Sociology
Brieana Smtih, smithbri@uw.edu
University of Washington, with Dr. Karam Dana
Sociology
Genesis to Revelation: The Creation and Dissemination of Cultural Values in Evangelical Congregations
The White Evangelical church has long had a powerful voice in the formation of both cultural and political values in the United States. However, American society is undergoing a transformation in the way marginalized populations and social movements are viewed, and that role is changing. In today’s social climate, what is the role of Evangelical pastors in shaping their congregant’s views towards marginalized populations and social movements, both politically and culturally? From what sources do those pastors draw their views and how are they disseminated among congregants? For this research, I explored the ways in which Evangelical Christianity in the United States affects the conversation around marginalized populations. I conducted content analysis of a representative selection of sermons, interviewed pastors regarding the ways in which they discuss this and why and how they acquire their knowledge and information about it, and engaged in ethnographic observation of different congregations during services. I expect to find connections between political affiliation and general stance on social issues which impact the types of teaching handed down to congregants, and that cultural lenses will impact the interpretation of scripture. I also expect that the voice of the pastor continues to hold strong influence over Americans who attend church, but that the methods used are changing to embrace new technology. In our increasingly polarized society, understanding the creation and dissemination of cultural values in churches gives us valuable insight into the politicization and radicalization of Americans into disparate and often conflicting groups.
Niko McPherson, ngm1020@usnh.edu
University of New Hampshire, with Dr. Dean Michele Dillon
Sociology
Community Through Card Games: A Literature Review of the Current Research, Discussions, and Debates Surrounding the Culture of Tabletop Games
Over the past 20 years, scholars such as Putnam (2000) and Oldenburg (1999) have argued that community is dying. Drawing on large-scale surveys assessing Americans’ participation in community-based groups and organizations such as bridge clubs, VFWs, Scouting, and more, they find that community-based groups are having lower rates of involvement, and that community-focused places (cafés, bars, etc.) are decreasing in popularity. They argue that due to the decline of these traditional sources of community, Americans today are increasingly self-isolated, as conveyed by the notion of “bowling alone” (the title of Putnam’s book). Other scholars, by contrast, argue that community is not necessarily declining but changing. In their ethnographic study of players of the trading card game “Magic: The Gathering”, Kinkade and Katovich (2019) found that gamers created social identities around accomplishments within the culture instead of having their identities tied to time and space. Drawing on this research literature, and with special attention to tabletop games and the culture their participants create, I conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to identify the ways in which community may be evolving in our modern era. This oral presentation will discuss an extensive literature review of the current research on community, including debates surrounding the culture of tabletop games, with a specific focus on trading card games. I will discuss the research methods scholars use, highlight the importance of this specific field of research, and provide suggestions as to how future research may be conducted
Desiree Dixon, dsimpso5@g.emporia.edu
Emporia State University, with Dr. Jan Todd
Interdisciplinary/Sociology
Young Adults' Perceptions of Intimate Relationships and Family Units in Correlation with ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Scores
The purpose of this research study is to determine if higher ACE (adverse childhood experiences) scores negatively affect young adults’ perceptions of intimate relationships and family units. There is the lack of current research pertaining to ACE scores and young adults’ willingness to enter into intimate/familial relationships. The research method used for this research study is mixed methodology. Phase one of the research will contain an anonymous survey sent out to participants that contains the ACE questionnaire along with questions which correspond with quantitative data collection. Phase two of the research will be follow-up interview that is optional which corresponds with qualitative data collection. Mixed methodology is used to comprehensively determine the results of both the survey (quantitative data collection) and interviews (qualitative data collection) utilized in the study. The population being studied are college students from Emporia State University and Johnson County Community College who are between the ages of 18-24. Stratified sampling will be used to gain a random sample of college students while convenience sampling will be used to obtain participants for the optional follow-up interview through the survey. The proposed research study will help to fill in the research gaps described and provide insight into how future relationships may be affected by the childhood trauma experienced by young adults.
Session Location
- Foster 124
Session Date/Time
- Thursday, 10:00 - 11:00am
Session Type
- Oral Student Presentations
- Student Presentations