Dissertation Overview is an overview of TCK literature that criticizes its Eurocentric focus and lack of power analysis. Then I briefly review human developmental theories in relation to TCK identity formation processes and the significance of narrative identity as a central concept and tool in this study. Reviewing theological literature on identity and pastoral theological literature on TCKs, I explain how narrative and postcolonial pastoral theological approaches can help increase contextual clarity and care in both moments of understanding and misunderstanding.
Dissertation Overview. The goal of my dissertation research was to explore early lupus subtypes. If the purpose of a study is to investigate heretofore undescribed subtypes, the number of clusters of the best partition for a given cluster analysis method will create is unknown. Therefore, when using cluster analysis methods that require a pre-specified number of clusters to create homogeneous sub-groups, the first step in the analysis of real data is to create partitions for a range of numbers of clusters. Next, the “best” partition is selected from the range of partitions created, a process often called “choosing the correct number of clusters.” The clusters of this partition serve as candidate clusters, or candidate subtypes. Last, the meaningfulness of the candidate clusters is assessed by examining associations with patient characteristics, etiologic risk factors, and clinical outcomes. , ,
Step 1. Create partitions for
Step 3. a range of numbers of clusters. - Choose the “best” partition. Are clusters associated with “external” variables? \ J \ J (demographic, outcomes) \ J
Dissertation Overview. This dissertation explores how NCLB impacts teachers‘ work experiences in six subsequent chapters. In the second chapter, I present a theoretical framework for understanding how teachers make sense of their work under distinct NCLB structural conditions. I build this framework drawing on theory of the structure of schools, workplace culture within schools, and organizational identity and sensemaking. Constructing this framework across levels of analysis allows me to link macro structures with micro-level processes. Specifically, I explore how dual perspectives on the structure of schools support the generation of a unique workplace culture. This culture, in turn, frames the sensemaking process for teachers and highlights the importance of identity and work meaning across several domains. Chapter three contains a detailed overview of the research design, data, and analysis. Utilizing a mixed method approach compliments the multi-level theoretical framework. Quantitative survey data offers insight into broader patterns of relationships among NCLB and teachers working conditions. To answer questions of process, I conduct in-depth interviews with 30 educators in 3 Georgia middle schools. In chapter four, I develop a conceptual model of schools under NCLB. Drawing on the data collected from teachers, this model illustrates a dynamic process of sensemaking occurring within schools under NCLB. Specifically, I demonstrate how the policy environment with the varying intensity of sanctions shapes how teachers make sense of and respond to policy. Chapter five presents the detailed analysis of working conditions drawing on both quantitative and qualitative analyses. In accordance with the schools position along the sanctioning spectrum, teachers experience different working conditions inside the school. In response, teachers construct work meaning and develop adaptive strategies in relation to their policy position. These findings reveal the NCLB spurs active change within schools producing both positive and negative outcomes for teachers. In chapter six, I assess the impact of NCLB on teachers‘ job satisfaction and career plans using in-depth interviews. Job satisfaction and career plans are windows to explore the short and long-term consequences of NCLB for teachers. The data illustrate how school position, relative to policy, is a vital factor in teachers‘ construction of job satisfaction and career plans. Similar to working conditions, teachers actively integrate ...
Dissertation Overview. MET is a cooperative of member agen- cies buying water to augment their supplies, but they do not always agree on their rights and obligations as members. In one ex- ample, XXXXX’s desire to use MET’s in- frastructure to move water was opposed by other members unless SDCWA paid a high price. The dispute only ended when the State of California convinced them to stop with a $235 million payment. This dis- pute motivated this dissertation, but the is- sues that emerge from this study apply else- where: Efficient management within mo- nopolistic organizations requires that the goods (water, electricity, roads, etc.) have some form of price rationing—selling at fixed prices can result in excess demand; non-price rationing leads to inefficiency and distortions that weakens these organiza- tions. This case study is a cautionary tale of how even an ongoing and “successful” public organization can suffer from con- flict and misallocation under institutions de- signed for earlier era. The next chapter describes MET’s cur- rent structure and policies. Chapter 3 tells how MET’s world moved from abundance to scarcity, but MET did not. After this his- tory, Chapter 4 shows how the end of abun- dance revealed MET’s inefficiency, and how that inefficiency manifests in conflict and misallocation. Chapter 5 gives details on an experiment that shows member agencies are unlikely to “cooperate their way to effi- ciency.” Chapter 6 has an estimation of the effect of water on land values using 60 years of panel data; results reject the hypothesis that the 1987–1991 drought did not have different effects on member agencies—a nec- xxxxxx (but not sufficient) outcome if MET is misallocating water. Chapter 7 describes how MET could use internal auctions to al- locate water and conveyance among mem- ber agencies and gives results from auction experiments that test allocation efficiency. The last chapter summarizes.
Dissertation Overview. The project unfolds in the following manner. Chapter Two utilizes qualitative data from several in-depth interviews, historical analysis, and secondary sources to explore the organ trade and efforts to combat it in greater depth. After presenting a general framework of the organ trade, the chapter reviews the history of transplantation and the organ trade, and details the emergence and role of the global medical epistemic community, composed of transplantation doctors, surgeons, ethicists, and professionals from around the world. Positioning the global trend toward legislation within its historical context, the chapter illuminates the importance of the transplantation epistemic community, a finding that also emerges within quantitative analyses in subsequent chapters. From inauspicious beginnings, and due to globalization, critical advances in medicine, technology, and the sciences, and a worldwide shortage in organ donations (Xxxxx 1997; Panjabi 2010; Shimazono 2007; Xxxxx 2009), transplantation and the organ trade globalized, eventually occurring within or affecting almost all states and regions. The global epistemic community provided guidance, strategic approaches, and best practices regarding transplantation. Importantly, it also helped position and categorize the organ trade as a significant health, rights, and ethical issue, and something that needed to be addressed. As the organ trade increasingly became delegitimized, states were advised, encouraged, and pressured to adopt legislation banning the organ trade. Overall, the chapter details an important international development, and highlights a worldwide movement that has come to exhibit a marked global influence. Chapter Three presents a brief review of the literature on transplantation legislation, and also outlines areas requiring further understanding. The chapter then turns to social science theories and concepts. Specifically, world culture/world polity theory, rationalization/McDonaldization theory, neighboring country effects, and the concept of government effectiveness are utilized to develop a theoretical framework and derive hypotheses concerning transplantation legislation. Chapter Four offers a detailed methodological account of the project. The chapter describes data and sources, explains variable operationalization and measurement, and reviews descriptive statistics. Additionally, the data analysis strategies used – logistic regression and survival analysis – are discussed. Logistic ...
