Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 114

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Political Trust: Nature Or Nurture, Kahlan R. Canty Oct 2022

Political Trust: Nature Or Nurture, Kahlan R. Canty

Student Publications

This paper looked into the relationship between political trust, demographics (race and gender), and presidential election votes for 2012 and 2016. The purpose of this research was to see the baseline feelings of political trust in different demographics, as well as how those feelings of political trust changed depending on if they voted for in the winning candidate in the presidential election. Preliminary research has already been conducted on both of these topics; however, in this paper I sought to examine if an individual's race or gender affected the extent of a person's loss or gain in political trust when …


Existentialism And Social Meaning: The Development Of A Social Being, John R. Swartz Oct 2022

Existentialism And Social Meaning: The Development Of A Social Being, John R. Swartz

Student Publications

Individuals are defined by their beliefs. A tension exists in the development of personhood between the concepts of individually chosen existential meaning, and societally imposed social meaning. The essay explores these concepts and how an individuals is to navigate a world of meaning. Ultimately, the creation of art is examined as a means of creating new meaning individually and societally.


The Relationship Between Women In Parliament And Globalization, Lilian A. Morrell Oct 2022

The Relationship Between Women In Parliament And Globalization, Lilian A. Morrell

Student Publications

I examine the relationship between women in national parliaments and globalization. Existing scholarship has thoroughly examined how globalization affects women’s representation but there is a distinct lack of research examining the obverse relationship. I seek to examine whether the saturation of women in the legislature has a significant impact on the level of globalization within a given nation and, more specifically, whether a curvilinear relationship exists between these two variables. I hypothesize that there exists a significant relationship of a concave nature, with parliaments that have no or a small percentage of women exhibiting low levels of globalization and globalization …


Denmark And Sweden: The Collision Between Welfare State Politics And Immigration, Amy Elizabeth Cantrell Apr 2022

Denmark And Sweden: The Collision Between Welfare State Politics And Immigration, Amy Elizabeth Cantrell

Student Publications

The Scandinavian welfare states of Denmark and Sweden have famously similar socio-political and cultural systems, ones which have advanced the common perception of these nations as united in a common humanitarian and progressive global position. However there exists a significant divergence within either nation’s approach to immigration, asylum and integration policy, one indicative of the deeply ingrained deviations in popular understandings of national belonging and perspectives on greater European and global integration. By contextualizing the historical progressions of either nation and juxtaposing their individual responses to both the 2015 European refugee crisis and the contemporary Ukrainian conflict and resulting refugee …


Occurrence And Ecosystem Effects Of Hiking Off-Trail In Michaux State Forest, Diana Biesecker, Quinn Doherty, Kevin S. Ganjon Apr 2022

Occurrence And Ecosystem Effects Of Hiking Off-Trail In Michaux State Forest, Diana Biesecker, Quinn Doherty, Kevin S. Ganjon

Student Publications

American public lands provide significant outdoor recreational opportunities that enhance an individual's physical and mental well-being. Hiking is an example of a highly accessible and affordable recreational activity that is popular and easy for people to engage in no matter how experienced they are. While hiking has improved the well-being of many individuals, its impacts on local ecosystems are often disregarded. For our research, we focused on the impacts that hikers deviating off-trail may have on a local ecosystem in Michaux State Forest in Southern Pennsylvania. Through partnering with the foresters at Michaux State Forest and using AllTrails data, we …


The North ‘Helicoptering’ Into The South: A Meta-Analysis Of Parachute Science In Ecological Field Studies, Alexandros Economou-Garcia Apr 2022

The North ‘Helicoptering’ Into The South: A Meta-Analysis Of Parachute Science In Ecological Field Studies, Alexandros Economou-Garcia

Student Publications

Science is increasingly collaborative, but scientists from the Global North (GN) often fail to collaborate with local scientists or to build local scientific capacity when conducting research in the Global South (GS). This practice is known as “parachute science” or “helicopter science”. In addition to ethical concerns, this practice is problematic in the field of ecology because it may reduce the likelihood that the research will inform local resource management and science policy. I hypothesized that, because research has become increasingly collaborative, there would be a decline in parachute science over time. In addition, I hypothesized that papers that included …


The Religious Lexicon Embedded In Public American Curricula, Daniel R. Jones Apr 2022

The Religious Lexicon Embedded In Public American Curricula, Daniel R. Jones

Student Publications

What is the relationship between one's own religious beliefs and their everyday colloquial diction choices? Moreover, why is the subfield that encompasses the intersection of sociolinguistics, education, and religious studies one that has gained little scholarly interest in recent years, where one could argue the importance of religious belief, and other socio-political beliefs in education have come center stage in the heart of American political debate? This article will tackle this broad range of topics through a case study focusing on my primary research question: How does a teacher’s own religious identity affect the religious language utilized in their classroom …


Transportation Barriers Affecting Migrant Workers In Adams County, Pennsylvania, Anna H. Bochenek, Christopher Trilleras Oct 2021

Transportation Barriers Affecting Migrant Workers In Adams County, Pennsylvania, Anna H. Bochenek, Christopher Trilleras

Student Publications

This study examines the transportation patterns and potential barriers among migrant families and workers in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The objective of this study is to determine whether barriers to transportation exist in the county, and if so, how these barriers impact the population facing them. Our study examines solutions such as more universal license policies or a potential public transportation option. To collect data and carry out our project, we distributed surveys in English and Spanish families through the Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College. We had the potential to receive responses from around 70 families, and ultimately received …


The Constructing Of “Chinese-Ness”: The Culinary Identity Of Chinese Restaurants In Gettysburg, Pa., Lureann A. Semple Oct 2021

The Constructing Of “Chinese-Ness”: The Culinary Identity Of Chinese Restaurants In Gettysburg, Pa., Lureann A. Semple

Student Publications

General Tso’s Chicken. Egg Rolls. Fried Rice. Fortune Cookies. Since the creation of Chop Suey in 1849, Chinese restaurants have not only displayed one of the most fascinating ethnic cuisines in the US but also become a commonly recognizable cultural symbol for Chinese-ness in the American “melting pot." Then what kind of “Chinese-ness” is presented and how is it constructed by these restaurants? Does its Otherness prevent it from fitting into mainstream American society or does its Americanization make this identity less ‘authentic’? By taking the Chinese restaurants in Gettysburg, PA, as a case study, this research studies the construction …


Under What Conditions Do Individuals Report Discrimination In The Workforce?, Vanessa L. Salinas Oct 2021

Under What Conditions Do Individuals Report Discrimination In The Workforce?, Vanessa L. Salinas

Student Publications

This study consists of evaluating the report of discrimination in the workplace regarding gender, race, and sexual orientation. It also explores the perceived discrimination and believed discrimination against African Americans regarding race and gender because they can influence or provide more information for the reports of discrimination in the workforce. Additionally, it evaluates if it is better for a man to work and a woman to stay home to see what groups are most and least likely to have these perceptions. The purpose is to investigate all of these regression equations and consider intersectionality. Intersectionality is one of the main …


Are Happy Individuals Less Xenophobic Than Unhappy Individuals? Happiness & Income Versus Xenophobia, Noah A. Albanese Oct 2021

Are Happy Individuals Less Xenophobic Than Unhappy Individuals? Happiness & Income Versus Xenophobia, Noah A. Albanese

Student Publications

The social science literature on xenophobia is immense. Researchers have found that individual levels of xenophobia have a strong correlation with economic indicators, education, and political affiliation. However, do they have any correlation with unconventional indicators like happiness? This paper uses data from the World Value Survey to study the correlation between individual happiness and xenophobia. I find that there is a significant correlation between individual levels of happiness and xenophobia, even when controlling for income around the world.


Evaluation Of The Federal Writers' Project, Brenna M. Hadley Oct 2021

Evaluation Of The Federal Writers' Project, Brenna M. Hadley

Student Publications

This essay examines an interview with a former slave, Sarah Graves. The interview is a product of the Federal Writers' Project, a government funded program created during the Great Depression. I address the possible problems that arise when working with this type of memory source (an interview), and how to work around them. This essay also ponders the reasoning why certain bits of information were included in the interview, and why others were excluded.


The Sarah Gudger Interview: An Analysis, Mckenna C. White Oct 2021

The Sarah Gudger Interview: An Analysis, Mckenna C. White

Student Publications

During the Great Depression, a New Deal project intended to create jobs was the Federal Writer's Project. One aspect of this project, the Slave Narrative Project, involved the interviews of over 2,000 former slaves and culminated in a federal collection of information on the lives of enslaved people. This paper focuses on the interview of Sarah Gudger, a 121 year-old former slave from North Carolina. It includes an overview of the content included and excluded from the interview in addition to an analysis of the interview including factors that may have positively or negatively impacted the interview's content, as well …


Public Safety Agencies And Uav Technology: A Review Of Uses, Lacey L. Weynand Apr 2021

Public Safety Agencies And Uav Technology: A Review Of Uses, Lacey L. Weynand

Student Publications

This study utilizes a systematic review of some of the scholarly literature available on drone usage within Southern California, specifically in Los Angeles and Chula Vista. I ask: how do public safety agencies use drone technology? The review will cover cases from existing scholarly literature, as well as policy reports and books from the Google Scholar database. A systematic review was the best methodology to begin fully investigating my research question, since the scope could have been so large that individual data points would have been difficult to find and instead requires a macro-level review. This data will provide a …


International Travel And Its Impacts On Black/African American Identity Construction, Jordan K. Knox Apr 2021

International Travel And Its Impacts On Black/African American Identity Construction, Jordan K. Knox

Student Publications

How does going abroad impact Black/African Americans’ conceptualization of self? To assess the answer to this question I analyzed and reflected on mine and the international experiences of my participants, conducted thirteen interviews, and had participants answer survey questions. I argue that identity has two parts: your external and internal parts. The external identity I attributed to international experiences. My findings showed there are three impacts international travel has on Black/ African American identity constructions: the reinforcement, creation of something new, and added new dimension. There is little scholarship that studies the impact of international travel as it pertains to …


Perceptions Of Bystander Intervention: Surveying Students’ Relationship To Sexual Misconduct, Emma G. Padrick Apr 2021

Perceptions Of Bystander Intervention: Surveying Students’ Relationship To Sexual Misconduct, Emma G. Padrick

Student Publications

Bystander intervention education programs have become increasingly popular as a tool for the primary prevention of sexual violence at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Emerging research surrounding bystander intervention on college campuses reveals promising results, yet there is limited extant research exploring how students perceive bystander intervention as a tool to protect themselves and their peers. Students over the age of 18 at a small, private, liberal arts IHE in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States with approximately 2,600 students were surveyed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to bystander intervention. Students demonstrated a willingness to intervene and …


Clash Of Totalitarian Titans: Nazi Germany, The Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, And The Racial And Ideological War Of Annihilation On The Eastern Front, John M. Zak Apr 2021

Clash Of Totalitarian Titans: Nazi Germany, The Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, And The Racial And Ideological War Of Annihilation On The Eastern Front, John M. Zak

Student Publications

The eastern front in the Second World War was one of unparalleled ferocity and brutality unseen on any other front during civilization’s largest and most destructive war. This work contends that in order to understand how the eastern front was such can only be understood through the lens of Nazi ideology and its long-terms goals for Lebensraum and the Greater Germany it sought to secure. The role of Nazi racial ideology and its belief in the inherent racial inferiority of the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, along with totalitarian ideology viewing Soviet Communism as Nazism’s chief …


Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff Oct 2020

Contextual Support Of Environmental Protection, Emma R. Groff

Student Publications

Environmental regulation is often viewed as conflicting with economic needs. This paper examines under what personal and contextual economic conditions individuals support increased environmental protection efforts. Data from the 2017 World Values Survey is analyzed to determine the probability that an individual will prioritize environmental protection over economic growth at varying levels of household income with a comparison between the context of an economically secure country and an economically insecure country. The results indicate that, across all income levels, individuals in economically secure countries are more likely to prioritize the environment than those in economically insecure countries. In a comparison …


Along Ideological Lines: Examining Support For Black Lives Matter, Caden E. Giordano Oct 2020

Along Ideological Lines: Examining Support For Black Lives Matter, Caden E. Giordano

Student Publications

In this paper, support for the Black Lives Matter is examined through different identity frames: feminism, support for the LGBTQ+ community, and who the respondent voted for in 2016. An interaction variable was created to see how race influenced these categories. For example, whether a white feminist might support Black Lives Matter more or less than a Black feminist or a white non-feminist. Race is the main determinant of support for Black Lives Matter.


African Americans Accused Of “Acting White”: The Impacts On Their Selves And Identities, Brett S. Anderson Oct 2020

African Americans Accused Of “Acting White”: The Impacts On Their Selves And Identities, Brett S. Anderson

Student Publications

A majority of the research on the accusation of acting white focuses on whether it is responsible for creating the wide achievement gap between white and Black people in America (Tyson, Darity, and Castellino 2005). However, there is little research that has looked into the potentially damaging effects that this accusation can have on the selves and identities of Black students. Through the analysis of classical and contemporary sociological theories and studies, it is determined that African Americans’ selves and identities are negatively impacted when they are accused of “acting white.” The suggested impacts are negative social reflection and the …


An Applied And Public Anthropology Of Refugee Resettlement In Europe: A Call To Action, Dylan T. O'Neil Apr 2020

An Applied And Public Anthropology Of Refugee Resettlement In Europe: A Call To Action, Dylan T. O'Neil

Student Publications

This essay engages with the growing reality of refugee resettlement, specifically in Europe, and aims to find roles for anthropology in this field. By drawing on the ideas of applied and public anthropology along with the long history of anthropological studies of migration, I intend to call the field of anthropology to action. Various potential roles exist for anthropologists in Europe that can alleviate the suffering of displaced individuals. Roles also exist for the field of anthropology to work towards more holistic and effective refugee resettlement. While this essay focuses primarily on resettlement in Europe, I hope it can spark …


African American Disparities Within The Medical World, Claudia E. Mischler Apr 2020

African American Disparities Within The Medical World, Claudia E. Mischler

Student Publications

There are many challenges that African Americans face and the lack of quality in care towards African Americans is an ongoing problem. Black men and women are not given the same care compared to their white counterparts. African Americans are faced with numerous disparities in the medical world. This can exist due to factors that are out of their control such as; failure of medical professionals recognizing the sociocultural differences, distrust in the health care system, cultural differences in understanding and explaining illness, history of hospital and medical office segregation, and knowledge of available services. It is very unlikely to …


Gentrification In Seattle: Amazon Overpowers The City Council, Keyleigh N. Wallick Apr 2020

Gentrification In Seattle: Amazon Overpowers The City Council, Keyleigh N. Wallick

Student Publications

In this paper, I will analyze gentrification in the city of Seattle, Washington. I argue that gentrification in Seattle is driven by the tech and real estate industries that are powerful and lucrative enough to deter accountability despite the City Council’s efforts. First, I will discuss gentrification mostly through a sociological lens. Then, I will consider gentrification in Seattle, focusing on the Central District, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and First Hill neighborhoods. Additionally, I will discuss the role immigration plays in gentrification and the vulnerability of certain communities in Seattle. Finally, I will analyze the efforts the City Council …


Making Health Education Healthier: How Medical Schools Use Bias Training And Intersectional Theory To Reduce Implicit Bias, Madeleine N. Miller Apr 2020

Making Health Education Healthier: How Medical Schools Use Bias Training And Intersectional Theory To Reduce Implicit Bias, Madeleine N. Miller

Student Publications

Medical bias has been successfully characterized through two-way bias theory and the concept of the "normal body" and further divided into implicit and explicit bias. Yet, many individuals who go to the doctor are still given insufficient care because of their gender, race, class, sexuality, etc. Medical Education offers a unique opportunity for bias reduction both through formal and informal training. It is crucial that, as they are taught how to save a patient’s life, medical students are also taught to empathize with all patients and to give every patient, regardless of their gender, skin color, or class, the most …


Diversity In Advertisements And Brand Perception, Aarica Z. Flowers, Charlotte Buckman, Madeleine C. Diprete, Caroline G. Regan Apr 2020

Diversity In Advertisements And Brand Perception, Aarica Z. Flowers, Charlotte Buckman, Madeleine C. Diprete, Caroline G. Regan

Student Publications

This research project examines the relationship between representation of diversity in marketing and brand perception. The debate about whether diversity in advertisements impacts how consumers perceive and purchase from brands is ongoing. Thus, this study examines whether companies are rewarded for representing diversity in their advertisements and punished for representation that is inappropriate or insensitive. We conducted an online survey among Gettysburg College students and elicited their beliefs about the importance of diversity in marketing campaigns. We found that consumers are more likely to buy from companies that represent more racial diversity in their advertisements. The same was found for …


Does Imprisonment Have An Effect On Crime Rates?, Diana E. Mendez Apr 2020

Does Imprisonment Have An Effect On Crime Rates?, Diana E. Mendez

Student Publications

Since the 1790s, prisons in the United States were built with the means of reducing crime rates through the usage of incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. However, while it may seem intuitive to assume that higher incarceration rates yield lower crime rates, it is not regularly the case. Using the 2016 States dataset, I examine the effects of incarceration rates and its influence on crime rates in the United States; I suggest that states with higher incarceration rates will have higher crime rates than states with lower incarceration rates. Therefore, the evidence concludes states with high incarceration rates generate higher rates …


Cannabis And Its Historical Role In America’S Intentional Segregation Of Race, William E. Kelley Apr 2020

Cannabis And Its Historical Role In America’S Intentional Segregation Of Race, William E. Kelley

Student Publications

One of the more dramatic shifts in attitudes towards a particular trend or culture we have seen during the turn of the century is none other than attitudes towards marijuana. The Cannabis plant, commonly known as marijuana, has been illegal in the United States for a while now. In the past ten years, we have seen an influx of states and countries relaxing their attitudes towards marijuana, and it's potential benefits. While this shift in attitude towards a relatively harmless drug is a step in the right direction, many are unaware of the sinister and racist history behind outlawing the …


Bodies Without The Burden: White Appropriation And Exploitation Of Black Appearance And Culture, Marisa E. Balanda Apr 2020

Bodies Without The Burden: White Appropriation And Exploitation Of Black Appearance And Culture, Marisa E. Balanda

Student Publications

Critiques of cultural appropriation in regards to inappropriate Halloween costumes and the phenomenon of Instagram models “black-fishing” their followers are more prevalent now than ever before, but white exploitation of black culture and appearance is nothing new. In academia, the term “cultural appropriation” describes how aspects of a marginalized group’s culture are taken by those in a dominant group without regard to their cultural significance. In her chapter, “Black Culture Without Black People,” Imani Kai Johnson refers to appropriation as “colonialism at the scale of the dancing body or the sacred ritual object, its life and dynamism reduced to a …


Environmental Injustice's Impact On Asthma Disparities In Nyc, Tayler J. Rodriquez Apr 2020

Environmental Injustice's Impact On Asthma Disparities In Nyc, Tayler J. Rodriquez

Student Publications

Understanding the social determinants of health is essential when looking at low-income minorities in urban cities. Social determinants of health are conditions in the environment in which people are born, which affects a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Amongst other determinants, adequate housing can have a significant influence on population health outcomes such as asthma. Zoning inequality negatively and disproportionately impacts the health and the overall quality of life of low-income minorities; zoning is correlated to environmental injustice fueling adverse health effects and health disparities among low-income minority populations. Without the opportunity to receive adequate and affordable housing, …


The Imposition Of White Beauty Standards On Black Women, Sabrina E. Robinette Oct 2019

The Imposition Of White Beauty Standards On Black Women, Sabrina E. Robinette

Student Publications

This paper explores the impact of racist beauty ideals on black women through a survey of personal testimonies and an examination of media’s role in perpetrating white beauty. Without sufficient black representation in media, Western beauty standards have excluded black women from defining beauty, which inflicts psychological, physical, and even economic harm on women of color. Companies make profits off of black women’s insecurity from products such as skin lightening cream, chemical straighteners, and hair dye, all of which are an economic burden on black women at best and are life-threatening at worst. Often, black women are forced to turn …