The purpose of this research is to examine the ways in which mentoring affects black graduate students' completion of programs of study. Performance is measured by completion of their graduate program, length of time taken to complete the program, grade point average (GPA), and overall attitude about their graduate school experience. On average, over half of all black graduate students leave their programs of study before completion compared to 25% attrition (non-completion of program of study) of white students. A review of the literature suggests that any form of mentoring improves completion rates among black graduate students. Existing research further suggests that when paired with like mentors, such as same race or gender, black graduate students complete their programs at even higher rates. The existing research is, however, limited due to the age of the research and factors such as attrition by discipline. Updated research is needed to determine why, despite being admitted to graduate programs of study at the highest rates in United States history, black students are leaving without graduate degrees more than any other race. Vincent Tinto's theory of social adjustment states that students who are not socially adjusted are less likely to persist (complete their program of study). Because black students are attending Predominately White Institutions (PWFs) at the highest rates since Reconstruction, this research will examine ways in which black graduate students become socially adjusted and how it affects their persistence. The anticipated results of the study are that black graduate students who had mentors completed their programs more often than those who did not have mentors. Additionally, those who had mentors of the same race, gender, or socio-economic backgrounds may report even higher percentages of completion. In contrast, those who did not have mentors may report lower percentages of completion.

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The thesis investigates the content and composition of the despacho, the ritual offering used to propitiate principal earth deities in the Bolivian mining town of Oruro (Department of Oruro). The despacho is also designed to increase suerte which is viewed not only in terms of material fortune, but also personal well-being and harmony with the cosmos. The concepts and terminology of the despacho are discussed, as well as the different types of despacho used, and particular features of their content, composition and presentation. The first part of the thesis shows how the content and arrangement of the despacho constitute a symbolic language, communicating what is important about suerte, and creating a miniature picture of life on earth in all its abundance. The despacho’s symbolic language is particularly meaningful in terms of suerte and the Quechua and Aymara peoples’ worldview. The second part of the thesis investigates the use of six different curing mesas used in a ritual ceremony to restore suerte following a coca divination ceremony. Both ceremonies were performed by an Aymara ritual specialist from a village south of Oruro. The content and function of each mesa is discussed, and I show how the six mesas were used in a sequence to describe a transition from mala suerte to suerte, and as part of a broader sequence of ritual events. In this part of the thesis I demonstrate how symbolic language is also used in healing mesas to describe and bring about changes between different states, and to create access to suerte in ritual.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-03-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:22:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 proenca_wl_dr_assis.pdf: 1996054 bytes, checksum: 05e797351939c5f2a9a0eb25de4b7c39 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Em 1977, com o nome de Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, surgiu o mais instigante movimento religioso no cenário brasileiro contemporâneo, não apenas pelo explosivo crescimento numérico, mas principalmente pela inauguração de práticas que transpõem as categorias conceituais explicativas classicamente utilizadas para a análise das manifestações de fé. Abordagens jornalísticas, religiosas e sociológicas não deram conta de compreender a abrangência e os impactos promovidos por esse segmento. O desafio foi então lançado à historiografia. Com o propósito de contribuir para o preenchimento dessa lacuna, esse trabalho se propôs a pesquisar, com profundidade, as práticas e as representações que notabilizaram o fenômeno iurdiano. Para isso, a partir de parâmetros teórico-metodológicos da História Cultural - articulados com os pensamentos de Roger Chartier e Pierre Bourdieu - realizaram-se incursões investigativas nos documentos próprios da igreja, conjugando-as com observações participantes nos cultos e ritos, cruzando-se ainda tais fontes com depoimentos de líderes e fiéis, além de gravações sistematizadas de programas midiáticos, transcritos e catalogados para análise. Constatou-se que o fenômeno iurdiano: não é dissidência e nem continuidade de outras expressões religiosas, mas é criador de algo novo a partir de apropriação e resignificação de compósitos culturais arraigados na longa duração histórica; estabeleceu um marco divisor no campo religioso quando chegou às massas e atingiu a matriz cultural brasileira... / In 1977 was inaugurated, with the name Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (IURD) - the most provocative religious movement in contemporary Brazil, not simply due to its explosive numerical growth, but mainly because of its practices that went beyond classical conceptual categories employed in analyses of faith manifestations. Journalistic, religious, and sociological approaches were not sufficient to account for the range and impact of this segment. The challenge was then submitted to historiography. With the purpose of answering some of these lacunae, the present work proposes to research in depth the practices and representations that most mark the IURD phenomenon. For that, using theoretical-methodological parameters from cultural history, articulated in the works of Roger Chartier and Pierre Bourdieu, we shall make incursive investigations into the documents of the church, placing these alongside the observations made by participants in the church s rites and practices, then comparing these with additional statements from the church s leadership and faithful followers. We will also examine Transcripted and catalogued information gathered from various media programs. It was found that the IURD phenomenon was not due to dissidence nor continuity with other religious expressions, but was instead the creation of something new... (Complete abstract, click electronic access below)

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Alejandro Lugo. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-208) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> This thesis examines the lifestyle of the people who lived in Kaup&omacr; between 1930- 1950. A number of those who lived in Kaup&omacr; during that time were interviewed and their stories have been compiled under various topics relating to their life, the nature of the land, the community, religion, food getting, and life at home. This thesis examines their traditional Hawaiian knowledge, behavior and spirituality. Place names were also researched in order to verify names documented previously and to document additional names.</p>