Resilience as a coming-of-age model in young adult literature

I argue that resilience should be recognized as a coming-of-age model because it offers support and empowerment while being inclusive to all comings of age. I have identified three types of resilience and analyzed them in three novels: non-guardian resilience in Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park, peer resilience in Matthew Hubbard’s The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge, and creative resilience in Isabel Quintero Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

The commodification of international adoptees through a conflict lens

The practice of international adoption, also known as intercountry adoption (ICA), can be defined as a transference of a child from international borders (Ma, 2017). International, also known as intercountry, adoption is a process that is widely characterized to provide the creation of families and humanitarian aid to orphaned children. It is most often facilitated by privatized intermediaries, predominantly facilitating the transference of children from non-Western nations to Western ones. Adopting abroad has largely been framed as a practice of humanitarianism, yet instances of corruption, neglect, and abuse have shown a different nature of the system. Dominant source countries, such as China, Guatemala, and Russia, have abolished their intercountry adoption due to the prevalence of trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. With increased awareness of exploitation and corruption inciting more international concern, it brings into question the ethics and morals on which the system of adoption is built. Since its inception, the international adoption system has been altered by the power disparities in Western nations and source countries. The political, economic, and cultural imbalances of source and receiving countries has postulated adoptees as commodities in a commercialized industry. The commodification of children in vulnerable regions of the Global south has incentivized source countries to function as a supply-chain to meet the demand of prospective families in the West. The exploitation of children in source countries is due to the lack of framework that actively enforces defined policy that prioritizes the best interests of the child. International adoption has been transformed into a market-driven system, in which vulnerable children are commercialized for Western nations. Prospective parents in these regions are instilled with rescue mentalities that lead them to believe intercountry adoption is a form of humanitarian aid. The cultural motives of humanitarianism have largely contributed to the historical trends of intercountry adoption to the United States, yet it fails to account for the exploitation and corruption present. This has directly influenced the ways in which the welfare of the child has been dismissed in the system, without any concern to the birth parents or country of origin. International adoption has expanded the function of providing orphaned children with homes abroad, which has in turn contributes to an exploitative system that caters to wealthier nations and prospective parents in the West. The practice has encouraged the pervasive commodification of international adoptees, allowing for profitability to be prioritized over the welfare of the child. Instead of providing children in precarious environments with homes, intercountry adoption has shifted to a practice of finding children for Western homes (Graff, 2008). The lack of compulsory regulation and preventative protective policy has incentivized and legitimized countries, agencies, and prospective families to exploit orphans and source countries for economic and social currency. The United States has been particularly complicit in developing the exploitive system, as the country of unipolarity constitutes more influence, power, and authority than any other nation participating in international adoption. The power and wealth disparity in the international sphere allows the United States to capitalize on the lack of regulation of international adoption to maximize power and profit. From 1991 to 2010, Americans adopted 304,156 children overseas from a range of 165 countries (Efrat, Leblang, Liao, Pandya, 2015). While adopting abroad has contributed to family-building for many prospective parents in the United States, it is vital that adoption be centered within the best interests of the child. Especially when considering that most orphans abroad lack agency and autonomy, it is imperative that the system which governs them be representative of ethical practices for the child. The United States is capable of reconfiguring the current system of adoption that prioritizes prospective families and agencies while simultaneously ensuring the elimination of possible exploitation. This coincides with the baseline necessity of protecting the welfare of the child before meeting the demands of Western agencies, intermediaries, and prospective parents. The decentering of the best interests of the child has consequentially allowed for the exploitation, abuse, and neglect that is negatively connotated to the international adoption system, today. Enforced standards and regulations should not lead to the abolition of intercountry adoption, but the international standardization should prioritize the ethical framework that addresses the commercialization and lack of regulation. The United States has the responsibility in adhering to a regulatory framework that properly facilitates the thousands of adoptees that come into American homes

The psychology of morbid fascination: The role of spectatorship in executions, rubbernecking, dark tourism, and true crime consumption

This literature review examines the general idea of morbid fascination through the lens of spectatorship. The questions that this paper will attempt to answer and contribute knowledge towards are, “What is the psychology behind morbid fascination?” and “Why are humans drawn to the macabre?”. This paper will use a myriad of different sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles, personal accounts, documentaries, podcasts, and different studies from the psychological, criminal justice, and philosophical fields of study to very carefully review, report, compile, and add new theories onto the information provided. The sections discussed throughout will fall under four categories: Public Executions, Rubbernecking, Dark Tourism, and True Crime Consumption. The questions this paper will answer throughout its development in large are: What is the psychology behind morbid fascination? Why are humans drawn to the macabre? What are the psychological explanations, implications, and impacts of this fascination? This paper serves as a compilation of information as well as a foundation for future academic endeavors regarding morbid fascination

Investigating the relationship between intelligence and executive function through visual scanning strategies

Executive function (EF) refers to a set of cognitive processes responsible for higher-order thinking, behavioral regulation, and goal-directed behavior, while intelligence is considered a contributing factor to cognitive performance. Previous research has explored the relationship between these two constructs, but it has potentially overlooked the individual differences necessary for a comprehensive understanding of its complexity. This study aimed to investigate these individual differences in EF by employing novel eye-tracking methodology within a Go/No-Go task. We recruited 99 participants from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to complete an adapted Go/No-Go task and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Second Edition (WASI-II). We found that higher intelligence was associated with more efficient visual scanning strategies (i.e. fewer fixations and longer durations). Individuals who made fewer fixations and had longer fixation durations scored higher on block design, matrix reasoning, and vocabulary subscales in the WASI-II, and fixation duration significantly predicted intelligence

Elementary teachers\u27 perception of preparedness for the elementary science classroom

This dissertation explores the perception of preparedness among elementary teachers to effectively teach three-dimensional science lessons as advocated by the Next Generation Science Standards. A mixed methods approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative analysis was employed to gain a full understanding of variables that are related to teachers feeling prepared for the classroom and what aspects of teacher preparation and professional experience are areas of success or areas of growth in terms of implementing effective science instruction in a large school district in southeastern Tennessee. Findings revealed teachers completing a full semester of student teaching perceived themselves to be significantly more prepared for the science classroom than those teachers who only completed a partial semester of student teaching. Teacher experience, science methods courses completed, effectiveness of teacher preparation program, and science content knowledge were not shown to have a relationship with teacher perception of preparation for the elementary science classroom. Teachers identified several strengths in teacher preparation programs including firsthand experiences, exemplar professors, and courses designed around education students. On the other hand, weaknesses were identified in teacher preparation programs including limited science coursework, professor limitations, and overall limited preparation for the science classroom. Teachers identified weak preparation in three-dimensional, inquiry-based science in their preparation programs. Ideas to improve teacher preparation were highlighted including a need to focus more heavily on the new science standards, time to create science lessons with colleagues, more time to observe effective science lessons, and more opportunities to teach science lessons in the classroom. In the professional world, teachers identified more time to collaborate with peers, more effective professional development, and a rise in the importance of science teaching as ways to increase teacher preparation for the science classroom. These results indicate a need to revise teacher preparation programs and preparation in the professional world to increase student achievement in elementary science

Is the Light Triad really that light?: The Light Triad\u27s role in relationship savior complex

Light triad traits, such as optimism, empathy, and compassion, are theorized to be three main components of a prosocial and compassionate orientation. However, in romantic relationships, those qualities may encourage a “savior complex” in which one partner attempts to help, fix, or change their partner’s less ideal components. To study this, 106 participants ranging in age from 18 to 24 years old were surveyed about their light triad traits, helping/savior complex behavior, confidence as a romantic partner (i.e., self-efficacy), closeness with their partner (i.e., inclusion of other in the self), and perceived responsiveness toward their partner. As hypothesized, those who engaged in more savior complex behaviors were higher in light triad overall, Humanism, and Kantianism. Faith in humanity was not significantly correlated with the savior complex. Additionally, potential mediators of the light triad’s association with the savior complex were assessed. As hypothesized, perceived partner responsiveness was a significant mediator. However, inclusion of other in the self and self-efficacy were not. These results expand upon light triad and savior complex research and emphasize the potential downsides of a highly positive romantic partner. Limitations and future directions will be discussed

Extended program notes on works by Bach, Beethoven, Dett, and Liszt

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors Thesis consists of a sixty minute piano recital of advanced repertoire from the Baroque period through the 20th century, prepared over the course of the senior year. The Senior Piano Recital is a culmination of a course of study demonstrating an advanced level of musical proficiency. The thesis also contains extended program notes of the senior recital that occurred on April 3, 2025. The purpose of program notes is to engage the audience’s understanding and listening experience of the pieces to be performed and their composers. A recording of the recital will be submitted along with the Thesis. Chosen works were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Nathaniel Dett. The overarching research question was, “did writing extended program notes build my performance connection?” By writing a biography, analysis and performance suggestions from pieces such as J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, Well Tempered Clavier Book II, BWV 881, Franz Liszt’s Sonnetto 47 del Petrarch, Nathaniel Dett’s Magnolia Suite, and lastly Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110, I hoped to bring a conversational approach to the recital. Sonnetto 47 del Petrarch was chosen to represent the romantic period and demonstrate virtuosic repertoire as it connects to other pieces within a recital program. A Bach prelude and fugue was chosen to deepen my understanding of Bach’s use of polyphony in fugal textures. Magnolia Suite was chosen to firstly perform music by an underrepresented composer, and secondly to build a connection to a character piece through his thematic portrayals of poetry. Lastly, Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110 stands out amongst other pieces of its time due to its unconventional structure and expressive markings. Overall, every piece selected was selected with the intention that I would have a deeper appreciation for all these composers and their music. Visit this link for a full recording of the recital: https://youtu.be/VIyKl_YuN5k?si=xAd8qZa8TVc7Uv0

The induced path number of complementary prisms

The complementary prism GG of a graph G is formed from the disjoint union of G and its complement G by adding the edges of a perfect matching between the corresponding vertices of G and G. The induced path number, denoted ρ(G), of a graph G is defined as the minimum number of subsets that the vertex set of G can be partitioned into such that each subset induces a path. In this paper, we study the induced path number of complementary prisms of complete graphs, stars, paths, and cycles

Sexism in syntax: language and its relationship with female leadership

Despite a global trend towards more equal gender representation, not every country has improved at the same pace or to the same level. This study investigates language as a potential tool for better understanding the differences between countries regarding the presence of female managers. By using language as a tool, I arrive at two primary results: (i) pronoun drop is significantly and inversely associated with the presence of female managers, but gendered language structures have little association, and (ii) a gender intensity index can produce misleading results. These results suggest that language structures, such as pronoun drop, which are associated with collectivism, may also be associated with lower levels of female leadership in businesses. However, those language structures that directly emphasize sex do not make that much of a difference

Boxed in: prose poetry and transgender poetics

Though lived experience is essential to every poet\u27s work, transgender poetry especially must be filtered through the poet\u27s diet. The manifestation of this experience often results in cross-genre works, such as the prose poem. This thesis consists of a craft essay, in which contemporary queer poets and their genre-bending works are examined, and a creative portion, which emphasizes transgender experience and the prose poem