Arts and Humanities Commons^™

"The Second Side" A Historic Retelling Of African American Life In Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Breighlynn Polk

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

In 1834, new living quarters emerged in the Main Street District of New Iberia for the Weeks family, who were prominent white sugar cane planters that owned a fully operating plantation twenty-five miles away. With their sixteen-room home sited twenty feet above the banks of the bayou, the Weeks family earned the reputation of flamboyant community members whose wealth was accumulated through the exploitation of enslaved African Americans. However, the ability to savor riches generated through the institution of slavery was short lived as the Union Army’s strategy of “Total War” threatened the prosperity of slave-owning families in the South. …

The Foundation And Center Of American Studies; An Introduction To Native American Histories And Cultures - A Syllabus, Rhonda L. Baldonado

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The contention of this Capstone is that Native America is the foundation and should be the center of American Studies. One way to facilitate such an effect on the discipline is to expose community college students to American Studies early, by offering an elective course about Native American communities within the US. The heart and soul of this Capstone applied project is a syllabus for an American Studies course in Native American Histories and Cultures. It is an elective, introductory, survey course that that covers four important aspects of Indigeneity: Indigenous Histories, Native American Politics and Activism, Indigenous Women and …

The Vast Unsaid: Lesbian Erasure And Celebration, Kara Ireland

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Lesbian erasure negatively impacts the accessibility to literature, archives, and records of lesbian history as a result of being buried within queer and feminist discourse. As a result, scholars often classify lesbians into other categories, effectively rendering them invisible and unimportant. Across the literature, there is no cohesive definition of lesbian and it is difficult to be exclusive on the basis of sex and gender. In addition, lesbian relationships are often dismissed as friendships. All of these factors have influenced my decision to create a website dedicated to promoting lesbian visibility and combating lesbian erasure. I have made a website …

Irradiated Playground: The Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory And The Legacy Of The United States Nuclear Project, Austin Wilson

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The former Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (GNAL) is a historic site located outside of Dawsonville, Georgia that is now engaged with as a place of exploration, learning, and an unofficial memorial to the past. Over the course of my research I utilized archival documents, photographs I took during site visits, and internet discussions to analyze the way that modern visitors interact with the site and complicate the perceptions of public memory and history.

Can You See Me? Re-Centering Biracial Voices Through Chicana Intervention In Children's Literature, Andrea Putala

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Can You See Me? Re-Centering Biracial Voices through Chicana Intervention in Children’s Literature offers critical reflection on an applied research project: the writing of a children’s book that interrogates how introducing a complex theoretical concept would take form. Children’s media introduced in the home and the school are some of the biggest influences when it comes to identity and societal expectations. Unfortunately for students who are bi or multiracial, there has been a lot of erasure of their voices and experiences that do not help cultivate positive identity formations. Chicana feminists situated their voices, histories, and experiences within their …

Endless Scrolling: Technology, (Dis)Connection, And Place In Times Of Covid-19, Felecia Glover

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic created sudden ruptures in the ways many people connected with one another in their day to day lives. Though experiences differed, many turned to communication technology as a means to continue to connect despite COVID restrictions. For some this meant learning to collaborate with coworkers through a screen, while for others it allowed for a sense of closeness with those at a great geographical distance. For many, the seemingly separate spheres of the work, home, and social life all began to take place in one physical, and many virtual, spaces. Though it allows for a smoother transition …

The Stories We Tell: Gender-Based Variances In Recovery Narratives, Jessica Mcdaniel

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Substance-related issues have long been a societal concern, yet there is a dearth of empirical evidence about effective treatments. One of the most prominent methods of resolving substance-related issues, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), has been criticized for its white, Christian middle-class, heterosexual male provenance. Particularly, the utility of AA for women has been questioned. Yet, many women do find recovery within AA. Therefore, the question becomes less about the fundamental efficacy of AA and more about for whom does AA work. As such, the present study set out to analyze recovery narratives drawn from the primary AA text. The stories of …

Tense Familiarity: Psycho And The Origins, Effects, And Pedagogy Of The Trans-Coded Monster, Dudgrick Bevins

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The trans-coded monster, which arose from the spectacle of real-life serial killer Ed Gein’s murderous and taxidermic hobbies and the “gay-panic” spun from the headlines of the Leopold and Loeb slaying, the monster serves as a functionary of social control on two levels. First, the societal level, in which the monster, as a product of society, teaches what is and is not permissible in that society.. The second level is the personal level, in which the monster teaches the audience about the boundaries of their own desire and that desire’s possibility. The product of these two levels’ methods of control …

Service And Citizenship: Examining The Historical Relationship Between Immigration And Military Service In The United States, Claudia Lynn Zibanejadrad

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The purpose of this project is to examine the many different groups of people who used military service in order to gain the political and civil rights of citizenship. I begin with a history of immigration and military service, throughout American history. I particularly concentrate on World War II, a pivotal moment for immigration and the military. I will then cover the historiography that informed my research. I include some research on immigrants who used military service to become naturalized citizens, such as those from Ireland, Germany, and the Philippines. I also include those who were born on American soil, …

Jewish Identity On American Television And Viewer Attitudes In An Era Of Rising Anti-Semitism, Jacqueline Winters-Allen

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Research in media and cultural studies have shown that viewers form opinions regarding Jewish identity based on how Jewish characters are presented on screen. American entertainment has struggled with accurate portrayals of Jewish culture and characters; negative Jewish stereotypes frequently appear and perpetuate these perceptions. Due to the current rise of anti-Semitism in the United States, it is important to consider how writers are defining Jewish identity by examining depictions of contemporary Jewish characters and assessing viewer attitudes toward those characters. Two long-running, popular American broadcast television shows that contain Jewish characters as part of the main cast – The …

Protest Movements Of The 1960s - 1970s In Latin America And The United States, Jean Potter

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Music is an integral part of a complex transcultural and political connection that exists between Latin America and the United States. Exploring the transnational culture of music in the Americas, this project considers the historical and socio-political issues which contribute to this transcultural relationship. The long history of colonization and exploitation by Spain, Britain, and the United States has left an indelible mark on Latin American economic, social and cultural environments. Looking at the continuing effects of the Western Industrial revolution, including its effects on class struggle, national independence movements and cultural developments, this project begins by summarizing and engaging …

Transgender Digital Embodiments: Questions Of The Transgender Body In The 21st Century, Jessica Fisher

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This thesis looks at an intra-community discourse in the transgender community between “transtrenders” and “transmedicalists” or “truscum.” It observes how these different sub-communities conceive of what it means to be transgender and attempts to contextualize these conceptions within transgender history. This thesis utilizes a brief ethnography of online spaces where transgender community discourse could be found, including Reddit, Twitter, and Tumblr. It discusses the idea of “transtrenders” as cultural appropriators, looks at the role of passing, and wanting to and trying to pass, in the transgender community and in conceptions of who is truly transgender and who isn’t. This thesis …

“Life Is Very Hard Here”: A Comparative Analysis Of Central American Migrants In El Norte And Enrique’S Journey, Gayle Anderson

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to reveal cultural challenges indigenous peoples and people in poverty face in their Central American homelands and in the United States when migrating northward. Central Americans living in economic and social structures of hardship and/or cultural persecution leave their home places seeking to survive. Analyzing two works of art, the fictionalized realty film El Norte and the book Enrique’s Journey, provide a revealing lens into economic and political plights facing Central American migrants that drives them to leave. Past imperialists’ confiscation of the region’s natural resources and subjugation of its native peoples cemented …

Stumbler (A Screenplay), Mark Green

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This project consists of two parts:

I: A literature review, which includes a reflection, a script synopsis, and a meta-analysis.

II: An original screenplay.

The literature review considers the implications of class, race, gender, politics, and the internal mythos of country music. The reflection takes core concepts from the literature review and draws a line from the origins of country music to the post-World War II political break between folk and country, and then on to the emergence of outlaw country in the late 1960s. I contend that outlaw country, which I define broadly, emerged from the same countercurrent as …

The Real Atlanta: Representations Of Black Southern Culture, Masculinity, And Womanhood As Seen In Season One Of The Fx Series Atlanta, Tamisha Nicole Askew

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This project explores how the new FX original series, Atlanta, challenges previous notions of Blackness on American television. The series Atlanta delves into conversations on hip-hop and Black culture through what has been considered an authentic representation of Black Atlanta. This paper examines tropes of Southerness and perceived homophobia in hip-hop and Black culture while analyzing the way in which the series creators and producers create a dialogue on economic and social matters facing the Black Southern community in the city of Atlanta. Finally, this paper examines controlling images of Black women on American television to uncover the ways …

Sequels And Sams: Re-Contextualized Media And Affective Memory, Ben Rogers

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Electronic media allows for the repetition of the audiovisual in new contexts. Bernard Stiegler argues that, as people are exposed to these contexts (television, commercials), consumer-based art threatens the singular, a connection to a particular aesthetic in a particular space. When art is repeated, films remember for the audience. This allows for history to be continually re-written according to dominant media institutions.

While there are other ways to combat this grand narrative, I argue that there are memories that, like the singular, are not consumer-based. I refer to these as staple associative memories (SAMs). These are not memories …

Pink Is The New Bull: The Feminization Of Pit Bulls In Visual And Literary Discourses As A Rescue Tactic, Stephanie Hogue

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Since the 1980s, pit bulls have been portrayed in a raced, classed, and gendered national discourse that has associated them with minority males of color in low-income urban areas. This discourse has led to a villianization of the breed that has resulted in restrictions on pit bulls and their owners. This project seeks to explore the raced, classed, and gendered representations of pit bulls in cultural productions and the nuanced ways in which the intersectional identities ascribed to pit bulls have impacted their status as acceptable pets in the United States.

I aim to demonstrate that through visual and literary …

The Anti-Black Hero: Black Masculinity Media Representation As Seen In Netflix Series Luke Cage And Fox Series Empire, Meya Joyell Hemphill

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The reoccurrence of the Black Brute, the Thug, and the modern day Coon stereotypical images on current television narrowly defines Black masculinity as a monolithic experience. Young Black boys, are often unable to see themselves as those who are portrayed on television. The images they see on screen are sometimes not realistic. Unfortunately, for some young Black boys, these stereotypical images may heavily influence their own behavior. Society often criminalizes and demonizes young Black men as angry, violent, and dangerous. They pose as a supposed threat to society and are thought to be even more problematic as they age. Currently, …

Secrets On Morgan Hill: A Story Of An Unlikely Friendship Amid An Apartheid South, Camille Kleidysz-Ferreira

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Introduction

The Burden of History and Fiction

“How much of the burden of history can fiction bear?” – Margaret Walker

Comprehensive historical research can often become the inspiration for art. The greatest pieces of historical fiction, are a result of years of historic scholarship before the creation of a compelling historical narrative or fiction piece. Through my two-year ethnographic study and collection of oral histories of the black community, surrounding the historic Bethel A.M.E. church in Acworth, Georgia, I was told a story about a friendship between two little girls who remained friends until the end of their lives. What …

Jeep Nation: Wilderness Ideology And The American Icon, Kristy Ventre

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

The subculture of the Jeep brand has enabled the lasting success of the Jeep Wrangler. A warrior of World War II, the Jeep was credited with helping to win the war, while also befriending the common American soldier. When the Jeep Wrangler was introduced thirty years after the conclusion of World War II, sales skyrocketed. Today the Jeep Wrangler is still the highest grossing Jeep vehicle. Boasting characteristics for the rugged outdoorsman, this thesis argues that the successful utilization of wilderness ideologies by the Jeep brand promotes the successful sales of the Jeep Wrangler. Through the methods of historical and …

Between The Rural And Suburban: The Social, Political, And Economic Dynamics Of Policing Forsyth County, Ga, Alexandra Vuich

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This thesis reveals how perceptions of crime produce real outcomes in how Forsyth County is policed by the local sheriff’s office and how the residents come to police themselves and each other. Using historical analysis and ethnographic methods, this thesis explores the county’s racial history and shifts in political economy that shape perceptions of crime and their subsequent influence on policing amid decreasing crime rates. It is argued that the forceful removal of all African American residents in 1912, the economic shift away from an agriculture and poultry-based industry, the construction of Lake Lanier and Buford Dam, the staggered expansion …

"What Is My Environment, I Will Change": Exploring The Possibilities Of Transnational Feminism Through Kennesaw State University's Middle Eastern And North African Students, Lissa M. Small

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Much research has been done on feminism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as on the international student experience. This paper combines the two areas of research to study the international student’s role in promoting transnational feminism. Combining select works of fiction with data collected from Kennesaw State University (KSU) students via an online survey and personal interviews, the paper identifies the challenges the MENA women face in creating connections with others in the U.S. while noting the women's influence in changing perceptions. Similarly, the paper highlights the observations of the MENA students in regard to …

Revolutionary Every Day: A Dramatic Exploration Of Women And Their Agency In The Black Panther Party., Kristen Michelle Walker

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This capstone project is centered around Black Panther women and explores what it means to be a revolutionary black woman dealing with politics surrounding gender in both private and public spaces during the late 1960’s and beyond. In addition, the project includes an original fictional play based on the experiences of Panther women around the world. In addressing the social conditions that impacted female Panther activism and agency, together the capstone project and play operate as a commentary on power, gender relations, and society in and around the Black Panther Party.

"We Run A Different School Within A School": Educator Perceptions Of Guatemala-Maya Students In A North Georgia Public School System, Anna Tussey

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

In recent years, the social and political persecution of the Maya population throughout Central America has led to an influx of Maya women and children migrating to the United States. The increased population of immigrant children presents new challenges for the United States, especially in public education. Maya people are rarely distinguished from the Latinx population, subsequently causing their linguistic and cultural needs to go unmet and unacknowledged. This project focuses on the education of Guatemalan-Maya students in a North Georgia public school system, framed through interviews with educators. The educators selected for this study worked almost exclusively with elementary, …

Decolonial Interstice In Carnaval Montevideano: Murga As Hegemonic Dissent At The Tablado De Barrio, Paola García

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Murga is a popular carnival genre in Montevideo, Uruguay. Carnival in Montevideo lasts 40 days in the summer months of January through March but is different from carnival celebrations in Argentina and Brazil. Carnival performances are competitive and occur in neighborhood stages (tablados de barrio) and private stages (tablados comerciales). A government body judges performances to determine a winning group from each of the five performance genres: Sociedad de Negros y Lubolos, Revista, Humorista, Parodista, and Murga. Murga is a musical and theatrical performance that utilizes satire to convey dissent towards quotidian occurrences of heteronormativity. Numerous communities outside of Montevideo …

Religious Identity, Ideology, And Dilemma Of Bangladeshi Muslims In Atlanta, Naznin Sultana

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

My thesis will analyze the religious life of Bangladeshi Muslims in Atlanta, Georgia. Previous research recognized a significant clash between secular nationalistic ideology and Islamic ideology in Bangladesh and elsewhere; therefore, this research focuses on Atlanta’s Bangladeshi Muslims’ identity and ideology regarding secularism and Islamism. Previous literature reveals the fact that some terms about Muslims like fundamentalist, extremist, and revivalist are intermingled with terrorism and radicalism; Muslims are identified based on these terms and concepts. This paper also examines the fear of Islam in America and how this fear impacts Bangladeshi Muslims in Atlanta. This research will focus on the …

"The Road Is My Home:" Reflections On Vandwelling Culture In The United States, Heather Harris

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This video documentary project explores the lives of vandwellers through the eyes of a fellow traveler interested in living the lifestyle in the future. It examines the motivations and experiences of vandwellers living on the road full-time in their vehicles.

Time And Nationhood: The United States And Indigenous Nations, Frederick W. Tillman Ii

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This study examines the temporal rhetoric and discourse in documents of the Indian Removal debate of the late 1820s and early 1830s. The national narratives of both the United States and Cherokee nation are found to be inherently temporal. This study analyzes four key documents of the Removal debate in the form of memorials, speeches before congress, addresses to the people of the United States, and court cases.Time is found not only to help build nations in the minds of its members, but in the case of the United States, it is also found to help maintain the colonial-nation-state and …

Hidden Black And Brown Bridges: The Mutual Influences Of Dr. Martin Luther King And Hispanic Theologian Dr. Justo González, Gabriel A. Greaves

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

This study discusses the significance of “grounding” social activism in religious and cross cultural dialogue using the understudied relationship between Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Latino theologian Justo González. Dr. González was the translator for King during his visit to Puerto Rico in 1965 with FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation). González is a Cuban American Methodist who has written more than 50 books and 300 articles in the field of Hispanic theology. Additionally, González founded the first academic journal dedicated to the impact of Latino theology, known as Apuntes. This resulted in him being considered among the prominent voices …

The Turning Point Of Who Shall Be Master: Killer Of Sheep, Naming, Gender, And The Gaze Of African American Women, Sean Davis Watkins

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Charles Burnett’s 1978 award-winning film Killer of Sheep directly responded to the then-popular Blaxploitation genre, holding a mirror up to post-Watts, 1970s America, while exposing and exploring gender and race issues. Moreover, intentionally or not, Burnett, with this film, effectively demonstrated the lack of recognition that Black women faced in domestic, activist, and employment spheres; simultaneously, Burnett conspicuously reified the relegation of women into that silent, domestic sphere while challenging stereotypes of Black men, elevating them and establishing them as humans, capable of hubris, humanity, and vulnerability. This neo-realistic film masterfully rebirthed the African American male identity; unfortunately, though, neglected …