Skip Navigation
Falvey Library
Advanced
You are exploring: Home > Blogs

The Ida B. Wells Lecture Featuring Michael Hanchard, PhD

Ida B. Wells Poster with Michael Hanchard


Villanova faculty, staff, students, and friends are cordially invited to join us on Wednesday, April 26, from 5-6 p.m. in Falvey Library’s Speakers’ Corner for the annual Ida B. Wells Lecture featuring Michael G. Hanchard, PhD, Gustave C. Kuemmerle Professor in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs the Marginalized Populations Project.

At this lecture Dr. Hanchard will address some of the social and political challenges facing African-Americans, in comparative perspective with the challenges facing Africans and Afro-descendant populations in the UK and France. In addition, he will draw on themes and research from his recent book, The Spectre of Race: How Discrimination Haunts Western Democracy (Princeton University Press).

This ACS-approved event is co-sponsored by the Africana Studies Program,  Department of Global Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Political Science, Department of Sociology, French and Francophone Studies, and Falvey Library. Light refreshments will be served.


 


Like

“Youth and Suicide in American Cinema,” Book Talk by Alessandra Seggi, PhD

Scholarship@Villanova featuring Alessandra Seggi Event Poster


Please join us on Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. in Falvey Library’s Speakers’ Corner for a Scholarship@Villanova talk featuring Alessandra Seggi, PhD, Visiting Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology. Dr. Seggi will present a talk titled “Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: All the Silence We Don’t Talk About.“

A large project, which culminated in the publication of Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: Context, Causes, and Consequences (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), examined the portrayal of youth and suicide in American films (N=187) from 1900 to 2019, with particular attention to the context, causes and consequences of suicide. It also teased out insidious yet fascinating social dynamics around suicidality involving both the suicidal individual and their friends and family. The analysis concluded that the portrayal of youth and suicide in film is controversial, or at least unbalanced, inconsistent, limited, and at times simplistic. Other times it can be stifling in its brutal honesty, yet rich and thought-provoking. Hence, rather than obliterate or block certain content from reaching audiences, or suggest certain reactions to audiences, young audiences need to think for themselves and question the media.

A proactive approach for audiences to interpret film messages can help youth—a media literacy strategy to embrace as active social players, while watching these films. This is a tool for empowering audiences, and helping them watch and analyze films as engaged citizens, and ultimately “for strengthening young people’s participation in civic and political life” (Hobbs, 2011, p. 421–422). Indeed, only when audiences are able to tease apart the varied, nuanced, transient, complex media messages, are they able to negotiate meaning for themselves, act as engaged social players, and perhaps begin to comprehend suicidality, and “heal the hearts or settle the minds of those left behind in its dreadful wake” (Jamison, 1999, p. 18).

Importantly, silence, by intruding into several interactions, dramatically alters them. Yet, it rarely gets talked about. So, for example, the physical and emotional consequences of suicidality on the suicidal individual are almost never tackled in film. The consequences of suicidality on the bereaved are even more infrequent object of conversation. There are yet other ways for silence to complicate relationships and affect someone’s suicidality. Silence hides complicity, when not voicing our concerns when we have some, or not speaking up in front of injustice, or not seeking help when in a crisis. It also demonstrates how we become complicit in perpetuating injustice, how we might aggravate our condition, or how we might perpetuate a life in suicidal mode, as well as perpetuating the path of least resistance. Only a few films, notably Captain FantasticPermanent Record, and Surviving Family, offer a vivid depiction of the desolation that friends and family experience after a suicide. Beyond the Lights shows how being embedded in a web of social relationships can offer the suicidal individual mixed messages—on the one hand, suicidality is not to be talked about; on the other, asking for and receiving help are essential steps in one’s recovery. A few other exceptional films from different eras and with varying styles, such as A Girl Like HerSomething Wild and Full Metal Jacket, showcase how silence exacerbates the consequences of trauma.

This ACS-approved event, co-sponsored by Falvey Library, the Department of Sociology and Criminology and the Department of Communication, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

References:

Hobbs, R. (2011). The state of media literacy: A response to Potter. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 55(3), 419–430.

Jamison, K. R. (1999). Night falls fast: Understanding suicide. Vintage Books.

 


 


Like

SAGE Trials

Falvey Memorial Library is currently running two trials from SAGE. Please check them out while you are on campus, and let us know what you think!

SAGE Video Beta

Access*: http://sk.sagepub.com/video
Ends: May 20, 2014

SAGE Video is a new product and is still in the beta phase. It currently includes three main collections: Counseling & Psychotherapy, Education, and Media, Communication & Cultural Studies. Video types include definitions, tutorials, interviews, and documentaries.

Benefits and features of SAGE Video

  • Almost 1600 videos and 400 hours of video in the complete collections (Beta includes 794 videos across 178 hours)
  • Video clip creation
  • Closed captioning
  • Change video size
  • Auto-scroll, searchable, downloadable transcripts
  • Multiple citation options
  • Save video to playlist
  • Embeddable HTML codes for web pages
  • Abstracts for each video

*Not compatible with Internet Explorer 10.

SAGE Research Methods

Access: http://srmo.sagepub.com
Ends: June 20, 2014

SAGE Research Methods provides access to 700+ books, encyclopedias, and journal articles, as well as innovative features, such as the Methods Map visual browse tool using a custom taxonomy of 700+ methods terms. Trial includes access to SAGE Research Methods Datasets and SAGE Research Methods Cases. Electronic versions of some SAGE handbooks and other reference materials, such as titles from the SAGE Benchmarks in Social Research Methods series, are also included.

For help navigating the platform, please see the SAGE Research Methods LibGuide.

We welcome your feedback! Please leave a reply to this post, email, or call Kristyna at 610-519-5391.


Like
1 People Like This Post

New Books in Communication and Sociology

Happy Fall!

In case you find some free time this semester and need a good book to read, please check out some of the newly acquired titles in the social sciences below that are available at Falvey Memorial Library. Be sure to check out the full list, too, for more new and unique titles.

Americans against the city : Anti-urbanism in the twentieth century
by Steven Conn
Oxford University Press, 2014

 

Cognitive media theory
by Ted Nannicelli & Paul Taberham
Routledge, 2014

 

Disability incarcerated : imprisonment and disability in the United States and Canada
by Liat Ben-Moshe & Liat and Allison C. Carey
Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

 

Doing a successful research project : using qualitative or quantitative methods
By Martin Davies & Nathan Hughes
Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

 

EXPLORING GREEN CRIMINOLOGY : TOWARD A GREEN CRIMINOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
by Michael J. Lynch
Ashgate, 2014

 

Imaginative methodologies in the social sciences : creativity, poetics and rhetoric in social research
by Michael Hviid Jacobsen, Michael S. Drake, Kieran Keohane, & Anders Petersen
Ashgate, 2014

 

Mainstreaming torture : ethical approaches in the post-9/11 United States
by Rebecca Gordon
Oxford, 2014

 

The social media handbook
by Jeremy Hunsinger and Theresa M. Senft
Routledge, 2014

 

I’d also love to hear from you! Please feel free to recommend other texts you feel are useful for your courses by email (alexander.williams@villanova.edu) or by telephone (ext. 8845).


Like
1 People Like This Post

The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

intencofrevandprotestThe International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest covers all aspects of resistance, rebellion and revolution over the past 500 years with over 1,500 entries ranging from 250 to 5,000 words about events, people, organizations and movements. Annual updates ensure coverage of current events. Recent updates included articles about the Tea Party and Howard Zinn.

Entries range from the Prague Spring to the Velvet Revolution, from May Day to Solidarnosc, from Utopian communities to anarchism, from Greenpeace to Earth First!, and from civil disobedience and non-violence to fascism and terrorism. While most biographies are on the shorter end of the spectrum, those about key actors and thinkers from Marx  to Lenin and Mao provide a good overview. Major revolutions are well covered and linked to numerous related entries. In the case of the French Revolution these include separate articles on the counterrevolution, radical factions and organizations, women, and historians’ interpretations. The Encyclopedia is particularly helpful in researching more unfamiliar protest movements, such as Native American protests, the Québécois independence movement or the events of the red summer of 1919.

Contents are accessible via the A-Z list as well as through keyword searching. Search results can be narrowed by subject, place, period, people and key topics. The “China” place facet narrows the keyword search for China from 191 results to 41. This approach makes it easy for students to move beyond the article on the Chinese Communist Revolution to a quick review of the history of protest movements in China.

Current events seem to be adequately covered although the Encyclopedia lacks an entry about the Arab Spring while there are entries covering al-Qaeda, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Taliban. In a nod to the current interest in film studies, the reader will find articles about such classics as the Battle of Algiers, Battleship Potemkin and October. References and suggested reading lists are up-to-date and a great starting point for undergraduate students. Access to the online Encyclopedia is provided through the library’s catalog.

Questions or Comments? Don’t hesitate to contact us.


Like

ICPSR Deadlines Approaching

ICPSR’s 2014 Student Research Paper Deadline Approaching

Don’t miss it! The January 31, 2014, submission deadline for the ICPSR Student Research Paper Competitions is approaching soon.

The four competitions are: (view eligibility criteria)

  • ICPSR Research Paper Competition, for analyses on any topic using data from the ICPSR Archive or Thematic Collections. Separate undergraduate and master’s prizes.
  • NAHDAP Research Paper Competition, for analyses on topics related to addiction and HIV that are based on quantitative analysis. Now also open to PhD students.
  • IFSS Research Paper Competition, for analyses on any topic using Integrated Fertility Survey Series data.
  • RCMD Research Paper Competition, for analyses on issues of minorities and immigrants in the US, using data from the Resource Center for Minority Data.

Awards: $1,000 for first place and $750 for second place, and publication on the ICPSR Research Paper Competition Winners website and in a special edition of the ICPSR Bulletin for the first-place winners.

Visit the ICPSR’s Research Paper Competition website for details and Entry Forms.

Application Deadline for 2014 ICPSR Summer Internship Program Approaching

Applications are being accepted for the 2014 ICPSR Summer Undergraduate Internship Program, an intensive, 10-week program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for students interested in social science research.

Apply now through the ICPSR online application portal. To complete the application form, students must answer a few questions; upload a cover letter, resume, and list of relevant courses; and provide contact information for two recommending college faculty or staff members, or employer references. The recommendations must be completed through the ICPSR recommendation portal.
The deadline for all materials is January 31, 2014.

To be eligible, a student must:

  • Have an expected graduation of December 2014 or later
  • Be a US citizen or have permanent residency
  • Possess undergraduate standing and have completed sophomore year in a social science or mathematics major, with interests related to one of ICPSR’s Thematic Collections

About the Internship
The NSF-funded Research for Undergraduates (REU) internship program (Grant No. 1062317) matches students with mentors at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), and supports exploration of a research question from start to finish — including literature searches, data analyses, and creation of conference-ready posters summarizing students’ research findings. Interns can attend graduate-level courses in quantitative methods at the University of Michigan taught by leading faculty across various research fields. Additionally, all ICPSR interns learn valuable data-management techniques using statistical packages such as SPSS, Stata, and SAS. Visit our website or view the flyer (PDF, 466 KB) for more information.

For examples of research projects done by past ICPSR interns, please see these videos.


Like

Too Soon for Spring?

We may not see Spring weather for some time, but it’s definitely time to begin thinking about the Spring semester.

Spring Reserves and Blackboard Scanning

You may drop off materials at your earliest convenience at the circulation desk or submit an online request by visiting http://library.villanova.edu/about/services/requestforms/resform/ .

For additional reserve guidelines go to http://library.villanova.edu/About/Services/CourseReserves/FacultyGuidelines#Electronic

If you have questions, please contact rebecca.whidden@villanova.edu or call 610-519-3848.

Library Workshops

Library classrooms fill quickly for classes in January and February. If you would like to bring your class to the library for an information literacy workshop, please contact Kristyna Carroll or Kimberley Bugg.

Library Help Sessions

Don’t have time for a library workshop but still think your students may need research help? Request an informal library help session. Your students will have a reserved conference room in the library, and a subject librarian to answer their individual questions. These sessions are best held within two weeks of project deadlines. Please contact Kristyna Carroll or Kimberley Bugg to schedule a help session.


Like

Census Tools – New Guide

population density map Villanova

Census 2010 – Population Density per sq. mile surrounding Villanova University. From Social Explorer.

Introducing a new research guide for students and faculty interested in using U.S. Census data in their next research project. The Census Tools guide provides an overview of the various tools offered by Falvey Memorial Library, in addition to American FactFinder 2, the official tool of the U.S. Census.

The guide includes a brief description of each tool, relevant coverage, and recommended uses. Researchers can also find links to help pages and other aids for each tool.

The Census Tools guide is the perfect starting point for your demographic research!


Like

Schedule Library Instruction Now!

Thinking of bringing your class to the library this semester? Now is the time to schedule it! Library classrooms and librarians’ schedules fill up quickly in August and September.

And, don’t forget about the other services offered by Falvey’s subject librarians!

  • Research Appointments
    • Individual or group meetings at any stage of the research process.
  • Research Guides
  • Instructional Workshops
    • Bring your class to the library for a tailored workshop!
    • Past topics include demonstration of key resources, the research process, APA citations, plagiarism, and more!
  • Open Workshops
    • Your librarian can schedule library space for open work time as your project due date approaches. Students are welcome to drop in to work on their project, ask questions of the librarian, and enjoy a snack!
  • Material Requests
    • Know of a book, DVD, or other resource that would be valuable to your program? Suggest it to your subject librarian!

Education, Counseling, & Psychology

Kimberley Bugg
kimberley.bugg@villanova.edu
610-519-3073
Room 227

Communication, Criminology, & Sociology

Kristyna Carroll
kristyna.carroll@villanova.edu
610-519-5391
Room 223

 


Like

Use Data from ICPSR this Fall

graph_image

Source: ICPSR

ICPSR makes integrating data into your course easy with a host of instructional materials! Check out their website for data-driven exercises, the Crosstab Assignment Builder, and specific data modules.

 

Students who use ICPSR data for a project might consider entering the ICPSR Research Paper Competition. Students with a passion for data might pursue the ICPSR summer internship program.

 


Like

Next Page »

 


Last Modified: August 8, 2013

Ask Us: Live Chat
Back to Top