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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Foraging Culture In Iceland: Understanding The Transfer Of Plant Knowledge And Personal Views On Foraging, Ella Jane Maurer Apr 2024

Foraging Culture In Iceland: Understanding The Transfer Of Plant Knowledge And Personal Views On Foraging, Ella Jane Maurer

Whittier Scholars Program

Foraging is a broad topic, practiced in different locations throughout history. This study looks into the specific practices, values, and views of foraging in Iceland. There is little previous research that has been done, working with Icelanders, and hearing their stories. Through conducting several interviews of local Icelanders with different backgrounds and a brief six-question survey via the Inaturalist application, this study looks into exactly that. By compiling stories from the interview and survey data, themes were highlighted collecting similar and contrasting statements on ways plants are foraged, opinions on Icelandic foraging culture as a whole, and ways knowledge is …

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Landowners' Perceptions Of Conservation Easements: Implications For Effective Persuasive Communication, Caitlin Cooper, Jefferson D. Miller, Shane White, Lauren Gwaltney Dec 2023

Landowners' Perceptions Of Conservation Easements: Implications For Effective Persuasive Communication, Caitlin Cooper, Jefferson D. Miller, Shane White, Lauren Gwaltney

Journal of Applied Communications

Conservation easements (CEs) are one of the most popular voluntary, legally binding programs that allow individual landowners to use their property to protect the environment. There is a definite need for educational and persuasive messaging targeted towards landowners regarding adopting conservation easements. Based on previous studies, and confirmed by this study, communication efforts that are led by conservation experts who are also community members are most likely to be well received by landowners in a region. There is currently little to no existing region-specific literature specifically related to the attitudes and behaviors landowners possess towards conservation easements. Additionally, more literature …

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Harnessing The Power Of Storytelling And Storylistening: Fostering Challenging Conversations In Coastal Communities, Holly E. Parker Phd Dec 2023

Harnessing The Power Of Storytelling And Storylistening: Fostering Challenging Conversations In Coastal Communities, Holly E. Parker Phd

Maine Policy Review

As sustainability practitioners we often spend our time in vibrant echo chambers. We’re invigorated by debates about how to support just and sustainable communities and environments. But what happens outside that echo chamber? What happens when we meet a neighbor, a colleague or a decisionmaker who doesn’t share our urgency for action? Do we go it alone as we seek to make change? Or do we need to build new, unexpected partnerships? In a time when technology and political and social divisiveness make it easy to dismiss the other, it is vital that we build pathways to understanding opposing points …

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Greening The Desert: Emirati Youth’S Perceptions Of Green Branding, Gergana Alzeer, Tilde Rosmer Aug 2023

Greening The Desert: Emirati Youth’S Perceptions Of Green Branding, Gergana Alzeer, Tilde Rosmer

All Works

This chapter focuses on Emirati youth’s understanding of and practices related to a green shift in the UAE and how this correlates with the state’s efforts to brand the UAE as green and sustainable. This is part of a larger research project that investigates Emirati youth’s understanding of climate change. The UAE experience of environmental sustainability is unique as its green shift was initiated by the government in a top-down approach compared to the bottom-up green movements in most western states that has been the focus of most environmental studies so far. Environmental sustainability is part of UAE’s national Agenda …

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Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Dairy Production: A Survey Methodology Report, Heather Akin, Babatope Akinyemi, Julia Mcquillan, Tami Brown-Brandl Jun 2023

Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Dairy Production: A Survey Methodology Report, Heather Akin, Babatope Akinyemi, Julia Mcquillan, Tami Brown-Brandl

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This report presents findings from a pilot survey conducted among undergraduate and graduate students (N = 410) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln about students’ perspectives on technology usage, consumption, and sustainability in dairy production systems. An interdisciplinary research team developed the survey instrument and report. The main purpose of this pilot study was to create and administer survey items to support further research on experiential education and outreach opportunities related to robotics in small-scale dairy production and rural economic development. Descriptive findings indicated that most students had some familiarity with dairy production and the nutritional aspects of dairy products …

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Assessing Corporate Social Responsibility And Sustainability In The Small Businesses Of Bridgewater, Ma, Ryan Mannett Apr 2023

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 …

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Taking Responsibility For Systemic Failures: Rhetorical Homologies And Discourses Of Sustainability, Health, And Voting, Alice Grosu Jul 2022

Taking Responsibility For Systemic Failures: Rhetorical Homologies And Discourses Of Sustainability, Health, And Voting, Alice Grosu

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

When considering the discourse of presidential candidates, talk show hosts discussing mental health issues, and companies advertising sustainable goods, this essay argues that they share a formal resemblance. Whenever the same formal resemblance, or the same pattern, can be found within different instances of rhetoric, this indicates that the texts are homologous. Making sense of these instances of discourse is essential if one seeks to understand the way in which the public’s political engagement can be hindered by these rhetorical acts.

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“Green” Marketing In The Apparel Industry: The Spectrum Of Veracity, Stephanie R. Keane May 2022

“Green” Marketing In The Apparel Industry: The Spectrum Of Veracity, Stephanie R. Keane

Honors Theses in Science, Technology, and Society

Apparel companies’ propensity for manipulation in their marketing of environmental initiatives contributes to immense environmental pollution from petrochemical textile material production. Public scrutiny pressures these businesses to adopt “green” initiatives to avoid losing devoted consumers. In some cases, these initiatives disguise the real operations of a company or claim benignity for the company when this is not the reality. Previous business ethics research analyzed the emergence of “greenwashing” in corporations and thus concluded that corporations market themselves as eco-friendly to portray commodification as sustainable. In the form of case studies, this paper scrutinizes four companies: Zara, Patagonia, Lululemon, and Pact. …

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Effective Green Marketing Strategies On Social Media: Selling Companies And Their Consumers On Investing In Carbon Offsetting And Solar Energy In 2021, Melvin Richard Springer Iv May 2022

Effective Green Marketing Strategies On Social Media: Selling Companies And Their Consumers On Investing In Carbon Offsetting And Solar Energy In 2021, Melvin Richard Springer Iv

Honors Theses

In a digital world where consumers and businesses alike care significantly about sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR), the success of startup companies hinges on constant, clear, and thoughtful communication. Through my research into successfully marketing such concerns on social media as well as my internship at Clearloop, I discovered some of the best ways to convince both companies and consumers that preserving the planet should be a primary concern for every environmentally conscious company. Companies that ignore their impacts on the environment are synonymous with companies doomed to fail in the 21st century. Clearloop’s model of partnering with …

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Sustainability In Web Development Through Energy Efficiency, Hannah Bebinger Apr 2022

Sustainability In Web Development Through Energy Efficiency, Hannah Bebinger

Honors Projects

As global internet usage expands, websites are growing in both size and complexity. Contrary to the common belief that the internet is immaterial and “environmentally friendly”, web pages have significant negative environmental impacts (Frick, 2015). Websites contribute to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and electricity consumption. Considering the current climate crisis, it is crucial that web developers be aware of the impact that their work has on the environment and actively work to improve site energy efficiency. With a lack of regulation and awareness, the environmental impact of websites has remained unchecked despite growing concerns for sustainability. Further research and …

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Energy Literacy In Portugal: A System Map And Framework To Increase Energy Literacy Through The Renewable Energy Transition, Molly S. Fox Apr 2022

Energy Literacy In Portugal: A System Map And Framework To Increase Energy Literacy Through The Renewable Energy Transition, Molly S. Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Western society lives with a great dependence and an almost simultaneous ignorance of energy consumption (van den Broek, 2019). The systemic landscape of energy knowledge and dissemination is more critical than ever as Portugal races to meet decarbonization goals. This paper fills a knowledge gap by updating the current social landscape of energy literacy in Portugal through a comprehensive system map and framework to increase energy literacy levels through the renewable energy transition. By conducting a semi-systematic literature review, meta-narratives and themes were identified and used to create theoretical concepts, a framework, and a system map. This research found that …

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The Research And Design Of Sustainlnk: An Online Hub Of Sustainability Resources In Lincoln, Nebraska, Kayla Kremke Mar 2022

The Research And Design Of Sustainlnk: An Online Hub Of Sustainability Resources In Lincoln, Nebraska, Kayla Kremke

Honors Theses

SustainLNK (www.sustainlnk.org) is a website serving as a hub of sustainability resources in Lincoln, Nebraska. The site began as a personal project before becoming my UNL Honors Program Senior Project in Spring 2021, and consists of a website of resources along with two social media accounts providing more timely updates on sustainability-related events. This document outlines the thought and planning that was behind the development of the resource, along with relevant links to grow a deeper understanding of this new community resource.

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“Green” Marketing In The Apparel Industry: The Spectrum Of Veracity, Stephanie R. Keane Jan 2022

“Green” Marketing In The Apparel Industry: The Spectrum Of Veracity, Stephanie R. Keane

Honors Theses

Apparel companies’ propensity for manipulation in their marketing of environmental initiatives contributes to immense environmental pollution from petrochemical textile material production. Public scrutiny pressures these businesses to adopt “green” initiatives to avoid losing devoted consumers. In some cases, these initiatives disguise the real operations of a company or claim benignity for the company when this is not the reality. Previous business ethics research analyzed the emergence of “greenwashing” in corporations and thus concluded that corporations market themselves as eco-friendly to portray commodification as sustainable. In the form of case studies, this paper scrutinizes four companies: Zara, Patagonia, Lululemon, and Pact. …

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The Relationship Between Food Retailers And Distributors, Madison Seigler, Julia Anderson, Aidan Morton, Cassandra Williams, Victoria Bloomgren, Jacob Tutty Jan 2022

The Relationship Between Food Retailers And Distributors, Madison Seigler, Julia Anderson, Aidan Morton, Cassandra Williams, Victoria Bloomgren, Jacob Tutty

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Our understanding of the science of anthropogenic climate change and its immediate and indirect impacts has grown within the last decade.Alongside anincrease in concern for the inequities within the industrialized food system, climate change is impacting agriculture and the communities that depend on it in myriad ways. These challenges have catalyzed investment in sustainable agriculture, “eat local” food movements, and rethinking of all aspects of food systems, including consumers, producers, retailers, and distributors. The body of literature on food systems primarily focuses on the connection between consumers and retailers; however, there is a notable absence of literature on the relationships …

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Fashion And Sustainability: Consumption And Shared Responsibility, Jie Gao Fowler, Timothy Reisenwitz, Rongwei Chu Jan 2022

Fashion And Sustainability: Consumption And Shared Responsibility, Jie Gao Fowler, Timothy Reisenwitz, Rongwei Chu

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Indulgence in fashion has been indispensable in modern societies, as it is a crucial device for self-image and identity construction. With the advanced technology and globalization of production, the fashion industry has skewed towards fast fashion, making the latest trends available to mass consumers at affordable prices. This research aims to examine how Chinese consumers perceive sustainable consumption in the context of fashion. We endeavor to explore the factors that influence the engagement of sustainable consumption. This study aims not to argue whether sustainable fashion should mobilize or replace the current fashion system but to provide evidence on consumers' perception …

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The Stages Of Environmentalism And How The Movement Can Be Maintained Through Generation Z, Emma Jean Vanden Brink Dec 2021

The Stages Of Environmentalism And How The Movement Can Be Maintained Through Generation Z, Emma Jean Vanden Brink

Masters Theses

The state of a social movement is characterized by the stages through which it progresses. The environmentalism movement began hundreds of years ago when humans first noticed how significantly their actions influenced the nature around them. The movement advanced with the arrival of the industrial era and modern society. According to Stewart et al. (2012), there are five main stages through which a social movement proceeds: genesis, social unrest, enthusiastic mobilization, maintenance, and termination. Today, environmentalism is in the maintenance stage, as determined by the current organizational structure of the movement. The objective of this study was to determine how …

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Connecting Communities To Coastal Resilience: Enhancing Sustainability Through Public Participation In Salt Marsh Management And Restoration In Suffolk County, Ny, Jennifer L. Mcgivern Sep 2021

Connecting Communities To Coastal Resilience: Enhancing Sustainability Through Public Participation In Salt Marsh Management And Restoration In Suffolk County, Ny, Jennifer L. Mcgivern

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Coastal resiliency is becoming significantly more critical to the livelihood of coastal communities as the frequency and intensity of storm events increases and is exacerbated by rising sea levels due to climate change. In October 2012 Superstorm Sandy impacted the New York-New Jersey area costing over $70 billion in storm damages and 147 lives lost, as storm surges surpassed record highs for the region. Protruding more than 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean with over 1,000 miles of shoreline, Long Island is particularly vulnerable to the increasingly ferocious and numerous storms as well as the rising sea levels that climate …

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The Right To Repair: (Re)Building A Better Future, Jumana Labib Aug 2021

The Right To Repair: (Re)Building A Better Future, Jumana Labib

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The goal of this research project was to take a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach to research and examine the Right to Repair movement’s progress, current repair practices, impediments, and imperatives, and the various large-scale implications (environmental, economic, social, etc.) stemming from diminished consumer freedom as a result of increased corporate greed and lack of governmental regulations with regards to repair and the environment. This poster exhibits the highlights of my general research project on the Right to Repair movement over the course of this four month internship, and aims to disseminate information about the movement to the wider public in an …

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A Field-Wide Examination Of Cross-Listed Courses In Technical Professional Communication, Carolyn M. Gubala Jul 2021

A Field-Wide Examination Of Cross-Listed Courses In Technical Professional Communication, Carolyn M. Gubala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses cross-listed courses (courses with a mix of undergraduate and graduate students) to uncover current pedagogical and programmatic trends at a field-wide level. The applied mixed-methods study provides important foundational insights into an under researched area in Technical and Professional Communication (TPC). Research questions include: What courses are cross-listed? How does offering these courses affect writing programs and writing program administration? Through the use of three types of data: (1) course data from institutional documents, (2) interview data from program administrators and/or faculty, and (3) pedagogical materials (syllabi and assignment sheets) from the courses supplied by administrators or …

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"Airbnb Go Home:" Tourism Frictions And Short-Term Rentals In New Orleans, Madeline R. Fussell May 2021

"Airbnb Go Home:" Tourism Frictions And Short-Term Rentals In New Orleans, Madeline R. Fussell

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the concerns and conflicts around short-term rental (STR) properties in New Orleans neighborhoods. Using data from collected from critical discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews and social media posts, this paper analyzes the ways the city of New Orleans, residents of the city, STR hosts, and platforms like Airbnb discuss issues of safety, displacement, rising costs of living, as well as responsible STR practices. To understand the complexities of the issues people, have with short-term rental properties, this project approaches STRs from a housing and gentrification lens to understand the role these properties play within in the daily atmospheres …

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"That Is A Huge Wardrobe And Clothing Mistake!": The Unethical Consumption Habits Of Youtube's Fashion Influencers And The Environmental Consequences Of A Disposable Lifestyle, Isabel Thornton Apr 2021

"That Is A Huge Wardrobe And Clothing Mistake!": The Unethical Consumption Habits Of Youtube's Fashion Influencers And The Environmental Consequences Of A Disposable Lifestyle, Isabel Thornton

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

People flock to YouTube for the latest videos from their favorite influencers, not realizing that the consumption habits of those influencers could lead to environmental disaster. This thesis builds upon the conversation about the need for sustainable messages on social media that target young, impressionable audiences. A detailed study of 15 videos from five fashion YouTubers reveals that: (1) fast fashion brands dominate across the platform; (2) fashion YouTubers fail to take responsibility for their unethical consumption habits; and (3) none of them successfully avoid unsustainable fashion choices, despite some efforts to do so. Meaningful solutions to the fast fashion …

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Social Media Engagement For Global Influencers, Kara Bentley, Charlene Chu, Cristina Nistor, Ekin Pehlivan, Taylan Yalcin Mar 2021

Social Media Engagement For Global Influencers, Kara Bentley, Charlene Chu, Cristina Nistor, Ekin Pehlivan, Taylan Yalcin

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Consumers use social media to create content, generate online word-of-mouth, and communicate with brands and other consumers. Consumers engage with influencers who deliver content that is timely, entertaining, and interesting to them. Many influencers have a truly global following across the world. However, there is little research on international aspects of social media influencers. Our paper leverages Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to study consumer engagement using a novel dataset of global sustainability influencers. Our results indicate that the cultural distance between the influencer and the followers is an important driver of engagement in a nuanced way. While the level of superficial, …

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Environmental Participation And Evaluation On Marshall University's Campus, Noah Adkins Smentkowski Jan 2021

Environmental Participation And Evaluation On Marshall University's Campus, Noah Adkins Smentkowski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Encouraging environmental awareness and engagement on Marshall University’s campus is a fundamental goal of the institution’s Sustainability Department. In working with the department, this study sought to describe the student body’s perceptions, opinions, and rates of environmentally friendly behaviors on campus. In addition to describing the desired population, analysis was conducted to identify what factors influence pro-environmental behaviors within students to produce more effective messaging and engagement strategies for the Sustainability Department. Through the lens of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), individual action is produced by behavioral intent, influenced by an individual’s values, norms, and perceived situational control. Measures …

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Let's Talk About Ditching Plastics At Festivals, Ellen Foley Jan 2021

Let's Talk About Ditching Plastics At Festivals, Ellen Foley

Case Studies

Student blog series from MSc in Event Management students at TU Dublin. In this blog post Ellen Foley asks is it time to stop using plastic at festivals. She discusses how how Education and collaboration are the two vital ingredients that festival planners must embrace in order to tackle this ever-pressing problem. It’s time to get creative and work together to ditch the plastic.

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Breaking News: Sustainable Fashion Is In And Fast Fashion Is Out; Constructions Of Sustainable Consumption In Fast Fashion Advertising, Camryn Eve Rosenstein Jan 2021

Breaking News: Sustainable Fashion Is In And Fast Fashion Is Out; Constructions Of Sustainable Consumption In Fast Fashion Advertising, Camryn Eve Rosenstein

Senior Independent Study Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the pivotal role advertising plays in fast fashion consumption and shaping young consumers ideas and values about the fashion industry, fast fashion, sustainable consumption, and sustainability. This study contributes to limited research into greenwashing and consumer perceptions and attitudes towards sustainable consumption. Moreover, this study highlights the increased relevance of the sustainable fashion movement in mainstream society. The researcher recruited 30 college students to participants in focus group sessions and individual interviews. An H&M advertisement and a video clip from a documentary, The True Cost, were shown to participants, so …

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Does Ict Result In Dematerialization? The Case Of Europe, 2005-2017, Annika Marie Rieger Jan 2021

Does Ict Result In Dematerialization? The Case Of Europe, 2005-2017, Annika Marie Rieger

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Current levels of resource use are unsustainable, but there is a debate about the most feasible way to reduce them. One proposed mechanism is technological innovation: specifically, the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) could result in significant reductions in material consumption by substituting virtual for material goods, increasing resource efficiency, and replacing more resource-intensive sectors. Critics of this view argue that dematerialization due to ICTs is unlikely: they consume large amounts of resources and encourage additional consumption. Additionally, increased efficiency resulting from ICT use could lead to rebound effects, reducing their environmentally beneficial impact. This paper uses a …

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Maintaining And Enhancing Institutional Relevance: Long-Term Program Sustainability In An Era Of Increased Intra-Institutional Competition For Resources, Brendan B. Kelly Oct 2020

Maintaining And Enhancing Institutional Relevance: Long-Term Program Sustainability In An Era Of Increased Intra-Institutional Competition For Resources, Brendan B. Kelly

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

The preservation and growth of intercollegiate forensic programs does not, and should not, depend on the singular factor of competitive results. The value of a program is rooted, in great part, in intra-institutional factors. This paper puts forth an assertion related to increasing the institutional value of forensics programs. Emphasis is placed on expanding the scope of the program goals and framing the success of a program on a non-competitive basis. The intra-institutional framing of program identity as "centers of excellence" functions as a central tenet.

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Helping Programs Survive: Utilizing The Concepts Of Sustainability As Viable Means Of Program Growth, Brian R. Klosa Oct 2020

Helping Programs Survive: Utilizing The Concepts Of Sustainability As Viable Means Of Program Growth, Brian R. Klosa

Proceedings of the National Developmental Conference on Individual Events

One of the many responsibilities and duties of a forensics coach is conducting long range planning for their respective program. Recruiting students and retaining them is paramount to surviving. When numerous programs across the country have ceased to exist, examining this issue takes on paramount important. In the past, the forensic community has engaged into important discussion about the growth of programs within our activity. However, I adamantly believe directors at smaller programs need to shift their focus from growth to developing a philosophy of sustainability. This paper will defend this position by describing the concept of sustainability as it …

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Consumer Response To Green Brands Vs. Traditional Brands On Digital Platforms: An Analysis Through A Series Of Case Studies, Madison Busick May 2020

Consumer Response To Green Brands Vs. Traditional Brands On Digital Platforms: An Analysis Through A Series Of Case Studies, Madison Busick

Honors Scholar Theses

In the age of environmental crisis, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their decisions. Accordingly, many companies seek to provide more eco-friendly and sustainable products while building their brand around these values. Consumers also are increasingly using and engaging on social media and other digital platforms. But just how well do these "green" brands do in the digital space? This study aims to compare differences between brands that embody environmentalist values and traditional brands with a variety of case studies across several consumer goods segments including clothing, cosmetics, and technology. The data is collected from a variety …

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Gen Z Perspectives On Climate Change And The Future: Having The Courage To Imagine And Fight For A Better World, Isabelle Graj Apr 2020

Gen Z Perspectives On Climate Change And The Future: Having The Courage To Imagine And Fight For A Better World, Isabelle Graj

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted 6 interviews with Gen Z students to investigate how they think climate change will impact their future and how they frame the issue in general. I communicate my findings and analysis with visual context through a zine, which is a form of alternative media created in the 1930s. Today, zines provide a creative approach to exchange ideas and explain contemporary culture (Gisonny and Freedman, 2006, 26). My zine is not meant to be utterly educational but rather it is meant to convey the emotion, confusion, and chaos associated with my findings. The interviews collectively created an image of …

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