Digital Commons Network^™

Els Catalans Són Diferents: Catalan Independence Through A Cultural Lens, Maren Burling

Honors Theses

With a focus on Catalan independence, this thesis looks at how Catalans create and perform their regional identity, and how cultural symbols of Catalan society – food, sports, language, and others – are uniquely situated within the wider Spanish society. Both linguistic anthropology and symbolic/interpretive anthropology inform my writing and support my argument for the importance of language and other cultural symbols to Catalan identity, which are key to understanding Catalan separatism. My research contributes to current conversations in anthropology about the role of cultural identity in creating community. I argue that, in the Catalan case, cultural identity both shapes …

“Il Est Bon, Aujourd'hui, Le Boudin” : La Nourriture Esthétique Et Le Goût Dans Le Roman Naturaliste Zolien, Elena Palazzolo

Honors Theses

La lecture de n’importe quel texte dans les Rougon-Macquart rend clair que leur romancier, Emile Zola, était intéressé sinon obsédé par le symbolisme et les motifs alimentaires. La série, écrite entre 1871 et 1893, couvre la vie d’une famille sous le Second Empire et représente les grands problèmes sociaux du jour notamment les inégalités entre la bourgeoisie et la classe ouvrière en illustrant le chômage, l’alcoolisme, la faim chronique et les lieux de travail dangereux. D’un côté, la discussion de la nourriture à l’intérieur de ce discours semble évidemment pratique ou idéologique. Dans les mots de Albert Sonnenfeld, « Zola …

Views From Above: Recent Forest History In The Far North Of Madagascar, Nathanael R. Bartosch

Honors Theses

This study is a spatial analysis of the forests west of Mt. d’Ambre National Park in the far northern portion of Madagascar. This area has little spatial, ethnographic, or historic data pertaining to the environment. After a research trip to this area from June to August 2017, the need for a temporal study of forest change materialized. Utilizing Landsat data, NDVIs were generated to assess forest cover density from 1978 to 2018. This spatial analysis saw deforestation across the study area. Deforestation in this area is mainly caused by agriculture, large foreign companies, recent immigration, and local exploitation of timber …

Personal Ethnography As Applied Learning: A Qualitative Explorative Ethnographic Observational Study Of Social Comparison, Tridereka Hall

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to discuss and evaluate the experience of studying abroad for college students as a participant observer as well as their perceptions of the experience. In Spring 2018, as a part of my studies and as an observational ethnography, I participated in the study abroad program through AIFS at Veritas University. In the study, I will provide my own transformative experience of studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as perspectives of other students who have studied abroad in different locations throughout Costa Rica, and an advisor with experience of assisting study abroad …

From Perfect Daughter To Feminist: How Culture Disguises Disney’S Recycled Formula In Mulan And Moana, Aricelia Arcadia

Honors Theses

Film is a relatively young art form and industry compared to others, such as music and dance. Its origins go back no more than 150 years, yet criticism surrounds film over the lack of originality. The Walt Disney Company, or Disney, is one of the most well-known companies in the industry, and it too is accused of recycling some of the same narrative elements and images in its films. This recycling of themes, characters, animation, plot points, and more are known as formulas that Disney uses to ensure financial success. In recent years, the film industry, but more specifically Hollywood, …

Drama As A Tool For Addressing Cultural Stereotypes, Elizabeth Smoak

Honors Theses

In children’s drama and literature, Native Americans are rarely represented fully and accurately. Generalizations and stereotypes have lead to severe misunderstandings and an underappreciation for Native American cultures, even in areas rich with their history. This research study sought the efficacy of classroom drama strategies on classroom learning, particularly using storytelling to further children’s understanding of Native American culture. The results show that drama and storytelling can be effective ways to teach children about other cultures by keeping students engaged, promoting participation, and allowing students to make connections and explore learning on their own.

Intercultural Communication In The U.S. And Japan, Annelise Wilp

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare two groups: Japanese students studying or who have studied at American universities, and Americans who are studying or have studied at Japanese universities. The inclusionary criteria were American students who had studied at a Japanese university and Japanese students who had studied at an American university. Exclusionary criteria were those who did not meet the criteria above. Prospective participants were invited to participate through Facebook and email. Interviews were conducted either faceto- face at the Bernhard Center at Western Michigan University, or by telephone. Prospective participants were informed of the purpose of …

Ripple Effect: An Examination Of Surfing As A Force For Positive, Lasting Personal And Societal Change, Sam A. Hayworth

Honors Theses

This study aims to demonstrate how the spiritual, sacred, and metaphysical components of surfing empower the activity as a force for positive, personal and societal change in a community. While many surfers are drawn to surfing for its spiritual attributes, traceable to its roots in ancient Polynesia, there are many others who embrace the sport for purely non-spiritual reasons. Quantitative data was collected by the research team to show how the differing views of these two groups of surfers affect three main areas: environmental ethics, personal growth and maturation, and general community outreach. The results of the study proved all …

Ici On Noie Les Algériens: France's Repression Of The 1961 Algerian Massacre, Brianna Starnes

Honors Theses

On the 17th of October 1961, 30,000 Muslims gathered throughout the streets of Paris in the peaceful protest of a curfew, which had been imposed in 1961 on all French Muslims from Algeria as an attempt to prevent any further FLN movement. Orders were given to arrest and suppress the protesters by any means. At the end of the night, bodies were found in the Seine. The victims were Algerian. The police announced that 14,000 men had been arrested, 200 men injured, and only 2 killed. Around 200 Algerian men were never heard from and corpses began appearing in the …

A Comparative Study Of American And French Fashion Conspicuous Consumption Habits On Instagram, Hannah J. Corson

Honors Theses

As social media has become an integral part of every day communications, consumers have begun to conspicuously consume through the Internet. One social media platform, Instagram, puts a central focus on media sharing and allows its users to post photos and videos to their profiles. This makes Instagram an ideal place for Internet users to put their belongings on display. However, a user's nationality and cultural upbringing could influence how one utilizes this platform to conspicuously consume. To determine if this were true, Instagram photos from American and French users were analyzed to find any potential discrepancies. Fashion items were …

Drawing Borders: Images, Representation, And (In)Visibility Of Migrants On The Balkan Route, Nora Hill

Honors Theses

This honors thesis in Global Studies explores issues of (in)visibility and representation of migrants travelling along the Balkan Route to Western Europe from 2015-2018 through visual analysis of the images of migrants and borders found in news media, social media posts, art galleries, and on the cell phones of migrants and activists. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Belgrade, Serbia, one of the key nodes of the Route, as well as online archival research, I examine key differences in the ways migrants are represented and examine the power relations that are represented and reinforced through these images. My research is rooted …

Beyond No Fracking: An Anthropological Study Of Individuals Pursuing Sustainable Lifestyles In Eastern Kentucky, Meg Carter

Honors Theses

This study combines research and oral histories that were conducted with eight individuals in Kentucky who are pursuing sustainable lifestyles through practicing methods such as homesteading, living off-the-grid, permaculture, and natural farming techniques. The paper provides a brief history of homesteading and details how the homesteading of today differs from off-the-grid living. It also provides some of the history of Eastern Kentucky and gives insights into the history of homesteading and sustenance farming in the area. The unrehearsed oral history interviews share information that includes, but is not limited to, interviewees’ reasons for why and how they began their transition …

Going Beyond The Textbook: Revitalizing Culture In The Spanish Classroom, Sarah Basar

Honors Theses

Effectively teaching the culture of a target language in foreign language classrooms can be a rather difficult and time-consuming task. Most often, culture is placed somewhere on a spectrum of either being a minor supplement to acquiring and learning the target language or utilizing culture as the direction through which grammar, vocabulary, and conversational practice are attained. Teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and resources all play a significant role in how culture is defined and taught in the schools of a country where globalization and immigration are quickly beginning to change the sociopolitical and demographic dynamics of our society. Thus, it is …

Riddarasögur: Changing Medieval Norway With French Romance Literature, Elizabeth Tuggle

Honors Theses

In the realm of Arthuriana, numerous versions exist of the adventures of King Arthur and his knights. The genre of the riddarasögur – “the sagas of knights” – contains Norwegian versions of these tales along with Norwegian versions of other French literature such as Marie de France’s lais and fabliaux. In the 13th century, King Hákon Hákonarson commissioned the translation of the French tales into Norwegian for the purpose of civilizing Norwegian society in general and the royal court in particular. Given the fair treatment of women and of love in the riddarasögur, King Hákon’s project to civilize his court …

Fusion And Reconstruction: The Politics Of Translation And Reception In Late Twentieth Century Chinese Literature, Tong Tong

Honors Theses

The main aim of my honor thesis is to examine the influence of the translated foreign literature in People's Republic of China in the 1980s. Specifically, this thesis will trace the impact of literary translation on contemporary Chinese literature by 1) analyzing the situation of literary translation into Chinese during that period with Digital Humanities approaches and 2) conducting philological researches on translation theories and Chinese contemporary literature after 1980. Digital Humanities (DH) refer to the humanistic studies that are assisted by digital tools on aspects such as computation and visualization.

Kentucky Streams And Wetlands, 2009-2017: A Comparative Study, Dennis M. Smith

Honors Theses

The bulk of Eastern Kentucky University’s 22 county service region provides an ideal landscape within which to observe, study and promote awareness on key, critical issues facing the commonwealth today regarding environmental conservation and restoration, as well as the impacts made upon communities. These issues are not new to Kentuckians and have been studied and concerned citizens state-wide for many years. Owing to her years of work and data collections in the area of stream and wetlands conservation in Kentucky (particularly Eastern Kentucky), Sociologist Dr. Stephanie Mcspirit has provided ideal conditions to explore this issue at the undergraduate level. Through …

The Possible Effect Of Cypsela Morphology On Endemism In Solidago Shortii, Evan P. Singleton

Honors Theses

This project centers around the differences between the Solidago altissima and the S. shortii, or Common and Short’s Goldenrods, respectively, and endeavors to provide an explanation for the narrow endemism of shortii, relative to that of altissima. The Common Goldenrod has a range spanning from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico, while the Short’s is found only in two isolated locations in Kentucky and Indiana. They are rather similar to the untrained eye but further observation reveals drastic morphological differences between the seeds of the two species, with those of the Short’s being far larger than those of …

The Legal Context Of Medicine: Looking At Healthcare Through A Bicultural Lens, Annamarie Beckmeyer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Rms Titanic: Creating An American Obsession, Judith E. Cathey

Honors Theses

The RMS Titanic is perhaps one of the most famous disasters in United States history. Despite being a disaster that was not even on United States’ territory, it impacted the United States like no other disaster had before. The magnificent ship that represented the culmination of Gilded Age and Industrial progress sank, something many believed was impossible. After the sinking, there was a high demand for information about the catastrophe and the passengers who died, and this was when Titanic Mania began. The United States has experienced 3 eras of obsession with the Titanic: 1912 and 1913, the 1950s, and …

Delving Into Multicultural Literature With Inquiry, Juan Gonzalez

Honors Theses

This paper argues for the use of multicultural literature in the classroom, and puts forth a unit plan that uses critical literacy in an English 11 classroom, though it can be readapted to fit other grade levels. Bishop (1990) describes multicultural literature as a set of windows, that people use to view the experiences of others, and mirrors, that reflect and validate peoples’ experience, a core principal in this paper. Critical literacy is comprised of four dimensions (Lewison, Flint, & Van Sluys, 2002) that allows for analyzing literature in a different and meaningful way. The final part of this paper …

A Comparative Study Of Perspectives In Musical Structural Features And Emotional Stimuli, Cibele Maia Burke

Honors Theses

Music psychology has become increasingly popular in music research given the ability of music to evoke strong emotions. However, there are not many studies that have investigated the mechanisms that induce these emotions. One of the characteristics of recognized composers in Western Art Music is their ability to manipulate musical devices in a way that will evoke an emotional state within the listener. This study looks into theories and perspectives regarding the influence of music upon emotions (such as the Doctrine of ethos) while analyzing certain musical structural features and their impact on emotional expression. By comparing musical works and …

Ambiguous Pleasure(Ers): Negotiating The Bodies Of Falstaff And Moll, Lauren Van Atta

Honors Theses

The British Early Modern Period was a time of shifting social ideologies where class as well as gender were mapped onto bodies and embedded in the very material conditions of life. But class and gender were not discreet categories with dichotomous definitions like ‘male’ and ‘female’, or ‘nobility’ and ‘peasant’. They had many inbetweens, and the theater was perhaps the most glaring inbetween of all. The theater necessarily complicates definitions and ways of viewing bodies as no body is what they seem. And at the heart of these ambiguous identities lay the fat body. It is consumptive, it is transgressive, …

An Analysis Of The Educational Systems In Finland And The United States: A Case Study, Caroline Ann Goodill

Honors Theses

International assessments have drawn attention to discrepancies in student achievement scores between countries. Due to the relatively new introduction of these tests, scholarly research on the subject has developed as the tests have produced more results. A shared goal of a majority of the research regarding international student achievement is to establish quality educational systems. As the United States continuously ranks at or slightly above or below average on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) over the past twelve years, Finland’s consistent success has drawn worldwide attention. For this reason, Finland is the educational system benchmark for this undergraduate …

Cross Cultural Study Of Food And Consumer Packaged Good Products In A New Market: Case Study In Thailand, Savanna Everett

Honors Theses

This study examines whether there are differences in consumers’ shopping behavior due to cultural orientation. The study uses comparing samples of American and Thai culture on two occasions. Theory suggests that these two cultural groups have dramatically different shopping practices. Thai, raised in a collectivist society that values price consciousness and sophistication in money handling, differ from Americans raised in an individualist society that traditionally do not have the same values (Ackerman and Tellis 2001).

We argue that differences in culture provide the most likely explanation for the differences in prices between the two types of super markets. The overall …

Cross Cultural Study Of Food And Cpg Products In A New Market: Case Study In The United States Vs Thailand, Mariel Dehn

Honors Theses

This study examines whether there are differences in consumers’ shopping behavior due to cultural orientation. The study uses comparing samples of American and Thai culture on two occasions. Theory suggests that these two cultural groups have dramatically different shopping practices. Thai, raised in a collectivist society that values price consciousness and sophistication in money handling, differ from Americans raised in an individualist society that traditionally do not have the same values (Ackerman and Tellis 2001).

We argue that differences in culture provide the most likely explanation for the differences in prices between the two types of super markets. The overall …

College Students' Opinions On Parenting, Anne Overton Waller

Honors Theses

There are many potential negative effects of corporal punishment when used to discipline a child (Bell & Romano, 2012; Deater-Deckard, Landsford, Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 2003; Straus, 2001) and tendencies to use corporal punishment are passed down through generations (Ben-Arieh & Haj-Yahia, 2008; Ember & Ember, 1994; Muller, 1996). The present study compared changes in beliefs about the appropriateness of corporal punishment in college students who received information on corporal punishment and parenting strategies in a parenting psychology class to students enrolled in non-parenting psychology classes. 116 students from the University of Mississippi participated in the present study, including 96 …

The Calusa And Early Spanish Settlement: An Archaeological-Historic Analysis Of Early European Contact In Southern Florida, Rylan Cromer

Honors Theses

In 1513 Juan Ponce de León led an expedition force to explore the western coastline of Florida as part of a mission for the Spanish Crown to map the Gulf of Mexico and determine the capability of the area to potentially support Spanish colonization attempts. Instead, León established first contact with a powerful native society that successfully drove León and his fleet of three ships from their shores with nothing more than bows and basic dugout canoes. For nearly a century afterward, the mere presence of these people, the Calusa, was enough to limit Spanish settlement to the Eastern coastline …

"El Bloqueo" And The Initial Changes To Expect In Cuba Following Its Repeal, Justin B. Asher

Honors Theses

This document seeks the answer to the question, "What will happen when the Embargo in place against Cuba by the U. S. government is lifted?" This question undoubtedly came to the front of many Americans’ minds when President Obama announced on December 17,2014 that the United States and Cuba would begin diplomatic relations by opening embassies in the capital city of one another's state. It uses various sources to define the Cuban Embargo and the events that led to its manifestation, the current state of affairs with Cuba (roughly 2 years after the announcement). While the United States seeks a …

Diagnostic Practices Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Brazil, Ana Claudia Vesper Manier Dias

Honors Theses

In Brazil, in spite of over half a million students with special needs in primary education, little research has been conducted about ASD diagnostic practices. This involves learning about the training that professionals are receiving, what diagnostic practices are being implemented on the field, and whether those are being contextualized according to the Brazilian culture. Students with special needs are directly affected by the results of diagnostic practices, since identifying the individuals is one of the first steps. Lack of understanding about that stage may lead to the problematic realities of underidentification or overidentification, exclusion of children who should receive …

A Noble Dream: The Inter-American Studies Program At Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (1958-1985), Colin T. White

Honors Theses

This essay explores the rise and fall of the Inter-American studies program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Inter-American Studies Program attempted to bridge two distinctive bodies of academic literature when Dr. Albert Bork first envisioned it. Unlike other programs founded in the 1950s, SIU’s Inter-American Studies program was an academic experiment challenging that emerging trend. Regardless of its failure, the program’s original idea was innovative.