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College of the Holy Cross

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Broadway Theatre And The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Pre-Shutdown Longevity Impacted Production Success, Emmeline A. Lignowski May 2024

Broadway Theatre And The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Pre-Shutdown Longevity Impacted Production Success, Emmeline A. Lignowski

College Honors Program

On March 12, 2020 New York’s Broadway theaters halted performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year and a half of closure, Broadway finally reopened in August 2021, however, the market was drastically different from its pre-shutdown state. In the midst of a global pandemic, new productions faced increased challenges when trying to establish themselves on the Broadway stage, and even old productions struggled to recoup losses. In this paper, multiple regression analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to test whether a production’s pre-shutdown longevity impacted its success after Broadway reopened. It was found that productions …

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The Spectrum Of Federal Funding's Impact: A Texas-Vermont Case Study, Nicholas Lupone Dec 2023

The Spectrum Of Federal Funding's Impact: A Texas-Vermont Case Study, Nicholas Lupone

Washington Semester Program

This multivariable analysis of the Economic Development Administration’s allocation decisions examines the EDA’s post-pandemic impact through cross-state funding discrepancies. This research uses a comparative case study design focusing on two states, Texas and Vermont, that have different economic characteristics and receive varying levels of EDA funding. The key variables analyzed include the amount and programmatic category of EDA funding received, and the relationship between funding and broad economic indicators, such as employment statistics, economic output, and industry growth. Additional variables will be impact-based and include private leveraged funding, jobs created or retained, and industrial base pre- and post-funding. The study …

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Bridging The Gap: Understanding And Addressing Intimate Partner Violence In Deaf Communities, Catherine Pellini Dec 2023

Bridging The Gap: Understanding And Addressing Intimate Partner Violence In Deaf Communities, Catherine Pellini

Washington Semester Program

The Violence Against Women Act, one of the largest pieces of federal legislation aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence, does not always adequately address or serve those in the Deaf community who are affected by domestic violence. This observation led to the question “under what conditions can and does the Violence Against Women Act effectively serve and protect deaf survivors?” Through conducting interviews with policy experts and advocates as well as analyzing Biennial Reports to Congress on the Effectiveness of Grant Programs Under the Violence Against Women Act, it is evident that the Violence Against Women Act can only …

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The Gift That Never Stops Giving: A Comparison Of Us Aid And Reconstruction In Afghanistan, Post-War Europe, And Ukraine, John Chadwick Canty Jr. Nov 2023

The Gift That Never Stops Giving: A Comparison Of Us Aid And Reconstruction In Afghanistan, Post-War Europe, And Ukraine, John Chadwick Canty Jr.

Washington Semester Program

No abstract provided.

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Classical Influences On Anti-Federalism In Late18th-Century America: An Analysis Of References To The Roman Republic, “Cato,” And Caesar In The Anti-Federalist Papers, Anastasia Kaliabakos May 2023

Classical Influences On Anti-Federalism In Late18th-Century America: An Analysis Of References To The Roman Republic, “Cato,” And Caesar In The Anti-Federalist Papers, Anastasia Kaliabakos

College Honors Program

As a classics major, connecting antiquity to the modern era has always been important to me. Studying the past as a way to inform our perspective on the present is often valuable: as Patrick Henry said, “I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” Relating classics with the founding and constitutional periods of the United States of America is particularly revealing in one’s endeavor to explain the ideas and decisions from that time. A group of figures undoubtedly influenced by Greek and Roman antiquity was the Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were, in short, opposed to the …

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Reinvest In Us: Reimagine The Role Of Police In The U.S., Jamil Davis May 2023

Reinvest In Us: Reimagine The Role Of Police In The U.S., Jamil Davis

College Honors Program

In America, we must question and understand what is “law and order.” Over centuries, America developed a racialized slave-class politically and socially through power and force. Police are the foot soldiers of maintaining law and order as Slave Patrols evolved into the State Police. In my thesis, I discuss how their efforts in traffic enforcement enable a dominant class to target and enslave the oppressed class. Traffic control leads to 18 million interactions a year which is 34 people a minute. The numbers of interactions along with persistent practices regarding discrimination cause police to be a social liability. When bad …

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Intricacies Of Agency: Rational Choice, Behavioral Economics, And Our Normative Commitments, Max Hendrix May 2023

Intricacies Of Agency: Rational Choice, Behavioral Economics, And Our Normative Commitments, Max Hendrix

Fenwick Scholar Program

This project undertakes a philosophical analysis of the intricacies of agency found in rational choice theory - the mainstream economic theory that agents are fundamentally rational and utilize their rationality to identify and pursue their self-interest. Recent experimental evidence within and outside of economics has cast doubt on the psychological accuracy and predictive prowess of the theory, laying the foundation to discuss the strengths and limitations of the theory as well as the impacts that this paradigm of agency has on our society today. I argue that rational choice theory struggles as a holistic conception of agency both from an …

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Family First: Kinship Care As A Gold Standard, Ava Cloghessy May 2023

Family First: Kinship Care As A Gold Standard, Ava Cloghessy

Washington Semester Program

This thesis seeks to address how kinship care can produce higher permanency outcomes for children. Building on selected sources, the author will introduce testimony and illustrations from three key stakeholder perspectives involved in kinship care: children, their caregivers and caseworkers in the Child Welfare system. Finally, the proposed rule from the Administration for Children and Families will be evaluated as a policy recommendation.

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You Have The Right To Remain Uneducated: The Role Of Lobbying In Subverting Anti-Racist Curricula, Liam Martin May 2023

You Have The Right To Remain Uneducated: The Role Of Lobbying In Subverting Anti-Racist Curricula, Liam Martin

Washington Semester Program

This research paper seeks to explore the relationship between professional political actors and the subject of racism in primary education curricula, specifically in areas with prominent anti-CRT movements. Synthesizing these ideas together, the fully formed research question guiding the development of this paper reads as follows: how does the lobbying industry impact the development of primary education curricula in the United States on the subjects of race and racism, specifically in reference to anti-CRT activism? The extant literature on topics of racism, the institution of lobbying, and primary education in America, led to the development of the following thesis …

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Through Her Eyes: Learning And Teaching About Racism Through "To Kill A Mockingbird" And "The Bluest Eye", Sloane Larsen May 2023

Through Her Eyes: Learning And Teaching About Racism Through "To Kill A Mockingbird" And "The Bluest Eye", Sloane Larsen

English Honors Theses

This thesis argues that Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird both merit a place in te United States’ secondary education systems by using use them in the classroom to encourage students to recognize and challenge their biases, perspectives, and choices. One of the many complex questions this thesis addresses is the efficacy of teaching students about racism using such novels. Teaching these novels through Critical Race Theory could help create a new generation of students who are more likely to address and challenge their biases and privilege. At the same time, this approach requires …

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The Ambiguity Of Probable Cause And Its Contentious Application By Police, Dave Sainte-Luce May 2023

The Ambiguity Of Probable Cause And Its Contentious Application By Police, Dave Sainte-Luce

College Honors Program

It is well documented how our country’s Criminal Justice System has a history of targeting people of color. A lot of this contention is derived from police officers’ behavior when interacting with individuals, yet officers only act upon the laws and legal policies that grant them authority, including probable cause. My thesis addresses the question, how does the fluid and ambiguous nature of probable cause leave the door open for officers to disproportionately target people of color in the United States? While focusing on vehicle, person, and property searches, I first define probable cause, building an understanding of exactly what …

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The United States Military’S Role In Maintaining National Security During The Height Of The “War On Drugs”, Sara Terrien Dec 2022

The United States Military’S Role In Maintaining National Security During The Height Of The “War On Drugs”, Sara Terrien

Washington Semester Program

This paper will seek to answer the question: What understanding of national security justified the use of the United States military in the “War on Drugs,” launched by the Reagan administration in 1982? A secondary question that this paper will investigate is whether the definition of “national security” that was used contributed to the protection of American lives and interests. The approach that this paper will take is that the understanding of national security as “defense of the homeland” justified the use of the United States military in the “War on Drugs.” Moreover, the involvement of the United States military …

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The Sunflower Movement Of 2014: How Commitment To Democratization Drives Activism In Taiwan, Katherine Ann Wagner Dec 2022

The Sunflower Movement Of 2014: How Commitment To Democratization Drives Activism In Taiwan, Katherine Ann Wagner

Washington Semester Program

Using the Sunflower Movement of 2014 as a case study, this research paper will seek to answer the question: “what is the primary motivator for political activism in Taiwan in the 21st century?” This paper draws on existing research, historical events, and interviews to examine 1) what causes people to mobilize a social movement or a protest, and 2) how attachment to democratic values is an important explanation for the onset of activism. The approach this paper takes is that ongoing commitment to democratization is the primary driver of activism, and that this particular movement is the latest iteration in …

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Labor Unions In The United States, Argentina, And The United Kingdom: A Comparative Study, Jake Mozeleski May 2022

Labor Unions In The United States, Argentina, And The United Kingdom: A Comparative Study, Jake Mozeleski

College Honors Program

Since major neoliberal financial reforms occurred during the 1980s and 1990s, labor unions’ membership numbers and political influence have waned. While this is true of labor unions in most countries, these changes are incredibly notable in the United States. Scholars from a multitude of disciplines and with varying critical lenses have attempted to understand this phenomenon, but some arguments seem much more convincing than others. This thesis analyzes the validity of various proposed hypotheses, especially the influence of corporatist traditions, the formal and informal links between labor unions and political parties, and the fundraising sources of political parties, using the …

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Fantasized Masculinity Performed In American War Narratives, Shea O'Scannlain May 2022

Fantasized Masculinity Performed In American War Narratives, Shea O'Scannlain

English Honors Theses

In this thesis I wanted to explore the ways that masculinity has been written in history through the genre of fiction. The first chapter discusses traumatized white masculinity in Kurt Vonnegut's novel SlaughterHouse Five and Oliver Stone's film Born On The Fourth of July. The second chapter deals with the female Black experience in response to the white patriarchy in Toni Morrison's novel Home and HBO's television series LoveCraft Country. And finally chapter 3 deals with mythologized masculinity redeemed through violence in Martin Scorsese's film Taxi Driver and Frank Miller's comic book series The Dark Knight Returns. …

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How Prison Systems Can Better Aid People With Substance Use Disorders, Avery Faires May 2022

How Prison Systems Can Better Aid People With Substance Use Disorders, Avery Faires

College Honors Program

A large percentage of prisoners in the United States are suffering from a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), but many prisons across the country lack the proper resources to rehabilitate those with drug addictions. Incarcerated people with SUD face many dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences after release. My thesis addresses key associated questions: What role do prisons play in helping prisoners with SUD? And, how can they aid this population more effectively? When considering the breadth of such issues, I examine the sociohistorical context of drug policy in the U.S. to inform my analysis of the criminalization of substances, the greater …

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Transforming Trees, Transcending Binaries: Gender In Augustan Poetry, Kendall Swanson May 2022

Transforming Trees, Transcending Binaries: Gender In Augustan Poetry, Kendall Swanson

College Honors Program

Humans have been inextricably linked to nature since before the rule of Emperor Augustus in Ancient Rome. Nature feeds humans, it gives people the tools to build a society. Because of this relationship, it is no surprise that authors, both ancient and modern, incorporate various themes of the natural world into their works. Additionally, nature appears linked to human conceptions of gender, as seen in literature and real-world experience. According to the United Nations, one goal to accomplish in order to achieve sustainable development is gender equality in all countries. Gender and nature work together: when inequality exists, environmental degradation …

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Othering: An Analysis Of Expression In Hip-Hop And South Asian Literature Through Post-9/11 Discourse, Syed Tareq Alam May 2021

Othering: An Analysis Of Expression In Hip-Hop And South Asian Literature Through Post-9/11 Discourse, Syed Tareq Alam

English Honors Theses

The critical question this thesis seeks to answer is how a relationship between hip-hop and South Asian literature can be developed in such a way that one is able understand and address both the present and future state of America in a post 9/11 context. To answer this question, three hip-hop songs will be analyzed through their lyrics and instrumentation with a specific focus on their expression of the other: “Cops Shot the Kid” by Nas, “Flag Shopping” and “Patriot Act” by Heems. One novel and play will be analyzed in similar form: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and …

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Biomedical Ethics In The Medical School Curriculum: Lessons Learned From The Holocaust, Emma Flanagan May 2021

Biomedical Ethics In The Medical School Curriculum: Lessons Learned From The Holocaust, Emma Flanagan

College Honors Program

The Holocaust, the murder of 6 million Jews, is the only medically-santioned genocide. This thesis explores the roles of Nazi doctors in the planning, organizing, and implementation of the organized mass murder of European Jewry. Given the German medical community’s complicity, it is imperative that physicians today are well informed about their profession’s history of involvement in the Holocaust. In addition, and by way of contrast, a study of the moral challenges faced by doctors imprisoned in concentration camps or in the ghettos of Nazi-occupied Europe might serve to better prepare physicians for future ethical dilemmas. In a survey of …

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Primaried From The Left: The Role Of A Progressive Campaign Network In Congressional Primary Challenges, Grace C. Burke May 2021

Primaried From The Left: The Role Of A Progressive Campaign Network In Congressional Primary Challenges, Grace C. Burke

College Honors Program

The modern Democratic Party operates as a broad network of actors that share campaign resources such as donors, endorsements, and personnel to collectively promote candidates that advance its policy goals. In primary campaigns, this network traditionally favors incumbent candidates and maintains high barriers for challengers without independent wealth or high-level connections. Progressive challengers within the Democratic Party—who favor a platform centered on climate justice, economic and racial equity, and systemic political reform—have run as alternatives to traditional “establishment” candidates, many of whom are incumbents. Motivated by a populist political message, these progressives have defied party norms and built momentum by …

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Presidential Rhetoric And Media's Contribution To The Subjective Nature Of Truth In American Democracy, Bianca Miccolis May 2021

Presidential Rhetoric And Media's Contribution To The Subjective Nature Of Truth In American Democracy, Bianca Miccolis

English Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of media on the subjectivity of truth in presidential rhetoric and its ethical implications. In my three case studies, I find that there is some form of deception by each president in their chosen form of media. I analyze Roosevelt’s use of the radio, which he uses to hide his disability and gain more executive power to combat the Great Depression. I examine Reagan’s use of television and how he fabricates an intimate relationship with the American people to enact tax reform. Finally, I investigate Trump’s use of Twitter to deflect negative publicity as he …

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Ecology And Vegetation In A Passively Managed Urban Park In Worcester, Ma, Raphaella Mascia May 2021

Ecology And Vegetation In A Passively Managed Urban Park In Worcester, Ma, Raphaella Mascia

College Honors Program

As urbanization continues to expand globally, urban parks are becoming critical habitats for human and non-human species alike. Understanding the various contexts and conditions of local parks prompts improved management and conservation efforts for such expanding urban habitats. Therefore, I assess the ecology and vegetation of a local park, Cookson Field, located in Worcester, MA, US, through a comprehensive series of vegetation surveys and examine its urban context through an examination of land-use history. I find that Cookson Field is primarily an oak (Quercus sp.) woodland with an ericaceous understory consisting mainly of blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) …

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The United States And Its Coercive Democratization Attempts In Japan And Iraq, Noah Shepardson May 2021

The United States And Its Coercive Democratization Attempts In Japan And Iraq, Noah Shepardson

College Honors Program

The United States engaged in coercive democratization (bringing democracy to a country via coercive measures such as occupation) endeavors in both Japan and Iraq, achieving drastically different results. The democratization of Japan is typically regarded as the gold standard of coercive democratization due to Japan’s rapid social and economic development following the United States’ occupation of the country in the years after World War II. The United States’ democratization effort in Iraq, on the other hand, has failed to create such prosperous conditions and has arguably made Iraq more unstable. This thesis seeks to identify why coercive democratization worked in …

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The Poetry Of History: Irish National Imagination Through Mythology And Materiality, Ryan Fay May 2020

The Poetry Of History: Irish National Imagination Through Mythology And Materiality, Ryan Fay

English Honors Theses

The thesis culminates in the twentieth century and yet it begins with the Ulster Cycle, a period of Irish mythological history that occurred around the first century common era. Indeed, since the time frame was before the arrival of the Gaels, Normans, or Christianity, the extent of this mythology’s relevance today is whatever extent it is conceptualized as “Irish.” As such, the first chapter locks onto an aspect that could feasibly transcend time and resonate with modern Irish society: gender. Of course, the epistemological dynamics of gender[1] in the first-century common era are vastly different than the twentieth century …

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User Experience As A Rhetorical Medium: User At The Intersection Of Audience, Reader And Actor, Áine Doyle May 2020

User Experience As A Rhetorical Medium: User At The Intersection Of Audience, Reader And Actor, Áine Doyle

English Honors Theses

The goal of this project is to demonstrate how digital interfaces are bodies of visual language that can be “close-read” and interpreted critically, just like any other traditional text; digital user interfaces, like poetry and novels, have form and content that complement and shape the meaning and interpretation of the other. It is meant to encourage academic discussions about digital interfaces to go beyond whether social media is “good” or “bad” to how digital interfaces are structured, why they are structured the way they are, and what effects these structures have on the way they communicate information and content to …

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A Comparative Analysis Of The Politics Of Gun Control In The United States And Australia, Nicholas Leone May 2020

A Comparative Analysis Of The Politics Of Gun Control In The United States And Australia, Nicholas Leone

College Honors Program

This thesis centers on the interrelationships and differences in firearm legislation and culture within the United States of America and Australia. As a result of the Port Arthur Massacre on April 28, 1996, Australia was faced with an unprecedented mass shooting that completely shifted Australian politics and culture regarding firearm safety and availability. Thus, the thesis inquiries into the effectiveness of Australia’s buyback program as well as the cultural and political factors that allowed for such legislation to be passed. After suffering 118 mass shootings in the U.S. since 1982, the history of the United States regarding gun control is …

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Color Between The Lines: Navigating Mixed Race Identity, Kelly O'Halloran May 2018

Color Between The Lines: Navigating Mixed Race Identity, Kelly O'Halloran

College Honors Program

Through the qualitative work of narrative psychology, this thesis explores experiences of mixed race individuals who have one white parent, one minority parent, and who grew up in a predominantly white community. The data were drawn from the author’s own first-hand experiences as well as in-depth interviews from three Holy Cross students about their mixed race identities. On the basis of these data, three forms of self-identity were found to be especially salient: the unaware self, the unique self, and the liminal self. The unaware self can be understood as not knowing how one appears to others. The unique self …

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The Demilitarization Of Costa Rica, Patrick Buscone May 2017

The Demilitarization Of Costa Rica, Patrick Buscone

College Honors Program

Costa Rica is one of the few developed countries in the world to be completely demilitarized. In the first chapter, this thesis explores why the country decided to demilitarize and how effective their demilitarization has been. Further statistical analysis is applied in Chapter 2 to determine the effect military spending has on growth in Latin America. With Costa Rica experiencing great stability and growth following their demilitarization and the statistical analysis showing military spending to have a negative impact on growth in Latin America, the third and final chapter explores other Latin American countries that could benefit from demilitarization.

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Rationality Vs Reality: The Dissonance Between Economic Models And Experimental Data, Piotr Broda Apr 2017

Rationality Vs Reality: The Dissonance Between Economic Models And Experimental Data, Piotr Broda

College Honors Program

Rationality was not embedded in economic theory from its onset. In fact, the discipline started with a more holistic approach to human nature, incorporating notions of empathy and altruism. It was not until economics progressed and became more concerned with mathematical models and abstract theories that rationality entered the fray. Game theory, developed in the 1940s, established several axioms about human behavior that presented people as perfectly rational economic agents. It was not until behavioral researchers started investigating the question of rationality that the economic worldview was critically challenged. This research was the driving force in the development of behavioral …

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The Convergence Of Schenkerian Music Theory And Generative Linguistics: An Analysis And Composition, Michael A. Ciaramella Apr 2017

The Convergence Of Schenkerian Music Theory And Generative Linguistics: An Analysis And Composition, Michael A. Ciaramella

College Honors Program

This thesis engages a purported connection between Schenkerian music theory and the Minimalist Program within generative linguistics both scientifically and creatively. The first chapter expounds the link between Schenkerian theory and the Minimalist Program which has been recently substantiated in a doctoral dissertation by Somangshu Mukherji at Princeton University and details the methodological framework for investigating musical structures within this paradigm. Chapter two presents three case studies including the opening phrase of Mozart’s K. 332 Mvt. 1 piano sonata, and the tunes “Georgia on My Mind” and “Blue Bossa” in order to exemplify the aforementioned methodology and provide scientific evidence …

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