Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Social Dimensions Of Grog-Temper Use At The Ink Bayou Site (3pu252): A Plum Bayou Culture Site In Central Arkansas, Eric Chadwick Drake

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the social implications involved with the technological decision to use grog (crushed potsherds) as a ceramic tempering agent by potters affiliated with the Plum Bayou culture of central Arkansas. The analytical technique of point-counting ceramic thin sections is used to search for patterns of grog-temper use at a single Plum Bayou culture site, the Ink Bayou site (3PU252). While the thermal properties of grog-temper may help to explain the variability of use observed at the Ink Bayou site, the social implications of producing grog-tempered pots are best illuminated by the sequence of productive operations employed by the …

Pirsig's Phaedrus: The Journey Of The Shaman, Joseph E. Levora

Masters Theses

Robert Pirsig, in both his novels Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila, explores the conflict one man has with the beliefs and values of the culture he is living in. This conflict leads him to mental collapse and eventually a kind of rebirth into a new outlook and way of viewing the cultural values and beliefs of the society he is living in. In this thesis, I propose that Phaedrus, the central character of both of Pirsig's novels, can be compared to a shaman. I am not suggesting that Pirsig deliberately intended the reader to view …

Critical Fantasies: Structure Of Chinese Folk Tales, Saihanjula He

Masters Theses

Folk tales provide a unique source of information for cultural studies. They come from the people. Springing from the people's imagination in a social context, they carry historical truths, stir up political undercurrents, and reveal social facts that official history books will not and cannot tell. In a time when writing was a privileged form of expression, the oral folk tale popularly communicated the injustices committed by the upper class, and gave the powerless voices of their own. Common themes of folk tales all reflect, to various degrees, the people's desires to rise above environmental, cultural, social and class constraints …

Symbol Of Youth, Savior From Aging: Dialectical Relationship Between American Attitudes On Vitamin E And Toward Aging, Thalia Rios

Masters Theses

This study explores the dialectical relationship between American attitudes about Vitamin E and American attitudes toward aging. Through an examination of this dialectic, I will demonstrate that Vitamin E's history has contributed greatly to current American discourses on aging. For many Americans, the vitamin symbolizes youth and health because they perceive that its use can prevent or slow the aging process. During the 1990s, many Americans' early negative perceptions of Vitamin E as a quack substance have changed, partly due to recent research advances and studies that have further elucidated its powerful antioxidant function against harmful free radicals. Meanwhile, many …

Millennial Rhetoric At The Turn Of The Millennium, John Robert Stanley

Masters Theses

Millennial rhetoric has predominately had an apocalyptic theme in the past; however, the current rhetoric about the millennium can be seen as more positive, optimistic, and enthusiastic. By treating the texts Deep Impact and Armageddon, various news sources, and five web sites as part of what Becker (1971) defines as a "mosaic," it was found that the current view of the millennium presents various tensions present in our current society. These tensions include unity versus individualism, technological advancement versus technological limitations, and optimism versus angst. The analysis suggests that unity is preferred over individualism to overcome current obstacles at …

Intercultural Romantic Couples' Interactive Construction Of Relational Culture, Amie D. Kincaid

Masters Theses

This study explores intercultural romantic couples and their interactive construction of relational culture. Qualitative methods of inquiry appeared most useful for identifying the processes involved in the social construction of intimates' shared reality and, so, both Conversation Analysis and Joint Interviews were utilized. Five romantic couples whose partners were socilaized within different cultural communities participated in the study. Findings of this study suggest that intercultural romantic couples import cultural resources from their individual cultures into their joint relational culture. These cultural resources included foods, traditions, language, and values. Findings of ths study also suggest that two types of communicative episodes, …

The Making Of An Aids Quilt Panel: A Burkean Pentadic Analysis, Stephanie J. Poole

Masters Theses

Chapter I briefly discusses the development the AIDS Quilt, demonstrates the importance of the AIDS Quilt as a form of communication, provides an overview of the major academic works on the AIDS Quilt, and describes the methodology to be employed in this study. Chapter II discusses the history of quilting as a form of social culture and the history of the quilt as a form of activism. This study found that the use of the Burkean Pentad also requires a review of the major kinds of studies that historically and currently define the use of this framework within academic circles. …

A Study Of Ideological Change In Reggae Music From 1971 To 1993, William H. Stanley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to see if the reggae music that became popular in the United States was ideologically different from the reggae that originated in Jamaica. The hypothesized change was derived from a model developed by Humphrey Regis (1994, 1988) labeled “cultural domination by re-exportation”. It was determined that early reggae music and the Rastafarian religion had very similar ideologies. The change within reggae music was measured against the Rastafarian belief system.

A content analysis of twenty-five songs was undertaken. The method of doing ideological analysis of the reggae lyrics was derived from Cormack (1992). The sample …

History, Mission, And Visitors At The Kalamazoo Valley Museum In Kalamazoo, Michigan: A Study Of The Museum As Cultural Practice, Lynnette Z. King

Masters Theses

This study investigates the interrelationship between the museum, its mission, and its visitors. The history of museums in general and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in particular shows how the mission developed in relationship to culture, community, and individuals. Observations and ethnographic interviews of visitors and staff, as well as drawings made by school children who had visited the museum were used to identify viewers' perceptions of the museum and its mission. The museum is guided by an official stated mission as well as various staff and administrative interpretations of the mission. Although the museum and its mission have changed through …

Acculturation Differences Among International Students At Western Michigan University, Kemal Aydin

Masters Theses

The acculturation of international students at Western Michigan University was studied in this thesis. Acculturation variables of perceived prejudice, observance of cultural practices and social ties, and language usage were measured. The results of this study shows that in terms of perceived prejudice, Western Michigan University's international students (except European and Hispanics students) tend to move away from a stimulus. Acculturation and language usage, however, indicate that there is no significant acculturation differences among the respondents. International students at Western Michigan University seem to prefer integration as reflected in a commitment to pluralism. In summary, international students at Western Michigan …

The Liberal Democratic Party Of Japan: Its Organization And Decision Making Process, Hiroyuki Ikeba

Masters Theses

This study analyzes the behavior of the politicians of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and the decision making process of the LDP. This study draws heavily on Japanese language sources as well as interviews with leading Japanese Diet persons.

The characteristics of Japanese culture are explained by introducing the works of three scholars. They are: Ruth Benedict, Chie Nakane, and Takeo Doi. It was discovered that the relationships among LDP Diet persons and between supporters and Diet persons are based on traditional societal norms. Furthermore, it was found that the decision making process of the LDP was in …

Toward A Theory Of Gendered Reading, Larry Edward Schoenholtz

Masters Theses

Sociolinguistic studies have long acknowledged that men and women sometimes read, write, speak, and view differently. This is often recognized as a cultural phenomenon, but there are increasing reasons to suppose that biology may play a larger role in these differences than was suspected two or three decades ago. Over the last fifteen to twenty years, in particular, evidence has continued to mount in that direction from studies in neurophysiology, endocrinology, and infant behavior. In addition, sociobiological perspectives first proposed in the 1970s seem to have met with large success in being confirmed by cross-cultural studies done in the 1980s. …

Ella Sharp's Hillside Farm: Expressions Of Class And Gender In Nineteenth Century Rural Michigan, Carol A. Nickolai

Masters Theses

This study examined ways in which social class and gender were expressed in the landscape and material culture of the Merriman-Sharp Farm, a nineteenth century upper class farm owned by women in Jackson, Michigan. Material culture studies, landscape architecture, and architectural history were used in addition to available documents to focus on how the Merriman-Sharp family reflected their class and gender affiliations.

The social construction of reality is an ongoing process at the Merriman-Sharp farm through the Ella W. Sharp Park and Ella W. Sharp Museum. The ways in which the Ella W. Sharp Park and Ella W. Sharp Museum …

A Biosystematic Study Of Three Plant Pathogenic Fungi, Richard James Langham

Masters Theses

Isolates of Chalara australis, Eucalypt Ceratocystis, and Ceratocystis virescens were grown on Potato Dextrose Agar, Malt Extract Agar, and Czapek Agar and examined as part of a biosystematic study on these fungi. Basic micromorphological and macromorphological data on the cultures were recorded and the taxa were found to be morphologically similar. Tissue isolates and single spore isolates were crossed within these taxa and an interspecific cross performed. Chalara australis was found to be either asexual or have only one mating type present in the cultures studied. Eucalypt Ceratocystis was found to have a mating system characteristic of bipolar …

Multicultural Art Across The Curriculum, Yvonne J. Delamar

Masters Theses

The arts, by nature, can lend themselves as an essential unifying force in the multicultural curricular development in our increasingly diverse classrooms. A compilation of research and investigation is presented for teaching multicultural art throughout the curriculum. The finished project includes a model for teaching multicultural art across the curriculum and a bibliography of resources.

Mtv Ideology: Rocking To A Different Beat?, Janelle L. Wilson

Masters Theses

This study analyzed 30 of the most popular rock music videos aired on Music Television Network in the summer of 1991. Using a qualitative content analysis, six prominent themes in these videos were identified: (1) eroticism, (2) female gender roles, (3) Americana, (4) violence, (5) religious symbols, and (6) clothing fetishism. From these themes, five values were discerned in the videos: (1) carpe diem, (2) individual freedom, (3) nihilistic religiosity, (4) nationalism, and (5) consumerism. It was found that these values constituted an ideology in music videos which in some ways reflects dominant American ideology. Their focus on appearance, their …

Telling Grimm Tales: Rhetoric That Molds, Comforts And Remains, Constance S. E. Cooper

Masters Theses

An explanation of oral tradition and its portent for language clarifies the fairy tale genre. Its purpose, various cultural impacts, criticism and limitations are introduced. Ludwig and Wilhelm Grimm translated their personal interest into a form of speech that endures past cultural and linguistic barriers. The Grimms' scholastic credentials and lifework reveal the original storytellers and subjects in a historical/geographical framework. Part II isolates 68 tales of animal dialogue, discusses human-like character responses of help and harm, and submits a brief narrative criticism of the conglomerate rhetorical entity. Character insights and communication findings are resolved with Delphi compilations of 27 …

A Biosystematic Study Of Panus Conchatus (Basidiomycetes; Agaricales), James Edward Johnson

Masters Theses

As part of a biosystematic study of Panus conchatus (Bull.: Fr.) Fr., North American and European herbarium specimens from the Field Museum and the University of Michigan were examined and a description of the taxon prepared. Tissue and single spore isolates were obtained from basidiocarps collected in Illinois. Single and polyspore isolates were obtained from a collection made in Switzerland by R. H. Petersen. Culture mat analyses were completed on several media and the taxonomic value of cultural characters assessed. Based on this study, the identification of somatic cultures by cultural characteristics is unlikely. Single spore isolates from the Illinois …

An Analysis Of Self-Report Delinquency: A Test Using An International Instrument, Linda Robyn

Masters Theses

This is part of an international pilot study on juvenile delinquency in the U. S. and six European countries. Research questions were designed based on using Hirschi’s (1969) theory of Social Control as a guide. Among the questions to be studied are the relationships between delinquency and single- and two-parent homes, participation in organized sports, and acts committed alone or with others. Interviews were conducted with 100 youths from 14- to 18-years of age. The population consisted of past and present students from junior high and high school in a mid-western city. The data were stratified into census tracts and …

The Relationship Between Acculturation Level Of Mexican-American Parents And Coping With Their Chronically Ill Children, Nancy Ellen Tena

Masters Theses

This investigation focused on 19 Mexican-American families with neurologically impaired children to determine to what extent they selected particular coping patterns in relationship to their level of acculturation to the Anglo-American culture. Using the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans (ARSMA), the families were categorized according to acculturation level (low, bicultural, and high). The families identified coping patterns (Family Support, Social Support, and Medical Support) which were helpful to them by completing the Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP). Only one statistically significant relationship between acculturation level of these families and extent of their use of coping patterns was found: high …

Alcohol Use In The Industrialized West: One View, E. Michael Smith

Masters Theses

Alcohol has great antiquity and is used by most of the world's cultures. Invariably, there are many theories which account for its use. Regardless, whether psychological, biological or sociological they tend to represent alcohol use, alcohol abuse and alcoholism as stages of the disease process. The present paper uses a multidisciplinary approach to the study of alcohol use, incorporating ideas that are psychological, sociological, biological and anthropological. Alcohol use in the industrialized West may, in part, be accounted for because of "subsistence insecurity."

For the purpose of this paper "subsistence insecurity," in the industrialized West, will be represented by the …

Power And Dependency In Close Heterosexual Relationships: A Test Of An Exchange Theory Hypothesis, Gregory L. Sanders

Masters Theses

Ninety-nine heterosexual couples were surveyed to test the exchange theory hypothesis that interpersonal power and relative dependency are inversely related in dyadic relationships. Controlling for gender, this hypothesis was examined through a path analysis for each of six groups: the overall population, dating couples, engaged couples, cohabiting couples, married couples, and couples treated as a single unit. Results indicate that males are reported as relatively more powerful than females, and this gender effect is found to increase with the permanence of the relationship. Relative dependency has effects on power which also vary according to the type of relationship. Self-reported "subjective …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Evangelistic Techniques With Chinese Christians: With Applications For The Mission Field Of Taiwan, Gregory P. Hunt

Masters Theses

The call of missions cries out from the ends of the earth. Many millions of people have never heard the gospel and are waiting for someone to share the good news with them. Some have responded to this call of taking the gospel to the unsaved millions of the world, and others contemplate all of the many factors involved in doing missionary work. Missionary work needs to be defined here as cross-cultural evangelism in a foreign country which opens up a whole new set of problems in analyzing missionary work.

This thesis will focus on the problems and issues facing …

A Cultural Study Of The Hispanic Population In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Diane M. Rodriguez

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to detail the cultural diversity of the Hispanic population in Kalamazoo, Michigan, so as to enhance the efforts of social and government agencies in dealing with the social and economic needs of these people.

While other studies have been conducted on Hispanics, this project was unique in that (a) data were collected while the researcher was in the role of advocate as an employee of the Hispanic-American Council, and (b) emphasis was placed on the cultural components of each Hispanic group in Kalamazoo. The discussion centers on the Mexican-Americans, Cubans, and Panamanians, with briefer …

The Church In China And Contemporary Christian Strategy, Samuel Fang

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Historical & Contemporary Reasons For The Existence Of 17,000 Unreached People Groups And Factors Being Employed To Lessen Their Number, Larry W. Lagrande

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Prehistoric Firewood Exploitation: A Case Study From The Carolinian Biotic Province, David Gordon De Fant

Masters Theses

A case study approach is applied to the problem of prehistoric firewood selection and utilization within a heterogeneous woodland environment. Prefaced by an indepth survey of theoretical and methodological approaches relevant to understanding resource exploitation, a wood charcoal analysis of the Schwerdt site (20AE127) is presented. This analysis is then discussed in regard to environmental, preservational, and functional contexts. It is suggested that this wood charcoal assemblage represents a subtle yet pervasive pattern of firewood selectivity operating within the overt bounds of expedient procurement.

An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Moral Development And Communication In Small Groups, Beth Hartman Ellis

Masters Theses

This study explored the differences in communication between groups comprised of persons in different stages of moral development. Hypotheses were developed related to the task dimension and the process dimension of group discussions. These hypotheses were based on the appropriateness of the content of the communication in the groups to stages with in Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Trends in the direction of the hypotheses were found in analyses of utterances of the individuals in the group.

Growth Within The Single-Cell Church: An Examination Of The Current Attitudes And Teachings Among Church Growth Authorities, John D. Corcoran

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Salinity Tolerance In Forage Grasses, Kent Alan Boyles

Masters Theses

The effects of increased osmotic potentials on Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea var Vantage), Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea var Kentucky 31), Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata var Potomac), Sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense var Sorghum x Ludo FS X3-2), Grain Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare var Dekalb 28), Smooth Bromegrass (Bromus inermis var Blair), Timothy (Phleum pratense var Climax), and Winter Barley (Hordeum vulgare var Barsoy) were studied. The greenhouse triplicated experiments were conducted in modified aerated Hoagland's number 2 nutrient solutions for a period of four weeks.

The germination of Winter Barley was not inhibited by osmotic potentials …