Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Walking The Walk: Ex-Prisoners, Lived Experience, And The Delivery Of Restorative Justice, Allely Albert

Articles

Although the role of prisoners and ex-prisoners has recently received significant attention in restorative justice research, the literature typically treats them as the ‘offending’ party within restorative justice processes. This article instead focuses on ex-prisoners as facilitators of restorative justice, highlighting their ability to lead such programmes. Using a case study from Northern Ireland, the article examines the way that experiences of incarceration have directly influenced practitioners’ skills and their ability to uphold restorative justice principles. It is contended that qualities developed and honed in the prison environment ultimately translate to unique characteristics that can improve the restorative process. As …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of The Impact Of Masks On Student Learning And Communication In The Classroom, Beau Shine, Kelly L. Brown, Christopher Felts, Trinnity Mitchell

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, facemask requirements while indoors were implemented in colleges and universities, both in the United States and beyond. Empirical evidence has shown that such mandates improved the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. However, the impacts of such precautions on student learning and communication have to date gone largely unexplored. The current study surveyed students and faculty at one regional midwestern institution to assess their perceptions on the impact of masks on student learning and communication in the classroom. Findings are included, followed by a discussion of their implications.

Mapuche Women's Cooperative And Sustainable Development, Peter Kent

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

This study looks at a Mapuche cooperative (Chol-Chol) in southern Chile. The review focuses on how this woman owned and run enterprise overcomes primarily culturally ingrained indigenous biases, and how these women deal with a dominant Euro-centric culture that refuses to acknowledge them both as a distinct group within Chile and as capable and contributing members of the Chilean economy.

The study follows two specific members of the cooperative. One is the Executive Director of the organization, charged with oversight of the cooperative members, from financial accountability to negotiations, within the group and outside of the group with local municipal …

Discursive Struggles Reflected In The Communication Of Conservative Christian Parents And Their Adult Children With Differing Religious Beliefs And Values, Braedon G. Worman

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nearly half of American adults no longer believe in their childhood faiths (Pew Research Center, 2015). The steady decline of Christianity could have considerable impacts on family life (Pew Research Center, 2022). From a postmodern critical perspective and guided by Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0, the researcher sought to discern how conservative Christian parents and their adult children with differing religious beliefs and values communicated when they discussed these differences, as well as to identify the discourses that informed and were reflected in their talk and illustrate how these discourses interplayed and animated the meaning of participants’ Christian family identities. The …

An Analysis Of Communication For Foster Parents: Interpersonal, Small Group, And Public Speaking Skills Necessary For Foster Parenting, Kaitlyn Randall

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Communication is a core aspect of what foster parents do every day. However, communication research focusing on foster parents is limited. Foster parents should understand interpersonal communication, small group communication, and public speaking. Understanding the basic principles of these communication disciplines will help foster parents succeed in their role. Interpersonal communication creates relationships between the foster parent and child through inclusion, control, and affection. Small group communication aspects of group roles, meeting facilitation, and conflict management are used in interactions with caseworkers. The public speaking skills of preparation and practice are used during court proceedings, orientations, and support groups. Providing …

Places For Young People To Influence Decision-Making: Developing Means For Democracy Education In Finland, Anna Suorsa

Democracy and Education

This study examines young people's (ages 13–18) perceptions of their own opportunities to influence the development of their own environment through an experiment aimed at developing civic democracy in Finland in 2020–2021. The purpose of the experiment was to try out new ways of participating and influencing meaningfully for young people at school, to encourage young people to bring up grievances, and to support them in finding solutions that end up in decision-making. The experiment involved young people from different educational institutions (secondary school, upper secondary school, and vocational schools), teachers, and local decision-makers. Data was gathered with ethnographic methods …

Outbreak Communication: Exploring The Relationships Between Health Information Seeking Behaviors, Vested Interests, And Covid-19 Knowledge In U.S. Midwest Populations, Alicia Mason, Josh Compton, Elizabeth Spencer, Kaitlin Barnett

Faculty Submissions

On February 15, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director, General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated at a Munich Security Conference, “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic,” (Zarocostas, 2020, p. 676). The term ‘infodemic’ refers to the onslaught of both accurate and inaccurate health information surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of an ‘infodemic’ was quickly integrated into mass media, popular culture (i.e., documentaries, podcasts), and eventually scholarly literature. In response to COVID-19, health communication scholars have centered on understanding specific messaging strategies such as the use of fear appeals (Stolow et al., 2020), nature of advertising …

How Risk Perceptions And Level Of Trust Of Information Influence Individuals’ Health Services Usage, Wan-Lin Chang

Research Symposium

Background: When facing health-related issues, decision-making is not an easy thing. Some people look for advice from health care professionals, and some people trust their family members' and friends’ experiences more. Previous studies in health communication have suggested differences across various demographic groups in information seeking access and skills, including variables related to the knowledge gap assumption and individuals' risk perceptions.

Methods: Multiple linear regression and logistic regression are used to examine how individuals’ health risk perceptions influence their health service usage by analyzing the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 4. HINTS conducts national surveys to monitor …

Connecting With The Outside World: Psychosocially Supportive Aspects Of Operational Communication Between Isolated Crews In Space And Mission Control On The Ground, Dennis J. Frederiksen

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Radio-based communication between crew members in space and mission control centers on the ground has the operational purpose of supporting the safe and effective execution of missions in space. Space-to-ground communication also, however, constitutes one of the relatively few interpersonal relationships astronauts have during missions and in addition to its operational purpose, this communication can support astronauts’ wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to identify psychosocially supportive aspects of operational space-to-ground communication between astronauts in space and spacecraft communicators on the ground. Through qualitative analysis of authentic mission communication, this paper identifies two supportive aspects and develops a terminology …

Relational Effects Of Romantic Partner’S Perceived Parasocial Romantic Attachment With Pornography, Jessica Journeay, Megan A. Vendemia, Rebecca (Riva) Tukachinsky Forster

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

An online experiment investigated heterosexual women’s responses to their romantic partners’ pornography use. Specifically, we examined how a perceived parasocial (i.e., entirely fanciful, one-sided) versus social (i.e., reciprocal) interaction with a porn actress, as well as a perceived parasocial romantic attachment to a porn actress, may pose a relational threat to one’s actual romantic relationship. Results revealed that perceptions of infidelity and jealousy were dampened by women’s belief that their romantic partner had a weak (vs. stronger) parasocial romantic attachment to and parasocial (vs. social) interaction with a porn actress. These findings advance our understanding of the effects of pornography …

Police Officers’ Perspectives On The Death Of George Floyd By Minneapolis Police Officers: A Descriptive Study, Janet Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On May 25, 2020, four Minneapolis police officers reported to the location where an African American man had been accused of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill in a convenience store. After being taken outside of the store, the man, George Floyd, was eventually placed in the back of a police patrol car, after he was handcuffed. Saying he was claustrophobic and resisting arrest, Mr. Floyd was removed from the patrol car, and placed on the ground on his stomach. One of the patrol officers, the most senior officer present, and a field training officer, placed his knee on …

Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions Of Deaf-Hearing Interpreter Teams: Impact Of Interpreting Approaches, Julayne Feilbach

Journal of Interpretation

This study explores the perceptions and preferences of healthcare providers who work with Deaf Interpreter-Hearing Interpreter (DI-HI) teams. Healthcare providers depend on interpreters' ability to bridge the communication and cultural gap to assess and treat patients accurately. Although there have been studies on healthcare providers’ perceptions of interpreters to date, none of the research explores the impact of healthcare providers’ perceptions on their experiences with DI-HI teams. To address this, interviews with nine healthcare practitioners were conducted. As part of the interview, participants were shown a video of two interpreting samples to illustrate different approaches to interpreting. Data were analyzed …

Fantasy Escapism: Using Role-Playing Games To Explore Mental Health And Gender Identity, Aidan Cipolla

English Summer Fellows

This project analyzes how escapism through the use of role-playing games can be used as a coping mechanism for those struggling with a variety of topics, including gender dysphoria and mental health issues. The project takes an ethnographic approach to data gathering, consisting of interviews with a small group of Dungeons and Dragons / video game players, and personal anecdotes regarding the author’s experience with escapism.

Elucidating College Students’ Stressors: Photovoice As A Pedagogical Tool And Qualitative Methodology, Deanne Priddis, Heather L. Hundley

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Traditional research examining student stress relies on surveys using pre-determined categories. This study diverts from that approach by adopting a Communication in Conflict class assignment over seven classes (N = 115) using photovoice to determine if results fluctuate by using a different methodology. Additionally, we sought to understand if the sources of stress vary by gender and semester. The data revealed seven categories as the main stressors of student conflict: 1) time management, 2) mental health, 3) finding oneself, 4) future uncertainty, 5) other, 6) financial, and 7) past mistakes. Regardless of participants’ sex/gender or semester in which the data …

Compassion: It’S Needed Now More Than Ever, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial emphasizes the pressing need for compassion in a world of conflict and division. It underscores the importance of compassion in global crises, politics, family dynamics, and the dental profession. MDA Editor Michelle C. Dziurgot encourages unity and understanding, advocating for compassion as a vital force in bridging divides.

Long-Term Outcomes Of Equine-Assisted Therapy For Veterans With Ptsd., Carleigh Emanuel

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a group program for veterans with PTSD who had completed the equine-assisted therapy program at Horses & Heroes in Leavenworth, KS. The group program was designed to promote long-term outcomes and generalization of skills after completion of the initial program. The group program utilized meaningful activity, opportunity for social engagement with like-minded peers, further development of the horse-human bond, and consistent exposure to the therapeutic environment of being outside and around horses. Participants reported an overall improvement in their satisfaction with social engagement and well-being after participation in group sessions. This program …

An Analysis Of Communication-Related Information And Services Offered To Parents Of Deaf Children In Puerto Rico, Brenda Belcher

Capstone Collection

The period from birth to five years is a critical stage for human language acquisition, and inadequate access to language during this period can cause far-reaching negative effects. Young deaf and hard-of-hearing children face barriers to acquiring language through speaking and listening techniques, and their parents must make consequential decisions about what communicative strategies to pursue for their child. In Puerto Rico, information and support around communication approaches flow to parents from a variety of sources, including the Island’s local Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) system, three dedicated schools for the deaf, and a variety of community-based organizations. This …

You Are Cordially (Un)Invited: My Korean Femme Strategy And Aspiration For Survival And Queer Futures, Nahyun Kim

Masters Theses

You are cordially (un)invited: My Korean Femme Strategy and Aspiration for Survival and Queer Futures documents a series of ceremonies dedicated to the years I have survived. This book has branched from a project of the same name that consists of a durational installation, performance, and series of events. The project and book are an aspirational gesture to send off the part of myself–that had to compromise, comply, and negotiate with institutions–for a rebirth to live a life beyond survival.

As a book and project, You are cordially (un)invited is a culmination of my experiences as a Korean femme, using …

Bridging Empathy, Qianwen Lu

Masters Theses

As a jeweler, ally, and sympathetic witness to the traumatic stories of survivors, my work aims to support the process of reconstruction and reintegration for victims and the greater community. To move beyond isolation, resentment, and debilitating helplessness requires care and support. I want my jewelry to act as catalysts in the healing process by straddling both sides of the trauma-induced situation, to create greater awareness and empathy. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows that women are more likely to become victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or other forms of physical and psychological abuse in unhealthy emotional relationships. These …

A Team Science Training Approach To Enhance Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration In Communication Science And Disorders Programs, Carla Wood, Victor A. Lugo, Miguel Garcia-Salas, Wayne T. Mccormack

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This paper aims to describe the core components of a cross-disciplinary team science training offered in a Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) program delivered to 17 doctoral scholars in CSD, education, special education, psychology, and social work. The team science training model is offered as one approach to consider in preparing pre-service leaders and faculty in CSD to engage in scientific collaboration with other researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds. In addition to an overview of training, the paper includes preliminary data on participants' perceptions of team science training and recommendations for future offerings.