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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

2020

Articles 31 - 45 of 45

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Overcoming Tools Of Oppression: Plain Language And Human-Centered Design For Social Justice, Michela Sims Jan 2020

Overcoming Tools Of Oppression: Plain Language And Human-Centered Design For Social Justice, Michela Sims

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Technical communication audiences are increasingly international and intercultural. Some of these audiences may be vulnerable and suffering trauma following violations of their human rights and dignity. In such cases, technical documents can serve to reinforce the oppression experienced by these audiences. Technical communicators must adapt and create methods to communicate ethically and responsibly with these audiences through a social justice lens. This thesis utilizes adapted plain language guidelines from plainlanguage.gov combined with human-centered design (“HCD”) guiding principles to perform a qualitative document analysis of technical government forms. The findings of this analysis demonstrate a need for continued integration of plain …


Social Justice Scholarship Informing Visual Communication Practices, Alicia Campbell Jan 2020

Social Justice Scholarship Informing Visual Communication Practices, Alicia Campbell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

My discussion hinges on the groundwork of social justice as integral to the field of technical and professional communication (TPC) with an understanding of the importance of visual communication; ultimately, I seek to understand the intersections of Social Justice and Visual Communication within the field of Technical Communication. Based on this research, I develop a heuristic that allows technical communicators to critically analyze their visual communication efforts, specifically infographics, for advocacy/social justice.


Assessing Preferences For Montessori-Based Activities In Persons With Memory Impairment, Katelyn Danielle Smith Jan 2020

Assessing Preferences For Montessori-Based Activities In Persons With Memory Impairment, Katelyn Danielle Smith

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The population of older adults in the U.S is continuously increasing. With this comes an increased number of individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementia related disease (ADRD), along with the need for quality care for these individuals. The use of activities to increase engagement has been shown to have a number of psychological benefits, especially when these activities are tailored to the abilities and preferences of the individual. However, individualizing activity programming is not always feasible for activity and care staff. The purpose of this study was to use a stimulus preference assessment to identify Montessori-based activities that persons with …


Compilation Of Four Different Papers On Different Gender Issues, Minara Nazmin Jan 2020

Compilation Of Four Different Papers On Different Gender Issues, Minara Nazmin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

I wrote four separate academic articles that placed in my Alternative Plan Paper in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts (M.A.) in Gender and Women Studies. My four papers spokes on different fundamental perspectives of issues of gender and women studies. The first paper unveiled inequalities in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market, such as In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) and how it is reinforcing reproductive responsibility for women. This paper found unequal access to IVF based on color, class, and sexual orientation. The second paper explores gender from a feminist theoretical standpoint. Mainly, this examines how …


Assessing Competitive Oral Interpretation Speakers: What We Expect Students To Learn, Kelsey Johnson Jan 2020

Assessing Competitive Oral Interpretation Speakers: What We Expect Students To Learn, Kelsey Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Forensic coaches believe and argue oral interpretation events are educational in nature and provide robust learning opportunities for the competitors who participate in oral interpretation. However, while many scholars claim oral interpretation events are educational, learning outcomes (LOs) do not exist to measure what is learned. Therefore, to measure if oral interpretation competitors are learning, I led focus groups consisting of North Dakota speech coaches to determine what we can expect competitors to learn by participating in the oral interpretation events sanctioned by the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA). Using thematic analysis of the focus groups, I illuminated …


Disparities Within School Discipline: An Examination Of Race, English Language Learner Status, & Suspension, Serena Boyce Jan 2020

Disparities Within School Discipline: An Examination Of Race, English Language Learner Status, & Suspension, Serena Boyce

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is much discussion in the United States about how in-school and out of school suspension negatively impacts students who are subjected to this form of exclusionary discipline. There is concern about whether there are disparities in school suspension rates between students from different subgroups and their peers. Research in this area has shown that racial/ethnic minority students, as well as students with the factors of having a low socio-economic status and being male, make some schools more likely to use school discipline than others. A question to be answered in the area of school discipline is related to if …


The Moderating Influence Of The Strength Of Racial Identity On The Relationship Between Teacher-Student Racial Similarity-Dissimilarity And Classroom Engagement, Md Enamul Kabir Jan 2020

The Moderating Influence Of The Strength Of Racial Identity On The Relationship Between Teacher-Student Racial Similarity-Dissimilarity And Classroom Engagement, Md Enamul Kabir

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research, titled ‘The moderating influence of the strength of racial identity on the relationship between teacher-student racial similarity-dissimilarity and classroom engagement’, was conducted by Md Enamul Kabir, a graduate student in the Department of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato as a requirement for completing a Master of Arts degree in August 2020. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand how the strength of racial identity moderates the effects of the teacher-student racial similarity and dissimilarity on the engaging behavior of students with their instructors in United States classrooms. This study questioned the prevalent assumption that …


Exploring Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Communication (Aimc) As A Sub-Field Of Communication Studies. A Textual Examination, Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan Jan 2020

Exploring Artificial Intelligence-Mediated Communication (Aimc) As A Sub-Field Of Communication Studies. A Textual Examination, Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

From the book "Speaking into the Air: A History of the Idea of Communication," written by John Durham Peters, we understand a notion about developing one’s destiny; people have the freedom to choose multiple paths to follow (Peters, 2012). If we reject this idea, it is also easy for people to come up with distinct explanations. Even though the meaning of the same issues might vary subject to who is interpreting them, the primary concepts can be interpreted as more or less the same. If we study these two--"artificial intelligence" and "communication"- simultaneously, we can assume some characteristics. Thus, this …


A Systematic Review Of The Literature: Defining Child Sex Trafficking, Chelseanne Luella Davidson Jan 2020

A Systematic Review Of The Literature: Defining Child Sex Trafficking, Chelseanne Luella Davidson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Depression, anxiety, and other comorbid psychological conditions are commonly found in child sex trafficking victims (Basson et al., 2012; Cole et al., 2016; Cook et al., 2018; Hargreaves-Cormany & Patterson, 2016; Hossain et al., 2010; Hopper, 2017; Middleton et al., 2018; Pierce, 2012; Reid, 2018; Shaw et al., 2017). Given the likelihood that mental health professionals may encounter victims of child sex trafficking, it is necessary to have a comprehensive and universal understanding of sex trafficking in order to most effectively address victims’ needs through evidence-based practices and inventions. The purpose of this study was to gain a more informed …


Intercultural Communication Apprehension: A Multidimensional Perspective Of Communication Between International And Domestic Students, Christina Van Essen Jan 2020

Intercultural Communication Apprehension: A Multidimensional Perspective Of Communication Between International And Domestic Students, Christina Van Essen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research looks at different factors influencing international students’ level of intercultural communication apprehension (ICA), the difference in the level of international students’ (participants) ICA experienced towards domestic and international students, and lastly the influence of this ICA on the social connectedness participants experience while living in the United States. Findings show that participants’ comfort in using English, and their cultural sensitivity had a significant influence on ICA when all variables were considered. Findings also show that participants are more apprehensive in communicating with American students as compared to international students. The combination of ICA towards American and international students …


Expectation Versus Reality: Star Trek, Nyota Uhura, And The Female Role, Cecelia Otto-Griffiths Jan 2020

Expectation Versus Reality: Star Trek, Nyota Uhura, And The Female Role, Cecelia Otto-Griffiths

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In a media saturated world, there is an abundance of stereotypes perpetuated for women. Since the late 1960’s, however, Star Trek has been one example of how television and film can challenge stereotypes and what is considered normal. This study sought to understand the extent of change in how women’s physical and role representations are presented through the artifact of Lt. Uhura in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the 2016 film Star Trek: Beyond. Using feminist theory as a lens to conduct a content analysis of these films, this study used frequently identified “feminine” characteristics in …


The Biological Manifestation Of Health, Culture, And Disease In Turn Of The Twentieth Century San Francisco, Trisha Walker Jan 2020

The Biological Manifestation Of Health, Culture, And Disease In Turn Of The Twentieth Century San Francisco, Trisha Walker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Between 1880 and 1920, a period known as the Great Migration, the city of San Francisco became one of the most diverse areas in the United States due to the steady arrival of immigrants. These groups of immigrants primarily consisted of individuals from China, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Eastern Europe, and Mexico. However, each of these groups faced various forms of xenophobia from American-born citizens when they tried to either earn a living or assimilate into American society. These immigrant groups were frequently impeded by who was, and who was not, considered to be “white” in the eyes of the dominant …


The Effects Of A Cognitive Training Program For Healthy Older Adults: A Program Evaluation Study, Jacklyn Gehling Jan 2020

The Effects Of A Cognitive Training Program For Healthy Older Adults: A Program Evaluation Study, Jacklyn Gehling

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As one ages, some degree of cognitive decline is expected. Despite this, declines in cognitive abilities and the possibility of developing dementia are common concerns among older adults. In response to these concerns, a variety of cognitive training programs have been developed that aim to improve or maintain cognitive functioning. Previous literature has shown mixed or limited findings on cognitive changes after implementation of cognitive training. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive training program designed for older adults with no to minimal cognitive decline. The current study included 19 participants who engaged in two, one-hour long cognitive training …


An Investigation Into The Perceptions Of Elderspeak And How It Effects Mood Among An Assisted Living Population, Paige T. Shoutz Jan 2020

An Investigation Into The Perceptions Of Elderspeak And How It Effects Mood Among An Assisted Living Population, Paige T. Shoutz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study aimed to examine perceptions of ES and its effect on mood among older adults residing in assisted living facilities (ALFs). Residents (N=6) were exposed to two videos comprised of an interaction of a nursing assistant aiding an older adult resident during activities of daily living. One of the videos demonstrated neutral communication, whereas the other video demonstrated communication with elderspeak. A mood rating was obtained prior to and immediately following exposure to each of the videos. Participants also provided ratings of the nursing assistant, and completed a qualitative interview that gathered their opinions, perceptions, and perceived differences between …


Using Bourdieu In Communication And Forensics Research, Stephen P. Hagan Jan 2020

Using Bourdieu In Communication And Forensics Research, Stephen P. Hagan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As norms in the forensics community are often unspoken and have few identifiable starting points, habitus and Bourdieu seems an apt place to begin an analysis. Further, such analysis can serve as a potential case study for broader applications of Bourdieu to communication studies. Thus, my goal is to provide an overview of Bourdieu’s work through his interconnecting ideas of habitus, field, and cultural capital and use those concepts to discuss college forensics as a case study of how communicative norms and attitudes are shaped in small collective social structures such as forensics. Building from that application, I explore ways …