Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- All Subjects: Dance
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Description
This research looks at a group of students from Tumaini Children's Home in Nyeri, Kenya. The purpose of this paper is to explore why this particular group of students is so academically successful. Quantitative research was taken from the average 2013 test scores of Tumaini students who took the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam in comparison to the scores of students who are not residing in the orphanage. Qualitative research involves interviews from those students who live in Tumaini and interviews from adults who are closely connected to the orphanage. The purpose is to understand why the students are performing so well academically and what support they have created for themselves that allows them to do so.
ContributorsTooker, Amy Elizabeth (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis director) / Cocchiarella, Martha (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Today's prison industrial complex in the United States often dehumanizes inmates simply because they are criminals. Members of the free society are generally too far removed from the inside of prisons that most people do not see the harsh and cruel conditions for and treatment of prisoners. As a Dance and Justice Studies major at Arizona State University, I was curious about how to intertwine my interests in dance and justice. This paper chronicles my exploration of adding a human rights issue to my dance practice through choreographing a solo dance performance based on Cleve Foster's unusual experience on death row. Research on theories of prison and punishment in American society combined with physical research in the dance studio enabled me to create a solo performance that shed light on the inhumane conditions for and treatment of prison inmates in today's society. Through the process, I found that some elements of my dance practice stayed the same, while others changed. This informed me of what continuously remains important to me, while allowing me to expand my personal dance practice. I ultimately discovered a bridge between my two passions, dance and justice, and learned a meaningful way to convey a contemporary social justice issue to the general public.
ContributorsKerr, Elena Marie (Author) / Schupp, Karen (Thesis director) / Vissicaro, Pegge (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This thesis paper examines the rise of nationalist parties in the Netherlands from the 1960s to 2015. It examines two major explanations for this growth: increasing numbers of predominantly Islamic immigrants and the increasing powers of the European Union. Concerns with these events have brought neo-nationalist parties to the forefront of the political process. This analysis begins in the 1960s during the depillarization of Dutch society and concludes with Geert Wilders and the Partij voor de Vrijheid.
ContributorsVan Gijlswijk, Christiaan Cornelis (Author) / Bustikova-Siroky, Lenka (Thesis director) / Hechter, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This interdisciplinary thesis examines the possible relationship between the public speaking experience for women and the gender gap in political ambition. First, a historical analysis of women public speakers ranging from the 1800s to the Suffragettes to female politicians in the 1900s reveals a pattern of female public speakers in politics receiving extreme criticism for their communicative behavior. The thesis then turns to the socialization of young girls, highlighting how gameplay in children translates into gendered communicative behavior in adult women. Next, an examination of the pedagogy of public speaking showcases how the public speaking experience is different for women than it is for men, and how public speaking traditionally is taught in a masculine style. Then, through a review of the literature on the gender gap in political ambition, it is seen that not only are women severely underrepresented in political office in the United States, but women have far less political ambition than men. And a case study of the 2008 presidential primaries and elections, highlighting modern women in politics, demonstrates that the few women who are politically ambitious in the 21st century face criticism that mirrors those faced by political women decades and centuries prior. Finally, the thesis offers possible solutions to changing the experience of women as public speakers and fostering political ambition in women.
ContributorsPatton, Ashley Crystal (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Wentzel, Bonnie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This project explores the dimensions that affect the success of a nonprofit organizations' web presence by using a dance and health nonprofit website as the foundation of the research and redesign. This report includes literature and design research, analysis, recommendations and a journal of the web design process. Through research, three categories were identified as the primary dimensions affecting the success of a website: content, technical adequacy and appearance. Furthermore, website success is influenced by how the strength of individual categories relies on one another. To improve the web design of Dancers and Health Together Inc., content implementations and redesign elements were both research and personal preference-based. The redesigned website can be found at www.collaydennis.com and will become inactive after May 31, 2015.
ContributorsDennis, Collay Carole (Author) / Coleman, Grisha (Thesis director) / Hosmer, Anthony Ryan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The Latino population is the fastest growing minority group in the United States (U.S Census Bureau, 2003). Such a rapidly changing demographic stresses the importance of implementing strategies into the community social framework to accommodate for cultural and language differences. This research paper seeks to answer: what factors influence the sense of community among Latino families in Phoenix? The following questions will help to assess the dynamic relationship between sense of community and literacy 1) what is the perceived importance of literacy among Latino families living in Phoenix? 2) How is language development reflected among the family dynamics within a predominantly collectivist culture? It is hypothesized that both collectivism and literacy are the main influences on sense of community among this population.
ContributorsBennett, Julie (Author) / Glenberg, Arthur (Thesis director) / Restrepo, Laida (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this research is to identify the factors contributing the resiliency of Syria's President Assad amongst a backdrop of falling authoritarians during the Arab Spring. After determining the Assad's regime's strategies of authoritarian rule both before and after the 2011 uprisings, this paper theorizes what Assad's persistence is most dependent on today by analyzing his discourse throughout the conflict. Assad's framing of the war to the media has significantly legitimized his rule.
ContributorsKassab, Seema (Author) / Parmentier, Mary Jane (Thesis director) / Simon, Sheldon (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This project, which consists of a review article and an applied creative project, proposes mirror neurons as being a physiological mechanism for motor imagery. The review article highlights similarities between motor imagery research and research on mirror neurons. The research is roughly divided into three types of studies: neuroimaging studies, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) studies, and electroencephalography (EEG) studies. The review also discusses the associative hypothesis of mirror neuron origin as support for the hypothesis and concludes with an assessment of conflicting research and the limitations of the hypothesis. The applied creative project is an instructional brochure, aimed at anyone who teaches motor skills, such as dance teachers or sports coaches. The brochure takes the academic content of the review and presents it in a visually pleasing, reader-friendly fashion in an effort to educate the intended audience and make the research more accessible. The brochure also prescribes research-based suggestions for how to use motor imagery during teaching sessions and how to get the best benefits from it.
ContributorsNgai, Valerie Christina (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Dance studios often have a high tuition rates, which makes learning technique from a dance school difficult to attain. For AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad no circumstance can keep them from dancing. This 14-year-old team has made their mark in dance competitions nationwide. The only problem is: this nationally ranked team lingers unrecognized. AZ Hype is a non-profit dance team that practices wherever they can find a space. They practice anywhere from school cafeterias to driveways, parks to backyards and parking lots. What gives this team their competitive edge is that nothing keeps them from dancing and they draw inspiration from outside of the walls of a studio. The team consists of 18 to 30 dancers each year and is divided into two age groups; a junior and senior team. The dancers range from six to 25 years of age. The team has one coach, one stereo and a room full of trophies and championship banners. The coach, Tara Delgado, is a 5th grade history teacher who has been coaching AZ Hype for 14 consecutive years. She continues to teach and inspire kids in the Valley. Though years go by her personal dance skills and creativity to choreograph and mix music strengthens and improves. She is more than just a dance coach to the kids who make her house their home. A public relations campaign for AZ Hype Hip Hop Squad was created to benefit the team in many ways. For the duration of the team's existence, they did not have a website, social media management, community support, sponsors, practice space, or any news media connections. The goal of the campaign is to gain exposure but also gather sponsors to lift the burdening costs of competitions, uniforms and practice spaces. The plan would serve as an outline to utilize social media, reach out to local media and contact various dance and youth supporters. In this campaign, testimonials have been gathered to uncover the true need and impact of the dance team. Without schools teaching dance or other performing arts, many youths lose out on the opportunity to ever learn. In addition to research, collateral material will be made and used for marketing and information as well as a strategic fundraising and branding plan. This plan will encourage and help implement the transition from a group of dancers to a 501c(3) nonprofit.
ContributorsAhmadpour, Shirin Jose (Author) / Hultsman, Wendy (Thesis director) / Delgado, Tara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Armenia is a radiant and unique country, known primarily for its vast history, delicious food, and traditional folklore dance. Although Armenia was constantly ravaged by invading armies, the nation was strong enough to retain its own identity and culture. The rich dance heritage remained a living tradition into the 20th century, when the Turks tried to destroy the dance heritage and left fragments of the dances. Even though many of these fragments were lost due to urbanization, the dance techniques are still continuously studied by scholars and people all around the world. For my creative project, I chose to perform an Armenian Folk Dance, as dance is an immense part of Armenian’s lives, and is an essential part of the Armenian cultural heritage. Dance is one of the primary ways by which one can observe and gain understanding of the Armenian people, their identity and culture. Dance is a way for Armenians to express themselves, as it is a form of art which combines elements of their rich culture, event-filled past, and their spiritual nature. The folklore dance has always sustained a leading role throughout Armenian history, as it runs through the blood of Armenians, being passed down from generation to generation. The Armenian people have survived and endured various historical challenges, but they have been able to preserve their unique dance elements and forms. To this day, Armenians continue to use dance to keep their culture and identity alive. It is a way to express freedom, and celebrate that even though we as a nation have faced many hardships, us Armenians have survived, and will always continue to survive with our faith, passion, determination, and strong will.
ContributorsKaprelian, Daniella Mary (Author) / McILwraith, Heide (Thesis director) / Alford, Eddie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05