China's fertility decreased in the 1970s at a rate unmatched by any other population over a​ comparable period of time. However, the policies that contributed to this drop in fertility have​ had a number of unfavorable effects, particularly the financial and social burdens placed on​ Chinese families. Though the one-child policy which was initiated in 1980, the Chinese government wanted to stabilize the population at 1.2 billion by the year 2000. The plan was successful but created more negative outcomes associated with decreased fertility rates, preference for gender, and the value of human capital. Given these problems, in 2015 the government shifted its policy to demonstrate that when coupled with delayed childbearing, a two-child policy can be just as effective as a one-child policy in meeting China's macro demographic goals of population control while minimizing the financial and social burdens faced by families. The two-child policy will be less difficult to​ execute and would have fewer negative effects on society and the economy, even if it would be just​ as effective at reducing population size as the one-child policy.​

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The funeral rituals performed in Turkey, a majority Muslim country, include washing, shrouding, burying, and praying for the body. There are cultural customs such as preparing specific desserts after death, and there are Islamic customs that originate from the Quran which outline the process of washing the body, wrapping the deceased in cloth, and burying the body instead of cremating. These rituals that have carried through into the present-day hold significant meaning and purpose. Turkish people bid farewell to their dead with prayers, tears, and care. Death is the beginning of eternal life for Turkish Muslims. In Turkey, this transition to eternal life is marked by a set of somber and simple rituals that are a mixture of cultural and Islamic customs.

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Although today’s higher education institutions demonstrate greater diversity and have made efforts to make campuses inclusive of various cultural communities, the United States of America has long shown a history of racism against black students, particularly in the higher education system. Until the arrival of the 1950s and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement, schools throughout the country were not allowing black students. Historical trials, such as Sweatt v. Painter and Brown v. Board of Education (forced lawmakers to fully allow the integration of black students into education, further breaking educational barriers for black students within the country. Despite this, both systemic racism and interpersonal racism exist within the USA’s higher education system. My research will focus on interpersonal racism or individual racism, which is defined as biased response that occurs when individuals interact with others that are considered racially different than themselves.” and restricted to higher education system in the United States of America with a focus on black students. Academic success refers to GPA, test scores, succeeding in assignments. My thesis is, black students in the higher education system in the United States of America experience individual racism and isolation, which leads to mental illness negatively impacting academic success and education barriers.

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An increasing partisan divide may be explainable by existing neuro-physiological differences. This review aims to clearly define those neurological, physiological, and behavioral differences between conservatives and liberals and how those differences significantly influence an increasing partisan divide. Analysis of prior research suggests that differences in the neurology, physiology, and behavior between liberals and conservatives do exist. Recently conducted neurological studies demonstrate that a significant difference between the brain structure of liberals and conservatives is the increased percentage of gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex of liberals and the right amygdala of conservatives respectively. These disparities influence the physiological responses of individuals to stimuli, explaining certain policy positions while additionally providing insight into the behavioral differences between liberal and conservative ideologies. Liberals were found to be more apt at processing new information, while conservatives had an increased threat response to presented stimuli. These differences also included differing psychological needs and traits, such as cognitive flexibility, which influenced performance in non-political tasks in conjunction with neurological dispositions. Based on these findings,  predictions can be made as to the likelihood of a political group and the proclivity of behavior, such as engaging in political protest. In order to lessen the partisan gap, a public understanding of these differences is needed in order to appeal to a shared identity that may help minimize the negative effects of these differences.

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In mainstream knowledge, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) characterizes a love of Marie Kondo style cleanliness and organization. In reality, OCD involves intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsions that attempt to neutralize the anxiety these obsessions cause. The informal term “Pure-OCD” is not well known within the psychological community because compulsions are purely mental (OCD UK). 

According to The School of Life, a popular psychology YouTube channel, sufferers of Pure-OCD often latch onto fears that they wish to harm others because, “as a result of very traumatic… childhood relationships, they will have derived an impression that they did not deserve to exist.” They go on to state that “their current thoughts are not plans for the future, [but] attempts… to find a match between their… sense of self and what would be needed by their society to concur with it.”

This research paper attempts to corroborate this hypothesis by the School of Life by analyzing a correlation between OCD Symptoms and proneness to guilt, with a mediating variable of childhood trauma. 

Research has already been done on the association between guilt and OCD that involves physical compulsions. In a 2022 study on “Just Right” OCD, Zaccari et. al found that “OCI-R scores significantly and positively interact in the prediction of NJREs levels.” In other words, guilt is a significant predictor of “Just-Right” OCD. More research is needed to determine whether this association extends to less talked-about OCD themes. Pure-OCD sufferers don’t deserve to suffer in silence any more than they have been.

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In 1843, advocate Dorothea Dix started to bring attention to the way the mentally ill are treated in hospitals (Mantel 433). Unfortunately, mental health care did not continue to expand much past the 50s (Mantel 435). While funding was generally being cut back there were still extensive improvements being made in the type of treatments offered (Mantel 434). After the pandemic students in general felt more anxious, with younger students feeling more anxiety than older students (Pelucio sec 1). In more recent years, while research has continued to advance the type of treatment, there has still been major debate over how much funding should be allocated to mental health treatment (Mantel 428). The way to treat anxiety has been debated consistently over recent years with many disagreeing over how to handle the current mental health crisis (Mantel 428), and therefore, the causes of anxiety in college students should be further studied (Ismail et al. 2).

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In the United States, mass shootings continuously happen, yet methods of prevention remain largely underdeveloped (Philpott-Jones, 2018). This paper explores how implementing a system within the United States public school system to improve the identification and reporting of potential mass shooter warning signs, based on identified psychological traits and behavioral patterns seen in previous mass shooters, could help prevent further mass shootings from happening. This paper utilizes scholarly research papers on mass shooter traits and mass shooting prevention research, which illustrated a pattern of traits and behaviors often seen in mass shooters. The pattern of behaviors and traits includes specific traits such as gender and race, i.e., that mass shooters tend to be white and male (Sabella, 2014). Mental health disorders and childhood factors such as child maltreatment also serve as risk factors for committing a mass shooting or other extreme acts of violence (Bast & DeSimone, 2019). Furthermore, research indicated the lack of efficiency in prevention methods such as increased security measures and profiling, while highlighting the importance of prevention methods focused on ‘leakage’ of intentions (Borum et al., 2010). Other prevention methods that current research proved effective included training teachers, guidance counselors, and students, as well as utilizing anonymous reporting symptoms (Sandy Hook Promise, 2022). Based on this, school administrations and public officials are encouraged to further implement reporting systems and increasingly provide in-school training for identifying potential mass shooters through behavioral and psychological warning signs.

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Understanding the history of women’s rights helps in recognizing the initial understanding that women deserved rights over their bodies, work, and marriages. Before World War II, most laws were associated with pay, whereas the influence of postmodernism can be seen in how later changes reflected bigger issues and concerns (Glazer, 2006). Once World War II began in 1941, most men left to join the war, so the number of married women working in a workplace increased significantly, and this allowed women to have more financial independence (Masci, 2004). Being financially independent was very foreign to women, but they enjoyed it because it gave them so much freedom, which is what motivated women to fight for more rights. In 1969, women in California were able to file for a no fault divorce, which meant that they could divorce their husbands without stating a reason (Strow, 2006). This was a huge step forward for women’s rights because this gave women a sense of control over their own lives, which also motivated them to fight for rights that were not centered around the workforce. Fighting for these rights allowed current women to have control over their bodies and marriages, but it also opened up more job opportunities such as being able to work in a STEM occupation, which in the past were typically dominated by men. Therefore, understanding how the progression of women’s rights throughout history is important when looking at how women obtained the rights they have currently. 

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Sex education has traditionally followed the same format since it was first publicly supported and funded by the US government, with the main emphasis on abstinence and less on relationships, self-identity, and the benefits of contraception. However, research has shown that comprehensive sex education may provide students with an advantage as they are aware of what to expect of themselves and their relationships, which translates to performing well in academics. Comprehensive sex education that is also inclusive and culturally reflective will help students understand the complexities of strained relationships, such as the justice system’s impact on familial relationships. Some benefits of incorporating a comprehensive sex education course in the public school system earlier include (1) a greater likelihood of graduating high school and pursuing a postsecondary education; (2) regulating emotions and relationships with others; (3) a deeper understanding of one’s personal identity and social life; and (4) decreased teenage pregnancy, abortions, and STD rates.

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The idea of self-driving cars has been prevalent in both the 20th and 21st centuries, and has been put into practice using the most advanced technologies of the times; however, progress towards fully autonomous vehicles has been hindered by repeated failures and the resulting safety concerns. Existing safety standards and policy for autonomous vehicles are inadequate, and require more federal oversight. Problems with existing laws that need to be addressed include: (1) the unpredictability of the technology (Surden and Williams 121-181), (2) the lack of proper legislation, especially at the federal level (Roth 1411), and (3) what happens if/when people are injured or killed (Beale 215-248). Many legislators in Congress continue to be frustrated by an absence of legislation on driverless vehicles. For example, earlier this year, twelve Senate Democrats sent the Secretary of Transportation, which pressed him to develop legislation and reiterated the potential benefits of the technology. Both sides of the political aisle share the frustration with a lack of results caused by their inability to compromise.

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The advancement of technology has allowed for increased exposure between cultures furthering the modernization of traditional architecture to become increasingly minimalist. The dominant expansion of these trends has changed the expression of culture through architecture, decreasing the cultural identity of many countries significantly. 

This has been accentuated in Mcdonald's and their recent restaurant’s architectural designs in comparison to their older designs. The company had previously been known to reflect the culture of the area in which they were based, however their recent new minimalist business plan is changing this. In this paper, I look at data expressing how the world is changing due to minimalism's popularity and how it is affecting the beauty of everyday objects. This paper will explore how culture is being diluted through the loss of architectural differences around the world focusing on McDonalds’ new minimalist business plan. 

Minimalism has caused cultural expression to be and continue to be heavily reduced, and is resulting in countries that traditionally had polar styles to begin to house an increased amount of similarities. 

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Modernism built a strong belief in scientific innovation (Hobsbawm 294) whereas postmodernism both opened space for more innovation, but also was skeptical of it (Hobsbawm 245). For example, the use of embryonic stem cells (ESC) has been very controversial, and has been since the very beginning (Clemmitt 707), often resulting in rejection (Clemmitt 707).  In terms of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), they have gained popularity over the past couple of years in the research community (Bhartiya 15), and, while many stem cell research options are available (Clemmitt 707), iPSCs have the most positive benefits out of all (Foo 2; Hulburt 707). Furthermore, this notion that cells could be compared to the value of human life did not exist before the 1990s (Clemmitt 707). Therefore, the embryonic stem cell type of research has not been favored by all and has caused issues with federal funding (Clemmit 699-712). Stem cell research on induced pluripotent stem cells offers numerous positive benefits for future scientific discoveries: (1) fixing damaged organs (Bhartiya 15), (2) flexibility of the cell (Hulburt and Robert 707), (3) creating new medicines and vaccines (Starling 1), and (4) lowering healthcare costs (Foo et al). The postmodern push against science while also moving it forward has also been reflected in popular culture, continuing the controversy as science is both popularly absorbed and rejected.

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Vaccinations are vital to the health of the pediatric population.  Vaccines have been regarded as one of the most effective medical advances in history. They have been especially beneficial for infants and small patients. It is of utmost importance that youths are vaccinated because they are at higher risk of infection through common diseases because of their weakened immune systems. Diseases that once ran rampant around the world and decimated entire populations, are now preventable from an early age. In fact, vaccinations are beginning earlier than ever before. It has become common practice to vaccinate infants in today’s society, and it is becoming increasingly important to do so. 

There is an urgency and importance of the pediatric population receiving vaccinations.  The research has shown that this has been demonstrated by: (1) strengthening their immune systems (Zerr 523), (2) lasting throughout childhood and into adulthood (Johnson 6), (3) pediatric vaccines prevent outbreaks from occurring in schools (Hinman 123), (4) preventing once fatal diseases (De Serres 3), (5) being very cost effective (Mora 2), and (6) reducing the symptoms of diseases (Radwan 27). Vaccinating the most vulnerable population of society has endless benefits and although many of the diseases that are vaccinated against are no longer an enormous threat to the pediatric population, it is important to use the technology available to prevent a resurgence or outbreak in order to protect the newest generation. 

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Young women are at a heightened vulnerability for developing an eating disorder, and those who participate in an aesthetic sport are at more risk. This research poster will analyze and evaluate the most significant factors that lead to the development of anorexia athletica in young female athletes. To obtain the factors that lead to this eating disorder, numerous articles were assessed defining the variables of the project. It was found that one's support system, the type of sport they are participating in, and social pressure have the highest impact on a young women’s vulnerability to anorexia athletica. The support system including coaches and parents concluded that a coach had a more significant impact on how an athlete saw their body than a parent. Additionally, if the sport is an aesthetic sport, they are more vulnerable to acquiring an eating disorder due to the preexisting value of an athlete's body image. Lastly, pressure from your peers as well as the media has an impact on a person's likeness. When coaching and parenting within this age group, there should be an awareness of the factors and the heightened vulnerability of getting anorexia athletica. This is especially when coaching or being a parent of those in aesthetic sports, as there is already an emphasis placed on their body, they should be wary about additional comments, and promotion of leanness. Additionally, methods and strategies to increase self-esteem and decrease stressors can be put in place to reduce vulnerability and promote bodily healthiness.

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Over the past few decades, along with unprecedented societal unrest and division, increasingly more colleges and universities have had to address student-initiated movements. Today, activism has become synonymous with college students as more and more political incidents have occurred locally and nationally. The influence of higher education and college experiences cannot be denied, as they allow students to escape marginality and be exposed to other cultures and identities, requiring them to continually re-examine their original identities and the values of their respective circles. Respectively, this research investigates the factors that contribute to college students' political activism and how their engagement affects their identities. The findings of this research imply that minoritized students' feelings of marginality are found to inspire their activism and drive them to improve society through political activism. Further findings discuss how social media and the spreading of activism beyond geographical boundaries led students to become more engaged in their activism work, feeling its trajectory and impact. The interviews and inquiries cited in this research suggest that the relationship between identity and activism is bi-directionally related where both can impact each other. Aside from motivating students' political activism and engagement, their identities could also be reformed and adjusted based on their level and form of activism. This research can be used in further investigations and studies that consider the extent to which college students influence political movements and feel responsible for their success.

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Studying how the brain learns is a cornerstone of psychology—what if psychologists pushed the limits of learning, teaching the mind to absorb information in half the time? Despite being just as practically consequential as the method of learning, psychologists often neglect to study the speed of learning. Through the examination of three experiments and one cognitive model, this research presentation examines how speeding up audiovisual material (time compression) affects comprehension and attention. In general, time-compressing audiovisual material barely decreases comprehension and attention. More interestingly, for those who have prior knowledge of the time-compressed material, comprehension negligibly decreases, and attention increases. On another note, the skill of understanding time-compressed material can be trained. Even short exposure to time-compressed material increases comprehension by a significant factor. The cognitive model of multimedia learning suggests three ideas that relate to these findings: first, there is a speed limit to our comprehension of time-compressed material, second, whether the material is audio or visual makes no practical difference to comprehension, and third, prior knowledge of time-compressed content dramatically increases comprehension. A final finding demonstrates this research’s importance—levels of perceptuomotor processing and executive function are correlated with comprehension of time-compressed material, suggesting that aside from saving huge amounts of time, learning to understand time-compressed material may also increase cognitive function. The larger implication of this research is that the brain can learn, and the brain can learn to learn, at a faster rate than most people realize.

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The brain signal, readiness potential (RP), traditionally associated with volition and voluntary movement, argues against free will by implying that our conscious decisions do not cause our actions. Instead, the brain activity bringing about the action known as RP initiates before our will to take action and is responsible for our decision. This body of work, through the analysis of peer-reviewed journals, evaluates the validity of this brain signal and whether it can be interpreted as evidence against the existence of the free will. The results show that comparing the RP signal before self-initiated and externally-stimulated actions, the RP signal occurs only prior to self-initiated actions and not before the externally-triggered actions. This result is in alignment with RP as a marker of volition. However, a recent computational model challenges the traditional interpretations of RP. This model could account for the readiness potential and defines RP as the average of random, spontaneous fluctuation of neural activity rather than a specific brain signal. Furthermore, results from experiments measuring RP signal before arbitrary and deliberate choices indicate while RP was found before arbitrary decisions, there was no RP before the deliberate choices. There is a need for more research on deliberate decisions to determine if RP signals can be generalized to deliberate choices to evaluate RP's role in our free will. It is also suggested for future research to find out if there is a causal relationship between the RP signal and the upcoming action since the research is still not certain which model best explains RP. 

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Early childhood intervention can mean the difference between developing cognitive and motor disorders and growing up with proper skill readiness. Since the pandemic started, there has been a noticeable difference in children's mental growth. By looking into cognition and muscle stimulation, this research could be used to shed light on what exactly it is  that is causing such a noticeable stunt in growth. Apart from children, research suggests that they are not the only age group being affected by lack of stimulation both mentally and physically. Various scientific articles have found that elderly people aged 60 to 90 have also experienced a decline in cognitive and motor mobility. This research was conducted by analyzing peer reviewed scientific journals and articles. Goal oriented play has shown to improve cognitive thinking and has also done a great job at promoting motor skills in children. The continued use of stimulating activities has been shown to improve cognition in older age groups as well. This goes above and beyond to show that continued use of stimulating activities greatly impacts one’s ability to maintain their mental and physical mobility. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic escalated caregiver anxiety, insecurity, and depression, increasing an infant's vulnerability to shaken baby syndrome. A lack of open daycare and educational institutions has compounded this risk for chronic abuse. Chronic abuse is further presented in preterm infants because their biological mothers are more likely to engage in substance/alcohol abuse and perinatal distress; this leaves the infants with increased proneness to multi-generational abuse. Preterm infants had a higher likelihood of their incidental abuse being interfered with because of increased medical checkups. However, this protective factor has diminished due to lessened visits to medical offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Peri-pandemic, the number of abuse presentations in infants decreased while there was an increase in hospitalization for shaken baby syndrome, signifying that worsened presentations resulted from the pandemic. It was found that preterm infants, males aged 4-6 months, and infants aged 1-2 months are at most risk for shaken baby syndrome's long-term effects, with COVID-19 initiating a greater risk. To reduce the probability of shaken baby syndrome, medical practitioners can assign the SNOO smart crib, which emphasizes features targeting the Happiest Baby Method to people of the proposed abusive-susceptible populations. There are many gaps in the body of literature that fail to target connections to chronic and incidental shaken baby syndrome along with connections to the proposed factor of COVID-19. This research aims to initiate further research regarding the effects of chronic vs. incidental shaken baby syndrome so that vulnerability can be identified and addressed before abuse occurs.

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False or misleading information can further polarize society resulting in misinformation and the potential formation of false memory. The damaging influence false or misleading news has on the formation of false memory is made clear and individual behavioral changes are necessary to decrease the effects. This review aims to identify the factors resulting in misinformation and false memory concerning political events and the relation of those factors to partisan differences. Analysis of prior research suggests that individual factors in conjunction with social factors influence the proliferation of misinformation. Recently conducted studies demonstrate that memory is extremely susceptible to false news stories and such susceptibility is exacerbated by the influence of social media on the individual, determined by how engaged with social media said individual is. The spread of such misleading information is most common within ideological echo chambers which result in decreased exposure to conflicting, corrective information. Personal knowledge and interest in a particular topic protects one from that susceptibility as the false or misleading information in question is vulnerable to greater scrutiny as a result. Furthermore, misleading stories are found to be more effective if such stories are aligned with the ideology of the reader. Individual attributes including analytical reasoning and logical decision making decrease susceptibility to false memory and research suggests such attributes may correlate to increased gray matter in particular brain regions which may be associated with ideological proclivities. Further research is necessary to determine if such individual attributes correlate to neurological differences resulting from ideological differences.

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There has been surprisingly little focus on the importance of adolescence as a sensitive period for romantic and sexual development. Romantic attraction is the distinct feeling someone feels and receives from their significant other, leading to why the brain picks up on specific features. Romantic attraction can be influenced by one's family background and acquired taste depending on who they grew up with. Parents affect their children by setting up rules on who they can date that impact a child's life. The brain is drawn towards certain things in people's outer characteristics and specific features that first catch your attention. Similar to physical attraction and natural brain development further explains why the brain is drawn to different parts, and everyone has different types. Romance attraction in a race is widespread due to the amount of access someone has to see other people. Romantic attraction is a social class prevalent with the "gold digger" theory and the standard of being financially compatible and living lavishly. Romantic attraction needs a location to determine the following access someone has to the swimming pool fish. The area has expanded like ever with social media and online dating. With the increased availability of long distances due to better technology, location has significantly decreased as a factor determining whether somebody will choose a mate. The results have substantially opened the dating pool, as online dating now allows for an expansive reach of potential mates. 

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The inevitable has happened: a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. So we give up right? Life will never be the same, so you might as well throw in the towel now. Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease that affects 300 lives per day. However, the quality of said life doesn’t need to be a low one. So what can improve this quality of life? Through the implementation of psychological intervention in treatment of MS patients, can we slow the progression of white matter brain lesions? Through an analysis of academic journals in the fields of psychological intervention and CBT, presence of white matter brain lesions in MS patients, as well as the effects of stress on them, this poster highlights the methods used to come to the following results. As a result of the research found within the academic journals, it can be argued that psychological intervention has a direct effect on the progression of white matter brain lesions in MS patients. As a result of the above conclusion, a revision of the crucial components to a treatment plan for all MS patients is suggested.

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As the key source of most Americans’ political knowledge, the right to free media is essential. According to the New York Times, a well-crafted lie will get more engagement than typical, truthful content and that some features of social media sites and their algorithms contribute to the spread of misinformation. Since freedom of the press is a crucial First Amendment right, actions taken to restrict the media have often been seen as political oppression and silencing. Using a grounded theory framework, this research examines the advantages and disadvantages of social media regulation, noting that, despite the importance of the First Amendment, the spread of misinformation has many harmful impacts. These harmful impacts include: (1) the platforms’ potential to spread misinformation (Dukes 5), (2) inciting violence and harmful rhetoric (Siripurapu and Merrow 5), (3) impeding democracy (Ehrenberg 22), (4) risking public safety (Marechal 15), and (5) impacting the First Amendment (Langvardt 1364). The opposing argument against social media regulation is its impacts on the First Amendment rights given to the American public through the Constitution. However, as clearly found in my research, the establishment of online and social media regulation within the United States is essential. While the two arguments are in strong opposition, both believe that the resulting information users gain from social media should be the same. Clearly, the development of more structured, law-oriented online and social media regulation within the United States is essential to the wellbeing of the country’s institutions and wellbeing. 

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Since the 1990’s when the internet began to become mainstream in some places, it has only continued to grow in accessibility and popularity. With the rise of internet usage has come the rise of internet communities, forums, and platforms where people spend hours of their time communicating with others. In these communities, specific “slang” words have formed, being known as chatspeak, netspeak, or internet slang. Some words or phrases have become widespread to the point that many average people have a general knowledge of their meaning, even if they are not often online. This paper takes into account both anecdotal and study-based evidence to determine whether prolonged usage of internet slang affects people in their every-day life. This paper will focus on people who speak the English language, and it will focus specifically on changes in reading comprehension, writing skills, and spoken language. Because of slightly conflicting evidence from multiple perspectives, there is a bit of ambiguity to the effect that internet slang has on people. But overall, it can be noted that internet slang plays a role in changing people’s daily writing, speech, and reading comprehension, but it likely will not have an extreme effect on changing the standards of the English language overall. 

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As music becomes a globalized practice, music — especially cultural music — has become increasingly molded both by its perceptions from its own culture and outside cultures. In order to explore this phenomenon, this research study seeks to explore the Western interest in and adoption of the shakuhachi (An end-blown bamboo flute traditionally used in spiritual pieces) and Japanese spiritual music as a whole. This study draws from ethnographic data from the University of Queensland and the wider academic discussion around the shakuhachi’s role in both Japanese and American societies, as well as supplementing this data with a comparative analysis of traditional shakuhachi music. By exploring the instrument’s history, its unique instrumental characteristics, and the cultural and spiritual meaning it has acquired over time, it was found that the instrument's deep associations with Japanese history, culture, and religion act as significant motivators for its Western adoption. While the instrument’s appeal is in part due to its unique aspects as an instrument, like its tone-color and shade, its Western adoption is ultimately motivated by Western individuals’ search for authenticity, independence, and freedom in a culturally non-Western setting. Music is an act of self-expression, and so it naturally lends itself to be a catalyst through which to explore different cultures. These instances of cross-cultural music not only give central insight into the deeper cultural, religious, and musical values of the individuals and societies that drive cross-cultural music, but also reflect what an increasingly globalized world may look like in the 21st-century.

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The Israel-Palestine conflict, which was first amplified in the turn of the 20th century, quickly became a source of violence and power struggles that spanned many decades and fundamentally changed the history of the world. This conflict has brought on the deaths of millions of people and became one of the biggest political struggles of modern history, with one of the centers of this struggle revolving around religious sites and monuments. These places and monuments that hold sacred values within Christain, Jews, and Muslims have been historically and culturally important for several centuries and millennia. These holy sites of worship and prayer have been important sites for pilgrimages, withstanding and protected structures that have shaped culture and witnessed the turn of many centuries in their time. However in recent years, the Israel-Palestine conflict has become a massive struggle on a geopolitical scale, with both sides turning towns and cities into battlefields in a war of religious conquest. Important holy sites have become points of contention, justifications for more conquests and struggles, which has been a threat to their existence as they become inherent sites of war. The Israeli-Palestine conflict has threatened cultural and religious sites that are important to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The implications of losing these sites would cause people of these religions to lose access to important religious monuments that symbolize important events in their faith.

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During the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese immigrants came to Southern California in order to seek refuge. When the Vietnamese population originally arrived in Southern California, they were not welcomed and seen as outsiders. Therefore, they received a lot of anti-Asian discrimination because people were unfamiliar with their culture since it was very foreign to them (Rutledge, 1992). However, after the war ended and more Vietnamese immigrants arrived in Southern California, people began to embrace their culture, which led to the decrease in anti-Asian discrimination they received. However, in 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, people began to blame Vietnamese Americans for the spread of this virus, which lead to a spike in the anti-Asian discrimination they received. During the pandemic, the Vietnamese Americans received a lot of verbal and physical hate such as being called stereotypical names, being mocked, having their shops destroyed, and even being beaten (Tessler, 2020). These acts caused Vietnamese Americans to feel unsafe and anxious while living in Southern California during this time because they feared that they were going to be attacked due to the pandemic being blamed on them. Altogether, during the COVID-19 outbreak, anti-Asian discrimination within the Vietnamese community in Southern California increased significantly.

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Iraq was once the pioneer of science and technology since early Mesopotamia and the Islamic Golden Age. In Mesopotamia, the invention of writing witnessed many types of sciences developing such as chemistry and zoology (Speiser), while in the Golden Age of Islam science and mathematics prevailed with the development of algebra and even encryption (al-Khalili). The discoveries of writing, science, and mathematics of these eras led to the modern world’s current technology. The health of society and the government impacts the progress of science, yet can also hinder advancements. As such, this paper will look into the history of Saddam Hussein’s reign and his impact on technological progress, along with the tech companies, specifically ICT (Information Communication Technologies) companies, that developed rapidly in the country after his reign (Majeed). Currently, based on UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) research, about 60% of Iraqi youth don’t have the digital skills that they need in this era (UNICEF). In addition, while the tech industry is developed in many sectors today, the International Organization for Migration outlines the issues that keep the industry from developing further, such as finding skilled employees (IOM). This research paper aims to understand the history and contributions of Iraq and technology, the current state of the country, and the solutions to remedy this problem; by a growing technological industry, having better education, and allowing for a progressive society.

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From microscopic cells to large functioning organisms, our ability to reproduce and replicate these living organisms is endless. While we are only in the beginning stages of regenerative capabilities, the advancing field of genetic engineering is paving the way for the future capabilities. By altering the genetic makeup of humans, scientists have been able to develop techniques and advanced processes that create countless possibilities for the treatment of diseases as well as the birth of children (Fenech 1). Stemming from basic theories, the field of genetic engineering has evolved to a point today where scientists are able to artificially engineer certain human traits sparking multiple moral conflicts within this field of medicine (Gregg 61).

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For over a century, Arabs have struggled with success, perceptions, stereotypes, and negative connotations in Hollywood. The first problem is that Arabs have a lack of success and fame in Hollywood despite being successful in Arabia, specifically Cairo. The second problem is American perceptions after 9/11. The third problem is that Arabs are given stereotypical and offensive roles. The fourth problem is that Arabs are used as political tools and symbols. The fifth problem is that Arabs are constantly associated with terrorism and war. These aspects will be explored alongside the ideas and influence of Postmodernism, especially through the analysis of The Sheik.

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Based on preliminary research, social media has been used to satisfy the people’s desires for social interaction (Kim 8) and further popularized by content creation (Uddin 8). In today’s society, the use of social media has skyrocketed with prominent postmodern influences, making it the number one activity for adolescents online. It is important to understand the effects of social media because exposure to it at a young age is becoming more normalized. Using a grounded theory framework, this paper examines the positive and negative effects of social media, noting that, although used daily, social media can have many negative impacts on youth development. These include: (1) mental health (Abi-Jaoude, Naylor, and Pignatiello 137; Gunita and John 197), (2) unhealthy body image (Himanshu, Kaur, Kaur, and Singla 568), (3) addiction (Larson 229), (4) cyberbullying (Gunita and John 197; Mitchell 7), and (5) privacy concerns (Mitchell 7). The film Not Okay by Quinn Shephard is analyzed for postmodern influences and the harmful effects of social media. While there is a clear acknowledgment of the negative impacts that social media has on youth, in order to solve the issue, we need to inform our youth about the potential risks and dangers that may come while being active on social media sites. 

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Today, over 46% of American households own a dog. Originally, animals were used for their products; however, over time, their purpose changed. Historically, a dog's benefits have been demonstrated throughout a wide variety of fields, including nursing, psychology, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and many more. Additionally, the importance and benefits of having a pet dog has been underscored by a wide range of research and study over the past few decades. According to the research, dog ownership causes a number of positive changes in the owner’s wellbeing. This suggests a massive change in: (1) mental health (Wijker et al. 2153), (2) reading/comprehension abilities (Lane and Zavada 87), (3) verbal/social interactions (Morris 1), and (4) physical health benefits (Rijken 373).  Furthermore, postmodernism’s influence on our perceptions of dog ownership can also be seen in Lasse Halstrom’s film while also examining concepts of gender and reincarnation. The research finds that it is beneficial and important that individuals adopt canine companions. Maybe you should consider improving your mental and physical health today?

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