Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Dance / Charles J. Griffin / Modern disasters have shown a disturbing tendency to disrupt normal community life by severing the connection between social services and the populace. Emergency managers realize that responding to disasters presents many unique communication challenges, both on the technical level and the symbolic level. Communities have begun to organize themselves to prepare for and respond to disasters in the event that emergency response agencies confront such challenges. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program was established to train and deploy citizens to supplement the efforts of first responders. The CERT program's website provides information about the program, how to form a CERT and other training and administrative information. A close textual reading of the CERT website enables the rhetorical critic to identify the use of fantasy themes that construct a vision that defines CERT as a rhetorical community. Upon identifying the rhetorical vision at work, a comparison can be made to the features that define a social movement. Applying social movement theory to citizen initiatives opens the possibility for improving community response and the study of communication issues in disaster response.

Master of Arts / Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, and Dance / Timothy R. Steffensmeier / The 2008 presidential campaign controversy surrounding Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sermons had the potential to derail Barack Obama’s candidacy. At the heart of the controversy was race, specifically Whiteness. Obama’s speech “A More Perfect Union” is perhaps one of the most significant political speeches addressing race to date, and warrants analysis. However, Barry Brummett’s book Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular Culture (1991) argues the critic should not be limited to discrete traditional texts, rather should be able to break outside such traditional speaker-focused boundaries. Brummett’s mosaic model allows an exploration of the intersection between popular and political rhetoric of Obama and The Daily Show. I will argue from the intersection we see the emergence of the comic frame as a homology that links the disparate texts of Obama and TDS. I will argue the reason the comic frame emerges from the texts is because there is a societal mandate for the comic frame. Thus, I will ultimately argue the mandate for the comic frame can be better understood as a social movement. However, it is a movement comprised of numerous individual movements, and warrants a new term: meta-movement. Obama and TDS are not leaders of this meta-movement, but instead should be seen as contributors. Brummett urges the critic to consider “the political or ideological interests served by ordering a rhetorical transaction in a certain way” (1991, p. 98). I will argue constructing the rhetoric of Obama and TDS with the comic frame serves the ideological interests of those who are fighting for social justice and working to subvert Whiteness. Thus, I have named the meta-movement to which Obama and TDS contribute a critical optimist movement, because the comic frame provides the tools to be critical of hegemony while ultimately reinforcing the optimistic assumption of the comic frame: all humans are ultimately both flawed and good.

Master of Science / Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / The present study examined whether married individuals hold boundaries for online social networking and the relationship between these boundaries and relational trust and satisfaction. Participants included 205 married individuals who had been married for an average of 27 years. Five specific boundaries were identified and tested using group comparison (by sex) structural equation modeling. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed two latent constructs for internet boundaries: Openness (3 items: Know Friends, Share Passwords and Account Access) and Fidelity (2 items: No Flirting and No Former Partners). Findings suggest that couples in long-term committed relationships have boundaries or rules for social networking. Furthermore, trusting one’s partner, but not relationship satisfaction, contributes to behaviors that reflect sharing online social networking information, and curb online flirting and relationships with former romantic partners. Trust was more strongly associated with men’s than women’s motivation to avoid flirtatious online interaction and communicating with former romantic partners online. These findings that indicate that the use of internet boundaries is highly related to marital trust support the development theory of trust.

Master of Science / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Kevin L. Sauer / Satisfaction with internal communication is important in all organizations and is influenced by the quality and consistency of communication exchange. Job satisfaction is also widely studied in organizations and plays a significant role in employee behavior. Job satisfaction typically correlates with communication satisfaction across different occupations, yet little is known about the communication and job satisfaction relationship in the hospitality industry or specific foodservice organizations. This study explored multiple facets of communication and job satisfaction in a university foodservice setting using the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Abridged Job Descriptive Index. Results indicated that student employees had the highest levels of communication satisfaction (M=181.75±38.24) while classified employees reported lower communication satisfaction (M=161.00±35.04). Managers reported the lowest levels of communication satisfaction (M=156.17±30.34) and also expressed the highest job satisfaction (M=78.66±18.66). Substantial relationships between job and communication satisfaction were not clearly defined in this study; however, specific themes and opportunities for future research were discovered. Results of this study advance the knowledge about communication and job satisfaction in the foodservice environment.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy W. Muturi / This study examines Asian American practitioners’ career motivations, identity-related experiences, and their general perceptions of the public relations industry. Social identity theory serves as the theoretical background of the study, as identity is the core element in understanding practitioners’ working experiences in public relations. A qualitative, in-depth interview method was adopted by the current study. A total of 19 Asian American public relations practitioners were email-interviewed. The study has numerous findings based on the research questions and the emerging themes. In examining why practitioners entered the field of public relations, the study showed that personal interests, industrial attraction, and family influence are key issues in career motivations for practitioners. In examining practitioners’ identities, differences exist between Asians and Asian Americans, and between Asians of different nationalities, although practitioners generally agreed being identified as “Asian Americans”. Their identities had no direct effects on their daily work in public relations; however, subtle challenges and benefits were detected. Challenges facing practitioners were mostly based on stereotypical mindsets, including stereotypes in physical appearance, personality, language and culture. Benefits of being an Asian American in the public relations field included language and cultural advantage, contribution to diversity in the workplace, accessibility to minority organizations, and Asian American unique personal traits. Finally, the study found practitioners’ perceptions of Asian American in public relations were concentrated in the following areas: lacking Asian Americans in the public relations industry, wide opportunities for a career in public relations, professional skills for success in public relations, and increasing Asian American presence in public relations. The current study extends the literature on Asian American public relations practitioners, brings awareness to the subgroup of Asian Americans, and contributes to enhance the presence of Asian Americans to the public relations industry. Strategies of increasing Asian American public relations practitioners are also provided based on participants’ recommendations.

No description available.

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, the failure rates for small businesses in 2014 were as high as 50% to 80% within the first 5 years of establishment. The purpose for this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that small business owners have used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Guided by entrepreneurship theory as the conceptual framework, and a purposive sampling method, this qualitative case study used semistructured interviews with 3 successful, small, ethnic grocery business owners in Anchorage, AK to better understand small business strategies for survival. Member checking and triangulation with field notes, interview data, business websites, customer comments, and government documents helped ensure theoretical saturation and trustworthiness of interpretations. Using pre-coded themes for the data analysis, the 8 themes from this study were entrepreneur characteristics, education and management skills, financial planning, marketing strategies and competitive advantages, social networks and human relationships, technology and innovation, government supports and social responsibility, and motivational influence. Two key results indicated the strategies needed for small business owners were entrepreneur management skills and government support for small businesses. These findings may influence positive social change by improving small business owner competence and sustainability, rising higher business incomes, providing a better quality of life to employees and their communities welfare benefiting the entire U.S. economy.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / Eduard Lindeman (1926) stated, “the approach to adult education will be via the route of situations” (p. 8, emphasis in original). Training professionals often face situations that require them to develop and present training programs on subjects for which they have limited or no previous content expertise. This occurs even though the literature stresses the need for trainers to be experts or masters on the material they present (Bernthal et al., 2004; Brookfield, 1990; Draves, 1984, 2000; Galbraith, 1990; Houle, 1984; Long, 2002; McArdle, 1993; McCain, 1999; Slusarski, 1994; Symonds, 1968; Wlodkowski, 1999). Although there is considerable literature on the roles and responsibilities of trainers (McLagan & Suhadolnik, 1989; Nadler & Nadler, 1989), self-directed learning (Candy, 1991; Knowles, 1975; Tough, 1979), and developing training programs (Caffarella, 2002; Long, 1983; McCain, 1999), very little links these areas with the knowledge acquisition process trainers use. This dissertation describes the phenomenological inquiry into the nature of the process trainers use to acquire the knowledge necessary to develop and present training programs for which they have little or no previous content expertise. The population was selected because of the researcher’s background in training and adult education. Criterion, snowball, convenience, and maximum variation purposeful sampling techniques were used to identify trainers who met the criterion of the study. Potential participants were contacted by the researcher and asked to participate in the study. Data was collected via semistructured interviews until thematic saturation was reached. Constant comparison was used to analyze the transcripts of the interviews. Twenty-six common themes were identified during the study and were categorized into six different categories. The six categories are self-directed learning, the training and development process becomes part of the trainer’s life, the needs assessment is part of knowledge acquisition, knowledge acquisition is a continuous part of the trainer’s life, understanding the importance of adult learning principles, and reflection. The results of this study have implications for the adult education, self-directed learning, program planning, human resource development, and training literature.

« Es-tu d’accord ? » En contexte numérique, cette question appelle un oui ou un non au traitement annoncé de nos données personnelles par une organisation; elle demande ainsi à l’utilisateur son consentement. Les agents conversationnels sont des systèmes de dialogue (ou bots) qui utilisent de nombreuses données personnelles pour parler avec des humains par interface textuelle (chatbot) ou vocale (assistant vocal, parfois appelé voicebot). Par une ethnographie au sein d’une start-up qui développe ce type d’agents, cette thèse explore comment le consentement se tisse dans les pratiques de design de cette organisation. Cette thèse se demande : que peut être une « bonne expérience » de consentement avec un agent conversationnel ? Elle s’ouvre par un chemin tracé au travers de littératures en design d’expérience conversationnelle et en éthique sur le consentement. Tandis qu’une bonne expérience conversationnelle est censée être fluide et agréable, celle du consentement demande des interruptions parfois inconfortables pour être suffisamment éclairé : comment ces deux versions de « bonne expérience » peuvent-elles être réunies sans que l’une ne blesse ou n’invalide l’autre ? Face aux nombreuses limites qui rendent le consentement numérique bien difficile à être valable, la tentation de le laisser de côté est palpable. Pourtant, son horizon éthique de respect vaut la peine d'en prendre soin. Par une perspective qui envisage le consentement comme un matter of caring, cette thèse développe ensuite un cadre théorique qui invite à prendre soin des situations de consentement. Il dote l'approche ventriloque, qui étudie la constitution de la réalité par la communication, d’une éthique du care : avec le concept de matter of caring, il s’agit de prendre soin de certaines préoccupations (matters of concern) pour améliorer des situations de consentement. En se faisant matter of caring, le consentement trouve une façon de n'être plus négligé comme une préoccupation qui ne parvient pas à compter, mais de participer à un changement dans les habitudes d'interaction. Cette participation au changement est également au cœur des pratiques ethnographiques qui constituent cette thèse : à partir de mon expérience comme participante active plutôt que de simple observatrice dans la startup mentionnée plus haut, j’invite à comprendre la pratique réflexive ethnographique par une approche relationnelle où l’ethnographe peut être activement engagée dans la constitution de l’organisation qu’elle étudie. C’est par cet engagement que s’est constitué le matériel de terrain que j’analyse tout au long de la thèse. Plus précisément, le dernier chapitre plonge dans mon terrain et ses tensions pour concevoir une bonne expérience de conversation et de consentement. En résistant à la tentation de laisser le consentement perdre de son importance, je montre que s’y accrocher comme un matter of caring amène à se concentrer sur les conditions dans lesquelles l’organisation demande le consentement : comment prévoit-on de traiter les informations personnelles et comment conçoit-on l’interaction par laquelle le bot demandera leur consentement à ses utilisateurs. Cette histoire n’est pas couronnée de succès mais dévoile plutôt une certaine vulnérabilité. Ainsi, cette thèse ne propose pas un modèle de consentement, ni des directives de design éthique d'un agent conversationnel. Elle s'attarde plutôt sur l'importance des conditions à permettre pour faire de la place aux interactions de consentement. Plutôt que de figer le consentement dans un état contraint de formalité, elle invite à penser le consentement comme une conversation, avec du respect et de l'épanouissement à l’horizon. / “Do you agree?” In the digital realm, this question calls for a yes or no answer to the processing of our personal data by an organization; that is, it asks for the user’s consent. Conversational agents are dialogue systems (or bots) that use many personal data to talk with humans through a textual interface (chatbot) or voice interface (voice assistant, sometimes called “voicebot”). Through an ethnography within a start-up that develops these kinds of agents, this doctoral dissertation explores the weaving of consent into this organization’s design practices. Thus, this dissertation asks: What does a “good experience” of consent with a conversational agent look like? It starts by reviewing the literature on design of conversational experiences and in the ethics of consent. While a good conversational experience is supposed to be smooth and enjoyable, the consent experience requires some interruptions to be sufficiently informed, which can be uncomfortable. So how can these two versions of a “good experience” be brought together without one hurting or invalidating the other? Faced with the many limitations for meaningful consent in a digital context, the temptation to put consent aside is palpable, yet its ethical horizon of respect is worth caring for. Then, with a perspective that views consent in terms of a matter of caring, this dissertation develops a theoretical framework that enables us to explore how people can care for consent situations. Centered on the concept of matter of caring, this framework enriches a ventriloquial approach to the study of the communicative constitution of reality with an ethics of care; it focuses attention on how certain matters of concern can be cared for in order to improve consent situations. By becoming a matter of caring, consent can no longer be neglected as a concern that fails to count; it rather participates in changing how human beings interact with each other. Participating in the bringing about of this change is at the core of the ethnographic methods that constitute this dissertation: Based on my experience with becoming an active participant in the mentioned start-up, rather than a mere participant observant, I explain how ethnographic reflexive practice can be viewed relationally; that is, how an ethnographer can be actively engaged in the constitution of the organization she is studying. This engagement shaped the fieldwork materials I analyze in-depth throughout the dissertation. More specifically, the last chapter of the dissertation delves into my fieldwork on the mentioned tension between designing a good conversational and consent experience. Resisting the temptation to let consent fade away, I show that holding on to it as a matter of caring makes us focus on the conditions under which the organization I studied asks for consent: how it plans to process personal information and how it designs the interaction through which the bot asks for consent from its users. This is not a success story, but rather a story of vulnerability. Thus, this dissertation does not propose a model for consent, nor does it suggest ethical design guidelines for a conversational agent. Instead, it highlights the importance of providing conditions to enable interactions in which consent becomes a matter of caring. Rather than freezing consent in a constrained state of formality, it invites us to think of consent as a conversation, with respect and flourishing on the horizon.

Depuis les attentats du 9/11, la lutte contre le terrorisme est devenue une priorité dans de nombreux pays. Les gouvernements ont mis en place des dispositifs destinés à prévenir les actes terroristes et à identifier en amont les potentiels suspects. C’est dans ce contexte que s’est développé un nouveau champ de savoir sur la « radicalisation ». Ce concept, qui présente le passage à l’acte violent comme l’aboutissement d’un processus, offre aux autorités la possibilité d’intervenir en amont pour « arrêter » ou « inverser » cette progression. À partir de l’analyse de deux rapports officiels et de deux campagnes publiques de prévention, je procéderai à l’analyse critique des discours institutionnels français sur la radicalisation. Je mettrai en évidence la manière dont ce phénomène est représenté par l’administration et les relations que ce concept entretient avec les pratiques de prévention. Enfin, je mettrai en lumière la fonction stratégique de ce savoir pour le pouvoir. / Since the attacks of 9/11, the fight against terrorism has become a priority in many countries. Governments have put in place systems to prevent terrorist acts and to identify potential suspects in advance. It is in this context that a new field of knowledge on "radicalization" has been developed. This concept, which presents the passage to violent action as the culmination of a process, offers the authorities the possibility of intervening upstream to "stop" or "reverse" this progression. Based on the analysis of two official reports and two public prevention campaigns, I will establish a critical analysis of French institutional discourse on radicalization. I will highlight the way in which this phenomenon is represented by the administration and the relationship that this concept has with prevention practices. Finally, I will highlight the strategic function of this knowledge for government.