Journalism Studies Commons^™

Madd Message Effects: A Twelve-Year Randomized Trial, Una E. Medina

Communication ETDs

One out of three Americans undergoes drunk-driving crashes; 23% result in death. To deter DWIs (Driving While under Influence), MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) created VIPs (Victim Impact Panels) where victims impact offenders with gory stories, photos, and threats of punishments and loss of freedom, hoping this message will deter DWIs. It is remarkable that although the VIP message is considered a primary DWI intervention, yet no studies have investigated VIP message effects. VIP message effects, their persistence and decay, are chronicled here over the course of 12 years. This study extends an empirical investigation of VIPs, conducted by Woodall, …

Navigating Reentry Shock: The Use Of Communication As A Facilitative Tool, Caroline C. Niesen

Communication ETDs

Even though many university students travel and study abroad, there is minimal literature and research about supporting these students when they return from their study abroad experience. In order to understand and incorporate the experience into the students everyday life, communication plays a key role in facilitating the transition back into the United States. Thus, the principal purpose of this study was to expand the research on reentry shock and communication by creating a new scale of reentry shock and testing a proposed model of variables to uncover which factor is most important (individual, interpersonal, and cultural). One hundred fifty …

An Examination Of Communicative Dialectical Tensions And Paradoxes Encountered By Native American Researchers In The Field And In The Academy, Lorenda Belone

Communication ETDs

This study investigated the communicative dialectical tensions and paradoxical situations faced by Native researchers in the academy and in research with their own communities or with other Native communities. Thematic analysis was conducted on narratives from 12 semi-structured interviews from participants across the country. Three major themes emerged regarding communicative struggles for the participants when conducting research with Native communities: a dialectic of insider/outsider; challenge of developing positive communication; and concerns of appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Four major themes emerged with regards to communication challenges for the participants while working in the academy: insider-outsider dialectic, paradox of walking the talk, …

Discourses Of Diversity: Negotiating The Boundaries For Equity, Inclusion, And Identity Through The Discourse Of Socially Situated Subjects, Hannah Oliha

Communication ETDs

The demographic changes in the U.S. and the contestation of taken-for-granted social dynamics are breeding fragmentation and discursive struggles over individual, group, institutional and national identities. Questions of who fits into the category of "American," who should be included in U.S. institutions, and the boundaries for their inclusion have taken center stage in this 21st century moment. Unsurprisingly, the word "diversity" has taken on epic proportions and is now the channel for engaging in these conversations centered on issues of equity, inclusion and difference. This dissertation explores the multiple ways diversity is viewed in one U.S. institution, higher education, to …

Why Can't We Be Friends? Examining The Influence Of Social Network Profiles On Initial Interactions, Liesel Sharabi

Communication ETDs

Despite the growing number of people using social network Web sites to establish and maintain relationships, we know little about how the information available on these sites affects communication patterns and perceptions of partners. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to extend Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) into the Information age by examining the effect that the type of information available on social network sites may have on initial interactions. Thirty strangers were matched with one another to create fifteen dyads. These dyads were assigned to one of two groups: one group received their partners social network profile and …

Negotiating Intersecting Cultural Identities, Dialectical Tensions, And Status Relationships: Intercultural Relationships In Two Non-Profit Organizations In The Southwest, Yea-Wen Chen

Communication ETDs

This project addresses an important, but often overlooked, phenomenon of communication in intercultural relationships in the context of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) with attention to the role of intersecting cultural identity positions and status relationships. Specifically, I examined discourses of how members across three status positions in two social justice-oriented NPOs, namely Center of Peace for Asians and Social Enterprise of Hispanic Women, constructed the identity of the NPO and negotiated their intersecting cultural identities, relational dialectics, and status hierarchies. Also, I interrogated the ideological implications of discourses and the reproduction of broader social order. Four research questions were posed to …

U.S. Press Representation Of The Southern Sudanese Civil War, 1983-2005, Abdissa Zerai

Communication ETDs

The study examines how the U.S. print news media discursively represented the civil war that raged from 1983-2005 between southern Sudan and the central government in the north over the tenures of three successive war-time Sudanese administrations. The study was situated within the broader theoretical umbrella of cultural studies. However, the theory of representation and postcolonial theory served as the principal theoretical frames for the study. Employing critical discourse analysis, with framing as a strategy, the study focused on five U.S. print news media outlets (three national newspapers and two national newsmagazines): The New York Times, The Washington Post, The …

Constructing, Consuming, And Complicating The Human-Nature Binary: Communication Practices In Forest Environmental Education, Elizabeth Dickinson

Communication ETDs

This project combines interdisciplinary conversations within the field of communication to examine environmental meaning systems and communication practices in the context of forest environmental education. Due to concerns over children's environmental alienation, there has been a continued push toward place-based environmental education. One such venture is the North Carolina Educational State Forest system (NCESF), where educators bring K-12 students into forests to help them reconnect with nature, expand environmental knowledge, and tackle what has been recently termed "nature-deficit disorder." When students visit the sites, rangers deliver structured lessons on ecosystems and forest management to children and chaperones--lessons that must adhere …

"This Is How Worklife Should Be": Quality Connections, Positive Relationships, And Positive Organizational Climate, Susan Scheller Arsht

Communication ETDs

This dissertation explores positive communication in the workplace; namely, that communication which constitutes quality connections and positive relationships associated with positive organizational climate. High quality connections and positive relationships are some of the most important dynamics in work life and key to developing a respectful, affirming work climate. By coding their communicative elements, this study develops a new communicative model of positive relationships and quality connections at work which synthesizes contemporary models from the fields of organizational behavior, psychology, and organizational communication. It demonstrates the applicability of this new model with empirical evidence from working professionals' stories and establishes the …

Amma's Daughters: A Transmodern Study Of Personal, Gender, Cultural, And Religious Identities Amongst Women In The Amma Community In United States, Bhavana Upadhyaya

Communication ETDs

Using a transmodern philosophical approach, this study illustrates the different ways in which women devotees and participants in the Amma Community in United States experience processes of personal and social identification and disidentification as they strive to follow a spiritual path. The study uses the framework of spirituality, which is defined as the journey of disidentification from personal and social identities to the state of connectedness, to highlight how spirituality works in particular and contextual ways amongst Amma's daughters in the community to enable alternative transmodern articulations of self and difference. The study focuses on four areas--personal, gender, cultural, and …

Institutional Ethnography: How Tenured Academic Women Talk About Success, Martina H. Myers

Communication ETDs

This institutional ethnography on tenured academic women focused on how twenty women talked about success. The purpose of this study was to use the discourse of tenured academic women to illustrate social interactions that constitute and transform the ruling relations. Institutional ethnography, a feminist methodology, inherently explores where communicative text provides insight into the larger structures of the ruling relations that govern, educate, train and inform. The information provided by tenured academic women, through in-depth one-on-one interviews and participant observation illuminated the fluid power dynamics of academic women in the gendered discursive organization of the academy. The women respondents described …

Narrative As Self Performance: The Rhetorical Construction Of Identities On Facebook Profiles, Marianne Leonardi

Communication ETDs

New ways of creating and presenting the self in the "space" of the Internet are fascinating, but not yet fully understood. Framed in the theoretical literature of Goffman's presentation of the self, and Burke's conception of rhetoric, the study's primary concern is to explain and understand how Facebook users construct identities using narrative fragments on their profiles and the offline effects of these narrative performances. Specifically, this study argues that narratives are a type of rhetorical performance, and that both narratives and identities have symbolic meaning and rhetorical components. While the effects of online identities occur at the macro-level, the …

White Bodies, Black Gaze: Constructions Of White Masculinity In White-Male Elite Discourses On Leadership And Diversity, Christopher Brown

Communication ETDs

This study examines white-male elite understandings of diversity and leadership to consider possibilities for exploring articulations of white masculinity. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with white-male leaders in their organizations who by virtue of their race, gender, class, and education, exercise much power and control in their organization. I used grounded theory methodology to highlight the communication strategies that white-male elites employed when talking about leadership and diversity. Techniques in grounded theory methodology yielded concepts, descriptors, and semantic moves that were articulated to intersecting discourses of race, gender, and sexuality. Through the intersectional matrix, I posited that multiple functions of …

A History And Development Of The Intercultural Communication Field In Japan (1950-Present), Holly Siebert Kawakami

Communication ETDs

The history of the academic discipline of Intercultural Communication in Japan began at the end of the 1950s, in convergence with the historical context of Japan devastated by war and the social context of a population struggling to navigate a new identity and way forward. Both Japanese and American scholars contributed to the establishment and development of the Intercultural Communication field over the decades. Three research questions were posed for this study: one, why did the Intercultural Communication discipline become established in Japan as the first place after the United States, two, what was it about Intercultural Communication that resonated …

Facing Defacement: Factors Influencing Indigenous Patients In Provider-Patient Communication In Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, Laura L. Burton

Communication ETDs

The purpose of this ethnographic research was to explain the factors influencing Achi patients in provider-patient interactions in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. I explored the complex intercultural challenges influencing the interactions between biomedically-trained providers and indigenous patients. Data collection involved participant observation and twenty-four informal field interviews in Guatemala. I utilized thematic analysis to identify and understand the factors influencing Achi patients when interacting with health care providers. Findings reveal that the Achi patients are influenced in provider-patient interactions by the reciprocal interaction among four major factors: environment, beliefs, emotional effect, and experiences. In addition, subthemes were identified for each of …

The Effects Of Electronic Word-Of-Mouth: An Exploratory Study., Bodi Li

Communication ETDs

Although marketing and advertising professionals tend to believe the effectiveness of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), few studies have confirmed the eWOM effects. Therefore, this study conducted a test of eWOM effects in a laboratory experiment. Subjects were randomly assigned into three groups: advertising only, advertising and positive eWOM, and advertising and negative eWOM. Results showed that eWOM possesses influences on consumers attitudes and purchase intentions, however the effects of positive eWOM are very limited. Results also showed that the effects of negative eWOM carry more weight than positive eWOM. This study also uncovered the complexity of eWOM effects. It is likely …

What Do Healthcare Providers Think Of Patients Who Use The Internet?: An Exploratory Study, Matt Willis

Communication ETDs

The Internet is a technology that is influencing multiple human factors (i.e. cognitive and social). Adults who seek information on the Internet about their health conditions are becoming more common. Providers have been wary of patient information searches, fearing that, at worst, conflicting information may provoke confrontation and doubt and, at best, the information is trivial or already well known to the provider. For this exploratory study a survey was conducted that investigates trends in healthcare provider information technology use and information seeking opinions. This survey was followed by a highly structured interview of n=21 providers. The researcher shows two …

Hispanics Communication Experiences In The Organizational Setting, Nicole Abeyta

Communication ETDs

The purpose of this study is to explore the organizational communication experiences of some Hispanic employees. In this thesis, I employ a narrative analysis method, and share the interviews and standpoint of twelve Hispanic employees to help advance the understanding of how Hispanic employees feel about integrated communication practices in the workplace. I also uncover how Hispanics feel about their work environment, what type of communication practices are utilized, and how Hispanics use technology in the organizational setting. The personal experiences help establish a general understanding of the influences of Hispanic culture, language, values, beliefs, and traditions in organizations, specifically …

Negotiating Face And Conflict In Romantic Relatioships: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Uganda And Ethiopia, Fletcher Courtney

Communication ETDs

Using Face Negotiation Theory (FNT) and its associated assumptions to guide the study, the current project addressed the lack of African centered communication research by conducting a mixed-method study in Uganda and Ethiopia regarding how culture and family socialization patterns impact romantic partners in conflict. Specifically, this study examined how culture and family communication patterns influence face concerns, conflict style choices, relationship satisfaction, and forgiveness tendencies in romantic relationships. The role of religion and communalism in African culture was also a primary focus of the study, with qualitative results yielding several interesting and new ideas about the important role of …

Communication Collaboration, Cohesion, And Decision Making: Perceived Differences Between Top Management Teams And Regular Work Teams, Elijah L. Murphy

Communication ETDs

Differences in communication collaboration, cohesion and decision making between top teams and regular teams was investigated. An analysis of 253 members of top teams and regular teams was used to determine where these differences exist. To identify differences between these two groups a one way ANOVA was conducted. Additionally, a decision making scale was designed and evaluated using a confirmatory factor analysis. Collaboration was evaluated using measures of knowledge sharing, workgroup support and employee attitude. Cohesion was evaluated using measures of sense of belonging and morale. Decision making was evaluated using measures of authority rule, majority rule, consensus, and satisficing. …

Online Marriage And "Buhay Ko" (My Life): Views From Filipino Prospective Brides, Wives, And Their U.S./British/Australian Husbands, Maria Jessica Crespo

Communication ETDs

Online marriage programs or mail-order-bride programs have gained tremendous popularity and international reach in the recent years. Online marriage programs are venues in which women can advertise themselves as available for marriage and where men can find potential wives. These programs have both critics and proponents. Critics say it is a form of exploitation and control while proponents argue that it leads to happiness and romance. Although critics' and proponents' views have been well presented in many of the mail-order-bride literature, there is little information or account of the experiences of the participants. This study gives attention to the discursive …

We're Friends, Let's Talk: Religion, Self-Disclosure And Managing The Openness And Closedness Dialectic In Friendships, Sonia Lisette Gomez

Communication ETDs

The present study investigates college students perceptions of the appropriate self-disclosure strategies endorsed when disclosing religiosity. Because self-disclosure patterns can be influenced by whom we are talking to and our estimation of the response, this project also examined friendship levels (i.e., close friend, friend, and acquaintance), the friend's view of religion (i.e., favorable or unfavorable), and the subject's own commitment to religion, to determine if they influenced a religious person's self-disclosure strategy. Based on Relational Dialectics theory, an original instrument, the Self-Disclosure Strategies Questionnaire (SDSQ) was used to measure participant's endorsement of five self-disclosure strategies. The five self-disclosure dimensions evaluated …

Neoliberalism And The Indian Vernacular Press: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Neoliberal Discourses Among Kannada Journalists, Santhosh Chandrashekar

Communication ETDs

The discourses of neoliberalism among journalists working for two Kannada newspapers were examined using critical discourse analysis. Seventeen journalists were interviewed with regard to their experiences pertaining to the changing role of Kannada newspapers, news values, and working conditions of journalists after 1991 when India liberalized its economy. The journalists responses were analyzed for themes to illuminate their understandings of the impact of economic liberalization on Kannada newspapers. The analysis of the responses demonstrated that while journalists from both the newspapers were acutely aware of the changes caused by neoliberal economic restructuring, they normalized such changes. Very rarely did they …

Planting The Seeds Of Surreality, Cultivating The Dynamism Of A Nation: Winston Miranda And The Rhetoric Of Resilience In Post-Revolutionary Nicaraguan Art, Hiromi Holly Takahashi

Communication ETDs

Winston Miranda, a surrealist painter from the historic capital of Granada, Nicaragua, is creating a contemporary, post-revolutionary path that is distinct from yet informed by its revolutionary antecedents. In essence, his art is a literal and figurative bridge between war and healing. Critical research to date, however, has not considered the rhetorical implications of the role of art in Nicaragua after the revolutionary period (1990 to the present day). Henceforth, my thesis is a pentadic criticism of the post-revolutionary components of Mirandas surrealist oil paintings. By aggregating the literal and latent content of Miranda's artworks as a collective drama and …

Analysis Of Unsolicited, Non-Paradigmatic Letters To An Organization As A Communicative Genre, Todd E. Conklin

Communication ETDs

The present study sought to discover and investigate a unique category of unsolicited, non-paradigmatic letters received by organizations, particularly those with high visibility or whose purposes are controversial. To accomplish this objective, the present study used the rhetorical method of generic analysis, to study 30 unsolicited letters sent to Los Alamos National Laboratory during the years 1999-2000. Generic analysis provides information about the worldview and strategies employed by the letter writer and the parameters within the rhetorical transaction and delivery of his or her message.

The present study asks two questions: (1) Does a genre of unsolicited, non­paradigmatic letters exist? …

The National Association Of Primitive Riflemen: A Rhetorical Investigation Of The Contemporary Mountain Man, William Steven Sayer

Communication ETDs

Recently there has been a nostalgic trend in American culture. This trend is evidenced by social gatherings such as sock hops, square dances, tea dances with big bands, and the formation of organizations such as the Society of Creative Anachronisms, Civil war groups, and Mountain Men groups.

The Relationship Between Spatial Design And Communication Patterns In Four Architecturally Different Elderly Housing Complexes, Suzanne L. Borgo

Communication ETDs

The purpose of this research was to isolate psycho­logical, sociological and environmental variables which interact with proximity in determining friendship formation and communication behaviors for a particular subpopulation, the elderly. Subjects were residents of four architectur­ally different, low-income, elderly apartment complexes in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A two-part questionnaire was distributed to the door­steps of the 338 residents of the four apartment complexes. Part I of the questionnaire consisted of multiple-choice questions related to personal factors and participation in social activities. Part II of the questionnaire was a com­munication survey. Residents were asked to name five friends in the complex and …

An Experimental Study Of The Differences In The Communicative Behavior Of Democratic Male And Democratic Female Leaders, Gene D. Fowler

Communication ETDs

The purpose of the present study was to compare the communicative behavior of democratic male and democratic female leaders. Subjects were selected from a body of students in introductory communication classes who completed the Sargent and Miller Leadership Questionnaire. Ten males and ten females, identified as democratic leaders, participated as leaders of small groups composed of two male and two female group members who scored in the middle range on the Sargent and Miller instrument.

Each group discussed a hypothetical case study, "The Betty Case," for fifteen minutes as two observers recorded the communicative behavior of the democratic leaders according …

An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Physical Attractiveness Of Defendants In A Simulated Jury Setting, Dennis Alan Ashley

Communication ETDs

The subjects for this experiment were chosen from seven undergraduate beginning Speech Communication classes at The University of New Mexico. These subjects were asked to look at either an attractive, neither-attractive-nor-unattractive, or unattractive person who was posing as a defendant in a negligent homicide case, and sentence that defendant to from one to twenty-five years in prison for the crime.

A 3x2 factorial design was constructed, testing two variables -- level of physical attractiveness (attractive, neither attractive- nor-unattractive, unattractive), and mode of presentation of the defendant (photograph, in person). Different effects of these two variables were measured by comparing the …

An Experimental Application Of The Small World Problem To An Urban Community, Paige Birdsall

Communication ETDs

The primary purpose of this study was to attempt to generate communication acquaintance networks in an urban community between randomly selected members of the population in two areas of the city which differed economically, socially, and ethnically, using the small world method. Previous research suggested the importance of interpersonal networks for the flow of information. In earlier studies, acquaintance networks had been generated across parts of the country, but no in­quiry had been mode into communication acquaintance networks within an urban community. This study was designed to discover whether viable communication acquaintance networks existed with in one urban community across …