Thesis (M.A.P.S.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-84).

Thesis (M.A.C.E.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references.

<p> <i>Like an elephant, while it may be difficult to describe, corruption is generally not difficult to recognize when observed</i> (Tanzi, 1998, p. 564). Many countries have been, or are currently typified by both lethal conflict and massive corruption. Historically, post-conflict development programs have imposed policies of zero corruption, yet they routinely fail. Initial research into &ldquo;corruption&rdquo; also identified significant ambiguities and self-contradiction with the definition of corruption, itself. This study used an Existential Phenomenological methodology with 8 participants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan to: 1) redefine and model corruption within a global construct, 2) examine the current doctrine mandating zero tolerance for corruption, and 3) examine the potential for tolerating moderate levels of corruption in favor of reduced lethal violence. Corrupt behavior is alleged by this research to include financial as well as non-financial mechanisms, and is motivated by Human, Institutional and Cultural Factors of Corruption. This research robustly redefines corruption, and develops new theories/models to better explain corrupt behavior. These include the <i> Corruption Hierarchy</i>, the <i>Corruption Pyramid</i> and the <i>Universal Corruption Model</i>. The research was inconclusive with respect to the tolerance of corruption mitigating lethal conflict, but confirmed strong support for policies of zero tolerance. In redefining corruption, many political, social and cultural norms currently exhibited by nation states, including the United States, are corrupt if/when properly classified. <i> I&rsquo;m desperate about my country. You&rsquo;ve got to be strong in my country. If you are weak, they will take you.</i> (Jeremy from Iraq)</p><p>

<p> Mediation offers an increasingly popular way for disputing parties to work together toward resolving their conflicts, yet there are few studies of the actual voiced interactions between mediation parties and experienced mediators. This research project studied 10 face-to-face interpersonal mediation sessions involving 34 participants. The study provides in-depth and multidimensional understanding of how experienced mediators assist disputing parties in refraining from or moving beyond the futility of blamescaping, toward cooperating on mutually acceptable resolution of their conflicts. (<i>Blamescaping</i> refers to verbal blaming behaviors, including accusations in the form of scapegoating.) </p><p> Findings from initial data analysis, employing the Voice-Centered Relational method&rsquo;s Listening Guide, showed that experienced mediators were able to help disputing parties by interceding and interposing in a variety of co-implicated ways related to the form, process, and content of mediation discourse. These ways emerged as strong patterns, and include cooperation coaching, encouraging short opening statements, interrupting blamescaping, supporting focus on the future rather than the past, mutualizing statements, avoiding criticism of the parties, frequent use of questions, and parties echoing mediators. Through a second level of in-depth data analysis and interpretation, those patterns of interpositions and intercessions were found to be consistent with each of three conceptual lenses: Ren&eacute; Girard&rsquo;s mimetic theory of conflict, genre analysis in conflict resolution, and narrative mediation praxis. </p><p> Implications of how the research findings can serve as a resource for conflict resolution practitioners, mediator training and continuing education, and applied mediation ethics are discussed. Recommendations for ways the mediation profession can support additional research, along with suggestions for future research studies, also are provided. </p><p>

<p> We live in what is probably the most peaceful time in hundreds, if not thousands of years (Pinker 2012). This peace has major implications for human welfare, yet the causes of peace are not well understood (N. P. Gleditsch et al. 2013). My dissertation helps us understand those causes by examining how internal political institutions and external political competition affect violence.</p><p>

This study addressed a group of people called karma yogis who have been of service in the world. The population I analyzed are those assisting others in developing countries that are in communities that have been marginalized by war, political unrest, and unstable conditions. This study is an interpretative phenomenological analysis that illuminated the lived experience of karma yogis who volunteered in developing countries as peacebuilders. The research focused on understanding this group of international peacebuilders and their dedication to service which affected the social identity of the yogi. Exploring the experiences and what it meant to be an international karma yogi was at the core of this research. The theoretical underpinnings were based on Gandhian nonviolence, peace philosophies and human needs theory. A keen understanding of these international peacebuilders allowed for insight into why their philosophy is important within the field of peace studies. Three participants who are yogis were interviewed as to their experiences as peacebuilders in developing countries. The questions in this research were what is the lived experience of karma yogis as international peacebuilders? What does it mean to be an international karma yogi? What are the experiences of international karma yogis? What is the identity of the international karma yogi? Through conducting and analyzing the interviews this study revealed the lived experience of karma yogis as international peacebuilders. Defining the path of a peacebuilder, interpreting the impact of the international karma yogi, reviewing the life of service as an international karma yogi and reflecting on the identity of an international karma yogi were the main themes that addressed the questions being explored within this study.

<p> Abstract This work advances a practical theology of relationships that attend to the narratives, struggles, and needs of Christians caught in ethnic and religious violence in Taraba, a northeastern state in Nigeria. The study re-visions dialogue, in particular, the 'dialogue of life' which leads to fostering inter-community relations, advancing lasting peace in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. This work utilizes the praxis method that is interpretive and dialogical. It builds on John Baptist Metz&rsquo;s categorical Method and incorporates the praxis aspects of the Cardijin method (see, judge and act). The purpose of the praxis is to transform difficult pastoral situations into life flourishing situations. The study seeks to motivate a re-examination of the design and governance of conflicting communities and contribute towards developing an inclusive, interreligious and ecumenical ecclesiology. The research describes the reality of social context in order to discern conflicting cultural and religious understandings that inform the use of social medium for dialogue. Granted there are challenges of social violence across contemporary Nigeria, and the impact of ethnic and religious crises that have led to so many ruptures in Nigeria, in particular, Taraba State the church can be an effective instrument in rebuilding these relationships and fostering reconciliation.</p><p> As dialogical research, this study adopts a method of practical theological reflection that builds on three categories of Metz&rsquo;s method that explores the &ldquo;judging&rdquo; portion of the work in order to engage both African tradition and Catholic theological wisdom. In this way, a deeper consideration of the impact of violence both interpersonal and structural is brought forth. Notably, evidence from contemporary social science in terms of analysis of the people involved in Taraba State and similar conflicts show that the social psychological dimension of violence is long-term stress that ultimately destroys both personal and social relationships. Knowing that identity and social experiences are shaped by relationships Christians are called to understand their interpersonal social relationships in the light of scripture and tradition. God's self-revelation can only be in relationship since God reveals God self as a Trinitarian community of persons. This is well expressed in the experience of the Eucharist which further reveals a profound sense of relationship where divine narrative intersects with human narrative.</p><p> Finally, this study explores narratives as another critical category in the theological reflection on violence in Nigeria and the &ldquo;dialogue of life&rdquo; as a Catholic response. The study examines the African understanding of community, which itself builds on narratives and relationships. Ultimately, the understanding of community also shapes everyday ecclesiology. When these categories are, therefore, taken together, they confirm the value of connecting magisterial teaching regarding a &ldquo;dialogue of life,&rdquo; developed in the context of interreligious dialogue, with magisterial social teaching. </p><p> The strength of this work is its major contribution to method which builds on Metz&rsquo;s categorical method utilized here in relationships, narratives, community and the dialogue of life. It is hoped that the work brings reconciliation in Taraba State, and leads to healing among warring communities both within and without Nigeria. The journey begins with the daily Christian practices of community living surmised here as the &lsquo;dialogue of life.&rsquo;</p><p>

In five multi-method studies this dissertation examined how context based morality may explain increased incidence of combat related psychological difficulties among US service personnel. We were particularly interested in the relationship between causing harm to others and moral self-perceptions and related emotional consequences. In studies 1 and 2 we found that our samples of Iraq and Afghan war veterans reported that a soldier would feel increased levels of guilt and shame and negative moral judgments of the self when they return home and reflect on incidents of harm that may have occurred during their deployments. These two studies were supported by three short experiments showing that different moral judgments of harm were made depending on whether the harm doing was interpersonal or intergroup. Interpersonal harm doing was judged more harshly than intergroup harm leading us to believe that while in combat harm doing had minimal consequences on the self-perceptions and emotions of a soldier and that when they returned home to civilian life where interpersonal moral standards are more prevalent their self-perceptions and emotional wellbeing was affected by their prior conduct.

In this dissertation, the author proposes a definition for rights-based practice in social work as practice that sees through a human rights lens, employs human rights methods, and aims towards human rights goals. Beyond the definition, a theoretically-grounded framework for Human Rights Practice in Social Work (HRPSW) is derived from the existing literature, and then measures of core HRPSW--human rights lens in social work and human rights methods in social work--are validated using survey research methods and factor analysis. The scales were validated using survey methodology on a sample of 1,014 Florida Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Factor analysis confirmed a two-factor, 11-item model for Human Rights Lens in Social Work (HRLSW) scale, consisting of two subscales, Clients are seen as experiencing rights violations, and Social problems are seen as rights violations. In Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), a respecified model (allowing one error covariance) fit the data very well. All of the fit indices were within their critical values (χ2/df ratio = 1.5; CFI =.99; TLI =.99; RMSEA =.03; SRMR =.03). For the Human Rights Methods in Social Work (HRMSW), factor analysis confirmed a suite of eight inter-related scales: (1) participation (5 items); (2) nondiscrimination (6 items); (3) strengths-based perspective (5 items); (4) micro/macro integration (6 items); (5) capacity-building (5 items); (6) community & interdisciplinary collaboration (5 items); (7) activism (5 items); and (8) accountability (6 items). Again, CFA confirmed a good fit between the respecified model (allowing eight error covariances) and the data (χ2/df ratio = 2.9; CFI =.91; TLI =.90; RMSEA =.04; SRMR =.07). This definition, the framework, and the accompanying measures can all be used by social workers, educators, and researchers to assert social work's role as a human rights profession. This dissertation is a call for a greater focus on human rights and social justice within social work practice, and represents a significant step forward in the field of social work and human rights. The HRPSW framework proposed here creates a concrete point of reference for what previously has been an undefined construct. With a definition in hand, it is now possible for social work educators to teach human rights practice, for practitioners to practice it, and for researchers to evaluate it. Advocates have argued that human rights are a more tangible and defined way of setting goals for social work action than our traditional aim of social justice (Mapp, 2008; Pyles, 2006; Reichert, 2011); the scales validated in this dissertation can help social workers to test this proposition. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2015. / April 9, 2015. / human rights, human rights practice, psychometric study, scale development, social work / Includes bibliographical references. / Neil Abell, Professor Directing Dissertation; Irene Padavic, University Representative; Nicholas F. Mazza, Committee Member; Stephen Tripodi, Committee Member; Terry Coonan, Committee Member.

The role of the United Nations in international peace and peacekeeping has traditionally been supported by the Russian Federation, promoting the UN as a central actor in international politics and using force in the establishment of peace in Russian peacekeeping operations. However, blocking several military interventions and UN resolutions on peacekeeping and criticising the use of the UN as a political tool for western states, the Russian perception of peace in the UN remains uncharted. In an attempt to provide new knowledge to the Russian perception of peace, this thesis investigates Russian ideas of peace expressed in national policy documents and UN Security Council statements between 2019 and 2020, concerning the establishment of peace in international conflicts. Using an ideational analysis, Russian ideas of peace are interpreted according to the theoretical framework of situational and relational peace, developed by Jarstad et al. (2019), examining peace as situational security and political order, and as a relational behaviour, attitudes and ideas. The analysis reveals that Russian ideas can be interpreted as characterised by both situational and relational peace, promoting peace and peacekeeping based on international law, establishing security and stability through peaceful means of conflict management rather than promoting forceful military means. Further, ideas of peacekeeping are interpreted as promoting a return to status quo, and state responsibility.