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Honors Theses

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Articles 1621 - 1650 of 3001

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Sacrifice, Benefit, And Reciprocity: Evidence From A Trust Game, Mirco Dinelli Jan 2018

Sacrifice, Benefit, And Reciprocity: Evidence From A Trust Game, Mirco Dinelli

Honors Theses

Social preferences have generated much interest in recent economic literature. While reciprocity has been closely examined by several economists using gift exchange and other games, much of their focus is on the effect of intentions and motivations. Instead, I focus on two strictly outcome-based factors in the context of a trust game: sacrifice made by the giver and benefit received by the recipient. I attempt to isolate these influences by varying the multiplier across variations of the trust game to create comparison groups that differ in one of these factors, but not both. Unable to control for all expected sources …

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Strategic Nationalism: Deciphering Chinese Strategy In The South China Sea, William Levesque Jan 2018

Strategic Nationalism: Deciphering Chinese Strategy In The South China Sea, William Levesque

Honors Theses

Over the last two decades, the South China Sea has become an international flashpoint and site of frequent Chinese aggression. Chinese naval, coast guard, and militia vessels frequently sail the natural-resource rich waters, and China has undertaken a massive campaign of island building to support its claims. The motivations behind China's aggression and their choice of strategy, however, remain ambiguous and the topic of major academic discussion. This Honors Thesis provides a new hypothesis, strategic nationalism, which is capable of explaining China's recent actions in the South China Sea.

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The Identification And Application Of Generalizable Spatial Patterns Of Human-Wildlife Conflict, Vivian F. Hawkinson Jan 2018

The Identification And Application Of Generalizable Spatial Patterns Of Human-Wildlife Conflict, Vivian F. Hawkinson

Honors Theses

Many human-wildlife conflict studies focus on one location or one individual species or taxonomic group; fewer comparative studies analyze patterns of conflict across species and regions. As a result, numerous studies report similar conclusions across diverse cases of human-wildlife conflict. I found 133 scholarly articles published between 1975 and 2017 referencing distance from a protected area boundary as a variable associated with human-wildlife conflict. I identified three generalizable patterns of human-wildlife conflict that appear across taxonomic groups and geographic locations. The family Felidae had the highest maximum average conflict distance and furthest distance from a protected area that conflict was …

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Drawing Borders: Images, Representation, And (In)Visibility Of Migrants On The Balkan Route, Nora Hill Jan 2018

Drawing Borders: Images, Representation, And (In)Visibility Of Migrants On The Balkan Route, Nora Hill

Honors Theses

This honors thesis in Global Studies explores issues of (in)visibility and representation of migrants travelling along the Balkan Route to Western Europe from 2015-2018 through visual analysis of the images of migrants and borders found in news media, social media posts, art galleries, and on the cell phones of migrants and activists. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Belgrade, Serbia, one of the key nodes of the Route, as well as online archival research, I examine key differences in the ways migrants are represented and examine the power relations that are represented and reinforced through these images. My research is rooted …

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Painters Of Modernity: A Bourdieusian Analysis Of Manet And Degas, Gillian Wei Jan 2018

Painters Of Modernity: A Bourdieusian Analysis Of Manet And Degas, Gillian Wei

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I utilize the theoretical framework of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu to analyze the representation of class ideology in the paintings of French Impressionists Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. Using Bourdieu’s theories of habitus and class distinction, I investigate various historical and biographical factors to illustrate how Manet and Degas were simultaneously endowed with significant cultural and economic capital of the old elite, yet predisposed to create reactionary art. I also identify several examples of bourgeoisie iconography within specific paintings created by these two artists. I argue that Manet and Degas, acting as agents within the fields of cultural …

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Everybody But Us: Constructing Evangelical Identities By Defining The Skeptic, Pace Tyler Ward Jan 2018

Everybody But Us: Constructing Evangelical Identities By Defining The Skeptic, Pace Tyler Ward

Honors Theses

Pew research shows that 25.4% of American Christians identify as evangelical Protestants, accounting for the highest percentage of Christians in America (20.8% identify as Catholic and 14.7% identify as mainline Protestants). Evangelical Protestantism may be the strongest religious force in the U.S. but defining the movement has proven difficult. Researchers have used a variety of definitions to develop a better understanding of evangelical demographics, geographies, or religious strength. My interests and the goal of this research deals more with the performance of these identities; I wanted to know how members of Welcome Church do their Christianity. This research focused on …

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Housing Policy Alternatives For The Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi Community, Alice C. Norman Jan 2018

Housing Policy Alternatives For The Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi Community, Alice C. Norman

Honors Theses

This thesis explores housing policy alternatives to address housing insecurity in the Lafayette-Oxford, Mississippi community and similar non-metropolitan communities which are experiencing accelerated growth. Policy alternatives were collected through a systematic literature review of the University of Mississippi's One Search database. Findings reveal that there are a number of housing dynamics in U.S. cities which require different considerations in regards to policy alternatives. Policy alternatives discussed range from subsidized affordable housing, the removal of regulations on new developments, social housing, voucher programs, rent control, creating city connections, unemployment insurance, community land trusts, shifting responsibility to a higher level of government, …

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Bit By Bit: An Analysis Of The Role Of Bilateral Investment Treaties On China's Investment In Latin America, Matthew Forgette Jan 2018

Bit By Bit: An Analysis Of The Role Of Bilateral Investment Treaties On China's Investment In Latin America, Matthew Forgette

Honors Theses

Over the past 15 years, the political and economic relationship between China and Latin America has progressed rapidly. Chinese investment in Latin America has risen to unprecedented levels, and numerous Latin American leaders have praised and welcomed China's growing influence in the region. A key component of this burgeoning relationship has been the emergence of bilateral investment treaties between China and Latin American nations. Over the past 30 years, China has signed a bilateral investment treaty with 12 different Latin American countries. In light of their increasing importance, this paper seeks to analyze the role of bilateral investment treaties in …

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The Mississippi Adequate Education Program: An Overview And Policy Proposal, Drew Douglas Hall Jan 2018

The Mississippi Adequate Education Program: An Overview And Policy Proposal, Drew Douglas Hall

Honors Theses

Historically, Mississippi is one of the lowest performing states when it comes to kindergarten-twelfth grade education. Mississippi also consistently has one of the lowest amounts of money dedicated to kindergarten-twelfth grade education. It has been suggested that there is a correlation between these two facts, but over the past twenty years, nothing has changed in the way that Mississippi funds education. The current model is written in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which allocates money to education based upon a per-year decision by the Mississippi Department of Education to take money from the general fund of the state's budget. This …

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The Evolution Of Trade And Labor Laws In China, Sarah Catherine Hearn Jan 2018

The Evolution Of Trade And Labor Laws In China, Sarah Catherine Hearn

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the long-term evolution of legislation that contributed to the shift of China from a command economy to an economic powerhouse in the capitalist world economy. Few have discussed whether the concept of neoliberalization, defined as the process of adapting fiscal conservative and expert oriented policies, explains the longer-term trend of Chinese development. Therefore, this thesis sets out to make a determination whether China is evolving towards or away from the neoliberal model. To answer this question, this thesis analyzes two areas of legislation crucial in a free market: China's trade and labor laws since the 1970s. More …

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Family Composition And Outcomes Following Parental Bereavement In Childhood, Ari M. Kagan Jan 2018

Family Composition And Outcomes Following Parental Bereavement In Childhood, Ari M. Kagan

Honors Theses

The primary aim of this study is to compare the grief and stress related growth of individuals who have siblings and those who do not have siblings in the context of parental loss that occurred during childhood (before the age of 16). Adult participants provided self-report for the Traumatic Grief Inventory, Stress Related Growth Scale, and other related measures. We hypothesized only children who were bereaved during childhood would report higher levels of grief and lower levels of stress related growth compared to those with siblings who were bereaved during childhood. Multivariate analyses focus on grief and stress related growth …

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The Future Was A Riot: Causes Of Youth Unemployment In Spain And Challenges To Immigration And The Welfare State In The Era Of The Common Market (1999-2016), Andrew Hayes Jan 2018

The Future Was A Riot: Causes Of Youth Unemployment In Spain And Challenges To Immigration And The Welfare State In The Era Of The Common Market (1999-2016), Andrew Hayes

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to exam the causes behind unusually high youth unemployment in Spain, even after the 2007-8 financial crisis has subsided. The primary means of investigating these causes is through constructing a set of empirical models and then using these models to perform several time-series regressions to find whether changes in educational patterns, demographics, and immigration have had any concrete effect on the youth unemployment rate and social capital. Some qualitative work is done; particularly in describing the legal structure surrounding unemployment and in the description of the Spanish welfare state. In my research, I find …

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Gender Bias And Sex Trafficking In China, Avery Kennedy Jan 2018

Gender Bias And Sex Trafficking In China, Avery Kennedy

Honors Theses

China's history shows a pattern of preference for sons over daughters. Chinese language and policies show evidence of this bias. This penchant has created a sizable gender disparity within China's population. The implementation of the One-Child Policy only exacerbated the gap between males and females. China's age-old preference for sons has negatively impacted modern-day China. The gender disparity generated a demand for women, which has been answered by sex trafficking women in China to be sold as brides and sex workers.

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An Analysis Of Mississippi Tax Incentives, Bruce H. Brawner Jan 2018

An Analysis Of Mississippi Tax Incentives, Bruce H. Brawner

Honors Theses

The locational decisions of firms present a complex economic and political problem for State Legislatures across the United States of America. It is well known that individual states compete against one another, offering large packages of incentives to firms who open within their borders — a process popularly known as the race to the bottom. This thesis examines public subsidy information reported by the Mississippi Development Authority alongside wage and employment data from 1990 to 2016 in a local projection framework to examine whether or not treatment effects of local government spending are significant. I then employ the same method …

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South American Trade Blocs: A Risk Assessment Of Nationalist Movements, Christian Bonds Jan 2018

South American Trade Blocs: A Risk Assessment Of Nationalist Movements, Christian Bonds

Honors Theses

Nationalist movements internationally are negatively affecting economic integration around the world. South American trade blocs must consider the risks posed by these threats in order to determine action that needs to be taken in the future. Through examining the collective body of literature on the function, motivations, and historical development of economic integration, we can determine the current status of these organizations in South America. Then, the origin and consequences of current nationalist movements will be outlined. These organizations, such as MERCOSUR, CAN, LAIA, and the Pacific Alliance, can finally be addressed, as to what their specific risks are and …

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Examining The Impact Of University Sports Success On Freshman Act Scores: An Empirical Analysis, Connor Yackels Jan 2018

Examining The Impact Of University Sports Success On Freshman Act Scores: An Empirical Analysis, Connor Yackels

Honors Theses

My study presents a model in which incoming freshman ACT scores are a function of football, basketball, and baseball regular season and postseason success, using academic variables as controls. I contribute to the existing literature by including baseball in the analysis in addition to football and basketball, using ACT scores instead of SAT scores, using a unique and expanded set of variables to measure sports success, and more recent data. For the time period 2006-2014, I find weak evidence that supports the hypothesis that athletic success positively influences ACT scores.

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Plant Power: The Impact Of Plants In The Classroom On Student Success And Well-Being, Elizabeth Pitts Jan 2018

Plant Power: The Impact Of Plants In The Classroom On Student Success And Well-Being, Elizabeth Pitts

Honors Theses

In this study we investigated if there is a relationship between the presence of plants in the classroom and student success and well-being. Past research has found that the presence of plants in the workplace and home improves attention capacity, satisfaction, well-being, affect, fatigue levels, and social connectedness. Participants were 177 college freshmen in an honors discussion-based course. These classes were located in one of two nearly identical classrooms, with the differentiating factor being the presence of two flower pots on plant stands with Snake Plants and Heart Leaf Philodendrons. The participants completed a paper-based survey that assessed classroom behavior, …

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Catholicism And Feminism: A Chilean Paradox, Gabrielle Toppin Jan 2018

Catholicism And Feminism: A Chilean Paradox, Gabrielle Toppin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and women in Chile, as well as how this relationship might be influenced by the authoritarian regime under Augusto Pinochet from 1973-1990. Chile is known as one of the most Catholic and conservative countries in Latin America, and is considered a late female mobilization state that has just recently legalized divorce and has not legalized abortion. The Church played a pivotal role in the defeat of the dictatorship and continues to influence the country's society, culture, and politics. Even as women have entered the public …

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Distance In Diocese : Annual Appeal Giving In The Catholic Church, Elaine Wissuchek Jan 2018

Distance In Diocese : Annual Appeal Giving In The Catholic Church, Elaine Wissuchek

Honors Theses

The distance between a donor and a charity is hypothesized to affect charitable giving for self-regarding and altruistic reasons. Distance increases transaction costs, reducing the potential extrinsic benefits received by donors; it decreases social pressure for giving, and limits the ability of donors to monitor the charity’s management. Donors also have intrinsic preferences for proximity. This study does not find the hypothesized negative correlation between distance (measured as driving time) and donations to annual appeals for Catholic dioceses.

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The Effects Of Perceived Quality On Tuition And Net Tuition, Isabella Xianxin Thomas Jan 2018

The Effects Of Perceived Quality On Tuition And Net Tuition, Isabella Xianxin Thomas

Honors Theses

This paper examines the effects of perceived quality on tuition and net tuition utilizing both direct and indirect measures to account for quality and the U.S News and World Ranking to measure perceived quality. Tuition is the sticker price, whereas net tuition is the sticker price less discounts. Judgments of quality will be more apparent in tuition, therefore perceived quality and tuition should have a larger relationship than net tuition and perceived quality. When regressed with quality variables held constant on tuition and net tuition, effect of reputation on prices is captured. The coefficient for perceived quality on tuition had …

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Acute Illness And Job Lock, Lauren Passero Jan 2018

Acute Illness And Job Lock, Lauren Passero

Honors Theses

This paper assesses if the experience of an acute illness generates decreased job mobility among workers with employer-sponsored health insurance. An acute illness may increase the perceived value of health insurance and “lock” workers into jobs that provide health insurance as compensation. Using difference-in-difference tests, I evaluate the presence of job lock among workers impacted by acute health problems in Panel 19 of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The results provide inconclusive evidence of job lock related to the experience of an acute illness. Further research on acute illness-related job lock can explore the potential long-term impact of job lock …

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The Euro Effect On Trade In The Emu Core And Periphery: A Pre And Post-Crisis Analysis, Kerri Harner Jan 2018

The Euro Effect On Trade In The Emu Core And Periphery: A Pre And Post-Crisis Analysis, Kerri Harner

Honors Theses

As the world financial crisis hit Europe in 2008, the financial shock had asymmetric effects across the eurozone; by 2010, its effects led to a sovereign debt crisis in the euro area. The shock created a clear distinction between strong, core economies in the European Monetary Union (EMU), and a struggling indebted periphery that fared worse in the period of crisis. The sovereign debt crisis revealed inherent fragility in the EMU. In light of recent populist movements, the common currency is under unprecedented scrutiny. This study seeks to assess the euro effect on exports for a clearly distinguished EMU core …

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Trigger Warnings & Reactions To Literature: Sexual Victimization And Emotional Responses To Difficult Literature, Lynn E. C. Korsun Jan 2018

Trigger Warnings & Reactions To Literature: Sexual Victimization And Emotional Responses To Difficult Literature, Lynn E. C. Korsun

Honors Theses

Trigger warnings have been a cause for concern nationwide, and it remains unclear whether they truly protect students with varying histories of sexual assault trauma when exposed to triggering experiences. The sample consisted of 62 participants enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course at Bucknell in the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Students responded to a three-part survey, filling out a prior sexual victimization scale, a life events checklist, a PTSD checklist, a distress scale, a research participation scale, and demographic questions in response to reading an emotionally distressing, “triggering” passage from Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” Participants were …

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Globalization And Immigration: How A Changing Demographic Landscape Influenced The 2016 Presidential Election, Jacob Rusnock Jan 2018

Globalization And Immigration: How A Changing Demographic Landscape Influenced The 2016 Presidential Election, Jacob Rusnock

Honors Theses

The 2016 presidential election results varied significantly from many forecasts. The media proposes that the radically atypical candidacy of Donald Trump motivated pockets of the electorate to support the Republican Party more so than they had in past elections. This paper examines the following questions: Which traditional predictors of the election failed to foresee a Republican victory? If the traditional predictors were unsuccessful, can the results be explained using county level economic and demographic data? Is there evidence to support the media’s proposed explanations of the results? By utilizing the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data, this paper examines some …

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Moving Beyond The "Old Boys' Club" In Environmental Organizations: Investigating The Behaviors, Attitudes And Perspectives Of Men And Women, Kat Pardoe Jan 2018

Moving Beyond The "Old Boys' Club" In Environmental Organizations: Investigating The Behaviors, Attitudes And Perspectives Of Men And Women, Kat Pardoe

Honors Theses

This study interrogates the exclusionary culture of environmentalism with respect to gender, and in doing so, illuminates elements of function and dysfunction with respect to gender dynamics in environmental organizations. I utilize social science-based quantitative and qualitative methods as a foundation for my analysis. My research investigates the role of gender both at the micro level, with individuals, and the macro level, by evaluating the persistence of the “Old Boys’ Club” culture in environmental organizations. Thirteen people participated in interviews, and forty people responded to an online survey. Personal reflections gathered from the survey reveal gendered trends in environmental problem …

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Virunga: Guns, Gorillas, And The Construction Of Transnational Natures, Adriana Disilvestro Jan 2018

Virunga: Guns, Gorillas, And The Construction Of Transnational Natures, Adriana Disilvestro

Honors Theses

The recent western media attention surrounding Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has brought up significant scholarly questions about the discursive portrayal of “ideal” Natures. In this thesis, I undertake a discursive analysis of western media materials about Virunga National Park in order to understand how ideas of Nature are transnationally constructed. In order to do this, undertake an analysis of the western oriented discursive material associated with three socio-political processes within the park: green militarization, gorilla trekking, and the ecotourist industry. Ultimately, I conclude that the discursive material portrays a highly spectacularized and commodified “ideal” nature, …

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A Different Kind Of Learning For A Different Kind Of Learner : Justification Of And Best Practices For The Use Of Performing Arts Education For Autistic Students, Jacob Anthony Litt Jan 2018

A Different Kind Of Learning For A Different Kind Of Learner : Justification Of And Best Practices For The Use Of Performing Arts Education For Autistic Students, Jacob Anthony Litt

Honors Theses

In our culture, our history, and our society, the arts play a vital role. However, despite maintaining such a fundamental place in our shared experiences, the arts’ role in education is in constant need of clarification and defense. In addition, the presence of individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities has become increasingly common in society, and yet special educational programs for these individuals, especially in their early years, have proven unable to find total success. These two fields of education – arts education and special education – thus share a common struggle: a need to find an established place in …

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The Effectiveness Of Promotions In Minor League Baseball : A Study Of The Eastern League, Collin R. Zucker Jan 2018

The Effectiveness Of Promotions In Minor League Baseball : A Study Of The Eastern League, Collin R. Zucker

Honors Theses

Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is comprised of 247 teams playing in 17 leagues at six different levels. Every team in these leagues is an affiliate of a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, but many are privately owned and are therefore financially independent. While MiLB primarily serves as a development environment for future MLB players, profit maximization is still a goal of various front offices. Minor League Baseball has existed for over a century but only recently have teams been regarded as profitable investments. In Forbes’ “Most Valuable Minor League Teams” list published in 2016, the average value of the top …

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An Analysis Of Skill-Biased Technical Change Across Demographic Groups, Madison Lindsay Jan 2018

An Analysis Of Skill-Biased Technical Change Across Demographic Groups, Madison Lindsay

Honors Theses

I adopt a measure of task-based routineness from Autor and Dorn (2013) to investigate the effects of routineness on various demographic groups. I analyze data from the Current Population Surveys between 1976 and 2017 to determine which groups, separated by race, gender, and age, are most strongly affected by routine-biased technological change. My findings suggest that women are most negatively affected by occupational routineness. Further, both women’s concentration in highly routine occupations and women’s educational attainment trends from 1976 to 2017 could explain women’s increasing susceptibility to changes in routineness.

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Mussolini, Hitler, And Perón : Economic Conditions And The Emergence Of Illiberal Leadership, Patrick David Hughes Jan 2018

Mussolini, Hitler, And Perón : Economic Conditions And The Emergence Of Illiberal Leadership, Patrick David Hughes

Honors Theses

This research seeks to understand the relationship between economic conditions and the emergence of illiberal leadership. The work includes historical case studies of Italy, Germany, and Argentina in the periods preceding the respective emergences of Mussolini, Hitler, and Perón. Research analysis focuses on economic conditions and attempts to provide illumination of the contexts within which each of these leaders rose to power.

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