2013 Festival of Scholars
Sociology Department Panel
| Date: | Monday, April 23 |
| Time: | 12:00pm - 1:30pm |
| Location: | Roth Nelson Room |
Description: |
In this session students will present original sociological research. Findings are based on focus group interviews conducted with international students, LGBQT students, and religious-affiliated students. Additionally, the session will include insights from an ethnographic project on segregation in neighbothood playgrounds. |
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Student Abstracts at this Session
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Student(s): Amanda Arroyo and Sara Pressey Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly George |
“I Still Have Trouble Bringing It Up…”: The Experiences of LGBTQ StudentsThe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community is significantly increasing in size, including on college campuses. According to previous studies, members of the LGBTQ community report experiencing both passive and direct forms of discrimination. In this qualitative study, self-identifying "out" LGBTQ students were interviewed in a focus group about their experiences at a small, private, religiously-affiliated university. Through snowball sampling, seven undergraduate students, who had been at the university for at least a year and were between the ages of 18 and 24 years, were recruited. Findings revealed that the students felt accepted and had an overall positive college experience, but faced passive forms of discrimination and would have preferred to feel embraced by the university community. Students’ positive experiences indicate that the university has a relatively LGBTQ-friendly campus climate, but reinforcement of heteronormative standards at the university often made them uncomfortable. |
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Student(s): Elizabeth Barna and Nicole Armstrong Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly George |
Those Who Pray Together, Drink TogetherDrinking patterns and social life among religiously active students at private Christian universities remains largely unexplored in social science literature. A focus group interview was conducted at a private Lutheran university with Christian undergraduates who attend on-campus religious services regularly. Findings reveal that respondents appreciated the “liberal” institution’s high level of religious diversity and spiritual freedom, but they sensed an ambiguous Christian identity among students, which made interfaith dialogue difficult. Respondents reported to drink moderately and felt that it was acceptable as long as it occurred in a safe environment, but also reported fearing judgment for their behaviors from nonreligious peers. Overall, an ambiguous Christian identity on campus contributed to both spiritual freedom and a divide between religious and nonreligious students. |
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Student(s): Adreanna Solis and Jessica Venzor Faculty Mentor: Dr. Molly George |
International Student Challenges on a U.S. CampusInternational students face numerous obstacles on college campuses in the U.S. Many of these hardships involve the need for international students to adapt to various cultural differences. Through a focus group interview with international students at a small, private, religiously-affiliated university on the Central Coast of California, this study examines the diverse experiences international students encounter. The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of the difficulties international students face on a regular basis in the U.S. Findings both support and contradict existing sociological research— revealing that international students face obstacles such as language difficulties, educational differences, contrasts in social life, and low social support. From our respondents, we learned that host institutions can implement specific policies and programs in order to help ease transitions for international students. |
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Student(s): Teresa Vazquez Faculty Mentor: Dr. Adina Nack |
Children's Experiences of Neighborhood Parks and Playgrounds in an Unofficially Segregated CityThis study investigates modern day segregation in children’s parks and playgrounds within Seaside, California -- a city in the Greater Los Angeles area. The research is based on data collected during a semester-long participant observation study of four parks in Seaside. Findings reveal that there is an apparent divide not only between the individuals who attended the parks and behavioral norms within the different parks, but also distinct differences between the physical aspects of the parks. This study adds to the existing scholarship on children’s perceptions of race, class, and inequality. Results from this study can be used to create more universally appealing parks and playgrounds, regardless of the socio-economic status of surrounding neighborhoods, in order to provide all children with equal opportunities to enjoy athletic and social activities. |
