Thesis (M. En.)--Miami University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], v, 27 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references.

This qualitative sociolinguistic study focuses on the contemporary usage of metaphor in religious speech among North American Quakers of the Religious of Society of Friends with a particular emphasis on the two historical metaphors of Light and Dark. Beginning with the 20th century, a diverse religious population has been steadily arising in Quaker meetings including many non-Christians. Individual American Quakers are currently choosing a variety of spiritual and/or religious identities and practices ranging from Evangelical or mystical forms of Christianity to Neo-paganism and Non-theism. Thus, the traditional meanings of these metaphors, which were rooted in biblical passages, are changing. This study is based primarily upon six in-depth interviews which provide a sample of a variety of religious viewpoints on the experiential usage of the metaphors of Light and Dark to embody spiritual feelings in worship. These two metaphors are embedded in many religious practices making them central to religious experience. Although Critical Discourse Analysis is used as the primary lens for investigation, the theories of Sapir, Whorf, Lakoff and Johnson also provide an additional basis for analysis. Additionally, a corpus which demonstrates collocations of the metaphors of Light and Dark has been created from archives of Early Friends' journals of the 17th century and compared to the writings of contemporary American Quakers.

For children, high quality friendships are associated with adaptive social, emotional and academic functioning. There is also evidence that children experience real and imaginary friendships in similar ways, and that imagined relationships could have an impact on development. However, less is known about the relationships made possible by virtual agents in digital media. This dissertation research was designed to provide preliminary data about children’s concepts of virtual agents, and the social opportunities they attribute to such entities. In Studies 1 and 2 (combined N = 48), preschool aged children differentiated the social affordances of a stuffed dog and a virtual dog. Participants played a game in which they guessed whether a child in a video was referring to a stuffed dog or a virtual dog in a series of statements. Items designed to assess high quality friendships, such as comfort, protection and love, were attributed more to the stuffed dog than the virtual dog. Studies 3 and 4 examined adult and child concepts of a virtual child, and how concepts of this entity might differ from a real child, a child on a video chat program (e.g., Skype™) and an inanimate doll. Adults and children attributed a range of properties to each child agent, including biological, psychological and social properties, as well as opportunities for relationships. In Study 3 (N = 144), adults did not differentiate between the virtual child and the doll on the social property; however, they favored the doll on opportunities for unilateral relationships. In Study 4 (N = 30), five to eight-year-old children indicated an overall preference for the doll on the social property, as well as on opportunities for reciprocal relationships. Children also favored the doll on opportunities for love, companionship, and intimate disclosure. Altogether, these findings suggest that virtual agents afford more limited social opportunities than inanimate artifacts, and they are less likely to be loved by children and adults alike. These results raise important questions about the design goals for virtual agents, and the functions they are intended to serve in our everyday lives. This dissertation includes both previously published and co-authored material.

The purpose of this study is to compare the personality traits of twins with the personality traits of mutual friends, as measured by a personality rating scale. In this study an attempt will be made to answer two questions. First, how do twins compare with mutual friends on personality traits? Second, are certain traits more predominant among twins than among mutual friends?

The purpose of this research is to investigate actual communication and real world interactions among friends, in order to add to our understanding of political persuasion. Opinions and attitudes are affected by more than deliberate persuasive attempts, and politics are more than just elections and candidate speeches. What people say or do on an everyday basis with friends can be just as - if not more - influential, particularly as a meaning-making endeavor to establish, test, or solidify attitudes. An alternative approach to political communication should address the ongoing interactive nature of meaningmaking and the role of relationships in political persuasion. Thus this study uses discourse analysis through the lens of Sequential Inferential Paradigm to examine a conversation among friends about a political topic, finding that the structure of the conversation and the relationship between the participants are important considerations of influence.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how homosexuality is being represented in the popular TV-series ​Friends.​ This study consists of scenes from three different episodes in which homosexuality is the main theme. A qualitative text analysis will be the foundation of the essay where the semiotic tools denotation, connotation and anchoring are significant. The analysis applies several theories such as myths, stereotypes, masculine theory and performativity. Using these tools the scenes were examined and interpreted by the authors. The results suggests that homosexuality is abnormal and is not something that the characters strive for. Homosexuality is used to make fun of rather than for diversity purposes.

Parental psychological control has been linked to numerous negative outcomes among emerging-adult children. Given that emerging adulthood is a time for young people to become autonomous, explore their identities, and begin to feel like an adult, controlling parenting that limits these necessary developmental experiences can be particularly harmful to emerging adults. Given this vulnerability, the current study aimed to understand how parental psychological control affects emerging adults' adjustment (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems, identity exploration), explore a moderating factor (i.e., best friendships) that could help these struggling emerging adults, and examine how these relations could differ by parent and child gender. Participants came from four universities across the United States and completed the READY questionnaire online at two time points, one year apart (N = 273, Mage = 20.95). Results revealed that maternal psychological control positively predicted identity exploration for males and best friendships moderated the relationship between parental psychological control and identity exploration for females. No significant results were found for internalizing and externalizing problems. I then discuss conceptual factors that may play a role in understanding the relation between parental psychological control, best friendships, emerging adult adjustment (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems, identity exploration), and gender.

Co-rumination is a nuanced emotion socialization process that occurs with parents and friends during adolescence. Although co-ruminating builds closeness with others, it corresponds to increased internalizing symptoms, particularly for adolescent girls. The present study explored how specific features of co-rumination vary by relational context (parents, friends) and adolescent gender. These features were also examined in relation to adolescent internalizing symptoms, with adolescent gender as a potential moderator. Thirty adolescents (13–18 years old; 60% female, 40% male) participated in separate discourse tasks with their parent and their same-gender close friend. Co-rumination was observed during these conversations, and adolescents reported their internalizing symptoms. Features of co-rumination varied by relational context and adolescent gender, with unique links to adolescent internalizing symptoms. This study extends prior research by providing a fine-grained analysis of how co-rumination corresponds to internalizing symptoms across two relational contexts.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

In recent years a body of literature on the topic of school culture has emerged, highlighting the importance of developing strong school cultures. My purpose was to explore the creation of culture in a new school by studying the school's core principles, leadership, history, practices, decision making, language, membership, environment, and critical events. The setting for this descriptive case study was Chapman Friends School - an alternative Quaker high school located in a mid-Atlantic state. Data-gathering techniques included: (a) weekly on-site observations, (b) formal interviews, (c) school publications and documents, and (d) the researcher's log. The data were analyzed with a thematic coding system based on the cultural components. Three factors were found to be critical in the creation of culture at Chapman Friends School: (a) core principles and the symbolic interactions whereby they were transmitted; (b) the charismatic, authentic leadership of the headmaster; and (c) the consensus-based standards for student membership. The creation of culture at Chapman Friends School was a process wherein school members sought to resolve problems and issues resulting from their conflicting expectations of what the school should be. The creation of culture at Chapman Friends School involved the development of a shared image of what the school should become. Finally, as indicated by previous researchers and supported in this study, a culture evolves over time. The findings expand the field of literature on the subject of school culture and provide insight for school leaders and educators seeking to create effective school cultures. Related topics for further study include: (a) student enrollment screening procedures which shape a school culture, (b) the effect of secular school leaders on the creation of culture in religious-based schools, (c) the effect of the absence of a Quaker majority in Quaker schools, and (d) alternative environmental options for school settings and their effect on school culture. / Ed. D.