do not develop PTSD likely have better coping skills regarding trauma. Targeting specific coping strategies that reduce PTSD symptoms helps mental health professionals and providers create interventions and prevention skills.

Method: Eighty-four participants from a university took an online survey. Demographic information were gathered. Questionnaires were given to determine if the participant had experienced one or more traumatic events. Next, a questionnaire that measured the extent that …

Relationship Between Modality And The Degree Of Knowledge Retention In Bioterrorism Training, Gaylon Rashun Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A public health workforce must be trained to react quickly, especially in the case of terrorist attack. Political leaders and emergency management experts have often cited inadequate emergency training as a contributing factor in the public health system's failed preparations for a bioterrorist event. As a result of these failures, billions of dollars have been allocated towards correcting infrastructure deficiencies including training for public health nurses (PHNs), who are critical to a communitywide medical response. This quantitative study used Pearson's correlation and a multivariate regression analysis to evaluate the most effective modality of bioterrorism training (BTT) for PHNs working in …

Evaluation Of Post-Deployment Ptsd Screening Of Marines Returning From A Combat Deployment, Erika L. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the post-deployment screening instrument currently utilized to assess active-duty Marines for symptoms of PTSD upon their return from a combat deployment can be solely relied upon to accurately assess for PTSD. Additionally, this study sought to compare the number of Marines who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on the Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) to the number who have sought trauma-related mental health treatment based on their answers on their PTSD Checklist - Military Version (PCL-M). The participants in this study were comprised of a sample …

Comparing Islamism, Fascism, And Communism, Martin W. Slann

Politics, Philosophy, and Law Faculty Publications and Presentations

The character of totalitarian systems is at all times an emphasis on control, primarily the control and manipulation of the individual. Communism, fascism, and Islamism are all willing (and, at times, even eager) to delay or ignore economic advancement and scientific progress if either would compromise control or diminish power. In fact, it is often the mission of totalitarians to vanquish economic and scientific progress if at possible since they both interfere with or systematically undermine control.

Reporting For The State Department: Carl W. Ackerman's Cooperation With Government During Wwi, Meghan Elizabeth Menard

LSU Master's Theses

The press was outraged when reports in 1973 exposed the CIA’s use of American journalists as undercover informants during the Cold War. The CIA-journalists link represented for the press a shocking break in the traditional line between journalists and government. A study of journalist Carl W. Ackerman’s experiences in the First World War suggests, however, that the CIA-journalists link has historical precedents in the practices of twentieth-century reporters. Ackerman, who later became the first dean of Columbia Journalism School, sent confidential reports to the State Department while reporting overseas for magazines and newspapers. He forged close relationships with a number …

Clinicians' Voices On Suicide Prevention For Veterans, Katherine E. Culpepper

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This was an exploratory study using a mixed methods design. The purpose of the study was to examine suicide prevention programs from the perspective of clinical practitioners who work or have worked with veterans in therapeutic settings. The data was collected anonymously through Survey Monkey. The study focused on practitioner observations and insights regarding increased risk factors and effective ways to meet the needs of veterans who are at risk for suicide. A total of 40 clinical respondents who work or have worked with veterans in therapeutic settings participated in this qualitative study. Participants were recruited through social media sites …

Norwegian People's Aid Weapons Policy, Npa

Global CWD Repository

As a field-based organization working in conflict areas and specializing in operations that address weapons and ammunition, NPA has proven that it is well placed to contribute to processes to develop and strengthen international policies, rules, and norms to better protect civilians and the environment from unacceptable harm. Building on the experience of our contributions to the global movements that successfully banned antipersonnel mines and cluster munitions, NPA will continue to have a strong voice on other unresolved or emerging weapons-related issues that call for an international response.

Some of the weapons issues for which an NPA policy is set …

Investigating Prehistoric Exchange In New Zealand: Portable Xrf And Spatial Analysis Of South Island Obsidian, Herman Nick Robles

LSU Master's Theses

The Otago Museum in Dunedin, New Zealand currently houses a collection of obsidian artifacts that were once in the possession of ancestral South Island Maori. Although the stone artifacts that reside in the Otago Museum are known to have been collected mostly in the South Island of the New Zealand archipelago, there is not much information as to where the ancestors of South Island Maori originally obtained the raw material to create the stone artifacts. Using portable x-ray florescence (XRF) analysis to non-destructively geochemically characterize the obsidian, a study was performed on the collection of stone artifacts to provide a …

The Possibility Of Peace: Israeli Public Opinion And The Camp David Accords, Daniel L. Gerdes

Departmental Honors Projects

The Camp David Accords, September 5-17, 1978, were a momentous development in Middle East relations. For over 30 years Israel and her neighbors weathered periods of warfare and aggression, but when leaders from Egypt, Israel, and the United States descended on Camp David in the United States for two weeks of peace negotiations everything changed. Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin became the first leaders in the Middle East to negotiate peace after decades of war between the two countries. This research discerns the changes in Israeli public opinion on the peace process with Egypt that …

Mortuary Practices And Social Identity At Matrix 101, La Leche Valley, Peru, Jenna Renee Hurtubise

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the social identity of the individuals buried at a Late Middle Sicán (A.D. 1050-1120) mass grave designated Matrix 101. Matrix 101 is located in the Great Plaza of the Pomac forest archaeological complex in the La Leche Valley, north coast of Peru. My objectives are threefold: (1) to understand the social identities of the individuals, (2) to examine the complex mortuary practices that took place during the construction of the burial, and (3) to infer socio-political reasons for the construction of Matrix 101 and to see how they might relate to the Sicán societal collapse. Initial …

The Felt Sense Of Interconnectedness: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions On Finding Resilience In The Aftermath Of Trauma Using The Mind-Body Connections Of Yoga, Ashley Collette

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Members and veterans of the military are at an increased risk of exposure to traumatic experiences due to the very nature of their occupation. The most recent statistics on Canada’s deployment to Afghanistan show that 13.2% of the (Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed have been diagnosed with a mental injury within a five year follow up period of redeployment from the theatre of operations. The present preliminary study was designed to examine Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for trauma in a population of CAF members and veterans. The author interviewed 4 service providers and 2 service users of Yoga-based …

Radiant Heat Effects On Ceramic Artifacts From The American Southwest: From Experimental Results To Site Treatment Guidelines, Rebekah R. Kneifel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Archaeological assemblages in the American Southwest are currently subjected to periodic wildfires and prescribed burns, and have been exposed to fires in the past. Ceramics are a key constituent of these assemblages, leading to questions regarding the effects of post-depositional heat exposure on pottery. Alterations of ceramic surface appearance and other attributes have been observed following wildfires, and such changes are significant because intact ceramics provide important temporal context and social information. Over the past 150 years, southwestern wildfires have shifted away from the historical high-frequency, low-severity regime; thus, cultural resources can be exposed to fires that are potentially more …

A Snohomish Telling Of “The Seal Hunters”, Deryle W. Lonsdale

Faculty Publications

Oral-based indigenous cultures have stories that persist over time, though some variation may exist in various details and in overall context. Related cultures in particular have similar stories, and assessing the similarities and differences across their tellings of these stories provides valuable historical and cultural background. In the case of endangered languages and cultures, every telling of every story provides important insight. This article presents a recently discovered archived account of a Snohomish version of “The Seal Hunters”, a captivating story that has many variant forms across Salish cultures. The story was written down in the nineteenth century by an …

African Origins Of International Law: Myth Or Reality?, Jeremy I. Levitt

Journal Publications

This Article reconsiders the prevalent ahistorical assumption that international law began with the Treaty of Westphalia. It gathers together considerable historical evidence to conclude that the ancient world, particularly the New Kingdom period in Egypt or Kemet from 1570-1070 BCE, deployed all three of what today we would call sources of international law. African states predating the modern European nation state by nearly 6000 years engaged in treaty relations (the Treaty of Kadesh), and applied rules of custom (the MA 'AT) and general principles of law (as enumerated in the Egyptian Bill of Rights). While Egyptologists and a few international …

Nbc Peacock North Winter 2015, Peacock North Staff

NBC Peacock North Newsletter

Highlights include: Peacock Profile: Martin Fletcher -- Tom Brokaw Attends Battle of the Bulge Commemoration -- Macy's Balloonfest 2014 -- John Palmer's Memoir Published -- Peacock History

Still Innocents Abroad: The Relationship Between Anti-Americanism And American Foreign Policy In The Middle East, Kelly Kennedy

Honors Theses

In this thesis, the author examined the relationship between anti-American sentiment and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The author first constructed a literature review on anti-Americanism, including sections discussing its definition, conceptualization, measurement techniques, and known sources. From this literature review, the author created her own definition of anti-Americanism and a hypothesis that anti-Americanism is endogenous to U.S. foreign policy—anti-Americanism may increase or decrease depending on changes to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The author then used a quantitative comparison of survey data and two qualitative case studies to test her hypothesis. The comparison of survey …

Death, Maintenance And Revitalization Of The Quechua Language In Peru: A Case Study With A Focus On San Pedro De Cajas, Madeline Fumi

Honors Theses

I would like to express my gratitude to several individuals who continuously supported me throughout the process of my thesis research and writing. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dr. Maria Fionda, whose constructive criticism helped challenge and develop my critical thinking and writing skills. A special thanks goes to my second reader, Dr. William Schenck, and my third reader, Dr. Felice Coles, who gave me useful feedback regarding how to incorporate my qualitative findings in my thesis to support my main arguments. I would also like to thank Maria Teresa Alvarado for her help with numerous Spanish translations …

Comedian-In-Chief: Presidential Jokes As Enthymematic Crisis Rhetoric, Don Waisanen

Publications and Research

To understand how jokes have functioned as part of U.S. presidents’ strategic communication, this project examined every available White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) speech over the last century, documenting various presidents’ approaches to humor. I argue that the ability to talk about difficult or taboo subjects through jokes’ deeply enthymematic ways of communicating has offered presidents expanded rhetorical spaces during crises, providing insights into why they started using humor with such routine frequency. Working with multiple factors shaping the modern presidency, presidents have used the elastic and inventive nature of enthymematic joking in attempts to move pressing issues outside immediate …

Reconstruction After Genocide: An Analysis Of The Justice System For The Women Victims Of Genocidal Rape In Post-Conflict Bosnia, Hannah E. Gardenswartz

Scripps Senior Theses

In the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of the critical elements of the ethnic cleansing regimes was rape and impregnation of women. When the international justice system was created to criminally try the perpetrators of the atrocities, including the rape victims was a new development. Looking at the tribunals and court system from a gendered perspective reveals that the efforts to include rape victims have not taken into account their specific needs, stemming from their trauma. A critical look the ICTY and other criminal courts are presented, as well as recommendations for improving inclusivity and reconciliation.

Bilisshiissaannuua / To Go Without Water: The Importance Of Fasting Among The Apsaalooke, Aaron B. Brien

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Apsaalooke nation of Montana is one of many tribes in the Great Plains that

practice the ritual of fasting (Vision Quest). In this document I will explain Apsaalooke

fasting also called Bilisshíissaannuua To Go Without Water. This will be done by explain

some core elements of Apsaalooke belief to give the reader a string knowledge base,

so that one can contextualize fasting with in Apsaalooke culture.

This documents also highlights the Dryhead Preservation and recordation project

during the summer of 2013, funding and conducted by the Bureau of Land

Management, Custer National Forest and The Crow tribal Historic Preservation …

Rebel Leaders And Conflict Processes: An Individual Level Analysis, Serhan Yalciner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Civil conflict is a complex and ambiguous phenomenon that requires a multi-dimensional investigation. A concentration on rebel leaders in the study of conflict promises a good amount of potential for obtaining interesting findings. This dissertation examines rebel leader survival and rebel leaders’ influence on various conflict processes. It demonstrates that relative rebel strength, external support favoring the government, and oil production of the state have a significant impact on rebel leader tenure. To explain why we observe some considerable increases in the number of civilian killings in the course of conflict, the dissertation develops a theoretical model, putting the emphasis …

Developing An Architectural Sequence For A Portion Of The Mound A Enclosure At The Carson Mound Group, Coahoma County, Mississippi, Todd Bryan Mcleod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Young Sceptics: The Role Of Youth Voters In Increasing Euroscepticism, Chase J. Ellinger

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

“Eurosceptic” or anti-European Union (EU) political parties are notably gaining traction in EU elections across the political bloc. The continued importance of the Eurosceptic phenomenon was most recently evidenced in the pan-EU elections of May 2014, when parties like the UK Independence Party and France’s Front National gained scores of seats – and, therefore, influence – in the European Parliament (EP). This trend is disturbing to pro-EU politicians and Europhiles alike. Based on my review of existing literature, however, there is a notable lack of research into the role of youth voters in electing these political parties. In this paper, …