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Bibliography for National Career Development Month Display
Get PDFA bibliography created to support a display about National Career Development Month at the Leatherby Libraries during November 2024 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University
Aid or Abuse? A Review of U.S. Police Assistance Programs in Latin America During the Early Cold War
Get PDFDuring the Cold War, the United States used police assistance programs in under-developed countries to stop the spread of communism. Police aid aimed to improve a country’s economic stability and internal security to curb the rise of communist revolutions. The U.S. government charged the Office of Public Safety (OPS) within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with managing police assistance programs around the world, including in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Despite its seemingly good intentions, the OPS became a short-lived program now known today for its ties to human rights abuses, especially throughout Latin America. Several Latin American Truth Commissions claimed the OPS’s work contributed to some of the most heinous human rights violations committed in South and Central America during the Cold War.
This thesis asks a series of questions. What was the OPS and what did it do in Latin America? Did the OPS’s actions mirror its goals? Did it create a safer region or hurt U.S.-Latin America relations? Did negative public opinion surrounding the OPS create changes in U.S. foreign policy? Finally, with U.S. aid to foreign police banned in the 1970s, why does the U.S. government continue to fund police assistance programs today?
This thesis asserts that the OPS sought to advance U.S. interests in Latin America by bolstering security favorable for economic growth while simultaneously countering communism. However, a review of declassified documents and other primary sources suggests that U.S. officials either misunderstood the OPS’s role or lacked clarity in its purpose. This haziness combined with a lack of oversight created a shadowy program linked to human rights abuses in Latin America and ultimately caused more harm than good for U.S.-Latin American relations.
This thesis uses Guatemala and Brazil as case studies to test this hypothesis. Although active in almost all Latin American countries during the Cold War, much of the data about the OPS’s activities remains classified. However, Brazil and Guatemala have more public information about their respective OPS programs available than others. Additionally, these selections create comprehension about the role of the OPS in two different political, military, and socioeconomic contexts and provide opportunities to compare and contrast the OPS in different cultural settings. An examination of the OPS’s work and lasting impacts in Guatemala and Brazil demonstrate the program’s quick rise and fall, leading to a brief but not insurmountable challenge to U.S.-Latin American foreign relations
The Impact of Refugee Resettlement Programs on Local Communities in America: A Case Study of New York City
Get PDFThe goal of this study is to examine the impact of refugee resettlement programs on local communities in the United States, focusing on New York City. This study explores how complex dynamics of refugee integration shape the socio-economic, cultural, and political dynamics of host communities. New York City, being a diverse urban city center, the high number of refugees significantly influenced the city’s dynamic cultural landscape, with an estimate of 8.468 million migrants from different cultural backgrounds (Rida, 2023). Resettlement programs facilitated by a network of nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies, provide essential services - employment related training, housing, and language assistance. However, these programs also face challenges like strain on local resources, lack of affordable housing, and the complex socio-political dynamic of integrating diverse refugee populations into local communities (Philip et al. 2021).
This study employs a mixed method to examine how refugee resettlement programs affect socio-economic dynamics, and cultural diversity within the host city. Research data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders, refugees and members of the local community to provide insights into the study, and this was supplemented by quantitative data and media content analysis. The research findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges presented by the resettlement programs and offer insights into the long-term effects on the city\u27s neighborhoods, social services, and community dynamics. This study contributes to the going debate on refugee integration and how host communities navigate the complex dynamic of resettlement. This research aims to inform policymakers, and resettlement agencies on the importance of creating inclusive and effective resettlement programs beneficial to both refugees and host communities
Why do Americans Fear Terror Attacks More Than the Death of a Loved One?
Get PDFThe 21st century has brought with it several instances of domestic and foreign terrorism on the United States. In the post-9/11 world, the general fear of terrorism and the various sources of terror that fall beneath this umbrella term have ballooned to the point of being one of the most prevalent fears in American society during the completion of the 2016 Chapman Survey of American Fears. While it is important to note that significant events such as the rise of ISIS, the Paris and Brussels Attacks, the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and the 2016 Presidential campaign have left individuals among the general population with an increased measure of fear, this article intends to, among other things, show that certain demographics have been left with an outstanding fear that does not warrant a proper reaction to the data on these attacks. This outstanding fear has led to a less cohesive American society, less civic engagement, more political divisiveness, and more ineffective policy-making from the federal government.
In this paper, I examine the root identifying factors and causes of this fear among Americans, in an effort to provide updated research-backed conclusions that can give readers options to more effectively combat this problematic amount of fear, that carries with it only negative consequences. Using data from the 2016 Chapman Survey of American Fears, which concluded that terror-related fears were 2 of the top 5 in America, this article will identify, through a series of hypotheses, several explanations for determining who is most subject to this fear and why. More specifically, the article examines not only the general fear of terrorism in America, but also the fear of international terror groups, domestic terror incidents, and cyber-terrorism. This data will help me to conclude that factors such as political orientation, media consumption habits, geographic location, and trust in government effectiveness all contribute to the degree to which this fear is relevant to the respondents in this survey, representing the larger population in America. Although the total elimination of this fear is unrealistic and, quite frankly, not ideal, this article aims to identify the causes and suggest options to reduce the amount of impending fear that Americans experience on a daily basis in hopes that the citizens of this country can redirect their fears more productively, while building trust in our government and participation in civic engagement
Fear of Violent Crime: Should You Be More Afraid of A Stranger or Your Neighbor
Get PDFWhether you\u27re watching the news or scrolling through social media, you are bound to hear about violent crimes. The constant reminder strikes fear within individuals. What many do not realize is that specific individuals are more susceptible to the fear of violent crime than others. Within this paper, I determine how social media usage, level of education, and gender impact an individual\u27s fear of being murdered by either a stranger or someone they know. To do this, I used the Chapman Survey of American Fears. This survey was conducted on a national sample of adults in the U.S. through a series of questions regarding their fears. I found that individuals who tend to have higher levels of social media usage have a higher fear of being murdered. Additionally, I also found that people with higher levels of education have less fear of being murdered than people with less education. Finally, I found that women have higher rates of fear of being murdered than men will. I found a weak positive correlation regarding all of my independent variables and fear of violent crime committed by a stranger as well as someone the victim knows. Finally, the majority of individuals were more afraid of a stranger versus someone they knew. Our society is filled with information regarding getting murdered, but there is a lack of research in the field regarding the fear of being murdered. By understanding which groups of individuals have higher levels of fear regarding being murdered, we are able to use this information to break the stigma and aid individuals in feeling more secure
AI at the University: Balancing Innovation and Integrity in the Classroom
No full textArtificial Intelligence is revolutionizing education, research, and everyday academic practices. This moderated panel explores both the groundbreaking opportunities and the potential ethical challenges posed by AI in the university setting. Join Dr. Doug Dechow, Sciences Librarian and Assistant Dean for Library Research and Data Services, and Dr. Nora Rivera, English Professor, as they dive into the dual-sided nature of AI’s influence in academia. This interactive session will feature reflections from current students on how AI is reshaping their educational experience and a Q&A to address both the promises and dangers AI holds for the future of higher education. This conversation will be moderated by Essraa Nawar, Assistant Dean, DEI and Development, Leatherby Libraries.
Meet the Panelists:
Dr. Doug DechowDoug Dechow is the Sciences Librarian and Assistant Dean for Library Research and Data Services at Chapman University. With a strong focus on the integration of technology in research, Doug has been instrumental in advancing AI-related research initiatives across various disciplines. He also works closely with graduate students, including collaborations that focus on interdisciplinary research in science and humanities.
Dr. Nora RiveraNora Rivera is an esteemed professor in the Department of English at Chapman University. Her research spans critical theory, digital rhetoric, technical communication, and the impact of emerging technologies on writing and society. Nora brings a unique humanistic perspective to the conversation around AI, offering a balanced view of how technology intersects with writing and intellectual discourse
Moving from Traits to the Dynamic Process: The Next Steps in Research on Human Resilience
Get PDFThe current literature on resilience shows a trend toward a dynamic process conceptualization, moving away from the previous trait-approach. However, the term “dynamic” is increasingly treated as a buzzword and is thereby oversimplified in the literature. The aim of this article is to develop a unified language pertaining to resilience as a dynamic process, so as to ensure progress in this field. First, we briefly introduce the traditional trait approach alongside the implicit assumption on which it is built. Next, we contrast this approach by discussing what dynamics entail and how this approach differs from mainstream psychological approaches. Specifically, dynamics argue for mapping out a change process per se, rather than identifying whether or not a change has occurred through simple linear fit models. These dynamic processes typically emerge from complex interactions between multiple variables, which result in nonlinear patterns like sudden gains or losses. Consequently, we advocate for future research avenues built on repeated measurements at high frequencies that result time series data which provides insights into how the resilience process unfolds over time. Gaining insights into such temporal patterns also has a direct influence on practical applications including approaches for both prevention and psychotherapy
Ethical Aspects of Utilising Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Settings
Get PDFIn response to recent proposals to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to automate ethics consultations in healthcare, we raise two main problems for the prospect of having healthcare professionals rely on AI-driven programs to provide ethical guidance in clinical matters. The first cause for concern is that, because these programs would effectively function like black boxes, this approach seems to preclude the kind of transparency that would allow clinical staff to explain and justify treatment decisions to patients, fellow caregivers, and those tasked with providing oversight. The other main problem is that the kind of authority that would need to be given to the guidance issuing from these programs in order to do the work set out for them would mean that clinical staff would not be empowered to provide meaningful safeguards against it in those cases when its recommendations are morally problematic
Love as a Commitment Device: Evidence from a Cross-Cultural Study Across 90 Countries
Get PDFGiven the ubiquitous nature of love, numerous theories have been proposed to explain its existence. One such theory refers to love as a commitment device, suggesting that romantic love evolved to foster commitment between partners and enhance their reproductive success. In the present study, we investigated this hypothesis using a large-scale sample of 86,310 individual responses collected across 90 countries. If romantic love is universally perceived as a force that fosters commitment between long-term partners, we expected that individuals likely to suffer greater losses from the termination of their relationships—including people of lower socioeconomic status, those with many children, and women—would place a higher value on romantic love compared to people with higher status, those with fewer children, and men. These predictions were supported. Additionally, we observed that individuals from countries with a higher (vs. lower) Human Development Index placed a greater level of importance on romantic love, suggesting that modernization might influence how romantic love is evaluated. On average, participants worldwide were unwilling to commit to a long-term romantic relationship without love, highlighting romantic love’s universal importance
Climatological Trends and Effects of Aerosols and Clouds on Large Solar Parks: Application Examples in Benban (Egypt) and Al Dhafrah (UAE)
Get PDFSolar energy production is vastly affected by climatological factors. This study examines the impact of two primary climatological factors, aerosols and clouds, on solar energy production at two of the world’s largest solar parks, Benban and Al Dhafrah Solar Parks, by using Earth observation data. Cloud microphysics were obtained from EUMETSAT, and aerosol data were obtained from the CAMS and assimilated with MODIS data for higher accuracy. The impact of both factors was analysed by computing their trends over the past 20 years. These climatological trends indicated the variations in the change in each of the factors and their resulting impact over the years. The trends were quantified into the actualised drop in energy production (Wh/m2/year) in order to obtain the impact of each factor. Aerosols displayed a falling trend of −17.78 Wh/m2/year for Benban and −44.88 Wh/m2/year for Al Dhafrah. Similarly, clouds also portrayed a largely falling trend for both stations, −36.29 Wh/m2/year (Benban) and −70.27 Wh/m2/year (Al Dhafrah). The aerosol and cloud trends were also observed on a monthly basis to study their seasonal variation. The trends were further translated into net increases/decreases in the energy produced and the resulting emissions released. The analysis was extended to quantify the economic impact of the trends. Owing to the falling aerosol and cloud trends, the annual production was foreseen to increase by nearly 1 GWh/year (Benban) and 1.65 GWh/year (Al Dhafrah). These increases in annual production estimated reductions in emission released of 705.2 tonne/year (Benban) and 1153.7 tonne/year (Al Dhafrah). Following these estimations, the projected revenue was foreseen to increase by 62,000 USD/year (Benban) and 100,000 USD/year (Al Dhafrah). Considering the geographical location of both stations, aerosols evidently imparted a larger impact compared with clouds. Severe dust storm events were also analysed at both stations to examine the worst-case scenario of aerosol impact. The results show that the realized losses during these events amounted to 2.86 GWh for Benban and 5.91 GWh for Al Dhafrah. Thus, this study showcases the benefits of Earth observation technology and offers key insights into climatological trends for solar energy planning purposes