Mythology is an integral part of literature and an important cornerstone in a student's education. However, mythology itself is an extremely broad topic that encompasses the myths of a number of cultures. In the Language Arts classroom, students are introduced to Greek mythology in middle school; in the state of Florida as early as sixth grade per the Sunshine State Standards. However, students might find difficulty connecting to Greek literature difficult due to issues of: voice, prose and an inability to see the relevance behind the study of Greek mythology. In addition, the immensity of Greek mythology makes it difficult to select what pieces to teach and what to omit, but as Roy Thomas, the author of this version of the Marvel Comic's adaptation states "[e]very generation should have its own translation of The Iliad, one that speaks to it in its own special way'' (p. iii). The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of a graphic novel version of The Iliad by Homer, with the intent of identifying the benefits of using alternative versions of classic literature within the Language Arts or Reading classroom, specifically the graphic novel. In hopes of demystifying the negative stigma with which comics, and graphic novels by extension, this thesis will study the attributed of this graphic novel and ultimately provide educators insight into a medium that has the potential to engage students in a multiple modes.

Stephenie Meyer's series Twilight has swept the nation and the world. Everywhere you go, the names Edward and Bella seem to have punctured the vernacular. People are obsessed with the characters, the movie, the actors, and the author. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters all around the world are reading the series. The first Twilight novel has been in the top 100 bestsellers list on Amazon.com for 735 days (Amazon.com, 2009). The four book series has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 121 weeks as of December 4, 2009 (NY times.com, 2009). The book has also been translated into 20 different languages ("Bio", n.d.). The Twilight movie premiered in November 2008 at number one, bringing in 70 million dollars during its opening weekend ("Bio", n.d.). But one just has to walk into a bookstore or even Wal-Mart with their giant book and memorabilia displays to understand the Twilight phenomenon. This study considers how this young adult novel can be transformed into a learning opportunity for secondary students. The study explores in-depth the use of young adult novels in the classroom and their ability to teach students various concepts. The main focus of this research is Twilight and how it can be used in the classroom to teach canonical literary elements such as symbolism and author's purpose.

"The problem in this study is to determine some of the effects that oil development in Young County has had on the educational program of the county. Some significant effects on the valuations for school purposes, bond rates, maintenance rates, salaries of the teachers in the common and independent schools, per capita cost of instruction, rural aid, enrollment per teacher, and total enrollment in the schools of Young County will be investigated. For comparative purposes, a study of the independent and common schools of Denton County was made for the years 1918 to 1939 inclusive."-- leaf 1.

Physical inactivity and unhealthful diet are major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and strategies worldwide now focus on improving diet and encouraging physical activity (PA). Participation in PA lowers the risk for numerous chronic diseases, while a healthful diet also offers resistance to disease. However, practicing both behaviors offers greater protection than practicing either behavior alone. Research evaluating the relationship of diet and PA has focused primarily on nutrients or food groups. Little research exists on PA and overall diet quality, and no research has used the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005) to assess diet quality in healthy young adults, the objective of the current study. To this end, a convenience sample of 70 healthy, young adults was recruited from a university community in 2005-2006. Dietary intake was measured with 7-d weighed food records and HEI-2005 scores were computed to assess diet quality. PA was obtained from 7-d activity records accounting for all minutes of each day. Linear regression models were used to assess the association of HEI-2005 scores to participation in moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA. In this sample, HEI-2005 scores increased as weekly minutes of PA increased (p=0.006, B=0.007). When PA was examined categorically, only the VeryHighPA (≥841 min/week) group had diet quality scores significantly higher than the LowPA (≤420 min/week) group, independent of age, BMI, and gender (p=0.033, B=7.987). Further studies are warranted to clarify the relationship of these health behaviors, an especially important topic as prevalence of obesity and chronic disease continues to rise. / Graduation date: 2013

Thesis (M.A.)--Wheaton College (Ill.), 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-120).

Thesis (M.A.)--Wheaton College (Ill.), 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-120).

Substantial decreases in physical activity have been observed between early to late adolescence in males and females, with decreases in levels of activity into adulthood. Physical inactivity among young adults leads to medical conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, ischemic heart disease, falls resulting in hip fractures, and depression later in life. Advanced Nurse Practitioners have a significant impact on the problem of physical inactivity among young adults through education to improve knowledge regarding physical activity participation. The focus of this project was to develop a toolkit on lifestyle modification as a resource for physical education teachers and nurses to increase physical activity participation and to decrease sedentary behaviors among young adults. The project practice question asked whether an evidence-based toolkit would address the identified needs of improving lifestyle diet and physical activity in young adults. Pender’s health promotion model guided the planning and development of the project. The Computer Attitude Questionnaire together with the 3-Day Physical Activity Recall was used during a needs assessment. Feedback from the survey was included in the development of the toolkit. A 5-item survey was given to 5 content experts who evaluated the toolkit. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to obtain a content validity index score of 1.00. Findings show universal agreement about the content of the toolkit as a resource for physical education teachers and school nurses to encourage physical activity participation in young adults. The implications of project findings for positive social change include the potential to increase the involvement of young adults in activities that improve the lives of the individual.

Master of Science / Department of Marriage and Family Therapy / Amber Vennum / The majority of scholarship on romantic relationship development in emerging adulthood is with Western populations using theories grounded in a Western cultural context. This study had two goals. The first goal was to explore the experience of non-arranged romantic relationships for young people in urban India through in-depth interviews with four men and four women. The second was to examine the relevance of Western notions of emerging adulthood, romantic relationship development, and theoretical constructs related to relationship development (e.g., terms such as ‘dating’, ‘commitment’ and ‘satisfaction’) for this population. Findings indicated one potential pathway to relationship formation that begins in friendship and gradually evolves into a romantic relationship. Other findings shed light on young adults’ culturally bound negotiation with their families around the issue of romantic relationships and the similarities in definitions of relationship terms with Western literature. This study makes important contributions to the growing field of romantic relationships in emerging adulthood by suggesting that, first, while Indian youth display several characteristics of emerging adulthood and define commitment similarly as in the West, there are important differences too. Second it has implications for future quantitative measurement of romantic relationships among Indian young adults.

This research formed part of a broader research project that explored respect in relationships between young female adults and older people (60+ years) in a South African context. Different themes emerged from this research such as the motivation younger people have for respecting older persons; as well as different forms of giving and receiving respect. This research will specifically focus on themes that emerged inductively about the relational context in which the experiences of respect were expressed and the challenges of respect in the interpersonal experiences. It has been recorded in literature on intergenerational relationships that respect is not only an essential element in these relationships but also that it contributes to constructive relationships. Most of the research about respect has been conducted in Asian and Western countries, while some research has also been done in Ghana, Africa. The above mentioned research findings identified specific behavioural forms of respect, and attitudes and/or emotions associated with respect. Furthermore it has been found that respect can either be earned or deserved, or not, depending on whether and to what extent the person concerned is considered to have met certain requirements. Little research has been done on how people, especially young female adults in South Africa, experience respect in intergenerational relationships. Experiences of respect between people from different generations always take place in an interpersonal context and therefore the Self-Interaction Group Theory (SIGT) was used to understand young female adults’ experiences of respect in relationships with older people. Following SIGT, for the purposes of this study respect is defined as the subjective experience of the relational interactions between people. The focus in this study falls on the experience of respect in relationships with older people from young female adults’ perspective. Traditionally female gender roles have been associated with care. However, these roles changed to more flexible gendered roles and today women are not able to adopt many different roles. The past generations’ women took care of their older parents, whereas in the present women also pursue careers and this may have an influence on their interactions with older people as they may not necessarily be able to take care of the older people anymore. The research project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the North-West University. A qualitative research method informed by an exploratory and descriptive approach was used in an attempt to describe the participants’ subjective experiences of respect in the relationships they have with older people. A purposive sample was used and 26 women (between 21 and 28 years old) who are post-graduate psychology university students in the North West, South Africa, participated in the study. The study used a homogenous group of participants in order to get a detailed picture of their experiences. Young adults are in a transitory phase of their lives and research indicated that it is important to investigate their attitudes towards older people because they are likely to form new values, because their lives and behaviours are more influenced by their peers and because they have less parental supervision. Data was collected in three data-gathering sessions over the period of three days. Textual and visual data was collected through the use of the Mmogo- method®, a projective visual research method which uses a focus group approach. The Mmogo- method® material consists of a lump of malleable clay, different sizes and colours of beads and dried grass stalks of different lengths. Participants are provided with the open-ended materials and based on an open-ended prompt, they are requested to create a visual representation, which in this research was: Please use the material provided and create anything that can tell us more about how you perceive respect in relation to a person, or persons older than 60 years of age. After the exercise participants were asked to explain what they have created. A collaborative effort of co-constructed meanings took place as the visual representation of each participant became the stimulus material for group discussions. The visual representations of participants were photographed and analysed using visual analysis, while the digital recordings of the individuals’ explanations of their visual representations as well as the group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured by applying four strategies, including: credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability of the research findings. The findings revealed that the relationship with older persons is subjectively described in terms of emotional or cognitive experiences and associated with specific relational contexts. In the familial and social context the experience of respect were linked with care and most of these relationships were described as affectionate/emotional. In the familial and social contexts, older persons were placed in a one-up position with the young adults, since the young adults want to obey and/or honour them. Some described the relationship as a relationship where they interacted as equals. In different contexts, work related, educational and familial, young adults expressed ambivalent emotions: some expressed admiration and love, while others expressed frustration and anger. In the work-related and educational relational contexts, the relationships were experienced as being formal and described in cognitive terms. In these relationships young adults expressed frustration and anger if their needs were not addressed based on how the relational context defined the relationship. For example in the educational contexts, the needs of the young adults were to get clarity on learning content, to receive support to reach their goals, and to reach emotional safety. Young female adults indicated that respect towards older persons is no longer based on the age of older persons. It rather depends on the reciprocal actions and reactions between young adults and older persons; and that it depends on how the relationship between the generational members develops over time, as well as the ability of generational members to bridge the distance between them and to adopt each other’s life worlds, whilst refraining from judgemental and stereotypical assessment of older persons. This study hence holds important implications for the creation of intergenerational programmes in order to enhance relationships between young adults and older people. A specific contribution of the findings is that when planning interventions intergenerational programmes should be designed to take into consideration the specific interpersonal context. Furthermore, the definitions of respect as held by both of the generational members should be considered in planning intergenerational interventions in specific interpersonal contexts. / MA (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Previous research on respect in intergenerational relations showed a significant association with the sustainability of the relationship that exists between generations. Respect in intergenerational relationships is a relational phenomenon. As such, respect is defined as subjective experiences of interpersonal interactions between members of different generations. For the purpose of this study, intergenerational relationships refer to interactions between people older than 60 years (G1-first generation in a family) and younger people (between the ages of 20 and 30) who constitute the third generation (G3-third generation in a family). The theoretical frameworks that informed this study are a combination of the Interpersonal Theory, Interpersonal Communication Theory that informs the principles of the Self-Interactional Group Theory (SIGT). The Interpersonal Theory and the Interpersonal Communication Theory conceptualise interactions between people on an interpersonal level. The SIGT however gives meaning to interactions specifically between members of different generations. SIGT theory conceptualizes that intergenerational relations and its principles are rooted in the idea of stimulating effective relationships and supporting intergenerational cohesion. According to this theory, interactions between members of different generations always occur within an interpersonal context shaped by continuous interaction between them. This interpersonal context also determines the significance of communication within the interactions between generations. Extensive work on respect in intergenerational relationships has mostly been done in Asian and Western regions, with a specific focus on the typological forms of respect from the perspectives of younger generations. This resulted in the identification of 14 typological forms of respect for older people. Research on respect in Africa conducted in Ghana revealed that respect is a reciprocal construct, while a study in South Africa on respect between Zulu grandmothers and their grandchildren reported a decline in grandchildren‟s respect for their grandmothers. Little to no literature was found on young adults‟ in transition experiences of respect in their relations with older people which constitutes a conceptual gap in the field of contemporary intergenerational research in South Africa and motivates the focus of this study. This study explores respect from the perspective of Afrikaans speaking young adults‟ in their relations with people older than 60 years. Before conducting the research, ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Council (HREC) of the North-West University, and the researcher adhered to the ethical guidelines prescribed by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). This research was conducted in a higher educational context, at the North-West University‟s Potchefstroom campus in South Africa. A qualitative approach was used to explore 23 (22 female and 1 male) Afrikaans-speaking young adults‟ experiences of respect in their relations with older people. This group was purposively chosen as being in transitional life phase-from dependence to independence and autonomy. Data were collected over the course of three days by means of the Mmogo-method®, a visual projective data-collection technique. The Mmogo-method® enables the researcher to collect culture sensitive data embedded in the lived experiences of the participants. Participants are provided with materials consisting of a lump of clay, grass straws, colourful beads and piece of fabric in a closed container. Participants were asked to use the material in the container to construct something that could demonstrate how they experienced respect in their relations with a person older than 60 years. The projections participants built served as the focus for subsequent discussion, in the course which they explained what they had made and its relevance to the research question. In addition, prompt questions were asked to stimulate a focus group discussion. Textual data were analysed by means of thematic analysis, and by incorporating the symbolic meaning of the visual representation with the text of each participant. To ensure the quality and enhance the trustworthiness of this study, credibility, transferability, conformability, dependability and integrity of the researcher were applied throughout the research process. Findings revealed that the young adults described their experiences of respect within a specific relational context which they share with older people. Furthermore, their respect for older people is supported by normative values that motivate the young adults to offer them respect. The young adults experience respect in the relational context as reciprocal: they give respect to older people by means of altruistic actions and by being present in the lives of older people. In turn, they receive emotional and material care from older people as a form of respect. The findings of this study inform research into the relational nature of intergenerational respect which may be drawn upon for the development of intergenerational programmes to promote sustainable cohesion in intergenerational relationships. / MSc (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015