Digital Commons Network^™

A Drug Free America? A Web Page Discourse Analysis, Darrin Kowitz

Masters Theses

Using the methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this research will seek to identify the ways in which social power is exercised through the creation and manipulation of linguistic categories within the text of the web page for the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA). A preliminary examination of the web page identified three general mechanisms of power at work for the PDFA, the use of authority, fear inducement, and identity manipulation. The use of these mechanisms will be analyzed to explain ideological hegemony as the adoption of cognitive categories by individuals from social-structural, or institutional, sources.

Who Are "The Japanese"?: Negotiation Of Identity Among Nikkei In Brazil, Chihiro Nagasue

Masters Theses

When Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in the beginning of the 20th century, they recognized, for the first time, that they were "Japanese" and different from other ethnic people since it was rare for them to meet ethnically foreign people in Japan. In the ethnically and linguistically foreign country of Brazil, the Nikkei have had to constantly redefine their identity by resisting and accommodating dominant pressures and ideologies such as the Brazilian assimilation policies before and during the Second World War as well as the essentialist ideology of Nihonjinron (what it means to be Japanese). As a result of globalization, …

Medieval Nominalism And The Literary Questions: Selected Studies, Richard Utz, Terry Barakat

Medieval Institute Affiliated Faculty & Staff Publications

Like few other topics in the academic study of medieval literature, the search for the possible parallels between philosophical and literary texts reveals the not always peaceful coexistence among the three basic approaches to the study of medieval literature and culture: While hard-core medieval philologists would not accept any claims for a “literary nominalism” unless direct textual dependence can be demonstrated, scholars in medieval studies and the comparative study of medieval literature have shown themselves more accepting of investigations which diagnose a certain nominalistic Zeitgeist, mentality, or milieu especially in late medieval culture; and scholars preferring presentist/postmodern approaches have wholeheartedly …

Measuring Spelling Growth Over Time In Elementary Writing Samples, Pamela M. Ansell

Masters Theses

Developmental spelling stage theories have been proposed and disputed for 30 years. The current study used Gentry's (1982) model to assign category ratings to narrative writing samples produced by 32 students over two years to observe developmental growth over time. In addition, quantitative measures were obtained from the samples, including an index of control (Laminack & Wood, 1996) and a percentage correct. Analyses were also used to test the effectiveness of using a writing lab approach (Nelson, Bahr & Van Meter, 2004) on spelling development. During the last half of second grade, all 32 students received intervention guided by the …

Understanding Ethno-Nationalism: Sikh Diasporic Imaginings In Southwest Michigan, Rory G. Mccarthy

Masters Theses

Diaspora as a category is both useful and troublesome for researchers in the discipline of anthropology. It is useful, for it allows anthropologists to approach cultural studies from a position that recognizes flaws in the conception of culture as geographically bounded. Studying diasporic populations, therefore, enables anthropologists to apply new theoretical approaches to culture, without reifying and essentializing social practices. Conversely, using diaspora as a category can homogenize groups by glossing over differences in ethnicity, religion, and migratory expenence.

This study aims at bettering the understanding of diversity within a diasporic population by examining the role that religion plays in …

Dialect Density And Discourse Maturity Of African American Elementary Students, Brandi Lynette Newkirk

Masters Theses

This was a report of an investigation of the effects of dialectal features in African American students' narratives on discourse ratings by trained judges. The question addressed in this research was whether dialectal features influence judges who are evaluating discourse. Graduate students in speech-language pathology (n = 18) learning to analyze discourse samples served as the judges. Two versions of narratives (n = 27) written by third- and fourth-grade African American students (the original version and the edited version) were used to determine if narratives that contain dialectal features would be rated lower. The judges were trained in narrative discourse …

Surveillance Of The Balto-Finnic Speakers: A Geolinguistic Inquiry, Lindsay E. Gwyther

Honors Theses

The Balto-Finnic languages of northeast Europe are part of the larger Uralic language family. Today, there are seven Balto-Finnic speaking nations, two of which govern their own independent sovereignties (Finland and Estonia). The other five nations lie precariously within the territorial borders of Russia and Latvia for the most part. This paper examines the geographic expanse and status of these languages over time and through space and develops a series of maps to better illustrate these patterns. Historical research demonstrates that their distribution has decreased in area, but strengthened and centralized in certain regions, enabling their presence in a predominantly …

Elaine Trehane, Ed., Writing Gender And Genre In Medieval Literature: Approaches To Old And Middle English Texts. D.S. Brewer, 2002, Dorsey Armstrong

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

2004 University Employee Service Recognition Program, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

• 25 Year Club
• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees
• Forty Years of Service
• Thirty-Five Years of Service
• Thirty Years of Service
• Twenty Years of Service
• Fifteen Years of Service
• Ten Years of Service

Neuroplasticity And Functional Recovery: Training Models And Compensatory Strategies In Music Therapy, Felicity Baker, Edward A. Roth

BRAIN Lab Research

New research developments in the recovery of function following neurological trauma as well as basic and applied research relevant to music perception and production, seem to point to the suggestion that specific music therapy interventions that directly address the restoration of function as opposed to developing compensatory mechanisms, in certain circumstances, may now be a more appropriate treatment approach. We will address the issue of appropriate timing for the introduction of each strategy and discuss potential outcomes of each approach. As one might imagine, much of this research is published in the neurological journals, which music therapists may not regularly …

Resiliency Factors Related To Substance Use/Resistance: Perceptions Of Native Adolescents Of The Southwest, Margaret A. Waller, Scott K. Okamoto, Bart Miles, Donna E. Hurdle

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory, qualitative study examined risk and protective factors influencing drug and alcohol use and/or resistance of Native youth in the Southwest. Thirty-two Native middle school students participated in 10 focus groups that explored their experiences with alcohol and drugs in their school and reservation communities. The findings indicate a complex interaction of both risk and protective factors related to substance use. Respondents' cousins and siblings, in particular, played a key role in their decisions to use or resist drugs. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Que(E)Rying Mongols , Noreen Giffney

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Male And Female He Created Them: Ælfric’S Lives Of Saints And Patristic Theories Of Gender, Rhonda L. Mcdaniel

Dissertations

My dissertation researches the writings of the four Latin Doctors, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great, in order to challenge the scholarly stereotype of misogyny and anxiety about women in the writings of these influential figures and, more importantly, to build the cultural foundation upon which to base an interpretation of Ælfric’s portrayals of male and female saints in the Lives of Saints.

Accordingly, in the first chapter I focus on the writings of the Latin Doctors concerning the practice of virginity and on their explications of the Trinity and the Creation and Fall of humankind. I then trace …

Inroads Toward Contemporary Latina Literature: Poetry And Criticism, Adela Josefina Najarro

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Computer Troubleshooting On Elementary Students' Problem Solving Skills, Anne Todd Ottenbreit

Masters Theses

The lack problem solving skills exhibited by students has generated concerns at national and state levels of education (Coleman, King, and Ruth, 2001). If the educational technology curriculum involved computer troubleshooting, students could possibly increase their problem solving abilities. Because computer troubleshooting follows similar procedures to problem solving, there is possibility of an educational transfer and could be easily included into the educational technology curriculum. The purpose of the research study was to discover if the computer troubleshooting curriculum designed by the researcher affected the elementary students' problem solving abilities. Technology education at the elementary level includes keyboarding and 'practice …

Mindful Communication In A Crisis: Communication Behaviors Of Shared Mindfulness And Effective Pilot Decision Outcomes In Crisis Situations, Janice L. Krieger

Masters Theses

Despite the high reliability of current aeronautical technology and safety improvements, human error continues to be a factor in 60-80% of all aviation mishaps. Training to diminish potential errors is often based on analysis of faulty procedures, or lack of procedures without a systemic view including human factors such as communication, decision-making and interaction dynamics. This research explores the existence of the psychological construct of shared mindfulness and examines how it is communicatively constructed and enacted in a high reliability environment such as the aviation industry. The present qualitative study examines shared mindfulness in 10 aviation student dyads in a …

Rural Poverty, Food Insecurity And Environmental Degradation In Ethiopia: A Case Study From South Central Ethiopia, Sisay Asefa, Tesfaye Zegeye

International Conference on African Development Archives

This paper addresses the challenge of reducing poverty, food insecurity, and natural resource degradation, and abolishing recurrent famines in Ethiopia. With a population of about 65 million, Ethiopia is one of the largest and most populated countries in Africa. Ethiopia can be regarded as a microcosm of Africa due to its vast and diverse agro-ecology and population. Physically, it ranges from 200 meters to over 4000 meters above sea level. It has about 18 agro-ecological, zones and diverse population of some 85 ethnic or linguistic groups. The paper begins by addressing the conceptual relationship among food insecurity, poverty and natural …

An Economic Analysis Of Fiscal Federalism In Ethiopia, Abu Girma Moges

International Conference on African Development Archives

Fiscal federalism is a process of redistribution of fiscal decision-making power in an effort to improve the performance of the public sector in resource mobilization, efficient resource allocation and in the process enabling the economy achieve fast and sustainable economic growth. This paper addresses the economic rationale, implications and concerns of pursuing fiscal federalism in a poor country and in a political environment of ethnic federalism. The main findings suggest that when fiscal decentralization is exercised with high horizontal and vertical imbalances, it fails to diversify public output in line with the preferences and priorities of local population and to …

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner 2003, Western Michigan University

Faculty Recognition

Faculty Retirement Recognition Dinner Program

May 15, 2003

Honored Guests:

• James W. Burns
• John R. Cooley
• Clifford Davidson
• Suzanne Davis
• David Hargreave
• Ahmad D. Issa
• Leander C. Jones
• Pamela G. Kessler
• Lorna K. Kierepka
• Timothy Light
• John L. Michael
• George B. Robeck
• Lovette J. Teichert
• Richard A. Wright
• Roger M. Zabik

Evaluation Of The Pediatric Test Of Brain Injury, Heather K. Koole

Masters Theses

This study was designed to evaluate the Pediatric Test of Brain Injury (PTBI), as well as to examine information obtained from informal measures in assessing children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Three students with TBI and three grade- and gender- matched subjects participated in this study. All six students were administered the PTBI, and their performances were given raw scores, rated for level of difficulty in performing the tasks, and compared among and across the two groups. The students with TBI were interviewed by the graduate student researcher regarding self-perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, their …

The Effects Of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate On Response Acquisition, Sean Patrick Laraway

Dissertations

In the last 10 years, the use and abuse of the club drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) has noticeably increased. Because GHB has only recently emerged as a drug of abuse, relatively little is known about the drug's behavioral effects, including its effects on learning. Therefore, the present study sought to characterize GHB's effects on rats' acquisition of a lever-press response using a two-lever, resetting/cancellation procedure. Under this procedure, responses on one ( reinforcement ) lever produced a single food pellet after a delay of 0, 20, or 40 s. Presses on the second ( cancellation ) lever during a delay interval …

Right Hemisphere Effects On Language Processing: Suppression Or Activation Deficit, Sarah A. Orjada

Masters Theses

This study was designed to add to the body of research that examines the possibility of semantic activation or suppression deficits as underlying right hemisphere communication disorders. Modified treatment techniques for activation and suppression deficits proposed by Myers (1999) were used as stimuli for the experimental tasks. A total of four RHD participants and four control participants matched in age, gender, and level of education were included in the study. The study aimed to answer the following questions. Do RHD or control participants have higher scores on the suppression tasks? Do RHD participants have longer reaction times? Do RHD or …

The Immediate Effects Of Vestibular Stimulation On The Language Performance Of A Child With Autism, Jennifer L. Sova

Masters Theses

There is a proposed link between sensory processing abilities and language performance in children with autism. Research evaluating such a relationship is limited. This study sought to evaluate the hypothesis that language expression is facilitated by the application of vestibular stimulation in a child with autism. The purpose of the present study was to implement language interaction techniques and measure the outcome of language performance in a 4-year-old child with autism and sensory integration dysfunction. The child was evaluated in regards to vestibular stimulation and its facilitative effect on language production for social communicative purposes. Direct observation was used to …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 30, No. 1 (March 2003)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Special Issue on Institutional Enthnography: Theory and Practice

• DOROTHY SMITH AND KNOWING THE WORLD WE LIVE IN - Marie Campbell
• TURNING THE KALEIDOSCOPE: TELLING STORIES IN RHETORICAL SPACES - Bonnie M. Winfield
• "ARE YOU BEGINNING TO SEE A PATTERN HERE?" FAMILY AND MEDICAL DISCOURSES SHAPE THE STORY OF BLACK INFANT MORTALITY - Elaine R. Cleeton
• "FOR THE FAMILY": ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN'S TRIPLE DAY - Kamini Maraj Grahame
• CHRONIC ILLNESS AND ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION: MEETING DISABLED STUDENTS' "UNIQUE NEEDS" AND PRESERVING THE INSTITUTIONAL ORDER OF THE UNIVERSITY - Karen E. Jung
• A CHILD'S DEATH: LESSONS FROM HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS' …

Christina Mazzoni, Ed. And John Cirignano, Trans., Angela Of Foligno's Memorial. Library Of Medieval Women. D.S. Brewer, 1999, Elizabeth Freeman

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Dorothy Smith And Knowing The World We Live In, Marie Campbell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The paper presents an account of the scholarly work of Canadian sociologist, feminist, theorist and activist, Dorothy E. Smith, leading up to her development of institutional ethnography as "a sociology for people." Drawing on selected writings, the author discusses some of the major ideas, debates and practical influences that are part of Smith's scholarly trajectory. The line of thinking that is illustrated is how her feminism was integral to her celebrated critique and re-writing of sociological method.

Katherine J. Lewis, The Cult Of St. Katherine Of Alexandria In Late Medieval England. Boydell Press, 2000, M. Wendy Hennequin

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Alan Lupack, New Directions In Arthurian Studies. Arthurian Studies, 51. D.S. Brewer, 2002, Janet Knepper

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

2003 University Employee Service Recognition Program, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

• 25 Year Club
• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees
• Forty Years of Service
• Thirty-Five Years of Service
• Thirty Years of Service
• Twenty Years of Service
• Fifteen Years of Service
• Ten Years of Service

1903-2003 Centennial History: Arts & Sciences, Western Michigan University

Histories of Western Michigan University

Dear Friends,

The College of Arts and Sciences has played a dynamic role in the growth and development of Western Michigan University. Many of the College's 20 departments and 6 interdisciplinary programs are foundation stones upon which the University was built and were present at the establishment of Western State Normal School in 1903.

The College of Arts and Sciences' roots originate with the Divisions of Language and Literature, Social Sciences, and part of the Division of Science and Mathematics. In the 1956-57 school year, these divisions were grouped together to become the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For …