Arts - Buffalo State College

is their society that forces their resistance. I argue that women are
not always silenced, docile creatures that simply exist by the whims
of men in a patriarchal society; they have complete control and
influence of their lives and the lives of the men around them.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities III
Franchised Folklore: Exploring Beauty and
the Beast In Modern America
Devon Cozad, English
Faculty Mentor: Professor Lisa Berglund, English
In modern American, we understand fairy tale folklore through
many media, including conventional literature, films, illustrations
and graphic novels, and even video games. Despite technological
innovations, we feel a need to keep traditional characters alive, to
pass them on to younger generations for safekeeping. We find a
prime example of this in “Beauty and the Beast,” a fairy tale that
has been adapted in many innovative ways by several well-known
companies. This project mainly explores the Disney company
and how they have contributed to the fairy tale on a national and
global scale. Also explored are adaptations of Disney characters by
other companies, such as Square Enix and their popular franchise
Kingdom Hearts. The young adult novel (and movie) Beastly by Alex
Flinn is also examined. The term “franchised folklore” describes
the connection between the story of Beauty and the Beast and the
material arising from it. For example, Disney themselves have
produced thousands of pieces of Beauty and the Beast merchandise,
all showing the iconic characters we love. Not only is this a
marketing scheme to keep the characters relevant, but it is a way to
keep the story alive. Franchised folklore creates a piece of the story
that you can, quite literally, carry with you always.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities III
Game On: America’s Army
Jonathan Petzoldt, COM 450: Communication and Society
Faculty Mentor: Professor Michael Niman, Communication
My research uses qualitative deconstruction tools to analyze the
video game, America’s Army, to identify embedded social messages
and their effects on players. I am not focusing on the commonly
analyzed aspect of video game violence, but instead on how this
game, which is funded by the United States Army and distributed
for free to users, promotes military enlistment. This paper is based
both upon participatory ethnographic research which I conducted
as a Player in the America’s Army gaming community, and
contextualized with material I discovered during a literature search
of scholarly books and peer reviewed journals. Video games are an
advanced communication medium which carries messages that not
only sell us products, but also can influence perceptions of reality in
a multitude of ways. In the discussion about this paper, I will address
the influences that playing video games has had on my life, how I
feel they have affected my life, and to what extent.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities I
Humanities
The Global Effects of Hip-Hop Culture
Elenni Davis-Knight, COM 450: Communication and Society
Faculty Mentor: Professor Michael Niman, Communication
This paper will explore the global effects of mainstream hiphop;
the images, lyrics and ideals associated with the culture. The
history of the genre is rich and has roots in political activism, and
acted as a cultural adhesive. As mainstream corporate interests
replaced the grassroots nature of the music and lifestyle, the reach
and scope of the messages no longer remained in the hands of its
founders, but became a global phenomenon. Hip-hop today by no
means resembles its beginnings, and has begun to spread potentially
dangerous thoughts and images around the world, effecting how the
global consumer views African American men and women, and the
lifestyles in which they are perceived to lead. Examining the growth
of hip-hop culture both in America and other parts of the world, will
give insight in to how it has become not only a music genre but also
an entire way of life.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities III
Hold On, Let Me Put My Purse Down
Jacquelyn O’Brien, PHI 401W: Respect Seminar
Faculty Mentor: Professor John Draeger, Philosophy
American Society has dictated that women carry a purse as a
fashion accessory as well as social stamp indicating their femininity.
This has been a social trend that was once employed for the use of
function, as I’ve come to understand, however, what of its historical
roots? Being that carrying a purse puts a major physical restriction
upon the person toting it around (in the way that one can not
easily jump, run, lift or engage in many other physical acts of daily
necessity) it stands to reason there could be a connection drawn
from societies pressure to carry a purse and the social repression
of women. Conventions of society will play a role in the paper,
discovering whether or not conventions, like carrying a purse,
and if they have a significant presence in the subtleties of a lack of
women’s rights. This paper hopes to explore the social and societal
ties between women carrying a purse and the reasons behind this
social trends, is this convention, or is this a social disparity? Further,
it would be pertinent to understanding this social trend to investigate
how respect for women in our American society is shown by subtle
restrictions placed upon them, (i.e. such as being socially “forced”
to carry a purse). Does carrying a purse have anything to do with
societies respect for women? This is the main thesis of the paper. I
would love to mention manners in their connection to conventions
in this paper as well, using the works of Sarah Buss and Cheshire
Calhoun.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities II
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