Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Tipping Point To Terrorism: Involvement In Right-Wing Terrorist Groups In The United States, Anne M. Stacey Reeser

Student Work

This dissertation focuses on right-wing terrorism (RWT) in the United States perpetrated by adherents to the White Supremacist Movement (WSM). In depth case history data were collected using a variety of sources and analyzed on 66 federally indicted WSM terrorists representing 10 different terrorist organizations in the United States from 1980-2002. The primary means of analysis was a qualitative case analysis using narrative data to uncover what influences an individual to become involved in a terrorist group. Specifically, I analyzed the influences of: 1) structural components, 2) family dynamics, and 3) non-familial relationships on the involvement process. Results from this …

Construing The Outer Limits Of Sentencing Authority: A Proposed Bright-Line Rule For Noncapital Proportionality Review, Kevin White

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Senate: Out Of Order?, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl

Faculty Publications

Due to the routine use of the filibuster and related devices, today’s Senate operates as a supermajoritarian body. This Symposium Article considers whether this supermajoritarian aspect of the Senate renders it dysfunctional and, if so, what can be done about it. I contend that the Senate is indeed broken. Its current supermajoritarian features have pernicious effects. Further, and contrary to the claims of many of the Senate’s defenders, this aspect of the Senate is not part of the original design. I go on to explain why the Senate’s procedures, despite their deficiencies, have nonetheless proven resistant to reform. The impediment …

Echo, Summer/Fall 2011, Columbia College Chicago

Echo

Student-produced magazine formerly published as Chicago Arts and Communication, changed to Echo magazine in 1997. Cover Articles: Degrees of difficulty: undocumented and undeterred, school books and diaper bags; Game on!: inside Magic the Gathering; Mouthwatering movies: a feature and a feast; Metalmorphosis: a heavy metal geneology. 80 pages.

The Practical Pev: Removing Barriers To Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging And Ownership, Stephen Parry

Pomona Senior Theses

The paradigm of personal transportation is changing. Electric vehicles are here. The arrival of the Tesla Roadster, Nissan Leaf, and Chevy Volt has changed the way in which we have to think about the energy that fuels our transportation needs. As PEVs find their way into garages this year and especially in the coming years, the neighborhood, city, state, and regional electric infrastructure will take on a new importance for many people as their interactions with it become significantly more complex and intimate as a result of regular electric vehicle charging.

Religion And Politics In Latvia At The Beginning Of 21st Century, Valdis Tçraudkalns

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Facial Appearance In Gender Categorization, Joshua J. Simpkins

HIM 1990-2015

Of the many systems of social organization which members of US society use to categorize other members, gender is one of the most important. The gender system operates to place members of US society into categories, and then allocate labor and resources to those members on the basis of their category membership. In order to better understand the gender system, this study examines the methods by which members of US society use the gender system to place other members into a gender category. First, full facial photographs were taken of a group of participants of varying gender, race, ethnicity, and …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Manipulation Checks: Follow-Up., Travis Clark

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the accuracy with which participants complete a typical social psychology post-experimental inquiry following a procedure involving deception. Participants were randomly assigned to be informed or naïve to an ostensible purpose and were randomly assigned to be offered or not offered a reward for revealing awareness of the ostensible purpose and admission of receiving prior information. MANOVA analyses suggest that being informed and being offered a reward increase Awareness. Being offered a Reward actually decreased Admission. The implications of these results for deception research will be discussed.

The Third Sector: A Cluster Approach, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Theoretical cluster analysis is used to sort out and organize the complex relations involved in empirically defining a sector. Cluster analysis is a quantitative technique to identify clusters of similar traits of empirical observations or cases. It is similar to factor analysis, except that the latter is ordinarily more concerned with identifying groups of related variables. The term Theoretical Cluster Analysis denotes a set of logical operations and arguments used to link the existing literature to questionnaire and scale items.

We begin by postulating a cluster of four sectors and four intersectors that together define the full extent of what …

Mixed Methods Research Of Adult Family Care Home Residents And Informal Caregivers, Guy C. Jeanty, James Hibel

The Qualitative Report

This article describes a mixed methods approach used to explore the experiences of adult family care home (AFCH) residents and informal caregivers (IC). A rationale is presented for using a mixed methods approach employing the sequential exploratory design with this poorly researched population. The unique challenges attendant to the sampling strategy with this population, and an iterative approach of data collection and data analysis are discussed. A summary of the data integration process and outcome is presented.

The Phenomenon Of Collaboration: A Phenomenologic Study Of Collaboration Between Family Medicine And Obstetrics And Gynecology Departments At An Academic Medical Center, David R. Brown, Cheryl D. Brewster, Marina Karides, Lou A. Lukas

The Qualitative Report

Collaboration is essential to manage complex real world problems. We used phenomenologic methods to elaborate a description of collaboration between two departments at an academic medical center who considered their relationship to represent a model of effective collaboration. Key collaborative structures included a shared vision and commitment by leaders, rigorous quality improvement, clear delineation of roles with built-in flexibility, ongoing commitment to formal and informal communication channels and conflict resolution, relationship development grounded in respect and responsiveness, and shared training in a supportive learning environment with legitimate participation fostering skill development. This study reveals the complexity and resources required for …

Compatibility Between Text Mining And Qualitative Research In The Perspectives Of Grounded Theory, Content Analysis, And Reliability, Chong Ho Yu, Angel Jannasch-Pennell, Samuel Digangi

The Qualitative Report

The objective of this article is to illustrate that text mining and qualitative research are epistemologically compatible. First, like many qualitative research approaches, such as grounded theory, text mining encourages open-mindedness and discourages preconceptions. Contrary to the popular belief that text mining is a linear and fully automated procedure, the text miner might add, delete, and revise the initial categories in an iterative fashion. Second, text mining is similar to content analysis, which also aims to extract common themes and threads by counting words. Although both of them utilize computer algorithms, text mining is characterized by its capability of processing …

Themes Of Identity: An Auto-Ethnographical Exploration, Peruvemba S. Jaya

The Qualitative Report

The study is focused on understanding identity construction through combining my own experience with the theoretical underpinnings of postcolonial theory, social identity theory and through the examination of two films. The central question that I am interested in is understanding the identity construction and formation process especially as it relates to individuals who have crossed borders and immigrated or moved to countries other than their home countries. The methodology I am employing is auto-ethnography; I am integrating this by using two films as sites of inquiry. Through this introspective, reflection combined with the theoretical framework of identity I uncover themes …

"Every Word Is True": Stories Of Our Experiences In A Qualitative Research Course, Janet C. Richards

The Qualitative Report

There is a sparse body of literature about students' and instructors' experiences in graduate qualitative courses. In this study, 11 doctoral students and one instructor employed a narrative framework to uncover our perceived truths about our experiences as we interacted, studied, pondered, and journeyed through a qualitative research methods course. Data were my chronologically ordered notes documenting my thinking and perceptions about my students and me and the doctoral students' chronologically ordered e-mail stories to their peers and to me. The inquiry illuminated the doctoral students' growth as researchers and highlighted the power of shared stories. Our narratives captured our …

Consistency And Change In Participatory Action Research: Reflections On A Focus Group Study About How Farmers Learn, Fred P. Piercy, Nancy Franz, Joseph L. Donaldson, Robert F. Richard

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on our efforts to balance consistency in our multi-year participatory action research study with the need to adapt our research protocol to what we are learning along the way. While both are important, we share several examples of how our flexibility and openness to adapt our protocol to our research findings has lead to methodological refinements and serendipitous learnings. We discuss implications for both agricultural education and research.

Communicating Qualitative Research Study Designs To Research Ethics Review Boards, Carolyn Ells

The Qualitative Report

Researchers using qualitative methodologies appear to be particularly prone to having their study designs called into question by research ethics or funding agency review committees. In this paper, the author considers the issue of communicating qualitative research study designs in the context of institutional research ethics review and offers suggestions for researchers to consider in their communication of study designs to research ethics review boards. General information about the mandate of research ethics review boards is provided. In light of wide international variability with respect to research ethics regulatory environments and review board processes, specific considerations and suggestions about communicating …

Research Praxis From Design To Completion: A Review Of Designing And Managing Your Research Project - Core Knowledge For Social And Health Researchers, Ronald R. Kumar

The Qualitative Report

Thomas and Hodges (2010) have written a very practical and indeed a valuable book on how to do research project design and management applicable to a wide readership. The book will be of particular importance to young researchers who are aspiring to hone the art of research and project management from design to completion. For the experienced, it's a book to read and reflect on. Discussing the critical elements involved in research, Thomas and Hodges use consultative-advising-coaching, empathy-towards-researchers and experienced-based approaches to reveal important core knowledge in research as a career whilst laying out the ground rules for effective research …

An Analysis Of Financial Leverage And The 2007-2009 Financial Crisis, Larissa A. French

Honors Program Theses

This thesis will analyze the recent financial crisis, attempting to find and explain sources that caused the crisis, which includes monetary excesses, mortgage-backed securities, the August 2007 bank panic, credit default swaps, and other causes. It will link together events and activities to provide a complete picture. Additionally, this thesis will compare financial leverage with Gross Domestic Product to determine if increases in financial leverage predate financial crises. Leverage, by itself, is not enough to cause a recession, as it exists at some level all the time. However, it may be possible that excessive amounts of leverage or increasing leverage …

Dialogic Exchanges And The Negotiation Of Differences: Female Graduate Students' Experiences Of Obstacles Related To Academic Mentoring, Sharon Hayes, Mirka Koro-Ljungberg

The Qualitative Report

This study, framed by social constructionism, investigated the dialogic exchanges and co-construction of knowledge among female graduate students, who met to discuss the ways in which the differences between mentors and mentees might be negotiated in order to develop and maintain mentoring relationships that benefit both partners. Ten female graduate students, with qualitative research experience, participated in individual interviews and focus groups. Findings indicated our participants were open to the differences expressed, focusing on commonalities, rather than accentuating or suppressing stated differences. This negotiation of difference enabled our participants to co-construct more complex and legitimate understandings of mentoring. Collectively, our …

The Vulnerable Researcher: Some Unanticipated Challenges Of Doctoral Fieldwork, Patricia Ballamingie, Sherrill Johnson

The Qualitative Report

This paper draws explicitly on the field experiences of two doctoral researchers in geography to elucidate some of the challenges and issues related to researcher vulnerability that are especially acute for graduate students. In spite of significant differences in context, both researchers experienced an unanticipated degree of professional vulnerability during their doctoral fieldwork that warrants further exploration, including a theoretical interrogation of the complex (and shifting) terrain of power relations within qualitative research projects. This paper addresses the lacuna in the qualitative methodological research literature on the topic of researcher vulnerability (in contrast to the well-developed discussion of participant vulnerability). …

Public Opinion And The Death Penalty: A Qualitative Approach, Diana L. Falco, Tina L. Freiburger

The Qualitative Report

Strong public support for capital punishment is arguably the number one reason why the death penalty continues to be used as a form of correctional policy in the U.S. criminal justice system. Therefore, it is fundamental that the measure of death penalty opinion be heavily scrutinized. Utilizing a methodological approach not typically employed in this area, the current study conducted six focus groups to gain a better understanding of the complexity of these opinions. During the focus groups, participants were asked to state their general beliefs concerning the death penalty, respond to scenarios, and respond to research findings regarding the …

Socio-Cultural Challenges In Conducting Ethnographic Research Among Ethiopian Street Youth, Patricia Guy Walls

The Qualitative Report

Little has been written on the personal experience of the researcher as it relates to data collection, data analysis and interpretation of results. Even more scarce has been knowledge that addresses the challenges and barriers faced by 21st century researchers engaged in ethnographic data collection amidst culturally diverse populations. The present work has addressed these gaps in the literature by detailing the personal, methodological and cultural challenges encountered by this researcher in a larger study which utilized a mixed method design to investigate homeless street youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Results indicated the need for social workers to possess an …

Choreographing Intertextual Stories: Qualitative Inquiry Meets Oral History, Thalia M. Mulvihill, Amanda O. Latz

The Qualitative Report

In Oral History for the Qualitative Researcher: Choreographing the Story (2010), Valerie J. Janesick offers readers an engaging conversational exploration of oral history methods using the metaphor of choreography. Janesick weaves together the theoretical and practical dimensions of conducting oral history projects and generously shares valuable examples throughout the text.

Narrative Research Methodology In Mobile Work Research, Li Jin

The Qualitative Report

This book review provides a summary of the content of the book "Mobile Work, Mobile Lives: Cultural Accounts of Lived Experiences" and a critical review of the methodological strengths of the articles included in the book. It also points out one structural weakness of the book. The appropriate readership is recommended as well.

The Challenges Of Reflexivity, Sarah Flogen

The Qualitative Report

Perils, Pitfalls & Reflexivity aims to stimulate solutions to qualitative challenges that researchers encounter in countries with less research infrastructure and experience, and to expose to critical gaze the methodological and ethical assumptions that may be taken for granted in countries where there are more formal research processes. I read this book as a novice qualitative researcher with an active interest in reflexivity who lives in Canada, intrigued to learn from others' fieldwork, keen to encounter another point of view of ethics.

Dietary And Behavioral Strategies Of Neandertals And Anatomically Modern Humans: Evidence From Anterior Dental Microwear Texture Analysis, Kristin Lynn Krueger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The extreme gross wear of Neandertal anterior teeth has been a topic of debate for decades. Several ideas have been proposed, including the excessive mastication of grit-laden foods and non-dietary anterior tooth use, or using the anterior dentition as a clamp or tool. This second idea has been the most examined, and was taken from analogy of Arctic populations who used their anterior dentition in this manner. However, combining wear variables and examining them in relation to important factors, such as climate, location, and time, has been challenging to incorporate into interpretive models. The present study seeks to better understand …

Cultural Psychology And Cross-Cultural Psychology: The Case Of Chinese Psychology, Carl Ratner

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

No abstract provided.

Access, May 2011, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Access Magazine

No abstract provided.

Illinois Felony Sentencing: A Retrospective, David E. Olson, Donald Stemen

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications & Other Works

This research bulletin provides an overview of forces that have influenced the number of felons under the supervision of Illinois' justice system, including crime and arrest trends, sentencing policies and practices related to probation and prison sentences.

Who Wants To Have A Career In Science Or Math? Exploring Adolescents’ Future Aspirations By Gender And Race/Ethnicity, Catherine Riegle-Crumb, Chelsea Moore, Aida Ramos-Wada

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

Our study utilizes data from a national cohort of eighth-grade students to consider how different gender and racial/ethnic subgroups compare to White males in their likelihood to aspire toward a science or math occupation and examine the roles that self-concept, enjoyment, and achievement may play in shaping disparities at this early point in occupational trajectories. We find that the importance of enjoyment, self-concept, and achievement in explaining disparities in science career aspirations relative to White males varies according to the female subgroup considered, such that no singular story applies to females across different racial/ethnic backgrounds. For math, White and Hispanic …