Digital Commons Network^™

Making Education Accessible: A Dual Case Study Of Instructional Practices, Management, And Equity In A Rural And An Urban Ngo School In Pakistan, Zafreen Jaffery

Dissertations and Theses

Two- thirds of Pakistan's primary aged children are enrolled in school and less than one-third complete fifth grade. Decades after the inception of the goal of primary education for all of its children, the state is unable to fulfill its promise of providing access to universal primary education. The failure of the government to provide for a system that ensures equitable opportunities for all of its children has resulted in individuals, for-profit organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) intervening to fill the void. In particular, international donor agencies (IDAs) have come forward to provide financial aid and personnel support for primary …

Understanding The Role Of Patient Activation In The Association Between Patient Socio-Economic Demographics And Patient Experience, Katsuya Oi

Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on the association between patient characteristics, which include both demographic and contextual factors, and patients' experiences with health care. The pre-existing literature provides rich information about patients' various demographics related to patient experience. Despite the abundance of empirical evidence showing that patients' demographics do affect how they perceive their health care. However, there is little to no empirical knowledge explaining the significance of such factors. As the existing literature points out the need for taking into contextual factors such as patient's beliefs, attitudes, skills that are pertinent to dealing with health care, my study proposes patient activation …

Supranationalism In The Fight Against Transnational Threats: A Comparative Study Of Asean And Eu Policy Responses To Human Trafficking, Nicholas M. Klynn

Dissertations and Theses

Transnational security threats are among the most pressing and complicated problems facing both governmental and non-governmental actors in today's world. Human trafficking is one example of contemporary transnational security threat that is relatively less studied compared to other transnational security threats. Because transnational security threats such as human trafficking exist above and outside the boundaries of state control, it may be supposed that a greater degree of supranationalism in the policy responses to them would yield better results in combatting these modern-day ills. Anti-trafficking efforts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union are examined to assess …

Assessing The Relationship Between Intercultural Competence And Leadership Styles: An Empirical Study Of International Fulbright Students In The U.S., Chris Taylor Cartwright

Dissertations and Theses

As U.S. higher education institutions strive to educate students to meet the needs of an increasingly complex world, there is great importance in studying the interplay between leadership and culture to enhance preparation of global-ready graduates. This inquiry examines the relationship between intercultural competence and leadership styles. The construct of intercultural competence focuses on effectiveness in engaging people across cultural differences, while the construct of leadership style or "connective leadership" focuses on the achieving styles employed to engage diverse followers. The Fulbright International Student Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to examine the dynamic interplay of intercultural and leadership development. More …

Gendering Gardasil: Framing Gender And Sexuality In Media Representations Of The Hpv Vaccine, Maura Kathleen Pisciotta

Dissertations and Theses

In an age of biomedicine, technologies, drugs, and treatments are expanding in new and diverse ways. Especially relevant to biomedicalization and this research is how such information is conveyed to the public through the media. Medical information is omnipresent in the media through direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and regular coverage of health topics in the news. The accessibility and proliferation of medical information provides an important opportunity to examine the ways in which these topics are framed in the media. This research specifically examines the framing of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil in the mass media. In this study, I explore how …

A Historical And Archaeological Study Of The Nineteenth Century Hudson's Bay Company Garden At Fort Vancouver: Focusing On Archaeological Field Methods And Microbotanical Analysis, Elaine C. Dorset

Dissertations and Theses

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), a British fur-trading enterprise, created a large garden at Fort Vancouver, now in southwest Washington, in the early- to mid-19th century. This fort was the administrative headquarters for the HBC's activities in western North America. Archaeological investigations were conducted at this site in 2005 and 2006 in order to better understand the role of this large space, which seems incongruous in terms of resources required, to the profit motive of the HBC. Questions about the landscape characteristics, and comments by 19th century visitors to the site provided the impetus for theoretical research of gardens as …

Let's Try To Change It: Psychiatric Stigmatization, Consumer/Survivor Activism, And The Link And Phelan Model, María Jimena Alvarado Chavarría

Dissertations and Theses

Stigma has been described as the most significant obstacle to quality of life for individuals with major psychiatric diagnoses (Sartorious, 1998). Much of the psychological literature on stigma focuses on individual attributes and interactions at the micro level, rather than macro level dynamics. In critiquing this traditional focus, Link and Phelan (2001) present a model in which stigma ensues when labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination co-occur in a situation of power imbalance. Even as the model fills a gap in conceptualizing stigma, its emphasis on power is unidirectional and fails to account for power as a form of …

Understanding Sand Mining On The Maha Oya: The Conflict Between Economic And Environmental Survival, Meredith Corea Talbert

Dissertations and Theses

River sand mining from the Maha Oya is the main source of income and a force that drives economic activity for residents along the river. This study takes place in Sri Lanka, there are three villages included in this project: Jambugaswatte, Janituspuraya and Thoppuwa. In Sri Lanka, sand serves as the main building material. It is used to make bricks, tiles, asphalt and concrete, therefore demanding a high market value. However, the over-extraction of sand comes along with significant environmental problems. These communities depend on the river in many ways and the health of the river directly corresponds to the …

Human Trafficking And Slavery: Towards A New Framework For Prevention And Responsibility, Dana S. Hathaway

Dissertations and Theses

Human trafficking and slavery are horrific crimes that require strict penalties for perpetrators and effective protections for survivors, but these crimes are in part facilitated by a system of laws and norms that effectively marginalize certain populations--the "unskilled" migrant. In this thesis I aim to reexamine and reinterpret the problem of human trafficking and slavery in a way that highlights the background conditions to the problem. I argue that the framework used as a conceptual foundation for addressing the problem limits the scope of responsibility. Specifically, the framework fails to acknowledge structural contributing factors I show to be relevant: law, …

Atheist Scripts In A Nation Of Religiosity: Identity Politics Within The Atheist Movement, Jacqueline Frost

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the use of identity politics within the atheist movement at both the national and individual levels. I conducted a content analysis of two national atheist groups and three best-selling atheist authors in order to assess the use of atheist identity politics at the national level. I then conducted 15 in-depth interviews with a sample of atheists in Portland, Oregon about their atheist identity and their reactions to and identification with national atheist movement strategies. Findings suggest that national atheist organizations and atheist authors are using a strategy of identity politics that encourage atheists to "come out" as …

Sustainability Education As A Framework For Enhancing Environmental Stewardship In Young Leaders: An Intervention At Tryon Creek Nature Day Camp, Andrea Nicole Lawrence

Dissertations and Theses

UNESCO established Sustainability Education as a top priority when it declared 2005 - 2014 to be the global decade for sustainability. Sustainability education can be implemented in outdoor programs such as nature summer camps in order to build environmental stewardship and ecological literacy in counselors and campers. This study sought to determine the extent to which an ecology and leadership training given to assistant counselors at Tryon Creek State Natural Area day camp achieved the goals of sustainability education--for the assistant counselors to learn about ecology, develop stewardship attitudes and behaviors toward the environment, and become positive role models for …

Exploring Ethnic Differences In The Predictors And Outcomes Of Academic Engagement During Middle School, Robin Margarett Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

Guided by a motivational framework derived from self-determination theory, a study was conducted to examine the role of academic engagement in helping to explain and ameliorate ethnic differences in school achievement. Building on decades of research that documents both the importance of engagement to learning in European American students as well as its malleability, this study relied on an ethnically diverse sample of 6th and 7th grade students to examine three questions (1) Are achievement differences across ethnic groups due to differences in engagement? (2) Does engagement predict achievement similarly or differently across ethnic groups? and (3) Are the predictors …

Coping With Interpersonal Conflicts At Work: An Examination Of The Goodness Of Fit Hypothesis Among Nurses, Robert Randon Wright

Dissertations and Theses

Increasingly, evidence indicates that workplace interpersonal conflicts (WIC) are the most upsetting/troublesome daily work stressors (Sulsky & Smith, 2007), and within the context of nursing, WIC is a problem of high prevalence and intensity (Baltimore, 2006; Farrell, 1999). In relation to coping with stressors such as WIC, Lazarus and Folkman (1984) established the transactional model of stress and coping, where cognitive appraisals of the stressor (e.g., perceived control) are central to coping and classified all coping behaviors as either problem-focused or emotion-focused. They also proposed the "goodness of fit hypothesis", which predicts that problem-focused coping efforts used to cope with …

Exploring Support Network Structure, Content, And Stability As Youth Transition From Foster Care, Jennifer E. Blakeslee

Dissertations and Theses

Many older youth in foster care lack adequate resources and ongoing support in their social networks as they transition into young adulthood, while other youth in these circumstances experience stable social networks providing comprehensive support. Systematically measuring the supportive personal and service-oriented relationships in youth networks expands the scope of inquiry in this area by identifying patterns of social network structure, member composition, and relational qualities that are associated with more or less support provision through formal and informal relationships. These can also be measured over time to observe changes in network form and content and assess network stability. This …

The Health And Housing Specialist: An Emerging Job Classification To Support Aging In Place In Subsidized Housing, Paula C. Carder, Jenny Weinstein, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon

Institute on Aging Publications

As the U.S. population ages, the availability of workers with a basic understanding of aging and health-related services has not kept pace. This is true in traditional health care organizations such as hospitals and primary care clinics as well as in long-term care settings and senior housing, including subsidized housing, the focus of this report. Nearly 1.8 million older persons receive some form of publicly-subsidized rental assistance. Some subsidized housing providers, including those that operate buildings designated for older persons, are developing new systems of service delivery that would either coordinate or provide health screenings, physical activity programs, nutrition programs, …

The Asian And Pacific Islander Community In Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile, Ann Curry-Stevens, Coalition Of Communities Of Color

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report builds on the Communities of Color in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile publication in 2010, that provided a comprehensive and comparative study of the inequities facing communities of color, immigrants and refugees. The findings, backed up by accurate and extensive data, are indeed unsettling, highlighting the persistent and in some cases growing disparities facing our communities. We see this as a wake-up call for public officials and policy-makers, and an opportunity for increased partnership and collective action for the advancement of racial equity.

One key recommendation in this report is to improve standards that ensure the disaggregation of …

Through The Eyes Of Greek Cypriots And Turkish Cypriots: The Perception Of Cyprus, Mary N. Olin

Dissertations and Theses

It is important to consider the effects of past conflicts on the current perceptions of the people of Cyprus and of the future generations. This thesis contends that the ongoing division of Cyprus along with the many unresolved issues regarding past conflicts have had a profound effect on how the people of Cyprus perceive new information in regard to their future. The inquiry will explore the historical background of Cyprus and the affects of nationalism. The need for enemies, large group identity, divided societies and the need for dialogue will also be examined in relation to perception and new information. …

Gendered Arrests Or Gendered Sentencing: Explaining The Narrowing Of The Gender Gap In Imprisonment Over Time: 1970–2008, Mark G. Harmon, Robert M. O'Brien

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since 1970 the percentage of women incarcerated in U.S. prisons has risen from nearly 3 percent to almost 7 percent—more than doubling in less than 40 years. This article examines explanations for this phenomenon—concentrating on two: Changes in the relative rates of arrest for females and males and sentencing reforms that were instituted during this period. The authors examine trends in female to male imprisonment rates from 1970 to 2008 across all fifty states using panel analysis. The only robust relationship they find is between the ratio of female to male incarceration rates and the ratio of female to male …

The Theory And Practice Of Genetically Engineered Crops And Agricultural Sustainability, David E. Ervin, Leland L. Glenna, Raymond Adelard Jussaume

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops has focused predominantly on enhancing conventional pest control approaches. Scientific assessments show that these GE crops generally deliver significant economic and some environmental benefits over their conventional crop alternatives. However, emerging evidence indicates that current GE crops will not foster sustainable cropping systems unless the negative environmental and social feedback effects are properly addressed. Moreover, GE crop innovations that promote more sustainable agricultural systems will receive underinvestment by seed and chemical companies that must understandably focus on private returns for major crops. Opportunities to promote crops that convey multi-faceted benefits for the environment …

Our Cities And The City: Incompatible Classics?, Carl Abbott

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

At the end of the 1930s, Americans interested in the fates and futures of their cities had the opportunity to consider two new efforts to summarize urban problems and propose solutions. The first was Our Cities: Their Role in the National Economy, published in 1937 under the auspices of the National Resources Board. The second was The City, a film sponsored by the American Institute of Planners for showing at the New York world's fair in 1939. The report and the film arose out of different analytical traditions, the first from the approach that embedded urban planning within a larger …

Supplementing A Librarian's Information Literacy Toolkit With Textbooks: A Scan Of Basic Communication Course Texts, Melissa A. Gains, Richard A. Stoddart

Communications in Information Literacy

This inquiry subjectively examines selected basic communication textbooks for information literacy concepts from the communication discipline point of view. Librarians can build on these concepts in library skills instruction sessions for first-year communication students. This analysis reveals that communication textbook authors are addressing information literacy concepts and standards with content, exercises, examples, and most importantly, context, and they are often utilizing their own discipline-specific terminology to do so. Since finding, using, and evaluating information is a cornerstone of communication education, and because the most successful information literacy efforts result from learning its tenets in a variety of contexts, librarians supporting …

Indigenous Australians Fight Climate Change With Fire, Scott Heckbert, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Andrew Reeson, Glenn James

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The article focuses on the move of Indigenous people in Australia to implement fire management in an effort to improve landscape condition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights the launch of the West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (WALFA) project, a prime example of scientists, governments, Indigenous land managers, and carbon markets connecting to offer innovative solutions to resource management and economic development. It also highlights ecosystem services in the region.

Participatory Action Research: Science And Social Change, Dora Raymaker

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a general collaborative approach to inquiry that includes research "subjects" as members of the research team. Useful in any setting involving groups of people, PAR has revolutionized research with minority communities. Some "flavors" of PAR, such as Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) have been developed to address issues of power and privilege, to change dynamics between science, society, and minorities, and to enable and encourage systems change. This talk discusses the theory and practice of PAR as a research approach, drawing from real world examples in health sciences research with minority communities defined by disability or …

Sociology Of Islam & Muslim Societies, Newsletter No. 7, Tugrul Keskin

Sociology of Islam & Muslim Societies Newsletter

Table of Contents:

• Social and Political Transformations in the Middle East by Umit Kurt and Oguz Alyanak
• The Political Economy of Turkey’s Response to the Arab Spring by Altay Atli
• Footsteps of Revolution in the Land of Queen Sheba by Bezen Balamir Coskun
• Two Sides of the Same Coin; Conflicting Views of Islamism in Pakistan by Jeanette Bailey
• Egypt and the "Arab Spring": Notes on Facts and Challenges by Moises Garduño García
• The Arab Spring and the Turkish Model by Alper Y. Dede
• Will Geopolitics Split Along Sectarian Lines in the Middle East? Witnessing the Rise of a Sectarian Speech …

The Healthy Kids Evaluation Survey: Early Results From A Baseline Survey Of Program Applicants, Bill J. Wright, Heidi Allen, Matthew J. Carlson

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its launch in 2009 the Healthy Kids program has worked to provide health insurance for children in Oregon. Marketed as one program available to all Oregon children, Healthy Kids enrolls families making below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) into the Oregon Health Plan, while families above 200% FPL are enrolled in a sliding‐fee private insurance product offered through a health insurance exchange called KidsConnect.

This project is an evaluation of the effects of the Healthy Kids program, conducted by the Center for Outcomes Research (CORE) at Providence Health and Services along with Portland State University. As families …

European Welfare Regimes: Political Orientations Versus Poverty, Kosta Josifidis, John B. Hall Professor, Novica Supic, Olgica Ivancev

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This inquiry analyzes how political orientations shape welfare states and labour market institutions when seeking to reduce poverty. In order to identify effects of these two key variables, we conduct a panel regression analysis that includes two poverty measures: poverty rates before and after social spending. This inquiry considers 14 EU countries, and in the period from 1995 to 2008, which are grouped according to welfare state regimes. We consider Social Democratic, Corporatist, Mediterranean and Liberal welfare state regimes. Panel regression results indicate that political orientation engenders no significant statistically measurable effects on poverty rates before social spending. Effects register, …

The Social Nature Of Male Suicide: A New Analytic Model, Daniel Coleman, John T. Casey

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Suicide is one of the leading causes of male mortality. In nearly every country in the world, more males than females end their life by suicide. Previous research indicates male-specific risk factors include social factors such as being unmarried, low income, and unemployment. An analytic model of male suicide is developed, proposing that the traditional male gender role creates a culturally-conditioned narrowing of perceived options and cognitive rigidity when under stress that increases male suicide risk. Suicide prevention and intervention require recognition of the role of high traditional masculinity, situating individual explanations within a broader social context. Based on this …

The Politics Of Data: Uncovering Whiteness In Conventional Social Policy And Social Work Research, Ann Curry-Stevens, Amanda Cross-Hemmer, Nichole Maher, Julia Meier

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The implementation of a robust community based participatory research (CBPR) study in Multnomah County, Oregon, has detailed broad and deep racial disparities across 27 institutions and systems. The process of this research has led to the identification of numerous practices that misrepresent and negate the experiences and very identity of communities of color. The research draws from engagement with numerous databases from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and various administrative databases. The core issues at hand are population undercounts, understudy of the unique characteristics of these communities, inaccuracies in …

Book Review Of, Pushing For Midwives: Homebirth Mothers And The Reproductive Rights Movement, Jennifer Aengst

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the book "Pushing for Midwives: Homebirth Mothers and the Reproductive Rights Movement" by Christa Craven

Interview With Jim Blashfield (Audio), Heather Oriana Petrocelli

Center for the Moving Image Oral Histories

Heather Petrocelli interviewed Jim Blashfield at his studio in Portland, Oregon on his involvement with the Center for the Moving Image.

Jim Blashfield is an award-winning filmmaker and media artist.