<p>Eating disorders are now considered an epidemic among girls and women throughout the United States. This thesis suggests a study in which the acts and processes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are positioned as a form of cultural labor undertaken by some Western women in order to embody the myth of the ideal female body. The researcher uses her own lived experience of anorexia and bulimia and her pursuit of embodying femininity in order to raise and guide the major questions concerning femininity and eating disorders in Western culture. </p><p> Keywords: eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, pro-ana, pro-mia, femininity, western culture, autoethnography </p>

<p> On October 1st of every year, college campuses throughout the United States are required to publish an annual security report (ASR), which provides an overview of the institution&rsquo;s security program. The ASR includes policies and procedures as well as crime statistics for the previous 3 years. The intent of the Clery Act was to provide valuable information on campus safety and security so that students, faculty, and staff can make more informed decisions as to either attend and/or work at a specific institution. This study examined how knowledgeable campus security authorities (CSAs) are with respect to these ASRs, also known as the Clery Act. Furthermore, this research examined whether or not the Act has influence on the success of the institutions&rsquo; missions. This is a qualitative study, which consists of data collected from structured interviews from 14 participants from 2 institutions representing four-year, for-profit colleges. Questions asked during these structured interviews focused on each respondent&rsquo;s knowledge of the Clery Act and its various provisions. The study revealed that the CSAs were unsure whether the Clery Act made college campuses safer; they were aware of the Act but not very familiar with the provisions of the Act; they were unable to identify resources other than additional personnel-power; and finally, they were familiar with the annual requirement of the Act and the published data but not with other provisions of the Act.</p>

<p>This study examined the practice of sexting (the exchange of nude or semi-nude photos through text messaging) among 401 undergraduate students ages 18 to 25 at California State University, Fresno. A computer survey with separate tracks for sexters and non-sexters differentiated data between the two groups. The researcher found that one in three students sexted. Pearson&rsquo;s &chi;² test indicated a statistical significance between female non-Hispanic White casual daters and sexting. Among key findings, a majority of sexters infrequently exchanged a small number of photos with their boyfriends or girlfriends. Face cropping and smartphone applications were used most often for protection against harmful effects. Less than a fifth of respondents had their sext forwarded without their consent or were bullied with the photo. Over half of the students that sexted perceived their sexting activity led to having sex with that person. Those who did not engage in sexting perceived sexters to be unaware of the risks attached to the practice and perceived sexting as inappropriate. The findings demonstrated a range of risky and protective behaviors, experiences, and perceptions exist among Fresno State students that have adopted or rejected the practice of sexting. Recommendations for future studies include further exploration on the sexting behaviors between relationship partners as well as the types of applications used to sext. </p>

<p> This research advances a water infrastructure vulnerability index (WIVI) in order to assess levels of susceptibility within the water sector and its respective infrastructure system(s). WIVI provides an assessment tool that can assist decision makers and policymakers in making better investment decisions supported by a prudent data-driven instrument. The index is dependent upon individual water utility data that are publically available, making it a transparent process that is repeatable and reproducible. Normalization of the data was used to establish baselines, and indicators were developed to represent the different levels of a functional water utility. WIVI provides a quantifiable snapshot of a water utility&rsquo;s past and present state of vulnerability. WIVI is a supportive tool that assists in data-driven decision management, which will determine the direction and allocation of financial infrastructure upgrades pertaining to a water system&rsquo;s need to rehabilitate, replace, or abandon current water system infrastructure.</p>

<p> Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are rapidly expanding in rural Illinois. This research explores the political power linkages between county boards and corporate entities in four Illinois counties. The hypothesis is that collusion and impropriety within county board politics and CAFO expansion in rural Illinois are attributed to stakeholder influence and power at the local county government level. My research revealed a connection between ownership of CAFOs, county board political power, and endorsement of expansion. Utilizing Walter Goldschmidt&rsquo;s method of a controlled comparison, the research analyzes two CAFO inundated counties (Pike and Adams) with two less affected counties (LaSalle and Peoria). </p><p> Considering the political nature of the research, data collection was forced into engaging secondary text sources to study up, down, and sideways on local government officials. The documents analyzed were public information meeting transcripts, county board meeting transcripts, municipal meeting transcripts, plat maps, public websites, and Freedom of Information Act requests (FOIAs). FOIAs were obtained through government entities and other confidential sources. Citizens are distressed by the proliferation of CAFOs. Through interviews, participant observation, field notes, and archival work, the research indicates that people have knowledge that social stratification is much greater in counties with CAFO proliferation. Citizens that have CAFOs built in close proximity to their property are angered by the permitting system. Considering the amount of pollution and social degradation connected to rapid expansion from livestock farming in Illinois, this research on the linkages between corporate agribusiness and county board politics fills a gap previously overlooked by anthropologists. </p>

Based on twenty months of fieldwork in Beijing and Shanghai, my dissertation intends to examine the psycho-boom, or the distinct cultural and social formation that the rise of Western psychotherapy has taken in the new hosting environment of urban China. I argue that the psycho-boom, while involving a new psychological modality or a new mental health profession, should not be narrowly conceived of as such. Instead, it is more akin to a popular movement that blends the elements of professional training, popular healing, consumer fad, and entrepreneurial pursuit. The networks and activities associated with psychotherapy training have constituted a massive social world in which various interests and aspirations can be pursued and realized. I further argue that experiences, either individual or interpersonal, have been a critical element of being in this social world. Many people learn to appreciate the psychological dimensions of experience through participating in it, turning one's involvement with psychotherapy a therapeutic journey in its broadest sense. / Anthropology

<p>ABSTRACT Since the late 1990s, access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have seen exponential growth throughout the globe, which the World Bank (2014) estimated to have reached 6.8 billion mobile subscribers, and 2.7 billion Internet users at the end of 2013. This growth is primarily fueled by expanding mobile wireless networks, decentralized telecommunication infrastructures, and innovative mobile and computer based applications. This unprecedented access to technology, coupled with globalization, is bringing multiple cultures closer together in the ever increasing transfer of labor between countries. International guest workers set out to create better lives for themselves and their families with their mobile phone in one hand and worldly possessions in another. Ultimately, these devices are allowing guest workers to connect with their home countries, in an exchange of information and ideas. International guest workers who live dual lives have one foot firmly planted in their home culture while trying to adapt to life in a new country and culture. This adaption, or acculturation, creates a tremendous amount of adjustment and stress. Acculturative stress can arise from financial difficulties, language barriers, discrimination, or extended detachment from one's family (Berry, 1997). Facebook and Skype can provide entertainment, locate employment, and bridge the emotional gaps that are created from the extended absence from one's friends and family. In this paper, we will examine the perception of acculturative stress and perceived social support from Latin American Guest Workers. This quantitative study will measure specifically the effects of Facebook and VoIP (Skype) on increasing the feelings of perceived social support while reducing the feelings associated with acculturative stress.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New School for Social Research, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-315). Also available in electronic format on the World Wide Web. Access restricted to users affiliated with the licensed institutions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New School for Social Research, 2001. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-103). Also available in electronic format on the World Wide Web. Access restricted to users affiliated with the licensed institutions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New School for Social Research, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-268). Also available in electronic format on the World Wide Web. Access restricted to users affiliated with the licensed institutions.