This thesis investigates the long-standing legal, environmental, and cultural battle over communal land rights in San Luis, Colorado, the oldest town in the state and home to descendants of Spanish and Mexican land grantees. Centered on the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, this paper explores how a community with deep cultural and ancestral ties to the land has resisted efforts by wealthy private landowners to restrict access to La Sierra, a highland a communally used tract historically used for cattle grazing, firewood collection, and recreational activities. Through an analysis of historical documents, legal cases, interviews with community leaders, and field research, this paper traces the conflict from its colonial origins in 1844 through the ongoing litigation efforts in 2025. It considers how American property law, which is built around individual ownership, has failed to recognize culturally rooted forms of land stewardship, effectively undermining the rights promised by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to the settlers. This paper also addresses rural gentrification, analyzing how the privatization of natural resources by billionaires has pushed out locals and threatened to erase the traditions that have kept this community alive. By combining policy analysis, philosophical inquiry, and firsthand perspectives, this thesis proposes a culturally sensitive framework for land governance that respects historical claims, protects the ecological integrity of the land, and supports sustainable coexistence between private owners and community members. The story of San Luis is more than a land war; it is a testament to cultural resilience and a model for addressing land injustice throughout rural America.

Despite progress in gender equality in international political spheres, women remain underrepresented in diplomatic institutions, particularly in societies where traditional gender norms remain influential. This thesis explores the progress made towards gender equality in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of South Korea and Japan, drawing on interviews with diplomats, public statements, policy reports, data sets, media coverage, and government websites. Through a comparative analysis, it explores the extent of gender disparities in diplomatic leadership, the historical and institutional barriers sustaining these gaps, and the effectiveness of existing policies aimed at fostering gender inclusivity. The findings indicate that South Korea achieved gender parity in diplomatic recruitment nearly two decades earlier than Japan, yet promotion rates have been rising at a similar pace for both countries. As more women enter mid-level positions, it remains uncertain whether a glass ceiling will hinder their advancement to senior leadership. While the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries have made strides toward gender inclusivity, deeply entrenched cultural expectations limit the impact of institutional policy reform. This thesis situates its analysis at a pivotal moment when women are approaching the threshold mid-level leadership, and the coming decade will be critical in determining whether structural barriers persist at the highest levels of diplomacy. This thesis concludes with policy recommendations to promote female representation in South Korea’s and Japan’s diplomatic corps, strengthening diplomatic effectiveness and contributing to more inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding efforts. As one of the few studies examining gender representation in non-Western diplomatic institutions, this research contributes to the growing call for globally representative scholarship in international relations.