Sociology of Culture Commons^™

The Socio-Cultural Implications Of The Aging Population In Japan, Jacqueline Banas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone research looks at how Japan, as a nation, is dealing with aging populations as a society, what problems and solutions work for the Japanese, and how future studies and research on Japan’s elderly population could help lead for possible solutions for the global elderly. Through this capstone, I wanted to bring awareness to the Japanese elderly as well as generate light on the topic.

Persistence Of Cultural Heritage In A Multicultural Context: Examining Factors That Shaped Voting Preferences In The 2016 Election, Anna M. Schwartz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The prevailing discourse about the myth of the “melting pot” of American culture implies that heritage cultures are eliminated in favor of a homogenous “American” norm. However, this myth belies the persistence of our cultural heritage in forming our attitudes, morals, and habitual patterns of thought, each of which shape how we participate in our democracy through voting. By contextualizing voting predictors such as authoritarianism, social dominance, and sexism in developmental and ecological theories, this dissertation shows how they are shaped by culture and transmitted through consumption of media and interaction with members of one’s community and family. In an …

Interethnic Marriages In The United States: An In-Depth Look At Marital Challenges, Spring C. Miles

Senior Theses

As ethnic diversity increases in the United States, interethnic marriages are becoming increasingly prevalent. Despite their increasing rates, interethnic unions experience lower levels of relationship quality and are at a higher risk of divorce than same-ethnic unions. Other factors that influence marital outcomes include age at marriage, education, religion, and parental divorce. However, factors that influence specifically interethnic marriages include internal stressors, such as conflicting values and relationship expectations, and external stressors, such as a lack of social support and/or legal barriers. The best theoretical framework for studying interethnic unions is interdependence theory because it analyzes these factors and their …

The Cultural Cold War And The New Women Of Power. Making A Case Based On The Fulbright And Ford Foundations In Greece, Despina Lalaki

Publications and Research

When in the 1950s C. Wright Mills was writing about the emergence of the new power elites he paid no attention to the presence of women in its midsts. He was not entirely mistaken. Yet there is a particular intertwining of the ideologies of leadership and masculinity which serves to maintain the status quo, the privilege of an elite and perpetuate preconceptions about political agency and gender. In an attempt to go beyond available models and predominantly masculine images of the postwar America the present article accounts for women’s role in the postwar American efforts for cultural hegemony. It focuses …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

In The Shadow Of Japanese Identity, Rosendo Lopez-Duran

East Asian Studies Honors Papers

Japan is, as former Prime Minister Asō Tarō once put it, commonly described as being “one race, one civilization, one language and one culture.” This statement reflects a popular conception of Japan as a homogenous nation. However, the purpose of this paper, building on earlier research, is to assess what exactly Japanese identity is, how it is constructed / maintained, and who is and is not considered “Japanese.” The impetus of this inquiry comes from my research of the hisabetsu burakumin, a Japanese social outcaste group, who have undergone significant changes throughout their long history as a socially-constructed “minority.” …

School Shootings: A Nexus Of Adolescent Masculinity, Bullying, And Homophobia, Jack Marsden

Honors Theses

Though overall gun violence has plummeted since 1993, multi-victim school shootings have increased in frequency over the last fifty years and the number of adolescent perpetrators has more than doubled since 1996. I borrow from Kimmel and Mahler’s (2001) format to examine seven shootings that have occurred in the fifteen years since their paper’s original publication. I replicate their qualitative methodology and conduct my own analysis of these attacks. My findings suggest that these boys that open fire are mired in a history of routine, merciless bullying and that the content of the bullying is homophobic in nature. I also …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

A Culture On A Loop: Baltimore, Josh Schmader

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Police brutality has been at the fore front of American consciousness for almost a decade now. Numerous African Americans all over the country, both male and female, have lost their lives in situations where that end result was not justified. In response to each of these individual tragic events, peaceful protests rose up to demand for justice. After the death of Freddie Gray in April of 2015, however, Baltimore had a more aggressive response to the loss of one of their native sons. An initial peaceful protest turned into riot that raged through the streets of Baltimore for a series …

The Social Dynamics Of Women Policing In Nigeria: Back Door To Equality, Dickson Ogbbonnaya Igwe

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies (2015-2021)

The culture of patrimony in pollicising is increasingly failing acceptance test in developing world as clamour inclusiveness in law enforcement continue to gain grounds. Although the topic of women police has been fairly marginal in police studies in Nigeria, however, many of the problems of modern law enforcement corruption, excessive force and neglect of victims are closely associated with the male dominated nature of police work. The available research evidence supports the idea that policing would be considerably improved in many areas were the proportion of women police much more representative of their proportion in the general population. The research …

Exemplary Middle School Principals Leading Through Conversation, John Ashby

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary middle school principals practice to lead their organization through conversations using Groysberg and Slind’s (2012) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Orange County, California. The researcher was part of a thematic research team of 12 peer researchers and 4 faculty advisors. Through purposeful sampling, the researcher selected 10 exemplary middle school principals who met at least 4 of 6 criteria identifying someone as exemplary. Data collection …

La Influencia Del Neoliberalismo Sobre Las Ideas De Lo “Natural”: Un Análisis De Las Ideas De La Naturaleza En Urbanizaciones Cerradas Y Grupos Subalternos En Tigre / The Influence Of Neoliberalism On Ideas Of What Is “Natural”: An Analysis Of Ideas Of Nature In Closed-Gated And Marginalized Communities In Tigre, Catherine Fraser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the 1970s, there has been a global increase in neoliberal policy and ideology, marked by privatization, deregulation, and the withdrawal of the state from social programs (Harvey 2005: 2-3). Neoliberalism has manifested itself in Argentina in various forms, notably in the rise of closed-gated neighborhoods. In Tigre, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, real estate developers fill in wetlands and re-route river tributaries to construct closed-gated neighborhoods around artificial water bodies to create an idealized neighborhood that offers residents a life in contact with “nature”. Seeking to accumulate capital, real estate developers commodify and construct a specific form of …

Medicina Tradicional Y La Transmisión De Conocimiento Ancestral En La Comunidad Afroboliviana De Tocaña / Traditional Medicine And The Transmission Of Ancestral Knowledge In The Afro-Bolivian Community Of Tocaña, Marvin Bynoe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La población afroboliviana se ha vuelto recientemente visible y políticamente influyente en la sociedad boliviana. El gobierno de Evo Morales ha reconocido al pueblo afroboliviano como un pueblo originario, implementando una ley contra la discriminación y designando la saya como propiedad cultural afroboliviana. Además, los afrodescendientes están saliendo de Los Yungas y migrando a las ciudades en busca de oportunidades; sin embargo, el área todavía tiene un significado ancestral. El documental intentará captar y preservar el conocimiento que tienen de las plantas y explorar cómo han cambiado las relaciones de transmisión de conocimiento. Con el movimiento y la evolución de …

‘Padre Nuestro Que Estás En La Tierra’: Una Exploración Teórica Del Territorio Ancestral Afroecuatoriano / 'Our Father Who Is On Earth': A Theoretical Exploration Of The Afro-Ecuadorian Ancestral Territory, Wes Vanderburgh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este es un proyecto colaborativo que documenta el fenómeno del territorio y explora cómo influye en la identidad del pueblo afrodescendiente de la sierra ecuatoriana. Empezamos por presentar el marco teórico, incluso la distinción clave entre territorio y tierra en este contexto. Entonces nos lanzamos al análisis por problematizar el nombre mismo del área bajo discusión. Luego, discutimos su geografía física y social. A continuación, presentamos una historia breve de la región. Por fin, conducimos una sociología del territorio, revelando los elementos sociales y discursivos detrás de los conceptos de ancestralidad, identidad, derecho, y política. Concluimos con sugerencias para proyectos …

Causes And Consequences Of Child Marriage Among Syrian Refugee Populations In Jordan: An Investigation Of Perceptions., Alex Buckman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined the perceived causes of child marriage among Syrian refugee populations in Jordan and investigated its perceived consequences. Further, perceptions of mothers with school-aged children were compared to the opinions of children themselves. Through interviews with both target populations, along with an analysis of the responses of humanitarian activists and organizations to Jordan’s marriage law, the reality of child marriage within the country was ascertained. In conducting interviews, the data showed that many believed child marriage to be a normal occurrence in Syria, at least since the beginning of the war, with only two interviewees believing child marriage …

"Homosexuals Are Revolting": Stonewall, 1969, Erin Siodmak

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Becoming United Statesian: Experiences Of Newly Resettled Iraqi Refugees And Iraqi Immigrants, Bnar Mustafa

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

The differences between refugees’ dreams before and after coming to the United States of America is often shocking. One might ask, “Isn’t America the country of the refugees?” The United States is the largest nation built by refugees and immigrants, yet recently resettled refugees or “new Americans” struggle in multiple and overlapping ways to reach successful resettlement. Some of the challenges they face are inherent to resettlement, others come from the socialization process, and the interplay of human beings as they exist together. Language and culture shock are the natural struggles that any internationally-relocated person experiences. The challenges that stem …

Somos Todos Juncos Y Mapuches / We Are All Reeds And Mapuches, Jonah Kone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A partir del siglo XVIII, ha sido una migración criolla hacia el Delta de Paraná, Argentina, lo que representa una zona de humedal, situada en el delta del río de la Plata. Principalmente a partir del siglo XIX comenzó una serie de procesos para formar lo que se refiere a la “identidad isleño,” lo que implica un estilo fuertemente conectada con los procesos ecosistémicos del humedal, y viviendo de la tierra para la sobrevivencia: actividades que incluyen el junco, la pesca, y el cultivo de frutas entre otros. A partir del fin de los años 50 empezó un proceso de …

El Caso De Relmu Ñamku Como Observatorio Para Valorar Potencialidades, Riesgos Y Desafíos De Juicios Por Jurados Interculturales / The Case Of Relmu Ñamku As An Observatory To Assess The Potentials, Risks, And Challenges Of Intercultural Jury Trials, Carol Harding

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El sistema de juicios por jurados interculturales en Argentina es el primero de su tipo. Por el momento, el caso de la activista Mapuche Relmu Ñamku es el único caso que ha cumplido con el criterio de un jurado intercultural. En esta investigación, por medio de entrevistas con abogados, antropólogas, y activistas, valoré las diferentes perspectivas sobre las potencialidades, riesgos, y desafíos del sistema, usando el caso de Relmu como un observatorio. El marco teórico del sistema legal adversarial y el de jurados representativos proporcionan un estándar para el supuesto propósito y los límites del sistema. Además, la teoría de …

Un Giro Ontológico En La Cosmovisión De La Naturaleza: El Papel Del Capitalismo Y Otras Influencias En El Cambio De Las Percepciones Tradicionales De La Naturaleza En La Comunidad Quechua De Paru Paru / An Ontological Turnover In The Cosmovision Of Nature: The Role Of Capitalism And Other Influences In The Change Of Traditional Perceptions Of The Nature In The Quechua Community Of Paru Paru, Jessica Pusch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el contexto de la antropología ambiental y con un lente de ecología política, este informe analiza el papel del capitalismo en la degradación ecológica global a través de un estudio etnográfico específico y único. Este estudio ocurrió en el pueblo quechua Paru Paru, situada en las sierras andinas de Perú en la región de Cusco. El siguiente artículo incluye una examinación del aumento en las actividades económicamente capitalistas y la presencia de otros factores involucrados en el cambio de la relación y las percepciones sobre la naturaleza en el contexto de la cosmovisión. Había una pérdida clara de algunas …