Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Connection: The Value Of Art History In Early Childhood Development And Education, Sara Ashley Turner

Theses

This thesis focuses on the utilization of art historical inquiry to improve the relationship and narrative of culture within appropriate settings. Although this thesis will prove the beneficial and important role that the subject matter of art history can have in early education, the subject matter will also show the specific possibilities of using such inquiries in art therapy, museum education, and in general education classrooms. The aim of the thesis is to present these practical and useful employments of art historical inquiry, within subject matter for young children, to be a tool for finding cultural identity and inclusivity in …

An Ethnographic Study Of Pre-Graduate Precepted Nursing Student Clinical Placements In Long-Term Care Homes, Fran M. Meloche

Theses

Long-Term Care (LTC) home recruitment challenges and nursing student disinterest in such clinical placements and careers, underscore this study's urgent need. This qualitative focused ethnography explored preceptor, faculty advisor, and pre-graduate student beliefs, values, and practices contributing to positive LTC home clinical placements.

Alzheimer's Disease, Media Representation, And Audience Reception, Taylor Dakota Thum

Theses

The purpose of this study is to see how Alzheimer's disease and dementia are misperceived in the media, how this affects audience viewpoints, and how accurate depictions that challenge those stereotypes may or may not change audience perception. Common stereotypes depicted in the media include Alzheimer’s and dementia being one disease, only individuals older than 60 years old having this disease, and it being a slow and painful progression towards the end of life. Using Stuart Hall’s audience reception theory, I will see if viewers accept, negotiate, or oppose the media that challenges those stereotypes presented to them in contrast …

The “New Normal”: A Virtual Insight From Industry Professionals On Pivoting Within The Digital Ecosystem During A Global Pandemic., Delina Corcione

Theses

This project is over industry professionals within a relative field of Digital Content Strategy, and their professional experiences as it relates to the global pandemic that hit the United States in 2020. This virus (COVID-19) has boosted us into a predominantly digital world, with little analysis on how society is to handle or adapt. The final deliverable is short documentary offering insight on industry professionals within the field of study. The “New Normal” takes a unique approach on analyzing the state of the field as it relates to the pandemic, focusing on the personal experiences these industry professionals went through …

Villains To Heroes: Celebrity Criminals In 1960'S Britain And Their Subsequent Rise In Popularity, Richard Nixon

Theses

This thesis sits at the intersection of history, media and cultural studies, and will undertake a study into the emergence of criminal celebrities in Britain in the 1960s and their subsequent rise in popularity. It will seek to explain the reasons for and cultural impact of this emergence and rise against an ever-changing social, cultural, political and media landscape, including changes in social and cultural attitudes. In doing so, the study will seek to establish the extent to which criminal celebrities are a product of their time.

The thesis will essentially comprise two main strands with reference to criminal celebrities, …

The Art Of Fiction: Fact, Myth And New Knowledge On The North Australian Expedition, 1855 - 1857, Stevie Cole

Theses

This thesis determines the degree to which the North Australian Expedition, 1855–1857, contested established European fiction of the Australian frontier by systematically collecting new knowledge. It analyses the outcomes of one of the most forgotten expeditions in Australian history by interrogating the journals, charts and artworks of the explorers. In 1855, the Royal Geographical Society and the British Colonial Office sent an expedition into northern Australia under the command of Augustus Gregory. It was a region that Britain hoped would hold lucrative resources to support further economic and population development. The artist-explorer, Thomas Baines, was made second-in-command of the expedition. …

The Experiences That Form And Sustain Generation Y Religious Education Coordinators In Catholic Secondary Schools, Dirk Gleghorn

Theses

Students in Western Australian Catholic schools learn about Catholic beliefs and practices in the Religious Education Learning Area. In Catholic secondary schools, Religious Education Coordinators (RECs) are delegated responsibility from principals, to coordinate the teaching of this learning area’s content. RECs are required to be committed Catholics who are active members of the Catholic Church. It is probable that RECs will increasingly be recruited from amongst Generation Y Catholics. For Catholic secondary school principals, recruiting religiously committed Generation Y Catholics into the position of REC will be challenging.

The primary aim of the research is to identify and describe the …

Native Activism And Materiality Through The Work Of Cannupa Hanska Luger: A 21st Century Indigenous Artist, Rachel Daniela Vera

Theses

This thesis focuses on a specific work by Cannupa Hanska Luger called This is Not a Snake. This project examines the materiality of the artwork, including beads, crochet, sewing, ceramics, and non-traditional materials. The materials used in this work address 21st-century indigenous issues while also promoting activism from the Water is Life movement, which is centered at Standing Rock Reservation, North Dakota. The materials of this work are relative to Luger’s 21st-century contemporary style. The use of repurposed heavily merchandized inorganic materials refers to the protests in Standing Rock. This is Not a Snake was inspired by these events, activism …

Coaching Yourself Through: Exploring The Relationship Between Positive Self-Talk And Resilience, Ian T. Mosier

Theses

In this study, I investigated the relationship between positive self-talk, autonomy, and resilience in a sample of adults residing in America (n=177). Forty percent of American adults (n=1031) report daily stressors (Almeida, Wethington, & Kessler, 2002). Even comparatively minor life stressors can have a negative impact on one’s well-being over time (Almeida, 2005). Resilience, the ability to manage and recover from stress, may be an important factor in long-term health and well-being (Almeida, 2005). Positive self-talk has been identified as a possible target for resilience building interventions. However, positive self-talk appears to benefit some people more than others. One possible …

A Cross-Cultural Study On The Relationship Between Environmental Awareness And Social Media Use: Saudi Arabia Vs United States, Mohammed Alsahafi

Theses

For many countries today, environmental sustainability is a subject of concern, and the world has witnessed the rise of environmental activism in recent years. Social media is increasingly being used by relevant stakeholders to raise environmental awareness. This study explores the relationship between social media use and environmental awareness from a cross-cultural perspective. Building upon previous research, this study compares social media use, environmental awareness, and their relationship between Saudi Arabian and American college students. Survey data was collected from a convenient sample of 266 Saudi Arabian and 290 American college students on their use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram …

“Take Those Old Records Off The Shelf” A Uses & Gratifications Study Of Different Music Platforms, Emily Hawk

Theses

The platforms people use to listen to music have evolved rapidly in the last fifty years. Digital streaming and digital downloads are the most popular platforms to consume music, but physical platforms like CDs and vinyl are still common or, in the case of vinyl, even growing in use. This study investigated the needs being met and the reasons behind listening to music on these different platforms. This study also compared the differences in gratifications sought between physical music platforms and non-physical music platforms. A survey shared via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as well as via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk …

Cross Cultural Study On Creativity: How Do Croatian Working Professionals And Emirati Working Professionals Conceptualize Creativity?, Alice Almer

Theses

Living in very dynamic and uncertain times, we can witness the power and the necessity of utilizing creativity and innovation as they can provide solutions to complex problems. However, how we see and define creativity is influenced by many factors, and culture is one of them. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of culture on creativity conceptualization. Specifically, the objective was to find out whether the working professionals of Croatia and the working professionals of the United Arab Emirates view creativity differently. In order to investigate this, a cross-sectional study involving 109 participants from Croatia and …

Viral – Analyzing Those That Create And Consume Content On Youtube And Social Media, Devin King

Theses

Analyzing content that has become viral through intent or by accident shows the cultural norms of society, personal interests of individuals to better themselves, and how platform algorithms in the form of search engine optimization are being used. Viral content commonly uses popular modern trends or can start them but creating outline content can yield the best results. Through creating viral content, this may lead to a platform where information can spread, revenue can be generated from, and ideas can influence new audiences, which can be useful for any corporation or individual.

Building Her Own Brand: Angelica Kauffman And Angelic Entrepreneurship, Katelyn Beach

Theses

This thesis focuses on Angelica Kauffman’s efforts to create an artistic brand during her time in Great Britain. While a creative entrepreneur is a contemporary idea, Kauffman made conscious decisions regarding her art and its use on various mediums. Her feminine figures and stylization became a popular aesthetic in Georgian England on paintings, prints, and other decorative schemes. Her decisions to implement the latest technologies as well as develop relationships with British engravers allowed her to take advantage of a growing art market and culture in Britain and create her own brand.

Cruces, Carlos Mario Tobon Franco

Theses

Cruces is a multimedia installation depicting immigrant conditions and experiences throughout landscapes, Latinx communities, and borderlands. Made during the last two years, it is constructed as a multivocal ethnography of immigrants with varying legal statuses, countries of origin, and stages in their journey. The imagery, sounds, and narratives are composed of the distributed yet relational geographies of immigrants’ experience and the pieces are structured to highlight the constitutive elements of human mobilities, such as trains, rivers and immigration hubs, as well as the natural obstacles they face in their perilous transit, such as forests and deserts.

The fieldwork was carried …

Assessing The Food Safety Culture Of A Dairy Processing Facility In Ireland, Emer Marie Hughes

Theses

ood safety culture has become a prominent topic, with food safety management systems (FSMS), food safety regulations, training and auditing being challenged due to the reoccurrence of foodborne outbreaks. Due to its link with food safety performance, food organisations must have the ability to accurately measure their food safety culture to ensure it is an integral part of the company’s culture. The food safety culture of a dairy processing facility in Ireland was measured quantitatively using a questionnaire which was an adaptation of a food safety climate self-assessment tool. The questionnaire assessed the human dimension of food safety culture such …

Exploring 4th Year Medical Students’ Learning And Understanding In Mental Health And Psychiatry, Kimberly Smith

Theses

The stigmatisation and disempowerment of mental health consumers led to the consumer recovery movement, which now underpins the reform of Western Australia’s (WA’s) mental health system. As medical professionals are one of the first lines of care for consumers, it is necessary to understand whether future doctors’ training aligns with the direction of the reform. This research explored a group of WA-based fourth-year medical students’ learning in mental health and psychiatry to understand how their knowledge and training prepared them for working with people experiencing mental or emotional distress. Conducted under a qualitative research paradigm using critical theory and underpinned …

Social Media Factors That Influence E-Commerce Buyer Behavior Of Millennials And Post-Millennials, Michele Pomponio

Theses

This research investigated the social media factors that influence the e-Commerce buyer behavior of Millennials and Post-Millennials. In today’s social media savvy environment, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to incorporate effective social media marketing into their business strategies. Further, companies should understand what is most important to customers while engaging on social media platforms. As a result, companies will need to know how to best utilize social media as a tool for increasing sales. This research included a survey that was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester …

Domestic Violence In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (Cald) Communities: Perceptions, Therapeutic Approaches And Responses Of Frontline Workers In New South Wales (Nsw), Oluwatoyin A. Dedeigbo

Theses

Domestic violence is a universal public health concern (VicHealth, 2011; World Health Organisation [WHO], 2013). Domestic violence cuts across all countries, regardless of economic, social, cultural or religious differences (Ali et al., 2020; VicHealth, 2011; WHO 2013). Men are often responsible for perpetrating domestic violence against women (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2019; Australia Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2018).

The effects of domestic violence on victims can be serious and long-term; affecting their physical and mental wellbeing, and lingering even after the exposure to violence has ended (Mitchell, 2011). That is, the effect on victims’ mental health is …

Lithium As A Possible Therapeutic Drug In Posttraumatic Brain Injury, Tulika Das

Theses

Lithium, a popular drug for treating mental health disorder has shown promising effect in recent research on traumatic brain injury (TBI). The mechanism of lithium for treating bipolar mood disorder is still not properly understood, but recent studies showed that lithium is neuroprotective in TBI. In my thesis, the neuroprotective effects of lithium were examined in primary neuronal culture and mild blunt injury using rodent model of Lateral Fluid Percussion Injury (LFPI). At first determination of the neuroprotective/toxicity effects of lithium in neuronal culture was done and observed that 0.5 - 1.0 mM concentrations were found to be neuroprotective as …

Leveraging Technology And Culturally Relevant Content To Enhance Student Engagement And Classroom Management, Andrea Wojciehowski

Theses

The project focuses upon the application of culturally relevant content, and implementing technology as a means to enhance student engagement, and classroom management. The purpose of the project was to research current classroom management strategies, and implement these strategies, using technology to enhance student engagement, and in turn, enhance student learning, while decreasing disruptive behaviors.

Aesthetics Of Food: The Role Of Visual Framing Strategies For Influence Building On Instagram, Shuhan Yang

Theses

This thesis employs quantitative content analysis to investigate how social media influencers use aesthetic image design to engage followers. The study investigates the ten most-followed food influencers on Instagram in the United States. The study looks at the effectiveness of visual framing strategies, focusing on the images (N = 120) of influencers which have received more than 10,000 likes in 2017. Results show that food influencers prefer to post images about cooked food, without any decorations, using high contrast colors and close-up shots. Raw food images were found to be associated with cluttered composition and far away shoots, whereas cooked …

Breastfeeding Discourse On Social Media, Andrea L. Whittemore

Theses

Using feminist theory, this study focuses on discourse around breastfeeding on Twitter. Using a mixed-methods approach, I first examine the use of the hashtag #breastfeeding on Twitter to identify the networks driving the discourse. The discourse analysis was completed to explore how feminist principles and mothers’ agency were represented in tweets related to breastfeeding. The results, based on (N = 2,818) tweets, show that discourses are seen as breastfeeding as “natural” and “primary,” bottle feeding as second best, sexualization versus the natural functions of the breast, breastfeeding as a provocative act, mothering as a public or private nexus, breastfeeding related …

Music Consumption In The Dominican Republic: Technological Changes, Uses, And Gratifications, Frank R. Lantigua

Theses

Music consumption has been transformed by technological changes during the last three decades; the introduction of streaming technologies and the expansion of the global music market have changed the way people in various countries engage with music in daily life. Previous research on music consumption points to the uses and gratifications often sought by audiences, as well as the motives that drive their consumption habits. While most studies have centered on audiences from the developing world, this study focuses particularly on music consumption in the Dominican Republic. The data was collected through an online survey that inquired about the platforms …

Emely Peguero’S Case: News Frames And Gender Stereotypes In The Dominican Republic, Maria Fernanda Simo

Theses

Gender-based violence is a controversial topic in the Dominican Republic that affects many families, and is a cause of more than 200 women dying every year from it. Journalists have an important influence in the country, making information more noticeable and memorable. Using framing theory, this study analyzed news stories reported by three Dominican newspapers (El Diario Libre, Listin Diario, and Grupo Corripio) to identify news frames and gender stereotypes in Emely Peguero’s coverage, who was a pregnant young woman murdered by her boyfriend in the Duarte Province of the Dominican Republic. A quantitative content analysis of (N = 185) …

Galatea: A Representation Of The Nature Of The Goddess, Courtney Flamm

Theses

This paper analyzes the figure Galatea, including the original narratives of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the visual representations of her character. Examinations of these images and the circumstances that surround Galatea’s character, including her association with Venus, provide an in-depth exploration of Galatea’s relationship to the archetypal Mother Goddess and the role of feminine deities throughout history. As interpreted in the prehistoric past, the ancient Mother Goddess was worshipped as an all-encompassing deity in ancient Sumerian, Egyptian, Aztec, and Greek societies. Her duality as the source of life and death provided a superior nature to her surrounding male counterparts that was …

Minutes, Days, Years, Lindsey Palmer

Theses

Minutes, Days, Years, is a body of photographic work presented in an installation format alongside a written companion book. In this work I seek to rebuild my mother’s memories which were lost to electro-convulsion therapy that she received in January 2012. The images are 42 cyanotypes on glass, made from personal archive photos from the years 2008-2011; the time period which her memory is most damaged, and the time I began learning photography. These images are placed atop a 60-inch by 14-foot paper backing, made of two images from the same time period. Minutes, Days, Years references photography as manipulatable …

The Unesco Creative City Network - A Case For Cork City, Colette Scariff-Lalor

Theses

We are all creative, but by the time we are three or four years old, someone has knocked the creativity out of us ~ Maya Angelou

This research study will examine the potential interest and perceived benefits of the UNESCO Creative City designation for Cork City as well as exploring the concept of the Creative City concept and what it may mean for Ireland’s second city. At present, Cork City Council have the intention of applying for Creative City status. Comprising of a network of 180 members with Dublin and Galway currently holding the status, it is important for Cork …

Perceptions Of Non-Americans Towards American Tv Series, Thaarika Charumathy Seetharaman

Theses

Television drama is one of the most entertaining genre of the media industry, and it serves as a socialization platform (Greenberg, 1982). American TV series have gained audience and fans from all around the world which opens up the scope for examining the effects of American media on the secondary audience. Drawing on the framework of cultivation theory, this study examined the effect of American TV series on non-American population. The results suggested that the cultivation effects are dependent on age and gender of the respondents, in connection with the genre of the series influencing the audience’s framing of the …

Justice By Any Means: The Relationship Between Societal Stress And The Rise Of Vigilantism In Comic Books, Gregory Heerkens

Theses

The following study used sales data to ascertain the presence of a link between current socio-political tensions (as measured by the Bulletin of Atomic Sciences’ Doomsday Clock and national crime statistics) and the prevalence and acceptance of so-called “vigilante justice” portrayed in the top-selling comic books during the period between 1989 and 2001. The purpose of this study is to understand what, if any, relationship exists between dark times and desperate measures; between a feeling of powerlessness in world affairs, and the belief that justice outside of the system is acceptable when that system, at home or abroad, fails to …