Thesis (Ph. D.)--New School for Social Research, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 302-331). 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 296-309). 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 188-192). 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 53-57). Also available in electronic format on the World Wide Web. Access restricted to users affiliated with the licensed institutions.

<p> This quantitative research study examined the frequency of street harassment and women's responses to it in terms of emotional reactions and coping mechanisms. A self-administered survey was administered to 51 female graduate students. Frequencies and percents were reported, along with ethnic and age differences in the experience of street harassment. </p><p> Verbal/stalking harassment was found to occur frequently. In addition, many participants reported negative feelings (e.g., annoyance and anger). Women also reported restricting their mobility and changing their appearance in order to avoid harassment. </p><p> These findings highlight the utility of intervening to reduce street harassment to increase women&rsquo;s safety and comfort in public. As women experience oppression due to their gender, their mental health has significant implications for our communities. In short, women&rsquo;s lives matter.</p>

<p> Previous literature substantiates that military spouses have a direct impact on reenlistment decisions of active duty service members. Studies state that life satisfaction and family support are interrelated, and a military spouse&rsquo;s life satisfaction with the military is conceded as the key predictor in reenlistment decisions. Previous research on military spouses focuses on the female spouse population and there is a lack of research concerning the growing male spouse population. This dissertation research study utilized a quantitative experimental design with the primary goal of investigating the relationship between civilian male military spouses&rsquo; life satisfaction, sense of community, social support, and utilization of U.S. Air Force overseas base agency support and community services. Data was collected from 81 completed surveys through an online format using SurveyMonkey using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, &amp; Griffin, 1985), Sense of Community Index-2 (SCI-2) (Chavis, Lee, &amp; Acosta, 2008), Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) social support survey (Sherbourne &amp; Stewart, 1991), and a dichotomous survey. The gathered data was subsequently analyzed utilizing simple linear regression and ANOVA. No statistically significant correlation between participating in base community services and life satisfaction was found. Sense of community and social support were found as statistically significant predictors of life satisfaction. There was no statistically significant correlation in life satisfaction, between those that do actively utilizing base agency services compared to those that do not. Military leadership can use the knowledge gained from the findings of this study to identify and construct support services and programs to adequately support the male spouse population. </p>

<p> Water quality perception is borne out of various factors, which include taste, risk perception, water chemical and microbial parameters, trust in supplier, among others. This study addressed some of the factors that influence drinking water quality perception in the SIUE community for tap and bottled water. This was done through a survey that was delivered to the students, faculty, administration, staff, and alumni members of the university; a link to the online survey was provided via the school email, and a total number of 779 respondents participated in the survey. Some of the variables used in this study are based on general concern for taste, cost, water-chemicals (such as lead), drinking water behavior as well as demographic variables such as age, knowledge level and ethnicity. This study is based on data received from the survey conducted of the SIUE population for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni. Data were analyzed using several statistical methods including Spearman rank correlation coefficient and Kruskal-Wallis test. The results indicated that age and ethnicity have a significant impact on water quality perception. Drinking water behavior, age, and knowledge are well correlated in this study; therefore, they were not able to be separated.</p><p>

abstract: Disability is a label accompanied by a multitude of misconceptions and stereotypes. During various periods in Germany, attitudes towards disability have ranged from disgust and fear, to acceptance and inclusion. Being disabled in Germany once meant certain isolation; at the hands of the Nazi regime, it was met with almost certain premature death. Since those darker days of Germany's history, the country has become one that now affords its disabled citizens with the same rights as the non-disabled population and seeks to create a barrier-free environment. This study examines these perceptions of disability in Germany from the 1920s through the first decade of the 21st century. In order to accomplish this goal, cinema is used to provide insights into contemporaneous ideas about disability. By drawing upon analyses of six films that span the course of nearly 80 years, careful examination of disability portrayals reveal philosophical shifts in how the German people interpret disability. When analyzing these films, aspects of physical and mental disability are brought to the surface and discussed in terms of their sociopolitical and philosophical implications. To provide a social and cultural framework that gives significance to the changes in these cinematic roles, a historical survey of the German disability rights movement is folded into the discussion. The films explored in this study serve as culturally important visual aids that illustrate positive changes for the disabled living in Germany. Although not directly influencing cinematic portrayals of disability, the German disability rights movement that arose in the postwar period shaped ideas about disability and allowed disabled Germans to be accepted and included in society. With these rights now available disabled Germans are able to lead a self-determined life and portray themselves as equals. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. German 2010

abstract: As global warming increases, sea levels continue to rise and world populations continue to grow; the Earth is nearing its tipping point. Human action, such as deforestation, mining, and industrialization, has had a profound effect on environments destroying wetlands, and the natural infrastructure needed to absorb rainfall and maintain vegetation. Due to extreme changes in climate and temperature, people all over the world are increasingly affected by natural disaster. Unable to sustain their livelihoods, these individuals, become environmental refugees and are forced to flee their land and homes to obtain security in another region or country. Currently, there are approximately 25 million environmental refugees worldwide. Despite the soaring numbers, environmental refugees are not legally recognized or protected by the United Nations, and thus do not receive the same rights or assistance as a traditional refugee. This thesis analyzes definitions and interpretations of Environmental Refugees (ERs) through the frameworks of environmental justice and human rights law and identifies possible avenues of discourse available. Furthermore, this thesis examines the current United Nations definition of refugee and identifies the pros and cons to expanding the current definition to include those affected by natural disaster. Through the case study of New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA), it is demonstrated how ERs are not only an issue facing developing countries, but also exist within developed nations. Hurricane Katrina in NOLA is an ethnographic example that demonstrates how during a time of natural disaster, a variety of past and present structural factors may contribute to the violation of human rights. This thesis then concludes with a discussion of possible categorizations of ERs and the concrete benefits of each category, and how lessons from NOLA can and should be applied to other ER situations in order to avoid human rights violations. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Social Justice and Human Rights 2010

This thesis explores the experiences of several pediatric health care providers in the Boston area. It identifies and examines the stories told by providers to discuss their profession, their decision-making processes, and the methods that they use to "know" themselves and their patients through the lens of current topics of interest in pediatrics, including the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. Pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, adolescent health providers, and pediatric focused gynecologists were recruited from several private, community-based, and academic medical center practices in the Boston area. This study used several qualitative data collection methods, focusing primarily on the use of semi-structured interviews while including participant and non-participant observations in two distinct clinical settings.