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The Crucible Of Marriage: Faith, Formation, And Spiritual Autonomy In Jane Eyre, Diana Pitsch

Masters Theses

This thesis treats marriage in Jane Eyre as the crucible of Jane's unique, experiential, and individually crafted faith. It examines marriage as the primary arena in which Jane's faith is shaped, tested, and, ultimately, fulfilled. Situated within Victorian Evangelical culture and restrictive gender ideology, the study examines how Jane’s spirituality is shaped through personal discernment rather than submission to institutional authority. Through close readings of Gateshead, Lowood, and Jane’s encounters with Rochester and St. John Rivers, the thesis demonstrates how Jane’s faith is tested against both passionate attachment and prescribed religious duty. Her refusal of both proposals reveals a developing …

Bridging Traditions: An Exploration Of Orchestral And Contemporary Bass Clarinet Performance Practice, Patrick Burke

Research Theses

This thesis presents a practice-led investigation into bass clarinet performance, examining how orchestral and contemporary traditions may be explored as an integrated artistic practice. Grounded in a reflective, semi-autoethnographic methodology, the research traces the evolution of my performance practice through exploration of repertoire, modes of collaboration and critical reflection. Rather than seeking prescriptive models or definitive outcomes, the study embraces the exploratory nature of artistic research, allowing insights to emerge through practice and experience.

Situated within my ongoing work as a professional clarinettist, the research is informed by active engagement across orchestral, solo, chamber, and collaborative contexts. The thesis demonstrates …

A Thank-You Gift To My Dad: Illustrations Based On Olaf Stapledon’S Star Maker, Alex Combs

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay reflects on a series of etchings created as a personal tribute to my father, Allan Leslie Combs, and inspired by Olaf Stapledon’s Star Maker. Blending memoir, art, and cosmological imagination, the article explores creative gratitude, spiritual vision in science fiction, and the connection between art and consciousness.

Keywords: Allan Leslie Combs, Olaf Stapledon, Star Maker, consciousness and creativity

Resilient Leadership In Action: The Rhetoric And Relationships Of Abraham Lincoln For Today’S Public Administration, Wayne Morris Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public administration faces growing volatility and complexity, requiring leadership models that extend beyond traditional management paradigms. This qualitative, historical-explanatory case study introduces and tests a multidimensional theory of resilient leadership in public administration through the rhetoric and relationships of Abraham Lincoln during his presidency. Guided by one central and four sub-research questions, the study analyzes fifty-six of Lincoln’s letters, speeches, and memoranda alongside fifteen diary entries by Navy Secretary Gideon Welles. Using a dual framework that integrates the Four-Factor Leadership Model and the proposed five-dimensional resilient leadership model: adaptability and learning, ethical decision-making and integrity, collaborative governance and stakeholder engagement, …

Evaluating Theories On End-Of-Life Dreams And Visions With Similar Phenomena In Trauma-Related Populations, Christopher Channy Vinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A grounded theory approach was used to conduct a study on participants (N=24) who were veterans with trauma-related dreams or who had a near-death experience. Research questions were designed to qualitatively examine the lived experiences of dreams and visions in a non-end-of-life setting. This allowed the data to give greater insight into the end-of-life phenomenon and deepen the body of knowledge on dreams and visions in general. A survey consisting of the PTGI-SF, LuCiD, NExS, and the Greyson NDE, along with open-ended survey questions designed to record dream narratives for a thematic analysis, was used. The dream narratives were coded …

Selling The Impossible: A Critical Study Of Nostalgia, Persuasion And Ethical Implications, Francois Elmaleh

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the psychological, cultural and iconic influence of mid-20th-century comic book advertising and its enduring influence on modern marketing. With a concentration on adolescent readership, it examines how advertisements in comics shaped consumerist behavior through aspirational discourse, gendered address and emotional manipulation. Through literature reviews, visual analyses and case studies—such as the Charles Atlas bodybuilding campaign, Sea Monkeys and X-ray glasses—this research investigates the rhetorical strategies and ethical ramifications of advertising to children.

The objectives are fivefold: (1) to inventory and analyze dominant advertising strategies employed in comic book ads, (2) to explore how they reinforced cultural and …

Small Courageous Minds, Desirae Bach

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the barriers, agreements, and disagreements between mental health and Christianity, specifically as it relates to helping Christian children with anxiety. The following investigation explores how God defines and reacts to anxiety in the Bible and how anxiety is explained through scientific research. By explaining both scientific and biblical views of anxiety, the Christian community can grasp a better understanding of how to help children with anxiety. The research also builds a foundational investigation on how anxiety affects children and possible solutions for relieving anxiety in children. Educating children at a young age about mental health and offering …

Africa's Global Influence, Faez Al-Haq - Abidemi Salami

Masters Theses

This thesis believes in the design and production of an interactive kids' coloring book on Africa's extensive influence on world cultures, history, economies, and artistic heritage. In a bid to reverse centuries of misrepresentation and large-scale miseducation regarding Africa within early childhood textbooks, this work aims to design an interactive, kid-friendly guide that informs young readers about the central role Africa plays in today's world. Informed by thorough literature review and referencing case studies of successful education and culture intervention, the proposal positions Africa's global reach, spanning from its precolonial trading networks, philosophic structures, diaspora contributions, art heritage, and cultural …

Automating Academia: Implications Of Genai Use In Doctoral Research And Online Mentoring, Cheryl Burleigh, Andrea M. Wilson

Journal of Online Mentoring

This study critically examines the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), specifically ChatGPT, in the development of doctoral dissertation proposals, highlighting both its potential and its ethical implications. Through a content analysis of a dissertation proposal created using ChatGPT, the study investigates how GenAI supports structural organization, academic writing, and citation formatting while exposing significant concerns related to fabricated references, methodological misalignment, and diminished scholarly rigor. Although GenAI accelerates the proposal-writing process, its outputs often lack the depth, coherence, and originality expected at the doctoral level, thereby threatening the integrity of academic research. Findings reveal that GenAI-generated content may deceive …

Art In Communist China: Visualizing The People’S Republic Of China’S Changing Policy On Taiwan Through Propaganda Posters, Alden J. Rowe

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This research paper is an analysis of the role of propaganda posters in visualizing the changing policy of the People’s Republic of China on reunification with Taiwan. The propaganda posters were obtained through Chineseposters.net, maintained and owned by the Chinese Posters Foundation and edited by Stefan Landsberger and Marien van der Heijden, which offers over 7,000 propaganda posters that serve as a visual history of China. Of these roughly 7,000 posters, six, released from 1949-1978, was analyzed regarding their role in promoting the Chinese Communist Party’s political stance on Taiwan. Prior to the 1960s, the propaganda posters illustrate armed violence …

A Review Of Alberto Toscano’S Late Fascism, Clint Burnham

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Zahi Zalloua's The Politics Of The Wretched: Race, Reason, And Ressentiment, Benjamin Davis

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Exploring Chinese Elements In J.D. Salinger’S Works: A Response To Mccarthyism In The Early Cold War Era, Yixin Lu

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Since the publication of “The Laughing Man” in 1949, various ideas about “China” have emerged in J. D. Salinger’s famously obscure works. This article aims to argue that Salinger’s incorporation of elements related to China and ancient Chinese philosophy in his works illustrates an artistic response to American anxieties during the McCarthy Era. The article uses “The Laughing Man” and “De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period” as case studies to demonstrate how Salinger’s engagement with “China,” including the concept of indiscrimination from Zen Buddhist ideas, as well as notions of naturalness and non-action from Taoist ideas, develops not only a mystical writing …

Ginsberg’S China Experience And Its Influence On His Series Of Poems On China, Xiankai Ren

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

As a renowned poet and representative of the Beat Generation, Allen Ginsberg was invited to be a member of the US Writers’ Delegation to visit China in 1984. His China trip as well as his reading of traditional Chinese literature constitute his China experience, which is represented in Ginsberg’s poetry. This essay examines Ginsberg’s series of poems on China. It first shows that Ginsberg’s introduction to the Beat Generation poets and their poetics provided the inspiration for his poetry writing. Then it discusses Ginsberg’s observation of Chinese society during his visit and his reading of the Chinese poet Bai Juyi. …

Daoist Philosophy And Stephen Mitchell’S The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale For Consenting Adults, Yunfei Yu, Senlin Yu

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In 1999, Stephen Mitchell published The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults, in which he added “a good deal of background materials” and “a certain number of necessary explanations” to the “six-and-a-half-minute” world-famous Grimms’ fairy tale The Frog Prince, making it a psychological and philosophical novella. This paper illustrates how Daoist philosophy is entailed in Stephen Mitchell’s Frog Prince by analyzing the protagonists’ practice of Daoist philosophy: the Princess’s pursuit of a Daoist natural, simple and carefree life; the Frog’s transformation from an ugly frog to a handsome prince by practicing meditation; and the King’s love …

Gender And Public Space In Morocco : Stereotypes, Violence And Road Safety In Marrakesh, Elhoussein Afriad

Faits de Langue et Société (FLS)

Public space is a place for social interaction, movement and civic expression. However, this space is not neutral; it is marked by power relations, particularly those related to gender/sex. This article presents my doctoral research on the forms of inequality and violence experienced by Moroccan women in urban public spaces – specifically in Marrakesh – particularly in their practice of driving, which is often considered a masculine activity. Gender stereotypes influence not only how women are perceived when they get behind the wheel, but also the behaviours they adopt to adapt or protect themselves. This article discusses my interdisciplinary methodological …

“No Ifs, Ands, Or Butts”: Analyzing Race And Gender In Sex And The City Through Black Feminist Theory, Daniella Orias

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This article analyzes Season 3, Episode 5 of Sex and the City, “No Ifs, Ands, or Butts,” through the lens of Black feminist theory. It investigates how race and gender are constructed, stereotyped, and selectively represented within the episode’s narrative. The analysis focuses on two Black characters who were featured only in one episode of the series, Adeena and Chivon, and examines how the show portrays harmful stereotypes such as the angry Black woman (Adeena) and sexualized Black male (Chivon) in the episode. These limited and harmful representations are further scrutinized by the fact that the show is often …

Fragmented Foundations: Interpreter Educator Resources And Uneven Student Preparation, Kierstin S. Muroski

Journal of Interpretation

The readiness-to-work gap among graduates of signed language interpreting programs has been widely acknowledged for decades. Efforts to address the gap have primarily focused on training methods and student performance. This paper shifts the focus to interpreter educators, examining whether the inconsistencies in their awareness and use of discipline-related books may contribute to the disparate educational outcomes of students entering the workforce. Drawing on survey data from 75 interpreter educators in the United States, this study explores demographic patterns of their book awareness and usage in teaching. Results indicate that awareness and utilization of discipline-related books to support teaching are …

The History Of Teaching Indonesian In The United States And Its Pedagogical Shift In The Late 20th Century, Eko Widianto, G.G. Weix, Michael Cullinane

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

The history of teaching Indonesian in the United States has received limited scholarly attention, despite the field's existence for over eighty years. This study traces its development and identifies three main phases. The first phase began during World War II, when Indonesian was taught primarily to meet military needs through a structural and drill-based approach. In the 1960s and 1970s, instruction was restructured to support academic research, with teaching materials and classroom practices aimed at developing reading skills and preparing students for fieldwork. From the late twentieth century onward, Indonesian programs increasingly adopted communicative approaches influenced by broader trends in …

Mapping The Multifarious Image In Time Of Globalization, Anne-Laure Oberson

Artl@s Bulletin

Abstract: In this paper, I examine the evolving concept of the image, exploring the philosophical implications of its complex, multifaceted nature. I question the value of terms such as icon, simulacrum, and image in reference to Gilles Deleuze’s text Difference and Repetition. I argue for a pluralistic approach to understanding images as they embody more than a duality of visible-invisible dimensions. I seek to capture the multifariousness of the image to understand its transformative power. In conclusion, the paper suggests reevaluating image discourse to better engage with the evolution of its implications in a global context.

Résumé: Dans cet …

Brute Force Branding: Variations & Repetitions Of The Almighty Dollar Banknote, Rui-Long Monico

Artl@s Bulletin

Abstract: This paper examines the U.S. dollar as a global brand and mythic icon, revealing how its stable aesthetic asserts dominance and infiltrates daily life. Through visual analysis and global comparison, it shows how banknotes are battlegrounds where art, identity, and geopolitics collide—currency as a weapon of soft power and cultural hegemony. The dollar’s visual inertia—ritualized, repeated, reappropriated—cements its supremacy as a symbolic force, where repetition enforces authority and variation sparks both resistance and conformity. Banknotes emerge as tools of statecraft and vessels of collective memory, as reflected in the author’s bespoke creation accompanying this study.

Résumé: Cet article analyse …

Ulama And Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia Government's Strategies To Navigate A Successful Economic Reform, Nashiha Ulya, Hamdan Basyar

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy, but scepticism persists due to past reform failures, particularly in fiscal policy and labour markets. Ulama, as key figures in the Saudi "social contract," play a vital role in legitimising government policies, especially on social and religious matters. However, reforms promoting private sector growth and social liberalisation have raised concerns among conservative ulama over potential threats to Islamic values. To address this, the government under Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) employs a strategy of separating economic and religious narratives while using a "carrot and stick" approach to manage ulama opposition. This …

From Compliance To Care: Reconstructing Feminist Accountability In Global Aid Governance, Andi Pangeran, Ani Widyani Soetjipto, Shelly Adelina

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This article critically examines the literature on global aid governance through a feminist lens, focusing on three key areas: epistemic power, organisational depoliticisation, and the ethics of accountability. The review reveals that the coloniality of knowledge in global aid governance creates epistemic hierarchies grounded in claims of objectivity and efficiency, thereby marginalising local voices. Meanwhile, processes such as NGO-isation and professionalisation have transformed activism into administrative compliance. However, within these structures, reflective agency can still emerge through negotiated autonomy and the politics of translation, allowing feminist organisations to maintain their political significance. Regarding ethics, feminist accountability is redefined as a …

Wei Xiqin’S Evolutionary Plan For Modern China, Nianhong Qiu

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

This study examines the thinking, practices, and significance of Wei Xiqin (1882- 1952). Born in Germany and educated in various European countries, Wei was a musician and educator who played an active role in the educational reform of the Republic of China. Wei was equipped with modern European thoughts but held deep reverence for Confucianism and other traditional Chinese classics. Examining this contentious figure in the wake of “Chinese Evolutionism” trend, this study investigates the differences between Wei’s evolution theory and the dominant evolution theory during early 20th-century China. Wei’s evolutionism, which I call a type of “Cyclic Evolution,” implies …

Navigating Kingship: Sea Power And Sovereignty In Gower's Confessio Amantis, Elizabeth D. Brissey

Accessus

This article examines John Gower’s Apollonius of Tyre in the Confessio Amantis through the lens of the blue humanities, giving special attention to the ways in which the tale treats the sovereign’s maritime domain as integral to the terrestrial. Apollonius depicts sovereignty over aquapelagic space, with the sea serving both as a channel of exchange and as a figurative medium through which sovereignty is negotiated. The crucial issue that aligns the Apollonius tale with the concept of English sovereignty lies in its vision of thalassocratic space in which kingship is grounded in sea power and the sea as a connecting …

Music Therapists' Perceptions On The Use Of Chinese Five-Element Music For Patients With Depression In Shandong Province, China., Zhu Jiaqi

Student Works (2020-2029)

Depression is a common and serious mental health issue that significantly impacts an individual's quality of life and daily functioning. Music therapy, as a low-risk, non-pharmacological intervention, can regulate emotions and psychological states. This study is based on the Chinese Five-Elements theory, exploring the core concepts of Five-Elements music therapy, the challenges faced by music therapists in clinical applications, and its future development potential. This study recruited practitioners who hold registered music therapist qualifications, are familiar with the Five Elements music therapy, and have experience in treating depression and related comorbidities (such as anxiety and insomnia) as participants through purposive …

Fugitive Formalisms: Strategies Of Dissemblance And Dissent In The Work Of Queer-Identifying Artists, 1970–Present, Rowan Diaz-Toth

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing case studies of works by Hélio Oiticica, Scott Burton, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres as points of departure, this thesis puts forth a speculative historical framework for reconsidering queer art practices up through the present day in opposition to regimes of visibility and transparency, exploring the subversive, fugitive potential of non-representational formalisms.

Rhetorical Awareness And Vision In The Four Speeches Of Ellison’S Invisible Man, Asif Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates Ralph Ellison’s account of rhetoric’s role in establishing, disguising, and contesting racism in the early- and mid-twentieth-century United States. The thesis is structured around four pivotal public orations by the protagonist of Ellison’s 1952 novel Invisible Man. Drawing on Ellison’s private letters and essays to further illuminate his concern for the relationship between speech, public engagement, and self-perception, I propose that Ellison’s novel dramatizes some ways that shifts in speech style, technique, and addressee enable intellectual development and political efficacy. Even techniques that initially appear self-sabotaging and “blind,” Ellison suggests, have the potential to develop into politically …

One Stone's Journey, Satoko Saito

Theses and Dissertations

One Stone’s Journey is a participatory, experiential thirty-minute documentary about uranium. By using an embroidered world map and appealing to participants’ senses—especially touch—the project explores the possibility of telling the story of radiation, which is invisible, intangible, and silent. Uranium is a radioactive material used by the United States in the development and production of the atomic bombs during the Manhattan Project. This year, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011 was on a scale comparable to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, and the threat …

"Catching Up": Christian Walker's Critical Lens, Noam Parness

Theses and Dissertations

“Catching Up” examines three bodies of photographic work that artist, critic, and curator Christian Walker (1953-2003) generated between 1984-1991. By reading each series against a corresponding text, “Catching Up” furthers an understanding of how Walker’s works reconstruct experiences and histories of race and sexuality in the United States.