Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Space And Place In The Civil Rights Discourse Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pamelia Adams

Communication Theses

This thesis, The Use of Space and Place in the Civil Rights Discourse of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., analyzes the academic literature on the social change agent. The study provides a deeper understanding of the relevance of place/location, where Dr. King delivered his civil rights message nationally and internationally. Three historically significant sites and the events impacting the civil rights movement, in the cities of Washington, D.C. and Birmingham, Alabama, are examined. The three sites included in Chapter 2: The Jail Site, Chapter 3: The Bombing Site, and Chapter 4: The March Sites as examples. The main findings of …

Recuperative Rhetorics: A Novel Framework For Rhetorical Analysis, Nicolas Palumbo

Masters Theses (Archived)

This thesis details the creation of the Recuperative Rhetorics analytical framework, which is a scalable, transdisciplinary framework for analyzing rhetorical texts, from individual speeches to societal understandings of legacy and history. It discusses the framework’s theoretical underpinnings, explains how to utilize it in analyzing rhetoric and rhetorical works, and provides examples of the framework in action across multiple mediums. The framework takes inspiration from the theories and praxes of Situationist International, primarily those of the spectacle, ready-made objects, détournement, and recuperation. The framework uses these ideas, and then builds upon more established analytical frameworks to establish a base from which …

Implementing Policy To Increase Health Literacy In Falls Prevention: A Teach-Back And Show-Back Intervention, Yalanda M. Barner, Lollie Vaughan-Robinson, Jazmin Adjei

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Although falls are preventable, falls among older adults remain a public health concern. Research indicates that over one-third of persons over 65 fall. Approximately 3 million report to emergency rooms due to falls annually. Falls are attributed to health conditions such as cognitive impairment, poor eyesight, arthritis, and polypharmacy.

Purpose: This study adapted the Teach-Back/Show-Back method for older persons in adult daycare and faith-based settings to assess their understanding of falls prevention techniques. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors, prevention strategies, and policy recommendations of falls prevention among older adults.

Methods: A survey …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Speech Sound Disorder Treatment Apps For Children, Rachel G. Barnett

Master's Theses

This research examined 20 speech sound disorder (SSD) treatment apps’ features and costs as related to the feature matching process within speech-language therapy. Methods included the development of a 67-item SSD checklist and sorted into 9 categories, including linguistic levels, speech models, software customization, cost, game types, image types, technical elements, feedback types, and engagement and manipulation. Two independent reviewers applied the checklist to randomly selected contemporary apps available on both iPhones and iPads. App cost was capped at $25. Results indicated that app cost was not a good predictor of feature quantity and contemporary apps had some relevant feature …

Language Dominance And Connected Speech In Multilingual Spanish-English Adults, Alyson Jimenez

Master's Theses

With a growing prevalence of multilingual, Spanish-English speakers in the United States, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face limited research to learn about how to evaluate the language skills of this population. Exploring evaluation tools, more specifically, connected speech samples, and their effectiveness in assessing the dynamic nature of multilingualism with adults who speak Spanish and English can assist SLPs in making informed recommendations. This study aimed to investigate relations between language dominance and connected speech with cognitive-healthy multilingual Spanish-English adults. Language dominance was further examined by two perspectives that an SLP may utilize in their evaluation: evaluated and perceived. Correlations between …

Disability And News: How Audiences Respond To Disabled Messengers In A Newcast, Daniel J. Andersen

Theses and Dissertations

Starting in the 1960s, many communications theories sprung to life in response to social movements that thrived in that era. While those theories were applied to movements such as gender equality, the equal rights movement, and racial and ethnic minority recognition efforts, the disability community has largely been left outside of academic exploration. Building off of decades of stereotype and representation research within communications psychological theories, this study used eye tracking to understand how audiences respond to seeing disabled newscasters. Using quantitative analysis and experimental design to expose participants to a news anchor in a wheelchair, this study built off …

Establishing A Christ-Centered Understanding Of The Minor Prophets At First Baptist Church, Greenville, Ky, John Michael Galyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to help members of First Baptist Church Greenville, KY, interpret and apply the Minor Prophets from a Christ-centered perspective. This project measured church members’ understanding of the Minor Prophets as they pertain to Christians today. It also measured attitudes and affections toward the Minor Prophets. A total of eleven people participated in the study. Eight were female; the other three were male. Each participant completed a pre-intervention survey, along with three instructional workshops that focused on biblical exposition, biblical theology, and hermeneutics. An eight-part sermon series was implemented to model the kind …

Coffee In Brasil: Sustainability And The Role Of Intermediaries, Livia Petzinger

Capstone Collection

ABSTRACT

Coffee is traded in a highly complex global value chain where countless sustainability initiatives have emerged to address social, economic, and environmental issues, challenges which persist due to dominance of the market structure by largescale traders and roasters. Specialty coffee and direct trade have emerged as alternative trade arrangements that promote high-quality coffee through the use of sustainable practices, transparency, and a shortened supply chain. This research analyzes the role that intermediaries in the Brazilian specialty coffee supply chain play in the implementation of sustainability initiatives asking what kinds of sustainability practices they implement and why, and how this …

Binary Gendered Language: A Qualitative Study Of Psu Students, Dakota Abercrombie

University Honors Theses

This study explores experiences of gendered language in use in academia among two marginalized groups: women and those identifying beyond the gender binary. Guided by the theory of linguistic relativity this study attempts to understand specific ways in which gendered language, including generic language may show up and contrasted within these groups. While this data is not generalizable, the findings indicate that both women and nonbinary students experience binary pronoun use in written formats such as syllabi. However, nonbinary students describe more negative feelings associated with this experience. We also noted participants' gender identities intersecting with other identities, leading to …

Staff Perspectives Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students’ Alcohol Use, Christine L. Gannon, Theresa H. Gibble, Retta Evans

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

A predominant health issue at colleges and universities is alcohol use. This is also true for deaf and hard of hearing college students. Key stakeholders who observe and witness this alcohol dynamic are staff. Researchers used a semi-structured qualitative guide to interview Gallaudet University staff (N = 26) to learn about their perspectives on and experiences with student alcohol use. Through thematic analysis, they identified several dominant themes that were then grouped into the three levels of the social-ecological model. First, they identified intrapersonal factors, including fear of missing out and coping strategies. Second, they identified interpersonal factors such …

Cultural Humility As A Mechanism For Building Working Alliance With International Counseling Supervisees, Alexandra Ioakeimidou

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The counseling field constitutes a choice of study for many international students pursuing graduate studies in the United States. A critical training aspect of the counseling field is clinical supervision. It is documented in the literature that international counseling supervisees encounter many challenges in the context of supervision. The field of mental health and, in particular, the counseling field often emphasize the concept of cultural competence as a critical component in providing effective cross-cultural supervision. However, scholars have pointed out some negative aspects of cultural competence. The present study stipulated that the emphasis of supervisors on cultural competence could be …

Arab Citizens’ Contributions To Investigative Reporting: An Examination Of Arabs' Awareness, Willingness, And Satisfaction Toward Citizen Investigative Reporting, Ahmed Makharesh

Dissertations

This dissertation aims to measure Arabs' understanding of investigative reporting and willingness to engage in investigative reporting practices through a survey of 421 Arab citizens from countries that include the Eastern African, Northern African, Arabian Peninsula, and Fertile Crescent regions. It also aims to measure Arabs' understanding of gatekeeping and their willingness to serve as gatekeepers. Further, this dissertation emphasizes various hypotheses, including that increased investigative reporting would benefit the region's citizens and increase the quality of journalistic work. The gatekeeping theory fits into this dissertation because of the significant development of the news delivery process on social media in …

We're Swarming Again! Swarming, Collectivity, And Trope: The Case Of Extinction Rebellion, Tyler J. Behymer

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the rhetoric of the eco-movement Extinction Rebellion, focusing on the use of swarming and nature tropes to mobilize collective action and revivify contemporary notions of collectivity. Drawing on rhetoric of social movement scholarship, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis, this essay theorizes swarming as a tropological economy that expands the conditions of propriety in the context of collectivity. Through an analysis of Extinction Rebellion’s discourse, this study demonstrates how the naturalization of swarming tropes works in various ways to rewild conventional political discourse, galvanize disruptive collective assembly, and challenge green neoliberalism.

Advisor: Casey Ryan Kelly

My Identity Blew Up On Tiktok: Exploring Content Creators And The Transparasocial Relationship, Russell Garret Harger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated transparasocial relationships as they relate to identity management for content creators. Unlike traditional parasocial relationships, transparasocial relationships indicate high levels of interactivity between the creator and audience members. This study investigates how this interactivity affects the identity of the creators, specifically content creators on TikTok. A diverse set of 21 creators were reached out to and interviewed in a semi-structured respondent style over videoconference calls. Thematic analysis was conducted to discover how these creators are managing their identities within the context of their roles as content creators. A particular interest was taken to see if there were …

Increasing Social Entrepreneurship In Digital Media For Individuals With Lupus And Low Vision, Firmansyah Firmansyah, Andalusia Neneng Permatasari, Arba'iyah Satriani, Ratri Rizki Kusumalestari, Septiawan Santana Kurnia

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

This paper discusses the development of social entrepreneurship empowerment for individuals with lupus and limitations in vision through Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), defined based on identifying their substantial aspects. After defining the characteristics of conditions of individuals with disadvantaged health, such as lupus and low vision, an ABCD approach is developed. The approach is planned within the framework of business development using digital media, carrying out five key steps—Discovery, Dream, Design, Define, and Destiny. It is argued that the ABCD concept can be effective in the continuity of the empowerment process, particularly in helping individuals with health inequalities. This study …

Social Media For Pr In University: Building Community And Engagement, Ajenk N. Citra, Intan Primadini, Pijar Suciati

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

Public relations and stakeholder engagement at universities have been transformed by social media. According to several studies, colleges are using social media more and more to share information, advertise events, and project a positive image. Some claim, however, that colleges have not fully embraced the participatory features of social media and instead use it as a "spectator sport" for one-way communication. This study aims to analyze how social media helps build community and engagement for public relations purposes in the university. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study method. Data are collected through interviews and then …

Assessing Information Literacy Levels Among Underprivileged Communities, Nurul Hazlina Noordin

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study examines the levels of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) among underprivileged communities, shedding light on their digital literacy and online behaviour. Rooted in the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy framework, focusing on specific dimensions of MIL, with an emphasis on assessing the ability to retrieve, critically evaluate, and manage information. 366 participants among the targeted community were involved, where survey instruments aligned with MIL principles were adopted in identifying the strength and areas for improvement for the targeted underprivileged community. Participants’ awareness of data privacy was also assessed. The findings emphasize the critical role of targeted interventions and …

The Role Of New Media Literacy In Shaping Online Learning Satisfaction: Evidence From Egyptian Universities, Abdelmohsen Hamed Okela

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The pervasive adoption of online learning in educational systems worldwide has resulted in delivering this learning to digital natives, today’s university students. In this context, it is crucial to acknowledge the significance of students’ satisfaction in determining the success or failure of online learning. This study examines the impact of the four New Media Literacy (NML) dimensions on students’ satisfaction with online learning (SOL). A total of 640 university students from four universities in Egypt were included in the data collection process. The findings derived from structural equation modelling revealed that the four dimensions of (NML), namely functional consumption, critical …

Memetic Memory As Vital Conduits Of Troublemakers In Digital Culture, Alexander O. Smith, Jordan Loewen-Colón

School of Information Studies - Post-doc and Student Scholarship

Recent fears of data capitalism and colonialism often argue using implicit assumptions about cybernetic technology’s ability to automate data about culture. As such, the level of data granularity made possible by cybernetic engineering can be used to dominate society and culture. Here we unpack these implicit assumptions about the datafication of culture through memes, which both act as cultural data and cultural memory. Using Alexander Galloway’s critical method of protocological analysis and descriptions of media tactics, we respond to fears of cybernetic domination. Protocols – the source by which cybernetic technologies enable automated datafication – enables us to respond to …

Media Road To Violence: A Process Of Racialization Of Rohingya Ethnic Minority, Md Didarul Islam

Communication ETDs

ABSTRACT

This dissertation examines how ideologically loaded news media representations advanced the complex and ambiguous process of racialization of the Rohingyas, an ethnic Muslim minority in Myanmar. This study first interrogates the dominant patterns in news sourcing and thematic emphasis in the coverage of Rohingya; secondly, it sheds light on how these representations contribute to reproducing dominant ideologies and power relations. I selected two English-language newspapers published in Myanmar: The Global New Light of Myanmar and the Myanmar Times. I applied the notions of media representation (Hall, 1997), ideology (Althusser, 2007), and racialization (Garner & Selod, 2015) as the central …

Atrocity Prevention In The Digital Era: Adapting Norms, Laws, And Code To Changes In The Ways Atrocities Are Committed, David J. Simon, Samhitha Josyula, Joshua Lam, Julian D. Melendi

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Emerging digital technologies have changed some of the ways that genocides are planned and executed. This paper examines those differences, calling attention to how changes in the execution of genocide should prompt a shift in the approaches to atrocity prevention. It develops a conceptual framework addressing how atrocity prevention efforts might adapt to new technology within three realms of potential prevention efforts: the ethical (norms), the legal (laws), and the digital (code).

The Discursive Representations Of Africanness And Blackness In Chinese Cyberspace : A Critical Discourse-Historical Analysis, Jiapei Gu

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Recent years have seen deepened Sino-African ties. However, unlike friendly rhetoric at the state level, racial issues at the individual level are becoming increasingly salient. This study aims to enrich our current understanding of racial issues in China by examining the digital discursive representations of Africanness and Blackness produced by Chinese Weibo users. It investigates three African/Black people-related racial occurrences in China from 2020 to 2021. Those include the release of the draft of the Permanent Residence Law for Foreigners in 2020, the Okonkwonwoye case, where Okonkwonwoye physically assaulted a nurse during quarantine in 2020, and the Abdulmatten murder case …

Sans Hommes, On N’Est Pas Rien”: Defying Patriarchy And Reclaiming Voices In Les Rivières, Warisara E. Sawin

Vernacular: New Connections in Language, Literature, & Culture

This article explores Jennifer Solheim’s conceptualization of “the call to listen” in postcolonial Francophone cultural production, as she argues for the importance of engaging with and responding to immigrant and minority narratives within this cultural milieu. This article further explores the dynamic relationship between media consumption and artistic creation, specifically the innovative realms of “accented” and “intercultural” cinema that have emerged from the conditions of globalization and migration. The unique cinematic languages of these forms convey the intricate experiences of those living in exile or as part of post-migratory populations.

An in-depth analysis is presented on Mai Hua’s documentary Les …

Valuing Trans Lives After Suicide: Rituals Of Commemoration In Digital Social Media Culture, Joe Edward Hatfield

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

In 2014, a trans teenager named Leelah Alcorn posted a suicide letter to her public Tumblr account. Almost a decade later, in 2023, Eden Knight, another young trans woman, posted a suicide letter to her public Twitter account. Both suicide letters went viral and inspired memorial hashtags on the platforms where they initially circulated. In this article, I identify similarities between the cases, conceptualizing both as rituals of commemoration aimed toward restoring value to trans lives lost too soon. My analysis shows how ordinary users leverage the connective affordances embedded within popular social media platforms to sustain structured, value-laden acts …

Estranged Temporality: How Time Tells Stories In Science Fiction, Phillip H. Howells

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

According to Darko Suvin in his influential critical treatise, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction, estrangement in Science Fiction (SF) gives authors the ability to build worlds related to but distant from our own using specific metaphors. This dissertation takes up this term and applies it to the fulcrum of time in SF as a method of creating possible futures and imaginative pasts in order to illuminate the realities of the present. The realities of the present are congruent with the material circumstances of the past, and this can be seen in the kinds of SF worlds built by members of …

Exploring Gen Z’S Identity Formation And Its Influence On Consumption Of Pop Culture And Entertainment Merchandise, Melisa Annette Spilinek

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Fandoms have grown in size and influence, becoming a complex and dynamic cultural phenomenon that richly impacts the consumption of media and consumer behavior. The capitalistic United States with its diverse and media-savvy population, is a prime destination to study fan studies, particularly among young adults who are a crucial component of fandom influence.

The internet has grown to be a major component of the fan experience, an integral part of fandom culture. Online communities provide avenues for Generation Z to connect with others who share similar struggles, challenges, and interests, highlighting the importance of digital platofrms on the evolution …

Digital Catharsis Or Harmful Exposure? A Thematic Analysis Of Self-Directed Violence Reddit Posts, Lindsay A. Lundeen, John R. Mccall, Amanda Sams Bradshaw, Erika L. Leblanc, Lizy Humphrey

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many feel uncomfortable discussing self-directed violence with individuals in their social circle, often leading to concerned posts on social media. Previous studies address self-harm, suicide, and nonsuicidal self-injury; however, minimal literature combines suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury to explore common themes representing self-directed violence. This study identified themes from suicide and self-harm subreddit communities, with themes common to each subreddit comprising themes of self-directed violence. Using 1,989 Reddit posts from suicide and self-harm communities, we employed an inductive thematic analysis to explore how users discussed self-directed violence within anonymous online communities. Ultimately, the impact of using Reddit for discussion of self-directed …

Communication Research On Sign Language Telecommunication And Digital Modes Of Interpretation., Scooter Briody

Honors Theses

Since the invention and proliferation of the telephone in the late nineteenth century, our world has become increasingly dependent on technologically mediated communication. Nowadays we are just as likely to have our next human interaction through our smartphone or computer screen as we are to meet another person face to face. We do not even tend to think of these things as tools for telecommunication anymore, but rather as extensions of our own will. Despite the overwhelming convenience of this technology, it is also fundamentally created with the interests of certain people in mind. If you are able to use …

“Destiel Is Forever”: Negotiating Authenticity In The Cw’S Supernatural Family And Beyond, Hannah Lay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the communicative constitution of authenticity and queerness. Because queerness has been policed and censored, notions of authenticity, in particular authentic queer representations, are fraught and sustaining to many LGBTQ+ and allied media consumers. The project focuses on the television series Supernatural—specifically, the unfolding of interactions in fan conventions, Twitter/X, and Tumblr involving celebrities and viewers of the series following a social breach, or rupture in the narrative. The last three episodes of Supernatural brought issues of queerness and authenticity to the fore for many viewers, making discussions about these themes compelling sites for multimodal data in the …

Chatbot Vs. Human: The Impact Of Responsive Conversational Features On Users’ Responses To Chat Advisors, Stefanie H. Klein, Sonja Utz

Human-Machine Communication

As educational organizations increasingly consider supporting or replacing human chat advisors with chatbots, it is crucial to examine if users perceive a chatbot differently from a human. Chatbots’ conversational features may signal responsiveness and thus improve user responses. To explore this, we conducted three online experiments using a study advising setting. We computed pooled data analyses because the individual study results did not provide clear support for our hypotheses. Results indicate that users prefer human agents regarding competence and intention to use but not perceived enjoyment. Responsiveness increased likability, warmth, and satisfaction. Perceptions of the interaction mediated the responsiveness effects. …