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Theses/Dissertations

Dominican University of California

Senior Theses

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Ethical Problems With Plastic In The Ocean, Brennan Cotter May 2019

Ethical Problems With Plastic In The Ocean, Brennan Cotter

Senior Theses

In the year 2018 this paper argues that plastic use and waste is destroying our oceans and that we should address the problem by fully adopting the principle and practices of sustainability. The first section outlines the advent of our plastic disposable culture. The second section gives evidence of how plastic waste is negatively affecting marine life. The third section draws from literature in environmental philosophy to develop the concept of sustainability, and the concluding section outlines several steps we can take as individuals and nations to practice sustainability.


Media Coverage Of Law Enforcement And Effects Of The Image Created, James Schultz May 2019

Media Coverage Of Law Enforcement And Effects Of The Image Created, James Schultz

Senior Theses

This paper examines a number of case studies and articles concerning media’s depiction of law enforcement and its effects on the officers’ duties to the public. Recent stories of excessive use of force by police throughout the country began a new generation of activists for civil rights, exposed to a more advanced news media. Nationwide coverage displayed an image of law enforcement which was overly aggressive. For citizens who have little to no interaction with law enforcement, this image being depicted is the only basis for definition of what is a “police officer”. Combined with the history of civil rights …


Body Dissatisfaction Among Ballet Dancers, Isabelle Fatima Barlaan May 2019

Body Dissatisfaction Among Ballet Dancers, Isabelle Fatima Barlaan

Senior Theses

Athletes are required to maintain a healthy and strong physique, however they can experience pressure to look a specific way. Certain types of sports promote a thin body image which athletes are insisted to follow. As a result of this, there is a trend often seen in female athletes and body dissatisfaction because of the sociocultural and sports community pressure. Body dissatisfaction is the negative subjective evaluation of the weight and shape of one’s own body. The level of body dissatisfaction a female athlete can experience varies among the type of sport they participate in. Studies show that female athletes …


The Importance Of Multiple Narrative Spirituality In Child Development Of Morality In A Pluralistic Society, Jamie Mckeithen May 2019

The Importance Of Multiple Narrative Spirituality In Child Development Of Morality In A Pluralistic Society, Jamie Mckeithen

Senior Theses

With the assumption that humans are innately spiritual, I investigate research regarding the development of spirituality that takes place from childhood to adulthood. Over the past 30 years, James Fowler has called upon Erikson’s and Piaget’s cognitive developmental stages of children, in order to understand their spiritual development phases. When reading the myths and origin stories of spiritual belief systems, the commonality found within all of these narratives is the persistent focus on underlying morality. When utilizing stories as a way to teach spiritual morality, children are easily able to recognize and go back to these basic narratives, using their …


The Arts And Technology: How Educational Technology Can Bring Humanities Further Into Elementary And Primary School Systems, Coleman D. Alameda May 2018

The Arts And Technology: How Educational Technology Can Bring Humanities Further Into Elementary And Primary School Systems, Coleman D. Alameda

Senior Theses

As the world becomes more inclined to implement technology in nearly every aspect of society, the United States Department of Education must find a way to incorporate new styles of modern and high-tech teaching without pushing out certain subjects from its curriculum. I believe technology can be used to bring the Humanities further into the classroom. In today’s society American education programs are desperately trying to make up for subpar primary school scores in mathematics and science. According to the government accredited international education forum (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) the United States was found to be below …


The Effects Of Perceived Social Rank On Socially Anxious Adolescents, Ernest Garcia May 2018

The Effects Of Perceived Social Rank On Socially Anxious Adolescents, Ernest Garcia

Senior Theses

Anxiety has become the United States’ most common mental health disorder affecting about one third of both adolescents and adults. The American College Health Association has also reported an increase in undergraduate students reporting “overwhelming anxiety” from 50% in 2011 to 62% in 2016. While anxiety affects individuals in different age groups, adolescence can be a time of heightened anxiety, in part because of the constant evaluation from others and because the processes that allow individuals to understand and interact with another, are still developing. Social anxiety has also been linked with perceived social rank, a system that is presumed …


Keep It 100: Do The First 100 Days Really Matter?, Hallie Balch May 2018

Keep It 100: Do The First 100 Days Really Matter?, Hallie Balch

Senior Theses

When someone holds the Office of the President, possibly the most complicated job in the history of the United States, we expect a lot from them. Political Scientists Thomas Cronin and Michael Genovese point out in their article, Paradoxes of the Presidency, that Americans expect their leader to be someone that is a “common man,” yet also someone that is unlike anyone else, someone that is bold, yet reserved, someone who can unify the nation, but stand for exactly what their party outlines. The paradoxes are countless and even more impossibly, the American people expect changes from the President the …


Egypt's Perilous Journey, David Nguyen May 2018

Egypt's Perilous Journey, David Nguyen

Senior Theses

Citizens of the United States have been conditioned to believe that rule by democracy is the most free and fair method of governing. If we hold this to be true, I inquire: why do some postmodern Arab states appear resistant to the spread of democracy within government? In order to fully evaluate the merits of a democratic form of government, it is important to analyze the obstacles that hinder its success. Within this research, the gap that I have identified concerns how the overall quality of a nation’s economy affects its ability to transition to democracy in the Middle East …


Nationalize Or Localize: Senatorial Incumbent And Challenger Differences In Issue Prioritization, Joshua Rosenberg May 2018

Nationalize Or Localize: Senatorial Incumbent And Challenger Differences In Issue Prioritization, Joshua Rosenberg

Senior Theses

How do politicians choose which issues to emphasize in an election? Studying campaign behavior is crucial to understanding how political ads target voters and prioritize issues. Senate candidates normally attempt to either nationalize the election or emphasize state issues in their campaigns. How do Senate incumbent and challenger candidates differ in terms of issue prioritization? I hypothesize the challengers attempt to nationalize the election, while the incumbents generally focus their efforts on state issues. Political conventional wisdom indicates challengers typically try to nationalize the election by attempting to criticize the incumbent for either supporting or voting against the current presidential …


Teach Your Children White?, Katelyn Johnson Dec 2017

Teach Your Children White?, Katelyn Johnson

Senior Theses

Through exploration of early childhood literature - focused on those intended as read aloud and including illustrations – this thesis will investigate the impact and influence of cultural and racial diversity and representation in books on the development of a child’s identity as well as broader world view. The thesis will also research the histories of cultural diversity and representation in children’s literature. The research parameters for this project are focused on Marin County and will include: access to culturally diverse literature in public libraries throughout the county; library procurement policies and the impact on cultural diversity within the collection; …


Humanization Of The Enemy: The Pacifist Soldier And France In World War One, Daniel E. Stockman May 2017

Humanization Of The Enemy: The Pacifist Soldier And France In World War One, Daniel E. Stockman

Senior Theses

Not all French citizens were enthused by the prospect of war in 1914, nor were they all so willing to embrace a dehumanized view of the enemy. Some French citizens believed the “Great War” to be a patriotic endeavor. Propaganda encouraged this nationalism and the dehumanization of the enemy. “Political” pacifism existed within the French Third Republic psyche following France’s defeat in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. However, these pacifistic undertones were systematically undermined as France began to militarize itself. Drawing from a series of notebooks, and established academic sources, this paper shows that some French soldiers endured a world at …


Displacement Matters: The Socioeconomics Of Gentrification In Richmond, California, Alicia Kae Miller May 2017

Displacement Matters: The Socioeconomics Of Gentrification In Richmond, California, Alicia Kae Miller

Senior Theses

The focus of this research paper is the escalating displacement of African American residents in the City of Richmond, California, whose ancestors helped to make the Richmond Shipyards into one of the most essential shipbuilding operations in the United States during World War II. Utilizing current briefs, regional/national newspaper articles, and literature from the field of urban renewal, this paper examines the impacts of gentrification on already marginalized people of color. By studying the current unease about gentrification in Richmond and profiling regional case studies, this paper will provide important insights for more equitable urban revitalization that does not displace …


Presidential Campaigns And Social Networks: How Clinton And Trump Used Facebook And Twitter During The 2016 Election, Jack Davis May 2017

Presidential Campaigns And Social Networks: How Clinton And Trump Used Facebook And Twitter During The 2016 Election, Jack Davis

Senior Theses

The advancement in social media technology has greatly improved how people from around the world can communicate with each other. This has been quite apparent during the 2016 presidential election year, as many people have taken to social media to find their news sources and share opinions. This paper examines the use of Facebook and Twitter by the Clinton and Trump campaigns to connect with voters. These two modes of communication have been used by the campaigns to advertise their campaign and take stances on a variety of issues. By using content analysis, data from the two campaigns’ social media …


Aquaponics: Redefining Education For Our Youth, Joshua Peal May 2017

Aquaponics: Redefining Education For Our Youth, Joshua Peal

Senior Theses

In America, we are seeing a lack of effectiveness with our K-12 schools. This costs the school districts and taxpayers money with very little return guaranteeing an ongoing investment into adulthood. Students finishing high school have very little if any applied learning and technical skills, and still need to accomplish at least four years of college or a trade school to be able to compete, even for a job not requiring a degree. Of those high school graduates, half and growing do not feel that they are prepared for college. Students also have little understanding of, or experience with, the …


The Gender Wage Gap In The Film Industry: A Review Of Literature, Christine Pires May 2017

The Gender Wage Gap In The Film Industry: A Review Of Literature, Christine Pires

Senior Theses

The gender wage gap is defined as the difference between the amounts of money paid to women and men, often for doing the same work (Cambridge, 2017). The gender wage gap is a reoccurring financial issue in all aspects of the business world. Most all career paths have had a wage gap between men and women. Having equal pay for equal work should be a thing of the past. However, women today are still fighting to close the wage gap and work equally in all fields. The film industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in America and still, …


The Experience Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through The Lens Of Abraham Lincoln: The Effects Of Mental Health Stigma, Daryl Claude Medina May 2017

The Experience Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through The Lens Of Abraham Lincoln: The Effects Of Mental Health Stigma, Daryl Claude Medina

Senior Theses

Living with generalized anxiety disorder, also known as GAD, in the United States of America is difficult not only for the individual, but also for the people around him or her. Lifestyle changes have to be made, family dynamics need to be adjusted, and last but not least, all relationships must become flexible. In fact, these major life changes are never fixed and must continually adapt to the needs of the individual with generalized anxiety disorder since it is a lifelong medical condition. As with any other mental illness, dealing with generalized anxiety disorder takes great sacrifice in terms of …


Is Community Based Policing The Answer? Yemen’S Fight Against Aqap, Maximilian Kaehler May 2017

Is Community Based Policing The Answer? Yemen’S Fight Against Aqap, Maximilian Kaehler

Senior Theses

Throughout history we have seen drastic changes in methods for combating terrorism; however, as a society we have never been able to find an effective solution. In recent years we have seen countries use community based policing in an effort to fight terrorism at home; how would adopting community based policing efforts help or hurt countries throughout the Middle East in combating terrorism? I believe that implementing community based policing into these countries would drastically improve civilian and government relationships as well as hinder terrorists’ ability to recruit new member from these areas. I conduct a multi-case study then apply …


The Effects Of Social Media On Music Sharing, Rachel Zucker May 2016

The Effects Of Social Media On Music Sharing, Rachel Zucker

Senior Theses

Studying music and its evolution in a society can give researchers a clue about the culture of a group of people as a whole. I believe that studying the way that music is shared is an integral part of this. In my research, I explored the historical roots of the digitization of music, while simultaneously examining the evolution of social media networks and their role in music sharing. Through my research, I gained an understanding of the flow of music exchange in today’s society by identifying the current, dominant social media and music streaming platforms and examining how each platform …


The Power Of A Secret: Secret Societies And The Easter Rising, Sierra M. Harlan May 2016

The Power Of A Secret: Secret Societies And The Easter Rising, Sierra M. Harlan

Senior Theses

The Irish Republican Brotherhood (I.R.B.) and the Irish Volunteer Force (I.V.F.) altered Irish Nationalist tactics from Parliamentary supported Home Rule to a republican movement for Irish Independence. The actions of these secret societies between 1900 and 1916, during the Irish Revolutionary period,[1] are the reason that Ireland gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1922. The change from political negotiations by the ineffective Irish Parliamentary Party to the republican movement would never have happened without the Easter Rising of 1916. The centennial anniversary of this Easter Rising makes The Power of a Secret: Ireland’s Secret Societies and the Easter …


Lullaby For The Burning Ear: How Intersectional Feminism Can Help Decolonize The Latino Consciousness, Donovan E. Hernandez Garcia May 2016

Lullaby For The Burning Ear: How Intersectional Feminism Can Help Decolonize The Latino Consciousness, Donovan E. Hernandez Garcia

Senior Theses

People exist with their own religions, cultures, and practices, which illustrate the ingenuity of humanity. Yet, because of major events that altered the fate of the Americas, a certain societal structure was created to maintain power. Due to colonization, the prolonged exposure to numerous cultures, and the continuation of oppressive systems, people have been forced to band together based on similar characteristics, be it race, gender, or sexual orientation, creating divisions within society. It is because of such colonial mentality, subliminal and apparent, political and cultural movements, such as Feminism and intersectionality, have been created to combat the harmful effects …


The Transformative And Healing Powers Of Compassion, Forgiveness, And Wonder, Anna C. Eriksson-Marty Dec 2015

The Transformative And Healing Powers Of Compassion, Forgiveness, And Wonder, Anna C. Eriksson-Marty

Senior Theses

Since time immemorial, humankind has struggled to coexist peacefully together. As human beings, we strive on our relationships with each other and, yet, with actions of hatred and prejudice, we seem to consistently destroy those very relationships we value so deeply. Our current society is plagued by fear, which seems to run more rampant now – more than ever – with assistance of our rapidly evolving communication technology. The question must be asked, “How can we end this madness and heal ourselves into a kinder and more fulfilling future?” By providing up-to-date scientific research on the human emotions of compassion, …


Hollywood & Media Portrayals Of Veterans Who Suffer From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Francesca C. Katafias Dec 2015

Hollywood & Media Portrayals Of Veterans Who Suffer From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Francesca C. Katafias

Senior Theses

According to the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD, it’s recorded that, “approximately 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year”. In my research study, my focus is to better understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, how prevalent it is in military veterans, and how the media (Hollywood) projects our veterans to be to the public. There are three important questions I have put together to further explore my topic without losing direction on my prime focus. The three questions I …


Approaching Ideals Through Innovation: Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Mass Media Technology And American Democracy, Elizabeth Brand Cermak May 2015

Approaching Ideals Through Innovation: Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Mass Media Technology And American Democracy, Elizabeth Brand Cermak

Senior Theses

From the moment our First Amendment was adopted, America’s ideal of democracy has been firmly intertwined with media communications between the President and the citizenry. Over time, technological advancements have altered the way this communication is facilitated, increasing the public’s access to the Office of the Presidency, and visa versa, via new forms of media. Through an examination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s use of the radio, the first televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960, and Barack Obama’s use of Social Media and the Internet, this thesis will seek to answer the question of whether the …


Hostage Negotiations In Lieu Of Armed Assault, William A. Merkle May 2015

Hostage Negotiations In Lieu Of Armed Assault, William A. Merkle

Senior Theses

The failed attempt to rescue hostages during the 1972 Olympics in Munich Germany led to the unnecessary and terrible loss of lives of both hostages and captors. Ever since then, great efforts have been undertaken by law enforcement professionals and researchers to develop clear protocols to help insure the safety of all involved parties. Negotiations, one tactic among several, represents a non-violent alternative to armed assault that can be used to obtain the safe release of hostages and the capture of unharmed hostage takers. Drawing on my forty year career experience in California Corrections, this paper argues for the power …


How The Phoenix Took Wing: An Examination Of The Humanities Canon As It Relates To The Psychology Of Posttraumatic Growth, Stephen Dalton May 2015

How The Phoenix Took Wing: An Examination Of The Humanities Canon As It Relates To The Psychology Of Posttraumatic Growth, Stephen Dalton

Senior Theses

The investigation of posttraumatic growth as a psychological principle is giving researchers new ways to understand how it is that some people seem to thrive following events that are normally perceived as tragic and wholly negative. These survivors do not just bounce back from their tragedies; the researchers describe these people as “bouncing forward” – that is, the survivors report that their lives now are profoundly better than they were before the trauma. While the psychological research into posttraumatic growth is relatively new, the field of Humanities has conducted this same inquiry for several thousand years. For example, Friedrich Nietzsche …


The Relationship Of Cell Phone Usage To Personality And Attention, Victoria L. Grajeda May 2015

The Relationship Of Cell Phone Usage To Personality And Attention, Victoria L. Grajeda

Senior Theses

Cell phones seem to create distraction and anxiety in student’s daily lives. The present study tests if distraction would occur just by the ring from a cell phone (i.e. they will score lower on the lecture quiz). The procedure will include 40 students enrolled in two sections of Introduction to Psychology. In one section, a backpack will be situated on an empty desk with a cell phone inside which is set to ring during a normal classroom lecture. Once the lecture ends (in both sections), a quiz will be issued about the PowerPoint including slides showing during the cell phone …


Looted Antiquities: Economic Opportunity For Terrorists, Vanessa Hanson May 2015

Looted Antiquities: Economic Opportunity For Terrorists, Vanessa Hanson

Senior Theses

Looted Antiquities: Economic Opportunity for Terrorists In the post 9/11 world countering terrorism has become a top United States foreign policy priority as well as the subject of much scholarly research. To counter terrorism it is important to understand the inner-workings of such groups. How do terrorist groups fund their operations in order to be able to carry them out continuously? It is often assumed that the arms and drug trade on the black market are the main source of income for terrorists groups (Kaplan). Unbeknownst to many, there is an illegal trade in art and historical artifacts that funds …


Living In Afghanistan On The Eve Of The Russian Invasion, Crystal Kelly May 2014

Living In Afghanistan On The Eve Of The Russian Invasion, Crystal Kelly

Senior Theses

In my Senior Project I intend to illustrate the differences between cultures juxtaposed with the similarity of humans from those cultures. Also, this paper will demonstrate how experience of and contact with other cultures can broaden and change one’s perspective and engender compassion and understanding. By recounting stories of my time and travels in Afghanistan in the late 1970s and my experience of the people, set against the historical backdrop of political upheaval accompanying the impending Russian invasion, I will demonstrate the beauty and wonder of a fascinating country and her people that have, sadly, been ravaged by invasion and …