Catalog (Florida International University: 1988). [1990-1991]

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Annual financial report for the fiscal year 1990-1991

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The role of spirituality in transformative learning

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the role of spirituality in Mezirow's (1978, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003) 10-phase process of transformative learning. This study used Mezirow's transformative learning theory as its theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for 12 doctoral students and candidates who had a transformative learning experience and who identified themselves as being spiritual. Interview data were analyzed using inductive, deductive, and comparative analyses. Four themes emerged from the inductive analysis of the data: (a) the nature of spirituality, (b) the variety of emotions, (c) the influences of spirituality, and (d) the nature of personal changes. The theory's 10 phases were used as a guide in deductively analyzing data concerning the participants' experiences. The deductive analysis revealed that spirituality played a role in at least 7 of the 10 phases of transformative learning for each participant. Overall, from the participants' perspectives, the role of spirituality was that of a guide in influencing their cognition and behavior, and that of a supporter in influencing their emotions. The comparative analysis revealed that at least three of the four themes from the inductive analysis were reflected in each of the 10 phases of transformative learning used in the deductive analysis. Based on the findings from this study, the researcher proposed a modification of Mezirow's phases of transformative learning. An additional phase was identified: framing and naming the transformed perspective, and two phases were renamed. The findings from this study imply that given the importance of the role participants attributed to spirituality in their transformative learning in influencing their cognition, behavior, and emotions, the role of spirituality should be considered for inclusion in transformative learning theory. Recommendations for further research on the validation and replicability of the proposed modification to transformative learning theory are given.

Turkish-American relations in the post-Cold War era, 1990-2005

This study examines the contours of Turkish-American foreign relations in the post-Cold War era from 1990 to 2005. While providing an interpretive analysis, the study highlights elements of continuity and change and of convergence and divergence in the relationship between Ankara and Washington. Turkey’s encounter with its Kurdish problem at home intertwined with the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish authority in northern Iraq after the Gulf War that left a political vacuum in the region. The main argument of this dissertation is that the Kurdish question has been the central element in shaping and redefining the nature and scope of Turkish-American relations since 1991. This study finds that systemic factors primarily prevail in the early years of the post-Cold War Turkish-American relations, as had been the case during the Cold War era. However, the Turkish parliament’s rejection of the deployment of the U.S. troops in Turkey for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 could not be explained by the primacy of distribution of capabilities in the system. Instead, the role of identity, ideology, norms, and the socialization of agency through interaction and language must be considered. The Justice and Development Party’s ascension to power in 2002 magnified a wider transformation in domestic and foreign politics and reflected changes in Turkey’s own self-perception and the definition of its core interests towards the United States.

Annual financial report for the fiscal year 1989-1990

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