UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
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Item SPINNING NARRATIVES ACROSS POLITICAL DIVIDES: HARNESSING THE CULTURAL POWER OF A STORY WELL-TOLD(2016) Glacel, Ashley; Parks, Sheri L; American Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation explores how two American storytellers, considered by many in their to be exemplary in their craft, rely on narrative strategies to communicate to their audiences on divisive political topics in a way that both invokes feelings of pleasure and connection and transcends party identification and ideological divides. Anna Quindlen, through her political columns and op-eds, and Aaron Sorkin, through his television show The West Wing, have won over a politically diverse fan base in spite of the fact that their writing espouses liberal political viewpoints. By telling stories that entertain, first and foremost, Quindlen and Sorkin are able to have a material impact on their audiences on both dry and controversial topics, accomplishing that which 19th Century writer and activist Harriet Farley made her practice: writing in such a way to gain the access necessary to “do good by stealth.” This dissertation will argue that it is their skilled use of storytelling elements, which capitalize on the cultural relationship humans have with storytelling, that enables Quindlen and Sorkin to achieve this. The dissertation asks: How do stories shape the beliefs, perspectives, and cognitive functions of humans? How do stories construct culture and interact with cultural values? What is the media’s role in shaping society? What gives stories their power to unite as a medium? What is the significance of the experience of reading or hearing a well-told story, of how it feels? What are the effects of Quindlen’s and Sorkin’s writing on audience members and the political world at large? What is lost when a simplistic narrative structure is followed? Who is left out and what is overlooked? The literature that informs the answers to these questions will cross over and through several academic disciplines: American Studies, British Cultural Studies, Communication, Folklore, Journalism, Literature, Media Studies, Popular Culture, and Social Psychology. The chapters will also explore scholarship on the subjects of narratology and schema theory.Item Values in the Net Neutrality Debate: Applying Content Analysis to Testimonies from Public Hearings(2012) Cheng, An-Shou; Fleischmann, Kenneth R.; Library & Information Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Net neutrality debate is an important telecommunications policy issue that closely tied to technological innovation, economic development, and information access. Existing studies on Net neutrality have focused primarily on technological requirements, economic analysis, and regulatory justifications. Since values, technology, and policy are interrelated, it is important to consider the role of human values in the design and regulation of telecommunications infrastructure. To analyze the role of human values in shaping the Net neutrality debate, this dissertation focuses on a corpus of public hearings related to Net neutrality that provide useful data points that help to expose the values of various stakeholders in the Net neutrality debate. Content analysis of testimonies from Congressional and FCC hearings on Net neutrality is employed to study values expressed by stakeholders. The major findings of this study include (1) the Net neutrality debate can be framed in terms of values expressed by proponents and opponents of Net neutrality; (2) there are differences in values expressed among positions, stakeholder groups, venues, and time periods in the Net neutrality debate; and (3) differences in values expressed by proponents and opponents of Net neutrality have changed over time. This dissertation advances the understanding of values expressed by stakeholders in the Net neutrality debate, informs the process of agenda setting and decision-making related to Net neutrality policy-making, and fills the gap in the connection between IT policy and values research.Item Locked Up: Exploring the Complex Nature of Conflicting Values Systems and Their Effects on Work Attitudes(2007-08-06) DeCelles, Katherine A.; Tesluk, Paul; Business and Management: Management & Organization; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Values are individuals' enduring perspectives on what is fundamentally right or wrong (Rokeach, 1973). These perspectives affect how people interpret their surroundings and interactions with others; individuals act in accordance with, and judge others' behavior by, what they believe is right (Bandura, 1991). Values have been studied extensively in the organizational literature, focusing on how individuals' values (such as honesty or achievement) affect their job attitudes (such as organizational commitment and job satisfaction; Ravlin & Meglino, 1987). While values and their effects on employees have been widely studied (Braithwaite, 1994; Cable & Edwards, 2004; Judge & Bretz, 1992; Rokeach, 1973; Ravlin & Meglino, 1987; Schwartz, 1992, 1994; Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989), they are often categorized into competing or conflicting frameworks (e.g., Cameron & Quinn, 1999; Schwartz, 1994). However, emerging evidence suggests that some competing values might actually be held simultaneously by individuals (Braithwaite, 1994; El-Sawad, Arnold, & Cohen, 2004; Kerlinger, 1983; Tetlock, 1986). If this paradoxical scenario is true, these values may actually interact, rather than displace one another. While cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) and balance theory (Heider, 1946) --- central in psychology and organizational literature --- predict that individuals cannot hold conflicting values simultaneously without suffering from negative consequences like stress, I argue otherwise. This dissertation examines the extent to which individuals can hold conflicting values simultaneously rather than dichotomously, explores the mechanisms through which they do so, and also examines the effects of such value composition on employee attitudes. This is accomplished through two studies: first, a survey-based examination, and second, an in-depth inductive study. Both of these studies investigate these questions about conflicting values in a sample of correctional officers, and their values towards crime (punitive and rehabilitative ideals). Results indicate support that conflicting values can be simultaneously held by individuals, and that they interact to produce positive, rather than negative, job attitudes. More specifically, I find that correctional officers who hold both of these values have higher levels of perceived fit with their organization, higher levels of organizational commitment, and lower levels of burnout than officers of other value combinations. Inductive results of the qualitative portion also add explanatory value to the question of why and how this can happen; qualitative results show that correctional officers often draw from both value-perspectives in order to complete their difficult job duties in effective and balanced ways.Item STORIES OF INFLUENCE: CRITICAL VALUES IN THE NARRATIVES OF ETHICAL DECISION MAKING FORSENIOR STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICERS(2005-08-29) Kelly, Robert Dwayne; McEwen, Marylu K; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The intent of this study was to understand what senior student affairs officers identify as critical values in ethical decision-making. Through an interpretive approach, narrative inquiry, SSAOs were invited to share professional stories about ethical decision-making. Dewey (1908) discussed two dimensions of ethical decisions. He identified the public side that is shown to others and the private side that silently tests the individual. This private side, through the dialogue of data collection, was exposed and summarized in this dissertation. This interpretive study explored the values, not often discussed openly or shared with others, ten SSAOs considered in ethical dilemmas. Nash (1996) wrote that ethics are a set of principles that govern one's conduct be it privately or publicly. Through this study's examination of the private side of ethical decisions, I was able to learn what these SSAOs considered in their decision-making process. Analysis of the participants' interviews revealed two conclusions: 1. SSAOs consider a wide variety of ethical principles and values in the administrative work, including faith and spirituality, power and powerlessness, reputation and livelihood, and integrity and humanity. 2. SSAOs rely on cultivating relationships with others, especially with their presidents, so that others understand the ethical basis for a decision. These SSAOs were quite concerned not only with the perception of themselves as administrators, but also with how closely-linked relationships between supervisors and supervisees are to the actual process of ethical decision-making. Implications for this study include a recommendation that more graduate programs in higher education provide opportunities for graduate students to reflect upon their actions and the ethical behavior of others within internships and classes. Although prompted, these SSAOs relied on stories from their past to guide their ethical decision-making processes and enjoyed reflecting on their backgrounds as insights into their ethical decision-making. Racial background and gender played a role in the ethical decision-making processes of the SSAOs. Second, SSAOs are in need of supportive colleagues and confidants and should identify such individuals. Last, SSAOs need to examine the stories of their lives to recognize the values and principles that inform their ethical decision-making.Item Values as Guiding Principles of Motivation: A Two Factor Model(2004-12-02) leary, scott paul; Stangor, Charles; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Although people use stereotypes and prejudices to arrive at preferred conclusions, individual differences determine the extent and direction to which these intergroup attitudes color judgments. Research demonstrates that numerous personality variables act as predictors of the use of stereotypes and prejudice. Some attempts have been made to organize these measures into underlying values systems. I tested the hypotheses that values influence perceptions of ingroups and outgroups. In Study 1, participants completed individual difference measures. Factor analysis revealed two independent factors: Egalitarianism, which predicted positive judgments of outgroups, and Conservatism, which predicted positive judgments of ingroups. In Study 2, participants read a story describing either a gay or heterosexual man. I predicted that participants would vary their interpretation of the target based on their value orientations. Although Egalitarianism and Conservatism did not predict ratings of the target individual, they did predict free responses of the target, homophobia, and behaviors.