The left-wing Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) began its violent insurgency campaign against the Turkish state in 1984, claiming that an independent Kurdistan should exist. However, the origins of this conflict can be traced back even further – to the inception of the Turkish Republic in 1923. This thesis begins by investigating the history of how the conflict between the Kurdish and Turkish political frameworks escalated, exploring the concept of “Turkishness” as an element of a homogeneous nation-state. The paper then assesses the effects of a range of exclusionary measures adopted by the Turkish state (beyond punitive military responses in southeastern Turkey and cultural discrimination policies). Ultimately, I argue that the ruling Justice and Development Party’s recent push for a more authoritarian style of leadership under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ostracized the Kurdish population and has created a climate for Kurdish terrorist organizations, such as the PKK and TAK, to prosper and expand recruitment.

This paper investigates the effect of culture and home country self-employment rates on immigrant self-employment in the United States, post-migration. This study analyzes the effects for both men and women, focusing on the gender gap in self-employment. The empirical results show that home country effects have a small impact on self-employment, but most of this relationship is unexplained. Because the explanatory power of home country effects is so low, it is unlikely that culture significantly influences self-employment. I find that, contrary to my hypotheses, women from countries with high female self-employment rates are likely to see a larger decrease in self-employment than their male counterparts or women from countries with lower self-employment rates. The gender gap in self-employment increases in the U.S. because self-employment declines more for women than men. However, I do find that men from countries with high male self-employment will also see a larger decline in self-employment than men from other countries. Thus, I reject the home country self-employment hypothesis with regards to women and men. I find some evidence that immigrant self-employment rates are more related to stage of economic development in the host country than culture in the home country.

This study examines the new German 2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr. Updated for the first time in over a decade, the document reflects Germany’s reorientation of its security policy in order to become a global player. This study analyzes the White Paper to determine its contextual meaning, domestic as well as international support, and obstacles in the way of its implementation. Although the German Government is concerned about waning US influence and increased Russian activity, the German people are reluctant to let go of their nation’s foreign political restraint in light of a lingering feeling of historical responsibility going back their Fascist past and to WWII. The international and European reaction to the White Paper is largely positive and hails Germany as a defender of Western Liberalism. Russia is less enthusiastic and has embraced information warfare as a means of displaying its displeasure. The study finds that resolving these issues will prove critical for the practical success of failure in implanting the designs of the White Paper.

The Nigerian banking system is presently riddled with distress, insolvency, and failure. The system is passing through what might seem the roughest phase in its history. The present bank distress and insolvency have culminated in the failure of many banks. In an attempt to correct this unhealthy development, the regulatory authorities (CBN and NDIC) have devised and implemented many novel policies to check this drift. Despite their efforts, however, the cankerworm continues to eat deeper into the Nigerian banking system. This study seeks to identify significant factors that might explain Nigeria's banking system failure as perceived by bank officials, and to recommend ways to minimize bank failure in Nigeria. The banking authorities, to a large extent, focused on a single cause of bank failure, such as unprofessionalism on the part of bank personnel. The majority of those interviewed accused them of committing fraud. The study showed that during the era of bank deregulation, a wider array of factors might have contributed to bank failure. The factors identified in this study are as follows: 1. The acute shortage of experienced and seasoned banking professionals during the era of banking deregulation led to an increase of forgeries and other abuses. 2. The inconsistent and frequent changes in macroeconomic policies during the period under study have negatively affected other macro-economic indicators. 3. Some factors during the period under investigation led to some banks' inability to meet standards set by the CBN/NDIC in respect to: capital adequacy, asset quality, management profile, earnings strength, and liquidity guidelines. 4. Lack of central bank independence contributed to bank failure. This study is important because the proposed recommendations would be of interest to operators of the banking industry, to regulators in the industry, as well as to the Nigerian government in its efforts to chart a new course in the Nigerian banking industry in the twenty-first century.

This study analyzes the perceptions of University administrators, faculty members, and students concerning total quality management (TQM). This is done by (1) identifying the key components of TQM for higher education, and (2) assessing the perceptions of university administrators, faculty and students toward adopting and utilizing the principles of TQM as propounded by the late W. Edwards Deming. The study is inclusive of elements of historical and descriptive research design. Primary and secondary data sources of information are also used for the establishment of data base. The theoretical framework guiding this research includes enumerative theory and analytic theory. More emphasis is placed on the analytic theory because that is the main statistical theory propelling Demings' s 14 principles of total quality management. The sample for this study was taken from Nigerian universities according to personnel status and type of university. Stratified random sampling is used for this research. Four universities based on the three former Nigerian regions were chosen: East, West, and North. These three regions represent a microcosm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because of their geo-political significance. In all, 104 individuals drawn from 4 universities, spread across a total of 42 different campuses participated in this study. The individuals include 35 students studying in Nigerian universities, 35 administrators and 34 faculty personnel employed by Nigerian universities. The significant findings of the study appear to warrant the following conclusions: If Nigerian universities are going to implement total quality management, they must have to address: the use of tests and grades, the use of goals and slogans, the use of statistical assessment, employee evaluation/meritocracy, and finally continuous improvement.

This research is aimed at assessing SADCC in relation to the degree to which it has accomplished its own aims, regional economic integration and reduction of dependency. The study has relied on and used the dependency theory which holds that the development in a peripheral capitalist system is a continuous process of dispossessing the less developed countries of their raw materials in favor of maintaining the advancement of the capitalist countries. In short, neo-colonial dependence view of underdevelopment attributes a large part of the Third World's continuing and worsening poverty to the existence and policies of the industrial capitalist and socialist countries and their extensions in the form of small but powerful elite groups in the less developed countries. The research came with the following findings and conclusions. That SADCC countries have been integrated into the capitalist system due to the European colonization. That despite the efforts of SADCC and their proclaimed goals of economic integration and self-reliance, the SADCC region has not reduced dependency but rather there is a new dependency on other external countries. SADCC's committed strategies have not produced self-reliance and economic integration in the region due to the structure and activities of SADCC. In order to correct this imbalance and dependency, few options are possible. SADCC should embark upon the socialist mode of development because socialist methods will diminish the degree of dependency as in the case of Cuba. Intra-regional trade should be encouraged to bring about some form of transaction flows and economic integration. Establish appropriate ways of encouraging agricultural productivity in order to alleviate the shortage of food problems in the region and adopt capital accumulation methods.

Chapter I will be concerned with a definition and classification of psychology as a science, the process to be followed in order to obtain a degree in psychology or a professional title, some characteristics of a psychologist, and finally the place in which psychology as a profession stands from an ethical and legal position. Chapter II will refer to psychological knowledge, standards and principles which defined psychotherapy practices. It will also be descriptive of some psychological services and delivery systems for such services. From the great variety of programs and fields of study found in the United States today, according to the “Graduate Study in Psychology for 1973-74” (American Psychological Association, 1972), several universities have been selected and examined from catalogues, brochures and other information with respect to their programs, the goals to be achieved, the emphasis given to certain matters, practices and techniques; and in general – according to each model – an ideal program for psychotherapists in the United States has been outlined. Chapter III shows the results of that overview of the training program in the United States. In Chapter IV, a similar process will be followed to determine the basic characteristics of a training program of a psychotherapist in Peru. An analysis of the current program in psychotherapy training in Peru with their strength and weaknesses will be made in this chapter. In this final chapter, recommendations also will be made for a training program which, while it will not be based or patterned after a particular program of a university in the United States, will incorporate some ideas which may be adapted to the situation present in Peru.

The purpose of this study is to further examine the populist wave that has struck the West, with specific regards to France and Germany. The growing anti-immigrant sentiment, the discontent with “establishment” politics, and fear-mongering tactics has given rise to far-right political parties such as the National Front and the Alternative for Germany. These political parties prove threatening to the democratic institutions in place, for they wish to limit the liberties of those who seem too different. Through delving into the core values of these countries and specific events revolving around foreigners, I explain how xenophobic ideology has been allowed to permeate through France and Germany’s society and has increased the legitimacy of political leaders like Marine Le Pen and Frauke Petry.

More than 168 million children work worldwide. While some types of work are beneficial for children, some types are detrimental for children's health, growth, education and future well-being. The theory defines poverty and lack of access to credit as main causes of child work. While there is no one-to-one replacement, work reduces the amount of education received by child workers as it competes for children's time. This mix-method dissertation explores child work in two studies: 1) a qualitative study of child work in Tajikistan and 2) a quantitative study of microfinance participation and its effect on global child work and education. The qualitative study of the child work is analyzed through narratives of child workers and their parents in Tajikistan. This study examined the pathways to child work and the families' understanding of child work experiences. Furthermore, the factors causing the increase of child work prevalence in the country and the consequences of children's involvement in the labor market were explored. The children and parent's narratives revealed several common themes. First, the families resort to child work due to financial need. Second, less explored and unconventional perspectives on child work were recorded. Children and parents describe employment as means to become independent and gain respect and status. Moreover, they list becoming socialized and prepared to adult life from early stages of life as a value added to labor market engagement. Child work was also described as means to stay physically healthy and as a protective factor from risk-taking behaviors. The quantitative analysis of this dissertation explores the topic through a broader perspective. The study evaluates the impact of microfinance programs on child economic activity and education globally, using macro data for 113 countries of the world for the period of 15 years (1995-2010). The results of the study suggest that there is a positive association between microfinance and secondary school enrollment. The relationship between microfinance and primary school enrollment, as well as primary school completion is ambiguous. No statistically significant relationship between microfinance and child work was found. Future research directions and implications for policy are examined.

La manière dont un jeune étudiant européen se déplace d'un pays à un autre dans le cadre du programme ERASMUS (European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students), tout dans l'esprit de découvrir ce continent divers, de partager sa culture avec d'autres et de faire fortifier son identité européenne est un enjeu social, économique et politique. La mobilité institutionnalisée a permis à beaucoup plus d'étudiants de partir à l'étranger qu'avant, que ça soit pour un semestre ou une année académique ou un stage de courte durée. Pourtant, la mobilité étudiante aujourd'hui est aussi devenue un atout économique pour la plupart des partis prenantes. En échangeant des étudiants comme s'ils étaient des commodités, les universités cherchent à accroitre leur notoriété, mettant en valeur leurs intérêts économiques avant l'accueil des étudiants étrangers. L'asymétrie des échanges entre les pays de l'Europe Occidentale et l'Europe de l'Est et Centrale pose aussi des problèmes. En outre, L'ECTS (European Crédit and Transfer System) et le Processus de Bologne ont changé la signification d'un séjour à l'étranger - écartant la diversité entre les institutions de l'enseignement supérieur. Dans cette thèse, je fais un bilan du programme ERASMUS. Par la suite, je fais des recommandations concernant l'impact social du programme - et comment faire en sorte que l'idée de partage culturelle reste au sein de sa philosophie.