Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Juntos, Tori N. Saenz

Honors Theses

Juntos is a sculptural exploration of interconnectedness and dependence between people. Throughout my life and travels around the world as a solo backpacker, I have seen firsthand how the human desire for connection transcends language barriers, personality differences, and various belief systems. This natural tendency to form relationships and depend on each other is integral to our society and our lives. In juntos, which means “together” in Spanish, I explore these human connections through figurative sculptures using abstraction, repetition, diversity, and balance.

The simple, abstract figures that make up juntos capture the internal composition of a person rather than …

Breaking The Ice: China And Lawfare In The Arctic, Sophia Toner

Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's engagement with international legal frameworks in the Arctic through a lawfare lens, using a structured analytical framework to assess whether Chinese activities constitute lawfare. Focusing on two key cases—China's involvement in submarine cable infrastructure and its navigation of the Northern Sea Route—the research applies Andrea Beck's three-part definition of lawfare: "(1) the misuse of the law in order to, (2) achieve a military objective, and (3) undermine the legal framework." The analysis reveals that China's Arctic engagement does not fully constitute lawfare according to this definition. Rather than misusing legal frameworks, China operates within existing structures …

The Ethics Of Advertising Unhealthy Food To Children: A Study On Potential Advertising Policy Restrictions And Their Effects On Children Of Disadvantaged Minority Groups, Riley M. O'Neal

Honors Theses

According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, one in five children in America have obesity. Black and Hispanic children experience obesity at higher rates than children of other racial groups. With obesity rates increasing, what should be done to stop this increase? One partial solution is to restrict the advertisements of foods high in sugar fat, and/or refined grains directed towards children. Advertisements may be restricted in their mode (i.e., the media through which they are viewed) or their content (i.e., the substance of the advertisement or product packaging). While these restrictions on advertising may help lower overall …

Interactions Between The Deaf Community And Healthcare, Sarah E. Mcfadden

Honors Theses

Background.

This study investigates the issues regarding interactions between the Deaf community and healthcare, focusing on communication barriers, negative experiences, and inaccessibility to health information. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines requiring healthcare offices to provide interpreters, many health care professionals (HCPs) do not comply for various reasons. The alternatives to an interpreter create gaps in conditions, treatment plans, or post-appointment care.

Methods.

This study involved a review of existing literature and interviews with Deaf individuals and HCPs, including a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, and registered nurse. The interviewed HCPs work in various settings.

Results. …

Extracting Renewables: A Capabilities Approach To A Just Transition Crisis, Mateos Lozano

Honors Theses

Extraction of cobalt and lithium is often regarded as necessary to facilitate a successful transition to renewable energy so that global warming can be limited to 2°C. At the same time, many current cobalt and lithium extraction practices contribute to environmental destruction, expose workers to toxic contaminants, and sometimes involve child labor. This thesis argues that cobalt and lithium extraction, if permissible, must be conducted in a manner compatible with the normative obligations of justice and fairness. I first explain notable differences between prominent types of cobalt and lithium extraction and note how each impacts people and the environment. Then, …

Overlooked: The Nuanced Struggles Of Autistic Women, Autumn L. Payne

Honors Theses

Overlooked is a documentary short film that seeks to shine a light on the nuanced struggles of autistic women in a neurotypical world. This short documentary consists of three interviews with autistic women from different backgrounds. Each diagnosed during a different stage of life, they reflect on their journeys to receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and its impact on their lives. These conversations reveal an overwhelming lack of resources for autistic people, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the diagnosis criteria for ASD being historically based on white males, women and …

From The Kitchens Of Lords To Pinterest Boards: An Examination Of Recipe Discourse, Haley Hansen

Honors Theses

This paper traces the evolution of written recipe discourse from medieval manuscripts to modern digital platforms, examining how changes in recipe structure, audience, and purpose reflect broader shifts in cultural literacy and sponsorship. Drawing on Deborah Brandt’s theory of “sponsors of literacy,” the author argues that recipe authors have historically acted as sponsors of culinary literacy, shaping who has access to cooking knowledge and how that knowledge is communicated. Through close analysis of recipes from the Forme of Cury (1390), American Cookery (1796), the Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1963), and a contemporary food blog, the study highlights the increasing democratization of …

Differing Judicial Perspectives: A Look Into The Evolution And Constitutionality Of The United States' Administrative State, Buchanan Albert Cook

Honors Theses

Over time the United States’ administrative state has evolved into something that is quite unrecognizable from its inception in the early years of the nation. This essay will provide an account of the founding of the United States Constitution while recognizing the intent and design of the framers of the Constitution. In juxtapositioning this account with the current state of administrative agencies, questions over the constitutionality of such agencies will be posed. To answer these questions, an overview of the history of administrative agencies in the United States will be given alongside accompanying and significant Supreme Court Cases. This overview …

Exposing Lived Experiences: Eudora Welty's Intersectional Approach To Writing And Photography, Caroline Mccutchen

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Eudora Welty employs an intersectional approach in her writing and photography to represent the complex identities of elderly Black women in the American South during the Great Depression. Using intersectionality as a framework, this project analyzes how Welty’s work acknowledges the overlapping forces of race, gender, age, and class that shape her subjects’ lived experiences. While documenting adversity, Welty also highlights resilience, agency, and communal empowerment. The study focuses on Welty’s literary works “A Worn Path,” “Ida M’Toy,” “A Pageant of Birds,” and “Cindy and the Joyful Noise,” alongside her Depression-era photographs from One Time, One …

Art In Itself: The Vision Of Three Female Mississippi Artists, Jane E. Thomas

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of longform, narrative-style journalistic profiles on artists in Northeast Mississippi. These artists include Carol Roark from Enid and Hannah McCormick and Coulter Fussell from Water Valley. Each profile highlights an individual artist’s work, from her background, inspirations, process and distinctiveness as a creator. These profiles required studio visits and extensive interviews, as well as secondary interviews with clients, gallery owners and art curators. An overarching theme between the three artists is their ability to recognize artistic potential in their immediate surroundings; Roark paints landscapes from her own backyard, McCormick paints scenes from everyday life and …

Red Strings: A Collection Of Creative Works, Natalie Gumm

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of creative nonfiction and poetry exploring different aspects of my identity, including my passions, appearance, sexuality, and the places I’ve called home.

Could Policy Replication Improve Maternal And Infant Mortality In Mississippi? Perceptions Of Healthcare Workers, Allison G. Holland

Honors Theses

Despite medical advancements and policy reform, rates of maternal and infant mortality remain disproportionately high in various regions of the United States. The state of Mississippi consistently yields some of the highest rates of both infant and maternal mortality rates nationally. In the past decade, California has developed a series of initiatives and policies to combat rates of maternal and infant mortality across the state. Through state-level policy efforts such as the Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and Mandated Paid Maternity Leave, California consistently leads the nation with the lowest rates of maternal mortality. Initiatives such as the Black Infant Health …

The Martyrdom Of Archbishop William Laud: A Study Of Competing Narratives And Religio-Politics In Stuart England, Parker Slawson

Honors Theses

In the decades preceding the English Civil Wars, religious and political conflicts intensified in large part due to the reforms imposed by William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I. Laud’s promotion of increased ceremonialism, the “beauty of holiness,” and hierarchical church structure provoked fierce opposition from Puritans and other non-conforming sects of Protestantism, who interpreted these changes as a revival of Catholic practices. His arrest in 1640 and subsequent execution in 1645 became the focal point for broader ideological conflict. Following his death, two competing narratives emerged: one framing Laud as a traitorous figure attempting to restore Catholicism in …

Code-Switching: A Study On College Students’ Languaging Practices, Neyda Perez

Honors Theses

My linguistic background is composed of many contrasting elements. I grew up speaking Spanish and English in rural Texas, and I have an accent. Words would have a southern drawl, and when saying words that were similar in English and Spanish, I would pronounce them with a Spanish accent. In contrast, many of my language arts teachers prior to high school put great value on Standard English. My accent was often corrected and dismissed, and while it wouldn’t affect my ability to navigate a classroom, I would hold it back in class nonetheless. Due to all these components, I had …

An Exploration Of The Economic And Social Impacts Of The Grupo Social Once, Annalaura B. Swinea

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the economic and social impacts of Grupo Social ONCE, a Spanish institution that operates at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and social inclusion. ONCE has evolved from a small lottery initiative for the blind into a multifaceted organization comprising JuegosONCE (its lottery operation), Fundación ONCE (a philanthropic foundation), and ILUNION (a business group promoting inclusive employment). Through historical analysis, organizational review, and employment statistics, this study evaluates whether ONCE successfully fosters economic inclusion for people with disabilities. It argues that the hybrid model of Grupo Social ONCE creates a self-reinforcing cycle of social and economic empowerment …

“Take This Job And Shove It”: How Black Women’S Fight For Economic Rights Informed Their Participation In The Broader Social Movements Of The Twentieth Century, Kyndle Diane Lee

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the vital role of Black women in the American labor movement during the twentieth century, emphasizing how their leadership and union participation were central to both labor organizing and the broader fight for human rights. Black women workers navigated and resisted the effects of racism, sexism, and class exploitation in a century marked by industrial expansion, economic upheaval, and major civil rights struggles. Far from passive participants, they emerged as key organizers, negotiators, and strategists in their communities, labor unions, and national movements. Additionally, their work extended beyond their demands for better wages and safer working conditions. …

Storytelling Or Telling Stories: An Analysis Of Disnarration In Music Videos, Victoria Garrett

Honors Theses

Music videos have grown in popularity in recent years and have begun to augment the stories being told by the lyrics of their songs. This is done by using narrative techniques, such as disnarration, to develop complex narratives that can conflict with the lyrical content. Through analysis of the videos "Willow" (2020 dir. Taylor Swift) by Taylor Swift, "The One That Got Away" (2012 dir. Floria Sigismoni) by Katy Perry, and "One Beer" (2020 dir. Justin Clough) by HARDY, the distinction between the plots of the videos and the lyrics can be brought into focus. This distinction in the stories …

"Beyond The Display:" How Exhibits In Museums Can Be Used To Educate Public Visitors, Ryder Wynn

Honors Theses

Museums are institutions that can be found outside of a classroom setting, where visitors can educate themselves about a certain topic presented in the exhibits that the museums display. They can do this by creating engaging environments where visitors can become invested into the story and information of the exhibits, making them want to learn more about the information provided. A good exhibit can do this in at least one of three ways: developing critical thinking skills, which can involve visual models or "learning through play," creating memorable experiences or using collective memory to teach about historical events or using …

Politics, Pedagogy, And Public Perception: A Shifting Understanding Of Liberalism In America, Jackson Trahant

Honors Theses

At Harding University, and in broader American political discourse, liberalism has been contorted from a prolific political philosophy into a meaningless misnomer. This paper studies what liberalism is to define what it isn't, by building a foundation of understanding in both modern theorists, like Sheldon Wolin, Alan Ryan, and Ian Adams, and the seminal works of classical liberal thinkers such as Locke, Tocqueville and Mill. Next, I deploy a self-designed survey, consisting of 4 passages derived from the literature written by those above. 80 Harding students responded, and their responses were gathered into SPSS, a data processing software, and ran …

In The Shadow Of Justice: How The Mythos Of The Batman Balances Major Ethical Theories And Demonstrates The Pursuit Of Ideal Justice, Camille Bewley

Honors Theses

For more than eighty years, the Batman character has exhibited a unique synthesis of major theories of Justice, and through his experiences as a vigilante, exemplified the pursuit of the ideal virtue of Justice. Because virtue requires a lived example to be understood, Batman is one of the foundational stories fulfilling this need for one of America’s prominent pillars. Within the horror of Gotham City–a corrupt, fictional society–Batman’s actions as a vigilante, walking a tightrope to maintain morality even above the law might not only be justified, but necessary. The Batman’s nature, balancing ethical theories and maintaining hope in the …

Extended Program Notes On Works By Bach, Beethoven, Dett, And Liszt, Helena J. Rosa

Honors Theses

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors Thesis consists of a sixty minute piano recital of advanced repertoire from the Baroque period through the 20th century, prepared over the course of the senior year. The Senior Piano Recital is a culmination of a course of study demonstrating an advanced level of musical proficiency. The thesis also contains extended program notes of the senior recital that occurred on April 3, 2025. The purpose of program notes is to engage the audience’s understanding and listening experience of the pieces to be performed and their composers. A recording of the recital will be …

Mathematical Melodies: The Exploration Of Music Using Fourier Signal Analysis, Courtney Francois

Honors Theses

Upon initial inspection, mathematics and music appear to be distinct disciplines lacking any connections to one another. However, many complex intersections lie beneath the surface. This paper seeks to explore these connections through the analysis of the Fourier series and the Fourier transformation of musical sound signals. Orthogonal functions of various frequencies are used to approximate and recover sound signals. Following the examination of the basis of Fourier signal analysis, MATLAB is utilized to visualize the connectedness of mathematics and music through sound signals from varied musical instruments and by performing Fourier signal analysis to the sound signals. Then, the …

Transcendental Blooms: Margaret Fuller And The Radical Language Of Flowers, Jenna Mcclain

Honors Theses

Situated between the literary periods of American Romanticism and Transcendentalism, Margaret Fuller’s writings vary in their topic and medium, offering a unique fusion of literary style as well as a refined yet radical social perspective. Fuller’s work frequently employs flowers as tools for communication rather than as mere symbols, with flowers acting as transmitters of Fuller’s philosophical message in her many sketches and poems. In “The Magnolia of Lake Pontchartrain,” one of her most famous prose sketches, Fuller explores flowers in a nuanced way that exemplifies how floral representations function more like characters than objects in her work. While scholars …

Letters From The Periphery: L.E. Faulkner’S Crusade Against Communism, Cameron Melendez

Honors Theses

This thesis explores L.E. Faulkner’s political activism. Faulkner, a railroad executive from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, launched a number of anti-communist crusades throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Utilizing his personal correspondence, political articles, and newspapers, this thesis argues that anti-communist networks were influential and powerful tools used by Faulkner and other local activists to shape the national discourse around anti-communism. Faulkner created an interconnected web of anti-communists that linked protestant fundamentalism, capitalist advocacy, racial politics, and Americanism. His 1943–1944 civic education campaigns with Rotary International and Kiwanis International and his 1954 opposition to the World Council of Churches serve as case studies …

It’S Not A Phase, It’S A…Musical?: The Innate Theatricality Of The Emo Movement Of The 2000s, Kylie Alyssa Price

Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of the rock subgenres emo and pop-punk and how they interact with musical theatre conventions. Emo, short for emotional hardcore, is a descendant of hardcore punk music that is characterized by its focus on the emotional core of lyrics as well as softer, more pop-influenced sounds musically. In this project, the history of emo is delineated alongside the history of rock musical theatre. Subculture is also defined as it relates to this thesis. The natural theatricality of emo is then characterized as being through emo/pop-punk’s performance culture, through the existence of the concept album, and …

Filipino Music In The Sphere Of Multicultural Music Education: A Survey Of Preservice Teachers, Lauren Johnson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore how preservice music teachers (i.e., students who are preparing to become music teachers) viewed diversifying music curricula, specifically regarding music from the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Additionally, this research explored preservice music teachers’ cultural identities and how those identities influenced their beliefs and opinions about teaching. “Culture” was defined by Merriam-Webster (n.d.) as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” Although there is a diverse population of students throughout schools in the United States, limited research has been conducted about incorporating …

American Girl(Hood): Gender Performance, Tween Media, And Social Media Content, Mary Carol Dassau

Honors Theses

The American Girl brand of eighteen-inch dolls presents narratives of young girls throughout historical and contemporary settings, as well as manufacturing a line of dolls designed to look “just like you.” Despite the company’s commitment to female empowerment, these narratives still fall into certain tropes of societal expectations for women and are not inclusive of all girls’ experiences. Young American Girl fans and teen collectors on YouTube then take these narratives to create their own original video content, often in stop-motion animated format. These animations typically consist of original stories and characters, which both reinforce the narratives presented by the …

Nostalgia, Economic Revitalization, And Community Relationships In Hattiesburg's Recent Historic Preservation Efforts, Jordan Jones

Honors Theses

This paper examines the reasons behind the modern interest in historic preservation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and argues that its supporters are driven primarily by nostalgia towards what they envision as “Old Hattiesburg” and its aesthetics, interest in economic opportunities, and the strengthened sense of community made possible through historic preservation. From the foundation of Hattiesburg to today, there have been shifts in interest in Downtown and its historic districts, and they fluctuate based on changing political, economic, and social trends. In order to contextualize Hattiesburg’s historic preservation, this thesis draws upon secondary scholarship on historic preservation, economic revitalization, and historical …

Mocking Birds: Investigation And Performance Of Selected Works Featuring Birdsong By Messiaen And Westerlinck, Sarah Hinchey

Honors Theses

This thesis is a creative project that includes a study of the lives and compositional techniques of Olivier Messiaen and Wilfried Westerlinck. Investigation of the composers’ techniques explains aural similarities between the two pieces. The research informed a live performance of Messiaen’s Le merle noir and a recording project of Westerlinck’s Meeting a Mockingbird in Texas.

Animation Therapy, Leah Bernhardt

Honors Theses

Can viewing a meditative animation help student athletes with their mental health? My creative project involves seven one-minute animations that are based on the concept of the seven chakras found in the physical body. Each chakra has specific characteristics that can affect our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. If we can learn how to keep these energies stable within the body, we can learn how to become mentally and physically balanced. My animation consists of animals that best represent each chakra's characteristics. The viewer can imagine themselves as that animal and incorporate those characteristics into their daily life. I presented …