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Theses Digitization Project

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Hybrid Identities In Radio Discourse, Francisco Javier Aguirre Jan 2013

Hybrid Identities In Radio Discourse, Francisco Javier Aguirre

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis was to conduct a discourse analysis of conversational data from a radio station program in Southern California to see if the speakers' language displays hybridity theory. The radio program in question is unique because all speakers including the deejays and call in listeners do not exclusively speak English or Spanish but codemix or alternate between English and Spanish (Spanglish hereafter) during on-air conversations.


Covert: An Insight On The Politically Marginalized Armenian Minority In Iran During The 1979 Iranian Revolution, Arika Anastasia Khajetoorians Jan 2013

Covert: An Insight On The Politically Marginalized Armenian Minority In Iran During The 1979 Iranian Revolution, Arika Anastasia Khajetoorians

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to provide an insight of the politically marginalized Armenian minority in Iran based on the reporting of Alik.


Performing Hegemonic Masculinity: The Rhetorical Spectacle Of Mixed Martial Arts, Allison Marie Mark Jan 2013

Performing Hegemonic Masculinity: The Rhetorical Spectacle Of Mixed Martial Arts, Allison Marie Mark

Theses Digitization Project

This project explains the sport of mixed martial arts and provides a theoretical foundation for rhetorical analysis of hegemonic masculinity in the sport. The influence of mixed martial arts on society is pervasive. Any values produced by the sport echo in the community, which crosses into the rest of society.


Sperm Stealers & Post Gay Politics: Lesbian-Parented Families In Film And Television, Elena Rose Martinez Jan 2013

Sperm Stealers & Post Gay Politics: Lesbian-Parented Families In Film And Television, Elena Rose Martinez

Theses Digitization Project

This study is theoretically significant because it addresses gaps in scholarly knowledge regarding media representations of same-sex parented families, and more specficially, lesbian-parented families. Findings of this study may also inform content-producers as to trends in representation and relevant issues of power and sexuality as well as political-economic factors to consider in future productions. This study addresses the political economy of a segment of sexual minorities that already have an uneasy history with marketers: lesbians.


An Application Of The Theory Of Multiple Intelligence To Improve Academic Performance And Achievement Goals In The Early School Years, Marilyn Victoria Garcia-Mata Jan 2013

An Application Of The Theory Of Multiple Intelligence To Improve Academic Performance And Achievement Goals In The Early School Years, Marilyn Victoria Garcia-Mata

Theses Digitization Project

The present research project applied Howard Gardner's MI theory to the social studies curriculum of a third grade classroom. This intervention seeks to increase student's academic grade scores and learning goal orientation in the social studies chapter of Old and New Communities. The participants for this research project were third grade students enrolled at Assumption Catholic School in Los Angeles, California. The sample consisted of 11 third grade children.


Parks In The Sky: How Urban Rejuvenation Is Re-Writing Wilderness, Sarah Anne Mercurio Jan 2013

Parks In The Sky: How Urban Rejuvenation Is Re-Writing Wilderness, Sarah Anne Mercurio

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis will examine the implications of urban wilderness, what representations of urban wilderness will look like, and whether we have, or can, move away from the archaic notion of wilderness that has prevailed since being defined in the Wilderness Act. While ecocritical theorists have not yet fully engaged in urban ecocritical analysis, the emerging trend to consider the city as a wild place is a direct result of a shift in cultural perspective, as is evidence through the development of natural and artificial place-making, such as the High Line Park in New York City.


Script-Based Reading Lessons And Socialized Language Usage, Joseph James Spencer Jan 2013

Script-Based Reading Lessons And Socialized Language Usage, Joseph James Spencer

Theses Digitization Project

This study focuses in particular on the connections students make to their reading as seen through contextualized language usage. Many educators and curriculum developers suggest that using these new script-based curriculum will help teachers systematize and close gaps in teaching and learning. If unwritten teacher questions and statements are used to redirect students' comprehension about texts occur during the reading lesson, these will be described and analyzed for their effects on the lesson goals and objectives.


The Internet, Anonymous, And Our Public Identities Recreating Democracy, Leslie Anne Hutchinson Jan 2013

The Internet, Anonymous, And Our Public Identities Recreating Democracy, Leslie Anne Hutchinson

Theses Digitization Project

This study discusses the pursuit of understanding how the discursive construction of the internet affects individuals, identities, and democracy. it also discusses the internet within theoretical positions on its history, the public sphere, and revolutionary politics. Western governments have created legislation regulating the internet for democratic purposes, and this study examines how different and often contrasting views of democracy have shaped the way those of us connected to the internet can speak about it. The Anonymous identity, articulates one such contrast. Anonymous constructs an alternative, Internet identity-one stemming from the identity of the hacker. Policies targeted at stopping hackers and …


Visualizing Hate: Maus As Holocaust Literature, Geoffrey Daniel Curran Jan 2013

Visualizing Hate: Maus As Holocaust Literature, Geoffrey Daniel Curran

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus affected traditional classifications of Holocaust writings, specifically literary memoir. Genre studies use Holocaust writings especially those classified as "literary memoirs", to define a narrow group to exclusion of texts like Maus. If Maus was not 'allowed' to be defined as memoir then was it solely cast as fiction? To view it as fictional would have denied that Maus was a graphic novel which interlaces both received testimonial 'truth' and receptive 'truth'.


Planting, Learning, Growing: Utilizing Service-Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics Among Urban Middle School Students, Carly Jessica Chavez Jan 2013

Planting, Learning, Growing: Utilizing Service-Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics Among Urban Middle School Students, Carly Jessica Chavez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is meant to work as a descriptive analysis of service-learning pedagogy and outcomes, through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning opportunities. One of the many challenges facing public education is how to actively incorporate elements of STEM into the classroom curriculum and school-wide.


Theatre Across The Curriculum: Playing A Role In Multicultural Identity, Literacy Acquisition, Special Education, And Beyond, Fergus James Loughnane Jan 2013

Theatre Across The Curriculum: Playing A Role In Multicultural Identity, Literacy Acquisition, Special Education, And Beyond, Fergus James Loughnane

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the benefits of theatre and theatrical practices across the curriculum. it is a counter weight to the pervasive argument that theatre does not offer adequate training and prospects to our students. Theatrical practices have been show to dramatically improve literacy acquisition by reinforcing the lesson.


Post-Oppositional Culture Theory: Counter Narratives Of African American Preservice Teachers, Sonya Victoria Scott Jan 2013

Post-Oppositional Culture Theory: Counter Narratives Of African American Preservice Teachers, Sonya Victoria Scott

Theses Digitization Project

This study seeks to counter the social narrative that African Americans resist schooling by examining African American post baccalaureate college students that have developed a passion for learning as demonstrated in their persistence and motivations to enter the teaching profession. Racially correlated disparities prevalent in standardized test scores, high school dropout rates and college eligibility remain one of the most pervasive educational dilemmas facing public schools across the nation. African Americans are identified as significantly under performing when compared to the average performance of white students.


Musical Linguistics: How Music And Artistic Creativity When Delivered As A Linguistic Practice, Help Students Master Academic Skills In English Language Arts, Cynthyny Ann Lebo Apr 2012

Musical Linguistics: How Music And Artistic Creativity When Delivered As A Linguistic Practice, Help Students Master Academic Skills In English Language Arts, Cynthyny Ann Lebo

Theses Digitization Project

This Masters project consists of two elements: 1) an integrated after-school program to improve student English language reading and academic outcomes for third graders' vocabulary development by incorporating music, artistic creativity and linguistics; 2) a pilot sample curriculum that demonstrates the approach for building student comprehension through musical theater and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content experiences. Called "Water Buddy", this is an after-school program uses singing, dancing, writing, and play to build reading and vocabulary skills. The goal is to improve learner academic outcomes by mastering the elemental building blocks of words, letters, symbols by making memorable the …


Whatever: Prosodic Context Cues And Their Influence On Pragmatic Meaning, Pamela Kathleen Wahler Jan 2012

Whatever: Prosodic Context Cues And Their Influence On Pragmatic Meaning, Pamela Kathleen Wahler

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis examines real language in use to observe the different intonation contours associated with the discourse marker "whatever" to see if or how these contours contribute to the pragmatic meaning associated with the different functions. Interactional sociolinguistic and conversational analysis approach to investigate the different pragmatic meaning associated with the discourse marker "whatever" were employed to carry out the analysis. In addition, corpus linguistic methodology was used to gather data to investigate the different pragmatic meanings of the word "whatever."


Coping Skills Among Women Who Are Abused By An Intimate Partner, Cheryl Dee Allen Jan 2012

Coping Skills Among Women Who Are Abused By An Intimate Partner, Cheryl Dee Allen

Theses Digitization Project

This study examined coping skills and social support among women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Intimate partner violence is a serious social problem. Women who are abused by an intimate partner are at higher risk for experiencing negative mental health outcomes, including depression and PTSD, substance abuse, and are also at risk for re-victimization than those who are not abused.


Prospective Teachers Of English Learners' Error Detection In Oral Output Of Nonnative English Speakers, Begüm Yengel Jan 2012

Prospective Teachers Of English Learners' Error Detection In Oral Output Of Nonnative English Speakers, Begüm Yengel

Theses Digitization Project

This project is designed to present the extent to which native English speakers (NESs) and nonnative English speakers NNESs) detect errors in NNESs' oral output. It also aims to shed light on the error of perception of participants from different first-language (L1) backgrounds, and intends to uncover the possible underlying reasons of the variations in their detection rates.


Ketai Shosetsu: Remediation, Hypermediacy And The Hyperreal, Cari Michele Tulleys Jan 2012

Ketai Shosetsu: Remediation, Hypermediacy And The Hyperreal, Cari Michele Tulleys

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis focuses on the participatory nature of electronic literature and how remediation of texts have created new forms of literature that do not seem like texts at all, but more like virtual reality. By delving into a specific example of electronic literature, cell phone novel Secondhand Memories, the author will demonstrate that the hyperreal quality of the cell phone novel is more appealing to modern readers. Throughout his examination of cell phone novels and digital literature, the author will look at how technology has affected the way reading is done and has facilitated the emergence of keitai shosetsu.


Teachers Believe Singing Will Scaffold, Mediate, And Facilitate Oral Language Acqusition: Place Arts Back In The Curriculum, Alicia Rubio Jan 2012

Teachers Believe Singing Will Scaffold, Mediate, And Facilitate Oral Language Acqusition: Place Arts Back In The Curriculum, Alicia Rubio

Theses Digitization Project

The objective of this qualitative study was to explore if elementary school teachers who teach English Language Learners (ELLs) believe that singing used as an instructional tool would facilitate the development of oral English language acquisition.


The Physics Of School Culture: Unleashing Student Voice In The Quest For School Improvement, Henry Elizarraraz Yzaguirre Jan 2012

The Physics Of School Culture: Unleashing Student Voice In The Quest For School Improvement, Henry Elizarraraz Yzaguirre

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine the lived experiences of students attending a predominately Latino urban high school in the southwest region of the United States, using interviews, focus groups, and observations to gain an insight on student engagement and disengagement from school. Riverview High School was selected as the prime site for exploring student engagement based mainly on the poor student population of color, low school retention rate, and high suspension rate. Three focus groups were identified of about 6 students each for a total of eighteen 11th grade students. Each focus group was digitally recorded …


Investigating Gender Bias In The Ratings Of College Applicants, Candice Danielle Davis Jan 2012

Investigating Gender Bias In The Ratings Of College Applicants, Candice Danielle Davis

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to reexamine the Goldberg Paradigm and the Gender Role Congruity Theory in the academic setting. The present study was interested in examining the attitudes of both male and female evaluators in the college setting. The presented study also predicted that the self-evaluations of the participants would vary due to the application they evaluated. The study manipulated gender and major (math, business, English literature, and art) as independent variables in the mock applications. Data was collected from undergraduate students. After reading the mock applications, participants would complete a survey.


Interactive Whiteboard: Benefits Of Interactive Whiteboard Technology In The Classroom, Laura Susana MáRquez Jan 2012

Interactive Whiteboard: Benefits Of Interactive Whiteboard Technology In The Classroom, Laura Susana MáRquez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to inform educators of the benefits of integrating the interactive whiteboards technology in their pedagogy, and to possibly influence its impact in the academic of English language learners in the content areas.


Connecting Burke And Levinas: A Counter To The Rhetoric And Ethics Of Expediency, Gerry Joseph Morrow Jan 2012

Connecting Burke And Levinas: A Counter To The Rhetoric And Ethics Of Expediency, Gerry Joseph Morrow

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis exlores the current rhetoric of expediency in the United States and the expedient ethical perspective it fosters. It argues that the competitive rhetoric of corporate America has not only invaded every sector of society, but that it has caused untold human suffering by promoting what has become a mind-set, an expedient ideology.


"Illegitimi Non Carborundum": Resilience In The Face Of Factory School Reform, Jennifer Nicole Brooks Jan 2012

"Illegitimi Non Carborundum": Resilience In The Face Of Factory School Reform, Jennifer Nicole Brooks

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to explore, through semi-structured interviews, public school educators' perspectives on how they interpret and cope/deal with the current high-stakes educational climate. This qualitative study explores how teachers interpret and negotiate top-down mandates and the effects of such mandates on self-efficacy, professional autonomy, and stress. It also investigates what sources of inspiration and/or support perceived by teachers as helpful in cultivating resilience. Semi-structured interviews with seven public elementary school teachers in a Southern California district served as the primary sources of data.


Risk Factors For The Commercial Sexual Explotation Of Children, Melinda Ann Anderson, Daniel Gregory Fletcher Jan 2012

Risk Factors For The Commercial Sexual Explotation Of Children, Melinda Ann Anderson, Daniel Gregory Fletcher

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to compare known risk factors for sexual exploitation among young adults in transitional housing, such as young adults having recently aged out of the foster care system.


Identity, Morality, And The Human-Monster: Dexter As A Postmodern Text, Robyn Carol Nelson Jan 2012

Identity, Morality, And The Human-Monster: Dexter As A Postmodern Text, Robyn Carol Nelson

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis examines notions of postmodern identity and morality as portrayed in the Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay as well as the Showtime television series based on Lindsay's works.


The Development Of Political Secularism In A Nascent State, Tabassum Farooqui Jan 2012

The Development Of Political Secularism In A Nascent State, Tabassum Farooqui

Theses Digitization Project

This study will explore the rise, fall and revival of political secularism in Bangladesh. The exclusion or inclusion of political secularism is a controversial issue in many nascent states, because political groups often use religion as a political tool to manipulate the masses. In some newly-independent states, religious sentiment of citizens may be manipulated by different regimes; yet, the unique style of adopting religion may or may not increase religious tolerance in government.


Culturally Responsive Curriculum: Enrichment Projects For School Age-Children, MóNica Balbuena De La Sancha Jan 2012

Culturally Responsive Curriculum: Enrichment Projects For School Age-Children, MóNica Balbuena De La Sancha

Theses Digitization Project

This project addresses the need of a culturally responsive curriculum for children of Mexican descent. This culturally responsive curriculum was developed to expose children to Mexico's unique history, culture, traditions, and indigenous peoples.


Eco-Math: Creating A Model Curriculum For Teaching Mathematics In The Context Of Environmental Education, Christina Joy Merz Jan 2012

Eco-Math: Creating A Model Curriculum For Teaching Mathematics In The Context Of Environmental Education, Christina Joy Merz

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of developing this project was to show teachers that environmental education themes and activities can be effectively integrated with mathematics concepts in upper elementary and middle school classroom settings. Teachers are expected to meet with increased demands, state and national standards, and raise the levels of student achievement, yet they are given few resources with which to do so.


Learning Through Literature Versus Scripted Lessons, Leticia Aviles-Parsons Jan 2012

Learning Through Literature Versus Scripted Lessons, Leticia Aviles-Parsons

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to create a guide for planning literature lessons connected to the state mandated curriculum, including today's standards for a fifth grade class and the recently adapted Common Core Standards in Language Arts. This project explains the reading comprehension problems that students in elementary school are facing, especially English learners.


Medical Decision Making Among Mexican-American Elderly Women, Norma Patricia Toro-Hernandez Jan 2012

Medical Decision Making Among Mexican-American Elderly Women, Norma Patricia Toro-Hernandez

Theses Digitization Project

Access to medical coverage has been a topic of constant disussion for many years, in particular accessibility for Mexican-American elderly women to have their medical needs met. Consequently, many elderly women use alternative forms of medicine such as 'remedios caseros' (herbal medicine) as a means to get their medical needs met. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons elderly women continue to use alternative medicine even when they are elgible for health insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurances.