Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Smoke Or Vapor: Regulation Of Tobacco And Vaping, James Prieger

School of Public Policy Working Papers

E-cigarettes and vaping raise new questions about the risks to health from their use and how they should be regulated and taxed compared to tobacco. The latter has a long history of taxation and a more recent history of regulation in the United States. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, have only recent begun to be regulated, but by treating them as “tobacco products” the federal regulator includes them by default in the regulatory apparatus design for tobacco control and is sending the tacit message that they are just as harmful as smoking. That is not likely to be the case. …

Pepperdine Journal Of Communication Research Volume 8 // May 2020

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research Volume 8 // May 2020

Thank You

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Thank you for reading Volume 8 of the Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research.

Strong, Powerful, And Beautiful, Katie O'Malley

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

In the months of September, October, and half of November (2019) I have observed and taken note of my performance of gender in social groups (athletics and sorority) and under the constraints of gendered expectations on Pepperdine University’s campus. In addition to these observations, I reflected on influential past experiences and re-read journal entries from my time at college. Through this self-analysis I have come to realize that my own gender performance constitutes both sides of the culturally affirmed binary with my female masculinity partnered with my permeable ego-boundary. Furthermore I found that while my gender performance breaks some of …

Capital Offense: The Rhetorical Importance Of Identifiers, Olivia Robinson

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

I aim to deconstruct the limits of rhetorical racial identifiers for people of the African diaspora, particularly within the context of the modern-day United States. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the terminology which enslaved Africans and their descendants have been subjected to in Anglo-Saxon media and the general American English lexicon. Additionally, its purpose is to discuss the efforts of Black people to standardize their own racial identifiers. I will define identifiers and discuss their purpose within racial systems. Within the framework of rhetorical hermeneutics, I will then explore the need for autonomy in selecting identifiers. Finally, …

The Rhetoric Surrounding Mary Cain, Katie O'Malley

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

As the date of the one hundred year anniversary of women gaining the right to vote approaches, one might believe that today’s society is successfully progressive in making strides toward equality for women. The reality is, while progressive strides have been made, society has not and is not close to achieving a space in which women do not face discrimination. This study observes the specific case of the professional female runner, Mary Cain, and her struggle against the hegemonic power system in place on professional running teams. By reading her article and sifting through the responses Cain received, it is …

The 3 P'S: Pewdiepie, Popularity, And Profitability, Lea Medina, Eric Reed, Cameron Davis

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This article takes an in-depth look at the most subscribed individual YouTube channel, Pewdiepie, as of 2019. Using the theoretical framework of Parasocial Interactions Theory, Hegemonic Masculinities Theory (HMT), and Inclusive Masculinities Theory (IMT), it is possible to better understand the factors of Pewdiepie’s popularity that have led to profitability. By surveying 50 Pewdiepie experts (via Instagram and YouTube), data about this particular relationship between popularity and profitability was obtained. This article puts forth the argument that factors such as Pewdiepie’s consistent uploading and sense of humor contribute to his immense popularity which only makes him more profitable. The more …

Effect Of Hip Hop On Youth Consumerism, Joanna A. Cabalquinto

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Hip Hop’s persistent rise to popular culture has not gone unnoticed by marketers and brand managers, giving advertisements a prominent role in the lyrics and videos associated with the music. Young adults, specifically those aged 16 to 24, are particularly influenced by the advancement of branded entertainment as media permeates various areas of their life. Branded entertainment uses celebrity endorsements and product placements to combine popular culture with commercial advertisements. This study analyzes focus group discussions with reference to past studies to gain insight into three major themes: general attitude towards the current state of Hip Hop (including Rap as …

Resiliency Vs. The Coronavirus, Shelby Little

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Nature is a wild and untamed force for which we will never have all the answers, but isn’t that what makes it so special? At Pepperdine, we pride ourselves on being Waves. Waves of character, leadership, purpose, and service. Scientifically, waves can come in many different forms, whether it be a sound wave, visible light wave, or a microwave. Yet the wave that overpowers the rest is an ocean wave, the strongest force in nature. When I think of the ocean, I think of a hungry and relentless force, something with a strong foundation that can be stopped by almost …

Table Of Contents And Editor's Notes, Daniela Singleterry

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

No abstract provided.

Rhetoric Of Conflict Towards A Schmittian Understanding Of The Public Sphere, Colin Kubacki

Featured Research

No abstract provided.

Surviving A Batterer: An Ideal Policy Approach To Combating Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Samantha Molisee-Sherman

Featured Research

Gender violence has plagued developed and developing societies for centuries, embedded in culture, structures, and ways of life. Women have been seen as pieces of property with no autonomy or individualism, just as extensions of their husbands. My research centers around finding an ideal policy solution to diminish rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the case of California. Interviews and data collection with legislators concerning education, rehabilitation or batterer intervention programs (BIP), and care providers in emergency shelters regarding victims’ services provided insight on a three-pronged approach targeted at curbing rates of IPV in California. My findings yielded that …

“Don’T Cry For Me, International Monetary Fund” How Politicians Sold Or Rebuked Imf-Loan Conditions In The 2019 Argentine Presidential Election, Chase Manson

Featured Research

This paper examines how politicians sell International Monetary Fund (IMF)-mandated economic reforms as a long term solution to constituents. IMF loans are difficult for citizens in the short term, and Argentina’s 2019 presidential election provides a natural experiment to examine how politicians get voters to accept short term costs for longer term gains. Two candidates for the presidency, President Macurio Macri and Alberto Fernandez, used different strategies in how they claimed they would, or would not, adopt conditions attached to Argentina’s 2017 IMF loan. By using a content analysis of politician speeches leading up to the October 2019 election, this …

Who Supports Wealth Redistribution? Self-Interest, Symbolic Politics And American Exceptionalism Approaches Towards 1990 Public Opinion, Maggie Wood

Global Tides

Economic inequality has been significantly rising in the United States, making it the most unequal advanced industrialized democracy. Understanding factors that influence public attitudes towards inequality and potential remedies such as redistribution of wealth, gives a reference point for tracking subsequent preference-policy links. This research utilizes survey data from the 1990 General Social Survey to explore factors influencing preferences towards redistribution as gross wealth consolidation among the top 10% was only starting to remerge. Empirically applying theories of economic self-interest, symbolic politics and American exceptionalism to wealth redistribution preferences, the research finds economic self-interest as having the biggest role in …

Crude Awakening: The International Politics Of Oil, Hanna Price

Global Tides

Since its modern-day discovery in northwestern Pennsylvania in the 1850s, rock oil has revolutionized the modern international political economy. This natural resource quickly caught the attention of civilians and states the world over, as people began to realize the true potential of oil as a means to power the life changing industrial revolution and bring forth new technology and innovations. However, what began as a resource which brought life, fueling the operations of modern day cities, has transitioned into a resource which breeds death, as it fuels civil wars, greed, and corruption.

In the context of oil, this paper examines …

The Rise Of Left-Wing Populism In Europe: A Comparative Study, Daniel Iturri Calvo

Global Tides

The aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis left Europe in a state of shock, out of which political transitions occurred across the country. One of these transitions was the rise of left-wing populist parties. Their rise was most successful in Southern Europe, particularly in Spain and Greece. In these two countries, left-wing populist parties gained power swiftly and eventually began governing their respective governments. This essay compares the rise of Podemos in Spain and SYRIZA in Greece by looking at the main reasons for their mass popularity. The comparison reveals that the 2008 crisis was at the core of the …

The Nuances Of Capital Controls In Economic Development: Argentina And Chile, Reagan A. Shane

Global Tides

In this paper, I analyze the ways that capital controls affect growth and economic development in developing countries and emerging market economies and use the historical evidence of Chile and Argentina to demonstrate how countries may experience the effects of capital controls in different proportions. I then review additional academic literature and historical evidence in Chile and Argentina to determine what factors seem to determine the success or failure of capital control strategies. I find two influential factors in the determination of whether implementation of capital controls helps or hurts economic growth and development. The first is whether capital controls …

Kulia I Ka Pono: The Relationship Between Economic Development And Native Hawaiian Culture, Makana Elaban

Featured Research

No abstract provided.

A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial Of An Educational Intervention To Promote Retirement Saving Among Hispanics, Luisa Blanco, Duru O. Kenrik, Carol Mangione

School of Public Policy Working Papers

We developed and conducted a community based randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of an intervention to promote retirement saving among low and moderate income, predominantly Spanish speaking Hispanics, who do not have access to an employer sponsored retirement account. Our educational intervention provided participants with key information related to financial planning for retirement in Spanish and made use of “behavioral nudges” to encourage participants to open a federal sponsored retirement saving account, my Retirement Account (myRA). Among 142 participants (70 and 72 in control and treatment groups, respectively), we found a significant difference-in-difference (DD) on the proportion of …

Climate Refugees: Can States Survive The Changing Climate?, Caroline Sisson

Featured Research

No abstract provided.

Synergies And Competition: Export Survival In Africa And Latin America, Luisa Blanco, Jesse Mora, Michael Olabisi, James E. Prieger

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Using firm-level export data from six African (Burkina Faso and Senegal) and Latin American (Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) countries, we examine factors that determine the survival of export flows. We explore the effects on export survival of changes in the number of home-country exporters serving the same destination, firm-level export diversification, and country-level factors. Unlike previous studies, we find that export survival rates decrease with the number of co-exporters selling the same product to the same country. We also find that the relationship between firm-level product diversification and export flow survival is hump-shaped: firms that do not diversify or …

The Future Of Voting In A Technological Era, Anne Mummery

Featured Research

No abstract provided.

Talent Investment And Nonprofit Pay: A Study In The Arts Community, Sally E. Loftis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore employee perceptions of pay as part of a talent investment strategy at Penland School of Craft, the largest non-academic craft school in the United States. The study outlines action research completed when funds from a transformational endowment gift were used for employee needs. Study data reflected that structural and pay changes increased employee engagement. Study findings also informed recommendations for a nonprofit strategy to pay living wages connected to costs of living and a pay raise framework that supports different levels of employee development.

Treatment Of Infidelity As A Clinical Issue In Couple Therapy: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Wilhelmina Emma Stamps

Theses and Dissertations

Infidelity is perhaps the most challenging issue confronting couple therapists and has a high prevalence amongst couples in both clinical and community settings. Despite significant expansion of this field of research in recent years, there has not been a comprehensive review of the literature since 2005. Without such a review, it is problematic for clinicians and researchers to determine best practices and areas needing further inquiry. This article builds on the two most recent reviews (Allen et al., 2005; Blow & Hartnett, 2005) and provides a systematic critical review of the literature on infidelity published in the last 15 years. …

How Does Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) Work? An Examination Of The Potential Mechanisms Of Action, Sara Forster

Theses and Dissertations

A mounting body of evidence suggests that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is successful in reducing the impact of posttraumatic symptoms. Although the exact mechanisms of action remain unknown, theories from the psychological to the neuroscientific continue to emerge, expand, and evolve. This study will examine four of the most prominent theories to date and weigh the evidence for and against each one. It will also review, compare, and contrast the theories, evaluate the research supporting each one, and propose the most likely explanation for EMDR's success given the state of the research. Neurobiological mechanisms and correlates as …

Strategies Aimed At Helping African American Male Students Succeed In United States Secondary Schools: A Metasynthesis, Chibuzo N. Azinge-Walton

Theses and Dissertations

The persistent disparity in graduation rates between Black and White male students in U.S. secondary schools (the achievement gap) despite repeated efforts to even it out, is a thorn in the flesh of educators, the country over. The elimination of this continuous disparity through viable solutions, is the focus of this study. A problem is ninety percent solved when it thoroughly understood, with its comprehension necessitating a large investment of thought, time, and resources (Einstein, 1879-1955). To fully grasp the inner pinning of the achievement gap dilemma, this researcher selected, read, and reviewed 50 subject matter-related archived articles/studies obtained from …

Assessing The Impacts Of Work-Related Applications Of Improvisation Training On Psychological Safety In Teams, Marne Maykowskyj Nordean

Theses and Dissertations

This paper discusses improvisational training (IMPT) and psychological safety and seeks to find if the former impacts the latter. For this study, improvisation has four main tenets: ensemble / co-creating, 'yes, and' / accept and heighten, authenticity / celebrating failure, and listening and communication skills. Psychological safety is defined as the shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking and a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up. This confidence stems from mutual respect and trust among team members. It is described as …

Economically Empowering Women As Foreign Policy: A Phenomenological Study On Building Peace In Northern Uganda Through Social Enterprise, Lisa Liberatore Maracine

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advocates for the role of social enterprise in building sustainable peace by giving women agency and power in their communities. It examines this phenomenon through the lens of a social enterprise non-governmental organization, 31 Bits, that offers a valuable case study in the post-conflict Northern Uganda town of Gulu where over 100 women have been employed in the last ten years in a five-year training program that equips them to become fully self-sustainable through the creation of jewelry handmade from recycled paper. The holistic approach moves beyond the nonprofit model of charity and survival to giving their beneficiaries …

Leadership Development In East Africa: A Case Study Of A Multi-Year College Student Leadership Program, Gregory Armen Muger

Theses and Dissertations

Effectual and ethical leadership is a top need throughout all sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa (Adadevoh, 2007; Ncube, 2010). Unfortunately, there is currently very scant literature on Sub-Saharan African leadership theory or programming (Bolden & Kirk, 2009). A large Christian nonprofit organization operated a multi-year servant leadership-based Christian leadership program for thousands of college students throughout sites in East Africa called the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The LDP endeavored to groom local, ethical, and capable leaders. Therefore, studying the LDP model and its impacts could add significant value to Sub-Saharan African leadership practitioners as well as add to the limited body …

Establishing And Sustaining No-Kill Communities: Best Practices For Animal Services Directors, Kristin R. Barney

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between humans and non-human animals in the United States has evolved from the capturing and impounding of stray livestock found in colonial times to the billion-dollar industry supporting companion animals that exists today (Irvine, 2002; Zawistowski & Morris, 2013). As people's perceptions and attitudes about the treatment of non-human animals have evolved over time, so have the expectations of the organizations that are in place to care for them. A current movement exists to end the killing of healthy and treatable pets within the United States. Known as the no-kill movement, shelter directors and community stakeholders around the …