Flag Symbolism in Communities — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Flag Symbolism in Communities

Name: Devon McGrath
Major: Communication & History
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
Faculty Sponsor: Lynn Brownson
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Senior thesis
Funding: n/a

Abstract

This study, Flag Symbolism in Communities, examines the importance of flags as symbols to express the identity of a member of a community, and the community as a whole. The objective is to determine how flags are able to communicate both a group’s identity and the identity of an individual. The success of communication through the use of flags is explored thorough adherence to the guidelines of flag design, the messages conveyed through the use of semiotics, and the influence of symbols as a group unifier. This study evaluates the use of flags in communities around the world, with emphasis on the divided nation of Northern Ireland (NI) and the successes and failures of the flags used in the various communities across NI to express the identities of both individuals and the community. This thesis found that by displaying flags in various environments, a message is conveyed that expresses nationalism, political affiliation, heritage, and unity with others who display the same, or similar, symbols.

Poster file