Music Performance Attendance and Happiness

How are the performing arts and happiness sociologically connected? I propose that people who have attended a music performance in the last 12 months will report an increase in happiness. Additional knowledge-besides attending Arts-related events-is required in order to understand what makes people happy. I analyzed 2016 General Social Survey (GSS) data. The N for this sample is 1,272. Personal happiness is directly tied to one’s financial situation and their educational attainment levels and not to attendance at music performances. The results indicate that satisfaction with finances has a greater impact on happiness, and that White people also report being happier on average. Being satisfied with your financial situation has more of an impact on personal happiness than one’s years of education

Is greater decisionmaking power of women associated with reduced gender discrimination in South Asia?

"Recent research has shown that improving women's decisionmaking power relative to men's within households leads to improvements in a variety of well-being outcomes for children. In South Asia, where the influence of women's power is particularly strong, these outcomes include children's nutritional status and the quality of feeding and health care practices. Focusing on nutritional status, this paper presents the results of a study investigating whether increases in women's power have a stronger positive influence on the nutritional status of their daughters than their sons. If so, then increasing women's power not only improves the well-being of children as a group, but also serves as a force to reduce long-standing discrimination that undermines female capabilities in many important areas of life as well as human and economic development in general. To investigate this issue, the study draws on Demographic and Health Survey data collected during the 1990s in four countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The main empirical technique employed is multivariate regression analysis with statistical tests for significant differences in effects for girl and boy children. A total of 30,334 women and 33,316 children under three years old are included in the analysis. The study concludes that, for the South Asia region as a whole, an increase in women's decisionmaking power relative to men's, if substantial, would be an effective force for reducing discrimination against girl children. However, this finding is not applicable in all countries and for all areas and age groups of children. Indeed the study finds evidence that in some areas, for instance the northern and western states of India as a group, increasing women's power would lead to a worsening of gender discrimination against girls. This is likely the result of deeply embedded son preference associated with highly patriarchal social systems. The lesson for policymakers and development practitioners is that while increasing women's power is likely to improve the well-being of children, in some geographical areas it will not necessarily diminish discrimination against girls, which violates human rights and undermines the region's economic development and the health of its population. In these areas, to overcome son preference, economic returns to girls will have to be increased and efforts to change customs regarding marriage and inheritance associated with patriarchal kinship systems, which favor males, will have to be made." Authors' AbstractGender discrimination ,Women Social conditions ,Children Nutrition ,Economic development ,

Subtropical agronomy on a variable landscape: exploring late classic farming in the Three Rivers Region through geotechnical design and the distribution ofedaphic variables

It has been well documented that the Classic Maya (250 CE to 900 CE) utilized a variety of agricultural techniques to stimulate their subsistence economy. As a result of the variable topography of the region and soil erosion caused by deforestation, the Classic Maya’s primary method of agricultural expansion consisted of landscape modifications through soil distribution (Turner and Harrison 1983; Beach et al.2006). The terracing of hill slopes is one such modification that would have allowed the ability to maximize agricultural production and limit soil erosion through the creation of farming platforms on hillside slopes. Past research near the ceremonial center of Dos Hombres in Northwestern Belize has pointed to similarities in the design of terrace support structures and suggest ranges of influence within the region (Beach et al. 2006). The research presented here is designed to expand on those tests between household groups at varied spatial and economic ranges to Dos Hombres by analyzing patterns within the design of terrace walls. Additionally, maintaining soil quality and quantity would have required an extensive labor commitment in order to preserve the viability of the land. By analyzing the effects of land use and management in addition to ranges of influence, this research expects to draw distinctions between household groups while indicating correlations between economy and commitment. The manner in which this will be done includes: (1) excavation to identify patterns in design and chronology, and; (2) soil analysis to measure the soils mineral content and use. By measuring ranges of human influence on the environment this research seeks to inform conversations involving site planning and corridors of power

White savages in hunting shirts : the rifleman\u27s costume of national identity and rebellion in the American Revolution

This thesis relies on primary sources to address the significance of clothing and accoutrements worn by backwoods riflemen during the era of the American Revolution. As North America\u27s rebellious colonies became a nation, they struggled to find cultural symbols that distinguished them from their European cousins. As Europeans often identified America symbolically as the noble savage, in turn some Americans looked to the Indian for inspiration in their new search for national identity. During the Revolution many Americans from backwoods regions of the middle and southern colonies, wearing uniquely American garments called hunting shirts, openly rebelled against their European heritage by taking on Indian ways. The resulting cultural amalgam of frontier customs rejected the effete civility and class deference of old World society in favor of a new egalitarian and rugged ideal. In so doing, the frontiersmen became part of American cultural mythology and a symbol of the Rebellion

Experimental and Statistical Techniques to Probe Extraordinary Electronic Properties of Molecules

The existence of an additional electron or hole in the presence of an electric monopole is a well understood physical system, but this ideality is far from the true physical properties of many molecules. Examples of such irregular electronic states include the attachment of an excess charge to a molecule\u27s dipole moment, electronic correlation spanning a molecule, or attachment of multiple excess charges. Current theoretical and experimental interpretations widely vary for these states and further elucidation of the nature of irregular electronic structure may provide solutions to unexplained observations and the impetus for industrial application. For example, in the case of dipole-bound electrons, it has been proposed that high-dipole moment molecules will attach electrons through the dipole moment which is then captured in to a valence state. In order to test this hypothesis, dipolar electron attachment to para-Nitroaniline is investigated. In addition, electron correlation within highly symmetric molecules may play a role in silenced photoionization and provide insight in to so called super-excited states or collective excitations . In pursuit of this electronic character, we use the complex multi-photon ionization of tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene to study the possibility of collective electronic excitations. For this purpose, a hemispherical energy analyzer was adapted to acquire photoelectron spectra. Also, the presence of multiple excess charge stabilized on a molecule demands the presence of a stabilizing factor such as the repulsive coulomb barrier. In order to ascertain evidence for such stabilizing factors, we use collisional charge transfer between 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane and sodium for which a threshold would provide a metric of stability (electron affinity). Finally, we introduce Bayesian methods in the context of non-linear regression of collisional cross-sections (dissociative and charge-transfer) to address issues involved in the stability in the numerical estimations of partial derivatives. With this series of experiments we hope to shed new light on several types of irregular electronic states as well as to introduce the use of novel statistical methods

An investigation of the development of navigation design guidelines for online educational applications delivery to a primary school audience

Despite growing interest in educational websites for children, there has been surprisingly little research conducted into the design of websites intended for a younger audience. This research aims to determine how the design principles identified in the extant body of literature, might be fused with the development practices currently employed within a focus organisation (case study organisation), to synthesise and partially validate a set of website navigation design guidelines for use when developing website navigation for primary school students, between the ages of nine and twelve years

Late Classic Soil Conservation and Agricultural Production in the Three Rivers Region

Agricultural production during the Classic Period (c.1,700 to 1050 BP) in the Central Maya Lowlands was comprised of a variety of techniques that were used to satisfy dietary needs and to stimulate its subsistence economy. The complexity of those methods was a consequence of a variable topography and previous forest management practices that likely resulted in wide-spread deforestation, and subsequently large-scale erosion which limited arable land. The Classic Maya solution to limitations in arable land, augmented by increased erosion seems to have come in the form of geotechnical constructions placed in a variety of positions along the contours of hillsides that could have mitigated soil loss and provide leveled platforms for the cultivation of consumable resources. While retaining wall viability can be measured based on their ability to withstand earth pressures, the effectiveness of the planting platforms would have relied heavily on the nutrient availability required for plant development. This research sought to investigate the geotechnical constructions, as well as the soil properties resulting from their implementation and use at the Central Lowland Maya site of Yax Ch’am. While the results of this investigation indicated comparable designs in two retaining wall structures at the site, those structures had varied responses to lateral earth pressures. Consequently, soil analysis indicated increased phosphorus availability along the northern reaches of the hillside and deficiencies across the westernmost terrace

The Ursinus Weekly, March 7, 1968

Frat pledges taken for Spring semester • Whitians honor eight women during Lorelei, Friday night • Gabel crowned Lorelei King • U.C. Meisters to tour in Maryland and Virginia • Ursinus Y presented the Voyage of the Phoenix • \u2767 grad dies; Smith mourned • Wilson Foundation confers honors on senior woman • Editorial: Mr. Clymer, Mr. Waldo • Letters to the editor • It\u27s a hurtin\u27 thing • Bears beat Drexel Dragons; Lose to Mules in MAC final • Minutes of SFARC meeting This issue also contains 7 pages of parody articles.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1185/thumbnail.jp

Being Prepared and Staying Connected: Scouting’s Influence on Social Capital and Community Involvement

Objectives In recent years, scholars have become concerned about the effects that declining levels of social capital are having on community life in the United States. Data suggest that Americans are less likely to interact with neighbors and less likely to participate in community groups than they were in the past. Nevertheless, researchers have found that participation in some types of organizations has a positive impact on social capital and civic involvement. Each year, millions of American youth participate in programs designed to promote positive youth development. Here, we examine the effect that participation in one of the largest youth organizations, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), has on adult social capital and community involvement. Methods Utilizing a national survey of adult males, we compare measures of social capital and community involvement for former Scouts and non‐Scouts. Results Our findings suggest that level of involvement in the Boy Scouts is significantly related to measures of adult social capital and community engagement. Conclusion Scouting tends to have a significant impact on the lives of its most committed members. Future research must continue to explore the long‐term effects of participation in youth organizations