The DePaul University Honors Program is proud to present the twelfth annual Honors Research Conference. Thank you for sharing in our celebration of Honors undergraduate research.
2026 Honors Senior Thesis Abstracts
Honors students have the option to fulfill their Honors Capstone requirement through a thesis project of their own design, mentored by two faculty members. The following students will present their Honors Senior Thesis at the 2026 conference.
Jameela Askira – The Good, the Bad, and the Sexy: The Crimesplotiation
of Male Anti-Heroes
This thesis investigates the resurgence of vigilante anti-heroes in modern America and situates it within the historical context of Gilded Age vigilantism. By comparing the political, economic, and social inequalities of both eras, the project examines how contemporary social media has reshaped public responses to political violence. Central to this study is the sexualization of male vigilantes which shifts discourse from their motives to their appearance, diminishing discourse surrounding underlying systemic issues. Through interdisciplinary analysis of psychology, sociology, history, politics, and pop culture, this thesis explores how hybristophilia and digital desensitization diminishes public understanding of modern vigilante motives and societal implications.
