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Title: THE ANIMATED SCREENDANCE: CINEMA, BODY, CHOREOGRAPHY, AND DISNEY’S FANTASIA.
Creator: Elfenbein, Matthew Ari, Charbonneau, Stephen, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: The animated screendance presents a meaningful experience through the medium of cinema as seen emerging from Mickey Mouse’s early cartoons, Silly Symphony’s experiments, and Fantasia (1940). The core focus of this research investigates the emotional and affective identifications of the audience engendered through the qualities of animation and the screendance. Drawing from the theories of the animated screendance, a term that shows how cinema can construct affective characters across the...
Show moreThe animated screendance presents a meaningful experience through the medium of cinema as seen emerging from Mickey Mouse’s early cartoons, Silly Symphony’s experiments, and Fantasia (1940). The core focus of this research investigates the emotional and affective identifications of the audience engendered through the qualities of animation and the screendance. Drawing from the theories of the animated screendance, a term that shows how cinema can construct affective characters across the artistry of their inherent dance, I argue that these films elicit new understandings of the choreographed body. This is derived through the lens of artistic cartoon animation along with the emotional experience of the spectator by examining the critical body, dance, and film practices that form these bonds. Taking a qualitative approach by analyzing the many films in question through robust textual analysis while including theory on mythological narrative and physiognomy brings us to associate the elements of the body and screendance that influence culture and society. The reason for this approach leads us to recognize the importance of the animated dancing body as an imaginative form that can be controlled and manipulated by the pre-conceived ideas of the animators and human labor dictating these images. The screendance also provides additional layers of signification by including the construction of narrative and psychology through the processes of cinematography and editing, which is further placed onto these characters to increase their believability and emotional connection. All the bodies in question have similar elements that refer back to the human referent and focus on the choreographies that create meaning for these beings. The findings indicate that audiences are emotionally connected to the animated dancing characters on the screen through the importance placed on the representation of human form and cinematic structure to create memories and magic.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014305
Subject Headings: Animation (Cinematography), Choreography, Animated films, Screendance
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Immersive Journalism: An overview.
Creator: Barmaiya, Palak, Bargsten, Joey, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis provides an overview of immersive journalism (IJ), focusing on its theoretical and conceptual framework, objectives, ethical concerns, and evolving landscape. IJ is defined as the production of news in a form in which people can gain first-person experiences of the events or situation described in news stories through the use of immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. While the initial objective of IJ was to enhance empathy and...
Show moreThis thesis provides an overview of immersive journalism (IJ), focusing on its theoretical and conceptual framework, objectives, ethical concerns, and evolving landscape. IJ is defined as the production of news in a form in which people can gain first-person experiences of the events or situation described in news stories through the use of immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. While the initial objective of IJ was to enhance empathy and transport users to distant places, recent scholars note the limitations and challenges of this approach. Therefore, media outlets are shifting from empathy-based journalism to other objectives. The thesis also discusses the ethical concerns that come with such a degree of immersion and reviews principles of traditional journalistic forms such as objectivity and accuracy in the context of IJ. The last section explores the process of creating a 360-degree project and the required skill set and production process. Overall, the thesis provides insights into the evolving landscape of IJ and its potential to reshape journalism.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014273
Subject Headings: Immersive journalism, Multimedia communications
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CONTEMPORARY ARCHEOLOGICAL VISUALIZATION: ANCIENT PALIKÉ IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
Creator: Babcock, Catherine J., Bargsten, Joey, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Exploring the intersection of archeological and artistic visualization and the impact of digital technologies on these disciplines, the author details an endeavor to communicate the essence of the sanctuary of Paliké in Catania, Sicily through digital reconstruction and animation. Emulating the creative process of the famous panoramic artist Yadegar Assisi, and drawing upon first-hand observation and research of the archeological site Rocchicella di Mineo, the author recounts the artistic...
Show moreExploring the intersection of archeological and artistic visualization and the impact of digital technologies on these disciplines, the author details an endeavor to communicate the essence of the sanctuary of Paliké in Catania, Sicily through digital reconstruction and animation. Emulating the creative process of the famous panoramic artist Yadegar Assisi, and drawing upon first-hand observation and research of the archeological site Rocchicella di Mineo, the author recounts the artistic journey of creating impactful archeological visualizations which, although driven by rapidly evolving technology, can remain relevant. This manuscript chronicles the process and describes the production methods used to convey the essence of the ancient city of Paliké both accurately and expressively.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014169
Subject Headings: Archaeology, Visualization
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER: JAWS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
Creator: Carr, William, Charbonneau, Stephen, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis presents an analysis of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the film’s depiction of nature. This analysis will show that the film derives horror from the depiction of nature encroaching on human spaces. Through the film’s depictions of shark attacks, it forces viewers to confront their own edibility. The filmmaking techniques place humans on the other side of the eater/eaten binary, and present humans a prey. Similarly, the depictions of environments show the presence of nature as a...
Show moreThis thesis presents an analysis of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and the film’s depiction of nature. This analysis will show that the film derives horror from the depiction of nature encroaching on human spaces. Through the film’s depictions of shark attacks, it forces viewers to confront their own edibility. The filmmaking techniques place humans on the other side of the eater/eaten binary, and present humans a prey. Similarly, the depictions of environments show the presence of nature as a disruption to the film’s established visual style. This thesis asserts film analysis as a necessary tool in understanding the nature/culture binary and how film narratives can contribute to this division.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014175
Subject Headings: Nature in motion pictures, Motion pictures--Study and teaching, Media studies
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE LOOSE-LINE AESTHETIC: VISUAL STYLES AND CONTEMPORARY FUSION.
Creator: Henry, Alex, Bargsten, Joey, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Loose-line is a visual style where dramatic lines are created with quick, swift strokes, often randomly overlapping each other. Loose-lines can be used to depict a subject and emphasize its actions. They capture the viewer's attention and provide them with an understanding of the narrative depicted through its implication or suggestion of action. In this thesis I will examine, the loose-line technique and its components. I will show how loose-line has been used as a foundational technique for...
Show moreLoose-line is a visual style where dramatic lines are created with quick, swift strokes, often randomly overlapping each other. Loose-lines can be used to depict a subject and emphasize its actions. They capture the viewer's attention and provide them with an understanding of the narrative depicted through its implication or suggestion of action. In this thesis I will examine, the loose-line technique and its components. I will show how loose-line has been used as a foundational technique for pre-visualizing painting, sculpture, and architecture throughout art history, and especially with regard to its role in the development of cinema and animation. And finally, I will apply the loose-line technique to contemporary visual compositions and reveal how merging rough sketches with 3D renders contributes to an innovative aesthetic style.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014180
Subject Headings: Aesthetics, Art
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: “A Woman’s Place”: Myth, Body, and Nation in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Creator: García, Madeline Elizabeth, Sim, Gerald, Miller, Andrea, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis investigates the role of myth in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Through an analysis of concepts such as the body and nation, I investigate the mythical underpinnings of gender, race, social reproduction, and capitalism in Gilead as well as the veritable history of oppression and imperialism in the United States that informs the Gileadean imaginary. I interrogate myth’s utility in creating nations and worlds, real or imagined, and the mechanisms of myth that make this possible. Using...
Show moreThis thesis investigates the role of myth in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Through an analysis of concepts such as the body and nation, I investigate the mythical underpinnings of gender, race, social reproduction, and capitalism in Gilead as well as the veritable history of oppression and imperialism in the United States that informs the Gileadean imaginary. I interrogate myth’s utility in creating nations and worlds, real or imagined, and the mechanisms of myth that make this possible. Using the works of authors such as Roland Barthes, Kalindi Vora, Achille Mbembe, and others, I read The Handmaid’s Tale series as a text that reveals how truth can be distorted by myth but can be demythologized to belie intention, historically contextualize, and inspire resistance. Written in the midst and wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this thesis is also a meditation on auto-ethnographic and textual resistance.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014111
Subject Headings: Women's studies, Gender Studies
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Riddles of the Gods: A Virtual Reality Escape Room.
Creator: Bharathi, Shwetha SN, Eason, Shane, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Mythological stories are more than stories. They are important because they give context to our world, our literature, and our own beliefs and carry forward cultural values and tales over generations. So many efforts have been made to pass mythological stories from generation to generation through various forms including traditional storytelling, songs, and films. This thesis explores if learning mythology can be more immediate and fun by instructing it through an immersive, interactive game...
Show moreMythological stories are more than stories. They are important because they give context to our world, our literature, and our own beliefs and carry forward cultural values and tales over generations. So many efforts have been made to pass mythological stories from generation to generation through various forms including traditional storytelling, songs, and films. This thesis explores if learning mythology can be more immediate and fun by instructing it through an immersive, interactive game known as an Escape Room. Riddles of the Gods is an Egyptian theme-based Escape Room that uses the medium of Virtual Reality. It creates an interactive, educative, and entertaining experience for participants. It also provides an opportunity to contribute towards keeping traditional and cultural values alive, in a more expressive form using the latest technologies such as Virtual Reality which are relatable to the current and future generations.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014100
Subject Headings: Escape room games, Virtual reality, Mythology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CARIBBEAN MOTHERS AND THEIR ROLE IN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SEX: CHALLENGES IN COMMUNICATION STYLES.
Creator: Frost, Samantha, Marin, Noemi, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Taking into account: [a] the traditional mother; [b] cultural pressures/expectations; [c] religion; and [d] distinct communication differences in native vs. north American diaspora – the role of mothers when discussing sex with their daughters in Caribbean cultures has a multifaceted set of communication challenges that continue to face mothers and daughters today. When they do communicate, the conversation is predominantly about abstinence and in some cases, condom use completely excluding...
Show moreTaking into account: [a] the traditional mother; [b] cultural pressures/expectations; [c] religion; and [d] distinct communication differences in native vs. north American diaspora – the role of mothers when discussing sex with their daughters in Caribbean cultures has a multifaceted set of communication challenges that continue to face mothers and daughters today. When they do communicate, the conversation is predominantly about abstinence and in some cases, condom use completely excluding information about STDS and methods of birth control. The cultural and religious pressures that mothers adhere to may thwart the decision to give their daughters an informative safe sex talk. To truly have effective mother-daughter sexual communication, mothers need to craft educative safe sex messages and communicate that with their daughters. Failure to do so will only increase the likelihood of daughters engaging in risky sexual behavior.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013897
Subject Headings: Caribbean culture studies, Mother-daughter relationship, Communication, Sexuality
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SETTLER COLONIALISM ON THE DISCURSIVE FRONTIER: AN ANALYSIS OF INDIGENOUS CLIMATE JUSTICE LEADERS AND THE CARCERAL SETTLER-STATE.
Creator: Kibsey, Talia E., Miller, Andrea, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines Indigenous environmental justice discourse within the context of the U.S. carceral settler-state to advance a conceptual framework I name discursive frontierism. I use rhetorical analysis informed by critical and cultural theory to help make visual—and visible—the ways in which colonial frontierism operates in discursive spaces. I analyze the language of the carceral settler-state, including embodiment and affect as communicative language, as well as the language of...
Show moreThis thesis examines Indigenous environmental justice discourse within the context of the U.S. carceral settler-state to advance a conceptual framework I name discursive frontierism. I use rhetorical analysis informed by critical and cultural theory to help make visual—and visible—the ways in which colonial frontierism operates in discursive spaces. I analyze the language of the carceral settler-state, including embodiment and affect as communicative language, as well as the language of Indigenous and Indigenous-led resistance. In the first half of the thesis, I argue that the language of the settler-state discursively constitutes Indigenous peoples as criminals and colonial subjects in order to justify their removal. The second half of this analysis finds the language of Indigenous land and water protectors to model and declare “survivance”—an active and continuing “sense of presence over absence” that both renounces dominance and victimry, and preserves traditional knowledge systems and ancestral connections (Vizenor 2018). I conclude that discursive iterations of Indigenous survivance meaningfully thwart the U.S. state’s efforts to advance occupation of discursive territory and further settle the discursive frontier.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013961
Subject Headings: Settler colonialism, Rhetoric
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE RHETORICAL RISE OF THE “MITO” AND “TROPICAL TRUMP”: HOW BOLSONARO USED A TRUMP PERSONA AND US IMAGERY IN HIS RHETORICAL APPEALS.
Creator: Markwith, Greice Figueiredo, Williams, David Cratis, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: In the elections of 2018, Brazilians chose Jair Messias Bolsonaro, the first Far-Right candidate, to be the future President of Brazil. In a 28-year political trajectory, he changed political parties eight times. The constant change demonstrates his ability to use rhetorical devices and adapt to new appeals. The researcher of this work outlined Bolsonaro’s rhetorical rise, tested his rhetorical personae, “mito” and “Tropical Trump” based on the work of Ware in Linkugel (1982). No other...
Show moreIn the elections of 2018, Brazilians chose Jair Messias Bolsonaro, the first Far-Right candidate, to be the future President of Brazil. In a 28-year political trajectory, he changed political parties eight times. The constant change demonstrates his ability to use rhetorical devices and adapt to new appeals. The researcher of this work outlined Bolsonaro’s rhetorical rise, tested his rhetorical personae, “mito” and “Tropical Trump” based on the work of Ware in Linkugel (1982). No other foreign candidate mirrored Trump as much as he did. Bolsonaro also used US imagery in videos, borrowing images and terminologies found in the US culture. By analyzing his rhetorical strategies, the researcher identified Bolsonaro’s representative anecdote in his appeals that led to his rhetorical motivation as outlined by Burke’s dramatism.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013944
Subject Headings: Bolsonaro, Jair, 1955-, Rhetoric--Political aspects--Brazil
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Celebrity Avatars:A Technical Approach to Creating Digital Avatars for Social Marketing Strategies.
Creator: Molina, Ledis, Eason, Shane, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Avatars are growing in popularity and presented in many computer-mediated communication environments like social media, virtual 3D worlds, and augmented reality applications. With its incredible success in the Asian market, followed by the latest rapid increase in popularity for digital avatars in the Western market, it is necessary to look at the avatars' roots and their newfound use as celebrities. Virtual celebrities or influencers are digital characters consumed in digital mediums, with a...
Show moreAvatars are growing in popularity and presented in many computer-mediated communication environments like social media, virtual 3D worlds, and augmented reality applications. With its incredible success in the Asian market, followed by the latest rapid increase in popularity for digital avatars in the Western market, it is necessary to look at the avatars' roots and their newfound use as celebrities. Virtual celebrities or influencers are digital characters consumed in digital mediums, with a given personality, background story, and the first-person point of view of the world, accessible to different social media platforms. These virtual celebrities are now being used for various entertainment industries, with game companies currently leading the way in building their metaverse by attracting audiences to virtual experiences, fueled by the need to sell live content during the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper traces the complex history of the Hindu avatara to a digital representation. It will explain how it has been affected by the context of literature, virtual gaming worlds, films, and new trends, moving away from a God-centered culture to one centered on humans. This effect is caused by the need for people to create a virtual presence and express themselves in virtual environments. Since its early beginning, avatars have filtered into the mainstream, and different brands have taken advantage by adopting them to represent their values to attract more customers and appear more reliable. This adoption led them to partner up with the entertainment industry creating virtual avatars, virtual concerts, and merchandise all tied in the metaverse.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013841
Subject Headings: Avatars (Virtual reality), Social marketing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SOCIAL MEDIA MOBILIZING YOUTH ACTIVISM.
Creator: Barron, Laura, Robé, Christopher, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: The shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 paved the way for activism controlled by youth led by key students banding together following the incident. Student activists from the school emerged particularly via social media and organized large-scale efforts in order to create discourse surrounding gun control through their March For Our Lives movement. Studying the overlap between youth activism, the response to trauma, the systems at play within social media, and the role of...
Show moreThe shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 paved the way for activism controlled by youth led by key students banding together following the incident. Student activists from the school emerged particularly via social media and organized large-scale efforts in order to create discourse surrounding gun control through their March For Our Lives movement. Studying the overlap between youth activism, the response to trauma, the systems at play within social media, and the role of commercialization, this paper dives into the complexities of activist based discourse as it evolves and the forces at play within youth activism in general. Looking at these existing efforts aids in exposing both the pros and cons of activism mediated by social media and the role that larger systems play in an activist’s mission.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013794
Subject Headings: Internet and activism, Social media, Student movements
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FESSENDEN’S WORLDS: BIOSYS A SHORT FILM INSPIRED BY EDMOND HAMILTON’S “FESSENDEN’S WORLDS”.
Creator: Halak, Michael J., Eason, Shane, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Fessenden’s Worlds: Biosys is a short film inspired by the 1937 short story “Fessenden’s Worlds” by Edmond Hamilton. The first chapter situates the original story in science fiction film and media, and in wider folklore. Parallels and contrasts within the storylines of the original “Fessenden’s Worlds” and the Biosys short film are discussed. The second chapter examines all production techniques used to create Fessenden’s Worlds: Biosys. Aspects of filmmaking include storyboarding and...
Show moreFessenden’s Worlds: Biosys is a short film inspired by the 1937 short story “Fessenden’s Worlds” by Edmond Hamilton. The first chapter situates the original story in science fiction film and media, and in wider folklore. Parallels and contrasts within the storylines of the original “Fessenden’s Worlds” and the Biosys short film are discussed. The second chapter examines all production techniques used to create Fessenden’s Worlds: Biosys. Aspects of filmmaking include storyboarding and previsualization research, production design and prop building, and filming for green screen compositing. The post-production software techniques used to create Fessenden’s Worlds: Biosys are discussed, including hard surface and organic 3D modeling in Maya; texturing in Substance Painter; rendering in Arnold; particle and geometric procedural visual effects using Trapcode Particular, Mir, and Shine; and motion graphics design for device displays in Adobe After Effects.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013770
Subject Headings: Hamilton, Edmond, 1904-1977, Hamilton, Edmond, 1904-1977. Fessenden's worlds, Short films
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM AND POLITICS: A REPRESENTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE 2020 RESURGENCE OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.
Creator: McCalla-Johnson, Alexa G., Robé, Christopher, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This study seeks to analyze the performative activism and political performance that took place during the Black Lives Matter protests between May and November of the year 2020. Various points of view perceive such acts as merely reductive or otherwise worthy of disdain, however, this study seeks to analyze these acts to identify different components within each performance. The primary focus is to further understand the advantages and disadvantages of performative activism and political...
Show moreThis study seeks to analyze the performative activism and political performance that took place during the Black Lives Matter protests between May and November of the year 2020. Various points of view perceive such acts as merely reductive or otherwise worthy of disdain, however, this study seeks to analyze these acts to identify different components within each performance. The primary focus is to further understand the advantages and disadvantages of performative activism and political performance. This research concentrates on examining the significant social and political impacts of these performances and their symbolic nature. This study also evaluates how discourse related to marginalized communities enters the public sphere and influences it. This study will include the analysis of performance via social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter during the 2020 resurgence of Black Lives Matter, including performances carried out by political leaders along the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign trail.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013804
Subject Headings: Performative (Philosophy), Black lives matter movement--2020
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: AFRICAN OR AFRICAN AMERICAN?: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCES AND IDENTITIES OF AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Creator: Abidoye, Ronke, Poole, Deandre, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: African international students continue to remain one of the least represented and studied groups of international students. In addition to the acculturative stress typically experienced by international students, African students inherit the marginalization of their racial/ethnic group in the United States. As such, scholars acknowledge the need for continued research into the experiences of African international students. Utilizing the Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross- Cultural...
Show moreAfrican international students continue to remain one of the least represented and studied groups of international students. In addition to the acculturative stress typically experienced by international students, African students inherit the marginalization of their racial/ethnic group in the United States. As such, scholars acknowledge the need for continued research into the experiences of African international students. Utilizing the Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross- Cultural Adaptation and elements of postcolonialism, this thesis explored the experiences of 10 African students in the United States. A qualitative analysis revealed that host receptivity, perceived cultural differences, expectations, and language/accents influenced intercultural communication. The challenges experienced in intercultural interactions allowed for the emergence of an intercultural identity such that the participants existed in a third space as intercultural Africans. This thesis adds to existing research on cross-cultural adaptation and negotiated identity, while also providing practical implications for schools.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013717
Subject Headings: Students, Foreign, International students, African students--Foreign countries, Intercultural communication
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: INSTAGRAM’S LIMINAL SPACES FOR ONLINE IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT: AN INVESTIGATION OF FINSTA ACCOUNT USAGE.
Creator: Amaral, Joshua, Veenstra, Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines the multifarious presentation of one’s identity on a singular social network site through their usage of both “finsta” and “rinsta” accounts on Instagram. A rinsta is one’s primary and more public Instagram account. A finsta is a highly privatized secondary Instagram account that functions as a liminal space for users’ impression management engagements. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants who identified as having created a finsta account and thematic...
Show moreThis thesis examines the multifarious presentation of one’s identity on a singular social network site through their usage of both “finsta” and “rinsta” accounts on Instagram. A rinsta is one’s primary and more public Instagram account. A finsta is a highly privatized secondary Instagram account that functions as a liminal space for users’ impression management engagements. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants who identified as having created a finsta account and thematic analysis was subsequently employed to understand how they conceptualized their motivations and behaviors within their constructed networks. It was found that users were motivated to create and maintain a finsta by a desire for privacy, social inclusion, and the freedom to generate content that would be considered socially unacceptable on rinsta. This socially unacceptable content was often humorous or emotionally expressive. Finstas are also characterized by in-depth communal interactions in comparison with the more superficial interactions on rinsta.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013702
Subject Headings: Finsta, Instagram (Online social network), Privacy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FROM INK TO SCREEN: GENDER AND RACE IN AGENT CARTER, JESSICA JONES, AND WYNONNA EARP.
Creator: DiBlasi, Samantha, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Throughout history, women in comics have played subordinate or lesser roles compared to males and were stereotyped. Today, representations have improved in comic-based tv shows. This thesis is answering three research questions: How does one define a “strong female character” within the comic-based and comic-styled genres, specifically in the TV shows Jessica Jones, Agent Carter, and Wynonna Earp? How does race/gender intersectionality affect the ways in which the non-white characters express...
Show moreThroughout history, women in comics have played subordinate or lesser roles compared to males and were stereotyped. Today, representations have improved in comic-based tv shows. This thesis is answering three research questions: How does one define a “strong female character” within the comic-based and comic-styled genres, specifically in the TV shows Jessica Jones, Agent Carter, and Wynonna Earp? How does race/gender intersectionality affect the ways in which the non-white characters express masculinity or femininity compared to the white characters? How do the videos made by fans of the three tv series define a “strong female character?” This study applies textual and participatory cultures analyses. It is interdisciplinary and uses theories from different areas. This research finds that Agent Carter, Jessica Jones, and Wynonna Earp simultaneously reinforce and challenge stereotypes such as emphasized femininity, hegemonic masculinity and the “Black Buck.” Future research might examine white stereotypes with the white heroines.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013676
Subject Headings: Comics, Gender, Race
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Invasion: Applying the Aesthetics of Horror in a Virtual Reality Gaming Environment.
Creator: Jean-Pierre, James, McAfee, Francis, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Many theories exist attempting to explain the allure of horror films to the human psyche. None can fully explain this fascination to the horror genre. However, there are clear visual techniques used routinely in these films to produce fear in audiences. This thesis explores the application of those cinematic techniques used in horror cinema for well over a century into a virtual reality (VR) experience, The Invasion. Using a wide range of examples from classic horror films, The Invasion...
Show moreMany theories exist attempting to explain the allure of horror films to the human psyche. None can fully explain this fascination to the horror genre. However, there are clear visual techniques used routinely in these films to produce fear in audiences. This thesis explores the application of those cinematic techniques used in horror cinema for well over a century into a virtual reality (VR) experience, The Invasion. Using a wide range of examples from classic horror films, The Invasion endeavors to show how the lessons learned from the study of horror cinema’s use of color theory, light, shadow, and sound design, when paired with the virtual reality medium, can provide a richer, more immersive horror vehicle and create new possibilities for fear-based content.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013708
Subject Headings: Virtual reality, Horror films, Gaming
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: ‘OK,’ IT’S AN AGE THING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MILLENNIAL AND BOOMER DISCOURSE.
Creator: Regutti, Kailin, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: Assigning stereotypical behaviors and traits associated with young people—selfabsorbed, narcissistic, lost, technologically dependent, disrespectful, financially unstable, etc.—to Millennials have become common practice in popular media and colloquial discourse and are not without consequence. Although the contemporary discourses circulating through society appear to be characteristically Millennial, similar discourses have historically appeared in conversations surrounding preceding...
Show moreAssigning stereotypical behaviors and traits associated with young people—selfabsorbed, narcissistic, lost, technologically dependent, disrespectful, financially unstable, etc.—to Millennials have become common practice in popular media and colloquial discourse and are not without consequence. Although the contemporary discourses circulating through society appear to be characteristically Millennial, similar discourses have historically appeared in conversations surrounding preceding generations. This thesis uses five popular culture case studies that capture the zeitgeist of both young Boomers and Millennials to compare discourses and critically examines the overlapping references between age groups and generational categories. This research also aims to bring visibility to the relevance of age getting lost amidst discourses about generations. Using textual analysis via discursive formations, this project reveals the reproduction of dominant power structures among generational discourses and poses implications to those power structures.
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Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013680
Subject Headings: Generations, Generation Y, Baby boom generation, Discourse
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CRITICAL RACE THEORY, TWITTER, BLACK SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND BLACK SOCIAL PROTEST FROM A CRITICAL-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE.
Creator: Conyers, Christopher Jacobie, Marin, Noemi, Florida Atlantic University, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Abstract/Description: In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, the former starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, unknowingly bartered his athletic aspirations by exercising his First Amendment Right to freedom of expression. Frustrated with what he and many others perceived as pervasive extrajudicial tactics of law enforcement and a seemingly incessant lack of accountability from the American legal system, Kaepernick silently protested by sitting during the playing of the National Anthem. Although, Kaepernick's...
Show moreIn 2016, Colin Kaepernick, the former starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, unknowingly bartered his athletic aspirations by exercising his First Amendment Right to freedom of expression. Frustrated with what he and many others perceived as pervasive extrajudicial tactics of law enforcement and a seemingly incessant lack of accountability from the American legal system, Kaepernick silently protested by sitting during the playing of the National Anthem. Although, Kaepernick's actions begun as a singular, almost imperceptible act, he has ultimately redefined the significance of taking a knee, and etched his name in a long list of other malcontents in the struggle for racial equality in America. The purpose of this study is to explore in detail one of the most polarizing components of the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) and Black Social Protests in the United States. Analysis of social media content will argue the value of the Kaepernick "Anti Flag/Anthem" Protest, from a communication-cultural perspective.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013549
Subject Headings: Black lives matter movement, Kaepernick, Colin, 1987-, Black lives matter movement--United States, Critical race theory, Social media, Twitter
Format: Document (PDF)

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