Digital Commons Network^™

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Qualitative Study Of Educator Perceptions Regarding Its Role And Significance In An Educational Setting, Clyde Eugene Hughley

Student Theses and Dissertations

A culturally-based pedagogy is an often cited and often neglected need in American schools. This neglect has contributed to academic failure and social distress in many of or minority youth, which affects communities throughout America. The problem addressed in this study was how to address the academic needs those students who are of a different social, cultural and ethnic consideration than that the “majority” of American school students. The researcher interviewed 11 secondary educators. Two research questions were explored: The first research question explored the perceptions and experiences of secondary educators regarding advantages and effective strategies for incorporating Culturally Responsive …

Decolonizing Memory And Examining The Naga Identity In The Works Of Easterine Kire, Paloma Chaterji

Kritika Kultura

Colonization can be twofold: external and internal. For a socio-geographic space like Nagaland, a state in the Northeast of India, colonialism has presented itself through Britain, and even India itself; these multiple faces of colonialism have influenced and destabilized this hilly state. It was the British who had the maximum influence on Nagaland. India, even after its independence from the British in 1947, implemented certain strategies that smelt of British imperialism, whichultimately affected Nagaland and Northeast India as a whole. Thus, referencing the novels by the Naga woman writer, Easterine Kire, namely, Sky is My Father: A Naga Village Remembered …

We Are The Cemetery Of Talents: Amazigh Reality In The Anti Atlas, Morgan Lee

Morocco: Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation

This paper seeks to explore a dynamic in which the Amazigh people of the Anti-Atlas Mountains are forced to decide between stability and success at the expense of their cultural identity. The Imazighen are deeply prideful of their culture and history. But in Morocco, being Amazigh often comes with burdens that disproportionately encumber this culture when compared to general Moroccan society. I will discuss literature on linguistic dynamics with the Tamazight language, literature regarding Amazigh art, and Pan-Africanist literature in order to gain a well-rounded insight into the Amazigh situation. I will then synthesize this information, along with some of …

Transporting Hbcu Students To Morocco Through Films: Action Research And Reflection On A Piloted Course, Roger W. Anderson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Muzibogun Pragmatics, Serena Parra, Maurissio Gonzalez, Renee Alonzo, Cj Spears

Team - Muzibogun - Documents

This shows how and when certain language elements and politeness strategies are used.

Cultural Relativism In Global Pr Ethics: A Thematic Analysis Of Pr Ethics Codes And Development Of A Cultural Assessment Tool, Amaia Ham

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

As public relations becomes increasingly more global, it is valuable to learn whether the regulations and codes proposed by international organizations address cultural differences. Presently, there is a division within international public relations research on whether ethical codes can be universal or require a relativist framework. This study contributes to the conversation in two phases. Phase One consists of a thematic analysis of a leading global public relations network, the International Public Relations Association, to study its ability to balance collectivist and individualistic values within the code of ethics it provides to its global members. Additionally, codes from four associations …

Shared Culture In Intimate Relationships, Jackelyn Castaneda

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Almost everyone identifies with some kind of culture and the definition often varies among researchers and disciplines of the field. Culture has an influence on every aspect of one’s everyday life, including the role it plays in close relationships. Although intimate relationships and culture have been widely explored in psychological research, limited studies have explored how these two factors may go hand in hand in creating what may be a newer concept, a mini-culture (smaller, unique cultural groups that develop within larger societies or organizations). The purpose of this study was to explore how this awareness of culture sharing and …

The Sustainability Stones: Culturally Embedded Conservation Strategies And Their Vulnerability In Maupiti, French Polynesia, Russell Fielding, Fiona Gimenez

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper explores culturally embedded conservation strategies through the lens of the traditional agroforestry and fisheries cycles in Maupiti, French Polynesia. By pairing certain breadfruit cultivars with specific fish species, the island’s community created a culinary system that regulates the seasonal consumption of marine resources, making the sustainable use of those resources more likely. While modern pressures such as reduced breadfruit diversity, competition with imported foods, and climate change have weakened these traditional practices, they remain an example of local ecological knowledge guiding conservation. The study highlights the threat of losing sustainable resource-use practices and biodiversity as both biodiversity and …

The Future Of Ai: Join The Conversation, Jennifer Wojton, Cassandra Branham, Vijay Tummala, Laxima Niure Kandel, Kayla D. Taylor

Publications

Join the Conversation! The Future is AI? There is so much conflicting information about what AI is capable of, how it could/should be used, by whom and for what purpose. In this panel discussion, we hope to provide a baseline of information that will help all participants think critically and articulate thoughtful questions about the mechanics of AI, ethical use or non-use of AI in particular contexts (school, industry, business, art, etc.), and the impacts we are currently experiencing or are likely to experience. Hear from ERAU faculty of different disciplines to discuss what the current state of AI technology …

The Melanesian Triad Of Unity, Ibrahim Peyon

Antropologi Indonesia

In the Melanesian worldview, humans, land, waters, plants, animals and the entire universe were created by the Creator God, and this is the essence of the original religions in Melanesia. This paper investigates this basic Melanesian philosophy, which is called the Melanesian Triad of Unity here. Oneness denotes God the Creator as the core entity, the parts of his body constituting all beings and the universe. The three principles are 1) one nation, 2) one soul and one spirit, and 3) one land and nature. All the elements are composed naturally in these three principles. As argued in this paper, …

Demonstrating A Free Listing Data Collection Approach To Cultural Instruction, Gregory De La Piedra

Dimensions

Free listing tasks are a common data collection method used by cultural anthropologists, language historians and linguists (Nolan, 2002; Ryan et al., 2000; Weller & Romney, 1988; Wolfram & Schillings-Estes, 1998). These tasks are interviews in which a researcher asks groups of respondents to list words or expressions that come to mind for a given cultural topic. This study focused on a free listing task collected from working class Mexicans about fiestas y celebraciones [parties and celebrations]. Although this topic is routinely included in second language (L2) teaching materials, common terms or slang used by Spanish speaking populations that U.S. …

Deutscher Patriotismus?: Lesson Plan For Exploring German Patriotism, Janelle Carter

World Languages and Cultures Activities and Assignments

Objectives:

• Compare and contrast the differences in expressing patriotism between the US and Germany
• Introduction to the involvement soccer has in Germany’s culture, even for non-soccer fans

Gay Rodeos, Western Wear, And Unresolved Tensions In 21st-Century North America Cowboy Culture And Esthetics, Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Malena Silva

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

In the 1970s, activists founded the International Gay Rodeo Association in the North American Midwest, disrupting traditional heteronormative and hypermasculine norms within cowboy culture. In this research, we critically analyze the intersections of cowboy manifestations and twenty-first century LGBTQ+ communities in North American queer cowboy portrayals via the gay rodeo. Specifically, we examine how the gay rodeo creates space for LGBTQ+ style, fashion, and dress embodiments in relation to the longstanding, heteronormative Wild West hero of the late 1800s. We analyzed two types of primary sources: the 2014 film Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo and …

Boba Tea Shops And Identity: Exploration Of Boba Shops Among College Students In Greater Orlando, Naydelin Karime Trejo Vega

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores the cultural and social significance of boba tea shops among college students aged 18 to 26 in Greater Orlando. Although many people view boba tea as a trendy drink, this study treats it as a meaningful part of some students’ daily lives, identity formation, and sense of belonging. Through a multi-method approach that includes participant observation, surveys, and semi-structured interviews, I examine what motivates college students to purchase boba tea and how boba shops impact their identity and sense of belonging. I conducted fieldwork at three different boba tea shops in Greater Orlando—two franchises and one locally …

Layers Of Influence: Examining Teacher Experiences In The Selection And Implementation Of Multicultural Texts In Secondary English, Marine Feron Leabeater

Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D.) Dissertations

This qualitative collective case study explored high school English teachers’ experiences selecting, planning with, and teaching using multicultural texts. Existing research highlights the benefits of culturally centered theories and models of teaching, and high school English teachers’ first-hand experiences in navigating the systems within which they work while implementing these practices provide valuable first-hand accounts to contribute to research. This study focused on the experiences of high school English teachers as they selected, planned with, and taught using multicultural texts within their complex layers of influence, framed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. In semi-structured interviews, teacher participants shared their lived …

Vamos A Pláticar Sobre Nuestra Historia: De Mi Relación Con Mi Familia Al Éxito, Ana K. Pizano

Dissertations of Practice

This plática qualitative study explored how family engagement influences the college experiences of Latino/a/x students at a two-year public community college in the Midwest. This research was guided by Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model to help provide insights into how familial capital assists in navigating the college journey for Latino/a/x students using an asset-based perspective. This research aimed to help better understand the lived experiences of Latino/a/x students and their families at the 2-year Midwest public community college and to challenge the deficit-oriented views of Latino/a/x family engagement in Western culture through the sharing of Latino/a/x students' and families’ stories. …

Powering Understanding: Cultural Underpinnings Of U.S.-China Competition In The Green Energy Transition, Bryan J. Soh

CMC Senior Theses

Rejecting the structural determinism of contemporary IR theories that neglect diverging epistemic predispositions in different states, this paper traces the cultural rationalization of green transition policies in the U.S. and China, thereby paving a way towards a positive understanding of how bilateral climate diplomacy can be better adapted for cooperation, rather than antagonistic competition, on an issue that transcends borders.

Second Generation Immigrants In Higher Education: Experiences In Selective Liberal Arts Contexts, Brenna Paxton

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the educational experiences of second-generation students at a selective, predominantly white liberal arts institution, in order to better understand what types of factors and practices contribute to their success, and how successful educational trajectories intersect with racial, ethnic, cultural and gender identities. To explore this, hour-long interviews were conducted, diving deeper into the educational experiences of second generation immigrants, also considering the lives of previous generations such as parents and grandparents. Interviews were transcribed and coded, uncovering patterns and themes that existed across participants’ experiences. Findings revealed that second generation immigrants at …

“We Understand Each Other, Then”: Binaries At Play In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Christopher P. Jolivette

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

As the United States grappled with the fallout of the September 11th terrorist attacks, another, subtler conundrum was arising. As Mohsin Hamid writes in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, a chasm of difference arose between the First World and the Third. In Derridian terms, the United States grew to center itself, forming its own complete national identity that defied the Third World's cultural realm. In his writing, Hamid viciously attacks this deepening realm of cultural difference by taking aim at the violent domineering and heteronormative American culture whose imposition in the Middle East served to severe any ties between the two cultures. …

Metaphoric Sense Developments In The Names Of Places Of Worship In Contemporary American English, John G. Newman, Sylwester Łodej

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This paper offers an account of the metaphorical extension of the names of religious houses of worship such as temple, church, mosque, and synagogue in contemporary American English, reflecting processes of linguistic secularization. Using data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), the study investigates how the meanings of religious terms enter into secular domains, signalling shifts in societal perceptions of religious experience. The findings show that temple and church frequently undergo metaphorization, appearing in phrases like temple of learning and church of football, where non-religious modifiers drive semantic extension. These terms increasingly denote secular places characterized by human …

Trust In Ephemeral Content In Social Media Platforms: A Mixed-Method Approach Examining Online Users’ Privacy Concerns In The Case Of Snapchat, Ream Al-Ghamdi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigated privacy management practices on ephemeral social media platforms, with a particular focus on Snapchat, Yik Yak, and Instagram Reels. It utilized a mixed-method approach, integrating an analysis of privacy policy terms with empirical data obtained through a quantitative survey of 346 US university students, including Saudi students studying in the United States and their American counterparts, as well as qualitative insights from in-depth interviews. Privacy policies were systematically evaluated across critical dimensions, including first-party data collection, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, data retention practices, and compliance with international regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and Saudi Arabia's …

Stop Shying Away From Race: Black Americans’ Cultural Models For Shyness, Carrie Zack

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored how African American adults understand and experience shyness, with particular attention to the influence of race and racism. While most psychological research on shyness has largely centered white experiences and treated race as a peripheral variable, this study applied Critical Race Theory and Cultural Model Theory to investigate whether Black Americans share a cultural model for shyness. Using semi-structured interviews with sixteen African American adults, the study sought to uncover shared mental frameworks that guide interpretations of shy behavior, especially in contexts involving unfamiliarity or potential negative evaluation.

Contrary to expectations, the findings did not support the …

Teaching Cuba In Georgia Today, Eric Kartchner

The Coastal Review

This essay details a college professor's approach to teaching a course on Cuban history and culture. The professor's pedagogical choices were influenced by Ada Ferrer's book, Cuba: An American History, and José Antonio Bowen's work on fostering independent thinking. The syllabus covered pre-Columbian Cuba, Spanish rule, the wars of independence, the Castro era, and significant cultural aspects like music and religion. The course emphasized multiple perspectives and encouraged student-led research, challenging preconceived notions about Cuba's complex relationship with the United States. The professor aimed to promote critical thinking and understanding through student-driven inquiry.

Ideas Of The "Russian World" And Ukraine: Value Epicrises On The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Under The Moscow Patriarchate, Oleksandr Brodetskyi, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Against the background of the identity, jurisdictional, and institutional crossroads in which contemporary Ukrainian Orthodoxy finds itself, the authors analyze the mental, value-related, and personal (linked to the “human factor”) influences in Ukraine of the destructive and militant ideology of the “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir), as well as the degree of involvement of leading functionaries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the dissemination of these influences.

The article reveals the mechanisms of the corrosion of spirituality among the ecclesiastical elites of Russia and their satellites in Ukraine. This corrosion is manifested in the substitution of the Church’s …

Centering Culture In Special Education: Building Effective Student-Teacher Relationships Through Culturally Relevant Care, Vincent Patrick Fortunato

Theses & Dissertations

Current research underscores the significant role that positive teacher-student relationships play in a student's academic success. A strong, supportive connection with a teacher can enhance student learning, motivation, and social-emotional development. Teachers who cultivate these relationships tend to foster deeper learning, improved engagement, and a greater sense of support, making students feel valued and understood. In the context of special education, relationship-building with students requires special consideration due to the unique challenges presented by communication barriers, behavioral issues, teacher perceptions, and the diverse needs within the classroom. In this study, I aim to explore how secondary special education teachers perceive …

Agency And Identity Crisis In Diasporic Experience: A Study Of Dinaw Mengestu’S The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Phatik Prasad Poudyal

Critical Humanities

This paper examines agency and identity crisis in Dinaw Mengestu’s The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, focusing on protagonist Sepha Stephanos' diasporic experience as an Ethiopian refugee in the United States. Against the backdrop of trauma and socio-economic vulnerability, Sepha's struggle to navigate a new cultural landscape reveals the complexities of diasporic identity formation. Through a theoretical lens encompassing concepts of agency and identity discourse, the study analyzes Sepha's inability to exert agency in shaping his destiny, as influenced by his diasporic status and past trauma. Drawing on scholars such as William H. Sewel and Stuart Hall, the paper explores …

New Trends In The Study Of Haredi Culture And Society, David N. Myers, Nechumi Malovicki-Yaffe

The Jewish Role in American Life: An Annual Review

Who are Haredim? And why are they the source of both increasing attention and continuing misunderstanding? New Trends in the Study of Haredi Culture and Society draws on the innovative research of leading scholars from a variety of disciplines—including history, religious studies, demography, linguistics, and geography—to trace the growing prominence of Haredi (often called ultra-Orthodox) Jews in Jewish life. Haredi Jews are committed to preserving a measure of segregation from the rest of society consistent with the guiding principles of their forebears; yet increasingly, they are appearing more visibly and assertively in public spaces. Demographic analysis suggests that they will …

Translating A Culture: How Subtitles In Popular Tv Shows Friends And La Que Se Avecina (The One That Looms) Maintain National Culture Within Translations, Abigail Lamkin

Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to determine the best ways for comedy-based TV shows to be translated so their cultural significance can be maintained while also becoming a piece of media that is enjoyed across linguistic barriers. Data was gathered from the TV shows Friends and La que se avecina and analyzed through comparison with one another. Analysis reveals both shows use unique techniques as a result of the specific challenges subtitle translators faced for the shows, but in general, focusing on one aspect of the translation over another would prevent the audience from enjoying the show. Friends's translations rely on …

Cultural And Social Aspects Of Anxiety Disorders, Lindsay E. Holly

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.