Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Expositeo Attonis Episcopivercellensis In Epistolam Sancti Pauli Ad Romanos: Introduction And Partial Text, Steven R. Cartwright

Masters Theses

Manuscripts of the commentary of Atto of Vercelli on the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans were transcribed and collated, and a critical edition of the commentary, from the Prologue to Atto’s comments on chapter two, verse thirteen of the biblical text, was produced, noting textual variants, Scriptural quotations, and Patristic sources. This edition was compared with previous editions of the commentary, and variants were listed. A comparison was made with manuscripts of another commentary on Romans which was paraphrased from Atto’s, and similarities and differences were noted.

Microfilms of two manuscripts were used in the transcription: Vercelli Biblioteca …

A Survey Of A Number Of Megalithic Grave Complexes In Tamil Nadu, South India, David K. Mcconkey

Masters Theses

This study compares and contrasts a number of Megalithic cemeteries from South India. The project involved the mapping of a number of cemeteries from the Lower Moyar Shelf. I then compared and contrasted them to the cemeteries of the upper Nilgiris.

Some have suggested that these two regions had very limited contact with one another. From the evidence that I have gathered I now believe that they were wrong. There is a strong continuity in grave types between the lower regions and the upper Nilgiris, which I believe demonstrates some degree of contact. I also believe that based on the …

An Analysis Of The Artifacts From The Historic Components Of The Elam Site (20ae195), Allegan County, Michigan, Mary Lynn Jeakle

Masters Theses

This study involved the analysis of the historic artifacts recovered from the excavation of the Elam site (20AE195) during the 1978, 1983, 1985, and 1987 field seasons, conducted by Western Michigan University.

The results of the analysis indicate that there were at least two pre-twentieth century historic occupations of the site. The first dates between A.D. 1680-1770, and was a transient and probably repeated usage of the site by Potawatomi Indians. The second dating to approximately A.D. 1840, is possibly the short term, temporary residence of an unknown fur trader, prior to settlement of the area by Americans.

The Effects Of Music Listening And Progressive Muscle Relaxation On The Anxiety Level Of Adjudicated Adolescent Males In A Residential Treatment Setting, Ned David Gladfelter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music listening and progressive muscle relaxation on the anxiety level of adjudicated adolescent males. Sixty-five delinquent, adolescent males in a residential treatment facility took part in either a music listening treatment, a progressive muscle relaxation treatment (Bernstein & Borkovec, 1973), or a combination of both methods, and the effects of each approach on the self-perceived anxiety level of the subjects were determined.

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983) and a Subjective Units of Discomfort Scale were used to measure levels of anxiety. Data gathered from these instruments revealed that …

The Legal Status Of Women In Early Tennessee: Knox, Jefferson, And Blount Counties, 1792-1843, Margaret L. Crawford

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on three East Tennessee counties, Knox, Jefferson, and Blount, to determine whether the legal status of women in the Southwest Territory changed when the territory became the state of Tennessee in 1796. The dates of the study, 1792-1843, begin with the formation of Knox and Jefferson counties when Tennessee was the Southwest Territory, continue through the state's early years, and end with the year a married woman's property act was first introduced into the legislature. The major sources of research include court records of the three counties and the legislative acts passed by Tennessee's General Assembly during …

Choreography For The Camera: An Historical, Critical, And Empirical Study, Vana Patrice Carter

Masters Theses

This study investigates whether a dance choreographer's lack of knowledge of film, television, or video theory and technology, particularly the capabilities of the camera and montage, restricts choreographic communication via these media.

First, several film and television choreographers were surveyed. Second, the literature was analyzed to determine the evolution of dance on film and television (from the choreographers' perspective). Third, shooting and editing theories that maximize kinesthesis were examined.

Three primary conclusions were drawn: (1) Historically, choreographers of critically acclaimed film or television products seemed to understand major principles for shooting and montage; (2) choreographers who expanded their knowledge of …

From Welfare To Liberation: A Socio-Historical Analysis Of The Animal Rights Movement, Linda J. Rynbrandt

Masters Theses

This thesis is a socio-historical analysis of the animal rights social movement in the United States of America at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries. The theoretical model is resource mobilization theory, especially McCarthy and Zald's (1973) entrepreneurial model. The method, which contrasts this social movement at two points in time, is informed by Skocpol's (1984) interpretative historical sociology. In particular, leadership, ideology, organizational structure, and strategy tactics in both eras are examined. Comparing the two manifestations of animal rights protest, the data show that: (a) Leadership and organizational structure, though similar in many respects, are more professionalized …

Environmental Factors Influencing Prehistoric Site Selection Along The Portage River, A Tributary Of The St. Joseph River, Southwest Michigan, Timothy D. Knapp

Masters Theses

This study examines the environmental factors influencing the location of prehistoric sites within the Portage River drainage. Over 100 sites recorded during four seasons of archaeological survey are examined applying the following environmental variables: type of glacial deposit, glacial landform, soil, distance to the nearest source of water, distance to the nearest ponded water, and vegetation zones occurring within 100, 500, and 1000 meters. Site locations are then statistically compared with the location of 100 randomly generated loci within the study area.

The findings of this research indicate that sites are non-randomly located with respect to certain environmental variables. Sites …

The Civic Club Of Hartford, Connecticut: A Study Of Women's Organizations In The Reform Era, Barbara F. Donahue

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

African American Self-Esteem: Racial Ideology And Racial Identity, Carrie Wilson-Brown

Masters Theses

This study empirically investigated the relationships among global self-esteem and racial self-esteem, ethnic and racial ideology, cultural identity, and anti-white sentiment in a sample of 109 African-American students enrolled in the Partnership for Excellence program at Eastern Illinois University. The findings suggest that these dimensions are interrelated and anchored in the relationships with family and friends in the black community. Self-esteem is strongly correlated with racial self-esteem, cultural knowledge, and black separatism. The data do not support a relationship between self-esteem and system-blame, anti-white sentiment, and interracial contact. Implications of this study are that black self-esteem is insulated from systems …

Chaucer's "Nether Ye": A Study Of Chaucer's Use Of Scatology In The Canterbury Tales, Brook Wilson

Masters Theses

Chaucer's use of scatology throughout the Canterbury Tales offers a new frontier for Chaucerian research. To this date, no book-length work dealing exclusively with the scatological elements found in his works exists. Too often, the serious and artistic effects of scatology become lost in the great comedy the device generates. Furthermore, many readers and scholars seem to find themselves somewhat "squaymous" when confronted with the "nether ye" of Chaucer. While Chaucer employs scatology perhaps less frequently than Swift or Rabelais, his mastery of this device remains unquestionable.

Recognizing that the uses for scatology extend far beyond creating humor, Chaucer instead …

Marianne Moore: Facets Of The Crystal, Mary Virginia Katzeff

Masters Theses

Marianne Mooore's poetry embodies two different types of work. As well as the objective poetry that her contemporaries called modernist or Imagist (labels which she rejected), she also wrote quite personal, subjective poems. Two factors, theme and subject matter, unify her work and give evidence of her distinct poetic voice.

The content and form of Moore's work developed from her personal life and interests. In her childhood, loss of a beloved grandfather and changes of household, as well as a lifelong attachment to her mother, affected the poet deeply, as evidenced by her consistent theme of protection. Exotic animals populate …

Parent Involvement And Vocabulary Development In Kindergarten, Carolyn Eckerty

Masters Theses

A kindergarten teacher used action research to determine if the vocabulary growth of kindergarten students was influenced by parents being involved in the Tasks For Talented Parents (TFTP) program. A correlational study was conducted to determine the relationship between parent involvement and student's vocabulary development. Kindergarten students (N=58) were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test in August and November. Also in August and November each child's parent completed the parent questionnaire from the Tasks For Talented Parents program. The results indicated a moderate correlation between the answers on the parent questionnaire and the results of the PPVT-R. Results of the …

An Analysis Of Writing Across The Curriculum, M. Katherine Haight

Masters Theses

Between 1900 and 1925 several changes took place which modernized American universities. One of the most significant involved a different curriculum. The new program was, in part, geared toward preparing students for specialized careers. This approach, however, made it possible for teachers outside of English to eliminate writing from their courses and, more generally, to develop distorted and limited views of the uses of writing. Today, Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) programs are being incorporated into many colleges and universities across the country in an attempt to correct misperceptions and to bring writing back into non-English courses.

WAC stresses the …

Tumbleweed, John Fehrmann

Masters Theses

"Tumbleweed" is a short fiction piece depicting the lifestyle of a group of young adults living in Santa Fe, New Mexico during the late 1980's. These people comprise a subculture of wanderers who travel the country on whims and who rely on tourism-related work for their ventures. In the manner of such works as On the Road, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Catcher in the Rye, "Tumbleweed" examines the role of the restless journeyman, a role which has played an important part of the American character.

This picaresque story gives an account of an ordinary …

John Quincy Adams As Minister To Russia, 1809-1814: The Ideals And Realities Confronting His Mission, Mary Elizabeth Willwerth

Masters Theses

To John Quincy Adams, the early nineteenth century proved itself to be not only a struggle for American independence from Europe, but a struggle for the eighteenth century ideal of the recently formed American philosophy of government. This unique philosophy inspired by key figures of the American Enlightenment, such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, incorporated the vision of America leading the way of enlightened world governments.

Son of the proud American revolutionary, John Adams, John Quincy Adams continued to follow the basic axioms of his father's generation and implement their basic ideals within his own various careers …

The U.S. State Department Position At The Geneva Conference On Indochina In 1954, Eva Dragosits

Masters Theses

This paper intends to provide a coherent analysis of the United States position at the Geneva Conference on Indochina in 1954. The paper is based on U.S. State Department documents, edited in 1981 in the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series.

At the Berlin Conference in January 1954, the French, against the will of the United States, placed Indochina on the agenda of the Geneva Conference, which was to start on May 8, 1954. The United States, concerned that the French might accept an unfavorable Communist settlement, regarded participation in the Conference as essential in light of their …

Dr. Professor Mommy: Working Mothers' Gender Role Self Images In The University Community, Dawn Renee Krywanio

Masters Theses

A common misperception exists that working mothers experience their professional lives differently than other working women. This is often the basis for differential treatment of mothers in the workplace. This thesis describes gender role self image among university women in administration, faculty, and staff positions who are also parents; it relates to professional relationship satisfaction in the workplace. Data were collected through the use of open ended surveys of 185 female employees at Eastern Illinois University, follow up interviews, and a Likert scale survey within the same population. Content analysis of the data and qualitative results are the descriptive basis …

How Actualities Affect The Credibility And Audience Evaluation Of Radio Newscasts, Michael G. Bradd

Masters Theses

This study tests the hypotheses that actualities increase the audience appeal and credibility of a radio newscast. Two treatment newscasts of identical content were produced using the same announcer. One of the treatments used actualities in four of the seven stories while the other treatment had no actualities. Analysis of variance was used to compare subjects' evaluations of the two treatments. The study found that contrary to common wisdom in the radio industry, actualities have no statistically significant impact on the audience appeal of a newscast. The data did not confirm the credibility hypothesis; it strongly suggested that actualities do …

Rhetoric In Fiction: A Fantasy-Theme Analysis Of Conrad’S Heart Of Darkness, Thomas S. Caldwell

Masters Theses

This study meets three primary objectives.

First, it demonstrates how rhetorical theory and Iiterary criticism are compatible fields of study and explains how Ernest Bormann's rhetorical theory based on "fantasy-theme analysis" can be used as an appropriate method for the analysis of literary works.

Secondly, this study identifies a trend in late Nineteenth Century "adventure stories" in which travel to foreign lands and European influence on the cultures of those lands is portrayed as "good" and "philanthropic."

Finally, this study concludes with a fantasy-theme analysis of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness which reveals that Conrad's adventure fiction breaks away from …

Expectations As Character Development In Chaucer's Clerk's Tale, Kevin Gorham

Masters Theses

The Clerk of Oxenford in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is often maligned for lacking development as a literary character. Frequently, the Clerk has been dismissed as a stereotype or an ideal rather than a multi-dimensional character. The Clerk's character, much like the meaning of his tale, is concealed from the reader and veiled behind expectations.

Chaucer manipulates readers by exploiting expectations associated with fourteenth century clerks. These expectations derive from historical and literary stereotypes which constitute the General Prologue portrait of the Clerk. Because Chaucer's description of the Clerk is populated with stereotypes, the reader expects the Clerk to tell a …

Letters To Mother: A One-Act Play, Susan R. Brock

Masters Theses

Few graduate students in English elect to write a creative thesis to complete their degrees, their tendency perhaps to believe that a thesis based on research seems a more scholarly endeavor. I do not think one could successfully argue the superiority of one type over the other, simply because the two are quite different. While a research thesis can require the reading and analysis of another author's work, a creative thesis requires the writing, reading, and analysis of one's own work. For that reason, the main body of this thesis consists of an introductory essay in addition to the creative …

Imagination And Intuition In The Narrative Of Charlotte Brontë, Norma Henning

Masters Theses

In this paper, I will examine the four novels of Charlotte Brontë: The Professor, Jane Eyre Shirley and Villette. I will examine the reason/passion conflict within the characters of William Crimsworth, Jane Eyre, Caroline Helstone and Lucy Snowe. I will show that there exists a basic duality within each of these characters: the pull of duty and the desire to escape into passion and the imagination. Jane Eyre and Lucy Snowe resolve the conflict by recognizing the divided nature of their souls and emerge as complete and whole individuals. William Crimsworth and Caroline Helstone refuse to acknowledge the …

Tolkien's Unnamed Deity Orchestrating The Lord Of The Rings, Lisa Hillis

Masters Theses

The epic world created by J.R.R. Tolkien in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one in which secular and religious elements are intertwined and the relationship between the two is intentionally kept vague. Within this created world, known as Middle Earth, good and evil are apparent, but the standard by which they are determined remains undefined. The free creatures living in Tolkien's world appear to have an intuitive ability to discern between good and evil, and each being generally exercises its free will in pursuit of one or the other though some personalities do combine the qualities. This innate …

Like He Would Jump Me With A Book: Black Humor In Sanctuary And Oliver Twist, Deborah Leclaire

Masters Theses

Although many critics have compared William Faulkner and Charles Dickens, no one has fully developed the resemblance between their uses of black humor. Using several critics' definitions of black humor, I examine several aspects of black humor in Faulkner's Sanctuary and Dickens' Oliver Twist: the presence of the wasteland in society, the irreverent treatment of death and religion, the presence of grotesques and perverse sexuality.

Like the humour noir of the French surrealist movement, black humor in both of these books is very much involved in these authors' indictment of society. Both Faulkner and Dickens use black humor to …

Vocal Registration: History, Analysis, And Modern Pedagogical Applications, Patricia L. Finks

Masters Theses

A controversial aspect of vocal pedagogy is vocal registration or common divisions of the compass of the voice. A history of theories of registration, beginning in 1250, is compiled in chronological order. From this list, five contrasting theories are examined. Practical suggestions have been presented for use and application of this information, especially by the high school voice teacher.

99 Bottles: An Exploration Of Oral Interpretation As Rhetoric, Jeffrey T. Hess

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to combine the elements of oral interpretation and rhetoric in order to create a group performance piece that contains interesting movement and dialogue as well as persuasive rhetorical elements. This new genre of group oral interpretation is called Rhetorical Theatre and implements only non-fictional material for the manuscript. Metaphoric blocking and direction is discussed, as well as the use of other conventions currently employed in group interpretation.

Telling Grimm Tales: Rhetoric That Molds, Comforts And Remains, Constance S. E. Cooper

Masters Theses

An explanation of oral tradition and its portent for language clarifies the fairy tale genre. Its purpose, various cultural impacts, criticism and limitations are introduced. Ludwig and Wilhelm Grimm translated their personal interest into a form of speech that endures past cultural and linguistic barriers. The Grimms' scholastic credentials and lifework reveal the original storytellers and subjects in a historical/geographical framework. Part II isolates 68 tales of animal dialogue, discusses human-like character responses of help and harm, and submits a brief narrative criticism of the conglomerate rhetorical entity. Character insights and communication findings are resolved with Delphi compilations of 27 …

Beginning Reading Instruction: Issues In Phonics And Modality Preferences, Debra A. Kelley

Masters Theses

This thesis reviews the major trends regarding the place of phonics in reading instruction since the 1950's and attempts to integrate current perspectives on phonics in regard to both classroom and individualized instruction. In the 1950's, instruction in the regular classroom tended to emphasize sight-words at the expense of word analysis or phonic skills. The mid-1960's classic study by Chall, Learning to Read: The Great Debate, documented the value of phonic instruction in beginning reading and led to later refinements regarding the place of phonics in beginning reading instruction.

The attempt to match individual children's preferred modality for learning …

A New Reading Of Ruth Suckow, Judith Pierson

Masters Theses

By 1950, after three decades of writing, Ruth Suckow (1892-1960) was a well-respected writer whose work seemed headed for a permanent position in the canon of American literature. Instead, Suckow's fiction steadily became less known through the following decades. The question of why her work came to be ignored and why such a position is unwarranted is addressed in A New Reading of Ruth Suckow. The conclusion is that a regionalist categorization and a related gender bias in the literary canon have adversely affected Suckow's works.

Gender bias is reflected in the critical assumptions which ascribe an inferior position to …