Digital Commons Network^™

Masculine Domesticity In The Mining West: An Archaeological Investigation At Coloma Ghost Town, Margaret Anne Thurlo

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The recovery of a scorifier, or roasting dish, at Feature 131 in Coloma, Montana led to the theory that the feature represented an assayer’s household. Historical documentation, in the form of a personal diary, revealed that the assayer at Coloma, Chester Pray, shared a cabin with another man. This revelation led to a particular question: what would the material record of an all-male household look like? The majority of previous engendered investigations into 19th century households focused on the role of women. Gender is often equated with women in historical and archaeological studies, and it became necessary to integrate literature …

Discourse, Identity, And Culture In Diverse Organizations: A Study Of The Muslim Students Association (University Of Montana), Burhanuddin Bin Omar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined the relationship between discourse, identity and culture within the diverse membership of the Muslim Students Association, University of Montana. Previous organizational identity research has discussed how identity is fluid, how identity regulation occurs between the organization and membership, and that identity is formed through discourses. Additionally, the literature also shows us how these identity influencing discourses are themselves influenced by culture. This study expands the literature through an exploration of the identity formation of organizational members who share Islam as a religion within a culturally diverse MSA. This study utilizes a poststructuralist lens to explore the discursive …

The Discipline Of Happiness, Courtney Leigh Christopher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A deeply personal Journey, “The Discipline of Happiness” blends fundamental philosophy with the power of visual art. In a 42‐year quest for purpose certain theories have been tried, championed, discredited, and discarded. The distillation of these ideas into my current theory provides, more saliently than the theory itself, a venue for discussion of the creative process. My creativity often manifests itself in visual terms. Through the medium of an extended artist statement I reflect on the virtues of thinking in both a linguistic and spatial manner. Orchestrating the dual modes of inquiry, semantic and visual, into a single narrative highlights …

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 …

Socio-Spatial Dimensions Of Migrant Women’S Lives In Tbilisi, Georgia, Laura S. E. Cahill

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis provides an exploration into the experiences and perspectives of Georgian rural women who have migrated to Tbilisi, Georgia. The aim of this paper is to understand the affects of this mobility and migration on Georgian women’s socio-spatial dimensions and what this means for the economic and cultural survival of women in post- Soviet Georgia. Specifically, the research focuses on the spatial availability of family and rural contacts and the use of social safety nets as a coping strategy to aid women in the transition to urban life in Tbilisi. In addition, this paper addresses the role of women …

Glacier Monitoring In Ladakh And Zanskar, Northwestern India, Martin Edward Byrne

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Glaciers in the Himalaya are often heavily covered with supraglacial debris, making them difficult to study with remotely-sensed imagery alone. Various methods such as band ratios can be used effectively to map clean-ice glaciers; however, a thicker layer of debris often makes it impossible to distinguish between supraglacial debris and the surrounding terrain. Previously, a morphometric approach employing an ASTER-derived digital elevation model (DEM) has been used to map glaciers in the Khumbu Himal and the Tien Shan. This project aims first to test the ability of the morphometric procedure to map small glaciers; second, to use the morphometric approach …

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 …

Adaptive Variation In Microbes: Insights From Wild And Experimental Populations Of Escherichia Coli, Margaret Ann Kinnersley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Intraspecific differences in genome composition and gene regulation are widespread in both natural and artificial prokaryotic systems. Understanding the molecular basis, population dynamics and fitness consequences of these differences can provide useful insight into many aspects of microbial ecology and evolution. The work presented here is a study of molecular variation in both natural and experimental populations of E. coli, conducted with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of niche adaptation and the nature of molecular variation in microbes. In Chapter 2, the mechanistic basis of adaptation and diversification in a polymorphic experimental population of E. coli that …

Nameless Heroines, Kate Elizabeth Murphy Ristow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A collection of five short stories.

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 …

Identification Of Tree Species In Mixed Conifer Forests Using Laser Altimetry, Agus Suratno

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Airborne laser scanning data is used to discriminate between Douglas-fir (.Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pirns ponderosa), lodgepole pine (.Pinus contorta), and western larch (Larix occidentalis) in a mixed coniferous forest of western Montana, USA. Laser-derived structural and intensity variables are investigated to classify tree species at individual tree and plot-level dominant species. Linear Discriminant Analysis is applied to discriminate between species, and in combination with Maximum Likelihood Classification, used to map species across the landscape. Oneway ANOVA tests indicate that proportions of first and single returns and mean intensities are significantly different between species (p-value < 0.001) at both individual tree and plot-dominant species levels. A single variable in the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), e.g., mean or standard deviation intensity, can produce classification accuracy ranging from 49-61% at the dominant species level and 37-52% for individual trees. The accuracy can be improved to 95% and 68% respectively by using multiple variables, including proportions of return type, intensities, and canopy heights. Adding proportion of return-type improves classification accuracy at the dominant species level, but not for individual trees. The inclusion of both mean and standard deviation of canopy heights produce higher accuracy at both levels. Validation of the landscape classifications is performed using a stand database consisting of predominant and secondary species and with gridded, fixed-area plots. Assuming that stand homogeneity is at least within dominant species criteria (>70%), the application of intensity …

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 …

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: …

Scale Dependent Genetic Structure Of Idaho Giant Salamanders (Dicamptodon Aterrimus) In Stream Networks, Lindy Beth Mullen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Stream network structure constrains population processes of freshwater organisms, with individual, population and community level consequences. This consistent structure provides a framework in which examination of life-history influences on population genetic structure may provide general insight. I examined how stream network structure affects gene flow and genetic structure of the facultatively paedomorphic Idaho Giant salamander, Dicamptodon aterrimus in Idaho and Montana, USA. I used microsatellite data to test population structure models by (i) examining hierarchical partitioning of genetic variation in stream networks and (ii) testing for genetic isolation by distance along stream corridors versus overland pathways. Replicated sampling of streams …

A Spatial Analysis Of 24hl1085: A Prehistoric Site In The Bear's Paw Mountains, Jessica Jo Bush

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis is a spatial analysis of 24HL1085 and attempts to discern the use areas of two prehistoric components, Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric, through the identification of spatial patterns created by the excavated lithics, faunal remains, and fire cracked rock (FCR). I also wanted to show that understanding the spatial layout of FCR is just as important as understanding the spatial layout of lithics and faunal remains. In order to complete this analysis the three ring model developed by Stevenson (1985) was adapted and combined with the trend surface analysis created by Hodder and Orton (1976). Theory behind this …

An Examination Of Error In The Application Of Pubic Aging Techniques, Ellery Kate Lungmus

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined six methods of skeletal age-at-death estimation from the pubic symphysis in order to determine the significance of sex as a contributing source of error to the inaccuracy of each method. These six methods included Todd (1920), McKern-Stewart (1957), Gilbert-McKern (1973), Hanihara-Suzuki (1978), Suchey-Brooks female-specific (Brooks and Suchey 1990), Suchey-Brooks male-specific (Brooks and Suchey 1990), and the Berg female-specific Suchey-Brooks 7th phase addition (2008). Three hundred and ninety-six individuals were randomly selected from the William M. Bass (WMB) Donated Skeletal Collection housed at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and were evaluated without knowledge of actual age for age-at-death …

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 …

Expeditionary Learning, Angie Susag

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My final creative project began as an effort to be a quality educator who offered a memorable education to my students. I believe that students should be more involved with their education which is where my idea to research expeditionary learning came from. I had to design, plan and execute many activities in order to provide these expeditions. I planned a trip to Europe for the first expedition. This trip took place in the summer of 2008. I brought eight students along with two parents on this adventure. We went to London, Paris, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. This expedition proved …

Cultural Characteristics Of Western Educational Structures And Their Effects On Local Ways Of Knowing, Cheryl L. Woolsey Des Jarlais

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This critical ethnography is a study of how the interfaces between Western educational structures and Native cultural structures function in the daily operations of a privately owned school in a Native community, how these functions have evolved, drawbacks and strengths of both Western and Native cultural structures, and current challenges in relating to the mixtures of philosophy, value systems and socialization expectations of these systems.

The review of literature exposed a variety of assumptions regarding individualism, bureaucratization, homogenization, universalism, meritocracy, and rationalization reflected in Western educational structures. The study done at Valley Grove Mission School illuminated the assumptions and expectations …

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, …

Cenozoic Evolution Of The Gold Creek Basin, Western Montana: Mapping And Documenting The Geology Of The Rock Creek Lake 7.5' Usgs Quadrangle, Chelsea Mcraven Feeney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis presents results from 1:24,000 scale surface mapping and related analysis of geology within the Rock Creek Lake 7.5’ USGS Quadrangle in western Montana. The purpose of this study is to 1) document the Cenozoic structural evolution and sedimentary fill record associated with tectonic development of the northern Flint Creek Range and, in particular, the Anaconda metamorphic core complex and 2) determine the existence and extent of Pleistocene glacial deposition in the study area. Gneissic mylonitic granodiorite along the southeastern contact of the Royal Stock intrusion indicates the Anaconda metamorphic core complex detachment zone trends through the center of …

Study On Regional Responses Of Pan-Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems To Recent Climate Variability Using Satellite Remote Sensing, Ke Zhang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

I applied a satellite remote sensing based production efficiency model (PEM) using an integrated AVHRR and MODIS FPAR/LAI time series with a regionally corrected NCEP/NCAR reanalysis surface meteorology and NASA/GEWEX shortwave solar radiation inputs to assess annual terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) for the pan-Arctic basin and Alaska from 1983 to 2005. I developed a satellite remote sensing based evapotranspiration (ET) algorithm using GIMMS NDVI with the above meteorology inputs to assess spatial patterns and temporal trends in ET over the pan-Arctic region. I then analyzed associated changes in the regional water balance defined as the difference between precipitation (P) …

The Effects Of Federal Land On Rural Population, Employment, And Income In The Rocky Mountain West, Stephen Michael Cleverdon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

There is controversy over the role that federal land plays in shaping rural counties in the Western United States. Some argue that the restrictive policies imposed on federal lands harm rural economies because the extractive industry is not allowed to operate at its potential. Others believe that those restrictions benefit rural economies because households and firms are attracted to beautiful areas with minimal industry. A lagged adjusted model is used to estimate the effects of Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Forest Service (USFS), and National Parks Service (NPS) lands on population, employment, and income. The study focuses on …

Curriculum Improvement: The Teacher Perspective On Change In The Classroom, Heather C. Davis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explored the curriculum change experiences of five social studies teachers, from three high schools within one school district located in a western Montana city, integrating an economics curriculum in their eleventh grade U.S. history classrooms for the first time. A review of the related literature on this topic revealed several areas of consideration regarding teachers' curriculum change experiences which guided the data collection and analysis process: commitment, workload, capacity, collaboration, and perception of the teaching profession. This qualitative, within case study was designed to add to the body of quantitative research on curriculum change. Data collection sources include: …

Palestinian-Levantine Dialect Diaspora:Exploring Its Role In Maintaining Palestinian Cultural Heritage & Identity, Samir Ibrahim Bitar

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Cultural Geographers have written extensively on Diaspora, heritage, identity and their contributions greatly discuss how these theories integrate. The majority of what is available does not address the Palestinians specifically, hence my study fills a void in that it empirically addresses the Palestinian people and the role of their dialect and how it ties to Palestinian Diaspora, heritage and identity. Most of the literature has not viewed Diaspora, heritage, and identity thru the lens of language or language as a major player, an important one or perhaps vital. To produce these findings will contribute to the knowledge base on the …

Perception & Role Of 3-D Visualizations In Planning: A Case Study Of The Northwest Passage Scenic Byway's Viewshed Protection & Visualization Project, Kyle Balke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The use of sophisticated visualization tools and methods, in particular 3-D modeling, has seen a considerable rise in planning throughout the last decade due to continued advancements in 3-D technology, computer hardware, and the internet. The rapid increase in the use of 3-D visualization is supported by the belief that visualizations which imitate human experience help relieve many of the communication problems that exist between experts and lay persons during the planning process and help engage a broader cross-section of the public. However, little understanding exists to support these claims. This research provides a comprehensive investigation of stakeholder perceptions concerning …

The Development And Testing Of A Relational Model Of Competence In The Context Of Nature-Based Tourism, Christine Marie Oschell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Communication competence is a framework that has been used in many disciplines to understand communication events and their success or failure in achieving objectives. The model most often used to describe competence is the relational model proposed by Spitzberg & Cupach (1984) which includes three elements: knowledge, knowing what behavior is best suited for a given situation; skill, having the ability to apply that behavior in the given context; and motivation having the desire to communicate in a competent manner. This study used the model of relational competence to understand the communication process between guide and client in a nature-based …

Farmers' Perceptions And Reactions To Changes In Grain Elevator Size And Location In Central Montana, Jessie June Reynolds

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In Central Montana, grain elevators serve as the primary market for wheat. What began in the 1910’s as numerous small grain elevators scattered at short intervals along the railroad has now been condensed to a few very large grain elevators at central points in the region, increasing their efficiency and reducing their costs as they can load larger trains in less time with fewer employees. For farmers, this often means reduced competition among elevators that buy grain and an increase in the distance they must transport their grain. Existing literature addressing agricultural markets and transportation costs typically employs a quantitative …