Digital Commons Network^™

Manifestations Of Students’ Voices: Examining Shifts, Academic Demands, And Identity Work In How Students Make Themselves Understood., Lauren Elizabeth Fletcher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Voice is a concept that is both highly sought after and elusive in education. While schools aim to foster students’ voices, many academic structures inadvertently conceal their voices and in turn their identities. Definitions of voice have been assumed, vague, or looked at as a writing trait, with little consideration of voices’ dynamic and mediated structures. Drawing on scholarship grounded in sociocultural theories and dialogism (e.g., Bakhtin, 1986; Engeström; 1987, Leont’ev, 1981; Rosenblatt, 1978; Vygotsky, 1978), I contribute a new, tangible definition of voice, in which voice is a dynamic happening, continually negotiated and constructed. This dissertation explores students’ voices, …

The Construction Of Identity Through Tattoos: A Semiotic And Performative Exploration Of Trauma, Erin Lionberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this current historical moment, tattoos and tattooing have become a glorified cultural phenomenon that has been thousands of years in the making. The idea that tattoos can be used to express one’s identity is not a new concept — various fields, such as anthropology, cultural studies, and sociology, have studied the relationship between tattoos and identity. In this dissertation, I explore the signification and performative aspects of Auschwitz concentration camp tattoos and 9/11 memorial tattoos, while also considering the changes in meaning and interpretation that occur within and throughout space and time. Chapter one introduces the topic and provides …

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: Walt Disney’S Hero’S Journey To Professional Identity, Charles Mccoin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-method single-case study was to examine the application of Joseph Campbell's Heroic Journey model as a means of professional identity creation in the life of Walt Disney.

Walt Disney was an entrepreneur, cartoonist, filmmaker, inventor, studio head, and family man whose career stretched through the first half of the 20th century. Walt used his imagination and creativity to establish industry norms in the animation, film, television, and amusement park industries. Walt Disney's legacy and vision continue to be a viable influence within the Walt Disney Company today.

Campbell's Heroic Journey model was used as the theoretical …

Expressions Of Identity: Analysis Of A Funerary Mask From Roman Egypt (Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Ny, Inv. 19.2.6), Rachel Madison Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The object of this study is a painted plaster mask of an adult woman from Roman Egypt currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Inv. 19.2.6. The mask has been stylistically attributed to Meir, the primary necropolis for Cusae. This mask represents the social identity of the deceased woman, while also embodying how she was transformed into a divine being through mummification. Through an analysis of the iconography of this funerary mask, as her chosen form of self-representation, I will place the multiple aspects of the life of the deceased into social, historical, and religious context. This thesis …

The Reciprocity Of Mentorship: Impacting Christian Higher Education, Alessandra Brohmer Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experiences of students and faculty engaged in mutually beneficial mentoring relationships at Christian universities. A dearth of current research focused on the experiences of emerging adults and on the benefits to mentors in a Christian context prompted this inquiry. Semi-structured interviews were completed virtually with two mentor-mentee dyads, while data analysis included use of qualitative research software as well as original phenomenological reduction and interpretation. Findings provided insights not only into the meaning student mentees ascribed to mentoring but also into the perceptions of faculty mentors. Despite different …

Examining Experience, Role, And Lgbtq Identity In Department Chairs, Ashton B. Clouse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LGBTQ rights have progressed tremendously in recent times, not long ago LGBTQ individuals could be arrested simply for being themselves. Though many rights have been won, the fight for equity continues. This is especially true in the field of education, many think of higher education as a pathway to equity, but in reality it can serve to solidify societal inequities. Campus climate studies of LGBTQ faculty members in higher education show that climate is most impactful at the departmental level (Nichols & Scott, 2005), others highlight the importance of department chairs in fostering climate within their departments (Bystydzienski et al., …

An Educator Out Of Water: A Phenomenological Study Into Identity-As-Educator For Student Affairs Professionals, David Mccoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work of student affairs professionals has been happening since the inception of western higher education. The profession has shifted a great deal since that time, with an emphasis now on student affairs professionals as ‘educators’ alongside their faculty counterparts. Regardless of change, research has consistently demonstrated the impact student affairs can have on the experiences of students and colleges as a whole. Given the emergence of identity-as-educator, for these professionals to best continue their work, it is imperative to understand how they understand and make sense of this professional identity. This research was a phenomenological study to understand how …

Exitosos, A Pesar De Todo: What Is The Nature Of Ethnic And Scholar Identity For High-Achieving High School Latinx Students Who Identify As A Boy In A Southern Context?, Alyssa Jasina Villarreal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the nature of the ethnic and scholarly identity development in high-achieving, high school students who identify as both Latinx and as a boy. Further the study explored any interactions between the ethnic and scholarly identities of participants. By conducting this study, it is the researchers hope that documented the student testimonios contributed to the preparation of teachers, school administrators, and families understandings on what leads to success. Furthermore, the study will contribute to the validity of the importance of identifying and acknowledging the individuality each student brings to the classroom and unique experiences that have contributed …

Game Changing Leadership: Developing A Student Athlete Leadership Identity Development Model, Sally Gates Parish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are several theoretical models and approaches to define the leadership identity development of college students, however, none of these models adequately frame the specific leadership identity development of collegiate student athletes. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to develop a leadership model to address this gap by explaining the leadership values and behaviors unique to student athletes and to understand if their leadership experiences occur in a staged, scaffolded way. The research questions guiding this study are: What are the staged, scaffolded leadership identity development experiences of collegiate student athletes? What are the common leadership values and …

The Construction Of Value And Identity In Mobile Games, Michelle Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research in game studies has indicated a strong link between identity and video games, with the gamer identity serving as an especially contentious and hotly debated example. This identity has been rejected by avid players and questioned in terms of its gendered and racialized associations. Mobile games open up video games to new articulations of the player identity by diversifying the kinds of audiences that have access to their modes of play. However, mobile games are often dismissed by players and academics alike as frivolous and unimportant, despite mobile gaming comprising a significant portion of the video game industry. …

1.5 Generation Korean-American Young Adults' Bilingualism And Their Identity In The U.S., Hanna Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the 20th century, particularly post-1965, there has been rapid growth in the Korean-American population in the U.S. The number of 1.5 generation Korean-Americans has also increased. 1.5 generation Korean-Americans can take advantage of learning both languages and cultures in the two countries which can help them become bilingual and bicultural individuals. However, previous studies about the language experience and identity of Korean-Americans have mainly focused on the first or second-generations (Kang, 2013; M. Park, 2005) rather than 1.5 generations. Some of these studies have focused more on children at an early age (E. S. Park, 2005; Zhou, 1997) instead …