Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Experiences In Collaborative Research With Industry: Advantages And Risks, Greg Maguire

ECU Research Week

Seminar: Experiences in collaborative research with industry - advantages and risks.

Discovering Library Research Collections In The 21st Century, Maureen Couacaud

ECU Research Week

Discusses new ways to access quality content through the ECU library.

Conceptualizing Hybridity: Deconstructing Boundaries Through The Hybrid, Haj Yazdiha

Publications and Research

History has shown that the notion of hybridity has existed far before it was popularized in postcolonial theory. However, in this time after imperialism, globalization has both expanded the reach of Western culture, and has allowed a process by which the West constantly interacts with the East. This hybridity is evident in every snapshot of society, from trends in "fusion" cuisine to the adoption of Caribbean rhythms in popular music. Ethnic Americans are marked with hyphenated identities: "Indian-American," "Asian-American," illuminating the lived experience of ties to a dominant culture coinciding with the cultural codes of a third world culture. This …

The Critical Aesthetics Of Disorder: A Porteña Crisis Of Size, Melissa Maldonado-Salcedo

Publications and Research

In Argentina, contemporary notions of progress originate within the whitening projects of the nineteenth century. In this work I propose that the imprints of these Colonial modernization projects are still visible on the porteña body. For this reason I examine the Porteño fashion industry alongside the pervasive Barbie culture. I believe that Porteñas embody the national crisis of identity. I seek to pose the possibility — instead of arguing the fact — that the fashion industry's power over Porteñas (women who live in Buenos Aires Capital) toughened post the economic crisis of 2001. The reason for this is rooted in …

Becoming European? Constructing Identity In Urban Regeneration Discourse In Ireland, Alan Gerard Bourke

Publications and Research

Drawing upon policy documents and interview data, this article critically assesses how the conservation, interpretation and promotion of built heritage is used as a categorical identity referent within urban regeneration discourse in Ireland. The paper is critical of two inter-related dynamics. First, it addresses the relation between "culture-led" urban regeneration and the construction of a "sense of place." Second, it problematizes parallel attempts to constitute a sanitized and marketable urbanism expressed via a rhetorical and contrived veneer of European identity. A fundamental premise of the discussion is that the challenge of articulating a coherent and "distinctive" sense of urban cultural …

Individual Differences And Memory Aging Concerns Of Older Adults, Emily Olinde Boudreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The present research was designed to address two issues with respect to the self-reported memory functioning of older adults. The first issue concerns older adults’ practical memory concerns, defined as self-appraisals of one’s own memory that include worries, apprehension, and fears about aging that relate to memory. We used a mixed method approach in this study to provide a comprehensive assessment of self-reported memory functioning based on quantitative (the Memory Functioning Questionnaire, the Memory Controllability Inventory) and qualitative (the Practical Memory Concerns survey) indicators. The second issue concerns the contribution of individual difference to older adults’ self-perceived memory functioning. The …

2010 Federal Estate Tax Issues, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Estate planning is a very important topic for farm families. In 2001, President Bush signed legislation that reduced the Federal Estate Taxes until 2010, when it was reduced to zero. However, in 2011 the Federal Estate Tax will be reinstated, as indicated in the table on the next page. President Obama has proposed a permanent Federal Estate Tax exemption at the 2009 level, but that has not been acted upon by Congress. Other proposals range from a $2 million exemption with a 55 percent top estate tax rate, to a $5 million exemption with a 35 percent top rate.

A Thin Real Estate Market Becomes Even Leaner, Bruce B. Johnson

Cornhusker Economics

The market for agricultural real estate has historically been what observers call a “thin market,” in that very little is marketed and changes ownership at any given point in time. In fact, even when there is spirited buying interest and willingness to bid aggressively, the supply side of the market for agricultural land tends to be inelastic - in that the percentage change in quantity put on the market is much less that the percentage increase in bid prices.

Of course, this partially explains upward value trends to agricultural real estate over time. If potential buyers realize there is only …

If Irrigation Needs To Be Reduced, How Should We Do It?, Raymond J. Supalla

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska’s obligations under the terms of the Republican Basin Compact and the Cooperative Agreement for the Platte River, as well as our continuing commitment to future generations, require reductions in the consumptive use of water in irrigation. Reducing irrigation in a cost effective and equitable way is perhaps the most important water policy challenge which Nebraska must address. Determining how to meet this challenge involves the following questions: how will irrigators be affected by irrigation reduction programs such as allocation or forced reductions in irrigated acres; how will the Nebraska economy and local communities be affected; what is the least …

Status Of U.S. Initiatives To Limit Ghg Emissions, Diego R. Alvarez, Federico Trindade

Cornhusker Economics

The status of the United States initiatives to limit green house gas (GHG) emissions is the topic of this article. Although there are uncertainties associated with the science of climate change, some aspects of the science are known with virtual certainty (they have a greater than 99% chance of being true). Scientists know with virtual certainty that levels of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been increasing since pre-industrial times; that the atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels; and that increasing …

The Demand For Citizen Leadership In Non-Metropolitan Nebraska, Randolph L. Cantrell

Cornhusker Economics

Those who work with rural communities know this issue well: Population losses have left many rural communities with a shortage of residents willing and able to take on the public and volunteer leadership roles required to keep their communities running smoothly. As a result, individuals are often asked not just to participate in local government and voluntary organizations, but also to accept positions of authority and responsibility in their operation. The outcome, according to conventional wisdom, is that capable and involved citizens can be “burned out” by the demands made on their time, with local leadership often being left in …

“The E-Harmony Of Farm Succession”, David J. Goeller

Cornhusker Economics

The age of Nebraska’s farm and ranch operators continues to trend older. Statistics from the National Census of Agriculture indicates that in 1982 there were 13,436 operators of Nebraska farms or ranches under the age of 35. In the most recent Census of Agriculture taken in 2007, those Nebraska operators under age 35 have declined to 3,353. The 1982 Census indicated the number of operators age 65 and over was 8,777, while in 2007 the Nebraska operators age 65 and over increased to 13,062. Nebraska currently has only 25 percent as many operators under 35 years of age as it …

Climate Control Of Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Across Biomes And Continents, Chuixiang Yi, Runze Li, John Wolbeck, Xiyan Xu, Mats Nilsson, Luis Aires, John D. Albertson, Christof Ammann, M. Altaf Arain, Alessandro C. De Araujo, Marc Aubinet, Mika Aurela, Zoltán Barcza, Alan Barr, Paul Berbigier, Jason Beringer, Christian Bernhofer, Andrew T. Black, Paul V. Bolstad, Fred C. Bosveld, Mark S.J. Broadmeadow, Nina Buchmann, Sean P. Burns, Pierre Cellier, Jingming Chen, Jiquan Chen, Philippe Ciais, Robert Clement, Bruce D. Cook, Peter S. Curtis, D. Bryan Dail, Ebba Dellwik, Christopher A. Williams

Geography

Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is …

Sticks And Stones: Fracture Analysis Of The University Of Iowa-Stanford Collection, Diane Eddie

Honors Program Theses

Bones are an integral part to the human body. They support the entire system, help produce blood, and serve as places for muscles to attach. The condition of bones can say something about the conditions a person lived in. When and how bones warp and fail can also reflect upon the living conditions of a person. Fractures in bones prior to death can show the types of stressors the person had to put up with in life or if there was a particular type of stressor for a certain population. The number of individuals in the University of Iowa-Stanford Collection …

The Experience Of Upward Mobility, Lacey Jae Ritter

Honors Program Theses

Upward mobility is an interesting and highly valued phenomenon within American society. Due to American beliefs that hard work is the only requirement for success, individuals feel that moving up a social class from that of their class of origin is not impossible. Past research, however, shows that upward mobility is extremely difficult and quite unlikely. When individuals do achieve upward mobility, there are many consequences for doing so, including changes in relationships with family and friends. Most individuals receive emotional support from family and friends in their quest for mobility, yet the path to upward mobility is often begun …

Home Movies, Taylor Scott

Honors Program Theses

As an electronic media major I wanted to create a thesis that exemplified all of the video editing and creative skills and also the media theories I have learned at the University of Northern Iowa. To me, one of the most interesting topics in the electronic media field is the strong influence amateurs have on mass media, starting at the advent of the radio and through today on the internet. This is what inspired me to create Home Movies. I wanted to combine my interest in amateurism with the skills and knowledge I have learned as an electronic media student. …

Sex And Setting: A Look At Operational And Organizational Stress In Policing, Laura Anne Lundell

Honors Program Theses

Several studies have looked at how the sex of an officer may or may not influence stress levels within the setting of municipal departments but very little research regarding gender and stress can be found for officers on university or college campuses (Burke, Richardsen & Martinussen, 2006; He, Zhao & Archbold, 2002; Lilly, Pole, Best, Metzler & Marmar 2009; Morash, Haarr & Kwak, 2006; Norvell, Hills & Murrin 1993). Similarly, when sex is looked at as it relates to stress, research is lacking in whether men and women officers experience or are affected differently from operational and organizational stress.

For …

Factors Affecting Religious Beliefs At A Public Midwestern University, Dana Catherine Shook

Honors Program Theses

There is general disagreement in the literature on religion regarding its consequences, and whether they are positive or negative. Theorists such as Freud and Marx argue that religion is detrimental to the individual and society, while some, such as Sorokin and Jung, have found beneficial effects of religion (Ferraro & Albercht-Jensen 1991). This thesis also explored my assumption that doubting and/or critically thinking about religion is useful in creating the global citizens the world may benefit from. Global citizens, in my estimation, are individuals who have respect for individual or cultural differences, regardless of nationality, race, gender, religion, or creed. …

Burnout In Scholarship And Non-Scholarship Female College Swimmers, Kelly Mateas

Honors Program Theses

An emerging concern in the world of sports is burnout among amateur athletes. It is a major issue that must be addressed because some of the world’s best athletes are becoming victims to it. Not only is burnout affecting athletics, it is effecting the lives of those individuals who burn out and leave sports all together. Athletics help build a foundation of life skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving that athletes rely on daily. Sports provide a safe environment that can help keep the majority of participants out of trouble. It is important to have a better …

Recession, Unemployment, And Attendance At Major League Baseball Games, Bradley Joseph Shatek

Honors Program Theses

When a country experiences an economic downturn, as the United States has since late 2007, the negative effects are widespread. Workers are laid off, and households and firms spend less due to decreased income. In most industries, revenues and profits decline during recessions, and professional sports franchises may be no different. In a period of high unemployment, one would expect that consumers first cut back on recreation and entertainment. This study was designed to determine the impact of unemployment on one such entertainment activity, Major League Baseball games.

Paternal Religiosity And Parenting Style: Influence On The Quality Of Daughter's Friendships, Abigail Anne Buenneke

Honors Program Theses

Research shows that parenting styles fall into three basic categories: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive (Baumrind, 1971). Also, a high amount of parental involvement has been found to exert a positive influence on children’s academic performance and personality development (Heaven & Ciarrochi, 2008). This study examines the hypothesis that a daughter who reports that her father figure only allows her to develop highly regulated friendships will have a more negative perception of her father figure than a girl who is given more freedom in developing friendships. Secondly, the study examines the hypothesis that a daughter who reports highly regulated friendships will …

Using Mathematics As A Gateway To Literacy For English Language Learners, Krista Hemphill

Honors Program Theses

One teaching approach that alleviates language barriers involves teachers using what students know and can do to develop students‟ understanding of and ability in another area. Thus, 2 teachers can promote ELLs‟ literacy development by integrating knowledge and skills ELLs have from another subject area into their literacy instruction. Specifically, teachers can integrate mathematics into literacy instruction because research suggests that ELLs often understand and successfully carry out mathematical tasks. For example, Gunning (2003) points out that ELLs tend to perform well on mathematical computations. The universality of mathematical symbols seems to promote ELLs‟ understanding of mathematics instruction although lessons …

Extraction, Territory, And Inequalities: Gas In The Bolivian Chaco, Denise Bebbington, Anthony J. Bebbington

Sustainability and Social Justice

Conflicts over extractive industry have emerged as one of the most visible and potentially explosive terrains for struggles over distribution, territory, and inequality in the Andes. We explore these relationships in Bolivia, focusing on gas extraction in the Chaco region of the southeastern department of Tarija. We consider how the expansion of extractive industry intersects with territorializing projects of state, sub-national elites, and indigenous actors as well as with questions of inequality and inequity. We conclude that arguments over the territorial constitution of Bolivia are inevitably also arguments over gas and the contested concepts of equity underlying its governance. © …

Ecological Niche Modeling Of Potential West Nile Virus Vector Mosquito Species In Iowa, Scott R. Larson, John P. Degroote, Lyric C. Bartholomay, Ramanathan Sugumaran

Faculty Work

Ecological niche modeling (ENM) algorithms, Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling (Maxent) and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP), were used to develop models in Iowa for three species of mosquito – two significant, extant West Nile virus (WNV) vectors (Culex pipiens L and Culex tarsalis Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae)), and the nuisance mosquito, Aedes vexans Meigen (Diptera: Culicidae), a potential WNV bridge vector. Occurrence data for the three mosquito species from a state-wide arbovirus surveillance program were used in combination with climatic and landscape layers. Maxent successfully created more appropriate niche models with greater accuracy than GARP. The three Maxent species’ …

Feminine Identity Confined: The Archaeology Of Japanese Women At Amache, A Wwii Internment Camp, Dana Ogo Shew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1942, approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were evacuated from the West Coast to ten different internment camps in the interior of the United States. One of these camps was the Granada Relocation Center, otherwise known as Amache, located in southeastern Colorado. Through the analysis of archaeological material, archival documents, and oral histories, this thesis explores the experiences of Japanese American women interned at Amache. Feminine identity was greatly changed and redefined during confinement. These changes in feminine identity are examined in the public and private arenas of daily life within confinement. The construction of new and altered individual …

Anatomy Of A Regional Conflict: Tarija And Resource Grievances In Moraless Bolivia, Denise Bebbington, Anthony J. Bebbington

Geography

In 2008, the Department of Tarija became the epicenter of national political struggles over political autonomy for lowland regions at odds with the Morales administration. In September, following a series of regional referenda on autonomy and a national recall election, citizen committees in Tarija mobilized urban-based sectors and organized a general strike against the central government. It is unhelpful to understand the strike as simply an act of political sabotage orchestrated by racist regional elites. The factors driving protest and interest in autonomy are varied and deeply related to patterns of hydrocarbons extraction in the department that have allowed for …

Cultural Tolerance Of Americans In Canada, Benjamin Campbell Barclay

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to develop a cultural tolerance scale, and determine how well it correlates with certain personality dimensions as well as expected stress. The cultural tolerance scale was administered to 104 students from the University of Northern Iowa along with shortened versions of the IPIP and RWA. As expected, the findings showed that cultural tolerance is correlated with openness and agreeableness, but no other personality dimensions. Cultural tolerance is also negatively correlated with R WA and expected stress. Cultural tolerance is a very good predictor of expected stress. This scale could be used as an effective …

Wandering Socially: Technology And The Modern American Hobo Community, Natalie K. Turner

Honors Program Theses

In this research I investigate how our increasingly technological society is changing the lives and culture of hobos. Hobos are traditionally viewed as migratory workers who ride trains to travel to different jobs, and who were in the greatest abundance during the Great Depression. In the 1950s and 60s, impacted by the popularity of Kerouac's novel, On the Road, hobos began to incorporate the beat movement's love of freedom and poetry as a part of their culture. Most recently, hobo ideology can be found in anti-consumer and "simple living" communities. Conducting ethnographic research at the National Hobo Convention in Britt, …

Individual Consumption And Systemic Societal Transformation: Introduction To The Special Issue, Maurie J. Cohen, Halina Szejnwald Brown, Philip J. Vergragt

Sustainability and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Status Is Fine For The In-Group But Out-Group Members Watch Out: Examining An Optimal Model Of Face Processing Using Eye-Tracking, J. Daniel Mccarthy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Face recognition is an important factor in everyday social interaction. Bruce and Young's (1986) model of face processing has been largely accepted as a model for face processing, however, it fails to account for differential processing based on race. MacLin and MacLin (in press) propose the presence of a cognitive gating mechanism (CGM) that suggests different processing strategies are used for in-group and out-group members. To date, the model has only been examined using novel stimuli. The present research examined the model using famous and nonfamous African-American and Caucasian faces to determine if the CGM adequately explains the recognition of …