Journal of Mason Graduate Research

Where the Guns Are Aimed on Election Day

Graham Scott — 2019-09-11

Scholars have long debated whether militant or terrorist groups reduce or end armed violence upon entering elections. This paper pivots the debate toward whether groups change the character of violence upon entering elections; specifically, whether groups reduce indiscriminate violence. Using a typology of possible relationships between political parties and militant groups, I hypothesize that those groups with more direct and public ties with political parties will have lower civilian casualty rates. I test the hypothesis by studying the Republican and Loyalist armed groups active during the Troubles of Northern Ireland. While the quantitative data partially supports the hypothesis, qualitative findings lend new insight into the complex relationship between political parties and militant groups.

Hearing Diverse Voices in Well-Being Research: A Call for Qualitative Methodologies

Laura Buckwald — 2019-09-23

Research in the field of human well-being currently relies heavily on quantitative methodologies. In comparison, research on resilience has made considerable use of mixed methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, which has resulted in the complexities and nuances of resilience are better understood. Drawing from this example, I argue that greater use of qualitative methodologies would provide a richer understanding of well-being and the causes of human flourishing. Pilot research using qualitative methodologies provides support for this argument and reveals several aspects of adult well-being which have not been well explored. Additional use of qualitative methods would likely provide a deeper understanding of the context in which well-being factors operate in people's lives. In addition, there is a lack of diversity in the cadre of well-being researchers and research participant pools, leaving segments of the population underserved. As well-being research is increasingly being used by leaders in the business and policy making arenas, several recommendations are made to improve the understanding of the complexities and nuances of well-being and to increase the utility of this research in order to promote public policies of greater benefit to our society and the world.

Social Justice and International Educational Policy in Chad

Gia Cromer — 2019-09-23

This paper addresses considerations for social justice in education through a multi- discipline perspective. By combining theories from education policy, political science, and development, I argue for greater national level involvement in education policy using the context of the Republic of Chad as an example. Based on Chad’s inherited, as well as present, education and government situation, changing the current implementation practices for education development will likely increase long term success in the adoption of new education policies and in building democratic governance capabilities. In addition, this article offers the terms non-economically self-determining countries and economically self- determining countries as useful considerations for policy change and as contributions to the theoretical understanding of education policy development.

Pushing the Boundaries of Research

Jennifer Lebron — 2019-09-11