Digital Commons Network^™

Haomin Gong & Xin Yang, Reconfiguring Class, Gender, Ethnicity And Ethics In Chinese Internet Culture. New York: Routledge, 2017., Emily Chao Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Canines For Disabled Kids, Erin Jerrett, Margarita Mnatsakanyan, Colleen Reynolds, Yin Wang

School of Professional Studies

Canines for Disabled Kids have been working on behalf of children and their families to educate communities and promote service dog partnerships for almost twenty years. Their advocacy with local legislatures, business owners, and community leaders highlighted the difficulties encountered when differentiating service dogs from emotional support/comfort dogs. Service dogs are entitled to access by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while emotional support/comfort dogs are not protected under the federal statute or to the same rights. Canines for Disabled Kids proposed a study to obtain a current count of licensed service dogs in the Commonwealth and investigate the feasibility …

Eco-Tourism And Sustainable Community Development In Cuba: Bringing Community Back Into Development, Jack Thornburg Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

This paper focuses on community development and its relationship to eco-tourism as a means of creating a sustainable future for local Cuban communities. If communities control local resources to create economic opportunities for local goals, there is a greater chance that community development will be more effective and sustainable. Local empowerment can play a key role in community development through ecological and cultural tourism. The focus of this paper is Cuba’s potential to develop into a major ecological and cultural tourism center within international tourism. Recent policy announcements regarding the intention to diversify Cuba’s economy and move people into private …

Preschoolers And Pandas Making Friends: A Journey About Healing From Brain Injury, Barbara Anne Doucette

Museum Studies Projects

Preschoolers that have obtained Non-Accidental Injury (NAI) from familial child abuse are in need of having a unique place for neurorehabilitation in correlation with traditional therapies. My thesis project suggests adding an exhibit annex to an existing giant panda exhibit that will give preschoolers an opportunity to help develop new neuropathways when exposed to mediation and creative activities. Meditation and creative activities are being examined by neuroscientists as an aid in neuroplasticity after brain injury. This thesis reviews the neurotypical preschooler’s milestones and the playful means by which they are achieved. Conjoining the contemporary museums’ and zoological gardens’ outreach to …

Public Opinion Of Violence In The Mississippi Gulf Coast Region, Michael R. Smith

Honors Theses

Currently, there is an outcry to Mississippi legislators from law enforcement professionals and citizens to address the spike in violent crime levels observed since 2015. The Great Recession of 2008 reduced community policing programs in the United States, resulting in fewer police officers patrolling the residential communities and minor criminal offenses going unreported. This effect has been especially prevalent in the “South Region” of the United States. In 2014, this region reported the largest increase of all regions at 1.9%. Because the public act on their perceptions and legislators react to strong public opinion by creating or changing policies, one …

Association Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Alzheimer's Disease, Cynthia Elizabeth Wyman

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many studies have found an association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and behavioral and cognitive changes in animal models and in humans. In addition, early findings have suggested an association between T. gondii seropositivity and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We sought to determine whether there is an association between T. gondii seropositivity and AD as well as cognitive functioning (including memory, working memory, processing speed, language functioning, executive functioning) in a large, well-characterized sample of subjects with AD and matched controls without dementia. Method: Using ELISA assays, we determined anti-T. gondii IgG antibody titers in 114 control subjects and in 105 …

Let’S Put Demography Back Into Economics: Population Pyramids In Excel, Humberto Barreto

Economics and Management Faculty publications

The economics curriculum today does not emphasize the study of population. This needs to change immediately because we are in the midst of another demographic sea change, slamming on the brakes right after a rapid acceleration during the last half of the 20th century. Instead of glibly tossing a dependency ratio onto a slide, this paper offers an easy way to improve demographic literacy using population pyramids. Simulation is used to explain the pyramid and its dynamic properties, and then real‐world data are presented. Microsoft Excel’s ability to act as a browser and download data with a single click of …

Almost Home: An Interim Solution To Homelessness, Daleen M. Pearse

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In 2015 there were 4,627 homeless individuals unsheltered in Santa Clara County (Home Not Found, 2015). With very few housing options available many homeless individuals are forced to camp illegally in conditions that are unsafe and inhumane. The Gilroy Compassion Center has addressed the need for an interim solution to homelessness with its Almost Home Camping Program. This program provides stability to individuals who participate by providing transitional housing in a campground setting as an alternative to camping illegally. Participants address their own personal barriers whether it is substance abuse, mental or physical health, as well as other barriers identified …

Setting The Childless Free: An Ethnographic Study Of The Practice Of The Childfree Identity, Shelly Volsche

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Heeding Sherry Ortner’s call to turn anthropological analysis inward, toward one’s own culture, the following dissertation seeks to understand the identity and practice of the voluntarily childless (hereafter “childfree”) movement in the United States. How do these individuals practice their identity, and how does the identity of “childfree” interact with other roles in their lives? How do they build meaning in a society that emphasizes children as a hallmark of adulthood? What other outlets do childfree individuals have for the “nurturing” tendencies of our species?

Combining sociohistoric analysis with identity and feminist theories, I embarked on nearly two years of …

Addressing Social Issues Affecting Vulnerable Populations In San Benito County Through Community Events, Lucila Alvarez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In San Benito County there is a high concentration of Triqui community members. They originate from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico and flee their homeland due to political prosecution and violence. Many times, Triqui community members arrive in the United States speaking and understanding only their native Triqui language. Their customs and traditions clash with those of the United States and due to fear they isolate themselves and do not seek any community services. Community Solutions addressed these issues by organizing the first ever Indigenous Cultures Day in Hollister, CA on May 21, 2017. The event consisted of a …

Identities And Persistence Of Family Farm Operators, Parker T. Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the identities of family farm operators and the challenges to maintaining viable farm operations in today’s agricultural economy. Employing a grounded qualitative approach, the author conducted 18 in-depth interviews with principal farm operators from Iowa and Tennessee. Using the insights of farmers from geographically different agricultural regions, this study notes how preserving family histories, socialization processes, and farming as a moral career inform operators’ understandings of themselves and the work they do. The analysis also focuses on how family farm operators contend with a globalized agricultural economy and the moral and ethical concerns of managing a …

Association Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Alzheimer's Disease, Cynthia Elizabeth Wyman

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many studies have found an association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and behavioral and cognitive changes in animal models and in humans. In addition, early findings have suggested an association between T. gondii seropositivity and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We sought to determine whether there is an association between T. gondii seropositivity and AD as well as cognitive functioning (including memory, working memory, processing speed, language functioning, executive functioning) in a large, well-characterized sample of subjects with AD and matched controls without dementia. Method: Using ELISA assays, we determined anti-T. gondii IgG antibody titers in 114 control subjects and in …

Rancher Perceptions Of Ecosystem Services From Rangelands Of The Intermountain West, Elisabeth C. York

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rangelands within the Great Basin are responsible for the provision of multiple resources that humans depend on for a variety of reasons. Ranchers in this region are dependent on public lands to remain economically viable in their cattle operations. As a majority of land in this region is publically owned, there are varying interests at play in what should and could be the focus of management. Ranchers are charged with implementing strategies aimed at conserving these landscapes and their motivations for what to manage may significantly influence resource provision from Intermountain West ecosystem.

In this study, I sought to understand …

Motives Of Corporate Political Donations: Industry Regulation, Subjective Judgement And The Origins Of Pragmatic And Ideological Corporations, Nicholas M. Harrigan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

What motivates corporate political action? Are corporations motivated by their own narrow economic self-interest; are they committed to pursuing larger class interests; or are corporations instruments for status groups to pursue their own agendas? Sociologists have been divided over this question for much of the last century. This paper introduces a novel case - that of Australia - and an extensive dataset of over 1,500 corporations and 7,500 directors. The paper attempts to understand the motives of corporate political action by examining patterns of corporate political donations. Using statistical modelling, supported by qualitative evidence, the paper argues that, in the …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 93, No. 26 [27], Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Alvey, Rebekah. Finding His Way – Timothy Caboni
• Coyle, Cameron. WKU Police Department Builds Trust with More Diverse Force
• Ziege, Nicole. Student Government Association Discusses Strategic Planning, Passes Two Bills
• Lee, David. College Heights Herald Reserve Fund
• King, Jennifer. Editorial Cartoon re: Responsibility
• Ho Ho Herald – Christmas Gifts
• Leonard, Nicole. Gender Disparities Impact Health Care Policy
• Semester Recap
• Fletcher, Griffin. Mr. Devastating: Male Pageant Aims to Defy Sexism – Delta Sigma Theta
• Mohr, Olivia. New Restaurant Hickory & Oak to Come to Town
• Moore, …

Volunteering At The Shade Tree Shelter, Charlene Clark

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

Homeless persons in the United States are difficult to assess, estimates of homeless persons range from 250,000 to 3 million. The homeless population has shifted to include women and children, including two-parent families (DiMarco).

How Socioeconomic Disadvantages Get Under The Skin And Into The Brain To Influence Health Development Across The Lifespan, Pilyoung Kim, Gary W. Evans, Edith Chen, Gregory Miller, Teresa Seeman

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) has adverse impacts on physical (Adler and Rehkopf 2008; Blair and Raver 2012; Braverman and Egerter 2008; Cohen et al. 2010; Poulton et al. 2002) and psychological (Adler and Rehkopf 2008; Bradley and Corwyn 2002; Grant et al. 2003) health development. SED is similar to low socioeconomic status (SES) which is based on occupation, income, and education or a composite of more than one of these indicators (McLoyd 1998). However, we conceptualize SED more broadly than socioeconomic status to also include subjective perception of social position and contextual indicators of disadvantage, such as neighborhood deprivation. One of …

Film Review Of "The Circle", Helmut E. Reinhardt, Josephine A. Ruggiero

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Trump Veganism: A Political Survey Of American Vegans In The Era Of Identity Politics, Corey Lee Wrenn

Dietary Choice and Foods of Animal Origin Collection

Often stereotyped as being apathetic to the human suffering, the American vegan movement has historically failed to build alliances with other social justice movements. As intersectional feminism gains a foothold in the movement and external political crises challenge the movement’s frame of reference, the role that identity plays in movement progress has become a serious concern. Using the 2016 election as a flashpoint, this article considers if the identity backlash characterized by the Trump campaign finds parallels in the American vegan movement. A survey of 287 American vegans finds limited evidence of Trump veganism, defined here as a single-issue focus …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 93, No. 24, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Austin, Emma. Peter Gall Indicted in Shooting Death of WKU Student – Kenneth Davis aka Alex
• Harsh, Spencer. Greek Life Shows Low GPAs, Higher Retention
• Kast, Monica. University College Professor Resigns Mid-semester – Ron Mitchell
• Collins, Emma. New Director of Facilities Management Starts at WKU – George Dowling
• Burgess, Kelly. The Secret Ingredient: An Open Mind
• King, Jennifer. Editorial Cartoon re: Patriarchy
• Stop Silencing: Sexual Harassment
• Hormell, David. Bird Machine Broke: Is Twitter Beyond Fixing?
• Deppen, Laurel. Water Works – Cirque Italia
• Fletcher, Griffin. WKU …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 93, No. 23, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Collins, Emma. Construction on Parking Structure 3 Nears Completion
• Fletcher, Griffin. Write to Live – Blaq Art Nouveau
• Ziege, Nicole. Bates-Runner Subway Ranks in Top 25 Subways Nationwide
• DeLetter, Emily. Climbing Competition Fundraises for Hurricane Relief
• Alvey, Rebekah. Student Government Association Hosts Beard Contest, Raises Money for Cancer
• Huff, Taylor. Mass Media or Jody Richards Hall
• King, Jennifer. Editorial Cartoon Listen Up
• Leonard, Nicole. Enough: Rapists Shouldn’t Walk Free
• Hovell, Nolan. Netflix’s New Show, Big Mouth, Is Raunchy Yet Informative
• Mansfield, Tyler. WKU Set for …

The Intrigue Of Paradigmatic Similarity: Leibniz And China, Yu Liu

Comparative Civilizations Review

The cosmology of China is indeed strikingly similar to the metaphysics of Leibniz, but precisely where the two resemble each other, the former is unmistakably different from Christianity. Scholars of Leibniz have so far generally taken it for granted that he was ideologically aligned with Christianity, but his paradigmatic similarity to China should alert us of a surprisingly different story. Leibniz was indisputably “the greatest of the seventeenth century sinophiles” and key Chinese cosmological ideas were introduced to Europe long before he formulated his worldview. Together, these two facts can help us decide whether he “owes to Chinese organic naturalism …

William Egginton, The Man Who Invented Fiction: How Cervantes Ushered In The Modern World. Bloomsbury, 2016., Ernest B. Hook

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

What Not To Wear To A Riot: Fashioning Race, Class, And Gender Respectability Amidst Racial Violence, Lou W. Robinson

The Confluence (2009-2020)

The descriptions of participants and events in the 1917 East St. Louis riot carried messages about biases. Lou W. Robinson argues that even descriptions of the ways African American women were dressed at the time conveyed biases that sought to question the morals and respectability of women living in East St. Louis at the time.

The Disney Nonhuman Princesses, Corey Lee Wrenn

Cultural Representation of Animals Collection

Many of the gender norms popular in human-centric Disney films are also perpetuated in those starring nonhuman princesses. These nonhuman princess films perpetuate Disney’s painfully heteronormative and white bias, although perhaps less obviously. They remain side characters to inspire male counterparts, to be rescued, and to be won—and again, marriage is presented as the epitome of a happy ending. Although these characters are deer, foxes, cats, lions, and frogs, they are also overwhelmingly coded as white. Whiteness structures characters’ speech, behaviors, and values. In fact, most of the voice actors are also white. For instance, The Lion King’s Nala is …

A Theoretical Reading Of Holocaust Fiction And The Holocaust As A Deconstructive Event, Tyler Spivey

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis examines several selected works of Holocaust fiction, Elie Wiesel’s Night, Cynthia Ozick’s The Shawl, Art Spiegelman’s Maus, and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated, integrating the literary theories of Deconstruction, Gender, and Trauma. In five chapters, this thesis gives a brief overview of deconstruction, applying it to works of Holocaust fiction to show how the Holocaust deconstructs our view of gender and body, trauma and memory, humanity, and even death.

Let’S Know! Proximal Impacts On Prekindergarten Through Grade 3 Students’ Comprehension Related Skills, Hui Jiang, Dawn Davis

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Let’s Know! is a language-focused curriculum supplement developed through the Institute of Education Sciences’ Reading for Understanding initiative aimed at supporting prekindergarten through grade 3 students’ listening and reading comprehension. The current study reports results concerning the impacts of 2 instantiations of Let’s Know! on students’ comprehension-related skills (comprehension monitoring; understanding narrative and expository text, as supported by inference making and knowledge of text structure; and vocabulary) as proximal measures of efficacy. Results from the first cohort of a large, field-based, randomized controlled trial (Np766 students across grades) indicate large, consistent, and statistically significant effects on curriculum aligned comprehension monitoring …

Wouldn't It Be Cool If Everyone Turned Out To Be Blue? Building A Curriculum About Sexual Orientation For Nine- And Ten-Year-Olds, Stephanie Nelson

Occasional Paper Series

Nelson draws upon her experiences as an elementary school teacher to discuss ways in which sexual orientation can be addressed through curriculum. Aspects of the curriculum implemented in the Bank Street School for Children included "Gay Talks", read alouds, debates, and discussions about civil rights and how they relate to the LGBTQ community.

Performing Gender In The Elementary Classroom, Gail Masuchika Boldt

Occasional Paper Series

This paper raises questions about teachers’ interventions into children’s exchanges around gender in elementary classrooms. Masuchika Boldt argues that gender is ever-present in the classroom and children are constantly making assertions about the meaning of gender and the authenticity of their own and others’ gender performances. She speaks to the question, “If a teacher does interpret this exchange as being at least in part about gender, what, if any, response is called for?”

You Are What You Eat: Gastronomy & Geography Of Southern Spain, Katherine F. Perry

The Catalyst

Using empirical and numeric data, this study explores the use of food as a proxy to understand the cultural-historical geography of southern Spain. After spending three months in Granada, Spain, I compiled the most commonly used thirty-five ingredients from a selection of Spanish cookbooks and contextualized them within the broader history of Spain. The elements of traditional Andalucían cooking fit into three primary chapters of Iberian history: Roman occupation, the Moorish invasion beginning in the 8^th century, and the Columbian exchange, or the exchange of goods that took place between the Americas and Old World following European discovery of …