Digital Commons Network^™

Is Multiculturalism Good For Children? The Rights Of The Child And Multiculturalist Policies In Sweden, Pernilla Ouis, Göran Adamson, Aje Carlbom

International Dialogue

In the present paper, the objective is to investigate if multiculturalism is good for children. The method is to use secondary sources, as well as current examples from Swedish society, to show how multiculturalist policies have negative consequences for minority children's rights. The paper, as well as previous research, reveals that parents of immigrant origin often forbid children to attend school activities such as camps, gymnastics, swimming, and lessons in music and religion. Parents motivate their actions with reference to their traditions and religion, and a fear that their children might learn sexual immorality. The wishes of parents are accepted …

Fact Book 2013, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Fact Book

The Fact Book presents important campus information in data tables and charts. Included are details regarding students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Generally, data are broken out by college, rank, level, gender, age and ethnicity for both spring and fall semesters, past to present. There are a few academic year tables that include information on tuition & fees, student credit hours by program, and degrees conferred. We wish to thank the many individuals and departments at the University for their contributions to the Fact Book.

Border Institutions - What Is Lacking In The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Dispute, Dexin Tian, Chin-Chung Chao

Communication Faculty Publications

This study explores the interactions among the claimants for the sovereignty over the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands dispute with the intention to find out what is lacking in their communication for a genuinely peaceful and mutually beneficial solution to the multilateral international conflict. Guided by the theory of border institutions and via the research methods of hermeneutics, we found that the US, though not a claimant, appears officially neutral but actually pro-Japan in the conflict, though deeply involved in the dispute, purposely remains on the sidelines. As claimants, Japan, China and Taiwan all insist on their own claims based on supporting …

Assessing Youth Early In The Juvenile Justice System, Anne M. Hobbs, Timbre Wulf-Ludden, Jenna Strawhun

Academic Publications

Unnecessary involvement in the juvenile justice system generally results in negative long-term outcomes (Annie E. Casey Foundation Website, 2008). The problem lies in determining when involvement is unnecessary and when it is necessary. A juvenile’s path to detention often begins years prior. Research indicates that unnecessary court involvement may contribute to worse outcomes, which can ultimately culminate in detention (Holman & Ziedenberg, 2006). Youth who are formally processed through court are more likely to be under closer supervision, which, in turn, increases their chances of being caught violating curfew, missing school, or committing another technical violation. To test the effect …

Insurgent Encounters: Transnational Activism, Ethnography, And The Political, Julie A. Pelton

International Dialogue

nsurgent Encounters: Transnational Activism, Ethnography, and the Political, edited by Jeffrey Juris and Alex Khasnabish, opens with a vignette describing an encounter between international activists and Zapatista base communities in 2006–7. The moment, and the thick description of it in the introduction, serves as an exemplar of the ethnographic approach to studying social movements advocated in this book: at once romantic, mysterious, and radical, while also rife with contradictions, struggles, and tensions. Juris and Khasnabish have gathered together a diverse collection of work on transnational activism that highlights the importance of ethnography as a set of methods largely neglected in …

Islam In Denmark: The Challenge Of Diversity, Aje Carlbom

International Dialogue

In public debates contemporary Denmark stands out as an extraordinary nationalist and racist country. This is particularly so on issues concerned with Islam and Muslim immigration. The growth of the nationalist political party Dansk folkeparti, the Muhammad caricatures and harsh laws regulating family reunion are often used as examples by outside observers trying to describe political transformations in the country. These, and some other themes, are discussed in the anthology Islam in Denmark: The Challenge of Diversity (2012), edited by Jørgen S. Nielsen, professor and director of The Centre for European Islamic Thought at the University of Copenhagen. What kind …

Crossover Of Organizational Commitment, Rebecca A. Bull Schaefer, Stephen G. Green, Mahima Saxena, Howard M. Weiss, Shelly M. Macdermid Wadsworth

Psychology Faculty Publications

Spousal commitment toward an employee's organization is a little-studied construct that deserves attention because his or her spouse may influence the employee's assessments of organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Using 186 couples, this study investigated spousal influence on U.S. military members’ organizational commitment and their decisions to reenlist. Results of a structural equation model analysis indicate that indirect mechanisms of crossover (e.g., positive emotions displayed by the spouse during discussions of reenlistment) facilitated the positive relationships between the organizational commitment of military spouses and members. Findings and discussion contribute to the fields of organizational commitment and crossover, and we conclude …

Uno Stem Strategic Plan, Uno Stem Leadership Team

Student Learning

The following document is a strategic plan for STEMeducation at UNO as of September 5, 2013. Thedocument represents nearly six months of strategicplanning discussions, meetings, and conversationsbetween those of us on the writing team and many ofyou, our colleagues and friends that share our passionfor excellence in STEM education at UNO. It is alsothe result of a review of our local STEM statistics, theprofessional literature on STEM learning, and a sampleof what other universities are doing to enhance STEMlearning on their campuses. The document is intended tobe a very dynamic one that will be revisited yearly as wecontinue to move …

What Lies Ahead: An Exploration Of Future Orientation, Self-Control, And Delinquency, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Self-control has been consistently linked to antisocial behavior and though low self-control makes delinquency more likely, neither the findings nor the theory suggests that low self-control necessitates participation in such behavior. There remains a shortage of research on those situational factors or individual characteristics that might lessen the effects of low self-control on antisocial behavior. Future orientation is one such characteristic that can have implications for the control of behavior. The purpose of the current study was to explore the independent and interactive effects of future orientation and low self-control on delinquency using data from Wave 1 of the National …

Spr Bulletin, Spring 2013, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

This bulletin features Recent Grant Recipients; Meet SPR’s New Graduate Assistant!; and 2013 IRB Education Series at UNO.

Greyhound, 1984, Lisa K. Sandlin

Writer’s Workshop Faculty Publications

In "Greyhound, 1984," fiction writer Lisa Sandlin grabs and holds onto the reader with terse, rhythmic language, unique imagery, and a story that's both unsentimental and poignant.

Let’S Discuss: Teaching Students About Discussions, Eve Brank, Lindsey Wylie

Academic Publications

Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of employing classroom discussions; however, there has been less attention given to teaching students about discussions. The current research compared 2 advanced social psychology courses: 1 without (control) and 1 with (experimental) a week devoted to learning about and discussing discussions. Several different indicators showed marked improvements for the experimental group as compared to the control group. The differences between the two classes were particularly noticeable at the beginning of the semester. Even though the control group was able to eventually obtain similar scores, the differences at the beginning of the semester suggest that students …

Nebraska Sex Offender Registry Study, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The Consortium for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha was charged by the Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee to undertake a study of the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry. The primary goal of the study was to compare sex offender recidivism under the pre-LB 285 classification system that utilized risk levels derived from a psychological risk assessment instrument to sex offender recidivism under the post-LB 285 classification system utilizing Adam Walsh Act Tier Levels derived from offense severity. Additional goals include an overall examination of offender characteristics, victim characteristics, and offense characteristics among all individuals on the registry, …

Testing The Influence Of Community Characteristics On School Misconduct, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong, Charles M. Katz

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study examines the effect of dynamic and structural community characteristics on school misconduct. Data include over 45,000 students in the eighth, tenth, or twelfth grade in 237 schools. Hierarchical linear models tested the direct and interactive effects of community measures, while accounting for student and school characteristics. Community substance abuse norms as well as perceptions of community crime and disorder mediated the influence of concentrated disadvantage on school misconduct. Interaction effects demonstrated that community substance abuse norms were more influential for students enrolled in schools that had a less positive school climate although individual and school characteristics remained robust …

In Memoriam: The Reverend Andrew Greeley (1928-2013), William L. Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

Founding Editor of the Journal of Religion and Film William Blizek reflects on the influence and legacy of the Reverend Andrew Greeley.

The Effects Of Exposure To Violence And Victimization Across Life Domains On Adolescent Substance Us, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan, Gillian M. Pinchevsky

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This study uses longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to examine the effects of exposure to school violence, community violence, child abuse, and parental intimate partner violence (IPV) on youths’ subsequent alcohol and marijuana use. We also examine the cumulative effects of being exposed to violence across these domains. Longitudinal data were obtained from 1,655 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the PHDCN. The effects of adolescents’ exposure to various forms of violence across different life domains were examined relative to adolescents’ frequency of alcohol and marijuana use three years later. Multivariate …

College Students And Binge Drinking: Exploring The Relationship Between Control And Intention On Behavior, Trisha Rhodes, Samantha S. Clinkinbeard

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The present study draws on Ajzen's (1985, 1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore the relationships between students' intentions to drink responsibly, students' perceptions of control over their behavior, and their reported levels of drinking. We relied on a randomly selected and surveyed sample of 149 students at a Midwestern university. We hypothesized students who reported stronger intentions and greater perceived control would report reduced levels of drinking. Our findings indicated that respondents who intended to drink responsibly and scored higher on two measures of perceptions of control consumed less alcohol 10 days prior to the survey and binged …

Female Sex Offenders: Public Awareness And Attributions, Calli M. Cain

Criminology and Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have suggested that there is a code of denial associated with sex offenders that are female. Sexual victimizations by women may go unnoticed or unreported if there is a general lack of awareness that females commit these crimes. This thesis used data from the 2012 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey to examine two primary questions. First, does the public think females are capable of sexually offending? Second, what are the causes attributed to female sex offenders by the public? Researchers, media, and politicians have primarily focused on male sex offenders and existing gender stereotypes held by the public introduce …

Addendum To Systems Portfolio 2013, Neal Topp

Accreditation

This document is the response from the University of Nebraska at Omaha to the March 15, 2013, AQIP Systems Appraisal Feedback Report. The format of this response follows the order of stated deficiencies that begin on page 38 of the Systems Appraisal Feedback Report.

Intimate Partner Violence And The Victim-Offender Overlap, Marie Skubak Tillyer, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Objectives:

Method:

Results:

The Demographic Foundation Of Education In The Great Plains, David J. Drozd, Robert F. Blair, Jerry Deichert

Presentations

Presented at the School Conslidation in the Great Plains 2013 Symposium in Kearney, Nebraska.

Homeric Heroes In Ethan And Joel Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998) And No Country For Old Men (2007), Vaughan S. Roberts

Journal of Religion & Film

This paper explores how the Homeric trope of the ‘hero’ appears in three films by the writer/directors Ethan and Joel Coen – The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998) and No Country for Old Men (2007). It will identify the classical traits of hero and anti-hero, mapping them onto characters in these movies. The paper concludes by examining how the ways in which the Coen brothers' play with the notion of the 'hero' connects with recent thinking on culture and myth in the work of Graham Ward, William A. Dyrness and Robert N. Bellah.

Exploring The Use Of Grounded Theory As A Methodological Approach To Examine The 'Black Box' Of Network Leadership In The National Quality Forum, A. Bryce Hoflund

Public Administration Faculty Publications

This paper describes how grounded theory was used to investigate the "black box" of network leadership in the creation of the National Quality Forum. Scholars are beginning to recognize the importance of network organizations and are in the embryonic stages of collecting and analyzing data about network leadership processes. Grounded theory, with its focus on deriving theory from empirical data, offers researchers a distinctive way of studying little-known phenomena and is therefore well suited to exploring network leadership processes. Specifically, this paper provides an overview of grounded theory, a discussion of the appropriateness of grounded theory to investigating network phenomena, …

Systems Appraisal Feedback Report (2013), Aqip Program, Higher Learning Commission

Accreditation

This document includes the feedback report from the Higher Learning Commission on the Systems Portfolio submitted in 11/2002.

Ukhamba: The Implications Of Amateur Domestic Genealogical Research For African Socio-Historical Analysis, Nikitah O. Imani

Black Studies Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Presented at the 37^th annual conference of the National Council of Black Studies Indianapolis, Indiana March 14, 2013

The Cycle Of Violence In Context: Exploring The Moderating Roles Of Neighborhood Disadvantage And Cultural Norms, Emily M. Wright, Abigail A. Fagan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Although the cycle of violence theory has received empirical support (Widom, 1989a, 1989b), in reality, not all victims of child physical abuse become involved in violence. Therefore, little is known regarding factors that may moderate the relationship between abuse and subsequent violence, particularly contextual circumstances. The current investigation used longitudinal data from 1,372 youth living in 79 neighborhoods who participated in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), and it employed a multivariate, multilevel Rasch model to explore the degree to which neighborhood disadvantage and cultural norms attenuate or strengthen the abuse–violence relationship. The results indicate that the …

The Role Of Vicarious And Anticipated Strain On The Overlap Of Violent Perpetration And Victimization: A Test Of General Strain Theory, Egbert Zavala, Ryan E. Spohn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have documented a relationship between criminal offending and violent victimization. That is, people who commit criminal behavior are also more likely to be victimized. As such, criminological theories traditionally used to explain criminal behavior have now been applied to explain victimization. The current study examines whether Agnew’s general strain theory can explain the offender-victim overlap using a nationally representative sample of males. Results show that vicarious strain is positive and significant in predicting both victimization and perpetration. Anticipated strain was found only to be significant and positive in predicting victimization, but not perpetration. The study’s limitations and future …

The Impact Of Health Reform And The Affordable Care Act (Aca) On Latinos And Immigrants In The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area, Jim P. Stimpson, Kelly Shaw-Sutherland, Yang Wang

Latino/Latin American Studies Policy Briefs

This policy brief presents evidence for major barriers to access medical care for Latinos and immigrants and the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to improve health insurance coverage. The brief also outlines some potential solutions.

Health Profile Of Nebraska's Latino Population, Athena Ramos, Shireen Rajaram, Lourdes Gouveia, Yuriko Doku Drissa Toure, Anthony Zhang, Sondra Manske

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Office of Latino and Latin American Studies (OLLAS) has released a report and policy brief, in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), describing the serious health problems facing the growing Latino and immigrant populations in Nebraska and Iowa, particularly the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

The Revolving Door: A Closer Look At Major Factors In Volunteers’ Intention To Quit, Joseph A. Allen, Stephanie L. Meuller

Psychology Faculty Publications

In nonprofit organizations, volunteer coordinators deal with high rates of volunteer turnover due, in part, to increased levels of volunteer burnout. This study sought to identify how burnout can help explain volunteers’ intention to quit and identify two potential antecedents of burnout: voice and role ambiguity. Specifically, it is hypothesized that volunteer voice and role ambiguity affects volunteers’ intention to quit through their relationship with volunteer burnout. Data were obtained from volunteers working in an animal welfare organization in the western United States (N = 151). An online survey was administered to volunteers who responded to a variety of questions …