Digital Commons Network^™

Introduction: Homo Connectus And Fandom Activism: Fansumers As Cultural Transmitters, Soongbeum Ahn, Ratan Kumar Roy

Kritika Kultura

The transformation of fandom in the age of digital media and hyperconnectivity calls for renewed scholarly attention. Earlier studies of participatory culture highlighted the role of the “prosumer,” who blurs the boundary between production and consumption. This special section shifts the focus to the concept of the “fansumer,” which captures a more specific mode of engagement in which emotionally invested fans mobilize coordinated consumption and activities to shape cultural visibility, influence market outcomes, and practice fandom activism. Fans also actively generate new cultural forms and position themselves as agents of communication, thereby amplifying the dynamism of the global popular culture …

Brief State And Trait Happiness Scales: Validation And Work Arrangement Differences In Thai Workers, Rapinpat Yodlorchai, Panrapee Suttiwan, Sompoch Iamsupasit

Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to develop and validate brief measures of state (CUHI-S-SF) and trait (CUHI-T-SF) happiness derived from the Chulalongkorn University Happiness Inventory and to examine differences in happiness and psychological distress across work arrangements among Thai working adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey collected data from 452 participants using convenience sampling. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with Sample I (n ¼ 250; Mage ¼ 33.04) to examine internal structure, followed by confirmatory factor analysis with Sample II (n ¼ 202; Mage ¼ 35.29). Independent-samples t tests compared on-site and non—on-site workers on happiness and psychological …

An Alignment Of Absences: The Medicalization Of Death And Its Implications On Archaeological Methodology, Makayla J. Bowman

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Absence describes something that is "expected, wanted, or looked for [but] is not present or does not exist," (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2026). The archaeological discipline interacts with absence in many profound ways, largely in its study of the past dead. This paper focuses on the ways in which the medicalization of death has influenced, limited, and misaligned archaeological methodology, and how the result of those methodologies produces archaeological analysis that is absent of or misrepresents our understanding of life, personhood, and our position within a greater, interconnected biosphere. Thus, I present an anthropological critique of the ways in which death and …

Power, Knowledge, And Environmental Justice: The Dakota Access Pipeline Controversy, Mya Chapman

Honors Projects

In a time of rife political conflict and debate, it is important to understand the underlying power dynamics that permeate our society in America. As devised by French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault, power and knowledge are mutually constitutive forces that shape our social relations. Through the actions of certain discourses, distinct truths are cultivated that in turn, reinforce existing power structures. In this study, these concepts are applied to the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy in the form of a Foucauldian discourse analysis to understand how the pipeline remained operational in the face of great opposition. Written discourse in the …

Homeless Veterans: How To Help Veterans Receive Their Benefits So No Veteran Is Without Sustainable Housing, Kelly Hancock

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Student Projects

In this research, I examined why veterans remain homeless despite available resources and what can be done to place them in sustainable housing. I did this through interviews with VA staff and by examining various projects implemented to support veterans. In my research, I found that the resources are available for veterans if they know to request them. The VA employees noted that misconceptions and misinformation are leading causes of veterans not asking for help. Therefore, a solution would be for civilians to call the VA hotline to report homeless veterans. They will then meet the veterans where they are …

Islam And Acculturation: The Presence Of Shamanism And Indigenous Ritual Practice In The Post-Conversion Ilkhanate,, Miranda H. Lenihan

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Devin Deweese's book Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde: Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam is a keystone work in the study of post-Mongol invasions Central Asia. He explores how Shamanism, the indigenous religion of Mongol tribes, remained culturally relevant in the Golden Horde following the widespread conversion to Islam in hagiographical narratives.

This study investigates the presence of indigenous Shamanic traditions within the post-conversion Ilkhanate and how Deweese's argument for the Golden Horde applies to other Mongol successor states.  Following the widespread adoption of Islam, formerly polytheistic Mongol and Turkic tribes did not abandon their native culture; …

Excavating Building C And Plaza A To Discover Ancient Activities At The Ancient Maya Salt Works Of Ch’Ok Ayin, Belize, Alex J. Broussard Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

Ch'ok Ayin is part of over 110 known ancient Maya salt works surveyed in Paynes Creek National Park, Belize. The salt works are associated with wooden architecture preserved below the sea floor and submerged due to sea level rise. The purpose of the excavations of Ch'ok Ayin Building C and Plaza A was to determine the function of the space based on recovered material remains.  An eleven meter transect was placed in Building C to extend inside and outside of the building to capture activity areas associated with the building. A 2 x 2-meter excavation was placed north of Building …

April 27, 2026 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

April 27, 2026 minutes for the WKU NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee meeting. Meeting conducted via Zoom.

Moral Emotions Within The Habituation Of Virtue, Hannah Starr Grubbs-Oechsle

Dissertations (1934 -)

In this dissertation, I examine how moral emotions feature within the habituation of virtues. I suggest that their primary role within the moral life is epistemic: emotions grant agents perceptual access to evaluative properties in the world. I argue that their perceptual function within habit formation is normatively indispensable. I proceed through five methodological movements. I begin by presenting the three historical accounts of emotion I take as most influential on contemporary Western beliefs about emotion and as most dominant within the philosophy of emotion. To that end, I trace Stoic and Kantian accounts of emotion as representative of the …

What Multiple Theories Can Illuminate In Qualitative Research, Sherry Marx, Rachel Billings, Taylor Dexter, Mark T. Lewis, Patrick Ocran, Douglas Weber

The Qualitative Report

Our aim in this paper is to help scholars better understand theory’s purpose in qualitative research, how it is employed in data analysis, and the strengths and limitations of the insights it can reveal. We do this by sharing our practice using multiple theories to make sense of a common data set in an advanced doctoral class focused on theory in qualitative research. For the class final project, students chose different theories to analyze one common data set: A brief historical article on the Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots. Student-chosen theories included constructivism, actor-network theory, symbolic interactionism, critical race theory, …

Cultural Negotiations In Revisionist Mythmaking: Comparative Reading Of Bahram Beyzaei And Mary Zimmerman, Sepehr Karimi Mr., Bahee Hadaegh

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

 Although more than fifty years have passed since feminist scholars pioneered revisionist mythmaking, drama remains underexplored in this field despite its unique potential for cultural and social reinterpretation. This study offers a comparative analysis of revisionist mythmaking in Iranian and American drama, specifically examining Bahram Beyzaei’s play, One Thousand and First Night alongside Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses as examples. This research aims to establish general principles for revisionist mythmaking within drama, spotlighting the complexities that emerge in transnational contexts. It explores how Beyzaei and Zimmerman negotiate cultural narratives and try to reshape traditional stories and reflect contemporary issues, emphasizing gender dynamics …

Teori Hukum: (Suatu Tinjauan Singkat Tentang Posisi, Sejarah Perkembangan Dan Ruang Lingkupnya), Muchyar Yara

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Stability Without Support: Kinship Care And The Reproduction Of Inequality In Child Protection, Kiera Fischer

Senior Seminars and Capstones

This project examines child protection outcomes in Minnesota through a structural and inequality focused lens, analyzing how poverty, housing instability, racism, and system overlap shape family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). This literature review draws from sociology, anthropology, social work, and child welfare research, to examine how child protection systems disproportionately surveil and penalize low-income families and families of color, often framing structural disadvantage as an individual parental failure rather than a systemic or institutional issue. I specifically consider placement outcomes following child removal, with particular attention to differences between kinship care and non-relative foster care. Kinship placements are …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Multicultural Education Discourse: Neoliberalism, Racism, And Sexism In South Korea, Inui Kim, Younkyung Hong, Eunhye Cho, Myeong Ko

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study addresses the urgent need to approach multicultural education in South Korea through a social justice lens. It aims to tackle the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions often overlooked in research. Using critical discourse analysis, we explore how the discourse on multicultural education intertwines with oppressive ideologies and perspectives in South Korea. The present study builds upon scholarship emphasizing the importance of considering the influence of neoliberalism and ethnocentric nationalism in the South Korean context when examining multicultural education. It addresses the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions that have remained underaddressed by the current multicultural …

Building A Course-Specific Genai Chatbot: A Comprehensive Tutorial And Comparison, Elias Gil, David Han, Joseph Mendez

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning

This practitioner article presents a step-by-step guide for designing and embedding a course-specific generative AI chatbot using the Botpress platform. Aimed at digital learning practitioners and instructional designers, the article demonstrates how curated knowledge bases, carefully crafted prompts, and seamless LMS integration can create AI-powered teaching assistants that support student engagement and learning. Drawing on recent scholarship, the work highlights opportunities and challenges in leveraging generative AI for higher education, including accuracy, trust, and ethical considerations. A comparative analysis of alternative platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Dialogflow, further contextualizes Botpress within the broader landscape of AI-enabled educational tools. By …

Program And Proceedings, The Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2026: 146th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program and abstracts of the proceedings for the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 136th annual meeting, 2025

Sessions

Aeronautics and Space Science

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Earth Sciences

Ecology, Sustainability, and Environmental Science

Physics and Engineering

General Poster Session

2026 Maiben Lecture: Shifting Extremes: Understanding Nebraska’s Changing Climate and Preparing for What Lies Ahead, Deborah Bathke

2026 Friends of Science Awards: Julie Shaffer and Irina Filina

2026 C. Bertrand and Marian Othmer Schultz Colleaguate Schoalrship Award: Piper Ryschon and Bryce Reeson

In Memoriam: Paul Royster

Doc 2026-19 Proposal For New Bachelor Of Arts In Global Studies, University Of Dayton. College Of Arts And Sciences

Senate Documents

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies prepares students to become thoughtful global leaders who engage effectively across cultures and contexts in an increasingly interconnected world. Grounded in intercultural understanding, the program equips students with applied skills for diverse professional settings. Through pathways in Global Citizenship & Intercultural Communication and in Area Studies (Global Spanish and Hispanophone Studies, Global French and Francophone Studies, and Global German Studies) students develop the knowledge and experience needed for careers in international organizations, NGOs, public service, international law, healthcare, or education, among others.

Structural Consequences Of Economic Crisis And Us Militarization In The Caribbean: Drug Scarcity, Crime Escalation, And Narco-Entrepreneurship In Puerto Rico, Victor M. Vazquez, Howard Campbell

Departmental Papers (S&A)

No abstract provided.

Apr. 24, 2026, Former Wbip Members, Comments On Task Force Draft Report.Pdf, Eduardo Abbott, Dilek Barlas, Richard Bissell, Edith Brown Weiss, Gonzalo Castro De La Mata, Zeinab Elbakri, Mark Goldsmith, Imrana Jalal, Werner Kiene, Ramanie Kunanayagam, Peter Lallas, Roberto Lenton, Jan Mattsson, Maarje Van Putten

Editors' Corner

No abstract provided.

Reconstructing Nebraska’S Late Quaternary Paleoenvironment, Landscape Change, And Human–Environment Dynamics Using Diatoms And Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating, Gosia Mahoney

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines Holocene environmental change and human–environment interactions in the Nebraska Sand Hills by integrating geomorphic, paleoenvironmental, and geochronological data. It presents three complementary studies that together explore how climatic variability, local landscape processes, and human activity influenced environmental systems.

The first study reconstructs the early Holocene evolution of a dune-dammed valley in the central Sand Hills. Stratigraphic, sedimentological, and diatom evidence indicate that eolian activity resulted in a blocked fluvial system, leading to elevated groundwater levels and the formation of a wetland that later developed into a lake. Notably, this transformation occurred under relatively dry conditions, demonstrating that …

The Scarlet - Volume Civ, No. 11 (April 24, 2026), Scarlet Staff

The Scarlet (Student Newspaper) (2011-present)

The April 24, 2026 edition of The Scarlet (est. 1939), Clark University's student-run newspaper. The Scarlet is intellectually and editorially independent of the University.

Between The Middle Kingdom And The Middle Way: An Analysis Of State Power And Sacred Authority In The Sino-Tibet Conflict, Madison M. Berry, Aimee N. Ebeling, Jayden A. Hanson

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This research paper addresses the growing concerns of the Sino-Tibetan conflict by analyzing the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) through an intercultural communication and negotiation lens. By analyzing historical relationships between the two parties and comparing them to similar contemporary situations, this paper examines the sinicization of the Tibetan people. By exploring the “Old Tibet” and “New Tibet” narratives, while acknowledging the centrality of the Dalai Lama to both parties, it also addresses territorial disagreements and the contrasting understandings of sovereignty and modernization, which fuel the conflict. Finally, a policy framework …

Performance-Based Budgeting Implementation Strategies For Improving Financial Performance, Waleed Ibrahim Alsyaegh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of effective strategies for allocating organizational financial resources can lead to adverse business outcomes. Business managers are concerned about the ineffective allocation of financial resources, as it can impede financial performance and sustainability.Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore the performance-based budgeting strategies that business managers use to sustain financial profitability. The participants were 10 business managers who oversee subsidiaries that successfully implemented performance-based budgeting.Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of organization documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) traditional versus contemporary budgeting; (b) importance of …

29th Annual Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies Symposium Program, 2026, Illinois State University, Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies Program

WGSS Student Research Symposium

Program from the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Symposium

Crimmigration Pedagogy In An Age Of State Violence: Reclaiming Human Rights Education In Public Health And Social Work, Juan Carlos Ruiz Malagon, Belinda Marie Hernandez-Arriaga, Alonso R. Reyna Rivarola

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This essay calls for a transformative shift in public health and social work education to confront the racialized violence embedded in U.S. immigration enforcement, especially intensified during the second Trump administration (2025 -2029). Policies and enforcement events like the reinstated Remain in Mexico program and the widespread ICE raids in Los Angeles are part of a troubling rise of "crimmigration," which blends immigration and criminal law. This merging has normalized cruelty, heightened legal insecurity, and fostered fear within immigrant communities, leading to a sharp increase in mass detentions and deportations. Despite the sociopolitical reality, many public health and social work …

‘Sprung From The Land Itself’: Rooted Human Rights Education As Critical Global Citizenship Praxis, Monisha Bajaj, David A. Tow

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article discusses the field of Human Rights Education (HRE) and its intersections with the field of Global Citizenship Education (GCE), both now more than 60 years into their existence as discourse and practice communities. We trace the emergence of transformative, critical, and decolonial forms of HRE and offer a new conceptual framework for Rooted HRE. Rooted HRE offers a transformative approach to fostering critical global citizenship (CGC) by embedding global frameworks within the immediacy of local struggles. It draws on critical perspectives of global citizenship (Andreotti, 2011; Gaudelli, 2016), Transformative Human Rights Education (THRED) (Bajaj et al., 2016), and …

Volume 10, Monisha Bajaj, Jazzmin C. Gota, David A. Tow

International Journal of Human Rights Education

No abstract provided.

Guna Nuchukana Figurines In The Father Grollig Legacy Collection, Haley Dozier

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

From 1961-1962, Captain Kitt S. Kapp travelled throughout Panama on his Kapp-Darien Expedition. While his academic interests mainly pertained to fabrics from the Guna people, he also obtained many Nuchukana figurines, which are carved wooden figures created to ward off spirits that cause illnesses. Later in his life, Kapp donated his collection to places like the Smithsonian and British Museum. At some point, eleven Nuchukana figurines found their way into the hands of Father Francis Grollig, who founded the Department of Anthropology at Loyola and collected many artifacts from around the world. Upon Grollig’s death, a part of his collection …

Ceramics From The Central Valley Of Oaxaca?, Brianda Gonzalez

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This is an ongoing project that initially aimed to identify a selection of ceramic sherds from the Father Grollig Legacy Collection. “Legacy collection” refers to the fact that it was not curated according to modern standards, including a lack of proper documentation. With several scholarly sources in the field of archaeology and feedback from other scholars, my goal became to get as close an identification as possible. This research has demonstrated that even with significant time and effort dedicated to a legacy collection, the answers will not always be straightforward.

Migration, Culture, And Healthcare In Chicago’S Pakistani Community, Sultan Cheema

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

How does Chicago’s Pakistani community understand and access the US healthcare system? This ethnographic study will draw on 10 semi-structured interviews and five in-depth interviews to investigate how first and second-generation Pakistanis interact with healthcare in the United States. By exploring factors such as religion, length of stay, socioeconomic status, non-Western medical practices, household configuration, and education, this study will examine the relationship between cultural adaptation and healthcare decision-making among Pakistani immigrant communities.