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A Woman’S World Through The Lens Of Socialized Politics: How Accurate Knowledge Politically And Socially Empowers A Woman’S Autonomy, Claire G. Herzog

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women have dealt with being perceived as inferior to men, defective, and in need of control. My research draws a connection between the ways societal beliefs, judicial action and political action interact with each other to reinforce and reproduce these limiting beliefs about women. The interaction between these institutions result in underlying policies that target women's rights, silencing their voices and sense of independence, all while aiming to control the female body completely. Despite the perception that modern society has moved away from the sexist beliefs that had been created and ingrained into society centuries ago, we are left with …

Preventing Chemical And Biological Attacks: Enhanced Threats Requiring Enhanced Solutions, Alex Elliot Ottoni-Belval

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Chemical weapons (CW) and biological weapons (BW) are becoming more dangerous for experts to employ and more accessible to amateurs. Despite CW and BW attacks throughout history that killed and maimed millions of people, the international community has failed to establish meaningful consequences to prevent them. Agreements such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention vow to eliminate and reduce the effects of CWs and BWs but lack respected response precedents and capabilities. The limited and inconsistent enforcement has inadvertently allowed CWs and BWs to become plausible weapons, especially to gain asymmetric advantages, while modern developments exasperate …

Editor-In-Chief's Note, Surekha Rao

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

George C. Roberts Award Recipients

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Call For Papers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

When Emotions Flare: Solar Rhythms, Emotions And Cycles Of Political Revolution, Andreas Hernandez, Carolina Zilli Vieira, Alexandra Smith, Rebecca Olson

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Revolutions are among the most transformative events in human history. Analyzing 395 revolutionary episodes from 1900 to 2014, we find that major waves cluster around solar maxima - periods of intensified geomagnetic activity. Drawing on biomedical research linking geomagnetic disturbances to cardiovascular and stress regulation, and thus to emotional states, we propose that solar cycles modulate the affective ecologies within which revolutions arise. Solar activity may accelerate, shape, and amplify revolutionary cycles by heightening emotional climates and tipping fragile systems toward mass mobilization. This reframes revolutions as planetary events - entanglements of political conflict, embodied emotion, and cosmic …

Of Monsters And Men: Fantasy, Aesthetics, And The Nation In Pan's Labyrinth (2006) And The Shape Of Water (2017), Ally Fleming

Scripps Senior Theses

ABSTRACT: Guillermo del Toro has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most beloved filmmakers due to his ability to blend popular genres with arthouse flair. This is especially true when it comes to fairy tales, a common thread woven throughout his films that are consistently imbued with political commentary on authoritarianism. This is most apparent in two of his most critically acclaimed films, Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and The Shape of Water (2017). Part of why these films are so beloved is how they utilize popular culture not just as tools to foreground the story’s setting, but also to guide the …

The Politics Of Fear: Exploring Diversity And Representation In The Modern Horror Genre, Abbie Oh Arroyo

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the horror films and how they have been politicized in the context of modern day poiltics (2017-2021). Works suchs as Jordan Peele's Get Out, Jayro Bustamante's La Llorona, and Nia DaCosta's Candyman are used as case studies that analyze how these films may have been shaped by the political happenings of their time as well as how these films are used as a medium of advocacy and for social commentary.

From Segregation To Censorship: The Evolution Of "States’ Rights" In Shaping American Educational Policy And Its Role In Contemporary Culture Wars, Halle Wright

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper traces the rhetoric of “states’ rights,” “local control,” and “parental rights” as evolving tools for shaping American public education. Using legal, political, and cultural sources, it constructs a historical timeline that shows how this rhetoric transformed from an explicit defense of segregation into a central weapon in contemporary culture wars. I begin with the post–Brown v. Board of Education era and Massive Resistance of the 1950s and 60s, when Southern officials deployed states’ rights language to resist desegregation and recast segregationist goals as “local control” and “freedom of choice.” I then examine how these arguments persisted through the …

“Democracy,” Usa, Marc Edelman

Publications and Research

What does it mean to be an effective citizen in a democracy? Answering this question requires unpacking “democracy” and an analysis of institutions that systematically disempower and alienate citizens. This paper briefly examines the contributions of psychoanalysis to understanding democracy and authoritarianism. It scrutinizes U.S. governance institutions and points to democratic deficits and backsliding present even before Trump 1.0 and 2.0. These range from the Electoral College, the Senate, and the Supreme Court to the Federal Communications Commission. All contributed to institutionalizing minority rule and elite capture. Governance institutions failed to deliver what the American people tell opinion pollsters they …

Internal Or External: An Exploration Of The United States Police Chief Hiring Process, Kayleigh Walker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper explores the hiring processes of police chiefs across the United States, focusing on internal versus external hiring practices. The goal of this research was to identify common trends, legislative barriers, and the impact of leadership on the hiring process through historical context, legal analysis, and case studies. The findings suggest that internal hires dominate chief appointments, though external hires are often sought during crises. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and highlights the need to more fully understand this phenomenon. Understanding the processes and limitations surrounding the appointment of new leadership is critical to reform and …

Unstable Rivalry: Structure, Domestic Politics, And Taiwan In U.S.-China Relations, Brendan Edward Flynn

Wayne State University Dissertations

International relations (IR) scholarship frequently utilizes structural and domestic political levels of analysis to explain interstate war and conflict. While U.S.-China relations have deteriorated significantly, there is considerable disagreement about what caused this change. In this dissertation I utilize Militarized Interstate Disputes (MIDs) to operationalize instability between the U.S. and China and test competing theories. Increasing levels of MIDs since 2009 broadly confirm structural theories that hold power parity is a primary driver of conflict between great powers. Case studies of the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995 – 1996) and Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis (2022), however, illustrate that domestic political …

God’S Country: Perceptions Of Religious And Place-Based Candidate Identities, Levi G. Allen, James R.G. Kirk

Government: Faculty Publications

It is often assumed that the rural identity is linked to the Republican Party and the urban identity to the Democratic Party, but little scholarship has investigated how voters connect these identities to the parties in an electoral context and how that perception may influence their electoral preferences. Furthermore, recent elections have seen various political elites employ rural and Evangelical Christian identity labels in virtually synonymous ways in their association with the Republican Party. But are these partisan stereotypes really how Americans perceive these candidate identities? Utilizing a novel survey experiment, we find important distinctions between religious and place-based candidate …

Meme Wars As Socially Situated Learning: Learning In Online Communities Of Hate, Conspiracy, And Insurgency, Kevin M. Clark

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Learning is important in a pluralistic democracy, to enable citizens to make informed decisions. However, with the rise of the internet and social media, we need more than ever to understand how learning is shaped by social context and intertwined with issues of identity and belonging. One theoretical framework that addresses these social aspects of learning comes from the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger on socially situated learning in communities of practice. This article focuses on what many would consider to be the darker side of learning—the rise of hate, disinformation/conspiracy, and insurgency in online communities. Specifically, it …

Ladies' Choice: Intersectional Linked Fate And Public Opinion Toward Women Of Color In Politics, Nathan K. Chan, Joyce H. Nguy, Alexandria J. Davis

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

This article seeks to understand the public opinion formation among women of color in America. How do identity-based factors, such as linked fate with women of color (WoC), shape political evaluations? Expanding on social identity theory and intersectionality frameworks, we investigate the political influences of WoC identification and WoC intersectional linked fate. We argue that intersectional linked fate represents a deeper sense of shared experiences and interconnected outcomes across race and gender, making this both a conceptually distinct construct and a politically consequential extension of WoC identity. Further, we theorize that women of color’s perceptions of intersectional linked fate drive …

Religiosity And The Gender Violence Crisis: How Religious Affiliation Of Society Impacts Violence Against Women, Sydney Hoffman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the impact that the religious affiliation of a population has on both the prevalence of violence against women, as well as the presence of legislation and other legal frameworks aimed at preventing violence and protecting women. Utilizing data from international organizations and nonpartisan fact tanks, regression analyses are performed with four different models and dependent variables to understand the effect religiosity has on both prevalence and prevention of gender violence. While the results of these models do not indicate a likelihood of real relationships between religiosity and the different outcomes, the thesis overall contributes further to the …

Weaponizing Sexual Violence: Variations Between Conflict Related Sexual Violence And Genocidal Rape, Paige Liptak

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the differences between conflict related sexual violence and genocidal rape to advocate for future separate analysis of the two distinctly different forms of sexual violence. By examining 15 genocides from the end of WWII to the end of 2023 this study draws upon prior research from genocide studies, ethnic studies, political science, and feminist scholarship to observe trends that are present in the two forms of sexual violence. The findings indicate that there are distinctly different socio-economic and military conditions that are associated with the two types of sexual violence and therefore genocidal rape should considered separate …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Political Knowledge Among Youth Voters, Norah Sackett

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As political engagement trends among young voters have continued to shift in the United States' political atmosphere, understanding the cognitive factors that influence these decisions is becoming increasingly important. Political efficacy, or the feeling that individual political action can impact the political process, impacting their civic duties, has long been regarded as a key determinant of an individual's political engagement. This study investigates how young voters' understanding of prominent political arguments relates to their sense of political efficacy, with a specific lens on individual religiosity.

Through an examination of this relationship between religiosity and overall comprehension of political arguments, this …

Partisan Divides In Environmental Spending Attitudes: A Two-Level Hierarchical Analysis, 1973-2022, Jordan Lipner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Public attitudes toward environmental spending have become increasingly divided along party lines, with sharp shifts over the past five decades. This thesis updates and expands on Johnson and Schwadel’s 2019 study by applying a two-level hierarchical linear model to General Social Survey data updated to include data from 2015-2022, capturing how political affiliation, education, race, and economic context interact with broader political and economic contexts to shape environmental attitudes over time.
The results show that political affiliation remains the strongest and most reactive predictor of environmental spending attitudes. Republican respondents are significantly more likely to oppose environmental spending, especially under …

Perceptions And Treatment Decisions For A Drug Offender Based On Social Class, Cocaine Type, Personal Characteristics, And Compassionate Love: A Vignette Study, Yasmin A. Odeh

Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The shift from a focus on rehabilitation to the more punitive, “tough on crime” approach to illegal behavior in the U.S. has been enacted in no small way by policies connected to the use and abuse of drugs. The disparities between crack and powder cocaine—two chemically similar substances—have headlined this shift (Vagins and McCurdy 2006). However, research is scarce on laypeople’s approval of deterrence approaches for drug offenses, including as a function of types (e.g., powder vs. cocaine possession). This study examined people’s perceptions of prosecutorial decisions for drug offenders—whether they are punished, rehabilitated, or both—and whether people perceived …

Exploring How Political Affiliations Influence Trust In Ai Applications, Md Imran Ahsan

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the impact of partisanship on public trust in the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by private and public institutions. This study utilizes data from the “Artificial Intelligence: American Attitudes and Trends” survey (Zhang & Dafoe, 2019). Survey-weighted OLS regression models are employed to examine the variations in trust levels across different private and public institutions. This study hypothesizes that H1: Compared to Republicans, Democrats will report higher levels of confidence in public institutions to develop AI in the best interests of the public. H2: Compared to Democrats, Republicans will report higher levels of confidence in private institutions …

Immigration Identity And Policy Choices: Exploring How Immigration Status Shapes Public Attitudes Toward Immigration Policy, Ali Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how immigration background influences public attitudes toward immigration policy. The study employs social identity theory and assimilation theory, which elucidate how group affiliation and generational proximity influence political attitudes. Drawing on these theories, the study hypothesizes that individuals with closer ancestor migration ties are more likely to show higher levels of support for favorable policies for immigrants compared to those who have more distant ancestor migration ties. Utilizing the 2020 Cooperative Election Study (CES) data, the analysis incorporates key demographic and ideological variables as control variables, such as education, gender, age, and family income. The study found …

Rethinking Trust In The Refugee Resettlement Process: How Service Providers Can Enable Refugee Agency Through Diasporic Connections, Mahfoudha Sidelemine, Emily D. Campion

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Current guidance for refugee resettlement agency workers encourages the simultaneous pursuit of trust-building and administrative tasks (e.g., housing, transportation and employment). This dual goal is resource-intensive, and focusing on the former may come at a cost to the latter. The purpose of the current research is to challenge the importance of trust-building by resettlement agencies. Drawing from our qualitative data from in-depth interviews with resettled refugees (N = 20) and agency workers (N = 15), we adopt a grounded theory approach and find that the burden of responsibility for both caregiving and administrative responsibilities can overtax agency workers …

Bouncing Back Or Forward? Two Approaches To Democratic Resilience After Extremist Attacks, Selen A. Ercan, Jordan Mcswiney, Emily Beausoleil, Claire Fitzpatrick, Andrea Felicetti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Violent extremist attacks pose a serious threat to democracy, undermining its institutions, norms and practices. This article examines the disruptive impact of violent extremism on the public sphere and considers the role of political leaders in responding to these challenges. Leaders are widely recognised as the key actors shaping the public discourse after extremist attacks, by either reinforcing or resisting the division intended by these attacks. Yet, their role in building democratic resilience – that is, fostering the public sphere’s ability to respond to extremist attacks without compromising its democratic commitments – remains underexplored. Drawing on a range of case …

Fallow Fields Or Fertile Ground: Analysing Food Governance In A Changing World, Johanna L. Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Our food systems are failing us. In particular, industrial food systems fail to deliver healthy, adequate food to billions of people (FAO et al. 2019; FAO et al. 2024) and have led to increased instances of mental health crises for farmers (Jones-Bitton 2019; Younker & Radunovich 2021). In addition, industrial food systems contribute to the devastating impacts of a warming climate (IPCC 2021), biodiversity loss (WWF 2021), and soil erosion (Wise 2019; Badreldin and Lobb 2023) worldwide. Yet, little structural change has occurred in the way agriculture is governed and the problems created by industrial agriculture are becoming increasingly entrenched. …

What Is Success? How Peer Support Workers In Ontario See Addiction & Recovery, Ngaire Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The drug crisis in Canada has high mortality rates, especially in remote and rural communities, but there are significant barriers to accessing healthcare to which peer support may represent a partial solution, (Eddie et al., 2019; Englander et al., 2020; The Government of Canada, 2023; Kourgiantakis et al., 2023; Lavalley et al., 2020; Lennox et al., 202; Russell et al., 2021). Research how peer support workers define success in their work with adults experiencing addiction in Ontario, Canada is lacking, but important to understanding the crisis and implementing peer programs. Grounded in Marxist theory, the following exploratory research investigated the …

Diaspora Politics And A Rising China: Ambivalent Ties Amid Geopolitical Changes, Jiaqi M. Liu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Over the past decade, the rise of China on the global stage has witnessed the emergence of members of the Chinese diaspora as new meso-level actors in mediating Sino-Western relations. As part of China’s burgeoning “public diplomacy” around the globe, Chinese migrants organize cultural events to establish grassroots and semi-official exchanges between China and the West. This chapter provides a state-of-the-art examination of so-called “diasporic public diplomacy” whereby the Chinese diaspora plays an increasingly important role in promoting China’s soft power abroad. Based on long-term fieldwork in a prominent emigrant community, I analyse how Chinese national policies envision two specific …

Nexus Of Fear, Deterrence, And Prestige: The Role Of Russia's Exotic Nuclear Toolkit, Ryan Christenson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines Russia’s development of “exotic” nuclear weapon systems, specifically the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, to determine how and why Russia diverged from traditional nuclear platforms. Drawing on open-source data and comparative analysis against the standard nuclear triad, it investigates the doctrinal, technical, and political motivations driving Moscow’s nuclear modernization, including paranoia over U.S. missile defense, aspirations for great-power status, and domestic economic influences. Scenario-based assessments illustrate the potential destabilizing effects of these systems, which compress decision-making time and raise risks of inadvertent …

Polarization And Civil Discourse In America: A Case Study Of Respectful Dialogue As A Moderating Influence On Generation Z, Liane Weintraub

Theses and Dissertations

Animosity between opposing political parties is longstanding, but the phenomenon is now acutely pervasive and dangerous. Today, polarization is further fueled by social media algorithms that create echo chambers, limiting discourse about diverse viewpoints. Consequently, polarization has become pernicious and threatens the founding principles of American democracy. This dissertation considers the roles of free speech, civility, and social capital in the US polarization problem. Through an exploration of historical scholarship on virtue, ethics, and civility, the study seeks to identify actionable tools for promoting civil discourse. The dissertation investigates Generation Z (Gen Z), focusing on intergenerational differences, the role of …