The Joys of Teaching & Research

Slow posting this week. I've been at a conference with six of my students who were presenting some of their research.

Katie, Micheal, and Megan presented their emoticon research. Specifically, they examined the perceived professionalism of emoticon usage in workplace (email) correspondence. Their main finding was that emoticon usage (the :-) smiley face) is perceived as less professional when used by subordinates in their communication with superiors. By contrast, superiors were given a pass with the :-) when communicating with subordinates. Hierarchy affected how emoticons were perceived. The :-) is the privilege of the powerful.

Holly, Kenyon, and Shannon presented their tattoo research. Their focus was on perceptions of professionalism related to clergy with tattoos. They manipulated two variables, the location of the tattoo (visible versus non-visible) and the content (a Christian cross versus a star). They found that while there is a growing acceptance of tattoos among Christian groups (what I called "existential tattoos" in my prior post), their Christian participants preferred the non-visible cross among all the combinations. That is, it seems that they wanted the tattoos on clergy to be spiritual and private rather than non-spiritual and public.

Both groups did a great job presenting, and got lots of positive feedback. As a teacher I get no greater thrill than watching my students present with joy and confidence at professional conferences. Tonight on the walk to dinner Shannon said to me, "I think I really like research."

That really warms my heart.

I've also had a blast with my colleagues David, John and Cherisse who brought their own students to the conference. All of us, along with two of our graduate students, Andrea and Belinda, presented papers in a symposium on Christian aesthetics and reactions to transgressive art. Tonight poor John and Cherisse had to listen to me go on and on about Girardian scapegoating theory during the walk back to the hotel after dinner. They are patient and long-suffering souls...