Digital Commons Network^™

Ready To Fly: Voices Of International Graduate Students At The University Of North Dakota, Laura Zucca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate international graduate students' perspectives regarding their experiences at the University of North Dakota. Seven students were selected with a convenience sample. Students' interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Acculturation served as a conceptual framework to contextualize the study and provide a scholarly foundation. The following five themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) International graduate students have complex professional and personal motivations for moving to the United States. (2) International graduate students encounter several difficulties, which are often related to linguistic, academic, and cultural differences. (3) International graduate …

Questioning The Consumer Culture: A Qualitative Study On Voluntary Simplicity, Timothy S. Beecher

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study documents an understanding of the experiences of people who have adopted a voluntary simple lifestyle. Included in this analysis is the meaning of voluntary simplicity to those who have chosen this lifestyle and their values motivating them to adopt such a lifestyle. Specifically, questions were asked regarding participants’ meaning of voluntary simplicity, values and beliefs that motivate living such a lifestyle, how the participants maintain this lifestyle, and the role their possessions play in their life. Twelve participants were interviewed through telephone correspondence. Participants were recruited through online voluntary simple networks namely, A Center for a New …

Incorporating Neighborhood Social Patterns Into Neighborhood Planning Models, Paul Duggan

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Neighborhood models and patterns are used by developers, planners, and urban designers to plan new neighborhoods and guide the revitalization of older ones. Models are typically based on theories about ideal communities and frequently include significant social objectives.
Comparing neighborhood models with studies of neighborhood life, reveals that neighborhood social and behavioral patterns do not always fit the plan or social objectives of the proposed neighborhood models. There is a gap between the objectives and vision of the models and the patterns of life in the neighborhood. Social patterns such as neighboring, urban cognition, travel preferences and personal meaning …

College Students' Perceptions Of Dialects, Leigh Smitley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this investigation was to determine college students' perceptions of their own dialects and 4 specific dialects common to the English language. To determine this, the investigator developed a 3-part survey (Appendices H, I, J). On Part I, respondents completed identifying information. On Part II, they rated 9 general Likert Scale items related to dialect. On Part III, they completed the same semantic differential scale for speakers who represented 4 different dialects: Appalachian-American, Eastern-American, General-American, and African-American. There were 2 speakers for each dialect, i.e., 1 male and 1 female.;On Part I, respondents who completed a 3-part survey …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Social Studies Teacher Training Program At Tabouk Teachers' College In Saudi Arabia, Awad Hamad Alhwiti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the study was to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of the social studies teacher training program in Tabouk Teachers' College in Saudi Arabia. This research addressed six questions concerning teacher perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the teacher preparation programs in Tabouk Teachers' College. These questions examined teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of preparation they received for teaching in schools in Saudi Arabia. This study included teachers who completed student teaching and who graduated with a major in social studies. The 40-item instrument used to gather data included demographics, internship, instructor effectiveness, curriculum, teaching skills, classroom management, and …

Go Left, Young Folk : Meridel Le Sueur’S Radical Children’S Stories Invoke The Spirit Of The Red, White, And True, William J. Valladares

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

It is no secret to scholars of American literary Communism that left-wing authors blacklisted by adult and textbook publishers that caved in to government pressure during the Communist witch- hunts of the McCarthy era, often survived by writing children’s books. However, by accepting this overly simplified explanation, we risk ignoring a vital genre in recovering a link in American literary and cultural history that a right-of-center government attempted to erase.

In my thesis I will explore how left-wing writer Meridel Le Sueur, in her children’s books, Little Brother of the Wilderness: The Story of Johnny Appleseed, Nancy Hanks of Wilderness …

Youth Involvement In Community Development: Implications And Possibilities For Extension, Ma Brennan, Rosemary V. Barnett, Eboni Baugh

Journal of Extension

There is a need for Extension program/policy developers to better understand the role of youth in the community development process. While often seen as suited only for 4-H programs, youth can significantly contribute to a variety of Extension activities. Through active engagement, youth can take on ownership and become lifelong contributors to local well-being. This mixed-methods research reflects data from a survey of 418 Florida youth and 12 in-depth key informant interviews. The findings provide insights into the factors most directly shaping youth attitudes and involvement in their communities. From these, implications for applied use in Extension programs are presented.

Challenges And Information Needs Of Organic Growers And Retailers, Gerad Middendorf

Journal of Extension

Growth in consumer interest in organically grown foods has opened new market opportunities for producers and retailers. This in turn implies an increased need for information specific to organic production, processing, marketing, and retail as growers and retailers increase their activities in this market. This article describes a research effort in east-central Kansas to assess the information needs in the organic sector. Data are drawn from focus groups and individual interviews with growers and retailers of organic foods. Implications for research and Extension programs, especially in the central Plains states, are discussed.

Diffusion In Education: An Examination Of Enrollment Diversity In Postsecondary Institutions, Lisa Christine Widener

All Theses

The thesis examines the diffusion of diversity through proportional increases in diverse enrollment among postsecondary institutions. Specifically, it tests whether the diffusion pattern of diversity will follow the model predicted by classic neoinstitutionalists, diffusing from high to low status actors, or in the case of controversial innovations follow the path predicted by Gerbasi’s (2002) Status Contingent Diffusion Theory, diffusing from low to high status actors. This study argues that diversity is a controversial innovation and will thus follow the diffusion path posited by Gerbasi (2002). This research predicts that lower status postsecondary institutions will “adopt,” or proportionally increase, diversity before …

Women And Hostile Sexism: Effect Of Identification With The Humor Target On Women's Responses To Sexist Jokes, Jessica R. Edel

Masters Theses

This study was designed to contribute to the literature on sexist humor by attempting to establish identification with the humor target as a critical variable mediating the relationship between hostile sexism and women's amusement with sexist humor. Past research has shown a positive relationship between hostile sexism - antagonism towards women (Glick and Fiske, 1996) - and amusement with sexist humor (Ford, 2000; Greenwood & Isbell, 2002). It is possible, however, that this relationship is more complicated for women, who are both the recipient and target of the sexist joke. This study attempted to provide an explanation for why this …

An Eco-Philosophical Ecofeminist Critique Of Victimology: Examining The Anthropocentric And Speciesist Borders And Boundaries Of Victimology, Angela K. Simon

Masters Theses

This work is a critique of the anthropocentric and speciesist borders and boundaries of victimology. Essentially I challenge victimology for failing to incorporate the victimizations of non-human animals and the environment, and instead focusing narrowly on only specific forms of human victimization. I do this by examining the history of victimology and exploring how its boundaries became what they are today. Focusing on the role criminology has had in the general development of victimology. I then go on to juxtapose the limited presence of animals and the environment within criminology with their relative absence in victimology. In conjunction with this …

Volume 44, Number 84: August 01, 2007, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Systems Of Distribution And A Sense Of Equity: A Multilevel Analysis Of Meritocratic Attitudes In Post-Industrial Societies, Sheri L. Kunovich, Kazimierz M. Slomczynski

Sociology Research

Meritocratic attitudes are defined as general beliefs that education and its correlates should determine personal economic outcomes. Using the International Social Survey Project (ISSP): Social Inequality Module (1992), we examine both individual-level and country-level determinants of pro-meritocratic attitudes. According to self-interest and rational-action theories, individuals with high educational attainment and high personal income are expected to have strong meritocratic beliefs because meritocracy is in their best interest—they would gain under such a system. At the same time, both modernization and post-industrial theories imply that persons living in countries with a high degree of societal meritocracy hold stronger meritocratic beliefs than …

Rory Larson Named Cougar Men's Basketball Assistant Coach, University Relations

Campus News Archive

Men’s head basketball coach Paul Grove announced that Rory Larson has been hired as the assistant men’s basketball coach for the Cougars. Both of Larson's parents attended UMM.

From Policy Design To Campus: Implementation Of A Tuition Decentralization Policy, Michael S. Harris

Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA)

This study analyzes the implementation of a tuition decentralization policy in North Carolina. Concepts of organizational culture served as a guiding framework for an interpretive analysis. Qualitative case study data for the research was collected from interviews with key policy makers within the University of North Carolina as well as an extensive collection of documents. The findings demonstrate the importance of shared norms and beliefs in achieving successful policy implementation through a case study where incongruence of stakeholder values, beliefs, and goals created institutional conflict.

Education Policy Analysis Archives 15/16 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

From policy design to campus : implementation of a tuition decentralization policy / Michael S. Harris.

Grand Valley Forum, Volume 032, Number 03, July 30, 2007, Grand Valley State University

2007-2008, Volume 32

Grand Valley Forum is Grand Valley State's faculty and staff newsletter, published from 1976 to the present.

2007 Summer Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Commencement on July 28.

Commencement Speaker: Joel E. Anderson

Influences On Nurse Perception Of Hospital Unit Safety Climate:An Hlm Approach, Rangaraj Ramanujam Phd, Kathleen Abrahamson Rn,Ms, James Anderson Phd

RCHE Publications

Patient safety is a critical issue in healthcare. The Institute of Medicine[1] estimates up to 98,000 hopitalized patients die annually as a result if medical error. Nurses serve as a hospital unit's twenty-four hour surveillance team[2]. Assesment of patient condition, evaluation of physician orders, administration of medications, and supervision of patient activity are all safety functions which fall within the nurse's scope of practice. Health care organizations have introduced a variety of technological upgrades and structural changes in an effort to encourage a system, or root cause, approach to error reduction. However, these changes have failed to provide an adequate …

Drought, Climate Change, And Colorado's Policy Discussion: Participation Or Procrastination?, John D. Wiener

2007

Water, drought and even climate change policy problems are attracting increasing attention, but actual response is not as clear. This presentation describes unease over the pace of discussion about rules of the game while play proceeds.

Does State Certification Or Licensure Influence Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Program Practices?, Jamie Chriqui, Yvonne Terry-Mcelrath, Duane C. Mcbride, S Eidson, Curtis J. Vanderwaal

Faculty Publications

In the United States, state governments legally authorize outpatient substance abuse treatment programs. In some states, programs are certified or accredited (ideal standards). Other states license programs (minimal standards). Additionally, some states authorize programs through "deemed status", which is afforded to programs attaining accreditation from a national accrediting body. Primary legal research and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services' (N-SSATS) data were used to examine the relationships between state authorization type (certification/accreditation vs licensure with and without deemed status) and outpatient treatment program practices. Programs in certification/accreditation (vs licensure) states had significantly higher odds of offering wrap-around and …

A Dimensional Model Of Psychopathology Among Homeless Adolescents: Suicidality, Internalizing, And Externalizing Disorders, Kevin A. Yoder, Susan L. Longley, Les B. Whitbeck, Dan R. Hoyt

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The present study examined associations among dimensions of suicidality and psychopathology in a sample of 428 homeless adolescents (56.3% female). Confirmatory factor analysis results provided support for a three-factor model in which suicidality (measured with lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempts), internalizing disorders (assessed with lifetime diagnoses of major depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder), and externalizing disorders (indicated by lifetime diagnoses of conduct disorder, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse) were positively intercorrelated. The findings illustrate the utility of a dimensional approach that integrates suicidality and psychopathology into one model.

Interview With Harley Henry, Professor Of English, Harley Henry

English Department Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Interview With Michael Obsatz, Professor Of Education And Sociology, Michael Obsatz

Sociology Department Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

Independent- Jul. 24, 2007, Duncan Macnab

The Independent (1988-present)

No abstract provided.

Dismissal Law In The United States: The Past And Present Of At-Will-Employment, Katherine V.W. Stone

International Collaborative on Social Europe

In the United States, sociological legal scholars have long admonished that it is necessary to understand the distinction between the law on the books and the law in action. Any discussion of dismissal in the United States must be particularly mindful of this distinction. In employment, there is a wide disjunction between the law as it is written and articulated by judges, and the actual practice of labor relations. Further, in the area of dismissal from employment, both the law on the books and the law in action are in flux at the present time, both in flux and moving …

New Governance And Decentralisation In Employment Policy, Milena Buchs, Mariely Lopez-Santana

International Collaborative on Social Europe

When thinking about the traditional boundaries of the welfare state, particularly of labour and employment policies, we tend to place them within the boundaries of the nation-state. However, with contemporary processes of European economic integration and devolution of competences to sub-national entities, our understanding of the spatial configuration of the welfare state has been challenged. These developments are also partially related to 'new governance' patterns in social policy. The authors explore the 'downward' movement of employment and labour market policies (LMP) in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy and explore cross-national differences regarding the characteristics and degree of decentralisation. The …

Science For The Environment: Need For Reconsidering Statistical Methodologies, Elisa Vecchione

Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers

This paper is part of a larger effort to analyze the United States vs. European Union dispute on biotechnology products before the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB).

Starting from May 2003, United States, Canada and Argentina requested consultations with the European Communities (hereinafter EC) regarding measures taken by the EC and its member States affecting the marketing of biotech products. According to United States, Canada and Argentina, the measures at issue were inconsistent with certain EC’s obligations under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, the GATT 1994, the Agriculture Agreement and the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) …

John Jay College Performance Goals And Targets: 2007-2008 Academic Year, John Jay College Of Criminal Justice

Reports and Publications from John Jay College

No abstract provided.

July 23, 2007 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.