Digital Commons Network^™

Ghanaian Men's Experiences With The Police In The United States, Martin Gbadago

Research Papers

While previous research has examined the police encounters of various immigrant populations and the general U.S. population, the specific experiences of Ghanaian men remain largely unknown. This study explored the police experiences of Ghanaian men in the United States. Using in-depth interviews, conducted via Zoom, with fifteen Ghanaian men, aged 27 to 48, this study investigated their encounters with U.S. police, perceptions of law enforcement, experiences of racial profiling, mistreatment, and violence, and the impact of their immigrant status on their encounters with the police.  Analysis of interview data shows that Ghanaian men’s experiences with U.S. police vary based on …

Dialectics Of Pragmatism, Caste(S), And The Idea Of India, Nikhil Sanjay-Rekha Adsule

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Between Untouchability And Slavery: Dewey, Russell And Ambedkar On Freedom-As-Growth, Danish Hamid

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Ambedkar's Pragmatist Feminism: Beyond Rorty And Dewey, Kanchana Mahadevan

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Environmental Ethics And The (Dis)Continuity Of Meaning In Experience And Nature, Harrison S. Jackson

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Refining Bone Consolidator Identification In Historical And Modern Museum Contexts, Natalie M. Eves

Honors Theses

The use of consolidants, such as polymers and adhesives, has historically been common in archaeology and museum curation for the preservation and reconstruction of skeletal remains. However, many of these materials were applied without detailed documentation, creating challenges for collections management and compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Consolidants may also interfere with scientific analyses by altering the elemental and molecular composition of bone. Despite these concerns, there is currently no standardized method for identifying consolidants applied to skeletal remains. This study evaluates whether Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and visual …

Performing (For The) Guru: A Performance Studies Approach To The Study Of Cults, Todd M. Brown

Dissertations

This project approaches a long-term experience of living in a cult through a performance studies lens. Utilizing autoethnographic methods, it explores personal insights and observations from years within the inner-circle of a coercive religious environment under tyrannical leadership. A variety of systems and relationships are narrated and analyzed according to three categories: ritualization, deployability, and occupation. Ritualization explains how a body becomes imbued with the rhythms and mantras of a cultic milieu. Deployability describes how this body is put into action at the service of the leadership. Occupation, as a metaphor, illuminates how a cultic subject becomes filled with the …

Enhancing Mental Healthcare Worker Education And Training To Reduce Stigma & Promote Occupational Engagement: An Occupational Therapy Informed Initiative, Emma Rose Osborn

OTD Capstone Projects

Stigma is still a common and often ignored factor that affects health outcomes, especially in mental health care. Stigma is a social problem that affects both caregivers and patients. It is based on deep-seated fears of disease and contagion. Healthcare workers, especially those who work in mental health, are in a unique position to both support and fight these stigmas. Even though this is possible, many healthcare professionals still don't know how much stigma affects patients' experiences and access to care. The goal of this capstone project is to investigate the prevalence of stigma in mental health settings and its …

The Teacher As Investigator: Improving The Education Of Migrant Students, Giuseppe Spadafora

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Pragmatism About Nationalism, John J. Stuhr

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

John Dewey's Pragmatic Philosophy As A Critique Of Economic Discourse, Maciej Kassner

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

John Dewey Studies In Central Europe: Eli Kramer Interviews Emil Visnovsky, Emil Visnovsky, Eli Kramer

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Pragmatizing Critical Theory's Province, Roberto Frega

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Dewey Studies, Jim Garrison

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Trading Places With The ‘Other’: Octavia Butler’S “Bloodchild” And “Amnesty”, Katie Zamora-Godinez

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Trauma, Memory, And Familial Dynamics In Octavia Butler’S Kindred, Itzel Campos

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Culture As The Space Of Conceptual Meanings: Re-Introducing Experience And Nature, Brandon Beasley

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

How To Do Things With Emotions, Dina Mendonça

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Echo’S Repertoire: Performing Science Fiction And Trans Care Models, Juniper Blue

Theses

Echo’s Repertoire is a mixture of a passion piece and a call for more work with performing science fiction. It focuses on interpersonal communication within trans studies and the experiences of transgender individuals and myself. Echo’s Repertoire is also an example of the Lyrical Model proposed by Awkward-Rich as a new model for trans affirming speech. The show is laid out non-linearly and follows along with Echo as he starts to build new relationships with the advice of his spaceship ai, Eep, who is a previous version of himself prior to transformation (transition).

Debating Empire: The Yucatan Crisis And The Political Aftermath Of The Mexican-American War, Colton Matthew Warnes

Theses

This study examines the impact of the Caste War of Yucatán had on the geopolitical relationship between the United States and Mexico in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War. The briefly independent Republic of Yucatán requested foreign intervention to end the Caste War. The United States debated intervention in Yucatán, while Mexico, still reeling from the loss of the Mexican-American War and dealing with internal political conflict, made steps to reincorporate Yucatán back into Mexico and to diplomatically resist American expansion. Examining the political landscape of the United States and Mexico in the spring of 1848 offers an alternate perspective …

Ukrainian Women In The Russo-Ukrainian War: Between Survival And Resistance, Jelena Nikolic Khatatbeh

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how the Russo-Ukrainian war has transformed the lives, identities, and resistance strategies of Ukrainian women. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with forty-five Ukrainian women conducted between March 2022 and February 2023, it analyzes how everyday survival, political thought, and civic activism have changed during the war. Using a modified grounded theory approach and a feminist lens, this study examines women’s psychosocial experiences, their evolving political consciousness, and their active roles in humanitarian, cultural, and cyber resistance.Findings reveal that the war simultaneously reinforced and disrupted traditional gender expectations. While Ukrainian women dealt with increased domestic and caregiving burdens …

A Qualitative Interpretative Meta-Analysis Of The Experiences Of Women Under Community Supervision, Gifty Kinful

Research Papers

Research reveals that women parolees or probationers encounter both challenges and support systems as they navigate their reintegration into the community. More specifically, most women returning from prison and those on probation are released into a society of stigma where access to housing, employment, education, transportation, and healthcare services is either severely limited or nonexistent. These serious obstacles can undermine their ability, motivation, and desire to succeed while on probation or parole. Support systems may be more or less available and effective. The qualitative literature on women under community supervision is large but to our knowledge, the diverse studies have …

The Role Of Cultural Humility In Enhancing Successful Intercultural Relationships, Felix Enyan

Research Papers

In the 21^st century, it is easy to locate a large group of population in U.S America. For society to thrive, a good intercultural relationship is a fundamental building block for societal advancement. However, individuals inherit cultural biases that discourages healthy intercultural relationships. Concepts like cultural humility aid in addressing the status quo. Cultural humility encourages lifelong learning and self-criticism of one’s view thereby acknowledging inherent bias. To remedy the status quo, cultural humility is introduced to intercultural communicators and individuals engaging in intercultural relationships.

Dewey And Nkrumah On Education: A Comparative Study Of Their Philosophies And Impact On Ghana’S Development, Peter Kojo Kontoh

Center for Dewey Studies Essay Award

This study explores Ghana’s developmental challenges through the lens of its educational philosophy. Despite decades of effort, the country’s economic growth remains slow, partly due to an education system misaligned with national goals. Scholars debate whether an indigenous or global philosophy of education is best suited to drive progress. This work argues for a blended approach, drawing on John Dewey’s progressive ideas and Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of education for liberation. Through historical-comparative analysis, it proposes a hybrid framework that integrates global relevance with local realities to foster a more effective, development-oriented education system in Ghana.

The (Dis)Continuity Of Meaning In John Dewey’S Experience And Nature, Harrison S. Jackson

Center for Dewey Studies Essay Award

Experience and Nature proposes a naturalistic empiricism emphasizing continuity. This paper will argue that this continuity is threatened by Dewey’s anthropocentric in its account of meaning, which is only found in humans but is necessary for the perception of objects, communication, and social existence. Given contemporary research in ethology, Dewey’s denotative method requires a modification of this account. I will propose Merleau-Ponty’s notion of sense or the neuroscientific theory of enactivism as supplements preserving embodiment and social communication while being more continuous. Finally, I examine some recent applications of Dewey’s naturalism and show how they modify this account of meaning.

Your Accent Sounds Tough: Exploring Shifting Indexicalities Of Appalachians Through The Lens Of Citizen Sociolinguistics, Sarah Ramsey

Honors Theses

This study investigates how Appalachian English is perceived in online discourse, focusing on the intersections of dialect, identity, and ideology. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s 2024 devastation across Southern Appalachia, YouTube became a site of unexpected metalinguistic and cultural commentary. A citizen sociolinguistics framework is used to examine how outsiders engage with perceived Appalachian English, especially through discussions of class, gender, and accents.

Findings show that Appalachian identity is more favorably received when speakers minimize regional dialect features and align with urban, mainstream ideals. In contrast, speakers who are strongly marked as Appalachian, especially the rural and working class, …

“For There Is Hope Of A Tree…”: A Study Of Two Historic African American Cemeteries In Pope County, Illinois, Martha Clare Buchert

Theses

To add to a growing body of academic literature regarding historic African American cemeteries, this study examines two such cemeteries located in Pope County, Illinois: the Miller Grove Cemetery and the Hill Cemetery. Utilizing several different investigative methods, including pedestrian survey, geophysical survey, and historic research, the archaeological features and material culture of both cemeteries were studied to see what could be learned about their associated communities without ground disturbance. The results of these methods demonstrate the connections of members within these communities and the interconnectedness of historic African American settlements throughout southern Illinois and the greater Midwest. They also …

The Surge Of The Populist Radical Right: How Transnationalism And Party Systems Influence Populist Radical Right Success And Decline, Liucija Balciunaite

Dissertations

My dissertation examines the causes behind the slows and surges of the populist radical right (PRR) success. I attempt to answer the following question in the context of the growing global legitimacy of the populist radical right (PRR). What process contributes to the slows and surges of populist radical right (PRR) legitimacy? Previous explanations have narrowed the possible conditions influencing populist radical right success in two ways. First, the available literature often analyzes separately the structural and strategic conditions behind populist radical right success. This has created a gap in the literature, especially regarding the possible interaction between the structural …

Challenging Masculinity To Combat Gbv In Kenya, Teresa Jacques Valenzuela, Juliet S. Sorrensen, Shannon R. Galvin, Megan M. Osadzinski, Patrick Mbullo Owuor

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive issue in Kenya, significantly affecting women and girls, particularly in rural areas. This Article examines the importance of involving men and boys in GBV prevention efforts, using insights from Pamoja, a community-based organization in Kisumu, Kenya. Drawing on community-based participatory research, this study highlights the need to address restrictive masculinity norms that perpetuate GBV. The findings underscore the potential of engaging men as allies to foster long-term behavioral change and promote gender equality. By analyzing Pamoja’s intervention strategies, this Article advocates for comprehensive, gender-transformative approaches that challenge entrenched societal norms.

Comparisons Of Major Healthcare Systems In Europe And The United States Through The 20th And 21st Century, Isaac Shaw

Research Papers

This paper examines how healthcare systems have been created in four countries, the USSR (and then Russia post 1991), Poland, Germany and the United States, how they changed throughout the decades, their efficacy, as well as focusing on aspects such as funding, budget allocation, care quality, and the overall structure of the system. These cases were chosen to give a contrast between the development and subsequent abandonment of the Soviet Semashko system which proposed an entirely state ran and centralized program that was imposed on other Soviet Bloc Countries and the United States’ decentralized employer led health insurance system. Germany …