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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Description
Stand-up comedy, as a performance art, has a dearth of serious academic literature and exposition. In this paper, I set out to analyze comedy at the edge, what I refer to as abject comedy. I draw on the major performers in this vein of performance to analyze the effects of their material. Also, I use my more than three years experience in the stand-up world to take a sincere look at the power and effectiveness of this brand of comedy. The abject comedian addresses the personally political narrative of self-discovery, social inequality, and performative boundaries to absolve herself of the existing circumstances she perceives as deplorable and unfounded. I show that abject stand-up exhibits realistic performative change in not only the audience and performer, but in society as a whole. Lastly, I seek out my own motivations for performing stand-up comedy and address my personal relationship with humor and audience interaction, finding that I aim to discover truth, establish uncertainty, and test the limits of social boundaries. At the very least, I aim to make the audience question, to make them think. I do not expect my material to always have my personal intended affect on the audience, but making an affect, sparking a question, challenging the individual's accepted conceptual boundaries, these are my reasons for approaching the stage. Baring my self through a microphone on a well lit stage in a dark room for a group of strangers whose acceptance or denial elevates or remands my spirit; this is my pursuit. This is why I tell jokes
ContributorsRollingher, Daniel (Author) / Fahs, Breanne (Thesis director) / Botham, Thad (Committee member) / Vicich, Tony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Regulations in the financial sector of the United States have had the same purpose of protecting the economy and consumers since their modern establishment. Deregulation in the 1980’s led to an environment that allowed banks to take on high risk choices. This, among other economic circumstances, lead to the 2008 Great Recession that brought down the United States and global economies. The government was forced to act with bailouts to keep many big banks from shutting down. Some were bailed out and others failed to keep the economy stable. In June 2009, the recession was over, but the recovery process was not. To help prevent another crash, the Dodd Frank Act was passed in July 2010. The act is a long and complex legislation with the main purpose of enforcing regulations to keep banks in check to prevent another recession. The Act’s enforcement was felt immediately, forcing businesses to adapt to its regulation standards. Opinions on Dodd-Frank are mixed. Some see it serving its purpose with regulating the financial sector and others see it being a costly burden that has slowed the progress of the economy. As the economy continues to evolve, we can expect changes to the regulations on the financial sector which will continue to cause businesses to adapt, change, and modify their operations.
ContributorsCastro, Jonathan Patrick (Author) / Jordan, Erin (Thesis director) / Sadusky, Brian (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The current state of financial inequality in America is showing multiple economic and social problems that harm the American dream and legacy. It is found that increasing inequality causes slower GDP growth, underinvestment in human capital, and disproportionate shifting of political power to the rich. Researches show that Average Americans do not realize how severe inequality has gotten over the past few decades, but one thing is clear: What they thought as ideal distribution of wealth is nowhere close to the reality. In this thesis, I examine the current state of inequality and how it has changed since the 1980s. Then, I present reasons why inequality has been on an increasing trend and identify what economic policies lead to rising inequality. With analysis of Reaganomics (trickle-down economics), I make an argument that reducing taxes on the rich might provide a short-term boost in the national economy, but such policy soon encounters side effects and is unsustainable. Fighting inequality is an imperative step to boost the American middle class and maintain sustainable and stable economic growth. In order to relieve inequality down closer to what Americans picked as the appropriate level, I present two recommendations that can be effective in fighting inequality. One is to reform the tax policies to make it more progressive especially towards the top 5% and shift the tax burden from the bottom to the top, while implementing stricter regulations regarding tax evasion. Next is to provide disadvantaged students with better access to higher education by subsidizing public universities more and lowering FAFSA rate. Realizing one's earning potential starts with education, and higher education today is more important than any other time in the past. Once these solutions prove effective and inequality is relieved, America will be able to regain her reputation as land of opportunity and enjoy faster economic growth.
ContributorsOh, Jae Yoon (Author) / Hoffman, David (Thesis director) / Sadusky, Brian (Committee member) / Yim, Roy (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12