Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The State Of Democracy In South Africa, Heidi Van Dyk

The Confluence

Abstract:

On pen and paper, the country of South Africa fulfills the requirements to be a democracy. However, the country has been evaluated to be a flawed democracy and there is an elevated warning issued for the state by The Fragile State Index. This research seeks to find the root causes contributing to the decline of the state of democracy in South Africa. This state plays an important role in global politics. South Africa is a member of both G20 and BRICS, which are influential groups in the global arena. Further, the country exercises considerable regional influence as well as …

To What Extent Did Karl Marx's Political Thought Influence The Occupy Wall Street Movement In The 21st Century?, Madalyn A. Schroeder

The Confluence

The research will investigate the intriguing influences of Karl Marx’s political thought and the Occupy Wall Street movement that came to be in the 21st Century. The study looks to measure the depth and significance of Marx’s influence on a modern sociopolitical movement driven by economic inequality and social justice concerns. By taking a multidisciplinary approach that combines political theory, social activism analysis, and historical context, this investigation shows the extent to which Marx’s ideas informed the ideological foundation and strategies of the Occupy Wall Street movement. By looking through primary sources, protest literature, and the discourse of the movement, …

Anātman & Lack: Between Nāgārjuna And Lacan, Carter Morris

The Confluence

The notion of the Self lies at the heart of subjectivity. This paper aims to analyze and compare two intellectual traditions that have their own subversive philosophies of the Self and subjectivity—these two traditions being Mādhyamaka Buddhism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. Beginning with primers on both Nāgārjuna’s philosophy and Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory, this paper will discuss the comparative psychologies and philosophies of subjectivity presented by the ideas of non-Self and Lack, respectively. Also briefly compared are the implied metaphysics of both Śūnyatā and Lacanian Lack. An examination of these comparisons’ weaknesses follows along with some closing remarks.

Directed Research Tutorial-Our Semester Of Learning Curiously, Barbara Hosto-Marti

The Confluence

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Analysis Of How Pet Ownership Impacts The Experiences And Well-Being Of Homeless Individuals, Alexandra G. Watson, Nancy A. Dreschel

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

This paper conducts a thorough examination of the relationship between pet ownership and homelessness. In a context where homelessness in the United States is a growing concern, we delve into an aspect that has received little attention: how homeless individuals and their pets interact. Through an extensive review of existing research, this paper aims to uncover the demographic characteristics of homeless pet owners and understand the significant effects of this bond. Our findings reveal that homeless individuals with pets come from diverse backgrounds, including various ages, genders, and racial backgrounds. Their pets provide not only companionship but also emotional support, …

Assessment Of Postural Stability Of 14-Year-Old Girls Training Volleyball, Robert Walaszek, Wiesław Chwała, Katarzyna Burdacka, Marcin Burdacki, Paweł Kurowski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Measurements of postural stability are carried out for the prevention of injuries and for rehabilitation of athletes who have sustained traumatic injuries. The aim of the study was to assess postural stability measured in static and dynamic conditions in 14-year-old girls, of whom some were training volleyball, and some were not. Materials and Methods: The study involved a group of 30 girls aged 14, attending volleyball classes. This group was compared with the control group (n = 30) of girls of the same age who regularly participated only in regular physical education (PE) classes. The tests were conducted twice. …

The Transgenerational Transmission Of Physical Attractiveness Perceptions: Role Of Parents' Physical Activity And Nutrition Habits In Modelling Body-Focused Health Attitudes And Body Shape Perception In Five-Year-Old Offspring, Agata Kamionka, Mariusz Lipowski, Sebastian Lizińczyk, Urszula Sajewicz-Radtke, Bartosz Radtke, Ariadna Łada-Maśko, Dariusz Olszewski-Strzyżowski, Małgorzata Lipowska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Observing parents’ body-focused behaviours during middle childhood is one of the initial ways in which children model their perceptions of pro-health attitudes and their connection to physical attractiveness. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parents' health behaviours, their appearance, and the perceptions of adult body types (skinny, medium, obese) by their five-year-old children. Moreover, the role of gender in the above relationship for both children and parents was also examined. Materials and methods: This study participants were 680 families with five-year-old children (330 girls). Participation was limited to the moth-er-father-child triad. The Beauty and Health Scale, Healthy …

The Impact Of Material Selection On Acoustic Performance In Interior Design: A Scientific Investigation, Ahmed Salah Ahmed Mohamed, Ashraf Hussein Ibrahim, Doaa Abdel Rahman

Journal of Art, Design and Music

This holistic approach to design acknowledges that a space's functionality and comfort are influenced by a multitude of factors beyond its visual appearance. For instance, designers now pay close attention to acoustics to ensure optimal sound quality within a space, creating environments conducive to communication and concentration. They also consider lighting design to enhance mood, productivity, and overall well-being, while ensuring energy efficiency. Additionally, designers address the thermal environment by optimizing insulation, ventilation, and heating/cooling systems to create comfortable indoor climates year-round. By integrating these tangible and intangible elements seamlessly into the design process, designers can create spaces that not …

The Role Of Social Values In The Student’S Choice Of University Specialization, Abedalkarim Moubarak, Oussama Diab

Al Jinan الجنان

This study aims to identify the role of social factors in the student’s choice of university specialization in Lebanese universities, to determine whether there are statistically significant differences at the level of significance (0.05) between the averages of the responses of the study sample individuals about the role of social determinants in the student’s choice of university specialization Attributed to the gender variable.

In order to achieve the goal, the descriptive analytical method was used, by preparing a questionnaire that was applied to (623) male and female students after ensuring their honesty and consistency.

The results of the study showed …

الفساد السياسي في إطار الجريمة المنظمة ( الصور والمخاطر), Jaber Al Hassan

Al Jinan الجنان

The phenomenon of political corruption is an ancient phenomenon that has existed with the existence of human societies and political systems that govern these societies throughout history, and recently the name of organized crime has been associated with corruption significantly, especially after organized crime has become transnational borders, which helped the spread of corruption and its penetration into official institutions and even parliaments And legislative and legislative, which led to the collapse of the legal, political and economic systems in those countries. The arrival of corrupt regimes to power through political money from many sources, the most important of which …

Qatar's Rising Soft Power: From The 1996 Failed Coup To The 2022 World Cup, Mariam Ibrahim Al-Hammadi

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

This paper examines Qatar's use of soft power by shedding light on national imperatives for adopting a soft power approach to foreign policy-making. The paper approaches soft power from an interdisciplinary perspective to show how the State of Qatar has developed a finely-tuned foreign policy since the failed coup in 1996.

Being a small state in the Arabian Gulf, Qatar has focused on proving itself on the world stage. The rise in power for Qatar indicates how a small country can overpower challenges and become successful by adopting soft power. Qatar's soft power policies utilizes academics, the military, foreign aid, …

Spatial Distribution Of The Use Of E-Government Services In The City Of Amman, Hanaa Al-Momani, Hamzeh Al-Khawaldeh

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

This study aims to identify the reality of e-government services in the city of Amman, and to distribute them spatially according to the administrative regions of the Greater Amman Municipality, with an indication of the demographic, social and economic characteristics of their users, and to measure the degree of satisfaction with these services by them. The study used a set of approaches to achieve its objectives, such as the descriptive statistical approach and analysis, through the application of some descriptive statistical methods. Such as the mean, median, percentages, and frequencies, in addition to using geographic information systems software (ARC GIS …

The Impact Of Iphone Digital Advertising Campaigns On The Purchasing Behavior Of Jordanian Youth, Ibrahim F. Al Khasawneh

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

The study deals with the role of advertising in increasing the purchasing culture of members of society by explaining the advantages of products when the basic idea of advertising is focused on attracting the attention of the consumer, after the rapid technological and cognitive transformations that the world witnessed in light of the fifth generation of the Internet and artificial intelligence, which made a quantum leap in advertising marketing, And it helped spread it globally, as advertising became a tool for change and effective influence on various business operations, because it is one of the means of communication that deals …

Muslim Brotherhoods In The Interacted Tensions Context Of The Political Systems In The Gcc (Saudi Arabia, Uae, Qatar): Comparative- Analytical Approach, Khalid M. Aldabas

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

This study aimed at exploring the political attitudes differences among Arab Gulf Countries (Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and Qatar) toward Muslim Brotherhood(MB) at local, regional, and international levels. It will also review the historical, political, ideological, and religious contexts that established and affect the relationship between Arab Gulf Countries and MB.

The study also was designed to find out the most prominent regional and international developments that escalated the relationship between Muslim Brotherhoods from one side, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, on the other side. Historical, Analytical Descriptive, Comparative, Group Analysis, System Analysis methodologies were …

Texas School Board And Ambition Replication Data, Kelly Bergstrand

Sociology & Anthropology Datasets - Archive

This data contains information on the demographics of Texas school board members and their ambition levels. (2024-06-20)

Integrity, Flexibility, And Balance: How Change Works In Psychotherapy, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Psychotherapy may be the most tested form of health intervention and also one of the most mysterious. Clinical trials, and meta-analyses of these trials, have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of psychotherapy, while also failing to uncover any clear-cut and consistent understanding of how psychotherapy works. This lack of understanding has driven the field to develop 500 supposedly distinct, yet equivalently effective “theories.” The field suffers from barriers to scientific discovery, barriers to therapist training, and barriers to people seeking help for their psychosocial problems. This chapter tackles the mystery of how therapy works by examining the shortcomings of modern medical …

Nonlinear Biopsychosocial Resilience: Self-Organization As The Basis For A Common Framework, Adam W. Kiefer, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Recently, calls have been made for a common framework to understand human resilience through the lens of dynamical systems theory. This chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and tools necessary for such an approach. It builds on an existing theoretical framework of biopsychosocial resilience grounded in self-organization theory. This theoretical framework is applied to the formalization of four types of resilience – robustness, resilience, antifragility and grit. Next, important features of stability, structural integrity, and flexibility are discussed as empirically measurable characteristics of a systems-based approach to resilience, which provide a foundation for further applications, including metastability and, …

Communication Between China And The West, Wenshan Jia, Anna Kolotova

Communication Faculty Books and Book Chapters

In the twenty-first century the world is facing issues arising in areas which previously seemed to be stable and peaceful. For almost half a century, since China–USA relations normalised, China and the West have engaged in various activities, contributing not only to life of their citizenry, but also providing the basis for a large variety of research in different areas, including communication studies. Examinations of communication between these two different civilisations fit perfectly into the discipline of intercultural communication which help unravel specific differences and narrow gaps between these civilisations.

Particular attention is given to philosophical aspects which reveal the …

Uniting For Impact: A Journey Of Partnerships - Chapman University Case Study, Essraa Nawar, Taylor Greene

Library Articles and Research

This presentation highlights a decade-long collaboration between the Assistant Dean for Development and the Performing Arts Librarian at Chapman University's Leatherby Libraries, resulting in over $3 million in transformative contributions. Central to their success is the acquisition of the Henri Temianka Archives, a treasure trove of 20th-century classical music history. Through strategic stewardship, they secured this significant gift, enhancing research and cultural exchange. Additional achievements include the Ronald B. Broadwell Antique Musical Instruments collection, a Legacy gift, and an Endowed Fund for Music Collections. This partnership exemplifies the strategic impact of librarian-fundraiser collaborations, bridging divides and yielding enduring benefits for …

New Study Shows Legal Research Platform Ai Tools Do, In Fact, Hallucinate, Olivia Smith Schlinck

Library Staff Online Writings

For better or worse, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the legal landscape. But a recent study highlights a critical issue: AI’s tendency to “hallucinate,” or generate false information. This problem raises significant concerns about the reliability of AI in legal practice.

Gone Smishing: An Integration Of Decision-Making And Protection Motivation In The Context Of Identity Theft Victimization, Taylor S. Fisher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methods of obtaining sensitive information from Internet users have evolved consistently as technology has advanced and millions of mobile device users communicate through text (SMS) messaging daily, making them a target for smishing attacks. Smishing (short for SMS phishing) is a form of cybercrime where an offender will send fraudulent text messages attempting to gather sensitive information or convince the user to click on a malicious link. These messages often appear legitimate and rely on tactics like convincing users that immediate action needs to be taken. Smishing has become so widespread that in 2020, the Texas Attorney General issued a …

Cultivating A Digital Environment To Support Primary Source Instruction, Lindsey Memory, Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Abby Beazer, Gregory K. Seppi

Faculty Publications

Primary source literacy continues to be a priority for academic institutions. A growing subtopic is digital primary sources and their unique role in pedagogy. Digital primary sources have the capacity to represent more diverse voices, and their digital nature provides greater accessibility to new and existing user populations who cannot always come to the reading room. Digital primary sources can better meet a variety of needs through ADA-compliant transcription, 24/7 access, portability, and extensibility. With that vision in mind, these projects and materials present their own challenges to archivists, librarians, and other instructors seeking to expand these items’ curricular use. …

Open Educational Resources: A Brief Overview, Jackson Harper

Librarian Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Peer Groups On The Gender-Wage Gap And Life After The Mba: Evidence From The Random Assignment Of Mba Peers, Mallika Thomas

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Using the historical random assignment of MBA students to peer groups at a top business school in the United States, I study the effect of the gender composition of a student’s peers on the gender pay gap at graduation and long-term labor market outcomes. I find that a 10 percentage point increase in the share of male peers leads to a 2.1 percent increase in the relative earnings of female students at graduation, closing the gender gap in earnings at graduation by two-thirds. The effects on women’s long-term earnings grow even larger with time. Using novel data on job offers, …

A Call To Action: Lessons From Ukraine For The Future Force, John A. Nagl, Katie Crombe

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

John A. Nagl, Project Director
Katie Crombe, Chief of Staff

This book explores the changing character of war through the lens of the Russia-Ukraine War. The authors analyze the conflict’s history, each side’s warfighting functions, the role of multidomain operations, and more. The radical changes in the character of war suggest the United States is at a strategic inflection point. The authors draw lessons from both the Ukrainians and the Russians to suggest improvements for the United States. Advances in drone technology, cyber warfare, and electromagnetic warfare pose new technological vulnerabilities and possibilities. In addition, the war has highlighted the …

Legalized Sports Betting And Mental Health, Brad R. Humphreys, Jane Ruseski

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Since the Supreme Court declared the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 unconstitutional in 2018, 38 states and the District of Columbia legalized face to face and/or on-line betting on sports. A potential unintended consequence of legalized sports betting is an increased risk for mental health disorders and problem gambling. Using a staggered difference-in differences framework, we exploit variation in timing of adoption of legal sports betting across states to evaluate the impact of these laws on mental health outcomes. We combine data on when states passed laws to legalize gambling with data from the Behavioral Risk Factor …

Collaborative Leadership And Student Success Perceptions Of Chief Academic Affairs & Chief Student Affairs Officers At Midwestern Private Higher Education Institutions, G. Merchel Allen Menefield

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This quasi-experimental study focused on collaborative leadership in higher education, emphasizing its potential impact on student success and career readiness. The 66 Chief Academic Affairs Officers (CAAOs) and Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAOs) participants worked at Midwestern private higher education institutions, which were members of The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) (n.d.). The participants completed Collaborative Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaires (Turning Point, n.d.) that included a student success section, which was developed and added based on research topics presented by Kezar (2003) and Kezar and Holcombe (2020). The results showed no statistically significant differences in perceptions of collaborative leadership influencing student …

In The Bodies Of Gods: Bharathanatyam Diaspora Organizing And The Production And Dismantling Of Colonial Logics, Nivethitha Ketheeswaran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bharathanatyam is a dance form dating back to 300 BCE of what is now Tamil Nadu, South India. Bharathanatyam uses hand gestures, facial expressions, and footwork to narrate stories and demonstrate rhythm. This dissertation explores how the global diaspora of bharathanatyam practitioners organize around bharathanatyam informed by colonial logics. In this dissertation I aim to a) define “diaspora organizing” beyond nation-state identity b) apply this definition of diaspora to the global practice of bharathanatyam, and c) explore practitioners sensemaking of their experiences with bharathanatyam. I approach the first goal by defining diaspora in terms of anti-colonial theorizing and describing its …

Benefits Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Chronic Pain, Maria Kleinstaeuber, Ashley Yaugher, Emily Roundy, Michael Levin

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is a common experience for people and can be difficult to manage. However, there are many evidence-based and effective psychological treatments for chronic pain to help people improve their lives. One of these is acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. ACT teaches how to accept pain and live a life full of meaning and quality, with pain. It helps individuals increase their quality of life through mindfulness-based methods, experiential processing, and a focus on values, goals, and actions. ACT has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and improving pain management and personal well-being. Consult the resources …

Media Regulatory Dynamics: A Case Study Of Taiwan’S National Communications Commission And Its Implications For Media Independence., Chih-Jeng (George) Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In alignment with the US-led regime that champions free speech, the Republic of China (Taiwan) has assumed a prominent role in upholding the freedom of expression stance in East Asia. Rooted in historical origins and institutional conflicts between Taipei and Beijing, Taiwan has established a democratic system, presenting a distinct contrast with the Beijing system, and showcasing an alternative Chinese economy that embraces liberalism. Nevertheless, as Beijing’s influence grows stronger globally, Taiwan’s democratic politics have become increasingly delicate and sensitive. In the winter of 2020, Taiwan faced a critical moment in its control over media freedom, highlighting the ongoing tensions …