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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As a writer and reader of young adult (YA) literature, I find it is impossible to ignore the rise of traditional masculinity within new, adolescent heroines. In the 21st century, readers have seen the rise of supposedly strong female characters—heroines who carry assault rifles and avoid their emotions. By relinquishing their emotions and their flaws, these heroines have sacrificed the qualities about themselves that initially made them appear so interesting. My desire to see more realistic heroines like myself developed into a creative fiction project that follows and acknowledges the voices of feminine heroines. I call these protagonists “female strong.” My project—a collection of linked short stories—is peopled with the types of heroines that are severely lacking in YA novels and in the film industry. In my own short stories, I have embraced the narratives about young women who are both strong and emotional. I wanted to create memorable female characters that the reader could root for simply because of their feminine strength, even if their flaws were naivety, or lack of confidence, or even if they failed to achieve their resolution in the end. Female-strong characters are vital because they present a view of women who aren’t purely fantasy; they are placed in the real and are feminine, too. In other words, they don’t have to be a gorgeous, knockout model who can kick butt; instead, they can derive strength from their intellect, or their intuition, or perhaps even from their emotion.
ContributorsGoldsmith, Ilyssa Sallie (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Amparano, Julie (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Abolitionist activism in 1850's America was divided among two groups of thought: disunionists, who understood the American Constitution to be a pro-slavery document, and political abolitionists, who believed the Constitution was antislavery. This paper traces the origins and structures of each argument, specifically focusing on the philosophies of Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. It supplements their views with the works of other prominent abolitionists such as Lysander Spooner, Wendell Phillips and Gerrit Smith. In analyzing their rhetoric and beliefs, this paper examines the core of the contention between disunionists and political abolitionists and asserts that the chief divide between the two groups involved questions of whether the wording of the Constitution supported slavery, whether the drafters of the Constitution intended the document to condone slavery, and whether the intentions of the Constitution could be divorced from its interpretation at the hands of the American government and public. Furthermore, this paper argues that the conflict between disunionists and political abolitionists is not confined to the pages of history. It makes parallels between modern activism and the abolitionist writings of the 1850's, attempting to show that the same anti-Constitution reasoning of the disunionists permeates many present-day activists and scholars. It presents Frederick Douglass, Wendell Phillips and Gerrit Smith as proponents of a philosophy of radical constitutionalism which supports legal and cultural reform grounded in a respect for the ideals they believed were embedded within the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This paper advocates constitutional radicalism as the most just and effective method of American reform, echoing Douglass in his faith in American idealism and the power of law and civic duty to promote national justice.
ContributorsFendler, Austin Michael (Author) / Hanlon, Christopher (Thesis director) / Simonton, Matt (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
The death of Pericles and the Peloponnesian War saw the clash of two very different political cultures as the conservative aristocracy came into contact with the demagogues. The conflict between them would have profound effects on Athenian politics as well as the outcome of the war itself as both tried to assert dominance in a chaotic period of change. War gave the demagogues the opportunity to achieve power at the expense of the aristocracy, as had happened during the Affair at Pylos, the Mysteries and the Herms, and the Trial of the Generals. However, war also gave aristocrats with oligarchic sympathies the opportunity to lash out against the demagogues and their assault on traditional modes of politics through events such as the Mutilation of the Herms and the Coup of the Four Hundred. The more the demagogues pushed, the more the aristocracy resisted with opportunists such as Alcibiades and Callixeinus manipulating the resulting chaos for personal gain. This vicious battle for control of Athens served to destabilize its society and pave the way for their eventual defeat at the hands of the Spartans. This thesis explores the role the Athenian demagogue played in the Peloponnesian war as well as their relationship to the traditional ruling class within democratic Athens.
ContributorsLanders, Andrew Dale (Author) / Simonton, Matt (Thesis director) / Stantchev, Stefan (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This essay explores the role of religion, science, and the secular in contemporary society by showing their connection to social and political legitimacy as a result of historical processes. In Chapter One, the essay presents historical arguments, particularly linguistic, which confirm science and religion as historically created categories without timeless or essential differences. Additionally, the current institutional separation of science and religion was politically motivated by the changing power structures following the Protestant Reformation. In Chapter Two, the essay employs the concept of the modern social imaginary to show how our modern concept of the political and the secular subtly reproduce the objectified territories of science and religion and thus the boundary maintenance dialectic which dominates science-religion discourse. Chapter Three argues that ‘religious’ worldviews contain genuine metaphysical claims which do not recognizably fit into these modern social categories. Given the destabilizing forces of globalization and information technology upon the political authority of the nation-state, the way many conceptualize of these objects religion, science, and the secular will change as well.
ContributorsBianchi, Joseph Anthony (Author) / Bennett, Gaymon (Thesis director) / Wetmore, Jameson (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This thesis and creative project consists of two components. The first is a written analysis of Bosnian identity. It uses primary and secondary sources to get to the question of what it means to be a Bosnian. Readers can expect to learn about the last century and a half of Bosnian history, and how various leaders and experiences have molded the Bosnian people. The work is the combination of six months of research, and four months of writing. I chose this research as I am Bosnian and wanted to learn more about my culture. Through my research, I found that there is a strong Bosnian identity among people. This identity has been present throughout history, even through wars and political turmoil. Ultimately, the writing portion gives readers a background on Bosnian history, and then focuses on the history of identity. The second portion of the project is a two week unit lesson on Yugoslavian history. This lesson includes background on the region, as well as a guide on how an educator may choose to teach this region of the world. The lessons focus primarily on the last one hundred years, but they also include a broader overview of times prior to this. Not only this, but this section includes PowerPoints, lessons, and supplemental readings. The unit can be taught all together, or it can be broken down and lessons can be taken and taught during the time period they apply to. The goal of the two projects is to come together as one. Educators who are unsure about Bosnia can use the writing portion to gain more knowledge, and they can even assign this portion as a reading for more gifted students. The thesis project ultimately explores Yugoslavian and Bosnian history. Although the Unit does not directly align with identity, it does show students that identity plays a major role in this region, especially through the song lesson on day three. The goal of this project was not only to allow myself to gain more knowledge about this region, but to give educators the opportunity to teach a part of the world that is rarely taught in greater detail.
ContributorsMukanovic, Seada (Author) / Toth, Stephen (Thesis director) / Harris, Lauren (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
In this paper, I will look at recent game studies in three (3) large categories: (1) how games can be used for educational instruction, (2) how games impact players' social skills and behavioral choices, and (3) how games function as a method for satisfying human needs of play and entertainment. Within each category, several studies will be summarized. I have chosen these three (3) categories in particular because they are the ones I am most interested in and will afford to me the background research with which to define my own path of research and game design.
ContributorsSomers, Michael John (Author) / Devine, Theresa (Thesis director) / McNamara, Danielle (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The objective of this study is to determine if female attorneys are penalized for expressing anger, while male attorneys gain influence when they express anger. I hypothesized that angry male attorneys would be perceived as having more positive traits and less negative traits than calm male attorney. In contrast, I hypothesized that angry female attorneys would be perceived as having more negative traits and less positive traits than calm female attorneys. I hypothesized that, as a result, participants would be more likely to hire the angry male attorney than the calm male attorney, while they would be less likely to hire the angry female attorney than the calm female attorney. After having participants view a video of attorneys giving closing arguments, whether it be angry or calm, male or female and having them answer questions, I found that both attorneys were characterized as having both more positive and negative traits than calm attorneys—regardless of their gender. In regards to the likelihood of being hired, I found that angry male attorneys were more likely to be hired than calm male attorneys. In contrast, angry female attorneys were less likely to be hired than calm female attorneys. Thus, although participants found both male and female angry (versus calm) attorneys high on negative and positive characteristics, they were more likely to hire the angry (versus calm) male attorney, which is consistent with previous research showing men are seen as more competent when expressing anger. These data suggest that there might be a systematic bias against women who try to exert influence in the courtroom by expressing anger.
ContributorsReyes, Rosa Natalie (Author) / Salerno, Jessica (Thesis director) / Neal, Tess (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
For my Barrett Honors Thesis Creative Project, I will serve as a Sound Designer, Visual Media Designer (including elements of pixel mapping for projection and animation), Assistant Stage Manager and Dramaturg for iTheatre Collaborative's (a local professional theatre company) production of Permanent Collection written by Thomas Gibbons. The purpose is to use dramaturg research to inform aesthetic properties of this theatrical productions. The Sound Design will be a collection of manipulated published music, my own scores, cultural research music and interview voice recordings. The Visual Media Design will be a play between two projection installations I will create. The primary rear static projection will represent the mentioned art pieces in the script. For instance, a character may mention a Bamana mask. My job is to secure, edit and project the mask in a way that makes the mask seem physically present in the art gallery. The second element of Visual Media Design is a dreamscape of transitioning animated projection that floods the stage in an immersive encounter with art. As the Assistant Stage Manager of the production I had the opportunity to engage with the actors directly to learn what they needed in regards to the research I conducted as the Dramaturg. Dramaturgy is the act of dissecting, analyzing and researching theatrical scripts in an effort to ensure the clearest executions of the playwright's intent, the director's artistic vision and audience comprehension. Dramaturgs have a responsibility to the director, audience and play wrights to provide theatrical productions with all available history, context and options. The work of a Dramaturg consists of researching a production including social context and the general information about the circumstances of the production. They also compile program notes for the audience. Dramaturgs must have an understanding of the audience a play is presented to. A dramaturg is an important fixture in the production of a play. Dramaturgy, while it is rooted in theatre, it spans through areas of music and Visual Art making it and relevant to my major, Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance. History, Geography, Sociology and many other subjects will play into this project making it less field specific and more a marathon in exploring and trying to gain perspective on different fields of study. This creative project is about context and gaining perspective. That is the purpose of dramaturgy. Theatre is a discipline rooted in curiosity and empathetic rationality. I was once told by a theatre professor that as an actor one must "assume that every character is you if you were born in their circumstances." I don't think philosophers would agree with this statement and rightfully so. But I believe it does reflect an important world view that theatre requires, "empathy and gaining perspective." Dramaturgy is the practice of these values.
ContributorsBroeder, Elizabeth Ann Marie (Author) / St.Clair, Pr. Charles (Thesis director) / Rice, John (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The following research seeks to understand the increase in political disengagement, or political apathy, in younger generations of American citizens, with political apathy defined as disinterest and/or lack of caring to vote, advocate, or engage in topics or actions affiliated with politics. Given the historical roots of the U.S. and the struggle of many individuals to gain and hold on to the rights to vote and advocate in the political sphere, it is somewhat puzzling that political apathy is on the rise. Hence, I pose the question of why younger voters, in particular, are disinterested in politics. In doing so, I explore past historical events that correlate with decreases in voter turnout that may have also influenced the start of political apathy. Additionally, I adopt an interdisciplinary lens that draws on the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx, the writings of Sigmund Freud, and more current research from the psychological literature on attitudes and associations and from political science. A broader aim of this paper is to increase awareness of political apathy and the potential consequences that younger and future generations may face, as a result.
ContributorsJicha, Amy A. (Author) / Hall, Deborah (Thesis director) / Neal, Tess (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
White Dove Thrift Shoppes, two stores in Phoenix run by Hospice of the Valley, serve a vital function in the city. These stores allow members of the community to donate and shop while furthering the Hospice cause. Many aspects of the stores run smoothly but there is always room for improvement. While no formal goals have been established, it seems likely that management is looking for ways to increase sales and improve brand awareness. To determine how this can be accomplished, I conducted an external audit interviewed White Dove personnel. To remain competitive, White Dove needs to emphasize its strengths. Among these is the sense of community White Dove provides for its volunteers, customers, and management. The store offers high quality merchandise at a low price, which is essential for the thrift industry. The stores also are quite innovative, which will serve them well in the future. Along with its strengths, White Dove has some areas for improvement. To maximize profitability, it is recommended that White Dove engage in business practices that it is currently not exploring. In terms of marketing, the stores could advertise more within Hospice and the local community. Store tangibles could also be modified to make customers feel more comfortable. Additionally, White Dove should improve training methods for its volunteers and make all volunteers feel appreciated. Finally, managers have indicated that they would like to expand to a younger demographic. To accomplish this, White Dove can utilize ASU students and Greek life. If White Dove can successfully implement these recommendations and continue to highlight its strengths, the stores will remain competitive in the future.
ContributorsMcLellan, Brittany Ann (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Hutchman, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2013-05