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Honors Theses

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

From Mind To Machine : Parity Affects In The Attentional Set-Shifting Task In Animal And Machine Models, Katie Coren Freeman Jan 2013

From Mind To Machine : Parity Affects In The Attentional Set-Shifting Task In Animal And Machine Models, Katie Coren Freeman

Honors Theses

As a dual behavioral and computational neuroscience research project, this study first tested reproductive effects on attention, learning, and decision making using the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (AS-ST) and then a Machine Learning model was constructed to simulate perceptual judgments and decision making through reinforced learning. In the behavioral task, response times and errors from 5 primiparous (one-time mothers) and 4 nulliparous (never pregnant) Sprague-Dawley rats were recorded during four increasingly complex attention modulation and paired associative learning tasks. The Machine Learning model reconstructed each task's decision problems through representation of internal and external conditions, valuation, action, and outcome evaluation to …

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An Unexpected Verdict: Exploring The Economic Implications Of An Expanding Chinese Presence In Dakar's Informal Market, Georgina Hurst Jan 2013

An Unexpected Verdict: Exploring The Economic Implications Of An Expanding Chinese Presence In Dakar's Informal Market, Georgina Hurst

Honors Theses

Through examination of literature, statistical analysis, and field research in Dakar, Senegal, this study explores the economic implications of an expanding Chinese presence on Senegalese retailers in the informal market of Dakar, and on Senegalese consumers of cheap goods that shop primarily in this market. Since the early 1990s, a neighborhood of Chinese storefronts selling cheap goods has developed in the Centenaire region of downtown Dakar. The Chinese entrepreneurs, primarily in Dakar for wholesale, have adapted to the demands of low-end Senegalese retailers and consumers, focusing their products on basic necessities, such as clothing, and imitation commodities, such as Islamic …

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Where Two Or Three Gather In My Name: A History Of The Burns-Belfry Restoration And Racial Reconciliation Between Churches In Oxford, Mississippi, Bracey Harris Jan 2013

Where Two Or Three Gather In My Name: A History Of The Burns-Belfry Restoration And Racial Reconciliation Between Churches In Oxford, Mississippi, Bracey Harris

Honors Theses

This paper is an exploration of the intersection of race and religion in Oxford, Mississippi. In particular, it gives a history of the restoration of the Burns-Belfry Church in Oxford, Mississippi. The project was a cross-cultural effort to save the town's first church built by freedmen in 1868. Many individuals worked together to save the town's historic landmark. In addition, the work also examines attempts by churches in Oxford to improve race relations in the community. The work looks at how events held between these churches may be the key to forgiveness and racial harmony. The title is taken from …

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Farmers Markets And Food Security: A Critical Evaluation Of The Sociodemographic Factors Influencing Market Patronage In The Mississippi Delta, Mary Margaret Saulters Jan 2013

Farmers Markets And Food Security: A Critical Evaluation Of The Sociodemographic Factors Influencing Market Patronage In The Mississippi Delta, Mary Margaret Saulters

Honors Theses

Characterized by extreme poverty, limited access to fresh foods, and a high prevalence of nutrition-related disease, the rural Mississippi Delta represents an understudied and highly at-risk population in terms of food security. This paper explores the role of alternative foodways in the Delta, specifically examining the potential for farmers markets to improve community food security in rural, low- income areas. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to measure farmers market patronage among different racial and socioeconomic groups in the Mississippi Delta. The findings of this study indicate that while sociodemographic factors, such as race, income, and education are associated with …

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An Investigation Of The Green Grove Initiative, Haley Brooke Kesterson Jan 2013

An Investigation Of The Green Grove Initiative, Haley Brooke Kesterson

Honors Theses

Game days, particularly football game days, at division one universities generate a great deal of waste. At the University of Mississippi, the amount of waste generated on home football game Saturdays has been increasing. Increasing recycling by spectators may decrease the amount of waste generated and reduce the negative environmental impact of game days. The purpose of this case study was to explore the development and evaluation of interventions that may be effective for increasing recycling behaviors. Various interventions were implemented at each game of the 2012 season. Recyclables were collected and waste was measured following each game. Games with …

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Attending Law School: Lucrative Or Lunatic?, Anna Lennep Jan 2013

Attending Law School: Lucrative Or Lunatic?, Anna Lennep

Honors Theses

The total number of law school graduates for the class of 2011 was 43,979 and of the 42,411 graduates whose employment status was known by March 15, 2012, less than 55% of graduates had found long-term, full-time jobs in a field that required bar passage. Less than 63% of graduates had found any job in a field that required bar passage. With so many graduates and so few jobs, prospective law students must consider the risk that at- tending law school has become for many of its graduates. This thesis uses recent graduate data to analyze the current woes of …

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Shifting Local Ecologies: Biocultural Interactions And Ecuadorian Public Health, Sabrina Bradford Jan 2013

Shifting Local Ecologies: Biocultural Interactions And Ecuadorian Public Health, Sabrina Bradford

Honors Theses

Though biology is considered universal, this thesis argues against the assumption of the universal applications of biomedicine in favor of a biocultural approach, emphasizing shifting local ecologies in an increasingly globalized world. This research investigated Ecuadorian health within an ecological context in coordination with an international public health internship that was completed through the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the Ecuadorian Ministerio de Salud Pública. Throughout this thesis, examples are provided demonstrating that globalization, though appearing as a homogenous process on the international level, creates heterogeneous effects on the local scale. To explain the mechanisms and implications of these …

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The Failures Of Intelligence Reform, Amber Ciemniewski Dec 2012

The Failures Of Intelligence Reform, Amber Ciemniewski

Honors Theses

Intelligence reform is the legislation implemented by the federal government that's purpose is to improve the effectiveness and success of the intelligence community. It would seem evident that intelligence reform has failed, but the more important questions lie in where it has failed and how to fix it. In this thesis, it will be argued that reform attempts have failed by focusing on surface problems rather than addressing their sources. Future reforms should focus on the relationship dynamic between the intelligence community and the policymakers it serves. There has been extensive literature published on the problems in the intelligence community …

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Education, Employment, And Coastal Carolina University: What Are Ccu Students' Plans After Graduation?, Thomas M. Fernandez Dec 2012

Education, Employment, And Coastal Carolina University: What Are Ccu Students' Plans After Graduation?, Thomas M. Fernandez

Honors Theses

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown that while unemployment amongst young college graduates is high, joblessness decreases as students pursue post-baccalaureate degrees. And with national unemployment near 8 percent, it is important for college students to consider what obstacles they may face when entering the workforce. Challenges may include sociohistorical (parent educational attainment) and socioeconomic factors as well as obstacles surrounding various forms of human capital. Using some of these challenges youth face when entering college and/or the workforce, this study predicts the decisions Coastal Carolina University (CCU) students will make post-graduation based upon four elements: parental education, academic …

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A Woman Is A Dish For The Gods': Shakespeare's Use Of Myth To Criticize Patriarchy, Marissa Polascak Dec 2012

A Woman Is A Dish For The Gods': Shakespeare's Use Of Myth To Criticize Patriarchy, Marissa Polascak

Honors Theses

William Shakespeare's canon is famous throughout the world, studied by scholars as well as read by laymen for leisure. These scholars and laymen value Shakespeare's works for their content and form, at the same time that they criticize them for their flaws. On the surface, it is clear that Shakespeare touches on many issues in his poems and plays, such as love and war, but hidden underneath are messages that are ambiguous. These hidden messages are a product of censorship. During the Renaissance, Sir Francis Walsingham established the State apparatus which helped to protect society against counter-Reformation activists. This apparatus …

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Competitive Balance In Division 1 College Hockey: An Economic Analysis, Christopher Decarlo Dec 2012

Competitive Balance In Division 1 College Hockey: An Economic Analysis, Christopher Decarlo

Honors Theses

This paper seeks to determine the levels of competitive balance in Division I college hockey using several well known measures of competitive balance. It focuses on the five hockey conferences, specifically on win percentages and concentration of conference and national championships. This paper also seeks to determine any correlation between university actions, specifically athletic spending, and successful hockey programs. Finally, it suggests possible areas of future research and ways to improve on the current research.

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The Evolution Of Brassiere In The 20th Century, Jolene Khor Dec 2012

The Evolution Of Brassiere In The 20th Century, Jolene Khor

Honors Theses

It is common knowledge that a brassiere, more widely known as a bra, is an important if not a vital part of a modern woman’s wardrobe today. In the 21st century, a brassiere is no more worn for function as it is for fashion. In order to understand the evolution of function to fashion of a brassiere, it is necessary to account for its historical journey from the beginning to where it is today. This thesis paper, titled The Evolution of Brassiere in the 20th Century will explore the history of brassiere in the last 100 years. While …

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The Roof With No Ceiling: Couch Surfing And The New Vagabond's Trek Through Nation-States, Cyberspace, And Global Consciousness, Kathryn Giroux Dec 2012

The Roof With No Ceiling: Couch Surfing And The New Vagabond's Trek Through Nation-States, Cyberspace, And Global Consciousness, Kathryn Giroux

Honors Theses

In an era of "stranger danger" where society indoctrinates fear of "the other," hospitality exchange and social networking website www.couchsurfing.org offers an alternative movement to these trends. Couchsurfing.org connects travelers with locals offering free accommodation in exchange for meaningful connection, cultural exchange, and the opportunity to "create inspiring experiences" within a rapidly growing, transnational community encompassing over 5 million members. This thesis takes a creative journalism approach to uncovering CouchSurfing's inner workings and impacts, understanding its historical context within globalization and the growth of hospitality exchange networks, and discovering its implications for the global community and global consciousness of vagabonds …

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Salary Determination In The National Hockey League: Restricted, Unrestricted, Forwards, And Defensemen, Kevin Peck Dec 2012

Salary Determination In The National Hockey League: Restricted, Unrestricted, Forwards, And Defensemen, Kevin Peck

Honors Theses

This thesis will attempt to estimate the relationships between salary and measures of the marginal productivity of hockey players, or performance indicators. Salary determination, as in most other sports leagues, is determined in a labor market. Each player has a marginal revenue product of labor (MRPL) and this MRPL varies from player to player, and from team to team. Firms, in this case teams, seek to add players with a high MRPLin order to increase the quantity and quality of product they sell, in this case wins. Among other things, a player has a MRPLthat will equate to the additional …

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Can Public Education Be Saved? An Argument For Educational Reform, Kathrine Hyatt Dec 2012

Can Public Education Be Saved? An Argument For Educational Reform, Kathrine Hyatt

Honors Theses

Education, a key to later success, needs to be the number one priority. However, the American of public education has many systemic problems that are inhibiting children from reaching their full potential. This literature review first examines the colonial roots of American education and briefly tracks the development. Then, four major systemic problems are addressed: the over reliance on standardized testing, teaching methods and curriculum, lack of creativity, and how the cycle of poverty impacts learning. Finally solutions are discussed, with the ultimate recommendation being to adapt the Montessori Method.

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Using Gis And Remote Sensing Applications To Determine Recovery From Disaster: Seven Years Post-Katrina In Residential Communities Of Hancock County, Carlton P. Anderson Dec 2012

Using Gis And Remote Sensing Applications To Determine Recovery From Disaster: Seven Years Post-Katrina In Residential Communities Of Hancock County, Carlton P. Anderson

Honors Theses

Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast states of Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29th, 2005. The communities of Shoreline Park and Waveland in Hancock County, Mississippi were used in this study to analyze land use change post-Hurricane Katrina using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing. These two communities are experiencing slower recovery than their counterparts along the coast. By examining high-resolution aerial imagery from 2007 and 2012, there can be comparisons that show the timeline of recovery for these two communities post-Katrina. Shoreline Park has seen 30% of its total parcels change their structural footprints from 2007 – 2012 …

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Interpersonal Desirability Of The Self-Defeating Humorist, Ashley N. Barnes Dec 2012

Interpersonal Desirability Of The Self-Defeating Humorist, Ashley N. Barnes

Honors Theses

Humor is a multifaceted construct and can be defined in terms of the different ways people tend to use humor, which are referred to as humor styles. The present study examined the potential effects that the four different humor styles (Affiliative, Self-enhancing, Aggressive, and Self-defeating) have on other people’s perceptions of the individual producing the humor, and whether that impact was moderated by the attachment style of the individual perceiving the humorist. The goal was to investigate the interaction between the humor styles and physical attractiveness of a target in predicting how attractive a person is perceived and the degree …

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Parenting Styles, Peer Pressure, And The Formation Of Antisocial Behavior, Erinisha L. Johnson Dec 2012

Parenting Styles, Peer Pressure, And The Formation Of Antisocial Behavior, Erinisha L. Johnson

Honors Theses

The current study examined the relationship between antisocial behavior, negative parenting, and peer pressure. It was predicted that peer pressure and negative parenting would be positively correlated with antisocial behavior, but that negative parenting would be more statistically significant. There were 177 male and female college students who completed the Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior questionnaire, the Measurement of Parenting Style, the Peer Pressure and Popularity questionnaire, and a short demographics survey. Results indicated that negative parenting and peer pressure were both related to antisocial behavior (p< .001). However, the final hypothesis was rejected because the results indicated that peer pressure (p < .001) and not negative parenting (p<.05), showed to be more statistically significant. It may be suggested that peer pressure may overpower parenting, after a certain age.

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The Effects Of Formatting On Card Fluency For Say-All-Fast-Minute-Each-Day-Shuffled (Safmeds), Tory Roti Nov 2012

The Effects Of Formatting On Card Fluency For Say-All-Fast-Minute-Each-Day-Shuffled (Safmeds), Tory Roti

Honors Theses

SAFMEDS is a precision teaching technique that promotes fluent responding (Bower & Orgel, 1981; Eshleman, 1985; Korinek & Wolking, 1984). Limited research has been conducted regarding SAFMEDS and stimulus control, but available research suggests irrelevant stimuli affect students responding during a SAFMEDS timing (Meindl, Ivy, Miller, & Neef, 2011). Meindl et al. (2011) questioned whether fluency of SAFMEDS cards couId be affected by altering stimulus features on the card (i.e., location of the words on the card). Results indicated that on testing days, accuracy and fluency of responding decreased when identical terms were presented with the only difference being the …

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The Politics Of Rsfs: An Antidote To Reversing The Resource Curse In Latin America?, Sarah Gagnon Jun 2012

The Politics Of Rsfs: An Antidote To Reversing The Resource Curse In Latin America?, Sarah Gagnon

Honors Theses

Over the past three decades, the world has become highly globalized. As such, most countries around the world depend on exports for a large portion of their national income. However, some countries’ dependency on exports is extreme, especially those that heavily rely on natural resource commodities. Despite the natural resource wealth that these commodities grant countries, due to the instability of global prices and the intensive focus of the resource extraction industry, scholars have theorized this type of dependency as a “resource curse.” The resource curse is a paradox where countries that are so rich in natural resources have not …

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The Role Of The Bystander Effect On Domestic Violence Within College Relationships, Caitlin Gallagher Jun 2012

The Role Of The Bystander Effect On Domestic Violence Within College Relationships, Caitlin Gallagher

Honors Theses

This current study evaluates what factors contribute to bystander intervention when dealing with sexual assault and abuse on college campuses. Bystander intervention is a concept that is still in its infancy, concerning research and development. Through unsuccessful trials of spreading rape awareness on college campuses by focusing on the victims, the focus has shifted to educating the bystander, or college students as a whole. Factors that appear to be a major influence are drinking and going out more than twice a week. When alcohol is put in the mix, decision-making is impaired; therefore consent cannot be given. The collected data …

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Worth More Than Her Womb A Cross-Country Analysis Of Reproductive Rights, Brianne Fennessy Jun 2012

Worth More Than Her Womb A Cross-Country Analysis Of Reproductive Rights, Brianne Fennessy

Honors Theses

A woman’s empowerment derives from education, economic independence and political and social autonomy. Reproductive health is an extremely relevant and important concept for many reasons. Reproductive rights include basic elements; the ability to reproduce and to regulate fertility; proper prenatal care and safe childbirth; and ultimately optimal maternal and infant health outcomes. Gender inequality has become manifested in societies throughout the world as result of the lack of control over a woman’s respective fertility. While a woman’s unique biological ability to reproduce should be privileged and respected, it instead entails both additional responsibilities and even negative consequences for her progression …

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The Death Penalty In A Changing Socialist State: Reflections Of 'Modernity' From The Mao Era To Contemporary China, Elizabeth Lehmann Jun 2012

The Death Penalty In A Changing Socialist State: Reflections Of 'Modernity' From The Mao Era To Contemporary China, Elizabeth Lehmann

Honors Theses

In the past century, China has abandoned its feudal system, created a republic, ended the republic for a communist socialist society, closed its markets and then opened them; now, China is an established world power, has a strong economic base, and is often perceived as having an iron fist regarding domestic crime and punishment. Modern day China’s criminal law, in the context of capital punishment, has undergone many drastic transformations in the past sixty years. The death penalty has been so differently implemented in modern China that within a span of twenty years, the usage of the death penalty and …

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Lacrosse: A Rich History Hindered By Racist Attitudes In The United States, Matthew Livingston Jun 2012

Lacrosse: A Rich History Hindered By Racist Attitudes In The United States, Matthew Livingston

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how Lacrosse’s history and popularity has demonstrated a direct correlation with the ethnicity of the people who compose the majority constituency of the game. While Lacrosse began as a sport played almost exclusively by Native Americans, it now is mostly associated with middle to upper class white Americans. Furthermore, Lacrosse was not played by many people until the past twenty years when participates have consisted of mostly white Americans. This study relies on a multitude of sources ranging from scholarly books, to an interview with a National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee, to articles located on in …

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Diagnosing The Roots Of Chinas Growth Miracle: An Examination Of Strategies That Have Most Influenced Chinas Economic Development In The Twenty-First Century, Katharine Manko Jun 2012

Diagnosing The Roots Of Chinas Growth Miracle: An Examination Of Strategies That Have Most Influenced Chinas Economic Development In The Twenty-First Century, Katharine Manko

Honors Theses

There are significantly different views regarding what strategies underlie China’s economic growth and development in the past decade. An examination of these varied opinions will indicate the complexity of determining which strategies have been most conducive to China’s economic expansion. This paper will use data from several developing and developed countries along with an analysis of a number of strategies that economists and scholars have listed as aiding the economic growth process. The analysis of the scatter pot data will then be applied to China as a case study to determine which factors and strategies have been most conducive to …

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The Politics Of Sex: Analyzing The Relationship Between The State And Gender Identity And Desire, Rachel Mayer Jun 2012

The Politics Of Sex: Analyzing The Relationship Between The State And Gender Identity And Desire, Rachel Mayer

Honors Theses

The disenfranchised experiences of women are central to feminist understandings of identity. Crucial to this understanding is the question of what is the cause of female oppression and how to remedy the situation. This introduces the concept of state power and its relationship to women. The state, as the seat of legal and political power, has the ability to serve as both protector and oppressor. The thesis is devoted to exploring feminist perspectives and critiques on state power such as arguments for state intervention in the protection of women through concrete action such as gender-specific laws. Opposing this view is …

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The Relationship Between Openness And Economic Performance A Case Study Of The Five Leading Emerging Markets In Southeast Asia: Vietnam Philippines Thailand Indonesia Malaysia, Trang Pham Jun 2012

The Relationship Between Openness And Economic Performance A Case Study Of The Five Leading Emerging Markets In Southeast Asia: Vietnam Philippines Thailand Indonesia Malaysia, Trang Pham

Honors Theses

For the last two decades, the Southeast Asian countries have emerged as the fastest growing economies in the world, together with making significant progress in economic liberalization. The thesis studies the impact of economic openness on growth and volatility in the five leading Southeast Asia countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines. The results obtained include: 1) economic openness is a driving force for the rapid growth of the five countries during 1990-2010, 2) during transition into an open economy, volatility cannot be eliminated; however, if a country has sound macroeconomic policies, a reasonable ratio of foreign direct investment to …

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Slavery In The Constitution: The Ironic Shifts In Tension Over Three Pivotal Clauses, Joseph Privitera Jun 2012

Slavery In The Constitution: The Ironic Shifts In Tension Over Three Pivotal Clauses, Joseph Privitera

Honors Theses

As scholarship has attempted to demonstrate in recent times, early United States history has unfortunately been stained with slavery. The founding document of the nation, the Constitution, is no exception. The three provisions which affected the institution most directly are the three-fifths, slave trade, and fugitive slave clauses. Of these sections, the latter proved to be by far the most controversial in the long-run. Although the other two received lengthy debates and caused great concern in 1787 during the General Convention and over the next few years as the states discussed ratification, they caused limited levels of strain on the …

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From The Gas Pump To Our Hips: The Impact That U.S. Corn-Ethanol Production Has On America's Obesity Epidemic, Scott Reddy Jun 2012

From The Gas Pump To Our Hips: The Impact That U.S. Corn-Ethanol Production Has On America's Obesity Epidemic, Scott Reddy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that increased U.S. corn-ethanol production has on food prices and, in turn, the diet choices of the U.S. population. Previous literature has confirmed the linkages between the energy market and the corn market and has separately examined the relationship between relative food prices and obesity. The purpose of this study is to link ethanol production to obesity. The first two sections of the model will utilize various econometric techniques to test the existence of certain empirical relationships over the period of January 1982-May 2011. The final stage will employ ordinary …

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Domestic Violence In The Latino Community: The Struggles Latina Women Encounter Due To Societal And Geographical Disadvantages, Jennifer Rodriguez Jun 2012

Domestic Violence In The Latino Community: The Struggles Latina Women Encounter Due To Societal And Geographical Disadvantages, Jennifer Rodriguez

Honors Theses

Domestic violence has been an epidemic in the United States since the colonization era. Public chastisement was deemed acceptable by law and Church because patriarchal views allowed men to treat women as their property. It was not until the 20th century, during the women’s rights movement, that the law recognized public chastisement as an inhumane act therefore punishing any man who battered his wife. As the movement progressed, women began owning their own property and divorcing their abusive partners. The downfall in this movement was that the majority of the women who benefited from these changes were Caucasian women from …

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