Digital Commons Network^™

Sexting Unleashed: The Social Phenomenon According To Youth Sexters, Jessica Marie Mcgraw

Dissertations and Theses

What is missing from academia and society at large is a more holistic picture of youth sexting. Not adequately understanding youth sexting has stunted previous attempts to effectively educate young people on its potential consequences. As such, the social and legal consequences of sexting gone viral have negatively impacted countless individuals. This study offers a preliminary glimpse of the sexting phenomenon by highlighting the experiences of 20 young people. I explore emergent themes regarding the nature of youth sexting as well as the interrelations amongst privacy, relationships, and sexting. Two distinct forms of sexting emerged from participant narratives, opening the …

Queen B: A Modern Feminist Critique Of Beyoncé, Catherine Demi Ray

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Trayvon Martin And Election 2012 Social Media Messaging: An Analysis Of Framing, Rhetoric, And Media Types In Online Messages By Civil Rights Organizations, Riva Renee Brown

Dissertations

This content analysis study explored framing, rhetoric, and media types used by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Urban League, National Action Network, and ColorOfChange.org in website and social media messages posted during the Trayvon Martin case and Election 2012. It also examined the mainstream print news media coverage these civil rights organizations generated.

On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman, a 28 year old White and Hispanic male, fatally shot Martin, a 17 year old Black male, in Florida. After authorities did not charge Zimmerman with the teenager’s murder, these organizations drafted petitions and staged rallies …

Sustainability In Zambia, Africa: Examining Partnership Of An Agricultural Business And A Non-Profit Organization, Kaitlin Grace O'Leary

Ethnic Studies

The purpose of my study is examining the ways in which agricultural

business is currently supporting and benefitting a non-profit organization.

Through participation of an international agricultural business, Plant Sciences Inc.

(PSI) and a Christian non-profit organization, Lifesong for Orphans, this study

has been a collaborative effort and process, observing agriculture as a means of

sustainability for a non-profit organization. This study has revealed the necessity

of not only updated technology and resources, but has also discovered a continued

necessity of dedicated personnel to the field. A major theme from my

observations was cross-cultural relations, and the ways in which …

"Bridesmaids": A Modern Response To Patriarchy, Blair Buckley

Communication Studies

This senior project analyzes the rhetorical means by which the movie "Bridesmaids" rejects yet also heeds to patriarchal standards. In this paper I examine the film by performing a feminist critique, also employing elements of ideological criticism.

The Virtual Bulletin Board: A Feminist Critique Of Pinterest, Alexandra B. Davila

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Framing The 2012 Olympics: A Content Analysis Of International Newspaper Coverage Of Female Athletes, Jessica Giuggioli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present content analysis was designed to identify the representation of female athletes in the media during the 2012 London Olympics. Coders analyzed 617 mentions of male and female athletes in order to determine the quantity and quality of coverage during the 2012 Olympics. The research mostly supported previous literature concerning the depiction of female athletes in the media, as the study revealed an imbalance in the quantity and quality of coverage of male and female athletes in newspapers. The frequency of mentions of female athletes was lower than the frequency of mentions of male athletes. Furthermore, female athletes were …

Representations Of The African Diaspora In Three Films, Monica C. Melton

Global Honors Theses

This thesis will examine how the African diaspora has been depicted in filmic text, from directors representing distinctly different loci of the diaspora, in Brazil, Nigeria and the United States. Film is one of many modes of expression for a culture that is based on representations. “For many people, media representations maybe their first and often only source of information about, or reference for people outside of their social and cultural circles, “(James, etc., 354) The scope of this thesis will specifically examine diasporic representation in The Journey by Chineze Anyaene, a Nigerian director of ‘Nollywood’, Walter Salles’ “City of …

A Twist In Hip Hop Culture--A Feminist Perspective, Brandon Edward Michalkiewicz

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Self-Disclosure And Self-Efficacy In Online Dating, Andrew Christopher España

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores online dating by studying the relationship between self-disclosure and self-efficacy in an online dating environment. This research study examines the way self-disclosure, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and gender interrelate in an online dating environment. This study includes, but is not limited to, discussion of the type of correlation between self-efficacy and self-esteem, the relationship between self-disclosure and self-efficacy, and the differences between men's and women's self-disclosure in an online dating environment. From conducting this study, the researcher was able to determine that there is a statistically significant relationship between gender and how it relates to self-disclosure and self-efficacy. With …

Untangling Neoliberalism’S Gordian Knot: Cancer Prevention And Control Services For Rural Appalachian Populations, George F. Bills

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

In eastern Kentucky, as in much of central Appalachia, current local storylines narrate the frictions and contradictions involved in the structural transition from a post-WWII Fordist industrial economy and a Keynesian welfare state to a Post-Fordist service economy and Neoliberal hollow state, starving for energy to sustain consumer indulgence (Jessop, 1993; Harvey, 2003; 2005). Neoliberalism is the ideological force redefining the “societal infrastructure of language” that legitimates this transition, in part by redefining the key terms of democracy and citizenship, as well as valorizing the market, the individual, and technocratic innovation (Chouliaraki & Fairclough, 1999; Harvey, 2005). This project develops …

Why Don't I Look Like Her? The Impact Of Social Media On Female Body Image, Kendyl M. Klein

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this paper is to understand and criticize the role of social media in the development and/or encouragement of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction in college-aged women. College women are exceptionally vulnerable to the impact that social media can have on their body image as they develop an outlook on their bodies and accept the developmental changes that occurred during puberty. This paper provides evidence that there is a relationship between the recent surge in disordered eating and high consumption of social media. I examine the ways in which traditional advertising has portrayed women throughout history, …

The Personal, Political, And The Virtual? Redefining Female Success And Empowerment In A Post-Feminist Landscape, Linda Elizabeth Chardon

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Recalcitrant Arguments, Kiranjeet Kaur Dhillon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

On January 26, 2011, Reuters photojournalist Amr Abdallah Dalsh took an image of a unknown veiled woman gesturing at Dalsh and his camera. Using TinEye, a reverse image search engine, I found that 86 circulations and 22 recirculations of the photo were primarily in the United States. US graphic artist Nick Bygon created one of the recirculations, which primarily appeared on US blogs. The photo achieved this level of circulation in the US because it is consistent with, and therefore legible within the symbolic language, of the liberal democratic order. Similar to “Migrant Mother” and “Tank Man”, the photo is …

Christians, Lesbians, Gays, And Bisexuals: Examining The Roles Of Uncertainty And Religiosity In Christian Attitudes Toward Lgb Individuals, Megan Deanne Wharff Kavanaugh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines heterosexual Christian attitudes toward LGB individuals, specifically to determine if there is a relationship between intergroup contact, uncertainty reduction, and supportive attitudes toward LGB individuals among Christian individuals. Participants completed an online survey, which assessed religious beliefs, levels of uncertainty about interactions with LGB individuals, levels of contact with LGB individuals, and attitudes toward LGB individuals. The goal of the research was to identify the current attitudes of heterosexual Christians and the factors that may influence those attitudes. Findings indicate that participants were unsure, but leaned toward valuing the contributions of LGB individuals in society and believing …

Behind The Mask: An Analysis Of Women's Perceptions And Rationale Toward The Purchase And Use Of Anti-Aging Products, Clair Maureen Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An exploratory study was done to unveil a more contemporary and intimate look at women and aging in U.S. society. This qualitative research explored what women do, if anything, to confront pressures associated with aging. Purposeful sampling was used to homogenize the participant sample for increased richness of data. Criterion was as follows: women, 50’s age range, married with children, Caucasian, from the Midwest, and who currently use one or more anti‐aging products. In total, 17 women of similar status and background participated in this research. Data collection consisted of in‐depth audio taped interviews followed by immediate transcription. The analysis …