Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Diabolus Ex Machina? A Comparative Case Study To Test Whether Automatic Weapons Can Disproportionately Benefit Irregular Forces, Harrison Durland

Honors Theses

Researchers in the field of irregular conflict have observed that irregular forces such as insurgents and guerrillas have been victorious or forced draws in a greater percentage of conflicts over the past century compared with the century prior. More generally, researchers and practitioners have sought to better understand why seemingly weaker, irregular forces are able to win some wars against enemies who have significant material and other conventional advantages. This thesis engages with some of the literature in this field and focuses on what appears to be a particularly understudied issue: the potential role of shifts/innovations in military technology. Specifically, …

Social Housing And The Affordability Crisis: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of French And American Social Housing Systems In Meeting The Increasing Demand For Affordable Housing, Claire Sullivan

Honors Theses

The demand for affordable housing across OECD countries has sky-rocketed as the number of those cost-burdened by housing continues to increase each year. Social housing has been the traditional means by which governments have provided affordable housing to citizens, however in recent years the social housing systems of many countries have been strained to meet the rising demand for affordable housing. While this has consistently been an area of concern for major metropolitan areas, areas outside of cities are being impacted by the lack of affordable housing, as well.

This study seeks to address the impact of social housing systems …

Understanding Factors Contributing To Community Change, Norman Walzer, Sharon Gulick, Connie Loden, Mary Emery, Milan Wall

Community Development Practice

This paper describes the work of the Community Change Network, a collaboration of university researchers and practitioners to understand the factors that contribute to lasting community changes. It describes the resources available as well as what has been accomplished regarding this issue.

Community Development, Quality Of Life, And Community Well-Being: Three Fields Ripe With Opportunities For Future Research And Practice, Craig A. Talmage

Community Development Practice

This perspective piece aims to spur conversations between quality of life, community well-being, and community development scholars and practitioners. The article showcases overlaps in concepts found across journals devoted to those three fields of inquiry. The major themes from those overlaps are discussed, so future directions for interdisciplinary research can be identified. The article finishes with specific attention to exploring how collaborations between the fields of quality of life (QoL), community well-being (CWB), and community development (CD) can better inform community development practice, so that community well-being and quality life can be positively shifted through evidence-based practice.

Food Insecurity In Mississippi: Examining The Relationship Between Food Insecurity And Race, Cady Cooper

Honors Theses

The relationship between food insecurity and race is examined in this thesis. The author analyzes the history and background of food and race in Mississippi to bring about a recommendation to change policy. An analysis of USDA data as well as a spatial analysis was used as the primary method for investigating the relationship between race and food insecurity in Mississippi. The findings indicate that, in the urban setting, at ½ mile, 61% of whites are food insecure, and in the urban setting, at the 1 mile, 64% of whites are food insecure. In urban settings, the White population of …

Covid-19 And Civic Engagement In Mississippi, Anne M. Cafer, Meagen Rosenthal, Katherine Broten

APCRL Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

China And Natural Gas: The Importance Of Natural Gas To China With Regard To The South And East China Sea Conflicts, Erin Foelker

Honors Theses

China has a strong interest in natural gas, as it is a resource of which usage can lead to economic growth, energy security, domestic social stability, and reduced climate change impacts. One of the best ways for China to gain easier access to this resource is to obtain legal rights to what they claim is their territory in the South and East China Seas. In this thesis, I review the situations in these two areas and I argue that natural gas is a significant motivator for the conflicts that are occurring.

An Analysis Of Irrigation Policy In The Mississippi Delta, Brooklyn Mooney

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to provide a sustainable irrigation alternative that could be easily adopted by farmers in the Mississippi Delta in order to improve water resource management. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley Aquifer, the groundwater system that lies under the Mississippi Delta, is being depleted at rapid rates due to industrial farming and unsustainable, outdated irrigation methods. The intent of this research is to evaluate the water scarcity problem in the Mississippi Delta by assessing water extraction rates and the progression of agriculture in the region. Then, various irrigation methods will be evaluated before a final suggestion is made. Through extensive …

A Study Of The Social Credit Score System And The Implications It May Have In Chinese Society, Glennis Mcwilliams

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the social credit score (SCS) system of China and the implications that it may have in Chinese society. The SCS is a revolutionary accountability system that is touted to ascertain a person’s trustworthiness of a person. An individualized score is produced by a complex algorithm which takes into account both social and financial behaviors. My research, comprised primarily from secondary qualitative data, discusses the SCS system and analyzes the political, social, and economic implications that the SCS may have on Chinese society. Conflict theory is utilized to help contextualize my findings and explain the increase in authoritative …

Can Cities Be Feminist? A Cross-National Analysis Of Factors Affecting Local Female Representation In Latin America, Katie Davis

Honors Theses

Women are underrepresented in mayor’s offices and on city councils across Latin America. In this paper, I examine gender-based differences in individual opinions toward running for office in Argentina and Uruguay, as well as conduct a twenty-six country analysis on factors related to female representation in municipal government. Based on these analyses, I make three main conclusions about female local representation in Latin America. The first conclusion is that women in Latin America are significantly less likely to want to run or feel qualified to run for office. The second conclusion is that cross-national variation in the percentage of female …

Examining The Institution Of Public Health: The Case Of The James C. Kennedy Wellness Center, Hannah Hoang

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to function as an analysis of the James C. Kennedy Center and the impact capacity the Center has on community health and wellness in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. Poor health is a global problem that is especially prominent in Tallahatchie County which ranked 81st out of 82 Mississippi counties in 2012. This thesis used institutional theory to explain the relationship between the Center and public health. Through interviews and data analysis, a broad evaluation was performed on the Center’s programs and community impact. Results showed that the Kennedy Center has made a large impact in improving the health …

Who Will Do The Good Works?: The Troubling Case Of Secularization And The Failure Of The Welfare State In England And Perú, Gabrielle Anna Schust

Honors Theses

This study examines the contribution and impacts of the social service works done by nuns in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s, and in Perú within the last five years. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between nuns as providers of social services and other providers such as the government. Drawing on existing literature on theories of secularization, and a close examination of the historical evolution of the British and Peruvian welfare state apparatuses, this study contextualizes the social service work of nuns in contemporaneous social, economic, and political circumstances. It finds that the population of nuns is on a …

Smoke And Mirrors: Policy Solutions For Deterring Adolescent Use Of Nicotine Electronic Cigarettes, Austin Davis Fiala

Honors Theses

In recent years, there has been a dramatic spike in the number of adolescents that regularly use nicotine electronic cigarettes. As recently as 2019, a large outbreak of e- cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injuries was observed in adolescents, leading many to question the safety of these devices, particularly when use by adolescents. By way of a literature review, this thesis will examine the history of nicotine and electronic cigarettes in the United States, as well as existing data on the nature of nicotine electronic cigarettes and the ways in which they are marketed.

From these findings, it is …

“[Don’T] Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...” A Study On The Trump Administration’S Unprecedented Reforms To The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program And Their Implications, Savannah Day

Honors Theses

From 2017 to 2020, the Trump administration cut United States refugee admissions tenfold. These reforms come unprecedented to the 40-year-old resettlement program (USRAP). By critically reviewing literature on this topic as well as conducting eight original interviews with five national nonprofits contracted by the Department of State to do refugee resettlement casework, this study sought to identify the implications of the Trump administration’s reforms to the program. Once implications were identified, I used the applied frameworks of program model as well as Michael Worth’s sociological and political science theories of American nonprofit-government relations to better inform and guide the study. …

Unplanned Pregnancy In The Mississippi Delta: Causes And Implications, Julia Grant

Honors Theses

This study seeks to understand the causes and implications of the abundance of adolescent pregnancy in the region known as the Mississippi Delta, where teenage childbearing is among the highest in the nation. To do so, this study reports and analyzes twelve interviews with young, African American, single mothers conducted by the author in the summer of 2019. This study relies on a narrative approach to research and analysis and employs the theoretical framework of Afrocentrism. As a result of the interviews, the author concludes that a blatant lack of sex education in the region is a powerful influence on …

Educator Voice And Influence In Mississippi Education Policy, Sarah Jamie Sproles

Honors Theses

This thesis attempts to discover if there are barriers educators and government actors feel are in place that prevent educator advocacy and influence in the state of Mississippi, and consequently what importance their voices hold in the policymaking and implementation processes. The research questions that are addressed in this thesis include: a) Is there an absence of educators affecting policies and if so, why? b) What are the perceptions of educators’ advocacy and engagement in laws passed regarding education? c) What, if any, barriers prevent educators’ voices from influencing laws? Qualitative data from educators and those in the government sector …

Pecking The Hands That Feed Them: How Society And Government Have Allowed The Poultry Industry To Exploit Labor And The Environment In The American South, Sophie M. Kline

Honors Theses

Americans eat an average of ninety pounds of chicken in one year, but where does that chicken come from? Immigrants and African Americans are the majority of the labor population in poultry processing plants located in the American South. In an effort to highlight the racism, sexism, insecurity, and environmental degradation in the poultry industry, I analyze a variety of ethnographies, articles, and science journals as well as U.S Supreme Court decisions and policies enacted by the U.S federal government in this thesis. Upon examination, I answer why society is pecking the hands that feed them. The analysis concludes that …

Agglomeration Economies: How “Y’Allywood” Became The New Hollywood, Joseph Dugan Walker

Honors Theses

Agglomeration economies have gained special attention in recent decades. With the increasing connectivity of our world, specialized regional economies are stronger now than ever before. A specific agglomeration economy that has developed in recent years is the Georgia Film Industry. This region surpassed Hollywood as the premier filming location for the first time since the early 1900s when New York was number one. This thesis analyzes the reasons why Georgia was so successful in attracting the film industry and encouraging its development by comparing infrastructure, film tax incentives, population, and labor development to that of competing states like New York, …

Foster A Better Future: A Comparative Analysis Of Foster Care Programs For Transition-Age Foster Youth And A Recommendation For The State Of Mississippi, Caroline Glaze

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to find and evaluate different programs aimed at

supporting older youth in foster care. This population of youth could be those in

high school and extends to youth who have aged out of the foster care system.

Through the evaluation of the selected programs based on a set of characteristics,

the study provides a policy recommendation for the state of Mississippi to begin to

better the lives of Mississippi foster youth. The methodology of this study is

qualitative and literature-based. Data was gathered from websites and other

published articles of the selected programs and …

James Crow Jr., Esquire And Voter Suppression, Samantha Henderson

Honors Theses

This thesis lays out Voter ID laws and the effects they have on minorities. A new era of Jim Crow legislation in the 21st century as referred to by the well-respected, civil activist, Al Sharpton, as James Crow Jr., Esquire, creating laws that negatively impact voting. “Fait accompli,” a term used to describe the plight and pressure put upon the minority who are already at a disadvantage because the laws are established to discriminate against them. How can a silenced group change legislation when they cannot access the ballot? I will explore Supreme Court cases such as Yick Wo v. …

Rethinking Boundaries, Spaces, And Networks Between Geography And Military Science: Understanding And Actualizing Real-Time Integrated Command And Control For Joint Air Operations, Samuel Wright

Honors Theses

Imagine a military commander standing around a table with a three-dimensional hologram projected onto to it. The hologram is of an ongoing air war of which this general is in command. Friendly forces are portrayed in blue and enemy forces in red as the opposing forces movements and actions are tracked and continuously updated. The commander has god’s eye view of where his forces are positioned relative to the enemy’s forces. Because of this view, the commander is able to make effective decisions with quick synergistic efficiency to achieve his desired outcome: defeat of the enemy. This scene invokes an …

Mind Your Youth: Youth Unemployment And Islamic Radicalization, Caleb Ray

Honors Theses

This study examines the potential existence of a correlation between youth unemployment and Islamic Radicalization in the MENA using data from the World Bank, the Global Terrorism Database, and the Arab Barometer. It aims to add to the current body of research regarding socioeconomic drivers for radicalization and terrorism.

Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to create a policy proposal in order to address incidences of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of discretion in the Mississippi criminal justice system. To do so, the author has summarized and analyzed seven criminal cases in which defendants have become victims of prosecutorial misconduct in order to shed light on the lack of prosecutorial accountability in the state’s criminal justice system. In an attempt to solve the problem, the author has developed a novel grading rubric in order to objectively and systematically analyze and evaluate previously proposed policy recommendations by legal experts and justice organizations. The successes …

Libraries, Their Communities, And White Flight: A Social Impact Assessment Of Public Libraries In The Jackson Metro Area, Wesley Craft

Honors Theses

In 1969, federal courts forced Mississippi to integrate public schools. Following, droves of white families moved out of Jackson for suburbs in nearby Madison and Rankin Counties. Today, the Jackson metro area is the most partisan segregated and among the top five racially segregated metro areas in the U.S. (Dottle, 2019). With that in mind, I sought to find out: How do libraries in the Jackson metro area impact their communities, and do disparities exist between Jackson’s libraries and white flight libraries?

I researched seven libraries inside the metro area’s three library systems –– three libraries in Jackson and four …

Food Insecurity Resources At The University Of Mississippi, Summer Jefferson, Anne Cafer, Georgianna Mann

APCRL Policy Briefs

Food security is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as, "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle." Estimates of food insecurity on college campuses range from 19-46%, but 20-25% of students who are not classified as food insecure still report anxiety about food shortage. The purpose of this policy brief is to contextualize the results from research on the campus awareness of the Ole Miss Food Bank and the nutritional analysis of the Food Bank's offerings.

Covid-19 In The Rural South: A Perfect Storm Of Disease, Health Access, And Co-Morbidity, Anne Cafer, Meagen Rosenthal

APCRL Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

Mississippi Midwives: More Birth For Our Buck, Anne Cafer, Wengora Thompson

APCRL Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.