Matching Items (18)
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- All Subjects: Communication
- All Subjects: Youth
- Creators: Mean, Lindsey
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
Belief affects behavior and rhetoric has the potential to bring about action. This paper is a critical content analysis of the ideology and rhetoric of key Islamist intellectuals and the Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, as stated on the website http://english.hizbuttahrir.org. The responses of specific Muslim Reformers are also analyzed. The central argument underlying this analysis centers on the notion that such Islamist ideology and its rhetorical delivery could be a significant trigger for the use of violence; interacting with, yet existing independently of, other factors that contribute to violent actions. In this case, a significant aspect of any solution to Islamist rhetoric would require that Muslim Reformers present a compelling counter-narrative to political Islam (Islamism), one that has an imperative to reduce the amount of violence in the region. Rhetoric alone cannot solve the many complicated issues in the region but we must begin somewhere and countering the explicit and implicit calls to violence of political Islamist organizations like Hizb ut-Tahrir seems a constructive step.
ContributorsBoyer, Paul Daniel (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Waldron, Vincent (Committee member) / Carter, Heather (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
ABSTRACT The goal of this study is to use neoclassical realist methodology to add to the growing body of literature explaining why America is failing so horribly in its media war with militant Islamists. The general argument being conveyed is that inconsistencies in America's ostensibly liberal diplomacy strategy leaves it open to criticism and deprives it of the credibility necessary to muster an adequate rebuttal. To accomplish its aim, the analysis begins with an investigation into the origins of America's current liberal rhetorical approach. It is believed that with this sort look beneath the surface of the idealistic romanticism U.S. citizens have been continually conditioned to embrace, it becomes apparent that the grandiose pronouncements made by America's national political elite are actually based on rather dubious foundations. The evaluation then turns to a more focused rhetorical examination, which spans from the start of the so-called Arab Spring uprisings on December 18, 2010 to the delivery of President Obama's highly publicized State Department address regarding these demonstrations on May 19, 2011, in order to go behind the White House's official statements and uncover what truly motivated its policy decision making. The belief here is that a close review of the administration's abysmal performance during this historic period assists in making the inadequacy of America's current rhetorical narrative all the more evident. Finally, once the contradictory nature of contemporary American liberalism has been fully demonstrated, the last section concludes with an effort to explain why replacing America's liberal strategy with a straightforward realist stance is best for both American's relations with the Muslim world and America's overall security.
ContributorsThomas, John H., III (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Ramsey, Ramsey E (Committee member) / Nadesan, Majia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The &ldquoMormon; Colonies” in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, boast a sizable population of women originally from the United States who have immigrated to these small Mexican towns. This ethnographic study of the immigrant women in the area focuses on questions of citizenship and belonging, and bolsters the scholarship on U.S. American immigrants in Mexico. Using data from 15 unstructured interviews, the women&rsquos; experiences of migration provide a portrait of U.S. American immigrants in a Mexican religious community. Analysis of this data using grounded theory has revealed that these U.S. American women have created a third social space for themselves, to a large degree retaining their original culture, language, and political loyalty. Their stories contribute to the literature on transnational migration, providing an account of the way migrants of privilege interact with their society of settlement.
ContributorsNielsen, Vanessa (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Téllez, Michelle (Committee member) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
In order to adapt to a new culture and new language, children of immigrant families are faced daily with the responsibility of being the intermediaries between the family and the host culture through their language proficiency (Weisskirch & Alva, 2002). This thesis looks into the experiences of English-Spanish bilingual children as they bridge the gap between the family and the non-Spanish speaking community through their interpreting/translating skills. With an emphasis on children of Mexican-origin, the goal is to further understand and illuminate how these children manage this communication in an adult society, their feelings and thoughts about their experiences, and the child's perceptions about the influence that this experience may or may not have on their future. A sample of seventeen children agreed to participate in a semi-structured face-to-face interview to share their experiences. The data from these interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006). A priori themes of circumstantial bilingual and adaptive parentification were the initial focus of the research while being open to emerging themes. The children's accounts of their experiences indicated primarily that the Mexican-origin values of familism and respeto (respect) were a significant influence on them when they interpreted/translated for their family. With these traditional cultural values and norms as the groundwork, the sub-themes of normalcy and stress emerged as supportive elements of the circumstantial bilingual experience. Furthermore, the theme of adaptive parentification and the sub-themes of choice, expectation/responsibility to assist, and equality to parents offered further insight on how adaptive parentification can result as the roles of these children change. There was an emergent theme, identity negotiation, which increases our understanding of what the circumstantial bilingual child encounters as the attempt is made to negotiate his identity as an individual who has to mediate language between two opposing cultures. Due to the language brokering responsibility that are bestowed upon these children, it is concluded that communicative support by the parents is a necessary component of the parent-child relationship in order to nurture and develop these children as they negotiate and create their identity to become the successful leaders of tomorrow.
ContributorsCayetano, Catalina (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Waldron, Vincent (Committee member) / Gaffney, Cynthia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Using models identified by communications scholars Herbert W. Simons and Charles J. Stewart, a rhetorical analysis was conducted on contemporary Tea Party Movement (TPM) artifacts in an attempt to gauge the movement's authenticity as it relates to grassroots advocacy versus astroturfing. The models provided a theoretical framework in which the functions of social movement leaders were analyzed, as well as the rhetorical phases of a movement. Additionally, the notions of advocacy and astroturfing were defined and the concepts compared and contrasted. Used in conjunction with one another the models provided a framework in which TPM artifacts could be analyzed. Analysis was conducted on the websites for the Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Express, a one-month sample of Sarah Palin FaceBook posts, two speeches delivered by Michelle Bachmann, and finally one speech given by Palin. Examples for each of the necessary rhetorical components identified were found within TPM sources, thus leading to the conclusion that the TPM operates primarily as a grassroots advocacy movement.
ContributorsZukowski, Kassandra (Author) / Holmer Nadesan, Majia (Thesis advisor) / Mean, Lindsey (Committee member) / Eric Ramsey, Ramsey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Why is it that soccer, the world's most popular sport for almost a century, has yet to become established in the world's most ethnically diverse nation? This question is especially relevant today given the recent U.S. Men's National Team (ranked 28th in the world) loss to the lowly Trinidad & Tobago (ranked 99th), thus failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. This represents a huge disappointment for the USMNT since they compete in CONCACAF, arguably the easiest region to succeed. The Icelandic National Team, on the other hand, recently secured their World Cup spot despite having a population of 330,000 and competing in UEFA, which is debatably the hardest region to qualify. This disastrous shortcoming by the USMNT represents the fact that the American system is flawed, and I painstakingly wanted to know why. I reasoned that good teams are made up of good players; good players must stem from a good foundation, which leads to my topic. Because the soccer development landscape differs across continents, this thesis contains a macro-level analysis of the youth models in Europe vs. America and explains how the U.S. can improve. Elite European bodies tend to be more established organizationally, have an abundance of resources, and is surrounded by a culture that praises the sport. While soccer in America is relatively new, often lacks proper resources, and competes in a society that favors multiple other sports. This thesis will elaborate on these differences through the example of the FC Barcelona Youth Academy representing Europe, paralleled to what many consider the best American program: FC Dallas Academy. An assessment will also be included regarding the Icelandic model of player development due to the recent success of their National Teams. Through this smaller comparison representing the larger issue, I will address the opportunity in this moment and how the U.S. can improve. This report will also focus on the men's game because the incredible success of American women at soccer is a very different story that warrants a whole other project. I gathered a majority of my project findings through the use of various books, online resources, academic journals, and data reports. This research has led to the conclusion that there are many factors that determine whether a group is successful at soccer. In the short term, American players should compete abroad if possible in order to train among the world's best. But in an effort to improve at a grassroots level, the United States should focus on providing the basic necessities, promoting an effective sophistication of soccer, and addressing issues that stem from pay-to-play. All of these subjects will be discussed at great lengths below.
ContributorsBeddor, Elliot Nolan (Author) / Jackson, Victoria (Thesis director) / Mean, Lindsey (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Western cultures on the whole have a particular fascination surrounding tattoos, and academia is no different. There are numerous studies that discuss why people get tattoos and what peoples’ perceptions of those with tattoos are. However, there has only been a minuscule amount of research on the ones who even make tattoos possible: Tattoo artists. This work endeavors to provide a platform for tattoo artists to share their stories and experiences, and, in turn, help provide academia and the public at-large with a better understanding of tattoo artist identity and how the tattoo artist residual community functions and defines itself. Through ethnography, ethnographic interviews, and autoethnography, the everyday lives of tattoo artists will be explored. This work also seeks to provide an understanding of the history, skillsets, artistry, and creativity of Western tattoo artists, while simultaneously arguing for how tattoos and their creators can open the world of “fine art” to a broader audience and make it more accessible for all.
ContributorsHawn, Allison (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Schleif, Corine (Committee member) / Guerrero, Laura (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) offer community spaces where players can interact and develop a diverse range of skills online, such as communication and socialization, that can be applied offline. Designing more inclusive community spaces is crucial to give a more diverse range of individuals the chance to develop these skills. One way to add diversity to an online community space is to attract players with diverse personalities and play styles. This study is a qualitative exploration of personality and play in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV). The specific research question is: what kinds of patterns exist in player personality and in the choices players make in a massively multi-player online (MMO) game Subjects were given the Big 5 personality survey to measure the five core personality dimensions. The survey also included FFXIV-specific items about in-game preferences and play styles of the players, and it concluded with open-ended questions that allowed subjects to explain certain choices. Thematic analysis was used to find patterns in the open-ended questions. The results of this exploratory study indicate that the players in this community are mostly casual and play FFXIV for the content and social aspects of the game. They enjoyed the customization options and gameplay of FFXIV. It is important to be open to the different backgrounds of players who join the Free Company (FC) and to accommodate their preferences and choices in the game. Consistent player interactions and activities with other members in their FC help to create a sense of community.
ContributorsFlor, Michelle Kaitlyn (Author) / Wise, Greg (Thesis advisor) / Mean, Lindsey (Committee member) / Halavais, Alexander (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals experience a variety of types of representation, particularly in media outlets. While the quantity of such representations is steadily increasing, research must continue to examine the content of representations as they become available. This examination is important as much of society is determined by discourses presented in media outlets. Further, media often produces and reproduces dominant narratives about minority groups. Television is one arena where individuals come to learn about themselves and others. Particularly, the sitcom genre can be useful for figuring out how to deal with real-world issues in a humorous and entertaining way. However, the humor of sitcom does not exclude it from the meaning-making and identity-formation systems present in television and media, more broadly. Thus, this study investigates the discourses surrounding LGBTQ+ representation in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek through critical and rhetorical discursive analyses while also applying principles of queer theory throughout. Results indicate while Schitt’s Creek does many things well in terms of its representation of LGBTQ+ individuals, problematic stereotypes still often remain. In other words, Schitt’s Creek breaks from typical LGBTQ+ representation found in sitcoms, but often still embodies dominant cultural narratives used to degrade, restrict, and punish LGBTQ+ individuals. This is particularly evident as one examines the ways Schitt’s Creek often falls into heteronormative standards and continually polices the sexual nature of LGBTQ+ individuals to display a safe and comfortable version of homosexuality. Therefore, Schitt’s Creek may often and unknowingly reinforce the heteronormative hegemonies it seeks to break from.
ContributorsKiourkas, Steffanie M (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Teens are one of the largest markets for movies. Representations of teenagers in film have the potential to powerfully impact their sense of self and society (Elbaba, 2019, para. 17), yet mainstream films in the high school genre have typically recycled the same narrow teen stereotypes and narratives since the 1980s (Shary, 2014, p. 19). However, film critics, social commentators, and social media reactions lauded a notable exception in Booksmart (Wilde, 2019). The research reported in this thesis was an analysis of the narrative arc and character tropes in Booksmart intended to explore how these differed from those typical in this genre. The analysis identified several ways that Booksmart deviated from traditional gendered forms in the transformational elements of the narrative and in the strategic use of familiar tropes to disrupt stereotypes. Ultimately, while it is limited in some ways (e.g., racial diversity), Booksmart does include more multidimensional characters and contemporary youth issues (deconstructing stereotypes, beauty standards, etc.) compared to most mainstream films in the teen American high school film genre.
ContributorsJohnson, Kaitlen (Author) / Mean, Lindsey (Thesis advisor) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Walker, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023