218 research outputs found

    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2022-2023

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    Locating the Missing: A critical examination of the taphonomic alterations and the archaeological and forensic techniques that can be used to identify them during the search for mass graves

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    Mass grave investigations are complex due to the size of the grave, the number of victims, the nature in which they were created, and their often remote or inaccessible locations. Most mass graves are the result of conflict and/or human rights atrocities, despite the implementation of international laws, conflict and the creation of mass graves are still recurrent issues today. In most cases, investigations take place many years after the grave was first created, often, witness statements are the only information available to investigators to suggest the presence of an undiscovered mass grave. However, the passage of time causes the landscape to recover and change reducing the accuracy of witness information. Current methods that are effectively applied to locate single graves are also not necessarily designed to handle large-scale operations; wasting time, resources, and risking potential damage to evidence. This can have major implications for a forensic case, especially if it is to be presented in court. There is a need to find cheaper, more effective and less time-consuming methods that are specifically designed to locate large-scale gravesites, as there are still many mass graves which need to be found. This research project aimed to determine if the taphonomic signatures commonly found at burial sites have a big enough impact on the subsoil and surrounding landscape to be used as a method of locating archaeological and forensic mass graves. Examining archaeological mass graves alongside their forensic counterparts provided empirical knowledge on how the soil and landscape change over time, to determine which signatures offer the best chances of successfully identifying mass grave locations. Firstly, this project examined victim recovery rates from six countries, the results showed that recovery rates in Iraq are 2%, 3% in Argentina, 8% in Spain, 12% in Colombia, 59% in Cyprus, and 70% in the former Yugoslavia. This low rate of recovery suggests current location and recovery protocols are ineffective. Secondly, legislation, standards and guidance, and policies used to ensure that any gathered evidence is admissible in a court of law were reviewed. However, regulations are complex and vary depending on whether the casework is domestic (carried out in the UK) or international (carried out under the international criminal court), therefore the suitability and admissibility, of the recommended approaches will vary on a jurisdictional basis. Finally, this research critically assessed the physical, stratigraphical and chemical alterations caused by the creation of a mass grave, the subsequent decomposition of the bodies interred within, and the techniques which can detect these changes. It showed that the changes a mass grave causes in the vegetation, stratigraphy, soil phosphorus and pH levels potentially have a long-term impact on both the subsoil and surrounding landscape. Highlighting, they could be used as alternative ways to locate both archaeological and forensic mass graves quicker, faster and cheaper than existing approaches

    COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Acceptance in Ethnic Minority Individuals in the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods study using Protection Motivation Theory

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    Background: Uptake of the COVID-19 booster vaccine among ethnic minority individuals has been lower than in the general population. However, there is little research examining the psychosocial factors that contribute to COVID-19 booster vaccine hesitancy in this population.Aim: Our study aimed to determine which factors predicted COVID-19 vaccination intention in minority ethnic individuals in Middlesbrough, using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, in addition to demographic variables.Method: We used a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using an online survey. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. 64 minority ethnic individuals (33 females, 31 males; mage = 31.06, SD = 8.36) completed the survey assessing PMT constructs, COVID-19conspiracy beliefs and demographic factors. 42.2% had received the booster vaccine, 57.6% had not. 16 survey respondents were interviewed online to gain further insight into factors affecting booster vaccineacceptance.Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 was a significant predictor of booster vaccination intention, with higher perceived susceptibility being associated with higher intention to get the booster. Additionally, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly predictedintention to get the booster vaccine, with higher conspiracy beliefs being associated with lower intention to get the booster dose. Thematic analysis of the interview data showed that barriers to COVID-19 booster vaccination included time constraints and a perceived lack of practical support in the event ofexperiencing side effects. Furthermore, there was a lack of confidence in the vaccine, with individuals seeing it as lacking sufficient research. Participants also spoke of medical mistrust due to historical events involving medical experimentation on minority ethnic individuals.Conclusion: PMT and conspiracy beliefs predict COVID-19 booster vaccination in minority ethnic individuals. To help increase vaccine uptake, community leaders need to be involved in addressing people’s concerns, misassumptions, and lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccination

    METROPOLITAN ENCHANTMENT AND DISENCHANTMENT. METROPOLITAN ANTHROPOLOGY FOR THE CONTEMPORARY LIVING MAP CONSTRUCTION

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    We can no longer interpret the contemporary metropolis as we did in the last century. The thought of civil economy regarding the contemporary Metropolis conflicts more or less radically with the merely acquisitive dimension of the behaviour of its citizens. What is needed is therefore a new capacity for imagining the economic-productive future of the city: hybrid social enterprises, economically sustainable, structured and capable of using technologies, could be a solution for producing value and distributing it fairly and inclusively. Metropolitan Urbanity is another issue to establish. Metropolis needs new spaces where inclusion can occur, and where a repository of the imagery can be recreated. What is the ontology behind the technique of metropolitan planning and management, its vision and its symbols? Competitiveness, speed, and meritocracy are political words, not technical ones. Metropolitan Urbanity is the characteristic of a polis that expresses itself in its public places. Today, however, public places are private ones that are destined for public use. The Common Good has always had a space of representation in the city, which was the public space. Today, the Green-Grey Infrastructure is the metropolitan city's monument that communicates a value for future generations and must therefore be recognised and imagined; it is the production of the metropolitan symbolic imagery, the new magic of the city
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