Katie Hayes, MA Professional Communication specializing in Intercultural and International Communication

Katie examined how cultural dynamics impacts the Chinese government’s framing of environmentalism and environmental sustainability to Chinese citizens. Through conducting interviews with Chinese citizens and analysis of government documents and media coverage on the subject, she found that public awareness about environmental sustainability is affected by a social hierarchy of needs, philosophical legacies, allegiance to authority, and China’s global position.

This research acknowledged the cultural dynamics that provide the contextual background for how the Chinese government facilitates communication on the topic of environmentalism and suggested that the public demonstrates fragmented knowledge on the subject.

Graduate Study Research Awards