Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Perceptions Of Muslim Women On The 2019 Reforms To The Saudi Guardianship System, Isatu Jalloh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Saudi Arabia, the 2019 reforms to the guardianship system were implemented to grant women greater autonomy in areas such as education, employment, and travel. However, despite legal advancements, recent research shows that deeply ingrained cultural and societal norms continue to impact the full realization of gender equality, and a literature gap exists involving professional and educational contexts. The purpose of this research was to examine Saudi women’s perspectives on the 2019 guardianship reforms and explore how these changes have affected their higher education and employment opportunities. The study used Islamic feminist theory and the narrative policy framework as a …

Telecollaboration As An Approach To Facilitating Intercultural Communicative Competence And Exposure To Arabic Dialects In Arabic As Foreign Language Classrooms In The Us: Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives And Practices, Reham Abuemira

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature on foreign language education shows an increasing interest in incorporating intercultural communicative competence in the foreign language curriculum. However, making intercultural communicative competence an active component in Arabic as a foreign language curriculum in the United States has been overshadowed by a heavy emphasis placed on developing learners’ grammatical competence instead. Intercultural communicative competence has been proven to help language learners develop an awareness of their own culture and other cultures, an appreciation for both the target language and culture, and a set of necessary skills that allow them to communicate effectively and appropriately with others. Intercultural communicative …

“San Antonio, ¡De Cabeza!”: An Opera By Marcelo Beltrán Using A Fusion Of Ecuadorian Musical Traditions And Various Musical Genres, Lucía Berenice Carrera Troya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the opera San Antonio, ¡de cabeza! (Saint Anthony, upside down!), examining its cultural and musical significance in Ecuadorian folklore and its integration of traditional Ecuadorian genres to create a nationalist opera that is also grounded in operatic traditions. The figure of Saint Anthony of Padua is explored, tracing the origins of his legend and its influence on Ecuadorian folklore, with a focus on how these elements are represented in the opera. The life and career of the composer are discussed, emphasizing academic background, and the development of San Antonio, ¡de cabeza! within the context of his broader …

Silent Period Versus Selective Mutism In Young Bilingual Children: A Case Study, Blake Alley

LSU Master's Theses

Intro: It is difficult to distinguish between typical bilingual communication behaviors and those of monolinguals with communication disorders. One difficulty is distinguishing between a silent period and selective mutism. A silent period refers to a relatively brief period of time during which a bilingual refuses to speak in unfamiliar language contexts. Selective mutism refers to a refusal to speak for a long period of time in any language context. The purpose of this study is to disentangle selective mutism from a silent period for a 4 year 10-month-old Spanish English bilingual female.

Methods: This study will include questionnaires, and seven …

Hominoid, Robin Van Bree

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Hominoid is an experimental game about the choices that people make and the stories they tell themselves as they go throughout experiences in life. The player experiences the game as a being between human and animal, implied to be a coyote. The core loop of the game is simple: the player finds objects hidden in a vast desert and dig them up. They then choose to experience its story or not, and in doing so also choose between becoming closer to humanity, or more animalistic. The real substance in the game comes from the stories attached to each game that …

Springscape: The Nature Coast And The Making Of Modern Florida, 1820s-Present, Douglas E. Ponticos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to an oft-repeated tale, the Florida we know today emerged as a dreamscape of tourism, retirement, and suburbanization during the second half of the twentieth century. Growth victimized nature. This dissertation deeply unsettles that story. The history of the Nature Coast exposes not just nature’s agency but its primacy in the development of modern Florida.

Using surveys, maps, census data, personal correspondence, government documents, business records, timber reports, advertising materials, and hydrological research, this dissertation follows time and water across landscapes, into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, and back out again. Each chapter explores a single landscape within the Nature …

The Elephant Brain In The Room: A Lecture Recital On Neurodivergent Advocacy, Koda Moss

Honors Theses

This is a lecture recital; an event where live, performed art music is combined with lecture, with both parts being related. In this case, my lecture was on neurodivergent advocacy and accommodations, and the selected musical pieces were composed by neurodivergent composers.

The Mediation Effect Of White Racial Affect On Color-Blind Racial Attitudes And Multicultural Counseling Competence, Noah Schieffer Scanlon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial bias is something that can impact many fields, including the field of psychology. There is growing research in examining the relationship between multicultural counseling competence and color-blind racial attitudes as well as other factors like White racial affect Few studies have examined the potential mediating relationship White racial affect may have on color-blind racial attitudes and multicultural counseling competence. To address this gap, this study provides insight into how White racial affect mediates the relationship between color-blind racial attitudes and multicultural counseling competence among white psychology trainees. This study also further examined the extent to which color-blind racial attitudes …

Examining Variations In The Kremlin’S Repression Of Non-Systemic Political Opposition Parties Under The Putin Regime, Brock B. Anderson

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

What factors illustrate the differences in how the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin responds to non-systemic political opposition groups in Russia? While existing literature on political opposition theory is expansive, more research specifically addressing contemporary Russian opposition forces is necessary. In particular, it is useful to zoom in on specific non-systemic opposition parties within Russia, as opposed to the customary method of using countries holistically as cases (Kubát 2010; Helms 2023; Eckstein 1967; Taylor 1988) . As such, my research seeks to demonstrate the value of appropriate theoretical frameworks to understand and measure individual non-systemic opposition parties’ actions and subsequent …

Between Fire And Water: Miyazawa Kenji's Reimagining Of Opposites In Ginga Tetsudō No Yoru, Taishi Neilsen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how Japanese writer Miyazawa Kenji playfully uses opposites and binaries to create thematic richness in his famous children's story Ginga tetsudō no yoru (Night on the Milky Way Railroad). Despite being a children's book, the text works with mature themes such as loneliness, grief, and purpose, themes which are elevated through Kenji's idiosyncratic stylings. Through a close reading of the original Japanese text, the author isolates moments where Kenji conveys his Nichiren Buddhist worldview as part of his proselytizing mission, as well as moments that increase thematic richness, resulting in a multifaceted text that continues …

Lived Experiences Of Clinicians Who Support African American Men In Treatment Programs For Opioid Use Disorder In Georgia, Christian Ann Paige

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among African American men in Georgia has risen significantly, highlighting the need for specialized clinical approaches. Clinicians face complex challenges in delivering effective treatment and support. This qualitative interpretive phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of clinicians working with African American men in OUD treatment programs in Georgia. Grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, the study utilized semistructured interviews with eleven clinicians. Four key themes emerged from the analysis: (a) barriers to treatment, as stigma and systemic inequities hinder engagement; (b) cultural competency challenges, as clinicians strive to provide care that aligns with clients’ …

From Farm To Friend: Fostering Compassion Toward Farmed Animals Through Design, Natalie Kosmos

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores how human compassion for farmed animals can be fostered through design. By analyzing the existing language, imagery, and social norms surrounding animal commodification, the research highlights the root of the issue: how humans perceive farmed animals in relation to themselves. Understanding how humans view and think about farmed animals is important for creating a message that disrupts these existing norms. The culmination of this thesis is a campaign, "From Farm to Friend" which is designed to be approachable and informative, encouraging the audience to have compassion for farmed animals and change their perception, from farm--to friend.

In The Thick Of It, Mark T. Leavens

LSU Master's Theses

In this exhibition, In The Thick Of It, my paintings and sculptures serve as a visual diary of my experience moving to and navigating life in Louisiana. Through art, I document this new landscape and atmosphere, capturing my evolving emotional state, shifting focus, and emerging ideas. As an outsider, the process of discovery introduces layers of tension, curiosity, and fragmentations in my paintings. The spaces within my paintings reflect a constant flux, mirroring the ongoing adjustments to Louisiana’s cultural cues, history, and environment. The complexity of this rich yet challenging place permeates my art, creating dynamic, layered compositions that echo …

An Interdisciplinary Analysis Framework For Found Object Experimental Music, Erin Demastes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Found object experimental music consists of compositions and performances created with objects not intended for musical performance. Found objects can range from appliances and household items to power tools and consumer products to souvenirs and heirlooms. Although these objects are used with the intent of creating musical compositions, new characteristics that are not found in traditional music emerge. One major characteristic that differentiates found object music from traditional music is that the objects have inherent cultural associations and meaning outside of their use in the composition. While an analysis of the sonic structures and scores of found object experimental music …

Sk8er Skull, David Norton

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Sk8r Skull is a single player video game where players must traverse the environment as a skull on a skateboard, in an effort to defeat the wizard who has stolen the rest of the skull’s body. Players must move, destroy, and grind their way through the level in order to reach the wizard. By traversing the area, players will learn the mechanics of the game, as well as some of the in-game world’s backstory. The production of Sk8r Skull was driven by examining game feel, and the “flow” state.

The Metaphysics Of Frank Herbert's Dune And God Emperor Of Dune: On Time And Language, Garrett J. Busshart

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation studies the metaphysics of time and rhetoric in the science fiction novels Dune (1963) and God Emperor of Dune (1981) by Frank Herbert. The first chapter critiques the protagonist’s sense of temporality, an ideology in which the future consists of multiple possible choices while each decision of one forecloses a still larger set. Jean-Pierre Dupuy calls this a “supermarket” model of temporality, as if the future were a contingent-free menu of possibilities a subject is free to pick between. My assertion is that this sense of temporality—the Western norm—matches the protagonist’s, Paul Atreides’s, rhetoric. In disclosing Paul’s sense …

Good Neighbors Racial Healing Journey: Ministry Of The Good Neighbors Racial Healing Initiative, Rev. Cameron Duncan

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: Christians of color struggle with forgiveness amid ongoing racial trauma, while White Christians often avoid engagement due to fear, hindering racial reconciliation efforts.

My doctoral project began as an exploration of healing and reconciliation within Christian communities but became a personal journey of confronting racial trauma. Initially, I did not see racial trauma as central to my work. However, at my first retreat at Cannon Beach, I was forced to reckon with the impact of microaggressions and systemic racism on my sense of self. Years in predominantly white spaces had left me with internalized messages that my …

Being The Beloved: Cultivating A Head To Heart Journey Of Identity For Emerging Adults In Ministry And Leadership, Jennifer Clark

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Emerging adults in ministry without a deepening awareness of being God’s beloved may struggle to flourish and lead in their given contexts.

Key Benefits

Being the Beloved: Cultivating a Head to Heart Journey of Identity for Emerging Adults in Leadership and Ministry is a curriculum created to ground emerging adults in the love of God as they transition into adulthood and emerge as the next generation of Church leaders. Developmental psychology labels emerging adulthood as a time of significant change, instability and transition, while having to navigate key life decisions regarding education, career, and relationships. Identity formation is …

Wilderness & Wonder: Creating Compassionate Spaces For Those Who Have Been Wounded And Forgotten By The Church, Tyler Dresbach

Doctor of Ministry

Harm caused by Fundamentalist Evangelicalism prevents individuals from re-engaging in a faith community, creating a need for compassionate spaces that foster healing and reconciliation. What is one supposed to do when the only group they have known to be a healing and life-giving community is the source of their hurt, disappointment, and confusion? Often, individuals disengage from the religious community and are left to navigate the complexities of life and faith on their own. Yet these individuals, while skeptical of the Church, have increasingly expressed a desire to reengage with a faith community—but if not within the formal structures of …

Rehydrating The Church: The Lifegiving Role Of The Holy Spirit In Christian Formation, Ministry, Leadership, And Community, Rand Burden

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Many small rural Global Methodist Church (GMC) congregations have limited access to pastors and, as such, are in critical need of alternative forms of spiritual leadership.

Key Insights

Life in the Spirit must precede spiritual leadership. The church desperately needs members and leaders living lives led by, walking after, and informed by the Spirit. It is my conviction that with an increased awareness of the Spirit, a desire for intimacy will arise, a drawing to wade into the Water of Life, to be more open to desire and experience a deeper encounter with and understanding of the Holy …

Remain: Holistic Transformation For Spiritually And Developmentally Mature Global Ministry Leaders In Late Midlife, Nicole Paschall

Doctor of Ministry

Few resources cater to the unique needs of seasoned global ministry leaders, fostering the holistic spiritual and personal growth essential for ongoing Kingdom impact. Through research and practice, this project identified a significant gap in addressing the whole person— spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically—during the later stages of ministry and leadership. Insights from stakeholders and participants revealed the importance of integrating spiritual formation, adult psychological truths, and leadership development within a contextual and supportive environment. These elements provide the transformative opportunities later midlife leaders need to sustain growth and deepen their Kingdom contribution.

The ministry context focuses on global workers …

Blessed Are The Single Ladies: How Marriage Normative Preaching Harms Single Women, Jamie Fiorino

Doctor of Ministry

Through the preaching of marriage normativity, pastors inadvertently dismiss the lived experience of single women and, consequently, prevent their faith life from flourishing.

The platform for my campaign of awareness regarding marriage normativity in the Church begins with a website, www.blessedarethesingleladies.com. This eighteen-page website rationalizes and illustrates how preaching a message that marriage is expected harms single women by creating a culture of shame, insecurity, and jealousy. I have included theological and scriptural best practices, six first-person stories from women, and next steps for church transformation. To extend the campaign into spaces my audience may use, the BATSL project …

Beloved Elder: The Spiritual Journey Of Aging, Elizabeth Nielsen

Doctor of Ministry

Aging has changed significantly in recent decades due to medical, economic, and social factors. The increasing length of American lives is both a blessing and a challenge for families and elders themselves, but our cultural and theological foundations are not sufficient to address this situation.

My NPO emerged from pastoral experience caring for elders: Aging Christians often struggle to know the presence and love of God finding their faith practices to be inadequate for the distinctive challenges of aging.

Key insights from my research include:

1. The most significant challenge of aging is surrender to childlikeness before God. In late life …

Navigating Change: The Migration Experiences Of Post-2017 Cuban Migrants In Tampa Bay, Julissa Maria Ramirez Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the migration experiences of Cuban migrants who relocated to Tampa Bay following the termination of the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy in 2017. Through semi-structured interviews and a comprehensive literature review, the study examines the interplay between historical and contemporary factors, including U.S.-Cuban relations, shifting legal frameworks, and policy changes. It delves into migrants' motivations, their navigation of complex immigration processes, and their social and economic integration into Tampa Bay. A comparative analysis highlights the differences between pre-2017 and post-2017 migration pathways, emphasizing the heightened risks and uncertainties faced by recent migrants. The findings underscore the critical …

In Case I Make It: An Autoethnographic Argument For Care, Space, And Utopia, Faelyn T. Cowan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Taking an autoethnographic and autotheoretical approach I examine within this project TomboloBooks’ Queer Comic Book Club. Drawing from José Esteban Mun֮oz’s ideas of queer utopia and Jen Jack Gieseking’s framework of constellations, and analyzing my own experiences, I present the Queer Comic Book Club (QCBC) as a moment of utopic queer worldmaking and argue for it’s potential as a site of alternative mental health care. Though I cannot provide here a generalizable model of book clubs as care, what I offer here is a series of possibilities, arguing for the potential of these spaces as community resources and sites of …

The Impact Of Visual Brand Identity On Consumer Response In Rebranding: A Case Study Of Burger King, Andressa De Ungaro Dos Santos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study investigates consumer perceptions of rebranding through the lens of visual brand identity (VBI) and brand associations, focusing on Burger King’s recent rebranding. Using the Aaker Model as the theoretical framework, the study analyzes how brand awareness and associations influence consumer responses to visual identity changes. The research involves two focal areas in which comparative study will be applied by: (1) analyzing rebranding awareness by evaluating media coverage of Burger King’s new branding; (2) examining consumer-brand relationships through social media interactions to understand responses to the rebranding and to measure emotional and associative responses to visual elements. Through …

Protracting The Immediate: Time As Form In Contemporary Horror, Kennedy Kelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the expression and experience of temporality in horror films of the last decade. Whereas early twenty-first century horror was characterized by high-octane jump scares, current horror is marked by contemplative slowness. I argue that the elongated duration of recent horror extends an experience of indeterminate anxiety that attunes us to an expansive relationality, offering a corrective not only to contemporary logics of immediacy, but also to the frequently constricting nature of embodiment as a theoretical concept. Recent horror scholarship tends to center sensuous propinquity in response to a long history of gaze theory’s disembodied passivity. While these …

The Manosphere’S Reception Of The Women Auteurs Behind The ‘Man-Eating’ Jennifer’S Body (2009) And ‘Man-Hating’ Barbie (2023), Hilda Sheridan-Hewlett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholarship on women filmmakers has not significantly emphasized the burden women auteurs carry when bracing themselves for the reception from misogynistic community discourse online, the manosphere. Director Greta Gerwig and screenwriter Diablo Cody are not simply perceived as filmmakers but as birth mothers of their work: Barbie (2023) and Jennifer’s Body (2009) which convey inherently popular feminist narratives. I argue Cody and Gerwig faced the wrath of the men online because they are inextricably linked to their productions, the feminization of their work in the eyes of the manosphere equals personalization. Despite Cody having the freedom to write any film …

Exploring Religious Leaders’ Perspectives On Genetic Counseling, Testing, And Related Technologies, Kristina M. Wittenburg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Religion significantly influences healthcare decisions, including those related to genetic testing, by shaping ethical and emotional considerations. While some religious groups provide formal stances on genetic testing, others lack clear guidelines, leaving both patients and healthcare providers without consistent resources for navigating faith-informed decisions. Understanding religious leaders’ perspectives is critical to bridging this gap and supporting diverse patient needs. This study aimed to examine religious leaders’ perspectives on genetic testing, genetic counseling, in vitro fertilization (IVF), gene therapy, stem cell research, and abortion. These topics were explored to understand the role of religious beliefs in healthcare decisions, and to develop …

Wholehearted Leadership: Equipping Clergy For Healthy Leadership, Nicole Mcclurg

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: Considering current training for Evangelical clergy, sustained attention to spiritual formation is often missing but essential for pastoral health and healthy, sustainable ministry.

Clergy are burning out significantly, as reported by a Lifeway Research Poll that found 100% of 1,500 pastors know colleagues that left the ministry, while 91% of pastors report experiencing burnout.¹ The research suggests that seminary does not prepare clergy for the demands of ministry or the practical spiritual needs of their congregations. Clergy struggle to maintain a solid vocational identity rooted in the Trinity amid pastoral duties. Many clergy are isolated from ongoing …