Digital Commons Network^™

Dancing With God: Jewish Prayer Through The Lens Of Dance/Movement Therapy, Lizzie Janssen

Expressive Therapies Theses

This Capstone Thesis literature review explores movement in Jewish prayer within the context of the Kestenberg Movement Profile. Jewish prayer, specifically the amidah, features swaying movements called shokeling that serve as an embodied component of conversation with God. Prayer movements and postures enhance the prayer experience, as described in Hasidic thought.The Kestenberg Movement Profile is a form of movement analysis that observes how movements can indicate a sense of connection and serve as an expression of needs.These observations suggest that using Authentic Movement in a Dance/Movement Therapy session may increase clients’ awareness of a their sense of attachment toward …

Organizing In The Hybrid Media System: Local And International Organizing In The Metoo Movement, Jenna Dole

Sociology ETDs

Movements today are operating in a hybrid media system, in which activists negotiate the use of traditional and social media. Although most of what we know of the MeToo movement comes from studies of the #MeToo campaign and online organizing, the movement has its foundations in local organizing and in the wake of the viral campaign additional local organizing efforts took place. Using semi-structured interviews with leaders of a local MeToo organizing group and Facebook posts from this local group and a large, international MeToo Facebook group, this study explores the role of local organizing coming out of an international, …

At The Crossroads Of Technology, Policy, And Society: Energy Transitions In Rural Alaska, Gwen Holdmann

Engineering

The future of energy in remote and rural communities is shaped by a complex interplay of technology, policy, and social structures. This dissertation explores why some regions--despite facing similar economic, geographic, and environmental constraints--have successfully developed renewable energy systems while others have struggled. Focusing on rural Alaska, this research examines the factors that drive or inhibit local energy transitions, considering historical institutionalism, governance structures, policy interventions, and economic incentives. Through a mixed-methods approach including case studies, qualitative comparative analysis, and statistical methods, this dissertation examines how energy subsidies and the pooling of resources--whether through shared infrastructure, cooperative utilities, or other …

Power Dynamics In Arctic Community And Citizen Science: Perspectives From Youth, Educators, And Scientists, Clement Sarah

Arctic and Northern Studies

Arctic research is shifting from a culture of scientist-driven inquiry and extractive relationships with Indigenous communities to a culture more conscious of local priorities and reciprocal research relationships. Today, Arctic research has dual goals of studying circumpolar issues through large-scale research and collaborating with local individuals and communities. The emergence of methods like community and citizen science (CCS), in which non-scientists participate in research, has risen in popularity to meet these priorities. The broad aims of CCS are to advance scientific understanding; aid decision-making; and support individual outcomes. I address the third aim by investigating three growing, yet understudied, groups …

Collective Action In Marine Mammal Co-Management: Relationships As Tools Of Cooperation, Joseph E. Ransdell-Green

Arctic and Northern Studies

Collective action has great importance in solving many socio-ecological issues because the sustainable management of natural resources requires that different people and institutions cooperate with one another to contribute to a collective good. Over the past sixty years, two general theories of collective action have formed. These theories continue to influence debates about what factors drive collective action. In the 1960s, first-generation collective action scholars proposed that laws from centralized governments or privatization were needed to combat collective action problems such as overpopulation and overexploitation of resources. Second- generation scholars argue that groups can self-organize to solve collective action problems. …

“Umble” Vampirism: Socioeconomic Scapegoats And David Copperfield, J.R. Rizzo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The narrative framing of David Copperfield is oriented in a way that ignores the flaws of its titular hero. Dickens’ autobiographical David Copperfield is compounded to entertain readers. His social mobility refines their perception of David into a middle class gentleman who is neither aristocratic, nor working class. It is David’s narration which helps facilitate such a companionship between himself and the reader, clouding any serious criticisms behind the guise of his charm. The doubling of bias layered within the novel’s narrative structure thereby poses David as a sort-of golden boy. That is, Dickens’ adoration for his protagonist, coupled with …

Walking In Promise, Living In Reality: Exploring The Mental Health Implications Of The Pentecostal Discourse Of Divine Calling, Robert D. Mcbain

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

Pentecostalism places a strong emphasis on the discourse of divine calling, where individuals believe they are purposefully created, guided, and empowered by God to fulfill a specific mission. This sense of calling profoundly shapes Pentecostals’ sense of identity and purpose. Using Grounded Theory, this study analyzes open, in-depth interviews with Pentecostals in the U.S. to explore the impact of the Pentecostal discourse of divine calling on their mental health. The metaphor of ‘walking in’ one’s calling emerges as the central theme used by participants to explain the interaction between their perception of divine calling, their lived realities, and their mental …

Investigating Ecomorphology Of Cervidae Astragli Using Geometric Morphometrics, Carly Wisner

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

This study explores the ecomorphology of Cervidae astragali using three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses.

Death Watch In Ohio: Dehumanization On Death's Door, Kathryn Buschle

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

This project will examine the dehumanizing aspects of the execution process in Ohio.

Shifting To A Culture Of Inclusion By Design: Applying A Mixed-Methods Approach To Advance Accessibility Of Public Health Emergency Information & Communication Technology, Jessica L. Franks, Erin Vinoski Thomas

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience inequities in access to timely, accurate, and understandable information and communication technology (ICT), which increases risk for public health emergency (PHE)-related health disparities and impedes opportunities to achieve optimal health. This study assessed federal COVID-19 webpage accessibility levels and explored existing knowledge of and experience with filing accessibility complaints for federal ICT among adults with IDD. Through a mixed-methods approach, we evaluated compliance with accessibility standards for 18 federal agencies’ COVID-19 webpages (study 1) and interviewed 16 adults with IDD about experiences accessing federal webpages and filing accessibility complaints (study 2). We …

Commencement [Program], May 16-17, 2025, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

Contents:

Board of Regents --- 2
Institutional Leadership --- 2
Ceremony Symbols & Traditions --- 3
Academic Honorary Organizations --- 4
University Ambassador Organizations --- 5
University Honors Program --- 6
Graduation with Honors --- 6
Legacy Graduates --- 6
Military Science --- 7
Merchant Scholarship --- 7
Outstanding Student Leader --- 7
Commencement Student Speakers --- 7
Purple and Old Gold Awards --- 8
Lux Service Award --- 9
7 p.m. Program --- 10
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences --- 11
Division of Online Education & Individual Studies --- 24
10 a.m. Program --- 27
College of Education …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: May 2025, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Justifying Intervention By Shaping Perception: A Framing Analysis Of United States Propaganda During The 1953 Iranian Coup D’État, Dorreen Darya-Bari

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how major United States newspapers framed the 1953 Iranian Coup, which overthrew democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. During the Cold War, the U.S. frequently violated international law, infringing on the sovereignty of foreign nations by orchestrating coups under the guise of combating communist threats to protect strategic interests. The 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran followed this pattern. This research examines how U.S. media shaped public perception to justify intervention, focusing on the question: What does the framing of the 1953 Iranian Coup d’État in U.S. print media reveal about U.S. interests and their influence on media …

The Missing Link: Connecting Hearing Parents Of Deaf Children To Resources That Re-Center Language Access Decisions Around Their Deaf Child, Ella Stromberg

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Countless DHH children around the world experience language deprivation (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). The deprivation of language severely impacts on a child’s comprehension and communication, limiting essential information for growth; in contrast, a hearing child would have advantageous access. Language deprivation occurs when parents cannot access or are unaware about resources to make educated decisions that center around their child (National Association of the Deaf, n.d.). This three-section project examines the experience of a Deaf individual born into a hearing family with no structural language access until his teenage years, highlighting the long-term impact of limited language exposure …

Generative Ai For Thematic Analysis In A Maternal Health Study: Coding Semistructured Interviews Using Large Language Models, Shan Qiao, Xingyu Fang, Junbo Wang, Ran Zhang, Xiaoming Li, Yuhao Kang

Faculty Publications

Study Objectives: The coding of semistructured interview transcripts is a critical step for thematic analysis of qualitative data. However, the coding process is often labor-intensive and time-consuming. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) presents new opportunities to enhance the efficiency of qualitative coding. This study proposed a computational pipeline using GenAI to automatically extract themes from interview transcripts. Methods: Using transcripts from interviews conducted with maternity care providers in South Carolina, we leveraged ChatGPT for inductive coding to generate codes from interview transcripts without a predetermined coding scheme. Structured prompts were designed to instruct ChatGPT to generate and summarize …

Spoken Philippine English In Professional Contexts: Reflections On Research And The Need For A Targeted Corpus, Eric Friginal

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

This article reflects on nearly two decades of research into spoken communication using corpora, particularly within professional and workplace settings in the Philippines, such as call centers and related industries. Drawing on this extensive body of work, the article explores the potential of corpus-based approaches to enhance our understanding of spoken discourse. A framework for corpus-assisted spoken discourse analysis (Friginal, 2024a) is discussed as a foundation for examining professional communication. Building on these insights, the development of a targeted Spoken Philippine English Corpus (SPEC) is proposed, aiming to systematically document and analyze the unique features of spoken professional English in …

The Connection Between An Unequitable Distribution Of Care Responsibilities And A Widening Gender Nutrition Gap In Latin America, Alexis Nicole Bodlak

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The notion of care refers to activities that satisfy the basic needs of existence and reproduction. Within rural communities, care work such as the production and preparation of food contributes to food security at the household level. Care work supports the paid workforce, allowing workers to focus on commercial productive activities that generate economic income in rural communities. Women perform 6.3 to 29.5 more hours per week than men in unpaid care work, reducing their time for income-generating activities and personal nutrition management. Affecting their economic independence and ability to access and consume nutritious food. Studies show that in food-insecure …

Queens Of Chaos: How Adhd Affects The Experience Of Motherhood, Ashley Marie Murray

Educational Studies Dissertations

Historically, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) research and public perception have centered on hyperactive young boys, overlooking how the condition manifests in women, particularly mothers. As diagnostic understanding improves, increasing numbers of women are receiving ADHD diagnoses in adulthood, shedding light on the intersection of ADHD symptoms and gendered social expectations, including the ideals of motherhood. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores how ADHD affects the lived experience of motherhood through in-depth interviews with five mothers across North America. Findings reveal significant challenges in executive functioning, emotional regulation, time management, and self-perception, exacerbated by societal expectations of maternal competence. Participants describe the …

Negotiating (Im)Migrant Identity In The (Un)Assimilated Nation: American Literature Of The Late Nineteenth Century, Haley M. Steffens

English Language and Literature ETDs

This dissertation examines representations of immigration, assimilation, and multinational cultural identity in late nineteenth-century American literature, autobiography, and print culture. Through a comparative analysis of diverse authors and immigrant communities, the project explores how literary and popular culture narratives framed the expectations and limitations of assimilation for disparate populations. By contextualizing these works within historical immigration policies, labor economies, government instability, and burgeoning nationalism, this study reveals how fiction and media shaped public attitudes toward assimilation and influenced policy. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that late, long-nineteenth-century literature functioned as both a reflection of and response to national debates about immigration, …

“Sometimes The World Don’T Give You What You Need”: Black Motherhood And Kinship As Resistance To Necropolitics In Jesmyn Ward’S Bois Sauvage, Hailey N. Reeder

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how Black motherhood and kinship serve as subversive forces within necropolitical landscapes in Jesmyn Ward’s Where the Line Bleeds, Salvage the Bones, and Sing, Unburied, Sing. Drawing on Achille Mbembe’s theory of necropolitics, this study examines how the economic and social constraints of these environments disrupt Black family structures, emphasizing the necessity of kinship for survival. In Where the Line Bleeds, Cille’s absence disrupts traditional family roles, yet kinship networks allow the family to endure. In Salvage the Bones, Esch’s journey redefines the “bad” Black teen mother stereotype, highlighting how kinship offers support amidst stigma. In Sing, …

Nurturing The Future: Understanding Maternal Knowledge Of Child Development In Oman, Watfa Al-Mamari, Ahmed B. Idris, Saquib Jalees, Muna Al-Jabri, Mohammed A. Mirghani, Dina Al Khalili, Asila Al Yarubi, Jamana Al Zadjali, Zahra Al Lawati, Ayat Al Lawati, Ahmed Al Saidi, Kamila Al Alawi, Sathiya Murthi, Wafa S. Al-Maamari

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the knowledge of Omani women of childbearing age concerning infant developmental care. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,006 Omani women of childbearing age, recruited from outpatient clinics at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (response rate = 71%). Their knowledge was evaluated using the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI), a validated self-report questionnaire. The KIDI scores were analysed to identify associations with demographic variables such as women’s age, education level, employment status and number of children. Data were collected from June 2023 to October 2023. Results: The mean age of the participating women was 31.6 …

Defining The School Counselor Role: A Training For Clarifying Responsibilities In Schools, Megan Jean Jorgenson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

School counselors have important roles in the school building. However, many administrators, parents, and even students do not fully understand what a school counselor does. This can lead to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intentions to leave the career (Blake, 2020; Lane, Bohner, Hinck, & Kircher, 2020). Not understanding what a school counselor needs results in a lack of resources for students, frustration, and role conflict (Hann-Morrison, 2011). Relationships also play a part in job duties and advocacy for school counselors. Better relationships often lead to more advocacy and collaboration, while poor relationships can lead to inappropriate duties and distrust (Blake, …

Analyzing The Influence Of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls (Mmiwg) Cases And Their Impact On Society, Ivy J. Anderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research paper analyzes the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) cases and how this issue is continuously impacting society. Through the process of thematic analysis, the social media platform Reddit was analyzed on how social media plays a role in spreading awareness on this topic.

Reason And All My Senses: Surveying The Post Enlightenment Frame Of Reason Through Contemporary Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology, And Cognitive Linguistics, Joshua T. Lowe Rev. Dr.

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation argues that Christian theology and practice are aided and enriched by a more complete understanding of reason by surveying recent studies and views in theology, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and cognitive linguistics. Since the Enlightenment, Christian theology has assumed widely the Enlightenment model of human reason as ideally acontextual, that is, free from constraints of contexts, and therefore universal, that is, applicable in all contexts. Recent developments from a variety of perspectives challenge this model of rationality. Some challenge the acontextualism of the Enlightenment understanding by showing how it arose from and depends on a context, and that context …

“That's Our Junior College”: Black Leadership And The Expansion And Integration Of Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College, Kristy Wittman Howell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (MGCJC), was a single-campus institution until the early 1960s, when it began plans to create two new White-enrolling, segregated campuses: the Jefferson Davis Campus in Harrison County, and the Jackson County Campus to its east. Plans for a third, Black-enrolling, segregated campus were abandoned, and when the two new campuses opened, the first students to register for classes were Black. Through the leadership of Black residents active in labor and civil rights organizations, the Black community of George, Harrison, Jackson, and Stone Counties successfully demanded expanded, integrated educational access in the deep south, some five …

Gender And Age Differences Among Juvenile Homicide Offenders, Amanda Nichole-Wells Jabaay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The involvement of juveniles in homicide-related crimes has been a matter of growing public concern in the United States. Although prior research suggests that boys and girls who kill vary in important ways, there is limited research that has examined gender and age differences among juvenile homicide offender (JHO) characteristics and crime-related variables on a national level, with only eight previous national studies to date. Guided by the social control theory, the purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to explore gender and age differences among JHOs and other crime-related variables on a current national level. Archival data (N = …

Translanguaging 101 For Adult Esol Teachers, Shae Green

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although translanguaging has gained recognition in K–12 education and research over the past decade, it remains largely underutilized in adult ESOL classrooms. This presentation introduces the concept of translanguaging and offers practical strategies for its implementation with adult learners, addressing a gap in both research and practice. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Community Cultural Wealth, this conference presentation challenges deficit narratives by affirming students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge as valuable classroom resources. Drawing on research that highlights the benefits of utilizing students' home languages for language acquisition and identity affirmation, this presentation equips educators with tools to foster more …

The Politics Of Being Heard: Communication And Power Struggles In Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Caroline Trejo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The environmental and public health challenges in Bayview-Hunters Point have catalyzed widespread community activism, as residents and advocates respond to the ongoing fallout from radiological contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Communication plays a vital role in bridging the gap between affected communities and government entities throughout the cleanup process. This research asks: how have the communication strategies of advocacy groups influenced government actions and policies during the Bayview-Hunters Point Shipyard cleanup? To explore this question, I conducted semi-structured interviews with three community advocates, two former members of a non-partisan civil jury, one independent researcher, and one government official. …

Having A Home To Come Home To: How Subsidized Housing Impacts Unhoused Pregnant Women, Stephanie O. Porvaznik

Master's Projects and Capstones

Community based organizations (CBOs) lead the charge in the fight to end housing insecurity and often must make up where local governments fall short. San Francisco is an example of a municipality that has a long history of addressing instances of housing insecurity for its residents, and where CBOs step in to provide housing support for populations with unique and special circumstances. One CBO that operates in San Francisco that I was interested in studying was the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP), and the Jelani House, a housing subsidy that is funded and operated by the HPP for pregnant women who …

Evaluating San Francisco Urban Green Spaces And Policy To Inform Future Decision-Making: How Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Can Be Prioritized And Incorporated In Urban Park Design And Planning Through A Decision-Making Tool, Holley Anne Maassen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Amid the current climate crisis, enhancing urban green spaces (UGS), parks, and open spaces with climate change adaptation (CCA) as a strategic pillar in San Francisco’s urban planning is an essential strategic pillar to develop more resilient cities. However, in complex bureaucratic landscapes, integrating CCA strategies that meet project goals while ensuring inclusive stakeholder engagement presents a challenge. This project presents the identification, development, and application of a holistic decision-making tool (DMT) in the form of a Pugh matrix/decision matrix and with a focus on urban planning in San Francisco, California. Key decision-making criteria are identified and weighted through a …