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- Title
- AT THE FRONTLINES OF THE KULTURKAMPF: SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
- Creator
-
Montanez, Julio, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Social policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social...
Show moreSocial policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social contact, and many others. This research administered a 55-item survey to undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. With a sample of 210 individuals, this study aimed to answer the following research question. Which explanatory variables are most correlated with support for social policies and rights regarding sexual and gender minorities? Dimension reduction techniques were utilized to create three sub-scales that measure the dependent variable: Alternative Relationship Recognitions, Socio-Political and Economic Goals, and Basic Freedoms. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were reported, confirming the internal consistencies of the dimensions. Bivariate correlation analyses revealed a number of variables with consistent relationships to the dependent variable: sexual prejudice, attributions that view homosexuality as something with which an individual is born, support for abortion rights, partisan identification, ideology, religious affiliation, and religious attendance. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models further assessed the nature of the relationships; sexual prejudice was the most correlated with support for social policies and rights pertaining to sexual and gender minorities. Discussions of findings, limitations of this research, directions for future research, and empirical implications are provided accordingly.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004533, ucf:45201
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004533
- Title
- An Investigation of the Biomechanical Implications of Lower Limb Fractures and Leg Length Disparity.
- Creator
-
Mills, Elizabeth, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Starbuck, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
One of the primary goals of biological anthropology is to develop an accurate understanding of human anatomy, health, disease, and injury in both modern and archaeological populations. Paleopathological analyses are a fruitful means of identifying disease and injury in skeletal assemblages, but the individual long-term biomechanical effects associated with pathological conditions have not yet been adequately explored in the literature. Leg fractures are a common pathological condition in both...
Show moreOne of the primary goals of biological anthropology is to develop an accurate understanding of human anatomy, health, disease, and injury in both modern and archaeological populations. Paleopathological analyses are a fruitful means of identifying disease and injury in skeletal assemblages, but the individual long-term biomechanical effects associated with pathological conditions have not yet been adequately explored in the literature. Leg fractures are a common pathological condition in both modern and archaeological populations, the effects of which may alter the biomechanics of gait. A growing body of clinical literature demonstrates that abnormal ambulatory function may have far-reaching effects in the rest of the body.To assess the long-term consequences of pathological conditions of the lower extremities, the relationship between lower limb long bone fracture occurrence, incidence of leg length disparity (LLD), and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) was analyzed. A total of 56 adult individuals (29 fractured, 27 unfractured) from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection (HTOC) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (curated between 1912 and 1938) were examined in this study. In total, the sample consisted of 37 males and 19 females (ages 25-76) of either black or white ancestry. LLD was assessed by taking standardized measurements of the lower limb long bones. TMD was analyzed by scoring the presence and severity of osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ OA), dental attrition, and antemortem tooth loss. Kendall's Tau correlation statistics were used to assess morphological integration between all unique pairwise combinations of lower limb and jaw measurements among unfractured and fractured groups. Results indicate that several measures of LLD and jaw dysfunction are correlated differently in the unfractured and fractured groups. Comparisons of the All Unfractured and All Fractured groups most often showed higher absolute correlation values in unfractured individuals. Samples were also subdivided and compared based on known sex. Significant differences in patterns of morphological integration were observed between male and female sub-samples. Significant correlation values were almost always higher in the unfractured sample than in the fractured sample. Females, however, demonstrated both significant increases and significant decreases in absolute correlation values when comparing fractured and unfractured samples. Thus, patterns of significant differences in morphological integration between the lower limbs and jaw differ for males and females, with fairly consistent decreases in integration strength in the former and a mixed pattern of integration strength increases and decreases in the latter, when a leg fracture is involved. It is argued that these differences are explained by fundamental sexually dimorphic morphological and kinematic differences between males and females, such that fractures resulting in LLD affect the two sexes differently. Gendered lifetime social experiences and activity patterns may also explain the different male and female patterns identified in the analysis. These insights are applied to larger anthropological questions of social identity and the long-term injury experience.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006694, ucf:51917
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006694
- Title
- App-ily Ever After - Self-Presentation and Perception of Others on the Dating App Tinder.
- Creator
-
Dunlop, Johnathan, Hinojosa, Ramon, Carter, Shannon, Corzine, Harold, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Location-based real-time dating (LBRTD) apps have become an increasingly common way for people to broaden their social network and meet others for the purposes of dating, friendship, and more. This investigation focused on Tinder, presently the most widely-used LBRTD app. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-three current and recent Tinder users to gain insight into their self-presentation strategies and impressions of others on the app. The questions concentrated around four...
Show moreLocation-based real-time dating (LBRTD) apps have become an increasingly common way for people to broaden their social network and meet others for the purposes of dating, friendship, and more. This investigation focused on Tinder, presently the most widely-used LBRTD app. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-three current and recent Tinder users to gain insight into their self-presentation strategies and impressions of others on the app. The questions concentrated around four major topic areas: use of photos, use of bio text, perception of others, and real or imagined deception. A grounded theory approach was used to frame the data. From this, four major themes were derived that characterized Tinder as a unique social space. First, Tinder users maintained an idealistic yet authentic portrayal of the self. Secondly, self-presentation was governed by gender norms, both societal and unique to the app. Thirdly, while these strategies were deliberately planned, they were often structured to appear nonchalant. Finally, concerns about (")catfishing(") and the authenticity of others shaped both how users presented themselves and the others they chose to interact with on the app. The study concluded by suggesting multiple prospective research directions into this intriguing and under-researched field.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007325, ucf:52110
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007325
- Title
- Fashioning Society: The Use of Facial Adornments for Social Identification in Late Postclassic Tlaxcallan, Mexico.
- Creator
-
Costa, Angelica, Barber, Sarah, Kovacevich, Brigitte, Callaghan, Michael, Fargher, Lane, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In pre-Hispanic Central Mexico, communities frequently practiced various forms of embodying social identity through the use of facial adornments. Ornaments were placed in the ears, nose, and lips to materialize aspects of both self and collective identity. Important characteristics, such as age, gender, status, kinship, and ethnicity can be better understood through analysis of facial ornaments recovered from archaeological sites. Recent research at the Late Postclassic (AD 1420-1521) city of...
Show moreIn pre-Hispanic Central Mexico, communities frequently practiced various forms of embodying social identity through the use of facial adornments. Ornaments were placed in the ears, nose, and lips to materialize aspects of both self and collective identity. Important characteristics, such as age, gender, status, kinship, and ethnicity can be better understood through analysis of facial ornaments recovered from archaeological sites. Recent research at the Late Postclassic (AD 1420-1521) city of Tlaxcallan has provided insight into how facial ornamentation varied within the central highlands of Mexico. Typological analysis of ornaments and figurines recovered at Tlaxcallan and comparative examinations between Tlaxcalteca and Aztec historical documents has provided evidence to support varying embodiment practices between these groups. Despite their shared Nahua identity and close proximity, the Tlaxcalteca and the Aztecs chose to emphasize significantly different aspects of identity within their own social hierarchies. The persistent conflict and varying political organization between these communities is reflected in their embodiment practices. Thus, these objects have the potential to reveal how larger sociopolitical interactions can affect local collective identities. Through this comparative analysis, I demonstrate how the Tlaxcalteca and the Aztecs identified aspects of social identity through analysis of facial ornamentation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007749, ucf:52401
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007749
- Title
- I'm Not Your Waifu: Sexual Harassment and Assault in Cosplay, Anime (&) Comic Conventions.
- Creator
-
Ellsworth, Alexandria, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Anthony, Amanda, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Women face sexual harassment and sexual assault far too often with one in every six women sexually assaulted during their life (Tjaden (&) Thoennes, 1998). In the anime and comic community, women face sexual assault and harassment, often in open public spaces, due to these spaces being labeled as men's (Cote, 2015; Fox (&) Potocki 2015; Rodriguez 2015; Schott (&) Horrell 2000). Policies such as Cosplay is not Consent (Facebook, 2018) are not upheld or enforced by anime and comic conventions....
Show moreWomen face sexual harassment and sexual assault far too often with one in every six women sexually assaulted during their life (Tjaden (&) Thoennes, 1998). In the anime and comic community, women face sexual assault and harassment, often in open public spaces, due to these spaces being labeled as men's (Cote, 2015; Fox (&) Potocki 2015; Rodriguez 2015; Schott (&) Horrell 2000). Policies such as Cosplay is not Consent (Facebook, 2018) are not upheld or enforced by anime and comic conventions. Policies that are enforced, have clear and concise wording, and are enforced by staff and volunteers, who have been educated or trained to deal with sexual assault and harassment, may likely promote safer sexual assault and sexual harassment free anime and comic conventions. A total of 27 participants (20 women, 6 men, and 1 non-binary) were recruited via a snowball technique through Facebook social media groups. Participants were interviewed in-depth either face-to-face or through written interviews. The results showed that: (1) cosplay is a form of embodiment it does not negate the person's identity or bodily autonomy while wearing the cosplay; (2) women are generally the targets of sexual assault and harassment; (3) policies are often not enforced or enforced well due to lack of clear policies or consequences; (4) staff and volunteers are not educated, trained or equipped to deal with sexual assault and harassment; and 5) anime and comic convention organizers need to be responsible for helping to create safer environments for their attendees, staff, and volunteers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007175, ucf:52281
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007175
- Title
- In Quest of Bernstein Inequalities Rational Functions, Askey-Wilson Operator, and Summation Identities for Entire Functions.
- Creator
-
Puwakgolle Gedara, Rajitha, Li, Xin, Mohapatra, Ram, Ismail, Mourad, Xu, Mengyu, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The title of the dissertation gives an indication of the material involved with the connecting thread throughout being the classical Bernstein inequality (and its variants), which provides an estimate to the size of the derivative of a given polynomial on a prescribed set in the complex plane, relative to the size of the polynomial itself on the same set. Chapters 1 and 2 lay the foundation for the dissertation. In Chapter 1, we introduce the notations and terminology that will be used...
Show moreThe title of the dissertation gives an indication of the material involved with the connecting thread throughout being the classical Bernstein inequality (and its variants), which provides an estimate to the size of the derivative of a given polynomial on a prescribed set in the complex plane, relative to the size of the polynomial itself on the same set. Chapters 1 and 2 lay the foundation for the dissertation. In Chapter 1, we introduce the notations and terminology that will be used throughout. Also a brief historical recount is given on the origin of the Bernstein inequality, which dated back to the days of the discovery of the Periodic table by the Russian Chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. In Chapter 2, we narrow down the contents stated in Chapter 1 to the problems we were interested in working during the course of this dissertation. Henceforth, we present a problem formulation mainly for those results for which solutions or partial solutions are provided in the subsequent chapters.Over the years Bernstein inequality has been generalized and extended in several directions. In Chapter \ref{Bern-ineq}, we establish rational analogues to some Bernstein-type inequalities for restricted zeros and prescribed poles. Our inequalities extend the results for polynomials, especially which are themselves improved versions of the classical Erd\"{o}s-Lax and Tur\'{a}n inequalities. In working towards proving our results, we establish some auxiliary results, which may be of interest on their own. Chapters \ref{AW-on-polynomials} and \ref{AW-on-entire} focus on the research carried out with the Askey-Wilson operator applied on polynomials and entire functions (of exponential type) respectively.In Chapter 4, we first establish a Riesz-type interpolation formula on the interval $[-1,1]$ for the Askey-Wilson operator. In consequence, a sharp Bernstein inequality and a Markov inequality are obtained when differentiation is replaced by the Askey-Wilson operator. Moreover, an inverse approximation theorem is proved using a Bernstein-type inequality in $L^2-$space. We conclude this chapter with an overconvergence result which is applied to characterize all $q$-differentiable functions of Brown and Ismail. Chapter \ref{AW-on-entire} is devoted to an intriguing application of the Askey-Wilson operator. By applying it on the Sampling Theorem on entire functions of exponential type, we obtain a series representation formula, which is what we called an extended Boas' formula. Its power in discovering interesting summation formulas, some known and some new will be demonstrated. As another application, we are able to obtain a couple of Bernstein-type inequalities.In the concluding chapter, we state some avenues where this research can progress.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007237, ucf:52220
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007237
- Title
- Crossing Literate Worlds: Exploring How Students With Rich Identities as Writers Negotiate Multiple Writing Contexts.
- Creator
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Shrum, Autumn, Wardle, Elizabeth, Wallace, David, Scott, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study investigated the literate identities of college students who engage in various school and non-school writing practices simultaneously. In case studies of three student writers, the researcher seeks to explore how the discourse community roles, self-perceptions, negotiation of multiple writing processes and development of authority impacted the students' identities as writers. Triangulated research methods included weekly interviews with the student participants, observation of the...
Show moreThis study investigated the literate identities of college students who engage in various school and non-school writing practices simultaneously. In case studies of three student writers, the researcher seeks to explore how the discourse community roles, self-perceptions, negotiation of multiple writing processes and development of authority impacted the students' identities as writers. Triangulated research methods included weekly interviews with the student participants, observation of the students in their writing classrooms and analysis of the students' school and non-school texts over one semester. Students experienced several conflicts and synergies between contexts. Main findings indicated that writing across many academic and extra-academic settings during a short time period may alter self-perceptions, encourage or discourage the repurposing of writing processes, and limit the development of authority. Implications for teachers and researchers of college-level writing center on awareness of the literate lives of students beyond classroom walls. Future research questions are raised regarding the transfer of writing-related knowledge as it may occur in students with strong literate identities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004167, ucf:49061
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004167
- Title
- FOR HOME AND COUNTRY: CONFEDERATE NATIONALISM IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
- Creator
-
Shaw, Hunter, Sacher, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study examines Confederate nationalism in Western North Carolina during the Civil War. Using secondary sources, newspapers, civilian, and soldiersÂÂÂÂ' letters, this study will show that most Appalachians demonstrated a strong loyalty to their new Confederate nation. However, while a majority Appalachian Confederates maintained a strong Confederate nationalism throughout the war; many...
Show moreThis study examines Confederate nationalism in Western North Carolina during the Civil War. Using secondary sources, newspapers, civilian, and soldiersÂÂÂÂ' letters, this study will show that most Appalachians demonstrated a strong loyalty to their new Confederate nation. However, while a majority Appalachian Confederates maintained a strong Confederate nationalism throughout the war; many Western North Carolinians were not loyal to the Confederacy. Critically analyzing Confederate nationalism in Western North Carolina will show that conceptions of loyalty and disloyalty are not absolute, in other words, Appalachia was not purely loyal or disloyal.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003561, ucf:48895
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003561
- Title
- Finding Sundays: A Collection of Stories.
- Creator
-
Martin, Tamra, Neal, Mary, Hubbard, Susan, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Finding Sundays: A Collection of Stories is a collection that explores the lives of people in the fictional town of Hickory Springs, Virginia. The title story (")Finding Sundays(") follows the life of Deacon Taylor and connects him to the characters around him in the proceeding pieces. These stories explore the lives of Deacon, his family, and his childhood friend, Sandra. The focus of this collection is not meant to be about spirituality or religion in general, although these exist as themes...
Show moreFinding Sundays: A Collection of Stories is a collection that explores the lives of people in the fictional town of Hickory Springs, Virginia. The title story (")Finding Sundays(") follows the life of Deacon Taylor and connects him to the characters around him in the proceeding pieces. These stories explore the lives of Deacon, his family, and his childhood friend, Sandra. The focus of this collection is not meant to be about spirituality or religion in general, although these exist as themes in the background of the stories. Instead, it is meant to look at how the lives of people connected through a church and a small town setting can affect them and lead them on different paths through the choices they make. Their personal struggles and challenges help them to either discover who they are or lose a piece of themselves in the process, which is especially true for Deacon. He is the character who appears as a child, as an adolescent, and as an adult. Self-discovery is not always peaceful or satisfying for him or any of the characters around him, and their individual journeys show this process and the different events that come from the choices they make. This collection focuses on how religious roots, friendships, and familial connections, or the lack of such bonds, affect the characters' own personal views and decisions as well as how they relate to those around them.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004408, ucf:49386
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004408
- Title
- From the top: Impression management strategies and organizational identity in executive-authored weblogs.
- Creator
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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.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004411, ucf:49373
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004411
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF SCHOLAR-BALLER AND NON SCHOLAR-BALLER DIVISION I FOOTBALL STUDENT-ATHLETES' ACADEMIC, ATHLETIC, INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND ATHLETIC IDENTITY.
- Creator
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Rasmussen, Janet, Holt, Larry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As less than 3 % of student-athletes go on to play sport professionally, it is important that they are prepared for careers outside of athletics (Susanj & Stewart, 2005). Many football student-athletes have low grade point averages and graduation rates. Universities incorporate academic motivational programs to help combat low academic performance. One unique program, Scholar-Baller, utilizes popular culture within its curriculum to bridge the gap between academics and athletics. This...
Show moreAs less than 3 % of student-athletes go on to play sport professionally, it is important that they are prepared for careers outside of athletics (Susanj & Stewart, 2005). Many football student-athletes have low grade point averages and graduation rates. Universities incorporate academic motivational programs to help combat low academic performance. One unique program, Scholar-Baller, utilizes popular culture within its curriculum to bridge the gap between academics and athletics. This dissertation examined the differences between Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller Division I football student-athletes' motivation (academic, athletic, intrinsic) and athletic identity using expectancy-value theory and self-affirmation theory as its framework. In addition, the effect of race/ethnicity (African-American, White American and Other race/ethnicity) and Scholar-Baller participation on Division I football student-athletes' motivation (academic, athletic, intrinsic) and athletic identity was examined. Expectancy-value theory defines motivation as both the expectation of the student's belief about the final outcome of a task, and the values the student gives to the task. A student either has a positive, negative, or neutral expectation of the completed task's outcome (Williams, Anderson & Winett, 2005; Xiang, McBRide & Bruene, 2006). This framework allows for exploration of student athletes' academic expectations and values. Self-affirmation theory explains that when students focus on important identities and values, they can become less defensive towards threatening information. Therefore, when receiving negative academic feedback, student-athletes using self-affirmation techniques may be more confident, open-minded and receptive towards the threatening information. Three instruments were used to collect data. The Student-athletes' Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire SAMSAQ) was used to assess academic and athletic motivation, while the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to assess intrinsic motivation towards academics. Lastly, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) was used to investigate athletic identity. Four universities (two Scholar-Baller and two Non Scholar-Baller) were chosen for their similar academic and athletic performance. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences: Graduate Pack 16 for Windows, a Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were run to determine if significant differences exist between the Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller football student-athletes' academic, athletic, intrinsic motivation and athletic identity. These tests revealed that Scholar-Baller football student-athletes had significantly lower academic and athletic motivation than Non Scholar-Baller football student-athletes. Having low academic expectations and little value for academics is consistent with student-athlete subculture. However, these findings were in contrast to what was expected. In addition, Scholar-Baller football student-athletes had significantly higher athletic identity than Non Scholar-Baller football student-athletes.This finding is also consistent with the literature on student-athletes. As student-athletes must be motivated athletically to perform at intercollegiate sports, it is not surprising to find high athletic identity among the Scholar-Baller football student-athletes. In fact, studies have suggested that high athletic identity correlates with high academic performance (Harrison, Stone, Shapiro, Yee, Boyd & Rullan, 2009; Sellers, Chavous & Brown, 2001). One Scholar-Baller university in this study reported higher grade point averages since the inception of the Scholar-Baller program (2.37 in Fall 2004 to 2.68 in Spring 2006). Scholar-Baller curriculum utilizes self-affirmation exercises to affirm student- athletes athletically and influence more acceptance of academic criticism. Scholar-Baller football student-athletes are more affirmed in their athletic role which may lead to academic success. This dissertation also investigated differences between Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller football student-athletes' academic, athletic, intrinsic motivation and athletic identity in relation to race/ethnicity. Three groups, comprised of African-American, White American and Other race/ethnicity, were used to compare Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar-Baller football student-athletes. No significant differences were found. However, it was noted that Scholar-Baller African-American football student-athletes had higher academic, athletic and intrinsic motivation than Scholar-Baller White American football student-athletes. This finding is surprising given the previous research indicating African-American student-athletes' low academic motivation. As this dissertation investigated only differences between Scholar-Baller and Non Scholar football student-athletes' motivation and identity, further research needs to be done to further explicate these differences. Also, athletic identity should be further investigated among football student-athletes to determine its role in academic performance. Furthermore, given this study's findings of higher academic and athletic motivation among African-American Scholar-Baller football student-athletes, and its contrast to previous research, further studies should be performed to further explicate these differences among race/ethnicity. Qualitative research involving in-depth interviews and longitudinal studies investigating motivation and athletic identity over time should be performed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002901, ucf:47991
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002901
- Title
- Wounded Warrior or War Hero? Or Maybe, Neither?: Resisting Common Tropes of the Veteran and Developing Digital Literacy Practices via Narrative Building and Identity Presentation in Social Networking Spaces.
- Creator
-
Branham, Cassandra, Vie, Stephanie, Rounsaville, Angela, Salter, Anastasia, Grohowski, Mariana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This project reports on the results of a study that investigated the social networking use of student and non-student veterans, with a particular focus on the narrative building and identity presentation practices involved in this use. In this dissertation, I argue that stereotypical and exclusionary tropes of the veteran, such as the veteran as war hero and the veteran as wounded warrior, are damaging to our veterans and to others, in both the society and the classroom. However, through the...
Show moreThis project reports on the results of a study that investigated the social networking use of student and non-student veterans, with a particular focus on the narrative building and identity presentation practices involved in this use. In this dissertation, I argue that stereotypical and exclusionary tropes of the veteran, such as the veteran as war hero and the veteran as wounded warrior, are damaging to our veterans and to others, in both the society and the classroom. However, through the detailed analysis of survey data and data collected from an interview and social networking profile tour with one student veteran participant, I highlight the exclusionary nature of these tropes and argue that the complex digital narratives crafted in social networking spaces can offer resistance to popular tropes of the veteran. The complexity of my participants' digital narratives also offers support for the argument that elements of one's social networking profiles, when viewed independently and decontextualized, can lead to invalid and unfair assumptions about the users' identity. Additionally, I argue that, for my participants, many of whom demonstrated a nuanced and critical understanding of audience, decisions to self-identify as military personnel in social networking spaces are intertwined with perceptions of privacy. Finally, this project culminates in the identification of a number of digital literacy practices present in my participants' social networking use, as well as a set of pedagogical and programmatic recommendations for writing teachers and writing program administrators interested in aiding student veterans in the process of transition and reintegration.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006268, ucf:51030
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006268
- Title
- Avatar and Self: A Rhetoric of Identity Mediated Through Collaborative Role-Play.
- Creator
-
Andrews, Pamela, Pigg, Stacey, McDaniel, Thomas, Bowdon, Melody, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This project responds to a problem in scholarship describing the relationship between virtual avatars and their physical users. In Life on the Screen, Sherry Turkle identifies points of slippage wherein the persona of the avatar becomes conflated with the user's sense of self to create an authentic self predicated on both real and virtual experiences (Turkle 184-5). Although the conflation of the authentic self with the virtual has provided various affordances for serious games or other...
Show moreThis project responds to a problem in scholarship describing the relationship between virtual avatars and their physical users. In Life on the Screen, Sherry Turkle identifies points of slippage wherein the persona of the avatar becomes conflated with the user's sense of self to create an authentic self predicated on both real and virtual experiences (Turkle 184-5). Although the conflation of the authentic self with the virtual has provided various affordances for serious games or other pedagogical projects such as classrooms hosted through the game Second Life, the processes enabling identification with an avatar have been largely overlooked. This project examines several layers of influence that affect how users play with identity to create successful social performances within an online community connected to a work of fiction. In doing so, the user must consider his or her own motivations for creating a persona, how these motivations will allow the avatar to achieve social acceptance, and how these social performances connect to the scene created by the work of fiction. Using an online role-playing forum based on a work of fiction as a site of analysis, this project will borrow from game studies, dramatism, and identity theory to create a framework for discussing processes through which users identify with their virtual avatars.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004807, ucf:49735
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004807
- Title
- MIA-mi: Exploring the Affect of Digital Cinema Through Micro-Budget Production Techniques.
- Creator
-
Lima, Yesenia, Mills, Lisa, Peterson, Lisa, Underberg-Goode, Natalie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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MIA-mi is a feature-length, micro-budget, and digital motion picture, produced, written, and directed by Yesenia Lima in pursuit of the Master of Fine Arts in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema from the University of Central Florida. The film is a satirical and naturalistic look at the standing global image of a city, Miami, FL, and its inhabitants. The guiding question behind the production is whether a portrayal of a city, outside of its stereotypical portrait in mass media, could spark and...
Show moreMIA-mi is a feature-length, micro-budget, and digital motion picture, produced, written, and directed by Yesenia Lima in pursuit of the Master of Fine Arts in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema from the University of Central Florida. The film is a satirical and naturalistic look at the standing global image of a city, Miami, FL, and its inhabitants. The guiding question behind the production is whether a portrayal of a city, outside of its stereotypical portrait in mass media, could spark and affect a dialogue on the global image of the city and its inhabitant's ability to adjust that image rather than conform to it. The film was produced in a micro-budget (under $50,000) model, following the program's guidelines. It was shot on location in Miami, FL, with a volunteer cast and crew. This thesis is a record of the film's development from inception to post-production, in preparation for distribution.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005649, ucf:50182
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005649
- Title
- In Double Exile: A Memoir.
- Creator
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Beckwin, Deborah, Nwakanma, Obi, Roney, Lisa, Thaxton, Terry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In Double Exile: A Memoir examines the life of a family of Ghanaian immigrants and their journeys of acculturation, and the impact of the father's spiraling mental health issues on his family. Through the eyes of their daughter, this thesis briefly explores their lives on the right side of the Atlantic, as medical professionals, and then focuses on the life of their daughter born in America on the left side of the Atlantic. As novelist Georges Simenon has said, (")I am at home everywhere, and...
Show moreIn Double Exile: A Memoir examines the life of a family of Ghanaian immigrants and their journeys of acculturation, and the impact of the father's spiraling mental health issues on his family. Through the eyes of their daughter, this thesis briefly explores their lives on the right side of the Atlantic, as medical professionals, and then focuses on the life of their daughter born in America on the left side of the Atlantic. As novelist Georges Simenon has said, (")I am at home everywhere, and nowhere. I am never a stranger and I never quite belong.(") This memoir explores this tension between alienation and connection, as a second-generation immigrant grows up navigating between various cultures: to dominant American culture, evangelical Christian/Southern culture, African-American culture, and Ghanaian culture. In an attempt to understand the present, this thesis is a sankofa journey back into the author's history. Spanning over four decades, the memoir uncovers various exilic configurations: exiled from family, from ethnic heritage, from home, and from one's self.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005304, ucf:50529
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005304
- Title
- FROM PRE-ISLAM TO MANDATE STATES: EXAMINING CULTURAL IMPERIALISM AND CULTURAL BLEED IN THE LEVANT.
- Creator
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Willman, Gabriel, Özoğlu, Hakan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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To a large degree, historical analyses of the Levantine region tend to focus primarily upon martial interaction and state formation. However, perhaps of equitable impact is the chronology of those interactions which are cultural in nature. The long-term formative effect of cultural imperialism and cultural bleed can easily be as influential as the direct alterations imposed by martial invasion. While this study does not attempt to establish comparative causal weight or catalytic impact...
Show moreTo a large degree, historical analyses of the Levantine region tend to focus primarily upon martial interaction and state formation. However, perhaps of equitable impact is the chronology of those interactions which are cultural in nature. The long-term formative effect of cultural imperialism and cultural bleed can easily be as influential as the direct alterations imposed by martial invasion. While this study does not attempt to establish comparative causal weight or catalytic impact between these types of interactions, it does contend that the cultural evolution of the Levant has been significantly influenced by external interaction for a period of time extending beyond the Levantine Islamic Expansion. This study presents a chronological examination of the region from the pre-Expansion Period through the Mandate Period, focused upon relevant cultural structures. Specifically, emphasis is placed upon religious, ethnic, and nationalistic identity development, sociolinguistic shifts, and institutional changes within the societal structure. The primary conclusion of this study is that significant evidence exists to support a long-term historical narrative of externally influenced Levantine cultural evolution, inclusive of both adaptive and reactive interactions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004490, ucf:45075
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004490
- Title
- Rhetoric of Imagery: Gendering Identity and Consumption Throughout Interwar American Advertisment.
- Creator
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Delgado, Natalie, Dandrow, Edward, Crepeau, Richard, French, Scot, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Interwar American advertising rose alongside new levels of hygiene, personal appearance, and technology in order to sell their products to target audiences. Despite the abundance of scholarship on media and gender, few studies have examined the gendered techniques through which interwar advertisers communicated with consumers in response to changing social norms and economic stability. The question this thesis explores is how these changes and communication shifted in response to consumer...
Show moreInterwar American advertising rose alongside new levels of hygiene, personal appearance, and technology in order to sell their products to target audiences. Despite the abundance of scholarship on media and gender, few studies have examined the gendered techniques through which interwar advertisers communicated with consumers in response to changing social norms and economic stability. The question this thesis explores is how these changes and communication shifted in response to consumer culture and how advertisers utilized early market research and persuasion techniques to target their audiences. Building on the studies of gender, consumption, and identity, this thesis examines the relationship between American advertisers and their targeted male and female consumers between 1920 and 1940. By exploring how admen and women within Madison Avenue's top advertising agencies utilized psychology and consumer feedback to develop a two-way communication with middle-classed consumers, this thesis draws from social, cultural, and gendered studies to understand how advertisers communicated with and tried to appeal to their target audiences. Utilizing both copy and imagery as sources of communication, this study examines every issue of the top circulating American magazines between 1920 and 1940 to explain how advertisers rose with early consumer behavioral psychology and new standards of sanitation and hygiene, how a growing consumer culture and American notion of identity and gender affected the selling of selfhood and personal beauty products, and how gendered media representations and persuasion techniques helped advertisers sell modernity and individuality to readers. This analysis surveys specific advertising campaigns before, during, and after the Stock Market Crash to follow shifts in appeals to masculinity and femininity in response to changing social norms. By delving into this intersection of gender, media, and identity, this study finds various nuances through which advertisers and their audiences communicated in and alongside a growing consumer culture.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006870, ucf:51740
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006870
- Title
- WHITE OPINIONS OF UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION: TESTING RIVAL HYPOTHESES, 2004.
- Creator
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Bulkley, Celeste, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Few issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political...
Show moreFew issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political knowledge, national identity, group pride, and racism. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Study, the thesis provides a critical test of the competing hypotheses using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, conditional relationships are posited, facilitating a more refined analysis of the structure of attitudes on immigration issues. The results indicate that racism, group pride, symbolic patriotism, ideology, and isolationism are the most consistent and significant predictors of immigration policy preferences. The use of four distinct dependent variable questions also highlights the inconsistency in public opinion regarding immigration and the division between public perception of documented and undocumented entries. Future research should focus on the interrelationship between variables that are used by the individual to define group associations, as well as the change in national and personal identity brought about by the events of September 11th, 2001.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001407, ucf:47075
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001407
- Title
- CREATING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH CORPORATE BRANDING.
- Creator
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Ritz, Hayley, Jones, Dan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis provides a thorough definition of corporate branding, including its benefits when used as a strategic marketing tool. There are many who believe that the logo of a corporation is its brand. However, the logo is only one interpretation of the brand. The brand is the corporation's ethos. It is the fundamental character or spirit of the corporation. It is an expression of who the corporation is. It is the essence that links the corporation's product or service with its...
Show moreThis thesis provides a thorough definition of corporate branding, including its benefits when used as a strategic marketing tool. There are many who believe that the logo of a corporation is its brand. However, the logo is only one interpretation of the brand. The brand is the corporation's ethos. It is the fundamental character or spirit of the corporation. It is an expression of who the corporation is. It is the essence that links the corporation's product or service with its consumer through loyalty and emotional attachments. Corporations use various processes and methodologies when they begin to create and enhance their corporate brand. Corporations must define their corporate personality, build recognition, standardize, and fulfill brand promises. There are also obstacles and challenges that corporations face in their endeavor to implement a branding guideline, and the chance of overcoming them without defined leadership is unrealistic. This study focuses specifically on existing literature about corporate branding and cites case study examples to show what makes the best brands successful and where failing brands could have been more successful. The study concludes by providing insight into the future for corporate branding and offering suggestions for technical communication professionals who find themselves a part of the brand building and defining process. There are various rules to branding and traits that are common to every top brand in the world. By instilling its brand with such traits, and following certain processes with focus, passion, and persistence, and most of all a long-term commitment to the brand, a corporation will find its brand among the most recognized brands in the world.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001871, ucf:47413
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001871
- Title
- Turning Away From Your Slavic Brother: The Effects Of Identity On Relations Between Russia And Belarus.
- Creator
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Matejka, Matt, Morales, Waltraud, Dolan, Thomas, Houghton, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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On September 24, 2011, it was announced that Putin would run for president once again in 2012. The reaction in the West was that (")the more things change, the more they stay the same.(") The Western conception of the post-Cold War Russia is often one of remarkable consistency since the turn of the century. This Western narrative focuses on an autocratic Putin reigning over his resurgent and confrontational Russia. Does this narrative tell the story of Russia today, or does it instead obscure...
Show moreOn September 24, 2011, it was announced that Putin would run for president once again in 2012. The reaction in the West was that (")the more things change, the more they stay the same.(") The Western conception of the post-Cold War Russia is often one of remarkable consistency since the turn of the century. This Western narrative focuses on an autocratic Putin reigning over his resurgent and confrontational Russia. Does this narrative tell the story of Russia today, or does it instead obscure it? To answer this I have elected to analyze Russian identity and how it relates to Russia's foreign policy with Belarus, traditionally a close ally of Russia. Analyzing news articles from state-owned Russia Today, I look at changes in reporting and Russian identity over time. I argue that a shift in Russian identity towards a more liberal outlook between 2006 and 2010 motivated a degradation of relations with Belarus. I argue that once the simplified narrative of a resurgent Russia is peeled back, a closer look reveals competing identities and competing interest groups in Russia's domestic arena. Finally I conclude that not only does identity play a pivotal role in Russia's relations, but also that researching identity is important in that it gives us a window into a fairly closed regime that lies at the center of the global stage. Discovering how Russian identity reacts to and influences foreign policy can offer insight into the domestic framework of contemporary Russia, as well as offer us an understanding of how central ideas are to crafting the world around us.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004249, ucf:49542
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004249
