Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Theatre

Over the past decade, especially in the United States, there has been a significant increase in what has commonly come to be known as athlete activism. Examples of this phenomenon include such moments as Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest in the National Football League (NFL) and the campaign for pay equality undertaken by the United States Women's National Team (USWNT). Though these examples, and many others like them, have affected important and tangible social change, there are many in the United States who claim that the practice of sport activism only serves to unnecessarily politicize the realm of sport. Opponents of sport activism often argue that sport should be kept separated from more serious matters such as pressing social and political issues. However, this argument is predicated on the assumption that sport is inherently apolitical or that it somehow exists independently of societal structures, which is demonstrably false. In “Finding Hope at the Arena: A Performance Studies Approach to Sport,” I make use of performance studies frameworks to investigate sport as a meaning-making mode of live performance with utopian potentiality. Using performance scholar Jill Dolan's theorization of the utopian performative as a theoretical framework, I examine several key moments and eras in United States sport history to interrogate the notion that sport is, or ever has been, separate from social and political issues. Through archival and performance analysis methods of research, I interrogate the ways in which sport, as a genre of live performance, produces myriad utopian visions of the country that often serve to uphold or critique the dominant social order. Moreover, I imagine this study as a step towards what I call a model of utopian sport spectatorship. Utopian sport spectatorship facilitates a form of engagement with sport similar to that of a theatrical production. In this model of spectatorship, participants, both those involved in the aspects of athletic c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Angela Ahlgren (Committee Chair); Heidi Nees (Committee Member); Jonathan Chambers (Committee Member); Amilcar Challu (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Performing Arts; Social Structure; Sociology; Theater

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

My thesis explores how modern Jordan came to be defined by a tribal heritage common to several states in the region, owing to the unique political exigencies faced by the country's leaders during both the British Mandate (1921-1946) and the post-independence era (1946-present). I argue that regional political objectives of colonial authorities and key leadership personalities were major driving forces of the progressive decision to preserve tribal elements in Jordanian society during the British Mandate. In the post-independence era, I maintain that Jordan resorted to its tribal heritage that continued to retain a privileged place in society in crafting a nationalism that centered on the original inhabitants of Transjordan

Committee: johanna sellman (Advisor); ahmad jallad (Committee Member); morgan liu (Committee Member) Subjects: Middle Eastern Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Music

The foundation of the Order of Preachers in 1216 by Dominic of Osma (ca. 1173-1221, and the founder's own meritorious life—exemplifying the virtues of a vir evangelicus for his spiritual descendants—represent a key moment in the religious history of the Middle Ages. Receiving its definitive form in the mid-1250s, the Dominican Rite provided for the liturgical celebration and memorial of its founder with two feasts: the principal feast, 5 August, held on the vigil of his death, and the translation, 24 May, celebrating the transfer of his relics on that date in 1233, during which a miraculous fragrance (odor mirificus) and many healings occurred, speeding along Dominic's canonization, which occurred on 3 July 1234. The two offices for these feasts developed in stages similar to those of the liturgy of the Rite to which they belonged. In addition to a study of these developments, the present dissertation examines the proper chants of the offices and presents the results in commentaries on each item. This analysis reveals that the texts were carefully constructed, with attention to narrative continuity based on Dominic's early vitae, allusion to biblical and patristic sources, and the creation of striking poetic effects. Together with their melodies, which like the texts were newly composed, these pieces create an official liturgical memory of Dominic, providing a common formation, education, and understanding of the faith for the members of the Order. Each office emphasizes different aspects of Dominic's person and his life. The principal feast reminds the assembled brethren of the life, miracles, death, and heavenly glorification of their founder, describing his virtues and works, and presenting him as a model worthy of imitation. The feast of the Translation focuses on the historical translation itself—the disinterment of Dominic's remains and the miracles accompanying it—highlighting Christ as the source of these wonders and Dominic as heavenly intercessor. Th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Atkinson (Advisor) Subjects: Middle Ages; Music; Theology

Bachelor of Arts, Ohio University, 2017, Political Science

By identifying trends in social media, state constructed museums, and officially published material, I examine the way in which the state, top down, forms conceptions of national identity and citizenship in Jordan. In This project contributes to the literature on national identity and citizenship while integrating modern source work. Citizenship and identity have faced several important transitions, this project focuses on the most recent regime change to see how citizenship has been constructed in this highly authoritarian environment. Citizenship in Jordan is constantly being negotiated down communal lines and have a major affect on the livelihood of citizens.

Committee: Sandal Nukhet (Advisor) Subjects: Political Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

This dissertation studies the role that marriage plays in contemporary Jordanian youths' collective action and social imaginaries. I argue that marriage should be studied as part of politics as it is linked to popular perceptions regarding the state's function (or dysfunction) in Jordan. In addition, I argue that marriage needs to be considered as a potential site for youths' socio-political agency, as marriage involves not only practical considerations about money and employment but also strategies, practices, and efforts to realize their imagination of what state-society relationship should be (social imaginaries). I study marriage through a variety of ethnographic and expressive cultural forms (through field interviews, popular literature, music, cartoons, graffiti, and films) in order to better understand what Ammani youth have to say about marriage and society. Popular culture appeals to young people in Amman because it often resembles their own lived experiences and depicts how individuals can overcome hardship. Field experiences and conversations reveal how marriage concerns are linked to national and everyday politics. The strategies youths actively pursue—from individual and familial networking to saving cooperatives and employment abroad—can be seen as expressions of agency in pursuit of their social imaginaries. Their search for educated, pious, and employed partner with similar views about marriage, society, and piety further emphasizes the link between the public and the private sphere, and the personal and the political. Despite young people's efforts to pursue individual and societal goals, generational fears allude to older generations pushing back against societal change. Since decisions and actions regarding marriage are tightly connected to political, economic, and social institutions, marriage serves as a lens to understand popular debates and sentiments among Ammani youths. Thus, it offers insights into why Jordan has avoided (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sabra Webber (Advisor); Ila Nagar (Committee Member); Morgan Liu (Committee Member); Johanna Sellman (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; Families and Family Life; Gender Studies; Mass Media; Middle Eastern Studies; Near Eastern Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2015, Nursing

Background and significance: Globally, medical errors kill and seriously injure millions of people every year. Jordan is a developing country intent on improving patient safety and quality of care. The literature indicates that improving patient safety culture is an effective strategy to decrease the incidence of medical errors. Understanding nursing perception of patient safety culture and its determinants is an important step to improve patient safety inside Jordanian hospitals. Objectives: To assess nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture, to identify the main determinants of patient safety culture, and to examine the relationship between nurses' perceptions of patient safety culture and reporting of adverse events in Jordanian public hospitals. Design and sample: The study is exploratory using a mixed-methods design. Qualitative data were provided by interviews with nurse managers (N = 9) at three managerial levels. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey from a convenient sample of staff nurses (N = 150) from five public hospitals in Jordan. Measurements: The survey included the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) and two investigator-developed questions that measured nurses' reporting of adverse events (medication errors and patient falls). Results: A total of 136 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate = 90.6%). The percent of positive responses to the 12 dimensions of the HSOPSC ranged from 25% to 74%, compared with 44% to 81% reported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in 2014. The results indicate that nurses' positive perceptions of safety culture were lower than in the US benchmark AHRQ study. The study found significant negative relationships between several dimensions of the HSOPSC and the nurses' reporting of medication errors and patient falls. The findings indicate nurses with more positive perceptions toward patient safety culture reported fewer adverse events. The nursing manag (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joyce Fitzpatrick (Advisor); Mary Quinn Griffin (Committee Member); Mary Dolansky (Committee Member); David Aron (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing

Master of Science, Miami University, 2014, Geology and Environmental Earth Science

Deposits in the hyper-arid Mudawwara basin of Jordan are examined to understand the timing and source of past pluvial episodes in the southern Levant. Mineralogical, geochemical, and radiocarbon analysis of a 2.35m core from dry playa Khabrat Ratiya suggest sedimentation from ~29-21 ka BP, coinciding with the highest lake levels of Paleolake Lisan. Coquina deposits in Mudawwara have been attributed to paleolake(s) sustained by intensified tropical monsoonal precipitation from 88-170 ka by Petit-Maire et al. (2010, Global and Planetary Change 72: 368-373). However, we argue that closed-system behavior has not been demonstrated for the U-series ages on these shells and geomorphologic evidence suggests an older depositional age. We suggest that in southern Jordan (1) pluvial episodes occurred in Khabrat Ratiya ~29-21 ka and resulted from increased winter precipitation from the Mediterranean, and (2) the Mudawwara coquina deposits should not be used as evidence for tropical monsoonal precipitation during interglacial periods.

Committee: Jason Rech (Advisor) Subjects: Geological; Geology; Paleoclimate Science

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Arts and Sciences: Classics

This thesis reviews and analyzes the archaeological evidence for Hellenistic (ca. 323–30 B.C.) Greek habitation in the region of Transjordan (the lands east of the Jordan river). Generations of scholars have concluded that Hellenistic Transjordan was politically, culturally, and economically unified, as was the case during the Roman Imperial period. This unification was accomplished through the establishment of large urban centers throughout the region. This collection of cities was known in Roman times as the Decapolis. I examine two of these urban centers, Pella and Gerasa, located in modern Jordan, as case studies. My analysis of the Hellenistic archaeological remains from these two sites, although based on incomplete datasets, indicates that neither site underwent significant urban development prior to the Roman period, nor is there any evidence of regional unification or confederation. The evidence from these case studies is then compared with the eight other sites in the region that would later form the Roman Decapolis. I conclude that there was great disparity between settlements in Hellenistic Transjordan, with few sites indicating direct royal control and no evidence of unification or centralized administration. In doing so, this study challenges long-held scholarly assumptions regarding the existence and organization of the "Hellenistic Decapolis." I conclude that the idea of a politically or culturally unified "Hellenistic Decapolis" is a modern conception, which is not supported by current archaeological evidence.

Committee: Barbara Burrell Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kathleen Lynch Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Classical Studies

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2001, Department of Criminal Justice

This study examines the Correctional System in the Hashmite Kingdom of Jordan. The Correctional System in Jordan is strictly institutional in nature. There are no community based correctional facilities or programs in Jordan for adult offenders. In the United States probation and parole are more common place then incarceration of offenders. The differences between the two nations are presented in this research. The type of offenders incarcerated in Jordan, the offenses they committed, and their length of sentencing are presented and evaluated in this research project. Data presented for this study were collected in Jordan. This research project ends with suggestions for improving the correctional system in that nation. Crime is one of the most serious social phenomena in society today especially in Jordan. Their population is very young and an increase in criminality is probable. Criminality leads to the explotation of a nation's resources and energies. It delays society's progress and advancement. Crime is basically a reaction to various social ills, environmental ills, psychological ills, educational ills, and perhaps biological abnormalities. It is therefore very important to study individuals who commits crimes to help determine the reasons for their actions. Knowing the motives of a prisoner's behavior assist in carrying out correctional and rehabilitation objectives. These objectives included educating and correcting the behavior of the prisoners in addition to qualifying them to become useful members of society. Hence, reviewing the feasibility of programs available at correctional and rehabilitation centers, and introducing new ones, will enhance the process of prisoners' rehabilitation and healthy return to society where they will refrain from committing crimes again. This research project, through literature review and data analysis examines these issues.

Committee: Tammy King (Advisor) Subjects: Sociology, Criminology and Penology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2000, Arts and Sciences : Political Science

Using Jordan and Egypt as case studies, this dissertation develops a model for understanding democratization in the Middle East and its impact on foreign policy. In contrast to studies emphasizing bottom-up transitions, democratization in the Middle East should be understood as a strategy designed to secure the position and power of the ruling regime-a strategy I term democratization-as-control. Although there were variations, the basic features of this strategy included the controlled re-legalization of political parties, competitive elections to dependent parliaments, limited liberalization of the press, and attempts at explicit agreements (in the form of national pacts or dialogues) in which greater political freedoms were exchanged for acceptance of the regime's right to rule. These tactics funneled political contestation into regime-dominated forums and created strong incentives for the wide range of political contenders to play by the regime-defined rules of the game. In turn, Democratization-as-control had significant consequences for foreign policy. The predominant models of realism and leadership personality do not capture the intensely political nature of foreign policy in the Middle East. Weak political institutionalization, the permeability of Arab states to transnational ideologies, and tenuous domestic legitimacy meant that leaders faced multifaceted threats to their continued rule. The domestic vulnerability of Arab regimes constrained their decision-making latitude and compelled them to seek support through nationalistic foreign policies. By enhancing regime security, democratization-as-control allowed leaders to insulate foreign policy decision making from domestic constraints. A particular focus of this study is on the domestic politics of war and peace in the region. This research offers an important corrective to the current literature, which posits that democratization increases the likelihood of war. The impact of democratization on war and pea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Harknett (Advisor) Subjects:

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Nursing: Nursing - Doctoral Program

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a problem worldwide. Intimate partner violence in its forms (physical, psychological, and sexual) can result in a negative impact on women's health. Despite the crucial role nurses play in screening and providing the needed support and help for IPV victims, nurse screening rates are very low. Nurses may encounter several barriers that hinder their IPV screening practice. Currently, there are no studies estimating nurses IPV screening rates and the barriers to IPV screening among Jordanian nurses. The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate of IPV screening and determine the barriers to IPV screening among Jordanian nurses. This study used a cross sectional design with a stratified random sample of 125 Jordanian nurses working at 10 health centers and three hospitals in a northern city of Jordan. The study instrument included the Domestic Violence Health Care Provider Survey (DVHCPS), Women Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), and demographic survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square Goodness-of-Fit tests, and one and two tail proportion z- tests. Study results showed that Jordanian nurses screened for IPV most often when women sought care for physical injuries (25%) and lowest for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (3.3%).The one proportion z-tests revealed that the Jordanian nurse screening rates were significantly lower than the rate reported with U.S. nurses. The two-tailed two proportion z-tests revealed no significant differences between the proportions of nurses that screened for IPV based on personal IPV experiences. Jordanian nurses defined barriers to screening were contributed to several sources including their beliefs about screening practice, victims' role for being abused, the adequacy and ability of social and mental services to provide help and other important barriers presented in this study. Barriers for IPV screening should be eliminated through education on IPV screening, therap (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gordon Gillespie PhD (Committee Chair); Dianne Felblinger EdD MSN WHNP (Committee Member); Leigh Wang PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Arts and Sciences : Mathematical Sciences

We analyze Jordan curves in the plane that are bilipschitz homogeneous with respect to Euclidean distance and/or inner diameter distance. We begin our analysis from the Euclidean vantage point. In this setting, we produce a quantitative bound on the bounded turning constant for unbounded curves. We then construct a catalogue of curves that accounts for all unbounded bilipschitz homogeneous Jordan curves in the plane, up to bilipschitz equivalence. Some techniques utilized in this construction are implemented to characterize doubling conformal densities on the upper half plane. Finally, the interaction between bilipschitz homogeneity and dimension is examined, and fractal chordarc curves are characterized in terms of their invariance under Mobius maps. Our analysis proceeds to the inner diameter distance setting, where we again demonstrate that bilipschitz homogeneity implies a bounded turning condition, quantitatively. In this setting we obtain a very explicit bound on the bounded turning constant that is essentially best possible. Moreover, this bound holds for both bounded and unbounded curves. We then provide a quantitative link between the above catalogue for Euclidean bilipschitz homogeneous curves and inner distance bilipschitz homogeneous curves. We conclude with a characterization of Riemann maps onto domains whose boundaries are bilipschitz homogeneous in the inner distance.

Committee: David Herron PhD (Committee Chair); Carl Minda PhD (Committee Member); Nageswari Shanmugalingam PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Mathematics

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

While the literature on public space has predominantly focused on the western countries, little research exists in the context of the developing countries. Amman is no exception in this regard. This study focuses on the salient characteristics associated with the production (i.e., planning and design) of the public space in Amman. The study addresses three questions: 1) How do architects, planners, and sociologists perceive the public spaces of Amman?; 2) How do they evaluate the successfulness of the planning, design, and use of these spaces?; and 3) What are political, physical, socio-cultural and economic factors that affect the production and use of these spaces in Amman? The study collected data through two phases. In the first phase, 58 interviews were conducted with: 1) 33 young architects and planners and 2) 25 expert architects and planners. Responses were analyzed using the “conceptually clustered matrix” approach. During the second phase, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted with: 1) 11 architects and planners and 2) 8 sociologists. Responses were analyzed through the “content analysis” technique. Analysis of data from the first phase found that participants considered the spatial and social attributes of public space as its most salient attributes. The spatial attributes accounted for the majority of the interviewees' remarks and evaluations. Respondents also considered the types of activities, the social status of users, location, and easy access by public transportation as important elements for the intensity of use of public space. Thus, highly used public spaces do not necessarily constitute success, but might reflect few options people have due to poor accessibility and inadequate distribution of such spaces in the city. Analysis of data from the second phase found that the production of pubic spaces in Amman is faced by diverse political, economic, physical, and socio-cultural constraints. The lack of a comprehensive plan, the central authority st (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mahyar Arefi (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, History

This dissertation examines the international history of the Palestinian armed struggle from late 1967 until the beginning of the Lebanese Civil war in 1975. Based on multi-archival and multilingual research in Lebanon, the United States, and the United Kingdom, I argue that the Palestinian guerillas won the struggle for international recognition by identifying themselves with the cultural forces of anti-colonialism and Third World internationalism. By laying claim to the status of a national liberation struggle, Palestinian fighters tapped into networks of global support emanating from places like Beijing, Hanoi, Algiers, and Havana that allowed them to achieve a measure of political legitimacy in the international community and provided for the continued survival of their movement. At the same time, these efforts to emulate revolutionary movements from other parts of the world helped to reshape Palestinian national identity into a profoundly cosmopolitan organism; a product of twentieth century globalization. However, these radical visions of national liberation ran headlong into U.S. designs for global order; if radical Palestinians could create a “second Vietnam” in the Middle East, the implications for U.S. authority in the Third World could be disastrous. Through support for regional police powers like Israel and Jordan, Washington was able to mount a sustained counterinsurgency campaign that prevented a guerilla victory.

Committee: Peter Hahn (Advisor); Robert McMahon (Committee Member); Stephen Dale (Committee Member); Kevin Boyle (Committee Member) Subjects: History; International Relations; Middle Eastern History

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2009, Anthropology

A bioarchaeological analysis of skeletal pathology in an historical (13th-18th centuries) Bedouin sample (n=28) from Khirbat al-Mudayna and the surrounding Wadi ath-Thamad region of Jordan was used to address questions regarding the overall health of an agropastoralist group. Global History of Health Project data collection standards were used for recording non-specific stress, oral health, trauma, degenerative joint disease, specific pathological conditions, and long bone metrics. Comparisons of health and quality of life indicators at the intra-site level provided insight into aspects of Bedouin society, such as a sexual division of labor, and revealed a mosaic pattern of health differences reflective of both pastoral and agricultural subsistence components. Inter-site comparisons made between the Khirbat al-Mudayna sample and two other Near Eastern groups situated the Bedouin sample within a larger regional context. The present analysis illustrates the complex relationship between subsistence, dietary quality, and health, as indicated by skeletal pathology.

Committee: Clark Larsen PhD (Committee Chair); Paul Sciulli PhD (Committee Member); Samuel Stout PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology; Physical Anthropology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Mathematics

A noncommutative Jordan Algebra, J, of degree two can be constructed from an anticommutative algebra S that has a symmetric associative bilinear form. If additional conditions are put on the algebra S, information about the derivations and automorphisms of J can be obtained. If S is a n+1 dimensional algebra, and T is a nonsingular linear transformation on S, it is of interest to know what multiplications and what nondegenerate symmetric associative bilinear forms, can be put on S so that T(T(x)T(y))=xy for all x,y,z in S, and T is equal to its adjoint. If T has only one Jordan block the question is answered, in the form of conditions that must be satisfied on the multiplication constants. It is shown such algebras exist for all n and it is shown how to obtain the multiplication tables

Committee: Bostwick Wyman (Advisor) Subjects: Mathematics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Curriculum and Instruction Instructional Technology (Education)

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward internet-based distance education by the faculty members of two Jordanian public universities, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University and Yarmouk University, as well as to explore the relationship between their attitudes toward internet-based distance education and their perceptions of their level of computer and internet access, their readiness for time commitments required for internet based distance education, level of institutional support, their level of computer and internet skills, and their perceived value of internet-based distance education. The study used Marcus's theoretical model of adoption to serve as theoretical framework.The study was mainly a quantitative study that employed survey methodology, supplemented by interviews. Quantitative data were collected with an online questionnaire. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the quantitative analysis were followed up with collecting qualitative data using short phone interviews. The qualitative date was analyzed using typological analysis. A total of 121 responses were used in the quantitative analysis, while a total number of six interview responses were used in the qualitative analysis. Results from both quantitative and qualitative data indicated that faculty members tended to have moderately favorable attitudes toward internet-based distance education. The respondents' mean score was 3.5 (SD = 0.67), on a 5-point scale ranging from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5). The correlation analysis showed there was significant positive correlation between faculty members' attitudes toward internet-based distance education and four independent variables: (a) computer and internet access, (b) time commitments, (c) computer and internet skills, and (d) perceived value. There was negative correlation between faculty members' attitudes toward internet (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Teresa J. Franklin PhD (Advisor); George Johanson PhD (Committee Member); David Moore PhD (Committee Member); Kessler Greg PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

BA, Oberlin College, 2011, Anthropology

This research examined a collection of burnt bones from Bab edh-Dhra, an Early Bronze Age site on the Dead Sea Plain of Jordan.The goal of the research was to determine if the bones were accidentally or intentional burnt, and intentionally burnt might indicate cremation as part of the mortuary practices at Bab edh-Dhra. The bones were examined using two systems of color measurement, Munsell Soil Color charts and CIE L*a*b* spectrophotometer. Whether CIE L*a*b* was an effective alternative to Munsell color charts was also evaluated during the research. It was concluded that the bones likely did not represent intentional cremation. It was also demonstrated that CIE L*a*b* spectrophotometer is an effective alternative to Munsell color charts in analyzing burnt bones.

Committee: Amy Margaris PhD (Advisor); Jack Glazier PhD (Committee Member); Sam Stout PhD (Committee Member); Baron Pineda PhD (Committee Member); Jason Haugen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology; Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Osteology

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2011, History

This thesis examines the building of Amman, Jordan over the course of the twentieth century, showing how the features of the city's history and development have shaped its unique identity. From its modern founding as a small Circassian village in 1878 to a major metropolis of over two million in the last decade, Amman's growth has been both dynamic and consequential. By exploring the people, their architecture, and the successive attempts by city leaders to define and control the urban fabric, this thesis shows Amman as constantly changing, absorbing, and responding to social and spatial practices, state policies, and transnational influences in ways that highlight the specificity of the case of Amman as well as its relevance for broader questions on how urban identity is constructed in relation to both modernity and nationhood.

Committee: Matthew S. Gordon PhD (Advisor); Amanda Kay McVety PhD (Committee Member); Robert A. Benson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture; History; Middle Eastern History; Modern History; Urban Planning

Master of Science, Miami University, 2010, Geology and Environmental Earth Science

Wadi Hasa has thick valley-fill deposits comprised of mudstones, marls with organic material and microfossils, and massive silts with root voids. Stratigraphic relationships and radiocarbon/amino acid racemization geochronology identified time-stratigraphic units A (>100? ka), B (~70-45 ka), C (~32-27 ka), D (~14-12 ka), and E (~12-8 ka). Previously described as lacustrine, these sediments are reinterpreted as in-stream wetland deposits based on sedimentology, spatial distribution, and ostracode speciation. Incision and aggradation of these deposits correlate with low and highstands of Lakes Samra and Lisan (Dead Sea precursors), demonstrating a similarity in response to regional climate control changes. Based on modern synoptic climate controls, paleo-lake lowstands were due to a decrease in precipitation-bearing cyclones caused by lowered Mediterranean Sea temperatures related to Heinrich events. Continuation of current climate trends would similarly decrease Mediterranean Sea temperatures through polar-ice melting, resulting in a precipitation decrease in Wadi Hasa and the Near East.

Committee: Jason Rech PhD (Advisor); Brian Currie PhD (Committee Member); William Renwick PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Earth; Geology