Digital Commons Network^™

Intercorrelations Between Essentialist Beliefs And Religious, Political, And National Identities, Truman Deree

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Research on essentialist beliefs has largely focused on a few identities associated with biological traits that have socially constructed significance and meanings placed on them (e.g., skin color for race or voice pitch for gender). Identities that are more choice-based (e.g., religion or politics) or otherwise non-physical (e.g., nationality) have been underrepresented in research on essentialism. The concept of essentialism is important because the action of regarding natural biological factors as immutable and determinant has been found to lead to racial and political discrimination. The current study surveyed participants on their national, religious, and political beliefs to investigate the relationships …

Volume 5, Issue 2 (2022) Migration, Community, And Environment During A Pandemic

International Journal on Responsibility

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of College Student Support Toward Colin Kaepernick’S National Anthem Protests, Brooke Coursen, Nicole Peiffer, Sakira Coleman, Philip Lucius

VA Engage Journal

Racial discrimination and inequality have perpetuated within the U.S. since its inception. In 2016, Colin Kaepernick initiated the national anthem protests to oppose the oppression of people of color in America. This study was developed in 2018 to identify social determinants of health underlying discriminatory beliefs and behaviors. The objective was to investigate the impacts of college students’ race, gender, political ideology, socio-economic status [SES], NFL interest, patriotism, and general protest support on support for the national anthem protests. We administered paper-and-pencil surveys across locations on the James Madison University campus using a convenience sample. There were 408 participants included, …

Volume 5, Issue 1 (2022) Migration, Community, And Environment During A Pandemic

International Journal on Responsibility

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Good Host: A Beginner’S Guide To Learning Deliberative Civic Engagement, Kevin L.D. Leaven

VA Engage Journal

This article examines how Deliberative Civic Engagement (DCE) is used as a public engagement process to invite disjointed cultural communities into a shared space to engage in democratically inspired dialogue. Dialogue is sought in DCE events because it encourages reflexivity and allows for collaborative ideation processes. Collaboration among differing groups demands that DCE events are open enough to be influenced by the immediate concerns of the participants involved. In addition, openness and vulnerability are required to support deep level thinking and connection between heterogeneous identities represented.

Kevin L.D. Leaven is a recent graduate of the James Madison University’s graduate program …

Indigenous Language Revival: The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project As A Case Study In Indigenous Identity, Representation, And Place-Based Knowledge, Kyle Woodward

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Indigenous societies face issues related to cultural preservation, representation, and declining autonomy in resource and land management. For most indigenous groups, native languages serve as the medium through which culturally unique identities are expressed, and allow a highly contextualized environmental knowledge base to be passed down intergenerationally. Native language preservation therefore facilitates the overall survivability of an indigenous group’s culture, traditions, and collective knowledge. Unfortunately, many indigenous languages today are in danger of extinction or have already been lost. The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project serves as a prominent example of native language revival in the United States. Wampanoag progress in …

"Expanding That Story": How Nonprofit Leaders Portray The Populations They Serve, Sarah Koth

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

This paper examines how nonprofit leaders talk about the populations they serve, specifically financially disadvantaged populations in food pantries and homeless shelters. Previous literature exploring the nonprofit sector considers volunteers and their experiences, although leaders set the tone for the organization’s language, and ultimately the quality of service. Five nonprofit organization leaders from different organizations participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews that lasted between 36 to 72 minutes. Questions inquired about their average workweek, their contact with clients and volunteers, and how they break stigmas about their clientele. Findings suggest that nonprofit leaders consider their clients as individual cases, and their …

Hackers And The Dark Net: A Look Into Hacking And The Deep Web, Danielle Lefrancois, Christina Reilly, Russell Munn, Andy Strasel, Jess Garcia, Lindsey Chiles

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The dark web is notorious for the illicit activities it facilitates, including human trafficking, narcotics and weapons sales, and illegally obtained information transfers. In order to combat this constant, invisible threat to security, governments and experts have called for tougher legislation and increased surveillance. But on the opposite end of all this crime and villainy lie persecuted groups who use the dark web and the anonymity it affords to protect themselves from retaliation. This article uses Atavist’s digital storytelling medium to explore how hackers “hack” the web, ethical questions surrounding the dark web, and policy solutions to cyber security.

The Birds And The Bees: The Impact Of Parent-Child Communication On Adolescent Sexual Health, Hannah Adams

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Having “the talk” with children can be difficult and uncomfortable. However, recent behavioral research indicates that having this conversation, and having it often, is important for raising sexually healthy adolescents. This paper provides an overview of the literature surrounding the role of parent-adolescent communication in the development of sexually healthy young adults, including benefits for LGBTQIA+ youth. The findings suggest that non-judgmental parental communication can encourage condom use, delay initiation of intercourse, and reduce mental health issues arising from a perceived lack of support for sexual choices.

What Is My Role In This Situation? A White Girl’S Perspective In Ferguson, Mo, Samantha N. Shepherd

VA Engage Journal

This paper is a self-reflection about white privilege after a service experience in Ferguson, Missouri in 2015. The paper draws on excerpts from a journal kept during the service experience in Ferguson and juxtaposes them with scholarship and news articles about privilege and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“That Sucks?”: An Evaluation Of The Communication Competence And Enacted Social Support Of Response Messages To Depression Disclosures In College-Aged Students, Daniel Vieth

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Recent communication research on depression has focused on which response messages are most effective in providing emotional comfort to depressed individuals during depression dialogues. This study investigates the impact that a confidant’s initial response to a disclosure has on the disclosing individual, a key moment of dialogue for those with depression. It examines the relationship between the communication competence of responses to depression disclosures and how individuals rate those responses’ enacted social support, hypothesizing that the higher the communication competence of a confidant’s response (where competence reflects the effectiveness of interdependent communication), the more enacted social support the discloser will …

Breaking Down Walls, Building Cross-Cultural Relationships, Jonathan H. Bukowski

VA Engage Journal

Challenges for young men and women entering the workforce upon college graduation are dauntingly intimidating. Major forces driving against success are very often connected to miscommunication, inter-cultural differences, and misperceptions about contrasting values and beliefs. A very simple and exciting way to learn and build strategies for overcoming these obstacles is choosing to study abroad during college. However, I argue that one should go a step further and make the courageous choice to volunteer while abroad. Not only will students build confidence in their ability to minimize cultural conflicts and issues, but they will also uncover the true cultural norms …

Case Study: The Bosnia Project, Anna Mahalak

VA Engage Journal

The purpose of this report is to critically examine William & Mary’s longest running student-run service trip. The Bosnia Project has sent William & Mary students to Bosnia each summer since 1998 to run a summer camp focused on teaching English with a partner Bosnian non-governmental organization (NGO). This collaboration with NGOs in Bosnia has changed and grown over time to adapt to the needs of Bosnian youth and take advantage of new technology. As the Bosnia Project enters its fourteenth summer, the following history and context for the project, as well as an exploration of results and opportunities for …

Narrowing The Digital Divide: The Young Women Leaders Program Herstory Project, Stephanie Newton, Emily Peters, Victoria Tucker, Christine Quilpa, Edith Lawrence, Clare Vierbuchen

VA Engage Journal

Research suggests that girls are at especial disadvantage in the field of informational technology and are less likely than boys to take courses or seek out careers in this area. The Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP), a mentoring program at the University of Virginia that pairs at-risk middle school girls with college women for a year of mentoring, developed the YWLP HerStory project to engage middle school girls in informational technology through their development of technology projects focused on psychosocial issues of importance to them. This study reviewed an early version of the YWLP HerStory’s technology curriculum and training for …