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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Impact Of Organizational Culture And Leadership In Professional Environments, Eli Wolman Jan 2024

Impact Of Organizational Culture And Leadership In Professional Environments, Eli Wolman

Capstone Showcase

This paper addresses the importance of a strong organizational culture and effective leadership in a professional working environment. Leadership has been shown to profoundly impact a professional working environment's performance, productivity, mental well-being, and goal attainment. Organizational Culture is the set of values and norms a group shares. As influential organizational culture proves to be effective, leadership may come in the form of several styles, including transformational leadership, directive leadership, or empowering leadership, which also play a pivotal role in the success of a group. Ultimately, even though this paper primarily prioritizes the implications of leadership and culture on professional …


Introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Hiv Prevention And Treatment Methods Through Pop-Up Clinics To Secondary School Girls In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Eliza I. Tobin, Joaquin Carlos Pinga, Caitlyn Stanya Jan 2024

Introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Hiv Prevention And Treatment Methods Through Pop-Up Clinics To Secondary School Girls In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Eliza I. Tobin, Joaquin Carlos Pinga, Caitlyn Stanya

Capstone Showcase

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system leading to people living with HIV (PLHIV) immunodeficient and more susceptible to other infections or diseases (UNAIDS, 2023b). This can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) within 8-10 years of infection (UNAIDS, 2023b). HIV does not always present symptoms, making it hard for people to identify their HIV status without proper screening. The lack of awareness around a person’s status has led HIV to spread worldwide. In addition to the worldwide spread of HIV, there is no cure for the disease, however, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is mainly used …


The Role Of Stigma In The Barriers To Mental Health Treatment In The Arab Culture., Maria Zafaran Jan 2023

The Role Of Stigma In The Barriers To Mental Health Treatment In The Arab Culture., Maria Zafaran

Capstone Showcase

Mental illness is a complex issue that affects individuals worldwide, including those in Arab culture. Unfortunately, mental illness stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help, leading to negative consequences. However, several approaches can be implemented to decrease the stigma of mental illness among Arabs. The stigma of mental illness in the Arab region is a persistent issue. This stigma can and often leads to barriers to treatment for individuals seeking treatment. The research found in this literature review supports the existence of multiple stigma related barriers of families, religion, and acculturation, that can make it particularly difficult for Arab individuals …


The Impact Of Brexit On The United Kingdom's Economy, Matt Brook Jan 2023

The Impact Of Brexit On The United Kingdom's Economy, Matt Brook

Capstone Showcase

This thesis explores the impact of Brexit on the United Kingdom’s economy. The question this thesis seeks to answer is which side of the Brexit argument, Pro-Brexit or Anti-Brexit, is playing out in the United Kingdom today years after Brexit. To address this question, I will use three prominent immigration theories as well as open border and closed border theory which are grounded in the Pro-Brexit and Anti-Brexit arguments. In order to measure the impacts on the United Kingdom’s economy, I will use indicators such as trade, foreign direct investment, GDP, and immigration. I will argue that the Anti-Brexit position …


So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, And Mac Miller, Ryan Hiemenz Jan 2023

So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, And Mac Miller, Ryan Hiemenz

Capstone Showcase

Hauntology is a relatively new concept born out of the current state of late capitalism, wherein it has become increasingly common for new releases of popular culture, art, and media to appease the societal desire to return to the past. First coined by Jacques Derrida in his book Specters of Marx, the term “Hauntology” was used to describe the phenomenon of the “death” of communism and how the capitalist powers that “killed” it essentially made the idea of communism immortal. They made it a specter, and ghosts cannot die. This concept was then altered by the late Mark Fisher, …


Evaluation And Management Of Postpartum Depression In South Asian Women, Gujri Chadha Jan 2023

Evaluation And Management Of Postpartum Depression In South Asian Women, Gujri Chadha

Capstone Showcase

Postpartum depression is a worldwide phenomenon that affects about 10 to 20% of women within the first year of delivery. During the 12 months following delivery, about 85% of mothers experience a mood disturbance2. The importance of evaluating and managing postpartum depression is crucial as untreated postpartum depression can lead to a significant risk of morbidity for the child as well as the mother of the child3. Despite the remarkable prevalence of this diagnosis throughout cultures, the screening process for PPD is routinely missed, and the management is frequently incomplete for various reasons3. This phenomenon is exacerbated in minority populations …


How And Why Do Race And Gender Affect Adhd Diagnosis Levels?, Caitlin N. Bennett Jan 2023

How And Why Do Race And Gender Affect Adhd Diagnosis Levels?, Caitlin N. Bennett

Capstone Showcase

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of the brain that impairs one’s daily functioning and focus. Previous research has shown that two groups are disproportionately under-diagnosed: females and Black people. It is important to understand why these groups, and possibly others, are under-diagnosed as those without a diagnosis do not get the treatment that they need. Literature reveals that differences in symptom presentation (inattentive vs. hyperactive), biases in symptom reports, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and negative stigmas about, and within, certain groups lead to the under-diagnosis of females and Black people. In conclusion the diagnostic criteria of ADHD …


The Normalization Of Sin, Maiya Groff Jan 2023

The Normalization Of Sin, Maiya Groff

Capstone Showcase

This paper discusses the normalization of sin, specifically sex work. One question that emerges is how do some behaviors come to be seen as sinful, and then once those behaviors are accepted as sinful, how do they become normalized (ie., become socially acceptable again)? After identifying a gap in the existing literature pertaining to the lack of acknowledgement for the role of institutions in driving change, I seek to fill that gap by using pattern-matching to determine how closely aligned sex work is to the phases of Normalization Process Theory. Ultimately, I am expecting to find that, according to the …


Controlling Images: Black Male And Female Representations, Peyton Gindrow Jan 2023

Controlling Images: Black Male And Female Representations, Peyton Gindrow

Capstone Showcase

American culture has a very rich history that has shaped our society in the present day. One thing in history that has stayed with us throughout the years is racism. This phenomenon has had a big impact on our society throughout the years. And if it never came into existence, our world would be a much different place. Racism affects any and everything imaginable. It affects the way we see each other, communicate, and interact with each other. Slavery was a turning point for racism and it allowed for racism to flourish by dehumanizing people just because of the color …


Women Play Football Too: Feminist Theory And Uk Football, Mikayla Kummer Jan 2023

Women Play Football Too: Feminist Theory And Uk Football, Mikayla Kummer

Capstone Showcase

Women's Football in the UK has constantly overshadowed by Men's Football and with the popularity of social media it may have complicated the issue. The way women have been treated in the media has always been different to how men were treated. Gender can be considered a performance and how women are treated by the press demands a performance from them. Through Offside, a play by Hollie Poetry and Sabrina Mahfouz, this essay explores the relationship between feminist theory, women's football and social media. Women athletes have consistently been asked about their personal lives, bodies, relationships and anything besides the …


The Positive Effects Of Medical Cannabinoids On The Dysregulated Endocannabinoid System In Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients, Caroline J. Reichelderfer Jan 2023

The Positive Effects Of Medical Cannabinoids On The Dysregulated Endocannabinoid System In Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients, Caroline J. Reichelderfer

Capstone Showcase

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability. The symptoms include a lack of social skills, a need for repetitive patterns of life, difficulty in communication, speaking deficits and numerous other symptoms. While the specific cause is unknown, there is much research being done on mechanisms including dysregulations of the immune system, endocannabinoid system, and overall brain (Nez Govorova 2021, Pol 2021). The Endocannabinoid system is a recently discovered branch of the nervous system composed of endocannabinoids which are produced naturally in the body; lipid-based neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed throughout …


Hopeful Oscillation: Metamodernism, Barbenheimer, And Our New Cultural Undercurrent, Jewel T. Miller Jan 2023

Hopeful Oscillation: Metamodernism, Barbenheimer, And Our New Cultural Undercurrent, Jewel T. Miller

Capstone Showcase

Recent societal changes have pushed artwork and media away from postmodernism as a dominant cultural philosophy. In its place has risen a new theoretical approach, titled Metamodernism, which attempts to discover the meaning behind present day art and media’s strengthening affective qualities, and provide a possible label for this new post-postmodernist state. This is not only an important attempt at understanding the society we live in today but also its broader impact on how we communicate through media. This paper explores the rise of Metamodernism as a theoretical approach within media studies and philosophy, including the term’s inception and growing …


A Culture Of Institutional Racism: Housing Policies During The New Deal, Breyonna J. Bowen Jan 2022

A Culture Of Institutional Racism: Housing Policies During The New Deal, Breyonna J. Bowen

Capstone Showcase

There currently exists a distressed relationship between African Americans and housing due to previously enacted policies. In looking at this issue, I aim to use the theory of institutional racism to explain how past housing policies that enforce and perpetuate discrimination have impacted this current relationship. Through the method of policy analysis, I attempt to pinpoint where past housing policies have failed to provide housing to many African Americans. I find that there are several policies that were enacted during 1930s and 40s, specifically the New Deal Era, that inflicted discriminatory housing policies on African Americans. The findings indicate that …


Bodily Autonomy And Anti-Vaccine Discourse During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Haley Sherman Jan 2022

Bodily Autonomy And Anti-Vaccine Discourse During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Haley Sherman

Capstone Showcase

This paper explores the relationship between anti-vaccine discourse and ideas about bodily autonomy. I analyze the cyclical nature of vaccine hesitancy and show that it can lead to misinformation and harmful narratives. This paper uses theories of bodily autonomy that identify a concept called moral obligation. This concept, as explored by Alberto Giubilini, is a utilitarian approach in which citizens have a responsibility to their governments to get vaccinated so that, in turn, their governments can fulfill their obligation of protecting other individuals’ health (Giubilini 2020, 54). A discourse analysis of four key players in the anti-vax movement shows that …


Revolution, Regime Change, And Rosewater: The United States’ Role In The Arab Spring, Grace Lewis Jan 2022

Revolution, Regime Change, And Rosewater: The United States’ Role In The Arab Spring, Grace Lewis

Capstone Showcase

This thesis seeks to determine which international relations theory best explains the United States involvement in the Arab Spring, and to ascertain if the goals set by those theories were met. Through the literature, I determine that two theories offer reasonable yet competing explanations of US involvement, and that these theories are first, defensive realism, and second, democratic peace theory. I employ the analytic method of pattern matching to compare each theory against the empirical record. In my analysis, I match empirical data from five affected countries to determine the strategic importance to the United States of the outcome of …


An Analysis Of The Concept Of Hospitality In The United Kingdom’S Immigration Policy, Catelyn Ballard Jan 2022

An Analysis Of The Concept Of Hospitality In The United Kingdom’S Immigration Policy, Catelyn Ballard

Capstone Showcase

The United Kingdom offers a Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme for the most vulnerable Syrians fleeing the Civil War. For those who do not meet the requirements, they travel to the UK on their own seeking asylum. The United Kingdom deems itself as welcoming to all immigrants; however, while looking at the Syrian population, it is obvious that those who come via the scheme are offered more support while acclimating, compared to those who migrate on their own. This thesis will look at literature on hospitality in order to understand why the UK is welcoming to some Syrians but not …


The Disappearance Of The Anti-Aesthetic; The Death Of Fashion, Scrap Evans Jan 2022

The Disappearance Of The Anti-Aesthetic; The Death Of Fashion, Scrap Evans

Capstone Showcase

In this essay, Scrap explores the connection between famous nihilist and postmodernist theorists, Dadaism, the concept of the anti-aesthetic, and today's high fashion. They provide a history of nihilism and follow its influence through time upon other social, political, and artistic movements. They then make direct connections between famous theorists' prose and famous fashion designers' collections. Finally, they analyze the current state of the fashion world and discuss their plan of action.


Indigenous Language Revitalization: Success, Sustainability, And The Future Of Human Culture, Grace Lewis Jan 2022

Indigenous Language Revitalization: Success, Sustainability, And The Future Of Human Culture, Grace Lewis

Capstone Showcase

This thesis looks at different styles of Indigenous language revitalization programs and seeks to delineate the three most successful characteristics seen across differing designs in an effort to promote the presence of these characteristics in existing programs. The literature analyzed outlines three main schools of thought: first, that language-based education is the most effective program design, second, that language-based education is only effective if it is directed and driven by the community it serves, and third, that culture-based education is the most effective design. The data rejects the idea that one design is superior to another, and instead presents three …


The Extent To Which Tiktok Has Become A New Platform For Political Expression: An Analysis Of Us Public Opinion, Social Media, Celebrity Endorsements And Youth Voting Behavior, Jill Shaughnessy Jan 2022

The Extent To Which Tiktok Has Become A New Platform For Political Expression: An Analysis Of Us Public Opinion, Social Media, Celebrity Endorsements And Youth Voting Behavior, Jill Shaughnessy

Capstone Showcase

Tiktok has a function in society to act as a platform of political identity and expression. This thesis aims to find out if its growth is correlated to youth voting behavior and politics, specifically how does the consumption of mass media and the exposure of social networks like Tiktok influence youth voting behavior and public opinion in modern elections and act as platforms for political expression? Employing the analytic method of process tracing, my research illustrates how young people found a political identity with groupthink structures, were mobilized to vote with initiatives and celebrities and used social media to speak …


Colonialism And The African States: A Case Study, Amivi Koudossou Jan 2022

Colonialism And The African States: A Case Study, Amivi Koudossou

Capstone Showcase

Colonialism has influenced the development of states on the African continent. This study examines the extent to which colonialism affects the economic growth and the political democratic development of two former British colonies: Kenya and Nigeria. Two theories, Dependency Theory and Neopatrimonialism Theory, argue that institutions, whether economic or political, established during the colonial period impact modern African states' economic and governmental development. Using pattern matching, I operationalized several variables of study such as economic underdevelopment, functioning democracy, power dynamics, and Settler and Non-settler colonial institutions. The results suggest that government corruption, lack of transparency in elections, poor security forces, …


The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor Jan 2022

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …


Symbolic Compliance Is Dangerous: Perceptions Of Sexual Assault And The Effectiveness Of Sexual Assault Prevention Programs, Anastasia Hicks-Hunter Jan 2022

Symbolic Compliance Is Dangerous: Perceptions Of Sexual Assault And The Effectiveness Of Sexual Assault Prevention Programs, Anastasia Hicks-Hunter

Capstone Showcase

College campuses are considered safe havens for students, yet, sexual assault is a prevalent public safety issue for all students. Sexual assault is unwanted or non-consensual sexual activity that is inflicted upon the victim. Sexual assault survivors are put through a life-changing experience that causes negative holistic behaviors, which requires understanding, support, and legal action for them to achieve justice. In my research paper, I am exploring the perceptions of female college survivors of sexual assault and the effectiveness of sexual assault prevention programs.


“I’Ve Never Met Another Person With This Identity”: The Experiences Of Abrosexual Individuals On Tiktok, Eleanor Doughton Jan 2022

“I’Ve Never Met Another Person With This Identity”: The Experiences Of Abrosexual Individuals On Tiktok, Eleanor Doughton

Capstone Showcase

Abrosexuality can be defined by an individual experiences changes in their perception of their sexuality; for instance, an abrosexual person could find themselves to be exclusively attracted to women for a time, and then experiences no sexual attraction months later. Unlike sexual identities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, abrosexuality has not been previously studied. Previous research shows that social media and online sites provide spaces for positive identity development and support for gender and sexual minority individuals. Since abrosexuality had not been previously studied, it is important to ask about the experiences of abrosexual individuals on social media. …


Impact Of Early Life Stress And Cannabidiol On Behavior And Corticosterone Levels In Male And Female Rats, Marina Yacoub Jan 2022

Impact Of Early Life Stress And Cannabidiol On Behavior And Corticosterone Levels In Male And Female Rats, Marina Yacoub

Capstone Showcase

Organisms must maintain homeostasis that is regulated internally and externally. Fluctuation in homeostasis causes stress. Corticosterone, the main stress hormone in rodents, increases following exposure to acute stressors, such as being placed in a restrainer. However, early developmental experiences including maternal separation shape the development of the stress response into adulthood and impact the expression of depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. Many factors can shape the body's response to stress, for example, a rodent's previous exposure to a past stressor can affect their present behavior. Several studies have shown that female rats have lower or no changes in corticosterone levels compared …


Cultural Materialism Theory & The Kardashian Family, Jaylin Redman Jan 2022

Cultural Materialism Theory & The Kardashian Family, Jaylin Redman

Capstone Showcase

Raymond Williams popularized cultural materialism theory and used it to help understand cultural texts and their contribution to society. This theory is used to understand societal interactions and cultural shifts. This includes areas of society such as economics and politics. We focus on the Kardashian family as a cultural product used to influence society, using cultural materialism theory to understand them.


Nation Over State: Analyzing The Condition Of The Nation-State In The 21st Century, Hayley Pierson Jan 2022

Nation Over State: Analyzing The Condition Of The Nation-State In The 21st Century, Hayley Pierson

Capstone Showcase

The nation-state as a concept is an ever-evolving one throughout history. As we delve deeper into the 21st century, the nation-state is beginning to undergo another evolution as there is an unprecedented rise in secessionist movements globally. This thesis explores the causation of a separatist movement and the complexities of having a competing, subnational identity within a state, embodied by case studies of Catalonia, Spain, and Quebec, Canada.


In My Backyard: Bioregional Communities As A Climate Mitigation Strategy, Zoe Johnston Jan 2022

In My Backyard: Bioregional Communities As A Climate Mitigation Strategy, Zoe Johnston

Capstone Showcase

The urgency of the climate crisis requires an immediate revisioning of our society in order to mitigate the worst environmental consequences. This paper explores one possible climate mitigation strategy, bioregionalism, a theoretical vision of re-localizing economies and defining their reach by natural boundaries (Curtis 2003; Cato 2011). This idea of relocalization emerges from an understanding that globalized capitalism has exacerbated, if not engendered, the climate crisis. Local communities represent an alternative method of organizing in which people are more directly connected to the land that they live on. One major critique of bioregionalism, made by Albo (2007) and Hahnel (2007), …


Stonewall To The Present: An Analysis Of The Lgbt Rights Movement And U.S. Public Policy, Jake Mericle Jan 2021

Stonewall To The Present: An Analysis Of The Lgbt Rights Movement And U.S. Public Policy, Jake Mericle

Capstone Showcase

The LGBT Rights Movement has been one of the most influential social movements in recent decades. The aim of this paper is to determine the extent to which the LGBT rights movement has affected U.S. law and policy. In order to study this, I employ a process tracing method to study the movement as a whole over the past few decades from Stonewall to the present. I begin with the Stonewall Riots of 1969 as they are largely considered to be the start of the modern LGBT rights movement. My analysis focuses on the power and the importance of the …


North Korea: How Fear Is Used To Control A Nation, Ashley Clisby Jan 2021

North Korea: How Fear Is Used To Control A Nation, Ashley Clisby

Capstone Showcase

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea, is most commonly known for its possession and testing of nuclear weapons and threatening to use these weapons of mass destruction. Less commonly talked about are the human rights violations that are being experienced by the citizens of North Korea. Most, if not all, of the information regarding North Korean human rights that have been reported on comes from individuals who have escaped the Kim regime. There is very limited information traveling in and out of North Korea that is not heavily monitored by the government. These individuals …


Backfire: How The Rise Of Neoliberalism Facilitated The Rise Of The Far Right, Jacob Fuller Jan 2021

Backfire: How The Rise Of Neoliberalism Facilitated The Rise Of The Far Right, Jacob Fuller

Capstone Showcase

The U.S. far right has become increasingly mainstream in contemporary American politics. In this paper, I analyze the theory that the far right has gained ground due to a backlash from neoliberal policies beginning in the 1980s under Ronald Reagan. Using Process tracing, I operationalize claims made by those arguing that the white working class has moved towards the far right due to their loss of status, as well as the theory that specific wealthy actors have mobilized these groups and altered the movement against neoliberalism to suit their interests. I find that these arguments have merit, and further the …