Digital Commons Network^™

Memes, Themes, And Rhetorical Schemes: Analyzing The Themes And Rhetorical Devices Used By Meme Creators In American Political Internet Memes In The First Week Of The Ukrainian-Russian War, Edward B. Zimmerman

Communication Theses

Internet memes carry news messages to mass audiences through social media platforms. In seconds, global events can be transmitted to millions of users in the form of an image with text overlayed. Despite the power of memes, there has been little scholarly research devoted to the selection mechanism of meme-makers. As both audience and creator, meme-makers’ craft and consume messages capable of influence. Grounded in work on rhetorical analysis and framing, this study examined memes posted to conservative and liberal affiliated Reddit communities in the wake of the first days of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The analysis focused on the themes …

Switchin’ Up: The Effect Of Code-Switching On Black Professionals In Predominantly White Organizations, Christina G. Roach

Communication Theses

This study explored how highly educated Black professionals holding at least a four-year degree view use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in relation to their ethnic identity. Additionally, the study investigated whether code-switching impacts participants’ organizational identification or their connectedness to ethnic identity. Through interviews, I uncovered that although 3 of 12 participants indicated that use of AAVE felt natural to them, 6 participants use it infrequently or not at all. Surprisingly, using Standard American English (SAE) had little to no effect on most participants’ feelings of connectedness to their ethnic identity. This research also uncovered that though all …

The Contribution Of Saudi Female Journalists In Newspapers: Before And After Saudi Vision 2030, Razan Aljohani

Communication Theses

This study examined the contributions of female Saudi journalists to traditional newspapers between 2014 and 2018 and analyzed the impact of Saudi Vision 2030 on their work. The findings indicated that Saudi female journalists predominantly discussed local affairs and social issues, while their coverage of political, economic, and women's issues was limited. After the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030, female journalists' contributions to political and economic matters, women's rights and issues, and social issues such as unemployment and terrorism decreased. However, coverage of Islamic movements and religious extremists remained consistent before and after Vision 2030 and was mostly featured in …

Nonprofit Marketing And Communication Personnel Job Satisfaction: The Effects Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity, Rachel L. Swink

Communication Theses

Job satisfaction is becoming increasingly important in efforts to retain employees across all sectors. The nonprofit sector is facing greater challenges than ever before in competing for and retaining adequate talent. The nonprofit sector provides unconventional benefits such as hybrid office models, paid time off, and others to improve job satisfaction. While nonprofits receive high job satisfaction, turnover is a big issue, even among marketing and communication teams which are often underfunded, understaffed, and unappreciated. Marketing and communication teams play a unique role within nonprofits, as they are frequently pulled in different directions to accomplish tasks that may not necessarily …

The Identity Of Yoga: Contemporary Vs. Traditional Yogic Discourse, Octavia Nasr

Communication Theses

Modern yoga is a multibillion-dollar economy that penetrated many fields, from fitness to healthcare. Yoga’s popularity shows its relevance and adaptability. However, scholars found that modern yoga is synonymous with postural yoga. In this thesis, I establish that yoga’s identity is rooted in the Eight Limbs of the iconic Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ––postures being one of the limbs constituting yoga’s identifiers. Then, I link the yogic postural shift to the truncation of yoga’s identifiers in teacher training curricula. I argue that modern yoga schools focus more on postures and downplay the other limbs, especially the first two – ethical …

International Students’ Perception Of Intercultural Communication From Official University Sources, Liseth Hubbard

Communication Theses

Research on intercultural communication has centered on the difficulties that international students experience during their adjusting journey in their new residence away from home. However, there are relatively few in-depth studies that report on international students’ perceptions of communicative practices from university officials. Following a social phenomenological approach, this study focuses on understanding the impressions and experiences of 12 international students. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews centered on three sensitizing concepts: intercultural sensitivity (IS), intercultural communication competence (ICC), and intercultural learning (IL). Data were analyzed using an iterative phonetic approach as described by Sarah Tracy (2019). The findings were …

“Better Than We Found It”: A Persuasive Narrative & Its Impact, Alexandra Holzworth

Communication Theses

This study examined Maren Morris’s music video for the country song “Better Than We Found It” and her audiences’ response in 672 comments left on her Instagram post of the music video. The study focused on narrative persuasion throughout the video in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration reform/the DREAM Act, and the importance of being good stewards. A thematic analysis was conducted on the music video followed by qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Instagram comments. Results showed that overall commenters expressed support for Maren Morris as an artist and for her music video’s message. Results also …

Hijacked Christianity: How An Aberrant Eschatology Enables A Grievance Culture That Supplants Christian Grace For An Extremist Meritocracy, David Sharp

Communication Theses

The Evangelical participation attack on Capitol Hill that happened on January 6th, 2021, that almost toppled American Democracy, was an eye-opening experience to the dangers of radicalization. For this paper, the central question is, do recent evolutions to Christian Eschatology (Premillennialism/Postmillennialism) give exigence to the radicalization of mainstream American Evangelicalism via a Dominionist ideology? This study is a rhetorical criticism that will examine sermons of four prominent Neo Charismatic around the time of the 2020 National COVID Lockdown Announcement and the Capitol Hill Insurrection. This study uses a Constant Comparative Method (CCM) to inductively identify the possible themes, and a …

Mapping Out The Vietnamese American Experience: Parenting Styles And Communication Satisfaction Among Vietnamese American Generations, Angie Vo

Communication Theses

Communication is vital for all communities and is particularly relevant for families. This study explored intergenerational communication on health and political topics within Vietnamese American communities. While a large body of research explores family communication themes in Asian American (especially Chinese American) communities, little exists about Vietnamese American communities, especially on family, health, and political communication. The study surveyed 869 Vietnamese Americans aged 18 to 35 who have Vietnamese American immigrant parents, asking them questions pertaining to their family’s parenting styles, family communication styles, and willingness to communicate health and political topics. Results found that authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting …

"This Ain't Dances With Salmon": Native American Tropes In Dime Novels And Western Film Referencing Dances With Wolves, Jennifer K. Melton

Communication Theses

Too many White Savior films are causing a loss in translation from Brown and Black people to tell their stories. Hollywood was built on systemic racism, much like the United States; however, beginning in the early 1900s was when Hollywood became a prominent film industry, it allowed Jay Silverheels and Stepin Fetchit to portray their race of character. Before Hollywood there were dime novels and Western shows, which at times did not portray these races in favorable light. Hollywood, dime novels, and Western shows from the era of Buffalo Bill are the reasons why there is White saviorism, even in …

Mammies, Sapphires, And Jezebels Don’T Marry: Televised Media, Black Stereotypes, And Low Marriage Rates, Aysha Labon

Communication Theses

Black women are one of the most progressive minority groups in the U.S. in terms of business and economics. While they may excel in the area of career, Black women hold the lowest rates of marriage in the country. The goal of this study was to uncover what role, if any, do media stereotypes of Black women play in the marriage gap. Findings suggest that Black men and Black women are, perhaps dismissing one another in terms of romantic relationships because of the images they see on television. 11 self-identified single, heterosexual, Black women were interviewed for the study and …

Perceptions And Content Of Traditional And Online News: An Analysis Of Bias In Indian Media, Sangya Tyagi

Communication Theses

The primary objective of this study was to compare and analyse two different points of view on media polarization: one, from the public’s perspective through a survey (analysis of their perceptions on news received from their preferred news sources) and the other, analysis of media published by the media content providers. Another research contribution of this study was that it included an analysis of the mode of media consumption, i.e., how the news was consumed--via traditional media or through online media. This project ties in a variety of aspects in the field of communication -- media, mode of news consumption, …

The Perpetual Reminder: A Narrative Analysis Of The Beginning And End Of The Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) Anime Series By Hiromu Arakawa, Hope L. Boyce

Communication Theses

This paper’s purpose is to explore manga and anime’s potential to have a place in the scholarly community for media and literature due to its new media effects on its audiences. To do this, there will be an in-depth narrative perspective analysis of the first two and last two episodes of Hiromu Arakowa’s anime series Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) to find the ultimate moral(s) of the story. There is a look into why the text is being studied, what alchemy is, what literature is out there, why the narrative perspective lens was chosen, and the actual analysis. Following the analysis will …

Lady Problems: A Study On The Effect Of Perceived Femininity When Evaluating Female Presidential Candidates, Mackenzie O. Marquess

Communication Theses

There is currently an observable gender gap associated with political leadership. Though many have tried, no woman has successfully campaigned for the presidency. Historically, media coverage of female candidates is vastly different from coverage of their male counterparts and it is well established that the media has significant control over public perception of candidates. This study examines media coverage of female candidates in an attempt to understand the rhetoric that consistently positions women as unelectable regardless of their experience or political prowess. This study analyzes post-debate commentary from the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2020 election beginning on June …

Jammu And Kashmir During The Communication Blackout: A Textual Analysis Of Indian News Coverage, Akansha Sirohi

Communication Theses

This study examines the news coverage of Jammu and Kashmir conflict during the communication blackout of 2019. Using comparative analysis, it explores right-leaning, left-leaning and neutral newspapers to examine how political leanings affected the news coverage and asks whether the coverage challenges the actions by the central government amid limitations of press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir. The findings indicate the ideological leanings of the newspapers affected the news coverage during the communication blackout and the news overwhelmingly supported the central government’s nationalist ideologies and relied on government officials for information. However, a few stories, primarily in the left-leaning Hindu …

New Challenges In Social Media Marketing: Exploring The Interaction Effects Of Age And Message Format On Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Outcomes, Daniela Chavez Garcia

Communication Theses

The prevalence of social media and their increasingly diverse user demographics have started to pose new challenges to marketing communication researchers and professionals. Guided by the media richness theory (MRT), this study investigates the main effects of age and three message formats (i.e., text, image, and video) on social media and their interaction effects on attention capturing, positive emotions, product liking, information seeking, and buying intent. The results of an online experiment (N = 240) showed there was a significant main effect of age on different positive emotions (i.e., excited, controlling, and influential), and a significant main effect of format …

Case Study Analysis Of Shared Visual Arguments And Propaganda Techniques Of Russian Propaganda Posters And Russian Internet Memes, Cindy D. Vasquez

Communication Theses

Rhetoric, the study of argument using logic, has been studied for centuries. However, there is some disagreement among scholars on whether or not argumentation can be applied to visual imagery. Images are noted to have more emotional appeal than text does. Visual propaganda was mass produced in the form of propaganda posters, most popularly in the early 20th century. In more recent times, the sharing of images has moved to social media, popularly through memes. This paper analyzes two Soviet propaganda posters produced by one Soviet publishing house, Litizdat, and two memes created by the Russian organization the Internet Research …

Communicating Death To Potential Military Recruits: A Terror Management Theory Approach, Amanda M. Augustine

Communication Theses

Efforts to encourage more citizens to join the military is a prominent duty within a military organization. In order to maintain force strength, military recruiters and marketing teams need to persuade the population to join. This study used Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the relationship between the fear of mortality and its effect on motivation toward volunteering for military service in the United States. TMT is a theory that explains how the human psyche combats the fear of mortality, and this study sought to answer how mortality salience affects an individual’s motivation to join the military. TMT’s explanation of defense …

Warhols Wake, Tiffany Gilliam

Communication Theses

The world of visual art has devolved into a commercial enterprise. Part of the decline in visual art arises from artist' surrender to media environment influence, as an exploration of the life and work of noteworthy artist Andy Warhol reveals. This study terms such artist surrender Warhols Wake and elucidates its features. However, by examining, through an interpretive biographic method, the life and work of 4 other artists who responded to media environment influence differently, we gain insight into how creative consciousness can gainfully resist Warhols Wake, in a move that Marshall McLuhan calls "anti-environmental."

Attitudes Towards Depression And Suicide: An Analysis Of News Coverage And Online Comments On Nigerian News Sites, Oluwamayomikun Lawal

Communication Theses

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the issue of suicide in Nigeria, based on an analysis of online news articles about suicide as well as posts in response to those news articles. The study examined how the articles framed suicide, including stereotypes about suicide, and how often comments reflected common beliefs/attitudes towards suicide. Twenty-four articles and 168 comments were analyzed. Results revealed stereotypes in language and images in the articles, which often deviated from the World Health Organization responsible suicide-reporting guidelines. The articles cited economic hardship and mental illness most often as causes of suicide, but none of the articles provided solutions …

Stronger: An Examination Of The Effects Of The Strong Black Woman Narrative Through The Lifespan Of African American Women, Verinique Bailey

Communication Theses

The Strong Black Woman narrative and characteristic fosters both positive and negative representations of African American women. This study explores the lived experiences of African American women and their encounters with stereotypes, particularly the Strong Black Woman narrative and characteristic, through their lifespan. By examining three dominant age groups (young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults) this study analyzed the level of endorsement to the Strong Black Woman narrative in connection to self-care and help seeking behaviors. The article and supplemental documentary contribute to existing research and support the idea that African American women become stronger when they practice self-care …

The Rise Of Twitter In Presidential Communication: An Examination Of The Relationship Between President Trump's Twitter Feed And The Media Coverage Of His First 100 Days, Zedan Xu

Communication Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Donald Trump’s Twitter feed and the media coverage of Trump’s agenda expressed in his tweets during the “honeymoon period.” From the theoretical perspective of agenda setting theory, this research empirically explores the salience issues present in Trump’s Twitter postings and compare them to the media agenda. Descriptive statistics of Trump’s tweets and the coverage of his tweets from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal show that nearly half of Trump’s Twitter posts are covered in the news media, indicating that Trump’s Twitter feed …

Hyphenated Americans: Christian Arab-Americans’ Identity Struggle, Amanda Haddad Jobgen

Communication Theses

The topic of this thesis is the understudied minority of Christian Arab-Americans (CAAs), and this research addresses the issues CAAs face in the United States with special attention to the factors that influence their cultural identity. The thesis provides a historical background on how Christian Arabs came to the United States and explains the factors that influence their identity struggle. The theoretical framework of my research is based on Berry’s (1997) acculturation model. Ten participants were interviewed for this study, and a thematic analysis was conducted in order to determine the extent to which religiosity and perceived discrimination affects/influences the …

The Curvy Girl Handbook Vs. The Industry: A Unique Body Image In A One-Track Business, Jessica Wise

Communication Theses

Two years ago, I expanded my growing blog, The Curvy Girl Handbook, into a detailed, hard copy book. As I complete my education, I have yet to present my book for a publisher or consumer. It has been workshopped, revisited, and industry researched. This thesis shows the need for publishers to open their doors to more black female authors.

My study explores the impact of whitewashing in the publishing industry for fitness-related works for women. Following a literature review of the historic portrayals of the curvy figure and the black female body, I employ a quick overview of the publishing …

Content Is President: The Influence Of Netflix On Taste, Politics And The Future Of Television, Alanna Esack

Communication Theses

The evolving television industry relies heavily on the corresponding shift in the audiences that it addresses. New practice for consumption and production, particularly the “disruptive” force of streaming services like Netflix, have been evidenced not only in the methods of the companies themselves but also in the content they have begun to offer. A milestone in the television industry, Netflix’s first original series House of Cards provides an innovative and meaningful installment to the genre of political melodrama, which has its own cultural significance and heritage of mapping audience relations to the media. Analyzing the text, this paper reveals how …

Framing Leadership Rhetoric: Exploring Gender (In) Equality In Corporate Training Material, Anna Elizabeth Prieto

Communication Theses

This study explores gender equality in the workplace using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Two sets of data were analyzed: leadership training and development materials and in-depth interviews. This two-fold method allowed for a holistic approach to analyzing data and made it possible to compare findings from the textual analysis with insights gained from the interviews. This study revealed a lack of attention being devoted to developing and promoting leadership training materials and experiences that acknowledge gender differences and encourage gender equality. It was determined that overall, gender associated rhetoric used in the course titles and descriptions made up barely …

The Chinese Image In Sino-Hollywood Co-Produced Blockbusters During The Era Of Globalization, Zhewen Song

Communication Theses

This thesis explores the global-local interplay among three key players, which are Hollywood, the Chinese government, and Chinese film industry, by analyzing representations of China and Chinese culture in three kinds of modes of film cooperation between Hollywood and China in the era of globalization. Drawing on both the analysis of three factors respectively and the elaboration of tripartite push-and-pull, a spectrum of film collaboration has been built to find out how the leveraging powers work, indicating that the images of China in selected films manifest a shared cultural identity that is hybridized and market-friendly. By further discussing China’s position …

News Narratives About The Hpv Vaccine For Adolescent Males, Katherine E. Bennett

Communication Theses

The goal of this research was to examine portrayals of gender roles and expectations related to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for men and boys in U.S. newspapers within the theoretical framework of feminist theory, feminist media theory, hegemonic masculinity, and heteronormativity. Since the HPV vaccine was approved for girls in women in 2006, research has been conducted examining media portrayals of the HPV vaccine for girls and women, but little has been written about how the news has treated the subject for men and boys. This research examined print newspaper articles between 2011, when the U.S. Advisory Council on …

The Right Stuff? Selective Exposure And Political Misinformation On Facebook, Amanda Jordan

Communication Theses

For a democracy to function optimally, its citizens must arrive at election booths armed with factual and complete information. If the voting public is equipped with misinformation, it is just as detrimental as if they are uninformed. Misinformation can be caused and exacerbated by a variety of causes but as online selective exposure increases along with political polarization, the possibility that individuals who gather news on their favorite Facebook platforms will be deceived by political misinformation increases. This false news has the ability to cause more and more voters to formulate beliefs and opinions based on false information. Expanding on …

Social Media: The Impact Of Imagery And Engagement In Athletic Social Media, Michael W. Eldridge

Communication Theses

As the athletic communication field enhances its practices on social media in order to have the highest reach, the impact of visual content and its role in increasing social media engagement cannot be overstated. This study explores social media patterns, specifically the use of visual content within professional sports, and how the role of semiotics influences the viewer. As social media moves forward in athletics, the practice of two-way communication has become vital. This study of social media across the NFL provides insight on specific content that engages sports fans. Findings suggest both the type of content and the timing …