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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

“Now It’S All Simple:” Ideology And Solidarity In Mckay’S Romance In Marseille, Reilly Flynn Jun 2021

“Now It’S All Simple:” Ideology And Solidarity In Mckay’S Romance In Marseille, Reilly Flynn

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Survival strategy, or an individual’s chosen method of living with dignity and security in an oppressive social order, can be viewed as a reflection of identity. Claude McKay’s recently published 1932 novel Romance in Marseille presents a wide variety of survival strategies practiced by many diasporic Africans. These characters hail from a variety of backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, and disability statuses, but they are nevertheless united by common class conditions. Through this, solidarity and shared ideology emerge. Solidarity is crucially an important revolutionary force, but it is not infallible. With an eye on manifestations of ideology and identity in …


'Household Managers': Women's Employment In Japan, Elizabeth Gaver Jun 2021

'Household Managers': Women's Employment In Japan, Elizabeth Gaver

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Despite modern Japan’s evident economic success, persisting inequality between men and women is still apparent in the work field, furthered by societal expectations that drive women away from employment and overwork men. This presentation argues the causes of inequality for women in the work field, including societal expectations and the two-track system, as well as analyzes the effects on women’s lifestyle and careers, including the wage gap and prevalence of non-standard employment. Furthermore, this presentation argues the increasingly detrimental effects of employment inequality on Japanese society as a whole, such as the declining fertility rate. Lastly, this paper will focus …


8:46, Riell Swann Jun 2021

8:46, Riell Swann

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

The multimedia poetic work, 8:46, attempts to shed light on the lengthy history of systemic racism in America. Through curated images meant to visually represent the spoken word, this creative piece guides the viewer through this reality via the eyes of the most enigmatic and stereotyped figures of modern times, a young black man. This poetic work seeks to enlighten others, as to potentially cultivate a bridge of understanding and empathy. Despite background, creed, or color, discussion of the issues is the most direct method towards progress. Through the use of text and imagery, the hope of this poetic work …


Fragility As An Impediment To Development In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Samantha Soter Jun 2020

Fragility As An Impediment To Development In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Samantha Soter

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

This paper is written for the purpose of providing an objective analysis of the fragile state that is the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to critically and holistically analyze the limiting factors of conflict, resource exploitation, and corruption within the context of hindering sustainable development. For the past decade-and-a-half, a multifaceted struggle comprised of numerous armed groups has plagued the region, each vying for control over the nation’s plentiful natural resources. Given the combined presence of the United Nations MONUSCO intervention, Congolese forces, and over one-hundred different militia groups, whose actions each contribute to fragility, a complex power-struggle at …


Blood, Meth, And Tears: The Super Soldiers Of World War Ii, Nicholas Racine Jun 2019

Blood, Meth, And Tears: The Super Soldiers Of World War Ii, Nicholas Racine

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Day and night, soldiers in World War II were physically and mentally strained by fatigue and psychiatric distress. Consequently, many soldiers were left exhausted and demoralized. War efforts hinged on soldiers succeeding in missions, thus a fast-acting solution was needed. Development of the psychostimulant drugs Benzedrine and Pervitin in the 1920s and 30s spurred enthusiasm among scientists, the media, the public, and various governments. Potent and powerful, these drugs exert effects that promote wakefulness, elevated mood, and improved field performance. Governments quickly began researching use of stimulants to improve their war efforts. By the early 40s, both drugs had millions …


The Stories We Tell, Abigail A. Hoekstra Apr 2017

The Stories We Tell, Abigail A. Hoekstra

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure tells the story of Dorothy Allison as she comes to terms with her past and strives to move beyond it, to be empowered and embodied by it. In this short memoir, Allison explores the relationship she has with her mother and how that relationship has influenced her individuality and character, whose complacency has restricted Allison. Allison breaks away from the stories she has been told to tell a new story of abuse and disembodiment in which she finds love, and in turn, embodiment; the unification of her body and spirit. Story-telling and …


Blade Runner And The Divine Menace, Alexander W. Pickens Apr 2017

Blade Runner And The Divine Menace, Alexander W. Pickens

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Following the decline of Christianity in mainstream Western culture, a void rose in the moral and societal code. Those writers that emerged presented alternate visions that worked their way into the literature of the 20th century. Karl Marx's interpretation of the structure of labor in capitalism presented a new societal hierarchy whose finer points have been worked out in the complex film Blade Runner. This dystopian nightmare, in which a Marxist interpretation of current society bogged down by the ennui of capitalist accumulation is confronted, describes a new religious order based upon this economic theory. Central to this reimagining …


Holly Martins And The Impartial Spectator: The Economics Of The Third Man, Alexander W. Pickens Mar 2016

Holly Martins And The Impartial Spectator: The Economics Of The Third Man, Alexander W. Pickens

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

The film The Third Man is often critiqued for its portrayal of post-war Vienna and the abusive nature of totalitarian regimes in a nearly-anarchic state. However, this film does something that few other films do: it tackles the primary dilemmas facing economists using a visual medium and featuring some of the debates that have been plaguing economic thinkers for years (what is a just allocation of resources, competition in free markets, what happens when corrupt governments control resource allocation). Ultimately, the film is a unique analysis tension between the costs and benefits of the philosophies of Keynes and F. A. …


Throwing (Sh)Aid: Optimizing Aid Conditionality For The Developing World, Timothy F. O'Shea Mar 2016

Throwing (Sh)Aid: Optimizing Aid Conditionality For The Developing World, Timothy F. O'Shea

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Aid conditionality has emerged as a dominant tool by donor countries in nation building efforts in the developing world. Unfortunately, this strategy has encountered obstacles in achieving substantive change. The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible modifications and augmentations to aid conditionality regimes that could more easily induce political development in recipient countries. To provide a background against which to plan changes, the paper documents important determinants of political change, including public opinion, donor self-interest, and unconscious biases. The paper also evaluates possible malleable policy factors, including adoption speed, proportionality, outcome-based provision, and donor co-ordination. While much of …


Deconstructing The Wall: The Analysis And Implications Of The 2004 International Court Of Justice Advisory Opinion On The Use Of Border Walls, Noah T. Black Mar 2016

Deconstructing The Wall: The Analysis And Implications Of The 2004 International Court Of Justice Advisory Opinion On The Use Of Border Walls, Noah T. Black

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

This research project looks at the various jurisprudences surrounding the 2004 ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Israeli Barrier and analyzes the arguments both in support and in opposition to the Court’s decision. It then looks at the conditions for the illegality of the Israeli Barrier that were established by the Court, analyzes them, and synthesizes a list of characteristics that can be applied to other barriers in order to determine their legality. This checklist, if you will, is then applied to other border walls in order to make a tentative conclusion about their legality and if a suit could be …


Jordan: A Negative Case In A Tumultuous Region, Ann Marie Margaret Hager Apr 2015

Jordan: A Negative Case In A Tumultuous Region, Ann Marie Margaret Hager

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

International media brings attention to the worst conflicts worldwide. When ISIS beheads journalists, like Foley and Sotloff (Vourvoulias, 2014) journalists around the globe turn their editorial dockets to these heinous actions. Yet, it is easy to pay attention to conflict when it becomes severe, i.e., escalates to the level of war. It’s no wonder that the Arab/Israeli conflict has such a plethora of literature and media attention while tensions in places like Jordan, right next door, have not. However, Jordan is an example of a negative case: a country that has, despite its significant tensions, not experienced large-scale violence in …


An Exploration Of Gender Roles And The Traditional Dual Gendered Parenting Model Within Co-Fathered Families, Zoe Dearborn Geyman Apr 2015

An Exploration Of Gender Roles And The Traditional Dual Gendered Parenting Model Within Co-Fathered Families, Zoe Dearborn Geyman

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

In this paper I develop a working theory of gender as a constantly performed state of social mimicry that evolves in response to one’s lived experience. Through analysis of transcript selections from the daily lives of two co-fathered families and relevant literature, I explore the gendered realities of gay parents, and introduce work, in this case referring to professional labor and its associated identities, as key to the gendering process. In the paper I also address the malleability of family units, and explore the ways in which gay fathers negotiate pressures to conform to the traditionally gendered family model. Ultimately, …