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- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
This thesis aims to enhance the academic conception of American anti-Semitism by analyzing the rhetorical visions of two distinctly American theologies: Christian Identity and Black Israelism. Using a theoretical framework that couches the rhetoric of both religious movements within their respective historical contexts, I seek to understand the persuasive appeals of the alternative histories that lead both movements to conclude that their racial group is descended from the ancient Israelites--a status both movements claim has been "usurped" by contemporary Jews. After contextualizing their rhetoric, I juxtapose the rhetorical vision of Christian Identity with that of Black Israelism, concluding that the former can be understood as a movement and narrative premised on racial hubris whose paranoid rhetoric makes meaningful contributions to the climate of anti-Semitism, while the latter constitutes a movement and narrative premised on historically-legitimated suspicion whose paranoid rhetoric, though invidious, does not constitute a comparable threat.
ContributorsRuben, Brian (Author) / Walker, Michael (Thesis director) / Mueller, Caroll (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Abstract Kicking the Habit: Reforming Mandatory Minimums for Drug Crimes Ashley Allen While mandatory minimum sentences apply to all drugs, in this paper, I primarily discuss them for marijuana, cocaine, and opiates since these drugs are the most commonly used. My paper will include an exploration of the reasons behind the implementation of mandatory minimum sentences, an analysis of the problems involved with enforcing them, and a discussion about the harms such enforcement has on communities. While mandatory minimums were introduced to prevent discrimination in sentencing as people of color often faced much harsher sentences, the minimums have not been a lasting solution; rather these sentencing techniques have become a major component of the problems communities face associated with drug use. They enforce negative stereotypes and cycles of drug use, do not promote rehabilitation, and unnecessarily burden the judicial and prison systems. I will discuss both successful and failed attempts to reform these laws, and finally offer possible solutions for rethinking mandatory minimum laws, including harm reduction, sentencing restructuring, and the reform of federal laws.
ContributorsAllen, Ashely (Author) / Henderson, Deborah (Thesis director) / Espino, Rodolfo (Committee member) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2012-05
Description
The story of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is one of a woman who defied the odds of her time. Sor Juana was a nun born in the 1600's in Mexico. From an early start, she had an endless passion for knowledge and always strove to learn as much as she could. She went on to become a nun at the Convent of Santa Paula and used her intellect to advocate for women's rights. Though met with opposition, she wrote many poems, letters, and even plays which included her strong push for women's equality. However, the name Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is almost never mentioned in popular feminist discourse, despite Sor Juana being credited as one of the first feminist authors. This paper works to not only tell the story of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz in detail, but also works to answer the question, "Why do people not know about Sor Juana". By diving into the origins of the Feminist movement in the United States, the dark underbelly of Feminism is uncovered. Primarily, the topic of how racism in feminism has plague the civil rights movement, what damage has been done to people of color because of feminism's history, and how does that pertain to modern day feminism and Sor Juana. By telling her story through both written and visual aids, the voice of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz is no longer silenced but free to tell her tale and move a generation.
ContributorsParker, Natalie (Author) / Devine, Theresa (Thesis director) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
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
Athletes and sports seem impervious to criticism. Sports is one of the most popular forms of entertainment within popular culture. Since popular culture is one of the dominant forms of education, it is important to analyze and recognize the ideologies present. How do the images and portrayals of professional athletes in still images and video endorsements reflect and perpetuate hegemonic ideologies of race and gender? How do these portrayals intersect with issues of justice and representation? By using a cultural studies framework with emphasis on representation of race and gender in popular culture, an analysis of the representation of seven athletes in advertising for endorsements was conducted. The seven athletes were chosen based on name-recognition, popularity, success in their sport, and a need for a diversity of races and gender. Using semiotics, the advertisements were coded and themes were presented. Several themes presented in the advertisements: Including (1) white female athletes are presented as sexualized objects, (2) black female athletes are represented using masculine traits, (3) white male athletes are normalized, and (4) black male athletes are presented as successful because of their bodies. These representations are harmful because they do little to nothing to change dominant ideologies. The representation of athletes in advertising reinforce hetero-patriarchal ideologies of race and gender.
ContributorsWeiler, Erika (Author) / Sandlin, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / Rashad Shabazz Sanders, Gregg (Committee member) / Henderson, Deborah (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
This study looked at the accuracy in sexual orientation judgment in college-age students from Arizona State University’s West Campus while viewing female actors. One actor was straight and the other bisexual. Participants viewed a 3-minute-long video with audio and visual of a mock forensic interview between Taylor Addams (played by one of the actors) and Officer Carter (played by Kiersten Carter), and were not told this was a test of their gaydar. It was found that though each group was biased toward straight responses, the straight actor group scored significantly higher on the straightness measure than the bisexual actor group. There was also no significant difference between the two groups in their confidence in their answers.
ContributorsCarter, Kiersten M (Author) / Holloway, Steven (Thesis director) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
This thesis explores the potential reasons individuals may romanticize violent serial killers and seeks to eradicate the idea that this phenomenon is due to any singular reason alone. In light of the recent explosion of interest surrounding serial killers and other true-crime genre media, this work aims to help the general public understand, not only the reasons that we may feel inclined to romanticize such evil individuals, but also the potential dangers behind such romanticization. This research led to the conclusion that a fascination for media or entertainment surrounding and related to this topic has been long standing in human history. Additionally, it was concluded that, while the personal reasons each individual may have for romanticizing serial killers may vary, today’s media representations of violent serial killers (both fictional and not) appeal to these reasons by subtly portraying killers as more palatable to the public. Ultimately, this project compiled numerous potential causes of romanticizing serial killers in order to conclude that no single reason is the source for this phenomenon, but that it is rather a complex culmination of factors.
ContributorsSerpa, Hannah (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This master’s thesis reports on the experiences and understandings about coercion into human trafficking of activists working in the field. Trafficking exists as a wholly exploitative process which impacts both the psychological state of being of victims as well as their overall lived, day-to-day experience. A qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilized for this research to gain understanding of the experiences of activists working in the field of trafficking. Given IPA as the method of inquiry, emphasis was placed on achieving an understanding of the lived experiences of the participants. Using a semi-structured interview guide, six different activists in the field of human trafficking were interviewed to gain an understanding of the coercive methods of traffickers, the socio-political realities surrounding trafficking as well as an individualized understanding of what trafficking is like for the victims. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and subthemes according to the stipulations of IPA. Three themes emerged from this analysis on trafficking. The first theme addressed basic needs. Participants speak to how traffickers' primary method of recruitment centers around the supplication of basic needs otherwise not provided for. In the second theme, activists reported on the socio-political realities involving trafficking and how that impacts victim identification and recruitment into the life of trafficking. In the third theme, activists reported on the psychological consequences of trafficking during recruitment, being in traffic and once they get out of the life of trafficking and into rehabilitation.
ContributorsJoseph, Steven (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Taylor, Jameien (Thesis advisor) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals experience a variety of types of representation, particularly in media outlets. While the quantity of such representations is steadily increasing, research must continue to examine the content of representations as they become available. This examination is important as much of society is determined by discourses presented in media outlets. Further, media often produces and reproduces dominant narratives about minority groups. Television is one arena where individuals come to learn about themselves and others. Particularly, the sitcom genre can be useful for figuring out how to deal with real-world issues in a humorous and entertaining way. However, the humor of sitcom does not exclude it from the meaning-making and identity-formation systems present in television and media, more broadly. Thus, this study investigates the discourses surrounding LGBTQ+ representation in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek through critical and rhetorical discursive analyses while also applying principles of queer theory throughout. Results indicate while Schitt’s Creek does many things well in terms of its representation of LGBTQ+ individuals, problematic stereotypes still often remain. In other words, Schitt’s Creek breaks from typical LGBTQ+ representation found in sitcoms, but often still embodies dominant cultural narratives used to degrade, restrict, and punish LGBTQ+ individuals. This is particularly evident as one examines the ways Schitt’s Creek often falls into heteronormative standards and continually polices the sexual nature of LGBTQ+ individuals to display a safe and comfortable version of homosexuality. Therefore, Schitt’s Creek may often and unknowingly reinforce the heteronormative hegemonies it seeks to break from.
ContributorsKiourkas, Steffanie M (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Teens are one of the largest markets for movies. Representations of teenagers in film have the potential to powerfully impact their sense of self and society (Elbaba, 2019, para. 17), yet mainstream films in the high school genre have typically recycled the same narrow teen stereotypes and narratives since the 1980s (Shary, 2014, p. 19). However, film critics, social commentators, and social media reactions lauded a notable exception in Booksmart (Wilde, 2019). The research reported in this thesis was an analysis of the narrative arc and character tropes in Booksmart intended to explore how these differed from those typical in this genre. The analysis identified several ways that Booksmart deviated from traditional gendered forms in the transformational elements of the narrative and in the strategic use of familiar tropes to disrupt stereotypes. Ultimately, while it is limited in some ways (e.g., racial diversity), Booksmart does include more multidimensional characters and contemporary youth issues (deconstructing stereotypes, beauty standards, etc.) compared to most mainstream films in the teen American high school film genre.
ContributorsJohnson, Kaitlen (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023