Digital Commons Network^™

How Religious Influence Has Developed Sports Into A Faith Of Its Own, Dillon J. Daine

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Effect Of Smartphone Separation And Dependence On Selective Attention, Immanuel Callum Zion

Senior Projects Spring 2020

The current study investigated the effect of smartphone dependence and subsequent smartphone separation on selective attention. Performance on selective attention tasks was operationalized as response time and accuracy on two versions of the stroop response inhibition task. Smartphone dependency was operationalized as a score which exceeds the cutoff on the Smartphone Addiction Scale Revised edition ( SAS-R). To create smartphone separation students were asked to place their smartphone in a provided basket during the experiment. It was hypothesised that students who are deemed smartphone dependent and then separated from their smartphones would perform worse across all blocks of the stroop …

Embodied Desire: Establishing The Transmasculine Viewer, Bel Simek

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Voice Of Silence: Women Inmates' Perspective On Sexual Violence In The Soviet Gulag, 1936-1956, Louisa Jane Fulkerson

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Walking A Thin Line: Towards A Cautious Implementation Of The Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative, Phoebe Schuyler Brand

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Across nearly all categories, the United States kidney care system ranks below its global counterparts. With a high prevalence of kidney disease, poor treatment outcomes, and high expenditures, there is no doubt that the U.S. kidney system needs revamping. In 2019, the Trump administration released the Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative, which, among other things, both restructures the Medicare payment systems for kidney care to incentivize new treatment practices and outcomes and alters the kidney transplant system in an effort to increase transplant rates. Alongside the goal of improving patient outcomes, the proposal seeks to reduce the expenditures of this …

Health In The Musical Profession: A Human Rights Investigation At The Intersections Of Identity, Reputation, And Resources, Jillian P. Reed

Senior Projects Spring 2020

This project investigates the effects of illness, injury, and disability on professional musicians. Issues of the musician’s identity, importance of reputation, and disability stigma are explored through firsthand accounts of 15 musicians who faced health challenges during their careers. My original research also includes the data from 200 responses to my musicians’ health survey. The patchwork of resources available to these musicians is examined through the lenses of human rights claiming and humanitarian charity, with a focus on healthcare, interpersonal accommodations, and the currently insufficient legal protections for this population.

On a micro scale, this paper is about the experiences …

The Way You Hear It, The Way You Judge It: Moral Decision-Making And Moral Reasoning In Accented Speech, Yifan Gu

Senior Projects Spring 2020

The previous studies have shown that people make different decisions not only after reading and also listening to moral dilemmas in a foreign language (L2) than in a native language (L1). This effect is named Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE). Emotion, which is considered to play a pivotal role in moral judgments, is also found to have a close interaction with sounds. The current research aims to (1) investigate whether the sound of different languages (i.e. accents) can also trigger the MFLE in listeners’ moral decision-making and (2) examine the foreign accent effect on listeners’ moral reasoning pattern. Chinese ESL …

Existing But Not Living: A Discussion And Proposal For The Acute Social Withdrawal Syndrome Hikikomori In Japan, Andrea Michelle Otey

Senior Projects Spring 2020

This senior project is a comprehensive discussion of hikikomori syndrome. It intends to offer a deeper knowledge of the complicated acute social withdrawal phenomenon that is impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide, with a specific focus on its relevance within the country of Japan. This project sets out to look deeper into hikikomori’s meaning and prevalence, its receival in the world of psychiatry, and its placement within modern Japanese society. This project also offers a proposal for a potential method of treatment for hikikomori syndrome, wherein the structure of modern Japanese households is explored and the possibility of …

This Is The Knot In My Stomach, Violet Savage

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Open Sans, Access Incomplete, Lia J. Taus

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Why do some have access while others do not?

Think about your answer, don’t say it aloud.

To say it out loud is a privilege which we have and others do not.

Two ways to see it: what are you restricted from and others have access to?

Or: what do you have access to which others are restricted from?

Each of us are unique compilations of acquired knowledge.

Which is based on the availability and limitations of opportunities.

The unfortunate hierarchy of the world is decided by education and wealth.

Education is not freely available.

We are all told “you …

Tendertopia, April Fionn Perin Wogenburg

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Fruit Of The Spirit: An Investigation Of How French Colonialism Trans-Nationally Created The Creolized Black Dance In New Orleans, Called Secondline, Through The Lens Of An Original Treme Babydoll., Micah Theodore

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Polyester Problem: Regulating The Polyester Industry Through The Lens Of Environmental Economics, Jo-Kel Cornejo Borthwick

Senior Projects Spring 2020

In presenting the history and utility of polyester fiber we gain a more in depth understanding of why it is such a prominent fabric today. Through the general evaluation of the global apparel industry, we gain valuable insight into the vast size and environmental impact of the entire industry. Presenting the global apparel industry is integral to the discussion of polyester due to their symbiotic relationship. In evaluating the environmental impact and externalities of the polyester industry, attention is brought to the problematic nature of the industry as well as the details of its environmental impact which include; excessive microfiber …

I Pledge Allegiance To One Global Nation: Redefining Citizenship Through The Institutionalization Of Cosmopolitan Principles In Response To The U.S. Immigration System, Giselle Lucia Avila

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

“No Place” In Cyberspace, Scarlett Sinay

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Mothering On Maple Avenue: An Exploration Of African American Women’S Agency In Nineteenth Century Germantown, New York, Cheyenne R. Cutter

Senior Projects Spring 2020

National discourse on womanhood and mothering in nineteenth century America positioned these fields of women’s practices as sites of privilege for middle-class Anglo-American women, and as inaccessible to their African American contemporaries. After gaining their nominal freedom through New York’s manumission of enslaved individual around 1830, African American families had to confront their new reality to find ways to articulate their position within American society. How then, did the African American women of the Persons family, who occupied the Maple Avenue Parsonage in Germantown, New York during the nineteenth century, confront this new reality? What position within society did they …

Soft Burial: An Exploration Of History, Memory, And Trauma In Contemporary Chinese Literature, Megan Elizabeth Halm

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Ariadne’S Transformation: Presenting Femininity From Roman Poetry To Modern Opera, Xinyi Wang

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Ariadne's story is dominated by her relationships with men: Minos, Theseus, and Bacchus. But who is she? Can her personality be examined independently from men? If yes, does she have her own voice in expressing herself? Do we hear her voice? If no, then, how does her personality help construct her story? My analysis will focus on how the Roman poets Catullus and Ovid, the Baroque composer Monteverdi, and the twentieth-century composer Strauss present Ariadne, and how their Ariadnes’ voices are heard. Perhaps she will always be eternal and undying as long as she remains a figure around which discussions …

A Troop, A Raft, A Bed, Hanna Jane Guendel

Senior Projects Spring 2020

A Troop, a Raft, a Bed tells the interwoven fictional stories of three major animals (the mountain gorilla, the Adélie penguin, and the American eel) and four transitional animals (the white stork, the humpback whale, the common octopus, and the great white shark). The stories are told from the animals' perspectives, and are written with language that considers each animal's unique intelligence, mind, and behavior. These stories seek to communicate how animals around the world may be experiencing the various effects of climate change and global warming.

From Belief To Action: Histories And New Directions Within The Youth Climate Movement, Christian Sabharwal

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

A Survey Of Surveillance: Reworking The Male Gaze And The Surveillance Gaze Through Art And Technology, Phoebe Rae O'Connell

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Skateboarding, Space And Subculture: Indexing Skated Spaces And Their Urban Implications, Djimon Mark Gibson

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Armed And Dangerous: The Ascendance Of The National Rifle Association, Alexander David Lynch

Senior Projects Spring 2020

My project, Armed and Dangerous: The Ascendance of the National Rifle Association focuses on the history of the National Rifle Association (NRA). I attempt to chart the NRA’s progression from a fairly apolitical organization into the vitriolic, single issue lobbying/business group that it has been since 1977. My first chapter provides an overview of the NRA in its contemporary iteration. My second chapter will focus on the social and cultural myths that have allowed the NRA to prosper in the face of harsh criticism. In this chapter, I also try to identify the ontological roots of the gun rights argument …

"Made In Bangladesh", Joya Alia Syed

Senior Projects Spring 2020

The 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh was the worst industrial disaster in modern times and began a turning point for change in the garment sector. This paper will uncover human rights violations such as the exploitation of garment workers, verbal and physical abuse as well as the right for workers to collectively bargain. The paper will begin with a brief background of the Bangladeshi garment sector, then the pressure of the “Fast Fashion” demand for the industry and gender dimensions. It will conclude with remediation efforts from local and international levels from social movements, campaigns, and programs such …

What Lies In The Market: The Untold Connections Between Dominicans And Haitians, Edwar C. Aviles Mercedes

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Submitted to the Divison of Social Studies of Bard College.

From The Black Panther Party To Black Lives Matter: The Weaponization Of Surveillance Against Black Activists, Arianna Marinez-Perry

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Feminine Voice / Self Titled, Teddy Mckrell

Senior Projects Spring 2020

My senior project consisted of two concerts, one in classical voice and one in electronic composition.

The Effects Of Virtual Reality On Motor Performance In The First Person Point Of View, Alina Augustin

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Previous research has shown that visualization is an effective method used to improve motor performance (Ridderinkhof, 2015) and that similar neural pathways are activated while visualizing and performing a task (Decety, 1989). More recent research has begun to look at whether virtual reality similarly improves motor performance (Bideau, 2004). The advantages of virtual reality include the ability to practice without physical exertion (Ridderinkhof, 2015) and a better cognitive understanding of complex tactics (Science-based cognitive assessment & training, 2019). In the current study, the effects of virtual reality and visualization on motor performance in sports is tested based on the success …

Regulating Self-Image On Social Media: Associations Between Social Anxiety And Instagram Control Behaviors, Isabel Polletta

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Individuals with social anxiety try to avoid or disengage when there is a perceived lack of control in a social situation. This study examined individual differences in social anxiety to better understand how levels of social anxiety are related to differences in self-preservation and image protection behaviors on Instagram, an image-based social media application. The purpose of this empirical study was to explore Instagram control behaviors by applying Schlenker and Leary’s (1982) Social Anxiety and Self-Presentation (SASP) conceptualization model. Instagram has features and settings that allow individuals to exert varying degrees of control over the content they share on their …

Friend Or Foe? Outstanding Peer’S Unexpected Impact On Test Taking Ability, Woanjun Lee

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Many studies have discussed methods of improving individuals’ performance in a variety of fields. Furthermore, studies also have observed how social interactions may have an impact, whether positive or negative, on an individual's performance. The current study aims to expand on this thread and take a deeper scope on the immediate impact on academic test-taking ability of the presence of a confident colleague. Additionally, the current study explores whether the change of performance, if any, impacted by the stimuli is exaggerated depending on the subject’s sex or extraversion. The current study assigned 14 Bard undergrad students to the control group, …