This study examines San Joaquin County parents' and guardians' media use, interpersonal discussion and attitudes toward funding public schools. Specifically, it investigated the effect of media use on the salience of funding for public schools and how it may be mediated by interpersonal discussion about local public schools. Data was collected from 513 parents and guardians of kindergarten- through sixth-grade children, who responded to a purposive survey distributed within their large urban district, Tracy Unified School District, a small rural district, Jefferson Elementary School District, and a charter school run by San Joaquin County Office of Education. The survey was used to test a hypothesis and research question. The research found that there is a correlation with media use and parental attitudes toward public school funding. More significantly, however, is that the results indicated that interpersonal discussion is a much stronger predictor of parent's attitudes toward public school funding than media use. This study implies that interpersonal discussions with teachers and school administrators can further problem solving and/or decision-making with parents.

This study examines the social networking website, Facebook and uses an experimental design to determine the relationship between two variables: self-esteem and social comparison. The study also examines the relationship between the variables of identification and similarity as a process of social comparison. Sixty-five students from a small, private University located in the northwestern United States participated in a classical pretest-posttest experiment consisting of two groups. The treatment in this study was a Facebook account that was designed to induce feelings of upward social comparison amongst the participants through the use of status updates, photos and comments from a female college student. The self-esteem and social comparison levels of the participants were measured after viewing the Facebook treatment to determine whether or not the participants experienced a change in their self-esteem, as a result of engaging in upward social comparison with the Facebook treatment. The degree to which the participants identified with the Facebook treatment and also the degree to which the participants viewed the Facebook treatment as someone who was similar to themselves was also measured to determine whether or not identification and similarity play a role in social comparison. The results revealed that the participants did not experience a significant decrease in self-esteem after viewing the Facebook treatment. Furthermore, a correlation analysis indicated no significant relationship between the identification and similarity variables and the self-esteem and social comparison variables. However, additional findings revealed a significant correlation between high self-esteem and downward social comparison. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed regarding the relationship between self-esteem and social comparison on Facebook.

This study is an ideological criticism of the acclaimed Amazon digital television series Transparent. Transparent is a series that focuses heavily on LGBTQ+ issues, including a transgender protagonist and several LGBTQ+ characters. Recognizing the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in media, this study draws from a methodological framework in Kenneth Burke’s rhetorical concept of identification as well as Judith Butler and John Sloop’s theories pertaining to gender identity in order to assess how this series represents gender. Analyzing key scenes in Transparent’s first and second seasons, this thesis argues that Transparent offers several sympathetic portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters, depicts gender as culturally constructed, and queers heteronormativity with its focus on LGBTQ+ issues. However, Transparent frequently relies on underdeveloped and often stereotypical depictions of LGBTQ+ characters, does not display LGBTQ+ actors in major roles, and often reinforces dominant ideologies such as heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity in its identification. As a result, this series ultimately is mixed in advancing LGBTQ+ representation on television.

This study explored the cultural knowledge and analysis needed for the successful localization of websites in two different countries—the U.S. and Mexico. Localization is defined as linguistically and culturally adapting a product for the target language in the local area, region, or country where it will be marketed, sold, or used. The focus of the study was on the Latino/Hispanic and Mexican markets as two separate targets. I considered issues of cultural identity, language preference, and acculturation to determine how to adapt websites for each group and compared how localization plans are different and what leads to such differences. It examined how localization professionals working with either of the two target markets define effectiveness, and it evaluated and compared four different websites considered localized for their intended audiences based on literature review and interview findings. I utilized qualitative in-depth interviews of localization professionals and a visual assessment of four websites' cultural values and linguistic preferences for targeted markets based on what is considered effective. Localization professionals function as interpreters who apply their role to their work as Internet/website/technical specialists. For instance, the basic qualifications for Localization Project Managers are fluency in more than one language, experience with translation tools, familiarity with software applications, and experience working internationally and with other cultures. The interview questions were open ended in order to gather and codify aspects of general themes while allowing interviewees to bring up topics and issues that I did not include on my questionnaire. This way, they were more open to sharing their individual perspectives. I gathered information on past research on the topic through the literature review in order to create the questions for the interviews. In the discussion of results and conclusion, I compared the literature with my findings.

Crisis negotiators in Arizona work with very diverse populations. In addition to large populations of Whites, Hispanics, Native-Americans, and Asians, there are growing refugee populations from over twenty nations. Considering this, there is a surprising lack of information on negotiating with people from different cultures in the literature written for the field. The purpose of this thesis is to determine the attitudes of crisis negotiators in Arizona on the role of culture in negotiating with people who are different from themselves. It seeks to answer this by interviewing crisis negotiators from diverse law enforcement agencies in Arizona. The following questions will be answered: 1) Do crisis negotiators perceive that culture effects their negotiations? 2) Do they currently receive cultural competency training? 3) Do they have a desire for/ or need for cultural competency training? 4) What kind of cultural competency training would be beneficial for them? Based on the responses from the negotiators, I will make recommendations on future training or research that meets their needs and desires in the area of negotiating with those who are culturally different from themselves.

This study focused on instructional style in the college classroom to determine if apprehension levels of male and female students are influenced by instructor gender and instructor communication style. The foundations of the study are in the theoretical models of Tannen, Gilligan, and Lakoff. Tannen reasons that early socialization of boys in hierarchical play groups where language is used to put oneself forward may increase male comfort in the college classroom. She also sees the college classroom as generally debate-like which may be more conducive to the learning of males than females. Gilligan, through analysis of the way males and females face moral dilemmas, concludes that males and females structure relationships differently and may be comfortable in different learning environments--he in a hierarchy based on logic, she in an atmosphere of connection. Lakoff extends the argument with her analysis of the power of language. She concludes that females are at a disadvantage in the college classroom because they are the subordinate group in an environment in which the language style of the dominant group prevails. The research sample included 202 students (88 males and 110 females) enrolled in small communication classes with 6 male and 4 female instructors at medium-sized western universities. Analysis of variance of student responses to Neer's Class Apprehension Participation Scale (CAPS) and Norton's Communicator Style Measure (CSM) indicated that female students are more apprehensive than male students and both male and female students are less apprehensive when they perceive their instructor to be low in contentiousness rather than high in contentiousness. Recommendations to educators include training instructors to reduce student apprehension and to reduce differential treatment of male and female students, training students in the communication skills necessary for participation, and providing a combination of male and female instructors to meet the varied needs of students. Suggestions for future research include using a larger sample size and analyzing other class sizes, types of classes, departments, and levels in the curriculum, as well as analyzing age and ethnicity.

Problem. Traditional measures for library and learning resources programs based on standards which identify input alone are no longer considered effective for evaluating a program or justifying its needs. No output measures for comprehensive learning resources programs in California existed. Purpose. The purpose was to develop output measures for comprehensive learning resources programs. Additionally, learning resources and library administrators were surveyed regarding the following: whether they would use the output measures, how they would use them, and whether there was a need for the adoption of statewide standards. Procedures. Thirteen output measures previously identified and pilot tested by library and learning resources program administrators were revised into 12 output measures based on the results of the pilot test. Two groups of 24 colleges each were randomly selected to participate in the survey. The revised output measures and survey were sent to the two groups for response. Thirty-nine college administrators returned the survey. The data were tabulated and analyzed electronically using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings. The usefulness and clarity of the output measures manual were validated by this study. The data indicate that 78% of community college learning resources program administrators will use all or some of the output measures to evaluate their programs. The data indicate that in-house or within institution use of data is more valuable than for comparing across libraries. Program administrators agree strongly that the State needs to adopt minimum standards for learning resources programs. Recommendations. (1) The output measures manual for California Community College Library and Learning Resources Programs be adopted by the California Community College Chancellor's office for the voluntary evaluation of learning resources programs in California. (2) That as program based funding is fully implemented in California Community Colleges, research should be conducted, using the output measures, to determine if improved funding of learning resources programs at the state level leads to more effective services at the local level. (3) That the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges adopt the ALA (1990) standards for learning resources programs.

This study documented participation at school jazz festivals according to gender and instrument and explored interaction patterns between clinicians and students to determine if participation patterns in jazz education resemble those in math and science, where females have been found to be underrepresented in high-level courses. This study analyzed data collected at two middle and high school jazz festivals with male and female students participating in stage performances and in post-performance clinics. Out of a total student population of 556 performers, males were found to represent a disproportionate percentage of the population (males = 70% and females = 30%). Significantly more males were found on all instruments, with the exception of piano, where females represented the majority (male pianists = 42.5% and female pianists = 57.5%). Solo patterns revealed that even though there were more female pianists, male pianists were featured as a soloist a total of 17 times, in contrast to 5 total solos for female pianists. Categorical data from solo patterns for all instruments showed that males were featured significantly more often as a soloist on saxophone and piano. Given the research on sex-stereotyping of instruments, where saxophone and piano are considered as less “masculine” instruments, this research noted that no significant difference in solo patterns were found between males and females who perform on the more “masculine” instruments (trumpet, trombone, drums, and bass). Overall, males did solo significantly more often than girls, based on the proportion of boys to girls in the total sample. Interaction analysis, using a modification of the INTERSECT observation form utilized by researchers Sadker & Sadker, of post-performance clinics found that males dominated all interactions. Males raised their hands more often, were called on and called-out more often and were asked to play at a higher rate than female performers. Results suggest that jazz education might benefit from intervention strategies similar to those implemented in math and science education to narrow the participation and interaction gap between males and females.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the career ladder achievement, length of service in the vocation, salary, career status and professional aspirations of community college transfer (two-plus-two) graduates and university (four-year) graduates from universities and colleges offering academic and professional training in news-editorial journalism. Procedure. California newspapers were randomly selected and 436 surveys were mailed out to the editorial staffs of 36 weekly and 19 daily newspapers. Responses were received from 12 daily newspapers and 31 weekly newspapers. The final survey population was 111 editors and reporters working on daily newspapers and 70 editors and reporters working on weekly newspapers. Each member of the survey population was asked to give academic information and employment and salary history before and after graduation from a college or university. The period of employment was from 1970 to 1984. The survey focused on writing and editing experiences and sought an evaluation of journalism education and professional experiences. Descriptive information and differences between three identified groups (University-Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Community College-Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and University-Bachelor of Arts in Other Field) were analyzed using Chi Square and analysis of variance. Sources of significance were further analyzed using Scheffe tests of multiple comparisons. Findings and Conclusions. The level of achievement, both personally and professionally, indicates continued post-baccalaureate equality among each of the three groups under study. The sample population worked an average of 6.81 years. Men worked more years in the profession than women; community college women worked the least number of years. Community college journalists tended to change jobs less often; women journalists with degrees in other fields tended to have more jobs. Graduates with degrees in other fields entered the journalism profession later than did those trained in journalism. No differences were found in the career advancement and level of leadership of the three groups. Salaries between the three groups were not significantly different. The average salary per month in 1984 was $1846. Women journalists earned less than men, and community college women earned the least. Recommendations. The central question still to be answered is whether it is an advantage or disadvantage for the person who wishes to become a journalist to begin as a freshman at a four-year university or begin as a freshman in a community college and complete his/her studies at the university. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

This thesis examines the rhetorical significance of visual metaphors as they occur in film. In particular, it provides a rhetorical analysis of Baz Luhrmann's film William Shakespeare's: Romeo + Juliet . The thesis analyzes how religious visual metaphors construct meaning by creating visual narratives that are just as powerful as spoken or written metaphors. The thesis relies on Gozzi's (1999) three levels of metaphors—surface, deep, and meta-metaphors—for the analysis of visual metaphors surrounding Father Lawrence and images of Christ that appear in Luhrmann's film. The analysis indicates that the visual surface metaphors of Father Lawrence depict a central character that is seedy, weak, and inactive. The visual surface metaphors of the images of Christ depict this religious figure as omnipresent yet impotent. The analysis indicates that the visual deep metaphors of Father Lawrence define this character as infirmed and culpable for the tragedy of the film. The visual deep metaphors of the images of Christ define him as infirmed and confined. Taken together, the surface and deep visual metaphors contribute to the development of a meta-metaphor in Luhrmann's film that depicts the Catholic religion as dark. Ultimately, the visual surface, deep, and meta-metaphors contained in Luhrmann's film contribute to the construction of meaning. They provide reasons for the character's inadequacies, establish narratives that are not part of the literal narrative as presented in Luhrmann's film and Shakespeare's original work, and provide a postmodern religious audience with substantial visual narrative with which they can identify.