This thesis examines the notion of Heimat in the literary production of two German authors of Iranian origin, Navid Kermani and SAID. It presents a methodological challenge to the existing approaches to this type of literature, which have tended to characterise it, as in one way or another hyphenated, thus e.g. as 'German-Iranian' literature in our case. Indeed, existing models of analysis have been placing this literature in discourses that connect with Orientalism and occidental Universalism and in so doing conform to western traditions of a global universality thesis, which ultimately, and often contrary to the scholars' own best intentions, 'orientalise' this literature and its authors. This thesis therefore proposes to study the chosen authors on a case by case basis rather than through the lens of an all-encompassing theoretical model. To enable the proposed case by case analysis the thesis first elaborates on the evolution, during the last ca. 250 years, of both, the German concept of Heimat and its Iranian equivalent, Vatan, demonstrating that these Modern notions of collective identity evolved over time within a framework of remarkable German-Iranian conceptual interplay, if not utter interdependence. Based on this the thesis arrives at the conclusion that SAIDs conception of Heimat for all the author's rejection of any form of nationalism remains within the boundaries of universalistic worldviews that tend to separate as firmly distinct, 'Orient' and 'Occident'. However, Kermani's concept of Heimat completely transcends any such antagonistic juxtapositions and thus this thesis provides a close reading of his unique and integrative approach to the 'East'/'West' nexus by employing a comparative methodology that I have termed 'cultural translation'.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2006. / Thesis Advisor(s): Ted Lewis. "March 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p.41-45). Also available online.

Scholars have proposed numerous explanations as to why the Department of Homeland Security has struggled to mature as an organization and effectively conduct its core mission. We propose an alternative viewpoint that the department lacks key legal authorities and necessitates key organizational transfer in order to rationalize its portfolio. We examine these points through review of legal authorities in select mission areas and through a resource analysis of activities conducted throughout the federal government to execute the homeland security mission. The analysis leads to specific recommendations for transfers and authorities and suggestions as to how the political environment might coalesce around engendering these changes. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy / MA; / Thesis;

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2006. / Thesis Advisor(s): Christopher Bellavita. "March 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p.95-100). Also available online.

This thesis examines the transformation of “homeland” and “otherness” as well as the relationship between each other in The Lost Daughter of Happiness （扶桑 Fusang). I begin by exploring how the migration of Chinese to the United States is depicted as an endless trajectory in the story through a historical engagement and a dialogue between two generations. From there, I plan to point out that the story complicates the meaning of diaspora as it can not only represent a spatial dislocation, but also a temporal dislocation. Thus, I argue that it destabilizes the conventional ideology which refers “homeland” to a singular location. Contrary to “settle land”, the earlier conceptualization of “homeland” is translated by some scholars into a felicitous space of living for migrants. Reading The Lost Daughter of Happiness, we can find new dimensions and transformations of home. The old conceptualization of “homeland” is reversed not as a singular location, but rather as a process of (be-)coming a felicitous space of living for diasporic subjects: it is not a fixed location anymore. Next, I explore how the out-of-border movement breeds a process of foreignization According to Kristeva, diasporans who bear foreignness must learn how to “live with the others, to live as others.”[1] I will analyze how Yan Geling invokes the portrayal of a Chinese prostitute as representative of “other” in order to deliver the philosophy of survival of diasporic Chinese females. I argue that it is the marginality of prostitute in a society-as an outsider from the mainstream culture, that builds up Fusang’s transgressive ability to survive. Being a cultural outsider, or “live as others”, according to Kristeva, is “a foreigner’s shield” for one’s cultural identity. As an outsider, Fusang is able to cross over any given borders, simultaneously being inside and outside of the culture. Thus, the story denies any inherited modes of diasporic Chinese prostitutes for the articulation of their identities, which challenges the pure culturalism and nationalism. Last, the presence of outsider in this story becomes a tool for Yan Geling to deliberately illustrate the cultural difference through her protagonists. I argue that Yan Geling has a straightforward recognition of “otherness” and an explicit awareness of “foreignness” in this story, so she uses some Orientalist gestures to demonstrate the cultural difference. I examine an example about the technology of human disposal mentioned in the plot and analyze how it is used to highlight the cultural difference of diasporic subjects. My goal is to seek a better understanding of the construction of home identity in The Lost Daughter of Happiness by examining the recognition and representation of culture particularities and difference within the story. Also, I attempt to provide a new interpretation of Fusang by analyzing her identity not only as a prostitute but also as a diasporic Chinese.

Contingency theory, with regard to risk of homeland security incidents and homeland security preparedness, has received considerable empirical support. In past research, risk has been measured subjectively as agency executives' perceived risk of specific homeland security incidents occurring within their jurisdictions. This study examines actual risk, using the objective risk factors of experience with past natural hazards, social vulnerability, and urbanization. These risk factors, used in combination, have been significantly associated with terrorism-related homeland security incidents in the United States, and are used in risk assessment models of natural hazards. Contrary to expectations, the results of this study indicate that objective risk factors were not associated with either perceived risk or preparedness. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

En Côte d’Ivoire, les problèmes de sécurité liés à la criminalité ont été portés sur l’agenda politique pour faire l’objet de politiques publiques à partir des années 1980. En effet, la criminalité liée au banditisme qui avait commencé à se structurer au début des années 70 corrélativement à la période dite du « miracle économique », a connu un boom à la faveur de la crise économique sous les effets conjugués, d’un chômage endémique, d’une immigration et d’une croissance démographique mal maitrisées, d’une urbanisation galopante et d’un exode rural sans précédent. Depuis 1983, l’État tente de maitriser la recrudescence du phénomène criminel à travers divers programmes d’actions gouvernementales sans véritablement y parvenir. C’est donc aux raisons de la contre- performance de l’action publique dans le domaine de la sécurité intérieure qu’est dédiée cette thèse. L’hypothèse défendue ici postule que l’inefficacité des politiques de sécurité publique est imputable aux dysfonctionnements inhérents à l’organisation et au fonctionnement de l’ordre politique ivoirien. En effet, l’exercice d’un pouvoir d’État autoritaire qui privilégie la défense instrumentale de l’ordre public dans les politiques policières et pénales afin d’exercer un contrôle strict sur la compétition politique a contribué à structurer l’action publique principalement autour des motivations électoralistes au détriment des besoins sociétaux en matière de sécurité, notamment en matière de criminalité. / In Ivory Coast, the crime-related security problems were brought on the political agenda to be public policy from the 1980s because crime related to banditry that had begun to take shape in the early 70 correspondingly to the period known as the "economic miracle", boomed thanks to the economic crisis due to the combined effects of rampant unemployment, immigration and a poorly mastered population growth, of rapid urbanization and an unprecedented rural exodus. Since 1983, the state is attempting to master the resurgence of criminal phenomenon through various programs of government action without actually achieving it. So the reasons for the poor performance of public action in the field of internal security that is dedicated this thesis. The hypothesis put forward here postulates that the inefficiency of public security policies is due to malfunctions related to the organization and functioning of the Ivorian political. Indeed, the exercise of an authoritarian state power that favors instrumental defense of public order in the police and criminal justice policies to exercise strict control over political competition has helped to structure public action mainly around electoral motives at the expense of social needs security, in particular on crime.

Since the terrorist attacks on the United States of America on September 11, 2001, approach to policing has observably been shifted across the country. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of community members from a Chicago, Illinois community regarding the shift in policing style post 9/11. Cooley's theory of the looking glass self, coupled with a phenomenological approach to understand the deeper meaning associated with the perceptions of the residents and the shift in policing styles in Chicago communities. The data were obtained from participants who were at least 40 years old and held a residence for at least 3 years in the area prior to 9/11 and 3 to 5 years immediately after 9/11. The study included the use of a semi-structured interview guide and the findings were analyzed using inductive coding with thematic analysis. The findings indicated that residents of the community want a positive relationship with the police but perceive that they are viewed negatively by the police and that police fear them. Participants agreed that they recognized a shift in policing strategies and consistently noted a desire for police to return to community policing strategies that they perceive have been abandoned in favor of more militaristic approaches to law enforcement. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to police executives to consider the strategic and tactical demilitarization of the police department and integrate community preferences in future decision making regarding critical standard operating procedures including stop and frisk policies, training initiatives, and zero tolerance declarations. Adherence to these recommendations may improve oversight of officers and improve relationships with the community.