Jordan F
- Research Program Mentor
MA candidate at Appalachian State University
Expertise
Social science research, sociology, marriage and family therapy, psychosocial development, systemic therapy, systems theory, social injustice, food insecurity, homelessness, and emotional and behavioral health
Bio
People are my passion. Throughout my academic career I felt driven to understand the development, structure, and functioning of human society. I am knowledgeable and experienced in the study of human behavior, the social consequences of thoughts and behavior, systems theory, social institutions, social injustice, historical social movements, psychosocial human development, and theories of counseling/therapy. I truly believe we cannot ignore the larger social context when conducting research. My personal thesis topic focused on the impact of food insecurity among college students. Enjoying all life has to offer is a goal of mine. Staying active is important to me, I have two Siberian huskies who love to keep me moving. Dogs hold a special spot in my heart, I do my best to give back by volunteering in local animal rescue shelters. I love rollercoasters, hiking, boating, swimming, live music, and sports. My friends, family, and loved ones have shaped me into the person I am and my relationships with them mean the most.Project ideas
How Representation of Mental Health Disorders and Treatment in Media Impacts Public Perception
My background in sociology, social work, and marriage and family therapy creates an opportunity to help students explore topics such as human behavior, societal functioning, popular media and related social consequences, mental health disorders, and mental health treatment. Students will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills related to the previously mentioned topics, discover how media presentations impact perceptions of mental disorders and treatment, and learn useful research techniques. Information could be gathered using data from existing or secondary sources in combination with survey or interview style questionnaires. Students could review movies, television, music, popular press, celebrity cases, and social media along with peer reviewed academic articles on this topic to create a literature review. Survey or interview style questionnaires could be used to assess the general public's perception on this research topic. The goal for this project would be to create a scientific research paper on the impacts of how mental health disorders and treatment are represented in popular media sources. The outcomes and research directions are vast with a topic such as this.