Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study Of Lifestyle Migration In Buenos, Aires Argentina, Sofia Inés Repetto

Senior Theses

Migration is a worldwide phenomenon driven largely by economic, political and social factors. A migrant’s personal aspirations and capabilities play a large role on his/her decision to migration. In my thesis, I aimed to find how the aforementioned fit into lifestyle migration, particularly in lifestyle migration to Argentina. In order to do this, I compared current lifestyle migration to Buenos Aires to the waves of immigration that the nation received during the Age of Mass Migration and in the post-World War II era. I also compared lifestyle migration to the immigration from other Global South nations to Argentina. In this …

Between Cultures: An Expressive Arts Community Engagement Project On Identity, Belonging, And Cultural Transition Among International Students, Shilpa Ivaturi

Expressive Therapies Theses

International students navigating cultural transition often experience disruptions not only in social adjustment but also in their sense of identity, belonging, and meaning-making. Grounded in expressive arts therapy, cross-cultural psychology, and mythopoetic frameworks of transformation, this thesis explores how creative processes can support international students in reflecting on and integrating their evolving identities during periods of cultural transition. A four-hour trauma-informed expressive arts workshop, structured around the Hero’s Journey arc of departure, initiation, and return, was facilitated across two sessions at a university in the northeastern United States. Seven international students from diverse cultural backgrounds engaged in multimodal practices including …

Vietnamese American Anti-Imperialism: South Vietnamese History And Analysis Of Publications Pre-1975, Jeannie Nguyen

Master's Theses

During the Vietnam War, citizens contested US imperialism at multiple levels. In South Vietnam, citizens published newspapers and magazines to challenge their government and expose the depth of US aggression in South Vietnamese society and culture. Inside the imperial core, Black, Chicano, and Asian American activists formed solidarities to resist the war and challenge racial inequality. At the intersection of imperialism inside and outside its borders, lies a group of South Vietnamese students and scholars who became American, migrating during the war via state-structured projects. However, in response to the heightening of war and drawing inspiration from their ‘Third World’ …

Constructing Imperial Connectivity: State Infrastructure Projects And The Imperial Gaze In Bengal Presidency, 1849-1856, Richard William Bradley Gaspers Iii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The construction of roads, canals, and supporting infrastructure in British India connected urban environs of power to interior peripheral spaces. The conclusion of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 saw the East India Company stand alone as the paramount power over the Indian subcontinent. A century of conquest gave way to a century of internal management. This shifted the state’s ‘gaze’ inward. Public infrastructure construction skyrocketed after 1849, transforming the role of the colonial state as it built roads, canals, bridges, courthouses, police stations, and jails on an unprecedented scale. This thesis will explore how these physical constructs bolstered connectivity, …

Hammurabi’S Laws: Ancient Traditions Of Violence, Aaron Secrist

The Confluence

The tradition of enforcing private property through violence is truly ancient, and goes back thousands of years to the first civilizations. There exists a prevailing attitude that contemporary culture is more “civilized” than the first organized societies – and while it’s true in some ways, our laws are still remarkably similar to those practiced in antiquity. In the following essay, I analyze the Law Code of Hammurabi and examine its parallels to the way laws function today. First, I will provide context for the technological advances that made the first city-states possible, then give a cultural and economic overview of …

Identity And Intervention: United States' Foreign Policy Toward The Dominican Republic, Eileen Ledesma

College Honors Program

Constructivist theory provides a framework for understanding United States foreign policy toward the Dominican Republic during the U.S. occupation (1916-1924), the rise and consolidation of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo’s dictatorship, and the regime’s eventual political isolation during the Cold War. This thesis argues that U.S. foreign policy was shaped by identity narratives and political culture, also identified through historically constructed understandings and the repeated performance of legitimacy and order. By situating U.S.-Dominican Republic relations within broader debates in international relations theory, this thesis highlights the explanatory value of constructivism in understanding the evolution and contradictions of U.S. policy in Latin America. …

The Impact Of Trump Administration Immigration Policies On Connecticut Educators And Families, Elena C. Bielesz

Honors Scholar Theses

Anti-immigrant rhetoric, policies, and practices, which have grown increasingly prevalent due to the current national political climate, have adverse effects on the mental health of immigrant families and the teachers that support them in Connecticut. This study seeks to represent the opinions of Connecticut K-12 MLL (Multilingual Learners) Education Teachers and Administrators whose daily lives are impacted by the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies and procedures. The study employed a human subjects-based approach supported by a review of related literature. MLL Educators from around the state of Connecticut were interviewed. These interviews found that while immigration-based trauma and stressors are common …

Not The Only Game In Town: Unconsolidated Democracy, Elite Capture, And Shifting Alliances In Georgia, Leah Mayerhauser

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

This paper examines Georgia’s post-Soviet political development to explain why the country, once viewed as a leading candidate for democratic consolidation, has experienced sustained democratic erosion and shifting geopolitical alignment. Drawing on Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan’s theory of democratic consolidation, it argues that Georgia never fully achieved a consolidated democracy after independence, leaving key institutional arenas including civil society, political society, rule of law, state bureaucracy, and economic society, unevenly developed and vulnerable to elite capture. Through a historical and institutional analysis from 1991 to 2026, this paper traces how early failures in state formation, unresolved questions of stateness, …

Not Retirement, But A Rewiring And Fresh Perspectives Post-Dbs, Says Piyush Gupta [Interview With Business Times], Su Shyan Lee, Piyush Gupta

Oral History Collection

In an interview with The Business Times, SMU Chairman Piyush Gupta discussed topics ranging from meditation and conservation to the future of education. On his role at SMU, he emphasised his desire to help shape tertiary education and noted that the rise of AI makes it critical to rethink how we learn. Mr Gupta believes that in an AI-driven world, students must move beyond domain knowledge to focus on interpreting information, "connecting the dots," and engaging others with genuine empathy. He is supportive of a more experiential curriculum at SMU — one that focuses on regional exposure through internships and …

Remembering Return: Diasporic Identity And The Tabom Community In Accra, Elizabeth Akosua Adobea Danso

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the historical and cultural significance of the Tabom community in Accra, Ghana, as a case study in diasporic identity, collective memory, and return migration. As descendants of Afro-Brazilian returnees who arrived in the Gold Coast in the early nineteenth century, the Tabom occupy a distinctive position within Ghana's social and historical landscape, navigating multiple cultural affiliations across Brazilian, Yoruba, Hausa, Ga, and Ghanaian identities over generations. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Jamestown, Accra, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and oral history collection, this thesis argues that Tabom identity is neither static nor reducible to a singular …

Nuclear Weapons And Conflict Escalation: Impacts On Fatalities And The India-China Case, Tyden J. Kortman

Honors Theses

The study of nuclear weapons and their impact on conflict have existed as long as nuclear weapons themselves. Nonetheless, many questions remain on whether nuclear weapons serve primarily as a deterrent to conflict or as an avenue towards the deadliest form of warfare in human history. We use both statistical analysis against a large conflict dataset and a case study of India-China conflicts from 1955-1979 to contribute to the ongoing literature on this question. We hypothesize that nuclear weapons lower the rate of conflict and dispute escalation. After statistical testing and case study analysis, we found that there was no …

From Farewell To Fáilte: The Voices Of Iowa’S Irish Daughters, Katie Hermanson

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Irish women’s immigration to Iowa brought rich culture and lasting impacts, despite their contributions being silenced by history. Women left Ireland for economic opportunity and education abroad to support their impoverished families. Millions emigrated between 1830 and 1915, spreading across the world. The Irish women who came to the United States encountered discrimination and cultural stereotyping as they worked in domestic service, developed religious orders, taught school, owned businesses and raised families. Women bore the burden of supporting their families in Ireland by sending remittances home and communicating between countries. Their cultural identity as exiles dwelled in guilt for leaving …

How Ai Governance Differs Between Regime Type, Jackson T. Guillou

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and development differ across political regime types, arguing that governance outcomes are fundamentally shaped by institutional political structures. This thesis will draw on comparative frameworks analyzing democratic and authoritarian systems. This thesis will also include case studies of the European Union, the United States of America, China, and Russia. The study finds that democratic regimes tend to emphasize transparency, accountability, and rights-based regulation of AI. This often results in slow regulation of AI, but it is more ethically legitimate and constrained. In contrast, authoritarian regimes prioritize centralized control, strategic coordination, and …

Hidden In Plain Sight: A Critical Examination Of The Sec’S Climate Disclosure Rule And Shortcomings In Addressing Multinational Instances Of Industrial Pollution, Charity Christina Williams

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

As Pillar Two Reshapes Cross-Border Investment, Canada Should Recognize U.S. Llcs As Fiscally Transparent Entities, Matthew Sciamanna

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Smash And Grab: How Cultural Property Theft And Destruction Erase Civilizations, Katie-Ann Miller

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Ending The Stigma: Abolishing India’S Marital Rape Exception And Post Abolition Practices, Hibah Hasan

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

The Conceptual Architecture Of America First—Ideological Transactionalism And The Case Of Cuba, Larry Catá Backer

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Are There Gender Disparities In Chinese Legal Education? – An Empirical Enquiry, Peter C.H. Chan, Haojin Duan

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Foreword

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Dedication

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Joy Beyond Circumstance: Crafting A Picture Book That Challenges Western Perceptions Of Joy, Sarah L. Stockett

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the creation of a children’s picture book as a method of challenging Western perceptions of happiness, particularly the assumption that material abundance determines joy. Drawing from two service-based experiences with Zoe Ministries in Kitale, Kenya, the project centers on The Glad Rag, a picture book in which a single piece of fabric travels through many hands and becomes many useful items. Through this narrative, the book invites young readers to consider resourcefulness, gratitude, and joy that transcends circumstance.

The project uses a mixed-methods research approach. Primary data were gathered through participant observation and informal conversations on …

The Weaponization Of Transnational Crime: A Triangular Analytical Model For Hybrid Threat Development In U.S.–China–Russia Relations, 2000–2025, Michael J. Haak

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the evolving strategic relationship between the United States, China, and Russia from 2000 to 2025 through a triangular model based on reactions to systemic pressures to core strategic interests. The study employs a thematic qualitative data analysis on U.S., Chinese, and Russian national security strategies to analyze strategic posturing between poles over time. This new model serves as the study’s basis for contextualizing hybrid threat development, specifically transnational crime as a proxy force of asymmetric power projection. The study found that the evolution of state-supported transnational crime serves as a by-product of reactions to systemic pressure. State …

Infrastructures Of Control: The Prc Party-State And The Diffusion Of Surveillance Technology To The Global South, Lincoln Bartelt

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This investigation examines the relationship between Chinese surveillance technology exports and the rise of digital authoritarianism in Ecuador and Zimbabwe from 2007 to 2024. Using a mixed-methods correlational case study design, it constructs a five-dimensional Surveillance Export Intensity Index (SEII) from United Nations Comtrade data under HS codes 8525 and 8517 and compares it against ten indicators of digital repression drawn from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset. Qualitative analysis from Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, and primary source documents provides depth and mechanism to the quantitative findings.

Results indicate that spikes in Chinese surveillance exports correlate most strongly with …

Impacts Of Political Parties: Do They "Close The Gap" For Aboriginal Cultures Of Australia And Torres Strait Islanders, Megan Marsala

Transformations: Presentation Slides

This presentation demonstrates the effects of two of Australia's political parties, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal Party of Australia on the conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from the Land Rights Movement of 1967 to the Voice to Parliament Referendum of 2023. This research is proposed through the analysis of key federal legislations from both parties, including the Land Rights Movement, the establishment and abolition of ATSIC, the Closing the Gap initiative, and the Voice to Parliament Referendum to prove whether these legislations put into place by their respective party advanced the process of self …

Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration, William E. Montgomery V

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

The divergence in public immigration sentiment between Italy and Spain, two countries with striking historical, geographic, and demographic similarities, is seen as a mystery for popular theoretical frameworks. Although both nations transitioned from net emigration to net immigration beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, Italy has consistently exhibited more negative attitudes toward immigration relative to the European average, while Spain has seen sustained improvement in immigration sentiment despite receiving immigrants at historically unprecedented levels. Employing a Most Similar Systems Design and drawing on quantitative demographic and survey data, primary legislative texts, and secondary scholarly literature, this thesis tests Group Threat …

An Exploration Of Aviation Safety Culture In Nigeria, Ernest N. Ogbozor, Jules Yimga, Nicholas Degarmo, Hana Marz, Kathrine Lopez, Michael Chrisman, Cedric Leon, Joao Souza Dias Garcia, Mariateresa Sestito, Harrison Debrah, Albert Obi, Chidinma Chidoka

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Despite sustained regulatory reforms, infrastructural development and capacity-building initiatives, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies and a key regional aviation market, continues to experience significant safety deficiencies. This study examines how national cultural norms shape safety practices and performance in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, it combines a systematic literature review, structured safety culture surveys, and semi-structured expert interviews to analyze interactions among regulatory frameworks, organizational practices, and human factors. Findings show that deeply embedded norms, particularly authority gradients, rule adherence, reporting behavior, and accountability, significantly influence safety outcomes. Although leadership commitment and safety awareness appear relatively …

Unmaking And Remaking Crimean Tatar Identity Stalin’S Deportation, Sürgün Stories, And The Claiming Of Indigeneity, Milo A. Clarkson

International Studies Honors Projects

The Crimean Tatars exist within a framework of historical and modern Russian settler colonial oppression. By examining their preferred form of identification, this thesis argues that claiming indigeneity holds promise for combating this colonial structure. Further, it identifies the construction of collective memories of the Sürgün (1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars) in virtual museum project Tamirlar’s oral histories as a form of discursive decolonization—the reclamation of cultural, linguistic, and historical representation and primacy on the land. Novel analysis of fifty interviews with Sürgün survivors preserves indigenous Crimean identity and challenges the retrospective settler colonial construction of Crimea as “Russian.”

Determinants Of Hypertension Awareness And Control In Kenya: A Secondary Analysis Of National Survey Data, Alexander K. Davis

Poster Presentations

No abstract provided.