View All Items

Title: Aquatic phobias permeated through African American culture, economics, and politics.
Creator: Groover, Jon Eric., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: This Project involves looking at African American culture as it relates to swimming, water safety awareness, and water skills. The paper explores the myths and cultural norms associated with drowning phobias in African Americans to discover the root causes. Through historic accounts of African American culture one begins to uncover reasons why this culture became, in a sense aqua phobic. The paper will show what water sport professionals are up against, when working with a culture that is...
Show moreThis Project involves looking at African American culture as it relates to swimming, water safety awareness, and water skills. The paper explores the myths and cultural norms associated with drowning phobias in African Americans to discover the root causes. Through historic accounts of African American culture one begins to uncover reasons why this culture became, in a sense aqua phobic. The paper will show what water sport professionals are up against, when working with a culture that is several generations removed from the water and their water skills. The ultimate goal is to draw attention to the importance of water safety and the ability to swim as a life skill.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3170955
Subject Headings: Swimming pools, Social conditions, Minorities, Social conditions, Racism, African Americans, Economic conditions, African Americans in popular culture
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Are the regulatory reforms working?: evidence from audit committee members' selection of auditors.
Creator: Looknanan-Brown, Veena., College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act made audit committees directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and supervision of companies' auditors. Limited research in the auditor selection process and PCAOB inspections suggest that managers, not audit committees, may still be selecting the auditors, and that inspection reports are not useful. This study addresses both of these areas. This paper considers two theories of governance, Agency Theory and Institution Theory, to analyze the audit...
Show moreThe Sarbanes-Oxley Act made audit committees directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and supervision of companies' auditors. Limited research in the auditor selection process and PCAOB inspections suggest that managers, not audit committees, may still be selecting the auditors, and that inspection reports are not useful. This study addresses both of these areas. This paper considers two theories of governance, Agency Theory and Institution Theory, to analyze the audit committee members' auditor selection process. The study examines whether Audit Committee Members use two specific types of audit quality indicators, other than managers' recommendation, in evaluating auditors. In a setting where the manager recommends the auditor, the auditors' inspection results (favorable/unfavorable) and a prior manager/auditor affiliation (absent/present) are manipulated in a between-subject research design, using financially literate professionals as a proxy for audit committee members. The study finds that audit quality perception and auditor selection are jointly determined. Inspection results are positively associated with audit quality perception and auditor selection. The nature of a manager-auditor affiliation is directly associated with audit quality perception and inversely related to auditor selection. Further, controlling for perception, audit committee members are more likely to recommend auditors with unfavorable inspection results, if a prior affiliation with management is present than if an affiliation is absent. Overall, the results indicate that audit committee members are diligent in evaluating auditors, and PCAOB inspection results are useful. The results of this study contribute to the audit committee effectiveness and PCAOB literature.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318671
Subject Headings: Financial services industry, Management, Financial institutions, Law and legislation, Corporate governance, Law and legislation, Auditing, Standards, Corporations, Auditing, Standards
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Berth scheduling in container terminals: a pro-active approach to address uncertainties in arrival and handling times.
Creator: Portal Palomo, Maria I., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Abstract/Description: Ports and container terminals have very complex and dynamic operations. Effective and efficient berth schedules are essential for profitable and sustainable operations. This research studies berth scheduling under uncertainties in arrival and handling times. Port operators usually face challenges in the development of berth schedules. This thesis presents a model formulation of discrete berth space that accounts for uncertainty in arrival and handling times. The problem is reformulated as a...
Show morePorts and container terminals have very complex and dynamic operations. Effective and efficient berth schedules are essential for profitable and sustainable operations. This research studies berth scheduling under uncertainties in arrival and handling times. Port operators usually face challenges in the development of berth schedules. This thesis presents a model formulation of discrete berth space that accounts for uncertainty in arrival and handling times. The problem is reformulated as a biobjective bi-level optimization berth scheduling problem. A solution approach is presented using evolutionary algorithms and heuristics. The objective of the formulation is to provide a robust berth schedule by minimizing the average and the range of the total service times for all vessels served at the terminal. Simulation is utilized to evaluate the proposed berth scheduling policy and compare it to two first-come-first-served policies. Results showed that the proposed berth schedules outperform under high congestion.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360960
Subject Headings: Container terminals, Management, Marine terminals, Management, Transportation, Planning, Freight and freightage
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Asset securitization by non-financial firms: motivation and market valuation.
Creator: Huang, Qianyun., College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description: This dissertation examines several research questions relating to securitization by non-financial firms. Finance theories suggest securitization is most beneficial when there is high demand for liquidity. On the other hand, empirical studies have shown that firms engage in securitization to manage earnings. I find that liquidity demand, not the incentive for earnings management motivates securitization transactions by non-financial firms. I also evaluate whether earnings management in...
Show moreThis dissertation examines several research questions relating to securitization by non-financial firms. Finance theories suggest securitization is most beneficial when there is high demand for liquidity. On the other hand, empirical studies have shown that firms engage in securitization to manage earnings. I find that liquidity demand, not the incentive for earnings management motivates securitization transactions by non-financial firms. I also evaluate whether earnings management in securitization is indeed undesirable from a shareholder's perspective by examining the economic consequences of the practice. Because securitization creates a large infusion of cash, one way to evaluate the economic consequences of earnings management is to examine whether securitization proceeds encourage overinvestment. I find that earnings management in securitization (i.e., recording non-zero securitization income) is unrelated to firms' suboptimal) overinvestment in the post-securitization period. Thus, it appears that earning management in securitization has no negative economic consequence in terms of generating excess securitization proceeds that encourage overinvestment. I also examine the market's valuation of securitizable assets in the accrual components of earnings and the use of securitization proceeds. Because securitizable assets can be converted into cash through securitization, I test whether the market valuation reflects the source of liquidity in securitizable assets that is similar to the cash component of earnings. I find that, for securitization firms, the market valuation of securitizable assets is similar to that of the cash component of earnings., Lastly, I find some evidence supporting the assertion that firms' liquidity prior to securitization influences the market valuation on securitization proceeds retained on the balance sheet, in that the market assigns a discount to retained proceeds for firms with excess liquidity prior to securitiaztion.
Show less
Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3183122
Subject Headings: Asset-backed financing, Securities, Mortgage-backed securities, Debt financing (Corporations)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Attitudinal study of older adult African Americans' interaction with computers.
Creator: Lovell-Martin, Nigel Leon., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: It was estimated that 35 million people age 65 or older lived in the United States in 2000. Of that number 2.8 million were Black/African American. The U.S. Census Bureau's (2000) population projections show that there will be 70 million older adults age 65 or older by 2030 and African Americans are expected to comprise over 12% of that population. In 1993 older adults had made less elective use of computers than younger adults, accounting for 24.2% of those age 55 to 64 and 4.9% of adults...
Show moreIt was estimated that 35 million people age 65 or older lived in the United States in 2000. Of that number 2.8 million were Black/African American. The U.S. Census Bureau's (2000) population projections show that there will be 70 million older adults age 65 or older by 2030 and African Americans are expected to comprise over 12% of that population. In 1993 older adults had made less elective use of computers than younger adults, accounting for 24.2% of those age 55 to 64 and 4.9% of adults over age 65. By 2003 adults over age 65 recorded a 20.1% increase in computer usage becoming the fastest growing segment of computer users who are engaging in learning computer skills as a way of coping with the technological changes. Studies have found that greater experience with computers is associated with more positive attitudes; however, it has never been determined whether this is true of the older African American population since there is a paucity of research documenting their computer attitudes. This study utilized a mixed methods research design that included an experimental design and an inductive approach with interviews. The following findings emerged: (a) attitudes differed for older African Americans who received computer training and those who did not; (b) there was no distinction in computer attitudes between older adult male and older adult females in the African American population; (c) there was no interaction effect on computer attitudes as moderated by training and gender; (d) older African Americans exhibited a positive disposition towards computers which elicited positive attitudes towards the technology; (e) older African Americans had a nascent need for computer self-efficacy; and (f) older African Americans constructed new meaning regarding computers as a result of their reflection on their computer interaction experience., The findings have established that older African Americans' attitudes can be influenced by direct computer experience and the study extends prior research by identifying the process by which attitude change takes place.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186682
Subject Headings: African Americans, Education (Continuing education), African Americans, Intellectual life, Aging, Psychological aspects, Attitude (Psychology), Computer literacy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Attitudes and perspectives about backyard food gardening: a case study in South Florida.
Creator: Zahina-Ramos, John G., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description: As cities grew throughout the past century, the availability of locally grown food declined, mostly because urban expansion occurred at the expense of adjacent agricultural land. As a result, city dwellers turned to commercial food market systems that import food from distant production areas. Private greenspace, which is one of the largest land cover types in cities, offers the potential for substantial agricultural production. Because urban food production on private land, such as backyards...
Show moreAs cities grew throughout the past century, the availability of locally grown food declined, mostly because urban expansion occurred at the expense of adjacent agricultural land. As a result, city dwellers turned to commercial food market systems that import food from distant production areas. Private greenspace, which is one of the largest land cover types in cities, offers the potential for substantial agricultural production. Because urban food production on private land, such as backyards, requires the willing participation of landowners, resident's feelings about and experience with food growing are important to understand. The demographic groups that were most likely to food garden were those in long-term relationships, higher income brackets, those with college education and residents over 50 years old. Incentives and programs focused on producing more from existing gardens may be most appropriate for people in these demographic groups, while other groups will most require basic food growing information. Study participants highly valued intangible benefits of food gardening (e.g., relaxation, feelings of happiness and satisfaction), often more than the provision of food. Most barriers and problems with backyard food growing, such as a lack of space and the need for gardening information, were similar for those who food garden and those who do not. Results from this study indicate that traditional agricultural incentives and perspectives must be rethought if they are to be applied in urban settings. By creating incentives and initiatives that reflect the needs and challenges faced by urban growers, urban agriculture will become an integrated part of the community, improving food quantity and quality while enriching residents' lives.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361258
Subject Headings: Backyard gardens, Food chains (Ecology), Garden ecology, Green movement, Sustainable development
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Attitudes toward gun control laws: exploring relationships in recent gathered data.
Creator: Borkowski, Elizabeth., College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Abstract/Description: Recently, empirical attention has been directed toward understanding public opinion about gun control laws. Despite this focus, three gaps are evident in extant scholarship. First, few current examinations have relied on recently collected, national data to explore predictors of public attitudes. Second, relatively little work systematically investigates whether type of weapon bans (e.g. handgun versus semi-automatic weapon) affects public support for a given gun control initiative. Third,...
Show moreRecently, empirical attention has been directed toward understanding public opinion about gun control laws. Despite this focus, three gaps are evident in extant scholarship. First, few current examinations have relied on recently collected, national data to explore predictors of public attitudes. Second, relatively little work systematically investigates whether type of weapon bans (e.g. handgun versus semi-automatic weapon) affects public support for a given gun control initiative. Third, and importantly, the general focus in prediction support for gun control measures has been on social and demographic factors. Little is known from a theoretical perspective about how other variables - such as knowledge of Constitutinal issues or perceptions of the U.S. Supreme Court - affect public attitudes toward gun control. Using national poll data collected in 2011 by Time magazine, this study addresses these research gaps by estimating several logistic regression analyses. Research and policy implications are discussed.
Show less
Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358285
Subject Headings: Gun control, Political aspects, Gun control, Social aspects, Gun control, Statistics, Firearms, Law and legislation, FIrearms ownership, Social aspects, Firearms and crime, Public opinion
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Attitudes towards multilanguage use among Latino and Asian immigrants in the United States.
Creator: Le, Cuong T., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This study was designed to measure the relation of education and ethnic identity to attitudes towards bilingualism in two different ethnic groups, Asian and Latinos in the United States. In order to do this, an instrument was developed to measure attitudes towards bilingualism. No significant relations were found among education or ethnic identity and attitudes towards bilingualism in either group, but analyses revealed several other significant relationships. The two subscales of ethnic...
Show moreThis study was designed to measure the relation of education and ethnic identity to attitudes towards bilingualism in two different ethnic groups, Asian and Latinos in the United States. In order to do this, an instrument was developed to measure attitudes towards bilingualism. No significant relations were found among education or ethnic identity and attitudes towards bilingualism in either group, but analyses revealed several other significant relationships. The two subscales of ethnic identity, MEIM-R Commitment and Exploration, were related to each other both within Asian and Latino groups and in all participants combined. In the combined sample, education levels of participants' mothers was correlated with the MEIM-R subscale of Exploration. In addition, participants with a Bachelors Degree or above were found to have significantly higher ethnic identity levels of MEIM-R Commitment than participants with an Associates Degree or below. Participants with mothers who possess a Bachelors Degree or above were found to have significantly higher ethnic identity levels of MEIM-R Exploration than participants with mothers who possess an Associates Degree or below. Finally, Asian participants were found to have lower levels of MEIM-R Commitment when compared to Latino participants.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360953
Subject Headings: Second language acquisition, Bilingualism in children, Education, Bilingual, Social aspects, Group identity, Languages in contact, English language, Study and teaching, Foreign speakers, Ethnic relations
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Attachment in preadolescence: consequence or cause of children's perceptions of parenting ?.
Creator: Menon, Meenakshi, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This one-year longitudinal study was designed to illuminate the direction of the causal arrow between children's perceptions of their mother's behavior and children's attachment style during a period of development that has been relatively neglected in research on attachment - preadolescence. The possibility that children's behavior problems moderate the influence of perceived parenting on attachment, or of attachment on perceived parenting, was also investigated. Participants were an...
Show moreThis one-year longitudinal study was designed to illuminate the direction of the causal arrow between children's perceptions of their mother's behavior and children's attachment style during a period of development that has been relatively neglected in research on attachment - preadolescence. The possibility that children's behavior problems moderate the influence of perceived parenting on attachment, or of attachment on perceived parenting, was also investigated. Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 407 children (213 girls, 194 boys) who were in the fourth grade at initial testing (M age = 11 years 1 month). Measures included children's perceptions of five maternal behaviors (harassment, overprotectiveness, monitoring, affectionate contact, and reliable support), peer reports of children's behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing), and children's self-perceived attachment styles (preoccupied and avoidant). Contrary to a traditional attachment perspective, there was limited evidence that perceptions of parenting led to change in children's attachment styles. Though children with internalizing problems who perceived their mother as harassing developed preoccupied attachment over time, and children with externalizing problems who perceived their mother as v overprotective developed avoidant attachment over time. However, there was considerable support for the reverse causal hypothesis that children's attachment style influences how they perceive their mother: Preoccupied attachment predicted increasingly favorable perceptions of maternal behavior over time (reduced harassment and increased monitoring), whereas avoidant attachment predicted increasingly unfavorable perceptions of the mother over time (increased harassment, reduced monitoring, reduced affectionate contact, and reduced reliable support). Children's behavior problems moderated a few of these relations., Overall, results support a "child effects" interpretation of the links between perceived parenting and attachment styles during preadolescence.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/58007
Subject Headings: Parent and teenager, Attachment behavior in adolescence, Child rearing, Parenting, Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Athletic trainers' perceptions of effectiveness and transfer of training in continuing education workshops.
Creator: Reed, Sarah L., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: Extensive literature research revealed that little was known about the effectiveness of athletic training continuing education workshops in increasing athletic trainers' knowledge, skills and abilities. The three purposes of this mixed method exploratory study were: 1) to examine whether continuing education workshops were perceived by athletic trainer participants as effective; 2) to determine if a relationship existed between efficacy and perceived workshop training effectiveness; 3) to...
Show moreExtensive literature research revealed that little was known about the effectiveness of athletic training continuing education workshops in increasing athletic trainers' knowledge, skills and abilities. The three purposes of this mixed method exploratory study were: 1) to examine whether continuing education workshops were perceived by athletic trainer participants as effective; 2) to determine if a relationship existed between efficacy and perceived workshop training effectiveness; 3) to demonstrate the transfer of training through work experiences. Participants were recruited through Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC) approved continuing education workshops. Eighty-four participants completed a questionnaire packet on the day of the workshop. The packet contained the Athletic Training Efficacy Questionnaire, subject matter pre-test, workshop evaluation, and subject matter post-test. Two months after the workshop, participants were contacted and asked to complete an online questionnaire that focused on their perceptions of the workshop they attended and their transfer of the training to the workplace. Quantitative data analysis revealed no significant relationships between participants' levels of efficacy and ages, genders, work experience, and degree attainment. Nor was there a significant relationship found between participants' level of efficacy and their perceptions of workshop effectiveness. The characteristics of the workshops were perceived as effective in increasing participant knowledge, skills and abilities related to athletic training. Overall, 20.2% of participants perceived the workshops as being very effective, 46.4% perceived the workshops to be effective, and 33.3% perceived the workshops as ineffective., Qualitative analysis revealed that the perceptions of workshop effectiveness were related to the presentation format, characteristics of the instructor, and the relevancy of the workshop material to real life situations. Barriers to the transfer of training were also identified and included workshop format factors (delivery, environmental, and learning styles) and a lack of information presented. Recommendations for the development of continuing education workshops that better meet the needs of athletic trainers were discussed, and suggestions for future research were provided.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186292
Subject Headings: Athletic trainers, Training of, Sports medicine, Study and teaching (Continuing education), Physical education and training, Administration
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Beyond fidelity: relating educational practices and their determinants to student learning gains.
Creator: Urdegar, Steven M., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This study explored how contextual factors influenced the effect of educational practices on student reading achievement and describes an alternative means of assessing educational programs under conditions of multiple-treatment interference and innovation diffusion. Over 1,500 reading teachers at 69 elementary schools within a large diverse district completed surveys regarding multiple aspects of the reading program, actions of their reading leaders, and instructional program coherence at...
Show moreThis study explored how contextual factors influenced the effect of educational practices on student reading achievement and describes an alternative means of assessing educational programs under conditions of multiple-treatment interference and innovation diffusion. Over 1,500 reading teachers at 69 elementary schools within a large diverse district completed surveys regarding multiple aspects of the reading program, actions of their reading leaders, and instructional program coherence at their schools. Nearly 13,000 students in grades 2 through 5 were assigned to those teachers. Factor analyses were used to separately identify patterns within survey items that measured educational practices, leadership actions, and instructional program coherence. Then, the students' achievement gains were adjusted for the effects of fixed demographic and organizational variables through hierarchical linear modeling. Finally, classroom level relationships between the adjusted achievement gains, and subscales computed from the factors that were identified, were examined through a path analysis. Educational practices were found to align to six factors labeled Technology, Training Utility, Advanced Skills, Basic Skills, Grouping, and Assessment. Leadership actions were found to align to two factors labeled Relationship and Task. Fixed effects at the student, classroom, and school levels were found to have an impact on both the initial status and growth components of student achievement. In the path model, Task was found to have a significant direct effect on Advanced Skills, while the effect of Relationship on educational practices was partially mediated by Instructional Program Coherence. Both Advanced and Basic skills were found to have positive effects on Adjusted Gain when taught at the appropriate level, and negative effects, when taught at the inappropriate level., Technology was found to facilitate Basic Skills instruction overall, with greater benefits seen at the upper grades. It was concluded the rates of use seen for Advanced and Basic skills instruction were similar at the three types of schools examined because of poor differentiation due to innovation diffusion. Teachers who perceived their leaders as supportive, tended to rate their schools as more coherent and training requirements as more appropriate, and used technology and assessment more often, leading to gains in student achievement.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77653
Subject Headings: School management and organization, Decision making, Education, Evaluation, Educational tests and measurements, School improvement programs, Evaluation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Beyond culture wars: the role of Christian religiosity in the public support for social safety net policies in contemporary America.
Creator: Alvarado, Emmanuel., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Sociology
Abstract/Description: This study examines the impact of Christian religiosity on attitudes toward social safety-net policies over the past three decades in the US. The study used data from the General Social Survey on social safety-net policy preferences and levels of Christian religiosity. Simple cross tabulations, correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to assess the data. Contrary to previous related research, the results of this study indicate that Christian religiosity has a very weak...
Show moreThis study examines the impact of Christian religiosity on attitudes toward social safety-net policies over the past three decades in the US. The study used data from the General Social Survey on social safety-net policy preferences and levels of Christian religiosity. Simple cross tabulations, correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to assess the data. Contrary to previous related research, the results of this study indicate that Christian religiosity has a very weak association with opposition to social safety-net policies. At the national level, the relationship between Christian religiosity and attitudes toward social protection policies was largely mediated by other factors such as race, gender, education, family income, and political ideology. These results indicate that Christian religiosity per se does not independently influence social spending preferences. Instead, these results suggest that social divisions in socioeconomic standing and in political ideology, which in turn are closely related to differences in support for social protection policies, permeate American Christianity. The study also examined the relationship between Christian religiosity and social protection policy preferences among Hispanic and Black Americans separately. Although Hispanics and Blacks are generally more supportive of social spending in comparison to White Americans, Christian religiosity was not found to have a strong independent effect on support for social safety-net policies among these two groups. The study did find, however, a markedly different level of support for social safety-net policies among identifiable Christian groups at the national level and in the Hispanic-American population., Those who self-identified as "evangelical" or "fundamentalist" Christians were much less supportive of social safety-net policies in comparison to "mainline" or "liberal" Christians. Among Hispanics, Catholics were more supp in comparison to Evangelical Protestants. Moreover, the results of this study indicate that religious American Christians have had a tendency to give precedence to moral issues over concerns about social safety-net policies thus facilitating an issue-bundling effect in recent electoral competition. Lastly, the present work proposes a broad framework through which to interpret the aforementioned findings grounded on the existence and interaction of two counterpoised cultural narratives on social protection found within American Christianity.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927301
Subject Headings: Social service, Christianity and politics, Urban policy, Democracy, Economic aspects, Social policy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: American responses to Israeli foreign policy initiatives.
Creator: Israel, Rebekah., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Political Science
Abstract/Description: The origin of the United States-Israeli relationship can be found in President Harry S. Truman's support for the new state of Israel on May 14, 1948. While support to Israel has varied during Presidential administrations from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush, strategic interests have steadily defined the nation's responses to Israel. In order to measure U.S. reaction to Israel, this study conducted a content analysis on U.S. statements published in the New York Times following four...
Show moreThe origin of the United States-Israeli relationship can be found in President Harry S. Truman's support for the new state of Israel on May 14, 1948. While support to Israel has varied during Presidential administrations from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush, strategic interests have steadily defined the nation's responses to Israel. In order to measure U.S. reaction to Israel, this study conducted a content analysis on U.S. statements published in the New York Times following four Israeli military initiatives: the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1976 Raid on Entebbe, the 1981 Raid on Osirak, and the 2006 Lebanon War. The research reveals that the U.S. reacts more positively to Israeli reactive than to anticipatory and preemptive self-defensive actions.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/77645
Subject Headings: Foreign relations, Foreign relations, Foreign relations
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Can I call you brother?.
Creator: Norberg, Elizabeth Andrea., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: The following manuscript is a novel intended to explore the confusing nature of butch lesbian gender identity and the unique bonds of friendship butch women often share with one another. Lesbian culture, today, sometimes puts pressure on the term butch and pushes butch women to choose between transgender, femme and androgynous. The lead character in this novel, Sarah, struggles to come to terms with her own sexual identity amidst all this pressure to conform. She watches her friends and...
Show moreThe following manuscript is a novel intended to explore the confusing nature of butch lesbian gender identity and the unique bonds of friendship butch women often share with one another. Lesbian culture, today, sometimes puts pressure on the term butch and pushes butch women to choose between transgender, femme and androgynous. The lead character in this novel, Sarah, struggles to come to terms with her own sexual identity amidst all this pressure to conform. She watches her friends and searches for a model of what butch is and is not but she continues to feel emotionally and physically cut off from the people she cares about. Ultimately, Sarah realizes she can move fluidly between many genders. When she stops trying to be a stereotype, she is finally able to connect with the people she cares about.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186332
Subject Headings: Symbolism in literature, Lesbians, Attitudes, Homosexuality, Philosophy, Stereotype (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Blended: a memoir.
Creator: Greenberg, Abbe., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Blended: A Memoir is the author's recollection of her endeavors to overcome the difficulties that often accompany becoming a stepmother and build a "seamless" family.
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360789
Subject Headings: Stepfamilies, Parent and child, Parent-child relationships, Remarriage, Children of divorced parents
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Beyond sustainability: justice and complex systems thinking for just sustainable viability.
Creator: Best, Andrea Leigh., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Philosophy
Abstract/Description: The dominant definitions of sustainability are too various and neglect essential elements necessary for effective sustainability discourse. This project considers what current understandings of sustainable development mean to those who subscribe to them and how those understandings affect public policy for sustainable development. I begin by presenting a timeline on the evolution of the term 'sustainability'. Then, I offer narrative policy analysis as a methodological tool for investigating...
Show moreThe dominant definitions of sustainability are too various and neglect essential elements necessary for effective sustainability discourse. This project considers what current understandings of sustainable development mean to those who subscribe to them and how those understandings affect public policy for sustainable development. I begin by presenting a timeline on the evolution of the term 'sustainability'. Then, I offer narrative policy analysis as a methodological tool for investigating communities of meaning with contending views on sustainability. This provides a foundation for the analysis of case studies using Harrisonian Sustainability Narratives-efficiency, equity, and ethics-as lenses through which three corresponding U.S. case studies are explored, each representing different levels of analysis-corporate, state, and individual. First, the Business Roundtable, a lobbying organization comprised of the CEOs of top U.S. companies exemplifying the efficiency narrative, claims that the problem of sustainable development can be addressed through free markets, which continually increase eco-efficiency and encourage technological advancement. Next, the Environmental Protection Agency, a state organization mandated to protect water and air and to manage toxic and solid wastes and representing the equity narrative, sees the problem of sustainable development as ensuring the just distribution of natural limits so as to reduce the impact of those limits on individuals within communities. Lastly, the ethical anthropology of Anna Peterson, philosopher of religion, points to the power of ethical narratives in creating wide-scale changes to our ideas about humanness and human nature as they relate to our relationship with our environment for sustainability., What I found in common with both the efficiency and equity narratives, representing both the political and corporate perspective and having significant influence on policy formation, is that they are pro market-based solutions of ecoefficiency and technological advancement. What they blatantly lack is guidance on what we ought to do, ought to value. I conclude that a humanist ethic is missing from both these narratives. Neither narrative sees matters of justice as co-equal partners with sustainability for sustainable development. Policy resulting from these narratives may offer efficiency and process but fails to include a robust humanist ethics necessary for a true sustainability. The way we think about our relationship to the environment shapes our behavior towards it. Just Sustainable Viability combines a complex systems approach that views human societies as complex adaptive systems and aims at optimizing social adaptive capacity with notions of distributive and procedural justice. With the inception of this new vision for sustainability, a new narrative must follow that firmly places humanity within the context of complex social and environmental systems.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2684310
Subject Headings: System analysis, Policy sciences, Sustainable development, Social structure, Urban ecology (Sociology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Collaborative governance and the implementation of the Ryan White CARE Act: a case study of HIV health services planning councils in two South Florida counties.
Creator: Agbodzakey, James K., College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Public Administration
Abstract/Description: The complex problems of the twenty-first century cannot be effectively addressed with twentieth century top-down bureaucratic governance alone because of limited stakeholder participation in collective decision making and/or implementation. The somewhat limited stakeholder participation in the policy process, especially, that of target populations, can impact generating viable solutions to complex problems. Collaborative governance has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional...
Show moreThe complex problems of the twenty-first century cannot be effectively addressed with twentieth century top-down bureaucratic governance alone because of limited stakeholder participation in collective decision making and/or implementation. The somewhat limited stakeholder participation in the policy process, especially, that of target populations, can impact generating viable solutions to complex problems. Collaborative governance has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional management in addressing contemporary complex problems. Collaborative governance is thus a type of governance that promotes joint participation of state and non-state stakeholders in decision making and/or implementation by using agreed upon processes of engagement to collectively address problems. Such governance is especially beneficial for addressing the challenges posed by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This dissertation uses the collaborative governance concept to explicate the efforts of HIV Health Services Planning Councils in Broward County and Palm Beach County of South Florida with the purpose of accentuating how collaborative governance works in providing various categories of services to meet the needs of people with AIDS (PWAs), as part of the implementation of the Ryan White CARE Act. The study focuses on critical variables of collaborative governance such as facilitative leadership and institutional design, the collaborative process variables such as trust building, commitment to the process and shared understanding, and outputs such as allocation priorities of the Councils. This study employed mixed methods in collecting data from various relevant sources., The combined findings from surveys, interviews, observations and document reviews were essential to knowledge and understanding of collaborative governance of the respective Councils. The results revealed more similarities than differences between the Councils in their efforts towards addressing the HIV/AIDS problem. The Councils are similar in all variables of collaborative governance with few exceptions relative to facilitative leadership and institutional design. The differences were relative to membership, number of committees, amount allocated for various service categories and number of clients served. Furthermore, the Councils were slightly different in reaching consensus on subjects of deliberation. On the average, Palm Beach County's Council make decisions by consensus relatively easily when compared with the Broward County's Council. Nonetheless, both Councils are consensus-oriented and strive to make decision by consensus as evidenced by unanimous votes or simple majority votes on various subjects of deliberation. In addition, representation and participation of target populations in collaborative governance have contributed to the empowerment of those target populations. The study contributes to the literature by developing a conceptual model for HIV/AIDS collaborative governance for producing outputs to help meet needs of target populations. Also, the study contributes to collaborative governance theorizing by drawing a nexus between variables of collaborative governance and by complementing the existing non-linear perspective of collaborative process for collective problem solving. Collaborative governance involving state and non-state stakeholders thereby enhances efforts of public managers by harnessing resources to effectively manage and/or address complex problems for the benefit of society.
Show less
Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/368614
Subject Headings: HIV infections, Government policy, AIDS (Disease), Patients, Services for, Public-private sector cooperation, Public administration, Decision making
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Catastrophic event planning and response for urban areas through dynamic traffic assignment and departure time-slot allocation.
Creator: Degnan, William C., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Abstract/Description: Catastrophic event emergency planning has emerged as one of the most important operations management areas. Much of the successes of a response plan rely on the ability to maintain an operating transportation infrastructure. In recent years urban areas have become susceptible to biological terrorist attacks due to their size and demographics. To mitigate the devastating effects of an attack, a comprehensive catastrophic event response plan is devised. The characteristics of the disease ...
Show moreCatastrophic event emergency planning has emerged as one of the most important operations management areas. Much of the successes of a response plan rely on the ability to maintain an operating transportation infrastructure. In recent years urban areas have become susceptible to biological terrorist attacks due to their size and demographics. To mitigate the devastating effects of an attack, a comprehensive catastrophic event response plan is devised. The characteristics of the disease (dormant periods, signs/symptoms), daily traffic operations and trip distributions, patient-choice hospital modeling and emergency center corridor optimization are all elements of an effective response plan. Simulation and optimization modeling of this plan becomes a faster-than-real-time tool in replicating urban area degradation. Therefore, allowing planners to identify "worst case scenarios" within the network and implement Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) techniques and a non-linear departure time slot allocation mathematical model ensuring infected populations receive treatment and/or vaccinations efficiently.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359332
Subject Headings: Emergency management, Bioterrorism, Government policy, Evacuation of civilians, Planning
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Deconstructing my universal marginalization.
Creator: Nazim, Fathima Asma., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Visual Arts and Art History
Abstract/Description: This thesis is a profoundly personal one. It examines the role of context in creation (authorship) and perception (reading an image) of representation. Born in Sri Lanka during the emergence of one the world's longest lasting civil wars, I never recognized my love and concern for the Island and its ancient history and culture until I traveled to America to pursue a higher education. Ever since, I have constantly found myself in situations where I am regarded as the 'other' or the 'outsider' ;...
Show moreThis thesis is a profoundly personal one. It examines the role of context in creation (authorship) and perception (reading an image) of representation. Born in Sri Lanka during the emergence of one the world's longest lasting civil wars, I never recognized my love and concern for the Island and its ancient history and culture until I traveled to America to pursue a higher education. Ever since, I have constantly found myself in situations where I am regarded as the 'other' or the 'outsider' ; I seem to not fit in completely in this country as well as in my own. In the US I am considered 'eastern' or 'exotic', whereas in my own country, I am considered 'westernized', no longer looked at as a typical Sri Lankan woman. This thesis examines and explores marginalization, orientalism, deconstruction theories, semiotic studies, dialect as well as attire, in the specific context of Graphic Design.
Show less
Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2138108
Subject Headings: Marginality, Social, Marginality, Social, Identity (Psychology), Pluralism (Social sciences), International relations and culture, Culture and globalization, Visual communication in art, Graphic design (Typography)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Exploring barriers to education for Native American Indians: a native perspective.
Creator: Conley, Enid., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This qualitative storytelling and exploratory research design investigated the barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies to education experienced by adult Native American Indians from various Native American Indian Nations. In addition, differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities regarding barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies of Native American Indians were examined. The study with 23 adult Native American...
Show moreThis qualitative storytelling and exploratory research design investigated the barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies to education experienced by adult Native American Indians from various Native American Indian Nations. In addition, differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities regarding barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies of Native American Indians were examined. The study with 23 adult Native American participants revealed a main theme of identity both passive and aggressive that permeated all of the thematic areas: barriers, enhancers, and coping strategies. The barriers ranged from reinventing the Native American Indian to language barriers caused by forcing Native American Indians to speak Eurowestern languages in order to survive. The educational enhancers themes described by the participants revolved around themes of people, culture, community, and the environment. Elements of Garrison' s Model (1997) on self-directed learning emerged in this study under the thematic area of coping strategies. Self-directedness was evident in the coping strategies; which included self-management (control by acknowledging the social environment in which the participants were interacting), cognitive responsibility (self-examination), and motivation (assuming personal responsibility). The role of a Native American Indian as a researcher was noted in enhancing the depth and breadth of the research., The examination of the differences between the sexes, Native American Nations, and/or languages spoken, and/or participation in cultural activities revealed: (a) one male and five females participants described sexism as a barrier; (b) no participant expressed particular barriers with regards to the Native American Nation in which they belonged to; (c) a majority of participants expressed that language was a barrier in one form or another; (d) participants described barriers to Native American Indian cultural participation as thoughts and feelings of being "lost" and "not belonging," which is evident in identity crisis or identity diffusion.
Show less
Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/108066
Subject Headings: Discrimination in education, Educational equalization, Indians of North America, Education, Indian philosophy
Format: Document (PDF)

Criticism and interpretation (16)	+ -
Education (16)	+ -
Psychological aspects (13)	+ -
History (12)	+ -
Social aspects (12)	+ -

Educational leadership (11)	+ -
Government policy (10)	+ -
Management (8)	+ -
School improvement programs (8)	+ -
Study and teaching (8)	+ -
Academic achievement (7)	+ -
Educational equalization (7)	+ -
Aims and objectives (6)	+ -
Evaluation (6)	+ -
Political aspects (6)	+ -
Politics and government (6)	+ -
Popular culture (6)	+ -
Prevention (6)	+ -
Public administration (6)	+ -
Teachers (6)	+ -
Achievement in education (5)	+ -
Cultural assimilation (5)	+ -
Emergency management (5)	+ -
English language (5)	+ -
History and criticism (5)	+ -
Medical care (5)	+ -
Minorities (5)	+ -
Motivation in education (5)	+ -
Organizational behavior (5)	+ -
Planning (5)	+ -

Florida (30)	+ -
Israel (2)	+ -
Southern States (2)	+ -
States (2)	+ -
Arab countries (1)	+ -

Argentina (1)	+ -
Asia (1)	+ -
Broward County (1)	+ -
California (1)	+ -
Environmental aspects (1)	+ -
Europe (1)	+ -
Great Britain (1)	+ -
Lake Worth (1)	+ -
Louisiana (1)	+ -
Maryland (1)	+ -
Middle East (1)	+ -
New Orleans (1)	+ -
Nigeria (1)	+ -
North America (1)	+ -
Palm Beach County (1)	+ -
Sri Lanka (1)	+ -

20th century (13)	+ -
21st century (9)	+ -
19th century (6)	+ -
2001- (2)	+ -
1775-1783 (1)	+ -

Search In

Pages

Pages

Sort Results By:

Narrow results by:

Collection

Topical Subject

Geographic Subject

Temporal Subject

Genre Subject

Title as Subject

Type of Resource

Language

Creator

Format

Owner