Superman’s Message of Moral Reciprocity
The resonance of the Golden Rule across time and societies is one way that the reciprocity norm, and its signifier, Superman, combine the secular with the sacred.
Justin F. Martin
Justin Martin, Ph.D., is a professor of Psychology at Whitworth University where he teach courses in Developmental Psychology, Moral Development, Psychological Statistics, Research Methods, and Senior Thesis. His research interests are in social and moral development, specifically with regards to the ways we attempt to understand the socio-moral decisions of both other people and superheroes.
The Thunderbolts Put Up a Fight for Teamwork
What Thunderbolts communicates about teamwork taps into one of the greatest social science mysteries of contemporary history: the nature of individual-group relation.
‘Rotten Legacy’ and Morality in Child-Rearing
Netflix drama Rotten Legacy explores the often contradictory and haunting lessons in morality our children inherit.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and the Antagonistic Vigilante
Vigilantism is central to Daredevil: Born Again, but what does our fascination with the antagonistic vigilante reveal about us?
The Penguin’s Means, Ends, and Morality
‘The Penguin’ compels us to interrogate our morality: do we treat others in our lives only as means to an end?
Taking Superheroes Seriously: Three Implications for Society Based on Travis Smith’s ‘Superhero Ethics’
How do we move from the tribal shouting to a more humane discourse with one another? Travis Smith's Superhero Ethics finds surprising solutions in the world of conflicting superheroes.
Of Principles and Policies: How Superheroes Can Inform Our Thinking About Social Life
The complexities of social life depicted in superhero narratives are similar to those of our own. In 2018, we need to consider taking superhero narratives a little more seriously.