Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

Reporting On Un Security Council: Decoding Media Bias, Alessandra Loiero

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores Western media's representation of the United Nations (UN), focusing on the Security Council's role in global conflict resolution. It examines how UN-accredited correspondents perceive the effectiveness of the Security Council, particularly when the body faces deadlock. The study employs text analysis techniques to identify biases and perceptions in media coverage, using The New York Times' reporting on the Ukraine conflict as a case study. It illuminates framing effects in journalistic narratives, revealing how journalists subtly interject their views when reporting, often revealing unrealistic expectations and shedding light on the limitations of the UN's mandate or its inability …

Regulating Pavement Dwellers: The Politics Of The Visibly Poor In Public Space, Lauren Marie Larin

Dissertations and Theses

Many researchers argue the increasing reliance on sit/lie ordinances to regulate homeless people's use of public space is one in a suite of neoliberal policies that shape the geographies of public space in cities to serve the needs of global capital. However, these policies are developed at the local, not global, level as specific actors make claims in the public sphere that communicatively shape policy formation. Through comparative case study, this research asks, how do different actors, situated in specific local and global contexts, influence the adoption of sit/lie ordinances?

I examine two cases of policymaking in Portland and San …

Is Scholarship Advancing?: An Analysis Of Fifteen Years Of Framing Research, Joseph Zachary Provencher

Dissertations and Theses

In 2011, Porismita Borah published "Conceptual Issues in Framing Theory: A Systematic Examination of a Decade’s Literature" to shed light on the status of framing research, and attempt to answer several scholars' criticisms of framing research practices (Carragee and Roefs 2004, D'Angelo, 2002, Entman, 1993). Borah argues that framing research has several areas of necessary improvement, and her prescription is for future research to be able to examine specific framing issues or effects, but also be able to connect with broader understandings of framing.

The following content analysis of framing research, conducted between the year 2000 and 2013, seeks to …

A Study Of Small Talk Among Males: Comparing The U.S. And Japan, Chie Furukawa

Dissertations and Theses

This study seeks to understand the social interaction of small talk in two different countries. Defining small talk as 'phatic communion' and 'social talk' as contrasted to 'core business talk' and 'work-related talk,' Holmes (2000) claims that small talk in the workplace is intertwined with main work-talk. Small talk can help build solidarity and rapport, as well as maintain good relationships between workers. Much of the research on small talk has been focused on institutional settings such as business and service interactions; thus, there is a need for research on non-institutional small talk between participants without established relationships.

This study …

A Dialect Study Of Oregon Norms, Lisa Wittenberg Hillyard

Dissertations and Theses

The pioneers and settlers of the Oregon Territory were not of one ilk. They came from various places and brought their separate speech patterns with them. This study sought to identify which major North American English dialect was present in the first half of the 20^th century in Oregon. Analysis relied on the descriptions for the Southern, Northern, Midlands, and Western dialects. Some dialect features have acoustic measurements attached to their descriptions, and others do not. The analytical process was based on acoustic measurements for vowel classes and individual tokens, as well as global observations about the place of …

Reading Techniques Employed By Mothers Vs. Fathers During Storybook Reading Events With Their Child, Kameron Brief Beaulieu

Dissertations and Theses

Research demonstrates that engaging children in storybook reading positively relates to the development of early literacy skills. Parents use a variety of techniques to facilitate interactions when reading to a child. Past research suggests that these techniques may have measurable effects on language and literacy development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate reading events shared by parents and their preschool aged children to determine if differences are present in the didactic techniques and language used by fathers and mothers. The primary research question addressed by this study was: Are there differences in reading techniques employed by mothers and …

A Comparison Of Developmental Sentence Scores And Ratings Of Intelligibility, Julie O'Harrow Karnstein

Dissertations and Theses

Speech intelligibility is the term used to describe the degree to which an individual speaker is understood by both familiar and unfamiliar listeners. There are many factors that influence an individual's intelligibility, including (but not limited to) variations in phonology, grammar, rate of speech, and vocal features. Most research has focused on the articulation and phonological influences that impact speech intelligibility. Perhaps for this reason, treatment methods for improving speech intelligibility generally have targeted an individual's phonological production skills. Additional research is necessary to understand more about each of the areas of language production that may be influencing intelligibility. This …

Teacher Self-Disclosure From The Perspective Of International Students In The Communication Classroom: A Case Study, Darlene J. Geiger

Dissertations and Theses

Self-disclosure as an interpersonal concept was developed almost 40 years ago with the work of Sydney Jourard. Although the original definition included nonverbal forms of communication, the concept has evolved since then into an 'intentional act of sending verbal information about one's self. In contrast, the present study broadened the definition for self-disclosure to include nonverbal behaviors and took a new methodological approach to understanding the effects that self-disclosure can have for international students in the communication classroom context.

Teacher self-disclosure from the perspectives of international students is an unexplored area and therefore a phenomenological, qualitative case study approach utilizing …

Another Look At The Portrayal Of Minorities And Women In Prime-Time Television, Tellisa Amos

Dissertations and Theses

This study updates a 10-year longitudinal study investigating TV's portrayal of minorities and women on prime time television. Prior studies focused on the types of roles held by performers. This study extends prior research, examining not only the types of roles held by performers, but also networks' preference for women and minorities and the genre that most often feature women and minorities.

Data were collected for a consecutive five-week period from February 19, 1997 to March 14,1997. From this sample 40 dramas and 115 situation comedies were recorded and coded. Programming was taken from shows that aired in the Pacific …

An Ethnographic Study: Building An Identity Through The Stories Of An Italian-American Family, Gloria Marie Tottten

Dissertations and Theses

Storytelling involves the active utilization of both past experiences and future possibilities, which is sustained through interaction, and could not exist without its past and future counterparts. It is the vehicle through which all intertwine.

This implies that communication is a very important element in the formation of an individual's identity - and to the meaning given to the storytelling practices. As a family member tells a story, other members listen, question, and request more about particular aspects of the story. By talking and listening, family members produce a narrative together, a story.

The purpose of this study was to …

Impact Of Singing Intervention On Vocal Fatigue Effects: A Single Subject Study, Nancy Devine Ferguson

Dissertations and Theses

This single subject descriptive study investigated the efficacy of singing intervention on the effects of vocal fatigue on the speaking voice of a non-singing individual. Baseline measures were taken on a single subject prior to voice treatment. Data were collected before and after the subject performed a vocally fatiguing task of 1 hour of prolonged reading at 80% of his maximum vocal intensity level. Data collection consisted of the following acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics of the subject's speaking voice: fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, maximum intensity level, and maximum phonation duration, as well as obtainment of the subject's self-perceptions of vocal …

Information Content In American Television Advertising: A Replication And Update, Laura Kathleen Sandgren

Dissertations and Theses

Three hundred and seven randomly selected American network television commercials aired between October 18 and November 18, 1997 were analyzed to determine their informational value using the fourteen criteria established by Resnik and Stem in 1977. The results of this study were compared with Resnik and Stem's 1991 study, revealing that there has not been any significant change in the amount of information in American television commercials since Resnik and Stem's replication sample.

This study also used Resnik and Stem's (1977) criteria to further examine if the amount-of information contained in TV commercials varied depending on the gender or age …

Speech Intelligibility Of 4-Year-Old Children, M. Jane Firestone

Dissertations and Theses

While speech-language pathologists routinely measure and report speech intelligibility when assessing young children with speech impairments, normative data have not been available for comparison purposes. When assessing children to determine if their communication abilities are at or below that of peers, one must first know what the normative standards are. Knowing the normal distribution for speech intelligibility at several ages would allow for more precise uses of the intelligibility information than is currently possible. Only a few available studies exist to allow tentative normative comparisons of speech intelligibility data.

The goals of this pilot study were to collect normative data …

Role Of The Warrant In Presidential Debates : 1960, 1976, & 1996, Aaron Nicole Kaio

Dissertations and Theses

Every four years in America we make a decision about which candidate is best suited to be our next president. Over the past twenty years a standard component of the presidential campaign has been televised debates. These debates are supposed to help the public get a better understanding of the candidates' ideas about government, our future, and to demonstrate analytical skills and their ability to think on their feet.

This study set out to see how the candidates' arguments measured up to some basic argumentation standards. According to several scholars, none of the televised presidential debates qualify as 'true debates', …

The Juice Is Loose?: A Qualitative Study Of Employees' Perceptions Of Informal And Formal Communication Channels, Warren Jerome Brown

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how employees perceive formal and informal communication channels within their organizational experiences. This study sought to answer two questions: One, what are employees' perceptions of formal and informal communication channels? Two, what similar or dissimilar perceptions of formal and informal communication channels emerge from interview and observational data?

I selected eight respondents from the greater Olympia, Washington and Seattle, Washington areas. Each respondent was purposely selected based upon their rich experiences across different sizes of and public/private structures of organizations. Additionally, I conducted seven observations within a medium-sized (50 -75 employee) public …

Oregon Survey Of Initial Nursing Care For Infants With Cleft Lip ± Palate, Kirsten Joy Lindaas

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the current status of initial nursing services provided by Oregon hospitals to families of newborns with cleft lip ± palate. The research questions asked were: (a) Do hospitals provide assistance to parents of newborns with cleft lip ± palate? (b) Do hospitals identify and refer to craniofacial specialists? ( c) Is level of associated services provided to families of newborns with cleft lip ± palate correlated to the number of births that occur at the hospital in which the infant was delivered? (d) Do hospitals provide inservice education programs in cleft lip and palate? (e) Do hospital …

An Ethnography Of Classroom Interaction In Hoshuko: A Case Study Of The Japanese Supplementary School Classroom, Nobuko Higashi

Dissertations and Theses

Based on the Ethnography of Communication perspective, this study explores the patterns and norms for interaction in a hoshuko classroom setting, as well as the participants' socially-constructed reality of hoshuko schooling. The focus of this study is the classroom communication patterns of the participants of a first grade hoshuko classroom in the U.S.

Hoshuko, Japanese supplementary school, is one type of school for overseas Japanese children which they attend on weekends or after regular, weekday school hours at local schools in their host country. The school is "supplementary" in the sense that the students learn subjects they would have …

A Comparison Of Parent Interview And Direct Assessment Of Receptive Language In Preschool-Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy, Susan Kathleen Livick

Dissertations and Theses

Cerebral palsy is a multiply handicapping condition which may affect motor skills, hearing, sight, speech and cognitive functioning. Assessment instruments which do not rely on an intact sensory and motor system are needed for use with the population with cerebral palsy in order to obtain valid information regarding levels of functioning. The information obtained from the results of modified assessment instruments can be used to plan and implement intervention at the child's current level of functioning.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not parent interview/report is a reliable means of assessing receptive communication skills in …

Temporal Characteristics Of Fluent Speech In The Stuttered Utterances Of Children, Dixon Ira Kirsch

Dissertations and Theses

Studies investigating the stuttered speech of children are fewer in number as compared to those exploring adult dysfluency. This is notable as the features that characterize child stuttering are generally thought to be significantly different from those that describe advanced stuttering. Clinical intervention programs currently use timing-based interventions as one means of treating stuttering. As such, acoustic data describing the timing disorder is critical to determining the efficacy of these programs for both children and adults. The present study investigated the difference in duration (in msec) between words of stuttered and nonstuttered utterances of children. The words immediately before and …

Gangstas, Niggas, Bitches And Hos : A Narrative Analysis Of Gangsta’ Rap Lyrics, Darnell A. Watson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines gangsta' rap as a form of narrative. It addresses the following questions: 1) Is gangsta' rap a form of narrative; most significant characterizes the 2) if yes, which narrative elements are to interpreting the stories; 3) what elements which are most significant to interpreting the stories and 4) what kinds of stories are being told? Data for the analysis included transcribed lyrics from a representative sample of gangsta' rap recordings. Journal articles, media articles and books germane to understanding the social and cultural context of gangsta rap were also used. It was found that gangsta' rap lyrics …

An Ethnographic Study Of Chinese Adolescent Identity In Taipei, Taiwan : Franchise Hangouts, Jui-Fang Ruby Chen

Dissertations and Theses

One of the discriminating changes that Taiwan is experiencing is a shift in young people's view of "self," manifested in and through their daily activities within its cultural context (Yang, 1981). The question arises, how do Taiwan's adolescents shape their view of "self' within this contemporary context at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures? This thesis examined on how Chinese adolescent identity was constituted symbolically in and through their speech practices within a public social context, a typical Westernized dining place--McDonald's, a U.S. fast food restaurant, and how such a locale both served and made sense by these urban …

"Blame It On Intake” : A Critical Ethnography Of The Negotiation Of Access To Shelter Services In A Shelter For Homeless And Battered Women, Kathleen Marie Drew

Dissertations and Theses

Even though the number of homeless women has increased among a population viewed as typically male (Merves 1992), there is still little research focused on women. This study investigated the communicative practices in and through which gendered identity was constructed, negotiated and performed at a point of rupture when the norms for judging a "good woman:"--that is woman as wife, as mother, and as homemaker appear to have been violated. The negotiation of access into an urban shelter for homeless and/or battered women provided a rich site for the study. The research was grounded in the assumptions of symbolic interaction …

Sexual Intercourse : A Feminist Reading Of Strip Joint Discourse, Regina Marie Howard Yaroch

Dissertations and Theses

The discursively-constructed stereotype of stripper plays an important role in the ideology that sustains our system of sexual relations. This construction also interacts with and constrains the lived reality of actual women who earn their living in the stripping industry. This research attempts to examine this interaction by exploring the discourse that is generated by stripping industry participants. A long interview transcript is analyzed as a text to develop a feminist reading that focuses on the socio-cultural forces that make a particular story possible as well as necessary to tell. This story emerges, through the first-person account of a dancer-informant, …

A Comparison Of Speech Intelligibility Measures Between Unsophisticated Listener Judgements And Orthographic Transcription, Carla J. Dukart

Dissertations and Theses

Intelligible speech is a primary component for successful communication. However, the speech of children with disordered phonologies is often unintelligible. Therefore, when assessing the speech intelligibility of children in order to determine whether they qualify for intervention services, speech-language pathologists need reliable evaluation tools.

The focus of this investigation was the measurement of speech intelligibility. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between two methods for measuring speech intelligibility. The first, identification method, involves the listener transcribing a speech sample from which the percentage of words understood is calculated. The second, scaling procedure, involves the listener estimating …

A Pilot Study: Normative Data On The Intelligibility Of 3 1/2 Year Old Children, Karen Mary Ware

Dissertations and Theses

Most of the previous published research involving intelligibility has focused on persons with various disabilities or delays. Minimal research has been conducted on intelligibility in young children with no diagnosed speech and/ or language disorders. The result is a gap in normative data by which to set a standard to judge speech as being at an acceptable level of intelligibility for a particular age group. The focus of this pilot study was to collect normative data on the intelligibility of young children, ages 3:6 ±2 months, with no diagnosed speech and/or language disorder. ~ Thirteen subjects, ages 3:6 ±2 months, …

Temporal Characteristics Of Words Surrounding A Moment Of Stuttering In Preschool-Age Children, Gregory Keith Lilly

Dissertations and Theses

Until this time, few studies have examined differences in durational characteristics in words surrounding a moment of stuttering for untreated preschool children. It is important to determine whether or not untreated preschoolers' who stutter alter the duration of their speech when they stutter versus when they are fluent to determine what factors influence stuttering behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to examine the duration of words immediately before and after a stuttered word and the duration of the matched target word in the identical fluent utterance. The following questions were to be addressed: 1) Is there a significant …

A Study Of The Narrative Skills Of 7-Year Olds With Normal, Impaired, And Late Developing Language, Rita F. Hernandez

Dissertations and Theses

The narrative, just like any lectured or monologue information which is shared, does not depend to any great extent on context. Therefore, ability to encode and decode the information to be presented verbally is required, that is, in order for the speaker to be able to verbalize what he or she wants to say while taking into consideration the listener's needs. This indicates that production of strong narratives depends on higher level language skills, and so children's narratives provide a sensitive means of assessing children's language development. The purpose of this study was to compare the narrative ability of children …

The Effectiveness Of A Self-Directed Inservice Program To Educate Teachers About The Classroom Needs Of Students With Hearing Impairment, Teresa Michelle Whiteley

Dissertations and Theses

Students with mild to moderate hearing losses, and some with severe hearing losses, are mainstreamed in a regular classroom for all or part of the day (Martin, Berstein, Daly & Cody, 1988). While these students may require special education services, the classroom teacher plays a vital role in the overall education and daily management of a child with a hearing impairment (Hass, 1987). Villa (1989) reported that many school employees have not received adequate training to educate these students. Therefore, it becomes the school's responsibility to educate teachers through a comprehensive inservice training program.

One format for providing such a …

Speech Recognition With Linear And Non-Linear Amplification In The Presence Of Industrial Noise, Marcia Ann Olson

Dissertations and Theses

In order to help reduce hearing loss, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates noise levels in work environments. However, hearing aids are the primary rehabilitative service provided for individuals with an occupational hearing loss. Very little is being done to monitor hearing aid use in the work environment. Noise which may be safe to an unaided ear can amplified to levels that are damaging to the ear when a hearing aid is being worn. However, it is necessary for some individuals to wear amplification in these noisy environments for safety reasons. As a consequence it is important that these …

Speech Understanding In Noise As A Function Of Microphone Placement In Hearing Aids, Erin Marlene Flowers Hand

Dissertations and Theses

Hearing aid users often complain of poor speech understanding in the presence of background noise. There have been many attempts to overcome this problem by hearing aid manufactures and dispensers. The purpose of the present study was to determine if differences existed between three different styles of hearing aids (i.e. in the ear (ITE), in the canal (ITC), and completely in the canal (CIC)) in the presence of a multi-talker babble. Five sensori-neural hearing impaired subjects were selected from the Portland State University audiology clinic. The subjects were required to listen to a recording of the California Consonant Test (CCT) …