Digital Commons Network^™

Voices In Transit: Intersectionality, Silence, And Political Engagement In Ride-Sharing, Soran Tarkhani

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

Abstract This study examines Uber as a digitally governed “third space” for political discourse. Based on 4,716 ride observations from Louisville–Southern Indiana—3,676 collected in 2023–2024 and 1,040 in 2025—it uses a mixed-methods design combining multinomial logistic regression and qualitative observation. Political conversations are defined as discussions of parties, elections, policies, or major social issues. Results show that White and male passengers were most likely to initiate such talk, while African American and female riders often remained silent, consistent with Noelle-Neumann’s spiral of silence. African American women faced the strongest intersectional constraints. Women and LGBTQ passengers leaned liberal, while men displayed …

Culture And Its Discontents: Versions Of Matthew Arnold From The 1860s To The 1980s, Jarrett Moran

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Between the 1860s and the 1980s, the concept of culture articulated by Matthew Arnold provided a widespread and persistent language for making claims about who was ready for inclusion in British politics and identity and who was not yet ready or even incapable of being included. Scholarship on Arnoldian culture has often focused on presenting just one version of Arnold, whether as a cultural elitist, a progenitor of literary studies, or proponent of “doing away with classes.” This dissertation instead shows that Arnold’s concept of culture was so pervasive and persistent because he could be appropriated and redefined by people …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

The Archaeology Of Alienation: Representation Of Death For The Mentally Illness In Lawang, Malang, Aninda Diandra Rahmadewi, Irmawati Marwoto Imj

International Review of Humanities Studies

Alienation as a novelty in archaeological research which in this study aims to explain how mentally illness patients are buried at Lawang Mental Hospital as an alienation and how the representation of the graves of patients with mentally illness. Alienation is a form of experience by individuals who are marginalized from society, one of which is people with mentally illness. Alienation in mentally illness does not only occur during their lifetime, but continues until they die. Lawang Mental Hospital, built in 1884, is the only mental hospital that has a special cemetery for mentally illness patients. The method used focuses …

Preserving Cultural Memory And Identity Of Eviction Through Digital Archives: A Case Study Of @Tamansarimelawan Instagram Account, Zulfi Al Hakim, Himawan Pratama, Mochamad Aviandy

International Review of Humanities Studies

This study examines how the Instagram account @tamansarimelawan plays a significant role in preserving collective memory and the identity of marginalized groups through digital archives. In the context of the Taman Sari urban village community, which resisted land eviction for the construction of row houses in Bandung, this research explores how Instagram as a social media platform contributes to the formation and maintenance of collective memory and community identity. Using content analysis of the @tamansarimelawan account, the study investigates the mechanisms through which social media functions as a digital repository, a medium for fostering a sense of belonging and continuity, …

From The “Paris Of The East” To Modern Phnom Penh: Colonial Legacies In Cambodian Urban Planning, Jin Ke, Ade Solihat

International Review of Humanities Studies

Phnom Penh was once known as the “Paris of the East,” serving as a major urban center in Indochina during the French colonial period. Colonial authorities shaped the city through functional zoning, planned street networks, and European-style architecture, all of which reflected hierarchies of power embedded in urban space. Despite the extensive destruction caused by the Khmer Rouge regime and subsequent postwar reconstruction, traces of colonial urban planning and architectural heritage remain clearly visible in the contemporary development of Phnom Penh. This study adopts a literature-based approach combined with historical analysis, spatial analysis, and architectural case studies to examine how …

Atlanta '96: The Games And The South, Beau Bowden

ETDs from 2020-2029

The Centennial Olympiad, hosted by Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, demonstrated key principles of the postsouthern mindset, a movement typically associated with literary criticism that, if applied to historiographic methods, offers valuable insights into how Atlantans confronted competing identities of being a modern international city hailed as the Black Mecca, and a city forever linked to the Lost Cause, Ku Klux Klan, and racial inequality. During the Opening Ceremonies, specifically, Olympic organizers curated a celebration touting the city’s and region’s multiculturalism and corporate might, as described by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympics (ACOG), the body responsible for organizing the games, …

Two Parthenons: The Convergence Of Greek Myth And Western Heritage In Nashville, Kathryn Marie Bryles

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Nashville Parthenon functions as a cultural and educational center, hosting exhibitions, performances, and lectures that delve into Greek mythology and its influence on Western civilization. By doing so, it bridges the gap between ancient and modern worlds, highlighting how the themes of Greek mythology remain relevant today. The links between the Athenian Parthenon and the Nashville Parthenon stand as a testament to the enduring power of Greek mythology, preserving its stories and symbols in a modern context. It illustrates how ancient heritage can be revitalized and celebrated, ensuring that the myths of gods and heroes continue to inspire and …

A Town Of Their Own Making: Garrett Grove And Other Arkansas Freedom Settlements, Donna Shelton

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of Black power movements through townbuilding in post-emancipation Arkansas delving into the perspectives of African American farmer-owners, business operators, educators, and community leaders who survived on the other side of slavery. Despite failed promises from so-called allies, or perhaps because of them and other societal betrayals, freedpeople carved out a place in the American landscape to establish All-Black communities and towns popularly known as “Black Towns” or “Freedmen Towns.” In contrast to most studies of Black towns, this study is situated in the South, specifically in Arkansas, to examine the more than three dozen freedom …

Black Swans And Safety Nets: Food Aid, Dispersal, And Eugenics In Corbin Hollow, Glenn Davis Stone, Richard K. Robinson

Southern Anthropologist

No abstract provided.

Colonial Whaling In Walvis Bay And In Southern Africa: Environmental Exploitation And Legacy Of South Africa’S Cetaceans, Jake L. Zarak

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This paper examines the colonial whaling industry in Southern Africa, with a focus on Walvis Bay, tracing its long term environmental and socio-economic impacts. From the 1700s to the 1900s, whaling operations, primarily led by American, British, and French enterprises, exploited the region’s rich populations of sperm and right whales, drastically reducing their numbers. The study contextualizes whaling within a broader colonial framework, analyzing its effects on whale migratory patterns, indigenous communities, and marine ecosystems. It explores as well, the transition from whaling as an economic endeavor to modern conservation efforts and the romanticization of whales in literature and art. …

What Does Nature Mean In The Abolition Of Man? Or, The Participatory Ontology Behind The Sublime Waterfall, Chris R. Armstrong

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

If Lewis’s Abolition of Man is simply an argument for objective moral value, or what we have called “the natural law,” then why begin with waterfalls that demand of us certain kinds of aesthetic judgment,[1] and end by saying that technocrats who take Nature in their own hands to control others with it have stepped outside of something larger than moral law, viz. the Tao, the Real itself, and thereby lost their very humanity?[2]

What, that is, is Nature in the Abolition? Certainly, it is not nature as construed in philosophical naturalism after Jane Austen, after the advent …

Teaching The Abolition Of Man, Joel Heck, Robert Koons, Josiah Peterson

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

The authors also hope that this article will help readers better understand The Abolition of Man and raise the level of interest in teaching this important book in schools, churches, and in many other venues and that many will find here helpful practical ideas for such teaching.

Lucy Wortham James And The Gospel Of Wealth: A Case Study Of Female Philanthropy In Rural Missouri During The Progressive Era, Jacob F. Rinehart

The Confluence

Various historical scholars have examined the role of Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth on philanthropic attitudes and endeavors of affluent Americans during the Progressive Era. Modern developments, driven by post-structural feminist theory, have shown that rural-born Missouri women, exemplified by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, acted as complementary equals to Carnegie through their humanitarian efforts by uniquely interpreting and implementing his social doctrines. However, the existing scholarship has focused substantially on coastal developments, neglecting the role of this benevolence in rural Missouri communities. By examining the philanthropic endeavors of Lucy Wortham James, both during her life and post-mortem through her endowment of …

Wei Xiqin’S Evolutionary Plan For Modern China, Nianhong Qiu

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

This study examines the thinking, practices, and significance of Wei Xiqin (1882- 1952). Born in Germany and educated in various European countries, Wei was a musician and educator who played an active role in the educational reform of the Republic of China. Wei was equipped with modern European thoughts but held deep reverence for Confucianism and other traditional Chinese classics. Examining this contentious figure in the wake of “Chinese Evolutionism” trend, this study investigates the differences between Wei’s evolution theory and the dominant evolution theory during early 20th-century China. Wei’s evolutionism, which I call a type of “Cyclic Evolution,” implies …

Ask An Og, Reginald Bess

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

No abstract provided.

Historically Black, Immensely Beautiful, Leonard A. Slade, Jr.

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

No abstract provided.

I Could Not Sleep, Leonard A. Slade, Jr.

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

No abstract provided.

Holiday Prayer Poem, Leonard A. Slade, Jr.

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

No abstract provided.

To Jasmine, Leonard A. Slade, Jr.

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

No abstract provided.

Health And Transportation Equity Issues In Rural Areas Of The Texas Megaregion, Gwendolyn C. Goodwin

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

This study examines health and transportation inequities affecting rural residents within the Texas Triangle megaregion, focusing on the US 290 West and I-10 East corridors. While urban residents benefit from proximate hospitals, public transit, and specialized care, rural communities face physician shortages, hospital closures, and long travel distances for essential services. Data from the American Community Survey and HRSA reveal disproportionate disability rates among seniors and people of color, particularly in counties such as Jefferson and Orange. Transportation costs further burden low-income households, with rural residents traveling longer daily distances and spending a greater share of income on vehicle ownership. …

Into The Fire: An Examination Of Violence In Reconstruction Texas, 1865-1868, John Gorman

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

This article examines the scale, patterns, and political implications of racial violence in Texas between 1865 and 1868, arguing that white terror functioned as a systematic effort to suppress Black freedom and restore antebellum racial hierarchies. Drawing on Congressional testimony, Freedmen’s Bureau records, and the 1868 Report of the Special Committee on Lawlessness and Violence in Texas, the study reveals that violence was not random but structured along social, labor, and political lines. Murders, whippings, intimidation, and organized attacks—such as the Millican riot—intensified when freedpeople asserted labor autonomy or political rights. Despite nearly 900 reported murders, convictions were exceedingly rare, …

Disrupting Power Dynamics In The Archives: The Digital Pv Panther Project, Gatekeeping, And The Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection, T. Dewayne Moore, Evelyn Todd

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

This article examines the Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection at Prairie View A&M University as both a major recovery of twentieth-century Black rural history and a contemporary intervention into archival power. Funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, the Digital PV Panther Project employed undergraduate and graduate students to process sixty-three county-level finding aids, 163 archival boxes, and more than 3,200 folders documenting segregated Black Extension work from 1923 to 1963. Beyond preservation, the project challenges long-standing regimes of archival gatekeeping. Drawing on critical archival studies and Black Digital Humanities scholarship, the authors argue that …

Revisiting Bandura’S Self-Efficacy Performance Accomplishments In Pwi And Hbcu Students: A Sign Of Persistence, Britine Perkins, Douglas M. Butler, Jerrel Moore

The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc.

This study revisits Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy by examining performance accomplishments among students attending a predominantly White institution (PWI) and a historically Black college or university (HBCU). While academic self-efficacy has long been linked to college success, much of the existing research centers on students at PWIs and often overlooks the cultural contexts shaping students’ beliefs about their academic abilities. Using the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), the authors compare self-efficacy perceptions across institutional type and explore how performance accomplishments influence persistence. Findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive frameworks when assessing self-efficacy, particularly for minoritized and first-generation students. By incorporating …

Confucian Thought As A Strategic Veil: How Western Strategy Should Correctly Compete With China, Owen Miller

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The rise of the People's Republic of China as a peer competitor to the United States constitutes the defining geopolitical challenge of the twenty-first century, but even so, Western strategic analysis has consistently failed to engage China on its own terms. The recurrent pattern of Western misinterpretation results from projecting Western assumptions onto a state whose institutional and cultural drivers operate under fundamentally different premises, where key elements of Chinese strategic culture and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) instrumentalization of Confucianism as a moral veil are instruments of domestic legitimacy and external strategic narrative. The United States must recognize that …

Storm Of Elysium: How The Most Afflicted Minds Of History And Fiction Made Legacies, Pierce Thompson

A with Honors Projects

Honors project involving historical/fictional characters and how they made history/created legacies with their afflictions/mental health conditions. Historical/book context will be provided, and the condition will be covered through psychiatric research for the particular character.

The Hallyu Hexagon:, Katherine Linton

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

From the opening credits, Crash Landing On You1 captured the attention and adoration of millions. The show follows a South Korean chaebol heiress, Yoon Se-ri, who crash lands into the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone. She is discovered by North Korean soldier, Ri Jeong Hyeok, who mercifully decides not to kill her on the spot. Over the course of 16 episodes and 23 hours, as Ri Jeong Hyeok betrays loyalty lines by evading the North Korean Military Police and helping Yoon Se-ri return to the south, the two’s fateful meeting evolves into a cross-border romance.

Korean dramas are …

Adapting Sherlock Holmes:, Victoria Ho

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Sherlock Holmes is one of the longest standing detectives in the world of crime and detective fiction, evident in the recreation of his character in various media. In Detective Conan, or Case Closed—a Japanese anime series adapted from a Japanese manga—the writer, Gosho Aoyama, creates his version of Sherlock Holmes in the form of Shinichi Kudo, a high school detective. However, parts of Holmes’s character can be problematic for Aoyama to adapt for Japanese society, particularly Holmes’s role as a disrupter of order. Thus, Aoyama provides a liminal space as a solution for Shinichi to preserve social order by turning …

Beyond War: Building Wisdom Civilization To Rescue Humanity, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper presents a comparative civilizational analysis of humanity’s transition from a War Civilization to the emerging Wisdom Civilization. Drawing on the works of Toynbee, Sorokin, Quigley, Huntington, Spengler, and Koneczny, it interprets the present global disorder — marked by the tension between Western, Chinese, Russian, and Muslim civilizations — as a transformative moment in human history. War and militarism, once adaptive mechanisms of civilizational growth, have become self-destructive in an era of technological interdependence. It is proposed that the next evolutionary stage of civilization must integrate knowledge with conscience to form a Wisdom Civilization founded on empathy, sustainability, and …

The Jevons Filter: Why Civilizations May Fail Before Reaching “Type I” Status, Giray Fidan

Comparative Civilizations Review

Humanity’s accelerating energy use poses profound questions about the long-term viability of technological civilization. This paper introduces the “Jevons Filter” hypothesis: a self-reinforcing feedback loop between efficiency improvements and rising aggregate consumption, rooted in the classical Jevons Paradox that systematically drives civilizations toward resource depletion and environmental thresholds. Here we argue that this feedback constitutes a critical developmental barrier, hindering sustainable progression toward Kardashev “Type I” energy mastery. We develop a simplified thermodynamic model linking energy efficiency, economic expansion, and civilizational dynamics, and engage with counterarguments regarding absolute decoupling and transformative technological innovations. Building on the classical Jevons Paradox, this …