Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reciprocal Empathy: Reversing Antipathy Towards Immigrants In Emotion And Votes, Amanda Gach

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The topic of immigration politics has gained traction in recent years as surges of immigrants are introduced to new homes—often with a long road of integration into the host country ahead. As a result, debates emerged on how to effectively “humanize” members of these outgroups – which include immigrants and refugees alike—while also being able to forge lasting cooperation between these ethnic groups allowing for peaceful integration. Previous attempts to achieve this goal have used various forms of visual and sensory media to generate empathy towards these outgroup members. These approaches have proven to be ineffective when not met with …

Unprecedented Immigration: The Ramifications On Japan’S Party Politics, Keiko Hirano-Lee

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although the immigration discourse is a taboo subject in Japan, the aging demographics and the need for workers has brought the topic into discussion. Part of the OECD community, Japan remains the eldest liberal country who up till recently avoided immigration to maintain its unique image. This thesis builds on Japanese and immigration scholarship to examine how new pro-immigration policies of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party may affect their electoral standing. By looking at official statements, newspaper polls, and the wording of policies, it will help examine new spaces of contestation that have yet to be studied. As a forward …

Towards A Bioeconomy In The Southern Cone?:Analysis Of Official Bioeconomic Approaches In Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay And Uruguay, Marisa Mathó

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Every aspect of our world is impacted by climate change – our food, water, infrastructure and security systems. Bioeconomy and the biobased economy have emerged as two types of models with the potential to transform industries away from extractive practices without losing economic activity. By pivoting decisively to embrace sustainable bioeconomic and biobased economic strategies nations can contribute to their long term development, and make a real difference in the fight against climate change. This study seeks to analyze national bioeconomic policy documents to better understand the orientation, status and level of bioeconomic policy discourse in the founding MERCOSUR countries …

Asian Values And Democratic Viability: A Study Of The Effects Of Political Values On Thai Support For Democracy, Marisa Gonzalez-Mabbutt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite research found in the World Values Survey which indicates high global support for democracy, certain regions of the world have struggled to solidify or even introduce democratic institutions. Existing explanations such as the Asian Values Theory show mixed results that political culture in Asian countries decreases support for democracy. These studies also fail to look at country-specific political cultures within countries like Thailand, where national values play a distinct role in the political arena and could affect democratic support. Moreover, previous research has not disaggregated how competing values at the national, regional, and global levels can affect support for …

Crisis Within A Crisis: A Comparative Analysis Of Covid-19’S Implications On Greece And Spain’S Migrant And Refugee Processing Policies, Injy Elhabrouk

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic came a collective global panic regarding health, safety, and security. Since the major outbreak of the coronavirus in March of 2020, few issues have received scrutiny and attention in the public sphere. Yet, the problems that existed before COVID-19 have not become obsolete, however, they were removed from the public eye. One such issue to receive less scrutiny is the treatment of the most vulnerable populations in the world—migrants and refugees. Spain and Greece’s locations on the Mediterranean Sea mean they are often the first place migrants seek refuge in their journey to …

India’S Nuclear Energy Conundrum: An Assessment Of The Country’S Energy Futures, Sneha Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis will assess the practicality of implementing nuclear energy into India’s power system by considering different security risks, political factors, and COVID-19 complications. Access to energy is essential to modern survival because it contributes to the safety, success, and overall well-being of individuals; allowing for a better acquisition of food, education, and industry necessities. A big concern for India has been the inability to give energy access to millions of citizens that live in no proximity to a power grid, and this has shown to correlate with a lower quality of life. Another concern for India is the search …

A Cross National Comparison Of Family Friendly Work Policies: The Potential Influence Of Cultural Values, Adeline Grace Hardten

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around the world people must work for a living, but also must raise their families. To balance these obligations, parents need high levels of support. But the existence of family friendly work policies, defined as paid parental leave and affordable, high-quality childcare, vary significantly across nations, making it difficult for many to obtain the necessary support. Research indicates that countries providing supportive family friendly policies see economic benefits, increases in profitability, and stronger overall youth development. Even though research reveals strong positive outcomes, there is a deficiency of exploration into why more countries still lack comprehensive policies that support working …

The Life-Saving Drug That No One Knows About: Naloxone Education And The Health Belief Model, Sarah Tilford

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Naloxone hydrochloride, popularly known by the brand name Narcan, is an emergency treatment used to reverse an overdose on opioid drugs. The CDC reports upwards of 26,000 individuals saved by naloxone between 1996 and 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Despite this success rate, those outside of the medical field largely remain unaware of what naloxone is or how they can use it in an emergency, leading to needless loss of life. Many studies focusing on naloxone access and education have been unable to offer findings meant to increase the use and ownership of the drug by lay …

Gabriele D’Annunzio And The Regency Of Carnaro, Patrick Merkle

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Italian novelist and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, through skillful rhetoric and daring leadership, inspired Italian nationalists to seize the port of Fiume on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea. His rule over the people of Fiume through his gifted oratory and forced citizen participation in government ceremonies had a mass appeal; attracted to such a prospect of widespread popularity, Benito Mussolini, and subsequently Adolf Hitler, adopted D’Annunzio’s theatrics within their respective fascist parties. Despite obvious similarities between Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and D’Annunzio’s authoritarianism, D’Annunzio was not a proto-fascist, as the few scholarly works on D’Annunzio tend to assert. This …

Parent Perspectives On Accessing Resources For Children With Developmental Delays And Their Younger Siblings, Claire Chelladurai

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The benefits of early intervention for children with developmental delays is widely documented in the current literature (Goode et al., 2011; Koegel et al., 2014; Roberts & Kaiser, 2015; Smith et al., 2000). There is, however, a lack of research on what parents experience when accessing resources for their child with a developmental delay and younger siblings who may be at risk for a developmental delay. Through face to face qualitative interviews, the current study examined parent awareness of and experience accessing desired resources for children with developmental delays and their younger siblings. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) …

A Comparison Of The Economic And Cultural Development Of Japan And Thailand Through The Human Development And World Happiness Indices, Tanner Money

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to make human development and happiness comparisons between two countries that are found in the same region of the world and share similar cultural and historical backgrounds. For this study, the human development measures for Japan and Thailand are compared based on Life Expectancy, Literacy Rates, and Gross Domestic Product (per capita) measures. First, the historical development of Japan and Thailand is presented, highlighting the key historical economic and political moments in each country that has led them to their present state of development. Second, the two countries were compared using quantitative and qualitative …

Survivors Of Human Trafficking: A Review Of Current Mental Health Practices And Recommendations For Improvement, Caleb Andreason

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human trafficking is a global issue that is increasing in prevalence. For survivors and those exploited by human trafficking, the psychological, developmental, and physical health consequences of human trafficking are complex and often debilitating. Unfortunately, there continues to be a lack of attention regarding these issues in the professional psychology literature. A qualitative study was conducted that included nine semi-structured interviews of professionals working with survivors of human trafficking. The data were analyzed and themes were derived using content analysis. The results showed the need for long-term comprehensive care, but many principles found in the research literature have not yet …

Differences In Immigrant Education By Destination Country: An Analysis Of Turkish Immigrants' Perception Of And Performance In Math And Science, Lisa Turley Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how the country to which Turkish immigrant students immigrate affects their educational outcomes – specifically, math and science test scores and four constructed variables that measure how much students enjoy math and science and their self-rated confidence in the subjects. I use data from the 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams. I examine Turkish immigrant students living in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.

My findings are consistent with prior research showing that immigrant student test scores vary by destination country. I also find that Turkish immigrant students’ perceptions of math …

An Analysis Of Intercultural Research From 2000-2019., Isabelle Kramer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the last twenty years, advancements in information and communications technologies have fundamentally altered the face of intercultural communication (Shuter, 2011). While there is significant research regarding the impact of new media on intercultural communication, there is no published research that discusses the ways in which intercultural scholarship in the academic context has adapted to the evolving social media landscape. I will be conducting a content analysis on all intercultural articles published on the EBSCO database “Communication and Mass Media Complete” between January 2000 and January 2019. This research will illuminate trends in intercultural communications studies over the past twenty …

Contradictory Selves: An Investigation Of Identity Performance In A Dance Leisure Space, Bayleigh Cragun

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Identity is a constantly shifting performance of self, occasionally complicated when outward appearance of the self-performer doesn’t match the manner (behavior). This contradictory performance of self is most obvious when connected to a racial group identity, such as in dance leisure spaces. However, previous research on identity performance and critical race studies in dance leisure spaces has not investigated contradictory identities. As a participant-researcher in a black dance space at a predominantly white institution (PWI), the BYU Step Team, I investigated how non-black participants navigate contradictory identities. Using a dramaturgical perspective to analyze individual identity performance and a critical race …

Student Identity And Inclusion: A Model For Sense Of Belonging At Brigham Young University, Jose Rodriguez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Campus racial climate in universities across the United States have been linked to several aspects attributed to student success. One aspect of campus climate is sense of belonging, which is correlated with retention, graduation, and student satisfaction. This study seeks to understand sense of belonging and the factors that impact it. In studies across the country, white students have been found to experience a greater sense of belonging than students of color. I seek to discover the factors associated with belonging and their effects. Based on a logistic regression model, students of color and white students at BYU do have …

La Habana: A History Of Society, Livelihood, Movement, And Land Use On The Iquitos-Nauta Highway, Katie Brown

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With increasing infrastructural projects and land titling in the Peruvian Amazon, many changes are occurring within small roadside communities. In this case study, we investigate how these changes impact livelihoods, land use, travel patterns, and social relations within the broader concepts of development, privatization of land, and commodification of nature. Specifically we focus on the caserío La Habana situated on the Iquitos-Nauta highway in the Loreto region of Peru. Semi-formal interviews and ethnographic methods were conducted to gather information on social organization, history of the community, land use practices, migration patterns, opinions on the road, and livelihood strategies. After data …

Pre-Professional College Women’S Perceptions Of The Social Implications Of Company Sponsored Fertility Postponement, Jordane Schooley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Large corporations, such as Apple and Google, as well as other tech companies, began incorporating fertility postponement in their health benefits to employees through the form of egg freezing and in-vitro fertilization starting in 2014. While some research exists looking at the implications of this policy for women in the workforce, little attention has been given to the perspective of young women about to enter the workforce. This research examines the perceptions of pre-professional women on the implications of potential future employers offering them egg freezing and IVF benefits, revealing contradictory feelings towards such policies. Since these women are in …

Theory Of Black Racial Forgiveness: The Expectation Of Black Sacrifice, Kayla Weston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Forgiveness is traditionally seen as an inherently virtuous act, but contemporary anti-racist activists have pointed to repeated high-profile examples of Black people forgiving white people for unspeakably violent and racist actions to call into question our normative understanding of forgiveness’s meaning, and implications. For this reason, this project critically analyzes the political implications of interracial Black forgiveness, to understand how its significance goes beyond merely being an expression of grace, and instead helps to define, and re-substantiate current and future race relations. The goal of this thesis is to conceptualize the ways in which acts of Black racial forgiveness function …

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Gender, Drinking Motives, Alcohol Involvement, And Neuroticism, Jaymi Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The onset of problem drinking behaviors for many college undergraduates occurs as they enter a new environment devoid of previous inhibiting factors. For whatever reasons college students choose to drink—and not all of them do—it is imperative to understand both the motives and influences affecting increased alcohol related risks. After conducting a thorough literature review, I propose a research design to test the hypothesis that drinking motives and alcohol involvement are mediated by neuroticism. To support this prediction, I will present a model that considers the impact that subject personality, namely neuroticism, may have in mediating the relationship. Specifically, this …

Do Narcissism Levels Affect Conflict Resolution When Their Ego Is Threatened? An Experiment, Laura E. Harper

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The present experimental study, examined the influence of ego-threat on participant aggression levels, and investigated whether Narcissism moderated this relationship. A sample of N= 54 undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to receive either positive or negative feedback on their writing abilities from what they were told was a co-participant, with the negative feedback condition serving as the ego-threat condition. Afterwards, participants responded to a hypothetical conflict scenario involving the imagined co-participant and completed a self-report measure of Narcissism online. Results showed that being assigned to the ego-threat condition resulted in more aggressive responses to the conflict scenario, increased use of …

Preventative Force And The Rules Of Proportionality, Jacob Price

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The thesis examines how a tiered system of proportional rules will provide a better understanding for how to use force outside of a declared conflict. The tiered system provides explicit standards and subprinciples to determine how and when a foreign state can use preventative force on specific targets. The thesis asserts that certain preventative action against immediate and existential threats can be justified, but any demonstration of force cannot continue beyond a threat incident. The thesis evaluates the current demonstrations of force in Mexico, West Africa and situations involving weapons of mass destruction. Through the tiered system, states can proportionally …

Ethical Standards Of Human Services Professionals In Trauma Informed Care Across Diverse Settings, Emily Burroughs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ethics are important in every aspect of our professional lives. Actions have consequences and in the Human Services field, decisions that we make will potentially directly impact our clients. A human services professional’s responsibility is to care for their clients and provide them with the appropriate resources needed to succeed in their daily lives. When a professional begins working with a trauma victim, they must be sure to assess their ethical behaviors and provide proper resources to the victim. This work is often referred to as trauma informed care which goes beyond the typical helping process of professionals. It is …

Can Spiritual Experiences Promote Empathy In The Context Of Past Adverse Childhood Experiences?, Alison Ickes

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can greatly impact a child’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing later in life. ACE exposure has been associated with lower levels of empathy in the literature. Spirituality is often associated with a number of positive outcomes, including those associated with empathy, like prosocial behaviors. The present study examines spirituality as a buffer against reduced empathy in those with exposure to adverse events in childhood. Participants for this study were recruited through the SONA research platform at East Tennessee State University as part of a larger research project, the REACH (Religions, Emotions, and …

Is There A Relationship Between Experiences Of Workplace Discrimination And Self-Stigmatization Among Mental Health Peer Support Workers?, Nicole King

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis aimed to explore whether a statistically significant relationship existed between experiences of workplace discrimination and self-stigmatization among mental health peer support workers. This relationship has not previously been explored in this group. The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) was used to measure self-stigmatization, and a 3-measure scale adapted by Stromwall, Holley and Bashor (2011), alongside a newly created measure, were used to assess perceived workplace discrimination. The sample was a convenience sample of 20 participants. The researcher expected a positive correlation between workplace discrimination and self-stigmatization. Ultimately, no statistically significant relationship was found between the two …

How Resilience-Building Interventions Impact Parenting Stress And Cortisol Reactivity In Mothers With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Victoria Jones

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research has found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with changes in both parenting stress and cortisol. Resilience-building interventions may be able to help diminish the effects of ACEs, thus impacting parenting stress and cortisol reactivity. This study aims to examine how two resilience-building interventions (emotion-based and behavior-based) will impact parenting stress and cortisol reactivity in mothers with ACEs. This project is in the preliminary stages of data collection; as such, this honors thesis will review the relevant literature, describe current methodology and proposed analyses, and discuss possible implications and future directions. Participants (goal N=100) undergo a pre-assessment where …

An Analysis Of Substance Use In College: Identifying Possible Risk And Protective Factors, Stephanie Penpek

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the United States, an estimated 20% of college students have an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). AUD is conceptualized as compulsive use of alcohol even when presented with adverse effects. Historically, student activities and organization-involvement (e.g., Greek life) was a hypothesized risk factor for student substance use. However, other studies suggest that joining clubs and developing a support system during college can protect against substance use disorders. Undergraduate students were recruited from a South Eastern University using a university-sponsored, online recruitment website. The sample was predominantly White (n = 150; 86.70%) and female (n = 127; 73.40%). We …

The Effects Of Nursing School Peer Tutoring On Tutors, Yelyzaveta Soboleva

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An integrative review was used to examine the effects of being a tutor versus not being a tutor. The matrix method was used to guide the research process, to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria, and to reduce data into common topics of peer tutoring. The results of the integrative review yielded 20 articles and suggested that students in the position to assist others are more confident in communicating in groups and have higher knowledge in the subject they help with than their fellow peers. The literature showed that students in the position to assist others have defined personal …

Views Of Addiction Etiology Predict Religious Individuals’ Willingness To Help., Emily Brady, Joseph Barnet, Valerie Hoots, Andrea Clements

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Views of addiction etiology predict religious individuals’ willingness to help.

Emily Brady, Valerie Hoots, Joseph Barnet, and Andrea Clements, Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol is an accrescent societal problem. Individuals with substance addiction face stigma in their daily lives, specifically from religious individuals as explored in this study. The stigma these religious individuals might portray could be related to their ideas on addiction etiology. The purpose of this project is to evaluate if different views of addiction etiology predict religious individuals’ willingness to help individuals with substance addition. Our hypothesis for this …

Menstruation Regulation: A Feminist Critique Of Menstrual Product Brands On Instagram, Max Faust

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Much research about advertisements for menstrual products reveals the ways in which such advertising perpetuates shame and reinforces unrealistic ideals of femininity and womanhood. This study aims to examine the content of Instagram posts by four different menstrual product brands in hopes of understanding how these functions may or may not be carried out by social media posts by these brands as well. Building on the body of research about menstrual shame and advertising, I specifically ask: How do the Instagram pages for four menstrual product brands dissuade individuality; how do they prescribe femininity; and how do these functions differ …