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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Architecture, Planning & Design / John W. Keller / Some parts of rural America are experiencing unprecedented demographic and cultural changes as immigrant settlement patterns shift from traditional gateway cities to rural regions that have enticing economic opportunities. In particular, southwest Kansas has become a magnet for immigrant workers and their families. Between 2007 and 2008, Finney County became a majority-minority county (Callebs, 2009). However, lack of affordable housing and limited housing stock has strained communities and become an obstacle for newly settling immigrants (Stull, 2011). This study aims to redress the limited research on immigrants in rural regions and focuses specifically on the cultural experiences of Finney County Hispanic immigrants regarding integration into the local housing community. This qualitative case study is designed using the housing career framework (Murdie, 2002) to capture the factors that influence the housing experience of Hispanic immigrants. The 25 participants were recruited using snowball sampling and convenience sampling techniques. Based on the participant’s language preference, the in-depth interviews were conducted in English or Spanish. This study has found that the mission of community planning has to be a multifaceted process to address the varied needs of immigrant families. Community planners and policy makers can use the information this study provides to better serve the immigrant Hispanic community, which is expected to grow over the coming years.

The act of piracy on the high seas and in territorial waters has become a very real and serious problem for many littoral states throughout the world. The practice of piracy has plagued littoral states for centuries, yet throughout both past and contemporary literature on the subject, there is no standard test that can viably estimate and predict the amount to which piracy rates would rise or fall in regards to a standard variable. This thesis examines three distinct regions throughout the world where piracy has been a notable problem, and where a substantial number of reported cases have occurred These cases have occurred due to a geographic chokepoint of traffic. The Gulf of Aden, the Caribbean Sea, and the Malacca Strait will serve as the three primary locations within which this thesis will adapt three independent variables in an attempt to establish a trend. The three independent variables that will be applied to the latter three regions are the amount of regional enforcement of anti-piracy strategies, the amount of international cooperation and enforcement of codified international laws, and the extent to which local economies, specifically coastal economies, are experiencing problems. Literature from both the past and present, including individual case studies have been used to determine the extent to which the previously mentioned independent variables relate to the amount of piracy in three distinct regions of the world. This study has established that there is a negative, coinciding relationship to each one of the independent variables and the rate to which piracy occurs, and the dependency of one variable on the other in any particular case.