Digital Commons Network^™

Corruption And Criminal Sentencing Dispositions In China, Qingting Hu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Corruption is a prevalent crime worldwide. In China, it is drawing increased attention because the current administration is making intensified efforts to fight corruption. Despite its importance, empirical research on the characteristics and sentencing dispositions of corruption cases is rare. Based on 343 corruption cases, and using the focal concerns theory of sentencing as an interpretive framework, this study examines the main corruption offense and offender characteristics and the sentencing of corruption offenders. It also tests several specific hypotheses linked to the focal concerns theory: (1) If a case has characteristics indicating higher blameworthiness (e.g., higher amount of property involved), …

Sexual Harassment In Las Vegas Nightclub Industry, Ksenia Kondratyuk

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas nightclub industry creates awfully ideal conditions for workplace sexual harassment. Considering the history of sexual harassment cases against major Las Vegas nightclub operators, the industry is currently facing the problem of either continuing to follow the “good old days” model of using bottle service girls’ sexuality to attract business or develop safer and more efficient business model to protect themselves and their employees. Analyses of secondary data including academic literature, trade publications and press, showed that similarly to the city itself, Las Vegas nightclub industry expanded and evolved from a boy's town to one of the most visited …

Six Feet From Fame: Exploring Dark Tourism Motivation At Marilyn Monroe's Grave, Surjeet Baidwan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents an empirical phenomenological study of celebrity grave tourists at the site of Marilyn Monroe's grave in Los Angeles, CA. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature regarding the lived experience of celebrity grave tourists and their underlying motivations. This project was significant because it better explained an under-represented aspect of dark tourism by addressing the behaviors and motivations behind celebrity grave tourism. A qualitative empirical phenomenological method was employed. This approach relied upon the use of multiple in depth e-mail interviews and theme analysis. The results of the study suggested that …

Examining The Factors That Impact Work Life Balance For Executive Chefs, Lisa Nicole Cain

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation served to deepen the theoretical and practical understanding of work life balance in the hospitality industry. Defined as “achieving satisfying experiences in all life domains to a level consistent with the salience of each role for the individual….[that] introduces the possibility of a hierarchy of roles; however… it does not demand that a hierarchy is neither necessary nor desirable for balance” (Reiter, 2007, p.277), the study examined work life balance from a situationist perspective whereby the perspective of the individual determines whether or not balance exists. Further, the relationship between work life balance and callings, employee engagement, organizational …

Creating The Black California Dream: Virna Canson And The Black Freedom Struggle In The Golden State’S Capital, 1940-1988, Kendra M. Gage

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines the black struggle for racial equality in the Golden State’s capital from 1940-1988 and an integral leader of the movement, Virna Canson. Canson fought for nearly fifty years to dismantle discriminatory practices in housing, education, employment and worked to protect consumers. Her lifetime of activism reveals a different set of key issues people focused on at the grassroots level and shows how the fight for freedom in California differed from the South because the state’s discriminatory practices were harder to pinpoint. Her work and the larger black community’s activism in Sacramento also reveals how the black freedom …

Engineering The Path To Higher-Order Thinking In Elementary Education: A Problem-Based Learning Approach For Stem Integration, Abeera P. Rehmat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As we progress into the 21^st century, higher-order thinking skills and achievement in science and math are essential to meet the educational requirement of STEM careers. Educators need to think of innovative ways to engage and prepare students for current and future challenges while cultivating an interest among students in STEM disciplines. An instructional pedagogy that can capture students’ attention, support interdisciplinary STEM practices, and foster higher-order thinking skills is problem-based learning. Problem-based learning embedded in the social constructivist view of teaching and learning (Savery & Duffy, 1995) promotes self-regulated learning that is enhanced through exploration, cooperative social activity, …

The Convergence Of Structure And Design Between Video Games And Video Gambling, Daniel Sahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study looks at the incorporation of video game design and structure into contemporary slot machines. The investigation was guided by theoretical and empirical works from a range of scholarly fields: gambling studies, video-game studies, digital communication, psychology, and sociology. Two methodological designs were employed. The first phase used a content analysis that identified the distribution of video-game styles and design in the most recent slot games on display at a major industry conference. The second phase employed semi-structured interviews with both experienced and inexperienced slot players to assess the impact of different design elements on their playing experience and …

What I Wore Today: Gender, Self, And Brand Culture In The Blogosphere, Jennifer Marie Whitmer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Drawing on qualitative research with personal style bloggers, I examine how contemporary social conditions impact the parameters for the presentation of self in gendered ways. I relate these changes to the struggle for recognition in the face of social anxieties and a lack of stable referents for the self. Bloggers are encouraged to think of themselves as brands. The discourse of self-branding promises greater control over one’s image and life chances, but the practice of presenting a cohesive self-brand to an unseen audience destabilizes the self and increases bloggers’ risk of discreditation and invalidation. Bloggers manage their brands through the …

My Father And Erving Made A Number Of Trips To Nevada To Play Blackjack, Dan Cisin

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Dan Cisin, son of Dr. Ira Cisin who taught statistics at the University of California, Berkeley, in the 1960’s, wrote this memoir for the Erving Goffman Archives at the request of Dmitri Shalin and approved posting the present version on the web.

Becoming "Smart" About Relationship Building: Foster Care Youth And The Use Of Technology, Ramona Denby Brinson, Efren Gomez, Keith A. Alford

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

Key Findings:

Youth participants reported satisfaction with services and positive feelings about the smartphone.

The youth participants felt that the smartphone gave them a “voice” and control over the people with whom they wanted to talk.

Certain phone restrictions developed by project leadership were unenforceable.

Youth had certain expectations about the phone and its use but when the phone did not work or was “locked” (e.g., for data overuse) it created friction between the youth and their service provider.

Service-providers report that the phones help to create a sense of normalcy for the youth. Youth “were able to be normal …

Disparities In Hospital Services Utilization Among Patients With Mental Health Issues: A Statewide Example Examining Insurance Status And Race Factors From 1999-2010, Viann N. Nguyen-Feng, Hind A. Beydoun, Michael K. Mcshane, James D. Blando

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

There exist many disconnects between the mental and general health care sectors. However, a goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 is to change this by improving insurance access and the intersection of mental and general health care. As insurance status intersects with race, the present study examines how race, insurance status, and hospital mental health services utilization differ across groups within the state of New Jersey. The present study aims to determine trends in hospital mental health care utilization by insurance status and race from 1999 to 2010. The rate of self-pay for mental health disorders in …

Modeling Bmi, Dietary Habits, And Physical Activity Among Ethnically Diverse Urban College Students, Hollie Jones, Nicholas Freudenberg, Lorraine Mongiello

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives The objective of this research study was to examine the relationship between BMI, physical activity, dietary habits, and student demographic factors (age, ethnicity, income, immigration, and sex). Given the association between overweight and obesity and the inequitable burden of chronic health conditions among ethnic minority populations, a deeper understanding of the socioeconomic, gender, age, and racial/ethnic variation in BMI, physical activity, and dietary habits is needed. The shifting demographics of urban college populations make urban college campuses an important setting for addressing the lifetime health needs of ethnically diverse urban populations.

Methods In this cross-sectional non-experimental study, we used …

Cognitive Features Of Self-Stigmatization Among Juvenile Delinquents, Artyom A. Zinchenko, Mamun Al-Amin, Elena Molchanova

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The present study investigates cognitive features of stigmatization phenomenon among juvenile delinquents in Kyrgyzstan. It attempts to describe certain peculiarities of juvenile delinquents’ self-schemas and self-stigmatization. The study, additionally, tackles the issue of currently existing stigmas regarding juvenile delinquency in the country. One hundred and fifty four university students were asked to complete a questionnaire that would measure the level of external stigmatization towards juvenile delinquents and those who were once placed into correctional institution. Students showed presence of stigmatization towards people with a criminal record. Fifteen juveniles from the detention school who attended a socio-psychological training as well as …

Addressing Disparities In Access To Information For Hispanic Families Of Children With Special Health Care Needs, Suzanne M. Bronheim, Sandra Soto, Bruno J. Anthony

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: Utilizing a diffusion of innovation (DOI) framework, the study seeks to increase access to information for Hispanic families of children with special health care needs (SHCN) by increasing their use of Family-to-family Centers (F2Fs) in their states. Methods: Focus groups were implemented of both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Hispanic families in two states with a confirming Delphi procedure exploring factors within DOI framework related to using F2Fs and the nature of current family communication networks. Results: Families seeking information at key change points turn to formal sources, although Spanish-speaking families, noted that due to language barriers, they also turned to …

Book Review: Chopsticks And Gambling, By Desmond Lam, Ph.D., Andrew Gustafson

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Book Review:

Desmond Lam. Chopsticks and Gambling. Transaction Publishers, 2014. 172pp. (Cloth) ISBN 978-4128-5393-4

"I Was A Nigger, Still": Black And White Bodies In The Gay Art Of The Twentieth Century, Franklin Howard

Psi Sigma Siren

“It’s amazing to me that even the rampant homophobia in the South doesn’t put a dent in the sense of racial privilege presumed by the white gay men who patronize this clear example of racism and misogyny disguised as entertainment.” Lecia Brooks, the education director for the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama, gave this statement to Rolling Stone magazine in 2007 to explain her protests against comedian Charles Knipp, known on stage as Shirley Q. Liquor. While Knipp’s jokes are racist, the major issue with his performances, as Brooks tells us, is his use of blackface minstrelsy as …

Betting On The Papal Election In Sixteenth-Century Rome, John M. Hunt

Occasional Papers

Wagering on the papal election was a popular pastime among all levels of society in sixteenth-century Rome. Brokers and their clients kept well-informed of the election taking place within the closed doors of the conclave. Consequently, wagering on the election proved to be a source of disruption since—intentionally or not—it begat rumors of a pope’s election and spurred brokers to use illicit means of discovering the secrets of the conclave. The papacy thus initiated a campaign against the practice during the last twenty-five years of the sixteenth century. This campaign, partially inspired by the Counter-Reformation’s impulse to reform popular mores, …

Forging Political Will From A Shared Vision: A Critical Social Justice Agenda Against Neoliberalism And Other Systems Of Domination, Renato M. Liboro

Psychology Faculty Research

Due to pervasive inequalities and inequities in society, many people have a difficult time envisaging a just society, let alone how to go about actualizing such an aspiration. A critical reflection on the concept of a just society and the role that community psychologists and other advocates can play in upholding a critical social justice agenda in their research and civic engagement, particularly against neoliberalism and other systems of domination, is discussed. As part of a proffered framework, four tasks are proposed to fulfil the role: (1) raising public critical consciousness, (2) convincing people of the possibility of change, (3) …

Burdens And Benefits Of Climate Change Solutions: A Case Study Of Climate Change Skeptics And Deniers In Rural Nevada, Patricia Dutcher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation is an ethnographic case study of climate change Doubtfuls and Dismissives with the purpose of understanding their perceptions of water use and renewable energy in the context of a changing climate. I also investigate the information sources and messages they use to understand climate change and climate change solutions. The Global Warming's Six Americas project identifies climate change Doubtfuls and Dismissives as one third of the American public, and an active voice in US climate change policy (Maibach et al, 2009; Leiserowitz et al., 2014). Doubtfuls are people with skeptical attitudes towards anthropogenic climate change, while Dismissives deny …

Unrealistic Weeds Of Love And Romance: The Korean Drama And The "Flower Boy" Genre, Colby Y. Miyose

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The concept of love has intrigued many social critics, and has led them to accuse media of perpetuating unrealistic notions of romance that are unattainable for a healthy and satisfying relationship. Unrealistic expectations of love and romance are a primary cause of relationship dissatisfaction among real couples. It is imperative to critically analyze media sources in order to gain knowledge of how to counter unhealthy notions of romance. Korean dramas (K-dramas) typically present a scenario in which strong mutual love and desire between two people come into conflict with existing sociocultural values. The kkonminam (Flower Boy) genre in particular, caters …

Gender, Employment Status, And Unpaid Household Labor: A Test Of The Time Availability Perspective On Housework, Child Care, And Emotion Work Before, During, And After The 2007 U.S. Economic Recession, Allison Sahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Using the American Time Use Survey (2003-2011), I examine gender differences in time spent performing housework, child care, and emotion work before, during, and after the 2007 U.S. economic recession. This study draws on three primary theoretical perspectives; time availability theory, gender socialization theories, and relative resources theory, to explain differences in unpaid household labor tasks. I examine these differences across three time periods to explain the recessionary impact on the division of household labor. With a sample of 22,507 respondents, I employ ordinary least squares regression models to predict the total number of minutes per day that respondents spend …

Siren Song: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Gender And Intimate Partner Violence In Gotham City Sirens, Katlin Schmidt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project investigates comic book discourse. Specifically, I investigate how comic narratives provide readers with an interpretation for how they should discern and assess “appropriate” behaviors for women. The artifact of analysis included in this project is DC Comics Gotham City Sirens (2009). This text features popular female superheroes, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. Because comic books utilize both textual and visual means to disseminate a message, this project evaluates the visual rhetoric of these characters within the narrative. Walter Fisher’s narrative paradigm is used to provide an understanding to how these visual means contribute to the meanings assigned …

Customer Delight: How Do We Achieve It? Customer Service And Exceeding Expectations, Katherine Landahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Customer loyalty is one of the greatest marketing goals of any organization. Traditionally, the key to loyalty has been satisfaction. More recently, consumer delight has been linked as having a stronger connection to loyalty. This paper explores through a literature review, the connections between customer service, loyalty, satisfaction, and delight through the lens of the experience economy. Then, recommendations are provided for academics and hospitality professionals alike on how to delight customers through future research and front-line employee policies and procedures.

Examining Factors Influencing Ncaa Division-I Conference Realignment, Ginikachi O. Nwosu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve and become

more dynamic. One of the most visible aspects of these changes is athletic conference realignment. During the period from 2010 to 2014 alone, over 30 institutions across the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) changed or announced imminent plans to change athletic conference affiliation (Mandel, 2012). Conference realignment is described as institutional changes in athletic conference affiliation (Covell & Barr, 2010; Groza, 2010; Sweitzer, 2009). Various literature has identified variables which influence NCAA Division-I institutions’ decisions in regard to conference realignment, yet no comprehensive study has examined …

What Happens In Las Vegas? How Exhibitors Use The Tradeshow Floor And Social Venues To Facilitate Business, Chrissy L. Nanton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study illuminates how place characteristics shape the way in which tradeshow exhibitors “do” business on and off the tradeshow floor. A surge in framing tradeshows as temporary clusters has occurred in the recent decades. Temporary clusters are defined as “hotspots of intensive and dedicated exchange of knowledge, network building and generation of new ideas” (Maskell, Bathelt and Malmberg 2004). The idea that temporarily sharing geographic space can advantage firms is particularly noteworthy in a post-industrial globalized economy. In the literature, social scientists have paid specific attention to the connections between geography and spatial proximity, and information diffusion and knowledge …

Wandering, Idleness, And The Nineteenth-Century Tales Novel, 1836-1895, Molly C. O'Donnell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In "The Late-Victorian Romance Revival" (2008) Anna Vaninskaya questions if "one [can] even speak of the mixing or hybridization of genres in a particular work if the genres themselves had not yet been conclusively defined" (60). This question serves as a warning to genre studies scholars seeking to tease out new observations from history. This dissertation, however, seeks to do just that. Employing multiple theoretical approaches, my study of what I dub the tales novel finds links between diverse Victorian works. Bearing a resemblance to a collection of stories, with seemingly disparate narratives, the tales novels also demonstrate plot interdependence. …

From Paper To Podium: Exploring The Gap Between University Training And Professional Experience In Orchestral Conductors, Rachel L. Waddell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In African polyrhythmic drum circles there is a proverb that exemplifies the necessity of common vision and community in group musical performance: “I am because we are.” This simple ideal is ostensibly mirrored in the western institution of the symphonic orchestra, an ensemble of many that nevertheless must arrive at one, shared interpretation of a piece of music. The structure of the orchestra is a complicated hierarchy with section players at its base, followed by principals, the concertmaster, and finally the conductor. Although conductors are the public face of leadership in orchestras, if they alienate the musicians they will have …

The Effects Of Enhanced And Decreased Expectations On Balance Performance In Those With And Without Parkinson’S Disease, Joshua Ostrander, Granuaile Parrish, Jacob Blood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: It has been reported individuals typically perform well on a task when enhanced expectancy was provided prior to task performance. It has also been reported people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are especially susceptible to pre-task placebo cuing and suggestion. Evidence of this susceptibility has been previously demonstrated through brain imaging studies and with demonstration by individuals with PD improved balance performance.

Objective: This study was designed to further previous studies’ results for improved task performance with enhanced expectancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the pre-task verbal delivery of enhanced expectancy, decreased expectancy and no expectancy …

Nurse Managers' Hiring Selection Of Newly Licensed Rns: A Grounded Theory Approach, Susan Adamek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research study was to construct a substantive grounded theory regarding how acute care nurse managers select the newly licensed RNs (NLRNs) they hire. This is important because a good selection process can reduce expensive employee turnover and improve teamwork on units. There has been extensive research regarding interventions that improve the retention of NLRNs after they are hired, such as residency programs, preceptors, mentors and support groups, but there is very little in the literature about the processes or preferences nurse managers use to select the right candidates to be hired. A constructivist grounded theory approach …

Exploring The Relationship Between Revenue Management And Hotel Loyalty Programs, Melissa Elizabeth Buckley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs are a staple of the hospitality industry. As time progressed, there has been a shift among the structure of loyalty programs to not only reward the large spend of casino players, but also to compensate other frequent travelers of the hotel. As hotels continue to offer increasing benefits and compensation while reevaluating the tier structure of loyalty programs, research was necessary to discover if these loyalty programs are extracting the maximum revenue per guest and creating overall revenue for the hotel.

The purpose of the study was to uncover the relationship between revenue management and hotel loyalty programs. …