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This research paper focuses on understanding how separatist and fundamentalist terrorism around the world overlap, and what strategies can potentially be used to counter them. Specifically, the paper will identify how Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), the separatist organization, and the fundamentalist Iranian proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, developed over time. It reviews the intricacies of these terror organizations and the ways in which they operate. The paper develops the three organizations, how they started and took hold in their respective regions around the world, the ideologies that drive them, and where they stand today. The goal of the research is to evaluate the successes and failures of past counter-terrorism strategies both with these organizations and others, in order to be able to identify solutions and counter-terrorism initiatives to implement around the world today.
ContributorsBrashear, Jessica (Author) / Just, Thomas (Thesis director) / Ripley, Charles (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Through the course of the past year, I have joined a thesis pathway that focused on building global citizenship. A global citizen is someone who can navigate through this increasingly interconnected world with a willingness to learn about and accept different cultures while making a positive impact. In order to become a global citizen, I have expanded my knowledge of the target region, Eurasia and Eastern Europe: this was done through attending various lectures held by experts who discussed the historic, social, political, and cultural climate of the region and through additional research. Furthermore, I have decided to view the new information I learned through the lens of the King Center’s Nonviolent Philosophy. The nonviolent philosophy states that when institutions perpetuate the Triple Evils- Racism, Poverty, and Militarism- it creates a cycle that results in more violence. Therefore, the best way to address the Triple Evils is by following the method of nonviolence. In this paper I will explore how Eurasia and Eastern Europe are affected by the Triple Evils. Additionally, I will point out that the issues faced in this region are mirrored by other countries around the world. Finally, I will analyze a nonviolent solution that has been implemented to address the issue.
ContributorsHunter, Wilhemena (Author) / Jakubczak, Laura (Thesis director) / Inozemtseva, Iuliia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
This thesis explores the intersection of historical analysis and tabletop roleplaying games to test the validity of the Great Man Theory—a historical perspective that attributes significant societal change to the actions of extraordinary individuals. Drawing on works by Thomas Carlyle, Sidney Hook, Leo Tolstoy, and E.H. Carr, it examines the ongoing debate between individual agency and structural determinism in shaping history. The project utilizes a custom Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition campaign that reimagines four major Russian historical figures (Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Tsar Nicholas II, and Peter the Great) as player characters navigating a Dante’s Inferno-style fantasy world inspired by three 19th-century Russian literary works: A Meek Woman by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, and Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol. By placing these figures in fictional settings detached from their original historical contexts, the campaign isolates their core traits and explores their ability to impact narrative outcomes. The results reveal that players, even when stripped of historical constraints, retained strong character identities and influenced story lines through personal agendas and decision-making. Though not without limitations, this experiment suggests that individual agency can indeed redirect the course of events, supporting the central claim of the Great Man Theory while acknowledging the persistent influence of structural and contextual boundaries.
ContributorsPopelier, Cailet (Author) / Jakubczak, Laura (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
For my project, I engaged with the process of the Yi Jing 易經 (I Ching), by casting coins to identify hexagrams of the I Ching. I used the hexagrams to inspire creative writing of multiple short stories and organized them using the "nested story" structure, in which there are multiple short stories embedded within a larger narrative. Each short story includes four distinct components: a title, the hexagram, the Chinese language component, and the story/writing itself. Generation of these individual pieces was not always a linear process; some components of the story emerged before others, however, each story contains each of these parts. This creative work is designed to inform the reader of how the individual hexagrams may be interpreted and their connection to the story (stories) told through my writing.
ContributorsStone, Sofia (Author) / Giner, Oscar (Thesis director) / Bonini, Colin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
College students face significant challenges in maintaining healthy eating habits due to a complex web of socioeconomic, environmental, and psychological barriers. This project investigates the primary obstacles preventing college students from accessing and consuming nutritious food, including food insecurity, time constraints, lack of nutrition knowledge, limited cooking skills, and the influence of campus food environments. Through a comprehensive literature review and critical analysis of existing interventions, this research identifies both the shortcomings and successes of current approaches to improving student nutrition. Building on this foundation, the project proposes a practical, student-focused solution: a research-informed cookbook titled Fuel for Focus: A College Student’s Guide to Easy, Affordable, and Nutritious Eating. This cookbook was created using ChatGPT, and the methodology will be explained in detail. This resource is designed to meet students where they are—financially, logistically, and educationally—by offering low-cost, quick, and accessible recipes that can be made with minimal equipment. The cookbook addresses common barriers while promoting food literacy and self-efficacy, aiming to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. Ultimately, this project calls for universities to invest in student well-being by supporting initiatives that increase access to affordable, healthy food and empower students to make informed dietary choices that support their academic and personal success.
ContributorsRobert, Sheril (Author) / O'Flaherty, Katherine (Thesis director) / Graff, Sarah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2025-05
DescriptionSpaces: Exploring Phoenix communities is a magazine explore third places in the Phoenix area and how they serve and better communities and the lives individuals.
ContributorsEagerton, Audrey (Author) / Sepessey, Celeste (Thesis director) / Myers, Jordan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Given the importance of affordable housing, it is important to study the economic factors that influence it, both on a national and a local scale. In recent years, housing affordability metrics have reported worrying trends, further driving the importance of theoretical research and empirical data that supports it. This paper examined several hypotheses related to housing affordability and federal interest rates. High federal interest rates have long been deemed a cause of worsening housing affordability. Federal interest rates influence mortgage rates, which in turn influence mortgage prices. However, current theory is divided as to the aggregate impact of lowered interest rates on housing affordability. Some suggest that this is overall positive, while others point out that demand effects induced by lower mortgage prices may crowd-out struggling families and worsen affordability. This paper tests current literature regarding the aggregate impact of interest rates on housing affordability as well as exploring the possibility of varying impacts at the local level. Using econometric modeling, this analysis was not able to find any statistically significant correlation between interest rates and housing affordability outcomes at the local level, and there appeared to be no interaction between owner-occupancy rates (a local characteristic) and the effect of interest rates on a community. However, at a national scale, lower interest rates were associated with lower mortgage costs and increasing housing affordability outcomes, suggesting that recent doubts may not stand on solid footing.
ContributorsRounds, Luke (Author) / Thomson, Henry (Thesis director) / Cordova, Luis (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Drawing from phenomenological reflection, current research, and personal experience during a study abroad semester in Alicante, Spain, this thesis explores how a country's cultural values can influence quality of life by comparing collectivist and individualist societies, specifically Spain and the United States. Spain's collectivist culture, emphasizing relationships, community, and universal healthcare, contrasts with the United States' individualistic values of self-reliance, achievement, and financial success. Through a review of literature, cultural history, and interviews captured in an accompanying podcast, this research argues societies that emphasize collective values over individualist values tend to lead to a better quality of life for its members due to greater access to social support in their everyday lives, cultivating a sense of belonging and stability.
ContributorsLewis, Haley (Author) / Short, Robert (Thesis director) / Young, Alex (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Effective communication is essential in dentistry, influencing both patient
outcomes and overall access to care. However, language barriers, cultural differences,
and limited health literacy can create significant challenges for both patients and dental
professionals. This thesis explores these issues through a qualitative analysis, highlighting the importance of developing structured approaches to improve provider-patient interactions, enhancing accessibility and quality of dental care.
ContributorsMeyer, Lucy (Author) / Don, Rachael (Thesis director) / McMullen, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2025-05
DescriptionSafeBites is a gluten free, nut free and vegan bakery with the mission of providing effected students on ASU's campuses with baked goods they know that they can safely consume.
ContributorsReiser, William (Author) / Flister, Carly (Co-author) / Hoberman, Sadie (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Howell, Travis (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2025-05