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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- Creators: Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business
Exploring the Veil of Blackness is a creative project in the form of a podcast titled UKME America”. UKME America stands for Uwem mi Kederimbot America, which means “my life in the world in America”. It aims to explore the differences that divide individuals within the black community from a perspective of a First-Generation African American. It also illustrates how diverse the black community is. Drawing from my own experiences and research, this led me to a common theme centered around the following four questions: (a) what is it like to lose one’s identity; (b) where does this insecurity stem from; (c) how does society impact the way we view ourselves; and (d) how can we uplift ourselves. In my podcast, I interviewed individuals who identified as African Americans, First Generation African Americans, and Africans.
Everyone I interviewed told me their stories using historical, social, and cultural narratives. Overall, I want individuals to understand that there is fluidity behind the meaning of “black”, and the more individuals learn to embrace their differences, the more we can break down the barriers, put a united front, fight societal discrimination. I would like to thank my thesis director Dr. Neveser Köker and Second Committee Chair, Matthew Voorhees. I want to thank them for their guidance, motivation, patience, and for pushing and challenging me to reach new heights. I also would like thank my mom and Dr. Cynthia Patiño, for their constant encouragement and support. This would not have been possible without them.
Milk has long played an important role in American society and remains a popular staple of many Americans’ diets. Yet, despite its long standing popularity, the role of milk within American society has begun to develop new meaning in recent years. This paper aims to understand the symbolism that today’s Americans ascribe to milk. Academic journal articles, advertising campaigns, online articles, and government policy pertaining to milk were researched in order to identify the themes that characterize consumers’ perceptions of milk. In recognition of the diverse types of milk that are now accessible to many Americans, this paper uses the word “milk” to refer to cow-derived, fluid (liquid) dairy unless otherwise specified. This research reveals eleven principal themes that describe consumers’ perceptions of milk: milk symbolizes health, American values, is associated with athleticism, is unhealthy, is not preferable to plant-based alternatives, is bad for the environment, is animal cruelty, represents white supremacy, is anti-feminist, is reflective of consumer lifestyles, and there is a general trend of consumers being uninformed about the milk that they consume. This research helps to understand consumers; therefore, this research can be used to help dairy-related industries shape their business strategies and target their customer segment and to help policymakers design effective dairy-related policies. Furthermore, this paper invites further research to identify the consumers that hold the beliefs this research describes, and the extent to which these consumers share said beliefs.