Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Coercion, Persuasion, And Reflexivity In Major Counterinsurgency Wars, Stephen M. Pampinella

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of different counterinsurgency practices of states in 47 conflicts from 1945-2010. After discussing contemporary theories of counterinsurgency, it traces these theories to realist and liberal traditions of international relations to demonstrate how propose specific relationships with the civilian population as a means of ending social conflict. To evaluate these theories, I perform a Boolean analysis of counterinsurgency practices to determine which combinations of realist and liberal factors leads to counterinsurgent victory. Overall, I find that pure realist and mixed combinations are most likely to lead to victory, while pure liberal combinations fail to produce victory. …

Compression Of Gps Trajectory Data : Benchmarking Framework And New Approach, Jonathan Muckell

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

GPS-equipped mobile devices such as smart phones and in-car navigation units are collecting enormous amounts of spatial and temporal information that traces a moving object's path. The exponential increase in the amount of such trajectory data has caused three major problems. First, transmission of large amounts of data is expensive and time-consuming. Second, queries on large amounts of trajectory data require computationally expensive operations to extract useful patterns and information. Third, GPS trajectories often contain large amounts of redundant data that waste storage and cause increased disk I/O time. These issues can be addressed by algorithms that reduce the size …

The Acquisition Of Sociolinguistic Variation By Study Abroad Students : The Case Of American Students In Madrid, Kathryn Lee Ringer-Hilfinger

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current investigation seeks to contribute to the emerging body of research on second language variation in Spanish. A range of dialect-specific variables is considered, both morphological and phonological. Learner acquisition of these variables is measured within a study abroad context through oral and written longitudinal data over the course of an 8-month period. Previous studies conducted in this area have considered pronoun use (Geeslin and Gudmestad 2008a; Salgado-Robles 2012) the use of /theta/ (Geeslin and Gudmestad 2008b; Willis et. al. 2009; Ringer-Hilfinger 2012; Knouse 2012), intonation strategies (Henriksen et al. 2010), and perfective past time reference (Geeslin et al. …

Revenue First, Temperance Second : Jean Sheppard, Repeal And The Creation Of The New York State Liquor Authority, 1930-1934, Martin George Springfield

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The amending of the Volstead Act and repeal of national prohibition did not answer the "liquor question" but passed the issue to the states. This thesis examines New York's reaction to the change in national alcohol policy and the states decision to legalize and regulate the beverage with the establishment of the New York State Liquor Authority. It traces the activities of Jean Sheppard who led the state division of the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) and became one of the key architects of New York's modern alcohol control system. As an expert in alcohol control policies Sheppard …

From Capability Trap To Capacity Development : Understanding Local Capacity For Managing Disasters, Asmita Tiwari

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The concept of capacity development is essential to the idea of governance and development. Over the decades, governments and development agencies have promoted capacity development programs. With the increasing number of disaster events and associated losses, there has been heightened attention given to governments' capacity to manage disasters. This is associated with a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive actions. Prevention requires capacity to understand, reduce, and manage risk. Nevertheless, a universally acceptable overarching framework of capacity development does not exist.

The Masking Effects Of Light On Circadian Activity And Sleep Rhythms In Drosophila Melanogaster, Aaron David Sheppard

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

As organisms evolved, so did mechanisms for synchronizing behavior to the environmental light-dark cycle. Two main mechanisms provide this link: the synchronization of an endogenous circadian oscillator with the exogenous environment (entrainment), and a process called "masking", which functions independently from the circadian clock. Organisms have evolved these endogenous and exogenous mechanisms to adapt to the light-dark cycle of their niches in order to integrate their behavioral and physiological responses with predictable changes in their environments, in this case changes involving the daily light-dark cycle.

Two Sources Of Child Care Assistance And Their Relationship With Maternal Employment : Evidence From The Fragile Families And Child Well-Being Study, Manrong Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study aims to understand how child care assistance from informal social support networks and from governmental sources relate to the employment of mothers with young child(ren), and how the two sources of child care assistance relate to each other. Both the availability and utilization of child care assistance are investigated.

Depressive Symptoms, Neuropsychological Performance, And Cognitive Complaints Among Individuals With Hiv, Andrea Lynn Hobkirk

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The rates of depression and neuropsychological impairment in HIV-positive populations are considerably higher than the general population. Consistent research suggests that depression is not related to cognitive impairment in HIV, however the majority of these studies were conducted with unidimensional or dichotomous measures of depression, weak methodologies, and small sample sizes. There is limited research suggesting that affective and somatic depressive symptoms alone may be associated with neuropsychological impairment in HIV, possibly through central nervous system dysfunction, yet no study to date has assessed this relation with an adequate sample size and a full neuropsychological battery. In addition, no study …

Capital Punishment In The Lone Star State : A County-Level Analysis Of Contextual Effects On Sentencing, Jennifer Lynn Owens

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In its landmark decision, Furman v. Georgia (1972), the Supreme Court held all existing death penalty statutes unconstitutional, largely due to the arbitrary nature of the capital sentencing processes that resulted from them. In response to the Furman decision, several states revised their death penalty statutes to address the Court's concerns. Although the Court upheld the newly-drafted statutes in Gregg v. Georgia (1976) and its companion cases, subsequently reinstating the death penalty, intrastate variation in death sentencing suggests that the death penalty may continue to be applied in an arbitrary and capricious manner inconsistent with the Eighth Amendment. This dissertation …

Three Essays In Health Economics And Labor Economics, Lei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There are three essays in this dissertation. The first two explore the effect of maternal employment on family well being. The third essay explores the effect of academic department quality on publication productivity.

Cultural Omnivores In Context : An Examination Of Neighborhood Effects On Cultural Taste, Alexander Mcclung

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

After a review of the "cultural omnivore" debate in sociology, the following thesis proposes an examination of how place "matters" for cultural taste. The Anglophone response to Bourdieu's (1984) Distinction that the U.S. elite forgo highbrow snobbism for wide-ranging "omnivore" cultural taste contains several assumptions about culture and its relationship to socioeconomic mobility. These responses, collectively known here as the "omnivore debate" are critiqued on the basis that they pay inadequate attention to the contexts surrounding cultural taste. But it is knowledge of context that is required to understand how taste might be related to socioeconomic mobility. In fact, none …

An Experimental Manipulation Of Body Checking And Mirror Exposure Over Time In Men And Women With High Shape Or Weight Concern, Dvora Catherine Walker

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Although body checking and avoidance behaviors are associated with a range of negative behavioral, emotional, and cognitive outcomes and have been identified as maintaining factors in body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology, they have only recently begun to be researched as an important target of treatment. Few studies have used experimental means to examine the direct effects of body checking manipulations, and those that have were conducted on one occasion. Further, research published to date has only examined potential treatments aimed at reducing body checking and avoidance behaviors in female or predominantly female samples. The present study sought to address …

Impact Of An Extended-Day Kindergarten Intervention On School-Related Variables : A Longitudinal Study, Catherine Bauer

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Increased awareness regarding the effectiveness of educational programs has been generated from recent legislative mandates. Given the significance of kindergarten as the foundation for academic learning, it is critical to evaluate whether district-created programs for entering students who are identified as at-risk are effectively meeting their needs. The current program evaluation study investigated the immediate and long-term effects of an extended-day intervention for kindergarten students identified as at-risk in one school district. Through archival data analysis, students who participated in the extended-day kindergarten (EDK; n=26) intervention beginning in the fall of 2000 and 2001 were compared with a control group …

Effect Of A Diversity Training Workshop On College Students' Prejudice And Awareness Of Privilege, David Kasson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Universities and college are attempting to build more multicultural environments with various programming. One type of program is the prejudice-reduction workshop. Such programs are believed to encourage reductions in participants' prejudicial attitudes and biases. Another consideration is whether such interventions may promote elevations in students' multicultural awareness and sensitivity. Verification of the effectiveness of such programs is often lacking. A common prejudice-reduction workshop employed on college campuses is the National Coalition Building Institute's (NCBI) Welcoming Diversity/Prejudice Reduction Workshop (NCBI, 2001). The model is purported to encourage reductions in participants' prejudice and encourage an appreciation for diverse people. However, there is …

Spanish Exiles In New York : Constructing Identities Through The Spanish-Language Press (1930s-1940s), Natacha Bolufer-Laurentie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Spanish Exiles in New York: Constructing Identities through the Spanish-Language Press (1930s-1940s)

Evaluating Drought In The United States Using The Emissivity Difference Vegetation Index, Hanisha Hirani

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

As monitoring vegetation and crops becomes increasingly important due to climate change, there arises the need for a monitoring scheme that places more weight on water availability as an indication of vegetation health and vitality. The Emissivity Difference Vegetation Index (EDVI) is the first step towards that type of monitoring scheme. With the potential for diurnal studies, there are applications towards agriculture monitoring, wildfire monitoring, and much more. EDVI is a synergetic product retrieved from microwave, visible, and infrared satellite measurements, as well as reanalysis. Since microwave measurements are more sensitive to vegetation water content, EDVI has the potential to …

The Inter-Rater Reliability Of A Multi-Factor Sex Offender Risk Classification System : An Experimental Simulation, Elizabeth Rahmberg Walsh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This research is an experimental simulation that explores the interrater reliability of a multi-factor sex offender risk classification system, specifically, the system outlined by the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA). In Study 1, professionals holding the terminal degree in their field and qualified for appointment to the Sex Offender Registry Board administered the Massachusetts Classification Worksheet to four sex offender cases. Study 2 involved the use of master's level participants (including professionals with master's degrees and graduate student participants) to administer the Massachusetts Classification Worksheet to the same four sex offender cases. Participants assessed the offenders' risk as either …

Exploring The Impact Of Meditation On Attentional Allocation To Emotion, Sychopathology, And Acute Stress, In A Community Sample With Mixed Anxiety And Depression, Nicholas Thomas Van Dam

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Attempts to define mindfulness in the clinical and psychological sciences have been marred by contradictions, inconsistencies, and controversies. In this wait-list (WL) controlled mindfulness meditation training (MMT) study, the efficacy and potential mechanisms of MMT was tested in a community sample with undiagnosed, but significant, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. In a pre/post design, which also included 3 month follow-up, participants completed self-report measures, participated in a psychosocial stress task (before and after which they completed self-report mood questionnaires and had physiological and salivary neuroendocrine markers collected), and completed an emotional attentional blink paradigm. Compared to WL (n = …

Best Practices For Drug Court: How Drug Court Judges Influence Positive Outcomes, Karen Lynn Stimler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Drug courts are an important component in the criminal justice system directed toward efforts of rehabilitation of drug and alcohol addiction that lessens the rate of recidivism. Drug court is the alternative to incarceration and traditional addiction treatment. Drug court has been characterized as therapeutic adjudication. Using "Best Practices," drug courts staffed by a judge, court team, and community partners individualize treatment protocols to motivate participant compliance and lessen the impact of the social milieu that impacts his or her recovery. Drug courts have been deemed successful in part due to the role of the judge. This research sought to …

Clackamas County 2011-2012 Diversity Assessment (Phase I), Masami Nishishiba, Amanda Shannahan, Bonnie Crawford, Chad Stover, Wongkang Lee

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

Clackamas County conducted its first diversity assessment in 2001. Since then, the County has taken significant steps to promote diversity within the organization, including the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Manager position. This 2011-2012 assessment is the first phase of the County’s attempt to evaluate its current diversity climate and the effectiveness of its diversity efforts.

Results in this report are based on data collected from February to April 2012. In July 2012, after the data collection of this phase I assessment process, the Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution titled ”Valuing Diversity in Clackamas County.” …

A Journey To Denmark In 1928, Anton Gravesen

The Bridge

It is now just 3 months ago that I packed my valise and said goodbye to Askov to make a journey to Denmark. It was with some mixed feelings. Half my life I have lived here and my other half over there in the old country.

Common Ground At The Nexus Of Information Literacy And Scholarly Communication, Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Merinda Kaye Hensley

IWU Authors Bookshelf

Common Ground at the Nexus of Information Literacy and Scholarly Communication presents concepts, experiments, collaborations, and strategies at the crossroads of the fields of scholarly communication and information literacy. The seventeen essays and interviews in this volume engage ideas and describe vital partnerships that enrich both information literacy and scholarly communication programs within institutions of higher education. Contributions address core scholarly communication topics such as open access, copyright, authors’ rights, the social and economic factors of publishing, and scholarly publishing through the lens of information literacy. This volume is appropriate for all university and college libraries and for library and …

From The Philippines To The Field Museum: A Study Of Ilongot (Bugkalot) Personal Adornment, Sarah E. Carlson

Honors Projects

Abstract: The Philippine Collection at The Field Museum contains over 10,000 objects, including hundreds of objects of personal adornment. As an intern at The Field Museum in the summer of 2012, I got to experience the collection first-hand and began examining six ornaments from the Ilongot peoples of the Philippines. At the beginning of the 20^th century, the Ilongot wore ornaments to visually communicate social meaning about themselves, their villages, and their relationships. The Ilongot were a headhunting society with fearsome warriors who beheaded their enemies. These hunters wore delicately crafted earrings and headdresses to mark their masculinity and …

Beyond Fear And Loathing: Tea Party Organizers' Continuum Of Knowledge In A Racialized Social System, Meghan Burke

Scholarship

Making use of fieldwork and 25 open-ended interviews with Tea Party organizers in the state of Illinois, I argue that Tea Party organizers draw from a continuum of knowledge, combining personal knowledge and experience with a conservative corporate media and Tea Party network frame. I draw upon the work of Weber to show how this continuum connects to various types of rational social action. Widening this scope of analysis allows not only for a more complex analysis of how corporate interests are connected to the grass roots movement, but also how the core frames of the movement are located throughout …

Observations On Eye Care In Lamu, Kenya: Overlooked Needs And Proposed Interventions, Erick Henderson, Rebecca Gearhart

Scholarship

These notes draw attention to the underserved eye care needs of residents of Lamu, Kenya. They are comprised of observations that we, Rebecca Gearhart, an anthropology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) and Erick Henderson, an IWU biology and pre-optometry major and president of the Optometry Club, made while volunteering at a clinic in Lamu, Kenya during the summer of 2011. Plans to establish a temporary eye clinic emerged after Rebecca discovered that Erick was an optometric technician who might use his portable optometry lens set to fit residents of Lamu Town on Lamu Island for glasses and teach them …

Seeing Life Through The Eyes Of Swahili Children Of Lamu, Kenya: A Visual Anthropology Approach, Rebecca Gearhart

Scholarship

This research offers a first look at Swahili children in Lamu town on Lamu Island, Kenya by providing an overview of the kinds of activities in which they engage and the aspects of Swahili society that are particularly focused on them. Swahili children’s culture is characterized by identifying the beliefs, practices, and values that shape Swahili children’s lives, from an anthropological perspective. The paper features photographic images that six Swahili youth produced and selected for this study during the summer of 2011, which provide personal insight into the children’s lives and experiences. Collaborative research methods were especially designed to empower …

Service-Learning And Information Literacy: Creating Powerful Synergies, Christopher Sweet

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Evaluation Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The decision to engage in the development of girl-friendly savings accounts was made as part of the Population Council’s work with adolescent girls in Kenya. In June 2008 the Council and MicroSave Consulting started the Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls. Based on the market research and prior experience with developing programs for adolescent girls, a product concept for a group-based savings account was developed, in which the group model was used to address the legal constraints of minors not being able to hold individual accounts. In Kenya and Uganda, two financial institutions were identified, and the …

Using Geospatial Technologies To Characterize Relationships Between Travel Behavior, Food Availability, And Health, Warren J. Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Epidemic obesity in the U.S. has prompted exploration of causal factors related to the built environment. Recent research has noted statistical associations between the spatial accessibility of retail food sources, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants, and individual characteristics such as weight, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. These studies typically use residential proximity or neighborhood density to food sources as the measure of accessibility. Assessing food environments in this manner, however, is very limiting. Since most people travel outside of their neighborhood on a daily basis, the retail food sources available to individuals residing in the same area could vary …

Locative Media, Augmented Realities And The Ordinary American Landscape, Andrew Boulton

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This dissertation investigates the role of annotative locative media in mediating experiences of place. The overarching impetus motivating this research is the need to bring to bear the theoretical and substantive concerns of cultural landscape studies on the development of a methodological framework for interrogating the ways in which annotative locative media reconfigure experiences of urban landscapes. I take as my empirical cases i) Google Maps with its associated Street View and locational placemark interface, and ii) Layar, an augmented reality platform combining digital mapping and real-time locational augmentation. In the spirit of landscape studies’ longstanding and renewed interest in …