Digital Commons Network^™

Who Matters?: Effective Classroom Management Strategies For Multicultural Elementary Education, Erica Bailey-Ramos

University Honors Theses

Current classroom management procedures, which are dominated by white affluent culture, are not conducive to effectively teaching the increasingly growing diverse school population. Differing backgrounds in a classroom are often viewed as deficits that teachers need to correct instead of individual strengths that add to the classroom knowledge. Currently, the public education system is making students conform to the school culture, instead of the school changing to reflect the community. Multicultural education is for all students, preparing them for the real world by teaching tolerance, acceptance, and learning through multiple perspectives. Current research agrees that a shift in management techniques …

Gertrude's Lazy Susan, Emily Griffin

University Honors Theses

A collection of poetry in conjunction with a critical analysis of Gertrude Stein's Tender Button, this work examines concepts of coherence and value as they apply to experimental literature. The collection of poems explores personal, domestic spaces and the ways in which external forces are exerted upon them.

Preventing Campus Sexual Assault: Evaluating Studies Of Male Offender Prevention Programs And Determining Best Practices, Cam Tu Tran

University Honors Theses

Campus sexual assault is becoming a highly publicized issue, with the U.S. White House recently releasing a report urging universities to improve prevention efforts through systematic evaluations, policies, reporting procedures, and victim support (U.S. White House Task Force, 2014). Although these recent headlines have focused attention on universities’ responses to sexual assault, research in prevention program effectiveness has been conducted in university settings for over 30 years. This thesis focuses on past research in primary prevention in facilitated educational trainings for college men. This thesis reviews studies on interventions implemented on college campuses by exploring the most effective practices, and …

Mills And Veblen: An Institutional Analysis, Matthew Klosterman

University Honors Theses

This inquiry considers and also seeks to establish theoretical relationships between the thinking and contributions of Thorstein Veblen and C. Wright Mills. Selected writings of Veblen have not only formed new approaches to the discipline of Economics, but also influenced prominent scholars, like Mills. In his contributions, Veblen employs various approaches to social science analysis, such as use of dichotomy (Veblenian Dichotomy), subreption, and cumulative causation in his efforts to describe social change within an evolutionary-institutionalist framework. While not being explicit, some contributions of Mills utilize similar approaches advanced earlier by Veblen. In summary, Mills’ contributions to sociology appear to …

Queering Sugar: Kara Walker’S Sugar Sphinx And The Intractability Of Black Female Sexuality, Amber Jamilla Musser

Publications and Research

This essay analyzes the controversy surrounding artist Kara Walker’s 2014 installation, A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, to unpack the pleasures and dangers that subtend discussions of black female sexuality. What Walker announced as a tribute to the labor of brown and black bodies produced myriad conversations about pleasure, danger, and black female sexuality. Most art critics argued that the piece reclaimed black female agency; many visitors criticized the work (and the public response to it) as disrespectful and problematic. In the essay, I argue that both of these responses highlight the difficulty of talking about black female …

Color Associations As Advertising Strategies: An Analysis Of Consumer Attitudes Toward The Healthfulness Of Energy Bar Packaging, Rachel Lotz

University Honors Theses

Color plays a strong role in shaping consumers’ attitude toward brands, expectations, and likeability in the field of advertising. Associations with colors are formed within consumers’ culture and are often universal in meaning. Through three studies, the role of color in relationship to perceived healthfulness on energy bar packaging is observed. The results show a strong correlation between a particular color associated with healthfulness due to preconceived color associations often highlighted in advertising strategies. However the results raised unexpected, yet insightful correlations with other colors, which participants identified as healthy. When participants were asked to pick the energy bar that …

What Do Physicians Know About Global Plans To Stop Tuberculosis? Interviews From Five Countries, Hannah Johnson

University Honors Theses

Tuberculosis ranks alongside HIV as the leading cause of death worldwide. This fact is complicated by drug-resistant versions of tuberculosis. Furthermore, the limited availability and high cost of stronger antibiotics creates a barrier to treating drug-resistant tuberculosis. In 2000, the United Nations organized to fight tuberculosis via Millennium Development Goal six and the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis. In an effort to understand limitations on the effectiveness of global programs, this research addresses the following question: What do physicians know about global programs for TB? Mixed methods, involving both quantitative and qualitative data, were used to obtain the results of …

Rose City Salon, Joan Brown

University Honors Theses

When Rose City Salon moves to a downtown location, owner Jillian struggles to create greater success. Her team of beauticians each has exceptional talent, but by some are considered freaks. Jillian’s husband Fred, and his business partner Jack are rich elitists who make their money with hostile take-overs of other people’s businesses. When Jack becomes romantically involved with one of Jillian’s freaks, Abilene, he keeps it a secret—for a long time.

Jillian works the salon into thee place to go for beauty. After Fred divorces Jillian, Abilene talks Jack into taking over Rose City Salon and giving it to her …

The United States’ Criminal Justice System Divided* : …On The Connection Between The Exclusionary Rule And Preserving Civil Liberties, Alexandre Pomar

University Honors Theses

The injustice by professionals within the criminal justice system gives rise to societal opinion that purports that these respective agencies lack a clear perception of their professional conduct. This invidious neglect toward societal opinion preempts the divide among law enforcement agencies--most specifically--and the United States population. The impaired perception on professional conduct the criminal justice professionals suffer from nationwide owes itself to the misuse of authority and a subsequent lack of accountability for improper actions. Over time, the dissolving of one’s civil liberties has perpetuated in accord to the deference awarded to law enforcement agencies and the courts that allow …

Lobbying The European Parliament: Identifying Changing Trends Post-Treaty Of Lisbon, Jason Means

University Honors Theses

This study evaluates the assumption that lobbying at the EP level steadily increased after the Treaty of Lisbon, and also the expectation that there would be no variation in lobbying activity (measured by types of lobbyists) during this period. Research was conducted through the utilization of data from the European Transparency Register as scraped by Friedrich Lindenberg between 2012 and 2014. After categorizing more than 16,000 entries it was determined that the amount of lobbyists targeting the EU has steadily increased, and the primary lobbying group between the researched period was Business--though, there was a significant amount of variation between …

The European Coal And Steel Community: The Path Towards European Integration, Nicholas Hudson

University Honors Theses

This inquiry seeks to establish the importance of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and its key role as the foundation for deeper European integration projects, which ultimately have manifested in the European Union seen today. By the end of the Second World War, the European continent was left in ruins, with nations desperately seeking to rebuild their economies and infrastructures, while also attempting to create a stability that would bring lasting peace to a region historically torn apart by war. European leaders, including the French diplomat Jean Monnet, were faced with the challenge of increasing output and employment …

Oregon Youth Peer Courts: Grand Jury Style, Sierra Udland

University Honors Theses

Youth Courts are diversionary programs for first time misdemeanors committed by youth. The court is made up of the youth's peers who interact with the defendant and ultimately impose a sentence. In this study two Oregon Youth Courts are examined to discover if the program goals of restorative justice are present. The courts utilize a specific style of peer jury model, called the "Grand Jury style" because the jurors ask the questions and decide the case. Eight cases are observed with a subset of jurors surveyed about sentencing decisions. Restorative justice principles are found through both modes of data collection. …

Use Of Behavioral Activation Theory To Identify Depression Among Hiv-Positive Women Of Color In The Rural South, Tascha R. Johnson

University Honors Theses

Women of color (WOC) are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in the Southern United States and are at increased risk of infection, mortality and being lost to care. It has been found that compared to Whites, WOC are more likely to have more negative views towards mental illness and are less likely to seek help. The research presented here considers how depression acts as a barrier to health care and discusses the challenge that WOC face in identifying and naming depression. The Behavioral Activation Theory, posits that women may show depression through their behaviors even if they don’t explicitly …

Trans* Folks In Motion: Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals' Experiences Of Transit And Transit Spaces, Jade Benner

University Honors Theses

Research on the experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals is increasing, and this qualitative sociological study aims to build an understanding of trans* experiences on public transit and their experiences in the unique form of public space the confined space of the city bus and light rail train. I seek to amplify trans* voices, inform trans-inclusive transit policy, and add to conversations on how gender operates in urban and public spaces by contributing perspectives of transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Fitness And Fatness: The Conflation Of Weight With Health, And The Consequences Of Fat-Shaming, Kristin Spurkland

University Honors Theses

Obesity is widely accepted as one of the major health crises facing the United States, and increasingly, the world. Labeled a disease by the American Medical Association, and frequently characterized as an epidemic, obesity is the target of high profile national health interventions, media campaigns, and a multi-billion dollar self-help industry. The message produced by public health agencies is that obesity is a killer, and that reducing weight is a beneficial and achievable goal generating many positive health outcomes. This paper presents two primary arguments that counter the prevailing attitudes towards obesity: that as a stand-alone measure, Body Mass Index …

Rewriting History: Using Reconciliation Processes To Revise Dominant Cultural Narratives And Assessing Cultural Readiness For Reconciliation, Flannery Mack

University Honors Theses

Truth and Reconciliation processes are key to rebuilding societies damaged by broad-based, government-sanctioned violence by revising dominant cultural narratives of the violence. In Indonesia, there has been no such process following the killings of between 500,000 and 2 million suspected communists in 1965-66. This paper is an exploration of conflict transformation theory, and of what form a truth and reconciliation process might take in Indonesia following 50 years of impunity. Using Joshua Oppenheimer's 2012 and 2014 documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence as primary reference points, I use critical discourse analysis to look at how the …

Gun Control In The United States: An Analysis Of Federal And International Policies And Applications, Claire Hummer

University Honors Theses

This paper will examine past and present U.S. gun control policies to better understand the current legal state of gun control, but also to assess gun culture in a nation that was built on its Second Amendment right to bear arms. In addition to U.S. policy, international agreements and gun control policies in other countries will also be analyzed to determine if those policies would be feasible in the U.S., or if the country’s gun culture and legal precedents would simply strike down any attempt to establish more thorough regulations.

Animal Hoarding: An In Depth Look At The Issues And Interventions, Amanda Mooneyham

University Honors Theses

Animal hoarding cases in regard to 501(c)3 nonprofit agencies have been on the rise in recent decades and current intervention strategies are struggling to address this complex social problem. Animal hoarding not only affects the animals being abused, but it has adverse effects on humans and the environment. This paper examines the complexities surrounding animal hoarding, specifically focusing on the rescue hoarder mentality. The current intervention methods used are criminal prosecution, civil/regulatory enforcement, and mental health evaluations/treatments. Criminal prosecution is effective for some animal hoarders, but a lack of laws protecting animals along with animals being viewed as property translates …

Elsie's Secret, Mersene Pappas

University Honors Theses

Not Required for Creative Thesis

Physician Quality Reporting System: Initiative To Improve Care For Medicare Beneficiaries, Sara Smith

University Honors Theses

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) in response to congress mandating quality improvements for Medicare beneficiaries. This program has been heavily criticized for its cost, lack of provider participation and poor reception. However, recent reports show the PQRS has produced some quality improvements. Since PQRS will continue to be used in its current form through 2017 and will be incorporated into a new program starting in 2018, it is necessary to assess the weakness and strengths of this program. Addressing these are crucial for the successful continuation of PQRS and improving …

Price Control, Profiteering, And Public Cooperation: The Lagos Market Women's Association And The Limits Of Colonial Control, Emily Kamm

University Honors Theses

With the outbreak of WWII, British colonial officials in Nigeria attempted to implement food price controls, and later direct colonial food distribution, known as the Pullen scheme. These regulations extended the element of colonial control into the food marketplace, which was dominated by independent traders, the vast majority of whom were women. Through protests, petitions, and intentional non-cooperation, the Lagos Market Women's Association defended their ability to earn a living and their ability to operate without colonial intervention. This study examines the Pullen scheme and the LMWA's resistance through the framework of the limits of colonial control as they attempted …

Self-Infantilizing Women: Paternalism In Abortion Lawmaking And Legislator Gender, Cherie H. Martin

University Honors Theses

Mainstream feminist political science discourse primarily focuses on abortion as an issue of male dominance over female individuals, and little research has been conducted to determine whether female lawmakers, too, are complicit in paternalism in anti-abortion rhetoric and lawmaking, and the implications of such self-infantilization. The present thesis surveys the existence of paternalistic language in state-level anti-abortion bills for the 2016 legislative session, and analyzes the results by legislator gender. The data conveys that both male and female legislators employ paternalistic language in anti-abortion legislation, which implies there is more to the abortion debate than gender differences. This paper explores …

How Felon Disenfranchisement Legislation Alters Citizenship And How It Can Be Challenged, Shanae Jung

University Honors Theses

Elements of "civil death" were put into heavy practice in the reconstruction era, as the U.S. sought to use disenfranchisement as a means of restricting the integration of "undesirable" groups, specifically the recently emancipated African-Americans. Many states have since done away with restrictions on the voting rights of ex-offenders beyond completion of their sentence and sentence requirements; however, Iowa, Florida, and Kentucky employ strict standards for granting re-enfranchisement—nearly impossible for most to complete. Elsewhere in the U.S. there has been a move from disenfranchisement; Virginia’s Governor recently reinstated franchise rights to ex-offenders through executive order and has continued to do …

Regarding The Treatment Of Women, Where Did Jesus Set The Bar?, Katerina Paetzhold

University Honors Theses

This thesis crafts an argument for greater female education, teaching, and leadership within modern day Christian churches. By examining three key interactions between Jesus and women as recorded in the four canonical gospels, a clear example for gender equality within Christianity emerges. The manner in which Jesus speaks with the Samaritan Woman, Mary of Bethany, and the women at the resurrection, as well as the roles and responsibilities he places on them demonstrates that Christ saw women as capable of learning, teaching, and leading. As the canon of Christianity, Jesus' life on earth is the template that sets the bar …

Cofactor Binding Determinants In The Nadph-Dependent Nitrile-Oxidoreductase Quef, Spencer William Cohen

University Honors Theses

The NADPH-dependent nitrile-oxidioreductase, QueF is the only known enzyme capable of reducing a nitrile group to an amine. This ability makes it an attractive alternative to conventional industrial nitrile reduction. Understating how QueF binds NADPH may lead to the development of an enzyme capable of using the less expensive reductive cofactor NADH. A cofactor docking model indicates that key residues, Q60 and Y21, interact with the ribose phosphate moiety unique to NADPH. Mutants of these residues (Q60A, Q60N, Q60E, Y21A and Y21F) were developed for steady-state kinetic analysis. Modification to either residue resulted in a decrease in binding and catalytic …

Pre-Roosting Assemblages In Birds: An Observation Of American Crows In The Portland Park Blocks, Katherine Hendricks

University Honors Theses

The first objective of this study is to describe the seasonal patterns of variation in crow numbers and to assess the extent to which crow numbers vary with weather over the course of the winter in the Portland State University Park Blocks. The second objective of this study is to draw on current literature to help determine a possible explanation for the crow gatherings that occur at the Portland State University Park Blocks. I observed the population of crows from October 23^rd 2016 to March 31^st 2016 with a restricted survey area around Millar Library on the Portland …

A Low-Cost Apparatus For Laboratory Exercises And Classroom Demonstrations Of Geometric Optics, William Vincent Tex Hahn

University Honors Theses

Current trends in research towards the teaching of geometric suggest a constructivist approach. Student experimentation dealing directly with student misconceptions through repetition of examples in many contexts to confront conflicting reasoning allow students to construct definitions with their experiences and observations. Developing the scientific method of observation, prediction/experimental design, conducting experiments and repeating is reinforced with these techniques. Cataloguing student misconceptions and redesigning course material and laboratory experiments in their context has only recently begun. Use of technology has also been shown to increase student interest in course material and 3D printers have recently become common tools in schools. Additionally, …

Perceived Addiction To Pornography, Level Of Distress And Their Correlates, Paul Grimes

University Honors Theses

Negative psychological states such as distress, shame and depression have been linked to problematic porn use. This is a proposal for a study that seeks to identify if perceived addiction to pornography and stress are correlated. In addition to this perceived addiction to porn, other perceived addictions (food, sex, alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes) will be tested to determine the level of comorbidity of addictions in people. The hypothesis of this study is: People that perceive themselves as having pornography addiction will have higher rates of other perceived addictions than those who do perceive themselves to be addicted to pornography; in …

The Ethics And Evolution Of Library Information Sharing: Lessons From Interlibrary Loan Services For Library Open Access Publishing, Beth Posner

Publications and Research

One of the most essential missions of academic research libraries is to facilitate access to information. Librarians do this by sharing their print collections, as well as digital information, with members of their local communities. They also share this information, with each other, through interlibrary loan (ILL) services.

A fundamental belief in the mission of information access and the value of sharing information is why so many librarians also support the open access movement. In addition to this shared mission and value, there are also lessons the open access movement can learn by exploring how traditional ILL services – and …

Who’S Afraid Of Response Bias?, Megan A. K. Peters, Tony Ro, Hakwan Lau

Publications and Research

Response bias (or criterion) contamination is insidious in studies of consciousness: that observers report they do not see a stimulus may not mean they have absolutely no subjective experience; they may be giving such reports in relative terms in the context of other stimuli. Bias-free signal detection theoretic measures provide an excellent method for avoiding response bias confounds, and many researchers correctly adopt this approach. However, here we discuss how a fixation on avoiding criterion effects can also be misleading and detrimental to fruitful inquiry. In a recent paper, Balsdon and Azzopardi (Absolute and relative blindsight. Consciousness and Cognition 2015; …