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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
Description
I argue that the most important value put in jeopardy by the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power in post-Mubarak Egypt is not democracy but liberalism. Further, I find that that the lens of religion is insufficient to explain and understand the Brotherhood's illiberal tendencies. A review of the group's rhetoric, along with an examination of the literature on collectivism and individualism, reveals that the Brotherhood's collectivist worldview is at the heart of its opposition to liberalism, an inherently individualistic value. I conclude that viewing the Brotherhood as a movement motivated by a collective sense of morality would provide policymakers and academics with greater insight into the group's behavior and policy positions, facilitating deeper comprehension and greater predictability.
ContributorsColthart, David Anthony (Author) / Gallab, Abdullahi (Thesis director) / Halverson, Jeffry (Committee member) / Simhony, Avital (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
This project explores the relationship between modern dance and Chinese individual identity from a personal perspective. Modern dance emerged from the West, carrying Western philosophies of individual identity and importance, where the composition of persons defines the group. The Chinese philosophy of the individual, however, has developed in a different context where the group defines the persons that constitute it. There is an interesting negotiation of meaning in the convergence of these two perceptions within the art of modern dance in China. A review of literature was conducted on modern dance in China, as well as the formation and development of individual identity in Chinese philosophy and culture. Over the summer of 2013, the author then conducted ethnographic research while attending the Beijing Dance Festival in Beijing, China. Reflections on the research and experiences were further explored through the creation of a dance piece and then compiled in this paper. Primary findings include that there are differences in understandings of time, space, and the use of technology that influence the practice of modern dance in China. Also, though the concept of self-expression is closely tied to Chinese ideas of modern dance, what is seen onstage raises the question of whose self is being expressed. The interaction of Eastern and Western understandings creates a dissonance of meaning.
ContributorsNunn, Jasmine Charis (Author) / Fitzgerald, Mary (Thesis director) / Zou, Yu (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
While many report positive changes after completing a long distance hike on the PCT, many who return experience a sense of depression or intense sadness. This sadness can be debilitating, but very little research has been done to explore possible causes and remedies. This thesis argues that volatile environmental conditions on the Pacific Crest Trail act in a similar way to that of entities such as fraternities and the military in that the effort required to be initiated must be justified with the value received. As such, thru-hikers increase the value of the trail for themselves along with the cultural values that the trail may hold. These cultural values are predominantly equality, liberty, and the concept of the sublime. However, as nature is understood to be the opposite of urban environments, urban environments take on qualities of inequality, oppression, and corruption in the eyes of the hiker. These qualities then cause a hiker distress upon returning from their six month journey in that they have to both exist in and participate with such a society.
ContributorsRestrepo, Daniel Sebastian (Author) / Popova, Laura (Thesis director) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Reproductive cloning is the duplication of genetic material to reproduce a living organism. The sheep Dolly was the first adult mammal to be cloned and her birth unveiled a multitude of questions about the potential for cloning humans and how that might threaten human individuality. Given those questions, my project delves into how reproductive cloning relates to the idea of individuality across three subgroups: humans, utility animals such as those used for research or agriculture, and pets.
ContributorsO'Connell, Lindsey Marie (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Hurlbut, Ben (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Throughout the course of American history, our country has prided itself on individualism. From Manifest Destiny to the American Dream, American society is rooted in individuals’ ability to pull themselves up by their bootstraps: free from the expectations and limitations of societal obligations. In fact, America is considered the most individualistic nation on the planet. Individualism pervades the thoughts, feelings, and actions of Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic shows how individualism led some Americans to view masks and lockdowns as violations of their individual freedoms, and research indicates that our current trend of hyper-individualism could be a significant influence on our latency responding to climate change. To begin solving these collective problems, we cannot only focus on “what can I do”; we have to focus on “what can we do.”
ContributorsBrown, Tucker (Author) / Sanft, Al (Thesis director) / Montgomery, Eric (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2022-05