Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ledger Lines And Lines Of Flight: Borges, Deleuze, And Music, Kaitlyn Thiriot Morin

Theses and Dissertations

This paper discusses the purpose of musical inclusions within several of Jorge Luis Borges’s short stories through Deleuzian lines of flight. The common consideration of music in Borges’s works focuses primarily on his usage of the tango and milonga due to Borges’s own personal interests. This paper argues that Borges utilizes not only the tango but also other styles of music as a pathway of transcendence, temporarily allowing characters to surpass the limitations of mortality. The paper will first analyze Deleuze and Guattari’s formula on escaping organization, and the relationship between the rhizome, lines of flight, deterritorialization, and the body …

How Discriminatory Housing Policies Segregated Kalamazoo, Jacob Walsh

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the historical and contemporary legacy of racially discriminatory housing policies in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Using primary documents, census data, and secondary literature, it examines how government-sanctioned practices like redlining, racially restrictive covenants, urban renewal projects, and exclusionary zoning contributed to the segregation of Kalamazoo’s Black residents. Contrary to the narrative that residential segregation in northern cities was merely “de facto”, the thesis emphasizes the deliberate nature of these policies, carried out by federal, state, and local institutions in collaboration with real estate and banking industries.

The research focuses on the lasting economic impacts of redlining, especially in neighborhoods …

Moonstorm In The Mainstream Or On The Margins?: Constellating St. Louis Lesbian Rhetorics From The Archives, Aurora Blanchard

Theses

Combining rhetorical analysis, oral history collection, and archival study, this multi-genre research project explores lesbian feminist organizing in the 1970s. Moonstorm was a St. Louis lesbian feminist magazine that operated in the 1970s and 1980s. The sample in this research project focuses on the issues of Moonstorm published between 1973 and 1977. Issues of Moonstorm are available for viewing in the archives of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Building on V. Jo Hsu’s theory of constellating, the poems and stories found in Moonstorm serve as sites of both contested and unconditional belonging for modern LGBTQ+ activists. Constellating, specifically in …

The Psychological And Social Effects Of Asset Building Among Low-Income Consumers, Al Maurice Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low-income consumers face social and psychological barriers to economic self-sufficiency. This qualitative inquiry aimed to bridge the knowledge gap by examining how social and psychological factors that impede single mothers from achieving economic self-sufficiency. Grounded in Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examined factors influencing single parents’ financial behaviors. The findings supported TPB, showing that financial literacy shapes intentions, perceived control increases with stability, and social norms influence financial behavior. Demographic questionnaires were administered, and structured interviews were conducted with 15 single African American mothers. The data was analyzed using themes, code annotations, and categorical classification. …

Capturing Tradition: The Business, Branding, And Personal Identity Of Senior Portraits In The Modern South, Xenia R. Minton

Honors Theses

The rise of college students starting photography businesses, particularly in graduation portraits, has transformed the creative and entrepreneurial landscape in the South. This thesis explores the senior portrait culture at the University of Mississippi, analyzing its rapid growth through the perspectives of photographers and academic experts in Southern Studies. Grounded in eight years of experience as a photographer, this study examines the evolution of the industry, business strategies, and cultural significance. Through interviews with seasoned senior portrait photographers and Southern Studies professors, this research investigates how regional traditions, social media, and consumer expectations have shaped the profession. By analyzing these …

After The Play: A Collection Of Creative Nonfiction Short Stories On The Mental Health And Pressures Surrounding College Athletes, Megan E. Konermann

Undergraduate Theses

This collection of creative nonfiction forefronts the often-overlooked mental health struggles and pressures that collegiate athletes face. These short stories explore the usefulness of the genre to engage readers on a deeper level and reveal real experiences. Each of the three stories incorporates nonfiction aspects collected in interviews conducted with current collegiate athletes and creatively models the literary style and technique of a prominent literary figure. In sharing these creative nonfiction short stories, this project works to build a connection between the reader and these athletes, fostering future support, empathy, and understanding.

Strike Up The Band!: Examining The Marching Arts Activity And Its Relationship To Music Education In America, Harmony Rutherford

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to re-introduce the history of the marching arts activity to the upcoming generations of music educators through a historical analysis that thoroughly examines the marching arts activity from the early twentieth century to the present. This analysis will seek to uncover the musical and visual concepts that contribute best to a well-rounded education in music, as well as personal and professional growth in students. This analysis will also seek to expose the concepts that impair students’ growth, both artistically and personally. The information from this analysis will inform a single arrangement designed for a …

From Roses To Pixels; Design For Kashan’S Golab Festival, Safiyeh Niknami

LSU Master's Theses

This research aims to elevate the visibility and appeal of the Kashan Rose Water Festival through innovative graphic design strategies and a user-friendly festival mobile application. The primary objective is to integrate the rich cultural heritage of Kashan with contemporary design elements to create a cohesive brand image that attracts both local and international visitors. By utilizing traditional Persian motifs and modern user experience design, the project seeks to enhance visitor engagement and provide a comprehensive digital interface for festival attendees.

Central to this research is the development of a mobile application that serves as an interactive guide and planning …

"Our Darker Purpose": Jean-François Ducis's Le Roi Léar In Eighteenth-Century France, Zerin Biehn

Theses and Dissertations

Jean-François Ducis's French adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear has received little critical attention since its publication in 1784. The play retains many of the main plot points that are familiar from Shakespeare along with Ducis's changes that helped make Shakespeare and King Lear more acceptable for the French stage. John Golder has interpreted Le Roi Léar as a pro-royalist play, but I argue that the play's portrayal of kingship and treason is much more nuanced. Ducis's Cordelia is framed for rebellion by her oldest sister, a situation which lacks the rich ambiguity of Shakespeare's Cordelia refusing to placate her father …

From Casa To Career: Language Domains Of Adolescent Heritage Spanish Speakers In The United States, Rachel Emily Koncurat

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a critical time for identity development. At this stage, it is important that heritage speakers hear positive messages about their heritage language and have programs that meet their linguistic needs and aspirations. This thesis examines the sociolinguistic domains in which adolescent heritage Spanish speakers use English and Spanish. It addresses two key questions: 1) In what domains do adolescent heritage Spanish speakers use English and Spanish? 2) Do these domains align with the future contexts in which they wish to use Spanish? To answer these questions, I distributed an online survey about language domains and future language goals …

The Intertextuality Of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo’S Academic Thinking And The Foundation Of The First Sociology Department In Colombia, Catalina Honsowetz

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

Abstract

The Intertextuality of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo’s Academic Thinking And The

Foundation Of The First Sociology Department in Colombia

Catalina Honsowetz

Southeastern University

Born ten years before the start of WWII, Father Camilo Torres Restrepo entered the world in Bogotá, Colombia, at a time riddled with poverty and violence. He belonged to a politically liberal family that never shied away from public service or controversy. Desiring also to serve, Camilo surprised his family and friends with a change in career after starting university. Father Torres abandoned the law to put on priestly robes, hoping to serve his neighbors most …

Horizonte Fronterizo: The Vitality Of Community And Contemporary San Diego-Tijuana Border Art, Ruben L. Loza

Chicana and Chicano Studies ETDs

This research dedicates attention to different examples of music and visual art that encompass contemporary San Diego-Tijuana border-integrated art. By employing a participant-observer approach with the music component and conducting plática-based interviews with all involved artists, this work underlines the vitality of the artworks’ manipulation of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and community as a driving force in the elaboration and growing influence of these projects and pieces. By analyzing how these works act as vehicles for response, light is also cast on greater matters that lie beyond the border zone: propagation of fear, anti-immigrant sentiment, and misinformed anxieties.

Themes Of Moral Injury In The Field Of Asl Interpreting, Samantha Michaelson

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This research project explores connections between a moral injury framework and the recognition and mitigation of ethical stress and trauma experienced by ASL-English interpreters. I have employed strategies such as thick description, textual analysis, and a narrative synthesis of existing literature on moral injury and ethical stress in interpreting to arrive at my findings. The study explains Demand Control Schema (DCS) and the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) as valuable tools for interpreters to discuss and address ethical stresses that arise in their work. Additionally, I examine the concept of role space and its relevance to the experience of ethical/moral …

Beyond The Stars: 2001: A Space Odyssey And The Philosophical Dimensions Of Science Fiction Film, Angela Stalcup

Honors Theses

Science fiction (SF) films are typically some of the most popular movies that are released each year. They tend to be blockbuster phenomena, raking in millions or even billions of dollars. Examples of modern SF hits include Avatar (2009), which grossed $2,923,710,708 worldwide and Avengers: Endgame (2019), which grossed $2,799,439,100 worldwide (“Avatar”; “Avengers: Endgame”). The SF film genre itself has a history that begins as early as the 1890s when film as a medium developed alongside technological advances in image and sound. Throughout the genre’s long history, several tropes have remained prevalent, such as a concern with the future, along …

Tolkien, Tabletop, And Orcs: The Impact Of Participatory Neomedievalisms On Authority, Tyler Bell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Different medieval and fantasy works have utilized race in different ways. Medieval Europe used race as a structural relationship to morally and religiously other certain people groups. J.R.R. Tolkien used race in a similar way, othering the fantasy races like orcs as a way to give the audiences clear antagonists. Direct film and video game adaptations of Tolkien uphold him as the authority on fantasy race, using orcs as antagonists and glorifying violence against them. The table-top role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons initially held up the antagonistic portrayal of orcs, but through different editions, the restrictions placed on orcs have …

The Social Life Of Plants: Botanical Representations In Moche Art, Breanna Fae Reiss

Art & Art History ETDs

The Moche were semi-autonomous communities who thrived in the ten fertile riverine valleys of Peru’s northern coast between the late fourth and ninth centuries CE. Phase IV (c. 590–700 CE) Southern Moche ceramics feature intricate fine line visual narrative scenes with many multivalent symbols and motifs. This dissertation intends to understand why plants begin to play a more significant role in the Moche iconographic corpus in this period. I explore the interests of elites, the ecological web interweaving image and environment, and species identification. The local flora was affected on one hand by naturally occurring changes in weather and environment …

"Because He Was A Cripple": Collective Care And The Theory Of Complex Embodiment In Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Briley Wyckoff

Theses and Dissertations

Published in 1843, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol planted itself squarely into a society that depended upon physical labor and valued able-bodiedness. The crutch-bearing Tiny Tim is iconized for his angelic nature and positive outlook on his impairment, prompting critical conversation about narrative prosthesis and poster children, yet the other illustrations of disability in the novella are rarely explored. Contrary to the tendency of disability scholars to conclude that A Christmas Carol leans too heavily into the trope of inspirational disability or diminishes disabled agency, Dickens's incorporation of disability actually extends far beyond Tim as each member of the Cratchit …

Winter's End: Stopping The Rite And Reclaiming Spring, Jessica Wilson

Theatre & Dance ETDs

This dissertation examines intersections of patriarchy, feminist movements, and the recurring theme of women’s sacrifice, through an artistic lens. Using The Rite of Spring as a central subject, I explore the societal expectation of women’s sacrifice and its persistent representation in art. By analyzing two pivotal interpretations, Vaslav Nijinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps (1913) and Pina Bausch’s Das Fruhlingsopfer (1975), within the chronological context of feminist waves in the United States, I investigate how these works reflect and critique cycles of violence against women. Four core patterns emerge as focal points: tradition, autonomy, witnessing, and betrayal. Additionally, my choreographic reinterpretation …

Becoming Effie White: A Journey Of Evolution, Aniya Thompson

Honors Theses

This thesis paper is a reflection of Aniya Thompson’s process playing the role of Effie White in the Western Michigan University School of Theatre and Dance production of Dreamgirls. The Dreamgirls’ book and lyrics are by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. This story is of a young Black female trio whose story brings light to the challenges of the music industry. As their fame grows, they face heartbreak, a shift in loyalty, and blatant exploitation while exploring themes of race, beauty standards and perseverance. Aniya reflects her artistic journey of stepping into Effie’s shoes emotionally, vocally, and …

Sharp Knives, Dark Hearts: Class, Colonialism, And Rebellion On Anthony Bourdain's Bookshelf, Carl Cactus Warmuth

American Studies ETDs

Though often characterized as a celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain achieved stardom from his lively writing rather than skills in the kitchen. As such, the sociopolitical importance of his life and work is greatly illuminated by his compulsive literary references. Through George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London, Émile Zola’s The Belly of Paris, Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and the personas of William S. Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson, the tensions central to Bourdain’s legacy are unveiled. This thesis offers a portrait of Bourdain as a complicated figure of …

A Graduate Recital In Organ, Devon Turner

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis consists of a Graduate Recital in Organ and accompanying notes. The notes include composer biographical information, basic analysis of each piece to be performed, performance considerations, and relevant historical context.

Between The Land And The Sea: Belizean Voices In Environmental Governance, Kris-An K. Hinds

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal communities around the world are at the epicenter of dynamic socio-environmental transformations driven by the impacts of climate change, shifting human–more-than-human environmental relationships, and the decisions made in response to these challenges. As environmental concerns intensify, the governance decisions made to address these impacts will determine the severity of the impacts and the future of affected coastal areas. In regions such as the Caribbean, Central America, and Latin America, environmental governance is complicated by uneven power dynamics, historical legacies of racialized environmental spaces, and the ongoing challenge of balancing national economic growth with environmental preservation. These transformations are not …

Sobre El Arcoíris: The Queering Of Mariachi, Tyician Charles Knight

Music ETDs

Mariachi is an internationally renowned artform and tradition whose history spans over decades and several continents. However, there are many aspects still embedded in mariachi culture that remain problematic; machismo (toxic masculinity), alcoholism, and homophobia to name a few. While there has been an increase of mariachi scholars who have critically examined these issues, mariachi culture itself has yet to address the challenges brought forth by its history of gender discrimination and homophobia and embrace practical changes that would enable the creation of a more equitable environment and further develop this living tradition. This thesis analyzes the trajectory of queering …

The Emotional World Of Ex-Confederate Expatriates In Latin America, 1865–1870, Chase H. Mccarter

History ETDs

From 1865 to 1870, tens of thousands of ex-Confederate soldiers, officials, and citizens fled the South for destinations in Latin America. They did so because their defeat in the U.S. Civil War instigated an emotional and identity crisis. Ex-Confederates felt that they could no longer live in the South given the changes wrought by Reconstruction. Rather than remain in the region, many looked toward Latin American states, such as Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and British Honduras (Belize), where they believed they could create a way of life like that experienced in the Old South. To do so, ex-Confederates sought settlement in …

The Laureate, Brooklyn Hoover

Honors Theses

The Laureate’s mission is to provide undergraduate students at Western Michigan University a medium through which to publish their fiction, poetry, nonfiction, photography, graphic novels, and other creative works. The Laureate strives to be a professional and engaging journal that appeals to all. The 23^rd edition of The Laureate is unique in that, despite having no strict guidelines on themes, mediums, or styles, we found that many students expressed themes of grief, recovery, self-discovery, and new beginnings. Together, these works create a complex story of introspection and reflection.

Co-editors, Grace Cieslikowski and Brooklyn Hoover facilitated the launch of the …

What Is A Nation? Colonial Legacies, Identity, And Reclaiming In Métisse Autobiographical Narratives – A Case Study Of Sugar And Slate And Garçon Manqué, Thaïs Maëlle Autin

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

This thesis examines the question of national belonging in autobiographical narratives of second-generation immigrant métisse women. I study the similar aesthetic manner in which individuals with different regional and cultural influences grapple with concepts of identity, gender, racism, exile, and negotiation, and the way in which the authors anchor themselves in a broader familial and national heritage. I argue that such an enterprise can be understood as part of the alternative heritage wave, based on Andrew Higson’s theory. The texts put in question traditional understandings of nation. Doing so opens the possibility of engaging in a dialogue that expands the …

An Exploration Of The Intersection Of Religious And Sexual Identities Among Millennials Who Have Left The Evangelical Church, Mishell Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Church attendance rates have decreased for evangelical churches over the last decade, with the most notable decline among millennials. This decline is attributed to millennial shifts away from traditional views and new understandings of identity. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how millennials who have left evangelical churches describe their sexual and religious identities. Tajfel and Turner’s social identity theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory, focusing on an individual’s identity and the groups to which they belong, informed its theoretical framework. These theories offered perspective on the experiences of those who carry intersecting identities within churches that …

The Curse Of El Dorado: How The Californnia Gold Rush Shaped The History Of Hawai'i, Ernesto Coronado

Theses and Dissertations

In the discourse of Western historiography, we fail to account for the importance of the Hawai’ian Islands. American imperialism did not stop with the occupation of the Pacific Coast but continued into the Pacific. In the mid-nineteenth century, Hawai’i and its monarch, King Kamehameha III, stood at the center of a dispute between Britain, France, and the United States. King Kamehameha III used the California Gold Rush and Hawai’i’s location to his advantage to garner capital and prevent the imperial powers from annexing his kingdom. However, even he knew he could not stop the mass wave of Hawai’ians leaving the …

The Art Of Craft: An Inquiry Into The Illusion Of Difference, Abigail Cancel

Honors Theses

The art of craft: an inquiry into the illusion of difference is an exploration of why art and craft have been historically separated and the ways in which this idea pervades into the modern world. It touches on the importance of art to society overall, as well as the undeniable significance of craft to the art world.

Brain Fog: An Adventure: Part One, Amalia Mihalakakos

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

My book was developed through research on creating believable characters and how to write effectively for elementary schoolers. The goal of this project was to have a book that, when finished being written, any child could pick up and find peace. I hoped that every reader would learn something new about a culture they are unfamiliar with or about themselves. For children, developing empathy and a deeper understanding of others can have a lasting impact. Not only does empathy and understanding provide a foundation for other skills, but it can also begin to evolve and grow over time. Brain Fog: …