James C. Rhoads

Jim Rhoads is Professor of Political Science and the current Department Chair.  He has been with Westminster College since 1992.  His primary teaching responsibilities are in the areas of American Politics and Political Psychology.  He also teaches courses that examine the relationship between popular culture and the political realm.  Rhoads serves as faculty advisor to Westminster's Mock Convention (the 2nd oldest in the nation), a two-day campus-wide event that simulates a presidential nominating convention.  Rhoads's research interest is in subjectivity.  He is the past and current president of the International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity and serves on the Editorial Board of Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology.  Rhoads has published numerous articles and has made roughly 60 presentations at national or international conferences.

Courses Taught:

PS 101: Introduction to Political Science

PS 102: Introduction to American Politics

PS 212: The Congress

PS 213: The Presidency

PS 215: The Politics of Rock & Roll

PS 252A: Political Films

PS 252B: Trials of the Century

PS 301: Junior Seminar

PS 311: Campaigns & Elections

PS 411: Political Psychology

PS 601: Senior Capstone

INQ 111: Introduction to Liberal Arts

SSC 252: Data Analysis

Recent Publications

Rhoads, J.C. & Aleprete, M.E.  (2019). Q Methodology and the Study of Political Opinion: The Case of President Trump’s Foreign Policy Toward North Korea.  In press.

Rhoads, J.C., Thomas, D.B. & McKeown, B.F.  (2018).  Rationality v. Rationale Among Trump Voters in 2016: What Were They Thinking?  In press.

Rhoads, J.C. & Robison, K.M.  (2018).  Q Methodology and Exploring Popular Culture in a Sociology Classroom.  Sage Research Methods Cases -- Sociology.  (online)

Rhoads, J.C. (2017). Investigating Political Types, Part I: A Study of "Phil", the Political Agitator. Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology, 39, 1/2, 58-69.

Rhoads, J.C. (2017). Investigating Political Types, Part II: A Study of "Cole", the Political Administrator.  Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology, 39, 1/2, 70-81.

Thomas, D.B., McKeown, B.F. & Rhoads, J.C. (2016).  Social Media in a Subjective-Science Mode: The "Facebook Likes" Study    Reconfigured with Self-Reference.  The Journal of Social Media in Society, 5, 1:111-136.

Baas, L., Rhoads, J.C. & Thomas, D.B.  (2016).  Are Quests for a "Culture of Assessment" Mired in a "Culture War Over Assessment: A Q-Methodological Inquiry.  Sage Open.  DOI: 10.1177/2158244015623591

McKeown, B.F., Thomas, D.B., Rhoads, J.C. & Sundblad, D.  (2015).  Falling Hard for "Breaking Bad": An Investigation of the Subjectivity of Audience Response to a Popular Television Series.  Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies.  12, 2: 147-167.

Rhoads, J.C. (2014).  Studying Audience Subjectivity: Reactions to "Death of a President" in Jason Zenor, Ed., Parasocial Politics: Audience, Pop Culture and Politics.  Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

Rhoads, J.C. (2014).  Q Methodology.  Sage Cases in Methodology [online].  London: Sage Publications.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978144627305014534166

Robinson, K.M. & Rhoads, J.C.  (2014).  Using Popular Culture in the Classroom: Views of the Film, "Manic" Among Students of Juvenile Delinquency.  Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology, 37, 1/2: 31-40.  [online] DOI: 10.15133/j.os.2014.005

Rhoads, J.C. & Kinsey, D.F. (2013).  "The King of Pop": Attitudes Toward Michael Jackson in the Aftermath of His Untimely Death.  Journal of Human Subjectivity,11, 111-133.

Thomas, D.B. & Rhoads, J.C.  (2012).  Exploring the "Inner Game" of Video Game Enthusiasts.  Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology, 35, (3): 129-159.

Aleprete, M.E. & Rhoads, J.C.  (2011).  U.S. Foreign Policy: Structure of Elite Opinion.  Operant Subjectivity: The International Journal of Q Methodology, 34, (4): 247-270.