Digital Commons Network^™

Plants, Protests, Pachakuti: How Trees March And How People Tree, Ashley A. Lundquist

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the multi-faceted role of plants, specifically Wituk and Manduru, in Amazonian protests and environmental advocacy. By examining the communicative and relational ontologies inherent in Runa culture, the study elucidates how plants influence social movements and contribute to environmental protection. Wituk and Manduru create paint. Paint facilitates good communication which creates good relationality. Good relationality allows for increased capacities and inhibits greedy consumption allowing for a balanced world order. Through the use and agency of Wituk and Manduru, movements become multi-species phenomena in which ecological entities combine with Runa bodies. The relationships shared between Runa, Wituk, and Manduru …

Revealing Students’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Challenges And Strategies In Arabic Reading Comprehension, Osama Othman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the perceptions of Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) students and teachers regarding the influence of eight textual features on reading comprehension. These features are: vowelization, word patterns, roots, vocabulary, case endings, word order, punctuation marks, and text organization. It also investigates reading comprehension strategies employed by both groups to overcome comprehension challenges associated with these features. Data were collected from 102 AFL students and 26 AFL teachers through questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 students and 11 teachers. Results revealed that students generally rated the influence of these features more highly than teachers. The …

Sentiment Analysis For Stock Market Prediction Using Machine Learning Techniques, Rajendiran P

Theses and Dissertations

Sentiment analysis has become one of the most important procedures to predict the stock market behaviour according to the customer reviews about a particular topic such as news, movie, event, and remarks related to the product. Due to the huge number of reviews generated from the customer, for analyzing information in an accurate manner. In order to detect general view of product, sentiment analysis technique is performed. Lately, the majority of research works is designed for Sentiment analysis by application of an organization and ranking techniques. But it suffers less exactness of the accurate classification of the customer reviews.

The …

Shapes That Hide Their Shadows, Jennifer Blaine

Theses and Dissertations

shapes that hide their shadows concerns itself with the mutability of memory. The complexities of girlhood to womanhood, and the way we are shaped by place and space, are explored through the artist recounting childhood memories connected to her grandparents' hometowns. Divided into three different sections, the artist discusses drawing as medium, creating a lexicon through using visual symbols, and the logistics of building your own archive.

The Farthest I Can Sense Time, Danielle Alhassid

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the experiences of immigration, identity, and language through the lens of diasporic memory and intergenerational storytelling. At its core lies Communion of Empty Mouths (2024), a multi-channel video installation exploring the physical, communal, and ephemeral dimensions of language development and loss. The work juxtaposes live animation, tactile materials like ceramics, and experimental soundscapes to delve into the ancestral and embodied nature of linguistic expression.

Anchored in Yiddish poet Celia Dropkin’s text My Hands and inspired by familial narratives, the thesis critiques hierarchical and gendered dimensions of language, focusing on Yiddish as a diasporic medium of resistance and …

Xxx, Samuel Tucker Claxton

Theses and Dissertations

In XXX Tucker correlates the rise in online hookup apps and the fall of queer nightlife spaces to show how the internet has affected gay cruising spaces. They relate their installation-based work to the ideas of liminal spaces and Jean Baudrillard's

hyperreal. Further, they contextualize their practice within the scope of Robert Grober's work.

Activism Within The Music And Recorded Sound Archive, Julius Tanner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the integration of applied ethnomusicology within the recorded sound archive of the New York Public Library. The process of repatriating recorded sound through community engagement lead to the development and eventual reparative work of outdated subject headings and other descriptive language within the archive. This thesis also explores how cultural preservation of similar non-physical fields such as naming conventions within linguistics and the development of gastronationalism combats globalization and ultimately colonization.

Aesthetics And Hidden Orientalism In Chicago's Nickerson Mansion, Julie Treumann

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers new research on the Sitting Room at the Nickerson Mansion, an 1883 Gilded Age-era house in Chicago, IL. As a rare extant example of neo-Islamic interior design, it provides a new lens on Orientalism in American domestic architecture and a new perspective on Mrs. Nickerson, a little-known female tastemaker of her time.

Self-Awareness And Identity Transformation In The Latinx Experience: A Comparative Analysis Of Gloria Anzaldúa’S Borderlands/La Frontera, Yuri Herrera’S Signs Preceding The End Of The World, And Corrido Music By Los Tigres Del Norte, Kimberly Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how literature and music, including titles by Yuri Herrera, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Los Tigres del Norte, reflect evolving Latinx identities amidst socio-political pressures. It emphasizes self-awareness as a tool for change, portraying Latinx identity as dynamic, shaped by history, and continuously negotiated in resistance to marginalization.

A Teacher Like Me: Perspectives Of Hispanic English As A New Language (Enl) Teachers On The Impact Of Cultural Representation In Schools, Stephany Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

As the cultural and ethnic makeup of the United States rapidly evolves, the disproportion of diversity in education is becoming a common phenomenon. This gap is particularly evident on Long Island, New York, where staff demographics are inconsistent with the diversifying student population. This phenomenological study explored how Hispanic English as a New Language (ENL) teachers use their language, customs, traditions, beliefs, and culture to positively impact their Hispanic students. It also examined the benefits of teacher-student cultural and ethnic matching and the challenges Hispanic ENL teachers face in predominantly White-staffed schools. Guided by culturally relevant pedagogy and the concept …

My Writing Makes It So Others Can Feel Seen: A Queer Phenomenological Study Of Lgbtq+ College Students Affective Experiences In An Out-Of-School Poetry Workshop, Jenna L. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the affective experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduates in an out-of-school poetry workshop. Through the lens of queer and affect theories, the study asks the following research questions: 1) How does reading and writing poetry foster community in an LGBTQ+ out-of-school poetry workshop? (2) How can participation in an out-of-school poetry workshop with members who identify as LGBTQ+ engender a love of writing in queer students? (3) How do LGBTQ+ college students’ affective experiences manifest in a queer out-of-school poetry workshop? Using queer phenomenological methods (Ahmed, 2006) to engage with such data sources as audio and video class recordings, …

Critical Literacy Engagement Of Elementary Multilingual Learners: A Mixed Methods Study, Abigail Wilson Luger

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of students identified as multilingual learners (ML) continues to increase in schools across the United States and the accountability for states to provide rigorous and meaningful instruction rises, the daily instructional experiences of students identified as ML need more focused research. Existing research on students identified as ML often focuses on their acquisition of English. Students identified as ML often experience rote instruction and do not have access to critical literacy practices, especially in the elementary school grades. Critical literacy practices are cognitively rigorous and can include analyzing current structures of power, equity, and facilitating student talk. …

Health Literacy’S Relationship With Hearing Loss And Tinnitus In Marines And Sailors At An Air Base, Caton Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Health literacy is listed as an international health issue by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is one of the primary goals of Healthy People 2030 (USDHHR, 2023; WHO, 2023). Health literacy is the minimal amount of information needed to make appropriate health decisions (Nutbeam, 2017). Individuals must have adequate health literacy to sufficiently read and comprehend medical brochures and medical pamphlets and understand verbal instructions from their medical providers (Bo et al., 2014). Poor health literacy can reduce overall quality of life and access to health care. Health literacy is lower in adolescents and lower socioeconomic groups; therefore, the …

Assessing School Psychologists’ Accuracy, Judgment, And Decision-Making In Specific Learning Disability Identification: A Re-Evaluation Of The Role Of Exclusionary Factors, Josette Elizabeth Tugander

Theses and Dissertations

Specific learning disability (SLD) is the most identified disability category for students across the United States. In light of its prevalence and implications for the allocation of resources in schools, identification accuracy is critical. However, previous research has remained mixed on school psychologists’ skills regarding identification accuracy, particularly when assessing students who are English Learners (ELs). This is especially problematic considering the historical overidentification of these students, such that many ELs with cognitive and academic scores that resemble SLD are classified as SLD without proper consideration of exclusionary factors that should have precluded the classification. This study aimed to build …

A Case Study Of Italian Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Pedagogy When Teaching U.S. Undergraduate Students Studying Abroad In Rome, Italy, Massimiliano Tomassini

Theses and Dissertations

For over two decades Italy has been the second destination, first non-Anglo-Saxon, for U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad, with 36,945 students in academic year 2017/2018 corresponding to a 10.8% share and a 4.5% increase from 2016/2017 (IIE, 2019). With over 150 North American college and university programs present in the country (AACUPI, 2019), a specifically designed law (Art. 2 of Law N. 4 of 14 January 1999) created to support study abroad in Italy, and a 40-year-old nonprofit association (AACUPI) focused on promoting and supporting American universities and colleges with programs in Italy, Italy is, and will be for some …

Hispanic Paradox In Covid-19: Protective Effects Of Ethnic Density, Gregory Alan Urena

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed racial and ethnic health disparities in the U.S., with Hispanic populations experiencing higher infection and population-mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Case fatality rates are closely tied to medical comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, which are more prevalent among Hispanic individuals. Case-fatality rates showed mixed results. Some studies found no differences, while others reported better outcomes for Hispanics, aligning with the Hispanic Paradox, which suggests that despite socioeconomic disadvantages, Hispanics experience equal or better health outcomes. These effects may be tied to the immigrant health advantage, which suggests immigrants tend to be …

Textualism, Judicial Discretion, And The Philosophical Legacy Of Justice Antonin Scalia, Alanna Josephine Scalza

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the interpretive theory of textualism as developed and practiced by Justice Antonin Scalia, examining its core commitments, methodological boundaries, and enduring influence on American constitutional law. While Scalia often emphasized the constraining force of text, his approach also reveals internal tensions that complicate the relationship between judicial restraint and discretion. Through detailed analysis of primary opinions, such as District of Columbia v. Heller and Crawford v. Washington, alongside critical commentary from legal scholars and Scalia’s own extrajudicial writings, this thesis demonstrates that textualism operates as a structured framework within which constrained interpretive judgment is exercised. The thesis …

Digital Tools: How Specific Digital Tools Support Special Education Teaching Practices, Denise C. Pascullo

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood education is intrinsically multimodal, involving many different digital tools. With such a big shift towards technology, this study is focusing on teaching strategies with the integration of flexible digital tools. It also presents how specific technologies can support different teaching strategies in elementary special education. The participants in this study are elementary special education teachers, working as special education teachers in an elementary school on Long Island, NY. The essential features of the research methodology are a digital survey for special education teachers to fill out. The researcher also conducted post-survey interviews about the use of flexible digital …

Exploring Students’ Feedback Literacy Through Asynchronous Writing Center Tutoring Sessions: A Mixed-Methods Study, Bobby Pelphrey

Theses and Dissertations

MLLs face linguistic and cultural complexities when engaging with writing feedback; however, writing center practices often follow monolingual models. This study examines how MLLs develop and apply feedback literacy—the ability to seek, interpret, and use feedback—compared to their non-MLL peers in asynchronous writing center consultations. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study integrates survey data from the Feedback Literacy Behavior Scale (FLBS) (N = 532; n = 146 MLLs, n = 386 non-MLLs) with qualitative case studies. The survey measured feedback-seeking behaviors, sense-making strategies, emotional regulation, and feedback application, while case studies used think-aloud protocols, semi-structured interviews, and revision analysis. …

Shaping The Future: Exploring Motivations And Challenges In Asian American Teachers’ Career Choices, Jea Lizz Noonan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the motivations and reasons behind why Asian Americans choose to enter the field of education as professionals. Additionally, this research could help identify any obstacles or challenges that Asian Americans face when choosing to enter the teaching profession. To guide the study, three research questions were developed: (1) What are the personal, cultural, and societal factors that influence Asian Americans’ decision to become teachers?, (2) What are the most significant challenges and barriers, in the eyes of Asian educators in the state of New Jersey, to entering the teaching profession and remaining …

Finding Their Way: The Experiences Of Students Enrolled In A Career Pathways Program, Laura March-Retenski

Theses and Dissertations

Due to many sociopolitical factors such as an inequitable public-school education, many students do not graduate from high school in the United States. In 2018 “approximately 2.3 million 16- to 24-year-olds were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or alternative credential” (McFarland et al., 2018, p. 12). There is inequity in school funding and resource allocation. Barker and Weber (2016), Cascio and Reber (2013), and Kim and Taylor (2008) have found that the inequitable resource allocation in public schools is a causal factor of dropout. This is problematic because “college graduates find better …

A New Order From Old Ruins: The Fall Of The First Republic And The Ascent Of Silvio Berlusconi, Charles J. Lamb

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the political rise of Silvio Berlusconi in the context of Italy’s transition from the First to the Second Republic, analyzing how his populist rhetoric, media dominance, and coalition-building strategies enabled his electoral success in 1994. The research utilizes a behavioralist approach and the framework of political opportunity structures to explore how Berlusconi’s tactics intersected with broader structural transformations, including economic instability, institutional collapse, and shifting societal norms. The researcher conducted the study in Rome, Italy, and it draws on historical and political data from the early 1990s, as well as more contemporary research, analyzing electoral shifts, economic …

English Language Learners’ Perceptions And Experiences Using Multimodal Tools To Prepare And Deliver Video Presentations Of Digital Portfolios, Mara M. Marino

Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in digital literacies in schools and the rise in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in US colleges, it is important to examine the affordances of multimodality as it relates to students’ digital literacy practices while advocating for this diverse population. Using a multiliteracies framework, this qualitative action research study made multimodal tools available to ELLs for the preparation and delivery of video presentations of digital portfolios in a higher education English course. The participants in this study were six ELLs from a small private college. The primary research question and two sub-questions were answered using …

Examining Adhd Diagnosed Young Adults’ Self-Perceptions Of Personal Reading Behaviors During Pleasure Reading Experiences, Nicole Cheramie Lobello

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts the lives of individuals with neurodivergent brains in varied and personal ways. This phenomenon mirrors the diversification of the minds I have been intrigued by for decades. In an effort to better understand the relationships between ADHD and pleasure reading, the lived experiences with pleasure reading of six young college students were examined. Participants were formally diagnosed with some form of ADHD before the study, yet did not have a reading disability diagnosis. One-on-one interviews were conducted to explore in-depth each participant’s experiences with pleasure reading. Through interpretative phenomenological study (IPA), four themes emerged: (a) perceptions …

Neither Without Both: Confronting Oppression And Trauma In Universities – Community Rhetorics Toward Abolitionist Critical Literacy Practices, Jennifer Lebowitz Patel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores pathways to addressing student suffering at the intersection of mental health and academic performance in Higher Education. I argue that Learning Specialist roles offer spaces to practice trauma-informed, anti-oppression approaches to academic support through liberatory, healing rhetorical and literacy practices. This study uses James Berlin’s theory of social epistemic rhetoric and bell hooks’ concept of theory as liberatory praxis to perform rhetorical analyses of the foundational texts guiding specific anti-oppression and/or mental health recovery organizations. By identifying rhetorical strategies in grassroots community organizations' texts, this project yields implications for naming and practicing a critical literacy framework I …

Opening Pandora’S Black Box In The Nexus Of Media, Consciousness And Ai, Gad Karmi

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the intersection of media, artificial intelligence, and consciousness through an ethnographic analysis spanning 1940-2024. The study introduces the concept of "Darrative" as a framework for understanding how consciousness processes information, challenging traditional rational choice theory while extending beyond Fisher's narrative paradigm. A key contribution is the development of the "Thinking System" model, demonstrating how information processing occurs through darrative frameworks. The methodology employs Latour's actor-network theory to examine how scientific knowledge is constructed and stabilized through networks of human and non-human actors. Using a systematic Boolean search through academic databases, the study initially identified 15 relevant peer-reviewed …

The Role Of Auditory And Visual Processing In Developmental Dyslexia: A Quantitative Study Based On Archival Data, Doris Kanoun

Theses and Dissertations

Dyslexia is a popular condition that is associated with impaired reading abilities. Different sources state that it can be observed in around 3-10% of the population. Low reading fluency and reading comprehension, which are often exhibited by dyslexics, can dramatically influence the learning process and reduce academic achievement. In spite of the growing number of studies on dyslexia, the nature and causes of this condition remain poorly understood. In particular, studies offer contradictory findings on the link between dyslexia and auditory and visual processing disorders. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of auditory and visual …

Historical Literacy For Preservice Secondary Social Studies Teachers In The State Of Connecticut: A Phenomenological Study, Vincent J. Gaccione Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a recent shift in focus from content area literacy to disciplinary literacy in preservice teacher (PST) preparation programs, historical literacies training for prospective secondary social studies teachers has remained limited in the State of Connecticut. Historical literacies are defined as the discipline-specific reading and writing skills of historians and other social scientists. In this phenomenological study, I describe the lived experiences of several recent PST program graduates who are currently teaching secondary social studies in the State of Connecticut and report on the essence of this phenomenon. Grounded in communities of practice (CoP) theory, I administered open-ended qualitative surveys …

Positive Family Intervention For A Spanish-Speaking Family Of A Child With Autism: Impact On Child’S Behaviors And Parental Cognitions And Stress, Iris Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of a culturally and linguistically adapted Positive Family Intervention (PFI) on child behavior as well as parental stress and beliefs for a Spanish-speaking family of a child with autism. PFI combines Positive Behavior Support (PBS) to teach parents the skills to manage their child’s behavioral challenges with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help parents manage their own thoughts and feelings. An AB single-case design was used to examine the impact of PFI on directly observed child behavioral challenges and adaptive behavior. Further, parent-reported stress, parental attributions, and parent-reported child behavioral challenges were examined pre- and …

Identity And Object: The Material And Cultural Exchanges Of Northwest Indian Mercantile Communities In The Seventeenth Century, Erum Khan Hadi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a world-historical approach to Northwestern Indian cultural exchanges in the seventeenth century, focusing on the impact of trade and migrations in the Indian Ocean World (IOW) on the identity of mercantile communities in the region. There is a lack of research on the cultural history of these Northwestern Indian communities, which were prominent in the seventeenth-century commercial IOW. The current gap between economic and cultural histories can be addressed through research that analyzes commodities as symbols of culture and identity. The study aims to translate the cultural history of Northwestern Indian communities through material culture via objects …