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A Marxist Analysis Of Women's Labor In The Soviet Union, Shania Sweet

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of Soviet women's labor and labor laws through a Marxist lens, emphasizing the contributions of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin. It explores the ideological foundations of communism concerning gender equality and the legislative measures taken by the Soviet Union to emancipate women from traditional capitalist oppression. The analysis reveals significant advancements in women's rights, such as legal equality and protection in the workforce, yet highlights the inconsistencies and challenges, particularly under Stalin's regime, where ideological shifts and practical enforcement diverged from Marxist principles. The research utilizes historical documents, legislative texts, and scholarly analyses …

Effects Of Language Status, Community Advice, And Parent Beliefs On Heritage Language Maintenance In The U.S.: A Scoping Review, Isabelle Trujillo

University Honors Theses

This scoping review of qualitative research examines effects of language status, community advice to parents, and parents' beliefs on heritage-language maintenance within a U.S. context. The review was guided by three research questions: 1. What is the nature of the relationship between a heritage language's (HL) status in society and language maintenance across generations? 2. How does information parents receive from community members (e.g., health professionals, teachers, friends, and family) influence their beliefs about the HL? 3. How do parents' beliefs about the impact of a HL on academic or career success influence HL transmission? Through a rigorous data extraction …

A History Of The Deutsche Sommerschule Am Pazifik, Sequoia J. Oar

University Honors Theses

The number of post-secondary German immersion programs in the United States has decreased from eleven to three since their heyday in the 1960s and the 1970s. The remaining three include: the German Immersion Program at Middlebury Language Schools (est. 1915), the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik (est. 1958), and the Deutsche Sommerschule von New Mexico (est. 1975). These programs provide post-secondary students with immersive German-learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate credit during a summer session each year. Of these schools, the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik stands alone in not having an accessible written history available to the public, which this thesis …

Applying Decolonizing Theories And Methodologies In Archaeology To Two Collaborative Cultural Resource Management Projects, Cydney K. Lanthier

Dissertations and Theses

Decolonizing theories and methods were employed during two separate graduate research projects. The methods of the initial project were informed by political ecology, the landscape-level historical ecology theory, Tribal sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), Indigenous archaeology, and community based participatory research (CBPR). The initial project was based entirely on CBPR and purposed to gain National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) over a portion of the traditional landscape. This project was cancelled before completion. However, several methods involved in CBPR were employed before then. The second project took on more of the historical ecology …

Developing A Social Equity Action Plan: A Pathway Towards Achieving Water Equity In Oregon, Anis Zaman, Wade Hathhorn

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

The Sunrise Water Authority is a public utility serving the City of Happy Valley and surrounding areas of unincorporated Clackamas County. In general, the customers of Sunrise tend to be relatively affluent (by state and federal household income standards) and predominately white, and non-Hispanic by race and ethnicity. Notwithstanding, there are several vulnerable groups within the service population including low-income households, persons of color, children, seniors, immigrants, disabled, and others. Social equity looks to ensure fair and equitable access to public services for all. Following a framework established by the U.S. Water Alliance (known as the ‘3 Pillars’), a preliminary …

Mindspace: The Creation And Curation Of An Interactive Art Exhibition On Nostalgia, Memory And Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emma Wallace

University Honors Theses

MINDSPACE is an autobiographical art exhibition aimed at raising awareness about Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) through a collection of multimedia artworks. The exhibition combines sculpture, video projection, and multimedia installations alongside a compilation of creative writing to immerse viewers in the intricate emotional landscape of C-PTSD. Through a series of installations and carefully curated video and audio, visitors are invited to explore the internal world of an artist affected by C-PTSD and learn how this impacts the artist's life in various ways.

PTSD itself was only formally recognized as a discrete diagnostic category in the 1980s, and as of …

The Rainbow Wave: Rethinking Lgbtq Representation In Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Research, Tyler King

University Honors Theses

This thesis critically evaluates the representation and inclusivity of LGBTQ+ populations in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) research from 2000 onwards, amidst the resurgence of interest in psychedelics for mental health treatment. Through a quantitative analysis of published studies, it investigates the prevalence and depth of gender identity and sexual orientation data collection, revealing a significant gap in demographic data pertinent to these populations. This research aims to highlight the ethical and scientific necessity for more inclusive study designs that incorporate the unique psychological experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. Recommendations are proposed for enhancing inclusivity in research methodologies, including organizational buy-in, …

Embodied Urban Political Ecology Of Oil: Social Reproduction In Oil ‎Geographies Case Study: Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iran, Maryam Amiri

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines the transformative impact of the oil industry on social ‎reproduction ‎‎within the urban and ecological landscapes of Khuzestan Province, Iran, and ‎its center, the city ‎of Ahwaz. Specifically, the study sought to understand the effects of ‎the oil industry on social ‎reproduction in three key areas: gender relations, race/ethnic ‎relations, and daily life ‎amidst ‎environmental pollution caused by the oil industry.

‎This is explored through three sub-questions: 1) How are hierarchical socio-‎spatial ‎relationships perpetuated through practices of ‎everyday life? 2) How are gender ‎relationships redefined and ‎reproduced in the oil city? 3) How ‎are ethnic relationships ‎redefined …

A Cognitive Approach To Supervisor Training Intervention Evaluation: Analyzing Change With Response Shift Theory And Models Of Measurement Invariance, Luke Daniel Mahoney

Dissertations and Theses

Field-based experimental training intervention research continues to grow in importance as a method of simultaneously testing and advancing the theoretical and empirical basis for designing and deploying interventions to improve people's lived experiences. Training interventions are often designed to create positive change in the workplace context, for example, by providing behavioral tools to supervisors to help them become more supportive of their employees. Such a training intervention was the focus of this intervention evaluation -- one focused on interpersonal dynamics between supervisors and employees. However, change is often complex and may manifest in ways not accounted for by conventional ways …

Building Climate Resilience: How Climate Groups Can Channel Anxiety And Grief Into Action, Martin J. Lemke

University Honors Theses

As the impacts of climate change increasingly stress the ecological and social systems of the planet there is also a greater incidence of psychological struggles related to climate instability. Climate change is a significant source of psychological distress for many individuals, often manifesting as climate anxiety and grief. This thesis explores research and therapeutic experience that has been generated as the discipline of psychology seeks to meet this rising challenge. In particular, the fields of ecopsychology, psychodynamic therapy, existential psychology and Indigenous knowledge contributed the majority of the insight to the conclusions drawn along with contributions from potentially applicable emotions …

Native American And First-Nations Canadian And Physical Pfas Accumulations: A Literature Review, Laurel Liebeseller

University Honors Theses

Native communities' exposure to anthropogenic Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS: "Forever Chemicals") are not demographically or geographically evenly distributed. Those who live near or on contaminated land or water are the most likely to accumulate dangerous amounts of PFAS that may have serious health consequences (Tribal PFAS Working Group 2021). Areas that tend to be most contaminated include landfills, airports, and military bases. Often Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities are placed near these "sacrificial zones" due to historic and current policies that segregate and marginalize people and families to polluted lands creating great environmental injustices (Dixie). …

Shifting To The Online Environment: Exploring Virtual And In-Person Collaborations Between Community College Libraries And Writing Centers, Julia Stone

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Community college libraries and writing centers are natural partners due to their shared goals regarding academic support and student success, as well as their joint focus on the interrelated processes of writing and research. Research has shown that libraries at four-year institutions and writing centers collaborate in many ways, but little research has been conducted on collaborations at community colleges and whether these collaborations have moved to a virtual setting. Given the rise in online education at community colleges and students' need for developmental education in writing, this study used a qualitative survey approach to gain a better understanding of …

Commercial Property Vacancies In American Cities, Emily Dinh

University Honors Theses

This paper examines the alarming impacts of the vacancy phenomenon on commercial properties across American during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in remote work encourages people to work from home more frequently. This does not only lessen employees' foot traffic to offices, but also disconnects the engagement of consumers and visitors to public areas, such as malls, stores, and other amenities. Many commercial properties have closed, shrunk their operating spaces, or reallocated for safety and security reasons. Reduction in occupancy rate among mentioned properties influences negatively on business owners, their associated partners, residents of the impacted areas, and …

Resource-Constrained 2d Scene Recovery With Single-Photon Cameras, Daphne Ariadne Kurzenhauser

Dissertations and Theses

The modern world is built of images. However, in our goal to photograph and replicate what the human eye is capable of seeing, we are throttled by the restrictions of conventional imaging sensors in high- and low-illumination environments. Single-photon cameras (SPCs) have recently emerged as a promising alternative to conventional camera sensors for capturing images in challenging conditions such as high-dynamic range and fast scene motion. Compared to traditional CMOS cameras, SPCs exploit the arrival of individual photons rather than using an aggregate photon count to compute the brightness of pixels. However, SPCs are extremely resource-intensive, making them inconvenient for …

Artificial Intelligence As The Next Front In The Class War, Christopher Hill

Dissertations and Theses

For many years, artificial intelligence has been confined to the realm of science fiction, and while the technology has been in development, predicting the effects AI will have on our society has been a challenging endeavor. The release of ChatGPT in 2022, the subsequent mass adoption of the AI chatbot, and the response by other private firms in the field announced AI's permanent entrance into the public sphere. These recent strides made in the field of artificial intelligence reveal that the pace of technological development has outstripped the rate at which we are able to politically examine and understand these …

Power To The Pedal: Assessing Barriers To Adoption Of Closed-Access Bike Share In Low-Income Communities, Jordan Del Valle Tonoian

University Honors Theses

Power to the Pedal is a fare-free, closed-access e-bike share program, operating more similarly to a lending library. The program aims to provide two low-income communities access to a reliable, low-emissions, electric assisted, active transportation option. The research conducted aimed to identify barriers faced by the community to adopting the bike sharing program. A survey and interviews conducted found that infrastructure, safety, cargo, financial ability, household structure, health, and culture all play a role when deciding when to use the program. Several recommendations are made to the program owner, operator, and other stakeholders both about improving the program directly, and …

Hell's Tails: Localizing The Tail Proteins Of The Hyperthermophile-Infecting Virus Ssv1, Jane Arterberry

University Honors Theses

The tail of Saccharolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1) has long been thought to be composed solely of viral protein 4 (VP4), but recent SSV1 structural studies have implicated the presence of additional structural proteins C166 and B78 in SSV1's unique tail. The exact locations of these proteins have not been confirmed. Structural proteins VP4 (C-terminus) and B78 are hypothesized to contribute to an adapter region bridging the viral capsid to the tail, whereas C166 is thought to comprise the majority of an internal extended structure, respectively. SSV1 structural proteins lack cysteine residues providing targets to determine their locations in the …

Prison Social Organization: Applying Social Psychology To Explain Racial Grouping In Prison, Siobhan Wynn

University Honors Theses

Since the creation of the United States, minorities have been controlled through various laws and practices such as slavery, Black Codes, Vagrancy Laws, and Jim Crow Laws. While these laws have been abolished, minorities in the United States are still being controlled in various areas such as the criminal justice system. This thesis will examine how certain codes in prisons have controlled Adults in Custody (AICs), in addition to examining two theories: Uncertain Identity Theory and Intergroup Threat Theory to help explain the social psychological functions of how and why racial grouping in prisons happen.

You, Me, And The Unknown: A Creative Exploration Into The Emotions We Feel About What We Don't Understand, Lena Hall

University Honors Theses

I've always found the concept of fear and anxiety to be incredibly fascinating. As someone who grew up with extreme anxiety, I always wanted to rationalize it and figure out exactly why I felt that way. Anxiety is the inherent fear of the unknown and I wanted to know more about why we fear what we don't understand, or in other cases, why we love it. I conducted a research project on our perceptions of the unknown that resulted in an experimental page layout print publication where I shared the participant's views on the unknown through a visual storytelling medium.

Public Support For Gunshot Detection Technology, Kris Henning, Joshua Carmony, Christian Peterson

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Firearm violence has led many U.S. cities to invest in gunshot detection technology (GDT). Research on GDT remains limited and focuses mainly on whether it impacts police response times, arrests, and injuries. Public opinion about this technology has received limited attention. The current study addresses this gap using surveys in 23 Portland, Oregon neighborhoods with above-average firearm discharges. Respondents were evenly distributed between those opposing GDT and those supporting its use. People with prior knowledge of the technology and those with privacy concerns were more likely to be opposed whereas those who worried about gun violence and those who had …

Undergraduate Students Of Color Raising Children And Persisting In Higher Education, Kimberly Denise Alvarez

Dissertations and Theses

Millions of undergraduate students have been identified as parents across the United States. Of those millions, a majority have been identified as undergraduate students of Color who are pregnant, parenting, frequently underrepresented, and often not equitably supported toward degree completion. The purpose of the qualitative single-site case study was to learn what undergraduate students of Color who are parenting have experienced, in terms of support for their continued enrollment, while earning baccalaureate degrees at Portland State University. Through an asset-based approach, this study elaborated on three key findings which include the persistent aspirations of undergraduate Students of Color (USPs of …

The Bonneville Power Administration In A Transformative Decade: A Study Of Collibration In Public Administration, Christopher M. Frost

Dissertations and Theses

In 1987, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) celebrated its 50th year as a federal agency. It was created in 1937 to market power produced by federal dam operations on the Columbia River and provide electric transmission service in the Pacific Northwest region. A decade later, while its organizational mission had largely remained the same, BPA had undergone a major transformation both in its governance role with regional partners and as an institution of the Pacific Northwest. This study seeks to understand how this change occurred.

My research identifies three factors that enabled BPA to successfully respond to external challenges to …

Effects Of Exogenous And Endogenous Variables On Efficiency And Productivity: Case Of Indian Banks, Aurobindh Kalathil Puthanpura

Dissertations and Theses

Financial intermediation is the process by which financial intermediaries facilitate the flow of funds between depositors and creditors. Financial intermediation is critical in facilitating economic growth and fostering technological innovation. An effective and robust financial intermediation is key for a well functioning financial sector and the overall economy. So, it is vital to study the efficiency and productivity of the financial sector to discover any inefficiencies in the intermediation process and to implement robust policies to improve efficiency.

Researchers have examined the banking sector's efficiency and productivity using parametric and non-parametric methods, incorporating diverse inputs and outputs. However, there is …

Yang-Baxter Equations, David Lovitz

Dissertations and Theses

Multiple equations in math, physics, quantum information, and elsewhere are referred to as "the" Yang-Baxter equation, in spite of being a broad family of equations. Most of the equations are nonlinear matrix equations, where the unknown variable is a matrix. This is the case for the so called braided, algebraic, and generalized forms of "the" equation, which are the primary focus of this dissertation. Finding solutions to the various forms of these equations has been the subject of much research. The equations in all their forms are largely considered intractable in high dimensions, and only in dimension 2 have the …

The Influence Of A Ubiquitous Filter Feeder On Coastal Microbial Communities, Melissa Steinman

Dissertations and Theses

Doliolids are a unique study system for investigating the intricate relationship between pelagic tunicates and the marine microbial community. This study identified the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial taxa in wild-caught doliolids in the Northern California Current system. Doliolids were collected during bloom events identified at three different shelf locations with variable upwelling intensity. This study found that doliolids host a microbiome unique from that of the seawater surrounding them and that feeding by doliolids includes a range of prokaryotic microbial functional groups. This is the first study to identify that doliolids are a source of mortality for pelagic archaea, and …

An Exploratory Study Of An Executive Team Leading Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (Deib), Tara Lashawn Cooper

Dissertations and Theses

With the increasing demographic diversity and critical focus on social justice in the United States, leaders are under significant pressure to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies into their core operations and organizational culture. Challenged to think more critically about how to better prepare and support leaders in DEIB efforts, minimal research exists to provide insights on how executives should prepare, what they might expect, or the proven practices in DEIB. Driven by this lack of literature, this qualitative study explored how an executive team experienced and navigated the complexities of integrating and advancing DEIB in their organization. …

Social Media And The Technological Infrastructure Of Polarization In The United States: How Do We Move Forward?, Phoebe Cordova

Dissertations and Theses

The United States is currently experiencing extremely high levels of polarization that is unique to other times in history. One way to account for this historical difference is the fact that polarization is playing out under the novel conditions generated by technology and, specifically, social media. Thus far, work in the area of social media and polarization has primarily focused on proving a causal relationship between the two with contributions across disciplines remaining disparate without an integrative framework of understanding. Strikingly, there are few contributions from the field of conflict resolution, indicative of the more sweeping need for the field …

Social Reproduction On Campus: Quantitative Investigations Into The Reproduction Of Gender And Socioeconomic Inequality Through Higher Education, Ned William Tilbrook

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines two key axes of inequality in higher education -- gender and socioeconomic status (SES) -- in terms of differences in college persistence and college major using the nationally-representative High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. While gender differences in terms of STEM majors has been oft-studied, this dissertation contributes to this body of literature by advancing Health & Social Sciences (HSS) majors as a separate category and examining the ways in which men and women may be sorted into these different types of major before and during college, despite the strong overlap in science and math related content. …

The Genetic Consequences Of Pollen And Seed Transport In The Wind, Elizabeth Hendrickson Scott

Dissertations and Theses

Dispersal is a crucial ecological and evolutionary process in plants. Seed dispersal is responsible for the colonization of novel locations and for range expansion in response to climate change, and pollen dispersal is important for the maintenance of genetic diversity in populations, particularly through long-distance dispersal events. Because plants are sessile, many species are dependent upon dispersal vectors to facilitate gene flow. Dispersal in the wind is a common vector in multiple plant families, as dispersal by abiotic vectors does not depend on community composition and is therefore more reliable than dispersal by biotic vectors. Despite prevalence among plant systems, …

Characterizing The Role Of The Complement Receptor C3ar In Regulating Inflammatory Responses And Mitochondrial Function In Activated Macrophages, Jesse Alan Corcoran

Dissertations and Theses

The complement system is an integral part of the innate immune response, and consists of a series of proteins that are mostly (although not exclusively) synthesized in the liver that circulate in the plasma as inactive precursors, as well as receptors on the surface of immune cells. In immune cells such as macrophages, recognition of pathogens by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) leads to the initiation of inflammation and triggers complement activation through a coordinated sequential enzyme cascade that results in the production of bioactive C3a, which interacts with membrane-bound receptor C3aR to regulate innate immune cell function and outcome of bacterial …