Communication Commons^™

Preventative Weed Management Strategies In Arkansas Tomato Production, Gracie E. Morrison, Matthew Bertucci

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Cost-effective weed suppression is an important consideration for tomato growers. Growers often choose methods which minimize hand labor, as hand weeding can be prohibitively expensive. This project determined economic viability of high tunnel tomatoes treated with several methods of weed control, both organic and chemical. These methods included: 2-week hand weeding, 1-week hand weeding, preemergent herbicide application (plots sprayed with herbicide prior to weed emergence), straw mulch (plots bedded with straw), landscape fabric (plots covered in fabric), and untreated weedy control plots. These six treatments were applied to randomized blocks in a high tunnel. Weeding, planting, and harvesting were all …

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 …

Transformations Of Hanbok In The Age Of Hallyu: Fashion, Cultural Hybridization, And The Construction Of Vernacular Korean Nationalism, Katharine V. Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hanbok is the traditional fashion of South Korea, and literally translates to “Korean clothing.” Once worn every day, today hanbok is reserved for special occasions and holidays; however new “modern” versions of the attire are becoming more and more popular for everyday wear. This new iteration of the traditional clothing created a new vernacular of Korean nationalism and “Koreanness” through the incorporation of modern fashion trends and traditional Korean aesthetics. Modern hanbok represents the unique relationship between nationalism, globalization, and fashion, and can be seen as an example of cultural hybridization. Looking at modern hanbok through the lens of Hallyu, …

Influence Of Pediatric Patients’ Developmental Or Chronic Health Condition Status As A Predictor Of Parents’ Perceptions Of Patient- And Family-Cen, Grace Ellen Brannon, Madison Ray

Communication Faculty Publications - Archive

Our study aimed to estimate how a pediatric patient’s health condition status influences parents’ perceptions of patient- and family-centered care (PFCC). We analyzed five years (2013–2017) of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data in efforts to expand understanding of the family influence in pediatric health encounters, using family systems theory as our theoretical lens. The sample included 36,675 parents of children with developmental or chronic health conditions who reported visiting a health-care provider within the past 12 months. The independent variable was a combined measure of any developmental or chronic health conditions previously diagnosed in the child being assessed. Dependent variables …

I’M Not A Tragedy: Speaking Up About Ableist Microaggressions, Kasandra Marguerite Colwell

Communication Senior Capstones

Have you heard of ableist microaggressions? Let me tell you about them, as someone who has experienced them. I have a bi-lateral dislocating knee condition that I was born with. I can walk, but sometimes I need additional stability or reduction of pain while getting around, in which case I tend to use a cane. I have had many othering interactions while using a mobility aid in public, whether that be a knee brace, a cane, or crutches. While it often seemed the stranger didn’t mean any harm, the question is how many invasive questions and comments from strangers can …

Non-Verbal Communication, Anxiety, Behavioral Changes Within Covid Regulatory Changes, Sydney Stack, Olivia Mccracken

Communication Senior Capstones

In the current era of education and social communication shifting into a virtual world the students entering the early elementary education system have experienced something that is new to all of us. Within the last two and a half years life as we have known it has vastly shifted. Virtual learning and communication, which is not something that is new, but something that was scarce prior to the Covid-19 pandemic is now the “new normal.” For many of the students affected, this way of learning has shaped much of their educational career. Changes like these are affecting areas of development …

A Critical Analysis Of Mobile Interpersonal Relationships Through Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Rachael L. Kee

Communication Senior Capstones

Through the use of online dating apps, individuals are having the chance to begin, develop, and end interpersonal relationships without ever even meeting the partner in person. It is assumed that this is happening due to the lack of primary tension in initial contact, as uncertainty reduction can take place from behind a screen. This study sought to connect the theories between Uncertainty Reduction Theory and mobile interpersonal relationships. The axioms of Charles Berger’s theory come into play during online dating as the eight key variables of relationship development are utilized in most successful interpersonal relationships to further intimacy, in …

The Power Of A Podcast, Breanna Donlon

Communication Senior Capstones

This paper examines the correlation between the Your Own Backyard podcast and the rebooting of the Kristin Smart missing persons case. This case had gone cold and seemingly ignored for nearly 25 years, until 2019 when the podcast was created. The host conducted immense amounts of research to try and figure out what happened to Kristin, and in doing so, brought her case back to to the public’s attention. The actions of the podcast host caused the police to become more active on the case again. Because of the podcast, the prime suspect was finally arrested and will be held …

Molding Malleable Minds, One Poem At A Time, Rebecca C. Bendzick

Communication 300 Papers

The Neo-Aristotelian approach to Rhetorical Criticism allows individuals with the chance to analyze pieces of rhetoric and evaluate how influential that piece was on its audience members. Maya Angelou was a poet, writer, civil rights activist, and above all a master performer. She captivates her audiences with every complex word or phrase, and has the ability to reach listeners of all backgrounds. By evaluating Maya Angelou’s performances in “On the Pulse of Morning” and “Still I Rise” through the Neo-Aristotelian approach and applying the Five Cannons of Rhetoric were able to uncover many hidden treasures of her work and legacy.

A History Cannabis As A Cultural Communication Artifact, Morgan L. Harper

Communication Senior Capstones

This essay aims to detail the mechanics, structure, history, and ideology of cannabis from a socio-cultural perspective within the United States. However, it does contain some content that I believe will correlate with an international perspective. My emphasis in conducting this research is to look at the ways in which cannabis acts as a societal communication artifact, and in doing so, how it has formed a vast and highly identifiable culture. I believe that Cannabis acts as a communication tool both socially and interpersonally, with both notions being equally important to the culture overall. Cannabis has language, looks, and sounds, …

The Misrepresentation Of Women In The Media And Women’S Rights, Hannah M. Endicott

Communication Senior Capstones

This paper is centered around the misrepresentation of women in the media and the implications that it has had on the treatment of women’s rights in society. The media is defined as television, movies, advertisements, etc. Women have been represented as being oversimplified through their stereotypical portrayal as housewives and mothers in the media, alongside being hypersexualized through their clothing and body image. Both of these forms of portrayals have had negative effects on women. Young girls are now being targeted as well through the explicit tones that the advertising of children’s toys creates. This paper aims to demonstrate how …

Ripe For Consumption: Separating Women From Autonomy, Nicole Kasandra Stibbard

Communication Senior Capstones

This proposed position statement privileges the notion that the male gaze is a damning and damaging force for identifying women in both Western societies as well as within patriarchal societies. This particular exploration is driven by my perceived lack of the true effect that this gaze has socially and intrapersonally over women. The male gaze not only strips women of bodily integrity, bodily autonomy, but autonomy holistically. Beyond the stripping of autonomous worth, the male gaze, i.e. objectification and an autonomous reduction to body parts alone, all result in psychological and physiological damage for identifying women. Previous research in the …

Healthy Environmental Communication Practices, Michelle Monique Magana

Communication Senior Capstones

The goal of my academic research is to highlight the importance of appropriate, scientifically correct and accurate communication when discussing Environmental Health. If we want to begin making changes to help our environment to become more sustainable and ultimately provide more years of existence we must stop the lies, propaganda and spread of misinformation. “Communication constructs a social world that is relational, collaborative, strategic, symbolic, and adaptive” (Learning Outcomes in Communication). The objective is to understand the discourse on environmental issues and try to use our communication discipline to engage and dissect this issue from a Communication perspective. Our standards …

Dissecting Ideologies Embedded In Ford Advertisement, Sidney Rain Shabnam Afsarzadeh

Communication Senior Capstones

The goal of this paper is to exemplify rhetorical criticism to examine an artifact. Specifically, this paper will use the method of ideological criticism to identify ideologies embedded in a commercial. In the case of this paper, the commercial being examined is a Ford truck commercial titled, Ford for the Builders, Built for America. This paper will identify and explain the ideologies used to advertise Ford trucks. It is important to be able to identify ideologies embedded in things like commercials in order to not be blind to cultivation theory. Which is a theory created by Professor George Gerber in …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Choosing To Go To The Moon "And Do The Other Things", Skyler M. Kona

Communication 300 Papers

On September 12, 1962, president John F. Kennedy visited Rice University in Houston, Texas, and delivered what is commonly known as one of the most iconic speeches in American history. The speech, titled “Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort”, but more widely known as “We Choose to go to the Moon”, was an attempt to gain further support for the nation's efforts in the Space Race against the Soviet Union. In his speech, Kennedy uses various techniques in order to further boost the audience's understanding of the situation, as well as, crucially, inspiring them to lend their …

Children’S Film Media’S Influence On Gender, Race, And Identity, Sara M. Kovis

Communication Senior Capstones

Whether conscious of it or not, media images have been working our entire lives to construct our attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of the world around us. What is the significance of the relationship between media consumption and how we interact in society? Applying communication theories and research into traditional and digital media is vital in understanding the realities around us. It explains where societal norms and values stimulate and how they trigger new behavioral changes. Ideologies are the mixed concepts and elements that create meaning in society. Today, people's ideological feelings produce pre-dated ideologies rather than their ideas. These are …

Challenges Faced By Recently Emancipated Youth, Williams Peña, Jerry Walter Butkiewicz Iii

Communication Senior Capstones

In this academic research paper, we will be exploring the challenges faced by recently emancipated youth. We chose this topic because of the fact that this is not often spoken about or taught to the general public. This lack of attention to these issues creates hurdles when attempting to solve these sensitive issues. Considering this, we thought it would be a strong choice for further research and review. We explored many obstacles these new adults face. One such issue that we would like to touch on is the unstable housing situation of these recently emancipated individuals. Another prudent example is …

Interpersonal Communication From Student To Host Family, Tajma R. Magee

Communication Senior Capstones

This research project aims to improve interpersonal communication between international students and their host families. Existing research and data shows that students can have a difficult time adjusting to their life abroad, whether it be within their host home or within the institution they are studying at. This can greatly affect their overall studying abroad experience and can affect the way they communicate with the members of their host family. Factors like the student’s academic performance in school and behavior in school may be affected as well. Identifying the issues that contribute to a negative experience in a host family’s …

Data Capitalism, Digital Health, And Marxism, Samantha C. Stanger

Communication Senior Capstones

Abstract

When immersed in a capitalist society individuals often fail to see the ways in which they are exploited, and when these discussions do come into discourse they are often geared toward workplace labor. Less commonly do we consider the ways in which these problems arise in conjunction with free labor, mainly performed in digital spaces. While less often considered or discussed, the exploitation occurring in the digital world is real and has substantial consequences, particularly when the digital spaces involve sensitive information and data. This paper aims to address how data capitalism functions in three different digital health spaces: …

Protector And Friend: Turning Points And Discursive Constructions Of The Stepparent Role, Bailey M. Oliver, Dawn O. Braithwaite, Vincent R. Waldron, Robert Hall, Lucas Hackenburg, Braedon G. Worman

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: To understand turning points (TPs) in the development of positive stepparent–stepchild communication and relationships.

Background: Scholars stress the importance of communication in co-constructing healthy stepparent–stepchild relationships. The researchers focused on positive stepparenting via understanding transformational turning point (TP) events across time. Research questions explored how stepparents with an overall positive relationship with a stepchild characterize TPs and the discursive constructions of the stepparent role.

Method: The team analyzed 877 pages of data from 37 in-depth interviews with stepparents who described self-identified TP events, reflected in visual graphs of 279 TPs.

Results: Data were coded into 11 TP types, focused …

Visionary Art As Evolving Consciousness, Azul Delgrasso

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Visionary art is art that is not confined by form, it argues that the artist who creates spiritual art allows the spirit to guide them, rather than relying on traditional form or technique. This can result in art that is incredibly unique and expressive, as it comes from a place of pure creativity and intuition. It also examines the visionary art of Alex Grey whose works offer a gateway into a different state of consciousness, where the viewer can access new insights and perspectives. In in a world that is becoming increasingly disconnected from the creative body, visionary art can …

Pants On Fyre: Parasitic Masculinity And The Fyre Festival Documentaries, Kristen Hoerl, Casey Ryan Kelly

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The documentaries Fyre Fraud and FYRE: The Greatest Party that Never Happened recount the fraudulent and imprudent decision-making process that led up to the ill-fated Fyre Fest. These documentaries represent the music festival’s failure through depictions of white masculinity that seek parasitic attachment and proximity to the hegemonic ideal of masculine authority in the neoliberal marketplace. We argue that these movies map the operations of an imitative form of white masculine subjectivity that thrives in precarity, even as they recuperate the status of late-stage neoliberalism by symbolically removing parasitic masculinity from the neoliberal social order that it feeds on.

Social Media And Journalism: How Twitter Impacts News Coverage In Kenya, Philip Mwaniki Njung’E

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

Twitter had been extensively adopted by the public, journalists, and news organizations as a new digital tool for disseminating information. Therefore, if Twitter is considered a new and effective way of gathering information that makes up news content, an investigation on how it impacts news coverage, journalists, and newsroom practices is significant. The present study conducted said investigation and came up with findings that significantly contributed to the available information about the relationship between Twitter and news dissemination. It particularly investigated how Twitter impacts news content and coverage, journalistic routines, and newsroom practices in Kenya. This study draws its data …

What Do You Meme? Preserving Emojis, Memes, And Gifs As Archival Folklore Objects, Elizabeth Meads

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Digital objects, such as emojis, memes, and reaction GIFs, have become common tools of communication between people, clever advertising for companies, and iconic means of identification and association for political figures. The evolution of their appearance and increasing use of these digital objects demonstrates the need to preserve these items as a means to document critical communication methods in the 21st century.

"Not Liberating Women Means The Building Of A Socialist Society Is Only Half-Way Done": A Feminist Analysis Of Ho Chi Minh's Advocacy For The First Law On Marriage And Family In 1959 Vietnam, Hannah Nguyen

Senior Independent Study Theses

In October 1959, Ho Chi Minh attended and spoke before the North Vietnamese National Assembly at the “Meeting to Discuss the Draft of the Law on Marriage and Family.” The purpose of this study is to provide a feminist rhetorical analysis of this address to explicate the rhetorical strategies Ho employed to advocate for this law. I argue that Ho reframed the Marriage and Family Law into a policy that corresponded to the needs and demands of the National Assembly through methods of dissociation, association, and strategic repetition. I also found that Ho employed a dual leader/uncle first persona to …

Women Of Appalachia: Common Ground, Different Matriarch, Cecelia A. Bagnoli

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

À La Carte Cable: A Regulatory Solution To The Misinformation Subsidy, Christopher R. Terry, Eliezer J. Silberberg, Stephen Schmitz, John Stack, Eve Sando

Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology

Although “fake news” is as old as mass media itself, concerns over disinformation have reached a fever pitch in our current media environment. Online media outlets’ heavy reliance on user-generated content has altered the traditional gatekeeping functions and professional standards associated with traditional news organizations. The idea of objectivity-focused informational content has primarily been substituted for a realist acceptance of the power and popularity of opinion-driven “news.” This shift is starkly visible now: mainstream news media outlets knowingly spread hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and the like.

This current state of affairs is not some freak accident. The Supreme Court’s First Amendment …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Hospital Nurses' Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Lens Of The Demand-Control-Support Model, Alisha Garner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Positive social support, realistic job demand, and appropriate levels of control over their responsibilities can mitigate empathy fatigue and burnout among nurses, increase quality care for patients, and lay the foundation for teams to embrace challenges during crises. The COVID-19 pandemic stretched nurses in all these areas, leading many nurses to contemplate changing fields. Failure to address and embrace the difficulties that nurses face during such crises can result in loss of nurses and impact the entire healthcare industry.

The present study used one-to-one interviews to glean insider perspectives of changes in job demand, control, and support nurses experienced as …

Assessing The Appropriateness Of The Cultural Formulation Interview In Conceptualizing Reverse Culture Shock, Katja Nielsen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Utilizing the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) to identify social and cultural variables predicting the cross-cultural experience of reverse culture shock, this study aims at clarifying the process of re-acculturation of international students in the United States by comparing quantitative and qualitative measures. Thirty-two participants completed demographics and questionnaires and 18 decided to further partake in the CFI. Results from the Reentry Shock Scale as well as the CFI indicate that a majority of individuals experience problems and distress associated with returning home, yet to varying degrees and intensity. Through assessment of each participant’s experience with reverse culture shock, twelve out …

Representations Of Native Americans In Contemporary Media: Dances With Wolves, Diane Sawyer, And Reservation Dogs, Jacqueline Hendry

Dissertations and Theses

Thirty years after Dances with Wolves won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and ten years after the 20/20 special “Hidden America: Children of the Plains” recycled ‘90’s Hollywood tropes to report on poverty on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the 2021 comedy series Reservation Dogs marks a watershed moment in Native representation. Led by an Indigenous cast and Indigenous creative team, it features contemporary aspects of Native life through a particular niche humor that doesn’t explain itself to audiences not in the know. The as-yet unique series has been well-received by Native and non-Native audiences, but in order to appreciate …