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1999

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Exploring The Situational Context Of Criminal Assaults And Batteries, Gini Rene Deibert Jan 1999

Exploring The Situational Context Of Criminal Assaults And Batteries, Gini Rene Deibert

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Social scientists are increasingly aware of the significance of examining crime events and the situational context of crime. This paper extends that research by exploring the physical and social aspects of assaults. Guided by research on masculinity, status threats, and character contests, this study uses police data to examine the situational dynamics of dispute-related assaults; Specifically, this study differentiates two types of dispute-related violence: character contests and noncharacter contests. Numerous situational variables are examined to assess the significance of their relationship with the likelihood of an offense being a character contest; By comparing character contests to other types of dispute-related …


Casino Employee Gambling Behavior, Karen Barbara Duquette Jan 1999

Casino Employee Gambling Behavior, Karen Barbara Duquette

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study described the gambling behavior and the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among casino employees. Casino employees (N = 271) from a local Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada completed self-report questionnaires, which included The South Oaks Gambling Screen (Lesieur and Bloom, 1987), as well as some additional questions specific to casino employees, their work environment, and their gambling behavior. The rate of pathological gambling among the sample was 20.3%. Despite no gender differences with regard to gambling pathology, males and females differed in rate of play, amount of money wagered, and types of casino games played. Additionally, a …


Measuring Efficiency In The Clark County Hotel Casino Industry, Daniel Encinoza Jan 1999

Measuring Efficiency In The Clark County Hotel Casino Industry, Daniel Encinoza

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The analysis and comparison of productivity in the service sector have proven to be difficult. Nevertheless, the Tomqvist index of relative productivity used in this study allows me to compare the relative productivity of different hotel-casino properties, while avoiding the usual problems that arise when measuring efficiency in service industries. This empirical study illustrates the efficiency of index numbers in evaluating relative efficiency. The simplicity of the model and its ability to evaluate all aspects of the production process, including economies of scale, renders this methodology far superior to the use of direct indexes. From calculations included in the study, …


An Age Of Opportunity: Education And Employment In Cyberspace, Rachel Beth Friedman Jan 1999

An Age Of Opportunity: Education And Employment In Cyberspace, Rachel Beth Friedman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

There are many trends in cyberspace that are directly affecting both universities' education systems and the current job markets. This research provides an overview of some of these computer mediated trends. The purpose of this work is to look at the current job market, examine some of the computer related jobs for recent college graduates, look at distance education as an educational opportunity for many different people, and look at future opportunities that computer mediation will continue to provide. Students will have better insight of these trends, while professors will have a strong appreciation of the importance of teaching and …


A Chipped Stone Characterization Of Ghwair I: A Neolithic Village In Southern Jordan, John Patrick Gervasoni Jan 1999

A Chipped Stone Characterization Of Ghwair I: A Neolithic Village In Southern Jordan, John Patrick Gervasoni

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Ghwair I, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) village in the Wadi Feinan in Southern Jordan, has been excavated from 1993 through 2000. The chipped stone recovered from Ghwair I (N = 48,388) has undergone a techno-typological analysis to help characterize the site's chronology and possible function. The analysis of recovered PPNB chipped stone indicators has demonstrated that Ghwair I is a PPNB village that shows minimal variation in its chipped stone proportions from different areas of the site. The analysis presented here also concludes that Ghwair I, although rife with microlithic technology typical of an earlier PPNA occupation, does not …


An Empirical Examination Of Factors That Influence Venture Capital Investment And The Location Of Funds, Sandra Phillips Johnson Jan 1999

An Empirical Examination Of Factors That Influence Venture Capital Investment And The Location Of Funds, Sandra Phillips Johnson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Entrepreneurs who contribute to economic growth have looked to venture capital firms as a major source of financing. This thesis tests the significance of explanatory variables for investment in venture capital at both the national and regional levels. The explanatory variables predicting national new investment in venture capital include capital pins tax rates, stock market pricing, risk premiums, and regulations on pension fund investment. Further, this thesis examines whether the location of venture capital funds depends on research and development funds at universities within a state, state corporate income tax burdens, state unemployment rates, and average weekly earnings within a …


Battered Women: Exploring Motivating Factors To Leave Or Remain In Violent Relationships, Lora Ellen Kirn Jan 1999

Battered Women: Exploring Motivating Factors To Leave Or Remain In Violent Relationships, Lora Ellen Kirn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The current study explores factors motivating women to leave or remain in violent relationships from an interactionist perspective. Literature reviewed will integrate gender socialization and labeling with studies on domestic violence to investigate a woman's role in becoming a victim and her responses to violent relationships. Interview data from women residing in a domestic violence shelter examine the label "battered woman" insofar as it may serve as a catalyst for leaving an abusive relationship once a woman identifies with being a battered woman. Further, a woman's view of her role, commitment to family maintenance, and children in the home are …


Using Porn: Discourse And Identity Construction In Male Consumers, Andrew Fletcher Harper Jan 1999

Using Porn: Discourse And Identity Construction In Male Consumers, Andrew Fletcher Harper

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A number of cultural perspectives address the question of male consumers of heterosexually oriented pornography. Porn and the consumer have been characterized from feminist, conservative, and scientific positions. Despite the presence of these perspectives, little work informed from the consumer perspective exists. This research allows consumers to speak about their own experience. This research analyzes the impact of framing discourses on the identity construction of consumers. Using concepts from Foucault and cultural studies, these questions are explored: How do discourses about consumers affect their identity construction? Which are important? How do men construct their consuming experiences? How does consumption context …


Employment Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation: The American, Canadian And U.K. Responses, Ronnie Cohen, Shannon O'Byrne, Patricia Maxwell Jan 1999

Employment Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation: The American, Canadian And U.K. Responses, Ronnie Cohen, Shannon O'Byrne, Patricia Maxwell

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.


Women In Prison: Do Visits From Children Influence Inmate Behavior?, Melissa Marie Cozad Jan 1999

Women In Prison: Do Visits From Children Influence Inmate Behavior?, Melissa Marie Cozad

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The number of women in prison is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States today. Because nearly 75 percent of incarcerated women are mothers of minor children, the issue of maintaining family relations deserves special attention. This study examines child visitation and its relationship to female behavior inside the priSon If women who receive visits adjust more easily to prison life, prison administrators would be wise to note these benefits; Data was collected at a private female prison in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Information on visitation and disciplinary infractions was gathered from inmate files and visitation records at …


Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The "Paranoid" Style, Jeffrey Brian Farrell Jan 1999

Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The "Paranoid" Style, Jeffrey Brian Farrell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The life and rhetoric of Henry Ford was examined in this study in order to gain an understanding why, and how, he propagated the longest running anti-Semitic campaign in history. A synergy of two existing theories in communication, Hofstadter (1966) and Smith (1977) provided the appropriate framework for this study. Their observations of high-profile figures being labeled as politically "paranoid" were adapted to Henry Ford. This thesis labels Ford as a "paranoid" by identifying that: (1) Ford perceived a conspiracy; (2) a crusade was needed to defeat the conspiracy; (3) Ford was a militant leader; and, (4) the enemy was …


Assisted Reproduction: Deciding What's Best For The Child, The Family, And Our Society, Gayle R Fisher Jan 1999

Assisted Reproduction: Deciding What's Best For The Child, The Family, And Our Society, Gayle R Fisher

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The use of high-tech reproductive technologies to have children is widely practiced today in the United States. While state statutes regulate this industry to some extent, this field is largely self-governed, and disputes between individuals are usually resolved through the courts; In my thesis, I examine the inadequacy of public policy formation in the three more controversial areas of assisted reproduction: artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and surrogate motherhood. Policy-making is mostly done indirectly and haphazardly through the courts and some state and federal legislation. There has been no organized national dialogue; I recommend that moral consensus be sought on …


Prescription Drug Advertisements As Fantasies: A Cultural Critique Using A Visualization Model, Julie Dianne Fisher Jan 1999

Prescription Drug Advertisements As Fantasies: A Cultural Critique Using A Visualization Model, Julie Dianne Fisher

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Foss' (1994) rhetorical schema for the evaluation of visual images in conjunction with elements of Bormann's (1982) theories on fantasy theme analysis provides a framework for the creation of the included Visualization model which enables the examination of prevalent advertising images. The transformation of the dissemination of information from a verbal to a visual focus necessitates studies that explore the social messages invading the collective unconscious. The implicit messages and related fantasy themes in the visual dimension influence perceptions and individual visions of what is real. Imagery tells us much of what we know about the world. Consequently, the profusion …


Living Expressions And Their Effects On Primary Recipients, Dana Lynn Galbavy Jan 1999

Living Expressions And Their Effects On Primary Recipients, Dana Lynn Galbavy

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

"Living Expressions" are formal events where appreciative feelings are disclosed to a living recipient by friends and/or relatives. Effects of events on the self-esteem of recipients and recipient's relationships with disclosers were studied. Self-esteem and self-disclosure are components of personal and relational health. Living Expressions were expected to enhance self-esteem and personal relationships through self-disclosure. Living Expressions have semblance to ideas contained in eulogies, Gestalt and other therapies and group theories. Self-enhancement and self-consistency theory conflicts were considered. Social penetration theory and self-disclosure studies were reviewed. Eleven recipients were subjects in this multi-case, qualitative study. The combined self-enhancement/self-consistency theory and …


Employee Motivation, Satisfaction And Productivity: A Study Of The Workplace, Yvonne Michelle Guthrie Jan 1999

Employee Motivation, Satisfaction And Productivity: A Study Of The Workplace, Yvonne Michelle Guthrie

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Quantitative and qualitative analyses of employee motivation, satisfaction, and productivity at a Las Vegas office supply company were conducted. The purpose of the analyses was to determine if there were differences in perception of motivational variables and "hygiene factors" between employees and management. Also, the analyses were conducted to assess if there were differences in perception of the same motivational variables and "hygiene factors" between male and female employees. Motivation and management theories were used as historical reference and potential approaches for improving motivational levels of employees. The results of the study indicate that there were differences in perception regarding …


The Stages Of Development In The Portrayal Of African-Americans In Television Comedy, Rashawnda Deve Horn Jan 1999

The Stages Of Development In The Portrayal Of African-Americans In Television Comedy, Rashawnda Deve Horn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis involves a historical and critical examination of the utilization and development of African Americans in television sitcoms. By reexamining the initial research by Riggs (1991) and extending it, I will introduce a new stage focusing on contemporary sitcoms; According to Riggs' (1991), study on the utilization and development of African Americans in television can be divided into four stages that represent various periods in television history. Each stage is indicated by the transition in role, increase or decline in visibility, and the changes in their image or portrayal on television. By furthering Riggs study by examining contemporary sitcoms …


United States Probation/Pretrial Officers' Concerns About Victimization And Officer Safety Training, Kevin D Lowry Jan 1999

United States Probation/Pretrial Officers' Concerns About Victimization And Officer Safety Training, Kevin D Lowry

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In June of 1991, the Monograph 109 supervision manual changed the role of the U.S. Probation/Pretrial Officer from predominately that of a social worker to an enforcement agent. Officers now perform enforcement activities and supervise a more dangerous clientele. This shift in responsibilities did not result in increased safety training. Safety issues have become a major concern for many officers; The current research involved a national survey of U.S. Probation/Pretrial Officers to measure levels of victimization, concerns for personal safety and satisfaction for safety training. The results indicate that few officers were victims of physical assaults but a majority reported …


Perceived Readability, Understandability, And Hazardousness Of Prescription Drug Warning Labels As A Function Of Icon, Font Size, And Color, Melissa Marie Mccafferty Jan 1999

Perceived Readability, Understandability, And Hazardousness Of Prescription Drug Warning Labels As A Function Of Icon, Font Size, And Color, Melissa Marie Mccafferty

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Current standards on warning design recommend including icons on various product labels to increase saliency and reinforce meaning. In order to examine if icons are understandable and salient, Experiment 1 consisted of a sample of 489 undergraduate students rating 43 pharmaceutical pictorials with regards to understandability, carefulness, likelihood of injury, severity of injury, and saliency. The icons "Shake well," "Poison," .. "should be taken with plenty of water," "for headaches," "do not drink alcoholic beverages," and "for the ear" met the ISO 67% comprehension criteria. In a subsequent study, a sample of 51 undergraduates rated 24 pharmaceutical labels varying in …


Rethinking The Aceramic Neolithic: Insights From An Ethnoarchaeological Study On Cyprus, Sherry Lynn Marks Jan 1999

Rethinking The Aceramic Neolithic: Insights From An Ethnoarchaeological Study On Cyprus, Sherry Lynn Marks

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The so-called bizarre Aceramic Neolithic Period on the Mediterranean island of Cypros is reconsidered in light of an ethnoarchaeological study conducted in conjunction with the Kholetria-Ortos Project. The ethnoarchaeological study was designed to discover the organizational aspects of agropastoral strategies on the modern landscape and its relevance, if any, to the study of agropastoralism during the Aceramic Neolithic Period. As a result, a number of strategies considered "irrational" by agricultural policy analysts were identified, posing an analogical conceptual dilemma of contemporary phenomena. The presentation and discussion of the ethnoarchaeological results from the perspective of economic uncertainty, however, demonstrates that these …


The Effects Of Catastrophizing And Labeling On Pain Tolerance, Sensation, And Affect, Otto Pedraza Jan 1999

The Effects Of Catastrophizing And Labeling On Pain Tolerance, Sensation, And Affect, Otto Pedraza

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the effects of labeling on pain tolerance, sensation, and affect for individuals who are high or low pain catastrophizers, as measured through the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Pasticipants completed the PCS and were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 labeling conditions: A maximizing, a minimizing, and a neutral label condition. All participants then took part in a cold-pressor test. The cold-pressor measure of pain tolerance, as well as visual analog scales of sensory and affective ratings of pain, provided the dependent measures. Participants also completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and the Somatic Amplification Questionnaire (SAQ). …


"Pygmalion" Vs "My Fair Lady": A Comparison Of The Vision Of Two Authors And What Each Play Says To Women, Jessica Lynn Raymer Jan 1999

"Pygmalion" Vs "My Fair Lady": A Comparison Of The Vision Of Two Authors And What Each Play Says To Women, Jessica Lynn Raymer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the vision of George Bernard Shaw on his masterpiece Pygmalion, and compares it to that of Alan J. Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe on their adaptation of Pygmalion into a history making musical called My Fair Lady. Through this examination it is discovered what Shaw considered a romance and how his ideas could and couldn't be translated into the conventions of nineteen fifties musical theatre. This thesis follows each play from its inception through its arrival to legendary status. The last chapter is devoted to a discussion on which play, if any, makes a stronger statement in …


Examining Specialized Drug Courts: An Evaluation Of The Las Vegas Drug Court Treatment Program, Erin Nicole Reese Jan 1999

Examining Specialized Drug Courts: An Evaluation Of The Las Vegas Drug Court Treatment Program, Erin Nicole Reese

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Developed in response to overcrowded jails and backlogged court dockets, drug courts use comprehensive treatment and graduated sanctions to deal with drug offenders. This study evaluates the Las Vegas Drug Court in terms of its effectiveness in reducing recidivism by comparing data for drug court cases with drug cases not processed in the drug court. The results indicate that recidivism rates for drug court participants are significantly higher than for non-drug court participants. These findings suggest that further research should be conducted about the impact and utility of drug courts.


Claiming Identity: The Effect Of The American Myth On Human Relationships In David Mamet's "American Buffalo", "Glengarry Glenn Ross", And "Speed-The-Plow", Lyn Sattazahn Jan 1999

Claiming Identity: The Effect Of The American Myth On Human Relationships In David Mamet's "American Buffalo", "Glengarry Glenn Ross", And "Speed-The-Plow", Lyn Sattazahn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

David Mamet's American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Speed-the-Plow explore the damage American business has done to the human spirit. The frontier myth has evolved into exploitative capitalism where competition becomes an obstacle for community and friendship. The characters in these plays try to establish and define their identities by their particular status within the business hierarchy. Unfortunately the nature of competition creates an environment in which the characters use each other's needs and vulnerabilities for their own gain. To openly express the need for love and community in this climate is to expose weakness. Fear of revealing such vulnerability …


Ecofeminism As Invitational Rhetoric: Envisioning The Shift In Western Consciousness, Julie Ann Schutten Jan 1999

Ecofeminism As Invitational Rhetoric: Envisioning The Shift In Western Consciousness, Julie Ann Schutten

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Ecofeminists believe the Western patriarchal worldview perpetuates a power-over ideology that contributes to the destruction of the environment. Ecofeminists advocate that understanding the web of life is crucial for attaining a paradigm shift to a mindset that respects all entities. This study examines how ecofeminist discourse offers individuals a new paradigm grounded within feminine systems of meaning--no hierarchical ordering. The theory of invitational rhetoric supports feminist systems of thought, maintaining every entity has immanent value. This study reviews themes represented by the re-emergence of the Goddess as a gateway towards ecofeminist thinKing Additionally, two pieces of ecofeminist discourse are critiqued …


Voice And Body Incorporated Into Actor Training, Rochele Ann Tillman Jan 1999

Voice And Body Incorporated Into Actor Training, Rochele Ann Tillman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of both the vocal and physical aspects of training involved in the education of actors; Beginning with a comparison of techniques and principals applied in the styles of vocal specialists: Edith Skinner, Cicely Barry, and Kristin Linklater. I then explore various forms of "body use" technique's used in an acting student's learning process, such as: Alexander Technique, Laban, Neutral Mask work, T'ai Chi, and Modern Dance. Finally, this text unifies the vocal and physical training, incorporating it into a single class. By this, it is hoped to inform the student how he/she may achieve an …


Crack As A Moral Panic: The Racial Implications Inherent To Crack And Powder Cocaine Sentencing, Deena R Trueblood Jan 1999

Crack As A Moral Panic: The Racial Implications Inherent To Crack And Powder Cocaine Sentencing, Deena R Trueblood

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the nature and extent of the print media's coverage of crack cocaine to determine whether a moral panic ensued during the late 1980's. A content analysis was conducted on the Los Angeles Times from 1985 to 1990, examining both the nature and extent of the Los Angeles Times' coverage of crack cocaine as well as the relationship between this drug and its association with Blacks. The findings of the content analysis provided support for the hypothesis that a moral panic did in fact take place in the late 1980s with respect to crack cocaine. Further, that this …


Chinese Children's Evaluation Of Authority's Responses To Social Events, Pui San Tse Jan 1999

Chinese Children's Evaluation Of Authority's Responses To Social Events, Pui San Tse

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Chinese children's conceptualization of moral, conventional and personal events and their judgments of authority were examined by assessing their evaluation of authority's responses to these acts. Seventy-two Macau children from second, fifth and eighth grades made judgments of permissibility of acts, personal jurisdiction, and obedience to rules regarding these events and then rated moral, conventional and filial duty reasons provided by parents in response to these events. Findings were that children made distinctions among these events. They also rated moral reasons as the best response to moral transgressions. Children rated both moral reasons and conventional reasons more positively than duty …


Technique And Impulse: A Practical Approach, Thomas Carl Turner Jan 1999

Technique And Impulse: A Practical Approach, Thomas Carl Turner

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Acting technique and impulse must be blended to give a complete performance. In this thesis, I will explore the relationship between acting technique and impulse in vocal work, stage combat, script exploration, and truth. Ultimately, I hope to prove the necessity of both in all of the above areas. Lastly, I will describe a series of exercises that, I believe, can lead to the blending of technique and impulse.


Matrilineaology: Mother-Daughter Relationships In Contemporary Fiction, Terra Ann Williams Jan 1999

Matrilineaology: Mother-Daughter Relationships In Contemporary Fiction, Terra Ann Williams

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines Dorothy Allison's Bastard out of Carolina, Louise Erdrich's The Beet Queen, Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club to attempt to answer questions such as, "How do a mother's experiences prior to the birth of her daughter affect the way that she raises that daughter?" and "How does a mother's history affect her attitude(s) toward her daughter?" These questions are important because they lay the groundwork for the ultimate question that this thesis attempts to answer: "Will history repeat itself?" In addition to tracing history, this thesis will identify Nan …


Concealed Carry Weapon Permits And Their Relationship To Crime In Las Vegas, Gary Wayne Yuen Jan 1999

Concealed Carry Weapon Permits And Their Relationship To Crime In Las Vegas, Gary Wayne Yuen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Permits allowing qualified citizens to legally carry a concealed weapon ("CCWs") in public have become increasingly popular. Nevada adopted more lenient CCW standards in October of 1995, and an unprecedented number of legally armed citizens in the public has resulted. Supporters of CCWs claim the right to self-defense with less crime resulting. Critics claim more armed citizens will only produce more violence and crime; To answer this debate, the following was conducted; (1) a literature review of private firearm ownership, including CCWs, and crime, (2) an analysis based on Las Vegas' Uniform Crime Reports rates before and after adopting these …