Digital Commons Network^™

Freedom In Education: The Movement To Educate The Freedmen In The Pee Dee Region During Reconstruction, Aliyyah Willis

Honors Theses

The current scholarship on the education of the freed slaves in the South during Reconstruction is not so much one of differing points of view, but of specialization within the broader topic. Most of this scholarship focuses on the Southern region as a whole, rather than limiting the scope to just one state or smaller geographic area. Instead of arguing for or against a particular point of view, today's historians are focusing on one part of the larger topic to analyze. Whether studying the people themselves and their motivations, the teachers who educated them, or the system of education that …

Dayton, Ohio: A Study, Nolan Nicaise

Honors Theses

The urban forest is an important element of cityscapes today. Urban trees provide a habitat to wildlife populations, create more tolerable city living conditions, and better the lives of residents around them. The urban forest, however, is not distributed equitably to the urban population, and some residents receive more or less of its positive externalities. Montgomery County, Ohio, was chosen as the study site to determine if environmental injustice was present regarding the urban forest. It was found that there was environmental injustice present in Montgomery County, as the density of the urban forest was limited by the educational obtainment …

Networks Of Resistance : Black Virginians Remember Civil War Loyalties, Amanda Kleintop

Honors Theses

On June 22, 1877, William Charity explained his neighborhood’s Civil War loyalties to special commissioner Isaac Baldwin of the Southern Claims Commission (SCC): “The colored people were mostly all for the union.” Charity, a free black Virginian, recognized that “mostly” did not mean all. He went on to suggest: “some of them were blind.” As a self-identified Unionist, Charity had difficulty envisioning a black man who was not loyal to the Union cause and emancipation during the Civil War. Current debates, however, have seized on those black Virginians Charity called “blind,” taking the “mostly” Unionist majority for granted. Like Charity, …

Purpose Found: Conditions Of Meaningful Existence, Selfhood And The Role Of The Other In John Milton's Paradise Lost, Anna Sawch

Honors Theses

While Biblical interpretations of Genesis posit God as omnipotent creator and teacher, in John Milton's Paradise Lost it is Adam and Eve‟s relationship and interactions with one another that make them who they are and mold them into who they become. The Adam and Eve of Paradise Lost are true characters, and dynamic ones at that. Rather than serve an allegory or work to create a lofty moral lesson, Adam and Eve grow through speech, desire, and language, interfacing with one another in the spirit of true human curiosity and self-discovery. I first explored this observation that Milton's Adam and …

A Vegetation Reconstruction Of Union County, Pennsylvania During The Early Historical Period (1755-1855), Nick Gonsalves

Honors Theses

This thesis assesses relationships between vegetation and topography and the impact of human tree-cutting on the vegetation of Union County during the early historical era (1755-1855). I use early warrant maps and forestry maps from the Pennsylvania historical archives and a warrantee map from the Union County courthouse depicting the distribution of witness trees and non-tree surveyed markers (posts and stones) in early European settlement land surveys to reconstruct the vegetation and compare vegetation by broad scale (mountains and valleys) and local scale (topographic classes with mountains and valleys) topography. I calculated marker density based on 2 km x 2 …

Comparative Study Of Informal Health Care Networks And Elderly Health Status In Argentina And Cuba, Ava Ginsberg

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of informal care support networks on the health status, life satisfaction, happiness and anxiety of elderly individuals in Argentina and Cuba. Recent economic changes, demographic changes, the structure of families and changes in women?s labor participation have affected the availability of informal care. Additionally, the growing number of elderly as a percentage of total population has significant implications for both formal and informal care in Argentina and Cuba. Methods: The SABE - Survey on Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000 was used as the data …

Crank Dat Soulja Boy: Understanding Black Male Hip Hop Aspiration In Rural Mississippi, Bruce O'Brian Foster

Honors Theses

Aspirations and attainment are affected by a number of factors, including socioeconomic status, neighborhood setting, family influence, and peer socialization. While previous scholarship has focused on these factors, separately and collectively, this research will examine an understudied but prevalent dynamic; Hip-Hop aspirations. Specifically, this research focuses on the relationship between aspirations to r^ and the space/place dynamics of the rural South. Drawing on qualitative data collected in rural. Southern communities through ethnographic research methods, this research explores how Black male aspirations may manifest themselves in ways that have come to be perceived as alternative and oppositional.

Vehicles Of Tibetan Buddhism: Sound Energy As A Sacred Force, Thomas Earl Chandler Jr

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on a discussion of sound energy in Tibetan Buddhism emd how practitioners have transformed sound into a sacred part of their religious tradition. Two specific areas have been investigated: chordal chanting practices of certain Tibetan Buddhist lamas and death rituals and how the Tibetan Book of the Dead is used to influence a consciousness. For the section dealing with chordal chanting, most information was gained from studying secondary sources as a result of there being very little primary source material available. For the section dealing with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the text itself was investigated …

Conflict Or Compromise: China’S Perceptions And Intentions Regarding Us Defense Policy Towards Taiwan, Gabriel Amadeus Weiss

Honors Theses

Gabriel Weiss: Conflict or Compromise: China’s Perceptions and Intentions Regarding US Defense Policy Towards Taiwan (Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Howard)

China’s perception ofTaiwan as a “renegade” province continues to be a source of contention in Sino-US relations. Domestic pressures have reinforced Beijing’s commitment to enforcing the One-China policy and regaining Taiwan. In recent years, the US has failed to reduce weapons sales to Taiwan. Additionally, America has displayed a willingness to employ military force in defense of its global interests. These factors have led China to perceive the US as a potential foe—particularly in regards to the Taiwan …

Does A Rising Tide Lift All Boats? An Analysis Of China's Increasing Gini Coefficient From 1980-2006, Erin Singleton

Honors Theses

Erin Singleton: Docs A Rising Tide Life All Boats? An Analysis of China's Increasing Gini Coefficient from 1980-2006 (under the direction of Dr. Ali Gungoraydinglu)

Income inequality has become a serious concern for both Chinese citizens and policy makers alike as the Gini coefficient has been consistently rising since the economic transition to a market economy began in 1978. The anti-globalization movement cites this increasing income gap as a negative result of China's entrance into the global market. On the contrary, supporters of globalization cite the dramatic decrease in China's poverty rate during this same period as evidence of globalization's …

The Mythic Method At Work In The Travel Writing Of Bruce Chatwin, Paul Theroux, And V.S. Naipaul, Benjamin Bryant Sloan

Honors Theses

Bruce Chatwin, Paul Theroux, and V.S. Naipaul travel to remove what V.S. Naipaul calls their “area of darkness," by which he means those places in the world and places within themselves that are unexplored firsthand. They are much more interested in subjective impressions of the world than objective representations. In fact, these writers strive for subjectivity. But with subjectivity comes doubt and chaos, and a tool that these authors use to order their worlds and their works is the mythic method. All three of these writers are highly influenced by literary modernism and by sources across the ages, but in …

Comparative Analysis Of Salt And Water Fluoridation In Non-Industrialized Countries, Chelsea Elizabeth Mitchell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Renewable Energy Policy In The European Union: The Cases Of Spain, Germany, And The United Kingdom, Michael Impey Aubrey

Honors Theses

This thesis is concerned with the development of renewable energy policies in the countries of Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. By examining these three diverse countries, this thesis attempts to determine whether renewable and/or environmental policies are more influenced by national (domestic) factors, in terms of public opinion and media attention, or by supranational (international) factors, in terms of European Union directives, international obligations, and access to fossil fuels. The thesis hypothesizes that domestic factors are the primary catalysts for renewable energy promotion within their respective countries. The theories of nationalism and supranationalism are examined in a theoretical framework. …

My 21st Century Expedition: Following The Route Of Schoolcraft 1820, 1832 To The Source Of The Mississippi River, Lorah Patterson

Honors Theses

The journal of Lorah Patterson during her expedition from Schoolcraft, Michigan, to the source of the Mississippi River. Supplemental file contains complete Herbarium. The thesis includes only a few examples.

The Northwest Forest Plan: Up To Our Neck In Owls?, Ashley N. Horvat

Honors Theses

Traversing across the vast Pacific Northwest with the Northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), one would experience a dynamic landscape that ranged from areas shrouded with ancient forests, mountains dotted with dense young forests, large swathes of empty habitat from clearcuts, and corridors filled with canopies and a plethora of life. The once vibrant forests that blanketed the Pacific Northwest in an abundance of life and sheltered these rare owls in their canopies were threatened by the removal of these primordial giants in these forests. The wild salmon that journey in record numbers through the cold rivers and …

A River Palimpsest: The Interdisciplinary Value Of Water, Katie Norris

Honors Theses

Water is an invaluable natural resource to both human and ecological communities, and is currently threatened by global and local pollution and availability. Hypoxia, climate change and local issues all strain river systems to beyond repair. In light of this, communities and scientists must come together to understand the quality and value of natural resources, such as the Great Miami River, in order to inform policy, management and societal perceptions. The overall purpose of this thesis research project is to utilize interdisciplinary areas together to create a valuable, spatially lateral and chronological baseline picture of the Great Miami River. The …

Migration, Food And Cultural Production Across Changing Afro-Ecuadorian Geographies, Amelia J. Swinton

Honors Theses

The human geography of Ecuador is changing. Urban Afro-Ecuadorians now outnumber those living in the two rural regions that have been the ancestral homelands of the population. This physical transformation assaults Ecuador's historically racialized geography, which conflated cities, modernity and white-mestizo identity. Though Afro-Ecuadorians living in the rural north had previously been physically and figuratively located outside of the national project, Ecuador’s new constitution has sought to reverse this institutionalized exclusion. National belonging has been reframed through the concept of interculturality, which recognizes diversity and equality at the same time. I conducted two periods of fieldwork in the north-central Chota …

Soviet Education: Communism In The Classroom, Alison W. Berryman

Honors Theses

My thesis examines the Soviet Union’s educational system during Stalin’s rule. It proves that the goal of the Soviet educational system in the 1920s and 1930s was to instill strong Communist loyalty from a very early age and to expedite the process of industrialization by educating future workers in “socially useful” labor.

Hurricane Katrina : An Act Of God?, Juliette M. Jeanfreau

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I plan to present a framework of four theodicies which organizes various responses to and attempted explanations of the suffering experienced during Hurricane Katrina; to examine several post-Katrina sermons in which pastors and priests address suffering within each theological framework; and to discuss the important leadership implications that the ideas expressed on the pulpit carry for how citizens understand the rebuilding of New Orleans. Although the city is home to citizens from a diversity of faith traditions including Judaism and Islam, this thesis will focus on responses expressed within Christian contexts. In the following pages, I will …

Surviving The Holocaust: A Life History Study, Greg Jones

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis was to attempt to explain the inexplicable, thus coming to some concrete rationale as to why Murray was able to persevere unlike so many unfortunate victims who perished. The findings of this research attribute Murray's survival to three distinct categories; (1) Murray's geographical location and relationship to his hometown of Wierchomla, Poland (2) rare level of low anti-Semitic activity encountered and (3) a number of miscellaneous personal factors that included but are not limited to his diet, gender, age, psychological composition, family connections, agency, etc.

The Blue Dog Coalition: Impact Of A Single-Issue Caucus From The 104th To The 110th Congress, Andrew James Clarke

Honors Theses

The Blue Dog Coalition is an informal organization of legislators within the House of Representatives that strives to influence policy on fiscal responsibility, attract the attention of the electorate, They are a group that elicits wide range of reactions covering the length of the political spectrum, but despite this, their claims of special defense of fiscal conservatism within the Democratic Party have gone relatively undocumented by the academic community.This project has integrated a party literature with a caucus literature, in the attempt of building a novel framework for research. Work on polarization, the significance of parties, the purpose and history …

Doing The Best We Can With What We Have: Lessons From Arkansas On How To Improve Mississippi Student Achievement Through Teacher Mentoring And Induction, Claire Elizabeth Graves

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Hood Imports: Abruzzan Wine Cluster Advancement Through Trans-National Cooperation And Entrepreneurship, Stewart Jennings Hood

Honors Theses

The objective of the paper is to investigate the concepts of industrial and business clusters as they relate to globalization, entrepreneurship and value chain governance. It specifically addresses the dilemma that clusters and niche-product cluster firms face in selecting the appropriate global value chain to enter into. The methodology of the paper consists of the assessment of existing literature in the fields of clusters, globalization, entrepreneurship and global value chains, followed by the presentation of empirical research conducted in the summer of 2009, a case study on the wine cluster in Abruzzo, Italy, and the construction of a strategic business …

Communicative Development Through A Comparative Lens: A Snapshot Of Foreign Language Education In The United States And France, Halley Anne Hargrave

Honors Theses

This thesis is an examination of external influences on the foreign language classroom. I evaluate national policy and legislature, textbooks, and national tests as possible determinants of foreign language teaching methods used in the United States and France. I chose to compare the American system to the French system as a result of the relative success of foreign language education in France and my ability to read policy and curriculum in French. By comparing the foreign language education systems in the two countries, I hope to determine what types of weaknesses in American foreign language instruction practices hinder language acquisition. …

Find Yourself, Forget Yourself, Catherine Carter Servati

Honors Theses

This thesis is written in the form of a selfreflective, memoir-esque essay evaluating the journey of my undergraduate academic career. Everyone tells a story with his or her life. Often, distracted by the demands of everyday living, we stop paying attention to that story. In an intentional effort to better understand where I have been, where it is that I am going, and what exactly I am saying with my life, I have written this personal narrative. Although insecurity and vulnerability are a byproduct of this type of self-exposure, little is gained without ever taking a risk. The time, effort, …

Euskal Herritarrak Gara: A Study Of A People And Their History, Culture, And Identity, Madison Rebekah Halbrook

Honors Theses

Throughout history, Basque nationalism has constantly been defined by a series of struggles to protect their unique culture and identity and by a reaction of the Basque people to resist outside change and influence. This thesis will identify, examine, and discuss both the causes and the effects of this sentiment, and also why and how it has developed the way that it has. There are a number of factors in which this struggle can be seen. They include the fight to protect the Basque region fi'om foreign invaders, the struggle to retain political autonomy within a larger group, and certain …

An Epidemiologic Study Comparing The Health Environment Of Honduras And The United States., Martha Magee Mangum

Honors Theses

The content of this project investigates the deficit that exists within the area of healthcare in the Central American country of Honduras. It is a descriptive epidemiologic study, describing and comparing the demographics, health statistics, and healthcare system infrastructure of Honduras and the United States in hopes of bridging the gap between the statistics found through research and a firsthand experience in the country of Honduras.

Challenging Eu Solidarity? : German-Russian Relations, Jessica Ann Beck

Honors Theses

JESSICA ANN BECK: Challenging EU Solidarity? : German-Russian Relations (Under the direction of Dr. Matthew Loveless)

The European Union and its ability to function as a unified actor in the international sphere will be analyzed in this thesis. When the 27 member states of the EU act as one, this institution clearly has tremendous power to adjust international politics in its favor. In addressing the EU’s ability to act in a unified manner in the international environment, this thesis will analyze how bilateral relations affect unity in EU foreign policy. Often, the actions of individual nations are blamed for the …

Living (Or Not) Through Legendizing In Eudora Welty's Fiction, Ashley Catherine Wright

Honors Theses

I began my thesis as a way of exploring how the global south is portrayed in the fiction of Eudora Welty. Through reading two of her novels and various short stories, which are discussed in this thesis, I discovered that my interpretation of Welty’s writing includes a greater focus on people and relationships rather than the actual place they live. This interpretation sheds new light to the existing criticism on Welty and her fiction because she and her work are most often discussed in terms of place rather than people. Key to my argument is term I have coined, ‘legendizing,’ …

Sustainability In Practice: A Study Of The Sustainable Behaviors Of Students At The Univeristy Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, Audrey Glor

Honors Theses

Sustainable behaviors, such as recycling, are increasingly important as the world's population continues to rise. While many attempts have been made at various institutions, recycling on a grand scale has yet to become a social reality. This study was designed to look at the three broad factors influencing an individual's recycling behavior: social pressure, knowledge base, and convenience. It was hypothesized that social pressure would have the greatest influence on an individual's recycling behavior, while not overlooking the importance of the other two factors. A questionnaire was employed to collect data from a sample population at the University of Tennessee …