Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Infinity Wars: Post 9/11 Superhero Films And American Empire, Peter J. Bruno

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the last two decades, superhero films have accounted for some of the most popular and financially lucrative films of all time. This thesis analyzes some of the aesthetic and ideological dimensions of various superhero films following their post 9/11 boom. Beginning with America’s response to the events of 9/11 and a subsequent retreat into a Manichean world of good versus evil, I introduce the term “empirical reality” in order to account for the ways daily American life is shielded from the worst effects of U.S. foreign policy. On screen this manifests by perpetuating the myth of the “clean war” …

Watch! Captain Marvel (2019) Free Movie Putlockers, Kepin Tampans1

Captain-Marvel-us

No abstract provided.

[123movies] @!Watch [Captain Marvel] 2019 Online Free Download, Kepin Tampans1

Captain-Marvel-us

Batman's Animated Brain(S), Lisa Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Presentations

Much of the analysis of Batman’s brain – whether by scholars, writers, or other comic characters – focuses on his psychological make‐up. That is, what makes Bruce Wayne psychologically motivated to be The Batman? His childhood trauma is often poised as the answer, the tireless pursuit of “justice” in an attempt to regain control from the trauma of his parents’ murders (Sanna 2015). The same could be said for his nemeses. Madness, psychopathy, and insanity are centered in the corrupted minds of Gotham’s ghastliest, some of whom have also had psychological or physical traumas (Langley 2012; Lytle 2008). A psychological …

Superheroes, Safety, And Social Policy: Induced Levels Of Physical Security May Produce Greater Liberal Policy Preferences, Jacob Berggren

Honors Theses

Preferences for conservative policies are thought to be, at least in part, the result of experiencing a more threatening world, and consequentially preferring to avoid, rather than approach, new information or situations (Hibbing, Alford & Smith, 2014; Jost, Federico, & Napier, 2013; Shook & Fazio 2009). In addition to explaining how policy attitudes may be formed, this recent research has helped to explain why attitudes may be more responsive to external influences (or manipulations) than previously thought, especially in regard to political attitudes such as ideology and partisanship. Therefore, as feelings of safety are increased, and feelings of threat are …

The Superhero Inside: Exploring The Minds Of Ourselves And Our Superheroes, Briana Craig

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Superhero Inside is a research-based, non-fiction novel that connects elements of psychology to the concept of superheroes. There are seven chapters that explore a range of topics, including why we are fascinated by villainous characters and how superheroes represent (or misrepresent) diverse groups of people.

Effect Of Female Superhero Body Types On Parasocial Relationships, Perceived Homophily And Self-Esteem Of College Women, Ashe C. Cleveland, Michael John Farzinpour, Alyssa Aroz Vega

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines how exposure to female superheroes’ body images increases the strength of parasocial relationships, perceived homophily, and level of self-esteem that female college students experience. Three images of female superheroes were manipulated into round, muscular, and hyper-thin body types. Eighty-one students at a west coast university were randomly assigned to view one of three images of the female superhero. After viewing the images, the participants were asked to answer three Likert scales to determine the strength of parasocial relationships to the superheroine (bonds with the character), perceived homophily (perceived similarity), and self-esteem. The results of the study indicate …

Superheroes And Social Action: Reproduction, Recurrence, And Recognition In The Superhero Genre, Max M. Renner

Open Access Theses

Rhetorical genre analysis examines genre as social action and is primarily concerned with the experiences of individual users (Miller, 1984). The genres that rhetorical genre scholarship takes up are typically functional genres or genres in which individuals have direct means of utilizing and modifying a genre. This focus on functional genres makes sense in terms of the tradition’s interest in user experience and reciprocity. This project seeks to examine the potential implications rhetorical genre analysis has for vernacular genres which, for the most part, have remained the domain of literary scholarship due to their focus on structural, formal elements.

This …

"Yeah? Well, My God Has A Hammer!": Myth-Taken Identity In The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jeff Massey Ph.D., Brian Cogan Ph.D.

Faculty Works: ENG (1995-2016)

With box office returns of well over a billion dollars worldwide, The Avengers (2012) clearly struck a chord with audiences beyond Marvel's loyal comic book fan-base. The script is tight, the action intense, the production values high, and the casting stellar, but are these elements enough to warrant the insane popularity of one superhero film amidst a Hollywood landscape already saturated with spandex-clad do-gooders and four-color villainy? As many film critic has lamented of late, we currently live in an age of superhero cinema. Combined, the "Big Two," Marvel and DC, have overseen more than 30 live-action superhero films featuring …

Turning The Page: Fandoms, Multimodality, And The Transformation Of The 'Comic Book' Superhero, Matthew Alan Cicci

Wayne State University Dissertations

Superheroes are increasingly becoming more affiliated with film media than comic books. The amount of revenue generated, the formation of new fans, and the interests of comic publishers’ parent companies all suggest that superhero film adaptations are the medium most associated with the superhero character. Such a monumental shift in the distribution of superheroes—comic books were long the dominant medium of superhero characters—is indicative of ongoing media convergence practices; the success of these contemporary adaptations, from 1998 on, have not only caused the filmic superhero to eclipse the comic one, it has inevitably led to a rewriting of superhero comic …

The Death Of Captain America Represents The Failure Of The American Dream, Dimas Anggara

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

American Dream is a concept that plays an important role in the American history and its society. The main values of the American Dream are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. These are represented in Captain America, carrier of the spirit of America to the world. Captain America, the main character in a comic, also preserved the values in the American Dream, so it is proven that there is a relation between Captain America and the American Dream. The problem is that there are changes in the way people see the concept of the American Dream today. It is because …

Hubungan Kekuasaan Pada Tokoh Superhero Dan Supervillain Dalam Film Iron Man 3 (2013): Sebuah Kajian Tematik, Marco Alexandro Tobing

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This research discusses how superhero and supervillain characters in the fi lmIron Man 3 (2013) shows a power relation as a form of superhuman superiority. The power relation that occur through the confl ict between characters are seen as an establishment of social stratifi cation among superhuman and normal human / society as cultural study. This study is conducted thematically through characterizations analysis method by comparing the defi nition and ideology on the superhero and supervillain in superhero characters, Iron Man and the Iron Patriot, and supervillain character, Mandarin. This study aims to fi nd the root of power relation …

It’S A Bird! It’S A Plane! It’S A Gender Stereotype!: Longitudinal Associations Between Superhero Viewing And Gender Stereotyped Play, Sarah M. Coyne, Jennifer Ruh Linder, Eric E. Rasmussen, David A. Nelson, Kevin M. Collier

Faculty Publications

Although content analyses have found that superhero programs in the media portray strong gender stereotypes of masculinity, little research has examined the effects of viewing such programs. In the current study, 134 mothers of preschool children (from the Western and Northwestern United States) reported their child’s superhero exposure in the media, male-stereotyped play, weapon play, and parental active mediation of the media at two time points (1 year apart). Results revealed that boys viewed superhero programs more frequently than girls, with nearly a quarter of boys viewing superhero programs at least weekly. Analyses revealed that superhero exposure was related to …

Truth, Justice, And The Critique Of Globalization In A Mexican Superhero Parody, Bruce Campbell

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

When The Abyss Looks Back: Treatments Of Human Trafficking In Superhero Comic Books., Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Superhero comic book characters have historically engaged issues of social concern. From Superman’s opposition to the Ku Klux Klan in 1947 (Bowers, 2011) to Captain America’s acceptance of a gay soldier in 1982 (Witt, Sherry, & Marcus, 1995) to Batman’s stance against landmines in 1996 (O’Neil, 1996), stories involving superheroes have frequently demonstrated a developed social awareness on national and international problems. Given that the audience for superhero characters is often composed of young people, this engagement has served as a vehicle for raising understanding of issues and as tool for encouraging activism on the part of readers (McAllister, 1992; …