Digital Commons Network^™

Messages Of Nationalism In Mexican And U.S. Textbooks: Implications For The National Identity Of Transnational Students, Danielle Lane Jerdee

Master's Theses

This study uses qualitative content analysis to compare fifth grade social studies textbooks in Mexico and the United States to provide insight on how messages of national identity change as students migrate between school systems. The following research questions will guide the analysis: Given that one of the roles of textbooks is to form a national consciousness through mythmaking, how do messages of national identity conveyed in Mexican and U.S. textbooks conflict? How are the topics of immigration and citizenship presented in each nation's textbooks? In what ways do differences in the accounts of history between Mexico and the United …

Law And Its Order, Daniele Manni

Master's Theses

Daniele Manni

Loyola University Chicago

LAW AND ITS ORDER: THE PRIORITY OF ETHICS OVER LEGISLATION

IN PLATO'S LAWS.

Despite the fact that the Laws are almost twenty four hundred years old, their reserve of philosophically and politically interesting points is still copious and relevant for the contemporary reader. The present work is an initial attempt to analyze the nature of law as treated in the Laws and to highlight especially the reliance of the legislative sphere on the ethical sphere.

In spite of the many, and often painfully detailed, laws posited by the Athenian in the course of books VIII-XII, …

Reorientation Through Interruption: On The Relation Of Immanuel Kant's Modes Of Egoism To His Critical Philosophy, Giancarlo Tarantino

Master's Theses

The relationship between Immanuel Kant's anthropology, and his Critical philosophy has proven to be a notoriously difficult problem, both for specifically Kantian scholarship as well as for philosophy in general. This thesis attempts to investigate this relationship by showing the importance of Kant's modes of egoism at work in his three Critiques. In doing so this thesis will highlight the phenomena of interruption, and orientation as playing crucial interpretive roles for parsing out the aforementioned relationship. I will try to show that anthropology and Critique mutually interrupt, and re-orient one another's specific contributions to the major themes of Kant's thinking.

The Mirror Is Not You: Objectification And Eating Disordered Behaviors In Classical And Contemporary Dancers, David Matthew Doyle

Master's Theses

The current study extended the tenets of objectification theory to a population considered to be at risk for poor body image--professional dancers. Furthermore, differences in self-objectification and its sequelae due to participation in classical versus contemporary dance companies, styles with differential exposure to objectifying cues, were explored. Forty professional dancers and thirty-nine non-dancers completed measures of objectification and its sequelae. Differences in levels of self-objectification did not fit the predicted pattern, with dancers evidencing lower levels than non-dancers; however body shame levels were elevated among dancers. The proposed model of objectification fit both groups, with body shame mediating the relationship …

Public Responsiveness To Victim's Recommendations In Their Sentencing Decisions: Role Of Victim's Race, Victim Impact Statement And Judge's Instructions, Mary Elizabeth Talbot

Master's Theses

A total of 191 participants completed the 2 (Race of victim: African American, Caucasian) x 2 (Content of Victim Impact Statement (VIS): Sentence Recommendation Only, Both Sentence Recommendation and Harm Statement) x 2 (Jury Guidelines for VIS: No guidance, Explicit instructions to weigh the harm statement with other aggravating and mitigating factors) between subjects factorial design study. The study assessed the relationship between the victim's race (African-American or Caucasian), the content of victim impact statements, and the judge's guidelines/instructions for interpreting/using the Victim Impact Statement (VIS) in the sentencing phase of a defendant's trial for burglary and aggravated battery. The …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Team Coaching, Performance Feedback, And Collective Efficacy On Small Group Performance, Rachael Nichole Martinez

Master's Theses

Research has demonstrated that there are a variety of factors that influence group performance such as team coaching, feedback, and collective efficacy. A study was conducted to determine whether consultative team coaching improves performance and at what point--beginning or middle--it is most beneficial to the team. One hundred eleven dyads, comprised of 222 students, participated in this study. The dyads performed a task twice in which they were given team coaching before the first attempt, after the first attempt, or not at all. In addition, feedback was manipulated such that teams received positive or negative feedback after their first attempt …

The City Imagined: Race, Place And Identity In The Making Of Urban Church, Jessica M. Barron

Master's Theses

In this study, I will explore the racial and urban imaginary of church leaders and members seeking to create an authentic and relevant church for Chicago's unchurched, young-adult urbanite. In their quest to develop a relevant church, the varied imaginations of the city of Chicago by leaders, volunteers and members come to the forefront. How these imaginations are fostered, incorporated, rebelled against or dismissed brings to light the politics of imagining the imagined city. This paper will discuss these varied, dueling, and sometimes contradictory imaginations informing the construction, operation, and branding campaigns of Urban Church. Particular focus will be paid …

Temporal Variability Of Bioassessment Indices Used To Evaluate Three Midwestern Streams, Nia M. Haller

Master's Theses

Population, community and functional measures or metrics in rapid bioassessment programs aid in establishing biological criteria for streams and rivers. Each metric measures different aspects of community structure and is important in detecting changes in macroinvertebrate community structure that are influenced by changes in water quality. In this study, temporal variation of nine commonly used bioassessment indices was examined in three midwestern streams. The indices were calculated for each of nine replicate benthic macroinvertebrate samples collected monthly for one year from Cowpie Creek (CC), Nippersink Creek (NC) and Lawrence Creek (LC), McHenry County, Illinois. In practice, the habitat sampled for …

Morphological Development Of The Axial Skeletons Of Esox Lucius And Esox Masquinongy (Euteleostei: Esociforms), With Comparisons In Developmental And Mineralization Rates., Amanda Maria Burdi

Master's Theses

Developmental morphology of the axial skeleton of Esox lucius (i.e., northern pike and type species) and E. masquinongy (i.e., muskellunge) was investigated. More than 1,000 specimens were examined ranging in size from approximately 10 mm notochordal length (NL) post-hatching juveniles to over 80 mm standard length (SL) foraging sub-adults. Results show that regardless of individual variation, the relative sequence of bone formation and mineralization is consistent between the two species. This consistent developmental pattern enabled construction of an ontogenetic staging scheme of eight developmental stages, each characterized by one defining criterion. The first appearance in cartilage and/or first sign of …

Voltaire Et Le Sauvage Civilisé, Christopher J. Barros

Master's Theses

This thesis explores Voltaire's interpretation of human nature, society, and progress vis-à-vis the myth of the "noble savage," an image that was widespread in the literature, imagination, and theater of the 17th and 18th centuries. For many people at that time, the "bon sauvage" embodied a certain happiness, simplicity, and equality that were lost when humankind exited its "primitive" state and became "civilized." Rousseau's "Discours sur l'origine et les fondements de l'inégalité parmi les hommes," which was vehemently criticized by Voltaire, greatly popularized the myth of primeval bliss, a myth which is still with us today.

In various works by …

Autumn Garden, Les Brady

Master's Theses

Autumn Garden is a novel using a semi-omniscient third-person narrator who conveys the perspectives of ten-year-old Nick Lucera, his mother, Mary, and father, Tony. The story challenges conventional beliefs of mortality as Nick confronts the greatest loss of his young life, his mother's impending death. The novel is set in 1970's coastal California.

Two characters influence how Nick processes events in his life: seventeen-year-old neighbor, Brian, an evangelical Christian, and Sal Amato, an acquaintance of Nick's parents, whose insights range from the curious to the fantastic. Brian's friendship is a refuge for Nick, who suffers regularly from the bullying inflicted …

Identité Et Langue Française Chez Azouz Begag Et Chahdortt Djavann, Nehal Abuelata

Master's Theses

This thesis addresses the problematics of identity construction through the acquisition of the French language for immigrants living in France. More specifically, it examines the impact French language acquisition has had and still has on the identity of children of Maghrebian descent and, more generally, its influence on the identity of non-francophone immigrants who arrived in France as adults by examining the novels of two francophone authors: Azouz Begag and Chahdortt Djavann. Whereas the former is a French writer of Algerian descent, a "Beur," the latter is an Iranian-born writer who emigrated to France as an adult. In addition, this …

If I Could Choose: Internalized Homophobia Of The Queer Cinema Movement, James Joseph Flaherty

Master's Theses

This thesis offers a critical examination of essentialist and constructionist theories of queer identities, with emphasis on portrayals of internalized homophobia in film. The thesis examines three films released at the latter part of the first New Queer Cinema movement (1991 - 2000) - American Beauty (1999), Urbania (2000) and Velvet Goldmine (1998). Using criticisms of Queer as performativity, as theorized by Judith Butler, in addition to the works of Gregory M. Herek, Harry M. Benshoff, Jeffrey Weeks, and other theorists and academics, the thesis analyzes the use of characterization, mise-en-scene, and spatial and temporal relationships in these films as …

An Analysis Of Stacy Garrop's Sonnet Settings For Treble Choir And Piano, Kathryn Alexis Feetham

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a thorough and detailed analysis of Stacy Garrop's two works for treble chorus and piano, Pity Me Not (2003) and Thou Famished Grave (2006) for the purposes of providing a base for future research and study. Since Garrop's goal as she composes is to tell the story contained in the text, this analysis of her works looks closely at the approaches she takes to communicate the story to the listener. The two choral pieces are examined on several musical levels including but not limited to form, melody, harmony, register, rhythm, tempo, meter, …

Toward A Single-Consciousness: Challenging "Un-American-Ness" Of People Of Color, Bhawana Kamil

Master's Theses

Race is a major axis of social injustice in America. Social injustice is due to both maldistribution of material resources and opportunities and non-recognition or mis-recognition of people of color. One form of mis-recognition is the accusation that a person of color is not a real American, creating a conflict of identities (i.e., racial and American): a double-consciousness. This accusation has its origins in faulty ideas about race, identity, and race-group membership.

This paper presents a new model of identity that addresses these faulty ideas and provides a conceptual structure within which one can consistently maintain a single-consciousness while maintaining …

A Phonetic, Phonological, And Morphosyntactic Analysis Of The Mara Language, Michelle Arden

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a linguistic analysis of the Mara language, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in northwest Myanmar and in neighboring districts of India. Data has been gathered through interviews with a native speaker. The analysis includes a full phonetic segment inventory of the dialect and a phonological analysis of contrastive sounds and contextual variants. Sound files embedded in the document illustrate the phonetic system. Mara's distinctive phonetic features include the loss of word-final consonants, a set of voiceless sonorants, pre- and post- aspirated nasals, and lowered and unlowered vowel pairs. The morphosyntax of Mara pronominal words demonstrates a split-ergative case …

A Framing Analysis Of Weblogs And Online Newspapers, Maria Carolina Janssen

Master's Theses

The thesis examined possible differences in framing of information in news weblogs and professional news articles. A frame analysis was conducted to answer the main question: Is news framed differently in online newspapers as compared to weblogs? Articles from four blogs and four online newspapers were gathered over a period of 30 days. A total of 43 frames were identified in the selected blogs. A total of 92 frames were identified in the selected online newspapers. The most commonly identified frame in both blogs and online newspapers was the progress frame with 51 appearances. The critical frame was used 47 …

Health Information Version 2.0: Female Students In Cyberspace, Sonia Easaw

Master's Theses

The arrival of the Internet, one of the greatest mass media vehicles of our time, has presented a wide platform for the dissemination of health information to the American public. A majority of adults in the United States search online for information about various health and medical topics, yet a particular portion of the general public, namely college students, searches for health information online at a higher rate than the general population. Female college students especially have cause to seek information about particular women's health matters that are relevant to their age group.

This study reveals new details about the …

The Russian Émigré In America: Translating And Transcending Exile In Vladimir Nabokov's Pnin And Pale Fire, Yelena N. Severina

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates how Vladimir Nabokov's experience as an exiled writer in America serves as a model for the protagonists of Pnin(1957) and Pale Fire(1962), two of Nabokov's English-language novels in which exile is a central theme. Although the protagonists, Pnin and Kinbote, are both true exiles, they illustrate markedly different responses to their dislocations; read in tandem, the novels constitute Nabokov's analysis of exile, his lament over its painfulness, and his transcendence of exile through art. Chapter One looks at Nabokov through the lens of exile while establishing fundamental theoretical concepts and terminology. Chapters Two and Three …

Women With Facial Disfigurements: Impact Of Media-Constructed Images Of Beauty, Sophia M. Papadopoulos

Master's Theses

WOMEN WITH FACIAL DISFIGUREMENTS: IMPACT OF MEDIA-CONSTRUCTED IMAGES OF BEAUTY

by Sophia M. Papadopoulos

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether women with congenital or acquired facial disfigurements were negatively influenced by the images of beauty found in television, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements and to determine how these images affected their overall perceptions of self. A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth telephone interviews with 25 women with various facial disfigurements. The study showed that, although media-constructed images of beauty did have some influence on the participants' overall perceptions of self, other factors such as the manner in …

The Response Of Zigadenus Fremontii To Variation In Fire Regime, Shannon Elizabeth Dinis

Master's Theses

California's chaparral shrub communities are naturally exposed to dry-season fire. It could be reasoned that prescription burns set during the wet season by land managers would have more detrimental effects on plant regeneration than dry season fires because wet season burns are more likely to kill newly emergent seedlings and damage newly emerged leaves of mature plants. Six field sites with flowering Zigadenus fremontii, an herbaceous perennial geophyte common to chapparal and part of the post-fire bloom, were established at Henry W. Coe State Park in Nothern California. Three sites were part of the September 2007 Lick Wildfire and …

Surface Plasmon Studies Of Composition Control In Mixed Acid Alkanethiol Sams, Arthur Cheng

Master's Theses

In this study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to investigate the adsorption of MUA (11-mercapto-undecanoic acid), MPA (3-mercapto-propionic acid) and MHX (6-mercapto-1-hexanol) onto a gold SPR sensor surface. MUA, MPA, and MHX were dissolved in phosphate buffers of ionic strengths varying from 0.1 mM to 1 M and at pH values between 2 and 11, and monolayer formation experiments were performed. Our results illustrate how the adsorption of these charged and neutral alkanethiols depends on solution ionic strength and pH. Results indicate that, for single-component MUA or MPA layers, low pH and elevated solution ionic strength may promote denser …

Assessment Of First Aid Knowledge And Decision Making Of Coaches Of Youth Soccer, Lynn Castro

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the first aid knowledge of coaches of youth soccer and to assess the decision making ability of those coaches in hypothetical athletic situations. The study investigated coaches with passing scores on the First Aid Assessment test (FAA) and first aid and CPR certification; years of coaching experience and scores on the FAA; the difference between years of coaching experience and return to play; the relationship between first aid and CPR certification and education level and the scores on the FAA and education level. Coaches completed a FAA test, Game Situation Data Sheet …

Flow Cytometry Of Alexandrium Catenella From Elkhorn Slough, California., Phillip Roland Hawkins

Master's Theses

This study describes the use of flow cytometry for the enumeration of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella in both estuarine samples from Elkhorn Slough, California and from sea water samples from inner Monterey Bay. Samples were subjected to a density-barrier sample enrichment technique employing percoll to separate debris from phytoplankton prior to sample fixation, labeling and analysis. Clarified, enriched preparations of phytoplankton were subjected to whole cell Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) using a ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probe specific for the North American ribotype (NA1) of the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium and analysis by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was validated …

Preparation Of Carbon Nanotube Based Device And Its Electrochemistry, Weiling Hsieh

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to develop methodologies for the exploitation of carbon nanotube thin films as chemical and electrochemical sensors. In this study we prepared thin films of carbon nanotubes (CNT) by solution casting methods and then used a novel hybrid electrochemical-conductometric method to measure the CNT film electrical conductivity as a function of electrochemical bias and stimulus. The bias between the CNT film and the contacting electrolyte and the bias between the opposite ends of the CNT film (referred to as K1 and K2) were simultaneously controlled - analogous to a transistor with an electrolyte gate. A …

Who Am I?: The Reflexivity Of Self-Identity Through Tourism, Matthew Lee Milde

Master's Theses

This study has set forth to close gaps, explore innovative methods, and create a better understanding of "Who am I?", in tourism research. Few studies in tourism research focus on how experiences gained from traveling shape self-identity through personal biographies. Building on the work of seminal authors on self-identity, personal narrative, and tourism, this study explores the reflexivity of self-identity as represented in travel narratives. The lived experiences offered through narrative condition spontaneous instances of self-discovery allowing for the (re)creation of new self-identities.

Participants were selected through a snowball sample; in-depth interviews were held with fifteen (15) adults born and …

Family Of Circulant Graphs And Its Expander Properties, Vinh Kha Nguyen Tran Nguyen

Master's Theses

In this thesis, we apply spectral graph theory to show the non-existence of an

expander family within the class of circulant graphs. Using the adjacency matrix and its properties, we prove Cheeger's inequalities and determine when the equalities hold. In order to apply Cheeger's inequalities, we compute the spectrum of a general circulant graph and approximate its second largest eigenvalue. Finally, we show that circulant graphs do not contain an expander family.

Interferometric Porosimetry Of Porous Silicon With Radius Distribution Functions, Yu-Chun Lu

Master's Theses

In this study a set of porous silicon (pSi) interferometric vapor sensor were made from p+ (~1 ohm-cm) and p++ (~0.005 ohm-cm) B-doped Si. The pSi layers were prepared electrochemically, stabilized either by ozone oxidation or 1-octene derivatization, and then characterized. FTIR reflection spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray spectroscopy of pSi layer cross sections confirmed the completeness of the ozone oxidation and 1-octene hydrosilation. The performance of the pSi layers as interferometric ethanol vapor sensors was assessed by constructing calibration curves of optical thickness change versus ethanol partial pressure and using these to assess the detection limits for ethanol …

Observed Water Vapor Enhancement In Smoke Plumes, Caroline Marie Kiefer

Master's Theses

Wildland fires cause the loss of life and billions of dollars in property damage every year in the US annually; thus, there is a need to better understand, predict, and manage both wildland and prescribed fires. Moisture released from combustion, in addition to added heat, can enhance buoyancy and convection, influencing fire behavior. Previous studies have shown a wide range of smoke plume moisture enhancement, but much uncertainty still exists in the quantitative values of moisture released during combustion. In this study, three measurement platforms were used to obtain in situ measurements of temperature and relative humidity during various prescribed …

Improvement Of A Propagation Delay Model For Cmos Digital Logic Circuits, Rodger Lawrence Stamness

Master's Theses

Propagation delay models, for CMOS Digital Circuits, provide an initial design solution for Integrated Circuits. Resources, both monetary and manpower, constrain the design process, leading to the need for a more accurate entry point further along in the design cycle. By verifying an existing propagation delay method, and its resulting delay model, calibration for any given process technology can be achieved. Literature reviews and detailed analysis of each step in the model development allow for greater understanding of each contributing parameter, and ultimately, adjustments to the model calibration result in a more accurate analytical model. An existing model was verified …