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 - 10 of 16
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Description
In 1986, Wendy Chapkis published Beauty Secrets: Women and the Politics of Appearance, exploring beauty as it is interpreted through physical appearance, gender, and sexuality. Over thirty years later, many of the trends and problems Chapkis identified still exist or have gotten worse; we still live in a society that

In 1986, Wendy Chapkis published Beauty Secrets: Women and the Politics of Appearance, exploring beauty as it is interpreted through physical appearance, gender, and sexuality. Over thirty years later, many of the trends and problems Chapkis identified still exist or have gotten worse; we still live in a society that praises ideal physical beauty, and creates and reinforces unrealistic beauty standards. This research strives to determine why these problems still exist, and how to solve them. Through a combination of creative writing and analytic research, this project will discuss topics that have helped to create problems like cultural influences, gender norms, and the media, as well as discuss the consequences like mental health and eating disorders, and the unattainable ideal beauty standard. The purpose of this study is to bring new attention to the flaws of a society that teaches people they are defined by their appearance, in order to teach people what actions we need to take to make real progress. Research was conducted using an online survey to allow for anonymous, honest, responses, which were then analyzed to inspire sections of creative writing, as well as fuel the analytical research portions of the paper. In this way, the text mirrors Chapkis’ original style to connect and engage with readers. Research shows that many respondents know there are problems with society’s standards, but feel powerless to change anything. This study provides a platform to restart the conversation, and call people to action, to inspire people not to simply redefine beauty, but teach them that they should not define others or themselves by merely their physical appearance.
ContributorsFast, Elizabeth (Author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Barca, Lisa (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are likely to return to the same physician. This was assessed by conducting an anonymous online survey of 13 questions that served to establish a general foundation for understanding the participants' physical characteristics such as race, age, weight, and gender identity as well as their overall patient-physician relationship and experiences of shame, if applicable. 119 participants were recruited from Arizona State University and a case study was performed individually for five participants of interest. The data analyzed from this study suggests that while appearance-based shame does exist in healthcare spaces, it is not a significant determining factor in patients returning to their physicians. In addition, there was no significant evidence to suggest that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are either likely or more likely to return to their physician. We hypothesize this could be due to confounding variables such as convenience, accessibility, or insurance limitations which patients may prioritize over feeling ashamed during an appointment. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm these hypotheses.

ContributorsHolmes, Madison (Author) / Santos, Emily (Co-author) / Kathir, Nehhaa (Co-author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Roberson, Robert (Committee member) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are likely to return to the same physician. This was assessed by conducting an anonymous online survey of 13 questions that served to establish a general foundation for understanding the participants' physical characteristics such as race, age, weight, and gender identity as well as their overall patient-physician relationship and experiences of shame, if applicable. 119 participants were recruited from Arizona State University and a case study was performed individually for five participants of interest. The data analyzed from this study suggests that while appearance-based shame does exist in healthcare spaces, it is not a significant determining factor in patients returning to their physicians. In addition, there was no significant evidence to suggest that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are either likely or more likely to return to their physician. We hypothesize this could be due to confounding variables such as convenience, accessibility, or insurance limitations which patients may prioritize over feeling ashamed during an appointment. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm these hypotheses.

ContributorsKathir, Nehhaa (Author) / Santos, Emily (Co-author) / Holmes, Madison (Co-author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Roberson, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and

Health service quality is understood to be a crucial determinant in successful patient-physician encounters and patient health. One common feeling that patients have reported experiencing during appointments is shame. We hypothesized that patients who experience appearance-based shame during an appointment are not likely to return to the same physician and that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are likely to return to the same physician. This was assessed by conducting an anonymous online survey of 13 questions that served to establish a general foundation for understanding the participants' physical characteristics such as race, age, weight, and gender identity as well as their overall patient-physician relationship and experiences of shame, if applicable. 119 participants were recruited from Arizona State University and a case study was performed individually for five participants of interest. The data analyzed from this study suggests that while appearance-based shame does exist in healthcare spaces, it is not a significant determining factor in patients returning to their physicians. In addition, there was no significant evidence to suggest that patients who do not experience appearance-based shame are either likely or more likely to return to their physician. We hypothesize this could be due to confounding variables such as convenience, accessibility, or insurance limitations which patients may prioritize over feeling ashamed during an appointment. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm these hypotheses.

ContributorsSantos, Emily (Author) / Kathir, Nehhaa (Co-author) / Holmes, Madison (Co-author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Brian, Jennifer (Committee member) / Roberson, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

In the the fall semester of 2022 I took a class called HON 380: Aesthetics and Society. The question was posed: "What is beauty?" It was there I began to ponder the abstract nature of the concept of beauty. There were several different compelling theories, beauty is defined philosophically, by

In the the fall semester of 2022 I took a class called HON 380: Aesthetics and Society. The question was posed: "What is beauty?" It was there I began to ponder the abstract nature of the concept of beauty. There were several different compelling theories, beauty is defined philosophically, by evolutionary principles, or by societal and cultural norms. However, I still believed that these theories didn't do enough to full satisfy the question of "What is beauty?" The different theories all neglected to talk about an integral part of beauty and what I found to be the key to defining it, it's antithesis: Ugliness.

ContributorsUsmani, Zaid (Author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Stanford, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description

I will argue that Fletcher as a queer female musician is less focused on physical beauty, but instead is more focused on inner beauty and the character of women instead. I will begin with defining beauty in its many forms and how this industry and market has grown in recent

I will argue that Fletcher as a queer female musician is less focused on physical beauty, but instead is more focused on inner beauty and the character of women instead. I will begin with defining beauty in its many forms and how this industry and market has grown in recent years through a review of the current literature in the applicable fields of study. The other side of this endeavor will be a review of selected song lyrics and an analysis of how they describe feminine beauty. This will demonstrate that queer women view and describe women differently- and in a more positive and humanizing manner.

ContributorsStevenson, Tressa (Author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Himberg, Julia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Thunderbird School of Global Management (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Description

This study seeks to explore how women respond to seeing others receive sexual attention, such as catcalling, while they themselves are being ignored. Their emotional reactions and perceptions of situations in relation to self-esteem and social comparison are examined through a survey presenting hypothetical catcalling scenarios.

ContributorsMoskal, Preston (Author) / Tolan, Catherine (Co-author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Ruth, Alissa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Description
This paper goes into the history and evolution of aesthetics from 19th to 21st century France. Comparisons to the United States are made throughout the paper, and the importance of understanding the development of aesthetics in France is also discussed. The paper is split into three chapters: the 19th century,

This paper goes into the history and evolution of aesthetics from 19th to 21st century France. Comparisons to the United States are made throughout the paper, and the importance of understanding the development of aesthetics in France is also discussed. The paper is split into three chapters: the 19th century, the 20th century, and the 21st century.
ContributorsTerezova, Borislava (Author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Vizcaino, Maricarmen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-12
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Description

This study presents documentary analysis and observational data evaluating the portrayal of female body types in movies produced by the Walt Disney Company and its impact on our most vulnerable population, young children. We examine past scholarly works and present a tool for quantifying the progression of Disney in representing

This study presents documentary analysis and observational data evaluating the portrayal of female body types in movies produced by the Walt Disney Company and its impact on our most vulnerable population, young children. We examine past scholarly works and present a tool for quantifying the progression of Disney in representing a larger variety of body types in their films in order to make a determination as to whether or not Disney has improved in their presentation of the female body overtime. Overall, our findings indicate that Disney movies have not progressed significantly over time in terms of representing a realistic female body type to its young audience quite yet in a meaningful way.

ContributorsStrong, Kaleigh (Author) / Maschino, Hannah (Co-author) / Fontinha de Alcantara, Christiane (Thesis director) / Sandoval, Mathew (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Description
This thesis explores the relationship between the performance of beauty and Potential New Member (PNM) success across various formats of formal sorority recruitment at ASU. It builds off of existing scholarship in economics of beauty premiums in labor markets, as well as sociological research on the intersection of beauty and

This thesis explores the relationship between the performance of beauty and Potential New Member (PNM) success across various formats of formal sorority recruitment at ASU. It builds off of existing scholarship in economics of beauty premiums in labor markets, as well as sociological research on the intersection of beauty and human interaction. Through interviews of women who went through formal recruitment across three different modalities (in-person, virtual, and hybrid), themes emerged that suggest the current policies in place by ASU Panhellenic make it so that the performance of beauty hinders the facilitation of a recruitment process that is truly values-based.
Created2022-05