Sociology - Student Works

Permanent link for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/76

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 108

Straight from the horse’s mouth: a case study on the adult male fans of My Little Pony
(2015) Schimpf, Kaitlyn Elizabeth
This is a qualitative case study that examines an alternative subculture composed of adult males who are fans of the Hub Network cartoon television series: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Given the predominantly female cast of pony characters who primarily serve as positive role models for children, the fan base, which refers to itself as "bronies", provides a unique opportunity to explore a group that defies traditional norms regarding masculinity. Four main themes were explored. First, this study seeks to explain why adult males are drawn to this particular show. In addition, this study explores how the bronies are perceived by others who are not part of this subculture. Since it is presumed that bronies are regarded in a negative manner by outsiders, this study also attempts to explain how bronies deal with these primarily negative perceptions. Finally, this study examines how a sub-group within the fan base who derive sexual pleasure from the pony characters differ from the more mainstream group of bronies. Bronies make for a fascinating subculture when framed within gender and sexuality in the age of the internet. Content analyses and narrative analyses were employed using a variety of data sources including online message boards specially created by fans to discuss the television series, popular new stories and a documentary on the bronies subculture. While unusual, the bronies, for the most part, appear to be a harmless group of males who are brought together by a common interest in a cartoon that promotes friendship and acceptance and many inadvertently help to break down traditional stereotypes.
Understanding the Freemasons: a qualitative analysis
(2015) Kennedy, Chelsea
This paper quantitatively examines the Freemasons, an ancient group known for the secrecy surrounding the group. Through the use of interviews with a member of the Freemasons and a content analysis performed on a documentary regarding the conspiracies associated with the group this study attempts to determine what information is available to non-members about the group and how accurate that information is. The themes and patterns found in the interviews and the documentary were compared in order to determine the accuracy of the information available to non-members, on the assumption that the responses from the participant are truthful and can therefore be used as a guide to analyze the information presented in the documentary.
Gender differences in clothing worn in current popular comic books
(2015) Jossy, Kyle
This study looked at how males and females were portrayed, based on the amount of skin shown in the clothing worn. A Content analysis was performed on a sample of 20 randomly selected popular comics from the last 3 years. Both male and female characters were rated on how much skin they showed in three clothing categories; neck line, sleeve length, and lower body. Results showed that in all 3 categories, women consistently wore more revealing clothing. The findings demonstrated that the comic book industry is comparable to other forms of media, in the sexualization of female characters, by having them wear more revealing clothing.
Stereotypes about men and masculinity in Cosmopolitan Magazine: a content analysis of the “Ask him anything” advice column
(2015) Vaillancourt, Celine Isabelle
This qualitative study explored the culture of male stereotypes in selected articles of Cosmopolitan magazine. A content analysis was conducted on the “Ask Him Anything: Love Advice From Our Guy Guru: Ky Henderson” column, which appears monthly in Cosmopolitan magazine, from January to December 2013. Twelve articles with seventy questions and answers were analyzed to find implicit and explicit statements about men and masculinity. Fifty-one statements were examined for themes, and four prominent themes emerged: (1) Men and their attitudes and behaviours towards women, (2) Sex – General attitudes and specific actions, (3) Jobs and finances, and (4) Comparisons between younger and older men. The theme of men and their attitudes and behaviors towards women held the most statements, suggesting that the readership of this magazine is expected to focus on men’s behaviours and attitudes towards them, which may put pressure on the readers to cater to these stereotyped attitudes and behaviours. Catering to presumed stereotypical attitudes and behaviours may create or reinforce unequal power structures and put strains on romantic relationships between men and women. Findings demonstrated that stereotyped statements about men and masculinity were contained within Cosmopolitan magazine. Furthermore, certain masculine traits were described as innate or biologically inherent, revealing a prevailing thought that these stereotypical traits are unchangeable in nature.
Social Darwinism, class conflict, and war: a call for new tools of analysis for the contemporary moment
(2015) Kruger, Reiss
In this paper, the idea that war has been seen as - and used as - a tool of what Spencer would call 'social Darwinism' is put forward and advanced. The cocurrent evolution of war and society is measured through the understandings of various classical theorists and modern sociologists. Alongside these thoughts, Marxian class conflict is then brought to bear and the entire paper becomes a compare and contrast between organicists and class conflict theories and how war has been viewed by - and justified by - both throughout history. Ending in a call to arms for the creation of new theories and a re-evalutation of conventional knowledge surrounding class conflict, social Darwinism, and war, this paper calls for another level of sociological analysis on the state, inter-state, and planetary scale.
Racist posts on Facebook: a content analysis of confession pages
(2016) Winterholt, Kylee; Symbaluk, Diane
This study examined negative Facebook posts about racial minorities. A content analysis was performed on a sample of 10 confessions posted between September 13th 2014 and March 25th 2015. Results showed nine central issues prevalent in the posts. Language, other races being racist, and losing Canadian identity were the most prevalent issues commented on. Additional issues were the over utilization of resources, marrying within your own race, minorities thinking they know everything, bad driving skills, working in the food industry, and feeling outnumbered.
Existing Canadian support programs available for young adult survivors suffering with psychological distress as a consequence of cancer
(2016) Sirman, Lisa; Symbaluk, Diane
The present study examined the existing Canadian support programs that are available for young adult survivors suffering with psychological distress as a consequence of cancer. A content analysis was performed on a sample of 28 resources and their associated support programs, which were selected from a sample selection process that entailed multiple search strategies. Results showed that there are different support programs offered within Canada or that are accessible to Canadians via the internet, this being based on whether one is available to meet in person or not, whether one wishes to engage with peers or professionals, and whether one desires to engage in a target-specific program or a program that generally addresses the issue of psychological distress together with other issues associated with survivorship. These findings demonstrated the availability and type of support programs existing that address psychological distress within young adult cancer survivors.
Boys versus girls: gendered presentations of newborns via Instagram photograph uploads
(2016) Garcia, Jason
The present study examined the prevalence of gender stereotypes displayed in photograph uploads of newborns in the mobile social media application, Instagram. A quantitative content analysis was performed on a sample of 120 of the most recent photograph uploads with the hashtag streams “#newbornbabyboy” and “#newbornbabygirl”. 60 of these images consisting of each newborn females and males, collected between the 26th and 27th of March, 2014. Results showed that newborn baby boys were only portrayed in a gender-stereotypical manner where the most predominant clothing colour worn was blue. For girls, the results also revealed a gender-stereotypical pattern as pink was the most displayed clothing colour. There was no significant difference found between male and female newborns in how often they were accessorized. The primary source of the photograph uploads were most often the babies’ mothers.
Continuation of the Pocahontas paradox: stereotypes of Aboriginal women presented in Halloween costumes
(2016) O'Dell, Keestin; Symbaluk, Diane
The present study examined adult women’s Halloween costumes to see how Aboriginal women are presented through these costumes. Three types of Aboriginal women were identified in these costumes: the sexual native, the noble native and the rebellious native. Implications of these findings are discussed herein.
Youth disengagement: what's CARE got to do with it?
(2017) Dobler, Samantha; Minaker, Joanne
Do youth who disengage from society find their way into the criminal justice system or does the criminal justice system lead youth to disengage from society? This paper aims to contribute a student’s perspective on the (dis)engagement debate. In other words, to dispel the myth that “disengaged youth” just don’t care. Drawing on a critical, youth justice perspective, I conceptualize youth engagement, examine the bridges and barriers contributing to social inclusion/exclusion. I develop a CARE model for increasing access for youth. I pose practical questions concerning social support availability and opportunities for young people to contribute in meaningful ways to their community.
An evaluation of a new service delivery model at the Chimo Youth Retreat Centre
(2017) Akpoghomeh, Oshone; Gulayets, Michael
This research project evaluates the practice shift from a risk aversion model to an Outcomes Based Service Delivery / Collaborative Service Delivery (OBSD/CSD) model. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the perceptions of stakeholders both from Chimo Youth Retreat Centre and Child and Family Services (CFS) its collaborating partner, regarding this shift in practice. This was done through a mixed method of surveys and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, which include front-line workers, management and parents of clients of the program. Other objectives included finding out how stakeholders involved have been able to transition to this current model and also determining what strengths and challenges they have working under this new model.
Locating social support for young LGBTQ cancer survivors in Edmonton & Northern Alberta
(2017) Duffy, Meghan; Symbaluk, Diane
This study examined the social support resources that are available for young adult LGBTQ cancer survivors in Edmonton and Northern Alberta. A search was conducted for both cancer-related LGBTQ support and general LGBTQ social support. The appropriate sources were located, examined, and categorized according to type and location. The results of the search revealed 20 sources of social support for young LGBTQ adults within Edmonton and Northern Alberta. Only 5 of the sources located were specifically related to cancer all of which were online sources of support. Four of these organizations were located outside of Canada. These results indicate a significant need for LGBTQ cancer related support, both within Alberta and throughout Canada. The findings also revealed a need for more LGBTQ community based organizations in Northern Alberta, as only two towns had such supports in place.
After supports for cancer-bereaved children: An analysis of resources for children
(2017) Molzahn, Brenan; Symbaluk, Diane
This study identified 34 psychological resources (26 in Edmonton and 8 in Calgary) of benefit to children and family members who have lost a parent to cancer. Of these resources, 18 were specifically designed for cancer-bereaved children and families while 16 of the resources were more general in scope, targeting bereaved children and families, irrespective of the parent’s cause of death. Only 10 resources for cancer-bereaved children were located in Edmonton, stemming from 2 major organizations. These findings indicate that not many organizations, particularly in Edmonton, have resources specifically designed to help children persevere through the intense manifestation of psychological distresses that may develop from the loss of a parent to cancer.
Best practices for maintaining housing with intellectually disabled John Howard clients
(2017) Quinlan, Laura; Gulayets, Michael
Intellectually disabled offenders are a heterogenous group with varying needs and abilities. Therefore, further study is required to meet the needs of this diverse population that is overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The objective of this research is to create a sense of understanding in regards to housing and support services needed for criminalized or high needs individuals with intellectual disabilities who are housed at Independence Apartments, a federal halfway house run by the Edmonton John Howard Society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program at Independence Apartments. These stakeholders included professionals, PDD clients, and non PDD clients also housed at Independence Apartments. This presentation examines the effectiveness of having both PDD and non PDD programs running under one roof and explores the support service needs of the PDD clients housed at Independence Apartments. Preliminary results show that moving the PDD program to a separate facility would be beneficial for the PDD client group because the PDD clients tend to have difficulty following house rules and are often taken advantage of by the clients in the halfway house program.
Social support in post secondary institutions for post-cancer adolescents
(2017) Johnson, Kaitlin; Symbaluk, Diane
In this article, the researcher looks for various social support services offered at, or by, post-secondary institutions in northern Alberta, for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who have survived cancer. Due to the cancer treatments, AYAs suffer from several types of effects, both physical and psychological, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, organ damage, cardiotoxicity and obesity. Since cancer treatment is a long and difficult process, AYAs miss extended periods of school and everyday youth experiences, leading to social isolation. By combining social isolation with other physical and psychological effects, AYAs are left in a state of suspension between the maturity they gained by making adult decisions regarding their treatment, and their different social tendencies compared to peers due to missed experiences. Research was conducted on the internet, looking at eight post-secondary websites to find educational and social support services for cancer survivors. Findings revealed no specific services garnered towards post cancer AYAs, but a myriad of various other services for both ‘normal’ students, and students with disabilities. Peer led groups and counselling geared towards post-treatment of illnesses/diseases needs to be implemented in post-secondary institutions to help AYA cancer survivors handle the complex situation of being a cancer survivor, with the added stress of being a post-secondary student.
Committing public sociology: blogging bodies, marginalization and violence
(2017) Garcia, Jason; Sosa Machin, Nadia; Overend, Alissa
By exploring the sociology of the body in an independent study, we delved further into intersectional feminist and postcolonial theories to question whose bodies matter and why. We engaged in sociological blogging in order to extend our learning experience with the public, thereby making sociological knowledge more accessible to the general public.. The blogs, Embody Sociology and Simply Sociology Blog were created and hosted on Wordpress.com with content published anonymously. As bloggers, we connected relevant course topics such as the relationships between race & place or the discourse of disposable bodies to events in the news, case studies, personal experiences, government law or policy or some combination of the latter to inform our audience of relevant contemporary issues that could relate to them, be it that they feel a sense of marginalization or not. As authors in a critical sociological field, we felt the need to ensure our voices were not speaking on behalf of the marginalized identities with experiences unlike our own, meanwhile emphasizing that our own experiences were not the sole experience in the long run. We were able to find the value in shifting the tones of our writing to a more informal one in the public eye, and found ourselves better able to engage more people into a sociological dialogue. By engaging nearly 400 visitors at our blogs collectively at the end of the semester, this project had undoubtedly left a wider impact in numbers exceeding one that often remains between a student and their instructor.
Successful transition off academic probation: a qualitative analysis
(2017) Giampa, Lori M.; Symbaluk, Diane
Academic probation is a designation colleges and universities use to indicate that a student is not meeting specific Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements. According to MacEwan University policy, students are placed on academic probation for one academic year if they achieve a GPA below 2.00 from the previous academic year. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that helped contribute to a successful transition off academic probation for MacEwan students, to better understand the existing resources that have been useful for helping with the transition, and to see if other resources or strategies could be helpful for a successful transition. To understand students’ experiences with transitioning off academic probation, focus groups were conducted with MacEwan University students who were enrolled in any of the main faculties/schools and who had successfully transitioned off academic probation. This presentation highlights key findings from the focus group sessions. The findings may help future students successfully transition off academic probation based on knowledge of what worked well for participants and could also lead to improvements in existing resources at MacEwan University or the development of new ones.
Sport and exercise options for youth and young adults living with cancer-related fatigue in northern Alberta
(2017) Robinson, Brock; Symbaluk, Diane
This study examined the frequency of free or subsidized exercise programs for the purpose of negating cancer-related fatigue in cancer survivors unable to afford expensive exercise options. A content analysis of 14 communities within Northern Alberta was performed. Results found only one exercise program, the Alberta Healthy Living Program (AHLP), to be targeted specifically at cancer survivors. Charities were found to directly mitigate the costs of playing organized sports for youth in 10 of the 14 communities. Community-hosted free exercise options were available for young adults in 6 of the 14 communities, and for adults in 4 of the 14 communities. Only 2 of the 14 communities had their own form of subsidization for organized sports. These findings demonstrate that youth are supported more effectively than adults.
Existing Canadian support programs available for young adult survivors suffering with psychological distress as a consequence of cancer
(2017) Sirman, Lisa; Symbaluk, Diane
The present study examined the existing Canadian support programs that are available for young adult survivors suffering with psychological distress as a consequence of cancer. A content analysis was performed on a sample of 28 resources and their associated support programs, which were selected from a sample selection process that entailed multiple search strategies. Results showed that there are different support programs offered within Canada or that are accessible to Canadians via the internet, this being based on whether one is available to meet in person or not, whether one wishes to engage with peers or professionals, and whether one desires to engage in a target-specific program or a program that generally addresses the issue of psychological distress together with other issues associated with survivorship. These findings demonstrated the availability and type of support programs existing that address psychological distress within young adult cancer survivors.
Negativity within the public's responses to new articles concerning missing and murdered indigenous women: a content analysis
(2017) Lizotte, Colby; Symbaluk, Diane
This content analysis studied the negative comments responding to four news articles about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women with thirty or more total comments that were posted to the CTV News Facebook page in either 2015 or 2016. Results showed that there were five general trends within these negative responses: generalizations or stereotypes about Indigenous peoples, victim blaming (blaming Indigenous peoples for this issue), dependence of Indigenous peoples on the government and other Canadians, accusations of reverse racism towards White Canadians, or the argument of all lives mattering, not only those of Indigenous women. These findings demonstrate that there is a long way for Canadians to go in terms of their understandings of Indigenous peoples.

Browse

Browsing Sociology - Student Works by Issue Date

Results Per Page

Sort Options