Publication Type: Invited Paper
Abstract: This essay explores the rhetoric of the Silent No More Awareness (SNMA) campaign which seeks to draw attention to the pain women experience after having abortions. The strategy SNMA uses to accomplish this goal is encouraging women to share personal experiences of pain with the world. I argue that although SNMA takes as their goal healing for women who experience post-abortion pain, that healing is only made possible by a rhetoric of pain. Insofar as this rhetoric of pain is necessary to their activist discourse I argue that SNMA works against their own project for healing and acquiescent to a patriarchal feature of the social imaginary which requires a sacrifice be made for healing to be felt. To remedy this, I utilize Linda Zerilli’s theorization of a feminist politics built around a symbol of freedom in order to begin characterizing a feminist politics constituted by a rhetoric of freedom rather than a rhetoric of pain.

Publication Type: Multiple Paper Format
Abstract: Summary for Conference Program:
Students across the country have the power to stimulate their schools, families, and communities to incorporate energy efficiency into daily habits and purchasing decisions. This presentation will focus on the collaborative partnership between the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Education and the Omaha Public Power District to increase awareness of energy conservation.

Publication Type: Poster Presentation
Abstract: This poster displays a study of cross-cultural issues in classroom learning and teaching with an emphasis on such particular topics as attitude, culture shock, and a cultural psychology, saving-face consciousness. The results of this research present that the current situation in this light of the target educational institute, Idaho State University, is not that discouraging as is hypothesized, and that the participants produce an extremely negative response to the issue saving-face consciousness.

Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: Using survey data collected about public opinion three issues before the Supreme Court during its 2004 term, we seek to measure the impact of oral arguments and decisions issued by the Court on public awareness of Supreme Court cases. We seek to improve upon the methodology typically used in this type of study by using quasi-experimental design with the Court decisions as the stimulus of hypothesized public awareness change. Our work assesses the impact of an elite signal on mass opinion, something difficult for public opinion researchers to do because elite signals tend to be difficult to anticipate.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Most research on human resource (HR) policies in the workplace suggests that formal policies can contribute to variation in discrimination by altering employers’ behaviors. We consider an alternative manner by which HR policies influence formal discrimination complaints. HR policies, especially those targeting employees, can raise employees’ rights awareness and encourage them to seek remedies for discrimination at work. Using unique data organization-level from 84 hospitals linked to hospital-specific discrimination charge data obtained from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Charge Handling Database, we examine the extent to which four organizational HR policies—the presence of an equal employment office/manager, the existence of a written affirmative action plan, management diversity training, and employee diversity training—affect variation in discrimination-charge filings against hospitals. Two key findings emerge. First, HR policies involving written affirmative action plans or the presence of an equal employment office are not related to the filing of discrimination claims against hospitals. Second, management diversity training reduces the likelihood that a hospital receives a discrimination claim while employee diversity training increases the likelihood of receiving a claim. These findings support the idea that not all HR policies are equally effective and imply that employee rights’ awareness is a key mechanism in identifying and eventually eliminating discriminatory actions.