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Title: The rhetoric of law and love: legally (re)defining marriage.
Creator: Higgs, Volrick Wallace, Mulvaney, Becky, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: In just over one year since United States v. Windsor— the case invalidating sections of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defined marriage, for purposes of federal statutes, as the “union of man and woman”— more than a dozen states have had their same-sex marriage bans ruled unconstitutional. This suggests a shift in legal meaning; previously successful arguments against same-sex “marriage” now seem irrational as argumentative ground has shifted. Since favorable rulings redefine ...
Show moreIn just over one year since United States v. Windsor— the case invalidating sections of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defined marriage, for purposes of federal statutes, as the “union of man and woman”— more than a dozen states have had their same-sex marriage bans ruled unconstitutional. This suggests a shift in legal meaning; previously successful arguments against same-sex “marriage” now seem irrational as argumentative ground has shifted. Since favorable rulings redefine “marriage” to include same-sex unions, this thesis analyzes Kitchen v. Herbert, a 2014 legal opinion from the United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit, to understand the rhetorical processes underpinning its redefinitional act. That analysis draws on Kenneth Burke’s theories of entitling and constitutions and discusses the rhetorical concepts of terministic screens, casuistic screens, scope and circumference as key features of the rhetoric of the legal opinions. The findings call for a balancing of deconstructive and conventional approaches to legal discourse.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004378, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004378
Subject Headings: Constitutional law -- United States, Identity (Psychology), Marriage -- United States -- Government policy, Same sex marriage -- Law and legislation -- United States, United States -- Defense of Marriage Act
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The “closed world” of the exotic leelo singers: the representation and reception of the title character and other Seto women in the film Taarka.
Creator: Kirch, Kerli, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis utilizes a multi-perspectival cultural and media studies approach analyzing the production, filmic text, and reception of Taarka, the first film about Setos, that is advertised as a (docu)drama. However, the analysis shows that it can also be interpreted as an ethnographic film. It examines which intersecting identities related to Seto women are depicted in the film and whether audiences and critics recognize the power dynamics of these intersections. It also analyses how the...
Show moreThis thesis utilizes a multi-perspectival cultural and media studies approach analyzing the production, filmic text, and reception of Taarka, the first film about Setos, that is advertised as a (docu)drama. However, the analysis shows that it can also be interpreted as an ethnographic film. It examines which intersecting identities related to Seto women are depicted in the film and whether audiences and critics recognize the power dynamics of these intersections. It also analyses how the Estonian cultural economic environment, the filmic text, audience comments and critics reviews reinforce or challenge hegemonies connected with these intersections. Drawing on the principles of postcolonial feminism, intersectionality, and other critical theories, the thesis concludes that even though the filmic text challenges traditional gender roles, it still reinforces the Estonians’ one-sided portrayal of an exotic, commodified Seto ethnicity. Moreover, the cultural economic environment and reception of the film also bolster this view of Seto ethnicity.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004209, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004209
Subject Headings: Estonia -- Social life and customs, Ethnographic films -- Estonia, Folk songs, Estonian, Minorities in motion pictures, Taarka (Motion picture)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The “Shepard” will guide us: a textual analysis of hegemonic reinforcement and resistance in the mass effect video game series.
Creator: Gonzalez, Maricruz, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Mass Effect is a Science Fiction/Action Role Playing/Third Person Shooter video game series that takes place in the year 2183, in which the player assumes control of Commander Shepard. Players can choose to customize the character based on his/her gender, appearance, sexual orientation, background origin and occupation. The choices that show up in the game are also based on how the player wants their version of Shepard to interact with other characters and allows players some leeway to shape...
Show moreMass Effect is a Science Fiction/Action Role Playing/Third Person Shooter video game series that takes place in the year 2183, in which the player assumes control of Commander Shepard. Players can choose to customize the character based on his/her gender, appearance, sexual orientation, background origin and occupation. The choices that show up in the game are also based on how the player wants their version of Shepard to interact with other characters and allows players some leeway to shape their own narrative. The series also discusses and acknowledges issues of race, gender, subjecthood and sovereignty, politics and sexual orientation within its narrative. This analysis focuses on the text of the series and its implications concerning hegemonic reinforcement and/or resistance in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, politics, and warfare tactics.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004288, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004288
Subject Headings: Computer games -- Social aspects, Electronic games -- Social aspects, Feminist theory, Gender identity in mass media, Mass Effect video game -- Social aspects, Mass media and culture, Sex role, Video games -- Moral and ethical aspects, Video games -- Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The rise of the super sidechicks: a feminist analysis of girls in superhero films.
Creator: Hendricks, Dorothy Ashley, Charbonneau, Stephen, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: The superhero film genre has recently witnessed a reinvention of the girl sidekick. Instead of falling back on the perpetuated and well-known stereotypes of female heroines, recent offerings have allowed for several strong and innovative female characters to emerge. This close textual analysis of specific feminist examples from the films, Kick-Ass (2010), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), and X-Men: First Class (2012), examines young heroines as having feminist tendencies in a postfeminist...
Show moreThe superhero film genre has recently witnessed a reinvention of the girl sidekick. Instead of falling back on the perpetuated and well-known stereotypes of female heroines, recent offerings have allowed for several strong and innovative female characters to emerge. This close textual analysis of specific feminist examples from the films, Kick-Ass (2010), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), and X-Men: First Class (2012), examines young heroines as having feminist tendencies in a postfeminist moment. This analysis employs aspects of film theory, feminist theory, and also focuses on adaptation as a potentially powerful and problematic tenant of the films. Through this thesis, I contend that while none of these characters are positioned or marketed as specifically feminist, their collective resistance to hegemonic ideals underscores a movement towards articulating the failings of postfeminism in contemporary girlhood.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004250
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Vetting sources in social media environments: strategies emplyed by journalists of The Palm Beach Post.
Creator: Brown, Michelle D., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This qualitative research study explores the relationship between reducing uncertainty and assigning source credibility in the context of social media sites (SMS) and examines the effect of uncertainty reduction within the social media environment on the development of relationships between journalists and their sources. For this study, interviews were conducted with professional journalists to determine whether uncertainty was reduced and credibility was established with sources via SMS (i.e...
Show moreThis qualitative research study explores the relationship between reducing uncertainty and assigning source credibility in the context of social media sites (SMS) and examines the effect of uncertainty reduction within the social media environment on the development of relationships between journalists and their sources. For this study, interviews were conducted with professional journalists to determine whether uncertainty was reduced and credibility was established with sources via SMS (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) and what theoretical strategies journalists used to reduce their uncertainty. The study also aims to determine if correlations exist between a reporter's age, beat, and/or personal adoption of SMS and the reporter's usage of SMS for source development. The interviews were conducted with 15 journalists of The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida), using a standardized interview protocol. Subjects were asked to voluntarily participate in a face-to-face interview with the researcher. Reporters were selected based upon their gender and cultural ethnicity, which was representative of the newsroom demographics of The Palm Beach Post at that time. This research aims to contribute to the uncertainty reduction theory in the realm of computer-mediated communications, specifically with regard to the use of SMS in forming and maintaining journalist-source relationships.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360765
Subject Headings: Digital media, Social aspects, Mass media, Technological innovations, Newspaper publishing, Social aspects, American newspapers, Objectivity, Journalistic ethics, Journalism, Moral and ethical aspects, Newspapers, Sections, columns, etc, Sources
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: To any (body) who will listen: the evolving role of media technology in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' missionary communication strategy.
Creator: Feller, Gavin, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis explores how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has used media technology as part of its missionary communication strategy. Particular attention is paid to the Internet as a space for religious practice and how the LDS Church has sought to extend its media practices and missionary efforts online. By utilizing new media technology to find individuals interested in hearing its message, the LDS Church faces new challenges to its traditional face-to-face missionary...
Show moreThis thesis explores how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has used media technology as part of its missionary communication strategy. Particular attention is paid to the Internet as a space for religious practice and how the LDS Church has sought to extend its media practices and missionary efforts online. By utilizing new media technology to find individuals interested in hearing its message, the LDS Church faces new challenges to its traditional face-to-face missionary program, its centralized hierarchy of control and its ongoing struggle for identity within American Christian culture. Throughout its history, the LDS Church's missionary communication strategy has used several different methods for finding people to teach but has consistently focused on ensuring that such methods ultimately lead to face-to-face lessons with missionaries, viewed as the most transformative communication exchange for both the missionary and the potential convert.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362324
Subject Headings: Missions, Christian sociology, Mormon Church, Religious pluralism, Mass media in religion, Mass media, Religious aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Women, film, and oceans a/part: the critical humor of Tracey Moffatt, Monica Pellizzari, and Clara Law.
Creator: Senzani, Alessandra., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: The politicized use of humor in accented cinema is a tool for negotiating particular formations of identity, such as sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and class. The body of work produced by contemporary women filmmakers working in Australia, specifically Tracey Moffatt, Monica Pellizzari, and Clara Law, illustrates how these directors have employed critical humor as a response to their multiple marginalization as women, Australian, and accented filmmakers. In their works, humor functions as a...
Show moreThe politicized use of humor in accented cinema is a tool for negotiating particular formations of identity, such as sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and class. The body of work produced by contemporary women filmmakers working in Australia, specifically Tracey Moffatt, Monica Pellizzari, and Clara Law, illustrates how these directors have employed critical humor as a response to their multiple marginalization as women, Australian, and accented filmmakers. In their works, humor functions as a critical tool to deconstruct the contradictions in dominant discourses as they relate to (neo)colonial, racist, globalized, patriarchal, and displaced pasts and presents. Produced within Australian national cinema, but emerging from experiences of geographical displacements that defy territorial borders, their films illuminate how critical humor can inflect such accepted categories as the national constitution of a cinema, film genre, and questions of exile and diaspora. Critical humor thus consti tutes a cinematic signifying practice able, following Luigi Pirandello's description of umorismo, to decompose the filmic text, and as a tool for an ideological critique of cinema and its role in (re)producing discourses of the nation predicated on the dominant categories of whiteness and masculinity. The study offers a theoretical framework for decoding humor in a film text, focusing on the manipulation of cinematic language, and it provides a model for a criticism that wishes to heighten the counter-hegemonic potential of cinematic texts, by picking up on the humorous, contradictory openings of the text and widening them through a parallel dissociating process., Finally, critical humor in the accented cinema of women filmmakers like Moffatt, Pellizzari, and Law is shown to constitute a form of translation and negotiation performed between the national, monologic constraints of film production and cinematic language, the heteroglossia of the global imaginaries that have traveled since the beginning with film technology, and the local and diasporic accents informing a filmmaker's unique style and perspective.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186293
Subject Headings: Women motion picture producers and directors, Feminism and motion pictures, Criticism and interpretation, Local color in motion pictures, Intercultural communication in motion pictures
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The cake is not a lie: narrative structure and aporia in Portal & Portal 2.
Creator: Copeland, Kimberly., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: As puzzle-driven, character based games, Portal and Portal 2, developed by the Valve Corporation, are not only pioneering in their use of narrative, but they also revolutionize the function of aporia. This thesis explores the role of aporia and use of the narrative in the two video games. It will be argued that the games possess a rigid narrative structure, but while the narrative serves as a peripheral construction, there are other structures that contribute to the experience of gameplay....
Show moreAs puzzle-driven, character based games, Portal and Portal 2, developed by the Valve Corporation, are not only pioneering in their use of narrative, but they also revolutionize the function of aporia. This thesis explores the role of aporia and use of the narrative in the two video games. It will be argued that the games possess a rigid narrative structure, but while the narrative serves as a peripheral construction, there are other structures that contribute to the experience of gameplay. The research aims to determine how the games adapt narrative and use it in combination with other elements to move beyond simple play and storytelling. As video games become more widely studied in academia, it is important that they merit and maintain standing ; Portal and Portal 2 not only provide a rich gameplay experience, but also offer a particular interaction not found in other texts.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358551
Subject Headings: Computer games, Social aspects, Computer games, Design and construction, Artificial intelligence, Narration (Rhetoric)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Veg-gendered: a cultural study of gendered onscreen representations of food and their implications for veganism.
Creator: Aguilera, Paulina, Scodari, Christine, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis is an exploration of popular media texts that influence veganism, with either explicit representations or implicit messages that implicate vegans. Research focuses on the question: How does the gendering of food in popular media texts implicate veganism? Theories used include a combination of cultural, film, and feminist studies, including Stuart Hall’s audience reception, Laura Mulvey's male gaze, R.W. Connell’s hegemonic masculinity, Carol Adams' feminist-vegetarian critical...
Show moreThis thesis is an exploration of popular media texts that influence veganism, with either explicit representations or implicit messages that implicate vegans. Research focuses on the question: How does the gendering of food in popular media texts implicate veganism? Theories used include a combination of cultural, film, and feminist studies, including Stuart Hall’s audience reception, Laura Mulvey's male gaze, R.W. Connell’s hegemonic masculinity, Carol Adams' feminist-vegetarian critical theory, and Rebecca Swenson's critical television studies. A print and television advertisement analysis demonstrates the gendering of food, and subject-object relationship of meat, women, and men. A film analysis of texts with vegan characters and horror film texts with implicit vegan and feminist messaging follows, thus revealing interesting trends and developments in the characterization of vegans on films, and hidden messages in the horror films studied. Lastly, an examination of competitive and instructional cooking shows ends the analysis, with interesting challenges to hegemony present in these television texts. The thesis concludes with examples of modem media feminizing veganism through food associations, the problematic imagery of women and meat as fetishized objects, along with challenges to hegemony that exist in some explicitly vegan texts.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004177, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004177
Subject Headings: Feminist theory, Mass media and culture, Veganism, Vegetarianism
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An ideological analysis of the rhetoric of patriarchy in the Pentateuch.
Creator: Mallen, Mihaela E., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: As the basis for major religions widely practiced in western cultures, the Pentateuch also has deeply influenced the structure of these societies. A short historical review demonstrates the secondary status women occupy in western cultures. This study focuses on uncovering the presumed existence of embedded patriarchal ideology within the Pentateuch's text. For the purpose of this study, the researcher draws on the Pentateuch as it appears in the King James Version of the Bible. By conducting...
Show moreAs the basis for major religions widely practiced in western cultures, the Pentateuch also has deeply influenced the structure of these societies. A short historical review demonstrates the secondary status women occupy in western cultures. This study focuses on uncovering the presumed existence of embedded patriarchal ideology within the Pentateuch's text. For the purpose of this study, the researcher draws on the Pentateuch as it appears in the King James Version of the Bible. By conducting an ideological rhetorical analysis of this text, this examination uncovers elements characteristic to patriarchal rhetoric promoting men's superiority and ideals as well as constricting and channeling women's identities. This ideology has contributed to depreciating women's status in western cultures, and awareness of its existence might help women in their struggle for equality.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318672
Subject Headings: Rhetoric, Philosophy, Rhetorical criticism, Women in the Bible
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The power of memory: how Western collective memory of the Holocaust functioned in discourse on Kosovo.
Creator: Bjellos, Tajana., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis provides a rhetorical analysis of the Western representation of the Kosovo conflict and its resolution in the year 1999. By reviewing political, scholarly and media rhetoric, the thesis examines how the dominant narrative of "genocide in Kosovo" was created in Western discourse, arguing that it gained its persuasive force from the legacy of the collective memory of the Holocaust. Using the framework of Kenneth Burke's theory of Dramatism and Walter Fisher's theory of the narrative...
Show moreThis thesis provides a rhetorical analysis of the Western representation of the Kosovo conflict and its resolution in the year 1999. By reviewing political, scholarly and media rhetoric, the thesis examines how the dominant narrative of "genocide in Kosovo" was created in Western discourse, arguing that it gained its persuasive force from the legacy of the collective memory of the Holocaust. Using the framework of Kenneth Burke's theory of Dramatism and Walter Fisher's theory of the narrative paradigm, this thesis aims to understand how language, analogy and collective memory function in rhetoric to shape audience perceptions and guide political and military action. The study illustrates the mechanics of the operating rhetoric by analyzing two primary sources, the rhetoric of U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2683535
Subject Headings: Discourse analysis, Narrative, Narrative (Rhetoric), History, Rhetoric, Political aspects, History, Memory, Political aspects, Kosovo War, 1998-1999, Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), Crimes against humanity, History
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Communicative Power of Social Media during the Never Again MSD Movement Media.
Creator: Fenelon, Ashley, Trapani, William, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Social media played a pivotal role during The Never Again MSD Movement. This study examines the communicative tools social media, specifically Twitter, provides its users in order to communicate and distribute information. Authors Evans, Twoney, and Talan describes Twitter as “a valuable tool because it allows for instant communication to a wide audience” (9). Twitter is a valuable tool for communication because it fosters an online space where activists utilize the following communication...
Show moreSocial media played a pivotal role during The Never Again MSD Movement. This study examines the communicative tools social media, specifically Twitter, provides its users in order to communicate and distribute information. Authors Evans, Twoney, and Talan describes Twitter as “a valuable tool because it allows for instant communication to a wide audience” (9). Twitter is a valuable tool for communication because it fosters an online space where activists utilize the following communication tools: conversation, community, connection, collaboration, and accessibility. The study describes how activists use those tools in the type of messages being communicated on digital spaces. Through a context analysis on tweets from 3 prominent leaders of the movement: Sarah Chadwick, David Hogg, and Cameron Kasky, common themes were identified. The data was collected from a 6 week period ranging from February 14th, 2018 - March 28th, 2018. The purpose of this study is to ultimately examine how activist communicate on online spaces during social movements. Twitter offers activists a series of communication tools such as community, accessibility, and collaboration. Activists use these tools to first communicate about a variety of different topics relating to the movement as well distribute information and encourage involvement from other users. The results from the analysis determined that there is indeed power in communicating your message in online spaces. The study concludes with these findings: social media, specifically Twitter, is represented as a communication tool. The leaders of the Never Again MSD Movement use those tools in a variety of different ways such as communicating their personal opinion, encouraging involvement as well as promoting collaboration, community, and accessibility.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013205
Subject Headings: Social media, Twitter, Activists, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Massacre, Parkland, Florida, 2018
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Seven Ages of Susanna: Immersing in the Narrative Through Augmented Reality.
Creator: Benitez, Laura N., McAfee, Francis, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: The story is a sequence of events. Since nomadic times we have been drawn to the process of storytelling and the underlying themes hidden within these plots. Now, as the technological advancements made in new media lead us to this point, there is the need to reconcile the connection of the narrative with that of new media. Many theorists such as Manovich believe the narrative is slowly dying as new media continues to evolve. While others such as Bolter and Grusin think the story and...
Show moreThe story is a sequence of events. Since nomadic times we have been drawn to the process of storytelling and the underlying themes hidden within these plots. Now, as the technological advancements made in new media lead us to this point, there is the need to reconcile the connection of the narrative with that of new media. Many theorists such as Manovich believe the narrative is slowly dying as new media continues to evolve. While others such as Bolter and Grusin think the story and traditional media is merely reinserting itself into new media. In the augmented reality story, The Seven Ages of Susanna, I seek to create a marriage of conventional media narrative and illustration techniques. By using new media tools of Vuforia and Unity, I aim to create an immersive experience that reconciles this issue.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013184
Subject Headings: Augmented reality, Narratives, Storytelling
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Legitimacy of Cookbooks as Rhetoric of Southern Culture.
Creator: Carrico-Rausch, Cynthia, Trapani, William, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Community cookbooks operate through a rhetoric of place as ways of thinking about belonging and influencing communal identities. They reveal much about a community, including the sharing of memories and tradition, geographical identification, and representation of socio-cultural hierarchies and habits. For that reason, this paper advances the claim that the discourse and visuality in community cookbooks, specifically the cookbooks 200 Years of Charleston Cooking, Charleston Receipts, and...
Show moreCommunity cookbooks operate through a rhetoric of place as ways of thinking about belonging and influencing communal identities. They reveal much about a community, including the sharing of memories and tradition, geographical identification, and representation of socio-cultural hierarchies and habits. For that reason, this paper advances the claim that the discourse and visuality in community cookbooks, specifically the cookbooks 200 Years of Charleston Cooking, Charleston Receipts, and Charleston Receipts Repeats published during the height of a renaissance in Southern literature, influenced the identity of “Southerness” which, taken in conjunction with place, space, and time has resulted in a unification of the changing American South. Using Carolyn Miller’s notions of genre criticism on the basis of genres as social movements, community cookbooks qualify for the genre label of domestic literature in terms of content and rhetorical influence. To prove my claim, the use of images, recipes, and folklore within the pages are analyzed with five a posteriori themes that discuss relations between a sense of place and its foodways.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004796, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004796
Subject Headings: Cooking, American--Southern style., Food habits--Southern States., Community cookbooks--History., Food--Social aspects.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Journey of Art Doll: World-Building in Contemporary Narrative.
Creator: Taber, Robin E., Bargsten, Joey, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Games, movies, television, and interactive media make use of World-Building. World-Building essentially creates an elaborate invented universe in order to give a story context. In other words it generates a back-story designed to enhance the cathartic experience and promote engagement by the reader, viewer or participant. Some examples of World-Building include Halo, World of WarCraft and Game of Thrones. Stories need context to be fully understood and experienced. One describes a situation,...
Show moreGames, movies, television, and interactive media make use of World-Building. World-Building essentially creates an elaborate invented universe in order to give a story context. In other words it generates a back-story designed to enhance the cathartic experience and promote engagement by the reader, viewer or participant. Some examples of World-Building include Halo, World of WarCraft and Game of Thrones. Stories need context to be fully understood and experienced. One describes a situation, the environment, sensations, smells, sounds and sensory perception to give the audience a fuller, richer experience. World-Building provides context through history, textures, laws, physics and motivations. The written portion of this thesis describes the process of generating a fantasy world. The visual portion uses a character-driven narrative to examine larger themes such as psychological transformation and pursuing one’s dream against the odds.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004909, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004909
Subject Headings: Interactive multimedia., Fantasy fiction--Authorship., Fantasy literature--History and criticism--Theory, etc., Imaginary places in literature., Languages, Artificial.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Multitude Speaks in Style: An Analysis of Vernacular Agency Through Images of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Creator: Swartz, Haley, Trapani, William, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: The unexpected comparison of a Supreme Court Justice with a popular culture icon demonstrates how politics and popular culture become entwined in the contemporary context; moreover, network culture provides a conduit for vernacular discourse about politics, which circulates in the style of popular culture. Through analysis of images of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as created, shared, and circulated in network culture, this project explores the alternative levels of discourse generated in network...
Show moreThe unexpected comparison of a Supreme Court Justice with a popular culture icon demonstrates how politics and popular culture become entwined in the contemporary context; moreover, network culture provides a conduit for vernacular discourse about politics, which circulates in the style of popular culture. Through analysis of images of Ruth Bader Ginsburg as created, shared, and circulated in network culture, this project explores the alternative levels of discourse generated in network culture, examines the ways the public represents politics, and explains the ability of political subjects to affect meaning. The aim of this project is to document a conjunctural moment; as such, analysis of the images in aggregate provides a foundation to raise questions about how American political culture is manifested, attended to, and maintained through network culture and the parlance of popular culture.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004998
Subject Headings: Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University, Popular culture--United States., Politics and culture., Ginsburg, Ruth Bader.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Gendered Rhetoric of Product Design: Why Are You Over Paying for Your Gender?.
Creator: McGinley, Shannon Rose, Mulvaney, Becky, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis identifies the price inconstancies between male and female consumer personal care products, such as razors and deodorants. Economic research suggests consumers purchase products based on their willingness to pay, which depends upon satisfaction granted from the product. If this is true, the question must be asked: what grants these consumers high satisfaction from product purchasing? To answer this question, this thesis investigates the rhetorical effect that stems from product...
Show moreThis thesis identifies the price inconstancies between male and female consumer personal care products, such as razors and deodorants. Economic research suggests consumers purchase products based on their willingness to pay, which depends upon satisfaction granted from the product. If this is true, the question must be asked: what grants these consumers high satisfaction from product purchasing? To answer this question, this thesis investigates the rhetorical effect that stems from product design. Using a rhetorical criticism technique, I analyze how product design allows consumers to project their gender identity. I assert that consumers are interpellated to choose products based on their gender. Once this interpellation takes place, a constitutive rhetoric formed by the product’s design already assumes the consumer’s wants by embedding masculine or feminine ideologies. The analysis shows product design perpetuates clear gender dichotomy and fortifies the belief of gender binaries.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013239
Subject Headings: Consumer goods--Prices, Product design, Gender identity
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Impact of 21st Century Television Representation on Women of Color: Colorism Myth or Reality.
Creator: Erves, Alisha Renae, Durnell-Uwechue, Nannetta, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis examined how colorism impacts the representation of young women of color in 21st century television shows. The thesis focused on how colorism affects one’s idea of beauty and self-esteem, and how young women are portrayed. A content analysis of five television programs (Black-ish, Dear White People, Empire, Grown-ish, and The Carmichael Show) were analyzed. Through the analysis, darker complexion women were analyzed and it was found negative attributes were used to describe them...
Show moreThis thesis examined how colorism impacts the representation of young women of color in 21st century television shows. The thesis focused on how colorism affects one’s idea of beauty and self-esteem, and how young women are portrayed. A content analysis of five television programs (Black-ish, Dear White People, Empire, Grown-ish, and The Carmichael Show) were analyzed. Through the analysis, darker complexion women were analyzed and it was found negative attributes were used to describe them in terms of beauty, and for lighter skinned females positives attributes were used throughout the show. In the five episodes examined that aired in the 21st century, beauty was defined based on one’s complexion as it was before in previous centuries. Issues of colorism are still displayed in 21st century television shows and through positive and negative caricatures. Colorism has a direct impact on how women of color are perceived and it can directly impact their self-esteem.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013204
Subject Headings: Colorism, 21st century (Television Program), Women of color
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Transcending political party constraints: an ideographic analysis of the rhetoric of Charlie Crist and Joe Lieberman as independent candidates.
Creator: Poplak, Cara., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis analyzes how the American political system presents specific rhetorical constraints for independent and third party candidates who are "othered" by the system. To better understand how independent candidates overcome these constraints, the rhetoric of two such recent candidates, Charlie Crist and Joe Lieberman, is analyzed using ideographic criticism. These two candidates were originally affiliated with one of the two major political parties, but changed their party affiliation to...
Show moreThis thesis analyzes how the American political system presents specific rhetorical constraints for independent and third party candidates who are "othered" by the system. To better understand how independent candidates overcome these constraints, the rhetoric of two such recent candidates, Charlie Crist and Joe Lieberman, is analyzed using ideographic criticism. These two candidates were originally affiliated with one of the two major political parties, but changed their party affiliation to run as Independent candidates. To facilitate their transition to independent candidates, both politicians used popular American political ideographs such as "the people," "freedom," and "unity" to maintain their allegiance to America and their constituencies, while separating their political ideology from their prior party affiliation. The ideographic analysis reveals that independent candidates can create nuanced changes in the meanings of popular ideographs to transcend partisan interpretations and create a positive perception of political "otherness."
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3333312
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Communication in politics, Political oratory, Political candidates, Third parties (United States politics), Politics and government
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An exploratory study of how lesbian women and gay men are portrayed in Jamaica's primary newspaper - The Gleaner, dancehall music, and the works of authors Kwame Dawes, Kei Miller, and Staceyann Chin.
Creator: Cann, Victoria E., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: This thesis examines the treatment of gay men and lesbian women through the multilayered lenses of the local Jamaican newspaper - The Gleaner, Dancehall music, and select works of Kei Miller, Kwame Dawes, and Staceyann Chin. The study is an exploratory one and as such its methodology is not confined to a prescribed model, but instead draws on a diverse range of theorists, some from postcolonialism, feminism, cultural studies, philosophy, Caribbean studies and more. This project's intent is to...
Show moreThis thesis examines the treatment of gay men and lesbian women through the multilayered lenses of the local Jamaican newspaper - The Gleaner, Dancehall music, and select works of Kei Miller, Kwame Dawes, and Staceyann Chin. The study is an exploratory one and as such its methodology is not confined to a prescribed model, but instead draws on a diverse range of theorists, some from postcolonialism, feminism, cultural studies, philosophy, Caribbean studies and more. This project's intent is to add to the newly emerging canon on queer Caribbean identities by further exploring societal representations of gay sexuality. The first chapter looks at the portrayal of Jamaican gay men and lesbian women through the public discourse of the Jamaica Gleaner. The second discusses the treatment of male and female homosexuality in the popular discourse of Dancehall music. The third chapter analyses the depiction of Caribbean gay and lesbian sexuality through the recent works of authors Kei Miller, Kwame Dawes and Staceyann Chin.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3169916
Subject Headings: Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Homosexuality
Format: Document (PDF)

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