Digital Commons Network^™

Engagement Of Young Dara’Ang In Cultural Identity Reconstruction, Nor Lae Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Pamira Rakorasilp

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

Dara’ang ethnic attire remains a significant aspect of the intangible cultural heritage of the Dara’ang people residing in Nor Lae Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand. This study employs the concepts of youth agency, intangible cultural heritage, and cultural identity to explore the perspectives of young Dara’ang regarding the intangible significances of their ethnic attire as youth are actively embracing it. Youth’s abilities in safeguarding the attire and reconstructing their cultural identity when interacting with other community members and Thai society are also examined. Drawing data from an arts-based engagement ethnography approach, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observation, this study reveals that …

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis Of English Picture Book Covers In Attracting Reading Interest Among Chinese Young Learners : A Case Study Of Caldecott Award Winners, Mengting Li, Atipat Boonmoh

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

This study used multimodal discourse analysis (mda) to examine how images in English picture books attract young readers. Using Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar, the study analyzes Caldecott Award-winning book covers to understand how meaning is conveyed and how multimodal resources engage children in reading. The research monitored 25 young learners aged 5–7 using English picture books for 10 weeks. The three most and least favorite books were identified and analyzed for representational, interactive, and compositional meaning. The study found that visual appeal, engaging characters, humor and other elements are key elements in attracting young readers. The findings provide …

Sugar-Cane And Sugar In The Vietnam – Singapore Relationship : Regional Commercial Network And Royal Trade, 1820–1847, Cao Thi Van, Ninh Thi Sinh

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

Existing literature on nineteenth-century trade from Vietnam focuses extensively on the trade of rice and opium, which formed the majority of commerce. This paper investigates another principal export, sugar, to examine how this commodity was produced and traded in Vietnam. It starts with a short description of the history of sugar cane cultivation and sugar manufacturing in Vietnam. An attempt will also be made to clearly demonstrate that Vietnam became a significant sugar supplier to the British Straits Settlements and other Southeast Asian markets via Singapore as a transit port. The development of Vietnam’s sugar trade was related to the …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Appalachains: Cultural Additions To Act, Jessica E. King

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This project examined the potential application of cultural additions to various aspects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This project is specifically focused on cultural adaptations of ACT for the Appalachian population. The ACT adaptations were devised based on a review of research on Appalachian culture, including the region’s geography, history of exploitation, cultural values, and clinical considerations for working with Appalachian populations. An overview of ACT and treatment effectiveness of ACT is included. It is important to note that this project is intended to be a supplement to ACT, and should be used in tandem with an ACT workbook …

Mortal Rivers: A Case Study Analysis Of Indigenous Water Sovereignty Within The Penobscot And Lakota Nations, 19th Century To Present, Moya S. Stringer

Honors Theses

Indigenous water sovereignty has long been a contested problem within the continent of Turtle Island. In 2016, the Lakota Nation globalized the message Water is Life through their movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline, an oil infrastructure that would put one of the continent’s largest watersheds at risk. The revolutionary fervor of the Water is Life movement travelled all the way to the Penobscot Nation in the Dawnland, a place we now call Maine. In an adjacent vein to the Lakota, the Penobscot people have spent the 21st century addressing damming projects and rampant pollution from the 1900s in a …

In Between The House Light And The Sun Rise, Xinyi Zhang

Honors Theses

In Between the House Light and the Sun Rise is a research project that includes a 20-minute performance and a written thesis. The research uses the framework of relationality to explore the relationship between humans and houseplants. Although houseplants live in a human-constructed environment, they have their own influences on people and the space around them. Learning from the ways plants move through time and space and the connections plants make with each other and with other living and non-living things, this project aims to use movement to reimagine the way we think about time, space, and community. This project …

The Fiction Of Possibility: How Possible Worlds Theory Explains The Impossible Worlds Of Science Fiction, Jacob Burlingame

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the ways that science fiction texts convey to the reader the worlds in which they are set. It identifies four main strategies through which a science fiction text conveys its world: Neologisms, Secondary Texts, Actual-World Analogs, and Exposition. Neologisms include any words that are coined by the author to describe an entity that only exists in the text world, which creates a fuller world by creating a referent for them. Secondary Texts are any other documents alluded to by the primary text, whether created for the text world or imported from the actual world; these secondary texts …

Red Diplomacy And Black Liberation: The Cold War's Influence On The Naacp, Natalie A. Filkins

Honors College Theses

The Civil Rights Movement and Cold War occurred concurrently, yet the two events represent entirely different moments in American history. While one marked a moment of immense social growth, the other illustrated how widespread paranoia can influence a nation’s decision making. This thesis centers on an examination of how the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (”NAACP”) utilized international bodies, like the United Nations (“UN”), to bring global attention toward the mistreatment of those of African descent. My analysis relied on internal documents from the NAACP’s offices, and the organization’s magazine publication, The Crisis. I examined volumes 55-68 …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Where Transformation Happens : Identifying Formational Qualities Of Spiritual Friendship Groups For Gen Z University Students, Gregory K. Haseloff

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Gendered Violence In Public Spaces: Women’S Narratives Of Travel In Neoliberal India, Barnana Baidya, Partha Bhattacharjee

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Fuel To The Fire: Experimenting With Care Ethics In Museum Education, Jenna S. Green

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

This article suggests museum theory and practice needs to shift its ideological foundation from storage, preservation, restoration, exhibition making, and learning, to one of radical care. Responding to the questions posed by the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education and drawing focus around the theme of (re)activating theory to envision an alternative educational model, I engage with Dana Carlisle Kletchka’s (2023) introduction of care ethics to art museum education. I suggest that care ethics, as a growing theory in museums, is interdisciplinary and should include contemplative scholarship and practices to embody its guiding tenants. I then take up Kletchka’s …

Coffee Shops And Community, Julia A. Franz

Emerging Writers

This paper focuses on the role of coffeehouses as community hubs through a comparative analysis of two locations of a locally owned coffee company in Georgia. It examines how the physical design and values of each shop offer unique forms of social interaction. The St. Simons location encourages spontaneous, intergenerational conversations; while, the Brunswick shop strengthens pre-existing community ties among working families and retirees. The profile explains how, by incorporating local history, sustainable sourcing, and communal spaces, the coffee company shows how design and principles shape social dynamics. This profile highlights how coffeehouses can serve as more than commercial spaces …

Severance As Metaserial Dystopia: Penal Spectatorship And Critical Reintegration, Sofia Buntz

Scripps Senior Theses

Typical prison media, while purporting to represent incarceration and its social meaning to the public, transforms lived realities of state-sanctioned violence into entertainment spectacle and operates under strict material and ideological constraints that prevent it from meaningfully questioning the legitimacy and function of the prison as a built institution. The television series Severance (2022), however, represents incarceration in the form of the dystopian office-prison where the innies are trapped, employing metaserial and science fictional narrative mechanisms to critically implicate the spectator. The show’s science fictional premise links the explicit violence of incarceration to the more subtle form of disciplinary control …

Lands Lost: Tracing Displacement And Ecological Degradation Amongst The Tataviam, Kawaiisu, Kitanemuk, And Vanyume People Of Antelope Valley, Calif., Daisy Alvarez

Scripps Senior Theses

Exploring the historic and ongoing impact of settler colonialism in the Antelope Valley, this thesis argues the Tataviam, Kawaiisu, Kitanemuk, and Vanyume, the aboriginal tribes of the valley, are effectively erased from the valley’s narrative and imagination. Through a series of genocidal and colonization efforts, first from Mission San Fernando and then from the California State Government and arrival of Anglo American settlers, the valley’s tribes can be subjugated to acculturation, displacement, massacres, and marginalization. Recognizing the valley's moral responsibility to platform their living descendants, the thesis proposes a path forward through decolonization, calling out local governments (Lancaster and Palmdale) …

Beyond The Shadows: Unveiling The Dynamics Of Gender-Based Violence In Malawi Through Advocates’ Perspectives, Sarah Temwa Padoko

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a term commonly used to describe harm inflicted upon individuals due to gendered power inequalities. In Malawi, GBV remains a significant barrier to achieving gender justice, with its pervasive nature hindering progress in areas such as health, education, and economic empowerment. This research explores the dynamics of GBV in Malawi through the experiences of advocates working to address the issue. Using semi-structured interviews and qualitative data analysis, the study investigates the prevalent forms of GBV, its root causes, and the far-reaching impacts it has on individuals and communities. Additionally, the research proposes evidence-based solutions to strengthen …

Manila As Sophie’S World: Mapping Sites Of Wonder In 19th C. Intramuros And Environs, Jovino G. Miroy

Philosophy Department Faculty Publications

This paper draws a philosophical heritage map of Intramuros

and environs. The map includes several religious sites in

Intramuros and two monuments of heroes outside the walls. The

paper explains the reason for drawing such a map by, firstly,

discussing the theory of place-based learning. Secondly, it will

discuss the philosophical walk as a dialogue with the

environment (nature and the city). A philosophical heritage

map is also understood not only as a tour of sites associated with

philosophers and the history of ideas but a movement along sites

of wonder, rumination, contemplation, and critical thinking. As

such, walking as …

Impact Of Geography On Institutions In Agricultural And Nomadic Societies, Haiwen Zhou

Economics Faculty Publications

How geography affects the choice of institutions is studied in a theoretical model. In this model, nations are located around a circle. Rulers compete through choosing tax rates, the level of military spending, and the degree of formality of institutions. Geographic condition is captured by population density. It is shown that societies with higher population densities choose lower tax rates, establish more formal institutions, and give government officials lower levels of autonomies than those with lower population densities do. A higher level of external threats induces a ruler to choose a higher level of autonomy for officials. The model is …

The Paradox Of Survival: Gendered Food Insecurity, Labor Inequalities, And Coping Strategies During The 2023/4 Drought In Eastern Ethiopia, Meron E. Lemma

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In drought-prone regions of Eastern Ethiopia, recurring droughts profoundly reshape everyday life in ways that deepen existing gendered inequalities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Fedis district, including semi-structured interviews with women, project implementers, and government officials, as well as group discussions with community members, this study explores how women experience, navigate, and resist the gendered impacts of drought. By attending to the sociopolitical dynamics of drought and the development interventions that accompany it, I analyze how these forces restructure labor, land, food systems, and authority in ways that reproduce and exacerbate existing inequalities. Women’s coping strategies, ranging from begging and …

Commercial Attention Spaces: A Century Of Discourses, Measurements, And Models Of Attention In The Construction Of U.S. Advertising Markets, Jacob Saindon

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

A vast assemblage of networked devices populate our everyday spaces. Concomitant with the increasing ubiquity of media devices are advertisements. Indeed, many networked devices, specifically the “free-to-use” software applications, websites, or platforms displayed through them, are advertising-dependent. An assortment of firms within the commercial media industry—brands, agencies, publishers, vendors—work in concert to sustain a market for advertising. The core operation of the commercial media industry, I argue, is the production and exchange of attention as an economic object. In this study, I approach the production of attention and the framing of its markets as spatial processes. The continued growth of …

The History Of Urban Life Textbook, Samuel Finesurrey

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Struggles For Reproductive Justice In The Era Of Anti-Genderism And Religious Fundamentalism, Ayushi Raghuwanshi

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review Essay: Reading The Witch Otherwise: Decolonial Reckonings And Epistemic Disobedience In The Witch Studies Reader, Moussa Pourya Asl

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Echoes Before Language: A Written Thesis On Movement, Origin, And Becoming, Shadidja Parker

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis presents a body-based, lineage-informed approach to movement development into dance, honoring both scientific and spiritual knowledge systems. It engages in a blend of qualitative, embodied, and autoethnographic methods—including dance studies, developmental science, phenomenology, and cultural analysis—to examine how movement emerges, evolves, and carries meaning. Grounded in my lived experience as a dancer, mother, and Black woman, this research frames the body as both a site and source of knowledge. I use my own body as an instrument of movement, memory, and identity, positioning my embodiment as a form of inquiry. The thesis is organized in two parts: a …

Raíces De Esperanza: The Omnipresence Of Female Ancestors As Guides Through Nepantla, Fabiola Sanchez Huidobro

Dance (MFA) Theses

This thesis investigates the intertwined threads of generational rage and grief experienced by a first-generation individual navigating the emotional and spiritual landscape shaped by their ancestry and migration. Furthermore, this work examines how emotional and spiritual inheritances intersect with the author’s cultural subconscious, facilitating a deeper understanding of the complexities of being caught between two worlds: Mexico, the origin of their roots, and the United States, the land of their birth. Through personal stories and cultural reflections, this piece aims to investigate the profound ways in which matrilineal inheritances help guide the author through the transitional space of Nepantla. Nepantla …

Volume 18 - Issue 1: La Créole - A Journal Of Creole History & Genealogy, Melissa Daggett, Alan Rosenberg, Pat Marant Schexnayder, Mark Charles Roudané, Nancia R. Sterling, Kalie Dutra, August J. Darbonne, Angela D. Aubry, Alex Da Paul Lee, Kimberly F. Monroe Ph.D, Gisele Perez, Katy Morlas Shannon, René Grandjean

La Créole - A Journal of Creole History & Genealogy

The Louisiana Creole Research Association, Inc., known as LA Creole, was founded on August 21, 2004 as a New Orleans-based, non-profit family research and educational organization. Its purpose is to assist Creoles of Color in researching their ancestry, to educate the general public about Creole history and culture, and to celebrate the contributions and legacy of a unique, sometimes forgotten people. La Créole, the Association’s journal is published annually.

Editor-In-Chief's Note, Surekha Rao

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Bruce Bigelow, 1943 - 2025, Kenneth Colburn

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.