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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Logos And Ethos: Heroism And Social Bildung In China, Jiarui Bai Jun 2022

Logos And Ethos: Heroism And Social Bildung In China, Jiarui Bai

Heroism Science

This article explores how heroism is constructed in China’s sociocultural context of values. It identifies a sociocultural novel, film, and heroic TV program as a mechanism for producing heroism for Chinese society. Furthermore, it explores the heroic principles that are generated by these media and how they inform expected actions in China. The article thus argues that the construction of Chinese heroism embodies specific representations of the expectations of humankind, a kind of “governing by worth” in heroism science. The function of these representations, forming heroic idols, could therefore help individuals become heroes with logos and ethos in pathos, subsuming …


There Goes My Antihero: How Wendy Byrde Broke Bad, Melissa Vosen Callens Apr 2022

There Goes My Antihero: How Wendy Byrde Broke Bad, Melissa Vosen Callens

Heroism Science

Despite the increase of male antiheroes in popular culture, the number of female antiheroes is sparse, particularly when female characters are romantically involved with male antiheroes. There are several reasons for this disparity, partially which can be explained by affective disposition theory. First, female characters are rarely given agency and adequate backstories. Second, in order for female characters to be antiheroes, they typically must challenge gender role stereotypes, especially as they pertain to motherhood. Finally, they are often treated poorly by other characters in the series. All of these reasons have a profound effect on how audiences perceive female characters …


Monomyth Or Monogamyth? Polyamory’S Conceptual Challenges To The Hero’S Journey, James K. Beggan Jul 2020

Monomyth Or Monogamyth? Polyamory’S Conceptual Challenges To The Hero’S Journey, James K. Beggan

Heroism Science

In the context of polyamorous relationships, a unicorn can be defined as a single, bisexual woman interested in forming a relationship with a heterosexual couple. Heroism scholars have suggested that the hero’s journey (or monomyth) can be used as a framework for understanding everyone’s life. By extension, it would be possible to frame the search for a receptive unicorn as a hero’s quest. Unicorn hunters are stigmatized by the general public for challenging the monogamyth, i.e., the monogamy norm. They are also criticized by the polyamorous community for privileging their own interests ahead of those of the women they are …


On The Downside Of Heroism: Grey Zone Limitations On The Value Of Social And Physical Risk Heroism, James K. Beggan Jul 2019

On The Downside Of Heroism: Grey Zone Limitations On The Value Of Social And Physical Risk Heroism, James K. Beggan

Heroism Science

Implicit lay views of heroes are overwhelmingly positive and do not focus on the potential problems that may result from heroic behavior. Similarly, a rarely challenged assumption of heroism research is that heroic behavior represents a social good that should be rewarded, encouraged, and even taught. Yet it is not difficult to demonstrate empirically that heroic behavior, regardless of how well intended, can backfire and hurt, rather than help, the would-be helper, the target of helping, and third parties in the background. By extension, training programs that promote heroism can be of questionable value to the extent that they encourage …


Monomyth, Transformation And Inspiration: The Hero’S Journey In The Extreme Fitness Exercise Infomercial, James K. Beggan Jul 2018

Monomyth, Transformation And Inspiration: The Hero’S Journey In The Extreme Fitness Exercise Infomercial, James K. Beggan

Heroism Science

The monomyth or hero’s journey is often described as containing the stages of journey, transformation and return. Less attention has focused on a fourth stage, called inspiration, which discusses how the hero can then motivate and mentor a new generation of heroes. The present paper describes how the success stories of people profiled in extreme fitness infomercials can be understood as conforming to the structure of the monomyth. The way in which the infomercials document how the success stories can also be used to motivate and mentor future heroes illustrates the role of inspiration as the final component of the …