Digital Commons Network^™

"Taking" Photographs: Settler Aesthetics In 20th Century Hawaiian Postcards, Elena Lee, Rebecca Koerselman

Celebration of Research

Due to colonization, Hawaii’s economic, political, and societal structure were changed to fit the white American standard. Colonization also caused a shift in their aesthetics, including the exclusion from participation in the creation of art, and poor visual representations of Hawaiian culture in settler art, which is known as “settler aesthetics.” Settler Aesthetics is a term and theory that seeks to define how a culture’s art and beauty has been influenced by settler colonialism. Many historians have analyzed this theory in Hawaiian literature, music, and visual art, but have left untouched the field of deltiology; the study of postcards. Though …

The Significance Of The Malvinas Issue In The Politics Of President Javier Milei, Reagan Mccain

Honors Theses

This research investigates the Malvinas (Falklands) issue within contemporary Argentinian political discourse, focusing on the rhetoric of Javier Milei, the recently elected president. Known for his populist and provocative style, Milei has surprisingly adopted a more moderate approach to the Malvinas, raising questions about how this aligns with his broader political agenda.

This study analyzes public statements from Milei from the presidential campaign to the present, analyzing them in the context of Argentinian politics and his political ideology. Javier Milei reframes Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Malvinas by shifting public frustration away from the territorial dispute and toward criticism of …

A Labor Of Love: Wall-E'S Redemption, Rosamund M. Gammie

Journal of Religion & Film

Inaugurated into the Criterion Collection in 2022 this paper re-examines some of the initial responses to the 2008 Disney-Pixar animated film, WALL-E. The movie received a mixed reception, largely celebrated (but occasionally viewed as “too leftist” by others) for its environmental, anti-capitalist message by many public critics, yet disparaged or dismissed as being superficially empty, shallow, and hollow in academic circles. Labor has been the focus of some academic criticism of the film, particularly as it relates to commoditisation, but this paper recontextualises labor not with capitalism, but with love. By viewing the film through the dynamic of labor and …

Art And Craft: The Interconnectedness Of Artisans And Fine Arts In Post-Colonial Morocco, Ursula Junker

Morocco: Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship and overlap between fine arts and traditional crafts in Morocco. The central questions of this study are: how do museums represent, or fail to represent, Moroccan art? What role have traditional crafts, in particular textiles, played in the creation of a modern Moroccan artistic identity, and where do craftspeople see themselves in the canon of Moroccan art? How has colonialism shaped craft, art, and the relationship between them? How do tradition and modernity interact and coexist in art spaces? The study was conducted in Marrakech, Tangiers, and Fes. It consists …

Spatial Narratives: Women’S Roles, Agency, And The Evolving Concept Of Womanhood In Contemporary Morocco, Jazmine Iriqui Sanchez

Morocco: Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation

This study explores how young Moroccan women experience, interpret, and reshape spatial environments in contemporary Morocco, focusing on the capital of Rabat. Using a qualitative methodology that includes semi-structured interviews, anonymous surveys, participant observation, and photographic field notes, I examine how public and private spaces reflect and reinforce gendered expectations. Findings reveal that while women have increased visibility and public life, their presence is often conditional, structured by norms. Findings reveal that while women have increased visibility in public areas, their presence is often conditional, structured by norms that dictate how they should move, communicate, and appear. Across spaces like …

The Healing Power And Commodification Of Gnawa Music And Black Identity In Southern Morocco, Isabel Rodriguez

Morocco: Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation

This project explores the contemporary role of Gnawa music in Morocco through an ethnographic study in the village of Khamlia in the Southeast region of Morocco. Gnawa people are known for their spiritual traditions, specifically their musical rituals. The Gnawa have used music as a tool for healing, remembrance, and expression. This research investigates how Gnawa music is practiced today and how it functions as a form of commodification and racialized tourism. The study draws from both field observations and heavy literature analysis in various fields including research in colonial trauma, Black identity in Morocco, and clinical applications of music …

Harvest Leadership: A Philosophy For Empowering Indigenous Leaders For Ministry Among Unreached People Groups, Sarah Kelley

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

One-third of the world's population lacks meaningful access to the gospel, underscoring a critical need for contextualized ministry and leadership development. This paper outlines a philosophy of ministry for Harvest Leadership, a ministry dedicated to empowering indigenous leaders for ministry among unreached people groups. Following William Frankena's philosophy of education as its framework, this paper argues that effective Christian education for these leaders must be contextually appropriate, emphasizing principles such as Oral Learning, Social Learning Theory, and Experiential Learning. By illustrating through the case of Pikugi, an Ache woman in Paraguay, the paper demonstrates how intentional ministry practices, informed by …

Murder On Music Row: A Narrative Analysis Of Mass-Mediated Country Music And Independent Texas Red Dirt Music, Jennifer A. Worley

Communication Theses

This project employs Roland Barthes' narrative codes as a framework for textual analysis to examine the underlying structures and meanings within song lyrics from two contrasting traditions of country music: mass-mediated Nashville country and Texas Red Dirt. With a sample spanning a five-year period, the study explores how narrative forms reflect broader socio-cultural dynamics and economic forces. Drawing upon the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, particularly the works of Theodor Adorno and Karl Marx, the project concentrates on the commodification of cultural products and implications for authenticity and truth in cultural expression. Through a comparative analysis, the research reveals …

Take Me To Church: Transmasculinity In Gay Male Erotic Space, Kurt Mclaughlin

Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

No abstract provided.

The Gaps Between The Pillars And Practice: Prevention Of And Responses To Gender Based Violence In South Africa, Madeleine Morrison

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates how gender-based violence (GBV) is understood, prevented, and responded to in South Africa, with a focus on national frameworks, institutional practices, and broader sociopolitical dynamics. Grounded in feminist, decolonial, and intersectional methodologies, the research draws primarily from document and discourse analysis—centered on the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF)—alongside a written interview with a professional working in the gender justice field. Despite outreach to over 40 individuals and organizations, direct participation was limited, reflecting wider issues of burnout, institutional gatekeeping, and resource constraints in the GBV sector.

The findings reveal that while …

Carnegie Foundation For The Advancement Of Teaching: Elective Classification For Community Engagement 2026 Re-Classification, Andrew Sexton

Morehead State College Histories

A report published by the Morehead State University Carnegie Committee that applied for reclassification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for the campus' community engagement program in 2025.

Life And Death In The First Clod Incantation Of The “Ashur Dream Ritual Compendium”, Alan Lenzi

Pacific Faculty Work

No abstract provided.

Negotiating Power: The Influence Of Women In Shaping Colonial Barbados And Jamacia, From 1750-1833, Giselle Rivera

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

This study investigates the roles of European, Mulatto, and African women in colonial Barbados and Jamaica from 1750 to 1833, arguing that these women were not passive recipients of colonial structures but active agents in shaping and contesting them. Drawing on a wide array of primary sources including personal journals, legal documents, medical texts, maps, and colonial artwork this paper explores how women negotiated the intersecting hierarchies of race, class, and gender in both rural and urban contexts. In plantation settings, European women exercised informal authority within patriarchal confines, often reinforcing racial and gendered oppression, while enslaved African women navigated …

Women Writers In The Romantic Age, John C. Isbell

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This groundbreaking book offers a comprehensive review of six hundred and fifty women writers from over fifty national traditions, spanning Europe and the Americas during the transformative years of 1776 to 1848. Framed by revolutionary upheavals, the book explores how women writers shaped and reflected Romanticism’s global currents. It fills a critical scholarly gap, connecting disparate traditions and uncovering voices often overlooked in male-dominated literary histories. Through concise entries, the book names every woman writer identified in its vast research, from celebrated figures like Phillis Wheatley to lesser-known authors whose manuscripts lay buried in archives. Each entry provides essential biographical …

Unveiling Marginalised Voices: Female Indentured Labourer’S Narratives In Island Literature, Arifah Arum Candra Hayuningsih

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

This study examines the lives of female indentured labourers from Java and India, as portrayed in Liliane Saintomer's La Bayou de Nouméa à Jakarta (2016) and Gaiutra Bahadur's Coolie Woman (2013). Both authors, grandchildren of the central characters, offer personal and historical insights. The research explores how these novels enhance our understanding of the complex identities and lived experiences of female indentured labourers in colonial contexts. It investigates memory as a site of resistance, reclaiming silenced narratives and addressing the shared struggles of Javanese and Indian women in plantation life.

Research Poster Ietic: The Language Of Mere Wudu, Alexis L. Campos, Ixchel Mireles, Bryon Haynes, David Kamal, Zachariah Gonzalez

Team - Mere Wudu - Documents

2025 Research Poster of The Language of Mere Wudu, Ietic.

Anti-Feminisms, Authoritarianism, And Digital Culture: A Pedagogy Project, Charlie Ambrose

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies M.A. Final Projects

This project began, broadly, with my exposure to TikTok’s tradwives—a subset of content creators and influencers who advocate traditional gender roles as women, homemakers, wives, and mothers, with a particular focus on moral and religious beliefs and aesthetic practices of “womanhood.” To me, tradwives encapsulated the internet’s capacity to weaponize subtly: slow-paced, pastel videos, gentle music, and even gentler voices delivering increasingly extreme ideas about masculine and feminine roles, Christian nationalism, and white supremacy. But other threads began to appear as I delved deeper into the world of tradwives. I noticed the men’s rights groups who praised tradwives while openly …

The Heart Of The Wild: A Journey Towards Environmental Justice A Children’ S Book On Environmental Justice & Collective Responsibility, Carolin Obispo

Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of American Politics On Canadian Voters, Reilly Funk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I analyze to what degree American political forces shape Canadian elections. Due to the unique economic and cultural relationship between the countries, U.S. political and policy changes impact the Canadian political landscape. I examine this relationship with a comparative study using the Canadian Election Study of the 2021 federal election. This data enables analysis of voter behaviour within a wide variety of voters. Tentative findings show that major political events within the United States, such as presidential elections and major policy shifts, have a major impact on election results in Canada. Canadian political parties consistently adjust their messaging strategies to …

Writing In The Aftermath Of War: Literature And Disenchantment In Postwar Central America, Nanci Buiza

Spanish Faculty Works

This article examines the challenges faced by Central American writers during a period of profound cultural, political, and economic change, as Central America transitioned from an era of civil war and revolutionary struggle to one of peace, democracy, and neoliberal state-building, spanning from the 1990s to the 2010s. At the core of this change was a pervasive sense of disenchantment, understood not merely as disillusionment with the failures of the peacebuilding process but as a hollowing out of society’s capacity to envision Central American reality on a broader and more meaningful scale. This deeper, more intractable aspect of disenchantment and …

Connecting Cultures Through Nature Exploring Cross-Cultural Environmental Education And Global Citizenship At Hanoi Edufarm, Shreeya Patel

Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development

This paper explores the role of cross-cultural, nature-based education in fostering intercultural understanding and environmental awareness among children through my internship completed at Hanoi EduFarm, a farm school located in the countryside of Hanoi, Vietnam. While initially intended to focus on sustainable and regenerative agriculture, the internship evolved into a teaching role, where I designed and led lessons in English centered on environmental topics, geography, and intercultural exchange.

Drawing from in-class participant observations, reflective journaling, and informal discussions with staff and faculty over 120 hours of the internship period for SIT Vietnam, this paper examines how shared experiences with nature …

Los Muxes De Juchitán: Resistance, Identity, And Expressions Of Gender In The Zapotec Culture, Leah Mack

Audre Lorde Prize

This work is a cultural analysis of the Indigenous Zapotec third-gender community in Juchitán, México called the muxes. It examines the historical context that explains how the muxes have survived the process of Spanish colonization: a history of resistance and pride in their Indigenous identities. This essay also explains the European norms of the gender binary and how the norms in Juchitán are different and unique. Then, it analyzes a few cultural spaces that are important to the Zapotec Indigenous identity and the gender identity of the muxes, such as the market and the festive celebrations known as Las Velas. …

2nd Place Contest Entry: The Role Of Repertoire Selection And Teacher Collaboration In Culturally Responsive Music Education, Robin Gomes, Connor Bogenreif, Mir Aminy

Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Library Research Prize

This is Robin Gomes, Connor Bogenreif, and Mir Aminy's submission for the 2025 Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Research Prize, which won second place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on the role of repertoire selection and teacher collaboration in culturally responsive music education.

Robin, Connor, and Mir are doctoral students in the Ph.D. in Education program at Chapman University. Their faculty mentor are Dr. Howard and Dr. Havard.

Full Issue 18.3

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Round Table (Part 1) Book Review: From Discrimination To Death: Genocide Process Through A Human Rights Lens, James A. Tyner

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Round Table (Part 4) Book Review: From Discrimination To Death: Genocide Process Through A Human Rights Lens, Melanie O'Brien

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Eyewitness To Wehrmacht Atrocities On The Eastern Front: A German Soldier’S Memoir Of War And Captivity, Timothy Heck

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Reporting On The Dark Continent: The Albert Chance Collection As An American Representation Of Africa, Devon Szczepkowicz

Student Publications

For Americans in the throes of World War II, the international world was a complex and uncertain place. The news media, which offered reports from the war fronts, helped to ground Americans in this world. Another source which supplemented these reports, and which has been overlooked in the historiography, was the letters of soldiers stationed abroad. In writing on their surroundings, soldiers acted as journalists, supplying their audiences with intimate insights into foreign locations. Albert Chance (1903-1990), stationed in North Africa and in Italy, was one such soldier. His letters from North Africa provide a glimpse into the ways in …

Art In Public: Potential Public Pedagogy Post-Pandemic, Lyndall Adams, Nicola Kaye, Emma Jayakumar, Clive Barstow, Harrison See

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article speculates how art in public space might evolve in a COVID-19 world. We examine the complexity embedded within the realm of public space using two public art projects as case studies: an artwork produced as part of an artist residency inside the Parliament of Western Australia and a public artwork commission for a highway interchange at Wanneroo, Western Australia. Both projects are used as examples to speculate on how we might navigate the complexity and possibilities for art in public as a consequence of a refiguration of such public spaces resulting from COVID-19 prevention measures. This article postulates …

Woven By Culture: A Comparative Study Of Traditional Dress Across Regions And The Societal Forces Behind Fashion, James T. Granger

Senior Theses

This study attempts to examine how societal influences that different countries have obtained from years past affect their traditional fashion. By sketching 200 traditional female dresses from every sovereign country in the world, I have taken the time to analyze and create depictions of their sociological and stylistic choices. I have chosen to examine the countries of Cambodia, Republic of Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Panama, and Tonga as they all represent different regions of the globe. Breaking down each of their dresses into their specific garments and accessories is essential to better understand the culture and the …