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Monsters And Mayhem: Physical And Moral Survival In Stephen King's Universe, Jaime L. Davis Mar 2012

Monsters And Mayhem: Physical And Moral Survival In Stephen King's Universe, Jaime L. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of my thesis is to analyze physical and moral survival in three novels from King's oeuvre. Scholars have attributed survival in King's universe to factors such as innocence, imaginative capacity, and career choice. Although their arguments are convincing, I believe that physical and moral survival ultimately depends on a character's knowledge of the dark side of human nature and an understanding of moral agency. I have chosen three novels that span several decades of Kings work-'Salem's Lot, Needful Things, and Desperation-to illustrate the relationship between knowledge and survival. In 'Salem's Lot, King uses the main character's interest in …


The Changing Meaning Of Marriage: An Analysis Of Contemporary Marital Attitudes Of Young Adults, Nicole Margaret Kay Mar 2012

The Changing Meaning Of Marriage: An Analysis Of Contemporary Marital Attitudes Of Young Adults, Nicole Margaret Kay

Theses and Dissertations

An interesting paradox in the literature about marriage is that despite the substantial changes to marriage over the last half century, young adults remain committed to the ideal of marriage. While changes to marriage as a social institution have been well documented, research concerning the contemporary attitudes of young adults about marriage has been limited. Even less research has focused on how these contemporary attitudes may cluster young adults into groups that have different perceptions of marriage. This study explores young single adult attitudes about marriage, and group differences in these attitudes. A quota sample (n=700) of 18-35 year-old young …


Family Structure And Family Instability: Evaluating Their Influence On Adult Outcomes, Hsin-Yao Chiu Feb 2012

Family Structure And Family Instability: Evaluating Their Influence On Adult Outcomes, Hsin-Yao Chiu

Theses and Dissertations

Family structure is a widely used independent variable. However, in recent years researchers have questioned its predicting power. They also strive to improve its use. This study drew on Holman's (2001) theoretical model and examined the association between the family structure independent variables (Family Structure, Family Instability, and Parental Romantic Partners) and the outcome variables (Coming to Terms, Self-esteem, Maturity, and Depression). The analysis was conducted with a sample of 3,705 individuals (2,316 females and 1,389 males) randomly selected from the entire population that completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE). Results showed that Family Instability was a stronger predictor than …


An Exploratory Analysis Of Factors Associated With Participation In Self-Directed And Traditional Marriage And Relationship Education, Shelece Mcallister Feb 2012

An Exploratory Analysis Of Factors Associated With Participation In Self-Directed And Traditional Marriage And Relationship Education, Shelece Mcallister

Theses and Dissertations

Although self-directed marriage and relationship education (MRE) has the potential to reach a larger or different audience than traditional MRE, little has been done to examine the characteristics of those who access self-directed materials. This study examined individual, couple, family, and sociocultural context variables that predicted participation in both self-directed and traditional MRE programs. A series of logistic regressions were conducted using SPSS 19.0. Different factors predicted participation for each intervention. For self-directed programs, those who were older, more educated, more religious, less materialistic, whose partners were more neurotic, who had been dating for a shorter amount of time, and …


Don't Worry....Be Happy: The Influence Of Parental Anxiety On Adolescent Self-Esteem, Holly Olson Coutts Feb 2012

Don't Worry....Be Happy: The Influence Of Parental Anxiety On Adolescent Self-Esteem, Holly Olson Coutts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to explore the direct and indirect influences of both paternal and maternal anxiety on adolescent self-esteem as mediated by parental criticism and autonomy allowance. Participants included 331 parent-child triads with a child between the ages of 12 and 15 from the Flourishing Families Project. Findings suggested that maternal anxiety had a significant negative influence on adolescent self-esteem while paternal anxiety did not. Also, the influence of maternal anxiety on adolescent self-esteem was carried directly rather than indirectly through autonomy allowance and parental criticism; however, this influence was only significant prior to adolescent gender …


Adult Student Practitioners: A Qualitative Study On Their Personal Experiences, Mark Zorzi Feb 2012

Adult Student Practitioners: A Qualitative Study On Their Personal Experiences, Mark Zorzi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to describe the changes that working practitioners experience while pursuing a doctoral degree. This qualitative study centered on the experiences of ten students who have successfully completed the doctoral program of Rowan University. Data was collected through personal interviews that explored their academic backgrounds as well as their views and experiences with the coursework. This study adopted elements of interpretive inquiry for development of a case study that sought to analyze meaning-making interactions of the participants lives and to make meaning of their doctoral experiences. A series of open ended questions in one-on-one interviews …


Communicating A Centralized Message Within A Decentralized Political Movement: The Tea Party, Michael Walsh Feb 2012

Communicating A Centralized Message Within A Decentralized Political Movement: The Tea Party, Michael Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effectiveness of how well the Tea Party movement has communicated its message to both members and non-members. This research indicates that the present day populist political movement has done an exceptional job informing the public of its goals. While many non-members of the Tea Party movement disagree with its goals, they were, nonetheless, well versed in both the primary and secondary goals of the movement. Additionally, the research showed that the message has been consistent over various channels including broadcast and cable television, social media, websites, radio, and face-to-face.


A Study Of The Impact Of Single-Gender Classes On Middle School Students In An Urban Setting, Deniese Barnett-Cooper Feb 2012

A Study Of The Impact Of Single-Gender Classes On Middle School Students In An Urban Setting, Deniese Barnett-Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

With the passing of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the levels of accountability that it has placed upon educators and school districts regarding student performance on standardized assessments, there has been a surfeit of initiatives and options to address appropriate prescriptions for academically ailing students. A potentially dramatic turnaround came in March 2004, when the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued proposals that permitted public single-gender schools and classes with few limitations. Additionally, within the past decade, the release of restrictions of Title IX, which originally prohibited the separation of genders, facilitated opportunities to implement single-gender schools and classes …


Youth And The 25th Revolution In Egypt: Agents Of Change And Its Multiple Meanings, Dina El Sharnouby Feb 2012

Youth And The 25th Revolution In Egypt: Agents Of Change And Its Multiple Meanings, Dina El Sharnouby

Theses and Dissertations

The 25th of January 2011 marks an important date for Egypt and the world. Not only did former President Hosni Mubarak who has ruled Egypt for 30 years step down, but the youth who were once conceived as incapable of change were hailed as those who brought about this transformation. Yet how could the youth organize and bring about such a change that was not only unthinkable for many, but not one who took to the streets on the 25th imagined they could topple Hosni Mubarak in 18 short days. In this thesis I thus ask: 1) how have youth …


Egyptian Criminals In Suits- Analytical Study On The Criminology Of White Collar Crimes: Special Focus On Egyptian Cases, Sue Ellen Hassouna Feb 2012

Egyptian Criminals In Suits- Analytical Study On The Criminology Of White Collar Crimes: Special Focus On Egyptian Cases, Sue Ellen Hassouna

Theses and Dissertations

Criminology is the science of crime and until the year 1939 crimes were limited to street or conventional crimes committed by criminals of lower socio-economic segments in the society. After 1939 the American criminologist, Edwin Sutherland, has challenged this stereotype of crimes and criminals through his introduction of white-collar crimes that are perpetrated by elite offenders. However, the term has been introduced and utilized for more than seventy years across criminologists and law enforcement agencies it is still a foreign concept to the Egyptian legal system; hence the Criminal Law Code is predominately focused on mainstream criminalities. This absence of …


Gender Discourse In Kitab Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra: Deconstructing Ibn Sa'd'S Portrayal Of The Model Muslim Woman, Amira Naim Abou-Taleb Feb 2012

Gender Discourse In Kitab Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra: Deconstructing Ibn Sa'd'S Portrayal Of The Model Muslim Woman, Amira Naim Abou-Taleb

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of Ibn Saʽd’s (d. 230/845) historical context on his portrayal of the women of the Prohetic household in Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (KTK). The KTK stands as the oldest, extant version of a biographical dictionary of the early Muslim community and has been canonized as an authority on the lives of individuals who are perceived as the exemplary model (al-salaf al-ṣaliḥ) for later Muslims generations. As critical historiography suggests a strong link between a historical narrative and the socio-political context in which it was created, the two hundred year gap between the time of authorship of …


Gender Differences In Reasons For Alcohol And Drug Abuse Among Youth In Kenya: Programs For Prevention, Faith Wanjiru Kimunya Feb 2012

Gender Differences In Reasons For Alcohol And Drug Abuse Among Youth In Kenya: Programs For Prevention, Faith Wanjiru Kimunya

Theses and Dissertations

Much of the research on alcohol and drug abuse prevention examines general risk and protective factors without considering gender and is conducted primarily in Western cultural contexts. However, gender and culture are important to consider in the design and implementation of alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs because both gender and culture can play a role in the development of risk and protective factors. In order to assess the role that gender and culture might play in alcohol and drug abuse, a literature review was conducted. The literature review focused on the gender differences in reasons for alcohol and drug …


An Assessment Of The Use Of Gender Mainstreaming To Promote Equality In Pre And Post 2011 Revolutionary Egypt, Farah Shash Feb 2012

An Assessment Of The Use Of Gender Mainstreaming To Promote Equality In Pre And Post 2011 Revolutionary Egypt, Farah Shash

Theses and Dissertations

Although the Egyptian constitution states that all Egyptians are equal before the law and equal in rights and duties, many gender inequalities existed before and continue to exist after the Egyptian 2011 revolution. One approach to creating gender equality is Gender Mainstreaming. This approach aims to achieve gender equality through governments and institutions, asking them to assess the implications and consider the needs and experiences of both men and women in any planned action, legislation, policy or program. This study examines how Gender Mainstreaming has been implemented in Egypt, the challenges it has faced, the opportunities available for further implementation, …


Muslim Minorities In The West: Between Fiqh Of Minorities And Integration, Dina M. Taha Feb 2012

Muslim Minorities In The West: Between Fiqh Of Minorities And Integration, Dina M. Taha

Theses and Dissertations

Fiqh of minorities is a specific framework/perspective of the general Fiqh that looks with one eye at the objectives and principles of Sharîâ a, and the other eye to consider the reality of Muslim minorities in cases that will, usually, only arise in the situation where Muslims constitute a minority. Fiqh of minority is, arguably, based on the premises that Muslim existence in non-Muslim communities, should promote a civilizational dialogue between the Islamic culture and other cultures. This paper argues that Fiqh of minorities' scholars attempt to provide legal opinions and solutions for Muslim minorities in the West in order …


Gendered Nationality Gendered Nation: Analyzing Gender Equality Within The 2004 Nationality Law Reform In Egypt, Marwa Salem Baitelmal Feb 2012

Gendered Nationality Gendered Nation: Analyzing Gender Equality Within The 2004 Nationality Law Reform In Egypt, Marwa Salem Baitelmal

Theses and Dissertations

Nationality law holds a particular political agenda; it has the ability to dictate our membership within a nation and our relationship with the state. Essentially, it is through nationality law that we are extended membership within the enlarged community of the nation. As such, the law carries with it the ability to create the insider while in turn creating the outsider. This distinction becomes blurred when negotiating belonging for women who fall within this gap of the internal/external divide. Women, when forced to negotiate with the nationality law, find themselves as partial members. Their nationality is of a conditional one, …


Impact Of Western Cultural Values As Presented In The Egyptian Movies, Mariam El Shenawi Feb 2012

Impact Of Western Cultural Values As Presented In The Egyptian Movies, Mariam El Shenawi

Theses and Dissertations

The social identification and cultivation theories & the impact of Western cultural values as presented in the Egyptian movies: signs of the Western cultural values are noticed in some Egyptian movies. Watching television everyday affects the educated Egyptian’s perception of their culture and the Western culture. This study looks at the cultivation theory and social identification theory and their relation to educated Egyptian’s perception of the image of the US and Egypt. It examines the recent Egyptian movies reflection on the Egyptian lives’ details of eating, talking and speaking. The researcher uses cultivation and social identity theories to check how …


Gender And Identity In Contemporary Coptic Society, Hazel Haddon Feb 2012

Gender And Identity In Contemporary Coptic Society, Hazel Haddon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to analyze the role that class plays in determining attitudes to gender among upper middle class Egyptian Copts. Through fieldwork, it explores the relationship between class, religion and gender in the lives of upper middle class Christian women. It argues that members of the upper middle class share a common â class cultureâ and have access to â cosmpolitan capitalâ which is constituted largely in social, cultural, educational and linguistic terms, and which sets them apart from the broader middle class. A distinctive class culture is produced through gender ideologies (described using terms such as â open …


Media Darlings: The Egyptian Revolution And American Media Coverage, Rebecca Fox Feb 2012

Media Darlings: The Egyptian Revolution And American Media Coverage, Rebecca Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the first few months of 2011, a handful of protesters dominated mainstream American media coverage of the Egyptian Revolution. Activists such as Wael Ghonim and Gigi Ibrahim were called â the Facebook youthâ and â digital revolutionariesâ . This thesis explores various characteristics of these â media darlingsâ and the ways in which their messages were portrayed in American media outlets. Why did so many news outlets focus on these individuals? This research first establishes a quantitative argument that shows reporters focused on young, tech-savvy, and westernized individuals. Then, through case studies and the application of Bourdieuâ s field …


Thank You, Merci, Shukran! Private Education And Language In Egypt, Ericka Galegher Feb 2012

Thank You, Merci, Shukran! Private Education And Language In Egypt, Ericka Galegher

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis examines the processes by which the reproduction of power and social hierarchies transpire in the field of international, private schools in Egypt. More specifically, I will analyze how the linguistic system in these schools reproduce and reinforce forms of power and inequality. I will consider the process by which nonnative languages, principally English, became the dominant and legitimate linguistic system of these schools, and how the complexities of their habitus have influenced students' language beliefs and practices. Language is a place for ideological contestation and identity assertion reinforcing power relations between groups and individuals. Differences in accent, grammar, …


Ungendering Power Relations: Stateswomen, Agency And Foreign Policy In Jordan, Catherine Guzzi Feb 2012

Ungendering Power Relations: Stateswomen, Agency And Foreign Policy In Jordan, Catherine Guzzi

Theses and Dissertations

Feminist international reFeminist international relations theory argues that womenâ s marginalization in world affairs both results from and is sustained by a gendering of international relations in which the norms of power, aggression, and self-help typically associated with masculinity dominate IR theory and practice. While gender has become an accepted topic within international relations, a coherent argument for how gendered relationships of power exist within and outside states and how they affect international relations has yet to be made. Little effort has been made to move beyond theory and examine the ways in which gender affects particular cases and issues. …


Divided, They Win? A Case Study Of The New Political Generation In Egypt Since 25th January 2011, Sanaa El-Banna Feb 2012

Divided, They Win? A Case Study Of The New Political Generation In Egypt Since 25th January 2011, Sanaa El-Banna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the political culture of the new political generation in Egypt after 25th January 2011. It aims at examining the reasons behind generational conflicts on the new political landscape. It defines political generation as â a group of people who have been subject to common social and political (â ¦) influences and circumstances' that shape their political values, attitudes, and signify their sharing of an essential destiny' . Hence, generations are defined in terms of political culture, rather than age groups. The study examines six suggestive cases: The National Movement for Changeâ Kefayaâ , the 6th of April, …


Molding And Moving Bodies In A Neoliberal World: African Football Labor Migrants In Egypt, Andrea Groves Feb 2012

Molding And Moving Bodies In A Neoliberal World: African Football Labor Migrants In Egypt, Andrea Groves

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt has a large profitable football industry that increasingly attracts the attention of both football agents wanting to earn income from another market and sub-Saharan football players hoping to further a career by using Egypt as an intermediary between their home countries and Europe. The labor migration of sub-Saharan football players to Egypt has been enabled mainly by neoliberal, market-orientated changes adopted by FIFA, the CAF, the European Union, and the Egyptian football industry itself. Yet more importantly it is the individual actors that implement and take advantage of these hegemonic spheres of influence. This thesis explores how these individual …


A Qualitative Case Study Comparing A Computer-Mediated Delivery System To A Face-To-Face Mediated Delivery System For Teaching Creative Writing Fiction Workshops, Mindy Daniels Jan 2012

A Qualitative Case Study Comparing A Computer-Mediated Delivery System To A Face-To-Face Mediated Delivery System For Teaching Creative Writing Fiction Workshops, Mindy Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to compare the pedagogical and affective efficiency and efficacy of creative prose fiction writing workshops taught via asynchronous computer-mediated online distance education with creative prose fiction writing workshops taught face-to-face in order to better understand their operational pedagogy and correlative affective features to determine if workshops are transferable to a computer-mediated delivery system in order to aid administrative decision-makers regarding the possible pedagogical usefulness of expanding their existing writing program to offer an optional-residency creative writing program in concert with their current high residency program. Qualitative data were collected through non-participatory virtual observation …


The Jigsaw Man: Puzzling Through The Pieces Of Modern American Manhood, Paul Bennett Jan 2012

The Jigsaw Man: Puzzling Through The Pieces Of Modern American Manhood, Paul Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

The Jigsaw Man is a personal nonfiction narrative that examines modern American manhood. The author uses personal anecdotes and popular media to discuss manhood as experienced by his generation and those younger, the so-called "preadults" of Generations X, Y, and beyond. This thesis was written as part of the author's preparation for a book proposal, which would expand upon the themes and stories in this thesis.


Spiritual Economies: Redemptive Violence, The Body And Social Care, Perry W. Benson Jan 2012

Spiritual Economies: Redemptive Violence, The Body And Social Care, Perry W. Benson

Theses and Dissertations

“Spiritual Economies” asserts that the emancipatory drive in international social care to integrate spirituality and religion in culturally sensitive practice, is much needed given the demographic and social changes engendered by globalization. Ethical codes guiding the practice of international social care, furthermore, have mandated that spiritual and religious beliefs are an important part of cultural diversity. An extensive examination and analysis of the discourse on the integration of religion and spirituality in the predominantly secular social services, however, yielded a number of concerns among international social care scholars and practitioners regarding the inclusion of religion due to the potential for …


Is Tdr In Virginia Doa? A Study Of The State Of Transfer Of Development Rights Programs In Virginia, Alissa Akins Jan 2012

Is Tdr In Virginia Doa? A Study Of The State Of Transfer Of Development Rights Programs In Virginia, Alissa Akins

Theses and Dissertations

Transfer of development rights has been approved as a tool to manage growth in Virginia since 2006, yet it has not been widely employed. This tool can be used to direct growth and development at little or no cost to society while simultaneously preserving land for future generations. In an effort to understand the limited use of transfer of development rights programs in Virginia, this research collected information regarding obstacles and limitations to TDR program development and implementation, from every locality in the Commonwealth authorized to employ this tool. Based on findings of pertinent TDR literature, this research outlines the …


Job Satisfaction And Professional Employees' Perceptions Of Ict Use, Cody Ryle Asperheim Jan 2012

Job Satisfaction And Professional Employees' Perceptions Of Ict Use, Cody Ryle Asperheim

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project's 2008 Networked Workers Survey (N = 306), this study evaluates the relationship between professional employees' perceptions of information and communications technology (ICT) use and job satisfaction. The differential salience approach guides this research by highlighting the importance of resources and demands to employees' experiences at work. Descriptive statistics reveal that professional employees perceive ICT as both a resource and demand. Bivariate correlations and OLS regression demonstrate a statistically significantly association between job satisfaction and ICT as a resource and demand. ICT as a resource is positively associated with job satisfaction …


Juvenile Male Sex Offenders: The Impact Of Family Involvement In Treatment, Irene Arande Guya-Allen Jan 2012

Juvenile Male Sex Offenders: The Impact Of Family Involvement In Treatment, Irene Arande Guya-Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Factors that relate to the recidivism of adolescents who commit sexual crimes have received minimal attention in the literature. This study examined the impact of family involvement in treatment variables for adolescent male sex offenders as well as the relationships between family involvement and other treatment variables. The independent variables included a) family environment b) family status c) socioeconomic status d) living status e) levels of offense f) criminal records and g) family involvement in treatment. The dependent measure was recidivism. Data was collected from archival records provided by Hennepin County Home School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The results indicated that …


Multicultural Efficacy Among White Resident Hall Directors: Predicting White Privilege Attitudes, Sarah Jo Szerlong Jan 2012

Multicultural Efficacy Among White Resident Hall Directors: Predicting White Privilege Attitudes, Sarah Jo Szerlong

Theses and Dissertations

This study contributed to the expanding field of research examining the various aspects of White privilege attitudes. This study extended White privilege research by incorporating the predictive relationships of multicultural efficacy, multicultural empathy, multicultural experience, and multicultural training in assessing White privilege attitudes among a sample of White resident hall directors (N =206). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the current study to examine the mediating effect of multicultural efficacy on White privilege attitudes measured by the White Privilege Attitude Scale, Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites, and Color Blind Racial Attitudes Scale. Goodness of fit was not found …


Knowledge Translation Practices Of Health Services Research Organizations In The United States, Wendy Opsahl Jan 2012

Knowledge Translation Practices Of Health Services Research Organizations In The United States, Wendy Opsahl

Theses and Dissertations

Health services research organizations have generated a growing body of literature that focuses on better understanding challenges facing health care delivery. However, their findings do not always reach end users (e.g., policymakers, providers, managers, general public) in ways that are helpful, relevant, or cost-effective despite the availability of numerous resources designed to aid researchers in communicating more effectively. The purpose of this study was to understand better how health services research organizations in the United States communicate their research findings to end users; determine the degree to which they are translating research findings in ways consistent with the empirical evidence; …