Digital Commons Network^™

Reconsidering The Use Of Race & Ethnicity In Clinical Decision-Making: The Path Towards Liberation Medicine, Donna Ahmadian Ms, Mph

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Sleeve Gastrectomy Vs. Glp-1 Agonists (Semaglutide): A Cost-Effectiveness Perspective On Long-Term Obesity Management, Naushad Khan, Luv Agarwal, Ritesh Sheth Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Contemplating Race In Clinical Algorithms: Educating The Physicians Of Tomorrow, Adam Gaetz

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Black Maternal Health Narratives: Embracing A Vitality Framework For Joy, Liberation, And Healing, Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, Yasmine M. Elmi

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Voices From The Field: Provider Perspectives On The Implementation And Impact Of Race-Neutral Pfts, Kumbie Madondo Phd, Zoelene Hill Phd, Kimberly Murdaugh Md Ms, Natoushka Trenard Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Gender Disparities In Medical Student Clinical Experiences During Obstetrics And Gynecology Rotations In The Usa, Naushad Khan, Luv Agarwal, Ritesh Sheth Md, Rehana Sheikh

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Governing Addiction: An Anthropological Comparison Of Care In The United States And The Netherlands, Kiren K. Bagga

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This article examines addiction care as a form of moral governance through a comparative anthropological analysis of the United States and the Netherlands. Drawing on a Foucauldian theory of biopolitics alongside this study argues that approaches to addiction treatment reveal how states differentially value life, citizenship, and vulnerability. Joan Tronto's relational definition of ethical care is used to move beyond a solely moral context, towards an ethical understanding of both caretakers and those who require care. In the United States, addiction policy has historically functioned as a punitive and moralizing project, shaped by racialized drug criminalization, neoliberal ideals of individual …

Exploring Health Policy As A Critical Mechanism Of Expression Of Right-Wing Government Policy, Aleisha Martinez Sandoval

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Global health policy has long been viewed as a “softer” arena of politics, driven by cooperation rather than competition. Unlike economics or defense, nations in this sphere have often set aside ideological differences to improve human well-being. Yet right-wing governments (RWGs) are increasingly redefining this space, transforming it from an international project of solidarity into a strategic platform for advancing core ideological commitments. In this thesis, I examine how healthcare has become a critical site where the foundational tenets of RWGs—hierarchy, tradition, market liberalism, sovereignty, law and order, and populist nativism—are vividly enacted and reinforced. What was once a domain …

Executive Retrenchment: An Exploration Of Gender Identity Policy In The Second Trump Administration, Robert H. Cropp

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

President Trump’s use of executive orders to influence federal policy regarding gender identity has primarily sought to undo existing rights and protections of transgender and gender non-conforming Americans put in place by previous Democratic administrations. These policies have been variably successful in their aims despite widespread resistance from interests supporting those existing policies. Scholars have discussed the role of institutional resistance in cases of policy retrenchment primarily through electoral mechanisms, but such discussions do not consider the role of the executive branch in policy retrenchment and its unique insulation from electoral feedback. This thesis centers those considerations in the case …

Donald Trump’S Use Of Race-Based Immigration Discourse In His First Presidency: A Revival Of Rhetoric From The Era Of Chinese Exclusion, Maggie Zeiger

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This paper analyzes race-based rhetoric in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and subsequent presidency, arguing it represents a return to racialized language not seen in mainstream politics since the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act. With his use of exclusionary discourse, Trump breaks from the precedent set by his modern Republican predecessors, who saw immigration as not only an economic asset but a crucial part of the American tradition. An investigation into Trump’s tweets containing the word “immigration” identifies recurring themes of invasion, criminality, and dehumanization. This vocabulary more closely mirrors themes from the years when politicians were responding to—and creating—hysteria …

Female Genital Cutting In American Foreign Policy – Proposal For Harm Reduction, Charlotte Racine

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (FGC/M) has gained international attention as an issue of human rights and violence against women and girls. The United States, as a leading world power, has openly opposed its practice and actively condemns it in communities and countries of the Global South, yet it fails to oppose or condemn as staunchly identical procedures within its borders. The simultaneous condemnation of FGC when it occurs in “undeveloped” countries and acceptance of American procedures like cosmetic genital modification surgeries, male circumcision, and “corrective” surgeries on intersex infants produces a narrative of cultural superiority and imperialism that harms the international …

Education And Voter Turnout: Absolute Vs. Relative Effects In 2020, Maya A. Welland

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This study examines whether absolute or relative education more strongly predicts individual-level voter turnout in the November 2020 presidential election. Absolute education is measured as total educational attainment, while relative education captures an individual’s educational rank among their birth cohort. Using data from the 2020 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, I construct both measures and estimate bivariate and multivariate linear regression models for U.S. citizens aged 25 and older. The results show that increases in both absolute and relative education are positively and significantly associated with voting. However, when included in the same multivariate model, absolute education remains …

Money And State Politics: State Legislature Partisan Dynamics And Ideology Outcomes Following Citizens United V. Fec, Jillian E. Pastore

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

What effect has Citizens United v. FEC had on state-level partisanship and the policy outcomes that follow from it? Scholarship on the influence of corporate and union spending in political campaigns has largely centered on federal elections. In this paper, I extend the analysis to the state level, leveraging the fact that Citizens United created a natural experiment across the states. Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, roughly half of the states prohibited corporate and union independent expenditures in state elections (including for governor, state senate, state house, and state supreme court races). The Citizens United decision effectively nullified these …

Prosecutorial Discretion: The Effect Of Social Dominance Orientation (Sdo) And Right-Wing Authoritarianism (Rwa) On Understanding And Support Among Americans, Jamie Shelton

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

The U.S. prison system is plagued by an overrepresentation of the country’s residents, at twenty percent of the world’s prison population. The discretion of prosecutors to determine when and which charges to file has been linked to the immense prison growth of the U.S. since the late 1970s, especially given their lack of judicial and public oversight. In this study, participants were asked to answer survey questions made up of four scales: knowledge of the prosecutorial role (Prosecutor Knowledge), support for policy curtailing prosecutorial discretion (Policy Support), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Findings included significant results for …

Where India Sits In International Political Economy, Sophia Usmani

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This paper observes the scholarship of international political economy regarding the involvement and consideration of the Global South, focusing on India. It focuses on India's historic involvement in the global economy, and how that role has changed and adapted over time. This paper aims to bring India into the foreground of discussions on international political economy, and address the historic contributions and major political and economic events in the country.

Economic Security And Strategic Rivalry: Industrial Policy And The U.S.–China Security Dilemma, Nurielle Rahav

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

In an era of geopolitical competition and technological dominance, industrial policy has reemerged as a crucial tool of economic strategy in both the United States and China. Industrial policies, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector, were formerly understood as tools for strengthening the domestic economy. However, against the backdrop of the U.S.–China trade war, new industrial policies carry significant geopolitical implications. This paper argues that industrial policy intensifies the U.S.–China security dilemma, as both governments increasingly interpret economic self-sufficiency in advanced manufacturing as a matter of national security. Through an analysis of two cases, the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act …

Advancing Sdg 7.2: China's Global Renewable Energy Transition, Maria Clara Machado Corrêa

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

In light of China's dominance in the renewable energy sector, this article analyzes the extent to which Chinese investments are increasing the global share of renewable energy, achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7, target 2. It assesses two modes of intervention: the development of the Chinese renewable energy industries domestically, its impact in emerging economies, and the extent to which the manufacturing of electric vehicles further supports Beijing's energy transition. It concludes that China has rapidly scaled clean energy by utilizing a centralized state-led and top-down approach, driven by the need to guarantee its own energy security, while disproportionately impacting …

Kissing Up, Kicking Down: How Brics Enables South African Sub-Imperialism, Karan Kuppa-Apte

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

South Africa has framed its BRICS membership as a strategic pivot from the West to the Global South. However, the country remains close to the Western-led order and reproduces unequal economic relations with its regional neighbors. This paper argues that South Africa's inability to break its dependency on the West and reorient itself towards BRICS is caused by an elite-driven approach to IPE that deepens longstanding dependencies, feeds into corruption, and encourages accumulation by dispossession. After establishing a theoretical framework based on dependency theory, world systems theory, and sub-imperialism, this paper identifies the minerals-energy complex (MEC), neoliberal post-apartheid reforms, and …

Weaknesses Of Opponents, Strengths Of The Taliban: The Success Of The Taliban Insurgency, Isabella Ryan

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

How did the Taliban insurgency succeed in gaining control of the Afghan state in 2021 following the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001? This paper argues that the Taliban’s success resulted from two key dynamics: the weaknesses of opponents and strengths of the Taliban. The Afghan State was undermined by governance failures including the 2004 Constitution, overcentralization, lack of rural governance, corruption, and a dependence on foreign aid. These internal weaknesses were compounded by international policy failures, including the Bonn Agreement, inconsistent counterinsurgency (COIN) and counterterrorism (CT) strategies, the failed peace process design embedded in the Doha Agreement, and …

The Costs Of Selective Intervention: Why The Obama Administration Chose To Intervene In Libya Over Syria, Rayanne Attar

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This paper examines the Obama administration’s selective military intervention during the Arab Spring, comparing case studies of Libya and Syria. I argue that the decision for the Obama administration to militarily intervene in Libya but not Syria was justified because intervention in Syria was far more costly in terms of risks. In Libya, Qaddafi’s regime lacked strong external support, relied on dated military systems, and faced a fragmented opposition, making intervention politically feasible. In contrast, in Syria, Assad’s alliance with Russia and Iran, threatening air defense capabilities, and internal sociopolitical divisions made military action highly risky and unlikely to produce …

Guerillas, Manpads, And How To Shift A Conflict In Favor Of The Weaker Side, Augustus Mfxu Giller

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

The Soviet Afghan War has emerged in popular culture and scholarship as a quintessential case of an innovative and superior technology being able to foil an enemy that would have otherwise emerged as the victor of a conflict. This is almost always in reference to the Afghan Mujahedin being able to counter technologically superior Soviet MI-24 Gunship Helicopters with American heat-seeking missiles. However, this assumption is largely shortsighted to the actual dynamics present in the Soviet Afghan conflict. Specifically, the failure to understand how an unconventional conflict like the Soviet Afghan war is fought, and an ineffective assessment of the …

Everybody Wants To Rule The World: How Ballistic Missile Defenses Can Reduce The Risk Of War, Aanya Ghosh

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Debates over ballistic missile defense often assume that defensive capability inherently destabilizes deterrence by eroding mutual vulnerability. This article challenges that assumption by arguing that the strategic effects of missile defense are neither predetermined nor uniform. Limited and layered defensive systems generate two simultaneous pressures: stabilizing deterrence-by-denial effects against limited coercive threats and destabilizing uncertainty regarding long-term retaliatory viability. Which mechanism prevails depends not on defensive technology alone, but on policy design—specifically system scale, doctrinal framing, and integration within the broader offense-defense relationship. Drawing on classical deterrence theory, offense-defense scholarship, and contemporary analyses by Roberts, Wilkening, and Daalder, Goldgeier, and …

Constitutionalization Of The Right To Vote: The Necessity For Democracy, Hanmo Yang

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

The Civic Debate Consortium is an intercollegiate debate conference dedicated to serving as a “hub of inspiration, innovation, education and civic engagement” (Civic Debate Consortium, n.d.) through productive dialogue. The Social Justice Debates are one of the consortium's competitive series, focused on discussing the distribution of wealth and resources in U.S. society. For the 2025-2026 debate season, debaters researched for or against the motion: “The United States should Constitutionalize the Right to Vote.” First affirmative speeches begin by defining the terms of the round, listing contentions to the argument, and then providing analysis to support the contentions. This paper serves …

Emotion Regulation And Autism: A Literature Review, Quinn Bethea

Honors Theses

This comprehensive literature review investigates the increasing research on emotional regulation and autism, as well as the effect they have on each other.

The literature search was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, National Institute of Health, and the Mississippi State Library. The inclusion criteria focused on studies that examined emotion regulation, autism, or the impact of emotion regulation and autism on each other.

The review accomplished several points. First, it defined what autism is, and it defined what emotion regulation is. Second, it examined how autism and emotion regulation, or dysregulation, affect each other. Third, it brought attention …

An Alignment Of Absences: The Medicalization Of Death And Its Implications On Archaeological Methodology, Makayla J. Bowman

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Absence describes something that is "expected, wanted, or looked for [but] is not present or does not exist," (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2026). The archaeological discipline interacts with absence in many profound ways, largely in its study of the past dead. This paper focuses on the ways in which the medicalization of death has influenced, limited, and misaligned archaeological methodology, and how the result of those methodologies produces archaeological analysis that is absent of or misrepresents our understanding of life, personhood, and our position within a greater, interconnected biosphere. Thus, I present an anthropological critique of the ways in which death and …

Lived Experiences Of Husbands Of Deployed Military Spouses, Timothy Lee Heath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was to explore the lived experiences of civilian husbands during the deployment of their active-duty spouses. Although there is plenty of information concerning the negative and demanding impacts of deployment on female spouses and children, more is needed to understand the lived experiences of husbands of deployed soldiers. Research has confirmed that husbands of deployed soldiers have distinctive gender-specific needs that have been inadequately addressed, leading to adverse psychosocial effects. The couple adaptation to traumatic stress model and gender role theory served as the frameworks for this study to identify the psychosocial issues faced by …

Human Service Professionals’ Perceptions Culturally Competent Resources For Transracial Adoption, Rachelle Tau-Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transracial adoption continues to increase in the United States, particularly in states with predominantly White populations; yet, culturally competent preparation and postadoption resources remain limited. The lack of structured cultural socialization and race-responsive supports places transracially adopted youth at increased risk for identity disruption, mental health challenges, and experiences of racism and microaggressions. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human service professionals’ perceptions of the services needed to provide culturally competent resources for transracial adoption in Washington State. Guided by the Transracial Adoption Parenting Series framework developed by the Coalition for Children, Youth, and Families, …

Communist Yugoslavia: Non-Alignment, Solidarity, And Webs Of Diplomacy, Morgan Dillon

Honors Projects

The Non-Alignment Movement has been covered extensively in Cold War scholarship, yet the relationship between Yugoslavia and Indonesia is often underexplored, especially in the realm of IR theory. This project examines Yugoslavia and Indonesia between 1945 and 1966 to propose an imagined community, as conceptualized by Benedict Anderson, that serves as a microcosm for a wider Non-Aligned community in the Third World. This is achieved by using Social Constructivism to synthesize the histories, foreign policies, and national/political identities of these two nations, and then placing the theoretical community against Yugoslavia’s relationships with the U.S and the USSR for contrast. Through …

The Influence Of The Japanese Language On Gender Perceptions, Jasmine Bishara

Honors Projects

This study aimed to understand the how the Japanese language impacted people’s gender perceptions of women. Previous research showed that there are words and phrases in the Japanese language that are devaluing towards women, and that there are different societal expectations of women in their speech style. There are also different expectations of women’s behavior, which has impacted them in the workplace. Due to a lack of participants, no conclusions can be drawn about how language and social expectations impact how women are perceived in society. However, based on previous research it can be assumed that these issues still remain …

The Importance Of Personality In The Transition To College Life: A Literature Review, Elijah Traud

Honors Projects

This literature review examines the relationship between personality, specifically the Big Five personality traits, and the academic, social, and emotional transition to college. Previous research has focused on how both non-personality and personality variables are associated with the transition to college. There is also literature that details how colleges have implemented policies in the past to ensure that all students feel welcomed on their campus. The literature review highlights the key findings from these studies, including that conscientiousness is consistently one of the personality traits that is associated with the different aspects of the transition to college, especially the academic …