Digital Commons Network^™

The Racial Attitudes Of White Students At A Christian Institution, Jarad Russell

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews to understand the lived experiences and racial attitudes of White students at a Council for Christian Colleges and Universities institution as they related to Black people. The participants were asked about their past experiences with Black people, their discussions with family about race, their present understanding of terminology related to race and racism, and their desire to support racial justice in the future. Through this study, three categories of students emerged: those that had taken steps to educate themselves on matters related to race and racism, those that were just beginning to understand issues …

Digital Restlessness: Student Social Media Misuse As A Problem Of Worship, Scott Busby

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Paideia: A Mentorship Framework For Training Aspiring Pastors To Lead In Our Changing World, David Beavis

Doctor of Leadership

There is a pastoral leadership crisis in the US. With the convergence of pastors aging out, burning out, moral derailment, or simply choosing another career outside of pastoral work, there is a great need to raise up the next generation of pastors. However, traditional institutions for training pastors (such as seminary or bible college), though important, are not sufficient in and of themselves for producing future pastors. We live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world with novel pastoral challenges perpetually emerging. But our normative pastoral training assumes a world (Christendom) that no longer exists.

What is required is …

Inquiro 12 (Front Matter), Inquiro Staff

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. -7

Letters from the editors: https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/letter-from-the-editors

Tips From Sir Cluckerton: Effective And Fun Social Media With A Library Mascot, Allison Boswell, Laura Pitts

Research, Publications & Creative Work

In 2021, the Houston Cole Library (HCL) at Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL) added a mascot to enhance social media posts, and the result has been successful. HCL’s simple low-cost mascot has consistently stimulated positive interactions between the library staff/faculty and students, community members and university officials. HCL’s library mascot has created a cult-like following that watches and comments on his adventures. This current discussion indicates how any library can create their own mascot regardless of budget restrictions and time commitments.

Preservice Eal/D Teachers’ Relational Agency During Online Paired Practicum, Hongzhi Yang, Andrew Ross

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is scant research on preservice English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) teachers’ paired practicums in an online context. Underpinned by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, this paper explores how preservice EAL/D teachers exercise their relational agency during online paired practicums. Data were collected from five preservice EAL/D teachers’ weekly journals written during their paired practicums and interviews after they completed their paired practicums. Following the key components of relational agency, the thematic analysis highlights the dialectical relationship between preservice teachers’ relational agency and different types of collaboration, evidenced by the formation of mutual objects, tool mediation, and shared …

Latino Students' Perceptions Of Belonging And Inclusion Of The Recruitment Strategies And Marketing Materials At An Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution, Julie Wiejak

Dissertations of Practice

Latino students are the fastest-growing minority enrolling in higher education institutions. If higher education institutions want to recruit, attract, and retain Latino students, they must create a recruitment marketing strategy that highlights inclusion for these students on their campuses. Therefore, the purpose of this critical visual qualitative case study is to understand the perceptions Latino students have of marketing materials at a four-year emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as those materials relate to inclusion and access. The research site for this study was a regional public four-year institution named North Calumet University (NCU), which is an emerging HSI. The conceptual …

Commitment To Teaching: The Enabling Conditions For Collective Efficacy, Collective Efficacy, School Climate, And Job Satisfaction, Greta Behan

Dissertations of Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among collective efficacy, school climate, job satisfaction and the enabling conditions of collective efficacy. This study also looked at the relationship those variables had with the likelihood to stay in the teaching profession. The objective of this research was to gather more information on teachers’ perception of their schools’ climate, job satisfaction, collective efficacy, and enabling conditions for collective efficacy.

This study used quantitative survey instruments to examine collective efficacy, school climate, job satisfaction, and the enabling conditions of collective teacher efficacy. Participants took the Collective Efficacy Short Survey (CE-S), …

From Mind To Matter: Patterns Of Innovation In The Archaeological Record And The Ecology Of Social Learning, Kathryn Demps, Nicole M. Herzog, Matt Clark

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Archaeology and cultural evolution theory both predict that environmental variation and population size drive the likelihood of inventions (via individual learning) and their conversion to population-wide innovations (via social uptake). We use the case study of the adoption of the bow and arrow in the Great Basin to infer how patterns of cultural variation, invention, and innovation affect investment in new technologies over time and the conditions under which we could predict cultural innovation to occur. Using an agent-based simulation to investigate the conditions that manifest in the innovation of technology, we find the following: (1) increasing ecological variation results …

Correlation Of Patient Characteristics With Peak Enhancement Time For Pediatric Cardiac Computed Tomography In Congenital Heart Disease, T. Visakh, P. S. Priya, Nitika C. Panakkal, Gunjan Banga

Open Access archive

Objectives: Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) plays a key role in diagnosing congenital heart disease (CHD), emphasizing the need for specialized protocols in newborns due to CHD’s complexity. The aim is to explore the relationship between peak enhancement time (PET) and various parameters during CHD assessment with CCT. Material and Methods: The study involved 38 CHD patients undergoing CCT, with observations made on their heart rate, respiratory rate, saturation, cardiac output, weight, height, and age. The PET for each case was determined, and Spearman’s rank correlation was employed to evaluate the association between these parameters and the PET. Results: The median …

Digital Orientalism In Machine Vision: A Cross-Platform Analysis Of Ai-Generated Representations Of Indian Culture, Jinu K. Varghese, Padma Rani

Open Access archive

This study investigates how contemporary artificial intelligence image generation systems interpret and reproduce Indian cultural elements through a comparative analysis of three major platforms: Stable Diffusion, Flux, and Midjourney. While these systems have demonstrated remarkable technical capabilities, their handling of non-Western cultural elements remains understudied. We present a novel methodological framework that combines visual social semiotics with digital anthropology to analyse AI-generated images across multiple dimensions, including representational accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and power dynamics. Our systematic analysis of images generated through increasingly sophisticated prompts reveals significant patterns in how these systems mediate cultural representation. Results indicate that while platforms exhibit …

Building And Fostering Honors Communities: Lessons From Social Distancing, Anne Dotter, Kathleen King

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

While scholars of online education have been developing ways to foster a sense of belonging in online spaces for years, many of us in honors were thrown into the deep end for the first time in March 2020. As a result, we are now able to see the potential of online practices in a way we could not previously. This chapter tells the story of how we came to see the value of virtual community made possible by digital technology as an invaluable complement to the in-person work of a twenty-first-century honors program. Before the Work from Home (WFH) era, …

Presenting Past People: Storytelling Through Prehistoric Garment Reconstructions, Floor Huisman, Anna Zimmermann, Ronja Lau, Karina Grömer

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

This paper argues that we need to focus on past people (rather than just objects) in our narratives and museum displays to engage museum visitors more effectively. It will demonstrate that we can use a combination of well-researched physical and digital prehistoric garment reconstructions to implement more people-centered approaches also used in living history, which bring the past to life and allow visitors to literally come face-to-face with long-dead people. In this way, visitors can relate to past people on an emotional level, which helps them to learn much more about past life than many traditional displays. After outlining how …

Frontmatter For Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, And Culture Across Millennia, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Louise Quillien, Kalliope Sarri

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Title and copyright pages, Acknowledgments, Contents, Prefaces.

We believe this volume has the potential to contribute to the advancement of European scientific excellence and competitiveness, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural, technological, and societal significance of textiles and clothing in shaping European identity and heritage through the millenia. We hope that the anthology will find a wide and interested readership, and that it will inspire many new research projects in the field of textile history.

Technical And Technological Analyses Of Excavated Textiles, Christina Margariti, Judith Goris, Petra Linscheid, Agata Ulanowska

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Textiles are particularly complex and labor-intensive structures, thus their constructive elements, such as fibers and yarns, as well as the final textile products (e.g., threads, cords, fabrics, and applied decoration) reveal a range of important technical, technological, and sociocultural information. In this paper, we discuss the analysis of excavated textiles at two levels:

1) Technical analysis that offers basic information about the qualities of examined textile samples.

2) Technological analysis that provides insights into technology, social relations of production, and the level of craft specialization or production modes.

Both analyses offer new evidence for environmental resources, sustainability, trade, and exchange, …

Investigating Organic Colorants Across Time: Interdisciplinary Insights Into The Use Of Madder, Indigo/Woad, And Weld In Historical Written Sources, Archaeological Textiles, And Ancient Polychromy, Paula Nabais, Cecilie Brøns, Magdalena M. Wozniak

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Organic dyes have been used from the earliest times to provide color primarily to textiles, but also as a colorant in painting. Such organic dyes could create a wealth of colors, depending on the availability and know-how of resources. These dyes are usually organic in nature, and primarily obtained from different plant sources. Unfortunately, the characterization of natural organic colorants in textiles and artworks is still a challenge. The difficulty of analyzing these materials is sometimes allied to the frequent impossibility of micro-sampling, and the frailty of the objects. Many techniques, such as HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) and SERS (Surface-Enhanced …

Towards Textile Narratives: A Cross-Over Perspective On Textile Imagery In Statuary, Iconography, And Literature, Leyre Morgado-Roncal, Juliane Müller, Marisa Kerbizi

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Textiles and clothing constitute a fundamental element of our cultural past, present, and future. Therefore, they were also represented in many mediums, such as iconographic depictions and literature. Images are a source of visual and mental illustration and are often dependent on the viewer’s perspective. As a result, the representations of textiles convey social constructions and their cultural perception. Their study is the focal point of this article: The ways in which textiles and clothing are described by the imagery shown in Greek and Roman statuary and iconography, as well as in contemporary Albanian literature and mythology.

Representations illustrate the …

Young Romans: Status, Dress, And Gender, Mary Harlow, Lena Larsson Lovén

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

The demographics of the Roman world suggest that it was a world full of children. Demographers argue that in order simply to maintain population levels in a period where life expectancy was very short by modern standards, and infant mortality high, a woman should, on average, have six children, on the assumption that not all would live to adulthood. Despite much research in the last fifty years, children still remain partly invisible in the Roman world. This is primarily because they leave little evidence produced by themselves and are seen through the prism of adult eyes. Inevitably, given the nature …

Narrative And Material Tools Of Resistance: Mobilizing Textile Crafts, Heritage, And Fashion In The Context Of The Invasion Of Ukraine (2022–2023), Magali-An Berthon, Sophia Hayda, Tetiana Krupa, Yuliia Lazorenko, Marie-Louise Nosch

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

In 2022–2024, textile and fashion scholars came together to write an anthology sharing a new vision of European history as seen through textiles, in the COST Action EuroWeb. During this period, the continent was still dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and was then faced with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Contemporary European history will be markedly defined by the ongoing war in Ukraine. One remarkable aspect of this conflict is the way textiles and dress appear daily in a variety of media outlets, mobilized as visual and semiotic means to communicate issues of war …

A Sensory Perspective On High-Ranked Women’S Dress In The 8th To 4th Century Bc In The Mediterranean And Central Europe, Karina Grömer, Susanna Harris, Audrey Gouy, Cecilie Brøns

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

In the late 20th century, the study of western science was dominated by a philosophical approach to evidence as text and meaning. In archaeology, material culture was treated like text, to be read through systems of signs, symbols, and indices put together in syntax. For studies of dress, this was influential in understanding dress as a cognitive system compiled to create identities and meaning. In this approach, textiles, fastenings, hairstyles, and gestures are presented as signs and symbols used to form a statement about identity, to be read by others. There was a focus on the visuality of dress and …

Survival Strategies: Human Adaptation To Environmental Change, Julie Lozano

Open Educational Resources

This assignment explores human adaptation to environmental change by examining genetic, physiological, and cultural responses in various populations. Through case studies from geographically diverse regions, the research highlights how genetic adaptations such as metabolic changes, physiological traits like thermoregulation, and cultural practices involving diet and shelter have contributed to human survival in challenging ecosystems. The study compares these adaptations across different populations, analyzing the interplay between environment and evolutionary traits.

Stitches Of Sustainability: Empowering Women And Preserving Culture Through Pakko Embroidery, Rajesh Kumar, Dharmendra Bana, Deepali Bhatnagar

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Pakko embroidery, originating from Gujarat’s Kutch district, stands as a testament to the area's rich textile tradition, marrying exceptional craftsmanship with profound cultural narratives. Currently facing the challenge of conserving its heritage while adapting to the evolving demands of the modern world, this study aims to identify pathways for cultural and economic resurgence.

Pakko embroidery, renowned for its sturdiness and the detailed cheereli saankdi stitch, finds itself at a critical crossroads, battling declining engagement and integration into modern design paradigms. Initiatives to rejuvenate interest and establish sustainable practices for artisans are deemed critical for preserving this ancient art for future …

Textile Ways Of Thinking As A Trauma-Informed Design Tool To Research And Understand Communities, Smrti Ganesan, Nishanth Srikanth

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

There has been a shift in methodologies in the broader world of design. Today, co-design and participatory methods are a vital part of the modern designer's toolkit, and designers are finding new ways to interact with communities and design solutions that are more responsive to the actual needs of those communities.

Textile design has historically been a medium for expressing and processing traumatic experiences, reflecting individual and collective traumas in society. Textiles have also historically served not only as a form of artistic expression but also as a powerful tool in activism, particularly within feminist movements. Recent developments have seen …

Why They Stay: Service-Learning And Degree Progression At The University Of Mississippi, William Patrick Brown Teer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative research study examines a problem of practice as it relates to continued undergraduate enrollment and participation in service-learning programs. While graduation rates remain as a challenge for higher education, the continual enrollment of students that can hopefully lead towards graduation remains just as challenging. Service-learning programs, where students learn about societal issues through direct experience, may be a way for students to develop positive connections to institutions and other relevant skills that can lead to persistence and continual enrollment. This study explored the student experience and student perceptions of continual enrollment in the UM Bonner Leaders Program, …

A Study Of Communities Of Practice In Craft Production From Log Coffin Culture Archaeological Sites In Highland Pang Mapha, Northwestern Thailand, Chonchanok Samrit

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

No abstract provided.

แนวทางการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครสู่เมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง, ศิริธร สมสุวรรณ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยเรื่อง “แนวทางการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครสู่เมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง”มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาปัญหาความปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิงในกรุงเทพมหานคร สาเหตุของปัญหาในการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครให้เป็นเมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง และแนวทางการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครสู่เมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง เป็นการวิจัยเชิงผสมผสานระหว่างการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณซึ่งใช้แบบสอบถามเป็นเครื่องมือวิจัย กลุ่มตัวอย่างคือผู้หญิงวัยทำงานที่อาศัยอยู่ในกรุงเทพมหานคร (อายุ 20 – 59 ปี) จำนวน 400 คน ร่วมกับการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพด้วยการสัมภาษณ์แบบเจาะลึกผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ 4 กลุ่ม ได้แก่ หน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการปฏิบัติงานด้านการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครสู่เมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง นักวิชาการและผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านเมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรม องค์กรสาธารณะประโยชน์ด้านความปลอดภัยของผู้หญิง และผู้หญิงที่อาศัยอยู่ในกรุงเทพมหานคร รวม 13 คนผลการศึกษา พบว่า ผู้หญิงที่อาศัยอยู่ในกรุงเทพมหานครมีผู้เคยตกเป็นเหยื่ออาชญากรรมโดยตรง 3 ประเภท ได้แก่ อาชญากรรมทางเพศ อาชญากรรมต่อทรัพย์สิน และอาชญากรรมต่อชีวิตและร่างกาย ส่วนใหญ่มีการแจ้งความที่สถานีตำรวจ โดยสถานที่ที่พบอาชญากรรมมากที่สุด คือ ตรอก ซอย ถนน รองลงมาคือที่อยู่อาศัย และรถโดยสารสาธารณะ ส่วนใหญ่ได้รับแจ้งข่าวเหตุอาชญากรรมทาง Social media ซึ่งผู้หญิงต้องการให้แก้ไขปัญหาด้วยการติดตั้งกล้องวงจรปิดและไฟฟ้าส่องสว่างให้ครอบคลุมทุกพื้นที่ เพิ่มกำลังตำรวจในการตรวจตรา และแก้ไขกฎหมายให้มีบทลงโทษที่รุนแรง โดยสาเหตุของปัญหาในการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครให้เป็นเมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิงเกิดจากอำนาจหน้าที่ของกรุงเทพมหานครมีจำกัด ศักยภาพและผู้ปฏิบัติไม่เพียงพอ การเติบโตของเมืองที่ส่งผลต่อการบริหารจัดการ การบูรณาการระหว่างหน่วยงานไม่เข้มแข็ง ประชาชนขาดความเชื่อมั่นในกระบวนการยุติธรรม สังคมขาดการสร้างความตระหนักรู้ถึงความปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรม นโยบายรัฐด้านการดูแลความปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิงไม่ชัดเจน และทัศนคติทางสังคมมองว่าผู้หญิงถูกล่วงละเมิดเป็นเรื่องน่าอาย โดยมีแนวทางการพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครสู่เมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิง 6 แนวทาง เรียกว่า “IT-4E” ประกอบด้วย การบูรณาการการทำงานร่วมกัน (Integration) การนำเทคโนโลยีมาสนับสนุนการพัฒนาเมืองให้ปลอดภัย (Technology) การบังคับใช้กฎหมายอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ (Enforcement) การสร้างสภาพแวดล้อมที่ดีและปลอดภัย (Environment) การให้การศึกษาและความตระหนักรู้ด้านภัยอาชญากรรม (Education) และการมีส่วนร่วมของประชาชนและชุมชน (Engagement) ซึ่งจะช่วยให้การพัฒนากรุงเทพมหานครให้เป็นเมืองปลอดภัยจากอาชญากรรมสำหรับผู้หญิงประสบความสำเร็จ

In Honor Of Ved Nanda, Anjali Nanda

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Exploring Healing Touches In The Bible, Michée B. Badé

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Healing touches in the Bible hold significant meaning in both the spiritual and physical contexts. Numerous biblical accounts illustrate how physical healing in connection with touch served as a demonstration of faith, connection, and divine power. These narratives depict important moments in which touch becomes a conduit for divine healing and emphasize the prominent role that touch plays in biblical accounts of healing.

This paper first explores the concept of health and healing as presented in Scripture, followed by an examination of touch and healing in both the Old and New Testaments, while looking at the cultural, theological, and missiological …

An Examination Of Homo Naledi Early Juveniles Recovered From The Rising Star Cave System, South Africa, Juliet K. Brophy, Debra R. Bolter, Marina Elliott, John Hawks, Lee R. Berger

Faculty Publications

Background: Six Homo naledi early juveniles were recovered from U.W. 101 (Dinaledi Chamber), U.W. 102 (Lesedi Chamber), and U.W. 110 in the Rising Star cave system. Aim: This paper develops the information for the H. naledi early juvenile life stage, as defined by a combination of deciduous and permanent dentition, and the eruption of the first permanent molar. Subjects and methods: The growing number of young individuals recovered from the Rising Star cave system allows us to gain a better understanding of their variation, or lack thereof, and provides a basis to estimate broad ranges for age at death of …

Human–Environment Interactions At Ta’Ab Nuk Na, A Submerged Maya Salt Works Site In Belize, Cheryl M. Foster, Heather Mckillop, E. Cory Sills

Faculty Publications

Sea-level rise and settlement are investigated at Ta’ab Nuk Na, an ancient Maya salt works in Belize, by examining samples from wooden posts and marine sediment. The samples included Post 145 of Building B and the Nunavut beam, along with marine sediment columns cut from beside both wooden posts. The sediment columns were sampled at 2 cm intervals. Loss-on ignition confirmed the presence of organic material. Identifying the organic content involved removing nonorganic material from the sediment and sorting the organic material under magnification. This procedure established that most of the organic material was red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). Red mangroves …