Digital Commons Network^™

The Meaning Of Markets: How The Domestic Fair Trade Association Understands Creating Social Change Using Market Initiatives, Emily Elizabeth Thorn

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Agriculture in North America has tended toward consolidation and industrialization in the past century. Responding to the narrowing of market advantage for small-scale organic farmers and the plight of farm workers, as well as to both the failures and potentials of international fair trade and organic initiatives, members of the nascent Domestic Fair Trade Association (DFTA) seek to insert social justice into the North American food system using a market-based initiative mediated by independent that conform to stringent criteria. This study examines the meaning of fair trade in a North American context; the challenges facing domestic fair trade initiatives, and …

Exploring Perspectives On Landscape And Language Among Kaike Speakers In Dolpa, Nepal, Corrie Maya Daurio

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The majority of the world’s languages are in danger of extinction within this century. Of the more than 6000 languages in the world, 4000-5000 are spoken by Indigenous peoples. Accompanying the loss of languages is the loss of the capacity for these peoples to transmit those aspects of their environmental knowledge systems which are embedded and expressed in their languages. The Kaike speakers of Tichurong in Dolpa, Nepal represent one of these endangered language communities, with approximately 800 speakers remaining. The purpose of this research was to engage Kaike speakers in an exploration of the relationships among their language, environment, …

Renewable Energy In Montana: System Applications And Technlogy, Mandi Lee Corr

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Energy is a critical topic of debate today, and much interest has turned to renewable energy forms. The negative implications of fossil fuel use are outweighing their benefits, as the twenty-first century has seen environmental, economic, and social consequences unfold. Montana is in a unique position in that it has five forms of renewable energy for heating and electricity generation purposes. Solar, wind, small-scale hydro, biomass, and geothermal energies are available across the state. These energy forms have the potential to provide residences and businesses with heat and electricity year-round, using a seasonally complementary, integrated system. The current installation of …

Investigating The Relationships Between Seventh And Eighth Grade Science Teachers' Background, Self-Efficacy Toward Teaching Science As Inquiry, And Attitudes And Beliefs On Classroom Control, William T. Joern

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An important component of science reform is the teaching of science as inquiry. Many barriers toward teaching science as inquiry have been documented but the list is incomplete. This study utilized a non-experimental correlational design to examine middle school science teachers' background and the relationships this has with teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward classroom control. Because science inquiry activities involve greater classroom control skills by the instructor as opposed to teacher-centered instruction, the relationship between teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward classroom control were important …

Leftovers: A Search For The Freegan Ideal, Emily Darrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract. Abstract optional for professional papers.

Forest Habitat Improvement Planning On The Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area: A Case Study In Multiple Criteria Decision-Analysis, Christine Ann Paulu

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The forests of western Montana were historically characterized by mixed-severity fire regimes, which have been mostly absent due to fire suppression policies of the 20th century. This has changed stand structure and forest composition, resulting in a high risk of wildfire, loss of heterogeneity in forest types, and loss of valuable wildlife habitat. As a result forest stewardship, or holistic forest management, and long-term planning have been used widely by forest managers and landowners to improve forest health, to use resources efficiently, and to satisfy stakeholders. This case study shows how one agency, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP), could …

Coping With The Death Of A Family Member: An Exploration Of American Indian People's Experience, William Henry Shunkamolah

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Most studies exploring bereavement/grief have focused upon the US’s majority culture. These study findings have contributed to the existing bereavement theories regarding grief and coping by providing broad and general information to researchers and clinicians. Previous research has found that an individual’s experience of grief and ability to cope with death is affected by a combination of situational factors (e.g., anticipated death vs. sudden death), personal factors (e.g., age), and interpersonal factors (e.g., availability of social support). The literature suggests that understanding cultural differences among bereaved clients should be considered by clinicians. Despite such cautions few studies without theoretical preconception …

A Social Marketing Intervention To Improve Asbestos Inspection Compliance For Missoula Public Buildings And The Role Of Upstream Approaches, Holly N. Truitt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality Asbestos Control Program reported in a 2002 study that it had determined that 99 percent of public building demolitions and renovations in Missoula were noncompliant with asbestos inspection regulations required by both Montana and federal law. The Program characterized noncompliance as an occupational and public health threat with multiple causations including willful noncompliance and ignorance of the law. Missoula is not alone in its noncompliance; Great Falls, MT, Boston, MA, Austin, TX and Livingston MT, and other cities have struggled to address noncompliance with asbestos inspections. My action based research project explores the role …

Building Social Relationships Building Business : A Case Study Of Vendors At The Missoula Farmers' Market, Kathryn E. Bradford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Exploring A Definition Of Leadership And The Biography Of Dr. Frank B. Wynn, David Clyde Walters

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Frank B. Wynn was a leader in the first decades of the 20th Century. In the process of establishing timeless leadership standards for reconstructing his biography, it became apparent that no such standard existed, owing to more than 300 definitions of leadership at the end of the 20th century. The central research question asked what elements of leadership are historically and logically independent of context, and if those elements can be illuminated in a specific example of a leader examined from holistic criteria? The study consisted of an etymology of leadership terms, an exploration of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and …

Impact Of Aids Education On Adolescent Risky Sexual Behaviors, Anna Mackenzie Iverson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Modern sex education recognizes that adolescents need formal guidance and information regarding sexuality and sexual behaviors. From an economic policy perspective, sex education is seen as an important tool in preventing costly social outcomes such as teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Previous literature has shown that sex education was associated with earlier initiation into sexual activity but not necessarily with increased pregnancy rates (Marsiglio and Mott 1984). The evidence has also shown that the relationship may not be causal (Sabia 2006). In order to better understand these conclusions, this thesis uses data from the Center for Disease Control’s …

Past Periphery, Lisa Nicole Jarrett

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Past Periphery examines a contemporary manifestation of the mammy archetype. The common threads between the works presented in the thesis exhibition are erasure, invisibility, and projection. The flattening of a person into icon is the equivalent of the One standing in for the Many. The One embodies surface qualities only and ultimately provides and inadequate summary of the individual or the group. This misrepresentation is the face offered up for public consumption and becomes the foundation for commodity as well as identity. We label, package, sell, and consume this icon as true and correct. But it becomes impossible to define …

Explorations In Leadership Education: The Role Of Leadership Education In Higher Education Outcomes, Douglas G. Mcbroom

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There has been much criticism of academic leadership programs for not adequately preparing leaders. This is the case for all of the major programs: business administration, educational leadership, military science, and public administration. However, these evaluations themselves are limited inasmuch as they are typically concerned with such dimension as students' satisfaction and faculty credentials and performance while organizational outcomes attributable to leadership are ignored. The present research investigates the relationship of institutional outcomes for colleges and universities and the presence or absences of presidents with formal leadership training. The outcomes indicators are those contained in the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data …

The Public Land Manager In Collaborative Conservation Planing: A Comparative Analysis Of Three Case Studies In Montana, Lawrence Allen Byrd

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Collaborative Conservation Planning (CCP) has proven to create solutions to challenges many Montana and Americans face with protecting or restoring their natural resources and rural lifestyles from previous non-sustainable land use practices and rural land development. This planning model has proven to be successful when organized groups consisting of multiple stakeholders come together to find common ground and address decreased biodiversity, fragmented habitat, threatened traditional farming, timber, and ranching rural lifestyles through open space protection and restoration efforts. The Public Land Manager’s (PLM) part in the CCP process is seemingly important because of their influence and the unique and diverse …

Cultures In Residence: Intercultural Communication Competence For Residence Life Staff, Bridget Eileen Flaherty

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite a recent plateau in the number of international students coming to the U.S., international students still make up a significant portion of the student body at institutes of higher education. Along with attendance at schools, many international students live in campus housing, such as residence halls, and are often placed with a U.S. roommate. Previous research has shown that international and U.S. students may have cultural conflicts, particularly when living together. Since many younger students may not be interculturally competent, it is left to the staff of Residence Life offices, such as resident assistants, to counsel students through their …

Effects Of A Yeast Β-Glucan Supplement On Symptoms Of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection In Free-Living College-Aged Males, Casey E. Gorham

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The focus of previous research has demonstrated that both oat and yeast ß-glucan benefits immunosuppressed populations. However, previous research has not, to our knowledge, investigated the effects of a yeast ß-glucan on the ummune functioning of healthy, free-living human populations. PURPOSE: The goal of this research was to evaluate the effects of a yeast ß-glucan on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in healthy, free-living, college-aged males. METHODOLOGY: The WURSS-44, a reliable, validated survey used for determining symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection was filled out online daily by 79 male subjects between the ages of 18 and 40. Subjects …

Enhancing Motivation To Change In Clients With Alcohol Use Disorders: Video Feedback As A Brief Intervention, Wendy M. Rothman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This research examined whether videotaped self-observation of drinking behavior combined with a one-session motivationally-based interview resulted in higher levels of motivation to change drinking behavior, lower levels of quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, decreases in alcohol-related problem behaviors, and expectations of the positive effects of alcohol for individuals mandated to treatment for alcohol-use disorders. DUI offenders (n = 8) and heavy drinking college students (n = 13) mandated to treatment were randomly assigned to receive treatment as usual at their respective agencies or an experimental video intervention in addition to their regular treatment requirements. Participants were assessed at baseline …

Genetic Population Structure And Dispersal Of Two North American Woodpeckers In Ephemeral Habitats, Jennifer Christy Pierson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Disturbance-dependent species regularly colonize ephemeral habitat patches. In this research, I used patterns of genetic variation to estimate the dispersal dynamics of black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus), a fire specialist, and compared these patterns to hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus), a generalist. I then examined how frequent colonization of ephemeral habitat patches versus stable migration among static habitat patches shapes the genetic structure of species.

I examined patterns of genetic variation in mtDNA and microsatellites in both black-backed and hairy woodpeckers to determine large-scale spatial structure. Black-backed woodpeckers have high genetic connectivity across the boreal forest and lower genetic connectivity among sites …

Injury Rates, Severity Of Injury, And Access To Specialty Health Care Of American Indian High School Athletes In Montana, Drew Anthony Babcock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Athletics are an integral part of American Indian (AI) life and culture. However, with participation there is a risk of receiving an injury. Sustaining an injury can be devastating to AI athletes that live on or near a reservation due to the rural location and disparities in health care. Objective: To determine Montana’s AI high school athletes’ injury rates, severity of injury, the current level of medical supervision, and type of health care they seek/receive. Methods: The procedure for collecting data consisted of sending out surveys to head coaches at 11 high schools that met the inclusion criteria. Analysis: …

On The Road: Struggling, Searching And Opportunities Young Asians In Missoula Seek Their Cultural Identities, Suhan Chen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Where are you from? When do you use ¡°we?¡± The answers to these two questions are easy for people from a single cultural background, but may not be so simple for those young Asians who have grown up and lived in the U.S. but aren¡¯t sure where they belong. This project includes two stories of two young women from Missoula. They have been searching for their cultural identities and have found that the searching will never end. They will probably always be on the road back and forth between the U.S. and their ancestry countries.

Sage-Grouse And The Human Footprint: Implications For Conservation Of Small And Declining Populations, Jason Duane Tack

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Implementing conservation in the face of unprecedented landscape change requires an understanding of processes and scales that limit wildlife populations. We assessed landscape-level processes influencing sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), to a migratory population in the Milk River Basin (MRB), northeast Montana, USA, and south-central Saskatchewan, Canada. A regional analysis of leks (e.g., communal breeding sites) documented that populations impacted by the increasing extent of agricultural tillage, roads, and energy development out to spatial scales larger than previously known. Using bird abundance as a novel way to evaluate human impacts revealed relationships that would have been missed had we not incorporated lek …

Assessing Ethnobotanical Knowledge And Resources To Develop A Sustainable Management Plan For The Lokaro Reserve In Southeast, Madagascar, Ashley Davis Lehman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This research assessed ethnobotanical knowledge in two villages and locally important plant resources in an adjacent private, littoral forest, the Lokaro Reserve in southeastern Madagascar. Two hundred and five plant species were identified through “walk-in-the-woods” interviews with three local experts (an ombiasa, a traditional healer) and two material healers who identified four distinct vegetation communities within the Reserve (lowland forest, higher forest, grassland, and rocky coast). I collected herbarium specimens and identified all plant species found in the four vegetation types through use of random sample plots. I gathered information about local plant uses through a village map-making exercise in …

Worlds Apart: Social Mechanisms Of Contrasting Fertility In European American And Native American Populations On The Northern Plains, Janet Mary Bush

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fertility and household economy on Montana's Northern Plains. Low fertility and outmigration in European American communities have led to dramatic depopulation of the region. At the same time, isolated Indian reservations in the area have grown in population due to high fertility and return migration.

A mixed methods research approach was used to explore the relationship between fertility and social acceptance of communal household economic strategies. Census data and birth records described differences in fertility and household economy between European American and Native American populations in six Plains Indian …

The Role Of The Tumor Suppressor Gene, Nf2, In The Development Of Malignant Mesothelioma, Amy Kay Erbe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The highly aggressive cancer, malignant mesothelioma, responds poorly to available treatment options. As most individuals diagnosed with these tumors succumb to the disease within about 2 years of diagnosis, it is imperative to develop a more thorough understanding of molecular mechanisms of the disease and thus design more suitable therapeutic options. Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) is one of the most commonly inactivated tumor suppressor genes in mesothelioma. The downstream signaling pathways that may be disrupted as a result of this inactivation are not entirely understood. Conversely, the tumor suppressor gene that is often referred to as the "Genome Gatekeeper," TP53, …

Thermodynamics And Kinetics Of Iso-1-Cytochrome C Denatured State, Franco Ollan Tzul

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Various diseases result from protein misfolding. Curing these conditions requires understanding the principles governing folding. Efforts toward understanding how proteins fold have focused on the transition state rather than the earliest folding events. We study these initial events using the assumption that protein folding must involve the formation of the most primitive structure possible – a simple loop. Our laboratory has developed a system of studying simple loops in the denatured state using c-type cytochromes. New insights into how the properties of these loops impact the denatured state are outlined in this thesis. First, studies on a 22-residue loop revealed …

Tobacco Use Among Alaska Native And American Indian College Students, Sarah Angstman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The prevalence of tobacco use is disproportionately high among American Indian and Alaska Native people, with rates and patterns of use varying greatly by tribe, community and geographical region. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce this troubling disparity between non-Native and Native rates of use. Among non-Native individuals, the college years are being investigated as a time when lifelong tobacco use patterns may be established, and interventions are being tested to help college students to stop using tobacco. Currently, no interventions have been developed for American Indian or Alaska Native college students. Data obtained from Alaska Native college students at …

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Responses To Biochars In Soils - Potential Mechanisms Of Interaction And Observed Responses In Controlled Environments, Daniel Warnock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The following thesis is a two-part study, investigating the influences of biochar (charcoal) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The first part of this study is a critical examination and conceptual overview of the literature regarding biochar and AMF available before July 2007. In the second part, I present three experiments all designed to evaluate the influences of biochar applications on AMF abundance in primarily temperate, neutral pH soils. This course of research was selected through an exstensive review of the literature suggesting that biochar presence can strongly affect both soil microbial populations, including mycorrhizal fungi, and biogeochemistry. As both biochar …

Recreation Allocations On National Forests: The Claims And Frames Of Recreationists, John C. Adams

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

While demand for outdoor recreation experiences on national forests is increasing, many existing recreation allocations on national forests are outdated or jeopardize the environment. Accordingly, the U.S. Forest Service is revisiting recreation allocations on many national forests. The Forest Service is not guided by any clear policy regarding the appropriate method or rationale for making allocations between incompatible experience opportunities, or what criteria should be considered in allocating particular trails and areas. Instead individual decisionmakers must make judgments between competing claims advanced by different types of recreationists.

This project was designed to facilitate understanding of the claims that recreationists make …

Rural Subdivision Planning In Missoula County, Montana: A Planner's Perspective, John Michael Newman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Missoula County, Montana, located in the western portion of the state along its border with Idaho, consists of the City of Missoula and a number of unincorporated population centers extending outward from the urban area. The former benefits from typical urban services and faces land use planning issues typical of city locales, including public transportation, brownfields and infill development, and enhancement of the urban core. The latter areas, by virtue of their rural nature, are the subject of an entirely different series of land use planning conversations. The unincorporated areas of the county, in towns such as Seeley Lake, Florence, …

The Influence Of Sparc On Collagen Deposition In Asbestos-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis, Aubrey Meghan Smartt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pulmonary fibrosis involves the invasion of lung tissue with fibrotic, scar tissue and affects roughly five million people total worldwide. Fibrotic development in the lung has several causes, including chronic inflammatory diseases, infections, medical compounds, and environmental agents. There is no known cure for the disease, but only therapies to improve quality of life. Scar tissue formation must be targeted in order to begin to provide any type of cure for fibrotic diseases. In this study, asbestos was used to induce pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model and gene expression studies were then performed to identify potential candidate genes involved …