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Title: THE COMMUNICATION IMPLICATIONS AND RELATED EXPERIENCES ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSRACIALLY ADOPTING A CHILD FROM VIETNAM.
Creator: Malin, Lan-Marie, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study investigated the communication experiences of adoptive parents of children transracially adopted from Vietnam. Though adoption has been extensively studied in communication research, transracial adoptions involving children from Vietnam has not. Thus, this study examined adoptive parent communication experiences using dialectic theory and relational dialectics. By examining adoptive parentsÃ‚Â' communication with their adopted child and others, we can...
Show moreThis study investigated the communication experiences of adoptive parents of children transracially adopted from Vietnam. Though adoption has been extensively studied in communication research, transracial adoptions involving children from Vietnam has not. Thus, this study examined adoptive parent communication experiences using dialectic theory and relational dialectics. By examining adoptive parentsÃ‚Â' communication with their adopted child and others, we can determine tensions that occur in different communication experiences. Data were collected through eight qualitative in-depth interviews conducted with adoptive parents of children from Vietnam. Openness with both strangers and the adopted child(ren) and preservation of key aspects of the adopted childrenÃ‚Â's original culture emerged as themes in adoptive parent communication. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003535, ucf:48967
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003535

Title: THE TYLER PERRY EFFECT: EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF BLACK MEDIA IMAGES ON THE BLACK IDENTITY.
Creator: Jackson, Nicole, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study investigated the influence of Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns on black viewers' racial identity, based on a survey of 145 members of four predominantly African American churches in the Central Florida area. Mirroring Allen, Dawson, and Brown's (1989) model of an African American racial belief system, this study proposed that both shows would positively influence three dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks, black separatism, and the belief...
Show moreThis study investigated the influence of Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns on black viewers' racial identity, based on a survey of 145 members of four predominantly African American churches in the Central Florida area. Mirroring Allen, Dawson, and Brown's (1989) model of an African American racial belief system, this study proposed that both shows would positively influence three dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks, black separatism, and the belief in positive stereotypes about blacks, while negatively influencing the dimension that emphasizes negative stereotypes about blacks. Socioeconomic status and religiosity were also hypothesized to predict exposure to both shows. The results show that while House of Payne positively influenced two dimensions of the black identity including closeness to blacks and the belief in positive stereotypes about blacks, Meet the Browns did not have a statistically significant relationship with any of the dimensions of the black identity. Additionally, results showed mixed support for the relationship between socioeconomic status, religiosity, and show exposure. While education had a negative relationship with exposure to both House of Payne and Meet the Browns, the income variable revealed no significant results with either show. Lastly, religiosity was shown to be a significant predictor of exposure to House of Payne, but not Meet the Browns. The findings suggest that Perry's shows may be considered by viewers as more beneficial than harmful to viewers to their racial identity and experience, which contradicts the critiques of his images as reverberating with negative stereotypical images of the past. Findings also suggest the importance of education and religion to black socialization patterns.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003957, ucf:48708
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003957

Title: A COMPARISON OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF OLDER TATTOOED WOMEN AND YOUNGER TATTOOED WOMEN.
Creator: Raymond, Laura, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The study examined how college students perceive older versus younger women based on their tattoo status (i.e., no tattoo, feminine tattoo, or masculine tattoo). A randomly assigned sample of 376 responded to a survey involving a 2 X 3 experiment designed to assess the impact of age (older versus younger) and tattoo status on four dependent measures: credibility, promiscuity, and attractiveness. Results indicate that older and younger women are perceived differently depending on their tattoo...
Show moreThe study examined how college students perceive older versus younger women based on their tattoo status (i.e., no tattoo, feminine tattoo, or masculine tattoo). A randomly assigned sample of 376 responded to a survey involving a 2 X 3 experiment designed to assess the impact of age (older versus younger) and tattoo status on four dependent measures: credibility, promiscuity, and attractiveness. Results indicate that older and younger women are perceived differently depending on their tattoo status. Not wearing a tattoo may lead to a more favorable perception of older women than wearing one, but wearing a feminine tattoo may engender a more favorable impression of older women than having a masculine tattoo. In contrast, avoiding to wear a tattoo may not be as helpful for the perception of younger women as it is for older women. Also, while younger women may be rewarded for gender role transgression with respect to tattoo status this is not so for older women.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003971, ucf:48658
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003971

Title: An Examination of the Connection Between Genuine Dialogue and Improv.
Creator: O'Neal, Kathleen, Hastings, Sally, Katt, James, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational...
Show moreThe value of improv training extends beyond the stage. Improv has been successfully utilized and applied in a variety of ways in the workplace, school, and community. This study examines the connection between genuine dialogue and improv to determine if improv exhibits dialogic qualities. Three focus groups were conducted with a total of nineteen improv students. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the director of a hospital's Innovation Lab where improv is used in an organizational setting. The conditions for dialogue set by Gordon (2006) served as a guideline for analyzing data. Thematic analysis generated categories used to analyze data. The most prominent of Gordon's conditions for dialogue within improv were Imagination (&) Innovation, Vulnerability and Immediacy of Presence. The importance of this study, implications and future studies for the connection between improv and dialogue are examined.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005389, ucf:52873
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005389

Title: Fanfiction Reviews and Academic Literacy: Potential Impacts and Implications.
Creator: Weiler, Regina, Katt, James, Musambira, George, Butler, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study is meant to elucidate how fanfiction-related activities can incorporate many types of critical review, to call attention to what has been overlooked as significant forms of learning, and to understand and take advantage of the opportunities fanfiction's unconventional writing affords in lieu of more deliberate learning environments. This thesis was undertaken due to the significant gap in work done by aca-fan (-) a portmanteau of academic and fan(-) scholars who have strong links...
Show moreThis study is meant to elucidate how fanfiction-related activities can incorporate many types of critical review, to call attention to what has been overlooked as significant forms of learning, and to understand and take advantage of the opportunities fanfiction's unconventional writing affords in lieu of more deliberate learning environments. This thesis was undertaken due to the significant gap in work done by aca-fan (-) a portmanteau of academic and fan(-) scholars who have strong links to the fanfiction community and culture. The aspects explored are the technical writing skills and techniques demonstrated in fanfiction reviews, the influence of the nontraditional online learning environment, the rhetorical strategies that reviewers use to give feedback, the significant categories of things that reviewers comment on, and the value of skills taught peer-to-peer in this manner. The results of my research suggest that peer review in a relaxed, non-academic context leads to improved confidence and skill among a wide demographic range. This thesis proposes that fanfiction writing, reading, and reviewing supports learning. The evidence suggests that it be incorporated where applicable in formal classroom learning to supplement traditional understandings of grammar, syntax, tone, and the use of universal tropes.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007553, ucf:52603
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007553

Title: How Do They Fit In?: Millennials In The Workplace.
Creator: Richendollar, Carolee, Hastings, Sally, Weger, Harry, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In some organizations four generations work together creating a unique culture. Millennials are the second largest generation currently in the workforce. Organizational culture is affected by interpersonal communication. Interviews were conducted with 17 workers between the ages of 19 and 30. Interviews consisted of 22 open-ended questions regarding daily tasks, organized activities, and interpersonal interaction. The perspective of organizational culture was evaluated through personal, task,...
Show moreIn some organizations four generations work together creating a unique culture. Millennials are the second largest generation currently in the workforce. Organizational culture is affected by interpersonal communication. Interviews were conducted with 17 workers between the ages of 19 and 30. Interviews consisted of 22 open-ended questions regarding daily tasks, organized activities, and interpersonal interaction. The perspective of organizational culture was evaluated through personal, task, social, and organizational rituals. Membership categorization was used to determine common vocabulary used to identify with coworkers. Duck's theory on attraction was used to evaluate interpersonal behavior seeking to determine psychological attractors acting as catalysts for relationship building. Data found suggests that Millennials create a culture similar to the tribal example suggested in previous research. Rituals act as forms of cultural dissemination and strengthening. The use of membership categorization devices reflected the structure of the organization and relationships between coworkers. Using Duck's attraction theory, an analysis reflected the identification factors that act as catalysts for relationships. Psychological attraction was linked to common interests.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004919, ucf:49608
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004919

Title: From the top: Impression management strategies and organizational identity in executive-authored weblogs.
Creator: McLane, Teryl, Hastings, Sally, Weger, Harry, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research examines impression management strategies high-ranking organizational executives employ to create an identity for themselves and their companies via executive authored Weblogs (blogs). This study attempts to identify specific patterns of impression management strategies through a deductive content analysis applying Jones' (1990) taxonomy of self-presentation strategies to this particular type of computer mediated communication. Sampling for this study (n=227) was limited to...
Show moreThis research examines impression management strategies high-ranking organizational executives employ to create an identity for themselves and their companies via executive authored Weblogs (blogs). This study attempts to identify specific patterns of impression management strategies through a deductive content analysis applying Jones' (1990) taxonomy of self-presentation strategies to this particular type of computer mediated communication. Sampling for this study (n=227) was limited to blogs solely and regularly authored by the highest-ranking leaders of Fortune 500 companies. The study revealed that executive bloggers frequently employed impression management strategies aimed at currying competency attributes (self-promotion), likeability (ingratiation), and moral worthiness (exemplification) to construct and shape a positive identify for themselves and their organization for their publics. Supplication strategies were used less frequently, while intimidation strategies were rarely used.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004411, ucf:49373
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004411

Title: Sensemaking In Honors Scheduling.
Creator: Rowland, James, Musambira, George, Hastings, Sally, Katt, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Honors courses offer students unique opportunities such as smaller class sizes, applied application of knowledge, and a closer mentorship with the faculty member. Through observation, there are some cases where courses have regularly been cancelled every term due to low enrollment. When these courses are often canceled, it can impact the honors program ability to continue to offer courses to the students. Using Weick's work on Sensemaking and principles of analyzing organizational culture,...
Show moreHonors courses offer students unique opportunities such as smaller class sizes, applied application of knowledge, and a closer mentorship with the faculty member. Through observation, there are some cases where courses have regularly been cancelled every term due to low enrollment. When these courses are often canceled, it can impact the honors program ability to continue to offer courses to the students. Using Weick's work on Sensemaking and principles of analyzing organizational culture, the study addressed how honors students are impacted by course cancellations and how they communicate about the impact. Through two focus groups with a total of eleven participants, information was gathered on how they constructed and communicated about their identity as honors students; their individual campus environments, and how those environments help to shape the communication culture they were part of; how they make scheduling decisions by extracting plausible cues from the communication they receive about course scheduling; and the impact of course cancellations on their honors experience.In defining honors and its incorporation into their identity, the students described how being in honors was a challenge to make themselves the best that they can be which included being part of an engaging community of scholars and of use to the community around. The two focus groups noted differences on how each campus provided a slightly different organizational culture: one more familiar and inviting, the other massive and resource filled, and with diversity in the type of students encountered. Course scheduling messages often were extracted from the course scheduling website, with little communication about what would be offered into the future beyond the immediate term. Students had to gather additional data from their fellow students, faculty, and the honors office. Students often searched for cues regarding time and location of the class, the impact to the degree program, and if the class will push the student in new and innovative ways to provide a deeper engagement with the material. Students were often impacted by course cancellations and the added stress of having to find replacement courses to avoid extending the time to complete the degree or risk financial repercussions with the loss of financial aid. These stressors do provide cues that can influence the degree of challenge a student is willing to accept or even degree completion.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006652, ucf:51249
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006652

Title: Preparing for the Inevitable: Sensemaking in Parent-Child Discussions of Death.
Creator: Wartmann, Carrie, Hastings, Sally, Musambira, George, Weger, Harry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Death is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current...
Show moreDeath is something everyone will eventually encounter, yet American society has a tendency to avoid or deny death in everyday life and language. Death makes people uncomfortable, and many view it as a topic too complex for children to understand. Children, however, witness big and little deaths in their lives: of pets, relatives, plants, and favorite fairy tale characters. When a child experiences a death, he or she may have questions for parents or other trusted adults which our current avoidance-geared society does not prepare adults for.Children exist in a specific cultural context, and learn rules and expectations of society from an early age. How society views a subject like death will influence how it is talked about, experienced, and learned. Parents and families serve as the primary means of socialization for young children and hold a position of expertise within the parent-child dynamic. Both socio-cultural and personal beliefs about death will influence how a parent approaches death education with his or her child.Through examination of the sensemaking and sensegiving accounts of parent participants, this study sought to understand what the process is like for parents who are discussing the subject of death with their children, what goals and concerns parents have, what information a parent privileges as important within the social and historical context of the conversation, and what resources he or she accesses, if any, to assist with communication. By framing the participants' experiences as (")making sense(") of a social environment after an interruption, this study was able to investigate the processes of sensemaking and sensegiving in an interpersonal context between parent and child, the roles of Weick's (1995) characteristics of sensemaking, implicit and explicit messages relayed to children about death, and the influence of social scripts on both processes.Twelve semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted to gather accounts in context of parents who had previously discussed death with their children. Interviews were analyzed based on a modified constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006). The study was designed to remain as close to the relayed experience of the participants as possible with hope that information from the participants' experiences will be useful for both academics and parents as a future resource for preparing for parent-child communication about death.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006415, ucf:51459
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006415

Title: "Sealing the Bond": A Qualitative Study of African American Funeral Rituals.
Creator: Grant, Danielle, Hastings, Sally, Sandoval, Jennifer, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Death is a universal phenomenon; yet, reactions to death are uniquely diverse. Handling the loss of a loved one has the potential to completely change how an individual sees their world, and their response to death can vary by race, religion, gender, and culture. The bereavement process in many ways is culturally guided, and understanding how culture guides the bereavement process through rituals is imperative. Despite cultural difference, responses to death within the academic community are...
Show moreDeath is a universal phenomenon; yet, reactions to death are uniquely diverse. Handling the loss of a loved one has the potential to completely change how an individual sees their world, and their response to death can vary by race, religion, gender, and culture. The bereavement process in many ways is culturally guided, and understanding how culture guides the bereavement process through rituals is imperative. Despite cultural difference, responses to death within the academic community are only representative of one group of people. This study looks at funeral rituals seen within the African American community, and addresses possible meanings behind the rituals discussed. Through the use of focus groups participants were asked about their experiences while attending African American funerals the meaning behind specific rituals. It was found that within African American funerals there are certain acts that hold special significance for the community and work to strengthen the community. Funerals have a larger symbolic meaning to the African American community and those symbols and meanings are discussed within this study.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006312, ucf:51579
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006312

Title: Multiculturalism as Reported by the European Online Press: A Qualitative Study on the Manifestation of Othering Discourses.
Creator: Chakrabarti, Shomik, Musambira, George, Sandoval, Jennifer, Hastings, Sally, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study critically examined how issues of multiculturalism and Muslim immigration are discursively constructed within the English language European online press. Through the use of a frame analysis as well as a more focused discourse analysis, an examination was undertaken to uncover how (")us(") versus (")them(") perspectives were manifest within a public discourse. A total of 132 articles from The Daily Mail, Le Monde Diplomatique, Dutchnews.nl, Spiegel Online and The International...
Show moreThis study critically examined how issues of multiculturalism and Muslim immigration are discursively constructed within the English language European online press. Through the use of a frame analysis as well as a more focused discourse analysis, an examination was undertaken to uncover how (")us(") versus (")them(") perspectives were manifest within a public discourse. A total of 132 articles from The Daily Mail, Le Monde Diplomatique, Dutchnews.nl, Spiegel Online and The International Herald Tribune were selected using a systematic sampling method based on the results of a search query for multiculturalism at each news site. The analysis of the data corpus revealed the news media's depiction of multiculturalism and Muslim immigrants as not wholly negative on the surface but under closer scrutiny revealed discursive and linguistic techniques that consistently marginalized and (")othered(") them. The themes found in the data corpus also illuminated a trend of the subordinated population as lacking proper representation and always being spoken for by the news media.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005587, ucf:50241
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005587

Title: Managerial Descriptions of Characteristics and Communication Rule Violations of Millennial Employees: Insights into the Hospitality Industry.
Creator: Baker, Nicole, Hastings, Sally, Miller, Ann, Musambira, George, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Millennials are the newest generation to enter the workforce. When Millennials enter organizations, managers construct perceptions about Millennials' communication behaviors, including their characteristics and adherence to organizational rules. These perceptions help managers decide Millennials' organizational fit. A review of literature revealed a scarcity of empirical research in this area with little empirical research from communication scholars who apply communication frameworks,...
Show moreMillennials are the newest generation to enter the workforce. When Millennials enter organizations, managers construct perceptions about Millennials' communication behaviors, including their characteristics and adherence to organizational rules. These perceptions help managers decide Millennials' organizational fit. A review of literature revealed a scarcity of empirical research in this area with little empirical research from communication scholars who apply communication frameworks, theories, and concepts. This research used the lens of social constructionism to understand the membership categorization devices and category-bound activities managers use to characterize Millennials. In order to better understand how Millennials conform to and change organizational culture, data were reviewed for those normative and code rules managers described Millennials violating. In this qualitative, exploratory study, 25 managers who were 31 years of age or older that worked in the hospitality industry and managed Millennial (18 to 30 years old) employees were interviewed through a snowball convenience sample. Interviews were transcribed and patterns were identified. Data analysis indicated that (")kids,(") (")age group,(") and (")Millennials(") and variations of the Millennial term were used to categorize Millennials. Analysis of category-bound activities showed patterns in Millennials' desire for learning and training, mixed preference for teamwork often affected by their liking for peers, and needs for frequent, clear, personalized feedback. With respect to rule violations, data showed that some organizations were adapting their cell phone policies in response to Millennial rules resistance. However, organizations were not willing to accommodate Millennials' rule violations in either the area of time-off requests or uncivil behavior due to organizational codes.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004649, ucf:49882
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004649

Millennials (2)	+ -
Organizational Culture (2)	+ -
qualitative research (2)	+ -
African American (1)	+ -
Attraction (1)	+ -

Course Scheduling (1)	+ -
Culture (1)	+ -
English language learners (1)	+ -
FF.net (1)	+ -
Florida State College System (1)	+ -
Funeral (1)	+ -
Generations (1)	+ -
Honors (1)	+ -
Impression management (1)	+ -
Internet communities (1)	+ -
Interpersonal (1)	+ -
MCDs (1)	+ -
MIRs (1)	+ -
Membership Catagorization Devices (1)	+ -
New media literacy (1)	+ -
Orientalism (1)	+ -
Perceptions tattoo older younger women (1)	+ -
Qualitative (1)	+ -
Ritual (1)	+ -
Rituals (1)	+ -
Savior of Demons (1)	+ -
Sensemaking (1)	+ -
Tyler Perry (1)	+ -
Workplace (1)	+ -
adoption (1)	+ -

Musambira, George (12)	+ -
University of Central Florida (12)	+ -
Hastings, Sally (8)	+ -
Katt, James (3)	+ -
Weger, Harry (3)	+ -

Sandoval, Jennifer (2)	+ -
Baker, Nicole (1)	+ -
Butler, John (1)	+ -
Chakrabarti, Shomik (1)	+ -
Grant, Danielle (1)	+ -
Jackson, Nicole (1)	+ -
Malin, Lan-Marie (1)	+ -
McLane, Teryl (1)	+ -
Miller, Ann (1)	+ -
O'Neal, Kathleen (1)	+ -
Raymond, Laura (1)	+ -
Richendollar, Carolee (1)	+ -
Rowland, James (1)	+ -
Wartmann, Carrie (1)	+ -
Weiler, Regina (1)	+ -

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