Honors Presentations
Gnim Bazim
"Performative Representations of Diversity: BIPOC
Students’ Perceptions of Communication Images at a
Predominantly White College”
Predominantly White Colleges (PWC) visually showcase their BIPOC student population in ways that are misleading and unrepresentative of actual on-campus experiences through online communication platforms–– in hopes to open up recruitment among minorities. The problem with what this thesis refers to as performative representations of diversity is that they create a falsified impression of what a college campus is like and inadvertently foster a hostile community instead of a welcoming one for BIPOC students who attend the school. In this research, Muhlenberg College, a PWC, has provided a concrete example of how such performative representations have adverse effects on the most underrepresented student population. A textual analysis of images from the institution's website and social media accounts reveals problems concerning the number of BIPOC students showcased and the manner in which they are showcased: minority students are being over-represented in college imagery, with the Black or African American student population being the most over represented group; BIPOC students are also less likely to be shown studying outside of the classroom; they are shown to be happier than White students––all of which contradicts what is happening on campus. Three distinct focus groups composed of White and BIPOC students reveal that even though participants acknowledge their college is trying to be more inclusive and welcoming towards minorities, they are uncomfortable with the performative representations of diversity and feel sorry for prospective students who think the college is a diverse utopian, because it is not. Based on the textual analysis and focus group results, PWCs like Muhlenberg should address the ramifications of their communication practices, and one way to do that is by: concentrating less on performing in their "virtual" spaces and more on implementing real concrete policy change for their BIPOC student population.
Daniella Elliott
"Engaging in Cultural Conversations: Black Twitter and
the R.Kelly Case"
Systems in the United States are designed to erase the experiences of the Black community. Black women in particular, because of their gender and racial oppression, are subject to vastly inequitable systems that disenfranchise them at every turn. I examine how Twitter is a unique social media platform that produces uncensored and free flowing dialogue, and the existence of a Black Twitter counters the erasure of Black voices in mainstream media and centers the thoughts and experiences of everyday Black people. My research examines Black Twitter through the lens of the R.Kelly case and the 2019 documentary Surviving R.Kelly. Through the use of primary data collection and textual analysis, this research concludes Black Twitter functions as a space for intra racial debate that explores the labeling of Black girls and women as “fast,” protectors of Black men, and Matriarchs of the Black family. The documentary allowed for Black Twitter users to acknowledge the ways the Black female experience has been suppressed within their own community and covered up by unrealistic assumptions and expectations. This research contributes to the field of Media and Communication by urging scholars to view Black Twitter as a legitimate platform consisting of Black social and political discourse.
DECLAN WALKUSH
"The Commodification of Green: Tracking Fashion Brand
Positioning on Sustainability"
This article tracks the trend of brands presenting sustainability as a core value. Environmental wrongdoings committed by large garment retailers caused a wave of smaller eco-friendly (green) brands to position themselves as an ethical alternative to fast-fashion retailers. Brands achieve “green status” through the publicization of initiatives like use of recycled materials, sweat-shop free manufacturing, GOTS certifications (organic cotton), and carbon offset consuming to name a few. These initiatives paired with effective marketing offer consumers something the fast-fashion industry cannot; a clean conscience. This “commodification of green” turns clothing items into reflections of social desire and moral statements. The popularity of eco-friendly clothing manufacturing caused a need for mainstream garment manufacturers to also address concerns around sustainability in their production and marketing materials. In a world filled with more technology than ever, it is harder for manufacturers to hide the ethical and environmental impacts of their production. This article considers fashion as a social process, and looks critically at marketing materials of smaller eco-friendly positioned brands to establish green marketing techniques. Then, with an understanding of established techniques this article analyzes how mainstream garment manufacturers approach ethical and environmental values in their marketing, and what ways their methods compare to the green fashion movement. The green fashion movement raises an interesting question around ethical consumption under capitalism, and the durability of fashion as a social process in a crumbling environment.
