Digital Commons Network^™

Divided We Stand: Defying Hegemony In Global Public Relations And Practice?, Gregor Halff, Anne Gregory

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The last decade has seen the world becoming increasingly complex. One way of dealing with complexity, according to Schwab (2010a, is to look for certainties or solutions that impose order by simplifying. The authors contend that this is a risk in public relations practice and the academy. While recognizing their benefits they warn against attempts to produce global models which also seek to impose hegemony and argue for maintaining a diversity that reflects reality. They take the cases of the UK and Singapore as respective exemplars where hegemony has arguably occurred and where it can still be resisted. They call …

I Am Bedu: The Changing Bedouin In A Changing World, Nancy Allison Browning

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Change occurs throughout the world on a daily basis, and as a result, its inhabitants are encouraged to change as well. The population learns to adapt in various ways in order to survive, often times causing traditional practices to be forced aside in order to make way for more modern methods. Today, the Bedouin lifestyle is no longer limited to the classification of a pastoral nomad, located in the desert living in goat-hair tents, and herding camels. While there are several factors that could be taken into consideration in order to unpack what it means to be a Bedouin in …

Identifying Emerging Researchers Using Social Network Analysis, Syed Masum Billah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Finding rising stars in academia early in their careers has many implications when hiring new faculty, applying for promotion, and/or requesting grants. Typically, the impact and productivity of a researcher are assessed by a popular measurement called the h-index that grows linearly with the academic age of a researcher. Therefore, h-indices of researchers in the early stages of their careers are almost uniformly low, making it difficult to identify those who will, in future, emerge as influential leaders in their field. To overcome this problem, we make use of Social network analysis to identify young researchers most likely to become …

Political Motive And Bail: The Effect Of Prosecutorial Strategies On Pretrial Decisions In Federal Terrorism Trials, Michael John Clanton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand how prosecutorial strategies affect pretrial decisions in U.S. terrorism trials and how pretrial decisions in turn affect the disposition of those trials. This research builds off of the work of Smith and Damphousse (1996) which compared terrorism indictees to traditional federal offenders. They found that the use of explicit politicality as a prosecution strategy was a significant predictor of both disposition and the sentence length in terrorism trials. This study focuses on the question of whether the use of an explicitly political prosecution strategy impacts pretrial decisions in terrorism cases and whether …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Brockton, Phillip Granberry, Mayara Fontes

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in Brockton. It reflects a commitment by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy to provide periodic updates on the growing Latino population in Massachusetts. The report on Brockton is part of a larger series that covers cities and towns with a population between 35,000 and 100,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with a significant Latino population. Each report analyzes data from the American Community Survey (ACS) conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. We obtained the …

Analysis Of Social Networks In A Virtual World, Gregory Thomas Stafford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As three-dimensional virtual environments become both more prevalent and more fragmented, studying how users are connected via their avatars and how they benefit from the virtual world community has become a significant area of research. An in-depth analysis of virtual world Social networks is needed to evaluate how users interact in virtual worlds, to better understand the impact of avatar Social networks on the virtual worlds, and to improve future online Social networks.

Our current efforts are focused on building and exploring the Social network aspects of virtual worlds. In this thesis, we build a Social network of avatars based …

Post-Exercise And Post-Recovery Blood Lactate In Peripheral Arterial Disease, Rebecca Kate Roderick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to observe how the presence of peripheral arterial disease affects the level of post-exercise blood lactate and post-recovery blood lactate during and following the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The 6MWT was administered to 49 participants (33 classified as Non-PAD and 16 classified as PAD) over the age of 50 with no uncontrolled cardiovascular or metabolic diseases or a cardiovascular event in the previous 6 months. Results demonstrated that no significant statistical difference exists between the presence of PAD and resting blood lactate (F = 0.86, p = .36), post-exercise blood lactate (F= 0.48, p …

Factors Predicting Internalizing And Externalizing Psychopathology In A Sample Of Inner City Minority Women, Antonio Gonzalez

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Fall River, Phillip Granberry, Mayara Fontes

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in Fall River. It reflects a commitment by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy to provide periodic updates on the growing Latino population in Massachusetts.

The report on Fall River is part of a larger series that covers cities and towns with a population between 35,000 and 100,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with a significant number of Latinos. Fall River is considered a “Gateway City.” These cities are midsized urban centers that were once industrial …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: New Bedford, Phillip Granberry, Mayara Fontes

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in New Bedford. It reflects a commitment by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy to provide periodic updates on the growing Latino population in Massachusetts. The report on New Bedford is part of a larger series that covers cities and towns with a population between 35,000 and 100,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with a significant Latino population. Each report analyzes data from the American Community Survey (ACS) conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. We …

Good Hair, Bad Hair, Dominican Hair, Haitian Hair, Katie E. Saunders

Master's Theses - Sociology and Anthropology

The goal of this research is to build on the literature concerning presentation practices of racial and national identity. The research examines presentation practices of race and national identity among Haitian heritage residents of the Dominican Republic (DR). Haitian immigrants have been an important part of the Dominican economy and the Dominican way of life since the beginning of the 20th century. Their descendants have to manage between Haitian and Dominican identities, while under the incredible pressure of anti-Haitian prejudices. The current literature concerning Dominican presentation practices asserts that normative presentation practices hide racial blackness. However, more recent literature questions …

Determining The Feasibility Of Implementing An Effective Fungiculture Program With The Peace Garden At Illinois Wesleyan University, Mackenzie Rivkin '14

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

The Peace Garden at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU), the organic garden at the small liberal-arts university in Bloomington, Illinois, is devoted to growing nutritious, pesticide-free food to be sold locally in an attempt to counterbalance the various food-related issues which stem from conventional food systems. Mushrooms, fungi with many nutritional benefits, are not currently produced by the Peace Garden. However, the unique nature of mushrooms may be attractive to certain consumers and could further contribute to the Peace Garden's mission if produced. This study, conducted September to December 2013 is guided by the following question: What is the feasibility of …

“Someone’S Got To Do It” – Primary Care Providers (Pcps) Describe Caring For Rural Women With Mental Health Problems, Maria C. Colon-Gonzalez, Jennifer S. Mccall-Hosenfeld, Carol S. Weisman, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Amanda N. Perry, Cynthia H. Chuang

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Little is known about how primary care providers (PCPs) approach mental health care for low-income rural women. We developed a qualitative research study to explore the attitudes and practices of PCPs regarding the care of mood and anxiety disorders in rural women.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 family physicians, internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) in office-based practices in rural central Pennsylvania. Using thematic analysis, investigators developed a coding scheme. Questions focused on 1) screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions, 2) barriers to treatment among rural women, 3) management of mental illnesses in rural women, and 4) ideas …

Food Safety Knowledge, Behavior, And Attitudes Of Vendors Of Poultry Products Sold At Pennsylvania Farmers' Markets, Joshua Scheinberg, Rama Radhakrishna, Catherine N. Cutter

Journal of Extension

A needs assessment survey was developed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of poultry vendors at farmers' markets in Pennsylvania, on food safety, regulation, and poultry production. Vendors were administered a 32-question paper survey, in person, during market hours. The results revealed critical vendor practices and identified important vendor knowledge gaps and attitudes on food safety and poultry processing. The data obtained from the study will aid in the development of future farmers' market research, as well as generating training and outreach materials on food safety for vendors selling meat and poultry products at farmers' markets.

Building Supportive Networks Among Agricultural Innovators Through A Symposium On Dryland Organic Farming, Julia Piaskowski, Bertie Weddell, E Patrick Fuerst, Diana Roberts, Lynne Carpenter-Boggs

Journal of Extension

Extension can play a valuable role by bringing together those who are pioneering innovative practices. We planned, built, and evaluated an Extension symposium on dryland organic agriculture. Post-symposium evaluations indicated that this process disseminated regionally relevant information; fostered networks among producers, researchers, and the organic processing and feed industries; enhanced trust among stakeholders; and increased interest in expanding organic production. Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that they established new business relationships within 6 months of the symposium. A unique aspect of our project was the enhancement of social capital between geographically separated rural localities.

Initiating And Sustaining Conversations Between Organic Farmers And Extension, Jason Parker, Patrick Lillard

Journal of Extension

The relationship between advocates of organic agriculture and land-grant university agents has evolved significantly over the past century, but land-grant research and Extension agents still confront many challenges to working with organic farmers. This article reviews the barriers to communication that have developed over the last century and initiates a discussion on how to facilitate successful collaborations among Extension agents, researchers, and organic farmers.

Expanding Cooperative Extension's Audience: Establishing A Relationship With Cowboy Church Members, Katy Williams, Robert Strong, Landry Lockett

Journal of Extension

The study reported here provided a descriptive report on cowboy churches, while identifying the potential for Extension-cowboy church collaborations and examining the direct implications to Extension. The diffusion of innovations conceptualized the qualitative study. Semi-structured, face-to-face and phone interviews were conducted with 10 adults from cowboy churches. Findings revealed relative advantages for Extension-cowboy church collaborations, areas of compatibility, and ample opportunities for trialibility. Disseminating nutrition, animal science, and youth development information to cowboy church members may establish a relationship between the two groups. Extension could gain positive advocates in local communities through educating and establishing relationships with cowboy church members.

Recommendations For Establishing Extension Programming For Organic Farmers, Patrick Lillard, Jason Parker, Alan Sundermeier

Journal of Extension

As organic agriculture continues to grow, Extension is frequently being called to expand its efforts with organic farmers. However, this non-traditional audience has not historically requested or readily accepted information from Extension and will require Extension to use outreach methods more adapted for this grassroots-based audience. We conducted an extensive literature review of Extension efforts with organic farmers in order to develop recommendations for future Extension programming. The primary strand connecting them is the importance of developing informed Extension efforts by participating in existing organic farmer networks.

Straw Bales As A Planting Medium, Darcy Tessman, Kimberly Gressley, Richard Gibson

Journal of Extension

The childhood obesity epidemic in America is a national health crisis (Let's Move, 2008). Areas across the nation exist with low access to healthy food by either being low income or more than a mile from a supermarket. Gardening has become a popular route to provide access to healthy foods. However, arid conditions and poor soils in the Southwest contribute to an on-going and challenging effort to grow fresh food supplies. To alleviate these problems, Extension agents teach that straw bale gardens offer an easy planting medium with multiple advantages.

Effects Of Exposure To Abuse And Violence In Childhood On Adult Attachment And Domestic Violence In Women’S Same-Sex Relationships, Dawn M. Beatty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

There is an abundance of previous research proving that childhood abuse and adult domestic violence is an increasingly serious problem (Smith Slep, & O’Leary, 2005). However, while studies have shown that lesbian intimate battering occurs as frequently, if not more than, heterosexual domestic violence (Gosselin, [ARF1] 2003; Niolon, 2002), it remains understudied. Therefore, this study not only examines the relationship between childhood abuse and intimate lesbian violence but also secure and insecure attachment styles. Children who witness domestic violence or who are victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are likely to repeat or engage in violent relationships later …

Factors And Influences Contributing To The College Selection Decision Of High Achieving High School Seniors, Dana D. Clayton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how high achieving high school seniors navigate the college search process and ultimately make a decision to attend a particular institution. Specifically, it considered how institutional reputation contributes within the search process and how students consider the influence of others such as parents, friends, etc. Students enrolled in AP or Honors courses at three private and one charter school in southwestern Indiana were administered the College Exploration Questionnaire (CEQ) in the final weeks of their senior year. The CEQ measured the level of importance students placed on various …

Images Of Black Leadership And Mentoring In Higher Education: Personal Narratives From Faculty And Staff, Selena T. Rodgers, Tiffany Cudjoe

Journal of Research Initiatives

In order to raise awareness about positive images of Black educators, administrators and staff in higher education, the researchers used photography and oral narratives from 11 employees at The City University of New York, York College. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The significant themes found were: (a) Mentor, (b) Leader, and (c) Educator—with the latter emerging as the most frequently identified theme among participants. Sub-themes were also found: (a) Leadership Starts At Home, (b) Each One, Teach One, (c) I Found My Leadership Voice, and (d) "Knowledge makes a [wo]man unfit to be a slave.” – Frederick Douglass. …

Sunshine, Stakeholders, And Executive Pay: A Regression-Discontinuity Approach, Brian D. Galle, David I. Walker

Faculty Scholarship

We evaluate the effect of highly salient disclosure of private college and university president compensation on subsequent donations using a quasi-experimental research design. Using a differences-in-discontinuities approach to compare institutions that are highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual "top 10" list of most highly-compensated presidents against similar others, we find that appearing on a top 10 list is associated with reduced average donations of approximately 4.5 million dollars in the first full fiscal year following disclosure, despite greater fundraising efforts at "top 10" schools. We also find some evidence that top 10 appearances slow the growth of compensation, …

Captive Markets, Leah A. Plunkett

UC Law Journal

Modern county jails have increasingly adopted policies to bill their inmates for some or all of the costs of their room and board. Statutes authorizing counties to implement these “pay-to-stay” programs are on the books in roughly seventy percent of states, yet the financial mechanism on which these programs typically rely is not well understood. Although the pay-to-stay obligation bears some resemblance to familiar citizen-state financial transactions—such as fines and penalties, restitution, taxes, and fees—it usually belongs to a distinct model that this Article calls the “government-imposed loan.” This Article provides an overview of the landscape of pay-to-stay programs and …

Securing Information Technology In Healthcare, Denise Anthony, Andrew T. Campbell, Thomas Candon, Andrew Gettinger, David Kotz, Lisa A. Marsch, Andrés Molina-Markham, Karen M. Page, Sean W. Smith, Carl A. Gunter, M. Eric Johnson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Information technology (IT) has great potential to improve healthcare quality while also improving efficiency, and thus has been a major focus of recent healthcare reform efforts. However, developing, deploying and using IT that is both secure and genuinely effective in the complex clinical, organizational and economic environment of healthcare is a significant challenge. Further, it is imperative that we better understand the privacy concerns of patients and providers, as well as the ability of current technologies, policies, and laws to adequately protect privacy. The Securing Information Technology in Healthcare (SITH) workshops were created to provide a forum to discuss security …

Can I Get A Yee-Haw And An Amen: Collecting And Interpreting Oral Histories Of Texas Cowboy Churches, Jake R. Mcadams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With more than 850 Christian cowboy ministries worldwide and approximately 160 individual cowboy churches in Texas, the cowboy church movement is an immensely important religious movement that speaks volumes about contemporary culture. Cowboy churches' "Low Barriers Model" Christianity attracts many disenchanted with traditional evangelicalism's assumed sterilized and feminized religion. Despite the cowboy church movement's exponential growth since the late-1980s, few outside the movement understand the complexity cowboy churches envelop. Using Cowboy Christians' oral histories, Jake McAdams argues that the cowboy church movement is a suburban seeker church movement centered around the mythic cowboy identity in which participants have a sincere …

Citizenship Education: The Perceptions Of Social Studies Omani Student Teachers, Saif N. Almaamari, Ian Menter

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Omani student-teachers of social studies major about citizenship and citizenship education. Interviews were used to achieve this purpose. Ten students participated in the study: 5 females and 5 males. Data were analyzed qualitatively using analytic induction and interpretive analytic framework. Qualitative results show a wide range of interesting views on citizenship that highlighted the influence of the social, cultural and political context in shaping the meaning of citizenship and citizenship education. The results from interviews can be classified into five categories: (a) Citizenship is a multi-faceted concept; (b) Citizenship …

Feminising Schools In The Emirate Of Abu Dhabi, Uae: Cause For Concern!, Martina Dickson, Johann Le Roux

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Schools in the UAE have been undergoing radical educational reform over the past six years. Government schools are currently gender segregated from grade 1 and staffed by either male or female teachers, but not by both genders in the same school. In 2011 the Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC) announced plans to completely feminise primary schools in the emirate. Emirati male teachers represent a small minority, but one which potentially has a very powerful significance, both culturally and educationally. This paper intends to explore male pre-service teachers’ perceptions of this issue. Six male Emirati pre-service teachers were interviewed. Our findings …

African-American Land Loss And Sustainable Forestry In The Southeast: An Analysis Of The Issues, Opportunities, And Gaps, Colmore S. Christian, Rory Fraser, Amadou Diop

Journal of Extension

African-Americans' connection to the land is rapidly disappearing, and with it goes the cultural, political, and socio-economic capital that has helped this population, especially in southern states. There has been a severe decline in black landownership since 1910, resulting in rural counties with predominantly black populations becoming pockets of enduring poverty. Judicious investments in efforts to solve black land loss may lead to solutions to a larger problem: engagement of non-industrial private forestland owners in sustainable land management. Strengthening black forest-based communities as places to invest and live can build on this rich Southern heritage.

The Class Of 2016: Variety Is The Spice Of Law School Life, Jonella Frank

Sooner Lawyer Archive

No abstract provided.