Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rebel Legitimacy: A Theory On Battle Intensity, Brooke A. Golden

Masters Theses

Why do some rebel groups experience more intense fighting during civil war than others? This paper examines the relationship between rebel legitimacy and battle intensity. Existing literature has much to say about the various variables that influence battle intensity; however, this paper will incorporate two causal mechanisms of rebel legitimacy that are often overlooked or understudied in the civil war literature that explores battle intensity. The two causal mechanisms are: the number of civilian deaths and the level of rebel governance. This study is unique in the way it challenges our current understanding of battle intensity through these mechanisms. This …

Where’S My Favorite Dictator? An Analysis Of The American Empire In Post-Revolution Egypt, Jeremy Alan Brill Booth

Masters Theses

In 2011, Egypt became the epicenter of a regional wave of uprisings demanding an end to corruption, inequality, and undemocratic governance. The Egyptian revolution marked the hopeful beginning of a democratization process. However, in 2013 a military coup by General Abdel Fatah El-Sisi deposed the elected president and ended Egypt’s democratic experiment (DeSmet 2021). Despite the deterioration in U.S.-Egypt relations during the Obama administration and the erosion of political freedoms and economic stability over the last decade, the Trump administration enthusiastically embraced El-Sisi’s regime. Did Trump's claim that El-Sisi was his “favorite dictator” signal a profound shift in American policy? …

Examining If A Candidate’S Presence On Facebook And Twitter Creates Favorable Public Opinion And Is A Predictor Of Vote Share In City Council Elections, Pranaav Jadhav

Masters Theses

Although a considerable amount of research has proved that the use of social media by candidates fighting national elections has resulted in success, like the Obama campaign of 2008 (Hughes et al., 2010) and the Trump campaign of 2016 (Williams et al., 2018) it is still unclear whether the use of social media by candidates has any impact on local city council elections in the U.S. Focusing on the 2021 Knoxville City Council election, this study investigates whether candidates that had a social media presence, posted on social media more frequently than their opponent in the four weeks before Election …

Impact Of Far-Red Light Supplementation On Yield And Growth Of Cannabis Sativa, Thomas Benjamin Carter

Masters Theses

Far-red light(700-780nm) induces shade avoidance response in many different species of plants. The shade avoidance response triggers a number of changes in the plant such as cell expansion and stem elongation. This cell expansion has shown to increase yields in leafy greens and increase flower set in tomatoes. Despite there being a void in the literature for Cannabis sativa, far-red lights are often advertised to provide several benefits. This study will evaluate the effects of far-red light supplementation on the yield and height of Cannabis sativa. Five cannabis clones were grown under white (410-730nm) light emitting diodes (LED’s) at …

Political Attitudes And Behavior In A Pandemic: Factors Affecting Compliance With Covid-19 Policies, Christopher Palmer

Masters Theses

The ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis provides a unique opportunity to examine the role that public opinion plays in policy efficacy. More specifically, what factors contribute to different policy outcomes within the population? Governments and institutions at all levels have sought to incentivize compliance behavior utilizing different approaches. Statistical models were used to examine the relationship between attitudes and behaviors within the United States in this context. Trust is the primary focus in this paper because of its role in a public health crisis with consideration for rules and norms of social interaction. The analysis herein shows that social trust …

Willing White Flag: Voluntary Militia Disarmament In The Lebanese Civil War, Daniella Maria Khoury

Masters Theses

This study examines the conditions under which militias embroiled in civil war choose to disarm. This study argues that militias more invested in domestic politics rather than engaging in regional rivalries, are more likely to choose to disarm voluntarily. The results show that after examining seven different militias in the context of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), religious affiliation is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition to cause the drastic difference in the outcome of voluntary disarmament. The theory is proven correct when accounting for domestic and international relationships and militia commitment to operating within a particular level of analysis.

Female Suicide Terrorism: An Analysis Of Trends And Group Motivations Linked To The Increase In Female Participation As Suicide Bombers, Samantha Louise Okowita

Masters Theses

There has been an increasing level of female participation as suicide bombers, driven primarily by groups understanding of strategic advantages when using women. First, considering the argument cultural shifts have allowed women more opportunities to participate is shown to be faulty as it only explains participation in secular and domestic organizations, failing to consider increasing rise in religious and international organizations, as well as the time lag between male and female participation in suicide campaigns. The strategic argument is capable of explaining the time lag and participation in any group type because it frames the decision as a cost-benefit analysis. …

Sounding Identity: Soundscapes, Music, And Technoculture In The Chinese Diaspora Of Panama, Corey Michael Blake

Masters Theses

Present in Panama since the 19^th century, the Chinese diaspora in Panama City, Panama represents an empowered community of individuals who identify as both Chinese and Panamanian. These Chinese Panamanian hybrid identities emerge within sonic environments through an engagement with transnational media and digital technologies, notably within retail stores. Specifically, music surfaces as an especially important sonic marker of the Chinese Panamanian hybridity. Within the mall of the Panamanian Chinatown of El Dorado, an interesting mixture of both Chinese and Latin American popular music genres sounds throughout the various stores. This mixture of music genres demonstrates Chinese Panamanian agency …

Hey! Give Me A Boost: The Impact Of Conflict Joining On The Rally 'Round The Flag In The United Kingdom, 1948-2000, Marissa Kathleen Wilson

Masters Theses

International Relations has long sought to identify the causes of conflict. Two popular theories that suggest leaders use conflict for domestic purposes – that of diversion and policy availability – rest on the assumption that conflict does in fact lead to domestic political benefits. Chief among these benefits is the boost in public approval ratings, known as the “rally-‘round-the-flag.” Large-N statistical studies testing the rally effect are few and seldom look beyond the United States. Further, there are no studies that examine the varying rally effects of joining ongoing conflicts versus conflict initiation or participation. The postulated theory suggests conflict …

"Motorbike Guide For Westerners": Entrepreneurial Development And The Creation Of A Cultural Tourism Product In Transitional Vietnam, Karl Russell Kirby

Masters Theses

Vietnam is undergoing economic transition from a command economy to an economy with greater market characteristics. Transition is fundamentally reshaping the country through economic liberalization and increased exposure to foreign markets. The Vietnamese are developing institutions necessary for market growth and international tourists are arriving in ever-larger numbers. This research project is a case study of businesses that provide guided motorbike tours and evaluates the businesses based on two criteria: as a study of institutional growth during economic transition and as an examination of tourism production through guide interpretation. The author interviewed and observed sixteen guides in Vietnam—from Dalat in …

Public Confidence In Social Institutions And Media Coverage: A Case Of Belarus, Dzmitry Yuran

Masters Theses

Social scientists agree that public confidence in social institutions is a crucial element in building democratic society. This is especially true for transitional societies including post-communist countries, because the lack of public confidence in newly emerged democratic institutions can interfere with democratic development. Although different theories explaining public confidence in social institutions were developed, these theories ignored the role that mass media play in building public confidence. The goal of this study is to examine the connection between mass media coverage of social institutions and public confidence in these institutions by conducting content analysis of Belarusian newspapers, reviewing the results …

War Of Words: Framing Of The United States In Selected Belarusian Newspapers In 2009, Natalie Manayeva

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the peculiarities of framing of the United States in selected Belarusian newspapers during first six months of the Obama administration. The concepts of anti-Americanism, authoritarian model of mass media and framing were chosen as a theoretical framework. This study was focused on the two main questions: first, what is the difference in how Belarusian state-run and independent newspapers frame the U.S., and second, what is the mechanism of creating negative image of the U.S. in Belarusian newspapers. In order to provide comprehensive answers to both questions the multi-method approach (involving methods of …

Modernity, Capitalism, And War: Toward A Sociology Of War In The Nineteenth Century, 1815-1914, Eric Royal Lybeck

Masters Theses

The academic discipline of Sociology has rarely broached the subject of war and its recursive relationship with society. This paper addresses three major approaches in several disciplines that can be deemed ‘economically deterministic’: Marxist, Liberal, and Realist. These approaches can be useful for certain questions, but also leave out, or cloud other non-economic variables in understanding war – notably culture and military variables themselves. By using Karl Polanyi’s thesis regarding the “Myth of the Hundred Years’ Peace” (1815-1914) as a foil, the historical case of war in the nineteenth century is used to highlight the nature of war in European …

Fully Informed Jury Association V. County Of San Diego: A Practical Approach To Jury Nullification, Alyson Hope Dodd Kennedy

Masters Theses

A jury in a criminal trial typically must make a decision about the guilt of a given defendant. Occasionally, the jury moves one step beyond this basic task and chooses to exercise its nullification power. That is, the jury decides that, according to the evidence, a given defendant is guilty of the crime with which he or she is charged, but that applying the law to that defendant would, essentially, not be doing justice.

While much is known about the process by which juries make decisions, the specific factors that encourage juries to engage in nullification and the circumstances under …

Violence, Drugs, And U.S. Foreign Assistance, Lauren Elizabeth Mattox

Masters Theses

Over the years, scholars have continually debated the effect that foreign assistance has had on recipient countries. This study aims to continue research in that area by exploring the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance to Colombia. Specifically, my research is designed to investigate the effect of U.S. foreign assistance in three broad areas of Colombian society: law enforcement, guerrilla violence, and drug production.

Using available data that covers the years 1980-2002, I perform a multivariate time-series analysis to assess the impact of U.S. foreign assistance on six key dependent variables; these variables have been selected to illuminate the three …

Genocide And Genocide Prevention: Outlines Illustrated With The Tragedy In Rwanda 1994, Ginger L. Denton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to contribute to comparative research towards a theory of modern genocide and ways to prevent mass murder. Definitions, typologies, key elements, patterns, a comparison of the Holocaust with the Rwandan genocide, and preventative measures are included in the study.

China’S Public Health Sector In Transition: Assessing Market Reform Impacts, Bo Li

Masters Theses

Many studies have been done to evaluate China’s transitional economy and its impacts on the public health sector. It is a widely accepted proposition that the market reform initiated in the late 1980s significantly changed the public health sector. While some scholars argue that the Chinese people’s overall health status has improved compared to that of the pre-reform era, others identify declining health expenditures and widening regional gaps, indicating quite a dim health situation. In this thesis, I argue that market reforms have not improved the people’s access to health services. In the reform era, the overall civil health status …

Chinese Political Regime And The Rising Income Inequality In The Reform Era, Xiaoyang Hou

Masters Theses

This thesis probes the sharply rising income inequality in reform-era China under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) authoritarian regime. Accepting the premise that economic transition inevitably leads to the income inequality, my special focus in this thesis is to demonstrate how political factors contribute to the worsening income inequality in China.

This study shows that the skewed power structure generates the income inequality. I explore three factors pertaining to the political regime that lead to the widening income inequality in reform-era China, which are: first, the nature of Chinese political system, which includes: the CCP’s dominant position in party-state China; …

Fiscal Reforms And The Relationship Of Central-Local Governments In China, Myoung-Shik Kim

Masters Theses

In 1978, China started its economic reforms, and the main characteristic of Chinese economic reforms is fiscal decentralization. This means that the central government wanted local governments to develop the local economies with their fiscal autonomy. By and large, this strategy was successful. However, it also brought many structural problems such as the increase of government deficits and instability of macroeconomic policy. As a result, the central government was increasingly concerned with the potential political and economic consequences of its weakening fiscal power. The ceter finally introduced a new fiscal reform program (the tax-sharing system) in 1994. The main objective …

Balancing Equality And Liberty In Rawls’S Theory Of Justice, Young-Soon Bae

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the balance of equality and liberty in Rawls’s theory of justice. By analyzing the contents of his two principles of justice, this thesis supports his claim that the principles of justice adequately represent the values of equality and liberty.

The point that this thesis focuses on is the relationship between two principles of justice. According to Rawls, the relationship between them is created by priority rules. Rawls arranges two principles of justice in lexical order – the priority of the first principle over the second. This idea of priority rules does not provide an adequate standard to …

Jean-Paul Sartre's Concepts Of Praxis And History In His Critique Of Dialectical Reason, Kyung Ock Chun

Masters Theses

The primary problem of this study is to clarify Sartre's concept of praxis as a projective action of human consciousness which creates history and makes it intelligible. I focus on Sartre's attempt to combine an existential humanism with a theory of history as a progressive movement generated by individual actors, their social groups, and their environmental surroundings. Sartre's Critique provides the philosophical basis for understanding social institutions and behavior, and describes human action as a complex totality comprising free subjectivity and its unavoidable environment.

This inquiry focuses on the existential root of Sartre's theory of history and the problematic nature …

Sources Of Political Instability And Stability In Iran, 1779-1973, Ahmad Pishva

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to define and examine the main sources of political instability and stability which existed in Iran between 1779 and 1973. The magnitude of the political, social, and economic changes in Iran during this period fostered an atmosphere in which the elements of both instability and stability prevailed.

The study dealt with four distinct political periods. The first period examined was that of the Qajar Dynasty (1779-1925). The second period dealt with was the modernization of Iran under Reza Shah (1926-1941). The third period discussed was the early segment of the reign of Mohammad Reza …

The Value System As A Source Of Political Attitudes, William S. Maddox

Masters Theses

The field of political psychology focuses on specific political behavior as it relates to a total measure of the individual. This research effort chose as a possible summation of that totality the value system, defined as any individual's description of his total image of the world and the behavior which he prefers in dealing with that world. Within this perspective, political attitudes are the result of the expression of a broad and abstract value system with reference to a specific attitude object.

The research design utilized Q methodology to gather empirical descriptions of values systems toward a political issue, i.e., …

Personnel Organization In The Republic Of China--The Reorganization Of 1967, Shun Yao

Masters Theses

At the end of 1967, the Chinese government promulgated an administrative decree on delegation of authority, and established the Personnel Bureau directly under the Executive Yuan. These two occurrences, from the administration point of view, are milestones in the renovation of the Chinese Republic in modern history..

The aim of these actions is to improve the conduct of government and inspire efficiency in government personnel--problems encountered in government. Progress involves the analysis of theories of public administration as well as the practical problems presently existing in the government. The scope of this thesis does not permit consideration of the problems …

Land Reform In China (1911-1953), Chen-Hung Keong

Masters Theses

[From Chapter I]

The significance of the Chinese land reform consists in the elimination of the landlord-gentry class and redistribution of land among the peasantry. It is, therefore, necessary to evaluate the following matters, before discussing land reform itself.

1. Since Confucianism has dominated the Chinese minds for about two thousand years, it will be useful to examine its impact on both the landlord-gentry class and the peasantry.

2. In the Chinese history, the landlord-gentry class constantly played an important and active role in social, economic and political affairs. A study of its origin, development, and structure will …

A Comparison Of The Foreign Policies Of The United States And Canada, Robert Bruce Braid

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A History Of The Rules Committee Of The House Of Representatives, Edward Martin Allen Jr.

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Some Factors In The Establishment Of Autocracy In Ghana, Peter Martin Stephenson

Masters Theses

In October, 1961, the Ghanaian legislature enacted two laws which received considerable attention from the world press. One made illegal any statement which could be taken as criticism of the President. This was to apply even in the legislature, so that it would be extremely difficult for any anti-Nkrumah forces there to operate effectively. The other law empowered the President to appoint special courts to deal with crimes against the state. This might not have been especially noteworthy except that they were clearly set up so that they could easily be used to bring about the execution of persons who …

The Bible, The Constitution And Public Education: A Case Study Of Religious Instruction In The Public Schools Of Knoxville And Knox County, Tennessee, Joseph W. Harrison

Masters Theses

The specific question to be asked is this: what do the state and society owe to the churches in their spiritual missions? The answer must include a creation of conditions in society to favor the ends of the human individual.

The Life Of William Carroll, Margaret Leonard Walker

Masters Theses

PREFACE: Until recent years almost nothing had been written about William Carroll although he was governor of Tennessee for a greater length of time than any other man and is one of Tennessee's commanding figures. He participated in and was a leading figure in two of the most remarkable achievements in military history: the victory of Horseshoe Bend, and the victory of New Orleans.

Not all the interesting events of Carroll's life have yet been placed before the public; both his character and attainments have been neglected by the historians. It is in order to supply in a small measure …