Digital Commons Network^™

Mythologizing Change: Examining Rhetorical Myth As A Strategic Change Management Discourse, Jacob D. Rawlins

Faculty Publications

This article explores how rhetorical myth can be used as a tool for persuading employees to accept change and to maintain consensus during the process. It defines rhetorical myth using three concepts: chronographia (a rhetorical interpretation of history), epideictic prediction (defining a present action by assigning praise and blame to both past and future), and communal markers (using Burkean identification and rhetorically defined boundary objects to define a community). The article reports on a 3-year ethnographic study that documents the development of a rhetorical myth at Iowa State University’s Printing Services department as it underwent changes to its central software …

Does Measuring L2 Utterance Fluency Equal Measuring Overall L2 Proficiency? Evidence From Five Languages, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Dan Dewey, Jennifer Brown, Rob A. Martinsen

Faculty Publications

The current study examined the relationship between overall second language (L2) proficiency and utterance fluency measures for several L2s in order to determine whether utterance measures can be used to predict L2 proficiency. The study measured the speech rate, number of hesitations, number and length of pauses, number and length of runs, and number of false starts using excerpts from 126 ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) spoken by 86 participants. Forty of the participants provided pre‐ and post‐OPI speech samples, which also allowed examination of changes over time. All 86 participants were native English speakers who spoke L2 French, German, …

Variables Affecting L2 Gains During Study Abroad, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Dan Dewey, Jennifer Brown, Rob A. Martinsen

Faculty Publications

Second language (L2) gains during study abroad have been related to several variables including length of stay (Llanes, 2011), language use (Martinsen, Baker, Dewey, Bown, & Johnson, 2010), and social network development (Isabelli‐ García, 2006), among others. However, most studies have investigated only a few predictors in single study abroad programs. While these findings are helpful, larger scale studies are needed to better understand the variables that contribute to L2 gains across several different cultures and learner groups. The current study examines predictors of L2 gain of more than 100 native English speakers who participated in study abroad in Mexico, …

Trailer Hitched: A One Act Play, Shelby K. Grady

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the creative process of writing and developing a written piece of theatre. It delves into the methods of preparing to write a play (plot outlines, character descriptions, writing exercises), the maturation of the story throughout the writing process (enhanced by workshops, journal writing, and the reading of published plays), as well as the progression of the project through varying stages of revision (aided by readings of the work, feedback from peers and advisors, and consideration of criticism). The thesis is a culmination of the aforementioned exploration, resulting in a complete one act play as well as an …

The Use Of Occitan Dialects In Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Virginia Jane Geddie

Honors Theses

Since the medieval period, the Occitan dialects of southern France have been a significant part of the culture of the Midi region of France. In the past, it was the language of the state and literature. However, Occitan dialects have been in a slow decline, beginning with the Ordinance of Villers-Coterêts in 1539 which banned the use of Occitan in state affairs. While this did little to affect the daily life and usage of Occitan, it established a precedent that is still referred to in modern arguments about the use of regional languages (Costa, 2). In the beginning of the …

Cognitive Poetics And Italian Literary Criticism, John Biffle

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the possibility of the application of cognitive poetics to Italian literature, with a comparison to four major nineteenth century currents of literary criticism. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, the data was obtained from reviewed psychology articles, textbooks regarding both psychological and literary subjects, original sources containing the examined poetry and prose, e-books, and open source web material for literary works that lacked copyright. Unless specified, all translations from Italian to English were done by me. Since cognitive poetics are based on the assumption that we perceive literature similarly to how we perceive reality and that …

A Study Of The Life And Legacy Of Son House On The Identity And Character Of Blues Culture, Kyle Crockett

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the unique and pivotal life of Son House, a Mississippi bluesman from Lyon, Mississippi, who did much to change the identity and perpetuate the existence of blues music and culture. Furthermore, House was influential in shaping blues music as a medium for historical research, as they revealed a strikingly honest perception of the tumultuous and evil circumstances for African Americans in the South during the early twentieth century. Research on Son House was a unique experience, in that it called not only for academic exploration, but also human exploration. When researching the importance of blues music in …

The Role Of The United States Navy In Sustaining And Protecting The Global Economy, Richard U. Beneke

Honors Theses

Because of the rapid changes occurring in the world, the United States government is being forced to evaluate if the navy has become obsolete. With current cuts coming to the navy it seemed an important aspect to investigate. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether or not the United States should cut funding for the Navy by looking specifically at the impact the United States Navy has on the Global Economy by securing shipping lanes and the free navigation of the sea. The study will be conducted as a literature review. In the thesis, the nature of …

New Member Retention Strategy For The Makoko Church, Yoseph Nyambega Otieno

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The effort made by the Makoko Seventh-day Adventist Church to fulfill the great commission (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16) through public evangelism is challenged by the constant exodus of newly baptized converts out of the church. The emigration of new members out of the church has a compound effect on the church; it denies the church the opportunity to disciple new converts and discourages church members from continuing to fund public evangelisms as they are considered a waste of resources. When people accept Jesus they also receive eternal life, but when they leave the church they risk forfeiting the gift …

A Strategy To Increase Membership Among The Xhosa-Speaking People In Zimbabwe, Sikhumbuzo Ndlovu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist membership among the Xhosa-speaking people in Zimbabwe (a minority ethno-linguistic group) is very low. The Seventh-day Adventist presence among the Xhosa-speaking people in this particular area has been minimal. This trend has led to a lot of frustration in the planning and implementation of outreach programs among this people group. The problem is that in spite of the outreach programs conducted for the Xhosa, the response of the community remains relatively low as compared to other ethnic groups in the same area.

Method

A theological study on reaching the unreached was developed and formulated from a review …

Cultural Intelligence: A Model To Empower The West Houston Seventh-Day Adventist Church For Multicultural Ministry, Ashwin James Somasundram

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The West Houston Church is a large multicultural congregation and is located within a large multicultural neighborhood on the west side of Houston. As such, one would assume that the church, with its diverse nature, would have an active and strong presence in the local community. However, that was not the case. Pastoral observation suggested that the members were too internally focused and struggled to relate to people from a different cultural background within the congregation. The consequence was a disconnect between the church and the community. There existed a paramount need for cultural intelligence in the minds of …

Applying The Biblical Practice Of Meditation Among Adventist Frontier Mission Employees, Conrad Vine

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Personal feedback from AFM personnel indicated deep uncertainty as to the legitimate basis for, and practice of, meditation within the Bible in general and the counsels of White in particular. The ongoing debates within the SDA Church concerning meditation and the lack of formal denominational guidance on how to meditate exacerbated the uncertainty. As a consequence, primary devotional habits for many employees primarily revolved around to prayer, Bible study and corporate worship. Yet there remained a reported hunger on the part of many employees for a more meaningful sense of God’s presence in their lives. The problem therefore was …

Promoting Cross-Cultural Engagement Among The Pastors In The Greater New York Conference, Oriel Thomas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Cultural diversity in the Greater New York Conference has created frequent conflicts among pastors and workers. Examples of the types of circumstances engendering conflict may be seen in the following: (a) Lack of cross-cultural evangelism. An outstanding evangelist of one ethnic group does not have the opportunity to do evangelism with another ethnic group. (b) Lack of adequate representation for all ethnic groups. In choosing speakers for camp meeting, seminar presenters for workers’ meetings, or job placements, there is sometimes inadequate representation of all the ethnic groups which may cause disharmony and disunity among the workers and members. (c) …

What Is A Berber?: Characterizations Of Imazighen From Britain And Morocco, Byron Head

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the similarities and differences in the characterization of Amazigh identity between nineteenth century British writings and contemporary (early twenty-first century) Moroccan news articles. The methods employed to do so included broad reading of both British and Moroccan writings, and analysis and sorting of the characterizations found therein. The results of this process showed that the British perspective, while nuanced, focused excessively on the Amazigh as violent and less civilized; contemporary Moroccan news sources portrayed the Amazigh as peaceful, organized, and seeking equal rights within Morocco. Conclusions of this study are thus: the British perspective, while …

A Life In The Law: An Interview With Drew Days, Rodger D. Citron

Touro Law Review

Drew S. Days, III, has lived an extraordinary life in the law. Born in the segregated South, Days graduated from Yale Law School in 1966 and pursued a career as a civil rights lawyer. In 1977, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. After his stint in the administration of President Jimmy Carter, Days became a professor at Yale Law School. Then, in 1993, he was appointed So-licitor General of the United States, serving in that position until 1996. He now holds the position of Alfred M. Rankin Professor Emeritus of Law and Professorial Lecturer in Law at …

Experiences Of Immigration Among Women From Taiwan, Robert Johnston

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the transformative effects of immigration from the 1960s through the 2010s among women from Taiwan living in the County of Santa Clara. The study focused on three substantive areas: (1) early life experiences and factors leading to immigration; (2) shifts in social identities after leaving Taiwan (e.g., political, national, and ethnic self-concepts in various contexts); and (3) practices of child-rearing. Several methodological tools were employed during the data collection phase of the research process, including interviews, surveys, and participant observations. The findings of this study suggested a dynamic process of change in which informants adapted to, were …

Proto-Karen (*K-Rjana) Fauna, Theeraphan Luangthongkum

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

Even though the reconstruction of Proto-Karen has already been attempted and presented in different ways by a few linguists, some serious disagreements among them on some major points have been found. The research objective, here, is to offer a new look at the Proto-Karen phonology and lexicon. However, the emphasis of this paper is on the reconstruction of Proto-Karen fauna. A wordlist consisting of 2,000 items with English and Thai glosses divided into 21 sections based on semantic fields was devised. The data on the six Karenic languages spoken in Thailand, i.e. Pa-O (two varieties), Kayan, Kayah, Kayaw, Pwo (two …

Art As Person: Correlative Personhood In Aesthetic Representation, Michael Dufresne

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

In this paper, I argue that the metaphor of art as person should be implemented as a way to understand artistic interaction, such that the relationship between artworks and spectators should be understood as one between persons. I begin this argument by first juxtaposing Hans-Georg Gadamer’s notion of aesthetic representation with the values that constitute correlative person in Confucianism. This juxtaposition draws similarities between artworks and persons that make the metaphor of art as person a plausible means for understanding artistic interaction. I then appeal to Michel Foucault for two significant reasons: his subjectfication of the self solidifies the comparisons …

When Words Do Things: Perlocutions And Affordances For Social Action, Charles Lassiter

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

When my spouse once asked me ‘Where’s the milk?’ I thought that my answer ‘In the refrigerator’ was fine. Turns out, I was less helpful than I thought I was. The intended effect of my utterance turned out to be different from what it actually brought about. This feature of utterances is especially salient in discussions of perlocutionary acts, which are utterances that cause an effect in others (Austin 1975: 101). On the one hand, an utterance is produced by the speaker and so facts about the speaker’s mental life should play an important role in understanding what perlocutions are. …

Students’ Rhetorical Strategies In Translingual Encounters On Campus, Laura Moeller

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This thesis examines the ways in which linguistic minority students assert themselves as rhetorical agents when faced with the expectation of impromptu verbal responses. Based on a study that aims at identifying specific rhetorical strategies these students employ, the goal of this thesis is to theorize ways in which linguistic minorities deal with the challenges of fast-paced, high-stakes interactions. The practices that emerge from data analysis suggest that such strategies tend to be reactive rather than proactive and highly dependent on context. While they are valuable ways for linguistic minorities to navigate their ways in specific moments, the thesis argues …

Marvelous Transformations: An Anthology Of Fairy Tales And Contemporary Critical Perspectives (Review), Veronica L. Schanoes

Publications and Research

Reviews the book Marvelous Transformations: An Anthology of Fairy Tales and Contemporary Critical Perspectives, Edited by Christine A. Jones and Jennifer Schacker. Peterborough, Canada: Broadview Press, 2013.

Building Bridges With Chinese Universities, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Internet Changing Life In Remote Parts Of Earth, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Kids For Sale: Does America Recognize Its Own Sexually Exploited Minors As Victims Of Human Trafficking?, Cheryl Nelson Butler

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Phonetic Basis For The Sonority Of [X], Jonah Katz

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Linkage Discovery With Glossaries, Richard S. Segall, Shen Lu

Faculty Publications

With the development of computer technology and Internet, the electric publication can do much more than only emulate the printed publication in cheaper and more transportable forms like Web pages and electric files. Electronic publications also have the potential to enhance the reading process itself through the identification of new ways to retrieve, index, and search information throughout the entire proceeding, for knowledge discovery in related text. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) can be used to implement those functions and to discover knowledge from text with a general mathematical learning method without knowing prior linguistic or perceptual similarity knowledge.

The Persée Digital Library, Dillon Wackerman

Central University Libraries Research

A review of the The Persée Digital Library offered for the The American Archivist Reviews.

The Effects Of Acknowledging Cultural Differences On Therapeutic Alliance In Cross-Cultural Therapy, Jean-Pierre Assouad

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Therapeutic alliance has been documented to have a significant impact on therapy. This study examined the impact that acknowledging visible cultural differences in the first session of treatment has on therapeutic alliance, perceived clinician cross-cultural competency, and potential attrition. A vignette study design was utilized with 26 subjects who were patients at the PCOM Center for Brief Therapy. The patients were randomly assigned one of four vignettes that consisted of a cross-cultural therapy situation, in which visible cultural differences were either addressed or not by a clinician. Following the reading of the vignette, the subjects were asked to complete the …

Venerating Violence: The Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam And Post-Civil War Sri Lanka, Heather Lee

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis seeks to discover the conditions legitimizing political violence by exploring the Sri Lankan Civil War and then pairing the derived principle with theoretical justifications of violence, including just war theory. While many attest that the radically violent means employed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam throughout the war were immoral and inexcusable acts of terrorism, this claim too quickly discredits their motives without due consideration, thus unfairly detractingfrom the legitimacy of their cause. I hope to show the fault in this tendency, both in the context of the Sri Lanka and in more general terms. Political violence …

A Performance Guide To Gabriel Fauré’S La Chanson D’Ève, Op. 95, Sarah E. Klopfenstine-Wear

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In this study, background information, International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations, poetic translations, and musical analyses of the ten songs that comprise Gabriel Fauré’s La Chanson d’Ève, Op. 95 are provided. Included is the relationship between his original poetry and Fauré’s resultant song cycle. Additionally, a portion is dedicated to an overview of the registers of the mezzo-soprano voice, and it specifically addresses who is best suited to perform La Chanson d’Ève. This document looks at the vocal challenges presented for the mezzo-soprano voice within each song, particularly the subject of vowel modification as it relates to the IPA pronunciation …