Digital Commons Network^™

Somos España: Building A New Spanish Identity, Lakelyn Taylor

Honors Theses

Establishing an identity is inherent to all individuals and communities. Sometimes creating an identity must be taken a step further by reconstructing a pre-existing identity in exchange for a more favorable one. Spain is currently undergoing a process to reconstruct part of their identity from being a nation with a lazy culture to one that is more progressive. Some Spanish rhetoricians perceive the best way to change Spain’s identity is to eliminate the tradition of siesta time. This study examines the rhetoric that agents utilize in order to create an audience that will help to rhetorically construct Spain’s new identity. …

Beyond Black And White: Visualizing Cultural Identity Amidst Racial Anxiety And Nativism In American Modernist Novels, Emily Moore Harrison

Masters Theses

Walter Benn Michaels’ Our America: Nativism, Modernism, and Pluralism highlights that the search for identity is a mutual project of both nativism and Modernism and reveals how relevant racial identity is in American Modernism. While this is an important relationship in American Modernism, I argue that many recent studies following Michaels’ legacy of scholarship on race and nativism in modern American literature reduce individual authors’ projects, too often interpreting them all to have similar anxieties and desires for American racial identity and citing the presence of racial tropes as evidence of the authors’ own social and political arguments. Michaels set …

The Importance Of Disguise In The Middle English Romances, Sarah Catherine Moore

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the literary motif of disguise in the context of the Middle English romances. The thesis seeks to explore the various manifestations and functions of disguise, and how they relate to the familiar exile-and-return structure of the genre. Chapter I discusses the conversation of genre description of the Middle English romances, and presents the scholarship reviewed for this project along with relevant terms to the discussion at large. Chapter II explores disguise as it relates to a character’s social mobility in King Horn, Havelok the Dane, and The Tale of Gamelyn. Chapter III looks at …

Laughing At Ourselves: Music And Identity In Comedic Performance, Peter Trigg

Masters Theses

Standup comedy actively performs and engages with constructions of self and social identity, especially in terms of ethnic difference and the negotiation of American race relations. Musical comedy, wherein standup comedians perform song onstage, represents one facet of this expression that configures musical texts and expectations in the service of cultural observation and critique. Bo Burnham and Reggie Watts characterize two disparate approaches to the practice based on their aesthetic tastes, existential anxieties, and racial experiences. The two present their respective identities onstage in relation to a changing American political landscape of the early 21st century that has seen widespread …

Problematizing Europe’S Borders In The Context Of The Recent Refugee Crisis, Liam A. Simmonds

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

The fundamental problem of Europe’s borders is how a bounded social reality is to be organized, primarily meaning who is to be included and who is to be excluded. The present refugee crisis has only served to expose and intensify this raison d'être of borders as exclusionary mechanisms which carry great political, economic, and symbolic weight, frequently much to the detriment of those excluded by them. Primarily drawing from the international political sociological work of Didier Bigo and affiliated scholars, I present a theoretical paper coupled with relevant empirical examples to present a critique of the exclusionary modes of operation …

The Association Between Ego Identity Status And Social Media Use, Michael E. Alejandro

Theses and Dissertations

With the current rise in the use of social media across different societies and groups, the question arises as to how social media use relates to psychosocial development, or more specifically, ego identity status. Social media platforms may serve as tools for self-expression and it is through its use that would allow for an individual’s identity exploration characteristic of various ego identity statuses. The purpose of the current study was to examine how current ego identity status may predict integration of social media in individuals’ daily lives, providing a better understanding of how each of the four statuses differ based …

Supporting Women Veterans: Transitioning From Military Life To University Life, Kristen M. Zellers

Undergraduate Theses

Many researchers have analyzed the various adversities that women servicemembers/veterans face in the military, upon reintegration into society, and upon transition into a university setting. These researchers suggest that women veterans experience an identity crisis throughout those three stages of their military career and future plans (Baechtold & DeSawal, 2009; Heineman, 2016; Women Warriors, 2011). What the research lacks is a more in-depth analysis of the women’s experiences and a look into how prevalent identity crises are among female veterans. The present study analyzed these ideas. Student women veterans (N = 9) from three different universities in the Mid-Western …

Beyond The Bucket List: Identity-Centered Religious Calling, Being, And Action Among Parents, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks, Taleah M. Kear, Brittany M. Lewis, Megan L. Stokes

Faculty Publications

From a positive family psychology perspective, this study explores identity-centered religious calling, being, and action among parents of youth, that is, what religious parents believe they are called to be and to do in relation to their adolescent children. Twenty-nine Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families of youth (N = 58) were asked what they considered most important for them "to be" and "to do" as parents of faith. Qualitative analyses were conducted to determine major themes of responses. Parents indicated they believed they were called to be (A1) an example, (A2) authentic, and (A3) consistent; called to provide their …

Conference Of The Birds: Iranian-Americans, Ethnic Business, And Identity, Delia Walker-Jones

Geography Honors Projects

The United States is home to the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran, an immigrant group that slowly emerged over the latter half of the 20th century, spurred by the 1979 Iranian Revolution and subsequent unrest in the mid-2000s. This case study explores the Iranian and Iranian-American-identifying population of the United States, with a geographic focus on the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota. It delves into several key questions: are Iranian ethnic businesses distinct from those previously suggested in ethnic entrepreneurship case studies? And how do perceptions of Iranian-American identity play a role in the development of these …

Contextualizing Palestinian Hybridity: How Pragmatic Citizenship Influences Diasporic Identities, Nicholas E. Bascuñan-Wiley

Sociology Honors Projects

Palestinians are one of the largest diaspora populations in the world, with members in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. How are the individual diasporic experiences of nationalism similar and different to one another? This research examines the creation and maintenance of Palestinian identity in diasporic contexts through ethnographic analysis and a series of interviews conducted in Chile, Jordan, and The United States. The results show that despite Palestinians maintaining Palestinianness as a dominant characteristic of identity in all three settings, there are contextual influences on how people integrate that identity into their lives. Within Jordan, Palestinians experience …

The Patriot Talon (April 25, 2017), University Of Texas At Tyler

The Patriot Talon/The Patriot

The official newspaper for the University of Texas at Tyler before it was changed back to the UT Tyler Patriot. Articles in this issue include: ConGRADulations, Denise Keene: A mother of three, a graduate in the RN to BSN program at the University; University give Blackboard the boot, here's what you need to know about Canvas program; Tomi Lahren vs. Glenn Beck, Students debate whether the termination of host Lahren was wrongful or not. The Defense of Tomi Lahren. The Defense of Glenn Beck; Bidding Adieu, student reflects on time at the University; Finding your identity in college; It's a …

(Un-)American Movement: Unaccompanied Immigrant Children And The Rhetoric Of Space And Identity, Emily K. Royer

Political Science Honors Projects

Immigration, in all its various forms, has become one of the most pressing issues of the modern era. In the contemporary United States, the arrival of migrants—be they refugees, asylum seekers, documented or undocumented immigrants—is often figured as a problem of existential proportions. In this project, I turn my attention to a significant recent development in the new American immigration “crisis.” During the summer months of 2014, the United States witnessed a period of heightened migration by unaccompanied children from the Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Through a rhetorical analysis of congressional hearings held in response …

Casual Myths, David Grandouiller

Creative Writing Minor Portfolios

This portfolio is a multi-genre collection of the best or most representative writing during my three years in the Creative Writing minor at Cedarville University. It includes seven pieces of nonfiction, one short story, and five poems. The most consistent link between these pieces across the genres is an imagist aesthetic, an attempt to live up to W. C. Williams’ adage, “No ideas but in things.” Primary themes the collection explores are my relationship with family, with place, and with God.

Unknown Identities: How Transracial International Adoptees Racially And Culturally Identify In College, Amy Williamson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative research study investigated transracial international adoptees (TRIAs) and how they racially and culturally identify in college. This study was meant to bring an awareness to student affairs professionals to increase their knowledge about a population they may encounter. Four TRIAs were interviewed. The findings from the data analysis revealed many TRIAs were uninterested in their birth country growing up, they were connected to their adoptive culture, and they racially identified with their birth race. Areas for future research and recommendations for student affairs are included.

Advisor: Stephanie Bondi

Shifting Winds: Using Ancestry Dna To Explore Multiracial Individuals' Patterns Of Articulating Racial Identity, Bessie Lee Lawton, Anita K. Foeman

Communication and Media Faculty Publications

This study explored how genotype information affects identification narratives of multiracial individuals. Twenty-one multiracial individuals completed individual interviews before and after receiving a DNA analysis to clarify their genetically based racial ancestry. Based on results, this article proposes patterns of articulating racial identity by multiracial individuals. Four patterns extend evolving research in multiracial identification, namely (1) the individual articulates a monoracial identity; (2) the individual articulates one identity, but this can shift in response to various conditions; (3) the individual articulates an extraracial identity, opting out of traditional categories applied to race; and (4) the person distinguishes traditional categories of …

Vocal Architecture: Restoring Voice To A Silenced Community, Ashley Dalila Espinoza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oppression persists in the silencing of communities and individuals. Architecture can be complicit in, or combative towards, these oppressive forces. As a resistance to oppression, Vocal Architecture seeks to facilitate a shared understanding of individual and collective experiences. Through the exploration of identity in relationship to architecture, the need for Vocal Architecture is realized. Furthermore, the discovery of the psychological and physiological effects a space has towards a dehumanized individual can clarify the liberating components of Vocal Architecture. In designing The Eclosure, this thesis attempts to highlight the liberating aspects of Vocal Architecture as it relates to domestic violence survivors.

Nooks & Crannies, Tessa Mcmillan

Children's Book and Media Review

Life for Tabitha Crum has been difficult because of neglectful parents and a harsh school bully. The two things that help Tabitha survive are taking care of her pet mouse Pemberley and reading the Inspector Pensive mysteries. Just when her parents are about to abandon her, Tabitha receives an invitation from the Countess of Windermere to stay for the weekend. The Crums postpone their trip hoping they can cash in Tabitha for the Countess’s fortune. However, they learn five other children have been invited as well. When all the guests arrive at the Windermere estate, they are greeted by an …

The Impact Of A Mentoring Program On Adolescent Girls’ Self-Esteem, Natalie C. Flanders

Georgia College Student Research Events

Adolescents in the modern world often find themselves facing pressures and influences from family, friends and society. Influences such as advertisement and media are readily available through social media and internet. Girls are especially vulnerable to the pressure in maintaining an ideal body image due to stereotypical female images being portrait as beautiful and attractive. It often results in girl’s preoccupation with beauty and peers’ perceptions, along with other risky behaviors (Galeotti, 2015). Past research found support through a mentoring relationship can have profound impacts on adolescents social-emotional, cognitive, and identity development (Schwartz, Lowe, & Rhodes, 2012). Youth mentoring is …

Frida's Daughter, Myrta Vida

Theses

The purpose of my creative writing is to highlight a group of U.S. citizens still woefully underrepresented in literature proper: the Latinx middle class. I’m keenly interested in exploring Puerto Rican and first- and second-generation Latinx immigrant stories. Even though some of the experiences from these groups have been elegantly visited by writers such as Giannina Braschi, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, Julia Alvarez, and others, there are nuances to the Latinx middle class experience that are yet to be uncovered. Being stuck in the cultural, linguistic, socio-economic, and political middles in a country that has recently taken a largely nationalist …

Damar On Fridays, Maja Sadikovic

Theses

Abstract

These poems are about the first hand witnessing of the Balkan war and its visceral repercussions, ripping of families across generations and continents due to religious intolerance, and an identity crisis within the diaspora of the former Yugoslav people. They interact with appeals of loss, in terms of bodies, memory, and material, despair within the identity of the self in and outside of religion, and the perception of love and belonging, but not necessarily in that order. They are largely inspired by victim story-telling, translations of conversations with natives of the former Yugoslavia and their children, and ramifications of …

A Qualitative Case Study: Examining The Social And Cultural Impact Of Sisters Club, Andrea L. Barrale

Dissertations

Adolescent girls face social and identity issues as they transition into adulthood and after-school programs are one venue that allows adults to help students deal with the difficulties encountered. This is a qualitative case study focused on the impact the SISTERS Club, an after-school program, had on a diverse group of middle school female students over the course of a five year period, from 2001 to 2006. This study described the impact on identity development, multicultural relationships, and the long-term impact of the after-school program on the female adolescents interviewed.

I investigated the racial, social, and cultural barriers that impacted …

Remembering The Rhetorical Complexities Of Apology, James Richard Briscoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most common frameworks used within the genre of apologia is Benoit's Theory of Image Repair. Using its associated typology, the framework enables scholars to examine apologetic texts and extrapolate potential rhetorical strategies in an effort to evaluate the success or failure of the apology. While the theory has expanded our knowledge on the rhetoric of apology, its use over time has become formulaic, and its findings do not seek to enhance our understanding of this rhetorical device. With this understanding, this dissertation attempts to provide a new approach to the genre of apologia that enhances and expands …

Carian Greeks And Greek Scythians: The Hybridity Of Greek And Barbarian Identity In Herodotus’ Histories, Benjamin D. Leach

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

In my thesis, I discuss how Herodotus characterizes the similarities and differences between Greek and non-Greek identity. Herodotus provides his readers with a plethora of details about both Greek and non-Greek peoples in his Histories, which has offered scholars plenty of material to use in this topic. I argue that Herodotus purposefully highlights certain aspects that are shared by certain Greek and non-Greek peoples in order to provide a commentary on his own times. The first chapter focuses on the characters Phanes and Artemisia and how uses the same vocabulary to describes these two individuals, despite one being a …

The Book That Made Me: A Girl, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In this installment of The Book That Made Me, a series from Public Books reflecting on the books that have changed our lives, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner reflects on the freedom he received—to become a whole other person, in a whole other place—from an unexpected source.

Identity Discovery And Verification In Artist-Entrepreneurs: An Active Learning Exercise, A. Erin Bass

Organization Management Journal

Entrepreneurship curricula are becoming increasingly more interdisciplinary, with higher education institutions offering a variety of “entrepreneurship and” courses that cross the boundaries into other fields. Despite this, many entrepreneurship curricula are centered on business theory, which is not suitable for nonbusiness students. For example, business students are trained to define success by financial statements and organizational viability, whereas artists enjoy success by achieving creative satisfaction. This article explores the importance of identity to the entrepreneurial process, highlighting the similarities and differences between the artist and entrepreneur identities. Pedagogical in approach, the article demonstrates the utility of an active learning exercise …

Impact Of Cybvervetting On Job Seekers' Social Media Use And Identity Creation, Courtney Powers

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Social media has become an integral part of connecting with others and sharing personal information. As more individuals use social media to express themselves, organizations have begun using these same sites to make hiring decisions in a process called cybervetting. Although some researchers suggest that cybervetting has consequences for self-expression, currently little research has explored how cybervetting impacts job seekers’ social media use and identity creation. Accordingly, this study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how cybervetting impacts job seekers’ social media use and online identity creation. By surveying job-seeking social media users, this study measures the relationships between …

We Die As We Live, Yücel Güven

Architecture Thesis Prep

Each person is made up of different characters that build his/her complete identity. It is possible to identify these individual personas and design a different mausoleum to each one, specific in architectural language and function. The mausoleum should architecturally be unique to the persona and functionally serve the same purpose.

Reconstruct The Missing Narrative: Rethinking Contemporary Chinese Architecture Through Ancient Landscape Paintings, Taiming Chen, Yiwei Wu

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis addresses the issue of lacking self-identity and missing narrative under contemporary Chinese architecture discipline. Using ancient landscape paintings as design source, this project aims to create an environment that provides personal experience and exclusive meaning from a participant’s point of view instead of an omniscient view.

Paintings are selected from different dynasties and artists, but all based on one important cultural theme: Reclusion. Thus, the reconstructed narrative would provide a tranquil environment for inhabitant to have a temporary retreatment from the city life through making, seeking and thinking.

Identity Transformation In Saudi Male International University Students Studying In The United States, Askia N. Bilal

Culminating Projects in English

The number of Saudi Arabian international students who pursue higher education in the United States has steadily risen over the past decade. Relatively little research has been devoted to investigating how the experience of studying at an institution of higher education in the United States impacts the Saudi Arabian identity. It is an area of significance given the interconnected nature of language acquisition, identity, and culture, and the differences between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The aim of this small-scale qualitative study was to explore how the experience of studying in the United States impacts Saudi male identity. Semi-structured, …

Claiming The Indomitable Wave: Masculinities, Sexualities, And The Realm Of Surfing In Costa Rica, Joseph C. Recupero

Student Publications

Examining the relationship between masculinity, sexuality, and the sport of surfing in the context of Costa Rica. Questions the nature of emergent counter identities in the hyper-masculine realm of the surfing subculture and the ways in which the emergence of counter identities changes the nature of the subculture. Focuses on the anthropology of sport, the anthropology of sexuality, and theories of territoriality.