This qualitative research study was designed to follow-up with ten participants in a relapse prevention program at an inpatient psychiatric unit with a diagnosis of major depression for the purpose of determining their experiences post-discharge in practicing relapse prevention and in pursuing and maintaining wellness in their mental health. It relied upon narrative theory, theories of self-efficacy, and theories of depression to guide the research process as well as the field of knowledge about rehospitalization, relapse prevention, depression, and self-efficacy. Participants described depression associated with loss, feeling helpless, powerless, overwhelmed and suicidal. They increased in their confidence of depression management as their depression got better and they actively managed it. During the interviews participants expressed themes of connection, with participants feeling disconnected from themselves and others, wanting to be listened to, but feeling unheard or hiding their own voice, a loss of self with healing occurring through use of self, learning cognitively and experientially to manage their depression using specific self-efficacy skills and identifying the things that interfered with depression management. A relational theory of depression management, based on attachment theory is proposed and several suggestions for research and treatment are made. / Ph. D.

This dissertation takes as its starting point some curious historical parallels in research on the heritability of alcoholism from opposite ends of the 20th century, and the underlying continuity in assumptions implicated by these parallels. Rather than review mainstream historical narratives on the origins of genetic research and alcoholism studies, I examine evidence and developments as yet unexplored by scholars. First I examine the origins of recent research models and diagnostic criteria that provide evidence for the hereditary nature of alcoholism. Then I consider the assumption of genetic determinism and its relationship to strategies of propaganda employed by the Eugenics movement early in the century. Using these historical "snapshots" I draw out conceptual and philosophical problems with the genetic explanation of alcoholism that continue to confront researchers today. These limitations suggest two possible avenues of resolution: either we develop finer-grained strategies for distinguishing social deviance from physical disorders, or we develop an integrated understanding of the complex interplay of human biological and cultural systems by extending the approach known as Developmental Systems Theory. In the conclusion, I explore these options and their potential ramifications for our understanding of alcoholism in hereditary and human contexts. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this research was to study identity performance among undergraduate Muslim international women on college campuses in the U.S. Identity performance was defined as the way in which these women acted, engaged, interacted, behaved, and situated themselves in their various environments (Goffman, 1959). The conceptual framework for the study was Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (1979) that identifies five environmental systems in which an individual interacts (microsystems, mesosystems, ecosystems, macrosystems, and chronosystems). This study focused on identity performance in microsystems. Narrative inquiry, a qualitative methodological approach, was utilized to pursue two research questions: (1) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance inside college environments; and (2) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance outside college environments? Two in-person interviews were conducted with eight participants representing six countries (Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed with four iterations of coding (narrative coding, refining narrative coding, pattern coding, theming the data) (Saldaña, 2015). Five themes emerged: Muslim identity performance in home country, Muslim identity performance and family, Muslim international identity consciousness, religious engagement on campus, and understandings of new Muslim international identity. The stories shared revealed that identity performance was a complex process; it was ever changing and evolving as Muslim international women navigated their way from a religiously homogeneous environment in the home country to a heterogeneous environment within the U.S. Their microsystems and interactions with various environments influenced their performances of their various identities. These influences were also related to contextual conformity, psychological awareness, agency, resilience, persistence, positivity and appreciation of their experiences in the ever-changing environments. The study has implications for faculty and university administrators who are seeking to create inclusive and encouraging academic and social environments. Findings also have implications for future research on identity performance, contextual conformity, and experiences of Muslim international students. / Doctor of Philosophy / The population in the United States of America is rapidly becoming more diverse in terms of ethnicities, religions, and resident demographics. As a result of this shifting pattern towards heterogeneity, colleges and universities are also becoming more diverse (Seidman, 2005). International students and Muslim students are two such populations that have contributed to the increased diversity of the student body. Among these populations, international Muslim women reside at a unique intersection of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, and national identities. Literature reveals that Muslim international women are often stereotyped and they experience Islamophobia in gendered ways (Cole & Ahmadi, 2003). The purpose of my research was to study identity performance of Muslim international women on two college campuses in the U.S. Identity performance was the ways in which these women acted, engaged, interacted, behaved and situated themselves in their various environments (Goffman, 1959). I used Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (1979) as the conceptual framework for this study. This theory identifies five environmental systems in which individuals interact (microsystems, mesosystems, ecosystems, macrosystems, and chronosystems). This study focused on identity performance in microsystems, which were their immediate environments. I used narrative inquiry, a qualitative methodological approach, to pursue two research questions: (1) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance inside college environments; and (2) how do undergraduate Muslim international women describe their experiences of identity performance outside college environments? I conducted two interviews each with eight participants to collect their stories of identity performance. The stories shared revealed that identity performance was a complex process. Contextual conformity, psychological awareness, agency, resilience, persistence, positivity and appreciation of their experiences influenced their identity performances. This study has implications for faculty and university administrators who are seeking to create inclusive, convenient and encouraging academic and social environments for all students. Findings also have implications for future research on identity performance, contextual conformity, and experiences of Muslim international students.

Using a Systems Theory approach allows a person to analyze the intertwined elements of the drug development system and the potential influences of the environment. Thomas Hughes's Large Technological Systems (LTS) Theory is one that could be used for this purpose; however, it falls short in its ability to address the complexity of current day regulatory environments. This dissertation provides a critical analysis of Hughes's LTS Theory and his phases of evolution as they apply to the United States (U.S.) system for biologic drug research, development and labeling. It identifies and explains potential flaws with Hughes's LTS Theory and provides suggested improvements. As an alternative approach, this dissertation explores the concept of "techno-regulatory system" where government regulators play an integral part in system innovations and explains why such systems do not always follow Hughes's model. Finally, this dissertation proposes a hybrid version of Hughes's systems approach and uses it to explain the changes that occurred in the drug approval system in response to the push for, opposition, and inclusion of, pediatric research in drug development during the period 1950-2003. / Ph. D.

This thesis deploys world-systems theory to analyze two series of mid-twentieth century wildcat strikes in the Appalachian coalfields: the Eastern Kentucky-based Roving Picket Movement of 1962-1963 and a separate set of unauthorized strikes throughout the region that lasted from 1974-1978, with a particular focus on the Gas Strike of 1974, the strikes surrounding the 1974 Kanawha Country book boycott, and the 1977-1978 contract strike. More specifically, I will examine the New Communist Movement's (NCM) role in these strikes, with special emphasis on the Maoist-inspired Progressive Labor (PL)'s participation in the 1962-1963 strikes and the role of the Miner's Right to Strike Committee (MRSC), a project of the Revolutionary Union/Revolutionary Communist Party in the 1970s wildcats. I argue that PL and the MRSC's divergent experiences demonstrate the shift from the first to the second anti-systemic movement. PL's experience working with the strikers was more typical of the first anti-systemic movement; the MRSC's experience was more typical of the second anti-systemic movement. The two sets of NCM organizers' varying levels of success, different approaches to the New Social Movements, and different interactions with structural forces at play in the world-system all point to the shift in anti-systemic movements. / Master of Arts

Early reading intervention has not eradicated reading deficiencies at the middle school level. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), adolescents continue to read below grade level in middle grades. Response to intervention (RTI) is one method of combating this educational concern. This study examined the impact of implementation of a RTI program within one district across multiple middle school campuses. Using individual structured online questionnaires, focus groups, and document analysis, the researcher employed a qualitative, multi-site case study design to evaluate the perceptions of impact of RTI through the lens of middle school reading teachers. Participants included a convenient purposive sample of middle school reading teachers in a suburban school district of about 24,000 students in North Central Texas. I present a review of relevant research at the middle school level to provide a framework for the current study. Additionally, an outline of methodology, research questions, and the proposed data analysis plan are provided. I discuss the intended use of constant comparative analysis to report findings in themes. Particularly, facilitators, hindrances, and impact are a priori themes for reporting.

<p dir="ltr">The development of feeding skills is essential for infant health, growth, and family well-being. Despite the importance of this skill, relatively little is known about the development of independent solid feeding skills relative to other body systems – like vocalizations – or external factors including caregivers or the feeding environment. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the relationship between feeding skills, vocalizations, and caregiver feeding responsiveness at the same point in 6-8-month-old infants. We conducted this study remotely in order to obtain the most accurate assessment of infant skills and include diverse infant feeding experiences within their own home environments. Twenty-five typically developing – low-risk – infants and a pilot group of ten infants at increased risk for feeding and communication disorders completed the study, along with their caregivers. Infants were categorized as “at-risk” if they spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We collected feeding data through caregiver-recorded videos of typical mealtimes, vocalization measures from daylong audio recordings, and responsiveness assessments from video-conferencing interviews with caregivers and the mealtime feeding videos. In our sample, it was feasible to use these remote data collection methods, and we obtained high inter- and intra-rater reliability for all measures (> 90%). In our preliminary study, we found that infants in the low- and at-risk groups demonstrated different oral motor feeding skills. In hierarchical regression models, the interaction between risk group and utterance duration was the most significant predictor of oral motor feeding skills, while neither vocalization measure was strongly related to eating efficiency. In the opposite direction, feeding skills were not predictive of either normalized child vocalization count or utterance duration. Relative to caregiver feeding responsiveness, we found that caregiver feeding responsivity alone did not predict feeding or vocalization measures. Responsivity in combination with weeks of feeding experience and medical risk group was related to oral motor feeding skill but not related to vocalization measures. Overall, this study provided initial evidence that feeding skills develop as a dynamic system, influenced by multiple within-child and external factors, and future research is warranted on the influence of these factors on feeding and communication skill development.</p>

This article outlines a critical systems theory approach to the study of populism by arguing that populism is an avenue of contestation which assumes a distinct role and function in the existing constitution of the political system. Most notably, it is characterised by the re-entry of a popular sovereignty dimension within regular political procedures. By taking up a critical systems theory perspective, it becomes possible to more precisely distinguish populism from other forms of politics, such as oppositional politics, social movement politics or procedural constitutional politics. Further, populism’s oscillation between democratic and authoritarian dynamics can be elucidated as an inversion which operates from within its political form. Finally, it is argued that the critical systems theory approach provides a more nuanced understanding of populism’s inherent problems and, consequently, moves beyond a blunt defence or rejection of populism as such.

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<p>The Swedish National Debt Office (SNDO) is the Swedish Government’s financial administration. It has several tasks and the main one is to manage the central government’s debt in a way that minimizes the cost with due regard to risk. The debt management problem is to choose currency composition and maturity profile - a problem made difficult because of the many stochastic factors involved. </p><p>The SNDO has created a simulation model to quantitatively analyze different aspects of this problem by evaluating a set of static strategies in a great number of simulated futures. This approach has a number of drawbacks, which might be handled by using a financial optimization approach based on Stochastic Programming. </p><p>The objective of this master’s thesis is thus to apply financial optimization on the Swedish government’s strategic debt management problem, using the SNDO’s simulation model to generate scenarios, and to evaluate this approach against a set of static strategies in fictitious future macroeconomic developments. </p><p>In this report we describe how the SNDO’s simulation model is used along with a clustering algorithm to form future scenarios, which are then used by an optimization model to find an optimal decision regarding the debt management problem. </p><p>Results of the evaluations show that our optimization approach is expected to have a lower average annual real cost, but with somewhat higher risk, than a set of static comparison strategies in a simulated future. These evaluation results are based on a risk preference set by ourselves, since the government has not expressed its risk preference quantitatively. We also conclude that financial optimization is applicable on the government debt management problem, although some work remains before the method can be incorporated into the strategic work of the SNDO.</p>