The Measure: An Undergraduate Research Journal
Not a member yet
94 research outputs found
Sort by
A Sociolinguistic Approach to Pygmalion: Eliza\u27s Bidialectalism
No full textThis project focuses on Eliza Doolittle’s language in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, originally published in 1912. My objective is to describe and analyze the linguistic features of Eliza’s shift in speech from a low-prestige accent (Cockney) to the high-prestige Received Pronunciation (RP) and to discuss how and why this shift, in the context of Eliza’s sociolinguistic circumstances, distances her from both upper- and lower-class social groups. The research methods are those used in historical sociolinguistics and linguistic corpus studies. This study’s hypothesis is that Eliza is never able to fully assimilate into upper-class society because of her monetary and educational background. After undergoing phonetic lessons taught by Professor Higgins, she is also separated from the lower class she was born into. It is also hypothesized that Eliza relies on facets of the Cockney dialect when distressed, and that this blend of RP and Cockney highlights Eliza’s bidialectalism as the root of her separation from both classes within the society of the time
What is Justice?: How Justice is Derived from Cultural Values
Full text linkThis paper identifies and examines the cultural values guiding the American response to criminal wrongdoing. Guided by scholars from several academic disciplines, the first two sections of the paper identify how the many punishments levied by the criminal justice system reinforce negative outcomes for offenders and how these punishments intensify for underserved groups. The final section of the paper discusses alternative justice practices and contrasts the values reflected between a traditional response to criminal wrongdoing and a restorative response
Call for Submissions
Full text linkList of requirements to be considered for publication in the upcoming issue of the journal. 
Why do Hispanic Serving Institution Websites Need to Be Bilingual in Spanish?
Full text linkThis study aims to investigate whether universities in the Houston area identified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) provide healthpromotion and disease prevention information in Spanish. The research involved analyzing the websites of the HSIs studied and conducting interviews with one student from an HSI and one health professional who works for an HSI. Additionally, interviews revealed challenges that Hispanic students face regarding their health and possible language barriers. The study findings suggest that there is a need to provide bilingual information to students enrolled in HSIs, whose parents would also benefit from it. Further, the results of the study indicate a need for additional research within the HSIs in the Houston area, more interviews with Hispanic students and their parents, and greater involvement of Hispanic students at their universities. Finally, the study shows that HSIs in Houston need to do a better job of providing information in Spanish on their Student Health Center websites about health promotion anddisease prevention
¿Por Qué las Páginas Web de las Instituciones de Servicios para Hispanos en Houston Deberían ser Bilingües?
Full text linkEste estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar si las universidades en el área de Houston, las cuales son Instituciones de Servicios para los Hispanos (HSIs) brindan información en español sobre la promoción de la salud y la prevención de enfermedades. La investigación involucró el análisis de las páginas web de las HSIs estudiadas y realizar entrevistas con un estudiante de una HSI y un profesional de la salud, el cual trabaja para una HSI. Además, las entrevistas revelaron los desafíos que los alumnos hispanos enfrentan con respecto a su salud y las posibles barreras del idioma. Los hallazgos del estudio sugieren que existe la necesidad de proporcionar información bilingüe a los estudiantes inscritos en HSIs, cuyos padres también se beneficiarían. Asimismo, los resultados del estudio indican la necesidad de investigación adicional dentro de las HSIs en el área de Houston, más entrevistas con estudiantes hispanos y sus padres, y una mayor participación de estudiantes hispanos en sus universidades. Finalmente, el estudio muestra que las HSIs en Houston deben hacer un mejor trabajo al brindar información en español sobre la promoción de la salud y la prevención de enfermedades en los sitios web de sus Centros de Salud estudiantiles
Agriculture as Mutualism
Full text linkIn this paper I explore the ethicality of using animals for agriculture by describing the views of two ethicists, Peter Singer and Roger Scruton. Singer holds a popular view among ethicists, namely that consuming animals is almost never permissible. Conversely, Scruton argues that it is in the best interest of animals that we continue to consume them. Both Singer and Scruton use utilitarian arguments to make their case, and both ethicists suggest an interpersonal course of action: the cessation or continuation of consuming meat respectively. I argue that both of their analyses fail to provide a satisfactory answer to the issue. I contend that the moral issues raised by consuming meat in the modern world are too large and too complicated to be properly addressed by individual dietary choices. What we must do, collectively, is take control of animal agriculture away from those who practice it unethically. 
Renaissance Dress Code: Sumptuary Laws and Social Class
Full text linkRenaissance fashion came with all sorts of extravagant fabrics and accessories, but at what cost? City governments created laws that strictly regulated clothing, called sumptuary laws, to restrict specific groups of people from spending on, wearing, and owning lavish clothing. The history of sumptuary laws is sparse but evidence of it is still seen in various legal documents, paintings, and theatrical plays, which this paper will discuss. By examining its history, we can learn about the moral and religious anxieties of Renaissance societies. Furthermore, the paper will analyze the social and economic motivations of sumptuary laws while examining the effectiveness of these laws across various cities in Italy (Bologna, Florence, and Siena) and Germany (Nuremberg and Leipzig)
Mourning Mothers, Daughters, and Widows: Women\u27s Agency in Post-Civil War England
Full text linkSeventeenth-century English women faced many challenges following the English Civil Wars. The following research paper discusses women’s agency along with their legal and social status in Post-Civil War English society. Four women’s petitions from the Civil War Petitions database are used to examine the issues faced by a varied group of women after the loss of their husband or male relatives in the war. These four petitions demonstrate that all women––mothers, daughters, and wives alike––were limited by their legal and social dependence on the men in their lives. However, the petitions also reveal that, with the growth of economic opportunities and their narrations of loss, seventeenth-century women were indeed able to exercise their autonomy within the bounds of early modern English gender norms
Dan Moody vs. the Invisible Empire
Full text linkSeventeenth-century English women faced many challenges following the English Civil Wars. The following research paper discusses women’s agency along with their legal and social status in Post-Civil War English society. Four women’s petitions from the Civil War Petitions database are used to examine the issues faced by a varied group of women after the loss of their husband or male relatives in the war. These four petitions demonstrate that all women––mothers, daughters, and wives alike––were limited by their legal and social dependence on the men in their lives. However, the petitions also reveal that, with the growth of economic opportunities and their narrations of loss, seventeenth-century women were indeed able to exercise their autonomy within the bounds of early modern English gender norms
