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.

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2
132005-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This paper explores patterns of declining sense of community found in many modern-day neighborhoods and maintains that this phenomenon presents a level of vulnerability to our society that has been overlooked. It investigates this by examining four modern environments within the U.S.: two primarily low-income, immigrant communities in or near

This paper explores patterns of declining sense of community found in many modern-day neighborhoods and maintains that this phenomenon presents a level of vulnerability to our society that has been overlooked. It investigates this by examining four modern environments within the U.S.: two primarily low-income, immigrant communities in or near the Tempe area, and two middle-income class communities in downtown Mesa and on the South Texas border, respectively. It uses a multi-methods approach to understand how sense of community could manifest itself at varying levels depending on the type of community establishedamong different types of communities. The locations studied were fundamentally different in nature, and, therefore, could not be subject to comparative analysis. However, the study gives evidence of weaker sense of community and general relational connection among moderate to upper-class environments. Literature review utilized in the two low-income immigrant neighborhoods revealed that residents experience high sense of community, as well as high satisfaction with their environments. Qualitative analyses consisting of interviews approached through an assets-based community development perspective, as well as forms of coding employed in the South Texas neighborhood, revealed that the two middle to upper-income communities experience low to moderate sense of community, and corresponding satisfaction with their environments. This paper suggests that trends of decreasing sense of community, such as these, create unnoticed vulnerabilities for our modern environments that present disadvantages for sustainable development. It also suggests that we can learn from the former two communities, and proposes that strong communities are critical for our society on many levels, as well as advantageous for the future of sustainable development.
ContributorsMeador, Keily (Author) / Cloutier, Scott (Thesis director) / Eakin, Hallie (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
132071-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Consumption of clean, pathogen-free water is vital in maintaining health. The water infrastructure in Puerto Penasco, Sonora is not sufficient in providing clean water for its residents. Water in this region is being overdrafted, meaning it is distributed from deep wells faster than it can be regenerated, which prevents more

Consumption of clean, pathogen-free water is vital in maintaining health. The water infrastructure in Puerto Penasco, Sonora is not sufficient in providing clean water for its residents. Water in this region is being overdrafted, meaning it is distributed from deep wells faster than it can be regenerated, which prevents more wells from being constructed. There is a high need for a cost-efficient solution to the clean water shortage in this impoverished town. The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) how clean drinking water affects health, (2) how contaminated water and water substitutes, such as soda and juices, negatively impact health, and (3) the impact on water consumption by local residents after providing them with a portable filtration system to create clean drinking water in their own homes. Water filters were distributed in two trials to a convenience sample of 45 participants, 27 of whom were successfully contacted for a post-implementation survey. Out of the 27 participants who took the survey, 27% reported that they drank more water after receiving the filter than before, 40% reported drinking less soda after receiving the filter, 63% reported using their filter on a daily basis, 63% believed that drinking clean water is important for their health, and 74% thought that it was difficult for them to obtain clean drinking water before receiving the filter. Providing residents with a filtration system was effective in increasing water consumption and saving residents money on water but did not provide conclusive data, negating the use of soda as a water substitute. This was an effective small-scale solution to a much larger problem that may be beneficial in other similarly impoverished communities.
ContributorsPizarek, Dana Nicole (Author) / Kennedy, Denise (Thesis director) / Eakin, Hallie (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12