Thesis advisor: Christopher Constas / Thesis advisor: Brian Braman / The literary character of Batman, first introduced by Action Comics in 1939, has been reincarnated several times in popular culture through graphic novels, radio, video games, television shows, and movies (Boxer). Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, however, portray only a fraction of the episodes and villains presented in the comic books, while reflecting on universal cultural, psychological, mythological, and social themes, archetypes, and conflicts. In an interview with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Nolan explains that he was trying to portray Batman as an extraordinary character in the fabric of an ordinary city with familiar traits that would be recognizable to the audience. The theatrical Batman, with high-tech devices and powerful combat tactics, creates a stunning contrast against the dismal background of Gotham. Nolan designed Gotham in this way to remind the public that “[i]n America we take for granted a stability to our class and social structure that has never been sustained elsewhere in the world. In other words, this sort of thing has happened in countries all over the world, why not here? And why not now” (Foundas)? While he acknowledges that his movies are open to numerous political, religious, philosophical, and economical interpretations, on a deeper level, Nolan seems to have wanted to create these movies as a response to this eternal struggle of society against the forces of chaos and injustice, part of the inherent conflict of the human condition. Nolan also addresses the numerous factors that contribute to the incitement of such chaos, including government censorship, lying, and covert violence, which, paradoxically, are often used as justifications for preserving the social order. Several of the aspects of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises are applicable to modern society; others are influenced by monumental historical events. One of the crucial themes of Nolan’s trilogy is the search to understand what it truly means to fulfill the role of the Batman, that is, the role of a guardian of order and justice against the forces of chaos and injustice. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy Honors Program. / Discipline: Philosophy.

The purpose of the study was to describe perceptions toward schools held by black parents of students granted racial balance transfers for 1978-1979 school year by Fort Wayne Community Schools administration officials. An attempt was made to discover if parental support for schools changed when children transferred from one school to another using racial balance transfers.Personal interviews were held with six randomly selected black parents of elementary students granted racial balance transfers for the purpose of generating questions for a parent questionnaire. Information secured from the interviews was compiled and placed into categories relative to administration, curricular offerings, quality of teaching, student progress, school environmental, school climate, and parental involvement. A questionnaire was developed from data gained from interviews with the parents. Black parents, two doctoral committee members, students enrolled in the doctoral seminar for research, and a selected jury for final editing examined the questionnaire for clarity, simplicity, and consistency in language. A Likert five-point scale labeled "strongly agree," "agree,"' "undecided," "disagree," and "strongly disagree," was utilized so parents could express strength of agreement or disagreement with questionnaire items. The questionnaire was mailed to the total Population of 232 black parents representing 337 elementary school students granted racial balance transfers. One-hundred twenty-four parents completed questionnaires.A computer program, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), was chosen to generate raw data from returned questionnaires. Data were analyzed in an attempt to answer eleven research questions relative to black parent perceptions toward school.Parents perceived that predominantly black schools previously attended by black students equalled predominantly white schools in certain respects, such as, teacher expectation of students and fair dealings of principal and teachers with parents and students. Parents perceived that previous schools offered certain benefits over present schools, such as, more teachers were able to teach subjects so children could understand. Parents were generally favorable toward present schools attended by black children. Parents wire generally satisfied with previous school environments, but perceived present school environments as more desirable for black children.Black parents of students granted racial balance transfers did not become more involved in school activities. Slightly more than one-fourth of responding parents were active in present school PTAs; about 50 percent were active in previous school PTAs.About one-third of the respondents regarding previous schools and about one-half of the respondents regarding present schools did not feel encouraged to help plan and develop school programs and activities. Fewer than one-fourth of the respondents reported actual participation in planning and developing school programs and activities.Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, the following implications seem warranted:In view of the need for parent support for and financing of school programs, gaining support for schools from all parents seems imperative. School personnel should seek information about how black parents perceive schools and the administration of schools. Knowledge of parental perceptions about schools may be helpful to school authorities in the evaluation of racial issue postures and the handling of problems related to effective instruction.School principals and teachers need to be well grounded in sociology and psychology of various racial groups. While psychological effects of integrated school settings are important, black parents seem most concerned about the effects of integrated school settings on the academic success of black children.How well black students do in school may be directly related to how much teachers expect of students. When teachers set reasonably high expectations for students, students may conform to these high expectations. The selection of teachers and the attitudes of teachers toward students are important aspects to consider where black students are expected to do well.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Wayne State University, 1965. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [206]-281).

The purpose of the study was to focus attention upon selected community leaders in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who influenced the formulation of educational decisions in the Fort Wayne Community Schools from January 1, 1,964 to December 31, 1972. Three other purposes of the study included: (1) clarification of influence patterns by interviewing in depth selected community leaders identified by educational leaders in the Fort Wayne Community Schools as influencing educational decisions; (2) to clarify influence patterns by interviewing in depth selected community leaders identified by other community leaders as persons influencing educational decisions in the Fort Wayne Community Schools; and (3) to identify a profile of specific traits of community leaders most influential in the process of formulation of educational decisions in the Fort Wayne Community Schools.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

The purpose of the study was to determine attitudes of parents toward the Fort Wayne Community School Title I Parent Resource Center. Specifically, the study was designed to measure the quality of services extended during the first six months of Resource Center operation, January 1980 through June 1980.Literature regarding the role of parents in educational programs at both the national and state level was reviewed. Through study of the-literature, limited data were reported involving parents in program evaluation. Therefore, a study was undertaken to address parent attitudes toward program effectiveness.From a sample population of one hundred parents of children enrolled in the 1979-1980 Fort Wayne Community School Title I Project, ninety-five parents completed questionnaires delivered to homes by Title I Liaison Aides. Five parents were not available for contact during the two-day questionnaire delivery period. Completed questionnaires were placed in unmarked envelopes for return by the aides to the Parent Resource Center. Questionnaires were then delivered to the Fort Wayne Community School Computer Center for key punching and computer scoring.Responses to "yes" and "no" questionnaire items were reported in percentages addressing attitudes toward (1) Parent Resource Center location and visitation hours, (2) delivery of services and materials, (3) workshop presentations and (4) advertising techniques. Written comments expressed in two open ended questionnaire items were analyzed. Perceived benefits and need for program change were reported in narrative form.Parent attitudes toward Resource Center services revealed:1. Parent Resource Center location and visitation hours were satisfactory as reported by more than 80 percent of the respondents. However, among written comments, parents recommended decentralized or school-based centers and evening or weekend visitation hours.2. Service extended by the Parent Resource Center Staff was regarded as helpful by 94.7 percent of those queried and materials to be used in the home were clearly understood by 100 percent of the respondents.3. Workshops held at the Parent Resource Center were attended by 68.4 percent of the respondents. Further, 65 percent of Center clients attending workshops reported value in presentations and appropriateness of materials for use in the home.4. Among advertising techniques employed, parents ranked the Title I meeting as the primary information source. School newsletters, news paper articles, church announcements andparent-school personnel sharing were less frequently cited sources of information.Services extended at the Parent Resource Center had benefited children in the improvement of reading and math skills, in strengthened parent-child relationships and in provision of unaffordable educational materials.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1973.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1971.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1972.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1972. / "One portion of the Management Information Systems Study being carried out by the Bureau of Hospital Administration at the University of Michigan ... supported by Public Health Service grant HS-00228"--P. 1.