Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Unspoken Story Of Education: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Racism In Education, Elisa A. Perez-Garcia

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Privilege is when one voice is the norm, but some children’s voices are underheard within research. Extensive research has demonstrated that Hispanic face multiple barriers within the education system. This study examines how whiteness within the education system can impact a Hispanic student’s perspective of the world. An autoethnographic approach is used to analyze five stories. A grounded theory approach identified emergent themes from the stories shared. The four themes that emerged among the stories were intersectionality, privilege, social construct, and microaggression. It demonstrated minority students’ experiences and interactions could profoundly affect how they view their identity. There are measures …

The Portrayal Of Female Athletes On The Covers Of The New Yorker 1925-2016, Olena Shchur

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

For decades sport has been a predominantly masculine area. And even though sport participation amongst women has undoubtedly progressed over time, female athletes still receive unequal mass media coverage. Thus, the question about the perception of women as athletes in media remains open. This thesis examines the patterns of female athletes’ portrayal on the front covers of The New Yorker magazine starting from the very beginning of The New Yorker’s publishing history in 1925 through December 2016. For this purpose I conducted a content analysis of covers of The New Yorker. I found that, despite some improvements, the messages that …

Younger Hmong People’S Willingness To Communicate About Depression, Wa Yang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research examines the underlying issues about mental illness, particularly depression within the Hmong community. Previous scholars have focused on the Hmong culture’s origins, mental health status of Hmong refugees arriving in the United States, martial roles and mental health on Hmong females, and comparisons of Hmong traditional healing and Westernized medicine. These studies intersect in fields including psychology, medicine and public health, Hmong history, and social work. However, one missing component to this body of scholarship has been communication. Thus, my study focused on younger Hmong people’s willingness to communicate about depression within their families. Specifically, I conducted semi-structured …

Sexual Assault In The News, Sydney Blair

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research has evaluated the presence of blame, myths, and stigma that sexual assault survivors experience online and within interactions with others. In the era of the #MeToo movement, has that changed? With perpetrators recently being held legally accountable for their crimes, my research addresses the current representation(s) of sexual assault through a content analysis of existing news media. I found a variety of rhetoric that supports survivors, #MeToo and perpetrators accountability, with additional evidence that negatively counters those positive changes. My research is important because these findings contribute to social science literature by examining the current representation of sexual …

Unveiling Race And Japanese Identity Through Kokusai Kekkon, Manami Matsuoka

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Kokusai kekkon, marriage among Japanese and non-Japanese nationals, are common, yet sometimes it comes with difficulties. The study aims to uncover Japanese people’s hidden perceptions of gaikokujins, foreigners, and Japanese identity shaped in relation to gaikokujins based on race and ethnicity within cross-national marriage. 18 Japanese spouses of U.S. Americans were interviewed for the study. The study employed thematic analysis to disclose Japanese beliefs and worldviews through interpreting Japanese interviewees’ experiences and their families’ discourses regarding marriage with U.S. Americans. The study found that whiteness and the sense of inferiority to the West and superiority toward the East influence Japanese …

Social Justice Scholarship Informing Visual Communication Practices, Alicia Campbell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

My discussion hinges on the groundwork of social justice as integral to the field of technical and professional communication (TPC) with an understanding of the importance of visual communication; ultimately, I seek to understand the intersections of Social Justice and Visual Communication within the field of Technical Communication. Based on this research, I develop a heuristic that allows technical communicators to critically analyze their visual communication efforts, specifically infographics, for advocacy/social justice.

The Moderating Influence Of The Strength Of Racial Identity On The Relationship Between Teacher-Student Racial Similarity-Dissimilarity And Classroom Engagement, Md Enamul Kabir

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research, titled ‘The moderating influence of the strength of racial identity on the relationship between teacher-student racial similarity-dissimilarity and classroom engagement’, was conducted by Md Enamul Kabir, a graduate student in the Department of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato as a requirement for completing a Master of Arts degree in August 2020. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand how the strength of racial identity moderates the effects of the teacher-student racial similarity and dissimilarity on the engaging behavior of students with their instructors in United States classrooms. This study questioned the prevalent assumption that …

Expectation Versus Reality: Star Trek, Nyota Uhura, And The Female Role, Cecelia Otto-Griffiths

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In a media saturated world, there is an abundance of stereotypes perpetuated for women. Since the late 1960’s, however, Star Trek has been one example of how television and film can challenge stereotypes and what is considered normal. This study sought to understand the extent of change in how women’s physical and role representations are presented through the artifact of Lt. Uhura in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the 2016 film Star Trek: Beyond. Using feminist theory as a lens to conduct a content analysis of these films, this study used frequently identified “feminine” characteristics in …

Racial Identities On Social Media: Projecting Racial Identities On Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter, Nolan Brinkman

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Because social networks are an important aspect of the lived realities of those who participate in them, this study examined the way racial identity was signified, indicated, or displayed on social networks. A survey was distributed to 347 college students from a medium sized Midwestern university to assess ways in which participants depicted their racial identity on social media. The study looked at the use of photos, textual communication, concealment of racial identity, and interactions with race related content to assess how participants projected racial identity on social networks. Results suggested that racial identity is not intentionally projected on social …

To Pass Or Not To Pass? Constructing And Negotiating Biracial Identity, Anthony Peavy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to show how biracial people narrate their identities and how people in society influence biracial individuals' constructions of their self. This is significant because this research obtains perspectives from individuals who simultaneously occupy a privileged and underprivileged identity. In highlighting the experiences of biracial people and their constructions of the self, this research answered questions surrounding how they perform their identities in social situations and how they negotiate passing privileges granted to some based on visual perceptions and/or skin tone.

This research was done using qualitative research methodologies, as these give more insights into …

Productive Paddles And Productive Power: An Exploration Of Transgender Individuals' Negotiation Of Identity Through Bdsm Practices, Riley Zahn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Productive Paddles and Productive Power: An Exploration of Transgender Individuals' Negotiation of Identity through BDSM Practices is a thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato in April of 2018. It explores the ways in which transgender individuals negotiate their identities through BDSM practices. To collect data, eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted revealing four key themes: BDSM as identity negotiation, BDSM as power enactment, embodied confirmation, and BDSM as trauma survivorship. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications, limitations and future avenues of …

"It's Because You Are White": A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Whiteness And White Privilege In Interracial Relationships, Adrienne Gruenes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research has produced numerous studies on the dynamics of interracial relationships. However, there is still a gap in the existing research concerning how whiteness and white privilege impacts interracial relationships. This qualitative study sought to examine how whiteness and white privilege impacts interracial relationships when one person in the relationship identifies as white and their partner identifies as a person of color. I conducted in-depth interviews with four interracial couples who had one person in the relationship that identified as white and their partner identified as a person of color. Each couple participated in a dyadic interview and then …

Empathy And Campus Sexual Assault (Csa) Communication: Protecting The Wellbeing And Social Equity Of College Women, Kathleen Romero

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A review of empathy and campus sexual assault communication has implications for technical communication research. Campus sexual assault is a social problem, and consequently college campuses are legally required to publish and disseminate sexual assault communication (i.e. policies, procedures, and training) to eliminate the behavior. Empathy is significant to campus sexual assault communication, given not only the emotional nature of the topic, but also the technical information to be communicated effectively and appropriately. Given the dearth of research on empathy and campus sexual assault communication, this expansive review of the literature establishes the need for technical communication research on empathy …

"Can We Clean Their Guns For Em'?" Frame Analysis Of Media Coverage Surrounding The Killing Of African Americans By Police, A Comparison Of Four U.S. And International News Sources, Jeffrey Longhurst

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Instances of unarmed African Americans being killed when encountering police officers have come to the forefront of the discussion about race and race relations in the U.S. This study investigates media framing to determine if there are elements of racism in media frames surrounding these events. This study seeks to determine the extent that the tenets of Critical Race Theory apply in news when comparing stories Fox News and CNN online articles with articles by Al Jazeera and BBC. The two cases chosen were the killings of Micheal Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. Using critical …

Drag Performance And Femininity: Redefining Drag Culture Through Identity Performance Of Transgender Women Drag Queens, Cristy Dougherty

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Viewing gender as a performance reveals how gender identity is shaped and formed. There is currently tensions associated with drag queen performance as an act of subversion and transgression from the heteronormative definition of gender and drag as a perpetuation of heteronormative definitions of gender. There is also a tension between the affirmation of femininity and transgression from gender binaries of womanhood. In order to address these tensions, this thesis project examined the reasoning behind how transgender women and gay men drag queen performers navigate the world of femininity. Specifically, this study explored the varied reasons behind performing femininity through …

Queer Stories Of Coming Out In The 21st Century, Bradley Wolfe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Queer Stories of Coming Out in the 21st Century was written by Bradley Wolfe for his Communication Studies master’s capstone project. The research was conducted at Minnesota State University, Mankato during the 2015-2016 school year. The research problem was to analyze the relevance of the Cass Model of queer identity development in a cultural environment which has shifted greatly since its origination. 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand what aspects of the model still held true and if other models better describe the identity development process for queer individuals. The research found the Cass Model was not correlating with …

The Impact Of Pornography On The Genital Body Image And Sexual Self-Efficacy Of Female College Students, Monica Elizondo

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Given its accessibility and growth in the past decade, internet pornography appears to be influencing the sexual scripts of young adults. That is, sexual expectations and behaviors are likely to be impacted by the consumption of online sexually explicit material. Pornography research documents more harmful effects (e.g., lower body image) in women viewing pornography compared to men (Albright, 2008). This experimental study aimed to explore the effects exposure to online sexually explicit material would have on the genital body image and sexual self-efficacy of 90 college women randomly assigned to three exposure conditions. Results indicated that group membership did not …

Actitud De Los Ciudadanos Andaluces En Cuanto Al Empleo Del Dialecto Andaluz En Los Medios De Comunicación Audiovisuales, Victoriano Pimentel Rivas

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study presents regulations and linguistic awareness respecting the use of Andalusian dialect on television, radio, and cinema among others to provide a full description of the subject. The qualitative method will reveal aspects more fine-grained through data collection of the different habits and reactions of participants with TV, radio, internet or another audiovisual platform. For example, this research concludes, among other factors, that young Andalusians are more in contact with their dialect than older ones. Empirical and statistical data reflects that the young individual is open to different audiovisual platforms apart from TV and radio. Finally, this thesis leads …

She Got Her Period: Men's Knowledge And Perspectives On Menstruation, Ishwari Rajak

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research show that men and women often do not converse freely about menstruation. Shame, taboos and myths associated with menstruation silence the conversation. Silencing conversations about menstruation have negative consequences on women, including: objectification of women's bodies, stereotyping of women as physically, morally and emotionally inferior to men and to extreme cases women losing their uterus due to unhygienic means of menstrual management. On the one hand, not addressing menstruation openly has devastating consequences on women but on the other hand, most men seem oblivious about the impacts on women. Therefore, it is important to engage in open dialogues about …

The Expression Of Organizational Dissent Among Sub-Saharan African Student Migrants In The United States, Délwendé Bouda

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research project, titled The expression of organizational dissent among Sub-Saharan African student migrants, was conducted by Délwendé Bouda, a student in the Department of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato as a requirement for completing a Master of Arts degree in July 2015. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate how Sub-Saharan African immigrants express dissent in an organizational setting in the United States. Three hypotheses were established for this study, and online surveys were conducted through Qualtrics. Three different scales were used to measure the following variables: organizational dissent (articulated, displaced, and latent), belief in …

How Women Of Color Are Portrayed On The Cover Of Magazines: A Content Analysis On The Images Of Black/African, Latina, Asian And Native American (Balana), Connie Johnson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Historically, women of color with little knowledge can blindly imitate the images of themselves as portrayed in mass media, which can be harmful to their self-esteem, contradictions of self-identification, and daily interactions with majority people. Media literacy is important in understanding how images of minority women are distorted to fit the dominant group's ideals and cultural relevance, which affect the identity of minority women. The researcher through the use of BALANA and content analysis examined some attributes of how women of color (WOC) are portrayed on the cover of eight selected magazines, for example, 1) Good Housekeeping, 2) Cosmopolitan, 3) …

Homemaker To Seductress: A Content Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes In Online Embedded Advertisements, Danica L. Stith

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Countless studies have documented and analyzed the presence of gender stereotypes in print and television advertisements, but very few have been performed on online advertisements. While the World Wide Web is no longer an exciting new domain for us, researchers are only beginning to analyze the vast number of gender stereotypes that are presented to viewers on a daily basis. The proliferation of gender stereotypes (specifically female stereotypes) is obvious in print advertisements and television advertisements, but do they also abound in online advertisements? In my research, I performed a content analysis of online embedded advertisements, specifically in three types …

Democratic Or Gendered Domain: Communication And Learning Styles In The Online Classroom, Jennifer Ann Bruns

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) within cyberspace has become a recent pedagogical phenomenon. Cyberspace creates a domain for new learning environments. Using the online classroom has the potential to break down gender barriers and erect a more democratic space for students. Even with this limitless potential, there are competing conceptions regarding these new and promising classrooms--will online education conform to the same standards that shape a gendered society, or will these classrooms create a more equitable environment for both male and female students? Because of the rising numbers of online female students, gender bias becomes an increasingly important research topic. Yet the …