Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Developing A Racial Justice Framework For U.S. Private Philanthropy, Mayara Aguiar Rosa

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The international development sector has been experiencing an awakening regarding the impacts of colonialism in the field. Calls for anti-colonial practices, cultural competency, and enhanced attention to imbalanced power dynamics have become increasingly prevalent, but despite this shift, the field still shows resistance to explore and intentionally address the role of race. In this project, I investigate how race has shaped development and explore its impacts on the design of development interventions, organizational structuring, and funding allocation. The work proposes alternatives that envisions to consider a racial lens to shift power and tackle inequalities and aims that development programs of …

Societal Restriction And Creative Liberation: Aphra Behn, Or, And Finding Freedom Through And Within The Creative Process, Anire Kim Amoda

Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Companions To Combatants:, Jude M. Horning

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This thesis uses the narrative of Charles Sumner's Caning to examine the shift in national public perceptions of patriotism and the disconnect in the late Antebellum period between North and South. Using the metrics of presidential action, national and state newspaper stories, and social thought, this paper traces the 50 years between the War of 1812 and the Civil War, looking specifically at the development of localist politics in the end of the period.

Man & Machine: A Narrative Of The Relationship Between World War Ii Fighter Advancement And Pilot Skill, Brian Burnett Ii

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

From 1938 until the end of World War II, the Curtiss P-40 fighter participated in the European, North Africa, and Pacific theaters of war. An aircraft’s success depends primarily upon the pilot’s expertise. Without skilled pilots, technology alone cannot win a war. Technological innovation still plays a crucial role in the success of a nation’s air force. Relative to technological developments, how impactful is a pilot’s skill on a fighter plane’s performance? My thesis structure is a deep look into each pilot’s experience and how victory was achieved with a plane that most military writings say is inferior. I investigate …

The Not-So-Silent Period: Testimonios Of Recently Arrived Latinx Students, Teri M. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and amplify the experiences of recently arrived Latinx¹ students as interpreted through their testimonios in educational borderlands. Through increasingly xenophobic discourses around immigrants and their children (Pérez Huber, 2015), U.S. public schools have become entrenched borderland spaces wherein the humanity of recently arrived students is voided through silencing them with labels of linguistic deficiency and cramming them into one-size-fits-all educational programming (Fine et al., 2007; Flores & Rosa, 2015). There is demand for research that explores the experiences of these children, especially in light of their continued marginalization through neoliberal programming …

Trauma And Grief: Developing A Framework For Equipping The Hispanic/Latino Churches As A Healing Community In The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Of North Carolina, Santiago Reales

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project aimed to equip Hispanic/Latino congregations of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBFNC) as a healing community to help people in recovering from loss and trauma in a healthy way. Participants in five-workshop sessions over four weeks explored stories of grief and trauma from the Old and New Testament along with contemporary grief and trauma theories. Each workshop presented what the Scriptures and mental health best practices teach about how to deal with grief and trauma. Also, the project sought to determine whether the participant’s training experience impacted their stress level.

Utilizing The Classical Christian Study Of Latin To Promote Intentionality, Erin Lamont

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

It is well known that the study of Latin increases English vocabulary, helps one understand grammar, raises standardized test scores, and helps one learn other languages. As modern education sees itself as an agent for change and social reform set on reconstructing society, fewer schools are offering Latin to students. Of those that do offer it, many are veering away from the traditional approach which has a goal of being able to read and connect with the writing of the great thinkers of the past while utilizing a methodology that focuses on grammar and syntax. This paper looks at three …

Rural Education In Peru: A Study Of Its Performance, Physical And Digital Infrastructure, Gender, Linguistic, And Social And Cultural Development, Mohammed Forero Bucheli

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Rural and indigenous education in Peru significantly differs from its urban counterparts. The physical and digital infrastructure, gender-based education, linguistic neglect, and sociocultural discrimination that rural and indigenous communities’ education receive profoundly affect performance. This thesis aims to showcase these characteristics through case studies, comparing different government and community projects to understand their development in these areas. These cases explore different aspects of the educational situation of the Huallatiri, San Antonio de Cusicancha, and Quispicanchi communities in the Southern Peruvian Andes. Through these analyses, this study portrays the intersectional characteristics of educational development in rural and indigenous communities and how …

Does Where You Meet Your Partner Influence Relationship Satisfaction? An Investigation Of Online Dating In The Lgbtq+ Community, Brooke M. Fornetti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There has been a multitude of research conducted on the impact of online dating and relationship satisfaction for heterosexual couples. However, little research has been done on how utilizing online dating methods as a way to meet potential partners can impact LGBTQ+ relationships. The purpose of the current study is to explore the potential relationship between meeting a romantic partner through online methods – such as utilizing dating applications or websites – and relationship satisfaction for LGBTQ+ couples. Data from 115 participants with ages ranging from 18 to 64 years were analyzed to determine if meeting a romantic partner online …

Déambulations Globales : Espace (S) Et Mobilité (S) Dans Les Romans De Jean-Philippe Toussaint Et De Jean Echenoz, Sandra Rodriguez Bontemps

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore the complex relation between man and space, place, and mobility in the context of increasingly globalized societies where transit spaces (airports, train stations, hotels) proliferate, and people, goods, technologies, and capital circulate at an accelerated pace and frequency. Drawing on the views of anthropologist Marc Augé, of geographers Michel Lussault, Mathis Stock, Tim Cresswell and of prominent mobilities studies scholars John Urry and Mimi Sheller, I argue that the paradoxical dynamic of stasis and mobility that permeates Jean Echenoz and Jean-Philippe Toussaint’s novels prompts us to reconsider the concepts of space, place, non-place through the …

Adaptations Of World War I Stories Into Screen Dramas: The New “Heritage Films”, Elizabeth Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines both written and filmic texts to determine the way World War I trauma was depicted in the postwar period and how it is now presented to a modern audience. This study begins with texts written in the immediate postwar period: Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Vera Brittain’s war memoir Testament of Youth and R.C. Sherriff’s play and novel Journey’s End and draws comparisons to their twentieth and twenty-first century film adaptations. A coda also examines the novel and film The Hours. Using psychology, history, literary criticism, and film theory, I conclude the films are generally more invested in …

My Encounters With Paradise: The Evolution Of Natural Beauty And Luminist Aesthetics In Central Florida, Jeremy Laplanche

Honors Program Theses

Historically, the marshes and swamps of Central Florida have been depicted as a paradise in artwork by naturalists such as William Bartram and Luminist landscape painters like Martin Johnson Heade. Today, the image of Florida’s tourism centers around theme parks and beaches. However, state parks in Central Florida preserve and restore unique ecosystems. This thesis analyzes the effectiveness of Wekiwa Springs State Park and Blue Spring State Park’s management practices for maintaining the Luminist and naturalist aesthetics. Previous research has identified the role of landscape paintings, particularly from the Hudson River School and the American West, in establishing America’s appreciation …

The Impact Of Studying Abroad On The Intercultural Spiritual Formation Of Harding University Latin America Students, Jeremy Daggett

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Breaking Down Barriers: The Impact Of Segregation On Social Capital And Economic Outcomes, Donyetta A. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breaking Down Barriers. Does social capital indirectly affect black/white economic outcomes via entrepreneurial activities? Does the relationship between social capital, entrepreneurship, and black/white economic outcomes change when social capital interacts with segregation? Drawing from Bourdieu's (1986) and Coleman’s (1990) social capital theory and prior scholars' regressive view theories of segregation, I propose that 1) social capital improves entrepreneurial activities and black/white economic outcomes, and 2) segregation’s interaction with social capital has an adverse effect on entrepreneurial activities and black/white economic outcomes. To perform the analysis, data were collected at the county- level from multiple sources and aggregated into one file …

How Practices Drive Persistence: The Transformational Consumption Journey Of Native Americans In Higher Education, Gwen Locklear Almodovar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In an academic environment where many higher education institutions tout their diversity and inclusion statistics, there is a decline in the enrollment of Native American students and a decrease in Native American scholars. The President of the United States, in an October 2021 briefing and with the issuance of an executive order named The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities, saw the immediate urgency to understand the systematic causes and implement evidence-based strategies that will improve and increase student enrollment and academic advancement. This research takes …

“I Don’T Want To Cook”: Reconfiguring The Domestic Space In Nineteenth-Century American Literature, Rida Leonard

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In the scholarship that considers ways in which the concept of domesticity features in the lives of black and white women in history, there is less discussion of how these women’s unique challenges led them to alter the traditional domestic space. This dissertation first assesses a range of nineteenth-century American newspapers to understand the prevalent social milieu and then closely analyzes select literary texts of the time, to argue that the distinct racial circumstances that framed black and white women’s struggles enabled them to reform the domestic space as needed. Analysis of the nineteenth century press reveals that while white …

Decision-Making And Christianity: Black Queer Women's Mental Health, Deborah Coffy

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigated how Christianity affects Black queer women's decision-making regarding seeking mental health services. Those who felt they met the inclusion criteria completed a Basic Demographic Survey. After vetting these individuals, eleven female participants—who are both Black and queer—were asked to participate in an individual semi-structured qualitative interview. The interview focused on one's journey with mental health, societal and relationship influences, Black and LGBTQ+ identity, influences from conservative, traditional, or mainstream Christianity, and sense of self. Although Christianity may not have directly impacted most of the women in this study to seek mental health services, Christianity did have an …

The Overlooked Importance Of Repetition And Retention In Jewish Prayer, Akiva Groman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Modern methods of education pertaining to Jewish prayer services in schooling had been seen to be lacking when looking at the connection students feel while praying. Students will often be distracted or deliberately avoiding prayer since they are unaware of what is happening. The following research hopes to propose a system to increase engagement and connection by having individuals follow the prayers during the orated portions of prayer. By exposing a set of participants with limited knowledge of the Jewish prayer services to repeated exposure of reading while following along with the words, we hope to show an increase in …

Na Our Cinema Be This: The Evolution Of Themes In Nigerian Cinema, Carol C. Merengwa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper examines the themes in Nigerian cinema, popularly referred to as Nollywood, and their evolution over time. This analysis will give indigenous and colonial context to the origins of filmmaking in Nigeria and illustrate how the societal events impacting the country influenced the subject matter being explored. Through research from scholarly journals, review of specific films, and input from filmmakers in the industry, we will gain an understanding of Nollywood cinema and the stories which Nigerian filmmakers decide to share.

17th Century Colonial Witchcraft: Before Salem, Andréa Diane Davis

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Within this thesis, I examine several historians who discussed the social, historical and political, and religious contexts of witchcraft accusations in 17th Century colonies, particularly in New England. Additionally, I take as my case study an examination of the Elizabeth Garlick case in 1657. Elizabeth Garlick lived in the Long Island town of what is today East Hampton. However, from the town’s beginning in 1649 until 1664, the half of Long Island settled by the English was considered part of the Connecticut Colony and submitted to all the laws and appurtenances thereof. Several historians have commented that despite its geographic …

The Erotic Work Of Asian American Activism: Harnessing Kink, Queer, And Sex Worker Praxis, Chelsea Shi-Chao Liu

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This thesis discusses the harnessing of alternative, kink, and queer sexualities within the Asian American community towards anti-racist and sex work positive activism during the COVID-19 pandemic era of anti-Asian violence. It opens by tracing the shooting on Asian massage parlors in Atlanta, Georgia in 2021 to historic immigration legislation such as the Page Act of 1875 that enshrined hypersexualized racism. The paper then analyzes the role of race and racial representation in the history of the BDSM (Bondage/Dominance, Dominance/Submission, and Sadomasochism) subculture from the 1950s to 2020s, tracking the emergence of groups like the Asian American Feminist Collective (AAFC) …

Black Feminist Poiesis: Locating “The Uses Of The Erotic” Within Black Domesticity, Kiandra S. Jimenez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

What does being human mean for women who were artists denied the ability to live life on their own standards? What did it mean to live a creative life when your body was captured and held within a system that surveilled and penalized you for things like writing, reading, or the idea of creating was impossible? In Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens,” she asks us to consider what it meant to be a Black woman artist when you are considered “the mule of the world,” and are stuck toiling away—as a launderer, a maid, a cook, a …

The Restoration Of Religious Freedom: Joseph Smith’S Evolving Understanding Of The United States Constitution, 1830-1844, Mitch Nelson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

As the founder of the most persecuted denomination of the nineteenth century in the United States, Joseph Smith desperately yearned for religious freedom. I argue that Joseph Smith understood religious freedom as a theological doctrine given by God to help individuals, communities, and nations discover how to balance order and diversity. Rather than being a product of democratic government, he viewed religious freedom as the necessary foundation for a just government and society. Therefore, maintaining religious freedom would preserve the governing system, not the other way around. For Joseph, religious freedom was incrementally discovered in a process of identity formation …

What Is A “Helpmate”? Using Comparative Semitic Linguistics To Propose New Translations For Ezer Kenegdo, Rebekah Call

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation argues that a comparative Semitic analysis of ezer kenegdo (KJV: “help meet”) in Genesis 2:18, 20 can provide new semantic ranges that enrich the reading of gender roles in Genesis 1-3. The usage of ezer kenegdo in Genesis 2:18, 20 has defied satisfactory interpretation, even though this passage has played an important role in the conversation surrounding gender roles in the Bible, in other religious discourse, and even aspects of culture influenced by elements of Jewish and Christian worldviews. The struggle with this phrase is twofold: the first difficulty lies in the association of ezer “help” with subordinate …

Three Essays In Behavioral Economics, Zhou Fang

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Well-being is important because it directly impacts an individual's quality of life and overall happiness. It encompasses physical, mental, and social aspects, promoting a balanced and fulfilling existence. Optimal well-being leads to improved productivity, resilience, and positive contributions to society, creating a healthier and more harmonious world.

This dissertation delves into the realm of interdisciplinary research, bridging economics and psychology, to investigate several critical areas that affect peoples’ wellbeing. It explores gender discrimination within peer review processes, seeks advancements in the measurement of subjective well-being, and analyzes the influence of cultural factors on prosocial behaviors.

The first chapter delves into …

Epistemology And Authority In Two Latter-Day Saint Qanon Conspiracy Theorists, Indra Jean Louise Chapman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

QAnon and other far-right conspiracies are significant fixtures within contemporary American culture. Through a series of interviews with two highly engaged QAnon conspiracy theorists who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I analyzed QAnon as an epistemic formation characterized by critique of social conditions, modern standards of rigor in research, and a highly accelerated online information economy. Framing my subjects’ participation in QAnon culture alongside their Latter-day Saint identity allowed for further investigation into dynamics of competing epistemic authority and the role of Mormon identity in shaping conspiracy theory. Finally, I compare the epistemology …

Overdue Credit: Credit Management, Crime, And Immigrants In Early Twentieth Century United States, Enrique Salas-Limon

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This thesis uses the theory of racial capitalism to examine the joined histories of Arab American immigrants and the professionalization of credit management in the early twentieth century. The history of early Arab Americans has previously been told as a clichéd story of upward mobility and financial success without much documented interaction between the Arab immigrant and real economic institutions, such as banks and credit bureaus. This thesis brings to light previously unknown documentations of Arab American and Arab immigrant alleged criminals in the publications of the National Association of Credit Men, or NACM. As the largest credit management and …

Female Pleasure And Theories Of Desire In Narrative Structure: Evolution, Futurity, And Species Survival In The Post-Human And Science Fiction Imaginary, Laura L. S. Bauer

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex relationship between an expanded narratological theory of narrative desire, inseparable in its relation to evolution and biological reproduction, and the future survival of humanity imagined across the narrative structures of three 21st-century works of dystopian science fiction. By examining the genre's potential to address species survival specifically through female forms of desire identified as narrative recurrence, prolonged duration, and emotional resolution, this study concurrently develops a metatextual methodology that cultivates the overlooked liminal space of quiescence. This analytical framework emphasizes narrative structure over theme-based analysis to unlock the radical imagination present in the texts …

All-Consuming Madness, Ainsley Doyle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My honors project is a short story, titled All-Consuming Madness, that follows the main character Annie as she struggles to cope with the aftermath of a car accident that changed her life. The story explores the impact grief can have on family relationships and how trauma can close people off from each other. It also explores Annie’s journey towards healing as she struggles to forgive herself for the accident. The accompanying essays detail the creative process I went through while creating this story and the influences that had an important impact on the story.

Redeeming Femininity: A Steinian Catholic Feminist Reading Of Flannery O'Connor's Short Fiction, Amanda Pugh

Dissertations and Theses

By situating an analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s short fiction in conversation with Edith Stein’s theology of gender, this project contributes to the critical conversation that interprets O’Connor’s fiction through various feminist frameworks. I respond by proposing an alternative feminist framework that centers O’Connor’s sacramental or incarnational vision of the human body and her characters’ movement from fallenness to redemption. Stein’s theology posits that men and women live their fallenness and redemption in differentiated ways that correspond to their embodied masculinity and femininity, respectively. For men, participating in redemption involves imitating the sacrificial love of Christ’s crucifixion. For women, participating in …