Via Sapientiae

“Soar on Wings Like Eagles”: Elizabeth Seton’s Spirituality of Trust

Judith Metz S.C. — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:53 PDT

The Journey of and to the Poor

W. Barry Moriarty C.M. — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:52 PDT

Saint Vincent’s Daily Prayers, and the Development of Common Daily Prayers in the Congregation of the Mission

John E. Rybolt C.M. — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:51 PDT

Demographics of Entrants: Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, 1809-1849 And Daughters of Charity, Province of the United States, 1850-1909

Betty Ann McNeil D.C. — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:50 PDT

Newsnotes Spring 2012

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:48 PDT

Pictures from the Past: Saint Vincent’s College, Los Angeles

Stafford Poole C.M. — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:47 PDT

Pioneer and Prophet: Frédéric Ozanam’s Influence on Modern Catholic Social Theory

Thomas W. O'Brien — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:40:46 PDT

The Impact of Service-Learning on College Students' Civic Development and Sense of Self-Efficacy

Rachel Gershenson-Gates — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:20:21 PDT

The purpose of the present study was to address the need in service-learning for longitudinal assessment of multiple groups using validated measures to assess potential benefits for student development. A sample of 398 college students drawn from three groups (intensive service-learning, short-term service-learning, and control) completed questionnaires at three time points over the course of an academic year. Findings did not demonstrate cross-sectional or longitudinal differences in civic attitudes/skills and self-efficacy scores among groups. Limitations, including sample characteristics and self-education, are discussed. It is suggested that future research utilize mixed-methods designs with randomized groups to increase understanding of outcomes for students who participate in service-learning.

The Internet’s Influence on Environmental Awareness

Jessica Vandrick — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:31:19 PDT

This paper examines the influence that the mass media have had on environmentalism issues since the early 1960s, and how the convergence of media on the Internet has changed the way environmental topics are communicated to and perceived by the public. For the purpose of this paper, mass media refers to all media technologies which are used for mass communication including radio, television, newspapers, the Internet, and films. Using BeGreenWeb, a web site about environmentalism, as a case study, this paper will examine the role of media in environmental awareness and how the Internet can be used effectively to inform the public about environmental issues.

Deceptive Affection in Romantic Relationships

Hailey Gillen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:31:15 PDT

Feeling affection is a key component of romantic relationships, and affectionate communication is associated with a myriad of positive relational benefits; but what happens when that communication is not an honest reflection of an individual’s true feelings, but instead is used deceptively? The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the relationship between frequency of deceptive affection and: an individuals’ beliefs about deception, frequency of deception, and the relational qualities of commitment and satisfaction. Results indicated no relationship exists between the frequency of deceptive affectionate message (DAM) use and an individual’s beliefs about deception, though, a negative relationship was found between general partner deception and all four of the beliefs about deception studied. Additionally, results indicated that frequency of DAM use was unrelated to commitment and satisfaction, but that general deception was negatively related to these two relational qualities. Additional findings, limitations and future research are discussed.

George Bush doesn’t care about black people: An ideological rhetorical criticism of whiteness and racism

Kate Braden — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:31:11 PDT

On September 2, 2005, hip-hop artist Kanye West’s made the comment on live television that standing President “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the national debate surrounding the government’s response to the storm and its survivors and the impact of race (and class) on such circumstances. An ideological criticism is conducted to assess how the dominant ideologies of whiteness and racism emerge in Bush’s rhetoric and affective performances in reaction to that accusation. In my analysis of Bush’s discursive and emotional enactments that responded to Kanye’s comment against him, three strategies emerged: argument from fallacy, patriarchal scolding, and the performance of strong, dismissive emotions. By using these rhetorical strategies to pinpoint where and how ideology – specifically whiteness and racism – and rhetoric intersect, overlap, and even pull apart, this thesis is driven by the ultimate goal of attempting to unveil, challenge, and offer alternatives to the dominant ideologies that contribute to the racial inequality that still plagues our society to this day.

"WHAT ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT? IT'S NOT YOUR REAL JOB!” EMOTIONAL LABOR AND COMMUNICATIVE SENSEMAKING IN RETAIL CUSTOMER SERVICE POSITIONS

Danielle M. Harkins — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:31:07 PDT

Using Tracy and Trethewey‟s (2005) crystallized self metaphor as a framework through which to view organizational identity, the researcher bridges connections between emotional labor, job performance, meaning of work and communicative sensemaking within the organizational context of a grocery store. The purpose of this study is to seek the potential strategies that employees of this specific grocery store chain use to make communicative sense of their everyday realities in order to "get through" the day, especially with the great deal of emotional labor that takes place on the job. The researcher utilizes a combination of face-to-face interviews and participant observation to collect data for this study. Findings indicate that employees utilized multiple strategies to manage their emotionally laborious positions including venting, forming social relationships and pursuing interests outside of work, as well as resistance. Limitations of this project and directions for future research are discussed.

Palimpsests: Salvage, Sacrifice, and the Subject of Truth in Photographs

Joshua L. Comer — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:29:27 PDT

A palimpsest is a new inscription on old materials, a form of media offering a hybrid yet hierarchical sense of time. Turning frequently to the writings of Alain Badiou, Roland Barthes, and Walter Benjamin, I examine two zines published in the wake of the death of a Chicago street artist and the confessional postcards of Frank Warren’s PostSecret mail art project to understand the formal traits and claims to truth photographs exhibit when they are transformed into palimpsests. The present intrudes on the past in these media, incompletely erasing or overwriting history to show the gaps in context and what slips from photographic memory.

Stopping the Wind-An Exploration of the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movmement

Krystle R. Klein — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:29:23 PDT

Hawaiian philosophy attributes certain God elements to its existence. The sun symbolizes Life. The water symbolizes the fluidity of life, and time is exemplified by the wind. Each element contains and yin/yang component, such as salt water to fresh water, and night to day. Time, however, lacks this component. Time can only move forward. The wind can only move in one direction. As the Hawaiians fight to restore their culture and rights, they are attempting the great feat of stopping the wind.

This film documents that process, and explores through a historical implication and into a context of modernity, whether or not this task is feasible, and demonstrates the current thoughts and actions through a dynamic racial composition on the islands in order to determine what is currently being accomplished to restore culture and pride and ultimately, self-determination.

Featuring interviews from government officials, leaders of sovereignty movements, local Hawaiians and local haoles, the perspectives allow for an in-depth analysis of the current movement in a culture that has faced imperialistic ideals and colonization, and is refusing to continue to accept the way things are.

Are Relational Messages Fair? An Examination of the Relationships Among Classroom Justice and Relational Teaching Messages

Laura Young — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:29:20 PDT

Classroom justice has become a growing concern among instructional communication researchers. When students perceive their instructors are not concerned about justice, they report a host of negative outcomes; however, previous research also suggests that students and instructors have differing perceptions of justice. Further, many instructional communication scholars view the teaching process as having a large relational component. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine what relationships exist among relational teaching messages (rapport, confirmation and affinity-seeking) and classroom justice (distributive, procedural and interactional) and to find whether these relationships are positive or negative. Results indicated that all three relational teaching messages were significantly and positively related to all types of justice. It was further found that enjoyable interaction (a dimension of rapport) and response to questions (a dimension of confirmation) were positive predictors in understanding what most influences students’ perceptions. Additionally, style of teaching (confirmation) was found to be the sole significant, negative predictor for distributive justice, suggesting a potential backlash to relational teaching messages. Additional findings, limitations and future research are discussed.

SELLING TRUE STORIES: A CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURED REALISM IN THE DOCUDRAMA CRIME FILM

Jamie Schleser — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:29:16 PDT

This paper examines the cultural function of docudrama crime films. The docudrama is a hybrid of the conventional Hollywood fiction film and the documentary. Blurring fact and fiction, these films manufacture an illusion of realism around the framework of the standard feature film using visual and narrative appeals to real life and real events. By asserting that they are "based on a true story," these films are able to shape and enhance a desired reading of the text in order to convey a particular social message to audiences. To understand the initial development of the docudrama crime form and how it changes to reflect shifts in culture, I analyize the following films: Boomerang and Call Northside 777, justice docudramas from the 1940s, and The Captive City and The Phenix City Story, syndicate fiims from the 1950s.

REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN ATHLETES IN THE MEDIA

Sarah Kustok — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:29:11 PDT

This study took a critical historical content analysis of the media’s coverage of women’s athletics through the 1990’s and into the early part of the 2000’s. Not only was there massive growth in the quantity of coverage for women’s sports, but specifically for the U.S. Women’s soccer team. As media depictions showed this particular team displaying both masculine and feminine characteristics on and off the field, the idea of gender fluidity proved to be accepted and cherished by society. It is possible for women to perform or enact traditionally masculine or feminine identities throughout their daily lives. The U.S. Women’s soccer team played a significant role in challenging traditional notions of gender identity, acting as the gateway team for the representation of women athletes as a whole.

Linguistic Ambiguity in Language-based Jokes

Sarah Seewoester — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:21:56 PDT

The purpose of this study was to (1) identify patterns in joke type, word class, word class progressions, use of morphologic/syllabic mechanisms, and compound word manipulations in the “serious” and “humorous” interpretations of puns, (2) compare results with two previous studies (Attardo et al. 1994b and Bucaria 2004) and delineate discrepancies, and (3) to explore how language pattern(s) in English puns contribute to our theoretical understanding of linguistic interpretation.

From a collection of 6,000 puns published online, 225 were randomly chosen and analyzed for alliterative, phonological, lexical, and syntactic categorizations, as well as for patterns in word class, word class progressions, use of morphologic/syllabic mechanisms, and compound word manipulations.

Results indicate a high use of syllabic and morphologic mechanisms in the formation of language-based jokes…a phenomenon which has previously been unexplored. It also found a proportionally low use of adverbs despite their standing as open class words. Finally, this study found a consistent trend across all linguistic levels for holistic processing.

New standards for marginal joke type categorizations are proposed based on syllabic and morphological characteristics. In addition, lack of adverbial use is attributed to proximity, transitivity, similarity, and mobility of this particular word class. Discrepancies between authors' results are attributed to genre, joke elimination, and differing standards for categorization. Finally, holistic processing is discussed from the theoretical perspective of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.

Broader impacts and framing the Google China Internet issue: A comparative study of newspaper coverage in China and the United States.

Chun Zhou — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:20:30 PDT

On January 12, 2010, Google closed its official website in China due to China’s Internet censorship policy. After the announcement, the manner in which Google should operate appropriately in the Chinese mainland was discussed widely in Chinese and U.S. media. This research examines how four newspapers, two U.S. and two Chinese, framed the Google China Internet issue: the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and the People’s Daily and the 21st Century Business Herald. While previous framing studies often focused on influence from cultural or political factors that might cause differences in how countries framed news i.e., extra-media factors, this current study adds an exploratory view of impact from inner-media factors, e.g., media habitual activity. Results indicate that besides cultural factors (e.g. long- and short-term orientation) and political factors (e.g. national interests), media habitual activity and interest groups also play an important role in the framing process. In other words, inner-media factors’ influence may outweigh the impact of extra-media factors.

Almost There, Indeed: Disney Misses the Mark on Modernizing Black Womanhood and Subverting the Princess Tradition in The Princess and the Frog

April Callen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:20:27 PDT

The Walt Disney Company released The Princess and the Frog in 2009 to much anticipation and equal antagonism; the movie features the princess franchise’s first Black princess. In the spirit of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, the studio touts the movie as a throwback to the classic era of Disney, but with an updated spin. Disney suggests that the marriage of classic and modern speaks to a return to hand-drawn animation and unlike the original story The Frog Prince, this princess becomes a frog, as well. This project argues, however, that framing The Princess and the Frog within the context of a “modern twist on a classic tale” has multiple meanings and is ultimately problematic due to the movie’s reliance on old hegemonic film characterizations of Black womanhood that promotes whiteness and assimilation, while simultaneously suppressing Blackness. In recent years, popular culture and media have made a greater effort to include the narratives and very existence of Black women in its texts. The increasing spotlight on the intricacies of Black women and their lives calls into question who and what ideologies that recognition serves. This paper interrogates media makers’ negotiation with the history of representations of Black people and modern Blackness in the shadows of the United States first Black president and his family.