Digital Commons Network^™

The Face Of The Market, Thomas Woodcock

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis reviews the effect on economic openness that can be established by the presence of strong Global Compact local networks. The work identifies three measures of openness and four sets of domestic conditions in which the Global Compact operates, respectively: (1) prevalence of trade, (2) measures of foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment and (3) policy indicators of openness, in respect to democracies with (a) strong local networks or (b) weak local networks, as well as autocratic regimes with (c) strong or (d) weak local networks. A comparative study follows, looking at twenty-three years of data across fifty …

Empirical Investigation Of Samhsa’S (Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration) Model Of Wellness, Dipanjana Das

Dissertations and Theses

The quest to operationalize the construct of wellness has been elusive. Part of the difficulty resides in the way wellness has been conceptualized in the literature, using different non-overlapping models. Another drawback is that many existing models are not based on solid empirical evidence. The current study addressed these limitations by assessing the empirical validity of SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) model of wellness. We created an instrument to assess wellness based on a thorough review of the literature that serves as the basis of the SAMHSA model that can be used to assess wellness. Findings revealed …

The Will To Change: The Role Of Self-Consciousness In The Literature Of Metamorphosis, Michael Giovanniello

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Cultural Identity And Attenuated Psychotic Experiences, Aleksandr Tikhonov

Dissertations and Theses

Empirical research has shown an increased prevalence of psychosis among immigrant groups living in Westernized contexts. Cultural identity has been researched as a risk/protective factor for psychosis; however no consistent result has emerged. Cultural identity captures an individuals’ sense of belonging in a particular cultural group (s), including one’s ethnic group (i.e. ethnic identity), and/or mainstream society (i.e. national identity). While previous research has considered both immigrants’ ethnic and national identity in relationship to psychosis, current research has not looked at whether the relationship of one identity to the other impacts psychosis. Bicultural identity integration (BII) describes the degree to …

Citizens Electoral Behavior In Autocratic Regimes, Venezuela, Turkey, Russia, Marta Diaz Fernandez-Lomana

Dissertations and Theses

This study offers an explanation of why voters repeatedly choose leaders who came to power democratically at some point but will not abandon it when they ought to. Research shows leaders will employ any and every mechanism to remain in power, from restricting liberties to turning to violence as a method of repressing dissidence yet voters continue to vote them back into power. Why? Through an examination of the current situations in Venezuela, Turkey and Russia, the thesis reveals that economic performance provides the key explanation. If the country provides welfare to its citizens, they will be willing to overlook …

Factors Which Prolong Civil Conflict In Africa: The Case Of Angola, Liberia And Sierra Leone, Ntesang Lorraine Molemele

Dissertations and Theses

It has been a long journey for this thesis accomplishment and now finally it is accomplished. First and foremost I thank God for my mother, Seskhutshwe, who has always wanted her children to accomplish through education. It would not have been possible of course without my dad, Judge and my little sister Ikey. My 9 year old daughter, I also thank her for always making sure she did not disturb me whenever I had to concentrate on this project. Above all, I wish to express my gratitude to my exceedingly patient Professor and supervisor, Jacqueline Braveboy. I have probably been …

Gender Based Violence As A Continuum Of Human Rights Violations In Russia And The Czech Republic, Alena Lebron

Dissertations and Theses

Gender-based violence can take various forms – physical, sexual, psychological, and economic. Violence against women is a global public health problem and not only violates human rights, but also hampers productivity, reduces human capital, and undermines economic growth. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, human trafficking for sexual exploitation and domestic violence have become a significant problem in post-communist countries. The fall of the Soviet Union also shaped national gender policies in post-communist countries. Despite the common challenges they face, success in implementing anti-trafficking procedures and measures against domestic violence varies from country to country.

According to …

Civilian Protection: The Imperative Role Of Civil Society, Collen Kelly

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Protofeminist Women In Bronte’S Jane Eyre And Braddon’S Lady Audley’S Secret, Allison Wong

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting Persistence Rates Among College Freshmen, Darlene Rozon

Dissertations and Theses

This study explored new factors that may be associated with college success, including parents’ education level, annual household income, hours spent outside the classroom, and college premium. The current study provides evidence from an urban public college of predominately low socio-economic status students. Participants (N=251) were students enrolled in fall semester 2009 in an introductory psychology course. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their college experience, demographics and family background. Survival analysis and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of each factor on college retention Parents’ education level and student’s knowledge of the economic …

Finding Willie, Saving Charlie, Andrew Geller

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Culture In Peacebuilding -- Examples From Democratic Republic Of Congo, Yemen And Nepal, Dorota Piotrowska

Dissertations and Theses

Top-down coercive type of liberal peace building has characterized the interventions by international community in many post-conflict societies after the Second World War. Recent studies suggest that in order to build a more lasting peace a bottom-up, non-coercive approach is needed to balance the former and deal with the immediate needs of local communities. In approaching the question of how peace and reconstruction efforts can be made more sustainable, this thesis evaluates whether strategic arts-based programs with local content have the potential to build stronger communities by establishing peaceful resorts to settle daily disputes by participants. It further examines three …

Consequence Management: Evaluating And Developing International Responses To Nuclear And Radiological Disasters, Timothy Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Perception Of School Administrators On The Effectiveness Of Freshman Academies On The Academic Achievement Of African American Males, Willie Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

The significant impact of transitioning to ninth grade has necessitated the need to examine the effects of the secondary school structure on African American males. These students were often assumed to be capable of functioning and maintaining personal accountability within their new, less structured environment, as opposed to the structured setting they encountered in middle school (Ellerbrock & Kiefer, 2013). As a result, these adolescents encountered increased challenges often resulting in greater challenges and lack of motivation that does not cater to their learning and developmental needs (Ellerbrock & Kiefer).

Bethel (2012) indicated that environmental characteristics of the school setting …

Using Social Writing Instruction As A Means Of Building Community Among Diverse Gifted Students In A Transient, Pull-Out Program, Kimberly S. Lester

Theses and Dissertations

In this era of high-stakes testing and teacher accountability, teachers complain of a lack of time for authentic writing experiences that lead to deeper community development. Yet numerous researchers, including Vygotsky, argue the value of community development as a means of creating safe places where students feel valued, allowing them to make more relevant connections for life-long learning.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how writing builds community among diverse students in a short term, transient gifted program. The study incorporated ethnographic research techniques combined with basic descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The study focused on three …

Report From The Restorative Justice Process At The Dalhousie University Faculty Of Dentistry, Jennifer Llewellyn, Jacob Macisaac, Melissa Mackay

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In December 2014, female students in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Dentistry filed complaints under the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy after they became aware some of their male colleagues had posted offensive material about them in a private Facebook group. The select materials revealed from the Facebook group reflected misogynistic, sexist and homophobic attitudes. At the complainants’ request, the University began a restorative justice process to investigate the matter, address the harms it caused and examine the climate and culture within the Faculty that may have influenced the offensive nature of the Facebook group’s content. Twenty-nine students from the class of …

Using A 3d World To Address Perceptual Issues In Human-Robot Coordination, D. Paul Benjamin, Damian M. Lyons

CSIS Technical Reports

The paper argues that effective human-robot coordination benefits from active, goal-oriented perception and internal simulation. ADAPT constructs and continually updates a 3D virtual model of the robot, its environment, and people; physics simulation allows the robot to anticipate action effects and plan interactions. The architecture also uses the virtual world to connect perceptual context, cognitive semantics, and natural-language interaction.

"Alienation In The Egyptian Novel Under Nasser: A Study Of Naguib Mahfouz’S The Beggar And Son’Allah Ibrahim’S That Smell.", Zeina Sabry

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Abstracts 2015: Highlights Of Student Research And Creative Endeavors, Columbus State University

Abstracts: Highlights of Student Research and Creative Endeavors

No abstract provided.

Sex Dependent Efficacy Of Taurine As A Treatment For Cocaine Drug Use: A Study Of Reward, Kevin Uribe

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Insomnia And Identity: The Discursive Function Of Sleeplessness In Modernist Literature, Sarah Kingston

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the topic of insomnia in British and American modernist literature, focusing primarily on the ways in which the condition of insomnia and the identity category of the “insomniac” intersect with other aspects of subjectivity, such as gender, occupation, race, and social class. Through examining insomnia from a narratological perspective, using fictional, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and medical literature, I discuss the discursive function of both this disorder and identity category during the Modernist period. It also explores the relationship between insomnia and Modernism itself, regarding both the discursive production of knowledge of insomnia and the insomniac during this …

Three Essays On Co-Management In A Fishery, Mihoko Tegawa

Open Access Dissertations

Co-management has been recognized as an important scheme in successfully governing common-pool resources (Ostrom, 1990, 2002). Contrary to Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons (1968) or Olson’s Logic of Collective Action (1965), empirical research has found many long-lasting self-governing communities through extensive case studies (Baland & Platteau, 1996; Ostrom, 1990; Wade, 1989). This is no exception in fishery (Pinkerton, 1994). Fishery cooperatives, where fishermen collectively manage the fishery, have been garnering much attention from both regulators and academics (Costello, 2012; Deacon, 2012; Townsend, Shotton, & Uchida, 2008). In fact, Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery in US has implemented a sector management system, …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescents Participating In Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, Francine Rose Bianca Pingitore

Open Access Dissertations

Given the number of adolescents who present with mental health issues, it is important to explore the best treatment options for this population. Group psychotherapy has been described in the literature as the ideal choice for adolescents who engage in mental health treatment. It is considered a “natural” fit, as adolescents are focused on their peer group during this developmental period. There has been an abundance of research examining behavioral oriented group psychotherapy with adolescents suggesting positive clinical benefits and outcomes. However, process oriented group psychotherapy research with adolescents has been lacking. In particular, the “voice” and perspectives of adolescents …

Unconscious States: A Novel, Rachel May

Open Access Dissertations

Unconscious States tells the story of three sisters in a rural New England town and aims to explore the class, racial, and agricultural tensions in central Massachusetts while addressing issues of addiction, the choices that three women face in making their lives, and a family’s struggle to sustain themselves after a devastating accident severely injures the oldest of the Roe sisters, Mary. The novel integrates the choices of educated women today—between scholarship, family, and work—and the racist underbelly, subtle but pervasive, in a New England town like Bolton, as well as the financial burdens that all families face in a …

Price Reframing: Role Of Price Familiarity In Consumer Choice, Miri Chung

Open Access Dissertations

A framing strategies that marketers widely employ in pricing is a Pennies-a-Day (PAD) strategy. This decomposes the total price in order to frame it into a smaller, more palatable daily amounts. To date, several theoretical perspectives were investigated in an attempt to identify mediators of PAD effectiveness: perceived triviality, perceived benefits, and the feeling of being misled.

Interestingly, despite evidence suggesting consumer response to PAD pricing is more complex, the extant literature has not investigated moderators of PAD effectiveness. Based on studies in information processing, the current study suggests that consumers' price familiarity could act in a moderating role on …

Expanding The Foundation For Population-Based Anxiety Management Interventions, Jessica Lipschittz

Open Access Dissertations

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental illness and treatments are effective but underutilized. Failure to design treatments that proactively reach individuals at varying levels of readiness may be one driver of under-utilization. The Transtheoretical Model of behavior change (TTM) offers a framework for designing treatments tailored to readiness to engage in exposure, the process of gradually approaching feared stimuli and the central behavioral component of evidence-based anxiety treatments. This study sought to develop the essential building blocks for applying the TTM to anxiety by developing a set of measures of core TTM constructs (Stage of Change, Decisional Balance, Self-efficacy, and …

Complex Interactions Of Factors Underlying Thai Efl Learners' Willingness To Communicate In English, Kamlaitip Pattapong

PASAA

This paper explores factors contributing to the willingness to communicate (WTC) in English as a foreign language (L2) in a Thai university setting. The study uses multiple methods within a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through interviews, stimulated recall, and classroom observations. Relevant contextually-related variables that emerged from the analyses were categorized into four dimensions: social- psychological context, classroom context, cultural context, and social- individual context. The findings revealed the overlapping nature of factors in all dimensions, which reflects the complex interactions among contextually dependent WTC variables within the language classroom. This paper contributes to the knowledge of WTC …

Generation Z: Facts And Fictions, Ashley Cole, Trenia Napier, Brad Marcum

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Libraries have long embraced service-oriented, user-centered approaches. Consider Ranganathan’s 1931 theory Five Laws of Library Science, which includes three clearly user-centered tenants (every reader his/her book, every book its reader, save the time of the reader) and two that arguably hint at a user-centered approach (books are for use, the library is a growing organism). Despite such early user-focused theories, early research into information seeking focused not on user needs and behaviors but on “the artifacts and venues of information seeking: books, journals, newspapers, [...] and the like”; this method of investigation persisted through the 1960s (Case, 2002, p. 6). …

Criminalization Of Juror Misconduct Arising From Social Media Use, Matthew Aglialoro

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

This Essay analyzes criminalization as an alternative solution to juror misconduct arising from social media use, where jury instructions fail to prevent such misconduct. Despite the lack of scholarship on the subject, criminalization is far from a radical solution—California enacted legislation in 2011 that sought to criminalize jurors’ improper use of social media. By criminalizing juror misconduct, states can deter misconduct from occurring while also instilling the importance of the jury institution in the public. At the same time, it is important to be cognizant of objections that judges and jurors may raise. This Essay proceeds in three parts. Part …

Placing Al Gore On The Board: Accounting For Environmental Risk In The Corporate Governance Model, Blair M. Warner

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

Head to Coca-Cola’s website today and you will find something unexpected—a position statement on climate change: Across the Coca-Cola system, we recognize that climate change may have long-term direct and indirect implications for our business and supply chain. As a responsible multinational company, we have a role to play in ensuring we use the best possible mix of energy sources, improve the energy efficiency of our manufacturing processes and reduce the potential climate impact of the products we sell. The company was not always this focused on climate change and sustainability initiatives. Coca-Cola’s CEO, Muhtar Kent, explained to Forbes that …