Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (fee-based); online preview of the thesis is also available at no cost.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Arthur A. Raney, Florida State University, College of Communication, Dept. of Communication. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Celebrities such as Halle Berry, Dave Chappelle, Kathy Griffin, and Don Imus have recently evoked public ire for making what some people have seen as tasteless jokes. Their notorious humorous communication shares two notable qualities: the discourse was mass mediated and the “jokes” were all premised on stereotypes. This two-part dissertation addresses the complicated subject of understanding the meanings viewers co-create with humorous mediated communication that is premised on racial stereotypes. I focus on Chappelle’s Show as my primary text of analysis, but the findings here have applicability to the wider genre of humorous mediated communication that is premised on stereotypes. In the first part of the dissertation I survey humor theory and humor criticism, noting weaknesses in the ways that communication scholars have previously studied humorous mediated texts. I then suggest that humor scholarship can be improved through two principal methods: 1. humor scholars of various academic disciplines need to use a unified set of terms that refer to the humor stimulus, humor motivation, and the possible effects of the humor, and 2. critics of humorous mediated texts need to approach them as a unique genre, with a critical lens that accounts for the polysemy inherent in many humorous texts. In the next part of the dissertation, I model a multi-methodological approach to mining the mélange of meanings in Chappelle’s Show. My in-depth case study of racial stereotype-based humor in Chappelle’s Show incorporates textual analysis of a dozen sketches, qualitative analysis of viewer opinions about the show, and a quantitative analysis of viewing behaviors as well as the relationship between viewing the show and prejudice. This multi-methodological approach helps better mine the polysemic meanings of the text because it explores the spectrum of the communication model from stimulus to receiver. I conclude that Chappelle’s Show can both encourage and reduce prejudice. While inconclusive conclusions are an anomaly in media criticism, I advocate the pursuit of such conclusions in humor criticism. Stereotype-based mediated comedic texts demand an exploration of their multiple meanings, not a definitive statement about how they should be interpreted or how they affect an audience. / text

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Social Science, Discipline of Gender Studies, 2004. / "April 2004" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 439-471).

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-49).

Thesis (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Melbourne, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-114).

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-25).

The elderly are an increasingly representative group in our society. IBGE data shows that in the year 2000 there were 14.5 million persons aged 60 or more in Brazil, or 8% of the population. In 2010, this number rose to 18 million, which corresponds to 12% of all Brazilians. The growth of the elderly population enables and enhances the contact of these individuals with other social groups, encouraging reflections on how the elderly are seen and its implications on the relations established with them. Roughly speaking, there is as ambivalent vision about these people in our country, which are positively associated with affection and new lifestyles, but negatively associated to decline and disability. It is our interest to investigate how these beliefs are organized, as well as its implications in daily life. This work investigates stereotypes and prejudice against the elderly, or ageism, a phenomenon that has specificities. First, it involves dealing with a group that everyone will take part in the future, unlike the relationships observed in racism or sexism. Secondly, apart from its open expression, ageism can hide in socially accepted practices, such as overprotection and infantilization of the elderly. Our research took place from 2 studies: the first one examined the content and the organization of stereotypes about the elderly through a questionnaire, in addition to explicit prejudice by using two scales; the second one examined uncontrolled prejudice through a technique that measures implicit attitudes. The results suggest that people try to hide clear manifestations of prejudice; most of the negative content is attributed to society. However, when respondents have no control over their actions, the manifestation of ageism is clear. / Os idosos são um grupo cada vez mais representativo em nossa sociedade. Dados do IBGE mostram que, no ano 2000, havia 14,5 milhões pessoas com 60 anos ou mais no Brasil, ou 8% da população. Em 2010, esses números subiram para 18 milhões, o que corresponde a 12% do total de brasileiros. O crescimento da população idosa viabiliza e intensifica o contato desses indivíduos com os demais grupos sociais, fomentando reflexões sobre o modo como o idoso é concebido e suas implicações nas relações que se estabelecem com ele. Grosso modo, existe uma visão ambivalente sobre essas pessoas em nosso país, onde são associadas positivamente à afetividade e a novos estilos de vida, mas negativamente à decadência e à invalidez. É de nosso interesse aprofundar o modo como essas crenças se organizam, assim como suas implicações no cotidiano. Este trabalho investiga os estereótipos e o preconceito contra os idosos, ou idadismo, fenômenos que possuem especificidades. Primeiramente, envolvem o trato com um grupo de que todos farão parte no futuro, diferentemente das relações observadas no racismo ou sexismo. Em segundo lugar, para além da manifestação aberta, o idadismo pode se camuflar em práticas socialmente aceitas, como a infantilização ou a superproteção dos idosos. Nossa investigação sobre o tema se deu a partir de 2 estudos: um deles averiguou o conteúdo e a organização dos estereótipos sobre os idosos através de um questionário autoaplicável, além do preconceito explícito por meio de duas escalas; o segundo analisou o preconceito não controlado através de uma técnica que mede atitudes implícitas. Os resultados apontam para uma fuga das declarações abertas de preconceito, em que a maior parte do conteúdo negativo expressado é atribuída à sociedade. Entretanto, quando os respondentes não têm controle sobre suas atitudes, a manifestação do idadismo é clara.

This study evaluated the impact of acculturative stress and negative autostereotypes on the level of self-esteem and achievement motivation among subgroups of Hispanic college students. Subjects were classified by generational level as Second-generation (i.e., foreign-born parents), or Other (i.e., first-generation, foreign-born individuals, and third-generation, foreign-born grandparents;). By country/region of origin, subjects were divided into Central-Americans, Puerto-Ricans, Mexican, Mexican-Americans, and South Americans. Results showed that acculturative stress may facilitate loss of self-esteem particularly in Second-generation individuals, while negative autostereotypic attitudes may actually increase the student's level of motivation for achievement, particularly in Mexican-American individuals. Also, country/region of origin overall influenced negative autostereotypic attitudes.