Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Impact Of The Civil Rights Movement On The Advertising Industry, Alexandra B. Bosarge

Honors Theses

Racism has a history in the United States of America that is also manifested in popular culture. Advertising is included in this idea of popular culture. This thesis focused on the advertising industry and the attempt of that industry to use African Americans to sell products to people. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the Civil Rights Movement affected the way the advertising industry used images of African Americans for marketing purposes. A sample of advertisements was obtained from a newspaper and magazines in order to further analyze the hypothesis. This study contributes to the …

The Modern And The Celestial: Re-Imagining Hawthorne’S ‘The Celestial Railroad’, Connor J. Bell

Honors Theses

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s commentary through his works of fiction are said to be timeless. However, what would his fiction look like in response to the direction that society has taken since he has passed? This thesis seeks to illustrate Nathaniel Hawthorne’s sentiments in regards to modern society. Through close analysis of Hawthorne’s works, his life, and his morals, his ideas have been illustrated in a contemporary reimagining of one of Hawthorne’s most profound satires, “The Celestial Railroad.” In this re-write, modern technologies and mentalities are brought into consideration in accordance to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ideals.

Depression And Social Functioning : Examining Two Interpersonal Theories, Caroline B. Smith

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the specific predictions of two theories of depression and social functioning. One, the Social Navigation Hypothesis, is an adaptationist approach that predicts that depression functions to increase an individual’s ability to analyze and solve problems in their social system. The individual engages in behaviors such as feedback seeking in order to identify potential problems and develop solutions. In contrast, Interpersonal Theory predicts that depression is related to aversive social behaviors that can lead to rejection. Adult American participants (n=155) were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. They completed an online survey …

A Negotiation In Meaning: Identifying American Cultural Touchstones, Jayne Jaya Todai

Honors Theses

How can discussing a poem lead to a meaningful conversation? What if Americans used common poems as their nation's cultural touchstones? In my essay, I will explore how poems that serve as American cultural touchstones might develop better communicators within the United States. I will propose a template that determines which poems would qualify as these national touchstones.

Minding The Gap: Connecting The Mirror Cities Of London In The Novels Of Neil Gaiman And China Miéville, Miranda Hill

Honors Theses

Cities in reality that are transformed into cities in literature create the opportunity for two thematic elements: firstly, the Gothic feeling of the uncanny is created because the two cities are similar and yet dissimilar to one another. Secondly, satirical elements are introduced when the author uses the city within literature to expound upon issues within the city in reality. Neil Gaiman and China Miéville employ different perspectives to recreate the historical city of London within their novels, but their results are the same, and both the uncanny and satire are achieved. In Gaiman’s Neverwhere (1996), and Miéville’s Perdido Street …

Intertwining Discourse: An Examination Of Suffrage And Antisuffrage Rhetoric, Emilee L. Cutright

Honors Theses

Throughout the progression of history and human life, individuals have used rhetoric to convey emotions, dictate meaning, persuade others, and better lives, empowering ideas, individuals, communities, nations, and the entire world. In stark contrast, women have consistently experienced extreme oppression that has hindered their right to speak. The expansion and reconstruction of the United States during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century parallels the fact that “women were reconstructing their lives in these years as well” (DuBois and Dumenil 325). These years created an era for women defined by female assertion, unparalleled …

Impact Of Ekphrastic Poetry Upon My Writing, Lacy C. Snapp

Honors Theses

This thesis contains an introduction in which I will define ekphrastic poetry and provide an explication of some ekphrastic poetry written throughout history, followed by a conclusion in which I will include my own poetry, both ekphrastic and non, followed by an explication of my progress. The first section will be about questioning how the selected poets use their chosen image to enhance their own writing, and the true purpose of ekphrastic poetry. The second section will show how my poetry has developed since this project began and I started focusing on ekphrastic poetry. When I write ekphrastic poetry, not …

Language And Essence: A Comparative Study Of Identity Among Celtic Language Speakers In Wales And Brittany, Elizabeth G. Shields

Honors Theses

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis maintains, “No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. The worlds in which different cultures live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached” (Abley 47). Language offers insight into how people within specific cultures view themselves, but to what extent is identity shaped by or in response to the language and culture of the greater society? What does language tell us about the history of its speakers and the development and preservation of their identities throughout its evolution? What is the value of linguistic …

Facebook | Panopticon: An Analysis Of Facebook And Its Parallels To The Foucaultian Panopticon, Stephanie A. Fast

Honors Theses

A panopticon—the ideal mechanism for surveillance and control—has become embedded in our smartphones and our web browsers. It now pervades the fabric of approximately 890 million daily lives. It is called Facebook. This platform, on which users document their own lives in front of an audience while simultaneously surveilling the lives of their “friends,” shares startling similarities to a prison model, the Panopticon, designed in the late eighteenth-century by Jeremy Bentham, and analyzed by French philosopher, Michel Foucault. Through an analysis of Facebook’s structure and function, parallels will be suggested between the structure of Facebook and the structure of the …

Underworld Journeys In The Faerie Queene And The Lord Of The Rings: Exploring The “Belly Of The Whale” Of Joseph Campbell’S Monomyth And The Effect On The Hero’S Return From Adventure, Kayla M. Kirkendall

Honors Theses

This paper examines Joseph Campbell’s theory of the monomyth—the idea that great myths (heroes’ journeys) throughout history adhere to a single, basic structure. The most important step of this structure is arguably the Belly of the Whale/Descent into the Underworld, as can be seen in the Redcrosse Knight of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene (Book One) and Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. These individual heroes reveal that the way in which they overcome (or fail to overcome) their underworlds determines the success or failure of the character as a Campbellian hero. Most importantly, …

Why We Do What We Do: A Look At Factors That Draw College Freshmen To Music Education, Emilee V. Randall

Honors Theses

At some point during college, most students face conflict when it comes to their choice in major. Indeed, an estimated 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduating (Gordon, 1995). Specifically in the field of music education, there are instances where at least 50 percent of freshman music education majors do not complete the music education degree through to graduation (Gavin, 2010, p. 94). When considering statistics like these, it becomes obvious that selecting a major has serious implications for the majority of students, not just undecided ones. These students may have difficulty perceiving themselves as …

The Age Of The Caudillos: Power Structures, Masculinity, & Neglect In The Argentine National Period, Tyler Bos

Honors Theses

This paper explores the caudillo phenomenon in the early Argentine state, especially in regards to how it shaped the development of Argentine society and the economic and political landscapes of the period. Special attention is given to the caudillo Juan Manuel Rosas, and to a lesser extent Juan Facundo Quiroga.

Of supreme importance to the way in which caudillismo impacted Argentina was the construction of power around the head caudillo – in the case of Argentina, this is Rosas. As such, patron-client networks are given special attention. Not only were such systems responsible for shaping power while they remained, but …

"Existing On A Continuum Of Intensity" Original Dance, Sarah Rot

Honors Theses

The following documents display the many aspects of my Graduating Dance Presentation, a culminating project of my choreographic, performance, and academic studies at Western Michigan University. This project displays my focus in both the fine arts, as well as the behavioral sciences, combining the two into a multi-dimensional project. This portfolio includes the technical, budgetary, and scheduling aspects of the project, as well as the analyses for my spatial design, music, and movement. Finally, there is a video of the dance portion of the project, which is the first piece featured in the concert.

A Call For Hearing Loss Prevention Programs In College Music Education Programs, Jason Taurins

Honors Theses

Music educators, ensemble conductors, and students who participate in musical ensembles are exposed to sound pressure levels which exceed the criteria for NIOSH. As such, this population should be enrolled in hearing loss prevention programs. Ensemble directors (many music educators fall into this category) have a direct role in influencing the sound pressure levels produced in rehearsals. Music educators have a role in influencing the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors of their students. Because of the health risks of noise exposure, and the role music educators (and ensemble directors in general) have in influencing their students, hearing loss prevention should …

Making And Breaking Men: Michigan Colleges, Manliness, And The Civil War, Christopher Hickey

Honors Theses

Educational systems in antebellum Michigan were markers and propagators of cultural self-identity for the community they belonged. The relationship between institutions and communities were reciprocal in nature; the fortunes of one depended on the other. Colleges and their communities, though initially separate in goal and custom, became increasingly bound through shared self-identity. Communities used these educational institutions not only to restate and promote existing social values and norms, but also as vehicles for reform. The values and self-identity were reflected in what these institutions taught. Instruction was utilitarian in nature, with the goal of making useful and skillful citizens, thereby …

The Historical Evolution Of Endoscopy, Sarah Ellison

Honors Theses

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive surgery is on the rise and is becoming more common. Its advantage over traditional open surgery is a quicker recovery time and minimized risk of infection along with an aesthetically more pleasing smaller scar. Although many different scopes and instruments perform minimally invasive techniques, all minimally invasive instruments evolved from endoscopy. It wasn’t until the 20^th century that they began to diverge to separate studies. Therefore endoscopy is considered in regards to instrument evolution. History is full of twists and turns as different pieces of the scope progressed so its advancement has been separated into the …

"Bachelorette": A Footlight Production, Tamsen Glaser

Honors Theses

A WMU Theatre Footlight Production of “Bachelorette” by Leslye Headland. An in-depth directing process of Headland’s third installment of her Seven Deadly Sins series, focusing on a re-definition of gluttony in today’s society and how our culture of excess affects the young adult generation.

The Insights Of Hannah Arendt And Virtue Ethics On Education, Benjamin Bellinger

Honors Theses

This paper attempts to find the purpose of education and resolve if critical thinking can be taught in education. To answer this question the paper uses Hannah Arendt’s seminal piece The Human Condition, her political essays Between Past and Future, and her journalistic controversy Eichmann in Jerusalem to formulate Arendt’s view on education. Julia Annas’ book Intelligent Virtue gives this work a framework for how one learns a virtue. Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue provides the theory for how one grounds the virtues by continuing a version of Aristolean virtue ethics. While this work does not directly use Nicomachean …

The Waste Land, Mariesa Desantis

Honors Theses

Designing a handmade book with a concentration on the tactile qualities and ability to engage the senses will heighten the reader’s experience and revive tangible books’ relevance in a digital society. By driving readers to become physically involved and relating directly to the literature, the book will act as a vehicle that foreshadows the literature, so the readers can become more involved in the story.

My primary goal of my project is to open up new possibilities for printed book design that can become more common in society, while also keeping printed books relevant for as long as possible. The …

Importance Of Preserving History: A Conservation Of An Edwardian Wedding Dress, Brittany Aris

Honors Theses

The Importance of Preserving History: The Conservation of an Edwardian Wedding Dress

This thesis concentrates on the significance of recorded history, and the importance of conserving artifacts such as an Edwardian wedding dress. Such treasured pieces contribute to our perception of the past, not only as artifacts but as an insight into how, why, and by whom, they were created.

The Edwardian period is so important in women’s fashion because it was such a short-lived era. The socio-economic times that preceded the Edwardian era, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era, all had profound impacts which helped influence …

Karafuto 1945: An Examination Of The Japanese Under Soviet Rule And Their Subsequent Expulsion, Cameron Carson

Honors Theses

When Second World War ended in 1945, the United States of America occupied Japan. Japan’s administrations of its colonies across Asia collapsed and were occupied by the Allied Forces. This thesis examines the Soviet occupation of the area named Karafuto by the Japanese, which is now under the sovereignty of the Russian Federation known as Sakhalin. Karafuto was considered by the Japanese government to be an internal part of Japan, not a colonial territory, but in the last days of the Second World War, Karafuto was invaded by the armed forces of the USSR. Its Japanese occupants were repatriated to …

Joseph Harkins' Senior Recital: An Exploration Of Jazz And Popular Music, Joseph Harkins

Honors Theses

This thesisrecital represents several years of musical and personal growth during my time as a jazz studies and piano student at Western Michigan University. The aim of this thesis was to take popular songs from the singersongwriter movement and infuse them with stylistic elements of jazz, without compromising the integrity of either genre. The entire program features original arrangements and an original composition.

Each piece can distinctly stand alone; each brings elements of two styles that were once widely popular; together they represent characteristics of my own personal style. The research and arranging process for each selection further inspired me …

The Laureate Collection, Samantha Mcveigh

Honors Theses

No abstract available.

Co-Editor-In-Chief Of The Laureate, Dj Delong

Honors Theses

The Laureate’s mission is to provide undergraduate students at Western Michigan University a place in which to publish their fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other creative works. Under the guidance of a faculty editor and mentor, Samantha McVeigh and I have taken on the task to edit the 14th edition. Our responsibilities included choosing assistant editors, calling for and reading submissions, choosing pieces to create a manuscript, and editing multiple times for publishing.

This edition is different because of the introduction of co-editors, accepting color artwork, and adding audio files of authors reading their pieces. The Laureate explored the technology that …

Bridget Cappel: Senior Recital, Opera And Art Song, Bridget Cappel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this performance and honors thesis presentation is to showcase my personal growth as an artist and singer throughout my undergraduate career at Western Michigan University as well as present to an audience of varying levels of musical knowledge, a cumulative collection of works from the mezzo-soprano opera repertoire and art song from the Baroque to Modern era. Works from the following composers were prepared and performed in this concert: Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, Gioachino Rossini, Leslie Adams, Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss, and the comedy duo Flanders and Swann. The pieces were chosen for …

Archivum Plena: The Quest For A Fulfilling Past, Madeline Mcdermott

Honors Theses

Lyons Township High School, founded in 1888 in a suburb of Chicago, celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2014. For seven years, a project researching and preserving the history of the school has been maintained. Over the summer of 2014, an archive was established for the school so that they could continue to keep safe all the historical items that had been kept, found, or donated. In addition to recounting the history of the high school and its relationship with the local area, this thesis also follows the process of creating the school’s archive and compares the experience there to related …

Coding Dna Into Music: An Alternate Way Of Analysis, Samuel Fesenmeier

Honors Theses

In the study, we are analyzing the human genome in order to determine patterns that may tell something about how DNA functions. Patterns require an explanation: it is highly improbable that they are random occurrence. These patterns may hint to something about how DNA functions. There are known patterns already discovered in DNA. For example, in the coding portion, three base pairs translate to a specific amino acid. In the non coding portion, however, specific patterns are not as simple.

We will search for patterns by applying a coding system that turns DNA into music. Music may serve as a …

Sherlock Holmes And James Moriarty: Victorian Genius In A Millennial World, Allison K. Carey

Honors Theses

In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first novel regarding the detective Sherlock Holmes. He would go on to publish another three novels and 56 short stories detailing the great detective’s endeavors. Today, 128 years later, Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is as popular, as relevant, and as alive as ever. Adaptations continue to be made and achieve success, including the BBC’s mini-series, Sherlock. This modern adaptation and its interpretation of Conan Doyle’s characters, novels, stories, plots, and themes allow for a unique combination of Victorian and Modern England. It highlights the similarities and differences of a Victorian Holmes and …

Black White And In-Between: Race And Ethnicity In The Criminal Justice System 1885-1915, Elizabeth M. Wilhelm

Honors Theses

Events in the past year have brought racial and ethnic discrimination in the criminal justice system to the forefront of American consciousness. In reality, race has been used to create stereotypes for centuries, often supported by “scientific” and “statistical” evidence to support the idea that certain races are more likely to commit crimes than others. In my research, I trace the development of these ideas as well as the evidence used to support these racial notions primarily by drawing upon conference transcripts from two professional organizations: The National Prison Association and the National Conference of Charities and Corrections covering the …

Practical Cosmopolitans: The Diversity Of A Changing Indian Ocean, 1500-1750, Jordan Seitz

Honors Theses

The Indian Ocean has served as a catalyst for trade throughout history, connecting multiple cultural and geographical spheres. My goal was to dissect the ways in which social and cultural norms were impacted by the large amount of diversity found within Indian Ocean port cities between 1500 and 1800. Specifically, I chose to investigate the possibility of the creation of a virtue of diversity, similar to the concept of Cosmopolitanism. In this case, this would mean a variety of people who differ in cultural, ethnicity, and religion sharing mutual respect within a particular space. Among the factors which shaped these …