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Full-Text Articles in Leadership Studies

Story, Ritual, And Religion In Changing Social Climates, Denise Young Jackson Jan 2013

Story, Ritual, And Religion In Changing Social Climates, Denise Young Jackson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study was created to investigate how ministers of the Montana/Northern-Wyoming Partnership express the story and ritual of religion in changing social climates. It was designed to answer three questions. RQ1) How are mission activities interpreted, defined, and given form through the storytelling by the ministers within the Church? RQ2) How do ministers integrate the mission statement and the mission activities into their Bible based storytelling? RQ3) How and for what purpose do ministers incorporate or connect issues and ideas from the secular sphere into religious-based storytelling? Since the dramatic social and economic changes in Montana as a result of …

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You Really Like Me: Dialogic Social Media Use In Organizational Communication, Heidi Lee Keller Jan 2013

You Really Like Me: Dialogic Social Media Use In Organizational Communication, Heidi Lee Keller

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Social media is an interactive communication tool with the potential to strengthen organization-member relationships and contribute toward the achievement of organizational goals. Yet many nonprofit organizations use social media for one-way information delivery and do not take advantage of its dialogic potential. This study aims to contribute to the business case for investing in dialogic social media. Three nonprofit organizations that use social media dialogically were studied to identify the factors that set them apart from others. Walther’s social information processing theory (1993) and Buber’s philosophy of dialogue as a relational form of communication (Arnett, Grayson, & McDowell, 2008) were …

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Communication In Crisis, Blair Veloz Jan 2013

Communication In Crisis, Blair Veloz

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Many people today continually search for their identity in the world. In order for someone to effectively communicate, they must understand how they would communicate when they least want to, such as in a crisis situation. A crisis or multiple crises can affect how people see the world, themselves and ultimately how they will communicate in a time of trouble. With the use of Martin Buber and his view on I-Thou, this thesis assists in understanding the encounter with God and that He is what helps makes us complete. Helping others to reach this goal of communicating well, this thesis …

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Servant-Leadership And Re-Establishment Of Organization Culture After Crisis, Reese Dayle Cooper Jan 2013

Servant-Leadership And Re-Establishment Of Organization Culture After Crisis, Reese Dayle Cooper

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Organizations create a base for culture through the language in mission, vision, and value statements (Deetz, 1995). Organization culture is then shaped and molded by organization members (Deetz, 1995). As a result, members form organization identities (Mead, 1934). Identities are fluid and constantly being negotiated (Stewart, Zediker, & Witteborn, 2009, p. 82). At any moment, organizations can face crisis. During the crisis, identities are threatened and organization culture becomes unstable (Beer & Steif, 1997; Sen, 2006). Stabilizing organization culture is important to the long-term success of an organization and to the long-term success of individuals. This study uses a case …

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Voter Suppression: The Rhetoric Of New Voting Laws And The Republican Agenda, Michael C. Mcgee Jan 2013

Voter Suppression: The Rhetoric Of New Voting Laws And The Republican Agenda, Michael C. Mcgee

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the rhetoric used by Republican politicians regarding voter ID laws. Using Kenneth Burke’s theory of cluster analysis, key words and clustering terms are analyzed to identify the speaker’s worldview. The main sections include: philosophical assumptions about political rhetoric, the theoretical basis derived from Burke’s identification and victimage theories, a review of literature on the history of voting in the United States, results and discussion from the analysis of selected rhetoric from Republican politicians, and areas of further study. Statements from Republican politicians in Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania were selected for the analysis. The results of …

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Performing Communication Without Words: A Dramaturgical Exploration Of Communication Between Caregivers And Children Who Are Nonverbal, Sara Mcgerald Jan 2013

Performing Communication Without Words: A Dramaturgical Exploration Of Communication Between Caregivers And Children Who Are Nonverbal, Sara Mcgerald

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Recognizing that human communication is highly expressive and it does not cease to exist if an individual is not able to produce spoken language, this thesis is an exploratory ethnographic study which seeks to utilize a dramaturgical perspective in identifying the function and structure of communication between children who are nonverbal (with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy) and their caregivers (Brissett & Edgley, 2009). The main informants for this study were two sets of parents with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, who agreed to participate in twenty hours of engagement, which included direct interviews, observation, and personal interaction. The study …

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The Intrapersonal Phenomenon: The Interactional Effects Of Intrapersonal Adjustments In The Organizational Change Of A Small Business, Jennifer Wilkes Jan 2013

The Intrapersonal Phenomenon: The Interactional Effects Of Intrapersonal Adjustments In The Organizational Change Of A Small Business, Jennifer Wilkes

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

It is inevitable that change involves varying levels of communication. A relationship may consist of an individual's communication with one's self or with one or more persons. The functionality of a relationship depends on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the communication of those individuals involved. When change is necessary in any form of organization, the level of communication for each member plays a vital role, especially in a small company. Based on literature and theory, intrapersonal development and influence relies on the structure of one's cultural language. Language structure shapes one's inner speech and self-talk through processes of internalization. The …

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How Skype And Face Time Have Changed The Way People Communicate Emotionally, Penelope Casarico Jan 2013

How Skype And Face Time Have Changed The Way People Communicate Emotionally, Penelope Casarico

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between technology and emotional communication, and focuses on how technology influences our personal thoughts, feelings, and emotions. By examining the philosophical assumption of Martin Buber that through our dialogue, there is mutual respect and appreciation for the other person involved because we hold that person in high regard and see that person in the image of God, this study seeks to answer the question, How have Skype and Face Time technology changed the way people communicate emotionally? The theoretical basis of this study focuses on Coordinated Management of Meaning, a theory that states that persons …

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Effects Of Social Media On Individual Voting, Noel Albert Bermudez Jan 2013

Effects Of Social Media On Individual Voting, Noel Albert Bermudez

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama established social media as an essential part of the campaign toolbox. Twitter, a widely-used social media site, provides a means of creating virtual communities that can instantly send messages and move "followers" to action. This thesis seeks to ascertain if Twitter messages - sent to known supporters by a presidential campaign asking a person to vote - can positively affect that person's likelihood to cast a ballot and, if so, would that vote be for the candidate whose campaign tweeted the message. Media ecology, as proposed by Marshall McLuhan and developed by Neil …

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The Role Of Race In Marketing Communications, Brandice Patrice Saunders Jan 2013

The Role Of Race In Marketing Communications, Brandice Patrice Saunders

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Americans are living in an age ofadvertising and successfuJly marketing to the right groups at the right time can enhance a brands marketing edge. However, in order to consider marketing successful, the marketing communication's message needs to be created appropriately. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Stuart Hall's Encoding/Decoding theory, this thesis examined how marketing communications have been displayed to Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics via television commercials. Also examined were how marketing communications via television commercials were perceived by each ethnic group and whether that group identified with the communication or had a cultural affinity towards the message. Results of …

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Generational Differences Within A Corporate Workplace, Marie Jakubek Jan 2013

Generational Differences Within A Corporate Workplace, Marie Jakubek

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose ofthis study is to examine generational diversity issues within the corporate workplace in order to develop strategies that can be employed to increase intergenerational understanding, morale and, improve productivity. The theory used to frame this study is the Communication Accommodation Theory. This theory allowed for a better understanding of specific challenges and opportunities that can occur when working in a multigenerational workforce. It is important for corporations to effectively address these differences in generations and take advantage of the values and expectations of each generation to keep a happy and healthy workplace. Data for this study was collected …

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Muted Women In American Political Discourse: Quieting The Loud Silence, Constance Michelle Skingel Jan 2013

Muted Women In American Political Discourse: Quieting The Loud Silence, Constance Michelle Skingel

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the way women are denied an equal voice in American politics through disparities in our language structure and overt sexism. This thesis begins with a review of the literature which discusses the need for an equitable and just society and how the underlying structure of our language system is flawed in such a way that it subjugates women and inhibits the development of such a society. This is followed by a brief summary of why it is necessary for us to examine this societal disparity from the perspective of women themselves. This thesis uses a pentadic analysis …

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Getting Thrown Under The Bus: The Impact Of Destructive Narcissistic Management On Group Sensemaking, Russell Allen Royston Jan 2013

Getting Thrown Under The Bus: The Impact Of Destructive Narcissistic Management On Group Sensemaking, Russell Allen Royston

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Despite the vast research and scholarship on leaders with narcissistic traits and tendencies, little research has focused on the impact these leaders have on group communication. This thesis uses an ethnographic research methodology to explore a group under destructive narcissistic management. Karl Weick’s (1995) theory of organizational sensemaking is used to examine the affected group’s communication. The study was conducted from a phenomenological perspective of the group’s lived experience. Kierkegaard’s theory of communication is also applied to learn how the group made sense of was happening to them during a period of substantial change (Anderson, 1963). The results show that …

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A Women's Talking Circle: A Narrative Study Of Positive Intergenerational Communication, Pamela Ferris-Olson Jan 2013

A Women's Talking Circle: A Narrative Study Of Positive Intergenerational Communication, Pamela Ferris-Olson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Narrative inquiry was used to understand how women’s experiences with their mothers, grandmothers, and daughters and as mothers, grandmothers, and daughters contribute to their meaning making of communication and connectedness with unrelated women. A purposeful sample of nine women aged 31-69 from a small Midwestern city was studied. Six African American and three white women were chosen for their membership in a group that has regularly engaged in positive intergenerational communication for nearly two years. The women’s narratives of personal communicative experiences within their families and with the other women were recorded and interpreted to gain a deeper understanding of …

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What Are The Effects On Parish Relations When Adding Digital Communication To Catholic Ministry?, Kristina Collmann Costello Dec 2012

What Are The Effects On Parish Relations When Adding Digital Communication To Catholic Ministry?, Kristina Collmann Costello

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study sought to understand the effects on parish relations when those leading Catholic ministry efforts added digital communication to their programs. This study, based on Buber’s philosophy that it is a person’s full commitment and presence in a dialogue that contributes to intimacy, will aim to illustrate that the level of richness in a dialogue relies more on the quality of the information, or messages shared, than the medium used to conduct the dialogue. The study is grounded in the Social Information Processing Theory and the Social Presence Theory. The data for this study was garnered through personal …

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Examination Of Employee Work-Life Balance Within Healthy Organizational Cultures, Cari Ann Lyle Dec 2012

Examination Of Employee Work-Life Balance Within Healthy Organizational Cultures, Cari Ann Lyle

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the work-life balance of employees within the U.S. communications industry, specifically focusing on how employees can build collaborative relationships with their colleagues while maintaining active lifestyles outside the office. The effects of a healthy work-life balance on organizational culture has become a popular topic in American organizations during the past decade, and this research used focus groups and interviews to help determine how leaders can encourage employees to prioritize their professional and personal obligations. Study participants were asked questions developed around Edgar Schein’s organizational culture research, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and communication theories about balance and …

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Television And Fanfiction Online: Finding Identity, Meaning, And Community, Erin B. Waggoner Dec 2012

Television And Fanfiction Online: Finding Identity, Meaning, And Community, Erin B. Waggoner

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on fanfiction culture online, particularly how the stories relate to television fandoms and a need to participate or reinterpret a text on an individual and a global level to find meaning in the encoded messages. The study follows theoretical groundwork from Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding and Walter R. Fisher’s narrative paradigm. Philosophical considerations are given to communitarian ethics and how humans innately need community to successfully fulfill the need to communicate with others. Through ethnographic research, the study discovers how and why fanfiction is being used to uncover and discover identity, meaning, and community by exploring a community …

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Tragedy And Touchdowns: Media Coverage And The Impact On Disaster Recovery, Christa Clark Bell Dec 2012

Tragedy And Touchdowns: Media Coverage And The Impact On Disaster Recovery, Christa Clark Bell

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Media coverage of natural disasters informs audiences, but it also can serve as a catalyst for the formation of rhetorical communities, groups of people who subscribe to the rhetorical vision purveyed in media coverage of events. Existing research literature on communities and on the role of communities in disaster recovery points to the need for community as a basic part of the recovery process. National media coverage of the April 27, 2011, tornadoes that struck Tuscaloosa, Ala., contained fantasy themes that constructed a rhetorical vision of hope and survival. A fantasy theme analysis of three national sports media articles, when …

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Listening To Organizational Change: Exploring Dialogue During Sensemaking, Dianna L. Stratton Dec 2012

Listening To Organizational Change: Exploring Dialogue During Sensemaking, Dianna L. Stratton

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study explored the role of dialogue during sensemaking and how that affects receptivity to organizational change. The philosophical framework for this study comes from Buber’s (1958) I and Thou dialogue theories concerning the value of existential acknowledgement. Both communication and organizational study theories grounded this research. Bohm (1996) and Isaacs’ (1999) dialogue theories converge with Weick’s (1995) sensemaking theories as a means to explore the role of listening during organizational change. Data was obtained through ethnographic observation and interview. A cultural research framework provided the means to explore the relationships between dialogue, sensemaking and organizational change. The results …

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Ethical Sales And Marketing For Small Businesses, Margaret E. Gonzalez Dec 2012

Ethical Sales And Marketing For Small Businesses, Margaret E. Gonzalez

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the importance of ethical sales and marketing in relation to small businesses. Most research in this area has focused on large businesses and therefore ignores the importance of factors such as financial and time limitations. Because of these limitations, many small businesses are viewed as having cutthroat sales and marketing teams that ignore basic ethics and are primarily motivated by business and financial growth. The thesis examines ethical marketing in relation to Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Habermas’ Discourse Ethics, and Pearce’s Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM). A content analysis was completed to determine how small businesses can ethically …

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Examination Of How One's Perceived Online Identity On Social Media Affects One's Perceived Real-Life Identity, Kelly Marie Mccarty Dec 2012

Examination Of How One's Perceived Online Identity On Social Media Affects One's Perceived Real-Life Identity, Kelly Marie Mccarty

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Over the past few decades, the internet has become an important aspect of people's social lives. It has created a place where individuals can express themselves and define themselves to much more than those they live around. A whole new world has been opened for individuals to connect and remain in contact with others. This has created new environments in which to play at identity. Social identity theory states that how one perceives his or her own identity is affected by the environment and those that individual is around. Participation in social media, therefore, should have some effect on how …

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Organizational Socialization Practices For Successful Newcomer Adjustment, Stacey L. Holleran Dec 2012

Organizational Socialization Practices For Successful Newcomer Adjustment, Stacey L. Holleran

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This research study examines the practices organizational leaders can employ to assist newcomers in their adjustment to the organization, thereby creating an increase in the number of successful, long-term employees. In the workplace setting, organizational newcomers who fail to properly adapt are at risk for early “turnover” or an extended period of disengagement, producing an extremely costly scenario for the organization. Literature in the area of organizational socialization and successful newcomer adjustment suggests myriad ways to positively influence the newcomer’s experience; however, no single source offers a comprehensive approach that can be universally applied. Grounded by interpersonal communication theory and …

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Gender, Hegemony, And Country Music, Ashley R. Richards Dec 2012

Gender, Hegemony, And Country Music, Ashley R. Richards

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Since its inception, country music has proven to be a powerful medium of communication and expression in contemporary culture. Reining as the most popular musical format in radio today, the themes expressed by contemporary country musicians, particularly female country musicians, are diverse and varied, proving the importance of evolution in this once considered homogeneous format. This study explores how modern female country musicians use their lyrics as tools for highlighting dominant, hegemonic gender roles in culture. Guided by Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding theory (1980) and feminist communication theory (Rakow & Wackwitz, 2004) this study utilizes Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) …

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The Propaganda Model: Corporate And Political Collusion In The Creation Of An Oligopolistic Mainstream U.S. Media, Frank Mccloy Dec 2012

The Propaganda Model: Corporate And Political Collusion In The Creation Of An Oligopolistic Mainstream U.S. Media, Frank Mccloy

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The mass media in the United States have a wide breadth of power and influence over society. Yet, despite the crucial role the media play they are controlled by only six companies that are mega transcultural conglomerates. (Legislation has been passed, namely) The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has encouraged and enabled the rash of media consolidations that has led to the dense concentration of media ownership today. This thesis utilized the Propaganda Model as the theoretical foundation to examine the relationships between the elites of the corporate and political sectors integral to the creation of the current media landscape. A …

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The Representation Of A Scandal: A Case Study Of The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal, Rhiannon Rossi Dec 2012

The Representation Of A Scandal: A Case Study Of The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal, Rhiannon Rossi

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Crises on a college campus can be especially destructive, as the audience includes students, families, and important stakeholders. The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal burst into the scene on November 5, 2011, when initial charges were filed against Sandusky for his alleged acts against minors. The scandal rocked the culture and reputation of Penn State University, causing the release of head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier, as well as the charging of perjury against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz in their apparent roles in the incident. Benoit’s Image Repair Theory (1995) is the main theoretical basis …

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Communication Between Generation X And Generation Jackass: Creating Communication Rules For Teens And Parents, Aimee Irene Finney Dec 2012

Communication Between Generation X And Generation Jackass: Creating Communication Rules For Teens And Parents, Aimee Irene Finney

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Technologically addicted teenagers are facing challenges not even imagined by those accepting the challenge of parenthood. Using Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect theory and the phenomenological approach of data gathering, teens and parents were asked about their experiences in communicating with each other. With regards to Gerry Philispen’s Theory of Speech Codes, the patterns of communication with teens and parents were considered. Communication technologies will continue to change at a lightning quick speeds; the importance of collaborative communication patterns continues to remain crucial to open and honest sharing of information between parents and teens. The desire to discover how to create open …

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The Impact Of Mergers On Those Left Behind - Maintaining Employee Engagement After Merger-Based Restructuring In A Financial Services Firm, Victoria L. Basinger Dec 2012

The Impact Of Mergers On Those Left Behind - Maintaining Employee Engagement After Merger-Based Restructuring In A Financial Services Firm, Victoria L. Basinger

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study explored the impact of organizational restructuring on associate engagement in a financial services firm due to a merger. It determined how much weight interpersonal relationships carry on associate opinions of the new organization, and what the new organization can do to reduce uncertainty and re-engage their newly acquired associates. The literature review looked at Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Belongingness and principles from Social Information Processing Theory to identify solutions for a decrease in engagement. A survey distributed to all associates at a financial services firm that recently underwent a merger yielded data for this study, as did five individual …

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Tabloidization And The Role Of Agenda Setting, Brooke Brander Dec 2012

Tabloidization And The Role Of Agenda Setting, Brooke Brander

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Tabloidization of the news has received a fare amount of attention in the late twentieth century and early twenty-¬‐first century. The reason and cause for the tabloidization of the news is a subject of debate as well as the possible effects on the public. The news media are a gateway to the world around us. Tabloid-¬‐style news does not inform the public of local, national and/or world event, but rather informs the public of celebrity happenings and gossip, failing to be the voice of democracy and instead being the voice of gossip. Tabloid-¬‐style news may be diverting the public’s attention …

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Image Management: How Do Fort Mcmurray's Community Leaders Address Their Town's External Media Image, Kiran Malik-Khan Dec 2012

Image Management: How Do Fort Mcmurray's Community Leaders Address Their Town's External Media Image, Kiran Malik-Khan

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines how community leaders in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo - Fort McMurray, an oil sands town in northern Alberta, Canada, address the issue of image management when it comes to negative coverage of their community via external media outlets. The ethnographical study employs Goffman’s image management theory, McCombs and Shaw’s agenda-setting theory and Christians’ media ethics theory as its foundation for the need of telling a balanced story about the municipality. In addition, narratives of several other cities around the world have been examined for similar issues. A content analysis of a few of these highlighted …

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Practices In Interpersonal Communication To Help Integrate Foster Children Into, Adrielle L. Devora Dec 2012

Practices In Interpersonal Communication To Help Integrate Foster Children Into, Adrielle L. Devora

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explored the question: What effect do familial communication practices and activities have on positive integration of a foster child into their adoptive family? The focus was on foster children adopted between the approximate ages of 3 and 17, as it has been shown they can have more difficulties than children adopted as infants (Barth & Miller, 2000). This research brings practical wisdom and empirically researched data to families, social workers, psychologists, teachers, and anyone who works with families in this challenging category. The research was based in the “I-Thou” interpersonal communication philosophy (Buber, 1923/1984) and utilized recommendations from …

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