Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Carneys Point" - A Short Film, Alexander Parkin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Carneys Point is a fifteen minute short film shot on 16mm film that tells the story of a woman's life, fractured into three facets each representing an important crossroad of a single life: the disenchanting prelude to the coming of age, the anxiety of motherhood, and the mental decay of old age.

The film is divided into three vignettes, which overlap to paint a multi-layered portrait of a woman, a trilogy of the human spirit, heart, and mind.

One is the story of a little girl who is obsessed with flight and dreams of escape. Though she has the naïve …

Assumption Food Pantry Website And Multimedia Content, Jessica Smith

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The capabilities of technology today can solve problems that have plagued mankind since the establishment of civilization. In its assent over the past decade or two, technology has been leveraged to close gaps in communication, cure diseases, and explore propel mankind into a new renaissance, one in which information is more bountiful and accessible than ever before. Although the project I embarked on a little more than a year ago will not solve global woes or usher in the next great evolution of our social existence, it is using technology for the betterment of mankind nonetheless.

Sophia Bernard and I …

An Interdisciplinary Study Of Modern-Day Slavery: Human Trafficking, Margaret Ruiz

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This project uses a multidisciplinary approach to analyze different forms of modern-day slavery, with a focus on sex trafficking. More specifically, it examines how historical slavery has transformed into modern-day slavery and it illuminates similarities and differences between historical slavery and modern-day slavery. In my work, I also studied the underlying causes of modern-day slavery, by analyzing various factors that affect slavery. Lastly, my work examines the existing legal and political instruments that confront and combat slavery. Finally, in this project, I reflect and discuss the lack of effective programs that work towards the reparation of victims.

I came up …

The "Troubles:" Northern Irish Political Contention From Sunningdale To The Good Friday Agreement, Daniel J. Foley

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper looks to answer the question: Can the contentious politics thesis of Doug McAdam, Sidney Tarrow, and Charles Tilly explain why the Good Friday Agreement (1998) (GFA) successfully produced a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, when the Sunningdale (1973) and the Anglo-Irish (1985) agreements failed to do so? I set out to study the buildup and aftermath of each agreement and subsequently examine each through the lens of the contentious politics thesis, searching for causal mechanisms and processes that explain the success of the GFA. The purpose of the contentious politics thesis is not to examine various forms of …

Is Elitism A Myth? A Study Of Nyc Specialized High Schools, Bonnie Kong

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In New York City, specialized high schools exist in the public school system to educate the city’s most gifted students. These schools are recognized nationally and have a strong focus on math, science, and technology. Benefits of attending these schools include a competitive peer group, challenging courses, and strong alumni networks. Admission to these schools is determined by individuals’ score on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT).

This paper measures the impact of attending these specialized high schools on graduation and results on New York State Regents examinations. A regression discontinuity design was used to study seven of the …

The Accused, Nathan Damon Hopper

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Exonerations are increasing, largely thanks to the advent of DNA evidence, which several prisoners’ rights advocacy groups, like the Innocence Project, have used to prove the innocence of the convicted. But returning home after spending years imprisoned for a wrongful conviction brings with it several types of challenges: psychological, financial, and simply personal.

Roy Brown, the main subject of this story (though there are several other important characters) is an incredibly intricate man. Before his 25-to-life sentence for the murder of a county social worker, he’d faced several other convictions for a slew of misbehavings and a general disregard for …

Hue Magazine, Sadé Khadijah Muhammed

Honors Capstone Projects - All

HUE magazine is a print title dedicated toward the uplift and synergy of women of color in America. At present, there is no publication that makes a conscious effort to not single out women of color in specific ethnic groups, but instead to talk to all of them simultaneously.

At its core, HUE’s target audience is first generation women of color between the ages of 18-25. It is a lifestyle magazine with stories in fashion, beauty, love, culture, health, entrepreneurship, and more. The goal is for the magazine to appeal to the girl in us all who loves fashion and …

United States Sophistry On The Palestinian Resolution For Statehood, Marc James Mason

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This project examines the rhetorical devices and practices used by the Obama Administration to express and construct opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s statehood bid. This study focuses on uncovering the ideology embedded within President Obama’s Speech to the United Nations General Assembly during the opening of the 66th Session. By conducting an ideology rhetorical analysis of this text, this examination will uncover the reasoning that Obama deploys to make sense of and define the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and more specifically, the Palestinian bid for statehood. This ideology has contributed to the perpetuation of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories; thereby, …

Connecting The Peaces: Working To Make The World A Better Place – The Encompass Journey Of Understanding, Alison Sara Kurtzman

Honors Capstone Projects - All

On October 12, 2002, the Indonesian island of Bali experienced the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history. 202 people were killed when a bomb was detonated outside of a nightclub in the tourist city of Kuta. Among those killed was Daniel Braden, a young British man who was in Bali for a rugby tournament. Daniel’s parents believed that the attack happened because the majority of people in the nightclub were white and therefore viewed as “the enemy.” They believed that if young people had the opportunity to meet and speak with people different from themselves a lot of terrorist …

Woodrow Wilson: Examining The Scholarly Statesman Through A Rhetorical Lens, Candice Elaine Mae Radloff

Honors Capstone Projects - All

My Capstone Project is a rhetorical and descriptive analysis of President Woodrow Wilson’s most notable speeches from 1896 to 1917. As a scholar-president, I particularly focus on Wilson’s ability to translate his personal scholarship into effective rhetoric at different points in his career. I provide the historical background and context necessary to understand the relevance and impact of the selected speeches. The six speeches that I analyze reflect his scholarship and rhetorical genius in the political arena, covering the three pivotal phases of his profession life: university scholar and president, governor, and President of the United States. I also consider …

The Prefrontal Cortex: A Predictor Of Psychotic Symptoms In Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome?, Nicole Addonizio

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Up to 30% of young adults with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS; 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome) develop schizophrenia or psychosis. As a result, identifying the neuroanatomic trajectories that increase risk for psychosis in youth with VCFS is of great interest. Pinpointing a specific subregion of the brain that has a pattern of change in VCFS could aid in further research of schizophrenia and help to distinguish neuroanatomic changes.

In this study, high-resolution anatomic magnetic resonance brain images and measures of psychiatric function (i.e. symptoms of psychosis) were recorded in 40 youth with VCFS, 14 unaffected siblings, and 19 age-matched community control subjects at …

How Digital Media Affects The Nature Of Social Interactions, Johnny Liang

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for evaluating and understanding the roles of digital media, in particular the mobile phone and the internet, in our interpersonal and societal relationships. Though this paper is essentially grounded in research, drawing from the work of psychologists, cyber anthropologists, philosophers, and professors of communication studies as well as years of personal observations, it should be understood as more of a theoretical rather than research-based primer on the effects of digital media in our everyday lives. While this paper includes various ways digital connections can improve our relationships, it primarily discusses …

Drd2 Polymorphisms Imparting Risk For Schizophrenia, Lauren Paish

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Schizophrenia is a disorder that affects 1% of the population and causes enormous deficits in functioning. The development of this disorder is through unclear mechanisms, yet studies suggest that genetics and dopamine processes play a major role in the manifestation of schizophrenia. This study considers the gene that encodes dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) and how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect alternative splicing of the gene and the balance between the two different protein isoforms, Long (D2L) and Short (D2S). Four mutations (rs12363125 and rs2511521 from intron 5 and rs6275 and rs6277 from exon 7) were studied. Constructs were derived …

Late Night Television And Its Impact On The Music Industry Via Album Sales And Social Media, Matthew Robin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Experiential learning has been a large part of my college experience. My work experiences have allowed me to understand the music industry in a very unique way. One experience was my semester in Los Angeles, where I worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live! It was there that I was able to see the influence that these shows could have on musical guests and vice versa. The late-night landscape is as booming as it ever has been, with many different outlets for talent. I wanted to demonstrate that the process of getting an artist on a late-night show is a very …

Vocal Velocity: A Strategic Public Relations Plan For The Contemporary A Cappella Society Of America, Deanna Payson

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Contemporary A cappella Society of America (CASA) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is, “to foster and promote contemporary a cappella music around the world through education, recognition, and the creation of performance opportunities.” In order to fulfill this mission, CASA must develop and maintain fruitful relationships with two key publics: a cappella groups and a cappella fans. My Honors capstone will be two-tiered, including a short-term public relations strategy aiming to strengthen the organization's relationship with a cappella groups, along with a long-term strategy to increase its recognition and presence in the world of a cappella fans. The …

Analyzing The Tea Party Movement, The Coffee Party Movement, And The Occupy Wall Street Movement’S Use Of The Internet: Case Study On How The Internet Influences Grassroots Social Movement, Tsubasa Morioka

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Tea Party movement and the Occupy Wall Street movement have made great use of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This phenomenon intrigued my interest in how grassroots social movements have employed all types of media to mobilize, as well as how they furthered their agenda in the past. In order to better understand how the Internet impacted the three movements, my thesis draws on resource mobilization (RM) and new social movement (NSM) theories for theoretical understanding and textual analysis. The movements I reviewed for analysis are the Tea Party Movement (TPM), the Coffee Party Movement (CPM), …

Marketing Pastimes: Comparing The Brand Strengths Of Real Madrid & The New York Yankees, Colin Wilson Powers

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In March of 2012, Forbes Magazine ranked the most valuable brands in all of sports. Trailing only Manchester United’s $2.235 billion valuation, the next most valuable franchises are Spain’s Real Madrid of La Liga BBVA, and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees. As the two of the three most dominant brands in all of sports, Real Madrid and the New York Yankees are frequently mentioned in the same context as one another, but rarely discussed through more extensive market research comparing their brand management strategies. By utilizing Kevin Keller’s acclaimed Customer-Based Brand Equity model, the relative strength of the brands …

Syracuse Spotlight: Building A Greater Performing Arts Community, Alison Rose Mierzejewski

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Syracuse Spotlight is a performing arts magazine created in part to build a stronger performing arts community for the Syracuse University campus. Since the campus lacks any sort of regular coverage of live performance, I wanted to provide a resource to fill this void in student publicatons. For the most part, the coverage was not in depth, and most of the coverage was solely of the work done by the Syracuse University Drama Department.

With the creation of Syracuse Spotlight, I bring to the university community an outlet for respresentation of all performing arts – both of majors and …

From Barbie With Love: Implications Of The Mixed Messages From America’S Plastic Sweetheart, Lisa Gapinske

Honors Capstone Projects - All

As a controversial, yet influential icon in American society, Barbie doll sends a variety of mixed messages to young girls. She is an icon of feminine perfection. She represents ambitious, working women. She presents reality with a completely unrealistic body type. This study determines the potential effects of Barbie doll on individual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.

Data was collected through one-on-one interviews with young girls and their parents. Each responded to a series of questions regarding their perceptions and feelings towards the doll. They also reacted to several commercials, each depicting the mixed message that the doll sends. Finally, the …

Fifa 2014 World Cup: Brazil’S Unending Headache: An Economic Investment That Challenges The Country’S Future, Bruna Almeida Lopes Barreto

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Brazil is soccer. The game is so deeply ingrained in daily life - in Brazilian identity and self-esteem- that they define each other. Soccer is so profoundly intertwined with Brazilian culture that familiarity with the sport begins early, producing a bottomless pool of talent. Year after year, soccer stars seem to roll out of Brazil like cars off a factory assembly line; it’s a natural talent that grows in almost every Brazilian child. Soccer means passion to Brazilians; it is the symbol of their nationality, as they have proven to be very the best at it.

Now, Brazil finally has …

The 1999 Repeal Of Glass-Steagall: The Effect On U.S. Commercial Banks, Ryan Michael Daddi

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Great Recession of 2008-2009 was one of the most devastating financial crises of our history. The extent with which the recession plagued our financial system and affected everyday citizens created an immediate search for answers as to what had happened. Many experts pointed at the 1999 repeal of the Banking Act of 1933 (commonly referred to as Glass-Steagall) as a possible cause of increased risk-taking in the financial system. After the Great Depression, Glass-Steagall was enacted to separate commercial banking from investment banking, the combination being seen as a cause for the worst financial crises in history.

With the …

Ecuadorian Migration: An Ethnographic Approach To Analyzing Socio-Cultural Influences On Migration, Michele S. Cantos

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This research project is about national and transnational migration, as experienced by one Andean Ecuadorian family, currently living in the New York Metropolitan area in the United States. Through the collection of their life histories and an analysis of literature on this particular migrant group, I explore the different cultural trends that played a role in their migration from; rural Andean towns to large urban centers, from rural communities and urban centers into the Amazon jungle and their later migration to the United States of America.

Using Social Network Theory as an analytical framework, I am focusing on these individuals’ …

Examining The Challenges To The Anti-Human-Trafficking Movement In Russia, Stephen Alexander Barton

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper examines the success of the anti-human trafficking movement in curbing the enslavement and trade of Russians to other parts of the country and world. This paper outlines how and why human trafficking is a major human rights and security issue for Russia and the “destination” countries to which traffickers send their victims. The anti-trafficking movement in Russia, which gained strength in the late 1990s through grassroots organization and international backing, successfully lobbied the Russian government to pass the country’s first anti-trafficking legislation in 2003. This paper analyzes the many challenges this law has faced, while also focusing particularly …

The Liminality Of Zimmedari And Its Consequences On The Water Quality And Health Of Meena Communities In Rajasthan, Firdaus Arastu

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Water is an essential need for people everywhere, yet its security is increasingly becoming endangered around the world. The escalating global water crisis has profound ramifications for health and livelihood particularly in developing countries like India. India faces enormous development challenges in addressing the needs of a rapidly growing population. The world’s largest democracy, India needs to improve its delivery of public services, especially to the poor and those living in rural areas.

The present study investigates the current public health situation in Rajasthan and the challenges India faces in providing water and health services. Fieldwork was conducted in rural …

Turkey: Emergence Of A Regional Power And A Strategic U.S. Partner, Jonathan C. Nwosu

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Positioned in a dynamic part of the world, Turkey is notable for its unique identity which connects Europe and Asia and in many ways conflates the heritage and culture of the East with the modernity of the West. This unique identity has translated into a distinctive role for Turkey characterized by burgeoning influence in the region. The emergence of Turkey as a regional power can be explained by several components: the historical foundations of the Republic, the process of democratization, economic and political policies, and internal changes induced by interaction with Europe. None of these factors exclusively resulted in the …

The Egyptian Revolution Goes Viral: Reading Categories Of Tweets In The Twitter-Created Networked Public Sphere, Alexander Craig Benson Fay

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The expansion of online social media (OSM) and networked information technology (NIT) use has coincided with reinvigorated democratic movements around the world, including the toppling of authoritarian governments in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011. This paper examines the variety of uses for Twitter during the Egyptian revolution, as Hosni Mubarak’s regime collapsed in less than three weeks after 30 years in power.

To achieve this analysis, this paper first divided the revolution into Fisk’s four stages of political crisis. Next, the authors extracted 37,634 tweets containing key words from an archive of 16 million tweets collected from January 23-February 8, …

The History Of Public Relations In China: A Western Comparison And Beyond, Jessica Engel

Honors Capstone Projects - All

During my six month study abroad expericence in Hong Kong, I became fascinated by the duality of China mainland and its “Special Administrative Region”, (Hong Kong) from a public relations perspective. With its one government, two system approach to politics, I sought to understand how the practice of public relations evolved in these two regions. Through literary analysis, personal interviews with public relations practitioners and personal observations during an internship in Hong Kong, I explore the development of the public relations practice in China and Hong Kong through first a western lens, and then through a global perspective.

My first …

The Rights-Based Approach To Development In Latin America, Catherine Divita

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Many scholars and practitioners believe the rights-based approach represents a significant step forward in the development field towards the eradication of poverty. In lieu of blind service provision, aid organizations implementing the rights-based approach use human rights to address underlying causes of poverty such as exclusion, discrimination and corruption. However, integrating human rights into the development process is no clean, simple task. The rights-based approach has been conceptualized and implemented in many different ways around the world since its emergence in the 1990s. Scholars and practitioners now ask: Which rights-based approach is the most successful? I examine the rights-based approaches …

The Financial Consequences Of Turkey’S Potential Accession Into The European Union, Onur Can Ozer

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Turkey, with a population of nearly 74 million and a strategic location opening up to Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and East Asian markets, has been one of the fastest growing markets in the world in the present day. Having recorded a GDP growth with a level of 11% in the first half of 2011, Turkey was regarded to have the fastest growing industry in Europe. Turkey’s accession talks have been around since 1950s and have been official when Turkey became an associate member of the EU in 1963. Although Turkey has made a remarkable progress in the last decade, …

Don’T Fear The Reaper An Analysis Of The United States’ Drones, Logan Christopher O'Brien

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Wars and the strategies used to fight them have constantly evolved throughout the history of mankind, simultaneously revealing our innovative brilliance and our inherent inability to avoid conflict with one another. The current state of the United States’ “War on Terror,” composed of the Afghanistan conflict and outlying operations in countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and elsewhere around the world, has spurred exemplary advances used to combat a new type of enemy. Thus enters the drone, a remotely piloted aircraft that can be used for reconnaissance purposes or offensive targeting operations.

The drone is unique in that the pilot …