Digital Commons Network^™

Kinship Involvement And Strength Development In The Child Welfare System, Nicole Amper Hodgkinson

Master's Theses

For youth involved in the Child Welfare System (CWS), maltreatment and ecological losses pose enormous challenges to healthy development. Kin and fictive kin involvement, a current CWS priority, may have the potential to aid in strength development; however, little is known about its role in this process. The current study explored the following aims: (1) identify the role of kin and fictive kin in strength development (2) investigate the impact of maltreatment on initial strength levels and their development over time and (3) examine the extent to which kinship involvement interacts with prior maltreatment to buffer the impact of maltreatment …

Missing In Action: Locating The Body In Interdisciplinary Studies, Ann Lenore Moradian

Master's Theses

This research project relied on the use of interdisciplinary literature, surveys and interviews to explore the prevalence of the human body and its movement across a variety of disciplines other than movement-based practices, and also to explore perspectives of movement experts regarding the knowledge, skills, and capacities they believed might be related to their practice-based work. In other words, what do movement practitioners and movement experts know, and who cares? The materials gathered were analyzed with the aim of understanding the range of possibilities for future work, and identifying areas of potential discourse, engagement, or collaboration across disciplines. The outcomes …

Navigating Hate: The Public Deliberation Of Matthew Shepard And Hate Crime Legislation, Abigail Barnes

Master's Theses

Since Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998, his narrative has been recirculated to justify a federal hate crime statute and Shepard has been used as a symbol for the demand for hate crime legislation. This study seeks to evaluate how Shepard is used in public deliberation, the role of private organizations in the public deliberation of hate crime legislation, and the discursive history of the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009. Through a rhetorical criticism, this study finds that the nuances of Shepard’s narrative are abandoned in order to construct him as a “permissible” symbol for LGBTQ+ protections. However, if …

Imperial Subjection And The Orientalist Gaze: Turning Asian Women’S Bodies Into Entertainment, Miriam Ahn

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the structural factors that provide meaning and space to performances where violence is served as entertainment. What are the structural conditions that turn gendered and racialized violent forms of display into enjoyment? By exploring the sex tourism in Thailand, particularly ping-pong shows, I will analyze aspects of international political economy and feminist studies to address forms of display based on the abjectness of the other. I argue that sex tourism in Thailand is not part of local culture but is upheld by imperial hegemonic perceptions of the colonized and gendered bodies. The perspectives of Orientalism, patriarchal systems, …

Written In Black, White, And Red: An Exploration Of Civilizer Theology In American History, Jeremy Mcginniss

Master's Theses

This paper proposes an extended definition and discusses examples of civilizer theology within the perceptions and practices of white Protestant American Christianity faith traditions. Civilizer theology is defined as a self-referential, self-fulfilling framework actively shaping the expectations, behaviors and practices of societal norms driving cultural practices. Examples are selected as guided by three significant and interdependent dispositions characterizing civilizer theology: cultural decay/moral decline, authority, and violence. This paper hypothesizes theological interpretation, application and exegesis, mediated by the three dispositions, are deliberately applied to support socio-economic, cultural and political ends with the goal of maintaining power structures benefiting a particular group.

Evaluation Of Commercial Protective Cultures For The Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes And Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli In Raw Milk Cheese, Catherine Gensler

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Shakespeare's Adaption Of Cinthio's "Un Capitano Moro" Into Othello, Cleveland A. Williams

Master's Theses

Abstract

William Shakespeare’s Othello is an adaptation of Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio’s “Un Capitano Moro,” that was written in 1565; taken from his novella collection ‘Gli Hecatommithi,’ Decad.III., Novella 7. Cinthio’s story of the Moor of Venice fits the classification of the Italian novellas which grew to prominence during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries due to the popularity of Boccaccio’s Decameron.

Shakespeare liberated this story from its state of oblivion and utilized it as his framework for Othello; as the plot exposes some of the most intricate of human emotions – love, hate and jealousy, which are all …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Covering A Killer: A Content Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of White Male Mass Murderers In The U.S, Rhys Hall

Master's Theses

White men represent a disproportionate number of mass murderers via guns/bombings in the U.S. Though, there may be disparities in how often white masculinity is probed as a conflictual site of socialization when compared with other social racial and gender identities. Holding concern for how masculine violence is criminalized across racial lines, I conduct a review of racial typificiations of Black crime in newspapers to juxtapose with contemporary discourse of white masculine crime.

Using content analysis, I examine hundreds of newspaper publications released from 2011-2016 covering mass killers. I look for tendencies from paper writers to minimize sociological similarities between …

Comparison Of The Effect Of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate And Bioceramics Root Repair Material On Odontoblast Differentiation In Vitro, Saleh Ashkanani

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Oral Colonization Of Malassezia Species, Anibal Cardenas

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Landscape Mobility Of The Precontact Ohlone: An Isotopic Investigation Of Dietary Reconstruction, Landscape Mobility, And Marriage Patterns, Kelli Sullivan

Master's Theses

Marriage and post-marital residence patterns shape and define various aspects of a population’s culture. This study aims to understand the complex relationships of precontact individuals from one earthen-mound burial site, Ryan Mound (CA-ALA-329), by examining human stable isotopes to elucidate mobility patterns through time. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from serial-sections of human third molars from the Ryan Mound suggest that mobility increased for males around the ages of sexual maturity for the Middle Period and Phase I of the Late Period, while females tended to be more stable in their residence, consistent with a matrilocal society. Both males and …

Cultural Imperialism, Tv And Children Spectatorship In Contemporary Ghana., Aba Micah

Master's Theses

A content and discourse analysis of television programs is performed to show that Ghanaians do enjoy their local programs but very little time is allocated for children’s content on both the public and private stations. Instead, foreign content has flooded the TV channels for both adult and children’s programs and this is concerning because culture is being lost amongst the new generation. Also, in an era where representation matters, African children should be represented in the media. This paper centers on cultural and media imperialism and representation of the African child in the media and we find that TV programs …

Boosting Demand For Biofortified Foods: The Case Of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Bread In Tamale, Ghana, Tchassanty Ouro-Gbeleou

Master's Theses

Abstract: In the context of introducing biofortification of staple crops as a food-based approach to combat micronutrient malnutrition in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), we carried out a survey in Tamale, Ghana to elicit consumers’ preference of and willingness to pay for one of the highly nutritious biofortified staple crop processed product: the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) bread. Our results indicate that scores of respondents in the sample show preference for OFSP bread. The most important determinants of OFSP bread preference are its sweet taste and soft texture and consumers are willing to pay 0.634 pesewas more for the attribute …

Overlooking Men And Boys In Forced Criminality At The Border: A Content Analysis Of Human Trafficking Training And Awareness Materials, Eric Beasley

Master's Theses

Executive Summary

In the Post 9/11 era, where American security is intimately linked to a militarized border management system designed to protect the United States and its territories from threats of terrorism, illegal drugs, and illegal immigration, the media continues to perpetuate the 'Latino Threat Narrative'. The images and information offered to us for consumption help us construct an understanding of events, people, and places. This paper explores how the 'Latino Threat Narrative' and inherent gender biases shape how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) understands vulnerability and identifies human trafficking victims, particularly men and boys from Mexico and Central …

The Curated Chronicles Of The American Family: An Ideological Analysis Of The Love Taza Blog, Elizabeth Radley

Master's Theses

Named one of the top ten influencers of parenting by Forbes, Naomi Davis of the family-lifestyle Blog, Love Taza has transformed her family chronicles into a successful Internet business with an extensive following ("Top Influencers of 2017: Parenting"). This thesis examines the content of Love Taza to understand what messages Naomi communicates to her readers and how her readers may be receiving those messages. Using a sample of 600 posts from 2012-2017, a quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the type of content being presented. According to the findings, the majority of the posts included sponsored content and the most …

A Study Into The Feasibility Of Using Natural Language Processing And Machine Learning For The Identification Of Alcohol Misuse In Trauma Patients, Andrew Phillips

Master's Theses

Alcohol misuse is a leading cause of premature death in the United States, with nearly a third of trauma patients found to have elevated blood alcohol levels upon admission. However, timely intervention has been shown to reduce this. It is thus important to be able to quickly screen patients to identify alcohol misuse. Many medical centers use standardized questionnaires to identify alcohol misuse, but since these instruments are not usually a part of routine care, there are many cases where it is not done.

In this study, large quantities of notes were processed with natural language processing and machine learning …

Culturally Relevant Choral Music Pedagogy And Student Feedback, Theoni Richardson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this teacher action research study was to assess choral education pedagogy through the perspective of high school choir students. The research question asked: How can I utilize student interpretation and critique in order to empirically self-reflect on my choral teaching practice and its cultural relevance? Interpretation and critique are defined as student opportunities to give feedback, both positive and negative, in the form of qualitative oral discussion and quantitative, linear ranking. While research has shown that culturally relevant pedagogy allows for more student engagement and success, I hypothesized that this study would show that students who perceive …

Preparation And In Vitro Characterization Of An Integrated Graft System For Regenerative Engineering, Mohammed Barajaa

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Human Dimensions Of Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) Management In Connecticut, Lindsay Keener-Eck

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Eductional Persistence In Latino Male Students Attending University: Their Experiences And Identity Development, Michelle Swartz

Master's Theses

Because Latino male students have lower graduation rates from high school and postsecondary institutions than other demographic groups have, this qualitative research study examined the psychosocial experiences that influence the development of educational persistence. To this end, eight Latino male undergraduate students, who are also low-income and first-generation students at San José State University, participated in semi-structured interviews in which they discussed their identities and school experiences. An analysis of the eight interviews shows how these students made meaning of their education, gender identity, and ethnicity. The constant comparative method for analyzing interview transcripts revealed the following themes: (a) the …

Articulated Indigeneity And Tourism In HawaiʻI, Erika Nielsen

Master's Theses

The guiding research question for this thesis asks how Hawaiian indigeneity and self-determination are articulated within tourism spaces in Hawaiʻi. This thesis research works to uncover the nuanced ways that Hawaiian indigeneity is employed to manage and regulate tourism activities in Hawaiʻi. I seek to question the narrative that Hawaiians consent to, and prosper from, the largely unregulated mass tourism complex that has become a focal point of the post-colonial state. Native Hawaiians have actively resisted the erosion of their culture, lands, and nation through strategies that employ multiple understandings of indigeneity. We should not assume that the tourism industry …

Life Being An International Student In The United States: Acculturation, Culture Shock, And Identity Transformation, Lai Yan Vivyan Lam

Master's Theses

The population of international students at community colleges in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. International students play a big role in building the cultural diversity on campus by bringing over different cultures and sharing their global perspective to the local community. However, they often face challenges adapting into American culture due to cultural differences in education system, language, lifestyle, etc. By looking into the acculturation process of international students to analyze the culture shock and cultural identity changes they experienced, this paper intends to seek ways to help this group of students to ease their …

Oxygen Isotopic Composition Of Nitrate Produced By Freshwater Nitrification, Danielle Boshers

Master's Theses

Identifying sources of nitrate (NO₃^-) in the environment is important to elucidate causes of water quality impairment and eutrophication. Measurements of naturally occurring stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) and oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) in NO₃^-, can be used to determine the sources, dispersal, and fate of natural and contaminant NO₃^- in aquatic environments. To this end, it is necessary to know how NO₃^- isotopologues are modified by biological reactions, as heavy and light isotopes have different reaction rates. One important microbial reaction that …

Women In Wartime Shipyards: Operating A Drill Press Was Like Using An Egg Beater, Carol A. Strohmetz

Master's Theses

This research examines the duality of the roles of American women during World War II. The research draws upon oral histories, newspaper accounts and advertisements, music and films of the time, letters and family scrapbooks, and primary and secondary sources. Most prior research focuses on either women in the workforce or women in the home. This research synthesizes all aspects of the lives of women as they navigated the hostile terrain of the male workforce and continued to perform the duties assigned to them by society. This research highlights the multiple roles that women successfully executed as they cared for …

Key Differences Between Hepatic And Intestinal Apoc3 Regulation And Expression, And Implications For Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Gabrielle West

Master's Theses

In the intestine, apoC-III delays chylomicron secretion, and causes a decrease in chylomicron size. Once apoC-III is in circulation, apoC-III delays triglyceride-rich remnants clearance by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase and liver low-density lipoprotein receptor. In humans, high levels of plasma apoC-III directly result in hypertriglyceridemia. ApoC-III is a critical cardiovascular risk factor, and humans expressing null mutations in apoC-III are robustly protected from cardiovascular disease. Because of its critical role in elevating plasma lipids and CVD risk, the factors that regulate apoC-III expression in the liver have been determined, and include glucose, insulin (through FoxO1), and dietary fat. Considerably less is …

Investigating The Potential Of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials And Probiotic Bacteria For Improving The Microbiological Safety Of Dry Pet Food, Chi-Hung Chen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence Among Asian Indian Immigrant Women In The United States, Teuta Peja

Master's Theses

This study looks at how domestic violence is conceptualized by the research studies on

Asian Indian immigrant communities in the United States through different periods of time, and

how sociocultural factors are associated with domestic violence. Using the meta-synthesis

descriptive method, I analyzed and interpreted the findings of four research studies conducted

between 1995-2016 that included in-depth interviews with Asian Indian immigrant women who

experienced domestic violence. The analysis focuses on changes of the patterns of abuse, helping behavior, and leaving the abusive marriage as an option. The changes in U.S. domestic

violence legislation and policy regarding immigration and domestic …

Phenomenological Study Of Adult Lived Experiences After The Loss Of A Parent And Its Effects On The Perception Of Those Adults, Victor Khaula

Master's Theses

Some things are never truly understood in life until you have the personal experience of living through them. This qualitative research was aimed at understanding the adult-lived experience after parental loss and how living through such an experience led those adults to change their perception about bereavement. The major question was “Why did the death of my mother communicate things to me that I never understood when I ministered to those who had lost their parents?” Experiencing the death of my mother was studied in relation to the lived experiences of three other Seventh-day Adventist adults from my university who …

The Captivity Of Opportunity: The Conversation Surrounding Church-Going Hispanic Immigrants, Nicolet Hopper Bell

Master's Theses

Immigration is a long-standing topic of discussion in the United States. Hispanic immigrants, or families of Hispanic immigrants, living in America face unique challenges. Through focus group interviews, participants from a predominantly Hispanic Protestant church narrated their experience of living in the United States. Guided grounded theory data analysis revealed three categories and 14 subcategories, or themes of conversation, surrounding this hot topic. Participants shed light on the distinctive challenges they faced, how these challenges affected them, and how they attempted to overcome these difficulties. By exploring these results through the lens of social stigma theory (Goffman, 2009) and intergroup …