Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Job Stress On Law Enforcement Marriages And Methods Of Combating The Job Stress, Richard T. Matthews

Senior Honors Theses

The reality of how law enforcement stress affects individuals and marriages will be presented in light of its causes and dangers to officers, as well as how the stress affects officers’ marriages. The marital problems stemming from law enforcement stress can progress from producing less spousal interaction and communication issues, to presenting opportunities for infidelity, and eventually result in divorce. Before countering the impact of job stress upon marriage, officers must first deal with the stress individually. Marriages do not have to end as a result of job stress. By seeking family therapy and by relying on God, law enforcement …

"One Man In His Time Plays Many Parts": The Causes And Effects Of Cognitive Dissonance Upon The Actor, Rachel Joy Blomquist

Masters Theses

Actors in general are passionate about their art. It is a constant balancing act for actors to keep their lives separate from the roles they play on the stage. This paper focuses upon role-play performance, cognitive dissonance, and self-concept development in theater education. The focus of this study is specifically upon the causes and effects of cognitive dissonance in female theater students from three colleges in the central Virginia area. Qualitative research was obtained through the use of interviews. Ten students were each asked a set of six questions based on the roles they played and performances they were a …

Facing Ethics In Criminal Justice Through A Christian Worldview, Jordan K. Kopko

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to express the need for young men and women in law enforcement to endure ethical dilemmas through a Christian worldview. Ethical dilemmas and moral struggles in the criminal justice field are described in detail throughout the thesis. In the decision-making process during an ethical dilemma, an officer with a Christian worldview should make better decisions with the added guidance from the Holy Spirit. This thesis delves into the different aspects of ethics including reasons why some police officers make immoral decisions. The ethical issues in criminal justice have been a problem in law enforcement …

Confused Or Multicultural: A Phenomenological Analysis Of The Self-Perception Of Third Culture Kids With Regard To Their Cultural Identity, Andrea Marcilio Moore

Masters Theses

This study investigated whether Third Culture Kids, defined as people who lived in a country other than their passport country during their developmental years, perceived that their cross-cultural experiences during childhood produced in them a sense of confused cultural identity or a multicultural identity and whether they are able to successfully alternate between their two or more cultural identities and achieve intercultural communication competency in multiple cultures. Existing literature on TCKs focuses on the negative aspects of a life on the move and does not view TCKs in light of having a multicultural identity or multiple cultural identities. This study …

Language And Identity In Postcolonial African Literature: A Case Study Of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Abigail Guthrie

Masters Theses

Sociolinguists often research the development of language attitudes and the state of language within speech communities. Individual speakers reflect the status of their L1 language in both speaking and writing (Wa Thiong'o 1986, Showalter 2001), and the idea that writing can be used as a set of data that reflects an author's language attitude is the motivation for this research. Salikoko Mufwene (2001), one of the leading experts on creolization and the ecology of language, has argued that individual speakers of a language make daily choices that affect the future of their native tongue. Using the novel Things Fall Apart …

Individualism And Collectivism In Chinese And American Advertisements, Siu Yu Hsu

Masters Theses

This study examined the different values in TV advertisements targeting younger Chinese (13-29), Older Chinese (55 or above), Younger Americans (13-34), and older Americans (55 or above) using Hofstede's (1984) individualism-collectivism dimensions. With the open door policy imposed in China, younger Chinese became Westernized. A content analysis of 566 TV ads was examined to test the degree of individualism, collectivism, modernity themes, and traditional themes in TV ads among the four target groups. Three hypotheses and one research question guiding this study proposed that TV ads targeting younger Chinese would score higher in individualism and modernity; TV ads targeting older …

The Ilrc Connection, Volume 1, Issue 5, Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Muslim Pakistani And Indian Students In Their New York School System Experience, Alfonse Javed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutical phenomenological research study, using two rounds of semi- structured open ended interviews and focus group data, described the lived experience of Muslim Pakistani and Indian students in their New York school system experience. The purpose of this study was to collect and examine the stories and explore the lived experience of Muslim young adults from Pakistan and India in the American school system and document the positive and negative experiences they had while in the American school system. The study looked for the common denominators, which helped and encouraged the Muslim students to continue their education, regardless of …

Helplessness To Hope: Cultural Transformations For The Maasai Girl-Child, Kelly Suzanne Bingham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined how the life dreams of the girls at the MTH Center of Hope in Kenya are being altered as a result in a change of cultural experience. The center was built as a place of rescue to protect Maasai girls from early marriage, FGM and extreme poverty while allowing them to stay in school. The phenomenological study included observations, interviews, focus groups and a questionnaire that was used to elicit responses and begin dialogue. Results indicate that there is a definite need not only for secondary and tertiary education for the girls but also to train the …

The American Dream: An Illusion Or Reality For Latino Immigrants, Jessica Leigh Del Cid

Senior Honors Theses

Many Latinos from Mexico, Central America, and South America have made the decision to immigrate to the United States in recent years—whether legally or illegally. In the literature, stories of immigration and hopes for the American Dream proliferated; however, varying degrees of racism and anti-immigration sentiment were also revealed. Interviews of first-generation Latino immigrants and American citizens that were both attendees of a local Hispanic church in southcentral Virginia showed that Latino immigrants had hopes of achieving what they believed to be the American Dream, while realizing they had a long journey ahead. American citizens were more certain of having …

While The Nation Looked On: A Framing Analysis Of Print News Media Coverage Of Terri Schiavo's Final Days, Aubrey Blankenship

Masters Theses

One of the richest areas of current research in mass communication involves framing theory. Originally developed by Erving Goffman (1974), framing is used by the media to organize content. As such, it has implications for the values, beliefs, and actions of those exposed to that content. This study attempts to apply framing theory to a controversial issue and event profusely covered by American mass media: the case of Terri Schiavo. To accomplish this, coverage of her final month by two print newspapers, The New York Times and the New York Post, was analyzed for prevalence (present or absent), level …

Seventy Times Seven: Forgiveness As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Anger And Violent Crime, Elisabeth Marie Spratto

Senior Honors Theses

Forgiveness is an important quality for the maintenance of successful relationships, and it also has physical and emotional benefits. In contrast, anger, while sometimes positive, can also lead to aggressive or violent behavior, particularly when combined with a desire for revenge. Anger has been repeatedly shown to play a significant role in the commission of crimes; what is less clear is the role forgiveness can play in that relationship. Given that forgiveness has been shown to play a role in anger dissipation, it is logical to suppose that its contribution may be considerable. This study investigated whether forgiveness played a …

Palliative Nursing Care In Pediatric Oncology, Hannah K. Reynolds

Senior Honors Theses

Palliative care is an integral part of providing adequate care for pediatric oncology patients. Whether the cancer is terminal or treatable, palliative care helps patients live their lives to the fullest by improving quality of life. Therefore, it is important to have a system to define and measure quality of life. Once quality of life can be quantitatively measured, nurses can use pain and symptom relief, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to improve it.

Pain management is essential to cancer recovery. Relief can be achieved through pharmacological or nonpharmacological methods; however, prophylactic pain relief is most beneficial. This means that …

The Role Of Appreciation In Higher Education: The Experience Of Online Faculty Members With Instituional Administration, Aubrey Leeanne Coy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the role of expressed appreciation in an online education working environment. The research method used was a transcendental phenomenological approach in order to provide a foundational base for giving a voice to the participants' experiences in higher education, based on the participants' preferences for experiencing appreciation. Through assessments and interviews, this research intended to evaluate the role of appreciation in the workplace, namely higher education, and the relationships between online faculty members and their administration. Utilizing a newly created assessment tool, the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory, the act of appreciation was evaluated in terms of the Languages …

Economically Disadvantaged Students: A Case Study Of Resilient Qualities That Encourage Academic Success, Stephanie Kim Hawkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study examined academically successful economically disadvantaged (ED) students from one intact Caucasian family through parents', students', and teachers' perceptions of the reasons for resilience. The problem is that little research exists exploring qualities of academically successful ED Caucasian students. Because being a high school dropout significantly affects students, families, schools, and society, risk factors were explored; protective factors that help students overcome risk factors were also investigated. This study describes why academically successful ED students from one intact Caucasian family in Tennessee thrive despite risk factors working against them. Findings include the importance of Christian faith to the …

Representations Of L2 Motivational Self System With Beginning Chinese Language Learners At College Level In The United States: Heritage And Nonheritage Language Learners, Yan Xie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dornyei (2005) proposed the L2 motivational self system in response to the need to develop the socioeducational model. This study further tests the validation of the L2 motivational self system by investigating beginning Chinese language learners at the college level in the United States. A questionnaire combining two published questionnaires was administered to 197 subjects, including heritage language learners and nonheritage language learners, and compared the motivational representations of the two types of learners. This is the first study to test the L2 motivational self system by investigating learners of a language other than English. Through a correlation analysis, the …

Communication Disconnect: Generational Stereotypes Between Generation X/Y And Baby Boomers In American And Chinese Organizational Communication, Yuxiang Du

Masters Theses

This research explores organizational communication between Generation X/Y and the Baby Boomers within the American and Chinese groups using social identity theory. Twenty participants were interviewed about their opinions on this issue. Thematic analysis was used to examine themes in the responses. The themes were organized into six categories: outlining Generation X/Y, outlining Baby Boomers, generational communication, generational stereotypes, cultural influences, and favorable solutions. Two referent elements were used through the whole discussion, social identity and cultural characteristics. The study revealed a strong social identity with all the four generational groups, difficulties in communication and stereotypes because of the identities. …

"Make America Over": Rexford Tugwell And His Thoughts On Central Planning, Steven Chichester

Masters Theses

The free market system has played a vital role in the American experience. However, Rexford Tugwell, beginning in the 1920s, argued that this theory was flawed and must ultimately be rejected. Any system that encouraged competition among companies instead of cooperation (i.e. businesses working together to increase efficiency) was inevitably destined to fail. Tugwell believed that cooperation was the key ingredient to improving the economy. It was imperative that businessmen, industry workers, farmers, and politicians put aside their personal aspirations of working hard for self-improvement, and embrace the idea that through cooperation a new level of prosperity could be achieved …

It Is Well With My Soil: Ecocriticism Of Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow And Hannah Coulter & Marilynne Robinson's Gilead And Housekeeping, Lauren Hoessly

Masters Theses

Ecocriticism places nature as the central subject of life, but avoids analysis of human relationships as an integral part of man's relationship with nature. Wendell Berry's novels Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter, and Marilynne Robinson's novels, Gilead and Housekeeping posit ecocritical claims about man and his work in nature without forsaking the union of the body and soul. Thus, Berry and Robinson connect relationships between people to this work in nature in order to reveal the relationship between man and God. They integrate principles of environmental recovery with Christian principles of redemption, and thereby offer new possibilities for ecocritical writing …

The Relationship Of Religous And Existential Variables To Scores On The Animal-Human Continuity Scale And Perception Of Beliefs About Animals And Equality Of Mankind, Frank Lyle King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the present study is to determine the relationship between religious and existential variables and the Animal-Human Continuity Scale (Templer et al., 2006). The AHCS measures the extent that the respondent views animals and humans in a dichotomous versus a continuous perspective. Ninety nine (99) students at an evangelical southern university scored in the dichotomous direction as compared to the ninety six (96) students at a southern secular university. Likewise the more religious students, both those at the evangelical southern university and at a secular southern university, scored more in the dichotomous direction than the less religious students. …

A Proposal For Construction And Implementation Of A Focused Approach To A New Member Discipleship Program, Joshua Walters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to reveal the benefits of new member discipleship, for without this process there are many who do not follow through with their commitment to be an active part of that body of believers. This project shall: examine the purpose and history of discipleship, analyze surveyed responses from local pastors and new members, explore the results of new member discipleship in local churches, and conclude with a discipleship plan ready for implementation. This project seeks to show that through new member discipleship, the church can increase the understanding and dedication of their new members.

Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers Regarding Kindergarten Giftedness, Patricia S. Thirey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined perceptions of administrators and kindergarten teachers
regarding kindergarten giftedness. The study looked at whether administrators and
teachers believe kindergarten students can be gifted; whether their schools and districts
have policies in place to identify those students; and whether they are required to vary the
curriculum for these students. All elementary-school administrators and kindergarten
teachers in North Carolina were invited to participate in the study. The survey
respondents consisted of 127 administrators and 260 kindergarten teachers. The data
concluded that although 98% of respondents believe kindergarten students can be gifted,
almost 70% of their schools and districts do …

A Strategy For A Successful Christian Sexual Education Ministry In The African American Church, Darryl Lee Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist churches on how to effectively communicate on the subject of sexuality in the African American church context. The purpose of this project is to illuminate the African American Church regarding the nature of this project on sexuality in the African American Church, its common elements, and an effective strategy for preparing a project. By applying a strong understanding of current and past literature reviews, surveys and questionnaires sent to homes and churches, in addition to interviews and workshops, the project reviews historical African American Church perspectives …

Perceptions Of High School Minority Students And High School Teachers Regarding Racism: A Phenomenological Study, Paige Shiver Boomer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research shows that racism is still prevalent in schools today. This qualitative study using a phenomenological design identified different forms of racism in schools and the impact racism has on students and teachers. The study identifies the perceptions 9th-12th grade minority students and high school teachers have regarding racism, and compares and contrast those perceptions in a rural Georgia high school. Participants were selected from a pool of approximately 103 ethnic minority high school students and 68 high school teachers. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling due to ones minority status or employment status. Surveys, individual interviews, and journaling …

Early Identification And Intervention Of Children With Disabilities, Beth E. Ackerman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Identity Of The Διψυχος In The Shepherd Of Hermas, Jeremiah Mutie

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

What's Good About Feeling Bad: Developing A Theology Of Suffering, John C. Thomas

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

201103 Obiter Dicta: Reagan Centenary In February 2011, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Patron Driven Acquisitions: Ready, Fire, Aim, Carl Merat

Faculty Publications and Presentations

A review of Liberty University Library's experience over 11 months of a broad-based Patron Driven Acquisitions implementation with ebrary. Budget/expenditures, as well as, usage by BISAC categories and title are included.

Motivating Students To Learn: Is There A Difference Between Traditional Books And E-Books?, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, David Holder, Randall S. Dunn

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electronic books have been identified as a current trend in education and are being increasingly adopted by students as their textbook format of choice. However, limited studies on electronic books as a learning tool exist. Thus, this pilot study compares the use of e-books and traditional books as a learning tool in an undergraduate classroom on undergraduate students’ motivation.