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International and Area Studies

William & Mary

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Theses/Dissertations

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Defining Greekness: The Effect Of Ethnic Identity On Foreign Policy Opinions, Iliana Tzafolias Apr 2024

Defining Greekness: The Effect Of Ethnic Identity On Foreign Policy Opinions, Iliana Tzafolias

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many scholars agree: identity plays a significant role in shaping political opinion. What about foreign policy opinions, though? The literature on ethnic identity focuses on how ethnic identity affects domestic political opinion and political activism, paying little attention to its effect on foreign policy opinions. However, in a nation like the United States, where ethnic interest groups hold much power to influence US foreign policy, it is important to understand how people’s ethnic identity affects their foreign policy opinions about homeland politics. The Greek diaspora is widely considered one of the most politically involved diasporas in the US. By conducting …


Fdi And Environmental Externalities In Southeast Asia, Kevin Bloodworth May 2023

Fdi And Environmental Externalities In Southeast Asia, Kevin Bloodworth

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this paper I explore the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and deforestation in Cambodia. Through an event study framework, I show that economic land concessions have a negative relationship with tree cover, over time, having stronger and stronger negative effects. This relationship is more pronounced in foreign economic land concessions when compared to domestic economic land concessions. Through the use of a difference in differences research design I examine the relationship between foreign and domestic concessions through the implementation of a ELC concession ban. The ban only led to worsening levels of deforestation within the borders of foreign …


Rethinking ‘Feminicide’: The Role Of Organized Crime Groups In Increased Rates Of Feminicide In Mexico, Giselle Figueroa May 2023

Rethinking ‘Feminicide’: The Role Of Organized Crime Groups In Increased Rates Of Feminicide In Mexico, Giselle Figueroa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Why has feminicide significantly increased in Mexico over the past two decades? Previous feminicide research in Mexico has centered around the idea that the introduction of neoliberal politics changed family structures and increased the vulnerability of women as they entered the workforce. However, this explanation does not fully explain patterns of political violence against women in Mexico. I argue that Mexico’s War on Drugs and the intrinsic patriarchal ideologies and structures of organized crime groups (OCGs) reinforce gender hierarchies and increase the vulnerability of women. To evaluate my argument, I analyze state-level public government data on organized crime and feminicide …


State Political Entrepreneurs In The Age Of Modi: Opposition Politics In Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, And West Bengal From 2019-2021, Maxwell Markel May 2022

State Political Entrepreneurs In The Age Of Modi: Opposition Politics In Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, And West Bengal From 2019-2021, Maxwell Markel

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research paper will discuss the contemporary limitations of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindutva ideology. The key research question will be examining 5 states and union territories to examine why the BJP has been unable to win or maintain power in the state. The states in question will be Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Delhi. Each state was chosen for their high population (more than 10 million), the recentness of its state election (from 2019 through 2021), their geographical variety, and having extant political systems that were upended by the …


The Role Of Homeownership In Taiwan's Low Fertility Story, William Anderson May 2022

The Role Of Homeownership In Taiwan's Low Fertility Story, William Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With one of the lowest fertility rates on record, Taiwan is at the forefront of the global lowest-low fertility phenomenon. Policymakers in Taiwan and researchers around the world have a considerable interest in the reasons driving Taiwan’s depressed fertility and possible ways to alleviate the associated economic concerns. Properties of the housing market represent one suggested factor that may be contributing to this trend. Using individual panel data from Taiwan’s Panel Study of Family Dynamics, I test the correlation between homeownership and fertility outcomes. I find that other variables, such as marriage, age, generation, and socioeconomic status, can explain much …


Silver, Ships And Soil: Gift-Giving In Medieval Icelandic Sagas, Emma Eubank Apr 2022

Silver, Ships And Soil: Gift-Giving In Medieval Icelandic Sagas, Emma Eubank

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Through applying anthropological theory to gift exchange in medieval Icelandic sagas, we can uncover a wealth of information about the construction and reinforcement of gender, power, and value. This study incorporates Mauss, Sahlins, and Graeber alongside other theorists to analyze how the narrators of Egil's Saga, The Saga of Grettir the Strong, and Gisli Sursson's Saga perceived a past Iceland.