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Expression in Spinoza’s Metaphysics of Attributes
Get PDFSpinoza is famous for his insistence on the fundamental unity of all things, but he never explains how diverse metaphysical elements can join up to form a unified substance. I argue that this gap in his argument is not an obstacle for Spinoza\u27s systematic metaphysics: although he does not justify the unity-variety relation in strictly rationalist terms, his system is founded on a basic posit that guarantees their union. I describe this central posit, the concept of “expression,” through a detailed reading of Spinoza’s pivotal argument for the diversity of attributes in Ethics 1P10S. I propose that Spinoza’s theory of expression, and not his rationalism, is the explanatory engine of his monist project, a fact we overlook when focusing narrowly on the unity-variety tension
“From Craft to Collection: A Conservation Case Study on a Prisoner of War Napoleonic Bone Model Guillotine”
Get PDFFor my thesis, I have the ambition of creating a sort of guide on the treatment and analysis of this model guillotine, first by filling in some historical background about the object, informed by prisoner accounts and scholarship around similar Napoleonic bone models. As well as the materiality of the object, which will be discovered through instrumental analysis using a Microfadeometer to test for light sensitivity of the bone itself and the colored pigments present and a Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy to attempt to test for the classification of said pigments. These methods will not only inform the direct atmosphere both physically and politically in which the object was made but also test for avenues of present and future treatment.
The overarching goal of this paper is to provide historical context and fill a gap in conservation, as many of these objects and those of a similar materiality have survived to this day but are housed in private collections or auction houses. Those of which generally do not have the knowledge needed to provide long-term care to the models. By compiling in one place the information that would be needed in order to understand the best methods for the models’ treatment, I hope this paper will aid said object proprietors in ensuring their longevity
An Exploratory Approach for Teaching Systems of Linear ODEs with Real Repeated Eigenvalues
No full textIn this paper, we present a project that aims to pique students\u27 interest and facilitate their engagement in learning. Students will be encouraged to take an active role in their learning of systems of linear ODEs with real repeated Eigenvalues. Through discussion and completion of a set of guided questions given in the project, students will gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Also, students will use the technology tool Bluffton App to draw solution trajectories in a phase plane, and then learn necessary skills for explaining the movements of the trajectories and their long term behaviors. This project may also be used as a bridge to connect with several previously taught topics in the course. The same approach may be adopted by instructors to teach other related topics
Relational Pathways to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Identity and Belonging
No full textThis dissertation explores the relational pathways influencing STEM identity and belonging for historically marginalized groups (HMGs) and women in STEM. This dissertation integrates Relational Theory, Self-Construal Theory, and Universal Human to extend conceptualizations and operationalizations of communal goals within STEM fields, each contributing a unique perspective. Through two studies using narrative manipulations that distinguish communal goals as either helping-focused or growth-in-connection-focused, this dissertation examines their effects on STEM identity, sense of belonging, and goal mismatch perceptions. The pilot study (Study 1) aimed to develop a more comprehensive measure of communal goals, to validate the narrative manipulations, and to test whether growth-in-connection narratives more effectively enhanced perceptions of communal goal affordances in STEM than those emphasizing helping. Using data from Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the Goal Endorsement Scale, revealed a three-factor structure encompassing communal goals, personal agentic goals, and professional agentic goals, informing the refinement of the measure for Study 2. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided partial validation of the structure, though model fit remained suboptimal, highlighting the complexity of agentic and communal goals. Study 2 tested whether growth-in-connection narratives improved STEM identity and belonging more than other narrative types. Results revealed no significant differences in STEM identity, sense of belonging, or communal goal mismatch across conditions. However, Hispanic gender minorities reported significantly lower sense of belonging than Hispanic men, suggesting that agentic framings negatively impact these individuals. Qualitative analyses emphasized how growth-in-connection narratives fostered collaboration and connection, while helping narratives emphasized external impact and agentic narratives focused primarily on technical problem-solving. These findings suggest growth-in-connection narratives may benefit specific groups like Hispanic gender minorities, even if they do not significantly enhance STEM identity or belonging at the group level. Communal narratives benefitted these underrepresented groups without negatively impacting majority groups. This research contributes to efforts to broaden the definition of success in STEM, highlighting how communal aspects of STEM work may be effective in promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM environments
The Model Minority Stereotype\u27s Impact on Korean American High School Students\u27 Educational Outcomes
No full textThe Model Minority Stereotype (MMS) continues to shape the educational experiences of Korean American students, reinforcing high academic expectations while marginalizing their unique challenges. This dissertation examines how MMS perceptions influence academic self-concept and social-emotional well-being among Korean American high school students and recent graduates in Los Angeles County. It further explores how socio-economic status (SES) and generational status moderate these effects. Grounded in the Triangul-Asian Model, which synthesizes Racial Triangulation Theory (Kim, 1999) and Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit) (Museus & Iftikar, 2013), this study investigates how Korean American students are simultaneously valorized for academic success and marginalized as perpetual foreigners. This study used a structured online survey to collect responses from 65 Korean American high school juniors and seniors as well as recent graduates reflecting on their high school experiences. Participants completed a survey measuring MMS perceptions, academic performance (GPA, standardized test scores), social-emotional well-being, and SES indicators. Factor analysis revealed two uncorrelated dimensions within the MMS scale. A refined MMS variable was constructed by averaging only the three items related to academic stereotype expectations, which were used in all subsequent analyses. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, multiple regression, and factor analysis to assess the following research questions: 1) How do perceptions of the Model Minority Stereotype affect the academic performance of Korean American high school students? 2) How does the internalization of the Model Minority Stereotype impact the academic self-concept of these students? 3) How does socio-economic status influence the perceptions and impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype among Korean American high school students? 4) Are there differences in the perception and impact of MMS among high and low-achieving Korean American students? The results indicate that higher MMS perceptions correlate with increased academic pressure and anxiety, particularly among first-generation students and those from lower-SES backgrounds who report fewer academic resources. Conversely, students from higher-SES families demonstrate a weaker correlation between MMS perceptions and stress, suggesting financial stability may buffer some negative effects. Findings also reveal lower GPA averages among third-generation Korean Americans compared to first- and second- generation peers, challenging assumptions of continuous intergenerational academic success. This study contributes to a critical re-evaluation of MMS and its differentiated effects on Korean American students. The Triangul-Asian Model offered a useful lens for interpreting these patterns, revealing how cultural values, structural inequality, and racial expectations converge to shape Korean American students’ academic and emotional experiences. The findings call for culturally responsive educational policies that recognize mental health needs, socio-economic disparities, and generational variation within the Korean American student population
Polarization Reconfigurable Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (PR-NOMA) for Next Generation Communication Systems
No full textThe non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) method for wireless communication systems has seen ever-increasing implementations for the existing wireless communication system design due to its superiority when compared to its counterpart, the traditional orthogonal multiple access (OMA). However, a novel scheme for combining antenna polarization to NOMA has not been fully explored and proposed for the current and future wireless technology. Hence, this research proposes a novel model of polarization reconfigurable NOMA (PR-NOMA). On the transmitter (Tx) antenna side, a combination of the polarization, power transmission and the transmission power allocation coefficient, α, is to be configured and adjusted to work with the combination of the received signals and the polarization at the receiver side, Rx. This novel paradigm is the motivation leading to the results reported in this research. The concepts of power allocation together with successive interference cancellation (SIC) and the polarization are proven to be a promising mechanism for improving data stream by way of antenna polarization adjustments. In this thesis, a detailed mathematical derivation and comprehensive simulation results are also provided. Both the theoretical analysis and simulation results exhibit that the proposed PR-NOMA scheme is proven to improve the performance in terms of individual and sum channel capacity
The “Unforgetting” of the Armenian Genocide: The Documentary Work of J. Michael Hagopian and the Remembering of the Armenian Genocide in the Late 20th Century
No full textThis dissertation examines the evolution of Armenian genocide memory through the documentary films of J. Michael Hagopian. In the mid-20th century, the Armenian genocide remained largely unrecognized and was systematically denied by the Turkish state. However, by the late 20th century, the genocide had become a cornerstone of Armenian-American identity and a subject of increasing scholarly and public discourse. This study explores how Hagopian’s films played a pivotal role in this transformation, documenting survivor testimonies and shaping public awareness in an era of growing historical consciousness. Rather than analyzing Hagopian’s entire body of work, this dissertation focuses on select films that exemplify his contributions to genocide remembrance and historical advocacy. These include Where Are My People? (1965), The Forgotten Genocide (1975), and key films from his Witness Trilogy , which collectively illustrate his evolving approach to visual storytelling, oral history, and the fight against genocide denial. By situating these films within the broader sociopolitical changes of the 1960s–1990s—including the rise of human rights movements, ethnic power movements, and the civil rights movement’s influence on marginalized communities—this study argues that Hagopian’s pioneering use of documentary film not only countered denial about the genocide but also contributed to the development of Armenian genocide studies as an academic field. His work paralleled and reinforced the cultural and political efforts of Armenian-Americans seeking recognition of the genocide in both the U.S. and global arenas. By tracing the intersection of historical memory, visual media, and political activism, this dissertation sheds light on how the Armenian genocide was gradually “unforgotten” in the late 20th century. It demonstrates that Hagopian’s films were more than historical records—they were acts of resistance, memory preservation, and advocacy that helped shape the trajectory of genocide recognition and remembrance
The Transformative Power of STEM: Oral History Narratives of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Pursuing STEM Degrees
No full textThis dissertation explores the transformative role of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for formerly incarcerated individuals through oral history narratives, specifically focusing on narrators within California’s statewide initiatives at California State Universities’ Project Rebound, the University of California’s Underground Scholars, and California Community Colleges’ Rising Scholars programs. The United States\u27 disproportionate incarceration rate, coupled with stark racial and gender disparities, underscores the need for educational pathways that facilitate successful reintegration into society. This research aims to document and analyze the experiences of individuals who navigate the complex landscape of higher education in STEM fields post-incarceration. By highlighting the narratives of formerly incarcerated individuals, the study seeks to challenge deficit perspectives, which are views that attribute the lack of educational success to individual shortcomings rather than systemic factors and contribute to a deeper understanding of education\u27s role in fostering resilience, empowerment, and systemic change
Three Essays on Consumption and Information
Get PDFThis dissertation uses theoretical, empirical, and experimental methods to investigate how environmental constraints and psychological mechanisms shape individual consumption and information preference. Chapter 1 explores the impact of COVID-19 lockdown policies on alcohol and tobacco use in the United States. Using data from the 2020 wave of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and exploiting the exogenous variation in initial lockdown orders across states, we estimate the impact of stay-at-home orders on drinking and smoking behaviors for adults in the United States. Combining the propensity score matching method with the difference-in-differences identification strategy, we find that, at least in the short term, lockdown measures increase average number of drinks consumed per day and average number of cigarettes smoked per day by regular smokers. Probing for a potential mechanism through which lockdown orders affect the mentioned consumption behaviors, we show evidence that mentally unhealthy days increase due to the implementation of the lockdown policy. Our findings provide additional evidence that people increase the consumption of alcohol or other psychoactive substances in response to natural or social disruptions. Chapter 2 examines the interaction between information preference and physical consumption, with attention as the mediator. Attention is a limited resource that can be used to enhance the experience of physical consumption and as a necessary input for processing information. This implies that consuming in the present creates an opportunity cost to processing information about the future, and vice versa. We test this in four controlled experiments. We find that increasing consumption in the present decreases demand for information about the future and increases demand for future risk-mitigation. Chapter 3 investigates how meat consumption affects information choice about animal welfare. We run a laboratory experiment to test whether near contemporaneous meat consumption can affect behavior directly through information choice about animal welfare, contributions to an animal charity, and a proxy measure for political behavior. We also test for the indirect effects of meat consumption on our charity outcome and political outcome by way of its effect on information preferences. Though we find that meat consumption changes attitudes towards animals, and information changes charitable contributions, we find that meat consumption does not affect our behavior outcomes. The null result casts doubt on the extent to which shifts in attitudes translate to shifts in behavior. An online hypothetical experiment finds that information preferences are consistent with expected-utility theory, and we again find no evidence of motivated thinking on behavior