Digital Commons Network^™

Coercive Control And Physical Violence At The Onset Of Dating Relationships: A Prospective Longitudinal Study, Amanda Rachel Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been suggested as a consequence of coercive control (CC), a pattern of demands placed on a romantic partner, threats about what will occur if the demands are not met (e.g., IPV), and surveillance to ensure that demands have been met (Dutton & Goodman, 2005). This hypothesis has yet to be examined among dating couples, and little is known about how CC and physical violence arise in dating relationships. The current study had three main objectives: (a) to determine the way in which CC and IPV change over time in newly established dating relationships, (b) to …

The Role Of Gender On Perceptions Of Stalking And Harassment Behaviour Within Same And Cross-Sex Relationships: Evidence From University And Law Enforcement Samples, Heather Alison Finnegan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers investigating perceptions of stalking have enhanced understanding of the role of gender (i.e., perceived social roles based on sex) on subjective appraisals of harassment behaviour following the dissolution of a romantic relationship. According to data collected from student and community samples, a man harassing a woman (M-W) elicits greater recommendations for police intervention, as well as a tendency to anticipate more harm, than when the same behaviour is perpetrated by a woman against a man (W-M; Cass, 2008; Finnegan & Fritz, 2012; Phillips et al., 2004; Sheridan & Scott, 2010). Although cases of stalking often come to the attention …

When Oppressed Women Attack: Female-Enacted Violence Through Minority American Female Playwrights' Works, Kate Busselle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As an Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, theatrical violence is something that has always captivated me. When a female combat instructor once told me that even though I throw a great punch I will never be able to use it because women are always on the receiving end of violence in theatre, I wondered if this was truly the case. After a thorough exploration of several works with theatrical violence, I am glad to say that it is not the case. When most scholars examine violence in theatre, the focus is either male-centric or specifically on …

Everyday Indivisibility: How Exclusive Religious Practices Explain Variation In Subnational Violence Outcomes, Joel Kieth Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the puzzle of religious violence variation. Religious actors initiate conflict at a higher rate than their secular counterparts, last longer, are more deadly, and are less prone to negotiated termination. Yet the legacy of religious peacemakers on the reduction of violence is undeniable. Under what conditions does religion contribute to escalated violence and under what conditions does it contribute to peace?

I argue that more intense everyday practices of group members, or high levels of orthopraxy, create dispositional indivisibilities that make violence a natural alternative to bargaining. Subnational armed groups with members whose practices are exclusive and …

The Effect Of Cooperative Gameplay On Aggression And Prosociality In Violent Video Game Play, Jeremiah Nathaniel Beene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to determine what impact (if any) the context (isolated vs. social) of playing different types (violent vs. non-violent) of video games have on people's aggression and positive social behaviors. Participants were randomly assigned to play either a violent video game or a non-violent video game in an isolated context or with another player for 30 minutes, after which they completed the same questionnaires again. Data were then collected on behavioral tasks measuring aggression and prosociality. This experiment failed to find significant effects of violent video game exposure on aggression. Participants who played a violent …

From This Dark Place To The Other: Violence And Connection In The Poetry Of Brian Turner, Alan R. Swirsky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brian Turner is a poet and American soldier who served in Iraq at the start of the 21^st century. His poetry is about his experiences as a soldier interacting with the Iraqi people, his time in America following the war, PTSD, and the endless violence in the war zone. As a comparatively recent entry into the genre of War Poetry, his work pays homage to the writers who preceded him, like Wilfred Owen and Bruce Weigl, while also referencing Middle Eastern poets typically outside the scope of American literature. Through Turner’s recurring themes and motifs, connections are established between …

Functional Violence In Martin Mcdonagh's The Lieutenant Of Inishmore And The Pillowman, Lindsay Shalom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While Martin McDonagh’s plays have engendered laughter, disgust, and fear, he might be best known as part of a long line of Irish playwrights who faced controversy due to their art. Much like Synge, Shaw, and O’Casey, McDonagh has faced criticism and even outrage due to the violence and misunderstood portrayals of the Irish in his plays. Though the violence in plays like The Pillowman and The Lieutenant of Inishmore has been labeled gratuitous, we might better understand the purpose of that violence by examining them in light of Michel Foucault’s concepts of knowledge and power. Foucault’s approaches best highlight …