The Evolution of Dental Aesthetics: An Artistic and Cultural Journey Through History and Race

This thesis explores the intersection of art, dentistry, race, and healthcare through a critical analysis of how visual culture has shaped societal perceptions of dental aesthetics from antiquity to the modern day. Beginning with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Renaissance anatomical drawings, the study traces how artistic portrayals of teeth evolved into tools of both medical education and social hierarchy. Particular attention is given to the racialization of dental aesthetics, examining how caricatures, colonial pseudoscience, and exclusionary marketing practices contributed to enduring stereotypes and disparities in oral healthcare. Through the lens of cultural symbols like grills—once markers of status among Etruscans, Mayans, and enslaved Africans, and later appropriated and stigmatized in mainstream media—this work illustrates the complex role of dental ornamentation in both resistance and oppression. The thesis also evaluates 20th- and 21st-century dental advertising, media portrayals, and clinical biases, showing how Eurocentric beauty standards continue to influence perceptions of oral hygiene and treatment access for communities of color. By interrogating the artistic and scientific narratives that inform dentistry’s racialized history, this research calls for a more inclusive and equitable approach to dental education, representation, and patient care—one that acknowledges the cultural diversity behind every smile

Preying for a Spot at the Table Examining Regulatory Policies and Solutions to Combat Predatory Microfinance Practices

Microfinance involves financial services such as small loans, savings accounts, and insurance to low-income populations typically excluded from traditional financial markets. While the services it provides can encourage entrepreneurship and work to alleviate poverty, insufficient regulation can lead to borrower exploitation and continued cycles of debt. This thesis explores the regulations leading to successful microfinance outcomes. Particularly, the variance in outcomes between Ghana and Jordan will be examined as a case study. In Ghana’s Wa West District, effective policies and financial literacy programs have enabled microfinance to promote economic growth. In the country of Jordan, however, a lack of strict standards and punitive debt laws have led to widespread borrower hardship and even imprisonment. To promote the success of microfinance programs, well-designed regulatory policies that emphasize borrower protection and fair interest rates are essential for ensuring that microfinance contributes to sustainable development rather than worsening poverty

The Island of Lost Things

The Island of Lost Things is a speculative fiction novel following a man named Maurice. He is a long-time resident of the titular island. His life changes forever when a mysterious young girl washes up on his shores. As he gets to know her, Maurice realizes that he must make a choice between staying in the place he has lived for most of his life or leaving to make sure she gets home. Along the way, they make friends in unlikely places and learn about the extraordinary goodness in everyday people. This novel explores heavy themes of grief and social anxiety through Maurice’s character as he works through his past and tries to determine how it connects to his present

The Identity of “I’m sorry”: Perceptions of Apologies in False Confessions and the Influence of Suspect Gender

Apologies serve as a mediator between victims and wrongdoers to promote forgiveness and enhance moral perceptions, while ostensibly reinforcing the guilt of the offender. These effects are further tempered by the gender of the apologizer. Paradoxically, content analyses show that apologies are not uncommon in false confessions and may reinforce false judgements of guilt. The current experiment aimed to elucidate the role that suspect gender and gender stereotypes of apologies play in shaping observer perceptions of coercion and guilt within confession contexts. This experiment conformed to a 2 (suspect gender: woman vs. man) x 3 (gender expectations of the apology: no apology control vs. feminine apology vs. masculine apology) between-subjects design. I hypothesized that apologies would be perceived as more effective when the suspect’s gender and the apology type were congruent (e.g., a woman offering a feminine-styled apology). Additionally, I predicted that confessions would be viewed as less likely to be false or coerced under gender-congruent conditions and that verdicts would more likely be guilty when the suspect’s gender and apology type aligned. Contrary to expectations, the results indicated no significant effects of gender and apology type congruence on perceived apology effectiveness, perceptions of coercion, or guilt assessments. These findings challenge assumptions about the automatic influence of gender norms in legal contexts and highlight the complexity of decision-making processes in response to confessions

Career Aspirations and Gender Norms: How Socialization Influences Women’s Professional Choices

While legal frameworks grant women equal rights and opportunities to participate in any occupation, gender inequality continues in part due to the persistent gender segregation within the workforce. Gender socialization places women into roles that limit their occupational opportunities, so this study explores women’s understanding of their career options based upon the potential constraints that come from their identity as a woman. This study uses a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews conducted with students at Butler University to gather information on women’s personal perspectives on how their gender impacted their perceived career options. A sample of nine undergraduate women were interviewed, and thematic coding was used to analyze the data. Findings from the study provide insight into how gender socialization can impact women’s perceived opportunities and how they personally understand those influences

Gaslight, Gateway, Girlboss: The Empowering Possibilities of Bimbo Feminism

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new trend arose from the social media platform TikTok called Bimbo Feminism. Bimbo Feminism is marked by an authentic embrace of femininity and the democratization of knowledge through generational slang. Through the explanation and analysis of Bimbo Feminism’s three spearheads, Chrissy Chlapecka, Nikita Redkar, and Scene Queen, this thesis defines Bimbo Feminism and explains its possibilities as a gateway feminism. Through its position on TikTok, Bimbo Feminism is able to bring new people into the world of activism. However, Bimbo Feminism must address its internal issues before it can be used as a catalyst for growth, including a lack of diverging identities and acknowledgement of its intellectual ancestors. Bimbo Feminism has the potential to be a powerful reclamation and reimagining of hyper-femininity without the constraint of patriarchal expectations