Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Cultural Topography Of The Sovereign Citizens Movement: Are They A Terrorist Threat?, Piper Blotter Biery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis analyzes the Sovereign Citizens Movement—considered a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI— to determine if the label “terrorist organization” is appropriately applied, and then to assess the effectiveness of government protocols. The Sovereign Citizens Movement is a loose organization of individuals who adhere to an anti-government ideology. In most cases their actions are limited to fraudulent activity; however there have been individuals who resorted to violence in their engagements with government officials. This thesis concludes that the label “terrorist organization” does not describe the movement well, but that it is more likely that some individuals extrapolate the ideology …

Ceramic Technology, Women, And Settlement Patterns In Late Archaic Southwestern Idaho, Jessica A. Dougherty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research employs a sample of archaeological sites from three ecological zones to investigate the mobility strategies of hunter-gatherer groups in Late Archaic southwestern Idaho. The sample sites are organized into site types based on an independent evaluation of site components and existing site records. Ceramic assemblages at each site were analyzed to quantify the investment in ceramic technology, as a proxy for mobility. These measures were then compared to expectations generated from three proposed mobility patterns for hunter-gatherer groups in southwestern Idaho. Some of the predictions were met and these data allude to an archaeological record with a multitude …

The Optimal Cow Size For Intermountain Cow-Calf Operations: The Impact Of Public Grazing Fees On The Optimal Cow Size, Jesse Russell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cattle industry is very competitive which is forcing cow-calf producers to strive for efficiency. Research has shown that as a cows mature weight increases, feed efficiency decreases, as well as reproductive efficiency and other production factors. The purpose of this paper is to (1) identify the economically optimum cow size when charging for grazing public lands on a true Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE) basis and (2) determine if the current practice of charging on a per head basis for grazing public lands has an effect on the optimal cow size.

To simplify the complexity of this problem, three different …

The Influence Of Parental Mental Health And Family Psychosocial Functioning On Bystander Behavior Of Elementary School Children, Joanna C. Jenkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Being the victim of school bullying is associated with many negative outcomes, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, school refusal, and suicide. Peer bystanders are present in the majority of bullying situations and bystander intervention has been found to be very important in ending a bullying incident. However, most of the time bystanders do not step in to help the victim. The present study investigated the impact of parent and family influences on children’s bystander behavior. Seventy-three third- through sixth-grade students were given a questionnaire that asked about their behavior in bullying situations (engaging in bullying behavior, helping or encouraging the …

Stochastic Tests On Live Cattle Steer Basis Composite Forecasts, Elliott James Dennis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the seminal papers of Bates and Granger in 1969, a superfluous amount of information has been published on combining singular forecasts. Materialized evidence has habitually demonstrated that combining the forecasts will produce the best model. Moreover, while it is possible that a best singular model could outperform a composite model, using multiple models provides the advantage of risk diversification. It has also been shown to produce a lower forecasting error. The question to whether to combine has been replaced with what amount of emphasis should be placed on each forecast.

Researchers are aspired to derive optimal weights that would …

Adolescent Self-Described Volume Of Texting: Discovering Relationships With Psychosocial Development And Interpersonal Relationships, Tessa Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers explored the relationship among adolescent self-reported amounts of texting and self-esteem, self-construal, autonomy, and attachment. Data were collected from a high school in an urban area in the Mountain West. Participants included 180 students (53% female). Participants were asked to self-describe their volume of texting as high, medium, or low. Participants were also asked to complete the following scales: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Construal Scale, the Case Inventory, The Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, and The Modified Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.

It is suggested that text messaging is more strongly related to self-esteem when texting is placed as the …

Incentivizing Children's Fruit And Vegetable Consumption: Evaluation And Modification Of The Food Dudes Program For Sustainable Use In U. S. Elementary Schools, Brooke A. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers in the Psychology Department and the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Department sought to improve elementary school children’s in-school fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. To achieve this goal, a program that has proven effective in the UK called the Food Dudes (FD) program was implemented in six local schools. Schools were assigned to either experience the traditional FD program (with prize rewards, such as pencil cases and bubbles), a modified version of the FD program (with praise rewards replacing the prize rewards), or no FD program (the control group). Students who consumed a pre-specified amount of FV each day …

Framing Fracking: Media Coverage Of Unconventional Oil And Gas Development In South Texas, Jebadiha E. Potterf

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas development in the United States has greatly increased the production of these minerals, but has also raised the public’s concern over the dangers involved in this process. Due to the contested nature of unconventional development gaining an understanding of both how the public perceives this development and the influences on these perceptions is vital. As several previous research studies have investigated public perceptions this project addresses the second of these requirements.

This is done using qualitative methods to analyze the content of the online communications of proponents and opponents of this development. …

The Agricultural Economics Of Fremont Irrigation: A Case Study From South-Central Utah, Chimalis R. Kuehn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent identification of a Fremont irrigation feature in southern Utah provides an example from which to study costs and benefits of intensive agricultural investment by the Fremont. Studying irrigation investment informs our understanding of cultural process behind subsistence decisions, as well as of cultural complexity among the temporally and geographically diverse Fremont farmers.

Fieldwork, funded in part by Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) Grants, included experimental canal digging with wooden stick tools and excavation of a subsurface canal feature. This study uses prehistoric canal dimensions and labor rate data to compare relative efficiencies of irrigated and dry-farmed maize. Analysis …

Calculating Willingness-To-Pay As A Function Of Biophysical Water Quality And Water Quality Perceptions, Carlos G. Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When estimating economic value associated with changes in water quality, recreation demand models typically depend upon either (i) biophysical measures of water quality as collected by natural scientists or (ii) the perception of water quality by recreationists. Models based upon biophysical metrics (such as oxygen concentration, pollutant concentrations, Secchi depth measurements, etc.) operate on the assumption that people can perceive and respond to these metrics, or respond to factors that are, indeed, correlated with the biophysical measure. Economists have often estimated willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures associated with unit changes in biophysical measures without examining the degree to which the measures are …

Schools That Serve Military Children: A Comparison Of The Standardized Test Scores In The Dodea School System Versus The Civilian School System, Mary Eleanor Fugate

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are an estimated 1.2 million children with one or both parents enlisted in military service. These children are more geographically mobile than civilian children on average, and previous research suggests that mobility can have great effects on an individual's academic performance. This study seeks to answer the question: How does the standardized test performance of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools compare to those of public schools with high concentrations of military children (funded by Impact Aid). It is hypothesized that due to higher average levels of funding, a standard curriculum, and both embedded and intentional social support, …

Foreign Policy Through Aid: Has United States Assistance Achieved Its Foreign Policy Objectives?, Jessica Andreasen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Why does the U.S. give foreign aid? There are compelling humanitarian and economic reasons, yet the U.S. also gives large amounts of military aid. What, then, are the overall goals of aid giving in the post 9/11 era? In looking at the history of U.S. foreign aid, three general objectives emerge: political stability, increased economic liberalization and expanding soft power influence in the aid receiving country. While we can identify the motives and aims of U.S. foreign aid, little work has been done to evaluate the success of aid in these objectives. It is the goal of this study to …

Mothers On The Market: Employer Hiring Practices And Motherhood Penalties, Elizabeth Kiester

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While gender inequity in wages is often discussed in the media by politicians, the motherhood wage penalty receives substantially less attention. This distinct wage penalty suggests that women with children suffer a wage penalty separate from women without children. In addition, there is an employment gap between mothers and nonmothers indicating that mothers are less likely to be employed. While some argue that this is a matter of choice, I contend that mothers may face unique barriers that deny them access to the labor market. I tested this theory in two ways and in two states; Utah and California. First, …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Couples Making The Transition To Parenthood And The Meaning They Ascribe To Brief, Couple-Focused, Preventative Interventions, Dolores D. Michael

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this research study was to investigate how meaningful it would be to provide relationship therapy from a marriage and family therapist to couples going through the transition to parenthood. The participants in this study all received four therapy sessions before the baby was born and one therapy session after the birth. A total of five couples participated in this study. Data was gathered from the assessments they took before each therapy session and at the final interview.

As a result, the participants in this study all remained stable or increased in their marital satisfaction when measured four …

An Adolescent Journey: Expressive Letter Writing Through A Wilderness Adventure Therapy Program, Ava M. Crump

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the key themes of an adolescent journey during a wilderness adventure therapy program through expressive letter writing to their parents. Ten complete sets of letters (five boys and five girls) totaling over 400 pages were analyzed by four independent coders until saturation of themes were reached. There were five overarching themes that emerged from the data: impact of wilderness experiences, desires for improved relationships, apology and accountability, negative emotions, and positive growth and coping. These themes were presented in the chronological pattern that they appeared in the letters. The findings represent the adolescents’ experiences written …

Father-Child Play Behaviors And Child Emotion Regulation, Amanda Hagman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most of us have learned ways to manage how, when, and to what extent we experience emotions. These emotion regulation skills are habitual and may seem innate, but for infants and young children these abilities are basic, limited, and unrefined. Developing emotion regulation skills is an important learning task for infants and toddlers; the role of fathers in emotion regulation learning is a growing area of research. This research takes a closer look at early childhood and how father-child interactions may contribute to child emotion regulation.

Theory suggests that during interactions with their parents, children learn emotion regulation skills, but …

Political Mediation And American Old-Age Security Exceptionalism, Michael A. Mccarthy

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Debates over America’s heavy reliance on employer-provided private pensions have understated the profound role organized labor played after World War II. Archival evidence from prominent unions and business associations suggests that the shift in organized labor’s strategy after the New Deal toward electoral activity helps explain critical interventions by Northern Democrats into the system of private pensioning in the postwar period that laid the foundation for America’s old-age security system. Such a strategy was insufficient, however, to expand Social Security. This article offers a political mediation account of electoral activity as a source of labor influence on social policy that …

A Resilient Warrior: Coping Positively With Combat Stress Exposure, William Stallard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore and examine coping with combat stress exposure in a homogeneous group of 132 U.S. Marines who served in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, and who self-reported that they were coping positively. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation strategy was employed with positive psychology as the quantitative theoretical base and Husserlian transcendental phenomenology as the qualitative conceptual framework. Quantitatively, hardiness, hope, social support, personality, and coping strategies were assessed in the participants to examine how these variables may moderate or mediate the relationship between combat stress exposure and subjective well-being. Five hypotheses were …

Economic Conditions In Egypt: Current And Future, Gouda Abdel-Khalek

Topics in Middle Eastern and North African Economies

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Gender Wage Differentials Using Oaxaca Decomposition Technique, Marwa Biltagy

Topics in Middle Eastern and North African Economies

This paper focuses on estimating wage differences between males and females in Egypt to understand the determinants of the gender wage gap and control of this variation. The methodology of this paper is based on studying and analyzing the topic of wage differentials between males and females by using the Oaxaca decomposition technique. The data used in the analysis is obtained from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey 2006 (ELMPS 2006), which was presented by Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) in cooperation with Economic Research Forum (ERF). The findings of this paper help deepen the understanding of …

Attempts To Industrial Reforms In Algeria: Do They Fit The Logic Of Globalization?, Chérif Begga, Abdelhamid Merghit

Topics in Middle Eastern and North African Economies

Since its independence in 1962, Algeria, as an oil producing country, undertook the construction of a socialist economy supported by heavy industrialisation and substantial investment in human capital. This strategy of development was based on state-led industrialization, after it nationalized almost the whole economy in 1966. However, this policy focused on establishing large state enterprises and investing heavily in the public sector while not allowing any significant role for the private sector. This rapid industrialization resulted in severe inefficiencies in the productive capacity of various industries and generated fiscal imbalances in the mid-1970s, which constrained Algeria’s ability to continue its …

Regional Integration Effects On Investment And Growth In Algeria, Nacira Boukhezer

Topics in Middle Eastern and North African Economies

The positive effect of financial development on growth has led several authors to advocate the liberalization of the financial sector from the constraints caused by repressive policies disturbing its operation. This policy will theoretically promote financial deepening, which will positively impact growth through increased savings and its allocation to more profitable sectors. The new requirements of the global economy have made economic and financial systems more integrated and liberalized, encouraged by the formation of regional groupings. The partnership between Algeria and the European Union (EU) could be a way of convergence and development for the banking system which has long …

Academic Mentoring Of Social Work Faculty: A Group Experience With A Feminist Influence, Alana B. Atchinson, Lisa M. Murphy, Maria A. Gurrola, Cheryl D. Lee, Shirley Simon

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Using theory and principles of group process, and influenced by feminist theory of co-mentoring, a group of social work educators met monthly in a telephone mediated support group. The purpose of the group was to offer support to faculty involved in the tenure process in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. This paper offers an analysis of this experience. Suggestions for improved mentoring of social work faculty will be explored and areas for further research will be identified.

Immigration Control And The Punitive Turn, Eduardo Batista

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The “punitive turn” describes the penalizing and disciplinary focus the United States has implemented in regulating problem populations since the late 1970s. This period has welcomed the era of mass incarceration in which the US penal population has exploded to levels not seen anywhere else in the world. The rise in the use of prisons and jails has been accompanied by the retrenchment of the welfare state, attacks on affirmative action policies, continued segregation in education and housing, and a growing gap between the rich and the poor. All of these have essentially erased the gains made by the Civil …

Democracy, Prison, And Public Safety Realignment: Renewing Our Imagination, Kimberly Turner

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The American carceral condition has waged a 200-year-old struggle where the lives of the guilty, the innocent, and the victimized have taken center stage in a debate centered on rehabilitation, reformation, and revenge. The drama has undergone a number of revisions from great scholarly authors, multidisciplinary intellectuals, and literary muses. Despite a number of new renderings, the central themes of the American prison have remained constant, and just as there have been builders of prisons, there have been forces intent on their destruction. The current state of the American carceral condition has burgeoned since the neoliberal political and economic shift …

Ethics And The Use Of Coercion In The Treatment Of Psychiatric Patients, Jen Rushforth

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Involuntary psychiatric treatment occurs under such conditions as the medicating or placing in treatment facilities of patients without their consent. Such involuntary treatment has been litigated in the Supreme Court; however, the Court’s rulings have been applied to incarcerated persons, with the notable exception of the 1975 ruling in O’Connor v. Donaldson, a case argued as a civil rights violation. Using O’Connor v. Donaldson as a framework, this paper argues that forcing non- violent psychiatric patients to take medication, or be otherwise treated against their will, is an unethical practice and must be discontinued. This practice of forcible treatment violates …

The Lingering Killer: Agent Orange, Sharon Ungerfeld

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

This paper explores the utilization of the chemical herbicide, Agent Orange, as it was sprayed over Vietnam during the Vietnam War in 1961 to 1971. The United States government, military, and corporations acted irresponsibly by creating the chemical and spraying it as a war tactic. The outcome of the spraying includes detrimental socioeconomic impacts, environmental degradation, and health problems. The socioeconomic impact is explained with statistics and an explanation of loss of job and education capabilities. With data on the destroyed trees and vegetation, this paper demonstrates the degree to which the environment faced harm. The health effects of Agent …

Police Academy Training: An Evaluation Of The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Police Academies, Olga Bykov

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the historical and current protocols which have existed in police academies, with a focus on the gender issues being faced by female police officers. The development of the police force is examined, with explanation of the differences and developments aligning with each era of history. Next, current police practices are elaborated upon, emphasizing the difficulties women experience in becoming police officers and where the ideologies of the police academies originated. Finally, suggestions are given based on research findings in order to reduce the ideological divides that occur in the …

Yakuza Past, Present And Future: The Changing Face Of Japan's Organized Crime Syndicates, Silke Higgins

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

While Japanese crime syndicates are deeply entrenched in the history and culture of Japan, much of what is known in the Western world about the Yakuza is primarily the result of stereotyping generated by media-driven sensationalism and lowbudget motion pictures. Judgment on the crime syndicates' continued existence, modes of operation, and relatively high visibility in Japan is oftentimes passed based on socio-cultural perceptions of deviance that differ from those in Japanese culture. Taking the form of a book review essay, this paper aims to re-introduce the reader to Japan's crime syndicates with the goal of replacing stereotypes and myths with …

Montana Nonresident Traveler Expenditures And Economic Contribution: 2013, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report shows the economic contributions, expenditures, and average daily spending of nonresident visitors to Montana during 2013.