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- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
Description
In a mere thirty years, hospice has grown from a purely ideological philosophy of care for terminally ill individuals and their families, to a large and well organized healthcare entity. And government statistics project that healthcare will generate more new jobs than any other industry in America until at least 2018. While most of the extant literature that has been published on healthcare workers has focused on negative organizational processes, such as stress and burnout, there has been a recent shift in scholarly ideology in which researchers have been challenged to consider the positive aspects of organizational life as well. Compassion, theorized as a three-part interrelated process, is one area that is garnering interest within organizational studies. Utilizing grounded theory, this study engaged literature from organizational studies on emotional labor, stress, and burnout, as well as literature on positive organizational communication. What emerged from the data is a richly detailed picture of the emotional highs and lows that hospice workers experience in their jobs. Research was conducted at two large hospices in the desert southwest, utilized qualitative methods of participant observation (161 hours), and informal and semi-structured interviews (29 interviews) as a means to understand hospice workers--nurses (32), nursing assistants (23), social workers (14), and spiritual care providers (4)--experiences of emotion. Through data analysis, compassion emerged as a salient concept in worker's daily experiences. Yet, my data suggested a reconceptualization of the way in which compassion has been theorized in the past--as noticing, feeling, and responding. Based on my findings, I argue that the three subprocesses could more accurately be described recognizing, relating, and responding.
ContributorsWay, Deborah (Author) / Tracy, Sarah J. (Thesis advisor) / Carlson, Cheree (Committee member) / Kastenbaum, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
The Burning Man Festival, a free-spirited yet highly sophisticated social experiment celebrating "radical self expression and radical self reliance" is well-known for its large-scale and highly interactive public art installations. For twenty-five years, Burners (as festival participants are called) have been creating and displaying amazing works of art for the annual event, which currently takes place in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. In the desert, Burners build a temporary city, appropriate the open space to serve as their "tabula rasa" or "blank canvas," and unleash their creative potential in the name of "active participation" and social civility. In the process, they produce public art on a scale unprecedented in United States history. This dissertation, a visual and narrative ethnography, explores the layers of aesthetic and social meanings Burners associate with public art. Told in narrative form, this project utilizes "in situ" field notes, photographic field notes, rhetorical analyses of art installations, thematic analysis of Burner storytelling, and writing as a method of inquiry as means for investigating and understanding more fully the ways Burners create, display, and consume public art. Findings for this project indicate Burners value public art beyond its material presentation. Preparing for, building, celebrating, and experiencing aesthetic transformation through the engagement of public art all are viewed as valuable"art" experiences at Burning Man. Working in tandem, these experiences also produce profound feelings of connection and collaboration in the community, suggesting Burning Man's methods for producing public art could serve as model to follow, or points for reflection, for other groups wishing to use public art and other forms of material expression to bring their members closer together.
ContributorsStewart, Karen Ann (Author) / Goodall, Jr., Harold (Thesis advisor) / Margolis, Eric (Thesis advisor) / Tracy, Sarah J. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
Buddhism is thriving in US-America, attracting many converts with college and post-graduate degrees as well as selling all forms of popular culture. Yet little is known about the communication dynamics behind the diffusion of Buddhist religious/spiritual traditions into the United States. Religion is an underexplored area of intercultural communication studies (Nakayama & Halualani, 2010) and this study meets the lacuna in critical intercultural communication scholarship by investigating the communication practices of US-Americans adopting Asian Buddhist religious/spiritual traditions. Ethnographic observations were conducted at events where US-Americans gathered to learn about and practice Buddhist religious/spiritual traditions. In addition, interviews were conducted with US-Americans who were both learning and teaching Buddhism. The grounded theory method was used for data analysis. The findings of this study describe an emerging theory of the paracultural imaginary -- the space of imagining that one could be better than who one was today by taking on the cultural vestments of (an)Other. The embodied communication dynamics of intercultural exchange that take place when individuals adopt the rituals and philosophies of a foreign culture are described. In addition, a self-reflexive narrative of my struggle with the silence of witnessing the paracultural imaginary is weaved into the analysis. The findings from this study extend critical theorizing on cultural identity, performativity, and cultural appropriation in the diffusion of traditions between cultural groups. In addition, the study addresses the complexity of speaking out against the subtle prejudices in encountered in intercultural communication.
ContributorsWong, Terrie Siang-Ting (Author) / de la Garza, Sarah Amira (Thesis advisor) / Margolis, Eric (Committee member) / Budruk, Megha (Committee member) / Chen, Vivian Hsueh-Hua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Research suggests that a particularly important variable in determining success in public participation is the presence of a facilitator. Data from a study of 239 public participation case studies is analyzed using descriptive and statistical analysis to determine the impact on success of the participation efforts if a facilitator is present and whether or not internal versus external facilitators have a significant impact on success. The data suggest that facilitators have a positive impact on the success of public participation efforts and, in particular, that public participation efforts that use facilitators are more successful when the facilitator is a third-party intermediary (external) versus a member of the lead agency's staff (internal).
ContributorsWastchak, Daran Reginald (Author) / Cayer, Joseph (Thesis advisor) / Lucio, Joanna (Committee member) / Schugurensky, Daniel, 1958- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Ethernet based technologies are emerging as the ubiquitous de facto form of communication due to their interoperability, capacity, cost, and reliability. Traditional Ethernet is designed with the goal of delivering best effort services. However, several real time and control applications require more precise deterministic requirements and Ultra Low Latency (ULL), that Ethernet cannot be used for. Current Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) applications use semi-proprietary technologies that provide deterministic communication behavior for sporadic and periodic traffic, but can lead to closed systems that do not interoperate effectively. The convergence between the informational and operational technologies in modern industrial control networks cannot be achieved using traditional Ethernet. Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a suite of IEEE standards designed by augmenting traditional Ethernet with real time deterministic properties ideal for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications. Similarly, Deterministic Networking (DetNet) is a Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standardization that enhances the network layer with the required deterministic properties needed for IACS applications. This dissertation provides an in-depth survey and literature review on both standards/research and 5G related material on ULL. Recognizing the limitations of several features of the standards, this dissertation provides an empirical evaluation of these approaches and presents novel enhancements to the shapers and schedulers involved in TSN. More specifically, this dissertation investigates Time Aware Shaper (TAS), Asynchronous Traffic Shaper (ATS), and Cyclic Queuing and Forwarding (CQF) schedulers. Moreover, the IEEE 802.1Qcc, centralized management and control, and the IEEE 802.1Qbv can be used to manage and control scheduled traffic streams with periodic properties along with best-effort traffic on the same network infrastructure. Both the centralized network/distributed user model (hybrid model) and the fully-distributed (decentralized) IEEE 802.1Qcc model are examined on a typical industrial control network with the goal of maximizing scheduled traffic streams. Finally, since industrial applications and cyber-physical systems require timely delivery, any channel or node faults can cause severe disruption to the operational continuity of the application. Therefore, the IEEE 802.1CB, Frame Replication and Elimination for Reliability (FRER), is examined and tested using machine learning models to predict faulty scenarios and issue remedies seamlessly.
ContributorsNasrallah, Ahmed (Author) / Reisslein, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Syrotiuk, Violet R. (Committee member) / LiKamWa, Robert (Committee member) / Thyagaturu, Akhilesh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This dissertation demarks the start of an empirical study of toxic romantic relationships. Three primary tasks were undertaken: (1) uncover characteristics of toxic romantic relationships, (2) develop a Toxic Relationship Behaviors scale, and (3) determine how toxic relationship behaviors and coping behaviors associate with breakup distress and post-traumatic growth following breakup. For aim 1, an inductive qualitative analysis examined toxic romantic relationships behaviors mentioned in Reddit and Quora threads. Data (n = 1,615) were classified under 14 themes representing toxic relationship behaviors and indicated one partner predominantly engaged in toxic relationship behaviors, characterized by power, control, and self-centeredness. For aim 2, a survey was launched to develop a Toxic Relationship Behavior scale and investigate relationships among toxic relationship behaviors, breakup distress, post-breakup coping behaviors, and post-traumatic growth. Exploratory factor analysis showed six Toxic Relationship Behavior subscales: (1) isolating, (2) displaying righteous self-centeredness, (3) walking on eggshells, (4) criticizing and conveying contempt, (5) surveilling, and (6) engaging in intermittent reinforcement. For aim 3, a quantitative study (n = 168) was conducted using the Toxic Relationship Behaviors scale to determine how toxic relationship behaviors and coping behaviors associate with breakup distress and post-traumatic growth. Results indicated emotional breakup distress was positively associated with focusing on the ex and seeking social support. Cognitive breakup distress was positively associated with surveilling and displaying righteous self-centeredness, as well as coping by focusing on the ex, seeking social support, and solitude. Personal growth positively associated with intermittent reinforcement, walking on eggshells, and righteous self-centeredness, as well as the coping strategies positive distraction and seeking social support. Thus, the combination of displaying righteous self-centeredness, walking on eggshells, and productive coping associated with the highest levels of personal growth. Walking on eggshells and seeking social support also predicted heightened appreciation of relationships and increased sensitivity toward others after the breakup. Coping through positive distractions was also positively related to increased sensitivity to others. The final chapter discusses findings across both studies and outlines directions for future research on toxic relationship behaviors.
ContributorsGraham, Callie (Author) / Guerrero, Laura K. (Thesis advisor) / Alberts, Jess (Committee member) / Randall, Ashley K. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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
This dissertation examines the artistic side of dialogic interventions through a meeting designthat combines music-making and storytelling. I facilitated six dialogues across four
collectives with 20 participants. During the dialogue, each participant played a musical
instrument called the handpan while simultaneously telling a story. Within two days of the
meetings, participants described their experience of the dialogue through qualitative
interviews and drawings. Findings show that fusing art with dialogue facilitated trust by
creating conditions for relaxation, playfulness and presence. The dialogue also invited
invitational reflexivity and relationality, which may contribute to group flourishing. The
majority of participants felt heartfelt connections during moments of emotional
convergence. Those who did not connect to anyone experienced uncontrolled mental noise
and cautiousness. The study shows how the fusion of art and dialogue may
facilitate trust, dialogic moments, and relational outcomes that could contribute to the
relationality and inclusivity of a collective.
ContributorsDurón Delfín, Florencia (Author) / Tracy, Sarah J (Thesis advisor) / Broome, Benjamin (Committee member) / Barge, Kevin J (Committee member) / Rohd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This dissertation develops an Indigenous rhetorical praxis of futurity, whichserves as an anticolonial methodology to activate indigeneity as a condition of possibility within communication studies. This approach seeks to apprehend and expose the persistence of colonialism and imperialism, particularly as these structures continue to shape and impact Indigenous lands and lives. It is promiscuous in practice, building from Indigenous political and cultural domains while simultaneously traversing the networks of colonialist ideologies to rearticulate rhetorical theoretical and methodological practices that are infused in anticolonial consciousness.
To illuminate this praxis, I analyze three Indigenous speculative fiction novels authored by Indigenous people: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas), The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline (Georgian Bay Métis), and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet). I concentrate on two primary aspects within the novels studied, including the authors’ articulations of spatial and affective relations as they inform Indigenous futurity. My focus on spatiality interrogates how the authors redefine colonial spaces and their impacts on bodies, identities, communities, and kinship formations. The analysis of affect explores how Indigenous desires, intimacies, and sensual embodiments are employed to dismantle liberalism, democracy, and discourses of rights and recognition.
These examinations uncover the productions of indigeneity, colonialism, and sovereignty to enhance an understanding of the modes of dispossession through which subjectivities are constructed and deconstructed. Overall, this dissertation carves a space for Indigenous futures in communication studies and makes contributions to critical rhetorical studies, queer intercultural communication research, and the emerging subfield of Indigenous communication studies.
ContributorsStanley, Liahnna (Author) / LeMaster, Lore/tta (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Heewon (Thesis advisor) / Vicenti Carpio, Myla (Committee member) / Lechuga, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
For most people, sexual activity is a normal and healthy part of intimate romantic relationships. However, for some, sexual behaviors can become problematic to the extent their behaviors begin to impair or disrupt critical aspects of effective functioning. The inability to control problematic sexual behavior is among the most prominent traits for diagnosing compulsive sexual behavior or what is commonly referred to as sex addiction. Sex addicts in committed romantic relationships routinely engage in secrecy and deception as a maladaptive means to cope with the shame and guilt associated with such severe relational transgressions. Although ongoing disclosures with one’s dyadic partner regarding addiction-related struggles may be a healthy exercise in transparency and accountability, such honest disclosures risk re-injuring the transgressed partner while simultaneously upending the recovering addict’s attempt to restore face. Hence, recovering sex addicts who wish to repair their blighted dyadic relationships must carefully navigate self-disclosure and privacy implications as they attempt to restore themselves and their intimate relationships. Accordingly, this dissertation utilizes thematic analysis to explore the face and privacy implications surrounding addiction-related disclosures (ARD) in committed dyadic relationships. This qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 recovering sex addicts attending 12-step Sex Addicts Anonymous groups. Key findings from this study suggest a relationship between recovery progress and how ARD are comprised, articulated, and interpreted by dyadic partners. Additionally, this study found that ARD, although damaging, largely did not result in relationship termination. Rather, relationships impacted by such disclosures simultaneously experienced two disparate relationship stages of bonding and stagnating. Finally, this study suggests that the reverberation of salacious ARD across the romantic dyad fundamentally upends the transgressor’s positive face. Such severe face damage was found to attenuate participants’ ability to regulate privacy boundaries with their partners.
ContributorsMims, Christopher W. (Author) / Pettigrew, Jonathan (Thesis advisor) / Sharabi, Liesel (Committee member) / Waldron, Vincent (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023