Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In 2003, Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully won his bid to become governor of California in a special election. The election and its candidates were criticized as a “media circus” and bemoaned as evidence of a general decay of American democracy. Using the pioneering work of Clifford Geertz, we offer an alternative account that normalizes the putative oddities of the California political system and the narrative of demise it evokes. This paper applies the politics-as-theatre perspective to the gubernatorial campaigns of Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, which serve as illustrative cases of the much-maligned “celebrity politics.” We suggest that the performance of these two candidates mirrors the broader relationship between politics and cultural myths.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Thisi paper is based on an extended ethnography of the Philadelphia Mummers, a play community, whose members are the founders and custodians of the annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade. Their tradition began in the ethnic neighborhoods of South Philadelphia where immigrants welcomed the holidays with a variety of ethnically distinct practices. As the celebrations expanded, the different groups began to "play together" and cooperate to ptoruce increasingly elaborate processions that drew the attention of Philadelphia's elites. There was reason for their concern for the processions occurred in a socially disorganized neighborhood where sporadic violence disrupted the community; for the authorities, the ethnic celebrations were not distinguishable from the lawless activities of street gangs. By the late 1890s, however, the chaotic neighborhoods settled down becoming part of Greater Philadelphia, and their activities garnered some praise and interest. The Mummers were asked to perform in a gala celebration at Philadelphia's City Hall. They eagerly accepted the invitation for it represented an opportunity to put forth a new and respectable image for their neighborhoods. The Mummers saw the invitation as an opportunity to move from the margins of Philadelphia to its very center. As they played in their neighborhoods and prepared to make their public debut, the disparate groups of immigrants developed a distinctive identity as "the Philladelphia Mummers," and thus they were able to use play as a wedge to garner acceptance in their adopted City. This presentation is based on my book, The Philadelphia Mummers: Building Community Through Play, scheduled for late June publication by Temple University Press.

In 1901

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Recent meta-analytic findings (Sherry, 2007) suggest that the effect of violent video games on aggression tends to decrease the longer participants play. Therefore, it is likely that different mechanisms may be at work depending on the length of play. In this study, we employed a 4 (length of game play) X 2 (sex) design to examine the effect of length of video game play on aggressive outcomes. In addition, we examined possible theoretical mechanisms (i.e., arousal, aggressive cognitions, affective hostility) to help explain the link between violent game play and aggression. Findings suggest that arousal may peak after a few minutes of game play, then slowly diminish over time, and that aggression responses may be related to this pattern of fluctuation. Implications for our current understanding of the relationship between video games and aggression are discussed, along directions for further research.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The present study investigated college students’ self-reported video game play and their interpretations of violent video game content as predictors of moral disengagement. Results indicate that frequency of video game play was not related to moral disengagement, but player interpretations of the violence in video games predicted scores on the composite moral disengagement scale and on the subscales of dehumanization of victims and euphemistic labeling. Specifically, players’ perceptions of the games as more serious, but less graphic, and players’ identification with the games’ characters predicted stronger tendencies to disengage self-sanctions against detrimental behavior.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between the player’s aggressive personality and the aggressiveness of the player’s game playing in a violent game. Screen video stream of individual participants’ game playing was captured and content analyzed. The results suggest that people with more aggressive personality engage in a more aggressive style of playing, after controlling gender and computer game experience differences. Implications of these findings and direction for future studies are discussed.