Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Storytelling As Self-Empowerment: A Case Study Of Avega Beneficiaries In Post-Genocide Rwanda, Lauren Garretson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is an assessment of the effectiveness of storytelling as a mechanism of self-empowerment in the context of post-genocide Rwanda. It concentrates on the effects of the storytelling that is done by female survivors of the 1994 genocide within one Rwandan organization, AVEGA Agahozo.[1] The research project aim is to understand how these women in contemporary Rwanda try to counter their oppression through the stories they tell others about themselves and reclaim agency over their own lives. I examine the possibilities for, and limitations of, storytelling as a means of self-empowerment for these women to counter the unjust …

Discursive Struggles Of Tradition And Nontradition In The Retrospective Accounts Of Married Couples Who Cohabited Before Engagement, Julia Moore, Jennifer Kienzle, Elizabeth Flood Grady

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Couples who cohabit and then become engaged often participate in nontraditional living arrangements and traditional marriage proposals. Because understandings of tradition and nontradition are constituted in discourse, we employed relational dialectics theory to examine the interplay of competing discourses in the talk of married participants who cohabited before engagement. Through retrospective interviews, we investigated the discursive struggles in participants’ talk across three contexts: pre-engagement cohabitation, the marriage proposal ritual, and the (re)telling of the proposal story to friends and family. Analysis of participant interviews illustrated three discursive struggles: (a) pragmatism and risk in cohabitation, (b) romance and partnership in the …

Youth Narratives Of The Conflict In Northern Uganda, Ellen Eichelberger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Narratives are an essential method of communication that create windows into human experiences. Narratives are also responsible for generating the societies in which they are told, or are shaped indelibly by the societies generated by more powerful narratives. In a post-conflict environment where society has been destroyed by decades of violence, the power of narratives to influence society is heightened. Such a postconflict environment is that of northern Uganda, as it emerges from the violence of the war between the LRA and the UPDF. Due to the heightened powers of narratives, it is necessary to give attention to what those …

It Takes A Community: On-Time Graduation For At-Risk Youth, Sheila L. Gray, Danielle A. Craig

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Cultivating Youth is an at-risk student community agency and organization collaboration that provides opportunities to 1) attend leadership training and college level classes, 2) retrieve and receive duel credits to achieve graduation, and 3) directly apply learned life-skills and workforce preparation to applied experiences while building self- esteem.

It is a full circle approach to improve quality of life.

Being A "Good Parent" In Parent-Teacher Conferences, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Communication

This research advances our understanding of what constitutes a "good parent" in the course of actual social interaction. Examining video-recorded naturally occurring parent-teacher conferences, this article shows that, while teachers deliver student-praising utterances, parents may display that they are gaining knowledge; but when teachers’ actions adumbrate student-criticizing utterances, parents systematically display prior knowledge. This article elucidates the details of how teachers and parents tacitly collaborate to enable parents to express student-troubles first, demonstrating that parents display competence -- appropriate involvement with children’s schooling -- by asserting their prior knowledge of, and/or claiming/describing their efforts to remedy, student-troubles. People (have to) …

Giving And Receiving Compliments: What Are Your Intentions?, Tyler Karlberg, Nancy Moua, Emily Mcdonough, Sam Alakija

Concordia Journal of Communication Research

Compliments are a part of everyday communication in American culture. While many use compliments in order to gain compliance or to show interest in further developing a relationship, underlying intentions may be different than what is perceived by the receiver. The researchers of this study investigated the difference in the motivations of compliments both given and received based on different categories. Using a survey of students at a faith­based university in the Midwest, researchers were able to gather insight into the intentions of giving compliments as well as the perception of received compliments.

Communication Quality Differences Between Legos And Minecraft, Michael Cullen, Joel Klein, Keith Crockett

Concordia Journal of Communication Research

Communication between pre-adolescent boys can be viewed as strange and unlike teen girls and “grown ups”. According to Debra Tannen (1990), “All genders strive to be understood, however young men try to communicate to remain independent.” This often leads to competition amongst the male gender. In order to test this theory, this study looks to observe if there are any differences between hands on activity communication and technology gameplay communication. The study observed 3 pre-adolescent boys trying to work together to make a house in Legos and then the boys were instructed to make a house on Minecraft. The levels …

Virtual Conference And Meeting Systems: Resources For Online Connections, John Gottfried, Laura Delancey, Carol L. Watwood, Amanda Hardin

DLTS Faculty Publications

Librarians have always tried to stretch the limits of applicable technologies to create effective connections among researchers and resources. We thrive on the tools and tactics that help us do this, and we are always on the prowl for newer, better alternatives. This is one of the best ways we have of keeping high service standards in the face of shrinking budgets and skeletal staffing. Fortunately, there have never been so many technologies to choose from, and there have never been so many challenges calling out for technological intervention.

Hosting online instruction sessions is, for example, an excellent opportunity for …

Love Games: A Game-Theory Approach To Compatibility, Kerstin Bever, Julie Rowlett

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this note, we present a compatibility test with a rigorous mathematical foundation in game theory. The test must be taken separately by both partners, making it difficult for either partner alone to control the outcome. To introduce basic notions of game theory we investigate a scene from the film "A Beautiful Mind" based on John Nash's life and Nobel-prize-winning theorem. We recall this result and reveal the mathematics behind our test. Readers may customize and modify the test for more accurate results or to evaluate interpersonal relationships in other settings, not only romantic. Finally, we apply Dyson's and Press's …

A Comparison Of Sexual Health And Sexual Pressure Among Young African American And Caucasian Women, Ann Gakumo

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction. Condom self-efficacy, positive attitudes toward condom use, condom negotiation skills, HIV knowledge, and self-esteem have been associated with decreased HIV risk behavior among young women, but few studies have examined racial disparities that may exist in these social health indicators. Moreover, sexual pressure (inclusive of both coercive and non-coercive pressures to engage in unwanted or unprotected sex) has been understudied in women of different racial groups.

Study Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare racial similarities and disparities in indicators of sexual health and sexual pressure in an urban sample of young African American and Caucasian women …

A Meta-Analysis Of Crew Resource Management/Incident Command Systems Implementation Studies In The Fire And Emergency Services, John C. Griffith, Donna L. Roberts, Ronald T. Wakeham

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The presentation will summarize a meta-analysis of studies on Crew Resource Management/Incident Command System implementation in the fire and emergency services. The need for using participative leadership tools such as CRM evolved from an NTSB recommendation that followed United Airlines Flight 173 crash in 1978. NASA, civilian and military aviation communities implemented Crew Resource Management (CRM) training to improve decisionmaking during flight operations. Maintenance Resource Management (MRM) was a variant of CRM and first appeared in a Federal Aviation Administration circular in 2000. CRM was adopted by the medical community in the 1990s, specifically in the surgical and nursing areas, …

Progressive Education: Mindfulness In The Third Grade, Edna Moy-Rome

Progressive Education in Context

Over the course of the 2013-2014 school year, the author had the opportunity to introduce and explore mindfulness in a third grade classroom.

Caregiver Perceptions Of Their Influence On Cancer Treatment Decision Making: Intersections Of Language, Identity, And Illness, Janice L. Krieger, Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, Jessica L. Krok-Schoen, Phokeng M. Dailey, Julianne C. Wojno, Nancy Schoenberg, Electra D. Paskett, Mark Dignan

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Serious illness of a loved one can disrupt a caregiver’s sense of self and relationships. We examined the language caregivers use to describe the cancer treatment decision making of a loved one to understand how caregivers frame their own identity relative to a patient’s illness. We analyzed transcripts from in-depth interviews conducted with caregivers (N = 58) of cancer patients to examine the intersection among language, identity, and illness. Caregivers with a patient-level personal identity frame used phrases such as their body, their decision. Caregivers with a relational identity frame used plural pronouns such as we or our when describing …

Revisiting Don/Ovan, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

In this piece, the author, a heterosexual woman, travels to her hometown of Lake City, MN to reconnect with Donovan Marshall, a gay man she last saw in 1986. "Revisiting Don/ovan" explores opportunities and challenges of coming out, leaving, and returning to live in a small town.

Breathe To Understand, Maxine Swisa

MA TESOL Collection

BREATHE is an acronym for Breathe, Reflect, Empathize, Accept, Thank, Hearten, Engage. The addition of Understand allows for a holistic approach to living a healthy and balanced life both inside and outside the classroom. This paper took form as a result of my personal, spiritual journey, as well as my teaching practice. I noticed that the majority of my students enjoyed experiential activities that included time and space for self-reflection, relaxation and meditation. I began looking for books, seminars, and workshops that explored these areas. Deepak Chopra, Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Dan Siegel, Eckhart Tolle, et al. offer insights into the benefits …

Remembering A Cool September, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This ethnographic short story chronicles the author’s emotional journey following September 11, 2001. After weeks of disconnection, she encounters a display of patriotism by two gay male friends, provoking her to process what it means to be both patriotic and gay in contemporary U.S. culture.

Father's Blessing: Ethnographic Drama, Poetry, And Prose, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Following interpretivist traditions focusing on how individuals make sense of and make meaning from their lived experience, the author, a heterosexual woman, travels with a gay male friend/participant to visit his estranged father, a retired Air Force pilot and elder in the Mormon Church. The work attempts to show the dialogic construction, negotiation, and transformation of identities and relationships.

The Relationship Between Accounting Processes And Interpersonal Trust Within Organizations, Jace B. Garrett

2015

Trust is an increasingly critical determinant of organizational success. This dissertation consists of three studies investigating the relationship between firms’ accounting processes and interpersonal trust. Using survey data from Great Place to Work® Institute, the first study investigates the association between trust (i.e., employees’ trust in management) and three aspects of financial reporting: accruals quality, misstatements, and internal control quality. Results suggest that trust is associated with better financial reporting quality. However, these effects are not uniform across companies. Consistent with trust improving financial reporting quality through improved information production and information sharing, results suggest that trust is significantly associated …

Breaking Down Walls, Building Cross-Cultural Relationships, Jonathan H. Bukowski

VA Engage Journal

Challenges for young men and women entering the workforce upon college graduation are dauntingly intimidating. Major forces driving against success are very often connected to miscommunication, inter-cultural differences, and misperceptions about contrasting values and beliefs. A very simple and exciting way to learn and build strategies for overcoming these obstacles is choosing to study abroad during college. However, I argue that one should go a step further and make the courageous choice to volunteer while abroad. Not only will students build confidence in their ability to minimize cultural conflicts and issues, but they will also uncover the true cultural norms …

Let's Talk About Sex: Sexual Health And Communication In Romantic Partners Based On Attachment Style, Elizabeth Grace Davis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Though research has explored the domain of attachment style in regards to romantic relationships and sexual behavior, little has been done to connect the two areas of study. Studies indicate that an individual's attachment style can influence their level of sexual intimacy (Hazan & Shaver, 1987; Feeney & Noller, 1990; Bogaert & Sadava, 2002; Gentzler & Kerns, 2004; Birnbaum et aI., 2006) as well as their sexual health behaviors (Gentzler & Kerns, 2004; Davis et aI., 2006; Butzer & Campbell, 2008). However, the current literature has not examined these findings in light of other variables that influence sexual satisfaction, sexual …

The Motivation To Express Prejudice, Patrick S. Forscher, William T.L. Cox, Nicholas Graetz, Patricia G. Devine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Contemporary prejudice research focuses primarily on people who are motivated to respond without prejudice and the ways in which unintentional bias can cause these people to act inconsistent with this motivation. However, some real-world phenomena (e.g., hate speech, hate crimes) and experimental findings (e.g., Plant & Devine, 2001; 2009) suggest that some expressions of prejudice are intentional. These phenomena and findings are difficult to explain solely from the motivations to respond without prejudice. We argue that some people are motivated to express prejudice, and we develop the motivation to express prejudice (MP) scale to measure this motivation. In seven studies …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Nutrition: Identifying Memorable Messages, Audrey S. Bachman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Research is necessary to uncover ways to improve adolescent nutrition and reduce obesity rates, particularly in the Appalachian region, which has high rates of food insecurity and adolescent obesity. The current study examines rural cultural norms about food, memorable messages adolescents received about nutrition, and the sources of identified memorable messages. Adolescents shared memorable messages during comprehensive, semi-structured, small group interviews in which participants revealed their individual experiences. Thematic framework analysis is used to present the range and nature of memorable messages about nutrition and to develop strategies for future health campaigns and interventions. This qualitative method of sequential inductive …

College Students’ Use Of Social Media To Communicate About Alcohol And Drinking Behaviors, Jenna E. Reno

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Social networking sites (SNSs) are an increasingly popular channel for communication among college students. Often students disclose more freely via social networking sites than they would in other situations. These disclosures commonly include information about engaging in risky health behaviors (e.g., binge drinking). Study 1 examined students’ impression management goals and self-presentation tactics specifically related to self-disclosures of drinking behavior on SNSs. Findings suggest that students use differing self-presentation tactics across various SNSs in order to achieve their impression management goals and to avoid consequences associated with disclosing about risky health behaviors to certain audiences. Study 2 sought to develop …

"Trigger" For Change: Theatre As A Tool For Social Dialogue, Sydoney B. Blackmore

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Trigger for Change: Theatre as a Tool for Social Dialogue was a project consisting of three main parts oriented toward promoting dialogue on the University of Montana campus about sexual assault. The first part was a company-constructed multimedia presentation that quickly introduced the audience to facts, figures, and perspectives regarding sexual assault. The second was a performance of Carmen Aguirre's The Trigger, a stage play about the playwright’s experience before, during, and after her rape, with other characters’ perspectives interjected throughout. The purpose of this performance was to provide an experience for the audience that promoted empathy and critical …

The Impact Of Video Chatting On Idealization And Disillusionment For Long Distance Dating Couples, Laura Kusisto

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Previous research indicates a high rate of long distance relationships, especially among young adults. Yet, research in this area is lacking, particularly regarding the role of video chatting. Through the lens of the media richness theory and the hyperpersonal model, this qualitative study explores how video chatting impacts idealization and disillusionment in young adults’ long distance dating relationships. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with both partners of six heterosexual couples. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative approach and following the basic framework of open, axial, and selective coding used in grounded theory research. Results indicate that video chatting …

Cultural Awareness Training: Preparing New Instructors For The Millennial Student, Trisha K. Hoffman, Tara Franks, Belle Edson

Basic Communication Course Annual

It is not unusual for instructors to face challenges relating to, understanding, or motivating their students. Educators can chalk this up to a variety of factors, including differences in and between education levels, life experiences, and ascribed power roles. We argue, however, that it is the generational differences between instructors and their students that pose a much greater challenge toward the establishment of a productive teacher-student relationship and the facilitation of learning. With the age of the Millennial college student upon us, we make the case that the most important area of training for new instructors is developing cultural awareness …

A Model For The Development Of A Sustainable Basic Course In Communication, Samuel P. Wallace

Basic Communication Course Annual

The purpose of this essay is to provide clarity and direction for developing and maintaining outcome-driven courses for inclusion in general education curricula. The focus is on the basic course in Communication, but the principles can be applied to nearly any course. The outcome-driven perspective changes many traditional conceptions of the basic communication course and provides an opportunity to integrate communication content into a student’s broader college education and subsequent career. A model is proposed that can provide guidance in the development of sustainable courses that emerged from the experience with course development and implementation.

Back Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Coming Out In An Alcoholic Family, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This piece invites readers inside emotional and relational dynamics of coming

out as gay in an alcoholic family system. Taking an interpretive approach to

research, focused on how participants make sense of and make meaning

from their lived experience, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” offers a longitudinal and

narrative ethnographic account of family secrecy and disclosure.

Front Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.