Joseph Stalin used cultural censorship to motivate the government as a collective to continue enacting his oppressive policies during his reign in the Soviet Union, subsequently demotivating the general population’s resistance to such political actions. The rhetoric in Stalin’s speeches are observed to have a relationship with the features of censored and approved music after the implementation of his first two Five Year Plans (1929-1940). The difference in compositional elements based on government approval following Stalin’s implementation of the first Five-Year Plan was hypothesized to illustrate the use of musical censorship to maintain power. Findings reveal a reduction in elements that emphasized individuality and experimentation and an increase in those associated with militarism (straight rhythms, homophony) and regimentation (decreased interval complexity, syncopation, and dissonance). Both speeches and song lyrics used distancing rhetoric between the rulers and the ruled, elevating the government’s efforts, distinctively elevating Stalin as the head of state, and collectivizing the general population subject to the government’s leadership. The alignment between Stalin’s rhetoric and musical censorship over the course of the first two Five-Year plans illustrates how autocratic regimes manipulate culture to enforce regimentation and expand their control of society.

Indigenous people in post-Independence India, known as Adivasis, have been displaced from their land, thereby resulting in significant cultural and communal loss. Based on the work of development scholars, it is clear that mining projects and industrial expansion have led to the dispossession of tribal people but these academics tend to have a very narrow definition of land loss. Therefore, this paper explores dispossession through land loss that is deeply connected to Adivasi culture and analyzes the ways in which this has been resisted through various methods. This research stands at the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and political struggle to demonstrate the ways in which Adivasi women, in particular, have stood staunchly against patriarchy inherent within their communities and dominant Indian society as well as government induced violence against tribal people. Through analyzing resistance efforts such as the Naxalite movement which is labeled as violent by the government to the Chipko movement which is embraced by global ecofeminists, the study proposes a more nuanced approach to the ecofeminist movement that values the diverse experiences of Adivasi people and thereby reframes the global Indigenous movement.

What is a maternal healing space? There is not a one-size-fits-all answer that encompasses the various cultural, ethnic, racial, and ancestral histories of Black communities. So why do international organizations continue to write global policy and guidance that can’t be contextualized to specific communities? This thesis will use case studies, a literature review, interviews, and participant observation from doula trainings to develop a framework for creating global policy within the World Health Organization (WHO). The global policy framework will address creating maternal healing spaces using community-engaged research, critiquing the 1987 Safe Motherhood Initiative co-led by the WHO. The framework is intended to be a guideline for implementing more inclusive global policy, shifting the future of how international organizations create global policy. Furthermore, it expands on the important work of doulas and how they can support Black mothers and birthing people find healing in the perinatal (prenatal, birthing, and postpartum) process.

The humble potato crop has historically been recognized for its essential contribution to nutrition and the fight against hunger. In recent years, development projects have promoted potato farming as a great solution for socioeconomic development in developing countries. My research question is to what extent can potatoes be used as a tool for sustainable development in Sri Lanka? Having used a literature review and identifying key challenges in the development of Sri Lanka, I conclude that with adequate policy implementation and investment, the potato could serve a vital role in the sustainable development of Sri Lanka. I assess the relevance of the potato in an environmental and social context. I outline current initiatives to improve potato farming in other developing countries and evaluate the likelihood for successful implementation in Sri Lanka.

As Türkiye rises to become the third largest exporter of television content globally, Turkish television dramas (dizis) have become a powerful tool of cultural soft power, increasingly finding their way in Latin American households. While past research has explored the link between Latino audiences and dizis, little research has compared the impact of traditional, state-regulated network formats with newer streaming Turkish shows–which Turkish scholars note are more progressive and politically daring–on this existing international audience. While streaming dizis offer higher production value and diverse themes, preliminary findings from survey responses suggest that Latino audiences continue to prefer traditional network dramas. These network dizis, characterized by their slower pacing and emphasis on family values, appear to offer a familiar “emotional rhythm” that resonates with viewers. Respondents cite moral clarity and extended emotional arcs as reasons for their preference, and streaming content is viewed as less emotionally immersive or culturally resonant. This preference challenges assumptions about the universal appeal of streaming content and suggests that Western standards of “good” television may not always align with what international audiences find meaningful, highlighting the continued power of conventional storytelling in cross-cultural media exchange. These findings show how media globalization, cultural translation, and shifting audience expectations shape a country’s global influence through television.