Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Use Of Social Media By Leaders Of Charismatic Churches In Ghana, Noah Darko-Adjei, Mariam Ansaa Animante, Harry Akussah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the use of social media platforms by leaders of the Charismatic Churches in Ghana. This study is germane in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic where churches are embracing social media platforms to supplement the conventional face-to-face church meetings.

The study was conducted within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from a sample size of 152 respondents. Also, 2 head pastors and their deputies, as well as 2 IT personnel, were interviewed. The study found a high level of awareness of social media platforms adopted by the …

Digital Revolution: Devising Antiracist Theatre At A Pwi, Erin J. Schmidt

Theatre, Dance & Film Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Shangles: A Stream Of Consciousness, Joshua David Baker

Theses - ALL

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the Shangle. Shangle is a term devised by my grandfather during the course of a practical joke. Years after his death, I look to define and explore the ramifications and possibilities of a shangle. I describe how the pursuit of a shangle has allowed for an evolution of my art-making methodologies and concerns. My artwork draws from my interests in humor, culture, materiality, personal anecdotes, and a pervasive need to find the edge of my artwork. My artwork toes the line between fictional narrative and the violent reality of everyday life. I …

The Journey From Somewhere To Anywhere: The Interchange Of Two Worldviews, Qinyu Chen

Theses - ALL

This thesis discusses the worldview of conservative Somewhere People and open-minded Anywhere People put forward by David Goodhart in his book The Road to Somewhere: The New Tribes Shaping British Politics. It reveals that under the trend of globalization, Anywhere common-sense challenges the Somewhere worldview and partly replace it. Anywhere People's mobility is the key to maximizing their benefits.

By analyzing the living environment, educational background, and psychological activities of these two kinds of people in the first part, the thesis revealed the relatively higher social mobility helps Anywhere People better seek fortune and opportunities. The most significant difference between …

Antichrist In The Oval Office: The Rhetoric Of ‘Antichrist’ In Online Discourse Surrounding Donald Trump, Meagan Bojarski

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines how people compare the president to the Antichrist online, specifically during the Trump administration. Looking at digital Antichrist comparisons as distinct communicative practices, I argue that the digital affordances and logics that allow for the rapid spread of ideas online work synergistically with the historical weight of the Antichrist as a concept, helping the comparisons to spread further and faster than they could have through other mediums while simultaneously being more impactful than other digitally-spread content due to the wealth of sources, both within religion and pop culture, which can be drawn on. In examining a Twitter …

Columbus [As A] Circle And Skä•Noñh As An Ellipsis: A Case Study On Shifting The Interpretive Center In Syracuse, New York, Grace Fritzke

Theses - ALL

The Columbus memorial in Syracuse, New York was erected in the early 1900s by Italian-American immigrants who hoped for inclusion in the American master narrative. Indigenous peoples, on the other hand, have long recognized Columbus as a slave trader and as the person who instigated European colonization in the Americas. Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, resistance to colonial and Confederate statues gained widespread support. Using Charles Long’s theorization of the circle and the ellipsis, Syracuse’s Columbus Circle can be understood as an interpretive center in material form, underscoring how the maintenance of monuments to colonialism and racism also perpetuate …

Why Is The Culture Surrounding Electronic Music So Attractive, Joseph Monopoli

Theses - ALL

Electronic Dance Music, also known as EDM, is a musical genre that has recently dominated the current music landscape and industry. However, there is a lack of understanding behind this beloved genre in terms of its culture and the fans that idolize it. In fact, this new culture that EDM fans have created, coined by them as “Rave Culture”, is understudied. This research project is designed to take an exploratory approach into answering questions about this newfound culture and what makes this culture that surrounds Electronic Dance Music, so attractive. Because of this newly established culture, research surrounding this topic …

Finding My Feet: A Documentation Of The Ambiguity Of Cultural Displacement, Aanchal Raisahib

Theses - ALL

The aim of this thesis is to describe my studio practice and expound on the ideas that inspire my projects. First, the thesis demonstrates the ambiguity that arises from a displacement of cultural context from being an international student in America. Then, it goes on to describe how themes of nostalgia and cultural identity are explored through individual projects. It investigates the decision-making process in terms of material and technique used for making the artwork. Finally, the thesis concludes with how the work has potential for existing in more than one narrative and lays a foundation for further investigation.

The Art Of Reconstruction, Kristina Starowitz

Theses - ALL

The objective of this thesis paper is to highlight my artistic process, current projects, and research strategies emerging from my studio practice. First, this thesis describes and elaborates my practice of “reconstruction,” the reasons I find it effective, and the personal history behind it. I also discuss the goals of my work and how I intend to carry it forward into the future. Throughout my work I seek to tell a story that resonates with my personal history, communicating to audiences both the vulnerabilities and transitions of life experience. My work invites the viewer into a collective space where the …

Situationships: Creating Situations And Relationships For And With Material, Catherine Spencer

Theses - ALL

The ability to heal, adapt, and evolve is essential to thriving within new circumstances. These characteristics, which are so easily observed in nature, have been the visual guide to not only the methodology behind my practice but also in how I have learned to make sense of unimaginable emotional pain. By examining each visual and material ingredient that goes into my process, I reveal my imagined world and the systems of power that influence the “situationships” between each object. This paper aims to reflect the essence of my process and art, where chaos is embraced and the precarity of life …

Reflections From The In-Between: Visualizing The Mental Thresholds Of Dissociation, Katherine Virag

Theses - ALL

I am fascinated by the state of being in-between; by the mental spaces that are somehow neither here nor there, but also somehow both here and there. At a young age, I began to experience depersonalization and derealization, and this dissociated state left me feeling trapped somewhere on the threshold of reality and non-reality. My artistic practice is concerned with the psychological antitheses of dissociation – comfort vs discomfort, safety vs danger, and reality vs non-reality, and the continuum of space between these polarities. Often through large-scale installations, I create a physical space for the viewer to enter. These spaces, …

The Construction And Formation Of Chinese Character, Lejia Zhang

Theses - ALL

Chinese characters are very unique. As one of the most widely used scripts in the world, its complex forms and large volume of characters make it always daunting for beginners, which is related to the long history of Chinese characters. This paper is divided into five parts, based on a definition of the nature of ancient Chinese characters. In the first part, it is argued that Chinese characters are made up of smaller elements. A single Chinese character, as a morpheme, is the smallest ideographic unit of the Chinese language, but a single character may also be formed by combining …

The Treatment Of South Korean Women Has Changed Since Japan’S Military Comfort System Because Of Stronger Laws And More Diverse Support Groups, Arianna Daria Fiorentini

Senior Theses

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Japanese government condoned the forced recruitment and transportation of approximately 200,000 Korean women to be sex slaves for the Japanese Army. Korean “comfort women” suffered greatly under the system and the issue was not known to the public until the early 1990s, when Korean feminist leaders helped 200 Korean “comfort women” survivors come forward and share their experiences. Historians and feminist scholars addressing the “comfort issue” have thoroughly described the comfort system, the conditions Korean “comfort women” faced, and how gender, patriarchy, colonialism, and class come into play in the system’s existence and …

The Integration Of Foreign-Born Dominicans In Spain And The United States 1990-2011: Historical, Spatial, & Racial Considerations, Petros Akosta Gkalinto

Senior Theses

Dramatically shifting immigration patterns, incentives, and origins in the Atlantic have diminished opportunities for Dominican immigrant communities to integrate into traditional host nations like the United States, but created opportunities in emerging host nations such as Spain. Yet, the lingering impacts of the Great Recession and racial segregation have sustained or aggravated inequities in both nations. An immigrant generation cohort method analysis of integration trends between native populations and foreign-born Dominicans in the United States and Spain from 1990 to 2011 confirm persistent or increasingly segregated experiences in education, employment, and urban areas. However, as a result of greater cultural …

Tanden Art-Making As Contemplative Practice, Rumi Ito

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The art-based study, focused on painting with black ink on paper and video documentation, explores the relationship between artistic expression and contemplative breathing with a particular focus on tanden, a unique concept of such Asian cultures as Chinese, Korean and Japanese. There were three research questions: “How can tanden influence one’s physical movements in the art-making process?” and “Can contemplative breathing with a focus on tanden influence the quality of expression in one’s art-making? If so, what are the influences and implications for art therapy?”

The research suggested five bodily sensations common to all participants: inhaling and exhaling, relaxing, …

Music As A Gateway To Healing Speech Disorders And Mental Health Holistically In The Patient With Aphasia: A Literature Review, Susan Warren

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

People with some types of post-stroke aphasia often experience depression as well as loss of speech. Music therapy has unique properties that allow it to be used therapeutically to treat both speech impairment and depression yet it is rarely used to treat both disorders. This literature review seeks to examine the underlying causes for this discrepancy, review methods used by practitioners to treat both disorders and suggest future directions for additional research and implications for the treatment of patients with aphasia who have both language impairment and depression.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Prenatal Stress, Anxiety, And Depression, Fiona Kate Rice

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnant people in the United States (US) face myriad barriers to resource accessibility when seeking support, including financial gatekeeping, discrimination, and cis-gendering of the process. Commodification of prenatal support is exhaustive and contributes to a growing exclusivity of traditionally accessible interventions designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to promote positive fetal outcomes and parent-child bond. Mindfulness-based interventions are particularly appropriate for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in pregnancy. Mindfulness-based interventions are intersectional, accessible means of pregnancy and childbirth support with evidence-based outcomes of positive birth experiences and results. Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. …

The Ripple Effect: ‘Training The Trainer’ On The Impact Of Body Image Through A Dance/Movement Therapy Technique, Marina Gearhart

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis describes the capstone project which was a psychoeducation and experiential workshop for fitness trainers. The workshop investigated the impact trainers’ work may have on the body image of their clients through a dance/movement therapy (DMT) technique. The aim was to enhance the trainers’ sensitivity around body image issues of their clients and to create a space for vulnerable movement conversation that may in turn lead to better mental health advocacy for their clients within the scope of ethical practice. The participants of the workshop were six white female identifying trainers ranging from 24 to 35 years of age. …

Advocating For Neuro-Informed Music Therapy For Ptsd In Diverse Populations, A Literature Review, Shanell A. Percy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Research indicates that music positively affects the brain, health, and wellness and continues to be researched for its effectiveness in treating PTSD. Traumatic memories are stored in the brain structures of the limbic system. Music has been shown to affect these brain structures, giving prospect to its use through music psychotherapy interventions as an effective treatment for PTSD. This review of music therapy literature assesses the effects of music on the brain, identifies current models for treating PTSD with music therapy, and considers culturally informed approaches to treatment. A widely known gap in the research of evidenced-based studies of music …

Using Paper Theatres As An Expressive Arts Therapy Method: Activating Imaginal Worlds In Community Arts Practice, Silvina S. Ibanez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Paper theatres are an artistic form that became widely popular in 19th century Europe. Also known as toy theatre and model theatre, a paper theatre has a small build-your-own proscenium and pre-cut paper characters that can be manipulated. Different styles of paper theatre can be found in several cultures.

In contemporary art, the use of paper theatres in several modalities led to an exploration of whether such theatres also could be used as an art therapy method. Research was conducted into expressive art therapy principles, Jungian perspectives, and recent studies in neurosciences. The studies included in the literature review confirmed …

Considerations And Reflections On Being A Brazilian - Latina Expressive Arts Therapist Working In Usa, Maiara Bastos

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper focuses on the experience of being a Latina expressive arts therapist working in the United States of America (USA). Through literature review and a personal art-based research process, the definitions of identities, therapeutic relationships, and microaggression are discussed and explored. This paper is theoretically grounded in the notion of expressive arts therapy and gestalt therapy as a means to understand the author’s experiences in the field of counseling. Autoethnography and art-based inquiry are used to conceptualize microaggressions within the therapeutic relationship.

With the intent of increasing awareness about the author’s identities, the expressive arts were used to make …

“Rage Defends Against Overwhelming Loss”: A Literature Review On Women, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Anger, Sarah Maeder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A literature review examining the difference in anger as a symptom of PTSD based on gender. The focus was on how gender roles and stereotypes impact women’s, as well as providers’, interpretation, expression, acknowledgement, and suppression of anger. By researching civilian survivors of non-combat trauma, the review examined PTSD and symptom discrepancies along a gender divide. Emphasis was placed on the creation of gender as a social construct. Significant nuance was discovered when defining anger, its means of expression, and measurement tools, particularly when interacting with gender. The history of art therapy as a treatment modality for PTSD and anger …

Racial Equity For Registered Drama Therapists: A Community Engagement Project, Jamila Batts Capitman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mental health professionals are currently faced with an increased need to meet the demands of clients of color who are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Disparities in mental health care for people of color are an ongoing problem stemming from the fact that Western Psychology, the dominant approach to mental health care, is limited by the Eurocentric Worldview. Practitioners who intend to create inclusive therapeutic approaches must consider the unique cultural orientations and historical, social and political realities of clients of color. As of 2021, The North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) requires that 50% of all continuing …

Nothing To Lose: A Literature Review On Combating Anti-Fat Bias Through Expressive Therapies, Katlyn Tracy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Anti-fat bias exists and is a pervasive and often overlooked form of oppression that significantly harms the mental health of fat people. Similar to other forms of oppression, anti-fat bias remains perpetuated through ideology, enforced institutionally through discriminatory practices, and enacted through interpersonal harassment. There is growing interest in exploring not only the mental health impacts of anti-fat bias, but also the development of effective therapeutic interventions to support fat people impacted by it. However, research on therapeutic strategies for combating this issue remains scarce. The field of Expressive Therapies, with its range of creative modalities and focus on engaging …

Drama Therapy For Actor Training Programs, Emily Faith

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review synthesizes the literature on the mental health trends and developmental stages of student actors in university theatre programs and the mental health issues they may suffer because of their field of training. I then review the potential negative impacts of COVID-19. Special attention is paid to drama therapy techniques to weave into college and university theatre programs to mitigate mental health concerns invoked by training.

Making Room: Addressing The Counter-Therapeutic Nature Of Psychiatric Hospitalization Through Containment- Based Group Expressive Therapy, Max Sandor Copans

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The process of hospitalization and the environment of a typical psychiatric hospital is often counter-therapeutic. To challenge this problem, clinicians may introduce the concept of psychological containment. To elaborate, being hospitalized anywhere can be disorienting, frightening and even traumatic. This problem is only further exacerbated in psychiatric hospitals where patients may be disorganized, manic, or struggling with psychosis. Furthermore, psychological containment is essentially the ability for psychiatric patients to prevent their intense emotions from effecting others negatively, and to act with resiliency when other patients are unable to contain their own disruptive behaviors. This paper utilizes both an initial literature …

Language As The Medium: A Literature Review. Harnessing The Prolific Power Of Dramatic Language As A Therapeutic Tool In Drama Therapy, Edward Freeman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Language in and of the theatre, with its palate of variegated writing styles and playwrights from throughout time, has the potential to be harnessed, focused, and systematized for use as a therapeutic tool within drama therapy – the field’s artistic medium. Drama therapy could benefit from having a specific medium germane to its artform which has the potential to provide practitioners with a common resource and means of communication, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as align the field with other creative arts therapies. Language encompasses all forms of human communication – speaking, writing, signing, gesturing, expressing facially – …

Studio Expressive Arts Therapy: Towards A Classroom Method That Incorporates Art And Music, Michael Greenberg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored the ways in which expressive arts therapy (ExAT) could be incorporated into a small therapeutic high school’s visual arts program. Through the development and implementation of a method, intermodal exchange between visual art and music was integrated into both the school’s art program and its group counseling offerings. Informed by a literature review of studio art therapy (SAT) as related to ExAT, three different interventions were used to fit within the frameworks of the high school’s offerings. The first intervention focused on making music with a few students within art classes while the rest of the class …

Self-Compassion Integrated Art Therapy For Mothers During A Pandemic, Shannon Dover

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis reviews literature related to parental mental health and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). COVID-19 is a collective trauma in which individuals experience the trauma differently depending on race, gender, and class. Women’s experience of living during COVID-19 related to changes in the workplace, caretaking, and more. The pandemic influenced parents and notably mothers with increased stress, depression, grief, and anxiety. The practice of self-compassion reduces shame and self-criticism which are common experiences during parenting and trauma. Self-compassion and art therapy can aid in resiliency and make living during COVID-19 more comfortable. With a literature review, results yield the following …

Exploring The Usefulness Of Mindfulness Practices Through Zoom Meetings In Reducing Anxiety And/Or Stress Of Adults With Learning And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thatiane Abra

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored which mindfulness meditations or mindfulness practices could be beneficial in the online sessions, the extent to which adults with learning and developmental disabilities could learn the practices remotely, and how stress and anxiety disorders could be reduced through online mindfulness interventions. Furthermore, it was also necessary to address the online sessions as the only mental health treatment possibility during the Coronavirus pandemic for the clients observed and the benefits and limitations of these interventions. Additionally, the importance of structure and routine for this population, the multi-modal structure of the interventions, and how attunement plays an important role …