Digital Commons Network^™

Meadowkeepers, Molly Lefanowicz

Masters Theses

New England’s cities cover the lowlands where meadows once dotted the landscape. These meadows were among the first spaces lost to development— hidden today beneath layers of concrete foundations, asphalt roads, and diligently mowed turfgrass lawns. Meadows are critical ecosystems: they support pollinators, act as seed banks for local plants, filter rainwater, sequester carbon, and build soil. But their steady disappearance is more than an ecological loss. As stewards and inhabitants of meadows, people hold a longtime cultural connection to their presence. Meadowkeepers is an effort to renew that connection.

Meadowkeepers introduces a community-scale model for meadow reestablishment in urban …

Finding A Way Out Of The Filter Bubble: The Confusion Of A Heavy Social Media User, Longwen Miao

Masters Theses

This thesis studies how algorithmic recommendation systems reshape visual perception, aesthetic judgment, and the construction of selfhood within contemporary digital culture.

Everything begins with the experience of repeatedly encountering algorithmically recommended content on everyday digital platforms. On these platforms, images, sounds, and social interactions are continuously selected, repeated, and reorganized by predictive systems, forming an environment in which perception is constantly structured and adjusted.

From this observation, the research raises two central questions: how do algorithmic recommendation systems reshape visual perception, aesthetic judgment, and self-recognition, and how might these systems be intervened in or made perceptible through artistic practice? Within …

I Believe, Rusudan Dushuashvili

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how products become believable and desirable through the stories that surround them, and how design enables the continuous cycle of desire that defines consumption. Drawing on  the underlying structures of myth-making, identity, and belonging that allow consumer culture to function, it argues that consumer culture operates through the same instruments older systems of belief have always used — narrative, ritual, sacred objects, and shared language — and that design is what makes the story stick to the object.

“I Believe” is an archive of objects collected from contemporary consumer culture. Half are products found in the marketplace; …

¡Estamos Aqui!: The Underrepresentation Of Latinos In Professional Sports And Sports Media, Antonio Hernandez

University Honors Theses

The Latino population has had a long and complicated history within the United States. Since the turn of the 21st century, Latinos continue to become the largest minority group within the country. As the Latino population continues to rise, other industries have failed to properly represent the community. Within the world of professional sports, Latinos continue to be grossly underrepresented, with professional athletes from Latino backgrounds representing less than 6% of all professional athletes across all disciplines. This number is just under ¼ of the total percentage of Latinos within the United States. With Latino's influence of other cultural phenomena …

Soft Power, Arab Media And Sports Mega Events: Coverage Of Fifa 2022 And Lessons For Future Arab Hosting, Lynne Kennedy, Maaira Shahbaz, Ala Al Rajabi

All Works

Sport mega-events (SMEs) increasingly transcend athletic competition, functioning as strategic instruments for national identity formation, statecraft, and soft power projection. This dynamic is particularly pronounced in the Gulf, where Qatar’s successful hosting reignited regional rivalries and attracted unprecedented global scrutiny. While existing scholars have extensively examined Western media portrayals of SMEs, a notable gap remains for academic engagement with Gulf media. Dismissed as state-controlled and analytically lacking, we contend that such media offer a rich site for exploring how small states use media as soft power, to construct and contest legitimacy, identity, and global influence. This analysis suggests how state-aligned …

For My Oklahomies: Educators’ Perspectives On Policy, Public Discourse, And Professional Wellbeing, Cassandra Herndon

Dissertations

This critical qualitative study examines how ideologies rooted in ultra-conservative movements shape the professional lives of Oklahoma K–12 educators, and how they maneuver, resist, or accommodate ideological forces within a climate of surveillance and professional delegitimization. Grounded in critical social theory and drawing on Foucault (1977) and Leonardo (2003), the study applies a recontextualized model of transformational resistance (Hannegan-Martinez et al., 2024) to analyze educators’ acts of agency within a restrictive policy landscape.

Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eight Oklahoma K–12 teachers and administrators, this study employs critical narrative inquiry alongside reflexive thematic and critical policy analysis to ask: (1) …

Learning Through Lowriding: Knowledge In The Garage, Bianca Elisa Arellano

Dissertations

Lowriding culture has long been situated at the margins where state-sanctioned criminalization processes delegitimize the intellectual agency of lowriders, rendering their knowledge systems institutionally illegible. This dissertation argues that such epistemic invisibility denies lowriders the agency to define their own intellectual contributions, and it reclaims lowriding as a site of profound resourceful innovation. Grounded in Chicana feminist epistemologies, the study theorizes how nepantla—the process of navigating and living at the margins—works alongside rasquachismo, the working-class sensibility through which constraint becomes a site of knowledge production, to frame lowriding in Chicanx San Diego communities as an embodied tension where subversive, resourceful …

Menstrual Muses: Art, Storytelling, And The Care-Based Communication Of Menstrual Justice, Burcu Koleli

Masters Theses

Menstrual Muses is an artistic research project comprising a written thesis and a body of work developed across soft sculpture, ceramics, illustration, graphic memoir, digital media, and participatory workshops. The written component operates alongside the studio practice, outlining the project’s theoretical framework, methodology, and context while engaging questions of communication, accessibility, embodiment, and stigma. It situates menstruation within feminist discourse, examining how it has been culturally silenced, regulated, and shaped through systems of power.

The artistic work functions as research materialized through practice, responding to the central question of how my art can facilitate conversations around menstrual justice. It explores …

Material Costs, Karima Weinman

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how migration fatality and disappearance data can be reinterpreted through material craft to create a more reflective encounter with information. Working with the Missing Migrants Project's dataset, this project asks how design can communicate dimensions of human loss that conventional data visualization cannot reach.

The work situates contemporary border violence within a longer colonial history, arguing that the logics of surveillance and quantification that structured European imperial expansion persist in the databases that govern mobility in the Mediterranean today.

Terrazzo is a 15th-century Venetian flooring technique built from discarded fragments bound together into a unified surface. This …

A Journey Into Implicature: Do You Know What I Mean?, Brian Tura

Master's Projects and Capstones

In everyday communication, English speakers often use implied meaning in a multitude of situations and variety of ways. Research has shown that explicitly teaching meta-pragmatic concepts, such as implicature, can have a positive impact on students’ ability to not only understand implicature but can also help them think about English in a different way, providing insight into native speakers’ use of the language. Even with this evidence, implicature is rarely found in ESOL teaching materials, and when it is found, there is seldom any direct discussion on how to appropriately use implied meaning. The purpose of this project is to …

Analisis Semiotika Hukum Terhadap Lambang Negara Republik Indonesia, Turiman Turiman

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Analisis Semiotika Hukum Terhadap Lambang Negara Republik Indonesia, Turiman Turiman

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Transformational Leadership And Its Impact On Cultural Identity, Musical Excellence, And Legacy In Select Historically Black College And University Marching Bands., Cortrell Le'jon Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examined the role of transformational leadership in shaping cultural influence, musical excellence, and community engagement in Historically Black college and university (HBCU) marching bands, with a focus on Southern University’s Human Jukebox and its leadership legacy. The researcher investigated leadership styles of band directors from Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Grambling State University, and Tennessee State University. The researcher examined transformational leadership styles in marching band directing and their influence on character development, culture, and musical excellence. Ten music majors and alumni, along with fifteen band directors provided their perspectives …

From Educator To Entrepreneur: The Role Of Social Media In Shaping Digital Entrepreneurship In Music Education, Jennifer A. Fabianski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media has become a vital component of music education, providing new opportunities for students and teachers to connect, collaborate, and create. While its use in education continues to grow, a noticeable gap remains in understanding the connections between social media and music programs. This is particularly evident regarding how it encourages entrepreneurship in music education. As digital platforms reshape how educators teach and learn, it is essential to leverage these platforms to actively build a strong digital presence. Incorporating this mindset will drive creative ventures that promote and market music programs on a global scale. This research examines the …

Rewoven Identity: The Stole As Material Agent In Twentieth-Century American Culture, Anastacia Rice

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the stole as a material means of shaping identity in twentieth-century American society, tracing the movement across religious, cinematic, academic, political, and archival contexts. Traditionally understood as a liturgical vestment, the stole expanded in the modern era into fashion, performance, protest, and institutional ritual while maintaining a remarkably stable physical form. The study argues that the stole’s continuity is not the result of fixed tradition, but of ongoing material reconfigurations through which identity is produced, negotiated, and sustained. Rooted in material culture studies and guided by performance theory, fashion history, and archival methods, the dissertation presents rewoven …

Parental Understanding Of The Influence Of Ecological Systems On The Educational Experiences Of The Dependent Children Of Enlisted And Officer Families Stationed In Japan: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nortia M. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how enlisted and officer parents stationed in Japan understand and described how different ecological systems influence the educational experience and academic performance of their dependent children. The theory that guided this study is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as it provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the inter-influential relationship between the children and the different ecological systems in their environment. The central research question provided a conduit for further exploration by asking how do enlisted and officer parents understand and describe how different ecological factors from Bronfenbrenner’s systems theory shape the …

The Lived Experience Of Immigrant Chinese Parents Navigating The Iep Process For Children With Austim, Mei Yu Cheung

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand how immigrant Chinese parents navigate the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process for their children with autism within public schools in King County, Washington. The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, as this study explores parents’ lived experiences, challenges, and advocacy strategies as they engage with school professionals and systems of support. Through semi-structured interviews with participants, the research seeks to identify shared meanings and patterns that shape parental engagement and empowerment in special education contexts. The findings aim to inform culturally responsive practices and improve parent–school collaboration for …

Refuting Ruscism: A Critique From Biblical Social Ontology, Paul Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the ideology of Ruscism is incompatible with biblical Christianity on the basis of God’s design for the individual, the family, and the country. Indeed, the extent of incompatibility between these two worldviews renders any attempt to syncretize them a significant departure from biblical Christianity. God’s design for society is an absolute standard by which political ideologies may be evaluated, and these three societal units will suffice to demonstrate that Christians must reject Ruscism.

This dissertation will describe these three societal units—the individual, the family, and the country—as they are described in biblical Christianity and contrast their …

Parental Understanding Of The Influence Of Ecological Systems On The Educational Experiences Of The Dependent Children Of Enlisted And Officer Families Stationed In Japan: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nortia M. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how enlisted and officer parents stationed in Japan understand and described how different ecological systems influence the educational experience and academic performance of their dependent children. The theory that guided this study is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as it provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the inter-influential relationship between the children and the different ecological systems in their environment. The central research question provided a conduit for further exploration by asking how do enlisted and officer parents understand and describe how different ecological factors from Bronfenbrenner’s systems theory shape the …

Towards Beneficial Curatorial Experiences: Case Studies At The Smithsonian Folklife Festival And Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Christine Pash

Electronic Dissertations and Theses, 2010-current

Museums and other curatorial institutions have often taken control in presentations about communities to which the institutions’ decision-makers do not belong. This action has contributed to maintaining systems of power, privilege and oppression like colonialism and created negatively impactful acts like erasure of queer histories. In this context, some communities have built their own curatorial institutions, controlling presentations of what they do. However, some individuals note benefits of presenting at institutions outside their communities. My dissertation provides practical methods for navigating this conflict between curatorial control and benefits of presenting one’s work at an institution that takes away some of …

E-Waste Recycling Behavior: Evidence Of Young Consumers In Taiwan And The U.S., Julia Blose, Robert E. Pitts, Y. Henry Xie

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Nearshoring And Its Impacts On The Global Supply Chain: Case Study Of Retailing And Manufacturing Firms, Alan D. Smith

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Reimagining The Shōjo Across Cultures: Gender Performativity, Cosplay, And Self-Presentation Of Indian Women In Digital Space, Ashonshok Kachui, Samyukthah Anandhasayanam

Journal of International Women's Studies

The image of the shōjo (adolescent girl) in Japanese popular culture has long functioned as a dynamic site for negotiating gender identity and the divide between vulnerable innocence and empowerment. Anime and manga have historically provided evolving portrayals of adolescent girl and young woman characters who have embodied subversive potential while also being constrained by idealised notions of girlhood. This paper extends the discourse on the shōjo by situating it within the Indian digital landscape, where anime fandom, cosplay culture, and social media platforms are reshaping self-presentation and gender performance among young girls and women. Grounded in feminist theoretical perspectives, …

What Shapes Maternal Well-Being? A Feminist Conceptualization Using Walker And Avant’S (2019) Concept Analysis Framework, Huyen Thi-Thanh Nguyen, Van H. Le, Keiichi Ogawa, Manh T. Ta

Journal of International Women's Studies

Despite extensive scholarship on maternal well-being, the concept remains theoretically underdeveloped and lacks a coherent interdisciplinary definition. This study uses Walker and Avant’s (2019) concept analysis framework to clarify maternal well-being as a feminist, role-anchored construct. We conducted a systematic review of literature in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 2005 to 2025, focusing on studies of married mothers who had given birth to and were raising at least one child. Through content analysis, we identified three defining attributes: (1) vitality and positive affect; (2) life satisfaction and meaning grounded in autonomy and competence within the maternal role; …

Girls On Screens And Boys In The Streets: Afrobeats Dance, Gender, And Waithood In Lagos, Nigeria, Gali Kinkulkin, Moshe Morad, Lynn Schler

Journal of International Women's Studies

The global success of the musical genre of Afrobeats has generated substantial scholarly interest in the experiences of singers and musicians within the industry. Scholars of this genre have examined an array of topics, including cultural identity, gender disparities, socioeconomic impact, and the global music industry. However, few studies focus on the experiences of Afro dancers despite the critical role of dance in the genre’s international popularity; those that do centralise dance concentrate primarily on how women dancers navigate an industry that both empowers and objectifies women. This study departs from these earlier studies by examining the lived experiences of …

Special Issue Editors’ Introduction: 11th World Conference On Women’S Studies, Jyoti Rupa Deka, Jaypee S. Yongco, Noma Mguni

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

From Chennai To Texas: Major League Cricket, Glocalization, And The Uber-Sport Assemblage, Glenn Houlihan

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

This article examines Major League Cricket (MLC), an American professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket franchise league which began in July 2023 with a sold-out match at Grand Prairie Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas. The fans in attendance were predominantly immigrants from South Asia, a region where cricket is the dominant sport. MLC’s connection to South Asia, however, extends beyond domestic U.S. fandom, as four of the league’s six franchises are operated by Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. Here, the IPL is expanding operations into the U.S. market, leveraging the recognizable branding of the league’s teams to offer the nascent MLC a …

Predictors Of Opposite-Sex Antipathy, Mikayla R. Poe

Psychology ETDs

Evolutionary pressures have shaped men’s and women’s motivations to cooperate and compete with one another. Sexual conflict is generated in natural conditions but may be exacerbated by features of the modern world. The current study recruited participants from Prolific to respond to a Qualtrics survey (n = 812) to investigate the correlates of opposite-sex distrust/antipathy using the newly developed Opposite Sex Antipathy (OSA) scale, which is the first of its kind to allow cross-sex comparisons. Men and women’s antipathy for each other was predicted by perceptions that the opposite sex was of lower value to society, more harmful experiences …

From Cranes To Clinics: Genomic Epidemiology At The Human-Animal Interface, Sarah Shrum

Biology ETDs

Emerging infectious diseases represent a significant, increasing threat to human life, economic stability, and global security. The One Health framework, which promotes human health and wellness through the understanding that animal, environmental, and human health are interwoven, is critical to understanding pathogen emergence and transmission. This is underscored by the fact that roughly 60% of all human pathogens and 75% of emerging infectious disease are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.

The work presented in this dissertation integrates genomic epidemiology, ecological analysis, and One Health Surveillance approaches to characterize cross-species circulation of opportunistic yeast pathogens (Candida …

Sayyid Qutb: Political Philosophy And The Global Decline Of Jihadist Legitimacy, Jorge A. Ferrara

Senior Theses

Historically and culturally, the meaning behind political philosophies has been misappropriated to serve new ideological aims, and understanding how contexts have changed is essential to contemporary debates surrounding militant jihadist ideology. Sayyid Qutb, a political philosopher in Egypt during the mid-twentieth century, whose political philosophy, which sought moral, spiritual, and societal reform in Egypt under Gamal ‘Abd-Nasser’s regime, has been classified as the philosopher of Islamic terror. In this thesis, I argue that Sayyid Qutb’s political philosophy has been misappropriated into a politicized and militant jihad ideology through successive reinterpretations by militant jihadist leaders, and that this misappropriation is evidence …