Digital Commons Network^™

Distress Disclosure And Personality In College Students, Elizabeth Rebecca Klunk

Honors Theses

This study examined distress disclosure, the tendency to confide unpleasant feelings and experiences to others. Other factors under consideration were gender, personality factors (such as extraversion and one's general tendency to disclose), and the identity of the person to whom individuals were asked to disclose. The subject pool included 22 male and 34 female volunteers from Bucknell University. Participants were asked to complete a measure of basic demographics, the Distress Disclosure Index, and the NEO-FFI measure of personality. They were then asked to disclose about an aspect of their lives that they personally found stressful, as if they were confiding …

"She Was Not Even Normal": Unreliable Narratives Of Female Insanity In Jane Eyre, Rebecca, And Wide Sargasso Sea, Carolyn Elizabeth Williams

Honors Theses

In my thesis, I interrogate narrative reliability related to depictions of female insanity in Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and Wide Sargasso Sea. By subjecting the trustworthiness of her storytelling to criticism, especially as regards the concealed madwoman, Bertha Mason, Jane's narration is revealed as unstable, offering problematic insight into a character long considered unflinchingly honest. In du Maurier's later literary adaptation of Jane Eyre, Bertha's parallel character, the eponymous Rebecca, comes to the fore, while the novel's unnamed narrator remains in the shadows, and bases much of her storytelling upon hearsay, rather than the "autobiography" of Jane Eyre. The most transparent …

Evolution Of The Morphology Of Bottom Walking Turtles, Victor David Munteanu

Honors Theses

Ecomorphology and functional morphology are two distinct disciplines within biology that are often conflated and erroneously used interchangeably. By investigating the morphological distinctiveness of bottom-walking turtles relative to aquatic swimmers and terrestrial walkers, we can disentangle the effects of ecology and performance. Shell morphology, tail length, digit length, webbing length, and integumental differences were examined using dry and wet preserved specimens. Bottom-walkers were hypothesized to be distinct in all measurements. Instead, bottom-walkers were typically distinct from terrestrial taxa but not aquatic taxa, although for integumentary structures, only bottom-walkers were found to have significantly more integumentary structures than terrestrial turtles. This …

Sexing The Male: Manifestations Of Masculinity In Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, And Villette, Emma Foye Quinn

Honors Theses

Abstract: This project considers Emily and Charlotte Brontë's constructions of masculinity in Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Villette. There is a vast proliferation of scholarship focusing on gender in the Victorian Era, but as much of this criticism focuses on women, the analysis of heterosexual masculinity in these novels provides a unique perspective on the complexities involved in gender constructions during this period. Masculine identity was in a transitory state in the early nineteenth century, as Romantic values were replaced by Victorian conceptions of masculinity, largely influencing the expectations of men. This paper argues that based on an understanding of …

A Historical-Institutional Study Of The Welfare Systems In The United States And Sweden: Net Social Wage Approach, Sarah Elliott Blank

Honors Theses

In this study I first look at the historical developments of the welfare systems in Sweden and the United States to understand why these countries have produced two distinct systems over the years. After understanding their historical context I turn to the question of the relationship between the welfare system and economic growth. Policy makers and the mainstream media commonly cite the critique that through government deficit and public debt, welfare systems are a drag on the economy. By calculating the net social wage, the difference in taxes paid and benefits received by workers, I test this hypothesis to see …

Trends In The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Obesity In U.S. Adults: 2002-2012, Amanda Elaine Ayers

Honors Theses

Since the 1980s, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled to over 30 percent of the adult population (Thorpe, 2004). Obesity is a key contributing factor to continually rising national healthcare costs. Addressing its negative implications is essential not only from a cost perspective, but also for the betterment of our nation¿s general health and wellbeing. Obesity is reportedly associated with a 35% increase in inpatient and outpatient spending, as well as a 77% increase in related necessary medications (Sturm, 2002). Obesity, which some have argued should be classified as a disease in itself, has roughly the same association …

Locational And Temporal Risk Associated With Campus Sexual Assault, Julianne Elizabeth Valdes

Honors Theses

The present study investigates the rates of victimization of sexual assault reported by undergraduates at Bucknell University. Specifically, the study aimed to determine where and when sexual assault took place, in order to pinpoint both temporal risks and locational risks associated with certain events on campus. Results of the survey were analyzed for victimization rates across class year, time of year, where victimization took place, as well as where victims and perpetrators met. Data for the study was gathered by means of anonymous survey, sent out to 1752 randomly selected undergraduates via email. Participants filled out the survey which asked …

Restructuring Justice: Moving Towards Gender-Responsive Programming And Alternatives To Incarceration For Non-Violent Female Offenders, Julia Ellouise Bonnell

Honors Theses

The United States¿ Federal and State laws differentiate between acceptable (or, legal) and unacceptable (illegal) behavior by prescribing restrictive punishment to citizens and/or groups that violate these established rules. These regulations are written to treat every person equally and to fairly serve justice; furthermore, the sanctions placed on offenders seek to reform illegal behavior through limitations on freedoms and rehabilitative programs. Despite the effort to treat all offenders fairly regardless of social identity categories (e.g., sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, ability, and gender and sexual orientation) and to humanely eliminate illegal behavior, the American penal system perpetuates de facto …

The Supreme Court Confirmation Process And Its Implications, Ralph Chester Otis V

Honors Theses

In recent history, there has been a trend of increasing partisan polarization throughout most of the American political system. Some of the impacts of this polarization are obvious; however, there is reason to believe that we miss some of the indirect effects of polarization. Accompanying the trend of increased polarization has been an increase in the contentiousness of the Supreme Court confirmation process. I believe that these two trends are related. Furthermore, I argue that these trends have an impact on judicial behavior. This is an issue worth exploring, since the Supreme Court is the most isolated branch of the …

The Intersection Of Economics And Politics In A Small Opec Country: The Case Of Ecuador, 1990 - March 2014, Paúl Andrés Sierra Lana

Honors Theses

Today, crude oil remains a vital resource all around the world. This non-renewable resource powers countries worldwide. Besides serving as an energy source, crude oil is also the most important component for different world economies, especially in developing countries. Ecuador, a small member of the OPEC oil cartel, presents a case where its economy is oil dependent. A great percentage of the country¿s GDP and government¿s budget comes from oil revenues. Ecuador has always been a primary exporter of raw materials. In the last centuries, the country experienced three important economic booms: cacao, bananas, and, ultimately, crude oil. In this …

Must We Forgive?: Exploring The Limits And Possibilities Of Forgiveness And Resentment, Margaret Adele Schneiderman

Honors Theses

Conflict has marked civilization from Biblical times to the present day. Each of us, with our different and competing interests, and our desires to pursue those interests, have over time wronged another person. Not surprisingly then, forgiveness is a concern of individuals and groups¿communities, countries, religious groups, races¿yet it is a complex idea that philosophers, theologians, political scientists, and psychologists have grappled with. Some have argued that forgiveness is a therapeutic means for overcoming guilt, pain, and anger. Forgiveness is often portrayed as a coping mechanism¿how often we hear the phrase, ¿forgive and forget,¿ as an arrangement to help two …

Casualty, Causality And Chivalry: The Myth Of Chivalry And Racial Violence In Southern Literature, Nicholas Alexander Salvo

Honors Theses

This honors thesis project uses history and literature to analyze the role of the myth of chivalry in mystifying racial violence and oppression in the American South. The central claim is that the myth of chivalry¿ and particularly the exaltation of the white woman¿ is a myth system used to justify racial violence, oppress white womanhood, and allow white patriarchy to maintain political, social and economic dominance. This project traces the role of literature, especially Sir Walter Scott¿s historical romance, in developing the foundational myths of a southern society based in violence, racial hierarchy and gender inequality. It then follows …

Invisible Men And Women: A Critique Of The Critiques Of Particularity In African American Literature, Donald Mayfield Brown

Honors Theses

Ralph Ellison's ascension into the American literary canon is a product of the rise of formalist aesthetics during Cold War consensus. Ellison, once a young man committed to Marxist ideology and friends with the Communist Party USA, muted his political beliefs and began to espouse American exceptionalism during the height of the Cold War. I examine Ellison's revisions of Invisible Man that were designed to make him more artistically respected. I argue that Ellison's process of revision provides us with a striking account of American and African-American canon formation post-World War II that sought to define universality as that which …

Brides Of Christ: An Examination Of Female Sainthood, Zachary J. Ridder

Honors Theses

The history of the Catholic Church is replete with examples of virtuous men and women leading holy lives as an inspiration to others. While male saints certainly outnumber women it is impossible to read through the list of canonized individuals without noticing the large number of women who have been acclaimed as saints. What led the male dominated church to raise these women to stand as equals with popes and apostles? The answer lies in virtue and the means by which these women acquired it. Some were mystics like Hildegard of Bingen, others were martyrs like St. Perpetua but all …

Funny Or French: How Humor Varies Across Cultures, Audrey Mefford

Honors Theses

This paper examines the works of four cartoonists (Saul Steinberg, Jean-Jacques Sempé, Roz Chast, and Claire Bretécher) in order to determine similarities and differences between French humor and American humor. It incorporates compiled data from each of the above artist's lifetime works, as well as knowledge from the fields of cartoons and comics, sociology, and cross-cultural psychology, to answer the question "What is funny?" in each of these two disparate cultures.

Nicotine And What Else?: Hplc Elution Optimization For The Analysis Of Alkaloids Found In Electronic Cigarettes, Jessica L. Murray

Honors Theses

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have been scrutinized by the Food and Drug Administration and other public health organizations for issues related to quality control and efficacy. Erratic nicotine delivery and numerous toxic compounds in refill solutions have been reported. The ultimate goal of this research is to add to the growing amount of knowledge regarding e-cigarette ingredient content, safety, and quality. Standards of the tobacco alkaloids nicotine, anabasine, cotinine, and myosmine were prepared and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Various elution schemes were tested and adjusted for optimal analyte resolution, and a final elution scheme was developed to …

‘Liberty Is The Word With Me’ The Ideologies And Allegiances Of Civil War Soldiers In Hamilton County, James J. W. Scott

Honors Theses

This case study of Hamilton County, Tennessee investigates Civil War soldiers to determine how the county was divided and why men chose to fight for the Union or the Confederacy. Using descriptive statistics and Grounded Theory Method, this study analyzes census data, military records, and personal correspondence to show that Confederate soldiers were concentrated in urban areas as wealthy businessmen or poor laborers, while Unionists dominated rural areas mostly as middleclass small farm owners. This research reveals that Confederates adopted an identity and ideology similar to other states in the Confederacy through railroad and business connections, and Unionists resented a …

Defining A Cross Content, Cross Cultural Curriculum For Foreign Language, Hannah P. Seage

Honors Theses

This thesis posits a 4th grade foreign language curriculum emphasizing cultural content in a parallel structure to social studies content as a means of addressing the interdisciplinary literacy stressed in the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Both the cultural content element and the parallel curriculum structure are compared to viable alternative emphases or structures prevalent in contemporary pedagogical material and practice. Standards of comparison for content foci are derived from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages aligned with the CCSS and standards of comparison for curriculum structure are derived …

Developing A Cross-Cultural And Cross-Content Foreign Language Curriculum, Sophia R. Seage

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to clarify the implementation of the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary French curriculum described in the associated work, Defining a Cross-Cultural and Cross-Content Foreign Language Curriculum (Seage). Using Social Studies as the primary source of cross-content exchange, the proposed curriculum is composed of three units of entry level French instruction that position the learner to acquire a second language through the broader process of acquiring an understanding of a second culture. By connecting the underlying philosophy outlined in the accompanying work to the recently implemented Common Core State Standards and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' …

Party Building Factors To Encourage Third Party Support Among 18-24 Year Olds, Amy Timmerman

Honors Theses

Third parties have always existed within American politics, yet have never claimed the ultimate political victory: the Presidency. Third parties often enjoy support from a strong, concentrated group of serious devotees and brief flashes of public support, but they often fail to attract the larger, more consistent backing enjoyed by the two major parties. A significant source of third party patronage is also found on the university campus, yet this support often fades shortly after college. Using survey data, this research analyzes the potential impact party building and media campaign strategies would have on third parties in gaining the lasting …

Faith And Homosexuality: Grace, Religious Problem-Solving Styles And The Internalized Homophobia Of Homosexuals, Maria R. Matty

Honors Theses

The current research examines the grace-orientation and problem-solving styles of gay and lesbian people of faith relative to their relationship with God and the extent, if any, of their internalized homonegativity. This issue was investigated using psychological measures involving a) the style of religious problem-solving, b) internalized homonegativity, c) feelings of shame and guilt and d) personal experiences of grace. Statistical analyses found that having less homonegativity toward oneself and the disclosure of homosexuality is associated with higher levels of experienced grace and lower feelings of shame and guilt. Collaborative and deferring religious problem-solving styles correlated positively with both experienced …

Tunisia: Democracy And Islam In Post-Arab Spring Politics, Mary E. Shults

Honors Theses

Since the ousting of the former regime and the first free and fair elections in 2011 in Tunisia, political Islamist parties have been in the majority. The ruling party did not have a mandate, which necessitated concessions. Nonetheless, religion, balanced with a history of institutional secularism enforced by a dictator, has impacted the creation of a democracy. Inequality and repression drove protestors to the streets to demand new governance. These problems, along with religion and societal norms, influence the meaning of democracy in Tunisia. This paper will explore the thin lines between religion, democracy and the everyday politics of Tunisia, …

Echoes Of Environmentalist Sensibilities: Exploring The Origins Of A Movement, Hannah Raines

Honors Theses

In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt demonstrated tremendous foresight by organizing a conference of state governors, congressmen, and Supreme Court justices to address what he considered “the weightiest problem” facing the United States: diminishing natural resources. In the gathering’s opening address, he articulated his concerns as follows: “The occasion for the meeting lies in the fact that the natural resources of our country are in danger of exhaustion if we permit the old wasteful methods of exploiting them longer to continue.” A year prior, in his annual address to Congress, Roosevelt stated, “Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to …

Tennessee: The Birth And Development Of Performance-Based Funding In Higher Education, Evan Williams

Honors Theses

Tennessee was the first state to introduce performance based funding metrics into their higher education system in 1979. Over the past 30+ years, the state reevaluated and amended their formula every five years. What was initially an additional allocation that could be earned on top of an institution’s standard budget has now become the sole method of allocating funds for higher education in Tennessee. In 2010 the Tennessee legislature passed the Complete College Tennessee Act, Which put the state on the path to be the first state in the nation that allocates 100% of higher education funds on the basis …

Development Of Biomechanical Analysis Techniques For Fatigue Of Transtibial Prosthetic Socket And Pylon Interactions, Thomas Z. Sudbury

Honors Theses

The lack of formal, engineering based information is prevalent in the prosthetic industry. Currently, very few prosthetic manufacturing companies can definitively tell their patients how long their products will last. Because of this lack of information, many amputee patients will experience failure of their transtibial prosthetic device during daily activities. One such failure occurs from the fatigue of everyday use. Fatigue failures originate from the repeated application of certain loading conditions. These repeated loads usually occur for millions of cycles before a transtibial prosthetic catastrophically fails. The purpose of this study is to develop a testing procedure and apparatus that …

Emotional Intelligence In Nonprofit Hiring Practices: A New Criterion, Monica Shubert

Honors Theses

In the most basic sense of the concept, Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the level of ability to identify, understand, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, others, and groups. It is a concept that has received popular acclaim over the past three decades since the term was first coined. Much of the growing literature on EI is in managerial and organizational behavior fields. The primary goal of much of this literature is to determine the extent to which EI can affect workplace outcomes. Suggestions that EI has a significant impact on workplace success have led to increased interest on how …

Education And Economic Development: An Untapped Alliance, Serena E. Williams

Honors Theses

Many Mississippi economic developers firmly believe that education could be the answer to the economic development of a community. However, there is a relatively small amount of research published on how the connection between education and economic development works. This is a case study of the Greater Hattiesburg Area of Mississippi which seeks to explore and to begin to understand how to better the relationship between education and economic development.

The researcher conducted eight in-depth, open-ended interviews with key informants who were directly engaged in the K-12 education system and economic development of the Greater Hattiesburg Area. The researcher coded …

The Effects Of Juror Disclosiveness, Empathy, And Interpersonal Communication Competence On Jury Selection, Owen P. Terry

Honors Theses

The trial jury is one of the most basic elements of our court system and is vital for ensuring a fair trial for all parties involved in a case. This research was concerned with the final stage of the jury selection process in which attorneys are able to select, through various challenges, the jurors who are most well suited for service. Particularly, the goal of this research was to determine whether certain juror communicator characteristics, namely interpersonal communication competence and its derivatives, had effects upon jury selection. A sample of potential jurors completed questionnaires related to these characteristics, and the …

Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, And Second Wave Feminism, Lauren A. Stealey

Honors Theses

The First Ladyship is an ambiguous, constitutionally undefined role. The women who have inhabited this role since Martha Washington have had to interpret this role in their own ways and encounter the scrutiny or approval of their country along the way. On this national stage, these women have influenced and been influenced by contemporary conceptions of American womanhood. National discussion shifted to focus prominently on the role of women particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, in the resurgence of an organized women’s rights movement known as Second Wave Feminism.

In this qualitative study, I focused on two First Ladies during …

Gender And Career Success In Public Accounting, Jessica L. Rowe

Honors Theses

Public accountants, students, and others evaluated career success and the effect of specific activities on career success. The results suggest that gender bias is not pervasive in public accounting, at least with respect to overall assessments of success, but male and female accountants do appear to weight differently various activities that contribute to career success. This may explain, in part, why women hold fewer public accounting leadership positions than men even though women appear to have an advantage over men when they begin their careers.