Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Then And Now: Comparing The Representations Of Gender, Race, And Class In Rom-Coms From The 1990s To Today, Madeline Goldberg

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The formula of the romantic comedy is relatively consistent. The couple meets, they get closer, there are trials and tribulations in their relationship which lead to a confession of love, and they live happily ever after from that point on. Popularized by films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You’ve Got Mail (1998), the rom-com genre had a modern resurgence in the 1990s led by the films of Meg Ryan, and has continued to have many moments of relevance in the decades since. Romance can be a divisive genre. People who enjoy it do …

Decolonizing 20th Century Consumerism: Analyzing The Role Of Advertising In Amauta, Sam Roberts

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Googles, Dallas Silva-Dunn

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In a world where innovation meets athleticism, there is room to push the boundaries with the introduction of the Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Goggles. This groundbreaking smart swimwear technology represents a paradigm shift in swim safety, offering unparalleled features designed to empower swimmers of all levels. The Nike Omni Sense Swim Guardian Goggle Public Relations Campaign aims to amplify the launch of this new revolutionary product, leveraging strategic communication tactics to build brand awareness, foster consumer trust, and drive engagement among target audiences.

The Media’S Representation Of Female Athletes During Drug Scandals, Cassandra Leigh Lavigne

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

My Name Is Barbra Public Relations Campaign, Thomas Scalese

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Barbra Joan Streisand was born on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. She is an award winning actress, singer, director, and producer. Barbra began her career by performing at nightclubs and different theaters in the early 1960s. She soon signed to Columbia Records in 1963 and produced her debut album, “The Barbra Streisand Album." At that year’s Grammys she won her first of many Grammy awards for Album of the Year. She is extremely well-known for her singing ability and has released multiple albums, including “The Barbra Streisand Album,” “Je m’apelle Barbra,” “Streisand Superman,” and“Love is the Answer." In …

Olivia Rodrigo And The Twenty-First Century Personal Brand, Edina Alix

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Olivia Rodrigo’s overnight rise to mega fame astounded the entertainment industry. When Olivia released her debut single “Drivers License” on January 8, 2021, it skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching number one on twenty-eight other charts (Trust, 2021). As of October 2022, Drivers License has 1.5 billion streams on Spotify, which ranks it among the 100 most streamed songs on the platform (Spotify, 2022). When this occurred, entertainment industry professionals remarked at how different Rodrigo’s rise to global success felt from other artists in the past. Rodrigo’s chart-topping hit song and overall rise …

Letting The Narrative Unfold: Black Female Storytellers Of The 21st Century, Jalila Waller

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The important aspects of film and television are the stories that are portrayed. Everyone has a story to tell. However, who tells the story is equally important as who portrays the story. This thesis analyzes three Black female auteurs and the work they have created with Black women at the center of those narratives. Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, and Issa Rae are Black female auteurs because they are Black female storytellers each with their own story to tell. They each have created and produced content that portrays Black women in a three-dimensional light.

Assessing Corporate Social Responsibility And Sustainability In The Small Businesses Of Bridgewater, Ma, Ryan Mannett

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This thesis examines the extent to which small, local businesses in Bridgewater, MA generate social value for their community by engaging in socially responsible and sustainable corporate practices. After conducting an examination of local businesses to determine those that utilize such strategies, members of the selected organizations were contacted via email and asked to participate in a survey intended to generate qualitative data relating to corporate sustainability. Factors such as community impacts, internal benefits, motivations, and communication strategies pertaining to sustainability were all evaluated. Results indicate that Bridgewater businesses practicing sustainability not only generate internal value for the organization by …

Tag Your Friends For A Chance To Read This Paper: Self-Monitoring And Renumeration Posts On Social Media, Andrea Weng

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Brands frequently offer consumers the opportunity to win prizes or be entered into a sweepstakes by asking for likes, shares, tags and even content creation. However, many consumers are not interested in interacting with their social media audience for the sole purpose of remuneration. This study explores the willingness of Gen Z to participate in remuneration posts and the likelihood of liking, sharing, tagging and more. Findings reveal that most Gen Z consumers are willing to like a post in order to be entered to win something, but further engagement is less likely. When using more popular platforms like Instagram, …

Mitigating Covid-19 Infection Rates And Increasing Vaccination Rates For Children Ages 5-11: A Content Analysis Of How Two Hospitals’ Use Of Effective Social Media Engagement Helped To Influence A Healthier Public, Jacqueline Delorey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The Covid-19 outbreak initiated an international public health crisis, altering our publics dependency on health organizations communication strategies and tactics. Immediate crisis communication and public health efforts were needed to mitigate panic and infectious disease across the globe. The digital marketing strategies utilized for social media began to reflect the value of accurate and timely information spread in correlation to a healthier targeted public for large health organizations. The significance of this thesis in the field of communications directly correlates to the health belief model, which is used to observe the motivation and decision-making processes that influence an individual’s choice …

From Bridgerton To Love Is Blind: Romantic Relationship Expectations Based On Consumption Of Original Streaming Television, Elena Bartolomey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This study examines how relationship expectations differ when a user consumes traditional television in comparison to original streaming TV. The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies that found that those with lower perceptions of trust and commitment in relationships tend to watch more romantic television. In addition, those who watch more original streaming television of all kinds, tend to have a more romanticized view of relationships. In addition to replicating previous studies, this study found that while young people may be reticent to define their relationships, those who do have higher levels of trust and commitment than …

The Magazine Industry: How The Internet Has Changed It All, Marissa Bradstreet

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The goal of this thesis is to understand the changes the magazine industry has seen through the emergence of digital technology. This project can help us further understand the role of online magazines, and how their reading experience differs from reading the traditional print magazines. This project can help consumers and producers understand what magazine readers are looking for in their magazine experience and what factors make them choose to read magazines from one platform to another. This is important for producers and publishers because it helps decide what content is worth creating based on the wants of consumers.

Higher Education Social Media: Student Perceptions Of University’S Covid-19 Crisis Communication, Bailey Cormier

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This study, as stated, is aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of full-time undergraduate students of the university’s social media crisis communication. These students, the stakeholders of BSU, have followed Instagram accounts and have both accessed and been the audience of during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is a novel health crisis, the findings of this study have significance and can provide insights into effective crisis communication strategies that organizations and crisis communicators can implement in the current pandemic and future health crises. Experiences with different aspects during the pandemic such as participating in education online during …

From Fitspiration Posts To Food Shaming: Social Media’S Impact On Adolescent Girls’ Body Image, Madison Jones

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Social media is marketed as a way to connect and share with others all over the world—a fast way to connect to grandma down in Florida, do research from a university on the other side of the world, or even spark environmental change across the globe. So how, at the same time, can this be a harmful tool, one that has been identified as a cause of depression and even, in some cases, suicide in young girls? Social media sites like Instagram, FaceBook, and TikTok encourage users to post pictures and videos that show your “best self” alongside a rating …

Marvel-Ous Women: Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, And The Representation Of Female Superheroes, Alexis Lee Tavares

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The goal of this project is to determine the manner in which female superheroes Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff are portrayed by Marvel Studios’ depictions. These portrayals will help us understand if Marvel reinforces or challenges sexism placed upon female superheroes, given that their role as leaders in the industry influences other media. The following questions guided my research process: What does the physical appearance of this superhero say about her character? How does her appearance speak to how she is viewed as a woman? What is in the significance of the relationships this hero has with others? How does …

The Houston Astros' Cheating Scandal: A Case Study On Crisis Communication In Sports, Wendy Edouard

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In January 2020, the Houston Astros organization was accused of cheating during the 2017 and 2018 baseball seasons. In 2017, the Astros had also won the World Series, thereby offsetting a sports scandal which dominated media coverage for several months. Owner of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane and his players released a statement to the press, a month after the investigation was concluded by the Major League Baseball organization. The investigation concluded that the Astros, in fact, had been stealing pitching signs from opposing teams and using technology to communicate signs to their pitcher. Crane’s response (relying primarily on shift …

Law Enforcement’S Use Of Facial Recognition Software In United States Cities, Samantha Jean Wunschel

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Facial recognition software is something we use every day, whether it’s a suggested tag on our Facebook post or a faster way to unlock our phones. As technology becomes increasingly pervasive in our lives, law enforcement has adapted to utilize the new tools available in accessory to their investigations and the legal process.

Importance Of Cultural Awareness In Speech Language Pathology Education, Aurora Barailo

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Cultural awareness is a necessity when providing services to a culturally and linguistically diverse population. Culture influences a family’s’ values, religion, language preference, kin structure, child-rearing practices, roles and responsibilities of family members, and perception of health and behavior; specifically, the perception of disability (McLeod, Verdon et. al 2017). Cultural beliefs can also influence which therapy assessments are used and whether a parent chooses to access services (McLeod et. al, 2017). Cultural awareness includes knowledge and understanding of the values and norms of different cultural groups, recognition of culturally based assumptions and biases and demonstrating skills that meet the need …

Middle East Media Landscapes: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Syria, And Yemen, Cody J. Baker

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Following the youth-led reformative wave that swept the Middle East in 2011 during what came to be known as the Arab Spring, the media landscape in the region has continued to diversify and change alongside technology and social media. However, in order to deal with a large youth demographic that is seeking increased civil liberties and equality, and to prevent another series of protests, many governments are placing restrictions and limitations on the press, internet access, and censoring individuals who are critical of government or politically active. Through a critical analysis of the current media landscapes of five nations; Egypt, …

Public Perception & The Planet: Correlation Between College Students’ Media Exposure To Contradictory News And Their Perceptions Of Climate Change, Kasey Andrade

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Public perception of global warming can be defined by a combination of factors, including certainty that most scientists think global warming is happening, certainty about the human causes of global warming, certainty about the occurrence of global warming, and concern about global warming impact (Feldman, Maibach, Roser-Renouf, & Leiserowitz, 2012). The media plays a critical role in communicating scientific findings to the public and can create an informational bias by providing coverage on viewpoints that do not align with the scientific consensus on climate change. The purpose of this project was to examine if there is a correlation between college …

Sneakily Feminist: A Gilmore Girls Analysis, Katelen Pick

Honors Program Theses and Projects

According to Symphony Advance Media, the 2016 reboot, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, pulled in an average of five million viewers among the 18-49-year-old age demographic in its first three days on Netflix ('Gilmore Girls' Early Ratings). The original series, broadcast on the WB Network (2000-2007) was nested into the everyday life of women in American society. It included a mother/daughter duo that problematized what it meant to be a feminist during its initial run. This project considers: How Gilmore Girls might be understood as a feminist intervention in 21st century US television? Prior research into the show …

Women’S Body Image In The Media: An Analytical Study Of Recent Body Image Movements Across Media Platforms, Mikayla Matheson

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Body Image and the Modern Women: Investigating Positive Body Image Movements on Instagram

Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networking sites with over 600 million active users to date and approximately 70 million daily photo updates (instagram.com/press). While many Instagram users archive and document fat shaming, body loathing, and unhealthy beauty ideals, including images from Pro-Anorexia groups, an increasing number of posts reflect the new popularity of the Body-Positive Movement. Body-positive groups such as Body Positivity, Fat Acceptance, and “Fitspiration” have millions of followers. This research dissects the rhetoric used in Instagram posts related to self-love and positive …

Investigating The Impact Of Digital And Social Media On The Country Music Industry, Casey Thomas

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Recently, the country music industry has been impacted by the increased popularity of social media and digital music media sites among fans, and artists have begun trying to find ways to utilize these types of media for their benefit. This research project investigates several research questions: 1.) How are country music artists utilizing digital and social media sites to connect with fans? 2.) How do fans feel about artists using social and digital media to connect with fans? 3.) How has the inclusion of digital and social media impacted the ways in which country music artists connect to fans with …

A New Presidential Genre: Analyzing The United Nations Addresses From Truman To Obama, Kory Hoyt

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This article explores American presidential rhetoric at the opening general assembly of the United Nations. An exploratory study was conducted by examining addresses made by all United States Presidents that spoke at the United Nations General Assembly (1946-2014). It is argued that this semi-annual speech, which has been made almost every year since the presidency of Harry Truman, can be considered a distinct presidential genre. Using a genre (generic) criticism as a framework it was found that these characteristics are consistent across the speeches of all of the Presidents. These are characteristics are: (1) international meditation on values, (2) assessing …

If The Shoe Fits: An Analysis Of Historical And Contemporary Adaptations Of Cinderella, Heather Dupont

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Political Language Manipulation: Changing Public Perceptions Of The Poor Through The War On Poverty And Popular Literary Fiction, Sarah Mcguire

Honors Program Theses and Projects

I propose to explore the rhetoric and language surrounding poor people of color both through common culture in literature and political speeches and documents of contemporary politicians between the years 1965 and 1992. I am particularly interested in the evolution of the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty between the 1970s and 1990s. Additionally, the Reagan administration’s tear down of the welfare system in the 1980s is another area of interest. I will specifically be examining how images of the poor have been manipulated in order to preserve the power of the elite and how portrayals of poverty shift in the …

The Zen Of Daryl: A New Masculinity Within Amc's The Walking Dead, Sarah Jane Mulvey

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

"Terrorism" In The Age Of Obama: The Rhetorical Evolution Of President Obama’S Discourse On The War On "Terror", Kelly Long

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Since September 11th, 2001, the word “terrorism” has helped to shape and been shaped by the culture of the American people who have come into contact with this concept on a daily basis. The use of “terrorism” and its companion the War on “Terror” carried with it certain ideological baggage that has serve as a prism in which the American people have viewed United States’ foreign affairs over the past decade. The fight against “terrorism” offered a pre-text for the U.S. to engage in two different wars, administrated a policy of hunting and killing “terrorists” across the globe, constructed policies …

The People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (Peta): Creating A Collective Identity, Megan Fletcher

Honors Program Theses and Projects

How different are humans from animals? The animal rights movement has been tackling this question and more on its quest to establish basic human rights for animals. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is one of the most recognizable organizations within the animal rights movement due to their attention grabbing antics and controversial advertisements. Through visual rhetoric PETA attempts to answer the question of human and animal division. In both PETA’s PSA and print advertisements they attempt to create shared physical and mental substance between humans and animals. In creating a shared identity PETA could establish a …

A Study In Sherlock: Revisiting The Relationship Between Sherlock Holmes And Dr. John Watson, Rebecca Mclaughlin

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.