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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Unveiling The Headscarf Debate; A Study Of Multiculturalism, Zaineb Malick Jan 2012

Unveiling The Headscarf Debate; A Study Of Multiculturalism, Zaineb Malick

Dissertations and Theses

"Thanks to the deepening of globalization, we live in an increasingly diverse world. International migratory patterns bring people of different, often less familiar, cultures to other parts of the world, including the West. For some, assimilation into a dominant culture and broader national identity seems appropriate; for others who want to preserve their unique identity, there is a struggle in accommodating to the new norms and behaviors of their host country. This paper attempts to survey the challenges of multiculturalism; more specifically, it reviews the difficulty in integrating non-western norms into western culture. As I will discuss in greater detail, …


Psychosis In Films: An Analysis Of Stigma And The Portrayal In Feature Films, Yancy Aracena Jan 2012

Psychosis In Films: An Analysis Of Stigma And The Portrayal In Feature Films, Yancy Aracena

Dissertations and Theses

Films have a major impact on popular beliefs in American society. The images and ideas in movies are absorbed without difficulties into the popular imagination. This effect can leave long-lasting impressions. Movies can inspire people to raise awareness of various issues such as mental illness but can lead to inaccurate assumptions and stigma. In this thesis, I write about the media and its portrayal mental illness and especially how mental illness can be cast in a negative light with little positive effects. I viewed films with depictions of mental illness and developed four categories for analysis: 1) ―The thin line …


Triangular Diplomacy And The End Of The Vietnam War; Forcible Diplomacy And Feeble Bombings, Christian Fauerbach Jan 2012

Triangular Diplomacy And The End Of The Vietnam War; Forcible Diplomacy And Feeble Bombings, Christian Fauerbach

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.


Immortalizing The Spirit Of The Colonizer, Maximiliano Lombardi Jan 2012

Immortalizing The Spirit Of The Colonizer, Maximiliano Lombardi

Dissertations and Theses

"European colonial expansion has institutionalized and simultaneously normalized, at the global level, the supremacy of a class, of an ethno-racial group, of a particular type of state organization, spirituality, an epistemology, a particular kind of institutionalization, a production of knowledge, language, pedagogy, and an economy oriented toward the accumulation of global capital. To understand these processes we cannot separate them from each other. In fact, even the word ""capitalism"" is misleading because it leads us to think of an economic system, when in reality it is a hegemonic system that transcends economic relations and includes race, sex, gender, spiritual, linguistic, …


Women's Development In Guangdong; Unequal Opportunities And Limited Development In A Market Economy, Ying Hua Yue Jan 2012

Women's Development In Guangdong; Unequal Opportunities And Limited Development In A Market Economy, Ying Hua Yue

Dissertations and Theses

In the context of China’s three-decade market-oriented economic reform, in which economic development has long been prioritized, women’s development, as one of the social undertakings peripheral to economic development, has relatively lagged behind. This research is an attempt to unfold the current situation of women’s development within such context by studying the case of Guangdong -- the province as forerunner of China’s economic reform and opening-up -- drawing on current primary resources. First, this study reveals mixed results for women’s development in Guangdong: achievements have been made in education, employment and political participation in terms of “rates” and “numbers,” and …


An Endless Array Of Options; How The Internet Is Revolutionizing The Ways We Meet And Mate, Maria Montesano Jan 2012

An Endless Array Of Options; How The Internet Is Revolutionizing The Ways We Meet And Mate, Maria Montesano

Dissertations and Theses

Marriage rates are at a record low in the United States and there are currently more single people searching for partners than there have ever been at any point in our history. The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of our lives and it is increasingly playing a role in the formation of relationships. Much the way one looks for work online; shops for clothes, stays in contact with friends, or gathers information - one may now search online for a suitable romantic partner. Using a qualitative approach, this study seeks to explore the experiences of online dating site users through …


Why Oil Production Has A Negative Impact On Socioeconomic Development In Chad?, Annicette Kessely Jan 2012

Why Oil Production Has A Negative Impact On Socioeconomic Development In Chad?, Annicette Kessely

Dissertations and Theses

"Oil production in Chad is considered one of the most important Sub-Saharan investments in Africa. In 2000, the World Bank agreed to finance oil production under the condition that oil revenues would be invested in socioeconomic development projects. Furthermore, the World Bank emphasized that oil revenues should be used in a transparent and accountable matter.1 Oil production started in Chad in 2003 and brought billions of dollars to the government. Nevertheless, the Chadian population continues to live in extreme poverty. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of oil production on socioeconomic development. It will demonstrate that …


Economic Growth And Energy Consumption In Oecd Countries; A Causality Analysis, Daria Kostyannikova Jan 2012

Economic Growth And Energy Consumption In Oecd Countries; A Causality Analysis, Daria Kostyannikova

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of High Skilled Non-Immigrants (H-1b Visa Holders) On The Wages Of Natives, Onur Arslan Jan 2012

The Effects Of High Skilled Non-Immigrants (H-1b Visa Holders) On The Wages Of Natives, Onur Arslan

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.


The Post-Conflict Reconciliation Process; Truth Commissions, Tomoe Nakagawa Jan 2012

The Post-Conflict Reconciliation Process; Truth Commissions, Tomoe Nakagawa

Dissertations and Theses

"Since the end of the Cold War, our world has seen an increase in intra-state conflict and the emergence of the notion of state accountability for the treatment of their citizens. Furthermore, sovereign states increasingly see that it is in their interest to apply the rule of law and human rights norms beyond their borders. While peace building efforts have been achieved through criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, reparation programs, and vetting, a truth commission, in particular, has been progressively used in the past decade as one aspect of transitional justice measures. This increase in use illustrates its popularity in handling …


Minority Rights In Europe; The Roma Population As A Case Study, Michael Brooks Jan 2012

Minority Rights In Europe; The Roma Population As A Case Study, Michael Brooks

Dissertations and Theses

"This thesis undertakes an in-depth analysis of the minority rights of Roma populations living within the European Union. The Roma people face economic, social and political discrimination that permeates both government institutions and society in general and has prevented this minority group from integrating into the workings of society. This issue is important because the Roma lack a positive identity both of themselves and from other groups, which deprives the state of an important source of productivity. This is due in part from their own actions based on chosen isolation to some degree, and also because some Roma have become …


The "Europeanization" Of The Western Balkans; Is European Conditionality Fostering Democracy?, George Kostakis Jan 2012

The "Europeanization" Of The Western Balkans; Is European Conditionality Fostering Democracy?, George Kostakis

Dissertations and Theses

"This thesis analyzes the current model of European Union conditionality toward the Western Balkans, which based on a dual approach through the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP). Through SAP, the European Union (EU) is trying to stabilize the Western Balkans, while at the same time associating them with EU policies and supporting them in taking over the EU acquis. My hypothesis is that in order to promote democracy and the rule of law, the EU's policy of stabilizing and integrating should be reformed to better strengthen and clarify conditionality. In order to test my hypothesis, I focused on the three …


Does Democratic Peace Theory Apply To Small Powers? A Case Study Of Turkey And Israel, Robert Lattin Jan 2012

Does Democratic Peace Theory Apply To Small Powers? A Case Study Of Turkey And Israel, Robert Lattin

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis hypothesizes that shared democratic values and institutional constraints, proposed as explanations by Democratic Peace Theory (DPT), should in theory prevent small powers from engaging in physical conflict. However, because these democracies are small and developing, these constraints may not influence outcomes in the same way as they do in larger and more developed powers. To test this hypothesis, a dyadic case study was conducted of the relationship between Turkey and Israel. Specific focus was given to two related events, both of which could have resulted in a physical conflict between the two countries: the May 2010 Flotilla incident …


Iran; A Nuclear Super Power? Understanding Nuclear Ambitions, Lindsey Sera Jan 2012

Iran; A Nuclear Super Power? Understanding Nuclear Ambitions, Lindsey Sera

Dissertations and Theses

"Iran is a nation in flux, with a history of political strife and revolution. The everchanging political atmosphere in the nation has made Iran an unpredictable political actor. It is a nation coping with a new governing system, just a few decades out from a revolution from the reign of the Shah of Iran. The fall of reformism has left the nation politically isolated from the international community. Iran is a nation on the brink of nuclear weapon capabilities and with strained relations there is little comfort in sight for an amicable solution. The conservatives of today's Iran seek independence …


The Security & Development Nexus, Manizha Sayar Jan 2012

The Security & Development Nexus, Manizha Sayar

Dissertations and Theses

In the 21st century the need for conflict and post-conflict reconstruction efforts have increased since a number of conflicts in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe necessitated the building of newly-democratized states while aiming to achieve security and promoting development. The difficulties that arise when helping to reconstruct states that have failed or those approaching a “failed state” status is that they are neither stable nor have a secure environment which prevent the opportunity for economic development, despite reconstruction efforts. These are the most difficult of situations due to the interconnectedness and direct correlation of the two significant criterions for established …


Making Education Accessible: A Dual Case Study Of Instructional Practices, Management, And Equity In A Rural And An Urban Ngo School In Pakistan, Zafreen Jaffery Jan 2012

Making Education Accessible: A Dual Case Study Of Instructional Practices, Management, And Equity In A Rural And An Urban Ngo School In Pakistan, Zafreen Jaffery

Dissertations and Theses

Two- thirds of Pakistan's primary aged children are enrolled in school and less than one-third complete fifth grade. Decades after the inception of the goal of primary education for all of its children, the state is unable to fulfill its promise of providing access to universal primary education. The failure of the government to provide for a system that ensures equitable opportunities for all of its children has resulted in individuals, for-profit organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) intervening to fill the void. In particular, international donor agencies (IDAs) have come forward to provide financial aid and personnel support for primary …


Human Trafficking And Slavery: Towards A New Framework For Prevention And Responsibility, Dana S. Hathaway Jan 2012

Human Trafficking And Slavery: Towards A New Framework For Prevention And Responsibility, Dana S. Hathaway

Dissertations and Theses

Human trafficking and slavery are horrific crimes that require strict penalties for perpetrators and effective protections for survivors, but these crimes are in part facilitated by a system of laws and norms that effectively marginalize certain populations--the "unskilled" migrant. In this thesis I aim to reexamine and reinterpret the problem of human trafficking and slavery in a way that highlights the background conditions to the problem. I argue that the framework used as a conceptual foundation for addressing the problem limits the scope of responsibility. Specifically, the framework fails to acknowledge structural contributing factors I show to be relevant: law, …


The Impact Of Internet On Economic Growth In Bangladesh, Mohammed Meah Jan 2012

The Impact Of Internet On Economic Growth In Bangladesh, Mohammed Meah

Dissertations and Theses

"The purpose of this paper is two fold. The first goal is to reveal that an increase in the number of Internet users has a positive effect on economic growth within a nation. Based on this causality, the next objective is to demonstrate that less developed countries, specifically Bangladesh is in the best position to increase investment in the Internet to experience economic growth. Finally, the implications of Internet penetration on various economic sectors in Bangladesh are discussed. Panel data for 244 countries from the World Bank from 1990-2011 is used to carry out the experiment for the first goal. …


The Impacts Of Neo-Liberal Policies On Turkey In 2000-2001, Rezzan Alagoz Jan 2012

The Impacts Of Neo-Liberal Policies On Turkey In 2000-2001, Rezzan Alagoz

Dissertations and Theses

Since the late 1970s, many developing countries have been faced with difficulties due to their adoption of neo-liberal policies through agreements with World Bank and IMF. Especially due to the Structural Adjustment Programs and the conditions imposed by these Institutions on developing countries, the development process of these countries has been fraught with problems. Many of these countries faced severe economic crises, causing them to rely more heavily on the intervention of international institutions, thus becoming more engaged with neo-liberalism. As seen in Turkey, for example, engagement with these institutions generally resulted in a crisis; the burdens of the crises …


Poor And Marginalized Women Active In The Public Arena During Nepal's Peace-Building Process After Maoist Insurgency, Rakshya Pandey Shrestha Jan 2012

Poor And Marginalized Women Active In The Public Arena During Nepal's Peace-Building Process After Maoist Insurgency, Rakshya Pandey Shrestha

Dissertations and Theses

In Nepal, a country where more than half of the population is female, the society is blatantly patriarchal, and the social system is based on caste, class, ethnicity and gender discrimination. It cannot be denied that the violent Maoist insurgency led to socioeconomic and political deterioration in the country. The decade- long violent conflict killed an estimated figure of more than 13,000 people and has displaced even more. Currently, the country is in the process of transformation and peace-building and is moving towards adjusting the past discrepancies to address root causes of the insurgency. However, the Maoist insurgency also brought …


Street Art, Ideology, And Public Space, Tiffany Renée Conklin Jan 2012

Street Art, Ideology, And Public Space, Tiffany Renée Conklin

Dissertations and Theses

The concept of the city has come to play a central role in the practices of a new generation of artists for whom the city is their canvas. Street art is a complex social issue. For decades, its presence has fueled intense debate among residents of modern cities. Street art is considered by some to be a natural expression that exercises a collective right to the city, and by others, it is seen as a destructive attack upon an otherwise clean and orderly society. This research focuses on various forms of street art from the perspective of the urban audience. …


A Historical And Archaeological Study Of The Nineteenth Century Hudson's Bay Company Garden At Fort Vancouver: Focusing On Archaeological Field Methods And Microbotanical Analysis, Elaine C. Dorset Jan 2012

A Historical And Archaeological Study Of The Nineteenth Century Hudson's Bay Company Garden At Fort Vancouver: Focusing On Archaeological Field Methods And Microbotanical Analysis, Elaine C. Dorset

Dissertations and Theses

The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), a British fur-trading enterprise, created a large garden at Fort Vancouver, now in southwest Washington, in the early- to mid-19th century. This fort was the administrative headquarters for the HBC's activities in western North America. Archaeological investigations were conducted at this site in 2005 and 2006 in order to better understand the role of this large space, which seems incongruous in terms of resources required, to the profit motive of the HBC. Questions about the landscape characteristics, and comments by 19th century visitors to the site provided the impetus for theoretical research of gardens as …


Building On The Strengths Of Indigenous Knowledge To Promote Sustainable Development In Crisis Conditions From The Community Level: The Case Of Palestine, Jehad Yousif Alayasa Jan 2012

Building On The Strengths Of Indigenous Knowledge To Promote Sustainable Development In Crisis Conditions From The Community Level: The Case Of Palestine, Jehad Yousif Alayasa

Dissertations and Theses

This study began focused on the use of traditional knowledge in promoting sustainable development in crisis conditions. Presented the question: How have successful community-level sustainable development efforts undertaken under crisis conditions drawn upon indigenous knowledge to achieve positive outcomes? The study is a cross case analysis. The three cases addressed in this study have explained some of the ways that indigenous knowledge has played significant positive roles in promoting sustainable development for communities living under crisis conditions in Palestine. Indigenous knowledge community based patterns indicated significant focus on strengths of local culture, social cohesion, the integration process, and special advantages …


Conscientiousness As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Work Autonomy And Job Satisfaction, Kyle Garret Mack Jan 2012

Conscientiousness As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Work Autonomy And Job Satisfaction, Kyle Garret Mack

Dissertations and Theses

Autonomy is one of the most commonly studied job characteristics in the work design literature and is commonly associated with large and positive effects on job satisfaction. There is reason to believe that autonomy may interact with personality characteristics to affect attitudinal outcomes, but prior research has tended to focus on the original growth-need-strength construct as a potential moderator with mixed results. One glaring gap in the literature is the lack of research that examines the Big Five constructs of personality as a potential class of moderators. Grant, Fried, and Juillerat (2010) have suggested additional research into the Big Five …


Public Participation In Emergency Management, Jason Alexander Rood Jan 2012

Public Participation In Emergency Management, Jason Alexander Rood

Dissertations and Theses

With disasters increasing in frequency and costs each year, this study seeks to explore ways greater public participation can assist emergency managers in their mission to keep communities safe. Specifically this study examines the policy process and administrative functions of emergency management to illuminated the benefits and hindrances involved in greater participation. This study conducted a qualitative analysis of governmental documents, disaster case studies, international research, as well as political science and administrative doctrines, to arrive at its conclusions. The results of this study reveal that the public is a largely untapped resource in the emergency management field. Engaging the …


Assessing Environmental Inequality In Portland, Oregon: An Exploration Of Local Environmental Justice Struggles, Jordan Douglas Folks Jan 2012

Assessing Environmental Inequality In Portland, Oregon: An Exploration Of Local Environmental Justice Struggles, Jordan Douglas Folks

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores patterns of environmental inequality in Portland, Oregon; both the existence of spatial environmental inequalities and the structural and local forces which contribute to them. Research on environmental inequality, or inequitable exposure to toxins, has shown that minority and low-income populations experience the bulk of the exposure to environmental hazards. Although Portland is often cited as the archetype of a sustainable city, environmental inequality is a pervasive issue. This thesis examines the health inequalities that characterize underserved communities in Portland. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the researcher uses 1) logistic regression to statistically assess the relationship between race, …


The Role Of Compliment Topics In Compliment Response, Hiroko Katsuta Jan 2012

The Role Of Compliment Topics In Compliment Response, Hiroko Katsuta

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the role of compliment topic by analyzing compliment responses by Japanese and American college students. Compliment responses can be seen as solutions for maintaining a balance between (1) a preference to avoid self-praise and (2) a preference to accept or agree with the compliment (Pomerantz 1978). Building on studies showing that response strategies can be influenced by compliment content and context, the study analyzed responses to compliments on ability, achievement, belongings, appearance, and personal characteristics by determining the subjects' choice of response strategy--categorized as acceptance, avoidance, or rejection--for each compliment topic. Compliment responses were elicited in a …


Nine Months, Esther Lim Jan 2012

Nine Months, Esther Lim

Dissertations and Theses

This is a collection of short stories that traces a chronological movement through one family's experience of the mother's illness. Each piece in the collection is meant to be an independent, free-standing short story. Each story is different, told from distinctive points-of-view, angles, and voices. However, every story covers a span of time within the nine months of the family's experience, in the presented order, as part of a collective movement toward the core. All together, the pieces hope to reflect a mosaic of sorts--one that tells a story that cannot otherwise be told.


Understanding Sand Mining On The Maha Oya: The Conflict Between Economic And Environmental Survival, Meredith Corea Talbert Jan 2012

Understanding Sand Mining On The Maha Oya: The Conflict Between Economic And Environmental Survival, Meredith Corea Talbert

Dissertations and Theses

River sand mining from the Maha Oya is the main source of income and a force that drives economic activity for residents along the river. This study takes place in Sri Lanka, there are three villages included in this project: Jambugaswatte, Janituspuraya and Thoppuwa. In Sri Lanka, sand serves as the main building material. It is used to make bricks, tiles, asphalt and concrete, therefore demanding a high market value. However, the over-extraction of sand comes along with significant environmental problems. These communities depend on the river in many ways and the health of the river directly corresponds to the …


A Systems Approach To Ecological Economic Models Developed Progressively In Three Interwoven Articles, Takuro Uehara Jan 2012

A Systems Approach To Ecological Economic Models Developed Progressively In Three Interwoven Articles, Takuro Uehara

Dissertations and Theses

My dissertation develops and analyzes ecological economic models to study the complex dynamics of an ecological economic system (EES) and investigate various conditions and measures which can sustain a developing economy over the long term in view of resilience and sustainability. Because of the intrinsic complexity of the system, I take a systems approach, using economics as the foundation for the basic structure of an ecological economic model, and system dynamics as the method to build and analyze such a complex ecological economic model. Throughout my dissertation, the model developed by Brander and Taylor (1998) is adopted as a baseline …