Digital Commons Network^™

Prospect Theory And The Cyprus Conflict: Analyzing Decisionmaking In The Turkish Cypriot President, Tarah Marie Wheeler

Political Science Masters Theses

Rauf R. Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot president and leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, has made many decisions not to negotiate with his Greek Cypriot counterpart for peace and reunification on the island of Cyprus. Traditional rational choice theories do not explain his willingness to sacrifice political power for his policy goals in risky choices. Prospect theory, a cognitive behavioral theory of decisionmaking, may help to explain why Denktash makes those risky choices by showing that decisionmakers who feel themselves to be in the domain of losses will make risky choices to gain their reference point, the location …

Embedded Versus Behind-The-Lines Reporting On The 2003 Iraq War, Stephen D. Cooper

Communications Faculty Research

A 2003 study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that “Most Americans (53%) believe that news organizations are politically biased, while just 29% say they are careful to remove bias from their reports ... More than half—51%—say that the bias is ‘liberal,’ while 26% discerned a ‘conservative’ leaning. Fourteen percent felt neither phrase applied” (Harper, 2003). Now add to this that even some academicians are finally accepting the idea that journalists, as a group, are more liberal than the population as a whole. However, whether political or other biases (Hahn, 1998) affect news coverage …

M. Stanton Evans: The Theme Is Freedom Study Guide (1995-2004), Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The key political insight of the forgotten conservative tradition is the idea of imposing limits on governmental power, in the interests of protecting freedom. Theses: 1) the limited government, free-market emphasis of conservatism is an expression of conservative values; 2) the traditionalist and libertarian strands in conservative thought are congruent, 3) at issue is the very nature of American society, institutions, and freedom. The Liberal History Lesson (a variation on the Whig Interpretation of History) alleges that religion and liberty have always been in conflict. On the contrary: Conservative doctrine on the relationship between religious value, tradition, and ideas of …

Armed Conflict, Health And Human Rights, Alex Deraney, Hafsteinn Hafsteinsson

Human Rights & Human Welfare

This section highlights resources with information on health concerns that arise from armed conflict. It examines human rights violations as derived from health issues and the humanitarian efforts to alleviate them. The vast majority of available literature approaches conflict-related healthcare shortfalls in terms of intervention. Literature dealing with armed conflict and health as it applies to human rights is much harder to come by, which indicates the need for additional emphasis in this area.

Book Review: Encyclopedia Of Indian Wars: Western Battles And Skirmishes, 1850-1890, Lance Janda

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

Despite steady interest in the wars on the American frontier during the last half of the nineteenth century, few historians have examined those conflicts as a coherent whole. The multitude of Native American tribes involved, the small scale of most battles, and the myriad details of each war have made them better suited for tightly focused monographs, while the hundreds of brief and inconsequential skirmishes that represented the bulk of the fighting have been ignored or scarcely mentioned. Happily, this gap in the historiography has finally been filled by Gregory F. Michno's Encyclopedia of Indian Wars: Western Battles and Skirmishes, …

Book Review: The False Traitor: Louis Riel In Canadian Culture, Jill St. Germain

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

In The False Traitor: Louis Riel in Canadian Culture, Albert Braz examines treatments of the mercurial nineteenth-century Metis leader in an astonishing array of plays, poems, novels, television dramas, Hollywood films, and sculpture. His study spans the century and more since Riel emerged at the head of the Metis resistance at Red River, Manitoba, in 1869-70 and was executed in 1885 as a traitor to Canada for his role in fomenting rebellion on the Saskatchewan.

Book Review: Morning Star Dawn: The Powder River Expedition And The Northern Cheyennes, 1876, William Bauer

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

In November 1876, Colonel Ranald Mackenzie led a successful attack on a Northern Cheyenne village in the Bighorn Mountains. In military historian Jerome Greene's rendering, this often overlooked battle and the ephemeral Powder River Expedition became a seminal event in ending the Sioux Wars of 1876-77. "The attack on the encampment and its subsequent destruction," Greene writes, "not only compelled the Cheyennes' eventual surrender but also influenced many of their Lakota compatriots, including the war leader Crazy Horse, to do likewise."

Law, Human Rights, Realism And The “War On Terror”, J. Peter Pham

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror by Michael Ignatieff. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004. 212pp.

Poison Hunting Strategies And The Organization Of Technology In The Circumpolar Region, Alan J. Osborn

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

INUPIAT ESKIMO WHALERS are allowed to kill up to 50 bowhead whales every year in the arctic waters off Barrow, Alaska. Some of the older bowheads are more than 20 m in length and weigh more than 50 tons. Since 1981 the Inupiat have found at least six lance and harpoon end blades embedded within the thick blubber that insulates these magnificent mammals (Raloff 2(00). These archaeological weapon points included projectiles fashioned from chipped stone, ground slate, ivory, and iron. Wildlife biologists have suspected that whales may live to be quite old. One can only imagine their surprise, however, once …

Small-State Foreign Policy: An Analysis Of Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu And Mauritius, Thomas M. Ethridge

Masters Theses

Small-state foreign policy is often characterized by the types of alliances that form between small and large states. It is rarely disputed that small states fend for themselves in the global milieu that creates today's societies. Rather, the debate usually begins as to why small states seek strategic alliances with large states.

This thesis, on the other hand, questions the very existence of small-state alliances by examining the foreign policy behavior of six small island states. The analysis begins with a quantitative breakdown of United Nation voting behaviors by five Pacific states — Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Next, …

Introduction (Watching Jim Crow: The Struggles Over Mississippi Television, 1955-1969.), Steven Classen

Faculty Publications - Department of Communication and Cinematic Arts

The broadcast complex that houses WLBT-TV remains today where it has always been, a few blocks outside the modest cluster of skyscrapers that defines downtown Jackson, Mississippi. Built in the 1950s a short distance from prominent businesses and seats of government, the center's managers have long enjoyed proximity to political and economic power. But as the years have passed, station planners have faced the problem of updating the center's aging physical plant and technologies. The architectural results are an eclectic mix- a layering of the new upon the old- as a consequence of repeated remodeling projects. While the station's original …

The European Court Of Human Rights: Chechnya's Last Chance?, Tarik Abdel-Monem

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Since 1994, the wars between the Russian military and Chechen nationalist forces have resulted in "butchery and savagery on a scale and intensity recalling World War II" An estimated 100,000 persons may have been killed so far, the vast majority being civilians? In relation to other international crises, the conflict in Chechnya has been largely muted in the press, and the international community's reaction has been to marginalize the conflict as an "internal matter" of Russian affairs. In January 2003, for the first time, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECIIR or the Court) declared six petitions alleging the …

War And State Formation: A Mennonite Critique, Sandra F. Joireman

Political Science Faculty Publications

This paper is an attempt to tackle the theory of war as a tool of state formation. Though I use the tools of my discipline to refute the theory in its contemporary manifestation, the paper is motivated by a theological belief regarding the sinfulness and depravity of war. I begin the paper by thoroughly exploring the benefits of strong states from a comparative historical perspective, since this has been critical to the theory's revival. Then I will discuss the theory that war makes strong states, looking first at the work of Charles Tilly, the best-known theorist in the area of …

Inventing Flight: Economic Impacts Of Heritage Tourism And The National Park Service In Dayton, Ohio, As Part Of The Wright State University Inventing Flight Visitors Survey, July 3-20, Thomas Anthony Mays

Masters Culminating Experiences (1993-2011)

Originally established in 1989 as the 2003 Committee, the Inventing Flight Committee was formed to honor the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers through leading the planning and implementation of the 2003 Inventing Flight Celebrations.1 Inventing Flight’s efforts will realize a lasting legacy, including long term economic impacts in the Dayton region from increases in heritage awareness, improvements in infrastructure, and the arrival of the National Park Service.

Without Inventing Flight, it is unlikely that the Dayton area would have been given the attention necessary to receive designation as a National Historic Park. This designation has and will continue to attract …

George Liska's Realist Alliance Theory, And The Transformation Of Nato, Sergey Kireyev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many aspects, political theory forms a subjective structure of this abstract science. Perhaps, it is due to the fact that unlike natural sciences or mathematics, social sciences often lack the privilege of testing the theories in absolute and unadulterated conditions. Nonetheless, such nature of the science allows for a certain degree of flexibility, when applying political theories to real-world phenomena. Alliances and coalitions in international relations form the backbone of the theory, concerning IR scholars with two main questions: Why do alliances and coalitions form? And, what keeps alliances and coalitions together? As the core of my research, I …

Learning Lessons From India: The Recent History Of Antiterrorist Legislation On The Subcontinent, Manas Mohapatra

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Tyranny, Natural Law, And Secession, Geoffrey Plauche

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an examination of the problem of tyranny from the perspective of radical libertarianism. History is to be seen as a race and conflict between liberty and power. After a brief introduction, the second section of this thesis is devoted to sketching out a natural law and natural rights theory. With this as the foundation, the third section analyzes the seminal work of Étienne de la Boétie’s The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude in which he elucidates the nature of tyranny and the psychology of subjection. All governments, even the worst tyranny, rest upon general popular acceptance. Religious and …

Excavations At The Bayou Grande Cheniere Mounds (16pl159): A Coles Creek Period Mound Complex, Timothy M. Schilling

LSU Master's Theses

The Bayou Grande Cheniere Mounds are a large Coles Creek mound group in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Excavations in January 2003 returned materials that allowed the site to be dated. Further analysis also suggests how these materials were used at the mounds. A settlement pattern study was undertaken and the results indicate that the social organization of coastal Coles Creek culture was sharply different than Coles Creek culture in the Lower Mississippi Valley. When viewed together, the material analysis and settlement analysis illustrates the processes and people that built the Bayou Grande Cheniere mounds.

Speaking Freely In A Time Of War, Barry J. Mauer

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Anti-speech advocates have made several arguments aimed at critics of the Iraq War. Many of these anti-speech arguments are enthymemes. If the purpose of these rhetors is to deceive others into accepting a weak claim, then enthymemes are ideal forms because they hide the weakest parts of the argument. By exposing their hidden premises, the parts that are implicit but left unstated, I demonstrate that the anti-speech arguments used against critics of the war are not sound. This essay examines the logos, ethos, and pathos in these anti-speech arguments.

Assessing The Identity Of Black Indians In Louisiana: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis, Francis J. Powell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study shows the existence of Black Indians in Louisiana and investigates whether differences exist between Black Indians who are members of officially recognized tribes and those who do not have any type of recognition. The study examined if a relationship exist between tribal recognition and ethnic identity, subjective well-being, and social support. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative data. The sample consisted of 60 participants. 30 were from recognized tribal groups and 30 were from non-recognized tribal communities. The study specifically examined variables related to the perceptions of Black Indians in Louisiana …

The Myth Of Charismatic Leadership And Fantasy Rhetoric Of Crypto-Charismatic Memberships, Shaun Robert Treat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study will analyze the relationship between myth and the fantasy rhetoric of charismatic leadership by employing Fantasy Theme Analysis to examine the pervasive discourses invoking this enduring folk belief. Fantasies of the Charismatic Superhero are explored within the popular leadership treatises of successful “management gurus” and in our popular culture entertainments. The rhetorical visions of Stephen Covey’s “Principle-Centered Leadership,” Jim Collins’ “Level 5 Leadership,” and Manz and Sims' “SuperLeadership” are examined for their displacement of charismatic leadership in favor of the empowered crypto-charisma of self-leading memberships. Findings suggest “empowerment” rhetorics, like the rhetorical visions championed by many populist “gurus,” …

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind? : American Citizens And The Genocide In Rwanda, Colette T. Connor

Honors Theses

As citizens of the most powerful country in today's global world, Americans can no longer make the excuse, "out of sight, out of mind." Ten years ago Americans betrayed Rwandans. Their betrayal was mild yet widespread, but had repercussions of tremendous human cost. Each individual American most likely did not feel responsible for the genocide, but the collective outcome of their bystander behavior contributed to the world's inaction. This sad truth can serve as an inspiration: this does not have to happen next time, as American citizens have the agency to influence U.S. foreign policy decisions.

On The Construction Of Gender, Sex, And Sexualities, Jeanne Marecek, M. Crawford, D. Popp

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Body And Technology In Popular Culture, Przemyslaw Psuj

Theses : Honours

The human experience of the world today is increasingly adapted and understood via technological terms and systems. This thesis analyses and examines the ways in which technology today impacts upon the human body and its capacities in the area of subculture and music. Also considered are the implications of this notion for the future. Primarily my study stems from theory proposed by Donna Haraway (1985) and her image of the cyborg and its inherently hybrid nature. Picking up on this point, I will look specifically at the existence and representation of the hybrid body in popular culture. Some critics fear …

An Investigation Into Providing Feedback To Users Of Decision Support, James Pharmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in several domains has shown that the implementation of computerized decision support aids is often associated with issues of human-automation interaction, which can have disastrous consequences. One often-cited reason for these issues is the poor quality of the feedback that is provided to the operators through these tools. The objective of the proposed investigation is to examine how providing feedback through a decision support tool affects operator knowledge and performance in the context of a fault management task for naval gunfire support. A one-way between-groups comparison was made to investigate differences between providing decision support feedback (logic trace, mission …

The Political Delinquent: Crime, Deviance, And Resistance In Black America, Trevor George Gardner

Scholarship@WashULaw

This Article is largely an argument that the pervasive sense of cultural resistance in the African American community must be considered by criminal theorists as, at least, a partial explanation of “criminality” within the African American community. Woven into the fabric of African American culture is a vital oppositional element. This element, spoken of in many circles as “oppositional culture” constitutes a bold and calculated rejection of destructive mainstream values that have perpetuated social inequalities and power imbalances. African American resistance culture is captured by novelist John Edgar Wideman in his account of his brother ’s criminal lifestyle and the …

Finding Light In The Darkness? The Historical Treatment Of Genocide As A Template For The Field Of Hate Studies, Raymond C. Sun

Journal of Hate Studies

I am discovering that to teach about the history of Nazism, the Holocaust, and genocide is to enter into a profoundly spiritual experience. By this I mean that in engaging with these subjects, students of history must come to terms with some of the most elemental, existential qualities of the human potential for radical destruction and limitless hatred. The topics force us into a direct confrontation with the concept of ultimate evil: its manifold attractions; its power to deceive and destroy both perpetrators and victims; and yet at the same time, appearing in the midst of the reign of death, …

Book Review Of "High Noon In The Cold War: Kennedy, Khrushchev, And The Cuban Missile Crisis," By Max Frankel, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Social Underdevelopment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Michelle L. Wingo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past thirty years Africa has produced a more noticeably inferior reserve of human capital than other developing regions. This is puzzling because at the inception of independence, the future of Africa looked promising. However, during the 1970s both the political and economic situation in Africa began to deteriorate, and since 1980, the aggregate per capita GDP in sub-Saharan Africa has declined at almost one percent per fiscal year. Thirty-two countries are poorer now than they were twenty years ago, and sub-Saharan Africa is now the lowest-income region in the world despite the fact that during the last two …

Terrorism : A New Threat For Indonesia? : An Analysis On The National Security Of Indonesia In The Post-Suharto Period, Wun Yin, Wilson Lau

Lingnan Theses

Indonesia is the fourth most heavily populated nation in the world with over 210 million inhabitants. Almost half of all Southeast Asians live in Indonesia, and it is also the world’s most populated Muslim nation. These features make it a crucial country in the Southeast Asian Region, as well as in the world. Therefore, the national security of this country is very important to the region and the world.

Security or national security covers dealing with the threat(s) to the state, so, in order to study this issue, we need to identify what kind of threat is behind the scenario. …