This dissertation engages the historiography of American citizenship and identity, republican traditions in American life and thought, and explores the evolution of military leadership in American society during the American Civil War. The nature, experiences and evolution of citizen-soldiers and citizen-officers, both Union and Confederate, reveal that the sentimental, often romantic expectations and ideologies forged in the American Revolution and modified during the antebellum era were recast, adapted, and modified under the extreme pressures of four years of conflict. Civil War citizen-officers experienced extreme pressures to emulate the professional officers of the regular army and to accommodate the ideological expectations of the independent, civic-minded volunteers they led. These junior leaders arrived at creative, often ingenious solutions to overcome the unique leadership challenges posed by the tension between antebellum democratic values and the demands of military necessity. Though the nature and identity of the officers in both armies evolved over time, the ideological foundations that informed Civil War Americans’ conceptions of military service persisted throughout the conflict. The key to the persistence of the citizen-soldier ethos and citizen-officer image during and after the Civil War era lies in the considerable power of antebellum Americans’ shared but malleable republican tradition. By focusing on the experience of volunteer company-grade officers in the Civil War era, we discover how the ordeal of the Civil War forced Americans to reevaluate and reconcile the role of the individual in this arrangement, both elevating and de-emphasizing the centrality of the citizen-soldier to the evolving narrative of American identity, citizenship, and leadership.

Environmental monitoring initiatives are typically conceived as strictly scientific affairs designed to provide support for managerial decision-making; as a consequence most initiatives are centered on a formal mandate or an overarching mission statement that provides direction for monitoring activity. But official frameworks tend to marginalize lay perspectives as experts pursue disciplinary rigor at the expense of public input, a situation not in keeping with the spirit of the biosphere reserve concept. This thesis argues that an alternative design approach that reaches beyond scientists and resource managers is necessary. Environmental monitoring under an ecosystem approach is subject to scientific, social, and bureaucratic demands that defy easy disentanglement. A medley of factors influence how data are collected, interpreted, and used; neglect of these 'soft' dimensions runs the risk of failing to win the enduring support of stakeholders. There is a need to coordinate activity and to partially align multiple perspectives-this is the 'soft underbelly' of integrated monitoring that gets short shrift in most designs. While there is much monitoring being done in and around the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve, there is little coordination among monitoring groups and no obvious way to combine disparate data sets in a meaningful way. This thesis describes the elements of a locally-sensible framework for monitoring practice that is mainly concerned with trying to make sense of confusing and ambiguous situations; it strives to integrate the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of monitoring in as transparent a manner as possible by crafting 'boundary objects' that help to congeal understanding and provide centers of coordination. Using principles of participatory design in the soft-systems tradition, the overall intent is to primarily support sense-making, not decision-making; to generate searching questions, not final solutions; to facilitate learning, not control.

Environmental decision making processes are subject to diverse and at times conflicting pressures. On one hand, an enlightenment perspective places high value on scientific information about complex environmental phenomena, thus encouraging highly trained experts to perform research, interpret results, and provide advice to decision makers. On the other, international and domestic efforts to apply the concept of sustainable development tend to promote an enhanced role for non-expert knowledge and increased opportunities for public participation in decisions that affect local environments and livelihoods. Complicating this scenario further are debates within governments about how to allocate limited resources for environmental research and management. Citizen environmental monitoring initiatives provide an opportunity to examine these considerations as they play out in a variety of settings. From local, grassroots citizen groups to regional networks with government support, a wide range of monitoring programs exist that involve volunteers in gathering environmental information using scientific methods. Many groups attempt to apply their findings to planning initiatives, policy development or environmental law enforcement at local or regional levels. These efforts may blur the distinction between scientific and local knowledge, while raising questions about the relative legitimacy of experts and citizens as producers of knowledge for use in environmental decision making. Using a case study approach, this thesis explores factors affecting the application of information gathered through citizen environmental monitoring programs to decision making processes and outcomes in Comox Valley, British Columbia, and Hamilton and Muskoka, Ontario. Semi-formal interviews were conducted in all three locations with coordinators of citizen groups that perform environmental monitoring, as well as with government representatives who have some involvement with the same citizen monitoring initiatives. Key themes affecting the use of citizen monitoring information emerged from the study, including political will on the part of local decision makers, scientific rigour and data quality of citizen monitoring efforts, and perceived legitimacy of citizen groups in terms of their organizational stability and reputations. Suggestions are presented for overcoming obstacles in each of these areas. The research also identifies further issues that affect the application of citizen-collected data such as the level of matching between the information priorities of citizen groups and governments, as well as collaborative arrangements between program partners. On these issues, interviewees shared their ideal scenarios for citizen monitoring programs with respect to funding, partnership strategies, and best roles for volunteers, citizen groups, and governments who are involved in citizen environmental monitoring programs. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that future research investigate further the issues of power sharing, agenda setting, and mutual trust between citizen groups and governments at the local level.

The purpose of this study was to understand why there is such lack of citizen participation among Asian Americans, despite the exponential growth of Asian American population in the state. Based on the literature on sense of community, citizen participation, and psychological empowerment, it was speculated that how individuals experience community may influence their motivation to participate. With the goal to understand and document how Asian Americans define community and experience sense of community, a sample of Asian Americans were interviewed. These individuals were participants of the Photovoice project conducted by a local community-based organization. The second aim of the study was to explore if and how a project like Photovoice enhanced the sense of community among participants. The findings suggested that Asian Americans defined various types and multiple communities. Also, it was suggested that because Asian American community is an imposed community of people of diverse Asian background, Asian Americans may not necessarily define it as a community or experience sense of community within the community. Based on the experiences of the participants, Photovoice seem to have great potential in bringing such diverse group as Asian Americans together as a community. Limitations of the study and future directions are discussed.

Denna studie handlar om kommuners användning av sociala medier i allmänhet och Facebook i synnerhet. Fenomenet sociala medier har vuxit sig allt starkare under de senaste åren och nu för tiden används de inte bara av privatpersoner, utan också av företag, organisationer och nu även myndigheter, som börjat se nyttan med dem. Arbetet bygger vidare på en studie som har genomförts av Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting (SKL), som har tagit fram riktlinjer för hur kommuner skall förhålla sig till medborgare när det gäller användning av sociala medier. Ur denna studie har ett antal kommuner hittats som regelbundet använder sig av sociala medier. Dessa kommuner har sedan inom ramen för denna studie kontaktats i syfte att ta reda på hur de använder sig av sociala medier och om det finns några riktlinjer när de kommunicerar med medborgarna. Studien avgränsas sedan och inriktas mer på just Facebook och vilket budskap de vill förmedla genom sina Facebook-­‐ sidor, samt hur eventuella riktlinjerna ser ut. Totalt har 26 kommuner av 51 svarat på det elektroniska frågeformuläret och de är lokaliserade allt ifrån Kalix i norr till Ystad i söder. Metoden som har använts för studien är av en kvalitativ ansats med kvantitativa inslag där ett elektroniskt frågeformulär skickades ut, innehållande frågor som besvarats i fritext av kommunerna och som sedan analyserats, bearbetats och tolkats. Under teoriavsnittet presenteras begrepp som använts i studien samt en mer ingående presentation av SKL:s undersökning och riktlinjer. Vidare tas vikten av kommunikation, såväl intern som extern, upp. Arbetet konkluderas med en slutsats där det visar sig att kommuner använder sociala medier som en kommunikationskanal för att öka sin kommunikation gentemot medborgare. Kommuner vill på detta sätt skapa en dialog samt ha möjlighet till att nå ut till bredare målgrupper. Även marknadsföring och möjligheten att måla upp en positiv bild av sig själva ses som en viktig del till varför kommuner använder sociala medier. En annan nytta är också att man lättare kan nå kommunen som medborgare, och att kommunerna själva utökar sin medborgar-­‐service samt erbjuder en större variation av den. Ytterligare fördelar som framgår är att det blir lättare att sprida information och att det blir lättare att få in synpunkter och feedback från medborgare. Studien visar också att de allra flesta av de svarande kommunerna följer någon form av riktlinjer som används som stöd och komplement i användandet av sociala medier. / This study deals with the use of social media in general and Facebook in particular by Swedish municipalities. The phenomenon of social media has grown stronger in recent years and are not now days only used by individuals, but also by companies and organizations and now also authorities, which have begun to see the benefits of using them. This paper builds on a study carried out by the Swedish Local Authorities and Regions, which have developed guidelines for municipalities on how to respond to citizens using social media. From this previous study, a number of municipalities were found that use social media on a regular basis. In the context of this study these municipalities were then contacted in order to find out how they use social media and whether there are any guidelines when communicating with citizens. The study is then narrowed down to focus more on Facebook specifically and what message they want to convey through the use of Facebook, and how possible guidelines may look like. A total of 26 municipalities out of 51 elected to answer the electronic questionnaire, with locations from Kalix in the north to Ystad in the south. The method used for this study is a qualitative approach with quantitative elements, where an electronic questionnaire was sent out, containing questions answered in free text by the municipalities, which were then analysed, processed and interpreted. The theory section introduces concepts used in the study and a more detailed presentation of research and guidelines by the Swedish Local Authorities and Regions. The importance of communication, both internal and external, is also discussed. This paper concludes with the finding that municipalities are using social media as a communication channel to increase communication with their citizens. Municipalities would thus create a forum for dialogue and be able to reach out to wider audiences. Marketing possibilities and the creation of a positive image of themselves is seen as an important reason why municipalities are using social media. Another benefit is the ease of reaching the municipality as a citizen, and that the municipalities themselves are able to expand their civic service and offer a greater variety of it. Additional benefits can also be seen, such as making it easier to share information and to obtain input and feedback from citizens. The study also shows that the vast majority of the responding municipalities comply with some form of guidelines, used to support and supplement the use of social media.

Environmental monitoring initiatives are typically conceived as strictly scientific affairs designed to provide support for managerial decision-making; as a consequence most initiatives are centered on a formal mandate or an overarching mission statement that provides direction for monitoring activity. But official frameworks tend to marginalize lay perspectives as experts pursue disciplinary rigor at the expense of public input, a situation not in keeping with the spirit of the biosphere reserve concept. This thesis argues that an alternative design approach that reaches beyond scientists and resource managers is necessary. Environmental monitoring under an ecosystem approach is subject to scientific, social, and bureaucratic demands that defy easy disentanglement. A medley of factors influence how data are collected, interpreted, and used; neglect of these 'soft' dimensions runs the risk of failing to win the enduring support of stakeholders. There is a need to coordinate activity and to partially align multiple perspectives-this is the 'soft underbelly' of integrated monitoring that gets short shrift in most designs. While there is much monitoring being done in and around the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve, there is little coordination among monitoring groups and no obvious way to combine disparate data sets in a meaningful way. This thesis describes the elements of a locally-sensible framework for monitoring practice that is mainly concerned with trying to make sense of confusing and ambiguous situations; it strives to integrate the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of monitoring in as transparent a manner as possible by crafting 'boundary objects' that help to congeal understanding and provide centers of coordination. Using principles of participatory design in the soft-systems tradition, the overall intent is to primarily support sense-making, not decision-making; to generate searching questions, not final solutions; to facilitate learning, not control.

Environmental decision making processes are subject to diverse and at times conflicting pressures. On one hand, an enlightenment perspective places high value on scientific information about complex environmental phenomena, thus encouraging highly trained experts to perform research, interpret results, and provide advice to decision makers. On the other, international and domestic efforts to apply the concept of sustainable development tend to promote an enhanced role for non-expert knowledge and increased opportunities for public participation in decisions that affect local environments and livelihoods. Complicating this scenario further are debates within governments about how to allocate limited resources for environmental research and management. Citizen environmental monitoring initiatives provide an opportunity to examine these considerations as they play out in a variety of settings. From local, grassroots citizen groups to regional networks with government support, a wide range of monitoring programs exist that involve volunteers in gathering environmental information using scientific methods. Many groups attempt to apply their findings to planning initiatives, policy development or environmental law enforcement at local or regional levels. These efforts may blur the distinction between scientific and local knowledge, while raising questions about the relative legitimacy of experts and citizens as producers of knowledge for use in environmental decision making. Using a case study approach, this thesis explores factors affecting the application of information gathered through citizen environmental monitoring programs to decision making processes and outcomes in Comox Valley, British Columbia, and Hamilton and Muskoka, Ontario. Semi-formal interviews were conducted in all three locations with coordinators of citizen groups that perform environmental monitoring, as well as with government representatives who have some involvement with the same citizen monitoring initiatives. Key themes affecting the use of citizen monitoring information emerged from the study, including political will on the part of local decision makers, scientific rigour and data quality of citizen monitoring efforts, and perceived legitimacy of citizen groups in terms of their organizational stability and reputations. Suggestions are presented for overcoming obstacles in each of these areas. The research also identifies further issues that affect the application of citizen-collected data such as the level of matching between the information priorities of citizen groups and governments, as well as collaborative arrangements between program partners. On these issues, interviewees shared their ideal scenarios for citizen monitoring programs with respect to funding, partnership strategies, and best roles for volunteers, citizen groups, and governments who are involved in citizen environmental monitoring programs. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that future research investigate further the issues of power sharing, agenda setting, and mutual trust between citizen groups and governments at the local level.

To date, most public opinion surveys on globalization have placed little emphasis on studying globalization as a multidimensional phenomenon. The dominant approach used in most public opinion surveys on globalization is to focus primarily on its economic aspects, particularly as change in international trade flows. However, many academics recognize that globalization has political and cultural dimensions, which raises the question: can citizen attitudes toward globalization be explained merely by studying its economic dimension? <p>This study proposes that including definitions relating to globalizations cultural and political aspects produces richer opinion poll data that, along with economic definitions, allows for more valid interpretation of public attitudes towards globalization. This proposition was tested in a national, SSHRC-funded public opinion survey conducted in January of 2007 among 1,505 Canadians. This study probes both the different dimensions of globalization and peoples different conceptualizations of globalization. Drawing upon recent work by Kenichi Ohmae, Philip Cerny and others, the respondent pool was divided in half and then competing paired definitions of cultural and political globalization were tested. The results suggest that citizens possess significantly different attitudes toward the political, cultural and economic aspects of globalization, and so operationalizing the concept in terms of its economic effects alone is insufficient for most survey and public policy purposes.

The constant change of the political, economic, cultural and environmental landscapes of global societies predetermined the upgrowth of the media, the journalistic writings and the blogging practices as a new way of “citizen journalism”. Political blogs are a quite new media phenomenon that gained popularity in the past few years in Bulgaria. Hence, there are limited theoretical case studies.  The lagging performance of Bulgaria in the last Reporters Without Borders Report 2011 together with the explicit recommendations of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) after the Presidential and Municipal Elections 2011 in terms of media policy, ownership and news coverage bring the question of limited freedom of speech and the emergence of the blogs as an alternative platform for expression into discussion. Two methods are used in this thesis: structured interviews with two different additional questions and Critical Discourse Analysis. The empirical material was gathered from interviews with 8 of the most influential bloggers in Bulgaria (5 of whom work as journalists) and through an analysis of the texts of their blog entries (2 articles per bloggers or 18 articles in total). The aim is to underline the possible limitations in the practice of freedom of speech in Bulgaria from the bloggers’ perspective and to show only major patterns of the social environment and the current discourse in Bulgaria. Among the main findings of this study are thаt the lack of clarity in the media ownership and the failure of the media to defend the public interest are alarming for the level of democracy. Moreover, the media dependence on power and lobbying circles, as well as the blurred boundary between politics and the media results in the media self-censhorship and thus are threatening for the democratic foundation in Bulgaria and the freedom of speech which is at its basis. This study confirms the thriving of the blogosphere as an alternative media platform. This paper aims to provide insights and policy recommendations for international media experts.

<p>This dissertation research explores participatory sea turtle conservation monitoring through a comparison of two case studies, one in North Carolina (NC), USA and the other in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. Participatory approaches in conservation management can supplement state capacity as well as strengthen the involvement of citizens in environmental governance and knowledge production. Despite scholarship challenging the validity of the categories of developing and developed nations, this categorical assumptions derived from this binary world divide continue to inform conservation, and theoretical vocabularies for local roles in conservation management. In developed nations, participatory conservation management is framed through the broader administrative rationalism discourse, and is identified as volunteer conservation or citizen science. In developing nations, participatory conservation management is approached through the discourse of biodiversity and the threats human society poses to it, and is identified through community-based processes of conservation stewardship. The two case studies analyzed in this dissertation serve to interrogate the ways in which these distinct discourses influence outcomes, and consider what may be obscured or overlooked due to discursive constraints. </p><p> Conducting ethnographic research in each case study site, I participated in and observed sea turtle conservation activities and conducted in-depth interviews with relevant sea turtle conservation actors as well as collected documents pertaining to the conservation programs. Sea turtle conservation monitors in NC and BCS perform functionally similar conservation tasks, and I collected data using similar techniques in order to maximize comparability. I compare the case studies, not to generalize to a population, but instead to speak to theoretical propositions and inform existing theory on participatory conservation monitoring. </p><p> Although participatory monitoring in NC and BCS does not result in a democratization of science, there are beneficial outcomes to participants in both places. NC sea turtle monitors are enabled to take ownership of sea turtle stewardship, and BCS sea turtle monitors are enabled to promote conservation and cultural change using the authority of science. These outcomes challenge assumptions about state capacity and local engagements with science in participatory conservation, and the disparate approaches to local roles in conservation in each `world.' The overall findings suggest that a multitude of factors are involved in the production of conservation program frameworks and participant outcomes, and more deeply interrogating the taken for granted assumptions behind conservation designs and implementation can offer stronger understandings of what participatory conservation management can (and cannot) achieve.</p> / Dissertation