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Constitution as a Bill of Rights and a Bill of Rights as a Constitution : Popular Sovereignty and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
No full textWhile the Canadian and American governments have many similarities in their origins and development, the government systems that resulted differ significantly in nature and practice. An interesting development in Canada is the remarkably activist judiciary that has become a major player in constitutional politics and development of a "Court Party" in the past forty years since the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. This politicization of the court system in Canada is recognized by many, but the question as to why it arose seems to vary greatly. This thesis introduces and explains the phenomenon of the "Charter Revolution" as being caused by the Charter itself in establishing a bill of rights as its constitution instead of creating a structure and declared powers for government institutions. By providing an understanding of the origins of government and analyzing foundational documents of both the United States and Canada, I will explain how the text of the Charter, while seemingly representative of the people, has provided positive empowerment for political activity by the judiciary and in doing so, has allowed for the rejection of popular sovereignty
Dwight Eisenhower's Institutional Change Strategies of the Civil Rights Era : A Model for Opposition Leadership.
No full textCombining theories of political time and the isolated presidency, this thesis shows that when Presidents face a constrained environment, they rely on the powers explicitly granted to them by Article II of the Constitution. I map Dwight Eisenhower's actions during the Civil Rights Era within four modalities of change to provide a model for how opposition presidents can influence a policy agenda on a controversial subject. I show how Eisenhower used his constitutional powers to set in motion four change strategies—displacement, conversion, layering, and drift—that furthered his "middle-way conservatism" and advanced the civil rights movement. I conclude by showing that preemptive presidents, even under difficult conditions, can use these methods to enact lasting change
Exploring student integration into academic and social systems using Tinto's theory of student departure : a qualitative case study of student connectedness at a metropolitan university in the midwest.
No full textDeclining retention is one of the greatest challenges higher education battles today. Large universities with broad admissions standards and high commuter populations face challenges to retaining students. Historical and systemic issues impact first-generation, low-income, and non-White students. Access institutions attract students considered most likely to drop-out. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated ongoing problems while also creating new challenges relating to virtual learning and student mental health in these institutions. Academic advisors work with students every day with the goal to retain them. However, many advisors face high caseloads causing time constraints and limited ability to foster relationships with students. Tinto's Theory of student departure was the guide to this qualitative, case study. I reviewed an intake questionnaire from five students then proceeded to interview the students to understand their experiences with an advising office. Further, I analyzed documents relating to advising to provide triangulation in the study. The university I selected had low retention rates, yet the students' program had extremely high retention rates. The study focused on advising students at access institutions who were more likely to face higher chances of dropping out. The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact of an academic advising office on student persistence by analyzing formal and informal social and academic connections fostered by academic advisors. With proper time and ability, I found that advising can fulfill formal and informal social and academic influences. Administrators must advocate for realistic caseloads for academic advisors. Advisors must foster intentional and relational communication and advising practices outside of course selection. Students, specifically those more likely to drop-out, need to utilize advising regularly. Further researchers must continue to study advising caseloads at access institutions. The study showed the need for investment into advising that can include both social and academic influences for students at access institutions
Heart rate variability biofeedback therapy as a means of reducing anxiety in a cohort of college students with autism spectrum disorder : a pilot study.
No full textCollege students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk for anxiety disorders, as well as the poor academic, social, health, and economic outcomes that have been linked to heightened anxiety. While there are interventions with proven efficacy in reducing anxiety for individuals with ASD, these interventions do not work as well as they do in typically developing populations. Biofeedback therapy is a technique that has shown preliminary positive results as an intervention to reduce state anxiety in individuals with ASD, though additional research is needed. This study explores the efficacy of using a Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Therapy (HRVBT) intervention for the treatment of anxiety in a population of college students with ASD (n=4) using a multiple baseline design. Over a ten-week intervention, participants received 20-minute HRVBT sessions weekly. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using the emWave software to gauge psychophysiological levels of anxiety, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was administered concurrently to compare perceived levels of anxiety
Organizations as social capital : a single case study on how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee build social capital for youth.
No full textDue to inequitable educational structures and systems in the United States, the youth who need the most support have fewer resources and perform worse academically than those with less need. There is unequal access to resources and funding in the United States (Darling-Hammond, 2019; Morgan & Amerikaner, 2018; Ushomirsky & Williams, 2015). Even though resources matter, students who attend schools with fewer resources underachieve compared to those with more (Baker, 2017; Baker et al., 2018; Roy, 2011). Where schools fall short of resources and funding, community organizations step in. I explored adult views and perceptions about their experiences as youth regarding resources at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Through the lens of the social capital theory, I conducted a single, exploratory, qualitative case study. I recruited interested people from survey results and then intentionally selected participants to foster variation (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Participants were adults who regularly attended the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee when they were K–12 students in the Milwaukee Public School District. I collected data through interviews and a focus group. I formed initial interview questions before the study started, then formed focus group questions based on the interview responses. The findings of this study fell into three categories: access, community, and life applications. Under the access category, I found that scholarships, employment opportunities, field trips, travel, and food were all formative aspects of developing participant's social capital. Under the community category, I found that strong professional relationships gave participants a sense of belonging, and participants learned how to socialize and network through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Finally, under the life applications category, I found that participants used the knowledge, skills, and connections they acquired at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Recommendations of this study suggest that the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Greater Milwaukee should intentionally focus on building relationships with members and increase the number of field trips and travel opportunities for its members. The implications of this study will impact future generations of Boys & Girls Clubs members
Symphony orchestra education programs in the community : a qualitative case study assessing student understanding from an arts-integrated program.
No full textScholars identify symphony orchestra education programs as a solution to numerous difficulties facing symphony orchestra organizations today. Symphonies have struggled through financial hardship for a century, and capturing necessary external funding requires navigating a complex financial landscape. Additional difficulties include continually declining audience sizes and engagement due to changing cultural values. Scholars suggest that symphony education programs can help combat these issues by providing community relevance through education services. While scholars consider symphony education programs a possible solution to organizational difficulties, numerous hurdles inhibit program success. Examples include challenges creating interdisciplinary or arts-integrated curriculums and difficulties evaluating existing programs in the nonprofit space. While existing literature covers interdisciplinary curriculums and nonprofit evaluation, a discussion of their application to symphony orchestra education programs is lacking. Literature dedicated to symphony education programs overall is strikingly minimal. This study used a qualitative single case embedded design to assess the learning outcomes of a community-relevant arts-integrated education program created by a tier-one symphony orchestra in the Midwest. There were 15 student participants and two music teacher participants from two Midwest elementary schools, one suburban and one rural. Interviews and student worksheets analysis explored disciplinary grounded understanding in music and science as independent disciplines and evidence of advanced understanding as a product of combining disciplines. Mansilla and Duraising's (2007) targeted assessment of students' interdisciplinary student work informed the data collection and analysis processes. The results indicated that disciplinary grounding in music presented itself in students' ability to communicate and demonstrate that music is organized, communicates personality and character, communicates narrative, and communicates emotion. Students presented disciplinary grounding in science by communicating that wolves are endangered, misunderstood, and various additional scientific facts. Two students demonstrated advanced understanding as a result of combining disciplines. The results showed that symphonies can successfully create arts-integrated curriculums and connect to their community through the education system. This study began to address the gap in literature dedicated to symphony education programs, but future research is still needed to explore additional education program outcomes and their benefit to the larger symphony organization
Examining the stability of emotional intelligence among U.S. adults before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
No full textEmotional Intelligence (EI) has been established as a critical skill with the ability to influence positive outcomes and mitigate challenging situations. Research connects EI to such benefits as better health, superior job performance, and psychological well-being. EI has also been shown to help moderate the negative impacts of stress. The recent COVID-19 pandemic is well-recognized as a source of unprecedented stress with implications for emotional well-being; however, continued research is needed to understand its impact on EI. We examined EI across both known and unknown subpopulations before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our purpose was to investigate the stability of EI among the general U.S. population (n = 33,875) during this time. In addition, we investigated the measurement invariance of an EI instrument not previously examined in the literature. Our EI instrument demonstrated measurement invariance over time. In addition, EI did not vary meaningfully, either among known or unknown subgroups. These findings align with previous research in which EI is an independent variable that moderates or mediates other factors. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of EI and its stability, which is critical to the ongoing debate regarding the significance of EI. If substantial claims are to be made regarding the efficacy of EI, then evidence supporting its stability is needed to demonstrate that EI is usually the actor and not the variable acted upon by circumstances. This study provides important evidence of the stability of EI during highly stressful and chaotic circumstances
The pursuit of meaningful work with Generation Z : a descriptive qualitative single case study.
No full textGeneration Z entered the workforce in large numbers and has yet to find the meaningful work they seek. By the year 2030, Generation Z will make up 30% of the workforce, which means addressing their needs will be important, as it will keep a large portion of employees satisfied (Nix, 2021). Organizations have seen a correlation between lack of meaning and employee attrition (Adobe, 2021; Smet et al., 2022). Addressing meaningful work for Generation Z requires a closer look at the influences of what defines meaningful work. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive, single case study was to examine the pathways contributing to the definition of meaningful work for Generation Z alumni from the University of Connecticut School of Business. This study answered the primary research question: How do Generation Z alumni from the University of Connecticut School of Business describe the pathways (individuation, contribution, self-connection, and unification) from the four major pathways to meaningful work by Russo et al. (2010) that led to their definition of meaningful work? The participants told their stories through semi-structured interviews and weekly journal entries. The study included data analysis of interview transcripts, resumes, job descriptions, and an electronic journal. The research uncovered three key findings. First, participants' strong and trusted relationships with their colleagues, managers, and customers were key indicators of meaning. Second, participants benefited from and found meaning in knowing themselves before obtaining full-time work. Third, participants described how adding value and feeling valued made a significant difference in their sense of meaningfulness at work. Fourth, participants connected their life's purpose to their priorities at the moment. However, purpose did not play a role in defining meaningful work. The findings in this study have implications for institutions of higher education, organizations that hire recent graduates, and the Generation Z population. The study's findings demonstrated the importance of customizing career development conversations and programming specific to an individual's career trajectory to increase meaning. The findings suggested Generation Z could take ownership of their career development early on to foster meaning at work that is specific to them
The influence of the Venusian atmosphere on the impact crater record.
No full textEnigmatic Venus has long been a subject of intense fascination. It has been called "Earth's twin," and yet it is encapsulated by an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfurous gases that generates a surface pressure of 93 bars and cloud-level wind speeds of 100 m/s. The planet's atmosphere protects its planet from asteroid impacts so effectively that only ~900 craters ranging in diameter from ~1.5 km to 270 km have formed on its ~800-Myr-old surface. However, the evolution of this "atmospheric shield" remains uncertain. It has been suggested that extensive volcanism has thickened the atmosphere. Alternatively, it has been postulated that solar wind stripping of ionospheric molecules has depleted the atmosphere to what it is today. However, the dominant mechanism that has driven the evolution of the Venusian atmosphere throughout the history of its current surface has remained largely unresolved in the literature. This work employs an in-house Fourth Order Runge-Kutta MATLAB® code (Horus Geb) to simulate the Venusian crater record with two asteroid population density models. The corresponding surface ages were determined to be 100 Myr and more credibly 800 Myr. Presented in this thesis is the first direct evidence that the evolution of the Venusian atmosphere has been dominated by "atmosphere thickening," and consequently, the density of the atmosphere has increased over the history of its surface
From fiction to reality : a content analysis of YouTube comments on pornography.
No full textThis study delves into contemporary perceptions of pornography to highlight the disparities between reality and perceptions in U.S. pornographic media. Using feminist and cognitive dissonance theories and content analysis, this study examines comments on YouTube videos featuring interviews with porn actors. The author observed a significant manifestation of cognitive dissonance among respondents when confronted with interviews featuring porn actors and their perceptions of the industry, juxtaposed with the respondents' preconceived notions of pornography as a purely fantastical realm. Based on the current research, the following are the most prominent audience responses noted in the sample: sympathy/empathy, curiosity, fetish-focused, hate-based, educational approach, and distrust. In light of these findings, the study proposes innovative recommendations for porn literacy beyond traditional sexual education, aiming to foster informed decision-making and facilitate open dialogues. Enhanced literacy programs might equip individuals, particularly college students, with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate pornography, distinguish between fantasy and reality, and cultivate healthy attitudes towards sexuality founded on respect, consent, and communication