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Evaluating The Success Of Benefit Fraud And Compliance Act In Affecting Wages And Offers For Seven Common H1b Occupations In Virginia, 2002-2010, Khalafala Alsadig Dec 2011

Evaluating The Success Of Benefit Fraud And Compliance Act In Affecting Wages And Offers For Seven Common H1b Occupations In Virginia, 2002-2010, Khalafala Alsadig

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of the Benefits Fraud and Compliance Act (BFCA) in affecting H1B hiring policy in the state of Virginia, as it pertained to seven computer science-related occupations. By employing an independent samples t-test approach, it was discovered that there was a statistically significant difference in H1B actual wages, proposed wages, and per-employer offers before and after BFCA.

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Commonwealth Times 2011-12-01 Dec 2011

Commonwealth Times 2011-12-01

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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Secondary History/Social Studies Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Geography Teaching, Yan Gao Oct 2011

Secondary History/Social Studies Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Regarding Geography Teaching, Yan Gao

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher education remains a significant issue affecting the quality of geography instruction in the United States. Teachers’ self-efficacy has been identified as a crucial factor for improving teacher education and promoting educational reform. This study intended to develop a better understanding of the relationships between teacher education programs and secondary history/social studies teachers’ self-efficacy regarding teaching geography, and other demographic factors that could be a possible influence on geography teachers’ self-efficacy. A quantitative research methodology was employed to measure geography teacher efficacy and to explore factors that influence geography teachers’ efficacy in order to identify ways in which preservice and …

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Commonwealth Times 2011-10-06 Oct 2011

Commonwealth Times 2011-10-06

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides Sep 2011

Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides

Theses and Dissertations

This study measured identity style and identity status within military and academic populations (N = 286) to investigate whether low levels of identity commitment predict dissatisfaction in meeting basic psychological needs. Analysis of identity style and identity status subscales examined the reliability of traditional measures of identity in an atypical emerging adult population. Group comparisons based on participant characteristics (identity commitment, work experience, age, combat experience) explored differences between and within institutions. Results supported the reliability of traditional identity measures in a non-traditional population. A diffuse identity status and diffuse identity style both significantly predicted lower reported levels of psychological …

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Medicalization As A Trojan Horse: Changes In Erectile Enhancement Advertising, Robert Wood Aug 2011

Medicalization As A Trojan Horse: Changes In Erectile Enhancement Advertising, Robert Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Medicalization as a Trojan Horse: Changes in Erectile Enhancement Advertising By Robert D Wood, M.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Sarah Jane Brubaker, PhD, Graduate Program of Sociology This thesis investigates the medicalization of “inadequate penis size” through an analysis of online advertising of “male enhancement,” or erectile enhancement (EE) products. The process of medicalization, as defined by Peter Conrad, is the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as such (2007). With the advent and success …

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Natural Disasters And Older Adults: The Social Construction Of Disaster Planning, Elizabeth Fugate-Whitlock Jul 2011

Natural Disasters And Older Adults: The Social Construction Of Disaster Planning, Elizabeth Fugate-Whitlock

Theses and Dissertations

Examining older adults’ experiences with and response toward hurricanes within the context of the community of residence is key to both understanding their experiences and planning for future hurricanes. Specific to this research, the objective was to understand the current social network of older adults, or who provides care for whom under what circumstances, using the social constructionist perspective. Grounded theory combined with action research was the theoretical orientation guiding the study. Sources of data included the collection of household disaster plans, semi-structured interviews with older adult residents of housing authority neighborhoods, semi-structured interviews with community planners, and observation of …

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Growth Of Age-0 Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia Tyrannus) In Two Tidal Freshwater Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Peter M. Sturke Jul 2011

Growth Of Age-0 Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia Tyrannus) In Two Tidal Freshwater Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Peter M. Sturke

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have described growth rates of age-0 Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus). Growth rates from tidal freshwater habitats of the Mattaponi and James Rivers, Virginia in 2009 were described and compared using otolith microstructural analyses. Larval tidal freshwater growth rates were significantly faster in the culturally eutrophic James River when compared to those collected from the Mattaponi River (p-value < 0.001). Elevated primary production within tidal freshwater habitats promotes favorable conditions for larval Atlantic menhaden growth. No differences between river habitats for juvenile growth rates were evident. Comparisons of age-0 growth rates to higher salinity habitats indicate that tidal freshwater habitats should be considered essential habitat for age-0 Atlantic menhaden.

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The Professional Identity Development Of Gerontologists: An Experiential Learning Approach, Tracey Gendron Jul 2011

The Professional Identity Development Of Gerontologists: An Experiential Learning Approach, Tracey Gendron

Theses and Dissertations

Professional identity is a complex construct that describes how an individual develops a sense of self-concept within a chosen profession. Professional identity refers to a self definition within a professional role based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences (Ibarra, 1999). This study explored the relationships between the professional identity of gerontology graduates and age, career stage, student typology, occupation, and value of experiential learning both quantitatively and qualitatively. Survey results indicate that experiential learning opportunities provide a framework for all gerontology students to gain and apply the skills and knowledge necessary for professional identity development in the field of …

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Thesis Proposal For: General And Specific Definitions: A Network Study Of Differential Association, Nicholas Hauman May 2011

Thesis Proposal For: General And Specific Definitions: A Network Study Of Differential Association, Nicholas Hauman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a largely unexplored aspect of Sutherland’s (1974) model of differential association: the interplay of general and crime specific definitions favorable towards crime. Do individuals learn the specific techniques of a type of crime through interactions or do social interactions produce a general disposition towards all types of criminal behavior? Little prior research has been done on the influence of these definitions. Instead studies focus on only one or another, which leaves the details of general/specific definitions unexplored. With the aid of a mixed methodology of statistical and network analysis, this study explores general/specific definitions simultaneously by focusing …

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The Protective Role Of Psychological Empowerment On Tobacco Use Behaviors, Brittany Berry May 2011

The Protective Role Of Psychological Empowerment On Tobacco Use Behaviors, Brittany Berry

Theses and Dissertations

THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT ON TOBACCO USE BEHAVIORS By: Brittany M. Berry, B.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Aashir Nasim Associate Professor Department of Psychology The primary aim of this study was to determine the protective effects of psychological empowerment (i.e., the belief that one has the knowledge, capabilities, and authority to be an active agent in their own life and in the surrounding community) on the tobacco use behaviors of young adults. A secondary aim was …

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A Framework For Digital Emotions, Meghan Rosatelli May 2011

A Framework For Digital Emotions, Meghan Rosatelli

Theses and Dissertations

As new media become more ubiquitous, our emotional experiences in digital space are increasing exponentially as well. While there is much talk of “affective” computing and “affective” new media art, a disconnect exists between networked emotions and the popular media that they inhabit. This research presents a theoretical framework for assessing “digital emotions”—a term that describes the feedback process between digital technologies and the body with respect to short, networked inscriptions of emotion and the (re)experience of those inscriptions within the body and through digital space. Digital emotions display five basic characteristics that can be applied to a variety of …

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A Subversive Socialist Craftsperson In The Post-Post Modern World (The Conspiratorial Ranting Of Kristoff Kamrath), Kristoffer Kamrath May 2011

A Subversive Socialist Craftsperson In The Post-Post Modern World (The Conspiratorial Ranting Of Kristoff Kamrath), Kristoffer Kamrath

Theses and Dissertations

My research in this thesis delves into the corruption of American culture and my personal experience with the academic institution of art school. I delineate my symbolic representation of a social agenda through images and objects that reference the absurdity of institutionalized art and the decay of socialist idealism in the realm of crafts and contemporary culture at large.

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Craft Cyborg, Laina Seay May 2011

Craft Cyborg, Laina Seay

Theses and Dissertations

By merging the ancient associations that clay has with the human form and prosthetic science I question the relevancy and role of the human body in the future. As prosthetics heighten the awareness of the body through absence these additive limbs further this relevancy by presence. With greater advances in genetic engineering and plastic surgery biology will no longer dominate and these ridged clay extensions could become flesh.

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Representative Bureaucracy: A Study Of Associations Between African Americans At The Senior Level And The Mid Level Of The Federal Civil Service, Robbie Mitchell May 2011

Representative Bureaucracy: A Study Of Associations Between African Americans At The Senior Level And The Mid Level Of The Federal Civil Service, Robbie Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

For years African Americans have comprised the largest minority group within the federal civil service, yet have been under represented at the higher levels, namely, GS13 through GS15 and the senior executive service (SES). Executive and legislative actions alone have not been sufficient to overcome the under-representation of African Americans at higher levels of the federal bureaucracy. The theory of representative bureaucracy suggests that passive representation, or the extent to which a bureaucracy employs people of diverse social backgrounds, leads to active representation, or the pursuit of policies reflecting the interests and desires of those people (Kingsley, 1944). Implicit in …

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The Sustainability Of A Coaching Model For Beginning Principals, Virginia Loving May 2011

The Sustainability Of A Coaching Model For Beginning Principals, Virginia Loving

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract THE SUSTAINABILIY OF A COACHING MODEL FOR BEGINNING PRINCIPALS By Virginia F. Loving A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Director: R. Martin Reardon, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Education This phenomenological study sought to determine what coaching-induced practices are acquired during novice principals first year as principal, and the sustainability of coaching-induced practices once the coach has been removed. This study identified skills learned while novice principals participated in a coaching program, and the extent to which these practices continued into …

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Ink (2011-05) May 2011

Ink (2011-05)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

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The Answer To A Maiden’S Prayer: Homer Cummings And The Origins Of The 1937 Court Packing Plan, Jason Carmichael Apr 2011

The Answer To A Maiden’S Prayer: Homer Cummings And The Origins Of The 1937 Court Packing Plan, Jason Carmichael

Theses and Dissertations

On February 5, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt submitted to Congress “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1937,” often simply called the Court-packing bill. The president hoped to circumvent the Court, which for years had been overturning New Deal programs, by appointing six new justices. However, the bill disguised its true intentions behind a veil of improving judicial efficiency. This misdirection backfired; the bill failed and Roosevelt’s popularity plummeted just months after a landslide reelection. This thesis examines the origins of the infamous Court-packing bill. It argues that Roosevelt was largely a background figure in the development of the plan, as he …

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Rebonding Anomic Communities With Theatre Of The Oppressed, Amanda Hauman Apr 2011

Rebonding Anomic Communities With Theatre Of The Oppressed, Amanda Hauman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores whether Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) can help anomic communities, affected by deindustrialization and globalization, in the U.S. Midwest, specifically looking at Saginaw, MI. After presenting a paper at the American Symposium for Theatre Research (ASTR) conference in 2009, the author attended a Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator training in Port Townsend, WA under the direction of Marc Weinblatt. She then conducted her own Theatre of the Oppressed workshop in Saginaw, MI to analyze the abilities of Theatre of the Oppressed in an anomic community. Each experience is detailed and followed by the author’s conclusions …

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Women, Wealth And Social Norms Theory: Financial Behaviors And Perceptions Of Affluent Women In Their Prime Years, Scarlett Schwartz Apr 2011

Women, Wealth And Social Norms Theory: Financial Behaviors And Perceptions Of Affluent Women In Their Prime Years, Scarlett Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

Financial security in retirement is an important social issue, yet many affluent women may have behaviors, attitudes or perceptions that could be detrimental to their financial security—putting them at risk for poverty in their retirement years. A survey was developed and implemented in 2009 to investigate the behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions regarding financial management among affluent ($250,000 or more of household investable assets) United States women in their prime years (aged 50–69) to determine if Social Norms Theory could be applied to this population. Three hypotheses were tested: 1.) most affluent prime-of-life women have “healthy” financial behaviors and attitudes; 2.) …

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Embody - Encode, Mary Catherine Brooks Apr 2011

Embody - Encode, Mary Catherine Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

According to Walter Murch, sound designer, “The clearest example of encoded sound is speech. The clearest example of embodied sound is music.” In image, object and performance I have been exploring the embodiment of the encoded through the graphic representation of symbols (illustrate), the manifestation of symbols through material construction (embody), the activation of symbolized meaning though performance (enact), and the dematerialization of form and democratic dispersal of information through shared experience (engage). This methodological approach aims to transform metaphysics into physical being as a mode for researching energetics and abstract communication by bringing theory into practice where it can …

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Objectionable Team Nicknames: Determining The Likelihood Of Selling The Issue Of Banning Them In Virginia High Schools, Pamela Taylor Apr 2011

Objectionable Team Nicknames: Determining The Likelihood Of Selling The Issue Of Banning Them In Virginia High Schools, Pamela Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the personal and situational factors that contribute to a high school principal's willingness to sell the issue of objectionable team nicknames to their school division administration for the purposes of banning them. Based on the literature review, nine hypotheses were developed regarding the factors that influence the issue-selling process in a centralized, hierarchical organization. The issue-selling model utilized in this study suggested that organizational support, top management openness, organizational norms, probability of success, and image risk would be determinants of willingness to sell the issue (Mullen, 2005). This study utilized a mixed-method research design. Personal interviews were …

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Predicting The Diffusion Of Next Generation 9-1-1 In The Commonwealth Of Virginia: An Application Using The Deployment Of Wireless E9-1-1 Technologies, Dorothy Spears-Dean Apr 2011

Predicting The Diffusion Of Next Generation 9-1-1 In The Commonwealth Of Virginia: An Application Using The Deployment Of Wireless E9-1-1 Technologies, Dorothy Spears-Dean

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the deployment of Wireless E9-1-1 Phase One and Wireless E9-1-1 Phase Two as a diffusion of innovation. The research method used in this study is a cross-sectional study employing secondary data in a discriminant function analysis. The study population is Virginia units of local governments (95 counties and 39 cities) that had not deployed Wireless E9-1-1 Phase One or Wireless E9-1-1 Phase Two as of January 1, 2001. The period of time included in this study is from 2001 to 2006. The purpose of the study is to assess the overall accuracy of the three principle theories …

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Dialogue In The Galleries: Developing A Tour About Contemporary Art For The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts, Elizabeth Reilly-Brown Apr 2011

Dialogue In The Galleries: Developing A Tour About Contemporary Art For The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts, Elizabeth Reilly-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This museum thesis project considers the challenges involved in developing engaging museum tours. The purpose of this project was to develop a fifty-minute, guided gallery tour that uses inquiry-based instruction to engage participants in dialogue and critical thinking about artworks. The tour was designed specifically for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Virginia, using artworks selected from the museum’s twenty-first-century art collection that relate to the theme hybridity. This project contributes to the museum studies field by exemplifying how gallery tours can stimulate active learning, encourage visitors to find meaning in artworks, and form their own conclusions …

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Cold War Educational Propaganda And Instructional Films, 1945-1965, Claire Hope Apr 2011

Cold War Educational Propaganda And Instructional Films, 1945-1965, Claire Hope

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine the response of educators to the use of the American public school system for ideological management during the early Cold War period. Through an assessment of instructional films, this work will show that the objectives of educational propaganda fell into three main categories: to promote Americanism as the national ideology, to deter students from communism or communist sympathy, and to link the potential for nuclear warfare to ideological lassitude. It will be argued that although the majority of educators accepted these goals, as films became increasingly extreme in their presentations, a critical minority revealed discontent with …

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Commonwealth Times 2011-03-28 Mar 2011

Commonwealth Times 2011-03-28

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

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Determinants Of Clergy Behaviors Promoting Safety Of Battered Korean Immigrant Women, Yoon Joon Choi Mar 2011

Determinants Of Clergy Behaviors Promoting Safety Of Battered Korean Immigrant Women, Yoon Joon Choi

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that not only are clergy members the first persons from whom battered women seek help, but also a great number of clergy counsel battered women every year (Martin, 1989; Rotunda, Williamson, & Penfold, 2004). The role of the church and clergy are especially critical for the Korean immigrant community in the U.S. because Korean immigrants greatly underutilize existing services and rely heavily on their respective churches for assistance with various issues, including domestic violence (Boodman, 2007; Kim, 1997). Korean churches and clergy members have the potential to be active partners in providing intervention services and to serve …

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The Relationship Of Physical Activity, Eating Behaviors, And Hunger Control To Weight Loss And Quality Of Life In Gastric Banding Patients, Nancy Baugh Mar 2011

The Relationship Of Physical Activity, Eating Behaviors, And Hunger Control To Weight Loss And Quality Of Life In Gastric Banding Patients, Nancy Baugh

Theses and Dissertations

Gastric banding as a weight loss surgery has increased in popularity in the United States since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001. Successful weight loss after weight loss surgery is most frequently defined as greater than 50 percent of excess weight loss (EWL). Systematic reviews show that the band is widely effective in achieving successful weight loss in most patients, however individual studies show more inconsistent outcomes. Although previous research supports gastric bypass surgery as having a positive effect on quality of life after gastric bypass, there is very little data to support this relationship in …

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Experience Of Supervision Scale: The Development Of An Instrument To Measure Child Welfare Workers' Experience Of Supervisory Behaviors, Mary Parente Mar 2011

Experience Of Supervision Scale: The Development Of An Instrument To Measure Child Welfare Workers' Experience Of Supervisory Behaviors, Mary Parente

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the Experience of Supervision Scale, which measures the experience of supervisory behaviors from the perspective of child welfare workers. Child welfare supervision is gaining increased attention as states struggle to improve performance measures of their child welfare systems. However, the lack of a standardized instrument which measures supervision through an analysis of supervisory behaviors from the supervisee’s perspective has hindered efforts in these areas. The Experience of Supervision Scale is based on Kadushin’s three function casework supervision model of supervision (administrative, educational, and supportive) which was chosen as the theoretical …

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An Iron Catalyst: Virginia’S Roadside Historical Markers And The Shaping Of A Historical Consciousness, Joseph Bayless Feb 2011

An Iron Catalyst: Virginia’S Roadside Historical Markers And The Shaping Of A Historical Consciousness, Joseph Bayless

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis analyzes the origins and the formative period of Virginia’s historical marker program. It shows that historical markers were critical to the success of Harry Flood Byrd’s administration and his Commission on Conservation and Development. The thesis also examines how Virginia’s marker program set the standard for roadside commemoration across the entire United States. Lastly, the work appraises the influence of Dr. Hamilton James Eckenrode, his pioneering methods of historical commemoration, and his central role in the success of Virginia’s marker program.

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