Digital Commons Network^™

A Historical And Contextual Analysis Of Soviet And Russian "Active Measures": How Russian Political Warfare Efforts In Foreign Presidential Elections Have Transformed In The Information Age, Olivia Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze the transformation of Russian active measures in targeted national elections since the Soviet era. Through a historical analysis of research on active measures and contextual analysis of active measures campaigns themselves, this thesis finds that Russian active measures techniques have not drastically changed since the Soviet era. Instead, as a result of technology, Russian active measures have utilized platforms of social media to become more targeted, continuous, and convert. Therefore, Russian active measures campaigns have been better able to successfully target specific audiences, arguably making these campaigns more effective.

Explanatory Models Of Autism In Nigeria: Exploring Sociocultural Beliefs To Inform Systems Of Care, Gabrielle Udoka Robertson

Honors Theses

Advancements in the diagnosis, understanding, and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yet to benefit children and families struggling with ASD in Nigeria and other African countries. Not only is there a scarcity of research on ASD in sub- Saharan Africa, but also a lack of mental health and special education services and a lack of understanding of the sociocultural considerations that must inform culturally responsive care. As such, this study explored the sociocultural conceptualizations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nigeria and how these conceptualizations affect the experiences and care of people with autism. The unique …

A Lutheran Response To The Role Of Healing And The Healer In African Independent Churches, Jasper Olawo

Master of Art Theology Thesis

A conversation with a parishioner, who left the church when her son was suffering from epilepsy and claims he could not be healed even after a series of prayers from her Lutheran pastor, revealed the extent of the influence of African Independent Churches (AICs) among members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK). Many people in Kenya who are suffering from chronic illnesses find it difficult to maintain their faith in such moments of crises and are tempted to seek quick remedies from AICs’ healers. These healers claim that salvation and the healing of the body are not separate …

Locating The Us, Russia And China In The Great Power Competition Of West Asia And North Africa, Arushi Singh

University Departments

No abstract provided.

China's Naval Modernization And Its Implications, Sujata Endaw

University Departments

No abstract provided.

The (Im)Possibility Of Forgiveness: Just Peace And Reconciliation In A Culture Of Sexual Violence, Ellen Jewett

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Sexual violence is often viewed as an individual sin, which problematically ignores the sinful structures that enable and incentivize perpetrators and restrict victim-survivors. These social structures hamper the possibility of forgiveness, as the operative cultural norms do not change even if a perpetrator repents, meaning cycles of harm continue. Reforming sinful structures means naming the embodied vices of those in power and subsequently building a framework to create lasting change. This framework places priority on victim-survivors, employs principles of just peace, and strives towards right relationship and reconciliation but not necessarily forgiveness. The Catholic Church has rich pastoral and sacramental …

Island Paradise To Urban Streets: Identifying The Effects Of Military Forced Displacements On Indigenous Islanders, Alexandria Mckinnell

Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses

During the twentieth century, indigenous islanders across the world were forcibly removed from their native lands by Western powers for militarily advantageous reasons. The Bikinians’ removal is the most notorious case of military forced displacement, but many other island communities faced the same fate during the superpower struggles of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. This study analyzes two documented cases of military expulsions of indigenous islanders, the Bikinians and the Chagossians. I created a matrix analyzing the common cultural experiences shared by both communities as a result of their expulsions and how those effects persist …

Space-Praxis: Towards A Feminist Politics Of Design, Mary C. Overholt

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

Outside of the academy and professionalized practice, design has long been central to the production of feminist, political projects. Taking what I have termed space-praxis as its central analytic, this project explores a suite of feminist interventions into the built environment—ranging from the late 1960s to present day.

Formulated in response to Michel de Certeau’s theory of spatial practices, space-praxis collapses formerly bifurcated definitions of ‘tactic’/‘strategy’ and ‘theory’/‘practice.’ It gestures towards those unruly, situated undertakings that are embedded in an ever-evolving, liberative politics. In turning outwards, away from the so-called masters of architecture, this thesis orients itself toward everyday practitioners …

Identifying Human Traffickers Profile And Predictors Of Sentencing Outcomes, Ana Lidieth Andino

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Human trafficking is often referred to as modern day slavery and has gripped society and challenged the fabric of humanity. To provide a better understanding of this this crime, this study aimed to identify the common demographic profiles among perpetrators of human trafficking; what factors influence trafficking; whether various types of human trafficking influence rates of prosecution, conviction, and length of sentence; and if relationships exit among various characteristics of traffickers such as gender, race, ethnicity, and age of traffickers. The study uncovered a number of limitations in prior research on this topic; one of the most serious being that …

'Disembodied Bones': Recovering The Poetry And Prose Of Elinor Wylie 2021, Sarah R. Bullock

Master's Theses

Picking a book to read is like diving for a pearl, writes Elinor Wylie, a 20th Century American poet, novelist, essayist and prominent magazine literary editor. In her essay "The Pearl Diver", she writes that it is the diver that risks the unknown- unaided by diving equipment in the form of library indexes-who gains the greatest joy, Wylie states (Fugitive Prose, 869). Wylie explains:

I venture to perceive an analogy between the rebellious pearl diver and myself, in my slight experience with public libraries...how much more delightful, how much more stimulating, to abandon the paraphernalia of card indexes and mahogany …

Validation Of Computerised Aptitude Selection System (Compass) In Predicting Success Of Uav Applicants In The Republic Of Singapore Air Force (Rsaf), Karunakarar Thevaki, Lim Yuhan, Christopher De Roza, Janine Loi En Qi, Grace Yip Kam Luen

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

The study examined the predictive validity of the Computerised Aptitude Selection System (COMPASS) that was set up to support the RSAF in its selection of pilots and other vocations. COMPASS measures cognitive abilities theoretically identified to be relevant to the vocation and was introduced for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilot selection since 2003. With fast changing technological advancement of the UAVs, it is important that validation studies are regularly conducted to improve the effectiveness of the test suite in predicting training success. 219 UAV Pilot applicants’ COMPASS scores were analysed against their actual training outcomes to determine a theoretically and …

Seeking Asylum In A Modern Society: Global Responses To Latin American Migration, Rebecca Dickinson

Senior Honors Projects

The United States is no stranger to asylum seekers and refugees. The most famous seaport in the country houses a 305-foot-tall statue of a woman bearing a torch with words from the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus etched at her feet: “‘Give me your tired, your poor, /Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”^[1] The Statue of Liberty is a symbolic representation of open arms to immigrants from all walks of life. But if everyone is welcome, why do so few actually gain entrance?

US interventionism policies in the 20th century have defined the lives of millions …

Japan's Security Strategy In The Era Of Renewed Great Power Competition, Pooja V

University Departments

No abstract provided.

Broadband In Rhode Island, Deborah Ruggiero

School of Professional Studies

Broadband is the 21st century fiber-optic highway in our technology and information economy. The need for high-speed fiber-optic connectivity is critical for economic development, education, business, e-learning, and telehealth

An Analysis Of Obsidian Artifacts From The Black Mountain Redoubt (48fr6463): A Late Archaic To Late Prehistoric Shoshone Campsite In Northwestern Wyoming, Mary Margaret Hagen Erlick

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Black Mountain Redoubt is a small Late Archaic through Late Prehistoric campsite in northwestern Wyoming associated with a series of communal bighorn sheep hunting traps. A diverse tools assemblage along with several house features indicates a wide range of activities specifically associated with bighorn sheep hunting. We use a 100 percent analysis of the obsidian formal tool and debitage assemblage as a test of obsidian conveyance in western Wyoming. Obsidian artifacts come from the five major regional sources but are dominated by Obsidian Cliff materials in keeping with the Yellowstone Plateau conveyance zone. In contrast, obsidian from Malad, Idaho …

Memories From The Great War: An Analysis Of Jackson Purchase Veterans’ Changes In Perspective Since 1914, David Wallace

Honors College Theses

The First World War affected the lives of millions, creating collective memories of hardships, uncertainty, political tension, and animosity toward foreign enemies. In the United States, World War I was a turning point in the nation’s growth and development, but on a smaller scale it was a critical historical moment in the individual lives of the veterans who served. This research project showcases the experiences of the Jackson Purchase’s WWI veterans with an emphasis on their perceptions during the war, their reasons for enlisting, the countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences they had along the way, the hardships they faced, and the remarkable …

This Is Not That Dawn: The Individual And International Sorrows Of The Partition Of India, Basmah Arshad

2021 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

In August 1947, British India became two independent states: India and Pakistan. Historians refer to this event as “the Partition,” and acknowledge that it became an incredibly violent event in which upwards of two million people – men, women, and children – lost their lives due to decisions made by statesmen. The Partition has been described in accounts and statements of politicians or other public figures. This project takes that existing historical literature and builds upon it using oral histories collected by the 1947 Partition Archive organization and the Partition Museum located in Amritsar, India. As of November 2019, there …

Fish Worth Fighting For: The Struggle For Control Of The Newfoundland Fisheries (1500-1800), Laura Perry Cohen

History Theses - Archive

The Atlantic cod that swam in the Grand Banks and along the coasts of Newfoundland played a significant role in the British Empire. The Newfoundland fisheries that developed following European exploration of the region in the early sixteenth century remained disputed areas for centuries. To Britain and France, the fisheries represented potential wealth and power, and soon, both countries were clamoring for rights to the island of Newfoundland and the waters surrounding it. During the eighteenth century, Britain and France engaged in several major wars against one another. Each war ended with peace treaties that included articles addressing the Newfoundland …

Examining The Implications Of Tabletop Roleplaying Games For Use In Leadership Development: An Integrative Review, Samantha Funk Ma

All Student Scholarship

Role-playing games are frequently used within the social sciences to study several aspects of the human experience and development. Existing research suggests that role-playing games encourage the development of critical and strategic decision-making, teamwork, and creative thinking, all behaviors integral to the development of lasting leadership competencies. This integrative review theorizes using TRPG roleplay games as unconventional tools for skill development and examines the implications for leadership applications. This inductive approach revealed a comprehensive picture of the importance of TRPGs integration into leadership development programs. It is at the intersection between creativity and leadership where organizational leaders have the potential …

But Also Full Of Seeds For A Future That Could Have Turned Out Differently., Megan Marie Bickel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between "illusion," "allusion," and their relationship to contemporary images which announce, shield, or reference information. Beginning by discussing Casualist and Post-Digital Painting discourse, two styles I work within, we see connecting tissue in announcing and shielding of meaning. We look at the meaning of marks, and in the parallel exhibition, marks that utilize camouflage strategies appear as a metaphor for illuding to information which appears as conveying depth when there is none, and using paintings' symbols in objects that are not paintings. The work 'alludes' to what the viewer has seen before and relies on …

When Does A Cyber Crime Become An Act Of Cyber Warfare, Luke Dickeson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Since the existence of the online world, cyber attacks have been a threat. As the online world has developed and evolved so have the attacks on them. The advancement of technology has meant the advancement and increased complexity of cyber attacks.

Cyber attacks can be broken into two categories. The first is cyber crimes, and the second is cyber warfare. The difference between these two is not black and white, but rather a very murky grey. There is no agreed upon definitive line that separates cyber attacks and cyber crimes. This is because the definitions are so eerily similar, and …

Pla Overseas Operations In 2035: Inching Toward A Global Combat Capability, Joel Wuthnow, Phillip C. Saunders, Ian Burns Mccaslin

Strategic Forums

Over the past decade, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has followed two general development trajectories. The primary focus has been on deterring adversaries and building the capability to fight high-intensity, short-duration wars around China’s periphery—what the PLA often refers to as “informationized local wars.” This has included acquisition of advanced combat capabilities, supported by progress in doctrine, training, logistics, and command and control (C2). A central theme has been strengthening the PLA’s ability to conduct joint operations, thus correcting problems of ground force dominance and poor interservice cooperation. A secondary focus has been on nontraditional security operations, such as peacekeeping, …

The Influence Of Dark Triad Traits And Framing Effects On Cooperation In Non-Zero-Sum Games, Stephen M. Doerfler

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Over the past two decades, personality research has increasingly focused on describing the selfish, callous, and impulsive qualities that are present in individuals with higher levels of Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism). However, little is known about the situational factors that contribute to the selfish behavior of these individuals. The current investigation aimed to address this gap in the literature by combining personality and cognitive theories of decision making to examine the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and uncooperative behavior under different risk and valence framing conditions in one-shot non-zero-sum games. Participants were randomly assigned to …

The Customer Is Always Right… Towards Rhino Pointing And Eye Tracking Interfaces For Combat Aviators, Patrick Highland, Daniel Harp, Thomas Schnell, Eric Geiselman, Paul Havig

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2021

At warfighter request, research was conducted to determine the military utility of eye tracking (ET) as a human machine interface (HMI) for large area displays (LADs) in a tactical live-flight environment. Flight test determined ET felt effortless until rapidly changing lighting conditions and pupil sizes as well as elevated gravitational load factor induced ET slippage rendered the requested interface unusable. In the spirit of, “the customer is always right,” researchers proved the warfighter ultimately wise in her request for a novel LAD HMI by testing a head tracking algorithm, called “Rhino Pointing (RP)”, alongside ET. RP was simpler to implement …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: May 2021, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

The Health Benefits Of Video Games, Zachary Shanks

Emerging Writers

This paper seeks to evaluate if video games are useful as more than just entertainment.  The research shows that they can be utilized in the educational, medical, and business fields. Video Games have been shown to benefit the physical, emotional, and mental health of players, as well as create more efficient learning and working environments. The article argues that video games are no longer just a source of entertainment, as they are now becoming useful tools in society.

The Future Of Artificial Intelligence, Alex Guerra

Emerging Writers

Whether we like it or not Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming, and we are not ready for it. AI has unimaginable potential and will revolutionize the world over the next few decades, but with this great potential we are faced with choices that could prove detrimental to humanity. This article examines the challenges AI presents and explores possible solutions to make AI align with human interests.

Pennies From Heaven: Death And The Afterlife In World War Ii Fantasy Films, Elise Williamson

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

Wartime fantasy films produced by major Hollywood studios during World War II integrate the supernatural (i.e., ghosts, angels, and the afterlife) into wartime settings with relevant protagonists and themes to address the psychological trauma of wartime death and loss. Three case studies – The Human Comedy (Clarence Brown, 1943), A Guy Named Joe (Victor Fleming, 1943), and Between Two Worlds (Edward A. Blatt, 1944) – explore fantasy narratives and conventions unconventionally blended with the war film genre, and illustrate how the war film setting (home front vs. combat front vs. war zone) influences character focus (civilians vs. military), the …

This Is Your Brain On Facebook: An Analytical Approach To Social Media And Autonomy, Armina Sharif

University Honors Program Senior Projects

This paper examines how data mining and microtargeting on Facebook undermine its users’ autonomy, that is their capacity to make their own free and deliberative choices. Facebook profiles a user by creating a psychological model of their preferences (beliefs and values). It then frames the content that appears in a user's News Feed on the basis of this model and thus shapes their preferences. This shaping of preferences has implications for the user’s autonomy. To show this I will apply John Christman’s conception of autonomy that focuses on how external covert influence can interfere with a user’s independent process of …

The Impact Of The Translation Of The Quran On Shakespeare’S Plays, Rania Shair

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the religion of Islam was gaining notoriety in the western world. Islamophobic propaganda was spreading. There was a growing fear in Europe of forced conversion, and this fear was sparked by controversial new translations of the Quran. This fear inspired works of literature during that time period. One of the greatest playwrights in history to be influenced by the Islamophobic propaganda is William Shakespeare.

To understand how Islamophobia influenced Shakespeare’s plays in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, one must understand the magnitude of how controversial it was to translate the Quran from Arabic to …