Digital Commons Network^™

Disabling Structures: Disability And Graduate Student Professionalization, Gabriella Wilson-Kopko

Dissertations - ALL

While scholarship on graduate education and graduate teacher assistant training has emerged as a growing trend in the field of rhetoric and composition, perspectives from disabled graduate students about their navigation of academic spaces remain understudied and undervalued (Lutkewitte, Kitchens, Scanlon; Macaulay; Badenhorst, Amell, Burford; Brown). An often neglected and precarious student population, disabled graduate students’ experiences are critical to graduate education scholarship because their lived experiences offer insight into critiques of normative and disabling academic structures. This IRB-approved study contributes to scholarship on graduate education by carefully analyzing the cultural expectations of normativity, ability, and productivity that are implicitly …

Chinese Women’S Perspectives In Metaphorical Narratives: Exploring Identity, Growth, And Societal Expectations Through Illustration, Cancan Jin

Theses - ALL

This thesis explores the struggles and growth of Chinese women through metaphorical narratives, focusing on how they navigate societal expectations, gender inequality, and personal identity. First, it examines the importance of metaphor and anthropomorphism in storytelling. It analyzes how these techniques are used to address women's issues. Second, it explores the social background of Chinese women, from the May Fourth Movement, which challenged traditional gender roles, to the socialist era’s push for labor equality, and the modern struggles of workplace discrimination and the "double burden." Third, it introduces Tortoise on the Way, a visual thesis written and illustrated by the …

The Idiot's Asylum: What Better Place To Do It Than From My Own Grave?, Kara Stallings

Theses - ALL

The Idiot's Asylum: “What better place to do it than from my own grave?” is an essay that examines how vulnerability and collaboration operate as the throughlines of collective creativity. By utilizing live performance, large-scale installation, video, food, and humor, I explore how immersing my audience in a unique experience encourages them to bear witness to or physically engage in a social and vulnerable act of trust – especially within a state of uncertainty. I consider historical and cultural movements centered around radical play, humor, and participation such as Dada, Surrealism, Fluxus, Situationism, and feminist performance art to be foundational …

In Favor Of The Mother-Artist: The Case For Self-Actualization In Motherhood, Lottie Elizabeth Caiella

Theses - ALL

This thesis paper discusses the symbiotic relationship between the roles of mothering and being an artist and makes the case for why art made by mothers can have a lasting impact on both society as well as within the family dynamics of the artists’ lives. The obstacles that stand in the way of mothers pursuing art, or even pursuing becoming her full self, are many. This paper reimagines what the role of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs might look like from the lens of a caretaker, and how it can be an overall triumph for society from a wider perspective. This …

The Politics Of Artisanal And Small-Scale Gold Mining (Asgm) In Tanzania In The 21st Century., Eliud Atugonza Kabamanya

Theses - ALL

This study investigates the politics of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in 21st-century Tanzania, focusing on the organization of miners towards access to key resources, namely land, capital, markets, geological information, technology, and examining environmental degradation, health, and safety concerns affecting miners and surrounding communities. Grounded in historical and dialectical materialism, the research traces ASGM’s evolution from the pre-colonial period through colonial exclusions, post-independence reforms, and neoliberal restructuring. The study employs qualitative methods, including interviews, field observations, and document analysis, conducted over two months across key mining sites in Tanzania. Findings reveal that ASGM is shaped by systemic exclusion, …

Navigating Structural Behaviors To Education: A Qualitative Analysis Of Attendance, Behavior, And Academic Outcomes Among African American Scholars In Grades K-5, Tony E. Howard

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This qualitative study explores the structural behaviors within public K-5 education that affect African American students' attendance, behavior, and academic outcomes. With a persistent achievement gap disproportionately affecting African American learners, the research investigates how systemic inequities and institutional practices hinder equitable access to quality education. Using a phenomenological approach, the study draws on the lived experiences of educators, administrators, and support staff across several school districts to understand the nuanced challenges African American students face.

Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and document analysis, yielding rich insights into how disciplinary policies, culturally unresponsive teaching practices, and inadequate support services contribute …

An Autoethnography Of My Experience Navigating The United States Educational System As An Immigrant: Intercultural Communication Challenges And Cultural Asynchronization, Anuti Ngangana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to share experiences as an immigrant student and answer the following question: What does my personal life history reveal about the importance of intercultural communication in the U.S. educational system? Immigrants leave their countries of origin and migrate to the United States for various reasons. Many are traumatized when they enter the country due to civil unrest in their native countries. Immigrants arrive with their children, who join a school system that is generally unprepared to meet their needs. In order to document immigrant experiences, the researcher utilized an autoethnographic approach using counter-storytelling from …

Japan And Its Hesitation In Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage, Morgan R. Lewellen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Japan is the only state in the G7 that has not legalized same-sex marriages despite increasing support of LGBTQ+ rights and norms for respecting human rights. While some local governments and constitutional courts have made progress with recognizing same-sex partnerships and deeming the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Japanese national government has not enacted comprehensive pro-LGBTQ+ policy. Instead, the Diet (Japan’s legislative body) passed the “LGBT Understanding and Enhancement Bill” in 2023, which is a law that fails to legally recognize same-sex marriage or provide protections. This project aims to explore Japan’s hesitancy by examining politics, culture, history, and …

The Art Of Dreaming: A Surrealist Approach To Dream Analysis, Shelby Wright

Honors Thesis

Over the past two years, I created a series of paintings to explore the meaning of my nightmares. This study analyzes the themes and symbols in these dreams through the psychological frameworks of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud’s causal approach focuses on repressed desires, while Jung’s method relies on mythological symbols and archetypes in the collective unconscious. Drawing on the ideas of André Breton and the Surrealist movement, I examine how art can bridge dreams and waking life. By painting my dreams, I aim to better understand my unconscious and invite viewers to question their perception of reality. This …

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

Creative Expression Through Worldbuilding: A Study On The Connections Between Literature And Music Through Analysis Of Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive, Lauralei S. Palmer

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the worldbuilding connections visible throughout fantasy literature and musical works. Though their tools seem different, authors, composers, and performers use equivalent techniques to draw in their audiences and produce an immersive, emotional experience. This research focuses on American author Brandon Sanderson’s highly detailed worldbuilding in his epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive. The Stormlight Archive exhibits the three pillars of worldbuilding: completeness, invention, and consistency. This research also examines Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes, a symphonic poem based on Alfonse Lamartine’s poem, Ode. Finally, this thesis culminates in the fusion of literary and musical worldbuilding in description …

The Defect Within You, Sarah Spencer

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of science fiction short stories exploring human limitations in our era of unprecedented influence over the world. Despite everything we can accomplish, we are not as powerful as we think we are. My stories focus on how this manifests in our embodiment and our relationships with our bodies.

The Ethics Of Advertising Unhealthy Food To Children: A Study On Potential Advertising Policy Restrictions And Their Effects On Children Of Disadvantaged Minority Groups, Riley M. O'Neal

Honors Theses

According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, one in five children in America have obesity. Black and Hispanic children experience obesity at higher rates than children of other racial groups. With obesity rates increasing, what should be done to stop this increase? One partial solution is to restrict the advertisements of foods high in sugar fat, and/or refined grains directed towards children. Advertisements may be restricted in their mode (i.e., the media through which they are viewed) or their content (i.e., the substance of the advertisement or product packaging). While these restrictions on advertising may help lower overall …

Interactions Between The Deaf Community And Healthcare, Sarah E. Mcfadden

Honors Theses

Background.

This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.

Methods.

This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.

Results. …

Extracting Renewables: A Capabilities Approach To A Just Transition Crisis, Mateos Lozano

Honors Theses

Extraction of cobalt and lithium is often regarded as necessary to facilitate a successful transition to renewable energy so that global warming can be limited to 2°C. At the same time, many current cobalt and lithium extraction practices contribute to environmental destruction, expose workers to toxic contaminants, and sometimes involve child labor. This thesis argues that cobalt and lithium extraction, if permissible, must be conducted in a manner compatible with the normative obligations of justice and fairness. I first explain notable differences between prominent types of cobalt and lithium extraction and note how each impacts people and the environment. Then, …

Overlooked: The Nuanced Struggles Of Autistic Women, Autumn L. Payne

Honors Theses

Overlooked is a documentary short film that seeks to shine a light on the nuanced struggles of autistic women in a neurotypical world. This short documentary consists of three interviews with autistic women from different backgrounds. Each diagnosed during a different stage of life, they reflect on their journeys to receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and its impact on their lives. These conversations reveal an overwhelming lack of resources for autistic people, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the diagnosis criteria for ASD being historically based on white males, women and …

The Rural Cancer Paradox: When Poverty Outweighs Policy In Mississippi And Andalusia, 2010-2025, Elizabeth Hurst

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how regional economic histories and national healthcare policies interact to shape cancer care delivery in Mississippi (United States) and Andalusia (Spain)—two regions with parallel histories of agricultural dominance followed by economic decline, yet operating under fundamentally different healthcare systems. Through comparative policy analysis focused on the Affordable Care Act (2010) and Spain's Royal Decree Law 16/2012, this research challenges conventional fixation on healthcare system type as the primary determinant of patient outcomes. Instead, it reveals a “rural cancer paradox” where historically impoverished regions face similar barriers to effective cancer care despite their contrasting funding models. The research …

“The School Pretty Much Doesn’T Care . . . But I Do” Syllabus, Leconte J. Dill, Shavaun S. Sutton

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Our “The School Pretty Much Doesn ’t Care . . . But I Do ” Syllabus frames school pushout as a structural determinant of health and one that disproportionately impacts Black girls. Therefore, we are calling in scholars, practitioners, and policymakers who do not operate solely in the field of education to recognize school pushout as a health inequity. Created through Black feminist and Black girlhood studies lenses and popular education approaches, our syllabus includes relevant transdisciplinary and cross-genre concepts, source material, and engaging activities. Overall, our syllabus seeks to guide those who educate, support, nurture, and love Black girls …

The Rapsody Syllabus: Rescripting The Erasure Of Black Women And Black Women Educators Through Rapsody’S Album Eve, Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This syllabus explores the connections between Rapsody’s album and the experiences of Black women, with an emphasis on education. Much like Black women in education, Rapsody 's talents are often obscured and minimized. Her album “Eve ” is a love letter to Black women and serves as a mirror for Black women educators. This syllabus centers on Black women and highlights the beauty and magic of our presence within oppressive institutions. It works to amplify and extend the nonfungible existence of Black women, the humanization of our voices and words as sacred texts, and illuminate our ever-evolving contributions. Black women’s …

Why Would An Employee Quiet Quit?, Donika Gibson

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

As an African American woman with a career in a white-male-dominated environment, I experience quiet quitting daily. I am forced to feel as if I were hired to satisfy diversity, equity, and inclusion needs. To study organizational culture, work–life balance, and employee happiness, I synthesized, critically appraised, and examined 15 scholarly articles through the lens of Maslow’s 1943 hierarchy of needs, a psychology-based motivational theory. This study’s results may persuade leadership to self-examine leadership style, which can influence organizational culture, communication with project teams, prioritizing time and tasks, employee health, and ultimately, turnover rate. In addition, I interviewed an African …

Maroon Science: A Counterstory Of Apocalypse, Abolition, And Abandonment, Kenjus Watson

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This Critical Race Counterstory explores "Maroon Science," covert and adaptive knowledge systems rooted in African Sacred Sciences, as a means of navigating the dystopic polycrisis of anti-Blackness, Black youth suicide, and climate destruction. Framed through Apocalyptic Education, the work begins at the end, the inevitable collapse of western schooling and broader state systems it supports, to foreground fugitivity as essential to Black autonomy. The track maps connections between Black Indigeneity, ecological adaptation, and the concealment necessary for maroon communities to evade capture. The layered counterstory portrays Maroon Science as contingencies for African epistemologies of survival, flourishing in ungovernable pockets of …

Black Queer Youths’ Dreams Of Safer And Equitable Schools, Lashanda Harbin

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This track centers the concept of freedom dreaming to uplift the voices of Black queer youth to (1) explore what they think safe schooling should look like in the future, and (2) understand how they think those visions can come true. In focus groups, participants dreamed of futures where all Black queer youth are protected if harm occurs, feel well-represented in K–12 schools, and have adequate access to resources like mental health support and creative outlets. Participants believed these dreams could come true partly through collaboration between schools and Black and Black queer community organizations. Participants ’ dreams of safer …

Pioneering Pedagogy And Curriculum For A Global Black Consciousness: An Interview With Dr. Kassie Freeman, D. Caleb Smith

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

In 2020, the College Board introduced the AP African Diaspora seminar, the first advanced placement high school curriculum to feature an Africa topic or theme. The seminar proved to be groundbreaking and attractive as it has spread to more than 500 schools within the United States and ten institutions abroad. Much of the curriculum ’ s early success is indebted to the leadership from Dr. Kassie Freeman of Columbia University ’ s Teachers College. A nationally recognized leader in the fields of comparative and international education, Freeman began developing the idea for the AP African Diaspora seminar shortly after founding …

The Community University Of Social Work: The Creation Of An Alternative Educational Space In Kenya, Daniel Mango

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Colonization has scarred African social work, especially in Nairobi, Kenya, where neoliberal politics has turned a profession dedicated to advancing social justice into an arm of the state. State education for social work is highly restrictive; new social workers do not learn about the impact of racism and capitalism on mental health. Instead, they are trained to serve the government’ s interests. Thus, I conceived an alternative fugitive higher education community to educate and train social workers through an antiracist and decolonized curriculum. Grounded in African education theory, this community-based collaboration of future social workers is a revolutionary act of …

We Have Fifty-Eleven Problems, Of Course, Racism Is One: Exploring The Navigation Of A Pwi, Aminah Crawford, Virginia Redwine Johnson, Micayla Gooden

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This study explored the experiences of three Black women navigating dual roles as graduate students and instructors at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Their narratives revealed persistent challenges like implicit bias, racism, microaggressions, and limited opportunities, reflecting broader systemic issues that impact Black students in similar environments. Despite these adversities, the women demonstrated notable resilience. The findings emphasize the importance of creating policies and practices that foster inclusivity and support for marginalized communities within academic settings. By highlighting both personal and systemic barriers, this research contributes to understanding the complexities of Black women’s experiences at PWIs.

Living In Paradise? Cameroonian Women In The American Diaspora, Joseph Takougang

Journal of African Policy Studies

For decades after independence, African migration was a phenomenon that could be attributed to a patriarchal culture that encouraged male domination. Later, that traditional mindset was reinforced by a colonial system that often marginalized the role of women in many African societies. Indeed, because young men were more likely to be educated than their female counterparts under the colonial system, they were advantaged after independence to attend institutions of higher learning abroad when it became necessary to train young Africans to occupy important government and other decision-making positions in the newly independent states. Recently, however, women have become important players, …

Socioeconomic Status Of Parents And Provision Of Education In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Cameroon: The Case Of The Southwest Region, Sophie Edume Etomes, Fonkeng Epah George

Journal of African Policy Studies

This study examines the effect of the socioeconomic status of parents on the provision of education during the COVID-19 lockdown in Cameroon. Three major objectives guided this study, which examines the effects of parents’ educational level and level of income on the provision of education and how the emergency response strategy adopted by the government affected the provision of quality education for all. A case study research design was used, and the Southwest Region was chosen as the study site. Forty parents from rural and urban areas within the region were selected while twelve divisional delegates were sampled for the …

Transformation Of Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (Asm) In Ghana: From Pre-Colonial To The Modern Era, Emmanuel Ababio Ofosu-Mensah

Journal of African Policy Studies

Literature abounds on the nature and impact of gold mining activities in Ghana, but limited efforts have so far been directed at exploring a concise historical account of the transformation of artisanal small-scale gold mining in Ghana from the pre-colonial era to the present. Against this background, this article traces the history of gold mining policies and regulations that have brought about the transformation of the artisanal small-scale mining sector in Ghana. Drawing on archival documents, interviews, newspaper reports, and a review of secondary materials, this study reveals that, unlike the situation in the pre-colonial era, artisanal mining from the …

The Women’S Emancipation Struggle In Senegal During The 1980s And 1990s: The Case Of The “Yewwu-Yewwi” Movement, Aliou Ly

Journal of African Policy Studies

Senegalese women’s socio-cultural and economic status has always been shaped by local customs, religion, and gender structures. During the colonial period, against the backdrop of the opportunity to have a Western education, economic changes and extremely rapid urbanization encouraged Senegalese women to join the political arena in supporting various male political leaders. This trend continued during the post-colonial period, leading to the election of female parliamentarians and women holding high governmental positions in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1980s saw the creation of more vocal and visible women’s organizations such as the Yewwu-Yewwi “Pour la Liberation des Femmes” movement of …

Healthcare Policy And Administration In Nigeria: A Critical Analysis, Robert A. Dibie

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines the perception of the effectiveness of the healthcare system in Nigeria by citizens and residents of the country. It argues that the Nigerian government needs to adopt a more pragmatic healthcare policy, one that could be more effectively implemented. Unlike the old practice of the Ministry of Health, an innovative approach to healthcare delivery should involve benchmarks, strategic doing, and coordination of priorities, as well as partnerships with various stakeholders from the private sector, including nongovernmental organizations and foreign investors. The paper uses quantitative and qualitative data derived from questionnaire surveys and interviews administered to 3,202 Nigerian …