Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Las Vegas And Water In The West: A Digital Collection Perspective, Tom D. Sommer

Library Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Unlv Special Collections In The Twenty-First Century, Tom D. Sommer

Library Faculty Presentations

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Special Collections is consistently striving to provide several avenues of discovery to its diverse range of patrons. Specifically, UNLV Special Collections has planned and implemented several online tools to facilitate unearthing treasures in the collections. These online tools incorporate Web 2.0 features as well as searchable interfaces to collections.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Michelle Mouton, Cate Weeks, Stephanie Strow

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Dmitri N. Shalin

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

We would like to bring to your attention the Erving Goffman Archives (EGA). Located on the web site of the UNLV Center of Democratic Culture, this web-based, open-source project serves as a clearing house for those interested in the dramaturgical tradition in sociology and biographical methods of research, http://www.unlv.edu/centers/cdclv/ega/index.html. The EGA collect critical studies and biographical materials about Erving Goffman and his era. Postings on the EGA web site are divided into several overlapping sections: “Documents and Papers,” “Biographical Materials,” “Critical Assessments,” and “Comments and Dialogues.”The biographical section contains previously published materials, as well as new interviews and memoirs.

To My Surprise Goffman Called Himself A Functionalist, But His Former Students Assured Me That He Was Only Playing With Us, Rachel Kahn-Hut

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Dr. Rachel Kahn-Hut, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California San Francisco, prepared this memoir and approved its posting in the Erving Goffman Archives.

Assessment Tool Or Edutainment Toy, Patrick Griffis

Library Faculty Research

The use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction has been growing in popularity because library instructors view this technology as a mechanism to foster interactivity within library instruction sessions in order to increase overall student engagement. However, a newly emerging area of interest for library instructors is the use of Clickers as a tool for library instruction assessment. This paper posits some of the viewpoints of various instructors using Clickers including the viewpoints of library instructors. The central question considered in this paper is whether Clickers are an effective and feasible tool for library instruction assessment. This examination …

2009- 2010 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Kathleen Bell, Danetta Bradley, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kathryn E. English, Sarah Harrison, Michelle Israel, Christina Macke, Erica Orozco, Pilar Palos, Sandra Ramos, Soraya A. Silverman, Susan Taylor, Sajar Camara, William Mccurdy, Yvonne C. Morris, Maxym V. Myroshnychenko, Ricardo Rios, Monique Sulls, Bremen Vance, Barbara Wallen

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

To The Instruction Cave, Librarian!: Graphic Novels And Information Literacy, Steven Hoover

Library Faculty Research

Information literacy librarians have been known to troll the waters of popular culture for phenomena that are capable of teaching information literacy skills and simultaneously engaging student interest. For these librarians, graphic novels have reached a point where they are too big to ignore.

Enhancing Opac Records For Discovery, Patrick Griffis, Cyrus Ford Zarganj

Library Faculty Research

This article proposes adding keywords and descriptors to the catalog records of electronic databases and media items to enhance their discovery. The authors contend that subject liaisons can add value to OPAC records and enhance discovery of electronic databases and media items by providing searchable keywords and resource descriptions. The authors provide an examination of OPAC records at their own library, which illustrates the disparity of useful keywords and descriptions within the notes field for media item records versus electronic database records. The authors outline methods for identifying useful keywords for indexing OPAC records of electronic databases. Also included is …

Smartphones: A Potential Discovery Tool, Eva Stowers, Wendy Starkweather

Library Faculty Research

The anticipated wide adoption of smartphones by researchers is viewed by the authors as a basis for developing mobile-based services. In response to the UNLV Libraries’ strategic plan’s focus on experimentation and outreach, the authors investigate the current and potential role of smartphones as a valuable discovery tool for library users.

Success Factors And Strategic Planning: Rebuilding An Academic Library Digitization Program, Cory K. Lampert, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Research

This paper discusses a dual approach of case study and research survey to investigate the complex factors in sustaining academic library digitization programs. The case study involves the background of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries’ digitization program and elaborates on the authors’ efforts to gain staff support for this program. A related survey was administered to all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members, seeking to collect baseline data on their digital collections, understand their respective administrative frameworks, and to gather feedback on both negative obstacles and positive inputs affecting their success. Results from the survey, combined with …

A Situational Model Of Sexual Assault Prevention Through Bystander Intervention, Shawn Meghan Burn

Psychology and Child Development

Bystander intervention is a potentially potent tool in the primary prevention of sexual assault but more information is needed to guide prevention programs (Banyard 2008). Undergraduates (378 women and 210 men, primarily White) at a central coast California university completed an anonymous questionnaire measuring five barriers identified by the situational model of bystander intervention (Latane and Darley 1970) and bystander intervention behavior. As expected, the barriers were negatively correlated with intervention, were greater for men than for women, and intervention likelihood was affected by perceptions of victim worthiness, especially for men. Hypotheses predicting a positive relationship between having a relationship …

A User-Centered And Evidence-Based Approach For Digital Library Projects, Mary M. Somerville, Navjit Brar

Library Scholarship

Purpose–Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) processes fortified by collaborative evidence-based librarianship (EBL) principles can guide end-user involvement in digital library project design and development. User-generated research examples reveal the efficacy of this inclusive human-focused approach for building systems.

Design/Methodology/Approach– From 2003 to 2006, user-centered interaction design guided increasingly complex human-computer interaction (HCI) projects at California Polytechnic State University. Toward that end, project planners invited polytechnic students, supervised by computer science professors, to assess peers’ information seeking needs. This student-generated evidence informed creation of paper prototypes and implementation of usability tests. Sustained relationships between planners and beneficiaries permitted iterative evaluation …

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: January 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from January 2009. These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: January 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from January 16 and 30, 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Environmental Impacts Of Trade-Oriented Development Policies, Jonathan Daniel Dean

Masters Theses

This work integrates trade-development theory with trade-pollution theory in attempt to find if certain trade policies can be used for sustainable development. Three trade oriented development policies are analyzed: inward orientation, outward orientation, and trade liberalization. A theoretical model is developed to analyze the effects of scale, composition, and technique. The theoretical model is then tested empirically using a panel regression, cross-section by country and across time. The panel regression uses S0 2 against economic indicators and dummy variables reflecting the theoretical model. The theoretical model proves that trade policies can be manipulated to create an intelligent trade design, which …

Food Selection Behaviors Of Children In A Buffet Setting, Megan J. Merrill

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate food choices made by children of varying ages when a wide assortment of both healthy and unhealthy food items were available. The results were used to assess the importance of caregiver influence with regard to children's dietary intakes and to determine significant relationships between age. food preference. and relevant behavioral patterns.

Fifty children between the ages of 3 and 15 were observed in buffet-style restaurants with their caregivers. A food and beverage selection checklist was used to determine children's food selections when each food group was present and available to them, A …

The Acceptance Of Heart Healthy Food Items Among College Students, Waleed Mohammed Alrayyes

Masters Theses

This thesis project was undertaken to discover the acceptance of heart healthy food items among college students. Previous studies stated that many college students leaving home and entering college for the first time often make choices that are less healthful. The researchers suggest that this is because of adopting poor diets. As a result of consuming an unhealthy diet coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, students may increase their risk of developing a variety of diseases, such as CVD, later in life.

Data for this study were collected from a sample of 100 college students at a Midwestern University. The samples …

Impact Of Alcohol On Dietary Behaviors Of Male College Students, Cheryl Anne Rozela

Masters Theses

Research has suggested that many male students increase consumption of alcohol during their college years (Von Ah, Ebert, Ngamvitroj, Park & Kang, 2001). As alcohol consumption increases during this time many students also make less healthy dietary choices, suggesting a relationship between alcohol use and dietary patterns may be present (Adams & Rini, 2007). Although suggestive of a relationship, there is a lack of research documenting an association between alcohol use and dietary behaviors of male college students, therefore, the current study utilized a convenience sample of twenty male participants from a midwestem university and a series of five open-ended …

A Content Analysis Of Food Advertisements During Children's Tv Programming, Jillian Hurt

Masters Theses

The purpose was to determine nutritional quality of foods and marketing techniques and messages used in food ads during children's television programming. Programming was taped on 4 networks (PBS, Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for l day each, from July 8 to July 11, 2008.

One third of ads shown in 36 hours of programming were for food. Eighty-four percent of food ads promoted foods that were high in fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium or low in vitamins, minerals, fruits, vegetables and fiber. Animation was used in 44% and taste in 58% …

Silencing And Assaulting The Feminine: An Analysis Of Institutions That Perpetuate A Rape-Supportive Culture, Melissa Territo

Masters Theses

Since 1700, rape has been a publicly discussed topic. Past research has focused on the effects that socialization practices, patriarchy, and hegemony have on sexual violence and mediated representations of gendered violence in the United States. This thesis explores two institutions, social structures, and cultures that contribute to and perpetuate a rape supportive culture in the United States-the penal and fraternity systems. By approaching and analyzing sexual assault as socially constructed and communicated through the institutional structures of the penal and fraternity systems, we are equipped to better understand how society and media (re )create and perpetuate a patriarchal rape …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Elementary School Children In A Rural Illinois School District, Amy M. Miller

Masters Theses

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorders, adversely affects children's academic, social, and emotional functioning. There were three purposes for this study. First, this study attempted to determine the number of students diagnosed with ADHD in the three elementary schools of a rural Midwestern school district as reported by parents. Secondly, the study attempted to discover discrepant practices in the methods of diagnosis and treatment ofADHD for students from a lower socioeconomic status than for those from the middle or upper class as reported by the parents. Thirdly, this study assessed teachers' knowledge and …

The Voice Of Silence, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

What is silence? Is it the mere absence of words or sound? Or is it a sound itself? Simon and Garfunkel in their early 1960s hit, "The Sound of Silence," focused on a meaning that seems to predominate in our society—that silence implies apathy, or a lack of communication. They sang: "Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you. But my words like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence."

For Native peoples, silence historically was understood as a means to convey often profound …

Property-Owning Democracy And The Demands Of Justice, Thad Williamson, Martin O'Neill

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

John Rawls is arguably the most important political philosopher of the past century. His theory of justice has set the agenda for debate in mainstream political philosophy for the past forty years, and has had an important influence in economics, law, sociology, and other disciplines. However, despite the importance and popularity of Rawls's work, there is (rather surprisingly) no clear picture of what a society that met Rawls's principles of justice would actually look like.

Leader-Member Exchange (Lmx) Theory, Crystal L. Hoyt, George R. Goethals

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory is rooted in the idea that leaders and followers exchange benefits, and that their relationships are at the heart of the leadership process. Social scientists have long attempted to understand how people relate to each other, beginning with explorations of costs and rewards, interpersonal behavior, and human relationship. A number of theories have used the lens of interpersonal relationships to understand leadership, including Edwin Hollander's focus on idiosyncrasy credits, Tom Tuyler's notion of procedural justice, Dave Messick's delineation of psychological exchanges, and James MacGregor Burns's conceptualization of transforming and transactional leadership. Most notably, George Graen and …

Socioemotional And Task Behavior, George R. Goethals

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

In problem-solving groups, individual members engage in different types of behavior, including task behavior, which focuses on the external problem to be addressed, and socioemotional behavior, which addresses the feelings that arise as a result of group interaction. This entry describes these two types of behavior and examines the leadership styles of group leaders who focus on each one.

Adam Smith And The Place Of Faction, Sandra J. Peart, David M. Levy

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Our approach to faction focuses on Smith’s account of the interrelation between social distance and small group cohesion. We make the case that social distance is not necessarily constant in Smith’s system. As social distance shrinks, sympathy becomes more habitual and the affection we have for others increases (Peart and Levy, 2005b). Factions reduce social distance, and this gives them power and makes them dangerous. By modifying social distance, they created a disconnect between behavior of which we approve (cooperation) and consequences of which we disapprove. It is in this context that we find virtuous behavior with deleterious consequences. The …

2008 Hes Presidential Address: We're All "Persons" Now: Classical Economists And Their Opponents On Marriage, The Franchise, And Socialism, Sandra J. Peart

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

My purpose is to paint a broad brush narrative—it will have some visual representations as well—of how nineteenth-century political economists and their critics confronted a set of basic and related questions: Are men and women equally capable of self governance? Are they equally able to decide when and whom to marry and how many children to have? Can they be trusted equally to cast a ballot? Is their right to property inviolate or might new arrangements be designed and adopted for the production and distribution of wealth?

This is a story interwoven with extraordinary characters: John Stuart Mill will be …

Taking Out The Trash: Critiquing The Equipment For Living Of White Trash Films, Tasha Rose Dunn

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, class has become a lightning rod issue in the United States as the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. One of the main reasons for growing class segregation is the mere fact that U.S. culture carries enormous social anxieties about poverty and, in turn, blame the poor for being poor. As a result of hegemonic beliefs about class, crude discourses are formed and fostered through the mainstream media creating both inaccurate and damaging portrayals. Such damaging portrayals are immediately evident in a variety of mainstream Hollywood films produced in the past decade …

Natural Resources, Investment, And Growth In Low Income Countries, Dena L. Reavis

Masters Theses

Rents generated by natural resource endowments can be lucrative and highly productive sources of revenue for countries of all income levels. Countries able to develop sound investment strategies that efficiently allocate resource rents into highly productive activities can set themselves on paths of long-run stable growth. This study estimates the effects of several host-country characteristics on inflows of foreign direct investment and per capita incomes for low income countries finding that investments in human capital do attract inward foreign direct investment. Some evidence supports the hypothesis of a natural resource curse when the abundant resource is agriculture or food.