Digital Commons Network^™

Coping Strategies As Predictors Of Acculturative Stress Among International College Students, Naba Khan

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This study examined how coping strategies influence acculturative stress among international and multicultural college students. A quantitative correlational design was used with 36 participants recruited through convenience sampling at the University of Texas at Arlington. Participants completed four standardized Likert-type scales measuring acculturative stress, general coping, and academic coping. Correlational analyses showed that age was negatively related to acculturative stress and positively related to coping. A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 indicated that coping partially mediated the relationship between age and acculturative stress, accounting for 39% of the variance, R²=.39, F(2, 33) = 10.60, p < .001. Age significantly predicted coping (β=.06, p=.015), while coping marginally predicted acculturative stress (β= -.26, p = .068). Findings suggest that coping strategies play a modest but protective role in reducing acculturative stress, with older participants reporting slightly greater coping and lower stress.

Romantic Beliefs And Their Effect On Relationship Satisfaction, Psychological Well-Being, And Psychological Distress, John D. Pinsky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Relationship satisfaction has been shown to have a powerful effect on both individual psychological well-being and psychological distress. One factor that influences an individual’s relationship satisfaction is their endorsement of romantic beliefs. This finding has not been replicated in the U.S. in the past 20 years and the influence of romantic beliefs on relationship satisfaction, psychological well-being, and psychological distress has not been studied in depth. This study implemented a quasi-experimental design using online self-report measures to test whether level of endorsement of romantic beliefs can predict relationship satisfaction, psychological well-being, or psychological distress. It was hypothesized that romantic beliefs …

Examining The Psychometric Properties Of The Classroom Whiteness Scale (Claws) Through Rasch Partial Credit Analysis, Jaylene T. Patterson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This pilot study examines how whiteness manifests in K-12 classrooms by developing and evaluating the Classroom Whiteness Scale (ClaWS), an instrument designed to assess in-service teachers’ salience and engagement with whiteness-informed practices. ClaWS consists of 21 items across two subscales: one measuring the salience of whiteness-related beliefs in teachers’ pedagogical decisions and the other capturing the frequency of these practices in classroom settings. Rooted in critical whiteness studies, the scale operationalizes key dimensions of whiteness, including ethnocentric monoculturalism, white standardization, white silence, right to comfort, white saviorism, and colorblind racial ideology.

Using Rasch Partial Credit Model (RPCM) analysis, this study …

Netflix And The Platformization Of Film And Television Content Discovery, Jacob Boccio

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation investigates the Netflix streaming platform to better understand the platformization of film and television cultural production and content discovery. Building on platform studies and scholarship on platformization, this work contributes to the growing body of literature that critically examines the implications of digital platforms in reshaping cultural and creative industries. Using this framework, the dissertation explores how the evolution of content discovery mechanisms on Netflix affects the cultural production of the film and television industries. Chapter 1 frames Netflix as a platform within the platformization framework. Chapter 2 examines Netflix employees, who serve as gatekeepers by curating and …

Ghosts Moving From The Margins: Comparing Representations Of Migrants In Contemporary Italian Media, Madeline Grohowski

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis examines how two different cultural mediums produced by a prominent Italian director and a popular Italian musical artist engage with themes of immigration and diaspora and their impacts on Italian national identity. The works that I have selected represent a mix of well-known and emergent figures in Italian cultural life and its related discourses around immigration and identity from the last 20 years of Italian history. Focusing on director Emanuele Crialese’s film Terraferma (2011) and rapper and singer Ghali’s songs “Mamma” (2017) and “Bayna” (2022), I analyze how each work frames migration as a metaphorical haunting that engages …

An Introduction To Cultural Anthropology: What Does Anthropology Offer The Current World?, Kristina Baines, Victoria Costa, Baird Campbell

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resource (OER) is designed to be used as a textbook to accompany an introductory course in Cultural Anthropology. The chapters can, however, stand alone or be expanded and be used in courses with units on Medical Anthropology, Ethnographic Methods, Race and Gender Studies, Climate and Environmental Anthropology and others. Please feel free to use all or part of the textbook and supplemental materials provided. This resource is published under a creative commons license. Use and modify as you wish for non-commercial use only with attribution to Cool Anthropology.

Graduate Catalog Of Studies, 2025, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Graduate School Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Refugees’ Post-Arrival And Displacement-Related Perceptions In Malaysia And Portugal, Ling Ling Tai, Rita Guerra, Kinga Bierwiaczonek

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

Countries receiving refugees can vary dramatically in their policies toward this group (e.g., recognition of refugee status, legal protections), but the role of the receiving country context for refugee adaptation process is under investigated. This cross-sectional study (N = 318) investigates refugees’ perceptions of the forcedness of their displacement and perils related to it, perceived discrimination, and subjective well-being in two different country contexts: Portugal and Malaysia. Results showed perceptions of discrimination and displacement-related perils were significantly higher among refugees in Malaysia, while subjective well-being and perceptions of forcedness were significantly higher for refugees in Portugal. For both groups, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Gender And The Leadership Of Female Academic Library Directors, Julia D. Grace Dr

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the gender of female academic library directors affects their leadership. The theory guiding this study was Acker’s theory of the ideal worker, as it offers a framework for examining the impact of worker gender in the workplace. The central research question of this study examined how the gender of female library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. affected their leadership. This study utilized a phenomenological approach, conducting semi-structured interviews of female academic library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. The …

Assessing Best Practices Of Facilitation Of The Free Exercise Of Religion By Army Chaplains Utilizing The Success Case Method, Geoffrey N. Bailey Phd

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how U.S. Army chaplains experience and facilitate the free exercise of religion. The research explored compelling narratives of best-case facilitation experiences, identified leadership qualities associated with successful religious support, and analyzed similarities and differences between best and worst-case scenarios. Using Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method, the study distributed a quantitative survey to 1,478 active-duty chaplains (achieving a 23% response rate) followed by twelve guided interviews with participants representing diverse ranks and faith traditions. The research revealed six major themes: significant gaps in education for pluralistic ministry, tension between personal religious convictions and professional duties, crucial impact of …

The Power Of Digital Place-Based Pedagogy Through Hip Hop: Khmer 1jivit’S “A Distressed Society” On Youtube, Sophea Seng

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

"This essay is an exercise in my own Cambodian American memory work. When I saw the collage of images of “A Distressed Society” on YouTube, I was struck by how the anonymous user(s) paired the rap lyrics of Khmer 1Jivit..."

Graffiti, Neoliberalismo, At Tunggalian Para Sa Espasyo Sa Lungsod Quezon, Harvey James G. Castillo

Filipino Faculty Publications

Magmula nang umigting ang neoliberalismo bilang ekonomikong kaayusan noong dekada 1970, daan-daang bansa na ang maaapektuhan nito at libo-libong espasyo ang mahuhubog ng masidhing neoliberal na lohika. Tatawagin ng mga paham bilang neoliberal na urbanismo—ang ganitong diwa ng pagsasaayos sa mga lungsod, na nasa anyo ng pribatisasyon at hentripikasyon ng mga espasyo, ay magdudulot ng pag-unlad at lubos-at-labis na yaman para sa iilan, at kaaba-abang karalitaan at guho para sa nakararami. Sa ganitong konteksto ng neoliberal na urbanismo, isinusulong ng artikulo na ang mga graffiti ay umiiral bilang tekstong panlipunan na instrumental sa agawan ng espasyo sa pagitan ng estado-merkado …

Building Place-Based Experiential Learning Into The Honors Curriculum At Ohio University, Geoffrey L. Buckley, Nicole Finnicum, Michelle O'Malley, Jennifer Bowie, Yolonda Youngs

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Observing the demand for interdisciplinary experiential learning opportunities post-COVID, authors present a place-based curriculum in honors. Workshop-style special topics classes provide students with an immersive and flexible learning environment, energize faculty, and engage alumni and community partners. Coursework, fieldwork, internships, and study abroad opportunities all contribute to the development of an informed and engaged citizenry. Authors address challenges in funding, access, and equity, and they suggest ways these challenges might be met.

Why Academic Law Librarians Quit: Results Of The Law Librarian Exit Survey, Laura J. Ax-Fultz

Faculty Scholarly Works

The pandemic exposed the struggles of workers everywhere. The complexity of handling family, work, illness, and a host of other issues led many to reconsider their employment. The phrase “The Great Resignation” summed up the zeitgeist of the early pandemic. Concurrently, open positions for academic law librarians were increasing. I sought to unravel the apparent surge in open positions by surveying academic law librarians to discover why they resigned from their positions or considered leaving them during the period of January 2020 through June 2023.

These findings were evaluated within the context of a high volume of job postings in …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

The Devil Sounds Out: Affect And Intentionality In Conservative Evangelical Anti-Rock Discourse, 1965-1990, Philip Bixby

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Scholars have often described the evangelical reception of rock music as a discourse that changes in a positive direction, from the full-sail rejection of rock in the 1960s to the cautious acceptance of the genre as legitimate worship music throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. This dissertation surveys anti-rock texts written by conservative evangelicals from the mid-1960s to the early 1990s, observing an alternative trajectory of the discourse. The dissertation shows that an uncompromising trend of anti-rock criticism persists well into the 1980s, especially promoted by preachers and writers (for example, Jeff Godwin and Jimmy Swaggart) who sought to deny …

10. The Language Of Teaching Excellence: Describing Pedagogical Expertise Through A Framework Of Care, Beth Buyserie

Documenting Teaching Excellence

During my 20 years of college-level teaching, I have engaged in countless conversations where instructors communicate their passion for teaching, their commitment to student learning, the depth of their disciplinary expertise, their continued pedagogical innovations, and their thoughtful reflective practices. Yet often these same teachers confide that they find it quite challenging (sometimes nearly impossible) to write about their teaching for promotion—not because they are not strong teachers, but because the language expectations for documenting teaching accomplishments can be formidable. For example, at my particular institution, teaching-centered instructors are specifically directed in our role statements to “demonstrate excellence” in our …

Contributors, Karin Dejonge-Kannan, Travis N. Thurston, Amanda Deliman, Amanda Morris, Anna Kuthy, Anne Cook, Beth Buyserie, Bethany B. Stone, Caroline Wienhold, Casandra E. Harper, Chris Kilgore, Cynthia Korpan, Elisabeth Schussler, Ferlin Mcgaskey, Gabrielle Stecher Woodward, Hannah Mae Lewis, James Agutter, Janette R. Hill, Jeff Spears, Jim Lamuth, Jordan Shipley, Kate Tregloan, Kim Hales, Letizia Guglielmo, Melissa E. Ko, Michael Morrone, Miranda Yaggi Rodak, Peggy Brickman, Raoul A. Mulder, Shannon M. Sipes, Sharon Lyman, Shihua Brazill, Stephen A. Klien, T. Adam Halstrom, Terri A. Dunbar, Victoria Mondelli, Vijay R. Kannan, Virginia Stormer

Documenting Teaching Excellence

No abstract provided.

Creating Counternarratives To Heteronormativity In Art Education: Portraits Of The Lives Of Five Gay Art Teachers, Bradley Mckinney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored ways heteronormativity has been reinforced in art education, drawing from personal experiences and scholarly literature. I reflected on how conformity pressures influence individuals and communities aligning with Foucault's concepts of binary polarities, Butler’s theory of performativity, Sedgwick’s notion of survivor’s responsibility and Warner’s ideas of queer stigma. My research combines autoethnography, ethnography, personal narrative, and therapeutic reflection to create portraits, or in-depth narratives, and snapshots, or brief narratives, of five self-identified gay art teachers from the Midwestern region of the United States. These portraits and snapshots examine ways the participants navigated their identities within educational environments. Creating …

Navigating Barriers: Challenges And Strategies For Adopting Artificial Intelligence In Qualitative Research In Low-Income African Contexts, Kahabi Isangula

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction:

 AI is transforming qualitative research. It enhances efficiency, accuracy, and depth in studies. Technologies like machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs) simplify tasks like transcription, coding, and thematic analysis. However, in low-income African settings, there are barriers to AI adoption. These include ethical concerns, infrastructure limitations, financial constraints, and technical skill gaps. Issues around data privacy and the dehumanization of research also add challenges.

Methods: 

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of AI in qualitative research in low-income African contexts. It uses a descriptive approach, reviewing literature and personal experiences from rural …

Pilgrimage And Play: The Intersection Of Pilgrimage Objects And Toys In Later Medieval London, Eliot Benbow

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

A Conceptual Replication Of An Implicit Test Of Grammatical Gender Effects On Inanimate Concepts, D. Mahajan, Frank H. Durgin

Psychology Faculty Works

It has been argued that the incidental and arbitrary use of gender markings for inanimate concepts in language may affect the conceptualization or semantics of those inanimate concepts. The present article sought to replicate the findings of a classic paper that made this argument. Konishi used the potency dimension of the semantic differential method as an implicit measure of perceived gender. He reported that words for inanimate concepts of masculine grammatical gender were rated as higher in potency than words for the same concepts that had feminine grammatical gender. Two preregistered replication studies are reported here. The first was a …

Figurative Language Is (Implicitly) More Dynamic And Emotionally Deeper Than Literal Language, Tshering Yangzom Dorji , '23, Frank H. Durgin

Psychology Faculty Works

Two experiments investigated the nature of the emotional differences between figurative language and literal counterparts. The semantic differential method was used with principal component analysis as a data-driven implicit method for distinguishing emotional variables. The first experiment found that metaphoric stories were reliably different in emotionality than their literal counterparts along three different data-defined dimensions. The second experiment extended the conclusions to the evaluation of individual words used figuratively (including simile and metaphor). In both studies, principal component analysis revealed three distinct underlying sources of variance implicit in the ratings of experimental items including the dimensions of dynamism and depth, …

“We Are Not Museum Animals Or Photography Trophies.” The Colonizing Gaze Of The Lens: Ethics In The Photographic Representation Of Indigenous Communities In Ecuador, Sebastian Arciniegas Perez

Student Work

Since its beginnings, photography has been presented as an objective recording tool; however, its history reveals that it has also been an instrument of power. (Sontag, 2003, p. 45) warned that photographing implies appropriating the other, an act that places the viewer in a position of dominance over the subject represented. In this sense, the lens not only captures an image: it constructs a gaze (Berger, 2008, p. 22) complements this idea by stating that the camera translates reality into a field of visual power where the observer exercises authority over the observed. When the photographed subject belongs to an …

Media Coverage Of The Closure Of The Rwanda-Uganda Border In The Period 2019-2022., Irigoga Charlotte

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

The media plays an important role in shaping diplomatic relations and influencing state actions. However, there is limited understanding of media coverage of the closures of the Rwanda-Uganda border. This study sought to investigate media coverage of the closure of the Rwanda-Uganda border closure in the period 2019-2022. It applied Critical Discourse Analysis and Framing Theory as its theoretical framework. Through content analysis of the media coverage from this period and in-depth interviews with journalists from the Daily Monitor in Uganda and the New Times in Rwanda, the study investigated how each newspaper created narratives. The study found that while …

Factors Informing The Transition From Journalism To Corporate Communications, Muyanja Robert

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

This study investigated the shift of journalists to corporate communications, motivated by economic instability, professional obstacles, and the changing dynamics of the media sector. The study sought to evaluate the present work conditions of journalists, investigate the challenges encountered during their move to corporate communications, and analyse the motivations behind this career change. Decreasing earnings, unstable job security, and escalating workloads in conventional journalism have driven numerous journalists to pursue stability, professional advancement, and improved work-life balance in corporate positions. This transition presented problems, such as adapting to new professional standards, inter-role conflicts, and substantial emotional and identity upheavals. The …

Sacrosanct Or Sacred: Creating A Theological Framework To Undergird Church Design, Aaron Farmer

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

This paper aims to ascertain whether a Theology of Architecture—a theological framework for planning and constructing church buildings—can be identified within the Biblical narrative or through the historical practices of ecclesial design. The research begins with an examination of the biblical architecture of the Old Testament, primarily described in narratives rather than corroborated by archaeological evidence. A review of historical periods of ecclesial design follows, aiming to identify phases where ecclesial design exhibited patterns analogous to those found in the Old Testament. The study uncovers a consistent pattern in both testaments wherein architecture represents divine work within specific timeframes and …

Meeting Agendas October 2020-June 2025, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda Compilations (Five Year)

Agendas of the Portland State Faculty Senate meetings from October 2020-June 2025.

Pseudo-Vampires In The Nineteenth-Century English Vampire Canon: Draining Life Force By Class, Matt Tanner

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Fluctuating “Indianness” Or “Belonging” : Singapore Indian Dancers And Their Encounter With Southeast Asia At Ramayana Festival, Yoshiaki Takemura

Asian Review

This article investigates the dynamic relationship between cultural heritage and regional identity among the Indian diaspora in Singapore, specifically focusing on the experiences of classical Indian dancers. Historically, the process of “Indianization” deeply influenced the cultural landscape of Southeast Asia, evidenced by the regional prominence of the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Using the context of a regional Ramayana Festival, this paper analyzes how Singaporean Indian dancers, while performing art forms rooted in the Indian subcontinent, negotiate their identity when confronted with diverse Southeast Asian interpretations of the same epic narrative.The study argues that this encounter forces a …