Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Restoration For Pastors: Embodied Art, Prayers, And Poetry For Healing And Resilience, Bryan H. Kim

Doctor of Ministry

The Perilous Role of the Pastorate in the American Church

Top-tier leadership in any ministry organization is, by and large, a dangerous endeavor in the American Church, with the role of pastor being the most dangerous. Peter Drucker, business, and management expert, states the four most challenging jobs in America are the following: President of the United States, hospital administrator, a university president, and a local church pastor.¹

The Struggle Despite Seminary Training

Despite traditional seminary training pastors in non-denominational churches feel ill-equipped to cope with daily, seasonal and heartache stressors, leaving them wondering if they are accomplishing anything …

Black Women Healing From Gender-Based Violence: Christ-Centered Approaches For Transformative Holistic Wellbeing, Tanya Jahwar

Doctor of Ministry

The Women’s Leadership and Resource Center states, “Gender-based violence against Black women has always existed in the US. From historical accounts of chattel slavery to analyses of present-day society, Black women have endured multiple forms of violence including labor …, sexual …, medical … and … exploitation.”³² This dissertation will provide important research about gender-based violence against Black women and girls and will conclude with Christ-centered approaches for transformative holistic wellbeing. Do laws that prevent violence enable more violence? In the fact sheet published by the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, it is noted that, “Experiences of abuse do …

“Where War Is God And God Is War:” Women’S Religious Great War Poetry And Homefront Lines, Faith Ellington

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project seeks to redefine war’s poetic landscape. Through a focus on women’s Great War poetry, I argue against a dichotomous home front | front line poetic barrier and instead explore the intermingling of wartime spaces. Women’s WWI poetry, I argue, exists within a space I call the homefront lines, a space in which women produce writing from their full experiences of war regardless of combatant status. The homefront lines must be included in World War I literary canons in order to fully recognize the humanity of women during wartime and to fully grasp the war’s impact on poetry …

Discretion, Deference, And Dysfunction: U.S. Refugee Resettlement From Egypt, Cassandra Mcclellan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates refugee resettlement from Egypt to the U.S., as facilitated by UNHCR Egypt and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Accordingly, the research questions ask what factors determine the volume and profile of refugees UNHCR Egypt submits to USRAP for resettlement, as well as the related determining factors for refugees rejected from and accepted to USRAP. A fourth research question examines the impacts of U.S. refugee policy on the resettlement system in Egypt, including on UNHCR Egypt and refugees. To answer these questions, the thesis first delves into the history of U.S. immigration and refugee policies, with a …

“I Remember It...I Feel It” Place’S Intangible Identity: Explorations Through The Lens Of Micro-Phenomenology- Case Study Of Al-Sultan Hassan Complex, Sarah Mohamed El Zoheiry

Theses and Dissertations

In today’s contemporary architecture, the growing of anonymous and interchangeable spaces has diminished the distinctive character of the place, its individuality and experiential signification, fostering placelessness. This research argues that the framework of reconsidering place’s atmosphere offers a pathway to reconnect people with places through emotional, sensory, and embodied encounters. This research investigates the phenomenology of place, focusing on the atmosphere as an intangible identity that transcends physical attributes and engages people's senses and feelings. By exploring the Al-Sultan Hassan complex, the study deepens the understanding of the transcendental quality of the atmosphere, it’s unfolding over time, and it’s associated …

The Metaphysics Of Time Within Physics, Mohamed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

The starting point of this thesis is to shed some light on the metaphysical nature of time by reflecting on the physics of time. The aim of this approach is not to [dis]prove or defend a metaphysical position but rather to elucidate the metaphysical position that underlies [or is compatible with] our best scientific theories. This task will be demanding, not only because our best theories may carry different interpretations of their underlying temporal structure but also because there seems to be a conceptual conflict/incompatibility between the notion of time in relativity and quantum mechanics, which are the two major …

Navigating Trauma: A Linguistic Exploration Of Bilingual Trauma Expressions, Amira Mahmoud Othman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between language, trauma, and emotional expression among bilingual Arabic-English speakers, focusing on code-switching patterns and euphemisms, and more broadly the emotional roles of native and non-native languages in trauma narratives. Through qualitative interviews with 20 Egyptian participants, the research reveals that code-switching serves as both a linguistic and emotional tool, allowing speakers to navigate trauma by creating distance or engaging more intimately. Such codeswitching patterns include the integration of English content words within Arabic structures, morphosyntactic innovations, and gender agreement applications, reflecting the creative adaptability of bilingual speakers in emotionally charged contexts, in line with …

Rural Entrepreneurship In Upper Egyptian Communities: Exploring The Intervention Of Agri-Tech Startups, Marwa Wael Abohamda Hulail

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and economic disturbance have changed the state of the world and increased the dependence on digitization in running people's daily life. In Egypt, the economic instability and climate change have affected people’s standard of living, making it challenging to sustain their life, especially in the agriculture sector. Farmers have been affected by the risks of climate change, economic shocks, and trends of digitization, which have impacted their profit, employability, and livelihood.

Several Egyptian Agri-tech startups were launched to support the farmers in the digital revolution that came to agriculture, attempting to make a change in the Egyptian farming …

Commensality In The Eateries Of Roman Pompeii, Amaya Yolanda Eckersley

Dissertations and Theses

Despite a nearly 300-year excavation history at Pompeii and many identified eating and drinking establishments, social behavior in these public or semi-public spaces has eluded significant research. Elite Roman literature is the traditional guideline for understanding Roman mealtimes and what they meant for social behavior. This literature, however, fails to accurately represent its sub-elite inhabitants. These sub-elites of Rome largely had their meals prepared outside of their homes. Pompeii is no exception and provides a massive boon for researchers willing to consider archaeological evidence. The buildings and evidence buried at Pompeii have ultimately shown a wide array of tabernae related …

Blue Momma, Why Are You So Blue: A Trauma-Informed Theological Approach To Systematically Oppressed Black Mothers In Memphis, Tennessee, Valerie Houston

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation discusses the effects of systemic oppression on the well-being of Black mothers in Memphis, Tennessee. It posits that systemic oppression causes trauma that negatively affects Black motherhood and familial stability. Research shows that maternal mental illness may negatively affect child development, behavior, and cognitive and socio-emotional development.³ Black literary history has revealed the importance of Black mothers for family development.⁴ It has shown how Black mothers used religion to support themselves emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually during times of travail.⁵ This work theorizes that a trauma-informed theological approach will liberate Black mothers in Memphis, Tennessee, from …

A Collective History On Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (Arora) And Their Adaptation To Donation Culture, Tara Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) is continually addressing the organ shortage in Arkansas by increasing organ and tissue donation rates in Arkansas. Hospitals, Funeral Homes, and other referral partners collaborated with ARORA in their efforts to increase organ and tissue donation. Interviews from former and current ARORA employees, along with data analysis, highlight how ARORA worked to honor Arkansans decision to be a registered donor while also improving the procurement of organs. The findings reveal how ARORA adapted to donation culture related to public, cooperation with referral partners, among other barriers to create ARORA’s mission of “Restoring Lives” This …

A Paradigm Shift In Disciple Making And Church Administration: Administrating Ministry Programs With A Knowledge Management System, Patrick Patterson

Doctor of Ministry

Christian discipleship is on the decline in the United States, according to the Barna Group.¹ The Barna Group “identified Christians who were both being discipled and discipling others as those who are fully engaged in discipleship community. Just over one in four U.S. Christians (28%) fall into this category. Another 28 percent are being discipled but are not helping others grow closer to Christ”.² A contributing factor is that the churches in this study do not appear to be effectively leveraging information and knowledge systems to aid with ministry decisions. The adoption of integrated knowledge management systems that …

Cultivating Millennial Engagement And Spiritual Formation In The Black Church For Leadership Development, Rufus Chambers Iii

Doctor of Ministry

The Black church has historically served as a cornerstone of African American life, transcending its role as a place of worship to become a multifaceted institution deeply embedded in the community’s cultural, social, and political fabric. However, the Black church has been unable to connect with teens, young adults, and young families due to its proclivity towards Black Baptist approaches towards worship, ministry, and community engagement. The rationale for conducting this study is to increase the number of millennial church leaders fully vested in the solvency of the Black church and positions of succession. Across the published literature, Black churches …

The Mystery Of Water Baptism: A Metaphorical Exploration Of Water Baptism And The Black Male Who, Due To Historical, Political, Societal, And Cultural Domination, May Experience The Justice Of Jesus In The Water, Reba Renee' Pennywell

Doctor of Ministry

There are many definitions of water baptism. A definition that is like the Biblical form of baptism and the context of this essay is the immersion or ‘dipping’ into a body of water. In the Christian church, this is viewed as a ceremonial ritual mimicked after the event when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34). In some ecclesial settings, the water is lightly sprinkled on the person’s forehead.

Many Christian writers assert that the Jordan River was unholy until Jesus’s Baptism. The theophany at the Jordan River transcended the …

Opioid Use Disorder In Region 9 Of Louisiana: Using Labeling Theory To Understand The Layperson's Perception, Sara Elizabeth Dupree-Wolf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overall research problem in this research study was that there were no current data related to the layperson's perception of opioid use disorder using labeling theory in Region 9 of Louisiana. This study is essential because opioid use disorder affects people worldwide, and the number of people diagnosed with opioid use disorder rises annually. Annually, thousands of people overdose, with a plethora of these overdoses resulting in death, due to opiate use. These deaths are unnecessary because there are treatment options and resources available. However, stigma and fear keep people from accessing potentially lifesaving resources. The purpose was to …

Factors Related To Employment Of Previously Incarcerated Individuals, Toni Victoria Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employment amongst previously incarcerated individuals is a concern of the criminal justice system because being employed is considered a mitigator of reincarceration. While there is research about the stigma of incarceration in gaining employment, little is known about the factors associated with individuals being able to find employment. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to identify whether there is a direct correlation between individual demographic features and employment status of individuals after 1 year or more of previously being incarcerated in North Carolina. General strain theory was the theoretical framework. The key research question focused on how release …

The Military Order Of The Serpent And Philippine War Memory, 1904-1974, Eric Jason Kriner

Student Theses and Dissertations

The Military Order of the Serpent (M.O.S.) was an American anti-Filipino minstrel fraternity and veterans' organization comprised of members of the United Spanish War Veterans. To commemorate the Philippine-American War, the group dressed in Filipino blackface and paraded around the United States from 1904 to 1974. Publicly, the group’s narrative arc posited that Filipinos, by virtue of their contact with the United States Military, underwent a rapid, three-phased evolution from savage to civil. Privately, they celebrated one of the war’s atrocities, and expressed their racist hostilities and amalgamationist anxieties. During the 1920s, when Filipino emigration to the United States began …

Displaced: An Ethnography Of Language And Identity Loss, Ariel Caroline Wilsey-Gopp

Dissertations and Theses

Through ethnography and personal narrative, I explore the language and identity loss of one person, my father, in order to understand the complex issues surrounding the effects of symbolic and structural violence on language and identity development. Through personal narrative, fieldwork, and interviews, I tell the story of one person, born in wartime during Nazi occupied Serbia, and follow the guiding questions: how does language get lost and what are the effects? Drawing on methodology set forth by empirical ethnographical work as well as more recent theory around epigenetics and trauma, my research synthesizes into focus three pillars of understanding …

A Pragmatic Legacy: Charles Wilson’S Politics And The Battle For His Archival Heritage, Jordan Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Congressman Charlie Wilson served Texas and the United States with distinction throughout his political career, leaving a profound impact on East Texas and the global stage. Known for his progressive policies in the Texas Legislature and his influential role in U.S. foreign policy during his tenure in Congress, Wilson’s pragmatic political career and legacy is preserved in the Charlie Wilson Congressional Papers collection at the East Texas Research Center (ETRC). Despite its historical significance, the collection faced decades of delayed processing, disorganization, and neglect of archival best practices. This public history thesis confronts these challenges by detailing the efforts to …

The Historical Role Of Westward Expansion Between American Museums And Indigenous Tribes, Erika Tenorio

Theses

Erika Tenorio’s thesis explores the intersection of Westward Expansion, American museums, and Indigenous communities, analyzing how 19th- and 20th-century expansionist policies shaped museum collections and Indigenous representation. The study examines how the ideology of Manifest Destiny, rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery, justified the forced removal of Native Americans and facilitated the collection of Indigenous artifacts by museums. Many of these institutions, influenced by Western colonial perspectives, portrayed Native cultures as relics of the past rather than as living traditions.

The research incorporates postcolonial and decolonial methodologies to assess evolving narratives within museums, focusing on Indigenous sovereignty, repatriation efforts, and …

Deuce Redemption: Grindhouse Cinema, Moral Panic, And Urban Renewal, Robert Brenner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

If you consult standard histories of the “redevelopment” of 42^nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue, AKA “the Deuce,” you will read that it was filled with nothing but criminals and pornographers, that decent people avoided it at all costs, and the only way the block could be “saved” was by seizing it via eminent domain, evicting all the current tenants, and replacing them with Disney and its fellow entertainment corporations.

The purpose of this thesis is to offer a more nuanced alternative to these standard histories. I will argue that the Deuce was a lower-class, multiracial, queer entertainment …

The Double Victimization Of Black Women At The Crossroads Of Oppression, Carmerina Carrero

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research study is to amplify the voices of Black women and shed light on the invisibility of Black women’s struggle with police violence and the criminal justice system. The study seeks to expose the different forms of systemic oppressive mechanisms that target Black women, such as mass incarceration and police violence. Through the lenses of intersectionality and critical race theory, the study will explore how racism and sexism contribute to the victimization of Black women via our criminal justice systems and law enforcement. Highlighting the unique experiences of Black women navigating through the criminal justice system, …

A Historical Analysis Of Saturday Night Live's Engagement In American Presidential Politics, Isabel Fox

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In October 1975, Saturday Night Live began its journey of changing not only television but the ways in which Americans understand political discourse. When the production first aired it introduced the world to Chevy Chase’s Nixon impersonation and has continued that tradition with Will Ferrel’s George Bush, Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin, Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump—and many more. But between these comedic impersonations the show also introduced the world to a satirical newsroom in Weekend Update and hosted numerous politicians. From the way this all sounds it would seem as though Saturday Night Live is akin to network news and yet …

Navigating Climate Action: The River As Teacher For Eco-Literacy, Educational Regeneration And Creative Participation, Bibi (Silvina) Calderaro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cultures' engagements with land and its more-than-human elements reveal their attitudes toward these dimensions, spanning a spectrum from reciprocal to transactional practices. In time, these engagements form a body of knowledges that nurtures the culture and its land, or arrests their vital and diverse qualities. This research project aims to bring to light how the different ways of engaging with and relating to land are embedded in knowledge production, distribution and communication—in short, in general educational endeavors and their philosophies—to promote a better understanding of the principles of eco-literacy. Additionally, a purpose of this project is to provide insights into …

Echoes Of Chinese Tradition: A Guide To Mandarin Diction Through Fixed-Ipa And Traditional Phonology, With Insights Into Intertwined Intonation Contours Of Chinese-American Art Songs, Xiaoming Tian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation presents a comprehensive guide to Mandarin Chinese diction and articulation, rooted in traditional Chinese phonology and articulated through Fixed-International Phonetic Alphabet (Fixed-IPA). It unfolds in two primary segments, with the initial section delving into the historical underpinnings and phonetic nuances of traditional Chinese opera singing. This inquiry not only systematically introduces Chinese pronunciation rules but also illuminates the influence of traditional Chinese opera elements on contemporary Chinese art songs and operas. This part also reflects upon the significant strides made in Chinese language Romanization since the Wade-Giles system's introduction in the 19th century, discussing how it facilitated literacy …

The Material Folklore Of Occult Zines, Jacqueline G. Coffey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone is a paper on and catalog of contemporary occult zines. Through the collecting, arranging, and analyzing of about one hundred zines, I stipulate that these zines draw from the rich and rebellious histories of both the occult and zines. With the dominating influence of multi-industry corporations on our lives, these often independently produced and handmade texts are evidence of the mystical and mysterious forces with which we still grapple. Not only do zines showcase the breadth of spiritual possibility, they can also be used to integrate new metaphysical awareness into mundane reality.

The catalog is also intended to …

Inherited Wounds: Generational Trauma In Postcolonial Film And Narrative Fiction Of The Global South, Sabrina Testi Melgarejo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The theorization of trauma in literary studies emerged in the 1990s, evolving from its physiological origins to a multidisciplinary framework encompassing literature, psychology, and history. However, classical trauma theory, rooted in Western scholarship and focused on singular traumatic events, has been criticized for its limitations in addressing collective and ongoing trauma in non-Western contexts. This thesis responds to a call for a more inclusive approach to trauma studies, examining how multi-generational and cultural trauma is represented in non-Western postcolonial films and literature from the Global South, including works from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Angola, Mozambique, Vietnam, and Lebanon.

The …

À La Poursuite De Céline À New York, Gabriel Maginier

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Louis-Ferdinand Céline n’a cessé de multiplier les allers-retours entre Paris et New York, jusqu’à la veille de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Le voyage commence dès 1925. Sa première expérience avec la Société des Nations (ancêtre de l’ONU), en tant que “responsable des échanges de médecins spécialistes”, prouve également son bon niveau en anglais. C'est sous l'égide de l’organisation internationale que le Docteur Louis Destouches se voit confier la direction d'une délégation de médecins sud-américains, qui l'amène à traverser toute l'Amérique de Nord. Ce périple de quatre mois le conduit de Cuba à la Louisiane, de New York à Montréal, esquissant …

Woman Naturally Is Ambitious: Sarah Josepha Hale, Gender, And Success In Antebellum America, Jeanne G. Gutierrez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the interplay of ambition and gender in the pages of Godey’s Lady’s Book under the editorship of Sarah Josepha Hale during the antebellum period bracketed by the Panic of 1837 and the start of the Civil War. In it, I argue that contrary to longstanding assumptions about the primacy of ambition during this time, the meaning and value of ambition was hotly contested, frequently by the middle-class, white, native-born women who published in, and were the primary intended readers of, Godey’s Lady’s Book. Against a background of profound political, economic, and social instability, and possessed of …

Visualizing The Rise Of American Women's Soccer, Hoi Wah Tang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The rise of American women’s soccer is a compelling narrative of determination, talent, and triumph on the global stage. From the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 to the ongoing dominance of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), this journey encapsulates not only athletic excellence but also the broader struggles for equality, representation, and respect in sports.

This project aims to bring this story to life by presenting a rich tapestry of data visualizations, timelines, and multimedia elements that showcase key moments, players, and milestones. Through engaging graphics and interactive features, users will explore how the sport evolved, the …