<p> Citizens&rsquo; increased access to the internet is transforming political landscapes across the globe. The implications for civil society, culture, religion, governmental legitimacy and accountability are vast. In nations where one does not typically expect &ldquo;modern&rdquo; or egalitarian ideals to be prevalent among highly religious and conservative populations, those with motivations to unite around socially and culturally taboo causes are no longer forced to silently acquiesce and accept the status quo. The internet has proven to be an invaluable tool for those aiming to engage in social activism, as it allows citizens in highly oppressive authoritarian regimes to covertly mobilize and coordinate online protest events (such as hashtag campaigns, proclamations via social media, signing of petitions, and even DDoS attacks) without the fear of repression.</p><p> What catalyzes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) equality movements in authoritarian regimes, specifically with respect to the Middle East and North African region? This thesis argues that gay rights movements are more likely to emerge in politically repressive, more conservative states when new political opportunities&mdash;namely access to the internet for purposes of political organization&mdash;become available. This master&rsquo;s thesis identifies why LGBTQ movements emerged in Morocco and Algeria, but not in Tunisia until after it underwent democratization. These states will be analyzed in order to gauge the strength of their LGBTQ rights movements and, most importantly, to identify which variables most cogently explain their existence altogether.</p>

<p> Smallholder farms in central Uganda do not reach their agronomic potential in large part due to declining soil fertility. Continuous cultivation and soils that are susceptible to degradation lead to yield declines that threaten household food security. Improvements in soil management are needed to produce both the quantity and quality of food required to reduce food insecurity. However, this requires active farmer participation in the identification and evaluation of different soil management strategies. On-farm and participatory approaches to research were used to evaluate the potential benefits of using Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) to improve the quantity and nutritional quality of an indigenous vegetable crop, <i>Solanum aethiopicum</i> or nakati, in Uganda's Lake Victoria Crescent. There is increasing recognition of the complementary roles organic and mineral fertilizers play in both short- and long-term soil management. ISFM emphasizes strategically targeted mineral fertilizer use combined with organic inputs to ensure fertilizer use efficiency and crop productivity given the limited availability of all nutrient resources in smallholder systems. Greater yield benefits can be achieved with the combined application of organic and mineral fertilizers compared to either resource applied alone. The ISFM framework also recognizes the influence of social factors on organic and mineral input management. A greater understanding of farmers' soil management decision-making process can guide the development of robust solutions to declining soil fertility.</p><p> Yield responses of nakati to organic (composted cow manure) and mineral fertilizers (urea), applied separately and in combination, were measured on farmer-managed plots to evaluate the efficacy of using IFSM on indigenous vegetables. Yield benefits from combined fertility sources were only observed under high fertility application rates with little difference between single or combined sources observed at low fertility rates. Low soil pH led to a significant decline in yields. Yields significantly increased when farmers actively participated in the trials, demonstrating the importance of overall good agronomic practices in achieving yield responses to fertilizer applications. </p><p> Measuring the effect of edaphic factors and fertility management strategies on the nutritional value of nakati indicated that uptake of nitrogen and micronutrients were affected primarily by soil pH and fertilizer nitrogen source. Foliar iron and zinc concentrations decreased significantly as soil pH increased, but other soil properties did not affect foliar nutrient concentrations. Foliar nitrogen increased significantly with the use of mineral fertilizer. The practical implications of this are most likely overshadowed when mineral fertilizer applications lead to increasing biomass and foliar nitrogen concentrations are diluted. Smallholder farmers can best attain nutritional benefits from nakati by increasing yields rather than modifying soil environments or fertilizer practices.</p><p> A participatory approach was used to document the knowledge and perceptions of farmers regarding their soils and soil management practices. Farmers participated in an ISFM demonstration program where they were exposed to Western scientific soil concepts. Pre-program focus group discussions were used to analyze farmers' existing soil knowledge and perceptions followed by participant observation, post-program interviews and focus group discussions to evaluate if and how scientific soil concepts were assimilated into farmers' soil knowledge. Farmers shared many 'structural similarities' with scientists in how they perceive soil, yet these similarities were often not recognized and utilized when scientists talked to farmers about soil. Thus potentially beneficial technologies, such as the use of mineral fertilizer as part of an ISFM framework, could be at odds with farmers' existing perceptions of fertilizer and remain an underutilized tool in soil fertility management.</p>

Mastering Emotions: The Emotional Politics of Slavery explores how the emotions and affective norms of the Antebellum South were conditioned upon and constructed through the institution of slavery. Though slavery is a subject wrought with emotion, there has been no focus in recent historical scholarship on the affective dimensions of slavery. Studies in the history of emotion have also largely ignored slavery. My intervention in these fields reveals the ways that both slaveholders and slaves wielded fear, trust, jealousy, and affection in their interactions with one another. The project also sheds light on how the emotional norms of societies are learned and policed, manipulated and enforced. I argue that the emotions of slaveholders and slaves alike were irrevocably shaped by slavery. The daily negotiations and contestations that occurred between slaveholders and slaves through and about feelings, in conjunction with larger debates about race, freedom, and emotional norms, form the backbone of what I call the emotional politics of slavery. Mastering Emotions examines how the affective norms of slavery were taught, how emotional transgressions were punished, and the long-term impacts of those emotional norms on the affective landscape of the post-Reconstruction South. To gain insight into the emotional lives and affective experiences of enslaved people of color I use a variety of primary sources such as slave narratives, letters, and court testimony. Steeped in the mode of sentimentalism, which encouraged people to reflect upon and articulate their feelings, slaveholders revealed how they felt about their slaves, and how they believed their slaves felt, in diaries, wills, and even records of slave sales and manumissions. Studying the affective terrain of the Antebellum South provides fresh insight into the politics of slavery, revealing how those in bondage used feelings to resist slavery, and how the planter class employed emotions to enforce the institution. This project also contributes to the burgeoning field of affective history by complicating understandings of how emotions are constructed in relation to power, and how power operates in affective relations.

<p> The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small African nation with an HIV prevalence rate of 27.4% in adults and up to 39% in pregnant women (Global Health Observatory, 2014). In 2012, life expectancy for a woman in Swaziland was 55-years (World Health Organization, 2014). Health entails more than the absence of disease. Although considered a lower middle-income country, 69% of Swazi citizens live in poverty and nearly one-third live in extremely poor circumstances. The degree to which upstream factors such as social conditions and the cultural environment impact individuals tends to be minimized in Westernized models of health behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the sociocultural factors that impact self-care and health maintenance of women in Swaziland. The goals related to this were to uncover the salient cultural values, beliefs and attitudes that affect the health of Swazi women, and to develop a deeper understanding of how strongly embedded cultural values are a determinant of health outcomes. Using Carspecken&rsquo;s methodology of critical ethnography, which incorporates both observational and narrative methods, this study focused intensively on the life stories of four rural African women. The findings richly illustrate how social issues such as poverty and food insecurity impact the health of women and their children; and how traditional customs and practices both support and threaten the health of women and families. Women in this study experienced a loss of husband or extended family due to death or abandonment that resulted in losses in supports and resources. Additionally, they worried about the health and education of their children before personal health needs. They also reported chronic employment problems and mistrust in existing governmental agencies including the healthcare system. Application of the culturally sensitive Person-Environment-Neighborhood (PEN-3) model highlights areas of resilience, strengths, and resource targets and identifies the community as an appropriate entry level for health interventions.</p>

<p> All over the globe, nonprofit organizations aim to strengthen communities while struggling with the restraints of limited resources. This research study involved Participatory Action Research (PAR) to examine how to build internal capacity in one such organization in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. This study was a partnership between me (the academic researcher) and organizational members and stakeholders of the Baobab Home. Through interviews and meetings, the project focus involved creating written contracts. Over the course of five meetings, contracts were researched, policies and procedures were discussed, and formal contracts were created in Swahili. Findings include a discussion of the role of the outside researcher in the PAR process, as well as the value of partnering with a cultural guide. This study also provides a look at how to use PAR to build capacity within organizations. Finally, there is a review of the project itself, its successes, and its lessons learned.</p>

<p>This thesis addresses the role of geopolitical interests in the voting record of the UNSC (UNSC) in authorizing action, specifically humanitarian intervention, in the cases of genocide in Rwanda and Sudan. The classic theories of international relations, realism and liberalism, are applied to determine which theory has higher explanatory power in determining the level of involvement and humanitarian intervention by the UNSC in these specific cases. Realist assumptions would expect that the possible economic or strategic interests of states within the Council would influence the level of involvement or humanitarian intervention authorized. In contrast, liberalist notions would expect that the level of conflict severity or duration would determine the level of involvement or humanitarian intervention authorized. This thesis finds that the economic and strategic interests of the members of the UNSC can serve as a better indicator in determining the level of intervention authorized in these cases. Thus, realist theory holds higher explanatory power of the UNSC reactions to the cases of Rwanda and Sudan. </p>

<p> The purpose for writing <i>Evaluating a Spiritual Formation Curriculum for Ethiopian Evangelical Church Leaders</i> is to explore the impact of the Sendafa spiritual formation seminar on the spiritual health of Ethiopian evangelical church leaders and assess the reproducibility of the principles. </p><p> This research is based on the theological framework that disciples of Jesus Christ are spiritually formed through knowing and abiding in Him, which was supported by the literature. </p><p> The research employed a mixed methodology that utilized a quantitative/qualitative instrument and follow-up interviews to verify the hypotheses of the study. </p><p> Results from the Spiritual Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ) and the Spiritual Development Interviews (SDI) verified the study's two hypotheses. The results demonstrated improvement in the spiritual health of the participants in the sample pool of Ethiopian evangelical church leaders and evidence of either implementing the Sendafa formation principles in others or reproducing the Sendafa formation curriculum for others. </p><p> Further study should include equipping for life change, the practice of mentoring, and leadership development. It is recommended that future efforts be developed by nationals with only assistance from outsiders. Additionally, the production of a booklet covering the Sendafa formation principles is recommended for distribution among the churches of Ethiopia.</p>

<p> Among the Yoruba <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> is the primordial force of causation and creation. <i>&Agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow; </i> is the power of the feminine, of female divinity and women, and <i> &agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> is the women themselves who wield this power. Unfortunately, <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> has been translated witch/witchcraft with attendant malevolent connotations. Though the fearsome nature of <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> cannot be denied, <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> is a richly nuanced term. Examination of Yoruba sacred text, <i>Odu Ifa,</i> reveals <i> &agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> to be an endowment gifted to female divinity from the Source of Creation. Female divinity empowered their mortal daughters with <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i>&mdash;spiritual and temporal power exercised in religious, judicial, political, and economic domains throughout Yoruba history. However, in contemporary times <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow; </i> have been negatively branded as witches and attacked.</p><p> The dissertation investigates factors contributing to the duality in attitude towards <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> and factors that contributed to the intensified representation of their fearsome aspects to the virtual disavowal of their positive dimensions. Employing transdisciplinary methodology and using multiple lenses, including hermeneutics, historiography, and critical theory, the place of <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> within Yoruba cosmology and historical reality is presented to broaden understanding and appreciation of the power and role of <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow; </i> as well as to elucidate challenges to <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;. </i> Personal experiences of <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> are spoken to within the qualitative interviews. Individuals with knowledge of <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> were interviewed in Yorubaland and within the United States.</p><p> Culture is not static. A critical reading of <i>Odu Ifa</i> reveals the infiltration of patriarchal influence. The research uncovered that patriarchal evolution within Yoruba society buttressed and augmented by the patriarchy of British imperialism as well as the economic and social transformations wrought by colonialism coalesced to undermine <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow; </i> power and function.</p><p> In our out-of-balance world, there might be wisdom to be gleaned from beings that were given the charge of maintaining cosmic balance. Giving proper respect and honor to "our mothers" (<i>awon iya wa</i>) who own and control <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;,</i> individuals are called to exercise their <i>&agrave;j&eacute;&dotbelow;</i> in the world in the cause of social justice, to be the guardians of a just society. </p>

<p> Inadequate health care infrastructures and lack of qualified and trained health care professionals are barriers against timely and prompt access to health care services in the rural communities of Akwa Ibom State. The absence of immediate health care services, coupled with the lack of basic infrastructure and qualified health care professionals, has led to high mortality from preventable causes. Compounding the problem are poor governance, endemic corruption, and lack of involvement of trained professionals for management of human and material resources to support health care delivery, particularly in building the capacity and removing barriers and obstacles to effective delivery of primary health care services at the local community level. A quantitative quasi-experimental research study was used to evaluate access to health care services in the rural community in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria by introducing mobile phones and community health care educators. Four sets of hypotheses were tested to provide answers to two research questions using statistical analysis. The results indicated the importance of health care facilities and access to qualified health care professionals and the direct link to improved clinical outcome. The myriad of evidence presented in the literature that telemedicine infrastructure has been effectively used to create access to rural communities in most third world and developing countries was supported through this study. The results indicated mobile communication technology can make the difference in the Nigerian health care service delivery, particularly in remote villages.</p>

<p> Military interventions continue to be pervasive in Africa. Thirty out of forty-eight sub-Saharan states have experienced at least one successful coup. Nor have these numbers abated. In the 21st century alone, thirteen coups have been successfully staged in Africa, thus far. At the same time, several African countries &ndash; such as Ghana, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Benin &ndash; have managed to escape from seemingly insurmountable coup-traps. Yet, we understand little about what drives countries into a coup-trap and even less about how countries can extricate themselves from one. What explains this divergence? To address these contradictory trends, I focus initially on Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, neighboring states, with comparable populations, topographies, and economies that have experienced contrasting trajectories. While Ghana suffered five consecutive coups from the 1966 to 1981, Cote d'Ivoire was an oasis of stability and prosperity. However, by the end of the 20th century, Ghana had emerged as one of the few stable two-party democracies on the continent, as Cote d'Ivoire slid into civil war. Why was Cote d'Ivoire so much more stable and prosperous than Ghana in the `60s and `70s? And what explains their dramatic reversal of fortunes? </p><p> I answer these puzzles by examining the <u>political strategies </u> of regimes in both countries, with a particular focus on <u> rural alliances</u>. I find that the leaders who followed a <i> rural political strategy</i> were better able to preserve stability, while those who followed an <i>urban political strategy</i> were more likely to suffer coups. In contrast to the prevalent urban-bias thesis, I contend that traditional elites and producers in rural areas &ndash; not the organized urban sectors &ndash; are most critical to political stability. To show the wider applicability of my thesis, I extend my argument beyond these two countries. In a systematic review of fifty-eight regimes over eighteen sub-Saharan countries, I demonstrate that the rural/urban dichotomy is pervasive and predictive of the success/failure of regimes. Using formal modeling, I show a strong and robust correlation between supporting rural areas and the likelihood of being ousted in a coup as well as longevity in power. </p>