Digital Commons Network^™

Establishing Recording Studios For The Purpose Of Developing Indigenous Worship For Tunisian Believers, Frank Fortunato

Masters Theses

Over several decades churches worldwide have focused on recovering or discovering biblical, vibrant worship. With one brilliant statement John Piper captured the current wave of worship and connected it to missions. In what has become a classic motto of the missions movement Piper reminded the Christian community that “missions exists because worship doesn’t. Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is.” While not a new concept, these few words helped forge missions and worship into symbiotic relationship. Each morphed into the other in an ongoing continuum. The establishing of thriving, biblical churches that were also worshiping churches …

Building Deconstruction Guidelines: Tools For Recovering Building Materials, Ali Ayedh Merzen

Masters Theses

The traditional method of tearing down building when its life cycle is completed is known as demolition, which means destroying most of the structures and burying it in the landfills. This is the most common practice in most countries, but in recent years there is a new movement toward using the components of these buildings. Burying usable or recyclable materials in landfills means more pollution and increasing the need for more landfills. The concept of reusing or recycling building materials is known as Deconstruction. This practice is relatively new in the construction industry and requires more research and studies to …

Negotiated Families: Lesbians And Institutions In Southwest Michigan, Cynthia E. Foor

Masters Theses

In this thesis, I look at the practices of certain lesbians and locate them within a particular historical and cultural context. I argue that the resources, the capital, both material and social, as well as the internalized orientations and expectations each woman brings to the crafting of her family, accounts for the particular family each has negotiated. It is within the particular historical constraints and opportunities that we can understand each family's experiences. The uniqueness of family experience is predicated on differences in the women's ages linked to the particular historical trajectory of sociopolitical changes in the U. S. Yet …

They're Getting Away With Murder: The Social Account Ability Of Collegiate Athletes, Justina Ixcia Phillips

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to study deviant behavior among collegiate student athletes. This study involves institutions in the Midwest region of the United States, particularly the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This study took on a sociological approach by interviewing specialized athletic officials, and examining different levels of social control by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), along with its interaction with the Mid-American Conference. Various variables that affect social control such as gender, race, and economic conditions were also examined to get an understanding of how these factors influence behavior.

Measuring Urban Sprawl In Kalamazoo Region: A Land Cover Approach, Olena I. Smith

Masters Theses

Urban sprawl is a common American problem that has continued unabated throughout the last six decades. The pattern of urban sprawl in many metropolitan areas of Michigan is typical for much of the United States. Urban sprawl has been recognized as a major social problem in Michigan since the beginning of the 1990's. However, few studies measure urban sprawl by utilizing land cover information.

This research is a temporally comparative study that concentrates on changing patterns of "land cover" (the way land is covered by natural or human activities) from 1978 to 1996 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The study focuses on …

Arab American Interest Groups And Congressional Decisionmaking: A Case Study Of The Arab American Institute, Robert L. Harbaugh

Masters Theses

Unlike other ethnic communities in the U.S., such as the Jewish and Hispanic communities, the political power of the Arab American community is largely unknown. Therefore, one manner to gain insight into the political power of Arab Americans is to study the interest groups that represent their ethnic community. This study uses the Arab American Institute as the leading Arab American interest group.

The study recognizes that there are three important variables to determining Arab American influence. The first is voting and is not examined in this study. The second two, which are examined, are direct lobbying on Congress and …

Evaluation Of The Picture Exchange Communication System, Anne Rena Cummings

Masters Theses

The Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) is a picture-based augmentative communication method that is widely accepted and utilized across children with a variety of disabilities. Despite its extensive dissemination, there is a dearth of empirically based support to document the effectiveness of PECS. The current study is the first to experimentally evaluate the effects of training during each of the 6 phases of PECS. Results indicated that with all 7 participants, the level of PECS responses consistently increased only after training was completed in Phases 1 through 4. In addition, all of the participants showed an increase in PECS responses …

Management Commitment To Construction Safety, Areen M. Shaar

Masters Theses

The objective of all businesses including construction is to make money and to be profitable. The costs resulting from personal injuries and equipment damage, combined with the associated financial impact resulting from schedule disruptions, insurance hikes, and workers compensation can definitely impact the profitability of any construction operation. Most times those costs can be minimized or avoided by giving safety more attention on construction job sites.

The main purpose of this research is to determine the correlation between management commitment to safety and its impacts on the frequency of injuries and illnesses. To achieve this, a survey was methodically developed …

Practical Evaluation Of Psychotropic Medication, Lynne E. Turner

Masters Theses

Surveys indicate that 25-40% of students with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities receive one or more psychotropic medications, however, almost nothing is known concerning how the effects of the medications are monitored. Parents/guardians and teachers were interviewed to ascertain information regarding current monitoring procedures in the home and in the school setting. Additionally information was gathered to ascertain their knowledge regarding: 1) the reason for which their students were prescribed psychotropic medications; 2) the behavioral domains that those medications are intended to affect, 3) the current status of those behavioral domains, and 4) consumers' satisfaction with the pharmacological intervention. …

An Examination Of The Frequency Of Unethical Practices In High School Among 9th Grade Science Students, Russell Joseph Chudy

Masters Theses

This research is a study of 147 high school freshman science students at Forest Hills Central High School. A survey was given to each student regarding academic dishonesty in science classes. This survey was taken voluntarily and each student was given identical surveys. The data was then collected, combined and analyzed. Results indicated that cheating among 9th grade science students occurs every day at Central High School, regardless of sex or academic achievement, and is common practice. Freshman students participate in academically dishonest behavior less currently than they did a year ago. Although they are afraid of getting caught, most …

An Inquiry Into The Application Of A Curriculum Chart In Science Education, Karen R. Fuller

Masters Theses

When a teacher decides how to teach science to the classroom of individuals, the fist consideration to make is how to best meet the needs of the students. It is important to know what their prior knowledge is. A science curriculum chart would work like a checklist where the teachers would write when the student learned a science topic and how they succeeded in learning the science concept. The chart would also show education standards and benchmarks met.

The author surveyed West Michigan teachers, K-12, in order to determine if they would value the use of the chart. The teacher …

The Taiwan Issue In Sino-Japanese Relations In The 1990'S, Melanie Kintz

Masters Theses

The Taiwan issue did not figure prominently in the relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Japan between the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in the 1970s and the early 1990s; other issues dominated and shaped the relationship. However, in the 1990s the Taiwan question re-emerged as a source of disturbance in the relationship between the PRC and Japan. Especially during the so-called missile crisis of 1995-1996, the Taiwan issue was pushed into the world media's center of attention and significantly affected the dynamics of the Sino-Japanese relationship. What accounts for this observable change in the importance of …

The Development Of Occupational Therapy In Kenya, Mindy C. Owens

Masters Theses

Occupational therapy is a profession that is growing throughout the world. Kenya is one country in which occupational therapy is fairly well established. The purpose of this study was to document how occupational therapy has evolved over recent years. A major focus of this study was to identify the educational levels of occupational therapists in Kenya, types of practice settings, prominent diagnoses of patients treated, utilization of rehabilitation services, current trends and practice in occupational therapy, and acquisition, use, and maintenance of adaptive equipment.

The Development of Occupational Therapy in Kenya survey was sent to 28 practicing occupational therapists in …

Powwows As An Arena For Pan-Indian Identity Formation, Megan L. Macdonald

Masters Theses

This study investigates the powwow and its role in pan-Indian identity formation. Powwows are regional gatherings that simultaneously employ sacred and secular rituals, and as such, they provide one arena for the negotiation of American Indian identity in the modern world. Through a discussion of the history and general format of the powwow, I will demonstrate that the powwow is a dynamic locus of cultural transmission through which both reservation and non-reservation Indians are able to construct and maintain identity on tribal as well as inter-tribal (pan-Indian) levels.

To illuminate the process of identity formation within the powwow, this study …

Self-Perceived Language Competence And East Asian Students’ Oral Participation In American University Classrooms, Ee Lin Lee

Masters Theses

This study examined English language related competence factors that contribute to East Asian students' (EAS) oral participation levels in American university classrooms. Specifically, this study posited that EAS' self-perceived English communicative competence, English speaking anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation affect their level of oral participation. The results of the statistical analyses supported the hypothesized relationships, indicating (a) EAS' self-perceived English communicative competence correlates positively with their level of oral participation, (b) EAS' reported level of English speaking anxiety correlates negatively with their level of oral participation, and (c) EAS' level of fear of negative evaluation correlates negatively with their …

A Small Flaw Translates Into Many Miscalculations: A Narrative Criticism Of The Intel Pentium Chip Crisis, Christine H. Hoek

Masters Theses

This study uses the Intel Pentium chip crisis of 1994 to gain an understanding of how technology issues are socially constructed in contemporary American public discourse. Two primary and competing narratives were discovered. First, Intel's narrative minimized the problem and argued that chip flaws are commonplace and the company would replace the chips for anyone who could "prove" the need for a replacement. The consumer' s narrative, conversely, was one in which customers asserted that Intel's policy was paternalistic and instead demanded the replacement of their chips. The narratives were analyzed as the crisis moved through five primary events, with …

Earning The Right: Exploring The Communication Strategies Of European Americans In Interracial Relationships, Angela L. Putman

Masters Theses

In a societal context, European Americans are the dominant majority group. However, when European Americans are involved in interracial relationships, they may often find themselves in the minority (numerically speaking) when they interact with their partner's friends and/or family members. This research explores lived experiences of European Americans involved in interracial relationships with African Americans. Specifically, the general question addressed was, "What communication strategies and behaviors do European Americans exhibit when they communicate with their African American partner's friends and/or family members?" The acculturation process and Communication Accommodation Theory were explored in order to provide initial insight into this relatively …

Playing The Game: Exploring Dialectical Tensions And Co-Cultural Communication Strategies Of Black Males In Predominantly White Organizational Structures, Mark C. Hopson

Masters Theses

As non-dominant group members enter and attempt to succeed within the United States' organizational structures, there continues to be a need for scholarly examination concerning how their communication is impacted by culture and power. This thesis focuses specifically on how discourse is influenced by these factors. It is an exploration of the dialectical tensions that beset the communication of African American males whose interactive success or failure in academic and professional organizations is often associated with the historical differences of culture and power. A review of existing literature addresses the communication dilemmas and co-cultural strategies that "outsiders within" (Collins, 1986), …

The History Of The Music Therapy Program, Western Michigan University; Its Origin And Development To 1980, Cynthia L. Goodson

Masters Theses

The histories of music therapy programs at colleges and universities in the United States have not been widely researched and documented. The purpose of this study was to examine the history of the music therapy program at Western Michigan University from its origin and development until 1980. Specifically, the author was interested in learning what conditions existed that were favorable to the creation of a music therapy program, the chronological progress of the music therapy program (including the individuals responsible for the program's inception and development), and development and changes in curricula that demonstrated responsiveness to music therapy practice and …

Home-Care Nurses' Knowledge And Perceived Preparedness To Counsel Patients On Advance Directives, Mary Moran Barr

Masters Theses

This study examined home-care nurses’ knowledge and perceived preparedness to counsel patients on advance directives (ADs). Joyce Fitzpatrick’s “life perspective rhythm” model provided the framework for the thesis. Sixty-two registered nurses actively practicing in home-care in West Michigan were surveyed over a 4-week period. Each nurse completed a 16-question survey, which included an 11-question true-false test of knowledge of ADs. Survey results indicated that nurses who feel prepared to counsel patients are more knowledgeable than those who do not feel prepared to counsel (t=2.89, df=57, p=<0.05). Overall knowledge was high (87.4%) but only 40 nurses (64%) felt prepared to counsel patients on ADs. The study implies that factors other than knowledge may have an impact on preparedness to counsel. Possibilities for further study include more research on education of healthcare providers about ADs, patient education, and the need for mutual discussions on end-of-life care issues in relationship to completing ADs.

General Motors And Toyota: Comparison Of American And Japanese Managerial Cultures, Seiko Yomogita

Masters Theses

In the automobile industry, American culture and Japanese culture impact each other to support economic growth in both countries as one part of globalization. In American companies, religious factors, individualism, and American immigrant history manifest as characteristics of American management styles. In contrast, in Japanese companies, Asian community-based ideology, household concepts, and family kinship manifest as characteristics of Japanese management styles. These differences appear in the relationships between employees and employers, job security, quality control of products, responsibilities of line workers, loyalty of all employees to the company, impact of wearing uniforms, functions of unions, and minority managements.

My thesis …

Assessment Of Land Use/Land Cover Change Impact On Water Quality In The Davis Creek Watershed, Southwestern Michigan, Porntip Limlahapun

Masters Theses

This study uses Arc View Nonpoint Source Modeling (A VNPSM), an interface between Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Model and ArcView GIS to assess the impact of land use/land cover change between 1978 and 1996 on water quality in the Davis Creek watershed, southwestern Michigan. The distribution of land use/land cover changes is identified by geographic analysis. Compared to 1978, agricultural land decreased by more than 60 percent while residential land increased by over 170 percent in the watershed in 1996. The hydrologic impact of the urbanization is evaluated by the AGNPS model. AVNPSM is used to derive required input parameters …

Learning In The Prairie, Meredith L. Beilfuss

Masters Theses

This research focused on fieldwork in geography and science education relative to the high school curriculum. First, the literature was reviewed to analyze the pedagogical and cognitive benefits of using fieldwork and how fieldwork might enrich the high school social studies and science curriculum in Michigan. Second, prairie curriculum resources were evaluated for suitability using the Michigan Education Standards and the National Standards for Geography. Finally, two groups of high school students engaged in fieldwork, using two different methods, photography and sketching, and were compared for their pre and post fieldwork knowledge of prairie ecological concepts. The pre and post …

The Role Of Glutathione In The Defense Pathway Response Of Arabidopsis Thaliana To The Pathogen Pseudomonas Syringae Pathovar Tomato Dc3000 Avrb, Allison Patrice Mckenna

Masters Theses

Inoculation of Arabidopsis thaliana with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 AvrB (Pst) results in a series of biochemical changes, including an oxidative burst, accumulation of salicylic acid, (de)phosphorylation of proteins, localization of transcription factors to the nucleus and ultimately expression of pathogenesis-related genes. The redox status within plant cells, which is maintained by a cycle of antioxidants that are largely dependent on the reduced form of glutathione (GSH), because of its ability to donate electrons that are necessary to quench reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study focuses on the role of glutathione in the early defense responses of Arabidopsis to …

Performance Analysis Of A Parallel Implementation Of The Lattice Boltzmann Method For Computational Fluid Dynamics, David M. Cherba

Masters Theses

We propose to use benchmark data combined with detailed (n) analysis to predict the performance of a parallel Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) for 2D fluid dynamics simulation with solid particles on various configurations of cluster computers. The LBM has super step synchronism, phase concurrent components and non-critical size of division properties. Our results demonstrate accurate predictions for LBM simulation performance. The CPU benchmark indicates that increased variable data precision does not degrade execution time significantly on Pentium class processors. We show that improved communication and calculation strategies for solid particles yielded better speedup and scalability. A theoretical analysis demonstrates that worst …

“Drop And Give Me Twenty!”: The Social Production Of A Marine, Martha E. Frohlich

Masters Theses

This study is an attempt to understand the transformation of an individual that takes place during Marine Corps basic training. Primarily, it is an inquiry into how United States Marines talk about how they became Marines.

To assist in this inquiry, I turn to the field of military sociology, general role socialization literature and the notion of social identity. I conclude that while themes do emerge in the transformation of individual to Marine, it is still quite a personal experience -- one that could only be understood by positioning myself close to the experience via those who have lived it. …

Electrical Resistivity Tomography And Induced Polarization Techniques With Paired Vertical Resistivity Probes, Adrian Ezeagu

Masters Theses

The aim of this research is to use electrical resistivity and induced polarization (IP) techniques to image in detail the vertical and lateral distribution of resistivity and chargeability in the subsurface region between two or more boreholes. The method involves installing electrodes mounted on PVC pipes in the boreholes. The distribution of resistivity and chargeability around the boreholes is then calculated. The large number of measurements taken is then inverted to produce tomographs or images showing subsurface distribution of resistivity and chargeability. Four cross-hole measurement arrays (pole-pole, dipole-pole dipole-dipole and pole-dipole) were employed in acquiring tomographic data. The tomographs produced …

A Comparison Of The Idea Of Revelation In The Thought Of Schubert M. Ogden And Lewis S. Ford, Maurice Jones

Masters Theses

The viewpoint of Schubert M. Ogden and Lewis S. Ford set the boundaries for the way God acts towards His creatures through revelation in both a general and special way. First, a comparison of their viewpoints will be given to prove this claim. Both men followed separate lines of process philosophy (Whitehead and Hartshorne) in order to reach their theological concepts of revelation. The effects of Hartshorne on Ogden led him finally to conceive of God as an Immanent Individual who can act originally in an authentic revelation to man, who can receive and respond to such an act by …

Prevalence And Characteristics Of Bullying Behaviors In Middle And High School From The Students ' And Teachers' Perspectives, Scott W. Gardner

Masters Theses

To assess bullying behaviors, two questionnaires were administered to 239 students and 33 school professionals from two midwestern schools. Results showed that 78% of participants reported being bullied. Further, they identified the classroom and the bathroom to be the safest and the least safe locations, respectively. More females than males also indicated that they did not always feel safe in school. Rates of reported bullying interactions were higher for verbal bullying than physical bullying with significant gender differences. In addition, most participants were not likely to report bullying instances either to teachers or parents. The implication of these results and …

Vocal Hygiene Training In The Elementary School Teacher Population, Jamie Hethke Talley

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of vocal hygiene training in improving knowledge and self-rated characteristics of the voice. The subjects were 10 kindergarten through third grade school teachers who received 4 half-hour sessions of vocal hygiene training in the experimental group. Eleven kindergarten through third grade school teachers served as control subjects and received no training. The teachers were placed in subgroups dependent upon their reports of experiencing voice difficulties or not experiencing voice difficulties. This study also researched the effectiveness of vocal hygiene for teachers with self-reported vocal difficulties versus those without difficulties. Lastly, the perception of importance of …