HANNAH

PRINGLE

Welcome! My name is Hannah Pringle and I am pursuing a degree in Public Relations and Communications at Arcadia. I have always been a people person. Interested in what people have to say, what they do and why they do it. Especially when it comes to political beliefs and voting. I decided to take it upon myself to round up a few of my most outspoken family members and interview them. Specifically, on what makes them think their opinions are the best. I learned nothing more about politics through this project, except that I do not want to identify myself with any party. Often my interviews left me shaken up and questioning my own views. In the beginning of this project I thought maybe there would be some grand discovery of what the correct answer in politics is, but I can tell you from my experience there surely is not. People vote for what they believe will help them and their families. Maybe they vote out of love, malice, fear, misunderstanding, empathy or tradition. I grew up in a home where politics were a daily discussion and something I could not get away from. It was only natural that I continue my studies somewhat in that realm after undergrad. I am happy and grateful to say that in the Fall of 2020 I will be returning to Arcadia University to pursue a Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

WRITTEN

THESIS

Stanley Cohen is the key moral panic theorist who studied media sources over sensationalizing stories and causing a mass societal alarm. His theory compliments anti-vaxx media culture. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Reddit have become a breeding ground for memes to be shared depicting the horrors of supposed vaccine injury. They have also been a place where parents can reject the folk devil of modern medicine and discuss the ways to keep their children from getting routine vaccinations, or from having to visit ordinary doctors and hospitals. While celebrities like Jenny McCarthy are given television platforms to speak on curing autism and wanting to limit or find a way to make a vaccine more green or natural.