Tag: Avinnash Tiwari

Tracing The Lineage Of Historical Racial Narratives And Their Continued Effect

Presenter(s): Nana Adjepong – Political Science

Co presenter(s): Kebret Ketema

Faculty Mentor(s): Avinnash Tiwari

Oral Session 2M

Research Area: Social Science

Narrative is an important weapon that has been continuously used against minorities. This can be proven by taking a look at historical examples of false narratives being purposefully used to take power away from such groups. This has had lasting ramifications, and is a factor in the problem these groups face today. One main example of this is the creation of the “black savage” which in turn has led to inescapable stereotypes that still exist to this day. This affects the way African Americans are seen today, and in turn serves as a barrier for them, despite this being a stereotype created in the past.

Success in Neoliberal Capitalist Societies

Presenter(s): Frankie Leonard

Faculty Mentor(s): Avinnash Tiwari

Oral Session 3 SW

Success, particularly in our society in the US, is a complex social construct that often determines the life an individual will lead. I have analyzed the ideas of power and wealth, and the effect that these elements have in determining the success of a person. These elements are key to understanding success in the US because they determine a person’s advantage and privilege. Often in neoliberal capitalist societies, many systems that give access to success, such as education, and inheritance, are predisposed toward people of a certain class, gender, and race. Essentially, success is a societal norm set in place by those who define people by the power and wealth they possess, a self replicating system that enforces keeping the privileged in power. Fallacies, such as the exercise fallacy and the vehicle fallacy prove how people can use their privilege to express power over others. I chose to analyze businessmen who supposedly portray the hallmark of the American success story because they fit the model of the neoliberal, capitalistic “American Dream.” In addition, I will discuss what lead to their wealth, and how their wealth morphed into power. Success can be defined as construct based on a measure of worth in a social context, imposed by a system dominated by whiteness, patriarchy, and class.

The Manifestation of Escapism in the Outdoors

Presenter(s): Lilly French

Faculty Mentor(s): Avinnash Tiwari

Poster 103

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

It is an easy claim to make that people are increasingly turning to the outdoors as a means of escape from their real world. “The outdoors” is a loaded term with definitions far expanding that of its physical space. Really, “the outdoors” has everything to do with the opposite of its physical space, urban life. This research essay explores the outdoors as it is used by people as a form of escape. This method of escapism is reflected through case studies that discuss the feminine language surrounding the outdoors and why it is harmful, examples of nature’s use to treat anxiety and stress, outdoor recreation as an industry in the United States, and the commodification of time’s creation of a need for escape. The culture that questions the authenticity of outdoor experiences is also discussed. When conducting my research, I consulted credible articles, academic journals, and a nonfiction novel as examples and references to previous studies demonstrating elements of my research question. As outdoor recreation becomes a more and more common way to practice escapism, I have found that pieces of the “real world,” the parts people are trying to escape, have begun to seep into the outdoor culture and community as well. Without a collective conscious of these hazards, our great escape may fall to the same pains and perils of our real world.