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Full-Text Articles in Communication

Action Research: A Culturally Specific Case Study On Organizational Capacity-Building To Battle Addiction In The Oneida Native-American Community, Anita F. Barber, Mark Gordon Aug 2021

Action Research: A Culturally Specific Case Study On Organizational Capacity-Building To Battle Addiction In The Oneida Native-American Community, Anita F. Barber, Mark Gordon

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

The Healing Society (coded to mask) is a new and developing organization operated by a volunteer board created by Oneida Nation community members. Leaders were seeking strategic direction to build organizational capacity and sustainability for this new organization. They sought to make positive social change after a well-known community member died from an overdose. The purpose of this post-positivist, constructionist qualitative case study was to gather empirical data from the perspectives of internal and external stakeholders through a SWOT analysis. Their answers addressed: (a) the organizational strengths and weaknesses of The Healing Society to ensure short-term strength and long-term growth, …


Social Networking As A Motivator For Social Gathering, Henrietta Abeley Abbey Jan 2021

Social Networking As A Motivator For Social Gathering, Henrietta Abeley Abbey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, many activists use social media platforms to interact with protesters to organize demonstrations and protests rapidly. Some politically motivated social gatherings are organized online without the knowledge of government or law enforcement personnel. Gatherings can become violent and result in chaos. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which a variety of social media platforms contribute to New York City protesters and activists’ participation in demonstrations that potentially pose a threat to the community. The study involved a qualitative methodology explicitly focused on a phenomenological understanding of responses provided by activists and …


Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher L. Bush Sep 2020

Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher L. Bush

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Delays in the release of police body-worn camera (BWC) video footage have amplified public concerns about police misconduct. People question law enforcement transparency when video from BWCs is not shared with the community in a timely manner. The qualitative case study explores the life experiences of the community and the victims’ family related to delays in the release of police BWC footage. Mettler and Sorelle’s policy feedback theory was used for the study’s theoretical framework. The research questions focus on understanding the lived experiences and perceptions of community relationships with law enforcement around transparency, communication, and information sharing. A qualitative …


Media Exposure To Crime, Fear Of Crime, And Social Interaction Anxiety, Genea Shoulders Jan 2020

Media Exposure To Crime, Fear Of Crime, And Social Interaction Anxiety, Genea Shoulders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2000, approximately 30% of all news stories in mass media focused on crime. According to research, increased exposure to the media directly correlates to an increased fear of crime; however, little research has been conducted into this influential relationship and the extent of which it could affect a person’s social interaction anxiety. Therefore, the study’s purpose was to examine the relationship and consequential impact of media exposure and the extent of which the fear of crime had on individuals’ social interaction anxiety levels. Through a quantitative approach, this study used the theory of cultivation. Question one examined the effect …


Social Media Technologies In Policy Communication: A Case Study Of Ghana’S Information Services Department, Winnifred Nafisa Mahama Jan 2020

Social Media Technologies In Policy Communication: A Case Study Of Ghana’S Information Services Department, Winnifred Nafisa Mahama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an informational gap in demand and supply of real-time policy information confronting Ghana’s Information Services Department. This problem of a gap in demand and supply impacts the productivity of individuals, groups, as well as public and private institutions. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore how the government could integrate social media technologies in its policy communications to bridge the informational gap. The narrative policy framework provided the theoretical framework for the study. Research questions focused on how the government uses social media technologies in engaging citizens to generate input for policy decision making as …


Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher Lee Bush Jan 2020

Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher Lee Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Delays in the release of police body-worn camera (BWC) video footage have amplified public concerns about police misconduct. Law enforcement transparency is questioned when video from BWCs is not shared in a timely manner with the community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore community and victims’ family’s beliefs related to delays in the release of police BWC footage. Rogers’s diffusion innovation theory and Mettler and Sorelle’s policy feedback theory were used for the study’s conceptual framework. The research questions focused on understanding the perceptions of community relationships with law enforcement around transparency, communication, and information sharing. …


Crisis Communication Systems Among K-12 School Principals, Tomicka Nicole Williams Jan 2019

Crisis Communication Systems Among K-12 School Principals, Tomicka Nicole Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crisis communication systems (CCS) in educational settings have been challenged by mass casualty events including shootings, natural disasters, and health outbreaks in the United States. The U.S. federal government and the U.S. Department of Education have created safety and security instructions to manage these complex and diverse security issues, yet they do not address the role of school leaders within a CCS. Using complex adaptive systems as the theoretical construct, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine CCSs utilized by school leaders within a single public school district in the United States. The research questions are focused …


Interoperability Performance Among Campus Law Enforcement Agencies, Tammie Ann Massirer Jan 2018

Interoperability Performance Among Campus Law Enforcement Agencies, Tammie Ann Massirer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks exposed considerable breakdowns in communications interoperability and information sharing among first responders. Multijurisdictional responses to the active-shooter incidents at the University of Texas in 2010; Sandy Hook Elementary of Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, and the Reynolds High School shooting of Multnomah County, Oregon in 2014 were replete with interoperability failures as well. Recent multijurisdictional response events continue to illuminate difficulties with first-responder interoperability and minimal research exists to promote understanding of the interoperability challenges of university police departments. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers that impede communications of campus based …


The Relationship Between Education Levels And Public Opinion Before The Iraq War, Damion Steele Jan 2018

The Relationship Between Education Levels And Public Opinion Before The Iraq War, Damion Steele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that higher education is known to stabilize political opinions and thought to enhance critical thinking skills. The role that an individual's level of education plays in shaping public opinion during a foreign affairs crisis, within the context of repetitious and uniform news media coverage, has yet to be determined. The theoretical foundation of agenda-setting explains how salience is created by emphasizing certain messages and influencing public opinion and may bypass education and political knowledge. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between education level and public opinion immediately before the Iraq War. The …


Leadership In Community Public-Private Partnership Health And Social Care Initiatives, Hawa Yatera Mshana, Magdeline Aagard, Cheryl Cullen, Patrick A. Tschida Jan 2018

Leadership In Community Public-Private Partnership Health And Social Care Initiatives, Hawa Yatera Mshana, Magdeline Aagard, Cheryl Cullen, Patrick A. Tschida

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Although the public–private partnerships in health have been adopted as the best pathway to improving health outcomes in many developing nations, implementation lacks collaborative leadership. The purpose of this empirical qualitative case study was to determine key factors that promote leadership synergy (LS) between partners that enhance ownership and accountability of community health and social initiatives in Tanzania. The diffusion of innovation theory and public–private integrated partnership module were the theoretical framework guided this study. Diffusion of innovation theory is based on the importance of effective communication to spread new ideas and foster change in behavior in a social group …


Media Framing Of Refugees In The United States And Canada, Janine Allwright Jan 2018

Media Framing Of Refugees In The United States And Canada, Janine Allwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ongoing war in Syria and the subsequent refugee crisis has brought the need for refugee resettlement to the forefront of policy debates. Canada and the United States display stark differences in the outcome of their refugee policies. Canada continues to welcome Syrian refugees, whereas the United States has become less willing to engage in resettlement. The purpose of this study was to use Entman's conceptualization of framing theory to compare media framing of refugees in Canada and the United States to deliver insight into the different policy outcomes. Data were acquired through a content analysis of 850 newspaper articles …


Media Exposure And Social Response As Predictors Of Citizen's Attitudes Toward Police, Tara A. Garrison Jan 2018

Media Exposure And Social Response As Predictors Of Citizen's Attitudes Toward Police, Tara A. Garrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police-involved deaths of African Americans have increased over the past two decades, with continued high-profile media exposure. The problem is that extant research provided only a partial understanding and disparate focus about how media exposure, social responses, social media use, and attitudes towards police were possibly related to citizens witnessing acts of police-initiated actions against African Americans in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the predictive nature of media exposure, social response, and social media use concerning citizens' attitudes towards police. The two theories supporting this study and shaped this hypothetical system are media …


Three Factors Leading To The Failure Of Communications In Emergency Situations, James E. Burroughs Jan 2017

Three Factors Leading To The Failure Of Communications In Emergency Situations, James E. Burroughs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of communications, particularly related to interoperability, between police and firefighters responding to dangerous situations has resulted in death or injury to themselves or those they strive to protect. Using Grebner's and Shannon and Weaver's conceptualizations of communications theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to evaluate, from the perspective of first responders, what barriers exist that may impede opportunities for interoperability of communications systems. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 18 experienced first responders from the states of California, New York, and Texas. Interview data were deductively coded …


Active Shooter Event Severity, Media Reporting, Offender Age And Location, Philip Joshua Swift Jan 2017

Active Shooter Event Severity, Media Reporting, Offender Age And Location, Philip Joshua Swift

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, it was hypothesized that offenders used knowledge gained from news media reports about previous events to plan mass shootings. Although researchers have studied active shooter events, little research has been conducted on the factors that influence an active shooter's decision and ability to carry out such events. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the rate of news media reporting about an active shooter event and the casualty rate of the ensuing event in the United States. The bracketed time of this assessment was between April 20, 1999, and …


Exploring The Use Of Texting Within San Antonio Texas Police Emergency Reporting, Deborah Lee Almendarez Jan 2016

Exploring The Use Of Texting Within San Antonio Texas Police Emergency Reporting, Deborah Lee Almendarez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The introduction of wireless device text messaging, as an alternative to a citizen placing a telephone call for police help, generates the need for new polices and processes relevant to police call-taker, police dispatcher, and police officer response to reported emergencies. Little scholarly research explores the policy issues around the use of text 9-1-1 within public safety answering point operations. Using systems theory as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the potential use of written communication via a wireless device text message for reporting a police emergency. Research questions focused on the reciprocal relationships …


Minorities' Perception Of The Comprehensive Emergency Management Model Of Distributing Of Information, Lawrence Davis Jan 2015

Minorities' Perception Of The Comprehensive Emergency Management Model Of Distributing Of Information, Lawrence Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to receive critical and timely information from emergency management professionals (EMPs) may lead to the loss of life during disasters and emergencies. Recent research and government reports have indicated that there may be communication failures between EMPs and minority community members, though little is known about how minority communities perceive EMP communication efforts. The central research questions and purpose of this study were designed to explore the experiences of minority community members in receiving and interpreting disaster-related communications from EMPs. Data for this phenomenological study were acquired through-in-depth interviews with 13 African Americans (7 males and 6 females) located …


Happiness In Public Policy, Laura Musikanski Jan 2014

Happiness In Public Policy, Laura Musikanski

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

The happiness movement represents a new paradigm where social, economic, and environmental systems are structured to encourage human well-being in a sustainable environment. Bhutan has adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a way of determining its society’s success in contrast to purely economic goals and the singular use of the gross domestic product indicator. Bhutanese policy promulgation includes use of a GNH screening tool. In the United Kingdom, happiness indicators are being used to collect data and the government is starting to explore their application to policy. The Bhutanese GNH policy screening tool has been adapted for the grassroots activists, …


A Case Study Investigating The Interpretation And Implementation Of The Transformative Mediation Technique, Chuks Petrus Nweke Jan 2011

A Case Study Investigating The Interpretation And Implementation Of The Transformative Mediation Technique, Chuks Petrus Nweke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, unresolved conflicts have negatively influenced the general public through increased violence, overwhelming the judicial system. A literature review suggested that between 15% and 20% of conflicts result in an impasse. This study was designed to understand how the implementation and application of the transformative meditation technique (TMT) is used to resolve conflicts. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the interpretation and implementation of TMT. This qualitative case study was grounded in the conceptual framework of interest-based negotiation (IBN) principles. The research questions focused on mediators' perceptions, interpretations, and depth of knowledge, as well as …