Communication Commons^™

The Lamb As Leader: Identifying The Influence Of Communication Apprehension On The Leader-Subordinate Relationship, Heather Rene Gillespie

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The current study examined the influence that self-awareness of one’s own level of communication apprehension (CA) has on the leader-subordinate relationship. Specifically, the study considered how trait-like CA influences this relationship in the context of the organizational staff meeting. Participants were selected based on their roles as either leader or subordinate (some served as both) in their particular organization. Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire, including McCroskey’s Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24). Follow-up questions were asked to assess the participants’ perception of their communication exchanges with either their leader or subordinate and the role they believed their …

Facebook & Text Messaging: The Effects On Single Family Communication Dynamics, Courtney Sunstrum Meister

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate how two communication mediums, Facebook and text messaging, influence the ways in which single parent families communicate. This study adds to our understanding not only how communication mediums aid in communication dynamics, but also how single parent families communicate amongst themselves. Research was conducted by a thorough investigation of current literature, a survey study taken by 30 participants, and five face-to-face interviews. After the study, it was determined that single parent families utilize Facebook and text messaging to communicate with family members. While these two mediums may not be their primary source …

Media Communication & Professional Sports Stadium Subsidies, Damon Sgrignoli

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In the previous two decades, professional sports franchise owners secured nearly $20 billion in taxpayer paid subsidies for new stadiums, domes, and arenas. In the geographic area of study, Atlanta Georgia, two public-financed stadium debates occurred between 2012 and 2014. The following study examined sports franchise owners, politicians, and civic and business groups’ use of the mass media to communicate their public messages during the stadium approval process, as well as how the local mass media frames stadium subsidy debates through Agenda Setting and Framing theories. The textual analysis study used a sample of 10 Atlanta Journal-Constitution online newspaper articles …

An Exploration Of Power Distance And Self-Disclosure In Asian And Pacific Islander American Cultures On Guam, Faith Villanueva Realica

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Power distance is a dynamic that can greatly impact the communication between a child and a parent. Parents instruct their children on what are culturally acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and communication methods. These cultural guidelines for interaction and communication remain with the child until adulthood and have the power to influence the child’s level of disclosure. This study is an investigation of power distance in the parent and adult child relationship and its impact on self-disclosure in the Filipino and Chamorro cultures on Guam. The study’s theoretical framework is based on Mulder’s Power Theory and also applies the relationship development …

Don't Have A Cow (Wo)Man!, Barbara Hamilla

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Sitcoms have been a part of the American experience since the dawn of the television. For generations, families have grown up identifying with characters they see every week, and can see themselves within the everyday life situations experienced by characters on their favorite shows. What happens then, when one of America’s favorite sitcoms isn’t really a sitcom? This study is a content analysis of 20 episodes of The Simpsons, from season two to season twenty. Using cultural studies and narrative paradigm, this study examined gender roles and representations in The Simpsons, how they evolved over the life of the program, …

Trayvon Martin: An Examination On How The News Is Presented To The Public, Minnie Larry

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

It is important to see how the news uses framing to structure a story for public consumption. This study seeks to understand how the news media framed the Trayvon Martin case through the use of racial cues. The study will closely examine the fetishization of racial roles by the media through the Trayvon Martin case. The researcher through the use of ethnographic research will examine how a news organization frames this high-profile event that resulted in the death of a young man. We often discuss bias or agenda in news without answering the question why. Trayvon Martin presents an opportunity …

Non Profit Organizations And Social Media: An Exploration Into How Non Profit Organizations Use And Misuse Social Media Outlets Utilizing Framing And Public Spheres, Alexandra Chiulli

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis researched how well social media works with NPOs to effectively communicate with their supporters. Being in a technology age, NPOs have had to embrace social media as being the main form of communication; however, this does not mean that all like to use it. One of the main conflicts in NPOs using social media as the main communicative tool is the loss of personal interaction with their supporters. NPOs began with having to utilize interpersonal communication only and with the new age of technology, they are struggling with keeping up with the different sites as well as the …

A Study Of The Relationships Between Income, Information Channels, And College Match Among Admitted Students At Gonzaga University, Erik Hoffman

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The college admissions process often disadvantages low-income students because they lack equal access to the information channels used by their more affluent peers. Especially for the most selective colleges, income has been shown to substantially impact the application behaviors and enrollment decisions of low-income students. Low-income students are more likely to be “under-matched,” which means they fail to enroll at colleges that meet their academic qualifications. According to one national data sample, 40.9% of all college students are under-matched, and 16.1% are “substantially under-matched,” meaning they are enrolled at a school two levels below their selectivity match (Smith, Pender, & …

The Role Of Social Media In Public Relations, Jake Chappelle

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis provides an assessment of how organizations utilize social media sites in public relations. The study investigates the relationships between social media (SM) and public relations (PR), particularly on the nature and effects of standalone SM functions in communications, or PR divisions of various businesses. By applying the Uses and Gratification Theory, this paper will briefly explore how business leaders use social media for the benefit of their companies, because with social media being a powerful, and global public relations tool, information and communication has become properly managed. Social (networking) media has gained popularity in the business sectors of …

Health Media Literacy: Developing A Training Course For Health Professionals, Cara Scanze

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Media has clear impacts on children and teens’ health behaviors and choices. It is imperative that youth become critical media users in order to understand how media can impact their health and to challenge influential media messages. Media literacy education is a viable option for teaching youth how to become savvy media users and media creators. Though elements of media literacy education have been incorporated into some classroom curricula, public health professionals can also serve as youth educators on media literacy. To fill this opportunity in media literacy education, a training course was developed for public health practitioners, other health …

A Post Feminist Look At Hbo's Girls: A Critical Analysis Of Characters, Career, Gender, And Sexuality, Aaliyah A. Miller

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Television plays an integral role in the lives of Americans, regardless of class, ethnicity, gender, race, or religion. Despite the fact that viewership on the major networks has decreased over the years, television continues to be a dominant cultural and informational force that does more than just entertain us -this medium has the power to influence and alter our attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, and actions. Gender bias as a result of gender stereotypes found in television has been an issue of concern for feminist, politicians, and social researchers. Research studies have found that gender stereotypes found in television negatively influence women …

A Qualitative Study Analyzing Cps Social Workers: Creating Meaning Through Communication And Hidden Internal Biases, Heather A. Parker

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The goal of this study is to determine how social workers create meaning through communication with their clients and if internalized oppression influences their communication behaviors. The literature review and research reveal a number of subareas that need to be addressed in order to understand why dialogue takes a primary role in the positive outcome of a Child Protective Service (CPS) case. A review of educational material and scholarly literature was combined with an ethnographic study which included individual interviews and focus groups. It explored the societal dilemma of racism and internalized biases; along with the dynamics of communication between …

Expressed Best Communication Practices At Television Station X, James Keith

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

American news organizations are evolving as new technologies emerge and alter the way information is reported. The same electronic tools that help connect television news providers with their audiences are being utilized internally between managers and employees. Using an electronic survey, face-to-face interviews, and ethnographic based observations, this study set out to determine best perceived communication practices in a television news environment. The research subjects were all employees at one San Antonio television station that for the sake of anonymity is referred to as Station X. Participants were asked their preferred means of communication for resolving conflict or addressing issues …

The Cookie Jar Dilemma, Kelcy Dolan

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

This article explores the possibilities in both men and women’s refusal to take responsibility in the war against rape as well as rape culture. Beginning with Zerlina Maxwell’s viral criticized appearance on the Sean Hannity’s talk show, the article questions not only why responsibility is not taken for rape throughout society, but who is responsible and how. It then moves through this question citing several specific articles, an interview and media sources. The article contemplates whether, patriarchy, masculinity, or even instinctual and primitive thought processes dictate the assumptions and responses to the responsibility in the war against rape.

A Study Of Student Leaders' Facebook Use, Valerie Penn

Masters Theses

Facebook and other social media have changed the way that our society communicates. As student affairs professionals, it is important to understand how this shift in communication affects our students and their development. This study aimed to learn more about how students leaders use Facebook, how they perceive Facebook, and how their leadership position has impacted their use and perception. The researcher used an electronic questionnaire, a Facebook tracking log, and a personal interview to examine the Facebook use and perceptions of eight participants. These participants represented the following groups: Greek leadership councils, orientation leaders, resident assistants, and student government. …

"They Want All Of Your Kids To Be Gay And Oppose God": Incivility And Othering In Yahoo! News Comments, Emily Vajjala

Masters Theses

In 2004, many newspapers in the U.S. allowed public commenting on news articles posted to their websites, however since then, many U.S. news websites have removed public comment boards, ceased archiving public comments, or turned to moderators to edit or delete hateful or overly aggressive comments (Hughey and Daniels, 2013). Yahoo!, however, continues to utilize comment boards on Yahoo! News reports, in which incivility continues to run rampant. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, this study addresses incivility and "othering" in Yahoo! News article comment sections from news reporting on LGBTQ-related stories. From a sample of 1000 Yahoo! News comments using open …

重讀八、九十年代的「恐怖喜劇」: 殭屍電影與香港後殖民, Yee Man, Mandy Liu

Lingnan Theses

八十年代是香港電影工業的「黃金時期」，電影的類型也可說是「百花齊放」，當中包括了一批以「殭屍vs. 道士」為結構的電影，並廣受歡迎，直到九十年代初衰落。本論文就是以這批電影為研究對象，先借助電影研究中的類型研究的框架，從體裁說明這批電影本身就能自成一個類型／次類型──「恐怖喜劇」，繼而集中分析殭屍和道士這兩個主要角色，並指出這批電影其實是呼應著香港後殖民處境複雜的中港關係。

本研究提出電影中的殭屍和道士都是來自中國的「他者」，而且帶有不同程度的「怪物 性」，因此形成了不同的「自我」與「他者」的權力結構和張力。本文借用了後殖民研究的「我──他」框架以及怪物研究的「怪物性」概念，進一步解讀殭屍和道士的獨特性。最後，本文提出整個類型其實是以香港為本位，透過「馴化」殭屍和「吸納」道士來處理不同「中國他者」所引起的情緒與張力，並在流行文化中實現了中港融和的幻想。

Eurocentrism, Modernity And Chinese Sociality : An Ethnographic Study Of Everyday Socio-Cultural Life In New-Millennium China, Tung Yi Kho

Lingnan Theses

This dissertation seeks to contribute to our understanding of Eurocentrism, Modernity,and their impacts on traditional Chinese cultural formations. It is based on ethnographic research conducted in Shenzhen, South China and Qinghai, West China, and explores the impacts of Chinese modernization on everyday forms of sociality.

I conceive of Eurocentrism foremost as an Ontology, a mode-of-being grounded in a cosmology about the nature of reality and human being-and-becoming in the world. I argue that because Eurocentrism is an ontology predicated on materialism and individualism - “matter” being the basis of reality and the “individual”, the fundamental unit of society, respectively - …

(Tele)Presence In Mediated Worship: The Influence Of Antecedent Traits And The Effect On Memory, Enjoyment And Behavior, Brian Klebig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the phenomena of (tele)presence in the distinct mediated environment of an online Christian worship service. A quantitative field experiment involving 48 participants who had just viewed a religious Internet broadcast was undertaken. Individual differences in personality and religiosity are examined in tandem with (tele)presence as predictors of a number of outcome variables, including memory, enjoyment of the online worship service and behavioral intention to be more active with the church. The results showed no significant relationship between religiosity and the experience of (tele)presence, but that users who experienced greater (tele)presence enjoyed the service more, had a greater …

Cognitive Dissonance In The Classroom: The Effects Of Hypocrisy On Academic Dishonesty, Joanna Goldonowicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic dishonesty and academic entitlement plague many college campuses. This research applies the theory of cognitive dissonance to the classroom in an attempt to curb academic dishonesty. Hypocrisy, a branch of the theory of cognitive dissonance, has been induced with regards to health and pro-social causes, but has not been applied to the field of higher education. In order to apply the concept of hypocrisy to academic dishonesty, a two-part experiment was conducted. The first portion of the experiment was an in-class manipulation and the second portion was an online survey conducted one month after the manipulation. Two hundred two …

An Examination Of The Connection Between Genuine Dialogue And Improv, Kathleen O'Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational setting. The conditions for dialogue set by Gordon (2006) served as a guideline for analyzing data. Thematic analysis generated categories used to analyze data. …

Dog Ownership As A Catalyst Of Conflict And Relationship Maintenance In Romantic Relationships, Ashley Elrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pets are a common aspect of life for many Americans. In 2012, 36.5% of American household owned dogs and 30.4% owned cats (American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 2012). The purpose on this study was to explore the influence of dog ownership on romantic relationships. Specifically, this thesis investigates how dog ownership acts as a catalyst of relational maintenance and conflict behavior in interactions about the couple's dog. No prior research has been conducted on the role dogs' play in enacting relational maintenance or conflict in romantic relationships, so it is unclear if there is an influence to the these behaviors. This …

A Phenomenology Of Mimetic Learning And Multimodal Cognition: Integrating Experiential Knowledge Into Programs In Rhetoric, Composition, And Technical Communication, Kevin R. Cassell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

My dissertation emphasizes a cognitive account of multimodality that explicitly integrates experiential knowledge work into the rhetorical pedagogy that informs so many composition and technical communication programs. In these disciplines, multimodality is widely conceived in terms of what Gunther Kress calls “socialsemiotic” modes of communication shaped primarily by culture. In the cognitive and neurolinguistic theories of Vittorio Gallese and George Lakoff, however, multimodality is described as a key characteristic of our bodies’ sensory-motor systems which link perception to action and action to meaning, grounding all communicative acts in knowledge shaped through body-engaged experience. I argue that this “situated” account of …

Changing Views On Media Ethics And Societal Functions Among Students In Singapore, Benjamin Hill Detenber, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This panel study assessed changes in ethical ideology and beliefs about the societal function of media over the course of undergraduate communication education in Singapore. First, students' agreement with the ethical principles of truth telling, independence, and accountability increased. Second, change in agreement with the ethical principle of minimizing harm was negatively related to change in justification of contentious newsgathering methods. Third, belief that the media should function as a watchdog increased and that it should serve national development decreased. Change in these variables was inversely correlated. We relate these findings to global contexts and make recommendations for curriculum development.

A Visually Determined Deutschland: Visual Rhetoric Analysis Of German Culture, Taylor Halversen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Within the field of Communication Studies, researchers attempt to define culture and often explain it as shared meanings and values among a group of people. Another subsection of Communication Studies includes the study of how images communicate: the field of visual rhetoric. This paper combines concepts from intercultural communication and visual rhetoric in order to better understand German culture. By examining two culturally significant eras of German artwork through the lens of visual rhetoric analysis, this study seeks to better understand German culture and its values. By analyzing the visual communication of historically significant photographs, one can find common meanings …

Echo, Winter/Spring 2014, Columbia College Chicago

Echo

Student-produced magazine formerly published as Chicago Arts and Communication, changed to Echo magazine in 1997. Cover Articles: Puff puff passed: patients won the fight for pot - what's next?; Classy porn: inside the pinup revival; Jammin' jesters: Wedding Banned's peculiar appeal; Generation Q: are you having a Quarter Life Crisis?; Love, virtually: anonymous admireres, rebooting online dating, serendipity in the city. 80 pages.

Building And Maintaining Legitimacy Online: Unicef's Use Of Facebook, John Kraps

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Sexual And Political Affairs: Representation Of Women In American News Media, Melissa Beal

Masters Theses

Explores representations in American news media of women who have been involved sexually with male politicians and women who are politicians through a critical rhetorical lens. Through the use of poststructural feminism, the term "mistress" is problematized. Attention is given to the news media's focus on women's bodies as sites of dangerous sexual temptations as well as the media's constant attention to women's physical features, which reduces women to objects. It is shown that similar coverage regarding bodies is not given to men. Also discusses the news media's frequent interrogation of women's minds. Explores aspects of confession and apology through …

Jour 302: Reporting Ii—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Joseph Weber

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This document summarizes the results of an inquiry conducted as part of an advanced reporting course. The questions at hand were, “can students be taught to avoid bias in their journalistic work and to provide fair accounts of news developments?” and “how might they best be taught that?” This exploration revolved around a single lecture and discussion session, several reading assignments and the viewing of a video interview, and involved two writing assignments. The results suggest that both the teaching and evaluation of bias and fairness are difficult and complex. The findings suggest a single lesson may not be adequate …

Arab Spring In Tunisia And Egypt: The Impact Of New Media On Contemporary Social Movements And Challenges For Social Movement Theory, Victoria Carty

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The events of Arab Spring were shocking for those who study societal movements as long-term dictators were swiftly removed from office and a democratic wave hit the region. Although the outcomes of the Arab Spring revolutions are yet to be determined, what we can gleam from these outbursts of collective behavior is that new media platforms played a significant role in the planning and mobilization efforts that brought people onto the streets and posed serious challenges to the existing political systems. This paper examines the importance of the communication field in influencing the political environment and motivating ordinary citizens to …