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Presenters & Abstracts: College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Shelter Crisis Declaration
- Kristen FloresPolitical ScienceUndergraduate Student
My service learning site has consisted of research for County Supervisor Virginia Bass on the shelter crisis declaration. I will be presenting my research on how does this declaration help and what are the benefits to having a crisis shelter declaration. I will also provide research on what other Counties in California have made these declaration that are similar to Humboldt county in size and rural characteristics.
Should Democracy be Constrained to Address Climate Change?
- Jake EngelPolitical ScienceUndergraduate Student
My research analyzes the implications that climate change has for democracy. Recognizing that climate change presents unique challenges to our political system, I search for a healthy balance between democratic means and necessary, urgent ends. To do so, I compare the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of democracy, i.e., representative versus deliberative, ultimately concluding with the need for more research and collaboration.
Slackin' Hard, Hardly Slackin'
- Sarah JaglinAnthropologyUndergraduate Student
I have conducted a broad range of research examining the recreational sport of slacklining and its participants known as ‘slackers’ . Although the solo action of slacking is entirely individual, the activity as a whole couldn’t be farther from it. As this began as an insight into the slackers' personal intentions during participation, my research has expanded to encompass the inner workings of the Humboldt slack community as a whole, illuminating the bond members share with one another. Binding this community is a social adhesive comprised of shared linguistics, communication networks, hierarchical dynamics, artifact exchanges, community events, and ritual practices.
Slang and Uncertainty as Motivational Factors for Group Identification
- Benny ChuPsychologyGraduate Student
- Josue RodriguezPsychologyGraduate Student
- Edwin SiefertPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Breanna ScottPsychology
- Amber GaffneyPsychologyStaff
People use verbal communication with other group members as unique social identity markers. As a result, when individuals recognize the informal language (slang) of their fellow group members, they should feel confident and included in their group. The current work focuses on the use of group specific slang, which is the identity-specific information derived from group membership, as a marker of social identity. Specifically, confidence in one’s ability to recognize ingroup specific slang should mediate the relationship between knowledge of the ingroup’s slang and feelings of inclusion in the group and similarity to ingroup peers.
Slow Violence at the Salton Sea
- Drew AndrewEnvironmental StudiesUndergraduate Student
California's largest inland body of water, the Salton Sea, is suffering from decreasing water levels. Water transfers in Southern California are responsible for the current status of the Salton Sea. Addressing the responsibility of the State of California in restoration of the Salton Sea, inaction at the state level continues to perpetuate the slow violence of health issues in Imperial Valley. Analyzing the framing of the ecological devastation of the borderlands of Southern California, mainstream white environmentalism continue's to pervade the agenda to restore a shrinking sea.
Snake River Basin Adjudication
- Elizabeth McClureNative American StudiesUndergraduate Student
This poster will display the process and implications between the Nez Perce Tribe, state and federal government agencies in dealing with the settlement process of the Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA). The SRBA can serve as an opening to discussing the relationship between the Nez Perce with the state and federal governments, particularly the U.S. serving as a trustee for the tribe and is suppose to protect the Nez Perce tribal treaty-based fishing rights. We will discuss the basis for their claims is within the fact that in stream flow is necessary for the salmon survival. Based within the treaties with the U.S., the Nez Perce holds the exclusive right to fish within the streams.
Social Status and Gender: Burial Reflection in Viking Culture
- Julia SulzingerDepartment of AnthropologyUndergraduate Student
Burials excavated at the Birka, Sweden archaeological site, which was under Viking occupation from 750 to 950 CE, provides a cultural snapshot of gender and social status. Previous studies make inaccurate assumptions of gender based on types of tools found. In addition, there has been limited research linking osteological analyses with artifact analysis, which has also led to inaccurate assumptions regarding gender and social status. This work, which expanded and revised our understanding of gender expectations and social differences in Viking society from this time period, can be used to also further our knowledge of other societies.
Society’s Way of Making Women Fade
- Reagan ParkerEnglishUndergraduate Student
The Giving Tree is a children’s story where a personified tree gives away pieces of herself to a boy whom she loves. She gives him her apples and branches as a means of further his prosperity, never taking into account her own happiness. In this project, I analyze it as a reflection of society’s view of women’s bodies. The tree in the story needs to be seen as their own character; she is a woman is a state of suffering and abuse.
Sociology Students of Higher Education
- Zachary KihmSociologyUndergraduate Student
- Mary VirnocheSociologyFaculty
I'm conducting research for Mary Virnoche. The research has mostly been reviewing qualitative literature on peer mentoring, mentoring, retention rates, and approaches institutions of higher education take in order to have high retention rates among Sociology majors. The focus of the study is directly on Sociology but the literature reviewed is expansive. This project will show the audience the problem(s) with low retention rates of SOC majors and will have the key findings in my review. The research project is still taking place so I'll have plenty of data and analysis of Mary's literature and research. I may add key findings that have helped with my existing research on higher education.
Solar + Battery
- Paul AcostaMathematicsUndergraduate Student
- Michael WilsonMathematicsUndergraduate Student
- Ditza GuerraMathematicsUndergraduate Student
Consumers have similar daily patterns of electricity usage, and this causes peaks in demand. Spikes in electricity demand are inefficient for electricity producers and unnecessary costs are passed on to electricity consumers. Localized solar and battery systems are one way to ‘spread out’ electricity demand and reduce the amount of electricity sent through the grid at a given time. We created a model that describes the reduction in consumer demand by implementing a solar energy generation and battery storage system. Our model predicts >75% decrease in oscillations, and >5% decrease in costs.