Digital Commons Network^™

Boudica At The Intersection: Gender, Alterity, And Narrative In Imperial Roman Historiography, Adam Cummings

Honors Theses

Tacitus (fl. ~100 ᴄᴇ) and Cassius Dio (fl. ~200 ᴄᴇ) wrote, respectively, the Annales and the Historia Romana, both now fragmentary, both detailing imperial Roman expansion, and both displaying anxieties about the barbarian ‘Other.’ Their accounts of Boudica, who led the Iceni against Roman encroachment in Britannia in 62 CE, provide a view into these authors’ visions of colonization, ethnicity, and gender. Characterizing this woman as a barbarian leader of war, the authors reveal not only their foundational ideologies but also the political projects underpinning their histories. This thesis will proceed in the following manner: I will provide 1) a …

Out-Of-Time & Out-Of-Place: Queer Horizons Of Popular Culture, Josephine Holland

Honors Theses

This thesis uses Our Flag Means Death to illustrate the ability of Fictional Relativity Theory to unpack a text according to constructs of space-time and the translations from the creation process and and interpretation process, but it is also serves an example of the ways that texts can operate within the structure to encourage and engage with queer potential. OFMD pushes the boundaries and expectations in every step of FRT, from messing with constructs and expectations of time and space, to encouraging queer play and new kinds of engagement with fan communities in the second half of FRT’s cultural production …

Gender Based Violence And All It's Erasure, Ana Sofie Martinez

Honors Theses

Part one of three

of a radical act

against

gender-based violence

A Comprehensive Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies And Analyses, Erin Morgan

Honors Theses

The following thesis consists of a collection of case studies surrounding accounting and related topics. These case studies were written and directed under Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the enrollment of Honors Accountancy 420 to fulfill the requirements for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Five of my cases specifically correlate to the company Johnson & Johnson for the case competition that was presented at the end of the semester to accounting professionals from numerous firms. The other cases include a variety of accounting topics. Through this thesis, I discovered a deeper understanding of accounting and related topics which will benefit …

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard Matthew Knerr

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has strong links to worsened overall health outcomes, specifically, increased prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Food insecurity in developed nations is primarily characterized by reduced access to nutritionally dense foods. This problem is especially prevalent in the Mississippi (MS) Delta region, where greater than two in five people are food insecure and community health outcomes are among the worst in the nation. Recent literature has placed emphasis on solutions to urban food insecurity, but urban resolutions cannot be fully extrapolated to rural food systems, where insecurity is characterized by a multifactorial lack …

From Inpatient Facility To The Everyday Classroom - Examining The Process Of Reintegration For Arkansas Youths, Grace Webb

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on analyzing the current policies set in place within the state of Arkansas for student reintegration following a prolonged absence from school due to mental health issues. It is designed to explore what barriers and disconnections there are between mental health care and continued care after discharge of youths from an inpatient mental health facility and re-entry into the classroom. Within this thesis, current conditions impacting youth mental health and education are explored, as well as current school counseling plans throughout four school districts in various regions across the state. To my knowledge gathered from my findings, …

Accountancy 420 Case Study Analysis, Jack Bennett Moore

Honors Theses

Throughout my junior year at the University of Mississippi in my Honors practicum class, I was able to analyze ten cases covering a wide variety of accounting topics. During the fall semester of 2021, the class researched cities around the U.S. and internationally for accounting internships, became Corporate Finance Institute Excel Certified, and conducted an interview with a professional that had experience and wisdom to share regarding the business world. Additionally, the class had the privilege of having highly acclaimed accounting firms speak to the class on an array of accounting issues. The practicum class began with a documentary covering …

The Past Close Behind Us: A Comparison Of Anti-Integrationists’ Rhetoric From The 1960’S With Anti-Critical Race Theory Rhetoric Today, Te'keyra Shelton

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research study is to analyze whether there are similarities and differences between how conservative organizations and leaders against integration in the 1960’s and Critical Race Theory today discussed and reacted to these advances for civil rights. While there are drastic differences in the context of both eras, arguments used to justify segregation are still used to justify banning Critical Race Theory. Through research on social movements, rhetorical framing, and white racial and conservative ideology, I was able to understand how these movements are structured to best gain success. And, through a comparative, content analysis of rhetorical …

Arbitrariness And Accountability In Plea Bargaining, Emma Brewer

Honors Theses

Justice is supposed to be a consistent, fair ideal of our society. If an individual is going to face punishment, there should be reasons why they receive the punishment they do, and two people who commit similar offenses should be punished similarly. These societal ideals are also embraced by the legal profession. Unfortunately, the current practice of plea bargains creates potential problems for our ability to satisfy that ideal of justice. Prosecutors have significant discretion in offering plea bargains. This discretion opens the door for potential arbitrariness. One way for prosecutors to combat that arbitrariness is by having a structured …

Unesco World Heritage: Striving For Utopia Through Universal Value, Caleb Phillips

Honors Theses

With this thesis, I take a critical look at the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and its mission to foster international unity through the creation of World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Convention was created with good intentions, but in attempting to actualize its original objectives, the Convention has strayed from its goals. By looking at the events leading up to the creation of the World Heritage Convention, the Convention itself, and the various measures carried out by the Convention since its creation, it is clear that the UNESCO World Heritage Convention still has work to do to achieve its utopian …

The Impact Of Epilepsy And The Evolution Of A Nonprofit: "The Epilepsy Connection", Logan Thomas

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the diagnosis, symptoms, and consequences of epilepsy along with the author’s personal journey that promoted the creation of a successful epilepsy service club on the University of Mississippi campus, later evolving to a nonprofit organization off campus. Epilepsy is defined as having at least two seizures without a known trigger that are recurring and may include uncontrollable jerking of muscles or staring blankly with significant risk for short-and long-term consequences. These consequences include social isolation, problems at school, reduced physical activity, increased risk for injuries, social stigma, anxiety, depression, attention issues, and other consequences. An independent online …

Can Uruguay Have Its Steak And Eat It Too? "Greening" A Red Meat Economy, Michael Chepolis

Honors Theses

The methane emissions produced by Uruguay’s 12 million cattle drive the largest share of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock farming is a driver of Uruguay’s economy and an important part of their national identity and culture. Previous researchers have suggested that drastic changes to beef production and consumption habits are necessary to reduce the ecological impact of cattle ranching. This thesis investigates how Uruguay plans to deal with its reliance on beef production as it seeks to reduce its carbon emissions output. An analysis of Uruguay’s development strategy plans reveals that while the country aims to reduce the …

Ethnicity, Nationalism, And Football: Exploring The Construction Of Ethnic Identities And Their Manifestations For Athletic Club Bilbao And Celtic Football Club, Kelly Wetherton

Honors Theses

This thesis centers on the construction of ethnic identities for fans of Athletic Club and Celtic F.C. and the two clubs’ roles in evincing nationalism. Utilizing survey data from an online, anonymous survey posted to fan forums, the research aimed to determine which of the three leading theories of ethnicity—primordialism, instrumentalism, or social constructivism—was most applicable to the formation of identities for Basque Athletic Club fans and Irish Celtic fans. The results demonstrated that the theory of social constructivism most closely aligns with the case of Basque Athletic Club fans while the identities of Irish Celtic fans can best be …

The Relationships Between Academic Entitlement, Grit, Prospective Memory, Retrospective Memory, And Undergraduate Gpa, Kathrin Underwood

Honors Theses

The present study was conducted in order to investigate the relationships between academic entitlement, grit, prospective memory, retrospective memory, and GPA. To investigate these relationships, participants were asked to fill out multiple questionnaires including the AEQ, PRMQ, and the Grit Scale survey. GPAs for participants were taken from the Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning office. The results of this study showed that students with high grit scores were more likely to have lower academic entitlement, higher GPAs, and higher prospective and retrospective memory scores. Ultimately, these results suggest that certain traits and abilities may be predictive of academic success. Looking …

The History And Development Of Solo Tuba Repertoire, Vasilios Tidwell

Honors Theses

The tuba's solo repertoire increased in quantity and quality as a result of developments in the instrument’s design and usage. Following the invention of the tuba in 1835, instrument makers experimented with design concepts to maximize the versatility and potential of the bass brass voice. Composers explored the various uses of the instrument, eventually making the tuba part of the standard orchestral instrumentation by the mid-nineteenth century. Following the instrument's acceptance into bands and orchestras, the first solo works for tuba emerged in the late nineteenth century.

Evolving from novelty pieces accompanied by wind or brass bands, tuba solo music …

Questioning The Use Of Race And Sex-Based Statistics In Economic Loss Valuations In Tort Litigation: A Comparison Of Mississippi To New York, Caitlin Phillips

Honors Theses

In tort litigation, specifically catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, forensic economists are employed to determine a plaintiff’s projected worklife and life expectancy, which is then presented to a jury as lost income. Often, projections of life expectancy and worklife use race and sex-based statistics. For example, a white female, on average, may live a significantly longer life than a black male. Additionally, said white female may, on average, work for fewer years than her male counterparts. In this research, case law of Mississippi and New York were read closely for mentions of race and sex-based statistics in forensic economics …

An Exploration Of The Correlation Between Body Mass And Skeletal Measurements Of The Long Bone Joints And Diaphyses, Caroline Genius

Honors Theses

Body mass is a characteristic of the human body that can aid in narrowing down potential identifications of unidentified individuals. However, when faced with skeletal remains, body mass is not easily ascertained, especially when the remains are incomplete. This research explores the potential correlation between body mass and long bone dimensions in order to aid in identification efforts. The limited research done prior has been conducted almost exclusively on the lower limbs—therefore, one of the primary foci of this study is to assess the efficacy of using the joint surfaces and shaft measurements of the upper limbs. Five long bones …

Investigating The Viability Of Virtual Job Interview Training Through Pre-Ets, Elyse Hayes

Honors Theses

This study used a between-subjects repeated measures design to determine the efficacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) as an instrument for providing workplace readiness training under pre-ETS when compared to current real-world methods. Of the total participants (N=19), 57.89% were male and 42.11% were female, and autism (36.84%) and cognitive impairment (47.37%) were the most frequently reported diagnoses. The results of a paired samples T-test were non-significant with t (8) = 0.13, p = 0.9029 with the use of mock interviews and t (9) = 0.68, p = .5156 with the use of virtual reality. The results of …

Morphological And Functional Classification Of The Amblyomma Americanum (Lone Star Tick) Hemocytes, Julia Hanson

Honors Theses

Ticks are a diverse group of obligate blood-feeding (hematophagous) arthropods that transmit a wide array of human and animal pathogens. These pathogens have caused an increase in tick-borne diseases that pose a significant threat to public health without preventative measures. These pathogens interact with the tick immune system upon uptake, which is primarily divided into humoral and cellular components. Cellular immunity in ticks encompasses several pathogen-eliminating mechanisms including phagocytosis. These mechanisms are mediated by the action of immune cells, commonly referred to as hemocytes, which are analogous to mammalian white blood cells. This study utilized a combination of morphological, functional, …

We Salute You: Student Servicemembers' And Veterans' Perspective Of The University Of Southern Mississippi's Support Of Military Students, Dianna Couch

Honors Theses

There has been an increasing number of veterans and servicemembers attending colleges and universities in the past several years. However, these veterans and servicemembers oftentimes struggle to readjust to civilian life and academia after their years of service. With the increasing number of veterans and servicemembers attending colleges and universities, schools are in a prime position to offer support for this population. However, there has been a lack of research conducted on this growing student population and how to best serve them.

A survey was sent via email by the USM’s Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families to …

The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Career Planning, Spencer A. Rowan

Honors Theses

Social media use is prevalent and necessary in society—nearly anything can be accomplished with a mobile device or smartphone. Among the US population, two thirds of American adults admit to using social media (Perrin, 2015) and in 2022, Georgiev (2023) found Americans spent an average of two and a half hours daily on social media. Furthermore, social media use is tied to mental well-being, work confidence levels, and feelings of being an imposter (Johnson et al., 2020; Uram & Skalski, 2022; Hernandez & Chalk, 2021; Myers, 2021; Ramm, 2019).

This project examined the role of social media use among college …

Emerging To Elsewhere: The Giver And The Concept Of “Elsewhere” In Secondary Curricula, Kayleigh Capers

Honors Theses

The Giver has maintained its popularity through its timeless commentary on universal human experiences like identity, maturation, and mortality. In this thesis I have established its universality, especially in how the concept of Elsewhere expresses mortality, maturation, agency, and free will, along with discussing the importance of including the novel in secondary curricula. I have also limited the focus of popularity to its continued use in classrooms despite its controversial nature. I address common reasons for the banning and censorship of the novel and discuss how to include the controversial topics in the classrooms.

Queer Representation: Revitilizing F. Scott Fitzgerald’S Place In The American Literary Canon, Olivia Wallace

Honors Theses

F. Scott Fitzgerald is colloquially known as one of the great American writers. His acclaim is most commonly attributed to his depiction of heterosexual romances set during the Jazz Age. However, under the surface, many of the male characters that he represents display queer behaviors that subvert this idea. The texts analyzed here include “The Rich Boy” (1926), Tender is the Night (1934), and The Great Gatsby (1925). These men commonly avoid perpetuating heteronormative culture, projecting a general air of cynicism towards the institution of marriage, and a subtle inclination towards feminine characteristics and queer love. Overall, the inclusion of …

Post-Covid-19 Employee Satisfaction: An Examination Of Flexible Work Arrangements, Joshua Cooper

Honors Theses

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses had to switch their strategy to stay afloat in such unprecedented times. One way that businesses, as well as entire industries, pivoted was by using flexible work arrangements to alleviate the stress and potential danger of employees gathering at work. The addition of flexible working arrangements into industries has created an entirely different world of work that challenges the traditional form of working in a face-to-face format. Moving forward, after the pandemic, industries have to accommodate for these more present working conditions that impact how employees view their satisfaction with their job. This research …

Troubled Past, Golden Opportunity: Public Memory And Memorialization At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Hannah E. Arnold

Honors Theses

This thesis argues that The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) consciously chooses to present historical narratives in its history in ways that best enhance the university’s image. Examining the narratives of M.M. Roberts and Oseola McCarty using the theoretical frameworks of public memory and collective memory study reveals that the way they are memorialized within university history include both conscious and subconscious silences that impact how they are remembered by the public. This thesis identifies gaps within these two historical narratives and shows how these gaps were influenced by factors designed to enhance the university’s public image. Overall, the public …

Gender Role Conflict Experienced By Baccalaureate Level Male Nursing Students At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Brantley Snowden

Honors Theses

This study aims to determine the presence of gender role conflict experienced by male nursing students at the University of Southern Mississippi. Thirty-one male nursing students participated in this study. A 55-question survey was distributed via email to men in the baccalaureate nursing program at the University of Southern Mississippi. The survey contained a brief demographic section and a 53-question Likert scale section. The Likert scale questions were adopted from two validated surveys; the Inventory of Male Friendliness in Nursing Programs (IMFNP), and the Gender Role Conflict Scale – Short Form (GRCS-SF). Thirty questions were derived from the IMFNP and …

Language Experience: The Perception Of Foreign Language Acquisition Among University Adults, Lileth A. Stricklin

Honors Theses

While bilingualism has always existed within the history of the U.S. and is the global norm, mainstream approaches to learning have traditionally been monolingually centered and fail to employ approaches that produce sustainable motivation towards foreign language acquisition in students. This study sought to investigate the perceptions adult individuals display towards acquiring foreign language skills, emphasizing distinctions exhibited between monolinguals and their multilingual counterparts. A mixed-method approach in the analysis of 506 survey responses yielded results that suggest that university adults generally display positive perceptions towards foreign language learning. Distinctions in perception between monolinguals and multilinguals were very few with …

Nurses’ And Nursing Students' Knowledge Of Pregnancy-Related Complications Among African Americans, Tamija Alexander

Honors Theses

The literature highlights ethnic and racial disparities within healthcare and maternal outcomes. African American mothers have suffered from disproportionate mortality and morbidity rates compared to Caucasian women for centuries. In 2007–2016, African American and American Indian/Alaska Native women had significantly more pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 births than did Caucasians, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women. Cardiomyopathy, thrombotic pulmonary embolism, and hypertensive disorders are the three leading causes of complications during pregnancy among African Americans. The purpose of the research study was to identify if nurses and nursing students can recognize the early and late signs and symptoms of cardiomyopathy, thrombotic pulmonary …

The Beast Lives Here, Kelli Kirkland

Honors Theses

A staple of the bildungsroman, or coming-of-age, genre is a loss of innocence, often through trauma, so it is only natural for our protagonist to grasp at whatever coping mechanism may offer them comfort. As a coming-of-age novel, The Beast Lives Here asks: How does folklore and the supernatural interact with young, impressionable protagonists who are desperate to find explanations for their pain? The Beast Lives Here follows teenage narrator August (Aggie) Cain as she and her best friend move from junior to senior year of high school. Her excitement, however, is cut short by her best friend's lengthy trip …

Perceptions Of Prenatal Care From Mississippi Mothers: The Role Of Race And Insurance Coverage, Brittney Clayborn

Honors Theses

Giving birth in America as an African American woman is a daunting and risky undertaking. African American women are three to four times more likely to die from giving birth and two times more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity than their White counterparts (Wang, Glazer, Sofaer, Balbierz, & Howell, 2020). The disparity seen in maternal health and mortality can partially be linked to other chronic health and medical factors; however, there are even disparities seen in those as well. Attention must be brought to the impact of race and socioeconomic status on the likelihood of survival after giving birth, …