Digital Commons Network^™

The Information And Communication Behaviors Of Marcus Garvey And The Universal Negro Improvement Association (Unia), Janet Douglas-Pryce

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Marcus Garvey, social activist and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in the early twentieth century, has been widely studied for his Pan-African approach to the social upliftment of Black communities during a period marked by segregation and systemic injustice. His messages of empowerment attracted global attention and supported the growth of a movement that reached more than one million members worldwide. While Garvey and the UNIA have been examined from historical, political, and cultural perspectives, they have not been systematically studied through the lens of information and communication behavior. This study examines the information and communication behaviors …

Teaching That Resonates: Reimagining High School Literature Through Real-World Connections, Lizzie Galanis

ENG 490 Senior Seminar Capstone

The current high school literature curriculum is overdue for reform. While classic books have value, teaching them in a modern context is crucial so the lessons can be translated to students’ daily lives. Integrating contemporary texts is essential when reimagining the curriculum because students can relate to them and connect with their themes. This paper analyzes five texts that would meaningfully enhance an updated curriculum. These texts promote real-world connections, interdisciplinary learning, and multicultural exposure. Schools and educators must reassess both what they teach and how they teach it to diversify the content and evolve with the times. Students should …

Vision 2026

Vision

No abstract provided.

Annual Report 2025 Durham, New Hampshire For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2025, Durham Town Representatives

Durham, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Stages Of Being Foreign As Portrayed In Daughter Of Keltoum And Lost Birds, Fran Hassencahl

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

In this paper, I use the intercultural communication model, The Stages of Being Foreign, developed by anthropologist Oberg (1960) and modified by Gullahorn & Gullahorn (1963), Lewis & Jungman (1986), and Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) to explain the experience of culture shock. This model describes the stages that individuals experience when they leave, either voluntarily or involuntarily, their home country/culture and must adapt to a new culture. These stages as described by Oberg are a preliminary stage (a spectator stage), an increasing participation stage, the pit of the culture shock stage, the adaptation stage, and for some migrants a …

Chaotic Complexity: Order And Chaos In Works Of Cage, Xenakis And Boulez, Levi Graham

Music Theses

My thesis explores specific applications of chaos theory in contemporary twentieth-century music and analyzes the relationship between order and chaos in their creation. I will do this by referencing the levels of chaos presented by Katherine Hayles and categorized by Judith Lochhead. These levels of chaos include “Expressive Chaos,” “Denotative Chaos,” and “Ontological Chaos,” which provide a framework for grouping expressions of chaos in music.  I will analyze works of John Cage, Iannis Xenakis and Pierre Boulez through the lens of these types of chaos, with a particular focus on “Ontological Chaos,” which describes chaos as both dependent on and …

Implementing Impact Data Collection And Program Evaluation In A Nonprofit, Jamie Devellis

OTD Capstones

This doctoral capstone highlights a gap between data collection practices and nonprofits, which impacts participation rates of children experiencing poverty. This gap is an issue for nonprofits because stakeholders and donors are more likely to fund organizations that can provide impact data about their services. This capstone addresses that gap through creating and implementing data collection and program evaluation for a grassroots nonprofit that funds enrichment programs for children experiencing poverty in southeastern Massachusetts. Data collected found that the program has a positive effect on the children and families of whom they serve that surpass their main goal of building …

It's All The Same, Lauren A. Bedevia

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

It’s All the Same is a collection of short stories that center around lesbian characters. The stories explore themes such as ambition, morality, karma, mental health, exploitation, and relationships. The collection opens with “Forget Her Inc.,” a short story that juggles an ensemble cast of lesbians and examines whether memory eraser therapy is an ethical practice for treating a broken heart. “It’s All the Same,” the titular story, uses lyricism to present the parallels between two women in terms of family dynamics, interests, and attachment styles; the story explores a loving friendship between a lesbian and a straight woman.

“Fun …

2026 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Transmission/Reception, Ma'ayan Noy

MA Projects

From the 1940’s to the 70’s the California-based artist Wallace Berman produced a wide-spreading oeuvre, encompassed drawing, collage, assemblage, single channel video, and three dimensional object making. His practice was deeply informed by his interest in Jazz, Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, film, and poetry, and more. The transmission and reception of an everflowing stream of references which informs Berman’s creative intake and output adopts a mystical undertone in his grand oeuvre. The unifying theme for Transmission/Reception asserts the centrality of Kabbalistic influences on Berman’s practice, his affinity and spiritual regard for the act of creating. Transmission/Reception underscores Berman’s underlying belief …

2026 Commencement Ceremony Cornish College Of The Arts, Seattle University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Some Assembly Required, Tanner Maxey

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The dead do not carry their memory. We do. But when memory becomes the only way we can continue to hold on to our loved ones, how do we derive meaning from the fragments when memory begins to fade? Some Assembly Required examines loss as a condition in which meaning is no longer stable, but must be constructed from what remains. Through an interdisciplinary practice that combines ceramics, textiles, and installation, this work explores how domestic objects—once associated with care, function, and familiarity—can be transformed into fragile, unusable forms that persist as evidence of what has been lost. These objects …

Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu

MA Theses

This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …

Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa

MA Theses

The 60th Venice Biennale (2024), curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, the first Latin American curator, and the first curator based in the Global South to lead the Venice Biennale, revived long-standing debates concerning visibility and marginalization, who controls canon formation and, in a market where visibility directly affects value, the power of dictating the market. The curator furthered this discussion by curating a show literally titled “Strangers Everywhere”, focused on representations by artists who identify as “othered”, through, for example colonisation and erasure of native cultures, immigration or queerness.  This thesis examines the evolving role of biennials as platforms …

The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega

MA Theses

This thesis examines the short lifespan of the New  Tendencies. Although the  New Tendencies have gained renewed recognition over the last couple of years, there is still limited research on their final phase. To address this topic, I analyzed the narrative history of the  New Tendencies  , alongside the essays published in the exhibition catalogues. Additionally, I considered the historical and political situation in Croatia during this period, which influenced the manifestations. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the non-existence of the  New Tendencies  as a movement in the history of art and identifies the key reasons that led to its …

About Witch Hunt: Feminist And Political Agency In Contemporary Art, Rana Sumerler

MA Theses

The Witch Hunt exhibition conjures a powerful dialogue between history, identity, and empowerment, bringing together sixteen international artists to channel the spirit of the witch. This show traces a vast genealogy of women—from the 15th century witch hunts to Californian artistic legacies of the 1970s, to the exhibitions opening in 2021, and into present day. The participating artists emerge as symbols of resistance through their creations which transform domesticity, sexuality, and labor into sites of inquiry all while grappling with the intersectional concerns of womanhood.  In a moment marked by political upheaval, the exhibition is particularly resonant in its exploration …

Calculated Allure: Persuasion And Dramaturgy At Art Auction, Jacqueline Vargas

MA Theses

The art auction, often perceived as a spontaneous, high-stakes marketplace, is, in fact, a meticulously constructed spectacle designed to stimulate desire and encourage buying. Through a systematic use of performance techniques and psychological triggers, the contemporary art auction utilizes dramaturgy and strategic persuasion to directly influence and shape bidder perception and behavior. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study draws on theories from sociology, psychology, and art business studies to dissect the mechanisms of persuasion and cognitive biases at play within the saleroom. This theoretical framework is enriched by case studies and semi-structured interviews with seasoned auctioneers, providing essential insight into …

From Private Collections To Private Museums: The Evolution Of Art Collecting From Antiquity To The Digital Age, Li Yang

MA Theses

This thesis traces the historical evolution of private art collecting from its origins in antiquity to the emergence of the modern private museum and the rise of digital collecting in the twenty-first century. Through a comparative and historical framework, it examines how the act of collecting—once a symbol of power, devotion, and erudition— gradually transformed into a form of public engagement and cultural authorship. Beginning with the sacred collections of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China, the study explores how early collectors used art to assert identity, spirituality, and social hierarchy. The Renaissance redefined collecting through humanist ideals of knowledge …

Rm Sotheby’S Construction Of Value In The High-End Car Market, Pablo Mijares Musi

MA Theses

The purpose of my thesis is to tell and enlighten any readers how the most prestigious and iconic auction house in the world, RM Sotheby’s sells more than just cars from the high-end car market and how the auction house adds value to through storytelling and provenance from each vehicle.  In today’s luxury market economics, we see somewhat of a radical shift. The high-end car market has moved into a very refined area where these beautiful machines are no longer seen and appraised just for their aesthetic design and mechanical engineering, now we see new value drivers for these works …

Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings, Nataliia Sapyrkina

MA Theses

This work explores the phenomenon of “cancel culture”, with a specific emphasis on the repercussions for Russian art, artists, and cultural institutions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The study examines “cancel culture” as a reputational sanctions mechanism functioning across the modern media landscape. By analyzing selected case studies this paper addresses cases of performance cancellations, institutional distancing, the termination of cooperation with donors, and the revision of artwork attributions. Crucially, Russia’s exclusion from the dialogue is driven both by direct legal grounds, namely sanctions, and by indirect technical factors or those arising from the internal structure …

Celebration Of Faculty Scholarship 2025, Olin Library

Celebration of Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Undated (01) - Cleveland County Early Days, Mamie Jones

Cleveland County Early Days Newspaper Column

This article draws from an 1897 special edition of The Cleveland Star to profile prominent business leaders, farmers, and civic figures in Shelby and Cleveland County. It highlights individuals such as Mayor Junius T. Gardner, Police Chief R. S. Jones, and successful farmers and entrepreneurs, emphasizing their achievements, leadership, and contributions to community growth. The piece also reflects on Shelby’s population expansion and economic development during the late 19th century.

Introduction To Trigger Warnings: Teaching Through Trauma, Ian Barnard, Ryan Ashley Caldwell, Jada Patchigondla, Aneil Rallin, Morgan Read-Davidson, Ethan Trejo, Kristi M. Wilson

English Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"The individual histories of both trigger warnings and trauma have evolved rapidly in the overlapping wakes of COVID, mental health crises, attacks on educational institutions in the United States, climate apocalypse, evergrowing economic inequities, and, more promisingly, attempts at political redress and educational equity. At the same time, trigger warnings and trauma have become exponentially more intimately linked in the past few years. But however often the topic of trigger warnings provokes heated discussion, the appeals and alignments of the interlocutors equally as frequently defy neat political binaries. Critiques of trigger warnings come from all sides of the political and …

School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play

Theatre and Performance Studies Programs

School Girls; or the African Mean Girls Play

The Trial Of Socrates, Jonathan Van Patten

Faculty Publications

In many important ways, the trial of Socrates was not just the trial of the century, nor even the trial of the millennium. It predated the trial of Jesus, which is important for many other reasons, but Socrates’ contribution to how we think about justice and the rule of law is without equal. This Article explores the ways that this fifth-century B.C. trial, located geographically on the margin of what came to be known as the West, is at the center of what makes us a civilization. It is not simply about the drama, nor the politics of free inquiry, …

Catalog Of The Music Of Nick Strimple (B. 1946), Ruth Ballenger

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation provides a rich primary source for future scholars interested in the music of American composer Dr. Nick Strimple. A complete catalog of Dr. Strimple’s works and more than thirty transcribed interviews with the composer offer broad insight into Dr. Strimple’s motivations, inspirations, and sources for his own compositions. Primary sources – that is, firsthand evidence created in real time by a participant or observer – offer what musicologists might colloquially describe as the “gold standard” for citation and understanding of their musical subjects. As the field of musicology evolved, primary sources have come to be highly valued as …

The Politics Of Russian Regional Development, Claire Moore

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines why Chechnya’s independence movement shifted from a secular nationalist struggle in the First Chechen War (1994–1996) to a religiously framed insurgency in the interwar period and Second Chechen War (1999–2000; 2007). Drawing on presidential speeches, interviews, archival materials, and secondary scholarship, it argues that religious radicalization cannot be explained solely by external influence or Russian military brutality. Instead, three underexplored variables–strategic economic appeals to the Islamic world, culturally-embedded practices of vengeance, and the enabling conditions of poverty and mass armament–collectively shaped this transformation. Chechen leaders increasingly emphasized Islamic identity to secure financial and military support from Middle …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Playing In The Field: Carrie Mae Weems Exploration Of Black Mobility, Through Diasporic, Temporal, And Visual Movement, Tobi Alexandra Falade

MA in Contemporary Art Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the notion of diaspora, as a framework to explore the use of movement within the lens-based work of Carrie Mae Weems. This study is largely carried out through Leave! Leave Now! 2022, a twenty-five-minute video installation sectioned into five parts and staged within a traditional movie theatre. The artwork explores the journey, real-life disappearance and reappearance of sharecropper Frank Weems—the artists grandfather—through a diasporic tale interwoven with critical questions about migration and its historical and future consequences. The first chapter “Diasporic Journeys”, explores enforced journeys and the diasporic experiences at large. The second chapter, “Temporal Movement”, explores …

Good Girl Bootcamp: Performative Femininity, Purity Culture, And Other Things Girls Are Taught, Kiersten Holland

Masters Theses

Performative femininity is a dangerous and controlling idea that subjugates women and places their inherent worth on how well they can conform to societal standards in male dominated spaces. Consequently, the reactionary messaging that surfaced as a result of these social pressures created a series of stereotypical female characterizations often depicted in the material and visual cultures of each period. By comparing contemporary literature with literature from the Victorian time period, it emphasizes the longstanding and controlling gender stereotypes pervasive throughout the past few centuries. This thesis attempts to understand and analyze the way that literature both critiques and supports …