Communication Commons^™

Cultivating Color-Blindness?: The Impact Of Tv-Viewing, Racial Policy Reasoning, And Colorblind Racism On Opposition Toward Affirmative Action Policy, Carmella N. Stoddard

Masters Theses

I examine the effect of television viewing and ideological orientations associated with “modern” racism such as minimization of the impact of racial discrimination and individual attribution on opposition toward preferential hiring of Blacks. Using cross-sectional General Social Survey (GSS) responses from U.S. adults between 2004 and 2010, I estimate ordered logistic regression models predicting attitudes toward preferential hiring of Blacks. Additionally, I compare agreement with key tenets of abstract liberalism to the findings of previous policy reasoning studies to determine the importance of these attitudes in predicting support for affirmative action policy. In this study, I aim to address the …

Ginger Masculinities, Donica O'Malley

Masters Theses

This paper explores white American masculinity within the “ginger” phenomenon. To guide this study, I asked: How is racism conceptualized and understood within popular culture, as seen through discussions of whether or not gingerism constitutes racism? How do commenters respond or interact when their understandings of racism or explanations for gingerism are challenged by other commenters? And finally, what does the creation of and prejudice against/making fun of a “hyperwhite” masculine identity at this social/historical moment suggest about the current stability of the dominant white masculine identity? Through discourse analysis of online comments, I explored discussions of race, gender, and …

Comparing News Frames About The Syrian Crisis Between The Kommersant And The Financial Times, Anton Dinerstein

Masters Theses

This is an exploratory comparative study aimed to examine media frames about ongoing civil war in Syria. The civil uprising started on March 15, 2011, and turned into a civil war after May 8, 2011. The conflict has lasted for more than four years, and more than 220,000 people have died since it began. During the conflict, both the Syrian government and military opposition were accused of extreme cruelty and of using chemical weapons. However, there was no official proof of using chemical weapons until the August 21, 2013, when Syrian government forces used chemical weapons during their attack on …

Fragmentary Girls: Selective Expression On The Tumblr Platform, Samantha Shorey

Masters Theses

Empirically based on a series of focus groups with college-age women, this thesis examines how the affordances of anonymity and audience specificity facilitate both intimate personal expression and political participation on the Tumblr platform. In dialogue with literature on self disclosure and privacy, I seek to broaden our understanding of the mediated contexts that provide space for women’s voices online.

The privacy afforded by Tumblr’s registration policies allows users more flexibility in terms of self-presentation than sites such as Facebook, which are necessarily linked to one’s offline identity through “real name only” policies. The use of pseudonyms contributes to a …

Producing The Dead Sea Scrolls: (Trans)National Heritage And The Politics Of Popular Representation, Evan P. Taylor

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the politics of representing the assemblage of ancient manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls to popular audiences in Israel, the occupied West Bank, and the United States. I demonstrate that these objects of national heritage are circulated along transnational routes to maintain the legitimacy of nationalist discourse abroad. Three sites—the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Qumran National Park in the West Bank, and a travelling exhibit presented at the Boston Museum of Science—are examined for textual narrative, spatial arrangement, and visitor behavior. Analysis of these observations illuminates two recurring motifs common …

Deception Among Organizational Leaders: Impacts On Employee Perceptions Of Supervisor Credibility, Power, And Trust, Paisleigh Jo Kelley

Masters Theses

Deception is ubiquitous in day-to-day communication. While most deceptive acts are relatively minor in terms of interpersonal impact, lying in the workplace may result in negative organizational outcomes (Griffith et al., 2011). Moreover, business leaders who engage in deceptive communication may elicit similar behavior in their employees (Henrichs, 2007). The current study assesses how different deceptive messages spoken by organizational leaders (e.g., honest messages, messages that withhold information, and messages that distort information) impact employee perceptions of that leader’s credibility, power, and trustworthiness. The results of this study indicate that employees view business leaders as less credible and less trustworthy …

Betting Markets Vs Opinion Polling: The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, Jamie Alexander Greig

Masters Theses

This Master’s thesis focuses on the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, in particular comparing betting markets and opinion polling as outcome predictors. While opinion polls are the most significant data sets used by political scientists and the media when discussing the predicted outcome of elections there is evidence to suggest that betting markets may be more accurate predictors of eventual outcomes. Using data from 5 months of betting and polling this research paper confirms this previous research in the case of the 2014 Scottish referendum. An outcome of this is the conflict between intention and expectation as research questions, the impact …

The Effect Of Advertising On Male Body Image Disturbance: A Content Analysis Of Male Models In Esquire Magazine Ads From 1955-2005, Zienab Ahmed Mohamed Shoieb

Masters Theses

This study examines the transformation of the male body ideal in magazine ads over time. A content analysis of 218 male models in Esquire ads from 1955 to 2005 were coded for level of male models’ fat, muscularity, and nudity levels; whether the ad was photographed or illustrated; and product category. Findings reveal (1) a significant decrease in male models’ fat levels over time, (2) a significant increase in male models’ muscularity levels over time, and (3) a significant increase in nudity over time. Male models in photographed advertisements were found to have higher levels of muscularity and nudity than …

Examining The Effects Of Robot-Enacted Guilt Appeals In A Human-Robot Negotiation, Brett Stoll

Masters Theses

Social robotics is a quickly evolving and expanding field in which significant contributions may be made by the communication discipline. Prior research has demonstrated the successful employment of robots throughout varying contexts such as work team decision-making, education, and healthcare. The purpose of this study is to expand upon existing research and generate an understanding of how robots may be used in competitive communication environments. The study highlights face negotiation theory (FNT) and the computers are social actors (CASA) paradigm to frame predictions and understanding of how humans interact with robots in a negotiation context. The researcher uses a 2 …

The Relationship Between Parent Communication Orientations And The Self-Efficacy Of Student-Athletes, Sara Marie Erdner

Masters Theses

The influence of parent(s)/guardian(s) communication on a student-athlete’s self-efficacy has received limited attention despite its potential implications for the athlete’s sport performance. Student-athlete participants (N = 290) completed measures to report their level of self-efficacy along with the student-athlete perceptions of their parent(s)/guardian’(s) communication orientation. Further, efficacy-enhancing techniques were measured to report frequency-of-use and effectiveness as these strategies were administered by the parent(s)/guardian(s). Significant relationships were found between conformity- and conversation communication and a student-athlete’s self-efficacy. However, these communication orientations did not interact to influence a student-athlete’s self-efficacy. Mean scores are reported to demonstrate which efficacy-enhancing techniques are the most …

Fostering Global Leaders: A Case Study Of The Korea Foundation For The Next Generation Sports Talent And Its Partnership With The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, Benjamin Hisung Nam

Masters Theses

The Korea Foundation for the Next Generation Sports Talent (NEST) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville have been collaborating to foster global sports talent through academic cooperation and have been interacting to reeducate retired South Korean elite athletes since December, 2008. The purpose of the partnership is to create mutual international understandings between the two parties. This study explores the intended/initial goals of the partnership and whether these goals have changed (if so how and why) or remained the same. If the goals have remained the same, has anything changed? Results indicate that fostering global leadership skills, English language training, …

Factors Impacting Ffa Involvement After High School, Danielle Eve-Marie Sanok

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence FFA members to continue or discontinue with their FFA experience past high school. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the reasons why students discontinue with their FFA experience past high school, determine membership needs from the Collegiate and Alumni FFA Organization and ways to overcome membership attainment barriers.

Data collection methods included three sets of focus groups: (a) one for inactive FFA members, (b) one for current Collegiate FFA members, and (c) one for current and past State Officers. Data was analyzed using the thematic …

Making Meaning Of The Illness Experience: Narratives Of Partners Of Cancer Survivors, Heather Nicole Tidwell

Masters Theses

Receiving a cancer diagnosis not only uproots the life of the patient but also the lives of the patient’s family members and loved ones. Adjustments in communication and disclosure as well as in identity must be made at various stages of the cancer trajectory. Survivorship, specifically, poses its own set of challenges as both cancer survivors and their partners must cope with perpetual uncertainty as to whether the cancer is truly over (Fife, 1994; Lethborg, Kissane, & Burns, 2003; Miller & Caughlin, 2012). Furthermore, although partners report being significantly impacted by a cancer diagnosis, they are often understudied when it …

A Content Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes In Contemporary Teenage Magazines, Umana Anjalin

Masters Theses

The portrayal of women has long been a matter of concern as well as discontent. The patterns reflected in the media mostly deal with stereotyping females in very limited roles, and frequently as sex objects. Magazine content could be a crucial source in the issue of adolescent socialization. Magazines directed to adolescent female consumers orient the audience with the explicit and implicit messages of socio-economic lifestyle. Teens' relying on the subjective as well as objective comprehension of these magazines is crucial to their growing up. Therefore, it was essential to understand the factors that are influential for much of adolescent …

Zambians’ Perception Of The Press: The Case Of Online News Media – Zambian Watchdog And Zambia Daily Mail (2014-15), Francis Chishala

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

From Prairienet To The Cdi: Writing The History, Sally Van Der Graaff

Masters Theses

This paper, the companion to the written work I completed for the Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) at the University of Illinois, will provide the background of the project and describe my involvement in its production. The project itself is a comprehensive history of the center's work in the field of information access, with particular emphasis on the digital divide. Insofar as gaining an understanding of digital divide theory was a necessary precursor to researching and writing this history, the companion paper will begin with an exploration of the literature on the digital divide debate and proceed with an analysis …

Dysfunctional Text Messaging As Related To Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Emotional Intelligence, And Attentional Control, Sean E. Nelson

Masters Theses

Despite the widespread and increasing use and popularity of text messaging since the mid 1990's, the extent of the psychological literature regarding this technology is scarce. Chief amongst these underexplored areas is the relationship that text messaging, as a mode of Nonverbal Asynchronous Communication, has with Verbal Synchronous Communication abilities. For this study, these abilities have been operationalized as social anxiety, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and attentional control. The available research implies a relationship between these concepts. Despite mostly theoretical links in the literature, no study had attempted to measure many of these relationships empirically. This study examined the relationship between …

"I'M Very Much Myself": The Construction And Communication Of Asmrtist Identities, Victoria S. Weinberg

Masters Theses

YouTube is an online space where people can form a self-presentation strategy and construct an identity through a personal channel. The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a physiological response that has been described as "tingles." Individuals on YouTube have created a multitude of ASMR videos to induce these feelings. In these videos, the creators tend to whisper into the microphone, softly touch the camera with their hands or props, or act out a particularly relaxing situation, such as a massage or haircut. This study examines ASMR videos and ASMR content creators as they construct and communicate their identities through …

Going Solo: A Study Into The Framing And Salience Of International Terrorism, Arianne Gouveia

Masters Theses

In order to explore presidential rhetoric, media coverage and its contribution to public opinion, this thesis will examine these facets in the matters of international terrorism. More specifically, terrorism in India, Syria, and Afghanistan will be assessed and compared during two time periods: 2003-2004, and 2011-2012. This thesis will predominately attempt to evaluate the relationship between the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) and actual coverage. By searching for key words in presidential speeches from President Obama and President Bush, evaluating the news coverage of terrorist activity in all three countries, this thesis will attempt to show the impact of presidential speeches …

"Fine Dignity, Picturesque Beauty, And Serious Purpose": The Reorientation Of Suffrage Media In The Twentieth Century, Emily Scarbrough

Masters Theses

Throughout the first half century of the woman's suffrage movement, the women of the movement were depicted as dastardly, masculine women who usurped the family structure with their penchant for politics. In the twentieth century, a new generation of woman's suffragists took command of their appearance in the media. Instead of controversial figures, woman's suffragists were envisioned as normal, beautiful women and mothers. Through the use of mass media, woman suffragists restructured their campaign to convince the general public that society needed women to clean up politics. In doing so, suffragists sacrificed their goals of sexual equality in favor of …

Barriers To Communicating Sexual Orientation Identity At Work, Marissa A. Guenzi

Masters Theses

Previous research emphasizes the benefits associated with having open gay and lesbian employees. However, many gay and lesbian employees still remain in the closet. This project examines barriers preventing gay and lesbian individuals from coming out at work. Four lesbian women and three gay men in the early stages of their careers were interviewed about their experiences of being closeted at work. Analysis reveals four barriers preventing gay and lesbian individuals from coming out at work and explores how these barriers are reinforced by informal organizational communication. Theoretical and practical implications for organizational communication research are discussed, and recommendations for …

Breaking The Chains Of Trafficking: An Educational Program, Amanda K. Feder

Masters Theses

With popular television shows and films focusing on the issue of sex trafficking, many discursive constructions of the issue allow for a "script" to be followed and replicated in many anti-trafficking discourses. Ultimately, the constructions of the issue become a basis of understanding on sex trafficking, which can consequentially limit the availability and accuracy of anti-trafficking resources. From examining popular discourses and their construction of sex trafficking on a global and U.S. scale, to creating an educational program designed for college-level courses on the realities of trafficking, this project focuses on de-bunking the myths of sex trafficking on a local …

Whose Beer Is It, Anyway?: An Examination Of The Constraints Of Organizational Legitimacy With The Craft Beer Industry, Audra E. Clodfelter

Masters Theses

Previous research on organizational legitimacy has determined that legitimacy is necessary for organizational survival, but also places a constraint upon the organization's actions. This project examines the roles of authenticity and social identity as constraints of legitimacy in the craft beer through a case study of four craft breweries that merged with Anheuser-Busch InBev. This study examined the social media communication of four craft breweries prior to their merger announcement as well as the reactions from fans after the announcements were made. Analysis revealed that the breweries used social media to emphasize their authenticity prior to the merger announcement and …

Branding A Cohesive Identity: The Case Of Northern Illinois Alliance, Ashley Gocken

Masters Theses

This paper reflects upon a communication action plan that was developed for Northern Illinois Alliance. After examination of its current communication, competitor communication, research from Adayana (a research firm), and discussions with NIA's general manager, it was determined that NIA suffers from a lack of cohesive organizational identity and overall branding. Therefore, organizational identity and branding were used as the framework for the communication action plan. The paper outlines data collection, reasoning for the proposed tactics within the communication action plan, and an overall evaluation from NIA's general manager.

Stepping Out From The Crowd: (Re)Branding Jamaica's Tourism Product Through Sports And Culture, Thelca Patrice White

Masters Theses

Branding and marketing, in a world where much emphasis is placed on commercialism, are inextricably linked, and carry significant weight. Brands, as we have come to know them, are seemingly ubiquitous, and represent an omnipresent way for many businesses to communicate vital information about their products to existing, as well as, prospective customers. However, while many persons consider branding to be directly related to huge corporations, branding has expanded its repertoire to include nations. While many scholars of marketing and branding have placed keen attention on the branding of corporations, very little attention has been placed on the branding of …

Facebook Addiction And Impulsive Decision-Making, Daniel Delaney

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between Facebook "addiction" and impulsive decision-making. Impulsive decision-making as measured by the delay discounting task is associated with a number of addictions and other problem behaviors. We gave 152 students a paper-based packet including the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale to measure problematic Facebook use and a delay discounting task to assess impulsivity. 16 Facebook "addicted" participants were matched to 16 control participants on demographic data to compare differences in impulsivity. Likewise, we explored whether a correlational relationship between Facebook addiction scores and impulsivity existed. We found that Facebook "addicts" discounted delayed rewards more quickly than …

College Students Self-Presentation And Online Social Networks, Lauren J. Stehlik

Masters Theses

College students are active users of social networking sites, and they share a variety of information via their profiles. Employers and graduate schools are one population viewing potential candidate's social networking profiles. This study aimed to explore graduating college students' perception of appropriate or inappropriate content on their social networking sites as they went through the job searching process. College students are users of several social networking sites; however, this study focused on users of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews and an online analysis site called Reppler.com with seven graduating college seniors to learn about perceptions …