Digital Commons Network^™

Regionalism And Reform: The Consequences Of Consociationalism In Belgium, Elizabeth L. Brown

Honors Theses

With the success of the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), a Flemish regionalist party, in recent federal and regional elections, the continued role of regionalism in Belgian politics has been made clear. This has occurred despite significant efforts by Belgian politicians to counteract this tendency. By analyzing the impact of the six state reforms that have drastically affected the political system within the country, this paper outlines how the reforms themselves have unintentionally incentivized the political parties to pursue regionalism as a winning political strategy, which laid the groundwork for the current success of the N-VA. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates how the …

Silent Majorities: The Brief History Of A Curious Term, 1920-1980, Jordan R. Holman

Honors Theses

This paper examines the use of the term “the silent majority” from 1920-1980, tracing the term from its roots in the prohibition and moral movements of the 1920s and 1930s, to its resurfacing in the 1950s in connection to race and integration, to finally Nixon’s popularization of the term. The sources in which the term was used as such were located through Google Books, the University of Mississippi’s One Search tool, and the Chronicling America database. The Google Ngram Viewer was also utilized in creating a graph that tracked the usage of “the silent majority” in digitized literature through the …

Generational Expressions Of Basque Nationalism, Mollie Bradford

Honors Theses

This work studies the difference in the expressions of Basque nationalism between the Basque youth and the older generations of the Basque population in the Basque Country of Spain, or Euskadi. I hypothesized that the Basque youth would express nationalism banally, or in everyday activities, while the older generations would be intentional and active in their expressions, due to the older generations’ experiences with the Franco regime and ETA, the Basque terrorist group. I researched using articles from a Basque newspaper, Euskal Irrati Telebista. I chose key words and searched through articles written in 2017. I also conducted a survey …

Do Global Cities Make Green Cities? How Global Governance Impacts Transportation In Bogotá And Medellín, Eleanor Jackson

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how global and local governance has combined to deliver effective and sustainable public transportation in cities by comparing Bogotá’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, TransMilenio, with Medellín’s mass transit system, STIMVA, often referred to as Metro de Medellín. After considering the rationales used to justify local and global authority over climate change, this analysis problematizes the supposed benefits of empowering global and local actors by highlighting the conflicts of interest that plague the elites who mediate the global and the local. In analyzing the global and local interactions, this work draws from extensive literature to highlight three …

Code-Switching Practices In The Foreign-Language Classroom: Instructor Nativeness And Students' Perceptions, Zachary Ty Gill

Honors Theses

In this study we investigated code-switching practices in the foreign language classroom among instructors who are native speakers of the target language (Spanish) and instructors who are non-native speakers of the target language, as well as students’ perceptions of L1 use. Participants were three college instructors of Spanish and 38 college students in an intermediate level Spanish course. The participants were observed and recorded during two hour-long classes involving group work. After the observations, the instructors completed an interview, and the students completed an online questionnaire. This study found that native instructors use less English than non-native instructors and the …

Japanese Mascots: Diplomatic Tool, Domestic Escapism, Gwenafaye Mccormick

Honors Theses

In Japan, mascots are not only representatives of sports teams and sugary cereals, but are vital diplomatic tools of communication and domestic tools of escapism. Though a multitude of mascots exist, scholarship on the topic tends to portray the body of mascots as one-dimensional. This thesis analyzes the modern mascot field and provides previously undefined categories for mascots based on their application, as their absence hinders further analysis. These definitions also describe the subversive social space that mascots inhabit in Japanese society and allow the thesis to examine consumers’ relationships with mascots. An analysis of the U.S. and Israeli embassy …

Interactions Between Contextual And Phonetic Information In Children’S And Adults’ Perception Of Non-Native Speech, Alexis P. Zosel

Honors Theses

Phoneme categorization (i.e., the ability to differentiate between different speech sounds) is not an easy task, as individuals must integrate multiple sources of information, including both acoustic and contextual information. When a talker has a foreign accent, the listener may place more weight on sentential context because of the ambiguity of the acoustic/phonetic information. For example, listeners are more likely to classify a word that is phonetically ambiguous between goat and coat as goat if the sentential context is “The boy milked the ___,” and this is especially the case when listening to a non-native (compared to native) talker (Schertz …

Chinese Male Homosexual Identity Construction On Yaba(丫吧), Brendan Ryan

Honors Theses

Jianshangdejiaoyaba (肩上的脚丫吧), also known as Yaba (丫吧), is a forum on the Chinese website Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧) containing stories and questions from users that focus on homosexual experience and identity in China. The members of the forum communicate using Linyu (淋语), a form of Chinese Internet Language (CIL). This thesis seeks to understand why and how Yaba (丫吧) users use the word ji (鸡: chicken) and female kinship terms, two prominent features of Linyu (淋语). The research uses methodologies in virtual ethnography to conceptualize Yaba (丫吧) as a research site. To better understand the research site and the experience of …

Incorporating African American Vernacular English In Education: Fostering Linguistic Diversity Within Mississippi K-12 Classrooms, Alyssa Eilers

Honors Theses

In the United States, the language of education is American English; although everyone speaks a dialect, the institution of education values a standard, which devalues nonstandard varieties of English like African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Because language is intricately connected to identity, the way that AAVE is or is not included in classroom pedagogy points to the inclusion, or lack thereof, of students who speak vernaculars of English. Research shows that AAVE is related to Southern American English and exists proportionately in the south. Because Mississippi, a southern state, continuously ranks as one of the states with the lowest test …

Sons Of The Sāqiya: Grassroots Water Politics In Southeastern Morocco, John Chappell

Honors Theses

This study examines the informal institutions that govern the sāqiya and khettāra irrigation system in southeastern Morocco. I frame those institutions using literature concerning politics of irrigation, governing the commons, and North African political culture. While interviewing farmers in agricultural communities near the Morocco-Algeria border, five themes emerged as key aspects of sāqiya and khettāra governance: the definitions of irrigation communities, the methods of water distribution, the institutions for selecting leaders, and those leaders’ authorities and responsibilities. Institutional arrangements and management practices associated with those themes show that sāqiya and khettāra governance is rooted in the democratic values of consensus …

Lost In Translation: Challenges And Solutions To Language Barriers In Healthcare In Mississippi, Galina Ostrovsky

Honors Theses

Language barriers can impede access to healthcare and compromise quality of care for limited English proficiency (LEP) patients. Although a rights-based framework would suggest and federal mandates require healthcare facilities to provide language access services, multiple factors result in the persistence of language barriers in healthcare. As the literature review shows, these factors include limitations in policy, enforcement, standardization, resources, and ability to recruit and retain professional interpreters. This thesis uses a multi-method case study entailing Mississippi in general and information from two specific sites, a rural Delta county and an urban central county, to assess the issue of language …

A Look Into Electronic Word-Of-Mouth: The Willingness Of Consumers To Write Online Reviews, Michelle Le

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness of a consumer to write an online review in relation to their love for a brand, their attachment to a brand and their satisfaction with shopping online for that brand. There are limited empirical studies that investigate the impact of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, and Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction on online reviews. Brand Love is the extent of emotional attachment that a content consumer feels for a certain brand or trade name whereas Brand Attachment measures the degree or strength to which consumers connects themselves with a brand. Lastly, a …

American Foreign Policy Has A Masculinity Problem: A Discourse Analysis Of The Iran Deal, Rachel Emond

Honors Theses

The research in this paper seeks to analyze the rhetoric surrounding issues of American foreign policy using the Iran Deal as a case study. The main question this research intends to answer is: Are suggested soft power policy solutions, such as that of the Iran Deal, characterized as either feminine or masculine? I seek to answer this question through a discourse analysis of the rhetoric in newspaper articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post about the Iran Deal from the year 2015. I identify common themes and phrases among these articles and draw my own conclusions about …

Historical Text And Historical Archaeology: Hunting The Narrative Of Kievan Rus, Ivory M. Spears

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on the historical narrative of Kievan Rus between 860 to 1240 and the importance of historical archaeology in order to gain a clearer understanding of its history. Very few sources written in the 9^th to 13th centuries in Rus survive today. The Primary Chronicle is the most widely known and available account of the history of Rus for historians to use. However, scholars utilize the chronicle with caution because the original oldest surviving chronicle was written almost two centuries after the first dated entry. We can expect that not everything written in the chronicles was accurate …

The Bard And The Word: The Influence Of The Bible On The Writings Of William Shakespeare, Emily Gray

Honors Theses

Widely hailed as the single greatest writer and poet of the English language, William Shakespeare is not only revered for the sheer quantity and wide-ranging genres of his writing, but also the exceptional written quality, well-executed thematic diversity, and ability to explore the timelessness of the human experience. With the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible occurring in 2011 and the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death following in 2016, scholarship on Shakespeare’s use of biblical material underwent a significant resurgence. The focus of much of this scholarship has been on simply identifying the numerous references rather …

Managing Church, Politics, And The End Of The World: Analysis Of Baptist Ecclesiology, Eschatology, And The Remobilization Of Conservative Baptists In The Moral Majority, Nathan Taylor Barron

Honors Theses

The sudden and formidable political mobilization of fundamentalist Christians in the mid-to-late 1970’s quickly garnered the attention of politicians, pastors, and political scientists alike. Since the success of the Moral Majority in the 1980s, social science researchers have dedicated special attention to the intersection of religion and social life; however, such considerations have largely neglected to sufficiently discover why fundamentalist Christians were seemingly predisposed for the high levels of political activity characteristic of the Moral Majority. Building on a historical analysis of Baptist ecclesiological and eschatological development, the purpose of this research is to consider the theological framework behind the …

The Language Barrier In Healthcare: Quality Of Care And Health Literacy, Jacob Warren Garrett

Honors Theses

As the number of Spanish speaking immigrants coming to the United States increases, there will also be an increase in the number of LEP patients will seek medical care. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi alone there are over 7,000 people listed as Hispanic/Latino (2010 Census, U.S.gov). This research examines the experiences of LEP patients in the Hattiesburg area and focuses on three main areas: (1) if a language barrier exists for these patients when they seek care (2) if the quality of care of these patients is affected by the inability of the patient and provider to orally communicate (3) if the …

Proverbial Machine Translation: Translating Proverbs Between Spanish And English Using Phrased Based Statistical Machine Translation With The Grammatical Category Based Approach, Teneala Spencer

Honors Theses

The focus of the research presented in the paper is translating the non-literal interpretation of proverbs from Spanish to English without changing their intended meaning. Proverbs have limited variation in comparison to slang, poetry, and metaphors which tend to differ significantly within the context that they are used. Although there are many other approaches for machine translation (MT), the one most suitable for the research project is Phrased Based Statistical Machine translation used in conjunction with the Grammatical Category- Based approach.

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.

Rhetoric In Financial Reporting: Evaluation Of Isa 720, Qingyuan Guo

Honors Theses

Prior research show that many investors rely on other information appearing alongside the audited financial statements in companies’ annual reports to make their economic decisions and falsely assume that the unaudited other information is also audited. Additionally, company management utilizes rhetorical strategies in other information to offer explanations and opinions conveying positive messages about the company value which audited financial data may not indicate. The expectation gap of investors on audit over other information and the concern of management manipulation incentivized the proposal of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to establish a standard to extend auditors’ responsibility over …

Linguistic Analysis Of Written Language Used By Young Adults With And Without Invisible Disabilities, Amanda Schwartz

Honors Theses

Spoken and written language patterns are subtle aspects of behavior that may differ between those with and without invisible disabilities. One tool to measure language is the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a computer-based measure comprising a variety of components (emotional, cognitive, and structural) present in oral and written language samples (Pennebaker, Boyd, Jordan, & Blackburn, 2015). Using LIWC analyses, previous research suggests a significant difference in written language usage amongst individuals with depression compared to those without depression (Brockmeyer, et al., 2015). Unfortunately, a limited amount of research has been conducted using LIWC analyses to examine written language …

Assessing Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge And Use Of Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning, Mary Catherine Cazalas

Honors Theses

Many individuals who are nonverbal require augmentative and alternative communication devices to communicate. The purpose of this research was to assess speech-language pathologists’ knowledge of a particular method of implementing augmentative and alternative communication devices known as language acquisition through motor planning (LAMP). Further, this research was designed to determine the percentage of speech pathologists who have used LAMP during their careers as well as the perceived level of success speech pathologists have found with LAMP. Mississippi speech-language pathologists were used as the sample for this study. A survey was created electronically via the online survey development software, “Survey Monkey,” …

Guide To Understanding Catalonian Dissent: From Proclamation To Referendum, Andrew Larkin

Honors Theses

"Guide to Understanding Catalonian Independence Efforts: From referendum proclamation to 1-O" explains and chronicles key events from June 9 to October 1, 2017 that have impacted Catalonia's ploy for independence. The northeastern region in Spain is situated on the Mediterranean coast and plays a strong role in the Spanish economy. Although the region is well situated and prosperous, some push for an independent Catalonia. The guide is written with readers from the United States of America in mind and includes excerpts translated into English so that the struggle between Spain and independence-minded Catalans can be easily understood. Official statements, speeches, …

Collective Memory And The Argentine Military Dictatorship: A Discourse Analysis, Caitlin Wiley

Honors Theses

The last Argentine military dictatorship (1976-1983) employed strategies of extreme violence against its own people, including kidnapping and killing an estimated 30,000 people. After the dictatorship ended in 1983, the country began a process of reconstructing the collective societal memory of the dictatorship years, which involved individuals processing their memories of family members and friends who had “disappeared” (now known as los desaparecidos or “the disappeared in Spanish”). This investigation focuses on how former Argentine Presidents Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015) reignited the national discourse around the dictatorship years and shaped the collective memories of the public in …

Comparisons Between Chinese And Japanese Characters, Ahmina Graves

Honors Theses

The complexity of the Chinese and Japanese writing systems has intrigued those in the West from their first encounter with the characters. Though the two languages are very different, they share components of their writing systems that have been adapted to each language. This paper looks at the differences and similarities between the two strikingly different languages, as well as the effects on literacy the complexity of the orthographies has had in East Asia. The reforms created by each respective government and the motivations behind these reforms is also explored, as well as the future of the use and form …

Examining Social Pragmatic Communication: Evidence From Parent And Professional Questionnaires, Katelyn Adams

Honors Theses

Hyter (2007) defined pragmatics as “daily interactions among groups of people with varying worldviews, each influenced by a history of social practices” (p.131). People use aspects of pragmatics in their everyday life depending on the context of their current social situation. For example, one’s pragmatic language could differ in a day from talking with a boss at work to having a conversation with a friend on the phone. These variations in conversational processes result in the assessment of pragmatics being a difficult task.

In this honors thesis, I examined results from Dr. Yvette Hyter’s assessment battery, the Assessment of Pragmatic …

Full Day Preschool Math Achievement, Denise Calixto

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Excuse The Mess, But We Live Here: Roseanne In The Meme World, Meghann Holt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

When Necessary Is Not Enough: A Study In The Effectiveness Of U.S. Military Force To Combat Terrorism In The Middle East, Lora Christine Vonderhaar

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine the relationship between the number and size of U.S. military bases in the Middle East and instances of terrorism in the same region. It seeks to analyze the complex set of impacts that U.S. military presence has on the area and determine if U.S. presence is overall more helpful or harmful to the situation on the ground. While size and number of U.S. bases is not a perfect measure of U.S. presence, it is a fair representation and a useful empirical starting point. This thesis will focus specifically on terrorism as a non-state actor and not …

Murky Water, Fluid, And The Borderlands Of Language: An Exploration Of Toni Morrison’S Beloved, Julia K. Hall

Honors Theses

Centered on Toni Morrison's Beloved and her process of writing the novel, this thesis links the crossing of a river, the birthing of a child, and the creation of a text. By drawing upon theories of composition, motherhood, and genre theory, this exploration of Beloved balances discussion of writing process, genre, and textual analysis. Buttressed by a complimentary text, Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, the connection between creation of identity and body through the gestation period and birthing of a text is reflected in Morrison’s own process. The revolutionary splash Beloved made in the field of literary scholarship—and …