History Commons^™

Conservatives At The Movies: Conservative Film Critics And Popular Culture, Alex Pinelli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study of modern American conservatism has flourished in the 21st century. However, there are some gaping holes in the historiography. One is the intersection between conservativism and popular culture and the arts. This study aimed to remedy this by analyzing hundreds of film reviews in nearly a dozen conservative publications over twenty-five years. In doing so, this first-of-its-kind analysis explored the underexamined world of the conservative film critic, while also identifying a group of principles that unified the varying critics under one conservative banner.

"Eugenics Is Euphemism”:The American Eugenics Movement, The Cultural Law Of Progress, And Its International Connections & Consequences, Bessie Sue Blackburn

Masters Theses

While often hidden under the guise of race betterment in both a scientific and even moral sense, eugenics was a bioethical movement that captivated many at the turn of the 19th century and through the Progressive Era—which was defined by a crisis of identity in the American mind. Sir Francis Galton, the coiner of the term "eugenics," predicted that this science would first infiltrate academia, then become a practical concern, and finally enter into the conscience as a new religion. This thesis examines this prophecy through the lens of the Scopes Monkey Trial, Carrie Buck's case, and the later horrors …

A Dramaturgical Exploration: Setting Oliver Goldsmith’S She Stoops To Conquer In Post-Civil War Virginia, Amanda Ward

Senior Honors Theses

A reputable theatrical company will hire a dramaturg to implement historical research and to provide reputable information where the director or staff desires it. They ensure that the play’s elements are as truthful to the time period as possible and aid in a performance’s overall success. If a theatrical company were to set Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer in 1870 Virginia, it could strengthen the play’s underlying religious, political, and cultural elements.

The paper is comprised of seven sections: a biography of the playwright, a religious exploration, a political analysis, a cultural comparison, a delineation of suggested script …

Seeds Of The Real People: How Cherokee Folk Ways Conflicted With Colonial Culture, Christopher Gunn

Masters Theses

The diplomatic relationship between the Cherokee and English colonists (and later the United States) was complex and affected by many variables. Chief among them were the cultural differences between the two peoples and how those differences interacted. Because the two groups were from long separated and isolated continents, their cultural ways were almost entirely alien to one another, with only the shared nature of the human condition to give them any common ground. Initially they had much to offer each other, with trade and military alliance becoming the foundation of their relationship. As the two communities grew closer together, however, …

An Undergraduate Seminar On Irish Musical Culture In Ireland And The Irish Diaspora In America, Including The Influence Of Irish Music On Appalachian Folk Music Culture, Frieda Eakins

Masters Theses

The following project establishes a concise, yet multifaceted design for a seminar on Irish musical culture. While it was initially developed as a course for its author to teach in the undergraduate, on-ground classroom, this project provides a framework adaptable enough for use by other instructors and/or for additional music seminars. This project is unique in its two-fold purpose in that the design and resources are directed to assist the instructor with streamlining course curriculum preparation, while the course content specific to the project when utilized offers students in the undergraduate college classroom a better understanding of Irish musical culture …