Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Adaptations Of American Teachers In International Schools, David J. Alban

Dissertations

Global competition of academic aptitude between countries has sparked policymakers’ concerns with the performance of the United States educational system leading to many educational reforms that direct educators to diversify their instruction to meet the needs of all students. Advances in technology and travel allow people to interact with other cultures creating more globalized societies. These two converging issues place a greater significance on educators to understand the interplay between culture and their teaching practices.

Literature reveals that the influence of home and community cultures affects the learning behaviors of students (Davis-Kean, 2005: Wang, Beras, & Eberhard, 2005; Sigel, Stinson, …

The Voices Of Higher Education Service-Learning Directors: A Qualitative Inductive Analysis, Kelsey Woodard

Dissertations

This research explored issues surrounding service-learning directors (SLDs) within higher education institutions, including who they are, how they became SLDs, and what they experience in the role. Qualitative data were drawn from in-depth interviews of 11 SLDs, as well as review of their vitaes. A qualitative inductive analysis was conducted in which important patterns, themes, and interrelationships that emerged from the data were coded into a category system of major themes and subthemes.

Data analysis revealed the following major themes: (1.0): all the SLDs came from various helping profession backgrounds, with interesting journeys to become a SLD; (2.0) many SLD’s …

“Common Sense” Versus “Good Sense”: Marginalization In Agriculture, Mark W. Hoock

Masters Theses

Scholars have engaged in discussions of when and where capitalism emerged in agrarian America. These discussions have led to categorizations that placed some farms outside the discussion of capitalist interrelationships. This separation homogenized many 19^th and early 20^th century farms on the Hector Backbone in Schuyler County New York into a “non-capitalist” category. This thesis aims to illuminate the real lived conditions of a sample of these farmers through a Marxist dialectical perspective. Archeological analysis of production strategies, through a Marxist framework allows for a better understanding of the differences between individual marginalized farms. Since analysis of a …

Refugee Reflections: A Focus On The Lived Experiences Of African Refugees Resettling In Michigan, Diane Roushangar

Masters Theses

Refugee resettlement is often observed by focusing on external indicators of integration such as employment and English proficiency. What is often ignored is the multi-faceted process refugees experience in regard to the emotions that occur during these transitions of resettlement. Emotional stressors include financial concerns, work-related issues, a lack of adequate counseling services and ESL support that can all lead to increased anxiety. This paper examines the process of resettlement that northeast African and sub-Saharan African refugees have experienced including issues of unsafe working conditions, changing gender roles, and a lack of adequate time for adjusting to the culture.

An Assessment Of Public Outreach With Children And Educators Conducted By The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project, Erica A. D’Elia

Masters Theses

Archaeological public outreach to children can be enhanced through collaboration with school educators. While archaeologists have begun to collaborate with local and descendant communities, they have been slow to engage in work with educators in the same manner. The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project provides the context for me to explore some of the current issues in public archaeology and the politics of education. My study was conducted to better understand the needs of both children and teachers. In my work with the archaeological summer camp for middle school students I seek to conceptualize how the camp enhances their educational …

Roatan Honduras And Perceptions Of Divers’ Location Choices In The Caribbean, Juli Dawn Tripicchio

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the hierarchy of location choices that divers make for destinations in the Caribbean; to identify where Roatan, Honduras fits into this hierarchy; and to determine strategies to increase the volume of dive tourists to Roatan. This research may provide resorts on Roatan, along with other Caribbean dive destinations, with data to incorporate into their own planning and marketing processes so they can better accommodate dive customers and their families. In order to get a better understanding of dive customers, a survey was given to customers of a survey was conducted at a …

Relational Ecology: A Theoretical Framework For Understanding The Human-Animal Bond, Jennifer M. Putney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This qualitative study investigated the perceived impact of companion animals on the psychological well-being of lesbian women over age 65. Twelve women, ranging in age from 65-80, were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. Four thematic findings are highlighted: love and attachment, animals in transitional spaces, challenges and rewards of caregiving, and preparation for death. The author offers the term "relational ecology" to explain how animals contribute to well-being. This integrates the growth task model of human development, object relations theory, liminality, and deep ecology.

Effects Of Companion Animal Ownership Among Canadian Street-Involved Youth: A Qualitative Analysis, Michelle Lem, Jason B. Coe, Derek B. Haley, Elizabeth Stone, William O'Grady

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In Canada, approximately 150,000 youth are homeless on any given night, and many have companion animals. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study explored the issues and effects of companion animal ownership among street-involved youth from the perspective of the youth themselves. "Pet before self" was the substantive theme, with first level sub-themes of "physical" and "emotional" effects. Previously unidentified findings include benefits of having a companion animal, such as creating structure and routine and decreasing use of drugs. Loss of the companion animal was a negative effect. Youth consistently reported making choices to stay with their animal …

Western News, Oct. 3, 2013, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU celebrates 90 years of homecoming; Academic convocation gets 2013-14 off to good start; Leading faculty members earn Universitywide scholar awards; On Campus with Shannon Rininger.

Ann Miles, Jerry Malec

International Faculty Researchers

Touching saltwater marks at the waterline of a cargo ship in Lake Michigan when she was just nine years old planted the question in the mind of Dr. Ann Miles: Where has this ship been?

Somos & Estamos, Otoño/Fall 2013, Western Michigan University

Somos y Estamos

For Friends of the Department of Spanish at Western Michigan University. In both Spanish and English.

Prism #74, October 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Communicator Vol. 11, No. 1, Western Michigan University

Communicator: School of Communication Newsletter

Inside this issue:

• 2013 Distinguished Lecture Sneak Peek
• SoC Receives Research Productivity Accolades
• An Enlightening Study Abroad, in Scotland
• WMU Alumni Making Waves in Mainstream Media

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 6: October 2013, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

The Graduate Standard - Vol. 2, No. 1, Western Michigan University

Graduate College news

• Dean's Message
• Amanda Shuman
• Marcus Johnson
• 2013 Graduate Ambassadors
• 2013 Graduate Fall Welcome
• Linda Comrie
• Professional Email Etiquette in 12 Easy Steps

Western News, Sept. 19, 2013, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Rare potash deposit rediscovered in state; WMU again on U.S. News' top-tier universities list; Surge seen in several 2013 enrollment categories; Five employees earn Universitywide service, teaching awards; On Campus with Maddy Day.

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

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: University earns more national accolades; Report details successful first year in implementing strategic plan; Four staff members to receive annual Make a Difference Awards; On Campus with Vance Harris.

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 5: September 2013, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

Prism #73, September 2013, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

24-Archaeological Investigations: Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum Site, Stephen A. Damm, Louann Wurst, Department Of Anthropology

Archaeological Reports

This report documents an archaeological investigation conducted on the property of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum (LHBM) in South Haven, Van Buren County, MI, which was given the site number 20VA78. The homestead is the birthplace and childhood home of Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey, Jr. (1858-1954), a naturalist, farmer, and Professor of Horticulture at Cornell University who gained prominence as a pioneer of the progressive farming movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the spring of 2012, John Stempien, then Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum, contacted Dr. LouAnn Wurst of Western Michigan University to request …

The Effects Of A Moisture-Wicking Fabric Shirt On The Physiological Responses During Acute Exercise In The Heat, Kimberly Wigboldy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects that a form fitted, moisture-wicking fabric shirt, promoted to have improved evaporative and ventilation properties, has on the thermoregulatory, physiological and perceptual response during moderate intensity exercise in the heat for an extended duration of exercise of 90 minutes. Ten healthy subjects (7 males, 3 females), completed two heat stress tests consisting of 20 minute seated rest in a neutral environment (24°C, 60% RH), 30 minute seated rest in a hot environment (33°C, 60% RH), and 90 minutes of exercise(50% V0_{2 peak}) on a magnetically-braked cycle ergometerin a …

Sharing: Social Behavior In Situations Of Risk, Stephanie Theresia Stilling

Dissertations

The present study will experimentally investigate human cooperation (sharing) in a laboratory foraging task that simulates environmental variability and resource scarcity (shortfall risk). Specifically, it investigates whether a risk-reduction model of sharing developed by evolutionary biologists (derived from a risk-sensitive optimization model known as the energy-budget rule) could predict human cooperative behavior. Participants respond to earn points exchangeable for money when point gains were unpredictable. Failures to acquire sufficient points result in a loss of accumulated earnings (a shortfall). Participants are given the choice between working alone or working with others. The difficulty of meeting the earnings requirement is manipulated …

Exploring Adolescent Experiences Of Race, Ethnicity, And Socioeconomic Status In Counseling Relationships: A Qualitative Approach, Christina Crans

Dissertations

The ACA Code of Ethics (2005) states the expectation that counselors must understand the diverse backgrounds of their clients. In addition, counselors are called to understand how their personal cultural identity informs and affects the counseling process. Yet there is paucity in the literature regarding the multicultural client experience within a counseling relationship. Of the few multicultural counseling studies that attempt to address multicultural client concerns, the approach has been quantitative or reliant on counselor self-report. In addition, the lived counseling experiences of adolescents and individuals from lower socioeconomic status (SES) is absent in present literature. This qualitative study examined …

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 3: July 2013, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

Participant/Observer Vol. 6. No. 1 Summer 2013, Anthropology Department

Participant/Observer

A Newsletter of the friends of the Western Michigan University Department of Anthropology

Table of Contents:

• Welcome from the Editor
• Recent Investigations of Fort St. Joseph
• 2012 Finger Lakes National forest Farmstead Archaeology Project Season
• Michigan Archaeology Day
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum Project in South Haven
• Where Are Our Alumni Now?
• Faculty Updates
• Annual Speaker Series
• WMU at SHA
• Recognize anyone?
• 2012-13 Department of Anthropology Awards

Western News, June 20, 2013, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: New dean named for College of Fine Arts; More changes to campus coming this summer; Forty-one faculty members granted promotions at June board meeting; Trustees approve tenure for 18 faculty members; On Campus with Celeste Bertholet.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session June 12, 2013, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the June 12, 2013 WMU Board of Trustees meeting include:

• Remarks by President John Dunn
• Remarks by Board Chair Jeanne Carlson
• Recommendation re 2013/14 Tuition and Required Fees
• General Fund Budget Outlook for 2013/14
• Personnel Report

WMU Board of Trustees

Closer To Nature: Exploring Environmental Summer Camp Experience Through Ethnographic Fiction, Courtney Morgan Schofield

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the experiences of counselors and campers at environmentally-themed summer camps through the medium of ethnographic fiction. Research was conducted by examining the experiences and influences of two separate summer camps, the Midwest Nature Center Camp and Midwest Zoo Camp. Drawing on traditional ethnographic research methods, I explore the environmental messages emphasized during camp, the myriad of relationships individuals have with nature, and the impact of gender on the summer camp experience. Yet, while this thesis is based on ethnographic research, an emphasis is placed on the presentation of the information. By examining the way anthropology has been …

Change And Continuity: Euro-American And Native American Settlement Patterns In The St. Joseph River Valley, Allison M. Kohley

Masters Theses

In recent years there has been a particular interest in the fur trade and colonialism through identification and investigation of Fort St. Joseph. This fort was an 18th century French trading post in the St. Joseph River valley located in southwestern Michigan and northwestern Indiana. This study expands our current understanding of the change and continuity of the Euro- American and Native American settlement patterns in the valley during the periods immediately prior to, during, and after the abandonment of Fort St. Joseph through the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical analyses.

A Discursive Analysis Of A Pregnancy Center: How Pregnant Women Are Encouraged To Develop A Sense Of Self-Worth And Emotional Wellbeing Through The Use Of Rhetoric And Imagery, Jessica Postma

Masters Theses

This study presents and alternative approach to how pregnancy is interpreted in western society and how settings such as a pregnancy center both challenges and reinforces these social standards. The promotion of abstinence, the aversion to abortion, notions of truth and morality, religious narratives, and the standard of care are all integral components to this analysis of pregnancy, language, and culture.