Dishonoured Americans: Loyalist Manhood and Political Death in Revolutionary America

This dissertation offers a new reading of the loyalist experience by drawing on the insights and methodologies of cultural history and the anthropological study of honour, as well as the history of masculinity, to contextualize the class and gender-based concerns embedded in patriot and loyalist written records. American revolutionaries attacked loyalist men using deeply gendered language and symbols, and succeeded in dishonouring loyalism in general, while also driving individual loyalists from their communities. Male loyalists relied on the same culture of honour to rationalize their experiences, justify their continued allegiance to the Crown, and transform injuries intended as marks of shame into badges of honour. This dissertation adds to the historiography of the loyalists, and to the wider study of eighteenth century masculinity and honour, by revealing that while the American Revolution was a deadly conflict, at the local level patriots often destroyed a loyalist’s public existence and honour rather than kill him outright. Despite differences of political ideology, loyalists and patriots shared a common culture of manhood which made insults and humiliations exceedingly powerful. The combination of legal punishments and social ostracism is referred to in this dissertation as political death, an original theory which describes the process and consequences of the loss of citizenship, the negation of patriarchal power and privileges, financial ruin, and the cultural dishonour of white loyalist gentlemen and their families. Using the themes of household patriarchy, public and printed insults, captivity, and vengeance, this study explains how the benchmarks of manhood were systematically stripped from loyalists, and how the patriots formed their own masculine ideals in contrast to the dishonoured loyalists. This dissertation also reveals the importance of honour in the loyalists’ self-perception, their official claims on the British government for compensation, and their political rebirth in Canada as they attempted to restore their privileged status with Britain’s help. Loyalist honour has been described by American historians as being submissive and deferential, but this dissertation argues that it was in fact as assertive and demanding as the patriot concepts of manhood formed in the American Revolution

Individual Reactions To Computing Technology: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective

Understanding how and why individuals use computers within their professional lives has been a longstanding goal of Information Systems research. In order to provide further insights into this phenomenon, from the perspective of Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986), two related studies were undertaken. In the first study, a model of individual behaviour based on Social Cognitive Theory was formulated and tested through a survey of approximately 1000 Canadian managers and professionals. The results of the study provide substantial support for the Social Cognitive Theory perspective. In particular, the findings highlight the important role of self-efficacy, individuals\u27 beliefs that they can successfully use computers, in shaping both emotional and behavioural reactions.;The second study focused on the development of skills in two software packages, again using Social Cognitive Theory as a theoretical foundation. An experiment was conducted in which 88 managers and professionals were taught to use Lotus 1-2-3 and WordPerfect through one of two training methods. The first method reflected the traditional lecture and practice approach to training. The second method incorporated behaviour modeling in addition to traditional methods. Modeling was found to influence self-efficacy and performance for training in Lotus, but not in WordPerfect. Self-efficacy was found to influence performance for both packages. Thus, the results suggested that training influences performance in part through its influence of self-efficacy perceptions, and that under some circumstances, training which includes behaviour modeling is more powerful than traditional methods of training.;The combined findings of the two studies underscore the need to consider self-efficacy perceptions in attempting to understand individual reactions to computing technology. On a more general level, they suggest that Social Cognitive Theory is a useful foundation for studies of individual reactions to computing technology. Several specific opportunities for applying Social Cognitive Theory within this domain are suggested in the concluding chapter

An Ultrawideband Dual-Linear Polarization Feed for Solar Microwave Observation

The study of Solar Microwave Bursts (SMB\u27s) emanating from the sun is important from several perspectives. SMB\u27s are well correlated to Coronal Mass Ejections (CME\u27s) and therefore can provide insight into the physics of the sun. SMB\u27s and CME\u27s can interfere with microwave communication systems such as cell phones, satellites, and radar, and can adversely affect the accuracy of the Global Positioning System. Furthermore, CME\u27s can be hazardous to individuals and equipment in earth orbit as well as causing power grid blackouts. The rapid detection of SMB\u27s and their subsequent effect on space weather is a key element of responsibility of the United States Air Force (USAF). Identification of the source eliminates the possibility of intentional jamming or a systems failure. When such a determination is made, warnings can be issued so that measures can be taken such as using different communication frequencies or modes, or to place satellites in a safe mode. Currently the USAF operates the Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) consisting of three parabolic dish antennas each at four locations to continuously observe the sun in the microwave spectrum. The 2.4m RSTN dishes have feeds that are single polarization at four discrete frequencies between 1.4 and 8.8GHz. Expanding the capability of these existing dishes with a single ultrawideband feed to cover 1-10GHz would improve observations, while adding a dual polarization capability could facilitate improved monitoring should there be future developments in spectrum usage. A feed with folded diamond-shaped elements in a damped cavity has been designed and constructed, funded under contract FA9453-09-C-0309 from the USAF Solar Disturbance Prediction Program, with a simulated bandwidth of 0.9 - 12 GHz. Subsequent characterization from 2 - 8 GHz showed good correlation between simulation and measurement, and that the feed meets virtually all performance specifications that were tested

Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Computer Software Training

User learning is central to the effective use of information technology within organizations, particularly given the changing nature of IT over the past decades. Research indicates that self-training is the most common means by which users learn. In addition, the use of Web-based training within organizations in these self- directed learning situations is increasing. The purpose of this research is to investigate the increasingly popular self-training phenomenon within organizations by examining the self-regulated learning strategies that individuals use in Web-based training situations, and how they influence learning outcomes. To do this, a two phase study was designed. Phase one of this study has been completed, and phase two has been initiated. Phase one took us into the field to explore interviewees’ self-directed learning experiences by understanding the strategies they used and learning difficulties they encountered. It involved 27 interviews with knowledge- workers from a variety of organizations. Phase two (in progress) provides a field test of the research model. Organizations invest a great deal of resources toward training end users, and this research will assist organizations in gaining a return from this sizable investment in training end users, and in managing their most important resource—knowledge

Investigating Ruptures in Shared Understanding as Recursive Cycles of Mutual Adaptation During Implementation

Shared understanding between diverse technology stakeholders is a key driver of IT-Business alignment, also underpinning successful adaptive, IS development activities. Lack of shared understanding creates representational gaps, innovation blindness and different technology frames which create barriers to development and implementation of technology. Applying a socio-material perspective to Leonard-Barton’s model of mutual adaptation between technology and organization, as well as research on shared capabilities between IS and business stakeholders, we examine the process by which shared understanding emerges during the design, development and implementation of IT systems. We followed key multi-disciplinary stakeholder groups over a two-year period during the development and implementation of a health information system. We report on events during the project that we call ruptures – highly charged incidents which reveal a lack shared understanding between stakeholders. We argue that ruptures occur during the mutual adaptation of organizational and technological elements necessitated by the implementation process and are precipitated by the constitutive entanglement of social and technological elements. They reveal serious misalignments among stakeholders and in relation to the technology as its material properties become more concrete. We investigate the emergence of ruptures and the mechanisms by which they influence stakeholders, the implementation process and its outcomes

Information Privacy Awareness (IPA): A Review of the Use, Definition and Measurement of IPA

Despite the acknowledged importance of awareness in the information privacy (IP) literature, we lack a consistent and thorough understanding of information privacy awareness (IPA). Drawing on Endsley’s model of Situation Awareness, we propose a multidimensional model of IPA and define each of its dimensions. We then conducted a thorough review of the IP literature’s use of awareness and synthesize our findings using our proposed model. This paper makes significant contributions by 1) distinguishing between IP knowledge, literacy and awareness 2) consolidating the IP literature’s definitions of awareness and providing a new detailed definition 3) proposing a new IPA model that future authors can reference when using or measuring IPA

A Social Cognitive View of Technical Support and its Influence on User Learning

Understanding how to develop usersí skills and abilities and how to best support users in their everyday use of technology remains a key managerial problem. This study uses Banduraís social cognitive theory (1986) to focus on the everyday phenomenon of technical support as a mechanism of vicarious learning through which users learn about their technology. We argue that this conceptualization aids in understanding how and why users gain value from support. Focusing specifically on support provided through a technical help desk at a large, distributed financial services organization, this study randomly collected 100 audiotaped support calls and matched them with user evaluations of the support provided. By examining the behaviors that characterize the provision of support by IT professionals and linking these characteristics to usersí reactions including learning, this research will result in a more grounded model of support and its relationship to usersí development of self-efficacy, satisfaction, and knowledge about technology