Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Anthropology

This is an ethnographic study of land privatization, tenure security, and food security in rural Burkina Faso. Tenure privatization across Africa involves the introduction of legal tenure systems and titling of customary tenure rights. Privatization is meant to provide subsistence farmers protection of any farm investments they may make. The United Nations and World Bank who are promoting tenure privatization as a poverty reduction strategy make three assumptions: (1) privatization policies will be implemented as intended; (2) customary tenure systems are tenure insecure but legal land titles are secure; and (3) greater tenure security will improve food security. The dissertation examines these assumptions. In a study of three agrarian villages in southwest Burkina Faso, I pursued three questions: (1) How do village property relations shape privatization processes and outcomes? (2) What explains the variation in household tenure security and are legal property rights more secure than customary property rights? (3) Does tenure security improve food security? To answer these questions, I collected three data sets: (1) key informant interview data to assess the impacts of privatization on property relations and perceptions of tenure security; (2) interview and survey data on household property rights to measure tenure security; and (3) interview and survey data on household food access to measure food security. The results underscored the importance of village tenure relations and household economic capital in tenure and food security. First, while state privatization policies changed village tenure relations, it was the village chiefs that continued to be the authority that legitimized tenure rights and controlled privatization processes. Second, food insecure households reported not having the economic capital to purchase fertilizer, to rent soil tillers, or to hire laborers in order to produce a surplus. At the same time, tenure insecure households report (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Moritz (Advisor); Barbara Piperata (Committee Member); Anna Willow (Committee Member); Nick Kawa (Committee Member) Subjects: African Studies; Cultural Anthropology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Engineering : Computer Engineering

The abundance of difficult combinatorial optimization problems in practical settings such as telecommunications, financial planning and VLSI design automation has motivated the development of powerful optimization techniques. Simulated Annealing, Genetic algorithms, Network Flow and other heuristics have long been explored for solvingthese problems. During the recent years, miniaturization of the chip sizes and increasing densities of logic have posed a continuous design-related challenge to the VLSI design automation community. Promising results have been reported from the application of Tabu Search algorithm to VLSI circuit partitioning, floorplanning, placement and routing. Tabu Search leverages the ability to store solutions already visited and to make strategic solutions on the basis of the stored information for achieving optimal solutions. This thesis presents a quantitative analysis of the various parameters of Tabu Search. In particular, we look at the techniques of moving out of the current search space called diversification methodologies and strategies for determining the best solution in the current search space called intensification methodologies. This is achieved by applying a tabu tenure on the moves, thus forbidding execution of certain moves for some iterations. In addition, we generate a candidate list of moves for selecting moves for future executions. Our approach makes use of a Tabu Search-based Force Directed placement technique. We perform physical placements of VLSI circuits on a two-dimensional array. In the first step, the circuit cells are placed randomly and their respective tendencies to move in all the four directions are computed. This is followed by selection of the moves for swap on the basis of candidate list implementations. Intensification and diversification phases are repeated alternately. An optimized ratio of the number of iterations of intensification and diversification phases ensures good quality solutions with low proces (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Karen C. Davis (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

Among the top reasons public school superintendents leave their positions is the poor relationships and conflicts with board members, and union representatives (Grissom & Mitani, 2016). The national average of superintendent tenure is less than four years resulting in K-12 leadership instability, at all levels of the school and district office (Chingos et al., 2014; Grissom & Andersen, 2012; Grissom & Mitani, 2016; Yee & Cuban, 1996). This qualitative, grounded theory research study explores conflict management practices in the relationship using three constructs: communication, shared decision making and trust. Research studies have been conducted that address the characteristics of effective superintendents and school boards; however, the need to study how superintendents and boards establish relationships has never been greater. The significance of conducting this research study exploring conflict management practices with a specific focus on communication, shared decision making, and trust may serve as a foundation for school districts seeking to improve school governance and extend superintendent tenure. The findings may assist others in gaining a deeper understanding of the power dynamics that operate within these relationships and how the power can be leveraged to achieve positive outcomes for students.

Committee: Valerie Storey (Committee Chair); Eliot Jackson (Committee Member); Bora Pajo (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

Access to farmland remains a crucial concern for countries' agricultural sector. My three essays examine the impacts of farmland ownership regulations, tenure insecurity, and investment behaviors in the farmland market on this access. I aim to understand the implications of the idea, which exists in many countries, both developed and developing, that farmland should be owned by those who farm it. In South Korea, this is manifest as the "Land to the Tillers" principle, which serves as the cornerstone of Korea's farmland system. Guided by this principle, the Korean agricultural sector operates with strict regulations prohibiting farmland ownership by non-operators. Implementation of these regulations, however, is hampered by the practical realities of a modern agricultural economy. The first two chapters directly address the consequences of these regulations, while the last chapter investigates the ways changing investment behaviors affect the farmland market in Iowa, USA. Together, these chapters examine multiple facets of non-operator ownership, offering valuable insights into current and proposed farmland policies.

Committee: Margaret Jodlowski (Advisor); Seungki Lee (Committee Member); Brian Roe (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Economics

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

This research study seeks to understand interested parties' perspectives on Cameroon's existing land tenure systems, the 1974 land law, and ongoing efforts to reform this land law. It identifies both concerns and specific recommendations from these parties on the formulation and implementation of future reforms. In the decades following the achievement of independence from European colonizers, most governments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have adopted new national land tenure policies to meet their countries' needs and aspirations. In some parts of SSA, however, this process of land tenure formalization has negatively impacted the land rights of people observing customary land tenure. This has been a result of government interventions such as compulsory land acquisitions, which while technically legal, are ethically questionable. In the face of this challenge, efforts to reform post-colonial land laws have become a matter of urgency. A national land reform process for Cameroon, announced in 2011 has adopted a multistakeholder approach. My study seeks to understand interested parties' perspectives on Cameroon's existing land tenure systems, the 1974 land law, and ongoing efforts to reform the land law. This study applied a case study methodological approach and a convergent mixed-method design. Evidence from this study shows that interested parties in Cameroon are in agreement on 1) the reform of the 1974 land law, 2) the recognition of customary land tenure, 3) the continued use of multistakeholder participation in land law reform, and 4) the promulgation of the new land law through mass sensitization and information dissemination.

Committee: Jason Rhoades PhD (Committee Chair); James Gruber PhD (Committee Member); Camilla Toulmin PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Studies; Environmental Studies; International Relations; Land Use Planning; Public Policy

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2023, Honors Theses

It is crucial to analyze the relationship between formal institutions and the informal sector to gain a better understanding of the challenges that certain informal industries face. Given the wide-ranging nature of the informal economy, this paper will focus on the food sector, specifically street food vending in three Colombian cities–Barranquilla, Bogota, and Medellin–which has garnered considerable social and cultural significance over time. This paper will employ a political economy research approach. A surveying method will be the primary source of data collection. Insights obtained from first-person accounts provide invaluable information regarding the reality of the challenges that small-scale informal vendors face. This study posits that the majority of the businesses surveyed surpass the upper-middle income economy poverty line and minimum wage. The majority of businesses responded that they have attained education up to the secondary level. Additionally, the tenure exhibited spans from 8 years of age to someone who has been informally operating for a period as short as 5 months. The study highlights that women in the informal sector face higher financial barriers, especially in regard to the low supply of microcredits. Finally, the data suggest that males are more likely to become formally recognized businesses compared to females, although both genders present a high disposition toward formalization. This exploratory research may furnish policymakers with pertinent information on how to introduce incentives to expand the economic activities of the informal food sector while improving the transition process from informality to formality.

Committee: Kenneth Fah (Advisor); Michael Dougherty (Committee Member); Douglas Ruml (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Cultural Anthropology; Demography; Economic Theory; Economics; Political Science; Public Policy; Social Structure; Statistics; Urban Planning

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2021, Education

The average tenure of a school superintendent is only around three years (Chingos et al., 2014; Grissom & Andersen, 2012; Yee & Cuban, 1996). This study examined key factors that potentially influenced longevity in Ohio's public school superintendents. Three areas were examined in this quantitative study for possible influence on the tenure of the superintendent: the characteristics of the superintendent, the career trajectories of the superintendents, and the characteristics of the school districts in which they served. Current research studies on educational leadership and school principals are numerous but research on school superintendents is scant. Data were gathered from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) between the years 2008-2020 and revealed 1,523 superintendent tenures during this time. Multiple regression analysis and a Pearson correlation were utilized to uncover the relationships between superintendent and district characteristics and the superintendent's tenure on the job. Recommendations and analysis were given based on the findings from this study.

Committee: Nicole Williams Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jon Brasfield Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Gillham Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; School Administration

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2019, Higher Education

African American faculty at predominantly White institutions face a conundrum. African American students experience an achievement gap and Student Involvement Theory suggests that faculty interaction has greater impact on student achievement than any other type of involvement. These faculty may feel an obligation to serve such students yet simultaneously feel disincentivized to do so in order to satisfy tenure requirements, which typically do not prioritize service. This study sought to discover how these faculty perceive this challenge within the context of campus racial climate. Campus Racial Climate was the conceptual framework and Critical Race Theory was the theoretical framework employed in this study. Information was collected by analyzing institutional documents, interviewing faculty, and conducting member-checking to verify accuracy. Three themes regarding faculty perceptions about student-faculty interaction emerged: Faculty Experiences, Student Rapport, and Institutional Milieu. This study also arrived at four key conclusions. First, homophily (gravitation toward those who share important social characteristics) influenced perceptions of student-faculty interaction more than campus racial climate. Negative campus racial climates have been noted to motivate African American student-faculty interaction and were believed to be a primary impetus for it. However, this study revealed that the motivation for such interaction exists whether the climate is positive or negative. Homophily, was perceived as having a constant and direct influence on views about student-faculty interaction while campus racial climate was regarded as having a contextual and indirect influence on the same. Second, campus racial climate did not directly influence views about African American student-faculty interaction. However, campus environment (without respect to race) and race (without respect to campus environment) did influence perceptions. Third, the ques (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Penny Poplin Gosetti Ph.D. (Advisor); Shanda Gore Ed.D. (Committee Member); Kevin Jordan Ed.D. (Committee Member); Ronald Opp Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Higher Education

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Urban Educational Leadership

This leadership portrait using qualitative methods exposes one female superintendent's perception of practices and characteristics that led to her 23-year tenure in one district, exceeding the national average of 3.5 years. Leadership qualities and practices are explored and compared related to student success and superintendent responsibilities. This portrait explores gender differences and their possible impact on leadership and tenure of this superintendent. Portraits are framed by her life experiences, social constructs, roles, relationships, and perception of equity, and power. Organizational theory was used to present the complexities of organizational systems, roles, and interactions within. Leadership theory was examined as it relates to transformational, intentional, and relational leadership. Archival data and semi structured interviews were used. Themes included factors related to the leadership qualities of intentionality, reflective practice, building capacity, communication, relationships, and her perceived impact of gender on her role as superintendent. The study provided significance in two ways: a deeper understanding of portraiture methodology; perspective of a long-tenured female superintendent and elements of her practice that may have led to her successful twenty-three-year tenure. These elements include specific processes and procedures used during her tenure that she perceived to have had a positive impact on her successful long tenure.

Committee: Stephen Kroeger Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Mary Boat Ph.D. (Committee Member); Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: School Administration

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2019, Geography

Over the past decade, International Land Acquisitions (ILAs) increasingly occurred in Africa. This is largely connected with developing countries there adopting more neoliberal policies favoring foreign investors. This is the case in Uganda, where, in 2001, German multinational corporation Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) established Kaweri Coffee Plantation in the community of Mubende. Although the goal of Kaweri was to create a sustainable coffee plantation and increase the area's development, community members' allegations of evictions stemming from the establishment of Kaweri create conflict between NKG and the community. The purpose of this research therefore seeks to answer the following questions: First, how do opponents and supporters of Kaweri discursively frame their competing positions regarding the coffee plantation's impact on Mubende? Second, what lessons regarding ILAs in Uganda (and elsewhere) are learned from interrogating these discursive strategies surrounding the Kaweri controversy? With these questions in mind, this thesis uses qualitative research methods and discourse analysis to interrogate the Kaweri controversy. Results indicate that opposition narratives deploy a human rights violation framework to question the legitimacy of Kaweri while supporting narratives extol the Ugandan government's support of the plantation's development initiatives. Results also indicate that due to Uganda's complicated and overlapping land tenure systems, it is probable that cases like Kaweri will emerge for the foreseeable future. This is especially the case as ILAs like Kaweri are increasingly facilitated by neoliberal policies and increased foreign investments embraced by the state.

Committee: Harold Perkins (Advisor) Subjects: Geography

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Urban Educational Leadership

This dissertation is a qualitative portraiture study that explores othermothering with Black women faculty who are employed at predominantly white institutions. This study also examines the central tensions and impact of othermothering on obtaining promotion and tenure. The researcher used the portraiture method, which embraces traditional qualitative data sources, such as interviews, observations and researcher's field notes to co-construct portrait narratives. The analytic framework and process were guided by Black Feminist Thought and a dimension of The Listening Guide, allowing the study to add to the limited research base concerning Black women faculty and othermothering at predominantly white institutions. The findings of this study reveal the following themes of othermothering: othermothering as support, the cost of othermothering, othermothering as survival and othermothering as legacy building. This study sheds light on the multiple dimensions of othermothering in the lives of Black female professors. Additionally, it illuminates the ways in which this essential work is under-recognized and under-acknowledged in the service requirement of the reappointment, promotion, and tenure process for Black women faculty.

Committee: Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Vanessa Allen-Brown Ph.D. (Committee Member); Littisha Bates Ph.D. (Committee Member); Roger Collins Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The purpose of the current study was to identify the experiences of female faculty who earned tenure in counselor education and supervision while raising at least one child under 12 years of age. A phenomenological approach was selected. Eight females who were mothers and had earned tenure in the past 3 years in counselor education and supervision were interviewed. The design of the investigation utilized a resilience framework. Resilience as the framework for the study allowed for positive experiences to be shared. Participants' shared barriers were examined to identify what pieces of resilience were present in their earning tenure while raising a child. The results of data analysis suggest that social support, positive attitudes, and enjoyment of their job contributed to female counselor educators' success in earning tenure while raising at least one young child. The following themes were identified: (a) experiences and perception of earning tenure differs between both mothers and non-mothers, but also between males and females and (b) having children while earning tenure in counselor education was a positive experience.

Committee: Cynthia Osborn Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Cassandra Storlie Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Counseling Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2018, Education

African Americans make up approximately 6% of full-times faculty members within higher education compared to the student body of African American students being 15.3% of the student population (U.S. Department of Education, 2014; U.S. Department of Education, 2015). This phenomenological research is focused on the positive motivational factors of current African American tenure-track and tenured faculty members at private predominately White Institutions within the Midwest and the potential impact they have on African American students. Limited research has been conducted on this topic with much of the research being narratives of the struggles that African Americans have experienced while obtaining their doctoral degrees and the difficulties that faculty members face during the tenure process. This qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with four African American tenure-track and tenured female faculty members at private predominately White institutions in the Midwest. Findings were analyzed using Critical Race Theory and included themes consisting of motivation, interest convergence, marginalization, and impact. Recommendations were given from a critical perspective and based on the findings of this study.

Committee: Nicole Williams (Committee Chair); Amanda Ochsner (Committee Member); John Gillham (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Black Studies; Education; Higher Education; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1981, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1979, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1967, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: History

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1953, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: History

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2016, Geography

A dominant narrative of rangeland degradation in western China is that degradation is caused by overstocking and poor land use practices. Consequently, the state has designed and implemented a series of grassland policies (e.g., privatizing common grazing land, depopulating livestock, and relocating herders) in pastoral regions of China. Although the government sees communal rangeland management as inefficient and unsustainable, collective rangeland management persists. Using Machu County in Gansu Province as a case study, I examined the differences between de jure and de facto land tenure on eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study employed semi-structured interviews and extensive participant observation with 43 Amdo Tibetan herders in Machu County, Gansu province, Western China. I also triangulated the first-hand empirical data with the secondary data I obtained from Bureau of Poverty Alleviation and Bureau of Animal Husbandry in Machu. Research findings show that instead of herding individually and maximizing the economic benefit, the majority of herders are pooling resources communally in kin-based encampments in order to avoid risks. Because of the spatio-temporal variation of precipitation, certain encampments perceive themselves more vulnerable to water shortage and topography-related hazards. Renting pastures and seeking alternative livelihoods then become the key strategies for herders to restore mobility and flexibility.

Committee: Stanley Toops (Advisor); Kimberly Medley (Committee Member); Roxanne Ornelas (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, City and Regional Planning

Plans developed as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the Mississippi Renewal Forum, including the de facto nullified SmartCode, three vacated SmartCode Community Plans, and two tabled and non-adopted Comprehensive Plans failed. Further indicated by a gap between Plan vision and on-the-ground results, other authors and scholars point to the process of Plan implementation as the key to this failure. Despite this observation, a case study of implementation does not exist. Also, few academic case studies that explore the implementation of Plans exist. To explore `Why Plans Fail' this dissertation employs a Case Study approach, rooted in Grounded Theory Methodology and the Constant Comparative method. Five methods of analysis include two forms of Plan evaluation, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and a new exploratory method of Tenure Analysis. Findings derived from analysis explore the roles of implementation experience, expectations, and externalities in Plan and policy failure. The research concludes by arguing for further case studies, a careful rethinking of how the American Planning Association approaches their advocate role, and that Planners should stop treating implementation like the `black box' of the Planning and Plan-Making process.

Committee: Jennifer Evans-Cowley (Advisor); Rachel Kleit (Committee Member); Bernadette Hanlon (Committee Member); Greenberger David (Other) Subjects: Area Planning and Development; Design; Land Use Planning; Political Science; Public Administration; Public Policy; Urban Planning