Digital Commons Network^™

Framing Difference: A Content Analysis Of Disability Coverage In Saudi Arabia Newspapers, Majedah Alsewaiah

Dissertations

The problem of misrepresentation and underrepresentation of people with disabilities in printed periodical media raises concerns for stakeholders. Although this problem extends to multiple global cultures, the invisibility of people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia newspapers is particularly concerning. The existence of negative stereotypes that prevent individuals with disabilities from achieving positive progress in their lives is perpetuated by negative frames that the media fosters in its flawed narratives of disability.

The application of the framing theory enables the current study to expand the knowledge of positive and negative frames that exert an influence on stakeholders. Based on the literature …

"Ain’T I A Woman?”: The Intersectional Representation Of Black Women Professional Leaders Above The Concrete Ceiling In Scandal And How To Get Away With Murder, Jessica Love

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the politics of re-presentation of the two Black leading characters in Shonda Rhimes’s televised series, Scandal (Olivia Pope) and How to Get Away with Murder (Annalise Keating). This textual analysis explores how the characters are re-represented as leaders at the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality using Kimberlé Crenshaw’s (1989) theory of intersectionality. This study also imposes Patricia Hill Collins’s (2005) matrix of domination to explicate how the hegemonic structure of the concrete ceiling conditions their identities and exertion of power in the workplace. To do this, the researcher investigated cultural workplace expectations tied to notions …

Faith News In The Digital Age: New Muslim And Non-Muslim Residents Seeking Islamic Information In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Urwa Tariq

Dissertations

When non-Muslims become immersed in an Islamic way of life—a common occurrence in the UAE, a Muslim country where the overwhelming majority of the resident population is foreign-born—some become interested in learning more about the Islamic faith. This interest is also evident among new converts to Islam from other countries when they reside in the UAE. Little is known about how information about Islam is disseminated to non-Muslims and new Muslims in the UAE, how these expatriates search for the religious information they desire, and the challenges they encounter in their enquiries. This study applies the theory of the diffusion …

A League Of Their Own: A Textual Analysis Of The Spiral Of Silence, Media Representation, And The Intersection Of Gender And Race In Politics, Asya Symone Robinson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Within the past fifty years, women and women of color have become active in the USA political sphere. However, there is still a visible gender and racial gap in politics that can be associated with uneven societal progression. This gap is documented through the media representation of women in politics. Analysis of the media coverage of Geraldine Ferraro, Sarah Palin, and Kamala Harris revealed four themes: Experience, Strength, Likeability, and Appearance. These themes are used to misrepresent women in politics and influence voter evaluations. This study analyzed how the layer of the evaluations is dependent upon not only gender but …

To Be Queer, Black, & Womxn: Self-Definition Of Queer Black Girlhood & Womxnhood In Film & Tv, Brittany Williams

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Theses

This research explores the invisibility and marginalization of Queer Black women and girls in films and television and how these inaccurate depictions and stereotypes in media contribute to the real-world disenfranchisement and abuse of Queer Black women and girls in the United States. I highlight movies and tv episodes with Queer Black female characters and analyze how their character arcs and how their character is utilized to aid the plot within the film or series. I cite literature that examines homophobia, racism, and sexism, socially and institutionally in the US and highlight the research represented within these selected studies and …

The Good, The Bad, And The Bloody: Images Of Menstruation In Television And In Menstrual Activism, Elizabeth Tripp

Women's History Theses

My thesis investigates the origins and tactics of the menstrual health movement; examines contemporary representations of menarche (the onset of menstruation) in TV programs; and postulates how these two streams of discourse could and should form a more symbiotic relationship. My first chapter defines menstrual activism, which seeks to destigmatize menstruation, using two different frameworks. Menstrual humor is frequently utilized across efforts of destigmatizing menstruation. I argue that menstrual humor can advance the menstrual activism movement depending on the punchline.

Chapter Two assesses the menstrual status quo according to television. I analyze thirteen media portrayals of menarche that aired from …

Framing Race: An Analysis Of Media Coverage Of The Racially Motivated Murders Of Emmett Till And Trayvon Martin, Chloe Jackson

Honors Theses

In August 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered by two white men for “wolf whistling” at a white woman. Fifty-seven years later, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman on February 26, 2012. The unwarranted killings of these two Black boys caused uproars across the entire country. This study examines how the media framed and represented Till and Martin in the cases of their racially motivated murders. Prior research shows that Black male youth are framed in the media as deviant and lawless, continuously being represented as criminals. However, there …

Professional Counter-Strike: An Analysis Of Media Objects, Esports Culture, And Gamer Representation, Steven Young

Dissertations

Esports are growing in popularity at a rapid pace worldwide. In contemporary society, individuals watch esports broadcasts as part of their normal media consuming practices. This dissertation focuses on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), which is currently the most recognized first-person shooter esport worldwide and the third most popular game across all esports genres (Irwin & Naweed, 2020). Interested in how the cultural knowledge and experience of esports and gamers who populate the scene are represented in media, I explored professional CS:GO esports broadcasts from two prominent professional leagues, ESL Pro League (EPL) and ELEAGUE. A thematic analysis of …

Sexual Assault In The News, Sydney Blair

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research has evaluated the presence of blame, myths, and stigma that sexual assault survivors experience online and within interactions with others. In the era of the #MeToo movement, has that changed? With perpetrators recently being held legally accountable for their crimes, my research addresses the current representation(s) of sexual assault through a content analysis of existing news media. I found a variety of rhetoric that supports survivors, #MeToo and perpetrators accountability, with additional evidence that negatively counters those positive changes. My research is important because these findings contribute to social science literature by examining the current representation of sexual …