Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Bystander Intervention: Surveying Students’ Relationship To Sexual Misconduct, Emma G. Padrick

Student Publications

Bystander intervention education programs have become increasingly popular as a tool for the primary prevention of sexual violence at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Emerging research surrounding bystander intervention on college campuses reveals promising results, yet there is limited extant research exploring how students perceive bystander intervention as a tool to protect themselves and their peers. Students over the age of 18 at a small, private, liberal arts IHE in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States with approximately 2,600 students were surveyed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to bystander intervention. Students demonstrated a willingness to intervene and …

Clash Of Totalitarian Titans: Nazi Germany, The Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, And The Racial And Ideological War Of Annihilation On The Eastern Front, John M. Zak

Student Publications

The eastern front in the Second World War was one of unparalleled ferocity and brutality unseen on any other front during civilization’s largest and most destructive war. This work contends that in order to understand how the eastern front was such can only be understood through the lens of Nazi ideology and its long-terms goals for Lebensraum and the Greater Germany it sought to secure. The role of Nazi racial ideology and its belief in the inherent racial inferiority of the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, along with totalitarian ideology viewing Soviet Communism as Nazism’s chief …

Public Safety Agencies And Uav Technology: A Review Of Uses, Lacey L. Weynand

Student Publications

This study utilizes a systematic review of some of the scholarly literature available on drone usage within Southern California, specifically in Los Angeles and Chula Vista. I ask: how do public safety agencies use drone technology? The review will cover cases from existing scholarly literature, as well as policy reports and books from the Google Scholar database. A systematic review was the best methodology to begin fully investigating my research question, since the scope could have been so large that individual data points would have been difficult to find and instead requires a macro-level review. This data will provide a …

Nguyễn An Ninh’S Anti-Colonial Thought: A New Account Of National Shame, Kevin D. Pham

Political Science Faculty Publications

A source of national shame can be the perception that one’s nation is intellectually inferior to other nations. This kind of national shame can lead not to despair but to a sense of national responsibility to engage in creative self-renewal and to create national identity from scratch. An exemplar of someone who recognized and engaged with this kind of national shame is Nguyễn An Ninh (1900–1943), an influential Vietnamese anti-colonial intellectual in French colonial Vietnam. Ninh’s account of national shame challenges existing assumptions in political theory, namely that national identity requires national pride, that national shame comes from bad actions …

Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff

Student Publications

Environmental regulation is often viewed as conflicting with economic needs. This paper examines under what personal and contextual economic conditions individuals support increased environmental protection efforts. Data from the 2017 World Values Survey is analyzed to determine the probability that an individual will prioritize environmental protection over economic growth at varying levels of household income with a comparison between the context of an economically secure country and an economically insecure country. The results indicate that, across all income levels, individuals in economically secure countries are more likely to prioritize the environment than those in economically insecure countries. In a comparison …

Along Ideological Lines: Examining Support For Black Lives Matter, Caden E. Giordano

Student Publications

In this paper, support for the Black Lives Matter is examined through different identity frames: feminism, support for the LGBTQ+ community, and who the respondent voted for in 2016. An interaction variable was created to see how race influenced these categories. For example, whether a white feminist might support Black Lives Matter more or less than a Black feminist or a white non-feminist. Race is the main determinant of support for Black Lives Matter.

African Americans Accused Of “Acting White”: The Impacts On Their Selves And Identities, Brett S. Anderson

Student Publications

A majority of the research on the accusation of acting white focuses on whether it is responsible for creating the wide achievement gap between white and Black people in America (Tyson, Darity, and Castellino 2005). However, there is little research that has looked into the potentially damaging effects that this accusation can have on the selves and identities of Black students. Through the analysis of classical and contemporary sociological theories and studies, it is determined that African Americans’ selves and identities are negatively impacted when they are accused of “acting white.” The suggested impacts are negative social reflection and the …

Examining The Influence Of Cosmetics On Jury Decisions., Carlota Batres, Richard Russell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Many studies have examined how defendant characteristics influence jury decisions, but none have investigated the effect of cosmetics. We therefore examined how cosmetics influence jury decisions for young and middle-aged female defendants. In Study 1, participants were more likely to assign guilty verdicts to middle-aged defendants than young defendants and when presented with cosmetics, male participants gave young defendants longer sentences and middle-aged defendants shorter sentences. In Study 2, however, we did not replicate the age or the cosmetics effects on jury sentences, suggesting that comparisons between defendants may have influenced jury decisions in Study 1. Further work is thus …

Law's Racism: The Perpetuation Of Settler Colonialism In Ktunaxa V. British Columbia, Christian J. Zukowski

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

In considering the nexus between law, religion, and settler colonialism I consider a case in which an Indigenous freedom of religion claim under section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was ruled by the majority of Supreme Court of Canada as not being a valid freedom of religion claim. In examining this decision, I will construct an analytical framework by which I will examine the decision in a way that considers the legal system in which it occurs, that legal system’s culture, and the relevance of land in this case. Using this analytical framework, I will tease …

Economies Of Security: Foucault And The Genealogy Of Neoliberal Reason, Marshall Scheider

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

Michel Foucault is well-known for his theorizations of institutional power, normativity, and biopolitics. Less well-known is the fact that Foucault developed his analysis of biopolitics in and through his historical investigation of neoliberalism. Today, while critique of neoliberalism has become a commonplace of humanities discourse, and popular resistance to neoliberalization rocks the southern hemisphere, it remains unclear that the historical specificity of neoliberalism is well-understood. In particular, the relation between classical liberalism and neoliberal governance remains murky in popular debate. As Foucault powerfully illustrates, this relation is far from clear-cut, and neoliberalism is not reducible to a simple extension of …

An Applied And Public Anthropology Of Refugee Resettlement In Europe: A Call To Action, Dylan T. O'Neil

Student Publications

This essay engages with the growing reality of refugee resettlement, specifically in Europe, and aims to find roles for anthropology in this field. By drawing on the ideas of applied and public anthropology along with the long history of anthropological studies of migration, I intend to call the field of anthropology to action. Various potential roles exist for anthropologists in Europe that can alleviate the suffering of displaced individuals. Roles also exist for the field of anthropology to work towards more holistic and effective refugee resettlement. While this essay focuses primarily on resettlement in Europe, I hope it can spark …

African American Disparities Within The Medical World, Claudia E. Mischler

Student Publications

There are many challenges that African Americans face and the lack of quality in care towards African Americans is an ongoing problem. Black men and women are not given the same care compared to their white counterparts. African Americans are faced with numerous disparities in the medical world. This can exist due to factors that are out of their control such as; failure of medical professionals recognizing the sociocultural differences, distrust in the health care system, cultural differences in understanding and explaining illness, history of hospital and medical office segregation, and knowledge of available services. It is very unlikely to …

Gentrification In Seattle: Amazon Overpowers The City Council, Keyleigh N. Wallick

Student Publications

In this paper, I will analyze gentrification in the city of Seattle, Washington. I argue that gentrification in Seattle is driven by the tech and real estate industries that are powerful and lucrative enough to deter accountability despite the City Council’s efforts. First, I will discuss gentrification mostly through a sociological lens. Then, I will consider gentrification in Seattle, focusing on the Central District, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and First Hill neighborhoods. Additionally, I will discuss the role immigration plays in gentrification and the vulnerability of certain communities in Seattle. Finally, I will analyze the efforts the City Council …

Making Health Education Healthier: How Medical Schools Use Bias Training And Intersectional Theory To Reduce Implicit Bias, Madeleine N. Miller

Student Publications

Medical bias has been successfully characterized through two-way bias theory and the concept of the "normal body" and further divided into implicit and explicit bias. Yet, many individuals who go to the doctor are still given insufficient care because of their gender, race, class, sexuality, etc. Medical Education offers a unique opportunity for bias reduction both through formal and informal training. It is crucial that, as they are taught how to save a patient’s life, medical students are also taught to empathize with all patients and to give every patient, regardless of their gender, skin color, or class, the most …

Diversity In Advertisements And Brand Perception, Aarica Z. Flowers, Charlotte Buckman, Madeleine C. Diprete, Caroline G. Regan

Student Publications

This research project examines the relationship between representation of diversity in marketing and brand perception. The debate about whether diversity in advertisements impacts how consumers perceive and purchase from brands is ongoing. Thus, this study examines whether companies are rewarded for representing diversity in their advertisements and punished for representation that is inappropriate or insensitive. We conducted an online survey among Gettysburg College students and elicited their beliefs about the importance of diversity in marketing campaigns. We found that consumers are more likely to buy from companies that represent more racial diversity in their advertisements. The same was found for …

Does Imprisonment Have An Effect On Crime Rates?, Diana E. Mendez

Student Publications

Since the 1790s, prisons in the United States were built with the means of reducing crime rates through the usage of incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. However, while it may seem intuitive to assume that higher incarceration rates yield lower crime rates, it is not regularly the case. Using the 2016 States dataset, I examine the effects of incarceration rates and its influence on crime rates in the United States; I suggest that states with higher incarceration rates will have higher crime rates than states with lower incarceration rates. Therefore, the evidence concludes states with high incarceration rates generate higher rates …

Cannabis And Its Historical Role In America’S Intentional Segregation Of Race, William E. Kelley

Student Publications

One of the more dramatic shifts in attitudes towards a particular trend or culture we have seen during the turn of the century is none other than attitudes towards marijuana. The Cannabis plant, commonly known as marijuana, has been illegal in the United States for a while now. In the past ten years, we have seen an influx of states and countries relaxing their attitudes towards marijuana, and it's potential benefits. While this shift in attitude towards a relatively harmless drug is a step in the right direction, many are unaware of the sinister and racist history behind outlawing the …

Bodies Without The Burden: White Appropriation And Exploitation Of Black Appearance And Culture, Marisa E. Balanda

Student Publications

Critiques of cultural appropriation in regards to inappropriate Halloween costumes and the phenomenon of Instagram models “black-fishing” their followers are more prevalent now than ever before, but white exploitation of black culture and appearance is nothing new. In academia, the term “cultural appropriation” describes how aspects of a marginalized group’s culture are taken by those in a dominant group without regard to their cultural significance. In her chapter, “Black Culture Without Black People,” Imani Kai Johnson refers to appropriation as “colonialism at the scale of the dancing body or the sacred ritual object, its life and dynamism reduced to a …

Environmental Injustice's Impact On Asthma Disparities In Nyc, Tayler J. Rodriquez

Student Publications

Understanding the social determinants of health is essential when looking at low-income minorities in urban cities. Social determinants of health are conditions in the environment in which people are born, which affects a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Amongst other determinants, adequate housing can have a significant influence on population health outcomes such as asthma. Zoning inequality negatively and disproportionately impacts the health and the overall quality of life of low-income minorities; zoning is correlated to environmental injustice fueling adverse health effects and health disparities among low-income minority populations. Without the opportunity to receive adequate and affordable housing, …

The Power Of A Voice, Anonymous

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I was a freshman in college and I became a ‘juvenile victim’. I became an article online and the talk of a bored group of people thinking of how crazy life is. I became comments on Facebook and I became comments in a courtroom. In all that I became, I was nameless, faceless, voiceless. That was what got to me most. I was voiceless in the process as much as I was when he stood over me, and all I could ask was, when did my voice stop mattering? [excerpt]

You Know One Of Us, Emma Love

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

I am afraid of my bed.

I am also afraid of heather blue shirts. Men’s voices make me jump. I am constantly scanning crowds, always looking for the closest exit. I sit with my back to the wall. I no longer eat at Servo for lunch or dinner, or walk down a specific pathway as a shortcut home. Instead, I take the long way through the middle of campus to get back to my room. If I see someone with the same haircut or wearing similar clothes, I start to tremble. Unexpected touches from male friends, …

Are We Done Waiting?, Katie F. Mercer

SURGE

**Trigger warning: sexual assault

In the past month students in surrounding colleges have been protesting and challenging administrative policies regarding sexual assault, yet many of us at Gettysburg are unaware of these events. Members of our shared community have stood up to injustice they have faced on campus. On January 30, 2020 an article was published in The Dickinsonan newspaper titled “I’m Done Waiting for Dickinson to Take Sexual Assault Seriously,” in which senior Rose McAvoy recounts not only the horrifying tale of her violent sexual assault, but also the college’s incompetency and failure to take appropriate action. [excerpt …

Pajamas For Change, Alexander R. Kohn

Georges Lieber Essay Contest on Resistance

I created a protest called the "Where Are the Children Project" to bring attention to the immigrant children held in detention centers. Throughout the project I was able to see how much others cared about helping these children gain better living conditions, and I was able to learn about leadership and resistance. My values helped drive me into action, and the importance of what I was working towards helped me become more confident. After months of protests, the Homestead Detention Center where reports of maltreatment had been especially high was closed, but my work to improve the rights of immigrants …

You Only Remember Your Tragedies, Anonymous

SURGE

I am tired. I am tired of going to class and listening to my professor’s ignore my history. I am tired of going to office hours and them telling me that I am too biased to conduct research on the genocide of the country my family is from. I am tired of the way people give me these looks of pity whenever I tell them what happened to my family. I am tired of not being able to talk to anyone about this because I just feel like I’m spewing absolute nonsense because it feels like no one believes me. …

Dear Society, Anonymous

SURGE

“I can not wait to study abroad” multiple friends tell me

All I do is shake my head and reply “mhm I can not wait either”

I lied to them

I can not go out of the country, I can not explore the world

I am stuck in one place

This place is known as the United States of America that one day they said will bring the American Dream for my family

I wake up each day and I live in a world of fear, mistrust, and silence..." [excerpt]

Living...In Fear, Anonymous

SURGE

“What do you fear?”

“What is your weakness?”

Every time I get asked these questions, whether it’s by interviewers or friends, I dread every moment of it.

How can I possibly put into words the fear I live with every single day of my life?

How can I put into words the pain I feel inside of me to help you understand?

My parents have raised me to be the strong independent woman that I am.

They have taught me to discipline myself and always work 10x harder than everyone else.

They have warned me from a very early age …

I Am, Anonymous

SURGE

Hearing undocumented I want it to be for means of empowerment,
I am tired of the pity look, of the silence, of hesitation, of the thick air and the tension
Whenever I let people in.
When I let people in, I expect respect as a human being,
And not as a saving cause.
The last thing I ask is for reassurance or comfort
I had been undocumented for the last eleven years
Eleven years that I have internalized a distorted false narrative of who I am [excerpt]

Surveillance And The Self: Understanding Privacy And Identity In Digital Environments, Alecea Ritter Standlee

Friday Forum

The widespread use of internet enabled devices among contemporary US adults has given rise to a series of questions about issues of identity, privacy and group behaviors. The increasing use of algorithmic systems in social media and the attendant privacy concerns among users may also contribute to increased levels of strategic management of identity among users. In order to contribute to this discussion, this project examines perceptions and practices of privacy and self-representation in digital spaces among college age adults 18-24. This project utilizes semi-structured interview data collected with college students in the Eastern United States and focuses on both …

American Society’S Fear Of Social Change Reflected Through The Ostracizing Of Nfl Free Agent Colin Kaepernick, Emma Hedgepeth

Student Publications

Systemic racism continues to plague Black Americans. However, demonstrations that attempt to bring attention to racial discrimination are often met with anger from white Americans that claim oppression on the basis of race is no longer an issue. Former NFL athlete Colin Kaepernick is no exception to this trend and his peaceful protests during the national anthem led to a swift denunciation and his eventual dismissal from the league. Consequently, the NFL's treatment of Kaepernick is reflective of a larger issue in American society where any person or organization that attempts to challenge the racial hierarchy, is vilified.

The Imposition Of White Beauty Standards On Black Women, Sabrina E. Robinette

Student Publications

This paper explores the impact of racist beauty ideals on black women through a survey of personal testimonies and an examination of media’s role in perpetrating white beauty. Without sufficient black representation in media, Western beauty standards have excluded black women from defining beauty, which inflicts psychological, physical, and even economic harm on women of color. Companies make profits off of black women’s insecurity from products such as skin lightening cream, chemical straighteners, and hair dye, all of which are an economic burden on black women at best and are life-threatening at worst. Often, black women are forced to turn …