Digital Commons Network^™

Harnessing Complexity: Analysis Methodology And Ethical Framework To Facilitate Utilization Of Video Data In Evaluations, Kurt A. Wilson

Dissertations

Most evaluations in the nonprofit and international development sectors are conducted in contexts of complexity; the specific intervention being evaluated is but one of many interrelated factors influencing the desired outcome. Video data, especially when directly generated by program participants, can provide both exceptionally rich qualitative data as well as contextually-relevant feedback within complex systems. Despite these unique strengths and opportunities, video data is underutilized in the field of evaluation. This dissertation addresses specific barriers associated with video data through three inter-related papers: Papers one and two (Chapters II and III) present the findings from two interrelated studies of an …

Piles Of Salt: A Narrative Of Civil War, Refugeeism, And Sociopolitical Transnationalism, Patrice M. Niltasuwan

Masters Theses

Employing oral history methodology, this research project was presented in the form of a biography. The focus was a humanistic approach to understanding the effects of civil war tlirough a first-person account of the lived experience. Through examination of the life history narrative of an immigrant refugee who survived the Laotian Civil War, the war itself is explored from a personal perspective as well as other issues relevant to refugeeism and immigration in America including policy, citizenship, identity, family, acculturation, and transnationalism.

By personalizing war through the voice of one who experienced it, a new perspective arises; not only are …

Western News, March 27, 2014, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Five engineering dean candidates to visit; Final design plans for new alumni center revealed; University garners two new grants related to water quality; Dunn elected to national higher ed board; On Campus with Marilyn Johnson.

March 23, 2014: Maisha Winn Visit To Wmu, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

No abstract provided.

Prism #78, March 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 11: March 2014, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• CAS News
• Students share the impact of the College of Arts and Sciences in I Am CAS contest
• Department of Psychology wins $500,000 grant to provide services for autism
• CAS initiatives to talk about value of the liberal arts
• Exploring Fort St. Joseph
• CAS faculty and staff invited to Dine with the Dean
• Alumni Profiles
• Creative writing grad pockets another top writing award
• School of Communication alumni part of 'Big' fundraiser
• Student Stories
• Political science and environmental and sustainability studies major prepares for Jamaica

Lhc Lines - March 2014, Lee Honors College

Lee Honors College News

A newsletter for friends and alumni of the Lee Honors College at Western Michigan University

Prism #77, February 2014, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Western News, Jan. 10, 2014, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Annual MLK celebration starts next week; Alumni center to incorporate core of East Hall only; Building setbacks net about $200,000 in energy-cost savings; On Campus with Tom Comer.

Doing Sensitive Research Cross-Cultural Contexts: Reflections From Fieldwork, Federica De Sisto

Distinguished Lectures on Africa

Dr. De Sisto holds a Ph.D. in peace studies from Trinity University. She is a former visiting fellow at the Arthur Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice at the University of Manitoba, Canada and at the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Dr. De Sisto is currently involved in a European Union reconciliation project between Muslim and Christian communities in Northern Nigeria. Her research and teaching interests include conflict transformation and peace building, governance, minorities' rights, gender and development, migration and refugee studies.

2013-14 Annual Report, University Center For The Humanities

University Center for the Humanities Events

The mission of the Center is to recognize and support the humanities at Western Michigan University. As a gathering place for dialogue, the Center acts an incubator for the exchange of ideas among faculty, emeriti, alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, and people in the wider community. Through the understanding of diverse cultural, professional, political, and intellectual landscapes, we nurture engaged and vital academic life.

Discovery: Research Annual Report 2014, Office Of Vice President For Research

Research Annual Reports

• WMU boosts its autism research and professional training initiatives
• W.E. Upjohn Center internationally known for its topographical innovation
• From invention to commercialization
• Faculty receive awards
• Center for Research on Instructional Change in Postsecondary Education

Fact Book 2014-15, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Fact Books

• General Information
• Enrollment Information
• Institutional Comparison
• Student Information
• Faculty Information
• Budgets and Resources

2014-15 Series Brochure - Healing Arts, University Center For The Humanities

University Center for the Humanities Events

In our 2014-15 series “Healing Arts,” the University Center for the Humanities celebrates Kalamazoo’s rich history as a community dedicated to health and well-being. From W.E. Upjohn to Homer Stryker, medical scientists in our community have contributed to the health of people in our state, the nation, and indeed the world. And that commitment to health has led directly to strong support for the arts and humanities in Kalamazoo, endowing the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, as well as the Black Arts & Cultural Center, the Kalamazoo Institute of Art, the …

2014 Complete Digest, Department Of English

Gleanings: Department of English Blog Archive

No abstract provided.

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 09: January 2014, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

Western Michigan University Graduate Catalog 2014-2015, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

• General Information
• Admission Procedures
• Academic Graduate Degree-Level Information
• Funding Issues
• Other Graduate Policies of Interest
• General University Policies
• University and Student Services
• Colleges
• Course Descriptions (by College)

Western Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog 2014-2015, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

• General Information
• Colleges
• Course Descriptions (by prefix)

Review Of The Creation Of Inequality: How Our Prehistoric Ancestors Set The Stage For Monarchy, Slavery, And Empire. Kent Flannery And Joyce Marcus. Reviewed By Kelly Mckowen., Kelly Mckowen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Review of:

Kent Flannery and Joyce Marcus, The Creation of Inequality: How Our Prehistoric Ancestors Set the Stage for Monarchy, Slavery, and Empire (2012). Harvard University Press. $39.95 (hardcover).

Information And Communication Technology In Child Welfare: The Need For Culture-Centered Computing, Richard J. Smith, Tara Eaton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article discusses the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in the California child welfare system. Drawing from anthropological literature, the authors emphasize the role of work practice and context associated with new ICT implementation. This case study uses a documentary- historical approach to analyze interviews with 386 workers who used the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) between 1997 and 2005. Data show the implementation of CWS/CMS impacted the work practice of the welfare system. The authors recommend culture-centered computing for future developments and upgrades of ICT in child welfare.

The Choice Is Yours! Researchers Assign Subject Metadata To Their Own Materials In Institutional Repositories, Maira Bundza

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

The Digital Commons platform for institutional repositories provides a three-tiered taxonomy of academic disciplines for each item submitted to the repository. Since faculty and departmental administrators across campuses are encouraged to submit materials to the institutional repository themselves, they must also assign disciplines or subject categories for their own work. The expandable drop-down menu of about 1,000 categories is easy to use, and facilitates the growth of the institutional repository and access to the materials through the Internet.

Entertainment News Production: A Case Study, Ashley Derthick

Honors Theses

This study reviews literature on the construction of celebrities and the production of entertainment news, including how celebrities and coverage is deemed appropriate and relevant to cover. First, a brief overview of the entertainment news industry and the early stages of “celebrities” as historically referenced will be discussed along with the current significance of entertainment news. The phenomenon of stardom and the ways and procedures to which a celebrity becomes relevant will be detailed using mainly the work of Richard Dyer and the processes and theories he has outlined. The social impact of stardom including why the public is fascinated …

Western News, Dec. 5, 2013, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU attracting international students at high rate; Research universities partner to increase faculty diversity; Wolfinbarger is state’s professor of year; On Campus with Al Shifflett.

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project Annual Report, 2012-2013, Michael Nassaney

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project continued to maintain its high standards in research, teaching, and public outreach in the examination of the fur trade and colonialism in southwest Michigan under the auspices of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Advisory Committee. Over the past year (September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013) Western Michigan University (WMU) students and faculty, along with interested stakeholders and community volunteers, collaborated in both the archaeological investigation of Fort St. Joseph as well as the dissemination of information to an expanding audience. The highlights of the past year include:

• The newly released DVD, "Militia Muster,” …

25 Year Club: 32nd Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 32nd Annual Gala

December 3, 2013

• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Wmu International News Fall 2013, Haenicke Institute

WMU International News

In this issue:

• Empowering global engagement across the arts and sciences
• Employees abroad: Spanish immersion program expands understanding of international education
• Excelling in public relations key goal for Chinese twinning student
• WMU cultural anthropologist examines migration and lupus in Ecuador
• Ambiguity of borders continues to intrigue alumna from Berlin
• Visits to 35 countries complements global studies major
• Veteran administrator tapped to lead University’s international initiatives
• Future Iraqi engineer discovers the world at WMU
• WMU alumna coach points Japanese tennis player to Kalamazoo

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 8: December 2013, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

La Oficina De La Mujer (Omm): A Conduit For Social Empowerment Among Women In A Small Guatemalan Lake Community, Rachel Volk

Masters Theses

La Oficina de Municipal de la Mujer, the Municipal Office of Women, is a recent creation of the Guatemalan central government meant to help address the inequalities that women experience each day. Like so many towns in Guatemala, La Laguna (pseudonym) contains high levels of poverty and unemployment. Here, women encounter difficulties finding employment, whether as a result of the poor economy or the bigotry arising from structural sexism and racism. My investigation of the OMM uses qualitative anthropological techniques to understand the purpose and effects that this organization has towards women‟s marginalized position in the town. The application of …

Silence, Declaration, And Circumstance: Rethinking Women’S Roles In Saudi Arabia, Ashleigh Elizabeth Dunham

Masters Theses

The canon of academic research on Saudi Arabian women still fails to address the stereotypical images that represent them. While Anglo-American models of feminism may benefit American women, they cannot and should not be a lens through which Americans view Saudi women, as American and Saudi cultures are fundamentally different. Because of this issue, Anglo-American feminism along with the obvious problems of racism and Islamophobia contribute to the American assumption that Saudi Arabian women lack agency and control of their lives. The resulting ideologies continue to influence American ideas about Saudi Arabian women’s access to the opportunities that non-Saudi women …

Old English Ecologies: Environmental Readings Of Anglo-Saxon Texts And Culture, Ilse Schweitzer Vandonkelaar

Dissertations

Conventionally, scholars have viewed representations of the natural world in Anglo-Saxon (Old English) literature as peripheral, static, or largely symbolic: a “backdrop” before which the events of human and divine history unfold. In “Old English Ecologies,” I apply the relatively new critical perspectives of ecocriticism and placebased study to the Anglo-Saxon canon to reveal the depth and changeability in these literary landscapes. Overall, this interdisciplinary study of Anglo-Saxon texts brings together literary and environmental sources and modes of inquiry to explore the place of humans (and non-humans) within the natural environments of Anglo-Saxon England, as well as the ways in …