Digital Commons Network^™

Constructing Consciouness: Reverse Engineering The Architecture Of The Mind, Scott K. Clarke

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Abuse Of Darwinism (And Social Darwinism) For The Purposes Of Discrimination, Jessica N. Kantrowitz

Honors Student Research

Throughout most of history, people have tried to justify their discrimination against other groups of people in any way they can, especially using biology and evolutionary theories as reason. When Charles Darwin published his book “On the Origin of Species”, introducing his theory of evolution and the work and experiments he did to prove this theory, it caused many to question their previous bigoted beliefs. For some, however, Darwin’s theory of evolution, which would come to be referred to simply as Darwinism, only further proved their biases, or they could, at least, make it sound like they did. Later on, …

The Effects Of Access To Safe Abortion Methods On Women’S Health And Employment, Azka Imran

Theses and Dissertations

Abortion remains highly legally restricted in many developing countries, constraining women to unsafe providers. As of 2019, 23,000 women die each year due to unsafe abortions in low- and middle-income countries. These deaths are almost entirely preventable with universal access to safer abortion methods. In 2006, some regions in Peru, a country that legally restricts abortion except to preserve the mother’s life, adopted a harm-reduction approach to address this health issue within their legal framework. The model works by providing information on safely terminating a pregnancy using misoprostol, a drug generally prescribed by a gastroenterologist but available to women on …

The "God Gap" In International Affairs: Missing Cross-Cultural Conversations In International Humanitarian Law And Islamic Jurisprudence, Corri Zoli

Florida Journal of International Law

The main purpose of this Article is, thus, to set out a preliminary case for such a rapport, one that brings together interdisciplinary scholarship in international law and security studies, and demonstrates in the specific case of Islamic and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) the potential to identify shared conceptual tools and common assessments of cross-cutting international security challenges.

In the following parts, I first outline key barriers in social science and comparative research on Islamic law and its implications. I then turn to the second prong in the argument, the symmetry between the challenges that both international and Islamic legal …

A Model For Equity In Arts Education For Youth In Greater Portland, Maine, Catherine Scheirer

Thinking Matters Symposium

Time and time again, by providing an outlet that allows innate human creativity to roam free, participation in arts activities such as dance, music, theatre, and visual arts is proven to have significant positive impacts on participants, regardless of age, experience, or background. Even though the arts have been acknowledged as critical for mental, physical, and emotional health, especially for children and adolescents, research has found that providing arts education in an equitable and culturally appropriate way is fraught with barriers. In addition, certain areas of the arts have seen a downward trend in educational priority and availability. My project …

The Rider (2022-05-02), Verilu Infante

The Rider Archives

Vol.7 No.28

A Mixed Methods Study Of Cultural Competence Among Nursing Students In Kenya, Sylvia Waweru

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Significance and Background: Kenya has been experiencing an increase in cultural and ethnic diversity. As a result of cultural differences, health disparities among ethnic groups in Kenya are increasing. A component of patient centered care involves the incorporation of cultural aspects of health and illness in the delivery of nursing care. Understanding cultural competence of nursing students will provide guidance on educational needs related to cultural competence.

Purpose:. The purpose of this study was to assess nursing students’ cultural competence (CC) in the areas of cultural awareness, knowledge, sensitivity, skills, encounters and desire. Nursing students’ views on caring for …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet May 2022, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The May 2, 2022 Monthly packet includes the May agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held April 4, 2022.

Between Rights And Rites: The Ironies Of Crisis And Contract, Jeffrey M. Lipshaw

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Daily Announcements May 2022, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Communications Office Daily Announcements

No abstract provided.

Latinas Abriendo Caminos: Stories Of Latina Women To The Doctoral Degree, Jessica Ballesteros

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. Most of the current research focusing on Latinas succeeding academically has been conducted at the undergraduate and master’s level. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experience of Latinas in their doctoral program and what leads them to complete a doctoral degree. Latinas currently have low completion rates in doctoral degrees compared to all other ethnicities in the U.S. Thus, the goal of this research study was to identify factors that contribute to these Latinas succeeding academically.

Research Methods.

I used both Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to …

Carlos Bulosan And Filipino Collective Memory: Teaching, Transgression, And Transformation, Jeffrey Cabusao

English and Cultural Studies Journal Articles

Who is Carlos Bulosan? Why is he significant? Why teach Bulosan in our classrooms? These questions function as points of departure for this lecture delivered in Summer 2021 for the UNITAS International Lecture Series cosponsored by CLASS and Kritika Kultura. By reviewing the significance of Carlos Bulosan, this talk provides an opportunity to examine the continued relevance of Bulosan and his works for the twenty-first century. A pioneering Filipino writer of the twentieth century, Bulosan developed a unique transgressive aesthetic that travels across national and literary boundaries and, in the process, reimagines the boundaries of Filipino identity and literary categorization. …

Ignatian Spiritual Conversation And Digital Communication Culture, Park Soo Young Theodore

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This study seeks to consider the lived experiences of those vulnerable in the culture of digital communication, especially to suggest the possibility of healing and recovery through the practical application of Ignatian spiritual conversation in the new horizon affecting religious life. For this purpose, this study explores the practical implication of Ignatian spiritual conversation in culture of digital communication by employing a hermeneutical methodology, the triple operation of the description of the phenomenon, critical analysis, and constructive interpretation.

This study highlights the in-depth understanding and practice of authentic conversation, observing the vulnerability of self-isolation and cognitive bias experienced by networked …

The Son Of Man Film As A Cry For Justice: A Cross-Cultural Convergence Of Film And The African Theological Struggle For Liberation, Mark Ngwenya

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This thesis studies the 2006 South African film Son of Man as a cry for justice in the African context. Existing at the confluence of art, film, and theological reflection, this thesis develops new insights into concrete problems which Africans face like anthropological poverty. My central argument is that the film Son of Man is a cry for justice in a context of gross corruption, indiscriminate apportionment of resources, and a failure to address the real plight of the poor people living in slum areas.

Following the art and theology of Engelbert Mveng, I open the Christological discussion with the …

Neoliberal Economic Policies: Implications Of Structural Adjustment Programs (Saps) And Free Trade On Small-Scale Farmers And Agricultural Production In Latin American Developing Nations, Alaynah Mowjee

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Ubuntu Ethics: A Frame For An Ethical Analysis Of Environmental Migration Of Unaccompanied Minors Through The Mediterranean Sea, Deogratias K. Fikiri

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates how the African ethics of Ubuntu and African liberation theology can be a response to the environmental-migration crisis that the Sub-Saharan African region faces today. It explains the relevance of the appreciation of the African cultural heritage to the restoration of the human dignity of the African, especially the migrants, and the recognition of the obligation of the human beings to protect the integrity of all creation. It shows the connection between the root causes of the environmental crisis and migration. These interconnected root causes need a holistic understanding of creation that Ubuntu ethics provides mainly in …

Cle Working Paper No. 2/2022--Mexican Salsa And Mexican Farm Workers: How International Agricultural Development Marginalizes Farm Labour, Celia White

Centre for Law and the Environment

International food systems have become ever-more complex through systems of globalization, industrialization and technologization, and have been significantly influenced by, and entrenched in concepts of international development. One small meal can have countless intersections with international laws, domestic laws, environments and people. A simple salsa recipe, for example, containing merely tomatoes, lime juice, garlic, onions, and cilantro, contains in its history a complex story of power, privilege, poverty and possibility. Where did these ingredients come from? Who grew them? Where are those people from? What rights do they have? Innumerable personal stories are hidden within the seemingly innocuous act of …

An Internet-Connected Community: How College Students Experience Residential Living In The Age Of New Media, Jared Hobson

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

Higher education professionals, particularly those in the realm of Residence Life, are working with outdated knowledge. Emerging research is showing that the incoming cohorts of college students are fundamentally different than their predecessors because of new media technology's prevalence in our society. This study aims to determine if the usage and presence of internet-connected technology impacts how students experience community within their residence halls. In this context, students' sense of community is defined as the extent to which these individuals develop senses of attachment, belonging, and involvement.

The Predictability Of Faculty Participation In Professional Development Programs Using Demographic, Academic, And Occupational Factors In Higher Education, Dibande Anna Itoe

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this study was to determine if there exist any predictive relationships between faculty demographic, academic, and occupational factors, and faculty participation in professional development programs. Despite the established benefits of faculty participating in professional development programs and its corresponding impact on student learning and graduation rates, a critical issue for professional development centers has been how to attract and motivate faculty to participate in these programs (James Jacob et. al., 2019). A correlational research procedure was used as the structural framework for conducting this study, and the population of interest were higher education faculty from two private …

The Semiotics Of Tension In American Punk Rock, Christian Smith '22

Honor Scholar Theses

Punk rock is a musical subculture with numerous driving forces behind it. The countercultural values of the movement in addition to the demographics of its membership put it at odds against the larger parent culture of the United States. The tension that is created between the subculture and parent culture is evident through the symbolic language and imagery produced in Punk fanzines. Fanzines give a bottom-up view of the Punk rock movement in a unique way which allows for the observation of the created semiotic relationship and how it affects the daily lives of Punks living in the communities of …

Maps!: Living With Ghosts, Ximeng Luo, Shihui Zhu

Architecture Senior Theses

The scene is set along Heilongjiang. The river feeds populations in the Russian Far East and Northeastern China, while simultaneously delineating the long and winding national border between contemporary Russia and China. The Chinese Northeast has been flattened and re-established as a cultural icon, yet when we peel off the pictures from streaming media, what kind of marks does the northeast- once called "the eldest son of the Republic" for its rapid industrial development in the last century- leave on the land? Infrastructure - such as collective farms in fields, tree farms in forests, road and electric towers- becomes a …

Moral Matching: Strategic Messaging To Overcome Barriers To Persuasion, Tess M. Buckley

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Persuasive messages are often met with resistance. Message fatigue is a unique motivational state caused by excessive exposure to redundant messages, which leads to active and passive resistance towards persuasive messages. The consequences of active and passive resistance are particularly harmful when directed towards messages intended to assist individuals in making health decisions. This dissertation investigated a message framing strategy, moral matching, to combat message fatigue resistance in the context of COVID-19. Guided by message fatigue and moral foundation theory literature, there were three main purposes of this dissertation. The first purpose was to identify what features of COVID-19 health …

Strengthening The Southern Nevada Workforce Pipeline, Katie M. Gilbertson

Student Research

Workforce development has been a keystone in the discussion of economic diversification of Las Vegas for decades. The leisure and hospitality industry is the lifeline for the Southern Nevada economy due to the reliance on tourism as the city’s main economic driver. The leisure and hospitality industry requires physical labor and more face-to-face customer interaction than other employment sectors. Thus, these jobs often do not require high educational attainment, but rather sharp soft skills like effective listening, nonverbal communication, and negotiation strategies. While these are valuable traits, the lack of educational attainment within the leisure and hospitality workforce suppresses employees’ …

Vesseled Cultures; Figures Of Diasporic Comforts, Ying Na Li, Rachel Ly, Skylar Sun

Architecture Senior Theses

The Domestic sphere of the Chinese American home is a promising site where continuous identities and memories of routine name are at play. In the kitchen, engaging in rituals of food making - a natural home endeavor- fosters reconnection and reconciliation with a past identity long forgotten. Architectural extrapolation is then seen through means of practices like fermenting vegetables and observation of domestic rituals between the individuals and their surroundings - whether it be the orchestration of food (the process), the jar in which the vegetables and brine rest (the vessel), or the patterns of kitchen utilities being used (the …

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2022, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

University Of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2022, University Of Southern Maine

Commencement Programs

University of Southern Maine Commencement Program 2022

Evaluating Cremation In Umm An-Nar Period Mortuary Practices Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs), Malena Butler

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

Chemical changes in bone composition that occur during the process of cremation have begun to be explored alongside corresponding macroscopic changes to bone color using a variety of analytical instrumentation. This research employed a lesser-utilized method, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), alongside Munsell Color Charts to assess elemental changes that may occur in archaeological bone at varying cremation temperatures. It was hypothesized that differences in color would be indicative of different chemical compositions present in bone, despite previous evidence for at least some diagenetic change. Distal humeri from Umm an-Nar (2700-2000 BCE) period tombs Unar 1 (n=31) and Unar 2 (n=28) …

Achakali Chickasha Holbachi Italatalit Ithana: Continuation Of Chickasaw Design Practices, Lily Shore

Interior Design Undergraduate Honors Theses

The project aims to create an accessible tool to document, preserve, and honor Chickasaw design techniques by creating interactive 3D models replicating ancestral structures available through an online gallery. A virtual exhibition focuses on structures commonly found in a traditional Chickasaw village. The constructions represented include a traditional council house, summer house, winter house, and corn crib. Each is accompanied by contextual information, including a collection of historical photographs, information concerning use, and conventional architectural drawings such as plans, sections, and isometric views. In fruition, the project aims to function as a resource to commemorate the history of traditional Chickasaw …

The Demotechnic Index Of Nations, 1980-2018, Camden Rainwater

Geosciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Demotechnic Index (DI) is a non-dimensional metric that is the scalar multiple of energy consumption over and above that required for mere subsistence of a national population. Thus, the DI is a measure of energy efficiency that scales a country’s industrial energy consumption (called the total technological energy) and the energy required to meet the metabolic demand of the population (called the total metabolic energy). The DI was created by scientist John Vallentyne in 1982, refined in 1994, but never gained popularity or wide use as a sustainability metric. The objective of this thesis was to re-evaluate the DI …

Health Responses To Covid-19 Among Migrant Agricultural Workers In Ontario: Challenges And Opportunities For Change For Ontario’S Public Health Units, Megan Botha

Social Justice and Community Engagement Major Research Papers

This research will examine and analyze the shortcomings, barriers, and successes of Ontario public health units’ responses to COVID-19 outbreaks within Migrant agricultural workers populations, with an aim to investigate how factors including but not limited to lack of communication from governments, structural barriers, and precarious work environments may have contributed to the absence of specified health unit roles for this population throughout the pandemic.