Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Short Analysis Of Emma Watson's 'He For She' Speech, Emma Darocha

Comm-entary

This case study examines power imbalances within organizations. Like many freshmen, a college student in a new state found himself yearning for a sense of belonging. He made the decision to join a fraternity on campus, but this group did not provide him with this sense of community. Instead, he was hazed and left paralyzed from the pledging process. I decided to conduct my case study on a story that involves hazing on a college campus since, regrettably, it still happens frequently in our nation. Having discussions about these situations can help raise awareness and provide information so that no …

Tap Taps And Fist Bumps: Embodied Movements In Skateboarding Sessions, Paige O’Neil

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Comm-Entary 2024 Author And Board Member Brochure

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No abstract provided.

American Express: Small Business Saturday, Sean Surrick

Comm-entary

This essay discusses the public relations campaign Small Business Saturday. Originating in 2010 as a response to economic downturns and aimed at spotlighting local businesses, this annual event has transcended its corporate origins to become a celebrated national holiday. This essay delves into the evolution and significance of Small Business Saturday, tracing its trajectory from inception to its current status as a cultural fixture. It also examines how American Express has teamed up with many other businesses to promote the holiday and give resources to small businesses. The event has become so well known that the United States Senate has …

Artificial Intelligence And Human Creativity: A Delicate Balance, Grace Bell

Comm-entary

This essay discusses the ways that virtues, as well as their meanings and their applications, are changing as technology develops. It also describes the debate among creatives and artists regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative work, and the nuances that come with defining something as broad as 'creativity'. Artificial intelligence is new and frightening to many, and artists are unsure if this technology will make creative projects more accessible, or if it will take over human-designed creative projects entirely. Using Chat GPT as a tool and a creative partner, this essay investigates the ways that AI can …

The Cause And Effect Of Contemporary Science Communication, Dina Rathke

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

The Countess Of Chester Hospital Whistle-Blower Case Study, Kaylie Efstratiou

Comm-entary

The following case examines whistle-blowing in the workplace and how it is treated in organizational culture, dealing with the varying ethical perspectives displayed when managerial staff are faced with a whistle-blower. In 2015, an alarming number of infants began to mysteriously pass away in the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital. After a few staff members began to realize that one nurse, Lucy Letby, may have been a common denominator in the deaths, a report was made and brought to the attention of the unit manager. When nothing was done after several meetings, some of the staff took …

Epiphany After The Flood, Fiona Flaherty

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Evaluating ‘Professionalism’ In Modern Organizations, Ava Montalbano

Comm-entary

This case discusses organizational communication theories, such as professionalism, hegemony, disciplinary Power, and antiracism, and how they impact organizations and their members. Nadia Hernadez is a Mexican-American immigrant who experienced discrimination under the disguise of professionalism during her time working in various organizations.

The Power Of Action, Giavanna Fioretti

Comm-entary

This essay analyzes a constructive conversation me and my roommate Kaylee had with a friend of ours, Teddy. This conversation presented itself after Kaylee and I witnessing a form of a microaggression. It was not intended with harm, but the conversation was one that we felt we needed to discuss. This essay emphasizes the impact of action and how it can be put to very good use. It also discusses how Teddy felt after the conversation, as opposed to how Kaylee and I felt after discussing this issue with him. This conversation was handled with kindness, as well as attempting …

Long Covid And Political Party, Renee Franzini

Comm-entary

The essay discusses how the two major US political parties use presence and framing to represent long covid, as well as if these representations differ over time. Through this, we can more easily see the similarities and differences between representations of the condition.

How Mindfulness In Business Practices Can Enact Positive Change, Kali Couronis

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Burning Issues: An Analysis Of Penguin Random House's ‘The Unburnable Book' Campaign, Jacqueline Law

Comm-entary

This essay delves into the intricacies of a public relations endeavor launched by Penguin Random House LLC in collaboration with renowned author Margaret Atwood. The campaign, known as “The Unburnable Book,” aimed to spotlight the rising prevalence of book banning and censorship in America while supporting PEN America's mission to safeguard free speech. Through the creation and auction of a fireproof edition of Atwood’s iconic novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Penguin Random House supported its own corporate social responsibility initiatives as well as its mission and values. This analysis provides a comprehensive examination of the campaign's conception, execution, and impact, shedding …

Shame In A Digital Age, Gianna Anzalone

Comm-entary

This essay dives into the nature of mediated shame, analyzing its implications in various contexts and genres of media. Beginning with an analysis of shame as a disciplinary mechanism, the essay highlights how online platforms perpetuate societal norms through the perception and judgment of others. Drawing examples from reality television, it explores how shame is commodified for entertainment, often at the expense of vulnerable participants. Using shows like "The Biggest Loser" as a case study, the essay examines how media narratives exploit and amplify shame, leading to a spoiled identity. This essay also acknowledges the role of shame as a …

Sexism, Racism, And Classism In Netflix’S Docuseries Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Grace Cushing

Comm-entary

This essay critically analyzes Netflix’s sports docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Netflix’s docuseries dramatizes Formula One, which is arguably the highest level of international motorsport. Through strategic portrayals of events in and surrounding the sport, Netflix creates an entertaining but incomplete narrative of different Formula One seasons. This analysis examines the sexism, racism, and classism that are not only present in Formula One, but which also undermine the docuseries. Formula One is known to be a male-dominated, primarily white, and economically elite sport. This essay evaluates the various features of Formula 1: Drive to Survive that perpetuate these traits …

Savoring Memories: The Impact Of Ryan Vansylvong's Legacy On Sonny's Tavern And Its Publics, Ella Cox

Comm-entary

This essay explores the life and passing of Ryan Vansylvong, a dedicated chef at Sonny's Tavern in Dover, New Hampshire, whose untimely passing has dramatically influenced the restaurant's ethos and patrons. The narrative intertwines authentic anecdotes, tributes, and expressions of grief to inspire communal resilience and empathy, nurturing a culture that resonates with staff and customers. This paper analyzes how disseminating memories and stories can lead to the convergence of fact and fiction. Using fictional elements can make conveying factual information more compelling and relatable, enhancing audience engagement. The profound impact of Ryan's legacy is a testament to the power …

Shades Of Humanity: Capturing Diversity Through Photography, Pat Hussey

Comm-entary

This essay evaluates the rhetorical devices present in Rachel Cobb’s, "At the Black Lives Matter Protests in NYC: A Photo Essay," which shows images taken during several protests in the initial wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. It shows us the diversity of those involved in supporting the fight for the rights of others. I choose to explore this further through the lens of Cobb and use several scholars to acknowledge the role that the photographer has in shaping our perception and understanding. Finally, I try to connect to larger social discourses concerning race and the access to equitable …

The Loss Of An Enemy: Brooklyn Nine-Nine And The Five Stages Of Grief, Anna Drabik

Comm-entary

This essay examines how sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine explores what it means to grieve the loss of someone who wasn’t necessarily a friend or a foe through the theoretical lens of The Five Stages of Grief. It begins with a brief explanation of what the Five Stages Theory is, followed by an outline of the tumultuous history between Captain Raymond Holt and Acting Commissioner Madeline Wuntch, describing their rivalry and placing it into the larger context of the show. Then, the piece follows Holt through each of the five stages after Wuntch’s unexpected death in season 7, episode 7, titled “Ding …

The Crusading Days Of Jackie Stewart: Evaluating The Development Of Safety In Motor Racing During The 1960s., Alex Twitchen

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

This article critically evaluates the contribution of Jackie Stewart in making motor racing a safer sport for competitors. It challenges the validity of the popular assumption that Jackie Stewart by himself developed a ‘culture of safety’ that transformed the sport. Instead, the role of other individuals are identified alongside the importance of three social processes. These processes are identified as the changing balance of power between different masculine identities, the development of commercial sponsorship and a growth in the coverage of the sport on television.

The development of motor racing from the 1960s onwards as a safer sport in which …

Book Review- Racing With Rich Energy: How A Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One For A Ride., James Miller

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Book Review: I Was A Nascar Redneck: Recollections Of The Transformation Of A Yankee Farm Boy To A Southern Redneck In The Golden Era Of Nascar And Beyond., Quinn Beekwilder, Daniel Dean

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

2023 Staff Bios, Author Bios, And Abstracts Brochure

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No abstract provided.

God’S Favorite: Hollywood Archivists And Peddlers, Daniela Farfan

Comm-entary

In his exhibition, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Photographer David LaChapelle features well-known celebrities that are sometimes revered as God’s favorites. The mirage of Hollywood is glamorous and beautiful. Hollywood is a place of dreams congruent with limitless imagination and youth. LaChapelle’s photographs feature celebrities who sacrifice themselves to achieve and exemplify the ideals of show business and celebrity. LaChapelle’s portraits offer insight into the fantasy and truth behind celebrity.

Interorganizational Communication: Case Study, Emma Darocha

Comm-entary

The case presented in this study examines coercive power. An eighteen-year-old freshman attending college in a new state found himself longing for a community on campus which led him to decide to join a fraternity. Regrettably, this student did not find this community or brotherhood in this fraternity. As part of the pledging initiation, he was put in an extremely dangerous situation that was overseen by the authority figures of the fraternity. When he tried to drop out of the pledge process, he was coerced by older members to continue it and made to believe that this was something that …

Performing Relationships During Special Occasion Openings, Ashley Kayla White

Comm-entary

All conversations start with an opening. However, opening sequences take on different and at times more grandiose representations during special or uncommon interactional events. How these openings are performed, furthermore, conveys much about the social dynamics and relationships between interactants. The goal of this research is to explore how special event opening practices display relationships between people in day-to-day interaction by drawing from two recordings of special occasion communication. To achieve this, a conversation analytic perspective is employed and several concepts are analyzed in conjunction with openings. These include preference organization, affiliation, repair, body torque and spatial orientation, gaze, epistemics, …

Content For Change, Kaley Lambert

Comm-entary

This piece considers the perspectives of environmental activist Paul Kingsnorth, and author of Anthropocene Unconscious: Climate Catastrophe Culture Mark Bould when assessing the power of storytelling in efforts for climate crisis action. Stories hold the potential to change perspectives and encourage new mentalities. Media content is able to perpetuate, develop, and share stories to a massive audience. This paper argues that if media content were, on a wide scale, to deliberately shift narratives to encourage compassion, action, and concern for the environment, and to discourage wastefulness and mentalities of expansion and colonialism, then it may become more feasible to mitigate …

Media Responsibility For Environmental Influence, Kaley Lambert

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Environment Influence On Interaction Outcomes, Kaley Lambert

Comm-entary

In tandem with other interactional elements, the body plays a substantial role in communicative interactions with companions and oneself. This research compares environmental differences between spaces from two different reality television program environments (Love is Blind and Love Island) which are specified as having the same interaction-goal, observes how the spaces may influence the types of interpersonal interactions they are built for, and compares data regarding the outcomes of said interactions within these spaces so as to provide support for the argument that environments may influence interpersonal interaction outcomes.

Pandemic Through The Lens: An Examination Of Repeat Photography During Lockdown, Lauren Cole

Comm-entary

The Covid-19 pandemic had sweeping effects on environments across the globe including, decreases in pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and many others. Repeat photography and social media became tools to document these changes for people to see. Generally, traditional climate imagery and repeat photography depict the degradation of the environment rather than its recovery. This paper works to show how the use of this unique situation, to promote positive environmental change, might work better as a persuasive tool in the fight for climate action.

The Almost-Feminism Of Midsommar, Kaley Lambert

Comm-entary

This paper argues that the 2019 horror film Midsommar accomplishes almost-feminism. It includes a matriarchal society, respects older women, punishes toxic masculinity, rewards emotional vulnerability, has complex and unique female characters, and has a strong female protagonist. There is also, however an overt lack of intersectionality, as Midsommar exhibits a lack of consideration for class, ableism, racism, or body diversity. This film is nevertheless a worthwhile counterweight in a sea of actively sexist horror films.