Digital Commons Network^™

Disney's Postfeminist Follies: Disney’S Postfeminist Portrayal Of Women In The Age Of Fourth Wave Of Feminism, Morgan Crafton

Honors Theses

In 2022, Disney CEO Bob Chepak spoke out against the "Don't Say Gay" bill signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis’ supporters derisively labeled Disney as “woke." However, the company does not warrant the label. Though Fourth Wave feminism has broadened Disney’s idea of a woman, the entertainment company largely operates with a postfeminist lens that prevents its heroines from being feminist representations of women. Audiences see this in "Frozen," (2013), "Moana" (2016), "Encanto" (2021), and "Turning Red" (2022). Disney’s postfeminist rhetoric allows it to portray supposedly progressive women without challenging societal notions of misogyny. Thus, Disney’s criticisms for “wokeness” …

Potential For United States Participation In The European Union’S Digital Services Act, Catherine Hatfield

Honors Theses

The regulation or lack thereof of social media has become a hot-button issue in the majority of the Western world. Although the United States has made several attempts to pass widespread regulation of misinformation online, they have seen little success. Contrastingly, the European Union's recently passed Digital Services Act has already seen some success and is shaping up to be an effective piece of legislation. As such, it is worth exploring the possibility of the United States adopting this legislation, and examining how a potential partnership could aid both the United States and the European Union in furthering their goals …

Fear Of The Other: Judaism And Its Role In The Horror Genre, Wesley Luka

Honors Theses

Horror films reflect the fears of their creators. Some of the first examples of the genre come out of Germany before the Second World War, a time where antisemitism was widespread. Many German filmmakers pre-Nazi Germany used the fear of the other to create movie monsters that are now classics in the horror genre, such as the Golem and Nosferatu. How Jewish representation in horror films has changed since the last century from antisemetic movie monsters to horror movies more respectfully based on Jewish folklore, is an important shift when it comes to the role Jewish representation plays in the …

Far From First Kill: Sapphic Fan Campaigns + The Fight For Queer Television, Lake Best

Honors Theses

Over the decades, LGBTQ+ media has had a long history of, despite getting better, more popular, more powerful each time, being canceled, delayed, even simply never seen again. This has led to justified anger, sorrow, + distress from the queer fandom communities, who, already inspired by the sense of activism that their community is founded on, have created over 8 years of online fan campaigning to fight back, maybe even bring the shows from the grave to a new life. This case study will examine 6 of those campaigns, ranging from the birth of modern queer fandom in We Deserve …

Telling A Story Through Posters: A Comparison Of Nazi And Soviet Propaganda Posters During World War Ii, Kolbe Bell

Honors Theses

The time around World War II saw an increase of countries using propaganda to spread their message, the result of which can be seen even today with modern advertising. During the war these countries had to convince their populations to support their militaries in both victories and defeats. Despite the differences between the fascism in Nazi Germany and the communism in the Soviet Union, many of these propaganda posters have some overarching similarities that can be connected. Some of which can be seen in their depictions of the enemy and with their call back to nationalism. To gain a better …

The Value Of An Integrated Marketing Campaign To Grow Interest In Visiting The U.S. National Parks, Hermine Granberry

Honors Theses

When the centennial celebration of the National Park Service was approaching in 2016, the National Park Service launched a two-year campaign to only commemorate the last century of NPS, but to also reconnect Americans with the parks. Ten years have passed since the initial creation of the campaign. This thesis researches the value of how another integrated marketing campaign could increase visitation to the U.S. National Parks in the future.

Through evaluating the previous Find Your Park campaign and current trends in travel and vacation, this research investigates not only future campaign ideas but also the use and incorporation of …

The Changing Role Of Women In Journalism, Caroline Derby

Honors Theses

Throughout the course of time, the role of women in journalism has changed tremendously. Women in journalism were considered inferior to men and had to fight their way up the ladder to be given the same roles and responsibilities as a man. However, when given breaking stories or interviews with heads of states, women still weren't paid as greatly as a man was, despite the level of work they were doing. We see the remnants of this in today's society. However, thanks to groundbreaking women in journalism, women are now able to be in positions, the same positions within a …

What Happens When A Company's Marketing Strategy No Longer Mirrors The Shopping Trends Of The American Consumer: A Case Study Of Sears, Roebuck And Company, Savannah Burnett

Honors Theses

Once America’s largest mass merchandiser, Sears is a name that remains recognizable for many people. Throughout our country’s history, the U.S. retail industry has often shifted alongside its country’s major historical events. However, one major corporation who once mirrored the ebbs and flows of the United States economy slowly faded out of the minds of the American consumer. This thesis seeks to answer if Sears’ fall from grace was a direct reflection of American consumer trends.

Secondary data was gathered through books accessed from the university library, newspaper articles, scholarly journals, and online news sources, as well as the company’s …

A Dream Come True: More Than 50 Years After Black Students Demanded Faculty And Student Leadership Roles At The University Of Mississippi, Students Of Color Are Still Grappling With What It Means To Be Included., Kaylynn Steen

Honors Theses

This thesis tells the story of University of Mississippi alumna Treasure Fisher’s journey in the organization Column’s Society, an organization known as the hosts and hostess of the University of Mississippi. Throughout Fisher’s story, historical moments from the university’s complex relationship with its Black students are weaved through in an attempt to provide context for some of the lingering racial issues at the university today. Fisher’s story, these historical moments, and other anecdotal experiences from current and former Black students, faculty, and staff at the university challenges the reader to examine what representation does, and maybe should, mean to this …

Southern Sustainability: An Examination Of Waste Management Mechanisms Within The University Of Mississippi Community, Haley Clift

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and study local mechanisms surrounding waste management at The University of Mississippi. The research study gathers quantitative and qualitative research to make conclusions about sustainability and recycling practices on The University of Mississippi's campus. The thesis discusses whether those practices are effective for those in The University of Mississippi's community based on the data collected and research conducted. The researcher also offers proposals for the University of Mississippi community based on the research conducted.

The gap that exists in the waste management processes at The University of Mississippi was addressed by blending …

The Effects Of Tiktok's Covid-19 Content On Anxiety In Young Adults, Nicholas Fontaine

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic spiked generalized anxiety worldwide. The onset of the pandemic also coincided with TikTok’s rise to popularity in the social media landscape, especially among young adults and children. As a result, COVID-19-related content rose to prevalence on the platform as it became a common outlet for users to share their thoughts and opinions on the pandemic while also feeding a growing audience in need of information and diversion. Given the connection between COVID-19 and anxiety, along with temporal ties between TikTok’s rise to popularity and the COVID-19 pandemic, this study set out to determine whether young adults would …

Catholicism Online: How The Church Is Communicating In The Visual Field, Alexandra Barfield

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

Given the rise and importance of social media in the last two decades, religious institutions, especially the Roman Catholic Church, have an important place online to fulfill their mission and belief of spreading the Gospel message. Communicating this message on social media and with contemporary marketing practices is an opportunity and a challenge for churches, Catholics, and apostolates alike. In this study, I analyze a variety of Catholic-related Instagram accounts and interview individuals involved in Church management and content creation. This primary research is prefaced with secondary research exploring the status of the Catholic Church in the United States, …

Far From Home, Daniela Matta Chang

Honors Theses

Far From Home is a video documentary that focuses on International Students and their experiences of studying abroad. This documentary explores certain aspects of moving to the US for college, such as the motivation behind this significant decision, while shedding light on potential challenges that these students may encounter along their journey. Participants from different countries share their personal experiences and thoughts. Through candid interviews, they answer questions addressing a wide range of topics, including education, culture, language, social life and work opportunities. The participants in the documentary are all college students who moved to the United States specifically to …

Ivermectin: Covid-19 "Miracle Cure?": A Case Study On Public Health Communication To Combat Disinformation, Ashley Dittmar

Honors Theses

Communicating accurate health information to the public has always been a vital role of public health professionals. This role became especially prominent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, when public health professionals had the challenge of sharing up-to-date information about a novel coronavirus while other messages about the virus - both true and false - were being spread by other entities. This paper focuses on one case of intentionally incorrect information (disinformation) that was spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, purporting anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as a “miracle cure” for COVID-19. This case study is analyzed through the lens of the Media …

How Properly Contextualized Christianity Could Benefit Japan, Benjamin Highsmith

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to ask the question “how could Christianity, if properly contextualized, benefit Japan?” It does so through the use of academic sources, interviews, and personal observations. Topics covered include Japanese culture, its perception of Christianity, and the lifestyles of Japanese Christians. This thesis uses cultural concepts to explain how Christianity and Japanese culture might find themselves at odds, but also explains how Christianity could work in unison with Japanese culture in order to benefit Japanese society as a whole, defending its argument using Biblical concepts intertwined with Japanese values.

Perceptions Of Long Distance Relationships, Kayli Maucione

Honors Theses

In an era of technological innovation, individuals are more likely than ever to participate in long-distance romantic relationships. Previous research indicates that technology plays an important role in the maintenance of LDRRs, yet young adults seem to have a negative predisposition toward the prospect of being in an LDRR themselves despite their prevalence. A mixed-method online survey distributed to 311 undergraduate students revealed that strong indicators of attitude toward LDRRs are based on observations, opinions of others, past experiences, and TV shows/movies. Ultimately, these responses indicate that a predisposition toward LDRRs does exist, yet most young adults continue to engage …

Communication Theory Analysis Of Coda Movie, Lindsay Casey

Honors Theses

This undergraduate honors thesis addresses how the hearing community views and treats the d/Deaf community. The contents of this thesis include a literature review, communication theory, and qualitative analysis of the film, CODA (2021). Findings leave the hearing community with three main suggestions to implement when interacting with the d/Deaf community. These suggestions include acknowledging the daily communication struggle amongst members of the d/Deaf community, maintenance in a conversation may lead to exploitation and finally, due to different speech codes we should enact cultural respect towards others.

The literature review consists of an overview of the d/Deaf community’s history including …

The Effectiveness Of The University Of Southern Mississippi's Marketing And Branding Efforts Among Prospective Students, Amy Clevenger

Honors Theses

With enrollment rates expected to surge over the next decade, the competition

between institutions of higher learning will also increase. Because of this, marketing

material produced by all institutions will need to adjust to become more effective at

establishing brand identity to attract the attention of prospective students. Using Aaker’s

brand identity model as a framework to understand branding methods, this research aims

to identify marketing communication strategies that are more effective in a prospective

student’s decision-making process. The thesis also investigates prospective students’

recall and perception of marketing material produced by USM to determine its overall

effectiveness and differences …

Marketing Through Microcultures On Social Media: An Examination Of Booktok And Independent Bookstores, Wandzia Prytko

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of microcultures in social media marketing, by focusing on the BookTok microculture and its significant role in the marketing strategies of independent bookstores. The research includes an examination of microcultures and their impact on businesses, the effectiveness of the key social media marketing tactics used on TikTok, what BookTok is, how independent bookstores engage with BookTok, and an interview with an independent bookstore on their uses of BookTok.

A Study Of The Effect Of Sympathetic Framing On Attitudes Toward The Homeless, Marshall Mills

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The History And Continuing Impacts Of Press Staff And Media Relations In Congress, Madelyn Cutrone

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Refugee And Asylee Policy In The United States, Hannah Domsic

Honors Theses

This study aims to objectively examine the impact that the global refugee crisis has on the United States, and vice versa. Research was conducted on the history of refugee resettlement in the United States as well as current statistics in order to create an overview of the refugee process to the United States and how resettlement is handled. A map was also created of the top countries refugees flee from to visually illustrate the extensive process of refugees’ journeys to the United States. This project is rooted in communication theories to provide a framework of understanding how refugees in the …

Examination Of Sedentary Behavior And Stress Levels In Undergraduate Students At Western Michigan University, Samantha Putman

Honors Theses

The intention of this research project is to provide a snapshot of current sedentary behavior and stress levels of undergraduate students at Western Michigan University (WMU). This project investigates two variables of interest in current undergraduate students at WMU to understand how much sedentary behavior and stress students are experiencing whilst pursuing their undergraduate degree. Both sedentary behavior and stress are often seen as underlying causes of multiple health issues, which is why they are variables of interest. Understanding these two variables can help the university support aspects of an undergraduate’s life affected by increased stress and sedentary behavior while …

Women Are More Likely To Use Tentative Language, I Think: A Literary And Statistical Analysis Of Ulysses By James Joyce And Debate Speech, Cozette Blumenfeld, Claire Bracken, Tomas Dvorak

Honors Theses

Language and its utilization can provide valuable information about individuals and their cultural norms. Negotiation is a major factor of the gender wage gap, perpetuated by gender bias. This paper seeks to discover—does language influence gendered cultural norms? Or reflect it? This thesis is divided into eight sections that engage the relationship between gender and language in literature and debate speech. Through critical literary and statistical analysis of the “Penelope” and “Proteus” chapters of Ulysses by James Joyce, it is evident that the female chapter’s invalidation found in literary criticism is from the reception of her speech, and not the …

The Influence Of Body Temperature On Motion Patterns On Anolis Lizard Visual Display, Timothy P. Fagan

Honors Theses

Anolis sagrei has a display in the form of bobbing its head up and down. In order to more accurately understand the communication and honesty of the display two experiments were done. Honesty, in reference to it being an honest signal; meaning that this form of communication is correlated with the condition of the animal. The first experiment examined the lizards in a recreated environment. By controlling the temperature of the setting and recording the interaction we were able to determine how changing the temperature could cause a difference in display. The second experiment examined the lizard's ability to see …

Effective Green Marketing Strategies On Social Media: Selling Companies And Their Consumers On Investing In Carbon Offsetting And Solar Energy In 2021, Melvin Richard Springer Iv

Honors Theses

In a digital world where consumers and businesses alike care significantly about sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR), the success of startup companies hinges on constant, clear, and thoughtful communication. Through my research into successfully marketing such concerns on social media as well as my internship at Clearloop, I discovered some of the best ways to convince both companies and consumers that preserving the planet should be a primary concern for every environmentally conscious company. Companies that ignore their impacts on the environment are synonymous with companies doomed to fail in the 21^st century. Clearloop’s model of partnering with …

50 Years Later: How Title Ix Has Influenced The World Of Sports And The Effect It Has Had On Female Athletes, Catherine Jeffers

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to research the opportunities given to women within sports, and perceptions around their identities in the sporting industry. This thesis highlights the history of Title IX and its’ impact on gender in sports. This thesis also discusses the lack of women’s sports represented in media and the limited number of women in positions of power in sports. Since sports were introduced into modern culture, women have been advocating and fighting for their right to participate in sporting events and forcing even more complex conversations around equal compensation for their play.

Research Over Improved Methods Of Affective Text Analysis, Zachary Shipp

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Lawyers That (Say They) Listen: An Exploratory Study Into Law Firms With Listening Specific Branding, Kacey Henriques

Honors Theses

The following investigation attempts to explore the communication dynamics between law firms and their clients. As shown in this research, clients tend to make note of poor communication skills, specifically listening skills, when they interact with attorneys. In an attempt to appeal to clients who have had negative interactions in respect to listening, several law firms across the country are utilizing branding that stresses their strengths in listening (what I term listening specific branding). In the investigation to come, three law firms are analyzed that utilize this type of branding. Additionally, three law firms that specialize in similar areas of …

An Ipad For Everyone: A Case Study Of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Digital Transition, Madeline Quon

Honors Theses

In a more technology-driven world, the industry of print journalism has been suffering. It has adapted in the past with the invention of the radio and television for broadcast news, but with the internet and social media, print journalism has been losing ad revenue and readers. Because of the advancements of journalism in the digital aspect, several newspapers have shut down over the past 20 years. Other papers changed their business models to make their content more social media oriented.

One newspaper took a more radical approach to not only stay afloat, but also thrive as a paper. The Arkansas …