Digital Commons Network^™

Storytelling And Equity: A Program Evaluation That Promotes And Supports Narrative-Based Learning And Open Dialogue Practices At Higher Ed Institutions, Regis A. Peeples

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On college campuses worldwide, storytelling functions as a primary method for transmitting and affirming knowledge. It serves to validate lived experiences, acts as a relational teaching tool, and supports theoretical inquiry. Given that teaching is inherently political, storytelling can also perpetuate hate, oppression, and other social harms within academic environments. Even when educators use storytelling constructively, limited training exists on the full range of its impacts on students, particularly in terms of what may be described as “dangerous” storytelling. Dangerous storytelling refers to narratives, intentional or authentic, that reinforce or cultivate phobias about physical appearance (e.g., race, culture, nationality), propagate …

Cross-Domain Identity Development In Bipoc Autistic Adults: A Grounded Theory Study, Ginnylyne Mariano Guisadio

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Racial and autistic identity development both involve navigating stigma, seeking community, and contending with dominant frameworks that constrain authentic self-expression, yet existing research has not examined how these processes interact for individuals holding both identities. These interactions unfold within structural conditions such as diagnostic disparities, culturally specific ableism, and racialized consequences of visible autistic expression, which shape how identity development proceeds for BIPOC autistic adults. This study investigated whether and how the core identity processes of exploration and commitment proceeded for this population. Nine BIPOC autistic adults participated in written interviews analyzed through constructivist grounded theory, with identity status theory …

The Psychological Process Of Decolonizing The Colonized Self: A Grounded Theory Based On Hong Kongers’ Decisions After The 2019 Protests, Lai Kwan Shirley Lo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Hong Kong, a British colony for over a century, was returned to China in 1997. In 2019, the proposal of an extradition bill sparked widespread outrage, leading to a year of unprecedented social unrest. The protests eventually dissipated with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chinese central government’s tightening controls. Although the state characterized its interventions as decolonization, a significant wave of Hong Kongers responded by leaving their homeland to cultivate new lives in the “Western world,” including Britain. How does a colonized population willingly return to their colonizer after decolonization? This study sets out to search for …

A Qualitative Study: How Does The Underrepresentation Of Black American Contributions To American Society In K-12 Curricula Affects Black Students' Self-Perception?, Deniece M. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how the underrepresentation of Black American history in K–12 curricula influences individuals’ understanding of American society, identity, and cultural belonging. Using open-ended questionnaires distributed via Qualtrics, thirty-seven participants reflected on their educational experiences, the extent to which Black American history was included, and how its omission shaped their self-perception and social awareness. Guided by Critical Race Theory (CRT) and The 1619 Project, the study was organized around six a priori themes identified in existing scholarship: Awareness of Historical Omission, Identity and Self-Perception, Social and Cultural Impact, Reactions to the Education System, Emotional Responses, and Broader …

Body Image Perception In African American Women, Ages 20-55 Years, Trina Suttles

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the factors that influence body image perception among African American women in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia area and examined how these perceptions shape physical activity and dietary behaviors. Body image perception is a critical psychocultural factor influencing obesity-related behaviors, particularly among African American women who navigate culturally specific beauty standards and health beliefs. Guided by the Socioecological Model, this study addressed three research questions: (1) how African American women perceive their body image, (2) how these perceptions influence health behaviors, and (3) what multilevel factors shape body image perceptions. This study employed consensual qualitative research (CQR) …

“Soccer Before Sex, Always” - Popular On-Screen Depictions Of Irish Masculinty During The Recession (2008 – 2020), Michael Sweeney

Masters

This thesis examines how on-screen masculinity changed from the fallout of the Celtic Tiger to Ireland's years of austerity, and why popular productions deploy “Mancession” narratives. This popularises tropes such as ‘Craic Merchant’ from key popular shows such as Hardy Bucks (2008), Love Hate (2010) and Young Offenders (2016). The term ‘Mancession’ (Perry, 2008) was coined following the global 2008 recession, which led to assumptions that men were more economically affected than women. Domestically, this was relayed in popular on-screen media through the ‘Celtic Bromance’ genre, which developed the trope of male friendships as a coping mechanism amid austerity and …

Multifunctional And Adaptive: Tracking How Fibroblasts Respond To Tissue Injury And Facilitate Tissue Remodeling, Joey R. Tavarez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Fibrosis is characterized by an accumulation of proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that results in altered tissue architecture and reduced organ function. In the salivary glands, fibrosis leads to loss of saliva, dysbiosis of the oral microbiome, an increase in oral infections, difficulty in digestion of food and an overall reduction in the quality of life. Understanding the progression of fibrosis and how it affects human health is a crucial step for designing effective therapeutics. Understanding fibroblast function is integral to advancing the field due to the many roles they play in maintaining the ECM. To perform preliminary analysis, …

Predictors Of Academic Success, Fieldwork Performance, And Licensure Examination Outcomes In Occupational Therapy Students: A Scoping Review, Sabina Khan, Leila Gojraty, Karen Park, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Rayya Ibrahim-Muzaffarr, Sade Harris, Janay Jones, Llonique Jackson, Christianah Edema

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Declining first-attempt National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy pass rates and concerns regarding student retention underscore the need to identify factors associated with occupational therapy student success. This scoping review aimed to map the current evidence on predictors of academic success, fieldwork performance, and licensure examination outcomes in occupational therapy programs. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and OTSeeker were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2016 and January 2026. Empirical studies examining predictors of occupational therapy student outcomes were included. Predictors were mapped using Astin’s Input-Environment-Output model and grouped into subthemes. Of 3,402 records, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. …

Embracing Anomalous Perceptions: Sensory Anomalies, Social Stigma, And Self-Acceptance, Ty R. Hetrick

Honors Theses and Capstones

Anomalous Perceptual Experiences (APEs), which include auditory and visual hallucinations, occur in the general population to varying degrees, but are often stigmatized in media and healthcare settings. However, there is an increasing focus on those who report APEs to be positive and meaningful. This study explored the lived experiences of individuals who report APEs that are interpreted meaningfully. Using a concurrent mixed methods approach, interviews and questionnaires were conducted with 3 adults who identify their APEs as meaningful. Participants described their experiences as sources of guidance, connection, and personal transformation that positively influenced their relationships, spirituality, and daily occupations. They …

Optimisation Of Sampling For A New Skin Microbiome Assay Pilot Study, Anita Smith

Theses

Recent interest in the diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up the skin microbiome has led to numerous studies investigating the microbiome in healthy skin and in dermatological diseases. An imbalance of the normal skin microbial flora can cause some skin diseases, and current culture techniques are often unable to detect a microorganism to further our understanding of the clinical–microbiological correlates of disease and dysbiosis. Atopic dermatitis and rosacea are presentations that General practitioners (GPs) often manage that may have an infective or microbiological component and can be challenging to treat. Further research using culture-independent techniques is …

Uae Traditional Folklore Through Modern Media And Its Educational Potential: The Case Of Freej, Shahad Imad Mostafa

Theses

This mixed‑methods study examined how the Emirati animated series Freej preserves traditional folklore through vernacular language, dialect, and idiomatic expressions, and evaluated its educational potential. Guided by four questions on folklore representation, dialect/idiom use, the role of the characters, and curricular applicability, the research combined content analysis of selected episodes, interviews coding and a survey of 100 Emirati participants; survey data were summarized with descriptive statistics to triangulate qualitative insights.

Findings indicated that audiences overwhelmingly perceived Freej as linguistically and culturally authentic: 95% rated the dialect as very/somewhat authentic, 94% said it reflects elders’ speech, and 89% felt the series …

2026 Viewbook, Office Of Admissions

Viewbook

At IMSA, you will be part of a community of over 650 diverse students passionate about learning. Located in suburban Aurora, IMSA’s campus consists of seven residence halls spread across 97 acres. While living and learning on campus, you’ll make new friends, encounter new ideas, and learn to live independently. You will also have the opportunity to explore over 85 clubs, organizations, and IHSAsponsored co-curricular and athletic programs. IMSA provides a safe, nurturing environment. Professional Resident Counselors (RCs) live in each hall and will help you navigate your home away from home through the Residential Life Curriculum. Through this curriculum, …

Modern Day Saints And The Production Of A Contemporary Pilgrimage Site: Comparative Analysis Of St. Pio Of San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy And Sai Baba Of Shirdi, India, Kiran Shinde, Anna Trono Prof

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Places valorised by saints have attracted pilgrimage for a long time as devotion to saints is a way to achieve both material wellbeing and spiritual growth. Yet, the cult following of modern-day saints in contemporary societies has become a topic for exploration only in recent years (Di Giovine, 2010; Shinde & Pinkney; 2013, Srinivas, 2008). A few excellent hagiographies discuss the material and non-material world created around charismatic modern-day saints with global followership (Waghorne, 2004; Weiss, 2005; Shepherd, 1986). Given the immense popularity of modern-day saints many questions arise- what kind of pilgrimage landscape is created around them? Are they …

Missionary Body Politics: Physical Education In West China, 1905-1950, Cory Willmott

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Republican Era China saw a radical transformation in Chinese physical culture as it aimed to compete in the global geopolitics of nation-states. Employing an historical ethnographic approach, this paper outlines how the unique conditions of Sichuanese warlordism and secret societies affected missionary relations with the Guomindang (GMD) as they implemented increasingly militarized physical education programs. Before the 1928 GMD consolidation of power, missionaries and GMD educators aligned with the YM/ WCA in physical education programs. After the GMD moved their headquarters to Chongqing in 1938, relations soured between the GMD and the Sichuan missionaries. Although the latter had been the …

Lorawan-Based Asset Tracking System Development And Performance Analysis Within Stem-Pbl Framework: A Mixed-Method Study, Yousef Alfarraj, Ghada Abdelhady, Abdelrahman Ahmed, Mahmoud Elaasar, Jair J. Aguilar

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study examines the integration of project-based learning (PBL) within the integrative STEM framework to advance practical problem-solving skills and investigate students' perceptions of the STEM-PBL approach through developing an IoT-enabled asset tracking system using Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology to tackle real-world logistical challenges. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study combines an experimental approach utilizing quantitative system performance analysis with qualitative insights gathered through participant interviews with ten graduate students. Results reveal that the LoRaWAN system demonstrated high reliability with only 0.437% downtime, validating the technical feasibility of the educational project. Furthermore, participants perceived the STEM-PBL approach positively, …

Contemporary Issues In Economics And Finance: The View From China, Kenneth S. Bigel

Open Touro Created

2026

This collection of essays showcases original research crafted by exceptional young scholars—primarily high school students from China and North America—guided step-by-step from topic selection to final publication. Across diverse subjects in business and the social sciences, these emerging researchers demonstrate curiosity, discipline, and global awareness. Their work provides a rare window into the questions today’s youth are asking on both sides of the Pacific, offering fresh perspectives and a meaningful bridge between two world powers. Designed not only to inspire but also to instruct, this compendium fills a long-recognized gap in early research education: it presents accessible, real student …

Stages Of Being Foreign As Portrayed In Daughter Of Keltoum And Lost Birds, Fran Hassencahl

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

In this paper, I use the intercultural communication model, The Stages of Being Foreign, developed by anthropologist Oberg (1960) and modified by Gullahorn & Gullahorn (1963), Lewis & Jungman (1986), and Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) to explain the experience of culture shock. This model describes the stages that individuals experience when they leave, either voluntarily or involuntarily, their home country/culture and must adapt to a new culture. These stages as described by Oberg are a preliminary stage (a spectator stage), an increasing participation stage, the pit of the culture shock stage, the adaptation stage, and for some migrants a …

Aging Across Cultures: How Cultural Attitudes Shape Senior Care In Japan And The United States, Ella Jane Gunn

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine how cultural perceptions of aging influence the structure and delivery of care for older adults in Japan and the United States. By comparing cultural attitudes, this study identifies implications for senior care in each country. While cross-cultural studies comparing senior care systems already exist, many lack the cultural context that shapes expectations about aging and care. This work focuses on this distinction. Ten individuals ranging in age from 21 to 83 participated in interviews about their perceptions of aging: five with an American background and five with a Japanese background. The interviews …

Front Matter - Table Of Contents - Preface

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Mass Media Refugee Discourse In Bangladesh: A Case Of Rohingya In Post-Us Funding Reduction, Priyanka Kundu, Hasib Shah Aman

Iowa Journal of Communication

The Rohingya are a Muslim minority community from Myanmar’s Rakhine State and are recognized as one of the most persecuted communities in the world. In the recent past, in August 2017, the Myanmar military launched an attack on the Rohingya, which led over 700,000 people to flee to Bangladesh. Since then, over one million Rohingya refugees have been living in Bangladesh. To help this population, international aid, especially from the US, plays an important role. According to the UN, of the total $852.4 million requirement for 2024, the US provided $301 million. However, the US administration’s decision to suspend or …

Reproducing Audiovisual And Representational Dissonance: Translating Foreign Telenovela Into Twinovela, Nancy A. Frimpong

Iowa Journal of Communication

This article examines the production processes and cultural implications of adapting foreign telenovelas into "Twinovela"— serialized foreign dramas dubbed into Akan—on Ghanaian television. Focusing on Adom TV and United Television (UTV), the study explores how dubbing practices challenge traditional notions of indigenous media by merging global and local cultural narratives. Using ethnographic research methods, including interviews, participant observation, and institutional discourses, the analysis delves into recruitment strategies, translational practices, and the creative process of dubbing. The study highlights the sociocultural dynamics of Akan language use, the role of linguistic norms, and the integration of Ghanaian cultural motifs to ensure audience …

Social And Emotional Experiences Of Higher Education Students With Dyslexia In Türki̇Ye And England: Exploring The Effect Of Context, Levent Yigit

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This research study examined the social and emotional experiences of university students with dyslexia in Türkiye and England who had received an official diagnosis at some point in their lives. Findings were compared and the differing experiences in two different countries highlighted. Six students in Türkiye and five students in England participated in the study. To produce an in-depth subjective dataset capturing life-stories, a qualitative narrative approach was adopted. Three, and for some participants four, consecutive semi-structured interviews were conducted, with at least a one-week interval between each interview. The study adopted a longitudinal approach as each interview investigated students’ …

Development Of The Core Lit Apparatus For Seaweed Hatcheries (Clash) Bioreactor Using A Germplasm Approach, Phillip O. Tahimic

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In comparison to the Asian aquaculture industry, the United States has minimal seaweed production. There are several drivers of the limited industry in the US, such as regulatory constraints and limited market demand, but the ability to scale is a considerable barrier to commercialization. One possible solution is the development of land-based systems that integrate bioreactors, which utilize fewer resources and do not wholly rely on an oceanic flow-through system. This study assessed the application of a modular bioreactor, known as Core Lit Apparatus for Seaweed Hatcheries (CLASH), as a nursery system and open-source project designed to expand land-based seaweed …

Technology-Facilitated Violence And Abuse: Portrayals And Perceptions, Christina S. Walker

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In the past, intimate partner violence (IPV) was primarily perpetrated in person. However, due to new mediated communication technologies and capabilities like social media and artificial intelligence (AI), perpetrators can use this technology for various purposes including subjecting others to violence, harassment, and abuse. Such violence can be a form of IPV and is referred to as technology-facilitated violence and abuse (TFVA). TFVA is becoming increasingly prevalent and is encountered by a staggering percent of women. Furthermore, unlike traditional forms of IPV, even men are subjected to TFVA at increasing and disproportionate rates, particularly male teens.

In the current state …

Risquer La Résistance: La Réponse Surréaliste À L’Exposition Coloniale Internationale De 1931, Milla Ben-Ezra , '26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

From It-Girls To Obscurity: What Happened To The Stettheimer Sisters?, Catherine Pierce Higgins

MA Theses

This dissertation explores the lives and impact of the three Stettheimer sisters, Florine, Carrie and Ettie, cultural innovators, and major influencers of a distinctive, feministic strand of American modernism in New York between 1914 and 1950. The Stettheimer sisters did not use their privilege to assimilate into society but to create an alternate artistic universe, resisting the male hierarchies of the dominant avant-garde. By controlling a salon, an intellectual and creative social center where artists, writers, and intellectuals such as Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O’Keeffe and Carl Van Vechten held court, they were able to create an environment in which femininity, …

Leading The Temporary Workforce: Leadership Communication And Adaptation Among Seasonal Employees, Alfred Kwabena Obiri

Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal employees constitute an essential yet understudied workforce sustaining organizational operations during peak demand periods across industries. Despite the growing organizational reliance on temporary employees, organizational communication studies have primary focused on permanent employees with extended socialization periods, leaving important questions about how leadership communication operates in compressed timeframes inadequately addressed. This qualitative study examined how leadership communication practices shape seasonal employees’ adaptation, belonging, and morale within the temporal constraints characteristic of temporary employment. Drawing on organizational socialization theory, leader-member exchange theory and cultural dimensions, this study employed semi-structured interviews with 19 seasonal employees across hospitality, camp, retail, and education …

Understanding Interculturality And Enacting Culturally Based Pedagogies: A Mixed Methods Study Of In-Service World Language Educators In Secondary Classrooms, Heather L. Sandy

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the relationship between an understanding of interculturality and culturally based pedagogies among world language teachers. The study examined the relationship between language teachers’ upbringing, their development of intercultural competence, and their self-efficacy in culturally responsive teaching practices. It addressed a practical knowledge gap concerning the intersection of interculturality and culturally based practices, specifically among secondary education teachers of Spanish and Mandarin Chinese in the United States.

The data sources focused on the qualitative aspects of interculturality, culturally based teaching practices, and world language pedagogy, with quantitative results to enhance qualitative data. The qualitative data collection included …

Resources And Coping Strategies In Adverse Work Situations: A Person-Centered Approach, Chad Yagey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The resilience process model highlights an approach to how people mobilize their resources to cope and positively adapt in the face of adversity. Leveraging Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Work Home Resources Model (WHRM), I aim to uncover the extent to which resilience capacity (resources) and resilience enactment (coping) influence outcomes of resilience, offering one of the first empirical tests of the resilience process model. Specifically, COR theory posits that the more psychological resources someone has, the more successful they are in coping. I challenge this notion by examining whether specific profiles of the combination of resources available …

Adapting Dramaturgical Pedagogy Into A Practical Framework For Young Dramaturgs, Kirby Lee

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dramaturgy, while more established as practice in professional theatre, remains inconsistently applied and often underutilized in university theatre contexts. Despite its historical significance and continued evolution, some theatre companies and many academic institutions still struggle to clearly define or effectively integrate the dramaturg’s role. This thesis hopes to create a framework for novice dramaturgs by examining the origins and development of dramaturgy, analyzing its shifting functions in contemporary theatre, offering my own dramaturgical experiences through the lens of three quite different plays and finally, establishing basic principles of the discipline. Beyond its historical and professional contexts, this study investigates the …