Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Prolepsis Through Poe's Narrators: The Prophetic Demise Of The Obsessive Protagonist, Bailey Jarnagin

Masters Theses

Edgar Allan Poe was a pioneer of psychological fiction. His stories center around characters whose reliability is questionable and who are mentally troubled in some way. Poe crafted stories that invoke terror because their subject is the horror of the mind. While readers of other types of horror fiction can finish a story and step away from the monsters with little to no fear of being followed by them, readers of Poe cannot forget the tales they read so readily because the horror of the mind is ever present. Poe crafted such horrific stories because of the haunted palace of …

Professional Preparedness: A Satisfaction Survey For Music Therapists In The United States, Xueyan Hua

Masters Theses

This study investigates the satisfaction level among undergraduate or equivalency students, who have completed their degree program, in regards to their professional education and preparedness for professional practice in the United States. Out of a sample of 7,183 Board- Certified Music Therapists (MT-BC) invited to complete an online research survey, 777 (n=777) MT-BCs completed the survey. Due to time limitations, qualitative data was not analyzed.

Major findings include: (1) 8.79% of respondents completed no more than two preinternship clinical practica; (2) 88.46% of respondents were satisfied with their clinical practicum settings; (3) 92.72% of respondents were satisfied with the relevancy …

A Survey Of Perceptions And Professional Boundaries Between Music Therapy And Speech-Language Pathology, Jennifer Rose Fromius

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between music therapists and speech-language pathologists in order to gain a better understanding of professional boundaries within each profession, frequency of co-treatment between the two professions, and perceptions of referral in clinical practice. Data for this research were collected through two online questionnaires with parallel sets of questions, which were distributed to a sample of boardcertified music therapists (MT-BC) and speech-language pathologists (CCC-SLP). Quantitative and qualitative data collected from the survey (N= 283; n = 45 MT-BC, n = 238 CCC-SLP) are analyzed to determine if there are correlations and …

The Sunlight Cycle, Michael Flynn

Masters Theses

The Sunlight Cycle is a work in four movements which evokes certain time periods within a 24-hour day. In order of number, the movements are meant to represent dawn, daytime, twilight, and night, respectively. Each movement transitions seamlessly into the next, with Mvt. 4, “Nocturnal,” transitioning back to the beginning of Mvt. 1, “Matutinal”. This cyclical nature allows for a performance of the cycle to begin with any of the four movements. Theoretically, the work can repeat indefinitely.

Musically, the work develops in three main areas: harmony, rhythm, and timbre. Harmonically, the work is tonal, featuring extended and altered triadic …

Teaching Preschool Music: A Praxial And Biblical Approach, Ashley Finke

Masters Theses

The research conducted in this study strove to identify the effects of a praxial music approach with the integration of biblical principles on teacher training and preschool students’ learning. Currently, universities do not offer music education students instruction in preschool music pedagogy that incorporates a praxial music approach with biblical principles. Several sources were consulted to discover the need for a college level curriculum geared towards teaching a praxially and biblically-based music curriculum in preschool. As a method to discover how beneficial it is to incorporate praxial music teaching with a biblical foundation, this study establishes a framework and curriculum …

From Maroons To Mardi Gras: The Role Of African Cultural Retention In The Development Of The Black Indian Culture Of New Orleans, Robin Ligon Williams

Masters Theses

After a three hundred year journey from the continent, African cultural retention remains at the core of the Black Indian masking tradition of New Orleans. Prior research from progenitors in anthropology and ethnomusicology, focusing on African cultural retention, include the ground-breaking ethnographies of Robert Farris Thompson, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Michael P. Smith, Margaret Thompson Drewel, Stephen Wehmeyer, Jason Berry and others, have established a solid foundation for research on African influences and retentions in expressive folk cultures, laying a firm foundation for this project. The author’s insider experiences within the Black Indian tradition are underscored by several …

A Content Analysis Of Beginning Guitar, Electric Bass, And String Bass Method Books, Michele Berlin

Masters Theses

Guitar instruction is an integral part of 21st-century best music education practices. This quantitative study compares six beginning guitar method books to beginning electric bass and string bass books. The books in the sample are Essential Elements for Guitar by Will Schmid and Bob Morris, Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade 1 Expanded Edition, Alfred's Basic Guitar Method by Morty Manus and Ron Manus, FJH Young Beginner Guitar Method Lesson Book 1, Belwin 21st Century Guitar Method 1 (2nd edition) by Aaron Stang, and KJOS Guitar Sessions Book 1: A Comprehensive Method for Individual or Group Study by Kevin Daley. …

Tracing Their Journey: A New Beginning For Irish Immigrants In 1850 Cleveland, Kathleen M. Edwards

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Profile Of Policy Discussions Regarding Gender-Inclusive Housing Amongst Four-Year Public Institutions In The Midwest: A Qualitative Approach, Alexis Hill

Masters Theses

This study utilized a qualitative approach to analyze gender-inclusive policies amongst four-year public institutions in the Midwest. This study focused primarily on residence life administrators, who are responsible for the creation and implementation of such policies on their campuses. 40 institutions completed a survey inquiring about their policies or practices, and four institutions were interviewed as a follow-up. Several themes emerged from the study, which included: 1) even if an institution did not have a policy, they more than likely have a practice; 2) change in trends are inevitable and professionals must be willing to change with them; and 3) …

The Biopolitical Elements In Yan Lianke's Fiction Worlds, Xiaoyu Gao

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Music Therapy Techniques On Clients In A Substance Abuse Group, Moyosore Fabiyi

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music therapy on clients with substance abuse history attending group sessions in a behavioral health facility. Specifically, the mechanism by which lyric analysis or the musical component may lead to positive therapeutic outcomes was examined. In order to assess the effectiveness of music therapy techniques, a comparison was made between conditions of music alone, lyric analysis alone and music with lyric analysis. One may be able to argue that the mechanism by which music therapy affects clients may lay within the music itself and clients listening to that music. …

Race, Identity, And Communication: Experiences Of College Students From Underrepresented Groups, Raya D. Petty

Masters Theses

There is a significant difference of the completion of college between minority students and white students. The achievement gap is influenced by race and socioeconomic status of the students. The purpose of my study was to examine the relationship between academic performance and achievement and sociocultural factors including race and socioeconomic status. My thesis will affirm previous research that recognizes a need for resources specifically dedicated to assist marginalized groups in higher education. It will bring attention to minority students, first-generation college students and students with a low socioeconomic status. The project includes a literature review that explores identity, intersectionality, …

Re-Presenting Black People Through Ott Television, Bradley C. Chatman

Masters Theses

Dynamic and diverse representation of black men and women in traditional television has been suppressed through the lens of many problematic ideologies since their introduction to television. Over-the-top video streaming platforms have created new avenues for making televisual content for mass audiences with less censorship and restrictions. This opens a door of opportunity for studying black representation. Focusing on original television written by black men and women for over-the-top platforms, I perform a textual analysis on Luke Cage, Dear White People, and Broke as the population of black-written television on OTT to find the character types and roles …

Blurring The Spectrum: Exploring Queer Conservatism, Austin P. Mejdrich

Masters Theses

Running parallel to the groundbreaking and historic advancement of LGBTQ rights over the past decade has been the rise in the prominence and public discourse of queer conservative thinking. From the Log Cabin Republicans to far-right nationalistic politics, queer conservatives underscore both diverging ideologies within the modern American conservative tradition and the increase of far-right politics in Western societies. This study argues that queer conservatism, while traditionally less explored in the broader context of sexuality politics, is consequential to an understanding of the LGBTQ community and queer politics. Thus, an exploration of queer conservatism as a political ideology is explored, …

Using Young Adult Literature To Confront Mental Health: A Culturally Relevant Approach, Briana Hendrickson

Masters Theses

This thesis highlights the need for addressing mental health in secondary school settings and argues that high school English educators can help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness using young adult (YA) literature. I discuss the benefits of using YA literature in the secondary English classroom and why YA literature is an effective tool for introducing timely topics like mental health. I analyze the limitations of popular YA novels such as Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places and argue that the mental health representation in these novels hinders students' ability to challenge the current …

Only In It For The News: Satire Television Pilot Critiquing The Structure Of Television News, Dakota Pruemer

Masters Theses

Televisual satire news is currently a way for the creators of the programming to critique what is being said in broadcast news media. I think that satire should go a step further and also critique how broadcast news media works. In order to do this, I created a television pilot that breaks the paradigm in which television news operates. Only in it for the News is a creative thesis that incorporates communication and media theory with production techniques to create a television pilot that critiques television news and provides an alternative approach to how television satire is typically presented. The …

The Context And Effects Of The Spirit Filled Seventy Elders, David Abbott

Masters Theses

The passage of Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29 is an important passage in understanding the work, role and gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. It also is a passage that sends ripple effects throughout the rest of the Bible, most notably through Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2, 10, and 19, and in Paul’s teachings in Galatians 3:28 and 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 14:1. Although this work does not settle any theological debate about speaking in tongues, it does look into the gifts of the Spirit from an Old Testament perspective. The resting of the Spirit that appears in the Old …

Mbalax: Traces Of Tradition In Senegalese Hip-Hop, Mikayla Simeral

Masters Theses

What is mbalax and how is it adaptively transforming the modern-day culture of Dakar, Senegal? Throughout This this study, willI plan to provide a glimpse into the current hip-hop culture of Dakar, ultimately revealing how up-and-coming artists are implementing mbalax. The research for this study took place I was in Dakar, Senegal from January 26th - February 16th, and was completed my field research in both Washington D.C. and New York City from February 22nd-26th. During this time m, I was able to connect with multiple hip-hop artists, political activists/rappers, drummers, and sabar dancers were consulted. More knowledge was obtained …

The Meaning Of A Woman's Work: Refugees, Statelessness, Nationality, And The Women's International League For Peace And Freedom, 1918-1931, Monica Burney

Masters Theses

This work analyzes how the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) sought to influence how the League of Nations approached questions of nationality and statelessness between 1918 and 1931. Especially important were the WILPF's efforts to aid women and children who remained in Turkey following the Armenian genocide, as well as the organization's efforts to address the statelessness crisis that arose following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. Their activism helped to pressure the League of Nations into creating the Commission of Enquiry on Deported Women and Children in Turkey and Asia Minor. Their efforts to end statelessness culminated in …

Professional And Technical Writing In The High School Setting, Kristy C. Bennett

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Branding & Style Guides: Editing For Usability (A Project For Lake Land College), Baylor D. Gardner

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Photo Illicit Study Of Black Women's Sense Of Belonging At A Predominately White Institution, Kayla Alexandria Slusher

Masters Theses

This qualitative study sought to examine how Black women define and create their sense of belonging while attending a predominately White institution using a photovoice approach. The women took photographs of spaces that they frequently occupy and then engaged in a face-to-face interview to discuss the photographs. The researcher also investigated four Black women, ranging from junior to graduate level, to identify how they developed a sense of belonging at the research site institution. Results of the study showed that a feeling of comfort was most important when identifying belongingness in a space. The participants were able to create a …

Women Autonomy In Household Decisionmaking In Nigeria: Analysis Of 2013 Demographic And Health Survey Data, Temiyemi Akinsuyi

Masters Theses

Wealth generated in a household unit is very instrumental to the economy at large through involvement in economic activities. A modest step to improving women's voices and participation in the society is to allow them a full range of choices. Consequences of limiting the rights of women is detrimental to households, communities and the economy at large. The specific objective of this study is to examine the association between women's autonomy and household decision making. I do this by analyzing the data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The methodology employed in investigating this relationship is the Ordered …

Introducing The Hero Of Stasis: An Examination Of Heroism In David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest And The Pale King, Gregory Robert Peterson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Things Miraculous And Strange: A Poetic Interpretation Of The Death And Afterlife Of Agnes Sampson, Ann Mary Hart

Masters Theses

In this collection of poems, I tell the story of Agnes Sampson's 1591 trial for witchcraft, her torture and death, and her response to these events from the afterlife. Using persona perspectives and utilizing a variety of poetic forms, I reveal the voices, thoughts, and feelings of Agnes and others involved in the trials in hopes to give a full and well-rounded account of the events in a compelling and creative way. Included in the collection are erasures on some of James VI' s poems with the goal of turning them into responses to his actions from Agnes. Using this …

Architectural Representation And The Dragon’S Lair In Beowulf, Margaret Heeschen

Masters Theses

Since the early twentieth century, the dragon’s lair of Beowulf has been primarily associated with the early megalithic mounds of northern Europe. This interpretation of the space, however, does not account for the many contradictions present in the poet’s descriptions. In order to fully understand the quiddity of the dragon’s lair, we must resolve three major issues with previous interpretations: the use of rare words with unclear meanings, contradictions in descriptions of the physical space, and an assumption by scholars that the poet is describing a single type of space identifiable in the historical record. By addressing each of these …

Gradus Ad Parnassum: A Reader's Edition And Commentary, Sara Miller Schulte

Masters Theses

The seminal eighteenth-century counterpoint treatise Gradus ad Parnassum by Johann Joseph Fux exists in Latin, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and a host of other languages in its entirely, but in English only the second book of two has been translated, and even that is available only in a collection of partial translations. While a complete English translation is well beyond the scope of this project, toward that end, this research makes a case for its completion and provides a modernized edition and commentary of the as-yet-untranslated first book.

The Effect Of Auditory Stimuli On Test Performance: Testing The Arousal Hypothesis, Ian Thomas Kells

Masters Theses

Since the publication of Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky’s study in 1993 on the “Mozart Effect”, the study of music and its effect on cognition and performance has gained significant attention. Roth and Smith (2008) investigated this “Mozart Effect” and suggested a continuation of research and interpretation through an arousal theory. This study examined the effects of a subject-identified arousing stimulus on performance on the Verbal Reasoning portion of the GRE, analyzed through an arousal theory framework. A sample of 24 non-music Western Michigan University students took part in one 60-minute testing period using subject-preferred music, which was then analyzed across …

Life Among Good Women: The Social And Religious Impact Of The Cathar Perfectae In The Thirteenth-Century Lauragais, Derek Robert Benson

Masters Theses

This Master’s Thesis builds on the work of previous historians, such as Anne Brenon and John Arnold. It is primarily a study of gendered aspects in the Cathar heresy. Using inquisitorial registers from the mid-thirteenth century to the early-fourteenth, as well as a few poetic and prose sources, it seeks to understand how the Cathar “Good Women” were perceived by their lay believers. The methodology of prosopography is utilized throughout to measure witness testimonies against one another and to compare the connections between the Cathar constituency and the female ministers.

Two main inquiries are investigated: the sacerdotal and pastoral roles …

Testing The Arousal Hypothesis: The Effect Of Music On Arousal As Measured By Electrodermal Activity During Verbal Processing, Meghan E. Feeman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to assess the arousal hypothesis by implementing an auditory stimulus (music) at various times during a task (Verbal Processing section of the GRE) to analyze changes in arousal, as measured by electrodermal activity (EDA). Testing is administered for one hour with music implemented before testing and twice during testing. EDA levels are used to measure physiological response and are collected over the one hour testing period. For analysis, testing material is broken into different time blocks to assess arousal levels through mean slope, mean skin conductance level (SCL), mean skin conductance response (xSCR), …