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Cross-National Prevalence And Legality Of Consanguinity & Its Implications For State Security, Emma Dart

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the impact of cousin marriage prevalence on state stability and the development and behaviors of terrorist organizations, with a special focus on the destabilization of states through the power of kinship networks. Cousin marriage, often intertwined with other social practices such as patrilocality and polygyny, creates an isolated power structure that reinforces the fraternal structure present in kinship networks. The kinship network then uses the power gained through the trust in the community to undermine the legitimate rule of law. This research emphasizes the importance of understanding cousin marriage and its contribution to state stability and finds …

King Lear'S "Poor, Bare, Forked Animal" And The Cross, Paul J. Stapleton

Quidditas

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear describes the “unaccommodated man” as a “poor, bare, forked animal.” Lear’s comments are ostensibly about Edgar disguised as Poor Tom, but critics have detected in the passage a more general expression about human nature. The term “forked” is regularly glossed as “two-legged,” but there are philological problems with this reading. This paper, therefore, takes into consideration an alternate meaning for “forked” based on sixteenth-century usages that relate the noun “fork” to instruments of torture. The paper discusses the depiction of the cross as a “fork” (Latin – furca) in the antiquarian Justus Lipsius’s …

An Interview With Bekah Stauffacher, Thomas Quinn Marabello

Swiss American Historical Society Review

On April 1, 2024, Bekah Stauffacher became the new President/ CEO of the Swiss Center of North America. Bekah replaces Beth Zurbuchen, who served as President for the past fifteen years and helped open a new center in 2008 in New Glarus, Wisconsin. With Beth retiring, Bekah has big shoes to fill! The Swiss American Historical Society has close ties with the Swiss Center of North America, where we held our annual meeting last October.

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Embodiment And Ritual Clothing: Dressing The Israelite High Priest, Ally Huffmire

Studia Antiqua

Exodus 28 and 39 contain a detailed description of the clothing God instructed to be made and worn by Israelite priests. In this essay, sacred clothing will be understood through the lens of ritual studies, characterizing clothing with a sense of liminality that defines and endows the human wearer with identity and power. The social meanings and implications of the high priest’s dress will be reconstructed by engaging in sensory criticism, drawing upon insights from the greater eastern Mediterranean world. Given the ancient world’s unique conception of a permeable body, ritual clothing had the ability to imbue the wearer with …

Cognosis And The Evolution Of Civilization, Ken Baskin

Comparative Civilizations Review

From the time when the complex states such as Egypt or Sumer emerged roughly 5,000 years ago, the civilizations they represent have generally become more populous, more socially varied, wealthier, and more technologically advanced. As a result, the innovations they produced would begin to change the conditions in which they existed, and their cultures have had to evolve to adapt to this ongoing change. For instance, the cultures of Bronze Age Egypt and the Iron Age Han Dynasty had to be quite different, even though both were agricultural societies. And, of course, the Electronic Age cultures of the United States …

Seventeen Crises In Western Civilization That Have Arisen Since The Dark Ages: A Cognition Science-Oriented Approach, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

The purpose of this article is to synthesize those crises in the unfolding of Western civilization that are controlled by human knowledge and wisdom. The methodology is transdisciplinary, utilizing a cognitive science-oriented, big-picture view of civilization and main conflicts. The crises are investigated across three time periods; the Dark Ages (from the fifth to the fourteenth century), Modern Times (from the fifteenth to the twentieth century), and the present century. The findings reveal that today Western civilization faces seventeen significant crises. Knowledge is not sufficient to solve these crises; we need to employ knowledge-based wisdom. This approach presents a new …

Full Issue

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Linguistic Perspectives In Ecuadorian Amazonian Kichwa, Max Nathan Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that Amazonian Kichwa speakers consider themselves to be both linguistically and culturally distinct from their highland counterparts (Ennis 2020; Wroblewski 2012), relatively little has been done to document their language attitudes and how these attitudes are reflected in their speech. This study shows this to be a valid line of questioning. Using commentary from interviews with Amazonian Kichwa people, I show that views on the status and future of the language are divided, as well as perspectives on the role of non-Kichwa sources like schools and governments in language maintenance. Older and native speakers of Kichwa are …

Regional Variations In Nabataean Jewelry, Emily Marie Yankura

Theses and Dissertations

The use of jewelry is just one of many avenues for individual self-expression, but even in the most individualistic society it is also a reflection of certain cultural norms, values, and expectations. This thesis is an analysis of Nabataean jewelry in burial contexts from the three main regions of the ancient kingdom - Medina Selah, the Negev, and Petra – with the aim of reaching a better understanding of Nabataean culture through their jewelry. The types of jewelry, materials used in their construction, and many other variables are compared and reveal unique regional variations within an overall Hellenistic style.

Spatial Patterns In Anthropomorphic Fremont Rock Imagery Of Central Utah, Alyssa Pitts Merrill

Theses and Dissertations

Rock imagery from the late Fremont period (1000-1300 AD) has captivated the interest of both professional and avocational researchers for the past century. In this thesis, I apply a highly systematized method of cataloguing and analysis to 482 anthropomorphs from Clear Creek Canyon (CCC) and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The primary theoretical assumption in this thesis is that the shapes used in anthropomorphic imagery convey ideas about how the Fremont saw people. I therefore recorded the head and body morphology and presence of arms, legs, and genitalia of each anthropomorph. By observing the data spatially, I discovered both …

Design, Development, And Implementation Of A Course: “Introduction To Service Design”, Berenice Ventura, Berenice Ventura Fernandez

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

The purpose of this project was to design, develop, and teach a 1.0-credit workshop-style course titled “Introduction to Service Design” that was housed in the Instructional Psychology & Technology Department (IP&T) in the McKay School of Education. The course was offered to graduate students in IP&T and undergraduate students from Brigham Young University who were interested in taking the class. The course was structured following the Double Diamond Framework; the goal of the course was to provide a hands-on service design experience for BYU students. For this purpose, we worked for the Bean Museum on campus with the goal of …

Nothing About Us Without Us: A Folkloristic Approach To Creating Neurodivergent-Friendly Pedagogies For Secondary Classrooms, Brittney Hatchett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines how utilizing an applied folkloristic approach of studying the communities of ADHD and autistic people allows us to conduct research that actively involves the voices of ADHD and autistic adults. I have collected personal experience narratives from ADHD and autistic college-aged students about their experiences with different teaching strategies in junior high and high school. Through analysis of these narratives, I examine how the narratives of ADHD and autistic individuals can help guide educational pedagogies towards models that more equitably consider cultures of disabled individuals and better meet the educational needs of future neurodivergent students while simultaneously …

"Slaves, Monsters, Or Souls": Theology And Feminism In The Spanish Enlightenment, Rachael Givens

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Ines Joyes y Blake penned this plea in 1798 in a losing battle of Enlightened theology against Enlightenment hypocrisy: "Let the men say what they will, souls are equal!" This author of one of the most notable and radical essays on feminism of the Spanish eighteenth century, entitled simply Apologia, or "Defense," had joined the growing chorus of voices that were appealing to Enlightenment thinkers to apply to the historically neglected half of the population those principles of natural rights and human equality that had reshaped the era's theology and politics. It was only natural that some would seek to …

"Born For Liberty" The Emergence Of Female Patriotism During The American Revolution, Anne Bennett

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Esther Reed, a colonial woman who lived during the American Revolution, praised the women of her time: "Born for liberty, disdaining to bear the irons of a tyrannic [sic] Government, we associate ourselves to the grandeur of those ... who have broken the chains of slavery, forged by tyrants in the times of ignorance and barbarity."

Intervening For A Better Social Life? A Comparative Analysis Of Psychological Egoism And Aristotle As Alternate Foundations For Applied Social Psychology's Aims, Samuel D. Major

Theses and Dissertations

The scientific aim which distinguishes applied social psychological research from basic social psychological research is that of using social psychological theory to develop interventions meant to rectify social and practical problems in hopes of fostering a flourishing or thriving social sphere. In developing their interventions, however, many applied social psychologists have failed to consider their pre-investigatory philosophical commitments, commitments which imply the kind of flourishing social life that may come as a result of interventions rooted in them. The aim of this dissertation is to invite applied social psychologists to consider if their frequently noted, yet often unexamined, commitment to …

Dr. John Snow And The Nineteenthcentury British Cholera Crisis, Betsy A. Maughan

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

During the nineteenth century, Britain underwent attacks from a silent, determined killer. Invisible to the naked eye, this sinister enemy invaded towns, villages and homes with unforgiving stealth and cruelty. Lives were changed forever as panic, terror, and death overtook human habitats. The sneaky menace was Asiatic cholera. Although the first devastating British attack occurred during 1831-1832, London was fortunate enough to stay out of its destructive path. Luck ran out, however, as the second assault occurred during 1848-1849, consuming a good part of the city. Dr. John Snow, English physician, anesthetist and epidemiologist, dedicated most of his life to …

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Satorial Manipulation Within Historical Politics, Heather Dew

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Fashion's impact on the course of history largely unexplored. Herbert Blumer, a noted sociologist at UC Berkeley, accurately credits this oversight to

"a failure to observe and appreciate the wide range of operation of fashion; a false assumption that fashion has only nivial or peripheral significance; a mistaken idea that fashion falls in the area of the abnormal and irrational and thus is out of the mainsneam of human group life; and, finally, a misunderstanding of the nature of fashion."

Blumer was criticizing sociologists, but he may as well have been criticizing historians; scholarly works analyzing fashion's impact are rare …

Review: Lili Elbe, Man Into Woman: A Comparative Scholarly Edition, David Duffield

The Bridge

No abstract provided.

"I'Ll Stay Where You Want Me To Stay": How Latter-Day Saints Navigate Conflicting Social Values While Remaining Committed To Their Faith, Venice Jardine

Theses and Dissertations

While recent efforts in religious studies have focused on why many Americans seem to be leaving religion entirely, much less is understood about why many others choose to remain committed to their faith--especially when they hold many of the same social values, doubts, or divergent opinions that others cite for leaving. Within a Latter-day Saint context especially, very little research has been done to explore the experiences of those navigating the complexities of competing ethical affordances while remaining committed to their faith. Through ethnographic research in both Salt Lake County and New York City, I document the patterns and processes …

Human Nature And The Integration Of Faith And Reason, Bradley Kime

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In his 1838 Divinity School address, Ralph Waldo Emerson said that "every man is an inlet into the deeps of Reason." Heavily influenced by Hindu Monism, Emerson believed human beings were one with the universal soul the immanent divinity of the natural universe. Because of humanity's divine nature, Emerson saw reason as an intuitive revelation springing from within every individual, while faith was simply a recognition of one's innate intuition. Faith and reason were two sides of the same coin. Emerson's Transcendentalism illustrates how conceptions of faith, reason, and their relationship often rest on underlying beliefs about human nature.

The Materiality Of The Soul In Plutarch's Moralia, Caleb Cole Deppermann

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Plutarch's vague comments about the materiality of the soul in Moralia. My contention is that, despite suggestions to the contrary, Plutarch aligned with Plato in thinking about the soul as immaterial. I argue that a deeper understanding of Plutarch's relationship to Plato as well as the Stoics and Epicureans of his time shed light on his otherwise ambiguous passages. The end result will be (1) a more secure understanding of Plutarch's position on the materiality of the soul and (2) an improved ability to appreciate Plutarch's playful and vivid language as he describes immaterial souls with material …

Catchment Water Storage Mediates River Flow Sensitivity To Climate Change, Brian Charles Brown

Theses and Dissertations

As patterns of precipitation and evapotranspiration change, human water security and aquatic ecosystem health depend on understanding how catchment characteristics interact with climate to control river flow. We tested factors that mediate sensitivity of river flow to fluctuations in climate using a set of 1,148 data-rich, climate diverse catchments in various parts of the world from 2001-2020. We extrapolated these results to an additional 2,012 catchments with sparser data. Using features such as vegetation, land use, hydrology, and local climate, we found that catchments with high aridity to runoff ratios (Fuh's parameter) had 380% higher runoff sensitivity to fluctuations in …

Therapeutic Benefits Of Psychedelics: Effectiveness For Addiction Treatment, Mental Health Issues, And End-Of-Life Care, Emma Roberts

Student Works

As more research is done, psychedelics are increasingly recognized as a viable option for addiction treatment, mental health issues, and end-of-life care. Studies have hit roadblocks in the past due to the stigma surrounding psychedelics that formed in the 1960s. Since then, regulations have loosened, and psychedelic therapy has become a possible alternative for those who do not find their current treatments effective (Al-Harbi, 2012, as cited in Gardner, 2019; Gardner, 2019). Psychedelics can help individuals abstain from addictions (Sharma et al., 2023). Additionally, psychedelics can be a viable treatment for mental illnesses (Nygart et al., 2022) and can be …

Anthropomorphism In Aesop's Fables, Nasih Alam

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Generally, Aesop’s The Complete Fables is considered didactic for children. In my paper, I discuss how Aesop represents nonhumans in his fables and how they could negatively affect the psychology of children aged 7-12 if we as parents, teachers and legal guardians do not become conscious of its problematic didactic function. I show that most of the anthropomorphized animals in The Complete Fables have anthropocentric and provide environmentally harmful rhetorics. In order to keep the required length of paper in mind, I have limited myself to five tales from Aesop’s The Complete Fables, to show how and where the rhetoric …

President's Message, Lynn Rhodes

Comparative Civilizations Review

Throughout 2023 and into 2024, the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations has been extremely busy in the furtherance of our vision. Here are some of the highlights.

The Rise Of China And The Concept Of Civilization: Constructing Conceptual Apparatus For Cross-Civilizational Comparisons, Liah Greenfeld

Comparative Civilizations Review

The paper argues that the rise of China to a position of prominence in the contemporary world offers Western scholars a greatly expanded comparative perspective and, thus, an opportunity to re-assess their fundamental view of social reality. This comparative perspective draws attention to supra-national cultural unities, “civilizations,” first suggested by both Durkheim and Weber.

There are deficiencies in the current understanding of “civilization” in the social science literature, among others exemplified by “civilizational analysis,” and so this paper proposes a new concept which adds to the conceptual apparatus of sociological theory a new — fully independent of others — variant …

Trees And The Love Of God, David M. Belnap, Nalini M. Nadkarni

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Trees play real and metaphorical roles in the beliefs and holy scriptures of many world religions, and believers and non-believers throughout the world are uplifted spiritually by trees. In the Book of Mormon, a tree with delicious, sweet fruit appeared in two visions and one parable. Respectively, the tree represents the love of God as seen through the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ and symbolizes spiritual growth as one experimentally nourishes faith from a seed. Trees and fruit in the world around us can remind us of important lessons from these teachings and help keep us focused on the …

Prophet Or Loss: Mosiah1/Zeniff, Benjamin/Noah, Mosiah2/Limhi And The Emergence Of The Almas, Val Larsen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Mormon’s overwhelmingly dominant rhetorical purpose is to testify of Christ, which he and his protagonists often directly do. But he also communicates his testimony more subtly through carefully crafted historical narratives. His use of frame narratives is especially artful. In the Book of Mosiah, Mormon frames the dispiriting account of Zeniff and Noah’s rule with the story of its aftermath: the suffering of Limhi and his people, which is recounted both before and after the central Zeniff/Noah narrative and which underscores the folly in the narrative it frames. The Limhi story is, in turn, framed by a Mosiah family narrative …