Thesis--University of Pennsylvania, 1916.

Thesis (PhD)-Open University. BLDSC no. DXN119968.

Research on female street prostitutes has focused on negative consequences of the lifestyle. Yet, there is a dearth of literature on resilience and coping. This study addresses resilience and coping skills among three groups of women in various stages of prostitution: actively prostituting, exited the lifestyle for less than six months and exited for more than eighteen months. Aims included a description, a comparison and exploration of relationships for the following variables: trauma in childhood and adulthood, physical and mental health problems, number of provider visits in the last year, resilience and coping skills. There is an estimated 70,000 to one million prostitutes in the United States. Female Street prostitutes suffer the highest rates of violence, abuse, and stigma of all types of sex workers with the violence often leading to an increase in premature mortality. Female street prostitutes have been shown to be at high risk for mental and physical health problems, violence, and homelessness. There were 50 female street prostitutes who completed the following seven questionnaires: Demographic Characteristics, The Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adult Trauma Questionnaire, Health Questionnaire, The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, The Ways of Coping, and The Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener. The findings support women who exited the lifestyle of prostitution for more than eighteen months had a higher score on resilience. The women were able to address substance abuse, crime/violence, and externalizing issues early in treatment however scores on internalizing issues were only lower in the women exiting the lifestyle for 18 months or more. Women who had exited for more than 18 months had higher positive reappraisal scores and lower distancing. Women still prostituting reported acute health issues whereas women exiting the lifestyle for 18 months or more reported chronic issues. These findings suggest that women who have experienced trauma throughout their lives will need longer-term treatment to promote resilient reintegration into society. Access to therapy is needed early upon exiting the lifestyle. Healthcare providers need to be educated to recognize red flags of prostitutes so appropriate assessments and interventions can occur much earlier in their life.

Please note: creative writing theses are permanently embargoed in OpenBU. No public access is forecasted for these. To request private access, please click on the locked Download file link and fill out the appropriate web form. / 2031-01-01

This dissertation investigates the requirements and design of a Mind Development Centre in the Pretoria Central Business District. The investigation touches upon the research done into the human mind and brain and the ways in which it can be improved and supported. Environmental factors that influence thinking and meta-thinking is investigated and applied in the design of a centre where research of the mind can be conducted and where knowledge gained can be disseminated. Historical paradigms about thinking play an important part in understanding the way one thinks about thinking. These are briefly discussed and the examination arrives at a contemporary and more appropriate theory of thinking and mind. Fields touched upon in this investigation include popular psychology, environmental psychology, education, health and fitness, neurology, sustainability issues and social reconstruction. The history and context of the site is examined in order to design a building that not only responds to its environment, but serves to project the principles it embodies its direct surrounding area. The normative position throughout the investigation is that thinking is a skill that can be taught and developed. It is accessible to all, but, like physical prowess, some might display a greater proficiency or natural aptitude. It is considered to be in the best interest of individuals and society alike that thinking skills be raised among as broad a base as possible. Through its influence on thinking, the built environment and appropriate design can contribute to this task. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Architecture / unrestricted

The goal of this research was to explore and compare the perspectives of both parents and street children regarding the factors in the family systems that contribute to children leaving home and living on the streets. The study was done within the qualitative research approach and was applied research. It was a comparative study, comparing the perspectives of children and their parents/guardians. A literature review was conducted and formed the basis for a semi-structured interview schedule. A non-probability sampling method and a purposive technique were used in the selection of participants in this study. They met the following criteria. <ul> <li>They were boys and girls between ten and eighteen years of age.</li> <li>They had been benefiting from the Leratong and Itumeleng shelter services for at least six months and more.</li> <li>They had a family that consistsed of both parents, either single parent or at least a guardian who would be included as a respondent in the study.</li> <li>Their families were located around Pretoria for accessibility.</li> <li>They did not have constant contact with their families.</li></ul> The phenomenological strategy was suitable for this study and aimed to explore and understand the factors contributing to children living and working on the streets, thus understanding and interpreting the meaning that children living and working in the streets, together with their families, give to their everyday lives. The researcher found different family factors contributing to the street child phenomenon: <ul> <li>Poverty;</li> <li>Unemployment;</li> <li>Lack of effective communication between children and parents,</li> <li>Mischievousness by children;</li> <li>Step-family relationships;</li> <li>Child abuse and ill-treatment by parents/guardians; and</li> <li>The majority of the parents/ guardians were of the opinion that the government should provide intervention to solve the problem of street children.</li> </ul> / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The Occupy Wall Street Movement on September 17, 2011 that involved public protest and the occupation of Zuccotti Park in New York City’s financial district, is an important example of mass public dissent in American history. The conflict that lies at the heart of the protests is between two parties identified in the data as the 99% and the 1%. An abductive, grounded research strategy to explore the language used in interpreting the circumstances and details of the event, is used in conjunction with a theoretical framework provided by C. Wright Mills (1959) and Jock Young (2011), to uncover the motivations behind the 99%’s decision to protest. What is revealed upon completion of the analysis are two broad motivations for public protest by the 99% related to issues of fairness and access, set within an historical context of growing dissent against corrupt economic institutions and the governments that sustain them.

"A knowledge of regional literature is important to librarians in the South both as an aid to selection and as a support for interpretation. Perhaps no one state in the Southeast has contributed more richly to recent Southern literature than has Mississippi, and among Mississippi writers of recent years, few have received more widespread recognition than James Street. Because of this and because the writer of this paper is a native Mississipian, James Street was chosen as the subject for a bio-bibliography"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1958." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Louis Shores, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references.

Market and nonmarket urban forest resource values can be achieved through many cost reductions (e.g., improved air quality, fossil fuels for heating and cooling, stormwater runoff) and increases in tax bases for communities from improved property values. These benefits need to be measured quantitatively so decision makers can understand economic gains or losses provided by street trees. Resource inventories are often undertaken as part of the planning phase in a tree management program. It is a comprehensive assessment that requires an inventory of a community's tree resources and it acts as a fundamental starting point for most urban and community forestry programs. Whether an inventory is an estimate or a complete count, quantitative benefits and costs for urban forestry programs cannot accurately be represented without one. This study provides a new approach to understanding a city’s street tree structure using data from a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) sensor and other publicly available data (e.g., roads, city boundaries, aerial imagery). This was accomplished through feature (e.g., trees, buildings) extraction from LiDAR data to identify individual trees. Feature extraction procedures were used with basic geographic information system (GIS) techniques and LiDAR Analyst to create street tree inventory maps to be used in determining a community’s benefit/cost ratio (BCR) for its urban forest. Only by explaining an urban forest’s structure can dollar values be assigned to street trees. Research was performed with LiDAR data and a sample of ground control trees in Pass Christian, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, located in the lower U.S. South where many communities have publicly available geospatial data warehouses (e.g., MARIS in Mississippi, ATLAS in Louisiana). Results from each city’s estimated street trees revealed a BCR 3.23:1 and 6.91:1 for Pass Christian and Hattiesburg, respectively. This study validated a regression model for predicting street tree occurrence in cities using LiDAR Analyst and a street sample. Results demonstrated that using LiDAR Analyst as a street tree inventory tool with publicly available LiDAR data and a sample adequately described 88% of a community’s street trees which was used to calculate both market and nonmarket resource values.

This thesis explores the possibility of vertically expanding the urban fabric of Blacksburg, a small town, by building multilevel streetscapes and community spaces that contribute to the town's character and identity. The vertical street could accommodate more amenities, commercial spaces, and residential units without encroaching on surrounding natural areas or sprawling into the outskirts. Through an analysis of existing urban design principles and case studies of proposed vertical cities, the research will investigate the feasibility and benefits of implementing a vertical street circulation system in a small-town context, serving as a focal point for social interactions, cultural activities, and community engagement and fostering a sense of place. / Master of Architecture / This thesis explores the idea of expanding the urban environment of small towns, like Blacksburg, by building multi-level streets and community spaces. By constructing a vertical street that can house more commercial spaces, residential units, and amenities, we can avoid encroaching on natural areas while still accommodating the growing needs of a town. This study will investigate the feasibility and advantages of implementing a vertical street system in small towns, creating a hub for social interactions, cultural activities, and community engagement that fosters a sense of belonging.