Digital Commons Network^™

Using Wasp Specimens In Taxonomic, Biogeographic, Evolution, And Informal Education Studies, Brenna Lynn Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Entomology collections hold an untapped wealth of information, from insect morphology, genetics, locality and association data, and potential for use in education. Especially with insects that generate initial fears, such as wasps, seeing insect specimens provides a safe environment to learn about their behaviors. Wasps are insects in the order Hymenoptera, along with ants and bees. The public may hold fears against wasps, due to their negative portrayal in various media, but they serve as integral components of a functional ecosystem. Even with their importance, many groups of wasps are still highly understudies. This dissertation aims to tackle this fear …

To Pot Or Not To Pot: Understanding Technological Investment In Ceramics And Marine Mammal Oil Rendering In Kodiak, Alaska, Elizabeth Groat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Why do groups choose to use certain technologies, but not others? This study focuses on an especially confusing instance of this question: the adoption of pottery in Kodiak, Alaska. This event was strange for two reasons. First, by AD 1500, when Alutiiq ancestors in the Kodiak Archipelago began making pottery, their neighbors on the mainland had already been doing it for centuries—so why did they wait so long? Second, pottery is also only found in the south of the islands—so why did some people use it, but not others? Whale and seal are more abundant in southern Kodiak, so one …

Linking Community-Level Food Sovereignty To Subjective Wellbeing: Framing Perspectives On Food Systems In The Upper Yakima River Basin, Alexander W. Theophilus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Food sovereignty is a framework focused on achieving a wide range of changes in food systems that yield more equitable outcomes for consumers, workers, farmers, and future generations. Food sovereignty is also believed to be an important driver of community wellbeing. However, there is limited research linking perceptions of community-level food sovereignty to subjective wellbeing. Additionally, the complex determinants of food sovereignty are not fully understood. Through two papers linking community-level food sovereignty and subjective wellbeing, I discuss the factors that influence food sovereignty and the impact of food systems on wellbeing in Washington’s upper Yakima River Basin.

In the …

Border Soundscapes: Latinidad, Belonging, And Sense Of Place In The Paso Del Norte Region., Josã© Manuel Flores Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the acoustic ecologies of the Juárez-El Paso border, investigating how soundscapes shape and reflect the cultural identity, sense of belonging, and sense of place within this unique transnational region. Guided by the theoretical lenses of belonging (Kohut, Tajfel, Turner, Hooks), sense of place (Feld & Basso), and habitus (Bourdieu), the research takes a phenomenological approach, informed by Merleau-Ponty's concepts of perception and Ceraso's notion of embodied listening. The study analyzes soundscape samples through Krause's categories of biophonies, geophonies, and anthropophonies, uncovering how these sounds contribute to the development of Latino identity and cultural cohesion in the borderlands.Focusing …

Haiga In The Borderland: Sociolinguistic Perception And Variable Production Among Bilinguals In El Paso, Elyana Amparan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The linguistic variant haiga in the Ciudad Juárez, Mexico – El Paso, Texas border region is often a stigmatized feature within the bilingual community. This non-standard form, derived from haya (the present subjunctive of haber “to be” in Spanish) carries negative social connotations and is often perceived as incorrect. Our aim was to investigate the use and attitudes towards haiga in the bilingual population at the U. S. – Mexico border. A text infilling task was employed to elicit the use of haiga and an attitude elicitation task using memes was used to investigate the participants attitudes towards the form. …

Integrated Public Archeology: Innovative Three-Dimensional Modeling And Digital Storytelling Techniques For Historic Preservation And Outreach, Bryce James Drachenberg

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the integration of digital methodologies in public archeology to enhance public engagement and historic preservation. Focusing on digital storytelling and three-dimensional modeling, the research demonstrates how tools like photogrammetry and ArcGIS StoryMaps can democratize archeological knowledge and involve wider audiences. A case study of Cane Hill, Arkansas, showcases the practical application of these techniques. The study highlights the creation of three-dimensional models and their integration into interactive StoryMaps, discussing the benefits, challenges, and future directions of digital public archeology.

Animating Feminism, Angella Burgess

Postgraduate

Animation mirrors society, reflecting its values, beliefs and challenges, becoming a tool to enable cultural improvement by recognising diversity and critiquing socio-political issues. Inspired by traditional Eastern European animation, renowned for its surrealism and socio-political narratives, this research aims to expand the medium’s potential. Directors like Jan Svankmajer and Jiri Trnka created masterpieces based on folklore, mythology and political commentary. This research aims to intertwine and shape animated works' content and context by honouring this tradition.

The research explores the multifaceted role of contemporary animation, which embeds Eastern European stylistic techniques to disrupt popular story structures and shape social discourse. …

'Crowned With The Wreath Of Immortality': Martyrdom, Death, And The Afterlife In North African Religious Discourse, Matthew William Egbert

Dissertations

This dissertation explores North Africa’s role in the development of its own religious discourse, specifically with regard to martyrdom, death, the afterlife, and other eschatological themes. Historians of early Christianity and Islam often depict the region as peripheral, but it was actually a crossroads where pre-existing traditions met new ideas to develop unique, localized versions of these religions. More often than not, these emphasized a pursuit of martyrdom and veneration of saints. This longue-durée study covers a vast timeline, spanning the pre-Christian period to the late Fatimid Caliphate. Its central focus, however, is the Donatist schism that divided North Africa …

Gustav Mahler’S Naturlaut In The Anthropocene: A Musical Landscape Of Early Environmentalism, Alexis Rose

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the perceived roles and potential functions of music and art in environmental movements. I focus on Gustav Mahler, a composer historically associated with nature, as a case study of the relationship between nature and art in Austro-German Romanticism and early environmentalism. In the first chapter, I connect Mahler’s idea of nature as influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Richard Wagner, and Arthur Schopenhauer to the ideas and rhetoric of nineteenth-century environmentalists in Austria and Germany. This context serves as the background for my second chapter, in which I analyze Mahler’s Seventh Symphony through an ecocritical lens. …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adult Household Firearm Ownership, Alexander Testa, Karyn Fu, Dylan B Jackson, Daniel C Semenza, Sandra Mckay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This survey study examines exposure to abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction during childhood and likelihood of gun ownership in adulthood.

Ten Years As Boundary Object: The Search For Identity And Belonging As 'Hongkongers', John Lowe, Darlene Machell Espena, George Wong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This article examines the complex process of symbolic boundary-making of ‘Hongkonger’ cultural identities through the lens of the controversial 2015 film Ten Years, which is a celebrated omnibus production comprised of five short segments that picture a dystopic end to Hong Kong’s cherished way of life in the year 2025. The article is premised on an interdisciplinary approach engaging with cultural studies and film studies. On one hand, it explores how Ten Years functioned as a boundary object, a vast terrain within which cultural identities of what it means to be a Hongkonger are constructed, banished, imagined, and performed under …

Vertical Expansion In The Making: Planning Against Deindustrialization By Promoting "Industry's Going Upstairs" In Shenzhen, Qianqian Wei, Yong Zhang

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

In recent years, industrial metropolises in China have experienced a surge in proactive planning initiatives aimed at developing high-rise industrial structures, commonly known as “Industry’s Going Upstairs (IGU).” This study argues that the IGU represents a distinct form of urban verticality that is neither motivated by capitalist speculation nor sustainability prompts but rather by local states’ intervention to ensure economic resilience and enhance innovation capabilities. This study presents the case of Shenzhen to demonstrate how the adoption of the IGU initiative is catalyzed by concerns over manufacturing sectors’ out-migration and the effects of volatile US-China relations on the city’s competitiveness. …

Winter Texans: A Study Of Community And Belonging In An Overlooked Border Identity In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Belinda D. Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study centers around a population of retired Anglos who migrate to South Texas border towns in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (locally known as The Valley) from October through March each year. Many travel in recreational vehicles (RVs) and hail from the United States and Canada to set up home in one of The Valley’s RV parks. They are called Winter Texans by themselves and locals. Scholarly research focused on Winter Texans explores how they are motivated to move because of lower costs of living (Murray 2020), how they travel for medical reasons, and their use of Mexican health …

New Geographies Of Crime? Cybercrime, Southern Criminology And Diversifying Research Agendas, Tim Hall, Richard Yarwood

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This paper argues that reconsidering the disciplinary significance of the geographies of crime is timely. It has three aims. First, it identifies recent developments in the geographical study of crime, arguing that they both challenge and extend its intellectual traditions. Second, using the example of cybercrime, it identifies new forms of crime that deserve scrutiny by geographers. Third, it draws on ideas of Southern criminology to identify how research agendas can be diversified to advance how geographers study crime. In doing so it proposes that geographers’ renewed interest in crime over recent decades is appropriately labelled ‘new geographies of crime’.

Digitally Connected, Evolutionarily Wired: An Evolutionary Mismatch Perspective On Digital Work, Mark Van Vugt, Stephen M. Colarelli, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper makes the case for an evolutionary mismatch between digital work and the way human ancestors engaged in work. Psychological adaptations for producing things that early humans needed to survive and thrive, such as cognitive mechanisms for obtaining and processing food, toolmaking, and learning valuable working skills, evolved in the context of small networks of hunter–gatherers. These adaptations are central to understanding the significance of work in human evolution. Evolutionary mismatches operate when novel environments cue ancestral adaptations in ways that no longer provide adaptive benefits. We argue that digital work, although efficient and productive, is misaligned with some …

“Academic Publishing Is A Business Interest”: Reconciling Faculty Serials Needs And Economic Realities At A Carnegie R2 University, Rachel E. Scott, Anne Shelley, Chad E. Buckley, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Julie A. Murphy

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Introduction: This article explores faculty conceptions of academic publishers, their willingness to circumvent paywalls and share content, and their understanding of who holds the responsibility to pay for this body of scholarly work to which they all contribute.

Methods: The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 faculty at their Carnegie R2 university to explore scholars’ perspectives with respect to the costs of serials and the responsibilities of the University and library in support of scholarly publishing.

Results: Participants reported a broad spectrum of perspectives with respect to circumventing publisher paywalls and offered nuanced practices for interacting with paywalled content. They …

Delineating Ground Subsidence And Flood Risk In Southeast Texas (Setx) Using Ps-Insar And Deep Learning, Arip Syaripudin Nur, Jinwoo An, Yong Je Kim

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study investigates ground subsidence and its impact on flood risk in Southeast Texas (SETX), a region particularly susceptible to inundation due to rising sea levels and subsidence. Understanding subsidence patterns is crucial for geotechnical risk management and ground-use planning. Employing Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PS-InSAR) with Sentinel-1 SAR data (2020-2023), the study delineates the spatiotemporal distribution of subsidence and its influence on flooding. PS-InSAR, wellsuited for urban areas, captures stable scatterers detected by SAR satellites, enabling detailed subsidence analysis. Time series analysis reveals subsidence evolution and its implications for flood risk management. Validation utilizes strategically placed GPS station data. Furthermore, …

Comorbid Dementia And Cancer Therapy Decision-Making: A Scoping Review, Sean N. Halpin, Gabriel Alain, Aaron Seaman, Erin E. Stevens, Hui Zhao, Mackenzie E. Fowler, Qiuyang Zhang, Tamara Cadet, Minzhi Ye, Jessica L. Krok-Schoen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Comorbid dementia complicates cancer therapy decision-making in older adults. We aimed to synthesize the recent literature (< 5 >years) on the challenges associated with cancer therapy decision-making among older people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers. Of the 20,763 references, 8767 had their title and abstract screened, and eight met the inclusion criteria. Six studies were qualitative, one study employed mixed methods, and one study was quasi-experimental. Most studies were conducted in the UK (89%) and reported homogeneity in race and geography. Breast (56%) and prostate (45%) were the most frequent reported cancers. Five studies (56%) reported multiple types of …

An Ethnography Of Frostbite Among Unsheltered People In Portland: Safety, Governance, And The Manufacture Of Vulnerability, Muireall Brown

University Honors Theses

This thesis provides an applied anthropological ethnography of frostbite among unsheltered people in Portland, Oregon. I conducted the research over the course of three months between May and August 2024 in collaboration with Hygiene4All, a local nonprofit. The research consisted of participant-observation, six semi-structured interviews, and a review of unpublished data from Hygiene4All. I argue that the conceptualization of safety operating within some parts of Portland's governance structures actually makes unsheltered Portlanders more vulnerable to frostbite: governance bodies actively participate in constructing this vulnerability along the lines of disability, isolation, and displacement. I discuss uneven governance and the biopolitical conflicts …

Pragmatism And Feasibility: A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Implementing And Upgrading Care In Geriatric Emergency Departments, Anita Chary, Annika Bhananker, Vivian Ramont, Lauren Southerland, Aanand Naik, Kyler Godwin, Maura Kennedy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Implementation and sustainability of new care processes in emergency departments (EDs) is difficult. We describe experiences of implementing geriatric care processes in EDs that upgraded their accreditation level for the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program. These EDs can provide a model for adopting and sustaining guidelines for evidence-based geriatric care.

METHODS: We performed qualitative interviews with geriatric ED nurse and physician leaders overseeing their ED's geriatric accreditation processes. The interview guide was based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), a framework consisting of a comprehensive set of factors that impact implementation of evidence-based interventions. We used …

Education In Exile As A Hope-Making Practice: The Case Of Russian Higher Education Projects

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Special Issue

Social Media Sanctuaries: A Discourse Analysis Of Indian International Students’ Agency And Liminality During The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Special Issue

Jacks Of All Hats: Role Complexity, Ambiguity, And The Experiences Of Short- Term Study Abroad Faculty

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

“It Is Always Hard At The Beginning:” Peer-To-Peer Advice For International Students Transitioning To University Life In The U.S.

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Deutsche Welle’S Coverage Of Palestine And Israel From December 1st To December 8th 2023: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Zahirah Soraya Nurromadini, Sonya Puspasari Suganda

International Review of Humanities Studies

The attacks on October 7th, 2023 sparked a new wave of escalation between Israel and Palestine with global news coverage. Though there is coverage on both sides, many are calling out the Western news media for being biased in their reports. This paper explores the diction used by Deutsche Welle (DW) when reporting Palestine and Israel from December 1st to December 8th, 2023. The paper will use the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) theory by Norman Fairclough to process the data using a qualitative approach. The study aims to examine whether the diction used by DW journalists in their reports reflects …

Assessing Corporate Social Responsibility From The Perspective Of The Local Community, Mochamad Kevin Romadhona, Rachmat Dimas Oktafenanda, Sri Endah Kinasih

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Looking through the eyes of the local community is crucial for a successful corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Within a local context, it is essential to understand the community’s perception and find the possible gaps within such a CSR program. Such assessment can be a way to identify aspects that are considered essential and beneficial by the community. This article presents the assessment of the CSR program of a particular company and its impact perceived by the local community. This study used quantitative research methods and elaborated with qualitative methods to gain a comprehensive overview of the community’s perception of …

Riungan: Representation Of Muslim Betawi Pinggir Through The Practice Of Eating Together (A Case Study Of Kampung Pondok Pucung, Pondok Aren, South Tangerang), Gregorio Surya Abdi Julianto, Yudi Bachrioktora

International Review of Humanities Studies

Riungan is an eating-together event involving the kampung community as a form of religious worship and gratefulness/gratitude to God. Through an ethnography approach, with in-depth interviews and a literature review as a method, this research explores the relationship between the practice of eating together and cultural identity in riungan as held by the Muslim Betawi of Kampung Pondok Pucung. The result of this research shows that riungan has become a space to representation of the cultural identity of the Betawi Pinggir (peripheral Betawi), particularly emphasizing their cultural and Islam heritage. Through the types of food brought and the communal eating …

Hyperreality In Sharenting: Challenges Of Being An Indonesian Parent Today, Yosepha Arybowo, Maria Regina Widhiasti

International Review of Humanities Studies

The phenomenon of sharenting refers to the practice of parents, particularly mothers, sharing personal information in the form of text, photos, or videos about their child-rearing experiences and journey to parenthood on social media platforms. Social media, as a space of simulation, is considered to present an idealized version of parenting, showcasing perfect moments and achievements. This paper critically explores how the phenomenon of sharenting, especially by millennial mothers in Indonesia, contributes to the construction of family life representations that underlie parents' adaptation to idealized parenting standards on social media platforms. The paper samples sharenting content from several Instagram accounts …

Digital Transformation In An Attempt To Revitalize Kabuki Theater Arts, Bella Oktira Sujaya, Shobichatul Aminah, Susy Ong

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

ABSTRACT

Kabuki is a traditional performing art that has been present since the end of the Azuchi-Moyama period. In its development, Kabuki has undergone many changes to adapt to the times. This journal discusses the preservation of Kabuki, one of which is carried out through digital transformation. The Japanese government in the early Meiji era considered the preservation of Kabuki to be crucial because it is one of the rich cultural heritages and to attract tourists. This journal uses qualitative research methods obtained from books, documentation, archives, magazines, online mass media, and social media related to the development of Kabuki. …

Health And Environmental Pollution: A Literature Review, Elsa Yuniarti, Levi Anatolia S.M. Exposto, Indang Dewata, Fitra Arya Dwi Nugraha, Alfitri Alfitri

Kesmas

This study aimed to review various studies focusing on pollution that could adversely affect health, including sources, types, and mitigation efforts. The data used were obtained through a search on the Scopus website using the keywords "Health" AND "Pollution" from 2016 to 2023. Using these two keywords, 72 titles and abstracts of papers were successfully found. The results of this literature review were then analyzed with the assistance of NVivo 12 Pro, which grouped the findings based on their impact on health, reasons for pollution, types of pollution, and preventive measures. It was identified that the most common disease was …