Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Development Of The Maquila Industry In Honduras: A Holistic Approach To The Industry’S Effect On Women And Honduran Society, Andrea Mencia Viery

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The maquila industry in Latin America has received much attention due to its predominant presence in Mexico and several Central American countries. Numerous studies explore the nuances of the maquila industry in Mexico, yet few studies focus on other nations. This project concentrates on Honduras, the country where I was raised for eighteen years. Many Communities affected by this industry believe maquila owners prefer to employ young women over male applicants. This is also true for Honduras. Many scholars believe the owners’ motives lie behind the so-called docility characteristic of these young females. Critics of the industry argue that maquilas …

Living On The Edge College Students And Landlords: The Perceptions, The Misconceptions And The Reality, Carolyn Da Cunha

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

I first became interested in the topic of community relations and housing when I took my honors orientation class during the spring semester of my freshman year at Syracuse University. The name of the class was “From the Hill to the Hood,” taught by Professor Mark Muhammad. In the course, I was introduced to the Syracuse community; the community that exists beyond the borders of the University campus. As you gaze across the magnificent campus, you may not realize that Syracuse University resides in one of the poorest cities in the country. Then, when you walk off campus and see …

An Examination Of High School And College Students' Chatspeak Use In Twitter And Tumblr, Megan Jeanette Charters

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The advent of the Internet has led to the creation of new technology, and with it, a whole new language. There has also been resistance both to the technology and to the language. The best example of this would be social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and texting. Many articles have been written on this subject and how its use is ruining the English language, saying that teenagers are more likely to use chatspeak, such as u for you and r for are, in their writing. I take the opposite position, that the English language is evolving and chatspeak …

Textbook Alternatives: Faculty Approaches To Reducing Student Costs For Required Course Materials, Ashley Klair Burke

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

American undergraduates spend approximately $600 per semester on required course materials, most of which are traditional textbooks. This study examines the high textbook costs placed on students and the factors contributing to cost increases. Textbook prices have increased more than twice the rate of inflation, approximately 6 percent per year since 1986. The textbook market is unlike many other economic markets within the United States, as instructors set the demand and students make the purchases.

A review of over 128 articles on textbook costs and alternatives provide information for this study. In particular, 16 studies evaluating textbook costs and alternatives …

Birding By Ear: A Study Of Recreational Specialization And Soundscape Preference, Zachary D. Miller

All Theses

Soundscapes have become recognized as an important natural resource. The traditional human-made versus natural soundscape comparison currently used in recreational resource management is challenged by borrowing soundscape components (i.e., biophony, anthrophony, and geophony) from soundscape ecology. This study is designed to evaluate the soundscape preference of birders. A three-component model of recreational specialization was used to evaluate how recreationists may differ in their preference for soundscape components. Data from in-person surveys collected at The Audubon Center and Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville, South Carolina were used in combination with surveys from online birding list servers to obtain a …

Volumetric Cloud Rendering: An Animation Of Clouds, Zhaoxin Ye

All Theses

This paper demonstrates a production workflow for a volumetric-rendering-based short animation about clouds. The animation is based on the concept of a giant fish swimming in the sky from Zhuangzi's philosophical story. The algorithm and implementation for the modeling and rendering of clouds are also presented. A renderer was developed that uses the OpenVDB library for data storage, fast retrieving and grid manipulation. A user-friendly pipeline was also developed for cloud modeling and rendering, which used Python and XML for adjusting rendering parameters. The pipeline includes Maya to build the rough cloud model and Houdini to calculate the interior light …

Analysis Of Market Reactions To Tarp Loans Repayment Evidence From Banks, Le You

All Theses

This research presented here mainly focuses on analyzing investors' reactions toward banks' announcement of TARP repayment. Considering huge difference among sample banks, I split the result of abnormal return into subgroups based on banks size and financial performance. And then I conduct comparisons of each group to reveal the possible effects on market reactions casted by size and financial performance. To confirm my results on market reactions to TARP repayment, I perform two regression analyses on both full sample and subsample with cumulative abnormal return (CAR) as dependent variable and controlled variables as independent variables. Data over the period from …

The Effect Of International Trade On Income, Huseyin Erpek

All Theses

In a modern economy, trade among people, firms, and countries is indispensable. There is also a close connection between the levels of trade and income and how they affect our standards of living. Many economists and policymakers believe in a virtuous circle: the more trade, the more income or vice versa. In order to see the relationship between trade and income, we investigated whether international trade affects the level of income. We analyzed international trades and incomes of eighteen countries in Western Asia Region in a period of 1950 to 2010. We used panel data with 687 observations. Our analysis …

Faces As Ambient Displays: Assessing The Attention-Demanding Characteristics Of Facial Expressions, Brock Bass

All Theses

Ambient displays are used to provide information to users in a non-distracting manner. The purpose of this research was to examine the efficacy of facial expressions as a method of conveying information to users in an unobtrusive way. Facial expression recognition requires very little if any conscious attention from the user, which makes it an excellent candidate for the ambient presentation of information. Specifically, the current study quantified the amount of attention required to decode and recognize various facial expressions. The current study assessed the attention-demanding characteristics of facial expressions using the dual-task experiment paradigm. Results from the experiment suggest …

An Examination Of Cultural Motives, Festival Motivator Attributes, Desired Experiences And Authenticity In Tourists To Oktoberfest In Helen, Georgia, Janet Marie Gunnels

All Theses

Helen, Georgia is nestled in a valley of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains along the Chattahoochee River in northeast Georgia. Originally a logging community serving as a stop for tourists to Anna Ruby Falls, Helen is now a faux-Bavarian town and the third largest tourist draw in the state. Research exists on 'theme towns' paying tribute to their cultural background by hosting seasonal events to boost tourism. There are also studies on residents of a town with an Oktoberfest, but little research exists concerning places using a not-native history to accomplish similar goals of producing cultural events that tourists see …

Assessing The Bite Counter As A Weight Loss Tool, Michael Wilson

All Theses

Obesity is a growing health concern throughout the world. Health risks associated with obesity such as diabetes and heart disease result in obesity costing us over $170 million annually. Self-monitoring of Energy Intake (EI) is a critical element of a successful weight loss plan; however current methods to monitor EI are cumbersome and prone to under reporting. The primary purpose of the study was to develop and test an experimental diet protocol based on user feedback from the Bite Counter. A secondary purpose was to examine if this protocol would affect meaningful weight loss by device users. Data were collected …

Unifying Specific Climate Research With A Molar Climate Measure: A Situational Affordances Approach, Alice Brawley

All Theses

Organizational climate - briefly, the shared perceptions of a workplace - was originally studied as a molar concept, but this approach generally lacked focus and thus resulted in unmanageable measures. Organizational climate research has been subdivided into many areas of specific climate research focusing on particular organizational factors or outcomes, such as safety or customer service (Schneider, Ehrhart, & Macey, 2013). While the study of specific climates has been and remains worthwhile, recent literature in the area has called for a return to the molar or global conceptualization of organizational climate (Kuenzi & Schminke, 2009; Schneider et al., 2013). In …

An Automated Build System For Articulated Characters, James Sledge

All Theses

Rigging is the process of designing and implementing the manipulation architecture for an animated three-dimensional character. Rigs that give the animator the most control tend to be the most difficult to set up and maintain. Due to the linear nature of some elements of rigging, the more complicated a rig, the more time-intensive--and therefore more expensive--to achieve a high quality rig. A solution to complex rig iterability is to automate as much of the process as possible. The topic of this thesis is a framework for modular rigging automation, with a focus on quick and efficient rig iteration. A rigger …

Slavery In Europe: Part 2, Testing A Predictive Model, Monti Narayan Datta, Kevin Bales

Political Science Faculty Publications

Since the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act and the United Nations Palermo Protocols of 2000, there has been an increased focus on the magnitude and complexity of modern day slavery. Yet, surprisingly, little empirical work exists. A comprehensive review of the literature by Elzbieta Gozdziak and Micah Bump in 2008 found that quantitative methodologies were noticeably scarce and that the dominant anti-trafficking discourse was not evidence based. One reason for this scarcity has been the difficulty in obtaining reliable representative data. In this paper, we utilize a novel measure of contemporary slavery in Europe that …

Exploring Extension Faculty Members' First-Time Experiences With Funded Couple Relationship Education, Jacquelyn M. Alderete

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension faculty members are increasingly involved in offering couple and relationship education (CRE), but some have limited background in this format of family life education. This study used a phenomological approach to examine the experiences of Extension faculty members who offered CRE in their respective counties for their first time. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Four themes emerged from the interview data. First, considerations for offering this type of education included valuing CRE, having sufficient and specific knowledge about the needs of the county for CRE, and access to other forms of …

Optimal Debt-To-Equity Ratios And Stock Returns, Courtney D. Winn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Value maximization of a firm depends heavily on the financial leverage of the company. This is measured by the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio, which explains what proportions of debt and equity are being used to finance the firm’s assets. By adjusting this ratio, firms can influence their stock performance.

In this study, I estimate the value function for each firm and take the derivative with respect to the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio. By setting this equal to zero, I solve for the optimal debt-­‐ to-­‐equity ratio or the ratio that maximizes firm value. The difference between the optimal and historically observed debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratios is …

"A Song Workers Everywhere Sing:" Zilphia Horton And The Creation Of Labor's Musical Canon, Chelsea Hodge

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zilphia Horton, a college educated, middle class white woman from the rural American south, created the canon of music that would become central to the black freedom struggle in postwar America. Horton's work in the post-New Deal labor movement established the methods of incorporating protest music in movements of social justice that prevailed for the rest of the century. The work songs and hymns that she collected, arranged, notated, and published while music director at Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, TN--including "We Shall Overcome," "This Little Light of Mine," "We Shall Not Be Moved"--motivated generations of activists as they transformed …

Evolution Of The One-Shot Library Instruction Session, Michael C. Goates

Faculty Publications

The one-shot library instruction session is a balancing act between faculty expectations and student attention spans. Concerned with limited instruction time, many teaching faculty request that librarians relay as much information as possible during a single instruction session. Students, however, quickly experience information overload and disengagement during information-heavy instruction sessions. Determining what information to present and how to present it can be a challenge for many librarians. This workshop will address some of the varying methodologies to one-shot library instruction, including the flipped-classroom. Examples of library instruction models will also be shared, highlighting both successful and less-effective approaches.

The Everyday Life Of Autism: Living With Behavioral Differences, Deesta Jan Shaffer

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine how family members, who have a child with autism, perceive problematic behaviors in relation to everyday activities. Parents, who have a child diagnosed with autism, were sought through social media for participation in this study. The material required for this project consisted of a parent survey created on SurveyMonkey. The link was shared online so that families who would like to participate could access the survey. Analysis will include a comparison of the themes and concerns expressed by the parents in their responses.

The Interethnic Communication Apprehension Of Students Of Color At The University Of Arkansas, Angela Courage-Mellott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interethnic Communication Apprehension of students of color with white faculty members was studied at the University of Arkansas, a predominantly white university with predominantly white faculty. Interethnic Communication Apprehension is defined as a psychological response of fear or anxiety which causes avoidance of interaction with people from ethnic groups that are different from one's own (Neuliep & McCroskey, 1997). This study was conducted using the PRECA (Personal Report of Interethnic Communication Apprehension) measure created and validated by Neuliep and McCroskey (1997). Students of color who frequent the Center of Multicultural and Diversity Education were polled using the PRECA. Students of …

Knitting As A Therapeutic Group Technique With 4th Grade Elementary School Students, Cassandra Marie Dominick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to explore the use of knitting as an expressive arts technique. Knitting groups were conducted with 4th grade elementary school students. Each group met for 8 sessions on a weekly basis. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. The experimental group received knitting instructions in the group format first. Prior to beginning the group, all participants, their teachers, and their parents completed the Social Skills Improvement System assessment (Gresham & Elliot, 2008). This measure was repeated following the end of the experimental group and again approximately 8 …

Women's Activism And Social Networks In Post-Genocide Rwanda., Michelle Cecelia Marie Fox

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Following the 1994 genocide the social networks of many Rwandan women changed. The loss of kin, particularly men, left many women needing new sources of social and material support. Beginning in the early 1990s the international development and aid community recognized the need to integrate gender analysis in their work and began to focus on women’s activism and efforts to improve the position of women in the supposed developing world. Using social network data and structured interview data gathered in Rwanda in June and July 2013 from 30 women, this study attempts to answer the question: Do women who were …

"A More Perfect Union" : Exploring The Nature And Terms Of The American Union., Meghan A. Waters

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

St. Dominic Deaf Center, May-June 2014

Saint Dominic Deaf Center

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Houston, TX

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A Form In The Road: U.S. Foreign Policy And The Path Toward Globalization In The Middle East, 1945-2014, Joshua P. Brotka

History Theses

This thesis examines the history of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East since 1945. From the start of the Cold War immediately following the conclusion of WWII and up to the present day (2014), U.S. policy has been subject to many revisions and simultaneously, upheld national security measures. As the world heads toward an era where globalization is most prevalent, the United States will have to make drastic decisions regarding its foreign policy in the Middle East. Its alliance with Israel, oil interests, Islamic fundamentalism, an evolving Muslim society, and supporting a national security agenda has forced the United …

Comparison Of Two Word Learning Techniques And The Effect Of Neighborhood Density For Late Talkers, Shari L. Deveney, Cynthia J. Cress, Robert Reid

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The investigators compared two techniques for teaching expressive vocabulary to late talkers: modeling with an expectant pause and modeling with an evoked child production. They also explored the influence of neighborhood density on children’s real word learning. Three late talkers (ages 25–33 months) received two alternating vocabulary treatments (expectant pause and evoked production) in the home. Two participants were identified as having an expressive language delay, and one participant was identified as having an expressive and receptive language delay. During the expectant pause treatment, the clinician paused several seconds after each target word model, looking at the child expectantly. In …

Wheels On The Bus: School Transportation As A Reflection Of Sprawl, Autumn C.E. Arthur, Natasha M. Eulberg, Kevin C. O'Malley

Student Publications

The second half of the twentieth century constituted a change in land use ideology and development practice brought about by the rise of the automobile, increasing economic upward mobility, and privatization of the family home. During this time, the districting and building of public schools similarly changed, turning schools from local community centers to regional and de-contextualized places of education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which these development practices have caused children to rely on car and bus transportation to get to and from school. Using the variable of distance within a GIS analysis …

All That Sprawl, Y’All: An Analysis Of Development On Steinwehr Avenue And York Street In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, From 1971 To 2014, Elizabeth K. Emmons, Kalley S. Hansel, Daly Simpson

Student Publications

The advent of the automobile transformed the American landscape in the 20th century. In conjunction with the increasing importance of the automobile, numerous post-WW II government programs such as the Interstate Highway System encouraged suburban sprawl. Towns and cities adjacent to tourist attractions, known as gateway communities, face unique problems caused by sprawl. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is an example of a gateway community as it includes the Gettysburg National Military Park. Two study sites, portions of Steinwehr Avenue and York Street, were studied to analyze the effects of sprawl in Gettysburg. The sites were analyzed using ArcGIS, data compiled from historic …

Adapting To A Changing Climate: Local Drivers For Policy Response, Andrew J. Bilich

Honors Scholar Theses

Responding to the present and looming effects of global climate change presents a challenging task for policymakers at all levels of governance. The outcomes of climate change do present serious adaptation problems for global policy makers, but the implications of climate change are more immediately experienced by local communities and policy makers. Historical policymaking models suggest that economic well-being is an influential driver in local policy adoption. This particular analysis explores the relationship between economic variables and the development of climate adaptation policies by Connecticut municipalities. To test the degree of interaction present, adaptation policy data in the form of …

The Reversal Effects Of Curcumin, An Herbal Remedy, On The Impairments Induced By Vmat-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine, Emily Qian, Samantha E. Yohn

Honors Scholar Theses

Substantial evidence has shown that dopamine (DA), particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is involved in behavioral activation and effort-related processes, such as overcoming work related response costs. Interference with accumbens DA transmission through administration of the vesicular monoamine transportor-2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) produces an alteration of response allocation in the concurrent FR5/chow choice procedure, biasing animals toward the lower effort alternative. It has been suggested that these drug-induced shifts in effort-related choice behavior seen in rodents are analogous to symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, anergia, and fatigue, which can be observed in people with depression and other related …