Digital Commons Network^™

Political Differentiation In Consumer Preferences For Underdog Businesses : Does Everybody Love A Winner?, Kelly O'Connor

Honors Theses

In an exploratory study of the intersection between the worlds of social behavior and personal economics, this experiment will examine the links between political ideology and consumer preference for an ''underdog" business. The stereotypical image of the Mom and Pop comer store is romantic, but when we juxtapose this sentiment with the convenience and predictability of shopping at a giant retailer, it is unclear which store consumers will prefer, and why. This study tested the hypothesis that individuals with more liberal political orientations will be more likely to exhibit a preference for underdog businesses than individuals with conservative political leanings, …

The Cost Of Wealth: The Saudi Struggle For Sustainable Development., Benjamin Laird Hammond

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Myths, Stereotypes And Truths: A Critical Look At The Relationship Between Africans And African-Americans., Jennifer Olufemi Salu

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the relationship between Africans and African-Americans and examines the w ay many members of each group perceive the other. In examining the relationship between each group, the study focuses on looking at some of the myths and stereotypes many Africans, especially African students and immigrants in the United States, have of African-Americans and vice-versa and the impact these myths and stereotypes have on the way members of both groups view each other. This study also focuses on understanding and some of the unique challenges members of each group face in trying to correct mistaken assumptions about …

Questioning The Banana Republic: A Comparative Case Study Of The Implications For Local Workers Of The United Fruit Companies' Operations In Ecuador And Colombia, Ryan Kenneth Bullock

Honors Theses

The market for internationally traded bananas has grown considerably throughout the 20“^ century, with bananas being grown almost entirely in developing countries and the vast majority of imports destined for developed countries’ markets. Historically, the global banana trade has been dominated by just a few large transnational corporations (TNCs), and if there has been once constant in the evolution of the global banana market in the Americas throughout the twentieth century, then it has been the United Fruit Company. The role of the United Fruit Company within the global banana market has been the subject of significant study and analysis, …

"The Sad (Or Angry) Lament:" An Exposition Of African American Struggles With Issues Of Gender In Relationships Depicted Through Works Of Literature., Bethany Joy Conner

Honors Theses

African-American gender roles have traditionally been problematic in regards to studying the effects of traditional western nonns upon the black community. The purpose of this work is to elaborate on the particular difficulties that African-American women face when confronted with rigid social constraints in relationships (platonic, romantic, and familial). African- American fictitious literature is adept at depicting the many and varied subtleties and complexities of African-American female experiences in relationships and presents an intriguing slant to this topic. Thus, this work is mostly based upon fiction by African-American female writers who deal directly with the effects of African-American gender roles. …

Ecocritism And The Renaissance: A Study In Shakespeare And More, Melissa Levert Smith

Honors Theses

This study draws on ideas from the emerging field of literary criticism known as ecocriticism and extends its basic assumptions back to the Renaissance works of Thomas More and William Shakespeare. The research therefore includes primary Renaissance texts, current ecocritical works, and selections from the twentieth-century criticism from which ecocriticism developed. I investigate in detail More’s Utopia and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear. The study takes into account the disparity between Renaissance attitudes towards the environment and current concerns about pollution and scarcity of resources, but I suggest that the questions asked by ecocritical scholars today, when …

The Influence Of J.R.R. Tolkien On Popular Culture, Michael A. Hall

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Spectacle And Distortion: The Anti-Globalization Movement On Television News, Raphi Rechitsky

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Tracking And Racialization In Undergraduate Multicultural Requirements, Karan Hustedt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Constitutionality Of Same Sex Marriage, Brandy Raley

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Young Singles: A Look At The Grocery Shopping Preferences Of A Unique And Underestimated Market, Survey & Analysis, Kelley Steinhofer

Honors Theses

Single person households make up a substantial percentage of the total U.S population. More than 102 million people aged 15 and over were not married in 2003. On a household basis, 48.5% of U.S. households were not headed by married couples. Some of these households are "nonfamily" which excludes single parent households according to U.S. Census Bureau definitions. Most studies that examine a specific demographic group have focused on households with children and mature consumers because their purchasing behaviors are highly predictable and easily obtainable. Very little research currently exists on the market of young, single adult consumers. This study …

Image Restoration And The "Black Sox" Scandal Of 1919: Corrective Action As An Ideal Image Restoration Model For Professional Baseball, Zachary J. Walsh

Honors Theses

After the previously indomitable Chicago White Sox lost the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, speculations of foul play abounded. With each suspicious game, the notion of a possible conspiracy to throw the Series became more widespread, reaching its pinnacle when the impossible happened and the Chicago defeat became official (Asinof, 1963). Finding it necessary to address the concerns of the public, Chicago White Sox President Charles A. Comiskey promptly positioned himself as spokesperson for his club. He immediately began to manage the pending crisis through public statements made via media outlets, primarily newspapers. At this point, the allegations …

Changes In Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Mental Illness, Jared Rogge

Honors Theses

People who suffer from mental illness comprise a highly vulnerable population, and encounter adversity from two directions. Not only do they have to contend with their illness and the management of its symptoms, but they also have to brace themselves against the societal backlash and devaluation produced by the stigma that accompanies mental illness. Stigmatization can drastically alter the life chances of individuals with mental illness and have negative outcomes in regards to employment, income (Markowitz, 1998), social integration(Chan, 2004), self esteem(Blankertz, 2001), health care, insurance, and access to justice (Sayce, 1998.)

A Comparison In Osteological Measurements Of Two Populations From East Tennessee, Corrine Vitek

Honors Theses

Forensic anthropology is the identification of skeletal remams in medicolegal death investigations. The foundation of forensic anthropology rests on "documented" skeletal collections, which provide a crucial repository of information from which experts can rely upon to make determinations about human skeletal remains. A "documented" skeletal collection is one in which the demographics (e.g., ancestry, sex, age, height) of each individual are supported by known facts about the decedent at the time of his/her death. A quantitative comparison between the Hamilton County Forensic Center's(HCFC) skeletal collection to the William M. Bass collection housed at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK) …

An Analysis Of Service-Learning And Applied Anthropology, Danielle Nordbrock

Honors Theses

People think of others in comparison to themselves, and what they know. Anthropologists study a wide variety of things, this includes all different societies: simple and complex, ancient and modern, and in different locales. The perspective of an anthropologist tends to take on a unique cross-cultural nature, with comparisons oftentimes being central to the research. When anthropologists become engaged in a project and begin their fieldwork they experience a unique sense of understanding from living in such close proximity to another culture.

Baseball In The Big Easy: An Analysis Of Professional Baseball In New Orleans, Louisiana, Christopher Emile Kieffer

Honors Theses

This paper is an analysis of the relationship between a community and a cultural activity. In this particular case it is about the relationship between New Orleans, Louisiana and its professional baseball teams, the minor league New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Zephyrs. The work examines how one can see the changes in the city during the twentieth century by examining the changes that surrounded its baseball teams. It shows that through the lens of baseball, one can examine the evolution of a community. The heart of the thesis is 17 first-hand interview accounts with several former players, fans and …

Aiding At-Risk Students, Jeremy Baldwin

Honors Theses

Kalamazoo's Loy Norrix High School was the location of a study in conjunction with the institution's school-wide achievement process to aid at-risk students. Characterized by poor attendance, behavioral problems and/or failing two or more subjects, at-risk students are monitored more closely through school-wide efforts. According to the Michigan Department of Education, the effort to hep struggling students implicates the use of supplemental services before or after school to help students in the core subjects: math, science, social studies, and English. Norrix has successfully begun its own efforts to improve the overall academic success of the student body by employing the …

The Effect Of Female Server's Attractiveness On Restaurant Tipping, Anne M. Wisneski

Honors Theses

This paper presents the results of a field experiment designed to test the hypothesis that restaurant patrons (particularly men) would leave larger tips for an attractive versus unattractive female server. The author manipulated server attractiveness by varying her appearance before shirts as a food server at a popular restaurant. Contrary to the hypothesis, patrons (both men and women) left comparable sized tips in the attractive and unattractive server conditions. Explanations for this null effect are discussed in the contest of research on the effect of server attractiveness on tipping and perceived tipping norms.

Mom Or Manager?: How Social Factors And Personal Choice Affect The Work/Family Balance In The United States, Japan And Germany, Christine E. Mueller

Honors Theses

This report investigates the work/family balance based on two factors: social influence and personal choice. The first factor is significant because society dictates and enforces the prescribed roles for women. The degree of career progression a woman can achieve is partly bound by restrictions of society. The other factor, personal choice, is the factor that only each woman can determine for herself. A woman can only progress as far as her personal goals determine. In addition to the relationship between society and personal choice, this report examines the barriers to pursuit of a management career inherent in these factors.

Narrating The Middle Ground : B The Examination Of Objects In The Modern Genre Of Immigrant Fiction, Meagna A. Patinella

Honors Theses

Dislocated objects tell stories about the places they come from, their migration, and their new surroundings. More importantly, they disclose the narratives of people that possess or interact with them. In this paper I examine objects present in novels ofimmigration and transnational movement, for objects in such fictions are most noticeably dislodged from their original or expected context. Their relocation allows me to interpret them and their narratives, which in turn, allows me to think about the genre of immigrant fiction in a new light.

Potential Components Of Time Personality: A Literature Review, Jane Ackerson

Honors Theses

What is time? The simple yet puzzling question has been posed on numerous occasions generating various responses. Time can be described as quantifiable, structured, even having monetary value. Time can be viewed in a subjective or objective manner and can be influenced by internal and external factors. Time can create pressure, anxiety, or boredom. Time is what we perceive it to be. This perception is a potentially vital component involved in the makeup of time personality. Theoretically, time personality is shaped by many factors affecting the relationship an individual has with time. The objectives of the research were to identify …

From Being To Doing : The Impact Of Modernization On Cultural Values, Cultural Conceptions Of Time, And Effective Leadership, Ryan S. Babiuch

Honors Theses

The foundational constructs of modernization and time conceptions are interdependent. First, I will illustrate and argue that an important relationship exists between modernization, cultural values shifts, and societal conceptions of time. In basic terms, the process of modernization and the motivations for development stimulate shifts in both cultural values and societal understandings·oftime. Second, expounding upon the relationship between modernization, cultural values, and societal conceptions of time, this project will create two different types of interpersonal cultural ethics: an "ethic of being" and an "ethic of doing." The implications of the differences between these two cultural ethics will be explored.

Foremost …

The Role Of The Declining Status And Increasing Pluralism Of The Catholic Church In The Formation Of Religious Generation Gaps In Spain, 1936-1990, Allison Rene Ellzey

Honors Theses

This thesis examines age-related differences in religious practice and opinion in Spain and the influence of the declining status and increasing pluralism of the Catholic Church in the formation of these differences. It argues that there are three distinct age groups with respect to external religious manifestations and that the socialization of these cohorts coincides with three distinct time periods of differing degrees of power and unity of the Church. The introduction lays a historical backdrop for the rest of the work, tracing the status of the Spanish Church from the Civil War through the 1980s. The second chapter defines …

The Emergence Of A Middle Class Among Turks In Germany: A Move Toward Cultural Pluralism, Eden Blythe Hegwood

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the recent development of a middle class among the current Turkish community in Gemiany. By following the generations of individuals of Turkish descent from the original guest-workers arriving in Germany in the early 1960s on to the third and fourth generations of German Turks, the process of middle class establishment over time becomes apparent. Paralleling the emergence of Turkish middle class, increased acculturation or cultural assimilation has occurred, which is also described herein in terms of generational accomplishment. Finally, this work seeks to determine the relationship between middle class status and integration among this migrant group in …

Networking Is Not Everything: The Factors That Led To The Eventual Decline Of The Brigate Rosse, Courtney Janos Geraci

Honors Theses

This thesis concerns the Brigate Rosse, an Italian terrorist organization that was active from the late-1960s to the mid-1980s, the networks through which the Brigate Rosse chose to work, how these networks helped/hindered the success of the Brigate Rosse, and how the murder of Aldo Moro marked the turning point in the BR s success. To gather data, T looked at primary sources, such as communications that were sent by the BR and government documents, as well as secondary sources which examined the actions of the Brigate Rosse, the networks they maintained, and the social and political circumstances of Italy …

Are Stock Prices Related To New York's Climatic Conditions?, Matthew M. Cullen

Honors Theses

The past five years has shown tremendous growth in a new wave and style of investing strategy. This new style, known as behavioral investing, attempts to analyze financial markets through the eye of a social scientist rather than a financial professional. Its followers try to see market movements as affected not necessarily by the business or economy but by the cognition and mood of buyers and seller. This paper analyzes the effect of climatic conditions on mood and the effect that has on market movements and volume. For the most part, it was found that there is no significant relationship …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Teaching Contemporary U.S. History: Music As A Voice For Civil Rights Protest 1950-Present, Robert D. Kuban

Honors Theses

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Contemporary U.S.History: Music as a Voice for Civil Rights Protest,1950-Present. This departmental honors project was created to take an in-depth look into popular music's voice as a medium for Civil Rights protest. This unit composed of eight lesson plans is to serve as a resource for teachers to create a real and tangible interdisciplinary approach to teaching contemporary U. S. history. The material covered is derived from popular music of its time, yet based strongly on research ofactual events. These lessons cover a narrow yet vital and significant scope of civil rights protest, action, and …

The Christian Century And The Fluidity Of American Ideologies, 1919-1932, Michael Levin

Honors Theses

The most fundamental belief echoed in the Christian Century during the '20s was a persistent optimism about human progress. Editors of the journal devoted such a great deal of energy to the task of diagnosing the ills of society because they held the improvement of the American system to be both beneficial and achievable. It is from this platform of optimism that the Century derived the various components of its complex worldview: its religious morality, pragamatic approach, and its egalitarian belief. All of these principles were dependent on the notion that tomorrow could and would be better than today. The …

Leading A 'Torn Country' : Turkey's Ideological And Civilized Divide, Joshua Walker

Honors Theses

Turkey, since 1923, has proven to be a valuable case study in ideological and religious tensions and national identity crisis; however, with a newly elected government, Turkey appears ready to write a new chapter in its history. The complexity of the issues that exist within a modern state along with the diversity of traditional cultures and rich history of Turkey do not allow for a singular civilizational inclusion as Huntington advocates, nor a single ideological path to follow. The Kemalist heritage of this young country has presupposed the necessity for adopting modernity as defined by the West. but the tension …

Assimilation Versus Autonomy: Indigenous Education In Mexico, Gordon Lee Gent

Honors Theses

Indigenous education became prevalent in the ideology of the Mexican government after the Revolution on 1911. The leading school of thought about how to integrate Mexico’s indigenous population was led by anthropologists. Through indigenismo, the government adopted policies that would explore indigenous communities and promote them into the national identity. Bilingual education became one of the most important instruments of the movement under the direction of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista. I collected my data from a wealth of resources. One source of information the historical texts written on Mexican history. Anthropological texts also aided in the discussion of indigenous people …