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Title: THE EFFECT OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION ON DELINQUENCY: AN ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILES.
Creator: Horne, Adrienne, Ford, Jason, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examines the impact of relative deprivation on juvenile delinquency. Though this topic has been explored by several researchers, there has not been much consistency in the research due to the operationalization of key variables. Traditionally, relative deprivation has been referenced in relation to Merton's Classic Strain Theory, using economic indicators to measure relative deprivation. Webber and Runciman however, expanded upon Merton's original premise and integrated...
Show moreThis study examines the impact of relative deprivation on juvenile delinquency. Though this topic has been explored by several researchers, there has not been much consistency in the research due to the operationalization of key variables. Traditionally, relative deprivation has been referenced in relation to Merton's Classic Strain Theory, using economic indicators to measure relative deprivation. Webber and Runciman however, expanded upon Merton's original premise and integrated more diverse measures of relative deprivation into their research. The current study utilizes Agnew's General Strain Theory (GST) as a means to measure relative deprivation as a broader and more subjective topic. This unique approach in the study of relative deprivation utilizes aspirations as a primary measure of relative deprivation.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002710, ucf:48177
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002710

Title: A REALIST INTERPRETATION OF U.S.RELATIONS WITH CHINA.
Creator: Zhang, Xiansheng, Morales, Waltraud, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Realism theory provides the most powerful explanation for the state of war and the rise and fall of great powers. It expounds the important concepts and themes like national sovereignty, security, survival, interests, balance of power, balance of terror, alliance, dominance, hegemony and polarity. Realism can be classified as classical realism, structural realism and neoclassical realism. In recent years, liberalism, globalism and constructivism also have greatly influenced academics and...
Show moreRealism theory provides the most powerful explanation for the state of war and the rise and fall of great powers. It expounds the important concepts and themes like national sovereignty, security, survival, interests, balance of power, balance of terror, alliance, dominance, hegemony and polarity. Realism can be classified as classical realism, structural realism and neoclassical realism. In recent years, liberalism, globalism and constructivism also have greatly influenced academics and policy-makers under the new phenomena of globalization and terrorism. This paper explores how classical realism theory has been applied to and revealed in the issue of American policy towards China. The past years of U.S. relations with China have been marked by many wars and diplomatic issues that bear important messages for contemporary policy-makers. Based upon the most representative incidents in the chronicles, this paper categorizes American relations with China into three periods: period one, from commercialism in 1784 to imperialism in 1899; period two, from dominance in 1900 to confrontation in 1949; Period three, from enemies in 1950 to competitors in 2009. From a brief retrospective of major events that occurred, it is concluded that most incidents are related to national interest and power issues, while only several cases are about ideological disputes. The emergence of China as an economic power within the last few years will shape the world as much as the United States in the late 19th century. As America is the worldÃ‚Â's greatest power and China is the worldÃ‚Â's greatest emerging power, the relationship between these two countries will largely determine the history of the twenty-first century. History teaches that such power transitions are inherently fraught with dangers and opportunities. Thus, it would serve the interests of the United States to rethink its relationship with China and make its policies more global and focused on the long term. No matter what happens in China, American policy towards that country should be guided by a clear and firm sense of American national interests.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003072, ucf:48308
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003072

Title: OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND WORK-RELATED WELLBEING OF TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE (TNP) MEMBERS.
Creator: Kula, Sedat, T.H. Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Previous studies suggest that the organizational dynamics of police organizations and the nature of police work contribute to law enforcement stress, which in turn reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout. It is also well documented that undesirable organizational factors are more hazardous to the well-being of employees than are the stressors due to nature of police work. The present study examines whether, and to what degree, organizational and operational stresses in law enforcement...
Show morePrevious studies suggest that the organizational dynamics of police organizations and the nature of police work contribute to law enforcement stress, which in turn reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout. It is also well documented that undesirable organizational factors are more hazardous to the well-being of employees than are the stressors due to nature of police work. The present study examines whether, and to what degree, organizational and operational stresses in law enforcement are associated with job satisfaction, work-related burnout, and supervisor support, holding the effects of age, rank, education, gender, tenure, and shift type constant in the analysis. A total of 538 Turkish National Police (TNP) employees from seven cities in Turkey, comprising 407 regular police officers and 131 ranked police officers, completed the study survey. The influence of organizational and operational stresses on the work-related well-being of TNP employees as measured by job satisfaction and work-related burnout was analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) under the theoretical framework of Kahn and Byosiere's (1992) causal theory. The results of the study indicate that TNP employees' perceived organizational stress has a statistically significant positive effect on work-related burnout and a negative effect on job satisfaction. The more TNP employees experience their organization as stress inducing, the lower their job satisfaction levels and the higher their burnout levels. Perceived operational stress of TNP employees was found to be significantly associated with their work-related burnout, but not with their job satisfaction. This study suggests that there is an indirect causal effect of both organizational and operational stresses on job satisfaction via supervisor support as mediator. Supervisor support fully mediates the relationship between operational stress and job satisfaction, and partially mediates the relationship between organizational stress and job satisfaction. After controlling the influence of several demographic variables, job satisfaction made a statistically significant contribution to predicting work-related burnout. This finding suggests that as job satisfaction of TNP employee increases, their work-related burnout decreases. The findings of the study revealed that among the six demographic variables, only education level of TNP employees and rank make statistically significant contribution to their job satisfaction levels. As rank and education level of TNP employees increase, their job satisfaction also increases. The predictor variables of organizational stress, operational stress, and supervisor support, along with education and rank collectively, explain 56 % of the total variation in job satisfaction. On the other hand, organizational stress, operational stress, job satisfaction, and supervisor support together account for 34 % of the total variance in work-related burnout. Overall, the findings of this study illustrate a need for internal policy reform and managerial change in how the executives of TNP organize their agencies and policies, since organizational stressors are the most prevalent factors determining the work-related well-being of TNP employees.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003862, ucf:48750
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003862

Title: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF MARINE TURTLE ECO-TOURISM.
Creator: Cope, Kendra, Mansfield, Kate, Weishampel, John, Slotkin, Michael, DeFreese, Duane, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Marine turtles have historically contributed to economic activity through consumptive harvest for food, tools, and decorative objects. Only recently have they begun to benefit humans economically through non-consumptive roles, primarily as a focal point of educational eco-tourism. In recent years, the annual number of turtle walks conducted around the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) has risen. This expansion contributed to a statistically significant increase in attendance from 2...
Show moreMarine turtles have historically contributed to economic activity through consumptive harvest for food, tools, and decorative objects. Only recently have they begun to benefit humans economically through non-consumptive roles, primarily as a focal point of educational eco-tourism. In recent years, the annual number of turtle walks conducted around the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) has risen. This expansion contributed to a statistically significant increase in attendance from 2,162 in 2001 to 3,047 participants in 2014. I examined the regional economic impacts of marine turtle eco-tourism around the ACNWR using social surveys and an economic impact analysis tool. IMPLAN, an input-output modeling package, has been used in tourism industries around the U.S. since 1992, but this study is the first to use this tool to evaluate the holistic economic effects of marine turtle-based eco-tourism within a selected region. During the 2014 turtle walk season (June through July), surveys were distributed at six different turtle walk locations within Brevard and Indian River Counties, Florida, along the central Florida Atlantic coast. Adults attending the turtle walks (n=2,274) were given time before the educational presentation began to complete a one-page survey. Approximately 93% of turtle walk participants completed surveys. Due to market interactions within this two-county region, turtle walks contributed a minimum of three new jobs and a conservative estimate of almost $250,000 (USD) to the local economy during the two-month turtle walk season. Using financial comparisons and economic impact tools, like IMPLAN, can improve our understanding of the many roles, especially non-consumptive uses, sea turtles have in our communities. This information can be useful in resource management and conservation-based decision making.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005934, ucf:50845
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005934

Title: The First Florida Cavalry (US): Union Enlistment in the Civil War's Southern Periphery.
Creator: Campbell, Tyler, Gannon, Barbara, Sacher, John, Walker, Ezekiel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In 1863, along the southern periphery of the American Civil War, a Union Brigadier General began recruiting Southern white men into a Union cavalry regiment known as the First Florida Cavalry (US). This study investigates the regiment and those who enlisted in it to show the fluidity of Southern loyalty during the Civil War and the conditions of the Deep South Homefront that existed on the periphery of Union occupation and continue to exist on the periphery of Civil War historiography. While...
Show moreIn 1863, along the southern periphery of the American Civil War, a Union Brigadier General began recruiting Southern white men into a Union cavalry regiment known as the First Florida Cavalry (US). This study investigates the regiment and those who enlisted in it to show the fluidity of Southern loyalty during the Civil War and the conditions of the Deep South Homefront that existed on the periphery of Union occupation and continue to exist on the periphery of Civil War historiography. While scholars have recently addressed many aspects of Southern dissent in the Civil War, significantly less attention has been given to those who fought in the Union ranks. Utilizing previously unused archival materials paired with geospatial mapping, this study reveals the lives of Southerners who enlisted and their homeland. It examines both those who formed the regiment and those who enlisted in it. This analysis illuminates common soldier experience in the Sectional Conflict's Southern borderland. This study concludes that the volatile nature of loyalty and the needs of the homefront in the Deep South encouraged both Union generals to form the First Florida Cavalry and Southerners to enlist in it. While this assessment analyzes only several hundred men, it provides insights into the larger populations of Southern Union soldiers throughout the Deep South and their competing loyalties to nation and community.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0006984, ucf:51674
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006984

Title: WHITE OPINIONS OF UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION: TESTING RIVAL HYPOTHESES, 2004.
Creator: Bulkley, Celeste, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Few issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political...
Show moreFew issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political knowledge, national identity, group pride, and racism. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Study, the thesis provides a critical test of the competing hypotheses using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, conditional relationships are posited, facilitating a more refined analysis of the structure of attitudes on immigration issues. The results indicate that racism, group pride, symbolic patriotism, ideology, and isolationism are the most consistent and significant predictors of immigration policy preferences. The use of four distinct dependent variable questions also highlights the inconsistency in public opinion regarding immigration and the division between public perception of documented and undocumented entries. Future research should focus on the interrelationship between variables that are used by the individual to define group associations, as well as the change in national and personal identity brought about by the events of September 11th, 2001.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001407, ucf:47075
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001407

Title: THE TAÍNO ARE STILL ALIVE, TAÍNO CUAN YAHABO: AN EXAMPLE OF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY.
Creator: Cintron, David, Corzine, Jay, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Definitions and boundaries of race and ethnicity are socially constructed. They are malleable inventions created by the negotiation of ascribed ideas from outside groups and asserted notions from the inside group's membership. The revitalization of Taíno identity and culture within the Puerto Rican and related communities is a classic case example of this negotiation. Although objective conditions exist to recognize the descendants of these Caribbean aboriginals as an identifiable...
Show moreDefinitions and boundaries of race and ethnicity are socially constructed. They are malleable inventions created by the negotiation of ascribed ideas from outside groups and asserted notions from the inside group's membership. The revitalization of Taíno identity and culture within the Puerto Rican and related communities is a classic case example of this negotiation. Although objective conditions exist to recognize the descendants of these Caribbean aboriginals as an identifiable group, their identities are contested and sometimes ridiculed. Even though Taíno heritage is accepted as an essential root of Puerto Rico's cultural and biological make-up, this group has been classified as extinct since the early 16th century. This thesis analyzes the official newsletters of the Taíno Nation of the Antilles--one of the leading organizations working for revitalization. The content of this material culture was dissected and organized into rhetorical categories in order to reveal patterns of endogamic assertions of race and ethnicity. This thesis will provide a descriptive analysis of the Taíno Nation's rhetorical process of convincing the world that they do in fact exist.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001325, ucf:46988
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001325

Title: A CULTURAL CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP MODEL FOR A MULTINATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION JOINT VENTURE.
Creator: Albritton, Frankie, House, Jess, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This dissertation addressed the need for empirical research on the leadership of multinational virtual teams (Davis & Bryant, 2003; Early & Gibson, 2002; Ilgen, Lepine, and Hollenbeck, 1997; Prieto & Arias, 1997), particularly in the field of educational leadership (Cheng, 1995). This was accomplished through the development of a model based upon the cultural values discovered through the use of Hofstede's (1980, 2001) Values Survey Module 94 (VSM 94). As workers will bring values from...
Show moreThis dissertation addressed the need for empirical research on the leadership of multinational virtual teams (Davis & Bryant, 2003; Early & Gibson, 2002; Ilgen, Lepine, and Hollenbeck, 1997; Prieto & Arias, 1997), particularly in the field of educational leadership (Cheng, 1995). This was accomplished through the development of a model based upon the cultural values discovered through the use of Hofstede's (1980, 2001) Values Survey Module 94 (VSM 94). As workers will bring values from their own cultures to the multinational workplace (Bochner & Hesketh, 1994), research was conducted to determine the cultural values of economics professors in the United States and Germany in order to formulate a cultural contingent leadership model based on Triandis' (1993) adaptation of Fiedler's (1967) contingency theory. Given a total response from 194 U.S. and German economics professors, it was discovered that faculty in both the United States and Germany had values that differed significantly from those that Hofstede discovered for his IBM employee samples in four out of five dimensions. However, it was found that the values for the U.S. and German faculties were a close replication of Hoppe's (1990) findings which were based on a sample that was similar to the economics faculties in both occupation and education. These findings add a cautionary note to the recommendation by Hofstede and Peterson (2000) that existing cultural values can be used by cultural researchers: Previous cultural value data can be used if the samples are closely matched to the previous samples in both nationality as well as educational and occupational background. The research thus indicated that differences in national culture, as measured by Hofstede's (1980, 2001) cultural dimensions, still exist. In addition, a direct comparison of the cultural values between the two faculties indicated that the U.S. and German economics faculties differed significantly in two of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, individualism and collectivism and masculinity and femininity. The two samples were not significantly different in the cultural dimensions of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long term orientation. Using the Triandis (1993) approach, application of the research results to Fiedler's (1967) LPC model indicated that a relationship oriented leader would be an in-match leader for a group of U.S. and German higher education economics faculty. This result was contingent upon the cultural values discovered for the U.S. and German faculties who would be involved in an endeavor with situational variables similar to that which would be found in an international joint venture to offer online distance economics education to students in a developing country.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001547, ucf:47143
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001547

Title: Appropriate Adjective: Executive Authority and the Classification of Enemy Combatants.
Creator: Davis, Taraleigh, Merriam, Eric, Bledsoe, Robert, Edwards, Barry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Is the term enemy combatant an established legal category of persons under international law? Has the President exceeded his constitutional authority in classifying United States citizens who are suspected terrorists as enemy combatants? In 2018 a U.S. citizen was released after being held for 13 months as an enemy combatant. He was detained without being charged with a crime and without the ability to challenge the legality of his detention. This thesis serves two purposes. First, it will...
Show moreIs the term enemy combatant an established legal category of persons under international law? Has the President exceeded his constitutional authority in classifying United States citizens who are suspected terrorists as enemy combatants? In 2018 a U.S. citizen was released after being held for 13 months as an enemy combatant. He was detained without being charged with a crime and without the ability to challenge the legality of his detention. This thesis serves two purposes. First, it will seek to trace the history of the term enemy combatant and highlight the evolution of its use by the executive branch. This thesis then examines whether the executive has exceeded his constitutional authority to classify a United States citizen as an enemy combatant. While most of the literature focuses on the treatment and detention of enemy combatants, existing scholarship largely overlooks the issue of authority to classify enemy combatants. This thesis will argue that the executive is overstepping the boundaries of its presidential power when the executive branch creates the criteria (a legislative function) for enemy combatants and applies the criteria in the classification of enemy combatants (a judicial function). This qualitative study will use normative legal research focusing on the principles of the law in classifying a suspected terrorist as an enemy combatant as well as the legal history of the term. The analysis of the legal history of the term enemy combatant will be completed by content analysis using Nvivo 12 software of various government documents as well as case studies of enemy combatant cases.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007448, ucf:52703
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007448

Title: Explaining the Support of the British National Party (BNP) in the 1999, 2004, and 2009 European Union Elections.
Creator: Willis, Jonathan, Kinsey, Barbara, Kim, Myunghee, Wilson, Bruce, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in extreme right Western European parties. Well-established parties such as the National Front (FN) in France, Vlaams Belang (formerly Vlaams Blok) in Belgium, and Lega Nord in Italy have been scrutinized. However, extreme right parties that have just recently begun to experience electoral successes such as the British National Party (BNP) have received less evaluation and discussion in the literature. Therefore, this study examines the...
Show moreIn the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in extreme right Western European parties. Well-established parties such as the National Front (FN) in France, Vlaams Belang (formerly Vlaams Blok) in Belgium, and Lega Nord in Italy have been scrutinized. However, extreme right parties that have just recently begun to experience electoral successes such as the British National Party (BNP) have received less evaluation and discussion in the literature. Therefore, this study examines the BNP's electoral fortunes in the European elections of 1999, 2004, and 2009. I explore the support for the BNP using the traditional variables of unemployment, education, income, and immigration. In addition to these variables, I examine how support for other parties present in Great Britain, such as the right-wing United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the center-right Conservative Party affects electoral support for the BNP. I find that support for other right-wing parties in Great Britain do exert an influence on BNP electoral fortunes (the UKIP a positive one, and the Conservative Party a negative one). I also find a strong negative link between BNP support and education and a weak positive one between BNP support and unemployment. However, income and immigration rates appear to have no effect on voter support for the BNP.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004179, ucf:49068
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004179

Title: ORGANIZATIONAL SAFETY CULTURE AND IDIVIDUAL SAFETY BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY OF THE TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE AVIATION DEPARTMENT.
Creator: Uryan, Yildirim, T. H. Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Human related accidents in high-risk industries amount to a significant economic hazard and incur tremendous damages, causing excessive operational costs and loss of life. The aviation industry now observes human-related accidents more frequently than in the past, an upswing attributable to cutting-edge technology usage and the complex systems employed by aviation organizations. Historically, aviation accidents have been attributed to individual unsafe behavior. However, contemporary accident...
Show moreHuman related accidents in high-risk industries amount to a significant economic hazard and incur tremendous damages, causing excessive operational costs and loss of life. The aviation industry now observes human-related accidents more frequently than in the past, an upswing attributable to cutting-edge technology usage and the complex systems employed by aviation organizations. Historically, aviation accidents have been attributed to individual unsafe behavior. However, contemporary accident causation models suggest that organizational-level factors influence individual safety performance, as human-related accidents take place in an organizational context. The present study examines the formation of organizational safety culture and influence on individualsÃ‚Â' safety behavior in a police aviation environment. The theory of planned behavior guides the study model in explaining individual variability in safety behavior via organizational safety culture. The study conceptualized organizational safety culture and individual safety behavior as multidimensional constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for each latent construct to validate the construct validity for each measurement model. Organizational safety culture was observed via safety climate facets, which contained four subcomponents including individual attitude, group norms, management attitude, and workplace pressures. Individual safety behavior contained violation and error components observed by self-reported statements. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 210 employees from the Turkish National Police Aviation Department, a 53-item survey was conducted to measure individualsÃ‚Â' safety culture perceptions and self-reported safety behaviors. The results suggest that individual safety behavior is significantly influenced by organizational safety culture. Except for the relation between workplace pressures and intention, all suggested relations and correlations were statistically significant. The four-factor measurement model of organizational safety climate fit reasonably well to the data, and most correlations between the safety climate components were significant at the .05 level. IndividualsÃ‚Â' self-reported error behavior is positively associated with age, and individualsÃ‚Â' self-reported violation behavior is positively associated with years of service. Overall, along with organizational safety culture, age and service-year variables accounted for 65% of the variance in intention, 55% of the variance in violation behavior, and 68% of the variance in error behavior. Lastly, no significant difference manifested among pilots, maintenance personnel, and office staff according to their self-related safety behaviors. The findings have theoretical, policy, and managerial implications. First, the theory of planned behavior was tested, and its usefulness in explaining individualsÃ‚Â' safety behavior was demonstrated. The survey instrument of the study, and multi-dimensional measurement models for organizational safety climate and individual safety behavior were theoretical contributions of the study. Second, the emergence of informal organizational structures and their effects on individuals indicated several policy implications. The study also revealed the importance of informal structures in organizations performing in high-risk environments, especially in designing safety systems, safety policies, and regulations. Policy modification was suggested to overcome anticipated obstacles and the perceived difficulty of working with safety procedures. The influences of age on error behavior and years of service on violation behavior point to the need for several policy modifications regarding task assignment, personnel recruitment, health reports, and violation assessment policies. As well, managerial implications were suggested, including changing individualsÃ‚Â' perceptions of management and group attitudes toward safety. The negative influence of anticipated obstacles and the perceived difficulties of safety procedures on individual safety behavior pointed out managementÃ‚Â's role in reducing risks and accidents by designing intervention programs to improve safety performance, and formulating proactive solutions for problems typically leading to accidents and injuries.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003190, ucf:48587
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003190

Title: Comrades In Arms?: Russian (&) Muslim Soldiers In The Red Army During World War II.
Creator: Bradfield, Daniel, Solonari, Vladimir, Zhang, Hong, Gannon, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis focuses on the perceptions of Muslims soldiers regarding their military service during World War II. To thoroughly analyze Muslim soldiers' attitudes, the thesis explores the total experience of Muslim military service through the Soviet Union's and Red Army's policies toward Muslims and how Russian soldiers viewed their Muslim counterparts. To achieve this, the thesis summarized current scholarship on Soviet and Red Army policies toward Muslims. The thesis analyzed the oral...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on the perceptions of Muslims soldiers regarding their military service during World War II. To thoroughly analyze Muslim soldiers' attitudes, the thesis explores the total experience of Muslim military service through the Soviet Union's and Red Army's policies toward Muslims and how Russian soldiers viewed their Muslim counterparts. To achieve this, the thesis summarized current scholarship on Soviet and Red Army policies toward Muslims. The thesis analyzed the oral histories and written accounts of Muslim soldiers and Russian soldiers to understand the perceptions of Russians and Muslim soldiers. A hierarchy of cultural backwardness underlined Soviet policies in both the Red Army and the larger Soviet system. Soviet authorities viewed Russians and other Slavic peoples as more highly advanced and therefore could progress 'backward' minorities through the Marxist teleology. Muslim soldiers who were able to communicate in Russian with Russian soldiers forged primary bonds with them. Muslim soldiers who did not form these relationships correlated the Russian soldiers with the Soviet state. Russian soldiers downplayed the contributions of Muslim soldiers while glorifying their central role to the Red Army's victory as the 'Slavic Backbone.' Immediate post-war interviews focused on the difficulties of serving with Muslims including poor communication, self-injury, (&) desertion. However, the post-soviet interviews described the Muslim members of their primary groups as integral parts of their units. Their successful service stood tall when balanced against the larger perception of Muslim ineffectiveness.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006444, ucf:51449
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006444

Title: Nature Records Itself: Concepts of Truth and Representation in Nature Film and Nature Television Shows.
Creator: Rosalle, Rashaad, Peters, Philip, Adams, JoAnne, Dierdorff, Brooks, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: With the advent of nature photography and film came new ways to understand and interpret the natural world. Prior to the 1910s these formats involved a more scientific and objective approach to recording nature. This aesthetic was abandoned in favor for narrative recreations and Hollywood structure after the 1930s. It is my belief that the dominant use of anthropomorphization, manipulations of setting and animal life, and rugged explorer motifs, all have lead to a loss of a more contemplative...
Show moreWith the advent of nature photography and film came new ways to understand and interpret the natural world. Prior to the 1910s these formats involved a more scientific and objective approach to recording nature. This aesthetic was abandoned in favor for narrative recreations and Hollywood structure after the 1930s. It is my belief that the dominant use of anthropomorphization, manipulations of setting and animal life, and rugged explorer motifs, all have lead to a loss of a more contemplative and meditative appreciation of nature within the Nature television and film format. It is my goal to explore through a series of videos how one can more naturally represent a setting through the use of perspective and compositional framing, matching the natural rhythms of a setting through editing and motion, and being conscious of the viewers sense of placement in a space. I intend to visually demonstrate how a more organic, situated, and less Hollywood-style of interpreting nature can lead to a deeper and more meaningful appreciation of it.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006490, ucf:51393
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006490

Title: Positive Political Outcomes From Feminist Islam in Afghanistan: Identifying Development Program Features that Raise the Status of Women.
Creator: Barnard, Margaret, Hamann, Kerstin, Owens, J. Thomas, Dolan, Thomas, Kinsey, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Existing literature establishes a connection between elevating the status of women in less developed countries and positive political outcomes including: increased national stability, decreased likelihood of civil conflict, and international stability. In particular, the literature suggests that working within the dominant cultural framework of a country makes development projects more successful. This thesis expands upon these bodies of literature and examines the outcomes of the work of two...
Show moreExisting literature establishes a connection between elevating the status of women in less developed countries and positive political outcomes including: increased national stability, decreased likelihood of civil conflict, and international stability. In particular, the literature suggests that working within the dominant cultural framework of a country makes development projects more successful. This thesis expands upon these bodies of literature and examines the outcomes of the work of two major development agencies in Afghanistan, the UN and USAID in the area of women's education and healthcare. The thesis analyzes some specific characteristics that influence the effects of these programs in the Afghan context. It argues that when development agencies work within the unique cultural context of Afghanistan, and promote development gains for women within an Islamic framework, they are more likely to be effective than if they do not work within this framework. The thesis tests this hypothesis with a comparative qualitative analysis of the goals and accomplishes of the UN and USAID and compares the results of the analysis with survey data from The Asia Foundation Survey of the Afghan people, which provides data from 2006-2013 regarding attitudes of the Afghan people. Based on a qualitative analysis, the study's results, although tentative, identifies patterns of success using the Islamic framework.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005460, ucf:50368
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005460

Title: Chartism and the trades union.
Creator: Postgate, Raymond, Labour Research Department
Date Issued: 1922
Identifier: 357437, CFDT357437, ucf:5184
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/357437

Title: An Integrated Hydrodynamic-Marsh Model with Applications in Fluvial, Marine, and Mixed Estuarine Systems.
Creator: Alizad, Karim, Hagen, Scott, Medeiros, Stephen, Wang, Dingbao, Weishampel, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Coastal wetlands experience fluctuating productivity when subjected to various stressors. One of the most impactful stressors is sea level rise (SLR) associated with global warming. Research has shown that under SLR, salt marshes may not have time to establish an equilibrium with sea level and may migrate landward or become open water. Salt marsh systems play an important role in the coastal ecosystem by providing intertidal habitats and food for birds, fish, crabs, mussels, and other animals...
Show moreCoastal wetlands experience fluctuating productivity when subjected to various stressors. One of the most impactful stressors is sea level rise (SLR) associated with global warming. Research has shown that under SLR, salt marshes may not have time to establish an equilibrium with sea level and may migrate landward or become open water. Salt marsh systems play an important role in the coastal ecosystem by providing intertidal habitats and food for birds, fish, crabs, mussels, and other animals. They also protect shorelines by dissipating flow and damping wave energy through an increase in drag forces. Due to the serious consequences of losing coastal wetlands, evaluating the potential future changes in their structure and distribution is necessary in order for coastal resource managers to make informed decisions. The objective of this study was to develop a spatially-explicit model by connecting a hydrodynamic model and a parametric marsh model and using it to assess the dynamic effects of SLR on salt marsh systems within three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Coastal salt marsh systems are an excellent example of complex interrelations between physics and biology, and the resulting benefits to humanity. In order to investigate salt marsh productivity under projected SLR scenarios, a depth integrated hydrodynamic model was coupled to a parametric marsh model to capture the dynamic feedback loop between physics and biology. The hydrodynamic model calculates mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW) within the river and tidal creeks by harmonic analysis of computed tidal constituents. The responses of MHW and MLW to SLR are nonlinear due to localized changes in the salt marsh platform elevation and biomass productivity (which influences bottom friction). Spatially-varying MHW and MLW are utilized in a two-dimensional application of the parametric Marsh Equilibrium Model to capture the effects of the hydrodynamics on biomass productivity and salt marsh accretion, where accretion rates are dependent on the spatial distribution of sediment deposition in the marsh. This model accounts both organic (decomposition of in-situ biomass) and inorganic (allochthonous) marsh platform accretion and the effects of spatial and temporal biomass density changes on tidal flows. The coupled hydro-marsh model, herein referred to as HYDRO-MEM, leverages an optimized coupling time step at which the two models exchange information and update the solution to capture the system's response to projected linear and non-linear SLR rates.Including accurate marsh table elevations into the model is crucial to obtain meaningful biomass productivity projections. A lidar-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was corrected by incorporating Real Time Kinematic (RTK) surveying elevation data. Additionally, salt marshes continually adapt in an effort to reach an equilibrium within the ideal range of relative SLR and depth of inundation. The inputs to the model, specifically topography and bottom roughness coefficient, are updated using the biomass productivity results at each coupling time step to capture the interaction between the marsh and hydrodynamic models.The coupled model was tested and validated in the Timucuan marsh system, located in northeastern Florida by computing projected biomass productivity and marsh platform elevation under two SLR scenarios. The HYDRO-MEM model coupling protocol was assessed using a sensitivity study of the influence of coupling time step on the biomass productivity results with a comparison to results generated using the MEM approach only. Subsequently, the dynamic effects of SLR were investigated on salt marsh productivity within the three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) (Apalachicola, FL, Grand Bay, MS, and Weeks Bay, AL) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). These three NERRS are fluvial, marine and mixed estuarine systems, respectively. Each NERR has its own unique characteristics that influence the salt marsh ecosystems. The HYDRO-MEM model was used to assess the effects of four projections of low (0.2 m), intermediate-low (0.5 m), intermediate-high (1.2 m) and high (2.0 m) SLR on salt marsh productivity for the year 2100 for the fluvial dominated Apalachicola estuary, the marine dominated Grand Bay estuary, and the mixed Weeks Bay estuary. The results showed increased productivity under the low SLR scenario and decreased productivity under the intermediate-low, intermediate-high, and high SLR. In the intermediate-high and high SLR scenarios, most of the salt marshes drowned (converted to open water) or migrated to higher topography. These research presented herein advanced the spatial modeling and understanding of dynamic SLR effects on coastal wetland vulnerability. This tool can be used in any estuarine system to project salt marsh productivity and accretion under sea level change scenarios to better predict possible responses to projected SLR scenarios. The findings are not only beneficial to the scientific community, but also are useful to restoration, planning, and monitoring activities in the NERRs. Finally, the research outcomes can help policy makers and coastal managers to choose suitable approaches to meet the specific needs and address the vulnerabilities of these three estuaries, as well as other wetland systems in the NGOM and marsh systems anywhere in the world.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006523, ucf:51360
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006523

Title: SAUDI ARABIA AND EXPANSIONIST WAHHABISM.
Creator: Baroni, Samiah, Handberg, Roger, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the development of Wahhabism as an ideology into a rapidly expanding, transportable, contemporary Islamic political system. Serving as the territorial foundation, individuals maintain allegiance to Makkah, the center of the Islamic world, through symbolic Islamic prayer. Along with a central, globally financed economic distributive mechanism, and Wahhabi social and educational institutions emerging from the traditional mosque, Wahhabism serves the demand for an Islamic...
Show moreThis thesis examines the development of Wahhabism as an ideology into a rapidly expanding, transportable, contemporary Islamic political system. Serving as the territorial foundation, individuals maintain allegiance to Makkah, the center of the Islamic world, through symbolic Islamic prayer. Along with a central, globally financed economic distributive mechanism, and Wahhabi social and educational institutions emerging from the traditional mosque, Wahhabism serves the demand for an Islamic political system in a late capitalist world. Wahhabism is fluid within contemporary dynamic political systems and rapidly changing international relations. Wahhabism continues to expand at a global level, at times, providing a foundation for new forms of contemporary terrorism.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001005, ucf:46838
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001005

Title: Driving Towards Sustainability: A Case Study of the Facilitators and Inhibitors of Electrifying Drive Tourism within the United States National Park System.
Creator: Templeton, Amanda, Fjelstul, Jill, Fyall, Alan, Tasci, Asli, Prideaux, Bruce, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Drive tourism has proven to be a popular sub-sector of the tourism industry, given its ability to offer tourists a substantial amount of flexibility and sense of freedom in determining what destinations to explore. Few studies have examined the future of the drive tourism with consideration to changing technologies and growing awareness to the impact of carbon emissions and Green House Gasses. Research has recently begun to examine the ecological consequences of park transportation systems....
Show moreDrive tourism has proven to be a popular sub-sector of the tourism industry, given its ability to offer tourists a substantial amount of flexibility and sense of freedom in determining what destinations to explore. Few studies have examined the future of the drive tourism with consideration to changing technologies and growing awareness to the impact of carbon emissions and Green House Gasses. Research has recently begun to examine the ecological consequences of park transportation systems. Some of these problems can be seen within the United States National Park System (NPS), as various park units are experiencing problems related to infrastructure and preservation of sites. As transportation plays an integral role within the NPS, the impacts of drive tourism must be considered. The study is founded on the premise that electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations will reduce GHG emissions, thereby increasing sustainability, supporting sustainable tourism and sustainable drive tourism within the NPS. In an effort to promote sustainable transportation efforts throughout the NPS this study investigates the facilitators that enable an EV infrastructure in some parks and inhibitors for other parks that have yet to develop an EV infrastructure. A qualitative methodology was adopted for this study. Data were analyzed using NVivo with findings being presented in case study format. The study, which offers a conceptual model and offers new definitions for electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure within nature based tourism context, finds key facilitators to include: collaborative efforts through public/private partnerships, strong leadership within the NPS, and availability of funding; major inhibitors being: geography of park unit, lack cultural openness within NPS park unit, and regulatory policies. Current research has given little attention to the future sustainability of drive tourism, allowing this study to add to the academic body of knowledge. Additionally, the suggestions offered in the study are relevantly timed to what is happening within the industry.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007107, ucf:51967
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007107

Title: A Place in the Sunshine State : Community, Preservation, and the Parliament House.
Creator: Montgomery, Erin, Lester, Connie, Gannon, Barbara, Pineda, Yovanna, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A Place in the Sunshine State, is a thesis project focused on the Parliament House Motor Inn in Orlando, Florida. This project nominated the Parliament House Motor Inn for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. This nomination was completed using both oral histories and more traditional historical source material. The Parliament House Motor Inn was evaluated using National Register Bulletins and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation. This nomination was...
Show moreA Place in the Sunshine State, is a thesis project focused on the Parliament House Motor Inn in Orlando, Florida. This project nominated the Parliament House Motor Inn for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. This nomination was completed using both oral histories and more traditional historical source material. The Parliament House Motor Inn was evaluated using National Register Bulletins and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation. This nomination was presented to give voice to a long-underrepresented community within the national narrative of the United States, along with giving the Parliament House the recognition it deserves as an integral institution within the gay community. This nomination sheds new light onto early gay life in Orlando and concludes that Parliament House is a significant historic and cultural resource. This conclusion is vital to the preservation of LGBT history; it allows for a more complex interpretation of Orlando and central Florida history and helps to recognize LGBT history and the sites associated with them. This thesis also discusses Parliament House and its role as a site of the intersections between gay community and identity creation, place making, and the intricate history of the southern United States. ?
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0007128, ucf:52319
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007128

Title: Health Literacy Intervention to Influence Choices Made by Students in a Title I School Who Receive Free Lunch.
Creator: Kent, Melissa, Levin, Judith, Quelly, Susan, Szente, Judit, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study seeks to influence choices made by Kindergarten students in a Title I school who receive free breakfast and lunch through a health literacy intervention with the intent of decreasing daily added sugar consumption. Fruit and milk choices, either with naturally occurring sugar (NOS) or added sugar (AS), were recorded for 70 Kindergarten students among six classes in a Title I school for ten days before a four-week health literacy intervention. Three of the classes were randomly...
Show moreThis study seeks to influence choices made by Kindergarten students in a Title I school who receive free breakfast and lunch through a health literacy intervention with the intent of decreasing daily added sugar consumption. Fruit and milk choices, either with naturally occurring sugar (NOS) or added sugar (AS), were recorded for 70 Kindergarten students among six classes in a Title I school for ten days before a four-week health literacy intervention. Three of the classes were randomly selected to learn about 'sometimes' and 'anytime' choices through the Healthy Habits for Life curriculum delivered by representatives from Nemours Children's Hospital. Following the intervention, milk and fruit choices were recorded for ten more school days to determine differences among the control and intervention groups. Pearson Chi Square test results concluded that the health literacy intervention lead to statistically significant improvements in milk choices for the intervention group, but fruit choices were inconclusive due to inconsistencies in significance. Hierarchical loglinear analyses were run to determine if there was a difference in response to intervention between male and female students, and the results indicated that the effectiveness of the intervention was not moderated by gender. The success of this intervention for milk choices will help students who receive free school breakfast and lunch to decrease their daily consumption of added sugars, and additional research needs to be done to help students make choices that will further decrease their daily added sugar consumption.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007662, ucf:52466
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007662

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