Digital Commons Network^™

Irish-American Fiction And The Ethnic Identity Of Irish-Americans, Mary Carty

Honors Theses

As the largest immigrant group in the history of the United States, the Irish have had a tremendous impact on American society. Politically, the Irish flooded city government offices, eventually working up to the nation's highest office. Economically, they swelled the ranks of the labor market that was so crucial to America's growing industry. Religiously, they took over the leadership and strengthened the establishment of the Roman Catholic church in America, bringing to it their own parochial brand of Irish Catholicism. The Irish also influenced American culture with their successes in literature and the arts, and with their widespread emphasis …

Use Of Economic Instruments In Biodiversity Conservation Projects: The Sustainability Of Projects In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Amy Lyons

Honors Theses

Under what conditions do biodiversity conservation projects that use economic incentives promote the most significant and sustainable biodiversity protection? The study of how nations can best invest their resources to promote conservation while simultaneously encouraging a sustainable form of economic development has recently become a major focus for ecologically rich, less-developed countries. There have been many innovative and successful attempts at combining biodiversity protection with economic development, and others that have done more harm than good. Since there is no guaranteed recipe for a successful project, it is crucial to examine projects in detail to discern which type of project …

Analysis Of Sorting Algorithms, Terry D. Fryar

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Development Of The Child And Adolescent Coping Inventory, Laura K. Mcgraw

Honors Theses

The development of the Child and Adolescent Coping Inventory (Cobb, Gwanter, & Newcomb, 1987) is described and reliability and validity statistics are reported. The inventory consists of a parent form and a child form. The parent form contains 91 descriptions of children's behaviors when faced with difficulties. The child form is in interview format and asks children to describe seven positive and negative events and their reactions to them.The Inventory in both forms is capable of obtaining both observable and subjective reactions of children to stress. Reliability and validity is stronger for the child form. Suggestions are made for possible …

A Study Of The Self In The Red And The Black And The Confessions Of Felix Krull, Confidence Man, Roberta Mowery

Honors Theses

Although there are many reasons for reading and writing literature, perhaps the most compelling one is to gain knowledge of and access to the self. One of the most interesting aspects in the literary study of the self involves the individual's perception of his public and private self. This differentiation between the public an dprivate persona is developed in dept in Stendhal's The Red and the Black and Thomas Mann's The Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man. The protagonists of these two works lead lives of duplicity and hypocrisy, each submerging his private personality in order to get ahead in …

William Courtenay's England : An Aristocratic Bishop In The Fourteenth Century, Michael P. Gwaltney

Honors Theses

Despite religious controversy that threatened the church and

endangered the state, William Courtenay, as an aristocratic bishop,

succeeded in preserving the traditional structure of the medieval

English Church. During the second half of the fourtheenth century,

England sustained reversals abroad in the renewed war with France.

The military setbacks aggrevated the domestic unrest, which existed

under the uncertain leadership of senile Edward III and then young

Richard II. Church and state in medieval society were so closely

interwoven by means of a cohesive religion that "any substantial

alteration of the church system could have led to a revolution of a …

Doubletake : The Obsessions Of Sylvia Plath, Brian Connors

Honors Theses

For twenty five years, analyses of the link between Sylvia Plath's life and writings have too often focused on selected rebellious incidents and a handful of poems written in the last six months of her llfe. These shallow and often sensational literary autopsies reach seemingly pre-determined conclusions about Plath and usually blame Plath's mother, her husband, and male-dominated 1940s and 1950s America for the vitriolic tone of her writings and for her suicide at age thirty. Unfortunately, oversimplification is the rule in Plath studies. Examinations of Plath are particularly hazardous because such an enormous amount of her work was autobiographical …

Controlling Corporate Crime Through Reform Of The Criminal Justice System, Mary A. Vogt

Honors Theses

Corporate crime, according to Clinard and Yeager (1980: 16), "is any act that is committed by corporations which is punishable by the state, regardless of whether it is punished under administrative, civil, or criminal law". This form of crime is a major social problem within our society (Kramer, 1982). The purpose of this project is to examine a variety of proposals to improve the capability of the criminal justice system to control the problem of corporate crime, and to make specific recommendations for reform.

Mathematics Education In The Soviet Union And In Tennessee, Penny B. Pierce

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine mathematics education in the Soviet Union and compare it to that in Tennessee. It will be composed of three main sections, the first being a brief history of mathematics education in the Soviet Union and in Tennessee. It is necessary to study the history of changes in the respective systems to realize why the mathematics curriculum is the way it is today. A study of the curriculum will then be the second section. The third section will consider teacher training in the Soviet Union and in Tennessee. This area is included because of its obvious relevance …

Fluoride As A Therapeutic Drug In Osteoporosis Treatment, Rita Priyadarshani Francis

Honors Theses

The use of fluoride as a therapeutic drug is not a novel idea. Studies dealing with the effects of fluoride on the skeletal system date back to the late 1960's. This paper will define osteoporosis, examine methods of detection, and will discuss various methods of treatment with emphasis on the use of fluoride supplements in the form of tablets or fluorinated drinking water.

Rise To Power Of Senator Joseph R. Mccarthy: Reflections Of The Cold War Mccarthy Era In American Film, Scott Lainer

Honors Theses

The common bond between much of the film industry and Joseph McCarthy was insecurity and the drive for national approval. If one grasps the specific characteristics of McCarthy the man, and the methods of these politically "inspired" movies, we can to better place the period into context and acknowledge the fact that, if the citizenry is not aware, and is again caught by an ever-building wave of trickle down sentiment, the 1950s might not prove to be an isolated period in American history. Insecurity was not a fifties novelty. It still exists, and could potentially escalate anti-Communist policy and sentiment …

Personal Growth Group Design: Leadership Training Group For Parish R.C.I.A. Processes, Rita M. Araoz

Honors Theses

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a long-term process--usually nine months, but sometimes up to two years--in which men and women become members of the Roman Catholic Church. Often they are converting from other faiths or denominational backgrounds, but this is not always the case. R.C.I.A. culminates in the Sacrament of Baptism or Reception into Full Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass, but this is not the end. It is only the beginning of new life within the Catholic Christian community. The purpose of this group is to train non-professional individuals to become effective group leaders of R.C.I.A. …

Zora Neale Hurston And The Emergence Of Self, Cheryl Y. Williams

Honors Theses

Abraham Maslow in his work From The Farther Reaches of Human Nature made the statement:

Every human being has (two) sets of forces within him. One set clings to safety and defensiveness out of fear, tending to regress backward, hanging to the past, afraid to grow... afraid of independence, freedom and separateness. The other set of forces impels him forward toward wholeness of Self and uniqueness of Self, toward full functioning of all his capacities, toward confidence in the face of the external world at the same time that he can accept his deepest, real, unconscious Self (45-6).

What makes …

Out Of Control: An Exploration Into The Dynamics Of Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia And The Consequences For The Sufferer And Those Around Her, Shenandoah M. Cardwell

Honors Theses

A theoretical and personal exploration into the dynamics of anorexia nervosa and bulimia was conducted with reviews of literature, interviews, and personal accounts. A basic definition of the problem according to the DSM-III was stated. Discussed in detail are factors which contribute to a possible predisposition for developing an eating disorder; these include the physiological/biological, psychological, familial and societal. The effects of eating disorders on those persons around an anorexic or bulimic were explained along with a special section emphasizing the epidemic of eating disorders on college campuses. Emphasis was placed on the importance of the role of helper in …

Lewis Carroll's Dissection And Restructure Of The Social Self, Pamela F. Pecora

Honors Theses

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass, should not be categorized as literature primarily for children. These stories are works of art whose complex nature demans intellectual interpretation. Such a study is not meant to take joy away from the innocent and pleasurable surface of Alice's adventures. Instead, the usefulness of probing deeply into this literature is to reveal a fundamental lesson that Carroll imparts to his readers. After studying the feelings prevalent in English Victorian society, Carroll's personal feelings as illustrated through his themes, and his devices and techniqu eof writing, I have …

Classroom Observation Of School-Age Addh, Conduct Disorder, And Depressed Children, Kristin S. Allan

Honors Theses

Eight subjects were observed during classroom activity to determine the context of their social behavior. Four subjects were internalizers and the other four were externalizers. Subjects were observed at an inpatient psychiatric facility for children. It was hypothesized that externalizers would exhibit more off-task behaviors and internalizers would engage in solitary play more often. Results showed trends which supported the hypotheses. Implications of medication effects, as well as further research using a more molecular coding scheme were discussed.

The Allelopathic Effects Of Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) Berry Juice, Steven R. Parris

Honors Theses

This paper is divided into three major sections. The first section is a limited overview of the field of allelopathy, from its origins to its potential future. Since the field of allelopathy is relatively young and there are only a very few texts on allelopathy available, much of this information is taken directly from journal articles. The second section reviews the publications concerning Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) and some of its close relatives, as well as information on a number of interesting and potentially useful compounds that have been isolated from them. The third section describes a series of laboratory experiments …

Self Efficacy, Locus Of Control, And Physical Ability, E. Catherine Edmiston

Honors Theses

This research investigated the relationship among two personality variables- locus of control (LOC) and self efficacy (SE)- and perceptions of physical ability for a specific sport. In the first phase of the research, tennis players (12-14 year old males), their parents, their coaches, and three objective raters were asked to rate the players' physical talent. In phase two the players were ranked by a computer that based the rankings on their overall performance for a year. After these rankings were published the same groups were again asked to rate the players' physical talent. The ratings are compared to each other …

Self Efficacy, Locus Of Control, And Task Difficulty As Predictors In Athletic Competition, Glen F. Cox

Honors Theses

With the increasingly competitive nature of athletics today there has been a great deal of interest in the various factors contributing to athletic success. Athletes are bigger and faster, stronger and more physically fit than ever before. Yet there is another factor, a psychological one, that seems to be a key ingredient in the ultimate success of any athlete.

Objectivity And Aesthetic Judgment, Glenn Poskocil

Honors Theses

Where do we draw the line between what is and is not a work of art? and, how are we to distinguish between so called "good" and "bad" works of art? There is a tendency to blur the distinction between these questions because they seem, in certain senses, to be inextricably bound to one another. It is not uncommon, for instance, to hear someone praise something by referring to it as a "work of art," yet most of us agree that not all works of art are "good," even in the aesthetic sense. Too often this distinction is muddled by …

The Role Of St. Paul's Episcopal Church In The 1960'S : Dealing With Racial Turmoil, Billy Eiselstein

Honors Theses

St. Paul's Episcopal Church became involved in a positive manner in the racial turmoil of the 1960 's through the work of its rector from 1956-1985, John H Bonner, Jr., who was influential in keeping Chattanooga relatively peaceful throu·gh the racial problems of this period.

The Cultural Significance Of Religious Festivals Of Seville: Holy Week And The Romeria Of Rocio, Brent Metz

Honors Theses

This project began long before I traveled to Spain. With the guidance of Dr. Smith, I wrote preliminary questionnaires and learned research methods and interviewing techniques in the fall, 1985. He also assisted me in writing a research proposal for the Waldo-Sangren Scholarship, and this award made my trip to Spain possible. In addition, I collected books and other information from Western's Waldo Library and from professors and friends who had previously been in Spain. Although I later modified my questionnaires and changed my conception of religious festivals in Seville, my preparation last fall was critical in orienting myself to …

Radicalism In Literature: Proletarian Fiction Of The 1930s, Susan Maxwell

Honors Theses

In a study of working class literature from the 1930s, I would contend that the most radical work was produced primarily by female writers. For the most part, this radicalism owed to the subordination and the victimization of women in society. Since all of the writers that were studied (Tillie Olsen, Meridel Le Sueur, Fielding Burke, Agnes Smedley, Erskine Caldwell, Michael Gold, Jack Conroy, and Floyd Dell) were at least involved with, if not members of, the Communist Party, this makes a fascinating study into the power of a philosophy of government on the individual. Not only was the individual …

Toni Morrison's Approach To Understanding, Joyce Dorris

Honors Theses

Toni Morrison tackles the problems for which she does not have resolutions. In order to make an impact on readers and achieve a meaningful understanding, Morrison manipulates readers' emotions. She says, "My writing expects, demands participatory reading. The reader supplies the emotions. Then we (you, the reader, and I, the author) come together to make this book, to feel this experience" (Tate, 125). Morrison carefully positions her readers to see what her characters see and react as they would. Morrison feels if the readers can see the person experiencing the thing, they do not need an explanation. The illustration will …

Senior Honors Project, Kelly Dyksterhouse

Honors Theses

The Statistical Analysis Project is a computer program that interacts with a person to discover the type of statistical test that person should use. Essentially, this program is intended to assist students, faculty and researchers in choosing the correct statistical procedure to use in a particular situation. For example, there are many different types of tests a person can use to test the mean of data but each test is used in a different situation. This program will tell you which test to use based on the situation you give it. This project was started by Anika Forsblad in 1985.

Observational Investigation Of School-Aged Children's Peer Relations, Darcy Milhaven

Honors Theses

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of early peer relations in the social and emotional development of children (Hartup, 1983; Cowen, Pederson, Babagian, Izzo, & Trost, 1973; Roffl Sells, & Golden, 1972). The recognition of the contribution of peer relations to later adult adjustment has lead to a significant increase in the investigation of children's social relations. In particular, three general methodologies have been employed in these studies. First, informant reports with their origin in the sociometric tradition have utilized peer-, adult-, and self-reports to assess children's social reputations, behavioral characteristics, and self-perceptions (e.g., …

Lynchings In The Bible Belt South: A Study Of Mobs And Ministers, Margaret S. Jackson

Honors Theses

String him up! That command stirred a deadly chill in the hearts of hundreds of lynching victims and aroused violent emotion in the souls of countless bloodthirsty mobs throughout the Bible Belt South during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The South had su survived the Civil War physically, but the wound to its pride was so deep that more than Reconstruction was needed to heal the scar. The South had fought the North to preserve its unique way of life. Following the war Southerners fought each other in frustration and anger to protect their last hold on the …

Geodesic Orbits About An Axisymmetric Mass Distribution, David J. Dean

Honors Theses

The General Theory of Relativity (GRT) gives rise to many interesting questions, one of which is a question about how test particles orbit various relativistic mass configurations. A test particle is defined as an electrically neutral particle small enough that its self gravitating energy, as calculated using standard Newtonian theory, can be neglected when compared with the particle's rest mass, ie. M/R << 1. (Here M is the mass of the particle in meters, and R is the radius of the particle again in meters. The mass of the sun in these units is 1.47 km.) For example, the earth, which can be considered a test particle for the sun, travels about the sun in an elliptic orbit. What would happen if the sun suddenly became a black-hole? How would the earth's orbit be affected? It is the purpose of this paper to answer these questions not only for the case of the spherical black-hole (which has been extensively studied), but also for the case of an axisymmetric mass distribution idealized by a long thin rod-like mass (which will henceforth be referred to as a line mass). The classical case and relativistic case concerning orbits about the line mass will be discussed, along with some interesting features of the relativistic line mass orbits. Some background information concerning GRT will be needed before the problem of line mass is approached.

Community Adaptation In The Judeo-Christian Tradition, John K. Overton

Honors Theses

Pesach represents the pivotal event in Jewish history to many, but its historical development bristles even more intensely and significantly than is often acknowledged. Its origins reach behind the Exodus event into pastoral cultures, behind the values of modern Jewry, behind the sensibilities of ancient Yahwism. Its understanding has been creatively synthesized, assimilated, digested and shaped within the culture of the Hebrews and then within the culture of the Jews, but this is all based on a historical victory. Cultural assimilation, military rebellion, and a consolidating expression after rebellion are all present.

James Joyce's Use Of Topography In Ulysses, Mary Beth Delea

Honors Theses

James Joyce's Ulysses stands out as the most conscientiously topographical novel ever written, according to the authors of Literary Landscapes of the British Isles. The Dublin which Joyce recreates is the Dublin of physical reality, painstakingly transposed so as to elicit exact details of the city. This detailed locale plays an important role in the novel, revealing many of Joyce's ingenious artistic purposes. The topography of Dublin appears the beginning of Ulysses and is significant until the end of the novel, influencing three major aspects of the work. The aspects referred to include the personality of Dublin as well as …