18431 research outputs found
Sort by
Ac(e)ing It: How Asexual Theory Complicates Queer Theory
No full textIn the 2020s, asexuality has become increasingly well known, particularly within online spaces. However, while asexual scholarship has existed within academia and been steadily growing for at least the last decade, many queer and feminist spaces still lack an in-depth understanding of asexual theory, and how it can relate to many intersectional topics within feminist scholarship. This thesis aims to analyze asexual identity and the arguments asexual theorists explore, while positing that asexual theory necessarily complicates and deepens existing queer scholarship and theories. The first chapter analyzes the popular asexual community website, The Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN) and how its existence for over 20 years has shaped asexual identity. Then, the second chapter discusses the key term of amatonormativity and how it is harmful to everyone. Amatonormativity, coined by theorist Elizabeth Brake is the assumption that each of us are pursuing a romantic and sexual dyadic marriage and the understanding that this relationship is what should be prioritized above all else. Asexual theorists push back against amatonormativity and point out how this system of relationship hierarchies promotes a compulsory sexuality. Lastly, the third and final chapter looks at alternate ways to foster relationships with each other by questioning the use of romance within queer spaces, and bringing in polyamorous care ethics
Reckoning with the Cowboy: Justice, Trauma, and the Myth of Freedom in Be the Cowboy
Get PDFBe the Cowboy interrogates the romanticized myth of the cowboy as a symbol of justice and freedom through the lens of racialized and gendered trauma. Centered on two Korean American sisters, the film explores the aftermath of a sexual assault and the ensuing quest for justice, highlighting the emotional and ethical tensions between retribution and healing. Drawing from postcolonial, trauma, and feminist theory, the project critiques the cowboy archetype’s historical entwinement with white patriarchy, colonial violence, and the aestheticization of marginalized suffering. By reimagining the Western genre through a racialized and gendered perspective, Be the Cowboy challenges dominant cultural narratives and centers the complexities of survivor agency, silence, and sisterhood. Ultimately, the film offers a powerful meditation on justice, identity, and reclamation—both personal and collective—underscoring the urgent need for narratives that confront rather than reproduce systemic violence
The Adelante Academy: A Pathway to Success for FGLI Latine High School Students in Santa Ana, CA
Get PDFMy thesis project focuses on the diverse experiences of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) Latine high school students in the Adelante Academy, a rigorous university preparatory program at Fairview High School, from 2016 to 2021. Fairview High School is a public high school in Santa Ana, CA. Rather than focusing on tracking student performance and post-secondary outcomes, I center the experiences of students—their beliefs, ideologies, academic goals, and overall takeaways—of participating in the Adelante Academy. I employ a three-part macro-meso-micro framework to situate and better understand the experiences of FGLI Latine students in the Adelante Academy from 2016 to 2021. This thesis discusses the macroscopic structural factors and dominant ideologies surrounding Fairview High School (FHS) as the district’s ‘ghetto’ high school, most prevalent during the mid-2000s to early 2010s, and the implications these perceptions and ideologies had for students and teachers at Fairview High School. I observe the meso-level school policies and practices of the Adelante Academy from its creation in 2012 till the participation of my interlocutors in the academy from 2016 to 2021. I examine the hidden curriculum in the Adelante Academy’s culture by asking, What does success mean for students and teachers in the Academy, and what are the consequences of these definitions of success for FGLI Latine students? And lastly, I highlight the microscopic everyday exchanges of FGLI Latine students in the academy. Through the voices of teachers and former students, I aim to understand how the Adelante Academy puts FGLI Latine on a pathway to “success”
Bécassine et ses supérieurs : représentations des classes sociales pendant la première guerre mondiale
No full textBécassine est l’une des premières bandes dessinées français, écrite par Caumery, qui a été
publiée dans l’hebdomadaire La Semaine de Suzette pour la première fois en 1905. Elle raconte les mémoires d’un domestique provincial stéréotypé. Cependant, à la suite des changements provoqués par la Première Guerre mondiale, le personnage de Bécassine a acquis une nouvelle puissance et une nouvelle autonomie. La nature acceptante de Bécassine et sa volonté de supporter tout ce qui peut parfois sembler un peu dégradant deviennent une démonstration impressionnante de résilience dans le contexte de la guerre. Les enfants qui en étaient les destinataires se trouvaient dans la même situation que Bécassine, incapables de changer cette nouvelle réalité et contraints de s\u27en accommoder au mieux. Malgré l’adhésion rigide à des codes sociaux aristocratiques dépassés, qui est au cœur de l’humour et du caractère de Bécassine, elle se trouve plus compétente que ses « supérieurs » supposés. Bécassine ne le reconnaît jamais elle-même, ce qui permet à Caumery de critiquer discrètement les classes sociales, les intellectuels, la bureaucratie de la guerre
Live in Concert: The Social and Societal Impacts of Live Music
No full textThose who have participated in live music can attest to the unique experience it provides–even unique to listening to the same music outside of the live music event. This thesis first explores the social and societal impacts of live music from existing literature and empirical research, focusing on the impacts on individuals, communities, and broader societal structures. Then the findings of the qualitative research study consisting of 12 in-depth interviews balancing musician and audience member perspectives is discussed. This study finds that musicians have unique experiences that extend beyond or differ from the previous literature on audience and community impacts, and contributes preliminary investigations into negative impacts and accessibility which are also under-researched in the current sociological literature. This piece finds evidence to the transformative and beneficial potential of live music on individual, community, and societal levels of analysis while also recognizing barriers and emphasizing the need for policies and practices that promote live performance, accessibility, and cultural vibrancy. This thesis contributes to a sociological understanding of live music and its implications for society as well contributing impacts on musicians
On the Nature of Artworks: An Argument for Artwork Universals
Get PDFWhat kind of a thing is an artwork? Artworks are an extensive, complex category including all manner of media and content. This makes the project of determining what artworks themselves are a significant challenge. Nevertheless, there are many things we intuitively desire to say about what artworks are like and what value they offer. One underexplored theory which I will here argue successfully accommodates many of these features is that of artworks as universals.
It is not my aim in this thesis to compare this theory with other, rival theories of artworks. Rather, I will argue that the theory supports elegant responses to some problems in the ontology of art. Artwork universals, as I define them, exist outside spacetime and are more or less skeletons of conjunctive properties which all of their instances will possess. They bear some resemblance to Platonic universals, with important differences. The aim of this thesis is to convince its readers of the plausibility of viewing artworks as universals.
I begin with a summary of important desiderata for any successful theory of artworks in Part I. Part II motivates and presents my preferred theory of universals. Part III considers important objections to the artwork universals theory. In Part IV, I return to the desiderata to show that each can be met by the theory. Part V situates this theory in art historical understanding. Part VI concludes the thesis
Preserving the Stolen: Cultural Appropriation and the Case of Seattle\u27s Totem Pole
No full textThis thesis investigates the cultural appropriation and conservation of the Chief-of-All-Women totem pole, originally stolen by Seattle businessmen from the Tlingit village of Tongass in 1899 and later reinstalled in Pioneer Square as a symbol of the city. By framing the totem pole as a site of both physical and cultural displacement, I trace its journey from sacred object to public monument, and ultimately to federally funded replica. Drawing on conservation theory, oral history, archival research, and an interview with Haida artist Sondra Segundo, I argue that the pole’s removal, replication, and continued display reflect broader patterns of settler colonialism that commodify Indigenous heritage while erasing its origins. Rather than treating conservation as a neutral or technical act, I position it as an ethical and political practice that must grapple with questions of provenance, Indigenous sovereignty, and institutional accountability. Through analysis of the pole’s carving, painting, and recontextualization, I explore the tensions between preserving its physical form and honoring its cultural meaning. Ultimately, I suggest that true stewardship begins not with the act of conservation itself, but with listening: to Native communities, to the stories that have been silenced, and to the responsibilities we inherit when we choose to preserve the stolen
Portraits in the Medical Canon: Self as Specimen & The Ag(new) Clinic
No full textThis thesis explores the ongoing dehumanization underlying modern medicine, discussing how power dynamics within the doctor-patient relationship are reinforced through visual representation and addressing the broader systemic issues that contribute to U.S. healthcare. Drawing from art historical works such as Thomas Eakins’ The Agnew Clinic and Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, I examine how these paintings establish a legacy of the “medical gaze”—a way of seeing that reduces patients to bodies, symptoms, and objects of study. These artworks not only reflect clinical detachment but also present how institutional hierarchies have continued to influence medical practice both then and now.
In response, my paintings Self as Specimen and The Ag(new) Clinic reframe these traditions through a personal and contemporary lens. By using self-portraiture and mirroring the structures of historical paintings, I insert myself into both patient and physician roles, collapsing binaries of power and vulnerability. My work draws attention to the persistence of medical objectification across time and offers a visual critique of systemic inequality in healthcare, while foregrounding the lived experiences of patients
1 Hour Literacy Intervention: Using Digital Story Writing to Foster AI and LLM Literacy
No full textAI literacy is an essential skill for learners in the 21st century. In particular, literacy related to large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, given their widespread use and far-reaching social and environmental impact. To make LLM literacy engaging to non-technical audiences, methods such as digital story writing (DSW) have been explored, which draws on inquiry-based learning and participatory design principles. In this study, 27 adult learners participated in a learning intervention aimed at improving their LLM literacy. All participants took notes on two learning materials. The traditional learning group highlighted their notes and wrote a summary, while the DSW group conducted additional research and created a digital story using Adobe Express, integrating both the provided and newly gathered information. LLM literacy was assessed before and after the intervention. Recollection of the learning materials was measured immediately after the intervention and again one week later. Engagement with the study and motivation to continue learning were also assessed one week post-intervention. Findings showed that the intervention did improve participants’ LLM literacy. Both groups scored initially high on the recollection test and maintained their knowledge after one week. Both groups also expressed high motivation to continue learning. However, engagement results were mixed; some participants in the DSW group reported lower engagement due to the task’s difficulty and confusion.These results suggest that for brief, introductory lessons on LLM literacy, traditional learning methods may be more effective in meeting educational goals
From 0 to 1 Million Users in 6 Months: How I Built My Viral App
No full textThis thesis documents how I co-founded and scaled Glam Up, an AI beauty app, to over one million users (and $150K MRR) between May and November 2024 — without paid ads, funding, or a pre-existing audience. Built on live experimentation and behavioral psychology, this paper breaks down how my co-founder and I engineered virality through required referrals, TikTok-optimized content loops, and emotionally timed monetization. Drawing on user data from App Store Developer Console, PostHog and Superwall, I analyze what drove conversions, what failed, and how content became our distribution engine. I also reflect on the mindset behind building fast-moving consumer apps — staying scrappy, being aware, and knowing when it’s time to walk away. This isn’t a universal playbook, but a tactical case study of what actually worked, what didn’t, and how delusional faith, smart systems, and emotional insight helped scale one of the fastest-growing Gen Z apps of 2024. If you\u27re building in the AI consumer space, I hope this gives you something useful to learn from