As a student of both Religion and International Relations, I am intrigued and perplexed by the presence – or absence – of sanctity within international systems. My senior capstone, which I conceived of and researched myself, studies the Tlingit potlatch and its use of the sacred in international relations between the Sitka Tlingit Nation and the Russian Empire (prior to 1867), as well as the United States government (after 1867). Using secondary sources, the anthropological and historical work of Dr. Sergei Kan, and definitions of the sacred as discussed in the works of Mircea Eliade, I ask several questions to evaluate international relations theory. Firstly, what is the sacred and how does it connect us? Secondly, how was the sacred used in the Tlingit potlatch, and how did the Russians and Americans differ in their interactions within this space? Finally, how might a closer look at the potlatch help me understand one form of Indigenous international relations and how can the use of the sacred challenge assumptions made by predominantly white western international relations theorists? The Tlingit potlatch served as the primary space for international relations through the prescribed roles of “host” and “guest.” My research has led me to conclude that the Russian Orthodox Church leaders accepted their role as guests, thereby maintaining their sovereignty and the sovereignty of the Tlingit, and by extension, preserving international relations between the two groups. American Presbyterians, however, sought to conquer and control Tlingit sanctity, effectively dissolving the potlatch, Tlingit sovereignty, and the possibility of maintaining international relations between the communities. With these discoveries in mind, I ask, “What might Tlingit Elders tell us about how to conduct international relations, and what do we do with that?” By asking this question, I attempt to elevate Indigenous voices in the field of international relations and revolutionize the ways in which international diplomacy is conducted by allowing space for empathy, sanctity, and trust.

Years before the major events that are tied to the New Left in American collective memory, Bay Area college students’ protests against the House Un-American Activities Committee garnered national media attention for their perceived radicalism in the face of the federal government. Student protesters’ altercation with police at San Francisco City Hall in May of 1960 became a turning point at which the Old Left, New Left, and McCarthyism converged, providing valuable insight into the transition of broad leftist activism from union-based to direct action protest. Through secondary sources including histories of early student protest as well as student newspapers, government publications, supporting organizations’ communications, and oral histories from participants, I construct a timeline of the challenges early student activists faced. This critical angle centers how these protests’ complicate the historical understanding of the university as the postwar institutional mediator for left-wing protest and radicalism, thereby revealing the disparities and power relations between students, professors, and administrators in the pursuit of their respective political agendas. This perspective, therefore, challenges the prevailing notion of universities as a natural partner of progressive social movements by emphasizing the institutional obstacles and inadequacies that restrict student political activism and expression.

 In recent decades, scholars of fascism have increasingly studied how concepts of identity enable and constrain violent political movements. Building on that work, this paper outlines how the Nazi propagandist and ideologue Alfred Rosenberg portrayed a rigid conception of German identity in order to justify his fascist political project. By reading several of Rosenberg’s published books, articles, and his diary to explicate his conception of identity, I suggest that creating a “New German Man” was central to Rosenberg’s calls for Nazism. I argue that Rosenberg built a systematic fascist philosophy out of a series of binaries that were designed to avoid intellectual engagement, thereby preventing criticism and allowing him complete control of the definition of “German.” Thus, this presentation argues that Rosenberg’s conception of Nazi identity as well as the philosophical system he built to justify such a conception of identity are key to understanding how logic and propaganda have been used to enable fascist violence, which allows us to better understand and address harmful ideologies. 

The representation of genocide in the post-conflict period is paramount in shaping public opinion and, in turn, providing relief, aid, and justice for the victims. Two common forms of representation of violence in genocide are statistics and the memory of survivors. Data and statistics add a viewable representation in graphs, tables, and charts. However, data and statistics can be manipulated and changed to suit one's biases. One of the most prevalent forms of memory in post-genocide periods is testimony. It can be intensely personal and can provide narratives for oppressed people during the conflict. However, testimony can be altered by trauma and memory of the witness and can be influenced by an interviewer. This presentation explores the delicate balance of memory and statistical representation in a post-genocide period, primarily in the Guatemalan Genocide. It contains an analysis of data on victims that was collected by the Guatemalan police during the genocide, widely published testimonials, and personal stories about the genocide. A mix of testimony and data representation can provide additional and nuanced insight into violent conflicts and help to create a peaceful and just society. Considering testimony and data together instead of completely separate entities fits with established and proven genocide prevention efforts.

The international failure regarding humanitarian relief during the 1994 Rwandan genocide has been the topic of many research endeavors. From the lack of response of the United Nations (UN) to the limited media coverage, international actors continually dismissed the genocide in Rwanda as unimportant primarily due to a lack of interest in the country itself. While much of the existing literature focuses on UN documents and humanitarian aid worker testimony, this paper posits that survivor testimony is a source of largely untapped authority regarding the depth and human cost of the failures of the international community to respond to the genocide in Rwanda. Utilizing survivor testimony, this paper explores the extent of the failure of the international community to respond and the broader dehumanization of Rwandan victims during and since the 1994 genocide. The deeply personal perspectives of survivor accounts highlight three distinct failures: 1) the failure to prevent the genocide and subsequent atrocities; 2) the lack of justice brought to the perpetrators; 3) the lack of care and aid given to survivors in the years following the genocide. Survivors are acutely aware of the lack of intervention during the genocide and the enduring lack of aid and attention due to the lack of international interest. Their testimony speaks to the real human cost of the failure to intervene, as well as to ongoing fundamental institutional weaknesses in the international community today. This study thus ultimately suggests that survivor testimony has healing and perhaps even preventative potential.

The convergence of technology and the built environment has exposed a cyber-physical world that is susceptible to security breaches. Internet of Things (IoT) device systems—networked computing devices that are embedded directly in objects and interact with or sense the environment in some way—are becoming increasingly incorporated into the physical world around us. Examples of IoT device systems range from surveillance cameras to smart thermostats; these systems can serve as valuable nodes through which information flows or as useful tools that can make decisions based on data. However, they also bring about security concerns and vulnerabilities that have implications for humans and the physical world. One such concern is for privacy. IoT device systems can collect both personally identifiable and aggregate data—sometimes without the knowledge of the data subjects—raising privacy concerns. Through our research, we ask: How does the framework of privacy theory apply to IoT in the built environment? In particular, we will examine conceptions of privacy across different fields to determine where IoT devices in the built environment fit into this framework. To do so, we will analyze academic, legal, and governmental literature and outline the most widely accepted conceptualizations of privacy. We will then apply these ideas to the case study of testing dorm wastewater for COVID-19, which utilizes IoT device systems in the built environment. Finally, we will discuss our findings on how the system’s role in the built environment affects privacy. Results will contribute empirical data on cybersecurity practices and incite discourse surrounding the privacy threats of IoT devices in the built environment that collect aggregate, and not personally identifiable, information—a field that is not yet emergent. Ultimately, our work could have implications for regulations on IoT in the built environment, as we strive to add a new perspective to the discussion on technology and privacy.