Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2021, English

Stolen away from their homeland and forced into the New World, African Americans have constantly faced pressures to assimilate to Western culture. Rather than giving them space to express their blackness authentically, members of Western culture have worked to perpetuate a universal imagery of black identity that in turn further establishes their inferiority to the white race. This paper employs postmodern blackness to reconstruct black identity in Western society and to also shed light on the black voices that have historically been silenced.

Committee: Gary E. Holcomb Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; African History; African Literature; African Studies

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Literacy

Addressing the issues of language socialization and identity reconstruction of foreign healthcare professionals (FHPs) at work is of paramount importance for the quality of healthcare in the U.S. today. In 2005, the American Medical Association's (AMA) statistics indicated that 23.3% of the total U.S. physician population consisted of foreign professionals trained in 127 different countries. Despite this sizeable percentage and the diversity of foreign healthcare professionals who currently work in the U.S., the challenges in the process of their language socialization and identity reconstruction at work have not received an adequate attention in the research literature. This 24-month qualitative study focuses on the language socialization and identity reconstruction of four Bulgarian healthcare professionals (BHPs) in two healthcare institutions and one medical university in a large Midwestern city. Qualitative methodology, used in this study, included an analysis of the three healthcare institutions' websites and work-related documents, semi-structured interviews with the four focal and the eleven non-focal participants (family members, colleagues, HR officials, trainers, advisors, and supervisors), and a focus group discussion. Findings revealed that the BHPs acquired functional proficiency in the written and oral interactions at work through formal and informal support, but still experienced frustrations due to unfamiliarity and differences with tacit socio-cultural rules and demands specific to the U.S. workplace context. Findings suggested that BHPs had to be computer literate and proactive in their search for help at work to succeed in the U.S. workplace. On the other hand, HR officials, trainers, and supervisors in U.S. healthcare institutions should be aware that FHPs need a continuous support system in order to adapt successfully to the language and culture at work and be able to cater to the U.S. healthcare institutions' needs. The findings of this stud (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Gulbahar Beckett (Advisor) Subjects: