Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Diversity Representation In Ilmea All-State Programming 1990-2025, Lucinda Boucher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the diversity of ILMEA All-State programming from 1990–2025. This study compiled information regarding the composers and arrangers of the pieces selected, as well as the conductors for each ensemble. In the band category, 3.22% (n = 11) of all composers and arrangers (N = 342) were female and 4.39% (n= 15) were people of color. In orchestra, 1.67% (n = 3) were female and 6.67% (n = 12) were composers of color of all composers and arrangers (N = 180). The percentage of female composers …

The Medea Effect: The Binary Terror Of Women Existing In The Liminal Space, M. Nance

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Medea character as a liminal figure. Taking a metaphorical approach to Victor Turner’s ideas on liminality, this study will deconstruct different binary oppositions—villain/victim, agent/object, Dionysian/Apollonian. The Medea character does not fall neatly to one side of these binary oppositions; therefore, this thesis argues that Medea instead inhabits the space between the binary oppositions in the realm of the liminal. The thesis then analyzes the same binary oppositions within a survey of theatrical and non-theatrical texts that feature characters that embody archetypes that originated within the Medea character—the she-devil, the murderous mother, …

Lady Macbeth's Maternity And Morality, Lauren Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways in which adaptations of Lady Macbeth from the seventeenth century to modern day have functioned to vilify or redeem Lady Macbeth based on her connection with her maternity as well as on the contextual, cultural, and political opinions surrounding both a woman’s place in society and the importance of maternity. This thesis examines William D’Avenant’s 1674 stage adaptation of Macbeth, Han Tae-Sook’s 1998 stage adaptation Lady Macbeth, and Lisa Klein’s 2009 novel adaptation Lady Macbeth’s Daughter to capture a range of cultures and the evolution of the character.

"The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love": Identity Creation, Compartmentalization, And Belonging Among Queer Peace Corps Volunteers, Laura N. Keeran

Theses and Dissertations

The Peace Corps advertises that it accepts anyone, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation; however, recruiters and staff ask volunteers to go back into the closet for their twenty-seven months of service due to the Peace Corps’ safety concerns about their volunteers being out in their host countries. Queer Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) answer the call to serve, accepting that it means they will need to keep their queer identities concealed for two years and three months. I conducted ethnographic interviews with ten people who have served or are currently serving in the Peace Corps and identify under …

Exploring Childcare Leaders’ Perspectives On Program Philosophies At The Intersection Of Care, Education, And Business: A Multi-Method (Qual + Qual) Study Using Simon Sinek’S Golden Circle, Megan Kybartas

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-method (QUAL + qual) study explores childcare leaders’ perspectives on program philosophies at the intersection of care, education, and business, which I call The Childcare Tripartite. Recognizing the significant dependency on high-quality childcare services and the foundational role of program philosophies in achieving this quality, this research addresses a notable gap in the literature regarding how early childhood leaders communicate and prioritize their program philosophies within the complex American childcare landscape. Employing semi-structured interviews, documentary materials, and demographic forms, and analyzed through both thematic and deductive content analysis, drawing on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the study uncovers how philosophical …

“The New Force”: The Rhetoric Behind Nana Kwame Bediako's Masked Campaign, Emmanuella Ama Gyamfi

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Nana Kwame Bediako’s unconventional masked campaign in Ghana’s 2024 presidential election using Norman Fairclough’s three- dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The research analyzes how Bediako employed anonymity through a masked persona on billboards before revealing his identity as a strategic political innovation. The study examines two key moments: Bediako’s unveiling speech after the government of Ghana cancelled his planned convention event, and his subsequent televised interview with JoyNews. The analysis reveals how the mask functioned as a complex symbol that generated public curiosity, challenged Ghana’s NPP- NDC political duopoly, and connected pan-African identity. Through the textual, discursive …

Fueling The Fire! How Black Students Make Sense Of Their Experiences With Youth Development Programs And Their Roles In Post-Secondary Transition And Success, Erica Austin

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I used a phenomenological research design to explore how Black students make sense of their experiences with Youth Development Programs (YDPs)and how the program components contributed to their transition and success in postsecondary education. An analysis of the interview data gathered from ten black students through the lens of Social Identity Theory revealed three themes: (a) YDPs help students feel prepared and supported by equipping them with essential academic and life skills, mentorship, and leadership opportunities; (b) Representation within YDPs fosters self-efficacy and aspiration, as mentors and role models who share students’ cultural backgrounds inspire confidence and …

The Tender Flesh: Dwelling In Soft Wounds And Visceral Bodies, Madelyn Irene Turner-Havens

Theses and Dissertations

Within my painting process, I explore bodily interiority and exteriority in relation to the surface of painting, evoking a discomforting sense of corporeal (dis)embodiment, where haunted flesh becomes palpable. Indexing conversations with the body into the painting is a way to understand my body and create an experience of what happens when language fails to capture the complexity of sensation. Painting becomes a mediation with the canvas, a constant discovery of what can give shape to the intangible: how it feels when my skin folds into itself, bodily urges, and the soft texture of fatty tissue.

I let the parts …

Language Ideologies In Coloniality Contexts: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Efl Teachers’ Experiences And Perceptions On The Use Of Learners’ Language Repertoire As Assets For Teaching And Learning, Kountiala J. Some

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I examined how dominant language ideologies in language politics and policy shape the professional identity development and pedagogical practices of five English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Burkina Faso. The study sought to understand how these ideologies influence teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of multilingual pedagogical approaches, as well as possible pathways for deconstructing them to promote student-centered practices. The participants’ accounts revealed that their academic and professional identities were largely shaped by the belief that home languages hinder proficiency in French and English. They recalled with remorse their elementary school experiences, where speaking native languages …

I Am Not A Dictator; I Am A Defender: The Rhetoric Of Coup D’État In Francophone Africa, Isaac Asare Kwakye

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the rhetorical strategies used by coup leaders in Francophone Africa to authorize their actions and garner public support. Focusing on recent military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2020, I investigate how coup leaders construct narratives of legitimacy within the context of contemporary geopolitical dynamics. I utilize Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to analyze speeches by three key coup leaders: Colonel Assimi Goïta, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and General Abdourahamane Tchiani. My analysis reveals four interconnected rhetorical frameworks: framing interventions as emergency measures, cultivating savior personas, weaponizing anti-colonial grievances, and deploying anti-corruption narratives. A comparative analysis of …

Nine Lives Of A Hero: Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki And The Idolization Of Minamoto No Tametomo, Roger Thomas

Faculty Publications – Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

This study examines Takizawa Bakin's (1767-1848) novel Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki in terms of its importance, both among his prodigious works and among Japanese early modern historical romances. It analyzes his use of sources and discusses the role this novel played in popular perceptions of Ryukyu among Edo-period Japanese, as well as in the persistent belief in the historicity of legends that Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) actually visited that southern island kingdom.

Against Acceptance Theories Of Social Norms, John Lawless

Faculty Publications - Philosophy

According to some theories, a rule counts as a social norm within a community only if the members of the community generally accept the rule. This is a conceptual claim: proponents of these theories do not deny that a rule can structure people's interactions and relationships even though few people accept it; they simply deny that such a rule should count as a social norm. I argue that this approach draws arbitrary boundaries that cut through explanatorily significant categories with no theoretical payoff. We typically invoke social norms either to explain empirical phenomena (e.g. what people do) or moral …

Stimulating Focus And Calmness Through Soft Fabrication: A User-Centered Approach, Emmanuella A. Oku

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the potential of active attention objects embedded with technologies such as LEDs to enhance focus and calmness in individuals with inattentive ADHD, particularly in classroom settings. Individuals with inattentive ADHD often struggle with irritability, stress, and panic attacks when exposed to external stimuli such as loud sounds, varying light intensities, strong smells, or physical sensations, which significantly hinders their ability to concentrate and remain composed. My literature review discovered a connection between an individual’s blinking pattern and their focus, and my work explores how to design active attention objects to engage with blinking as a focus tactic. …

Skin And Bones: Transgenerational Trauma, Experimental Storytelling, And The Texture Of Hope, A Creative Dissertation, Janine Blue

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation theorizes and enacts experimental storytelling as a method for engaging transgenerational trauma, highlighting how form shapes the ways histories are remembered, embodied, and reimagined across generations. Grounded in hope rehearsal as both a theoretical and creative framework, this project examines how BIPOC writers use experimental writing techniques to navigate the afterlives of historical trauma and reclaim storytelling as an act of meaning-making, communal care, and futurity. The dissertation begins with a critical chapter that explores these experimental techniques as strategies for recovery and resistance. The dissertations’ creative chapter, Andre Lyle: Skin and Bones, expands on these ideas …

The Blue And Grey On The Silver Screen: Civil War Memory And National Reconciliation In American Cinema, 1910-1915, Wade B. Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines film depictions of the American Civil War in the early 1910s. In this time period, around three hundred films about the Civil War were released by American film companies. My thesis studies the cultural themes in these films and public response to them in order to understand why so many were made in such a short period of time. This thesis is primarily concerned with the field of Civil War memory. The field itself arose in the mid-twentieth century as historians were attempting to reconcile the continued disenfranchisement of African-Americans with the abolition of slavery at the …

The Satyr's Last Lament, Joseph A. Sandy

Theses and Dissertations

The Satyr’s Last Lament is a multi-movement work drawing from the traditions of early jazz and musical theater and consists of eight songs and five interludes. The plot is an original fantasy tale about an abandoned village of satyrs that is discovered by a wandering bard who uses magic to bring the spirits of the dead back to sing their story to him. They spin a sad tale about how The Stranger came to their town and convinced them to abandon their good habits and community to instead indulge in hedonism and isolation, leading to their downfall. Each song is …

Breaching The Screen: A Digital Technofeminist Methodology For Virtual And Augmented Realities, Frank Macarthy

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides a methodological framework that seeks to further scholarly and pedagogical inquiry at the intersections of feminist rhetorical studies, digital rhetoric, and cultural studies. More specifically, drawing upon theories of technofeminism (relationships among technology and feminism) and cyberfeminism (relationships among the internet and feminism), this dissertation proposes a digital technofeminist methodology to study the complex relationships between virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies, bodies, and rhetoric. This framework aims to help digital rhetoric scholar-teachers to critically investigate digital technologies that blur the distinction between virtuality, material bodies, and realities.

Building on digital rhetoric and technofeminist scholarship, this dissertation …

Rebranding Ink: Language, Identity, And The Rise Of Tatū In Contemporary Japan, Elise M. Ulrich

Theses and Dissertations

In modern Japan, the shift from the traditional term irezumi (入れ墨) to the English loanword tatū (タトゥー) reflects more than just language change—it reveals deeper cultural and social transformations. Loanwords, or borrowed words from other languages, often enter a language through cultural contact, adapting to fit local linguistic and social norms. As the Linguistic Society of America notes, “Most languages have been influenced at one time or another by contact” (Winford, n.d., p. 1). Since World War II, English has become a major source of loanwords in Japanese, shaping everything from everyday conversation to aesthetic trends.

This thesis explores why …

Attitudes And Perceptions Toward The Qassimi Dialect, Fahad M. Alwehaibi

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores attitudes and perceptions surrounding the Qassimi dialect within Saudi Arabia. It addresses two primary questions: What are the attitudes of Qassimi speakers toward their own dialect? and What are the perceptions of non-Qassimi Saudi citizens regarding the Qassimi dialect in terms of stereotypes and its speakers? To investigate these questions, the research employed two population-specific surveys—one for Qassimi speakers and another for non-Qassimi participants—alongside semi-structured interviews with selected Qassimi individuals to gain deeper qualitative insights. The findings reveal that Qassimi speakers generally express strong pride and a positive emotional connection to their dialect, viewing it as a …

At The Mercy Of All Things: Nurturing Experimental Queer Writing On Embodied Mothering, Charley Koenig

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploration of the ability of experimental queer writing to grow and transform expressions of mothering and care. The moves made here—both in the scholarship and anchor texts examined herein and in my own contributions to this effort—work to dethatch those toxic dominating narratives on motherhood, enforced and reinforced by our current Western society and culture, that contaminate and restrict our constructions of what it means to be and do mother. The collective work of experimental queer writers makes possible more nuanced, realistic, messy, complex, varied, embodied, liberating, and literally and figuratively dirty renditions of mothering and …

Weighted Suffixation And Symbiosis In Morphology: The Suffixes -Meister And -O, Zachary Dukic

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on derivational morphology, specifically the historical development and current status of the suffixes -meister and -o in Present-day English. I approach this research from the perspective of language as a complex adaptive system and apply a network model of linguistic storage and processing. I identify semantic domains for each suffix via exemplars which demonstrate the semantic range and variability of -meister and -o. I propose definitions for weight and delexicalization as they pertain to the evolution of these suffixes. Both have gained lexical weight via cumulative semantic associations determined via the network …

Cultural Identity In Mental Health Services And Helpseeking Behaviours Among African International Students, Mark Ofosu Asirifi

Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation stress impacts international students’ psychological well-being and academic success, yet research on African students remains limited. For African international students, this stress is intensified by cultural stigma surrounding mental health services, deterring help-seeking due to fears of judgment and ostracization. This identity negotiation complicates their willingness to access support, reinforcing cultural barriers to mental health care. This study explores how cultural identity shapes the mental health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of African international students in the United States. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), the research examines how acculturative stress, stigma, …

Marks Of Heritage: Chicana Tattoo Artists Navigating Gender, Culture, And Artistic Expression In "Men's Work", Ryleigh Hickman

Theses and Dissertations

Art, and tattoos especially, have been fundamental in creating and articulating an identity for Chicanos within the United States. Yet, for much of the history of Chicano style tattoos, Chicana/xs were not free to engage with them in the same way that Chicanos were. In many regards, their entrance into these spaces was restricted (Santos 2009). However, recently with the growing interest in tattoo art and career opportunities, the industry has expanded significantly, creating more opportunities for a broader range of individuals. This research aims to explore how young Chicana/x and Latina tattoo artists now accessing these spaces navigate and …

Normal Editions Workshop Newsletter, 2024-2025, Wonsook Kim School Of Art And Design

Normal Editions Workshop Newsletter

Annual newsletter for the Normal Editions Workshop, School of Art, Illinois State University.

The Body Is On, Kitty F. Davies

Theses and Dissertations

THE BODY IS ON is a visual art exhibition that considers queer embodiment, pervert as political identity, the arriving climate catastrophe, and difficulty in artmaking. I make use of various concepts from Deleuze and Guattari to interconnect my own with the primary goal to ask: what does futurity look like or mean in these climates (in both a literal, warming sense and an increasingly fascistic, political one), and how do we actualize that future?

Intersectionality And The Canon Of Romanticism, Serenah Minasian

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the origins of the canon and the place it has in British Romanticism studies both past and present. This research begins unpacking what has already been done in this sector of study and takes it steps further by the use of Crenshaw’s “intersectionality” theory. The “Introduction” unpacks past scholarly work and its role in the present studies and how we must move beyond the past. “Chapter I” serves as a historical breakdown of the canon’s role and impact in both literary studies and Romanticism studies in specific. “Chapter II” provides an in depth analysis of two major …

Love Me Or Else: Keats’S Impossible Desires In “I Cry Your Mercy”, Brian Rejack

Faculty Publications – English

No abstract provided.

Growing Through The Questions: Studying Sticking Points To Strengthen Commitments To Socially Just English Language Arts Teaching, Kaitlyn P. Blake

Theses and Dissertations

This teacher-research study explores sticking points that emerge in my high school English language arts (ELA) classroom as a way of aligning my practice with my socially just ELA teaching framework, especially in my early career years. Using qualitative methods to focus on my classroom interactions with students, two specific sticking points emerged as significant to my learning. Although I initially interpreted these sticking points as being between the students and me, my analysis revealed that the sticking points were actually a result of my socially just framework being challenged by my own enactment of it. Learning to reframe these …

Isu String Project Winter Concert: November 13, 2024, Sara Garrett, Dr. Benjamin De Kock, Dr. Cora Swanson, Dr. Katherine Lewis

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts

December 13, 2024

Friday Evening

7:00 p.m.

Music For The Holidays: December 8, 2024, Mark Grizzard, Tim Fredstrom, Andrew Bruhn

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts

December 8, 2024

Sunday Afternoon

3:00 p.m.