Communication Studies - Student Works
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Item The 2020 toilet paper stockpiling phenomenon: a media analysis revealing the role of the news media in toilet paper hoarding(2020) Driessen, Eva; Wurfel, MarleneThis paper aims to examine the influence that the news media has on the population by exploring how the news media influenced people to stockpile toilet paper in March and April 2020. The method that I used is media analysis. I analyzed articles published in March and April 2020 about toilet paper hoarding.I discuss the specific techniques used to urge readers to participate in the craze. I observed two main components that most articles about toilet paper had in common. The two components are fear-inducing images and captivating headlines. People were exposed to articles like this on digital and printed newspapers and, consequently, social media. However, this paper focuses on digital news articles. These articles promoted a sense of urgency, and many people took part in toilet paper hoarding as a result. Stockpiling was a global phenomenon, and many news outlets in almost every country published articles about the craze; however, this analysis focuses on Canadian news outlets. My data sources are various Canadian mass news articles with relevant content published in the aforementioned time frame. The results of this research indicate that the news media did not intentionally push people to stockpile toilet paper, which is evident because almost all of the articles mentioned that stockpiling was not necessary and even discouraged it. However, because it was a global phenomenon and needed to be reported on, the media did publish many articles about it, which drew attention to the issue. There were also many headlines and images published that were agents in influencing people to stockpile.Item American immigration rhetoric: a dangerous game: critical analysis of modern immigration speeches and policy statements(2018) Puplampu, Adiki; Wurfel, MarleneThe purpose of this primary research was to contrast the manner in which right-wing and left-wing political figures use rhetoric to refer to immigrants and refugees. The focus of this research was American political figures between the years of 2012 and 2018. Using critical discourse analysis and deconstruction, this paper examined speeches and policy statements from both political spectrums in order to compare their uses of dehumanizing terms in reference to immigrants and refugees. After comparing each side this paper found that in the sources analyzed, the right used dehumanizing rhetoric with more frequency and severity than the left. The units of analysis for this paper were the texts deconstructed and coded for words that fit this paper’s working definition of dehumanizing rhetoric: words or terms that suggest a lack of human qualities in an individual or group of people. The goal of this research was to highlight the way immigrants and refugees are referred to in public discourse by politicians of different political affiliations, and the potential consequences of this negative rhetoric. Course: BCSC 203 Introduction to Research Methods.Item Analyzing LGBTQ2S+ jokes in 30 Rock and Schitt’s Creek: a qualitative comparison study in sitcom humour(2020) Colwell, Mya; Wurfel, MarleneAs LGBTQ2S+ representation increases in the media, it is important to discover if these increased narratives are also becoming more positive. Utilizing a combination of Critical Discourse and Textual Analysis, this study analyzes LGBTQ2S+ sitcom humour in 30 Rock and Schitt’s Creek to understand what patterns are found in the jokes and how findings compare. After examining connotations drawn from word choice, the presence of power dynamics, body language, and tone, findings indicated that 30 Rock contained an alarming number of negative LGBTQ2S+ jokes, with jokes fitting into three categories: using the term “lesbian” to denote frumpy appearance, using LGBTQ2S+ jokes to create a power imbalance, and erasing identity with LGBTQ2S+ negative jokes. In opposition to this, Schitt’s Creek demonstrated positive representation of LGBTQ2S+ characters and few LGBTQ2S+ specific jokes. LGBTQ2S+ stereotypes were sometimes inverted for humour, but no negative jokes occurred.Item Author functions in Lars Kepler’s The Hypnotist: an analysis(2020) Merkley, TaylorThis paper examines Foucault's notion of the author function as it pertains to Lars Kepler's bestselling 2011 crime thriller, The Hypnotist. Lars Kepler is the pseudonym of a Swedish husband-wife writing duo, making him the perfect subject for analysis centering on illusory notion of the author. This paper will answer these questions: Who is the true author of The Hypnotist? What factors influence the author function of this bestelling novel? And what can The Hypnotist phenomenon tell us about the relationships between authors and their readers? This paper will demonstrate that no literary works may be ascribed to an individual person, and that authors hold no privileged knowledge of the works they produce, because authors cease to be authors the moment pen is lifted from page.Item Beautifully average: Dorothy Corder’s only special need is to be another face in the crowd(2014) Garstad, TaylorA resident of the Lo Se Ca group home in St. Albert, Alberta is profiled.Item Building pressure: a deliberative argument against the Northern Gateway Pipeline(2012) Pluim, Derek NeilThis is a rhetorical analysis comparing and contrasting the supposed benefits and likely consequences of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. The issue of the Northern Gateway Pipeline is analyzed through the use of established rhetorical devices and appeals. The result of this rhetorical analysis finds the project to be a far greater liability than a benefit to the people of Alberta and British Columbia. The promises of job creation by Enbridge account for a small minority of the population being employed for a relatively short duration of time. Furthermore, the wealth generated by the pipeline project is not equally distributed back to the people of Alberta and British Columbia, respectively. Enbridge has also made dubious claims to “sustainable communities,” which amount to little more than large one time payments to charities and other organizations across North America. Furthermore, there are findings that suggest health complications in those individuals employed in the oil industry.Item Children of fear: helicopter parents cultivate cluelessness(2014) Leeuw, Lauren deA look at the helicopter parent, the era where parents play such a significant role in their children’s lives that there is no definitive end in sight for when children will become responsible and contributing adults.Item Closing the social distance: mitigating gender inequality in organizations using complexity theory in response to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic(2021) McMullen, Lauren; Schultz, KennedyThe following paper is centered around the potential for organizational change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper argues that the disruption of “business as usual” during the COVID-19 pandemic provides opportunities to both highlight gendered organizational practices during remote work and explore how organizational actors might contribute to a more equitable restructuring of gendered communication practices once employees return to in-person work. First, the paper contextualizes the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of writing. Next, the literature review examines the notion of organizations as inherently gendered, the history of organizational change from Lewinian Planned Change to models of non-linear change, and bureaucratic organizational structures using a feminist lens. The discussion section then argues that complexity theories offer significant opportunities for improvement due to the destabilization of current workplace practices. This argument is followed up by examples of how organizations can successfully engage complexity theories to reduce gender inequality in the post-pandemic world. The paper concludes that by emphasizing consensus and autonomy, improvements to network communication and the merging of public and private spheres should be the first steps towards the ultimate goal of reducing gender inequality through the deconstruction of bureaucracies.Item Crafted by hand: how building your own bicycle can help change the world(2016) Kitteringham, MarcBuilding my own bike allows me to experiment and express myself. I start with some parameters that determine the kind of bike it is going to be – touring bike, fixie, commuter, cruiser – and see how far I can push my creativity. Builders put so much of their personality into a bike that it becomes much more than transportation. It’s an extension of self.Item Doctor Manhattan's voice(2014) Zittlaw, JimIn this paper, the author analyzes the style of Dr. Manhattan's narrating voice in the "Watchmaker" chapter of Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen. The use of verbs, phrases, sentence structure, and formatting is examined and found to communicate effectively Dr. Manhattan's unique worldview.Item Earth Hour app marketing research(2015) Rojas, Rannie Lou; Wong, LeoMarketing research behind the launch of the Earth Hour App for 2015 was done through this independent study. The project examines people’s heuristics and behaviours towards pledging to chosen environmental activities in preparation of the hour. The study’s foundation is supported by the social distance dimension of the Construal Level theory.Item Edmonton’s elephant in the room: everyone has Lucy’s best interests in mind but, as the debate goes on, one lonely animal is left to face another cold, northern winter(2014) Lamb, BerkleyThe controversy surrounding Lucy the elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo is examined.Item Extra chapter: Lullabies: Jules remix(2009) Skinner, HeatherThe MacEwan Book of the Year Student Contest invites students to submit creative and/or critical essay responses inspired by the university's current Book of the Year. Submissions are judged by MacEwan University's Book of the Year committee members. This work was the 2008/09 winning entry for Heather O'Neill’s Lullabies for Little Criminals (2006) and was awarded Creative Project winner.Item Farewell Hong Kong(2024) To, Erica; Wurfel, MarleneWhen we travel, we forge new friendships, explore new natural habitats, and begin to appreciate different ways of living. This five-minute video is a digital story of my dad who left Hong Kong to go to University of Oregon and study, so he can help his father (my grandfather) run a large business. But we all know that life is full of unexpected surprises. The people and places around us change our views and uncover values that resonate in our hearts. These self discoveries can be enough to make someone leave their home and live apart from their family. I am here because of my dad's decision to say farewell to Hong Kong, and I hope this video conveys my gratitude and appreciation.Item The feminine voice in global journalism: the example of Ukraine(2014) Wiart, NicoleThis study is designed to identify a discrepancy, if any, between the number of female and male journalists reporting on the crisis in Ukraine. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as primary and secondary research, the following paper attempts to bring attention to gendered differences in crisis reporting, and explain how those gendered differences affect the interpretation of a conflict. Previous research shows women are more inclined to cover crises from a human interest or human suffering standpoint, whereas men cover crises through politics and violence. The study concludes that while the majority of journalists reporting on the Ukraine crisis for The New York Times are male, it does not find a concrete correlation between the primary focus of the sample articles and the gender of the journalist. The analysis provides a starting point for future research, as well as a new perspective to a modern conflict heavily covered by North American media.Item #Fibromyalgia: a qualitative analysis of how males and females share their stories on Instagram(2020) Sakotic, Ela; Wurfel, MarleneFibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic illness that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite some people referring to FM as a woman’s disease, men also suffer from the illness. This study asks how males and females use Instagram to communicate about their illness and discusses how themes differ throughout their narratives. A qualitative research approach was taken to conduct a narrative analysis and look at images for their connotative meaning. This study indicates that females share their narratives on Instagram at a higher frequency than males. Thematic analyses suggest that both males and females use Instagram to share pain narratives and lend one another support. While most of the themes were the same, the findings indicate that females are more likely than males to share their struggles with the Instagram community.Item Flattening the curve: the role of communications in Canada's response to COVID-19(2020) Power, Victoria; Krebes, AmandaThis paper explores Canada’s communications approach to the population during the global pandemic of COVID-19. Canada’s perceptive risk communication plan consists of quick response, transparency, and credible figures as representatives of information that are deemed the current principles of success (as of April 2020). The literature review inaugurates the necessary definitions for the topic and provides detailed information about the action Canada has taken in the 2020 pandemic, while the discussion evaluates and debates Canada’s communicative strengths while acknowledging areas for improvement. Following the tactics explored, comparisons are made against the United States’ pandemic response along with a review of practices to avoid in risk communication, such as blame. Finally, transformative dialogue theory is analyzed as a potential answer to the successful interactions between the Canadian government, authoritative figures, and the public.Item A future without spectacle: a refuge from cultural hegemony in contemporary art and neo-humanism(2015) MacDonald, Emily LynneThis paper explores possibilities for the future of popular culture. Central to the arguments in this paper, is the search for a remedy to a visual culture that has been left deconstructed and fragmented by a Western obsession with postmodernism. This paper begins with a discussion of Boris Groy’s “society of spectacle without spectators” (2012) and the ramifications of such an observation as homological to the state of contemporary art and the human subject. A discussion of the works of modern and contemporary artists is used to illustrate contemporary art’s metonymic relationship to the future of popular culture. Specific examples are explored such as German photographer and film maker Thomas Demand’s works that create a “critical fiction” Liljegren (2013) to highly engage the spectator and are juxtaposed with postmodern speculations such as Baudrillard’s simulacra.Item Give me a break(2020) Ohm, Jacqueline; Wurfel, Marlene"Give me a Break" is a digital story by Jacqueline Ohm. In 2008, Jacqueline was hit by a car while crossing the busy intersection of Cambie Street and King Edward Drive in Vancouver, Canada. Having no memory of being hit, she details the moments leading up to the collision and the disorientated thoughts afterwards. Believed to be one of the pivotal moments in her life, “Give me a Break” is a story of transition and surrender: to pain, to body, to the limitations and creativity in our lives in which we can never predict. Created for BCSC 431: Advanced Seminar in Strategic Communication: Digital Storytelling. Winner of the 2021 Emerge Media Awards video short category.Item A home in YEG: there is a province‐city plan to end homelessness in 10 years, but many of Edmonton’s street people will believe in progress when they see it(2014) Brown, GabrielleHomelessness in Edmonton is examined.