Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Here—There, Glikeriya Shotanova

Masters Theses

Here—there explores the nature and ways of gathering, proposing an alternative path to organizing a cultural center. Divided into three acts (Act One: There, Act Two: Here, and Act Three: Together), it touches on the topics of collective knowledge and the importance of its accessibility to the local communities. How do we organize communities in a way that operates as a body, and how do we use industrial spaces as a bridge between knowledge and those who carry the knowledge? Due to alienation in societies, the decentralization of creative communities, and the inaccessibility of real estate to younger generations, there …

“Everyone Is Welcome Here”: Exploring Inclusion And Belonging In Little Five Points, Atlanta, Georgia, Through Murals As A Form Of Placemaking, Cora Rydingsword

Senior Theses and Projects

This senior thesis explores the potential of murals to promote community inclusion and a sense of belonging. It proposes a typology for understanding murals as a form of placemaking used to examine murals in Little Five Points, Atlanta, Georgia. This case study examines the relationship between murals and their effects on inclusion and belonging in the urban environment. By looking closely at three categories of murals (unsanctioned murals, commissioned murals, and advertisements disguised as murals), this study determines that effective placemaking through murals requires prioritizing community involvement.

Fostering Community Among Women Mountain Bikers, Samantha Grey Wischmeyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although women have shown growing interest in mountain biking in recent years, a disproportionate number of men and women participate, with women representing only one-third of overall riders (The National Sporting Goods Association, 2023). Many women describe feeling insecure and intimidated by what they perceive to be the traditional mountain biking culture (Bordelon & Ferreira, 2019; Carpiet, 2014; Huybers-Withers, 2015; McCormack, 2020; Nash & Moore, 2021). This research is concerned with fostering a sense of belonging and opportunities for community-building to reduce barriers of entry in mountain biking for self-identified women in Northwest Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas has a highly active …

An Evaluation Of The Book Of Hosea And Its Impact For Our Lives Today, Nathan Fulton

Honors Projects

The book of Hosea provides a rich story of the life of the prophet Hosea and the constant woes of the nation of Israel. Through analysis of commentaries from past theologians and modern psychological studies, the contents of Hosea will be reinforced as viable literature to learn from. Despite belief in the historical legitimacy of the book, through research, we find humanity’s deepest desire is to be fully loved and fully known. Analysis of attachment theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs show us that the story of Hosea demonstrates our insecurities and the proper response to them.

Band Members’ Attitudes Toward The Queer Community And Perception Of Band As A Safe Space, Brian J. Panetta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework of human development and Yuval-Davis’ analytical framework of belonging as a lens to explain how the band environment might cultivate positive attitudes toward the queer community, this study investigated band members’ attitudes toward the queer community and their perception of the band as a safe space. Utilizing adapted inventories with established reliability and validity, the following research questions were addressed: 1) What are queer and non-queer band members’ attitudes toward the queer community? 2) What are queer and non-queer band members’ attitudes toward the band as a safe space? 3) What differences exist between the independent …

Paths To Belonging: How Chinese Parachute Kids Construct Identity Across Borders, Huiying Chen

Pitzer Senior Theses

Chinese parachute kids, defined as unaccompanied minor who study in foreign countries alone while their parents remain in China, represent a unique segment of international students.This research specifically focusing on Chinese parachute kids studying in the U.S. Grounded in interviews with nineteen individuals who were once parachute kids, this study challenges the popular view that all international students have monolithic experiences especially within the assimilationist framework.

I propose a typology of three orientations (the heritage, the instrumental, and the global) and argue that Chinese parachute kids’ orientation determines their sense of belonging and their approaches to embeddedness in American educational …

School Culture: Identifying The Barriers To Belonging At Boarding Schools And Shifting The Culture, Kyle Connolly

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

School Culture: Identifying the Barriers to Belonging at Boarding Schools and Shifting the Culture is a theoretical application of sociological concepts to boarding school social spaces. The social environment in schools is a venue where students are subjected to endless influences that play a major role in shaping their social realities. Though much debate in education focuses on the curriculum in public school settings, there is far less attention given to small boarding school communities and even less attention on the culture of belonging, or the obstacles to belonging that exist within it. As American society grows more diverse, economically …

The Latino Cultural Center: Higher Education And The Importance Of Community, Kamilah Mercedes Valentín Díaz

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The Latino Cultural Center (LCC) at Purdue University is 1 of 2 in the state of Indiana, with the other housed at Indiana University. Choosing to pursue higher education has its challenges, but not everyone has access to the same resources or community support that helps make the process easier. The LCC, like the other cultural centers on campus, is vital in distributing resources that aid in student success. They work to create an inclusive environment for the entire campus community by fostering meaningful dialogue and cultural understanding of the Latino/e/x community. They aim to support Latino/e/x faculty and staff …

Home And Beyond: Third Culture Kids Navigating Between Their Cultural Identity For An Answer Of Where Is Home?, Gamila Eid

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

Third Culture kids are as a person who have spent a significant part of their development years outside their parent's culture. This research paper tackles different perspectives of Third Culture Kids' life and the challenges that they face. Including a deeper understanding of the main cause of these challenges and their relation to personal and cultural identity by searching for an answer to the most confusing question for a Third Culture Kid which is Where is home?

This paper can be considered as a guide for Third Culture Kids to understand their identity and how to accept their confusion around …

A Body Finding Freedom Within Itself, Malda Smadi

Masters Theses

When a dislocation of any type occurs, whether geographical, emotional, or spiritual, the disorder pushes the self to retreat to safety. For me, that safety is in my body. It is in this place of retreat where I locate my original home.

In this space of translocation, I forage for materials from my surroundings and places that I belong to. Moving between Dubai, Damascus, Beirut, and Providence, I shape a reality dependent on what is available. I then transform these materials, searching for the forms and relationships that emerge while meditating on home and the body as a moving vessel …

Cemeteries, Rajia Hassib

Critical Humanities

The first house we bought in West Virginia was sandwiched between two cemeteries. The larger one stood behind our house and was hidden by a patch of trees, so we could see it only in the winter when the trees lost their leaves and the headstones emerged, rectangular specks visible between the bare branches. The smaller cemetery perched on top of a low hill across from our house, on the other side of the narrow, dead-end street.

Other Oceans, Other Skies, Sharlene Lee

MFA in Visual Art

I create immersive installations, performances, and time-based media artworks that delve into stories of belonging, feminism, and language as power. These stories offer a potential for transformation from viewer to participant and a shift in how our world is seen and experienced. Through an exploration of perception and affect, I challenge dominant narratives, prompting a contemplation of contemporary power struggles for control.

In this text, I examine the impact of historical borders and migration on my life while also investigating questions of home, shared values, and rituals that contribute to one’s sense of belonging. I also highlight my commitment to …

For What Is A Man?: Towards Languaging Contemporary Dance In A Black, Queer, Male-Presenting Body, Thomas Ford

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines Queering Blackness: Solo on a Theme of Reconciliation, a performance event that invokes movement, spoken text, projections and sound to explore the mechanisms of identity. Engaging performance, Black, queer and dance studies, the paper contextualizes cultural identity markers, towards an understanding of what it means to be Black, queer and male-assigned in Black spaces.

Digital Capital And Belonging In Universities: Quantifying Social Inequalities In The Philippines, Wilfred Luis Clamor, Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

This study examines social inequalities in Philippine universities that were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative approach using a national sample of 677 university students was utilized to measure the mediating role of digital capital on social inequalities associated with belonging to academic spaces. For the purpose of determining direct and indirect impacts, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed. Sociodemographic (i.e., gender, age, type of residence, and family income) and educational (i.e., type of university, year in the university, and excellence criterion) characteristics were the direct predictors that were examined as exogenous variables for both digital capital and belonging. …

The Stories Already Written: An Intertextual Analysis Of The Book Thief And Belonging, Jenna Kortenhoeven

English Senior Capstone

Intertextuality is a theoretical notion which enables a critic to analyze the way a writer’s story is the sum of the stories the writer has read and which can examine how human identity is also constructed from reading. Within Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and Nora Krug’s Belonging, the writers find their story and identity through reading, their relationship with words mirroring their relationship with themselves, others, and the world. The Book Thief details the story of Liesel Meminger, showcasing how her entire life is shaped by words and emphasizing how her growth as a reader leads her to …

Drawing Empathy: The Benefits Of Utilizing Graphic Memoirs In Secondary Classrooms, Hailey Simmons

English Senior Capstone

The use of graphic novels and graphic memoirs in the classroom is an active discussion in many schools. Some individuals who oppose using the genre with students argue that it does not provide enough depth to have an effect on the reader. By analyzing Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Nora Krug’s Belonging, this paper explains how graphic memoirs can provide depth for readers. As Spiegelman and Krug learn of their family history with the Holocaust and World War II, they utilize the techniques of representational art, the repetition of structural elements, and the use of color and shading to portray …

Raising The Roar: A Case Study Of Early Adolescent Student Voice On Service-Learning And Catholic Identity, April Beuder

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined early adolescent students’ perceptions of their service-learning program experiences at one Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA). The purpose of the study was: (a) to understand how the powerful tradition of the Church related to doing works of social justice and outreach was experienced by students in one ADLA Catholic elementary school in the form of experiential service learning, and (b) to explore whether associations exist between the students’ perceptions of their Catholic identities and their service-learning experiences. This study gathered research from student voice and work samples and utilized Carver’s …

Reimagining Yiddishkeit: Place And Belonging In A Modern Orthodox Synagogue Community, Joshua Jacoves

Senior Theses and Projects

This is a study of the disruption of place and belonging in an urban, multi-generational, Modern Orthodox Jewish community in the Northeastern United States. It asks how members define themselves as part of a religious community. Living within walking distance of their synagogue, members build community based upon shared space. In order to embrace a more pluralistic community, local leaders in the past ten years have been pushing the boundary on what is and is not religiously allowed. This creates new, more inclusive spaces to be formed within this community, which fall along the lines of gender, sexuality, and religious …

Reimagining The Church's New Member Experience Through Mutual Storytelling, Laura Holland

Doctor of Ministry

Most churches are great at welcoming visitors and have worked hard to develop their discipleship pipeline, but between these two stages where most churches focus and excel there is an experiential gap for new members. Looking into this gap more deeply, I discovered that despite guided assimilation processes, new church members feel abandoned when moved immediately to self-directed engagement. Providing for their unique needs increases their sense of belonging and commitment. Through conversations with church leaders, members, and those seeking to find church community, I noticed that this liminal period was the turning point in most of their stories, too …

Belonging To Harlem: Reading Zora Neale Hurston’S Story In Slang, Rumi Coller-Takahashi

Living in Languages

This essay examines Zora Neale Hurston’s “Story in Harlem Slang” (1942) to analyze how the reading experience of the story captures relational dynamics in the community of Harlem. Written in the “Harlemese,” a distinctive lexicon developed in the 1920s, the story seemingly serves as a dictionary with an attached glossary and illustrations of the vernacular words. Reading the story, however, not so much allows the readers to join the linguistic community as requires them to be conscious of the border-crossing movements. Such a structure is intertwined with the character’s theatrical life as a male prostitute, whose way of belonging to …

Belonging In The Borderlands: Questioning Catholic Ethics, Molly Greening

Dissertations

If colonialism is a structure, not an event, then special attention must be paid to the pastas well as the legacies of colonial domination that continue into the present. While Pope Francis has recently called for “overcoming colonizing mentalities” through the lens of what he calls “integral ecology,” crucial aspects of the colonial paradigm remain neglected or underexamined in this approach: sexuality, gender, and the negotiation of religious difference. After reviewing the theological-ethical negotiations that occurred at the beginning of colonization of the Americas, this dissertation proposes a narrative ethical model of reflection that brings Catholic ethics into conversation with …

A Patchwork Community : Exploring Belonging, Gender Roles, And God's Gifts Among Progressive American Mennonites, Christa D. Mylin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation demonstrates that progressive Mennonites in southern Pennsylvania struggle to find belonging within their congregations due to the fluid nature of Mennonite affiliations. Mennonites critically examined their institutions and relations with each other, and this critique often led to schism. This research addresses how a recent schism among progressive Mennonites led some people to experience nonbelonging and highlighted other conflicting values that people had within their conference. An overview of Mennonite history demonstrated that Mennonites have often formed separate fellowships when disagreements could not be resolved. However, this history also demonstrated that Mennonites have been adept at interpreting their …

“What’S Belonging Got To Do With It?”: An Exploration Of Campus Racial Climate And Sense Of Belonging In Black Counseling Students Attending Predominately White Institutions In The North Atlantic Region, Erin Durrah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) dialogues are raging across campuses throughout the U.S. with specific focus on the needs of Black student populations in the aftermath of the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbury murders. However, if the supportive spirit of the DEI initiatives is undermined by a hostile campus climate and local community, it may negatively impact the learning environment isolating the target population, while also effecting their potential for successful completion of their programs. The current qualitative study aims to explore the perceptions of belonging expressed by Black graduate students enrolled in Council for Accreditation of Counseling …

Accidental Commensality Eating, Belonging, And Mazaa On The Streets Of Jaipur, Rini Singhi

Masters Theses

Commensality is more than just eating together at a shared table. "Who can eat with whom and what" is a divisive issue in India, where food and eating serve as functions of inclusion and exclusion. In this paper, I examine street food stalls in Jaipur as sites of eating together with strangers and ask, What forms of commensality do street food stalls enable? Can eating together on the street expand ideas about eating together in public? As part of my fieldwork in Jaipur, I observe the surroundings of street food stalls, participate in heritage food walks with guides, and document …

A Whole New World: Understanding The International Student Experience In The United States Through Acculturation, Identity, And Support, Maria W. Nessim

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study explores the feelings and opportunities that international students experience while they are studying abroad. Specifically, it investigates acculturation and adaptation to the host country, the students’ cultural identity and sense of belonging, as well as implications for support provided by the host institution.

In order to evaluate these components, an online survey, compiled of 24 open-ended and multiple-choice questions, was distributed to international students at the University of San Diego, asking them to describe their experiences and any indications of challenge and support from the institution in relation to their sense of belonging. The outcomes of this research …

Crafting Affect Through Memory: Venezuelan Narratives Of Belonging And Exclusion In Chile, Erin Long

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

The economic and political crisis in Venezuela has led to a large influx of Venezuelans living abroad, and Chile is a significant receiving country. By analyzing ethnographic interview data as well as literature on the meanings of home and belonging, I argue that the element of loss experienced by many Venezuelan emigrants and everyday exclusions in Chile combine in narratives highlighting longing, uncertainty, and alienation. Venezuelan migrants articulate a duality between wanting to return to the country that cannot provide a home for them and being excluded in the country that can provide a home for them. As a result, …

Belonging To The Body: Changing Perspectives Of Church Attendance And Membership, Todd Zuidema

Staff Work

"God has always gathered believers together, and will continue to do so, even though our understanding of what 'gathered' means may change."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­how church fellowship and community are changing from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/belonging-to-the-body-changing-perspectives-of-church-attendance-and-membership/

Sense Of Belonging, Achievement Motivation, And Goal Attainment Through The Lens Of Transgender Activists, Donella Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It was not known how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influence their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Using the theory of achievement motivation, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Two topics guided this study: how transgender activists' community participation influenced their sense of belonging and how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivation to achieve and personal goal attainment. Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes collected …

Cultivating The Talent Of Educators For Learning And Belonging, Molly Mcmahon, Theresa Pileggi-Proud

Journal of Catholic Education

As schools endeavor to implement the recommendations of Cultivating Talent: A National Study Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools (“Cultivating Talent”), this education in practice article presents research-informed recommendations that can be implemented immediately by Catholic schools in order to strengthen student-teacher relationships and create a positive school climate that increases all students’ learning and sense of belonging.

African American Males Of Men Of Vision: A Case Study Of Self-Efficacy, A Sense Of Belonging, And Their Perception Of Community College, Jorge Theotis Tennin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored self-efficacy and sense of belonging among African American males who participated in Men of Vision and their perception of community college. Ten students of the community college participated in the study through individual, in-depth interviews with the participants addressing three primary research questions: 1) How did being a member of an organization change your perception of higher education, specifically community colleges? 2) How did Men of Vision help you gain a sense of belonging on a college campus? 3) What did you learn about yourself while being a member of Men of Vision? The focus …