Graduate Liberal Studies

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10161/9149

The capstone requirement of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program is the Master’s Project. Drawing on the skills and knowledge acquired from coursework, each student designs – in consultation with a supervising professor – an independent project that is personally and academically meaningful. The Master’s Project, which includes but is not limited to written analysis, may involve academic research, applied research or creative work. This collection was created in 2014, and capstone projects completed before that time are not hosted in DukeSpace.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 196

Open Access
Coal Mining Mothers: The Cruel Science of Reproductive Health Research in the Coalfields, 1970-1995
(2025-05-10) Post, Samantha
This thesis explores the process of producing knowledge about women’s reproductive health in the coalfields of Appalachia. In this study, I bring together the history of science, the environment, and reproduction to show how scientific knowledge about rare, contested health conditions such as pregnancy in coal miners is simultaneously essential and nearly impossible to produce. In three chapters, I trace histories of the Coal Employment Project, an organization of women coal miners, and the coal mining pregnancies they experienced at work. I draw on feminist STS methods of embodied knowledge production and environmental history methods of narrative storytelling by centering women’s stories and arguing for their potential to expand public health knowledge. Through my analysis of an uncompleted research study on pregnant coal miners, this research shows how the perceived incompatibility of qualitative information with quantitative epidemiological data prevents scientists and regulatory institutions from better understanding rare health conditions. I call this process “cruel science,” as it results in an absence of knowledge, unmet needs, and possible health consequences.
Open Access
From Punishment to Treatment: Addressing Mental Illnesses to Reduce Recidivism
(2025-04-18) Higgins, Grace
This paper explores the correlations between mental illness and recidivism. It analyzes the systemic barriers that prevent individuals with mental health issues from receiving required care within the criminal justice system. It examines the prevalence of mental illness among incarcerated populations and the inadequate correctional facilities’ ability to address needs. This paper highlights how punitive approaches to crime, lack of mental health care, and insufficient treatment plans contribute to the cycle of recidivism. This paper discusses research that underscores the importance of community-based mental health services, diversion programs, and policy reforms that emphasize treatment over incarceration. Additionally, the study evaluates successful interventions that have effectively reduced recidivism rates and improved outcomes for individuals with mental illness reintegrating into society. Findings in this paper suggest that a shift toward a more rehabilitative approach is essential for breaking the cycle of recidivism for individuals with mental illness. Recommendations include increasing funding for mental health programs, expanding mental health care within correctional facilities, and bridging the gaps between healthcare providers and the healthcare system. Addressing these systemic gaps could improve rehabilitation efforts and reduce recidivism rates, leading to a more effective criminal justice system.
Embargo
Marketing Virtual Queerness in China: Navigating Representation and Reception in Otome Game Culture through Narukami Arashi
(2025-05-10) Zhao, Xike
This thesis explores the queer representation and reception of the fictional character and virtual idol, Narukami Arashi, in the Japanese Otome game Ensemble Stars! produced from 2015. Arashi challenges conventional gender norms in East Asia Otome games through his distinctive non-binary identity and “Big Sister” persona. However, despite his compelling narrative potential and representation of gender diversity, Arashi’s popularity remains comparatively low. This thesis argues that he occupies a contradictory space within the fan community—appreciated but rarely chosen as a fan favorite or “oshi”—reflecting broader tensions among audience expectations, heteronormative frameworks, and the capitalist production of Otome games in East Asia. Using interdisciplinary methodologies from game studies, media studies, and cultural studies, this thesis investigates Arashi’s character through his narrative arcs, character design, and interactions with players and other game characters to explore the reason for his low popularity. Additionally, it analyzes fan reception using measurable indicators such as merchandise sales, fan-generated content, and discussions across online platforms. By comparing Arashi with similar queer characters in other interactive media, the thesis highlights how his “Big Sister” persona both enriches and constrains his character. By situating Narukami Arashi at the intersection of queer identity, virtual idol culture, and market dynamics, this thesis contributes to broader discussions on gender diversity, and queer representation in East Asia’s evolving landscape of the Otome game industry.
Open Access
Weaving the Tapestry of Lost Connections: The Power of Family History
(2025-05-19) Tyson, Quiana
This paper examines the historical trajectory of my maternal grandfather’s family as they migrated from Bridgetown, Barbados, to Colón, Panama, ultimately attaining American citizenship and establishing residence in Brooklyn, New York. Presented as a microhistory, it employs historical documentation to construct a narrative that reflects a forgotten family history and cultural affiliation.
Open Access
The Human-Nature Connection: A Multi-Disciplinary Exploration
(2024-12-20) Jones, Michelle Louise
Over the course of modern history, as the industrialized world has become increasingly driven by economic growth and technological advancement, humans have lost sight of their interconnection with the natural world. As a result, human-induced destruction of the environment has led to conditions that threaten human existence itself. This project is an exploration into the complex relationship between humans and nature, in the form of a literature review of the vast body of work on this topic. It will discuss concepts such as biophilia and ecopsychology, and will identify linkages between nature connectedness, human health and well-being, and tendencies toward environmental actions such as recycling and volunteering. This project also highlights themes from the literature at the intersection of the human-nature connection and the social and environmental justice movements. Readers will learn about the Indigenous concept of ecological kinship and the roles that diversity, love, and the arts can play in repairing the connection between humans and nature. The project will describe the work of various prominent scholars, activists, and organizations involved in human-nature connection research, discourse, and practice. The author intersperses artistic and creative written interludes throughout the project, reflecting her personal engagement with the natural world from a multi-disciplinary experiential framework.
Open Access
The Tragedy of Vortigern
(2024-11-11) Smith, Benjamin
Traditionally, the understanding of the history of Britain in Late Antiquity and into the Early Medieval period—a period which saw significant socio-political change in the island following the departure of the Roman Empire and the subsequent collapse in central authority and which also saw the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons—is composed of few facts but many theories. There are no surviving textual witnesses to this period. The closest, the 6th century De Excidio, has been built upon subsequently in the 8th century Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum and the 9th century Historia Brittonum, to form a literary tradition which has greatly influenced the view of the period and colors it with figures of history and legend, such as Vortigern. This project approaches this literary tradition to understand what a close reading of these narratives can teach us about the ways that authors of the past engage with history and legend in order to make sense of their own present. This project begins by providing historical background for the texts, and then analyzing them in reverse-chronological order, and then reaching conclusions on relationship of history and legend in early medieval British literature. The second half of the project offers a creative piece which was inspired by the texts and influenced by my analysis on them.
Open Access
The State of Local Newspaper Companies in North Carolina: Diminishing the Odds of Communities Becoming News Deserts
(2024-03-29) Weaver, Kerria
This project answers the question of how local newspaper companies in North Carolina are diminishing the odds that news deserts exist in their community. To narrow down my research, this project focuses on two specific factors that most newspaper companies rely on: funding and readership. This project presents its findings through a documentary in which three newspaper companies are interviewed and asked a set of questions about their company. Scholarly sources provided statistical data on the state of newspaper companies in North Carolina and the chances of a news desert in a specific area. My major findings from this project are, first, that readership is key to making sure a newspaper company stays afloat. Many people support companies that present real, accurate, and trustworthy journalism. Even though funding plays an important role as well, it is support from the community that keeps the newspaper industry going. Second, through interviews with news company executives, I found their biggest concerns deal with funding. Whether it is making sure that staff is taken care of or covering any extra expenses, many companies pay close attention to ensuring that they have enough funds to cover all expenses.
Open Access
What is American Philosophy? Rorty, Emerson, and the Philosophy of Redescription
(2024-12-08) Pikarsky, Chase
Stanley Cavell once questioned whether or not America has ever expressed itself philosophically. The unresolved problem of America’s distinct philosophical expression jeopardizes its authenticity and leaves its values under pressure from Europe's deep history. However, through a reacquaintance with America’s most influential intellectual of the early 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, America gains a chance to reestablish its philosophical expression. To make this reacquaintance with Emerson easier and to add modern relevance, I use Richard Rorty’s concept of redescription as a framework to interpret Emerson’s philosophy. I specifically examine Emerson’s idealism, anti-foundationalism, and ethic of creation. These aspects of Emerson’s philosophy align closely with Rorty’s redescriptive approach, which prioritizes reimagining intellectual paradigms to foster moral and social progress. I first start by interpreting Emerson as a philosopher, challenging conventional interpretations of him as only a writer or poet. Next, I define Rorty’s concept of redescription. Finally, I end by synthesizing Emerson’s philosophy and redescription, while responding to potential objections. Ultimately, I propose using Rorty’s concept of redescription as a framework for interpreting American philosophy. By reimagining Emerson through Rorty’s lens, we can reacquaint ourselves with America’s philosophical expression and assert a distinctive intellectual identity for the nation.
Open Access
Jordan Lake: Biography of a Multi-Purpose North Carolina Reservoir 1945-2024 and Beyond
(2024-04-01) Raynor, Garrett
In 1945, the last numbered hurricane in the United States caused significant devastation along the New Hope River in Central North Carolina, flooding and marooning the city of Fayetteville. In response, the decision was made to dam and flood the New Hope Valley, to create a multi- purpose reservoir called Jordan Lake. The project would not be without controversy however, as concerns arose that it would not fulfill its purpose, alongside complaints about the utilization of eminent domain to provide almost 50,000 acres of land needed. This paper tells the story of the lake, beginning with what was planned for it, and the criticisms from the public, with the subsequent responses from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Then it describes the situation since the reservoir pool was filled in 1982, and whether or not it met the expectations set initially, regarding wildlife habitat, flood management, recreational benefits and provision of drinking water. Costs and benefits will be assessed up to the present (2024). Finally, the last chapter forecasts the Lake’s future, as a major automotive firm begins to establish its manufacturing plant 10 miles away from Jordan Lake, using eminent domain to construct it and as major housing developments draw water from the lake.
Embargo
From Fishy Past to Fishy Future: Thinking through the Aquarium
(2024-05) Zhang, Qiyun
This project explores various ways of how the aquarium mediates the relationship between human beings and nature. The methods include tracing the historical trajectory of the aquarium since its invention as a naturalist’s instrument in the 19th century, and reflecting on the author’s own embodied experience at contemporary public aquariums. In particular, the author asks: Can the aquarium become a heterogeneous space for both the human and non-human? Can we have differentiation without domination? The author concludes that the aquarium is simultaneously the site of domination and the site of resistance. On the one hand, the development of the aquarium is inseparable from the progress of Enlightenment, capitalism, and scientific positivism. On the other hand, when Enlightenment seeks to demystify, the aquarium presents wonder; when capitalism enforces reification, the aquarium counters with vitalism; when science tries to “solve it all”, the aquarium opens up to unknowability. Therefore, thinking through the aquarium may contribute to an ethics of co-becoming, with other humans, animals, and machines.
Open Access
Exploring Neural Correlates of Social Media Use: A Review of BOLD fMRI Studies Utilizing in-scanner Social Media Exposure
(2024-05-01) Crout, Michael
The goal of this project is to synthesize articles that provide a new look into the neural correlates of social media use by utilizing BOLD fMRI and in-scanner social media stimuli. Seven articles that matched the criteria were selected for this paper: (n=6) task-based BOLD fMRI utilizing social media stimuli and (n=1) resting-state fMRI included to show the importance of longitudinal research design in the same field. Results include a discussion of the convergence and divergence amongst the studies, the importance of imaging techniques (resting state, whole brain) that could potentially benefit similar studies, the importance of longitudinal study design, and what future studies could look like. The paper is limited by the small amount of eligible literature available, so conclusions should remain tentative. As mentioned by five of the seven articles included, more longitudinal research is needed to assess the neural and behavioral correlates of social media use.
Open Access
The Entrepreneurial Blueprint – Unravelling the Relationship of Personality Traits, Cognitive Strategies, and Entrepreneurial Behavior
(2023-12) Sieber, Jakob
Despite its omnipresence in everyday life and economic importance, entrepreneurship remains largely disregarded in academic inquiries of cognitive and behavioral processes. This project seeks to provide a comprehensive yet concise inquiry into the different psychological facets that shape entrepreneurship. It offers valuable insights for educators, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs themselves, aiming to foster a more supportive and effective environment for entrepreneurial endeavors. It begins by outlining the implications of personality for entrepreneurship unravelling the convoluted literature on the predictive qualities of personality in entrepreneurship. It then shifts its focus towards the implications of Judgmental Decision Theory (JDM) for the field. After evaluating Daniel Kahneman’s System 1 and 2 theory and its practical implications for entrepreneurship, the project concludes by collecting empirical evidence for the distinct ways in which entrepreneurs think and make choices. Specifically, it tests the ability of entrepreneurs to successfully overcome intuitive choices in a Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) and measuring their overconfidence (i.e., overestimation) compared to MBA candidates.
Open Access
Beyond the Towers: September 11, 2001 Watching the Past & Present to Understand the Surveilled Future
(2023-12-22) Shubrick, Jordyn
September 11, 2023, marked twenty-two years since the tragedy of 9/11. In this project, I examine the stories that are told and remembered to date about the September 11 attacks on the United States of America and the subsequent events that followed. After the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were tragically attacked on September 11, 2001, many media outlets began highlighting the significance of the attack, capturing the magnitude of the events. This project will look at what is memorialized, remembered, and cemented across the 22 years in our social memory of 9/11. I will further explore what is rooted in politics and memorials, shaped through the media. Through the historical narrative of celebrations of 9/11, looking at memory, memorialization, fear, and what lies ahead for the surveilled future ultimately assesses the forever remembrance of 9/11 in media and memorials and how memory operates to influence Americans' view of safety.
Open Access
Me, Myself, and I: Understanding Identity Denial of Multiethnic and Multiracial People in White Settings
(2023-03-12) Maksud, Samantha
How people identify themselves and the reasons behind self-identification are important in understanding the human experience and interactions in social groups. Understanding how people navigate their identity when denied access to multiple identity groups they inherently belong to is equally as important. This is known as “Identity Denial.” Identity denial is a type of social threat to acceptance that occurs when an individual goes unrecognized by a group to which they belong. This typically happens when the individual does not resemble a prototypical member of the group. I theorize that Identity Denial contributes to how multi-ethnic individuals navigate their identity in predominantly white social settings. In this project, I synthesize secondary research focusing on the four main chapters of identity denial, identity switching, negotiation of identity, and belonging in social groups.
Open Access
Inequality, Resistance, and Reparations: A Step Towards Justice for Puerto Rico
(2023-05-10) González Buonomo, Tatiana
This project examines how Puerto Rico’s history has been shaped by colonialism, specifically through the construction of structural inequality from the 16th century until today. It analyzes how the Spanish colonization established social inequality through many mechanisms, including othering, the privileging of whiteness, the systematic erasure of Blackness, slavery, and the influence of the Church. Other historical moments to be highlighted are the notable events of rebellion performed by both the enslaved and the free population. These efforts of resistance were continued by three Puerto Rican feminists: Lola Rodríguez de Tió, Luisa Capetillo, and Julia de Burgos, through their lives and literary contributions. Structural inequality became further entrenched with the United States’ colonization, and I focus on the Foraker Law, the Maritime Merchant Act, the Ponce massacre, the birth control experiments, the occupation of Vieques, and the differential response to Hurricane María to show how the U.S. has benefited from and continues to harm the Puerto Rican population. In this project, I argue that there is a case to be made for reparations in which the United States acknowledges, redresses, and apologizes for the harms and atrocities committed to the Puerto Rican people. Instances in which the U.S. exploited Puerto Rico are not the exception to the rule; they reflect a pattern. I made these observations through a survey of the available scholarly literature, articles, and a literature review of the only work which posits a preliminary framework for reparations conducted by Pedro A. Malavet. My project addresses a huge gap in the literature, since the only scholarly article regarding reparations for Puerto Rico was published in 2002. Through a program for reparations, Puerto Ricans could balance structural inequalities and take a step towards justice.
Open Access
We Want To Live (Asé)
(2023) Wallace, Toya
Abstract As a creative project with an exhibition as its final exposition, my Master’s project is a series of charcoal drawings, mixed-media drawings, mixed-media paintings, original essays, newspaper articles, sculptures, and poetry protesting the frequent senseless killings of unarmed Black people in America. (Also included, is a copy of a personal letter from former United States senator Richard Burr). My Master’s Thesis project was inspired in part by one of my ancestors, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Mr. Samuel Nathaniel Nuckles, an activist, a formerly enslaved person, and a former member of The South Carolina House of Representatives from the years 1868 to 1872. (Grant 260, 533) Additionally, inspiration for this project evolved from my own experience with unnecessary/unwarranted police brutality, at the hands of South Carolina police, from which I was fortunate enough to survive. However, as history has shown us, this is not always the fate for other unarmed Black people and their encounters with police officers. Currently, we see a rash of killings of unarmed Black people. My goal is to do whatever I can to aid in bringing an end to this unfortunate chaotic trend. Therefore, I create protest artwork and protest poetry not only because the senseless killings of unarmed Black people must stop, but I also create protest artwork and protest poetry because “We Want To Live (Asé).” Asé is a term from the Yoruba language of West Africa, it is a philosophical concept representing power that makes things happen and produces change. My graduation project exhibition time: April 17, 2023 Exhibition Space: The Fredric Jameson Gallery-Duke East Campus
Open Access
Walking to a Place You Belong: Exploring the Impact of Walkability and Historical Factors on Durham’s Black Wall Street
(2023-04) Goode, Alissa
This project investigates the significance of walkability and historical factors, such as redlining, Jim Crow laws, and Durham's Urban Renewal Project, and their impact on the emergence and demise of Durham's Black Wall Street. Additionally, the study examines how these factors contributed to fostering a sense of community and pride within the Black community in Durham. The study utilizes a GIS-based analysis and a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Story Map that includes historical maps and directories from Durham to visualize and analyze the spatial distribution of businesses and community resources in the Black Wall Street area. The study's results suggest that walkability played a crucial role in the success of Black Wall Street and that historical factors, such as redlining and urban renewal, contributed to its decline. However, despite these challenges, the Black community in Durham fostered a strong sense of community and pride, which has continued to shape the city's culture and identity. Link to Part 2 ArcGIS Online Story Map: https://arcg.is/0e8Sbv
Open Access
Split
(2024-02-29) Coleman, Douglass
The beginning of the 21st century comes off as familiar, the remake of a violent and divisive time in our history. Like we are all on a slippery, rapidly accelerating slide into increasing civil strife, neighbor against neighbor. Political, economic, and racial differences feel like they create extreme world views which cannot coexist, especially in the United States. As a Black man, the world feels increasingly anti-Black. How can we make alliances, build coalitions, or create unity, if we do not trust each other’s intentions? For those of us who are believers in people, we have faith in a brighter day. I have utilized speculative fiction short stories to explore these issues. What if things got worse before they got better? What if the United States split apart, how would we rebuild and reorganize society? Speculative fiction can suggest some practices and visions of a possible future? My stories navigate a dystopian world, where characters reach toward a utopian reality. Speculative fiction can serve as practice, a trial to examine issues of division, alliance, and coalition, given the current, divisive historical moment. We have all had the conversation a thousand times: what is to be done with this world we live in? We can be better informed by utilizing the fictional exploration of real-world social challenges. This piece will serve as part of the unfinished conversation with my father, my friends, and those whom I would call allies.
Open Access
The Gaze of the Other: Acknowledging Autofiction
(2023-05-01) Frye, Tiffany
Autofiction, an emerging subgenre of contemporary literary fiction, has received attention in the last fifteen years for its depiction of the author’s life in a so-called fictional context. There are many viewpoints arguing for what makes something autofiction, but they tend to revolve around the level of factual truth contained in the work. This project argues that the question of how much a work of autofiction resembles an author’s life has critics and readers stuck in an unhelpful picture of what autofiction is. Importantly, this picture obscures the type of response these works demand from the reader. This project argues that we can better understand autofiction by examining the philosophical concepts it brings to life. Through examining the works of two exemplars of autofiction, Rachel Cusk and Karl Ove Knausgaard, this project shows how concepts of subjectivity, acknowledgement, and a rejection of skepticism combine in autofiction to steer away from a way of thinking rooted in narrative and towards something new.
Open Access
Can Chinese Tourists Support Nature-Based Tourism?
(2022-11) Xu, Di
Nature-based tourism is an important form of tourism, which uses natural resources as the basis for the development of tourism projects and attracts tourists to watch or interact with nature for the purpose of relaxation, education, and pleasure. Since China is now the largest single source of tourists for the world’s tourism industry, understanding Chinese tourists’ perception of nature and their behaviors and preferences when participating in nature-based tourism is helpful for the further development of nature-based tourism. This paper first reviews the theories created by Chinese literati on the relationship between humans and nature and their development in history, then analyzes Chinese tourists’ use, attitudes, and feedback on natural attractions through direct and indirect measures. Then this paper uses SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to explore the advantages and disadvantages of developing nature-based tourism in China, and finally proposes policy recommendations based on the above research.

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