Digital Commons Network^™

Approaching Social Cohesion And Social Progress From A Systems Perspective: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, Melissa Kimmel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Social cohesion plays an important role in supporting stable, equitable, and resilient societies. Growing social division and polarization have weakened collective trust and challenged progress in many nations. Understanding how social cohesion can be strengthened has become increasingly important as societies face rising inequality, political partisanship, and declining institutional legitimacy. This study examines how social cohesion can function as a systemic driver of social progress through the example of Canada’s Multiculturalism Act. The Act provides a lens for understanding how national policy can serve as a way to strengthen inclusion, equality, and belonging within diverse societies. This study utilizes a …

Through The Eyes Of A Daughter: Blues City Cultural Center And The Black Arts Movement, Ayana Williams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This creative dissertation examines the Blues City Cultural Center (BCCC) as a living continuation of the Black Arts Movement in the American South. Founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1979 by Deborah Frazier and Levi Frazier, Jr., BCCC emerged from the cultural and political momentum of the Black Arts and Black Power Movements and continues to sustain their principles through original theater, community-based arts education, and grassroots cultural organizing. Challenging the notion that the Black Arts Movement is a concluded historical period, this study argues that the movement remains ongoing, adaptive, and deeply embedded within Southern Black communities. Using a creative …

Music And Language Arts Integration And Its Impact On Reading Comprehension: A Social Action Research Study, Felisha L. Coady

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This action research study examines the interconnectedness of music and language arts, specifically focusing on reading comprehension. In this study, a program called Music Connections was developed and used as a pilot to improve reading comprehension skills in primary education. The targeted population of the Music Connections program was 30 third-grade students in an inner-city school in Ohio. After six weeks of reteaching concepts through the Music Connections program, students were given a second interim with these concepts to show results and mastery. Data from this study showed that students who participated in the Music Connections program (Group A) grew …

Righteous Defenders And Evil Challengers: The Morally Polarized Battle For Books On Reddit, Erika Casburn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The issue of book bans has moved to the forefront of public and political debate over the past few years. Anti-censorship advocates who defend against these challenges have yet to be studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and worldviews as expressed by those defenders in a public forum—Reddit. Data in the form of Reddit threads was collected from subreddits belonging to states that have seen the greatest number of book challenges. This data was subjected to discourse analysis, first manually, then by qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA). Analysis revealed that defenders spent a majority of discursive …

The Efficacy Of International Conflict Feminism In Postconflict Peacebuilding: Learning From The Lived Experiences Of Liberian Women Through A Decolonial Lens, Kristen N. Mcnutt

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Focusing on Liberia, this study investigates the efficacy of governance feminism (GF) and international conflict feminism (ICF) in postconflict liberal peacebuilding, specifically analyzing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda to reveal critical gaps between policy narratives and the lived realities of Liberian women. Grounded in decolonial feminism and the coloniality of gender and peace frameworks, the research integrates ideographic narrative analysis of UN Women and Liberian government policy reports, a day-in-the-life study with 13 Liberian women, and surveys and interviews with multilevel actors across international organizations, government, and grassroots organizations, guided by …

Against Audiepistemic Injustice: Claiming Deaf Futurity, Pamela R. Conley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation proposes a new theoretical framework: Audiepistemic Injustice (AEI). Expanding upon existing theories of epistemic injustice (EI), I identify AEI as the systemic marginalization and dismissal of deaf ways of knowing. AEI is a multidimensional phenomenon rooted in the nineteenth century, when auditory and linguistic biases became codified across education, law, and literature. This interdisciplinary study interrogates three nineteenth-century literary narratives as primary case studies to examine AEI: (1) Ivan Turgenev’s “Mumu,” (2) Guy de Maupassant’s “The Deaf Mute,” and (3) Abigail Bradley Hyde’s “The Deaf and Dumb Child: A True Narrative.” I synthesize these literary works with legal …

The Journey To Generative Conflict: An Action Research Study In A Community Action Agency, Maya Townsend

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Countries around the world face unprecedented levels of polarization and discontent, creating conditions that encourage organizational conflict as employees replicate patterns present within the environment. Organizational conflict can be a source of anxiety, a distraction from work, and an impediment to innovation, sound decision making, and quality outcomes. However, conflict need not be destructive. With that background, this dissertation is guided by the following primary research question: How can an organization develop a generative conflict culture that strengthens relationships and contributes to positive outcomes? The single-case study follows one community action agency as it seeks to develop and implement more …

Do You See What I Hear?: The Effects Of Musical Harmony On Cultural Perception And Recognition, Marvin Martin Williams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores whether listeners can identify the differences in harmonic progressions in a musical composition, and, if so, whether those differences can elicit a cultural or social perception of the origins of the music. By investigating how audiences respond to variations in harmony, specifically traditional versus altered harmonic treatments, the research offers a framework for music producers, educators, healthcare providers, and other cultural gatekeepers to better understand and engage with audiences on an empathetic and meaningful level. The underlying hypothesis posits that harmony in music does more than evoke emotion but may inform a cultural interpretation, thus presenting an …

From Margin To Mandate: Examining Community Development Strategies That Support Black Lgbtq+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Martel Okonji

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Black LGBTQ+ transitional-aged youth (TAY) experiencing homelessness navigate intersecting systems of marginalization that shape their access to safety and stability. While community development organizations play a critical role in addressing these inequities, limited research examines how these strategies are implemented. This study explored how a community development organization supports Black LGBTQ+ TAY experiencing homelessness. Using a qualitative single case study design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with leadership, staff, and youth, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Grounded in community development theory and ethical leadership, the study examined how organizational practices shape outcomes. Findings revealed an affirming, relational approach centered …

Navigating An Uncharted Path: Chief Diversity Officer Challenges In Creating And Implementing A Dei Strategy Plan Within Major Hospital Systems, Diane Shines Mcdaniel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the major challenges Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) face when creating and implementing DEI strategy plans within major hospital systems in the United States. The study was guided by one research question: What are the major challenges that Chief Diversity Officers face in creating and implementing a DEI strategy plan within major U.S. hospital systems? A phenomenological design was used to examine the challenges of six Chief Diversity Officers serving in major U.S. hospitals as they led DEI strategy planning and implementation. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews consisting of eight open-ended questions designed to elicit …

Hospitality As A Philosophy Of Care, Freddy Clark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines hospitality as a philosophy of care and a practice of social justice, particularly within marginalized communities. While hospitality is often understood as a gesture of kindness or a function of the service industry, this research reframes it as an ethical and relational practice grounded in human dignity, mutuality, and community formation. It explores how hospitality extends beyond transactional exchanges to become a transformative expression of care that challenges exclusion and affirms belonging. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks, the study integrates biblical narratives, including the Good Samaritan and Matthew 25:35–40, philosophical perspectives from Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, and …

Good News For The Poor And More: Reclaiming Martin Luther King, Jr.'S Radical Gospel Of Economic Justice In Pursuit Of The Beloved Community, Lester A. Mccorn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation, Good News for the Poor and More: Reclaiming Martin Luther King Jr.’s Radical Gospel of Economic Justice in Pursuit of the Beloved Community, argues that Martin Luther King Jr.—one of the most transformational American leaders of the 20th century—should be best understood as a central figure within the Black Social Gospel tradition whose rhetoric constitutes a sustained socio-political and theological critique of economic injustice. Moving beyond interpretations that limit King to racial integration and civil rights, this study demonstrates that his preaching confronts the structural realities of poverty, racial capitalism, and militarism as interrelated forms of systemic …

Exploring The Principles And Values Of Co-Operative Economics And Sustainability To Inform Positive Solutions With Communities Impacted By Incarceration, Mary A. Sutton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The United States incarcerates more people than any other country. Each month, tens of thousands of people across the country are released from prison or jail. Most return to communities that are economically, socially, and environmentally disenfranchised. The cycling of targeted populations in and out of the carceral system has imposed devastating consequences and inequities on poor Black and Brown communities, consequences that will reverberate for generations. The literature indicates a need for a critical sustainability assessment tool to examine incarceration policies and measure their real impacts on individuals, families, and communities. There is a need for sustainable solutions to …

Understanding The Workplace Belonging Puzzle: An Ecosystem Approach To A Better Future Of Work, Surabhi Lal

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The need to belong is deeply human. Today’s workplaces advertise “cultures of belonging,” but what is workplace belonging? Could remote and hybrid workplaces provide an opportunity for connection and belonging? How are employees experiencing belonging at work, and what are the people around them doing to contribute to their experience of workplace belonging? Weaving together concepts from humanistic management, positive organizational scholarship, and critical theory, this phenomenological study examines how middle managers at B Corp organizations who are working in hybrid and remote arrangements experience belonging, and the actions and behaviors that contribute to workplace belonging. Belonging has been studied …

She Leads: A Phenomenological Study Of Women's Leadership Experiences In Nonprofit Organizations, Trisha W. Lee

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Women comprise a significant portion of the nonprofit sector workforce but are underrepresented in leadership, particularly among executives in larger revenue nonprofit organizations (NPOs). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of women who led large, local NPOs (those with annual revenues between $1 million and $5 million) in Ohio. Addressing a gap in understanding the intersection of gender and leadership in large revenue NPOs, this research compared women who were founders of their NPOs with women who ascended to leadership in established organizations. Did founding one’s own NPO provide an advantage in leading it once it grew? How did …

Weaving Leadership: A Participatory Narrative Inquiry Into Alaska Native Women’S' Relational And Intersectional Leadership, Aleesha Ikayuk Towns-Bain

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Alaska Native women have long supported their families, Tribes, and communities through leadership that is relational, adaptive, and rooted in Indigenous cultural values. In recent years, Alaska Native women have assumed significant leadership roles within a diverse range of Western sectors—including government, business, higher education, and nonprofits—while maintaining roles as critical culture holders and community builders. Despite their contributions, the leadership experiences of these women are poorly understood in both leadership practice and scholarship. The purpose of this research project was to explore how Alaska Native women make meaning of their leadership experiences through Indigenous relational values and at the …

Digital Griots Playing Lottery Tickets: A Study Of Hip Hop And Social Transformation In Ghana's #Fixthecountry Movement, Jaime M. Kowlessar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On June 28, 2021, activist Ibrahim Mohammed (Macho Kaaka) was murdered in Ejura, Ghana, after using social media to criticize government failures. When protesters demanding justice were shot by security forces, politically engaged Ghanaian hip hop artists refused silence, contributing to Ghana’s #FixTheCountry movement—the nation’s largest youth mobilization in a generation. Yet scholarly debates about how hip hop contributes to social change remain unresolved, divided between those celebrating its activist potential and those critiquing its limitations. This dissertation introduces the lottery ticket theory as an alternative framework for understanding cultural activism’s relationship to political transformation. Rather than asking whether hip …

Fundamentals Of Speech, Steelman Library, David Yates

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of Speech, Steelman Library, David Yates

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

“America Is For Americans Only”: Journalistic Professionalism, Populism, And Latino Ethnic Media In The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Maria Villarroel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how journalistic professionalism shaped news coverage of Latino-related issues during the 2024 U.S. presidential election across mainstream and Latino ethnic media outlets. In a polarized political environment, immigration and the “Latino vote” were not only central campaign issues but also sites of radicalized rhetoric that frequently targeted Latino communities and journalists. In this context, journalists were tasked with reporting on highly contentious, hostile narratives while adhering to professional norms. This study argues that these norms influenced how journalists selected, framed, and contextualized political rhetoric, and how media coverage further elevated immigration and Latino communities as key electoral …

Active Irb Approved Nursing Research Studies In 2026, Brooke Randol Msn, Rn, Agcns-Bc, Cmsrn, Cws, Kellie Girardot Msn, Rn, Sarah Cook Msn, Rn, Andrea D. Conley Msn, Rn, Agcns-Bc, Mscrn, Jan Powers Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Cheryl Rockwell Edd, Msn, Rn, Npd-Bc, Ccrn, Elicia Slater Msn,Rn, Cenp, Cori Mckenzie Msw,Ba, Angela Russ Russ Msn, Rn, Rnc-Mnn, Ibclc, Julie Otte Phd, Lindy Bilimek Msn, Agcns-Bc

Nursing Active Studies

Assessment of a Connected-Health, Pressure Monitoring Technology for Improving Clinical Outcomes of Compression Therapy in the Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers 
PI: Brooke Randol MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, CWS, CMSRN 
  The Evaluation of the Elevate™ Turning Wedges Compared to Standard Practice to Maintain a Lateral Side Lying Position 
PI: Kellie Girardot MSN, RN, AG-CNS-BC, TCRN ; Sarah Cook MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, OCN    A Quantitative Pilot Study to Assess the Effect of a Weighted Blanket Intervention for Anxiety Reduction on Patients in Medical Units 
PI: Andrea D. Conley, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, MSCRN    Assessment of Nurse Perceptions Related to Shared Governance Culture 
PI: …

Evops: Evolutionary Patch Selection In The Embedding Space Of Whole Slide Images, Saya Hashemian

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Computational pathology increasingly relies on the analysis of Whole-Slide Images (WSIs), which capture tissue specimens at gigapixel resolution. Because a single slide is far too large to process directly, the

prevailing paradigm decomposes each WSI into thousands of small patches and encodes them as high- dimensional feature embeddings using deep learning backbones. While effective, this paradigm carries a

substantial cost: the resulting collections of patch embeddings are computationally expensive to store and process, and they are frequently dominated by redundant, homogeneous, or otherwise uninformative tissue regions that dilute the diagnostic signal. Existing patch selection methods largely depend on heuristic or …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Hospitalized With Respiratory Viral Infections, Zulfiqar A Lokhandwala, Brenna Park-Egan, Ravneet Waraich, Colleen A Mcevoy, Andrew P Michelson, Alice F Bewley, Lynne Strasfeld, Rachel Cook, Brandon Hayes-Lattin, Catherine L Hough, Patrick G Lyons

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viral infections in patients with hematologic malignancies or hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HCTs) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, the hospital presentations and courses of these infections remain under-described.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancy or HCT at 2 comprehensive cancer centers between January 2019 and June 2023. We included all patients with acute viral respiratory infection (identified based on a constellation of test results and objective physiology), comparing clinical presentations, care processes, and patient outcomes across pathogens; the primary outcome was the composite of hospital death or …

Reframing Faces: Brief Cognitive Restructuring And Emotion Recognition In Depression, Disha Sharma

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Heidegger And Eco-Anxiety: Constructing Ways To Deal With Eco-Anxiety Through Interpretations Of Heidegger, Leif Gajkowski

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Patterns Of Tick Abundance Along Trail Edges And Paths In A Restored Prairie Complex, Mackenzie Milbourn

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Librarians' Hopes And Fears: Perspectives On Emerging Technologies In Library Works, Oghap Kim

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Commemoration Within Palestinian Refugee Camps: Knowledge Production And External Influence In Lebanon, Hope Lee

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Volatility Dynamics Across Market Capitalization Segments In Vietnam: Evidence From Arima, Garch, And Machine Learning Models, Ta Duy Long

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Women Redefining Leadership In Sport, Violet Mitchell

Student Scholarship

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