In this paper I will argue that some of the contradictions in the Problem of the Many occur since we're dealing with two different types of concepts of a cloud, one that is 'common-sense', and one that is 'scientific'. I will borrow from Noam Chomsky’s distinction between common-sense concepts, which are understood intuitively and are usually human-centric, and scientific concepts, which are carefully constructed and aspire to be objective. The common-sense concept of a cloud has certain properties (such as having a sharp boundary) which contradict some found in the scientific concept (such as having a vague boundary), and this is the source of some contradictions found within the Problem of the Many. I will propose that in the future we should approach the problem with this in mind, and not treat it as if we're dealing with only one concept of a cloud, but instead, several.

Despite the continued growth of K-12 online learning, there remains a need for additional research addressing roles of online facilitators and how they can improve the sense of community at K-12 online schools. The first article of this dissertation presents a case study illustrating how online facilitators can provide the same level of support for their students that on-site facilitators provide students in blended environments. Data was gathered from teachers at Mountain Heights Academy (MHA), a fully online high school. MHA implemented a "Shepherding Program" to provide student with online facilitators. Each teacher, or shepherd, was responsible for 20 to 25 students. Teacher focus groups and one-on-one interviews were used to examine the perceived effects of a shepherding program on shepherd-student relationships. Additionally, the teacher roles in the shepherding program were compared to the roles of on-site facilitators. Teachers were largely satisfied with the perceived impact of the shepherding program on their relationships with their students. Findings also highlighted strong similarities between the support the shepherding program provided online students and the support on-site facilitators provide blended learning students. The second article was a continuation of the case study from the first article. A key addition to the case study for the second article was the inclusion of student interviews. This article examined how teachers and students perceived that the shepherding program influenced instructor-student relationships. The analysis exposing similarities and differences between teacher and student perspectives of the shepherding program was conducted based on the four dimensions of Rovai's online sense of community: spirit, trust, interaction, and learning. Findings illustrated shepherd-student relationships consisting of all four elements of community in some degree.

This design-based research study explored whether Sense of Community was maintained while flexibility in the course was increased through an adoption of a unique blended learning model. Data collected in this study show a significant drop in the sense of connectedness score from a mean of 50.8 out of 66 to a mean of 39.68 in the first iteration. The score then began to gradually increase, reaching 50.65 in the third iteration. Results indicate that transitioning to a blended learning environment may be a suitable option to increase flexibility while maintaining a Sense of Community in a project-based course. Future research into specific aspects of course design such as maturity of design, age-level of participants, and context would further develop understanding in this area.

With more people in the United States renting now than at any point since 1965, there is an amorphous temporality in the dwellings of many Americans (Cilluffo, Fry, 2022). This provides flexibility and thus, more freedom for upward mobility, an enticing attribute for younger people living on their own for the first time. However, this lack of permanence can create challenges in establishing a “sense of place”. When residents don’t feel a strong connection to their spaces, they can feel as if they don’t belong. This issue is especially prevalent in dormitories, where a feeling of belonging is vital to student success (Strayhorn, 2019, p.217). These obstacles present a formidable design opportunity for architects to alter their existing planning and design of dormitories. This thesis explores the inherent power struggles dormitories present, as well as the shifting definition of “home” as both a space of belonging and a set of qualities imbued into a space. The goal of this project is to establish an understanding of the role of placemaking in temporary dwellings and discuss the difficulty one can face with creating a sense of “permanence”. and ultimately, to create a framework for designing student housing with a particularly strong “sense of place”. With a focus on housing solutions for university students who are currently experiencing both a shortage of on-campus housing, this thesis offers a set of guidelines for effectively designing student housing with a strong sense of place, with an emphasis on creating a sense of permanence in temporary dwellings.

In this mixed-methods community-based participatory research project I examine the ways in which sense of place (or lack thereof) is developed for Native Americans living in the urban Boston area, and the implications this has for physical health and social well-being. Through in-depth interviews, ethnographic data, and community photo-voice, I argue that a triad of Place, Stress, and Identity configure and act upon the bodies of urban Natives in complex ways, creating a paradoxical sense of place in the city. Each analytical chapter examines particular interactions of this triad: place as a physical and socially-experienced phenomenon, the interactions of place and stress, the process of "place-making", and social stress surrounding “urban Native” identity. Developing a framework of “place/body multiple” (Eyles and Williams 2007, Scheper-Hughes and Lock 1987; see background chapter), these chapters build toward the argument that, in contrast to “sense of place” literature that focuses on reservations (see Background Chapter), urban “sense of place” operates within what I term a “landscape of distress.” Forming an urban “sense of place” is beneficial to overall well-being because it leads to support networks and creates a proxy for “home”, building on current literature on social support and anthropological literature on Indigenous place-making. However, it is also detrimental to health because it creates an identity that is inherently separate from tribe and traditional land, creating both social and physiological distress.

The purpose of this study was to discover the various meanings that the Pulaski Theatre held for the residents of Pulaski and the theatre's social importance to the town. The following research objectives directed this study: 1) to document the theatre's history from the time it was built in 1911 until the present day, 2) to uncover memories or feelings associated with the theatre, and 3) to determine if design features of the theatre building influenced those feelings/memories. In documenting the history of the theatre, design features of the original 1911 building were examined as well as changes over time. To determine if design features of the building influenced the feelings/memories that were associated with the structure it was important first to discover which architectural and design features people remembered, if any, and then to determine if these design features reflected a meaningful association, i.e. sense of place to participants. Also of interest was whether this association or sense of place would be similar or different for all. Participants were fifteen males and females aged 43 to 82 who had attended the theatre over time. All participants grew up in Pulaski and six had lived there their entire lives. Both African Americans and Caucasians participated. Subjects were asked to draw a picture of the theatre that expressed their experience of the space. After the drawing, they were asked to discuss the picture and its meaning to them. Clare Cooper Marcus and others used this environmental autobiography technique as a method to bring a person's experiences of a place to a conscious level. Tape-recorded interviews were conducted and transcribed by the researcher to discover memories of the theatre and the meaning of the theatre to the participants. Data were analyzed by coding to look for emerging themes or categories that relate to the research question. Of interest was whether or not the Pulaski Theatre represented a sense of place to residents and if that sense of place varied for different participants. Document research was conducted through old newspapers and artifacts in the Raymond Ratcliffe Museum (the historic museum in Pulaski), documents from scrapbooks, architectural plans, and the files of the Town of Pulaski. Themes that were identified from the research were (1) the structure was an integral part of the community, (2) the theatre was a reflection of the community's social norms and roles, such as segregation, and (3) the theatre interior contributed to the social atmosphere of the space. The theatre building, while transformed over time, retained a presence in the town and memories associated with it across time were significant in creating a sense of place in the community. The theatre was remembered as a setting that brought excitement and stimulation to children and adults for many years. Participants felt "at home" in the theatre, having favored sections of the theatre where they routinely sat. School children attending the weekly matinees in the summer and African Americans sitting in their special section of the balcony developed a special identity with that particular space within the theatre. Even after segregation, many African Americans continued to sit in the balcony where they had sat for many years and felt at home. The unique characteristics of these spaces were dependent on the people that frequented them rather than the architecture of the building. The sense of place was one of personal relationships and emotional attachments rather than of bricks and mortar. Memories of the theatre were stories of groups or individuals and their interactions in the space. The building represented these individuals and what they brought to this place and time. The Pulaski Theatre played a great role in interactions with friends and neighbors and was significant in reflecting a sense of place in this community. / Ph. D.

Many older adults are electing to age in place within their communities. Even though they may be frequent consumers of community programs and services, their role as contributors to community well-being should not be overlooked. Sense of community is a core dimension of well-being because the connections associated with sense of community are important for everyday life. The model in this study was developed to explore the effects of community connections (community capacity, ease of making connections, active participation in the community, and informal supports) and demographic variables on sense of community. A probability sample of 1,499 adults 65 years and older that resided in rural areas responded to questions concerning their sense of community and community connections. Using multiple regression analysis, results indicate that community capacity, ease of connecting with others in the community, and having an informal support network are significant in predicting sense of community. Nonsignificant associations were found with regard to participation in community activities, age, sex, health status, and length of time living in the county. These findings suggest that key dimensions of aging (age, sex, health status) are less relevant when addressing sense of community when compared to associations and connections. Factors that predict sense of community may be amenable to community-level interventions, thus allowing for the development of sense of community among community members, which could ultimately lead to their participation as community resources. / Master of Science

Latinos consistently have the lowest degree completion rate throughout the United States (Kurlaender & Flores, 2005). At the same time, Latinos are the fastest growing sector of the U.S. population. Taken together, these facts demonstrate an ongoing and growing inequity in educational opportunities and outcomes for a significant portion of the nation's population. The findings of this study provide additional knowledge regarding how Latino students perceive interaction with faculty and how affirming relationships with faculty can develop Latino students' sense of belonging. In addition, the study identifies three main support sources for Latino student persistence, which include family support, collegiate self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging to the campus. This study presents five recommendations for policy and practice based upon the findings of this study, for campus leaders to address the low number of Latino students persisting in their college journeys. Furthermore, it provides three suggested areas for future research.

Välbefinnande är ett mångdimensionellt begrepp som rymmer flera olika förklaringsmodeller. Tidigare forskning har visat att välbefinnandet i relation till krig är komplicerat och grundar sig i individuella och kontextuella skillnader. Föreliggande studie syftade till att belysa vilka faktorer som haft en inverkan på välbefinnandet hos kvinnliga krigsflyktingar från Bosnien. Totalt ingick 6 kvinnor i undersökningen. Studien har kvalitativ karaktär och tematisk analys användes som analysmetod. Resultatet visade att både coping såväl som olika aspekter av KASAM var framträdande för gott välbefinnande. Både emotionellt fokuserad och problemfokuserad coping har använts i bearbetningsprocessen. Den förstnämnda användes i samtliga fall först och efter en viss tid, när nya strukturer börjat formas i deltagarnas liv, blev den sistnämnda mer framträdande. Slutsatsen visade att det finns en relation mellan copingstrategier, KASAM och välbefinnande samt att flera faktorer ligger bakom valet av strategi. Studien har kunnat fylla en kunskapslucka med tanke på att det enbart finns ett mindre antal genomförda undersökningar kring den valda målgruppen.

This dissertation examines the ways in which abandoned and sparsely populated spaces can begin to offer up their hidden, alternative histories through the process of ethnographic inquiry. My research explains how it is possible to engage with peripheral and often marginalized North American cultures through the anthropological study of affect, space and materiality. Here, I have endeavoured to construct a rich narrative of space, place and human geography that sees the ghost towns of the North American prairies and the isolated fishing communities of Grand Bruit, Newfoundland and Matinicus, Maine as dynamic texts that can be read as both alternative historical inscriptions and as anthropological phenomena that describe a unique aspect of unseen culture. Far from being empty spaces, these locations present deeply engaging deposits of local history and alternate world views. However, if left undocumented, I believe that these spaces will soon be erased from the dominant narratives of culture and historicity, swept away by the winds of resource depletion and rural-to-urban migration. In what follows, I present an opportunity for the reader to join me in unpacking and analysing these rarely understood and oft-neglected histories that are intrinsic to contemporary North American culture and identity. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)