Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of The Effect Of Organizational Communication Cultures On Interorganizational Collaboration Of Crisis Response, Laura Pechta

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recent history has indicated that crises are becoming more frequent rather than exceptional events. Dozens of organizations, often with very different missions, methods, technologies and cultures, are called upon to coordinate activities in order to mitigate the crisis and assist in recovery efforts. Although several interorganizational coordination perspectives and strategies have been proposed, they have neglected to examine how different organizational communication cultures of crisis response organizations involved in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) may affect crisis collaboration efforts. Previous studies have also disregarded the important distinction between crisis coordination and crisis collaboration and the challenges and benefits of each …

What Is This Music? Auteur Music In The Films Of Wes Anderson, Lara Rose Hrycaj

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the different types of music featured in the films of contemporary American film director Wes Anderson utilizing Claudia Gorbman's concepts of auteur music and auteur melomane. This analysis establishes the music in Anderson's films as auteur music and Anderson himself as an auteur melomane - a director with a passion for music. To establish Anderson as a melomane, it is important to look not only at the different types of music found in his films but also the different ways that the music is used within the films and his collaboration with …

Toward An Applied Communication Relational Inqueery: Autoethnography, Co-Constructed Narrative, And Relational Futures, Derek M. Bolen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Born out of my personal relationships with others and the field of communication, particularly as it overlaps and intersects with the field of personal relationship research, this project begins with an exploration of research practices personal relationship inquiry, offers a queer critique on research and relating, and forwards a queer applied communication approach--relational inqueery. This dissertation was directed by three goals: (a) creating a space and terrain for queer relationships in the study of personal relationships and relational communication, (b) founding and beginning to further a field of relational inqueery, and (c) offering an applied communication approach within queer relational …

Reading Between The Numbers: The Colonial Rhetorics Of Fantasy Football And The Illusion Of Control, Robert Kyle Kellam

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this project, I build on existing research in the critical intersection of media, sport, gaming and race to explore how fantasy football, an entertainment byproduct of the National Football League (NFL), rearticulates and recontexualizes the colonial ideology already prolific in the NFL and other products of American media culture. I investigate how fantasy football may represent an innocuous, yet exigent place to study the commodification and consumption of bodies in our contemporary media landscape because of the way that the increasingly popular game operates in a capitalistic logic, where NFL players are almost exclusively valued for their statistical production …

Becoming A Functioning Member Of The Collegiate Culture: How Cellphone Communication Affects First-Year College Students' Self And Identity In College Transition., Arata Miyazaki

Wayne State University Dissertations

This longitudinal ethnographically-oriented study explores the meanings of cellphones and cellphone communication of first-year college students during their college transition and how such newly populated human communicative conducts affect their sense of self and identity during this life period. The findings from this study suggest that participants' perceptions about appropriate cellphone communication are closely tied with a growing sense of emerging adulthood that college students develop in conjunction with their college transition. Cellphone communication creates social situations where participants engage in identity exploration and strategic impression management by switching their social roles in order to properly present their self as …

An Ethnographic Analysis Of Adolescent Sexual Minority Website Usage: Exploring Notions Of Information Seeking And Sexual Identity Development, Rocky M. Sulfridge

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation explores the website usage of adolescent sexual minorities, examining notions of information seeking and sexual identity development. Sexual information seeking is an important element within human information behavior and is uniquely problematic for young sexual minorities. Utilizing a contemporary gay teen website, this five-year virtual ethnography of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) youth demonstrates an understanding of the function of the Internet as an invaluable tool for exploring social and psychological needs while providing anonymity and keeping information-seeking behavior relatively unknown. The use of Chatman's (1996) Information Impoverished Theory and Cass's (1979) Model of Gay and Lesbian Identity …

Talking Circles For Adolescent Girls In An Urban High School: A Restorative Practices Program For Building Friendships And Developing Emotional Literacy Skills, Martha Ann Schumacher

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TALKING CIRCLES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS

IN AN URBAN HIGH SCHOOL: A RESTORATIVE PRACTCES' PROGRAM FOR BUILDING FRIENDHIPS AND DEVELOPING

EMOTIONAL LITERACY SKILLS

by

MARTHA ANN SCHUMACHER

DECEMBER 2012

ADVISOR: Dr. Loraleigh Keashly

MAJOR: Communication

DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy

Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice programs in schools are a new and emerging field. Meeting in Circles to build community, resolve conflict, and learn interactively are core components of these programs. This ethnographic study, which took place February 2010 to December 2011, evaluates 12 small, out-of-classroom Talking Circles for 60 adolescent girls as part of a Restorative Practices program in an …

A Higher Education Case: Millennial Experience Toward Learning Through A Virtual World Designed As An Authentic Learning Environment, Marija Franetovic

Wayne State University Dissertations

Current educational initiatives encourage the use of authentic learning environments to realistically prepare students for jobs in a constantly changing world. Many students of the Millennial generation may be social media savvy. However, what can be said about learning conditions and student readiness for active, reflective and collaborative learning and media literacy within their discipline? Virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) represent future hybridized work environments which can support authentic learning. With their immersive and interaction affordances, virtual worlds may be designed to incorporate real-world team projects for both online and blended courses.

This qualitative single embedded case study …

The Creative Content Programme And Audiovisual E-Platform: An Institutional Analysis Of Unesco's Influence On The Development Of Independent Documentary Content And Production Practice, Deborah Joanne James

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation is an institutional analysis of two interrelated UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization) activities. These include the Creative Content Programme, and the Audiovisual E-Platform, an online catalogue and social networking hub for independent filmmakers/media producers from the global South. Contained by these activities, the author focuses the multi-method approach on gender and access by (A) conducting an analysis of the composition of programs and practices of the Creative Content Programme and the E-Platform; (B) conducting textual analysis of documentary media and interviews with Diaspora women producers; and (C) participating in and observing community-based multimedia production …

Mine? Yours? Ours? Reconceptualizing And Contextualizing The Leader-Member Relationship, Leah Marie Omilion-Hodges

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examines resource distribution within the intact workgroup, investigating the processes which prompt distribution from leader to member as well as the lateral lending of resources among coworkers. Espousing leader-member (LMX) and coworker relationships (CWX) within the larger organizational social structure, this research extends the field by embedding the work within the intact workgroup making specific predictions regarding coworker exchange relationships as a byproduct of perceptions of justice and individual standing (high or low status) with the leader. Propositions are forwarded which argue for the need to view LMX and CWX in terms of communal and exchange relationship types, …

Riot Or Rebellion: Media Framing And The 1967 Detroit Uprising, Casandra E. Ulbrich

Wayne State University Dissertations

Frames make sense of complex issues and events, including identifying who is to blame and who or what is responsible for overcoming the problem. This research builds on the growing list of framing research, but takes the focus in a new direction, focusing on the longevity of frames and how they may transition over time. This dissertation offers an in-depth case study of framing effects by analyzing media coverage from the 30 days following the 1967 Detroit uprising and comparing that coverage with the 40th anniversary coverage of the same event. By analyzing the uprising through a 40-year lens, this …

Examining The Relationship Among Physical And Psychological Health, Parent And Peer Attachment, And Cyberbullying In Adolescents In Urban And Suburban Environments, Jemica Monique Carter

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon that has received substantial attention via media. An extensive review of the literature revealed limited nursing research on this topic. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of cyberbullying on adolescents' physical (e.g., headache, stomachache, etc.) and psychosocial (e.g., self-esteem, depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, etc.) outcomes. Individuals who experience repeated traditional bullying are at increased risk for experiencing repeated incidents of cyberbullying. Research has shown that effects of cyberbullying may be more traumatic than traditional bullying because victims can be bullied 24 hours and 7 days a week, on and off …

The Role Of Organizational Climate And Culture In Service Encounters, Beth Ann Heyart

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study explored the link between culture and climate with respect to customer service ratings. Two hospital units, one with high customer service ratings and one with low customer service ratings, were identified for analysis. A mixed-method design was implemented to assess climate and culture on each unit. Climate was assessed with a survey that combined elements of Schneider, White, and Paul's (1998) Assessment of Service Climate Instrument and Litwin and Stringer's (1968) Organizational Climate Questionnaire. An ethnographic approach using observation, interviews and archival data analysis was completed to understand each unit's culture. Findings indicate high customer service environments rated …

Saving The Home Of The Tadpoles One Tree At A Time: A Framing And Pedagogical Analysis Of Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement, Anke Thorey Wolbert

Wayne State University Dissertations

While often mistaken for `just' an environmental organization, Kenya's Green Belt Movement (GBM) is engaged in environmental protection, feminism, human rights, education, sustainable development, democratic participation, and peace issues, amongst others. This diverse approach to social change makes it sometimes difficult to place the GBM within current social movement theory. To further our understanding of the GBM's unusual approach, this dissertation examines the framing efforts of the GBM's leader, Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai, as well as the organization's educational practices. Leaning on Entman's (1993) and Kuyper's (2006) definitions of framing, this project analyzes the development of the GBM's frame(s) …

The Implementation Of Restorative Practices In An Urban Middle School, Katie Rasmussen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Traditionally, schools have turned to zero tolerance policies when dealing with student discipline and punishment. However, it is argued that zero tolerance policies are not only ineffective, but also harmful to students because the policies hinder schools' ability to be democratic spaces. Nonetheless, schools are turning to alternatives to these policies, such as restorative practices, which are thought to resolve conflicts in schools and teach students how to be responsible, democratic citizens. Although advocates of restorative practices claim they teach students democratic values by encouraging student voice and empowerment in schools, it is unclear whether schools implementing the practices consider …

Making Memory: Techne, Technology, And The Refashioning Of Contemporary Memory, Kimberly Lacey

Wayne State University Dissertations

My dissertation answers two questions: Does the tension between interactive technologies and rhetoric re-shape the nature and relevance of the canon of memory? Do interactive technologies affect the ways we remember and persuade? I argue that my interpretation of techne suggests possibilities for the creation and production of new types of memory in combination with digital media. To interrogate this connection, I suggest three interpretations of the Greek concept, techne: as a process that is inherently productive; as a force that renegotiates contemporary sources of social power; and as a skill that balances expert knowledge with instrumentality. I explore …

An Examination Of The Primary And Secondary Effects Of Cyber-Bullying: Development And Testing Of A Cyber-Bullying Moderator/Mediator Model, Crystal Lin Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined cyber-bullying as a social transgression and the potentially negative effects it has on individuals, specifically adolescents and young adults from experiences recalled by college students. Findings established support for a moderator/mediator model, designed and tested for this study, that describes the psychological process prompted by a cyber-bullying message, which is moderated as well as mediated by several factors. This study examined the theoretical and practical value of the model in terms of being able to reflect the psychological process that individuals move through when exposed to a cyber-bullying message, and its ability to account for both primary …

Recognition Of The Transgender Self: An Examination Of The Apologia Of The 'Pregnant Man', Erika Marie Thomas

Wayne State University Dissertations

In 2008, Thomas Beatie, a legally recognized male, transgender man, became pregnant with his first child and approached the American mass media to tell his story and defend his decisions. Shortly thereafter, the public fought against his image, attempting to normalize his body and gender. Beatie's unique gender blurring, his choice for exposure and social recognition, and the resulting public controversy surrounding the incident makes for an important test case to understand Beatie's discursive and visual strategies directed toward the American public.

This study, a rhetorical examination of the discourse and iconic visual image used by Beatie while his pregnant …

International Student Navigation Through U.S.-American Colleges And Universities: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Discourse, Nick James Romerhausen

Wayne State University Dissertations

As the population of international students continues to rise at U.S. colleges and universities, the difficulties that international students may face becomes more present and apparent. Intervention strategies used to assist international students in the past have shown remarkable success; however, these strategies have primarily included face-to-face interactions. I explore the role that mediated discourse plays in supporting international students with navigating paths through U.S. colleges and universities by examining ten institutions' assistance handbooks. From inspiration from autoethnography, discourse analysis, and critical education perspectives, I also use an autoethnographic analysis of discourse to understand the types of experiences colleges and …

Approval Of George W. Bush: Economic And Media Impacts, Gino Tozzi Jr.

Wayne State University Dissertations

George W. Bush's approval rate had its shares of ups and downs. In this time series study I analyze the empirical evidence of the media's and economy's impact on his approval rate from 2001-2009. People tend to hold the president responsible for the country's economic performance and the media influences people's opinions of the president through agenda setting and priming. I operationalize the media influence on people into an independent variable. My economic independent variables are the monthly percent change in inflation rate, unemployment rate, and personal income. The dependent variable is the president's approval rate. This study seeks to …

An Africentric Reading Protocol: The Speculative Fiction Of Octavia Butler And Tananarive Due, Tonja Lawrence

Wayne State University Dissertations

This examination of Africentric speculative fiction (ASF) applies an Africentric reading protocol to selected works of Octavia E. Butler and Tananarive Due. Butler's Parable Series and Due's African Immortals Series are examined using seven elements of Africentric narrative specific to cultural speculative fiction. Finally, I discuss the implications of using an Africentric reading protocol as an example of cultural analysis that can be adapted to the textual analysis of culturally specific works of fiction.

Effect Of Goal-Setting And Self-Generated Feedback On Student Speechmaking, Luke Lefebvre

Wayne State University Dissertations

This investigation examined how goal setting strategies and self-generated feedback from video affects student grade improvement on subsequent speaking occasions. Students (N =140) across ten course sections were conveniently assigned to experimental conditions manipulating video use and goal setting strategies. Significant and meaningful main effects of anticipatory goal setting combined with self-generated feedback from video were obtained when compared to unstructured video replay, only goal setting, and self-reactive goal setting with self-generated feedback from video. Implications for these findings are examined along with the potential of video as an instructional technological tool for student learning in the introductory course.

Distributed Cinema: Interactive, Networked Spectatorship In The Age Of Digital Media, Erik Wayne Marshall

Wayne State University Dissertations

Digital media has changed much of how people watch, consume and interact with digital media. The loss of indexicality, or the potential infidelity between an image and its source, contributes to a distrust of images. The ubiquity of interactive media changes aesthetics of images, as viewers begin to expect interactivity. Networked media changes not only the ways in which viewers access media, but also how they communicate with each other about this media. The Tulse Luper Suitcases encapsulates all of these phenomena.

Online News Media Use And Political Tolerance, Jessi Mccabe

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between online news media use, selectivity in media content, and political tolerance. Tolerance develops as result of exposure to a diversity of ideas and perspectives, which the media provide. Online news use encourages and requires users to selectively expose and navigate through information based on personal choice. Online news permits individuals to choose information based on personal opinion and preference in ways traditional forms of mainstream media do not allow. Therefore, it was expected that online news use and selectivity in media content would negatively relate to tolerance.

A total of 305 participants were surveyed …

Argument Construction, Argument Evaluation, And Decision-Making: A Content Analysis Of Argumentation And Debate Textbooks, Neil Stuart Butt

Wayne State University Dissertations

Critical thinking abilities, especially the advanced critical thinking abilities required for decision-making, are important to both individuals and democratic policy making processes. Previous studies have indicated that argumentation and debate instruction can improve critical thinking abilities, but there are reasons to believe that current approaches are not as effective at developing decision-making ability as they could be, in part because they focus too heavily on argument construction, rather than argument evaluation and decision-making. In order to test which approaches to teaching argumentation and debate best encourage decision-making abilities, researchers need to know which elements are included in current argumentation and …

Media Effects: Cultural Appropriation And Attitudes Towards Cosmetic Surgery, Darlene Shauntanese Lee

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study investigates media's influence on Caucasian women to culturally appropriate the physical features generally ascribed to African American women through non-surgical and or surgical cosmetic procedures and vice versa. Participants were 26 African American women and 54 Caucasian women who had previously undergone either non-surgical or surgical cosmetic procedures. Results indicate that African American women were more likely to culturally appropriate than Caucasian women. For African American women high media exposure to cosmetic surgery media messages played a significant role in the cultural appropriation process. Results also indicated that Caucasian women culturally appropriate at the same level, whether …

The Intersection Of Image, Rhetoric, And Witnessing: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse Scandal, Elizabeth Jane Durham Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

This project looks at the Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse Scandal and the ways those figured in the notorious images were named as "bad apples" to explain the shocking scenes to a mainstream American collective as well as expands more traditional understandings of witnessing through the examination of this complex moment. Beyond the narrowly legal and political issues, the photographs from Abu Ghraib also raise questions about how images of atrocities are received, interpreted, and contested with this project rephrasing the question "what do we see when we look at the images from Abu Ghraib?" to that of "what did we …

Computer-Mediated Communication In Graduate Engineering Classroom: A Study Of The Relationship Of Online Discourse And Classroom Discourses In Two Engineering Classes, Theresa Ceccarelli

Wayne State University Dissertations

This exploratory. qualitative and quantitative study exammes m-class discourse to assess the1r relationship to computer mediated communication (CMC). Two 16-week graduate-er.gineenng courses were observed usmg a codmg scheme to understand the rate and nature of 1n-class discourse. Student messages and quest1ons were posted to the class· online quest1on boards and analyzed for rate and content of online messages using a coding scheme. In addition to these quantitative measures. field notes and interview data was analyzed to identify key factors influencing the quantitative results and to examine potential factors within the classroom that might of influenced the online discourse. A survey …

Implications Of A Feminist Narratology: Temporality, Focalization And Voice In The Films Of Julie Dash, Mona Smith And Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Jennifer Alyce Machiorlatti

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation conducts feminist narrative textual analysis of films by three independent women film-makers-of- color: Julie Dash, Mona Smith and Trinh T. Minh-ha. The research utilizes traditional cinematic narratological methods combined with a feminist perspective. Narratology is the structural/textual study of narrative organization, style and content. Feminism is a theoretical body of inquiry which lends implications of gender difference, power relationships, cinematic stereotypes, and cultural significance to textual analysis. Feminist inquiry contributes a social, cultural, ideological and historical perspective to the taxomony of a structuralist narrative methodology. By combining this contextual perspective with a topological textual method, I propose consideration …