Digital Commons Network^™

Sorting Out The American Dream - The Short Stories Of Raymond Carver, Matt Williams

Honors Theses

As Robert Stone says of his friend and his friend's work, "People will always want to read him to get an insight into the life and art of the late-twentieth century America ... he will stand high" (Halpert 131), Carver's life and work started out in the "rag and bone shop of the heart" (Nesset 103). He started out telling us about the hardships and misfortunes that go along with being not only an American, but human. Carver showed us the darker side of the American experience, but with it, showed us that with time, hope can triumph. "Reaching deep, …

Shaping Realities: A Study Of The Connection Between White Hegemony In Popular Culture And The Deprecatory Self-Image Of African Americans, Rebecca Thornton

Honors Theses

The following paper will examine how the breakdown of politically motivated racism easily translated into popular culture. Defining African Americans only as stereotypes allowed for the hegemony that had kept African Americans inferior, to endure into a new era, one dominated almost wholly by popular culture. Divided into three chapters, this paper will systematically demonstrate how historically, politically, socially, and ideologically the African American race has been castigated and prostrated by those in power.

Promises Of The Patiarchy : A Study Of Leadership Within The Promise Keepers Movement, Daniel W. Beeman

Honors Theses

By looking at the roles that gender and faith play in an organization and their leadership, this paper will make a significant advance in leadership studies that is not overwhelmingly present. The field of leadership studies will be able to use this as a way to understand those two contexts in addition to being able to see one more way to look at the leadership of an entire movement.

Public Education In Richmond : A Look At Current And Historical Data With Student Perspectives, Ben Wallerstein

Honors Theses

The objective of this project is therefore three-fold, (1) to analyze the current as well as historical patterns of racial distribution and educational outcomes in the Richmond metropolitan area, (2) to provide current students with this data,and (3) to create an opportunity for dialogue on the data across school, racial and economic boundaries. This project takes an important first step in developing the type of interaction and leadership that will be essential for the success of future regional cooperation in Richmond. At the very least, this report should serve as a base-point to inform future discussions on issues of race, …

Leadership 'N' Cultural Anthropoloty : A Course Outline, Gabriel D. Soll

Honors Theses

In turning Twain's kaleidoscope and looking through the light of the social sciences a new combination of colored glass comes into view. The overlap of the glasses, which are the study of leadership and the study of culture, shines through as a vibrant combination of older ideas in a new configuration. It is the vision of this new mosaic, and the belief that the academic world provides one of the best ways not only to explore, but to disseminate new ideas that I have decided to undertake the creation of a course designed for any student interested in either field. …

The Legitimacy Of Leadership Studies As An Academic Field Of Study, Megan Moran, Joy Shortlidge

Honors Theses

Before exploring the legitimacy of leadership studies as an academic field of study, we will first explore the characteristics of a liberal arts education and establish its legitimacy (through historical analyses) as the "standard" of higher education in America, and the educational approach most associated with cultivating an enlightened citizenry in a democratic society. Once the legitimacy of a liberal arts education is established, this form of education will serve as the benchmark to which we will compare leadership studies. We will apply the same criteria that established the legitimacy of a liberal arts education to the field of leadership …

The Social Construction Of Gender In The Military And Resistance To The Integration Of Women, Hilary Kathryn Aydt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Words From The Journey, Melvin D. Bower

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Historical Analysis Of Written Obscenity And The First Amendment Freedom Of Speech, Jaime Willis

Honors Theses

The unalienable rights delineated in the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution, our Bill of Rights, has sparked many noteworthy legal, political and moral debates in the short history of America. The freedom of speech noted in the First Amendment is no exception.

Missing From The Miracle: Microcredit And Urban Market Women In Bolivia, Stephanie L. Small

Honors Theses

On an organizational level supporting the success story of microcredit allows banks to profit, as seen with BancoSol. It allows organizations to continue to receive funding, as seen with FIE. It allows NGOs to simplify the problem of poverty to one of lack of credit and personal ignorance. By doing so, NGOs can maintain training programs which place the client at fault for her poverty, as seen in ProMujer. They appeal to a common sense understanding of poverty and its causes and as a result, continue to receive the necessary funding. The Journal of Commerce is a 170 year old …

The Re-Election Of Incumbent Presidents : Wars, War Heroes, Patriots, And Prosperity, Brian Kelly

Honors Theses

In 1789 the fledgling nation of the United States of America unanimously elected its first president, a war hero named George Washington. In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, Washington served a four-year term, at the completion of which he ran again for president. He won, and after four more years, was succeeded by his vice-president, John Adams, who defeated Thomas Jefferson to become the second president of the United States of America. Four years later Jefferson would turn the tables on his victor and defeat Adams to become the nation's third president.

An investigation of the seventeen successful …

The Power Of Prime-Time Television, Chris Boyd

Honors Theses

I intend to illustrate the possibilities of prime-time television's impact on creating positive social change. For this to occur, television would be acting as a leader to the audiences at home. Through the images shown on screen, lessons would be learned and attitudes would be changes. This change can happen through various avenues, but they all lead to the same goal, an improved society.

Indigenous Groups In Latin America : Emergence Of Indentity And Prospects For Self-Determination, Eduardo J. Abreu

Honors Theses

When discussing the history and emulation of what today is called the Americas (North, Central, and South) it is almost instinctive for one to begin to conceptualize the beginning of its history stemming from the arrival of Western Europeans and their successors. A large part of this is due to the simple fact that history books and education have been written, ironically, by the very minority that established institutions in these eas; thus their very arrival becomes the reference point of their history. Yet, what is so readily forgotten, and sometimes barely acknowledged, is the rich history and civilization that …

The Impact Of Collaborative Leadership On Community Building, Lindsay Sikes

Honors Theses

As the twentieth century comes to a close a shift in paradigm is taking place in civic life. The feeling of anomie and disaggregation is slowly giving way to the belief that citizens do indeed have the capability and desire to invest in and take responsibility for their communities. Past attempts in problem solving have seen repeated failures and an increase in the frustration of communities as the same problems plague their lives. In hopes of eliminating this cycle of despair, the citizens of today's society are turning more and more to the benefits of collaborative efforts.

After five months …

King David : God's Annointed One : A Study Of Leadership Theory Through Analysis Of King David, Chris Headley

Honors Theses

The intention of this text is to examine Biblical leadership principles. Because this author believes wholly in the full Divine Inspiration of the Bible, these principles are deemed, in this text, to be accurate, appropriate, and applicable to the daily lives of leaders. The leadership principles of the Bible will not be evaluated by outside texts regardless of current academic leadership thought.

There is a great deal that should be said to summarize what King David taught generations of people about leadership. Some of the lessons are solely Christian, others are very applicable to the secular world. In summary, David's …

Leadership In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet And Julius Caesar, Kelly Lynn Pearce

Honors Theses

The body of my paper is divided into several sections. In the first section, I will briefly discuss the existing literature on leadership and Shakespeare and my methodology in determining aspects of Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar that pertain to leadership. In Part II of my paper, I will provide an overview of the Elizabethan world-view and history, focusing primarily on perceptions of leadership, in order to provide a context for discussion. Part Ill will be an evaluation of Romeo and Juliet. First I will analyze the play as to how it reflects Elizabethan concerns regarding leadership. Immediately following …

Leadership Curricula And The Changing Organization, Matthew Repella

Honors Theses

This project involves many issues regarding organizational leadership. It seems in the past, all people thought of was management. True, those were different times, when manufacturing was the primary means of employment and factory workers were everywhere. As businesses have progressed through the industrial revolution and the service industry has become more prevalent, the workforce has changed with the times. This requires new thoughts on organizational leadership. It cannot be said that leadership does not change as the situation and/or the followers change. Likewise, as we progress into future, un-chartered territory, leadership will be affected. This paper seeks to determine …

Celluloid Blackness : Race, Modernity, And The Conflicted Roots Of American Cinema (1915-1939), Lincoln Farr

Honors Theses

Introduction: "The Problem of the Twentieth Century" In a full page interview in the New York Times on May 29, 1912, the Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl G. Jung told the American people, "It seems to me that you are about to discover yourselves. You have discovered everything else-all the land of this continent; all the resources, all the hidden things of nature."Jung used the interview to address the American people, at a moment which he somehow recognized as crucial in the development of human civilization. America, the "tragic" country which he struggled to comprehend, would soon become the harbinger of …

Justice As Fairness And The American Welfare Reform Debate, Lynette A. Whitfield

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Toward An Authentically Anti-Racist Curriculum, Jeremy D. Dowsett

Honors Theses

Below I will address the failure of racial essentialist multiculturalism's approach toward combating racism, the confining and backward logic upon which identity politics multiculturalism is founded, the excesses of poststructuralist multiculturalism, and finally, in an attempt to show these theories in practice, I will move to the classroom and explore the ramifications of these strands of multiculturalism on the teaching of history and English. Part Two of this essay consists of a curriculum designed to address the shortcomings of the pedagogies mentioned above.

Present To Future : The Innovations Of Leadership Studies, Christopher Hartman Engels

Honors Theses

Formal leadership education is the latest craze at the secondary level of education. Private high schools have for years stated in their brochures that their school produces leaders. However, only recently are these same schools clearly articulating a more formal structure in leadership education. An in-depth case study analysis of three private high schools in Virginia will not only allow for a look at their leadership curricula, but will allow for conclusion to be made about the best possible means of teaching leadership.

A Cultural Test Of Transforming Leadership Using Three Case Studies : W.E.B. Dubois, Leopold Sedar Senghor, And Vaclav Havel, Christie Getman

Honors Theses

The overall goal of this research project is to do a comprehensive study that integrates an undergraduate career in leadership studies with a thorough, critical examination of a topic that is of interest to me. Since beginning course work at the Jepson School, I have felt that a majority of the theories and concepts studied have been primarily focused on the leader and the follower, and their relationship. My goal is to examine the theory of transforming leadership through specific case studies of transforming leaders, and test how the element of culture affects this transforming leadership.

Applying Theory To Practice : Virginia's Secondary School Leadership Courses, Kerith D. Dubik

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the phenomenon of teaching leadership can and is affecting American secondary schools. This involves discussing the problems of our education system as the results of a paradigm shift in America's learning needs.

Economic System As A Factor Influencing Leadership Behavior : A Case Study Of Leadership In Russia From 1917 To 1995, Matthew B. Danis

Honors Theses

Envisioned by Lenin and molded by Stalin, the Soviet Union, and its communist economic system, lasted seventy-four years, from 1917 to 1991. The inception of communism in the Soviet Union was a result of the losses Russia incurred during World War I. Devastation during the war and mismanagement by the government throughout created an atmosphere ripe for revolution. With the leadership of Lenin, the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in November 1917, and the Communist Party was created in March 1918.

Lifting The Bar : Leadership In The Attorney-Client Relationship, Dennis C. Barghaan

Honors Theses

VA State Senator Mark Earley, a lawyer by trade, addressed the Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association in October 1995, and claimed that the profession, in order to survive, must engage in both serious talk and sincere action. As a result, much of the negative feeling about lawyers within American society will begin to change as the public sees attorneys for what they should be -- leaders in their everyday interactions with clients.

A Look At The Leadership Of The Valentine Riverside Museum, Carlo Arjona

Honors Theses

An evaluation of the Valentine Riverside Museum's short attempt to revitalize history in Richmond, VA, and why it failed.

Civic Leadership : Meeting The Civic Needs Of American Communities, In Preperation For The 21st Century, Sara Zeigler

Honors Theses

In many areas of the United States, people complain about the leaders in their communities. Historically, when people think of 'leaders' in their communities, the majority of them are predominantly white, male and affluent. The American citizen believes that a portion of these leaders are shrouded in scandal, corruption, mistrust, exclusiveness, and power. The American citizen finds difficulty when trying to enter into the elite group of decision makers. Citizens and organizations accuse these leaders of making decisions that do not reflect the best interest of society, but rather benefit themselves. As a result, Americans call out for better leadership …

"A Model Of Crisis", Charlotte A. Trudel

Honors Theses

During the spring 1996 semester, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies offered a special topics course titled "Leadership in Crisis." The course, co-taught by Dr. Richard Couto and former Virginia Attorney-General Mary-Sue Terry, intended to "offer students CPR instruction to sustain organizational and personal vision" (Couto) for a group or organization dealing with crisis. Members of the class were instructed in crisis taxonomy and classification, crisis in diverse contexts, crisis management plans, crisis perspectives from both inside and outside of organizations, and the role of the personal in dealing with crisis. The faculty instructors determined that although the course had …

Making The Net Work : The Influence Of Networking On Black Women Executives' Leadership In The Telecommunications Industry, Kayren J. Shoffner

Honors Theses

Leadership is exemplified by growth. It is not enough to be a strong leader; in order to develop that leadership, one must continue to grow. In order to grow, one must be in the company of likeminded people. Hence, the power of networking to increase and enhance one's leadership development is great. When I look at my leadership development over the past four years, I am able to identify definite growth. This growth was facilitated by the networking situations in which I placed myself or created.

Previous research in this area reveals that women in general, and black women in …

Leadership Skills : A Course Proposal, Joe Rinaldi

Honors Theses

Theory based classes are the foundation that future leadership is built upon. These classes provide a useful framework that leadership majors can draw from for the rest of their lives, but this ignores where they are now. The leadership school focuses too much on leadership beyond graduation and not enough on the limitless opportunities for leadership that are available to students today. The leadership school has no interaction with the vast number of leadership training courses that are taught to every group from Resident Assistants to Orientation Counselors to the various honor councils and governmental bodies that flourish on campus. …