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The Significance Of Shape-Shifting And Transformation In Medieval Welsh And Icelandic Literature: The Ingenuity Of Medieval Writers, Samantha J. Cairo

Masters Theses

The folk-motifs of shape-shifting and transformation are an important mechanism in both Medieval Welsh and Icelandic literature. To better understand these motifs it is important to consider the ideas behind and the belief in these concepts. The role of the shaman and the separable soul, the Double, and the psychological projection all form a basis for shape-shifting in Medieval literature.

The Welsh literature will include: Pwyll, Prince qf Dyfed, Manawydan Son of Llyr, Math Son of Mathonwy, Lludd and Llefelys, Culhwch and Olwen, Peredur Son of Efrawg, The Hanes Taliesin,/em>, and the transformational poetry of Taliesin. The Icelandic literature …

Barriers To Freedom: Exploring The Influence Of Patriarchy On Risk Preference In Battered Women, Cathy Gordon

Masters Theses

Because contemporary families represent an increasingly diverse and complicated range of relationships and values, individuals engaged in traditional gender roles may find it difficult to challenge gender biased institutions or abandon abusive relationships. While family violence continues to be linked with economic and social power, interpersonal relationships based on traditional gender roles, which require conformity to social expectations, can also be a contributing factor. Feminist theory, which links patriarchal ideology with family violence, is used to explore culturally defined gender roles and the influence of social forces or social institutions that produce conflict, strain or violent behaviors. The influences of …

The New Frontier: The Presidential Election Campaign Of Jfk, Bryan Wuthrich

Masters Theses

This thesis is an examination of the Kennedy election campaign. It is a narrative and also a brief examination of how this campaign was put together and how the Kennedy campaign staff was formed. The main perspective that it takes is from the vantage point of the Cold War which serves as driving force behind the main issues of the campaign. It is the primary argument of this thesis that the Kennedy campaign marked a period of transition whereby America began to formulate a coherent ideological position for itself as leader of the free world and come into its own …

The Lost Treasure Of Valencia: Fugitive Muslims From The Kingdom Of Valencia 1290-1410, Michael A. Ryan

Masters Theses

The fourteenth century, an epoch infamous for war, disease, famine, and devastation across the whole of Europe, also saw an increase in the number of fugitive Muslims from the Christian kingdom of Valencia. Due to the reconquest of Valencia in the thirteenth century, an immense Muslim populace found itself subject to a dominant Christian minority. These Muslims had been either enslaved outright for resisting the Christian domination, or had been placed into a semi-free status. The members of this latter group were known as the Mudejars, and like the Muslim slaves, fled when their social and political standings were in …

Albert Camus & The Post-Modern Generation, Lisa Ann Tekancic-Salamat

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Petroleum Fog Oil And Vegetable Oil Smokes, Andrew Oliver Larouche

Masters Theses

"Deception and concealment to gain tactical advantage in the battlefield has been an integral part of warfare. Smoke has been a common tool used for signaling, concealment of troop movement and weapon deployment. U.S. Armed Forces have made use of smokes in an organized manner since the 1st world war. Since then various materials such as white phosphorus, zinc chloride, diesel fuel and petroleum oil aerosols have been used to obscure military targets. For the past thirty years fog oil (FO) a medium distillate has been extensively used by the U.S. Armed Forces for generation of obscurant smokes (OS). During …

"Doamne Milueste": The Life Of A Contemporary Orthodox Christian Monastery, David George Subu

Masters Theses

The Holy Dormition Monastery demonstrates the Orthodox Christian appeal to the tradition and authority of the Church Fathers, Mothers, and the ultimate source of power, the Holy Trinity, which is enacted on the several complimentary and interactive levels of monastic history, spatial and architectural arrangements, personal relationships and community structure, and liturgical or ritual activity cycles. This appeal to authority and power is achieved most notably through a complex system of ritual acts that are typically "embedded" into the many facets of the monastic life which simultaneously orients the monastic participant towards the correct, "Orthodox" relationships with those sources of …

Civil Society In Palestine: A Palestine Profile, Shadia Kanaan

Masters Theses

One definition of civil society dominated all theoretical and historical perspectives when it comes to the special case of civil society in Palestine. "Civil society is concerned with a society's total self re-producing ability through its inner strength in a manner that is distinct from the state" (Bishara 1995, 143). The hypothesis of this work is that civil society in Palestine existed and flourished in spite the absence of a national state and had played a fundamental role in the social and economic development of Palestinian society throughout its history. Civil society in Palestine poses an exception to the theory …

The Spirit Of The Great Lakes Native Confederacy, 1805-1813, Timothy D. Willig

Masters Theses

Native American resistance to American expansion during the War of 1812 occurred in the wake of a significant spiritual revitalization movement in the Native community. The extent to which this spiritual movement prompted Native resistance has never been fully explored or developed. Traditional theories maintain that once the revitalization ended, a secular resistance movement began -one that was fueled by British support. The objective in this thesis is not only to establish the connection between the Natives' religion and their efforts to resist, but it is also to determine what factors initially gave rise to the revitalization movement.

My findings …

Age, Status And Gender: Mortality Patterns And Mortuary Practice At Umm El-Jimal, Jordan, Melissa Cheyney

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify trends in both burial practice and mortality patterning at the Late Antique site of Umm el-Jimal in northern Jordan, through a combined emphasis on mortuary contexts and human skeletal evidence. Data were analyzed and interpreted in three main areas involving: ( 1) the demographic evaluation of biological profiles comprised of sex, age and pathology estimations; (2) life table calculations for crude mortality rates, life expectancies, probability of death and number of individuals dying in time-successive age intervals; and (3) sex-, age- and status-specific patterns in demography and burial structure. These evaluations were …

Women In The Fuero Real Of Alfonso X El Sabio: Thirteenth-Century Law And Society, Michelle Martin De Figueroa

Masters Theses

The history of Iberia, unlike her European counterparts, was formed through the interaction of Christians, Jews and Mouslims. Thirteenth-century life, influenced by the Reconquest and friction between these groups, adapted to the turbulent nature of Castilian frontier society. With each military contest, Castilian society evolved to meet the demand placed upon her strained resources and citizenry. Women played a paramount role in this process. Through the use of legal codes as historical sources, the roles, rights and responsibilities of women can be established and assessed. This provides historians with an opportunity to view this period of time and the social …

The White Extremist Movement: A Metatheoretical Analysis, Suzanne Vanweelde

Masters Theses

This study is a metatheoretical analysis of the white extremist movement in the United States. Five separate major and several smaller white extremist organizations were examined with respect to updated information as to the organizational levels, membership profiles and activities of: (1) the Ku Klux Klan, (2) the Militia, (3) Skinheads, (4) Aryan Nations, (5) the Neo-Nazi and (6) other organizations.

Several theories developed by foundational, developmental and contemporary sociologists were analyzed for their individual concepts. Pertinent and significant concepts were noted as being applicable to a theory of white extremism. Specific examples of the concepts' usage within the extremist …

Responsibility, Submission, And Power: Social Factors Which Influence Rural Out-Migration Among Women In Southern Vietnam, Jeffery D. Wright

Masters Theses

This paper examines the circumstances that affect the decisions of young women living in rural southern Vietnam to move to Ho Chi Minh City in search of employment. Issues of power, submission, and responsibility that underlie interpersonal relationships in Vietnam will be discussed with special attention to the way they affect the lives of Vietnamese women. It has been widely suggested that rural out-migration in developing countries is largely economically driven. My own field research in Vietnam during the summer of 1996 suggests that the migration of women in southern Vietnam is not simply an attempt to make more money. …

Growth And Development Of Street Gangs, Audrey D. Guymon

Masters Theses

This field study of the growth and development of street gangs was conducted in the spring of 1996 at a medium security prison utilizing a semi-structured interview with 69 inmates who were known present or former gang members. Since the sample was taken from a population of convicted felons, the results reflect the environment of the participants and may not be representative of gang members as a whole.

The field study determined that the majority of the participants came from two parent homes, had joined the gang between the ages of 9 and 15, lacked positive male role models, and …

An Examination Of The Intelligence Preparation For Operation Market-Garden, September, 1944, Steven D. Rosson

Masters Theses

The Allied defeat at Arnhem, Holland in September 1944 marked the end of one of the most bold and audacious, ground and airborne operations ever undertaken. Many military historian have incorrectly labeled Operation MARKET-GARDEN an intelligence failure. This statement is true only in so far as the Allied intelligence structure failed to persuade their commanders to alter the planned invasion despite the voluminous intelligence data acquired. But did these commander have hidden agendas which made intelligence almost irrelevant?

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Allied, strategic and operational intelligence preparation for Operation MARKET-GARDEN and determine its adequacy. …

From Sexual Prejudice To Patriarchy And Its Agents: The Radicalization Of Mary Daly's Analysis Of Sexism, Teresa Bellow-Stratton

Masters Theses

This thesis interprets key concepts in Mary Daly's analysis of sexism as they are developed in her first three books. It highlights the continuities more than the discontinuities in Daly's writing. The constant features of Daly's writing are her existentialist orientation and a complex synthesis of ideas that relates the subjective experience of individuals, the objective social circumstances of individuals, and socially constructed stereotypes, especially those stereotypes expressed in religious language.

Muslims And Jews In Thirteenth-Century Valencian Law, Scott M. Gyenes

Masters Theses

When the Muslim kingdom of Valencia was conquered between 1233-1245 during the Reconguista, by James I, a new era was ushered in for the resident Muslims and Jews, because they would now be ruled by a minority Christian government. King James, in an attempt to control the newly settled Christians, issued the law code the Furs of Valencia. Additionally the Furs also established Christian legal superiority over the Muslims and Jewish populations, too.

The Furs of Valencia are highly valuable in the study of law, because of the influence of Roman, canon, and Islamic law. These influences helped slow …

Some Aspects Of The Evolution Of The Medieval Tournament Up To The Reign Of Maximilian I: An Introduction, Kathryn L. Woodruff

Masters Theses

An introductory exploration of the evolution of the medieval tournament up to the reign of Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) is the subject of this study. This exploration begins with the eleventh-century origins of the tournament in northern France as a military training exercise and continues with a discussion of the evolution of the tournament, by the sixteenth century, into a sporting event and public spectacle with a number of variations including the melee, behourd, round table, and passage of arms.

Some of the influences of the Church and of chivalric literature upon the tournament and upon the knightly class …

The Concepts Of Paoying And Karma: An Example Of Syncretism, Alexander S. Levy

Masters Theses

This thesis will trace the evolution and modification of the Chinese concept of retribution, or paoying, with the Buddhist concept of karma through three periods of Chinese history: (1) the indigenous phase which comprises the time until Buddhism was introduced to China, (2) the period in which Buddhism was introduced to China and its immediate aftermath, and (3) the post-Buddhist phase in which there was a conscious effort to equate Chinese concepts with non-Chinese concepts, culminating in something that was not singularly Chinese nor wholly Buddhist To illustrate the concepts of retribution I will draw upon folk, or popular literature, …

Anti-Jewish Polemics In Carolingian Gaul: The Campaigns Of Agobard And Amulo Against The Jews Of Lyons, David Harrison Horton

Masters Theses

The Carolingian emperors were relatively tolerant towards the Jewish communities within their realm. They exempted the Jews from many feudal obligations and gave them charters that protected the role of the Jews as merchants within the empire. These charters also protected the Jewish community from undue persecutions of the Church. The privileges guaranteed within these charters drew criticism from many of the leading churchmen at the time.

The anti-Jewish campaign of Agobard, Bishop of Lyons from 814 to 840, has received a fair amount of scholarly attention, whereas the ensuing campaigns of Amulo, Bishop of Lyons from 841 to 852, …

The Politics Of Arthurian Legend In The Plantagenet Empire: A Study Of Literary And Historical Sources From The Time Of Henry Ii To Edward I, Laura J. Radiker

Masters Theses

This study looks at both medieval chronicles and romances--the primary sources of Arthurian legend--to seek mutual influences between the politics of the Plantagenet Empire and Arthurian legend. The authors of the works used in this study performed within the sphere of the Plantagenet Empire, during the time period with which this study concerns itself. Secondary sources provide background information, such as the historical, literary, and cultural milieu surrounding the primary works, archaeological and linguistic evidence, and current scholarly debate.

From the evaluation of the primary sources and their historical framework, several aspects of Arthurian legend emerge which have connections with …

Revisiting The Issue Of Terrorism: An Institutional Analysis Of U.S. Sponsored Terrorism Directed Toward Cuba, Rick A. Matthews

Masters Theses

Consistent with Herman's (1982) call to more critically examine state-sponsored terrorism, this study assesses the sociopolitical and economic context in which the U.S. has terrorized the nation-state of Cuba. While the definitional framework in which the U.S. has traditionally examined acts of terrorism excludes from it the possibility of self incrimination, this research uses a single standard and nondiscriminatory definition which examines the behavior in question and harms done, as opposed to a definition based on power considerations alone. The method in which this research is conducted is qualitative, consistent with the principles of a sociohistorical case study, using an …

The Encirclement At Cherkassy-Korsun: An Assessment Of The Winners And Losers, Joseph Kent Lutes

Masters Theses

During the winter of 1944, two Russian armies encircled two German corps on the Dnieper River. The Germans managed to break out of the encirclement after an attempt to relieve them failed. The battle lasted only three weeks, but cost both sides greatly. Both sides carried out a successful airlift to keep their troops in action. The Germans carried out a brilliant campaign, while the Russians demonstrated that they still needed to perfect their encirclement doctrine and their propaganda.

Each side was hindered by its leaders. Hitler forced the Germans to hold ground, while Stalin forced his generals to fight …

The Borders Of A Canvas Tent: An Analysis Of Feminist Utopian Novels, Catherine R. Caldwell

Masters Theses

This thesis is a critical examination of three feminist utopian novels: Woman on the Edge of Time, by Marge Piercy; Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and Les Guerilleres, by Monique Wittig. The study, derived from the sociology of knowledge and deconstruction theory, focuses on similarities and differences involving: (a) sexuality; (b) community building; (c) religion; (d) decision making processes, political systems, and modes of production; (e) crime, deviance and political conflict resolution; and (f) child rearing. The analysis demonstrates that utopia may serve to critique dominant ideology. It also shows how utopian novels treat, and suggest possibilities …

A Fabric Unravelled: The Rise Of Party Politics In York, England, 1679-88, Vernon A. Mcguffee

Masters Theses

Many historians are engaged in a debate over whether party politics emerged in England before 1688. Perhaps the most prominent current conflict is between Jonathan Scott and Tim Harris. Scott believes that, despite ideological foundations, political parties could not exist before 1688 because of their lack of organization. Harris, on the other hand, argues that parties were indeed organized, and this organization revolved primarily around religion. Harris charges historians to examine the political structures of the localities to help resolve the debate. This thesis does just that. It looks at England's second city, York, from 1679-88 and addresses the question …

Assassination In Modern America: Political Participation Through A Gun Barrel?, Richard Grossenbacher

Masters Theses

Assassination has been a constant companion of the world's societies from the beginning of recorded history. Only relatively recently have social scientists begun empirical study of these acts in an effort to reveal any commonalties and possible predictive traits. Investigation of the assassination phenomenon assumed a special urgency in America as violence seemed to escalate in the 1960s, which resulted in some notable research.

The present research collected data of presidential and non-presidential assassinations and attempts that occurred from 1969 through 1992 and compared the findings with the results of earlier studies.

The data indicate that presidential assaults increased in …

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Achievement In An Rotc Leadership Development And Assessment Setting, Robert W. Dinnen

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine whether there was a positive relationship between an individual's self-esteem and their achievement in a leadership development and assessment setting. While correlational studies have been conducted utilizing self-esteem and achievement as variables, no known study has been conducted with achievement at ROTC Advance Camp as a dependent variable. The hypothesis tested focused on determining if there is a positive relationship between self-esteem and achievement at ROTC Advance Camp. Sixty-six ROTC cadets from five select universities in the state of Illinois were administered the Barksdale Self-Esteem Evaluation Number 35. The results of their evaluation was …

"Easy Or Hard" The Mentality Of Survival: The Gi In Europe In World War Two, Brian R. Bowen

Masters Theses

An oral history compiled from recollections of fourteen combat veterans, documented by over forty hours of tape-recorded interviews, the paper recreates GIs' mentality upon entering combat. The formation of the collective mentality is examined by exploring the attitudes, motivations, and historical circumstances determining thought and actions of these reluctant, yet dedicated soldiers. The collective mentality, defined as the way of thinking allowing the majority to best cope with their predicament, answers why men fought and how they persevered once in combat. Explaining sustained combat performance the paper proves how the collective mentality gave Gls the will and ability to withstand …

John Quincy Adams As Minister To Russia, 1809-1814: The Ideals And Realities Confronting His Mission, Mary Elizabeth Willwerth

Masters Theses

To John Quincy Adams, the early nineteenth century proved itself to be not only a struggle for American independence from Europe, but a struggle for the eighteenth century ideal of the recently formed American philosophy of government. This unique philosophy inspired by key figures of the American Enlightenment, such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, incorporated the vision of America leading the way of enlightened world governments.

Son of the proud American revolutionary, John Adams, John Quincy Adams continued to follow the basic axioms of his father's generation and implement their basic ideals within his own various careers …

The Effect Of Genetic And Environmental Stress Factors On Alcohol Consumption In Rats, Sharon E. Pryor

Masters Theses

The etiology of alcoholism continues to be investigated. Heredity and environment have both been implicated as causes; however, the reason some people drink more than others has not been determined by science. Twin and adoption studies in humans yield evidence for genetic factors in alcoholism. Studies of possible markers in humans and studies of laboratory animal models have produced further evidence for the genetic transmission of alcohol preference. This animal study was done to further investigate the effects of heredity and environment on preference for alcohol in laboratory rats. Two genetic strains of rats, Wistar and Fischer-344, (n=39) were given …