Communication electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Communication. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item "Luxembourgish" as an identity anchor : building resilience through retrospective storytelling(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Watson, Olivia; Horstman, Haley Kranstuber[EMBARGOED UNTIL 12/01/2025] This dissertation investigates how individuals in Luxembourg communicatively constitute resilience. Grounded in the communication theory of resilience (CTR) and communicated narrative sense-making (CNSM) theory, this qualitative study compares narratives of people living in Luxembourg, including first-generation migrants (n = 15) and people born in Luxembourg (n = 15). Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed a Luxembourgish identity anchor encompassing roots, privilege, and a complex relationship with Luxembourg. Resilience emerged narratively through this identity anchor in three ways: creating your own space, considering everything as temporary, and keeping up appearances. Although participants' stories reflected elements of resilience that are deemed universal, such as maintaining a positive outlook, these were deeply influenced by cultural norms. These findings highlight the salience of identity in constructing resilience and emphasize the role of cultural context in shaping resilience processes. This dissertation advances CTR and CNSM theory by illuminating how resilience and privilege can co-exist, how roots can both foster and inhibit resilience, and how tensions of belonging can build resilience. Additionally, it demonstrates the value of studying resilience through the lens of identity. Practical applications are explored to enhance understanding and support for multicultural familiesItem The motivations of American public attention to the media coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian war(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Alamer, Yousef; Houston, BrianThe Russian-Ukraine war presents a significant event to understand the American public's attention to international crises that the US is not directly involved in them. Drawing on Use and Gratification Theory as a theoretical framework, I conducted a survey combined with an experimental condition to explore several internal and external motivations that influenced American public attention to the media coverage of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Data collected in an online survey of 453 college students revealed a positive direct influence of social interaction, political interest, and worry on their media consumption related to that war. In addition, partisanship and identification with Russia showed a negative influence on the attention given to the war news in Ukraine. However, personal connection, view on Russia, beliefs about democracy in Ukraine, and identification with Ukraine showed no relationship with media use related to the war. About the differences in the condition between the peer concern message and the peer non-concern message, participants who received the peer concern message about the implications of the Russian-Ukrainian war reported a higher level of worry and a desire for social interaction linked to the war. The analysis reveals that peer concern-inducing message influence the worry and social interaction associated with the implications of the Russian-Ukrainian war. However, this is not the case with their need to consume more media related to the war. Overall, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the motivations behind media consumption during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Finally, we discuss some implications of our findings, the limitations of this research, and directions for future research.Item Communicating distrust for survival : understanding racial socialization messages in Black families(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Scruggs, Xavier Lee; Warner, Benjamin; Warner, ColleenRacial socialization has only just begun to be studied by family communication scholars. This study created and validated a racial socialization scale rooted in communication and demonstrated the endurance of racial socialization into adulthood. The scale centers communication in understanding the nature and effects of specific messages within the family. Racial socialization messages were associated with a host of outcomes (e.g., racially conscious action, trust in law enforcement, and management of stress stemming from racism). This study shows the importance of engaging in interdisciplinary research by connecting family communication to political and health outcomes. There are important implications for Black families and practitioners.Item "That's what happens when you sleep around" : women's intergenerational family stories about sexual health, HPV, and cervical cancer(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023) Leverenz, Alaina; Horstman, HaleyGrounded in narrative theorizing, the current study examines how emerging adult women (n = 42) story conversations with their FFMs (e.g., mother, aunt) about sexual health, human papillomavirus, and cervical cancer, and how these conversations are related to their narrative identity, health behaviors, and attitudes. An online survey was distributed to solicit written narratives about these conversations, followed by a self-report survey of their health behaviors and efficacy. The results indicated that all types of autobiographical memory sub-systems are present in young women's narratives of sexual health conversations; and story types have a significant effect on getting a Pap smear and having HPV vaccine efficacy. Participants who wrote about a sexual health conversation with an FFM other than their mother were less likely to report getting a Pap smear. The tone of the narrative had a significant effect on relational closeness with the FFM. Findings from this study can be applied to health interventions and guide family conversations around cervical cancer prevention and treatment. Future research can build upon this study by examining these story types in other family and gender roles (e.g., father-son stories), cancer types (e.g., prostate, breast), or other chronic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).Item Guilty by association : a phenomenological exploration of Black professionals' experiences with assumptions of criminality at work(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2023) Ferguson, Marcus Walter, Jr.; Dougherty, Debbie S.The stigma of Black criminality has persisted throughout time and been weaponized to the detriment of Black people. Previous on Black criminality have delineated it roots and discussed its outcomes. However, little is known about the shared lived experiences Black people have with Black criminality stigma. In this paper, I argue that Black professionals experiences assumptions of Black criminality within the workplace. I argue that due to the discursive nature of organizations that Black professionals are faced with D(d)iscouses and stigma of Black criminality. Additionally, I argue that Black professionals are forced to manage Black criminality stigma in the workplace. I employed the use of hermeneutic phenomenology to explore the phenomenon of Black professionals experiences with assumption of Black criminality. This dissertation study uses 20 semi-structured interviews with Black professionals to uncover the essence of this phenomenon. A thematic analysis uncovered three emergent themes that constitute the phenomenon: gangster in a suit, guilty till proven innocent, and rooted in criminality. I used stigma management communication, cultural contracts theory, and Big D /little d discourse as guiding research theories. Practical implications, theory contributions, findings, and relevant literature are shared within the study writeup.