Posters and Online Posters
Designer Beliefs: A View from an Artists Perspective
Poster/Exhibit Session Slate Grove
The emphasis for my current body of sculptural artwork, entitled Designer Beliefs, stems from current social and political issues. I'm consistently thinking about faith, hypocrisy, marketing, consumption, and the false sense of agency and/or choice we as consumers overlook. Glass visually illustrates the ease with which people can design their own belief system, but also the transparency, and fragility of those constructed beliefs. There are those who translate the text of their beliefs very concretely with respects to some teachings and forget, altogether, that others were mentioned at all; effectively designing their own religions in order to fulfill their personal/political agendas. In stark contrast to those who focus on their beliefs, are those who idolize the symbols and designers in the couture fashion world. Brands that were solidified by founders that prided themselves on high quality craftsmanship and unique design, have become exclusionary; those labels now being worn as badges of wealth, power, and status. I try to utilize this combination of seemingly disparate sects of society by visually suggesting thoughts of religion to underscore the idolization of exclusivity and our quest for status; and to question whether identity formation has become more material than spiritual in today's world.
Bipolar Disorder and Religion and Spirituality
Virtual Poster Daniel C Jackson
Religion and psychiatry have had a unique relationship since psychiatry’s inception. It has been historically a negative one, beginning with Freud’s assertion that religion leads to neuroticism. Today, the interplay between the two is more nuanced, with burgeoning research on the potential negative or positive effects of religion on mental health, especially with regards to conditions such as major depressive disorder. One area of research that is still scarce is how religion and/or spirituality affects bipolar disorder and vice versa. A review of both qualitative and quantitative studies was done to show what the current state of research is regarding religion/spirituality and bipolar disorder. Sixteen relevant studies were found, the results of which highlighted the importance of distinguishing intrinsic religiosity, organized religious activity, and private religious activity when referring to the effect of religion/spirituality on bipolar disorder. Other important themes found in these studies were the struggle that bipolar patients with strong religious beliefs face when talking to mental health professionals about religion as well as the difficulty of navigating what their religious experiences mean in the context of their medical condition. The relative paucity of research done on the topic highlights the need for more original studies, yet the current level of research shows that religion/spirituality and bipolar disorder have profound effects on one another in the lives of patients.
The Impact of Religiosity on US Latinos’ Openness to Pregnancy
Poster/Exhibit Session Mayra Cazares
When examined by race and socioeconomic status, the association between religiosity and attitudes about pregnancy is unclear. This study’s objective was to explore the relationship between Latinos’ religiosity and openness to pregnancy. We analyzed survey data from 1442 fecund Latinos (ages 18-39) in the U.S. who were not pregnant or trying to become pregnant. The primary outcome was lack of openness to pregnancy, indicating that participants did not currently want to become pregnant and would not find a pregnancy acceptable. Religion indicators included affiliation (including Christian, non-Christian, none/atheist/agnostic), personal importance of religion, frequency of religious service attendance, and prayer. Using adjusted logistic regression models, we examined the relationship between each religion indicator and openness to pregnancy. Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, indicators of weaker or no religiosity were positively associated with lack of pregnancy openness. For example, individuals reporting no religious affiliation had elevated odds of being not open to pregnancy compared to Christians. Individuals reporting religion to be unimportant were more likely to not be open to pregnancy compared to those for whom religion was very important. Those who never or seldom prayed were more likely to be closed to pregnancy compared to those praying daily. Findings suggest that lower religiosity is associated with lack of pregnancy openness among Latinos in the U.S. Future models will explore multidimensional measures of religiosity.
The Paradox of Mind Concept and the Concept of Ego from the Viewpoint of Islamic Philosophers and Western Philosophers
Virtual Poster Mahmoud Reza Qasemi, Seyed Mohammad Ali Dibaji
The purpose of the present article is to distinguish between Marc Johnson's and George Lakoff's views on the physical aspect of the mind with other philosophers of the mind. The applied methodology is a library field. George Lakoff and Marc Johnson stated that the mind is essentially physical, thought is largely unconscious, and abstract concepts are mostly in metaphorical state. George Lakoff and Mark Johnson stated that: "The serious perception of cognitive science requires us to rethink philosophies from the beginning, in a way that makes it more in touch with the reality of our thinking." The oldest intellectual evidence of Ancient Greece are sonnets of Homer, referred to as Iliad and Odyssey. in these verses, human being recognized as a combination of the soul and the body. Descartes believed that there exist two kinds of materials; one physical and the other is mental. The trait of the material body is the expansion of space and the trait of the mental object of thought. Other Western philosophers have come up with different opinions. Islamic philosophers, like some Western philosophers, do not accept the physicalization of the mind, especially Ebn-sina, which proved the subtlety of the soul and the body, and they are related only to the tendencies of them.
Speech Sounds as Symbols: The Explanatory Power of Phonological Universals and Phonological Patterns across Human Languages
Poster/Exhibit Session Raul Prezas, Paul R. Shockley
In this collaborative interdisciplinary approach we will explore phonological universals and phonological patterns that exist in human speech sound acquisition. If this inquiry can empirically demonstrate that cross-cultural phonological universals and patterns exist, then how can we best explain their existence? This inter-professional project will analyze empirical and statistical analysis in multiple areas to determine potential contribution to contemporary discussions for God's existence. If this investigation provides evidence for the existence of God, then this collaborative project will be the first of its kind that integrates speech and language development, philosophy of religion, and universal phonological speech sounds that point us to God.
Creating the Online Yantra: The Cycle of Enjoyment, Secrecy, and Power in Kumārī Pūjā
Virtual Poster Sundari Johansen Hurwitt
The kumārī pūjā is one of the most important rituals performed at the Kāmākhyā temple in Assam, one of the oldest and most important sites of Tantric goddess worship in the world. The three primary participants of the pūjā are the kumārī, who is also the goddess, the devotee, who directly offers worship to the goddess in the form of the kumārī, and the priest, who facilitates this worship with both overt and secret knowledge. Among these various participants is a cycle of ritual relationships that can be distilled into three primary points. Each point is a locus at and through which a different kind of transmission, convergence, and/or exchange happens, typically uniting two of the three participants at any given time. These interactions happen continuously and simultaneously, creating a constantly moving cycle of worship and transmission of power throughout the ritual. The three loci together create an energized triangle within the circle of ritual time and space. When the ritual is performed to the satisfaction of the priest and devotee, and the kumārī is calm and pleased with the ritual throughout, representing the approval of the goddess, each locus escalates in power throughout the course of worship, fueling each other in a continuous cycle until the end of the pūjā. When taken together, this invisible yantra of continuously moving and shifting energies is the framework through which power is summoned, circulated, transmitted, and directed. These primary interactions represent three loci of enjoyment, power, and secrecy.
Immigrant Religious Identity Development: Variation in Religious Identities Post-Migration in Filipino-Canadians
Poster/Exhibit Session Drexler Ortiz, Catherine Costigan
Religious identity development of immigrants is not well understood. According to identity formation theory, religious identity is formed through the exploration of and commitment to different religious beliefs and practices. A small body of literature on non-immigrants suggests that there are several types or variations of religious identities, such that people can be grouped into five clusters of religious identities that differ in the strength of exploration and commitment to different religious beliefs, practices, and ideologies. Identity formation in general is a normative part of adolescent development, but religious identity formation in particular may be more relevant later in development during emerging adulthood. Importantly, immigration may change how, when, and what types of religious identities develop because immigrants must renegotiate and reform their religious identity when societal norms for religiosity differ substantially between the sending and receiving cultures (e.g., Philippines to Canada). The current paper uses cluster analysis and prediction analysis to examine the types of religious identities that emerge from a sample of 210 Christian-affiliated Filipina/o/x immigrants to Canada, and observes the developmental trajectory of religious identity from age 14 to 25. The paper also takes into account whether religious identity types differ by acculturation level, gender, and other key demographic variables. The study provides insight to the different ways Filipino immigrant youth make meaning of religion post-migration. The findings also provide a basis for understanding differences in religious identities within immigrant families, particularly among parents and children.
