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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

A Word From The Writing Team (August 2024), Pam Walter, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Publication Spotlight
• Come to the Book Launch Party on August 8th at William Way
• Join Us for Summer Writing Time
• For FY24-25, the Open Access Publishing Fund process is changing
• Jefferson has funding agreements with specific publishers
• The OPWPC Canvas Page offers helpful tools

Birds, Bees, And The Babies: Study Of The Influence Of Self-Efficacy On Parent-Child Sex Communication, Cassandra M. Craig

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Previous studies show that parents tend to be uncomfortable discussing sexual topics with their children, such as menstruation, masturbation, and/or condom use. This study offers a look at the part confidence plays in a parent's intentions to talk to their kids about such topics. The results indicated that the confidence parents feel about discussing sexual topics is not related to how much their own parents talked with them about sex. However, the confidence they feel that could be coming from other models, like social media or peers, is related to how much parents intend to talk with their own children …

The Rise And Fall Of Elizabeth Holmes: Investigating Myths Within Media Coverage, Charlotte Emelia Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

When Elizabeth Holmes became the youngest female billionaire in 2014, news media framed her as the next Steve Jobs due to her similarities as a dropout, a passionate industry disruptor, and a visionary. When she was discovered as a fraud in 2018, coverage framed her as a feminine, seductive monster who duped everyone. I analyzed the media coverage in both years to uncover myths that guided these narratives and argue that these news frames contributed to the large interest in her rise and fall while also reinforcing harmful ways of thinking toward success and female leadership.

Righting Reproductive Wrongs: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Special Topoi In Alberto Fernández’S Pro-Voluntary Interruption Of Pregnancy Speeches, Kymberlie Crosby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The reproductive rights movement argues that abortion rights are fundamental and necessary for women to enjoy their human rights. Politicians opposed to abortion rights around the world have made it clear that they plan to ban abortion both statewide and nationwide. A country that has proven to be successful in defending its reproductive rights is Argentina. In 2020, the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill (Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo; IVE) democratically passed and legalized abortion throughout Argentina. Argentine President, Alberto Fernández, supported IVE and delivered a series of speeches over four years highlighting IVE and the progress that has succeeded each …

The Guardian The Month Of August 2024, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of August 2024. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

The New Professional: Mastering Those Awkward Moments With Patients, Amrita Patel Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Navigating awkward moments in a dental office is essential for positive patient experiences. Establish rapport with patients, use active listening, and avoid jargon. Prepare for common scenarios, communicate clearly, and address fears. Stay calm with difficult questions and provide honest answers. Train staff through role-play and feedback, and cultivate a positive, empathetic environment. Regularly solicit patient feedback to improve. These strategies ensure patients feel valued and supported.

Reachability-Aware Fair Influence Maximization, Wenyue Ma, Maximilian K. Egger, Andreas Pavlogiannis, Yuchen Li, Panagiotis Karras

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

How can we ensure that an information dissemination campaign reaches every corner of society and also achieves high overall reach? The problem of maximizing the spread of influence over a social network has commonly been considered with an aggregate objective. Less attention has been paid to achieving equality of opportunity, reducing information barriers, and ensuring that everyone in the network has a fair chance to be reached. To that end, the fairness objective aims to maximize the minimum probability of reaching an individual. To address this inapproximable problem, past research has proposed heuristics, which, however, perform less well when the …

Youtube Influencers In Bangladesh: Analyzing Message Strategies Of Sponsored Ads In Vlogs, Monira Begum

Master's Theses

Social media influencers, particularly YouTube influencers marketing emerged as a growing industry in Bangladesh. However, research on this topic is limited. This study effectively addresses this gap and following quantitative methods and content analysis, this study mainly examines Influencers and brand categories, the narration of sponsored brands in advertising, influencers’ interactivities, and engagement with the followers, and message strategies in ads employing Taylor’s six-segment message strategy wheel, advertising appeals, and message formats. Results indicate that influencers' dominant vlog content is entertainment, as well as technology as prevalent brand characteristics in the study.

Regarding the narration of the sponsored ads, this …

Developing Recommendations For More Inclusive Academic Librarian On-Site Interviews, Christina M. Miskey, Kathryn M. Houk, Jason Aubin

Library Faculty Research

This chapter will discuss the work of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), library faculty Ad Hoc Committee for Diverse Recruitment and Retention: Campus Visits and Interviews (hereafter referred to as the campus visits committee), which was formed by the library faculty in 2020 to recommend ways for the faculty interview process to be more inclusive and to allow candidates from diverse backgrounds to excel during their interview process. The culmination of the committee’s work was the internal report for library faculty, Recommendations for Hosting UNLV Library Faculty Candidates, which is in the process of being implemented for …

“We Need To Wake Our World Up”: Collegiate Athletes’ Communicative Constitution Of Activism, Lillian B. Feder, Diane L. Jackson, Sean M. Eddington

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study examines National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes’ experiences engaging in activism through the lens of the communicative constitution of organizations. Specifically, we investigated the modalities and approaches collegiate athletes employ in their activism. Findings indicate that collegiate athletes gravitate toward online and offline channels, and fiscal, ideological, and organizational activities as modalities for their activist efforts. We also uncovered that collegiate athletes’ inclination to call-in versus call-out is characterized by their willingness to engage with the recipients of their cause-related messages. This inquiry demonstrates the discursive and material nature of collegiate athlete activism, highlighting the call-in …

Examining The Link Between Information Processing And Preventive Behavior In The Risk Information Seeking And Processing (Risp) Model: A Panel Study, Timothy K.F. Fung, Ho Man Leung, Po Yan Lai, Robert J. Griffin

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The RISP model postulates that individuals who process risk information systematically are likely to hold stronger attitudes toward preventive behavior than those who process information heuristically. Therefore, individuals’ attitudes toward risk preventive behavior developed or changed through systematic processing are likely to be more persistent over time than those whose attitudes are based on heuristic processing. To examine this proposition, a two-wave panel study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings support the proposition.

Opportunities To Learn In Rural South Carolina Schools: Rurality, Place, And Passion, Grig Sawyer

All Dissertations

High school principals can change the status quo of the current iniquitous disparities in the education system between South Carolina’s rural high schools and their more populated and affluent suburban schools. Using a non-standard structure and the resources in their control, these school leaders can find solutions so schools can offer rural students advanced math and science programs. Yet, there is a paucity of studies examining how small rural school principals make advanced math and science courses available to their students, particularly in rural South Carolina. Thus, studies must examine how South Carolina school leaders successfully offer advanced math and …

Press Benefits And The Public Imagination, Erin C. Carroll

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In an era when the press faces unprecedented challenges, those who believe in the importance of a free press find themselves playing defense. Press advocates have been forced to articulate, with renewed clarity and urgency, why the press is not merely important but vital to an effective democracy and why it needs to be saved from a “death spiral” and an “extinction-level event.” These arguments often focus on the crucial role the press plays—the “press function,” as lawyers call it—in informing the public, holding power to account, and facilitating democratic discourse.

Scholars and commentators generally discuss the press function through …

Empowering Change To Shape Tomorrow: An Integrated Marketing Communications Plan For The Building Wealth Initiative, Ramtin Ranjpour

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

We are witnessing a renaissance — one where organizations are expected to be a community with a valued culture. With the rise of this wave, incorporating integrated marketing communications (IMC) into organizations is more vital than ever. This project uses the public relations theory of relationship management, and the marketing model of AIDAR (attention, interest, desire, action, retention) to craft a professional IMC plan for the Building Wealth Initiative (BWI), an Inland Empire nonprofit organization specializing in financial literacy and services. The project uses focus groups and secondary research through informal online observations to gain the essential understanding for creating …

Navigating Crises In Education: A Study Of Communication Strategies In Pk-12 Public School Districts, Darian Byrd

All Dissertations

This study explores the crisis communication strategies utilized by superintendents and communication leaders in PK-12 public school districts, focusing on their structural, human resource, political, and symbolic dimensions. Employing a qualitative, multi-site, multi-case study approach, this research delves into the communication frameworks, practices, and decision-making processes during crises, providing a comprehensive understanding of effective crisis management in educational settings.

The research is anchored in Bolman and Deal’s Four-Frame Model, which offers a multidimensional perspective on organizational analysis. By integrating this theoretical framework, the study examines how different communication strategies align with structural, human resource, political, and symbolic aspects …

Praying To Tiktok, Seeking The Self: How Rhetoric Reveals And Conceals The World’S Most Powerful Guru Of The Postindustrial Age, Samantha L. Gillespie-Hoffman

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

Imagine a world where the most powerful leader is a wellness guru that runs an elaborate church with millions of followers. The guru is so powerful that everyone believes they can read minds and make ordinary people rich and famous. The guru controls forms of communication, media channels, consumer tastes, and what people eat, drink, say, and even think. What if this guru was not human but actually an algorithm? Does this sound like the plot of a science fiction novel? I argue that this scenario is closer to reality than most will admit. In this project, readers encounter a …

Exploring The Use Of Social Media Among Theme Park Guests: A Uses And Gratification Theory Approach, William J. Henderson

All Dissertations

Theme parks have provided billions of dollars to the local economies of tourist destinations (Blair & Rush, 1998; Warden, 2019). In the digital age, the theme park experience is shared with vast online audiences and so there is a need to understand how theme parks are presented on social media from the guest perspective. Specifically, it is vital to understand the uses and gratifications of social media use and content creation from guests and influencers within a theme park context.

The Uses and Gratifications Theory serves as a foundational theory for this research to understand the psychological gratifications found through …

A Comparative Study Of Hpv Vaccine Acceptability Across Global North And South Countries: Usa And Kenya, Robert Nyaga, Prince Adu Gyamfi

Faculty Publications

This study examined the HPV vaccine landscape in Kenya and the USA with

a focus on if differences exist in the perceptions of HPV knowledge, vaccine

attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and vaccine

intention among students across country and gender. It also provides useful

findings that can inform the design of persuasive health messages to promote

the uptake of HPV vaccines among college students in Kenya and the USA.

The study used surveys to recruit 1,033 participants (511 Kenyan and 522 USA

students). The two-way MANOVA analysis revealed that the multivariate

main effects showed no significant differences for gender, …

News Media Coverage And Framing Of Human Trafficking In The United States, Chloe Junkerman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines what makes mainstream news media representations of human trafficking cases newsworthy, and how news media choose to frame sensationalized human trafficking stories. While there have been several notable studies examining news media framing of human trafficking as a social issue more generally, prior research has yet to empirically investigate how the news media cover specific human trafficking cases, thus overlooking what types of attributes make cases newsworthy. This is an important gap in research as the types of cases that get covered, or ignored, by news media, and how stories frame various aspects of these crimes, informs …

Motives For And Consequences Of Deception In Romantic Relationships, Breanna De Leeuw

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goals of this study are twofold. First, I examined the influence of sex, relational intimacy, and face concerns on deploying deceptive communication within romantic relationships. Second, I investigated the impact of deceptive communication on relational commitment and relationship satisfaction. Two hundred twenty-two college-aged students completed self-report measures assessing the variables of interest. Results demonstrated that men and women deceive their romantic relationship partners at similar rates; however, deception is differentially motivated across the sexes. In addition, results indicated that relational intimacy was negatively associated with the frequency of deceit, although relational intimacy was not significantly associated with specific motives …

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 …

To Be Framed: Investigating The Influence Of American Media Frames On Gun Control, William C. Chamblee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gun control may be one of the most polarizing political issues facing America today. While there are many factors that contribute to gun control controversy, one may be how it is framed by news organizations. Research suggests that the emergence of partisan news media, differing levels of issue salience, and the public’s increased willingness to selectively expose could widen the gap between both Republicans and Democrats through their opinions on the issue of gun control, causing polarization. Using a survey, this study found that both Republicans and Democrats are likely to selectively expose to partisan media outlets and that a …

Tiktok For Adlab's Brand Awareness, Apriansyah Wicaksono, Besty Priyandhini

Jurnal Vokasi Indonesia

Currently, social media has become a communication tool that exists in almost every aspect of life. Social Media marketing has become a form of marketing that is very relevant with advances in social web technology. A Social Media Specialist has an important role in increasing the existence of a TikTok account to expand the brand awareness. The focus of this thesis is to highlight the role of Social Media Specialists in developing TikTok Adlab UI brand awareness, outline the message to form Adlab brand awareness, and describe the content strategy implemented. The methodology used in this writing includes observation and …

Factors Influencing Online Repurchase Intention In Indonesia’S E-Commerce Market: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Egia Etha, Pijar Suciati, Ajenk N. Citra

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

The rapid expansion of e-Commerce in Indonesia has revolutionized consumer behavior, shifting preferences from traditional retail to the dynamic world of online shopping. This paradigm shift necessitates a deep understanding of consumer online buying behavior, which unfolds in two critical stages: initial purchase intention and the all-important repurchase intention. The latter is a key determinant of e-Commerce success, reflecting customer loyalty and the overall health of an online business. This research delves into the significant factors driving Indonesian consumers' online repurchase intentions, employing a robust quantitative methodology. A comprehensive survey was conducted with 200 e-commerce shoppers, utilizing both email and …

Karanasan Ng Mga Pilipinong Dubber Sa Panahon Ng Pandemya: Mga Hamon, Tugon, At Pagkakataon, Kirsten Rianne S. Siu, Dea A. Uy, Elisha V. Lopez, Trisha Mae O. Arcilla, Christian P. Gopez

Dalumat: Multikultural at Multidisiplinaryong E-Journal sa Araling Filipino

Inilarawan sa pag-aaral kung paano nagbago ang buhay ng mga Pilipinong dubber sa panahon ng pandemya at ang epekto ng COVID-19 sa industriya ng dubbing sa bansa. Mula sa pakikipanayam sa pitong dubber, natuklasan ang sumusunod: 1) Nawalan ng pangunahing pinagkukuhanan ng kita ang mga dubber mula nang magkaroon ng pandemya at maipatupad ang serye ng lockdown sa bansa; 2) Sinikap ng mga dubber na humanap ng ibang paraan upang kumita katulad ng pagtatayo ng mga sariling negosyo, pagbuo ng YouTube channels, pagtanggap ng mga proyekto sa pagsulat, at pamamasukan bilang driver; 3) Bagaman mahirap at malayo sa nakasanayang proseso …

Lindenwood Digest, July 31, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Social Capital, Institutional Change, And Rural Development In Transmigration Area, West Muna Regency, Indonesia, Ahmad Imron Rozuli, La Ode Machdani Afala, Muhtar Haboddin, Anif Fatma Chawa

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This study examines the development process in transmigration areas, utilizing the social capital concept in the study of three transmigration villages: Mekar Jaya, Wapae, and Suka Damai. We interviewed stakeholders, made observations, and analysed documents to collect data. Our findings highlight the important role of social capital and institutional change in supporting village development. Three critical factors emerged: First, village development involves the transfer of skills from the area of origin to the area of migration endowed with strong work ethics (etos kerja), particularly in agricultural and business sectors. Second, strong networks formed through ethnic and religious ties facilitate …

Suicide And Its Nexus: A Theoretical Reconstruction Of Suicide, Nastiti Soegeng Lestari

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

In Indonesia, suicide research has largely overlooked structural factors at the meso and macro levels, whether as primary causes, contributing factors, or considerations for prevention strategies. The dominance of psychological and psychiatric approaches has marginalized sociological perspectives, limiting a more holistic understanding of suicide. Existing heuristic models primarily frame suicide as a consequence of mental health disorders or economic conditions, reinforcing a dichotomy: one perspective views suicide as a psychological and/or psychiatric phenomenon, while the other treats it as a sociological fact. However, suicide encompasses a far more complex reality that transcends this binary. This study offers a comprehensive theoretical …

The Gender Ideology Of State Ibuism And Women’S Roles In Care Practices At The Rawa Panjang Waste Bank, Bojonggede, Bogor, Marini Purnamasari

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article examines women's involvement in community-based waste management through the Waste Bank program. It argues that women’s participation in managing waste banks reflects the state’s gender ideology, which reinforces the reproduction of female labor and caregiving roles within society. Applying Suryakusuma’s (2011) concept of state ibuism, this study explores women’s roles in the Waste Bank program in Rawa Panjang, Citayam, Bogor Regency. Employing a qualitative approach, it utilizes methods such as observation, focus group discussions (FGDs), photoelicitation interviews, and in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that the Waste Bank program in Rawa Panjang serves as a contemporary manifestation of state …