Digital Commons Network^™

Unpacking My Dreadlocks: My Hair Matters Depending On Where I Go, Tia Jones

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Deliberation of the natural hair movement continues to be an evolving and ever-changing series of expressions and identity. Black folks represent and make sense of their hair by maintaining the standard to upkeep hair textures, sizes, styles, shapes, and colors, to develop social markers about their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and age. In this way, hair serves as an integral part of one’s identity, especially providing an opportunity to embrace one’s culture while promoting self-expression. This study seeks to answer the overarching question: “How is Black hair, specifically dreadlocks, portrayed to a non-West-Indian society and what is its connection to …

Envisioning Our Ecological Futures. Diffracting Creative Expressions., Mariam Ismail

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis delves into the realm of eco-art, examining its multifaceted role in informing, educating, and mobilizing audiences towards sustainable environmental practices. Through an interdisciplinary lens that intertwines environmentalism, critical explorations of the anthropocene, ecofeminism, Indigenous knowledge, and social justice, this research investigates various themes, approaches, and methodologies employed by eco-artists. Utilizing a diffractive methodology, I acknowledge and respect these concepts’ contextual and theoretical differences while exploring their relationality to one another and to the artworks. By recognizing these entangled relationships, the diffractive framework creates and re-creates ‘research assemblages’ that shift away from conventional anthropocentric or representational methods of interpretation, …

Talking About Weight: Weight Stigma And Information Seeking, Alexandra N. Henrici, Lillian H. Mantel

Student Research Symposium

Guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, this study explores the relationship between fear of discussing weight-related topics, or weight-related communication apprehension and weight bias internalization and tests the inconsistent RISP relationship between risk perception and information insufficiency. It investigates differences in weight-related communication apprehension in those who previously sought weight-related information from interpersonal or mediated sources. Using a survey of 64 undergraduate communication students, the study found that high levels of weight bias internalization correlated with high levels of weight-related communication apprehension. The study did not find a significant difference in weight-related communication apprehension based on …

Columbia Chronicle (05/08/2024), Columbia College Chicago

Columbia Chronicle

Student newspaper from May 8, 2024 entitled The Columbia Chronicle. This issue is 24 pages. Cover story: "The Mental Health Issue: Finding Solutions in a Crisis". Editor-in-Chief: Olivia Cohen.

Decolonizing 20th Century Consumerism: Analyzing The Role Of Advertising In Amauta, Sam Roberts

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Teacher, Model, Father: An Autoethnography Of Long-Term Mentoring Between A Male Teacher And A Male Student, Si Chen

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography offered an opportunity to have an open conversation to explore the nature of the long-term relationship with my mentor, Mr. Jiang, who has guided me to grow since I was a high school student. With confidence being a significant theme, our interaction has changed along with my growth from a boy to an independent adult man, a teacher, and now, a doctoral student. Feelings between us have been complicated and featured as puzzled, doubtful, hurt, happy, guilty, and moved. The nature of the relationship is challenging to define accurately, but it is similar to a father/son-like mutually beneficial …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald: Ways Of The Future, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period April 8 - May 5, 2024.

• Anderson, Alexandria. Letter from the Editor – Science, Technology & Business
• Anderson, Alexandria. Women in STEM Make Advances
• Novoselia, Mariia. Turnover on Fountain Square: Local Businesses Share Concerns & Success Stories
• SOKY Rentals Offers New Apartments
• Walk2Campus: Where Home Meets Community
• Bush, Camden. Can a Baseball Team Reduce Their Goals to a Math Problem?
• Hawkins, Kaylee. Student Business Owners Share Experiences – Gatara Townsend, Andrew Garrett, Brittiny Sadler
• Ivory, Larkin. Bikewalk BG, WKU CHHS Offer Chances for Healthy Lifestyle – Health & Human Services

Experiences Of Dyslexic Students Learning A Second Language: A Review Of The Literature, Lauren Ricci

Senior Honors Theses

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to explore the experiences that college students with dyslexia face learning a second language in the classroom setting while studying at a private institution in Central Virginia. This literature review offers an analysis of the scholarly research related to this topic. The processability theory is discussed in the first section, followed by a review of recent literature on how dyslexia affects the brain’s processing, specific experiences of students, and how to best support these students in second language acquisition (SLA). Lastly, the literature surrounds phonological processing, working memory, specific struggles in the …

The Mexican Immigrant Experience In Northwest Iowa: A Qualitative Pilot Study, Gabriela J. Luevano

Honors Thesis

This study focuses on acknowledging and amplifying the voices and experiences of the Mexican immigrant community in Northwest Iowa. To that end, the primary question this study answered was: “What is the experience of Mexican immigrants in Northwest Iowa?” Furthermore, this study focused on community, how Mexican immigrants understand it, when they do and do not experience it, and how they seek to create it. This study aimed to shed light on the unique experiences of this population and provide insights into better ways to support their well-being and integration among local communities.

Through thematic analysis, this study found that …

Asian American Represenation In Sitcoms, Anna Blake

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Representation of minorities in the media is powerful in shaping the public’s perceptions of a community or group. Some well-known Asian stereotypes are that they are good at math, tiger moms, and foreigners. In the literature review, I found that in addition to those common stereotypes, Asians were commonly portrayed as model minority myth, kung fu master, dragon lady/lotus blossom, and family-oriented. Using a quantitative content analysis approach, I examined how Asian Americans are portrayed in American sitcoms and searched for positive and negative representations. I analyzed 24 episodes of Fresh Off The Boat, which aired from 2015 to 2020 …

Ethnic Identity Development And South Asian Stereotypes In 'Never Have I Ever', Priya Dutta, Allison Noyes

Honors Thesis

Intersectional media serves as poignant representations of marginalized communities, and as few positive models exist, researchers must explore the efficacy and impacts of celebrated works on consumers’ perspectives.

“Ethnic identity is less a process of ‘being’ and more a process of ‘becoming…’ The factors that form an ethnic identity allow its members to establish their distinguishing features from other groups, creating a sense of solidarity, belonging, and connection within their own definable cultural group through customs and celebrations, like festivals and religious gatherings, as well as through particular cultural artifacts, like a style of dress” (Stuart Hall, 1996). I will …

Effect Of Music On Executive Functioning In Children, Abigail Grace Dame

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

The present study investigates the impact of music listening and singing on sustained attention in typically developing school-aged children. Participants (N=12) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: music listening, singing, or paced speech, during which they focused on a predetermined keyword presented in two musical pieces. In the listening condition, participants raised their hands when they heard or said the keyword. In the paced speech and singing conditions, the children omitted only that target word while speaking or singing the other lyrics. We measured baseline inhibition and executive functioning (Stroop Color Word test) and attention (Sustained Attention Response …

Modern News Consumption Habits Further Exacerbate Bias And Intellectual Isolation Of Audiences, Gabriella Lee Morando

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

Trends show that users continue to turn to social media as one of, if not their only, source for news. Compared to how legacy news media gives consumers a comprehensive overview of information, social media platforms’ recommender systems and algorithms repeatedly feed users tailored sets of news, or what can be perceived as news. A systematic literature review found that users can adopt the same biased views reflected on their social media feeds as they are placed into echo chambers or “filter bubbles” of information. While social media offers users the allure of feeling informed almost instantaneously, the accuracy and …

The Relationship Between Electronic Media And Hearing Loss On Language Development: A Pilot Study, Sarah Marie Mahnesmith

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

Researchers agree that one of the methods by which infants learn spoken language through caregivers’ use of infant directed speech. However, the quantity and quality of language during caregiver-infant interactions may decrease in the presence of electronic media, and media may not only limit language input but create a more complex listening situation for children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between electronic media exposure in the homes of children with SNHL, as compared to peers with normal hearing (NH), and later language skills. This study will provide novel information on …

The Effects Of Communication Overaccommodation On Non-Native English-Speaking Employees In The U.S. Workplace, Elizabeth Curtis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Communication overaccommodation (CO) takes the form of baby talk, speech mimicry, and overcommunication, and its effects on recipients have been studied in physician/patient relationships, civilian/police officer relationships, manager/employee relationships, and native and non-native speaker communications. This study focused on CO in non-hierarchical relationships between native English-speaking and non-native English-speaking employees in the U.S. workplace. I investigated the effects of CO on non-native English-speaking co-workers, regarding their feelings of exclusion and satisfaction with their job. I also investigated the potential moderation effect of English proficiency on non-native English-speaking employees’ feelings of being excluded. It was found that the level of English …

Beneath The Beauty: A Mixed Method Approach To Examining Identity Negotiation Among Asian Transracial Adoptees, Noel H. Mcguire

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Making sense of one’s identity is an integral part of the human experience. This study examines identity negotiation and sense-making processes among individuals who have particularly complex identities: Asian transracial adoptees. In the past six decades, more than 280,000 infants and children in Asian countries were abandoned or surrendered to social welfare institutes and were subsequently adopted by American families, making Asian transracial adoptees (ATRAs) a substantial, if frequently overlooked, proportion of the Asian American community. Prior research indicates that identity negotiation is a particularly daunting task for this demographic due to ever-present paradoxical feelings toward their identity, as they …

Investigating The Relationships Between Study Abroad, Language Immersion, And Intercultural Sensitivity, Isabella Bea Battistoni

Communication Science and Disorders Honors Theses

An increasing number of students are choosing to study abroad. Once only an experience for those learning a language (University of Delaware, 2024), international education has become much more accessible for students of all disciplines. When choosing a program, students face a decision in choosing the level of language immersion and learning the trip will offer. This study examined the impact of different levels of language immersion on a student's intercultural sensitivity following a short-term study abroad trip. Intercultural sensitivity, defined as, “an individual's ability to develop emotion towards understanding and appreciating cultural differences that promotes appropriate and effective behavior …

Advertising On Snapchat: Exploring The Influence Of Celebrities Among Young Women In Saudi Arabia, Hessah Alqahtani

Dissertations

This study explored the influence of Snapchat celebrities on the purchase decisions of young women in Saudi Arabia. Uses and Gratifications theory and Source Credibility theory were used to investigate motivations for and factors that affect engagement with Snapchat celebrities. An online survey was conducted among 467 social media users. It was found that most Saudi women (62.9%) were motivated to engage with Snapchat celebrities to seek information.They would likely to purchase products endorsed by celebrities who were deemed trustworthy, attractive, and experts in the field. They also responded more favorably to celebrities who they believe are a fit for …

Untangling Influence: The Effect Of Follower-Followee Comparison On Social Media Engagement, Yi Peng, Liling Lu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Social media platforms and marketers are keen on identifying truly influential creators. Number of followers (i.e., those who follow creators) and number of followees (i.e., those who are followed by creators) serve as cues to infer creators' influence. However, a cue of creators' actual influence is under-addressed and its effect on social media engagement remains to be explored. This research fills the gap in the literature by investigating how the cue of creators' actual influence (i.e., follower-followee comparison) may affect followers' engagement behavior. The study further examines the moderation effects of media-, topic-, and creator-related factors. The present work leverages …

Misinformation In U.S. Food And Agriculture: A Policy Analysis Of Impacts And Recommended Solutions, Jamie Woodside

Journal of Food Law & Policy

This paper aims to review the current state of play of misinformation in the U.S. food and agriculture sectors—delving into the roots of misinformation, its propagation through social media and traditional channels, and its consequences for the agricultural sector and society at large. Additionally, through an examination of existing laws, regulations, and potential legal remedies, this paper aims to shed light on the challenges posed by misinformation and offers recommendations for mitigating its harmful effects.

Recovery Heros: Recruiting Recovery Coaches And Peer Support Specialists At The Coulee Recovery Center, Sascha S. Cromheecke

Strategic Communication Master of Arts Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

The Media’S Representation Of Female Athletes During Drug Scandals, Cassandra Leigh Lavigne

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Potential Of Augmented Reality In Creating A Sense Of Place On College Campuses, Linda White

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project examines how designing an augmented reality (AR) campus navigation app can improve college students' sense of place and connection with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). To guide the design of the app, I engaged in qualitative research using a curated campus walk protocol that invited students to walk to their favorite place on campus and record their walk while narrating it.

My analysis reveals the larger patterns that students use to select favorite places and favorite routes to those places, as well as how space navigation may lead to the formation of a sense of connection with …

Political Orientation And Its Effect On Engagement And Perception Of The Arts, Parker Robert Mckenzie

Communication Studies

Utilizing the Symbolic Interactionism Theory (Gusfield, 2011), this study explored the relationship between political orientation and one’s engagement with and perception of art forms. The study utilized qualitative methods analysis to analyze similarities between participant responses. Findings from participants revealed the following themes: engagement with history leading to a more profound understanding of art, art causing real-life inspiration, and engagement with art leads to the formation of sub-cultures. Additionally, interviews revealed that people choose not to engage with certain art based on political orientation, people who consider themselves to be “spiritual” engaged with art differently, and many people’s perception of …

Intersectionality And The Experience Of Stuttering For Latinos In The U.S., Carolina Beita-Ell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In research, intersectionality seeks to explore, reflect on, and validate variations in human experience. This study adopted an intersectional approach when contemplating the experience of stuttering for individuals living in the U.S. who identified as Latinx (Latino/Latina/Hispanic). Nine Latinx people who stutter (PWS) - six reported their gender as ‘male’ and three reported their gender as ‘female’, with a mean age of 41, from five U.S. states and Washington, D.C. - participated in the study. A mixed methods design, which consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted online using videoconferencing technology and an online survey that contained three quantitative measures as well …

Managing Work-Life Interrelationships Among High School Teachers Through Icts, Alana Elia

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary focus of research on information and communication technologies (ICTs) and work-life interrelationships has been on traditional office work. However, occupations such as teaching are worthwhile to study because they are structured differently than a traditional office given that students are the direct consumers of teacher labor. There is a lot of face-to-face engagement with students in the classroom, while at the same time teacher’s jobs increasingly incorporate the usage of ICTs. Secondary schools for students (generally 14 through 18 years of age) are complex environments where both teachers and students are experiencing permeations of personal life into the …

Investigating The Experiences Of Evangelical Couples Coping With Painful Intercourse During Early Marriage, Arielle L. Leonard Hodges

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Women who internalize evangelical purity messages face heightened risk for persistent pain or difficulty with penile-vaginal intercourse. Drawing on research in communication, psychology, and sexual medicine, the aim of this multilevel qualitative study is to increase understanding of how evangelical couples communicatively cope with painful intercourse and the memorable messages they believe contribute to their experiences of coping. This study involved conducting qualitative interviews with 20 evangelical married couples (40 total spouses) who currently or recently experienced a wife’s persistent pain during (attempted) penile-vaginal intercourse and 16 female clinicians (pelvic floor physical therapists and mental health professionals) who regularly work …

An Examination Of Missing Person Social Media Engagement Through Data Mining And Experimentation: An Application Of The Crisis And Emergency Risk Communication Model, Cailin M. Kuchenbecker

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), approximately 600,000 individuals are reported missing each year in the United States (2022). When missing person cases do not meet alert (e.g., AMBER) criteria, law enforcement often utilize social media to crowdsource information to ultimately return the missing home. Therefore, guided by the crisis and emergency risk communication model (CERC; Reynolds & Seeger, 2005) and its recently clarified propositions (Miller et al., 2021), the purpose of this dissertation was to (a) identify strategies law enforcement use to crowdsource missing person information and (b) experimentally test message characteristics that facilitate prosocial sharing of …

Protocols For Enhancing The Role And Value Of Spiritual Care Resources In The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Garrett Harper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the assessment of innovative practices in police chaplaincy. The purpose of the project intervention is to develop protocols that can guide police chaplains through an assessment process. The intervention relies on practical theology as exemplified through the ministry of chaplaincy. This ministry comprises police chaplains offering spiritual comfort to persons encountering critical incidents involving violence, accident, or other trauma-intensive events and situations. Adoption of innovations can allow police chaplains to be more effective in fulfilling many outward-focused tasks such as delivery of death notifications. I conclude that: (1) police chaplaincy is amenable to use of protocols to …

Decolonizing Neo-Liberalism, Empowering The Local: A Global South Reading Of Noir In The 2000s., Jean-Hugues Bita’A Menye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aims at providing a Global South reading of noir in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It relies on the premise that noir, a sub-genre of crime fiction born in France during World War II, offered new avenues of literary creation and political criticism. Based on a selection of authors from the U.S., Mexico, Algeria, and Cameroon, the dissertation explores how authors from underrepresented or formerly-colonized communities discuss the impact of neoliberal thinking in their communities. With an emphasis on race and gender dynamics, nation building and terrorism, police corruption and brutality, or the growth of organized, each …