Thesis advisor: Celeste Wells / This study analyzes female students’ perceptions of sexual assault at Boston College. These perceptions are interpreted and understood using the theory of framework and organizational communication. The goal of this study is to effectively illustrate how female students form perceptions of sexual assault, and to understand why they are often hesitant to engage in conversations about it. Through the use of framing devices, this study explains how the administration and campus culture influence the way students view the issue of sexual assault. 135 female students at Boston College participated in an online survey, and their responses indicate that a culture of silence emerges from the perceptions of sexual assault on campus. While the culture of silence influences most female students to refrain from talking about sexual assault, a new framing device emerged from the data, which I refer to as the frame of defiance. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Communication.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_108035 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | DeArias, Aimee |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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