MANSFIELD, PA—Mansfield University Political Science majors Ariel
Faber, Colton Long, and Jason White presented papers at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association (PPSA), held at Temple University in Philadelphia on March 20-21.
The trio were accompanied by Associate Professor Jeffrey Bosworth and Assistant Professor Jonathan Rothermel, who also participated in the meeting.
In her paper, “Is Turkey Becoming the New Russia?,” Faber (Mansfield, PA) drew similarities between Russia and Turkey, which has increased censorship of the press in recent years. Turkey, which has enjoyed a reputation as a secular, Muslim democracy, is increasingly headed down the path of authoritarianism, she argued.
Long (Warrington, PA) incorporated field research, including interviews, he had gathered during a study abroad trip to Belize last summer to argue that systemic corruption threatens Belizean democracy. In his paper, “A Hundred Dollars and a Bottle of Rum: The Role of Corruption in Modern Day Belizean Politics,” Long offered recommendations to improve democracy in Belize.
White (Mansfield, PA), who had also been impacted by his study abroad experience in Belize, explored the topic of ecotourism. In his paper, “Ecotourism in Belize: Who Benefits?,” White sought to identify the winners and losers of tourism in Belize, especially in light of an increasing volume of cruise ship tourists. He argued that more Belizeans benefit from overnight tourists rather than cruise ship tourists.
Bosworth and Rothermel participated in a roundtable discussion entitled, “Globalizing the Classroom: Ecotourism in Central America,” where they shared their experiences organizing a short-term, study abroad to Belize last summer.
Bosworth also presented a paper on Chilean politics, “Curing the Authoritarian Hangover in Chile: An Assessment of the Diminished Authoritarian Legacy.”
Rothermel was a discussant and chair for an undergraduate panel on international relations.
This is the fourth straight year that Bosworth and Rothermel have accompanied undergraduates to the annual conference.
“Not only does this annual conference give our students the opportunity to showcase their research, but it helps to expose them to academic and professional networks,” Rothermel said. “Furthermore, it builds their confidence and gets them excited about research.”
To learn more about studying Political Science at MU, go to mansfield.edu/political-science