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Publication Is China’s increased diplomatic and economic influence in Oceania a threat to American good governance goals in the region?(Global and International Studies, University of Kansas, 2020-06-20) Steidle, EricThis paper examines the impact of investment by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Pacific Island nations and assesses whether it is a threat to U.S. goals in the region. Specifically, it attempts to find correlation between changes in PRC infrastructure investment under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and changes in governance as measured by 13 indices over the period of 1996-2020. Good governance, defined as increased transparency, accountability, and effectiveness, is a U.S. strategic goal in Oceania. Most sources assume that PRC investment fosters corruption by circumventing typical lending procedures and by offering “no strings attached” loans, however, evidence had not been sufficiently examined to see if this was the case. This paper concludes that PRC investment in Oceania has not automatically decreased governance. As such, the U.S. need not resist all PRC infrastructure projects in the region. With proper controls and oversight, nations can extract considerable benefit from these projects without sacrificing their good governance. This opens the door for mutually beneficial projects or joint investment, while allowing the U.S.and its allies to expend resources on positive competition.Publication “Weapons of the Weak” in the European Union: The Rise of Right-Wing Populism and its Implications for Domestic Terrorism(University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Sampson, KirkThe European Union (EU) appears nearing the end of a second wave of Islamist-inspired terrorism that peaked in 2015. However, the focus on Islamist terrorism may have diverted attention from a more pressing domestic terrorism threat. While not as lethal as Islamist terrorism, the total of non-Islamist terrorist attacks was significantly higher during the same timeframe. Of the non-Islamist attacks, right-wing terrorism accounted for a small percentage, but these numbers may be misleading. How the various EU members define right-wing terrorism may be contributing to an underestimation of the threat, but there could also be a temporal explanation. Right-wing terrorism appears to be cyclic, with the last major wave ending in the early 2000s. A concern is a new wave of right-wing terrorism may appear fueled by the same grievances that have led to increasing support for right-wing populist parties. Right-wing populist parties now have parliamentary representation in 22 of 28 EU member states and have a sizeable presence in the European Parliament. While right-wing populist parties have refrained from openly calling for violence against their perceived antagonists, the rhetoric of these groups has nonetheless helped to create a climate encouraging hatred of outgroups. These toxic narratives have inspired lone actors to commit acts of domestic terrorism around the world. Could the underlying societal issues and grievances contributing to the rise of right-wing populism in Europe also fuel a corresponding rise in right-wing terrorism? In determining the nature of future terrorist threats to the EU, this thesis explores the relationship between the rise of right-wing populism and its potential impact on domestic terrorism. Specifically, in what ways might the presence of right-wing populist parties in government (either at the national or supranational level) effect right-wing terrorism in the EU? In helping to conceptualize the terrorist threat to the EU, this thesis discusses the various definitions of terrorism, the goals and strategies of terrorist groups, the current terrorist threat assessments, and the latest trends shaping how terrorists operate. Next, the thesis focuses on conceptualizing populism to help understand the us vs. them construct and the demand- and supply-side drivers contributing to the rise of right-wing populism in Europe. This is followed by an in-depth look into the current European political and social environment to show how the various issues play into right-wing populist narratives. The European case study offers a unique opportunity to analyze right-wing populist politics simultaneously at the state and supranational levels. Also discussed are the various theories underpinning political mobilization, radicalization, us vs. them narratives, and terrorism pathways, to understand how right-wing populism factors into the radicalization process. The paper concludes by discussing seven hypotheses on how the right-wing populism could shape domestic terrorism in the EU.Publication Three theatrical imitations of Don Quijote de la Mancha; with a list of Don Quijote plays, 1607-1971(University of Kansas, 1971-05-31) Meigs, Michael AndrewPublication The Technology Trap: Lessons from the One Laptop Per Child Program(University of Kansas, 2017-08-24) Moss, Brian D.Just as the industrial revolution reshaped society in much of the world during the 19th century, the rapid spread of computer technology has dramatically changed the world in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. However, just as the industrial revolution was slow to reach many parts of the world, the spread of computer technology around the globe has been anything but even. Developed countries are advancing at a faster pace than most less-developed countries, despite having started with a relative advantage, and the gap between the “global north” and the “global south” continues to grow. As a result, many efforts have been made to narrow the gap – in terms of education, health care, living standards, and more – with mixed results. In many cases, the assistance comes in the form of “boomerang aid,” which helps the donor country more than the recipient. Other cases are more benign, such as the One Laptop Per Child program explored in this paper, where well-meaning efforts fail to properly anticipate real-world challenges, leading to limited successes at best.Publication Cyrus Dallin’s The Scout: Civic Identity Cast Through a Native Equestrian Monument(University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Bowman, Matthew PeterThis thesis studies The Scout, a monumental bronze Indian equestrian sculpted by Cyrus Dallin and located since 1916 on a hilltop at Penn Valley Park overlooking Kansas City and the West. Emphasizing its story during the early twentieth century, this analysis utilizes local primary source accounts and secondary sources for two arguments: First, City Beautiful Movement values motivated Kansas City’s procurement of The Scout. Second, Kansas Citians purposefully stationed the statue at its precipice to face a direction aligning with desirable identifying markers, referring allegorically to both romantic frontier pasts and industrial futures. These objectives are achieved by examining the physical sculpture along with visual and material cultures it inspired, cultures developed by publics and institutions that firmly establish The Scout as a civic emblem. Finally, this paper suggests The Scout belongs in national scholarly conversations regarding the appropriation of Indigenous bodies in space and place.Publication Home, Belonging, and Aesthetic: Perspectives from Uyghur Women in Diaspora(University of Kansas, 2019-05-31) Bailey, Sonya MerwinThe intention of this research is to investigate and bring into academic light the methods of identity negotiation of Uyghurness through the investigation of cultural aesthetics. In the context of transnational global realities, the diasporic branches of Uyghur communities across the globe are undergoing a series of identity transformations, value shifts, and home attachments. Through the theoretical lenses of diaspora studies, gender studies, and cultural aesthetics, the stories of these women help us to understand the experience of diaspora and displacement. The specific categories used to discuss the roles of cultural aesthetic include: 1) objects, 2) music, 3) food, 4) language, and 5) behavior. These cultural aesthetic categories were explored through interviews with fourteen Uyghur diaspora women, as detailed in the methodology. After this primary data was collected, each interview was coded to located themes around identity negotiations. Based on this coding process, four primary themes were found relating to identity negotiations through cultural aesthetics: 1) negotiating home, 2) negotiating diasporic tensions, 3) negotiating gender, 4) negotiating Uyghurness. Faced with physical, and often psychological distance from the homeland, it is seen that Uyghur women utilize cultural aesthetics as a form of cultural hybridity expression in order to actively remember and retain a sense of connection with the homeland, as well as to integrate lifestyle choices into their new home.Publication Practicing Dichotomy Middle Eastern and North African International Student Adherence to Dichotomous Gender Roles in the United States(University of Kansas, 2018-12-31) Beasley, AmberAbstract Personal identity is a self-concept that pulls an individual to certain groups. For the better part of history, gender identity has been divided into the binary of female and male identities. Corresponding to the female and male gender identities are female and male gender roles. Though personal identities are self-created, gendered identities and gender roles have, up to recent times, been dictated by scientific categorization and cultural social norms, respectively. Central to gender identities and subsequent gender roles is the wish to belong, to adhere to cultural values, and to follow religious beliefs which dictate the roles of males and females. This study directed attention to dichotomous gender role expectations in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) nations. It spotlighted international students from MENA nations currently studying at U.S. institutions of higher education. Through focus groups and surveys, this study analyzed 1) if gender roles exist in MENA nations, 2) their constructs, and 3) how gender roles are maintained in U.S. communities and on campus by MENA international students. This study has significance for both females and male’s, both local and international, in our local, national, and global communities.Publication Non-Korean Attendance of Ethnic Korean Churches in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area(University of Kansas, 2018-12-31) Parsons, Micah LKorean evangelicalism and the role of second-generation ethnic Korean churches in the United States has been the focus of many rich scholarly works. The levels of diversity within ethnic Korean churches in the U.S. has also been discussed, but to a lesser degree. The aim of this study is to add to the discussion of ethnic diversity within second-generation Korean churches in the United States. In this work I attempt to answer the following question: What are the forces and circumstances that would motivate a non-Korean to choose a predominantly Korean church as a place of worship and spiritual engagement? In order to answer this question, I conducted in-person interviews with a number of non-Korean members as well as some Korean leaders of two separate ethnic Korean church congregations in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. The interviews were conducted over the course of several months. The basis of this study has been formed by the responses that I received. It is a personal look at the motivations for ethnic Korean church attendance by non-Koreans. Some of the possible forces that are examined here include “reverse mission”, maintenance of ethnicity, and leadership’s possible desire to create a more diverse church. In the end, however, the vast majority of respondents shared a feeling of family and belonging as the main contributor to their decision-making process.Publication CHINA’S INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIZATION? A CASE STUDY OF THE DEFINITION OF TERRORISM(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) Shanks, Spencer AIn 2015, China procured a formal and statutory legal definition of terrorism for the first time. Where does the definition stand in comparison to prior Chinese state conceptions? How does the definition compare to other states internationally? The standard model of comparison between states lacks cohesion—academics war over the basic definition of terrorism (or simply invent one) to cover-up a gap in the literature of Terrorism Studies. The weakness is mirrored on a global scale, where no consensus-level definition of terrorism has been reached. Often, the focus is on actor/action senses of the phenomena, and not a legalistic definition. Despite the lack of consensus regarding terrorism, I will evaluate the general definitions in international organizations, conventions, regional agreements, and individual countries, and compare these to China’s definitions. Centers of socialization, chiefly supra-national organizations such as the United Nations, international organizations, treaties, etc. are often forums of exchange and deposit for accountability between States and defining terrorism—these organs are my data source. I do not evaluate, however, the outcomes of how states and organizations define terrorism, focusing exclusively on the definitions themselves. Through this analysis, I hope to reach several conclusions: 1) identify trends in definitional composition between and among States; 2) identify China’s own path of definitional evolution; 3) compare China’s evolution internationally to gain insight into either China’s definitional socialization or resilience to potential international norms.Publication Presidential Discourse and Regime Legitimacy in Putin's Russia (2014-2017)(University of Kansas, 2018-05-31) Gardner, AshleyAbstract The purpose of this research is to analyze Vladimir Putin’s discourse and identify what factors in his discourse attribute to relatively high approval ratings, and thus regime legitimacy, from 2014 to 2017. What explains Putin’s approval ratings when the economy is in decline or stagnation? Using discourse analysis, this paper explores Putin’s remarks during four Direct Line Events and four Annual Press Conferences from 2014 through 2017. The results indicate Putin’s speech is tailored to highlight positive economic developments by utilizing precise economic indicators depicting the President as an expert on the matter. Putin discursively accepts and highlights his own responsibility for events that the Russian public approves of, and deflects blame and responsibility for failures or inadequate attention to issues such as the economy and social programs or concerns. Results also that find Putin’s legitimacy hinges on the promise of a strong Russia and better living conditions for Russians. Analysis concludes Putin’s discourse, disseminated via the medium of state controlled media, is essential to maintaining regime legitimacy in authoritarian Russia. Keywords: Putin’s approval ratings, regime legitimacy, Putin’s discourse, discourse analysis, Putin’s RussiaPublication Murals for Hope: Lebanese Reconciliation through Youth Graffiti Art(University of Kansas, 2017-12-31) Bronell, Katelyn M.Lebanese history contains both violence and sectarian tension which permeates Lebanese society and hinders reconciliation for the many ethnic groups in the country. Although the older generation lives with the memories of the civil war, the younger generation has instead developed memories of the war with perspectives that normalize both the social tension and lingering past stories. However, these negative perspectives are transmuted as the younger Lebanese generation reflects their hopes and dreams of the world through the public domain using graffiti as a medium. Although criminalized globally in the past, graffiti art has the potential to repaint walls of society with opinions and art, especially in the Middle East. This textual analysis paper examines the graffiti artwork of five young Lebanese artists, who did not experience the civil war, but grew up in its aftermath and whose perspective add the religious and social aspects needed to authenticate a reconciliation narrative. Using theoretical discussion of both reconciliation and of Ricœur’s hermeneutic phenomenology one can interpret the Lebanese narratives of reconciliation through the images of acknowledgment and acceptance of a collective past, the image of reparation of destroyed relationships through similar cultural symbols, and a commitment to a future of coexistence and peace.Publication Ethnobotany of Oshá (Ligusticum porteri) and Policy of Medicinal Plant Harvest on United States Forest Service Lands(University of Kansas, 2017-08-31) Myhal, NatashaOshá (Ligusticum porteri), found in high elevation sites in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, is a medicinal plant whose roots are being sold by herbal product companies to treat influenza, bronchitis, and sore throat. Oshá and other medicinal plants have a long history of use within Indigenous communities, fifteen tribes are documented using oshá and those uses are practiced today and more tribes likely use oshá, especially in and near the range of the plant. Historically and today, tribes such as the Apache, Pueblo, Navajo, Zuni, White Mountain Apache, Southern Ute, Lakota, and the Tarahumara in Mexico used oshá to treat ailments such as to treat colds, flu, upper respiratory infection, and diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. Another use of root is to repel snakes if one carries the root with them. Oshá is commonly referred to as bear root by Native American tribes because bears have been observed using and interacting with the root. Oshá is also considered sacred to some tribes and it is used outside its native range by hundreds of miles by the Comanche, Plains, Apache, and Lakota tribes. Interviews conducted with tribal elders, a Hispanic elder, U.S. Forest Service officials, and an herbal product company owner help to make suggestions for U.S. Forest Service policies, such as co-management strategies for medicinal plants like oshá. This paper also examines the potential areas of collaboration between Native tribes and current U.S. Forest Service policies to create future Native American focused policies and strengthen future relationships.Publication Iranian State Strength & Domestic Terrorism: How Iran Came to be the Cool Spot in a Hotbed of Terrorism(University of Kansas, 2017-05-31) Nasrazadani, ArianaThis study focuses examines the relationship between domestic terrorism and state strength within in Iran from 1978 to 2010., and It seeks to understand what the specific factors are that are most influentialimpactful in determining the ebb and flow of terrorism. Despite Iran’s position in a region fraught with terrorism, Iran has experienced very low levels of terrorist activity, and yet the literature focusing on terrorism in Iran is largely absent. In order to gain a better understanding of how the strength of the state impacts domestic terrorism, the this study used utilizes various dimensions of state strength the literature available to find key determinants of state strength highlighted in the literature, including economic data and coercive capacity. In addition, I also consider several alternative explanations of terrorism, such as authoritarianism and historical and/or major event, in the context of Iranian domestic terrorism. as well as key causes of terrorism. The study focused on eight different years in which terrorist activity was high as well as low and then compared economic data, the Freedom House scores, historical and/or major events, and the state’s coercive capacity for each of the years to determine the strength of the state and how it compares to the level of terror activity. The study showsanalysis reveals that the economy, Iranian’s’ confidence in the state, and historical and/or major events are most significant in determining heightened the high levels of terrorism that Iran experienced during this period.Publication ‘Our Syrian brothers’: Refugees and ethnicity in turkish political rhetoric(University of Kansas, 2016-12-31) Wigen-Toccalino, RachelIn the early years of the Turkish state, national unity along the lines of ethnic identity became crucial and any opposition to unity sparked animosity between the Turkish government and its ethnic minorities leading to policies of forced migration and assimilation. Over the past 20 years, there has been a slow but steady shift towards acceptance of alternative identities in Turkey. However, intolerance and violence is again on the rise and the influx of millions of Syrian refugees into Turkey, due to the social and economic pressures that refugees brings, may be influencing this rise. Thus, I ask, has the Syrian refugee crisis reinvigorated historical tensions between the Turkish government and its minority populations? In order to trace the shifts in political conversations towards Turkish minorities, I analyzed political speeches made by leaders of the top four Turkish parties during the five election cycles that have taken place since 2011, the start of the Syrian Civil War. I looked for tone and message of political themes regarding minorities that were linked to Syrian refugees. I found that concerns with Syrians were not associated with an increase in negative relations with minority groups. However, opposition parties tied Syrian refugees to the loss of democratic rights and problems with foreign and domestic policy of the incumbent party. The incumbent party, on the other hand, utilized Syrian refugees to emphasize the humanitarian efforts the government has undertaken and blamed concerns, both domestic and international, on external forces, including Syrian Kurdish organizations (the Kurdish Democratic Union Party and the Kurdish National Council).Publication Democracy in Africa: Colonization vs. Modernization(University of Kansas, 2016-12-31) Goggans, AndrewA country’s degree of democratic development is the best predictor of economic prosperity. African nations are some of the poorest on the planet and tend to have low levels of democracy, while wealthier nations tend toward higher levels. If Africa is going to increase its economic output, theory suggests one of the best ways to accomplish such a goal is to increase African democracy levels. Why do some countries in Africa develop democracy while others do not? I analyze the Freedom House and Polity IV democracy scores for each country in order to determine which countries are the most democratic and compare them with historical and demographic data, such as political instability events, fragmentation, population, GDP, and colonial history, in order to give a more robust picture of what factors matter most in the development of democracy in Africa. I also analyze data on countries outside of Africa in order to determine whether or not Africa has different prerequisites for democracy than the rest of the world. I theorize literacy rates, urbanization, and elimination of fragmentation may be more important than economic factors in the development of democracy in Africa.Publication Kyrgyzstan: The Challenge of Post-Soviet Multiethnic Nation Building(University of Kansas, 2015-08-31) Taitelieva, ElizaThe thesis attempts to understand why it is difficult to establish peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan; to determine how to establish interethnic and cultural harmony; Understanding the importance of ethnic and national identities and their dynamics also helps to clarify potential problems such as separatism and conflict, which are likely to recur in the future. The World Bank Data Survey from 2004 is used to investigate different variables in which the presence of significant influences (ethnicity, citizenship, education, territory) on building national identity. It also elucidates the ongoing debates of ethnic division in the development of national identity and its challenges. The first significant trend was the fact that ethnic Kyrgyz are more apt to prioritize the importance of ethnicity rather than citizenship. For some, living in Kyrgyzstan provides a context that is necessary for being Kyrgyz. Here again we see the importance of Kyrgyz civic identity.Publication A Case Study of Nonprofit Leaders' Accountability Practices: Kansas City Nonprofit Organizations that Assist the Latino Population(University of Kansas, 2016-05-31) Freeland, Kelly LouiseThe Greater Metropolitan area of Kansas City has provided jobs in the railroad, meatpacking, and service sector for the undocumented and documented Latino immigrants for the past century. Although the city’s Latino population is not above ten percent of the overall population, Latino immigrants need resources for countless problems including but not limited to language barriers, discrimination, and mental and physical health issues. Nonprofit organizations in the area provide social services to a population that is often overlooked. By analyzing the interviews of five nonprofit leaders of community-based organizations and observations of three of five organizations, the research will answer these questions: what is the definition of accountability, what is accountability’s relationship to effective governance, and what are the areas of accountability that need improvement? The theoretical framework used to analyze the data is Barbara Romzek’s and Melvin Dubnick’s accountability relationship systems. Although legal and bureaucratic accountability relationships were observed, the most frequently used accountability systems were the political and professional systems due to the nonprofits responsiveness to their clients and the experts within the nonprofits that have an opportunity to teach or demonstrate reliability and knowledge for an event or program.Publication Modernization and the Semi-Periphery: Western Influence on Modern-Day LGBTQIA* Rights in Russia, Japan, and Iran(University of Kansas, 2016-05-31) Vitale, Tamara RicardaThis thesis seeks to identify and investigate the reason for the change in sexual values experienced by Russia, Japan, and Iran from the middle of the nineteenth to the early twentieth century. I argue that semi-periphery nations exposed to Eurocentric globalization and associated “modernist” pressures around the turn of the nineteenth century, in attempting to conform to dominant Western European Victorian ideals, ultimately adopted the accompanying social conservatism and increased standards of heteronormative expectations. Modern-day policies and norms in these countries still reflect this conservatism and heteronormativity. My analysis of these case studies confirms this argument and shows that mechanisms of Foucauldian notions of governmentality and world-systems theory factored into the transfer of norms from heteronormative homoeros to strictly heteronormative systems.Publication NATO's Post-Cold War Relevance in Counter Terrorism(University of Kansas, 2016-05-31) Maness, Austin ManessFrom the end of the Cold War, through the process of globalization, national security has transitioned from an idea of purely state versus state interaction into a concept including both state and non-state actors. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), once the counter balance to the Soviet Union, has evolved into an alliance that has expanded its attention to include non-state actors, such as international terrorist organizations. Scholars have theorized on the lifespan of NATO post-Cold War, however the majority of these theories have focused on state versus state issues, a common paradigm of the 20th century, and not included state versus non-state issues, such as international terrorism. As NATO continues to be a post-Cold War, state alliance has it been able to transition to a relevant counter terrorism force and reduce the number of terrorist attacks within each member state, the alliance as a whole, and/or in the international community? With statistical data of terrorist attacks within NATO member states from the Global Terrorism Database this study focuses on each new member that joined during three influential time periods before and after the end of the Cold War in order to determine if becoming a member correlates to an increase or decrease in the number of terrorist attacks. Complementing the statistical data is a content analysis of NATO Summit Declarations in order to determine the combined strategies of each member state in reference to international terrorism. According to the findings of the statistical data, I hypothesize that each state will have experienced a decrease in terrorist attacks within their borders after becoming a member of NATO. The content analysis will illustrate that the alliance has continued to evolve its existence by increasing attention and resources to the fight against international terrorism.Publication THE GREAT POWERS’ RECOGNITION: CRUCIAL FOR KOSOVO AND IRAQI KURDISTAN SECESSION(University of Kansas, 2016-05-31) Agushi, TefikBoth Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan’s secessionist movements, in a journey for self-determination and state-building, suffered mass crimes and ethnic cleansing from the host states; however, only Kosovo acquired a positive final outcome, de jure independence. The major powers in both cases employed military interventions to protect civil and human rights against Serbia and Iraq at the end of the 20th century. The theories of secession differ, and there is no consensus in defining the criteria for state-building and the international institutional process of recognition. Thus, many secessionist movements escalate into ethnic conflicts requiring international involvement. The historical similarities between these two cases beg the question: Why has the international community recognized Kosovo as an independent state and not Iraqi Kurdistan? Are foreign or domestic factors more important in explaining these different outcomes in these cases? In the comparative case study of Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan, I use as a guide Coggins’ (2014) explanatory theory for the Great Powers’ recognition based on the decisions made on the international level--geostrategic/external security--and the domestic level--national distinctiveness and mobilization, institutional empowerment, and decisive relative strength. I employ the method of Most Similar Systems Design between Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan to highlight the similarities of national indicators in both cases and emphasize the importance of the external support and the international context in the coordination of dynamics of secession. Based on the case study of Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan, the presence of a strong ally supporting secession triggers a different final status. The Great Power’s relations with the home state, rivals, and allies influence the decision for recognition of secessionists. The Great Powers’ support, crucial for recognition applies especially to the Yugoslavian and Soviet disintegrations, and might find applicability in other secessionist cases.