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Masters Theses

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Effects Of Expressive Writing On Reducing Anxiety About Attending Intergroup Dialogue On Race And Racism, Cemal Arda Aksoy Aug 2022

Effects Of Expressive Writing On Reducing Anxiety About Attending Intergroup Dialogue On Race And Racism, Cemal Arda Aksoy

Masters Theses

This experimental study examined the effects of expressive writing (EW) on the level of anxiety that White college students experience for their anticipated participation in a dialogue about race and racism with a racially diverse group of people. Ninety-one undergraduate college students, aged 18 to 25 years, living in the United States and identifying their race as White/European American were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition for this online study. In both conditions, participants were informed that they would be participating in an online dialogue about race and racism with a racially diverse group of people after they …

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Unprofessional Communication In The Workplace, Lilli Tillman Aug 2022

Unprofessional Communication In The Workplace, Lilli Tillman

Masters Theses

This study creates a measurable definition of unprofessional communication in the workplace. First, literature is explored, looking at the existing information (or lack thereof) about professional and unprofessional communication in the workplace, along with additional information about politeness norms. A brief definition of unprofessional communication is offered. Next, a method for the study is offered, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine perceptions of unprofessional communication in the workplace. Results are then given, showing communicative behaviors that are viewed as both professional and unprofessional in the workplace. Behaviors such as being appropriate or being polite were seen as professional, …

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The Relationship Between Distance To The Woodward Avenue Streetcar And Real Estate Prices In Central Detroit, Alex Biles Aug 2022

The Relationship Between Distance To The Woodward Avenue Streetcar And Real Estate Prices In Central Detroit, Alex Biles

Masters Theses

In recent decades, cities across the United States have pursued streetcars not only for their transportation benefits, but also with the goal of revitalizing downtowns and nearby neighborhoods by stimulating economic development and boosting property values. In Detroit, construction of the Woodward Avenue streetcar, also known as the QLine, was unprecedented due to the outsized involvement of private investors. Although the announcement of the QLine attracted substantial investment, ridership has largely fallen short of projections, and impacts on nearby property values were unclear. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of distance to QLine stations on real …

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Examining The Effects Of Family Stress And Family Strengths On The Quality Of Mother-Child Relationships In Married And Unmarried Black Families, Deonte Hughes Aug 2022

Examining The Effects Of Family Stress And Family Strengths On The Quality Of Mother-Child Relationships In Married And Unmarried Black Families, Deonte Hughes

Masters Theses

Mother-child relationships are complex, diverse, and change in response to internal and external factors that affect families and family life. For instance, Black children are more likely to live in households with unmarried parents. Even more, Black families are disproportionately more likely to be in poverty than the general population. Research on Black families tends to center association between family structure and poverty as mechanisms affecting mother-child relationships. There is little research on the role of economic hardship on familial relationships in Black families. Additionally, there is little research on the role of family strengths on familial relationships in Black …

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Covid-19 Renters And Housing Instability: Combatting The Eviction Epidemic During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Knox County, Tennessee, Samantha B. Myers-Miller Aug 2022

Covid-19 Renters And Housing Instability: Combatting The Eviction Epidemic During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Knox County, Tennessee, Samantha B. Myers-Miller

Masters Theses

COVID-19 has exacerbated preexisting inequities in Knox County, Tennessee. The disruption to employment caused by the pandemic has imposed a great financial burden for many individuals who rent housing. The primary relief that was afforded to renters during the pandemic was enabled by a federal eviction moratorium order, where covered renters could defer payments to avoid eviction while the moratorium was in effect. Some additional rental assistance was provided to local governments through the federal CARES Act pandemic relief package. Despite these provisions, many people experienced housing crises in Knox County, where over 3,000 renters have faced eviction filing from …

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Exchange And Social Interaction In The Tennessee River Valley: A Geospatial Approach To The Analysis Of Late Archaic Archaeological Sites, Justin S. Bailey Aug 2022

Exchange And Social Interaction In The Tennessee River Valley: A Geospatial Approach To The Analysis Of Late Archaic Archaeological Sites, Justin S. Bailey

Masters Theses

The cultural manifestation known as the Shell Mound Archaic persisted in the lower Midwest and Midsouth region of the Eastern United States for over four millennia beginning in the Middle Archaic ca. 8900 cal BP and terminating at the end of the Late Archaic ca 3200 cal BP. A geospatial approach is applied to the analysis of exotic material exchange of the Late Archaic (ca. 5800-3200 cal BP) to assess how foraging peoples in the Tennessee River Valley interacted and persisted during this time. Exotic material items manufactured from copper, marine shell, steatite, and other nonlocal materials demonstrate distinct spatial …

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Bullies, Browbeaters, And Bulldozers: Expectancy Violation And Management Intervention Processes Of Workplace Bullying, Kylie T. Julius Aug 2022

Bullies, Browbeaters, And Bulldozers: Expectancy Violation And Management Intervention Processes Of Workplace Bullying, Kylie T. Julius

Masters Theses

Bullies, browbeaters, and bulldozers are a prevalent problem within workplaces (Namie, 2017), resulting in extreme emotional effects for employees, and intense impact on the bottom line of organizations (Olive & Cangemi, 2015). As workplace bullying continues to occur throughout many organizations, expectations for communication and behavior are repeatedly violated. Thus, expectancy violations theory (EVT) provides framework for the following workplace bullying behavior research. The relevant literature regarding EVT was reviewed and its framing of intervention processes of workplace bullying, emotional cognitive response, and perceived organizational value of bullies (high-value bullies) was established. The purpose of the proposed empirical study is …

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The Effects Of Remote Work On Organizational Culture: Examining The Effects Of External Social Support To Mitigate Social Isolation Within Organizations, Katherine Rogers Aug 2022

The Effects Of Remote Work On Organizational Culture: Examining The Effects Of External Social Support To Mitigate Social Isolation Within Organizations, Katherine Rogers

Masters Theses

While remote work is not an entirely new concept, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a massive increase in remote work for over a year for some individuals and organizations. Looking to the future, some companies have already developed remote work policies and stated their intentions to allow employees to work from home on a more consistent basis. There are various advantages and disadvantages to remote work for employees and their employers, as outlined in the previous literature. However, due to the short amount of time that remote work has been implemented for these organizations, there may be long-term …

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A Qualitative Exploration Of Upsr, Shelby Miller Aug 2022

A Qualitative Exploration Of Upsr, Shelby Miller

Masters Theses

Person-Centered Theory (PCT, Rogers, 1959) provides the understanding of how growth-promoting relationships facilitate holistic well-being through the provision of unconditional positive regard (UPR), genuiness, and empathy. Through coaches’ provision of UPR, athletes have reported experiencing an increase of motivation, enhanced performances, and greater trust in their coach (McHenry et al., 2022). Most intriguingly, athletes created a relationship with themselves (i.e., self-regard) that mirrored their coaches’ treatment of them (McHenry et al., 2021). While UPR has just recently been studied in the coach-athlete relationship, little to no attention has been given to the relationship an athlete has with themselves (i.e., self-regard). …

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An Analysis Of Mincer's Method And Ut-Age, Sarah Hartman Aug 2022

An Analysis Of Mincer's Method And Ut-Age, Sarah Hartman

Masters Theses

Third molars have the most developmental variation of all human dentition, yet Mincer’s method and the computer program UT-Age use third molars to estimate the age of migrants crossing the U.S. border. Most migrants subjected to dental exams are classified as Hispanic. However, the term and reference samples used to estimate age do not account for the possible population variation that the term “Hispanic” can encompass. Additionally, third molar reference samples do not address the possible influence of impaction on third molar development. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of various sources of third molar variation …

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Choice-Based Games And Resilience Building Of Gender Non-Conforming Individuals: An Exploratory Study, Yuri M. Cantrell Aug 2022

Choice-Based Games And Resilience Building Of Gender Non-Conforming Individuals: An Exploratory Study, Yuri M. Cantrell

Masters Theses

Research on gaming and user experience of the general population has been abundant, but gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals’ experiences had been largely overlooked until recent years. Using a phenomenological approach, the goal of this study is to find deeper understanding of this phenomenon by exploring what gaming experiences shape the identity of the participants. The exploration of gaming and gender non-conforming experiences through interviews can fill a gap in the current literature on gaming culture regarding this specific population. By taking a closer look at this topic, patterns and themes within games may provide insight to potential resilience building activities …

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Exploring Memorable Message About Law Enforcement, Max Ray A. Davenport Jr Aug 2022

Exploring Memorable Message About Law Enforcement, Max Ray A. Davenport Jr

Masters Theses

Research demonstrates that Black Americans are placed at a higher risk for having negative interactions with law enforcement. As a result, Black American families may engage in racial ethnic socialization (RES) practices aimed at preparing Black youth for racialized experiences, reducing the psychological effects of racism, and perserving the lives of Black American citizens. Guided by the memorable messages framework, the present study examines memorable messages about law enforcement as recalled by Black American young adults. More specifically, this study examines the specific type(s) of memorable messages Black American young adults recall receiving about law enforcement from sources such as …

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Essays On Conservation Investment For Biodiversity Under Future Uncertainties, Nawon Kang Aug 2022

Essays On Conservation Investment For Biodiversity Under Future Uncertainties, Nawon Kang

Masters Theses

This thesis is built with two essays on conservation investment for biodiversity under future uncertainties by using a risk-diversification strategy based on modern portfolio theory (MPT). The first essay is about broad application of MPT in conservation investment allocation, next, the second essay advances the MPT with consideration of the availability of each asset. The purpose of the first essay is to identify optimal conservation investment allocations for target regions and species under uncertain conditions. We develop a two-step approach using MPT to estimate an investment portfolio represented by percentages of conservation investment allocated to counties and taxonomic groups (referred …

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University Statements On The Murder Of George Floyd: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Alexandria M. Brown Aug 2022

University Statements On The Murder Of George Floyd: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Alexandria M. Brown

Masters Theses

Minneapolis police office, Derek Chauvin, murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020. After this killing, many universities throughout the United States, including all the institutions in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), released public statements about the murder. Over the last few decades, cuts in funding to institutes of higher education have resulted in colleges and universities adopting the managerial and revenue-generating practices of corporations. With corporations as their example, they have also taken to releasing statements about socio-political events, rather than just about incidents pertaining to their immediate stakeholders. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, this paper examines those statements and discusses the …

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Relocating Community To The Virtual: Sound Knowledge, Affective Listening, And The (Dis)Embodying Of Sound And Space, Zachery D. Coffey Aug 2022

Relocating Community To The Virtual: Sound Knowledge, Affective Listening, And The (Dis)Embodying Of Sound And Space, Zachery D. Coffey

Masters Theses

Music within Protestant church communities frequently reduces the distinction between performers and audience, emphasizing the collective, participatory role of all congregation members, in manners of music making similar to those discussed by Thomas Turino. This dynamic helps establish individual and communal identities. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, church communities saw changes in their services, music, and ways of life. Meeting in a physical building proved impossible due to the dangers of COVID-19 and many churches mitigated these dangers by streaming, recording, and posting services online. Between 2020 and 2022, I observed and participated in changes to technological production …

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Reviewer Perceptions Of Englishes In The International Journal Of Nuclear Security, Rachel Brooks Aug 2022

Reviewer Perceptions Of Englishes In The International Journal Of Nuclear Security, Rachel Brooks

Masters Theses

Linguistic bias in academic publishing, the idea that a manuscript would be rejected due to its language alone, is a growing area of concern and study. Scholars are particularly concerned that EAL (English as an Additional Language, often referred to as “non-native”) writers face this bias more than first-language English authors. The research on linguistic bias relies on understanding the perceptions about language that belong to reviewers, authors, and other parties involved in publication. This MA thesis project investigates peer reviewer perceptions of English language usage in the manuscripts that they review using the International Journal of Nuclear Security (IJNS) …

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No Tunes Chime Amidst The Bones: A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Saltpeter Cave (3nw29), An Ozarchaic Bluffshelter In Northwest Arkansas, Nathanael G. Fosaaen Aug 2022

No Tunes Chime Amidst The Bones: A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Saltpeter Cave (3nw29), An Ozarchaic Bluffshelter In Northwest Arkansas, Nathanael G. Fosaaen

Masters Theses

The Southeastern Ozarks region is a karst limestone environment featuring many sheltered sites, including Saltpeter Cave in Newton County, Arkansas. Early and Middle Archaic components of this site assemblage contain abundant faunal materials that illustrate how Ozarchaic peoples modified their subsistence strategies to accommodate significant climate change that began ~10,000 years ago. I have employed several quantitative techniques, including, density-mediated attrition analysis, diet breadth models, and bone fragmentation patterns to investigate the hunting and trapping practices at this southern Ozarchaic site. I have also employed small mammal representation and correspondence analysis using datasets from Dust Cave, Modoc Rock Shelter, and …

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Film Women Violence, Madison R. Ross Aug 2022

Film Women Violence, Madison R. Ross

Masters Theses

As a condensed version of social reality, film has become a more common object of modern sociological and criminological investigation. As such, we can explore film to understand taken-for-granted as well as innovative constructions of social phenomena. Among these are gendered violence. We can use film to dig deep into its logics, elaborated in visual and narrative representations. Prior literature has analyzed crime films and the behavioral constructions within them, outlining the representations of serial homicide, rape, mass shootings and revenge. However, few studies have outlined films that do meaningful, non-voyeuristic representational work on the issue of violence against …

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Putting The Meat In Meat-Less?: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Corporate Marketing Of Plant-Based Products, Samantha A. Mcintyre Aug 2022

Putting The Meat In Meat-Less?: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Corporate Marketing Of Plant-Based Products, Samantha A. Mcintyre

Masters Theses

The plant-based industry has sustained rapid growth within recent years due to awareness surrounding environmental harms. Due to the rise in profitability of plant-based products in the consumer market, multiple corporations have either acquired or created plant-based brands. The corporations that have done so (Tyson, Smithfield, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, and Conagra Foods) are the subjects of study for this project. These major corporations are also part of the industrial animal agriculture system, and garner profit from meat and dairy businesses. This study explores the way the marketing is embedded in ideologies of Western capitalism and patriarchy. I use critical discourse analysis …

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Simulating Fluvial Transport Patterns Of Human Remains In The Tennessee River, Karli Palmer Aug 2022

Simulating Fluvial Transport Patterns Of Human Remains In The Tennessee River, Karli Palmer

Masters Theses

Law enforcement and search and recovery personnel often encounter difficulties when trying to determine where to find a decedent within an aquatic environment. Drowning, boating accidents, and other water related deaths are not uncommon. However, expensive equipment such as sonar and remote operated vehicles, or specially trained rescue divers are often required when searching for remains. Due to both public health and ethical concerns, there is a lack of controlled studies on aquatic decomposition and fluvial transport of human remains, which has contributed to the difficulty of predicting where remains in the water may be located. The purpose of this …

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Curvilinear Fractures In Burned Remains: An Assessment Of The Relationship Between Fracture Convexity And Fire Directionality, Kimber G. Cheek Aug 2022

Curvilinear Fractures In Burned Remains: An Assessment Of The Relationship Between Fracture Convexity And Fire Directionality, Kimber G. Cheek

Masters Theses

Burned remains present a challenge for forensic anthropologists due to the variable nature of fires, the unique way fires impact remains, and the impact of heat changes on the analysis of the remains. A topic of extensive study is the fracture patterns seen in burned remains. Curvilinear fractures are one type of fracture that was originally discussed in the context of studying the preburned state of remains (Baby, 1954; Binford, 1963; Buikstra and Swegle, 1989). These fractures are thought to be created through the kinetic energy generated as muscles shrink and pull on the periosteum, fracturing the bone below (Symes …

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Blight Remediation And Affordable Housing Finance: A Potential Future Model For Hartford Homeownership, Luke Tressy, Joseph Perkus, Justin Olson, Suliman Foster Jul 2022

Blight Remediation And Affordable Housing Finance: A Potential Future Model For Hartford Homeownership, Luke Tressy, Joseph Perkus, Justin Olson, Suliman Foster

Masters Theses

This report is designed to aid the Hartford Land Bank (HLB) in its efforts to remediate blight as well as lay the groundwork for a more frictionless path to homeownership for residents in the City of Hartford. Over the course of the semester, the team has conducted research and analysis on various models and state funding systems that could increase property ownership among city residents. In collaboration with the HLB and Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), the team has focused on existing rent-to-own (RTO) and lease-purchase models of homeownership with decades of high success rate.

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The Weight Of The Interaction: An Exploration Of Fat Women's Experiences In Healthcare Settings, Danielle Snow Jun 2022

The Weight Of The Interaction: An Exploration Of Fat Women's Experiences In Healthcare Settings, Danielle Snow

Masters Theses

Despite making up a large portion of the United States population, fat people are stigmatized, discriminated against, and treated as deviant. Though there is a large body of interdisciplinary literature on obesity and health, and a large body of sociological literature on stigma, there is little literature on fat stigma. Thus, using a Goffman’s stigma theory with the added contribution of Foucault’s concept the medical gaze and medical anthropological concept delegitimization, this qualitative thesis explores the health care experiences of 13 White and 2 Black fat women in the U.S. First, context for fatness and health is explored within chapter …

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The Spatial Ecology And Habitat Selection Of A Spotted Turtle (Clemmys Guttata) Population In Southwest Michigan, Michela Coury May 2022

The Spatial Ecology And Habitat Selection Of A Spotted Turtle (Clemmys Guttata) Population In Southwest Michigan, Michela Coury

Masters Theses

Turtles are arguably the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet. Anthropogenic influences such as habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, subsidized predators, climate change, and illegal collection have contributed to their global decline. Understanding which isolated populations of turtles are viable despite these synergistic threats is crucial for making conservation and management decisions. In Michigan, the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a threatened species subjected to many negative anthropogenic influences that accelerate its rapid population decline. In order to properly sustain their populations, the goal of my research was to investigate relevant factors that help us …

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Burned Out And Unappreciated: Exploring Emotional Support For Certified Nursing Assistants In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Andrea H. Miller May 2022

Burned Out And Unappreciated: Exploring Emotional Support For Certified Nursing Assistants In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Andrea H. Miller

Masters Theses

This qualitative exploratory study involved individual interviews with three certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working for skilled nursing facilities within the West Michigan area. Using semi-structured questions, the researcher asked the CNAs about the different critical incidents (CIs) and job demands they experience. CNAs were also asked about the support resources they currently have through their SNF employer, if those resources are meeting their needs, and if CISM could be a beneficial resource option. Thematic analysis was used to code and interpret the data from the interview to find four main themes: Burnout, Communication, Inconsistency, and Teamwork. Participants identified physical and …

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Princes, Moms, And Warriors: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of Toxic Depictions In Film, Brittany Bahl May 2022

Princes, Moms, And Warriors: A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of Toxic Depictions In Film, Brittany Bahl

Masters Theses

Various forms of toxic rhetoric have been the subject of academic study for decades. Despite some advancements toward a more progressive society, toxic rhetorics have continued to persist within the United States, especially within entertainment media. Toxic rhetorics within film, in particular, have remained steadily prevalent and continue to strongly impact audiences and constructions of identity. This thesis utilizes primarily close reading and feminist rhetorical criticism to examine rhetorics of toxicity within three popular film franchises: (1) toxic masculinity in Coming to America (1988) and Coming 2 America (2021); (2) toxic femininity in Bad Moms; and (3) straightwashing as …

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Revisiting The Future: The Future Indicative And Perfective Aspect In Johannine Literature, Casey Lou Price May 2022

Revisiting The Future: The Future Indicative And Perfective Aspect In Johannine Literature, Casey Lou Price

Masters Theses

As Greek aspectual studies continue to develop, there remains a significant gap in research on the future as it pertains to aspect. The nature of the future indicative is debated, especially as to whether or not it conveys aspectual value. Using Buist Fanning’s premise that aspect and Aktionsart interact to produce predicable outcomes, Mark O’Brien has shown that future STATIVE verbs consistently create an ingressive meaning that mirrors that of STATIVE verbs in the aorist tense. He has used this to demonstrate that the aorist and future share the same aspect-Aktionsart interactions and that they therefore both communicate perfective aspect. …

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A Convention To Save America, Andrew Todd Looker, Jr. May 2022

A Convention To Save America, Andrew Todd Looker, Jr.

Masters Theses

Article V of the United States Constitution articulates the methods for amending the Constitution. Amendments are formally recommended by either a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress or by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures. This latter method is known as a Convention of States. Despite its inclusion in Article V, no amendment has yet been proposed for ratification by such a convention. This research aims to explain the history of Article V, the process for an Article V Convention, the current efforts to call such a convention, and amendments that should be considered at this convention. …

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Exploring Strategy Planning And Execution Methods In Church Missions Programs, Jonathan Daniel Deming May 2022

Exploring Strategy Planning And Execution Methods In Church Missions Programs, Jonathan Daniel Deming

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which church missions programs employ strategic planning and execution methods. In order to validate available literature on the topic of strategic planning (both biblical and secular), the author contributes a current survey dataset which validates the problem and highlights specific areas of potential improvement. This research successfully articulates the need for North American Southern Baptist Convention churches to focus on strategic planning. In analyzing the survey data, one is able to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between successful strategic planning and a church’s ability to optimize their ability to advance …

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Two Sides To Every Story: Investigating Changes In Cultural Attitudes Using Discourse Analysis In Computer-Mediated Infidelity Discussions, Michaela J. Dipillo May 2022

Two Sides To Every Story: Investigating Changes In Cultural Attitudes Using Discourse Analysis In Computer-Mediated Infidelity Discussions, Michaela J. Dipillo

Masters Theses

Despite overt cultural consensus on the reprehensible nature of infidelity, prevalence rates of infidelity behavior remain elevated— highlighting a substantial discrepancy between widely-accepted infidelity practices and actual behavior. To understand this incongruence and elucidate the cultural meaning of infidelity, communication surrounding infidelity warrants extensive scrutiny. The study employs methods of discourse analysis to investigate three Reddit threads from 2017, 2019, and 2021, that address infidelity. I make a case that recent changes in the discourse surrounding infidelity reflect changes in broader societal attitudes and accepted practices concerning infidelity. Using empirical methods of discourse analysis, I conducted three analytical procedures to …

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