Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Arts Policy and Administration

Since the creation of the NEA in 1965, arts advocates have had an established venue, at the federal level, to advocate for favorable policy incomes, usually in the form of continued or increased public arts funding. Engaging in advocacy as part of a larger policymaking process requires actors inside and outside of government to employ various methods of persuasion. My dissertation explores some of these methods, particularly rhetorical techniques as a way to investigate policy change management. I employ theories from political science, public policy, and rhetoric to analyze advocacy arguments employed by NEA chairs. To conduct the study, I constructed a theoretical lens that provides a foundation, rooted in the policymaking process, that incorporates the importance of ideas and their rhetorical expression. This project explores the ideas used to construct arts-advocacy arguments, their rhetorical evolution, the various ways rhetorical leaders use them, and finally, how those arguments are used to create or manage policy change. Although some previous research discusses advocacy arguments, the role rhetoric plays in the strategic navigation of the policymaking process deserves additional scholarly attention. This is especially true in the specific context of public art funding. To date, research about arts advocacy has not provided a holistic view of the policymaking process, or of the range of advocacy arguments. By addressing both these gaps, though, I do not seek to imply a causal relationship between particular advocacy arguments and financial rewards. Instead, I identify and present themes in past arts-advocacy arguments to assist with the construction and deployment of future arts advocacy.

PHD, Kent State University, 2017, College of Nursing

A PATH ANALYSIS OF TRUST IN NURSES, SOCIAL SUPPORT, PATIENT SELF-ADVOCACY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE (199 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Ratchneewan Ross, Ph.D., RN, FAAN Patients with heart failure participate in care by self-advocating, or speaking up, to their health care providers. By gaining and using health information, assertively communicating, and making decisions, patients are self-advocating. A cross-sectional, path analysis design was used to test two structural models. A convenience sample of 80 HF clinic patients were surveyed using the Adapted Patient Self-Advocacy Scale, Health Care Relational Trust in Clinic Nurses Scale, Medical Outcome Study Social Support Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Symptom Status Questionnaire for Heart Failure. An analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of trust in nurses, social support, and self-advocacy, on psychological distress and physical symptoms. Two structural models were created; neither model fit the data as hypothesized. A respecified model focusing on the components of self-advocacy was tested, trimmed, and found to fit the data (chi square 9.452, df 6, p .105; RMSEA .085; CFI .877, IFI .892, NFI .752). Trust in nurses directly affected patient self-advocacy knowledge (beta .25, R2 .06, p .05). Social support directly affected patient assertiveness (beta .26, R2 .07, p .05). And social support directly affected depressive symptoms (beta-.40, R2 .16, p .001). Nursing plays a role in patient self-advocacy. Educating and encouraging patients to use acquired knowledge in decision making supports patient participation and self-advocacy. Nursing's encouragement of the supportive role of friends and family members can have a positive influence on patient assertiveness and depressive symptoms.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, English

Appalachian studies scholars, Appalachian activists and advocates, and government agencies like the Appalachian Regional Commission have sought a solution to the "Appalachian problem," which is typically portrayed as a matrix of poverty, low educational attainment, poor health, environmental destruction, and cultural deficiencies, as long as this problem has been perceived to exist in the late nineteenth century. Through a rhetorical analysis of ethnographic and archival research on three different types of Appalachian activist campaigns and advocacy organizations, the Kentucky Moonlight Schools of the early twentieth century, The Urban Appalachian Council and Appalachian Community Development Fund of the late twentieth century, and Create West Virginia of the early twenty-first century, I determine how each engages with three common topoi on solving the "Appalachian problem." The first topoi, assimilation, requires Appalachia be assimilated into modern, urban cultural, economic, and technological systems; the second, preservation, acknowledges the distinctiveness and difference of the culture and recommends it be preserved it as an isolated, monolithic, homogeneous entity; and the third, abandonment, proposes allowing nature to take over the region as the people are relocated to urban and suburban areas. By exploring specific instances in which these three topoi are rhetorical deployed, complicated, or opposed by the Kentucky Moonlight Schools, the Urban Appalachian Council and the Appalachian Community Development Association, and Create West Virginia, I have determined what detrimental assumptions these claims rely on, how they position Appalachian culture and identity, and how they limit or facilitate successful resolutions to the "Appalachian problem." I then develop a new regional rhetoric to guide the policies of a variety of groups, including but no limited to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational instituti (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2010, Curriculum and Instruction: Special Education

The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the experience of inclusion of students with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition of a microdeletion on chromosome 7 which has medical, behavior, and cognitive issues. The study was conducted by gaining an understanding from the parents' point of view. The study was twofold. First, the study investigated how the parents advocated for inclusion and then the study investigated accommodations and modifications that have helped their students with Williams syndrome to be included in regular education classrooms in early elementary school. A qualitative study was conducted by interviewing 10 mothers of children with Williams syndrome who were included for 75% of the day in a regular classroom for two years in kindergarten through third grade. The participants' interviews on advocating for inclusion for their child and their viewpoint on successful accommodations and modifications were recorded. Findings were reported through 12 major themes which emerged from the data. None of the mothers described advocating as easy and many discussed the years of work involved to get the supports and services necessary for inclusion and the time involved in attending school meetings and training. Unfortunately, six of the parents described advocating as a “fight.” This still did not stop the parents from continuing to advocate. The three most important things the parents had done to advocate were to network with other parents with and without Williams syndrome, attend a Williams Syndrome Association National Conference, and have their child evaluated at a Williams Syndrome Clinic. These three items provided the mothers with the support information needed to request their child be in the regular classroom and the supports necessary for effective inclusion. Parents often advocated for specific services and accommodations and modifications. All of the children of the parents who participated in the research had a paraprofessio (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, Music

The purpose of this study was to examine and understand the decision making process for keeping or cutting music programs in one selected public school district. Berkley School District, in the Detroit suburb of Berkley, Michigan, has not made extreme cuts to the music program in over ten years, nor have they specifically targeted their music program when budgets cuts do occur. Berkley's profile shows that their numbers for school enrollment, minority student percentage, number of students receiving free and reduced lunch, and percent of English language learners are all situated in the median of these demographics for the surrounding school districts. Similarly, Berkley's budget does not exceed their neighboring districts. The results showed that Berkley Schools District's Administrators have commitment to offering a well-rounded education to all of their students, and that music education plays a large part in that education. To achieve the district's mission, Berkley administrators rely on community support, quality teaching, and creative ways of working with a finite budget. Leaders in the district actively seek ways to generate new revenue, collaborate with other districts to save money and only make cuts to areas that do not affect programming. Research shows that administrators, parents, teachers, and students claim to value music education. Yet, in an age of increasing accountability in core subjects such as math and reading that coincides with economic hardships such as layoffs and rising health care costs, music education faces reduced or eliminated budgets, programs, and staffing. Some schools have eliminated K-5 curricular music, while others cancelled after school programs, cut teachers, or required remaining teachers to work overloaded schedules. While some schools have made drastic cuts, however, other schools and even entire school districts have not cut music, or at least have not targeted music education specifically when trying to save revenue. H (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2009, Counselor Education and Supervision

This study investigated how counselors develop into advocates for the counseling profession. Qualitative case study design was used when interviewing eight counselor advocates. Participants were chosen randomly from a list of attendees who were present at the 2008 state legislative advocacy training. Qualitative analysis was used to explore the data. Inductive and deductive reasoning was used to assist in coding data. As patterns emerged the data was clumped into four major themes. The four elements that effected the counselors' journey toward becoming an advocate included education, mentorship, professional aspects, and personal aspects. The findings of this research indicated the positive impact that education and mentorship had on counselors becoming an advocate for the profession. Participants also discussed the positive influence that professional membership and professional identity has on advocacy endeavors. Moreover, participants gave details about the effects of personal aspects such as personal characteristics and personal experiences. This research supported findings in previous research and added information that has not yet been studied. It showed results that have implications on the counseling profession, counselor training programs, mentors, supervisors, students, and individual counselors. Additionally, this research gives a foundation for future researchers to build upon.

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Organization Development

Many organizations have realized the potential of their employer brand and its impact on recruitment, retention, and development efforts. Some are investing in developing brand advocates or ambassadors among their employees. However, there is limited research on the prediction of brand advocacy behaviors and brand ambassadorship. To inform this study, a literature review focused on articles from the OB/HR and Marketing domains covering employer branding and related constructs (brand value fit, employee engagement, organizational identification, brand equity, etc.), emphasizing the measurement of these constructs. The study sought to: 1) understand employee attitudes toward the organization and employer brand that predict employee brand advocacy and ambassadorship via eight hypotheses addressing organization and brand-related predictors; 2) investigate how brand ambassador program communication and features relate to a willingness to become a brand ambassador; and 3) explore brand ambassadorship motivations. Data was collected via an online survey of 215 full-time faculty and staff of a major public university featuring ten organization and brand-related construct scales. The key results of the study included the identification of four significant or moderate predictors of brand advocacy and ambassadorship, the types of messaging and features desired in a brand ambassador program, and the key motivations of brand ambassadorship. Key results suggest that brand value fit and organizational identification were the strongest predictors of advocacy, with brand equity and employee engagement also offering a level of influence. The study sought to contribute new knowledge regarding the predictors, factors, and motivations influencing brand advocacy and ambassadorship among employees.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Environment and Natural Resources

The global food system faces a daunting challenge to feed a growing human population while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impacts of food production. The boundary-spanning, social-ecological nature of this system makes it a particularly valuable arena in which to study complex governance. As a focal point for this inquiry, I suggest that novel food production technologies may be seen as wicked problems in the study of food systems governance. For instance, an emerging food production technique called cellular agriculture has gained attention as a promising alternative to animal-derived meat production that may require significantly fewer resources. While cellular agriculture holds great promise in reducing the environmental burdens involved in producing protein for human diets, it also adds a layer of complexity to food system governance. There are several substantial challenges and controversies that must be overcome to realize the potential of cellular agriculture and doing so will require designing policies that consider a wide range of diverse actors with varied, sometimes opposing, interests. The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) provides a strong theoretical basis to understand the actors involved in policy subsystems and how they self-organize into competing coalitions based on key policy beliefs. Yet, important gaps exist in ACF literature regarding how coalitions operate in nascent policy subsystems due to the difficulty in observing “nontrivial coordination” in these early stages. Consequently, there is scant knowledge about early coalition development and agenda-setting as well as broader emergent subsystem dynamics. One valuable way to address this shortcoming is by employing the study of discourse coalitions, or groups of actors in a subsystem who are linked through shared public positions on policy debates, which can lend useful insights into which sets of actors might become advocacy coalitions and how informal groups of actors can influ (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, City and Regional Planning

This dissertation contributes to the existing body of knowledge on “community design” and “design justice” by examining the contemporary landscape of relevant organizations. In exploring community design, the dissertation focuses on Community Design Centers (CDCs), while for design justice, it investigates organizations within the loosely organized professional networks dedicated to it. Both CDCs and design justice organizations in the U.S. broadly share the goal of leveraging their planning and design expertise to better serve and empower underserved communities. Specifically, CDCs, first established by activist professionals in architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning, have provided various planning and design services, especially for low-income neighborhoods, since the 1960s. However, despite their long history and relevance in planning and design, CDCs have received limited attention from scholars. To gain deeper insights into the contributions of contemporary CDCs and design justice organizations to American communities, I conducted three research projects exploring various aspects of these entities. The first investigation examines whether the concept of “advocacy planning,” which motivated the establishment of the first CDCs in the 1960s, is still embedded in the organizational missions of contemporary CDCs. I identified seven roles the current CDCs aim to perform and their association with organizational characteristics by analyzing publicly available mission statements and conducting semi-structured interviews with organization leaders and key staff. The second research project investigates the range of community design practices, focusing on the types of services and areas of interest that CDCs provide and pursue. Through a content analysis of projects showcased on their websites, this paper uncovers a comprehensive list of service types and interest areas, along with their variations depending on university affiliation. The third project co (open full item for complete abstract)

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This basic qualitative study explored the experiences of 12 higher education and/or student affairs (HESA) faculty members to understand how their equity, diversity, and inclusion-related courses prepared emerging HESA professionals to support first-generation college students from an anti-deficit perspective. Eligible participants taught in full-time HESA master's programs and were leaders in diversity work based on their equity, diversity, and inclusion-related grant funding, professional awards, and/or diversity-related publications. This research was guided by Perez et al.'s (2017) anti-deficit achievement framework. Data were collected from prescreening questionnaires, pre-interview journals, semistructured interviews, course syllabi, and other participant-shared resources. Generational status was not found to be an independent factor in anti-deficit course content as participants talked about their experiences with intersecting identities, such as first-generation plus Students of Color. Data analysis led to themes about participants' course content which established a foundation of respect and for lifelong learning, integrated anti-deficit pedagogy and empowered advocacy. Themes formed a student development process that promotes emerging HESA professionals' anti-deficit understanding. This study holds important implications for researchers to focus on anti-deficit systems-based approaches to college success. Stakeholders should ask questions with anti-deficit-minded prompts to institutional leadership and as part of institutional self-assessment; encourage syllabus audits and offer anti-deficit-focused faculty development; and prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion-related teaching as an advantage to tenure, promotion, and course load. Future research should consider the sociological and K–12 educational literature, a case study approach, invite early career HESA professionals as participants, or explore the impact of policies on HESA programs.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Seattle: Counselor Education & Supervision

This study solicited experts in relational violence across the United States using the Delphi methodology and grounded theory. This research was conducted in two phases and designed to answer two primary questions: (1) What cultural beliefs are involved in relational violence in the United States? And (2) How are the beliefs about relational violence maintained? The findings showed agreement from the experts on the societal beliefs that hold relational violence, the specific beliefs held by the abuser, and the impacts of these beliefs on the survivor. The experts offered ideas for intervention and prevention, which are important contributions to professional counseling and the field of relational violence, including specific educational considerations. This study enhances current research by providing a systemic lens to how relational violence is perpetrated. Cultural spillover theory was applied to identify the overlapping relationship between structural forces and violence, while polyvagal theory informed the biological underpinnings of relational violence and how it is perpetuated.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counselor Education

Historically marginalized individuals continue to experience discrimination, leading to a myriad of issues, including mental and physical health problems (see Bower et al., 2013; Goodman et al., 2003; Simons et al., 2013). Experiences with discrimination are linked to posttraumatic stress symptoms (Bird et al., 2021; Carter et al., 2019; Kirkinis et al., 2018; Wei et al., 2012), depression and anxiety (Bower et al., 2013; Goodman et al., 2003; Kessler et al., 1999; McLaughlin et al., 2010; Takeda et al., 2021; Weeks & Sullivan, 2019), substance use (Kcomt et al., 2020; Lopez et al., 2022; McLaughlin et al., 2010; Wray et al., 2016), suicide (Horwitz et al., 2020), and more, making it an important topic within the counseling profession. The counseling profession continues to include client advocacy within the counseling role, with standards showing up in the Code of Ethics (American Counseling Association, 2014) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs' educational standards (CACREP; 2015). Counselors can engage in advocacy efforts with and on behalf of clients to help improve their lives and outcomes in counseling. Yet, little is known about what advocacy action is occurring within the field and how counselors are experiencing engagement in this work. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to determine how counselors are experiencing engagement in social justice advocacy, including how they personally experience advocacy work, what actions they are taking, how their own identity impacts their advocacy practice, and their challenges and successes. Four research questions guided this study and the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (Ratts et al., 2015) were used as a guiding framework. Data collection included information from a demographic form and semi-structured interviews with seven (N = 7) licensed clinical counselors in the United States. Thematic analysis (Guest et al., 201 (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Leadership

Within the field of early childhood education, a multitude of paradoxes exist. The tensions between early educators and the broader community have yielded barriers for advocacy, preventing the voices from those working directly with children from being heard in conversations where impactful decisions are made. This study aimed to explore the feelings and perceptions of those working directly with young children regarding advocacy, professionalism, and the barriers within systems intended to support the work of early care and education. Issues regarding roles and responsibilities, relationships within the work of caring for young children, definitions of advocacy, and concerns regarding work environments were discussed across six interviews with women from a variety of backgrounds who have moved positions and programs within the field.

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2023, Psychology, Clinical

Within the context of a 12-year on-going participatory community action research project (Behavioral Activation Project in Homeless Shelters), a health-related intervention (Health Advocacy Behavioral Activation) was developed in response to the current health related crises (exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic) in a homeless shelter. This intervention focused on improving self-efficacy for self-care in shelter residents. Participants included 62 residents, from the St. Vincent de Paul Gateway Shelter for Men. Residents varied from age 18 to 78 and represented numerous racial/ethnic backgrounds. Major hypotheses and corresponding results are as follows: As hypothesized, self-efficacy for self-care, as measured by a newly developed measure (Self-Efficacy for Self-Care and Daily Health), improved from pre- to post-intervention. In addition, another hypothesis supported that the intervention was beneficial regardless of disability status (i.e., residents with disability and residents without disability). This study also yielded findings indicating preliminary psychometric validation for the aforementioned newly developed measure (Self-Efficacy for Self-Care and Daily Health), including internal consistency, criterion-related validity, and convergent validity. The practical and theoretical implications of this study are discussed. Limitations of the current study are considered, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, English (Rhetoric and Writing) PhD

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) programs are an educational initiative that aim to support faculty in implementing writing into their classrooms and engaging students in their learning through writing. WAC courses are typically those outside standard English and Literature courses at postsecondary institutions. This project investigates perspectives at a Midwestern University to explore practices and definitions of WAC, writing, advocacy, and feedback. Specifically, the research focuses on two questions: 1. What are the current understandings and practices of WAC, writing, advocacy, and feedback at Midwestern University? 2. How do WAC programs benefit from collaboration with Writing Centers and community connections from a sustainability standpoint? Using humanistic approaches, this study focuses on the shared experiences of a History WAC faculty member, History WAC student, and the Writing Center Coordinator at Midwestern University. Data was collected through a series of interviews with each participant and coded according to a Grounded Theory approach. The findings from each participant's interviews are represented as an individual chapter sharing their stories as perspectives important to ongoing conversations regarding how WAC is understood, writing is defined and experienced, and advocacy is identified, as well as practices of WAC instructor written feedback on student writing. The project draws connections between WAC, writing, feedback practices, and advocacy discourse as important concepts to WAC sustainability and concludes with potential implications for WAC programs, WAC scholars, and writing instructors. Focusing on inclusionary practices, this study pulls from the experiences at Midwestern University to provide frameworks of race for WAC and self-reflective inclusive sentence-level training for faculty, students, and writing consultants. Furthermore, the study indicates that feedback practices in the WAC classroom should consider students' (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Media and Communication

The conceptualization of feminism and rise of feminist individuals and groups in Ghana have evolved within the Fourth Republic era (from 1992 to the present), leading to growing misunderstanding about the nature, role, and scope of the feminist activism in Ghana. This thesis examines how individuals who uphold feminist thought and practice, and gender equity nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Ghana use social media to advocate for women's and children's health and well-being, women's participation in politics and media, and elimination of crises, including rape culture and gender-based violence (GBV). The thesis analyzes how Ghanaian feminists and gender equity NGOs contribute to principles of UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5): Gender Equality and ascertains how social media is used for gender equity advocacy efforts. In-depth interviews with self-identified Ghanaian feminists and leaders of gender equity NGOs were conducted. Interview data was analyzed using grounded theory. The result of Research Question (RQ1), on how Ghanaian feminist activism has evolved, indicates growing acceptance of feminism during the latter half of the current Republic era. Findings for RQ2, on how feminist and gender equity NGOs use digital platforms to advocate for Ghanaian women and children, indicate digital platforms are used for training women on leadership and entrepreneurship, defending themselves and their children against GBV, and amplifying women's and children's interests. Findings for RQ3, on how Ghanaian feminists and NGOs contribute to UN SDG 5, reveal productive efforts to educate on gender equity, collaborate with women celebrities to take leadership roles on gender equality to broader publics, and advocate for women's representation in Ghanaian institutions. Finally, RQ4, on roles Ghanaian social media play in amplifying Ghanaian feminists, digital platforms are vital to enable collaboration, support change in public policies negatively affecting women, an (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch Seattle: Counselor Education & Supervision

This study examines the social and cultural considerations in accessing mental health treatment in The Gambia, West Africa. Participants were recruited from The Gambia for a qualitative study that included semistructured interviews (N = 17). A team of analysts identified five themes. The results highlighted social and cultural conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness, sociocultural determinants of health, interventions, barriers to care, and the legal framework to support mental health change. These findings are important for counselors to understand different perceptions of mental health and mental illness and the associated stigma. Furthermore, several opportunities for advocacy in The Gambia have resulted from this study.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Instructional Technology (Education)

This autoethnographic study examined how an African American male with dyslexia used self-advocacy and assistive technology to reach his personal, educational goal throughout his academic journey. Through autoethnographic storytelling, this dissertation investigated the barriers an African American male with dyslexia faced in the United States educational system and described coping mechanisms the researcher developed to overcome challenges. Using a narrative inquiry, this study documented the lived and cultural experience of an African American male with dyslexia in the special education system, as well as the user experience of how assistive technology/ computerized assistive technology (AT/CAT) contributed to success as well as their limitations. The research focus found that while there were challenges that African American males face in the educational system, which were added to by having a learning disability, but using self-advocacy and assistive technology were the great tools the researcher used to be successful during their college career. The analysis of the study provides recommendations to educators, students with learning disabilities, and parents who seek to understand the challenges minorities students with learning disabilities endure and how self-advocacy and AT/CAT might be utilized to contribute to student success.

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2022, Psychology, Clinical

This M.A. thesis project included a number of studies further examining the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy for Advocacy Scale (SEAS). The SEAS is a 218-item scale that assesses a person's self-efficacy for advocacy across a wide variety of (a) ecological domains (micro to macro), (b) social justice and human rights issues, and (c) specific advocacy behaviors. Study 1 provided evidence of convergent validity by showing that the SEAS correlates with another agency-related construct (i.e., community service self-efficacy), and Study 1 also replicated findings from past research (e.g., strong internal consistency). In Study 2, further evidence of convergent validity was established by showing that the SEAS correlates with a different agency related construct (i.e., perceptions of sociopolitical power), and evidence of discriminant validity was obtained by showing that the correlations between the SEAS and a measure of social desirability (including both impression management and self-deception subscales) were nonsignificant and negligible in magnitude. Study 2 also replicated past research (e.g., strong internal consistency). In addition, Study 2 found that the SEAS was sensitive (able to capture) changes in self-efficacy for advocacy that occur due to advocacy training. Study 3 examined data from a number of studies in order to establish a Preliminary Short Form of the SEAS. To do this, Study 3 used a hybrid psychometric strategy that included an empirical approach (i.e., a series of follow-up statistical analyses to select items passing psychometric criteria) and a rational approach (i.e., content analysis to select items that represent critical domains of the SEAS). All studies employed undergraduate students at the University of Dayton. Major limitations of SEAS validation research thus far, including (a) a need to more fully examine different types of reliability and validity and define the construct's nomological network and (b) a need to determine i (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2022, English

This dissertation examines the important affective labor of diverse feminist activists and sexual assault survivor advocates and contributes a theory of feminist affective resistance. I define feminist affective resistance as the transformative rhetorics and literacy practices feminists employ to challenge dominant pedagogies of emotion while building toward feminist and survivor-centered futures. In Chapter 1, I situate this dissertation within scholarship on affect, feminist rhetorics, and literacies, establishing how feminist scholars and activists have begun to identify and resist social-emotional scripts. In Chapter 2, I constellate a feminist trauma-informed methodology and introduce my participants and methods. I investigate feminist rhetorical strategies and literacy practices through interviews with eleven feminist activists and an ethnographic case study at a rape crisis center where I have volunteered for three years. In Chapter 3, I describe how feminist activists enact digital tactics of feminist affective resistance while making social media work for them. Participants in this study established feminist affective counterpublics online and carefully navigated the affective burdens of their online activism. In Chapter 4, I investigate the feminist rhetorical pedagogies at the Midwest Rape Crisis Organization (MRCO), including five rhetorical tenets that guide advocate interactions with survivors. MRCO rhetorics and pedagogies help survivors and advocates realign away from discourses of rape culture and toward feminist values of the organization. In Chapter 5, I present MRCO as a literacy sponsor that helps advocates affectively attune with survivors and affectively realign away from vicarious trauma. Literacy practices of MRCO advocates include reading to believe, writing to process, and gathering to heal. In Chapter 6, I review four lessons of feminist affective resistance, including the importance of rhetorical affective education. I conclude this diss (open full item for complete abstract)