Digital Commons Network^™

I Think We Have Some Connection Difficulty: A Review Of Architectural Vocabulary And Representation In Our Condition Of Remote Communication, David Waite

Masters Theses

The distance required to slow this pandemic created a need for Zoom technology in maintaining our economies of mental production and social closeness. Just like scientists examined the COVID-19 virus globally in its petri under the electron microscope, Zoom exposed our domestic interiors. This platform stitched together our personal existence into an infinite interior. To some extent this places Zoom attendees into a new space of vulnerability where the platform turns passive observers into active participants in a hyper self-aware virtual world where all are forced to share their fragile environments of everyday life.

While videotelephony software thankfully facilitated communication …

Community, Harana & Karaoke: Towards A Theatrical Design, Ryan Diaz

Masters Theses

Community, Harana, & Karaoke: Towards a Theatrical Design explores graphic design’s potential as theatrical staging for building community and practicing the difficult and complicated art of loving others through performance.

Studying graphic design as harana, the traditional Filipino custom of romantic serenade, offers a framework to view both mediums as social architectures that propose and transform proximities of relation between people. As in harana, graphic design facilitates in naming, grounding, and organizing social relationships; in taking these affective environments as content and form, both arts align with the nature of performance and staging. Through practice, research, and abstraction, the graphic …

Wounds Need Air, Camilla Jerome

Masters Theses

A personal essay in the first-person voice describes the artist’s lived experience navigating the American medical industrial complex with multiple misdiagnosed chronic pain disorders. The artist’s personal story spans thirty years and is contextualized by illness, gender, race, age, ability, class, and is grounded in the artistic expression of self. Descriptions of mental illness, physical disability, and access to proper healthcare are weaved into an examination of embodied knowledge.

Uncertainty Wanted: Deconstructing Gender Gap In Parenting Mentality, Zimeng Xiang

Masters Theses

Gender stereotypes propagate through generations like a loop without a clear start or end, constantly reinforcing and being reinforced by the constructed, gendered system of information around us. For this project, I take the start of parenthood - the moment when new parents begin to learn everything about newborn care - as a critical point to encourage gender-neutral parenthood and eventually, to fill the gender gap in parents’ mental load.

Remembering Chinatown: A Fusion Of Food, Identity, & Memory, Robert Yang

Masters Theses

In 2016, the Chinese American Restaurant Association recorded a total of 50,000 Chinese restaurants operating in the United States, far exceeding the number of McDonalds, Burger Kings, KFCs, and Wendy’s combined. In the near two centuries that Chinese people have been a part of the American fabric, our food has become one of the country’s most popular ethnic cuisines. While these restaurants stand as testaments to the tenacity and entrepreneurship of the Chinese immigrant, they are also reminders of the centuries of adversity Chinese Americans have endured. The racial divisions triggered by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 have resulted …

Elsewhere: Impressions Of Sense & Nonsense, Madeline Woods

Masters Theses

I’m not going to give it all away up front, but here are a few things you’ll find inside: a flower that tastes like peppermint, a book that smells like sunscreen, a silver orb that purrs, a woman becoming a tree, a shy rainbow, and a hat that is also a disguise. There are lists, letters, dreams, and notes. I hope there aren’t typos, but I’m only human, after all. There is sense, and there is also nonsense.

If you decide to join me here, we will wander elsewhere — across different kinds of terrain, into sensory experiences, between mediums, …

Land, Labor, Water: An Agricultural Commons In The Central Valley Of California, Jacob Lightman

Masters Theses

An Agricultural Commons in California's Central Valley examines the spatial and structural relationships between food systems, the ecologies that support them, and the unincorporated farming communities in The Central Valley. Current industrial practices in The Central Valley deplete water resources, deplete topsoil, create toxic living conditons for local communities, and undervalues farmlabor. Further pressures from climate change will inevitably cause greater instability in this food system and greater injustices towards the local communities and ecologies. The Central Valley is already a commons for Americans, as it supplies the majority of our year-round produce. Through a reevaluation of the idea of …

In The Muck And The Mire, Orli Swergold

Masters Theses

At the core of my practice lies my fascination with my body; how I exist in relation to others and my surroundings, how much space I take up, how close I am to others, how much distance exists between us. I am interested in intimacy and bodily contact, which I explore through objects that bridge the gap between human embodiment and otherness. My works, made out of paper pulp, simultaneously stimulate a hyperawareness of one’s own body and a dissolution of the self. Their human scale immediately places them in relation to the viewer and creates space for empathy. As …

Defining The Diva: Celebrity, Feminism & Performance In Popular Culture, Rachel Glago

Masters Theses

The word ‘diva’ tends to conjure a specific kind of woman. As popular culture has come to recognize ‘diva’ as a more politicized term, it’s essential to acknowledge that the intrinsic meaning of such a term in this context comes from a patriarchal culture that strives to control women’s bodies, identities, and individual narratives as they’re represented in the media.

Through analysis of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lopez’s careers in the music and entertainment industry, this paper explores this notion further while considering the implications of gender, race, ethnicity, and age. These case studies analyze the shifting relationship and …

A Method For The Evaluation Of Song Texts In Evangelical Churches: A Crucial First Step In Developing Indigenous Songs, Kristi Jeanne Colas

Masters Theses

How important are song texts in worship services? According to the Bible, these songs have a multi-faceted role. Not only do they contain truths about God’s revelation of himself in Scripture, but they also call his people to respond with their whole being. The same song can express worship to God, teach believers truths about him, and challenge unbelievers to turn from their false gods. Therefore, the lyrical content of Christian congregational songs is of utmost importance. However, a survey of ethnodoxological literature reveals a greater focus on songs’ musical content. One reason for this may be the general emphasis …

The Vote: Gender Identification In The Women's Suffrage Movement Through The Rhetoric Of Carrie Chapman Catt, Sarah Perkins

Masters Theses

Throughout the women’s suffrage movement, rhetoric was used as a powerful tool of persuasion to convince men that women should have the right to vote. It was also used as a tool of persuasion to convince women to join the fight for suffrage. One of the most influential rhetoricians in the movement was suffragist, Carrie Chapman Catt, who was able to use both.

This study aims to determine how women’s suffrage leader, Carrie Chapman Catt, used persuasion through her speeches to win the 19th amendment. This study specifically investigates one speech to the all-male United States Congress and the other …

The Role Of Music In The Trauma Narrative And “Storytelling”: Perspectives Of Clinicians, Taylorlyn N. Mehnert

Masters Theses

There is a lack of detailed literature describing how music is used for expressing and processing the trauma narrative. This study used a constructivist grounded theory approach through an anti-oppressive lens to explore the ways in which music therapists use music in exploring clients’ stories. The term “story” is used as opposed to “narrative” or “memory” to incorporate a broader definition of expression including non-verbal, musical, metaphorical, or any other method the client chooses. Eight board-certified music therapists (MT-BC) were interviewed regarding their use of music in the context of clients’ stories. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was used …

Laugh Until It’S No Longer A Scandal: The Use Of Humorous Apologia To Reframe Crisis Narratives On Saturday Night Live, Vanessa S. Hills

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the role of humor-based apologia as a crisis communication strategy for celebrities. Using a rhetorical method, it explicates the role that humor plays in shaping crisis narratives in response to kategoria within the context of Saturday Night Live. Four case study analyses determine whether the generic parameters of apologia include the use of a humor-based apologia or whether humorous apologiae should be classified as a unique subgenre. These findings further the body of research on apologia and highlight the need for additional research on the effectiveness of humor as a crisis communication strategy.

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On The Assessments Used For Social Communication In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel E. Kim

Masters Theses

This review of the literature aims to analyze the current assessments available for clinicians, parents, and other professionals to use during the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that specifically addresses social communication. Although ASD can be diagnosed as early as the age of 2, children are often not diagnosed until the age of 4-5 years old. Especially for children who would be diagnosed with ASD and require Level 2 and/or Level 3 supports, early diagnosis can lead to early intervention which can help to provide the necessary support for both the child and family. Early intervention can help to …

The Music Making Family: A Music Class For All Ages, Jordan Lee Slater

Masters Theses

Whereas music both unlocks and fuels devotion as well as strengthens mental faculties, whereas teamwork and shared experiences deepen familial bonds, whereas the Bible is the root of all knowledge and wisdom, the need for The Music Making Family has arisen. Colossians 3:16 states, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The purpose of this qualitative study is to provide teachers, whether in private school, public school, a religious entity, in a standalone studio, instructional material for …

Teaching Music To Special Needs Students Using Multiple Intelligence Theory, Megan Lawrimore Bolt

Masters Theses

Students who fall under the label of “special needs” or “exceptional learners” are often forgotten when it comes to music class. Unfortunately, in many schools they either do not attend music classes at all or they only attend with other students who are also considered special needs students. These students deserve the right to be in an inclusive music class with their peers who are not special needs students. Students of all abilities should receive the same opportunities to learn music together. One question that will be addressed is whether music teachers in South Carolina are making their classrooms inclusive …

Teaching Expression And Communication Through Music And Collaborative Arts, Goeun Kim

Masters Theses

Music and art are vehicles for creative expression that people have practiced throughout history to express and communicate their thoughts, emotions, feelings, and experiences. Art is the purest and most unique form of self-expression, but today’s perception of art is usually accessible for people who are naturally gifted or specialize in a particular art form. Children have the potential to understand, learn, and enjoy music if given a chance to explore creative expression. Especially during pre-adolescence or adolescence, many young children find it difficult to express themselves outwardly because they are concerned about peer relations and people’s expectations. While an …

Unchallenged And Obedient: Status Of Nigerian Junior Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum, Toluwalase Solomon

Masters Theses

Bolstering best practice social studies pedagogy is crucial to raising analytical, responsible, moral, and civic-minded students in Nigeria. This study, using content analysis research methods, examined the contents of Nigerian junior secondary school (JSS) social studies curriculum materials to determine the extent to which the curriculum aligns with major social studies teachers’ epistemologies (citizenship transmission, social sciences, and reflective inquiry). Though there have been numerous studies on examining the major social studies teachers’ epistemologies—citizenship transmission, social sciences, and reflective inquiry—yet few have examined the extent to which Nigerian social studies curriculum materials aligns with these epistemologies. Three major findings emerged …

Self-Reported Multicultural Teaching Knowledge And Skills Of School Professionals, Julia Kedzior

Masters Theses

Diverse learners face a variety of challenges, such as achievement gaps, behavior problems, and absenteeism. Therefore, it is important for their educators to have both multicultural teaching knowledge and skills to address these challenges and work towards a successful school experience for all students. Although research has sought to measure the cultural competence of teachers, not many studies have examined cultural competence in other school professionals (administrators, school psychologists, social workers, interventionists, instructional assistants, and other individuals who directly work with students in the school environment). In the current study, 185 teachers and other school professionals completed an adapted version …

The Efficacy Of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (Pals) With Hispanic English Language Learners In The 2nd Grade, Sonia Duran

Masters Theses

The present study examined the efficacy of a reading instruction, Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), for Hispanic English Language Learners (ELL). Currently, the literature indicates that there is a surge in ELL students, most commonly Spanish-speaking ELL students, in the United States. This increase in ELL population created a need for academic support as many of these students are historically academically behind their non-ELL peers due to the negative impact of lack of exposure to the English language and cultural differences. The PALS program is a class-wide reading intervention where students engage in reading activities to promote reading skills; and …

Christian Worship In Nagaland, Jane Elizabeth Laremore

Masters Theses

Christianity has historically suppressed Naga traditional music and culture, and yet Christian music plays an important role in the construction of Naga identity. A brief history and overview of Christian music in Nagaland including, hymn singing, contemporary Christian music, and revival songs demonstrates how the unique social, cultural and political context of Nagaland has created a generational divide in worship style preferences and the birth of the revival song genre. Snapshots of the life and work of Naga composers further illustrate these themes and provide insight into the incorporation of Naga folk music in Christian worship. While advocates make strong …

Bond Graph Modeling Of Critical Infrastructures For Cyber-Physical Security Implementation, Michele Jane White

Masters Theses

“In developed societies, there exists infrastructure vital to everyday life. This includes water and power systems. Technology is quickly evolving and being implemented on these utilities. This technology can range from smart metering in neighborhoods to volume sensors in local waste water treatment facilities. When networking, sensing, monitoring, or control devices are integrated with infrastructure it is considered a cyber physical system, or CPS. When information about an important physical system is connected to the virtual world, it is opened up to security risks. Cyber security can be provided to the CPS by monitoring the physical state of the system …

Modern Myths: Adding To America's Cultural Heritage, Kathryne E. Wood

Masters Theses

As children, we believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. We cower in fear when our friends talk about the Boogeyman, or how they'll summon Bloody Mary in the mirror. We check our closets, in hopes of finding an entrance to Narnia at the back of them. The world is a mysterious place in which anything can happen, anything can exist. What makes these types of stories so special? How do they generate true belief? What propels a narrative from entertaining story to the status of myth, legend, or folktale? This thesis explores the enduring qualities …

Staves & Stones: The Truth Of Runic Tradition, Josiah John Duff

Masters Theses

The research problem and task for this thesis was in the analysis of the Old Norse Futhark, or written runic language and how it has been represented through history. In order to educate the reader with a greater understanding and put the runes in context, the runes are analyzed thoroughly before being compared and contrasted to other runic systems that have been represented in modern media. The objective being to identify these similarities and differences in each language and maintain a consistent criteria to measure each language, via original use, design and form, and in-mythos development. Using this criteria and …

Global Englishes: Variations Of A Single Language In All English Classrooms, Amanda Leigh Faulkenberry

Masters Theses

This study was conducted in order to develop a procedure for creating a globally recognized curriculum for teaching students and teachers about global variations of English. The study first sought to discover attitudes towards global variations of English of speakers in each of Kachru’s three-circles model of World Englishes. Once there was an understanding of the negative attitudes that exist towards variations that fall within all three circles, the next goal was to determine what was being done to change this negative attitude. This meant analyzing curriculum and studies to determine how students and teachers are being educated on the …

English Language Learners And Cultural Responsivity In The Art Classroom, Jessica Wycoff

Masters Theses

English Language Learners are a heterogeneous population of students that face social, emotional, and academic obstacles as they assimilate into a new culture while learning new subjects in a new language. In this study, I discuss the educational, social, and emotional needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in PK-12 education and offer strategies to support kindergartener’s social and cultural identity while improving their language and academic skills in the unique environment of the art classroom.

"Lead Us Not": Linguistic And Exegetical Considerations For Translating The Sixth Petition Of The Lord's Prayer, Brodie Allan Robinson

Masters Theses

In 2019, the Vatican announced a revision to the Italian translation of the Roman Missal, modifying the temptation petition of the Lord’s Prayer from “non ci indurre in tentazione” (“lead us not into temptation”) to “non abbandonarci alla tentazione” (“do not abandon us to temptation”). A formal, word-for-word rendering of the petition was substituted for a freer, more interpretive one. Though such a change seems insignificant, it stands at the heart of one of the most theologically contested passages in the New Testament, a passage which appears to contradict most scriptural teaching on temptation. This thesis probes the multiple problems …

Appalachian Folk Music In The High School General Music Class, Caitlin Jayne Hetland

Masters Theses

Murder ballads have been a part of the musical traditions of America since the 1700s, when their source materials were brought from Scandinavia, England, and Scotland. Ballads like “Omie Wise,” “Pretty Polly,” and “The Ballad of Tom Dooley” have been recorded by a variety of artists, and still draw new listeners for commercial success. Despite their historic presence in American music, murder ballads are not often included in the school music curriculum. The content is not always appropriate for elementary or middle school students, but high school students are better equipped to deal with the themes and can often be …

Defining Montréal: An Exploration On The Evolution Of Montréal’S Brand And Cultural Representations Since 1930, Liliane Lai

Masters Theses

Spaces contain and create meanings through the interplay of their surrounding physical and mental landscape i.e., geography, social activity, and representation. Like many defined spaces, Montréal is not only a social and spatial manifestation of a singular community, but an ideal conceived and constructed through interpretation, objectives, and media portrayal— a mosaic or assemblage. Conceptualising Montréal as a brand being one of the cultural capitals of Canada is deeply tied to an assemblage of its diverse roots and identity beyond its history. This thesis explores the notion of city branding to understand how a city’s image and reputation evolves in …

Emily Dickinson, The Tyrant, And The Daemon: A Critique Of Societal Oppression, And The Significance Of Artistic Truth, Debra Kue

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that art, for Dickinson, was an alternative system of salvation which her society could not provide her. Unwilling to surrender herself to the mold of her society, the institutional practice of Christianity and gender expectations, Dickinson chose to take ownership of her life through art, which allowed her to develop a personal language to combat the oppressive forces of the world around her. As a conscious “revolutionist of the word” Dickinson embarked on a path of self-discovery that enabled her to conduct a life in self-imposed exile as a means to emancipate herself from the constraints of …