Digital Commons Network^™

On The Road To Better Health? Impacts Of New Market Access On Food Security, Nutrition, And Well-Being In Nepal, Himalaya, Michelle Ursula Grocke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The first road to be built into Humla, Nepal has connected this once-remote Himalayan region to a market in China. This dissertation research assesses the impacts of this road on villagers’ food security, diet and nutrition, and subjective well-being, and investigates the link between objective and subjective health outcomes. The primary aim of this study is to decipher whether villagers’ ‘proximity to road’ is the strongest predictor of the aforementioned health outcomes, or whether other sociocultural and economic variables play a more significant role. A mixedmethods approach and a case-control ethnographic research design were implemented in order to investigate this …

The Use Of Stable Isotope Analysis On Burials At Cahal Pech, Belize In Order To Identify Trends In Mortuary Practices Over Time And Space, Kirsten Anne Green

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Late (AD 500-700) to Terminal (AD 700-900) Classic transition in the Maya Southern Lowlands has been defined as a period of decline and large scale migrations out of ceremonial centers. The reduced access to food due to multi-decadal droughts severely affected the social and political environments during this period. Previous research focused on large scale geographic migration and diet in this area. What is less understood is the degree and direction of migration at a site-specific level, as well as the community’s specific response through time. This research uses the human remains along with their associated mortuary artifacts from …

Redskins Revisited: Competing Constructions Of The Washington Redskins Mascot, Eean Grimshaw

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This project looks at how synecdoche and ideographs function in the construction of competing position in the controversy surrounding the Washington Redskins mascot. I examined the rhetoric produced by both the Washington Redskins organization and its fans, as well as the rhetoric of Change the Mascot, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York and other opponents between the years of 2013 and 2015. Based in part on Moore’s (1993, 1994, 1997) argument that synecdoche and ideographs often prevent resolution and produce irreconcilable conflict, I extend this notion insofar as the controversy surrounding the Redskins mascot appears to be shifted towards …

Examining The Role Of Parents In Concussion Legislation Across The United States, Jessica A. Cremer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Execution: The Tragic And Grotesque Framing Of Capital Punishment In The News, Katherine Shuy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This essay undertakes a detailed frame analysis of print and electronic media coverage of three nationally publicized death penalty cases between the years of 2014 and 2015. Drawing specifically from the work of Kenneth Burke (1984), this research argues that tragically framed death penalty cases reify victim/perpetrator discourses and cause the actual act of execution to be a fitting resolution within a narrative. Burke’s (1984) grotesque-mystical frame and Bakhtin’s (1984) theory of the grotesque body are used to argue that the media’s portrayal of botched executions help highlight the incongruities with the system of capital punishment, and cause audiences to …

What Do You Think I Am?: On Perceiving Unintelligibility In The Nonbinary Gender Experience, James Warwood

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

What does it mean to be “retired from gender,” and what role does such an identity play in daily life? Engaging with the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Judith Butler, this project attempts to elucidate the experience of nonbinary – that is, external to the male/female gender binary – gendered individuals, and the ultimate unintelligibility of that experience. Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological approach to perception allows for an exploration of the social norms and regulations that determine how gender is defined in Western culture; combined with Butler’s significant work on gender and its performativity, phenomenology proves a useful tool for revealing the …

Before The Wind, Charles R. Decker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Queen Of Kings: Beyoncé Politics And Pedagogy In The Juvenile Detention Center Classroom, Sarah Kahn

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2016, the cultural conversation around feminism and intersectionality has shifted towards new problems of inclusion and change. Feminists are beginning to ask whether the commodification of female sexuality and objectification are extricable, whether a hypersexualized mainstream identity and a feminist one are mutually exclusive, how to integrate female experiences of different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and cultures into a new feminism, and how to define feminism as we begin to move away from binary gendering. Increased visibility of trans issues has brought genderqueerness and femmephobia into the feminist conversation, and technology and globalization have forced that conversation to open up …

Toward An Ontology Of Exhaustion: On The Affective Structures Of Masculinity In The American Oilfield, John W. Jepsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

What is the significance of the oil encounter in the lives of men living and working in the modern oilfields of the United States? Engaging with both literary examples of the lives of men in the Interior West and the personal experiences and reflections of the author, this essay seeks to examine the connections between ideology and place as it works to shape the identity and affect of men in America's oilfields, ultimately ending in them identifying with the very resources their activities seek to exploit and exhaust. Utilizing Theodore Adorno's Minima Moralia as its moral touchstone, this essay works …

Empowerment And Subjective And Emotional Well-Being In South Africa, Erik Kappelman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Knowledge And Resistance: Feminine Style And Signifyin[G] In Michelle Obama’S Public Address, Tracy Valgento

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the public discourse of the first African American first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. I argue that Michelle Obama uses the double-voiced discourses of feminine style and African American Signifyin[g] to negate post-race and post-gender mythologies that suggest that American society is “beyond identity”. Looking at three of Obama’s speeches: Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech, The Remarks by the First Lady at Memorial Service for Dr. Maya Angelou, and Remarks by the First Lady at Tuskegee University Commencement Address this thesis argues that Michelle Obama performativity interrogates and questions gender and race relations …

Living With Hiv: A Potential Source Of Trauma In Children And Adolescents, Kaitlyn P. Ahlers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Due to advances in medical treatment for HIV/AIDS, individuals infected with HIV are living longer. HIV is now considered a chronic illness, and there has been limited research into the mental health problems that can arise from living with HIV, particularly among children and adolescents. Past research has demonstrated that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result from experiences related to chronic illness. Importantly, HIV could affect children and adolescents in a distinct way when compared to any other incurable, chronic illness. The present study examined the mental health issues faced by children and adolescents who are infected with HIV as …

Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social skills and maintaining friendships. In turn, many social skills interventions have been developed to aid in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD, however, have difficulty generalizing the skills learned in social skills interventions to more natural settings like the home and school. This study, therefore, explored the barriers to the generalization of a social skills intervention, Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) for children with ASD. Barriers to the generalization of YETI were explored through the qualitative examination of parents’ acceptability of the …

The Healthy Heart Program At The University Of Montana: A Program Review, Laura B. Porisch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Porisch, Laura, M.S., Spring 2016 Health and Human Performance

Abstract—The Healthy Heart Program at the University of Montana: A Program Review

Chairperson: Steven Gaskill

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify whether the Healthy Heart Program at the University of Montana is successful at facilitating lifestyle behavior changes. Methods: Six participants from Spring of 2015 were interviewed 3-4 months post and again 9-10 months post participation in the program. Interview questions focused on whether participants were working toward goals as well as their opinion of the program and what could be done to improve it. Additionally, 18 participants …

Preschool Writing Instruction: Modeling The Writing Stages, Shelby Swant

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Writing is an essential component of language development and early literacy. With the growing focus on national and state education standards, the early foundation of writing and literacy skills proves to be an area of importance and concern; however, limited research has been conducted in the area of preschool writing instruction. This study investigated writing and other foundational literacy skills in preschoolers following three different instructional conditions. Preschoolers (n=85), who attended a preschool educational setting serving low-income families, were randomly assigned to classrooms in three research groups: control, comparison, and treatment. The control group participated in implicit writing …

All That Jazz: Federal Cultural Exchanges And Jazz Diplomacy, 1956-1964, James Vaughn

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines federally funded jazz tours as an expression of international cultural exchanges during the Cold War, specifically from 1956 to 1964. This thesis argues that the use of cultural exchanges represented one outgrowth of an expanded federal government after World War II. Furthermore, cultural exchanges were an expression of “soft power” during the Cold War, or power expressed by the nation through cultural means instead of the projection of military power. The division between public and private spheres in American life was often blurred. As the government’s influence grew, the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) blended theses …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Belonging In Communities Of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements Within The Choral Arts, Aubrielle J. Holly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A qualitative analysis was conducted with a community choir as an exemplar of a community of practice. Semi-structured, collaborative interviews with eighteen of the choir’s members and eleven hours of field observation were conducted. The socialization process was briefly examined and discussed as it informed membership experiences in the choir. Four research questions were proposed to examine the ways in which the defining characteristics of communities of practice were communicatively enacted within the choral context. The construct of belonging was examined as an addition to Wenger’s (1998) communities of practice framework. Data analysis followed the grounded theory methodology of Strauss …

Training The Professoraite Of Tomorrow: Implementing The Needs Centered Training Model To Instruct Graduate Teaching Assistants In The Use Of Teacher Immediacy, Leah R. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The effects of providing training for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in the implementation of immediacy behaviors on the creation of a supportive classroom environment are examined in this study. GTAs and their students served as participants in the research to understand the need for this training and this information guided the trainings formation. The training was based on Beebe, Mottet and Roach’s (2013) Needs Centered Training Model. The needs assessment indicated students’ perceptions of teacher immediacy was higher than self-perception and GTAs did not understand the meaning or effects of teacher immediacy on a supportive classroom environment or student learning. …

Another Day In The Oil Patch: Narratives Of Probation Work In Montana, Ally Guldborg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Job stress has been linked to several negative outcomes for workers in human service professions. Despite a wealth of knowledge on job stress in social service occupations, relatively little is known about the job stress of probation officers. In eastern Montana and western North Dakota’s Bakken region, a recent oil extraction boom and bust cycle has caused rapid socio-demographic change. Researchers have found that oil extraction in the Bakken region has led to several challenges for social service and police agencies in the area. In this study, I use qualitative interview methods to examine the stresses and challenges involved in …

Crossing The Line: Navigating A Polluted Transboundary Watershed, Celia T. Tobin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana’s Lake Koocanusa sits at the end of a river system that drains Canada’s most productive coal country. Today, the waters of the massive lake contain a mineral called selenium, a poorly understood byproduct of mine waste. This summer, the U.S. federal government will be in a position to declare that the selenium in the lake puts Canada in violation of its international treaty with the U.S. The Montana government, however, is preparing to argue otherwise through its own water analysis. The disagreement has U.S. ecologists frustrated with the state’s position, saying they won’t practice science that is slave to …

Gender Nonconformity, Psychosocial Stressors, And Psychopathology: Looking Beyond Sexual Orientation, Kathryn M. Oost

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

LGBT individuals experience disproportionately more victimization than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Within these populations, perceived gender nonconformity predicts even higher rates of victimization. The current investigation examined relationships between gender nonconformity, experiences with victimization, and psychopathology among 671 students from the University of Montana, including 64 LGBT-identified individuals, who took part in an online study as part of course requirements. Hierarchical regressions were calculated to examine the relationships between gender expression, victimization, and psychopathology while controlling for sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnicity. Gender nonconformity was a significant predictor of reported victimization, beyond sexual orientation and ethnicity (ΔR …

Purposefully Planning For Mathematics Discourse: A Study Of Teacher Learning And Lesson Enactment, Andria Rae Disney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mathematics discourse plays a crucial role in students’ learning of mathematics, yet facilitating productive mathematics discourse is a complex task for teachers. This embedded single-case study sought to explore teacher learning around planning for and facilitating mathematics discourse and capture any changes in the nature of classroom discourse as a result of teacher learning. Teacher learning was facilitated through a professional learning community (PLC). The PLC was designed to honor, build upon, and develop teachers’ expertise in purposefully planning opportunities for student talk during mathematics instruction. It also attended to the teachers’ contexts by asking teachers to incorporate math talk …

Effectiveness Of Mary Ainsworth's Maternal Sensitivity Scale With Four-Week-Old Infants, Laurel Anne T. Yorgason

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The attachment relationship between a mother and her infant provides a foundation for future development (Bowlby, 1951; Sroufe, 2005). A high level of maternal sensitivity has been deemed one of the most important antecedents to a secure attachment (van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2004). Although Mary Ainsworth originally developed a measure of maternal sensitivity other researchers developed measures to determine a mother’s level of sensitivity (Mesman & Emmen, 2013). The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) was developed to determine the classification of the attachment relationship (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974). Currently these measures focus predominantly on dyads that include an infant at …

Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Obtaining reliable knowledge is the first step towards properly managing wildlife species. Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) on Whidbey Island, Washington have not been the subject of study, and little is known about the population, or the opinion of resident’s of Whidbey Island towards the deer population. However, wildlife managers suggest deer on the island may be overabundant or over social carrying capacity. Given the lack of empirical knowledge about the deer population or human opinions towards deer on Whidbey Island, I designed research to determine the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, …

A 'Paradox Of Expression': Bertolt Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt In Performance, Cohen L. Ambrose Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Why Do Countries Cooperate? The Effect Of Cross-Border Pollution, Eric D. Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As evidence regarding the consequences of climate change grows, the need to act cooperatively becomes increasingly apparent. International environmental agreements are one of many means being pursued to improve environmental management and combat climate change at large. This study examines factors that influence international environmental treaty participation among European countries. Using panel data on 35 European countries for 1980-1999, joint treaty participation is estimated as a function of various globalization variables with specific attention given to the effects of cross-border air pollution, foreign direct investment, and trade. These results suggest that cross-border air pollution does increase cooperation even after controlling …

Tennessee Williams' "Plastic Theater" A Formulation Of Dramaturgy For "The American Method" Theater, Peter A. Philips

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Discovering The Chinese Mining Child: The Archaeology Of Children And Childhood In Multicultural American Mining Communities, Nicole A. Lane

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Children made up roughly one-quarter of the population of industrial boomtowns in the

North American West, underscoring the connections of family to places commonly

thought to be bachelor communities. By comparing artifacts and historical contexts from

three mining communities (Butte, Montana; Deadwood, South Dakota; and Sandpoint,

Idaho) established in the late 19th century, this thesis will contribute to archaeologies of

children, childhood, and socialization, examining material remains as a line of evidence

to study the ways in which relationships, gender, race, and class pervaded the lives of

children in these industrial settings. The methods employed here integrate information

from historical …

Social Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study With A Focus On Rural Adolescents, Brandon Jared Rennie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a serious public health concern in the United States. The least studied populations are those at the highest risk to sustain a TBI, specifically, youth, and especially those living in rural areas. Despite the documented negative impact on social outcomes and relative importance of social functioning in youth, research is sparse with regard to how various injury and non-injury factors interact to influence social outcomes and how best to assess this population for intervention planning and monitoring. Participants are four adolescents who have had TBIs of mild or moderate severity and their mothers (three …

The Evolution Of Nutritional Co-Endosymbionts In Cicadas, James Theodore Van Leuven

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Symbiosis occurs between organisms in all domains of life. The evolution of obligate symbionts from free-living bacteria typically results in the loss of genes involved in metabolic independence and an overall reduction in genome size. Outside the organelles, the most extreme examples of genome reduction come from the intracellular symbionts of sap-feeding insects. The genomes of these bacteria encode very few genes other than those involved in translation, replication, and amino acid synthesis. Candidatus Hodgkinia cicadicola (Hodgkinia) and Candidatus Sulcia muelleri (Sulcia) live in specialized insect cells (bacteriocytes) of the cicada Diceroprocta semicincta, and have undergone severe gene loss. Hodgkinia …