Digital Commons Network^™

Voice, Choice, And ( Material ) Agency: The Sexualized Feminine Body In Young Adult Literature, Tharini Viswanath

Theses and Dissertations

My study unites two disparate strands of feminist theory: the linguistic, which emphasizes the relationship between language and power, and the material, which argues that the human body has its own agency. I raise three main points. First, I contend that the sexualized feminine body is the site of neither the linguistic nor the material independent of one another, but both the linguistic and the material existing in a state of fluidity and interdependency, which combine to grant the young female character agency. Second, I contend that feminist novels should not only have strong female characters, but that they should …

Sustainable Treatment Of Tanneries Wastewater Using Low-Cost And Highly Efficient Materials, Sarah Ehab Abdelkader

Theses and Dissertations

Chromium sulfate salt (Cr2(SO4)3) is the tanning agent used in the chrome tanning process, but during the process around 30 or 40% of the chromium is discharged as chromium III residues in the tannery's wastewater resulting in serious health and environmental problem in case of discharging to the environment without appropriate treatment. The main objective of this study is to investigate the efficiency of using solid waste materials for low-cost trivalent chromium removal from tanneries wastewater. This study was conducted in 5 phases: phase I, phase II, phase III, phase IV and phase V. In phase I, two groups of …

A Case Study On The Implementation Of Blended Learning Education: Stakeholders' Views, Nada Ezzatlo

Theses and Dissertations

An Egyptian school for further education affiliated to a higher education institution, offered a blended learning course for continuing education learners. However, it was decided after the first week, that the planned blended courses would proceed but through using flipped learning technique. In addition, the instructors would attend professional development training on implementing blended learning prior to the following term. Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted to understand the implementation of blended learning addressed and to know the views on the effectiveness of the professional development training sessions delivered to the blended learning instructors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 …

Paul By Paul By Paul, Paul Finch

Theses and Dissertations

In 2020 flamboyant fashion is associated with queer performativity. Psychologist Alan Downs and queer theorist madison moore understand this to be a response to a culture that is hostile to sexual behaviour and gender expression that falls outside a rigid binary. I study the history of flamboyant aesthetics and camp sensibilities from an intersectional perspective, and locate designers and artists who have produced clothes in ways that materialize the political implications of fashion. As a studio-based artist, I employ traditional sewing techniques, digital technologies, and performance to create clothes and new media works that demonstrate a circular understanding of time, …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

So . . . We're Going For A Walk: A Placed-Based Outdoor Art Experiential Learning Experience, Priscilla Anne Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Schools in the United States often emphasize making children competitive in a global economy while neglecting the importance of developing citizens who are ecologically responsible. Problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity, mass extinctions and degradation of the natural environment, are often ignored. Some researchers have suggested that children lack unstructured play time in nature, have an increased amount of screen time, lack mindfulness, and are insulated from the natural world. Many children rarely have significant experience with nature's wildness. It is common for people to experience a sense of placelessness in the hyper-mobility of present times where "globalizing" agendas …

Sociocultural Factors Influencing Cervical Cancer Prevention And Control Behaviors In Cusco, Peru, Venice Elizabeth Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer; however, it continues to pose significant health challenges for women in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Peru. Studies previously conducted in Peru have examined factors associated with cervical cancer screening, screening access, availability, and geographical determinants on cervical cancer incidence and mortality. These studies have suggested the need to explore sociocultural factors and the roles of men and women in screening decisions associated with excessive cervical cancer burden and low rates of screening among Peruvian women. The goal of the dissertation research was to explore influences of …

Participatory Design For Sustainable Community Development. Case Study; A Dates-Pack-House In The Egyptian Western Desert, Dina Bahaa Eldin Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

Over recent years, participatory design processes have been gaining momentum in the architecture field. This research analyzes the past experiences of the participatory design processes from literature and case studies to apply it on an ongoing sustainable development initiative for creating a dates pack-house in the Western Desert Oasis of El-Heiz. The aim of the development project of the dates pack-house at El-Heiz is to help achieve a more sustainable community economy. The research is done through understanding past intervention in the area, mapping the whole participatory design process (while being a design participant) in its various stages, and finally …

Understanding Community: Microwear Analysis Of Blades At The Mound House Site, Silas Levi Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding Middle Woodland period sites has been of considerable interest for North American archaeologists since early on in the discipline. Various Middle Woodland period (50 BCE-400CE) cultures participated in shared ideas and behaviors, such as constructing mounds and earthworks and importing exotic materials to make objects for ceremony and for interring with the dead. These shared behaviors and ideas are termed by archaeologists as “Hopewell”. The Mound House site is a floodplain mound group thought to have served as a “ritual aggregation center”, a place for the dispersed Middle Woodland communities to congregate at certain times of year to reinforce …

Culture As Sustainability: The Case Study Of Govardhan Ecovillage And Vedic Culture In India, Danielle Lella Bartolone

Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates the relationship between sustainability and Vedic culture of India. The ethnographic research at Govardhan Ecovillage seeks to understand how sustainability is embedded in culture. I employ grounded theory for my research methodology which reveals three key themes explaining fundamental and interrelated dimensions of Vedic culture as sustainability.

Innovative Instruction: Learning In Blended Human Anatomy Education, Mia Summer Nobles

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the robust literature surrounding the benefits of blended learning including improved student learning and positive student perceptions of learning (Bishop & Verleger, 2013; O'Flaherty & Phillips, 2015), simply rearranging the structure of activities or incorporating technology does not ensure a more meaningful learning experience (Duffy & McDonald, 2008; Gopal et al., 2006). There exists a danger of educators attempting the translation of blended learning without thoroughly understanding how it works (Ash, 2012). Considering the definition of blended learning as the "organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary F2F and online approaches and technologies" Garrison & Vaughan, 2008, p. 148), …

Exploring Knowledge And Awareness Of Social Entrepreneurship, Barry Tishler

Theses and Dissertations

Exploring knowledge and awareness of social entrepreneurship is a study created to identify business students’ awareness and knowledge of social entrepreneurship in a business degree program. The social entrepreneurship survey is a descriptive quantitative research instrument that was created to measure students’ knowledge and awareness of social entrepreneurship. The results of this study could be used to identify a potential need for social entrepreneurship academic programs or degrees within the business school. The study used the web-based survey to investigate business students enrolled in a degree program to determine and report if any correlation existed between business graduate students and …

Perceptions Of Education For Sustainable Development In Egypt: Prospective Changes In Teaching Practices, Hanan Salah Yusuf Abozaied

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the perceptions of university faculty members about the concept of Sustainable Development (SD) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It focuses on how their different perceptions influenced their teaching practices while addressing sustainability issues with students. The participants are 18 academics in the English department under the faculty of Arts and Humanities in a private university in Egypt. They teach two academic language courses in the advanced level for undergraduates in different disciplines. The study adopts a sociocultural theoretical framework. It uses a qualitative research design. A preliminary survey was conducted at the beginning of the semester …

Getting In Each Other’S Way: Enlarging The Possibilities Of Sustainable Community Development Through Communication, Cecelia M. Long

Theses and Dissertations

The ultimate aim of sustainable community development is to produce, promote, and preserve community well-being. When community developers are unable to effectively articulate and actualize this aim, the individuals and communities they serve needlessly suffer, especially those in poverty circumstances, homelessness, and other forms of destitution. In this thesis, I explore the communication between organizational leaders, their collaborative partners, and participatory community members as a vital component of sustainable community development. This study addresses the lack of a comprehensive set of communicative strategies for community developers to produce sustainable change and well-being for all. I conducted twenty-five in-depth interviews with …

Learning To See The Forest For The Corn: Establishing Sense Of Place And Community In A Field-Based Ecology Course For Pre-Service Educators, Michelle Edgcomb Friday

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation grounded theory techniques were used to characterize pre-service educators’ experiences in a semester-long, field-based ecology course. Through participation in a citizen science project, participants formed a community of practice that extended their conceptions of themselves as ecology students and scientists. Extended field experiences in a variety of local ecosystems contributed to the development of a sense of place. Paired fieldwork with lecture aided their developing ecological literacy and their understanding of place-based pedagogy. All of these combined to support their growing understanding of their role in field-based ecology education. Lack of background in ecology and ecology pedagogy …

Duality And Dissolution In The Post-Apocalypse: Nietzsche's Cycle Of Morality In Amc's The Walking Dead, Roy John Gonzales

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout his body of work, especially in Beyond Good and Evil (1886), On the Genealogy of Morality (1887), and Twilight of the Idols (1889), German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche details Western civilization’s slow movement towards nihilism. Nietzsche explains that this nihilism is the result of a so-called “slave morality,” a system of inhibitive values that suppress egoistic desires for the sake of the collective. Democracy, Christian charity, and even mass consumerism are all indicative of slave morality. But because this value system relies on absolute morals supported by a “true world” (God, a heavenly afterlife, etc.), the collapse of these systems …

Learning Together In Highland Park To Build Civic Capacity, Grace Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the work of nonprofit organizations collaborating with communities to build civic capacity in North Highland Park, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Place-focused planning strategies during the twentieth century diminished civic capacity in the community and fostered isolation. Today, collaborative community work in Highland Park is incorporating the assets, resources and knowledge held in the community into strategies to improve quality of life using collaborative learning. A case study approach closely analyzes community engagement and revitalization processes in North Highland Park between 2011 and 2017. Nonprofit organizations mobilized and led a group of community-based collaborators, including nonprofit staff …

Linking Microbial Phylogenetic And Functional Gene Diversity To Microbial Mat Ecosystem Function Following Environmental Disturbance, Eva Christine Preisner

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of ecosystems to adapt to environmental perturbations depends on the duration and intensity of change and the overall biological diversity of the system. In this study, a microbial mat ecosystem located on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas was used as a model to examine how environmental disturbance affects microbial community resistance, their protein synthesis potential (PSP), ecosystem function as measured by biogeochemical cycling, community stability, and resilience. This ecosystem experienced a large shift in salinity (230 to 65 g kg-1) during 2011–2012 following the landfall of Hurricane Irene on San Salvador Island. High throughput sequencing and analysis of …

The Transnational Guqin Revival In Flushing, New York, Tyler L. Burba

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the guqin 3,000-year-old history the instrument nearly faced extinction in the Twentieth Century. Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which featured the guqin as a cultural symbol of Chinese identity, there has been a revival of the guqin and its traditional repertoire. This study looks at a small guqin community in New York City's Flushing neighborhood, centered around Master Shi-hua Judy Yeh, and how transnational students are taking advantage of transnational organizations, like the New York Guqin School, to ease the transition into life in New York.

Changing Littering Behavior Among University Students In Egypt: Integration Of Community Readiness And Community-Based Social Marketing, Nevin Torky

Theses and Dissertations

Litter is simultaneously the most ignored and most visible form of environment degradation and is harmful to the health of humans and wildlife. The littering problem in Egypt is a major issue that can be seen in most of Egyptian neighborhoods. Many countries are working on litter reduction strategies, studies and programs to be litter free countries. In Egypt, there is almost no literature or national initiatives that address littering. There is an obvious need to study littering behavior and develop intervention programs to reduce litter in Egyptian communities. This study aims to help to change adult littering behavior as …

The Food Factor: The Use Of Branding And Social Marketing, Mckayla A. Brubaker

Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi residents were surveyed to determine how The Food Factor and Extension brands were impacting their intent to change behavior. The Food Factor is a weekly Extension mass media program that communicates research-based information about food, nutrition, diet, and healthy lifestyles. The respondents were split into viewer and non-viewer categories. Viewers were asked about their perceptions of the show and their nutrition-related behaviors. Non-viewers were assigned to a branded or non-branded episode of The Food Factorto determine their perceptions and to see if branding was having an impact on their behavior. The study found that although The Food Factor was …

Examining Regionalization Efforts To Develop Lessons Learned And Consideration For Department Of Defense Medical Facilities, Erik B. Schuh

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in competition locally and globally has forced companies to become more efficient. One way for companies to gain efficiency is by regionalizing their facilities by either consolidating or collocating to a particular location. A comprehensive literature review addressed the advantages and disadvantages organizations have used in the past when regionalizing. This insight was used on a case study looking at military hospitals in the National Capital Region. The case study was used to find potential cost savings for three surgical procedures by consolidating each procedure to the lowest cost hospital. Future years were then forecasted to find cost …

Improving Minuteman Iii Maintenance Concepts, Daniel W. Crouch

Theses and Dissertations

Since the end of the Cold War, the Air Force has sought out efficiencies across multiple processes to transform into a cost-effective force. However, processes applicable to the Minuteman III (MM III) weapon system have only recently seen efforts to increase effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether the use of third generation maintenance concepts could benefit the sustainment of the MM III through its planned retirement around 2030. Primary and secondary sources outlining the history of the strategic missile force and its current state were collected. Themes from each era were analyzed using Prospect Theory as …

Socially Sustainable Neighborhoods: Special Reference To The Egyptian Context, Alia Omar Azzam

Theses and Dissertations

Urban social sustainability has become one of the rising topics drawing the attention of urbanists and policymakers all over the world. Yet, in Egypt, the concept is not given enough consideration in the current urban development context. It is still quite immature in both theory and practice, especially in new cities where social problems can be challenges to the sustainability of communities. In addition, a neighborhood is found to be a critical urban scale that affects both individuals and the society as a whole. Therefore, this research sheds light on the importance of embracing the concept of urban social sustainability …

Establishing Sustainable Community Garden Interventions With Aid From Health Promotion Organizations, Rachel Joann Buenemann

Theses and Dissertations

Community garden interventions provide policy, system and environmental change at the community level to establish health behaviors, which act in contest to obesity risk factors. Limited research examines factors, which influence the sustainability of community garden interventions. Therefore, in this study, a sample of 10 Midwestern community gardens associated through funding from a health promotion organization in 2013, collected data through the interviewing and surveying of 10 garden administrators and surveying of 12 garden volunteers. The study identified garden benefits perceived by garden administrators and volunteers to include contributions to social justice, continued education, enhanced social cohesion, increased access to …

Called To Teach: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Community College Adjunct Faculty’S Teaching Self-Efficacy, Christy L. Tyndall

Theses and Dissertations

Adjunct faculty teach over 50% of courses in U.S. higher education but little is known about them as educators. Strong evidence has been found in the K-12 literature demonstrating the link between teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices, and subsequent student outcomes. Teaching self-efficacy, beliefs in one’s capabilities to perform specific tasks in a particular context, is an important contributor to motivation and performance (Tschannen-Moran et al., 1998). This research advances teaching and learning literature in higher education and provides insight into an understudied population of educators by exploring adjunct faculty’s teaching self-efficacy and factors that influence those beliefs. In this mixed …

Conflicted Commons: A Local Makerspace In The Neoliberal City, Caitlin Cunningham

Theses and Dissertations

The commodification of culture, space, and resources is incentivized by neoliberal urbanism. In response, we have seen an attempt to develop collectively organized, oppositional spaces within urban places. The tensions that arise when considering the production of commons in the development of the neoliberal city are the central focus of this paper. As I will observe, these spaces are subjected to commodification as they become increasingly de-politicized through neoliberal ideologies. In order to theorize about these contradictory elements, I observe a makerspace in Richmond, Virginia called HackRVA. Specifically, I consider HackRVA as an urban commons. Through in-depth interviews and participant …

Self-Perceived Impact Of Undergraduate Socialization And Identity Development On The Experiences Of High-Achieving African American Women, Christina Shaneil Ealy

Theses and Dissertations

Statistics show an increase in college enrollment of African American women, despite the formal and informal barriers that persist (Roach, 2001, Altbach, Lomotey, & Rivers, 2002, Thomas & Jackson, 2007). Fewer studies focus particularly on African American women as do those of Collins (2000), Howard-Hamilton (2004), and Winkle-Wagner (2008, 2009). Despite their increase in enrollment, African American women in college face many informal barriers that are constructed according to race, gender and class (Howard-Hamilton, 2003, Winkle-Wagner, 2009). These informal barriers should be examined to understand how they impact socialization and identity development of high achieving African American women in higher …

Drivers Of Sustainable Agriculture In A Southern State, Casey William Odom

Theses and Dissertations

This Master’s Thesis establishes what motivates a group of Mississippi farmers to participate in sustainable agriculture instead of industrial agriculture. A database of sustainable farmers was constructed in collaboration with the Gaining Ground Sustainability Institute of Mississippi. This research project used social network analysis with 28 farmers and participant observation and semi-structured interviewing with a purposively selected sample of 14 farmers. This project also explores the sustainable agricultural practices of participants. A map of the social network of sustainable agriculturalists in Mississippi is presented and shows that some farmers are well connected, some moderately connected, and others are isolated. As …

A Comparison Of Direct Instruction And Experiential Learning Techniques To Assess Agricultural Knowledge And Agricultural Literacy Gains In Private School Students, Timothy Bradford Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has shifted from a once agrarian, to a predominantly urban society (Riedel, 2006). Currently, less than 2% of the U.S. population live on farms. Coupled with urbanization, this has contributed to the decline of an agriculturally literate population (EPA, 2013; Kovar & Ball, 2013). One strategy to alter the public’s perception of agriculture and increase agricultural literacy is implementing an educational environment that promotes agricultural activities via experience (Blair, 2009). Experiential learning has been championed by prominent educational theorists John Dewey and David Kolb. Experiential learning is conceptualized as a process where relevant experiences are the foundation …