The Green Movement is assumed to introduce a new way to organize society, politics, economics, and technology in such a way that environmental damage will be minimized. This new approach has been called the "New Environmental Paradigm", denoting its holistic character, as much as its antithesis to the dominant "Western Paradigm". My investigation of North American environmental movement led me to conclude that the Green Movement is neither an ideologically nor a socially homogeneous movement. Instead, it consists of two distinct movements. The first one is "politics oriented", influenced by the New Left ideology. The second social movement, previously unnoticed by sociological literature, is "experience oriented", highly activist, influenced by Naturalist philosophies, and the one which really introduces a new societal paradigm.

An ecophysiological comparison among species was conducted to investigate the possible factors controlling the distribution of North American spruce (Picea) species, especially with regard to the possible influence of global change. The seedlings of 8 North American spruce species were grown in a growth chamber, with half of them being given an episodic 'increased temperature and drought' stress treatment. Trait values among species, particularly growth analysis components, were compared and related to climatic variables associated with the geographical range of the species. Relative growth rate (RGR) and specific leaf area (SLA) were positively correlated with latitude, and the leaf weight ratio (LWR) variation negatively with the dryness of species' natural ranges. All these relationships hold with both messed and unstressed seedlings, even thou seedling response to the stress was significant. The SLA-latitude and LWR-dryness relationships are likely to have ecological significance, and this indicates that foliage stricture (SLA) and allocation (LWR) play important roles determining a species range along temperature and dryness gradients.

The creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by the year 2005 has been a serious undertaking in the hemisphere since the first Summit of the Americas held in Miami in December of 1994. This entails the creation of a free trade agreement that would include virtually all the nations of the Western Hemisphere. However, this is not the first attempt at the creation of trade agreements within the region. From early efforts such as the Latin American Free Trade Agreement to current ones such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the MERCOSUR, there has been a push for the past 40 years at the use of free trade as a tool for economic development. Nevertheless, traditionally there has been a lack of legal and institutional analysis in the formation of these trading blocs. The same thing appears to be happening in the formation of the FTAA. This thesis analyzes and compares the differing trading blocs in the Western Hemisphere in terms of institutions and capacity to create regional norms and proposes the institutional framework needed for successful regional integration for the FTAA. It then looks at legal obstacles within the Constitutions of select States to the formation of this framework and problems that may arise in jurisdictional uncertainties between the plethora of trading blocs.

Mimesa is a Holarctic genus of predatory sphecoid wasps of which 36 species are found in America. The present study is a revision of the American fauna presenting keys to species, standardized descriptions, distribution maps and biological information for each species. / Fourteen species are here described as new: M. cahuilla, M. cheyenne, M. chiricahua, M. gabrieleno, M. ipai, M. jicarilla, M. klamath, M. miwoka, M. nisenan, M. senijextee, M. serrano, M. tequila, M. tolteca and M. zapoteca. In addition one subspecies, M. gregaria simplex, has been raised to species rank and 7 previously recognized species have been synonymized as follows: M. polita with M. dawsoni, M. atriventris with M. cressonii, M. iroquois with M. ezra, M. impressifrons with M. edentata and M. basirufa, M. nebrascensis and M. mallochi with M. lutaria. A lectotype has been designated for M. mexicana. / A total of 365 illustrations are presented to supplement keys and descriptions.

The complexity of information produced since the 1980's on co-occurring severe mental illness and substance misuse makes it difficult for social workers to grasp the current state of the question. This is a new field of study, and much of the information is incomplete or contradictory. This review examines epidemiological studies carried out in North America. We identify the varied semantic and philosophical approaches to the question of dual diagnoses, and provide an overview of etiological theories, as well as of the theory and practice of treatment for these disorders. Emergent concepts of recovery are also discussed. / Major findings. epidemiological data vary, but all point to a widespread problem. The diversity of meaning and of etiological theories appears to be linked to the heterogeneity of this population. An integrated treatment strategy is the current modality of choice, despite outcomes that are only mildly encouraging; finally, there is consensus among consumers that recovery from a disease is possible even in the absence of a complete cure. / Research limitations and knowledge gaps are to be expected in a new field of study. Additional research is necessary to determine the extent and causes of these comorbidities. Social workers must become knowledgeable in this field and remain abreast of new developments in order to engage in evidenced-based practice. Greater education about comorbidities is necessary, as is an overarching policy response from all levels of government. The principal contribution of this master's thesis to the discipline of social work is to provide a general synthesis of knowledge in a domain that is highly medicalized in the literature.

Chapter one began with an introduction to the Native American social movement. The history of relations between the United States and the Native Americans was given, as well as a description of the origins of the Native American social movement. A literature review of communication studies was given which detailed the contributions of Randall Lake to the understanding of Native American rhetoric and the Native concept of time, along with the contributions of Richard Morris, Philip Wander, and Gerry Philipsen. Two research questions were presented dealing with the rhetorical confrontation of the movement and the success of the movement since 1969.Chapter Two detailed the functional approach to social movements schema that was developed by Charles Stewart, Craig Smith, and Roger Denton. Stewart et al. identify five functions that must be fulfilled in order for a social movement to exist and succeed. The functions are: 1) transforming perceptions of history, 2) altering perceptions of society, 3) prescribing courses of action, 4) mobilizing for action, and 5) sustaining the social movement.Chapter Three contains analysis of the four representative events of the progress of the NativeAmerican movement since 1969. The four events are: 1) the 1969 takeover of Alcatraz, 2) the 1973 takeover of wounded Knee, 3) the 100 year anniversary observance of the Wounded Knee massacre, and 4) the protests surrounding the celebration of the Columbus Day quincentennial.Chapter Four contains the summary and conclusions drawn from the analysis of the four events. The findings in terms of the research questions are that the movement has deemphasized the confrontational nature of its activities and this deemphasis has contributed significantly to the movement's newfound successes in the 1980s and 1990s. / Department of Speech Communication

This thesis maps a genealogy for the process of erosion that has affected functional communities in North America over the last half-century. It seeks to make links between this erosion of functional communities and the increasing stress that families and, by extension, schools are currently experiencing. This thesis argues that in order to understand the dysfunction and stress we are seeing in our schools today, our examination must extend beyond children and families to include the wider social ecology, philosophical, economic, and political contexts, as well as the physical landscapes that shape family, school, and community life.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-80). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xii, 80 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Education. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2007. / "A dissertation in counseling psychology." Advisor: Chris Brown. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed April 22, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-119). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Feb. 19, 2008). PDF text: vi, 110 p. ; 595 K. UMI publication number: AAT 3271918. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.