Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Rising Fastball Velocities On Injuries And Hbp In Mlb, William Campbell

Economics Theses

This paper analyzes the literature surrounding the relationship between MLB pitcher velocity, pitcher injury time, and hit batsmen which indicates that pitcher velocity is likely the cause for higher injury rates and an increase in batters hit. Two linear regression models were used to examine both of these relationships. The data set included average pitcher fastball velocity, number of pitches, time injured, and the number of hit batters for pitchers who threw more than one hundred fastballs in any year between 2015-2022. The first regression found no significance between velocity and time injured however the relationship was positive. The second …

How Has The Foreign Substance Ban Implemented By The Mlb Affected Mlb Pitcher Spin Rate And Opponent Batting Statistics In 2021? Was It Effective?, Jack Mccullar

Economics Theses

This study analyzes the effects of the MLB foreign substance ban on pitcher spin rates and batting averages with different pitches. During the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 MLB seasons, pitchers throughout the league were accused of putting pine tar, Spider Tack, and other banned substances onto baseballs in order to create an artificially high spin rate. A higher spin rate makes hitting much harder and batters tend to strike out much more often. These factors contributed to a reduction in runs scored per game and generated frustrated fans. Consequently, the MLB implemented a substance ban in 2021 over concern that interest …

Life Insurance Access And Financial Resilience: Fostering Sustainable And Inclusive Growth In Latin America, Nicolas Thompsen

Honors Program Theses

Existing literature has documented an increasing focus on financial resilience to better address the issue of multidimensional poverty in developing regions. The move to financial resilience is a part of a long process that has examined the relationship between poverty and financial access. Yet because financial resilience is a relatively new topic, the specifics of how financial resilience can be fostered using specific financial products has yet to be substantiated. Thus, this study offers an examination of the relationship between life insurance access and financial resilience in a sample of 16 middle-income Latin American countries, the first study of its …

Racing The Machine: Automation-Induced Inequality Through The Lens Of The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Evelyn Martin

Economics Theses

This paper analyzes the scope and velocity of automation-induced inequality as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We find that, when left unchecked by intentional government policy, the direct impacts of inequality will affect virtually all demographic groups and occupational skill levels, as well as, be hastened by future recessions and noticeable skill biases. We find that unconditional cash transfers in the form of a universal basic income have the potential to address the aforementioned scope and velocity due to their cash transfer modality and universal qualities. As we are living through the start of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, …

The Cnn Effect And State Violence Against Muslim Ethnic Minorities, Sydni Resnick

International Political Economy Theses

The emergence of new technology and mass social media has become a dominant tool for the propaganda machine which cycles baseless fringe opinions through unfettered and relentless iterations providing a false legitimacy to an alternative set of baseless facts that ultimately drives official policies. Specifically, the media is important as it molds public perception and brings global attention to international crises. International crises, such as ethnic cleansings or genocides, are widespread throughout the globe. Throughout history, genocides have been possible by the production of false narratives against specific religious or ethnic minorities. These narratives were promoted and reiterated by national …

Climate Migration And Human Security, Sam Meade

International Political Economy Theses

This paper examines climate change induced migration, human security, and the subsequent economic, political, and social fallout. By Examining the Arab spring through the lens of climate science, it becomes clear that climatic variability and a fragile global agricultural commodity system played an imperative role in sparking the 2011 Arab Spring and resulting civil conflicts. Next, I explore the international and regional policy responses to rising tides in the South Pacific. Low lying Pacific Island nations are among the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change, and most residents will be forced to migrate off-island in the coming …

Proto-Nationalism In Scandinavia: Swedish State Building In The Middle Ages, Alexander Jacobson

Honors Program Theses

Nationalism is usually considered a modern socio-political development and a product of the French and Industrial Revolutions. However most scholarship done on nationalism largely overlooks religion, and excludes both its presence in the Middle Ages and its development in Scandinavia--focusing heavily on German, British, French, and Central European variations of nationalism. For Scandinavians in the late Middle Ages and Early Modern era, nationalism did not emerge exactly like their European counterparts. It was the product of early religious, technological, and economic changes over the course of the 15th and 16th Centuries that restructured European politics, society, and identity. Using early …

Understanding Without Explanation? A Philosophical Inquiry Into The Explanation Paradox Of Economic Models, Eric Haupt

Economics Theses

Conventional economic modeling is frequently criticized for being “unrealistic” due to the variety of unrealistic assumptions that underpin many models. Critics frequently wonder how models that are unrealistic or false can accurately explain economic phenomena. This criticism and the problem it presents for economics is captured by Julian Reiss’s “explanation paradox.” This paper aims to evaluate Reiss’s paradox and assess the problems it poses for economics as a positive science. To address this problem, I survey a variety of competing strategies offered by philosophers and economists before critically evaluating the validity of the paradox. I conclude that while economic models …

"Disorientation": Its Theoretical Underpinnings And Its Political Potential At The University Of Puget Sound, Eli M. Harris

Politics & Government Undergraduate Theses

For over half a century, student activists have been developing publications called ‘Disorientation Guides’ as a means for challenging the prevailing image of the University as a center for progressive education. Among countless other things, the guides provide a material and ideological critique of the University and seek to elevate the autonomy and power of the student body. They also serve as a useful resource for preserving institutional memory in order to illuminate the consistences in activist histories and student resistance movements. Future students can thus become informed, in their efforts to affect change and confront the University at systemic …

Understanding Philanthropy And Inequality In The United States Through Probabilistic Regressions, Drew Evans

Economics Theses

This paper seeks to analyze and understand the dynamics between charitable donations and income inequality in the United States. Through the theoretical lens of financialization and income inequality, we analyze data from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics. We utilize probabilistic regression models to find and compare the impact of demographics on the likelihood of an American household donating to charity. Our results show that age, sex, and income have positive impacts on donation likelihoods, while non-white racial groups can be seen having a lower probability of donation. Analyzing household data from lower-income groups allows for a recognizing of the …

Applying Analytics To The Nfl Draft: Athletic Performance Measures As A Predictor Of Future Success, Owen Brower

Economics Theses

Can an athlete’s National Football League’s (NFL) Scouting Combine measurements be used to predict their future success in the League? In this analysis, I use historical combine data to create a grading system that measures a player’s athleticism, regressed upon the player’s rookie year Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade to determine the extent to which athleticism can help NFL franchises better predict the outcomes of their draft picks.

Remittances And Development: Local Empowerment And National Dependency, Abby Foy

International Political Economy Theses

Remittances, or money that is sent by a migrant to their home country, have been increasingly viewed as a potential way to economically develop low to middle income countries. Presently, the level of remittances sent is higher than that of official developmental aid. Considering that remittances are private capital utilized by locals, the intervention of a non-profit or large international financial organization to spur developmental projects is perhaps not needed. For countries that are reliant on remittances, there are a considerable number of tradeoffs associated with this inflow of capital. Firstly, although difficult to quantify on a large scale, remittances …

The Past And The Present: Two Paradigms Of The Sino-African Investment, Emma Weirich

International Political Economy Theses

Outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has obvious economic and political connections between the recipient and donor countries. Such investment can benefit both sides and carry certain costs to both, whether through global scrutiny or domestic struggles. This these seeks to add to the ongoing discussion of China's OFDI to Africa by comparing China's investment during its socialist period (1949-1976) and its post-socialist era (1977 – present). This comparison reveals that China's foreign policy has transitioned from a socialist paradigm to a capitalist one in the last seven decades, which brought significant changes in its OFDI policies and practice. In the …

Neoliberal Development: Capability Deprivation And Barriers For Positive Mental Health, Kate Roscher

International Political Economy Theses

Market-based approaches to development can increase the prevalence of common mental disorders around the world. Since the 1980s, the Global North has pursued neoliberal policies and has encouraged countries in the Global South to do the same. And, while these policies focused on the liberalization of markets have led to significant economic growth, they have also challenged people’s emotional well-being. Proponents of neoliberalism, or a market-based approach, are willing to make sacrifices in order to benefit from the potential efficiency of unregulated capitalism. Negative trade-offs associated with neoliberalism include: (1) increased precarity in society, (2) the prevalence of neoliberal discourse …

Failed Policy As Seen In The Solar Trade War, Emma Weirich

Economics Theses

Increasing protectionist policies in the United States have attempted to protect solar manufacturing jobs; however, they have created negative repercussions for the majority of the industry. This paper aims to analyze the 2018 30% US tariff on all imported photovoltaic cells and modules and whether or not it has been an effective policy to protect and encourage the solar industry. To do so, the paper will analyze similar tariffs enacted in 2012 and 2014 by the United States to understand how the tariffs have been impacting the solar energy’s labor market and photovoltaic module and cell price fluctuations. By researching …

The Proximity Effect Of The Seattle Link Public Light Rail On King County Properties, Graham Byron

Economics Theses

Seattle has experienced an explosive rise in population in the last decade and there is no sign of this slowing down. There is a wealth of literature surrounding the way in which public transportation has an effect on the surrounding housing values however no hedonic study has been done on public transportation in the Seattle area. This study responds to the lack of analysis done on the effect that public transportation has in King County.

We use a difference-in-differences and hedonic model to test the effect that the LINK light rail has on houses within a one-mile radius, particularly at …

Well-Rounded: A Case For The Preservation Of The Mid-Level Liberal Arts College, Matt Hicks

Economics Theses

Mid-level liberal arts colleges are failing, both to remain financially solvent and uphold their institutional missions. This paper examines the higher education marketplace before exploring the current strategies these colleges utilize to combat this two-fold issue. Following a review of the literature, the analysis portion presents two novel solutions these colleges could implement to improve student accessibility and stave off financial insolvency. Additionally, this section describes how mid-level liberal arts colleges offer superior return on investment in the long run compared to public universities. Lastly, this paper concludes by reasserting the value of a liberal arts education in the workplace …

Quantitative Easing And Inequality: Qe Impacts On Wealth And Income Distribution In The United States After The Great Recession, Emily Davis

Economics Theses

In response to Great Recession, the Federal Reserve implemented quantitative easing. Quantitative easing (QE) aided stabilization of the economy and reduction of the liquidity trap. This research evaluates the correlation between QE implementation and increased inequality through the recovery of the Great Recession. The paper begins with an evaluation of the literature focused on QE impacts on financial markets, wages, and debt. Then, the paper conducts an analysis of QE impacts on income, household wealth, corporations and the housing market. The analysis found that the changes in wealth distribution had a significant impact on increasing inequality. Changes in wages were …

“Go West Young Man, And Grow Up With This Country”: Settler Colonialism, Gender And Property, Connor Van Alstine

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

As a theoretical starting point, this paper takes up Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity which posits that gender configurations are shifting and determined by whichever expectations best motivate behaviors that reinforce a hierarchical and complementary relation between genders. This hierarchical structure, following theorizations by Maria Lugones, is itself a product of the colonial encounter. With this in mind, this paper compares historical shifts in American gender configurations to the material demands of settlement. Utilizing existing research into settler gender identity between 1760 and 1870, it finds that the increasing emphasis on domesticity in gender discourses concretized gender configurations in the …

Socioeconomic Status's Impact On The Experience Of Loneliness, Tessa Samuels

Sociology & Anthropology Theses

Loneliness is a feeling that is nearly universal, yet some people are more vulnerable to prolonged exposures of the experience of loneliness. Due to the subjective nature of loneliness, there is minimal literature on loneliness without the variable of social isolation (Hawkley et al. 2008, Ryan et al. 2008, Kearns et al. 2015, Lee and Ishii-Kuntz 1987) or social capital (Benner and Wang 2014, Andersson 1998, Ryan et al. 2008, Kearns et al. 2015) involved. There are numerous variables that impact loneliness. One must consider age — there has been solid gerontology research that reveals that elderly people are less …

Distinguishing Mitigated And Unmitigated Agency And Communion And The Implications For Dating Relationships, Payton Gubser

Honors Program Theses

This study analyzed self-report and video recorded data from 19 dating couples in order to better understand the attributes agency (AG), communion (CM), unmitigated agency (UA), and unmitigated communion (UC), their interactions with the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) interpersonal circumplex and the attributes’ effects on dating relationships. The participants filled out self-report surveys on relationship satisfaction as well as measures that capture each participant’s exhibited AG, CM, UA, and UC. Participants completed the same surveys six months later as well. Additionally, they were asked to discuss a conflict in their relationship for ten minutes, an interaction that was …

Public Authority And Private Prisons: How Private Prison Labor Contributes To National Employment Precarity, Kaitlyn Oder

International Political Economy Theses

Private uses of prison labor are illegal internationally, and not without reason. A lack of public oversight and regulations of wages mean that prison labor is often exploited in exchange for increased profitability for private prisons and sometimes the private companies they contract with. This paper will explicate the ways in which private uses of prison labor contribute to wage and employment precarity and ultimately cost numerous non incarcerated low wage individuals in the United States their jobs and livelihoods. It offers potential policy solutions and paths forward for new research to better link the sociological and economic considerations of …

Tutmania: An Exploration Of Western Portrayals Of King Tutankhamun And Orientalism In Egypt, William Danton

History Theses

Since his discovery on November 4, 1922, King Tutankhamun has been turned into a symbol of ancient Egyptian culture by the Western world. Through Orientalist representation, the West has ensconced Tutankhamun into their own visualization of ancient Egypt that is removed from most historical realism. He has become a symbol for a distant and exotified past, which further contributes to the romanticization of ancient Egypt by the West. Tutankhamun has had a profound influence on numerous Western cultural outlets including art, fashion, architecture, film, music, and much more. This is because Tutankhamun, or at least his Western portrayal, has captivated …

Demystifying Poverty In Tourism: Looking Into Pro-Poor Tourism In India, Sara Burke

International Political Economy Theses

Poverty and tourism have a unique relationship; poverty can serve as a form of tourism or poverty can create barriers that hinder the development of the tourism sector. There is no better example of the complicated interplay between poverty and tourism than India. The use of Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) as a methodological lense that can be applied to any form of tourism shows howthe poor can benefit from the sector. This International Political Economy thesis is broken into three parts: a context section, a case study, and a policy proposal. The first part will focus on Pro-Poor Tourism in an …

Strategic Puzzle In The South China Sea: Perception, Power, And Money. Chinese Plans For Hegemony?, Robert Kelly Stewart

International Political Economy Theses

The South China Sea is home to one of the world’s most contentious territorial disputes. Sovereignty of overlapping parts of the Sea is contested by seven littoral states, and the United States maintains an influential naval presence. Rich in fish and hydrocarbons and militarily valuable for power projection, the South China Sea is strategically important. One-third of global trade passes through the South China Sea annually. This paper looks to uncover what the South China Sea conflict indicates about Chinese strategic outlook and approaches the topic through three theoretical lenses: constructivism, realism, and disaggregation. This paper concludes with an assertion …

Chinese Government’S Inability To Use Film – One Of The Most Powerful Cultural Tools Of Soft Power Expansion – To Achieve Its Soft Power Expansion Goals: Lessons For China To Tackle Its Soft Power-Deficit Problem, Kyungin Kim

International Political Economy Theses

Many scholars of Chinese soft power commonly believe that despite the fact that China has been working hard to achieve successful soft power expansion, one of the biggest factors that leads to Chinese soft power deficit or failure of the Chinese government to effectively trump “China threat” is its inability to use its cultural industries as a tool to fulfill its soft power expansion goals. This is a major obstacle to China in achieving its goal of successful Chinese soft power expansion, as it is said that culture is the most traditional and powerful source of soft power expansion. This …

Translational Research: Ethical Considerations, Yiqing Dong

Honors Program Theses

Translational research (TR) is a new categorization for the efforts of biomedical research and emphasizes efficiency in achieving population health improvements through the application of basic science knowledge in clinical practice. It will be argued that the current emphasis on speed and collaboration with industry established by national policies provides challenges to maintaining the integrity of scientific research. There is no agreed upon definition of TR and the current standard of judging the success of TR focuses on product production. I propose that the principles of beneficence and responsive justice should be used to inform the values of TR and …

All You Knew: Twentieth Century Southern Appalachian Coal Miners And Their Experience With Death And Danger, Steven M. Malachowski 2978994

History Theses

Nineteenth century coal miners' oral interviews from Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia convey their experiences as individuals and of a general community. Southern Appalachian coal miners experienced nearly constant dangers and threats to their lives underground which helped shape their relationships between other miners and industry controls. Added to coal miners’ occupational hazards, the long term emphysemic effects of coal mining and the physical prevalence of coal dust in the coal miner’s life created a life defined by danger. Miners reconciled this dehumanizing lifestyle through readily predictable methods, such as spirituality and camaraderie but also seemingly paradoxical methods, including carelessness …

Putting Care Back Into "Health Care:" An Analysis Of The Place Of Community Health Workers Within The U.S. Health Care System, Megan Schowalter

Honors Program Theses

This paper explores who a Community Health Worker (CHW) is and contextualizes the social, political, and historical factors that allowed for the growth of CHWs within the primary health care sector in the U.S. It analyzes how CHWs perceive their own roles and responsibilities within the U.S. health system as a means of highlighting the gap within health care services and the influence of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) on well-being. The second part of this paper relates CHWs to scholarship by medical anthropologist Paul Farmer and public health scholar Alicia Yamin concerning pathologies of power and the need for …

Behind Germany’S Willkommenskultur And Hungary’S Xenophobic Sentiments: Responses To The Syrian Refugee Crisis Within The European Union, Mia Kelliher

International Political Economy Theses

The movement of over 4.5 million Syrian refugees and other migrants fleeing the Syrian civil war has put significant strain on the European Union’s (EU) member states both politically, socially, and economically. This tests a state’s ability and willingness to continue to accept refugees. This paper aims to answer the question of what determines the willingness and the ability of certain EU member states, specifically Germany and Hungary, to accept refugees. While there are many factors that vary from state to state, there are factors that dominate and heavily influence a state’s willingness and ability to accept refugees. Germany’s historical …