Digital Commons Network^™

Impersonal Trust In Versus Dependence On Fda, Amanda C. Meyer

Masters Theses

This study emerged following an examination of the work by Susan Shapiro (1987) delineating the construct of impersonal trust, and Shapiro's analysis of trust was applied to an understanding of the impersonal trust relationship which Americans have with Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Few fields outside of organizational studies have undertaken efforts to operationalize impersonal trust and to distinguish it from other related constructs, so this exploratory study assessed whether variables associated with interpersonal trust as outlined by Meyer and Ward (2009) were also associated with impersonal trust in FDA. This study further examined whether measures of impersonal trust could …

Understanding Work Socialization: A Qualitative Study Of A Youth Employment Program, Katelyn S. Sandor

Masters Theses

Through early work experiences, often in part-time jobs, young people come to learn about the working world. This learning process is often considered a source of anticipatory socialization, or an experience that comes before real work and serves to socialize individuals into particular organizations and vocations. In contrast, this study seeks to understand how individuals are socialized into broader meanings of work through early, part-time work experiences by studying a Youth Employment Program (YEP) aimed at providing hands-on job opportunities for at-risk youth. Drawing upon in-depth interviews, I analyze what young people learned about work and how such learning occurred. …

Piles Of Salt: A Narrative Of Civil War, Refugeeism, And Sociopolitical Transnationalism, Patrice M. Niltasuwan

Masters Theses

Employing oral history methodology, this research project was presented in the form of a biography. The focus was a humanistic approach to understanding the effects of civil war tlirough a first-person account of the lived experience. Through examination of the life history narrative of an immigrant refugee who survived the Laotian Civil War, the war itself is explored from a personal perspective as well as other issues relevant to refugeeism and immigration in America including policy, citizenship, identity, family, acculturation, and transnationalism.

By personalizing war through the voice of one who experienced it, a new perspective arises; not only are …

Arts Outreach In The Middle East, Matthias Clark

Masters Theses

After centuries of debate and discussion regarding the value and appropriateness of arts in the Middle East, specifically music, many indigenous people have recently pursued active roles in championing indigenous and international arts toward social reform, identity formation, and spiritual development. This shift in use and function of the arts has been reflected in some groundbreaking attempts of using arts in contextualized forms that have impacted spiritual communities. This study is designed to compare two specific case studies that exemplify these shifts: the "School of Worship and Music" and the "Creative Center". These organizations will be analyzed and compared in …

Significance Of Gateway Requirements To Student Success: A Mixed Methods Approach, Ashley Rashaun Bell

Masters Theses

This study was constructed to examine Gateway's students' perceptions of the program's "extra requirements" to their success. Participants were 48 students who were successfully released from the Gateway program in the spring of 2011 and 2012 semesters. The researcher completed a mixed methods approach to receive a more in depth understanding of students' perceptions. Results suggested that students' overall perception of the Gateway program was positive, with students perceiving the program itself as the most significant to their success. Participants also viewed the program's weekly advisor meetings and study table requirements as significant to their success. Many participants cited the …

An Examination Of The Experiences Of African American Gay Men At A Predominantly White Institution: A Phenomenological Approach, Matthew David Hayes

Masters Theses

Using qualitative methodology, the researcher analyzed the lived experiences of five gay Black men at a Predominantly White Institution in a rural midsized public institution in the Midwest. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. Common themes included: high levels of involvement, racial segregation, and the dichotomy of being Black and gay.

Substance Abuse In Older Adults: An Exploratory Study, Rachael Hawn

Masters Theses

The increasing number of older adults in the United States, due in part to the Baby Boomer generation, means that there is also an increase in the number of older adults dealing with substance abuse problems. The compounded effects of multiple legal medications with alcohol, illicit drugs, or abused prescription drugs on the withdrawal process are likely to make delineating between legitimate medication side effects and withdrawal symptoms incredibly difficult for medical professionals working with older adults. With the average older adult legally using 17 medications from nine different medical professionals, the physical effects of substance abuse might easily go …

First-Year First-Generation College Students And Their Transition To A University, Jennifer Lynn Stevenson

Masters Theses

Prior research has examined the ways in which first-generation students were underprepared for college life. This study looked at the expectations, self-reported preparedness, experiences, and perceived levels of family support of first year college students. This study utilized a previously administered instrument from Khanh Bui. Results from the quantitative survey were compared between those students whose parents had not gone to college, first-generation college students, and non-first-generation students. The research was conducted at a mid-sized, public, four-year institution in the Midwest. Results from this study suggest, at this particular institution, the differences between first- and non-first-generation students are not as …

"Every Child In Our World Will Know His Name!": Malcolm Gladwell's Theories As An Explanation For The Cultural Phenomenon Of Harry Potter, Alicia Morgan

Masters Theses

When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone hit stores in the United States in 1998, children and adults alike went wild. Not only had Rowling's first book made huge waves in the UK, but Americans were talking about the struggling, single-parent who had penned a children's classic before the book even reached American stores. American audiences accepted Rowling's first novel with open arms, making it one of the first children's books to reach and occupy The New York Times best-seller list for so long. While certain marketing techniques and the rise of the Internet did contribute to Harry Potter's initial …

The Impact Of Race And Offender Status On Small Business Hiring Decisions, Elle Gray Teshima

Masters Theses

This research explores the impact of race and offender status on the hiring decisions of small business hiring managers. Cover letters, resumes, and surveys were distributed by mail to small business hiring managers in the Grand Rapids area to assess their reactions to and opinions of prospective applicants with varying racial and criminal backgrounds. The null hypothesis was supported. Respondents did not demonstrate a strong overall preference for candidates of a particular race group or offender status. The largest concern with this study is a limited sample size despite a fairly strong response rate. Social desirability bias may also limit …

The Prevalence, Reasons, And Effects Of Hazing On Female Student Athletes, Danielle Steffa

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to understand the prevalence, reasons, and effects of hazing on female student athletes at a midsized, Midwest institution. Hazing is defined as any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, or risks emotions and/or physical harm, regardless of that person's willingness to participate (Gersehel, Katz-Sidlow, Small, & Zandieh (2003). By using a modified survey done by Hoover (1999) and Allan and Madden (2008), the frequency, reasons why female athletes believe hazing happens, and any effects felt by these athletes was measured. Results showed there are many types of hazing behaviors that are …

The Path Into Student Affairs: How Undergraduate Experiences Influence Students To Pursue A Career In Student Affairs, Bryce Jacob Reuer Gergely

Masters Theses

The career field of Student Affairs is one that most individuals know nothing about until coming to college when they have the chance to interact with professionals in the field. How exactly do individuals come to be professionals in student affairs? This study looks to answer that question through the examination of nine individuals in various stages of the process into Student Affairs, analyzing their experiences throughout their undergraduate career. Special focus is given to experiences during participants' undergraduate education, influences on their decision to pursue Student Affairs as a career, and how interactions with Student Affairs professionals played a …

The Perceived Benefits Of Participation In Living And Learning Communities: The Student Perspective, Sally Adams

Masters Theses

Students' experiences outside the classroom are important to their overall growth and development. Living learning communities (LLC) play a big role in helping to support these areas of growth. Students residing in an LLC are aware of the benefits of the LLC experience and can articulate how their residential environment can help them develop. Non-LLC members find it difficult to define the LLC experience and are not receiving the same benefits. Institutions and residence life often struggle in evaluating and assessing these communities because of the lack of direction and outcomes not clearly being stated. If institutions work to clearly …

Grief, Loss And Stress Burden Among Spouse Caregivers Of The Person With Young-Onset Dementia, Sharbari Ganguly

Masters Theses

The effects of young/early-onset dementia are devastating not only for the person who has been diagnosed with young/early-onset dementia, but also for their primary caregivers (de Vugt & Verhey, 2013). The major aim of this study is to focus on the level of grief, loss, and stress burden that are associated with the partner or the spouse caregivers of someone with young-onset dementia. This study has used a previously unanalyzed set of data consisting of 55 partner or spouse young-onset dementia caregivers. Three instruments were used for data collection including the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MMCGI), the Zarit Burden Interview …

An Examination Of The Martyrdoms Of Lyon In Ad 177: A Critique Of The Theory Of The Trinqui, Timothy Yonts

Masters Theses

Historical research concerning the Christian persecution of Lyon in AD 177 has attempted to solve the question of relationship between the events in Lyon and the political and religious context of the Roman Empire. One such theory, the trinqui theory, posits that the Gallic aristocracy exploited Christians as sacrificial victims in an ancient Celtic ritual involving the use of criminals in gladiatorial entertainment. If true, the trinqui theory effectively shifts the responsibility for the killings from the imperial government under Marcus Aurelius to the provincial and aristocratic authorities in Gaul. This thesis will critique the trinqui theory by showing that …

Still Siblings: The Perceived Importance Of Sibling Relationships For Foster Children, Jessica A. Church

Masters Theses

This research was conducted to answer the question “Do children who are perceived to have strong relationships with siblings and more access to their siblings have fewer problems adjusting to their foster care placement as observed by child welfare professionals?” This qualitative research project was completed through semi-structured interviews with professionals who work with children in foster care in a variety of ways (and may have worked with children in more than one way during their career in child welfare), such as foster care workers, counselors, and sibling visitation supervisors. The snowball sampling method was used in this research. These …

Labeling Research Deviant: A Comparative Analysis Of Federal Ad Hoc Commissions On Human Subject Research, Brian W. Rossana

Masters Theses

A review of the literature suggests there is still reason for concern due to the nature of deviant research in the past and the continued existence of ambiguous guidelines in particular organizational contexts. Federal ad hoc commissions have been a prominent environment where the absorption of the social reaction to deviant events and discussions regarding bioethics has transpired. The goal then was to ask what conditions of commissions lead to the presence of a research deviant? A convenience sample of nine U.S. federal ad hoc commissions was performed utilizing a method known as crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA). The results …

Between The Man And Beast: Reactions To Evolutionary Science In Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls Of The King And T. H. White's The Once And Future King, Mary Feldman

Masters Theses

The development and popular acceptance of evolutionary theory in the nineteenth century, of which Charles Darwin was perhaps the leading voice, produced perhaps the greatest cultural cataclysm of the Modern age. It held theological and philosophical implications beyond the scientific realm, profoundly impacting the humanities as well as science. The Arthurian legend, a story that has been told and retold for centuries before and after Darwin, offers us a unique opportunity to examine how a preexisting story was radically altered in the light of evolution. Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King and T. H. White's The Once and Future …

Teaching World Music In An Elementary Setting: Effective Teaching Strategies And Classroom Materials, Calyna Mc Allister

Masters Theses

The world we live in today is increasingly a global society. As such, the various cultures of the world come into contact with one another more often. Students today need to have experiences with different cultures in order to participate effectively in this globally minded world. An excellent way to expose children to these cultures is through the use of world music in the general music classroom. The need for world music from a music education standpoint has been addressed over the past few decades. However, little has been done to address the teaching methods associated with world music or …

A Study Of How Selected Public School Junior-High Students Perceive The Effect Of Popular Music On Classroom Behavior, Christopher Mc Allister

Masters Theses

The objective of this study is to further the understanding of how junior-high students in the public schools perceive the effects of popular music on their behavior in the classroom. Two primary research questions serve as the foundation for this study. The first question investigates how themes disclosed in interviews of selected public school junior high students help to explain their personal perceptions of how popular music affects their behavior in the academic environment. The second question seeks to determine whether students that listen to a particular genre of popular music have different or similar perceptions of how music affects …

Neiman Marcus Chicken Coops: Exploring Class And Identity Through Backyard Chicken Keeping And The Contemporary Food Movement, Traci D. Joseph

Masters Theses

This paper is a case study of a proposed backyard chicken ordinance for Grand Rapids, Michigan. The study is viewed in light of social movement theory, specifically new social movement theory, to determine if events surrounding and leading up to the debate can be labeled as a social movement. A key finding is a culture of consumption as a common thread throughout the debate. The poultry industry pushed for continued consumption of its products with an agenda of fear regarding disease and improper handling. Proponents countered with a discussion on an ethic of care for the birds. Ultimately, this rejection …

An Orchid In The Land Of Technology: Embodied Presence In A Mediatized World, Kevin Dodd

Masters Theses

This thesis applies the Aesthetic philosophy of John Dewey to the current discourse about mediatization and performance in an effort to explain how a Deweyan conception of embodied aesthetic experience can contribute to meaningful experience and human flourishing in a mediatized culture. The relationship between live presence and technological mediatization is often characterized as oppositional. Through an explication of the process of mediatization and manifestations of presence, this relationship can instead be viewed as reciprocal. An overview of Dewey's theories of experience and aesthetics refutes dualistic thinking and demonstrates how faculties of perception can be engaged and our capacity for …

An Exploration Of The Impact That Postmodernism Has On Competition In Sport, Shara Crow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact that postmodernism has on competition in sport. Previous studies compartmentalized social thought and competition in sport. This study appreciates that the two are connected, and it is through this connectedness that the impact emerges. By describing, finding, and analyzing relationships through text as well as notating text iteratively, it was found through a postmodernist critical awareness to meta-narratives that sport is expressed in two main themes: (a) identity (b) and hierarchy/authority. Moreover, both of these themes are interrelated to social interaction. These findings indicate that social interpretation impacts the complex …

A New Kind Of National: Modified String Quartet Practices In Post-Soviet Eurasia, Adam Taylor Lenz

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the practices of string quartet modification implemented by three post-Soviet Eurasian composers: Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (Azerbaijan), Vache Sharafyan (Armenia), and Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky (Uzbekistan). After an introduction to the geography of the region and the biographies of the composers, their works containing modified string quartet configurations are examined within three distinct modification practices. These practices consist of the addition of outside instruments, the addition of electronic components, and the alteration of performance practice. The evaluation of these techniques is carried out through musical analysis and examination of cultural context. After each work has been examined, the body of works …

Executive Functions And Social Interactions: Developing Social Scenarios, Mackenzie Waite

Masters Theses

The aim of this study was to develop a series of vignettes to form the basis for an assessment of executive functions (EFs) for 9 – 12 year old children. Although EFs are necessary for effective social communication and positive social interactions, currently, most EF assessments focus on impersonal activities. Little research exists that incorporates real-time processing using ecologically valid social scenarios. The current study aims to develop realistic scenarios that children could encounter in daily life. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with six participants, who worked in a school with 9-12 year old children, to gain their perspective on social …

The Effectiveness Of The New Town Policy In Managing Growth And Congestion In Mega Cities: A Case Study Of Lagos, Nigeria New Town Policy, Abolaji Samson Olanipekun

Masters Theses

One of the major challenges facing municipal governments of megacities in developing countries is shortage of urban infrastructures relative to population growth. Because cities play important role in the economic development of every nation, problems confronting them require proactive policy measures by the government. One such mega city is Lagos, Nigeria. From 1962 to 2006, the population of Lagos grew from 1,135,805 to 17.5 million. Crammed on a 2200 square kilometer land area of which 18.9%, Lagos population is projected to reach 20.5 million by 2015, an explosion largely driven by the non-regulatory internal migration system. The result of this …

Disease, War, And Famine In The Sudan And Haiti: A Crisis Noticed And A Crisis Ignored, Melissa Whalen

Masters Theses

The media acts as a gatekeeper and decides what material to cover and what not to cover. In order to better understand why one disaster receives media coverage and another crisis is virtually unnoticed by the media, the motives behind covering one story over another is analyzed in this study. Three major American newspaper articles concerning the Haitian earthquake and the crisis in Darfur are examined in order to discover the media's motives for covering Haiti over Darfur.

The Tweet's The Thing: Exploring The Intersection Of Social Media And Broadway, Hilary Sutton

Masters Theses

In 2009 the little known Broadway musical Next to Normal rose to fame through the aid of an unprecedented Twitter campaign conducted by Situation Interactive, a digital marketing agency. The Next to Normal Twitter account gathered over one million followers throughout a six-week campaign in which the Situation Interactive team joined forces with the book writer and lyricist of Next to Normal to recreate the plot in one hundred and forty-character snippets. By analyzing the data collected the researcher cultivates a collection of best practices for running a successful Twitter marketing campaign for a live experience.

The Story Of Your Life On A Single Page: Assessing The Narrative Coherence Of Life Storytelling Through Facebook's Timeline Profile Design, Joseph Marcus

Masters Theses

Facebook's transition to the Timeline profile design brought with it a new focus: Life storytelling. Walther Fisher posited the narrative paradigm as a way of understanding all communication in the form of stories. The paradigmatic component of coherence assesses the structural integrity of a narrative, the characters, and the encompassing themes found within. This study applies narrative coherence to the Timeline profile design to assess the coherence of life narratives told through individuals' Facebook Timelines. The researcher observed the Timeline profiles of 15 participants on the basis of three research questions. The researcher's observation yielded data suggesting that life narratives …

"And Do You Take This Stranger To Be Your Lawfully Wedded Wife?": The Usefulness Of Social Penetration Theory Within Premarital Counseling, Katherine Beich-Forkner

Masters Theses

With fifty percent of today's marriages ending in divorce, one begins to wonder if engaged couples should be more prepared when entering into a marriage commitment. This mixed-methods study investigates the function of social penetration theory within premarital counseling programs. The research was designed to address three questions: (1) Do engaged couples believe they know the depth and breadth of their partner adequately enough to be prepared for marriage after receiving premarital counseling? (2) Do counselors indirectly support the basic premise of social penetration theory by actively using strategies to help engaged partners reveal important aspects of the breadth and …