Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sensemaking And Identity In Complementary Alternative Medicine: Communication Study On Reiki, Caroline Reese

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) is rising in popularity, in particular, the practice of Reiki. While there is substantial research that focuses on the medical benefits of Reiki, little work has been done that addresses what Reiki means to participants and how it impacts an individual's sense of self. This study seeks to fill that void. To explore this, I argue that Reiki practice should be viewed through a communication lens that draws from theories of identity and sensemaking. Results show that identity is not seen as an individualistic concept but rather as a social process that shifts to a more …

Black Masculinities And The Media: An Interview With Filmmaker And Activist Byron Hurt, Kevin D. Thomas

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

In this interview, Byron Hurt reflects on his career and how he has become a prominent activist, speaker, filmmaker, and writer about media's roles in shaping Black identities and culture, especially constructions of Black masculinity. In addition to detailing his career trajectory, Hurt discusses many important topics: his inspiration to make films, the power of filmmaking to make cultural change, the filmmaker's place within a documentary, changing notions of Black masculinity, the constraints advertising and media place on Black men and boys to define their manhood, Black men's assertion of power over Black women, intersectionality, digital media's possibilities for more …

Impact Of Cybvervetting On Job Seekers' Social Media Use And Identity Creation, Courtney Powers

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Social media has become an integral part of connecting with others and sharing personal information. As more individuals use social media to express themselves, organizations have begun using these same sites to make hiring decisions in a process called cybervetting. Although some researchers suggest that cybervetting has consequences for self-expression, currently little research has explored how cybervetting impacts job seekers’ social media use and identity creation. Accordingly, this study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how cybervetting impacts job seekers’ social media use and online identity creation. By surveying job-seeking social media users, this study measures the relationships between …

Baby Dust To All! Identity Construction In Two-Week Wait Online Discussion Forums, Danielle R. Derose

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Women with a self-identified infertility status sometimes choose to address this status by seeking medical intervention. There are a variety of methods available when attempting to conceive using medical treatments, with the choice heavily dependent on the health of each partner. A common first approach by reproductive endocrinologists is that of intrauterine insemination, or IUI. Women undergoing IUI invest significant time and money into the process and often must undergo procedures or take medication that can be enormously distressing. Once the IUI is complete, the woman must wait an emotional two weeks before she finds out if she is pregnant …

Mother: A Textual Analysis Of Contemporary Mother Identities In Popular Discourse, Katherine Mayer

Master's Theses (2009 -)

For centuries, women have struggled to understand the meaning of one of their most important roles in society, mother. Internet discussion boards have become an important venue for women to participate in ongoing discussions about the role of mothering in contemporary society and serve as a means by which they are actively shaping society's understanding of the role of mothers.

A textual analysis of a popular mothering discussion board yielded two dominate mothering identities, tensions that exist for each mothering type and how mothers resolve those tensions through the mothering discourse. The study ultimately revealed the ways in which the …

How I Was Saved: Christian Faith Narratives In Contemporary Society, Allison Berg

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Recent studies indicate that Christian membership numbers have declined in the last few decades. At the same time, polls record that Americans are becoming more religiously diverse. Some scholars suggest that these changes in American society are also leading to changes in the ways that Christians talk about their faith. Since Christian theology and tradition demands that Christians continue to share their faith with others, it is necessary to understand the ways that Christians talk about their faith today. Of interest to this study are faith narratives: stories about one's faith journey and experiences. Through sharing stories about their faith …