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Farming as Life: Reframing Smallholder Farming as a Site of Self-Sufficiency and Cultural Heritage in Botswana
Get PDFDominant neoliberal frameworks often frame smallholder farming through a deficiency lens, reducing it to metrics of productivity, efficiency, and profitability. These perspectives overlook the deeper material, cultural, and social significance that farming holds in the lives of smallholder farmers. In Botswana—where approximately 70% of the rural population engages in smallholder farming—farming remains a vital part of everyday life, yet few studies adopt a culturalist or holistic lens to examine its meaning. To center smallholder farmers’ lived experiences and perspectives, this study is based on semi-structured interviews with ten smallholder farmers in southeast Botswana. Grounded in a culturalist framework and critical agrarian studies, this research finds that smallholder farming is practiced as a “way of life”: (1) as a form of self-sufficiency that provides a source of livelihood and sustenance, and (2) as a cultural practice rooted in familial heritage and community networks. By highlighting the material, cultural, and social value of smallholder farming through an assets-based lens, this study challenges reductive paradigms and advocates for greater recognition of community knowledge in scholarly and development discourse
Trouvailles, Funnels, and Chance Occurrences in A Chance of Worms
No full textThis paper accompanies a short film demonstrating the role of chance and randomness in media consumption. From the rejuvenating qualities of unpredictability, to the transformative process of meaning-making that occurs in collaboration with randomized media, there are many beneficial aspects to the chance occurrence for the artistic mind that I explore in my film, A Chance of Worms. The format of my video piece draws heavily on the chance experiments of Surrealists like Duchamp in combination with the use of televisual signals and receptors as the mediums of chance as utilized by video artist Nam June Paik. The theoretical concepts I explore are derived mainly from experiences described by André Breton and the meaning-making facilitated by his found objects as well as the theories of funneled consumption developed by Gary S. Cross
THE POLITICS OF FEAR: Exploring Diversity and Representation in the Modern Horror Genre
Get PDFThis thesis explores the horror films and how they have been politicized in the context of modern day poiltics (2017-2021). Works suchs as Jordan Peele\u27s Get Out, Jayro Bustamante\u27s La Llorona, and Nia DaCosta\u27s Candyman are used as case studies that analyze how these films may have been shaped by the political happenings of their time as well as how these films are used as a medium of advocacy and for social commentary
The Evaluation and Retouching of Stainless Steel Hypodermic Needles
No full textThe stainless steel hypodermic needle is the most common tool for injection practices. This is because of its strong performance and adaptability to other models of syringes. However, the current model of the needle is being discussed due to increased safety risks involving needle stick injuries. While stainless steel was determined to remain the most efficient material for the needle, microbial corrosion can accelerate contamination of the metal. To increase safety, there needs to be a protective additive to improve its durability. This thesis analyzes the current model of hypodermic needles and attempts to remodel it through a protective Silver Phosphate Glass layer on the outside of the hypodermic needle. Using A. baumannii as a representative of hospital-based microbes, control needles and needles covered with Silver Phosphate Glass were exposed to microbes and washed with sterile water. Colony forming units (CFU’s) of A. baumannii in the wash were counted in petri dishes. The needles with the Silver Phosphate Glass layer contained less CFU’s than the control needles, suggesting that the protective layer increased the metal’s durability to microbial corrosion. This data shows that increasing the durability of stainless steel directly leads to increased sterility and higher safety regarding needle handling
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on US Campaigns and Elections
No full textThis thesis explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in US political campaigns and elections. It examines the positive impact that AI tools have on voter engagement and electoral integrity while also warning readers of AI\u27s dangers. It stresses the importance of regulations to protect democracy
Re-Imagining the Red Army Faction: An Analysis of How Neoliberal Power Reshapes Protest Narratives
No full textThis thesis project challenges the prevailing narrative surrounding the notorious West German millitant group, the Red Army Faction (RAF). The RAF is often portrayed as senselessly violent, but this thesis argues that their actions were a direct response to the repressive and violent nature of the West German state. Drawing on neoliberal critiques from Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Michael Foucault, and Louis Althusser, the thesis examines how neoliberalism creates a system of “organized abandonment” that disproportionately harms the working class while simultaneously expanding state power through surveillance and control. The thesis also explores the role of the media as an ideological state apparatus (ISA) that distorts public perception and reinforces dominant neoliberal ideology. It uses ISAs to explain how the common perception of the RAF came to be. In particular, it analyses how the Springer press obscured the RAF\u27s material critiques and sensationalized their actions. Through an analysis of several different neoliberal power mechanisms, this thesis re-imagines the RAF’s violence as a reaction to this system, as exemplified by their targeting of symbols of capitalist imperialism, like American-owned department stores and police headquarters. By re-contextualizing the RAF\u27s actions within the framework of neoliberal violence, the thesis offers a more nuanced understanding of their motivations and challenges the “common sense” interpretation that has shaped their legacy
THE WOMAN QUESTION AND STATE FEMINISM: GENDER, POWER, AND MODERNITY IN PAHLAVI IRAN
Get PDFIn 20th century Pahlavi Iran, Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah instrumentalized the ‘woman question’ — women’s political, economic, and professional roles in a changing society — to consolidate their power and promote a modern state. Reza Shah utilized top-down and coercive reforms, including veiling and education, to strengthen his power, weaken religious influence, and create a visible national identity. In contrast, his son, Mohammad Reza Shah, instrumentalized gender issues and tied women’s rights to his personal image of progressivism. Though it can be argued that all of their reforms supported gender equality, they were implemented, in fact, with the primary aim of promoting their states\u27 legitimacy. This thesis argues that while both rulers utilized the ‘woman question’ for similar goals, their motivations and methods varied and resulted in different outcomes, contributing to a larger examination of authoritarian regimes utilizing gender rights within frameworks of modernity, power, and legitimization
Beginner\u27s Luck: The Impact of Early Wins on Long-Term Gambling Patterns
Get PDFThe legalization of online sports gambling has rapidly expanded access to gambling platforms, raising concerns about its potential impacts on gambling behavior and addiction. This study investigates whether early wins in online sports gambling predict sustained gambling engagement. Using longitudinal data from 46,339 subscribers to online gambling site bwin Entertainment, we analyzed the gambling activity of new sports bettors over 18 months. Gamblers were categorized based on early outcomes (losses, break-even, small wins, and big wins), and engagement was measured by total bets placed, total gambling days, total stakes after the first three days, and frequency of play. Interaction terms are included to explore whether the effects of early outcomes differ by gender or gambling experience. Users with moderate or high positive early results exhibit significantly higher engagement across all metrics, while prior gamblers tend to engage less overall, suggesting a dampened response to early wins. We also find that males are more susceptible to early wins