VTechWorks staff will be away for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29. We will resume normal operations on Monday, December 2. Thank you for your patience.

Browsing by Author "Hayes, Whitney Ann"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Enhancing Identity Theory Measurement:  A Case Study in Ways to Advance the Subfield
    Hayes, Whitney Ann (Virginia Tech, 2024-01-23)
    Identity theory (IT) is a sociological theory that helps to explain how societal patterns and norms shape the ways in which people behave and make decisions. The current project presents a comprehensive exploration of IT in the context of academic conferences, shedding light on the multifaceted identities of sociologists as scholars, educators, activists, and beyond. It examines how these diverse roles intersect and influence behaviors within professional settings. The first article critiques traditional IT research's limitations and adopts a qualitative approach to more accurately capture how participants describe themselves, moving beyond the constraints of previous methodologies. The second piece investigates homophily–the tendency to associate with similar others. Focusing on minority identities in higher education, this study explores homophily across various demographics, such as race, gender, and academic rank, thus providing insights into the nuances of inequality within academic circles. The final article examines the impact of technology in academic conferences, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. It analyzes how oppressed identities leverage a conference mobile app for networking, highlighting technology's role in creating inclusive environments and enhancing connections among marginalized groups. Collectively, this dissertation offers a nuanced view of identity within the academic sphere. By challenging existing IT research paradigms, introducing innovative survey techniques, linking IT with homophily, and assessing technology's influence on conference dynamics, this work enriches our understanding of sociologists' identities and interactions. It holds significant implications for future research and the development of more equitable and inclusive sociological communities, emphasizing the complex interplay of personal and professional identities in academic settings.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Identity Theory and College Hookup Culture
    Hayes, Whitney Ann (Virginia Tech, 2019-07-09)
    Hooking up can carry a vast array of definitions, embody a multitude of implications, and is still somehow an almost unavoidable part of college life. The present study applies identity theory to the relatively new culture of sex and dating at college, more predominantly known as hookup culture, in order to examine the types of identities that might affect hookup behaviors. Identity theory is a particularly useful framework to understanding hookup culture because of its ability to examine how the individual (college student) situates oneself in the larger social environment (college). This study also incorporates commitment to identity as well as how certain meanings reflect that identity. Utilizing two waves of data from the "College Identity Study"—collected between 2015-2016 and surveying college students at a large, southeastern public university, aged 18-24 (n=187). Regression analyses were run in order to predict hookup behaviors using the partier identity, commitment to partier identity, and partier identity meanings. Ultimately, the model supports the hypothesis that college students who claim the partier identity are more likely to hook up, though commitment to this identity is low overall.