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Honors Theses

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

From Foster Care To Becoming A Family Member, Zachary Henderson Apr 2014

From Foster Care To Becoming A Family Member, Zachary Henderson

Honors Theses

This exploration examines different aspects of the transition from a foster care placement into an adoptive home. This project was completed using the qualitative research approach will allowed for semi-structured interviews w ith single individuals. Both participants experienced foster care during their youth. The interviewees were drawn from a convenience sample. The interviews were then then transcribed. The transcripts where then examined to search for common themes which may improve the transition for child going from foster care to adoption. Although the sample is small, the insight is great. It seems that the professionals were competent but not humble regarding …


Free Trade As Neocolonialism: Cafta, The United States, And Guatemala, Margret Reuter Apr 2014

Free Trade As Neocolonialism: Cafta, The United States, And Guatemala, Margret Reuter

Honors Theses

In today’s world, free trade is seen as a forgone conclusion in the march towards economic development. The origin of free trade agreements rests in the neoliberalist surge of the twentieth century based upon finding a middle ground between central planning and laissez-faire capitalism. As the twentieth century progressed, neoliberalism and the ideas associated with it fell more to the side of laissez-faire capitalism. Free trade agreements between developed and developing countries demonstrate a play of power on behalf of the developed countries that seems unfair. There are stories that are not told about free trade agreements. Economic data analysis …


Resettled: A Portrait Of Bhutanese Refugees In Dayton, Ohio, Molly R. Winslow Apr 2014

Resettled: A Portrait Of Bhutanese Refugees In Dayton, Ohio, Molly R. Winslow

Honors Theses

75 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Dayton, Ohio. Through an intensive case study with one Bhutanese refugee family and interviews with local refugee service providers the topics of English language acquisition, issues surrounding the job search and religion as both a community builder and insulator are examined.


Discrimination Against Disabled Persons In Malawi And The United States: A Comparative Study, Stephen Crum Apr 2014

Discrimination Against Disabled Persons In Malawi And The United States: A Comparative Study, Stephen Crum

Honors Theses

Physically disabled individuals experience hardships that are more severe than the general public in both Malawi, African and in the United States. Disabled Malawians and Americans experience lower employment rates and lower annual incomes than the general public. Additionally, there is a lower educational attendance rate among disabled individuals in each country. This study sought to determine what factors contributed to these educational and employment deficiencies in both countries. Possible factors for the deficit may include discrimination, poor infrastructure, or the severity of the physical disability. A survey was administered to students (N = 52) at the University of Dayton …


Examining Acculturative Stressors Of The International Student: Following Study Abroad Students In South Korea And Morocco, Chin Yi Chen Apr 2014

Examining Acculturative Stressors Of The International Student: Following Study Abroad Students In South Korea And Morocco, Chin Yi Chen

Honors Theses

International students, particularly students studying abroad for a limited period of time, face certain challenges in entering and adjusting to a new cultural environment. This research focuses on different acculturative stressors including language, differences in nonverbal communication, discrimination, and academic pressure. By comparing and contrasting the perspectives of various students with the researcher’s experience, this qualitative study provides insight into the lived experience of international students and the research through on-site fieldwork conducted over a year on university campuses in South Korea and Morocco. It discusses the results of the undertaken research and offers suggestions for resolving or minimizing these …


The Effects Of Moral Licensing On High-Cost And Low-Cost Helping Behaviors, Kaitlin E. Boyd Apr 2014

The Effects Of Moral Licensing On High-Cost And Low-Cost Helping Behaviors, Kaitlin E. Boyd

Honors Theses

Previous research on moral licensing demonstrates that individuals who behave morally are less willing to help in the future; but is this still the case when the cost of helping is low? The present thesis examined the effects of moral licensing on prosocial behavior that is high in cost-to-self and low in cost-to-self. Contrary to past literature, participants in the control condition did not rate themselves as more willing to help than participants who felt morally licensed. This presents a need for more thorough research on the mechanisms of moral licensing. Participants did, however, rate themselves as more willing to …


As Stable As The Dollar Stretches: The Impact Of Us Foreign Aid On Social Stability In Jordan, Jasmine Renee Jordan Apr 2014

As Stable As The Dollar Stretches: The Impact Of Us Foreign Aid On Social Stability In Jordan, Jasmine Renee Jordan

Honors Theses

After the fall out of the Arab Spring in 2010, most of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region suffered from extreme political, social, and economical instability. Usually, the citizens of these counties were revolting against the authoritarian regimes that have held power for decades. Jordan stands as the only obvious exception. How has Jordan maintained relative economic stability where others have failed? I have found that it is hard to judge the economic or social stability of Jordan without recognizing the large amounts of foreign aid Jordan has received from the US. This thesis asks what …


Power In Numbers? The Impact Of Female Formed Police Units On Women’S Empowerment, Laura Huber Apr 2014

Power In Numbers? The Impact Of Female Formed Police Units On Women’S Empowerment, Laura Huber

Honors Theses

Advocates hailed the deployment of female formed police units (FFPUs), or all-female units, as part of UN peacekeeping missions as a groundbreaking achievement for women's empowerment. Three FFPUs have been deployed to Liberia, Timor-Leste, and Haiti. Supporters of FFPUs claim that female police are better peacekeepers, less prone to violence, and more responsive to sexual and gender based-violence. Furthermore, FFPUs are expected to act as role models, challenge gender stereotypes, and encourage local women to participate in the security sector. However, little systematic research has been conducted to evaluate these proposed beneficial impacts of FFPUs. Using feminist discourse analysis and …


Auditory Information In The Form Of A Scratching Sound Enhances The Effects Of The Rubber Hand Illusion, Bridget O'Mera Apr 2014

Auditory Information In The Form Of A Scratching Sound Enhances The Effects Of The Rubber Hand Illusion, Bridget O'Mera

Honors Theses

The body schema describes an internal representation of the body in space, and is generated from a number of different sense modalities such as vision and proprioception. Botvinick and Cohen's rubber hand illusion (1998) demonstrates the relative contributions of vision, tactile perception and proprioception to body awareness. In this illusion, a participant's real hand is concealed from view and a prosthetic rubber hand is seen in its place. An experimenter simultaneously administers tactile stimulation to both the seen rubber hand and participant's actual hidden hand. The combination of this visual and tactile information overrides proprioceptive cues to body perception, creating …


Protestantism, Liberalism, And Racial Equality, Abraham Uppal Feb 2014

Protestantism, Liberalism, And Racial Equality, Abraham Uppal

Honors Theses

In this paper, I will examine liberalism in Protestantism. Liberals who are Protestant, Mainline Protestants, are an interesting group who are different from the conservative, Evangelical Christian crowd. I will pay special attention to racial issues like affirmative action and racism. Liberalism in Protestantism is often called the social gospel, a theology in which Protestants believe Christian teachings mandate an active role in society in which values such as freedom, equality, and love are pursued. The social gospel contrasts with the theology called individual salvation, often identified with conservative or Evangelical Christianity, in which one’s personal relationship with God is …


Awareness, Agency, And Alternatives: Opportunities And Challenges For Conamuri And The Paraguayan Women’S Food Sovereignty Movement In An Age Of Social Media, Brianne Illich Jan 2014

Awareness, Agency, And Alternatives: Opportunities And Challenges For Conamuri And The Paraguayan Women’S Food Sovereignty Movement In An Age Of Social Media, Brianne Illich

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the influence and limitations of the use of social media by the Paraguayan female food sovereignty movement. Considering the Paraguayan campesino context of censorship and marginalization, it analyzes social media’s role as an alternative news source, a space for self-expression, and a vehicle for interactive engagement, outreach, and resistance. It focuses specifically on the experiences within CONAMURI, a Paraguayan women’s food sovereignty network. The study sheds light on the CONAMURI female campesino context, giving voice to the personal experiences, challenges, aspirations, and activities that make up everyday organizational resistance and motivate social media mobilization. Overall, this thesis …


The Role Of Underutilized Fish In New England's Seafood System, Taylor Witkin Jan 2014

The Role Of Underutilized Fish In New England's Seafood System, Taylor Witkin

Honors Theses

The global fisheries crisis has led to an increasing recognition for the need to relieve pressure on overfished, popular food fish stocks. Opportunities exist to shift consumer demand toward more sustainable choices, including fish that may be locally abundant. Attempts have been made to market underused fish (sometimes termed “trash fish”) that represent more sustainable alternatives; however, it is unclear whether consumers will choose to purchase these more sustainable options, particularly if underused fish are also unfamiliar. Chapter 1 reviews existing research and current issues surrounding sustainable seafood and the recent shift toward local, abundant, undervalued species in New England’s …


Borderline Depravity: The Impact Of U.S. Immigration Policy On Human Smuggling At The Mexican Border, Chloe J. Gilroy Jan 2014

Borderline Depravity: The Impact Of U.S. Immigration Policy On Human Smuggling At The Mexican Border, Chloe J. Gilroy

Honors Theses

Human smuggling at the southwest border has undergone a series of dramatic changes following the advent of militarized enforcement after 9/11. These changes have culminated in drug cartels becoming involved in the market for human smuggling as service providers. This role constitutes a massive departure from the traditional working dynamics of the market, and has created a human rights crisis with far-reaching implications. Accordingly, this thesis attempts to answer the following questions: Why are Mexican drug cartels entering into human smuggling? What part has U.S immigration policy had in incentivizing their involvement? When did their involvement begin? To answer these …


The Relationships Between Local Food And Food Security In Maine, Erin Love Jan 2014

The Relationships Between Local Food And Food Security In Maine, Erin Love

Honors Theses

There is a food systems paradox in Maine: the State has one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the nation, while simultaneously experiencing a local agriculture boom. Maine has some of the largest percentages of young farmers and women farmers in the country and is home to the second highest number of artisan cheese makers of any state in the country. Amidst this exciting, sometimes quirky, agricultural activity there is a critical need for food systems development in the state, especially in the context of serving vulnerable populations. This thesis explores the ways in which Mainers are working …


A New Balance: National Security And Privacy In A Post 9-11 World, Russell B. Wilson Jan 2014

A New Balance: National Security And Privacy In A Post 9-11 World, Russell B. Wilson

Honors Theses

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 shocked the American security apparatus, placing greater pressure on the security actions of the U.S. government, particularly regarding information gathering. Laying out a framework that examines different notions of national security and privacy, this paper examine three case studies to illustrate the role of the government and the inherent friction between privacy and security that increased information gathering inherently creates. The shifting balance between the two variables forces us to reexamine how we want our government to protect us and what we will sacrifice in order to ensure our own well being. With …


The Economic Impact Of Shale Gas Development: A Natural Experiment Along The New York And Pennsylvania Border, Brendan Cosgrove Jan 2014

The Economic Impact Of Shale Gas Development: A Natural Experiment Along The New York And Pennsylvania Border, Brendan Cosgrove

Honors Theses

In the United States, the rapid increase in shale gas production has recently stimulated local economies. This paper investigates the regional economic impact of shale gas development. The border of New York and Pennsylvania provides a natural experiment for its economic impact because of the moratorium on fracking in NY and the supportive fracking regulations in PA. Using BLS data from 2001-2013, results show that shale gas development has a statistically significant impact at the industry level, but not across the entire economy. The findings contribute new evidence to the economic benefits and the boom-bust cycle of shale gas extraction.


The Chinese Social Enterprise: A Global Phenomenon With Chinese Characteristics, Amanda Jingtong O'Malley Jan 2014

The Chinese Social Enterprise: A Global Phenomenon With Chinese Characteristics, Amanda Jingtong O'Malley

Honors Theses

Social entrepreneurship, a concept that integrates business strategies with achieving social goals, is gaining traction in China. However, it is a distinctly Chinese variant of an approach exported by Western entrepreneurs. The purpose of this thesis to is analyze the Chinese social enterprise by identifying China’s socioeconomic and political forces that create the unique environment in which this trend is taking root. By examining how these factors are changing in China’s progressively more market economy, I conclude that key characteristics of the Chinese social enterprise are also shifting in response—moving from a civil society- originated model to a market‐based social …


La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth Are Reshaping History, Anna Terry Jan 2014

La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth Are Reshaping History, Anna Terry

Honors Theses

The highly controversial military dictatorship in Chile lasted from 1973 to 1989. General Augusto Pinochet's neoliberal policies saved the country from economic ruin in the 1980's, but Chile became highly socially unequal as a result. After he was democratically voted out of office, politicians decided not to change his economic policies in order to avoid a collapse, and those policies are still in place today, specifically in terms of education. Therefore, an entire generation of Chileans has grown up after the dictatorship under these same highly unequal education policies, and as a result, they have begun to protest. What started …


The Effect Of Race In Primary And Secondary School Achievement : Evidence From Virginia, Khanh Doan Jan 2014

The Effect Of Race In Primary And Secondary School Achievement : Evidence From Virginia, Khanh Doan

Honors Theses

A large body of literature has studied the achievement gap between white and minority groups in the United States. This paper contributes to this discussion by conducting a cross-sectional study of Virginia using data for 2011-2012. I analyze the impact of race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic) on school district pass rates conditional on income per capita, population density, and a cohort effect in each school district. I find that the magnitude of the gap is largest in 3rd grade and smallest in 5th grade. There are little differences between Black-White gaps and Hispanic-White gaps. The gaps are neither widening nor narrowing …


The Dólar Blue: The Black Market Exchange Rate For Dollars In Argentina, Brad Brunson Lanier Jan 2014

The Dólar Blue: The Black Market Exchange Rate For Dollars In Argentina, Brad Brunson Lanier

Honors Theses

At the beginning of October 2011, Argentina saw the emergence of a black market exchange rate for U.S. dollars. This black market exchange rate is known locally as the Dólar Blue. The importance of the Dólar Blue has become so public that it even has its own websites and social media accounts to inform its users of its daily rates as well as how and where to locate the human intermediary aspect of the black market known as the arbolitos. As a whole, black market exchange rates better reflect people's expectations about the true purchasing power of their currency and …


The Smoke Free Campus Movement, Daniel Roberts Jan 2014

The Smoke Free Campus Movement, Daniel Roberts

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the rising number of smoke free college and university campuses in the United States and to identify the mechanisms that can be used to implement a national policy requiring all colleges and universities to be smoke free. To fully investigate this topic, I utilized qualitative research through analyses from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, reports from the Surgeon General, a tobacco control legal consortium, newspaper articles, television news reports, websites of colleges and universities with smoke free policies, to consolidate the research into an overarching picture of the current climate …


Conservative Values And Minority Outreach, Diego Garcia Jan 2014

Conservative Values And Minority Outreach, Diego Garcia

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the values that underlie positions in political issues among three minority groups (African-Americans, Jewish- Americans and Hispanics). The primary focus of this research is to determine the extent to which the values that these minority groups hold align with conservative values; secondarily, the thesis considers the extent to which conservative politicians could use such alignment to appeal to minorities. This thesis also includes a brief series of recommendations for the Republican Party to be more effective at appealing to these minority groups specifically.


An Exploratory Study Of Gait And Balance In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Krystal Mircovich Jan 2014

An Exploratory Study Of Gait And Balance In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Krystal Mircovich

Honors Theses

Research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display movement impairments that are distinct from typically developing peers. Results from numerous studies suggest various and inconsistent findings. Therefore, movement differences in children with ASD should continue to be assessed. The current study examined the characteristics of gait and balance in children with ASD, between the ages of 7 and 11, by comparing behavioral observation and parent report. As two of the most frequent behaviors of movement and two of the main movements implicated in neurological disorders, an evaluation of how these behaviors differ in children with ASD will offer …


The Effect Of Race In Primary And Secondary School Achievement : Evidence From Virginia, Khanh (Miki) Doan Jan 2014

The Effect Of Race In Primary And Secondary School Achievement : Evidence From Virginia, Khanh (Miki) Doan

Honors Theses

A large body of literature has studied the achievement gap between white and minority groups in the United States. This paper contributes to this discussion by conducting a cross-sectional study of Virginia using data for 2011-2012. I analyze the impact of race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic) on school district pass rates conditional on income per capita, population density, and a cohort effect in each school district. I find that the magnitude of the gap is largest in 3rd grade and smallest in 5th grade. There are little differences between Black-White gaps and Hispanic-White gaps. The gaps are neither widening nor narrowing …


Emerging Adults' Friendships And Group Identification : Differential Associations With Well-Being, Ethan Wolf Jan 2014

Emerging Adults' Friendships And Group Identification : Differential Associations With Well-Being, Ethan Wolf

Honors Theses

Happiness is a universally desirable state that humans inherently strive to achieve. Researchers have come up with different ways of operationalizing this universal construct, but have generally agreed that happiness can be considered as the frequent presence of positive affect (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). There is a reason we love being happy, and the associations between happiness and success in numerous life domains have been long documented. However, research shows that happiness is more than just a byproduct of successful outcomes and in fact contributes to life success. Positive affect and emotions leads to feelings of confidence, self-efficacy, optimism, …


The Cost-Of-Carry Model And Volatility : An Analysis Of Gold Futures Contracts Pricing, Edward M. Riley Iii Jan 2014

The Cost-Of-Carry Model And Volatility : An Analysis Of Gold Futures Contracts Pricing, Edward M. Riley Iii

Honors Theses

The theoretical price of gold futures relies on the term structure of interest rates, the days to settlement, and the spot price of gold. However, when comparing the theoretical gold futures price and the observed price in the market, there is often a difference. The difference implies that the theoretical pricing model is incomplete. Though limited in explaining much of what causes a difference between the actual and theoretical futures prices, factors such as rise in the credit spread of interest rates and changes in the price of commodities are statistically significant and positively correlated determinants of the difference between …


Macroeconomic Surprise, Forecast Uncertainty, And Stock Prices, Alphonce M. Mshomba Jan 2014

Macroeconomic Surprise, Forecast Uncertainty, And Stock Prices, Alphonce M. Mshomba

Honors Theses

This paper evaluates the effect of surprises in economic data on stock prices. “Surprises in economic data” refer to the difference between the forecast and initial release actual values relative to the sample forecast error. The analysis addresses three questions. Do surprises in economic data affect stock prices? If there is an effect, is the magnitude of that effect symmetrical for positive and negative surprises? If surprises affect stock prices, how does market forecast uncertainty affect the magnitude of the effect on stock prices?


Application Of Carhart Four-Factor Model To The Aaii-Generated Portfolios, Teo Lagvilava Jan 2014

Application Of Carhart Four-Factor Model To The Aaii-Generated Portfolios, Teo Lagvilava

Honors Theses

American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) provides stock screens that follow the investment strategies of some of the most well-known investors. This paper uses Carhart’s Four Factor Model and adjusts returns for transactions costs to see whether these portfolios generate abnormal returns. I find that number of portfolios with excess returns significantly decreases under the restrictions of the four factor model and transaction costs assumptions. In addition, I find that a momentum is a statistically significant factor in explaining the returns of these portfolios. The results of this study suggest that markets are inefficient in the weakest form.


Links Between Friendship, Psychological Symptoms, And Academic Adjustment In An Emerging Adulthood Sample, Lisa Sample Jan 2014

Links Between Friendship, Psychological Symptoms, And Academic Adjustment In An Emerging Adulthood Sample, Lisa Sample

Honors Theses

It is well established that peer relationships, including friendships, have an important influence on children’s adjustment in school (Buhs & Ladd, 2001; Guay, Boivin, & Hodges, 1999). Friendship might contribute to success in school because this relationship often serves as a source of social and emotional support for the child. When a child feels comfortable in his or her environment, he or she is more readily able to participate in his or her learning (Buhs & Ladd, 2001).


Leadership With Liberal Arts : From Ehebia To Jepson, Shaye Ellis Jan 2014

Leadership With Liberal Arts : From Ehebia To Jepson, Shaye Ellis

Honors Theses

“Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena.” Despite his extensive research and knowledge in the field, James MacGregor Burns still professes the complexity of the concept of leadership. The abstract nature of the topic does not lend itself to a brief synopsis or a limited understanding of a specific aspect of leadership. In many ways it eludes being confined to a particular category and exists across and between different academic disciplines. In the absence of a prescribed curriculum or method of study, institutions of higher education establish programs and departments that disseminate a distinct model or …