Digital Commons Network^™

Where Do We Go When We Go Off-The-Grid?, Andrey Tolstoy

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

This dissertation examines how the idea of going off-the-grid has affected the epistemology of documentary film, particularly three of its variants: romantic ethnography, observational cinema, and the essay film. The grid is understood to be a graphic design that is fundamental to modern cultural techniques, especially those involving the organization of objects and data, administration and governance. The grid as an organizational principle has been a definitive feature of modernity, particularly in so-called “disciplinary societies,” where its use intensified as a system of social control during industrialization and increasing urbanization. The expansion of the grid has resulted in a certain …

Ethnography Of Reading Comic Books, Azadeh Najafian

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis explores why adults read comic books. This research used the ethnographic method and interviewing eleven people, four women, seven male, as its primary source. Based on information and common themes gathered from interviews, I built this thesis into one introduction, three body chapters, and a conclusion.

In the first chapter, I argued that comics could function the same as myths and explained this function and related examples under the “mythic effect” name. In the second chapter, I discussed how my informants use reading comics as a means to escape their everyday lives and how sometimes this escapism carries …

Reimagining The Duck Stamp, Hunting Licensure And Public Land Preservation, Alec Wayne Boyd-Devine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The American Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or Duck Stamp, is a form of licensure issued by the Federal Government for waterfowl hunters. Why do physical stamps act as licensure to hunt waterfowl on both public and private land in the United States? How did the stamp become the key that grants access to resources that supposedly should be owned by the public? The duck stamp has been well-documented in conservation communities as a resource which has made significant positive impacts on the environment. The increase of anti-hunting sentiments in our society combined with fewer hunters per capita may …

La Llorona, Picante Pero Sabroso: The Mexican Horror Legend As A Story Of Survival And A Reclamation Of The Monster, Camille Maria Acosta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

For centuries, the relationship between Mexico and its infatuation with scary stories has been profoundly complex, but why? Perhaps it is the easiest way to communicate a Mexican culture, although proud and resilient, riddled with haunting narratives. For myself personally, the Mexican horror narrative La Llorona has served as a lens for conversation and communication that is unique and important.

In this thesis, I explore how Mexicans and Mexican Americans alike use the legend of La Llorona as a unique form of communication through personifying what truly haunts us. From using the narrative as a tool for entertainment, cautionary tales, …

Office Of Research & Sponsored Programs Newsletter, Office Of Research & Sponsored Programs

Newsletters

In this Issue:

• Grant Writing Resources

• Quarterly Cost-Share Tracking

• ideaFest 2021 – “Platform Q”

• Direct Deposit for AP Reimbursements

Featured Articles:

CSU Student Research Competition: HSU Winners pg. 5

P.I. Spotlight: Salamander Snout pg. 7

Central American Rivers As Sites Of Colonial Contestation, Adrian Taylor Kane

World Languages Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the introduction to Troubled Waters: Rivers in Latin American Imagination (2013), Elizabeth Pettinaroli and Ana María Mutis have argued that rivers in Latin American literature constitute a “locus for the literary exploration of questions of power, identity, resistance, and discontent.” Many works of testimonial literature and literature of resistance written during and about the Central American civil wars of the 1970s and 1980s as a means of denouncing and resisting various forms of oppression would support their thesis. In the 2004 film Innocent Voices, directed by Luis Mandoki, Mario Bencastro’s 1997 story “Había una vez un río,” and …

Folklore, Reflecting And Influencing Culture, Sumlin Pate

Classical Conversations

Folklore is a unique form of storytelling that is culturally specific. This thesis argues that folklore has a dual role as it reflects a given culture and also actively shapes culture. To support this argument, opinions of various writers and fol klorists are considered as well as folk ideas from various societies. Two folktales are taken from two different countries Saudi Arabia and Estonia. In these folktales three things are considered: the qualities of the characters, the overall themes, and the morals of the folktale. This is then compared to the modern society of each culture, to see if these …

The Future Of American Primary Care, Julianne M. Johnsonwall

Classical Conversations

Historically, primary care has been delivered by physicians in private practices. However, pre-medical and medical students considering primary care should consider that market trends and physician preferences are changing the delivery methods of primary care. This thesis aims to predict the future delivery methods of primary care in America. By analyzing current studies, articles, and physician polls, it asserts that private practices are not a financially viable practice model and that medical systems will dominate primary care. Firstly, it identifies low insurance reimbursement rates, increasing quality documentation requirements, and an unhealthy work-life balance as the primary obstacles to private practice …

Is Psychotherapy Or Nouthetic Counseling More Effective?, Conner W. Truitt

Classical Conversations

There are a variety of differences between psychotherapy and Nouthetic counseling. These are two forms of counseling that have stemmed from various different schools of thought. In psychotherapy there are many different techniques to use, however, one of the underlying premises is the idea that a relationship between the counselee and counselor is necessary. Nouthetic, on the other hand, does not value that. Nouthetic, also known as biblical counseling, believes that the behaviors of an individual are what will directly affect actual change in a person. Psychotherapy began with Mesmer, Breuer and Freud. The basis for the psychotherapy we have …

A Study On The Impact Of Covid-19 On Latinx College Students In The Midwest, Molly Ricci

Sociology and Anthropology

This study proposes to examine how Latinx Illinois State college students who were enrolled in the Spring, 2020 semester experienced the transition to online learning after the onset of the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. We are interested in investigating how they were affected by the pandemic and how they coped with it in the aftermath of college closures and movement to online learning. We draw on qualitative data which will be collected through a series of 30 total interviews collected in a snowball sample with various starting points. We anticipate that the pandemic affected the students’ learning and college experiences. Given …

Generosity, Mallory K. Pierce

Classical Conversations

Generosity is a vague term and can mean a variety of different things across different cultures and generations. This essay seeks to delve deeper into what generosity really is. A few different definitions are presented and synthesized. Following that is a discussion of how generosity’s root is found in religion. This claim is based on scientific research and is not exclusive of any religion. Because of this connection, generosity is not contingent on material wealth and can still be expressed even amidst poverty. Generosity is also found to have a direct correlation with mental and physical health based on scientific …

Library Perspectives, Issue 64, Spring 2021, Friends Of The Oberlin College Libraries

Library Perspectives Newsletter

This issue includes items about Alison M. Parker's work on Mary Church Terrell, Malangatana Valente Ngwenya paintings, dime novel digitization funded by the NEH, library instruction services in the virtual environment, and much more.

Let's Talk About Sex (Work), Baby: Women College Students And Online Sex Work, Courtney Ebersole

Sociology and Anthropology

INTRODUCTION: Online sex work is becoming an increasingly popular avenue for young women to raise capital. I propose to study the motivations of women-identified undergraduate students who engage in self-produced sex work online, in which they are both privileged and subjugated due to intersecting identities. In particular, this study will examine how college women turned to the online platform, OnlyFans, which evolved from a relatively niche website into a mainstream adult entertainment platform that has allowed many college women to earn an income, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, by posting explicit pictures and videos on the OnlyFans platform to …

2021 Online University Research Symposium Program Book, The Graduate School

University Research Symposium Programs

Program book for the 2021 Online Research Symposium.

Sewagescapes: Urban Growth And Topography Of Sewage Districts In Central Illinois, Anastasia Ervin

Sociology and Anthropology

Sewage districts are important municipalities that facilitate urban growth within cities and heavily impact communities. Research regarding the sewage districts is scarce in the modern contexts, and focuses on the biological and chemical processes involved in sanitizing wastewater. This study focuses on districts in Central Illinois and uses the technique of landscape archaeology combined with archival analysis to analyze the economic factors in various parts of the cities and the topography of the districts. The findings of this paper showed that residents with low economic status were pushed toward industrial areas within the cities, where the sewage districts were also …

Cops Vs. Cops: How Does Community-Oriented Policing Coexist With Crime-Fighting Policing, Kian Gaines

Sociology and Anthropology

INTRODUCTION: Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) emerged in response to longstanding criticisms revolving around police accountability and effectiveness. It emphasizes civilian participation in crime-prevention and problem-solving efforts to build trust between the police and minoritized communities with whom they have had an antagonistic relationship. Traditional policing is reactive in nature, with officers acting only after crime has been committed or a call for service has been made; it enforces the law; "legitimizes" use of violence; and emulates military structure and tactics. In this study I describe it as “crime-fighting policing.” COPS programs are embedded within this structure. Unlike traditional policing, COPS …

The Toxicity Of Cancel Culture, Bishop Vallette

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Cancel culture is a social phenomenon in which an individual or group involved in controversy is targeted by the general public in order to remove their presence from a social or professional platform. Over the last few years, the cancel culture mindset has become increasingly hypocritical and toxic. This presentation aims to analyze different instances of cancel culture in action in order to: determine any trends of controversial behavior, examine the discourse environment that's most often stimulated and its influence on the general public, evaluate any unfair biases present among cancel culture advocates, and better understand the negative impact that …

Mourning Practices On Facebook: Facebook Shrines And Other Rituals Of Grieving In The Digital Age, Sydney Yeager

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

Death is a universal, and for humans so is the experience of grief that follows. This dissertation exams how Facebook users utilize the social media platform as they mourn their loved ones, process their grief, and support the grief of others. It explores how the experience of death and loss shapes the religious beliefs and actions of grievers and how social media impacts the grief experience of its users. It looks at the community that arises organically from mourning on the deceased’s Facebook Timeline and interrogates the social pressure to perform grief in such a public space. Finally, it asks …

Kenyon Alumni Magazine - Spring 2021

Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Practising Intimate Labour: Birth Doulas Respond During Covid-19, Angela N. Castañeda, Julie Johnson Searcy

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty publications

Birth doulas provide non-medical intimate support to pregnant people and their families. This support starts at the very foundation of life – breath. Doulas remind, encourage and accompany people through labour by breathing with them. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted doulas’ intimate work, and they are forced to navigate new restrictions surrounding birth practices. Based on data collected from a qualitative survey of over five-hundred doulas as well as subsequent follow-up interviews with select doulas, we find intimacy at births disrupted and reshaped. We suggest that an analysis of doulas provides a unique way to think through the …

The Dominance Of Masculinity: How The Expectation Of Stereotypical Gender Role Performance Undermines The Productivity Of Gay Men Working In Public Accounting Firms, Joshua Leinheiser

Senior Theses

Discrimination against LGBTQ employees in business settings has been shown to be a problem and negatively affects these employees’ productivity and well-being. In particular, discrimination against gay and other queer men often stems from the view that homosexuality is emasculating and conflicts with traditional expectations of male gender performance. This is seen as undesirable in business since traditional masculinity is seen as useful due to its association with competitiveness and control.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether this paradigm extends to the workplaces of public accounting firms. A survey containing questions about gender, sexuality, gender expression, experiences …

Meat Alternatives: The State Of The Industry, Barriers To Adoption, And Overcoming Barriers, Steven Maler

Senior Theses

The world faces many environmental problems that can be linked to human activity, including links to the production of food. The meat industry is often seen as a major contributor to such problems. Meat alternatives are often proposed as a way to address these environmental problems. However, these products face barriers when it comes to their adoption by consumers, and firms that produce meat alternatives must overcome these barriers to be successful. I used data from a variety of academic works, newspaper articles, research reports, and company websites to find that these barriers are related to taste, nutrition, convenience, expense, …

Waste Politics In Asia And Global Repercussions, Adam Liebman

Sociology & Anthropology Faculty publications

No abstract provided.

Practising Intimate Labour: Birth Doulas Respond During Covid-19, Angela N. Castañeda, Julie Searcy

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Birth doulas provide non-medical intimate support to pregnant people and their families. This support starts at the very foundation of life – breath. Doulas remind, encourage and accompany people through labour by breathing with them. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted doulas’ intimate work, and they are forced to navigate new restrictions surrounding birth practices. Based on data collected from a qualitative survey of over five-hundred doulas as well as subsequent follow-up interviews with select doulas, we find intimacy at births disrupted and reshaped. We suggest that an analysis of doulas provides a unique way to think through the …

Design And Construction Of A Biosafety Level 3 Autopsy Laboratory, Kurt B. Nolte, Timothy B. Muller, Adam M. Denmark, Ron Burstein, Yvonne A. Villalobos

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Context.—: Autopsy pathologists, including medical examiners, provide valuable public health support for infectious disease deaths through surveillance for deaths of public health concern including emerging infections, identifying causative organisms for unexplained deaths, and providing insights into the pathology and pathogenesis of novel or unusual infections. However, autopsy poses biosafety risks to workers within and outside the laboratory. The highest rates of laboratory-acquired infections occur in autopsy workers.

Objective.—: To design and construct an appropriately biosafe autopsy laboratory.

Design.—: We conducted a biosafety risk assessment for autopsy workers using the process developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

In Search Of Silver Linings: Strategies For Preparing Future Faculty During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tazin Daniels, Elizabeth Bailey, Anoff Nicholas Cobblah

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In this article, we describe our experience as a racially and disciplinarily diverse, relatively junior program team who embraced the opportunity to transform a 20-year-old professional development seminar for graduate students into a remote offering in response to COVID-19. Our efforts to support our participants and champion an institutional move toward equitable and effective virtual programming are situated alongside the psychological tolls of remote work, a global health crisis, and ongoing racial violence across the United States. We recount our experience using, as a helpful metaphor, Lewin’s change model, which describes the process of “unfreezing,” “changing,” and “refreezing” long-standing assumptions …

Comprehensive Plan To Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Anti-Racism At Illinois State University, Spring 2021, Illinois State University

Master Plan

Illinois State University's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council's Comprehensive Plan to Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism at Illinois State University, Spring 2021.

Heavy Metal, Moral Panic, And Residing Stigma, Frank Knott Iv

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Since its origins of the 1970s up to the present, the musical themes of Heavy Metal along with the associated subcultures have been the prey of various moral ideologies, particularly of a conservative matter. Moral panics have ensued in the past over various qualities of the genre, and there is still residual stigma to be found today, much of which is based upon misperceptions of cause and effect.

Etika Në Videografi Dhe Fotografi, Berna Sadiku

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim do të shqyrtoj etikën në videografi dhe fotografi duke shtjelluar rolin e mediave në shoqëri nëpërmjet ofrimit të lajmeve dhe informacione të besueshme dhe në forma të ndryshme dhe nëpërmjet platformash të larmishme. Etika ka të bëjë me parimet morale me të cilat punojnë njerëzit, shoqëritë, vendet, grupet të gjitha kanë mënyra për të vendosur se çfarë është e drejtë dhe e gabuar. Videografi dhe fotografi janë para së gjithash gazetarë. Ata duhet të dinë bazat e asaj që bën lajme. Vështirësia më e madhe në ruajtjen e etikës qëndron tek imazhet që transmetohen në mediat elektronike, …

Modesty And Security: Attributes Associated With Comfort And Willingness To Engage In Telelactation, Adetola F. Louis-Jacques, Ellen J. Schafer, Taylor A. Livingston, Rachel G. Logan, Stephanie L. Marhefka

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The objectives were to identify conditions under which mothers may be willing to use telelactation and explore associations between participant characteristics, willingness, and beliefs regarding telelactation use. Mothers 2–8 weeks postpartum were recruited from two Florida maternal care sites and surveyed to assess demographics, breastfeeding initiation, and potential telelactation use. Analyses included descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Of the 88 participants, most were white, married, earned less than USD 50,000 per year, had access to technology, and were willing to use telelactation if it was free (80.7%) or over a secure server (63.6%). Fifty-six percent were willing to use …