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Girl Empowerment And Unspoken Discourses On Girl Sexuality In Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga, Caitlin Gulliford

Honors College Theses

In this paper, I explore how Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga employs a form of girl sexual citizenship that recognizes girls as sexualized, but maintains unspoken structures of compulsory heterosexuality, regressive gender norms, and hyperconsumerism in order to police girls as a protection of patriarchy.

The Politics Of 'Giving Back' And Its Effects On The Autonomy Of Women After Sex Trafficking, Amanda N. Ferrandino

Honors College Theses

In the field of humanitarian service, advocates have the intentions of speaking on behalf of those they represent. Many activists and organizations seek to ‘give back’ to those in need of food, shelter and social services. But, does ‘giving back’ really help? This essay explores the politics and hierarchies of humanitarian aid to discover if independence and agency for aid recipients can be achieved. On the path to independence, what are the obstacles that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and activists create for the underprivileged? Are there effective frameworks and methods for advocate organizations to approach the underprivileged?

Authors such as Columbia …

State Interests And Arbitration: The Russian Model, William E. Butler

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Accommodating Death: An Examination Of The Role Of Scientific Accommodation In Forensic Anthropology, Christina D'Elia

All Theses

Scientists have strong motivations to communicate with the public, yet this communication is often ineffective. As Ann Penrose and Steven Katz explain in Writing in the Sciences, there are three major reasons why scientists communicate with the public: moral, economic, and political (177). Despite these reasons for scientists to communicate with the public, it is not always easy for this communication to take place, due to divisions of audience and discourse community, as well as the scientists’ biases against communicating with the public. Scientific accommodation helps to bridge this gap.
In some fields, like forensic anthropology, scientists write their own …

Designing A Woman-Friendly Workplace: A Prognosis And Prescription For Institutional Health At The University Of Guam, Helen Thompson, Andrea Sant Hartig, Diane Thurber

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article explores the campus activist and research efforts made possible through a Campus Action Project grant awarded by AAUW (2006-2007) to the University of Guam (UOG). Faculty-student researchers developed a workshop series addressing women’s workplace concerns and conducted research investigating the health of UOG through selected key indicators of a woman-friendly institution. This article focuses on the research findings, the impact of the grant efforts, and recommendations for institutional changes.

Comment On Professor Yoo, Administration Of War, Richard H. Kohn

Duke Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Catholic Experience In Utah, Thomas G. Evans

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University has in its collection an infamous book that is talked about by both Mormons and non-Mormons alike: the first edition of Bruce R. McCon.1de'sMormonDoctrine.l Shocking and controversial when it first appeared in print for its characterization of the Catholic Church, among other controversial assessments, I had heard about it myself growing up as a member of the L.D.S. Church in various tales of Mormon folklore. McConkie's penchant for brusque, un-apologetic apologetics and bold declarations of the truth of the Mormon faith was legendary. One day, as I perused the book in the Library, …

The Interpersonal Lives Of Young Adult Women: A Study Of Passionate Friendship, Jenna Ann Glover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to further understand passionate friendships in a sample of heterosexual and lesbian, bisexual, and questioning (LBQ) women. Previous research has established that LBQ women engage in same-sex passionate friendships (unusually intense friendships that are similar to romantic relationships but devoid of sexual intimacy), but no systematic classification system has been established to identify these relationships in a general sample of women. A new quantitative measure, the Passionate Friendship Survey, was developed to measure passionate friendship experiences in women across adolescence and young adulthood. Qualitative interviews were also conducted to understand the subjective experience of passionate friendships …

Empirically Examining Prostitution Through A Feminist Perspective, Shyann Child

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to empirically explore prostitution through a feminist perspective. Several background factors are explored on a small sample of women in the northeastern United States. Some of these women have been involved in an act of prostitution in their lifetime; some have not. This research will add to the body of knowledge on prostitution, as well as highlight the unique experiences of women. The goal is to understand whether or not these life experiences have had a hand in women's choices to engage in prostitution.

Disparities In Birth Weight Between Non-Hispanic Blacks And Non-Hispanic Whites: The Effect Of Rural Residency, Theresa Marie Fedor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of low birth weight among non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites along the rural/urban continuum, as well as the combined effect of being both non-Hispanic Black and residing in a completely rural county. Degree of social isolation and lack of support are proposed mechanisms for explaining disparities in low birth weight for Blacks in rural counties.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child (NLSY79-C) datasets, logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of low birth weight. …

Status And Slaughter: The Psycho-Social Factors That Influence Public Mass Murder, Stephen G. Van Geem

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Even though public mass shootings are relatively rare, they represent an atypical form of violence that is both sudden and yields an unprecedented amount of carnage; for these reasons, an inordinate amount of scholarship has been produced in order to isolate both the causes and effects of these rampages. As there is no clear cut and universal cause, over the past forty years numerous factors have been offered to account for these types of shootings, including bullying, peer relations, family problems, cultural conflict, demographic change, mental illness, gun culture, copycatting, and the media. While there appears to be an element …

Greater Sage-Grouse And Energy Development In Northeastern Utah: Implications For Management, Leah Suzanne Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern regarding the effect of energy development on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is increasing as the search for fossil fuel intensifies. Sage-grouse may be especially sensitive to energy development because they require large, diverse areas of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat to complete their life cycle. Additionally, the network of pipelines, roads, and wells required by energy development may fragment sagebrush habitat isolating populations and contributing to genetic drift, inbreeding, local extinction, or rapid divergence.

Seep Ridge, located in northeastern Utah, is one area where sage-grouse habitat and energy development plans overlap. Approved leases call for the construction …

Seasonal Outlook: An Examination Of How The Foundations Of Attachment To Community Differ Between Seasonal And Year-Round Residents In High Amenity Areas, Brain M. Jennings

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah is a popular second-home destination due to its unique landscapes that offer numerous natural amenities. Therefore, this research utilizes a mail survey of residents in six Utah counties to examine if seasonal residents become attached to their local communities in the same way as year-round residents. The objective of this research was two-fold: 1) to determine if the commonly cited dimensions of community attachment are an accurate representation of the concept itself; and 2) to determine if the foundations of community attachment, based on those conceptual dimensions, are different for year-round and seasonal homeowners.

Prior research has shown that …

"Big, Smelly, Salty Lake That I Call Home": Sense Of Place With A Mixed Amenity Setting, Carla Koons Trentelman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Drawing from literature on place, this dissertation studies place dynamics in relationships between people and a mixed amenity place. Using Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, as a case study, I use a social constructionist approach to examine the sense of place held by those who live nearest to the lake. I analyze qualitative interview and focus group data as well as quantitative survey data to discern the meanings the lake holds for these nearest neighbors and to examine distinctions between people who see the lake differently.

This study is relatively unique in its examination of relationships with a mixed amenity …

Ecotourism In Dominica: Studying The Potential For Economic Development, Environmental Protection And Cultural Conservation, Vanessa Slinger-Friedman

Faculty Articles

Over the last 20 years, the government of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica has pursued the development of ecotourism on the island. The hope is that this industry will promote dispersed economic development while providing environmental protection and cultural conservation. However, not enough has been done to determine whether or not the industry is achieving the desired results. To this end, this study explores the growth of the tourism industry on Dominica and shows that, while not perfect, ecotourism is providing some definite benefits to the island in this regard.

Multicultural Politics And The Paradox Of Being Special: Interrogating Immigrant Women’S Activism And The Voice Of Difference, Jane S. C. Ku

Journal of International Women's Studies

Interviews with racialized minority immigrant women activist-managers in immigrant service sector in Toronto, Canada demonstrate how women construct their activist identities. An anti-racist post-colonial feminist framework is used to explore their narrative strategies and to show that their activist possibilities are constrained by their identities. Activism is limited to advocating for their ethnic community in multicultural politics that is structured by post-colonial “speaking” configuration that allows “native informants” to represent their communities as culturally alien and to authorize state management of racial and ethnic differences. The interviews also show the complexities of immigrant women’s political agency as they navigate the …

The Social Grants And Black Women In South Africa: A Case Study Of Bophelong Township In Gauteng, Maria Van Driel

Journal of International Women's Studies

In post Apartheid South Africa 12.4 million people receive a social grant. This paper discusses the significance of the grants, and black women’s role through the prism of the grants. The paper is based on a case study in Bophelong township near Johannesburg. The methodology draws on primary and secondary sources, a small socio-economic survey, indicative interviews with black women grant recipients, and the relevant literature. The principle of ‘triangulation’ is used to validate research findings. For a substantial number of families, especially single women with children, the grant is their sole income. Black women provide the necessary (unpaid) labour …

What Remains Of Srebrenica? Motherhood, Transitional Justice And Yearning For The Truth, Olivera Simic

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article explores the role of the local non-governmental association ‘Mothers of Srebrenica’ in the complex transitional justice processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The association gathers women who survived the Srebrenica genocide in July 1995 and creates an important public space for the crying out of their grievances and lobbing for their goals. The ‘Mothers of Srebrenica’ also create a space for widows and displaced women to share their concerns and support each other. While the ‘Mothers of Srebrenica’ use the rhetoric of victimhood and motherhood whenever they speak out, I argue that they, in fact, challenge the notion of …

Book Review: We Share Walls: Language, Land, And Gender In Berber Morocco, Damla Isik

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of We Share Walls: Language, Land, and Gender in Berber Morocco by Katherine E. Hoffman

A Culturally-Relevant, Emergent Approach To Exploring The Needs, Strengths, And Priorities Of Tribal Communities In Virginia, Amy Prorock-Ernest

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the health of the indigenous peoples in Virginia. When compared to the total U.S. population, indigenous peoples nationwide disproportionately experience disparities in health status across multiple health indicators. Research shows that these disparities are largely due to the inequitable distribution of social and economic determinants present within indigenous communities. Because the indigenous peoples of Virginia are affected by inequitable social and economic conditions, there is reason to believe that health indicators may mirror that of the indigenous population at-large. Outlined in this paper is a framework for exploring the needs, strengths, and priorities of indigenous communities …

Stories, Ethics And The Interpretation Of Meaning: Bearing Witness To Mothers' Stories Of Their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Experience, Angela Chisum Blackburn

Dissertations

This study grounded in narrative perspectives was conducted to uncover mothers' experience of having a baby in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU). The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret mothers NICU experiences, and to sensitize health care professionals about the importance of mothers' personal experience stories.

The NICU experience began with mothers' birth experience or the incident that led up to her infant requiring care in the NICU and her experience extended beyond the NICU with future concerns about the health and wellbeing of her baby.

Stories of mothers' experience were gleaned from data generated from …

Motive And Responsibility As Influences On Graphic Design Outcomes, Jackie Clements

Theses

In the world of visual communication many message-making strategies are used to convey information to a defined audience. The ways in which these strategies are used can greatly impact the meaning and success of a graphic design solution. Often strong emotion is employed to intentionally influence a defined audience. In addition, the format and context in which facts are presented in a message are also greatly effective. When looking at the potential communication power that solutions can hold, it is important to assess the types of messages being communicated and related ethical responsibilities that accompany them. This thesis study focuses …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: A Professor’s pollution research places him in an elite academy; a new grant allows students and faculty to champion sustainable solutions; through willpower and scholarships, Caressa Sims is the first in her family to earn a university degree; for 20 years, alumnus Steve Amen has shown Oregonians Oregon; and more.

Illinois State Alumni Magazine, May 2009, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

Sharing Water Internationally, Past, Present And Future—Mexico And The United States, John M. Donahue, Irene J. Klaver

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Conflicts over the sharing of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo and Colorado Rivers between the United States and Mexico are usually understood in spatial terms. In this paper we argue for the need to add a temporal horizon. A larger historical context will reveal that water management, including water allocation and river politics, has always been influenced by larger social-political and cultural frameworks. These temporal shifts are sequential, but overlapping so that current policies as cultural constructs operate within the framework of previous treaty obligations though the historical contexts have changed. The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo is still defined as a border …

One Decade Of Drought And Two Of Neoliberal Reforms In The Sierra Sonorense: Responses By The Rural Poor, Marcela Vásquez-León

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Since the mid-1990s, Northwest Mexico has been experiencing drought conditions. As Mexico’s number one irrigator, the state of Sonora’s agricultural sector is particularly concerned about the availability and distribution of surface and ground water. Drought has contributed to a sharp decline in cultivated area, the abandonment of land, and permanent out migration of a large sector of the rural population. This paper examines the vulnerability to drought of small farmers in the Santa Cruz and Magadalena basins, south of the Sonora-Arizona international border. Farmers’ ability to respond to drought is considered within the larger context of neoliberal reform policies, social …

Occupational Aspirations, Rural To Urban Migration, And Intersectionality: A Comparison Of White, Black, And Hispanic Male And Female Group Chances For Leaving Rural Counties, W. Trevor Brooks, Meredith Redlin

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

It has been documented that not all rural residents are leaving rural counties equally. Social positions may prevent some groups from migrating, while pushing other groups away from rural counties. This paper uses an intersectionality theoretical approach to explain how race/ethnicity, gender, and class shape occupational aspirations and the migration decision. Using the NLSY79, race/ethnicity, gender, and mothers’ educational attainment were each combined with the respondent’s occupational aspiration to predict migration rates for selected intersectional groups. Results show that females with high occupational aspirations, whites with high occupational aspirations, and individuals with high occupational aspirations whose mothers had high educational …

Cafos, Culture, And Conflict On Sand Mountain: Framing Rights And Responsibilities In Appalachian Alabama, Zachary Henson, Conner Bailey

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper presents a case study of controversy associated with large confined animal feed operations (CAFOs) on Sand Mountain in the northeast corner of Alabama, the tail-end of the Appalachian Mountains. We examine competing cultural frames developed by supporters and opponents of CAFOs that produce hogs. Both sides of the CAFO controversy utilize locally-specific cultural understandings of private property. Those opposed have framed their concerns both in terms of formal environmental standards of regulatory agencies and the responsibility of landowners not to engage in activities that adversely affect neighboring land owners. CAFO operators have framed the issue by drawing upon …

"To Come Of Age In A Dry Place": Infrastructures Of Irrigated Agriculture In The Mexico-U.S. Borderlands, Casey Walsh

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In the Mexico-U.S. borderlands the social uses of water are changing as the focus of the economy shifts slowly from agriculture to industry and services. This article discusses the changes to the physical and social infrastructures erected during the first half of the twentieth century to support a regime of accumulation based in irrigated cotton. Infrastructure is proposed as a particularly useful concept for drawing connections between these social, economic, and cultural changes, and emphasizing their materiality. The article draws upon the Social Structures of Accumulation and Regulation School literatures to explain the dynamics revealed through historical and ethnographic research …

The Political Ecology Of The Colonias On The U.S.-Mexico Border: Human-Environmental Challenges And Community Responses In Southern New Mexico, Guillermina G. Núñez-Mchiri

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Economic development and population growth along the U.S.-Mexico border have been determined by the natural resources available for the physical and social transformations in this region. A critical political ecology of the U.S.-Mexico border links environmental hazards with the socioeconomic and political aspects that have generated colonia population settlements as locales within the border region’s spatialized hierarchies. The political ecological approach to community development processes also brings in the larger border issues associated with Mexico and the United States. By exploring human-environmental challenges facing colonia residents, we can gain valuable insights into ecological vulnerabilities also faced by similar population settlements …