“Yes, they were suffering, but we brought the music”: Social toxicity and possibility during the COVID-19 pandemic onset for undocumented and unhoused people

Under a neoliberal regime and a pandemic crisis, social toxicity is expected (Klien, 2008). Yet, social possibility and opportunities for cohesion and collectivism can occur. We discuss how social toxicity and possibility sit side by side during the COVID-19 pandemic with an emphasis on the glimmerings of mutual aid for those who are undocumented and unhoused in Santa Cruz county. Given the stay-at-home orders we, a graduate community psychology class, enacted photovoice online to analyze our context. We discerned a spectrum of possibilities as they coincided with toxicity, We present two examples of how social possibility and toxicity are mixed and two examples of social possibility that include some aspects of mutual aid. These discernments can expand understanding of mutual aid and help the community psychologist know where to apply pressure and how to move forward to work toward social justic

Social media responses and brand personality in product and moral harm crises: Why waste a good crisis?

The purpose of this research is to understand the process of attitudinal changes towards a brand in crisis and the brand’s communication around the crisis by utilising balance theory and brand personality. Four crisis case studies were selected and data was collected from brands’ Twitter platforms on either side of the crisis event horizon. Results demonstrate an opportunity to update the balance theory approach in a crisis by considering the type of crisis (product harm vs. moral harm) relative to brand personality (brand competence vs. brand character). Balance theory helps explain how consumer attitude changes occur through a crisis. Further, the mapping of brand communications in social media over four selected case studies show that brand personality identity can change as a result of a crisis and demonstrate how brand managers can actively frame their online communication to help the brand to recover more effectively from a crisis

Progressives and strategic non-voting in the house, 1907-1925

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, February 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-51).The Progressive movement presents a puzzle for analysts of Congress: a deeply divided Republican party that appears in roll calls as extremely unified and homogenous. Historical records and theories of Congress suggest that part of the answer lies in missing votes - legislators abstaining in order to reduce cross-pressure between their party and constituents, and the Speaker using quorum calls to exclude disloyal Republicans. Using imputation to "fill in" the missing vote data from the 60th House reveals that missing votes had the effect of concealing Republican heterogeneity. This preceded the revolt against Cannon in the 61st House, and was more common for the non-Insurgents who faced the strongest cross-pressure. This pattern continued under Democratic rule in the 62nd House, fading out after the GOP revolt in the Speakership elections of the 68th. This evidence of non-random missingness can help resolve the puzzle of the Progressives, and inform historical study of Congress.by Alexander Copulsky.S.M

Senior Thesis Proposal

Senior Thesis Proposa

Making Meaning of Nonmonogamous Identity

This study examines the ways people navigate labels and build narratives to describe their experiences with multiple intimate relationships, answering the need for psychological understanding of how individuals make sense of consensual nonmonogamous identities. A sample of 515 US adults completed an online survey about their experiences and perceptions of consensual nonmonogamy. The study builds on theories of sexual identity development by revealing multiplicity in nonmonogamous individuals’ labeling and self-conceptions and by demonstrating nonmonogamy disclosure as an ongoing negotiation. First, this project examines familiarity and identification with consensual nonmonogamy terms, including how individuals’ use of multiple terms overlaps. Although terms like polyamory, swinging, and open relationship are often framed as mutually exclusive categories, many individuals identified with more than one of these terms. Among individuals who chose any of the three, 28% identified with two terms and 5% with all three. Researchers and clinicians could both benefit from recognizing this complexity in collecting demographics. Next, the project examines milestones in consensual nonmonogamous identity development. Common milestones for individuals who are currently nonmonogamous included privately considering oneself nonmonogamous (93%), telling a friend (87%) and potential partner (80%), and entering multiple sexual (79%) and romantic relationships (68%). Some milestones varied substantially between identity groups. The polyamorous group was most likely to tell a potential partner (92%), friend (95%), and family member (77%), compared to the open relationship (70%, 84%, and 40% respectively), and swinger group (52%, 66%, and 29%). Differences in when individuals disclosed to partners, friends, and family also highlight disclosure as a continuing strategic process. Finally, the project examines conceptions of consensual nonmonogamy as orientation, practice, and choice. Individuals were more likely to understand their nonmonogamous experience in ways related to practice (83%), including relationship style (91%), preference (71%), and lifestyle (71%), than to endorse conceptions related to orientation (45%), including identity (52%) and “how I was born” (30%). Participants often held multiple experiences of nonmonogamy that are framed in contrast to each other, such as 59% of those who considered nonmonogamy an orientation also considering it a choice. Community advocates may benefit from uplifting multiple narratives of consensual nonmonogamy