Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Peak At The Nadir: Psychological Turmoil As The Trigger For Awakening Experiences, Steve Taylor

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A study of 161 temporary awakening experiences showed that over 23% were triggered by, or associated with, intense turmoil and distress (Taylor, 2012b). Examples of some of these turmoil-induced awakening experiences are given, illustrating the wide variety of traumatic experiences involved. (The type of trauma was found to be less important than its intensity.) These temporary awakening experiences are contrasted with permanent suffering-induced transformational experiences (SITEs). A distinction is made between a primary shift, involving the establishment of a new self-system (which occurs in SITEs), and the secondary shift which may occur after temporary awakening experiences, when the individual’s self-system …

Relocation Of Homeless People From Odot Rights-Of-Way, Ellen M. Bassett, Andrée Tremoulet, Allison Moe

TREC Final Reports

This research project consists of an investigation of responses to homeless encampments on rights-of-way owned by Departments of Transportation (DOTs). While DOTs are not housing or social service agencies, their role as major public landowners involves them in dealing with the consequences of homelessness. The research goals included analyzing the prevalence of the problem, documenting how DOTs are responding, and culling from this data information that could be used as a basis for creating a best practices guide. The research included a single mixed-methods, in-depth case study, electronic surveys of practitioners and follow-up interviews. Products consist of two reports (included …

Implications And Consequences Of Post-Modern Philosophy For Contemporary Transpersonal Studies Ii. Georges Bataille’S Post-Nietzschean Secular Mysticism, Phenomenology Of Ecstatic States, And Original Transpersonal Sociology, Harry Hunt

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The writings of the French philosopher Georges Bataille (1897-1962) offer their own contribution to the descriptive phenomenology of mystical and numinous states, as well as a version of the modern secular or this-worldly mysticism variously anticipated by Jung and Nietzsche, and a highly original sociology and social psychology of transpersonal experience, influenced by Max Weber, that helps to open an area not widely developed in recent studies. At the same time, the trauma and personal difficulties in Bataille’s life serve as a stark example of the often distortive effects of spiritual metapathologies on inner development. Bataille’s views of ecstatic states …

Hiv Dna Reservoir Increases Risk For Cognitive Disorders In Cart-Nave Patients, Robert H. Paul, Victor G. Valcour, Jintanat Ananworanich, Melissa Agsalda

Psychology Faculty Works

Objectives Cognitive impairment remains frequent in HIV, despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Leading theories implicate peripheral monocyte HIV DNA reservoirs as a mechanism for spread of the virus to the brain. These reservoirs remain present despite cART. The objective of this study was to determine if the level of HIV DNA in CD14+ enriched monocytes predicted cognitive impairment and brain injury. Methods We enrolled 61 cART-naïve HIV-infected Thais in a prospective study and measured HIV DNA in CD14+ enriched monocyte samples in a blinded fashion. We determined HAND diagnoses by consensus panel and all participants underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) …

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter, Spring 2013

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Portland, OR

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter Finding Aid

Brown Eyes, Brown Mind: What We Learn From What We See, Mauricio E. Novoa

SURGE

My summer days aren’t spent in a house on the beach or travelling to different states or countries with my family or friends, forgetting about the worries of the rest of the year and wondering what could be better than life under the sun. They are spent in a school building, the first place my younger self would have been eager to escape during off time. This is the second summer I am working at the LIU Migrant Education Summer School of Excellence. Unlike normal summer school, which usually consists of remedial classes for students who can’t seem to …

You've Gotta Read This: Summer Reading At Musselman Library (2013), Musselman Library

You’ve Gotta Read This: Summer Reading at Musselman Library

Each year Musselman Library asks Gettysburg College faculty, staff, and administrators to help create a suggested summer reading list to inspire students and the rest of the campus community to take time in the summer to sit back, relax, and read. These summer reading picks are guaranteed to offer much adventure, drama, and fun!

Two Essays On Ceo Inside Debt Compensation, Nilakshi Borah

Doctoral Dissertations

In the first chapter, I examine the effect CEO inside debt holdings on firm cash holdings, as measured by the ratio of cash and marketable securities to net assets using a sample of EXECUCOMP firms over the period of 2006 to 2008. Following prior literature on CEO inside debt holdings (Cassell et al., 2012), I use the following two measures as proxies for CEO inside debt compensation: (1) the CEO to firm debt/equity ratio, which is calculated as the CEO's debt/equity ratio scaled by the firm's debt to equity ratio and 2) an indicator variable equal to one when the …

"The Library Is Like Her House": Reimagining Youth Of Color In Lis Discourses, Kafi D. Kumasi

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Institutional Repository Annual Report: Ay 2009-2010, Erika Gearing

ScholarsArchive@JWU Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Institutional Repository Annual Report: Ay 2008-2009, Erika Gearing

ScholarsArchive@JWU Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Transpersonal Sociology: Origins, Development, And Theory, Ryan Rominger, Harris L. Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Transpersonal theory formally developed within psychology through the initial definition of the field in the publishing of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. However, transpersonal sociology also developed with the Transpersonal Sociology Newsletter, which operated through the middle 1990s. Both disciplines have long histories, while one continues to flourish and the other, comparatively, is languishing. In order to encourage renewed interest in this important area of transpersonal studies, we discuss the history, and further define the field of transpersonal sociology, discuss practical applications of transpersonal sociology, and introduce research approaches that might be of benefit for transpersonal sociological researchers and practitioners.

Putting Regulatory Data To Work At The Service Of Public Health: Utilizing Data Collected Under The Clean Water Act, Jyotsna S. Jagai, Barbara J. Rosenbaum, Suzanne M. Pierson, Lynne C. Messer, Kristen M. Rappazzo, Elena N. Naumova, Danelle T. Lobdell

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Under the Clean Water Act, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collects information from states on intended use and impairment of each water body. We explore the feasibility of using these data, collected for regulatory purposes, for public health analyses. Combining EPA impairment data and stream hydrology information we estimated the percent of stream length impaired for any use, recreational use, or drinking water use per county in the US as exposure variables. For health outcomes we abstracted county-level hospitalization rates of gastrointestinal infections, GI (ICD-9CM 001-009 excluding 008.45) and gastrointestinal symptoms, GS (ICD-9CM 558.9, 787) among US adults aged …

Community Breeders: Animal Husbandry In Portlandia, Kurt Spickerman

Metroscape

A brief exploration of animal husbandry within the city limits of Portland, Oregon, covering residents' experiences with raising chickens, goats, bees and other farm animals. Touches on new concerns relating to local sources for food, community building, and drawbacks faced by some residents.

On The Edge Of Agriculture: An Interview With Narendra Varma And Gianna Banducci Of Our Table Cooperative, Mike Simpson

Metroscape

One mile outside Portland’s urban growth boundary near Sherwood OR, a new farm business is modeling innovative practices that could become the future of Oregon agriculture. The Our Table Cooperative brings stakeholders from all levels of the food system together as member-owners within the same organizational structure. By sharing costs and infrastructure, the cooperative seeks to show that small and medium scale agricultural production can be economically viable. The farm also emphasizes diversity of crops over industrial efficiency, and its management is based on dynamic governance.. Recently, Metroscape sat down with two members of the cooperative to discuss their vision, …

Focal Point, Volume 27, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This special issue of Focal Point focuses on best practices for helping youth and young adults with mental health challenges reach their educational and employment goals, by highlighting preliminary results from some of our research at Pathways to Positive Futures as well as some of the work being done at the Transitions RTC at the University of Massachusetts.

Participant/Observer Vol. 6. No. 1 Summer 2013, Anthropology Department

Participant/Observer

A Newsletter of the friends of the Western Michigan University Department of Anthropology

Table of Contents:

• Welcome from the Editor
• Recent Investigations of Fort St. Joseph
• 2012 Finger Lakes National forest Farmstead Archaeology Project Season
• Michigan Archaeology Day
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum Project in South Haven
• Where Are Our Alumni Now?
• Faculty Updates
• Annual Speaker Series
• WMU at SHA
• Recognize anyone?
• 2012-13 Department of Anthropology Awards

Landowner Behaviour In The Upper Thames And Grand River Watersheds: A Study Of Factors That May Explain The Conservation Behaviour Of Farmers, Jeffrey Brick

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the factors that may explain why some farmers choose to remove conservation lands, while others choose to restore them. It uses a survey that was administered to rural landowners in the Upper Thames River and Grand River watersheds in Southwestern Ontario to collect information on landowner characteristics and behaviours, as well as literature reviews to provide insights into the value of conservation lands and the changing economic conditions in the study area. Eight independent variables that may explain the conservation behaviour of farmers were assessed. The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between property size and the …

The Revitalization Of Social Housing: An Analysis Of Mixed-Income Housing In The City Of Toronto, Zoie Browne

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether community-based organizations (CBOs) offer a viable strategy for addressing social and community development issues within mixed-income housing in Toronto. It analyzes how and under what conditions mixed income housing developments produce a vibrant base of CBOs that reflect the social diversity of residents and it explores the extent to which mixed income developments build a sense of community with reference to the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. Interview data is used to provide empirical evidence regarding both the physical and social principles relating to community development in the area. The findings reveal that the success of a model …

Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committees: A Review And Critical Analysis, Ashley Grigg

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the municipal election compliance audit committee (CAC) process and the practical application of legislative parameters. It undertakes a descriptive analysis of the CAC process using four cases – each having resulted in an appeal to the Ontario Court of Justice – and ultimately puts forward an argument for legislative review. The findings reveal that there are conflicting legislative interpretations concerning the function and powers of CACs, demonstrating the need for increased statutory clarity regarding the committee’s authority and purpose.

Homelessness In Winnipeg, Manitoba: An Analysis Of Local Government Inaction, Rhiannon Hayes

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the topic of homelessness with a specific focus on Winnipeg, Manitoba to determine why it has remained inactive in addressing this social issue. It uses a qualitative approach in the form of interviews with different employees for the City of Winnipeg and members of non-governmental organizations to understand why the city has had such a limited response. This paper also compares Winnipeg to Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia to analyze the experiences of other Canadian cities that are attempting to tackle homelessness. The findings reveal that Winnipeg does not actively address homelessness due to the failure …

The Regional Variation Of Ontario Works: From The Perspective Of Provincial-Municipal Relationship, Ju Xue

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the regional variations of Ontario Works in the province using empirical studies of 12 municipalities: Durham, Halton, Hamilton, London, Muskoka, Niagara, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, and York. The findings reveal that the variation of Ontario Works in different municipalities is limited and the services provided to clients are similar across the entire province. Furthermore, in understanding why the provincial government still requires the involvement of municipalities in the program, despite it being consistent across Ontario, it concludes that the introduction of Ontario Works was accompanied by the province’s decentralization process and the fiscal retrenchment of provincial …

Explaining Social Media Variation: An Analysis Of Internal Municipal Factors That Shape Canadian Municipal Websites, Julien Patel

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explains the variations in social media features on Canadian municipal websites by measuring internal characteristics of key municipal administrators. The research process used a questionnaire to measure administrators’ attitudes towards engagement and municipal corporations’ capacity to improve websites moving forward. The results of the survey are contrasted with a dataset that scores each respondent’s municipality using predetermined criteria. Representatives from 43 Canadian municipalities agreed to participate in the study. The findings reveal that age, citizen pressure to provide online services, and engagement efforts with local stakeholders significantly explain a proportion of variation in municipal social media features.

E-Governance On Ontario Municipal Websites: Exploring The Development Of E-Governance Tools Used By Ontario Municipal Planning Departments, Spencer Sandor

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether there are patterns to the adoption of e-Governance tools on Ontario municipal websites, with a specific focus on whether the adoption follows a hierarchical pattern based on intended engagement outcomes. The planning department sections of 160 websites for municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 were searched for a list of 15 online tools that were selected following a literature review of the various uses of online tools. The findings illustrate a number of statistically significant relationships, suggesting that there is a hierarchical pattern to tool adoption. In addition, the results demonstrate a relationship between the …

No Choice But To Change: An Investigation Into The History And Effects Of The 2006 Municipal Ward Boundary Realignment In London, Ontario, Stephen Turner

MPA Major Research Papers

In 2005, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) responded to a citizen petition in London, Ontario by imposing significantly changed municipal wards for the 2006 municipal election, focusing on the concept of communities of interest in setting the new electoral boundaries. This paper examines the effects of ward realignment to determine personal attitudes on the effects of the change. Interviews with 14 civically involved Londoners were conducted, in addition to an analysis of voter turnout, campaign expense, municipal budget, and neighbourhood demographic data over 10 years to identify any patterns that may have arisen. The findings reveal that municipal government improved …

Erps Reveal The Temporal Dynamics Of Auditory Word Recognition In Specific Language Impairment., Jeffrey G Malins, Amy S Desroches, Erin K Robertson, Randy Lynn Newman, Lisa M D Archibald, Marc F Joanisse

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to compare auditory word recognition in children with specific language impairment (SLI group; N=14) to a group of typically developing children (TD group; N=14). Subjects were presented with pictures of items and heard auditory words that either matched or mismatched the pictures. Mismatches overlapped expected words in word-onset (cohort mismatches; see: DOLL, hear: dog), rhyme (CONE -bone), or were unrelated (SHELL -mug). In match trials, the SLI group showed a different pattern of N100 responses to auditory stimuli compared to the TD group, indicative of early auditory processing differences in SLI. However, the phonological mapping …

Attention's Grasp: Early And Late Hand Proximity Effects On Visual Evoked Potentials, Catherine L. Reed, David S. Leland, Benjamin Brekke '11, Alan Hartley

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

Behavioral studies suggest that visual attention is biased toward stimuli in the region of space near the palm of the hand, but it is unclear whether this effect is universal or selective for goal/task-related stimuli. We examined event-related potentials (ERPs) using a visual detection task in which the hand was placed near or kept far from target and non-target stimuli that were matched for frequency and visual features to avoid confounding factors. Focusing on attention-sensitive ERP components, we found that P3 (350–450 ms) amplitudes were increased for Hand Near conditions for targets only, demonstrating a selective effect consistent with the …

Content And Collaboration I: A Case Study Of Bringing An Institutional Repository And A University Press Together, Michael Spooner, Andrew Wesolek

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Profile of a Merger: In 2009, the dean of libraries and the director of the university press at Utah State University proposed a departmental merger to their central administration. They argued that through restructuring reporting lines so that the press became a department of the library at least three important benefits could be achieved. First, the central administration was at the time hoping to cut costs by consolidating operations in various parts of the university; merging the staff reporting lines of the university press into the library offered an opportunity for consolidation. Secondly, integrating the press into the library promised …

What Librarians Need To Know About Epub3, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Librarians and library users face challenges with multiple ebook formats. The most common are confusion on the part of users as to what file type they need and what the file type means, as well as how to download it properly to their devices. The sheer number of vendor interfaces also cause technical difficulties due to format variety and instructions for use. In fact, in October 2012, Library Journal Patron Profiles reported that 23% of library patrons were unsuccessful in borrowing ebooks due to technical difficulties. Library users, faced with a variety of ebook formats on a regular basis, are …

A Preliminary Study Of Perception And Coping Mechanism Of Breast Cancer Patients In An Iranian City, Ali A. Moqaddas, Fatemeh Adjdari, Akbar Aghajanian

Sociology Department Faculty Working Papers

The life expectancy of women in Iran has increased in the last quarter of the 20th century. On the other hand obesity has increased during the first decade of the 21th century for both adult males and females but particularly for females. These trends are contemporary with a growing incidence of breast cancer among women in urban areas. Casual observation has shown that organized and systematic coping support and mechanism for women with breast cancer disease has expanded much less than the treatment technology, leaving surviving women in ambiguity and fear of unknown. The analysis of qualitative data from a …