Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Trabant And The Mercedes: A Psychological Analysis Into The Disjunction Of German Reunification, Faith Morris

Senior Theses

Ostalgie, a combination of the German words Ost (east) and Nostalgie (nostalgia), is the psychological phenomenon that describes former East Germans’ longing for a return to aspects of life from the period of communist rule. This paper explores the phenomenon of Ostalgie in reunified Germany in relation to psychological constructs of nostalgia and collective identity.

Ostalgie is essentially both a means and an end. This paper seeks to prove Ostalgie is a means of creating identity, formulated by the interplay of nostalgia and certain social conditions that combined with and aided the failure of democratic capitalism for former East …

Militarism, Economics, And Nationalism: The Russian And Chinese Expansionist Foreign Policy Of The 21st Century, Paul Charles Gargiulo Jr.

Senior Theses

While the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 may have harkened in a new era of global peace, the rise of nationalist governments in China and Russia have changed this circumstance as seen in their respective spheres of influence. During the first two decades of the 21st Century, China and Russia have become increasingly aggressive in the application of their foreign policies, attempting to assert their presence on the global stage. From 1945 through 1991, there has been a historical precedence of Chinese and Russian dominance in the South China Sea and in Eastern Europe. This was in part …

"Underage Marriage: The Global Cultural Paradigm", Alexandra Ciociola Murphy

Senior Theses

Underage marriage is a union where one or both parties is under the age of 18. Marriage before the age of 18 not only has severe health and developmental consequences for those that fall victim to the practice, but also economic consequences for regions where it is practiced. Many solutions have been proposed to eliminate underage practice, but with minimal results. The writing in this research explores the causes, effects and solutions of underage marriage comparatively between Morocco, Bangladesh, and the United States. Historical context, regional culture, and economic development are taken into consideration and analyzed to draw to the …

Bantu Education, And Its Living Educational And Socioeconomic Legacy In Apartheid And Post-Apartheid South Africa, Matthew Anthony Gallo

Senior Theses

Despite its 25th anniversary of democratic governance, the Republic of South Africa still reels from its past Apartheid legacy, especially in its education sector. One famous Apartheid policy was Bantu Education, which legally restricted the delivery of educational services to black South Africans during Apartheid. Because of Bantu Education and its lasting legacy in South Africa, many black South Africans have historically and continue to be denied access to quality education, depriving them of employment and other socioeconomic opportunities. This paper explores both educational and socioeconomic factors, such as school curriculum and vocational training, to demonstrate the important and foundational …

Hacking Nation-State Relationships: Exploiting The Vulnerability Of The Liberal International Order, Ray Marie Tischio

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the implications of nation-state cyberwarfare and cyber conflict in the context of geopolitics and international studies. The emergence of nation-state cyber conflict has increased in frequency and severity in the last decade. In order to investigate what renders cyberwarfare a new and unique challenge to specific geopolitical climates and international systems at large, research on state-level cyber conflict within bilateral relationships—all of which cyber activity is significantly prevalent—is presented in the following three case studies: US-China, US-Iran, and US-Russia. Findings of these three case studies are used in subsequent analysis to articulate the specific ways in which …

"Political Stability In The Eye Of The Storm: An Institutional Analysis On The Social Effects Of Water Management In Jordan", Madelaine Michelle Diaz Durufour

Senior Theses

Water scarcity in Jordan has, for decades, been a serious source of political tension domestically and abroad. In this tumultuous region, political stability or lack thereof determines many aspects of social life. Jordan has been resilient in the face of wars and insurgencies, most recently the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which led to the toppling of authoritarian governments and the ongoing Syrian Civil War. The case study on the provision of water in Jordan is relevant due to its location in a region with an arid and semiarid climate, as well as its unstable geopolitical neighbors. Institutions have an effect …

"Child Marriage Across Cultural Contexts: A Comparative Analysis Between South Asia And Sub-Saharan Africa", Farhana Hussain

Senior Theses

Child marriage is a major social issue that occurs around the globe to this present day, particularly within South Asian and Sub-Saharan African nations. This paper discusses the underlying factors perpetuating child marriage that are shared in common between these two distinct regions. Through exploring such factors from two countries in each respective region as case studies, the paper also enlightens readers about current initiatives being undertaken to address child marriage and further suggests other social, economic, and policy oriented measures that can be taken to ensure young girls are protected from this ongoing practice within their communities and can …

From Third Culture Kids (Tck) To Adult Third Culture Kids (Atck): What Has Caused These Global Phenomena And What Are Their Effects?, Giovanna Meinberg Paganini

Senior Theses

This paper explores the phenomena of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCKs). TCKs and ATCKs are individuals who grew up outside their parents’ and their own country of origin. A TCK is not simply a person who had to move to a different country but also often refers to those individuals who have spent the first eighteen years of their lives (developmental years) in more than one country. The primary aim of this paper is to look at what features and experiences are shared amongst TCKs and how they differentiate from individuals who did not grow …

"Hungary: An Inflection Point For A Young Democracy In Decline", Patrick Rhinelander Rizzi

Senior Theses

This thesis provides an analysis of the global concern with “illiberal democracies,” which are states with at least some democratic institutions but diluted civil societies. From there, it establishes Hungary as a case study of how a young democracy has entered into institutional decline through an analysis of both the illiberal policies of the current Hungarian government as well as relevant historical context that may have disadvantaged Hungary in transitioning to democracy in the first place. As a post-communist country now heading down the path towards increasing authoritarianism, Hungary serves as a prime example of this issue. Specific areas in …

“The Italian Job”: How Italy’S Long History Of Catholicism Has Influenced A Culture Of Maschilismo And Misogyny, Sabrina Daniela Crivellone

Senior Theses

Though Italy has been plagued by maschilismo (the Italian word for machismo, or rather, toxic masculinity) and violent misogyny for as long as it has been a country, there has rarely been any appropriate insight as to why Italian men are more violent towards their partners, on average, than other men in the European Union. Italian men have been known as “passionate” and “possessive,” but rarely it is discussed how poorly these “passionate” men treat their female partners. Italy has an astounding prevalence rate of 78 percent across the country for happenstances of domestic violence and an estimated 32 percent …

The Dual Nature Of Displacement: Dam-Induced Displacement In Southeastern Turkey, George Edgar Dissinger

Senior Theses

Dam-induced displacement is a formidable practical and theoretical challenge for development projects and their proponents. The development projects contained within the Southeastern Anatolia Project in Turkey are debated widely in academic literature because of the factor of human displacement from large dam projects. A key dichotomy in the debate is about whether human displacement ought to be treated as an incidental harm to be mitigated, or as an illustration of a development project’s misguided purpose. In this thesis I examine how Turkish authorities approached human displacement in two dam projects: the Atatürk and Ilısu Dams. These case studies demonstrate how …