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The Ideal Spanish Candidate: The Effects Of Gender On The Electability Of Religious Candidates, Arabella Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the existing literature illustrates that voters living in Western countries are likely to elect female candidates and less likely to elect minority non-Christian candidates, literature has not yet addressed how the intersectionality of gender and religion affect voter preference. In this paper, I investigate how a candidate’s gender and religion interact to affect their likelihood of being elected. I use vignettes in a conjoint survey experiment of Spanish voters to show voter preference across two intersecting identities: gender and religion. I find that female Muslim candidates are significantly more electable than male Muslim candidates. This contributes to the body …

Made In His Image: How Christian God Image Influences Interpersonal Judgments Of Severe Mental Illness, Austin Davis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

After a review of the relevant literature on God image and interpersonal judgment theories and research, a priming study was used to analyze the relationship between God image and judgment of people with severe mental illness. Participants made judgments of a video presentation of a man with schizophrenia either before or after being given a questionnaire about their God image. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) analysis showed no statistically significant differences between those who were primed to reflect on their God image before making the judgment and those who were not, although the small effect size (d = -0.30) indicated …

Raj Karega Khalsa! - The Evolution Of The Sikh Identity, Vineet Mehmi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Generally, religion has served as a method of creating a unique identity and history for many groups across history. This concept is especially true for the Sikh community, to the point that they have carved their own niche across the different places they inhabit in the world, whether that be their homeland of Panjab or their extensive population in places like Canada or the United Kingdom. However, this expansion and development of their culture did not come without a cost, formed through countless battles, martyrdom, and revolutions. Chardi Kala, a foundational idea in Sikhi that refers to eternal optimism even …

Missionaries And Manipulation: Exploring Vulnerabilities And Safeguards For Young Missionaries In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Rachel Sowa Ray

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project aims to better understand the vulnerabilities of missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they relate to emotional abuse stemming from companions, mission leaders, and those they teach. It compiles the current research on relationship abuse and draws connections between these issues and missionaries. Emotional abuse is defined. We review various elements of missionary life, including the age of missionaries, religious pressures, pressures inherent in missionary life, and cultural naiveté. Each of these is tied to potential weaknesses in which emotional abuse can impact the life and relationships of a missionary. Suggestions for safeguards …

Student Identity And Inclusion: A Model For Sense Of Belonging At Brigham Young University, Jose Rodriguez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Campus racial climate in universities across the United States have been linked to several aspects attributed to student success. One aspect of campus climate is sense of belonging, which is correlated with retention, graduation, and student satisfaction. This study seeks to understand sense of belonging and the factors that impact it. In studies across the country, white students have been found to experience a greater sense of belonging than students of color. I seek to discover the factors associated with belonging and their effects. Based on a logistic regression model, students of color and white students at BYU do have …

Views Of Addiction Etiology Predict Religious Individuals’ Willingness To Help., Emily Brady, Joseph Barnet, Valerie Hoots, Andrea Clements

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Views of addiction etiology predict religious individuals’ willingness to help.

Emily Brady, Valerie Hoots, Joseph Barnet, and Andrea Clements, Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol is an accrescent societal problem. Individuals with substance addiction face stigma in their daily lives, specifically from religious individuals as explored in this study. The stigma these religious individuals might portray could be related to their ideas on addiction etiology. The purpose of this project is to evaluate if different views of addiction etiology predict religious individuals’ willingness to help individuals with substance addition. Our hypothesis for this …

Let Us Reason Together: Female Voices In Religious Deliberation, Rachel Finlayson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines deliberation within ward councils of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My findings suggest ward councils can fall short of the democratic ideals articulated by church leaders. This ideal is captured in Jane Mansbridge’s conception of unitary democracy, which emphasizes friendship, equality, and consensus in decision-making regarding common goals. Ward council members report feeling friendship and unity, but reserve authoritative executive power for the bishop alone. This hybrid dynamic creates potential challenges and tensions with the unitary ideal as participants seek to both express their unique perspectives and defer to one authority.

My interviews show …

Familiarity With Homosexuality “Changes Hearts”: What Lay Members And Former Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Think About Lgbp Issues, John Garbero

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recently, the United States has become increasingly accepting of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals and their relationships. However, some conservative religions are hesitant or even unwilling to condone or to accept non-traditional lifestyles in their congregations. One such religious institution is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (from here on known as the LDS Church, the Mormon Church, or the Church). A recent body of research has attempted to gain a general understanding of these religious groups and their teachings regrading homosexuality. While these contributions are significant, a more detailed understanding regarding the views of lay members of …

Killed A Bird Today: The Emergence And Functionality Of The Santeria Trickster, Eleggua, Megan Gauck

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recognizable by their cunning exploits and gray morality, tricksters can be found in mythology, folklore, and religions throughout the world. Two tricksters were familiar to the Yoruba people in West Africa, Ajapa and Eshu, and their stories and abilities provide insight to the functions fulfilled by trickster characters. Upon the introduction of Regla de Ocha (or Santeria) to Cuba following the transatlantic slave trade, a new figure emerges, known for his tricks and adaptability. Due to the West African influence in Santeria religious practices, the original roles and traits of Eshu and Ajapa are analyzed for comparison, but Eleggua, the …

Gender And Religion In A Shifting Social Landscape: Anglo-Saxon Mortuary Practices, Ad 600-700, Caroline Palmer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

My thesis examines seventh-century East Anglian mortuary practices and cross-correlates grave goods and human remains to determine whether there was an expression of the sexual division of labor during this period of social and religious change. I argue that gender roles changed as a result of adopting kingdoms and Christianity. Prior to this time period, Anglo-Saxons were primarily pagan and were buried with extensive burial goods. In addition to changes in religious and burial practices, during the Final Phase (600-700 AD) there appears to have been a division of labor that was not as dichotomous in the Migration Phase (450-600 …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Intrinsic Religiosity In Southern Appalachia, Celina V. Unzueta Ms., Andrea Clements Dr.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The present exploratory study examined adverse childhood experiences and religiosity in a sample of individuals from Southern Appalachia. Self-reports of childhood adversity and intrinsic religion were obtained from 167 individuals. Results showed that fifty-five percent had not experienced a childhood adversity while forty-three percent had experienced one to five episodes. Although a little under half the sample had one or more adverse experiences, there was no significant relationship between ACEs and intrinsic religion (r= -.037, p= .631). Sex and intrinsic religion were significantly related in that men endorsed the use of intrinsic religiosity more than women …

An Investigation Into The Socio-Political Dissonance Between The French Government And The Islamic French Minority, Alexandria Exley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Islamic minority in France today is experiencing adversity as the government of France passed legislation stating that all facial coverings will be henceforth illegal, restricting or prohibiting religious symbols in various public spaces. Some Islamic women feel as though this is a pointed attack on women of the Muslim faith for their choice to wear traditional clothing which covers the face and body. There have been outcries that this is a human rights violation and restriction of religious rights. This project is an examination of the effects of France’s “burqa ban” and restrictions on religious symbols on both Islamic …