Digital Commons Network^™

Celebrity, Music, And Public Persona: A Case Study Of Taylor Swift, Elaina K.M. Junes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Studies have shown that celebrity culture is one of many significant sources of influence that inform the construction of individuals’ identities as well as their outlook on work, life ambitions, and accomplishment. Celebrity also offers a unique window with which to examine both how social structures operate in the mainstream, and how social inequalities are reproduced. This study utilizes qualitative research methodology by way of longitudinal content analysis to examine how Taylor Swift’s public persona has evolved comparatively throughout the early and late stages of her career, specifically in regard to her gender, age, and music. This study identifies ten …

Removing Barriers And Establishing Gender And Sexuality Alliances In Schools: A Qualitative Analysis Of Gsa Advisor Experiences, Maxwell L. Keller

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Current movements within the field of education include a focus on the ability of educators to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) students within schools. As LGBTQ+ students are at increased risk for a variety of mental health and lifetime negative factors, it is vital to identify evidence-based supports for these students. School-based extra-curricular organizations such as Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) have been found among the literature to increase positive educational outcomes for all students and serve as a protective factor for LGBTQ+ students who face these increased risks by virtue of their identities. However, …

Masculinity, Femininity, & Dignity: Examining The Relationship Between Gender Expression And Respect, Ashton Lyvers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The concepts of masculinity and femininity fall into the category of gender, thus making the character qualities we associate with these traits psychological perceptions, rather than biological qualities (Gentile, 1993). Gender roles are not the way one acts, but the way one is expected to act based on their sex (Deaux, 1985). There is a lack of research on how these expectations can create complications in various aspects of our lives, such as feeling respected in our familial or platonic relationships, education, and career. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between gender expression and respect. It …

African American Women In The Academy: Meaningful Pathways To Productive Careers, Kenya Marshall Harper

CGU Theses & Dissertations

African American female professors hold prominent, influential roles inside and outside university settings. In universities, professors are impactful mentors and role models influencing students' academic dispositions and outcomes (Zinn & Walker, 2018; Hine & Thompson, 1998). In communities, they provide meaningful scholarship that influences academic, workplace, and extracurricular equity and advancement opportunities (Njoku & Patton, 2017; Evans, 2016; Cooper, 2006). The current study investigates the individual aptitude, school/instruction , and environmental factors influencing African American females' life-span academic talent development. A mixed-method research approach, including a structured interview protocol and online survey, is used to investigate study participants' early to …

Different Shades Of Red: From Prostitution To Purity, The Evolution Of Little Red Riding Hood, Jill Lester

Literary and Intercultural Studies | Senior Theses

The Little Red Riding Hood tale is one of the most popular, beloved, and recounted fairytales ever. It is rare to find someone unfamiliar with the little girl in the woods, meeting the “Big Bad Wolf,” and their subsequent encounter. This comparative essay will analyze the sexuality or innocence in the versions of Little Red Riding Hood through the antagonist, the wolf, sensuality, and symbolism. The three oldest versions of Little Red Riding Hood, the oral tale, “The Story of Grandmother,” Charles Perrault’s “Little Red Riding Hood,” and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimms' “Little Red Cap” will be analyzed. Each story …

Grieving Climate Change: A Psychological And Personal Exploration Of Emotionally Processing The Climate Crisis, Hava Chishti

Pitzer Senior Theses

The psychological concept of grief, although not typically associated with climate change, has strong applications to the emotional processing of climate change for human beings. Grief can be related to climate change in many ways, including the grief that individuals may feel over the anticipated loss of their future, losses that may be experienced due to climate-related disasters, and grief for the overall implications of anthropogenic climate change. A mixture of traditional literature analysis and creative nonfiction essays, which focus on personal narratives from interviews and the author’s experience, are used to outline the ways in which the psychology of …

Clausal Or Phrasal: Variability Of Lexical Bundles In L1 And Turkish L2 English Research Articles, Fatih Güngö, Hacer Hande Uysal

PASAA

This study aimed to compare how native and non-native Turkish authors use four-word lexical bundles in research articles written in English in educational sciences. The two-million-word corpus included 165 research articles in L2 English and 206 in L1 English. Our corpus query resulted in 119 bundles in L2 English and 79 bundles in L1 English with a cut-off point of 20 times per million words and the occurrence in at least 10% of the articles in each corpus. The frequency results reveal that non-native authors dominantly use lexical bundles in their research articles. The classification of bundles revealed considerable structural …

An Exploration Of Salespersons’ Communication Apprehension In English Communication: A Case Of A Private Company In Thailand, Penpitcha Prakaiborisuth

PASAA

Communicating in a foreign language can be a traumatic experience for a large number of language users, and having to use a foreign language can lead to anxiety or communication apprehension. In cases of salespersons, communication apprehension can adversely affect sales performance and the ability to engage customers and close deals. The present study aimed at investigating the levels of communication apprehension among Thai salespersons during oral sales presentations in English, explore the perceived effects of communication apprehension on sales presentations, and identify coping strategies employed by Thai salespersons to manage their communication apprehension. Quantitative data from self-report questionnaires and …

One Beat At A Time: Mitigating The Risk Factors Of Rheumatic Heart Disease Through Public Policies, Duy Phuong Huynh Nguyen

Theses

This thesis examines the challenges associated with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and the persistent prevalence of these diseases in the Australian context. In particular, the study focuses on the high resurgence of these preventable conditions within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Torres Strait Island population. The study begins with an initial analysis on the initial infection of the Group A streptococcus (GAS: Streptococcus pyogenes). We then examine current knowledge of the mechanisms which permit the transmission and development GAS infections, leading to ARF and RHD. This chapter explores current challenges associated with …

Communiqué: College Of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine, Volume 11, Winter 2023-2024, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts, And Sciences.

Communiqué: College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine

Contents:

EVERY ISSUE
Message from the Dean --- 4
Donor Feature --- 5
CHAS Briefs --- 38
Class Notes --- 44

FEATURES
Cave Research --- 6
From Student to CEO --- 10
Alum Opens Math Museum --- 14
New Class ExploresVideo Game Music --- 18
Wise Broadway Tour --- 24
Public Art Incubator --- 28
Alum Finds Success as Celebrity Videographer --- 34

STORIES
Science Trip to Iceland --- 22
Clinical Ethicist Alumnus --- 32
Computer Education Grant --- 33
ESL Program Grant --- 40
Floral Macrophotography --- 42

Controlling Mechanical Properties In Thim Multilayer Hydrogels Through Network Structure, Maksim Dolmat

All ETDs from UAB

Polymer thin films possess unique properties, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility, making them vital for enhancing surface functionality. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly allows for synthesis of ultrathin polymeric films with precise control over film thickness, material selection, surface chemistry, and responsiveness. Current advancements in LbL assembly focus on understanding film formation and deposition conditions on film’s structure and properties. Covalent cross-linking of physically bonded LbL networks forms multilayer hydrogel networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water. The use of stimuli-responsive polymers has facilitated the advancement of "smart" materials capable of responding to external stimuli. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit reversible volume changes, making them …

Protein-Carbohydrate Ratio Affects Blastema Formation During Wound Healing In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Jonathan T. Flowers

All ETDs from UAB

Tissue damage, whether a traumatic injury or surgically-induced, can compromise organ structure and function. Traumatic injury affects 38 million people annually in the U.S alone, costing around 4.8 billion dollars. Much research has been accomplished on defining the pathways associated with recovery, but research on understanding the role of nutrition in wound healing is limited. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) provide a high-throughput model to elucidate nutrients that are important in the regenerative process due to their reproductive capacity, rapid development, cost compared to other animal models and, lastly, their ability for tissue regeneration. Specifically caudal fin amputation is of interest because …

Examination Of The Bidirectional Relationship Between Anhedonia And Vaporized Cannabis Use In Adolescents: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis, Cynthia Estrella Ortiz

All ETDs from UAB

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States, and the prevalence of cannabis use has increased in recent years following changes in. One method that has become increasingly popular among adolescents is vaporized cannabis. Current research appears to be contradictory, whereas some studies indicate that vaporized cannabis use can boost mood, other investigations have indicated that vaporized cannabis use is associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. A limited number of research studies have also identified a relationship between cannabis use and anhedonia, however, this relationship is unclear, particularly among adolescents. Due to the reported adverse …

Leadership In Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Holding Space For Psychological Safety And Peak Performance, Xin H. Ong

Theses : Honours

This practice as research presents a case study of leadership in interdisciplinary settings, considering choreographic collaboration within technology, visual art, music and dance, alongside models used in teaching dance. I define leadership as influencing others to act towards a shared intention by holding space for psychological safety and peak performance. I synthesise leadership models relevant to my practice in a figurative ‘tree of transformation’, illustrating how Jim Collins’ Level 5 leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf’s servant leadership and C. Otto Scharmer’s Theory U model branch out from transformational leadership.

Within peak performance, Anders K. Ericsson’s concept of deliberate practice and …

A Departmental Dilemma: The Genesis Of Canadian Military Export Policy, 1945-1960, Paul Esau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Recent sales of Canadian military equipment to Saudi Arabia have highlighted a contradiction between Canadian policy on paper and in practice. This dissertation seeks to explain these contradictions by exploring the evolution of Canadian conventional military export policy in the key years between 1946 and 1960. It loosely divides this 15-year span into three periods, which correspond to the genesis of Canadian military export policy (1946-1949), its expansion and formalization (1950-1955), and its first existential challenge (1956-1960). With a particular focus on the Department of External Affairs, this work explores the political considerations and bureaucratic debates which shaped government decision-making …

Deconstructing The Miniskirt Mythology: Clothing And Womanhood In 1960s London, Neva Miller

Departmental Honors Projects

This research investigates the role of the miniskirt in reflecting the concept of femininity as understood in London and abroad throughout the 1960s and 70s. Data is drawn from primary sources from the 1960s including newspapers, advertisements, and firsthand accounts related to wearers of miniskirts in London. Particular attention is given to the supposed “revolutionary” status of Mary Quant, who is commonly credited with popularizing the miniskirt and thus ushering in an era of emancipation in female dress. While the miniskirt is preserved in historical memory as an icon of youth revolution and sexual liberation, more emphasis should be given …

Threshold For Learning: The Case For Prioritizing The In-Between Spaces In Education, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

In this paper, the author analyses learning as a function of the threshold between parties and ideas. Using Bakhtinian dialogic theory, literacy learning in particular is envisioned as a dialogue of the threshold. This instructional threshold is viewed both in pedagogical and biological terms. The physiological process of learning is described, making a biological case for instructional scaffolding and the gradual release of responsibility in the classroom. The dialogue of different disciplines serves as integration of several thresholds and further strengthening of learning. Curriculum integration is then promoted as a means to lasting learning.

A Word For Mama, Ebony Christie

Athena: Undergraduate Research and Literary Journal

No abstract provided.

Appraising Evidence For Valence, Víctor Carranza-Pinedo

Animal Sentience

I make some remarks about whether evidence of valenced responses constitutes evidence of valenced states, and therefore of sentience, in organisms.

Plant Sentience Revisited: Sifting Through The Thicket Of Perspectives, Paco Calvo, Miguel Segundo-Ortin

Animal Sentience

In our target article (Segundo-Ortin & Calvo 2023), we proposed the intriguing possibility of plant sentience, drawing parallels with non-human animal studies. This response aims to sift through the rich thicket of perspectives offered by our commentators. To do so, we assess the risks of employing double standards, as well as the tendencies of anthropomorphizing and zoomorphizing in plant studies. We also emphasize the need for clarity in linguistic and conceptual terms, examine the neurophysiological evidence for plant sentience, and discuss the ethical implications of such recognition.

Complex Narratives Of Individuals Living With Alpha-Gal Syndrome (Ags). A Mixed-Methods Investigation: Examined Through Self-Reported Data, In-Person Interviews, And A Group Body Mapping Art Therapy Intervention, Sylvan Streightiff

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) Syndrome or AGS is an under-recognized chronic condition which coincides with tick-bite exposure, resulting in a unique allergy to non-primate mammalian products and byproducts (in addition to other items caring the α-gal epitope such as carrageenan, agar-agar, and nori). This paper explores the experiences of individuals with this illness, establishing psychological context for expressed symptomatology, while emphasizing the complex trauma rooted in the population’s experiences of the life-altering and life-threatening contexts associated with managing AGS. This research is structured with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and utilizes a mixed-methods approach to arts-based research with the goal of …

Public Feminisms: From Academy To Community, Carrie N. Baker, Aviva Dove-Viebahn

Open Educational Resources: Textbooks

The field of feminist studies grew from the U.S. women’s movements of the 1960s and 1970s and has continued to be deeply connected to ongoing movements for social justice. As educational institutions are increasingly seeing public scholarship and community engagement as relevant and fruitful complements to traditional academic work, feminist scholars have much to offer in demonstrating different ways to inform and interact with various communities. In this collection, a diverse range of feminist scholar-activists write about the dynamic and varied methods they use to reach beyond traditional classrooms and scholarly journals to share their work with the public. Here …

Nothing About Us: Three Models Of Disability In Three Works Of Literary Fiction, Mary Lipiec

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project explores how the three umbrella models of disability (medical, functional, and social) are shown in several disabled characters from three novels published after the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Good Kings, Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum. Through the utilization of literary analysis from a cultural studies perspective, this project shows that the models of disability, despite the various flaws in their respective designs, prove to be useful lenses to see disability through, both in these novels and in real life, …

Gender Inclusivity In Italian: Can Gender Neutrality Be Reached In A Gendered Language? Difficulties, Proposals And Public Perception Of The Phenomenon, Gaia Prunotto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Italian is a gendered language in which reference to grammatical gender has been constant and inevitable. As language reflects and shapes society, grammatical gender reinforces binary views of social gender and the invizibilization of non-binary identities. Movements for social justice have inspired gender-fair linguistic innovations, such as the feminization of job titles and gender-neutral markers, to promote gender equity and challenge hierarchies of power and dominance in society. This research aimed to explore gender-neutral forms in the Italian grammatical system and public perceptions of these innovations through two studies with two groups of participants.

The first group of participants (n=27) …

Navigating Place And Gender: A Multicontextual Critical Narrative Inquiry Of Rural Trans* Student Experiences, Jessie Lynn O'Quinn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this critical narrative study was to understand how rural West Virginia trans* students navigate cultural norms of their rural home communities and higher education contexts. An essential part of this critical narrative was to provide rural trans* students with an avenue to share their unique experiences and give them a platform to share their voices. The resulting narratives suggested that the normative tensions rural trans* college students experience across contexts stemmed from negative regional experiences that reinforced traditional gender norms. Negative home contexts and experiences forced students to feel like they had to build walls and distance …

Lxs Caravanerxs And Nonsecular Protest: Rethinking Migrant Family Separation With Un Llanto Colectivo, Marcelle Maese

English: Faculty Scholarship

Written and directed by Celia Herrera Rodríguez and Cherríe Moraga in 2018, "Un Llanto Colectivo: Press Conference & Performa-Protesta" took place in front of ICE headquarters in downtown San Diego (September 15th) and then in front of Otay Mesa Detention Center (September 16th). Envisioned as an act of consciousness raising around family separation, Central American caravans, and the detention-industrial-complex, the flyer invitation read, "[T]his is ceremonial resistance." This writing is an extension of my witness of and participation in Un llanto colectivo. I provide a historical context for lxs caravanerxs, as well as interviews with Maestras Celia and Cherríe. The …

"Having It Both Ways: Containing The Champions Of Feminism In Female-Led Origin And Solo Superhero Films", Jessica Taylor, Laura Glitsos

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this article, we consider the emerging trend of solo, female-led superhero films, and their repeated location in aesthetically distinct pasts or “closed moments.” This pastness, we contend, serves to distinguish the concerns of the protagonists, which are often read as feminist, as redundant for the contemporary audience. This framing is in keeping with a postfeminist cultural context, wherein feminist values and successes are celebrated, while simultaneously declared irrelevant.

We examine the historical or closed settings in Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Captain Marvel (2019) and Black Widow (2021), and consider how this collective investment in the past …

Philippine Gabaldon Heritage School Buildings In The New Normal : Safety, Sustainability And Human Development Perspectives, Inero Ancho

Journal of Urban Culture Research

As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education, stakeholders find means to return to the New Normal through limited face-to-face learning. The Philippine Gabaldon School Buildings (GSBs) are seen as venues where this can happen. Built from 1908 –1915, GSBs were erected during the American colonial government. Republic Act 11194 mandates these buildings’ conservation. Due to its perceived astounding structure and cultural value, a qualitative study was conducted that delved into the existing publicly available documents related to the buildings, for in-depth analysis. The investigation highlights how GSBs potentially address the minimum health standards relevant to the pandemic and limited face-to-face …

New Women In The Old Dominion: Race And Gender In Progressive-Era Virginia, Rachel Scott

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis traces the development of Black and white Southern women’s pursuit of political power between the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Emancipation and the downfall of the antebellum planter aristocracy upset traditional Southern gender norms and opened new doors for women of both races in the political upheaval of Reconstruction. Though both Black and white women participated in the women’s club movement and joined women’s advocacy and charity groups following the Civil War, their work was distinctive both from each other and from other regional Progressive movements. The context of …

Phonological Decoding Skill In Braille Readers: Implications For Dyslexia, Lindsay N. Harris, Luis E. Lopez, Ailing Li, Alecia Santuzzi

CISLL Publications

Highly developed phonological decoding ability is essential for leveraging the phonological decoding self-teaching loop to efficiently build a reading lexicon. In the present study we compared the phonological decoding abilities of blind braille-reading (n = 29) and sighted print-reading (n = 22) adults to investigate the possibility that braille’s complexity reduces instances of successful decoding and self-teaching. Such a disturbance of the learning loop would amplify any underlying cognitive deficits in braille readers and contribute to the high rates of learning disability diagnosis observed in blind children. Contrary to expectations, we found that braille readers had a higher …