Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Shifting Faith Among Indigenous People In Arunachal Pradesh, India: Revisiting Greenfeld's Civilizational Framework, M. Amin Khan

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper examines changing religious demography in Arunachal Pradesh through Liah Greenfeld's theory of civilization as a self-generating and self-reproducing symbolic reality. Using decadal Census data (1971–2011), it traces the demographic decline of Indigenous/Tribal religions classified under “Other Religions and Persuasions” (ORP) alongside the widespread growth of Christianity and the more limited growth of Hinduism. The analysis argues that these demographic shifts reflect more than religious conversion; they reveal differential capacities for cultural reproduction. Whereas civilizations endowed with codified first principles and enduring institutions sustain continuity across generations, Arunachal Pradesh's largely localized and orally transmitted indigenous traditions have proven less …

Professor Greenfeld’S Last Class: Notes For Online Lectures On “The Science Of Humanity,” Delivered To Students And Scholars Primarily From India, July 2025, Liah Greenfeld

Comparative Civilizations Review

The question for this class is: What is humanity?

We all believe we all know what it is, don’t we? After all, there is hardly any subject more important for us, a question on the answer to which other subjects depend — political, social, economic. Answers to questions such as: what are human economic needs and desires; what political structures are optimal for humans; is democracy, for instance, a universal human desire; should politics in every nation be democratic, or, perhaps, authoritarian governments are better; is freedom a natural need, does it make life better, does equality?

Mind The Gap: Freight And Rail System Resilience Between Planning And Practice A Synthesis Of Freight Plan Best Practices And Survey Results From U.S. Transportation Professionals, Serena Alexander, Carmella Uwineza

Mineta Transportation Institute

Freight and rail networks across the United States face mounting risks from weather-related hazards and other systemic disruptions that threaten operational continuity, economic stability, and community well-being. While state freight plans are federally mandated, local and metropolitan freight planning varies widely, leaving gaps in how resilience is addressed across scales. This study examines how resilience is being integrated into freight and rail planning through a two-part approach: (1) a content analysis of 43 recent state and metropolitan freight plans, and (2) a nationwide survey of 56 transportation professionals engaged in freight and rail planning. Findings show broad consensus on the …

A Correlational Study Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Climate On Job Satisfaction Of Non-Faculty Staff At Texas Community Colleges, Tamesha M. Hilliard-Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. higher education institutions face increasing challenges related to employee morale and retention, understanding the drivers of workplace satisfaction is critical for institutional stability. This research investigates the relationships between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction among staff within Texas community colleges, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene as the theoretical framework. Specifically, this study explores the influence of institutional communication, employee well-being, and organizational mission and pride on staff job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study analyzed secondary data from ModernThink’s Higher Education Insight Survey©. The sample consisted of 2,265 higher education professionals collected …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

When Work Is Not Enough: Food Insecurity Among Employed Latinos Receiving Snap In Massachusetts And The Burden Carried By Latina Women, Phillip Granberry, Rafael M. Pérez Medina, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Across Massachusetts, many SNAP recipients are workers, caregivers, parents, elders, people with disabilities, and families navigating low wages, unstable work schedules, high housing costs, and limited access to wealth building opportunities. Many of these workers held jobs that were labeled “essential” during the COVID-19 pandemic: food service, caregiving, cleaning, healthcare support, retail, transportation, construction, and other service sector jobs. Yet the public recognition of their essential labor has not been translated into adequate wages, benefits, or economic security.

Hkc08 - Neglect At Your Own Risk? Evidence On Risk-Taking Prevalence And Motives From The Field, Saurabh Bhargava, Timothy Hyde

Oberlin College Kasper Economics and Business Working Paper Series

We study risky choice in a field setting where employees choose among goal-reward contracts resembling financial lotteries and where we observe both choices and beliefs. We find risk aversion and choice heterogeneity far exceeding expected utility predictions and unexplained by prominent behavioral motives like overconfidence, nonlinear decision weights, and loss aversion. We propose and experimentally validate a heuristic explanation for risk taking involving contingency neglect during pairwise evaluation. The heuristic fits the field and lab data better than leading alternative models, uniquely predicts the belief distortions and framing effects we document, and offers a potential explanation for empirical insurance puzzles.

Remotely Assessing Foundational Skills Of 5–14-Year-Old Children: A Six-Country Psychometric Evaluation Of The Remote Assessment Of Learning (Real), Elizabeth Hentschel, Sascha Hein, Nan Li, Clay Westrope, Julia Taladay, Gillian Valentine, James Leckman, Amira Abdurahman, Fatime Bachir, Farah Darwazeh

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Approximately 250 million children worldwide are out of school. There is growing consensus for investing in feasible, contextually appropriate, psychometrically tested, remote tools to support quality education in low-resource contexts, including low- and middle-income countries and crisis-affected contexts. Save the Children developed the Remote Assessment of Learning (ReAL) to assess 5–14-year-old children's foundational learning. Children (N = 4,840) were sampled from Cambodia, Mozambique, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Philippines, and Sudan, with an approximately equal proportion of male and female children within each country. The study assessed inter-rater reliability, factor structure, item slope and difficulty, criterion validity, …

A Critical-Constructivist Grounded Theory Exploration Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In Post-Secondary Settings, Alyssa L. Decker

Dissertations, 2020-current

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) now have access to higher education, often through inclusive post-secondary education programs (IPSE), to increase employability and quality of life. IPSE programs, historically, have provided academic and life skill support and not mental health support within programs’ curricula. A recent review of IPSE programs reveals that if mental health services are included, they are often accessed through university health services. Transitioning from high school to college induces high levels of stress, which can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions. Mental health care is defaulted to an already overburdened college counseling center without the knowledge and skills …

Maintaining Empire, Maiya White

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions.  Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that …

Jison Jiei: Offensive Realism And Imperial Japan's Spiral Toward Regional Hegemony, John William Dodd

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

This thesis examines Imperial Japan’s march from the Mukden Incident of 1931 to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 through the lens of offensive realism. It asks to what extent Japan’s prewar grand strategy can be understood as a bid for regional hegemony, and what that interpretation reveals about the relationship between power politics, international law, and future great-power crises. Rather than treating Japanese expansion as irrational madness or reducing it only to ideology or militarism, this thesis argues that Japanese leaders acted according to a recognizable strategic logic.

Proceeding from theory to historical analysis, this project first situates …

2026 August, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2026.

Technique-Level Normalization For Cybersecurity Intelligence: An Empirical Evaluation Of Att&Ck Attribution From Hids Alerts Using Fine-Tuned Transformers And Metadata Re-Ranking, Emad Sherif

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cybercrime investigations increasingly depend on the ability to interpret large volumes of automated security events. For organizations without dedicated security operations centres, a situation common among small and medium enterprises, the manual translation of raw alerts into structured threat intelligence represents a critical bottleneck that slows investigative triage and limits cross-case comparability. This paper evaluates an automated enrichment pipeline designed to address this bottleneck by mapping security events to standardised adversary behaviour labels drawn from the MITRE ATT&CK framework, supporting both operational response and cybercrime investigation workflows. We compare three pipeline configurations, a general-purpose encoder model, a cybersecurity domain-adapted variant, …

The Augmented Matching Law, Matias A. Avellaneda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Every living organism, including humans, has a finite amount of time available: 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, and a certain number of years in its life. At every moment, such an organism will be engaging in one of a multitude of possible activities, such as eating, sleeping, or reading this dissertation. We use the term choice to denote the way in which the organism distributes its time among all these activities, and some of these choice patterns are more beneficial to the organism than others, showcasing the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying choice. A …

Religious Practice And Attitudes Toward Immigration And Racial Justice In America, Amya Douglas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study aims to understand how Christians’ knowledge of Scripture and involvement in the church have an impact on their social-political views, specifically, racial justice and immigration. By using the survey responses from the 6th wave of the Baylor Religion Survey, more frequent church attendance and reading Scripture were correlated with a greater recognition of racism in terms of being against white supremacy and white nationalism, supporting racial justice when asked about racial gaps, and possessing greater support for immigrants. This study highlights the distinction between religious affiliation and religious practice, and it suggests that certain policy sentiments can be …

A Machine Learning And Artificial Intelligence Sentiment Analysis Of Esg Disclosures, John Barnett Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This dissertation examines whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure sentiment extracted from SEC Form 10-K Item 1A risk disclosures aligns with Bloomberg ESG scores. The study combines SEC textual disclosures, Bloomberg ESG ratings, firm financial data, executive compensation data, and executive gender characteristics. Natural language processing and artificial intelligence methods, including FinBERT, Loughran-McDonald sentiment measures, BART-MNLI zero-shot classification, LLaMA-based ESG scoring, and readability analysis, are used to evaluate ESG-related disclosure signals. Results reveal that SEC 10-K Item 1A risk-factor sentiment and Bloomberg ESG scores represent related but distinct constructs. ESG sentiment in Item 1A is poorly aligned with third-party …

Oak Savanna Expansion: Indigenizing Psu's Urban Landscape, Ash Herb

University Honors Theses

Since time immemorial Indigenous Peoples have resided in what is now named Portland of the Pacific Northwest in the Willamette Valley. For hundreds of years, this forested Land has been colonized, razed to stumps and covered in cement in order to build the urban landscape. Due to such destruction on a broad scale, we are experiencing the results of climate catastrophe. By finding ways to reclaim our relationship with Land and returning to Indigenous epistemologies, our urban landscape has the opportunity to shift towards restoration and prosperity. Indigenous plants have existed here, supporting humans in a reciprocal relationship, for thousands …

Hkc07 - Bayesian Conspiracy Theorists? Equivocal Signals And Persistent Polarization, Javier A. Granados Samayoa, Timothy Hyde

Oberlin College Kasper Economics and Business Working Paper Series

Conspiracy beliefs are the subject of a rich literature in psychology, which explains them through personal dysfunction. The corresponding economics literature is scant. We offer a demand-side model of belief in specific conspiracy theories with no biases, misspecification, or strategic manipulation. A conspiracy, by its nature, generates equivocal evidence about its own existence, because the same strength that produces more to detect also produces better concealment. We model belief in a specific conspiracy theory as learning about the strength 𝑞 of a cabal, a stand-in for the secretly coordinating actors of any conspiracy theory. In the baseline the cabal influences …

Hkc10 - Disasters, Labor Migration, And Migrant Downgrading: Evidence From Typhoons In The Philippines, Emir Murathanoglu

Oberlin College Kasper Economics and Business Working Paper Series

I study how typhoons affect international labor migration from Philippine municipalities using administrative data on the universe of new migrant contracts. Typhoons increase out-migration for up to three years, but simultaneously shift migrants toward lower-paying occupations and destinations. Average migrant cohort wages fall by 0.27– 0.41% for each 1% typhoon-induced increase in migration. This fall is not explained by observable selection, as typhoon-induced migrants have higher educational attainment. These patterns are consistent with a simple migration search model, where worsening origin conditions incentivize potential migrants to search and leave for lower-paying overseas contracts. Despite this downgrading, back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest 16–19% …

Indigenous Community Research Opportunities, Sharon Hausam, Aaron M. Canter

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Opportunities For Leadership In Indigenous And Tribally Engaged Research At The University Of New Mexico, Sharon Hausam

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Nh Ece Research Agenda, Jess Carson, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Tyrus Parker, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The New Hampshire Early Care & Education (NH ECE) Research Consortium’s statewide research agenda identifies questions NH most needs answered to build, strengthen, and sustain its ECE system. The agenda is designed to help researchers, state leaders, funders, advocates, and community partners align work around shared priorities, avoid duplication, and make better use of high-quality evidence to guide policy, practice, and systems change. The Consortium will maintain this agenda as a living resource, updating it as the field’s needs and evidence base evolve. This agenda is meant to support coordinated action, not simply list possible research topics. Partners can use …

Market Rate Survey & Narrow Cost Analysis: 2026 Worksheet, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

Child care providers in New Hampshire can use this worksheet to gather the information they will need to complete the 2026 Market Rate Survey and Narrow Cost Analysis. Not all questions may be relevant to each program. All questions should be answered with information current as of September 15, 2026.

Market Rate Survey & Narrow Cost Analysis: 2026 Data Collection Incentive Plan, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Coming Fall 2026: Complete The Market Rate Survey, Nh Department Of Health And Human Services

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Emergency Medical Services Mental Health: Causes Of Providers Leaving The Industry, Brian C. Selke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Employee resilience and mental health have become critical concerns in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as workforce shortages increasingly threaten staffing stability and patient care. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) data indicates that more than 30% of eligible EMS providers did not recertify between 2020 and 2023, raising concerns about workforce sustainability. This study examines EMS providers’ intentions to leave the profession and identifies workplace factors associated with turnover. A statewide survey of more than 1,200 licensed EMS providers in Alabama was analyzed using regression techniques to evaluate the relationship between workplace conditions and turnover intentions. Results demonstrate that …

Vulnerability In The Dark Triad: Insecure Attachment And Relational Aggression In The Peer Relationships Of College Students, Summer Boggs

Dissertations

Research on relational aggression (i.e., a type of aggression in which the aggressor harms others by damaging their relationships, reputation, and/or feelings of social acceptance) with college students has identified several important correlates, including anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Moreover, the personality traits captured by the Vulnerable Dark Triad (VDT; i.e., borderline, the antisocial component of psychopathy, and vulnerable narcissism; Miller et al., 2010) have demonstrated positive relationships with both relational aggression and insecure attachment. This study examined the relationship between insecure attachment and relational aggression among college students (N = 560), testing VDT traits as partial mediators of …

Testing P300-Based Biometric Authentication Paradigms, Jordan Razzak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bench research suggests that P300 amplitude is greater in response to self-relevant stimuli compared to familiar stimuli. This effect could enable a novel method of biometric authentication based on the self-relevant P300. This dissertation aims to: (1) determine the optimal presentation paradigm for leveraging self-relevance in P300-based biometric authentication, and (2) investigate P300 responses from self-relevant stimuli versus stimuli learned over the course of a week.

Two presentation paradigms were compared – rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) and matrix presentation (MP). Participant-specific RSVP and MP classifiers were trained by applying stepwise linear discriminant analysis to data collected during presentations of …

Sari-Sari Stores As Community Pharmacies? A Qualitative Exploration Of Sari-Sari Stores Selling Medicines In The Philippines, Melissa Louise M. Prieto, Gamaliel P. Galigao, Ana Rica S. Navarra-Cruz, Louise Gabriel R. Jimenez, Gideon Lasco

Medical Anthropology

Background and Objective. Despite laws prohibiting the sale of pharmaceuticals outside licensed pharmacies, sari-sari stores continue to informally sell medicines, bridging access challenges especially in remote areas. The study explores the roles and perceptions of sari-sari stores as informal medicine providers. Methods. The study draws on ethnographic insights from key informant interviews with fourteen (14) sari-sari store owners or tinderas, probing into medicines sold in sari-sari stores and their perceived effectiveness. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results. Sari-sari stores serve as informal yet critical points of access to common medicines for everyday illnesses, especially in remote areas where …

The Impact Of Early Exposure To Engineering Concepts In The Form Of Family, School Classes, And Stem Extracurriculars On The Long-Term Sense Of Belonging In Undergraduate Women In Engineering, Hannah Lloyd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Engineering continues to struggle with the underrepresentation of women, and many women who begin engineering programs report feeling isolated or uncertain about whether they belong. A strong sense of belonging has been linked to greater confidence, persistence, and success in engineering. This study examined how early experiences with engineering before college may influence students' sense of belonging later in their undergraduate engineering programs.

Using survey responses from undergraduate engineering students across the United States, this study explored several types of early exposure to engineering, including family influence, school-based engineering and STEM courses, extracurricular programs such as robotics clubs and engineering …