Browsing by Subject "Disability studies"
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Item Content & character: Disability publications in the late 1990s(Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2000) Haller, Beth A.; Towson University. Department of Mass CommunicationDisability publications fit with other types of alternative or dissident media in U.S. society because they advocate on behalf of a distinctive U.S. group, which has come together to form a political and social community. These publications cover the issues that affect that community vigorously. They also fall into this category of media because of the historic discrimination and exclusion people with disabilities have faced in society, as well as the negative stereotyping they have received from the mainstream news media. Many people with disabilities have been isolated throughout U.S. history because of the architectural, occupational, communication, and educational barriers in society, but they still have played an integral part in the social and political development of the country. Their publications illustrate this. However, the publications of this community have never received much attention in mass media studies, even though many disability publications have a long history in the United States, with some that have been ongoing since 1907. Few mass communication scholars have analyzed disability publications at all or in any systematic Way. Therefore, this exploratory study fills that void by content analyzing a sample of the disability magazines, newspapers, and newsletters currently being produced (N=134). By assessing demographic characteristics of the publications, as well as looking as content issues, this study hypothesizes that many disability publications fall into Kessler's alternative press model of dissident media.Item Girls On Fire: Gender And Disability In The Hunger Games And Divergent(2016) Lashley, Katherine; Nerad, Julie C.; English and Languages; Doctor of PhilosophyThis dissertation analyzes gender and disability in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth. The heroines challenge gender norms in their societies, being successful in revising gender norms during their cultures' the rebellions, yet conforming to the established heterosexual patriarchal norms after the rebellions end. These trilogies collapse gender binaries and have empowered female characters who resist traditional gender scripts. They also show characters who deviate from established gender norms, and in doing so, these characters prove that one's gender is not static, nor does it have to be controlled by dominant social proscriptions. However, the female rebels are ultimately contained through a traditional dichotomy: conform to established gender norms or die. The trilogies also engage issues of ability/disability. The trilogies use three main models of disability in healing the physical and mental disabilities of the characters: the medical model of disability, the social model of disability, and collective memory. At one level, the societies rely on medicine to heal physical injuries and to understand genetic and cognitive “differences.” However, the trilogies pose the social model of disability as a better solution as the societies understand and accept difference ultimately to accept everyone as they are. Finally, individual remembering and the collective memory help the characters, and even the readers, to confront the horrible events of the past in a hope that the characters can find a way to survive trauma. Since Katniss and Tris are female rebels, their societies also use healing strategies that feminize them. They are repeatedly confined and isolated, usually after injury. Because these heroines continue to rebel after being released from confinement, their societies present them with the ultimatum either to conform or to die. Katniss marries and has children. Tris dies because she refuses to be feminine. The endings of marriage and death undermine the advancements that the heroines make in challenging gender norms. The conclusion of this project suggests that contemporary young adult dystopian novels provide necessary analyses of gender and disability in our current society. These novels aid young adult readers in facing the stark realities of key issues in their lives, and encourage them to discover what they can do to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others.Item Social Media Use As A Third Place For Community College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder(2017) Eckhardt, Scott Christopher; Gillett-Karam, Rosemary; Community College Leadership Program; Doctor of EducationIn recent years, statistics have displayed a consistent increase in the enrollment in college programs of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research has explained that ASD college students currently face academic and social barriers as they transition to the college setting. There is reason to believe that the use of online technology, both educationally and in social media might hold potential benefit for such students. In light of this, the purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of ASD students in face-to-face classes that employ some online technologies and to determine their perceptions of how their experiences impact their academic outcomes. Using the “Social Motivation Theory” and Oldenburg's “Third Places,” 12 ASD college students enrolled in face-to-face courses were interviewed for the study to gain their firsthand experiences on their online social interactions. Through the qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews and using NVivo11 by QSR coding software, it was found that the majority of the participants were open to interacting and getting to know others through various ways of communication. They have recognized that social media is an avenue to communicate with other people but also can be used to manipulate and spread inaccurate information. Finally, their educational experience was enhanced by using “Blackboard” in terms of accessing of school work, homework, and assignments; and connecting with classmates and teachers. Given that there is limited information about the kind of support and assistance required by the ASD college student population, the study provided new insights that may contribute to the literature about the experiences of community college students with ASD. College faculty, student affairs staff, and college administrators can profit from these findings.