Digital Commons Network^™

Aporetic Rhetoric: The Use Of Uncertainty In Healthcare Contexts, Adam S. Lerner

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines how uncertainty is rhetorically deployed in healthcare contexts. Investigating four major healthcare contexts, I study how different forms of uncertainty produce distinct rhetorical effects and consequences. In Chapter 1, I explore how the haphazard use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam war makes it difficult for veterans to prove their exposure to this deadly chemical. In Chapter 2, I examine the rhetorical strategies of mental illness skeptics and denialists, looking at how each deploys uncertainty in different and related ways. In Chapter 3, I investigate the intersection between design, emotion, and uncertainty as it appears in the …

Translating Slavery As Told To My Daughter, Victoria L.A. Carvelli

Theses and Dissertations

I am translating an excerpt of the work L’esclavage raconté à ma fille, by the French Guianese politician Christiane Taubira. A former Minister of Justice of France, Taubira is famous for her legislative work in recognizing slavery as a crime against humanity and instituting national educational efforts on the subject. The book is an exposition of the history of slavery, set in a storytelling, question-and-answer style, which has the merit of bringing a conversational and accessible aspect to a difficult topic.

I chose this work at the recommendation of one of my professors, and when I was unable to find …

Fatal Force: A Conversation With Journalists Who Cover Deadly, Highly-Publicized Police Shootings, Denetra Walker

Theses and Dissertations

After the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of unarmed Black teens Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, news about police shootings catapulted into the local and national spotlight through videos and messages on social media. Information about police shootings is usually reported to the public through media sources such as television, online/digital news, and social media. This study examines how television news journalists cover the issue of police shootings in the United States. Through 10 in-depth interviews with television journalists who covered highly-publicized police shootings, the author analyzes how race, journalistic norms, technology, and citizen journalists …

Rural Public Library Assets And Socioeconomic Demographics: A Multi-Classification Study, Karen A. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Rural public libraries hold economic, cultural, and social capital assets in trust for the benefit of their communities. Filling a gap in the study of those assets, 2012 through 2015 rural library statistics from the Institute of Museum and Library Services were combined with public data from the United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to: (1) reveal interrelationships between rural public library assets and socioeconomic factors, (2) explore the implications of those relationships in terms of potential community services and asset strengths, (3) investigate differences in those relationships over time, and (4) consider rural library asset …

The Impact Of Mood On Health Behaviors And Quality Of Life For Women With Cardiovascular Disease, Jacqueline Ann Tulley

Dissertations

Methods/Measurements: A cross-sectional correlational design explored the relationships between symptoms, functional status, health perceptions and QoL in women with CVD. The aims of the study were: 1) to determine the relationship of symptoms (depression/anxiety) to functional status (health-promoting behaviors), health perceptions (illness perception), and QoL; and 2) to determine whether age is a factor contributing to negative mood symptoms, functional status, health perceptions, and QoL after controlling for social support. Measurements were collected at one time-point to address these aims that included the following: biological function (Framingham Recurrent Risk Model and Functional Comorbidity Index), symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-8 and Generalized …

Political Essentialism And Affective Polarization, Chase Wilson

Dissertations

Affective polarization, the phenomenon of liberals and conservatives treating each other as disliked outgroups, is increasingly intense (Iyengar & Westwood, 2015; Pew, 2016). In the present research, I used the construct of psychological essentialism (Medin & Ortony, 1989) to help understand this intergroup phenomenon. Specifically, I measured political essentialism, or the belief that political ideologies are strongly determined, informative, discrete and/or immutable, and tested the relationship between these beliefs and affective polarization. I approached this question with both correlational and experimental methods. In a correlational study, political essentialism overall is found to covary positively with affective polarization and social avoidance …

How Does The Classroom Teacher Promote Academic Success In The Spanish Native Speaker Class: A Study Of Classroom Teachers' Perceptions Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In The Spanish Native Speaker Course At The High School Level, Michael Angelo Ayala

Dissertations

The achievement gap between Latino and White students is a significant problem, prompting the need to address the cultural conflicts that hinder relationships and compromise learning opportunities for Latino students in the United States. This exploratory qualitative study focused on Spanish Native Speaker (SNS) teachers' perceptions and use of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) at the high school level. Framed with theory related to CRP, data were collected through interviews and classroom observations with four SNS teachers who teach a SNS class at various high schools in the suburbs of Cook County. A thematic analysis and an analysis using Herrera's (2010) …

Beyond Body Mixing: Race, Space, And The Meaning Of School Integration In A Chicago Suburb, Megan Rigsby Klein

Dissertations

Integration is often characterized as an effective means of fixing the problems associated with segregation. Whether with respect to residential segregation, education, or to public spaces in general, integration is seen as a way to undo the perils of racial segregation. Yet often times, integration takes a certain reified form with a large white majority and non-white minority. How do lived experiences of Black residents in integrated spaces affect their perceptions of integration? Drawing on data collected from arcHIVal research, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with long-term African American residents, this dissertation examines the ways in which race, space, and …

Theology And The City In Africa: The Significance Of Contemporary African Urban Experience For Theological Reflection, Dominic Fungai Tomuseni

Dissertations

In African theology, experience is the leading source for theological reflection, ahead of scripture and Tradition. Since the last quarter of the 19th Century, colonialism has shaped African experience such that today, it is a major factor in theological reflections and other intellectual enterprises from the continent. Much African theology understands contemporary African experience as one of disruption of a "true" or pre-colonial African experience by European colonial forces. Hence, Contemporary African Theology has been about recognition and recovery of pre-colonial African experience or rehabilitation of Africa from effects of colonialism. However, such a view of colonial experience excludes and …

Ecospatial Orientation And American Literature, Lowell Wyse

Dissertations

Place is complex, and it undergirds and influences our fictional and nonfictional narratives in ways we often fail to recognize. In this dissertation, Lowell Wyse argues for a more holistic understanding of place's role in literature while asking what it means to read environmentally€”spatially, ecologically, and historically. Drawing from ecocriticism, which emphasizes the biological world, and geocriticism, which privileges the spatial, Wyse proposes a hybrid "ecospatial" criticism, with a particular emphasis on the role of maps in reading for place. With individual chapters on the nonfiction of William Least Heat-Moon, John Steinbeck's Salinas Valley fiction, Richard Wright's Native Son, and …

Latina/O Conversion And Miracle-Seeking At A Buddhist Temple, Stephen M. Cherry, Kemal Budak, Aida I. Ramos

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

The growing diversification of the US Latino religious’ experiences calls for scholarly attention beyond Protestant or Catholic categories. This study begins to answer this call. Using interview data with 26 Latinos collected over 2 years of observation at the True Lama Meditation Center (TLMC) in Houston, Texas, we describe how Latinos who convert to Buddhism or actively attend the temple while also continuing to attend Christian services (both Catholic and Protestant) see themselves and understand their religious identities and practices. We then explore the reasons for their conversion or changes in religious identities and practices through various theoretical lens. Although …

Final Evaluation Report: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Effectiveness Of A Responsible Fatherhood Program: The Case Of Tyro Dads, Young-Il Kim, Sung Joon Jang

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

Despite the growing number of responsible fatherhood programs, only a few of them have been evaluated based on a randomized controlled trial. To fill this gap in evaluation research on fatherhood programs, we conducted a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of an Ohio-based fatherhood program called “TYRO Dads” in improving the father-child relationship among low-income, primarily unmarried, nonresidential fathers.

We collected data from 252 fathers who participated in the study at 17 research sites in eight cities in Ohio by conducting a survey three times between February 2015 and September 2016: before the intervention (pretest), immediately after …

Between A Rock And A Hard Place: The Black Middle Class And Mass Incarceration, Bill Byrnes

Dissertations

The United States is the world leader in incarceration. Mass incarceration does not affect all racial groups equally; research literature shows that people of color, but especially Black people in the working and lower classes, face the brunt of policing and incarceration in this country. In Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Black Middle Class and Mass Incarceration, I examine how mass incarceration affects those who are not poor by comparing and contrasting the experiences of middle-class White and Black respondents using data collected from focus groups and one-on-one interviews. Although Black and White respondents sometimes shared similar …

Anxiety And The Post-Modern Student, Anne E. Figert

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

When I first started teaching at Loyola University Chicago over 26 years ago, the only times I heard the word anxietyhad to do with math or science anxiety. As educators, we felt equipped to fix any math and science anxiety that impeded our students’ learning. But what about general anxiety or depression that goes beyond impeding learning and affects all aspects of the students’ life? How do we help our students with something we are usually not trained to identify, much less “fix”?

Terrorists And Tyrants: Middle Eastern And North African (Mena) Actors In Prime Time Television, Nancy Wang Yuen, Christina Chin, Meera Deo, Faustina Ducros, Jenny Jong-Hwa Lee, Noriko Milman

Faculty Publications, Sociology

No abstract provided.

Lost In Translation? Non-Stem Academics In The 'Entrepreneurial' University, Derek Dodd

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

This study set out to explore the ways in which non-STEM academics, working within UK universities that had positioned themselves publicly as ‘entrepreneurial’ institutions, interpret and negotiate the related concepts of the entrepreneurial academic and university. The entrepreneurial university concept has become a ubiquitous theme in higher education and policy literatures in recent decades, having been described variously as an ‘idea for its time’ (Shattock, 2010) and the ‘end-point of the evolution of the idea of the university’ (Barnett, 2010, p.i). This research set out to interrogate some of the key ways in which this institutional form, and the corresponding …

A Comparison Of English And Turkish Early Years/Kindergarten Teachers’ Understandings Of And Practices In Outdoor Activities, Mehmet Mart

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

My thesis presents a comparison of English and Turkish Early Years/Kindergarten teachers’ understandings and practices of outdoor activities. Comparative research provides a wider understanding of the two different cultures’ current circumstances in outdoor activities. Such research provides in-depth understanding of educational aspects in different cultures, and produces enhancement opportunities for educational pedagogies (Alexander, 2001). I had been conscious of possible differences in cultural perception of childhood and its temporal effects on historical developments as well as on the way children play and engage in outdoor activities and this informed my approach. This thesis was based on ethnographic research involving two …

The Policy And Practice Of Inclusion Of Children With Specific Learning Difficulties In Mainstream Primary Girls’ Schools In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Exploring The Attitudes And Experiences Of Teachers, Amirah Alshenaifi

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

This research project examines the implementation of the policy and practice of inclusion in girls’ primary schools of Saudi Arabia. In particular, it focuses on the work of teachers - their attitudes, beliefs, methods, and experiences - because it is they who are ultimately responsible for applying the policy by using inclusive practices in their classroom activities. Since the 1970s many countries have adopted a policy of including in mainstream schools those children with physical or cognitive impairments, or with learning difficulties. Formerly, children with special needs or learning difficulties were segregated in ‘special’ schools; this process of separation caused …

Understanding The Impact On The Wellbeing Of Students With Specific Learning Difficulties Through Teaching Interventions, Dylan K Williams

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

The study set out to explore whether teaching methods can improve the wellbeing of students with SpLDs. This study addresses a gap in the literature, identifying wellbeing differences between different types of educational environment and SEN provisions. It explores whether there are benefits from inclusive education to student wellbeing, considering constructs of wellbeing relevant to the impact of SpLDs, synthesising pedagogic, psychotherapeutic and developmental perspectives. 74 student participants were recruited through the SEN departments of 4 UK schools - each with differing approaches to SEN support. Student participants completed two psychometric wellbeing questionnaires. They also engaged in photographic exercise, capturing …

Practitioner To Academic: A Reflective And Personal Account, Luke Fisher

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

No abstract provided.

Criminology On The Buses, How Do Structures Of Neoliberalism And Culture Impact Crime And Role Performance Within The Bus Industry, Thomas Roscoe

The Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review

The bus industry within the United Kingdom accounted for four and a half billion local journeys to year ending March 2016 (Department for Transport, 2016). With so many journeys being made there needs to be a focus on safety for passengers, whilst there are extensive laws in place and bodies such as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to govern the operation of bus services, there has been little criminological focus on the crimes and harms that occur within the industry. Typically, crime on buses has formed a sub section for wider spatial studies of crime, or crimes, which …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practice Of Oncologists And Oncology Health Care Providers In Promoting Physical Activity To Cancer Survivors: An International Survey, Sarah Hardcastle, Robert Kane, Paola Chivers, Dana A. Hince, Andrew Dean, Dominic Higgs, Paul A. Cohen

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To investigate knowledge, attitudes and practices of oncologists towards physical 2 activity (PA) in cancer survivors, and the association between oncologists’ own PA behavior 3 and PA promotion. Methods: Oncologists (n=123) completed a survey based on the Theory of 4 Planned Behavior (TPB). Participants reported PA promotion behavior, PA involvement, 5 attitudes, intentions, social norm, Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), confidence and 6 knowledge of exercise prescription. Structural equation modelling (SEM) evaluated these 7 associations. Results: Less than half of oncologists reported regularly promoting PA to 8 patients (46%), with 20% providing written information and 23% referrals. Only 26% were …

The Meaning And Process Of Engagement In Outdoor Adventure From An Occupational Science Perspective To Inform Health Promotion And Occupational Therapy Practice., Rosi Raine

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: Outdoor adventure can offer meaningful occupations that enhance health and wellbeing. Theory in relation to the meaning of outdoor adventure from an occupational science perspective, and the process by which people become engaged in occupation, is underdeveloped. Methodology: Phenomenological philosophy underpinned the methodology. Five elements are presented in this thesis, data were explored from: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of research exploring the meaning of outdoor adventure; focus groups exploring factors affecting sustained engagement in walking in a community context; adventure autobiographies as exemplars of engagement and outdoor culture; and interviews with participants who engaged in outdoor adventure. Concepts …

Facilitating Midwifery Involvement In Managing Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Women Living With Obesity, Emma Hazeldine

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Overview: Pregnant women living with obesity are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, with risks rising as Body Mass Index (BMI) increases. Midwives are willing to support women with managing their gestational weight gain but lack confidence and access to supporting resources. In the UK there are no interventions that aim to change the intention and behaviour of midwives, to support women with managing their gestational weight gain. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985) was utilised to frame the design of a behaviour change intervention for midwives. This three-phase study conducted a qualitative needs assessment, intervention design, and …

Dentists’ Perceptions Of Their Professional Roles In The Context Of Referral Decisions In Primary Dental Care In England, Zoe Elizabeth Allen

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background Within Primary Dental Care (PDC), there is variation in dentists’ views about who should be treated in general dental practices and who should be referred to community dental services (CDSs), creating confusion about where patients can access dental care. Aims This research aimed to explore the meanings which general dental practitioners (GDPs) and community dentists in England ascribe to their roles. It focused on why they make, accept or decline patient referrals within PDC. Methods I conducted a configurative systematic review of literature about referrals within PDC in the UK. Data were synthesised using Critical Interpretive Synthesis. I interviewed …

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Health And Well-Being: Definitions, Identity And Experience, Sarah Molland

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

In this thesis, I explore the meanings and experience of health and well-being in the lives of individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Taking an auto/biographical approach and utilising in-depth qualitative online interviews, I draw on the experience and narratives of seventeen individuals with IBD, including myself. The three main themes addressed are ‘Living with IBD’, ‘Becoming a Patient’, and ‘Coping and Control’. I explore how IBD influences individuals’ experience of personal relationships, and their medical encounters and treatments. I reflect on how and why these factors arise and the effect they may have upon the disease and its management …

Imagining Peace And War: Plymouth 1918-1939, Glyn Potter

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

After the trench warfare of the Great War the development of aerial warfare and widespread urbanisation meant that military doctrine in any future conflict would likely bring unprecedented death and destruction to non-combatants. Therefore, war prevention became the most important foreign policy issue in Britain, and after the collapse of the disarmament conference in 1934 and the Spanish civil war (1936-1939), war preparation became the dominant concern for the decision makers and the public. Both were hotly debated at all levels of British public life in the 1920’s and 1930’s. This dissertation uses Plymouth as the case study for an …

'Our Mission Is Protest': Femen, Toplessness And Female Spectacle, Leah Dungay

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis examines the dramaturgical strategies of protest employed by the contemporary Ukrainian protest group, FEMEN. In doing so, it draws from theories of protest as performance, outlined by Richard Schechner (1993) and Baz Kershaw (1999). The all-female group are arguably most well known for their use of the topless female body in protest. As such, this thesis will explore FEMEN’s use of toplessness in relation to Mary Russo’s notions of ‘female spectacle’ (1994), considering the ways in which the group might challenge understandings regarding the appropriate behaviours and appearances for women. This exploration of understandings of the female body …

Gold Griot: Jean-Michel Basquiat Telling (His) Story In Art, Lucinda Ross

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Emerging from an early association with street art during the 1980s, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was largely regarded within the New York avant-garde, as ‘an exotic other,’ a token Black artist in the world of American modern art; a perception which forced him to examine and seek to define his sense of identity within art and within society. Drawing upon what he described as his ‘cultural memory,’ Basquiat deftly mixed together fragments of past and present, creating a unique style of painting, based upon his own experiences of contemporary American life blended with a remembering of an African past. This …

‘University Must Be Saved’ Genealogy As A Knowledge Approach., Patrizia Moschella

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The research offers an elaboration of genealogy as an approach to knowledge from Friedrich Nietzsche's original work on method (1887) processed by Michel Foucault (1971). It provides an interdisciplinary version that integrates theoretical and analytical contributions from the philosophy of knowledge, from exact and social sciences to artistic research. This work also takes into account those who have most explicitly enhanced the potentialities of geneaalogy such as Gilles Deleuze (1962) and, more recently, Carlo Sini (2007) and Giorgio Agamben (2010), but also embraces the reflections of researchers, from the past or present, whom I dare associate with the genealogy approach …