Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Using Random Forests To Describe Equity In Higher Education: A Critical Quantitative Analysis Of Utah’S Postsecondary Pipelines, Tyler Mcdaniel Apr 2018

Using Random Forests To Describe Equity In Higher Education: A Critical Quantitative Analysis Of Utah’S Postsecondary Pipelines, Tyler Mcdaniel

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

The following work examines the Random Forest (RF) algorithm as a tool for predicting student outcomes and interrogating the equity of postsecondary education pipelines. The RF model, created using longitudinal data of 41,303 students from Utah's 2008 high school graduation cohort, is compared to logistic and linear models, which are commonly used to predict college access and success. Substantially, this work finds High School GPA to be the best predictor of postsecondary GPA, whereas commonly used ACT and AP test scores are not nearly as important. Each model identified several demographic disparities in higher education access, most significantly the effects …


Do Black And White Americans Hold Different Views On Marijuana Legalization? Analyzing The Impact Of “The War On Drugs” On Racialized Perceptions Of Legalizing Marijuana, Benjamin S. Kaminoff Apr 2018

Do Black And White Americans Hold Different Views On Marijuana Legalization? Analyzing The Impact Of “The War On Drugs” On Racialized Perceptions Of Legalizing Marijuana, Benjamin S. Kaminoff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study examines whether Black and White Americans develop their views regarding the legalization of marijuana based on different life experiences and, specifically, their involvement with the criminal justice system and drug laws. It aims to investigate if Black Americans generate their views regarding marijuana legalization differently than Whites based on concerns about Blacks as a group and the experiences of Black communities with the criminal justice system. It relies on qualitative interviews of White and Black Americans (n = 7) over the age of 35. The results preliminarily show that while White Americans develop views on legalizing marijuana based …


Allopathic Medicine’S Influence On Indigenous Peoples In The Kumaon Region Of India, Eliana M. Blum Apr 2018

Allopathic Medicine’S Influence On Indigenous Peoples In The Kumaon Region Of India, Eliana M. Blum

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper focuses on the use of western medicine in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. The goal of this research is to understand which healing practices are preferable in rural villages. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 participants, including two spiritual healers, two doctors, and one pharmacist. Results indicate that allopathic medicine, otherwise known as modern medicine or western medicine, has become the go-to remedy for even the most remote people in India. Nearly all participants use allopathic medicine, but less than half of the participants experiment with other forms of healing, such as Ayurveda, homeopathy, meditation, and yoga. …


The Portrayal Of Child Soldiers In Documentaries And Hollywood Film, Jessica Tassava Apr 2017

The Portrayal Of Child Soldiers In Documentaries And Hollywood Film, Jessica Tassava

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

People in the United States are becoming increasingly mindful of child soldiers, with film being a critical means of bringing about awareness. However, awareness can be dependent upon media representation since most individuals in the U.S. do not have direct experiences with child soldiers. The purpose of the present study is to discover how the media has portrayed child soldiers in Hollywood films and documentaries, with an emphasis on the portrayal of violence, the role of women, and the reintegration experiences of child soldiers that are shown. Through a combined qualitative and quantitative content analysis, this study explores the depictions …


Gender Differences In Participation In And Motivations For Sexting: The Effects Of Gender Role Attitudes, Masculinity, And Femininity, Katie M. Springston Apr 2017

Gender Differences In Participation In And Motivations For Sexting: The Effects Of Gender Role Attitudes, Masculinity, And Femininity, Katie M. Springston

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sexting, the exchange of sexually explicit messages, images, and videos through mobile phones, has in recent years become an increasingly publicized and common occurrence in our technologically advanced society (Strassberg, Rullo, & Mackaronis, 2014). The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of gender, gender role attitudes, and self-perceptions of masculinity and femininity on participation in and motivations for sexting. Using a cross-sectional design, a self-administered questionnaire was given to 222 Butler students during the early part of the spring 2016 academic semester. This questionnaire included items regarding demographics, the activity of sexting, personal participation in sexting, self-perceptions …


Problematizing Europe’S Borders In The Context Of The Recent Refugee Crisis, Liam A. Simmonds Apr 2017

Problematizing Europe’S Borders In The Context Of The Recent Refugee Crisis, Liam A. Simmonds

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

The fundamental problem of Europe’s borders is how a bounded social reality is to be organized, primarily meaning who is to be included and who is to be excluded. The present refugee crisis has only served to expose and intensify this raison d'être of borders as exclusionary mechanisms which carry great political, economic, and symbolic weight, frequently much to the detriment of those excluded by them. Primarily drawing from the international political sociological work of Didier Bigo and affiliated scholars, I present a theoretical paper coupled with relevant empirical examples to present a critique of the exclusionary modes of operation …


Why Do Boys Love Frozen, A Disney Princess Movie?, Payton E. Butler Apr 2016

Why Do Boys Love Frozen, A Disney Princess Movie?, Payton E. Butler

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

Frozen holds box office records for both Disney Princess films and animated features as a genre. The key to its success was capturing not only girls, but the whole child market of both girls and boys. How did “a princess movie” come to capture the heart and mind of the stereotypical American boy? Through analytical review of the film, as well as previous research on boys and their media preferences, I identify four factors that contribute to Frozen’s success: focused advertising, exciting action scenes, appealing humor, and a higher ratio of male to female characters. These factors have enabled boys …