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You're Gonna Be Ok: A System To Control The Uncontrollable, John Hendershot Apr 2010

You're Gonna Be Ok: A System To Control The Uncontrollable, John Hendershot

Theses and Dissertations

This is a written defense to accompany the MFA Thesis Exhibition You’re Gonna Be Ok, an installation encompassing video, and other sensory components. This defense provides background for the artist’s motivation to make this work, along with a theoretical framework used to construct the installation. Accompanying photos, video, and PowerPoint are also included to give reference and documentation of the installation event.


The Middle School Transition In Private Schools: Student Perceptions, Eileen Atkinson Apr 2010

The Middle School Transition In Private Schools: Student Perceptions, Eileen Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS By Eileen Irby Atkinson, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Cheryl Magill, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership Students transitioning into the middle school often experience difficulty adjusting to their new environment. During this transition, declines in academic motivation, academic achievement, and connectedness have been noted. Most research on this transition has taken place in public school settings. This research investigated the impact of the middle school transition in …


Listening To Their Voices: Gang Members’ Perceptions Of Their Schooling And Their Teachers, Martha Wall-Whitfield Apr 2010

Listening To Their Voices: Gang Members’ Perceptions Of Their Schooling And Their Teachers, Martha Wall-Whitfield

Theses and Dissertations

Although gangs have long been present, gangs exert an increasingly significant influence on the culture of students who attend schools, especially in urban environments. This case study investigation involved a purposeful sampling of four young men who were involved in gangs. By spending time with each young man in several interviews, I was able to gain insight into his perceptions of schooling, his teachers, and his view on caring in schools. The individual interviews focused on each student’s experiences in schooling through the lens of care. This research took in-depth look at these four gang members in their individual schooling …


Movement Without Motion: The Rhetoric Of Conservative Counter-Claims To Global Warming Theory, William Edwards Apr 2010

Movement Without Motion: The Rhetoric Of Conservative Counter-Claims To Global Warming Theory, William Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Many U.S. conservatives view government mandates to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as a threat to the economy of the developed world. Conservative think tanks have adopted a common rhetoric to instill doubt about proposed mandates in the minds of elected officials, the media, and the public. Using a survey of the websites of 14 conservative think tanks, this thesis analyzes counter-claims to global warming theory to identify rhetorical artifacts that typically characterize conservative responses to issues, and to show how rhetorical theory can help anticipate the nature of such responses. The research identifies unifying speech codes – such as …


An Exploration Of The Influences Of Race, Class And Gender Identity On The Help-Seeking Behavior Of Lgbtq Survivors Of Violence, Xavier Guadalupe Apr 2010

An Exploration Of The Influences Of Race, Class And Gender Identity On The Help-Seeking Behavior Of Lgbtq Survivors Of Violence, Xavier Guadalupe

Theses and Dissertations

Without a doubt, violence continues to be a brutal reality in our society. It reaches and affects millions across our nation and around the world. For centuries, scholars, researchers and academics have studied and analyzed the existence of violence in many capacities. While violence affects every individual, group, and community the dynamics and the realties that are carried out vary tremendously across race, income levels, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation and national origin to name a few. The existence, impact and repercussions of violence in different communities carry varying meanings, perceptions and significance. This paper explores the influences …


Utilizing Pre -Entry Attributes And Academic Integration To Predict Student Academic Success And Persistence To The Second Year For Students In A Collegiate Aviation Program, Elizabeth Bjerke Apr 2010

Utilizing Pre -Entry Attributes And Academic Integration To Predict Student Academic Success And Persistence To The Second Year For Students In A Collegiate Aviation Program, Elizabeth Bjerke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine student persistence in professional programs by expanding the definition of academic integration as defined in the current literature using both traditional and professional variables. The professional academic integration variables were identified for aviation education. Due to the impending pilot shortage for the aviation industry, this particular study focused on students enrolled in a professional flight program. The primary focus of this research was to examine pre-entry attributes and academic integration variables in order to predict student persistence and academic success in a professional flight program. The data set constructed for this study …


The Meaning Of Development Of Filipinos By Filipinos In Diaspora: Rhetorical Vision In Participatory Communication, Louella Lim Lofranco Apr 2010

The Meaning Of Development Of Filipinos By Filipinos In Diaspora: Rhetorical Vision In Participatory Communication, Louella Lim Lofranco

Theses and Dissertations

Development is currently one of the drivers of international migration resulting in south-to-north or third-to-first world movements of immigrants seeking for a better life in more developed countries. Consequently, new economic diaspora communities are being formed, most of which help alleviate poverty of relatives back home through regular remittances, now considered an important source of foreign capital in many developing economies. Amidst new challenges for the field of development is the question of the relevance of development communication in migration and diaspora. This exploratory study investigates the role of participatory development communication in expanding diaspora contributions to their home countries. …


Even Satan Spoke Hebrew, Gilad Elbom Apr 2010

Even Satan Spoke Hebrew, Gilad Elbom

Theses and Dissertations

A novel preceded by a scholarly introduction, EVEN SATAN SPOKE HEBREW employs a variety of metafictional devices—collage, appropriation, borrowing, minoring, framing, indeterminacy, textual parody, obtrusive narration, structural constraints—in an attempt to propose a deliberate departure from the concepts of mimetic art, verisimilitude, and believability. Set in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, it revolves around an aspiring writer who insists on working in a foreign language, a self-professed exile accused of betraying her homeland, national identity, and mother tongue. When her first novel disappears—somehow she manages to misplace the only copy of her manuscript—she embarks on an intertextual journey in search of …


More Than A Prayer: Pastors' Perception And Practice Of Mental Health Services, Jessica Young Apr 2010

More Than A Prayer: Pastors' Perception And Practice Of Mental Health Services, Jessica Young

Theses and Dissertations

While African Americans show similar rates of mental health concerns, they seek and obtain significantly fewer traditional mental health services (MHS) as compared to other groups. One alternative to traditional forms of MHS is the use of church-based resources, such as pastoral counseling. Pastors frequently report counseling as a large part of their duties. Therefore, their perceptions about mental health have a major impact on services that parishioners receive. This online survey assessed 40 pastors' perceptions about mental health services, as well as perceived needs for information or training. Attitudes about mental health were significantly related to variety of counseling …


Afro-German Biracial Identity Development, Rebecca R. Hubbard Apr 2010

Afro-German Biracial Identity Development, Rebecca R. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

An increase in the biracial population has heightened our awareness of unique issues that pervade the experience of these individuals. The importance of environmental influences on biracial identity development has been established, but investigations concerning racial socialization of biracial individuals are scarce. This study, utilizing a qualitative design, explores racial identity development of biracial Afro-Germans living in Germany. The purpose of the study is to understand the strategies that biracial individuals use to negotiate their racial identity, factors that influence their development, cultural influences, and racial socialization processes. Interviews with biracial Afro-Germans were conducted using phenomenological interviewing techniques. Twelve themes …


Differences In Peer Perception Of Alcohol Use, Personal Alcohol Use, And Levels Of Intoxication Among Students At Virginia Commonwealth University From 2002 To 2004., William Evans Apr 2010

Differences In Peer Perception Of Alcohol Use, Personal Alcohol Use, And Levels Of Intoxication Among Students At Virginia Commonwealth University From 2002 To 2004., William Evans

Theses and Dissertations

This study involves the examination of National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) data collected by the VCU Wellness Resource Center. This study will compare trends in college student health behavior perceptions and personal activity regarding alcohol use, as self-reported via the NCHA data, with a particular focus on a comparison between 2002, which is the year that the Wellness Resource Center (then known as the Office of Health Promotion) first implemented an alcohol education campaign based upon a “social norms” theoretical framework, and 2004, after 18 months of intensive campaigning. Thus, the aim of the project is to examine the changes …


Ghouls, Hell And Transcendence: The Zombie In Popular Culture From "Night Of The Living Dead" To "Shaun Of The Dead", Jasie Stokes Mar 2010

Ghouls, Hell And Transcendence: The Zombie In Popular Culture From "Night Of The Living Dead" To "Shaun Of The Dead", Jasie Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

Considering the amount of media created around the zombie and the sustained interest in its role in our society, we can clearly see that a cultural phenomenon is underway, and it is important for us to question this phenomenon in order to gain some understanding of how and why its appeal has stretched so far. The zombie is somehow enthralling, and it is my opinion that this is in part because the zombie is a study of what it means to be human in the postmodern world. My main purpose here is not to ask why zombies are popular or …


The Absurd In The Briar Patch: Ellison's Invisible Man And Existentialism, Eliot J. Wilcox Mar 2010

The Absurd In The Briar Patch: Ellison's Invisible Man And Existentialism, Eliot J. Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

This article claims that Ralph Ellison's use and then revision of French existential themes is essential to understanding his overriding message of Invisible Man: Ellison's hope for a more polyglot American democracy that transcends the white democracy of mid twentieth century America. Specifically, I argue that Ellison, after demonstrating his ability to understand and engage in the traditional ideology of European existentialism, deviates from its individualistic conclusions demanding that the larger community, not just the solitary individual, must become ethically responsible if the classic existential tenet of authenticity is to be achieved. In order to establish this claim, I …


Are Impact Factors Comparable? Impact Factor Comparisons Across Areas Of Psychology, Jason J. Van Der Horst Mar 2010

Are Impact Factors Comparable? Impact Factor Comparisons Across Areas Of Psychology, Jason J. Van Der Horst

Theses and Dissertations

Journal impact factors play an increasing role in academics as a tool for evaluating faculty, research, and resource allocations. These evaluations may be effective in departments where the subject matter is reasonably unified. However, given the diversity found within the subject matter of psychology, the impact factors of journals may not be comparable across the various areas. This study compares the average impact factors across decile levels of journals from seven areas of psychology. It is found that impact factor scores are not comparable across the seven areas of psychology. This difference is more pronounced when looking at higher decile …


At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham Mar 2010

At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham

Theses and Dissertations

This formative evaluation focuses on feedback regarding a self-guided educational intervention for those at the crossroads of divorce. Entitled Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out? A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce (And Before), this Guidebook aims to help individuals minimize possible ambiguity in the decision-making process surrounding divorce. Fifty-three participants were recruited through divorce orientation education classes to provide formative feedback via brief phone surveys. Eighteen of these provided in-depth interviews for additional feedback. Though the participants in this study were largely past the crossroads of divorce, most agreed or strongly agreed …


Individual And Family Predictors Of The Caregiver Burden Of Parents Rearing A Child With Diabetes, Joan Margaret Leishman Mar 2010

Individual And Family Predictors Of The Caregiver Burden Of Parents Rearing A Child With Diabetes, Joan Margaret Leishman

Theses and Dissertations

Caregiver burden results from the stress that parents feel due to their responsibilities as a caregiver. This study was performed to analyze a proposed model of variables that predict caregiver burden of parents raising a child with type 1 diabetes, as well as determine differences in mothers' and fathers' models of caregiver burden. The predictor variables of caregiver burden were based on mothers and fathers perceptions of marital conflict, marital satisfaction, depression, child externalizing behaviors, number of children in the family, and family income. The results showed that for mothers, marital conflict, depression, and child externalizing behaviors had significant direct …


National Identity Transnational Identification: The City And The Child As Evidence Of Identification Among The Poetic Elite, Mary L. Hedengren Mar 2010

National Identity Transnational Identification: The City And The Child As Evidence Of Identification Among The Poetic Elite, Mary L. Hedengren

Theses and Dissertations

While poetry has historically been connected with rhetoric, few rhetoricians have studied contemporary poetry. Jeffery Walker suggests that this is because contemporary poetry, unlike classical poetry, no longer addresses all socio-economic levels of society but has become insular and self-referential (329). He criticizes that poetry no longer cuts vertically across one culture's hierarchy. I agree that poetry no longer addresses all segments of society, but I argue that this doesn't mean poetry is no longer rhetorical. Contemporary poetry now operates horizontally to unite the cultural elite of many national and ethnic groups by appealing to their identity as poetry readers. …


The Level Of The Beasts That Perish: Animalized Text In Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's Helen Fleetwood, Christie Anne Peterson Mar 2010

The Level Of The Beasts That Perish: Animalized Text In Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's Helen Fleetwood, Christie Anne Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Although Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna's 1839 social reform novel Helen Fleetwood has long been understood as a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of factory work, her use of animals to represent factory workers has not been considered in analyses of her depictions of dehumanization. Considering both the growing interest in the animal/human divide during the early nineteenth century and Tonna's own direct contributions to discussions about animals, in this essay I examine the role that animals play in negotiating definitions of humanity and nature in the novel. I argue that idealized, "Edenic" animals and corrupted, "industrial" animals are integral to Tonna's …


This Is Sportscenter: Performance And Performativity In Sports Broadcasting And Punditry, Anthony C. Gunn Mar 2010

This Is Sportscenter: Performance And Performativity In Sports Broadcasting And Punditry, Anthony C. Gunn

Theses and Dissertations

Within the discipline of Performance Studies there is a debate about what is included within the ontology of “performance.” Peggy Phelan suggests that performance can only be experienced in the here and now, and any recording of a performance makes it “something other than performance.” Phillip Auslander argues the exact opposite, claiming that mediatized performance is not only valid, but also preferable to the live. This thesis is about performance in sports broadcasting, and states that performance, like sport, can be valid in both live and mediatized forms. The thesis also details how sports broadcasters perform and how their performance …


Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff Mar 2010

Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parenting factors and Hispanic adolescent substance use and depression. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between parental support, parental knowledge, and parental psychological control among Hispanic adolescents' use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs and depressive symptoms. The sample included 839 Hispanic (primarily Mexican) 9th – 12th graders from west Texas area school districts who were given a self-reported survey to assess parental behaviors, substance use, and adolescent depression. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that higher levels of maternal support were related to lower levels of depressive …


Scalable And Fault Tolerant Group Key Management, Nicholas A. Lupien Mar 2010

Scalable And Fault Tolerant Group Key Management, Nicholas A. Lupien

Theses and Dissertations

To address the group key management problem for modern networks this research proposes a lightweight group key management protocol with a gossip-based dissemination routine. Experiments show that by slightly increasing workload for the key update mechanism, this protocol is superior to currently available tree-based protocols with respect to reliability and fault tolerance, while remaining scalable to large groups. Java simulations show that the protocol efficiently distributes keys to large groups in the midst of up to 35 percent node failure rates. In addition, it eliminates the need for logical key hierarchy while preserving an overall reduction in rekey messages to …


Emergency Management Benchmarking Study: Lessons For Increasing Supply Chain Resilience, Jose M. Morais Jr. Mar 2010

Emergency Management Benchmarking Study: Lessons For Increasing Supply Chain Resilience, Jose M. Morais Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The challenge to manage a business today is bigger than ever, because we cannot think only about our organization, but the intricate network of organizations that form our supply chain. Some organizations cope far better than others with both the prospect and the manifestation of unquantifiable risk -- they share a critical trait: resilience. This study researches emergency management organizations which are required to maintain a state of readiness for immediate reaction, and evaluates best practices in preparedness, detection, response and recovery. Extracting insights from multiple interviews, this research verified that most of the current emergency management best practices do …


Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson Mar 2010

Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

The US workforce faces an impending mass exodus of experienced workers as the Baby Boomer Generation prepares to retire. Generation X is entering upper management positions but their numbers are small—approximately half the Baby Boomer population—and they’ll be leading Generation Y which is three times their size. This ‘age wave’ phenomenon has unsettling implications for organizations. Will organizations lose knowledge as their most experienced workers depart? Can that knowledge be captured before they leave? This study examines the differences between the ways members of each generation in the workforce transfer knowledge using semi-structured interviews to understand and diagnose challenges to …


Anchors Of Religious Commitment In Adolescence, Emily Gwilliam Layton Mar 2010

Anchors Of Religious Commitment In Adolescence, Emily Gwilliam Layton

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents from California and New England. It identifies a new construct, "anchors of religious commitment," to describe what adolescents are committing to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith traditions or denominations; (d) faith community members; (e) parents; (f) scriptures or sacred texts; and (g) religious leaders. Various forms of expression are identified within each anchor of religious commitment, with issues of relationships …


Examining Violent And Property Crimes In The Provinces Of Turkey For The Years Of 2000 And 2007, Mus Ekrem Feb 2010

Examining Violent And Property Crimes In The Provinces Of Turkey For The Years Of 2000 And 2007, Mus Ekrem

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationship between social, economical, and demographic variables and reported violent and property crime incidents in the provinces of Turkey between 2000 and 2007. The data on violent and property crimes comes from Turkish National Police. All other variables are secondary data gathered from open sources and Turkstat. The research is one of the first studies to examine this relationship in Turkey. The findings of the study suggest that family disruption rate and gross domestic product were significantly related to the violent crime rate while family disruption rate, gross domestic product, population, population density, and urbanization rate …


Perceptions Of Al Jazeera Arab Satellite News Channel's Image Among Yemenis After Its News Coverage Of The Southern Yemenis Movement And The Northern Yemenis Rebellion, Mustafa Al-Ezzi Naji Al-Harazi Feb 2010

Perceptions Of Al Jazeera Arab Satellite News Channel's Image Among Yemenis After Its News Coverage Of The Southern Yemenis Movement And The Northern Yemenis Rebellion, Mustafa Al-Ezzi Naji Al-Harazi

Theses and Dissertations

In the light of Al Jazeera recent heavy news coverage of the two Yemeni news events: the Southern Yemenis movement and the Northern Yemenis rebellion, this study aims to reveal perceptions of the channel's image among its Yemeni viewers. The study explores how popular the channel is in Yemen among other prominent Arabic-language news channels. It also reveals how its viewers perceive its credibility regarding its general news coverage and its news coverage of the two recent Yemeni events in specific. The study also focuses on the channel's non-viewers and why they do not follow news on Al Jazeera channel. …


Virtual Reality In Art Education, Sohhyoun Yoon Jan 2010

Virtual Reality In Art Education, Sohhyoun Yoon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project presents possible uses of Virtual Reality for art education. To understand VR, this thesis reviews the history of using technology in educational environments and explores the concepts, definitions, and characteristics of VR in general. Then, it shows diverse purposes of VR for education and art educational environments. For an art class, the units present the use of Teen Second Life, which is a free on-line virtual world. The units demonstrate how art educators may use Teen Second life for high school art classes to build students’ understandings of their identities by creating their avatars, clothing, objects and …


A Comparison Of The Effects Of Parental Stressors In Parents Of Diagnosed Versus Undiagnosed Children, Alicia Gomes Jan 2010

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Parental Stressors In Parents Of Diagnosed Versus Undiagnosed Children, Alicia Gomes

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has shown that stress can play a major role in family functioning and can be pronounced in families of children with special needs. The purpose of this study is to analyze potential stressors in families of children with special needs to determine whether a diagnosis for a child's medical conditions has any impact on these stressors. Diagnosed and undiagnosed participants were obtained from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), and the Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) online discussion boards. Participants were solicited with an e-mail providing a link to an online survey …


The Act And Impact Of Whistle-Blowing On The Los Angeles Police Department, Deborah A. Gonzales Jan 2010

The Act And Impact Of Whistle-Blowing On The Los Angeles Police Department, Deborah A. Gonzales

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies examine whistle-blowing from an organization's self-regulating perspective. The LAPD is one of the few municipal agencies that offer its employees 8 or more misconduct reporting avenues to choose from. Yet, despite this large number of resources, many police officers have opted to file civil lawsuits rather than utilize internal resources to resolve reports of specific types of misconduct. A total of 131 sergeants, detectives, lieutenants, captains and commanders were surveyed in 2009 regarding their likelihood of reporting specific types of organizational misconduct to any one of the internal departmental resources provided. Findings revealed 65% of the police officers …


Leadership Behavior Impact On Employee Engagement, Michelle J. Marquard Jan 2010

Leadership Behavior Impact On Employee Engagement, Michelle J. Marquard

Theses and Dissertations

As the age of employer enlightenment continues to unfold, for the past half-century researchers have collected mounting empirical evidence linking management theory and environmental factors to worker productivity. The rise of professional research over the past several years has however signaled a change in the marketability of this research within the business community. The change is prompted by a newfound interest in workforce productivity as a source of profitability (Colan, 2009; Corporate Leadership Council, 2004; Gebauer, Lowman, & Gordon, 2008; Thomas, 2000, 2009). The study of management systems, the system of interrelationships between supervisory characteristics and organizational performance, has gained …