Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Black Undergraduate Students' Social Activism Through Social Media Usage, Tayla Richards

Masters Theses

Social media has become a tool for college students to engage in social activism. Black undergraduate students is one population that actively utilize social media's impact as illustrated through recent activist movements and demonstrations within university communities. This study sought to explore and analyze the ways that Black undergraduate students utilize social media platforms in general and for activism. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with three Black undergraduate students and analyzed their posts on each of their frequently used social media platforms in order to study how their personal narratives were connected to their social media use.

Results showed that …

Pathetic Politics: An Analysis Of Emotion And Embodiment In First Lady Rhetoric, Stephanie Lynn Wideman

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation explores the theoretical and practical relationship between our understandings of emotion’s role in political decision-making. In this pursuit I seek a resurrection for pathos’s legitimacy in persuasive studies through the pursuit of the pathetic political realm. This work has three primary concerns: how may pathetic power be accessed, from where does this power originate, and how might political actors enact this power for their own political goals. I draw primarily from theories related to visual rhetoric and the body in order to provide perspective on how the body is politicized through the pathetic realm. Theoretical perspectives are drawn …

การสร้างสรรค์รายการโทรทัศน์ และการรับรู้ความหมายของผู้ชมรายการภัตตาคารบ้านทุ่ง, พาฝัน รงศิริกุล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีจุดประสงค์เพื่อให้เข้าใจกระบวนการสร้างความหมาย การถ่ายทอดความหมาย และการรับรู้ความหมายทั้งหมดในรายการภัตตาคารบ้านทุ่ง ผู้วิจัยแบ่งการศึกษาวิจัยออกเป็น 2 ส่วน คือ (1) เพื่อศึกษาการสร้างสรรค์รายการภัตตาคารบ้านทุ่งและการถ่ายทอดความหมายไปสู่ผู้ชมรายการ ผู้วิจัยจะใช้การวิเคราะห์ตัวบท รายการโทรทัศน์ภัตตาคารบ้านทุ่ง และการสัมภาษณ์ เชิงลึกผู้ผลิตรายการเพื่อนำมาใช้ประกอบการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหารายการ นอกจากนี้ (2) เพื่อศึกษาการถอดรหัสความหมายของผู้ชมรายการ ผู้วิจัยจะใช้การสนทนากลุ่ม สำรวจผู้ชมวัยทำงานว่ามีการรับรู้และการถอดรหัสความหมายในรายการอย่างไร ผลการวิจัยพบว่า ผู้ผลิตรายการมุ่งถ่ายทอดความหมายหลักเกี่ยวกับ "คุณค่าและความงดงามของวิถีชีวิตในชนบท" แก่ผู้ชมรายการ โดยผ่านภาพและเรื่องราวของ "อาหาร" และ "วัตถุดิบ" ในแต่ละท้องถิ่น ทั้งนี้ จากการวิเคราะห์ตัวบทรายการทั้ง 20 ตอน พบการถ่ายทอดความหมายมากที่สุดใน 4 ประเด็นคือ 'วิถีชีวิตชนบทที่เรียบง่าย พอเพียง ใกล้ชิดธรรมชาติ และเอื้อเฟื้อเผื่อแผ่' 'วัฒนธรรม ภูมิปัญญาพื้นบ้านของคนไทยทรงคุณค่า' 'ความขยันหมั่นเพียร การลงมือทำด้วยตนเอง และการร่วมมือกันของคนในชุมชน นำมาซึ่งความสุขและความสำเร็จ' และ 'บ้านเกิดที่เราจากมามีความอบอุ่น ความห่วงใย และความสุข' รองลงมาคือ 'ประเทศไทยมีทรัพยากรอันทรงคุณค่า เลี้ยงประชากรได้อย่างยั่งยืน และที่พบน้อยที่สุดคือ 'เกษตรอินทรีย์ หรือเกษตรผสมผสานเลี้ยงชีพได้และช่วยให้คุณภาพชีวิตดี' ส่วนการถอดรหัสความหมายของผู้ชมรายการกลุ่มตัวอย่าง พบการถอดรหัสความหมายที่สอดคล้องกับผู้ผลิตมากที่สุดใน 3 ประเด็นหลักคือ วิถีชีวิตชนบทที่เรียบง่าย การระลึกถึงบ้านเกิด และวัฒนธรรม ภูมิปัญญาพื้นบ้าน นอกจากนี้ พบการตีความตรงข้ามความหมายเพียงหนึ่งประเด็นคือเรื่องทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ อีกทั้งยังมีผู้ร่วมสนทนามองเห็นในประเด็นนี้น้อยที่สุดอีกด้วย สรุปผู้ผลิตรายการพยายามนำเสนอคุณค่าของวิถีชีวิตชนบท และวัฒนธรรมภูมิปัญญาท้องถิ่นโดยผ่านกระบวนการค้นหาวัตถุดิบ และการประกอบอาหารในรายการ เพื่อมุ่งสืบทอดมรดกทางวัฒนธรรมของบรรพบุรุษ ทั้งปลูกฝังสำนึกรักและภาคภูมิใจในถิ่นฐานบ้านเกิดของตน

การเล่าเรื่องแบบทรานส์มีเดียกับการสร้างความผูกพันร่วมในการสื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคม, มรรยาท อัครจันทโชติ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้เป็นงานวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพที่มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษา (1) มุมมองของคนทำงานด้านสังคมที่มีต่อการสร้างความผูกพันร่วมของคนไทยในการสื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคม (2) คุณลักษณะของการเล่าเรื่องที่ใช้ในการสื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคม (3) แนวทางการนำแนวคิดการเล่าเรื่องแบบทรานส์มีเดียไปใช้สร้างความผูกพันร่วมของคนไทยในการสื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคม โดยใช้วิธีวิจัยเอกสาร การสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึก และการวิเคราะห์ตัวบทของโครงการขับเคลื่อนสังคมรวม 6 กรณีศึกษา (2555-2559) ทั้งของไทยและต่างประเทศ
ผลการวิจัยพบว่า (1) ปัจจัยที่มีผลทำให้คนไทยเกิดความผูกพันร่วมในการสื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคม คือ พื้นฐานของตัวบุคคลและกลุ่มอาสาสมัคร กลยุทธ์ที่ใช้ในการสื่อสาร องค์กรด้านสังคม และบริบททางสังคมและการเมือง (2) การเล่าเรื่องที่ใช้สื่อสารประเด็นทางสังคมที่ผ่านมาทั้งของไทยและต่างประเทศยังมีจุดอ่อนในการสร้างความผูกพันร่วม โดยเฉพาะกรณีศึกษาของไทยที่ยังไม่ค่อยมีการออกแบบการเล่าเรื่องอย่างเป็นระบบ ไม่ได้ใช้แพลตฟอร์มสื่ออย่างเต็มศักยภาพ ขาดการวิเคราะห์กลุ่มเป้าหมาย มองข้ามการสื่อสารเชิงอารมณ์ ขาดความต่อเนื่องในการสื่อสาร และไม่กระตุ้นให้ผู้ใช้สื่อมีส่วนร่วมในการเล่าเรื่อง (3) การนำแนวคิดการเล่าเรื่องแบบทรานส์มีเดียไปใช้สร้างพลังความผูกพันร่วมของคนไทยในประเด็นทางสังคม ต้องคำนึงถึง 4 องค์ประกอบหลัก ได้แก่ (1) ความน่าเชื่อถือของแกนนำในการขับเคลื่อน (2) ประเด็นปัญหาทางสังคมที่ต้องการขับเคลื่อนมีความเกี่ยวพันกับกลุ่มเป้าหมายและมีทางแก้ไขปัญหาได้ (3) การวางแผนการใช้สื่อแบบทรานส์มีเดียที่ดี และ (4) การเล่าเรื่องแบบทรานส์มีเดียที่ดีทั้งจากผู้ผลิตสื่อและผู้ใช้สื่อที่เข้ามามีส่วนร่วมในการเล่าเรื่อง
ผลการวิจัยครั้งนี้แสดงให้เห็นว่า การเล่าเรื่องแบบทรานส์มีเดียสามารถพัฒนาขบวนการเคลื่อนไหวทางสังคมแนวใหม่ในประเทศไทยได้ คนทำงานด้านสังคมจึงควรทดลองการสื่อสารแบบใหม่ ๆ เพื่อสร้างพลังของพลเมืองในการร่วมกันเปลี่ยนแปลงสังคมให้ดีขึ้น

The Barriers They Face: The Legal, Social, And Economic Obstacles Immigrants Encounter As They Attempt To Gain Acceptance In French Society, Kara Rachel Chobot

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Consensus In Anesthesia Handoff Reporting, Robin Lee Anselm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite some improvement, no consensus exists to perfect quality in anesthesia handoff practice and policy. This quality improvement project was designed to assist a local anesthesia and perioperative workforce questioning the quality of its current handoff. Theories and models used to inform the project included the Inter-Professional Team Collaborative, Lewin's change theory, the continuous quality improvement theory, and the knowledge to action model. The communication assessment tool (CAT) functioned as a needs assessment yielding a gap in handoff practice of 25 participants. The CAT also served as the post project evaluation survey. The situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) tool …

Mindset, Academic Motivation, And Academic Self-Efficacy As Correlates Of Academic Achievement Among Undergraduate Students In Communication Sciences And Disorders Programs, Heather Loraine Ferguson

Dissertations

Problem

Higher education serves many stakeholders including students, parents, faculty, staff, university administrators, and other contributors. Those stakeholders are all linked with one purpose: the success of the student. That success or failure is most commonly measured by achievement through grade point average (GPA). The academic demands within the college/university setting is high. Limited academic achievement can result in academic failure, being placed on academic probation, even losing scholarships and grants. Students enter college, progress through college, and often graduate without having a real understanding for what it truly takes to be academically successful and what factors may contribute to …

Back To Africa In The 21st Century: The Cultural Reconnection Experiences Of African American Women, Marcia Tate Arunga

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of 18 African American women who went to Kenya, East Africa as part of a Cultural Reconnection delegation. A qualitative narrative inquiry method was used for data collection. This was an optimal approach to honoring the authentic voices of African American women. Eighteen African American women shared their stories, revelations, feelings and thoughts on reconnecting in their ancestral homeland of Africa. The literature discussed includes diasporic returns as a subject of study, barriers to the return including the causes of historic trauma, and how Black women as culture bearers …

Negotiating Desire: Resisting, Reimagining And Reinscribing Normalized Sexuality And Gender In Fan Fiction, Charity A. Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

Fan studies has examined how fan fiction resists heteronormativity by challenging depictions of gender and sexuality, but to date, this inquiry has focused disproportionately on slash, to the exclusion of other genres of fan fiction. Additionally, scholars disagree about slash’s subversive effects by setting up a seemingly stable dichotomy—subversive vs. misogynistic—where one does not necessarily exist.

In this project, I examine multiple genres of fan fiction—namely, slash arising from bromances; femslash from female friendships; incestuous fan fiction from dysfunctional familial relationships; and polyamorous fics. I chose fics from four televisions shows—NBC’s Revolution, MTV’s Teen Wolf, the CW’s The …

Investigating The Practice And Capacity Of Paediatric Occupational Therapists To Promote The Physical Activity Levels Of Children In Western Australia, Sally Coombs

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Reorientation of the Australian health care system to meet the increasing burden of disease requires health workers to develop a focus on disease prevention and health promotion. In Western Australia (WA) a priority area for the promotion of health involves increasing the physical activity levels (PAL) of children in accordance with Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. There is substantial support in the literature for paediatric occupational therapists, who assist children to participate in a range of meaningful occupations, to incorporate the promotion of children’s PAL into their service. However, there is a dearth of research world-wide regarding occupational …

Metaphor And Ideology In Economic Discourse, Brian Derhen

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Despite the presence of metaphors in American political discourse, little scholarly attention has been paid to the functioning of economic metaphors. This study addresses this shortcoming by examining the use of economic metaphors in contentious argument, while paying attention to how metaphor's linguistic variability derives from the rhetorical nature of discourse, and how the context of conflicting ideologies facilitates clashes between larger political metaphors. After establishing the ubiquity of metaphor in economic policy discourse, this study elaborates on an understanding of a fractured political discourse with an historical model that traces this fracture back to four dominant ideological positions. Finally, …

Postmodern/Poststructural Approaches, Jennifer J. Mease (Also Peeksmease)

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Postmodern and poststructural approaches to organizational communication are marked by an emphasis on ruptures, disjunctions, tensions, instabilities, and other inconsistencies as a part of everyday organizational life. This emphasis is part of an attempt to question, critique, and often compromise the normalized, mundane power structures that regulate organizational life. By questioning and critiquing, these approaches reveal norms and power structures as contingently constructed with particular interests at play. This contrasts with more traditional assumptions that treat norms and power structures as natural, neutral, and stable constructions.

Poststructural and postmodern approaches to organizational communication find their roots in broader philosophical movements …

Developing And Maintaining Online Romantic Relationships, Corrina Lowe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Internet has become the one of the most used ways for individuals of both sexes to meet potential mates. The purpose of the grounded theory study was to gain an understanding of the stages of development of an online romantic relationship and the motivations that impact the progression and the maintenance of relationships through asking individuals who have experienced the phenomenon about their experiences. Social penetration model, social learning theory, and the stimulus- role-value theory guided the study. Four samples of convenience were used to obtain the 20 participants, including the Walden University participant pool, 2 local universities, Match.com …

Language, Rhetoric, And Politics In A Global Context: A Decolonial Critical Discourse Perspective On Nigeria’S 2015 Presidential Campaign, Yunana Ahmed

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this dissertation, I conceptualize a rhetorical and linguistic analysis of politics from a decolonial framework (Mignolo, 2011; Smith, 2012). My analysis draws on classical rhetoric (Aristotle, 2007), cultural rhetoric (Mao, 2014; Powell, et al., 2014; Yankah, 1995), and linguistics (Chilton, 2004) to reveal the different ways ideological and hegemonic struggles are discursively constructed in Nigerian political campaign discourse. The data for this study come from two speeches delivered by former President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 electoral campaign. This includes his declaration-of-intent speech and his speech marking the commencement of his formal campaign activities. My …

Mandates Of Maternity At A Science Museum, From Should To Must, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

A pregnancy exhibit at a science museum is an opportunity to research how medical advice is communicated and interpreted. This paper is about the Beginning of Life area of an exhibition called The Amazing You at the Tampa Museum of Science and Industry, where exhibits are prescriptive as well as descriptive. Expectant women are urged to deliver full-term, normal birthweight babies, by behaving according to prescribed medical norms. This study provides ethnographic descriptions of the exhibits, as well as insights from museum visitors who were interviewed. The exhibits, which emphasize fetal rights and maternal duties, are interpreted and critiqued by …

New Black Boxes: Technologically Mediated Intercultural Rhetorical Encounters On The U.S.-Mexico Border, Beau Scott Pihlaja

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Activity theory (AT) and actor-network theory (ANT) as theoretical frameworks begin their analysis of the world with the concept of "actors" engaged in activity towards some objective and with other actors in the human and non-human world. In this project, I use AT and ANT to analyze the mediating effect of communication technologies in intercultural rhetorical contexts, in this case a binational small business, and address two questions: 1.) How do common communication technologies (email, phone, IM chat, texting applications) define and transform intercultural rhetorical encounters? And 2.) How do individuals rhetorically engage perceived cultural others using common communication technologies …

Exporting Gender Bias: Anglo-American Echoes In Swedish Advertising Creative Departments, Jean M. Grow

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Digitally Mediated: Exploring The Correlation Between Hyper-Reliance On Electronically-Mediated Communication, Verbal Communication Apprehension And Interpersonal Relationship Skills, Kevin R. Bertsch

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to identify a possible correlation between the use of electronically-mediated communication (EMC) as the dependent variable and both verbal communication apprehension (CA) and interpersonal intimacy and closeness as independent variables. Viewed through the lens of three primary theoretical perspectives, social penetration theory, social information processing, and uncertainty reduction, two questions formed the foundation of the project. RQ1) Is hyper-reliance on electronically-mediated communication associated with a corresponding increase in verbal communication apprehension during face-to-face conversations? RQ2) Is there a correlation between hyper-reliance on electronically-mediated communication and the ability to develop close interpersonal relationships? A combination …

Challenging Filipino Colonial Mentality With Philippine Art, Francesca V. Mateo

Master's Theses

For 350 years, the Philippines was colonized by Spain and the United States. The Philippines became a sovereign nation in 1946 yet, fifty years later, colonial teachings continue to oppress Filipinos due to their colonial mentality (CM.) CM is an internalized oppression among Filipinos in which they experience an automatic preference for anything Western—European or U.S. American—and rejection of anything Filipino. Although Filipinos show signs of a CM, there are Filipinos who are challenging CM by engaging in Philippine art. Philippine art is defined as Filipino-made visual art, literature, music, and dance intended to promote Philippine culture. This …

The Art Of Interpretive Dialogue: An Ontology Of Human Experience And The Emergence Of Meaning In Everyday Life, Sophia N. Gallagher

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the ultimate intention of seeking a kind of dialogue that facilitates personal, relational, and collective growth and may be practiced in our everyday lives, this paper examines the fundamental role of interpretation and communication in all human experience. The overall work is positioned at the intersection of Philosophical Hermeneutics and Interpersonal Communication, and begins with an ontology of human experience as the inextricable relation between the experiencer and what is experienced, contextually situated as temporal and embodied, and conditioned by the three interrelated processes of affect, understanding, and discourse as they are mediated by an unique constitutive framework. The …

Recent Semantic Changes For The Term "Digital", Tore Brattli

Proceedings from the Document Academy

The term digital originates from the Latin word for finger/counting and has for many years been used to denote discrete signals and information, as opposed to analog. Discrete representation is an important principle, not only in computers, but also for (printed) text, music scores and even our genes. Recently however, the use of the term has increased and the meaning expanded to include almost everything related to information technology, e.g. digital natives and digital addiction. This study investigates the core principles of digital representation and compares this concept with the recent usage, with a focus on Norwegian media. The purpose …

If It Looks Like A *Uck: A Provocation On B*D Words, Jodi Kearns, Brian C. O'Connor

Proceedings from the Document Academy

For some decades, we’ve been considering (and using) “b*d” words. Such a large part of the document space is made up of words; it seems necessary, upon occasion, to explore the crooked little paths and messy gutters occupied by some words. We invite your company on such a little exploration now.

Toward Augmented Document: Expressive Function Of Catalog, Caroline Courbieres, Sabine Roux, Benoît Berthou

Proceedings from the Document Academy

A library catalog constitutes a communicational tool which allows access to a collection of documents. It contributes to the circulation of knowledge by signaling and locating informational objects. This referencing consists in deconstructing/reconstructing documents according to principles of standardization: the actualized document is then decomposed into diverse characteristics. With the development of online public access catalog (OPAC), catalogs diffuse their own content beyond the documentary space that they are supposed to represent. Thus the communicational models specific to the bibliographic catalog must be deepened. If a catalog could appear as a documentary showcase, the possibility to comment on documents extends …

Fortaleza's Immigrant Song: Portrait-Narratives And An Identity Needs Analysis Of Recent Immigrants' Lived Experiences, Carl Weitz-Santiago

Capstone Collection

This inquiry sheds light on the personal stories and lived experiences of a group of recent immigrants currently living in Fortaleza, the sprawling capital of the Northeastern state of Ceará, Brazil. Utilizing a theoretical framework guided by “Epistemologies of the South,” ethnographic principles, and constructivist grounded theory, this capstones presents five first person portrait-narratives highlighting intimate details of project participants’ lives prior to immigrating, and uncovers four persistent and recurrent themes expressed by project participants: (1) language and communication, (2) professional opportunity, (3) personal growth, and (4) “saudade” and belongingness.

Through the lens of Johan Galtung’s Basic Needs Approach, …

American Muslims: How The “American Creed” Fosters Assimilation And Pluralism, James R. Moore

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

This article examines the status of American Muslims in the United States in relationship to other cultural groups and some of the widespread stereotypes that plague Muslims in contemporary society. Much has been written about the discrimination faced by Muslims, particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, spawned by religious, racial, and ethnic bigotry. Some polls show many Americans harbor some prejudices against Muslims, but these prejudices have not resulted in widespread violence or discrimination; although there has been some violence and discrimination experienced by some Muslims, the empirical data show that the majority of American Muslims are very successful …

On Confucius’S Ideology Of Aesthetic Order, Li Wang

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

Advocating order, order for all things, and taking order as beauty is the core element of Confucius’s aesthetic ideology. Confucius’s thought of aesthetic order is different from others of the “hundred schools of thoughts” in the pre-Qin period, and is also diverse from the Western value of aesthetic order. Confucius’s thought of aesthetic order has its own unique value system, which has become the mainstream value of aesthetic order in the Chinese society for 2000 years until today, after being integrated with the Chinese feudal imperial system in early Han Dynasty. This paper illustrates Confucius’s ideology of aesthetic order from …

Language And The Promised Land: Passage And Migration To A Spanish-Language ‘Third Place’, Kenya C. Dworkin Y Mendez

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

The Spanish-language anthology Caminos para la paz: Literatura israelí y árabe en castellano (Buenos Aires: Corregidor, 2007) [Paths towards/for Peace: Israeli and Arab literature in Castilian], compiled by Ignacio López-Calvo and Cristián Ricci, offers us a collection of over thirty reflections—some Jewish, others Muslim—about the millennial but also contemporary situation of two literally related and historic peoples in a language—Spanish—that seemingly allows them to inhabit the same, this time uncontested, space. Despite the potentially questionable title of the work, which couches the conflict as that of a nation-state versus a nation and/or two peoples contesting rights to one same land, …

Improved Sprint Results With Offshore Indian Teams, Fnu Abdul Hasheem

Dissertations and Theses

Due to the cultural and linguistic differences, different time zones, and complexities of knowledge transfer involved in IT offshoring, offshore-outsourced projects are more prone to failure than in-house and domestically outsourced projects. These inherent risks exacerbate the communication, coordination and collaboration between vendors and clients and thus affect various stages of the offshore outsourced software development (OSD).

Communication is a major factor of success or failure for any software project. In offshore software development OSD, communication is more critical than collocated software development. Frequent communication is not always possible due to challenges like time zone differences, holiday customs etc. where …

Priming Of Narrative Language In Young Adults, Rachel M. Crowder

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Investigation Of Walking Motion Using A Combination Of Image And Signal Processing, Bradley Schneider, Tanvi Banerjee

Kno.e.sis Publications

We present the results of analyzing gait motion in first-person video taken from a commercially available wearable camera embedded in a pair of glasses. The video is analyzed with three different computer vision methods to extract motion vectors from different gait sequences from four individuals for comparison against a manually annotated ground truth dataset. Using a combination of signal processing and computer vision techniques, gait features are extracted to identify the walking pace of the individual wearing the camera as well as validated using the ground truth dataset. Our preliminary results indicate that the extraction of activity from the video …