Digital Commons Network^™

Striae Re-Negotiated: The Self-Definition Of The Yiddish-Speaking Jewish Community In The Era Of Mexicos Raza Cósmica, Beth Merfish

Research Papers

This essay examines Mexican Jewish documents through which that community navigated the political terrain of post-Revolution Mexico. Central to this discussion is tension between Jewish desires to become part of this new nation and the imperative to remain a discreet cultural and religious community. I first examine the pressures of assimilation in 1920s Mexico exemplified by José Vasconcelos 1925 La raza cosmica and then probe the Yiddish-speaking Jewish community's response and self-definition in relation to a rapidly developing nation, using two case studies: the Jewish community's political position publicized in the 1929 Asociación de Jóvenes Israelitas de México bulletin and …

Maternal Reaction To Diagnosis: Examination Of Categorization And Methods Of Scoring, Alison Bradley

Master's Theses

This study examined the potential usefulness of a continuous rating system for the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (RDI; Pianta & Marvin, 1992) compared to the already validated dichotomous coding system. Measures of family functioning, parent psychological well-being, and parental coping were also correlated with the continuous rating system. Participants were 116 young children (29 with asthma, 37 with diabetes, and 50 with cancer) and their primary caregivers. Parents were interviewed by a trained researcher and completed well-validated self-report measures of family functioning and parent psychological well-being and coping. Consensus conferencing for classification disagreements was discussed. Differences and similarities among subcategory …

Social Marketing And California High-Speed Rail: A Framework For Behavioral Change Towards Sustainability, Spenser Dill

Master's Projects and Capstones

In this analytical paper, I advocate for the use of social marketing techniques in a campaign targeted towards Central Valley communities with the primary objective of reducing this population’s opposition to the state’s High-Speed Rail project. A secondary objective is to use this strategy to promote positive attitudes towards sustainable practices in general. The goal is to stimulate a change in regional culture, which will support the behavioral changes needed to protect California’s natural resources and reduce our state’s contribution to climate change. I argue: 1) creating a sustainable transit infrastructure with high-speed rail as its centerpiece will reduce harmful …

Sexting Unleashed: The Social Phenomenon According To Youth Sexters, Jessica Marie Mcgraw

Dissertations and Theses

What is missing from academia and society at large is a more holistic picture of youth sexting. Not adequately understanding youth sexting has stunted previous attempts to effectively educate young people on its potential consequences. As such, the social and legal consequences of sexting gone viral have negatively impacted countless individuals. This study offers a preliminary glimpse of the sexting phenomenon by highlighting the experiences of 20 young people. I explore emergent themes regarding the nature of youth sexting as well as the interrelations amongst privacy, relationships, and sexting. Two distinct forms of sexting emerged from participant narratives, opening the …

A Teacher's Guide To Academic Reading: Focusing On The Academic Reading Demands Of Esl Learners, Rebecca Jean Stone

Theses and Dissertations

With over 765,000 English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students studying in the United States, a greater understanding of the academic requirements and demands these students face while studying in the US is needed. Some of the biggest challenges they face include the amount of reading required and the various tasks employed with academic reading. University reading tasks require more than an understanding of the text. These tasks place a strong emphasis on text comprehension, summary, synthesis, and critical analysis. This is problematic as students, especially ESL learners, lack experience with academic tasks, and many additionally struggle with low metacognitive awareness, limited or low …

Gendered Power: Looking At Mad Men, Power, And Its Limits, Ashley N. Cox

Honors Projects

This project examines the ways in which power circulates and moves in AMC's show, Mad Men, using Michel Foucault's definitions of power. In this paper, I examine the ways in which the movements of power are different in terms of gender and look at what the show reveals, through its visual narrative and its plot, regarding gender and power in America's late-stage capitalist setting.

Logic And Grammar In Child Language: How Children Acquire The Semantics Of Polarity Sensitivity, Lyn Tieu

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the acquisition of a phenomenon that lies at the interface of logic and grammar. Polarity-sensitive items (PSIs), including negative polarity items (NPIs) such as English any, are often characterized by their restricted distribution, and analyzed in terms of their licensing condition (compare John doesn’t have any books, where any is licensed by negation, with the unlicensed *John has any books). Any moreover oscillates between NPI uses and so-called ‘free choice’ uses (John may choose any book). While a small handful of previous acquisition studies on English any have targeted children’s knowledge …

How Social Media Affect The Social Identity Of Mexican Americans, Kaitlin Eve Felsted

Theses and Dissertations

This is a thesis conducted qualitatively using the Grounded Theory approach where in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 legal Mexican Americans in order to understand how social media affect Mexican Americans' social identity. This effect was understood by discovering the relationships between social identity theory and integration. Results showed that Mexican Americans felt that social media helped them with their English skills and connected them to their friends and family in Mexico. Mexican Americans were able to use social media to connect to their in-group community, and Mexican American community leaders were able to connect Mexicans to their in-group within …

Comparison Of Psychogenic Movement Disorder Patients With Non-Epileptic Seizures And Other Hyperkinetic Motor Manifestations: An Integrated Model Of Psychosocial And Neuropsychological Functioning, Bonnie Michelle Scott

Psychology and Counseling Theses

Psychogenic movement disorders (PMDs) represent a complex and severe form of psychopathology, which even after a century of research remains poorly understood. As previous investigations have neglected to differentiate symptom phenotypes and have approached assessment from the perspective of cognitive dysfunction apparent in PMD patient's neurological counterparts, the current study aimed to examine the neurocognitive performance and psychological profiles of PMD patients with hyperkinetic motor manifestations guided by a theoretical lens of frontal lobe pathology and informed by previous neuroimaging studies with this patient population. Subsequent to diagnostic confirmation of their condition by means of video-electroencephalographic monitoring or adherence to …

Toward A Naturalistic Solution To The Moral Problem, David J. Lambie

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of my dissertation is to work toward providing a naturalistic solution to the moral problem. The moral problem arises because moral claims appear to be objectively true and have an essential act-guiding nature. The first chapter of my dissertation lays out some of the main views that have been held concerning the connection between moral judgments and moral motivation. The rest of the dissertation consists of two main projects. The first involves arguing that Michael Smith’s solution to the moral problem is implausible. In chapter two I draw upon pre-existing work as well as my own original contributions …

The Lion & The Ringmaster: Croatia's Accession To The European Union, Jelena N. Bilandzich

Master's Theses

July 1, 2013 marked Croatia's official induction into the European Union. For Croatia this was the culmination of a long negotiation process filled with concessions and challenges. This situation inspired the question of how Croatia's alliance with the EU has affected the state? In order to analyze this relationship the aspects of Croatian identity and sovereignty were explored, in addition to the EU's principles and problems regarding member and candidate states. The evidence found within this investigation came from a number of literary sources ranging from the academic to official government documents. Furthermore, nine interviews were conducted within Croatia, which …

The Plight Of Kenyan Domestic Workers In Gulf Countries, Caroline Muthoni Gikuru

Master's Theses

Kenya’s economy remains the regional leader within the East African Community (EAC) and among East African countries at large. However, political instability such as the 2007 post-election violence and the region’s social and political instability trickling into Kenya, have negatively affected the country’s economic growth. To bridge the economic gap, Kenyan women are seeking employment in the domestic service sector in the Gulf Countries, with Saudi Arabia being the most popular destination. At their destination countries, some domestic workers are subjected to various forms of abuse by their employers, leaving the worker without recourse due to the lack of legal …

Silence To Signs: Bridging The Communiction Gap For Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Inmates In Prisons, Kayleigh A. Marshall

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper explores the failure of American prison systems to provide communication access to deaf and hard of hearing prisoners. Sign language is sparsely accessible to deaf individuals in prisons. Communication and access to language are key to the human condition and democratic participation. When prison administrations ban sign language, deaf individuals are prevented from accessing programs and services that would lead to lower recidivism rates, and they are prevented from participating democracy. Since use of sign language is a natural part of many individuals’ deaf experience, barring its use is also a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act …

Fall Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

From Corps To Co-Ops: Are Co-Operatives A Viable Reintegration Strategy For Ex-Combatants?, Patrick Moses Musibi

Master's Theses

From 1989, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes have played a major role in peace agreements worldwide. The first United Nations peacekeeping mission with a DDR mandate was ONUCA, (Observadores de las Naciones Unidas en Centroamerica) or the United Nations Observer Group in Central America and involved the reintegration of ex-combatants after the conflict had finished. While the disarmament and demobilization phases of the DDR programs are fairly straightforward events, success in the reintegration phase remains a great challenge. In this thesis I argue that paying closer attention to the challenges facing ex-combatants at an individual level can help in …

Research Brief: "Women Service Members And Veterans Returning To Colleges And Universities: An Exploratory Analysis", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief summarizes a scholarly article of the same name. It reviews research which analyzes the impact of being a transitioning woman veteran entering the student veteran sphere.

Every Town Is All The Same When You've Left Your Heart In The Portland Rain: Representations Of Portland Place And Local Identity In Portland Popular Lyrics, Meghan Andrea Kearney

Dissertations and Theses

This study looks at how place and local identity of Portland are described within music lyrics from Portland, Oregon popular indie-rock artists. Employing a constant comparative analysis on a set of 1,201 songs from 21 different popular Portland indie-rock artists, the themes of landscapes and climate were found to represent place, and themes of lifestyles and attitudes represented local identity. Reviewing the uncovered themes showed a strong connection between representations of place and local identity within lyrics and common stereotypes or understandings of the city of Portland and its indie-rock music scene. The results of this study illustrate how place …

Re-Visiting Homosexuality In Cameroon: Effective Advocacy On The Path From Homophobia To Dignity And Equality, Jean Cedric Ndzomo

Master's Theses

Cameroon, one of the countries in the world that continues to criminalize homosexuality, has been on the news recently due to the torture and murder of young journalist and gay activist, Eric Ohena. This paper examines the discrimination faced by the LGBTI community in Cameroon by exploring the origins of homophobic violence, the role played by Cameroon's legal system, and the struggles of LGBTI Cameroonians in their fight for a better life. The analysis includes a review of the work by scholars on colonialism and sexuality in Africa, and questions the roots of violence and abuse against the LGBTI community …

The Role Of Information And Communication Technology In The Acculturation Of Vietnamese Refugees, Khanh A. Tran

Master's Theses

One of the most significant refugee populations in the United States is the Vietnamese. This group initially fled their native country to escape political oppression at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975 and continued to flee in a series of separate waves that continued for more than three decades. As a relatively new immigrant group in the U.S., the Vietnamese still face a variety of challenges as they try to reestablish their lives and adapt in a new cultural environment. Acculturation is a complex process that is influenced by a number of factors. Throughout history, U.S. immigration policy …

“Cause That’S The Only Skills In School You Need” A Qualitative Analysis Of Revenge Goals In Poor Urban Youth, Lena Janina Jäggi

Theses and Dissertations

Ample research shows that revenge goals are correlated with maladjustment and retaliation is an important factor driving youth violence. Still, in environments with limited institutionalized interventions revenge might be an indispensable tool to maintain social equilibrium. This qualitative secondary analysis of 50 (30 Boys) revenge scenarios from a larger longitudinal study (N=358 dyads of youth/maternal caregiver) expands existing one-dimensional knowledge of revenge from closed-answer vignettes to the rich real world experience of 10-16 year old youth from an urban community sample. Key findings showed significant qualitative differences in both cognition and emotions of revenge scenarios. Ten distinct patterns emerged and …

Meeting Minutes, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting minutes.

How Well Are Mathematics Common Core Standards Reflected In Mathematics College Readiness Expectations?--Research, Lisa Conn

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

On February 10, 2010, Kentucky made history by being the first state to adopt the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS were designed to be more rigorous, focused, and applicable (Holiday, 2010) than previous standards. The adoption of these standards was predicated by Senate Bill 1, Unbridled Learning. This bill required legislative bodies to develop a unified strategy to reduce the high college remediation rates of recent high school graduates by at least fifty percent before 2014. Along with high schools being required to address underprepared college students, state universities were to align their remediation courses with the new …

Developing A Short-Term International Study-Abroad Program: From Beginning To End, Paula A. Delpech Phd

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

TOPIC: Short-term international immersion experiences have proven to be an excellent strategy for nursing programs to use as a way for students to develop cultural competence.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to describe a faculty led short-term nursing study abroad program for undergraduate nursing students to Grenada. A two week study abroad program for seven undergraduate nursing students and two faculty member was organized in partnership with St. Georges University School of Nursing in Grenada.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION: The author describes the process of program development that includes the selection of the host country to post …

Location As Vocation: An Urban College's Engagement With Their Somali Neighbors, Matthew Maruggi, Annette Gerten

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

This article focuses on the significance of an urban college’s location and mission in guiding disciplines within the college to engage with its immigrant neighbors through service-learning.The authors describe how social connectedness theory and transformational learning theory were used to facilitate learning and increase students’ awareness of their sense of vocation.Student reflections on the service learning experience in both disciplines, religion and social work, are used to illustrate the application of each theory.

Understanding Community Engagement Motives: A "Functional" Approach, Richard J. Harnish, Kevin J. Snider

PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement

Current theoretical lenses do not fully explain the motives of those involved in community engagement activities. This article introduces a needed additional lens, functionalism, that emphasizes how underlying personal goals explain involvement in community engagement activities. To illustrate this perspective, an administrator’s and a faculty member’s motives for becoming involved in community engagement activities are presented and analyzed. We conclude by suggesting the functional approach to motivation may be integrated within an organizational behavior framework to better illuminate the interaction between individual goals and organizational practices, policies, and norms.

The Daily Egyptian, December 12, 2013, Daily Egyptian Staff

December 2013

No abstract provided.

Reinventing Urban Park Space In Lewiston/Auburn, Lucy Louisa Brennan, Catherine Elizabeth Dioli, Rohan K. Jaffrey, Matthew R. Mosca

Community Engaged Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Alexander Martin V. Commissioner Social Security

2013 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Otter Realm, December 12, 2013, California State University, Monterey Bay

The Otter Realm

Reducing the Campus' Carbon Footprint -- Empowerment and Raising Voices -- What You Otter Be Doing December 12 - December 20 -- Full-Time Respect for Part-Time Faculty: Working Conditions are Cause for Concern -- Future College Students of America: Exceptional Local Teachers Empower High School Students -- "A Future for Fort Ord" Plans for Building 44: CSUMB Student's Eager to Bring a Museum to the School -- Once Soldiers Now Students: CSUMB Students Explore the Stories Behind Local War Veterans -- What's Open Over Winter Break? -- Trans/Gender Awareness Week Raises Issues at CSU Monterey Bay: Difficulties a Transgender Student …

Graduate Faculty Committee, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Membership of Graduate Committee.