Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Beautiful Game On A Muslim Pitch: How Football And Religion Are Shaping Identity And Society, Aaron W. Hughes, Leif Stenberg

Exploring Muslim Contexts

Examines how football and religion act together to shape both identity and society in Muslim contexts.

This book showcases how football and religion are becoming increasingly interlinked in Muslim contexts in order to interact with and influence both identity and society. The first part of the volume is devoted to issues of identity, showing how football aids in its construction, maintenance and subversion. The second part reveals the deep-rooted connections between football and political and religious establishments by demonstrating how these organisations frequently use the game to disseminate or propagate their larger messages.

Altogether, the contributors reveal how football has …

Nkosi Sikelel’Iafrika: Post Apartheid, Joanna Seibes

Student Zines

Examining the conditions of South Africa thirty years after the official end of apartheid in 1994, Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika: Post Apartheid works to explain how political transition created new possibilities while also leaving unresolved issues of inequality, education, housing and governance. Comprising research, statistics and current examples, the zine shows how apartheid’s legacy continues to affect everyday life while pointing to areas where progress and change are still taking shape.

“Translating Blackness In 19th-Century Afro-Brazilian Literature: Unsilencing The Archive”, Apoliana Da Conceição Dos Santos

ELIN Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Monitoring The Qosh Tepa Canal Project: A Geospatial Timeline Of Taliban Water Diversion, Enerel L. Crosslin

Honors Thesis

The World Food Program states that “acute malnutrition in Afghanistan is above emergency thresholds in 25 out of 34 provinces and is expected to worsen”. Aiming to support agriculture, the Taliban began to build the 285 km “Qosh Tepa Canal” to divert 17% of the Amu Darya, which supports the livelihoods of millions of people in downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The World Bank estimated that roughly 2.4 million Central Asians could become climate refugees by 2050. Our objectives are to create a timeline of satellite imagery of the canal’s construction. Our research questions are (1) Can we characterize water diversion …

Volume 8, Issue 1 Title Page

SAIPAR Case Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board

SAIPAR Case Review

No abstract provided.

Conservation Advocates Zambia Limited V The Attorney General (2023/Ccz/0018) [2024] Zmcc 6, Emmanuel N. Nyambe

SAIPAR Case Review

The author explores Conservation Advocates Zambia Limited v The Attorney General, contrasting the majority’s application of the constitutional avoidance doctrine with a forceful dissent. The majority declined to hear an environmental petition, classifying the grievances as statutory rather than constitutional. The author aligns with the dissent, arguing that such reasoning sidesteps the judiciary’s constitutional mandate to protect and promote environmental rights. The case presents a fundamental choice for the Court: whether to treat the Constitution as a source of aspirational guidance or as a directly enforceable instrument of environmental accountability and public participation.

Global Nomads: Identity And Belonging In Third Culture Kids And Adult Third Culture Kids, Vallon Bucayu-Lee

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone examines the subculture of Third Culture Kids and Adult Third Culture Kids who have experienced living abroad as children. There were two main objectives in this study. First, to understand the perceptions of Adult Third Culture Kids on how their global childhoods have impacted their self-identity and sense of belonging as adults. Secondly, to understand the opinions of Adult Third Culture Kids on transitional programs through their personal experiences with them. The methodology of this capstone included a twelve-question survey distributed to seventeen Adult Third Culture Kids born in six different countries around the world. The questions in …

Koxinga: The Catalyst Of Taiwan's Current Geopolitical Conflict, Lauren Masterson

Honors College Theses

Taiwan, strategically located in the South China Sea, has long faced challenges in asserting its sovereignty. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the 20th-century conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party, this study turns to the mid-17^th century to trace the roots of the island’s contested status. It centers on Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), also known as Koxinga, who established the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan (1661–1683) following the fall of the Ming dynasty. By examining Koxinga’s actions and the legacy he left behind, this research draws parallels between his retreat …

The Humanity Of Globalization: Global Interconnectedness And Cross-Border Migration, Mary Huffman

Honors College Theses

Though scholarly discourse surrounding migration and globalization has often assumed migration causes globalization, this paper seeks to explore the opposite direction of causality. Using a generalized least squares regression and Quality of Governance time series data, the design analyzes the impact of three facets of globalization on net migration between 1970 and 2020. The design controls for population, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and Polity score. Based on a review of literature, I hypothesize that each facet– economic, political, and social– will exhibit a positive correlation with net migration levels for each country-year. I also predict that social globalization …

The Effectiveness Of International Courts In Contributing To Rebuilding And Resolving Conflicts In Societies Post-Genocide, Garrett Connely

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the aftermath of mass atrocities, international courts have emerged as key mechanisms for delivering justice and fostering post-conflict reconciliation. Rooted in the precedent set by the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, these institutions aim to prosecute crimes that often go beyond national legal systems. However, their effectiveness remains contested, largely due to their dependence on state cooperation and the complexity of post-conflict environments. This project examines the societal impact of international courts in two significant cases – Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Through a comparative analysis of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal …

Preliminary Assessment For Quality Improvement Of Hypertension Management In Kenya, Shubhangi Singh

Honors Theses

Hypertension is a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite relatively low rates of common behavioral risk factors, the Kasigau region of Kenya experiences high prevalence of hypertension and hypertension-related complications. This study explores self-efficacy, health beliefs, and management behaviors among adults in Kasigau to provide pilot quality improvement data for providers and future intervention planning. A cross-sectional, randomized survey of 45 adults was conducted at the Bughuta Clinic in southeastern Kenya. Participants completed a five-question hypertension-specific, self-efficacy assessment and a health belief model-based survey, with …

Isaac Mwanza And Zambia Civil Liberties Union (Zclu) V The Attorney General 2024/Ccz/008, Emmanuel Banda

SAIPAR Case Review

This contribution considers Isaac Mwanza and Zambia Civil Liberties Union (ZCLU) v Attorney General, a case challenging the constitutionality of longstanding penal provisions criminalising same-sex relations. The author takes issue with the Constitutional Court’s refusal to entertain the matter on jurisdictional grounds, arguing that it misconstrued the relationship between Articles 28 and 128 of the Constitution. By deferring entirely to the High Court on Bill of Rights issues, the author contends, the Constitutional Court has left a significant gap: legislation that may violate fundamental rights now lacks a clear constitutional forum for challenge. The piece underscores a persistent ambiguity in …

Volume 8, Issue 1 Table Of Contents

SAIPAR Case Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial Note, O'Brien Kaaba, Emmanuel Nyambe

SAIPAR Case Review

No abstract provided.

Coercing Virtue Or Superintending Constitutional Order? A Comment On Munir Zulu And Celestine Mukandila V Attorney General, O'Brien Kaaba, Emmanuel N. Nyambe

SAIPAR Case Review

In Munir Zulu and Celestine Mukandila v Attorney General, the Constitutional Court of Zambia intervened for the first time in a constitutional amendment process before a bill was tabled, asserting its authority to oversee executive conduct in line with constitutional principles. While the author commends the Court’s departure from a historically passive judiciary, a pointed critique is offered of the judgment’s conceptual shortcomings. The analysis highlights the Court’s conflation of constituent and constituted power, its reliance on an inaccurate historical account of past amendments, and the jurisdictional inconsistency it created with the earlier Bill 10 ruling, all of which weaken …

The Attorney General V Rajan Mahthani (Appeal No. 4 Of 2020) [2025] Zmsc (24 July 2025): Judicial Recusal And Why It Is Important To Strike A Balance, Mwami Kabwabwa

SAIPAR Case Review

This contribution examines The Attorney General v Rajan Mahthani, a Supreme Court ruling on judicial recusal. The author critically assesses the Court’s insistence on proving actual, extrajudicial bias as a prerequisite for recusal. Though the importance of shielding the judiciary from frivolous motions is acknowledged, the piece warns that the Court’s rigid stance, paired with its admonishing tone, may undermine the right to a fair hearing guaranteed under Article 18 of the Constitution. Drawing on South African and Kenyan jurisprudence, the author proposes adopting a “reasonable apprehension of bias” standard that respects judicial independence while safeguarding public confidence in the …

Analyzing The Imposition Of Colonial Culture: The Case Of French Colonial Education In Senegal, Harleigh M. Smith

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the implications of the implementation of colonial education through a focus on French West Africa, specifically Senegal. Through analyzing works regarding to colonial and post-colonial era, this paper works to understand how French colonial education systems have impacted education in Senegal. It provides background on French colonialism and the Senegalese education system while exploring and comparing both Anglophone and Francophone works to identify how the literature can work together to further research in the field.

The Role Of Specialty Coffee Roasters: A Proposal For A Sustainable Value Chain, Konoka Hattori

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Specialty Coffee Roasters are starting to adopt transparency to reshape the coffee value chain, as climate change and sustainability challenges deepen. Through a case study of Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas, this research examines how transparency in pricing and traceability can foster more equitable and sustainable value chain systems. This thesis also explores the potential of B Corp Certification to further embed sustainability into Specialty Coffee Roasters’ business models, by comparing Onyx with Coffee Collective based in Denmark, which already has B Corp certification. By making pricing transparent and investing in producer relationships, Specialty Coffee Roasters can lead a future …

Building Neocolonial Foundations: The British Government And The Decolonization Of The Gold Coast, 1948-1957, Simon H. Michener

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, I examine the ways that the government of Great Britain attempted to create a pro-Western state in Ghana during the decolonization process, which spanned from the Accra Riots in 1948 to the finalization of independence in 1957, with Kwame Nkrumah’s election as president. Since Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain its independence, it provides the initial example illustrating how the British government during the decolonization process in sub-Saharan Africa tried to cultivate states that would align with their interests following independence. To achieve this goal, I will rely on primary sources from the British …

Making An Online Kitchen, Two Southern Women, Foodways, And Social Media, Olivia B. Merrell

Honors Theses

This thesis attempts to understand the ways in which social media has shaped southern women, specifically the ways it has shaped southern women in the kitchen. While exploring this topic, I spoke with both a Black and white southern woman from the south, both of which have grown a social media following based off the southern food they share online. This thesis aims to explore how social media has played a role in reshaping the southern kitchen for women across the south.

The Global Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of International Student Experiences In A Reimagined Intercultural Communication Course, Crystal Bock Thiessen

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the experiences of multilingual international student participants who took part in a semester-long intercultural communication course that was purposefully designed and implemented with half enrollment each of domestic and international students at a Midwestern American university. Despite university efforts towards internationalization, they often fall short of the meaningful engagement needed truly promote intercultural and mutual understanding. International and domestic students share classroom and other spaces on campus, yet they remain overwhelmingly disconnected from one another. Using phenomenology and Baker’s (2011) model of Intercultural Awareness, this study analyzed the international students’ experience in this course to learn more …

Chasqui, Nicole Lachat

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Chasqui is a creative dissertation comprised of a thirteen-page critical introduction and a series of poems which consider varying forms of migration, including that of border crossings. The internalization of displacement through longing and alienation is examined in these poems. The author considers questions of inheritance through an exploration of personal, familial and sociopolitical bonds. Varying forms of violence, including colonial and gendered violence are reflected upon in the work.

Advisor: Kwame Dawes

El Terror Y El Ritual: Estudio De Los Festivales De Cine De Terror En México, Luis Jesús Quiñones Beltrán

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Esta investigación contribuye al campo de los estudios de festivales de cine, cine de género y representaciones simbólicas del miedo. Analiza el papel de los festivales de cine de terror en México como espacios de construcción simbólica, circulación cultural y resignificación del miedo. A partir de un enfoque cualitativo basado en entrevistas a organizadores de festivales y cineastas colaboradores, se examina cómo estos festivales configuran experiencias colectivas en torno al terror a través de prácticas rituales, afectivas y culturales. Se retoman conceptos como el capitalismo gore, necro-máquina y contra-máquina para contextualizar la investigación. Se utilizan categorías de los estudios de …

Is Subjective Well-Being Insured Against Income Shocks? Evidence From 20-Year Panel Data In South Korea, Jiyeon An, Taehyun Ahn, Kim

Research Collection School Of Economics

Using 20 years of nationally representative panel data in South Korea, we estimate how life satisfaction responds to income shocks. We document that unexpected income changes significantly impact an individual's life satisfaction, and the magnitudes depend on the persistence of income shocks. We find that permanent income shocks substantially penetrate life satisfaction, while transitory income shocks have minimal impact. We also find that life satisfaction regarding external factors such as family income and leisure activities is more sensitive to income shocks than life satisfaction related to social relationships. Our findings imply that it is critical for the government to address …

Determinants Of Trading Prices In State-Owned Asset And Equity Transactions: An Empirical Analysis From China, Lixiao Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This thesis examines the determinants of pricing outcomes in state-owned asset transactions using a comprehensive dataset of 3,638 transactions from a major transitional economy. Contrary to conventional expectations, we find that fixed assets consistently receive less favorable pricing compared to equity assets, with significantly lower odds of trading above professional valuation and higher odds of trading below valuation. This pattern persists across multiple specifications and remains robust to propensity score matching approaches that address selection concerns. I further demonstrate that state-owned buyers secure significant advantages in transaction pricing, with dramatically lower odds of paying premiums over valuation or listing prices …

El Cuerpo Puede Curar, Crear Y Cocinar: Analyzing Chicana Embodied Knowledge In The U.S-Mexico Borderlands, Kimberly Monserrat Grimaldo

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S.–Mexico borderlands, specifically the Rio Grande Valley, is a culturally rich site yet deeply affected by coloniality where Indigenous cultures have been erased and suppressed. The Mexican American War devastated Indigenous communities as their knowledge of healing was dismissed by Western science and predominantly buried. This history of oppression and colonization in the borderlands rendered the region with “una herida abierta,” in the words of Chicana scholar Gloria Anzaldúa. However, despite an open wound, there is potential healing that can be incited through colonial resistance within the home. Texts that convey culinary and healing epistemologies include cultural productions such …

The Marginality Of Women In Narratives: Reflections On Iranian Women's Struggles Through Saeed Roustayi's Films, Narges Azami

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Using the concept of intersectionality, this thesis explores how women are marginalized in three post-revolutionary Iranian films (made after 1979), directed by Saeed Roustayi. In these three films, Life and a Day (2016), Just 6.5 (2019), and Leila’s Brothers (2022), the intersectional lens helps investigate how different types of oppression, such as gender and class, often come together to affect women’s lives. In the analysis, four main themes emerge, including emotional labor, symbolic erasure, limited visibility, and intersectional oppression. Roustayi’s films point out how systems like patriarchy, poverty, and tradition hold women back. The study also explains how multiple social …

The Eugenic Sterilization Of Puerto Rican Women: A Case Of Us Interests And Religious/Spiritual Freedom, Anique Y. Jones

International Studies (MA) Theses

Between the 1930s and 1970s, approximately one-third of Puerto Rican women of childbearing age (20–49) were sterilized— the highest rate in the world during that time. Driven by U.S. political and economic interests, and underpinned by eugenic ideology, Governor Blanton Winship and President Franklin D. Roosevelt championed sterilization as a solution to the island’s perceived "overpopulation" and its associated problems: unemployment, disease, and poverty. While Puerto Rican women were exploited as instruments of U.S. policy, sterilization paradoxically became widely accepted as a form of birth control on the island. This thesis critically examines the power dynamics and collective responses that …

Contracted Wars, Compromised Oversight: Private Military Companies In Iraq, Afghanistan, And The Decline Of U.S. Accountability Standards, Brianna N. Buzzell

International Studies (MA) Theses

The Global War on Terror, beginning in 2001, started U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, facilitating the expansion of Private Military Contractors (PMCs) through a combination of operational necessity, strategic policy decisions, and systemic oversight failures. Despite their growing role, PMCs operate in legal and oversight grey zones. Despite a growing body of work on PMC accountability, there remains little agreement on how U.S. military interventions created conditions for their proliferation. This paper examines how U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan facilitated the expansion of PMC influence, resulting in reduced oversight and accountability for both the U.S. government …