Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Plexus Being, Hannah S. French

Senior Projects Spring 2023

The Plexus; a site where divided nerves–blood and vessels come together–an interwoven combination of parts in a system. I would like to offer a critical intervention into international politics by employing visual language in a space constructed and bound by semantic language. playing with the fluidity with boundaries, inscribed as natural revealing they are there.

Collage reveals the relationships between one another, disrupting the linear mode of conduction and transmission. To collage, I am avoiding exclusionary mechanisms, working with gaps, holes, layering and lapsing of meaning. I am queering by obscuring rather than clarifying. Not only am I queering the …

The Creation Of The Home: A Sociological And Literary Analysis Of Dominicanidad In Public Spaces Of Washington Heights And Within Dominican Literature, Mádoris Isabel Santana Figuereo

Senior Projects Spring 2023

“The Creation of the Home” is a study that puts in conversation theories within sociology of immigration, culture, nationality, urban studies, gentrification, and literature. These realms of study allow us to capture the trajectories of meaning making by Dominican Immigrants in New York City who lived in the homeland for the majority of their childhood. It shows that even when the physical home is endangered by larger structural forces such as economic precarity, gentrification, and displacement, Dominican immigrants continue to center their identity and cultural markers through symbolic recreations of the home. Dominican literature of the Diaspora shows us that …

The Rome Of The West: An Ethnographic Play With Music, Clayton Roma Bragg Webb

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.

Logistics Planning: Putting Math To Work In A Business Setting, Michael C. Hannan

Senior Projects Spring 2023

The optimization of business procedures benefits all aspects of the product. Maximizing efficiency can lead to more profits for the business, cheaper products for the consumer, and less fuel consumption for the environment. Tracing the history of optimization, we can see that people have always strived for the most efficient way to allocate scarce resources. However, the field of optimization did not blossom until innovations in mathematics allowed us to solve a majority of real world problems. The discovery of linear and nonlinear programming in the 1940s allowed us to optimize problems that were unsolvable before. This paper introduces how …

Dreaming Of Nuclear Futures: History, Toxicity, Panic, And Motherhood In Contemporary Pro-Nuclear Advocacy, Mikel Rand Inchausti

Senior Projects Spring 2023

What is the future of nuclear energy? What futures do we imagine in living alongside nuclear energy and nuclear waste? Who is advocating for those worlds? Read to find out. Enjoy!

The Sanctions Weapon: The Dual-Sided Policy Shaping The Russo-Ukrainian War, Murphy J. Foss

Senior Projects Spring 2023

The Russian full-scale conventional invasion of Ukraine has prompted dramatic economic action on behalf of the United States, which seeks to preserve its own interests and defend the sovereignty of Ukraine. This economic action has come in the form of sanctions. This paper identifies two major categories of sanctions, positive and negative, which work through different mechanisms in order to help achieve American interests. Negative sanctions are coercive and seek to modify the behavior of the target country (Russia) through punishment by inflicting costs for undesired action. Positive sanctions are a form of payment and can be used by the …

Surveillance And Tyranny: The Dismantling Of The Private And Public Spheres Of American Democracy Through The Use Of Surveillance By Tyrannical Forces, Riley Julianna Truchel

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Gender, Emilia Vella

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Women in sport is a territory that is seldom included in politics, yet “woman,” as an identity, is one that comes with political meaning. This thesis will be discussing the inadvertent politicality of women in sport, and the legislation, as well as systems that declare the identity as so.

What It Takes To Be The Best: The Competitive Balance In Formula 1 Racing, Dylan Jung

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Competitive balance is an essential aspect of sports that ensures every team or player has a fair chance of winning, which creates a level playing field. It refers to the degree of parity between teams or players in a particular sport, and it is a critical factor that contributes to the overall excitement and engagement of fans. A lack of competitive balance can lead to decrease fan engagement and interest, which can ultimately impact the financial viability of the sport. The results of this study have provided valuable insights into the concept of competitive balance in Formula One. Maintaining competitive …

Nothing Happens Here, Kai Diego Parcher-Charles

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

Seeking Sexual Order: Moral Panic And The Politics Of Prostitution During The Progressive Era, Kennadi Yates

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Novo: New Wave On A Broken Foundation, Sam Lazarus Shear

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Corporate Lobbying: A Corporate Perspective To Lobbying And The Ecosystem Behind It, Noah R. Gulla

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Mythologies In Plastic, Concrete, And Wood: A Material Practice Of Non-Duality, Julia Kane

Senior Projects Spring 2023

This work applies Roland Barthes semiotic theory and the general framework of material semiotics to plastic, concrete and wood in order to draw out various worldview's and mythologies articulated through their varying manifestations.

A Multivariate K-Means Cluster Analysis Of Historical Pharmaceutical Research And Development Expenditure Efficiency’S Relationship To Forward Earnings And Sales Multiples, Nicholas Leonard Anduze

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Building Economic Resilience: A Comparative Study Of Ethnic Financing Institutions In Jewish, Japanese, And Korean American Communities, Kevin Lee

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Foreign Policy Of Restitution: How Antiquities Repatriations Could Help The United States Thwart Chinese Influence In Cambodia, Cameron Cheam Shapiro

Senior Projects Spring 2023

This paper seeks to explore the extent to which US-Cambodia antiquities repatriations could be used to help thwart Chinese influence in Cambodia. Cultural objects, stone and bronze sculptures of gods and ancestors created throughout Ancient Cambodia, hold significant meaning for local ritualistic practices and worship. After the arrival of the French in the 19th century, these materials were extracted from temples and sold on the international art market to prominent museums and collectors. The looting of antiquities has survived to this day, but with the help of US-Cambodian cooperation, many of these extracted materials are on their way home. The …

Racing To Math: Racial Identity, Math Anxiety, And Achievement Motivation Amongst College Students, Amanda A. Derrell

Senior Projects Spring 2023

A person’s racial identity can inform their choices in life as well as their perceptions. Existing literature typically investigates how racial identity is involved in the development of one’s overall self-growth throughout their childhood and adolescence and how it influences their adulthood. The aim of this present study was to see if racial identity is associated with the feelings college students hold towards math, specifically math anxiety, as well as achievement motivation. The study also explored the relationship between math anxiety and achievement motivation. The sample was made up of college students in their first year, ages 18-19 (N = …

Can I Have It All?: Does Attachment Style Dictate Relationship Security?, Jessalyn Henriquez Polanco

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Studies have shown that individuals with insecure attachment styles are less likely to feel satisfied or secure in their relationships. Research has shown that security priming can be used to increase one’s attachment security towards relationships. In the present study 40 students (ages 18-23) from Bard College were recruited in order to investigate whether a short-term priming intervention can make people feel more securely attached in their relationships. Participants first completed the ECR-RS questionnaire in order to get their attachment style. Then, participants completed the first half (Time 1) of the ECR-R questionnaire in order to determine how secure they …

From Economic Miracle To Developmental Basket Case: The Political Economy Of Puerto Rico’S Operation Bootstrap, Kevyn J. Piña

Senior Projects Spring 2023

This study investigates why Operation Bootstrap, which once brought industrialization to Puerto Rico and was deemed successful, did not become a sustainable social and economic strategy. The study delves into how Puerto Rico's colonial position affected this shift from success to failure. Although Operation Bootstrap initially prospered due to American funding and technological advancements, Puerto Rico's colonial status ultimately impeded progress. A review of Puerto Rico's history with the United States, including issues of debt and economic development, reveals that the island's colonial past has made it challenging to address concerns related to economic advancement. This essay explores the relationship …

Men's Rights Online And The Parasocial Relationship, Margaret B. Dembergh

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.

Afterlives Of The United States’ Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Maryam Shanori

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Abstract

The present research investigated the effects of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 that led to a massive evacuation of thousands from the country and how Afghan Bard College students perceived these events. To gain insight into these questions, I interviewed eight Bard College Afghan students on what they think of the past twenty years of war, the US invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban and their relationship with al-Qaeda as well as the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the current and future situation in Afghanistan. …

Acceptable Title Pending: Probing The Limits Of Precision Measurement And Academic Assessment, Bobby King

Senior Projects Spring 2023

This is a project in two parts. The first is an attempt to impart onto the reader the necessary mental models required to understand a scientific experiment related to the improvement of gravitational wave detectors. Part one is illustrated in collaboration with Simone River Wilding, Sohpie Foley, Roma Taitwood, and Cam Goldberg.

Part two is a technical description of efforts made to reduce speckle in measurements of scattered light. Gravitational wave detection requires extremely high precision measurement, and one source of noise in the detectors is scattering off of defects and surface roughness in optical coatings. Research into the development …

"Can I Trust You?" Observing Human Intervention At The Border, Julia Grace Marmor

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Current border policies and interventions operate from a stance of efficiency over the value of human life and dignity. This project presents ethnographic data of a trip to work along the US-Mexico border in a humanitarian organization as means of identifying moments in everyday interactions and policies that highlight larger, structural values of authorities in receiving migrants to the United States. Through analysis of observations in this landscape, the significance of humanity and small-scale disruptions employed by nonprofit groups in the area serve to open up moments that are often overlooked in the study of border politics and humanitarian work.

Pre-Existing Illness Discrimination In Healthcare: How Barriers To Specialty Medication Effect Public Health Costs And Access, Charles M. Coryell

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Abstract: Rising costs in specialty meds are at the center of the problems in healthcare. Pharmaceutical companies have grown to have nearly unchecked pricing power with specialty medications. Insurance companies have responded to rising prices in specialty medications by making these medications difficult to access for patients who need them. Policies to address the problems in healthcare have failed because they do not recognize the impact that the specialty medicine market has on the overarching story. Healthcare policy will be effective if it directly addresses specialty med costs and accessibility. This paper proposes an expansion of Medicare part D to …

Mapping Rhode Island Cemeteries In Flood Risk Zones, Benedict (Ashe) Taylor Hutchinson

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Creating And Maintaining A Web-Based Platform For The Bard College Archaeological Forest Site, Rose Battista

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.

Main project is the website: bardforestsite.com

In The Drylands: Making A Living In Northern Kenya, Maximilien Guy Mcgrath

Senior Projects Fall 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Faith Over Fear: A Hurricane Katrina Story: 18 Years Later, Gabriele Katherine Woods

Senior Projects Fall 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

When Minsky And Godley Met The Dependentistas: The Currency Hierarchy In A Stock-Flow Consistent Model, Nitin Nair Ms

Theses - Graduate Programs in Economic Theory and Policy

Underdevelopment often is conceived as being reproduced domestically. This thesis emphasizes the international forces that enable the persistence of underdevelopment. The first part of this thesis lays out a liquidity approach to underdevelopment which suggests that failure to create capacity arises from the asymmetries of international financial relationships. The second part of this thesis investigates a specific financial asymmetry, the currency hierarchy. We point out that the uncovered interest rate parity and the divergence from it are necessary conditions for the emergence of the currency hierarchy. Using ratios from the balance sheet of the currency issuer, we propose a quantification …