Digital Commons Network^™

Exploratory Study Investigating The Opinions Of Russian-Speaking Parents On Maintaining Their Children's Use Of The Russian Language, Sue Kraftsoff, Sarah Quinn

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

This study explored why and how Russian speaking parents in an Irish context maintained the Russian language in their school-age children. Using a self-administered unstandardised questionnaire, the opinions of 16 Russian-speaking parents, reporting on 24 children, were surveyed. Of this sample, five parents were then interviewed using focus group methodology. The main findings revealed that Russian-speaking parents living in Ireland strongly supported Russian language maintenance in their families and wanted their children to be as fluent as possible in the Russian language. The reasons for the support of Russian language were: cultural preservation, general knowledge of languages in addition to …

'Country Life'? Rurality, Folk Music And 'Show Of Hands', Richard Yarwood, Clive Charlton

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Land Fragmentation And Resource Ownership On Productivity And Efficiency: The Case Of Rice Producers In Bangladesh, S Rahman, M Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The paper analyzes the impact of land fragmentation and ownership of resources on productivity and technical efficiency in rice production in Bangladesh using farm level survey data. Results reveal that land fragmentation has a significant detrimental effect on productivity and efficiency as expected. The elasticity estimates of land fragmentation reveal that a 1% increase in land fragmentation reduces rice output by 0.05% and efficiency by 0.03%. On the other hand, ownership of key resources (land, family labour, and draft animals) significantly increases efficiency. The mean elasticity estimates reveal that a 1% increase in family labour and owned draft animal improve …

Farm Productivity And Efficiency In Rural Bangladesh: The Role Of Education Revisited, Mn Asadullah, S Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This article reassesses the debate over the role of education in farm production in Bangladesh using a large dataset on rice producing households from 141 villages. Average and stochastic production frontier functions are estimated to ascertain the effect of education on productivity and efficiency. A full set of proxies for farm education stock variables are incorporated to investigate the 'internal' as well as 'external' returns to education. The external effect is investigated in the context of rural neighbourhoods. Our analysis reveals that in addition to raising rice productivity and boosting potential output, household education significantly reduces production inefficiencies. However, we …

The Economic Determinants Of Crop Diversity On Farms In Rural Bangladesh, S Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The study examines the economic determinants of crop diversity using a survey of 406 farmers located in 21 villages in three agro-ecological regions of Bangladesh. The computed value of diversity indices of crop concentration (Herfindahl), richness (Margalef) and evenness (Shannon) confirm that farming system in Bangladesh is still relatively diverse despite four decades of thrust in the diffusion of a rice-based ‘Green Revolution’ technology. Results reveal that a host of price and non-price factors significantly influence farmers’ decision to diversify. Likelihood of diversification increases with a fall in the prices of fertilizers, animal power services and modern rice and a …

Benthic Foraminifera Assemblages In The Central Barents Sea: An Evaluation Of Combining Live And Total Fauna Studies In Tracking Environmental Change, Mh Saher, Dk Kristensen, M Hald, S Korsun, Ll Jørgensen

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

We present living (stained) benthic foraminifera assemblage data in nine surface sediment samples from the central Barents Sea collected in 2005 and 2006. The abundances of 20 selected species are compared to these from previously published total fauna assemblages of nearby samples. Between 1 and 3 total fauna samples from various years (between 1971 and 1992) are compared with the modern (2005 and ’06) samples. The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate the applicability of this comparison. We conclude that, with proper caution, comparing live and total fauna can yield valuable results. Eliminating fragile species, and clustering species …

Design Of Marine Protected Areas On High Seas And Territorial Waters Of Rockall Bank, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Mark Tasker, Marta Soffker, Sabine Christiansen, Stuart Rogers, Maria Campbell, Kjartan Hoydal

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Developing Subsidiary Contribution To The Mnc:Subsidiary Entrepreneurship And Strategy Creativity, Pamela Sharkey Scott, P. T. Gibbons Prof, Joseph Coughlan

Conference Papers

Despite its theoretical and managerial significance, subsidiary entrepreneurship and its effects on subsidiary contribution remain underexplored in the literature. We propose that subsidiary entrepreneurship encourages more creative strategic responses to escalating environmental change. We explore the direct and mediating effects of subsidiary entrepreneurship on subsidiary contribution to the MNC, particularly subsidiary strategy creativity. We use structural equation modelling to test our propositions on data generated from surveying the population of Irish subsidiaries of foreign MNCs, and find strong support for our theoretical predictions. The managerial implications of subsidiary entrepreneurship in generating creative strategy, prompting strategic initiatives and improving performance are …

Qualitative Methodology Discussion, Marian Crowley-Henry, Paddy Dolan, Paul Donnelly, Olivia Freeman, John Hogan, Conor Horan, Brendan O'Rourke

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter presents a discussion on the nature of qualitative research. In it, a number of contributors to the book sit down for a general roundtable discussion on qualitative methodologies. Here they express their thinking in relation to a range of questions on qualitative methodologies put to them by the moderator, one of the editors of the volume. The objective of the chapter is to provide readers with an insight into a free flowing discussion amongst academics on the nature of qualitative research. This takes the readers outside of the carefully structured arguments of the authors, as set out in …

Signs Of Access In A Digital World: Online Delivery Of Deaf Studies Curricula In Ireland At Third Level,, Brian Nolan, Lorraine Leeson

Conference Papers

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the European Union as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 5,000 Deaf people use ISL. Given the history of suppression of signed languages across the EU, the average Deaf person leaves school with a reading age of 8.5 to 9 years. Given this, it is no surprise that Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level. This poses two challenges: (1) getting Deaf …

Positions Of Power, Abjection And Constraint: Evaluating Discursive Attempts To Save An Other, Ruth Janet Beerman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beginning from the presumption that questions of agency are important, this thesis interrogates notions of who can speak, how to speak, and what constitutes agency. Feminist rhetorical theory operates as a key avenue to evaluate negotiating positions of power and privilege when examining how to liberate oppressed groups. By utilizing feminist conceptions of the body as well as theories of performance and personae, I examine how rhetorical theory contributes to such understandings where one speaks about an other. Finally, the war in Iraq serves as a case study to illustrate my theory.

A Phylogeographic Analysis Of Fiddler Crabs, Uca Longisignalis And U. Pugnax, Cydney Brooks

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Uca pugnax and U. longisignalis are fiddler crabs commonly found in the southeastern United States. These sibling species occupy distinct regions. Uca pugnax is found on the Atlantic and U. longisignalis on the Gulf coasts. Their distributions are separated by the Florida peninsula. Many different taxa with similar distributions in this region have been the focus of phylogeographic studies. In these studies, it appears there is no simple pattern to explain genetic variability. Previous studies of Uca pugnax and U. longisignalis reveal no significant morphological or physiological differences within either species across its respective region. The purpose of this study …

Development Of A Spatial Decision Support Tool For Watershed Critical Area Identification Of Soil Loss And Best Management Practices (Bmps) Evaluation, Luhua Cai

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Soil erosion has been identified as a major contributor to water quality degradation. Agriculture is historically known for accelerating soil erosion. In Iowa, with 88% of land in agriculture use, agricultural practices have became the dominant source of nonpoint source pollution and soil erosion is the leading water problem in Iowa. Controls of soil erosion are needed. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are recognized as the most efficient way to control non-point source pollution, and numerous BMPs have been developed for soil erosion control. Therefore, it is important to have a decision support tool that can identify the soil erosion problem …

Iranian American Women Writing Their Lives: Poststructuralist Analysis Of Lipstick Jihad, Funny In Farsi And Saffron Sky, Chelsea Ann Thiebaut Delucenay

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study analyzes Azadeh Moaveni's Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran, Firoozeh Dumas's Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America, and Gelareh Asayesh's Saffron Sky: A Life Between Iran and America all examined within, against, and through the lens of poststructuralist feminism. Emphasis is placed on issues of hybridity and naming in a dual-cultured, dual-languaged world. Moaveni, Dumas, and Asayesh begin the task of writing a memoir in order to better understand themselves and to attempt to create a solid identity based on both Iran and America. By …

Risk Management Of Commercial Overland Food Transport And Distribution, Lucas Charles Hartman Geadelmann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to study the contemporary safety issues related to the overland transport of perishable food items via semi-truck and trailer. An anonymous survey instrument consisting of 20 questions was developed in order to examine semi-truck driver habits. The questions pertained to truck driver safety and subsequent food safety matters related to the perishable food items contained within the trailers. The paper surveys were distributed to the semi-truck driving employees of two food distributors located in the upper Midwest, which had agreed to voluntarily participate in the study. A total of 90 surveys were completed and …

Gender Differences In Children’S Internet Use:Key Findings From Europe, Helen Mcquillan, Brian O'Neill

Articles

This paper analyses comparative empirical data from across Europe on gender differences in children’s internet use, and through a new interpretive framework on young people’s experiences, seeks to add new findings to this growing international knowledge base. Linking feminist theory on gender and technology with theories of youth gender identity construction, four key areas are investigated. Firstly, the impact of increased internet access and use in schools and in homes on gender equality is examined. Secondly, youth communication and content creation practices are investigated to explore whether the internet is facilitating flexibility in gender identity and the transcendence of traditional …

Framing The Nigerian Transnational Family: New Formations In Ireland, Anaele Diala Iroh

Doctoral

No abstract provided.

Taiwan's Language Curriculum And Policy: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Dpp's Claims-Making, Yi-Hsuan Lee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This case study of Taiwan's language curriculum and policy is a rhetorical analysis of the claims-making regarding changes with Taiwan's native languages and Chinese education.

To answer the research question of whether or not the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government claims support its language curriculum and policy changes, this study applied (a) Social problems research, and (b) Burke's dramatisim to analyze the claims. Two statements by the Taiwanese government about its educational policy, during the 2000-2008 presidencies, were analyzed along with the actual curriculum guidelines. Also, the opponents' opinions regarding the government's actions, which were represented in the newspapers, were …

Prince's Plume In The Landscape, Heidi Kratsch, Graham Hunter

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Laboratory Schools Annual Report, 2008-2009, Laboratory Schools, Illinois State University

Annual Reports – Laboratory Schools

Illinois State University Laboratory Schools annual report

Life Of Christ, William C. Hackett Jr

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Life Of Christ, William Hackett

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Finding The ‘World’ In Biblical Studies: God-Talk, Culture, And Hermeneutics In The Study (And Teaching) Of Faith, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Information And Communication Technologies In Managing Transition And Sustaining Women's Health During Their Midlife Years, Julie Dare

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research has been motivated primarily by a desire to extend and enrich existing research on women’s uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to manage relationships, and access and construct social support during their transitional midlife years. In doing so, this research addresses a gap in the literature on women’s consumption of such technologies. Since the late 1980s, when several landmark studies investigated women’s use of the telephone, there has been little systematic evaluation of the degree to which newer communication technologies have become integrated into women’s communication practices.

Another key feature of this research is an examination of …

Health And The Nature Of Urban Green Spaces, May Elizabeth Carter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Recognition that city-dwelling people can benefit from contact with nature is not new. The urban open air movement of the 19th century advised retention of greenways and development of urban parks and gardens to stop disease spread through lack of fresh air, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Now, in the early 21st century, urban green spaces are under threat from inner city infill projects and clearing of remnant vegetation to accommodate suburban sprawl.

While much literature discusses positive health benefits of contact with nature, few studies explore explicit pathways between urban green space and health, despite mounting concern that disassociation between …

Implications Of Social Support And Culture In The Context Of Work-Related Stress, Maria Amren

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Islam’S Fourth Amendment: Search And Seizure In Islamic Doctrine And Muslim Practice, Sadiq Reza

Faculty Scholarship

Modern scholars regularly assert that Islamic law contains privacy protections similar to those of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Two Quranic verses in particular - one that commands Muslims not to enter homes without permission, and one that commands them not to 'spy' - are held up, along with reports from the Traditions (Sunna) that repeat and embellish on these commands, as establishing rules that forbid warrantless searches and seizures by state actors and require the exclusion of evidence obtained in violation of these rules. This Article tests these assertions by: (1) presenting rules and doctrines Muslim jurists …

Sprawl In Europe And America, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Defenders of suburban sprawl assert that sprawl is inevitable in affluent societies, based on trends in Western Europe. According to supporters of this Inevitability Theory, European cities have decentralized and become more car-dependent, thus proving that even where governments are more aggressively anti-sprawl than American government, anti-sprawl policies will be futile.

This Article compares Western Europe to the United States, and criticizes the Inevitabilty Theory on the grounds that:

(1) Europe is in fact far less automobile-dependent than the United States;
(2) Europe has not, contrary to the Inevitability Theory's claims, become more car-dependent and suburbanized in recent years; and …

Community Benefits Agreements And Comprehensive Planning: Balancing Community Empowerment And The Police Power, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

Traditionally, the states have empowered local governments to develop plans and implement regulations for neighborhood and community development. When accomplished at the local or regional level, the interests and benefits of the community as a whole are to be weighed against the detriments to individuals. Much has been studied and written about the lack of meaningful public participation in the planning and land use regulatory process, suggesting that often low-income and minority communities are not fully engaged in the process, even when it may result in decisions negatively impacting their neighborhoods. Case studies have also shown that governments are sometimes …

Analytical Jurisprudence And The Concept Of Commercial Law, John Linarelli

Scholarly Works

Commercial lawyers working across borders know that globalization has changed commercial law. To think of commercial law as only the law of states is to have an inadequate understanding of the norms governing commercial transactions. Some have argued for a transnational conception of commercial law, but their grounds of justification have been unpersuasive, often grounded on claims about the common content among national legal systems. Legal positivism is a rich literature on the concept of a legal system and the validity conditions for rules in legal systems, but it has not been used to understand legal order outside or beyond …