Queen's Graduate Projects
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Students who contribute a research project, master's essay or major research paper rather than thesis in fulfillment of their degree requirements, may submit these works to the Graduate Projects Collection. Submissions are limited to officially registered Queen's University graduate students.
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Item Art, Archaeology, and the Museum: The Place and Value of Classical Antiquities in the Capitoline Museums, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Acropolis Museum(2024-12) Stringer, Ceilidh H.Through three case studies, this research project examines sample groups of classical antiquities in modern museums: their collection in conjunction with the formation of the museum, their display and valuation as part of an inherent narrative, and their interpretation as artistic or archaeological objects. The case studies evaluate classical antiquities from the collections of the Capitoline Museums of Rome, Italy, the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, Canada, and the Acropolis Museums of Athens, Greece. The antiquities provide insight into the development and function of each museum, as well as the role of classical antiquities within the formation of national identities for the three modern museums and countries, which is demonstrated in the way that each object is valued and interpreted by the museum as either art or archaeology.Item Lessons in Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement(2024-10-25) Della-Latta, JessicaAs a leader I have learned many valuable lessons. In this final project I share five personal stories of lessons in leadership. There are some core themes that repeat in each story such as transparency, inclusivity, curiosity, collaboration, communication, and trust. In my first lesson I learned that leaders need to be willing to compromise, listen to others, and understand the importance of relationships over personal or professional objectives. In the second lesson I learned the importance of understanding the intentions of others and that trust building is a deliberate process. It takes commitment to having difficult conversations, staying curious and giving your most generous assessment. In my third lesson I learned that you cannot always seek input from the people that will be most affected by a decision or a change, no matter how much you want to. Transparency is crucial to effective leadership, but transparency does not mean sharing every single detail with every person. It means providing the context for the decision. The fourth lesson taught me to slow down and that nothing is more important than the trust that you build with your team members. My final lesson taught me the value of bringing team members in to build competence, succession plan, and mentor. In my introduction, I chose a definition of stakeholder engagement that resonated with me the most from Italian researcher Edouardo Crocco (2022) “Stakeholder engagement (SE) is a social learning process where diverse stakeholders share a common vision, mission, and values in aligning institutional practices with societal expectations toward sustainable goals” (p. 1). As I conclude this paper and reflect on my learning, I alter this definition. My own definition of stakeholder engagement is engaging others from all levels of an organization as much as possible to include different perspectives on decision-making underpinned by values, trust, and curiosity.Item Inclusive vs. Exclusive: The Impact of LGBTQ Representation in Ads on Brand Attitudes and Purchase Intentions(2024-10-16) Liu, ZeyuanThis project examines the brand-related outcomes (e.g., brand attitudes and purchase intentions) of advertisements that feature both opposite-sex and same-sex couples, compared to ads that feature only opposite-sex or only same-sex couples in isolation. Across two experiments conducted with both heterosexual and LGBTQ respondents, we also explore the psychological mechanisms that may underlie the effect of ad type on brand outcomes. Specifically, we test whether perceptions of brand inclusivity and feelings of social acceptance mediate the results. We also examine several moderators, such as the centrality of sexual orientation in self-concept, attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals (for heterosexual participants), and disclosure of sexual orientation (for LGBTQ participants). The results indicate that mixed ads featuring both same-sex and opposite-sex couples increase perceived brand inclusivity and feelings of social acceptance, and lead to more favourable brand outcomes only compared to ads that feature exclusively opposite-sex couples, but not compared to ads that feature exclusively same-sex couples. Moderation analyses show that mixed ads perform better than ads that feature exclusively same-sex couples only for heterosexual individuals who hold less positive attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. These results contribute to both identity and advertising literatures and offer managerial insights to marketers about LGBTQ representation in advertising.Item Stoics Against Coddled Minds(2024) Biezenski, MaximilianAncient Stoicism has enjoyed a steep rise in popularity in recent decades, both inside and outside of the academy. A few scholars have briefly offered reasons as to why, such as increased interest in virtue ethics, and the ease with which Stoic ethical maxims may be accessed and memorized through short, digestible quotations. This paper not only collects data on the observable phenomenon of Stoicism’s resurgence and current popularity and details the available, and plausible, arguments as to the cause, but it also argues for a new and significant part of the story. Stoicism’s popularity comes, in addition, as a reaction to current dominant values of extreme safety, that is, safetyism, the view that safety, both physical and emotional, is sacred and overrides all competing concerns. On analysis, the arguments of Stoicism are shown to be antithetical to the arguments of safetyism. Given that the current cultural popularity of Stoicism entirely regards the philosophy’s teachings on ethics and emotions, given the evidence of growing dissatisfaction with safetyism and the search by many for alternatives, and given Stoicism’s stronger philosophical position, I argue for a causal connection between Stoicism’s popularity and the distaste of many for safetyism. Detailing safetyism, I draw heavily on the cultural diagnosis of Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, in their book The Coddling of the American Mind (2018). Some examples of safetyism include the creation of “safe spaces,” the concept of “microaggressions,” and the censorship of speech, which all seek to remove causes of distress rather than strengthen individuals. The authors argue that, though with good intentions, these practices and values do more harm than good. Arguing instead in favour of the practices of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which has direct philosophical roots in Stoicism, I utilize some of the author’s arguments in demonstrating Stoicism’s stronger philosophical position. Stoicism and CBT both operate on the premise that if emotional distress is caused by perception and judgment, then a remedy lies in altering perception and judgment. Furthermore, they both argue that we are strengthened by stress and challenge, not weakened. CBT is already widely successful in treating emotional distress, and many are finding that Stoicism, too, offers a preferable alternative system of values to those of avoidance and suppression of the external world. As a final consideration, I also investigate the question of why Stoicism is more popular among men.Item Development of Special Education Policy in Ontario: A Policy Analysis(2024-09-20) Jovanovich, SarahThis research project investigates the comparative policy discourses of Ontario’s Learning for All (2013) and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Special Education Plan (2023). By analyzing these documents’ policy themes, the study deepens the understanding of the policy implementation process from the provincial level to the school district level while developing understandings on the historical, political, and socioeconomic contexts that shaped these policies. This research highlights the role of key English Public School policy stakeholders and their advocacy in the special education policies. The research informs the creation of a product which is a practical resource for teachers supporting students with special needs: Teacher Guide for Supporting Students with Special Needs. The research identifies policy themes within the two documents, and includes their definitions, goals, and strategies for special education. Both documents emphasize inclusive education, equity, accessibility, and the importance of differentiated instruction, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and tiered interventions. The alignment of these themes suggests a coherent approach to special education policy between the provincial and the district level in the English public board in Toronto. Additionally, the research explores the influence of historical legislative reforms, political advocacy, and socioeconomic factors on the development and implementation of these policies. The findings note the complex interactions between provincial guidance and local adaptation, highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement in the policy-making process. This research asserts that for special education policy and practice there is a need for consistent approaches that balance provincial directives and local needs. The product of the Teacher Guide for Supporting Students with Special Needs translates policy principles into practical classroom strategies to promote inclusive education and supporting the diverse needs of students.