De Facto Redlining as a Challenge to Integration: A Case Study of Refugees in the Salt Lake Valley

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Clare Willardson and Dr. Gregory Thompson, Anthropology Department Introduction Approximately 1,200 refugees are resettled in Utah each year, adding to the 50-60,000 refugees (speaking more than 40 languages) accepted here since 1970. Ninety-nine percent of resettled refugees still live in Salt Lake Valley, the majority of whom are initially placed in West Valley and South […]

The Implementation of a Basic Income Guarantee

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Parker Rogers and Dr. Kerk Phillips, Economics Department The purpose of this project was to model the implementation of a basic income guarantee, by repealing all existing government benefit programs and implementing a monthly lump sum transfer to all working individuals in the US economy; we repealed and implemented these policies using our model in […]

Complimentary Medical Frameworks: Hmong Shamanism in France and Thailand

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Madison Harmer and Dr. Jacob Hickman, Anthropology Department Current social science literature outside of anthropology has attributed Hmong difficulties adapting to Western health care to their traditional healing practices, claiming that successful integration only occurs as the younger generation discards traditional beliefs (Franzen-Castle & Smith 2013). Ethnographic research conducted in France and Thailand refutes these […]

Is Loss Aversion Costing You Money?

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Tanner Eastmond and Dr. Joseph Price, Economics Department Introduction Loss aversion is a well-documented behavioral phenomenon originally proposed by Kahneman and Tversky (2013). The idea is that people value losses more than they do commensurate gains. Many researchers have examined the effects of loss aversion on an individual level, but many economists think that these […]

The Power of Perseverance: The Untold Stories of the Rwandan Genocide and Beyond

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Benjamin Passey and Dr. Leslie Hadfield, History Department Introduction The civil war in Rwanda and genocide that accompanied it are perhaps the most horrifying examples of brutality and violence displayed in the latter half of the twentieth century. The genocide, which is believed to have claimed the lives of more than eight hundred thousand Rwandans […]

The Relationship between Urban Tree LAI and Urban Heat

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Amanda Sheepherd and Dr. Ryan Jensen, Geography Department Introduction It is well known that urban areas are warmer than the surrounding rural areas, with various negative (though sometimes not immediately perceived) consequences for urban residents and the environment. As the world’s human population becomes increasingly urban, methods of mitigating urban heat become more imperative to […]

Social Integration and Emotional Regulation

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Kimberly Stevens and Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Psychology Department Introduction Midlife adults face a wide variety of physiological, emotional, and cognitive stressors that place them at risk for impaired physical health and longevity. Social integration—which includes high levels of social engagement as well as maintaining a diverse network of social roles—has been shown to protect against […]

Nationalism, Tribalism, and the Future of Women’s Rights in Iraqi Kurdistan

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Adena Moulton and Dr. Donna Lee Bowen, Political Science Department Introduction Iraqi Kurdistan refers to the mountainous region in northern Iraq, which is home to a majority of Iraq’s Kurdish minority. As a distinct ethnic group, Iraqi Kurds have consistently lobbied for greater autonomy and even independence. After the American invasion in 2003, Iraqi Kurdistan […]

Following in Your Sibling’s Steps: Sibling Influence and Emerging Adults’ Marital Attitudes

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Jenna Cassinat and Dr. Alexander Jensen, School of Family Life Introduction As individuals leave behind adolescence for adulthood, they suddenly encounter many decisions to make about their life and identity (Arnett, 2006; Schwartz, Côté & Arnett, 2005). Marriage is just one of the areas where they must determine what their beliefs and ideologies are. With […]

Child Malnutrition in the Philippines: Using Experimental Design to Understand Nutritional Supplement Adoption

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Marissa Miller and Dr. Scott Sanders, Sociology Department Introduction Liahona Children’s Foundation (LCF) is a faith-based community organization that seeks to “nurture the potential of children to lead healthy and productive lives by eliminating malnutrition and providing educational opportunities among LDS (Latter-day Saint) children and their friends”. They do this by providing health initiatives include […]