Undergraduate Theses & Honors Theses
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Item Open Access The Adjustment of Stock Prices to the Announcement of a Product Liability Suit: A Test of Market Efficiency(University of Oregon, 1988) Ellingson, MaryItem Open Access Advisable Features of Systems of Direct Nomination and Direct Legislation in Oregon(1906) Anderson, Andrew AlfredItem Open Access Age and Gender Differences in Altruistic Behavior(University of Oregon, 2000-05-31) Johnson, Kristen K.Item Open Access Agenda Setting and Framing International News at the Headline(2019-06) Niedermeyer, JillianModern media is predominantly controlled by large organizations, and even more by first-world, ‘Western’ countries, known in communication studies as ‘core nations.’ This study explores the intersection of international mass communication studies and the traditional communication theoretical studies of agenda setting and framing. This thesis is guided by three key research questions that ask how these theories create audience salience, how it occurs at the headline level, and the overall implications of this use. Using headlines collected from two different news sources, the Washington Post and the British Broadcasting Corporation, I analyzed over 700 headlines to evaluate how journalists in these countries frame stories about other countries and, for the Washington Post, their own. This research found that the majority of international news stories are framed negatively and only arise when an impactful incident occurs to make the country timely. Whether or not these organizations frame foreign countries as the ‘other’ is inconclusive. Ultimately, the elements of conflict and novelty in a story are the most predictive of story salience. Additionally, this study found a critical correlation between a country’s world economic influence and the frequency of headlines about it. Moving forward, this study could gain from studying how each country’s journalists write about their own countries versus how they write about international news, not looking only at two English-speaking countries; it could benefit from a two-sided approach. Additionally, it could benefit from looking at additional news sources over an extended period of time to get a more complete understanding.Item Open Access Amnesty’s Success in Transitional Justice and Human Rights; Spain, Chile, and South Africa as Case Studies(University of Oregon, 2022-06) Feuerherdt, LucyThis honors thesis examines the success of amnesty laws, relative to other mechanisms of transitional justice and redressing past human rights violations; it is my intention to understand if amnesty is a successful mechanism for countries transitioning to democracy after repressive periods. I demonstrate my research through a literature review of subjects and academic principles related to amnesty including concepts of justice, the human rights system, state- sanctioned violence, transitional justice, and amnesty laws. In addition to a review of the relevant literature, I utilize a case study analysis of three countries: Spain, Chile, and South Africa all used amnesty laws during their transitions to democracy in ways that are distinct from one another. These case studies provide a greater understanding of what makes an amnesty law successful and effective. The insight from the relevant literature along with the comparison and analysis from the case studies demonstrate that amnesty laws can be successful if implemented under a specific set of principles. I argue that the essential factors to an amnesty law’s success include the circumstances and state of the nation when amnesty is implemented, how additional transitional justice mechanisms are used, and if there are specific criteria within the amnesty law.Item Open Access Analysis of Current Migraine Treatments: Intersections of Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic, Acute and Preventative Methods of Care(University of Oregon, 2006-04) Bryn, TanaMigraine affects 23.6 million people in the United States alone. Treatment options can be sub-typed as abortive and preventative, as well as pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic. Due to the debilitating nature of migraine, patients and physicians often rely heavily on abortive treatments. A review of the literature, along with a series of personal interviews suggests that preventative measures, used alone or with abortive treatment, increase the patient's control over the migraines . Additionally, nonpharmacologic interventions such as relaxation training, biofeedback, and dietary modification may offer migraine relief while improving the patient's quality of life. The integration of several treatment avenues represents a growing change in western culture toward prospective medicine, and will aid in maximizing treatment efficacy for migraine.Item Open Access Analyzing Lake Variability In A Highly Dynamic Area Of The Yukon Flats, Alaska Using Remote Sensing(University of Oregon, 2024) Fleming, Catharine; Cooley, SarahSentinel-2 optical imagery was used to track changes in lake area in a highly dynamic area of the Yukon Flats, Alaska over 2019-2023. Specific questions this research addresses include: how spatially consistent is the variability in water area? Why are certain lakes far less seasonally variable than others? How consistent is the temporal and spatial variability in the water area from year to year? Seasonal lake area fluctuations follow a similar progression from year to year. The seasonal maxima in lake extent are very pronounced for smaller water bodies in 2021 (20% higher average maximum lake area, 40% lower average minimum lake area) than larger water bodies. On average 2019 had the highest mean lateral change along lake shorelines while 2023 had the lowest.Item Open Access Anthopleura xanthogrammica Behavior Studied Utilizing Time-Lapse Photography(University of Oregon, 2013-11) Reiser, ShannonAnimals living in a habitat affected by both tidal shifts and day night cycles display a wide variety of behaviors influenced by environmental factors and internal mechanisms. Sessile intertidal invertebrates exhibit extremely slow or subtle behaviors not noticeable during casual observation. This study aimed to observe, analyze, and describe the behaviors associated with the tidal and circadian rhythms of Anthopleura xanthogrammica, giant green anemones, in a tide pool at South Cove, Cape Arago State Park, Oregon. Time lapse video captured using a GoPro camera at a low- to mid-tidal range were used to test the hypothesis A. xamlzogrammica opens on incoming tides. Percent open data were collected from videos and these data were used to evaluate the percentage of animals open in different light conditions. I also examined the data for individual sea anemones to determine if there were individual tendencies. The data suggest that there is a correlation between height of tide and anemone openness. As the tide rises fewer anemones are closed. Additionally the data suggest that anemones are more likely to be closed in direct sunlight. Furthermore, there is a slight, but insignificant difference in average time spent 100% open for each anemone. The most dramatic shifts in behavior occurred in the presence of direct sunlight.Item Open Access Antiretroviral Adherence in South Africa(2007-07-31T17:14:34Z) Metzler, Ian ScottHIV/AIDS has caused millions of deaths and untold suffering throughout the world. Although there is no cure, treatment exists that has transformed this disease from an acutely lethal infection into a manageable chronic illness. However, successfully treating HIV/AIDS requires high levels of adherence to prescribed medications. Unlike most aspects of antiretroviral treatment, adherence depends on the behavior of the patient, which is influenced by a multitude of factors from every sector of society. This paper discusses the challenges to treatment adherence within a model country, South Africa. To highlight the necessity of addressing obstacles to adherence, this paper also investigates the biological consequences resulting from poor adherence. These consequences are significant for both the individual and humanity as a whole. Establishing a medical strategy to treat HIV/AIDS is not enough; turning the tides of the HIV/AIDS pandemic will require an understanding of the societal factors affecting adherence as well.Item Open Access Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in contemporary fiction(University of Oregon, 2006-06) Le Chevallier, Anne MarieCalled apparitions, the widespread phenomenon of appearances of Mary has been reported to occur since the apostle St. James the Greater roamed Spain, and it continues to this day. A folklore and following has developed surrounding her apparitions to the laity, poor, uneducated and young occurring, especially, in modem times. Contemporary authors have reinterpreted Mary and these apparitions in order to explore and understand their meaning. This thesis reviews both the history of Marian devotion and theology, and it narrates major, modem apparitions. It further examines how apparitions of Mary are portrayed in the three contemporary novels Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen, Bernardo and the Virgin by Silvio Sirias and Our Lady of the Forest by David Guterson. These novels show the traditional representations of Mary and how this tradition is reinterpreted in a post-modem and contemporary lens: they portray the suffering and liberation of the characters and author through their relationship with Mary.Item Open Access As the streets burned: a comparison of the coverage of the 2005 Paris riots(University of Oregon, 2007-06) Blakley, JuliannaThis is a study of the historical context of the 2005 Paris riots and a comparison of the coverage in the American and French press, Specifically, it examined a three-week period of coverage of the riots from October 28-November 21,2005, in four newspapers: The New York Times, the Washington Post, Le Monde and Le Figaro. The articles were looked at in both a quantitative and qualitative manner, assessing how many articles appeared, what topics they covered and how they were framed. While there were many fundamental differences in visual content and editorial stance, there were also many similarities in the percentage of articles that appeared on the outlined topic areas. There was also an editorial battle that occurred in the two newspapers, with the French attacking the American press for sensationalizing the riots.Item Open Access Assessing the Ecological Consequences of Domestic Pig Grazing on the Understory Vegetation of an Oak Woodland(2019-03) Donahue, DrewThis study addresses the effects of domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica) grazing on understory vegetation of an oak woodland adjacent to a hazelnut orchard. Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) are associated with filbertworms (Cydia laiferreana), a native lepidopteran pest that uses the acorns as its primary food source during its larval stage. Filbertworms also affect agriculture, infecting hazelnuts and rendering the nuts inedible and unmarketable. Oregon white oak habitats are already under constant threat from land use change due to urbanization and agriculture, and this conflict exacerbates the problem. Pig grazing of infected acorns after they drop in the fall could offer a disincentive of removing oak habitats. It is common for hazelnut farmers to spray pesticides intensively or remove oak stands entirely to mitigate against pests. Pig grazing may (1) be an effective organic alternative and a potentially profitable scenario that could enhance the sustainability of agricultural practices while (2) promoting conservation of a rare ecosystem and (3) facilitating pig farming. Even with this potential win-win-win scenario, any management activity in an ecosystem could impose unintended consequences and introducing an uprooting mammal can be risky. I tested whether grazing domestic pigs in Oregon white oak stands has any negative effects on understory vegetative cover. I hypothesized that the pigs will (1) reduce percent cover of the herbaceous understory, (2) increase percent cover of bare ground, and (3) eliminate certain preferred herbaceous species from the site. I also hypothesize that (4) more accessible/less obstructed areas within the plots will have even lower levels of herbaceous/litter percent cover and even higher levels of bare ground percent cover. I visually estimated percent cover of bare ground and herbaceous/litter in quadrats along three transects using a Before-after Control-impact (BACI) design before and after grazing treatments in grazed and un-grazed woodland plots. Domestic pig grazing showed no significant effects on the percent cover of herbaceous/litter and bare ground. There was no loss of specific herbaceous species/litter. This suggests domestic pigs pose a relatively low threat to the understory vegetation of a native oak woodland when regulated through minimal time in the area. Pigs can then provide the win-win-win scenario without harming the understory of an already stressed habitat.Item Open Access Assessing the Prevalence of Prescribed Fire in Pacific Northwest Wildfire Media Coverage(University of Oregon, 2024) Wilson, NathanAs climate change alters landscapes and exacerbates natural hazards like wildfires, people increasingly experience anxiety, dread, and loss, all of which negatively impact mental health. When the print media reports on wildfire events, previous research has shown that newspapers primarily focus on immediate developments, such as acres burned and containment efforts, rather than offering comprehensive discussion of wildfire, including strategies to mitigate future wildfire risk. Prescribed fire is one strategy to do so, and many ecosystems across the Pacific Northwest would readily benefit from more frequent, low-severity fire. This study seeks to determine whether print media in the Pacific Northwest follows a solutions journalism framework in their wildfire coverage, which, by highlighting solutions to prevalent problems, can provide readers with a greater sense of optimism and self-efficacy. Through content analysis, this study examines how often the Post Register, Idaho Spokesman, The Oregonian, The Register-Guard, The Seattle Times, and The Spokesman-Review mentioned prescribed fire in their coverage both during and outside of wildfire events, and the tone of that coverage, from 2010 to 2023. It found that major Pacific Northwest newspapers rarely mentioned prescribed fire when reporting on wildfires, but provided more coverage and more positive coverage of prescribed fire disconnected from specific wildfire events during the study period. These results show that large circulation print media outlets in the Pacific Northwest had positive coverage of prescribed fire overall, but relatively narrow coverage of wildfire events from a solutions journalism perspective.Item Open Access Atmospheric Trust Litigation: Prompting Climate Action through the Courts(University of Oregon, 2015-06) Gleason, MeganOver the last two decades, frustration with government inaction on climate change has catalyzed a surge of litigation to prompt policy action. Although climate change litigation is constrained by justiciability doctrines and a hostile legal opportunity structure, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are still pursuing lawsuits. This paper investigates atmospheric trust litigation (ATL), a national litigation campaign coordinated by Our Children’s Trust, which uses the public trust doctrine to enforce what they allege is the government’s fiduciary obligation to protect the atmosphere in trust for the public. Specifically, I examine the Oregon court proceedings in Chernaik v Kitzhaber as a case study of how both parties strategically frame their arguments to influence case outcomes. Although ATL is still in its infancy, previous research has assessed the viability of the legal arguments underlying atmospheric trust litigation and analyzed case outcomes. However, this paper contributes to a discussion of the practical application of these arguments by investigating how Our Children’s Trust (OCT) employs various strategies to influence case outcomes, and addresses the broader research question of how Our Children’s Trust creates their own opportunities in a hostile legal environment. To answer, I draw from legal briefs, court decisions, interviews, and newspaper coverage to explain how counsel framed and refined the problems and solutions in court, provided a roadmap for case proceedings, and sensationalized a “doom and gloom” future to influence case outcomes. My findings indicate that by agreeing to bifurcate their case, strategically framing their appeal, and rewording their requests on remand, OCT helped create legal opportunities that resulted in a justiciability win. This research underscores the importance of giving agency to social movement actors and understanding the broader socio-legal context within which atmospheric trust litigation operates.Item Open Access BAYESIAN BIOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SQUIRREL EVOLUTION SUGGESTS AN ASIAN ORIGIN(University of Oregon, 2021-06) Banks, AnnaSquirrels have an incredibly diverse lineage with a global distribution and have dispersed over millions of years from a common ancestor approximately 40-50 MYA. The assumption since the 1980’s has been that squirrels originated in North America and evolved from North American tree squirrels about 34-39 MYA, but in a more recent study, the oldest giant flying squirrel fossil was found in Oregon suggesting a possible eastward migration from Asia. This study made me question the previously accepted hypothesis that squirrels originated in North America and led to an exploration of squirrel evolution and origins. We used an R package called BiogeoBEARS with Bayesian biogeographic analysis and a DEC+J model to get a better picture of where squirrels were located at different points in their evolution. To run this analysis, we input a phylogenetic tree file, representing 225 modern Sciuridae species, and a biogeography file with each of their locations sorted into eight regions. My analysis resulted in a few noteworthy findings regarding major biogeography changes and their timing: (1) we believe that squirrels originated in Asia, (2) North American and Southern African squirrels came from Asia, and (3) we found one long South American branch, genetically distant from all other South American Sciuridae species and stemming from near the oldest common squirrel ancestor, leading to just one species, Sciurillus pusillus, a modern species that has resided in South America for about 37 Ma.Item Open Access Beauty Contest Games in the 6th Grade(University of Oregon, 2000-06-02) Reed, NathanItem Open Access "Beef: It's What's For Dinner:" An Analysis of Beef-Driven Powerlessness As It Relates to Food Insecurity, Climate Change, and Advertising in the United States(University of Oregon, 2021) Grimaldi, Allison; Baumgold, Deborah; Cramer, Jane; Gallagher, DaphneThis thesis explores power and powerlessness with regard to food insecurity, food deserts and food swamps, climate change and methane production, and advertising as they relate to beef and the beef industry. This thesis employs Steven Lukes’ three- dimensional view of power to base its theoretical framework. Using this model in application to my case study, the “Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner” advertising campaign, I argue that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board has shaped consciousness surrounding consumer understanding of beef and their own interests. Applying concepts of structural powerlessness, attitudinal powerlessness, ideological hegemony, and conscientization, this thesis seeks to expose beef-induced institutional inequities, reveal the efforts of the beef industry to shape consciousness, and suggest avenues for reclamation of power.Item Open Access A Benefit Cost Study of a new Preschool Program Based on Neuroplasticity(University of Oregon, 2006-06) Yaillen, Jenny; Blair, NateItem Open Access BIOMAGNIFICATION AND BIOACCUMULATION OF POLLUTANTS AND HOW THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THE PEOPLE OF “CANCER ALLEY”(University of Oregon, 2020-06) Gyetvai, Abigail M.This honors thesis examines the environmental, sociopolitical, and socioeconomical aspects of Cancer Alley, Louisiana, United States of America. Cancer Alley is a name dubbed to an eighty-five-mile-long corridor in Louisiana that is dotted with petrochemical plants that continuously poison its residents. The people living in this area are primarily lower-income, people of color who disproportionately face the full force of environmental ills that the petrochemical factories bring. The case of Cancer Alley is layered and delves into not only environmental issues – such as pollution and how various chemicals can move throughout the body, but it also deals with human rights issues and how the disempowered and disenfranchised residents in the area are being exploited due to their powerlessness. Various chemical pollutants have been emitted into the Cancer Alley air, land, and water, contributing to the worsening conditions of the area. The primary findings from this research have been that the more marginalized the group living within Cancer Alley, the more likely they are to be at risk for cancer and various other diseases. This honors thesis concludes with the application of my proposed solutions to alleviating environmental justice legislative issues surrounding Cancer Alley.Item Open Access Captive Workforce: Human Trafficking in America and the Effort to End it(University of Oregon, 2006-06) Brenner, AllettaThis thesis examines the phenomena of human trafficking in the United States as experienced by migrant workers, with the following goals: 1) Re-orient the present-day discourse on human trafficking away from the global ‘periphery’ and toward the ‘demand-end’ within the United States; 2) Broaden the discussion of what drives human trafficking to better account for the roles of economics, international migration and public policy; and 3) Focus on the experiences of those victimized by human trafficking without over-simplifying or sensationalizing. Chapter one describes the context and purpose of this study, definitional issues surrounding the term “human trafficking” and the methodological approach I employ in this thesis. Chapter two examines two historical examples of human trafficking in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and discusses some of the issues that have influenced public and governmental responses to these problems in the past. Chapter three provides a detailed account of human trafficking in the United States today as a form of “corrupted migration” and a manifestation of migrant labor abuse. Chapter four provides a detailed analysis and critique of current United States laws and policies to address human trafficking. Chapter five contains a discussion of human trafficking today as a symptom of structural oppressions on a global scale. In conclusion I argue the following specific measures should be taken to improve the American response to human trafficking: 1) All policies and laws directed at human trafficking should be understood within the global context of labor inequality. Any proposed solution should aim to decrease this inequality by empowering migrant workers; 2) These efforts should be coordinated with immigration laws and policies so that they work in synergy instead of in opposition to one another; 3) Policymakers should be aware of the ways in which human trafficking is implicitly connected to racist, sexist and classist oppression; 4) Both the United States government and non-governmental organizations should work actively to promote media coverage and representations of human trafficking that are accurate and that avoid stereotypes; 5) The United States government should work in cooperation with non-governmental organizations to conduct a comprehensive study of human trafficking within the United States. A significant component of such a study should involve input from migrant workers and actual victims of human trafficking.