Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1923, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Art

This collection of short stories and poems, accompanied by a glossary, is an ongoing diary about love, intimacy, domesticity, emotional maturation, and maternal inheritance, and is largely inspired by my Great Aunt Marge—major matriarch of the family, avid gardener, and hoarder. She had no children, but she was a mother. Psychic Garden considers the gut microbiome as one kind of garden and the gut as home to intuition. This writing is in close dialogue with, and perhaps in narration to, a body of work installed at Urban Arts Space from February 13th to March 16th, 2024, as part of The Ohio State University's MFA Thesis Exhibition titled Sun Spell.

Committee: Laura Lisbon (Advisor); Christopher Stackhouse (Committee Member); Dani ReStack (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts

MFA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

Inspired by the intriguing realm of epigenetics and the role of inheritance on a sociopolitical level, this project ventures into the captivating world of familial legacies and the imprints of trauma woven into both the threads of language and DNA. By navigating the social and political landscapes that have shaped the poets personal journey, poet and reader embark on a shared exploration, uncovering the profound ways in which inheritance molds beliefs, fuels self-discovery, and sculpts worldviews. Within this poetic tapestry, religious themes and the symbolic resonance of tomatoes emerge as motifs, imbuing the narrative with nuanced layers of meaning as it unravels the exploration of tradition and individual evolution. Frequently, these motifs serve as compasses guiding the reader through reflections on origin and identity—probing the extent to which our parents reside within us and the role trauma plays in both individual and communal creation. How to Eat Your Heirlooms, at its zenith, stands as a profound poetic odyssey through the realms of inherited pain, inviting readers to pause and attune themselves to the enduring echoes of the past resonating into the ever-evolving present.

Committee: Mary Biddinger (Advisor); Catherine Wing (Committee Member); Caryl Pagel (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Arts and Sciences: Classics

“The Telemachus Complex: Becoming Good Heirs on the Tragic Stage” applies to Greek tragedies psychoanalytic theory (the “Telemachus Complex” codified by Massimo Recalcati in response to Freud's own Oedipal Complex). This framework explains inheritance as an “act of reclamation”: sons need to exercise an active role in negotiating the symbolic debt connecting them to their fathers. Their “movement forward” to reclaim their position stems primarily from an individual choice, which should neither dismiss or recreate the memory of father's deeds. In the first chapter, I explore how Aeschylus shows the dangers of a firm rejection of the father's example of political authority, as Xerxes demonstrates it in the aftermath of the battle of Salamis throughout the Persians. Next, I concentrate on Aeschylus' Oresteia and argue that Orestes conceives of inheritance primarily as the need to claim his father's wealth and position of power in Argos, following closely in Agamemnon's footsteps, while the gods (Apollo, Athena) are reinforcing the leading role fathers exercise in their sons' lives, In the second chapter, I investigate how Sophocles offers a different representation of this issue by looking at the ethical implications of a father's example. I focus first on his earlier plays, where fathers impose on their offspring unquestioning obedience (Antigone) and the faithful imitation of their beliefs (Ajax, Trachiniae). These offspring (Ajax, Haemon and Hyllus) cannot deviate from their father's norms, but they should rather conform to them. Sophocles progressively concentrates on the sons' ability to go beyond the complete rejection and the passive duplication of fatherly examples. In the Electra and Philoctetes, Orestes and Neoptolemus offer the best embodiment of a successful heir mastering the “Telemachus Complex”: both these characters act upon their legacy, without being too attached to or too dismissive of their fathers' deeds. The third chapter shows how fili (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathryn Gutzwiller Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Anna Conser Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauri Reitzammer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Daniel Markovic Ph.D. (Committee Member); Caitlin Hines Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Genetic Counseling

Inherited retinal dystrophies (RD) are a collection of conditions caused by degeneration of the retina. RDs are characterized by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity and can present at any time across the lifespan. While upwards of 280 genes are known to be associated with RD, genetic testing for RD has only been implemented in the clinical setting over the last two decades. Recommendations for genetic testing published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) outline a need for pre- and post-test genetic counseling for all individuals receiving genetic testing for inherited eye conditions. While prior research has shown a positive perception of genetic testing in individuals with RD, the impact of the genetic counseling and testing process has been less studied. The aims of this study were to explore individual experiences with genetic counseling and testing related to a clinical diagnosis of RD, and to investigate perceptions about the impact of genetic test results on individuals and their families. Individuals who underwent genetic counseling and testing in 2020 or 2021 were recruited from the My Retina Tracker (MRT) Registry hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Semi-structured interviews were performed, and qualitative data was reviewed for thematic analysis. Two hundred members of the MRT registry received emails inviting study participation. Of these, 17 individuals meeting study inclusion criteria completed an interview for an overall participation rate of 8.5%. Positive genetic test results supporting a clinical RD diagnosis were reported by 59% (10/17) of interviewees, and 41% (7/17) received a negative or inconclusive genetic test result. Five themes emerged from the interview data. (1) Participants were motivated to pursue genetic testing for personal impact and benefit. (2) Participants had overall positive experiences with the genetic testing process, including a positive perception of genetic counseling. (3) Positive genetic test results (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dawn Allain (Advisor); Kari Branham (Committee Member); Kara Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics; Ophthalmology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Medicine: Genetic Counseling

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic condition classified into 12 types based on the gene affected and the expressed clinical symptoms within an individual. Research indicates that young adults with genetic conditions may lack genetic literacy regarding their personal/familial condition, which may be a result of parents being their reported primary genetic information source. Individuals with a genetic condition often heavily weigh the heritability of their condition when deciding to have children, resulting in many couples forgoing biological parenthood. This study aims to evaluate the level of OI inheritance knowledge in 18–25-year-olds diagnosed with an autosomal dominant OI type (type 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) or an unknown OI type, determine from who and when inheritance information is learned, and to investigate the role of OI inheritance in future reproductive decisions. An author developed questionnaire was distributed through the OI Foundation and OI Federation of Europe newsletters, research blasts, and social media pages, resulting in 105 individuals meeting inclusion criteria and completing at least half of the questionnaire. Findings indicate good basic OI inheritance knowledge. However, gaps in inhertiance knowledge were captured, and this population seems to have difficulties applying basic inheritance knowledge to real life situations. Parents are the primary, reliable information source and are educating their children when they are school aged. OI inheritance plays a very important role in reproductive decisions, leading to an interest in prenatal diagnostic testing and IVF with PGT-M. As inheritance knowledge increases, interest in prenatal diagnostic testing decreases, and interest in IVF with PGT-M trends towards increasing. This study allows providers to determine genetic topics needing increased education and how best to support and care for patients making difficult reproductive decisions in the OI community.

Committee: Melanie Myers Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nichole Nidey Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jodie Johnson M.S. C.G.C. (Committee Member); Kara Ayers Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

Maintenance of genome stability and faithful transmission of genetic and epigenetic information comprises the foundation of cellular, and thus organismal fitness, within their environment. The greatest challenge to genome integrity is the process of genome duplication in preparation for cell division. This process is highly destructive to the genome's epigenetic and 3D organization information, yet accurately rebuilt after DNA sequence copying. The dynamic nature of genome replication requires a vast number of proteins and complexes, one of which is Histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1). HAT1 is responsible for acetylating Histone H4 Lysines 5 and 12 in the cytoplasm before H3:H4 dimers are translocated to and imported into the nucleus and deposited on nascent chromatin during DNA replication. HAT1 loss in mice is neonatal lethal with pups exhibiting developmental lung defects and craniofacial defects. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from HAT1 -/- mice experience slowed growth, heightened sensitivity to DNA damage, and genome instability indicators such as chromosome breaks and fusions and changes in chromosome number. Recently, multiple lines of evidence suggest that histone acetyltransferase 1's (HAT1) purpose extends far beyond its activity in new histone editing. In this study, we focus on HAT1's role at replication forks and explore its possible role in promoting the nascent chromatin-nuclear periphery relationship. First, we developed a proximity-based Chromatin Assembly Assay (CAA) to study replication fork dynamics with standardized data collection and analysis procedures. We then used this protocol and HAT1 +/+ and HAT1 -/- immortalized Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (iMEFs) to investigate HAT1's role in the maintenance of genomic integrity. We show that HAT1 transiently associates with nascent DNA and that loss of HAT1 slows replication fork progression, due at least in part to an increase in fork stalling. In addition, fork stalling stabilizes HAT1' (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Parthun (Advisor); Dmitri Kudryashov (Committee Member); Kirk Mykytyn (Committee Member); Jeff Parvin (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Cellular Biology; Genetics; Molecular Biology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Theatre and Film

In Toward the Horizon: Contemporary Queer Theatre as Utopic Activism, I pursue two intersecting goals. First, I offer close readings of theatrical representations of queerness that expand beyond the shallow representations of the not-so-distant past, including the trope of the gay best friend (G.B.F.) and so-called “homosexual problem plays.” Second, I engage with dramaturgies of theatre for social change, reading those dramaturgical possibilities into scripted drama in support of my argument that contemporary queer theatre creates utopic activist potential within viewing and/or reading audiences. Over five chapters, I explicate and critically consider queer theatrical works that deploy dramaturgies and pedagogies of theatre for social change, including Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner, Significant Other by Joshua Harmon, Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Scissoring by Christina Quintana, Log Cabin by Jordan Harrison, The Prom by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson, and The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez. I build upon the queer theory legacies of Jose Esteban Munoz and his conceptualizing of utopia on the horizon, and Jill Dolan's notion of utopic performatives, to argue that these pieces hold the potential to lead audiences towards what I term “utopic activism.” Utopic activism concerns the potential to create change through the application of pedagogies and dramaturgies of theatre for social change to scripted drama, and in turn prompt audiences toward envisioning, embracing, and enacting a better future. Individual chapters draw on a variety of critical modes of investigation including history, historiography, and historicization, empathy, relationships and friendships, and genre conventions to investigate the ways queer theatre creates meaning. My study finds queer representation in contemporary theatre is steadily changing and consistently embracing more complex and affirming visions of queerness. Indeed, while there (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jonathan Chambers PhD (Advisor); Mieses Nermis DMA (Other); Ahlgren Angela PhD (Committee Member); Nees Heidi PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Glbt Studies; Theater; Theater Studies

PHD, Kent State University, 2019, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences

Evidence suggests that cocaine abuse by mothers results in measurable alterations in the behavior and neurobiology of first generation (F1) offspring. What is less understood are the impacts of paternal cocaine use on offspring physiology and behavior. Thus, this work set out to develop a model of paternal cocaine self-administration as well as to determine how paternal cocaine abuse alters several inter-linked behavioral systems and the underlying neural circuitry. Here, we determined that paternal cocaine use resulted in sex-specific alterations to circadian timekeeping, cocaine preference, and social interactions in F1 offspring. RNA sequencing identified multiple changes in gene expression in the nucleus accumbens. Further, oxytocin receptor expression was altered in multiple brain regions in cocaine-sired mice. Collectively, these results suggest that a father's drug use can alter a variety of addiction-related behaviors in offspring and provides insight into potential neurochemical mechanisms driving these changes.

Committee: J. David Glass (Advisor); Heather K. Caldwell (Advisor); John D. Johnson (Committee Member); Stephen B. Fountain (Committee Member); Manfred Van Dulmen (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Neurobiology; Neurosciences

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Arts and Sciences: Geology

The timing and extents of high-frequency Holocene glacier advances are reconstructed in the seven glaciated valleys of the NW and Central Himalaya using detailed geomorphic mapping, sedimentological analysis, Be-10 dating, equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs), statistical analyses, and numerical modeling. Following the north-south (low to high) precipitation gradient the study areas include: Stok, Lato, Karzok, and Parkachik valleys in the Zanskar range; Hamtah and Kulti valleys in the Lahul Himalaya; and Bhagirathi valley in the Garhwal Himalaya. Eighty new Be-10 ages indicate that locally glaciers advanced extensively (ΔELA: ~260±100 m) during the late glacial in the Kulti valley (tentatively at ~14.7±2.1 ka) and the Early Holocene (ΔELA: ~180±60 m) in the Kulti (~13.0–10.9 ka) and Hamtah (~10.4±0.4 ka) valleys. Local glacier advances became progressively more restricted overtime during the Mid-Holocene (ΔELA: ~160±80 m) in the Karzok valley (~6.1–3.3 ka) and during the Late Holocene (ΔELA: ~4–140 m) in the Stok (~2.1–0.9 ka), Lato (~0.7–0.4, ~0.3±0.1 ka), Karzok (~2.6–0.5, ~1.0±0.1, ~0.7±0.1 ka), Hamtah (~0.2±0.1 ka), Kulti (~0.6–0.4 ka), Parkachik (~0.2–0.1 ka), and Bhagirathi (~2.4–1.9, ~1.7–0.5, ~0.5–0.1 ka) valleys. Furthermore, four hundred and sixty published Be-10 ages are compiled to reconstruct regional stages in the 73 glaciated valleys across the whole orogen to evaluate these new local glacial stages and to help understand the pattern of Holocene glaciation over the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. The regional stages, stated here as the Himalayan-Tibetan Holocene stages (HTHs), indicate at least one late glacial (~15.3–11.8 ka) and five Holocene (~11.5–9.5, ~8.8–7.7, ~7.0–3.2, ~2.3–1.0, and <1 ka) glacier advances. Additional two Mid-Holocene substages or Himalayan Holocene stages (HHs: ~6.9–4.3 and ~4.5–2.8 ka) are defined for the NW Himalaya where ~40% of the total 80 valleys are studied for detailed glacial chronostratigraphies. Paleoglacier maps are also d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lewis Owen Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Richard Beck Ph.D. (Committee Member); Craig Dietsch Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dylan Ward Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geomorphology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Medicine: Genetic Counseling

Introduction: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is the most common connective tissue condition and individuals with the condition experience systemic effects. Although it is a common condition, there is no known genetic etiology for hEDS. Therefore, there is no molecular based diagnosis or treatment. Based on clinical observation, we speculate that the inability to identify a molecular pathogenesis may be due to the incorrect assumed autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. To investigate the inheritance pattern in a larger study, we first had to develop and validate a survey tool to adequately capture family history data. Methods: We developed and validated a survey for estimating diagnosis status of hEDS. Surveys included photographs and questions capturing the criteria for the 2017 International Classification for hEDS. We compared our survey tool estimates to retrospective clinical diagnoses by medical record review. Results: Our survey-estimated Beighton scores were consistent with clinical scoring, generally being 1-point lower. The features that were best predictors of hEDS were 2017 Classification Criterion 1 and Criterion 2 Feature C. Specifically, chronic pain and a positive 5-point questionnaire were more likely for participants with hEDS. Overall, our survey correctly classified 85% (22/26) of participants. Discussion: With the appropriate age and sex related Beighton score modifications, our survey tool could be used as a screening tool for hEDS for completing quantitative research about the inheritance of hEDS.

Committee: Derek Neilson M.D. (Committee Chair); Lisa Berry M.S (Committee Member); Jodie Johnson M.S. C.G.C. (Committee Member); Lisa Martin Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1974, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Chemistry

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1973, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Molecular Genetics

Successful mitosis involves coordinating chromosome segregation with accurate partitioning of other nuclear constituents including Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs) and the nucleolus. In addition to conventional nuclear transport roles, some NPC proteins locate to mitotic structures and perform mitotic roles. Nup2 is a conserved NPC protein that uniquely transitions onto chromatin during mitosis in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and vertebrates with unknown functional significance. Nup2 is essential and its deletion causes mitotic defects and activation of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) response leading to the hypothesis that it performs conserved mitotic chromatin-associated functions. Using tethers for Nup2 at the mitotic NE and a version of Nup2 that disperses from nuclei during early mitosis, we show that its tight chromatin association is not critical until metaphase. However, we propose that this association becomes important during anaphase and telophase when NPCs and chromosomes are segregated to daughter nuclei. Without Nup2, some NPCs become cytoplasmic during mitotic exit, resulting in the inheritance of fewer NPCs by daughter nuclei. The NPC structure is compromised as revealed by the defective nuclear accumulation of the nuclear basket proteins Mad1, Mad2 and Mlp1 in G1. In addition, Nup2 affects the G1 nuclear localization of nuclear proteins in a differential manner. Interestingly, these transport functions of Nup2 are independent of its importin a and RanGTP binding domains that perform conserved transport functions in yeast and vertebrates. Together, we have discovered novel mitotic chromatin-associated roles for Nup2 during mitotic exit to ensure robust NPC segregation to daughter nuclei. By having a chromatin-associated NPC protein drive NPC partitioning, cells couple nuclear pore inheritance to chromatin inheritance to ensure proper nuclear transport and cell cycle progression.

Committee: Stephen Osmani Dr. (Advisor); Harold Fisk Dr. (Committee Member); Keith Slotkin Dr. (Committee Member); Robin Wharton Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biochemistry; Biology; Cellular Biology; Genetics; Molecular Biology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2015, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Available U–Pb age data for the Cornubian Batholith of SW England is based almost entirely on monazite and xenotime, and very little zircon U–Pb age data has been published. As a result, no zircon inheritance data are available for the batholith, by which the nature of the unexposed basement of the Rhenohercynian Zone in SW England might be constrained. Zircon LA-ICPMS data for the Cornubian Batholith provides Concordia ages (Bodmin Moor granite: 316 ± 4 Ma, Carnmenellis granite: 313 ± 3 Ma, Dartmoor granite: ~310 Ma, St. Austell granite: 305 ± 5 Ma, and Land's End granite: 300 ± 5 Ma) that are consistently 20-30 Ma older than previously published emplacement ages for the batholith and unrealistic in terms of geologic relative age relationships. Several of the batholith's granite plutons contain a component of late-Devonian inheritance that may record rift-related, lower crustal melting or arc-related magmatism associated with subduction of the Rheic Ocean. In addition, the older granites likely contain Mesoproterozoic inheritance, although the highly discordant nature of the Mesoproterozoic ages precludes their use in assigning an affinity to the Rhenohercynian basement in SW England. Submitted for publication in Tectonophysics as “Neace, E.R., Nance, R.D., Murphy, J.B., Lancaster, P., Shail, R.K. (2016). Zircon LA-ICPMS geochronology of the Cornubian Batholith, SW England.”

Committee: Richard Nance (Advisor); Craig Grimes (Committee Member); Douglas Green (Committee Member) Subjects: Geological; Geology

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2014, History (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis contributes to the historiography by locating active women of medieval Spain in sources that reveal the reality of women's actions as opposed to their ideal behavior. Evidence for women's activities comes from charters—legal documents that recorded property transfers—from various religious institutions in thirteenth-century Burgos, the historic capital of the Christian kingdom of Castile. Women participated in 60% of transactions. Empowering factors included connections to urban oligarchs, dense social networks, collective enterprise, and generous inheritances. Women were not inherently disenfranchised as property owners by virtue of sex, though their absence in the roles of witness and guarantor indicates efforts to exclude women from public space. Nonetheless, the valorization of private law and the commitment to patrimonial rights worked in women's favor to counteract (in part) the legal disabilities they faced on account of perceived feminine weaknesses. Socioeconomic status more greatly affected one's economic opportunities than did gender.

Committee: Miriam Shadis (Advisor); Michele Clouse (Committee Member); Katherine Jellison (Committee Member) Subjects: History; Medieval History; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2002, Statistics

Modeling the underlying genetic mechanisms is an important component in mapping genes involved in the etiology of complex genetic traits. Many common and chronic human diseases, such as some forms of cancer, diabetes and asthma, are complex traits involving multiple genes, environmental risk factors, and possibly their interactions. It is vital in modeling such traits to incorporate data from genetic markers (genetic material of known chromosomal positions) to improve accuracy in parameter estimation. Furthermore, as a first step totackle the complexity, it is natural to consider two-locus disease models. It is also advantageous to use a reproductively isolated founder population, where homogeneities in genetic material and environmental exposure eliminate problems caused by admixture populations. However, pedigrees from such a population are often very large and complex, with many inbreedings among related individuals. The common practice of breaking such pedigrees into smaller, simpler pieces in genetic analyses will lose much information. First, the degree of information gain from the incorporation of marker data in estimating disease model parameters was evaluated, to warrant the extra effort exerted on such incorporation. We show that substantial variance reductions are achieved as a result of the incorporation, and the reductions are greater with more polymorphic marker(s) and larger pedigrees. We also present a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to the two-locus modeling of complex traits in large complex pedigrees and with incorporation of marker data. As an example, a 1,544-member Hutterite pedigree for studying asthma is analyzed as a whole with incorporation of marker data. Good results are obtained. In the application, as is the case in general when analyzing large complex pedigrees, a particularly difficult aspect is the availability of starting points for the Markov chains. We have developed a generalization of Lin's companion chain approach to (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Shili Lin (Advisor) Subjects: Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2011, Curriculum and Instruction Social Studies Education (Education)

Ghanaians are still looking forward to enacting a law on inheritance and succession, though many attempts have been made since 1884. Policy-makers and academics who try to address the problem are divided, with many of them showing their personal biases. For example, Appiah (1992) questioned the rationale behind the Akan customary practice that deprives sons and daughters of a deceased the right to enjoy a fair share of their fathers' estate. Nzegwu (2001) reacted that Appiah (1992) ignored the matrilineal implication of the Asante and underwrote a neocolonial Africanist career by privileging a particular conception of family. Awusabo-Asare (1990) contended that the Intestate Succession Law of Ghana had created problems for people in matrilineal societies because it contravened some principles about the matrilineal system of inheritance. In this dissertation, I adopted functionalism and postcolonialism as theoretical frameworks and used qualitative research design, specifically, critical ethnography to examine the problems associated with inheritance systems of the matrilineal Fantse-speaking Akan. I selected five settlements in the Central Region of Ghana for observation, and conducted in-depth interview with 32 participants made up of five chiefs, two queen mothers, 10 clan heads, 10 widows and five widowers. The study sought answers for the following research questions: - What is the nature of the social organizations of the Fantse? - What are the rights and obligations that these social institutions confer on their members? - What are the changes that have taken place in the family systems of the Fantse? - What is the influence of national laws on the Fantse family systems and their customary practices? I concluded that among the Fantse, the social systems are woven around the lineage and clan with rights and responsibilities molded in dual roles to the conjugal and composite families and the clan or lineage. It also emerged that changes have occurred in f (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Francis Godwyll PhD (Committee Chair); Ron Stephens PhD (Committee Member); Steve Howard PhD (Committee Member); Jerry Johnson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Ethnic Studies; Families and Family Life; Gender Studies; Legal Studies; Multicultural Education; Social Structure; Social Studies Education; Sociology; Sub Saharan Africa Studies