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Title: Shop talks on economics.
Creator: Marcy, Mary
Date Issued: c1911
Identifier: 331853, CFDT331853, ucf:5167
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/331853

Title: REAL ESTATE LAW:THE AMERICAN DREAM TRANSFIGURED INTO THE AMERICAN MORTGAGE CRISIS.
Creator: Aguiar, Maricruz, Naccarato-Fromang, Gina, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Real Estate law is the body of rules and regulations with legal codes that concern ownership, development and transactions. Real Estate has grown to be one of the main contributors to the nation's financial system. For decades, the housing market has been such an integral part of the economy. Unfortunately, in the beginning of the twenty-first century lax regulatory oversight led the nation to an economic collapse. Indeed, federal, state and local governments have become heavily involved in...
Show moreReal Estate law is the body of rules and regulations with legal codes that concern ownership, development and transactions. Real Estate has grown to be one of the main contributors to the nation's financial system. For decades, the housing market has been such an integral part of the economy. Unfortunately, in the beginning of the twenty-first century lax regulatory oversight led the nation to an economic collapse. Indeed, federal, state and local governments have become heavily involved in solving the downward spiral in the economy. This research focuses on the mortgage crisis in order to show how Real Estate law can in fact, restore the economy when the government has a balance between regulations and market discipline. The intent of this thesis was to study the occurrence of the mortgage crisis, the regulatory authorities and the legal effects of the housing market. Through the analysis of case law and statutes, data, previous recessions, and economic indicators, this thesis examines the key factors in our legal system that should drive reform in our economy. Results suggested that greater efforts to a regulatory structure generate a secure financial system. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is not only to solve our current mortgage crisis but also to mitigate or prevent future crises.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFH0004215, ucf:44927
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004215

Title: Devising Strategies, Managing Needs: A Multi-Level Study of Homelessness in Central Florida.
Creator: Young, Rebecca, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Donley, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The homeless are a marginalized population vulnerable to structural forces and policy decisions, including lack of affordable housing, systemic inequalities, and lack of adequate social safety net. Homelessness is commonly medicalized (linked to individual deviancy and mental illness) by service administrators and policymakers, causing structural causes to be overlooked. A (")vertical slice(") approach is particularly useful to show perspectives and strategies that affect homelessness from...
Show moreThe homeless are a marginalized population vulnerable to structural forces and policy decisions, including lack of affordable housing, systemic inequalities, and lack of adequate social safety net. Homelessness is commonly medicalized (linked to individual deviancy and mental illness) by service administrators and policymakers, causing structural causes to be overlooked. A (")vertical slice(") approach is particularly useful to show perspectives and strategies that affect homelessness from multiple levels.Using ethnographic research methods, this project explores homelessness in Central Florida from three distinct but interrelated angles: (1) the perspective of homeless persons, (2) the perspective of staff members at Hope Helps, a non-profit organization seeking to help the homeless, and (3) the perspective of policymakers. Methods include participant observation at Hope Helps, interviews with people from each group, and policy document analysis. Specifically, I examine how perceptions and discourses of homelessness affect the strategies of these three groups, and ways in which these strategies intersect. Findings demonstrate that while homeless persons view the reasons for their own homelessness as economic, they perceive other people to be homeless for individualized reasons, including the use of medicalization and criminalization. Many perpetuate rhetoric that blames immigrants, minorities, and other poor persons for the lack of assistance services and jobs available. This greatly reduces homeless persons' ability to collectivize, support each other, and protest for change. Staff at Hope Helps also uses individualized discourses, focusing on helping homeless and low-income persons budget resources, rather than working towards systemic change. Policymakers in Orlando, which in 2009 was considered the third (")meanest city(") in the nation due to criminalization measures, are now focusing on a new Housing First approach, though the efficacy of this approach and their motives remain questionable.This research has potential to make politics behind policies affecting the homeless more transparent. It would further identify a common language and interests, which can serve as the bridge between homeless seeking services, and service providers. Thus, results of this research have potential to improve the way services for the homeless are structured, and to inform policy relevant to the homeless in Florida. Further, it contributes to anthropological literature on discourse and neoliberalism, and how discourse can be used to justify particular policy directions.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006202, ucf:51115
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006202

Title: Government Respect for Human Rights and their Relation to Shadow Economic Activity.
Creator: Gahagan, Christopher, Mousseau, Demet, Marien, Daniel, Reynolds, Teddy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Shadow economic activity can have detrimental effects on many aspects of a society including trust in government policies, quality of public institutions, government revenues, and economic growth. Empirical studies have generally employed a rational actor approach and focused on economic factors. Most studies in this literature claim that when individuals do not receive the right economic stimuli from the government, it damages the relationship between individuals and the state and citizens...
Show moreShadow economic activity can have detrimental effects on many aspects of a society including trust in government policies, quality of public institutions, government revenues, and economic growth. Empirical studies have generally employed a rational actor approach and focused on economic factors. Most studies in this literature claim that when individuals do not receive the right economic stimuli from the government, it damages the relationship between individuals and the state and citizens opt to move into the shadow economy. A small but growing body of research, however, suggests that certain political factors can also lead to shadow economic activity because of a breakdown in the relationship between individuals and the state. Building on this growing body of research, this study investigates how governments' repression of human rights can play an important role in the growth of shadow economic activities. The empirical literature on human rights offer three main groups of human rights: Survival Rights (physical integrity), Women's Economic Rights, and Civil Liberties (i.e. freedom of speech). This study expects a similar pattern for all sectors of human rights, that when they are abused, citizens will react to those abuses by moving into the shadow economy because of the breakdown in the citizen-state relationship. Several multiple regression analyses are conducted for 150 countries from the years 1999 to 2011 to investigate if these different types of human rights had an impact on the levels of shadow economic activity. Results indicate that while Survival Rights and Women's Economic Rights have no statistically significant impact on the size of the shadow economy, the respect or abuse of citizens' Civil Liberties are statistically significant after the introduction of control variables. A possible reason for the difference in these findings might be that while the fear of reprisal of Survival Rights can work to deter shadow economic activity, repression of Civil Liberties may not create enough fear to deter it. Future research is necessary in this area to expand our knowledge on the political determinants of the size of the shadow economy as well as the creation of policies to combat its growth.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007459, ucf:52691
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007459

Title: EXPLANING THE ECONOMIC CONTROL OF IRAN BY THE IRGC.
Creator: Robin, Matthew, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In 1979, Iran underwent the Islamic Revolution, which radically changed society. The Iranian Revolution Guard (IRGC) was born from the revolution and has witnessed its role in society changed over time. Many have said the IRGC has reached the apex of its power and is one of if not the dominating force in Iranian society. The most recent extension of the IRGC's control is in the economic realm. The purpose of this research is to explain the reasoning and mechanism behind this recent gain in...
Show moreIn 1979, Iran underwent the Islamic Revolution, which radically changed society. The Iranian Revolution Guard (IRGC) was born from the revolution and has witnessed its role in society changed over time. Many have said the IRGC has reached the apex of its power and is one of if not the dominating force in Iranian society. The most recent extension of the IRGC's control is in the economic realm. The purpose of this research is to explain the reasoning and mechanism behind this recent gain in power. The literature review demonstrates flaws by previous studies of Iran. Most used a singular focus on explaining the IRGC's influence on Iran's economy by only focusing on political or economic aspects. This study will show how explaining the political economy of Iran best explains the role of the IRGC in Iran. The research uses event-data analysis to synthesize previous research performed on Iran. The researcher used various sources to explain the recent rise in the IRGC's power. Focus was placed on explaining three aspects of Iran's political economy, elected institutions, accountable businesses, and unaccountable businesses. Elected institutions included the majlis (the Iranian parliament) and the presidency. Accountable businesses included businesses which reported information to the Iranian central government while unaccountable businesses reported no information to the Iranian central government. Although presence in all three increased, elected institutions and accountable businesses witnessed a greater amount of presence than unaccountable institutions.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0004119, ucf:44885
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004119

Title: Currency in Transition: An Ethnographic Inquiry of Bitcoin Adherents.
Creator: Fletcher, Justin, Matejowsky, Ty, Reyes-Foster, Beatriz, Sinelli, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Internet and other telecommunications systems have reshaped the means by which markets are accessed, generated, and transformed. Recent innovations in computer science have led to the development of a virtually bound, decentralized, encrypted currency system known as bitcoin. Unlike conventional currency systems, the Bitcoin protocol is cryptologically defined with a virtual structure that allows it to simultaneously operate as currency, commodity, and market shaping socio-political force...
Show moreThe Internet and other telecommunications systems have reshaped the means by which markets are accessed, generated, and transformed. Recent innovations in computer science have led to the development of a virtually bound, decentralized, encrypted currency system known as bitcoin. Unlike conventional currency systems, the Bitcoin protocol is cryptologically defined with a virtual structure that allows it to simultaneously operate as currency, commodity, and market shaping socio-political force. Its decentralized design permits it to function as a free-market response to fiat currencies vulnerable to inflation, regulation, and manipulation. Given the cultural significance anthropologists and other social scientists have assigned to various modes and mediums of exchange over the years, the socio-economic impact of this novel currency system warrants particular consideration. This research describes the Bitcoin community that has emerged alongside the currency, including the entrepreneurs, developers, and consumers who are dedicated to bitcoin's perpetuation and acceptance as an internationally recognized medium of exchange. Ethnographic interviews and participant observation were utilized to collect information from users in the Central Florida area, detailing their experiences and interactions with the Bitcoin protocol and its associated community. This research provides new levels of anthropological insight into currency development, market interaction, and economically embodied social commentary. Moreover, its exploratory nature helps create a viable framework around which qualitative inquiry of virtual crypto-currencies may be designed in future studies.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004997, ucf:49550
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004997

Title: The President's Party at the Midterm: An Aggregate and Individual-Level Analysis of Seat Loss and Vote Choice in U.S. House Elections.
Creator: Macdonald, David, Knuckey, Jonathan, Ilderton, Nathan, Lanier, Drew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of midterm U.S. House elections using a multi-level research design. At the aggregate-level, multiple regression analysis is used to examine the variables that affect seat loss for the president's party. This integrates, updates and extends the extant literature of the topic, and offers a means of explaining and predicting seat losses by the president's party in the U.S. House. To further probe the findings at the aggregate-level, the thesis...
Show moreThis thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of midterm U.S. House elections using a multi-level research design. At the aggregate-level, multiple regression analysis is used to examine the variables that affect seat loss for the president's party. This integrates, updates and extends the extant literature of the topic, and offers a means of explaining and predicting seat losses by the president's party in the U.S. House. To further probe the findings at the aggregate-level, the thesis develops a pooled cross-sectional model of individual-level vote choice in midterm U.S. House elections using data from the American National Election Studies (1982-2002) and the Cooperative Congressional Election Study for the 2006 and 2010 midterm elections. Findings suggest that variables measuring the performance of the economy and realignment of the South toward the Republican Party affect seat loss at the aggregate level. However, at the individual level, economic evaluations exerted little influence on vote choice, above and beyond party identification, although perceptions of the national economy did appear to influence vote choice in the 2006 and 2010 elections. Future research might incorporate the strategic politician thesis into the explanatory scheme and move the analysis to elections for other political offices, such as U.S. Senate elections as well as state legislative and gubernatorial elections.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004883, ucf:49655
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004883

Title: THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF RUNNING BAREFOOT OR IN MINIMALIST SHOES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
Creator: Perkins, Kyle, Rothschild, Carey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The popularity of running barefoot or in minimalist shoes has notably increased in the last decade due to claims of injury prevention, enhanced running efficiency, and improved performance when compared to running in shoes (shod). A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Downs and Black checklist to assess the methodological quality of studies proposing risks or benefits between running barefoot, shod, or in minimalist shoes. The databases Ovid MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and...
Show moreThe popularity of running barefoot or in minimalist shoes has notably increased in the last decade due to claims of injury prevention, enhanced running efficiency, and improved performance when compared to running in shoes (shod). A systematic review of the literature was performed using the Downs and Black checklist to assess the methodological quality of studies proposing risks or benefits between running barefoot, shod, or in minimalist shoes. The databases Ovid MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL were searched using keywords or "Booleans" including: "Barefoot", "Running" and "Minimalist," exclusively. All included articles were obtained from peer reviewed journals in the English language with a link to full text and no limit for year of publication. The final selection was made based on inclusion of at least one of the following outcome variables: pain, injury rate, running economy, joint forces, running velocity, electromyography, muscle performance, or edema. Significant results were gathered from identified articles and compared using "Levels of Evidence" by Furlan et al. Twenty-three publications were identified and rated for quality assessment in September 2013. Out of 27 possible points on the Downs and Black checklist, all articles scored between 13 and 19 points with a mean of 17.4. Evidence from the articles ranged from very limited to moderate. Moderate evidence suggested overall less maximum vertical ground reaction forces, less extension moment and power absorption at the knee, less foot and ankle dorsiflexion at ground contact, less ground contact time, shorter stride length, increased stride frequency (cadence), as well as increased knee flexion at ground contact in barefoot running compared to shod. The low scores from the quality assessment using the Downs and Black checklist indicates that improved methodological quality is necessary to provide strong evidence comparing the risks and benefits of running barefoot, shod, and in minimalist shoes. The literature between shod, minimalist, and barefoot running is inconclusive. There is limited evidence showing differences in kinematics, kinetics, electromyography, and economy results in minimalist shoes. Thus, an alternative and suitable method to effectively replicate barefoot running has not yet been determined.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004532, ucf:45194
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004532

Title: PEACE DEVELOPMENT IN EAST ASIA: CHINA, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA.
Creator: Tang, Yihui, Sadri, Houman A., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis intends to explore the peacebuilding process in East Asia. It mainly examines the politics, cultures, and economies of China, Japan, and South Korea, along with the on-going issues between South Korea and North Korea. To be able to establish a stable and prosperous society in East Asia, these three countries play a major role, and they can create greater cooperation within the region and on the international level. Peacebuilding process highly depends on politic, culture, and...
Show moreThis thesis intends to explore the peacebuilding process in East Asia. It mainly examines the politics, cultures, and economies of China, Japan, and South Korea, along with the on-going issues between South Korea and North Korea. To be able to establish a stable and prosperous society in East Asia, these three countries play a major role, and they can create greater cooperation within the region and on the international level. Peacebuilding process highly depends on politic, culture, and economy of these three countries. Confidence Building Measures (CBM) and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes (PSD) are the excellent strategies for achieving peace in the region after studying each country carefully. Economic activities and good trade relations are essential to the peace development in East Asia.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000380, ucf:45757
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000380

Title: IRGC AND IRANIAN SOFT AND HARD POWER INFLUENCE WITHIN THE MIDDLE EAST.
Creator: Urbina, Daryl F, Sadri, Houman A., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The IRGC, or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran have utilized soft power to increase their influence within the Middle East. By using military superiority; ideological influence; and trade, both the Iran and the IRGC established dependency between themselves and patron states. Of these patron states, the research focuses on Iraq; Syria; and Yemen, and how Iran and the IRGC affect them through soft power. This research suggests that Iran and the IRGC is using the disability of the...
Show moreThe IRGC, or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran have utilized soft power to increase their influence within the Middle East. By using military superiority; ideological influence; and trade, both the Iran and the IRGC established dependency between themselves and patron states. Of these patron states, the research focuses on Iraq; Syria; and Yemen, and how Iran and the IRGC affect them through soft power. This research suggests that Iran and the IRGC is using the disability of the aforementioned states to increase their own influence by making them dependent on Iranian military supplies; cultural indoctrination to align with Iranian ideology; and economic dependent on Iran. As Iran's influence grows within these states, its power in the Middle East grows and becomes a security risk for Saudi Arabia; Israel; and any other regime that does not have its interests align with the Iranian regime.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000444, ucf:45770
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000444

Title: THE NORTHERN IRELAND CONFLICT: FEASIBILITY OF 21ST CENTURY REUNIFICATION.
Creator: O'Brien, Robert, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The State of Northern Ireland has been home to a significant amount of violence between a minority of Catholic Irish nationalists and a majority of Protestant British unionists. As a result, violence has plagued the region, with the loss of over three thousand five hundred lives during the course of three decades, colloquially known as "the troubles." In 1998, the Belfast or "Good Friday" Agreement was signed by officials from The United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland to ensure a...
Show moreThe State of Northern Ireland has been home to a significant amount of violence between a minority of Catholic Irish nationalists and a majority of Protestant British unionists. As a result, violence has plagued the region, with the loss of over three thousand five hundred lives during the course of three decades, colloquially known as "the troubles." In 1998, the Belfast or "Good Friday" Agreement was signed by officials from The United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland to ensure a diplomatic means of cooperation amongst the various political parties of Northern Ireland, and disarmament of paramilitary groups. However, the desire for nationalists to unify the island and to seek total independence from the United Kingdom still endures. In spite of a significant decrease in violence, dissident republicans continue to target the Police Service of Northern Ireland, with the intent to disrupt the peace process; the people of Northern Ireland are still polarized regarding their political and national standings, which decrease the chances of Irish reunification in the near future. The intent of this thesis is to explore the feasibility of Irish reunification in the 21st century, and its reasons why a united Ireland will not be obtained. By examining the global policy towards terrorism after September 11th 2001, the recent net-immigration to Ireland preceded by the "Celtic Tiger" period in The Republic of Ireland's economic boon, and the complexities of the perceived identities in Northern Ireland, the unlikelihood of reunifying Ireland under one government, independent from the United Kingdom will be reiterated.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0004081, ucf:44801
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004081

Title: On the Back of the Crocodile: Extent, Energetics, and Productivity in Wetland Agricultural Systems, Northern Belize.
Creator: Montgomery, Shane, Chase, Arlen, Chase, Diane, Walker, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Ancient populations across the globe successfully employed wetland agricultural techniques in a variety of environmentally and climatically diverse landscapes throughout prehistory. Within the Maya Lowlands, these agricultural features figure prominently in the region comprised of northern Belize and southern Quintana Roo, an area supporting low-outflow rivers, large lagoons, and numerous bajo (swamp) features. Along the banks of the Hondo and New Rivers, the Maya effectively utilized wetland...
Show moreAncient populations across the globe successfully employed wetland agricultural techniques in a variety of environmentally and climatically diverse landscapes throughout prehistory. Within the Maya Lowlands, these agricultural features figure prominently in the region comprised of northern Belize and southern Quintana Roo, an area supporting low-outflow rivers, large lagoons, and numerous bajo (swamp) features. Along the banks of the Hondo and New Rivers, the Maya effectively utilized wetland agricultural practices from the Middle Preclassic to the Terminal Classic Periods (1000 B.C.(-)A.D. 950). A number of past archaeological projects have thoroughly examined the construction and impact of these swampland modifications. After four decades of study, a more precise picture has formed in relation to the roles that these ditched field systems played in the regional development of the area. However, a detailed record of the full spatial extent, combined construction costs, and potential agricultural productivity has not been attempted on a larger scale. This thesis highlights these avenues of interest through data obtained from high- and medium-resolution satellite imagery and manipulated through geographic information systems (GIS) technology. The research explores environmental factors and topographic elements dictating the distribution of such entities, the energetic involvement required to construct and maintain the systems, and the efficiency of wetland techniques as compared to traditional milpa agriculture. Spatial analyses reveal a total of 254 distinct wetland field systems within the 6560 square kilometer area of interest, clustered along navigable waterways, seasonal lagoons, and upland landscapes separating the Hondo and New Rivers. Energetic estimates illustrate substantial investment in wetland field construction, spanning several generations based on a locally available workforce. However, productivity calculations associated with the ditched field systems commonly exceed those attributed to milpa techniques, suggesting agricultural surplus far beyond the immediate need. These combined data indicate the potential export of maize and other agricultural commodities to regional centers in northern Belize and further abroad during the Late Preclassic and Late to Terminal Classic Periods through riverine trade networks. Additionally, these data help illustrate participation trends and patterns of connectivity relating to tiered sites within the area of interest. This research contributes to the overall understanding of wetland agriculture within Mesoamerica as well as provides insight into the political management of intensive agricultural production during Maya prehistory.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006360, ucf:51514
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006360

Title: The Russian Connection: How Russia Became a Leader in the World's Human Trafficking Market.
Creator: De Mauro, Anthony, Mousseau, Demet, Dolan, Thomas, Boutton, Andrew, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis assesses how the history of the USSR and its collapse affected the human trafficking market. By conducting a historical analysis of the Soviet Union, key aspects of Soviet society were determined that allowed for the human trafficking market to establish and operate extremely lucratively; a focus on some of the established factors of human trafficking including corruption, law enforcement, the economy, organized crime, and the dissolution of the Soviet government. While this...
Show moreThis thesis assesses how the history of the USSR and its collapse affected the human trafficking market. By conducting a historical analysis of the Soviet Union, key aspects of Soviet society were determined that allowed for the human trafficking market to establish and operate extremely lucratively; a focus on some of the established factors of human trafficking including corruption, law enforcement, the economy, organized crime, and the dissolution of the Soviet government. While this thesis highlights the historical factors of Russian human trafficking, this thesis does not determine why human trafficking exists beyond the surface exploitation that human trafficking consists of. This thesis also does not explore or explain why Russian human trafficking continues to exist for nearly twenty-five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This thesis does conclude that the history of the Soviet Union is almost tailor made for the purposes of human trafficking, with the combination of organized crime, an economy that constantly struggled, a government that was full of corruption and focused on too many endeavors, and a population that faced starvations, a lack of material goods, and political persecution all contributed to Russia having a large supply (population) of victims to be potentially exploited.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006450, ucf:51444
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006450

Title: Peering Into The Future: Three Essays on the Nascent Phenomenon of Collaborative Consumption.
Creator: Dellegrazie-Perren, Rebeca, Massiah, Carolyn, He, Xin, Tafaghodijami, Ata, Grauerholz, Liz, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the theoretical and practical implications of the collaborative consumption phenomenon for individuals, businesses and society. To accomplish this goal, a research approach at three levels of analysis is used to explore how market institutions and consumer practices negotiate a social order that combines the social domain of peers with the economic domain of market exchange. The first essay of the dissertation approaches this objective...
Show moreThe primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the theoretical and practical implications of the collaborative consumption phenomenon for individuals, businesses and society. To accomplish this goal, a research approach at three levels of analysis is used to explore how market institutions and consumer practices negotiate a social order that combines the social domain of peers with the economic domain of market exchange. The first essay of the dissertation approaches this objective from a macro level to examine how social order is produced and sustained through the systemic interactions of service firms and peers. This essay provides a framework to understand the emergent business models by developing a typological theory that explains how platforms can be configured for higher value creation. The second essay approaches our understanding of the phenomenon from a meso level analysis to examine how peers interact with the social order of collaborative consumption markets to negotiate key existential tensions between consumer resistance and market appropriation. This essay explores the metaphors that peers use to construe the field of collaborative consumption. Through the interpretive analysis of participant-generated images, this research uncovers the prevailing use of a liberation metaphor that reveals a new way of thinking about resource circulation. Lastly, the third essay employs a micro level of analysis to examine how participation in collaborative consumption practices provokes intrapersonal dynamics leading to moral decay. By relying on a social cognitive framework that considers how behaviors impact personal and environmental factors in a recursive fashion, this essay scrutinizes when and how prolonged participation can erode moral identity and negatively impact prosocial behaviors. Together, this holistic approach advances our theoretical understanding of the collaborative consumption phenomenon and provides practical implications for managerial practice and public policy.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005783, ucf:50055
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005783

Title: DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF BRAZIL IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
Creator: Ribeiro, Henrique, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As Brazil develops into the first South American world power many changes in its society, economy and political system are necessary for a successful transformation. Nevertheless this is no easy task as the country battles corruption, vast inequality and a severe problem with freedom of information within the media. For decades the Brazilian mainstream media has been controlled by elite political forces together with elite families influencing and controlling many factors that are responsible...
Show moreAs Brazil develops into the first South American world power many changes in its society, economy and political system are necessary for a successful transformation. Nevertheless this is no easy task as the country battles corruption, vast inequality and a severe problem with freedom of information within the media. For decades the Brazilian mainstream media has been controlled by elite political forces together with elite families influencing and controlling many factors that are responsible for social, economic and political development. As new developments and implementations in the last fifteen years have been ongoing within Brazil, such as welfare programs, social reforms, hosting of international sporting events and the emergence and popularity of social networking technology, millions within the Brazilian Nation have been able to ascend out of poverty and into a new era of diversity of information, political participation and greater awareness of the problems within their own society. The time has finally come of when the Brazilian people have the ability to react and mobilize against the forces and factors that for decades have perpetuated several unfavorable conditions within Brazil.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004897, ucf:45411
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004897

Title: DEGREES OF CAUSALITY: AN ASSESSMENT OF ENDOGENOUS CONTRIBUTORS TO INSTABILITY IN JORDAN, SYRIA, & TURKEY.
Creator: Willman, Gabriel, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The political instability of the Middle East is often perceived to be derived primarily from the interaction of Middle Eastern nations with external forces; with significant emphasis placed upon the disruptive effects of modern colonialism and Westernization. While this study does not seek to directly contest the catalytic primacy of exogenous factors, it does seek to establish the necessary causality of pre-existing internal factors. Rather than approaching the situation from a linear causal...
Show moreThe political instability of the Middle East is often perceived to be derived primarily from the interaction of Middle Eastern nations with external forces; with significant emphasis placed upon the disruptive effects of modern colonialism and Westernization. While this study does not seek to directly contest the catalytic primacy of exogenous factors, it does seek to establish the necessary causality of pre-existing internal factors. Rather than approaching the situation from a linear causal perspective, this assessment is oriented around an interdisciplinary examination of confluent factors. By examining the political history, ethno sociology, and economy of the region, the analysis investigates the underlying variables which have contributed to the instability of the Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. The primary conclusion of this analysis is that the interactions of multiple endogenous variables provide a basis of necessary causality which may be of equal causal import to that of modern colonialism and Westernization.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFH0004228, ucf:44965
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004228

Title: THE NORTH COMES SOUTH: NORTHERN METHODISTS IN FLORIDA DURING RECONSTRUCTION.
Creator: Bollinger, Heather, Cassanello, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines three groups of northern Methodists who made their way to north Florida during Reconstruction: northern white male Methodists, northern white female Methodists, and northern black male and female Methodists. It analyzes the ways in which these men and women confronted the differences they encountered in Florida's southern society as compared to their experiences living in a northern society. School catalogs, school reports, letters, and newspapers highlight the ways in...
Show moreThis thesis examines three groups of northern Methodists who made their way to north Florida during Reconstruction: northern white male Methodists, northern white female Methodists, and northern black male and female Methodists. It analyzes the ways in which these men and women confronted the differences they encountered in Florida's southern society as compared to their experiences living in a northern society. School catalogs, school reports, letters, and newspapers highlight the ways in which these northerners explained the culture and behaviors of southern freedmen and poor whites in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Monticello. This study examines how these particular northern men and women present in Florida during Reconstruction applied elements of "the North" to their interactions with the freedmen and poor whites. Ultimately, it sheds light on northern Methodist middle class values in southern society.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003897, ucf:48723
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003897

Title: Supranational Organizations and Legitimacy: How the 2008 Global Economic Crisis has affected Public Opinion on Membership in the EU.
Creator: Vargas-Gonzalez, Briana, Kim, Myunghee, Kinsey, Barbara, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines public opinion towards membership in the EU, before and after the 2008 global economic crisis, in the newest member states to join the institution in 2004 (the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989, socialist economies and communism maintained a citizenry that never experienced unemployment and that did not have a political...
Show moreThis thesis examines public opinion towards membership in the EU, before and after the 2008 global economic crisis, in the newest member states to join the institution in 2004 (the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989, socialist economies and communism maintained a citizenry that never experienced unemployment and that did not have a political voice. Because free-market economic policies and democratic values are new to these countries, public opinion regarding membership in a supranational organization that promotes and fosters these ideals is important to study. Data from the Eurobarometer Public Opinion Survey spring waves 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the World Bank, and Eurostat are used to measure multiple indicators of support for membership in the EU. Ordered logistic regression and means comparison analyses are employed to measure the effect of national-level economic prospects, economic winner/loser status, political party power, age, national identity, gender, and individual-level political ideology on public opinion toward membership. The results demonstrate that multiple indicators affect attitudes toward membership and that a negative shift in public opinion is apparent following the 2008 global economic crisis. At the individual-level of analysis, economic winner/loser status and national identity are significant in the predicted direction in all five models. Age is a significant indicator of support only in 2008, 2009, and 2010. At the aggregate-level, means comparison analyses and t-test statistics indicate that GDP annual growth rates have a positive effect on attitudes toward membership in the EU. As GDP annual growth increases, approval of membership in the EU increases. Eurozone membership and unemployment rates indicate varied support for membership in the EU, and the results of means comparison analyses of political party power at the national-level are inconclusive and exploratory in nature. With all findings considered, future studies can further examine the implications and long-term effects of global financial crises on public opinion towards membership in various international economic organizations.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005435, ucf:50414
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005435

Title: THE EFFECT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON DEMOCRATIC WARFARE.
Creator: Rakower, Andres, Vasquez, Joseph Paul, Kang, Kyungkook, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study was done to see the effects of a war on the economy and the internal politics of the United States. In selecting the engagement, we would study we agreed the Iraq War would be aided by a large amount of sampling of public opinion that was more nuanced than in previous wars. The Iraq War was a very complicated war, as it was controversial from the beginning and became a political issue while continuing to be a war fought by Americans abroad. Based on the literature, there were many...
Show moreThis study was done to see the effects of a war on the economy and the internal politics of the United States. In selecting the engagement, we would study we agreed the Iraq War would be aided by a large amount of sampling of public opinion that was more nuanced than in previous wars. The Iraq War was a very complicated war, as it was controversial from the beginning and became a political issue while continuing to be a war fought by Americans abroad. Based on the literature, there were many starting effects and assumptions that were accounted for such as the 'rally round the flag effect.' As a historical landmark, the Iraq War is important for being a significant conflict after the Vietnam War, another very controversial conflict in the eyes of the American public. The hypothesis that I presented were not supported by the data. The impact of the war on the economy was not strong enough that it would create pressure for the sort of model I created to apply. In this model the economic problems faced domestically could lead to more unemployment and therefore to higher military recruitment rates. While this was partially true in 2008, the consequence was not a significantly higher amount of people in the military. Ultimately, this project requires to be done in a more thorough setting where effects may be compared with those of other similar countries in similar scenarios.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000435, ucf:45816
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000435

Title: More Guns, Less Butter, and Officers at the Table: Understanding the Nexus between the Military's Integration into Politics and Resource Allocation in Democracies and Non-Democracies.
Creator: Ben Hammou, Salah, Powell, Jonathan, Boutton, Andrew, Mirilovic, Nikola, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The civilianization of government is often seen as a necessary prerequisite for successful democratization and healthy civil-military relations. This thesis explores the impact of integrating the military into political decision-making on the distribution of (")guns(") and (")butter(") (-) military spending and social spending - across dictatorships and democracies. Whereas a general consensus suggests that autocracies allocate greater goods to the military and fewer goods to the general...
Show moreThe civilianization of government is often seen as a necessary prerequisite for successful democratization and healthy civil-military relations. This thesis explores the impact of integrating the military into political decision-making on the distribution of (")guns(") and (")butter(") (-) military spending and social spending - across dictatorships and democracies. Whereas a general consensus suggests that autocracies allocate greater goods to the military and fewer goods to the general public relative to democracies, an understudied variable is the military's integration into politics in both democracies and autocracies. Given that military elites have greater incentives relative to civilian elites to prioritize military spending over social spending, I expect that integrating officers into politics should yield greater military outlays and fewer social outlays relative to more civilianized regimes, democratic or otherwise.Drawing on a number of theories concerning contentious civil-military relations, I frame this process of integration and its subsequent consequence as part of a broader means to ameliorate commitment issues between leaders and the armed forces. Specifically, I view power-sharing with military elites as a potential tool democrats and dictators may use to ensure the loyalty of the armed forces and mitigate the threat of defection or a coup d'etat. I test my arguments using data on the proportion of national cabinet positions held by military officers across 138 countries between 1964-2008. Offering some support for my expectations, this thesis highlights the necessity of fine-tuned data to explore civil-military processes and reasserts that the military may influence politics across multiple regime settings and outside of overtly ruling the country..
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007784, ucf:52367
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007784

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