Digital Commons Network^™

Forbidden Fruit: Mary Cassatt’S Mural Of “Modern Woman” At The World’S Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893, Tricia Cusack

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

This paper considers a large mural of “The Modern Woman” painted in France by the American artist Mary Cassatt for the Woman’s Building at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It focuses in particular on the large central panel of the mural titled Young Women Plucking the Fruits of Knowledge or Science that depicts women and girls apple-picking. Cassatt’s mural drew on various traditions and myths. Apple harvesting was a common sight in America. Cassatt’s title though points to the story of Eve and forbidden fruit, in which Eve seeks knowledge, but is severely punished for it. Cassatt …

Cooking In Times Of Oppression, Dorota Koczanowicz

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

In 2017, Marije Vogelzang's interactive performance at the Museum of Rotterdam, 'Black Confectti', was designed to enable the experience of a difficult wartime past. Using authentic recipes from the war press, she prepared dishes based on the creativity of the crisis. In the face of starvation and the struggle for life, the selflessness of creative action in the kitchen and the effort of documentation in the form of recipes from the past and culinary fantasies from the past proved to be a helpful tool for surviving the most oppressive situation. The effectiveness of this strategy is clearly demonstrated not only …

Utilizing Existing Postfeminist Framework To Explore A Sexualized Media Test Case: “Man Needs A Woman” By Maty Noyes, Nicole Doris

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Postfeminism is simply referred to as the most recent wave of feminism, but feminist scholars have failed to reach a standardized definition that recognizes the nuances of sexuality, media, and culture present within the field. This paper utilizes the postfeminist framework of two prominent feminist scholars: Rosalind Gill and Feona Attwood. Specifically, this paper draws from Gill’s interpretation of postfeminism and Attwood’s interpretation of the sexualization of culture and the overlap between the two theories. Rather than attempt to offer a concrete definition in such a rapidly evolving field, this paper offers a music video from a lesser-known pop artist, …

Understanding Parasocial Relationships And The Mental Health Impact, Leslee Lynae Bennett

Master's Theses

Parasocial relationships have recently become a topic of discussion in our society. This is because individuals are still looking for something to connect with after the COVID-19 pandemic. These relationships originally were more common among young people, but due to the constant usage of media, individuals have become more attached to popularity which results in an unrealistic online connection. Parasocial relationships are both a fascination and a danger due to the mental connections an individual makes within themselves. This research is a qualitative study of previous research done on parasocial relationships. Topics discussed in this thesis will cover multiple facets …

Shaping Of News Values And Frames During War: A Content Analysis Of Israeli And Palestinian Short-Form Video, Madison K. Remrey

Master's Theses

This research looks at the use of short-form video as it pertains to wartime journalism. Specifically, Instagram reels posted by both Palestinian and Israeli journalists are assessed for news values (victim, perpetrator, horse race) and news frames (straight news, conjecture, human interest). Much research has been done on news reporting and even news reporting particularly as it pertains to war. However, with recent growth of short-form video and the use of such to report on war, the landscape of digital warfare is changing. This research aims to assess how short-form video is used to report on Israel and Palestine, two …

From Parkland To Nashville: An Analysis Of Knowledge And Framing Activities In Reddit Discussions Surrounding News Coverage Of Guns In The United States, Corinne Dalelio, Dahlia Boyles, Kyle J. Holody, Wendy Weinhold

Communication, Media, and Culture

This research explores discussions surrounding news stories on r/news after two separate school shooting events in 2018 and 2023 to understand how and when variables related to knowledge exchange and framing emerge in context. These activities were found to be an antecedent to engagement, and exchanges of disagreement resulted in longer chains of discussion. ‘Metaframing’ was found to be linked to media distrust. Users in 2023 were far more ideologically aligned and shared knowledge more frequently, but cited sources less frequently, than in 2018. Implications for impacts of news, disagreement, and content moderation on online civic discourse are offered.

This …

Resilience And Advocacy: A Narrative Analysis Of Disability Campaigns In The United States, Jennifer-Lyn B. Youberg

Student Theses and Dissertations

This narrative analysis delves deeply into the REV UP, #IHelpVeterans, and Snack Zone disability campaigns, dissecting their shared themes and strategies. It underscores the pivotal role of community engagement, stressing the importance of not just raising awareness but actively involving communities in advocacy efforts. Moreover, it highlights how these campaigns leverage personal narratives to humanize disability issues, making them more relatable and compelling. Additionally, the study emphasizes the necessity of advocating for systemic change, pointing out that while individual actions matter, broader structural reforms are needed to address deeply entrenched barriers. By fostering collaboration, amplifying marginalized voices, and pushing for …

Uprooted, Displaced, Resilient: Kosovar Women’S Narratives Of Organizing For Survival During The Kosovo War, Erjona Gashi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to foreground Kosovar women’s narratives and organizing properties during the Kosovo War. I examine the overlooked gendered roles and day-to-day lived experiences of Kosovar women, survivors of the Serb genocide, political violence, and oppression, and investigate their organizing properties during the Kosovo War (1998-1999). In acknowledging women’s plurality of experiences and perspectives, I challenge the currently pervasive and monolithic narrative of women as passive victims of war present in scholarship in organizational communication and instead make overt the narrative of women as critical organizational actors that sustain lives during and after the war. Using …

Beyond The Crown: A Qualitative Research Study On Pageant Women And The Looking-Glass Self, Laurel R. Stiekes

Masters Theses

Pageantry has existed in society for hundreds of years and is still prevalent within society today. Pageant contestants voluntarily compete in systems to hear what judges have to say about their intellect, talent, and poise. However, the opinions of the judges seem to not be the true influential voice in a pageant queen’s life. Previous research has reported that it is the people closest to us that have the most positive or devastating impact on the way we view ourselves. The question this study sought to answer was, “How have the opinions of others had an impact on the self-image …

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.

Changing The Narrative: Developing Evidence-Based, Communication Strategies To Address Health Disparities Of Black Women In The United States, Emmerline Francesca Nelson-Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black women experience health issues at disparate rates when compared to their racial counterparts. Although these health disparities can be linked to health behaviors, they are deeply rooted in historic, racial systems that govern our lives today. More often than not, changes in health behaviors are at the forefront of addressing these health disparities rather than historical health trends of Black women in the U.S. This study aims to discuss why the change needed is a change in the narrative for why these health disparities exist and persist as well as a change in narrative about the role Black women …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Using Media Equation Theory To Assess The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality Technology In Organizational Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (Deib) Training, Michael L. Oetken

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The emergence of immersive virtual reality media technology is providing human beings with a new communication platform to engage beyond the traditional frameworks of video media, audio media, and static webpages on the Internet. These communication media technologies offer users an immersive environment in which they are able to communicate and interact with fellow human beings and non-human entities in life-like mannerisms. Most importantly, this technology also has the potential to bridge gaps and solve problems within the context of certain cultural and societal issues. The issue of communication deficiencies surrounding the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) …

Lindenwood Digest, May 22, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

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

Why Spiritual Leadership Matters In A New Physical Therapist Education Program, Ondrell S. Moore

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Abstract

Physical therapists (PTs) function with a set of core values established to guide these rehabilitation specialists in providing person-centered care to diverse populations. Spiritual leadership aligns with the core values for the physical therapist. As community leaders and advocates, PTs are positioned to address health disparities that disproportionately affect rural communities and racial and ethnic minority groups. Physical therapist education programs that train student physical therapists to provide equitable care across cultures should reflect the diversity espoused by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). This article examines the impact of leadership in building a culture of belongingness and discusses …

My Mind Is A Forest: An Autistic Wandering Through The Language Of Silence And The Poems Of Mary Oliver, Torri Blue

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The autistic experience has been widely medicalized, pathologized, mischaracterized, and misunderstood. Through this series of essays, I attempt to paint an alternative picture of (an) autistic life—one not defined by deficits, but (at the risk of sounding cliché) differences—by re-storying autism through an Autistic Poetic.

Autistic Poetics, or the poetry of autistic existence, offers to our imagination a new way of relating to the world—alternative pictures of what it means to be human and all the possibilities therein. Autists, as human beings who often express being more at home with the earth-others and more-than-human world, can offer our writings as …

Indigenous Land Back In Malaysia: Capturing Orang Asal Resistance Through #Kembalikantanahadat, Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan

Senior Theses

The rise of a pan-indigenous network has been empowered by digital media in the 21st century. Universal concepts such as “landback” have traveled beyond the boundaries of language and borders. For indigenous peoples in Malaysia, the Orang Asal, online resistance is a reclamation of space long suppressed historically and physically. With actions like spreading local news on land rights court cases and development projects, indigenous reclamation from within the Orang Asal as well as indigenous allyship from citizens and diasporic Malaysians alike is possible. #KembalikanTanahAdat in Malay, #ReturnCustomaryLand is one of the many hashtags for a move towards increasing awareness …

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 …

Intercultural Perspectives On Managing Organizational Change In Response To Government Policy Reform: A Case Study On The Leadership Of New Oriental Education, Yihe Yang

Dissertations

In 2021, a policy aimed at addressing educational inequality triggered a significant upheaval in the private tutoring sector of China by fundamentally transforming prevailing business models and financial viability within the industry. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (New Oriental Education), one of the preeminent private tutoring enterprises in China, attracted considerable attention for its subsequent organizational change. This study explored the leadership dynamics and organizational change efforts implemented by New Oriental after the policy enactment.

The theoretical framework synthesized organizational change theory, organizational culture, and transformative leadership approaches from both Western and Chinese perspectives. It elucidated effective practices …

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 …

À La Comment Du Peuple — How Youth Communicated, Connected, And Collaborated Online Around The French Presidential Election Of 2022, Nicholas H. Howe

Senior Theses

How are French youth communicating online with themselves and how are they interacting with the information they consume? This study considers the question by examining YouTube comments from the comment sections of two interviews done on presidential candidates during the 2022 presidential election by 26-year-old influencer, Hugo Decrypte. These comments were compared with comments from interviews done by traditional TV news sources on the same candidates (BFMTV, a privately owned broadcaster, and Touche pas à mon poste!, an originally public broadcast hosted by a Gen-X TV personality). The comments were scraped using Octoparse web data extraction software and then sorted …

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 …

Playing With International Students From Asia: An Exploration Of Cultural Commonalities And Differences In Developmental Transformations (Dvt), Hazuki Okamoto

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Asian international students in the United States face a multitude of challenges such as language barriers, differences in cultural norms and behaviors, and identity confusion while navigating a foreign landscape. Developmental Transformations (DvT), a form of drama therapy, may apply to these challenges by enabling participants to explore different identities and express themselves creatively beyond the language barrier. This community engagement project was designed for Asian international students to be seen and heard by utilizing DvT. Within an in-person workshop, five participants played with their shared stories, and explored international and cultural roles in group DvT. Key takeaways from the …

It’S Giving Tory:” Youth Satirization Of Elizabeth Truss On Tiktok As Political Commentary, Alexandra Rapp

Senior Theses

This study extends political humor effects research as a means of engaging in political discourse. The current body of research into the influence of social media on political attitudes largely focuses on adults with extreme ideations and organized groups on the internet. This study seeks to better understand young people as newcomers to political discourse. It focuses on how the behavior of women in positions of power is critiqued and analyzed by the youngest voting and pre-voting cohort through analyzing the content produced by young Britons during the Elizabeth Truss administration. Data was gathered using hashtags on TikTok videos posted …

The Long Fight: How Serbian And Albanian Media Narratives Sustain Conflict In The Balkans, Sarah Daknis

Senior Theses

Kosovo, recognized for its profound historical and cultural roots, remains a contentious region claimed by both Serbia and Albania. Despite Serbia’s territorial claims, the majority of Kosovo’s 2 million inhabitants identify as Kosovo-Albanian, comprising over 90% of the population. This paper delves into the pivotal roles played by Serbian and Albanian media narratives shaping the international community’s perception of Kosovo’s ongoing struggle for independence. In many instances, the U.S. media narrative casts Albania as the aggrieved party and Serbia as the aggressor, often omitting instances where Albania's actions were questionable. By examining both Serbian and Albanian media perspectives, this study …

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 …

Supporting South Korea’S Aging Population: How Ai And Iot Acceptance Connects The Young And Old, Bobby Im

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 2024, South Korea surpassed every other nation by becoming the country with the lowest fertility rate (below 0.7%). Population decline will hinder future ability to care for their aging population and although the government and private corporations are investing millions of dollars on developing Artificial Intelligence-Internet of Things (AI-IoT) devices to support the aging, the acceptance levels and the amount of family support required is undervalued. By examining AI-IoT’s current use and role in South Korea’s public health system this paper shows how intergenerational support helps optimize existing procedures and equipment, increases the level of acceptance and use, and …