Digital Commons Network^™

Face Down In The Wishkah, Andrew Osborn

History Undergraduate Theses

This thesis will reexamine the life of America’s greatest unknown serial killer William (Billy) Gohl. Spanning an eight year period (1902-1910) Gohl was able to amass over one hundred victims in the port city of Aberdeen Washington. Gohl did this through taking advantage of people’s trust and integrating techniques from 19th century San Franciscan criminals to produce a systematic murder enterprise. It took a new mayor, chief of police, and over two years of investigation to finally bring Gohl to trial and conviction. Gohl’s story is one that covers a variety of historical studies and hinges on a fascinating narrative. …

A Survey Of Language Experience And Usage Among First Generation Community College Latina/O Students, Cesar Rangel

MAIS Projects and Theses

In this preliminary research, I critically reflect on the ethnic identity and language experience among fifteen first generation Latina/o students at a Washington State community college Latina/o club designed to explore and support academic challenges faced by Hispanic/Latina/o students. General results indicated that respondents shared common associations like language use, ethnic self-identification, and/or preferred language preference.

Overcoming Barriers: Black Women At Boeing, Cheryl M. Coney

MAIS Projects and Theses

This research looks at the lives of Black Women in the Pacific Northwest working at Boeing during World War II. Using historical research, archived records and oral history the experiences of Black Women Rosies are documented. Oral histories from Katie Burks and Ruth Render two of the first Black Women employed at Boeing during World War II offer personal insights into barriers Black Women faced and how they overcame these obstacles with activism to build strong communities and a better workplace.

The Chinese Exclusion Act Of 1882 And Hawaii, Theresa J. Zeller

MAIS Projects and Theses

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first piece of U.S. legislation to bar a specific ethnic group from immigrating to U.S. soil, thus demonstrating how regional agendas can and do turn into national policies. However, despite its impact and historical significance, the Chinese exclusion movement is often only vaguely referenced within general history texts. In this thesis, the author analyzes the experiences of Chinese immigrants in California and Hawaii and discusses how such experiences present a fuller understanding of the politics behind the Chinese Exclusion Act.

"If The Shoe Fits:" The Evolution Of The Cinderella Fairy Tale From Literature To Television, Margaret L. Lundberg

Global Honors Theses

More than a millennium after the earliest-known version was committed to text, fairy tales continue to occupy our bookshelves and airwaves. The current popularity of fairy tale-based television programs such as Grimm and Once Upon a Time offer continued proof that the appeal of these tales is not lost on 21^st century audiences. Beginning with the rise of fairy tales in the ancient cultures of China and India, this paper will follow their journey through Asia, long before these tales reached their traditionally recognized European birthplace. In this examination of the multicultural variations of a single tale—the Cinderella story—we …

Representations Of The African Diaspora In Three Films, Monica C. Melton

Global Honors Theses

This thesis will examine how the African diaspora has been depicted in filmic text, from directors representing distinctly different loci of the diaspora, in Brazil, Nigeria and the United States. Film is one of many modes of expression for a culture that is based on representations. “For many people, media representations maybe their first and often only source of information about, or reference for people outside of their social and cultural circles, “(James, etc., 354) The scope of this thesis will specifically examine diasporic representation in The Journey by Chineze Anyaene, a Nigerian director of ‘Nollywood’, Walter Salles’ “City of …

The United States And Japan: A Cross Cultural Analysis Of Gender Roles And Intimate Relationships, Percy D. Strowhorn Iii

Global Honors Theses

This research looks at the relationship between gender roles and dating scripts among emerging adults (18-25) in the United States and Japan. If a relationship exists, how does it function? Research data was conducted from a variety of academic journals: Journal of Social Psychology, Asian Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Sex Research, and others. This research deals with emerging adults within the U.S. and Japan to provide a cultural analysis of two unique cultures. A brief history of dating and intimate relationships is given for both cultures to show a change over time. Due to prior …

La Dolce Vita, The Italian Case Study: Linking Culture, Policy And ‘Active Aging’, Maria L. Kimmerle

Global Honors Theses

By 2025, the global demographic trend reveals a chalice-like structure, indicating an aging population. Active Aging (AA) policies are sustained on social capital or networking wherein people are successful, positive, and experiencing a high quality of life in their aging years. The major backbones supporting activity in the elderly must be reinforced by the culture of that society, the policies and the political support which is witnessed in societies with a large aging population, such as Italy. Adopting culturally inappropriate policies contrary to social norms create social dilemmas, thereby policies are rejected and no change occurs.

Objective: To present the …

Transnational Influence In The Poetry Of Sarah Piatt: Poems Of Ireland And The American Civil War, Amy R. Hudgins

Global Honors Theses

Sarah Piatt, a recently recovered nineteenth century poet, is best known, where she is known at all, as an American poet. While this label is certainly appropriate, it should not obscure Piatt’s decidedly international focus, or more precisely, her transnational focus, especially in regard to Ireland. Piatt’s verse, considered by some to be the best poetry of her time second only to the work of Emily Dickinson, is remarkable for its quantity and breadth, but more importantly, for its subversive use of genteel style. Though her poems are generally divided into four overlapping categories, the two thematic classes of her …

Forgotten Glory: African American Civil War Soldiers And Their Omission From Civil War Memory, Connor E. Seaman

History Undergraduate Theses

African American soldiers were a central aspect of the Union Army’s effort to defeat the Confederate Army in the Civil War, yet their contributions were forgotten by white American society in the fifty years following the end of the conflict. Their contributions were absent in the various forms of commemoration that were performed and constructed after the war, including monuments, Memorial Day services, and veterans’ reunions. Through examining these forms of commemoration, as well as Emancipation Day celebrations, certain trends become apparent. African American veterans were excluded from Civil War memory through physical segregation both physically and in the language …

Bridging Gaps In Services For Street Based Prostitutes, Eileen P. Corcoran

MSW Capstones

Street Based Prostitutes (SBP) represent a population that is underserved, disenfranchised, and stigmatized. Using current research and the results of a focus group, the author identifies and explores common barriers that SBPs face when seeking out supportive services. To better meet the needs of this vulnerable population, a training program was developed to educate social workers and community members on the issues faced by SBPs. The goal of the curriculum is to help establish a cross-systems network of social service providers, law enforcement, and the judicial system that can intervene on behalf of SBPs and meet their shelter, food, and …

Jump Start Hs: Engaging High School Students In Their Education, Taylor Ellsworth

MSW Capstones

JUMP START HS curriculum was created to provide foster youth the opportunity to increase peer and faculty interaction with in their school. This intervention seeks to assist foster youth in their high school education, by connecting them with fellow peers and educators in their schools. The JUMP START HS curriculum seeks to provide foster youth with a well-rounded and supportive education, by creating homeroom classes consisting of both foster youth and non-foster youth, along with peer mentors and educators. The JUMP START HS curriculum guide was developed using multiple sources of information; each week is adapted from a lesson from …

Best Practices For Teachers And Providers: A Cross Systems Training To Support Gender-Variant Youth, Kathyrn Kemp Chociej

MSW Capstones

Transgender youth are at increased risk for low self-esteem, depression, suicide, substance abuse, school problems, family rejection and discord, running away, homelessness, and prostitution. It is important for social workers to understand the barriers transgender individuals face when accessing healthcare, to provide context for the clinical experience, and because mental health care providers play a significant gatekeeping role for this population. According to Section 6.04 of the NASW Social Work Cultural Standards, social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for diversity, and social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, and promote policies that safeguard …

Children With Incarcerated Parents: What Services Are Available For Children With A Parent Releasing From Prison?, Kiara D. St. John

MSW Capstones

Children with incarcerated parents are a growing “at risk” population in the United States. Upon parental release, many children will be reunited or have some form of contact with their parent. Currently, there is limited programming available for this population, specifically during the reunification process. The Reconnections Group's aim is to provide children and youth age appropriate education and support during their parent’s transition back into the community. The mission of the Reconnections Group is to provide a supportive, encouraging, and positive atmosphere for children and youth with a parent releasing or recently released from prison, while fostering a positive …

Hispanics, Acculturation, And Parenting, Rocio Chavez De Alvarado

MSW Capstones

This qualitative, exploratory study examined the experiences of immigrant Hispanic parents when raising their children in the American culture. Through the use of purposive sampling six parent-participants and five youth-participants were identified and selected. The study’s inclusion criteria established the participation of individuals with the following characteristics: a) immigrant Hispanic parents who immigrated to the US within the last 20 years and who have been raising their children in the American culture, especially in the State of Washington; b) 12 to 19 years old US born youth whose parents are Hispanic immigrants; or c) 12 to 19 years old immigrant …

Insuring The Uninsured: Outreach Training For Community Health Workers, Jeanese H. Hime

MSW Capstones

Nearly one million individuals do not have health insurance in Washington State. King County alone has over 200,000 residents living without health care coverage. Without it, many people are forgoing preventative care that could be potentially lifesaving. For this reason, the public, particularly low-income individuals and families, need an increased awareness of health care reform policies and how it will impact them in order to reduce the uninsured rates and improve health outcomes. This intervention, a door-to-door outreach training for community health workers, is an opportunity to address disparities in health care coverage. The three-hour course targets communities with high …