Digital Commons Network^™

Marital Status And Wellbeing Of Females In Egypt: Informing The Discourse And Exploring A New Framework, Hoda Rashad, Mohamed Hassan, Amr El Sayed, Rania Elsebaie

Faculty Books

Egypt is experiencing important changes in marriage formation and dissolution amid broader social, economic, and gender transformations. This study examines these changes by analyzing the recent patterns and social distribution of delayed and non-occurrence of marriage and divorce, their association with women’s empowerment, and their implications for women’s subjective wellbeing. Drawing on nationally representative quantitative data alongside exploratory qualitative evidence, the study also develops and investigates a “Conscious Decision Model” to examine how resources, agency, aspirations, and prevailing gender relations may shape women’s marital decisions and wellbeing. The analysis responds to public narratives that frequently attribute delayed marriage and divorce …

The Case For Cases: From Compelling Stories To Responsible Reasoning And Adaptive Learning, Hashem Elassad, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Examples, stories, and cases connect abstract propositions with situations, yet their pedagogical usefulness does not establish their evidentiary adequacy. This conceptual article examines how case-based learning can support understanding, responsible judgment, and adaptive knowledge use without allowing memorable narratives to substitute for warranted inference. Building on an originating essay about the value of examples, the analysis integrates selected scholarship on case-based reasoning, worked examples, analogical comparison, narrative persuasion, epistemic cognition, and Cognitive Flexibility Theory. The methodology consists of purposive literature selection, conceptual differentiation, comparison of explanatory mechanisms, examination of boundary conditions, and development of an integrative instructional framework; it is …

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 29, Issue 1 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The Survival Of Sugar In Post-Emancipation British Guiana: East Indian Indentured Immigration And The Cheapening Of Labor, Wazir Mohamed

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This Paper revisits the post-emancipation changes in the labor market of British Guiana. British Guiana, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, and several other locations were spaces where East Indian Indentured Immigrants from Idia became pivotal in the economy.[1] In the decade after emancipation (1838-1848), the rise of global free trade in sugar spurred by the equalization of duties in sugar factored in the search for a cheaper and the importation of a more pliable labor force to keep the wheels of sugar turning in British Guiana. With this background in mind this paper focuses on indentured immigration of East …

Editorial History

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Eating Disorders & Meat Consumption: A Meta-Analytic Review, Urska Dobersek, Laurel Standiford-Reyes, Tyler Robinson, Alex Antony Edwin, Sarah Siebers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In this meta-analytic review, we examined the current evidence on eating disorders in relation to meat consumption and meat abstention. We systematically searched six online databases in December 2025 for primary research on eating disorder-related variables in meat consumers and meat abstainers. Fifty-one studies with 55,984 participants (n_{meat consumers} = 44,282, n_{meat abstainers} = 9,751) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The outcomes were eating disorders and orthorexia nervosa. Meat consumption was associated with lower eating disorder (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.08, 0.32], p = .001) and orthorexia nervosa symptomology (g = 0.47, 95% CI [0.33, …

Why Publish With Mssj?

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Rural Elementary School Principals’ Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors As An Influence On School Climate, Annalysa L. Elledge Dr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how principals in rural elementary schools in the southern United States perceived their leadership behaviors as influencing school climate. The study was guided by the authentic leadership model, with a focus on compassion, relationships, values, and self-discipline. A qualitative exploratory design was used to examine the experiences and perceptions of certified principals with at least 3 years of experience leading rural elementary schools. Purposeful sampling resulted in a sample of 26 principals. Findings indicated that principals perceived authentic leadership behaviors as important contributors to positive school climate in rural elementary schools. …

Navigating Leadership Transitions In Academic Affairs At Small Historically Black Colleges And Universities In The Southern United States: A Qualitative Study, Marquita Renee Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the specific problem that necessitates the functionality of departmental leadership, its outcomes, and emphasized leadership transitions. Researching leadership transitions can potentially enhance our understanding of how small HBCUs, particularly HBCUs with a student population of fewer than 5,000, can effectively navigate, ensuring the continuity and sustained success of the academic affairs department within the Southern U.S. region. To address this gap, this study engaged narrative methods while employing transformational leadership theory as a theoretical lens to explore the immediate and long-term impacts of leadership transitioning on strategic initiatives, staff morale, and outcomes within the academic affairs department, …

The Role Of Hardiness On Leadership In Big-Box Retail Managers, Cari Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retail managers face constant customer demands, unpredictable staffing, and high-pressure performance expectations, yet little research has examined how these leaders sustain effectiveness under such conditions. This qualitative descriptive study explored how big-box retail managers in the United States described their development and use of hardiness across the constructs of control, commitment, and challenge to lead in a complex retail environment, an area not previously examined in the literature. Hardiness theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected through 12 semistructured interviews with retail managers and an online questionnaire completed by 45 qualifying respondents. Interview data were …

You’Ve Got Junk Mail: Prevalence Of And Factors Related To Sending And Receiving Unsolicited Nudes, Aimee Adam, Brittany Sizemore, Todd Manson

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Unsolicited nudes are common, but most of the research in this area has focused on the motivations of men sending such images and the reactions of women who receive them. In this online study, we attempted to investigate the prevalence of sending and receiving unsolicited sexual images in a broader population, and variables related to this behavior. In our sample of 357 participants, we found few people (less than 20%) acknowledged ever having sent such images, and no difference in whether people had ever sent unsolicited nudes based on gender identity. However, we found that most people (almost 68%) had …

Learning By Doing To Teach Research Skills In Econometrics, Christie Byun

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper examines a revision in an introductory econometrics course at an undergraduate liberal arts college. The instructors have incorporated extensive use of data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS), with applied examples that demonstrate econometric theory. The key element is a short empirical paper assignment in which all students work on a common research question, but with different data sets. The paper assignment includes a series of scaffolding assignments using IPUMS-CPS data. This approach has several benefits, including ease of implementation into any course that has an empirical paper component, significantly streamlined …

Call For Papers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

A Folk Taxonomy Of Magic, Gustav Kuhn, Cyril Thomas, Griffiths Thomas

School of Psychology

Magic tricks provide a uniquely powerful window onto the boundaries of what people consider possible, and the ways in which those boundaries can be challenged. Although there exists an effectively infinite variety of magic tricks, relatively little is known about how different magical effects relate to one another at a psychological level. Previous attempts to classify magic have largely relied on the judgments of a small number of expert magicians, rather than capturing people’s intuitive understanding of magical phenomena. Here, we introduce a new multi-dimensional taxonomy of magic that treats the observable effect (e.g., an object vanishing) and the attributed …

Full Issue, Journal Editors

Yalobusha Review

No abstract provided.

An Atmosphere Of Doubt: A Conversation With Rachel Kushner, Sarah Ligon

Yalobusha Review

No abstract provided.

Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction To The Fundamentals, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

Welcome to Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals, an open textbook designed for use in corequisite course pairings of developmental writing and introductory technical writing, or indeed in other lower-division college writing courses that focus on building study skills alongside effective workplace and academic writing skills. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.

This textbook is organized into units, though its chapters are modular so that instructors can select and assign readings and exercises for their particular classes rather than be tied to a fixed route …

Advanced-Level Writing In The University Classroom And Beyond: Mindful Practices For Technical, Business, And Scientific Communication, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

No abstract provided.

Hospital Falls In Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need For Future Health Outcomes Research, Lindsay E. Colby

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.

The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. …

Dipl 6104 Na The Art And Science Of International Negotiations, Claudia Abate M.S., Sergio Vieira De Mello Visiting Chair

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides an overview of academic theory and diplomatic practice on the art and science of international negotiations.

The Fall 2026 semester unfolds against the backdrop of the election of the next UN Secretary-General, with negotiations from UN Member States, the Security Council, and the General Assembly actively taking place. Students will analyze this process in real time and consider how various actors negotiate and come to agreements on processes leading to inter-governmental elections and negotiated agreements.

In addition, a study of selected international negotiators, negotiation techniques, practices, and standards will complement an analysis of internationally agreed documents such …

Dipl 6005 Aa Public International Law, Daimeon Shanks-Dumont J.D., Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

International law is a central framework for theorizing the international society of states. This course offers an introduction to public international law as a dynamic and contested topic through a wide array of issues that concern not only states and governments, but also international organizations, non-governmental organizations, international lawyers, and civil societies.

After the Second World War, public international law was re-envisioned with a promise to protect the sovereignty and integrity of vulnerable states against aggression, guarantee the self-determination of peoples, and to work towards fulfilling universal human rights in an interconnected world. However, the new global order maintained a …

Dipl 6180 Na Comparative Foreign Policy, Ann Marie Murphy Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course examines leading theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy and their application to a variety of states and issue areas.  The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the key concepts necessary to address the fundamental question of foreign policy analysis: how do states define and pursue their national interests in international affairs?   During the semester, we will explore some of the key debates in foreign policy analysis.  Do differences in the characteristics of states (large versus small, democratic versus authoritarian, industrialized versus developing) lead to differences in their foreign policies?  Or …

Dipl 6276 Global Health Governance, Yanzhong Huang Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Public health challenges — pandemic influenza, HIV and AIDS, COVID-19, obesity, neglected diseases, tobacco use, climate change, and underperforming health systems — increasingly shape and are shaped by the political, economic, and social dimensions of globalization. At the same time, international rules that fall outside the traditional health sphere, such as those governing intellectual property, trade, and greenhouse gas emissions, can have profound consequences for human health. Strong national health systems remain essential, but the reach of health threats and the capacity to respond often extend beyond any single state and beyond the health sector itself. Translating development goals into …

Dipl 6000 Na/Wb Introduction To International Relations Theory And Diplomacy, Brian Muzas Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course introduces students to the major theoretical traditions of international relations and diplomacy, with particular attention to how these theories help us understand contemporary challenges including cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, technological disruption, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia. We will begin with a critical investigation of the competing assumptions and concepts that form the heart of various theoretical approaches to the study of world politics. As a class we will grapple with the key actors, processes, and variables highlighted by each theory, and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses in explaining both traditional interstate relations …

Dipl 4555 Economic Aspects Of The International System, Jeremy Levine

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course reviews the current economic issues generated by globalization by emphasizing facts as well as theories. From the evolution of the post-WWII global order to economic theories like comparative advantage and free trade, this course explores the interconnectedness of international affairs and the global economy both historically and in the twenty-first century. Other topics discussed include the rise of American hegemony, the formation of economic blocs such as the European Union, the rise of India and China, oil politics in the Middle East, conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and more.

Dipl 4185 Aa Foreign Policies Of Post-Soviet States, Margarita M. Balmaceda Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Russia’s full scale war on Ukraine presents key challenges to the international community. It is impossible to approach these challenges without a broader view of the sources of foreign policy in the former Soviet area. This course will survey the main issues in the history of Soviet relations with the foreign world, as well as the new foreign policies of Russia, the other Soviet successor states, and (to a lesser extent) the East and Central European states. The first part of the course explores topics such as longstanding sources of Russian and Soviet policies pre-dating 1917, the tensions between the …