Department notables

Eight students and three faculty members are participating in the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society in Atlanta this week. Isaac Bernal is presenting a paper titled “Performing Spanish: Gatekeeping in a First-Generation Latino Peer Culture” that was done under the direction of Sandi Nenga, associate professor of sociology. Lucero Castillo and Joanna Hawkins are presenting a paper  titled “Patterns and Change in the Portrayal of the Elderly in Print Advertising” that was done as part of an independent study with Edward L. Kain, professor of sociology and University Scholar. Four students are presenting papers based upon their research in a capstone course taught by Maria Lowe, professor of sociology: Lorenza Cigarroa will present a paper titled “Leading Occupy Austin: Constructing an Alternate Conception of Leadership Through Direct Democracy and Collective Action.” Anna Fetchick will present a paper titled “Don’t Bring it Home: How Emotion Work and Individual Identity Affect Activist Participation.” Megan Robinson will present a paper titled “’I’m Feeding the World Tonight’: The Impact of Moral Identity Standards on Mobile Loaves & Fishes Homeless Outreach Ministry.” Caroline Wright will present a paper titled “Friendship, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and Family: Collective Identity, Social Ties, and Free Space as Motivation for Volunteers at the Ride On Center for Kids.” At the same meeting, Kain is leading a professional workshop on “Preparing for a Program Review.” Lowe and Alice H. Nguyen will present their research on “‘They May Be Up to No Good’: The Heightened Surveillance of Men of Color On a Predominantly White Neighborhood Listserv.” And Nenga will present a paper titled “Constructing the ‘Typical College Student’: How College Prep Workshops Encourage and Discourage First-Generation College-Bound Latino High School Students.” 

Five senior anthropology majors presented their capstone research at the Southwestern Anthropological Association’s Annual Conference in San Jose, Calif., April 18-20. Kristi Lenderman won second place in the Student Paper Competition for her paper “Chilean Intercultural Education and Contentious Identities: Constructions of Sexuality and Gender in the Mapuche Community.” Alejandra Benitez presented a paper titled “On the Border of Texas and Peru: Domination and Subjugation of Non-Privileged Identities,” Fehima Dawy presented a paper titled “Fitting into the Ideals of a ‘New India’ after Breast Cancer: Survivor Stories from Mumbai, India,” MLe McWilliams presented a paper titled “Mermaids, Mythology & Marble: A Search for Identity in a Multitude of Conflicting Selves,” and Chloe Morris presented a paper titled “Nexus of Healing: The Experiences of Female Bedu Healers in Jordan.” All five wrote the papers under the direction of Melissa Johnson, associate professor of anthropology.