Digital Commons Network^™

Amjambo Africa! (August 2022), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In this Issue

Amjambo Arts ......................2/3

Moonglade .............................4/5

Education .............................6-10

Free Community College

In 7 languages

Immigration fraud .................12

In 7 languages

Market Basket ...................14/15

Tips & Info ..............................16

All about the Workforce ........18

Community Happenings .20/21

Girls & women in Africa........22

Central America news ...........24

Health&Wellness. ..............26-27

In 7 languages

Service organization columns 32

Financial literacy ....................33

New Voices feature ...........34/35

Nonprofit updates .............36/37

S’Attaquer Aux Tabous De La Communication Pour Le Changement Social Et De Comportement À Niamey Et Abidjan: Évaluation De La Campagne Médiatique Merci Mon Héros, Breakthrough Research

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Merci Mon Héros (MMH) est une campagne médiatique qui catalyse les jeunes en tant que co-leaders pour améliorer la communication intergénérationnelle et les résultats des jeunes en matière de planification familiale et de santé reproductive. Le projet Breakthrough RESEARCH a été chargé d'évaluer la campagne MMH. Cette note met en évidence d'importantes conclusions d'évaluation et des recommandations pour le renforcement de la communication intergénérationnelle dans deux lieux prioritaires : Niamey, au Niger et Abidjan, en Côte d'Ivoire.

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Merci Mon Héros (MMH) is a mixed media campaign that catalyzes young people as co-leaders to improve intergenerational communication and young people’s …

Addressing Communication Taboos Motivates Social And Behavioral Changes In Niamey And Abidjan: Evaluation Of The Merci Mons Héros Media Campaign, Breakthrough Research

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Merci Mon Héros (MMH) is a mixed media campaign that catalyzes young people as co-leaders to improve intergenerational communication and young people’s family planning and reproductive health outcomes. The Breakthrough RESEARCH project―USAID’s flagship investment in social and behavior change research and evaluation―was tasked with evaluating the MMH campaign. This brief highlights important evaluation findings and recommendations for strengthening intergenerational communication in two priority locations—Niamey, Niger and Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Environmental Communication: Changing The Attitude-Behavioral Gap In Science Communication Utilizing Strategic Messaging, Carrie Helgeson Nelms

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

National Polls in the United States consistently find the public’s beliefs and attitudes about climate change and other environmental issues significantly diverge from those held by the science community. A communication gap between the findings on the causes and effects of environmental issues and the public’s inability to interpret or refuse to accept these findings are possible causes of this divergence. This communication gap constitutes a threat to society because of inaction to environmental problems and points to needed changes in scientific messaging that better informs and motivates behavioral change. The present research employed a strategic message design to affect …

The Influence Of Social Agents On Learning, Developing, And Growing Through Athletic Participation: A Theory Of Athlete Development, Rikishi T. Rey

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Sports can significantly influence the lives of those who play them. Psychosocial outcomes such as values, skills, self-esteem, and goal setting are some of the referenced benefits associated with playing sports and are the result of athletes being exposed to situations in an environment that is favorable to learning. Due to the abundant nature of sports in the United States, there is a growing need to understand how to effectively create environments that are conducive to positive outcomes. However, such results and experiences are often anecdotally supported rather than scientifically driven. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was two-fold. First, …

Evaluation Of Rise Ii Integrated Social And Behavior Change Activities In Niger: Baseline Report, Leanne Dougherty, Lynn Abu Turk, Nrupa Jani, Chaibou Dadi

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Breakthrough RESEARCH is conducting a mixed-methods study that includes quantitative methods to assess differential changes over time in key health outcomes associated with Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) II's integrated social and behavioral change (SBC) strategy and qualitative methods to explain how and why gender-related changes occurred or were associated with these changes. This technical report presents descriptive baseline findings for the quantitative portion of the evaluation. This information will support RISE II's Resilience Food Security Activity partners to understand how to tailor planned SBC approaches to address barriers to adopting targeted health behaviors.

Public Readiness Index Entering New Normal Period Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic As Exposure Effect To Social Campaigns, Wahyuni Pudjiastuti

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Indonesian people will face daily activities that are no longer the same as conditions before the corona-19 virus pandemic, which is then termed as New Normal. This policy is communicated in the form of a social campaign. Policy implementation should be a solution to improve welfare. But often, support from the public is still lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to study the level of public readiness (public readiness index) in accepting a policy and the effectiveness of the social campaign that the government has carried out.

The research aims to describe the public readiness index for implementing the new normal …

Audiobook Industry: Reading By Using Ear In The Digital Age, Neli Elislah, Irwansyah Irwansyah

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

As a medium for reading books through audio formats, digital audiobook are experiencing significant growth in popularity with a more diverse audience than ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic. Book publishers have begun to evolve to consider publishing books in audio format, in addition, the presence of audiobook on various alternative platforms based on streaming and subscription offers convenience to read a book. This study aims to survey the development of audiobook in the current digital era, especially in Indonesia with the presence of streaming and subscription media platforms. Furthermore, by reassessing the concept of reading books in the digital …

The Negotiation Of Muslimah Identity In Hijab Cosplay Phenomenon, Hilda Balqis Hasba

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

The identity of Muslimah is often associated with the idea of using hijab as a form of obedience to religion. This research examines the experiences of hijab women who use cosplay culture to represent their talents and creativity by creating a new culture. This research uses circuit of culture theory by Paul du Gay and Stuart Hall to analyze hijab cosplayers’ experiences in making hijab cosplay. The method used in this research is the qualitative research method and photo study technique to collect the data. This research shows that the process of creating hijab cosplay passes through identity, production, consumption, …

Social Media As A Counter Space For The Motherhood Community In Creating Counter-Hegemony, Ardhani Indranila

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This article explores how the emergence of the online community of motherhood on social media can become a medium of counter-hegemony against the discourse of motherhood. The concept of “ibuism” as a picture of an ideal mother’s parenting form in Indonesia is justified as the standard of a “good mother” that has been socially constructed for a long time. The dominant discourse has been internalized from generation to generation by Indonesian women. However, this discourse negates other narratives that are important for women. Therefore, the online motherhood community on social media emerged to overcome these challenges and mobilize women to …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Mgdalenaf’S Choices On Msmes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nunik Hariyanti, Fitrinanda An Nur, Rifdah Ghinah Nabilah

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This study focuses on how the discourse on helping Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the Covid-19 pandemic is shown on the food vlogger Mgdalenaf. MSMEs are in the spotlight because they are an important sector in the Indonesian economy that has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the Indonesian food vloggers with almost 4 million followers on the YouTube channel; since the end of 2020, Mgdalenaf has broadcast programs to help MSMEs in the Jabodetabek area. In 2021, Mgdalenaf and the team were trying to reach a wider range of MSMEs affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic …

Data Industrialization: Between Datafication Commodification, And Digital Infrastructure, Muhammad Nur

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Data is a new oil because in the development of industry and communication technology, digital data can be an important thing that can be produced, distributed, and consumed, or commodified. Every digital data can be obtained from every side of everyday human life so that datafication becomes something commonplace today. On the other hand, the role of digital infrastructure both physical and non-physical as supporting the operation of the internet and the development of industry and communication technology and Data Industrialization cannot be denied. Even the DC/server is used to gain profit for the company itself. This article tries to …

Don’T Count On Kiwis At A Kiwi Farmers’ Market: Communicating Intersections Of Globalization And Local Food At Aotearoa New Zealand Farmers’ Markets, Travis Bartosh

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

The main question driving this study seeks to understand how New Zealand farmers’ markets represent and engage with global and local issues in relation to food production, distribution, and consumption. Under this question, three sub-questions seek to understand the discourses present at the markets, how these discourses insect with globalization and local food, and how this intersection works to organize contemporary farmers’ markets.

The findings for this dissertation are divided into three chapters. The first findings chapter lays out the discourses present in the data. These discourses are largely related to food producer sovereignty. The second findings chapter looks …

Staff Matters: The Value Of Using Total Compensation Statements, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Amid the challenges of a competitive job market and employee retention, offering a comprehensive view of compensation is crucial. While employees often focus solely on their direct wages, they may overlook the value of indirect benefits like healthcare and paid time off. Employers can bridge this gap by providing total compensation statements detailing direct and indirect compensation, demonstrating their investment in employees. Such transparency builds trust and allows employees to assess their compensation relative to other employers better. Employers should ensure consistent calculations and pay equity and emphasize the purpose of sharing this information to foster a positive work culture.

Local Broadcast Reporters Maintaining Social Responsibility And Mental Health While Serving A Community Under Lockdown, Mary-Morgan Ellis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at local broadcast news reporters working in Northwest Arkansas before, at the start, and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Research for this study includes a content study of the tweets and Twitter accounts of eleven local reporters. This study considers the social responsibility theory and examines how these eleven local reporters use the theory in their everyday work. Research found, though these reporters don’t credit the theory by name, they are still putting its guidelines into effect as a sort of moral compass when creating objective and representative news for their communities. The research also found that …

The Buzz Behind Alcohol Advertising: A Study Of How Alcohol Advertisements On Social Media Impact Behavior, Alexis Morgan Campbell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol advertisements are known to be appealing and memorable, and several researchers have investigated what makes these advertisements so attractive. Several trends have emerged regarding the content within alcohol advertisements: themes of parties, celebration, and social success within television, magazines, and social media since the 1970s. Recently, several studies found that new themes in alcohol ads have been found to be popular, especially in social media advertisements (Campbell & Chung, 2022). The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) provides insight into why a person’s attitude could be more susceptible or why their behavior could be more easily influenced by certain types of …

The Effects Of Consumer Loan Application Formats And Advertised Terms On Consumer Borrowing Decisions, Alicia M. Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Consumers continue to demonstrate a willingness to accrue more debt. They are also more accepting of increased repayment risk via the acceptance of longer loan terms. Extant research on consumer borrowing consists primarily of experiments designed to assess consumer choices and understand how consumers evaluate loan attributes in relation to one another within consumer borrowing contexts (Kamleitner, Hoelzl, and Kirchler 2012; Ranyard et al., 2006). Thus, prior research examines consumer responses to loan information rather than the generation of loan parameters at the time of financing. With important implications for consumers, marketers of financial products, academic researchers, and federal regulators, …

A Case Study Of Organizational Mobilization Best Practices For Natural Disasters, Jaclyn Ermoyan

Masters Theses

Researching mobilization best practices for natural disasters has concluded that volunteers respond best to having meaning behind the work that they do and when they are involved at all levels of the service they are doing. After interviewing a representative from the American Red Cross and a representative from Team Rubicon, it is clear that having a local focus leads to successful mobilization practices. Both organizations are able to move quickly and innovate because of their understanding that all disasters are different. The two organizations focus on training their volunteers and having various deployment requirements. According to this research, technology …

Cinema Studies: Different Perspectives, Burak Turten

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

PREFACE

Cinema Studies: Different Perspectives is essential reading for anyone interested in cinema discipline. The singular aim of this edited book of scholarly text is to stimulate and engage readers in the fast-changing, complex, and increasingly interdisciplinary nature of cinema studies, and to serve as a catalyst for future intellectual, academic, and professional-driven research agendas. It is believed that the integration of cinema studies with other disciplines will undoubtedly contribute to the development of the cinema field both in practice and in theory.

Therefore, each chapter of this book, which consists of 9 chapters, focuses on a sub-discipline such as …

A Word From The Writing Team (August 2022), Pam Walter, Mfa, Liz Declan, Ma, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Upcoming Workshops
• Writing Opportunity
• Summer's End

Going Viral: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Anti-Vaccine Movement & Social Media, Corinn Evancho Schumacher

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In the recent years of the rise of Web 2.0, health information has become more accessible. With this shift has come a reliance on social media to inform and educate the masses on vaccines. With the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine, the conversation surrounding vaccines moved to the forefront of the United States’ zeitgeist from late 2021 to early 2022. In this research, I conducted a case study on the communication surrounding vaccines on social media while examining specific Facebook groups that advance the misinformation surrounding vaccines. I examined over 300 posts from four public Facebook groups in order to …

The Personal Is Still Political: An Analysis Of Jessica Valenti's Contemporary Feminine Style, Michala M. Zilkey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2016, Jessica Valenti’s memoir, Sex Object, was published. Sex Object describes Valenti’s experiences of sexualization and objectification in a personal and anecdotal format. The feminine style, a rhetorical style that bridges the divide between norms of femininity and expectations of public oration, has been heralded as essential for advancing the feminist movement. This thesis asks the question, to what extent does contemporary feminists’ rhetoric mirror and diverge from earlier iterations of the feminine style? I argue that Valenti’s employs a feminine style that utilizes relational norms and self-disclosure to illustrate the personal as political and the political as …

Unapologetically Her: A Nomadic-Intersectional Case Study Analysis On Lizzo And Jillian Michaels, Alexia Berlynn Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With various iterations of the meaning and representation of a feminist woman, feuds arise, especially amongst public figures who capture the media’s attention. This paper analyzes the discourse amongst two communities with opposing views about feminist representations: the body-positive community and the fitness community. Utilizing an intersectional theoretical framework allows us to understand the levels of oppression and marginalization members of the body-positive community, specifically plus-size Black women, endure while also running up against the fitness community. There is no better illustration of this phenomenon than the public skirmish between Lizzo and Jillian Michaels. The goal of this case study …

Investigating Toxicity Changes Of Cross-Community Redditors From 2 Billion Posts And Comments, Hind Almerekhi, Haewoon Kwak, Bernard J. Jansen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This research investigates changes in online behavior of users who publish in multiple communities on Reddit by measuring their toxicity at two levels. With the aid of crowdsourcing, we built a labeled dataset of 10,083 Reddit comments, then used the dataset to train and fine-tune a Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) neural network model. The model predicted the toxicity levels of 87,376,912 posts from 577,835 users and 2,205,581,786 comments from 890,913 users on Reddit over 16 years, from 2005 to 2020. This study utilized the toxicity levels of user content to identify toxicity changes by the user within the …

“We’Re Still Here:” Evaluating Academic Library Instagram Posting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Julie Turley

Publications and Research

Academic libraries use social media to build community and increase visibility and engagement among followers–students, faculty, and staff. Instagram, in particular, is a popular social media platform used by a college-aged demographic. Academic library Instagram administrators create and maintain Instagram accounts to post visual content to promote the physical library and library services. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic closed the college campuses of the New York City-based City University of New York (CUNY) system to all but “essential staff” and compelled non-essential employees to work from home. During the first few months of 2020, college library Instagram administrators in …

"Advancing Pride": How New Turkish Historical Dramas Challenged Western Media's Stereotypical Images Of Muslims, Naim Aburaddi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

After the phenomenal success of Resurrection: Ertugrul that started airing on the governmental Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) in 2014, a new wave of Turkish historical dramas started getting global popularity. These shows captivated Arabs’ and Muslims’ attention around the world and exceeded viewers’ expectations. Therefore, I examined in my study why Arab viewers watch those dramas, how they perceive and react to historical facts presented in those dramas, and whether and how those dramas confront the misrepresentations of Muslims by Western media and cinema. Utilizing Said’s conceptual framework of Orientalism and other research studies that focused on the …

Organizational Culture And Communication Competence Workshop: Masters Plan B, Travis Bergon

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project began as an attempt to understand how events, such as the “Great Resignation” (i.e., an unprecedented mass exit of employees from the U.S. workforce), have impacted the way in which organizations are attempting to mitigate employee turnover. In addition, this project examined what role managers might play in promoting a positive organizational culture. A review of literature identified Schein’s (1990) model of organizational culture and Spitzberg and Cupach’s (1984) conceptualization of communication competence as useful frameworks for helping managers understand and promote positive organizational culture and employee mental health and well-being. In addition, the review of literature pointed …

Ada Trustee Report: Does The Ada Have A Long-Term Vision For Oral Health In America?, Michele Tulak-Gorecki Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This trustee report discusses the need for a long-term vision for oral health in America within the context of changing trends in dentistry. It highlights key questions related to evolving member value propositions, improving insurance coverage, expanding collaboration with primary care providers, and establishing dentistry as an essential part of the primary care system. A Board workgroup has been formed to explore potential actions and recommendations. The report underscores the importance of addressing these challenges. It encourages the dental profession to have meaningful conversations and work together to shape a future that aligns with new generations' evolving needs and expectations.

Experiences Of Latinidad And First-Generation College Students In Jane The Virgin: Using Auto-Historia Teoria And Finding Coyolxauhqui, Gema Sarahi Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the importance of Latinx and first-generation college student representation in media. By using autohistoria-teoría and content analysis, I aim to find the ways in which the show, Jane the Virgin, influences my experiences of Latinidad as well as how it represents the first-generation college experience and how those relate to my own. I use Gloria Anzaldúa's model to study identity dealing with nepantla, arrebatamientos, and the Coyolxauhqui process to discuss my own identity.

Reconstructing The Practical Theory Of Communication In Dating Matters: Examining Teen Dating Violence Prevention From A Communicative Approach, Diana Costanzo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) has lasting impacts on teens’ health and well-being. Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships (DM), a curriculum published by the CDC in 2019, seeks to mitigate the consequences of TDV and promote healthy relationships. Using Grounded Practical Theory (Craig & Tracy, 1995, 2014), this paper analyzes how DM conceptualizes communication. Specifically, I explore and critique how DM discusses topics related to communication and conflict. The findings of the analysis show that DM focuses on sending the right message in communication. In DM, parents and teens are encouraged to “talk it out” or “speak up” …