Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Chinese Scramble In East Africa: The Growing Interest Of China In Uganda, Kenya, And Tanzania, Ara Jannie Jo

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Rocking The Vote: An Analysis Of What Makes The Millennial Generation Vote And The Correlation Of Civic Engagement To Empathy, Gabrielle Michelle Martinez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Determining The Accepability Of Menus And Recipes That Meet The 2005 Dietary Guidelines For Americans By Low Socioeconomic Status Individuals In South Louisiana Using Focus Group Discussions, Anna L. Mullenix

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Stability Of The Transatlantic Alliance In The 21st Century : The Impact Of The Development Of European Union Foreign Policy In Comparison To American Objectives, Elizabeth S. O'Connor

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the history of the transatlantic alliance since World War II in conjunction with the unification and development of the European Union, particularly examining the stability of the alliance, as the EU has become a major global actor economically and politically. The foreign policies of EU/US international interventions are examined in a pre and post- September 11th context, focusing on the Balkan crisis and the Bush administration’s Global War on Terrorism. The European Union, often referred to as “an economic giant but political dwarf,” declared its intention to develop a common European foreign policy (CFSP) in 1992. Focused …

Femmes Politiques En France : Une Comparaison Des Femmes Politiques De La France Et Des Antilles Françaises, Sarah F. Stiles

Honors Theses

Les femmes françaises et antillaises se sont battues interminablement au cours d’une longue histoire des luttes féminines pour qu’elles puissent avoir de l’égalité dans la société et dans la politique. Cette lutte a pris beaucoup de formes selon les cultures des femmes, et une étude sur la situation des femmes révèle que ces différences culturelles aussi bien que les stéréotypes et les vues traditionnelles des femmes, en plus d’une domination des hommes en politique, ont créé ses barrières redoutables pour les femmes qui s’intéressent à s’engager dans la politique. En même temps, il existe une tendance, notamment en France, d’oublier …

Derramamiento De Sangre En El Caribe : Una Guerra Racial En La Isla De Española, Jennifer F. Dalenta

Honors Theses

The tensions between the Dominican Republic and Haiti have been longstanding. Not only are the nations divided by a physical border, but there are much larger cultural, racial, and political schisms that separate them. In 1930, when Rafael Trujillo assumed the presidency in the Dominican Republic, he did not hesitate to publicize his anti-Haitian sentiments. His effort to promote “Dominicanness” created a strong distinction between the Hispanic, Catholic Dominicans and the African, Voodoo worshipping Haitians. These growing tensions exploded into violence in 1937 when Trujillo organized the Massacre of Parsley, also known as the Cutting. During this period, nearly 20,000 …

Women In Politics: A Comparative Study Of Women’S Political Participation In France And The U.S., Sarah Stiles

Honors Theses

Women’s participation in politics in France and the US is a complex topic about which there is still much confusion and stereotyping. Throughout recent in both these countries, women have fought for equal representation and opportunity, not always achieving their desired goals. Although their histories differ in many ways, culturally and socially, there are substantial similarities, an exploration of which can help to understand the current situation of women in politics. On the whole, women remain less represented in the political sphere than men, however, this does not often stem from their lack of voter support. Instead, there are a …

Engaging China In The Twenty-First Century: An Analysis Of U.S.-China Relations And Recommendations For The Future, Lilly Briger

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I explore the fragile political relationship between China and the United States. In the past decade, an intensifying level of competition between the two powers is advancing the perception amongst a growing number of Americans that China will one day emerge as a future adversary that will draw the U.S into a strategic rivalry and possible security conflict. The purpose of my thesis is to determine the type of “threat” China presents to the United States, and based on this assessment determine which policies would best increase the possibility for collaboration while limiting the potential for future …

The Quest For Identity: Human Rights In The Aftermath Of El Proceso In Argentina, Jennifer F. Dalenta

Honors Theses

My thesis involves an analytical study of the Madres and the Abuelas of the Plaza de Mayo and a documentary on these two human rights groups framed around the issues of identity and human rights and their importance for all individuals in both a political and personal respect. Through my research, I concluded that the Madres must be conceptualized as a revolutionary organization that combines both feminine and feminist elements in order to achieve its ultimate goals. I argue that the Madres must be interpreted and understood as a combination of these two frameworks, and that due to the complexity …

Implicit Theories Of Relationships : Prediction Of Dating Strategies And Relationship Initiation, Heather Stone

Honors Theses

The present study aimed to merge research on initial attraction and implicit theories of relationships by examining how beliefs about relationships influence dating strategies. Research has examined role of implicit theories in the functioning of existing relationships but there is much room for growth in the area of initial attraction and dating strategies. Results revealed that destiny theory (theory that relationships are either meant to be or not) predicted increased likelihood of internet dating, a lower frequency of dating, and dating to avoid loneliness and missing opportunities. Growth theory (theory that relationships improve by cultivation and development) predicted dating to …

Coalitions For Victory: The Necessity Of Alliance Creation For Progressive Ballot Initiative Campaigns, Julie Bero

Honors Theses

My paper consists of three sections. In the first, I explain the function of ballot measures and discuss why Americans have supported or opposed the use of direct democracy. I will also offer the history of direct democracy. In the second section, I will discuss the current national state of affairs in direct democracy, specifically analyzing recent ballot measures. I will analyze three cases, focusing on information gathered from the news media and personal interviews with campaign organizers. Finally, I will draw conclusions about these three measures and assert implications for the future of direct democracy.

The Power Of Language: In Politics, Genocide, And Politicide, Heather Rademacher

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

China’S Evolving Preoccupation With Stability And Its Role As The Primary Catalyst Of The Post-Mao Legal Reforms, Reid Tepfer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Juxtaposition Of Current Federal Campaign Finance And Lobbying Law, Elizabeth Weiner

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Maternal Experience And Alzheimer's Disease : Degenerative Differences In The Female Rat, Lindsay W. Victoria

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease found in many aging adults. The presence of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an early indicator of the onset of Alzheimer’s, primarily in memory-related brain regions like the hippocampus. Hormones accompanying pregnancy, such as estrogen, may provide the female brain with protection against neurodegeneration and deposits of APP. The present study will compare concentrations of APP in the brains of parous and nulliparous animals and examine the interaction of APP with estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). Young and aged animals will also be compared to determine any early effects of APP or ERβ. It is …

“Solidarity And Solidarność: A Search For The Person In Community”, Elizabeth Mary Johnson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Social Perceptions Of Underdog Job Applicants, Maggie Place

Honors Theses

Research demonstrates that there are several characteristics that could render someone an underdog as a job applicant, including gender, race, able-bodied or disabled, immigrant status, and age. Study 1 used a between-subjects design to examine support for the underdog and the top dog in a low-consequence and high-consequence scenario. The underdog was given more support in low-consequence than high-consequence scenarios, but most participants indicated a neutral response instead of offering more support for either when asked to choose between the two applicants. Study 2 employed a forced-choice task on SuperLab in which participants chose which applicant they would hire in …

The Influence Of Auditory Stimuli On Judgements Of Word Valence, Chris E. Chandler

Honors Theses

The present study examined the link between affect and auditory stimuli in three parts. The first sought to determine the affective norms for the auditory stimuli. The second assessed the influence of a musical note’s register on the evaluation of a positive or negative word, while the third assessed the influence of harmonic musical intervals. Participants were simultaneously presented with auditory stimuli and a word, and their task was to judge as quickly as possible whether the word was positive or negative by pressing a corresponding key. It was hypothesized that congruence between auditory valence and word valence would facilitate …

Competing Visions: The Cia, The Congress For Cultural Freedom And The Non-Communist European Left, 1950-1967, Scott Kamen

Honors Theses

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that by utilizing cultural influence and adopting Silone's vision, the CCF was able to pursue the support of left-leaning European intellectuals, writers and artists who were often alienated by the policies of both the US and the USSR. The ability of the CCF to reach out to these individuals made it an extremely valuable asset to the CIA and contributed to the CIA's emerging strategy of promoting the NCL as a reliable anti-communist force that would come to be the theoretical foundation of the CIA's political operations against communism over the next …

Market Efficiency : Testing Price Discovery In The Bond And Credit Derivative Markets, Justin M. Polselli

Honors Theses

Recent developments in credit markets over the past few months have seen credit spreads widen dramatically for a range of debt products. Almost overnight, credit spreads for both investment grade and high yield bonds jumped as news continued to worsen about credit quality. The speed with which credit spreads increased this past summer led many investors to ask if markets were efficient in conveying material information, and to see if there were any indications prior to the credit crunch that the market for credit was going to tighten. New products such as credit derivatives have increased the number of indicators …

Nuclear Vs. Coal In Bulgaria, Peter B. Manchev

Honors Theses

In early 2005 the government of Bulgaria commissioned the construction of a new nuclear power plant (NPP) near the town of Belene on the Danube border with Romania. The € 4 billion project will be executed by a consortium appointed in October 2006 by the National Electric Company led by the Russian Atomstroyexport. The work will be overseen by the architect-engineer of the plant, the American company WorleyParsons. The endeavor received a “green light” in December 2006 when the Nuclear Regulatory Agency of Bulgaria approved the Belene site for the construction of a new nuclear power plant.

The need for …

Forest Fires In Southern Europe : An Econometric Investigation Of The Existence Of Economic Incentives For Fire Arson, Radoslava Dogandjieva

Honors Theses

Devastating forest fires during the summer of 2007 resulted in an unprecedented level of destruction in the Mediterranean forests, prompting widespread speculation about profit-motivated arson as one of the principal causes of the fires. Forest protection laws essentially create a scarcity of land, making arson potentially profitable in several ways: the clearing of land for development and construction, expansion of farm size, and salvage logging (Economist 2007). This study seeks to evaluate the validity of these accusations by examining the relationship between land, wheat, and timber prices and incidence of forest fires in four countries: Spain, Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria. …

An Analysis Of Tuition And Enrollment In Higher Education : Measuring Price Elasticity, Adam C. Wright

Honors Theses

The hierarchical nature of higher education, in which schools compete in small enclaves for the best students, and competition for higher rankings among private, non-profit liberal arts colleges has prompted some schools to drastically increase their tuition in order to correspond with the price changes of rival institutions. Since top liberal arts schools operate with sizable excess demand for enrollment spots, significant tuition alterations generally do not affect the quantity of enrolled students at these schools. However, the extent to which increases in tuition affect the quality of enrolled students has not been thoroughly examined. This study directly analyzes the …

Free Press V. Fair Trials: A Comparative Study Of Media Law And Ethics In The United States And Great Britain, Alison Spindler

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Integration Of The Stereotype Content Model And Implicit Theories : A Dynamic Understanding Of Stereotyping Against Obese Individuals, Jenna Sorge

Honors Theses

The current paper integrated Fiske and colleague’s (2002) Stereotype Content Model (SCM) with the implicit theoretical approach to investigate the stereotyping process against obese individuals. Two studies evaluated the proposition that implicit theories of weight, the belief that weight is fixed (entity theorist) versus malleable (incremental theorist), and implicit person theories, the belief that human attributes are fixed or malleable, will predict how people categorize and discriminate against obese individuals. A pilot study found that entity and incremental theorists of weight have equal knowledge of societal stereotypes against obese individuals. Study 1 revealed those whose endorse an entity theory of …

In The Absence Of Family: How Ideas Of The Substitute Family In Honduran Children's Homes Shape Perception Of The Needs Of At-Risk Youth, Stephanie Bowman

Honors Theses

Through an interdisciplinary analysis of children’s homes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this project reflects on how conceptions of family affect the prioritization of the needs of the homes’ beneficiaries. One consequence of the impoverished nature of Honduras are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, abused, neglected and disowned children who have come to live in group children’s homes that, for the most part, meet their short-term physical needs. But what about children’s developmental, social and educational needs? In this study, we analyze what needs homes meet according to the kind of familial substitute they provide as either a group home or …

Demographic Differences In Household Expenditure For Low-Income Families: Evidence From The United States, Joerose Tharakan

Honors Theses

Despite being one of the world’s most prosperous countries, the United States of America was home to roughly 7.7 million households living in poverty in 2006. Of this figure, 53% percent of households were headed by a single mother. What is more disturbing is that a significant majority of these households were those of full time workers, unable to meet the basic needs of their families at federally mandated minimum wage rates. Researchers and activists from a multitude of disciplines have repeatedly called for an overhaul of the current method of estimating poverty in the United States` and further proposed …

An Incumbent's Guide To Reelection: The States And Economic Voting In U.S. Presidential Elections, Kyle Smith

Honors Theses

This study has two chapters. The first uses Ray Fair 's national economic voting model of U.S. presidential elections to pose and answer specific questions about how voting theory works in practice. The results suggest that economic activity in the year of an election is the primary determinant of voters' perceptions of presidential performance on the economy, while earlier years in the administration's term are not important. Also, voters hold the incumbent party responsible for economic conditions whether or not that party controls Congress. Finally, the results suggest that economic voting generally operates symmetrically -a fall in growth affects the …

Dialogue In Three Prose Tracts Of John Milton, Lora Catherine Lamb

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Radiographic Expertise On Visual Memory And Attention, Emily A. Smitherman

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.