Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Selected Factors That Influenced A State's Collapse: A Historical Analysis Of The Case Of Sierra Leone, I. Betty Williams Conteh

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the 1990s the United Nations Human Development Index, an annual report that measures human development, depicted Sierra Leone as one of, if not the poorest nation on the planet. In 2001, the same report depicted 162 countries in terms of human development and Sierra Leone ranked 162. This Sub-Saharan nation experienced a total collapse of its state and society beginning in 1990. The United Nations and the rest of the international community are only now beginning to work towards putting Sierra Leone together again.

This study investigate factors that led to the collapse of Sierra Leone--factors such as …

Leadership: The Missing Variable In The Economic Development Of Sub-Saharan Africa, Osei K. Bonsu

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Contemporary economic theories, modernization and dependency, have overlooked the fact that the development process depends on the interaction of social factors. Specifically, the theories have ignored the role of leadership in analyzing economic development. This dissertation seeks to incorporate the importance of leadership into the analysis of development. It argues that sub-Saharan African countries have not developed economically because leaders in the region have been less than successful in establishing a culture conducive to industrialization. African leaders have failed to establish the high moral and scientific cultures necessary to promote economic progress. In place of those cultural attributes, the leaders …

Mechanical Angel: Carolyn Forché And The Material Projection Of Messianic History, Alan Clinton

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The work of Carolyn Forché has always retained a political edge, with works such as the exploration of her Czech background in Gathering the Tribes (1976) and her account of visits to El Salvador in The Country Between Us (1981). Forché has been one of the leading poets who, in her own words, has combatted the self-censorship operative among American poets and writers that seemed to preclude writing about...historical events when those events were still unsafe (qtd. in Stein 147). Her third book of poems The Angel of History (published 13 years later), however, represents a new turn …

Workplace Surveillance, Inc., Bilge Yesil

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In recent years the use of surveillance technologies in the workplace has become widespread. According to an annual survey by the American Management Association (AMA) on workplace monitoring and surveillance (2001), more and more U.S. companies are keeping tabs on employees by checking their e-mail, Internet, or telephone connections or by videotaping them at work.

On Jean Baudrillard's Impossible Exchange, Liam Mcnamara

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In many ways, Jean Baudrillard has never really attracted the critical attention that he deserves; his early brilliant books, such as For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign (1981) and The Mirror of Production (1975) remain resolutely out of print, perhaps because they do not accord with his recent high profile in the media. The hermetic obscurantism of these older texts repels a more casual reader, steeped as they are in poststructuralist theory and remote Marxist anthropology. They are also more rigorously scholarly than books such as Impossible Exchange, and therefore a less pleasurable …

A Comparison Of The Learning Styles Of Graduate Athletic Training Students And Their Demographic Characteristics, Jennifer Lynn Plant

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Using the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS) and a self­ designed demographic survey, this study assessed the learning styles of students enrolled in a NATA approved graduate athletic training education program and compared the relationship between learning style preferences and the demographic characteristics of the graduate students. The PEPS survey is a 100-item Likert scale learning style inventory relating to 20 learning style elements of 4 domains: environmental, emotional, sociological, and physical. As part of the demographic research, participants completed measures assessing geographic, family, educational, and personal information.

Participants were 163 (55 men, 108 women) graduate athletic training students from …

The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Social Support On Work, Family, And Role Balance, April A. Perry

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined socioeconomic status and social supports in the context of balanced work, family, and overall roles. Based on previous research, higher socioeconomic status and increased social supports were hypothesized to increase work, family, and overall role balance. Participants were recruited by the peer adviser and in classrooms at Old Dominion University and surrounding Tidewater campuses. Only one of the correlations hypothesized was statistically significant. Support from Supervisor Index was positively correlated to Family/Work Balance. However, several non-hypothesized trends were found, in addition to non-hypothesized statistically significant correlations. Findings suggest that socioeconomic status and social supports may influence work, …

Major Factors That Influence The Employment Decisions Of Generation X Consulting Engineers, Robert William Mayfield

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study Generation X consulting engineers (those born between the years 1964 and 1980) in Lynchburg, Virginia, to determine the major factors that influence their employment decisions. Engineering consulting firms throughout the United States, particularly those in Lynchburg, have struggled to recruit young engineers in recent years. The recruiting of young engineers has been regarded by managers and executives as the single greatest challenge to the consulting profession. Despite the consensus within the profession that the problem existed, recommended solutions have been mostly speculative in nature and unsubstantiated by supportive data. This study focused …

Hegemony: Methods And Hypotheses, Rares Piloiu

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Recent political thought from the left has re-awoken the interest in Gramscian theory. Even if, pace Louis Althusser or, in America, Michel Foucault, Antonio Gramsci's syntax of ideology as an integral form of relation between individual and society has been quite popular in cultural studies, the notion of hegemony has not enjoyed the same repute. It is therefore Ernesto Laclau's merit to have reintroduced the term in contemporary debates concerning problems of political power, authority, cultural policy and ideology. Hailing from a reinvented Marxist perspective (one that had to account, among others, for the failures of actual existing …

East European Security Revisited: Institutions, Power, And Security, Blagovest Tashev

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Drawing on the literatures on democratization, security studies, and small states this dissertation explores the relationship of small states' domestic and international institutionalization and their security. Small states have limited power not only to affect their environment but also to guarantee national security. Small states, it is hypothesized, enhance their security through the consolidation of domestic institutions and the accumulation of capacities provided by their participation in capacity-reach international institutions.

The dissertation tests the hypothesis by applying the comparative method to the post-communist states of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The three case studies analyze the effects of domestic …

Chipping Away At The Gendered Wall Implications For Being A Woman Sociologist, Rebecca Fogerty Grove

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what factors may determine productivity among sociology professors and factors that-affect promotions and hiring. In today's academic institutions, the gender barrier is considered nonexistent; however, the actual existence of the gender barrier is often apparent in departmental hiring decisions and university tenure policies. With knowledge of current, often subtle, biased standards, the gender barrier can begin to be dismantled to offer true equality for all potential and current professors. The data was collected in 2001, during the fall academic semester from departments of sociology (n=2 l 8). This thesis looks at the …

The Economic Impact Of A Regional Triathlon Event On The Greater Richmond Area, Yousof Al-Thibaiti

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the economic impact of the Richmond XTERRA off-road triathlon event on the Greater Richmond Area. The Greater Richmond Area, according to the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, consists of the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hanover County and Henrico County. It was estimated that the XTERRA off-road triathlon would have a significant economic impact on the Greater Richmond Area. A survey instrument was distributed and collected, by the researcher and his assistants, during the registration time on Saturday, June 23, 2001. A total of229 out of350 triathlon participants responded for a 65.4% …

Crossing The Line: Juvenile Transfer And Prison Violence, Jessica M. Huffman

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The juvenile court has long held caring and rehabilitation as it's objective for those persons who commit crimes while under age 18. However, arguably, that goal has been compromised with the use of juvenile transfers. Some research has been done on the use of transfers, but little has studied the effects of incarcerating juveniles with adult prisoners at the state level. This thesis examines the use of the juvenile transfer and the effects it has with respect to prison violence using states in the U.S. as the unit of analysis. It was hypothesized that prison violence would increase with an …

The Effects Of Visual Cues And Interstimulus Interval On Error Rates In Auditory Localization And Detection, Joseph Thomas Coyne

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Auditory localization is an increasingly important topic as the technology for audio displays is becoming more available. However, few studies examine the effects of multiple simultaneous distracters on auditory detection and localization performance. Previous research has found that detection and localization performance significantly drops as the number of distracters increases; however, it is not clear what causes these errors. Six loudspeakers were arranged in a semicircle, and participants either had to localize an auditory stimulus or detect an auditory stimulus among multiple distracters. Participants' response time and accuracy were recorded for each trial. The number of detection errors was equivalent …

An Examination Of The Psychosocial Functioning Of Children With Drug Or Alcohol Dependent Fathers, Cathy G. Cooke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Parental substance abuse is linked to many of the problems facing American children. Research suggests that children of substance abusing parents are more likely to exhibit emotional and behavioral disorders than children with parents who do not abuse substances (Hogan, 1998); however, previous investigations have focused almost exclusively on children whose fathers misuse alcohol. The purpose of the present study was: 1) to examine the psychosocial adjustment of children whose fathers manifest substance abuse disorder other than alcohol as compared to the psychosocial functioning of children whose fathers exhibit alcohol abuse and to the psychosocial adjustment of children in a …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Consumer Ethnocentrism Across Russia's Three Sub-Cultures, Shawn Thelen

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Shimp and Sharma (1987) extended the concept of ethnocentrism to commercial products with the development of a 17-item Consumer Ethnocentrism Scale [CETSCALE]. Consumer ethnocentrism is the belief that purchasing imported products harms the local economy, increases unemployment, and is morally wrong (Skimp and Sharma 1987). Shimp and Sharma (1987) called for studies to determine antecedents to consumer ethnocentrism and to apply the CETSCALE across geographic and regional segments. This dissertation addresses a void in the literature by examining antecedents; Inglehart's Materialism/Post Materialism (1977) and Holbrook's Nostalgia (1993), and outcome variables; product purchase preference, of consumer ethnocentrism across sub-cultures postulated to …

A Naturalistic Investigation Into The Processes And Themes Of Recovery From Chemical Dependency, Mark Thomas Blagen

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The research on recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction has generally focused on the causes of relapse. Although the study of the causes of relapse is an important endeavor, the results of this focus remain inconclusive. Understanding the process and themes of recovery is also an important question that remains a significant challenge.

This study attempts to explain, in part, why it is that one person can have many relapse indicators and still thrive in recovery, while another who has multiple layers of support and opportunity for recovery, succumbs to addiction. This study also attempts to determine if and how …

Model Scheme A Good Fit For C4isr, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Front Matter: The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2002, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Cover, front matter, table of contents, and other materials for the 2002 The State of the Region report authored by the Regional Studies Institute at Old Dominion University

Part 1: Hampton Roads… A Comparative Tour, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

We compare Hampton Roads to other metropolitan areas by means of more than 30 different economic, social, and educational variables. This section should be a valuable reference

Part 3: The Regional Distribution Of Income, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

We find that income is distributed more equally in Hampton Roads than in many other metropolitan areas and more equally than in the nation as a whole.

Part 2: Regional Economic Growth: The Impact Of Sept. 11 And The War On Terror, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Here we examine both the short-run and long-run impacts of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. We also estimate the economic impact on the region of another military deployment of the magnitude of Desert Storm.

Part 4: Religious Life In Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Religion occupies a significant role in the region. Religious affiliations and activities are changing more rapidly than many might believe.

Part 7: Newspapers In Hampton Roads: Competition, Coverage And Issues, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The region is fortunate to have two major daily newspapers plus a plethora of weekly, monthly and topically oriented publications. We examine their news coverage and ask how things might be different if only one major daily newspaper existed.

Part 5: Public Social Services In Hampton Roads: A Primer, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Last year, governments spent nearly $600 million to provide social services within Hampton Roads. These services are part of the "social safety net" of which many regional citizens are ignorant. We detail the programs and their challenges.

Part 6: The Taxes We Pay In Hampton Roads: Where We Are And Recommendations For Change, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Regions differ in terms of which taxes they pay locally, regionally or at the state level. Hampton Roads is a low-tax region in a national context, but is less competitive within the southeastern United States

Stirring The Soul: The Influence Of Prayer On Mind And Body, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

From the Introduction:

Individuals within and outside of the field of communication sometimes ask me what I do for a living. When I respond, “I do prayer research,” nearly everyone looks rather puzzled. After I explain that prayer is a type of spiritual communication, then most individuals immediately see the connection between communication and prayer. However, many communication scholars are not convinced that prayer is a communication-related phenomenon amenable to social scientific inquiry. Yet I believe that prayer is indeed worthy of further investigation.

A Task Process Pre-Experimental Model, Holly A. H. Handley, Alexander H. Lewis

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The Adaptive Architectures for Command and Control (A2C2) program is a multidisciplinary program that employs a scientific basis for designing and analyzing adaptive and reconfigurable organizational structures at the Joint Task Force level. As part of its unique model-driven experimentation method, a pre-experimental model is created to support the formulation of hypotheses, the determination of key variables and parameter values, and the prediction of organizational performance. The pre-experimental model is used to explore the parameters of the experimental design in order to determine the appropriate region to conduct officer-in-the-loop experiments at the Naval Postgraduate School. A pre-experimental model based on …

Old Dominion University Library: History, Jean A. Major

University History Bookshelf

A history of the library at Old Dominion University, written by Jean A. Major, University Librarian 1992-2002.

Old Dominion University Library: History, Jean A. Major

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

A history of the library at Old Dominion University, written by Jean A. Major, University Librarian 1992-2002.