Digital Commons Network^™

Cheating Death: The Demedicalization Of Cpr, Michelle Nicole Erwin

Masters Theses

My research explores cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a case study of demedicalization. I will use an instrumental case study method to examine the history and setting of CPR. In order to gain a stronger understanding of CPR in particular, I will look in depth at the actors and organizations involved in the development, medicalization, and demedicalization of CPR. The purpose of this study is to better grasp how demedicalization occurs in a more general context by looking through the lens of CPR. I will adapt a framework that is used for examining medicalization authored by Peter Conrad (1980), to allow …

Fathers' And Young Sons' Everyday Talk: A Conversation Analytic Study Of Topic Initiation And Development, Stacia Jayne Ozier

Masters Theses

As Floyd and Morman (1999) argue, "there are few male-male relationships that may be more socially significant than that between father and son"(p. 310). This study is an introduction to the exploration of topic in father-young son interaction. Using the method of conversation analysis we have identified how three father-young son groups initiate topic in actual everyday conversation. Both fathers and sons used aspects of the physical environment and social activities as resources for topic initiation. In addition, one father used other-focused questions to initiate topics with his young sons. In the examination of the practices used by the fathers …

Presenting Problems And Treatment Outcome Of College Counseling Center Clients: The Role Of Gender And Academic Major, Erik Lennart Timothy Fister

Masters Theses

The current study examined whether gender and/or academic specialization had any relationship to students presenting issues, symptom severity, and treatment outcome at a university counseling center. The participants were 484 clients and the data were collected at an East Coast university counseling center. Clients were included for the analyses if they were a new intake, clearly fit into one of six categories for academic major, and attended more than one session. Each client filled out both the Personal Information Form (PIF) and Behavioral Health Questionnaire (BHQ) at intake, and was administered the BHQ prior to each subsequent session. Based on …

Science And Application: A Comparison Of Graduate Training In Counseling And Clinical Psychology, Nupur Jain

Masters Theses

Often times, when considering training and careers in psychology, students have difficulty deciding whether to pursue clinical psychology or counseling psychology as a career. The decision made might be a result of limited or biased information. Additionally, students often fail to make important distinctions between counseling psychology and the professional field of counseling, which has implications for the career path they pursue. The purpose of the current literature review is to provide readers with the range of knowledge and ideas, including contrasting perspectives and viewpoints that have been established in this area.

Students also often fail to make important distinctions …

Evaluation Of Year Round Education: Does It Increase Isat Reading Scores In Third And Eighth Grade Students?, Kristy Marlett

Masters Theses

Little is known about how a modified school calendar influences student achievement in reading. The present study investigated how students performed on the ISAT reading test after the district switched to a year-round calendar when compared to scores when the district was using a traditional school calendar. In other words, this longitudinal study attempted to answer if performance on the ISAT is related to the type of calendar, gender, grade level, and receiving special education services. Participants were 900 students in the third and eighth grades of one Illinois school district that transitioned from traditional school calendar to Year Round …

Perceptions Of Sororities Among Sorority Women, Deborah Denise Appleby

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine sorority women's perception ons on certain aspects of sororities and how they believe sororities are perceived by non-sorority women and faculty. The benefits of the study include awareness of the perceptions that sorority women hold of sororities, improvements can be made in areas that haveе negative perceptions, and the positive aspects of sororities can be promoted more.

A survey was used to collect data and SPSS statistical software wavas used to analyze data. Eight of the nine Panhellenic sororities at Eastern Illinois Universi versity were surveyed, providing 395 respondents. Their ages ranged …

Media's Portrayal Of Women: Impact On Aggressive Attitudes And Beliefs, Danielle Trezek

Masters Theses

The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to examine images in magazine advertisements and the impact of these images on aggressive attitudes and beliefs towards women. The three research objectives were: 1) to explore the appeal of the portrayals of women in magazine advertisements to males and females, 2) to examind the attitudes and acceptances of violence, gender-roles, and gender stereotypes of the participants after viewing the different portrayals, and 3) to compare the results of males and females to explore the differences in aggression between genders. The participants consisted of 71 college males and females from a Midwestern …

A Formative Evaluation Of The 2005-2006 Eastern Illinois University Resident Assistant Selection Process, Brian O'Neal Johnson

Masters Theses

The present study was conducted as a formative evaluation of the 2005-2006 Eastern Illinois University Resident Assistant Selection Process. The purpose of the present project was two-fold: 1) to assess participates' perceptions, candidates and instructors, of the five-week Resident Assistant workshop course; and, 2) to generate potential recommendations from research participants for future resident assistant selection processes.

Factors Influencing Early Literacy Skill Acquisition Among At-Risk Kindergarten Children, Jill E. Feller

Masters Theses

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 placed federal mandates on education in which all children will be expected to read grade-level text by the 3rd grade in the academic year of 2013-2014. Risk factors that can be linked to interventions in order to reach the goals of NCLB were investigated. In this study, the risk factors of parental involvement (Reading Minute Index), parental literacy interaction style (Home Questionnaire), and Overactive and Underactive problem behaviors (ASCA composite scores) were analyzed in relation to the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills kindergarten spring benchmarks.

This study was conducted in …

Traditional Versus Nontraditional Relationship Initiation As A Factor In Adolescent Dating And Sexual Behaviors, Jennifer Long

Masters Theses

Research on adolescent dating behaviors, particularly adolescent sexual activity and contraceptive use, is very important due to the health and social costs of teenage pregnancy, childbearing, and sexually transmitted diseases among the adolescent population. The primary purpose of this paper was to address the relation between type of relationship initiation (traditional versus nontraditional) and sexual behavior. Traditional relationships were defined as those initiated by males whereas nontraditional relationships were defined as those initiated by females. Study participants were 104 (62 female, 42 male) undergraduate students attending Eastern Illinois University psychology and sociology classes. The results indicated that significantly more relationships …

Individualism-Collectivism, Values, And Help Seeking Attitudes Among Indian And American College Students, Ateka Contractor

Masters Theses

The present study examined cross-cultural differences in individualistic and collectivistic values and behaviors, the cultural value dimensions of conservatism, openness to change, self-enhancement, self-transcendence, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among American and Indian college students. Data were collected from 111 students at Eastern Illinois University in the U.S. and from 78 students of Mumbai University in India. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Individualism-Collectivism Interpersonal Assessment Inventory, the Schwartz Value Survey and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. Statistical analyses were computed using I tests for independent means, 2 Way ANOVAs, multiple regression analyses and descriptive …

The Effects Of An Education Program On Women's Knowledge And Behavior During Menopause, Diana L. Stenger

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if women's knowledge of perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues increased after participation in an educational workshop. The first objective was to determine if there was an increase in particip cipants' knowledge of physiological and psychological changes often experienced during perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues. Two further objectives were to determine if women reported learned treatment options and made any behavioral health changes to manage perimenopause, menopause, and related health issues, from attending the educational workshop, during a 3-month follow-up telephone survey. A quasiexperimental pre-test and post-test design involved a purposive …

An Exploratory Study Of The Videoblogger's Community, John Warmbrodt

Masters Theses

"Videoblogs (vlogs) have emerged as a new form of virtual community. The goal of this study was to explore and understand the videoblogger community by studying the community's structure and the motivations of vloggers"--Abstract, page iii.

"Who Will Cry For The Little Boy?:" An Autoethnographical Analysis Of The Lived Experiences Of An Adopted Person, Timothy R. Terrentine

Masters Theses

What becomes of the little boy who knows well abandonment and pain, yet simultaneously discovers predestinated purpose and unconditional love? This autoethnographical analysis examines the life of an adopted person who has spent his developmental years dealing with specific tensions associated with adoption and all that lie within. Using relational dialectics (Baxter, 1993,2004; Baxter & Montgomery, 1998) and existing adoption research (Carp, 2003; Herman, 2003), the author weaves his story of a history of tensions, a presence of negotiated relationships, and a future of hope with emerging tensions. Through a specific process of discovery and analysis; existing as well as …

The Protective Order Process As A Victim Empowering Response To Domestic Violence: An Investigation In A Rural Iowa Setting, Traci L. Ketter

Masters Theses

This research began its evolution as i began with an interest in societal responses to domestic violence. I was curious about protective orders, as they seem to be relied upon heavily by our legal system. As one of the primary responses to domestic violence, I wanted to know whether this type of response was meeting the needs of petitioners. As I read the literature and formed research questions, it became clear that in order to answer the questions I had, I would need to go to the victims themselves. They would be the best source of information on the role …

The Impact Of A One-Half Day Environmental Education Program On Elementary Students, David C. Pagel

Masters Theses

The hypothesis of this research is that elementary students benefit from the Kalamazoo Nature Center's (KNC) one-half day inquiry program, based upon data collected using a Likert scale instrument. The earth science inquiry program at KNC is intended to enhance student attitude about the natural environment. There are two primary components to the research. First, data were collected through a pre-/post-survey from elementary students who participated in the Kalamazoo Nature Center's one half-day environmental education program. The survey was based on the Test of Science Related Attitudes (Fraser, 1981). Second, data were analyzed to assess student attitudes and beliefs before …

Democracy, Hegemony, And Consent: A Critical Ideological Analysis Of Mass Mediated Language, Michael Alan Glassco

Masters Theses

Accepting and incorporating mediated political discourse into our everyday lives without conscious attention to the language used perpetuates the underlying ideological assumptions of power guiding such discourse. The consequences of such overreaching power are manifest in the public sphere as a hegemonic system in which free market capitalism is portrayed as democratic and necessary to serve the needs of the public. This thesis focuses specifically on two versions of the Society of Professional Journalist Codes of Ethics 1987 and 1996, thought to influence the output of news organizations. This analysis exposes the problems inherent in the news media's focus of …

Examining The Structural Covariates Of Methamphetamine Use: A Social Disorganization Perspective, Justin Smith

Masters Theses

There have been many anecdotal accounts describing the characteristics of individuals involved in methamphetamine use, trafficking and production. However, prior to the current study there was yet to be a macro-level analysis of methamphetamine use. The extant macro-level literature on drug use has suggested that areas with high levels of social disorganization experience high rates of drug use. It was expected that school-districts with low SES and high rates of ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability and family disruption will experience high rates of methamphetamine use. In addition, it was expected that rural school districts would show higher rates than urban and …

Exploring The Influence Of Supportive Communication Practices On Volunteer Satisfaction, Role Identity, Safety Perceptions, Loyalty, And Burnout, Virginia Ann Gregory

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to assess supportive communication practices as predictors of volunteer outcomes. As healthcare organizations continue to grow and expand services to patients, the need for volunteers will expand as well. If volunteers are supported within the organization they will become a part of the healthcare environment and ultimately can make a difference for the organization. lt was hypothesized that supportive communication by both staff and co-volunteers would predict higher levels of volunteer satisfaction, role identity, safety perceptions, and loyalty, and lower levels of volunteer bumout. Results indicate that emotional support from staff was the strongest …

A “Southern Tradition?”: Stockcar Racing As Contextual Tradition, Patrick A. Lindsay

Masters Theses

A large number of academics who have examined stockcar racing have concluded that stockcar racing is a “Southern tradition.” While the implicit definitions of tradition may vary, many generally agree that there is a clear historical relationship between stock car racing and the South. It is my contention that the idea that stockcar racing is a “Southern” tradition does not represent the reality of stockcar racing fandom for many people outside of the South. I assert that stock car racing is instead a “contextual tradition”, a practice that became labeled a tradition through specific historical and cultural circumstances. By examining …

God With The Backwards Wave: A Text In Context Analysis Of The Characterization Of God In Joan Of Arcadia, Chad Landon Kennedy

Masters Theses

God is a television star. In Barbara Hall's Joan of Arcadia, which aired on CBS from 2003-2005, teenaged Joan Girardi, played by Amber Tamblyn, has conversations with God on a weekly basis. Rather than appearing in bright lights amidst angelic voices and special effects, God speaks to Joan through a variety of human guises, both male and female. The characterization of God in Joan of Arcadia is, arguably, the most extensive portrayal of God in American television, as nearly ninety actors play the deity over the show's two-season run. Understanding the creative team's portrayal of God as a character is …

The Self-Perceived Leadership Characteristics Of Female Producers, Teresa A. Becker

Masters Theses

Through the implementation of the transformational leadership theory and selfconstructed metaphors this study seeks to understand the self-perceived leadership characteristics of female producers. By means of qualitative analysis, the leadership characteristics of twelve female producers have been subjectively and objectively analyzed. A survey constructed using the transformational leadership characteristics found by Bemard Bass, the characteristics of groundbreaking women found by Barbara Polnick et al., as well as the emotional intelligence leadership characteristics presented by David Goleman et al., was electronically distributed to twelve women from six different television news and entertainment stations in the United States, Canada, and England. The …

The Women House Church Leaders Of China: Interviews With A Muted Group, Timothy R. Wommack

Masters Theses

While studying the Bakweri people of Cameroon in the 1960s, Edwin and Shirley
Ardener discovered that it was the men who dominated and controlled the power and language of the group and created the societal understanding and the cultural makeup of their tribe's identity. The men did not allow the women to speak or have a say in the elements of their culture; these women were muted. Throughout history many individuals, especially women, have been muted in any number of ways. These include political, economical, social, cultural constrictions, even to the point of death, to keep them from being represented. …

Korean Women In America: A Comparison Of The Perception Of Leadership Between Korean American Women And Korean International Women, Eun Hye Kang

Masters Theses

This study supplements the scarcity of research on Korean women in America. It explores the perception of leadership between Korean American women and Korean international women. It was inspired by stories that were told by Korean women indicating that Korean women in America first and foremost deal with the question, "Who am I?" An additional question for this thesis was, "Who am I as a leader?" The majority answer found for Korean American women was: "I consider myself as a Korean American, although deep down I always know I am Korean." Korean international women without a doubt regard themselves as …

Audience Interpersonal Identification With The Television Series Friends As It Is Reflected In Avid Viewers Within The Twixter Life Stage, Renee Ruth Peckham

Masters Theses

Twixter is a term, popularized by Time magazine, to define what sociologists classify as individuals in their mid to late twenties who are finding themselves "betwixt and between" adolescence and adulthood (Grossman, 2005). Researchers Cote and Allahar (1996), Bennett (1994), and Buchmann (1989) have identified mass media as a key contributor to this new transitional life stage, specifically discussing the influential potential of television. As individuals identify with various televised content, fictional characters establish role models that individuals then emulate. The series Friends, in particular, portrayed this Twixter life stage. This thesis addresses Kelman's (1961) theory of identification as it …

Which Islam-Ism? Diversity In Islamic Society And Its Implications For Democracy, Christopher M. Ebsch

Masters Theses

This study aims to refute claims of Islamic exceptionalism in the midst of recent waves of democratization, thereby disproving assumptions of any incompatibility between democracy and Islam. My research will show that such sweeping assumptions gloss over significant, developmental democratic movements within Muslim nations as well as several uniquely Islamic supports for democratic ideals and institutions.

I begin by examining recent political activities conducive to democracy in Muslim states, by distinguishing between divergent principles in the Qur' an, some of which have been used by moderate, democratically-oriented Islamists, and by realizing the historical, political antecedents leading to a rise in …

Black Power In Green And White: Integration And Black Protest In Michigan State University Football, 1947-1972, John Matthew Smith

Masters Theses

While southern college football teams remained all white until the late 1960s and early 1970s, Michigan State University head football coach Duffy Daugherty formed championship teams in 1965 and 1966 by recruiting the best southern black players. While coaches in the North recruited black athletes and played them regularly by the mid-1950s, no other coach took the risks Daugherty did to integrate his teams. Duffy Daugherty's path-breaking teams broke all the rules of integrated competition and forced southern schools to reconsider their stance on segregated college football.

The ground breaking integration of black athletes in the mid-1950s and 1960s under …

Dance Club Culture, Amy M. Iseler

Masters Theses

My research examines the dance club culture in a mid-sized Northwestern city. I explore this subject through participant observation and interviews with dance club patrons. The issues I address in my research include dance club music, music videos, alcohol, clothing, sexual behavior, non-verbal communication and the dance club environment. The purpose of this Masters Thesis is to determine whether dance club culture perpetuates sexist attitudes and beliefs within its patrons.

This original piece of research is based in existing literature which informs the individual elements of the dance club culture. The experiences of dance club patrons demonstrate how these elements …

Sexist Humor And Willingness To Discrimination Against Women, Christie M. Fitzgerald

Masters Theses

Research has shown that exposure to sexist humor increases tolerance of sexist events, particularly for people high in hostile sexism-antagonism toward women (Glick & Fiske, 1996). The present experiment extends those findings by examining the effects of exposure to sexist humor on anticipated behavior. Two studies were designed to examine the behavioral consequences of exposure to sexist humor. In Study 1, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes, sexist statements, or neutral jokes, and then asked to donate money to either a women's organization or a men's organization. In Study 2, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes or …

Cinematic Scripture: The Structure And Usage Of The Lord Of The Rings As Equipment For Living, Brent Yergensen

Masters Theses

This project argues that film has the capacity to function as cinematic scripture for Christian audiences. Cinematic scripture means that films are authoritative for audiences the same way that written scripture is. In The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, this new form of scripture works as equipment for living by encouraging Christian audiences to go to war against evil through the structure of the film's biblical themes of bifurcation, redemption, and millennialism. This culmination of the rhetorical vision of war comes from three fantasy themes that emerge when Christian Internet writers describe how they use the films: repentance, strength, …