ScholarWorks@GVSU

The Great Leap Famine and Amartya Sen

Chang-Dae Hyun — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:23:44 PDT

Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate argues, “in the terrible history of famines in the world, no substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent and democratic country with a relatively free press.”[1] According to Sen, severe famine does not happen if a country is autonomous (independent), fair and accountable (democratic), and encourages free exchange of ideas (free press). Autonomous government has the power to allocate resources according to domestic concerns, and democratic government has duty to accommodate societal concerns guided by the rule of law. Relatively free press allows citizens to express their concerns freely and notifies government with challenges in society.

The Great Leap Famine in China could also have been prevented if China at the time was independent, democratic, with a relatively free press, as Sen suggested. The Great Leap Famine was led by three key factors: Mao ignoring precautionary alarm suggested by the political elites; Mao silencing intellectuals from suggesting alternative agricultural-scientific theories; and top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was not informed about the villagers dying of famine. These could have been easily prevented under the Sen’s conditions because democratic institutionalization allows political elites to freely discuss policies, freedom of expression encourages intellectuals to freely criticize scientific theories, and democratic election and mass media coverage motivates citizens to freely address their concerns. In addition to Sen’s argument, authoritarian government can also prevent substantial famine if the government is autonomous, fair, accountable, and encourages free exchange of ideas such as China today.

[1] Sen 3-17.

The Russian Revolution

Chang-Dae Hyun — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:23:34 PDT

The Russian Revolution was caused by the consequences of World War I: economic crises, and demotivated soldiers. In both cases, governments – the Romanov Dynasty and the Provisional Government that first seized power from the Tsar – were unable to resolve these problems. But these factors alone were not sufficient enough to cause the Russian Revolution, rather they should be understood as preconditions. What was also needed was a strong party – the Bolshevik Party – willing and able to capitalize on such preconditions. First, this paper will argue that economic crises such as food shortages, inflation, and poor working conditions triggered mass discontent with the Tsar and the Provisional Government. Second, soldiers who were demotivated by war weariness, were disinclined to protect the political order during the February Revolution and the October Revolution. Finally, in the midst of crises, the Bolshevik Party positioned itself to build on these preconditions and turn them into revolution.

GVSU Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog, 2018-2019

Grand Valley State University — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:33:58 PDT

Grand Valley State University 2018-2019 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

GVSU Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog, 2019-2020

Grand Valley State University — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 08:33:34 PDT

Grand Valley State University 2019-2020 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

SPNHA Faculty 2018-2019

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:20:26 PDT

The Influence of Philanthropy in the Economic Development of Grand Rapids

Heather M. Rowan — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:20:14 PDT

Not to be confused with charity or humanitarian intervention, philanthropy used in economic development focuses on community economic initiatives to restore local business ownership and encourage the strategic use of local resources while empowering community pride for long-term sustainability. The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has flourished beneath the partnership of individual philanthropy and “place-rooted” foundations dedicated to improving the status and overall development of the city. Organizations like Grand Action and The Right Place, Inc. have leveraged the combined efforts of a number of local philanthropists to fund larger development projects within the city center to create a community that attracts, retains, and fosters innovation and has created a midwestern hub known for its support and achievements in the arts and sciences. As illustrated in this paper, the models and concepts used to revitalize Grand Rapids can be and have been replicated in other areas to create positive and sustainable urban economies.

Donor Support of Nonprofit Overhead

Rhonda Lubberts — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:20:01 PDT

Do Initiators Matter in Social Marketing? Understanding Characteristics and Particularities of Social Marketing Campaigns Initiated by Different Agents

Aleksandra Lisinska — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:19:46 PDT

This research paper explores the concept of social marketing by discussing different definitions and characteristics of the term, and by investigating the influence of initiators on social marketing campaigns. The aim of this paper is to answer the question of whether or not the initiators matter in social marketing. In order to answer this question, an extensive literature review was conducted to gain a general understanding of the issues at hand. Furthermore, six case studies were analyzed to illustrate differences and similarities between campaigns initiated by different types of organizations, as well as to identify specificities of each initiator group. Three major initiator groups were identified: (1) government or public sector agencies, (2) non-profit organizations, and (3) private sector entities. The analysis of case studies revealed that while social marketing campaigns initiated by different agents have some commonalities, there are three main differences. First, for-profit business organizations tend to focus on issues that directly link to their area of operations, are popular and attractive, and have potential to benefit the company itself. Second, social marketing campaigns initiated by public sector agencies focus on issues significantly influencing the quality of life of the citizens. The attractiveness of an issue or potential profit for a governmental agency is negligible. Finally, non-profit organizations address issues around their mission and scope of operations. Based on these findings, it has been concluded that initiators do matter in social marketing. Nevertheless, due to considerable limitations of this research, the paper does not answer the question entirely. Therefore, further study is required in order to fully understand the effects and implications of social marketing being initiated by different agents.

Autonomy in Philanthropy: A Model for Nonprofit Organizations

Beverly Harkema — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:19:36 PDT

This paper explores the question of to what degree is autonomy necessary to nonprofit organizations and its stakeholders? As a means or as an end? Where is it expressed? What can account for its variation? Answers to these questions will affect personal and institutional decisions, both for givers and receivers of philanthropy, within the unique context of the United States. To better understand autonomy, it is necessary to examine its development historically as well as theoretically, so that we can then critically evaluate hot it should relate to philanthropy, especially in nonprofit organizations.

Is Belonging in Community an Elusive Goal for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities?

Tracey Hamlet — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:19:26 PDT

Affirming social relationships and belonging in community are known to have positive mental and physical health benefits. Unfortunately, citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have significant barriers to being included in their community. Over the past half century, various policies and legislation have been enacted in the United States in an effort to address the changing societal belief that individuals with IDD should be engaged as part of their community rather than separated, receiving institutional care. These policies influence funding and program designs for nonprofit organizations supporting people with IDD. This article offers (a) a literature review of research regarding effectiveness in measurement of community inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, (b) an analysis of several U.S. policies intended to improve community inclusion, (c) considerations of the impact of Michigan’s implementation of the most current federal legislation, and (d) associated recommendations for nonprofit organizations to create public value by affecting progress in community inclusion.

Challenges in Volunteer Management: Factors of Undesirable Volunteer Behavior

Iryna Bilan — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:19:09 PDT

This paper compares different perspectives on factors that drive volunteer behavior in a direction against an organization’s policies, principles, or desired preferences. Often volunteer managers are challenged to enforce rules and policies in response to volunteer’s disruptive behavior while being afraid to cause volunteer withdrawal. This exploratory research provides an analysis of undesirable volunteer behavior by using two different approaches. Through an examination of possible factors, which may influence and direct volunteer behavior, two key concepts — perceived organizational support and psychological contract fulfillment - were identified as those towards which organizations should direct their efforts to prevent withdrawal of volunteers. The implementation of good managerial practices in volunteer management is recognized as necessary. Therefore, a synthesized guide to direct organization's efforts is suggested. Future research in this field should test a relationship between an increase of organizational investment in volunteer management capacity and perceived organizational support and psychological contract fulfillment.

From the Editor-in-Chief

Dan Balfour — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:18:59 PDT

Director’s Message

Richard Jelier — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:18:22 PDT

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:18:13 PDT

English in France - Linguistic Dominance and Ambivalence

Chloe Kampf — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:29:24 PDT

Whenever English is perceived as a threat to a nation’s language, English proficiency suffers, and France is guilty as charged. Many people know France as a nation with exceptional cuisine, famous artists, and breathtaking countrysides. What many are not aware of, on the other hand, is that France has the least proficient English speakers out of any EU country. Through in-depth research, literature reviews, interviews with French citizens, and analyzations of personal experiences, I attempt to expose the underlining truth behind this intriguing phenomenon.

Introduction of Auricular Acupuncture

Monica Lyons — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:26:08 PDT

The overall purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess if there was an interest to add auricular acupuncture to a substance abuse program. The two guiding questions of the Doctor of Nursing Project were (a) how can auricular acupuncture be helpful when treating patients with substance abuse in a selected organization? (b) what information is needed for both staff and patients to make an informed decision regarding auricular acupuncture? The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) framework was used as the theory framework for implementation of evidence-based research into an organization. The facilitator in the PARiHS framework used the Adult Learning Theory when teaching the staff and patients about an implementation change in the selected organization. The Adult Learning Theory principles were applied during the facilitation of the presentation “Introduction of Auricular Acupuncture” to the staff and patients of the non-profit substance abuse agency located in an urban Midwestern city. The Adult Learning Theory was utilized to assess if there was an interest in implementing auricular acupuncture in the agency’s rehabilitation and detoxification programs. The outcome of the project had clarification for the DNP student and the organization that there is a significant level of interest in implementing and including auricular acupuncture in the patients’ treatment plan while the patient is going through detoxification or the rehabilitation process from illicit drugs or alcohol. Several staff members expressed interest to be trained to do the auricular acupuncture procedure. The cost of training the staff is the largest hurdle in a non-profit organization. Further investigation is needed to see if auricular acupuncture could be a billable item to insurance companies for reimbursement. Key words: auricular acupuncture, acupuncture in substance abuse, introduction of auricular acupuncture, quality improvement project.

Evaluating remote site incubators to support restoration of Arctic Grayling in Michigan

Alan J. Mock — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:47:12 PDT

Remote site incubators (RSIs) have been used to rear salmonid fish eggs along streams in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980s. Recently, the successful use of RSIs for Arctic Grayling Thymallus arcticus restoration in Montana has sparked a renewed interest to reestablish the species in Michigan. To support future reintroduction efforts of Arctic Grayling in Michigan, I evaluated RSIs in three Michigan streams during 2018 and 2019 using Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss eggs (as surrogates for Arctic Grayling). My objectives were to: (1) compare hatching success between two different RSI designs (19-L vs. 265-L RSIs), and (2) test whether the removal of dead eggs (“picking”) from 19-L RSIs affected hatching success. Overall survival (i.e., hatching success of all RSIs) in 2018 and 2019 was 41.3% and 52.4%, respectively. Survival between unpicked 19-L and 265-L RSIs by stream differed from 1.5% to 14.3% (mean = 5.8%) in 2018 and 0.2% to 0.4% (mean = 0.3%) in 2019. On average, the picked 19-L RSIs had greater survival—although not always statistically significant—than unpicked 19- L RSIs during both years (2018: mean = 1.6%, P = 0.27; 2019: mean = 10.4%, P = 0.02). I documented a positive correlation between survival and RSI flow rates, and a decline in survival when RSI flow rates could not be maintained above ~0.4 L/min. My results show that both 19-L and 265-L RSIs can be used successfully in Michigan streams. Moreover, my results suggest that removing dead eggs was most likely to improve survival when RSI flow rates cannot be maintained above 0.4 L/min.

Using landscape genetics to understand connectivity of an island population of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus)

Nathan Kudla — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:46:49 PDT

Populations that experience low levels of gene flow commonly display increased levels of inbreeding, lower genetic diversity, and reduced adaptive potential. Landscape genetics allows for spatial and genetic information to be analyzed simultaneously to better understand how the landscape influences gene flow. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is a federally threatened viper found in wetlands throughout the Great Lakes region. Many remaining populations are small and isolated due primarily to habitat loss. Atypical from a range-wide perspective, eastern massasaugas on Bois Blanc Island (BBI), Michigan live in a relatively undisturbed landscape with a potential for high connectivity across the 88 km² island. We used landscape genetics to examine the influence of landscape features on gene flow across BBI to determine if eastern massasaugas have detectable gene flow across a well-connected landscape with high abundance. We genotyped 102 snakes at 15 microsatellite loci and measured pairwise genetic distances using the proportion of shared alleles (D_ps). We created resistance surfaces for land cover, roads, distance from roads, and compound topographic index. The R package ResistanceGA was used to optimize resistance surfaces and calculate pairwise effective resistance among individuals. We calculated an average observed heterozygosity of 0.574 and found no well-defined genetic structuring among our samples. Significant isolation by distance (IBD) was detected as well as positive spatial autocorrelation at distances less than 1 km. Our landscape genetic analysis identified the distance from roads surface to be our most supported model. In addition, either distance from roads or roads were included in the top three models suggesting the strong influence roads play in structuring patterns of gene flow of eastern massasaugas despite the low number of gravel roads and traffic volume on BBI. Our results suggest that roads act as barriers, reducing connectivity of eastern massasauga populations even in more rural areas with high quality habitat. Despite this, we still found considerable gene flow across the well-connected landscape of BBI.

The Impact of Healthy Living Education on Parents When Selecting Snacks for their Children

Daphnea Lou Sutherland — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:46:24 PDT

The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become a major health concern in the United States and other countries. Obese children are now acquiring what is considered adult diseases, at a young age. This will have detrimental effects on their health as a child and even more so as an adult, resulting in poor quality of life and a shorter lifespan. An obese child also faces delays and shortages in meeting developmental standards, such as physical development, psychosocial, emotional development, cognitive, and so forth. When obese, children will have a harder time concentrating on learning materials and will struggle in school. Parents are responsible to supply and meet the basic needs of the child including food. Children model and learn from experience and what they know. It is important to teach parents about proper nutrition so that parents are knowledgeable in how to help their child to succeed. Programs need to be placed in early childhood environments to help encourage parents to enforce healthy living, which will result in children having a better ability to learn and meet the appropriate developmental standards and overall live a healthier and happier life. The purpose of this study was to assess the snacking habits, current knowledge, and the effect of an educational intervention on the parents of young children who attend a Midwestern university preschool. Results depict a small sample of parents who do want to provide healthy foods to their children and found the intervention of information to be valuable because it will help guide them when considering and providing snacking habits and foods for their children.

The Association Between Dietary Niche Variation in Rodents and Climate Change Across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Hannah K. Vermeer — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:46:03 PDT

Mammalian teeth play a crucial role in food acquisition and breakdown and are therefore closely tied to dietary niche. This study reconstructed the diet of early Paleogene paramyid rodents across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) climatic event in an effort to understand the role of climate in mammalian dietary niche change. Dietary niches were quantified using three dental topographic measures: Dirichlet normal energy, relief index, and orientation patch count rotated. A Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted over eight time periods to determine if each of the dental topographic measures (i.e., diet) varied over time. Regression analysis of these measures with climatic variables was then used to evaluate the relationship of dietary niche with climate change. Results from the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated dietary niche variation over time (P=0.005) for the Dirichlet normal energy topographic measurement; however, regression analysis results did not indicate an association between dietary niche in these paramyid rodents and climate change across the time periods studied. While overall the results indicate that paramyid rodents likely experienced some dietary niche variation across the PETM, this study rejects the hypothesis that this variation is associated with the known climate change of this time. It is possible that the ability of paramyid rodents to utilize a large range of food resources resulted in a lack of competition for resources from mammalian immigrants and may have limited their need for significant dietary niche change in response to the PETM.