Digital Commons Network^™

Between Piety And Polity: The American Catholic Response To The First Atomic Bombs, Emma Catherine Scally

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

The Broadway Of War: How Theater Remembers The American Revolution, Campbell Loeber

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

The Destruction Of Cultural Heritage In The Yemen Conflict: Legal Implications And State Responsibility, Benjamin Passey

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Since 2015, a violent war has waged in Yemen between rebel forces and a Saudi Arabian led coalition. This conflict has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, an unparalleled humanitarian crisis, and the flagrant disregard and violation of international humanitarian law. A silent victim of the conflict is Yemen's millennia-old cultural heritage. Dozens of ancient monuments, historical buildings, and museums have been systematically targeted and destroyed by the coalition in unprecedented acts of cultural warfare. This paper examines the culpability of the Saudi led coalition in committing war crimes, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the …

When The World Seemed New: Ue Local 301 And The Decline Of The American Labor Movement, Jacob Houser

History Honors Program

On February 19, 1954 Senator Joseph McCarthy made his return to Albany, New York to expunge any subversive elements within the defense industry, particularly at the Schenectady General Electric plant. McCarthy was willing to bring anyone down with him that he could. A man named Charles Rivers was called forth to testify on the first day of the hearings. Rivers did not know that he was being brought before Senator McCarthy as a suspected Communist, but McCarthy in turn did not know that Rivers did not even work for General Electric. Once he realized he had the wrong man, all …

Shadows Of Empire: The Mughal And British Colonial Heritage Of Lahore, Naeem U. Din

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Pakistani city of Lahore is the capital of the Punjab province. The city itself has existed for over a thousand years. In 1947 the British rule in the Indian subcontinent ended, resulting in the partition of British India into the modern states of India and Pakistan. At the time the Punjab province was also partitioned, with the western half (including Lahore) going to Pakistan and the eastern half being awarded to India. Prior to partition, Lahore served as an important administrative and commercial center under the Mughal Empire (1526–1799), the Sikh Empire (1799–1849), the British East India Company (1849–1858), …

The Unsuspected Francis Lieber, Richard Salomon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

"The Unsuspected Francis Lieber" examines paradoxes in the life and work of Francis Lieber. Lieber is best known as the author of the 1863 "Lieber Code," the War Department's General Order No. 100. It was the first modern statement of the law of armed conflict. This paper questions whether the Lieber Code was truly humanitarian, especially in view of its valorization of military necessity. Also reviewed is the contrast between the Code's extraordinarily favorable treatment of African-Americans and Lieber's personal history of slave-holding.

Lieber's shift from civil libertarian to authoritarian after 1857, as exemplified by his support of Lincoln's suspension …

Dolls Who Speak: Sex Robots, Cyborgs And The Image Of Woman, Victoria E. Pihl Sorensen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the emerging phenomenon of sex robots from a feminist materialist perspective. I explore the current scholarly and popular debates on sex robots, and suggest a reading of sex robots in their machinic, literary and cinematic expressions to move beyond the moral-ethical impasse that seems to dominate sex robot discussions. Employing Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Myth” on a methodological and theoretical level, I argue for an interdisciplinary approach to studying sex robots, which proceeds carefully so as to avoid contributing to sex panic, and which thinks critically about what it might mean to assess sex robots from a feminist …

Everyday Violence And Women's Lives In Zambia: An Autoethnography, Amina Shikupilwa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Gender inequality has been a prominent feature of human societies for the longest time. Zambia, like most countries in Africa, is very conservative and patriarchal in nature. In a typical Zambian household, the male is the head of the family. I am going to talk about my experiences as a female growing in a culture that was highly patriarchal and traditional, and how those experiences have shaped me into the person that I am today. Central to my experiences, is the issue of violence in our home which I experienced from a young age. Domestic Violence is prevalent in most …

A Call For Compliance And Continued Efforts To Insure The “Best Interest” Of Indian Children In South Dakota, Tamee Livermont

Honors Thesis

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was implemented in 1978 to protect the best interest of American Indian children and families from the unwarranted removal of children from the homes and communities. 40 years post-ICWA, the state of South Dakota still struggles to insure proper and complete implementation of this law. This undergraduate thesis examines the history and current status of ICWA in South Dakota and the role of the South Dakota Department of Social Services in implementing ICWA and working with tribal nations. Finally, this thesis is a call for compliance by the state of South Dakota and continued …

"To Prevent Pernicious Political Activities" : The 1938 Kentucky Democratic Primary And The Hatch Act Of 1939., Raymond Michael Myers Iv

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

By 1938, popularity for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal had declined. The 1938 Kentucky Democratic primary, pitting Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley against Governor A.B. “Happy” Chandler, became a referendum on the administration. During the campaign, each candidate accused their opponent of employing government resources to buy votes. This national scandal prompted Congress to enact the Hatch Act of 1939. Still in effect, this law restricted how federal employees interacted with political campaigns. This paper contends that the 1939 Hatch Act served as a constitutional backlash against the New Deal’s federal expansion and the rise of the administrative state. …

Remembering Agincourt: An Analysis Of King Henry V'S Impact On English National Identity, Nathan C. Harkey

Tenor of Our Times

King Henry V is one of the best remembered monarchs in English History. Although he died at the untimely age of 36 after only nine years on the throne, his reign saw England's empire in France reach its highest point, an accomplishment that was actualized in the of the Battle of Agincourt. In the six centuries since, both Henry's reign as a whole and the battle itself have impacted the identity of the English nation in many ways. This paper analyzes the influence of these events on those who followed, ranging from the use of heraldry after the battle to …

Rethinking Colonization: A Case Study Of The North American Martyrs And The Middle Ground, Andrew Stranahan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

For thousands of years, Native Americans lived in North America, including the Great Lakes region. In this specific area, they would create their own unique customs, traditions, and ways of living. In addition, they would experience times of great turbulence, as violence, slavery, and torture all existed in this region. In this midst of this complex sociopolitical world, the French entered. They colonized this area and called it New France. They called the Great Lakes area, the pays d’en haut. Both the French and the Native Americans living in New France and the pays d’en haut learned to accommodate and …

Understanding The Alt-Right Brand Through A Comparative Look At Internal Vs. External Rhetoric, Samuel Norton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project examines the communications of the alt-Right, a relatively new white supremacist social movement in the US. The popularity of the alt-Right can be attributed to not only changing social conditions leading to rising instability but also rhetorically astute uses of new media. The alt-Right has been able to define its brand as an anti-political correctness coalition, and to communicate that brand identity to the public. When the brand identity eventually fell apart, so too did the movement.ut.

Pynchon And Place: A Geocritical Reading Of Thomas Pynchon, John Stout

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A special emphasis on artificial or constructed spaces appears throughout Thomas Pynchon’s body of work. This thesis explores how Pynchon describes such spaces and their uses to address such weighty topics as social inequity and the struggle against authoritarianism. In examining the role of sheltering spaces in novels such as V. and Gravity’s Rainbow, I argue that Pynchon depicts various “outsider” characters as finding reification of their own forms of alterity within spaces either designed or co-opted with such purpose in mind. Through Pynchon’s depiction of spatial transformation in novels like Vineland and Inherent Vice, the author finds the opportunity …

Middle Eastern Themes In Contemporary American Fantasy: The Political And Socio-Religious Implications, Sait Ibisi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What follows is a Master’s Thesis in which an insight is given into four Middle East-inspired contemporary American fantasy novels: The Desert of Souls (2011) by Howard Andrew Jones, Throne of the Crescent Moon (2012) by Saladin Ahmed, The City of Brass (2017) by S. A. Chakraborty, and Alif the Unseen (2012) by G. Willow Wilson. In the first part of the thesis I disclose the political implications which the mentioned novels carry. These are inspired by the past and contemporary political developments in the Middle East, and are meant to both criticize the said, but more importantly, to depict …

Breaking With Tradition(?) : Female Representations Of Heroism In Old English Poetry., Kathryn A. Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the Anglo-Saxons, strength, bravery, and the willingness to put oneself in harm’s way for king and kingdom were not only part of contemporary society but recurring themes in Old English literature. Poems like Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon reinforce the important bond between lord and retainer and the heroic ethos key to that relationship. Women were not historically part of this relationship and, therefore, not subject to the heroic code in the same way; consequently, they are rarely seen as anything more than conventional mothers, queens, wives, sisters, daughters, and virgins, all identified by their relationships to men, …

Joan, The Fair Maid Of Kent, Samantha Katz Seal

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

A Natural Pairing: Social Justice And Theatre Education, Danielle Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Social justice curricula are often solely geared toward middle and high school students. I intend to prove that a social justice curriculum can be creatively paired with a theatre curriculum. I also intend to prove that social justice can be taught as young as pre-kindergarten. I will design a social justice curriculum for various grade levels, beginning with pre-kindergarten. Through research and age-appropriate strategies, I will develop curriculum goals and learning experiences for all grade levels. The curriculum is not an end point for teachers, but rather a starting point for theatre teachers who want to integrate social justice into …

Congolese Refugee Students In Higher Education: Equity And Opportunity, Refik Sadiković

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore Congolese refugee students’ experiences in higher education in the United States. In order to understand the challenges Congolese students face in higher education, this study used narrative inquiry methodology to investigate Congolese students’ lived experiences that affected their educational endeavors before and after resettlement to the United States. The study examined personal stories of 10 Congolese students in the Pacific Northwest using semi-structured in-depth interviews, one-on-one follow-up interviews, field notes and two focus group interviews. Using narrative analysis five reoccurring themes were identified and discussed in the findings. The study findings indicate …

The Postmodern Indian: Representation And The Films Of Sherman Alexie, Tara P. Mccrink Burcham

Dissertations

For hundreds of years, Native Americans have been characters in American media. For most of those years, whites determined the way in which Native Americans were represented. First in print, radio, silent movies and later talkies and television, representations of Native Americans have included being uneducated sidekicks, savages, noble savages seeking to steal white women, drunken idiots, or hilarious jesters all for the entertainment of viewers. This troublesome history of negative depictions of Native Americans is the reason this research is directed at the films by Native American writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie. This research is a qualitative analysis of …

What We Say: Exploring Well-Versed Messaging In The Tradition Of Black Americana, Brenda Bell Brown

Creative Writing Programs

What We Say: Exploring Well-Versed Messaging in the Music, Literary and Cloth Traditions of Black Americana—serves as an exhibition of coded cypher without disclosing the inherent secret to deciphering the code. It is the script for the enigma, sans the full disclosure of meaning. It is the novel, without the cliff notes; the song without the mind-blowing lilt; the telling of the secret, without the whisper. I am giving you the truth, out loud, to provide relief through kinship connection to long-time sufferers who wandered for a long time wondering “what is wrong with me?” and seldom got an …

Progressive Commemoration: Public Statues Of Historical Women In Urban American Cities, Melanie D. Chin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Women who made notable accomplishments are underrepresented in commemoration. Some American cities have brought women to the forefront of becoming visible through commemoration in statues. This thesis compares the commemoration of historical women in four different American cities. Stakeholders hold the key to implementing and changing public policy to increase the visibility of women and people of color in public monuments. Cities which lack representation of women and people of color may learn from and follow the efforts of a leading city to achieve lasting and effective change in representing those who historically been underrepresented.

Affecting Civil War: The Poetics Of Fear In Lucan’S Bellum Civile, Irene R. Morrison-Moncure

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation argues for the importance of fear in the Bellum Civile, Lucan’s Neronian epic narrating the civil war between Caesar and Pompey (49 – 48 BCE). Previous scholars have acknowledged the centrality of fear in Lucan’s poetic program, having related it to the Aristotelian theory of pity and fear (catharsis) and to the use of affective rhetorical devices in historiographic writing. However, there has been no extended analysis on the programmatic role of fear in Lucan’s historical epic. I examine therefore how Lucan represents fear in its multifaceted forms and analyze how the representation of these forms complicates Lucan’s …

Tracing Moral Injury In Us Wars And Implications For The Year 2050, Robert A. Jensen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Throughout conflicts in history, the psycho-spiritual construct known today as “moral injury” can be found. This term was coined in 1994 out of conceptions of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to describe intense shame and guilt aspects resulting from military service. The challenge comes with extrapolating this injury in the wake of nuances in terminology about related symptoms in conjunction with an evolving consciousness in identifying invisible military-related injuries. With current research and a historic pattern of unnamed moral injuries, this study explores the following: How did military chaplains address moral injuries without this construct? What are Unitarian Universalist (UU) military …

The Myth Of Southern Atonement: Constructed Forgiveness In Public Spaces, Elizabeth Ashley Clayborn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a rhetorical analysis of public space in Arkansas and examines the ways in which the myth of Southern Atonement is constructed within those spaces. Three formal elements characterize Southern Atonement: absolution from the past, distinctiveness in constructed authenticity, and hope for a post-racial future. The analysis develops over three case studies which I argue contribute to the construction, engagement, and actualization of this cultural myth. The first chapter looks at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and The Unexpected art project as a source of identity construction and place attachment. Then I examine The Billgrimage, or the monuments and museums …

Perception Is Everything: Repairing The Image Of American Drone Warfare, Luke Tubbs

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will trace the United States’ development of unmanned warfare from its initial use in the World Wars through the Cold War to its final maturation in the War on Terror. The examination will provide a summary of unmanned warfare’s history, its gradual adoption, and concerns regarding the proliferation of drones use to understand the emphasis on unmanned weapons in the American Military. In each phase of development, a single program will be focused on to highlight special areas of interest in the modern day. Finally, the modern era of unmanned systems will focus on the growing integration of …

The Pen Must Calm The Sword: A Call To Promote South Sudanese History For Peace, John Robert Flores Jr.

Senior Honors Theses

The Republic of South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation and its birth has been marred by horrific acts of tribal and ethnic strife that have been characterized by brutal attacks on women and children by both rebels and government forces and the destruction of its ability to feed and provide basic services for its citizens. South Sudan’s first few years of statehood have been heartbreaking especially when considered against the promise that existed only a few years ago. Working towards a peaceful and successful future will inevitably be founded, in part, on understanding the history of the diverse peoples …

Ministry Through Musical Performance: Establishing Biblical, Historical, And Pedagogical (Educational) Precedent For The Christian Performing Artist, Lindsey Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a performing artist, the author suggests in an “American Idol” culture, Christian artists have largely lost their identity as worshipers with a ministry of the Gospel through music. The Christian performing artist has the responsibility to commit to spiritual maturity and personal growth. This thesis project proposes the artist is a communicator of the Gospel through music and seeks to substantiate the Christian performing artist through biblical, historical, and educational rationale and precedent. Biblical rationale of the Christian performing artist is considered in Old Testament and New Testament principle and precedent. Historical rationale and precedent is established through the …

They Have No Ears To Hear My Pleas: Short Stories Of The Post-Apocalypse, Keoki W. Kemp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a creative thesis consisting of two short stories in the post-apocalyptic genre. A genre that highlights suffering, societal trauma, and the effects of trauma and loss on the human psyche. This genre asks the reader to be sympathetic to these extreme plights. Post-apocalyptic narratives also feature classic heroes who come out on top, despite the genre’s harrowing settings. The two stories featured in this creative thesis are an answer to my inquiry into the genre and seeks not only to show what makes post-apocalyptic literature entertaining but also worthy of literary merit.

The two short stories that constitute …

Frontier Capitalism And Unfree Labor In Middle Appalachia: The Development Of Western Pennsylvania And Maryland, 1760-1840, Nathaniel Conley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Slavery and unfree labor have been a subject of growing interest for historians, particularly when dealing with frontier areas and the rise of capitalism. Recent studies have shown that slavery and unfree labor existed well into the antebellum period in the North despite the lack of legal support for the institution. Few historians have identified the importance of slavery in the development of western areas, however, particularly in the Appalachian regions of western Pennsylvania and Maryland. As a result, concerted study of slavery in rural, western areas is lacking, particularly in the borderland region between slavery and freedom along the …