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Articles 1 - 30 of 56
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Creando Las Estrellas: Determining The Quality Of The Dominican And Cuban Player Development Systems, Samuel C. Hearn
Creando Las Estrellas: Determining The Quality Of The Dominican And Cuban Player Development Systems, Samuel C. Hearn
Honors Theses
Recently, there has been a huge rise in the number of Cuban ballplayers, or peloteros, as the baseball playing Latinos are known. Why do Major League Baseball (MLB) teams go to such lengths to sign Cubans, when a heavy presence already exists in Cuba’s Caribbean neighbor, the Dominican Republic? Through the comparison educational systems, statistics of each country’s elite players, and comparative accounts of the Dominican and Cuban player development systems, the contrast between the two systems is evident. Though the Dominican system creates a large return in the investment MLB teams make in the country, the socialized sport system …
“Architects Of Their Own Solutions:” A Comparative Study Of Gender In Environmental Justice Work, Ellen Olack
“Architects Of Their Own Solutions:” A Comparative Study Of Gender In Environmental Justice Work, Ellen Olack
Honors Theses
Backgrounds, identities and beliefs of the people within a group can dictate the direction a movement takes and whether or not that movement will be able to endure. Using a series of interviews, I aim to determine how gender plays a part in shaping a person’s role within the environmental justice movement by studying if and how gender constructions influence the mindsets of not only the people working to end environmental injustice, but also of the community members living in zones affected by environmental injustice.
Soul Food: An Interpretation Of The History, Significance And Southern Roots Of The American Cuisine, Sarah Bracy Penn
Soul Food: An Interpretation Of The History, Significance And Southern Roots Of The American Cuisine, Sarah Bracy Penn
Honors Theses
This thesis is a collection of stories in which I explored several facets of soul food, the cuisine of the American South. It uses soul food as a prism to view the cuisine's connections to race, politics, economics, class, history and social consequences. Rather than write an academic paper, I presented my findings in a series of articles based on live interviews with food historians, culinary writers, entrepreneurs and chefs. I also examined various books, articles and blogs written by these culinary writers. This is not a comprehensive history of the cuisine, nor does it attempt to take sides with …
Death, Maintenance And Revitalization Of The Quechua Language In Peru: A Case Study With A Focus On San Pedro De Cajas, Madeline Fumi
Death, Maintenance And Revitalization Of The Quechua Language In Peru: A Case Study With A Focus On San Pedro De Cajas, Madeline Fumi
Honors Theses
I would like to express my gratitude to several individuals who continuously supported me throughout the process of my thesis research and writing. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dr. Maria Fionda, whose constructive criticism helped challenge and develop my critical thinking and writing skills. A special thanks goes to my second reader, Dr. William Schenck, and my third reader, Dr. Felice Coles, who gave me useful feedback regarding how to incorporate my qualitative findings in my thesis to support my main arguments. I would also like to thank Maria Teresa Alvarado for her help with numerous Spanish translations …
Windows Into Changing Worldviews: A Critical Cartographic Analysis Of Four Influential World Maps From The 13th To The 21st Century, Elizabeth E. Wicks
Windows Into Changing Worldviews: A Critical Cartographic Analysis Of Four Influential World Maps From The 13th To The 21st Century, Elizabeth E. Wicks
Honors Theses
It is an inherent part of human nature to seek knowledge of the world around us. As knowledge of the world grew, so did the need for its visual representation — thus came the introduction of the map into society. The map is a technology that allows us to see an expansive view of the world around us and to understand our own place in the world. In the past, displaying a full view of the world was more of a challenge — many regions remained unexplored or undiscovered. The mapmaker was given the task of representing both known and …
Religion And Quality Of Life In College Age Students, Kathryn E. Barefoot
Religion And Quality Of Life In College Age Students, Kathryn E. Barefoot
Honors Theses
The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between religion and quality of life in healthy participants, specifically young adults in college. Participants (N=241) completed an abridged 62 item survey by the World Health Organization, the WHOQOL-SRPB, which assess quality of life and religiosity. This experiment found that there is a positive correlation between religion and quality of life in college age students. Due to the strong relationship between spirituality and quality of life, it is determined by the researcher and study design that religiosity and quality of life affect not only elderly or terminally ill patients, but …
The Role Of Acceptance In Ptsd Symptomatology Among A Nonclinical Sample, Amanda E. Gerard
The Role Of Acceptance In Ptsd Symptomatology Among A Nonclinical Sample, Amanda E. Gerard
Honors Theses
Studies have demonstrated the role of various psychological factors such as avoidance in PTSD (Marx & Sloan, 2005; Badour et al., 2012), but research examining the role of acceptance is limited. The few studies performed in the area have demonstrated significant associations between acceptance and PTSD symptomatology (Tull et al., 2007; Vujanovic et al., 2009) in addition to providing evidence that acceptance-based treatments can be effective for PTSD (Orsillo & Batten, 2005; Batten & Hayes, 2005). The current study aimed to expand previous research by using a large nonclinical sample and controlling for several relevant comorbidities. It was hypothesized that …
Regime Type And Healthcare Systems: A Global Quantitative Analysis, R. L. Barr
Regime Type And Healthcare Systems: A Global Quantitative Analysis, R. L. Barr
Honors Theses
This thesis examines the link between regime type and healthcare systems. After reviewing literature that examines regime type, social spending, and healthcare, as well as a more specific example of regime change in Chile, it undertakes a multivariate regression analysis of 183 countries. It concludes that democracies have significantly better healthcare-system indicators, but that environmental variables, such as Latitude and Percentage of Rural Population, are more significant predictors of healthcare. It concludes that, while regime type is an important factor, dealing with ecological and locational problems of a country, such as combating tropical diseases and expanding access to infrastructure, are …
Fueling The Dragon's Fire: China's Coal Policy, Taylor Malcolm
Fueling The Dragon's Fire: China's Coal Policy, Taylor Malcolm
Honors Theses
The last few decades in China have seen unprecedented economic growth. This growth, though good for the economy, has had extreme consequences on the health of Chinese citizens as well as the environment as a whole. A major factor of this increased pollution is the country's high consumption of coal, which has rarely comprised less than 70 percent of the country's energy during the past 50 years. Though the media portrays a China which is making enormous strides in the field of environmental protection, the energy and environmental policies of the country suggest that it will continue using large amounts …
Millennial Specific Techniques For Nonprofit Marketing Communications: A Messaging Study For World Relief, Taylor M. Davenport
Millennial Specific Techniques For Nonprofit Marketing Communications: A Messaging Study For World Relief, Taylor M. Davenport
Honors Theses
Nonprofit organizations are quickly catching up to for profit companies in their marketing communications endeavors. World Relief, a faith-based nonprofit organization that strives to empower the vulnerable, is one of those organizations. While they have made huge strides in recent years, they are missing the mark when it comes to reaching millennials. This thesis sought to research effective millennial specific messaging techniques and implement an integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign using the findings. This thesis compiles research on millennials from the Pew Research Center and other sources as a background for primary research. A survey and focus group were conducted …
The Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership: Legislative Action And The Future Of Transatlantic Trade, Zachery Newton
The Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership: Legislative Action And The Future Of Transatlantic Trade, Zachery Newton
Honors Theses
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a controversial free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, and is currently in negotiations as of the publication of this thesis. The TTIP seeks to remove both tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) between the EU and the US, such as environmental and food safety regulatory divergences. This paper seeks to predict the outcome of negotiations, while considering the various cultural, economic, and political factors that play into the potential success or failure of the TTIP. To accomplish this, the paper takes a broad look at the …
The Effects Of Political Culture On The Administrative Functions Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children, Catherine A. Pena
The Effects Of Political Culture On The Administrative Functions Of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children, Catherine A. Pena
Honors Theses
This thesis examines The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in three different regions that have different political cultures to better understand the influence of political culture on the administrative functions and characteristics of the WIC Program. The WIC Program provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. To explore the role of political cultures' effects on the administrative functions of the WIC Program, this thesis will use …
Women Hold Up Half The Internet: Examining The Political Identities Of Chinese Women Bloggers, Taylor Brack
Women Hold Up Half The Internet: Examining The Political Identities Of Chinese Women Bloggers, Taylor Brack
Honors Theses
No abstract provided.
A Comparison Of Mitragyna Speciosa And Mitragynine Against Opioids On Thermal Nociception In Rats, Catherine Criddle
A Comparison Of Mitragyna Speciosa And Mitragynine Against Opioids On Thermal Nociception In Rats, Catherine Criddle
Honors Theses
The purpose of this experiment is to compare Mitragyna speciosa (M. speciosa) and its active component, mitragynine, a known µ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist, against well-known and commonly abused opioids, morphine and oxycodone. Another goal of this research is to determine if these compounds are also active when administered orally as is typical in human users. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered M. speciosa and mitragynine both intraperitoneally (IP) and orally and their antinociceptive effects were evaluated on the hotplate. Mitragynine exhibited antinociceptive effects similar to oxycodone when administered both IP and orally. M. speciosa exhibited a trend towards antinociceptive effects when …
Economic Vs. Ideological Interests: Examining Chinese Arms Exports And Aid, James Delton Rhodes
Economic Vs. Ideological Interests: Examining Chinese Arms Exports And Aid, James Delton Rhodes
Honors Theses
This thesis examines China's role in the world, specifically from 1990 to 2011. I discuss China's arms exports and outward direct investment (ODI) and how these relate with China's policy goals. Do Chinese leaders use these two methods as means of gaining long-term, international hegemonic/ strategic support, or are they related to gaining short-term, domestic economic-based support? In this thesis, I attempt to look into international political theory (constructivism and rationalism) and how this applies to China's current and future ambitions as a world power. I test this by looking at factors like UN voting, polity IV score, and natural …
Producer Perspectives: Local Food System Development In The Global South, Jillian Cowart
Producer Perspectives: Local Food System Development In The Global South, Jillian Cowart
Honors Theses
Local food systems can be used to promote more equitable and sustainable development in communities internationally, but farmers often face challenges in further developing and promoting the systems in which they participate. Through this comparative study of producers involved in two local food systems in the global south — Sokone, Senegal and Cleveland, Mississippi — farmers were interviewed to determine what challenges and opportunities they face in regard to this area of development. In addition to observations of the two communities' farmers markets, intensive interviews were conducted with ten farmers in Sokone and nine farmers in Cleveland. Qualitative data were …
The Impact Of Hosting The Summer Olympic Games On Economic Growth In Developing Countries: A Case Study Of The 2008 Beijing Games, K. G. Scott
Honors Theses
This paper examines the economic growth effects of hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games within the municipality of Beijing and throughout China. To test for the significance of such growth effects, a two-stage least squares regression model with instrumental variables in employed. The regression results provide no evidence that hosting the Olympic Games had a positive impact on economic growth in China or within Beijing, but they do offer evidence that the games resulted in a short-term boost in gross regional product levels throughout the country. Such results suggest that the economic benefits of hosting the games in developing countries …
A Study Of Public Opinion On Sex Education In Mississippi, Karson Brandenburg
A Study Of Public Opinion On Sex Education In Mississippi, Karson Brandenburg
Honors Theses
In 2011, Mississippi, a state ranked fourth in the nation for high teen pregnancy rates, passed a law mandating sex education for all public school districts in the form of either the abstinence-only or the abstinence-plus method. This thesis describes the background of those two methods and how they are currently being implemented in Mississippi school districts. Additionally, it looks at how Mississippi parents and leaders feel about sex education in schools as a whole and then more specifically how they feel about the current options for sex education and the execution of sex education classes. This was done through …
Still Innocents Abroad: The Relationship Between Anti-Americanism And American Foreign Policy In The Middle East, Kelly Kennedy
Still Innocents Abroad: The Relationship Between Anti-Americanism And American Foreign Policy In The Middle East, Kelly Kennedy
Honors Theses
In this thesis, the author examined the relationship between anti-American sentiment and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The author first constructed a literature review on anti-Americanism, including sections discussing its definition, conceptualization, measurement techniques, and known sources. From this literature review, the author created her own definition of anti-Americanism and a hypothesis that anti-Americanism is endogenous to U.S. foreign policy—anti-Americanism may increase or decrease depending on changes to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The author then used a quantitative comparison of survey data and two qualitative case studies to test her hypothesis. The comparison of survey …
Red, Blue, And Green: Determining Environmental Orientation On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Kendall Lane Mcdonald
Red, Blue, And Green: Determining Environmental Orientation On The University Of Mississippi Campus, Kendall Lane Mcdonald
Honors Theses
The goal of this research was to identify and begin to understand the environmental attitudes and behaviors of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Mississippi. This study employed a quantitative survey approach. The survey consisted of the Revised New Ecological Paradigm scale to measure environmental attitudes, and a lifestyle questionnaire to gauge self-reported sustainability behaviors and relationship with the natural world. This survey was broadcasted to all within the University of Mississippi's email listserv. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, means comparisons, and independent samples t-tests. Major findings included: women reported more pro-ecological responses than men in all …
An Examination Of The Theory Of Alternate Routes To High School Graduation And Its Implication On Mississippi's Educational System, Kimberly L. Hardges
An Examination Of The Theory Of Alternate Routes To High School Graduation And Its Implication On Mississippi's Educational System, Kimberly L. Hardges
Honors Theses
During Mississippi's 2014 Regular Legislative Session, Representative John L. Moore, Chair of the Education Committee, introduced House Bill 767 (HB 767). The goal of HB 767 was to create a pilot program that would remove the requirement for passage of Subject Area Tests as a mandatory requirement for graduation... and to establish the minimum composite score to be attained on the ACT assessment to qualify a student for graduation and for college and career readiness1 in the state of Mississippi. By a vote of 118-1 HB 767 passed the House. The bill was then transmitted to the Mississippi State Senate …
In Vino Veritas: A Comparison Of Organic Winemaking And Attitudes Towards Organic Wine In Four Global Regions, Mary Sloan Merkel
In Vino Veritas: A Comparison Of Organic Winemaking And Attitudes Towards Organic Wine In Four Global Regions, Mary Sloan Merkel
Honors Theses
Organic winemaking is a very high value adding activity for the economy, but the industry has seen different levels of growth throughout the world. It is unclear whether organic winemaking is a viable long-term activity in prominent winemaking regions. This thesis looks at the regulations dealing with organic winemaking and attitudes towards organic wine in four major wine producing areas in the world: the United States, Italy, Argentina, and New Zealand. This thesis uses an extensive literature review of existing studies and papers dealing with organic wine, as well as government regulations and private standards to determine the current practices …
That Awkward Moment When...: An Explanation Of How Britain Made The Modern Arab World Homophobic, Sequareah Sayles
That Awkward Moment When...: An Explanation Of How Britain Made The Modern Arab World Homophobic, Sequareah Sayles
Honors Theses
It is well documented that over the last decade, LGB individuals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have become more subjected to increased harassment, abuse and, perhaps, even torture at the hands of police officials. What is also well documented, but rarely mentioned is the prominence of homosexuality and its suggested acceptance in literature during the Islamic Golden Age (622-1258). So, what happened? Using an interdisciplinary approach, this thesis sheds light on the reasons for the attitudinal change regarding homosexuality between the Islamic Golden Age and contemporary Islamic states in the MENA region after 1918. These are …
Catalunya No Es Espanya?: Examining Catalan Nationalism, Shiloh Jaggers Jones
Catalunya No Es Espanya?: Examining Catalan Nationalism, Shiloh Jaggers Jones
Honors Theses
Catalonia is one of a few European separatist movements that have real significance in the European political sphere. Separatism is new to Catalonia, however Catalan nationalism is not. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, this thesis explains that the reason the Catalan nationalist movement is so strong and demands the attention it is receiving in the Spanish national and international communities is the long-standing political, economic, and cultural foundations that have been building even before Catalonia was formed. Likewise, these foundations combined with the triggering events of the recession of the late 2000s and the Spanish constitutional court …
Crime And Security In Brazil: Brazil's Pacification Efforts In The Favelas Of Rio De Janeiro, Susan C. Shea
Crime And Security In Brazil: Brazil's Pacification Efforts In The Favelas Of Rio De Janeiro, Susan C. Shea
Honors Theses
The purpose of this research is to study Brazil's current pacification efforts in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has long been linked to violent crime, corruption, and increasing social inequality. It features more homicides than any other country on earth: one in ten people killed around the world each year is a Brazilian (Carvalho, 2015). However, in 2008, Rio's state government began applying a new law enforcement program to rid favelas of gangs and crime before hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. Information on the current/future tactics and strategies that Rio will incorporate into …
County Chairs Speak Out: How Mississippi's County Party Organizations Connect With Voters, Phillip C. Waller
County Chairs Speak Out: How Mississippi's County Party Organizations Connect With Voters, Phillip C. Waller
Honors Theses
This paper includes the results of a qualitative study of 11 Mississippi county party chairs interviewed about their role in the state and how that role has been affected by redistricting. I highlight their comments on their perceived roles, organizational purpose, voter outreach strategies, competition, voter turnout and state and county relationships. Though I started my project hoping to focus on the effects of redistricting on county party organizations' outreach to voters, only 3 of the 11 county chairs I interviewed significantly changed their actions after the 2011 redistricting cycle. The only county chairs who mentioned major changes in their …
The Evolution Of Chinese Students' Motivations To Study Abroad In The U.S., Alison Elizabeth Bartel
The Evolution Of Chinese Students' Motivations To Study Abroad In The U.S., Alison Elizabeth Bartel
Honors Theses
Through interviews conducted in Nanjing, China during Fall 2014, this thesis sought to examine Chinese students' motivations to study abroad in the U.S. and how those motivations have changed over time in the context of Chinese and U.S. policy since reform and opening. Research showed that since 1979, Chinese students have more freedom of choice and economic means to expand their study abroad opportunities. Until now, the United States has been Chinese students' primary destination of choice, but according to modern-day Chinese college students, other similarly developed countries are beginning to draw more and more Chinese students, who may choose …
I Don't Need To Read, I'M Gonna Play Football: Male Collegiate Athletes' Perception Of Reading, Anna Kathryn Suggs
I Don't Need To Read, I'M Gonna Play Football: Male Collegiate Athletes' Perception Of Reading, Anna Kathryn Suggs
Honors Theses
My research is comprised of data collected from surveys and interviews to gain a better understanding of how college athletes, especially those from low-income backgrounds, perceive their past experience with reading. I surveyed ninety-three freshmen male athletes. I then narrowed my research to focus specifically on male freshmen athletes from all sports and football players of all years, since football has the highest percentage of athletes from low-income backgrounds. I then interviewed six student athletes on the football team. I found that whether or not a student athlete is read to as a child, enjoyed reading as a child, and …
The Effect Of A Neurotoxic Dose Of Methamphetamine On Attention And Response Learning In The Rat, Anja Kremer
The Effect Of A Neurotoxic Dose Of Methamphetamine On Attention And Response Learning In The Rat, Anja Kremer
Honors Theses
High doses of methamphetamine (neurotoxic doses) have been shown to have an effect on both attention and response learning. In previous literature, meth rats were found to have higher reaction times, and therefore, it has been concluded that meth may cause a deficit in response learning. Our study, using modal initiation time as a measure of response learning, found no effects of methamphetamine or training condition on mode. Studies have also shown positively skewed reaction time distributions, which have been defined as attentional lapses. Our experiment used DevMode to measure these lapses. Although meth did not, training condition did have …
Exploring Discipline Policy Problems In Mississippi Pre-K, Briana A. O'Neil
Exploring Discipline Policy Problems In Mississippi Pre-K, Briana A. O'Neil
Honors Theses
This thesis seeks to examine the current state of discipline in publicly funded pre-K in Mississippi to determine policy that state policymakers can implement to prevent excessive suspensions and expulsions. This thesis also takes into account racial disparities found in disciplining pre-K students and explores methods that Mississippi can add to pre-K discipline policy as a preventive measure. Two case studies on North Carolina and Tennessee are utilized to identify potential strategies that Mississippi education can learn from. After analyzing both states, I realized that positive behavior reinforcement had success in both states. North Carolina's Positive Behavior Support and Intervention …