When the Wolf Came: the Civil War and the Indian Territory

A Look at the Civil War in Indian Territory When I teach the Civil War, I talk very little about its impact on American Indians. I note that the tribes had divided loyalties; that the Cherokees reluctantly sided with the Confederacy, then with the Union, but were forced to cede much of th...

New Training Tools: Enhancing Mine Detection Performance

The effectiveness and proficiency with which a handheld buried ordnance detection system operates is contingent on two properties: the detection capabilities of the sensor and the operator\u27s skill in manipulating it while interpreting meaning from its audio output. With recent advancements in buried ordnance location technology, adding ground penetrating radar (GPR) with electro-magnetic induction (EMI) sensing places much greater importance on detector sweep motion as a prerequisite to improve detection and reduce false alarm performance. Proper operation requires the user to sweep an area completely without gaps, with the detector head motion controlled within proper speed and height above ground limits. Proper employment of the detector within acceptable ranges of each of these variables is required to maximize the detection capabilities of the system

Systematizing God\u27s Law: Rabbanite Jurisprudence In The Islamic World From The Tenth To The Thirteenth Centuries

This study examines the jurisprudential writings of medieval Rabbanites, Jews in the Islamic world who saw themselves as heirs to the talmudic tradition. Rabbanite Jews were the first to author systematic accounts of talmudic law, which they attempted to transform from an amorphous, dialectical, and discursive corpus into a structured, elegant, and logical system. In so doing, they sought to impose a coherent structure on their legal traditions that would be compatible with larger theological, philosophical, and epistemological ideas. By subjecting Rabbanite legal theory to diachronic and synchronic analysis, this dissertation demonstrates that Rabbanites were involved in a multilayered conversation that engaged their talmudic past, Rabbanite and non-Rabbanite coreligionists, and elements of the Islamic intellectual tradition that were most helpful for the explanation and reconsideration of their own tradition. While Rabbanite legal theory drew heavily on talmudic ideas, it was, at its core, profoundly contemporary, spurred by both Qaraite and Islamic legal theory, among many other factors. This study concentrates on Rabbanite thinking about two, frequently intertwined, topics: the nature and scope of extra-scriptural traditions, known as Oral Torah, and the methodology to be used in enumerating the 613 commandments, which, talmudic legend claims, were given to Moses at Sinai. Acknowledging earlier scholarship on these topics, this study presents a more holistic picture of Rabbanite legal theory. Particular attention is paid to the Judeo-Arabic writings of Moses Maimonides (1138-1204), the Rabbanite author who appears to have been most explicitly concerned with problems of legal theory. Other central figures include Saʿadya ben Joseph Gaon (882-942), Daniel ben Saʿadya ha-Bavli (fl. early thirteenth c.), and Abraham ben Moses Maimonides (1186-1237)

DIPL 6117 International Mediation

This graduate seminar will examine the theory and practice of international mediation designed to end violent conflict and reconstruct peaceful social and political relations. This seminar will combine the case study method with active learning techniques. Students will pursue individual and team-based research, problem-solving, role­ playing, simulation and other collaborative activities in class and online. This seminar will help students write and present concise and critical analyses of international conflict mediation exercises. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: • Explain the different kinds of international conflict today and their causes • Utilize an analytical framework for critically examining conflicts and possible solutions • Evaluate a variety of tools to resolve conflicts, including diplomacy, mediation, multilateral efforts, economic incentives, peacekeeping missions, military action and institution-building. In summary, this course will present essential knowledge for students who intend to participate directly or indirectly in peacemaking through diplomacy, international nongovernmental organizations or global civil society

DIPL 4183 The Art and Science of International Negotiation

States, NGOs and international organizations all negotiate with each other in the context of international conflicts. In this course, students practice and improve their negotiation skills in interactive exercises, learn theories and dynamics of conflict, and apply this knowledge to practical cases. It is designed for students who are interested in understanding the dynamics of the negotiating process and in improving their critical thinking and analytic skills. Negotiating dynamics can be appreciated in terms of turning points, shifts in bargaining positions, motivations behind sudden concessions, tacit bargaining, coalition building, intermediary intervention as well as the role of negotiation culture, power, emotions, and a communication process in shaping a decision maker\u27s perceptions and behavior. We will review the theoretical literature on international negotiation and conflict resolution, including traditional approaches, cross-cultural perspectives, and political frameworks and how different factors and contexts can influence the negotiation process and its outcome (such as the nature of the issues, power, ethics, information technology, third party intervention, culture and violence). This course encourages discussion and collaborative learning. This course uses case study methods and emphasizes the writing of policy papers that articulate options and assess costs and benefits of alternatives and makes an informed recommendation to the decisionmaker

Begging for change: engaging with Johannesburg in post-apartheid South African film

Includes bibliographical references.The city of Johannesburg is globally identified with issues of inequality, prejudice and transformation. This identification is reinforced by the city's representation in film, in particular those of the post-apartheid era, which tend to emphasize the city's problems. The transformative power of living in Johannesburg, in particular how this experience impacts and shifts the personalities and experiences of the city's inhabitants, is often ignored. This thesis sets out to explore and analyse the consequences of engagement with Johannesburg by exploring the impact of the city on the protagonists in four post-apartheid Johannesburg films. The films that will be analysed - Jump the Gun (1996), Hijack Stories (2000), Tsotsi (2005), and District 9 (2009) - portray life in post-apartheid Johannesburg. These films were chosen because they have narratives that illustrate character transformation through exposure to the city of Johannesburg. The decision to focus on films that depict this era is deliberate, and I have done this in order to identify a new way of living in Johannesburg that is unique to this time period. In addition, the spread of years highlights how the experience of living in Johannesburg has changed over time

Homeless Men in New York City's Public Shelters: A Life Course Perspective

Many questions surround the nature of the relationship between homeless individuals' personal attributes, histories and problems and their recent experiences with homelessness, their current level of social and psychological functioning and their need for services. Using data collected in a major needs assessment survey of municipal shelter users in New York City, the study explores the continuities and discontinuities between different phases in the life histories of homeless men aged 28 to 50. Employing factor analysis and multiple regression methods, the study examines associations between a range of disparate variables describing experiences of childhood and adulthood as well as several current status measures. The relationship between these variables and homeless individuals' self-rated service needs is also investigated. The emerging view of the contemporary homeless population as defined by considerable heterogeneity was supported. Four broad life course dimensions (mental illness/substance abuse, childhood deprivation/family disruption, positive adjustment/achievement, delinquency/deviant behavior) were identified and described. Childhood runaway behavior, delinquency and separation from the family were found to be significantly associated with a number of specific adult outcomes and current status measures. Homeless persons' self-ratings of their need for services was found to comprise a coherent factor structure and to be associated with selected life course variables. Policy and practice implications and recommendations for future research are discussed