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Cross-Cultural Photographic Representations of Happiness in USA, Japan, and Honduras in College Students
No full textHappiness can be found in little everyday things, actions, and places, or it can be created by people, events, or animals. Although there is a basic definition of happiness, its interpretation and meaning is different among cultures. In this case, my research is to find out what the differences are in three cultures: American, Japanese and Honduran, primarily focused on college students. By a convenient sample, we have recruited 160 US participants in Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois, Japanese participants in Tokyo, and Honduran participants in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Participants were required to complete a pre- and post- test that employed the Deiner’s Flourishing Scale (2009) in which we aimed to measure their perception of self-esteem, social relationships, purpose and optimism. In our post examination we provided the participants with an opportunity to reflect upon the prior 24 hours in which they were required to take 5 photographs throughout the day. Although some of our data is still being translated from Spanish to English, and we are still receiving more participants from Honduras, we are finding very interesting differences like degree to which other people are integrated into their happiness, behaviors in the moments of happiness, and the different contexts in which people realize happiness. All narratives will be coded for emotional complexity according to the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (Lane, Quinlan, Schwartz, Walker & Zeinlin, 1990). We will be employing an ANOVA analysis to compare pre- and post-test scales in which we plan to evaluate whether participants’ perception of self is significantly impacted by reflecting upon their last 24 hours. This cross-cultural study can provide us with an avenue of understanding the different sources of pleasures found in every culture, as well as how we may construct, experience and express happiness differently
Exploring the “Pre-College Schooling” Attribute of Tinto’s College Persistence Model through Public vs. Private Education
No full textVincent Tinto’s 1975 model of collegiate persistence is considered nearly a paradigm in the body of research devoted to graduation from higher education. Though it has been revised over time by the empirical research of other leaders in the field, the base structure and underlying logic behind Tinto’s model has remained important and valid. Tinto’s model begins with certain pre-existing conditions for students entering college; these include family background, individual attributes, and pre-college schooling. Existing research has paid some attention to the conditions of family background and individual attributes, but most importantly, researchers consider pre-college schooling to mean simply high school GPA or class rank. Largely ignored have been Tinto’s words in his influential 1975 work, which read, “The characteristics of the high school are also important because they directly and indirectly affect the individual’s aspirations, expectations, and motivations for college education.” This project serves to explore characteristics by examining what effects a public high school education versus a private high school education may have on the way students progress through Tinto’s model of college persistence
Fast Colorimetric Titration of Boron Tribromide Using N,N-Dimethylaniline
No full textA large number of organic transformations are either initiated or catalyzed by boron tribromide (BBr3), and correct stoichiometric addition to these reactions is often crucial to their success. Few procedures for the quantification of BBr3 concentration currently exist, so there is a need to develop additional reliable methodologies. Here we report that N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) has been identified as a colorimetric titrant for accurately determining the concentration of BBr3 in solution. Our protocol is fast, direct, and works for a range of BBr3 concentrations. An initial Lewis acid-base reaction between the nitrogen and boron centers forms a blue complex. At the equivalence point, additional catalytic BBr3 initiates an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction which results in a loss of the B-N coordination and causes an instantaneous color change from blue to yellow, giving an easy-to-identify endpoint
Investigation of Biochar for Amendment of a Disturbed Urban Soil
No full textWe examined the influence of biochar in amending a disturbed urban entisol that is sandy, quartz rich, and very low in organic matter. We assessed short term (2–3 week) plant growth by comparing dry plant mass among varying treatments of biochar and/or inorganic fertilizer and a control. Biochar has high porosity and specific surface area (Bagreev et al., 2001). Biochar has been reported to increase water holding capacity, improve retention of soil nutrients, and enhance beneficial microorganism growth. We hypothesized that biochar would improve short term growth by enhancing nutrient and water retention in the high drainage, sandy soil. We tested three species in a greenhouse experiment and measured pH and water retention. The sandy soil had a pH of 6.85; commercial biochar had a pH of 6.40. Vigna radiata (mung bean) and Avena sativa (common oat) were planted in control (original) sandy soil, soil intermixed with 1%, 3%, 7%, 10%, and 20% (by mass) commercial biochar, the same percentages of biochar with full fertilizer, and soil without biochar containing ¼, ½, full, 2x, and 4x recommended fertilizer dosage. All biochar-only treatments for Vigna radiata yielded greater above-ground biomass than the control, but fertilizer-only and combined biochar-fertilizer treatments were variable relative to the control. In Avena sativa most fertilizer treatments yielded higher biomass than the control whereas biochar treatments were variable. None of these results, however, were significant at a 5% confidence level. Brassica rapa was not tested for fertilizer treatment and showed no significant difference from the control among biochar treatments. Data suggested that increasing biochar and increased water retention correlate, but not significantly. In the early stages of plant growth, biochar does not produce significantly different results than fertilizer. This suggests that biochar could potentially serve as a lower input, alternative remediation medium in urban soils
Migration from Poor to Rich Countries
No full textAcross the globe there is a widespread crisis of migration taking place due to conflict, poverty, social strife, or political turmoil. During this election cycle, the issue of immigration is a main topic of debate and creates multiple divides among the American people. Some believe that it is understandable for immigrants to want to pursue “The American Dream” and want to make it easier for them to enter the country. Others, however, want it to be stopped completely for fear of them taking jobs or causing violent crime. The purpose of this study is to research the economic benefits and disparities that come along with the migrations of people to the United States from poor countries or communities
Myth Against the World: Bardo-Druidism and Welsh National Identity, 1792-1900
No full textToday, two major symbols of Welsh national identity are the National Eisteddfod and its bardo-druidic congress, the Gorsedd of the Bards of the Isle of Britain. The Eisteddfod is a competitive literary and musical festival which has its roots in the Middle Ages. The Gorsedd, on the other hand—with its mystical rituals, costumes, symbols, and sayings—is more suggestive of an even earlier time, when the ancient Welsh were led by a priesthood of druids and followed a pagan religion of great poetic beauty. At least, this is what the nineteenth-century Welsh believed on the authority of the great antiquarian, bard, and cultural hero, Iolo Morganwg. In reality, though, this was the “bardic name” of Edward Williams (1747-1826), a skilled literary forger who fabricated an ancient Welsh society that fit the moral and aesthetic values of Romantic-Era Britain. In the 1850s, new interest in Iolo Morganwg arose and a disciple of his, John Williams “Ab Ithel” (1811-1862), organized the first Grand Eisteddfod since the medieval period complete with a Gorsedd. This massive event was the first of many, and, eventually, the National Eisteddfod and the Gorsedd became national institutions in Wales. This project investigates the development of the Eisteddfod and Gorsedd and examines the changing motivations for Welsh identification with these institutions throughout the nineteenth century. As this study explores the shifting relationship between English national identity and Welsh, a hypothesis arises as to why the Gorsedd has survived its unmasking as a fake and remains a national symbol of Welsh pride and identity to this day
Needs Assessment of Community-Based Service Provider to Children with Disabilities and their Families in Zhengzhou, China
No full textThis study was the third year of a series of studies that explored the programs available to children with disabilities in China. The purpose of this research was to gain the perspective of professionals and volunteers who work with children with disabilities in regards to the surrounding context of the work they do. Those interviewed were asked about their positive experiences, challenges, strengths, barriers, and areas of need that remain in order to provide adequate and complete service to this population. A convenience sample of workers and volunteers from an organization called GIFT was taken. GIFT is a domestic, Chinese, faith-based (Christian) charitable service organization that is a registered NGO in China. GIFT is headquartered in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. It provides services to meet the needs of the parents of children with disabilities. Through helping the parents, GIFT is able to also help the children with disabilities. A grounded theory approach to qualitative research was used. In order to complete this evaluation, the following process was followed: -10 interviews of 11 professionals at GIFT, along with 2 focus-group interviews -Transcription of raw data set (interviews) -Triangulation with multiple coders was used in the Open coding process to increase confirmability of findings -Triangulated axial coding to identify cross-cutting and organizing theme
Sex Trafficking Intervention: A Therapeutic Approach to Helping Victims
No full textThis project aims to educate mandated reporters on how to intervene with sex trafficked victims. Sex trafficking is not a new problem in our society, but often goes unidentified as a result of lack of education and awareness of the topic. Many professionals are in a position to intervene safely and effectively, but may lack the tools needed. Medical personnel in particular are in the unique position of having the responsibility to both identify victims and treat their immediate medical needs. The objectives of this project were two fold: 1) To conduct a needs assessment of medical personnel around the topic of sex trafficking interventions, and 2) use the needs assessment to aid in creating an intervention module. Research participants were selected using snowball sampling that included 11 medical personnel. A series of seven questions were asked in open-ended interviews as well as two quantitative-scaled questions. These interviews were conducted either in person or by telephone at the participant’s convenience. The analysis of these interviews was done both by hand and by computer. Results of the study yielded three primary areas of concern for the medical personnel: 1) what resources to connect a victim to, 2) how to identify a victim by knowing what signs to look for, and 3) the demographic of the victims of trafficked. Additional findings were that the first barrier in assessment and intervention from the practitioner’s standpoint was getting the victim to report, and second, if the practitioner had encountered situations similar to trafficking, they had a higher self-reported sense of competency. We have developed a training module in response to this research and have developed a continuing education training course for medical practitioners and social workers
Tax the Rich: Studying our Tax Policy and the 1%
No full textTax collection is a necessary part of a functioning political entity. Yet there are debates about who should be taxed, who should pay more in taxation, and how tax policies can best be arranged to benefit society with the public goods tax money provides. This paper investigates ideas regarding the taxation of the “top one percent” of income earners in the United States. There has been a notion in the past few years that taxing the rich at increasingly higher rates will help to improve the financial situations of people in lower income brackets. In other words, there is a potentially high level of support for a taxation system built around the policy idea of redistribution. Proponents of a redistributive tax system often frame it as being more “fair,” a notion I will evaluate as part of my research. What exactly is fair? Furthermore, how does a policy creator determine the level at which to draw the line for each tax level? Who determines when a citizen is “rich enough” to warrant higher levels of taxation? Furthermore, does a “fair” system necessarily lead to a situation that is best for the American economy? I will be researching accelerated tax rates and their effect on the economy and median income of each socio-economic class. These are difficult questions to answer because they encompass moral, economic, and political issues. I aim to answer some of these questions to generate better understanding regarding tax policy and to evaluate what is effective and what is not