This collection includes theses, dissertations, and professional papers from the University of Montana Department of Communication Studies. Theses, dissertations, and professional papers from all University of Montana departments and programs may be searched here.
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
COMEDY, CAMARADERIE, AND CONFLICT: USING HUMOR TO DEFUSE DISPUTES AMONG FRIENDS, Sheena A. Bringa
Navigating Toxic Identities Within League of Legends, Jeremy Thomas Miner
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
UNDERSTANDING MEDIA RICHNESS AND SOCIAL PRESENCE: EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF MEDIA CHANNELS ON INDIVIDUALS’ LEVELS OF LONELINESS, WELL-BEING, AND BELONGING, Ashley M. Arsenault
CANCELING VS. #CANCEL CULTURE: AN ANALYSIS ON THE SURVEILLANCE AND DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOR THROUGH COMPETING DISCOURSES OF POWER, Julia G. Bezio
DISTAL SIBLING GRIEF: EXPLORING EMOTIONAL AFFECT AND SALIENCE OF LISTENER BEHAVIORS IN STORIES OF SIBLING DEATH, Margaret C. Brock
Is Loss a Laughing Matter?: A Study of Humor Reactions and Benign Violation Theory in the Context of Grief., Miranda B. Henrich
The Request Is Not Compatible: Competing Frames of Public Lands Discourse in the Lolo Peak Ski Resort Controversy, Philip A. Sharp
Patient Expectations, Satisfaction, and Provider Communication Within the Oncology Experience, Elizabeth Margaret Sholey
Psychological Safety at Amazon: A CCO Approach, Kathryn K. Zyskowski
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
Discourse of Renewal: A Qualitative Analysis of the University of Montana’s COVID-19 Crisis Communication, Haley Renae Gabel
Activating Hope: How Functional Support Can Improve Hope in Unemployed Individuals, Rylee P. Walter
Theses/Dissertations from 2020
THE HOME AS A SITE OF FAMILY COMMUNICATED NARRATIVE SENSE-MAKING: GRIEF, MEANING, AND IDENTITY THROUGH “CLEANING OUT THE CLOSET”, Kendyl A. Barney
CRISIS AS A CONSTANT: UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATIVE ENACTMENT OF COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE WITHIN THE EXTENSION DISASTER EDUCATION NETWORK (EDEN), Danielle Maria Farley
FOSTERING COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION: EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOUNDATIONS TRAINING, Shanay L. Healy
Belonging for Dementia Caregivers, Sabrina Singh
Theses/Dissertations from 2019
Making the Most of People We Do Not Like: Capitalizing on Negative Feedback, Christopher Edward Anderson
Understanding the Relationship Between Discursive Resources and Risk-Taking Behaviors in Outdoor Adventure Athletes, Mira Ione Cleveland
Service Failure Management in High-End Hospitality Resorts, Hunter A. Dietrich
Fear, Power, & Teeth (2007), Olivia Hockenbroch
The climate change sublime: Leveraging the immense awe of the planetary threat of climate change, Sean D. Quartz
Theses/Dissertations from 2018
The Relationship Between Memorable Messages and Identity Construction, Raphaela P. Barros Campbell
Wonder Woman: A Case Study for Critical Media Literacy, Adriana N. Fehrs
Curated Chaos: A Rhetorical Study of Axmen, Rebekah A. McDonald
THE ROLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER, STIGMA, AND HURTFUL MESSAGES IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS, Callie Parrish
Cruising to be a Board Gamer: Understanding Socialization Relating to Board Gaming and The Dice Tower, Benjamin Wassink
Theses/Dissertations from 2017
STEAMED: EXAMINATIONS OF POWER STRUGGLES ON THE VALUE FORUM, richard E. babb
Beyond the Bike; Identity and Belonging of Free Cycles Members, Caitlyn Lewis
Adherence and Uncertainty Management: A Test Of The Theory Of Motivated Information Management, Ryan Thiel
Theses/Dissertations from 2016
Redskins Revisited: Competing Constructions of the Washington Redskins Mascot, Eean Grimshaw
A Qualitative Analysis of Belonging in Communities of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements within the Choral Arts, Aubrielle J. Holly
Beyond Blood: Examining the Communicative Challenges of Adoptive Families, Mackensie C. Minniear
Attitudes Toward Execution: The Tragic and Grotesque Framing of Capital Punishment in the News, Katherine Shuy
Knowledge and Resistance: Feminine Style and Signifyin[g] in Michelle Obama’s Public Address, Tracy Valgento
Theses/Dissertations from 2015
BLENDED FRAMEWORK: BILL MCKIBBEN'S USE OF MELODRAMA AND COMEDY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RHETORIC, Megan E. Cullinan
THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL DRAMAS ON PATIENT EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION, Kayla M. Fadenrecht
Diabesties: How Diabetic Support on Campus can Alleviate Diabetic Burnout, Kassandra E. Martin
Resisting NSA Surveillance: Glenn Greenwald and the public sphere debate about privacy, Rebecca Rice
Rhetoric, participation, and democracy: The positioning of public hearings under the National Environmental Policy Act, Kevin C. Stone
Socialization and Volunteers: A Training Program for Volunteer Managers, Allison M. Sullivan
Theses/Dissertations from 2014
THIRD PARTY EFFECTS OF AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION IN FAMILY SUBSYSTEMS: EXAMINING INFLUENCE ON AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION, MENTAL WELL-BEING, AND FAMILY SATISFACTION, Timothy M. Curran
Commodity or Dignity? Nurturing Managers' Courtesy Nurtures Workers' Productivity, Montana Rafferty Moss
"It Was My Job to Keep My Children Safe": Sandra Steingraber and the Parental Rhetoric of Precaution, Mollie Katherine Murphy
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Markets: ALEC's Populist Constructions of "the People" in State Politics, Anne Sherwood
Theses/Dissertations from 2013
COMMUNICATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF EXPECTATIONS: AN EXAMINATION OF EXPECTATIONS REGARDING MOTHERS IN NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION, Jordan A. Allen
Let’s talk about sex: A training program for parents of 4th and 5th grade children, Elizabeth Kay Eickhoff
"You Is The Church": Identity and Identification in Church Leadership, Megan E. Gesler
This land is your land, this land is my land: A qualitative study of tensions in an environmental decision making group, Gabriel Patrick Grelle
The Constitution of Queer Identity in the 1972 APA Panel, "Psychiatry: Friend or Foe to Homosexuals? A Dialogue", Dustin Vern Edward Schneider
The Effect of Religious Similarity on the Use of Relational Maintenance Strategies in Marriages, Jamie Karen Taylor
Justice, Equality, and SlutWalk: The Rhetoric of Protesting Rape Culture, Dana Whitney Underwood
Theses/Dissertations from 2012
Collective Privacy Boundary Turbulence and Facework Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of South Korea and the United States, Min Kyong Cho
COMMUNICATING ARTIFACTS: AN ANALYSIS OF HOW MUSEUMS COMMUNICATE ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY DURING TIMES OF CONTROVERSY AND FINANCIAL STRAIN, Amanda Renee Cornuke
Communication Apprehension and Perceived Responsiveness, Elise Alexandra Fanney
Improving Patient-Provider Communication in the Health Care context, Charlotte M. Glidden
What They Consider, How They Decide: Best Practices of Technical Experts in Environmental Decision-Making, Cassandra J. Hemphill
Rebuilding Place: Exploring Strategies to Align Place Identity During Relocation, Brigette Renee McKamey
Sarah Palin, Conservative Feminism, and the Politics of Family, Jasmine Rose Zink
Theses/Dissertations from 2011
Salud, Dignidad, Justicia: Articulating "Choice" and "Reproductive Justice" for Latinas in the United States, Kathleen Maire de Onis
Environmental Documentary Film: A Contemporary Tool For Social Movement, Rachel Gregg
In The Pink: The (Un)Healthy Complexion of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Kira Stacey Jones
Jihad as an Ideograph: Osama bin Laden's rhetorical weapon of choice, Faye Lingarajan
The Heart of the Matter: The Function and Relational Effects of Humor for Cardiovascular Patients, Nicholas Lee Lockwood
Feeling the Burn: A Discursive Analysis of Organizational Burnout in Seasonal Wildland Firefighters, Whitney Eleanor Marie Maphis
Making A Comeback: An Exploration of Nontraditional Students & Identity Support, Jessica Kate McFadden
In the Game of Love, Play by the Rules: Implications of Relationship Rule Consensus over Honesty and Deception in Romantic Relationships, Katlyn Elise Roggensack
Assessing the balance: Burkean frames and Lil' Bush, Elizabeth Anne Sills
Theses/Dissertations from 2010
The Discipline of Identity: Examining the Challenges of Developing Interdisciplinary Identities Within the Science Disciplines, Nicholas Richard Burk
Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities, Katherine Elise Lloyd
Discourse, Identity, and Culture in Diverse Organizations: A Study of The Muslim Students Association (University of Montana), Burhanuddin Bin Omar
The Skinny on Weight Watchers: A Critical Analysis of Weight Watcher's Use of Metaphors, Ashlynn Laura Reynolds-Dyk
You Got the Job, Now What?: An Evaluation of the New Employee Orientation Program at the University of Montana, Shiloh M. A. Sullivan
Theses/Dissertations from 2009
Because We Have the Power to Choose: A Critical Analysis of the Rhetorical Strategies Used in Merck's Gardasil Campaign, Brittney Lee Buttweiler
Communicative Strategies Used in the Introduction of Spirituality in the Workplace, Matthew Alan Condon
Cultures in Residence: Intercultural Communication Competence for Residence Life Staff, Bridget Eileen Flaherty
The Influence of Sibling Support on Children's Post-Divorce Adjustment: A Turning Point Analysis, Kimberly Ann Jacobs
TALK ABOUT “HOOKING UP”: HOW COLLEGE STUDENTS‟ ACCOUNTS OF “HOOKING UP” IN SOCIAL NETWORKS INFLUENCES ENGAGING IN RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, Amanda J. Olson
The Effect of Imagined Interactions on Secret Revelation and Health, Adam Stephens Richards
Teaching Intercultural Communication Competence in the Healthcare Context, Jelena Stojakovic
Quitting versus Not Quitting: The Process and Development of an Assimilation Program Within Opportunity Resources, Inc., Amanda N. Stovall
Theses/Dissertations from 2008
IMAGES AS A LAYER OF POSITIVE RHETORIC: A VALUES-BASED CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN VISUAL AND VERBAL ELEMENTS FOUND ON A RURAL NATURAL RESOURCES NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WEBSITE, Vailferree Stilwell Brechtel
Theses/Dissertations from 2007
THE SOCIALIZATION OF SEASONAL EMPLOYEES, Maria Dawn Blevins
Friends the family you choose (no matter what: An investigation of fictive kin relationships amoung young adults., Kimberly Anne Clinger
Public relations in nonprofit organizations: A guide to establishing public relations programs in nonprofit settings, Megan Kate Gale
Negotiated Forgiveness in Parent-Child Relationships: Investigating Links to Politeness, Wellness and Sickness, Jennifer Lynn Geist
Developing and Communicating Better Sexual Harassment Policies Through Ethics and Human Rights, Thain Yates Hagan
Managing Multiple Identities: A Qualitative Study of Nurses and Implications for Work-Family Balance, Claire Marie Spanier
BEYOND ORGANIC: DEFINING ALTERNATIVES TO USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC, Jennifer Ann von Sehlen
Theses/Dissertations from 2006
Graduate Teaching Assistant Interpretations and Responses to Student Immediacy Cues, Clair Owen Canfield
Verbal negotiation of affection in romantic relationships, Andrea Ann Richards
Theses/Dissertations from 2005
Art of forgiveness, Carrie Benedict
"We shall fight for the things we have always held nearest our hearts": Rhetorical strategies in the U.S. woman suffrage movement, Stephanie L. Durnford
War on Terror Middle-East peace and a drive around the ranch: The rhetoric of US-Saudi diplomacy in the post-911 period, J. Robert Harper
Rhetoric of public interest in an inter-organizational environmental debate: The Fernie mining controversy., Shelby Jo. Long
Investigation of the initiation of short-term relationships in a vacation setting., Aneta Milojevic
"It 's the other way around"| Sustainability, promotion, and the shaping of identity in nonprofit arts organizations, Georgi A. Rausch
Child left behind: An examination of comforting strategies goals and outcomes following the death of a child, Kelly R. Rossetto
Profile of the modern smokejumper| A tension-centered lens on identity and identification, Cade Wesley Spaulding