Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From Gay Street To Turkey Creek: Knoxville’S Urban And Suburban Growth Machines, Katherine Leigh Morris

Masters Theses

Using growth machine theory, this study examines the newly built "lifestyle center" of the suburban Turkey Creek development and the redevelopment of the Gay Street corridor in downtown Knoxville, TN. Growth machine theory is one of sociology's predominant theories used to understand development and growth projects in metropolitan areas, and although not specifically defined in current literature, I suggest there are many differences in suburban and urban growth machines. This study examines the local dependency and organization of pro-growth coalitions; the tactics, ideology, and culture used to promote development projects; and community reactions. Upon completion of this project, I found …

Eight Karats Of Justice: Analysis Of The Grassroots Resistance Movement Against Goldmining In The Villages Of Bergama, Turkey, Banu Aysu Koçer

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores and analyzes the grassroots movement against goldmining in the villages of Bergama, Turkey. The struggle of Bergama villagers started out as a local ecological resistance movement in the early 1990s and gradually transformed into an environmental justice movement with national implications when activists adopted a rights-based discourse by incorporating into their claims the notions of justice, democratic participation, and citizenship rights.

Since goldmining investment in Bergama was a manifestation of significant shifts in the global corporate mining industry starting in the 1980s, and of changes in the world political economy, an account of these shifts is presented …

The Social Ecology Of Parenting: Systematically Modeling The Antecedents Of Supportive And Intrusive Parenting, Julie A. Schluterman

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the significant contributions of this study is its inclusion of the role of social contextual factors in determining parenting. I built on the ecological model proposed by Belsky (1984). As such, the parenting model tested in this dissertation included individual level determinants of parenting: 1) parent characteristics (e.g., developmental history), and 2) child characteristics (e.g., behavior problems). Yet, rather than include a social context domain as described by Belsky, I distinguished between within family context (e.g., interparental hostility) and external to family context (e.g., work-family conflict, neighborhood disorganization) as social contextual sources of stress and support to the …

Felony Disenfranchisement Legislation: A Test Of The Group Threat Hypothesis, Angel Dawn Geoghagan

Doctoral Dissertations

The group threat hypothesis is part of the conflict theoretical perspective, which has been one of the most dominant and useful theories in the fields of criminology and criminal justice for decades. The usefulness of this perspective relates to the understanding it provides of how the law can be used by those in power as a measure of control. The use of law as a method of control has a long history in the US society, and there are many examples from which to pull. This project examines the use of one set of laws, felony disenfranchisement legislation, to determine …

Counterterrorism And The Deterrence Doctrine, Casey E. Cordy

Masters Theses

The United States presently focuses much of its energy on the prevention of terrorism through particular counterterrorism policies and strategies. Today, deterrence is the primary theoretical basis for counterterrorism policies. If the United States invests so heavily in deterrence as a counterterrorism strategy, is it successful? If not, what are its theoretical flaws? Who is best served by efforts to prevent terrorism through a deterrent project?

This thesis will argue that a more appropriate understanding of terrorism is necessary. In order to achieve a more holistic conception of the terrorism problem, efforts should be made politically and theoretically to incorporate …

Groundwater: A Community’S Management Of The Invaluable Resource Beneath Its Feet, Nancy D. Brannon

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the impact of human decisions on vital resources is a core task of environmental sociology, which studies the interaction between human society and the environment. The overarching theme of this research is the economicenvironmental relationship in U.S. public policy, using a case study of a specific environmental resource problem in a specific region. It fuses basic assumptions of two economic growth models (treadmill of production and the urban growth machine) to examine the extent to which these assumptions permeate the worldviews of policymakers and those who advise them. When the growth imperative is a priority in their …

Media, Accounts, And Coherence: ‘De Facto’ Impression Management Of A Transgressing Sport Star In The Chicago Tribune, Erin Maureen Austin

Masters Theses

Using the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case as an example, this thesis attempts to understand how the media, specifically The Chicago Tribune, maintain the consistency of a certain representation given changing or new information. A full analysis of all 274 news articles found in The Chicago Tribune from June 30, 2003 (the date the alleged sexual assault took place) through August 31, 2004 (the day before the charges were dismissed), revealed five devices by which journalists managed Bryant’s image. These devices are: (1) case is not paramount, (2) case is hindering basketball, (3) external lures are to blame, (4) …

A Closer Look At Maternal Directiveness During Toddlerhood In A Lower Socioeconomic Sample, Ann Elizabeth Koelz

Masters Theses

The current study describes the directive behaviors of seven mothers with their toddlers ranging in age from 12 to 35 months throughout the day. This study explores the behaviors of a sample with lower socioeconomic status without the use of unnatural measures or artificial environments that may enhance the likelihood of observing atypical behaviors and perhaps perpetuate a deficit-based interpretation of the poverty context. Nine hours of observation for each dyad were collected as part of a larger study concerning the daily experiences of toddlers with the exception of one participant who dropped out of the study after three hours …

Extraction, Ecology, Exploitation, And Oppression: The Political Economy Of Coal In Appalachia, William R. Wishart

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the social and ecological problems associated with mountaintop mining in central Appalachia. Theoretical insights from world system theorists and other political economists are used to trace the roots of these problems to the historical progression of different modes of extraction in the region. The restructuring of the region’s social, cultural, and ecological systems to meet the needs of core production over time has perpetuated its position as a resource extractive periphery. This occurred in three major modes: a frontier mode, an agricultural mode, and an industrial raw materials mode. The last mode has been characterized primarily by …

Minutes, 11/5/2007, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

No abstract provided.

Minutes, 10/3/2007, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

No abstract provided.

Minutes, 9/5/2007, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Developmental Assets Of Early Adolescents In Two Urban Youth Programs, Keesha Yvette Chapman

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of developmental assets of youth participating in two programs that have similar goals but are organized differently. One program was structured around a theoretical and empirical model of youth development (i.e., developmental asset framework) and one program was not organized around this framework. Gender was examined to determine if differences in reports of developmental assets existed across programs in relation to gender.

Data were obtained from 40 youth between the ages of 10 and 14 participating in both programs. A 47-item questionnaire was administered to participants in small groups at …

Does National Policy Influence Individual Car Driving Behavior: A Cross-National Study Of The European Union, Erika Lynn Borek

Masters Theses

This study examines how the national policy climate affects individual driving behavior in the European Union. Using secondary data from the International Social Survey Program: Environment II 2000 in conjunction with national scores from the 2001 and 2002 Environmental Sustainability Indexes, I analyze the relationship between three macro-level predictors and the reduction of individual car driving. My results indicate that the national environmental policy climate positively relates with the likelihood of individuals driving less. Further individual’s likelihood to reduce car driving is significantly affected by the individual’s type of employment, education level, family income level, gender, age, and concerns toward …

The Falling Rate Of Profit Thesis Reassessed: Toward A Sociology Of Marx’S Value Theory Of Labor, John Hamilton Bradford

Masters Theses

Marx considered his theory of the falling rate of profit to be one of the most important discoveries in the field of political economy. According to Marx’s theory, productivity increases put downward pressure on prices and hence profits. Recurrent crises of capital devaluation are both the consequence and solution to this pressure, aggravating the loss of profits initially, but enabling the pursuit of profits via accumulation to once again ensue. Marx’s argument, however, has been the subject of intense dispute for over a century. His critics charge that Marx’s thesis is not only improbable but impossible.

This study is an …

Child Characteristics, Parent-Child Interaction Style, And Self-Regulation As Predictors Of Externalizing Behaviors In Toddlers, Bridget Ellen Hatfield

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Academic Achievement And Depression Among Chinese Youth: The Role Of Gender, Qionghui Zhang

Masters Theses

A seemingly discrepant relationship between Chinese adolescents’ academic achievement, depression and gender was revealed from the literature. Chinese adolescent girls have higher academic achievement than Chinese boys (Duckworth & Seligman, 2006; Hunley et al., 2005; Liang & Sun, 2000; Nie, Zhang, & Zhang, 2001; Wan et al., 2003). Higher academic achievement was found to be inversely associated with depression among Chinese adolescents (Hesketh et al., 2002; Ji et al., 2001; Pritchard, 1996). It is then expected that Chinese girls have lower depression than Chinese boys. However, literature shows that Chinese girls have higher depression than Chinese boys (Hesketh et al., …

Infant Learning And Physiological Self-Regulation During The Visual Expectation Paradigm, Heather Sedges

Masters Theses

Learning during infancy is dependent on many factors. One such factor is physiological self-regulation. This study investigated the relationship between physiological self-regulation abilities and evidence of learning based on Visual Expectation Paradigm (VExP) performance. Alterations in High Frequency Heart Period Variability (HFHPV) assessed physiological self-regulation and were hypothesized to correspond with VExP performance. Findings revealed patterns of HFHPV change during the VExP and that HFHPV change negatively corresponded with a resting measure of HFHPV and VExP performance. Results suggested that resting HFHPV was a better predictor of learning during the VExP than patterns of HFHPV change evidenced throughout the task.

Ethiopia: The State Of Terror And War In The Horn Of Africa, Asafa Jalata

Sociology Publications and Other Works

My discussion focuses on two central issues. First, I will demonstrate how global connections, war, and terrorism have been used as the main political tools in creating and maintaining the Abyssinian/Ethiopian state. Second, I will assert how there cannot be peace, democracy, stability, and development in the Horn of Africa without removing the Tigrayan-led minority Ethiopian government that intensifies terrorism, external dependency, and war in the Horn of Africa.

Sp681-I-Tips For Divorcing Parents, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Family

Most children whose parents divorce learn to cope with the divorce and go on to lead successful and healthy lives. Yet, children of divorce are more than twice as likely as children in intact marriages to have long-term problems emotionally, mentally and socially. How you and your spouse handle your relationship with each other and with your children after the divorce will be the most important factor in how well your teens recover from this difficult experience.

The Concept Of Oromummaa And Identity Formation In Contemporary Oromo Society, Asafa Jalata

Sociology Publications and Other Works

This paper examines the essence of Oromummaa (Oromo culture and nationalism),[1] Oromo identity, and human agency at the personal, interpersonal[2] and collective (national)[3] levels. It specifically explains the relationship between the uneven development of Oromummaa and Oromo organizational problems. This paper also suggests some steps that should be taken by Oromo nationalists and activists in order to overcome the problem of uneven development of Oromo nationalism and to build an effective national political leadership, increasing the organizational capacity of Oromo society so it will be able to achieve self-determination and human liberation.

Words And Their Meanings: The "F" Word And More, James R. Weaver

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

A presentation about derogatory words and their meanings targeted at LGBT persons.

A Study Of The Development Of Long-Term Marriages Lasting 25 Years Or More, Alexander S. Gnilka

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the development of long-term marriages lasting 25 years or more. Six couples were interviewed using a qualitative case study methodology using the nine task model created by Wallerstein and Blakeslee (1995) as the theoretical framework. This study sought to understand how couples in long-term marriages demonstrated utilizing Wallerstein and Blakeslee’s nine tasks, and if they identified any new tasks, a hierarchy, and any changes to the definitions of the tasks. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and a survey. Multiple themes were developed for how participants utilized the nine original tasks in …

A Website Analysis Of The University Of Tennessee’S Peer Institutions To Assess Their Support Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender People, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

This report is based upon activities of the Research Committee, UTK’s Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People, conducted during spring 2007. The objectives of the report include:

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To assess the support provided to LGBT people at the University of Tennessee’s (UT) peer institutions (based on website analysis).

o

To develop a methodology to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the support provided to LGBT people at UT’s peer institutions.

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To create a checklist that provides a quantitative comparison of the support provided to LGBT people at UT’s peer institutions.

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To provide a detailed qualitative analysis of …

Meth Epidemic In Rural Tennessee: Construction Of A Social Problem, Brian Harold Langley

Masters Theses

Social constructionists argue that what problems are recognized as social problems in a society reflect the efforts of various individuals and organizations to frame particular issues as deserving of public attention and action. Illegal drugs (heroin, LSD, crack cocaine) repeatedly have been identified as social problems harming innocent victims (e.g., crack babies) and leading to various forms of criminal activity. The focus of this project is how media, specifically newspaper coverage, rose as claims makers identified methamphetamine (meth) production as a serious problem in rural areas of the southeast. Although the drug had been available under various names for decades, …

Commemorating Falled Oromo Heroes And Heroines (Guuyyaa Gootota Oromoo), Asafa Jalata

Sociology Publications and Other Works

Why do we commemorate this national day? What is the importance of having heroes and heroines in Oromo society? What criteria distinguish Oromo individuals who have sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their people and their country? There are five major reasons why we commemorate this day. First, this day allows us to remember those Oromo heroines and heroes who sacrificed their lives to restore Oromo culture, identity, and human dignity that were wounded by Ethiopian colonialism. Second, this commemoration day assists us to recognize the dialectical connection between martyrdom, bravery, patriotism and Oromummaa. Third, this day reminds us …

Commission's Resolution On The Inclusion Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity In University Non-Discrimination Policy, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

Resolution recommending that the University of Tennessee include sexual orientation and gender identity in its hiring and personnel policies and that sexual orientation and gender identity be recognized and treated in the same manner as other categories in the university’s hiring and personnel policies.

Minutes, 03/22/2007, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

No abstract provided.

Report On Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Inclusion In Non-Discrimination Policies At Peer, Sec, And Aau Institutions, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

A comparative analysis of the inclusion of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in EEO/AA and Non-Discrimination Policies of Peer, SEC, and AAU Institutions.

Minutes, 02/15/2007, The Commission For Lesbian, Gay Bisexual And Transgender People At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville

Commission for LGBT - Reports, Minutes, Events and Other Documents

No abstract provided.