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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Hbo’S "The Wire" And Its Portrayal Of Baltimore Politics, Schools, And The Judicial System In Season 4: Was It Accurate Then And Does It Stand The Test Of Time?, Josephine Klingeman
Hbo’S "The Wire" And Its Portrayal Of Baltimore Politics, Schools, And The Judicial System In Season 4: Was It Accurate Then And Does It Stand The Test Of Time?, Josephine Klingeman
Honors Theses
This thesis is a content analysis of HBO’s fourth season of The Wire. After conducting an in-depth analysis of the content in the thirteen episodes of season four, I then assessed the level of accuracy in the show’s portrayal of two major topics discussed throughout the season: Witness protection and police informant harassment. I did so by conducting several interviews with professionals who have several decades of experience working in the criminal justice system. I compared their personal experience with witness protection programs, witness harassment, and police informant harassment with the content presented in The Wire on these topics. …
Systemic Inequalities In The Brazilian Education System: By Chance Or By Choice?, Erin Marmen
Systemic Inequalities In The Brazilian Education System: By Chance Or By Choice?, Erin Marmen
Honors Theses
Systemic inequalities in the Brazil date back to the Colonial Era (1500 to 1822). One of the primary institutions which reflects these inequalities in Brazil is the education system. It is the objective of this thesis to analyze factors that impact educational attainment throughout Brazil with a focus on class, ethnicity, gender, and geographic location. First I provide in depth descriptions of the education system in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas, and Bahia, and discuss the problems they face. These five states all have distinct populations, and as a result distinct education systems and sets …
The Impact Of Generational Experiences On Anti-Immigration Sentiments, Pedram Malakian
The Impact Of Generational Experiences On Anti-Immigration Sentiments, Pedram Malakian
Honors Theses
Immigration is one of the most important issues in our increasingly globalized world. Every year, millions of people relocate to Europe and United States in an effort to improve the quality of life for themselves and their family. With this increase in immigration, there has been an emergence of anti-immigration sentiments which have in turn allowed far right political parties to gain more power, evident in the British referendum to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States. While most works of literature look at the current work status, education level and income of …
Environmental Clearinghouse Of Schenectady, Kate Van Patten
Environmental Clearinghouse Of Schenectady, Kate Van Patten
Honors Theses
This paper analyses Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady, a local nonprofit environmental organization. The paper investigates the history of the organization as well as the effectiveness of its organizational and funding habits. A literary review was conducted to analyze the success of ECOS mission as well as the positive effects ECOS has on society using elements such as environmental education, the importance of early environmental education, how well the organization connects urban residents with the outdoors and the effectiveness of environmental programs. This research promotes the importance of early environmental education on our future generations health and environmental conditions. Additionally, through …
An Examination Of School Shootings And Mental Health: A Comparative Case Study, Emily Kaufman
An Examination Of School Shootings And Mental Health: A Comparative Case Study, Emily Kaufman
Honors Theses
School shootings have become more relevant in our society over the past few decades, yet the debate over the cause of these shootings never seems to reach a conclusion. The current study looks at the connection between mental illness and school shootings, as well as the roles that media, gun control, violence, and masculinity play in the common phenomena. Prior literature has debated over the main causes of school shootings, but many researchers state differing opinions regarding the motivations for perpetrators. This study found that severe mental illness is the main cause of school shootings, and while mental illness may …
Children Enrichment Programs And Teaching Methods In Two Different Socioeconomic Classes, Chloe Bartlett
Children Enrichment Programs And Teaching Methods In Two Different Socioeconomic Classes, Chloe Bartlett
Honors Theses
Students from working class families are not given equal attention treatment opportunities or guidance as those of middle class backgrounds. The 'gap' between family and school is the socioeconomic background being catered to in schools. I argue that schools run on a highly Western middle class ideology and thus do not reflect cultural values or systems of students from working class families who perceive authority differently and have been socialized in a community plagued by violence crime and lack of economic resources. Such resources that middle class families can attain to academically assist their children. As a result those students …
A Glimpse At Teaching Leadership In America: Case Studies Illuminate The Problems, Margaret Girton
A Glimpse At Teaching Leadership In America: Case Studies Illuminate The Problems, Margaret Girton
Honors Theses
Leadership is everywhere in America. The concept of leadership is nearly impossible to define and means many different things to many different people, yet it permeates American society at all levels. Moreover, the American people seem to be obsessed with the notion of leadership and within their obsession have projected a value on the concept, making it a quality desired by many. The obsession of leadership is exemplified by the proliferation of the leadership industry and an increased emphasis on leadership development in the corporate world. Furthermore higher education has been similarly affected by the leadership phenomenon and often aims …
The Effect Of Posture On Classroom Participation, Janine Cerutti
The Effect Of Posture On Classroom Participation, Janine Cerutti
Honors Theses
Past research suggested that students with low self-esteem participate less in class than students with high self-esteem. Separately, prior research investigated the effects of nonverbal behavior on different variables such as confidence and performance. In the current research, we explored the effect of posture on the level of class participation (i.e. the number of times participants raised their hand to participate during a question-answer session). First, participants were asked to take a self-esteem questionnaire before participating in a simulated lecture. Next, participants were randomly assigned to either a slumped or upright posture condition. During the lecture, participants watched a short …
Making It: The Role Of School-Based Intervention In Shaping Educational Aspirations Expectations And Achievement Among High School Students, Maeve Williams
Making It: The Role Of School-Based Intervention In Shaping Educational Aspirations Expectations And Achievement Among High School Students, Maeve Williams
Honors Theses
In an age when higher education has become increasingly channeled as a means of gaining access to an information-driven economy, it is important to note who does and does not enroll in postsecondary courses. The American ‘achievement’ ideology touts education as an opportunity equalizer, and attributes lack of achievement in this system to individual failing. An extensive body of literature, however, points to systemic barriers which create a gap in achievement, primarily along the social fault lines of early development and family characteristics, peers and community, school environment and locational setting, and the demographic factors of race, socioeconomic class and …
Quantitative Assessment Of The Presence Of A Bubble In The Higher Education Market, Kyle Birnbaum
Quantitative Assessment Of The Presence Of A Bubble In The Higher Education Market, Kyle Birnbaum
Honors Theses
The relationship between the value of a college education and the price of the diploma is explored for exuberance in light of the accelerating growth rate of college tuition. With the Great Recession of 2007 still in on the minds of the American public, bubble formation and the subsequent burst is a concern for future economic stability. Discussion on the presence of a higher education bubble continues to increase however it has yet to be quantitatively assessed. This paper utilizes a modified price-dividend ratio, tailored for higher education, implemented in the econometric model for bubble detection developed by Phillips, Wu …
Japanese Neet And Freeter: A Representation Of The Relationship Between Social Changes And Youth's Employment Pattern, Linh Hoang
Honors Theses
My paper attempts to analyze the existence of NEET (No Employment, Education or Training – ニート) and Freeter (Freelancing part-time worker - フリーター), two common groups of young unemployed people and irregular workers in Japan. Throughout the study, the relationship between Japanese social changes, modernization process and Japanese NEETs and Freeters is thoroughly examined. The first social change related to the establishment of these two groups is the transformation of employment system. The combination of a seniority-based system and performance-based system as well as their contrasts has increased the competitiveness in the job seeking war while eliminating some of the …
The Effect Of Posture On Classroom Participation, Janine Cerutti
The Effect Of Posture On Classroom Participation, Janine Cerutti
Honors Theses
Past research suggested that students with low self-esteem participate less in class than students with high self-esteem. Separately, prior research investigated the effects of nonverbal behavior on different variables such as confidence and performance. In the current research, we explored the effect of posture on the level of class participation (i.e. the number of times participants raised their hand to participate during a question-answer session). First, participants were asked to take a self-esteem questionnaire before participating in a simulated lecture. Next, participants were randomly assigned to either a slumped or upright posture condition. During the lecture, participants watched a short …
A Microcosm Of The American Public Education Crisis Surrounding Race And Income, Janey Fine
A Microcosm Of The American Public Education Crisis Surrounding Race And Income, Janey Fine
Honors Theses
This thesis studies the effects that race and socio-economic status have on a student’s academic achievement in the American public education system. It compares the experiences of students from Schenectady, New York, a low-income, minority-populated small city, and neighboring Niskayuna, a predominately white, affluent community, by looking at graduation rates, school budgets and resources, teacher salaries, household income, and rates of poverty. Despite the annual budgets and student expenditures being similar amongst the two districts, the rates of poverty and racial disparities are dramatic. Therefore, this research exposes how there are countless variables outside of the school itself that impact …
Does Digital Engagement Predict Enrollment: An Analysis Of Applicants’ Behavior On Union College’S Website, Christopher Garibaldi
Does Digital Engagement Predict Enrollment: An Analysis Of Applicants’ Behavior On Union College’S Website, Christopher Garibaldi
Honors Theses
This paper examines the behavior of admitted regular decision applicants on Union College’s website. I focus on the period between the announcement of admission decisions until after the deadline for deposits. I find that website traffic surges following the release of admission decisions, and falls sharply after the deadline for deposits. Traffic comes from applicants who end up enrolling at Union, as well as those who ultimately enroll elsewhere. The share of traffic from applicants who enroll elsewhere gradually declines from about 75 percent at the beginning of our sample to about 60 percent by the deposit deadline, declining to …
Minding The Gap: Analyzing The Role Of Guidance Counselors In High School Ability Grouping, Marisa Underberger
Minding The Gap: Analyzing The Role Of Guidance Counselors In High School Ability Grouping, Marisa Underberger
Honors Theses
This project investigates the role of the guidance counselor in high school tracking and ability grouping. Tracking and ability grouping are controversial topics among high schools because they can create a “school within a school” where the low-income-minority students are in lower tracks while the high-income white students are in the advanced classes. Scholars have debated if detracking, or heterogeneous grouping, is the answer, but the concern is that slower learners will hold advanced students back. When deciding which classes students should be enrolled in, teachers, parents, students, and guidance counselors all contribute their opinions. Guidance counselors play a crucial …
Toys Don't Have A Gender: Gender Play And Aggression In A Small Co-Operative Play Based Preschool, Bryn Peterson
Toys Don't Have A Gender: Gender Play And Aggression In A Small Co-Operative Play Based Preschool, Bryn Peterson
Honors Theses
In this thesis I explore the relationship between gender and free-play in a small, cooperative preschool in Niskayuna, New York. While psychologists and sociologists have studied gender in young children, I found that children had been largely overlooked in the field of anthropology. While some anthropologists have historically believed that children do not fully understand their culture and cannot be reliable informants, I believe that there is much we can learn by understanding children's games - which often reflect our culture. Through observing children's free play I was able to analyze gender conforming/nonconforming play, aggression, and the themes of the …
The Effect Of Educational Debt On The Probability Of Homeownership For College Graduates: An Empirical Analysis, Cole Ikkala
The Effect Of Educational Debt On The Probability Of Homeownership For College Graduates: An Empirical Analysis, Cole Ikkala
Honors Theses
With the average tuition of both public and private institutions on the rise, students are graduating from college with a higher burden of debt than ever before. In turn this is adversely affecting their post-graduation decisions, specifically the purchasing of their first home. With the simultaneous increase of educational debt levels and tightening of lending constraints for mortgages, it is hypothesized that first-time homeownership is being delayed. The purpose of this study is to analyze what exactly is delaying graduates from purchasing a home, the outstanding total educational debt amount or the monthly educational debt repayment amounts. Both can hinder …
The Non-Profit Education System In Cambodia: Case Study Of Two Programs, Sasha I. Zuflacht
The Non-Profit Education System In Cambodia: Case Study Of Two Programs, Sasha I. Zuflacht
Honors Theses
This thesis examines the strengths and weaknesses of two non-profit education systems in Cambodia using organizations focused on educating and supporting Cambodian youth. The study addresses the challenges that these different schools face and what they are doing to overcome these issues. Questionnaires were distributed and interviews and guided conversations were conducted at The Global Child and The Ponheary Ly Foundation; teachers, staff, volunteers and students participated. This study discusses how strategies and structure vary between these two different organizations and the impact they are having on education and youth in Cambodia. The information collected indicates that non-profit education programs …
How To Predict Success In College, Holland Martini
How To Predict Success In College, Holland Martini
Honors Theses
This paper examines the Union College system for determining the academic quality of its applicants. Currently, Union College uses five criteria: high school GPA; rank; strength of schedule; quality of high school; and SAT/ACT scores, if available. Using data on about 1600 students, I examine the predictive power of these criteria for the performance of a student at Union. As a measure of performance I use cumulative GPA at Union and whether or not the student is still enrolled in Spring 2011. I find that the five criteria predict about 25% of the variation in GPA at Union. With the …
In Pursuit Of Cultural Immersion: An Anthropological Look Into American Students' Study Abroad Experience, Jessica Sarrantonio
In Pursuit Of Cultural Immersion: An Anthropological Look Into American Students' Study Abroad Experience, Jessica Sarrantonio
Honors Theses
American students are now more than ever being encouraged to study abroad. Study abroad has been praised for increasing students’ cultural sensitivity, and promoting personal, professional, and intellectual development. In the spring of 2011, I personally had the chance to participant in, analyze, and reflect upon what the American students’ study abroad experience is all about. After three months during the summer in India, as a participant observer in a language intensive program, and three months during the fall in Australia, as a participant observer in Union College’s Partners in Global Education, I have a unique personal and cultural understanding …