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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Disguising Religious Ideas In Secular Clothing: The Legitimation Of Religious Ideology In The Same-Sex Marriage Debate, Tess Burns Jun 2013

Disguising Religious Ideas In Secular Clothing: The Legitimation Of Religious Ideology In The Same-Sex Marriage Debate, Tess Burns

Honors Theses

This paper attempts to unpack the justifications of position against same-sex marriage in the hopes of revealing the process through which anti-gay rhetoric becomes acceptable. By examining the legal and political arguments against same-sex marriage, we can come to a fuller understanding of how and why ideas become legitimate. The findings will not only be applicable to the anti-gay movement, but to a number of relevant social and political issues, perhaps including abortion and even tax reform. By discovering the ways in which ideas are legitimated, we can come to a deeper appreciation of the mobilization and counter-mobilization efforts that …


Una Perspectiva Multigeneracional En La Representación Teatral De La Familia Mexicana, Abigail Calish Jun 2013

Una Perspectiva Multigeneracional En La Representación Teatral De La Familia Mexicana, Abigail Calish

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the representation of the Mexican family in plays from the three major generations of playwrights in contemporary Mexican theater. These generations are the Generation of 1950, the New Dramaturgy, and the New Theater. The family is a central unit in society, and so it is a recurring theme in many plays. Playwrights use their daily lives as inspiration for their works, and family is a constant in daily life; no matter where one lives, the family is an unavoidable part of their life. All audiences can relate to problems and issues that families experience, and so playwrights …


Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Elizabeth Cohen Jun 2013

Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Elizabeth Cohen

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on parental relationships, communication, and lifestyles and their potential in shaping their children's sexual attitudes and behaviors. Prior research has examined the effect of the media and schools on adolescent sexuality; however, there is little information on parents. The literature review was an evaluation of studies and written works focused on these three factors, media, schooling, and parental involvement, potentially having an effect on adolescent’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. It was found that media had a strong ability to over sexualize the youth of America. The educational aspect was two dimensional, there was clearly a positive aspect …


The Impact Of Marriages And Extramarital Affairs On Political Careers: A Selection Of Roman Politicians And American Presidents, Shelby Cuomo Jun 2013

The Impact Of Marriages And Extramarital Affairs On Political Careers: A Selection Of Roman Politicians And American Presidents, Shelby Cuomo

Honors Theses

This thesis explores four historical figures who engaged in extramarital affairs while holding political office. These figures include Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton. I assess the varied public responses to these men’s affairs by researching their relationships with women – that is, their wives and mistresses. In Ancient Rome, one politician was exiled from society and eventually killed in battle for his extramarital romance, whereas the other was – and still is – praised as one of the most successful politicians while he was sleeping with the wives of his allies and friends. Both presidents, …


Maternal Stress And Support In Light Of Sibling Relationships For Families Of Developmentally Disabled Children, Olivia Joyce Jun 2013

Maternal Stress And Support In Light Of Sibling Relationships For Families Of Developmentally Disabled Children, Olivia Joyce

Honors Theses

In the current research the role of sibling relationship in relation to caregivers’ stress and support levels in families of developmentally disabled children was investigated. Previous research has demonstrated the stresses and benefits both mothers and siblings of special needs children confront in raising and interacting with their child or sibling. Typically developing siblings have been shown to attenuate the disabled siblings’ problematic behaviors-the same behaviors that increase mothers’ stress levels the most (Rodrigue, Geffken, & Morgan, 1990). However, research regarding the effects of disabled siblings on typically developing siblings remains conflicted, such that both highly positive and highly negative …


How Your Past Can Influence Your Perceptions Of Sports Aggression, Christopher Sullivan Jun 2013

How Your Past Can Influence Your Perceptions Of Sports Aggression, Christopher Sullivan

Honors Theses

Sports violence has received increased attention in the media recently and more individuals are becoming aware of dangerous behaviors in sports. This study was designed to look at the effects of personal variables and past participation in sport in how they affect an individual’s perception of aggressive sports acts. The perception aggression is important to understanding why sports aggression is more accepted in different groups of people. This utilized Union College students, who took a version of the Sport Behavior Inventory in an online survey. Through the use of different indices of data, a test of means and a multi-variable …


The Non-Profit Education System In Cambodia: Case Study Of Two Programs, Sasha I. Zuflacht Jun 2013

The Non-Profit Education System In Cambodia: Case Study Of Two Programs, Sasha I. Zuflacht

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the strengths and weaknesses of two non-profit education systems in Cambodia using organizations focused on educating and supporting Cambodian youth. The study addresses the challenges that these different schools face and what they are doing to overcome these issues. Questionnaires were distributed and interviews and guided conversations were conducted at The Global Child and The Ponheary Ly Foundation; teachers, staff, volunteers and students participated. This study discusses how strategies and structure vary between these two different organizations and the impact they are having on education and youth in Cambodia. The information collected indicates that non-profit education programs …


Emancipating Modern Slaves: The Challenges Of Combating The Sex Trade, Rachel Mann Jun 2013

Emancipating Modern Slaves: The Challenges Of Combating The Sex Trade, Rachel Mann

Honors Theses

The trafficking and enslavement of women and children for sexual exploitation affects millions of victims in every region of the world. Sex trafficking operates as a business, where women are treated as commodities within a global market for sex. Traffickers profit from a supply of vulnerable women, international demand for sex slavery, and a viable means of transporting victims. Globalization and the expansion of free market capitalism have increased these factors, leading to a dramatic increase in sex trafficking. Globalization has also brought new dimensions to the fight against sex trafficking. Increasingly, governments and multinational corporations are collaborating with newly …


Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien Jun 2013

Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien

Honors Theses

There is a plethora of research focusing on athleticism, self-esteem and alcohol consumption but few studies have aimed to find a connection between these three dimensions. While much of the previous research focused on just two of these dimensions, the present study aims to uncover how these dimensions influence and impact one another. Students from Union College participated in a survey-based study in which they were asked to complete three surveys, one for each dimension. These surveys were used to identify level of athleticism, self-esteem and binge drinking behaviors among athletes and non-athletes at Union College. Based on previous research …


Allies Or Rivals? The Study Of Sibling Closeness In Young Adulthood, Jennifer Silvershein Jun 2013

Allies Or Rivals? The Study Of Sibling Closeness In Young Adulthood, Jennifer Silvershein

Honors Theses

This thesis explores closeness amongst sibling during their emerging adulthood focusing on the variations of sibling composition. Emerging adulthood (from the late teens to late 20s) is seen as an increasingly important stage of the lifecourse, but relatively little is known about the nature of sibling relationships at this age. A total of 54 young adults, 24 Union College students and their 30 siblings, completed surveys about their relationship with each other. In order to gain a full understanding of closeness siblings were asked questions focusing on similarities, intimacy, quarreling, affection, antagonism, admiration, emotional support, competition, instrumental support, dominance, acceptance, …


Friend Me On Facebook: A Generational Study Of The Effects Of Facebook On American Friendships, Brenda Souza Jun 2013

Friend Me On Facebook: A Generational Study Of The Effects Of Facebook On American Friendships, Brenda Souza

Honors Theses

Sociologists argue that new communicative technologies have changed the way in which Americans interact, relate, and connect with one another. Studies show that as a result of people’s dependency on new technologies like Facebook, friendships in the United States are rapidly declining. While there is already research addressing how younger individuals use Facebook, this study adds to the literature by examining how both younger and older individuals use Facebook. Additionally, this study examines how younger and older individuals define friendships, why they use Facebook, and whether or not they believe Facebook has affected the dynamics of friendships. Since the Union …


Subjective Well-Being Of Adolescents: Single- Versus Two-Parent Households, Diana Fletcher Jun 2013

Subjective Well-Being Of Adolescents: Single- Versus Two-Parent Households, Diana Fletcher

Honors Theses

Adolescent well-being is an important issue in society today. There are a growing number of children being raised in single-parent households, which raises questions as to whether or not these children are worse off than children raised in two-parent households. Using the 2010 American Time Use Survey Well-Being Module, this study investigates if the subjective well-being of children raised in single-parent households is worse than that of children raised in a two-parent household. Two measures of subjective well-being-the U-index and net affect-are analyzed. The U-index measures the proportion of time a respondent spends in an unpleasant state and net affect …


México, Una Nación En Riesgo: La Descomposición De La Dinámica Familiar Patriarcal En Las Obras De Jesús González Dávila, Diana Fletcher Jun 2013

México, Una Nación En Riesgo: La Descomposición De La Dinámica Familiar Patriarcal En Las Obras De Jesús González Dávila, Diana Fletcher

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the decomposition of the patriarchal family model in three plays written by Mexican dramatist Jesús González Dávila. Focusing on Pastel de zarzamora, El jardín de las delicias and De la calle, the present study analyzes the roles of the adult and the youth characters. González Dávila portrays oppressive, authoritative fathers who are power hungry and need to have control over all family matters. These domineering fathers are the roots of all the problems exhibited by the youth protagonists in all three of these plays. The younger generation has been damaged by the harsh behavior of their parents, …


La Representación De La Familia En Épocas De Transformación: Un Análisis De La Carreta (1953) De René Marqués Y Noche Cubana (2009) De José Luis García Rodríguez, Alyssa Feldman Jun 2013

La Representación De La Familia En Épocas De Transformación: Un Análisis De La Carreta (1953) De René Marqués Y Noche Cubana (2009) De José Luis García Rodríguez, Alyssa Feldman

Honors Theses

This project investigates the dramatic works La carreta (1953) by René Marqués and Noche cubana (2009) by José Luis García Rodríguez to analyze the playwrights’ utilization of the family to represent the conditions of their respective nations. La carreta describes a Puerto Rican family during the island’s transition to a Commonwealth of the United States. Marqués uses the disintegration of the family to show his opposition to Puerto Rico’s colonial status and dependency on the United States. The struggles of the family in La carreta also express Marqués’ condemnation of Puerto Rico’s industrialization and abandonment of agrarian society. Noche cubana …