Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Church and state in Puerto Rico'

The bigmouth sleeper Gobiomorus dormitor is an eleotrid species found in southernFlorida and Texas, along the Atlantic coast of Central and South America, and theCaribbean Islands. This species is important in terms of recreational and consumptivefishing, and conservation. Bigmouth sleepers are harvested by anglers in parts of their range, while in Florida hydrological changes, habitat loss, and reduced waterquality have reduced the species? already small geographical distribution,necessitating conservation measures. There is a paucity of data regarding the biologyof bigmouth sleepers, but accurate knowledge of this species? ecology and behavioris crucial to effective conservation and management plans. Although bigmouth sleeperstypically inhabit lotic habitats, they have been found in four reservoirs in PuertoRico. In Carite Reservoir, abundance and size data indicate that habitat is suitablehabitat for bigmouth sleepers, and the presence of a diversity of size classes ofsleepers suggests that either in-reservoir reproduction or significant recruitmentto the reservoir from an outside source is occurring. This research was initiatedto evaluate the likelihood of each, and to learn more broadly about bigmouth sleeperecology. Population biology, diet, and reproduction of bigmouth sleepers in CariteReservoir were examined between 1999 and 2001. Many sizes of bigmouth sleepers werecollected during this study, ranging from 25 to 400 mm TL. The estimated totalpopulation size in 2000 and 2001 was 1,783 and 3,353 fish, respectively. Daily growthrate of tagged fish ranged from ?0.08 to 0.10 mm/day, and was negatively correlatedwith length of fish at marking. Diet of small bigmouth sleepers (50 ? 100 mm TL) mainlyconsisted of insects, whereas larger fish primarily preyed upon fish and freshwatercrabs. Sexual dimorphism of bigmouth sleepers was evident in the anatomy of theirurogenital papillae; these differences developed at sizes as small as 50 mm TL and persisted throughout the year. Reproduction was seasonal, with the highest gonadosomaticindicies occurring in May and June and the lowest in January and February. The smallestmature male observed was 159 mm TL, while the smallest mature female was 179 mm TL. Size frequency distributions of oocytes in female ovaries during the reproductiveseason typically fell into two size groups, a group of primary oocytes (< 0.20 mm)and one group of maturing oocytes (> 0.20 mm). The largest oocytes observed were 0.70mm from a 270-mm female. Fecundity was negatively correlated with date, suggestingbatch spawning. Fecundity was relatively high (mean = 140,836) and was positively correlated with female body weight. Results of this research not only provide managersand conservationists a better understanding of bigmouth sleepers in Puerto Rico reservoirs, but also contribute to the knowledge of this species? ecology throughoutits range.

Many species of plants that produce fleshy fruits depend on birds for seed dispersal, and many of the birds that disperse seeds rely on fruits for a substantial proportion of their diets. From an ecological and evolutionary standpoint, it is important to understand why frugivorous birds feed in the particular plants they do. Intrinsic plant characteristics (e.g., crop size) influence the foraging patterns of birds; however, these factors cannot be fully understood outside the context of the communities within which birds and plants find themselves. Here I report on spatial patterns of bird use of fruiting plants in central Puerto Rico and its relationship to plant distributions and fruit abundance. From Feb.-Jun. 1998 I quantified frugivorous bird visitation to fruiting trees of Schefflera morototoni in a secondary forest-shade coffee plantation mosaic. Visitation rate was positively related to crop size and negatively related to conspecific fruit abundance within 30 m of focal plants. The presence or abundance of heterospecific bird-consumed fruits had mixed relationships with visitation: four species were positively related to visitation; one was negatively related. The fruit neighborhood explained most variation in visitation to focal trees, suggesting that such variables might help explain the high variability seen in other fruiting plant frugivore systems. In order to evaluate spatial dependency in tree distributions, fruiting, and frugivory over a range of tree species and spatial scales, I mapped bird-consumed fruiting plants on a 4.05 ha study grid in secondary wet forest and monitored fruiting and frugivory from Aug.-Nov. 1999. I focused analyses on four tree species: Dendropanax arboreus, Guarea guidonia, Miconia serrulata, and Schefflera morototoni. All of these were intraspecifically aggregated at scales < 80 m, but differed markedly in degree of crowding experienced by individuals. G. guidonia was the most, and M. serrulata the least crowded. Distributions of visited trees and autocorrelation in the number of frugivory observations at trees suggested that individuals of some species (e.g., S. morototoni) facilitated visitation to one another at small spatial scales (< ~30 m). Frugivory was positively correlated with fruit abundance on trees for all species; spatial variation in fruit abundance appeared to have reduced, and in some cases outweighed (e.g., M. serrulata), facilitative benefits of visited neighbors. Evidence of facilitation was especially weak for G. guidonia and may have reflected its particularly high density in the study area. Consideration of interspecific tree distributions showed S. morototoni to be aggregated with M. serrulata at scales > 69 m, and G. guidonia to be aggregated with D. arboreus at scales < 5 m. All other pairs were randomly or regularly distributed with respect to one another. Spatial patterns of fruiting and frugivory of M. serrulata appeared linked to the distribution of fruiting S. morototoni. Spatial patterns of frugivory also overlapped for other species and generally suggested facilitation at larger scales. Interspecific interactions were probably strongest at larger scales because of shifts in the relative abundances of conspecifics and heterospecifics at those scales. These findings highlight the potentially large size of plant neighborhoods with respect to use by avian frugivores and the dependence of neighborhood effects on local plant densities and crop sizes. From the perspective of birds, spatial patterns of frugivory suggested birds closely tracked fruit abundance. I observed few agonistic interactions between birds and found little evidence of their negatively influencing one another?s use of fruiting trees. Similarity in spatial patterns of frugivory between bird species, and positive cross-correlation in frugivory of different species at patch boundaries, suggested birds may have assisted one another (via calling) in locating new foraging patches. This could explain mixed-species flock formation.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1995.
Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Douglas Sloan. Dissertation Committee: Joseph Lukinsky. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-262).

Problem No formal study that considers the influence of the family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture on the denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior of Adventist young people of Puerto Rico has previously been conducted. Therefore, pastors, parents, teachers, church leaders, and administrators have no data on which to base their assessment of the religiosity of Adventist young people.

Method This study used youth ages 14 to 21 from the youth sample of the Avance PR study conducted in 1995 in Adventist schools and churches in Puerto Rico. For the analysis, the sample was divided. When studying denominational loyalty, 704 baptized Adventist youth were used; when studying Christian commitment and religious behavior, 1,080 Adventist and non-Adventist youth were used.

Results The relationship between 34 family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture independent variables and three religiosity dependent variables (denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior) was studied. Twenty-eight of the 34 variables had a significant relationship with all three religiosity variables: 10 family variables, seven church variables, one school variable, two peers variables, two media variables, and six Adventist culture variables. The remaining six variables had a significant relationship with only one or two of the three religiosity variables. The strength of relationships between religiosity and 22 of the independent variables varied by gender, age, family status, years lived in United States, and number of times families moved in last five years.

The model predicting denominational loyalty showed that youth are more likely to have a strong denominational loyalty when parents enforce Sabbath standards, there is a thinking environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in church, there is a warm environment in church, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree with Adventist standards, and youth agree with Sabbath standards. The model predicting Christian commitment showed that youth are more likely to have a strong commitment to Christ when there is unity in their families, there is a thinking environment in the church, there is a warm environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in the church, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree with Sabbath standards, and youth comply with at-risk standards. The model predicting religious behavior showed that youth are more likely to have a strong religious behavior when the parents lead frequent family worships, there is a thinking environment in the church, quality sermons are preached in the church, youth's best friends are Adventist, youth's best friends are religious, youth agree on Adventist standards, and youth agree on Sabbath standards.

The variables that appeared in all models of religiosity of youth were the church's thinking environment, the church's sermon quality, youth's best friends religiosity, and youth's agreement on Sabbath's standards. Furthermore, the strongest predictor for denominational loyalty was the youth's agreement on SDA standards; the strongest predictor for Christian commitment was family unity; and the strongest predictor for religious behavior was the church's thinking environment.

Conclusions My conclusions based on this study conducted in Puerto Rico are consistent with conclusions of other researchers in the United States that family, church, school, peers, media, and Adventist culture factors are important predictors of youth's denominational loyalty, Christian commitment, and religious behavior. Adventist culture and church have the strongest influence on denominational loyalty. Family and church have the strongest influence on Christian commitment. Church and Adventist culture have the strongest influence on religious behavior. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

In November 2020, Puerto Rico, currently a territory of the United States, held a referendum and the majority voted to become a state of the United States of America. Statehood is decided by the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. For the 2020 Presidential Election, the Democratic Party platform expressed support for Puerto Rican statehood. Although the official stance on the Republican Party is to support whatever choice the electorate of Puerto Rico votes on in their referendum, many party leaders and members of the Republican Party have spoken out about their opposition to supporting the statehood of the territory. I will be investigating why these party leaders and general party members are against its statehood by looking at the Republican Party’s ideologically derived positions rooted in conservativism and the electoral incentive perspective to not have Puerto Rico as a state. How do leading Republican Party representatives justify their position against the addition of Puerto Rico as a U.S. state? How can the members of the Republican Party’s position on Puerto Rico statehood be understood by both party incentives and disincentives on expected electoral outcomes? It is noteworthy to look at what causes this paradox between the Republican Party’s official stance on Puerto Rican statehood and party leaders’ open opinions on the matter.

This work asserts that bureaucratic organization is not only an inevitable part of the modern administrative state, but that a high quality bureaucracy within a strongly empowered executive branch is an ideal mechanism for running government in the modern era. Beginning with a philosophical inquiry into the purpose of American government as we understand it today, this paper responds to criticisms of the role of expanded government and develops a framework for evaluating the quality of differing government structures. Following an evaluation of the current debate surrounding bureaucracies (from both proponents and critics), this thesis outlines the lessons and principles for structuring and managing an efficient bureaucracy. Finally, this paper concludes with two case studies – Puerto Rican bureaucratic failures and Japanese/Chinese national development – to consider the effects of compliance and non-compliance to the lessons outlined in this work. The inquiry finds that principles such as specialization, political autonomy, effective information systems, higher accountability standards, and managerial emphasis on policy implementation are all critical to superior bureaucratic governance.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1986.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94).

This dissertation examines local congregations in Puerto Rico to help articulate a theology of sustainable hope revealed through their outreach practices and ecclesiologies of public and political participation. Nurtured by qualitative research with six Christian congregations in Puerto Rico, the work moves from an articulation of context, hope, practice, and future to reveal its aim of liberation through sustainable hope. Puerto Rico’s continuous colonial history, and most recently its devastation during and after Hurricane María, heightened the socio-economic crisis that continues to hinder the hope of Puerto Ricans inside and outside the island. In this dissertation, I analyze the operations of political systems that suppress hope in Puerto Rico. I weave the theme of a theology of hope, with the fields of ecclesiology, memory studies, postcolonial and decolonial theory, liberation theology, and the study of social movements to build a model that puts hope at the center of our practices and moves toward a recipe for a hope that is sustainable in practice. Along with many other theologians and theorists, I converse with the work of theologians Rubem Alves and Ellen Ott Marshall. Alves shapes the definition of hope in this dissertation by challenging how society is organized and revealing how this organization oppresses imagination and people’s liberative agency. Marshall describes hope as elastic, making room for the expectation of a hopeful future that coexists in tension with the challenges of our daily lives. My writing is framed by an ecclesiological context; an articulation of a hope that does not remain static and responds to the challenges of colonialism, the erasure of memory, and oppression; and a liberation theology of creation. I present a way to articulate a hope that is able to sustain the people of Puerto Rico through their practices of hope.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1991.
Typescript. Abstract. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 242-250).

Yes
This paper explores the multidimensional effects of an external non-tariff measure (NTM) on maritime transportation between the United States (US) and Puerto Rico (PR) trades. In particular, this research addresses the vulnerability level of PR’s agrifood sector in relation to sustainability as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) highly influenced by a larger economy. Due to the high potential of climate changes in the Caribbean, this study reviewed the effects of a maritime cabotage policy on a SIDS agribusinesses’ logistic. Could a NTM affect the supply chain capabilities and the food security of a SIDS? What challenges and opportunities does the US Cabotage policy present for PR’s agricultural sector’s competitiveness? Based on mixing empirical analysis in an exploratory convergent design, the research categorizes the cabotage policy in relation to the effects on PR’s agrifood supply chain, its port infrastructure, and its native agribusinesses’ competitiveness. Results show the maritime cabotage itself is a constraint. However, the interactions with others NTMs, indirectly related to the cabotage but inherent to the political status and business relationship between PR and the US, add other limits. In addition, it revealed that internal factors have an impact on the efficiency and competitiveness of PR’s agro-industrial sector.