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From snow white to brave: the evolution of the Disney princess
Title
From snow white to brave: the evolution of the Disney princess.
Creator
Guizerix, Jaquelyn, Strain, Christopher B., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
This paper traces the evolution of the Disney Princess and critically evaluates the role of the Disney Princess icon in American history using a feminist perspective. The term Disney Princess refers to Disney’s ten animated female heroines who were either born royal or marry princes before the end of the film; collectively these princesses became iconic through the creation of the enormous Disney Princess marketing franchise in 2001. Since Snow White in 1937 and culminating with the 2012 film...
Show moreThis paper traces the evolution of the Disney Princess and critically evaluates the role of the Disney Princess icon in American history using a feminist perspective. The term Disney Princess refers to Disney’s ten animated female heroines who were either born royal or marry princes before the end of the film; collectively these princesses became iconic through the creation of the enormous Disney Princess marketing franchise in 2001. Since Snow White in 1937 and culminating with the 2012 film Brave, the Disney Princesses have undergone subtle developments in appearance, attitude, relationships, and cultural heritage that have expanded the function of the Disney Princess as a contemporary role model. By organizing Disney Princess films into three classifications based on time period of film production, this paper evaluates the historical successes and shortcomings of the Disney Princess.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003514
Format
Document (PDF)
The Richard Aoki case: was the man who armed the Black Panther party an FBI informant?
Title
The Richard Aoki case: was the man who armed the Black Panther party an FBI informant?.
Creator
Harrison, Natalie, Strain, Christopher B., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
On August 20th 2012, Seth Rosenfeld, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, released an article stating that Richard Aoki, an activist in the Bay Area during the 1960s and 70s, had been an FBI informant. Immediately following the allegations, numerous Aoki supporters rose to his defense and accused Rosenfeld of snitch-jacketing –a term referring to the FBI practice of falsely labeling a prominent member of a threatening group as an informant to decrease their status and influence within...
Show moreOn August 20th 2012, Seth Rosenfeld, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, released an article stating that Richard Aoki, an activist in the Bay Area during the 1960s and 70s, had been an FBI informant. Immediately following the allegations, numerous Aoki supporters rose to his defense and accused Rosenfeld of snitch-jacketing –a term referring to the FBI practice of falsely labeling a prominent member of a threatening group as an informant to decrease their status and influence within the organization. This thesis is a historiographical examination of the FBI, COINTELPRO, snitch culture, Richard Aoki and those who accused/defended him.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003515
Format
Document (PDF)
Rediscovering the American Dream: Defining the Complex Creed in the Inaugural Addresses of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama
Title
Rediscovering the American Dream: Defining the Complex Creed in the Inaugural Addresses of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.
Creator
Scerbo, Vincent J., Strain, Christopher B., Hess, John J., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
In each of the four inaugural addresses delivered by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the presidents referenced the American Dream, a concept that has grown to represent a shared set of values in American society. After explaining the origins of the American Dream and the ways in which certain values associated with the term have been emphasized or neglected over time, this analysis illustrates how each president invokes the term in those inaugural addresses, allowing the reader to understand...
Show moreIn each of the four inaugural addresses delivered by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the presidents referenced the American Dream, a concept that has grown to represent a shared set of values in American society. After explaining the origins of the American Dream and the ways in which certain values associated with the term have been emphasized or neglected over time, this analysis illustrates how each president invokes the term in those inaugural addresses, allowing the reader to understand the extent to which both presidents define the Dream on a spectrum ranging from meritocratic individualism to society-building communitarianism that all Americans can recognize and apply to their everyday lives. The entanglement of these values suggests the importance of maintaining balance between individual initiative and a community commitment to the preservation of the equality of opportunities inherent in “our nation’s promise.”
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Date Issued
2014
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003627
Format
Document (PDF)
Out of shadows and into the spotlight: undocumented students in pursuit of higher education and the case of freedom university Georgia
Title
Out of shadows and into the spotlight: undocumented students in pursuit of higher education and the case of freedom university Georgia.
Creator
Smith, Emily, Steigenga, Timothy J., Strain, Christopher B., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
Although thousands of undocumented immigrant students graduate from U.S. high schools each year, only a small percentage of those students opt to enroll in higher education facilities following their graduation. While scholars have discussed the impacts of state and federal legislation that limit the financial aid benefits undocumented students have access to, little has been written about the impacts of tangible enrollment bans.
Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003535
Format
Document (PDF)
"Death is nothing in comparison to dishonor": Sarah Morgan’s diary and women’s roles in southern honor
Title
"Death is nothing in comparison to dishonor": Sarah Morgan’s diary and women’s roles in southern honor.
Creator
Radaker, Brooke, Strain, Christopher B., Harriet L.Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
In their studies of the code of honor in the Old South, historians such as Bertram Wyatt-Brown and Edward L. Ayers consider women incapable of possessing honor. However, the diary of Sarah Morgan, a young woman living in Baton Rouge and New Orleans during the Civil War, reveals the many ways that women actively engaged in the code of honor and even considered themselves to be honorable. In her diary, Sarah Morgan described her own reverence for any honorable gentleman and the ways in which...
Show moreIn their studies of the code of honor in the Old South, historians such as Bertram Wyatt-Brown and Edward L. Ayers consider women incapable of possessing honor. However, the diary of Sarah Morgan, a young woman living in Baton Rouge and New Orleans during the Civil War, reveals the many ways that women actively engaged in the code of honor and even considered themselves to be honorable. In her diary, Sarah Morgan described her own reverence for any honorable gentleman and the ways in which women like her preached the ideologies of the code of honor to men. Women reinforced the code of honor by urging men to die rather than dishonor their family names, punished dishonorable men with their disdain while they celebrated their honorable heroes, and even adopted a feminized version of the code so that they too could possess honor.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003531
Format
Document (PDF)
Lysander Spooner, Lifestyle Anarchism, and Jury Nullification
Title
Lysander Spooner, Lifestyle Anarchism, and Jury Nullification.
Creator
Skrod, Ed, White, Daniel, Christopher Strain, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
Individual anarchism, a social movement of the early nineteenth century, was founded on the principles of self-sovereignty and individualism. One such anarchist, Lysander Spooner, argues in “Vices are not Crimes” that vices should not be criminalized by the State. To do so, “deprive*s+ every man of his… liberty to pursue his own happiness.”1 I argue that Spooner’s essay lays the foundation for “lifestyle anarchism,” the doctrine that all the affairs of human beings within the domain of their...
Show moreIndividual anarchism, a social movement of the early nineteenth century, was founded on the principles of self-sovereignty and individualism. One such anarchist, Lysander Spooner, argues in “Vices are not Crimes” that vices should not be criminalized by the State. To do so, “deprive*s+ every man of his… liberty to pursue his own happiness.”1 I argue that Spooner’s essay lays the foundation for “lifestyle anarchism,” the doctrine that all the affairs of human beings within the domain of their lifestyle choices (provided they do not harm the person or property of another), should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations. One method of resistance against the criminalization of lifestyle choices is jury nullification: the ability of the jury to return a verdict of “not guilty” despite evidence of guilt. Spooner, in An Essay on the Trial by Jury, argues that nullification can be used to resist oppressive laws. I contend that lifestyle anarchists should support efforts by organizations such as the Fully Informed Jury Association to educate the public of their ability to practice jury nullification.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003606
Format
Document (PDF)
Crossing the border: state forays into immigration reform
Title
Crossing the border: state forays into immigration reform.
Creator
Bruton, Robert, Strain, Christopher, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
Today’s local and state governments face a diverse array of challenges when meeting the needs of their communities. Issues surrounding immigration reform and control in these communities have become politically sensitive as states attempt to pass their own reform bills. As states such as Arizona and Utah pass their own forms of immigration legislation the federal government and others believe that immigration legislation is solely a federal power. However, given that the federal government...
Show moreToday’s local and state governments face a diverse array of challenges when meeting the needs of their communities. Issues surrounding immigration reform and control in these communities have become politically sensitive as states attempt to pass their own reform bills. As states such as Arizona and Utah pass their own forms of immigration legislation the federal government and others believe that immigration legislation is solely a federal power. However, given that the federal government has failed to uphold and enforce its own immigration legislation the states should be allowed to create their own solutions to solve their specific problems. States and local communities retain a significant portion of the costs immigrants cause and should endeavor to create legislation to solve those problems in a constitutionally acceptable manner.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003564
Format
Document (PDF)
VENUS IN AUGUSTAN ROME
Title
VENUS IN AUGUSTAN ROME.
Creator
Carney, John, Strain, Christopher, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
This thesis examines the development of a goddess in the ancient Mediterranean. Popularly worshipped since at least the Paleolithic era, this goddess served as the cultural forbear of various goddesses throughout the region. The dominant religious culture of both the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras was emphatically matriarchal and contemporaneous societies mirrored this religious attitude with matrilineal customs. Over the course of many millennia, the goddess' identity and roles developed in...
Show moreThis thesis examines the development of a goddess in the ancient Mediterranean. Popularly worshipped since at least the Paleolithic era, this goddess served as the cultural forbear of various goddesses throughout the region. The dominant religious culture of both the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras was emphatically matriarchal and contemporaneous societies mirrored this religious attitude with matrilineal customs. Over the course of many millennia, the goddess' identity and roles developed in different ways across the Mediterranean region. When Augustus came to power in Rome in the first century B.C.E., he adopted the tradition of his family and professed descent from Venus to lend divine credence to his claim to power. With the help of the poet Vergil, Augustus manipulated the character of Venus to embody and reinforce female roles desired in his burgeoning empire.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013639
Format
Document (PDF)
Understanding America’s Modern Political Polarization Through Media History
Title
Understanding America’s Modern Political Polarization Through Media History.
Creator
Sauro, Frank, Strain, Christopher B., Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
Political polarization in the United States has rapidly developed into a key source of division within the country’s electorate. Though the clashing of contentious political ideologies has historically served as the catalyst for beneficial political, social, and economic change in America, modern political discourse is threatening to propel the country towards regression. Academics, politicians, and commentators have accused the media of perpetuating division through incendiary rhetoric and...
Show morePolitical polarization in the United States has rapidly developed into a key source of division within the country’s electorate. Though the clashing of contentious political ideologies has historically served as the catalyst for beneficial political, social, and economic change in America, modern political discourse is threatening to propel the country towards regression. Academics, politicians, and commentators have accused the media of perpetuating division through incendiary rhetoric and biased reporting. This project seeks to evaluate the validity of such accusations through the analysis of America’s media history and its impact on the country’s electorate. Following an overview of media’s developmental timeline, the work leans heavily on the research of Markus Prior, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. His findings provide crucial insight into the links between voter behavior and media broadcasting with the intention of understanding the rise of political polarization in America.
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Date Issued
2020
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013666
Format
Document (PDF)
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS OF 1692: BEWITCHMENT AND BELIEF IN 17TH-CENTURY NEW ENGLAND
Title
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS OF 1692: BEWITCHMENT AND BELIEF IN 17TH-CENTURY NEW ENGLAND.
Creator
Owen, Kyle, Strain, Christopher, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description
The Salem Witch Trials have perplexed historians for years. The true causes of these events remain uncertain. Causal theories have developed; around religious and occultist beliefs, ergotism, the Indian Wars, and village factionalism. This thesis explores each theory and concludes that religious and occultist beliefs were the main cause behind the hysteria that led to the bloodshed of the trials. Puritan theology involved belief in a literal Devil, which led to other occultist beliefs related...
Show moreThe Salem Witch Trials have perplexed historians for years. The true causes of these events remain uncertain. Causal theories have developed; around religious and occultist beliefs, ergotism, the Indian Wars, and village factionalism. This thesis explores each theory and concludes that religious and occultist beliefs were the main cause behind the hysteria that led to the bloodshed of the trials. Puritan theology involved belief in a literal Devil, which led to other occultist beliefs related to witches and witchcraft. Therefore, witchcraft and witch lore are a part of these occultist beliefs which were alive and well in Salem in 1692.
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Date Issued
2020
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00003719
Format
Document (PDF)
THE INFLUENCE OF ATHLETE PROTESTS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
Title
THE INFLUENCE OF ATHLETE PROTESTS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.
Creator
Sturgis, Corey, Strain, Christopher, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
On September 1st, 2016, 49ers star Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick made the decision to kneel during the national anthem. His actions immediately sparked political polarization as many NFL executives, along with US President Donald Trump, viewed his demonstration as a complete betrayal to his country, while others felt that his actions were strongly needed to help bring national attention to continued racial injustices in America. Many people were appalled by his actions and believe it was a...
Show moreOn September 1st, 2016, 49ers star Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick made the decision to kneel during the national anthem. His actions immediately sparked political polarization as many NFL executives, along with US President Donald Trump, viewed his demonstration as a complete betrayal to his country, while others felt that his actions were strongly needed to help bring national attention to continued racial injustices in America. Many people were appalled by his actions and believe it was a new response intended to promote the Black Lives Matter Movement, failing to realize the historical significance of how athletes and activism intersect. This thesis will examine the historical impact of non-violent American athletic protests beginning with the rise of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American to play in the Major League of Baseball, to Billie Jean King, America’s former number one tennis player demanding equal prize money in men's and women's matches. Since 1940, athletes have utilized their celebrity status to bring awareness and initiate reform for the women’s rights and Civil Rights Movements.
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Date Issued
2022
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00222
Format
Document (PDF)
“See You in Yasukuni”: Western Perceptions of the Imperial Japanese Before and During the War in the Pacific
Title
“See You in Yasukuni”: Western Perceptions of the Imperial Japanese Before and During the War in the Pacific.
Creator
Naccarato, Joshua, Strain, Christopher, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description
Japan’s history is one of extremes. From an island’s seclusion, Japan rose to become the “golden child” of Asia upon her lifting of her isolationist policies at the start of the Meiji period to falling into international ill-renown at start of her aggressions in Manchuria around 1931. One factor that has stayed constant is that the outside world has told of life on her shores, first through traders and shipwrecked sailors, then through the more reliable “globetrotters,” scholars, and...
Show moreJapan’s history is one of extremes. From an island’s seclusion, Japan rose to become the “golden child” of Asia upon her lifting of her isolationist policies at the start of the Meiji period to falling into international ill-renown at start of her aggressions in Manchuria around 1931. One factor that has stayed constant is that the outside world has told of life on her shores, first through traders and shipwrecked sailors, then through the more reliable “globetrotters,” scholars, and professional advisors. This thesis uses a wide selection of voices from the more and less reputable to examine what the outside world thought of Japan and will argue that her rise and fall are both due to contact with the outside, with the fall especially being due to Japan’s brutal militarism and wide-reaching imperialism.
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Date Issued
2021
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00181
Format
Document (PDF)