Communication Commons^™

How The University Of Arkansas’ Change In Conference Affiliation Set Off Realignment In Intercollegiate Athletics, Matthew Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The era of realignment within the conferences that make up the largest football-playing division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association can be traced to one event.

In the 1984 Supreme Court case NCAA v. Board of Regents, the court ruled the NCAA had violated antitrust laws by not allowing individual colleges to negotiate their own TV contracts for football games. The decision nulled and voided existing TV contracts with the NCAA, allowing a free market for colleges. Many programs partnered with the College Football Association to negotiate TV contracts in the 1980s and early ‘90s.

Five years after the Supreme …

How Android App Developers Manage Power Consumption? An Empirical Study By Mining Power Management Commits, Lingfeng Bao, David Lo, Xin Xia, Xinyu Wang, Cong Tian

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As Android platform becomes more and more popular, a large amount of Android applications have been developed. When developers design and implement Android applications, power consumption management is an important factor to consider since it affects the usability of the applications. Thus, it is important to help developers adopt proper strategies to manage power consumption. Interestingly, today, there is a large number of Android application repositories made publicly available in sites such as GitHub. These repositories can be mined to help crystalize common power management activities that developers do. These in turn can be used to help other developers to …

Mining And Clustering Mobility Evolution Patterns From Social Media For Urban Informatics, Chien-Cheng Chen, Meng-Fen Chiang, Wen-Chih Peng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, given a set of check-in data, we aim at discovering representative daily movement behavior of users in a city. For example, daily movement behavior on a weekday may show users moving from one to another spatial region associated with time information. Since check-in data contain both spatial and temporal information, we propose a mobility evolution pattern to capture the daily movement behavior of users in a city. Furthermore, given a set of daily mobility evolution patterns, we formulate their similarity distances and then discover representative mobility evolution patterns via the clustering process. Representative mobility evolution patterns are …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Colombian Identities And Humanature In National Geographic Magazine (1903-1952), Mónica Pérez-Marín

Communication ETDs

The main purpose of this dissertation is to challenge assumptions of neutrality and objectivity in popular science journalism by investigating how representations of Colombian identities and humanature in National Geographic Magazine between 1903 and 1952 create social knowledge and power in the context of the U.S.-Colombia relations. The investigation is based on the analysis of nine in-depth articles, including 214 pages of written text, 200 photos, and 6 maps. I applied two methods of analysis: critical discourse analysis and visual rhetoric. The discussion of discursive practices, textual structures, and social practices was organized chronologically into three significant periods and related …

Hope As Reclaiming Narrative Agency: The Communication Processes Facilitating Hope At A Community-Based Support Program, Laura L. Burton

Communication ETDs

This study, using interviews and in situ group observations, explored the communication processes that facilitate the emergence of hope at a community based support program (CBSP). No literature within the communication field focuses on hope and there are no studies that explore the co-construction of hope through communication. Within the extensive studies of hope in other disciplines, the communication lens is absent. Within the literature of wellness, positive and supportive communication, narrative, and mutual aid groups, there are no studies that focus on emergent hope or the communication processes facilitating hope. Hope is widely accepted as critical to life and …

Ecocultural Adjustment: A Peace Corps Sojourn, Melissa Michelle Parks

Communication ETDs

This work serves as a case study to extend, expand, and challenge the conventionally anthropocentric framing of cultural adjustment. I examine cultural adjustment through an ecocultural lens, reconceptualizing the process as ecocultural adjustment, which combines both cultural (human-centered) factors with environmental (both human-constructed and greater-than-human) elements in the process of sojourner adaptation. I utilize journal and blog entries along with my own memories through performative autoethnography to explore a 26-month sojourn with the US Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, as well as the departure, travel, and return to the United States. Over the course of this reflective study, I explore …

Female Gender Role Representation Between 1990 And 2010 In Imported Children's Cartoons And Their Implications For Conservative Yemeni Culture, Fatima Al-Hattami

Communication ETDs

This thesis explores the female gender role representations in imported cartoons across the years 1990 and 2010 and their resonance with the conservative Yemeni Muslim culture. The two selected cartoons are A Little Princess Sara (a Nippon Animation production) and Totally Spies (a Marathon Media production), both of which are imported to the Arab countries, dubbed into the Arabic language, aired on Arab childrens channels and popular among girls. The study is inspired by theories of media and cultural globalization and imperialism, which were developed to explain media policies and flow around the globe. The study also draws on the …

A Situational Application Of Myth To A New Conservative Narrative: The Rhetoric Of Thad Cochran, Nickolas James Nickols

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In 2014, Republican Senator Thad Cochran became "the fifth-longest serving senator in the nation's history" (Ward, 2014, para. 5). Yet, Cochran lost to an upstart conservative in the first round of Mississippi's Republican primary and, in response, wielded the power of myth to realign his state's conservative trajectory. In light of this event, the following analysis positioned a rhetorical reading of Cochran's campaign materials thru the lens of myth, revealing three strategic elements that allowed the senator to coalesce an unlikely base. Particularly highlighted are Cochran's transcendence of party labels and ideology, his attempt to position himself as the hero …

Roommate Conflcit: An Actions Approach To Conflict Through Text-Messaging, Shaley Moore

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Research demonstrates that roommate conflict can lead to lasting physical, mental, and behavioral problems including anxiety, depression, or academic burnout (Dusselier, Dunn, Wang, Shalley, & Whalen, 2005). This research explores roommate conflict through Dillard's (1990) Goals-Plans-Action (GPA) model, specifically examining conflict mangement through text messages. Additionally, this research examines the goals, tactic plans, and action behaviors roommates use in conflict. Understanding how roommates manage conflict through text-messaging provides insight into the role that computer mediated communication (CMC) plays in interpersonal conflict and how roommates achieve personal goals through CMC. Qualitative data were collected through eight one-on-one interviews guided by participant …

Towards The Enhancement Of A Critical Cultural Paradigm In Health Communication: An Examination Of The Impact Of Paradigmatic Structures, Laura Elizabeth Arneson

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of Communication there are a wide variety of ways in which scholars can utilize theories to serve as epistemological frameworks in order to examine sociological structures. In this thesis, the subfield of Health Communication will be examined through a positivistic and critical cultural studies paradigm. This work will then examine underlying assumptions related to theoretical approaches in health communication.

With the primary argument of this work being that the dominant approaches in Healthcare Communication have been primarily rooted in positivism, this research study will attempt to show how this assumption continues to extend even into new digital …

The Kids Are All Right, Pamela Hill Nettleton

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Divergent Discourse: A Case Study Analyzing The Effects Of Campus Communication About Sexual Assault, Melissa H. Nipper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes campus discourse at a university in south central Appalachia in an effort to highlight the role of communication in the prevention of sexual assault and its powerful effects on communities and individuals. Using a critical feminist lens, this qualitative case study identifies the communication goals, interpretations, and strategies of two important speech communities who participate in sexual assault discourse on college campuses—campus professionals who communicate about the issue of sexual assault (issue managers) and sexual assault survivors whose identity is shaped by sexual assault (identity managers). While both groups talk about the problem, the parties diverge on …

Exploring Ethnic Stereotypes Through The Production Of Five Short Films, Ines Galiano Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a nontraditional thesis that combines social research in ethnic stereotypes in TV and film with the creative process of film production. This paper contains the formal step of research, in addition to the details on the production and creation of five original short films related to the issue of ethnic representations.

Love On - The Life Of A Suicide Survivor: A Performance Autoethnographic Study, Patricia R. Wheeler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide touches the lives of millions of people each year in this country alone, yet conversations about suicide loss and survival after a loss remain taboo and often do not happen. The story I performed for this performance autoethnographic study centers on my life as a survivor of suicide. It provides a starting point for dialog regarding trauma, grief, and suicide loss. The narrative was constructed directly following the sudden death of my father, which had a direct effect on my ability to produce artistic work. The development, staging and performance of the story were altered to account for the …

Using Computer-Mediated Communication As A Tool For Mentoring To Latina/O Sophomore College Students, Carly C. Peden

Theses and Dissertations

The sophomore year of college can be challenging for many students specifically Latina/o students. New initiatives are being created to increase Latina/o enrollment, retention, and completion of higher education with research indicating Latinas/os are successful academically when they had a mentor or perceived someone on campus cared about them. Mentoring programs use various tools to communicate, but computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools have not been examined in Latina/o peer mentoring relationships.

The current research study examined secondary data to see if Latina/o sophomore college students in a peer mentoring program were academically successful when using CMC to communicate with their mentor. …

Problem Analysis In Community Violence Assessments: Reavealing Early Childhood Trauma As A Driver Of Youth And Gang Violence, Laurie Ross Phd, Samantha Arsenault, Sergeant Miguel Lopez

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Problem analysis conducted by a university-based research partner can provide communities with data-driven options to address the local drivers of serious youth and gang violence. Situated in Worcester, Massachusetts, this article describes how after early childhood trauma was identified as a potential driver of adolescent and young adult violence, problem analysis using local data confirmed that being the victim or witness of a traumatic incident before the age of 12 was significantly correlated with involvement in violence in adolescence or young adulthood. While there is a robust literature on the relationship between early childhood trauma and later delinquency, local decision-makers …

From Library To Liability—Importing Trade Secret Doctrines To Erase Unfair Copyright Risks Lurking In Youtube’S Creative Commons Library, Adam Balinski

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sowing Seeds Of Opportunity: The Convergence Of Agriculture And Acculturation For Refugees In Atlanta, Cameron Owens Dunlap

Symposium of Student Scholars

In 2015, there were 60 million people displaced by conflict and persecution. With refugees and asylees arriving en masse in foreign receiving countries, it is critical that host nations utilize methods of resettlement and integration that are both beneficial and sensitive to the needs of these vulnerable populations. This study documents an innovative win-win approach to community integration that benefits both hosts and refugees alike. Qualitative data was collected through more than 10 sessions of participant observation on community farms and more than 7 semi-structured interviews with program management and refugees to answer the question, what opportunities for these refugee …

Likes, Shares, And Friend Requests: Analyzing Facebook Groups For Incoming College Classes, Ray Celeste S. Tanner

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

University "Class Of" Facebook groups are online spaces where prospective students can get acquainted with the school as well as meet other students who are planning on attending the university. Since Facebook is already used by so many high school and college students, Facebook groups are an ideal place for Universities to interact with their incoming class. If used correctly, "Class Of" Facebook groups give administrators the opportunity to reinforce existing ideologies of the institution, sway students who are unsure of their decision to attend the school, develop a sense of inclusion and belonging, create and sustain students' excitement, answer …

Patient Evaluations Of The Interpersonal Care Experience (Ice) In U.S. Hospitals: A Factor Analysis Of The Hcahps Survey, Geoffrey A. Silvera, Jonathan R. Clark

Patient Experience Journal

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey (HCAHPS) is widely used to evaluate patients’ perceptions of their inpatient healthcare experiences. The HCAHPS is organized into 10 measures: six composite measures, two individual measures, and two global measures.¹ In prior research on the link between patients’ care experiences and hospital’s quality and cost outcomes, scholars have grouped these measures in a variety of ways. The evident lack of consistency in these groupings along with the persistent lack of empirical justification for these groupings suggests a need to empirically examine the relational structure of HCAHPS measures. …

Preference-Sensitive Decisions Of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: The Need For Decision Support, Julie Van De Haterd, Helene Voogdt-Pruis, Ilse Raats, Rianne Van Den Brink, Haske Van Veenendaal

Patient Experience Journal

Because of disease progression and the increasing number of treatment options, patients with metastatic breast cancer face multiple decisions over time. Our aim was to identify the multiple decisions patients with metastatic breast cancer face in order to decide which decision aids will be developed. First, we analyzed the clinical practice guidelines to identify decisions encountered by patients with metastatic breast cancer and healthcare professionals. Furthermore, an online questionnaire for patients, a focus group interview with patients and interviews with healthcare professionals were performed. In addition, we performed a systematic literature research and internet search to identify relevant decision support …

Spartan Daily, April 28, 2016, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2016

Volume 146, Issue 36

Ua12/2/1 The Best Of The Hill, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Special edition of the College Heights Herald.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 91, No. 25, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Kast, Monica. The Cuts Are Coming – Budget
• Dick, Jacob. WKU Plan Privatizes 202 Staff Positions – Facilities Management
• Collins, Emma. Budget Reduction Plan Contains Tuition, Salary Increases
• Kast, Monica. New York Times Reporter, WKU Alumna Speaks to Students – Nikita Stewart
• Kast, Monica. Presidential Search Committee Hosts Student Forum
• Collins, Emma. Ball State University Student Gives WKU Sexual Assault Awareness Report Card – Brianna Kirkham
• Collins, Emma. Helm Library to Close for Repairs Over Summer – University Libraries
• King, Jennifer. Editorial Cartoon Couch Potato
• Lever, Katie. Letter to …

#Bg4unity: Testing The Effectiveness Of A Social Media Activism Workshop, Drew Ashby-King

Honors Projects

Social media is not only a form of communication that surrounds one’s personal life, but it has also become a platform for expressing opinions and advocating for social change. Using #BG4Unity, an anti-hate social media campaign, as a foundation I developed a workshop that aims to educate participants on the value of diversity and to increase their social media activism skills. This study found that the workshop increased participant’s attitudes toward diversity, social media activism skills, and that those who attended the workshop had increased attitudes toward diversity and social media activism skills compared to those who did not attend …

The Cowl - V.80 - N.24 - Apr 28, 2016

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 80- No. 24 - April 28, 2016. 32 pages.

Beyond The Millennium Development Goals: An Evaluation Of The War On Hiv / Aids In Kenya, Robert G. Nyaga

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS remains a threat to Kenya and other developing nations. This thesis aimed at assessing the HIV/AIDS situation in Kenya by examining the knowledge of Kenyans towards infection and spread HIV/AIDS, attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, involvement of community opinion leaders in the HIV/AIDS campaigns, sharing of HIV/AIDS information, and government efforts to control HIV/AIDS. A sample of Kenyans (N= 103) was surveyed and asked to respond to several scales assessing each of the above items. Quantitative and qualitative methods reveal the knowledge and attitudes portrayed by Kenyans and show that, although much has been achieved, there is need …

Spartan Daily, April 27, 2016, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2016

Volume 146, Issue 35

Prospectus, April 27, 2016, Parkland College, Peter Floess, Scott Barnes, Matthew D. Moss, Zonghui Li

Prospectus 2016

Course changes lined up for coming semester; Teenager receives degree at Parkland before graduating high school, How America's Electoral College works, McDonnell case at high court will test reach of bribery laws (AP), Illinois bills would limit mentally ill from owning guns (AP), Ex-NFL QB Johnny Manziel indicted in Texas (AP), Saudi prince unveils plans to welcome tourists (AP), Tourist in yoga airplane altercation allowed to fly to Korea (AP), Club Latino hosts bubble soccer (photo essay);

Ua3/9/7 Budget Reduction Plan, Wku President's Office - Ransdell

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Gary Ransdell to faculty & staff regarding budget cuts.