Digital Commons Network^™

'Mary Poppins' And A Nanny's Shameful Flirting With Blackface, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In this piece originally published in the New York Times, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner discusses problematic racist imagery in both the 1964 and 2018 Mary Poppins films and argues that minstrelsy has long been Disney's mode of expressing topsy-turvy fun.

Influence Propagation For Social Graph-Based Recommendations, Avni Gulati, Magdalini Eirinaki

Faculty Publications

Social networking is an inevitable behavior of humans living in a society. In recent years, and with the rise of online social networks, personalized recommendations that leverage the social aspect have become a very intriguing domain for researchers. In this work, we explore how influence propagation and the decay in the cascading effect of influence from influential users can be leveraged to generate social graph-based recommendations. Understanding how influence propagates within a social network is itself a challenging problem. Few researchers have considered influence propagation and even fewer have considered decay in the cascading effect of influence in a social …

Profiles Of Helicopter Parenting, Parental Warmth, And Psychological Control During Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Daye Son, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

The current study used a person-centered approach to investigate different profiles of helicopter parenting in conjunction with parental psychological control and parental warmth. Child outcomes of parenting profiles were also examined. Participants consisted of 458 emerging adults who completed questionnaires at age 19 (51% female, 33% from single families, 74% college students). Latent profile analyses were conducted separately for mothers and fathers, and profiles included “warm helicopter” parents (77% of mothers, 50% of fathers), “controlling helicopter” parents (20% of mothers, 12% of fathers), “low-involved” parents (3% of both mothers and fathers), “average” fathers (30%), and “high controlling helicopter” fathers (4%). …

Sex Guilt Or Sanctification? The Indirect Role Of Religiosity On Sexual Satisfaction, Nathan D. Leonhardt, Dean M. Busby, Brian J. Willoughby

Faculty Publications

With a Mechanical Turk sample of 1,614 sexually active individuals (62.6% women, 85% heterosexual, mean age of 34.47 years) who had been in a committed sexual relationship for a least two years, we used structural equation modeling to better understand how global religiosity may indirectly influence sexual satisfaction. Because religiosity has been linked to the way people make sense of sexuality, we assessed positive (sexual sanctification) and negative (sexual guilt) meaning making variables as mediators between religiosity and sexual satisfaction. Consistent with prior research, greater sanctification of sexuality was directly tied to greater sexual satisfaction, whereas greater sexual guilt was …

"So Much For Darwin" An Analysis Of Stormfront Discussions On Race, Dianne Dentice

Faculty Publications

Even though people who actively participate in the white nationalist movement appear to be a relatively small percentage of the global population, it appears that racist and anti-Semitic attitudes continue to inform a new generation of white nationalists, many of whom populate discussion forums on Stormfront, online since 1995 and billed as the first Internet site in the hate genre. Membership in extremist groups and support for sites like Stormfront embody specific attitudes about race, the importance of the existence of biological races, intellectual superiority of whites, and justification for these beliefs that is sometimes framed with a religious perspective …

Terrorism And The Military Institution: History And Definitions, Kwame B. Antwi-Boasiako, John Hami Hasbun

Faculty Publications

Recent narratives on terrorism have focused on the definitions. Terrorism is not a new phenomenon but the problem resides in its definition and who is defining it. Conceptualizing terrorism depends on which framework one utilizes. The use of different lenses to define a crime has contributed to lack of global acceptance of what constitutes terrorism hence the difficulty of gathering data for analysis. It is also a conundrum when a powerful nation legitimizes its terrorist activities against a weaker one through the use of military power. This, unfortunately, has led to the subjectiveness of every attempt in the literature to …

Race And Sport In The Florida Sun: The Rollins/Ohio Wesleyan Football Game Of 1947, Wenxian Zhang, Raja Rahim, Julian Chambliss

Faculty Publications

As the most popular sport in the United States, football occupies a central place in popular discourse. Since the early twentieth century, public engagement with football has been central to sport culture. Across the South, football provided a moment of common experience, and this was especially true of Rollins College. Being the oldest liberal arts institution in Florida, life at Rollins was linked to football for decades. Yet, as this comment suggested, the nature of the relationship could not be unaffected by the changing racial dynamic in the United States. As a small liberal arts college, the faculty and students …

How Does Perceived Destination Social Responsibility Impact Revisit Intentions: The Mediating Roles Of Destination Preference And Relationship Quality, Lujun Su, Yinghua Huang

Faculty Publications

This study applied the relationship quality theory to examine how destination social responsibility (DSR) impacts revisit intentions through the mediation of destination preference and relationship quality (i.e., tourist satisfaction and identification). An integrated model was proposed and tested by using survey data from an urban tourism attraction in China. The findings indicate that DSR positively impacts destination preference and tourist satisfaction, but it does not have a significant influence on tourist-destination identification. Destination preference directly affects tourist satisfaction and tourist-destination identification, which in turn positively influences revisit intentions. This study offered theoretical and practical contributions to the research of destination …

Making Herstory: Cherokee Women's Stickball, Natalie M. Welch, Jessica Siegele, Zachary T. Smith, Robin Hardin

Faculty Publications

Cherokee stickball amongst the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a sporting tradition that precedes written records. Historical and academic texts have focused on men’s participation in the sport. However, Cherokee women participated in their own stickball games as recent as a decade ago, and stories exist of women playing stickball in the late nineteenth century. Many in the community believe stickball should not be played by women and doubt evidence of women playing historically. Researchers sought to understand the intersectionality of gender and ethnic identity for female stickball players who took the field to play stickball at the turn …

Supporting Spartina: Interdisciplinary Perspective Shows Spartina As A Distinct Solid Genus, A Bortolus, P Adam, J B. Adams, M L. Ainouche, A Bortolus, M D. Bertness, T J. Bouma, J F. Bruno, I Cacador, J T. Carlton, J M. Castillo, C S. Costa, A J. Davy, L Deegan, B Duarte, E Figueroa, J Gerwein, A J. Gray, E D. Grosholz, S D. Hacker, A R. Hughes, E Mateos-Naranjo, I A. Mendelssohn, J T. Morris, L A. Munoz-Rodriguez, F J. Nieva, L A. Levin, B Li, W W. Liu, S C. Pennings, A Pickart, S Redondo-Gomez, D M. Richardson, A Salmon

Faculty Publications

In 2014, a DNA-based phylogenetic study confirming the paraphyly of the grass subtribe Sporobolinae proposed the creation of a large monophyletic genus Sporobolus, including (among others) species previously included in the genera Spartina, Calamovilfa, and Sporobolus. Spartina species have contributed substantially (and continue contributing) to our knowledge in multiple disciplines, including ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, biogeography, experimental ecology, biological invasions, environmental management, restoration ecology, history, economics, and sociology. There is no rationale so compelling to subsume the name Spartina as a subgenus that could rival the striking, global iconic history and use of the name Spartina for over 200 …

Who Studies International Law? Explaining Cross-National Variation In Compulsory International Legal Education, Ryan M. Scoville, Mark Berlin

Faculty Publications

The compulsory study of international law is a universal component of legal education in some states but extremely uncommon or non-existent in others. This article uses global data and statistical methods to test a number of conceivable explanations for this puzzling feature of international society. In contrast to much of the empirical literature on state behaviour in relation to international law, we find that functionalist and socio-political variables carry little explanatory power and that historical variables – specifically, legal tradition and regional geography – instead account for the overwhelming majority of the global pattern. We explore potential explanations for these …

The Discrimination Presumption, Joseph Seiner

Faculty Publications

Employment discrimination is a fact in our society. Scientific studies continue to show that employer misconduct in the workplace is pervasive. This social science research is further supported by governmental data and litigation statistics. Even in the face of this evidence, however, it has never been more difficult to successfully bring a claim of employment discrimination. After the Supreme Court’s controversial decisions in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009), all civil litigants must sufficiently plead enough facts to give rise to a plausible claim. Empirical studies show that this …

Multidimensional Poverty Of The Ethnic Tibetan Farm And Herder Households In Gansu Province, China, Fan Yang, Krishna Paudel, Tianhui Zhuang, Yao Jiang

Faculty Publications

© 2019, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. All rights reserved. Ethnic Tibetan farm and herder households (FHH) in Gansu Province, China are stricken with poverty. Solving the poverty problem in this or other poverty pockets across China has special importance for the country’s political stability, ethnic unity, social well-being, and ecological security. This paper calculates the multidimensional poverty situation of ethnic Tibetan farm and herder households of Gansu Province, China by using the Alkire-Foster method. Twelve indicators are included in the multidimensional poverty indicator system. Results showed that 1) in the single indicator measure, the adult family members received at …

Marilla Waite Freeman: The Librarian As Literary Muse, Gatekeeper, And Disseminator Of Print Culture, Suzanne Marie Stauffer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bibliometrics For Faculty Evaluation: A Statistical Comparison Of H-Indexes Generated Using Google Scholar And Web Of Science Data, David J. Dunaway

Faculty Publications

The growing need for quantification of research performance for promotion and tenure

and grant funding decisions has lead many to rely on citation metrics. There are many metrics to choose from but one of the most common is the h-index. While the h-index has been criticized by many, the metric itself is not the only concern. The source of the citation information used to calculate the h-index is also important. In this case study the h-index was calculated using citation data from Clarivate’s Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar (GS) for a selection of faculty working at a large …

Behavioral Health Risk And Resilience Among International Students In The United States: A Study Of Sociodemographic Differences, Youn Kyoung Kim, Arati Maleku, Catherine Lemieu, Xi Du, Zibei Chen

Faculty Publications

Using a resilience framework, the current cross-sectional study examined indicators of behavioral health risk and resilience among U.S. international students (N=322) across key sociodemographic characteristics. A multimethod approach was used to collect data with both an online platform and paper-based survey instrument. Results showed that higher levels of acculturative stress were reported by older students, females, undergraduates, students who lived with their families, and those who had resided in the US longer than 2 years. Findings underscore the importance of culturally relevant screening and prevention strategies that target resilience and other protective factors to reduce health risk and encourage well-being …

Multilayered Stigma And Vulnerabilities For Hiv Infection And Transmission: A Qualitative Study On Male Sex Workers In Zimbabwe, Elleen Yuk-Ha Tsang, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Jeffrey S. Wilkinson, Annis Lai-Chu Fung, Freddy Lipeleke, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Male sex workers are marginalized in most societies due to intersectional stigma between prostitution and homosexuality. In Zimbabwe, a proliferation of male sex workers in major cities such as Harare and Bulawayo has been reported. However, there is a shortage of studies that explore their lives. The current qualitative study aims to describe the practices of sex work, life contexts, and HIV risks and vulnerabilities based on in-depth interviews among 15 male sex workers in Bulawayo. Our studies suggest that the stigma against male sex workers comes from diverse sectors including culture (“homosexuality is un-African, introduced by the Whites”), religion …

Book Review: Abortion Rights: For And Against, Michelle Oberman, Julia D. Hejduk

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

All The News That's Fit To Hide: Sexual Assault And Silence In Hollywood And The Lawyers Who Let It Happen, Neil Fulton

Faculty Publications

Hollywood stars and moguls, sexual misconduct and harassment, investigative journalism, espionage, and unethical lawyer conduct-all this and more is on display in Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators. Working for NBC News and then The New Yorker, Farrow investigated allegations of serial sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein. He readily found women who said they had been assaulted by Weinstein, but getting those stories to the public required navigating an obstacle course of non-disclosure agreements, corporate legal departments, unethical conduct by Weinstein's legal team, and even being followed by spies. In the end, however, …

‘I Was So Much Older Then/I’M Younger Than That Now’: Valedictory Notes And Collage, Frank Pommersheim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Formation Of Social Capital For Community College Students: A Second-Order Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Yu (April) Chen, Soko S. Starobin

Faculty Publications

Objective: This quantitative study constructed a statistical model to measure family social capital and college social capital among community college students. The authors also examined influences of these two types of social capital constructs on degree aspiration. Method: This study utilized the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Student Success Literacy Survey (SSSL) to collect data in all 15 community college districts in Iowa. With more than 5,000 responses, the authors conducted descriptive analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Results: College social capital was measured by three latent variables such as interaction with advisors, …

Reduction In Hospitals' Readmission Rates: Role Of Hospital-Based Skilled Nursing Facilities, Shivani Gupta, Ferhat D. Zengul, Ganisher Davlyatov, Robert Weech-Maldonado

Faculty Publications

Hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge is an important quality measure given that it represents a potentially preventable adverse outcome. Approximately, 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Many strategies such as the hospital readmission reduction program have been proposed and implemented to reduce readmission rates. Prior research has shown that coordination of care could play a significant role in lowering readmissions. Although having a hospital-based skilled nursing facility (HBSNF) in a hospital could help in improving care for patients needing short-term skilled nursing or rehabilitation services, little is known about HBSNFs’ association with hospitals’ …

The Search For Microbial Martian Life And American Buddhist Ethics, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

Multiple searches hunt for extraterrestrial life, yet the ethics of such searches in terms of fossil and possible extant life on Mars have not been sufficiently delineated. In response, in this essay I propose a tripartite ethic for searches for microbial Martian life that consists of default nonharm toward potential living beings, default nonharm to the habitats of potential living beings, but also responsible, restrained scientific harvesting of some microbes in limited transgression of these default nonharm modes. Although this multifaceted ethic remains secular and hence adaptable to space research settings, it arises from both a qualitative analysis of authoritative …

Job Automation In The 1960s: A Discourse Ahead Of Its Time (And For Our Time), Miriam A. Cherry

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

New technologies, such as on-demand platforms, algorithmic management, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, virtual presence, people analytics, and gamification are all beginning to have an impact on the world of work. Many contemporary scholars and policymakers view these trends as provoking an existential clash with the traditional employment relationship, the gateway definition for most labor and employment law. While many portray the concern about technology and the on-demand economy as seemingly brand new issues, these contemporary discussions are fundamentally linked to the past as part of a longstanding dialogue on automation and work.

The concerns raised are cyclical, repetitious, and …

Legislating Morality: Moral Theory And Turpitudinous Crimes In Immigration Jurisprudence, Abel Rodríguez, Jennifer A. Bulcock

Faculty Publications

Congress could have framed the country’s immigration policies in any number of ways. In significant part, it opted to frame them in moral terms. The crime involving moral turpitude is among the most pervasive and pernicious classifications in immigration law. In the Immigration and Nationality Act, it is virtually ubiquitous, appearing everywhere from the deportability and mandatory detention grounds to the inadmissibility and naturalization grounds. In effect, it acts as a gatekeeper for those who wish to enter and remain in the country, obtain lawful permanent residence, travel abroad after admission, or become United States citizens. With limited exceptions, noncitizens …

Existential Copyright And Professional Photography, Jessica Silbey, Eva E. Subotnik, Peter Dicola

Faculty Publications

Intellectual property law has intended benefits, but it also carries certain costs—deliberately so. Skeptics have asked: Why should intellectual property law exist at all? To get traction on that overly broad but still important inquiry, we decided to ask a new, preliminary question: What do creators in a particular industry actually use intellectual property for? In this first-of-its-kind study, we conducted thirty-two in-depth qualitative interviews of photographers about how copyright law functions within their creative and business practices. By learning the actual functions of copyright law on the ground, we can evaluate and contextualize existing theories of intellectual property. More …

Attacking Innovation, Jeffrey A. Maine

Faculty Publications

Economists generally agree that innovation is important to economic growth and that government support for innovation is necessary. Historically, the U.S. government has supported innovation in a variety of ways: (1) a strong legal system for patents; (2) direct support through research performed by government agencies, grants, loans, and loan guarantees; and (3) indirect support through various tax incentives for private firms. In recent years, however, we have seen a weakening of the U.S. patent system, a decline in direct funding of research, and a weakening of tax policy tools used to encourage new innovation. These disruptive changes threaten the …

The Contribution Of Family Leisure To Family Functioning And Family Satisfaction Among Urban Russian Families, Mikale Williamson, Ramon Zabriskie, Jasmine Townsend, Peter Ward, Gilbert Fellingham, Irina Kuznetsova

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine how both family leisure involvement and family leisure satisfaction contributed to the explanation of variance in family functioning and satisfaction with family life among urban Russian families (n = 597). As an initial examination of family leisure functioning in the Russian culture, mixed model analysis accounted for family-level and individual level variance, and indicated core family leisure satisfaction was the strongest predictor of all aspects of family functioning and satisfaction with family life, a pattern similar across other cultures. There were also positive relationships between balance family leisure and various aspects of …

The Paradox Of Patient Consent: A Feminist Perspective Of Illness And Healthcare, Kristen Cole

Faculty Publications

Through autoethnographic analysis, I present my personal illness story as a case study in patient consent. In doing so, I explore the complexities that emerge at the intersection of gender and health, including issues of autonomy and choice. Specifically, I reflect on the ideological and systemic factors that contribute to a paradox of consent versus noncompliance in US healthcare contexts. Within this paradoxical binary, control is both persistent and illusive, which is a condition fueled by individualism, paternalistic antagonism, and medical colonization. As an alternative, I offer two viable options for facilitating patients’ agency in gendered health contexts, even under …

Examining The Challenges And Practices Of Our Russian Partners In The Institution Of Teacher Librarianship, Lucy Santos Green, M. P. Johnston

Faculty Publications

Examining international teacher librarianship enables school library researchers and practitioners to continue uncovering the institutional factors that impact school librarianship; further strengthening the case for cross-cultural partnerships. In 2015, researchers conducted an institutional ethnography confirmatory study of school librarianship in Moscow, Russia. Emergent themes culled from previous research and confirmed in this new study were: collaboration, literacy, instruction, technology integration, and the learning environment. Confirmation of these themes in Russian school librarianship indicates teacher librarians around the world struggle with strikingly similar challenges despite varied contexts and socioeconomic situations.