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Articles 3511 - 3540 of 11266

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Response Of American Police Agencies To Digital Evidence, Hamdi Yesilyurt Jan 2011

The Response Of American Police Agencies To Digital Evidence, Hamdi Yesilyurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the variation in digital forensics practice in the United States as adopted by large local police agencies. This study investigated how environmental constraints, contextual factors, organizational complexity, and organizational control relate to the adoption of digital forensics practice. This study integrated 3 theoretical perspectives in organizational studies to guide the analysis of the relations: institutional theory, contingency theory, and adoption-of-innovation theory. Institutional theory was used to analyze the impact of environmental constraints on the adoption of innovation, and contingency theory was used to examine the impacts of organizational control on the adoption of innovation. Adoption of …

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Factors Influencing The Variability In Social Capital, James R. Downing Jan 2011

Factors Influencing The Variability In Social Capital, James R. Downing

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research provides insights into three aspects of social capital: the factors that influence its variability; its two-dimensional nature; and the relationship between social capital and membership in a YMCA. These insights have implications for social capital theory, for public policy, for organizational management and for individual well-being. Most social capital research treats the construct as a causal variable and analyzes the implications of different levels of social capital for certain aspects of individual and community well-being. This treatment implies that levels of social capital vary. Little research has been done to analyze the factors that cause social capital variability …

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Organizational Support, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, And Perceived Performance Analysis Of Crime Scene Investigation Units Of Turkish National Police, Aykut Tongur Jan 2011

Organizational Support, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, And Perceived Performance Analysis Of Crime Scene Investigation Units Of Turkish National Police, Aykut Tongur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Policing is more difficult than ever before in today’s world since types of crime and criminal profiles change as a result of technological development and globalization. Police organizations should review their organizational and operational strategies to improve the fight against contemporary crimes and criminals. Behaviors and performance of police officers are very important in fighting crime. In this struggle, especially today, officers should exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors and perform better. One of the most important factors affecting these two concepts in organizations is organizational support. The literature stresses the social exchange cycle and reciprocity rules in the relationships of organizations …

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Occupational Stress And Work-Related Wellbeing Of Turkish National Police (Tnp) Members, Sedat Kula Jan 2011

Occupational Stress And Work-Related Wellbeing Of Turkish National Police (Tnp) Members, Sedat Kula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies suggest that the organizational dynamics of police organizations and the nature of police work contribute to law enforcement stress, which in turn reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout. It is also well documented that undesirable organizational factors are more hazardous to the well-being of employees than are the stressors due to nature of police work. The present study examines whether, and to what degree, organizational and operational stresses in law enforcement are associated with job satisfaction, work-related burnout, and supervisor support, holding the effects of age, rank, education, gender, tenure, and shift type constant in the analysis. A …

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Determinants Of Productivity In Hospital-Based Rural Health Clinics A Growth Curve Modeling Approach, Abiy T. Agiro Jan 2011

Determinants Of Productivity In Hospital-Based Rural Health Clinics A Growth Curve Modeling Approach, Abiy T. Agiro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 expanded rural Medicaid and Medicare coverage. However, different vehicles of delivering care (e.g., hospitals, health clinics, etc.) have differing organizational capacity that may or may not enable them to overcome the challenges of expanded provision. Consequently, this research employed structural contingency and organizational performance models to investigate the impact of organizational factors on productivity growth, while recognizing that contextual factors also affect the delivery of care. Latent growth curve modeling was used to study a national panel of 708 U.S. hospitalbased Rural Health Clinics for the years 2005 to 2008. Productivity …

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Determinants Of Interpersonal Trust, Organizational Commitment For Performance Within Kyrgyz National Police, Erlan Bakiev Jan 2011

Determinants Of Interpersonal Trust, Organizational Commitment For Performance Within Kyrgyz National Police, Erlan Bakiev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving organizational performance is an essential goal for any type of organization. This process involves varieties of methods, polices and strategies. One of the important elements of organizational performance is trust-building process which deeply depends on leadership efforts of ranked employees and managers. Literature has enough empirical evidence on influence of trust and trusted work environment on organizational performance. Aftermath of recent riots and clashes in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz National Police (KNP) officers are demoralized by the actions of both previous and current governments which bear corruption, bribery and clan type of ruling. These facts led to untrustworthy environments and relationships …

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Fish From Afar Marine Resource Use At Caracol, Belize, Smith Petra Cunningham Jan 2011

Fish From Afar Marine Resource Use At Caracol, Belize, Smith Petra Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ancient Maya had strong ties to the sea. The trade, transportation and use of marine resources were important not only to coastal Maya communities, but also to the heavily populated cities that lay many miles inland. A review of zooarchaeological evidence recovered from excavations at the inland site of Caracol, Belize suggests that the inhabitants imported marine fish for food, marine shell for working into trade items, and sharks teeth and stingray spines for ritual use. This thesis examines the manner in which fish and other marine resources were used, procured and transported from the coast to the site …

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Female Genital Circumcision Social Indicators That Influence Attitudes On Abandonment Of Fgc In Nigeria, Joanna Eisele Jan 2011

Female Genital Circumcision Social Indicators That Influence Attitudes On Abandonment Of Fgc In Nigeria, Joanna Eisele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than "100 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and more than three million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone" (Population Reference Bureau 2009). The practice is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Research has shown that reasons given for continuing the practice of FGC vary widely across cultural and social contexts. Little research has been conducted towards understanding and predicting attitudes toward FGC, which in turn can help inform program policy …

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The Impact Of Organizational Goal Convergence, Information-Communication Technology Utilization, And Inter-Organizational Trust On Network Formation And Sustainability The Case Of Emergency Management In The United States, Vener Garayev Jan 2011

The Impact Of Organizational Goal Convergence, Information-Communication Technology Utilization, And Inter-Organizational Trust On Network Formation And Sustainability The Case Of Emergency Management In The United States, Vener Garayev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical/technological capacity of organizations, and trust among organizations of a network are related to the sustainability of collaborative network relationships? (2) Which of the above-mentioned factors plays the most significant role in affecting network sustainability? Covering the …

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Winning The Future: Strategic Plan For The Development Of Tourism, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Abraham Pizam, Eric D. Olson, Seung Hyan Lee, Yun Ying Zhong Jan 2011

Winning The Future: Strategic Plan For The Development Of Tourism, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Abraham Pizam, Eric D. Olson, Seung Hyan Lee, Yun Ying Zhong

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

Aruba has developed and positioned its tourism sector as one of the premier destinations in the Caribbean over the past twenty-five years. The push towards tourism development was primarily aimed to create jobs and to enhance the quality of life of its population. The results have been astounding: not only has the island successfully transformed from an industrial-based economy to a tourist- and service-based economy, but the island now boasts one of the highest living standards in the Caribbean. The prosperity on the island is broadly shared among Arubans. Tourism has become an engine of economic growth, totaling U.S.$2.3 billion …

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The School Resource Officer In Public Schools: Perceived Deterrent Effect On Campus Crime, David A. Rhinehart Jan 2011

The School Resource Officer In Public Schools: Perceived Deterrent Effect On Campus Crime, David A. Rhinehart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of the deterrent effect of School Resource Officers on crimes that may occur on school campuses and the factors that may influence those perceptions. The first school resource officer (SRO) program was implemented in 1953 and gained popularity in the 1990s. This study (conducted in 2008) reveals that the majority of students perceive that school resource officers are a deterrent to specific crimes and the overall crime rate on school campuses. The results of the survey indicated that the crimes of rape (74.1%), homicide (73.7%), aggravated assault or threat with …

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Identification Of Factors Influencing The Commission Of Burglaries, Mustafa Donmez Jan 2011

Identification Of Factors Influencing The Commission Of Burglaries, Mustafa Donmez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As in many countries, burglary is a very serious crime in Turkey. Scientific methods and techniques are needed to solve complex burglary cases. This study is completed in the Bursa Police context since they classified many crime data conducive to scientific studies under a project called BEMTAP. The main purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the commission of burglaries, using an epid-criminological perspective. It can be argued that factors leading to the commission of a crime are important for formulating preventive strategies in the community. In this study, the contributing factors are categorized into three main …

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Understanding Collaboration, Its Antecedents And Perceived Outcomes In Service Partnerships Of Community-Based Organizations, Maritza Concha Jan 2011

Understanding Collaboration, Its Antecedents And Perceived Outcomes In Service Partnerships Of Community-Based Organizations, Maritza Concha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address perceptions on collaboration not captured by the survey instrument. A total of 538 service partnership staff (supervisors and front liners) received the survey's link or a copy of the survey to participate. Out of the 538, 217 …

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Effects Of Hospital Structural Complexity And Process Adequacy On The Prevalence Of Systemic Adverse Events And Compliance Issues A Biomedical Engineering Technician Perspective, Beth Ann Fiedler Jan 2011

Effects Of Hospital Structural Complexity And Process Adequacy On The Prevalence Of Systemic Adverse Events And Compliance Issues A Biomedical Engineering Technician Perspective, Beth Ann Fiedler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Active interdepartmental participation of the biomedical engineering technician (BMET) with clinicians is an opportunity to reduce systemic events guided by empirical evidence that 1) establishes adverse events with medical equipment and 2) associates nursing effectiveness with access to functioning equipment. Though prior research has documented interdependency in nurse-physician relationships (and in such non-clinical health support services as laboratory and pharmaceutical departments), few studies in mainstream literature on quality have related medical professional interdependencies to the BMET. The promotion of National Patient Safety Goals, federal legislation (the Safe Device Act of 1990), and recommendations from agencies— The Joint Commission and the …

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Gore's Science The Kairos Of An Inconvenient Truth And The Implications For Science Writing, Carolyn M. Glasshoff Jan 2011

Gore's Science The Kairos Of An Inconvenient Truth And The Implications For Science Writing, Carolyn M. Glasshoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern Americans are exposed to scientific and technical information on a daily basis that urges them to react as well as learn about new ideas. The popular science writing that circulates this information must be portrayed in a way that makes it easy for lay people to understand complicated ideas while at the same time remaining complex enough to convince readers that the information is reliable, accurate, and worth learning. In making decisions about how to accomplish this balancing act, science writers make decisions that influence the audience's opinion about new scientific ideas, how easily the audience will accept or …

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State Legislatures Diversity, Innovation, And Policy Adoption, Janna Souvorova Jan 2011

State Legislatures Diversity, Innovation, And Policy Adoption, Janna Souvorova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The question of policy origination is the very essence of state public policy analysis. This study provides an overview of the previous research on innovation, as defined by Rogers (1962, 2003) and Walker (1969), and determinants models of state policy formulation, as they relate to innovation and policy adoption on the state level. The literature review indicates that previous research mostly focused on the internal state characteristics such as political and socioeconomic variables to explain state differences in policy adoption. The literature also indicates a general lack of empirical research relating diversity to innovation and policy adoption. State governments have …

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Personal Perceptions And Organizational Factors Influencing Police Discretion The Case Of Turkish Patrol Officers' Responsiveness, Hidayet Tasdoven Jan 2011

Personal Perceptions And Organizational Factors Influencing Police Discretion The Case Of Turkish Patrol Officers' Responsiveness, Hidayet Tasdoven

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Police officers make decisions at the street level in a variety of situations that have direct impact on quality of life, justice in society, and individual freedom. These decisions inherently involve the exercise of discretion, since successfully performed police tasks are linked to the officer‘s choosing among alternative courses of action. Appropriateness of unsupervised decisions taken under street contingencies remains questionable in terms of police-behavior legitimacy. Law enforcement agencies seek ways to control excessive discretion to avoid undesired consequences of police discretion and maintain organizational legitimacy. Traditionally, organizations developed reward and sanction structures that aimed to shape officer behavior on …

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The Relationship Between Course Syllabi And Participant Evaluation Reactions Across Web-Based And Face-To-Face Courses, David Richard Glerum Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Course Syllabi And Participant Evaluation Reactions Across Web-Based And Face-To-Face Courses, David Richard Glerum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A common form of training or education evaluation involves the examination of course participant reactions towards various aspects of the course for summative evaluation purposes. Participant reactions have been examined within the framework of a comparison between online and face to face courses often with a slight positive weight towards online courses (Sitzmann et al., 2006). Past research on this topic has denoted a need for studies examining the relationship between objective course characteristics and participant reactions. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between participant reactions of a sample of geographically disbursed teachers enrolled in a large, national professional …

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An Ecological Analysis Of Social And Economic Influences On Black And White Infant Mortality Risk In Orange County, Fl, Littleton, Vanessa Lopez Jan 2011

An Ecological Analysis Of Social And Economic Influences On Black And White Infant Mortality Risk In Orange County, Fl, Littleton, Vanessa Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black health disparities are a salient public health issue with blacks in every socioeconomic level at a greater health disadvantage than their white counterparts. In particular, disparity in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites have widened in recent decades to differentials never before experienced in the United States. Social ecologists investigating the myriad of individual and environmental risk factors have failed to fully account for the persistent differential. This study examines the relationships between individual and environmental influences on the health risk experienced by blacks, whites, as well as the differential between the two populations. This multi-level analysis was …

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Does Religiosity Deter Juvenile Delinquency?, Brittany N. Murray Jan 2011

Does Religiosity Deter Juvenile Delinquency?, Brittany N. Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study presented here uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave I (Add Health) to examine the association between juvenile delinquency and religiosity. Juvenile delinquency is an area that has received increasing research interest over the last decade; however, much of this research has primarily focused on family, peers, and education as factors that may reduce delinquent involvement. While all of these are influential in the lives of youth, it is possible there are other factors as well. Religiosity has been shown to have influential effects throughout the life course; however, little research has focused specifically …

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Investigating Social Capital And Political Action In The Middle East, Amr Abdel-Wahab Jan 2011

Investigating Social Capital And Political Action In The Middle East, Amr Abdel-Wahab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the relationship between social capital and political action in the Middle East. The research uncovers indicators of how social capital correlates with democratic action. Using data from the 2005 World Values Survey, the examination centers on indicators of trust and membership in civic organizations and how they relate to political action in the region. The paper concludes with discussion of how trust-building and reciprocity can be interpreted within the political context of the Middle East, and how the relevance of social capital will be an unavoidable consideration in the transition away from autocracy in the region, especially …

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The Effects Of Scoring Technique On Situational Judgment Test Validity, Daniel S. Miller Jan 2011

The Effects Of Scoring Technique On Situational Judgment Test Validity, Daniel S. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) are frequently used by organizations as a face-valid selection measure with low adverse impact and a relatively strong relationship with relevant criteria. Despite their common use, there remain several research questions regarding the theoretical foundations and characteristics of SJTs. Additionally, developments in SJT scoring provide fertile ground for research to validate new scoring techniques to better predict criteria of interest. Motowidlo and his colleagues (2006) recently developed a scoring technique for SJTs based on the principle of Implicit Trait Policies (ITPs) which are implicit beliefs concerning the effectiveness of different behavioral choices that demonstrate varying levels …

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Healthy Aging And Self-Objectification The Impact Of Empowerment And Feminist Attitudes On Body Image, Eating Behavior, And Aging Satisfaction, Karen P. Grippo Jan 2011

Healthy Aging And Self-Objectification The Impact Of Empowerment And Feminist Attitudes On Body Image, Eating Behavior, And Aging Satisfaction, Karen P. Grippo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to women’s healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women …

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A Comparison Of College Students' Perceptions Of Older Tattooed Women And Younger Tattooed Women, Laura Raymond Jan 2011

A Comparison Of College Students' Perceptions Of Older Tattooed Women And Younger Tattooed Women, Laura Raymond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examined how college students perceive older versus younger women based on their tattoo status (i.e., no tattoo, feminine tattoo, or masculine tattoo). A randomly assigned sample of 376 responded to a survey involving a 2 X 3 experiment designed to assess the impact of age (older versus younger) and tattoo status on four dependent measures: credibility, promiscuity, and attractiveness. Results indicate that older and younger women are perceived differently depending on their tattoo status. Not wearing a tattoo may lead to a more favorable perception of older women than wearing one, but wearing a feminine tattoo may engender …

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Maize And Stone A Functional Analysis Of The Manos And Metates Of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Lisa Glynns Duffy Jan 2011

Maize And Stone A Functional Analysis Of The Manos And Metates Of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, Lisa Glynns Duffy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manos and metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize are analyzed to compare traditional maize-grinding types to the overall assemblage. A reciprocal, back-and-forth grinding motion is the most efficient way to process large amounts of maize. However, rotary movements are also associated with some ground stone implements. The number of flat and trough metates and two handed manos are compared to the rotary-motion basin and concave type metates and one-handed manos to determine predominance and distribution. Flat is the predominant type and, together with the trough type, these grinding stones make up the majority of metates at the site. Manos …

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Communication Apprehension Vs. Social Phobia And Related Conditions A Correlational Study, Christine M. Donaldson Jan 2011

Communication Apprehension Vs. Social Phobia And Related Conditions A Correlational Study, Christine M. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of all social situations, public speaking is the most prevalent fear in both the general population and among social phobic individuals (Mannuzza, Schneier, Chapman, & Liebowitz, 1995; Stein, Walker, & Forde, 1996). The fear of public speaking is referred to as communication apprehension (CA) by members of the communication field; in other programs of study, this condition has been categorized and conceptualized in a wide variety of ways ranging from stage fright to reticence. Several scholarly fields including communication, social psychology, the health sciences and the social sciences, seek to find an explanation and effective intervention for this prevalent condition. …

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Effects Of 3d Stereoscopy, Visuo-Spatial Working Memory, And Perceptions Of Simulation Experience On The Memorization Of Confusable Objects, Joseph R. Keebler Jan 2011

Effects Of 3d Stereoscopy, Visuo-Spatial Working Memory, And Perceptions Of Simulation Experience On The Memorization Of Confusable Objects, Joseph R. Keebler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the impact of active stereoscopic 3-dimensional (3D) imagery equipment and individual differences in visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) capacity on retention of a set of similar, novel objects (i.e., armored military vehicles). Seventy-one participants were assessed on their visuo-spatial working memory using the Visual Patterns Test (Della Sala, Gray, Baddeley, & Wilson, 1997). They were then assigned to one of four different conditions (3D high VSWM, 3D low VSWM, 2D high VSWM, 2D low VSWM) based upon their visuo-spatial working memory. Participants were then trained to identify military vehicles using a simulation that presented the training stimuli in …

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The Implications Of Virtual Environments In Digital Forensic Investigations, Farrah M. Patterson Jan 2011

The Implications Of Virtual Environments In Digital Forensic Investigations, Farrah M. Patterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research paper discusses the role of virtual environments in digital forensic investigations. With virtual environments becoming more prevalent as an analysis tool in digital forensic investigations, it’s becoming more important for digital forensic investigators to understand the limitation and strengths of virtual machines. The study aims to expose limitations within commercial closed source virtual machines and open source virtual machines. The study provides a brief overview of history digital forensic investigations and virtual environments, and concludes with an experiment with four common open and closed source virtual machines; the effects of the virtual machines on the host machine as …

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A Sense Of Place Ethnographic Reflection On Two Palestinian Life Histories, Patrick H. Barrett Jan 2011

A Sense Of Place Ethnographic Reflection On Two Palestinian Life Histories, Patrick H. Barrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a labyrinth of complex social connections between people and places that deserves careful anthropological reflection. People do not simply occupy places; they experience them, infusing them with life and social meaning. Basso (1996:53) argues that ethnography has reported little about the complex ways in which people are “alive to the world around them.” Anthropology is currently experiencing a resurging emphasis on place that seeks to account for its remarkably social features. Rather than primarily thinking about place when determining a location for fieldwork, emerging anthropological reflection shows the discipline is repositioning itself to explore the complex and often …

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Measuring Multilevel Constructs Theoretical And Methodological Features Of Team Behavioral Process Under Compilational Models, Toshio Murase Jan 2011

Measuring Multilevel Constructs Theoretical And Methodological Features Of Team Behavioral Process Under Compilational Models, Toshio Murase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since at least the 1950s, researchers interested in studying the dynamics of small groups have struggled with how best to measure interaction processes. Although team process measurement issues are not particularly unique in terms of content, measuring multilevel phenomena presents an interesting problem because structural aspects are integral components of emergence. The elemental content of multilevel phenomena is wholly unique and distinguishable from the elemental content of composite units, and emerges as individual behaviors compile to higher levels of analyses. Analogous to chemical structures, behavioral phenomena manifest at higher levels in different structural patterns as members connect to one another …

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