Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Privacy Boundaries: Communication Privacy Management And Faculty, Ashlee Ellinwood, Chloee Robison, Sarah Steimel

Speaker & Gavel

College students experience high levels of stress that impact their academic performance and persistence in higher education. While faculty support has been shown to enhance student success, little is known about the privacy management rules students use when deciding whether to disclose personal stressors to their instructors. This study uses Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to examine how undergraduate students develop and apply privacy rules regarding stress-related disclosures to faculty. Four key factors emerged through qualitative interviews and focus groups with 40 students: cultural norms, motivation, contextual influences, and risk-benefit assessments. Findings underscore the importance of faculty-student communication in student …

Homemaking In Hashtags: A Rhetorical Study Of Hannah Neeleman’S #Tradwife Narrative Across Social Media, Emma Arneson

Speaker & Gavel

This study analyzes the rhetorical construction of Hannah Neeleman’s “tradwife” persona across TikTok, Instagram, and her commercial website. Using Fisher’s narrative paradigm and McGee’s fragmentation thesis, it examines how curated domestic imagery, entrepreneurial branding, and selective storytelling shape cultural narratives of femininity, domestic labor, and agency. Focusing on August 2024 posts following a high-profile media controversy, the analysis reveals how fragmented digital content generates emotional coherence despite ideological contradictions. The findings demonstrate how audiences assemble meaning from partial narratives, illustrating the persuasive power of fragmented rhetoric in shaping contemporary discourse on gender and traditional values.

Volume 61, Issue 2, 2025 Speaker & Gavel Front Matter

Speaker & Gavel

Front matter and table of contents for Volume 61, Issue 2, 2025 of Speaker & Gavel.

Volume 61, Issue 2, 2025 Speaker & Gavel

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digital issue (Volume 61, issue 2, 2025) of Speaker & Gavel.

Peeling The Onion: A Study Of Audience Reactions To Anti-Classism Satire, Charisse Corsbie-Massay, Martina Santia, Luvell Anderson

Media Studies - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Engaging Polarized Publics In Corporate Social Advocacy, Joon Soo Lim

Media Studies - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nasionalisme Di Era Artificial Intelligence: Scoping Review, Mudita Vidyananda, Angelina Regina Halim, Patricia Irene, Muhammad Firliansyah Maliki, Ivana Suryaprawira, Bonar Hutapea

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

This paper aims to map and thematically present the existing literature on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), identity, and AI Nationalism, following a scoping review approach. A systematic search was conducted across the Scopus, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar databases to identify relevant studies. The selected studies, published between 2020-2025, focus on the impact of AI on identity and geopolitics, resulting in six papers included in the final synthesis. The analyzed studies employed various methods, including conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Data extracted from each study included author, publication year, objectives, methodology, and key …

Pengujian High Fidelity Prototipe Media Pembelajaran Interaktif Bahasa Inggris Dengan Gamifikasi Menggunakan User Experience Questionare, Adhitya Prastyadi, Meizano Muhammad Ardhi, Daniel Rinaldi, Margaretha Karolina Sagala

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

Abstract

Testing a Hi-Fi Prototype of Interactive English Learning Media with Gamification Using UEQ

This study aims to test and evaluate the User Experience (UX) quality of a High-Fidelity prototype for interactive English learning media integrating gamification elements. The research is motivated by the low English proficiency and motivation among Indonesian students, and the potential of digital media and gamification to enhance learning engagement. Inspired by the success of the Duolingo application, this prototype was designed to create an enjoyable and effective learning experience. A quantitative research methodology was employed, involving high school students as participants selected via purposive sampling. …

The State Of Interprofessional Practice Between Behavior Analysts And Speech-Language Pathologists, Sara Snyder, Heartley Huber, Danika Pfeiffer, Dannette Murray

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Interprofessional practice (IPP) is necessary to ensure assessment and interventions are designed and implemented both efficiently and effectively. We sought to investigate how Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) engage in IPP. Both professionals may provide evaluations and interventions related to communication in schools and community-based healthcare systems. We disseminated a survey to BCBAs and SLPs to elicit information about their collaboration with each other. Topics included: (a) frequency of collaboration and communication with the other professional; (b) confidence engaging in IPP; (c) interprofessional training experiences; (d) barriers and facilitators to collaboration with the other profession; and …

Mass Tourism And Sustainability Discourses: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Stakeholder Communication Across The Canary Islands, Iceland, And Puerto Rico, Carmen Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes 123 websites from the Canary Islands, Iceland, and Puerto Rico, each including an equal number of tourism businesses, environmental organizations, and governments from each region, to examine the rhetorical digital communication strategies used and the textual differences between these websites. Thematic analysis was the methodology employed in this study. Ten themes were found inductively from the data, which are: 1) economic value framing, 2) cultural identity and heritage, 3) technological mediation, 4) inspiring guilt, awe, and urgency, 5) sustainability as an instrument, 6) intergenerational responsibility, 7) global versus local contestations, 8) accessibility and inclusion, 9) transparency and …

Advising With Heart: How Institutional Selectivity And Size Shape Emotional Labor In Higher Education Academic Advising, Dallas W. Maddox

Theses and Dissertations

Academic advising serves as a vital bridge between students and their educational experiences and success, yet the emotional complexities of this meaningful work remain underexplored. This mixed-methods study examined how institutional selectivity and size influence emotional labor awareness and application among academic advisors, addressing a critical gap in understanding the human dimensions of advising relationships. The research explored whether advisors at smaller, selective institutions demonstrate enhanced emotional labor competencies compared to colleagues at larger, more inclusive institutions. Eleven dedicated academic advisors participated in this study, representing experienced professionals with 5-17 years of advising experience across four institutional categories defined by …

Deconstructing Shifting Narratives: Critical Discourse Analysis Of Terminology Trends In Unfpa’S State Of World Population Reports (1978-2024), Naqib A. Noory

Theses and Dissertations

Rooted in both scholarly inquiry and lived experience in global development, this study explored how language shapes power, inclusion, and representation. It analyzed the evolution of population and development discourse in UNFPA’s State of World Population reports (1978–2024) using Fairclough’s Level 1 Critical Discourse Analysis framework. Giddens’ Structuration Theory provided a broader lens linking linguistic change to the interaction between institutional structures and human agency. A theory-based coding framework, drawing on Malthusian, Senian, Spivakian, and MDG/SDG paradigms, guided the analysis of evolving discourse. Findings revealed a layered narrative: earlier scarcity framings persisted beneath newer development language; rights and empowerment rhetoric …

Domestic Worker Abuse Among Diplomatic Force: The Need To Enhance Communication For Domestic Worker Safety, Martyne A. Volcy

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates patterns of domestic worker abuse in the working relationship between a foreign migrant domestic worker and their diplomat employer. This study focuses on the role of communication as a protection for domestic worker safety. The aim of this research is to explore the unique employer-employee relationship between a domestic worker and diplomat, and whether there are safeguards in place that allow for the domestic worker to perform their duties, without circumstances of domestic worker abuse. This study examines the relationships between communication, knowledge, and power within the system of Diplomacy through the lens of domestic employees alleging …

Understanding Parents’ Information Seeking About Adolescents’ Use Of Social Apps Using Theory Of Motivated Information Management, Aimee E. Miller-Ott, Lynne Kelly, Caleb T. Carr

Faculty Publications - Communications

Many parents have concerns about what their adolescent children are doing online, including potential risks of their tweens and teens encountering people who may want to harm them. Some fear they do not know what their children are doing online and may be motivated to seek information to alleviate their uncertainty. This study applied the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to examine parents’ information management process amid feelings of uncertainty surrounding their adolescent children’s use of social apps. Respondents (N =146) were parents/caregivers of adolescent children recruited using Prolific to complete a survey measuring the components of TMIM …

Managing The Mood: How Managerial Communication Shapes The Experience Of Emotional Labor Among Restaurant Employees, Brynn Olverson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restaurant work is emotionally demanding work for servers and bartenders. Organizational Support Theory (Eisenberger et al., 1986) suggests that employees’ perceptions of their organizations’ support can bolster the negative side effects of such work. However, past instruments used to measure these perceptions do not distinguish between types of emotional experience, nor separate perceptions of emotional support from other forms of support. Likewise, OST notes that supervisors play a key role in influencing perceptions of organizational support, but more work is needed to determine specific communicative behaviors that can increase perceptions of organizational support. The study at hand proposes that managers' …

The Fertilization President: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The United States’ Rebirth Of Pronatalism, Kara Vetch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States experienced one of the lowest birth rates in decades in 2024 and has been blamed by policymakers for poor economic and societal outcomes. To combat this, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to encourage healthcare insurances to lower the cost of fertility treatments. Policies encouraging more births align with pronatalist ideologies, the belief that higher national birth rates are better for society. Furthermore, Vice President JD Vance and social media influencers, Malcolm and Simone Collins, have built a strong resurgence of pronatalist ideologies through public addresses and interviews long before Trump’s executive order. For an in-depth …

Large Language Model Communication And Data Transfer Across A Simulated Telephone Line, Jared Reyes

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents a proof-of-concept communication system in which two local large language model endpoints communicate across a simulated analog telephone line using legacy USB modems. The project combines modem voice mode, modem data mode, local speech processing, and structured machine messaging into a single staged session. During the voice phase, one endpoint places a call, the other answers, speech generated by a locally hosted LLaMA-family model is synthesized with Piper, transmitted through the modem voice path, captured on the remote side, and transcribed with Faster-Whisper to drive the next response. After the voice exchange, the system transitions to a …

The Rhetoric And Memory Of Kumeprɛko, Benedicta Harford

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the rhetoric of Kume Prɛko and asks what its major rhetorical appeals were both during 1994 and afterwards. First, I analyze major images and a speech from the protest and identify how it framed the VAT tax as an embodied, urgent issue for all citizens to resist. Then, I consider how Akufo-Addo silenced this "vernacular" memory in favor of his "official" narrative, drawing off the work of John Bodnar. Ultimately, this thesis shows how difficult it is for those in power to remember grassroots dissent in all their complexity but also how hard it is to completely …

Merger Crisis Role-Play: Organizational Behavior In Action, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To advance professionally, students must be prepared to navigate dynamic and contentious organizational environments by articulating their varied views, protecting their personal and professional intentions, anticipating challenges, and then fostering consensus. This paper addresses a high-stakes, multi-round immersive role-play simulation of a company merger in an undergraduate Organizational Behavior course. Grounded in the core pillars of experiential learning, adaptive leadership, and organizational sensemaking, this classroom exercise places students in a pre-set, realistic post-merger leadership team facing immediate business challenges. Compared to traditional case studies, this method requires students to demonstrate real-time organizational behavior competencies, providing a powerful platform for negotiation …

Headset Chatter, Lynn G. Lower

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Nbc Peacock North Winter 2026 Newsletter, Peacock North Staff

NBC Peacock North Newsletter

Highlights include: Al Roker is our Guest Speaker, NBC Turns 100! --Tom Wolzien interviewed by Karen Curry and Marilyn Altman -- When Vinnie Novak Met Fidel Castro -- Silent Microphones -- The Oscars will be Streamed in 2029

Image Repair Differences Between Human And Ai-Generated Messaging: The Case Of The Chicago White Sox, Joseph R. Blaney, Kevin R. Meyer, Peter M. Smudde, Stephen K. Hunt, Lance R. Lippert, K. Megan Hopper, Roy D. Magnuson

Faculty Publications - Communications

With 121 losses in 2024, the Chicago White Sox set an unwanted record for the most losses in a single Major League Baseball season. Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf wrote a letter apologizing to fans following the season, including additional attempts at image repair. The increasing availability of artificial intelligence (AI) raises unique questions concerning how apology messages ought to be generated and how effective such messages are with disgruntled fans. To determine if the real message from Reinsdorf was effective, we generated a similar apology using AI. Fans were randomly assigned to read the real message from Reinsdorf, one generated …

A Meaningful Theory: 25 Years Of Relational Dialectics Theory In The Journal Of Family Communication, Lindsey J. Thomas, Kristina M. Scharp

Faculty Publications - Communications

In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Journal of Family Communication (JFC), the present essay celebrates two and a half decades of relational dialectics theory (RDT) in JFC, highlighting the reciprocal relationship between theory and journal. The authors, both of whom have a breadth of experience in conducting RDT research, first provide a history of RDT and an overview of key terms and assumptions. The essay then traces the history of RDT through the first 25 volumes of JFC. A review of the RDT-based original research articles in JFC turns an eye toward the family …

Bodies, Bottles, And Emotions: Emotional–Material Tensions In Exclusive Pumping, Jessica M. Rick

Faculty Publications - Communications

Exclusive pumping (i.e., providing breast milk solely via pumping) is increasingly common in the United States, yet remains largely invisible in public discourse. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews to examine how exclusive pumping mothers narrate the emotional and material tensions of their feeding journeys. Participants’ photographs revealed profound pride in sustaining breast milk for their children, alongside frustration at not nursing “naturally.” Participants also documented the substantial responsibilities, financial costs, and emotional labor inherent in exclusive pumping. Despite these challenges, mothers framed their experiences through cultural narratives of intensive and total motherhood, positioning exclusive pumping as a morally and socially …

Talking Black: The Construction Of Blackness In Film, D'Andre M. Person

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Media, such as film, plays a pivotal role in representing marginalized groups to general audiences. The portrayal of Black people in advertisements, novels, art, and film has perpetuated harmful stereotypes which associate Black men and women with negative traits that justify their marginalization, such as the "Coon" stereotype that frames Black men as lazy or the "Mammy" stereotype that positions Black women as subservient. Stereotypes in film are produced through images, but language plays a vital role in constructing general audiences' understanding of Black people as well. Through a rhetorical analysis of seven films released between 2016 and 2026, I …

Digital Diplomacy And Activism: Sustaining Institutional Legacy Through State-Proxy Discursive Competition In The Aftermath Of The Usaid 2025 Suspension, Maryam Alaa Elprince

Capstone and Graduation Projects

This study examines how the 2025 suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) transformed the arena of U.S. foreign-aid diplomacy by eliminating the agency’s operational capacity and erasing its digital presence, thereby redistributing discursive authority across a fragmented communicative field. The research aims to determine how diplomacy adapts when a bilateral institution central to American soft power is dismantled through top-down decision, and whether discursive power exercised online can extend institutional relevance and legitimacy beyond structural collapse. Using an interpretivist qualitative design that combines digital-forensic reconstruction, document-based content analysis, and elite interviews  with top ranking officials, the …

What Is Hate Speech? A Proposal For An Ordinary And Legal Definition, Hannah Van Dijcke

SJD Dissertations

The term “hate speech” has been stretched in legal and public debates to cover speech ranging from insults to Holocaust denial. This definitional stretching has consequences beyond mere conceptual confusion: it risks obscuring the profound harm that hate speech does, and it facilitates the term’s misuse.

In this dissertation, I aim to precisely define hate speech and its harm, both in an ordinary (colloquial or non-legal) sense and in a legal sense. To do so, I examine real-world examples of speech widely understood to express hate, including texts from the context of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, and conduct …

Formation-Based Ai Ethics: Ethical Formation, Responsibility, And Opportunity Cost In Ai Ecosystems, Maurice Emelu

2026 Faculty Bibliography

Recent efforts in AI ethics have been dominated by the proliferation of high-level principles intended to guide responsible development and deployment. Yet persistent implementation failures suggest that principlism and tool-based approaches alone do not cultivate the moral capacity required to govern sociotechnical systems. This article advances a formation based framework for AI ethics that situates moral agency throughout the developmental conditions of design, use, and the AI lifecycle. Drawing on Aristotelian-MacIntyrean virtue ethics applied to media ecology, and sociotechnical responsibility, the argument reframes AI as a formative environment that shapes patterns of attention, judgment, delegation, and accountability over time. Against …

The Effects Of Inadequate Training On Knowledge Management Systems: Retention Crisis Of Captains In The United States Army, Lexis R. Grudzinski

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the relationship between the United States Army’s communication strategy in knowledge management for officers and the desires of captains to continue serving beyond their service obligation. Amidst the current retention crisis (Winkie, 2023) at the captain rank, blame often falls on factors outside of the Army’s control. This research, however, seeks to investigate a factor within the Army’s control and offer workable solutions.

For this research, we will use the common definition of knowledge management (KM): the process of creating, capturing, and organizing knowledge within an organization in a way that improves efficiency. KM includes both explicit …

Crisis Communication Guidebook For Small And Medium-Sized Food Business: From Theory To Practice, Yixin Li

Masters Theses

This creative thesis aims to develop a practical crisis communication guidebook for small and medium-sized food businesses. Compared with larger businesses that have greater human and financial resources, small and medium-sized food businesses are often more vulnerable to the influences of crises on revenue and reputation. For this reason, they have a bigger need for practical and systematic crisis guidance. This project is grounded in crisis communication theory and analyzes existing literature in order to translate academic research and theoretical knowledge into an applied guidebook.

The guidebook is organized into three sections based on the timeline of crisis development: before …