Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Secular Spirituality/Mundane Media: One Newspaper’S In-Depth Coverage Of Buddhism, Rick Clifton Moore

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper addresses Mark Silk’s theory of "unsecular media" through a case study of a visit the Dalai Lama made to the United States. Silk contends the themes (what he calls "topoi") media use to cover religion are derived from Western faiths. Thus, according to Silk, when Western religious principles are used to write about Western religious practices, those practices are generally evaluated positively. In the analysis that follows I examine the extent to which Silk’s topoi were used to report about Buddhism, an obviously "Eastern" religion. The basic findings suggest that Silk’s topoi were readily applied in the stories …

Designing For The Student: Users' Styles And Department Web Sites, Trevor Hall, Ryan Jensen, Daniel Mclean

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Researchers have recognized that students rely on different learning styles and strategies to succeed, and the importance of recognizing different learning styles is well documented (e.g., Cassidy 2004; Vermunt 1994; Bransford et al. 1989; Kolb 1985). The same is true of how students use technological resources; it has become increasingly clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all students. While a great deal has been written on these topics, the literature addressing such differences has focused primarily on course content (Fahy and Ally 2005; Lee et al. 2005; Ross and Lukow 2004; Baldwin and Sabry 2003; Brown, Bull, and …

Regional Cooperation In Employment And Training Policy: A Matter Of Collective Action Or Intergovernmental Relations?, Susan G. Mason

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article provides empirical evidence that factors derived from the collective action theories resonated with employment and training policy implementers as the most influential for achieving regional cooperation for community development. Findings indicate that having specific reasons and the opportunity to benefit from collaborating does more to advance cooperation than competing for scarce resources. Permitting Workforce Investment Boards self-governing authority and providing an opportunity for mutual gains are promising means for gaining substantive cooperation both within and across workforce investment areas in U.S. employment and training policy.

A Difusão Do Orçamento Participativo Brasileiro: ‘Boas Práticas' Devem Ser Promovidas?, Brian Wampler

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The "third wave" of democratization has been accompanied by the spread of new institutions that allow citizens to deliberate and decide policy outcomes. Leading international organizations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations, have disseminated "best practice" programs identified with "good government" policy reform efforts. One of the most well-known programs, Participatory Budgeting (PB), was first adopted by Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) in 1989 as a means to promote social justice, accountability, and transparency. There has been widespread adoption of PB in Brazil, led by the PT. Yet, by 2001, nearly half of PB programs had been adopted …

Factors That Influence Informal Learning In The Workplace, Shelley A. Berg, Seung Youn Chyung

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence informal learning in the workplace and the types of informal learning activities people engage in at work. More specifically, the research examined (1) the relationship between informal learning engagement and the presence of learning organization characteristics, and (2) perceived factors that affect informal learning engagement.

Methodology – Workplace learning and performance improvement professionals were invited to respond to an anonymous online survey, and 125 professionals volunteered to participate in the study.

Findings – This study did not find a significant correlation between informal learning engagement and the …

Exceptionality And Variation In Modern Hebrew Spirantization, Michal Temkin Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

No abstract provided.

Refugee Integration Into Diasporic Society: A Case Study Of Somali Bantu Refugees Living In Boise, Idaho, Fred Waweru

McNair Scholars Research Journal

For decades Somalia has been affected by catastrophic events that have left millions of its people displaced. Among the events that have caused these tremendous displacements of Somalis is the civil war that intensified in the early 1990s. Many of these displaced people still live in refugee camps across east African countries, notably Kenya. Some, however, have sought asylum and been accepted by many industrialized nations such as Canada, United States, Norway, and Australia. The resettlement of Somali refugees to these diasporic nations has come with extensive challenges related to starting over a new life. Difficulty in assimilation to their …

The Relation Between Attachment To Opposite Sex Parents And Attachment To Romantic Partners, Gary L. Grogan

McNair Scholars Research Journal

This study examined the relation between attachment to opposite sex parents and attachment to romantic partners. Previous research has indicated that attachments to parents closely resemble attachments to romantic partners (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). However, little research has examined whether attachment to the mother or father is more predictive of attachment to romantic partners, and whether this varies by gender. The present study surveyed 236 college students about their attachment to parents, as well as romantic partners. We hypothesized that attachment to opposite sex parents would be significantly related to attachment with romantic partners. Results indicated that those who exhibit …

Do Self-Esteem And Parental Authority Influence Self-Reported Aggressive Behaviors?, Nicole Svenkerud

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Aggression is a primary concern throughout the United States and over the last 40 years many researchers have tried to understand how aggression manifests (Tremblay, 2002). The present study examined the relations between self-esteem, perceived parental authority, and aggression. Two-hundred sixty participants were asked about their aggressive behaviors, self-esteem, and perceptions of parental authority. Results indicated that perceived authoritarian parenting was negatively correlated with hostility and physical aggression. Self-esteem was positively correlated with perceived authoritative parenting. Individuals’ who reported lower levels of self-esteem also reported higher levels of anger and hostility. The present study can contribute to understanding how an …

Human Rights & Multilateral Development Banks: Evaluating Recipient Records & Lending Practices, Geneva J. Román

McNair Scholars Research Journal

This study examines the role of recipient human rights records in the loan allocation of multilateral development banks. Correlating the loan amounts awarded to recipients with their human rights environments determines whether or not human rights are a substantial consideration in multilateral lending practices. By analyzing the African Development Bank, African Development Fund, Inter-American Bank and the International Monetary Fund this study also sheds light on whether international financial institutions are upholding their legally bound human rights obligations. This study uses Ordinary Least Squares and General Least Squares regression models and finds that human rights have little effect on the …

Out Of The Closet Or Under The Rug: An Analysis Of Same-Sex Domestic Violence In Idaho, Carol Mchann

McNair Scholars Research Journal

To date, there have been a limited number of studies that focus on the events of terror and injury, identified as domestic violence, as it occurs within the lives of homosexual couples. Through a review of academic articles and an analysis of government statistical data, this paper will address the prevalence of reported incidents of domestic violence within same-sex couples in the state of Idaho as compared to those reported nationally. The incidents of same-sex domestic violence within the state of Idaho will also be compared to incidents within heterosexual couples at the state and national levels to access the …

Policy Design And Regional Cooperation Under The Workforce Investment Act, Susan G. Mason

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mazmanian and Sabatier advocate the importance of legislation for successful policy implementation. Scholars such as Perkmann have identified structural factors that affect regional cooperation. Under Workforce Investment Act, legislative and structural factors in obtaining regional cooperation across traditional state and local government boundaries are analyzed in nine U.S. Midwestern metropolitan regions. Results from this study suggest there are policy design and structural factors such as the focus of actors; same year implementation of the act; and the amount of hierarchical integration of administrative entities that can be enhanced to increase the likelihood that regional cooperation will occur under WIA.

A Study Of Idaho Citizen’S Attitudes About Early Childhood Care & Education Issues, Social Science Research Center, Boise State University

Research and Reports

Annually, the SSRC conducts a large-scale survey of Idahoans to identify public policy concerns. The study is provided to public officials and interested citizens to facilitate policy discussion and education. This study was undertaken in conjunction with the annual policy survey. The findings in this report reflect eleven questions sponsored by Mountain State’s Group, supported by a grant from the Anne Casey Foundation.

The Reintegration Of Veterans, Kevin Ross, Adela Anderson, Maribeth Horan, Cina Sorenson

Service-Learning Program

This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of Boise State University students regarding veterans’ reintegration issues. Two hundred eight students in an introductory psychology course participated in an online survey. We found that 88% of respondents know a veteran but 37% don’t know what services are available to them to assist with reintegration issues such as family, mental health and addictions problems. The information gathered assisted us in designing a brochure to serve as a single source of information on reintegration assistance for veterans and their families.

Public Perceptions About Early Childhood Issues, Public Policy Center, Boise State University

Research and Reports

A survey of the Idaho public reveals strong support for funding and programs aimed at enhanced early childhood education and childcare options, particularly for working parents and low-income households.

Treasure Valley State Of The Region: Progress Report 2008, Public Policy Center, Boise State University, Gregory C. Hill

Research and Reports

The original Treasure Valley State of the Region Report (2006) describes the Boise- Nampa MSA using 49 indicators on social, economic, fiscal and environmental aspects of the region. Comparisons using the indicators are also made with peer regions in the Western United States. The rapid increase in growth in the Treasure Valley warrants a comprehensive look at the region. The Public Policy Center in the College of Social Science and Public Affairs at Boise State University initiated the production of this report to meet this need.

This report was assembled by faculty and graduate students in an effort to produce …

Exceptions Encoded At The Segmental Level, Michal Temkin Martinez

Michal Temkin Martinez

This paper discusses the need for including treatment of exceptions as segmental-level phenomena in the theory as evidenced from exceptional cases to spirantization in Modern Hebrew. A prespecification approach is used to provide an Optimality Theoretic account for words containing both regularly spirantizing and exceptional segments. Previous word-level analyses fail to account for such forms by dealing with exceptions as whole-word phenomena, allowing only words in which segments are either exceptions or regularly alternating.