Digital Commons Network^™

Using Monetary Incentives To Support Female Entrepreneurship: An Experimental Test Of Monetary Incentives In Abuja, Nigeria, Imuetinyan Aiguwurhuo

Master's Theses

Gender gaps in entrepreneurship are a major problem everywhere, but especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Women across the world face high levels of discrimination and abuse. The process of empowering women in a society has the potential to boost economic growth and development. Inspired by the success of the Family Independence Initiative (FII), we designed a field experiment to estimate the impact of using monetary incentives to motivate female entrepreneurs in achieving their goals in collaboration with the National Center for Women Development (NCWD) in Abuja, Nigeria. Our results suggest that being in a peer support group, setting a …

The Impacts Of Natural Disasters On Educational Attainment: Cross-Country Evidence From Macro Data, Lois Onigbinde

Master's Theses

Do natural disasters impact educational attainment? Education as a paramount factor of economic development suffers from the uncontrollable effects of these increasing events from storms to floods, earthquakes to wildfires. Globally, educational resources are destroyed, directly and indirectly, students and teachers are displaced or killed, parents’ income is affected because of natural disasters. Investments in human capital for rich- and low-income countries are exposed to the uneven impact of natural disasters that adjusts household and country-level decisions, leaving them to short and long-run losses. Exploring the influence of natural disasters on secondary school attainment across a sample of 85 countries …

“Unwanted In My Own Country”: Testimonies Of Identity And Belonging-Negotiations In A Post-Trump America, Nadia Naghedi Baradaran Hajjar

Master's Theses

This research investigates the impact of Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 presidential elections and the so-called, “Muslim” Travel Ban presidential executive orders, on communities of first and second-generation Middle Eastern, Muslim immigrant women in the Los Angeles area, and it is framed within the context of post 9/11-biases and racial discrimination. The ethnographic-like methodology for this research has been conducted with the use of 11 semi-structured in-depth interviews from 2017 that have been transcribed and coded. Findings from the interview data shows that there is a varied amount of responses from the 2016 Presidential Elections and travel ban, however, …

On The Front Lines: Service Providers Respond To The Haitian Refugee Crisis, Karina Castro

Master's Theses

Haitian Refugees arrived in Tijuana in mass numbers in the fall of 2016, with the dream of receiving asylum in the United States. However, upon their arrival, U.S. immigration policy changed and Tijuana became their permanent home as it strived to absorb this new population. In this paper I will address how Tijuana service-providers responded to this humanitarian crisis and were affected by U.S. and Mexican policies in their ability to support the integration of Haitian refugees in their communities. The historical context of Haitian migration history will provide an overview of push factors via an analysis of the economic, …

Country Risk And Agricultural Productivity: An Efficiency Study, Tosin Babatunde

Master's Theses

Do the social, economic and political environment in a country affect agricultural efficiency? We address this question by estimating a stochastic frontier model of agricultural productivity in 138 countries from 1984 to 2013. By observing how the business condition, level of social harmony and quality of government in a country affect agricultural inefficiency, we find there to be a positive effect. However, land quality as quantified by percentage of land irrigated, and openness to global trade have a more positive effect on decreasing agricultural productivity. We also find that consistent with literature, former British colonies exhibit higher technical efficiency.

“Se Van A Trabajar, Pero Se Quedan A Vivir”: A Qualitative Exploration Into The Subjective Well-Being Of Mexican Women In A Migrant-Sending Community, Vanessa Saldivar

Master's Theses

The study of subjective well-being and migration are two fields that have increased in prominence in recent decades. However, in the area where the two fields intersect, significant gaps exist. Meanwhile, the majority of research on migration ignores those who stay, resulting in an unbalanced and incomplete understanding of the phenomenon of migration. Using an ethnographic and life history approach, this study explores the subjective well-being of women residing in the migrant-sending community of Tlachichila. Narratives from semi-structured interviews and participant observation field notes were analyzed thematically and emergent themes were identified. Findings suggest that despite the hardship that underscores …

How Language Policies And Practices Affect Classrooms In Schools And Colleges, Gwendolyn F. Stanley

Master's Theses

To understand the origin of this documentation pertaining to How Language Policies and Practices Affect Classrooms in Schools and Colleges goes all the way back in time to the 1800s. The year of 1890 was the time, when the so-called minority generation in the United States came to realize that, injustice was going to be at a standstill unless some action would take place. This country was set on uncertain written standards that were bound to have been noted as constitutional. The constitution says this, and the constitution states that, “While the 13^th Amendment to the United States Constitution …

From Davao City To Daly City: Examining Translanguaging And Transnationalism In The 1.5-Generation Filipin(A/O) Americans Of Daly City, Rita Ewing

Master's Theses

In the field of migration studies, research on transnationalism has been well

established. Applying an intersectional framework of post-colonial narrative and

linguistic anthropology to transnational migration, this research allows us to better

understand how the transnational immigrant deploys language. Through a nostalgia

studies approach, this study is able to analyze how transnational immigrants place value

on their heritage and second languages, and reflexively deploy their language sets to

reflect their unique positionality. This paper is a case study examination of five adult

members of the 1.5-generation of Filipin(a/o) American immigrants, who immigrated to

the US before the age of eighteen …

The Composition Of Public Expenditure: Does It Matter For Economic Growth?, Valery Awuh

Master's Theses

Abstract: In the past, a lot of studies put more emphasis on the aggregate government expenditure as the primary driver of social and economic growth which is in the short term. The studies did not capture expenditures on infrastructure, education, and defense which are the disaggregate government expenditure that sustains both social and economic growth in the long term.

The objective of this study is to determine how the demand and supply side of government expenditure can impact on social and economic growth using 45 both advanced and emerging countries. It also wants to establish the expenses that have a …

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 …

Political Revolutions And Women's Progress: Why The Egyptian Arab Spring Failed To Deliver On The Promises Of Women's Rights, Anne Song

Master's Theses

The mass participation of women in the 2011 Egyptian Arab Spring began what many thought would be a new feminist movement. As news cycles started showing the central role of women in the Arab Spring, many people including the women who demonstrated believed women’s rights were on the horizon. This study shows why the 2011 Arab Spring did not deliver on the promises of women’s rights in Egypt. Explaining the historical, religious, and societal influences on women’s rights in Egypt, and using data from the Arab Barometer and reports from the World Bank and UN, this study shows that the …

Mineral Warfare: The Dark Side Of Technology And International Mediation, Priyanka Basnyat

Master's Theses

Conflict surrounding the extraction and trade of natural resources is not an uncommon phenomenon. Especially in the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has historically suffered from the negative impacts of the resource curse since their mineral wealth was first discovered by their Colonial administrators. The importance of Congo’s minerals has fluctuated over the years but has peaked during recent times, as their use in technological advancements are becoming more vital. The global demand for these mineral ores have sky rocketed and consequentially, the largely informal trade has benefitted certain rebel groups, playing a pivotal role in …

The Impacts Of Natural Disasters On Educational Attainment: Cross-Country Evidence From Macro Data, Lois Onigbinde

Master's Theses

Do natural disasters impact educational attainment? Education as a paramount factor of economic development suffers from the uncontrollable effects of these increasing events from storms to floods, earthquakes to wildfires. Globally, educational resources are destroyed, directly and indirectly, students and teachers are displaced or killed, parents’ income is affected because of natural disasters. Investments in human capital for rich- and low-income countries are exposed to the uneven impact of natural disasters that adjusts household and country-level decisions, leaving them to short and long-run losses. Exploring the influence of natural disasters on secondary school attainment across a sample of 85 countries …

Southeast Asian Higher Educational Attainment In The United States – A Narrative Study, Tseng-Fouw Gloria Pharn

Master's Theses

Southeast Asian Americans have among the lowest higher educational attainment rates among the Asians. However, aggregated data and the model minority myth often conceal this reality, leaving many Southeast Asian Americans without the proper support systems. The model minority myth, the importance of the historical context of Southeast Asian migration, and the impacts of being refugees, are all addressed as they form the basis of many Southeast Asian Americans experiences in higher education. A narrative approach is utilized to analyze the interviews of ten Southeast Asian American (Cambodian, Hmong, Mien, Khmu, and Vietnamese) college graduates, with Asian Critical Race Theory …

Individualizing Care For Pediatric Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Perioperative Services, Erin Scheller

Master's Theses

This research explores solutions for individualizing and improving care for pediatric patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Perioperative Setting of an Outpatient Surgery Center. Specifically, it seeks to determine if providing parent and staff resources on Autism Spectrum Disorder is significantly helpful in increasing confidence in the staff by the parents and the staff themselves. Participants included thirty-five surveyed families who had pediatric patients visiting perioperative services and staff who work on the unit. Methods used include information dissemination with the use of printable and online evidence-based resources, an in-person education event for staff, and a pilot study of …

Lived Experiences Of Queer Female Youth In High School, Ruth Etcheverria

Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to explore the experiences of self-identified queer female high school students in relation to experiences with their peers related to sexuality. Through semi-structured interviews, the three participants of this study poured out anecdotes of coming out, and sexuality-related common or unique interactions with peers. Additionally, the participants shared their perspectives surrounding the ways peers have supported and/or marginalized them based on their sexuality. Queer feminist theory is engaged to explore the intersectional experiences of the queer female participants as they recount stories of coming out to classmates, supportive friendships, and daily exposure to homophobic …

Don’T Worry Be Happy: Analysis Of Happiness As An Economic Measurement, Kofi Boadu

Master's Theses

Everyone wants to be happy. Happiness however never seems to be a national goal. A possible answer is that happiness is subjective and on its own may not be reflective of the economic status of a country. Therefore, should people’s happiness should be treated equally with other traditional economic measurements? This cross-country level study looks at the relationship between happiness and traditional economic measurements; mainly GDP per capita. Questions concerning whether GDP per capita indeed captures the overall well-being of a citizen and happiness’ eligibility as an economic measurement are addressed. Findings confirm that happiness and GDP per capita are …

Female Risk Aversion: Experimental Evidence From Myanmar, O Mandalay

Master's Theses

Present literature shows that the risk tolerance of females is generally lower than that of males, but in some circumstances, it can exceed – when concerning the welfare of the offspring, for example. Many experiments and data suggest that the dynamics of female risk tolerance depend on context and type of rewards involved as well as cultural norms. In our experiment, holding the culture and the context fixed, we found that females took less risk than males. Our experiment was conducted in Myanmar using a lottery selection method to measure risk over five consecutive rounds. We found 1) female risk …

Impact Of Innovative Menstrual Technology And Awareness On Female Empowerment Outcomes In Rural Nepal, Anjali Limbu

Master's Theses

In developing countries, menstruation poses two significant challenges for females. First, the resources required for periods are expensive for those in low-income communities. Hence, the absence of such menstrual products lowers females’ access to schooling and employment. Next, periods are also heavily stigmatized – especially in poorer or rural areas. Such taboos surrounding menstruation negatively impacts females’ psychological development and hamper their prospects of socialization. Thus, to analyze this issue, we ran a randomized control trial in Nepal, where we provided reusable menstrual pads and / or health seminar to 312 schoolgirls and 100 of their mothers. Our outcomes demonstrate …

What’S At Steak? The Political Discourse Of Emissions Intensity And Implications Of Animal Agriculture, Kalyn Simon

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the international discourse of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to livestock production. Specific government ministries, research institutes, and multilateral organizations are framing a new strategy to mitigate emissions by using emissions intensity metrics. Emissions intensity is a ratio comparing emissions produced per unit of animal product as oppose to measuring absolute emissions. This research is acknowledged as a win-win scenario which allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing production more efficiently. This thesis outlines the emergence of this metric in international discourse and the implications this shift has on the livestock sector globally. Ultimately, …

Violence Et Liberté : La Période Coloniale Chez Frantz Fanon, Charlotte Dutournier

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Epidemiology Of Sudden Death In Organized Youth Sports In The United States, 2007-2015, Brad D. Endres

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Mindfulness And Implicit Political Intergroup Bias, Joel Devonshire

Master's Theses

As a conceptual replication of Tincher, Lebois, and Barsalou (2016), I investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention on two measures related to intergroup bias: language abstraction and the differential attribution of uniquely-human emotions to different groups. In Experiment 1, 207 politically liberal or conservative participants were randomly assigned to a mindful attention, immersed attention, or no instruction condition. Participants were exposed to a series of visual and auditory stimuli, including several pictures of valenced behavior performed by an ingroup or an outgroup member. They were also asked to indicate which emotions are characteristic of typical ingroup and outgroup …

The Effect Of Participant Gender And Exposure To Social Embarrassment Messages On Evaluations Of Binge Drinking Messages, Seth Mccullock

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Nexrad-Based Sub-Daily Intensity Duration Frequency Curves Over Conus, Daniel Mcgraw

Master's Theses

The establishment of design storm parameters is a critical step in hydrologic design and flood-risk management. Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are commonly used as they yield the expected intensity of a given storm duration and frequency of occurrence. Due to the long record length and reliability of the data, rain gauges have been used historically to generate at-point IDF curves. However, limitation in gauge coverage or distribution can result in uncertainties in IDF generation from the data interpolation methods. A potential solution to this limitation is the incorporation of radar-based Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs) in deriving IDF relationships. Radar-based estimates offer …

The Use Of Econsults To Improve Access To Dermatological Care For Underserved Populations In Connecticut, Fludiona Naka

Master's Theses

Importance: Medically underserved populations receiving care at community health centers lack access to specialty care.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a dermatology electronic consultation (eConsult) program on a statewide scale focusing on access to care for medically underserved patients.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of 2385 dermatology referrals from June 2014 through November 2015.

Setting: Large, multi-site Federally Qualified Health Center in Connecticut.

Participants: Dermatology referrals pre-eConsult implementation from June to November 2014 (n=1258) and post-eConsult implementation from June to November 2015 (n=1127). All referrals came from primary care providers from twelve primary care sites in CT.

Intervention: Implementation of …

Assessment Of A Modified Heat Tolerance Test In Recreational Runners, Kelsey M. Rynkiewicz

Master's Theses

Exercising in hot and humid conditions is a stressful environment that can be taxing on the human body. In certain situations, uncompensable heat stress may occur in which there is an overwhelming of the thermoregulatory system. This may result in exertional heat illnesses, particularly exertional heat stroke, which warrant rapid and appropriate treatment to avoid long term complications, or even death.

Returning to activity, duty, or play after an exertional heat stroke, or for those who exhibit difficulty exercising in the heat, is a complex process. However, heat tolerance tests have been used, particularly in warriors, as an evaluation tool …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Medication Adherence Among College-Aged Women, Lauren Strainge

Master's Theses

Emerging adulthood is a period of increasing independence commonly associated with declines in medication adherence. Daily medication is prescribed to college-aged women at disproportionate rates compared to their male peers, but little is know about potential risk factors for poor medication adherence among this population. This study sought to assess the prevalence of adherence problems among this emerging adult population, and to identify psychosocial variables associated with poor adherence. Participants completed a series of online questionnaires regarding medication use, adherence, and number of demographic and psychosocial variables, and regression analyses were used to identify associated risk factors. Results indicated that …

Minimization Of Carbon Footprint Of Transit Agencies By Adopting Alternative Fuel Technologies, Adrita Islam

Master's Theses

The increasing trend in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission around the globe has been of broad and current interest for the past few decades. In the state of Connecticut, transportation is the largest contributor of GHG emission at about 42% of the total emission of 36.5 Million Metric Tons of CO₂ equivalent. Although buses comprise less than 1% of the total transportation emissions in the country, transit agencies are trying to reduce their carbon footprint by adopting alternative fuel technology buses. The overarching objective of this thesis is to aid transit agencies make more informed decisions regarding the process of …

Spatial Variability In Abundance, Detectability And Survival Of White-Tailed Deer Across A Heterogeneous Landscape Of Fear, Jennifer Kilburn

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.