21st century

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 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.

This thesis examines the impact technology has on the music industry. Despite decrease in physical sales and piracy, statistics indicate that consumer requests for music content are strong. Although sales of physical product have decreased, the demand for digital music has dramatically increased. The current market players and technology innovations provide new opportunities to deliver music to the consumer. It is imperative to balance the divergent interests of consumers and artists, while ensuring profits for all parties involved.

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the relationship between a school's percentage of African American students enrolled and the placement of an African American principal for all of Florida's K-12 traditional public schools during the academic year 2010-2011. This study also sought to determine if this relationship was moderated by each school's level, size, letter grade, socioeconomic status (FRL), gender of principal, as well as gender and race of the presiding district superintendent. Lastly, the relationship between each moderator variable and the placement of African American principals was examined. The ultimate objective was to determine if limited opportunities still widely exist in the placement of African American principals throughout Florida. ... From a legal perspective, although Brown and its progeny of civil rights laws valiantly set out to eliminate race and racism from schools and in the workplace, the findings revealed that race continues to be a factor in determining inequity in principal placements.

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop the theoretical concept of social movement momentum by examining the origins, framing strategies, and organizational dynamics of the East Timor transnational social movement. To accomplish this, in-depth interviews of twenty activists and intellectuals involved in the East Timor movement from 1975-1999 were conducted and examined using qualitative data analysis methods. Specifically, comparative historical methods utilizing grounded theory and the phenomenological approach were employed. This study fills a gap in the social movement literature by engaging and expanding the main theoretical debates in sociology over movement mobilization, political outcomes, movement emotions, solidarity, and movement framing. These debates, along with the theoretical concept of social movement momentum as developed in this dissertation, are used to explain and analyze interviewees' first-hand accounts of the East Timor campaigns. . This resulted in a series of successes that represent the peak of the momentum in the East Timor movement. In sum, this study aids researchers in understanding how the successes and failures of social movement activity can be better explained using the theoretical concept of social movement momentum. By analyzing the significance of momentum in a movement post hoc, this study contributes a more nuanced understanding of how social movements create social change.

Uncounted Cadences is a drawing installation in the thesis exhibition that furthers my exploration in tracing movement through psychological and physical geographies. Gestural drawings of human and animal bodies in motion are woven into local landscape imagery that is printed with powdered charcoal through a silkscreen. Using both additive and subtractive processes, the layering and erasure suggest loss, reclamation, and the nature of memory. The drawings are cut and provisionally reassembled into a cinematic sequence as if they are pieces of film being edited and spliced. This process shows an unfolding over time and involves listening to the rhythmic pacing of bodies morphing, decaying, birthing, or leaving. Time is not experienced as progress ; rather, the rearrangement of fragments allows for a continuous retelling of stories.

The current economic crisis has affected all aspects of life, which has resulted in political instability, personal financial troubles, and a growing number of business bankruptcies. While these are serious issues, simply developoing a government policy that injects an economy with money is not an appropriate means to achieve economic recovery and long-term economic development unless combined with an effective and efficient governing system. The present research studies whether the strong relationship between governance and growth exists during economic crises or only during non-crisis periods. The results of the current research show that the global economic crisis has had an influence on the relationship between governance and economic growth. In addition, this study found that different levels of development affect the relationship between governance and growth differently during times of crisis. Consequently, the results of the current research show the instability in the relationship between governance and economic growth during the economic crisis ; this unsteadiness is a sign of the need for long-term strategies to promote global and national good governance practices that are not adversely affected by crises.

The twenty-first century has already seen some aesthetically exciting sacred architectural spaces. Much liturgical music, however, is centuries old. With regard to performing old music, philosophers such as Steven Davies, etc., have debated the aesthetic merits of striving for authenticity of performance. If authenticity is a valid performance aesthetic principle, as I contend it is, the following paradox arises: Some contemporary sacred spaces are the sites of moving, aesthetically valid performances of sacred music. But how is it possible to have aesthetically valid authentic performances of sacred music in twenty-first century sacred spaces?... The question of authenticity in this unique musical genre focuses on performance space, liturgical function, musical instruments, performer/listener interaction, and cultural conditions. ...Using architectural examples constructed in the twenty-first century, this thesis will propose a set of aesthetic criteria for achieving an authentic setting for sacred music from all periods.

Trapped in the hurricane of a changing cultural landscape, the young women of Kakawangwa, Florida must choose to clutch tradition or side with the times. Pearl and Jasmine are two sisters who come of age after being raised by a single mother in a religious household. Whitney, born a hermaphrodite, must determine her gender and sexuality, despite being married to her husband, Joe. Celeste, a college dropout, returns home to Kakawangwa in disgrace. Blackie, who lives life without inhibition, must cope with the consequences of the choices she makes. Filled with language that is pithy, abrupt, direct, and melodious, The History of Kakawangwa is a narrative that reveals these women as they reconcile the world to themselves.

The three novels examined in this thesis do not deal with the subject of slavery directly; however, I argue that, much like slave narratives, they all depict oppressive master/slave relationships and feature protagonists who fight for freedom through literacy and/or education. This thesis outlines three contemporary novels that take place during or after the Civil Rights Movement, what I call "freedom narratives," that not only signify on, but pay tribute to, the slave and neo-slave narrative tradition. These novels borrow from the tradition, not only in terms of structure, but also in terms of plot, point of view, theme, and resolution. Additionally, through the novels, one can see how the trauma of slavery in America permeates contemporary American homes, both White and Black. This thesis focuses on PUSH by Sapphire, The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips, and Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison to illustrate the significance and the impact of the traditional slave narrative and the trauma of slavery on contemporary novels and American people.

The Middle East is a culturally and historically rich region. Its' most pervasive characteristics are tied to the nomadic tribal tradition from which it emerged. A statistical analysis of development patterns highlights that nomadic ties are the most significant variable in determining the democratic tendency of states. In this case nomadism is statistically linked with authoritarianism. An examination of Middle Eastern nomadic practices shows that there are numerous cultural norms derived from nomadism that continue to permeate the political landscape of the Modern Middle East. The state of Saudi Arabia has been, and continues to be, the subject of continued academic misinterpretation as one model after another fails to understand the state. A simple reality is that the political culture of Saudi Arabia is crafted from its nomadic precursors, and the state is predisposed towards, from what has been labeled to be authoritarianism.