Digital Commons Network^™

I Can Show You The World: Surveillance And Introspection In Tunisian Medinas., Rachel Hagler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dear Reader:

This project was inspired by a series of encounters that I had when travelling with my significant other around Tunis, Sousse, and Kairouan. After being directed to the overlook of the tourist bureau in Kairouan as an introduction to our adventure, happening upon the (well-signed) Panoramic Café in Sousse, appropriated from a turret installed in the city’s ancient fortifications, and subsequently being taken up to view the panorama atop the Berber carpet cooperative in Tunis souk, we began to see a pattern. After visiting Yasmine Hammamet, an overlook in its own right, this pattern transformed from a quirk …

Symbols Of Religious Identity In Jordanian Society, Piotr Narel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Upon noticing a trend of religious symbolism within Jordan, I began wondering as to why it was so common. Knowing that the majority of Jordan adhered to Sunni Islam, I was surprised that many Jordanians felt that it was necessary to indicate their religion through objects that identify to which religion an individual adhered.

I developed the hypothesis that the uses of religious symbolism within the country are due not to inherently religious reasons, but that they do serve individuals in other ways. The aim of my research was to discover what the reasons for this use of religious symbolism …

Responsible Tourism In Samoa: An Exploration Of Attitudes In Samoa Towards Responsibility In Tourism, Teresa Kline

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this research was to determine what tourists, Samoans working in the tourism industry, and employees of the Samoa Tourism Authority believe the impacts of tourism on Samoa are, and what responsibilities tourists have as visitors. After establishing a definition of responsible tourism according to each group studied, the STA’s tourism goals and risk assessment were analyzed to determine how well they relate to these definitions. The actions of both tourists and employees in the tourism industry impact the effects tourism has on Samoa, and understanding what the perceived responsibilities of tourists are can help mediate the effects …

Himalayan Metal Of Death: Heavy Metal And Middle Class Social Identity In Kathmandu, Kyle Smucker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The notion of a middle class is a recent phenomenon in the Kathmandu valley. With it comes the new category of adolescence, a period between basic education and marriage that now exists within Kathmandu’s social landscape. This new social category is defined by a moral struggle between modern and “traditional” values. The purpose of this research is to investigate how social identity is realized for members of Kathmandu’s heavy metal scene, a distinctly middle class adolescent phenomenon. Through interviews, quantitative surveys and participant observation this research deals with how “metal heads” define themselves as a social group that both stands …

“Nos Trabalhamos Em Rede:” How The Instituto Povo Do Mar Utilizes Local Networks And Knowledge To Foster Empowerment., Cléa Major

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Instituto Povo do Mar (or IPOM) seeks to improve the lives of children in the favela of Serviluz through experiential education, providing classes in music, art, yoga, surfing, and other subjects. Previous studies have shown how surfing programs can provide immense psychological benefits for children who are at risk for trauma because of their impoverished environments, and the other classes that IPOM offers also give structural support to community children in various ways. In addition to the direct benefits that Serviluz children receive from these programs, IPOM also has a broader social justice goal in mind. The organization sees …

Sharing Earth’S Most Valuable Resource: Cooperation In Transboundary Water Management, Olivia Nesbit

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Natural resources in general and water in particular are undeniably essential to human growth and development. However, in recent years, with rising demands for freshwater, sky-rocketing population growth rates, climate change, shrinking water resources and poor water management, scarcity of this critical resource is a growing problem around the world. A high percentage of the most severe water scarcity is due primarily to mismanagement and ineffective allocation of water resources. There is an overarching legal framework to govern the management of water internationally. The UN Watercourses Convention and the UNECE Water Convention are the two most important documents that govern …

Managing Diversity And Dealing With The Obstacles To Integration Of Non-European Union Migrants: A Comparison Of Policies In The Netherlands And France, Eryn Eby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because of the reality of permanent immigration to Europe, the issue of integration of immigrants, particularly Muslim immigrants is of great importance and the direction and style of policies are the subjects of increasing debate and disagreement. Neither multicultural policies nor assimilation policies have led to a satisfactory level of integration and decreased social and ethnic tensions in France and the Netherlands. We found that often, the rhetoric, perceptions, and misinterpretations that go along with the labels of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘assimilation’ serve to further polarize the debate and lead to more problems than they solve. The overall rhetoric and program …

Serbian/Albanian Bilingualism In Kosova: Reversal Or Entrenchment Of The Curse Of Babel?, Sarah Littisha Jansen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dynamics of power between multiple languages in one space are indicative of and inform the relationship between the speakers of those languages. In post-conflict Kosova, two ethno-linguistic groups, Kosovar Serbians and Kosovar Albanians, live in a context where language has become politicized and long-standing linguistic, political, and social hierarchies of power have been radically disturbed. This paper describes the myriad of images of the Serbian language in the country, focusing particularly on those that come from the Serbian/Albanian bilingual Kosovar Albanian community. It then discusses how these inform language as a political tool and what the consequences of this are …

Reacciones Al Turismo En Los Tejidos De Huilloc Y Chinchero: Una Comparación Entre Dos Pueblos, Sarah Lyon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los textiles en la cultura Andina no son un arte estacionario, sino como la gente, se adaptan a los nuevos tiempos y la cultura occidental. Eso no es porque la cultura y arte de los pueblos indígenas en los Andes son más propensos a las influencias de afuera, o que son más variables que otras culturas. Pensar que los pueblos indígenas y su cultura están ‘influenciado’ o ‘impactado’ por la cultura occidental es pensar que los pueblos indígenas son pasivos sin la voz para decir lo que van a escoger a sacar de la cultura occidental. Es mejor para hablar …

How Pescadores Become Produtores: Gender, Family, And Sustainable Living On Brazil’S Northeast Coast, Wren Brennan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The familial structure of a Brazilian fishing community is explored through participant observation and eight in-depth ethnographic interviews conducted over the course of three weeks of emersion with a family of pescadores artesanais (artisanal fishermen) that now call themselves catadores de algas (seaweed collectors). Previous research suggests that the sexual division of labor in this community, along with coastal environment in which the community exists, is in a state of transition. This project explores the emerging the practice of communal seaweed cultivation as a form of work that exemplifies changing gender relations in conjunction with a changing coastal environment. It …

La Falta De Desarrollo Debido A La Carencia De Igualdad: La Ineficacia Del Programa De Educación Intercultural Bilingüe Como Factor De Continuación De La Dominación Del Estado De Chile Contra El Pueblo Mapuche, Amanda Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este trabajo investiga el Programa de Educación Intercultural en la Escuela Chapod en la lX región de Chile. Se propone conocer el efecto del PEIB en el desarrollo de la identidad Mapuche. Se investiga mediante una etnografía en la comunidad Chapod, realizando observaciones de la escuela y entrevistas formales e informales. Esta etnografía es apoyada por entrevistas en la comunidad de Llaguepulli y Santiago. Se describe el PEIB en el contexto de la Escuela Chapod y la eficacia del programa en el contexto actual de la comunidad mapuche. Con los teorías de capital cultural y hegemonía, se encuentra que el …

Beads, Sculptures, And Baskets: South African Traditional Craft As A Means Of Economic Empowerment, Sasha Kaori Hippard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The significance of the South African traditional craft industry is often associated with the preservation of historical culture. However, besides being a crucial element in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, craftwork also can be a significant source of income generation for disadvantaged communities across South Africa. The African Art Centre, a non-profit organization located in Durban, reaches out to various communities of disadvantage in and around the KwaZulu Natal province, holding training and design workshops, providing access to craft skills and materials, and providing a market for the sale of craft as a source of sustainable economic empowerment. …

Infoliteracy@Adistance: Creating Opportunities To Reach (Instruct) Distance Students, Mirah J. Dow, Mohommed Algarni, Heidi Blackburn, Karen Diller, Abdullahi Musa, Padma Polepeddi, Brian Schwartz, Terri Summey, Sandra Valenti

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This article offers a theoretical model of online, graduate student information seeking behavior. The qualitative methodology used to gather data for the development of the model included an electronic survey and semi-structured interviews conducted online using Adobe Connect Pro™. Participating in the study were 238 graduate students enrolled in at least one online course at a mid-western university. Data analysis included use of Zoomerang™ reports to interpret survey data, and content analysis of interview transcriptions. The resulting evolution of the Bates’ (2002) theoretical model includes new two modes of information seeking: scrutinizing (directed, dynamic), and being alert (undirected, dynamic). The …

If Rumors Were Horses, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Collecting To The Core -- Dance, Susan L. Wiesner, Anne Doherty

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Hoodie Today, Gown Tomorrow: An Ideological Rhetorical Analysis Of Gender-Neutral Clothing, Meridith Irene Styer

Masters Theses

The fields of psychology and sociology have long understood the importance of clothing in self-formation, this study extrapolates this social-science understanding into the realm of rhetorical analysis. This study looks at gender-neutral clothing and its role in meaning making and self identification for women. With a rhetorical basis from Richards and Ogden, this research uses the feminist works of Brummett and Butler to uncover both the positive and negatives effects of gender-neutral clothing on a woman's self-identification and perceptions. Through the presentation of a diffuse narrative and evaluation of the same, gender-neutral clothing is read and decoded for meaning. This …

Meghan Howey, Assistant Professor Department Of Anthropology, Travels To Uganda, Meghan Howey

Faculty Travel Reports

Professor Howey travelled to Uganda in summer 2012 to conduct archaeological and paleoecological research in the Ndali crater lakes and swamps.
In June 2012, with support from the Center for International Education, I furthered my involvement in a research program focused on the deep history of human-environment interaction in the Ndali crater lake landscape of western Uganda. The Ndali crater lake landscape is a beautiful and complex series of crater lakes and in-filled crater swamps east of the Rwenzori Mountains which forms a particularly distinct setting in the Albertine Rift. Exponential population growth and unchecked land conversion have made the …

From Forest To Freshet: The Development Of The Upper Connecticut River Valley Of New Hampshire, 1750-1820, Madeleine Beihl

Honors Theses and Capstones

Outlining the development of the Upper Connecticut River Valley and its effects on the growth of New Hampshire. Concentrates on the period from first European settlements in the region to the early American republic. Especially important to this study are the region's networks of trade and communication.

Critical Genocide Studies, Alexander Laban Hinton

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Over the last two decades, the interdisciplinary field of genocide studies has dramatically expanded and matured. No longer in the shadow of Holocaust studies, it is now the primary subject of journals, textbooks, encyclopedias, readers, handbooks, special journal issues, bibliographies, workshops, semi- nars, conference, Web sites, research centers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and a unit at the United Nations. If not yet fully theorized, the discipline is characterized by a number of debates and approaches. As the outlines of the field emerge more clearly, the time is right to engage in critical reflections about the state of the …

Genocide Is A Process, Not An Event, Sheri P. Rosenberg

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Genocide studies is simultaneously an emerging and accepted category of scholarly inquiry. The field is robust and at a critical turning point as more disciplines engage the subject. This article identifies two areas within the field that suggest the need for further scholarly attention. First, it urges a renewed attention to the processional nature of genocide and the implications that flow from a par- ticularized understanding of it, specifically in relation to prevention. The article explores this rela- tionship by providing a process-oriented examination of the under-theorized concept of "genocide by attrition," seeking engagement and critique of the concept. Second, …

On Situating The Study Of Genocide Within Political Violence, Ernesto Verdeja

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article identifies a particular challenge for comparative genocide studies, namely the underem- phasis of investigation into the relationship between genocide and other forms of political violence and the ways in which they are related temporally and spatially. It advocates situating genocide studies within the broader domain of political violence research to explain not only the causes of genocide but general variation in violent outcomes. By systematically comparing genocides to non- genocides, we gain greater insights into the factors that result in large-scale, group-oriented destruc- tion. The article also calls for greater disaggregation of analytical frameworks in comparative research, including …

Montana Business Quarterly, Spring 2012, University Of Montana--Missoula. Bureau Of Business And Economic Research

Montana Business Quarterly, 1949-2021

This is an academic publication produced by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Montana’s College of Business. This is volume 50, number 1.

Flutes, Festivities, And Fragmented Tradition: A Study Of The Meaning Of Music In Otavalo, Brenna C. Halpin

Masters Theses

This thesis consists of an intimate study of the value and meaning of flute music of indigenous musicians in the contemporary world. This is accomplished by interviewing and observing indigenous panpipe and flute musicians in and near the Plaza de Ponchos Market in Otavalo, Ecuador. Collected personal stories, historical accounts, and recordings and analysis of the music all provide insight into the purpose and traditions the music holds. While the musicians attempt to maintain a sense of cultural authenticity, modernization has altered the importance of customs and music as Otavalo moves toward a more commoditized and urbanized community, reflecting ethnic …

S-Comm: Shattering Communities, Hannah Weinstein

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The note argues that the Secure Communities program, initiated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2008, operates unlawfully under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and raises significant constitutional concerns. By bypassing notice-and-comment requirements and failing to address public concerns, the program has led to racial profiling, pretextual arrests, and widespread detention of noncriminal individuals, undermining its stated goals and eroding community trust in law enforcement. The analysis calls for immediate cessation of the program and congressional funding due to its legal violations and harmful consequences.

La España Negra En Color: El Desarrollismo Turístico, La Auto-Etnografía Y España Insólita (Javier Aguirre, 1965), Eugenia Afinoguénova

Spanish Languages and Literatures Research and Publications

¿Cuál es el papel del imaginario etnográfico en el cine documental español de los años sesenta? El artículo responde a esta pregunta analizando el ejemplo más exitoso de la época: el largometraje España insólita (Javier Aguirre, 1965). Mientras se sigue debatiendo si esta y similares películas perseguían el objetivo de promocionar España como destino turístico, el presente estudio demuestra que el desarrollismo de Fraga favorecía un método de producción de películas sobre España que hacía irrelevantes las intenciones de los creadores. Por consiguiente, el estudio de la producción etnográfica desarrollista requiere un modelo analítico que permita acercarse a sus funciones …

Law, Emotion, And Terra Nova: Neal Feigenson As Both Radical And Reformer, Terry A. Maroney

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Law and emotion scholarship can engage with law on its own terms. It can seek to expose moments where the law already incorporates some kind of emotional component, and it can show how a richer understanding of emotion could inform or refine how the law treats that component. With crimes of passion, for example, we might ask people to notice how that aspect of criminal law doctrine privileges some emotions over others. For example, anger is more valued than contempt. We might also ask them to notice how the law reflects lay theories of how those emotions operate. For example, …

What Is The Difference Between Culture And Civilization?: Two Hundred Fifty Years Of Confusion, Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

Comparative Civilizations Review

The distinction between culture and civilization is not well embedded in the English language but has remained relatively meaningful in both other European and non-European languages. Edward B. Tylor designed in idea of civilization that covers both culture and civilizations. Similar attempts had been made in late 18th Century Germany. Though it is sometimes stated that Tylor's relativist concept of culture harks back to Herder, the latter's cultural relativism differs from Tylor's civilizational relativism. Tylor's holistic definition of civilization-culture has created an amount of confusion that can still be felt today. European totalitarianism is often called "civilization" because many people …

Two Ways Of Being Conscious: The Notion Of Psychic Conversion, Robert Doran

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

In this essay I will present an overview of what I have called psychic conversion. I will begin by narrating the birth of the idea, then will present a brief schematic history of its development and principal applications to date, and will conclude by presenting my current thinking, which involves connections with the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, the depth psychology of C. G. Jung, and the mimetic theory of Rene Girard. It will be clear from the first section that Heidegger and Jung were influential in the very emergence of the idea, but in my current work I have developed …

The Southeastern Librarian V. 60, No. 1 (Spring 2012) Complete Issue

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of The Southeastern Librarian, volume 60, No. 1 (Spring 2012).

They Sought Our Help: A Survey Of One-On-One Research Assistance At The University Of Tennessee Lupton Library, Sarla R. Murgai

The Southeastern Librarian

Providing research assistance on an individual basis to patrons has long been a standard service in the panoply of services at many academic libraries. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Lupton Library describes its one-on-one research service as follows: "if you are new to using the library resources, can’t find the right source for your paper or need a demonstration of a database, need help in tracking an obscure article, or have any other questions that require a little extra help, Lupton Library offers one-on-one research help to students and faculty. You many request a research appointment online or …