Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

On The Plastic-Free Path: Plastic-Free Living, Hannah Natzke

Honors Projects

What is living plastic-free like? This project explores the trials and triumphs of living a plastic-free life. Although this project is only mandates that the participant lives plastic-free for a month, it still investigates the challenges faced by longer plastic-free living.

Searching For Pōhakuloa: A Citizen Scientist’S Journey In Aloha ‘Āina, Drake Logan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation tells a story about the United States (US) military’s land occupation of two Indigenous Hawaiian wahi pana (sacred places), on O’ahu and Hawai’i Island, which have produced widespread health concerns regarding exposure to military toxins. I conducted six months of fieldwork in Hawai’i, in which I partnered with local communities in a Critical Participatory Action research process. Together, we formed and co-led a community-based science pilot study of contamination from Pōhakuloa Training Area, generating new citizen science methods capable of uncovering evidence on confirmed military toxics uses. These methods were developed in critical solidarity with international communities who …

A Warmer, Green Golden Rule, Kyle James Stuart

Major Papers

The goal of this paper is to analyse the impact of temperature changes on the green golden rule. The green golden rule is the maximization of consumer utility based on consumer preference between consumption and environmental stock. The trade-off between environmental stock and consumption which is found to be negative. With temperature change being very prevalent in our era, we look at temperature change in the form of a damage function. By looking at both an increasing and decreasing damage function, along with changing variables in the green golden rule, we see that when the average global temperature deviates from …

An Analysis Of Irrigation Policy In The Mississippi Delta, Brooklyn Mooney

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to provide a sustainable irrigation alternative that could be easily adopted by farmers in the Mississippi Delta in order to improve water resource management. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley Aquifer, the groundwater system that lies under the Mississippi Delta, is being depleted at rapid rates due to industrial farming and unsustainable, outdated irrigation methods. The intent of this research is to evaluate the water scarcity problem in the Mississippi Delta by assessing water extraction rates and the progression of agriculture in the region. Then, various irrigation methods will be evaluated before a final suggestion is made. Through extensive …

Washing The River In Relation To Interpellation, Theatricality And Spectatorship, Patricia Miller

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Patricia Miller's Master of Fine Arts Thesis Paper

Leadership Adapted: Towards An Understanding Of How Western-Developed Leadership Theories Are Translated And Practiced In The Modern Arab Middle East, Derek R. Olson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand how western-developed leadership theories are translated and practiced in the Modern Arab Middle East (MAME). Over the past century the notion of leadership has progressed through phases of understanding, definition, and practice. This evolution continues today and is no longer contained to the academic and practice-oriented institutions of North America and Europe. Through western-styled educational institutions and professional industries, western-developed leadership theories have stretched around the globe, including the MAME. While this is known, what is much less understood is how these theories are adopted and adapted. This study’s objective is to …

Psyche And Planet: Multiplicity Of Systems Mirroring Modes Of Being And Bonding Via Eco Arts Therapeutic Practices, Amber Nolli

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Through discerning the art of life, this thesis is a review of literature which looks at how psyche and planet processing systems mirror one another and merge through eco arts therapeutic practices. It is an inquiry into philosophic ideas behind the nature of sensibility, perceptibility, and experience. As art mirrors the self and nature mirrors the self, a twofold entry-point opens, where one travels into accordance with all planes of consciousness. The literature investigates relationships amongst the arts, science, biology, and interspecies and ecological sentience to address collective conditions of deception, displacement, etc. It examines how directing attention to self …

Pecking The Hands That Feed Them: How Society And Government Have Allowed The Poultry Industry To Exploit Labor And The Environment In The American South, Sophie M. Kline

Honors Theses

Americans eat an average of ninety pounds of chicken in one year, but where does that chicken come from? Immigrants and African Americans are the majority of the labor population in poultry processing plants located in the American South. In an effort to highlight the racism, sexism, insecurity, and environmental degradation in the poultry industry, I analyze a variety of ethnographies, articles, and science journals as well as U.S Supreme Court decisions and policies enacted by the U.S federal government in this thesis. Upon examination, I answer why society is pecking the hands that feed them. The analysis concludes that …

The Environmental Impact Of Immigration In The United States, Guizhen Ma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population growth increases pressure on the environment. Immigration may be harmful to the environment because it is the major force of population growth in the United States. However, this argument has not been supported by research findings. A few studies on this topic show that locations with higher numbers of immigrants experience better air quality than locations with greater proportions of U.S.-born residents. This research investigated the environmental impact of immigration through three independent studies. First, I tested the relationship between U.S.-born population, foreign-born population, and air quality across all the U.S. continental counties. This study analyzed the air quality …

Neshnabé Futurisms: Indigenous Science And Eco-Politics In The Great Lakes, Blaire K. Topash-Caldwell

Anthropology ETDs

In the wake of global climate change anthropological work in Indigenous contexts has focused on crisis intervention. Well-intentioned scholarship has emphasized how climate change disproportionately affects Indigenous communities but in the process has also erased Native voice and agency—deleting them from the future all together. In this dissertation I argue that ecological revitalization projects by tribes, Women’s Water Walks from the ceremonial Midéwiwin Lodge, and Indigenous science fiction media together constitute “Neshnabé futurisms” that challenge or disrupt these dominant narratives. Neshnabé futurisms guide Native American ecologists, theorists, and activists in the Great Lakes region in mitigating and surviving ecological destruction …

Spatial And Temporal Controls On Streamflow Variability In The San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Christopher Lewis Hancock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project characterizes and examines changes to the annual hydroclimatic cycle throughout alpine regions of Colorado with a focus on trends in snowpack and snowmelt hydrology. Datasets analyzed for this research include 79 SNOTEL sites throughout Colorado (24 in the San Juan Mountains) which provide climate metrics for Water Years 1988-2018. Impacts on streamflow are evaluated in the San Juan Region through a network of 11 USGS stream gauges. Correlation matrices and linear regression methods examine the relative controls on the magnitude and timing of discharge, and trend detection using the regional Kendall test quantifies the rate of change within …

The Interplay Between Economic Growth And The Environment: The Case Of China, Christian D. Carpio-Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, economic development has come at the cost of environmental degradation. Since the 1980s, neoliberalism rooted in neoclassical theory has dominated mainstream economic thought. The result has been a dramatic increase in environmental degradation in favor of economic growth. The neoliberal recommendations toward development are encapsulated in the Washington and post-Washington Consensuses which promote the liberalization of trade and foreign investment as well as a reliance on market mechanisms. Ultimately, the goal of neoliberalism is to generate growth regardless of the impact that it places on the environment. The case of China presents an example of an economy which pursued …

Some Notes On Congruency, Ryan J. Rusiecki

Senior Projects Spring 2020

Some Notes on Congruency is an examination of the seemingly arbitrary methods in which the built environment facilitates order among its inhabitants (eg., parking lot striping, roadway signs). Asphalt fissures observed at the main intersection in Red Hook, NY were used as a starting off point for making the photographs contained within this book. A lens with a focal length that closely resembles the range of human vision was used to communicate the experience of discovering fissures from my perspective as a pedestrian and motorist. I was most captivated by temporal, subtle fissures, such as the replanting of flower beds …

Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flooding is a severe threat to livelihoods and socioeconomic development in Ogbaru riverine communities of Anambra State, Nigeria. Limited success in the traditional approach of using predominantly structural measures, such as flood channels, to manage floods makes it imperative to explore nonstructural resilience initiatives that would potentially better protect vulnerable flood-prone communities. This study contributes to addressing the problems of ineffective flood management by developing vital social responsibility (SR) data and information that can enhance community flood resilience through individual and collective responsibilities for resilient action. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore SR perceptions of flood …

Paraisong Nawala: Exploring Sustainable Ecotourism In The Philippines, Samantha Barrios Yu

Scripps Senior Theses

Ecotourism, environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, is a growing industry that has the ability to bring invaluable tourism revenue to countries with flourishing natural environments. The Philippines has the potential to be an ecotourism hotspot, and if implemented correctly, ecotourism could enable the alleviation of poverty in the Philippines as well as contribute to the conservation of the Philippines’ natural resources. By examining three destinations in the Philippines and their ecotourism viability as well as the challenges that these areas face, this thesis explores how the Philippines can benefit greatly from well implemented sustainable ecotourism strategies. Management of ecotourism …

Migration And Women’S Relationships To The Land And Food In Myanmar, Allison Joseph

Scripps Senior Theses

Abstract

In the 21st century, Myanmar has become the largest migration source country in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. To achieve its economic and political goals, the government has conducted extensive confiscation and reallocation of communal lands, which has resulted in a growing class of landless and dispossessed citizens. Under the new laws, rural women are disproportionately impacted and more vulnerable to the processes of dispossession, often lacking the rights or resources of their male counterparts to fight for the land of their ancestors. This has resulted in the wide-scale disinheritance of Myanmar’s rural women from their land and food, as …

Understanding Impostor Phenomena In Hispanic Students From Three Different Learning Environments, Marie Hernandez-Seltz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic college student retention and dropout rates are regarded as social and economic crises in the United States. Research studies with minority students suggest Hispanic students may feel out of place. Impostor phenomenon (IP) is a psychological pattern involving feeling like a fraud that may explain their experience. Several studies with minority students suggest IP and learning environment (LE) may be correlated. Other minority student studies indicate an association between ethnic identity (EI) and IP. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between IP, EI, and LE in a Hispanic university student population. The theoretical …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Social Work Practice In Suffolk, Va., Porcha Lynn Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known disorder that children are increasingly diagnosed with, but the school setting is still unprepared for this disorder. Research has also shown that there is still a need for school staff be more educated and trained on this disorder so that they can see how the environment, including the school setting, plays a significant role in increasing the symptoms including adding to the stigma. The gap in literature found that the social expectations that shape the school environment can create a challenge for children with an ADHD diagnosis and contribute to the stigma …

The Great Turning: A Call For Systems-Thinkers, Gabriella M. Demarce

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

David Orr, in an article on ecological intelligence reminds us that the modern world was shaped by people who did not understand that our social and economic systems could not coexist with the rest of the biological or natural systems on Earth (Orr, 1994). My research is rooted in Orr’s argument and discovering ways to shift this degrading paradigm. With my belief in the power of education in empowering youth and my background in environmental and climate change studies, I see a future in great need of people who holistically understand the functions of all types of systems and can …

"Pliable And Easily Shaped": History, Harms, And Regulations Of Plastic In The United States, Krista Decima Smithers

Online Theses and Dissertations

The majority of plastic exists in a linear economy, wherein a product is developed with raw materials, used, and then discarded. Because there are many applications for plastic in today’s society unparalleled by alternative materials, removing all or most plastic use from daily life in the United States is unrealistic. Nevertheless, eliminating single-use plastics and improving recycling are reasonably attainable goals.

This thesis offers a detailed discussion of the origins of plastic, including its discovery, initial applications, and growth in the United States. Against this backdrop, this thesis then examines how various nonhuman animal species and ecosystems have been negatively …

Electrification And Decarbonization For Mid-Sized Municipalities: A Case-Study Marginal Abatement Cost Analysis, Patrick Shive

WWU Graduate School Collection

This project provides a marginal abatement cost curve analysis for the City of Bellingham, based upon the recommendations provided by the City’s Climate Action Plan Task Force. A bottom-up methodology for performing the marginal abatement cost analysis is provided, including the relevant data and assumptions used in the analysis. The results show the massive potential emissions impacts of electrification and driving down the electric grid emissions intensity. The shortcomings and improvements of the resultant cost curves are discussed, and advice on future iterations is given. This project offers a pathway for Bellingham and other mid-sized municipalities to develop marginal abatement …