Digital Commons Network^™

Identity, Knowledge, And Environmentalism: How The Media Can Affect The Politics Of Climate Change In The United States, Colette Polezonis '22

Honor Scholar Theses

This paper will examine how individual identities can affect both their news media preferences and their belief in climate change. Identity impacts what news sources an individual finds trustworthy, and therefore what news sources they read and watch. Identity also affects an individual’s belief that climate change is already happening, and that it is manmade. Media preferences can also shape those beliefs, based on the way they frame the same story, and what rhetoric is used within each frame. The media uses rhetoric and framing to influence individuals’ knowledge on particular topics, which impacts their voting behaviors. A person’s identity …

The Authenticity Of Body Positivity In The Media: A Comparative Analysis Of Four American-Owned Companies, Emma Mink

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Marketing strategies are changing how businesses sell their products. The body positivity movement is causing consumers to examine companies to determine if their intentions are authentic. Some of the ways consumers evaluate company authenticity include examining corporate social responsibility reports, types of advertising, or the brand-cause fit between the company and the body positivity movement. The author of this study followed two companies (Dove and Aerie) that are known for body positive advertising messages and two companies (Mattel/Barbie and Victoria Secret) that are known for promoting unrealistic body expectations. The author examined each companies’ mission statement, annual report, and types …

College Students’ Perception Of Law Enforcement, Joseph Lyon

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There are many ways that people can form an opinion about law enforcement even if they have had a personal interaction with someone who works in the field. This idea has always been interesting as there needs to be some type of understanding when it comes to this certain viewpoint. There can be many factors that result in having a certain perspective on law enforcement in general like their background growing up, hearsay from close relatives, friends, and whatever they have seen up close in person. This study is going to aim at a specific area of how people view …

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Civilian Response And Expectations, Celeste Nunez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

On October 14, 1962, an American U-2 spy plane flying over the island of Cuba discovered Soviet missiles being constructed. This discovery led President John F. Kennedy, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro into a thirteen-day negotiation period to remove the nuclear missiles from Cuba. During this time, the world was the closest it had ever been to nuclear destruction, causing stress and anxiety to many worldwide, especially the American populace, who believed they were invincible in a home front attack. Throughout this thesis, I aim to examine the Cuban Missile Crisis and nuclear fallout through the …

As Seen On Tv: Representation Of Women In Advertisements And The Effects On Women’S Self-Perceptions, Self-Objectification, And Self-Dehumanization, Kori Gearhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

When women are exposed to sexually objectifying advertisements, they experience many adverse effects such as increases in self-objectification and dehumanization of other women (Vaes, Paladino, and Puiva, 2011). Because these effects might be amplified by food advertisements in which the line between a woman’s body and a food item is non-discernible, we examined whether “women as consumable” advertisements lead women to implicitly self-dehumanize and experience reduced body satisfaction. Women (N=129) viewed a woman in hamburger advertisement. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, control condition (non-sexualized woman with a burger), sexualized condition (topless woman with burger), and edible …

“Effective Immediately”: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Reaction Of Mississippi Newspapers To 1969’S Alexander V. Holmes County Board Of Education Decision, Phoebe Waters

Honors Theses

This qualitative study analyzed articles from Mississippi newspapers in three regions. In North Mississippi, Greenville and Tupelo were surveyed. In Central Mississippi, Jackson, Meridian, and Natchez were surveyed. In South Mississippi, Hattiesburg, McComb, and Biloxi were surveyed. These newspapers were chosen as they were among the biggest in the state and reported either daily or weekly and would be able to provide a wide range of opinions. These newspapers were surveyed from October 30, 1969, through November 14, 1969, and headlines, editorials, and other opinion pieces were analyzed. This study analyzed articles in order to investigate what the media response, …

Media Bias In The Post-Covid Era, Allison Shinskey

Senior Honors Projects

Over just the last decade, news media has changed dramatically in every way one could think of in both their methods and principles. This is extremely evident in the way different companies put together material, choose language, and choose what to report on. As an aspiring journalist, I’ve noticed all of those subtle differences and understand how reporters can get away with coverage rooted in personal/corporate bias. This became even more evident to me post-COVID as the situation quickly turned political. The overarching question I aimed to answer with this project is: Has political and cultural bias affected the coverage …

Fostering Forgiveness Through The Reach Forgiveness Model To Dispel The Angry Black Woman Trope, Demetrius Tamantha Golden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For generations, the African American community has felt lingering reminders of the oppression of their ancestors. Consequently, this oppression may have inhibited forgiveness or the ability to forgive. Unforgiveness can be expressed in many forms, but most commonly as anger, bitterness, and rage. The American culture depicts the African American woman in the media as an “Angry Black Woman,” neglecting her existence as a pillar to her family and community and the stressors that accompany this role. Research is lacking around forgiveness models using the population of African American women. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the …

An Analysis Of Appearance-Based Assumptions In Content Creation, Emily Andersen

Honors Projects

The purpose of this project is to uncover assumptions and stereotypes held against college majors through content creation. Is it natural to stereotype and label people? Is it harmful? Most may think that is true, while others may believe that is being judgemental. Can others tell what major a student is by a first glance or a brief conversation? Is it the way they dress, their star sign, or political beliefs? These are all examples of stereotypes I believe could influence an assumption. What kind of thoughts goes into these stereotypes from a sociological perspective? Answers are discovered through a …

19th-Century Newspapers, Bringing War Home

Bringing War Home Collection

Newspapers from the 19th century include editions from 1821, 1862, 1864, and 1899. These American-made papers were mass-produced by the New York Tribune, Burk & Co, and The Semi Weekly Times. Participant ID_00016, Object ID_00040

Young Children’S Tv Show Preferences And Perceptions Of Women In Stem, Lauren Berck

Undergraduate Theses

Women are joining STEM fields at higher rates, yet the stereotype of math and science being for men is still reinforced to children by their parents, their teachers, and especially what they watch. Children tend to trust characters of their same gender and are more likely to retain the lessons from the characters they trust. Since most of the shows children watch tend to display gender stereotypes, especially the stereotype of men being good in STEM, children are likely to enforce these stereotypes. The increase of women in STEM has increased interest in STEM for girls, but boys still tend …

The Influence Of Right-Wing Media On Political Racialization, Alex Regan

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The rise of right-wing media in the United States begs the question of how it is impacting American political culture. The recently increasing rate of political polarization in the United States, specifically along racial lines, poses a potential issue for American democracy. Through comparative analysis of Fox News and their counterparts in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, this study seeks to address what specifically has caused Fox to be so successful in reproducing racial propaganda.

How Brazilians Used Media To Cope With The Issues Brought By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Vivian De Melo Campos

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced lockdown and quarantine restrictions that encouraged or forced people to stay home. Along with the rest of the world, Brazil faced many difficulties during this period and it became one of the countries that lost more lives due to the Coronavirus infection worldwide. This study focuses on showing how people in Brazil coped with the challenges brought by the pandemic. It also focuses on showing if and how participants used media as a coping mechanism. The research was done through qualitative methods with semi-structured interviews with 25 adults who were living in …

Come Close And Listen: Exploring The Intimacy Of Audio Media, Eleanor Kingwell Sharples Hoover

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to demonstrate the power of the audio medium to connect speaker and listener, as a result of the uniquely intimate nature of the medium. By understanding how speakers and listeners connect through audio, the research reveals that the audio medium is a sustainable media outlet, one that is durable despite changes in culture in the media market, that has transformed over time, all while keeping itself within the principal constraints of its original form, that being sound as conveyed to a listener. Three interviews were conducted with individuals situated in different areas of the audio media landscape; …

Vietnam And Family Photo Album, Bringing War Home

Bringing War Home Collection

Personal photos and envelopes. Made of paper and framed photograph in good, functional condition. Handmade in 1943-1987. Participant ID_00016, Object ID_00042

Hitler Biography - Unser Fuhrer, Bringing War Home

Bringing War Home Collection

Paperback Hitler Biography in good condition with missing components. It was made by Franz Successor in Munich, Germany, and mass-produced in 1939. Participant ID 00020, Object ID 00054.

Between Uniformity And Polarization: Women's Empowerment In The Public Press Of Gcc States, Henriette Muller, Christin Camia

All Works

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have increased their promotion of women in public life. The expansion of women's rights in these states functions as a central policy tool to stimulate modernization processes. This article investigates how the Gulf governments steer women's empowerment through the press. Regulated by the state, media outlets in GCC countries primarily serve to affirm and amplify the legitimacy of the government. Focusing on 15 English-language newspapers from 2008 to 2017, this article analyzes the degree to which women's empowerment in various arenas of society was addressed and the valence with which it was reported. Moreover, …

Integrating Objectification And Social Role Theories: A Proposed Framework For Analyzing Media Objectification Of Female Athletes, Isabella Clemens

Student Publications

Despite the tremendous strides that women have taken in terms of their participation in sports the representation they receive from the media is still lacking. In addition, when they do receive media attention research has found that female professional athletes are more likely to be seen and focused on their appearance rather than their success and capabilities. This is a trend that has been persistent in the sports world. This paper will provide a review of the research by looking at two theories, the objectivation theory, and the social role theory. These theories have helped explain the inequalities that women …

The Problem With Dissociative Identity Disorder In The Media: Misrepresentation, Or Inadequate Diagnostic Criteria?, Rebecca Cortez

Senior Theses

The highly popularized portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in mainstream media has often been dubbed inaccurate; blamed on misrepresentations, bad applications of the diagnostic criteria, and the tendency to sensationalize mental illness. Through the analysis of five different depictions of DID in film, I find that all five characters met the minimum criteria for diagnosis according to the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (2013). Some depictions of DID predate the publication date of the current diagnostic manual by over 50 years, portraying symptoms that are widely recognized today but were neither accepted nor identified back …

Bisexuality In 21st Century Media, Bethany Abrams

Audre Lorde Prize

This paper sets out to examine bisexuality in 21st century media in order to highlight the importance of good bisexual representation. Media that perpetuates harmful stereotypes only adds to the discrimination that bisexual individuals experience. This paper begins by discussing stereotypes and types of discrimination that are particularly relevant to the bisexual community. After this, pieces of media are analyzed thoroughly for how they portray bisexuality. The three main pieces that are analyzed are Alex Strangelove, Atypical, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. After analyzing each piece, the paper continues to examine audience reactions and discusses the implications of representing bisexuality …

Media Coverage Of Anthropogenic Climate Change: Analysis Of Coverage, Issues, And Implications For Public Engagement And Government Policy, Renee Farmer

Senior Honors Theses

Media coverage of climate change is responsible for shaping both public understanding and government policies regarding the environment. The public relies on the media to translate the oftentimes complex terminology, processes, and implications of environmental research and findings. Unfortunately, miscommunication frequently occurs as the media seek to bridge this knowledge gap, with implications including hostile public sentiment, failure to take necessary action, and ineffective or harmful governmental policies. This thesis will provide an overview of how the media cover climate change, including analyses of both poor and successful coverage of issues, identification of risks and reoccurring problems present in media …

Grey’S Anatomy And End Of Life Ethics, Sean Micheal Swenson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, I analyze three episodes of the prime-time television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy to explore how the show stages conversations of end of life. I extend the work of end of life ethicists with attention to the ways that media may/should/could be used to teach and reflect issues of dying in America. Performing a close textual analysis, I identified two modes of storytelling within the structure of these episodes: Documentary Realism and Melodrama. I argue that if we are to understand medical dramas as a tool for the dissemination of information about end of life ethics, we …

Testing The Protest Paradigm And Racial Threat: Analyzing Articles Of Blm Protests In 2014 And 2020, Rebecca Angela Ruiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the media coverage of Black Lives Matter protest in years 2014 & 2020. I collected a sample of articles (n=120) from 6 national-level media outlets that varied in political leans. Using the Protest Paradigm and Racial Threat theoretical frameworks to analyze the results, findings suggest that the articles do reflect upon the Protest Paradigm through overall negative sentiment and significant references to looting. I also argue that articles may also reflect racial threat due to a lack of transparency of protesters’ racial makeup or diversity attending demonstrations.

Nationalistic Media Obsession With Olympic Medal Counts: The Case Of The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Steve Dittmore, Kibaek Kim

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Because Olympic medals are awarded to athletes representing an individual National Olympic Committee, it is natural for the media, and even the International Olympic Committee, to create a table indicating which nation has experienced the most athletic success. Problems, and even disagreements, arise when nations utilize different methods to count medals. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, contested in 2021, provided a unique opportunity to observe how media organizations create a narrative around medal tables. American media outlets preferred to consistently show the United States at the top of the medal standings even though China had more gold medals for much …

Autism_Media_Social Justice (Editors' Introduction), Miranda J. Brady, Kelly Fritsch, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg, Kennedy L. Ryan

Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Native American Women's Standpoint: Narratives About Identity, Kaitlyn Nicole Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the lived experiences of Native American women and possible reasons why they perceive themselves in the way that they do. Female participants (N=10) were asked to share about their lives for approximately an hour each. Participants were encouraged to discuss their Native American heritage as well as their opinions on Media. Participants' views on media were varied. However, many participants felt that they were more connected to the earth than their White counterparts were As many Native American women have grown up living in a White-dominant world, this may affect how they perceive themselves.

KEYWORDS: Native …

Exploring Ghanaian Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health (Srh) Information Source(S): A Qualitative Approach, Daniel Edem Adzovie, Rita Holm Adzovie

The Qualitative Report

Adolescents require information on several issues including sexual and reproductive health (SRH), which most of them receive from numerous sources. The study explored the kinds of SRH information sources adolescents in Ghana are exposed to and the source(s) which serve as their trusted one(s) vis-à-vis reasons given for trusting their sources. Using the Qualitative method of inquiry, the authors employed purposive and snowball sampling techniques to sample and interview twenty-one (n=21) adolescents (female and male) of the university of Cape Coast, Ghana. Results revealed that parents, especially mothers, are the most trusted sources of SRH information to adolescents in Ghana. …

"They Will Change The Situation Immediately": Perpetrator Subgroups And Germany's Genocidal Practices In Southwest Africa, James Michael Thaxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The genocide of the Herero tribe in German Southwest Africa illuminates the horrors of colonialism broadly and of German settler colonialism more specifically. I contend that the perpetrators of this event can be separated into two broad subgroups, the Old Africans and the Metropole Soldiers, distinguished by their intentions, exploitative and exterminatory respectively, concerning the indigenous tribes. Those intentions were formed over varying lengths of time but are the result of either firsthand experience with the racial hierarchy in the colony or relying on information and misinformation relayed to the metropole. Utilizing primarily letters, diaries, journals, and postcards, I argue …

Understanding The Effect Of News Media And Social Media On First Responders, Jane M. Tucker, Michele P. Bratina, Briana Caprio

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Over the last twenty years, technological advances have created the opportunity to disseminate information to millions of end users within seconds. Empirical studies have indicated that this engagement with technology (particularly through social networking sites) has an influence on individual stress. Terms such as “technostress” and “social networking stress” have been invented to describe these conditions. Most studies, however, have not taken into consideration the occupation of the user. The current study investigates the influence of media, news media and social media, on first responders (firefighters, emergency medical personnel, police officers, dispatchers) and their self-reported stress levels. Findings from completed …

No Justice, No Peace: An Examination Of The Conditions Of The George Floyd Protests To Determine How To Facilitate Successful State Legislative Outcomes, Emily R. Funk

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This thesis examines the relationship between the conditions of the George Floyd protests from May to August of 2020 to the impact they had state on policing reforms within state legislatures. I examine protests in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, looking at those protests’ size, media coverage, and violence and compare that to the degree of policy change achieved within each state. I find that, contrary to expectations, protest size was not associated with policy change, but that the party control of the state government was a strong predictor of how states responded to protests. Within some …