Accepted

First and foremost, I would like to express my most sincere thanks and deepest gratitude to Dr. Yung-Mei Tsai. No single person, experience, or discipline has taught me more about people, life, or academic knowledge than he who has served as my mentor for the past six years. I will always appreciate his insightful, humorous wisdom, as well as his patient, generous commitment. His personal and professional support has been and will continue to be a source of both pride and inspiration throughout my career and my life. Additionally, I would also like to thank those whose guidance and encouragement made this thesis possible. I am particularly grateful to Professor Daniel Benson of the Texas Tech Law School for his generosity, expertise, and enthusiasm. I thank the Department of Sociology for both the opportunity and experience represented by this thesis. I am also grateful to my friend and fellow colleague, Linda Kaye Larrabee, for her combined emotional, intellectual, and spiritual support. I would also like to express my gratitude to Katie Van Zandt for her friendship and generosity. Finally, I thank my family, especially my mother, Reta Smiddy Foreman, for their continuous love, support, and understanding