Digital Commons Network^™

“But Because We Are Christian”: The Exploration Of Communication Frames And Identity Negotiation Among African Immigrants And Black Americans In A Multicultural Church, Hawa Diakite

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative thesis examines identity negotiation and communication frames used among African immigrants and Black Americans who attend a multicultural church. Exploring the intersection of identity, race, and faith among African immigrants and Black Americans is valuable towards understanding the dynamics of their relationship in the context of Christian communities in the United States. As African Christian immigrants navigate the complexities of racial realities in the United States, their faith can serve as a safe place that shapes their sense of self and community belonging. Similarly, many Black Americans historically have drawn upon their Christian faith as a place of …

Skin To Skin: A Mixed-Media Exploration Of The Inheritance Of Identity, Angeline Morgan

Honors Theses

Skin to Skin is a mixed-media project that investigates the inheritance of identity through fine art and anthropological approaches. With a focus on womanhood, maganda (beauty), and Filipino-American culture, Skin to Skin reflects my deconstruction of cultural beauty practices. Growing up, proximity to lightness and darkness was a heavily emphasized metric. I witnessed family members experiment with light, water, and skin-lightening products on their skin. Now, I use alternative process photography to mirror their aesthetic experimentation.

To visually connect darkroom and beauty rituals, I created a series of unique, experimental prints where I treat paper surfaces as skin. I produced …

Reconceptualizing Quality Early Care And Education With Equity At The Center, Mark Nagasawa, Cristina Medellin-Paz

Straus Institute for Thriving Children & Families

Issue 51 of the Bank Street Occasional Papers Series is a response to Gunilla Dahlberg, Peter Moss, and Alan Pence’s 25-year interrogation of the concept of quality in early childhood education (ECE) (Dahlberg et al., 1999, 2013, 2023). Their groundbreaking work has called early childhood educators to question deeply held assumptions about the universality of childhood and how these shape the standardization of practices in early childhood settings around the world. They have argued that the homogenization of ECE practices is a factoryization of early childhood that undermines cultural pluralism and the field’s equity aspirations. This raises an imperative to …

Sex Toys In The City- The Sex Toy Market Vs. Profit, Culture And Education, Abigail M. Jobe

Student Research Symposium

Since the development of sex stores, the product appeal has been directed toward cisgender men and excluded other groups, creating an experience exclusive to the male gaze. With this, products sold at early sex stores often did not appeal to the female population and excluded queer and gender non-conforming individuals altogether. These original sex stores objectified the female body and many of these traditional stores still exist now. However, in the 1970s, feminists began to create sex stores directed toward women and they in turn became hubs for information as opposed to just sex stores where women could shop comfortably …

Youtube Video Essays As Critical Remixed Scholarship, Michelle L. Arendt

Student Research Symposium

YouTube videos have contributed primary and supplementary instructional materials to traditional classrooms since the 2010s (Sylvia & Moody, 2022). These internet-native materials are more successful than their traditional counterparts due to their recontextualization which melds dissemination with the semiotic landscape of web 2.0 culture.

Preferential treatment towards long-form, research-based content has facilitated the development of the YouTube video essay format: a grassroots practice that unapologetically embeds identity, pop culture, and humor with rigorous scholarly praxis and remediation of major elements of academic discourse (Davis, 2022). Videos of this type regularly reach “audiences which may rival or dwarf the enrollment of …

Beyond Craigslist Personal Ads: Contemporary Usage Of The Label T4t, Madi Lou Alexander

Student Research Symposium

Trans for trans relationships (t4t) are a special type of connection specific to transgender individuals, whether in the process of [re]affirming one’s gender identity and/or finding and building community. Originating from Craigslist personal ads, t4t indicates a trans person seeking out another trans person. What are these t4t relationships like for the trans people involved in them? With this research, I hope to evaluate and define the range of what t4t relationships are, hypothesize how t4t relations foster a sense of connection for the transgender individuals in said relationships, and explain why community amongst those who identify as transgender is …

Preserving The Dignity Of The Irish In "Translations", Diana J. Schoder

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Focusing on the Anglicization of town names in Brian Friel’s Translations, this article analyzes the significance of translation, beyond names as agents of linguistic imperialism and functions or symbols of identity. Using a Christian lens to demonstrate the intrinsic dignity signified in a name combined with a colonization case study in the Danish West Indies attesting to the injuries of denying a given name, the irreversible damage of translating names into a non-native language is clear. At the same time, imposing Anglicized names on the Irish community allows opportunities for resistance, such as continuing the private use of the …

Work And Psychological Recovery Experiences Of Asian American And Pacific Island Workers In Higher Education, Christine M. Beceril

Student Research Symposium

Individuals from Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) backgrounds constitute the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. job market - comprising 6.7% of the U.S. population and expected to reach 15% by 2065 (United States Census Bureau, 2022). Despite their rapid growth, there has been a scarcity of literature in industrial-organizational psychology, with limited research on how AAPI workers engage in psychological recovery after work. This is a critical, yet unexplored area as previous research on psychological recovery from work has been investigated with homogenous White samples. Additionally, AAPI workers play integral roles in the U.S. higher …

Online Or In-Person: What Mode Of Conversation Makes People Feel The Most Socially Connected?, Nathan P. Gheorghita, Cynthia D. Mohr, Maryann Samson, Sheila Mccabe, Julia Lynch

Student Research Symposium

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been spending significantly more time online. Today, people spend an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes online every day, and much of this time is spent socializing via various platforms. Many studies have examined the benefits and risks of socializing online, but few studies have examined online conversations specifically. In this study I aim to uncover the differences in perceived social connection based on the medium of conversation. To do this, I will administer the Connectedness During Conversations Scale (CDCS) to a sample of Portland State University students (N=80). The …

Exploring Attrition And Linguistic Shifts: The Impact Of Covid-19 And Anti-Asian Discrimination On The East And Southeast Asian Diaspora, Sam Mutschler-Aldine, Amy Wan-Ling Lin, Natalie Robison, Milntra Raksachat, Carolyn Quam

Student Research Symposium

This study investigates language and identity among speakers of East Asian and Southeast Asian languages in the United States, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent rise in anti-Asian hate. We adopt a mixed-methods approach guided by three research questions exploring: (1) changes in language use since pandemic onset, (2) changes in perspectives on language identity since pandemic onset, and (3) effects of geopolitical climate, specifically the rise in anti-Asian hate, on language use and perspectives on language identity. Qualitative methodologies allowed us to capture a diverse range of language experiences. Many (but not all) participants indicated …

Talking About Weight: Weight Stigma And Information Seeking, Alexandra N. Henrici, Lillian H. Mantel

Student Research Symposium

Guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, this study explores the relationship between fear of discussing weight-related topics, or weight-related communication apprehension and weight bias internalization and tests the inconsistent RISP relationship between risk perception and information insufficiency. It investigates differences in weight-related communication apprehension in those who previously sought weight-related information from interpersonal or mediated sources. Using a survey of 64 undergraduate communication students, the study found that high levels of weight bias internalization correlated with high levels of weight-related communication apprehension. The study did not find a significant difference in weight-related communication apprehension based on …

Gangism: An 'Elementary Form Of Religious Life', Robert Northman

Student Research Symposium

This study is intended to examine the question: could gangs be a form of religion? The study will examine Steven Cureton's ethnographic case study of a street gang as found in his work titled Hoover Crips (2008), where I will then analyze the findings within the sociological framework of Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion as set forth in his classic book titled Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).

This exploration faces challenges as the terms “gang” and “religion” are both hotly contested, and discussions on each have largely occurred independently, leaving a significant gap for this research to address. This …

My Father's Story: An Ethnography About Language Loss, Ariel Wilsey-Gopp

Student Research Symposium

War disrupts everything, including a child’s developing language and cultural identity. My father grew up in both Serbia and Germany during the post-WWII political upheaval. By the time he was an adult, he knew five languages, yet lacked his own language and languaculture (Agar, 1994).

It benefits us to understand more completely the effects of language loss as political borders continue to shift and human migration increases. Research in social sciences, psychology, and biology all examine the effects of trauma, the brain, and child development. Applied linguistics examines language loss in relation to Second Language Acquisition (Altarriba & Heredia, …

Community Responses To Us Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, Bethani Turley

Student Research Symposium

In 2023, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law designated 7 billion dollars to fund regional hydrogen hubs across the US with the goal of kickstarting a utility scale hydrogen economy for the US electric grid. A promising technology in the renewable energy transition, hydrogen can be made from a multitude of energy sources, often designated by colors: green hydrogen is made from solar and wind, pink hydrogen from nuclear, and blue hydrogen from natural gas. This presentation examines this new hydrogen economy through the case study of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2). ARCH2 is a blue hydrogen hub proposal by …

“Fruit From A Poisonous Tree”? Constituting Logics Of Law Enforcement Phlebotomy, Anne Johnson

Student Research Symposium

In at least 17 states in the United States, police are drawing blood from drivers they suspect of impairment. Despite concerns about civil rights, ethics of consent in custody, and use of force, law enforcement phlebotomy (LEP) remains critically understudied. Through 27 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with police phlebotomists and LEP program officials from 10 states, this study begins to fill that gap, asking: What are the logics of law enforcement phlebotomy? Constituting these logics–as articulated by police–are beliefs about both policing and phlebotomy, and officers’ motivations in the fight against impaired driving. This article assesses how the logics of law …

Power & Planning: A Critical Comparison Of Tribal And Non-Tribal Wildfire Protection Plans, Christian J. Heisler

Student Research Symposium

In 2003, the US government passed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which urged wildfire-prone communities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). These plans allow local groups to contextualize risk, practice social learning, and develop social capital while addressing wildfire risk. Within planning realms, however, decision-making power is usually concentrated unequally between social groups which can limit the influence of marginalized communities. Tribal nations, specifically, have been excluded from wildfire planning since European contact, signaling that CWPPs may not reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities. Given the recent push from the federal government to increase land management collaboration with tribes, it …

Queer Rural Youth Online: A Digital Ethnography, Joseph R. Burns

Student Research Symposium

This presentation is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 within Queer subcommunities on the social media sites Reddit and Twitter (now known as X) and data collected from interviews with Queer rural youth members of these communities. The data reveal that social media use directly influences the lives and actions of Queer rural youth, who use the space to build social connections, shape their personal identities, and seek advice pertaining to their in-person lives and decisions. By using these spaces, Queer rural youth build both bonding and bridging social capital, learn to subvert restrictions to their Internet access, …

Say It With Flowers: The Semiotics Of A Not-So Secret Language, Cecilia Januszewski

Student Research Symposium

The Victorian flower language Is mythologized as a widely known communicatory practice Involving flowers with symbolic meanings and creative bouquet-making In order to convey personal and emotional messages. This Is not entirely accurate: floriography was a theoretical floral code based on the Turkish practice of selam, which the British and French upper class reinterpreted and edited to create their own version. This thesis examines how floriography functions semiotically, both as a mythologized language and as It was actually used, and traces the lineage of floral semiotics and greeting cards from Victorian Britain to contemporary America. I analyze floral semiotics, both …

Last Footprints Green Burial Final Report, Madeline Liebegott, Kelley Schutte, Nathan Peot

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

Green burial, an environmentally conscious approach to the interment of human remains, has gained traction globally as a sustainable alternative to conventional burial practices. Traditional burials, characterized by embalming and the use of non-biodegradable materials, contribute to resource consumption and environmental degradation. In response, green burial promotes practices that prioritize ecological conservation, such as refraining from embalming, using biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and minimizing land disturbance. This report details the work of three Bucknell University ENST 411 students researching green burial opportunities and awareness in Central Pennsylvania, and their work with a community partner, Farida Zaid, to lay the foundations …

Bees In The Big City: The History, Politics, And Infrastructure Of Colony Collapse Disorder And Potential Solutions, Anthony Lekakis

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper discusses the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, the causes of CCD, and how to mitigate the causes of the phenomenon while increasing the population of pollinators in cities, specifically in NYC. Chapter 1 analyzes the reasons behind the issue of pollination decline, examining well-established theories such as habitat loss and climate change, as well as other theories such as the prevalence of radio waves and how they interfere with the internal navigation of pollinators. Case studies of other nations and their situations are also included. Chapter 2 examines the history of New York City’s pollinators …

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Prosperity: Harnessing Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Revitalize Australia's Economy, Environment, And Human Wellbeing, Annabelle L. Baulch

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores the traditional knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous people and how it can improve Australia's environment, health, and economic prosperity to shape a more sustainable future. Indigenous Australians managed the land for thousands of years; however, being forced off the land following European colonization resulted in terrible cultural, social, and environmental disruption for Aboriginal Australians and made conservation efforts difficult. Wildfires, imported species, mining, and agriculture is steadily destroying the Australian ecosystem, contributing to climate change, species extinction, and gaps in our cultural and ancestral knowledge. Chapter One overviews Australia's environmental issues; it uses quantitative data to explore the …

Relationships Among Homo Erectus Paleodemes Across Time And Space, Rachel Kuzma

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has shown that morphological distances between modern human populations calculated using the temporal, parietal, and frontal bones are significantly correlated with genetic distances, presumably due to genetic drift. An implication is that temporal, parietal, and frontal morphology may provide insights about population history and relationships in fossil hominins. This research tests the hypothesis that morphological distances between paleodemes of Homo erectus are correlated with geographic and/or temporal distances under the assumption that the latter are proxies for genetic distance. Following this, the implications of morphological distances among H. erectus paleodemes are assessed. Morphological distance matrices were computed for …

Human-Animal Interactions And Edibility?, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

Does a growing pet-keeping culture affect other human-animal interactions?

Resolution Of Chronic Coccydynia After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Case Report, Daniel A. Valdés, Meagan Sherrington, L. Michael Waters Jr

Research Day

Coccydynia is characterized by pain or discomfort in the coccyx region, most frequently caused by direct trauma. This condition, exacerbated by sitting on flat or hard surfaces, may cause immobility and adversely impact the daily lives of those afflicted. Standard treatment options include ergonomic adaptations, manual or physical therapy, nerve blocks, or surgery. Currently, there is very little evidence supporting the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as a therapeutic option for patients suffering from chronic coccydynia. The authors describe the case of a 26-year-old female, previously healthy, highly active competitive volleyball player who developed chronic coccydynia following direct trauma …

Abetting Assimilation: Competing Narratives In Sister Inez Hilger’S Together With The Ainu: A Vanishing People, Mark Spangler

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

No abstract provided.

Causal Inference In Ethnographic Research: Refining Explanations With Abductive Logic, Strength Of Evidence Assessments, And Graphical Models, Jeffrey G. Snodgrass, H. J. François Dengah Ii, Seth I. Sagstetter, Katya Xinyi Zhao

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

In their classic accounts, anthropological ethnographers developed causal arguments for how specific sociocultural structures and processes shaped human thought, behavior, and experience in particular settings. Despite this history, many contemporary ethnographers avoid establishing in their work direct causal relationships between key variables in the way that, for example, quantitative research relying on experimental or longitudinal data might. As a result, ethnographers in anthropology and other fields have not advanced understandings of how to derive causal explanations from their data, which contrasts with a vibrant “causal revolution” unfolding in the broader social and behavioral sciences. Given this gap in understanding, we …

Environmental Racism And Climate (In)Justice In The Anthropocene: Addressing The Silences And Erasures In Management And Organization Studies, Seray Ergene, Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee, Erim Ergene

Management Department Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper, we are situated in postcolonial, decolonial, and feminist epistemologies to study environmental racism in the Anthropocene—a new geological epoch where human activity has changed the functioning of the earth. Drawing from critiques of the Anthropocene, the concept of racial capitalism, as well as environmental justice and racism scholarship, we show how proposed solutions to the climate crisis overlook and may even exacerbate racial injustices faced by communities of color. We contend that a climate justice agenda that is grounded on racial justice is necessary for our scholarship to develop a racially just management and organization studies (MOS). …

The University Of New Hampshire Names 21st President, Tania Deluzuriaga

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

The Revitalization Of Lalibela’S Heritage Site Through The Establishment Of A New Visitor Center, Endale Tesfay

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

ABSTRACT

Revitalizing the heritage site of the rock-hewn church of Lalibela is counted as revitalizing a city because the site is the biggest heritage site. It is found in the Amhara region of north Ethiopia, and the properties were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. Eleven churches were found at the site, and all of them were carved out of the living rock in the 12th century, not constructed traditionally. The churches are grouped into three and connected by a walking trail, tunnel, and trench. Groups of churches have interior and exterior spaces, and their floors, roofs, walls, …

Liminality In Cultural Narratives: Reviving Abandoned Mall Spaces With Focus On Economic Efficiency And Social-Environmental Cohesion, Edwin Osmin

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis focuses on the problematic design trends of malls, particularly those that prioritize economic efficiency at the expense of social and environmental considerations. It highlights how many struggling or closed malls share similar design strategies, often focusing on retail anchor stores and circulation-centric layouts. These design choices have contributed to an unsuccessful typology over the years.

The thesis aims to address this issue by proposing a new approach to a case in Duluth, Georgia. It centers around the concept of liminality, referring to a transitional state characterized by continuity, obscurity, and sentimentality. By applying this concept, the thesis suggests …