Senior Independent Study Theses from 2017
Experiences and Misrepresentation of Minority Leadership in Football, Troy Brown
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Balance and Conflict: A Comparative Ethnography of the Experiences of Conflict Japanese Christians Face When Balancing Their Cultural and Religious Identities in Japan and the United States of America, Jasmine Carruth
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
What’s Race Got To Do With It: The Preparation and Perceptions of Social Workers Working with Diverse Racial Populations, Ashley N. Casey
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Beliefs, Barriers, and Bridging Gaps: Clinical Care in an Urban Puerto Rican Population, Celia S. Connolly
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A Comparative Analysis of the Māori and Shoshone Bannock People and their Utilization of Volcanic Geothermal Features, Lucy Cummins
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"Ask your Doctor": A Study of Causes and Consequences of Pill Culture in the U.S., Sydney Failing
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Food Activists or “Small Capitalists?”: The Tension between Market Forces and Social Goals at Urban Agricultural Organizations in Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI, Grace Gamble
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Mental Disorders and Illness: Ethnic Minorities' Cultural Perspectives on Professional Treatment, Drucella A. Garcia
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"Destroyer or Detroit: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Urban Revitalization and Public-Art In Detroit, Michigan Through Photographic Cartography, Aram E. Gibson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Home Is Where the School Is: An Investigation of the Experiences of Homeschooled Students Transitioning to College, Naya Simone Guthrie
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Coming Home: The Unique Experiences of Former Criminals Returning to Small Towns, Zoe Hostetler
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Masculinity and Damaged Selves: Football Players' Perspectives on Manhood, Yasmine Hunt-Strong
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Case for Home: An Analysis of a Successful Homeless Shelter in East Tennessee, Laura R. Ivy
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Hispanic/Latino Accessibility to Health Care, Arue Z. Jacobo
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A Hindu Temple in Kalamazoo: An Ethnographic Study on the Role of Temple Communities in the Preservation and Re-creation of Identity among Hindu-Americans, Brenton David Kalinowski
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"The Perfect Life is Just to Balance:" Ayurveda as a Growing Cultural, Social, and Medical Movement in the United States, Nell Krahnke
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Barriers to Going Green: Overcoming Resistance to Sustainable Interior Design, Averi Lassiter
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Multiple Intelligences and Teaching Pedagogy, Eli Looper
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Examining the Role of the Public Health Community During the Ebola and Zika Epidemic in the U.S., Samantha Lunsford
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
“Title IX … It’s All That, But It’s Not”: An Anthropological Perspective on Black Women in Sport, Dyese N. Osaze
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Rebuilding a Community: A Consideration of the Syncretic Healing Practices and the Symbols the Healers Manipulate, Emily M. Patterson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Self, Identity, and Stigma: An Examination of the Chronically Ill Athlete, Kennedy C. Payne
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"Orange Is the New Black": The Skin-Tanning Phenomenon and Its Influence on Perceptions of Race, Class, and Gender, Madeleine Polovick
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Still Saluting: An Exploration of the Identities of Veterans of the United States Military Who Pursue Protective Service Work Upon Reentry into Civilian Life, Lauren E. Pugliese
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
School Outside?: An ethnography of American forest kindergartens and nature preschools and how “nature” is used in these “classrooms”, Emily T. Reid
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Unleashing Potential: An Investigation of the Social Effects of Pediatric Autism Assistance Dogs, Julia B. Rothschild
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
99 Bottles of Wine on the Wall: How the Commodification of Terroir Impacts Small Producer Viability in a Global Economy, Christina Solazzo
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
From Life Circumstance to Cultural Competence: Understanding Barriers to Health Care Access Among Spanish-Speaking Populations in the United States, Elena M. Soyer
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Short Term Missionary Work in Haiti, Maria C. Steinert
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Perceptions of Mental Illness in Ghanaian Metropolitan Areas and the Effect of Public Education and Open Discussion., Akosua Thompson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Stigma and Construction of Childfree Identity in a Pro-natalist Society, Tiffany Trunk
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Negroid Hermaphrodite to Seated Man: An In-Depth Analysis of Modern and Ancient Ideas of Race and Ethnicity in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Emily Walker
Department: Classical Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
Celebration and Rebellion: An Anthropological Exploration of Cumbia-Punk as the New Wave of Punk Identity, Elena Williams-Moreiras
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Role of Ethnic Enclaves on the Integration Process of Modern Immigrants: Case Studies in Columbus, Ohio and France, Caitlin Ziegert McCombs
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2016
The Multifaceted Ethnic Identities of Salvadoran-Americans: The Challenges, Pride and Everything in Between, Isabel Abarca
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Gift Exchange and Reciprocation in the Context of Music Consumption, Shelby Bretschger
Department: Economics; Sociology and Anthropology
Cruising The Borderlands: Queer Latinx Creating Space in Lowrider Culture, Elisia I. Campos
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
From Fried Bologna Sandwich to Butternut Squash Prosciutto Flatbread: Examining Food Culture as a Multivocal Dominant Symbol in the Wessex, Ohio Restaurant Foodscape, Clare T. Carlson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Yo Soy Una Mujer, Yo Soy Latina, Now you see my life in the U.S.: Testimonies of Undocumented Latina Women, A Navigation of their everyday lives through a Devised Performance, Stephanie Castrejon
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Theatre and Dance
“Shikata Ga Nai:” An Analysis of the Japanese American Experience of Internment, Social Injustice, and Perseverance, Hayley J. Cooper
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Opportunity and Empowerment in Female Prison Reentry in Wooster, OH, Zoe E. Cunningham-Cook
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Gracias a La Casa Mono, progreso: A critical analysis of sustainable tourism in Nicaragua, Cullen T. Dolson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"The Word Is Hula": An Exploration of the Use of Hula in Christian Churches on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Emily Donato
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Theatre and Dance
“You Can’t Change What You Were”: Liminality and the Process of Role Exit Among Former Amish, Kathryn Foster
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Saints of the Gridiron and Pro Football Pilgrimage: An Analysis of the Role of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in American Culture, Michelle Glazer
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Effects of Skin Tone on Perceptions of Police Officers Among African Americans, Heather Ann Honn
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
My Immigrant Haitian Family: Life Stories on Acclimation in the United States., Paris Jerome
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Civic Effects of Social Capital in Alternative Food Networks: A Case Study of the Wooster Local Food Cooperative Inc. in Ohio, Natalie D. Kahn
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Strategic Essentialism and Hidden Nuance in Tibetan Refugee Culture in the United States, Ben Kingstone
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
These Are Our Mountains: Analysis of Highland Games in the Southern United States as a Performance of Scottish American Culture, Gracie Kral
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Study of Color Red in Chinese Immigrant Culture, Yibing Li
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
An Examination of Federal Agent and Attorney Perceptions, Gabriel Lopez
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Glass Ceiling in Schools: An Ethnographic Approach to Understanding the Racial and Economic Inequalities in Selected Chicago City and Suburban Schools, MacKenzie Rae Love
Department: Africana Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, Tourist: Determining How a Resident's Demographic Factors Influence Their Perception of the Community of La Parguera, Puerto Rico, Amy L. Melena
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Co-Production of Tourism Among Amish Small Business Owners: Redefining “Separation From the World”, Paris Brielle Nahas
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Meeting at the Center: The Role of Amish Birthing Centers in Mixing Modern Medicine and Religion, Leah M. Penner
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Money for Soul: The Effects of Consumer Culture in the Music Industry, Connor S. Peterson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"You Can't Spell Earth Without ART": The Artistry of Women of Color in Scholarship and Activism, Erin M. Posey
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Pigeon Lady and Public Policy: The Public Conceptions and Media Depictions of Homelessness and the Ability to Design and Deliver Social Services, Marisa A. Quiery
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A Bone to Pick: Biological Sex Determination and Gender Interpretation of Maya Burials, Krystal P. Reynolds
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Elephant in the Room, The Fetus in the Womb: Disability Rights Activists’ Perspectives on Prenatal Genetic Testing and Selective Termination of Down syndrome, Evangeline Maria Smith
Department: Religious Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
"School is not a business": Chicago Educators' Perceptions of the Neoliberal Turn in Education, Dana Stamos
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Misunderstood and Mistreated: A Case Study of Drug Court as a Functional Treatment Method for Drug Addicts, Claire E. Trescher
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Examining Conceptions of the Nation at World's Fairs and Expositions, 1958-2015, Elliott H. Valentine
Department: History; Sociology and Anthropology
America's Invisible Punishment: An Analysis of the History, Impact, and Public Perceptions of Felon Disenfranchisement, Katherine LA Wollmer
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Euskaldunak or Amerikanuak: An Introduction to the Folklore of the Boise Basques and its Contribution to the Basque-American Identity, Leah Zavaleta
Department: English; Sociology and Anthropology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2015
Do You Have the Heart For It?: An Anthropological Examination of Portrayals of Aztec Human Sacrifice in Popular Culture, Courtney F. Astrom
Department: Archaeology; Sociology and Anthropology
American Co-eds and the Great Recession: A Study of Job Opportunities for Recent College Graduates Based Upon the Decade of Graduation, Kiara A. Bermudez
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Where Should We Look? Accountability, Stakeholder Relationships, and the Role of an NGO as a Secondary Political Institution in Tanzania: A Case Study Analysis, Ellen R. Boyd
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Distributing Scarcity: Structure, Agency, And The Moral Categorization Of Food Pantry Users, Nina R. Breyer
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A Paradox of Visibility: Case study of a tent city in Wooster, Ohio, Teresa Butel
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Young Adult Substance Use Behavior, Gender, Peer Influence, and Implications for Future Prevention Programs, Georgia Callahan
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
A Neopagan Renaissance: Appropriation of Medieval Imagery and Pre-Christian Folklore in the Magazine Covers of Harvest, Jennifer C. Caventer
Department: Art and Art History; Sociology and Anthropology
Art or Artifact? African Objects in the Museum, Elizabeth Chamis
Department: Art and Art History; Sociology and Anthropology
Once Upon the Fifteenth Year: An Exploration of Identity Formation Within the Cultural Practice of Quinceañeras in Contemporary Nicaragua, Ashley Melissa Chavez-White
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
What is success?: A case study of the Barberton Community Development Corporation and the discourse on community development success, Bailey R. Connor
Department: Economics; Sociology and Anthropology
Parental Attitudes Towards Unsupervised and Unstructured Play, Georgia Corran
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
How do Correctional Programs Help Ex-Offenders Obtain Employment after going through Reentry?, Anthony T. Durkin
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Spontaneous Combustion: Examining the Spectacle of Burning Man, Celeste E. Endlich
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Let's Talk About Shame: An In-Depth Analysis of How Shame Influences the College of Wooster Student Experience, Alanna Faust
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Tuning Togetherness: Negotiating Senses of Place and Community Through Street Performance in Little Five Points, Atlanta, Matthew Adam Germaine
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Stuck In the Middle with You: Non-Western Medical Practices in Biomedical Hospital Settings, Emma Gorin
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
From Refugee Camp to College Campus: Exploring the Role of Educators on Refugee Students’ Views on Higher Education, Elizabeth V. Hart
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Educational Inequality: A Case Study of a Non-Profit’s Approach to Achieve Academic Excellence, Jenae Herrington
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The "Advocacy of Seeing": Understanding the Culture of Non-Profit Organizations and its Effect on the Organization’s Interaction with the Issue of Access to Legal Counsel for Undocumented Immigrant Children in Legal Proceedings in the United States, Holly A. Hickman
Department: Political Science; Sociology and Anthropology
Disrupting a Culture of Violence: A Comparison of Peace Education in Two Community Organizations, Sophia E. Hoover Grant
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Molding of Black Men’s Identity: Exploring Narratives on the Understanding of Institutional Influences on the Construction, Perception, and Performance of Black Masculinity, Brittany D. House
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
The Canyon as Home: Accessing food, water, education, and employment in Tijuana's former municipal landfill, Morgan E. Hughes
Department: Art and Art History; Sociology and Anthropology
Spirits, Magic, and the Clinic: Healing Practices in a Karen Village in Northwest Thailand, Kathleen Jackson
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Being Amma in America: : A Study of the Relationship Between Motherhood and Religion in Hindu Communities of the United States, Cara E. Jacob
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
You Are What You Smoke: Redefining Latino Addict Identities in Memoirs, Ian M. Kernohan
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Spanish
Parental School Choice: Public, Private, and Charter School Quality and Decision Making, Najiyah J. McKinney
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Profane or Profound?: An Examination of Satirized Religion in British and American Culture through the works of South Park and Monty Python, Susannah Montgomery
Department: Religious Studies; Sociology and Anthropology
Buzzkill: Beekeepers’ Understanding of the Environment through the lens of Colony Collapse Disorder, Margaret E. New
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Environmental Studies
Knight Life: The Construction of the Modern Knight Templar through the Symbols of the Past, Mike Ohsfeldt
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; History
"In-Situ: The Social-Spatial Symbolic Implications of Neighborhood Redevelopment in Post-Industrial Detroit", Kathryn Osbourne
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Getting What You Paid For: The Importance of Understanding Voluntourism as a Commodity and the Social Exchanges Within, Jaime R. Parfitt
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Beer, Muscles, and Show Tunes?: Gender Policing and Adherence to Hegemonic Masculinity among College-aged Men, Ashley E. Parry
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Medicine, Endangered: Conservation and Health Care in Conflict, Comparative Case Studies in Tanzania, Dominic Piacentini
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
"The Rules are the Rules:" An Examination of Interactions between Government Caseworkers and Welfare Recipients, Molly Porter
Department: Sociology and Anthropology