Thesis (M.A.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2007. / "A capstone project undertaken in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management at City University of Hong Kong." "MAPPM, SA 6904: Capstone Project." Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Oct. 12, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2006. / Title from title screen. Andrew Altman, committee chair; William Edmundson, George Rainbolt, committee members. Electronic text (44 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Apr. 19, 2007. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation consists of three papers that explore the geographic context of elections. Through case studies of migration and same-sex marriage, this research demonstrates how elections are the products of stratified social, economic, and political environments that area highly variable across space. This dissertation also details the implications for local, state, and national elections.The first two papers of this dissertation explore how compositional effects of migration fundamentally alter political landscapes. In addressing this research question, Appendix A tackles the primary obstacle of compositional migration research--collecting migration data containing individual party identification. This paper makes a significant contribution by serving as the first study to pioneer a methodological approach that predicts individual partisanship of migrants according to socioeconomic characteristics with logistic regression state models. The results underscore the importance of migrant origins and destinations in considering the political effectiveness of migration flows.Relying on the methodological framework in Appendix A, Appendix B calls attention to the oversimplified, undertheorized, and highly problematic definitions of migration responsible for the cursory understanding of migration's compositional effects. Specifically, the paper suggests what recent U.S. migration trends portend for compositional changes in Democratic and Republican partisanship at the state level through a concept of `political effectiveness'. This research makes several important contributions to the existing literature, including clearly illustrating the complexity of migration through the different ways it produces partisan gains.Approaching electoral analysis through a contextual perspective, Appendix C examines the interrelationship of political strategies used by gay rights advocates in campaigns against constitutional bans of same-sex marriage. Through a comparative analysis of Arizona Propositions 107 and 102, this research examines the interrelationship and basis of political strategies between voters' rejection of Proposition 107 (2006) and passage of Proposition 102 (2008). Additionally, considering that vote choice is largely influenced by discursive political cues, including messaging, it is imperative to examine the basis of political strategies and assess how local context influences political strategies and voting constituencies. Findings from this research also provide important considerations for both gay rights and political strategy literatures.

Assignment (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fordham University, 2007. / Adviser: James Hennessy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Wilfrid Laurier University, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-128).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Iowa, 2009. / Thesis supervisor: Jennifer Glass. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-127).

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2005. / Title from title screen. Emanuela Guano, committee chair; Kathryn A. Kozaitis, Susan McCombie, Cassandra White, committee members. Electronic text (96 p. : photos) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 11, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-96).

M.A. / Despite the fact that same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa in 2006, predominant societal attitudes towards gay couples remain negative. In the face of this opposition, samesex couples who choose to marry are often in need of support, but may find that support lacking because of the stigma associated with being gay. This study sought to explore what happens with family support in particular when a gay couple chooses to marry legally. Using a narrative qualitative method, informed and influenced by phenomenological research and grounded theory, the researcher sought to explore and describe the experience of three female same-sex couples and the impact their legal marriage had on family support. One in-depth unstructured interview was conducted with each couple. Data were collected and analysed concurrently to identify story plot and themes related to family support, and how that support changed over time. Although no specific trends related to changes in family support emerged, the study revealed that 1) same-sex marriage was a form of ‘coming out,’ 2) couples did desire family support throughout the process of getting married, 3) couples desired support particularly in the form of validation of their identity and engagement/involvement in the preparations for getting married, and 4) for many families, offering support was a process that involved assimilating the idea of gay marriage. In addition, emerging theory seemed to suggest that moments of crisis and family rituals have the potential for increasing the level of family support offered to married gay couples, and that having the opportunity to tell their stories and hear the stories of other married gay couples was significant to the couples involved in the study. Implications for social work practice related to these theories were also identified. Finally, it is hoped that the rich and detailed description shared by the couples in this study added critical depth to an area of research (same-sex marriage) that is generally neglected.

The political, ethical, and cultural debate over same-sex marriages has caused national divide and controversy in the United States of America. As Republicans defend their perceptions of "traditional" marriage and Democrats support "separate but equal" civil unions, the United States as a whole has portrayed the desperate need to learn from history and other cultures. Throughout history and cross-culturally, evidence of same-sex marriages have been documented all over the world. In Africa, Azande men married other males, Gikuyu women married other women, and same-sex marriages also occurred amongst the Nuer. In Asia, the older samurai formed "marriages" with younger apprentices, some men of China's Fujian province married each other, and Chinese women who participated in the Marriage Resistance Movement also married each other. In Europe, same-sex marriages were performed in the Christian Church as well as in England's gay subculture. In the Americas, indigenous populations with alternative gender roles practiced same-sex marriages, Black women of New York City during the Harlem Renaissance married other women, and women participated in same-sex "Boston Marriages." In the studies reviewed, researchers and scholars documented the diversity and complexity of same-sex marriage patterns in various cultures. In an effort to explore the existence of an institution that has been obscured, denied, and forgotten, this study was designed to examine selected examples of same-sex marriages along with the theoretical perspectives of their derivation. The purpose is not only to provide cross-cultural examples of same-sex marriages, but to give readers new insight into accepted same-sex practices so they can question their own prejudices, current discriminatory policies, and encourage social change towards equality.