Contrary to misconceptions that communication scholarship is solely relevant within the “ivory tower” of academia, research in communication is in fact pertinent and important to almost all facets of human life and society, from health campaigns and the recent COVID-19 pandemic to interpersonal interactions, environmentalism, social justice advocacy, and political structures and power dynamics. In this new series, MastersinCommunications.com speaks with numerous communication scholars regarding how their research engages pressing contemporary and historical issues, and provides detailed articles on the purpose and impact of these scholars’ research at the individual and broader societal and environmental levels.
Through this series, we hope to provide insight into the crucial work that communication scholars do to investigate media, interpersonal communication, health communication, political argumentation, and other ways in which humans exchange information and meaning. Many contemporary communication and media scholars are highly invested in how their work radiates outwards into the larger world, and this series is also an opportunity for us to celebrate their efforts. Read and gain inspiration from these fascinating accounts of communication scholarship in action!
Aiding Communities in Times of Crisis: Organizational Pivoting and the Fight for Food Justice During COVID-19
This article discusses the research of Drs. Rebekah Fox and Joshua Frye, who investigated the role of organizational communication in the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s innovative efforts to address food insecurity and social inequality during COVID-19.
Memories of Protest: Black Lives Matter, Collective Memory, and Social Movements
Dr. Sarah J. Jackson is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, learn more about her recent research on collective memory and media representations of Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement.
Redefining Human Identity: The Human Animal Earthling and Contemporary Rights Movements
Dr. Carrie P. Freeman is a Professor of Communication at Georgia State University, where she studies animal rights, environmental movements, veganism and vegan advocacy, and complex interplay of “human animal earthlings” with their environment and beyond human animal peers.
