Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Diegetic Purpose Of Humor In Superhero Media, Ella Ramsey

Honors Projects

Superheroes draw fans in with their fantastic powers, but also their humanizing personalities. Humor is one such trait often used to endear viewers of superhero media to the title characters. However, why do these characters maintain their witty personas and cheerful nature as they fight against evil? This question may seem to have a few simple answers, but there is a lack of research explaining the in-depth psychological reasoning for humor in the context of a superhero’s reality. This study investigates the multiple roles humor can play in a hero’s development as a human being. By studying the psychology of …

Table Of Contents Vol 10(1) May 2025

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Vol 10(1), May 2025

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

American Letters: Loren Eiseley

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

Except from: The Bird and the Machine, The Immense Journey (1957)

Why Are The "Dones" Done? How Can Faith-Based Institutions Provide Spiritual Care For Them? A Qualitative Analysis Of Group Interviews Conducted With Disaffiliated College Students, Falon Opsahl Barton, Rachel Collins

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This research study explores how emerging adults who have disaffiliated from a Christian tradition understand faith, articulate why they are “done” with the church, and want to receive spiritual care. Part one of this article overviewed the existing research on emerging adult spirituality and explored the results of a quantitative survey with college students at a Protestant Christian university. This article explains the qualitative portion of the study, in which the researchers conducted group interviews with college students who identify as being “done” with church. This article then provides an analysis and suggested application of the results of this study. …

Who Are The "Dones" And Why Does It Matter? An Overview Of The Research And A Quantitative Study Of Disaffiliated College Students, Falon Opsahl Barton, Rachel Collins

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Based on the personal and professional experience with college students at a Protestant Christian university, the researchers designed a research study that explores how emerging adults who have disaffiliated from a Christian tradition understand faith, articulate why they are “done” with the church, and want to receive spiritual care. This article is part one of a two-part exploration of the results of this study, which triangulates data points for a deep understanding of emerging adults who are “done” with church. Part one overviews the research on emerging adult spirituality and specifically the trend of religious disaffiliation among 18-29 year olds. …

Embracing Unified Diversity: The Church’S Life-Giving Witness In A Divided World, Laura Callarman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This article contends that the church’s call to embrace diversity and creative contextualization are essential to its faithfulness to the gospel. The church flourishes through varied expressions of Christian discipleship shaped by cultural contexts, and rather than striving for uniformity, it should embrace this multiplicity as a reflection of God’s nature and mission. By engaging different ecclesial traditions with appreciation, Christian communities can foster unity amid diversity, engage opportunities for growth, and enrich their witness. Ultimately, the article invites a renewed commitment to love, humility, and mutual learning, calling the church to embody an alternative story of reconciliation and hope …

Everything But Wrestling: How Women Wrestlers Perform Dominance, Lauren Gherman

Anthropology Honors Papers

Women’s wrestling continues to grow at the high school level, with more young girls joining the sport each year. Yet, as more women join wrestling, a heavily masculine sport, questions about gender preintimation on women’s teams arise. This study asks three questions about the role of gender on women’s teams: 1) Does an individual’s gender identity, in a heavily gendered sport like wrestling, factor into the development of team culture? 2) What, if any, forms of gendered socialization emerge as women enter wrestling? 3) In what way are women socialized because of their gender? Data was gathered via interviews, in …

Blerds Of A Feather, Nerd Out Together: Exploring Sociological Intersections Of Black Identity And Nerd Culture, Nikki Keating

Research Symposium

Black nerds, or “Blerds,” exist at the intersection of nerd identity and Black racial identity. In recent years, however, Blerds have built communities and events that celebrate both aspects of their identity. However, mainstream (predominantly white) nerd culture and societal stereotypes of Blackness often position these identities as conflicting, leaving Blerds to navigate a unique middle ground. This study explores how Blerds embrace both identities despite these tensions. Based on semi-structured interviews with 18 self-identified Blerds, the research examines how they negotiate their racial and nerd identities, how other identities intersect, and how they challenge norms around race and nerd …

Take Me Home? Understanding Refugee Resettlement Knowledge On The Wvu Campus, Kaitlin Stewart, Dylan Gay, David Olchowoj

CRC Research Symposium

Studies find that knowledge about refugee resettlement plays a significant role in the willingness of communities to accept refugees. Knowledge about refugees and refugee resettlement plays a significant role in other factors that shape refugee acceptance such as perceived ethnic threat. Perceived ethnic threat, or the belief that an ethnic group poses a threat economically, socially, or culturally to another, contributes significantly to a host community’s willingness to accept and care for refugees. This perceived threat escalates as federal governments use refugees and migrants as scapegoats for acts of violence and terror and blur the lines between refugees, asylum seekers, …

Establishing The Creative Network: Wv's Arts Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project, Mckayla R. Braun, Domenica Queen

CRC Research Symposium

The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts’ (TFA) the fellowship for the arts is an art foundation committed to nurturing the next generation of artists by providing a comprehensive support system designed to promote both creative and professional development. Through its fellowship program, TFA provides artists with access to critical resources, including financial literacy education, mentorship, and structured opportunities for artistic and professional growth. Recognizing that creative talent alone is not always sufficient to sustain a long-term artistic practice, TFA’s mission is to equip fellows with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive both within and beyond the studio. As part …

“Every Mother A Missionary”?: The Vlogs Of Mormon Mothers, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) places high expectations on mothers because their role in the church is to rear children into godly adults. When their lives are made public through social media, Mormon mothers online avoid religious expectations by withholding information about their Mormon faith and scarcely showing their husbands on-camera. Mormon husbands are expected to be the providers for the family, but as demonstrated through mothers’ vlogs on Instagram, husbands’ erasure allows for mothers to market their expertise to others as a paid product to earn their own revenue. Through descriptive coding, this study …

Writing Skills: The Essentials, Gina Braun

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Writing Skills are an essential component of communicating and develop over time. It does not matter the intention of writing, it is a skill used daily, and we must prepare our students to have the adequate skills they will need to function as writers. Writing skills taught in school are focused on academic writing, which should transfer and generalize across settings. Writing skills take on different forms with a variety of levels of importance. The necessary writing skills needed include; the writing process, which is supported by, mechanics, writing for a variety of purposes, and finally, building technological skills.

What The Uk Can Learn From India About Trans Rights And Inclusive Feminism, Ammel Sharon

Popular Media

The article reflects on the UK Supreme Court’s recent interpretation of “woman” under the Equality Act 2010, noting its impact on trans inclusion in public spaces. In contrast, Indian feminist and queer movements have embraced more inclusive, self-reflective approaches to gender, resisting fixed legal definitions. Drawing on examples from sports activism, legal scholarship, and grassroots organising, the author calls for collective ethics that expand rather than restrict the possibilities of belonging.

Waging War On Peacebuilders: Digital Sexual Violence As A Barrier To Peace, Abigail T. Connors

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Technology’s rapid advancement is quickly cultivating an online world that is becoming increasingly dangerous for women that participate in public life. This paper explores the ways in which sexual violence is used in online spaces to harass and abuse women peacebuilders and inhibit their peacebuilding work. It first dives into exactly how digital sexual violence is conceptualized in modern scholarship and academic works, then examines the different shapes that digital sexual violence takes, how digital sexual violence impacts women peacebuilders personally and professionally, and how digital sexual violence, when used against women peacebuilders, impacts global democratic efforts. It concludes with …

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

Parlez-Vous Français? You Betcha: Revitalizing A French Cultural Center By Connecting To Its Minnesota Roots, Ashley R. Flygare

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The Alliance Française Minneapolis-St. Paul (AFMSP) is an independent chapter of an international organization aimed at promoting the French language and various francophone cultures. It provides language instruction, cultural programming, social events, and access to a range of resources. However, participation in its events and courses has declined in recent years, putting the organization’s financial stability at risk. This project employs research and analysis to identify strategic and creative solutions to help AFMSP thrive.  A review of applied research was conducted, which included industry reports, performance data, and local cultural trends. Key insights revealed the need for enhanced community engagement, …

Constraints Of Pt. Dyandra Promosindo Sales Division In Arranging The Indonesia International Motor Show 2023, Syahadam Muhamad Irfan

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

Tourism is a journey that is carried out by someone for a while and is carried out from one place to another. with tourists, business suppliers, government of tourist destinations and local communities of tourist destinations. The tourism industry is a fairly broad industry, one of the industries included in the tourism industry is the MICE industry. MICE is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The development of MICE occurred because of the company's need to hold meetings with the aim of expanding the company's business. MICE and the tourism industry cannot be separated because the definition …

Sundanese Culture Education Strategy At Sman 1 Depok, Fernandez Rayhan Al Asskari

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study aims to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of Sundanese cultural education strategies implemented at SMA 1 Depok. This research uses a qualitativeapproach with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The respondents of the study were students and teachers at SMA1 Depok who were involved in Sundanese cultural education programs. The results showed that the Sundanese cultural education strategy implemented at SMA 1 Depok has succeeded in increasing students' understanding of Sundanese culture. Students show a high interest in learning Sundanese culture and expressing it in various cultural activities at school. Teachers also …

April 24, 2025 Nagpra And Tribal Relations Committee Meeting Minutes, Bryan Morey

University NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee

April 24, 2025 minutes for the WKU NAGPRA and Tribal Relations Committee meeting. Meeting conducted via Zoom.

A Tale Of Two Faiths: Contemporary Protestantism In The Spanish-Speaking Catholic World, Jackson B. Mitchell

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the shifting religious landscape of the Spanish-speaking Catholic world through the lens of Protestant growth, particularly Pentecostal and Evangelical movements. Beginning with a historical account of Spain’s Catholic hegemony and its colonial export of Catholicism to Latin America, the study traces how Latin America’s religious identity has gradually diverged from its Spanish roots. Over the past half-century, Protestantism has grown rapidly across Latin America, challenging Catholic dominance and reshaping the region’s spiritual and social fabric.

The thesis then turns back to Spain, where rising immigration from Latin America and changing cultural dynamics have facilitated the reintroduction of …

A Pedagogy Of Peace & Prose: Helping Students Engage With And Articulate Perspectives On The Plight Of Palestine Through A Tripartite Textual Analysis, Sydney E. Brammer

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

2025 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Centering Relation In Media Literacy Practice, Paul Mihailidis, Bobbie Foster, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Melissa Tully, Patrick Johnson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

As calls for media literacy in formal and informal learning spaces continue to grow, educators’ understanding of media literacies and their purposes remains complex. In 2021, the authors of this paper led a multi-methods research project on media literacy education in the United States, focusing on impact and equity. Findings showed that educators share a commitment to equity and justice but are unclear on how to incorporate them into their work. In response, our research team developed a field guide that maps out equitable media literacy practices for classrooms and communities. In this study, we detail the findings from 11 …

Digital Literacy For Participating In Presidential Election: A Study On Indonesian Students, Marwiyah Marwiyah, Labibah Zain, Aliva D. Kamila, Thoriq T. Prabowo

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital literacy is needed during the presidential election. This study aims to determine the level of digital literacy of Indonesian students concerning what they do with social media information in facing the 2024 presidential election. We conducted a survey in which questionnaires were used as a research instrument to measure the four digital competencies: technical skill, information usage, communication, and creation. The questionnaires are sent to four Indonesian public universities. One hundred ninety-seven students from four State Islamic Universities (Universitas Islam Negeri) participated in this study. We used the mean and percentage score for the data analysis. The research result …

Cognitive Diagnosis Of Media And Digital Literacy Knowledge Schema In Mexican High School Students, Janneth Trejo-Quintana, Guadalupe E. Morales-Martinez, Betsabe Hernandez-Alvarez

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research explored the mental representation of media and digital literacy (MDL) in 242 Mexican high school students through a definitional task based on the natural semantic networks technique. The participants defined ten target concepts related to MDL, using verbs, nouns, and adjectives as definers, and then they rated each definer with a scale from 1 to 10. The smaller the number, the lower the quality of the definer to conceptualize the target, while the higher the rating, the higher the quality of the definer to define it. The participants showed a beginner level in MDL despite their daily navigation …

Provision Of Brand Information And Critical Reasoning Predict Advertising Literacy, Eugene Zheng Yao, Alexandra List

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study investigated students’ critical reasoning about commercials, as an aspect of advertising literacy. Critical reasoning was examined under two different experimental conditions. That is, students were tasked with watching four different commercials with 1) brand information provided or not, and 2) asked to engage in critical reasoning or not. The commercials chosen used various production techniques (e.g., socially conscious marketing) to mask their persuasive message. Students provided with brand information within commercials had significantly higher critical reasoning scores when viewing two, out of the four, commercials, and significantly higher overall Analysis of Persuasive Intent (API) scores and brand recall. …

Promotion And Marketing Role In Increasing The Amount Of Umrah Package Sales At Pt Turisina Buana Tour And Travel, Dyandra Shafa Quamila

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study examines the role of promotion and marketing in increasing the sales of Umrah packages at PT Turisina Buana Tour and Travel. The aim of this research is to explore how promotional activities and marketing strategies implemented through social media can enhance the number of Umrah pilgrims, as well as to identify the supporting and inhibiting factors affecting their effectiveness. A qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through observation and in-depth interviews involving the Director of PT Turisina Buana and a customer who has used the company’s services. The findings indicate that social media promotion, supported by the …

The Implementation Of Digital Marketing Strategy At The Inacraft 2023, Ranisya Yasfiani Syafira

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

Digital marketing or digital marketing is needed by companies to market a product or service using digital media or platforms so that they can cover a wider market with the internet. The use of digital marketing strategies is carried out by many companies, one of the companies that uses digital marketing strategies is PT Mediatama Binakreasi. The final work entitled Digital Marketing Strategy at the Inacraft 2023 Event at PT Mediatama Binakreasi discusses five aspects of strategy including customer engagement, viral marketing, buzz marketing, peer influence, and online community, which are implemented by the Marketing Communication division at PT Mediatama …

Courage Under Crisis: Examining Altruistic Resistance In Mass Atrocities, Kyra K. Layman

Political Science Honors Projects

Why do individuals resist in different ways during mass atrocities? I theorize that variation in altruistic resistance is shaped by access to platforms, personal connections to victims, and organizational membership. Focusing on bystanders who choose to intervene, I develop a new typology of “Helpers” and construct an original global dataset. Using a mixed-methods approach, I test my hypotheses through regression analysis and triangulate my statistical evidence with individual Helper case studies. This research advances scholarship on resistance by systematically analyzing variation in altruistic behavior, contributing to our understanding of the social and institutional factors that may affect Helpers’ actions.