Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Victoria Secret Marketing Affects Women’S Self Esteem And Body Image, Marianne Kamhazi

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

With society and media beauty standards, the ‘thin model ideal’ can have a detrimental effect on women’s self esteem and body image. Through extensive literature reviews, it can be seen how the media portrays body image of models which, in turn, causes women to be self conscious about their bodies and portrays unrealistic beauty standards. The research questions ask the impact of Victoria’s Secret marketing on body and self esteem issues and how do women feel when they see these models on their social media. The methods used were both a focus group and survey. Results support the research questions. …

Beyond The Tide: A Comprehensive Guide To Sea-Level-Rise Inundation Mapping Using Foss4g, Levente Juhasz, Jinwen Xu, Randall W. Parkinson

GIS Center

No abstract provided.

Towards Understanding The Geospatial Skills Of Chatgpt: Taking A Geographic Information Systems (Gis) Exam, Peter Mooney, Wencong Cui, Boyuan Guan, Levente Juhasz

GIS Center

This paper examines the performance of ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM), in a geographic information systems (GIS) exam. As LLMs like ChatGPT become increasingly prevalent in various domains, including education, it is important to understand their capabilities and limitations in specialized subject areas such as GIS. Human learning of spatial concepts significantly differs from LLM training methodologies. Therefore, this study aims to assess ChatGPT's performance and ability to grasp geospatial concepts by challenging it with a real GIS exam. By analyzing ChatGPT's responses and evaluating its understanding of GIS principles, we gain insights into the potential applications and challenges …

Lepaio Condemns Afl-Cio Leadership’S Bullying Affiliates On International Affairs, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

A statement from the Labor Education Project on AFL-CIO International Operations (LEPAIO) reprinted with permission.

The LEPAIO condemns the AFL-CIO’s leadership for bullying affiliates on international issues, and especially regarding the current Israel and Gaza war. LEPAIO, an organization of labor unionists and supporters, has long challenged the AFL-CIO’s international leadership “labor imperialism” in its international operations.

Young Engels Is Still Engels: A Response To Terrell Carver, Nana Liu, Yumeng Xia

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Terrel Carver assumes that existing biographies of Engels unfairly seek to explain his ideas in relation to Marx and seek to reconstruct the life journey, especially the ideological journey, of young Engels. He proposes two arguments: first, Engels' ideological growth had no direct purpose or direction and was full of uncertainties; but also, second, that the young Engels' theoretical achievements have been unduly underestimated as they were much more profound than Marx's, such that Marx was the main beneficiary of their initial meeting. One problem with Carver’s argument is that his new insights are often not that new at all. …

Library Staff Salary Survey Report: A First Thursday Presentation, Kelley F. Rowan, Annia Gonzalez, Jamie Rogers, Jennifer Scholl, Adriana Harris, Christopher M. Jimenez

Works of the FIU Libraries

This presentation was given by the Salary Task Force (STF) members, Jamie Rogers, Annia Gonzalez, and Kelley Rowan at an FIU Libraries First Thursday's Forum. Members of the task force presented the results from two surveys, including cost of living research and SUS salary analysis and comparisons. Afterwards, attendees were invited to ask questions and express their concerns before the task force publishes the final report. The research in this presentation is based on surveys and research conducted by all Salary Task Force members.

Academia, Marxism, And Sociology: A Warning From "The History Man", Tom Brass

Class, Race and Corporate Power

An essay by Tom Brass which examines how popular culture formed the negative image of sociology as taught at the 1960s new universities by portraying it as following Marxist fashion and thereby failing to anticipate the shift to the anti-Marxism of the cultural turn. It concludes by considering why and how such academic fashion is constructed and reproduced, and examines implications for the kinds of hegemonic trends encountered in social science publications.

The Working Class And Ecological Crisis - An Interview With Victor Wallis, Victor Wallis

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Victor Wallis about his work and the environmental crisis of capitalism.

Yes, Imperialism Is Still Relevant, And The Struggles Against It Will Continue - An Interview With Intan Suwandi, Intan Suwandi

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Intan Suwandi about her work and how it relates to the struggle against capitalism.

Labour Power Matters And Capitalist Racism - An Interview With Ken C. Kawashima, Ken C. Kawashima

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Ken C. Kawashima about his work and lessons for workers involved in the struggle today.

The Profits Of (The Critique Of) Patriarchy: On Toxic Masculinity, Feminism, & Corporate Capitalism In The Barbie Movie, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explicates the political, social, economic, and cultural contribution of Barbie (2023). Through a critical and normative analysis of four different prominent reviews of the film, this essay explores the quality of discourse surrounding Barbie, with particular emphasis on its feminist critique of toxic masculinity and lack of a coherent criticism of capitalism.

The Liberal Ideology Of Oppenheimer, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The Oppenheimer film centers its narrative too closely to the great man myth of history. As a result, powerful themes such as the politics, economics and morality of the U.S. decision to use two atomic bombs in World War II are diluted by a rigid focus on a singular personality.

What Does Working Class Voter Really Mean?, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Understanding how class interests are articulated in U.S. elections has a problematic history in the social sciences as a result of a poor conceptualization of class. Recent scholarly articles by political scientists contribute to this problem by promoting a narrative that the two U.S. political parties are undergoing "realignment" of class interests. This article challenges that narrative by critiquing the way that class is defined and measured, arguing that Weber should be replaced by Marx.

Cambridge Analytica: Military Psy-Ops Privatized, Adam D. Hernandez

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article argues that Cambridge Analytica was developed and operated with the primary objective of pushing far-right nationalist leaders who promoted neoliberal policies in favor of economic elites. Its origins, primary means of funding, and even its techniques were the results of its status as a subsidiary of SCL Group, a firm well entrenched within the military industrial complex and right-wing politics. Furthermore, an examination of many of its most prominent operations shows a long trail of support for right-wing ideologies. The case study of Cambridge Analytica contrasts the narrative that privately-contracted disinformation companies are fringe, mercenary entities. Rather, the …

Explaining The Proliferation Of U.S. Billionaires During The Neoliberal Period, Rob Piper

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explains the proliferation of U.S. billionaire wealth during the neoliberal period (1980 to the present). Using the work of scholars, investigative journalists, and government researchers, it examines descriptive evidence from the past forty years of the economic, social, and political trends associated with the capital accumulation that led to so much wealth being concentrated with so few individuals. It further creates a theoretical framework of institutional factors (or “drivers”) that help to understand how these trends link together to provide a comprehensive explanation for the increase of billionaires in comparison with other economic gauges like GDP, income distribution, …

Let Freedom Read: Exploring Banned Books And Intellectual Freedom In Florida, Christopher M. Jimenez, George Pearson, Melissa Del Castillo, Stephen Thomson Moore, Lowell Bryan Cooper, Jacqueline Radebaugh

Works of the FIU Libraries

On October 5, 2023, the FIU Libraries’ Academic and Intellectual Freedom Committee hosted a crucial discussion on the current state of book banning and censorship in the United States, with a specific focus on Florida. This special session was part of the First Thursdays Library lecture series.

During the event, attendees were presented with startling statistics from the American Libraries Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (ALA OIF), PEN America, the Florida Freedom to Read Foundation (FFTRF), and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) that led experts to declare 2022 the worst year for book bans in history. The …

Hulu's Multicultural Mingle: Embracing Diversity In Entertainment, Cindy Alghawi

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

The increasing demand for streaming services has propelled platforms like Hulu to explore innovative approaches to bolster their popularity. As competition in the streaming industry intensifies and consumer trends evolve, maintaining relevance becomes a paramount challenge. Hulu, a prominent on-demand streaming service in the United States, possesses a significant opportunity to enhance its demand by curating a more culturally diverse content portfolio. This article elucidates strategic approaches to highlight cultural diversity and inclusion within the Hulu platform. Drawing on comprehensive survey findings and primary research, this report will showcase the pressing demand for cultural diversity on the Hulu platform, an …

Data Ethics And Privacy For Researchers, Kelley F. Rowan

Works of the FIU Libraries

This workshop addresses specific data privacy and anonymization standards and techniques for researchers that are collecting personally identifiable information as well as sensitive information. The workshop covers federal, state, and international laws and regulations governing data privacy, the development of an impact assessment and privacy policy. The second half of the workshop focuses on ethical workflows, anonymization techniques and related resources.

Representing Communities Through Descriptive Practices In The Archives, Annia Gonzalez, Rhia Rae

Athenaeum: Scholarly Works of the FIU Libraries Faculty and Staff

This poster will discuss our experiences as archivists in a University Library Special Collections Department working toward creating and implementing descriptive metadata practices that are inclusive of the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented throughout collections. We will present our project decisions and specific examples of new descriptive practices and remediation steps we have taken in the past two years, in the hopes that our experiences will provide a model with recommendations for an ethical archival practice that leads to broader access of important manuscript collections.

Critical Political Science Cancels Its Participation In The 2023 Apsa Conference, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Press release from the Caucus for a Critical Political Science (CCPS) announcing the decision of the CCPS Coordinating Council regarding the 2023 APSA Conference and the UNITE HERE LOCAL 11 struggle. Republished by the editors of Class, Race and Corporate Power in solidarity with CCPS and UNITE HERE 11.

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Location And Usage Of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure In The United States, Levente Juhasz, Hartwig H. Hochmair

GIS Center

Switching to electric vehicles (EVs) has increased rapidly over recent years. This paradigm change provides an important pillar in the United States transport sector to reach sustainability goals. EVs rely on a network of charging locations to operate. This study analyses the spatial distribution, accessibility and usage patterns of the public EV infrastructure in the US. First, using a negative binomial regression model, the influence of socio-economic and other factors on the abundance of EV charging locations in a state is investigated. Second, analysis of the network’s use and of service areas generated around charging locations provides insight into the …

Power Outage And Environmental Justice In Winter Storm Uri: An Analytical Workflow Based On Nighttime Light Remote Sensing, Jinwen Xu, Yi Qiang, Heng Cai, Lei Zou

GIS Center

The intensity of extreme weather events has been increasing, posing a unique threat to society and highlighting the importance of our electrical power system, a key component in our infrastructure. In severe weather events, quickly identifying power outage impact zones and affected communities is crucial for informed disaster response. However, a lack of household-level power outage data impedes timely and precise assessments. To address these challenges, we introduced an analytical workflow using NASA’s Black Marble daily nighttime light (NTL) images to detect power outages from the 2021 Winter Storm Uri. This workflow includes adjustments to mitigate viewing angle and snow …

Guidelines For Behavioral Performance Of Reference And Information Service Providers 2023, Melissa Del Castillo, Rebecca Graff, Kate Cordes, Rebecca Crawford, Liz Kocevar-Weidinger

Works of the FIU Libraries

These guidelines are intended for library workers in reference and information services, in all types of libraries, who answer informational questions or conduct reference interviews. The goal of these guidelines is to support excellent, user-centered service. Some guidelines might not prove applicable in all contexts. Where that is the case, the goal should be to adapt these guidelines as appropriate to your environment.

National Endowment For The Humanities Grant: Dana Dorsey, Rhia Rae, Rebecca Bakker, Molly Castro

Works of the FIU Libraries

Presented at the 5^th Annual Library Symposium by the Peer Review & Research Committee:
This brief presentation will highlight our current work on the recently awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grant, "Enhancing Access and Research Possibilities through Critical Engagement with Historical Data." The goal of this initiative is to produce a set of open data resources, based on the papers of Dana A. Dorsey (1868 - 1940). The papers record Dorsey’s business transactions and consists of warranty deeds, mortgages, legal documents, and correspondence, which detail the properties and locations of what were the newly created Miami sub-divisions from …

How Will This Benefit You? ​Ethical Guidelines For Community Driven Archives​, Kelley Flannery Rowan

Works of the FIU Libraries

This presentation was given at the Centre for Excellence on Empathy, Equity & Diversity's (CEEED) inaugural seminar, Making Empathy, Equity, and Diversity Relevant for Digital Ethics seminar. It provides a brief overview of how to develop an ethical foundation when working with historically marginalized communities in developing archives and digital collections.

An ethical approach to digital collections is essential for creating collections and partnerships that benefit and represent community members and the institution hosting the collection. While examples in this presentation are based on developing relationships with tribal nations, the same approach can be employed in working with all community …

A Skeptic’S Guide To Using Ai-Driven Content To Promote Access To Digital Archives On Social Media, Rebecca Bakker

Works of the FIU Libraries

Presentation for the Society of Florida Archivist's 2023 Annual Meeting
As cultural institutions continue to digitize their collections and make them available online, social media platforms offer a promising method for promoting and providing access to these digital archives. By incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is possible to create engaging and accessible content that can reach a wider, measurable audience. However, concerns about bias, inaccurate information and ethical considerations abound and must be considered. In this presentation, we will explore the evolution of practices in incorporating AI into digital archive work at the Digital Collections Center at Florida International University …

The Threat To Academic & Intellectual Freedom, Christopher M. Jimenez, Melissa Del Castillo, Stephen Thomson Moore, Lowell Bryan Cooper, Jacqueline Radebaugh, George Pearson

Works of the FIU Libraries

The Academic and Intellectual Freedom Ad Hoc Committee presented a First Thursday discussion on May 4 about academic and intellectual freedom. Starting with a brief definition of these terms, they traced the history of Academic Freedom and how current events affect us at FIU. The committee posed several real-life scenarios threatening Academic/Intellectual Freedom in libraries. All library staff were invited to attend this lively discussion.

The Impact Of Lgbtq Appeal On Purchase Behavior Of Luxury Products Among Men In Kuwait, Saud Alyaqout

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

Abstract

The social milieu presents an increasing awareness and support for the LGBTQ community, encouraging clothing companies to adopt LGBTQ-themed products. In a predominantly Muslim country such as Kuwait, religion influences beliefs and practices towards the LGBTQ. Although studies reveal that the Quran indicates unclear teachings on the topic, most interpretations are negative. This study examined attitudes on the brand and ad with LGBTQ themes, and purchase intentions. The survey with 55 participants show mostly unfavorable attitudes towards this community. Their religious stance indicates an impact to their negative perceptions of the ad and the brand. Consequently, they also demonstrated …

Sociology: A Guide To Action Or To Analysis In The Global Climate Change Crisis? A Call For Action By The Social Sciences And The Humanities, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The debate over the purpose of sociological research has historically been one between Marx and Weber: is sociology’s role to analyze society (ala Weber) or to change it (Marx)?

The issue of climate change and environmental destruction is one that has been relegated to the margins of Sociology, being seen as an “environmental” issue. The changes we’ve seen so far, however, show how this has had and is having a major impact on human beings and, at least in the United States, is having a major impact on the culture of the country, both in general and specifically on different …

"White Malice: The Cia And The Covert Recolonization Of Africa" By Susan Williams, (Public Affairs Press, 2021). A Review Essay, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Africa has long been looked at by outsiders as a continent that is hopelessly mired in corruption and incapable of social and economic development. This especially pertains to sub-Saharan Africa, overwhelmingly populated by black people, thus fitting the trope of white supremists that black people cannot successfully govern themselves.

This book by Susan Williams annihilates the lie. Williams details the impact of stealing millions of people for enslavement, the subsequent colonization of the continent by Western European powers and then, after the decolonization of a number of these countries, the recolonization of the continent by the United States operating explicitly …