California State University (CSU): Open Journal Systems
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The Beauty of Being First-Gen
Get PDFAlejandra Vargas is an English major at Cal State LA. Having endured a great deal growing up, she learned early on to take notice of the small joys of life, such as smelling a flower, because at times these small moments of happiness were all she had. In this piece she writes about the joy her experience as a first-generation student has brought her. Using imagery and simple language, she focuses on the strength and power of being first-generation and hopes to inspire others who may have doubts about their own path
Puppy Love and [Information] Play: an intersection of theatre, queer kink and consent
Get PDFThis note from the field is about a nexus of queer kink subcultures and consent-based intimacy work in theatre. I report, investigate and wrangle with the process of incorporating queer kink into a university production of Love and Information by Caryl Churchill I directed. What I have learned and hope to demonstrate throughout this paper, is that queer kink subcultures are paradigmatic communities built on consent, and we as performing arts practitioners can more visibly expand the margins of our cultural competency dialogues to not only include them but look to them as productive modes to investigate relationships of power, embodiment and performance.
 
Student perspectives on the intentional design of study abroad programs
No full textStudy abroad programs around the world offer participants a plethora of learning opportunities, from the formal component of credit-bearing studies to informal and incidental learning opportunities that come from living and studying internationally. Despite significant research in the field, the educative value of study abroad continues to be questioned. Experiential learning practices that frame study abroad can offer intentional design approaches to support students to learn from their experiences. This study explores study abroad participants\u27 perspectives on the concept of intentional design from their experiences of a one to two semester international study program, where academic courses are studied in a host university but the students are largely left to their own devices to make meaning of their informal and incidental learning opportunities. The study found that students felt the study abroad experience is a deeply personal learning journey that should not be governed by set learning objectives. The paper offers insights on how ways experiential learning practices can inform the design of study abroad so the experience is attractive to students yet structured enough to intentionally support transformational learning
Women’s Liberation Movement: The Second Wave
Get PDFThis paper examines some of the achievements and setbacks that the “second wave” of the Women’s Movement faced based on their organizational capacity. Women across the United States have the equality and opportunities that they have today because of the sacrifice of feminists during this period in time. However, due to a lack of cohesiveness during a majority of the “second wave,” feminists ended up being both a friend and a foe to feminism and their objectives
Introspection: An Expository Analysis of Police Brutality Against Unarmed Black Men
Get PDFWith this sociological analysis endeavor, I am fervently interested in the social phenomenon of police brutality against unarmed Black men and the role that Critical Race Theory (CRT) factors into this conundrum. CRT is defined by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society—from education and housing to employment and healthcare. CRT also recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual biases, and is also used in sociology to explain social, political, and legal structures and power distribution through a “lens” focusing on the concept of race, and experiences of racism (NAACP Legal Defense Fund 2023)
First Generation Students in Higher Education
Get PDFThe percentage of first-generation college students
enrolling in universities has been increasing. However, the percentage of first-generation students who continue past the first year is significantly lower than their peers. Past research indicates that low bachelor’s degree attainment rates among first-generation students include difficult transitions to college, financial barriers, and personal relationships. Recent literature confirms a change in educational pathways for many first-generation students. As the cost of education increases, the traditional route of four-year institutions has encountered a more cost-effective pathway offered by two-year community colleges. However, the challenges present in transferring from a two-year community college to a four-year university impact the bachelor’s degree attainment rate for first- generation and transfer students. It is crucial to identify factors contributing to the gap to create policies and services that better support students from marginalized backgrounds.
This study employs logistic regression to compare the educational experiences of first-generation and transfer students at a large public Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) university. I examine the association between first-generation students or transfer students and academic challenges such as academic probation. Findings support most prior research surrounding the academic challenges pertaining to transfer students and their educational experiences in higher education institutions. However, contrary to recent research, this study did not find a significant relationship between first-generation students and likelihood of being on academic probation. Although no significant relationship was observed between first-generation students and having ever been on academic probation, educational policies that further support this student body remain essential
Social Constructs Creatively Deconstructed: A Collection of Six Poems
Get PDFI have been writing poetry and prose for over 20 years. Growing up, I was always on the outside looking in - having been homeschooled through all of grade school - which I have discovered works very well for the sociological imagination. As I came into adulthood and started branching out in the world, my writing reflected those changes and growth through more serious themes full of questioning. Now that I have been studying sociology for several years, I see so many sociological observations and imagination interwoven throughout my pieces. These selected pieces span the last decade.
Cost of Living explores working a minimum wage job under the burden of capitalism, while experiencing alienation from oneself due to division of labor.
The Masquerade of the Perfection Parade woke me up from a dead sleep, begging to be written. This piece investigates why humans conform to the same societal norms when they obscure individual authenticity. Masquerade further investigates imposter syndrome, fear of being found out to not measure up through never ending performance, while people are often hiding behind masks to fit cultural expectations.
Pretty|Ugly (The Beast of Beauty) covers a cross section of cultural norms and capitalistic messaging. Marketing and social media present idealized images of the perfect, happy life to sell more products while typically leaving the buyer feeling empty and wanting more.
School of Love studies romantic interpersonal relationships within the framing of school subjects or academic fields as an attempt at a whimsical yet poignant look at how im/maturity and societal expectations impact intimate relationships.
The Great Deception and Invested were both written in 2020, the former around the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown and the latter at the end of that tumultuous year. Invested was inspired by the thought "What if I was investing in MYSELF?"; another exploration of alienation and trying to reconnect with one’s own authenticity. Deception exposes a capitalistic mentality that over-values money instead of camaraderie
