Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Problem Structuring Methods And Agent-Based Modelling To Deal With Ambiguity: The Case Of The Glinščica River, Stefania Santoro, Irene Pluchinotta, Alessandro Pagano, Raffaele Giordano, Polona Pengal, Blaz Cokan

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Evidence demonstrate that the effectiveness of flood risk management measures depends on human decisions, actions and interactions. Action choices are not neutral, but commensurate with the perspectives and frames held by the actors making the decisions.The problem is that when these frames do not overlap or are incompatible, they potentially lead to a situation of conflict, hampering the effectiveness of risk management measures. In this work, we argue that making the decision actors aware of the existence of ambiguous problem framings and of the impacts of ambiguity on the measures’ effectiveness is the key to deal with conflicts in risk …

Stakeholder Driven Watershed Modeling To Inform Drought-Adaptive Water Management In The Rio Grande Project Area, Maryam Samimi, Ali Mirchi, William L. Hargrove, Josiah Heyman, Nolan Thomas Townsend, David Gutzler, So Ra Ahn, Zhuping Sheng

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The semi-arid Rio Grande-Rio Bravo (RGRB) Basin in southwestern U.S. has growing water conflict potential due to increasing demand for already-stressed water resources to support irrigated agriculture, growing urban areas, and riparian ecosystems while facing increasing aridity. The multitude of stakeholders from disparate water demand sectors complicates reaching consensus about “water futures” in this borderland region. In this research, we apply watershed modeling to support stakeholder engagement in the dialogue about water sustainability. An initial, comprehensive stakeholder survey revealed broad interest in better understanding plausible impacts of climate change on surface water and groundwater availability and associated implications for irrigated …

The Effects Of Metacognitive Listening Strategy Instruction On Esl Learners' Listening Motivation, Corbin Kalanikiakahi Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Prior studies looking at the effects of listening strategy instruction on motivation have shown there to be a positive correlation between the two. However, the participants of these studies all shared a first language (L1) and were not enrolled in an intensive English program (IEP). This study aims to investigate the correlation between listening strategy instruction and listening motivation in an IEP classroom for students from different L1s. Listening motivation was recorded utilizing the English Listening Comprehension Motivation Scale (ELCMS) and strategy use was tracked with the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ). Pre- and post-test scores of 56 participants (control …

Examining Large Game Utility And Transport Decisions By Fremont Hunters: A Study Of Faunal Bone From Wolf Village, Utah, Spencer Francis Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

This analysis of faunal bones from Wolf Village focuses on large game and its utility, as evidenced by what is known as the modified general utility index (MGUI). The MGUI proposes that bones at sites reflect transportation and butchering choices made by hunters at kill-butchering sites. According to the assumptions associated with the MGUI, hunters should select animal portions with high food value. The MGUI has been used in Fremont archaeology to provide a rough measure of site function. The expectation is that faunal bones would accompany the prized cuts of large game meat at habitation sites – and the …

Estimating The Reliability Of Scores From A Social Network Survey Questionnaire In Light Of Actor, Alter, And Dyad Clustering Effects, Timothy Dean Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Survey instruments utilized to quantify relationships, or aspects of relationships, may introduce multiple sources of nonindependence"”clustered variance"”into scores, including from actor, alter and dyadic sources. Estimating the magnitude of actor, alter and dyad nonindependence and their impact on the reliability of scores is an important step towards assuring quality data. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and the social relations model offer methods for quantifying the influence and estimating the reliability of multiple sources of clustered variance. The use of these methods is illustrated in the analysis of data gathered via a survey designed to quantify relational embeddedness in social network analyses.

Nabataean Course Ware Pottery Chronological Dating System, Jake Hubbert, Dr. Cynthia Finlayson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The course ware pottery created by the ancient Nabataeans of Petra, Jordan is unique and one of the most understudied pottery types from the Hellenistic and Roman eras in the Near East. My research project involved developing an updated seriation organization of these pottery types based on comparative shapes, sizes and other physical attributes, as well as stratigraphic find sites in order to organize these wares into a chronological dating system. The first step of this research project was carried out during the 2017 Petra, Jordan Archaeology Field School with subsequent lab work completed on BYU at the archaeology lab …

“To Bring The Old And To Lead The Young:” Hmong Identity Formation In Transferring Cultural Knowledge Between Generations, Venice Jardine, Dr. Gregory Thompson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While many theorists in Psychology have proposed various universalistic models for development, specifically ethnic identity development, and while these theories clearly have much to offer in the way scholarship on the topic of identity development, they are severely limited in their scope for the same reason that they are seemingly easy to grasp—they are problematically over-simplified. Human beings seldom fit nicely into stage theories or models, particularly when universally applied to across contexts. Especially when concerned with bi-cultural contexts and identity development, it is not plausible to attempt to reduce these complex human experiences to any one particular paradigm. In …

Complimentary Medical Frameworks: Hmong Shamanism In France And Thailand, Madison Harmer, Dr. Jacob Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current social science literature outside of anthropology has attributed Hmong difficulties adapting to Western health care to their traditional healing practices, claiming that successful integration only occurs as the younger generation discards traditional beliefs (Franzen-Castle & Smith 2013). Ethnographic research conducted in France and Thailand refutes these claims; Hmong of younger and older generations utilize both the state medical system and traditional healing, integrating these systems instead of treating them as ontologically distinct (and thus in competition with each other). Many researchers and medical personnel studying or working with Hmong populations have ignored models of ontological holism because of the …

De Facto Redlining As A Challenge To Integration: A Case Study Of Refugees In The Salt Lake Valley, Clare Willardson, Dr. Gregory Thompson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Approximately 1,200 refugees are resettled in Utah each year, adding to the 50-60,000 refugees (speaking more than 40 languages) accepted here since 1970. Ninety-nine percent of resettled refugees still live in Salt Lake Valley, the majority of whom are initially placed in West Valley and South Salt Lake due to its affordable housing (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 for reference). Upon resettlement, each family is assigned a case worker through their non-profit resettlement agency that enrolls children in a local public school, and mediates for medical, employment, financial, and other concerns that adult refugees experience post-resettlement.

The Architecture Of Belief: Developing Personal Convictions And Preserving Tradition, Kalli Abbott, Dr. Jacob Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Hmong people are a diasporic, highland ethnic minority group spread throughout Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Contenders of Christianity have penetrated their communities with religious change to a significant extent. Hmong traditional religious practices include a repertoire of ancestral and spiritual rituals influenced by Taoist and Confucian ritual systems. Challenging these traditional systems today is the influx of conversions to Protestant Christianity in Thailand (about 10% from community surveys). Beginning in the 1960s, the war in Laos began to cause major disruption in the life of Hmong people. Escaping as refugees to Thailand and eventually to …

The Stories We Tell Ourselves: The Influence Of Han And Heung On Korean Culture, Bryce Mangelson, Dr. Greg Thompson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current scholarship about Korea recognizes the importance that han has on Korean culture. Han is a feeling of melancholy and sadness that stems from constant suppression and opposition. Han is discussed within a historical context of political oppression from foreign countries such as China and Japan.

In my ethnographic study, I found an additional concept called heung that plays a pivotal role in the Korean culture. Heung is the collective energy and joy that motivates celebrations and builds solidarity within the community. Heung is underrepresented in the literature sounding Korean culture even though it is a critical Korean concept. These …

Nabataean Seashell Trade, Emma Collett, Dr. David Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In Petra, Jordan the ancient civilization of the Nabataeans has been studied for hundreds of years. Even with these years of archaeological research and discovery some aspects of the Nabataean culture have not yet been extensively studied. This past Spring term the BYU archaeology department held a field school in Petra. During this field school, Dr. Johnson and I were able to more closely study and gather information on one such aspect of the Nabataean culture not yet studied—Seashell trade.

Converting Gendered Expectations: Emerging Feminist Discourse Among Protestant And Seventh-Day Adventist Hmong, Stephanie Parsons, Dr. Jacob Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During my second week living in a Hmong village outside of Chiang Mai, I sat down with a middle-aged woman while she was working on her embroidery. She is a Protestant Christian who has been married twice, once to an old culture Hmong man, and currently to a Thai Buddhist. I was surprised to hear that she didn’t follow the Hmong traditional expectation of converting to either of her husband’s belief systems. When I asked her why she never relinquished her faith in Christianity, she said that she was afraid to follow her first husband in old culture traditions. Her …

Ethnographic Perspectives On Female Pornography Use And Disuse, Andrea Rane, Dr. Davide Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In my research, I explore pornography use among a group of women in Utah, as well as attitudes about pornography held by people in the research location. For both the people in this study who use pornography and those who do not, the concept of pornography as the focus of an addiction exists via people creating meanings about what pornography is, how humans can engage with it, and what pornography will do to you if you use it. This, in turn, cycles back into existing as the context in which some of the women in this study have used pornography. …

Preemptive War, War Powers, And International Complications: A Need For Reform, Paige Montague

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In March 2003, the United States declared official war on Iraq out of fear that Suddam Hussein has nuclear weapons. This war was declared after the United Nations Security Council ruled that the Preemptive War was illegal. Preemptive War is a strange loophole under the War Powers Act and gives the President ability to declare war under the potential of a future threat. The Iraq War did not yield the intended results nor were any nuclear weapons found. Had congress been mandated under an amendment to approve the Preemptive War, the poor consequences both on a domestic and international level …

Undocumented Immigrants And The Us Professional Licensing Problem, Madeleine Truman

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

The number of illegal immigrants to the United States continues to rise each. Many individuals are blocked from citizenship and its subsequent opportunities by a broken system. Undocumented early arrivals, such as DACA recipients and DREAMers, though currently not targeted for deportation, are prevented from succeeding in their chosen field due to an immigration status they did not choose. Like their native born counterparts, they should have the same right to work in a professional field if they prove themselves to be as equally qualified in all aspects barring immigration status.

Misinterpretations​ ​Of​ ​Hmong​ ​Culture: Complementary​ ​Medical​ ​Frameworks, Telisha Tausinga, Madison Harmer

Student Works

Current social science literature outside of anthropology has attributed Hmong difficulties adapting to Western health care to their traditional healing practices, claiming that successful integration only occurs as the younger generation discards traditional beliefs (Franzen-Castle & Smith 2013). Ethnographic research conducted in France and Thailand refutes these claims; Hmong of younger and older generations utilize both the state medical system and traditional healing, integrating these systems instead of treating them as ontologically distinct (and thus in competition with each other). Many researchers and medical personnel studying or working with Hmong populations have ignored models of ontological holism because of the …

Gender And Religion In A Shifting Social Landscape: Anglo-Saxon Mortuary Practices, Ad 600-700, Caroline Palmer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

My thesis examines seventh-century East Anglian mortuary practices and cross-correlates grave goods and human remains to determine whether there was an expression of the sexual division of labor during this period of social and religious change. I argue that gender roles changed as a result of adopting kingdoms and Christianity. Prior to this time period, Anglo-Saxons were primarily pagan and were buried with extensive burial goods. In addition to changes in religious and burial practices, during the Final Phase (600-700 AD) there appears to have been a division of labor that was not as dichotomous in the Migration Phase (450-600 …

A Closer Look At Nabataean Burials, Anna Nielsen

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The ancient city of Petra is famous for monumental rock-cut tombs. These structures contain two little-understood mortuary types: primary burial, in which corpses were interred without alteration, and secondary burial, in which corpses were exposed and defleshed. This research explores the circumstances under which Nabataeans received primary or secondary burial.

The Impact Of Gap Years On Academic Outcomes For Women: A Case Study From The Missionary Age Change, Margaret Marchant

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young adults throughout the United States and other countries participate in “gap years,” or time away from school, often for travel, work, or volunteering. This practice is promoted as a way to mature and refocus. However, some worry that it lowers the likelihood of college completion. Previous literature has investigated the academic, social, and personal benefits of gap years with mixed results; however selection into gap years confounds the true impact with unobservable personal characteristics. To overcome selection issues, I exploit an exogenous policy change that lowered age requirements for missionary service, a unique type of gap year, resulting in …

The Power Configurations Of The Central Civilization / World System In The 11th Century, David Wilkinson

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Letter From Germany And Russia, Vlad Alalykin-Izvekov

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

One Word Synonyms For "The Comparative Study Of Civilizations", Roger Wescott

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Guide To The Iscsc Archives, Dickinson College

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Michael Gubser, The Far Reaches: Phenomenology, Ethics, And Social Renewal In Central Europe. Stanford University Press, 2014, Stephen T. Satkiewicz

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

The New World, Digested: Anthropophagy And Consumption In Abel Posse's El Largo Atardecer Del Caminante, Adam Points Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis uses as its primary source of inspiration Argentine author Abel Posse's El largo atardecer del caminante (1992), which boasts the historically-based, unconventional Spanish conquistador, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, as its main protagonist and narrator. I explore the juxtaposition of two opposing forms of metaphorical consumption in the novel. To highlight the first, I apply to the fictional Cabeza de Vaca the general concept of antropofagia cultural, or "cultural cannibalism," as described by Brazilian writer Oswald de Andrade in his "Manifesto Antropófago" (1928). I specifically examine the symbolic development of Posse's Cabeza de Vaca as the …

Academic Persistence Among Native American High School Students, Tianna Jeanne Buckley

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative interviews with 12 Native American high school junior and senior students who grew up on reservations identified the following themes related to their persistence in college: (a) faculty support, (b) structured social support, (c) family support or the lack thereof, (d) motivation to be better, and (e) encountering racism. The results indicated a need for clear academic expectations between the school district and the tribal liaisons, multicultural training to foster positive relationships from the primary to secondary level, and structured college preparatory instruction designed for Native American students. Results also indicated a need for further research into the educational …

Principles And Practices For Motivating Youth For Scripture Literacy, Eric D. Rackley, John Hilton Iii

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Brother Howard enjoys teaching his students, and his students look forward to coming to class because they know they will learn important gospel truths. But there is a problem: students are not reading their scriptures as often or as carefully as they should. After careful consideration, Brother Howard decides to encourage students to complete their daily scripture reading by assigning course grades based, in part, on how often they read, and giving students daily quizzes that ask them to recall information from their reading. Brother Howard also plans a series of rewards if students complete their reading for a set …

Contributors Page

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Friendship And Language: How Kindergarteners Talk About Making Friends In A Two-Way Immersion School, Sionelle Nicole Beller

Theses and Dissertations

Research on adolescents sense of belonging in schools is plentiful; however, there is an obvious lack of research conducted in early childhood years. Friendship groups have been shown to be impactful in helping students feel like they belong in school. This study explores how kindergarteners talk about friendship in the context of belonging in a two-way immersion school. I pay particular attention to the role primary language plays in developing a sense of belonging and friendships at school. The 19 kindergarteners in this study were interviewed in small linguistically homogenous groups of 2 or 3 students. Each focus group was …