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Mask On, Mask Off: A Study of Communicative Practices of Stakeholders in Ohio Public Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Strauss, Arielle
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5074-4839
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1659518104934993

Abstract Details

2022, MA, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Communication.
In the summer of 2021, each school district became responsible for the creation of their own COVID-19 safety policy for the 2021-2022 school year. This granted local stakeholders more power and opportunity to participate in decision-making processes – most visibly during school board meetings’ public participation sections. The aim of this thesis project is to explore how stakeholders, specifically parents, framed their positions regarding schools’ mask policies during these recorded school board meetings. Research questions include: RQ1: In what ways do aspects of RPT and PRT appear in arguments supporting and in opposition of mask mandates in schools? RQ2: How are message framing strategies such as issue-, gain-, and loss-framed messages used in stakeholders' arguments supporting and in opposition of mask mandates in schools? Data were gathered from a total of three Ohio public school districts that held (recorded and publicly available) school board meetings between July 2021 and September 2021. A thematic analysis was utilized to identify and describe the arguments articulated either for or against mandatory masking in schools. Special attention was placed on identifying aspects of Psychological Reactance Theory and Risk Perceptions Theory, as well as pinpointing which message framing strategies are used in the arguments. Results from this study highlighted the importance of clear and concise communication from sources that are trusted by the public during health crises, identified that parents (as influencers and decision makers for their families) are a key group to focus on when it comes to health communication, and emphasized how dangerous polarization and politicization are when it comes to health crises.
Nancy Jennings, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Stephen Haas, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Abel Gustafson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
67 p.
Communication
Communication; COVID-19; Health Communication; Risk Perception Theory; Psychological Reactance Theory; Message Framing

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Strauss, A. (2022). Mask On, Mask Off: A Study of Communicative Practices of Stakeholders in Ohio Public Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1659518104934993

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Strauss, Arielle. Mask On, Mask Off: A Study of Communicative Practices of Stakeholders in Ohio Public Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1659518104934993.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Strauss, Arielle. "Mask On, Mask Off: A Study of Communicative Practices of Stakeholders in Ohio Public Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1659518104934993

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1659518104934993
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© 2022, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.