Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Music Education

Over the past few decades, many countries adapted a standards-based education in their schools. In 1967, the Music Education Supervisors Office in Kuwait published the General Goals for Music Education (GGfME). In an effort to better understand the relationship between written standards and current teaching practices in Kuwait, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Kuwaiti music educators' perspectives regarding the GGfME. The research questions that guided the study include: (a) how did Kuwaiti music educators learn about the GGfME?, (b) How and why do Kuwaiti music educators use the GGfME?, (c) What value do Kuwaiti music educators place on the GGfME?, (d) What challenges do Kuwaiti music educators face in using the GGfME?, (e) What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the GGfME?, and (f) What suggestions do Kuwaiti music educators have to change or improve the GGfME in order to better meet the needs of students in the 21st century? Data collection included personal semi-structured interviews and a focus group interview with nine Kuwaiti music educators with varied professions and experiences. Data analysis involved transcription and translating the recorded interview, and comparing results looking for common themes and categories. Findings indicated that Kuwaiti music teachers focus on only a few points from the GGfME due to the complexity, length, and impracticality of many of the goals. In addition, the emphasis on school band performance and lack of rehearsal time or a dedicated band class led Kuwaiti music teachers to focus only on students who participate in the band. Implications encompassed the need for revising the GGfME to address simple, clear, and measurable goals that include appropriate performance goals for all students, the insertion of a band class or activity period separated from general music classes, and the necessity of professional development sessions and workshops for music teachers. More resea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mathew Garrett (Advisor) Subjects: Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Nursing

Background: Breast cancer is a life-threatening chronic condition associated with distress and psychological symptoms. It may lead to ongoing uncertainty regarding the symptom burden of the disease and its treatment over the long-term, which impacts health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The role that social support can play in mitigating the effects of uncertainty in illness on HRQOL for women diagnosed with breast cancer is not well described. Factors influencing the HRQOL of Kuwaiti women with breast cancer are unclear and not well understood. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between symptom burden, uncertainty in illness, perceived social support, and HRQOL of Kuwaiti women diagnosis with breast cancer within their first year. Methods: This cross-sectional correlational study surveyed 100 Kuwaiti women diagnosed with breast cancer within the previous year at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center Hospital (KCCC). The study collected data using a combination of five questionnaires: The Memorial Symptom Assessment-Short Form Scale (MSAS-SF), the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Community Scale (MUIS-C), the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and demographic/clinical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The mediation role of uncertainty in illness and moderation role of perceived social support were examined. Results: The 100 Kuwaiti women in the study experienced moderate symptom burden (M = 2.35, SD = 0.28), which was significantly and negatively associated with moderate HRQOL. The most prevalent symptoms reported were pain, difficulty sleeping, lack of energy, and hair loss. Participants had low uncertainty in illness (M = 45.57, SD = 13.675) and high perceived social support (M = 4.349, SD = 0.430), uncertainty in illness mediates the relationship between symptoms burden and HRQOL, an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Susan Mazanec (Committee Chair) Subjects: Nursing

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

There is a significant social phenomenon in Kuwait called the Bedoon, which comes from the Arabic phrase bedoon jinsiyya, literally meaning `without nationality,' as coined by Human Rights Watch. Many scholars and intellectuals over the past two decades have attempted to understand this phenomenon from political, social, and humanitarian perspectives. However, the spatial aspects of their everyday tactical resistance and its reflection on their physical and built environment, have not yet been examined, making it the focus of this dissertation. This growing social group comprises thousands of `stateless' people who lived fairly well for many decades in Kuwait without any legal documentation. However, in 1985-86, a series of legislation acts has been pursued toward this marginalized group, that stripped them of almost all their previous rights and benefits. Without any legal status or official identification, they became like ghosts hidden in the midst of a crowded city. Only their congested neighborhoods, two slum-like settlements called `Taima'a' and `Suliabiya,' are physical manifestations of their existence, areas that the government is planning to demolish and erase forever. Because of pressure placed on the government by humanitarians and activists, it has proposed moving the Bedoon to an alternative low-cost housing project outside Kuwait City, 15 km from their current location. To assess these new `strategic' urban directions, this dissertation first examines, spatially, the Bedoon's everyday `tactics,' following Henri Lefebvre's and Michael de Certeau's concepts, using a hermeneutical approach that transcends the physicality of their current places. The aim is understanding the essential resonances among form, social, culture, politics, and lived experience. By probing into the contexts, forms, and details of Bedoons' dwellings, neighborhoods, and public spaces in Taima'a, through a deep observation of dwellers' spatial interactions and social practices, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Edson Roy Cabalfin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Carla Chifos Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rebecca Williamson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2018, Foundations of Education

Peace education is an emerging and growing field of study that holds promise for the future survival of our species. This reconstructive project involves a process of comparative philosophical analyses between approaches to peace education, as well as between the approaches and the social context of Kuwait. It concerns the research question: what philosophical conception and approach to peace education is potentially most compatible with Kuwaiti culture? In this dissertation, I place particular focus on the following approaches to peace education: integrative, critical, Islamic, gender, and comprehensive. Using a relational hermeneutics method, I analyze the relative compatibility of these approaches to Kuwaiti culture. Based on a fusion of peace education horizons and Kuwait's cultural horizon, the following compatible elements emerge: reflection, dialogue, creative learning, and action. These elements form the framework to guide a potential Kuwaiti Approach to Peace Education (KAPE) proposed at the end of the dissertation. While I argue these elements must exist in a successful KAPE, I also contend that they only provide guidelines and a basic structure while the people of Kuwait have to actually complete and fulfill the framework through their own reflection, dialogue, creative learning, and action.

Committee: Dale Snauwaert (Committee Chair); Leigh Chiarelott (Committee Member); Lynne Hamer (Committee Member); Fuad Al-Daraweesh (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Philosophy; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; Philosophy

MSARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

For the past half-century, Kuwait has employed the second largest number of migrated Asian and African domestic workers in Middle-East. The latest statistics state that there are more than 660,000 domestic workers in Kuwait, representing a ratio of one worker for every two Kuwaiti residents. The exponential increase in employing migrated domestic workers in Kuwait accompanied the huge increase in oil revenues in the 1970s. The increase number of Kuwaiti women joining the labor force is another factor causing the phenomenon. The presence of domestic workers in nearly every house has became essential to Kuwaiti families. Foreign domestic labors live in close proximity to Kuwaiti families, sharing their private spaces and raise and educate their children. Further, the relationship between employer and worker ranges from being embraced as a member of the family to being considered a “domestic enemy”. Ever since the beginning of domestic labors emergence in Kuwait in 1960s, Kuwaiti houses included a special space for their domestic workers. The relationship between employers and employees is inscribed in their spaces within the house they share. Through time, these spatial relations between Kuwaiti family's spaces and domestic workers' spaces have changed continuously with the change of many factors. Despite the long history of domestic workers living with Kuwaiti families, studies of this marginalized group are limited and mostly concern the humanitarian aspect of the subject, while spatial studies of their existence in Kuwaiti houses are lacking. Against this background, this thesis document the spatial aspect of domestic workers' existence in Kuwaiti houses. Such a study must capture the two sides of the coin, namely the worker's and the employer's sides, as well as the relationship between the two groups within the household. In particular, this thesis focuses on the evolution of domestic worker spaces within Kuwaiti houses from 1964 until 2014. It will revea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rebecca Williamson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Edson Roy Cabalfin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Snadon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The dilapidated condition of women's public housing in Sabah Al-Salem, Kuwait, led many in 2006 to call for the government's repossession and demolition of the property. While minimal action has been taken since then, the concurrent discussions nevertheless shed light on the plight of Kuwaiti female-headed households in public housing and the role of the built environment in exacerbating the adverse social conditions of these women. This dissertation critically explores the architectural construction of “modern/national” identities in Kuwaiti women's public housing by considering the Sabah Al-Salem Housing Project (SSHP) for widows and divorcees and uncovering the contexts, complexities, and contradictions of the project's design. The research employs architectural narratives developed by using SSHP's historical, socio-cultural, formal, urban, and stylistic contexts to critically examine how gender, power, and nationalism construct a marginal “Other.” Here, issues of marginality, signification, spatiality, materiality, and legitimation are addressed. To that end, the inquiry explores the cultural trends that influenced the design of the project in late-1970s Kuwait, the location of SSHP away from the city center, and the design decisions made by the architects and clients. The examination of these forces aims to reveal the relationships between single mothers (widows and divorcees), state authorities, and society at large. In attempting to explore architecture as a text that engages and provides a reflection of contemporary Middle Eastern societies like Kuwait, especially during this time of political and social upheaval, the dissertation describes the conditions of those members of the community whom larger society wishes to hide away, or to make less visible, and the complicity of state authorities to establish architectural spaces under the pretexts of social housing that marginalize women and maintain the status quo. Although the National Housing Authority (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Edson Cabalfin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Snadon Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2016, Music Education

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research was to determine the self-reported attitudes and practices of music instructors in Kuwait regarding adult music learners. Of central importance to this investigation was how instructors approach adult music education in terms of preparation, goal-making, materials, and evaluation. Participants included 14 university faculty members from one music department in a high-population urban setting in the state of Kuwait. The research questions that guided the study included: (a) How do music instructors in Kuwait prepare for becoming teachers of adult music learners? (b) What are instructors' goals in teaching adult music learners in Kuwait? (c) What are instructors' chosen materials for adult music students in Kuwait? and (d) How do instructors in Kuwait approach evaluating their students as well as themselves? Data were gathered through a self-reported open-ended questionnaire that was developed by the researcher. Findings indicated that participants supported formal education opportunities for teachers, such as seminars and workshops. Teachers claimed that they wanted to see their students develop an appreciation for music, remain motivated, and become professional musicians. The participants used numerous resource materials for instruction, including materials designed specifically for adult music learners as well as teacher-modified materials. The educators also employed a variety of formal and informal evaluations such as tests and live feedback. Implications include implementing lifelong music making teaching practices in Kuwaiti music education, enhancing teaching practices and evaluation methods, improving the student-teacher relationship, and understanding adult music learners' characteristics and their previous experience.

Committee: Nathan Kruse Dr (Committee Chair); Kathleen Horvath Dr (Committee Member); Matthew Garrett Dr (Committee Member); Denise Davis Dr (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Music; Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Civil Engineering

International construction projects carried out by foreign construction organizations may be subject to various risks due to the nature of the construction industry and business environment of the host country. The regulations of Kuwait oblige foreign organizations to create joint venture relations with qualified local partners to conduct business in Kuwait. A joint venture is a business strategy used to reduce expected risks when expanding into an international market; however, new sources of risk are created via this strategy. This research produced a risk management model for international construction in Kuwait (RIMMICK) designed to facilitate the success of international public construction projects in Kuwait. The aim of this research was to support various governmental agencies such that their projects can be successfully completed. The goal of this work was to reveal and assess the most critical risk factors that can influence the success of international construction projects in Kuwait. RIMMICK is a risk management model designed to identify the risk associated with international construction joint venture (ICJV) projects, assess the identified risk factors and provide project-specific risk ratings, reveal the consequences of the assessed risks, and suggest adequate risk mitigation and response strategies. This model focuses on the most critical phases of a construction project's lifecycle: the bidding and construction phases. RIMMICK can help sustain a risk-controlled environment by continuously monitoring a project's progress and providing reliable risk assessment. The risk intelligent system for construction in Kuwait (RISCK) is a tool designed to facilitate risk evaluation and control processes in RIMMICK. This knowledge-based system was tailored to ICJV projects in Kuwait that are owned by Kuwaiti governmental agencies. The RISCK tool can be utilized during two critical phases of a construction project: bidding and construction. During the bidding ph (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Fabian Hadipriono Tan (Advisor); Frank Croft (Committee Member); Rachel Kajfez (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

MSARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Kuwait experienced huge environmental and social changes brought about by sudden wealth and development that accompanied the 1940s oil boom. One manifestation of this cultural shock has been that new building construction often deployed architectural stylistic devices in an attempt to reinforce the past in the name tradition and continuity. With these superficial references, Kuwaiti patrons and institutions betray a yearning towards a collective bonding with the country's “vernacular” dwellings. Meanwhile, the local architectural and cultural discourse laments a loss of “identity.” Both of these responses are motivated by a sense of “nostalgia” – a “homesickness” for something that was authentic in the society in the past. This thesis explores this “nostalgia,” and these issues of identity and tradition, through a hermeneutic approach that resituates the question away from the merely stylistic or referential responses, and towards an understanding of more fundamental resonances among form, climate, culture, and lived experience. By probing into the vernacular dwellings' contexts, forms, details, and resonance with past and current social practices, key architectural phenomena will be more deeply understood: enclosure and courtyards; walls and boundaries; and shade, shadow and light; among others. Through readings of selected photographs, paintings, and travel accounts that document diverse physical and experiential aspects of the traditional dwellings, from the late nineteenth through the early part of the twentieth-century, this thesis emphasizes the relationship of these architectural themes and qualities with essential existential values of human being. According to hermeneutics, the meanings and relations that were already, and are still, attached to Kuwaitis' everyday life will come to light, as a more complex and open-ended relation with “tradition,” and a fuller background for the “nostalgia” about a presumed lost “identity.”

Committee: John Eliot Hancock M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Nnamdi Elleh Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MSARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The adoption of new construction techniques and materials, after the sudden shift in Kuwait's economy in the 1950s, yielded an architecture that is today locally unsuitable. This thesis attempts to reconnect Kuwait's rich heritage with its lost architectural identity through explorations of the ways in which architectural tectonics express culture in traditional forms of Kuwaiti dwelling. Tectonics comprises relationships between structure, surface, and assembly; what Kenneth Frampton calls poetic construction. The irreducible essence of the building unit informs architectural form. Tectonics, as Marco Frascari and Vittorio Gregotti claim, is expressed in relationships between part-to-whole, material, texture, surface, and joinery, all capable of articulating specificities of culture and context. Analytical approaches are used to study architectural drawings, sketches, and photographs to interpret the cultural expressiveness of tectonics. Archives, artwork, and books support inferences about culture, construction methods, and assembly. Detailed tectonic interpretations of three Kuwaiti case studies (the mud-brick beit, Bedouin beit sha'ar, and the dhow) support these claims, exploring questions such as: How does tectonics relate to architecture? To culture? How is this relationship expressed? What socio-economic, religious, political, and historical contexts shaped pre-1950s Kuwaiti building culture? How is culture tectonically manifest in each traditional form of dwelling? This work affirms the ways in which tectonics is linked to culture, reinforcing details as tell-tales of culture and valuable elements in architecture and its discourse. This thesis bridges architectural identity with culture, present with past, and Western architectural theory with Eastern architecture, to enhance and better appreciate the built environment and the profession.

Committee: Aarati Kanekar PhD (Committee Chair); Karl Wallick MArch (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1984, ED Policy and Leadership

Committee: Edwin G. Novak (Advisor); Ali Z. Elgabri (Committee Member); Dale A. Blyth (Committee Member) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Physical Activity and Educational Services

This study analyzed the perceptions of some stakeholders of Kuwaiti sport regarding the importance of three domains of sport (i.e., mass sport, elite sport, and commercial sport), and the relative emphases to be placed on each of these domains. The respondents were also asked to indicate the organizational forms (public, nonprofit, profit, public-nonprofit combine, and public-profit combine) best suited to deliver related sport services in the country. The stakeholder groups were administrators of federations, administrators of clubs, administrators of youth centers, coaches of clubs, coaches of youth centers, and elite athletes. The statistical procedures employed to analyze the data included exploratory factor analysis, computation of Cronbach's alpha, MANOVA followed by ANOVA, and chi square analyses. The results provided support for the subscale structure of the survey instrument by Cuellar (2003). Data analyses indicated that the participants considered elite sport as the most critical sport domain. However, when forced to place relative emphases on the three domains, the participants expressed that the greatest emphasis should be placed on mass sport instead. The participants also chose the Public and Public-Nonprofit Combine organizations as the most suitable to deliver most of the sport related services. They favored a partnership between Profit and Public organizations in building and maintaining sport facilities for Elite Sport. These results were interpreted as being influenced by Islamic and Arabic traditions which favor mass sport. Further, the choice of the Public and Nonprofit organizations to deliver most of the services was seen as a reflection of the current practice of Public organizations providing almost all sport related services in Kuwait.

Committee: Packianathan Chelladurai (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Physical

MA, Kent State University, 2008, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Urbanization is a complex phenomenon that occurs during the city's development from one form to another. In other words, it is the process when the activities in the land use/land cover change from rural into urban. Since the oil exploration, Kuwait City has been growing rapidly due to its urbanization and population growth by both natural growth and inward immigration. Recently, the use of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems became very useful and important tools in urban studies because of the integration of them can allow and provide the analysts and planners to detect, monitor and analyze the urban growth in a region effectively. Moreover, both planners and users can predict the trends of the growth in urban areas in the future with remotely sensed and GIS data because they can be effectively updated with required precision levels. The main purpose of this study is to detect and evaluate the changes in the land use/land cover of Kuwait City area due to the urbanization process between 1989 and 2001. Furthermore, this study assesses if the spatial patterns and process of these changes take place in a random fashion or with certain identifiable trends. During the study period, the result of this study indicates that the urban growth has occurred and expanded 10% from 32.4% in 1989 to42.4% in 2001. Also, the results revealed that the largest increased of the urban area was occurred between the major highways after the forth ring road from the center of Kuwait City. Moreover, the spatial distribution of urban growth occurred in cluster manners.

Committee: Jay Lee PhD (Advisor); Mandy Munro-Stasiuk PhD (Committee Member); Chuanrong Zhang PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography; Urban Planning