Digital Commons Network^™

Generating A Reflexive Ai-Assisted Workflow For Academic Writing, Corey W. Johnson, Trena M. Paulus

The Qualitative Report

Digital research workflows are study designs that intentionally consider the use of technology in meaningful and reflexive ways. While most scholars use digital tools and spaces in their research process, doing so has consequences that are infrequently considered in an intentional way. Especially in this age of generative AI, technology integration into research studies will have an even greater impact and consequences on study outcomes. This paper documents one digital research workflow, the academic writing process, to demonstrate how inviting generative AI to be a writing partner can be done in a reflexive manner. Drawing on Paulus and Lester’s (2023) …

The War Within: Mexican Drug Cartels And The Impact Of The Drug Trade On Society And Governance, Haris Mohammad

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the origins, activities, and societal impacts of Mexican drug cartels, while assessing the effectiveness of governmental and international responses to their development and influence. This thesis examines the evolution of the cartels, starting with their collaboration with traffickers in Colombia and concluding with their supremacy in the global drug trade. The investigation elucidates the social and political factors that have facilitated their growth. These factors include pervasive corruption, economic disparities, and inadequate governance, all of which have fostered an environment conducive to the emergence of cartels.

This thesis examines the detrimental effects of cartel involvement on Mexican …

Patterns Of Activity Participation And The Well-Being Of Older Adults In Singapore, Zidane Tiew, Rachel Ngu, Yi Wen Tan

ROSA Research Briefs

Older adults participate in different types of activities and do so in varying frequencies. In this study, we utilised latent class analysis to identify underlying patterns of activity participation among the SLP respondents. We found three patterns: (i) generally active (i.e., socially, physically, and digitally active), (ii) physically and digitally active, and (iii) digitally active. Furthermore, we found that respondents who were more broadly active were more likely to experience higher levels of life satisfaction than those who were only digitally active. These respondents tended to be from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, report having better health, or had more close social …

(Un)Worlding With Karipuna’S Shadowy Alliances: The Mirangã And The Isolados, Hanmin Kin

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This ethnographically inspired article investigates the ways in which the Karipuna Indigenous people in Rondônia defend their land in the Western Brazilian Amazon against forces of deforestation and dispossession. I focus on the Karipuna’s plurivalent and collective forest spirits called the mirangã, through life experience accounts of two survivors from the “pre-contact” era who embody the Karipuna-mirangã connection. Through an analysis of the onto-epistemological entanglements in which the mirangã and my interlocutors are situated, I articulate another front of the Karipuna’s multi-faceted resistance: the struggle of worlding vis-à-vis the non-indigenous world. This process also reveals the association (from …

Bahsé Ahpose: O Adocicamento Das Águas E Dos Peixes Como Regeneração Da Vida No Alto Vaupés, Noroeste Amazônico, José Carlos Almeida Cruz, Justino Sarmento Rezende, Thiago Mota Cardoso

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Nas paisagens etnográficas do Noroeste Amazônico brasileiro se encontra o Rio Vaupés, na Terra Indígena do Alto Rio Negro, no Município de São Gabriel da Cachoeira. Nessas paisagens, os povos do Vaupés fazem o Bahsé Ahpose, o adocicamento das águas e dos peixes na prática do tinguijamento. O conhecimento desse ritual e sua prática resulta do encontro de conhecimentos cosmológicos e cosmopolíticos na vida dos povos do Vaupés. Esse rito se realiza pelos diálogos dos kumuã (xamãs), para quem o adocicamento faz parte da fórmula presente na taxonomia de todas as “rezas” benéficas e está sempre presente nelas. Realiza-se o …

Fall Of Mosul To Isis: Jostle Of Narratives Between Conspiracy Theory And Betrayal, Hamied Al Hashimi, Moh Arak Alzghwabi

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This article examines the rise and conflict of narratives about the fall of the Iraqi city of Mosul to the Islamic State (ISIS), which marks its tenth anniversary this year (2024). ISIS occupied parts of Iraq from 2014 to 2017, and its defeat required Iraqi mobilization and international support from the international coalition. This article attempts to trace the narratives and their conflicts about the main cause of Mosul’s fall to ISIS. The fall of Mosul was like a snowball that rolled and grew, as it spread to a large area of Northwestern Iraq. It has been shown that several …

Framing The Immigrant In Labor Unions And The Military In The United States, Sofya Aptekar, Shannon Gleeson

Publications and Research

We present a comparative study of organizational discourses on immigrants in two cornerstone US institutions: labor unions and the US military, both powerful players in setting the terms of immigration debates and policies in the United States. How do unions and the military frame the role of immigrants within their institutions and in US society? We draw on qualitative content analysis of materials produced by AFL-CIO and the US military between 2000 and 2020. Despite significant differences in these institutions, we find that they share the following three core themes in their framing of immigrants: (1) immigrants as potential threats, …

Harmony In Progress: Exploring Motivation’S Role In My Piano Learning And Practice Journey, Junyu Tao, Jane Southcott, Renee Crawford

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography explores the role of motivation in the piano learning and practice journey of the first author. The study is underpinned by understandings of how motivation evolves from extrinsic influences, such as parental support, teachers’ guidance, and peer influence, to intrinsic motivation that drives personal growth. Using a reflective and collaborative approach incorporating narratives, we examine key moments and emotional landscapes as the first author reveals the transformative power of motivation in shaping her piano learning experience. Our findings highlight the critical role of self-determination in fostering sustained engagement and success on the path of piano learning and practice. …

Dungeons & Dragons In Times Of Transmedia, Nazario Robles Bastida, Ricardo Victoria Uribe

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

This paper explores the current state of transmedia storytelling, that is, the art of developing a cohesive narrative through a variety of media. Using Dungeons & Dragons as a case study, this study explores the complex nature of current forms of transmedia storytelling, as well as the complex relationships between media producers and consumers that have arisen due to this narrative technique. Focusing in three specific examples within the franchise: Drizzt Do'Urden, the Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon series and the 2023 film Honor among Thieves, our analysis illustrate the fact that current media franchises are constituted by a …

India’S Pride Marches Are Important Calls For Justice But Elitist – They Must Be Democratised, Swarupa Deb, Aniket Nandan

Popular Media

Dalit, non-English speaking, disabled and Indigenous queer people are still sidelined at these LGBTQIA+ events. This must change.

Across Borders: Understanding Transnational Fathering Of Overseas Filipino Worker (Ofw) Fathers, Kristine L. Andaya, Marilag M. Baricaua, Charlote I. Marquez

Social Sciences and Development Review

This research sought to understand the lived experiences of OFW fathers in transnational fathering and explore their motivations and the decision making process that resulted in their intention and willingness to work abroad despite having to leave their children behind. This study also aimed to describe their ideal construct of a father and how they negotiate this construct with their actual experiences as an OFW father. Nine (9) OFW fathers were interviewed regarding their experiences as OFWs who practice fathering from a distance. In agreement with the premises of Lee’s theory of migration, the OFW father’s decision to work overseas …

“Living In An Alter World:” Pagsusuri Sa Pagtatanghal Ng Sarili At Pook-Pangkabuhayan Ng Mga Alter Sa Mundo Ng X (Dating Twitter), Tracy Valerie E. Dumaraos, Ryan P. Reyes, Leslie Anne L. Liwanag

Social Sciences and Development Review

X (formerly Twitter) is among the top five most utilized social media services in the Philippines. It serves as one of the most prolific virtual communities for the LGBTQIA+ community (Statista, 2022). Unknown to many, the Alterverse community in X was created because of the need for many gay males to freely express themselves on a particular platform. Using content analysis with the intention of studying specific groups, such as the Alters of X as social media users, this paper probes the current state of the Alter world after COVID-19. It was discovered in the study that the alter world …

Impact Study On The Implementation Of Cal-Defll’S Research Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Orientation On Layout Tools For Publication Purposes Training 2023-2024, Sherrilyn Quintos

Social Sciences and Development Review

This study investigates the positive impact of extensive training in research writing, editing, proofreading, and publication layout tools on educators’ skills and career advancement. The findings reveal significant improvements in participants’ research writing abilities and confidence in the editing and proofreading processes, with respondents expressing high satisfaction with the support received from editors. Recommendations emphasize the importance of ongoing learning and the pursuit of additional resources to further refine these skills. Participants are encouraged to advocate for continued training programs within their institutions, with an appeal for administrative support to enhance professional development opportunities. The training not only equips educators …

An Exploratory Study Of Sugar Relationships In The Philippines, Mark Anthony M. Quintos, Marianne Carmel C. Galvez

Social Sciences and Development Review

Sugarbook, a dating application that connects sugarbabies and sugarparents, experienced a server crash due to a massive surge in registrations from the Philippines in 2020. It had approximately 200,000 Filipino users by 2021 – with 76% registered as sugarbabies, and nearly half of them were students. This surge prompted Senator De Lima to file Senate Resolution 609 in January 2021, initiating a legislative inquiry into the escalating use of sugar dating sites. This resolution highlighted sugar relationships as a social problem, especially impacting young women grappling with pandemic-induced economic hardships. It is common knowledge in Sociology that trying to solve …

Alternatives To Screen Time Given In Parenting Advice, Emma Romeo

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Screen time within the last decade is an area of rising interest, especially in a "Post-Covid" world. Despite a diversity of opinions being written and research being done on screen time, what is being presented as an alternative is lesser known. In this research, the aim is to identify types of activities that are presented to parents as alternatives' to screen time in parenting websites and blogs. This study uses qualitative content analysis of over 240 articles from 2019-2023 mentioning media use or screen time from two regularly consumed and popular parenting websites, Sheknows.com and Parents.com. The data so far …

Editor's Introduction, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Korea: The Enduring Policy Blindspot, Justin Malzac, Rene A. Mahomed

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a neglected and under prioritized problem across the US government, requiring a dramatic change of approach. Most proposals for Goldwater-Nichols reform focus on geography, either increasing or decreasing the number of geographic commands. Based on our personal experience as Joint military planners at strategic-level headquarters, we argue that the change needs to go further, focusing on global national security problems instead of geography. This article’s analysis and conclusions will provoke conversation across the national security enterprise about how the United States competes with multiple global threats.

The Rattler (Volume 113, Issue 4), St. Mary's University

The Rattler (Previous issues)

Founded in 1919, The Rattler is the student voice of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. The newspaper documents campus life, academic and social issues, student opinion, and local and national events as they relate to the University community. Content typically includes news articles, editorial commentary, arts and culture coverage, sports reporting, and advertisements.

Bottom-Up Global Change: Stealth Action In A Decentralized World, Art Blaser, Trinity Huynh

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

The climate justice and disability rights movements reflect a paradigm shift from a top-down approach to policy-making to one that emphasizes local efforts by non-state actors.

Parameters Winter 2024-25, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Winter 2024–25 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Security Cooperation, and Historical Studies), and the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment.

The Sec Spanish Consortium: Foundations For Linguistic Gratuity And Language Documentation Among Latinx Populations In New Destination Communities Of The U.S. South, Stephen Fafulas, Chad Howe, Rafael Orozco, Alicia Cipria, Erin O'Rourke, Nina Moreno, Matthew J. Van Hoose

Research Products

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and community-engaged research. We highlight an initiative named “The SEC Spanish Consortium” which is an interinstitutional collaboration centered on scholarship and service involving Latinx populations in new destination communities of the U.S. South. We show that ongoing and future scholarly work in the U.S. South can act as a mechanism for documenting these emerging Latinx communities while simultaneously …

Feminist Narrative Inquiry: Stories Of Five Young Adults Who Aged Out Of Florida Foster Care, Amy E. Nourie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States and, each year, more than 20,000 reach the age of majority without achieving permanency, also known as aging out (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022a). Research has consistently called attention to the negative effects of foster care on youth including issues relating to substance use, housing instability, educational obstacles, and mental health concerns (Forkey & Szilagyi, 2014; Sarri et al., 2016). These negative outcomes are often even more pronounced for young adults aging out of foster care and transitioning into adulthood (Haggman-Laitila et al., 2019). Despite the decades of …

The Fight In And Out The Ring For Mexican American Women Boxers, Melody Alanis, George B. Cunningham, Natasha T. Brison

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

In the context of the United States (US) sport sector, particularly within the boxing domain, a prevalent hypermasculine culture has been widely observed. Despite this prevalence, there exists a significant gap in research: addressing the shared experiences of Latinas, specifically Mexican American women boxers in the US. To bridge this divide, the authors employ a qualitative study utilizing Latin Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as the primary theoretical framework to further investigate the boxing experiences of Mexican American women inside and outside the ring. The study engaged ten participants in semi-structured interviews, while additionally collecting data from their respective boxing gyms' …

Integrating Humanities Into Cybersecurity Education: Enhancing Ethical, Historical, And Sociopolitical Understanding In Technical Training, Joseph Frusci

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The increasing complexity of cybersecurity challenges necessitates a holistic educational approach that integrates both technical skills and humanistic perspectives. This article examines the importance of infusing humanities disciplines such as history, ethics, political science, sociology, law, and anthropology—into cybersecurity education. Through a pilot course developed for Staten Island Technical High School, aligned with the New York State K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, students were introduced to an interdisciplinary curriculum that combined technical cybersecurity training with historical analysis, ethical reasoning, and sociopolitical context. The results of pre- and post-course assessments demonstrated significant improvements in critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and …

Partisan Prejudice: The Role Of Beliefs About The Unchanging Nature Of Ideology And Partisans, Crystal L. Hoyt, Jeni L. Burnette, Meghan Moore

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Although there is a tendency to think all forms of essentialism—the belief that characteristics are inherent and unchangeable—are similar, some theories suggest different foundations and outcomes. We investigated if belief systems about the stability of political ideology (trait essentialism) and the fundamental nature of partisans (social essentialism) predict prejudice in opposite ways and if they do so via differential relations with blame. Across six studies (N = 2,231), we found that the more people believe the trait of political ideology is fixed (trait essentialism), the more they think that Republicans and Democrats are inherently different (social essentialism). Crucially, despite …

The Challenges Of Co-Developing Climate-Smart Strategies, Practices, And Technologies Among Research And Extension Teams, Michelle R. Worosz, Hannah Stewart, Mckayla Robinette, Brenda Ortiz, Rishi Prasad, Audrey Gambel, Leah Duzy

Journal of Extension

With climate-smart agriculture as the context, we explore one aspect of transdisciplinarity, the co-development of knowledge (CDK). Challenges were identified via matrix coding and word frequency queries of field day, meeting, and interview transcripts. Focusing on the Research-Extension team, we found they highly value collaboration and participatory-based projects, but developing trust-based relationships, enhancing long-term stakeholder investment, and understanding both team and stakeholder capacity was difficult. This paper informs transdisciplinary projects aimed at climate adaptation by illustrating the need for Research-Extension teams to take incremental steps towards CDK, to engage stakeholders before program planning, and to increase both interaction and reflexivity.

Healing Online Abuse Through Community-Based Art: An Exploratory Investigation, Sarah Auletta

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Using Mixed Methods To Explore Forms Of Harassment For K-12 Bipoc Trans Students, Caroline Reale-Smith, Mario I. Suárez, Emma Mecham

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Trans students of color face verbal and physical harassment all too often in educational settings. Using the 2015 United States Trans Survey, this mixed methods study explored the relationship between race and gender identity with regard to experiences with verbal and physical harassment in the K-12 setting. The quantitative phase investigated the extent to which race and gender identity predicted verbal and physical harassment, while the qualitative phase explored the types of harassment experiences for trans students of color. Quantitative findings highlight a higher incidence of verbal and physical harassment for Alaska Native/American Indian trans individuals and trans women, and …

Pedagogies Of The Home And Terquedad In Transgender Parenting And Teaching, Jackson M. Matos

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This counter-narrative utilizes pedagogies of the home (Garcia & Delgado Bernal, 2021; Delgado Bernal, 2001) and terquedad, or intentional resistance against dominant group norms (Salas-Santa Cruz, 2020) to illustrate how I transmit home-based lessons regarding oppression and liberation to my children and to my college-aged students. It demonstrates the importance of vulnerability (Caraves, 2020) in sharing counter-narratives with both groups, and illustrates how resistance and terquedad can be utilized to actualize social justice. I describe how I, as a Puerto transgender parent and educator, use my body and lived experiences as text (Helton, 2020) for curriculum in my home and …

Hans Holbein's Portrait Of Henry Viii: England's Own Personal Jesus, Amy Pitsor

Best Integrated Writing

Pitsor explores the possibility that Holbein’s late-stage change in the composition of the portrait from a three-quarter view of Henry to a frontal view held a motive to present Henry as the head of the newly established Church of England and as equal to the pope, and possibly to Christ himself.