Digital Commons Network^™

Coercion, Conversion, Control: Techniques Utilized To Recruit And Indoctrinate New Members Into Cult Organizations, Hailey Savanna Robertson

University Honors Theses

Religious belief of some form has long been a regular part of many people's lives, but when a person’s devotion to doctrine becomes so all-encompassing that they structure their entire life around it, they may be in a cult. While the dogma may vary across groups, a cult is characterized as having extremely devoted disciples who often follow a charismatic leader and espouse extreme beliefs or practices not widely accepted by society. Members of cults commit themselves wholly to their leaders. Proving their commitment by turning over financial assets, obeying commands without question, and even severing all social ties outside …

Exploring Cultural, Health, And Technology Intersections: A Focus On Migrant Experiences, Merna Mina, Sahij Gill

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

Despite the plethora of theories and frameworks addressing culture, health, and technology adoption, there remains a notable absence of a unifying theory that comprehensively encompasses all three aspects, particularly concerning newcomers. The Health Belief Model, for example, underscores individual perceptions and attitudes toward health yet fails to consider the intricate interplay between cultural factors and technology adoption among immigrant populations. The Healthy Immigrant Effect, which posits that immigrants often exhibit better health outcomes than native-born individuals, does not mention the role of technology on health outcomes. Acculturation theories, while shedding light on the adaptation process, often fall short of explaining …

Towards An Inclusive Media Policy Framework Targeting Adolescents In Egypt, Saja Elgredly

Theses and Dissertations

For years, adolescents have been lost between adulthood and childhood. This is even reflected in the policies that directly affect their lives and well-being. In Egypt, there has hardly been a clear political line on how the media should deal with adolescents. As this age group belongs to childhood, most of the laws and regulations are hardly dedicated to address them despite their different characteristics. Within the Egyptian context, there are children's laws concerned with basic children's rights and other laws that relate to the media. However, we notice a gap in adolescent-friendly laws, policies and regulations, especially in the …

Black Stereotypes In Basketball Films, Carsen Jackson Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study conducts a frequency analysis on the Black stereotypes portrayed in popular basketball films through the lens of media framing. Academic literature has made a frequent topic of racial bias and its role in professional sports, particularly through sports media. However, there is a gap in the literature when looking specifically at basketball films as a whole and the prevalence therein of racial stereotypes, specifically Black stereotypes. Using framing theory as the backbone of the study, a frequency analysis was completed of main characters in the ten most popular basketball films to identify what Black Stereotypes arise. Most common …

The Meanest Thing He Ever Did: A Theoretical Analysis Of “A Boy Named Sue”, Henry Scott

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

No abstract provided.

Pepperdine Journal Of Communication Research 2024, Morgan Purdy

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

No abstract provided.

Technocene, Vir Joseph Naidu

Masters Theses

Embodied human communication within the Anthropocene. Existing at the intersection of technology, and the body.

The design industry has developed technology that is, paradoxically, isolating. The exposure to a vast audience in the digital sphere has introduced new societal pressures, leading to a disconnection from our immediate surroundings, detached, and donning metaphorical masks. Technocene lives on the fringes of the discipline by blending conceptual thinking with practical application. Through curious, experimental artifacts, it prompts us to shed our masks and embrace vulnerability. Technocene endeavors to reimagine the human experience by acting as a discursive design project. It probes the boundaries …

How Political Parties Can Appeal To Voters, Brenden David Jacoby

Communication Studies

Young voters are not voting. According to the United States Census Bureau, young voters, aged 18-29, have not turned out to vote in Presidential Elections at a rate higher than 50% since 1968. Millions of ballots – with the potential to swing elections, policies, and political momentum – are left blank. It is in the interest of both parties to identify why young voters are not going to the polls. In order to understand what makes political messaging persuasive to younger voters, this study presented participants with actual campaign speeches made by Democrats and Republican candidates for office. The author …

Framing Teacher Migration: An Analysis Of Jamaican Media Coverage From 2016–2023, Denise Wiley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The emigration of teachers from Jamaica has attracted significant media coverage highlighting an increase in resignations and vacancies in many classrooms. This paper analyzes media framing on the topic, and how such framing might preclude the exploration of policy alternatives to address the issue. Methods A qualitative content analysis was conducted on articles published between August 1, 2016, and September 30, 2023. Relevant articles were retrieved from the Gleaner digital archive. Using a survey instrument of 13 questions, a total of 78 articles were analyzed for coding. Results Four frames emerged from the analysis: crisis – urgent attention is required …

Framing The Fight: Revolutionary Feelings In Virtual Communities, James Reilly

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study considers how social media impacts emotional processing, and ultimately social movement development. Through a multidisciplinary lens, I explore how social media fits within larger media ecologies, particularly during times of social upheaval and collective action. Grounded in an examination of organizational efforts in advance of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, I look at how communication patterns create common emotional cues that help form the movement. Considering framing, emotional habitus, and subjective agency within digital spaces, I demonstrate how social media has emerged as an articulating space for social movements to develop and plan before drawing wider, offline populations to …

Legislating The Taboo: Taboo Subcultures, Political Communication, And Public Policy, Rebecca S. Krisel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation, titled "Legislating the Taboo: From Subculture to Public Policy," comprises three articles that collectively delve into the intersection of taboo subcultures, political communication, and public policy. While the fields of sociology and anthropology more thoroughly explore the concepts of "taboo" and "subcultures," political science has not given them due attention. This research seeks to bridge this gap by examining how taboo subcultures evolve into political constituencies with policy demands and how these demands are communicated through various mediums, including mainstream and social media.

The first article, "Virtual Dance Communities and The Right to the Internet," investigates how the …

Drug Use And Harm Reduction: Community Readiness As Pathway To Well-Being And Reintegration, Lauretta Ekanem Omale

Dissertations

Drug abuse negatively impacts the life and well-being of those who use drugs; this harm often extends to their loved ones, communities, and society. One presumptive set of psychological explanations for drug abuse is an addictive personality, a psychological susceptibility resulting from challenging family relationships, inadequate reinforcement, the absence of healthy role models, conflicting parental expectations, and a lack of love and respect. Harm reduction is a public health approach that focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of drugs and reducing judgment. It aims to meet people where they are in life and provide judgment-free, empathetic, supportive, and needed medical …

Better Together, Jack Dumala

Masters Theses

“Better Together” comprehensively explores the spectrum of play from early childhood to adulthood, presenting how play has always been a means of connection and communication. Although the research encompasses all age groups, particular attention is given to teenagers, a community often overlooked. The artifacts and investigations portray how a combination of purposefully designed household objects and readily available items within the home environment can be leveraged to facilitate connection through gaming and various activities. The overarching goal is to offer practical tools and insights to enhance togetherness within families with teenagers.

Black Consonance And Dissonance Theory: As Explored Through The Social Media Use Of Black Women In Late-Adolescence, Iris Goode-Middleton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Media messages play a crucial part in teaching people how to view themselves and others through the representations of things like gender roles, racial groups, and perceptions of what is deemed beautiful. There is an abundance of stereotypical images of Black women in the media. In addition, they are also inundated with unrealistic beauty standards reflective of Eurocentric ideals of attractiveness that do not include them. Social media allows for content containing stereotypes about Black women and beauty criteria that do not include them at unprecedented rates. This narrative qualitative study aimed to examine how social media content used by …

Cultural Identity In Isolation: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Big Brother Season 23, Summer Ann Clutter

Masters Theses

This qualitative content analysis focuses on the creation and maintenance of cultural identity amongst the houseguests in the reality television program Big Brother. Season 23 of Big Brother was qualitatively coded through the lens of cultural identity theory. The study found that cultural identity language was heavily present through the houseguest’s early personal disclosure, strategic formation of alliances, demonstration of interpersonal skills, and candid sharing with the audience in Diary Room segments. Sharing cultural identity language on a national television program allows the audience to witness and interact with the information and apply it to their society.

A Qualitative Study Of Family Communication Patterns Theory Of Digital Supplementation On University Students, Heather S. Vaughan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Currently there is data that exists to support the benefits of traditional parental supplementation. However, the same cannot be said for digital parental supplementation. At present, it is unknown if remote interaction is necessary and whether it generates the same results in human beings, emotionally, mentally, and physically. As society continues exploring the complexities of the digital revolution and technological tools, it is imperative to explore the limitations as well as allowances in computerized communication. Even more importantly, there are several opportunities associated with digital parental supplementation that people must consider. First, digital media can provide proper parental supplementation if …

African American Parents’ Perceptions Of How Their Digital Practices Affect The Parent-Child Relationship, Teyuna T. Darris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study aimed to understand African American parents’ perceptions, observations, and experiences concerning their digital practices and whether or not these practices have any impact on their communication with their children. The theories that guided this study are housed in the sociopsychological communication tradition (i.e., uses and gratification theory and the family communication patterns theory) and the sociocultural communication tradition (i.e., cultivation theory). Thirty-five in-depth interviews of African American parents who completed a qualifying survey were conducted. The interview transcripts underwent a thematic analysis to understand the interviewees’ perceptions, observations, and experiences related to the research questions, which addressed …

Social Enterprises And Social Media: A Dialogic And Comparative Analysis, Kevin L. Rawls

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is devoted to assessing the public relations activities of social enterprises on social media through a dialogic communication lens and comparing those activities with traditional businesses. Social enterprises are fundamentally devoted to leveraging market forces to help create sustainable social change, and as such are interested in not only financial returns but also specific social returns, and the public relations strategies of these organizations should be more aligned than traditional businesses with fully functioning society theory and dialogic communication principles. This study reveals areas of opportunity for both social enterprises and conventional companies to develop in the area …

Assembling A Queer Exhibition: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Exhibition Team Members And Their Interpretation Of Material In An Lgbtq+ Exhibit, Ethan Wojciechowski

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Recently, exhibitions highlighting LGBTQ+ history, art, and culture are becoming increasingly popular. Consequently, museum workers are routinely engaged with material directly attributed to the LGBTQ+ community. This study utilizes a two-pronged qualitative approach of a phenomenological case study to examine how members of exhibition teams interpret queer materials within the exhibit and in the context of their own expressed identities. Data collection involved surveys and interviews, and employed a textual analysis of the survey responses and interview transcripts to identify key themes in the dataset. Consequently, the findings revealed that exhibition team members focused on Intersectionality, Activism, and Geography when …

A Phenomenological Study On The Perceived Impact Of Bass's Four I'S Of Transformational Leadership, Yarissa Marn

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe World of Warcraft game leaders’ perceptions of the impact on their guilds regarding Bass’s 4 I’s of transformational leadership.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 13 World of Warcraft game leaders who have led their guild members for at least one year. The main source of data collection was semi-structured open-ended interview questions with other resources to include artifacts. The researcher coded and analyzed data for themes and patterns.

Findings: Several domains of Bass’s Four I’s Transformational Leadership framework were found to have an impact on World of Warcraft …

Feldenkrais And Music Informed Listening: A Neurophenomenological Perspective On Autism, Arona Primalani

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Phenomenologists identify the subjective body and its felt-senses as the basis for human development and consciousness, including mental health. Several mental health disorders, when viewed from a phenomenological perspective, share common symptomology related to varying extents of fractured selves, which in turn hinders dynamic interaction between individuals, their actions, and their relationships with their social and material worlds. Autism is one such condition. Hence, I created an intervention to investigate how listening, which foster subjective and intersubjective experiences, lies at the heart of somatic and arts-based interventions. This thesis, first, begins with a summary of the presenting symptoms observed in …

When The Fear Sinks In: The Politics Of Paranoia In The Wake Of Covid-19, Samantha G. Minear

Senior Theses

This project begins in January 2021 – a period henceforth known as ‘post-pandemic’ – following the release of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Europe (AstraZeneca) and the United States (Pfizer). While the pandemic is still ongoing as of December 2023, the release of vaccines heralded a new era more reminiscent of a time before March 2020: less (or no) mask mandates, a reduced emphasis on social distancing, and a positive shift in social opinion towards prophylactic vaccination. During my time as an American studying international politics, I have observed a positive correlation between time passed since January 2021 and the …

Lost Communication: A Generative Criticism Of How Parental Communication Towards Children Affects How Children Communicate With Peers, Gabriel J. Gaus

Masters Theses

This study aimed to determine the effect parental communication towards three characters on the TV show Lost had on how these characters interacted with their peers. The researcher details the history of Lost and other scholarly information that led to this analysis. To determine the effect of parental communication on peer communication, the researcher coded all six seasons of Lost using a generative criticism method. This study showed that the characters Jack, Kate, and John used communication mechanisms displayed by their parents to judge their value and place in peer communications and interactions.

Designing Future Agriculture: Design For Complex Systems And Cross-Cultural Interactions, Karina Madzari

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Climate change is now recognized by businesses as a major challenge, prompting the agribusiness sector to transform to meet sustainability goals. However, there are many ways to achieve sustainability. Precision agriculture and agroecology are two concepts that evolved from conventional and regenerative approaches respectively, and offer distinct perspectives on sustainability attainment. Precision agriculture relies on technological solutions like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, gene editing, and carbon dioxide removal technologies (CDR) and aims to revolutionize industry operations through automatization. Agroecology, on the other hand, creates a symbiotic relationship between farming practices and ecosystem services. It aims to replace non-renewable resources with …

Get It Out Of My Head: The Psychological Effects Of Music In Strategic Advertising Practices, Brady Jonah Wood

Honors Theses

For generations, music has served as a powerful marketing tool. When radio reigned supreme as the go-to source of household entertainment, savvy advertisers employed any means necessary to capture the listener's attention. Even today, music remains a powerful force in shaping culture, driving, and reinforcing consumer behavior.

This study aims to explore how brands leverage music in their advertisements to enhance consumers' recall of their products. By utilizing music as a marketing tool, advertisers can effectively ingrain their products in consumers' minds. Selected advertisements are examined to determine how the effect of advertising jingles can create a consistent and memorable …

Health Infographics: An Examination Of Breastfeeding Infographics From The World Health Organization, Naadiyahtu Iddrisu

Communication ETDs

This thesis employed a qualitative thematic analysis and the representational, interpersonal, and compositional functions of visual analysis approaches to examine the World Health Organization breastfeeding infographics published between 2019–2023 through the lens of two health promotion models: the Enabling Environment for Breastfeeding Model, and the Social and Ecological Model. A total of 59 infographics were analyzed. The findings revealed that breastfeeding infographics have called for creating an enabling environment that supports breastfeeding by emphasizing breastfeeding as a shared or collective responsibility. Again, mothers were the main target audience of breastfeeding infographics. Also, the use of multiple racial colors - White, …

Using Multimedia To Help Agricultural Producers Communicate With Consumers About Gmos, Stacey F. Stearns, Jennifer E. Cushman, Joseph A. Bonelli, Bonnie E. Burr

Journal of Extension

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their uses are often misunderstood. Consumers are regularly unsure what GMOs are, or if they are safe for consumption and the environment. Contradictory and sometimes inaccurate information is available from numerous sources, and challenges consumers and others to separate the facts from sensationalized stories. Agricultural producers often communicate with consumers, neighbors, and members of the general public; however, they do not have information to share about GMOs. Multimedia resources can provide agricultural producers with science-based information to share with consumers. Agricultural communicators and Extension educators can create science-based multimedia resources to bridge the communication gap.

Female Medical Students’ Lived Experiences Of Financial Stress And Coping, Untara Shaikh, Dr. Kimberlee Bonura

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

Financial stress is a pervasive concern among medical students, with documented associations with adverse physical health, psychological morbidity, and ineffective coping. This study focuses on understanding the financial stressors female medical students face and the coping strategies they employ. While financial stress and coping mechanisms have been explored in the literature, a notable gap exists in understanding these dynamics among female students.

The study employed a phenomenological research approach to obtain data from the respondents, where data collection involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The Adaptation Model of Nursing, complemented by Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Theory, was a comprehensive framework for analyzing …

Into The Wild: A Journey Paddling The Lower Mississippi River With Quapaw Canoe Company, Sarah Caroline Crall

Honors Theses

Humanity’s profound relationship with water is undeniable. From our reliance on it for sustenance and transportation to the recreation it provides, water is a fundamental aspect of our existence. Yet, in our contemporary era, we find ourselves increasingly disconnected from this life-giving source that shapes us and our surroundings. The Mississippi River stands as a prime example of this detachment. Often overlooked as a lifeless river, nothing more than the backdrop to our daily lives, its significance as the heart of America is underappreciated and misunderstood by many. This thesis embarks on a journey to share the true reality that …

Then And Now: Comparing The Representations Of Gender, Race, And Class In Rom-Coms From The 1990s To Today, Madeline Goldberg

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The formula of the romantic comedy is relatively consistent. The couple meets, they get closer, there are trials and tribulations in their relationship which lead to a confession of love, and they live happily ever after from that point on. Popularized by films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You’ve Got Mail (1998), the rom-com genre had a modern resurgence in the 1990s led by the films of Meg Ryan, and has continued to have many moments of relevance in the decades since. Romance can be a divisive genre. People who enjoy it do …