Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For Increasing African Americans In Stem: A Descriptive Study Of Morgan State University's Stem Programs., Robert T. Palmer, Phd, Ryan J. Davis, Kevin A. Peters, Phd

Robert T. Palmer, PhD

This chapter uses documents and interviews to describe the ways in which Morgan State University (MSU), a historically Black institution, promotes academic preparedness and college persistence for African American students in STEM fields of study. This chapter concludes by offering recommendations for increasing the participation and success of African Americans in STEM fields.

Mastering One’S Own Fate: Non-Cognitive Factors Associated With The Success Of African American Males At An Hbcu, Robert T. Palmer, Phd, Terrell L. Strayhorn, Phd

Robert T. Palmer, PhD

While many studies have examined the academic achievement of African Americans attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs) compared to their experiences at Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), researchers have neglected to thoroughly examine academic achievement in the context of Black colleges for African American males. To this end, this article presents a qualitative study of 11 African American men who entered a historically Black college and university (HBCU) academically unprepared but who persisted to graduation. Findings provide compelling evidence that non-cognitive factors, coupled with institutional support, were significant variables in students’ retention and persistence.

American Dreaming: Refugees From Corporate Work Seek The Good Life, Brian A. Hoey

Brian A. Hoey, Ph.D.

The Soft Power And Persuasion Of Translations In The War On Terror: Words And Wisdom In The Transformation Of Legal Systems, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

The power of words is the power of persuasion. The exportation of the foundational legal principles that helped form the American republic can serve as instrumental "soft power" tools in the war on terror. Efforts promoting projects like the Arabic Book Program are important vehicles to cross-cultural and cross-lingual international relations. This Article argues that an arsenal of words can be as, or more, powerful than an arsenal of artillery. The West has much to offer, but the rest of the world needs to be able to read it without getting lost in translation. Providing linguistic access to the documents …

Politics In The Public Sphere: The Power Of Tiny Publics In Classical Sociology, Gary Alan Fine, Elisabeth Brooke Harrington, Sandro Segre

Brooke Harrington

As Fine and Harrington [2004] have argued, the relationship between individuals and the social systems which they inhabit is shaped within face-to-face groups. Early work by Habermas and others on the development of the public sphere suggests that interactional arenas – salons, taverns, coffee houses, or other small group modalities – create arenas of discourse in which civil society is enacted and made concrete. However, this research has not led – as one might have expected – to the explicit theoretical attention by political sociologists to small groups and their political incarnation as “tiny publics.” In this article, we make …

The Developer’S Decision Calculus: An Agent-Based Model Of Commercial Development, Mirya R. Holman, Travis Coan

Mirya R Holman

While considerable research has been devoted to understanding the impact local regulatory environments on housing development, few studies have examined the implications of land-use regulations for commercial development. The paucity of studies is unfortunate given that commercial development often provides municipalities with considerable economic benefits (e.g., employment) and a crucial source of tax revenue. This study presents a formal model of the commercial development process that explicitly incorporates the dynamic interaction of commercial developers and local cities. Specifically, we construct an agent-based model (ABM) of the commercial development process that represents some key features of the development process. We form …