Sociology Student Research Websites

To view GoAnimate.com videos created by students for their research website, click here.

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 Erin Bies is a sophomore social work major and she hopes to be a social worker in an elementary school. Two of her siblings also work in the field of education, as well as her mother. She is also on the volleyball team at Siena. My research topic is whether or not the media has an effect on the way teenagers portray themselves. Some of my main research questions about this topic are: 1. Do the ways celebrities act and dress in the media have an effect on the lives of teenagers in society? 2. Does the ‘perfect body image’ that is displayed throughout the media cause teenagers to suffer from anorexia and/or bulimia? 3. Does the way the media displays the ‘perfect body image’ effect the way girls and women are viewed by others?

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Bibi Buksh is a marketing major at Siena and currently a junior. She was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and her family is Guyanese. Her family regularly travels to visit relatives in Canada and Guyana. Bibi is very involved in the athletics department and hopes to one day work with the NFL to promote their teams. Her research website examines the sociological influences behind incarceration rates. (Spring 2014)

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Brianna Callahan‘s family history includes Irish and Portuguese ethnicities. Her father’s family comes from Ireland, while her mother’s family comes from Portugal. She grew up in a small, Irish-American community, so her Irish identity is a strong part of her personal identity.  Her father and uncle made a documentary movie about the Irish in Boston, called “The Green Square Mile.” Brianna is a sophomore political science major, and she hopes to pursue a career as a lawyer. Her father is also a lawyer. She is interested in examining the overlap between sociology and political science. Her hypothesis for her research project states: “Gentrification is a negative experience for a neighborhood because it forces unwanted change upon a community. Gentrification ultimately harms the current residents because it forces change upon the neighborhood, which destroys the community’s unique identity and only provides minimal benefits that do not outweigh the costs.” (Spring 2014)

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Danielle Carl is a senior sociology major, a cadet in Army ROTC, and will commission as a second Lieutenant in May 2014. Her research website focuses on animal rights social movements. Her website overviews the types of  animal rights organizations, their tactics, demographics of participants, and strategies to fight for the rights of animals. You can check out an animated video about her research by clicking here.

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Emily Casey is a senior at Siena, majoring in mathematics and minoring in computer science and Spanish. She is also earning a certificate in Secondary Education. She is the President of the Education Club as well as the co-founder of the school’s Math Club. She is the student manager for the men’s basketball team. Her research interests focus on discrimination towards gay and lesbian athletes.  (Spring 2014)

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Christen Cherry’s family ethnicities include Czech, Irish and Welsh. His father grew up in Lincoln Park, NY, and his mother grew up in Rutherford, NJ, located only 10 minutes from New York City. Christen is a senior majoring in Psychology, and co-captain of the swim and dive team. Her research interest is about military families. (Spring 2014)

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Stacey Clinton is a Siena student with a family background that includes Irish, German and Italy ethnicities. My specific research question is: Why do women with tattoos get stigmatized more than men with tattoos?  Other related questions I have on my topic are: 1.) Why is it more acceptable for men to have tattoos in society than it is for women? 2.)Why do men with large tattoos on their arms have a more positive perception when women with large tattoos are seen more negativity? 3.) How come even with the increasing numbers of women getting tattoos the acceptance is still so low? (Spring 2014)

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Steph DeRubertis‘s family background is split between Italian and French-Canadian. Both of her grandfathers are from Sicily, and her grandmothers are from Canada. Her family is also Catholic. Her family shared a love for hockey, and many of her family members play the game. Steph is a junior and her major is psychology. Her current research idea focuses on the negative effects of MTV on teenagers and how social media impacts our lives. See an animated video about her research by clicking here. (Spring 2014)

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 Kaitlin DiCristofaro is a freshman sociology major. Her research interests are on the topic of racial and ethnic identity, as well as issues of diaspora. In particular, she is interested in looking at women in India, stereotypes and representations. You can view an animated video that introduces her research by clicking here.

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Josh Giordano is a sophomore biology major. He is very involved in sports, playing baseball, basketball, and football, in addition to running and working out. His interests include sports and medicine. His research website explores these questions related to the sociology of sports: How has the NFL concussion crisis affected the football culture? How has it affected the business and money making processes? How has it affected masculinity in football? (Spring 2014)

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Brian Graziose grew up in Seaford, on Long Island, New York. His sister has also attended Siena College, where Brian is a sophomore. Brian is interested in working in the medical field, perhaps as a doctor. He enjoys helping others and socializing with diverse people. His family background includes both Irish and Italian ethnicities: his mother’s side of the family is Irish, and he has toured Ireland himself, along with his family members. His research website focuses on the topic of bullying in high schools and the sociological issues behind the behavior. (Spring 2014)

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Waleed Ijaz’s parents are both Pakistani and immigrated to the United States in the mid-90s. Waleed was born in the United States a couple of years after his parents settled in the country, growing up in Albany, NY. His grandfather was a mayor of a city in Pakistan. His research interest is on the topic of “fanboys” in technology,  and how these fans impact the progression of technology. The main research questions that he will be looking to answer include the following: What do consumers look for when choosing a specific device? How much of a role does brand play in the overall purchasing process? How much do others (friends/family) views influence your decision? What traits are sought after in brands? Do consumers feel a sense of community with other consumers? (Spring 2014)

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Brittney Jorey is a junior majoring in psychology. Her mother is an elementary school teacher and her father is a commercial fisherman, working during the summers in Cordova, Alaska. Her mother’s side of the family is Polish and her father’s side of the family come from Ireland. For the class, her research interests are on GLBT families and adoption. To view an animated video about Brittney’s website, please click here. (Spring 2014)

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Shannah Mondore has a family background that includes German, Irish, French, and Native American. She is a sophomore psychology major, interested in becoming a physical therapist after college. Her hobbies include basketball, reading, and spending time with friends. Her research areas of interest include sports, stress, and the media. The topic that she is interested in researching is how the American culture views female athletes in sports compared to male athletes. She would like to determine if there is any negative attitudes towards women in sports. Since Title IX was passed, women are supposed to receive the same rights as men, but is this really the case? (Spring 2014)

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 Margaux Reidy is a freshman undeclared science major, coming to this major from a background in physics and engineering. She is interested in attending medical school after earning her undergraduate degree. Her research website focuses on the topic of racial stereotypes, how they are created, and the impact they have on the individuals involved. You can view an animated video that introduces her research by clicking here.

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Sydney Sericolo is of Irish, Italian, Dutch, and German descent. Her family is very invested in their   Italian heritage and cultural practices. Her grandmother is 100% Italian, and instills the culture into family members through cooking and get togethers. Some of her family still remains in Italy In a recent census New York was populated with approximately 2.9 million people, 16% of which were of Italian descent. Sydney’s research focuses on how has the societal perception of smokers changed over the past few decades? (Spring 2014)

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 Marisa Shayne was adopted, and does not know a great deal about her family background, except that she was told her birth parents were Irish and Hungarian. Her adoptive parents are also Irish and Hungarian. Her mother was born in Dublin, Ireland and she was adopted by her parents in the United States as an infant. Therefore, Marisa and her mother share this “adoption connection.” Marisa is currently a senior, majoring in psychology. She is interested in researching adoption for her research project. To see an animated video about Marisa’s research, click here. (Spring 2014)

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 Tori Mattick is a sophomore at Siena, majoring in biology, with a minor in health studies. Her family background includes a mixture of Irish, Polish, German, Slovakian ethnicities. Tori’s interest in biology stems from her family: her grandparents were both biologists. Because of her interest in becoming a physician, her sociology research interest is related to social issues surrounding health care and patient care. (Spring 2014)

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Kelli Mishoe grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York. She is of Japanese, German, French, and Irish descent, and the youngest out of three children. Her mother’s side of the family came to the United States from Germany in the 1800s. Her great great great grandfather, Christian Dehn, opened a flower business in 1892, which is still operated by her family to this day. Both of her parents work at the flower shop, and during the summers, Kelli works there as well. Kelli is a junior, majoring in creative arts. Her focus for her major is on photography, drawing, painting, and graphic design. She hopes to work for an advertising agency after graduation. Her research topic may focus on social issues related to divorce. (Spring 2014)

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Alley O’Farrell‘s family background is Irish. Her great grandmother got Alley started in Irish Step Dancing at the age of 6. Alley grew up in Red Hook, NY, a small town, and went to school with the same other kids from kindergardent until her 12th grade graduation. She is very active in outdoor sports, related to the seasons of upstate New York weather, including: ice skating, hiking, soccer, track, and biking. Her research website focuses on women in the military, in particular, she examines these questions: How does social media influence women’s choice to enlist in the armed forces?  How does the military’s pro-masculine campaign messages effect how society views women in the military?  Finally, how has society’s image of women in the military influenced the increased participation of women in the military over the past thirty years? (Spring 2014)

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Anjali Panackal‘s family is from south India, specifically, the state of Kerala. Her father was born in Cochin, where there remains the remnants of a Portuguese colony, and may Indians have European surnames in this area. Her family immigrated to the United States before she was born. She is a sophomore biology major. Her research interests are on the topic of gender and society. For her research website, she is focusing on this research question:  How does Christianity influence the  distribution of accepted gender roles and rights in our more secular society? (Spring 2014)

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Michelle Prakash is a sophomore at Siena. She is interested in pursuing a medical career in the future. She is interested in looking at the ways in which sociological perceives the medical institution, especially in examining the ways in which patients are treated by medical workers. Her family is predominantly from the country of India, as her parents were immigrants. The main question her research website examines is   how the roles of women and men in the family scheme in America  have both changed and stayed the same. How has employment shifted these roles? Lastly, she would like to understand how institutions helps define these roles. (Spring 2014)

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 Jessika-Jo Sandrini grew up in a small farming community in Washington State. Her graduating high school class was comprised of only 39 students. She was recruited to play softball at Siena and is currently a senior majoring in business management. One research topic Jessika-Jo is interested in researching for class is related to social issues around teen pregnancy. (Spring 2014)

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Waqqas Tai is currently a sophomore at Siena. He grew up not far from Siena, in the town of Niskayuna, New York. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a first generation American, and his family is Pakistani-American, which only 0.3% of the United States population is of this ethnicity. His parents are from Pakistan, and his grandparents lived in India, before migrating to Pakistan. His research examines the sociological impacts of religion in the family and society. (Spring 2014)

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 Jennifer Terrio‘s family ethnicities include French, Italian, Irish and Spanish backgrounds. Her parents were both raised in New York State. Jennifer currently lives with two of her three siblings. Her brother graduated from Siena, and influenced Jennifer to attend the school. Jennifer is currently a senior majoring in psychology, and is also earning minors in sociology and health studies. Her research interest includes looking at domestic violence, and its impact of these on the family structure. To see an animated video about Jennifer’s research website, click here. (Spring 2014)

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 Natalie Topalian is a senior majoring in environmental studies with a minor in sociology. Her research website examines the ways in which people of color are portrayed in media advertisements. How does racialism impact the representation of race and ethnicity in ads. You can view an animated video about here research by clicking here.

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 Elizabeth Urresta is a first year student at Siena College. Her research interests are on the topic of subcultures, in particular, fan subcultures. She is also interested in looking at the ways in which media impacts society. She is working on a short documentary exploring the world of fandom cultures. You can view a short animated video about her research by clicking here.

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Alison Wood grew up in Amsterdam, New York and her family has some Polish heritage on her mother’s side. She is currently a junior at Siena, majoring in psychology and minoring in women’s studies. Her research focuses on the influence of parents on their children’s’ gender development. (Spring 2014)

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Justin Yetto is a 22 year old senior at Siena. His grandparents came from Switzerland and his mother was born in the United States. He was raised in a small town in upstate New York. His  grandfather started a business at which his many members of his family continue to work. He is a marketing major and will be graduating in May. Justin’s research topic focuses on  family reactions and social judgements towards individuals with tattoos. For example, some his questions include: 1. Why do people get tattoos? 2. What are typical stereotypes of those with tattoos? 3. Why are some parents so fearful of their children getting tattoos? (Spring 2014)