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ELIZA to Character.ai: Analyzing Perceptions of AI Chatbots in Therapeutic Settings
No full textAs mental health needs persist and technological advancements continue to evolve, this study investigates the potential of conversational AI chatbots to supplement — or even replace — traditional therapeutic practices. Inspired by 1966 ELIZA\u27s psychotherapist simulation, this project explores the perceptions and climate of contemporary feelings amidst a new digital era with character-based chatbots now engaging in remarkably life-like conversations, garnering millions of users on platforms like Character.AI, Pi.ai, and apps like Replika, asking the specific reasons why users would approach these tools rather than in-person equivalents. Through mixed methods including a quantitative survey and sentiment analysis, this research explores current perceptions surrounding chatbots\u27 viability as long-term therapy solutions compared to human therapists. Evaluating uses, gratifications, benefits, and limitations, the data reveals complex, varied attitudes toward AI services: increased accessibility, affordability, and personalization are praised, with concerns over privacy, lack of human connection, and empathy hindering widespread acceptance. A significant connection was found between age and attitudes, as younger respondents emerge as early adopters, perceiving chatbots more positively, while older groups demonstrate resistance. Both studies reveal reactions that skew negatively regarding AI usage in therapeutic settings. Ultimately, responsible integration combining AI\u27s strengths (non-judgmental, cost-effective) with human expertise (warmth, empathy, connection) is discussed and recommended for effective mental health support
A Philosophical Defense of the Dignity of People with Disabilities: Martha Nussbaum and the Capabilities Approach
No full textEugenics has been widely denounced as a practice by philosophers, politicians, and human rights activists. Yet, it is still prevalent. For example, Iceland and Denmark practice eugenic abortions. Upon prenatal screening, a positive diagnosis of a disability, and “neutral counseling,” nearly 90 percent of women terminate their pregnancy. As a result, in Iceland, only two to three children are born with Down syndrome each year. In the US, Virginia’s Eugenical Sterilization Act continues to be upheld by the landmark case Buck v. Bell (1927) and 31 states plus Washington DC have laws in place that allow for the sterilization of people with disabilities. The weighty persistence of eugenics in modern-day practices motivates my philosophical defense of the dignity of people with disabilities. In this paper, I detail the historical treatment of people with disabilities from the American Eugenics Movement in the early 1900s to the ratification of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Secondly, I will demonstrate that two of the most prominent philosophical frameworks, Immanuel Kant’s deontology, and Peter Singer’s preference utilitarianism, deny personhood, and consequently dignity, to some people with disabilities. Third, I will defend Martha Nussbaum’s definition of personhood and conception of status and achievement dignity. Using Nussbaum’s capabilities approach, I will argue against normative eugenic abortion practices, sterilizations that are not medically necessary, and Singer’s permissive standard for killing infants with disabilities who are less than one-month old. Fourth, I will defend my use of person-first language (PFL). In this paper, I argue that because people with disabilities have dignity, first, we should employ PFL unless the person with the disability we are referring to prefers otherwise, and second, the state has an obligation to ensure that every person’s dignity is protected by meeting minimum thresholds for human flourishing as articulated by Nussbaum’s capabilities approach
You Got That From Where?: Unpacking Art Imperialism in Western Museums Through the Seated Scribe and the Bust of Nefertiti
Get PDFThis thesis examines how major Western museums perpetuate colonial narratives in their displays of cultural property through analyses of the displays of two ancient Egyptian antiquities–the Seated Scribe and the Bust of Nefertiti. Despite stated goals of decolonization, institutions like the Louvre and Neues Museum prioritize object presentations glorifying Western imperial excavations and acquisitions over providing historical and cultural context about the objects\u27 Egyptian origins. Sparked by site visits to Egyptian museums and subsequent visits to Berlin’s Neues Museum and the Louvre in Paris, this thesis contrasts disappointing imperialist displays of Egyptian antiquities in European institutions to each object’s full art historical context. It establishes a moral framework using UNESCO\u27s 1970 Convention and ICOM’s Code of Ethics to argue that museums should reevaluate ownership of artifacts acquired under colonial rule. Detailed case studies on the Seated Scribe and Bust of Nefertiti unpack the complex colonial histories of how they were extracted from Egypt and contextualized to celebrate Western discoverers. Advocating an ethical decolonial approach, this thesis argues the ideal solution is repatriating these objects to Egypt. Pragmatically, it also provides guidelines for deconstructing colonial framing through revised museum practices–from rethinking gallery layouts to extend labeling that prioritizes Egyptian cultural narratives over European excavation histories. The conclusion reiterates that as global consciousness shifts away from Western hegemonic perspectives, museums must transform antiquities displays to uplift an object’s culture of origin over glorifying imperial conquests
Of shepherds and sheep: Who sets the agenda for firms\u27 attention to social issues?
No full textCorporate social responsibility has received much attention regarding how it can benefit firms and why firms voluntarily address social issues. However, little is known about the problems to which firms choose to pay attention and what influences these decisions. We combine the attention-based view of the firm and media agenda-setting theories to propose that firms address the most prominent social issues as determined by the media. We analyze the frequency of 64 social issues in the CSR reports of 258 firms from 2006 to 2016 for a total sample of 86,208 issue-firm-year observations. We find that the salience of the problems in traditional media influences the social issues firms address in their CSR reports, and over time, the agenda-setting effect of traditional media on firms has increased, solidifying traditional media\u27s role as curators of social issues
Internal governance challenges of young independent coffee cooperatives in south‐west Ethiopia
No full textThis study analyses the internal governance practices of coffee marketing cooperatives in south-west Ethiopia. The investigation argues that there is a need to go beyond democratic governance practices in order to understand the governance of these cooperatives working in multi-stakeholder environments where the state is powerful and intervenes in their operations. The study concludes that the actions of internal and external actors have resulted in unique governance structures that profoundly influence their operations
Toxic Personal Care: Selling Gendered Marketing and Chemical Toxicity Through Personal Care Products
No full textThis mixed-methods study examines the marketing of, and toxic ingredients found in, common personal care products (PCPs) such as shampoos or deodorants that are sold in the United States. Through qualitative analyses of the messaging presented by PCP packaging and quantitative analyses of the prevalence of toxic ingredients by product and target consumer, we reveal what we term “toxic personal care”: the usage of products sold to consumers as minimally necessary, and perhaps even beneficial, to their personal well-being through gendered messaging, yet introduce consumers to chemical toxicity. Supporting research on postfeminist sensibilities, we find that products marketed to women are no more likely to contain toxic ingredients than those marketed to men, nor do lower-priced products contain more toxic ingredients. Instead, product descriptions perpetuate a “cult(ure) of confidence” that not only encourages the usage of PCPs equally across women and men through drawing from traditional gendered stereotypes, but also masks the similarities in ingredients and toxins. These findings have implications for understanding consumption, well-being practices, gendered marketing, and constructions of confidence in the United States, including monetary and possible health costs to consumers
The Self-Employed Women\u27s Association (SEWA) Gandhian Ethics and Feminist Ethics in Action
No full textThis chapter discusses the history and structure of the Self-Employed Women\u27s Association (SEWA) and the ways that SEWA productively incorporates both feminist and Gandhian ethics. SEWA, like feminism, considers itself a vehicle for social change. Both promote positive change by recognizing the effects of gender and class oppression on daily life; embracing a community-based, democratic model of leadership; and working for social justice by changing exploitative social systems through collective action. SEWA\u27s model is also influenced by Gandhi, who advocated for constructive economic and social programs that would lift people out of poverty and allow them to become self-reliant. Self-reliance (swadeshi) means not only formal independence but also cultural and moral autonomy. SEWA incorporates Gandhian ethics of nonviolence, self-reliance, and satyāgraha (nonviolent protest) into its structure and functioning. It is a contemporary example of an organization that aligns with Gandhi\u27s idea of a constructive social program. This chapter explores the connection between women, poverty and violence and how feminist and Gandhian ethics have been used to improve the social, economic and personal conditions of women
Dialogues on Democracy
No full textDialogues on Democracy offers a panoramic overview of recent and classical debates on the meaning of democracy as a philosophical ideal. It features some of the most central discussions that exist in the literature regarding its value, its purpose, and its (possible) flaws. Accessibly written and efficiently organized, the book is structured around a fictional conversation involving four participants: a teacher of philosophy and political theory and three of her most notable and dedicated students. Their dialogues capture the essence of some of the most powerful objections and counter objections to democracy and its institutions, allowing the reader to understand the origins and logic of much philosophical thinking concerned with political life. Maskivker provides succinct but highly informative arguments in defense of democracy while deftly addressing serious questions regarding its legitimacy coming from diverse corners of the ideological spectrum. The discussion addresses issues concerned with the justification and institutional plausibility of collective government, citizen equality, political representation, citizen action, civic virtue, and many other themes. Perfectly suited for a first introduction to the philosophical analysis of democracy, the book covers extensive ground in an instructive and dynamic way. In the book, Maskivker also offers her own novel insights regarding the value of democracy and its distinct interpretations – a contribution that makes the book all the more interesting and complete
Effective support strategies serving diverse teacher candidates in paraprofessional teacher education programs
Get PDFParaprofessionals remain a rich resource for our children and our school communities. Teacher education programs that have sought to provide pathways to teaching certification for paraprofessionals recognize this. Over the last 25 years, research has shown well-documented models for programs and strategies that support candidates in these programs, as well as the obstacles and challenges those programs and participants face. This article presents a descriptive case study of the first three years of a para-to-teacher program, across three cohorts of participants at a small liberal arts institution. Implications for best practices tied to collaborative leadership, relational approaches, and collaborative program evaluation are discussed