Digital Commons Network^™

“An American Versailles:” Cold War Diplomacy And The Branding Of The American National Image Through The Fashion Of First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Holly Carew

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

HIS 490 History Honors Thesis

Review Of Supracultural Gospel: Bridging East And West By Mary Lou Codman-Wilson And Alex Zhou, Mark D. Wood

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Best Practices For Teaching Shifting Gameplay Styles, Matthew Grabowski

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores four different methods (Golden Path, Punishers & Reinforcers, Teaching in Threes, and Forced Teaching) for teaching players how to engage with shifting gameplay styles within video games using Nico Fridja’s Valence Theory [1]. Using the Far Cry 5 Arcade Editor, the researcher created a single-player video game level in which all four teaching methods were tested in tandem with one another. The goal of creating this level was to evaluate the validity of the teaching methods and their ability to shift gameplay valences, specifically between stealth-focused gameplay and push-forward firefight combat gameplay.

Considering The Historical Houri In Early Islamic History, Vivek K. Rallabandi

Student Publications

This paper examines the question of how the houri (heavenly maidens in Islamic theology) figure into the historical context of early Islam. While the houri have been the subject of much discussion in terms of contemporary affairs, it is worth exploring how the houri may have played a utilitarian role in the growth of Islam. This paper conducts that analysis.

Changeable Cohesion: Dance And Disability In Post-War Sri Lanka, Susan Reed

Faculty Journal Articles

Dancers with disabilities are increasingly participating in performances throughout Asia. In this article, based on long-term research, I provide an analysis of changeABLE cohesion, a mixed-abled, intercultural performance co-created by Sri Lankan dancers and Gerda Koenig, choreographer of the renowned German DIN A13 dance company. The article focuses on the experiences and interpretations of the dancers, analyzing the creative process they employed as well as the long-term impacts that participation in changeABLE cohesion had on their lives and work. By providing the perspectives of multiple actors, the article seeks to demonstrate how an expansive ethnographic approach can enrich our …

Paul Celan And The Processes Of Survival In Post-Shoah Jewish Writing, Ari Savage

Theses

The following is a study of the poetry of Paul Celan as a representation of psychological and social processes present in the written works of Shoah survivors. It begins with an analysis of the place of writing in Jewish culture, then identifies three primary processes which operate in sequence: alienation, individuation, and integration. By examining Paul Celan’s highly personal and autobiographical texts in the context of his life experience as a Shoah survivor it is possible to discern the social and psychological forces at work which compel survivors to express their traumas in written form, and to gain a better …

Foundation Myths And Their Societal Impact: The American Dream As A Case In Point, Justin Pilgreen

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis ventures into the intricate realm of foundation myths and their impact on shaping national identities, with an emphasis on the American Dream as a central, master myth within the American narrative framework. Foundation myths serve as the bedrock of a nation's identity, crystallizing its values, aspirations, and collective memory. The American Dream transcends its role as a mere aspirational ideal to act as a powerful orchestrator of a myriad of sub-myths that collectively forge the American ethos.

By engaging with theoretical perspectives on myth's role in national identity formation and the crafting of a "usable past," this thesis …

The Place Of Nuclear Weapons In Russian Identity: An Ontological Security Analysis, Peter Ernest Yeager

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

On May 9, 2008, Russia’s Victory Day, four 14-wheeled MAZ-7917s drove through Red Square carrying Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles. This was the first time nuclear weapons had been paraded through Moscow since before the end of the Cold War. The previous August, Russia had resumed nuclear-capable bomber patrols, and in January, 2007, President Putin acknowledged Russia had begun to build new nuclear weapons. These remarkable events were met with little acknowledgement in the West, as if they were completely normal. Instead, they represented a major evolution in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia. Sixteen years of fitful …

Civil War In Ancient Egypt? A Case Study Of The First Intermediate Period (Ca. 2120-1970 Bc), Marco Pinfari

Theses and Dissertations

The First Intermediate Period (FIP – ca. 2120-1970 BCE) is often described by Egyptologists as a period of “civil war.” In the Egyptological literature, however, little attention is paid to defining this notion (which was first introduced only in the Late Roman Republic, almost 2,000 years later) and to explaining how it could be applicable to ancient Egyptian history.

This thesis contributes to this debate by analyzing the FIP through the lenses of contemporary approaches to civil war, drawn from political science and other cognate disciplines. It first discusses how if the events of the FIP comply with contemporary definitions …

Response To Repressions: Lithuanian Clergy In Dramatic Post-War Turmoil, Regina Laukaityte

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

For a long time after the war, Lithuanians were convinced that the United States of America and England would demand that Stalin withdraw his troops from the occupied European countries. Predictions of imminent political change, based on all sorts of reasoning rather than evidence, continued to circulate among the people. The hopes of liberation were directly linked with the phenomenon of hiding, a self-defense against assumed or imminent Stalinist repression. The aim of this article is to highlight the causes and prevalence of the phenomenon of hiding in Lithuania in the face of Soviet repressions, and the role of the …

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

The Smallpox Revolution, Sierra Marchand

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Samllpx was one of the most feared diseases in colonial North America during the eighteenth century. This fear was caused by "the suddenness and unpredictability of its attack, the grotesque torture of its victims, the brutality of its lethal or disfiguring outcome, and the terror that it inspired, which [made] Smallpox unique among human diseases." People who contracted the disease had a thirty to fifty percent chance of survival, and if they survived the painful illness, many victims lost their eyelashes, had permanent facial scaring and pitting, or even sometimes went blind. This made smallpox survivors the subjects of social …

Defending Megalopolis, Joshua Mackay

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE was a seminal moment in Greek history. The battle marked the end of the Spartan domination of Greece begun in 404 BCE at the end of the Peloponnesian War. At Leuctra, Sparta and her allies confronted Thebes and the Boeotian League and were decisively defeated. In the wake of this battle, Thebes enforced a synoikismos of the surrounding villages and small poleis and founded a unique polis, Megalopolis, whose purpose is heavily debated today. Because the lhebans constructed Megalopolis soon after the Battle of Leuctra in an attempt to contain Sparta within the …

Cybersecurity Leadership In Safeguarding Election Voter Data (Case Study: Implementation Of The Sidalih Information System By The Indonesian General Election Commission), Muhammad Iqbal Khatami, Rahayu Rahayu

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This research aims to determine the cybersecurity leadership of Indonesia's General Election Commission (KPU RI) in protecting voter data within the Voter Registration Information System (SIDALIH). With the increasing use of information technology in elections, including SIDALIH, these systems have become vulnerable to cyber threats. Previous cyberattacks during Indonesian elections highlight the critical importance of cybersecurity, especially in protecting voters' personal information. Given the growing complexity of cyber threats, organizations need responsive leadership and effective communication governance, with a focus on cybersecurity leadership. The primary research question examines how KPU's cybersecurity leadership ensures voter data security during SIDALIH's deployment in …

Iran's Nuclear Program: A Struggle For Security And Modernity, Sina Azodi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the historical evolution of Iran's nuclear program from its inception in the 1950s to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. It examines how threat perceptions have, over the decades, influenced Iran's nuclear posture, leading the Iranian political leadership to adopt a hedging strategy that extends beyond changes in ruling regimes. This study employs the Proliferation Strategy Theory (PST) as its theoretical foundation. This framework helps in dissecting the dynamics between threat perceptions and the candidate state's adopted nuclear posture. The principal findings of this dissertation highlight the direct impact of regional …

The Weight Of Gratitude And The Burden Of Truth, Joshua Macer

Masters Theses

The roots of this thesis lie in a daily journal written in a tattered notebook while deployed to the war-torn city of Baghdad, Iraq. The artist's statement tells the story of how the tragic events of 9/11 led to a decade of service in the military and how a simple daily journal kept during combat became the foundation for a memoir. Times passing, memory issues from injuries sustained overseas, and conflicting stories led the author to question the accuracy of military memoirs. The critical theory paper evaluates authenticity in memoirs, the challenges to truth and memories, and the consequences of …

Pretty Girls Don't Eat Pizza: How An Eating Disorder Taught Me I Am Enough, Hannah Kuhn

Masters Theses

Eating disorders have become one of the most fatal mental disorders, and yet many people still don’t know anything about them. This allows society to misinform people on what this disorder is, and for those suffering from it to feel misunderstood and alone. Patients and their families don’t need more medical advice on the topic. They need to hear a raw, honest and messy story from someone who is not cured, but overtime has found the resources, hope and strength to continue living with it everyday until healing is granted. This is a story that both informs and shows the …

Conventional Commanders In An Unconventional War: The U.S. Army In Vietnam 1965-1973, Patrick Richard Eaton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the U.S. Army maneuver battalion and brigade commanders who led their formations in combat in the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1973. This study highlights how the maneuver commanders shaped tactics and operations and by their success, influenced the MACV strategy. It also delineates how battalion- and brigade-level commanders interpreted the MACV strategy and formulated tasks, operations, and missions for subordinate units. This study establishes a direct link between maneuver battalion and brigade commanders and the strategy, doctrine, and tasks they executed during the Vietnam War. The study further assesses the distinct and profound leadership challenges that …

Vietnam Wacs: An Exploration Of Women’S Military Service During The Sociopolitical Upheaval Of The Vietnam War Era, Carmen M. Latvis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women’s military service has often been relegated to the footnotes of history in the larger discussion of war and military service. Despite this, women have served the United States through every major conflict since the Revolutionary War with no expectation of recognition or reward. Such service raises questions regarding patriotism, gender roles, and citizenship. This research explores those questions during the Vietnam War era, one of the most defining moments in American society and culture and argues that women’s military service was shaped during those turbulent years through persistent quiet integration, defining political intervention, and military necessity. An investigation of …

Antislavery White Supremacists And The Mistreatment Of African Americans In Indiana, 1787-1870, Mark A. King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Conventional wisdom holds that Indiana was always predominantly antislavery because it had begun as a territory of the United States under the Northwest Territory Act of 1787, which prohibited slavery; however, this is incorrect. This northern state had about as much proslavery sentiment as most states in the South. The state wrestled with the issue in the legislative session after the legislative session and court case after court case for decades during the antebellum period. Prominent settlers and state organizers petitioned Congress to allow the Indiana Territory to become a slave region. After statehood, proslavery forces continued to push for …

Angles And Angels: Political Unity And Spiritual Identity In Anglo-Saxon England, Susannah Morrison

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The development of nationalism in Europe is a contested process, and most historians conclude that nationalist sentiments did not arise in the shattered remnants of the Western Roman Empire until the twelfth century. However, a national consciousness developed in England long before this date. Although it was a fundamentally abstract concept, largely limited to the intellectual domain of the highly educated elite, English national identity in the Anglo-Saxon period was a vibrant and powerful cultural force. Memorably articulated by the Venerable Bede in the eighth century, this proto-national sentiment identified the Angles-the Germanic tribes who had invaded and occupied Britain …

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Search And Destroy: The U.S. Military's Contribution To The Victory Of The North Vietnamese Army, Mike Baer

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On August 7, 1964 both houses of Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, placing congressional support behind the president in repelling "any armed attack against the forces of the United States." The president was also empowered to take, upon request from any nation in Southeast Asia, "all necessary steps, including the use of armed force, to assist {that nation} in the defense of its freedom." This allowed the U.S. to circumvent the Geneva Accords of 1954, which had severely limited the U.S. troop contingent in South Vietnam and prevented any offensive military campaigns. Less than a year after passage …

‘Is This Song A Rebel Song?’: Republican Legitimacy And The Contested Narratives Of The Irish Revolutionary Soundscape, Seán Ó Cadhla

Articles

This article will demonstrate how the diverse body of musical narratives broadly collectivised as ‘Irish rebel songs’ exhibit multi-layered categorisation difficulties beyond those typically pertaining to the wider canon of traditional folksong. Due to the systemic, often febrile, contestation surrounding ideological legitimacy within the Irish national struggle, such texts must necessarily navigate multiple historico-political complexities, foremost of which is the dogmatically essentialised, yet organisationally splintered, tradition of physical-force Irish Republicanism. Such disputed ideological demarcations encourage a notable subjectivity in terms of how rebel songs are viewed from both musicological and political perspectives in Ireland to the present, a liminality reflected …

Full Issue

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Drama Of Last Things: Reckoning In Late Medieval And Early Modern English Drama, Spencer M. Daniels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historian Albrecht Classen’s contention that “the culture of death . provides us with a measuring stick for human society at large” is particularly illuminating when analyzing death and Christian salvation near the religious chasm of the Reformation divide. My study focuses on reckoning as it is illustrated in late medieval and early modern allegorical English drama. The Christian belief in a soul’s redemption or damnation after death was preceded by a crucial supernatural happening, a reckoning. Informed by God’s judgment, this event became the crux of the ars moriendi (the art of dying) tradition that permeated medieval and early modern …

"The Nature Of Their Country": Florida's Environment And Military Learning The Second Seminole War, 1835-1842, Jacob Hagstrom

Florida Historical Quarterly

In the summer of 1839, after four years of inconclusive military campaigns, the army's adjutant in Washington asked Zachary Taylor why his troops had not yet removed all of the Seminoles from Florida. One of Taylor's opponents, Coacoochee, turned to nature as well to explain his ultimate failure to remain in Florida. Coacoochee's followers were among the last of about four thousand Seminoles to depart the peninsula for Indian Country in the west. The Indigenous resistance leader, sometimes known as Wild Cat, explained the reason for his surrender with reference to the densely wooded "hammocks" that dotted the Florida landscape. …

Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol 100, No. 3, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

No abstract provided.

The First Kinship: The Native American Relationship With Katahdin, John W. Neff

Appalachia

An excerpt of the book Katahdin: An Historic Journey: Legends, Explorations, and Preservation of Maine’s Highest Peak, first published in 2006 by Appalachian Mountain Club Books.

"In The Footsteps Of Hercules": The Influence Of Classical Antiquity On Eighteenth-Century Militaries, Scott Madere

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines the pervasive influence of ancient Roman and Greek figures, historical events, literature, and military methods on the leaders and practitioners of eighteenth-century warfare. Rulers, generals, military theorists, and officers frequently consulted classical histories and literature for solutions to the common military problems of the period – tactical, operational, and strategic – showing remarkable faith in ancient military methods despite their growing dependence on gunpowder weaponry and related technologies. This dissertation examines why this was the case and concludes that classical antiquity not only maintained the credibility of its wisdom in the context of modern warfare, but also …