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2016

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Articles 2821 - 2839 of 2839

Full-Text Articles in Communication

Knowledge And Resistance: Feminine Style And Signifyin[G] In Michelle Obama’S Public Address, Tracy Valgento Jan 2016

Knowledge And Resistance: Feminine Style And Signifyin[G] In Michelle Obama’S Public Address, Tracy Valgento

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the public discourse of the first African American first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. I argue that Michelle Obama uses the double-voiced discourses of feminine style and African American Signifyin[g] to negate post-race and post-gender mythologies that suggest that American society is “beyond identity”. Looking at three of Obama’s speeches: Michelle Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech, The Remarks by the First Lady at Memorial Service for Dr. Maya Angelou, and Remarks by the First Lady at Tuskegee University Commencement Address this thesis argues that Michelle Obama performativity interrogates and questions gender and race relations …


A Qualitative Analysis Of Belonging In Communities Of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements Within The Choral Arts, Aubrielle J. Holly Jan 2016

A Qualitative Analysis Of Belonging In Communities Of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements Within The Choral Arts, Aubrielle J. Holly

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A qualitative analysis was conducted with a community choir as an exemplar of a community of practice. Semi-structured, collaborative interviews with eighteen of the choir’s members and eleven hours of field observation were conducted. The socialization process was briefly examined and discussed as it informed membership experiences in the choir. Four research questions were proposed to examine the ways in which the defining characteristics of communities of practice were communicatively enacted within the choral context. The construct of belonging was examined as an addition to Wenger’s (1998) communities of practice framework. Data analysis followed the grounded theory methodology of Strauss …


Crossing The Line: Navigating A Polluted Transboundary Watershed, Celia T. Tobin Jan 2016

Crossing The Line: Navigating A Polluted Transboundary Watershed, Celia T. Tobin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana’s Lake Koocanusa sits at the end of a river system that drains Canada’s most productive coal country. Today, the waters of the massive lake contain a mineral called selenium, a poorly understood byproduct of mine waste. This summer, the U.S. federal government will be in a position to declare that the selenium in the lake puts Canada in violation of its international treaty with the U.S. The Montana government, however, is preparing to argue otherwise through its own water analysis. The disagreement has U.S. ecologists frustrated with the state’s position, saying they won’t practice science that is slave to …


On Analyzing Geotagged Tweets For Location-Based Patterns, Philips Kokoh Prasetyo, Palakorn Achananuparp, Ee Peng Lim Jan 2016

On Analyzing Geotagged Tweets For Location-Based Patterns, Philips Kokoh Prasetyo, Palakorn Achananuparp, Ee Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Geotagged social media is becoming highly popular as social media access is now made very easy through a wide range of mobile apps which automatically detect and augment social media posts with geo-locations. In this paper, we analyze two kinds of location-based patterns. The first is the association between location attributes and the locations of user tweets. The second is location association pattern which comprises a pair of locations that are co-visited by users. We demonstrate that through tracking the Twitter data of Singapore-based users, we are able to reveal association between users tweeting from school locations and the school …


Investigating The Influence Of Offline Friendship On Twitter Networking Behaviors, Young Soo Kim, Felicia Natali, Feida Zhu, Ee-Peng Lim Jan 2016

Investigating The Influence Of Offline Friendship On Twitter Networking Behaviors, Young Soo Kim, Felicia Natali, Feida Zhu, Ee-Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We investigate the influence of offline friendship in three specific areas of Twitter networking behaviors: (a) network structure, (b) Twitter content and (c) interaction on Twitter. We observe some interesting findings through the empirical analysis of 2193 pairs of users who are online friends. When these pairs of users know each other offline, they are more likely to (1) respond to the online gesture of friendship from their friend, (2) share mutual online friends, (3) distribute and gather information in their friend’s Twitter network, (4) pay attention to their friend’s tweets, (5) post tweets that might be of interest to …


Judgment And Choice: Moral Judgment, Enjoyment And Meaningfulness In Interactive And Non-Interactive Narratives, Daniel M. Shafer, Sophie Janicke, Jonmichael Seibert Jan 2016

Judgment And Choice: Moral Judgment, Enjoyment And Meaningfulness In Interactive And Non-Interactive Narratives, Daniel M. Shafer, Sophie Janicke, Jonmichael Seibert

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study extends Affective Disposition Theory (ADT) and the Integrated Theory of Enjoyment (ITE) to interactive television/film narratives. In the study, 168 participants were randomly assigned to experience one of two originally-produced films; one with interactive components, the other without. Participants in the interactive condition made choices for the protagonist throughout the films. Path analysis was used to examine hypotheses based on the ITE (using the recent perspective of enjoyment and meaningfulness as outcomes). Results indicate that the principles of ADT and ITE can be applied to interactive narrative forms. Suggestions for future research are offered.


Springfield Or Bust? A Qualitative Analysis Of The Organization Assimilation Of Young Professionals In Springfield, Missouri, Nii Kpakpo Ekow Abrahams Jan 2016

Springfield Or Bust? A Qualitative Analysis Of The Organization Assimilation Of Young Professionals In Springfield, Missouri, Nii Kpakpo Ekow Abrahams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent have Millennial young professionals assimilated into Springfield, Missouri's culture. Using organizational assimilation and sensemaking as the theoretical framework, this qualitative thesis research study utilized four focus groups (n=20) to draw its results. Based on a previous foundational study and additional research, five characteristics Millennials want in a city were identified—affordability, community engagement and involvement, Millennial collaboration, entertainment and meaningful experiences, and authenticity. These characteristics also served as the criterion for the results. The findings revealed that Springfield young professionals, based on the five characteristics, have fully assimilated into Springfield's …


Generational Growing Pains As Resistance To Feminine Gendering Of Organization? An Archival Analysis Of Human Resource Management Discourses, Kristen Lucas, Suzy D'Enbeau, Erica P. Heiden Jan 2016

Generational Growing Pains As Resistance To Feminine Gendering Of Organization? An Archival Analysis Of Human Resource Management Discourses, Kristen Lucas, Suzy D'Enbeau, Erica P. Heiden

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Guided by a feminist communicology of organization framework, we examine generational growing pains by analyzing discourses appearing in HR Magazine at three different points in time, which approximately mark the midpoint of Baby Boomers’, Gen Xers’, and Millennials’ initial entry into the workplace. We reconstruct historically situated gendered discourses that encapsulate key concerns expressed by human resource management professionals as they dealt with younger generations of workers: Personnel Man as Father Knows Best (1970), Human Resource Specialist as Loyalty Builder (1990), and Talent Manager as Nurturer (2010). We propose that frustrations expressed by older generations about Millennials may not be …


No More Mind Games: Content Analysis Of In-Game Commentary Of The National Football League’S Concussion Problem, Jeffrey Parker Jan 2016

No More Mind Games: Content Analysis Of In-Game Commentary Of The National Football League’S Concussion Problem, Jeffrey Parker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

American (gridiron) football played at the professional level in the National Football League (NFL) is an inherently physical spectator sport, in which players frequently engage in significant contact to the head and upper body. Until recently, the long-term health consequences associated with on the field head trauma were not fully disclosed to players or the public, potentially misrepresenting the dangers involved in gameplay. Crucial to the dissemination of this information to the public are in-game televised commentators of NFL games, regarded as the primary conduits for mediating in-game narratives to the viewing audience. Using a social constructionist theoretical lens, this …


Twerking, Alcohol, And Fame: The Construction Of Disney Celebrities In The Media, Carla R. López Jan 2016

Twerking, Alcohol, And Fame: The Construction Of Disney Celebrities In The Media, Carla R. López

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The mass media expanded intrusion of cameras into the public and private lives of celebrities has contributed to the public's fascination with Hollywood celebrities. Specifically, this cultural obsession has been increasingly centered on female celebrity's increased deviancy and criminal behaviours. Although numerous studies have been completed discussing the cultural fixation of Hollywood celebrity culture and the audience’s attachment to these celebrities, few have provided insight into the media construction of cultural narratives surrounding Disney celebrities. To fill the gap in the literature, I will assess how female celebrity deviance and sexuality is constructed in the media by examining the media …


You Will Be Punished: Media Depictions Of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women, Caitlin Elliott Jan 2016

You Will Be Punished: Media Depictions Of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women, Caitlin Elliott

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The following thesis focuses on media depictions of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, a list that carries upwards of 1,200 names. The news coverage of these stories is reminiscent of television crime dramas in their depictions of minority victims of crime, specifically in regard to victim blaming. In order to examine this relationship, the present study compares coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canadian news articles to depictions of victims, particularly minority female victims, within crime procedural television shows. An ethnographic content analysis (ECA) was conducted in order to parse out common themes between news articles featuring …


Understanding The Influencers Of Second-Hand Apparel Shopping Behavior, Robyn Hobbs Jan 2016

Understanding The Influencers Of Second-Hand Apparel Shopping Behavior, Robyn Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Shopping for second-hand apparel is rapidly growing and has become a notable segment of the retail market. The purpose of this study is to determine what influences consumers when shopping second-hand for apparel products in-store and online. According to the existing literature, a number of key factors play significant roles for second-hand apparel shopping consumer decisions. They include: social, costs, trends and environmental influencers. Past research has not concentrated in-depth on the hedonistic and social influences of second-hand apparel shopping, financial factors, and time spent shopping for second-hand apparel. This study has observed the socio-demographic profile of second-hand shoppers, what …


Chair Support, Faculty Entrepreneurship, And The Teaching Of Statistical Reasoning To Journalism Undergraduates In The United States, Robert J. Griffin, Sharon Dunwoody Jan 2016

Chair Support, Faculty Entrepreneurship, And The Teaching Of Statistical Reasoning To Journalism Undergraduates In The United States, Robert J. Griffin, Sharon Dunwoody

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Statistical reasoning is not the same as doing calculations. Instead, it involves cognitive skills such as the ability to think critically and systematically with data, skills important for everyday news work and essential for the era of data journalism. Twin surveys of the chairs of undergraduate journalism programs in the United States, conducted 11 years apart, revealed that those who perceived benefits from statistical reasoning instruction were more likely to reward entrepreneurship (faculty attempts to integrate this instruction into their classes), but with slow gains over time in the fairly small number of such faculty. Being consistent with university goals …


I Heard It Through The... Vine: A Look Into Virality And Its Importance, Jennifer L. English Jan 2016

I Heard It Through The... Vine: A Look Into Virality And Its Importance, Jennifer L. English

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.


Photography's Power To Shape Our Realities, Anna Catherine Molinaro Jan 2016

Photography's Power To Shape Our Realities, Anna Catherine Molinaro

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.


The Constructive Healing Powers Of Dance Rhetoric, Emmy Ciabattoni Jan 2016

The Constructive Healing Powers Of Dance Rhetoric, Emmy Ciabattoni

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.


A Mother's Love: A Personal Journey Of Self-Discovery, Self-Love And Unyielding Perseverance, Olga Alexander Jan 2016

A Mother's Love: A Personal Journey Of Self-Discovery, Self-Love And Unyielding Perseverance, Olga Alexander

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In today’s world, being a stay-at-home mom still carries a stigma whether one chooses to stay at home or one is forced to by unforeseeable circumstances. My master’s thesis is a personal narrative, written through the scope of an autoethnography. It envelopes the vulnerability surrounding the internal conflict, and external interference and influence of cultural, societal, and familial norms. The purpose of this autoethnography is to share my own experience with identity crisis, loss of career, and embracing the identity of being the mother of a special-needs child, and to share my personal struggle with the pressure in having to …


Embedding Online Based Learning Strategies Into The Engineering Technology Curriculum, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Otilia Popescu, Orlando M. Ayala, Mileta Tomovic, Alok K. Verma Jan 2016

Embedding Online Based Learning Strategies Into The Engineering Technology Curriculum, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Otilia Popescu, Orlando M. Ayala, Mileta Tomovic, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Various blended learning strategies have been implemented at engineering technology programs to facilitate different learning styles and different time constraints given to faculty. Some of these efforts are related to the effective use of online tools such as online course management systems, ePortfolios, narrated presentations, web-based polling systems, tutorials and educational materials posted before the class and asynchronous learning methods. As technology changes, some of the online learning methods are getting more advanced which is enabling more innovative approaches and data compression. Various distance learning programs started with having access to videos of recorded lectures (on VHS tapes, or CDs) …


Gaining S-T-E-A-M: A General Athletic Department Social Media Strategy, Brendan O'Hallarn, Craig A. Morehead, Shana L. Pribesh Jan 2016

Gaining S-T-E-A-M: A General Athletic Department Social Media Strategy, Brendan O'Hallarn, Craig A. Morehead, Shana L. Pribesh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

In the 10 years since the invention of Facebook, social media sites have become an indispensable part of the marketing and communications strategy employed by a broad spectrum of organizations, including university athletic departments. While social media is almost universally used, a review of academic literature suggests the study of deployment of social media resources, and analysis of their effectiveness, is still very much in preliminary stages. Professional literature on social media use is out in front of peer-reviewed research. Therefore, we use Funk’s framework for social media practices as a point of departure, offering a social media strategy specifically …