Browsing by Subject "Millennials"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 39

Ahmad Kaki Interview
(2022-12-21) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Ahmad Kaki, a legal assistant and law student in Arlington, VA. Ahmad describes growing up Palestinian and Muslim in Texas and how his life changed after 9/11. He talks about his college experiences of involvement in the Muslim Students Association and pro-Palestine organizing. Ahmad shares the trajectory of his career, which brought him to law school and his current work as a legal assistant with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Aisha Fall Interview
(2022-10-10) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Aisha Fall, a Senegalese-American Muslim in Chicago, IL. Aisha shares memories from her childhood, including friendships, schooling, and travels to Senegal and France. She describes her time at UTSA and her involvement with the MSA there. While there, she attended the Muslim Children Education and Civic Center where she became a leader on the Youth Committee. She talks about her experience there and the influential people she worked with.
Amanda Martinez Beck Interview
(2021-12-02) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Amanda Martinez Beck, a fat liberation activist living in Marshall, TX. Amanda talks about the work that online activism involves, such as social media engagement, podcasting, and writing for various platforms. She discusses the problems of language in her activism, like the negative connotations many people have with concepts like fatness and disability. Amanda also explains how her conversion to Catholicism and exposure to incarnational theology helped her learn to celebrate her body and the bodies of others.
Amro Eltayeb Interview
(2022-10-01) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Amro Eltayeb, an engineer in San Antonio, Texas. Amro talks about childhood memories like his father’s business and the ways his family supported his education. He tells the story of his education in mechanical and software engineering and his early work experiences developing off-road wheelchairs. He also describes his current project of designing a note-taking app. Amro also shares about the moral decisions he has had to make in his career and how Islam has influenced his sense of ethics.
Changing lexicons : a study of young adult programming at the Denver Art Museum
(2013-08) Frazier, Jessica Brianna; Mayer, Melinda M.; Bolin, Paul E
A decrease in arts participation among Generation Y young adults demonstrates a need for museum educators to increase programming efforts with this audience. By reaching out to young adults, educators can secure museums’ relevance in society while inspiring lifelong learning in what will be America’s largest generation. Moreover, due to their learning preferences young adults present an opportunity for educators to investigate participatory and digital engagement programming. This explanatory case study draws from current research on Generation Y and recent trends in museum programming particularly related to the young adult audience. It explores the approach of educators at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) to developing young adult programs. I conducted interviews with DAM staff members and program evaluators and examined multiple documents related to the development of these programs. Based on my data, I identified five key features of the Denver Art Museum’s approach and assessed their suitability for transferring to other museums.
Chas Moore Interview
(2022-03-31) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Chas Moore, founder of the Austin Justice Coalition and anti-racist activist in Austin, TX. Chas shares his story of exposure to deaths and incarceration at a young age and how those traumas shaped his beliefs and drive as an organizer. He talks about being directly exposed to overt racism for the first time in Austin and getting heavily involved in the city’s anti-racism organizing movement. Chas shares how the work of influential Black thinkers and activists as well as his faith have guided his activism. He also discusses challenges like funding, his goals for long-term change, and his hopes for a happier and more peaceful human experience. Content Warning: The following interview contains sensitive material. Please note that the interview includes discussion of anti-Black racial slurs. These subjects will be discussed at 6:15-7:20 (in the transcript p. 2).
Consuming manhood : consumer culture and the identity projects of black and white millennial males
(2011-05) Thomas, Kevin Devon; Henderson, Geraldine R. (Geraldine Rosa), 1963-
This study qualitatively examines the synergetic relationship between marketing communication, identity formation, and consumer behavior within the context of black and white males of the Millennial Generation. The sample consisted of 20 males between the ages of 18-29; ten self-identified as black and 10 self-identified as white. This project expands the knowledge base of consumption/identity research by incorporating intersectionality into the present body of consumer behavior work. A consumer’s identity project is far more complex than what is represented by current consumer behavior scholarship. Consumers must navigate multiple sites of identification that constantly shift in importance and involvement. To more closely reflect consumers in the flesh, this study incorporated multiple sites of identity projects into the analysis. By taking a more “true-to-life” approach to consumption/identity research, this project unearths new knowledge that is proximate to the lived experience of consumers. Consumer culture theory (CCT), a division of consumer research that moves the discussion of consumption behavior deep into the realm of cultural impact was used as the conceptual focus of this project. Autodriving was utilized to collect data. This form of photo elicitation involves the use of informants taking photos of a particular phenomenon and then “driving” the interview by discussing the photos they have taken. In the context of this study, informants were furnished a disposal camera and asked to photographically document representations of the following: achievement & success, morality, humanitarianism, nationalism, and freedom. Informants were strongly encouraged to also visually document anything that did not fit into the abovementioned categories but represented something they found particularly interesting or offensive. To examine the impact of marketing communication on the informants’ identity projects, print advertisements featuring different configurations of masculinity and manhood were explored. Three key themes emerged from the data. All informants used the marketplace to express values. The concept of identity elasticity was developed to explain the significant difference in identity potentiality between white and black informants. Many white and black informants shared the perception that they live in a post-racial society. However, the experience of a post-racial society was highly divergent based on racial formation.
The determinants of Jewish identity in the United States
(2015-05) Sheridan, Carly Gabrielle; Weinreb, Alexander; Young, Michael P
Researchers and religious adherents alike have witnessed decreasing affiliation rates and the rise of the "nones", or Americans who do not affiliate with any religion. The American Jewish Community has become increasingly concerned with the decrease in participation, commitment, and influence the Jewish community has imbued on the Millennial generation of American Jews. Thus, literature on identity and its constructs, geography and religion, and Jewish identity in America are presented. I analyzed data from the 2013 Pew Portrait of Jewish Americans and aggregated institutional data to explore individual-level, spatial, institutional, and religious economy characteristics that determine the strength of Jewish identity in the United States. These variables have their own effects on the four discrete measures of Jewish identity: religious identity, cultural identity, denominational switching, and conversion into and out of Judaism. Crucial findings are specified in congruence with one another, such as Millennials aged 18-39, are the most affected in both positive and negative ways, thus supporting the hypothesis that identity formation is the most formative in adolescence and young adulthood. In addition, going to Israel has a huge positive impact on conversion, religious and cultural identities, and intermarriage. With regard to intermarriage, there is a negative impact on every measure of identity, although this impact is diminished by visiting Israel. Lastly, the presence of Jewish congregations, and in some cases Jewish schools and camps, increases several measures of Jewish identity, and as such, it can be concluded that at least some institutions have a significant impact on identity. The paper concludes with a final discussion on the possibility for future research and implications for Jewish identity in the United States.
Digitally defined : how Muslim millennials represent themselves online
(2015-05) Rahman, Fauzeya Zahera; Chyi, Hsiang Iris, 1971-; Jensen, Robert
Islam is the second-most common religion in the world as well as the fastest-growing religion in the United States. Muslim Americans are a demographic often not studied independently of the global Muslim identity. This study aims to analyze Muslim Americans and how they represent themselves online via social media. One of the oft-touted promises of social media is the opportunity for virtually anybody to be their own publisher. Through carefully curated combinations of photographs, updates and links, anyone can represent her identity in precisely the manner in which she sees fit. This study looks closely at Muslim American college students who've grown up almost exclusively post-9/11 to see how they represent and negotiate their identities online through social media. As "digital natives," this diverse group is experienced living online and uses the broad social media landscape strategically to represent themselves on their own terms. Often they use social media to counter what they see as stereotypical narratives and misconceptions about Muslims in the mainstream media.
Do Millennials prefer urban living? : evidence from census migration flows in U.S. megaregions and the State of Texas
(2021-07-24) Su, Ziyue, M.S. in Community and Regional Planning; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-; Jiao, Junfeng
This report presents a spatial study of Millennials’ migration flow, looking for Millennials’ living preference within the thirteen megaregions in the United States. It also studies the migration flow in the State of Texas and focuses on the Texas Triangle megaregion. The report studies the internal migration flows in each U.S. megaregion and within the Texas State. The migration of cross-state or cross-nation is not considered here. The analysis utilizes accessible ACS 2011-2015 County-to-County Migration Flow dataset to reveal Millennials’ living preference, or their migration patterns, within thirteen megaregions in the United States and the Texas State.
Elizabeth Melton Interview
(2023-04-13) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Elizabeth Melton, the public engagement director at IDCL, from Crumpler, NC. Elizabeth describes her childhood in Longview, TX, where she was surrounded by her extended family with deep ties to public education and the Presbyterian Church (USA). She shares how her childhood involvement in theater eventually led to her PhD in performance studies. Elizabeth talks about her experience of the Texas Freeze of 2021. She also discusses her complicated relationship to Texas as both a beloved home and site of political strife.
Emily Nash Interview
(2021-08-20) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Emily Nash, a case manager and aspiring social worker in Austin. Emily reflects on her upbringing, including growing up lower class and the influences that caused her to pursue social work as a career. She discusses her current job as a case manager for elderly and disabled clients in Austin. Emily talks about how the Texas Freeze impacted the health and safety of her clients, as well as its impact on her own mental health and the state at large.
Engaging the Millennial Generation : public participation methods for Millennials in Austin’s planning processes
(2016-05) Peris, Karen Emily; Wilson, Patricia Ann; Mueller, Elizabeth
Planning processes include the necessary component of engaging the public in the process with a fair and equitable process. The difficulty with participatory planning processes is reaching all affected groups. One of these difficult to reach cohorts is the Millennial generation. It is a common misunderstanding that Millennials are unengaged and self-centered. Regardless, it is important to engaging the generation because Millennials are a large part of urban populations, especially in Austin. As Austin implements the 2012 comprehensive plan, there are many planning processes that will follow. Austin city planners have the opportunity to engage the Millennial cohort moving forward with these planning processes, starting with the activity corridors, which is the next task of the comprehensive plan. To understand how to engage the Millennials it is important to define the generation's characteristics. The literature review is research of the history of participation, generational differences, and analysis of the Millennials. Then, the report looks at case studies from four cities that have targeted the Millennial generation in engagement process to deduct important themes and understand lessons learned. Overall, the report realizes through the analysis of the characteristics and themes that Millennials engage in different ways than have been effective in the past, but they are, in fact, engaged in civic life. Millennial characteristics and motivations align with the modern landscape of public participation. Understanding the target audience will make planning processes more equitable.
Generation Y : a new generation of learning
(2013-05) Wallace, Elizabeth Marie; Svinicki, Marilla D., 1946-
In this paper the so-called Generation Y and its impact on education and counseling is examined. The shared experiences of this group of individuals are identified, which contribute to the defining characteristics of this generation. The implications of these characteristics for the learning styles of Gen Yers are discussed. Recent research has shown that Gen Y differs from previous generations in several ways. Most importantly, Gen Y students have developed a different brain structure, which processes and uses information in a way that is radically different from previous generations (Abram, 2007; Black, 2010; Doidge, 2008; Prensky, 2001a,b,c; & Oblinger, 2003). In this paper the inevitable consequences suffered when schools do not specifically address Gen Y’s unique learning styles are explored and outlined. Further, ways in which school counselors and student advocates can address the needs of these students to give them all of the skills they need to succeed in school are examined.
Grace Carlin Interview
(2021-07-30) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life
This interview is with Grace Carlin, a San Antonio-based environmentalist. Grace discusses finding her passion for nature through exposure to national parks and educational opportunities. She talks about her work coordinating the Urban Land & Water program with the Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, describing the impacts and challenges of community gardens. Grace also shares her interest in youth engagement, particularly the value of young people’s contributions and their right to a future with a stable global climate.
Hasan Abbas Interview
(2021-06-21) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life
This interview is with Hasan Abbas, a Pakistani first-generation American who works in accounting. Hasan talks about his interest in culture, from American pop culture to traditional Pakistani culture, and his continuing efforts to participate in and learn about both. He compares his experiences of different places, having lived in New York and Texas and visited Pakistan many times with his family. Hasan also shares how his religious, cultural, and family backgrounds influenced his life path and his values of empathy and respect for others.
How grown-ups are born : the emerging-adult genre and American film and television
(2017-08) Rennett, Michael David; Staiger, Janet; Schatz, Thomas, 1948-; Kearney, Mary C; Beltran, Mary; Mickenberg, Julia
This dissertation explores the representation of emerging adulthood in both films and television series. Recent research in the fields of sociology and psychology has advocated the development of a new life stage for twenty- and thirtysomethings that is in between adolescence and adulthood. During this age range, young Americans receive education and training for the jobs that will last the rest of their adult work lives and explore difference possibilities in love, work, education, and worldviews. While sociological research currently exists on the actual lives of emerging adults, little work has been done on its representation in the media. This dissertation aims to fill this gap in the discourse by analyzing emerging adulthood as its own genre that represents this new life stage in both films and television programs. While I use Jeffrey Jensen Arnett’s sociological definitions of emerging adulthood to initiate my study, I analyze fictional narratives to illuminate what I have discovered to be at least 300 texts produced since the 1960s that circle around characters and plot points about transitioning into adulthood. To analyze the emerging-adult genre, I utilize the five different ways in which aspects of a person’s identity have been discussed as film and television genres: character representations; descriptions of semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic elements; historical periods; audience demographics; and authorship. Chapter One focuses on how the sociocultural elements represented in emerging adulthood (love and emotional partnerships, securing financial and residential independence, and finding a financially stable and personally rewarding career) are represented in media texts. Chapters Two and Three are dedicated to analyzing emerging-adult narratives, but Chapter Two focuses on film while Chapter Three focuses on television. I divide the narrative structure into two chapters due to the industrial and narrational effects upon each form of storytelling. Chapter Four concentrates on the historical roots of and changes in the emerging-adult genre to address the pragmatic approach found in Rick Altman’s genre theory. For this chapter, I divide this genre into three generation-based periods: Baby Boomers, Generation-X, and Millennials. The conclusion summarizes my findings and addresses areas of potential media studies research for this genre.
Jennifer Kamara Interview
(2022-08-05) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Jennifer Kamara, an engineer living in Houston, TX. Jennifer describes the various cultural and religious influences on her life, such as the countries she has lived in, the Christian traditions she has been exposed to, and her marriage. She talks about her relationship with her husband and navigating an inter-religious, intercultural marriage. Jennifer also talks about her activity in supporting diversity in her workplace and gives her perspectives on prejudice and stereotypes.
Juan Coronado Interview
(2021-08-18) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Dr. Juan Coronado, a professor from the Río Grande Valley. Juan reflects on growing up surrounded by Latino culture and on his exposure to migration and the presence of the border. He talks as a historian about his impressions of changes at the border and in the US at large that followed 9/11. Juan also discusses the effects of wars in the Middle East on Middle Eastern populations, American troops, and American culture.
Katy Murdza Interview
(2023-06-06) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Katy Murdza, the Texas regional organizer for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, in Houston, TX. Katy describes her start in immigration activism during college, her work at a detention center through the Dilley Pro Bono Project, and her work with SA Stand Coalition and Houston Leads. She compares life in the places she has lived and also recalls her travels, including being in the Peace Corps in Panama. Katy describes the connections between the causes she organizes for and believes in, such as immigration reform, abolition, and transit.