Arts and Humanities Commons^™

United States Middle East Policy In The Age Of Donald Trump, Gary Prevost

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay on the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East in the middle of the second Trump administration and the continuing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank makes the case for decades of consistency in US policy but also some nuances from the current US administration. The author makes the case that there have been three constants in US policy since the era of the Second World War. First, is the guarantee the flow of reasonably priced oil to the United States and its allies.  Second, the maintenance of the state of Israel as a …

Geopolitical Transformation In The Post-October 7 Middle East (2023–2025): Power Shifts Vs. Structural Shifts, Nael Shama

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay investigates the geopolitical shifts that unfolded in the Middle East from October 2023 to the end of 2025, stimulated by the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent events it triggered. These included military confrontations between Israel and each of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The essay demonstrates that these developments have reshaped power positions and alliances in the Middle East, leading to a more complex and unpredictable geopolitical landscape. It sketches out the new regional balance of …

Countering Social Encounters: Darwish’S “Speech Of The Red Indian”, J. Kristen Urban

The Journal of Social Encounters

In June 2025 the Washington D.C. Arab Center held a conference at the National Press Club titled, “A Historic Juncture: Israel’s Destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian Future.”  The discussion sparked an incisive question: Would such a future follow a Palestinian-owned trajectory?  Incisive, because Palestinians have not owned their trajectory since the 1915 Sykes-Picot Agreement, have consistently been defined in negative terms, and have lived with the ambiguity of existing while remaining unrecognized.  Growing up within Israel, Palestine’s national poet, Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008), experienced this paradox firsthand, and explored it directly in “Speech of the Red Indian,” a poem written …

Gender Justice Lessons From North-East Syria Amidst Patriarchal Perpetuation In The New Syrian Arab Republic?, Theresa Wagner

The Journal of Social Encounters

The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for over sixty years, and his government by Hai’at Tahrir asch-Scham (HTS) signified for many the beginning of a new era of democracy and freedom after thirteen years of civil war. People in the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), a self-governing region that had not been ruled by the Syrian state since 2012, joined in with the celebrating crowds. However, they remained skeptical of HTS, which originated as a branch of al-Qaeda, known back then as Jabhat al-Nusra. Since taking on government responsibilities in the new …

Introduction: The Arab World And Middle East In An Age Of Dynamism And Change, Eslam Elbahlawan, Mawa Mohamed, Ron Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel began a massive joint military attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran to which Iran has responded. At the time of the publication of this issue, the fighting continues and could become more widespread; the ultimate outcome of the conflict is unknown.  This conflict highlights the importance of a deeper understanding of the region.

In the shadow of these events, people of the Middle East once again find their lives reordered by decisions taken far above their heads and far beyond their borders. The current war not only devastates cities, infrastructure, …

Bio-Based Textiles: From Waste To Runway, Leah L. Mella Mrs., Laziza S. Shamansurova, Kory Lynn Abramowitz Ms

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Have you ever wondered what it’s like wearing fabric made from orange peels? What about mushrooms? Sustainable bio textiles are defined as “a broad category of fabrics made from renewable, natural biomass—including plants, animals, algae, or bacteria.” The purpose of this study is to explore various bio based textiles such as orange peel fabric, algae fabric, and bacterial cellulose fabric. Given that the world is currently experiencing a severe climate crisis driven by pollution and carbon emissions, we need sustainable solutions now more than ever. To prevent further damage to our planet, we need to adopt more sustainable practices, and …

Circular Textiles: How You Can Bamboo It, Corley Ballard, Sophie Ellyson, Hannah Berg, Brennan Werner

SPARK Symposium Presentations

“Circular Fashion” and “sustainability” are loosely thrown around in today’s culture, both online and in-person, but circular fashion goes far beyond common sustainability practices. It is a completely waste-free, closed-loop system of textile production and manufacturing. This presentation will focus on circular fashion, a system of reusing and recycling textiles to eliminate waste. We will take a look at its place in the fashion industry and how it interacts within the world of textile production, and give clarity on what we can do about it. We are exploring sustainability, manufacturing, and the processes by which fibers are recycled or blended. …

Changing Mercy In Aotearoa New Zealand, Anna Nicholls Victoria University Of Wellington

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper examines the evolving expression of Catholicity within the Mercy organization in Aotearoa New Zealand. It explores the impact of Vatican II, demographic shifts, and societal changes. Through interviews with lay leaders in Whānau Mercy Ministries, the religiosity, inclusive approach, and the tension between traditional Catholic identity and pluralism in the organization are explored. A pertinent discussion concerns how the organization uses a more secular portrayal of Catherine McAuley as a unifying figure for the religiously diverse audience. The author argues that while secularization influences the organization, it fosters human flourishing and community engagement, offering opportunities for growth rather …

Ancestral Rites And Tablets As A Site Of Contestation Between Confucian Filial Piety And Catholicism: The Cases Of Chinese Confucian Yan Mo And Korean Catholic Yun Ji-Chung, Mideum Hong

Journal of Global Catholicism

This essay examines how the Confucian practice of filial piety, particularly as expressed through ancestral rites and tablets, became a focal point of contention in the encounters between Confucianism and Catholicism. Focusing on the cases of the Chinese Catholic Yan Mo and the Korean Catholic martyr Yun Ji-chung, I argue that the different historical and cultural contexts in China and Korea significantly shaped how each figure understood and responded to the practice of ancestral rites. While Catholicism spread globally, local converts developed distinct theological interpretations rooted in their respective cultural traditions. Although Yan Mo and Yun Ji-chung reached divergent conclusions …

Opening And Closing Doors: Internationalism In The Norbertine Missions To Settler And Indigenous Populations In Wisconsin, Alex Gruber

Journal of Global Catholicism

In this essay, I argue that the Premonstratensian or Norbertine Order located in Berne Abbey in the Netherlands responded strongly to a call for international ministry by going to northeast Wisconsin for Walloon settlers from Belgium and their descendants in 1893. However, these priests and brothers fell much farther short of internationalism in the mission to the Oneida Nation reservation they received in 1898. I will make my case by detailing these two missions and analyzing how the Norbertines acknowledged their international nature and practiced or failed to practice internationalism in them. Diving into the mission histories requires discussion of …

The Paradox Of Appropriation: A History Of Media Technology And Propaganda In Rwanda, 1900–1964, Claudia Brown

Journal of Global Catholicism

Scholars of the 1994 Rwandan genocide agree that media technology and propaganda played a role in mobilizing ordinary Rwandans in 1994 to commit genocide. Underappreciated in these inquiries is the history of the introduction of media technology and propaganda in Rwandan society by missionaries, technologies Rwandans later appropriated and applied to a pursuit of self-determination, but also in support of perpetrating genocide. A close examination of the social and political context of Rwanda’s colonial era and Catholic evangelism reveals a variety of motives for adopting propaganda as a strategy for evangelizing and rallying support for decolonization. This article casts light …

The Untameability Of The Sacred: Votive Traditions At Notre Dame De Lourdes And El Santuario De Chimayó, Gabrielle Bibeau

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article compares divergent votive practices at Notre Dame de Lourdes in France and El Santuario de Chimayó in New Mexico. Lourdes’ embrace of modern aesthetic values—simplicity, order, and functional clarity—has led to the removal and tight regulation of most ex-votos. By contrast, Chimayó’s roots in Latin American Baroque aesthetics, with its emphasis on abundance, drama, and hybridity, create space for a vibrant proliferation of offerings. Drawing on Jacques Rancière’s theory of aesthetics and politics as the “distribution of the sensible,” the article shows how aesthetic judgments intertwine with clerical power to curate, constrain, and authorize pilgrims’ access to the …

“Enslavement By Unbridled Passions:” Catholic Magisterial Institutional Attitudes Toward Homosexuals In Poland Between 1945 And 1989, Agnieszka Laddach

Journal of Global Catholicism

During Communism, the Polish bishops presented a narrative about (homo)sexuality with in order to create the image of a righteous moral and social life that was to influence the Catholics. In my research I conduced a thematic analysis of this narrative. I highlight the doctrinal and Polish social-religious context to foreground tendencies in the formation of Church teaching about homosexuality as well as the importance of the Church in Poland to its formation. Then, I show the factors that characterize the episcopal discourse’s content and language about homosexuality, recognizing that components of episcopal discourse suggest a specificity of Church potential …

Overview & Acknowledgments, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

This Introduction overviews the work of contributors from the Graduate Symposium sponsored by the Journal of Global Catholicism and the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.  The Introduction also highlights the independent peer reviewed submission from Dr. Agnieszka Laddach of the University of Warsaw.

Faithful Listening In An Age Of Noise, Charles Veenstra

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"True listening opens the door to understanding, builds relationships, fosters cooperation instead of conflict, and allows God’s love and reconciliation to work through us."

Posting about barriers to healthy communication from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Faithful Listening in an Age of Noise

The Migrant As A Pilgrim: Decolonising Identity And Belonging, Susan Nemec

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper responds to pilgrimage scholar George Greenia’s assertion that meaningful intersections exist between pilgrimage and various forms of displacement, such as migration or involuntary exile due to famine, war, or political unrest. Greenia proposes that vulnerable, displaced individuals might find shelter, both conceptually and emotionally, within the framing of pilgrimage. By extending concepts of pilgrimage, it can be understood as a deliberate and intentional journey, simultaneously emphasising the transformative potential inherent in migratory movement. By adopting a working definition of pilgrimage as ‘any form of travel that is intentional, purposeful, or transformative,’ the paper considers how migrancy, particularly within …

Nursing Interventions To Reduce Anxiety And Psychological Distress In Breast Cancer Patients In The Us, Alexis Abboud, Al Araydeh Mifleh

The Cardinal Edge

Background Breast cancer patients frequently experience psychological challenges, such as anxiety, distress, and diminished quality of life (QoL). Nursing interventions show promise in addressing these issues; however, a comprehensive synthesis of their impact is lacking. This review evaluates the effectiveness of nursing interventions in reducing anxiety and psychological distress while improving QoL.

Research Question What nursing interventions effectively reduce anxiety and psychological distress and improve QoL among breast cancer patients in the United States?

Methods A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches of CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Medline identified studies published in the last five years in …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Types Of Strain And Substance Misuse Among Queer Adults​, Mckenzie T. Nguyen, Katelyn Mcmahon

The Cardinal Edge

Current research has paid particular attention to outcomes of different strains using samples of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth; however, minimal research has examined Agnew's (1992) General Strain Theory (GST) using samples of SGM adults. Using a path analysis, this study seeks to investigate how different strains - including financial strain, relationship strain, and victimization - are predictive of drug misuse, and if those effects are mediated by negative mental health outcomes. The study utilizes Meyer's (2016) Generations Study and includes a sample of 1,518 SGM Americans. Results indicate that only financial strain is partially mediated by negative emotions, …

Making A Victim: The Quest To Define Austria In A Cold War Context, Katherine E. White

The Cardinal Edge

When the Second World War concluded, the Allied Powers were left with the complicated question of how to deal with the territories that they had occupied on their march to Berlin. Of all the territories conquered by Germany under Nazi rule, Austria proved to be one of the most difficult and polarizing to define. It towed the line between victim and accomplice, having endorsed its own annexation to Germany in 1938. For ten years after the war’s end, the Allied Powers occupied Austria, locked in a stalemate over the country’s fate. This paper examines how the various occupying powers, in …

The Kennedy Familys' Influence On The Passage Of The Immigration And Nationality Act Of 1965, Jillian Wallshield

The Cardinal Edge

This paper covers the influence of the Kennedy Family on immigration policy in the United States. United States immigration legislation changed dramatically in the 1960s with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (sometimes called the Hart-Cellar Act). This shift was caused primarily by the political work of prominent figures like John F. Kennedy, and, later, Edward Kennedy. Edward Kennedy in particular is examined through his influence on Lyndon B. Johnson, the President under which the Immigration and Nationality Act was passed. This position is supported through the examination of relevant public speeches, private telephone calls, and …

Spies, Lies, And Algorithms, Nalonie J.M. Tyrell

Joint Force Quarterly

In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, Amy B. Zegart challenges popular “spytainment” myths while offering a clear-eyed assessment of the past, present, and future of American intelligence. Reviewed by Nalonie J.M. Tyrrell, the book serves as both an accessible primer and a strategic warning. Zegart surveys the evolution of the U.S. intelligence community, covering covert action, counterintelligence, oversight, and the growing importance of open-source intelligence. She argues that intelligence agencies are ill-prepared for twenty-first-century challenges posed by empowered adversaries, data overload, technological diffusion, and weak ties to innovation ecosystems such as Silicon Valley. …

The State And The Soldier, Lindsay L. Rodman

Joint Force Quarterly

In The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relation in the United States, Kori Schake offers a concise, historically grounded examination of U.S. civil-military relations from the Founding to the present. Reviewed by Lindsay L. Rodman, the book challenges alarmist narratives by demonstrating that the U.S. military has consistently upheld civilian control, meeting two core tests of democratic stability: presidential authority over senior officers and military compliance with contested policies. Schake moves beyond Huntington’s model of strict civilian–military separation, weaving insights from civil-military scholarship and historical case studies to argue for a more pragmatic understanding rooted in …

Collisions, Peter R. Carkhuff

Joint Force Quarterly

This book review assesses Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability by Michael Kimmage, a contemporary history that interprets the war in Ukraine as the product of overlapping geopolitical collisions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. The reviewer, Peter R. Carkhuff, highlights Kimmage’s central argument that the conflict emerged from Russia’s drive to control Ukraine, Ukraine’s strategic vulnerability, Western ambivalence toward Ukrainian sovereignty, and Vladimir Putin’s perception of American decline. The review emphasizes the book’s strength in contextualizing leadership decisionmaking through multiple perspectives and its use of historical, political, and personal sources …

U.S. Arctic Sea Lines Of Communication (Sloc): The Imperative For A Maritime Complex And Corridor In The Bering Region, Samuel A. Krakower, Troy J. Bouffard

Joint Force Quarterly

This paper examines the current American capacity to defend its newfound Sea Lines of Communication in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The history, and importance, of Sea Lines of Communication trace back to great naval strategists such as Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett, and consistent protection of these maritime corridors in times of war and peace led to the success of the United States. As the Arctic Region emerges as a new theater of geopolitical importance, the United States finds itself significantly disadvantaged or "strategically handicapped” in terms of presence, capability, and proximity to defend …

What’S Old Is New: Lsco Casualty Evacuation In The 21st Century, Jonathan S. Pederson

Joint Force Quarterly

A future Large Scale Combat Operation (LSCO) fight will present new challenges and require different strategies and tactics than currently employed to adequately evacuate and treat the large numbers of expected casualties. Methods used in the past will be resurrected and revamped, and new innovations will be required.

The Cyber Deterrence Dilemma: Parallels Between Cyber And Intelligence Special Operations, Jorge R. Kravetz Msc

Joint Force Quarterly

The dilemma of cyber deterrence, alongside its potential failures, has gained increasing academic attention, though its parallels with traditional special operations remain less examined. Cyber and special operations—often covert activities involving espionage, sabotage, and subversion, generally linked to strategic or military intelligence—typically evade standard deterrence mechanisms. Drawing on a theoretical framework of deterrence, academic literature, historical cases, and qualitative analyses, this article argues that deterrence tends to fail when deterrers manage to destabilize an adversary without causing significant strategic impacts on the target’s power, economic, or social dynamics, as well as on international relations. Retaliation, shaped by implicit agreements or …

Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, And The Enduring Value Of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles, Michaela Dodge

Joint Force Quarterly

"Political Objectives, Nuclear Forces, and the Enduring Value of U.S. Intercontinental-Range Ballistic Missiles" by Michaela Dodge examines two critical components of contemporary U.S. and Ukrainian security strategy: the enduring value of U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the structure and operational evolution of Ukrainian special forces. ICBMs remain the most responsive leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, providing deterrence against nuclear and conventional threats, assuring allies, and supporting strategic flexibility in an era of rising nuclear competition from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Despite aging systems and modernization challenges, ICBMs continue to underpin U.S. national security. At the same …

A Primer On Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint, Kevin D. Stringer, Taisiia Vivdych

Joint Force Quarterly

"A Primer on Ukrainian Special Forces: Beyond Joint" by Kevin D. Stringer and Taisiia Vivdych examines the evolution, structure, and operations of Ukrainian special operations forces (SOF), highlighting key distinctions from U.S. and NATO models. Tracing their lineage from Soviet spetsnaz to contemporary formations, it analyzes the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Command (USOFCOM), State Security Service’s Special Operations Center Alfa (SOCA), Rapid Response Corps (KORD), the 10th Separate Operational Response Unit (DOZOR), Foreign Intelligence Service (SZR) units, and the volunteer Kraken Regiment under the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). Ukrainian SOF are dispersed across military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, …

Breadth Or Depth: The Ongoing Battle In Professional Military Education, Ryan Wadle, Heather Venable

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the ongoing and oftentimes heated debates on the curricula in Professional Military Education institutions and the guidance provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By studying the "breadth" of conflict and the national security environment, PME graduates can best apply their knowledge and skills at the intersection of military strategy and political objectives where they can be the most effective.

Ukraine, The U.S. Defense Industrial Base, And The Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge, Bryce Loidolt

Joint Force Quarterly

“Ukraine, the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, and the Elusive Crisis-Era Munitions Production Surge” by Bryce Loidolt examines why U.S. efforts to rapidly increase munitions production during Russia’s war in Ukraine produced uneven results. While crisis-era authorities, funding, and contracting flexibility allowed the Department of War to move quickly after 2022, this article argues that post-crisis actions alone did not determine surge success. Instead, variation in production increases across key munitions - Stinger, Javelin, GMLRS, and PAC-3 MSE, was largely driven by pre-crisis procurement decisions and associated investments in capacity, supply chains, and obsolescence management. Drawing on historical analysis and case …