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An Analysis of the Role of Women in the Progression of the Gospel
No full textThis thesis is an analysis of the role women played in the progression of the gospel. It tackles the argument of complementarianism versus egalitarianism. However, it takes on an egalitarian perspective and believes that Jesus showed through his interaction with women at pivotal points in his earthly ministry that women are essential when it comes to spreading the gospel. This thesis also explores the historical background of the Gospels, the gospel message, and relevant biblical, historical, and cultural texts that provide information on women in the first century of the New Testament. It also explores the general relationship that Jesus has with women and how he affirms them throughout his life. This thesis finds its anchor in the ministry of Jesus; therefore, it analyzes commentary that is restricted to the Gospels.
It analyzes women associated with the birth of Jesus, it studies women who are not of the Jewish faith or Gentile women, and it highlights the women who appeared around the death and resurrection of Jesus. These women, Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, the Canaanite woman, the Samaritan woman, the woman with the alabaster flask, and Mary Magdalene, are all pioneers and leaders in the way they show up and present an important aspect of the gospel. The women in the birth of Jesus act as a prophetic unit embodying fulfillment, faith, and proclamation. The Gentile women represent outsiders and show that the gospel extends beyond Israel to all nations, representing faith and openness as the determining factors to fully accept God. Lastly, the women in the death and resurrection of Jesus symbolize the intentionality Jesus uses to prepare, proclaim, and preserve the message of salvation. In essence, the women in the Gospels serve as catalysts and instruments of God, teachers through examples, and agents of faith
African American Adult Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Their Subsequent Experiences in Intimate Partner Relationships
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenology study is to explore the lived experiences of African American adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse within intimate partner relationships. The problem is that it is not known how African American adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse describe their present or past intimate partner relationships experience or the impact that childhood sexual abuse has on their intimate partner relationships. Research shows how experiences of sexual abuse create difficulty in managing intimate partner relationships. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse often had damaging effects on adults with their romantic relationships. Findings from research showed that men and women who were sexually abused as a child failed to fully commit to a partner due to attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, or sexual shame. However, few focus directly on such intimate partner relationships and childhood sexual abuse within a population of African American men. This proposed study is guided by the Traumagenic Dynamics Model (TDM) as its conceptual framework and attachment theory as the theoretical framework (Ainsworth, 1979), Browne & Finkelhor, 1986). The TDM and attachment theory combined as this study\u27s framework establishes the necessary narrative explanation of how underlying assumptions associated with the investigated phenomenon are warranted and how the theoretical and conceptual examination impacts the study\u27s results
Women, Religion, and Education in North Carolina: How the Feminization Theory Applies From the Nineteenth Century to Present Day
No full textIn the state of North Carolina southern traditions run deep. The strong foundation of religion and family have been a constant in this state. However, not everything about this state’s history has been equal or fair, especially in the case of women and education. It would take the Progressive era for the feminization of southern life and culture to work its way into the lifestyle found amongst North Carolina residents. Women across the state would lay witness to the changes that both feminization and religion brought into their lives. Education would be one major factor that played into the equation for both feminization and religion that would allow new doors to open for women and the new roles they now play in North Carolina’s society.
In order to analyze this interconnection between religion and education it is necessary to dig into state archives, newspaper articles, journals, scrapbooks, interviews and more. But more than that, North Carolina’s three regions need to be addressed separately in order to get a clear picture of the experiences that women had across the state. Women from all walks of life gave witness to the change and not all in the same way. What society and the church expected from women had a major impact on their lives and their future. And as the nineteenth century ends and the twentieth century begins a new ideology is presented with the feminization theory. How does this new idea of how culture and religion impact women? This dissertation explores that journey and how it has led to the current state of women today
Officers on Patrol: Perspectives of an Arrest on Past and Present Law Enforcement Officers
No full textWhile attempting to apprehend suspects, police officers must contend with complex obstacles arising from the arrest\u27s legal, ethical, and sociopolitical context. Officers had to follow their department’s guidelines while also developing legal procedures when carrying out an arrest. The study focused on how an officer’s perception of arrest decisions and procedures encapsulated challenges and ethical dilemmas. Through a semi-structured interview with twenty respondents, this research explored the implications of arresting behaviors on officers’ professional identity formation and development. The data analysis followed the grounded theory approach, which focused on identifying differences and similarities between former and current officers over time. The research was conducted with law enforcement officers located in Columbus, GA. This qualitative case study is intended to contribute to the current literature on law enforcement decision-making by examining the lived experiences of active and retired law enforcement officers. It was observed that former officers tended to view arrests as an evolution of careers, policies, and public perceptions, while current officers were caught in a constantly changing legal context, community demands, and organizational expectations. Officers explained the intricacies of law enforcement operations, emphasizing the impact of working in law enforcement. In addition, this research added to the existing literature about policing by suggesting changes in policy, training, and mental health assistance. Its conclusions affected law enforcement organizations, offenders, and legislators who were keen on making changes in the criminal justice system and the health of law enforcement officers
Selling the Impossible: A Critical Study of Nostalgia, Persuasion and Ethical Implications
No full textThis thesis examines the psychological, cultural and iconic influence of mid-20th-century comic book advertising and its enduring influence on modern marketing. With a concentration on adolescent readership, it examines how advertisements in comics shaped consumerist behavior through aspirational discourse, gendered address and emotional manipulation. Through literature reviews, visual analyses and case studies—such as the Charles Atlas bodybuilding campaign, Sea Monkeys and X-ray glasses—this research investigates the rhetorical strategies and ethical ramifications of advertising to children.
The objectives are fivefold: (1) to inventory and analyze dominant advertising strategies employed in comic book ads, (2) to explore how they reinforced cultural and gender norms, (3) to compare historical practices with contemporary Online advertising and (4) to shed light on ethical concerns in advertising to children. A mixed-methods approach—combining qualitative content analysis with interpretive case studies—was used to scrutinize both primary artifacts and secondary sources through the lens of cultural and psychological theory.
Findings demonstrate that comic book advertisements were designed to exploit the psychological state of teenage readers through the use of urgency, scarcity, visual narrative and promise of transformation. These strategies persist in modern Online advertising, where emotional manipulation and identity formation remain central to persuasion. Gendered appeals—adventure and strength for boys and beauty and domesticity for girls—played a significant role in shaping postwar cultural values and continue to guide advertising discourse today.
The artistic product of this research is a portfolio of designed work that analytically explores the legacy of comic book advertising. It seeks not only to expose the machinations of historical and current persuasive efforts but also to posit ethical approaches to youth marketing, offering historical context along with forward-looking design solutions for responsible visual communication.
As I have spent years collecting and researching old comic books, I have found myself fascinated by the bizarre world hidden behind their pages: the advertisements. They were not trivial fluff pieces or offbeat curiosities; they were selling identity, transformation and prestige to children who were still learning about themselves. I remember staring at the pages—X-ray Specs with superhuman powers, Sea Monkeys that made aquariums into kingdoms and Charles Atlas fitness programs that promised to make a “98-pound weakling” into a rippling giant. Even if I couldn’t afford those products, the possibilities they represented lingered in my mind. The fantasizing, imagining how my life might be otherwise, had a lasting effect. In retrospect, I realize that these ads not only conditioned my want but conditioned the psycho-emotional underpinnings of an entire generation.
This individual interest leads to the crux of my research: how mid-20th-century comic book advertisements conditioned young consumer psychology, reinforced gender and cultural norms and helped create the foundations of today’s advertising protocols. While comic book scholarship as such has evolved significantly in the last several decades, much of this has concentrated on comic book stories, characters and issues concerning comic book storytelling. Rather little consideration has been given to the ads themselves, which were often as influential and persuasive as the stories with which they appeared. These ads functioned as miniature case studies in consumer manipulation—combining bold typography, sensational claims and visual storytelling to promise transformation and belonging.
Scholars such as Bradford Wright, in Comic Book Nation, have traced how comics reflected the values and aspirations of American youth, but the advertising tucked within them has remained a secondary concern (Wright 23). Works such as Terry Sadowski’s Hey Skinny! and Kirk Demarais’s Mail-Order Mystiques capture the irony and retrograde appeal of the ads but only touch on their psychological resonance (Sadowski 45; Demarais 24). Cultural thinkers such as Jean Baudrillard were able to position these ads as something more than novelties: as hyper-real surrogates for childhood wishes, terrors and anticipations. Marshall McLuhan can be employed to further explain how the media brokered society’s understanding (McLuhan 68). The endurance of these tactics of persuasion into contemporary digital marketing—present in influencer sponsorships, gamified promotion and social media exclusives—indicates that comic book advertising represents a crucial missing link in the broader history of marketing.
The knowledge gap that this thesis seeks to resolve resides at the crossroads of the history of advertising, consumer psychology and design studies. Although comic books have been considered cultural commodities for many years, very little specialized scholarship explores comic book advertising’s visual rhetoric and psychological dynamics and little has been attempted to investigate how these mid-century methods directly equate to contemporary youth marketing in digital and social media spaces. Understanding this heritage is essential: the same identity promises of transformation, belonging and now persist in shaping children’s commercials on YouTube, TikTok and gaming websites.
Drawing on this foundation, my objectives are fivefold:
Compare prevailing methods to advertising practice in comic book commercials during the 1940s and 1970s.
Evaluate how these practices reinforced cultural value and gender expectations.
Compare historical practice with current digital advertisements targeting children.
Discuss the ethical implications of advertising on children.
Translate research findings into authored deliverables that critique and reinterpret comic book advertising heritage.
These objectives lead to the following research questions:
How did mid-century comic book advertising shape youth consumer psychology?
How did these ads reflect and reinforce cultural and gender norms?
What ethical considerations emerge when comparing historical comic book ads with contemporary youth-targeted advertising?
How are “golden age” comic book advertising tactics continuing to impact digital and social media marketing today?
The worth of this research lies in its twofold contribution to history and practice. It positions comic book advertisement as significant but overlooked part of design and advertisement history, demonstrating how effective visual communication drove young consumers’ desires and identities. On the other hand, it gives contemporary significance by drawing out lessons applicable to today’s marketers and designers. By subjecting such ancient tactics to critical examination, we can uncover how deeply ingrained they resonate in today’s digital and identify avenues towards more ethical youth advertising.
My readers will include advertising scholars, cultural historians, communication theory folks and practicing designers. Yet this book also has a message for anyone who is interested in the picture’s role in fashioning youth culture and consumer culture. In looking at these comic book ads, I want to not only learn more about the past but to illuminate the ways that we might be more accountable in the future with regard to visual communication.
Briefly put, this thesis is more than a sentimental manifesto. It is about how one generation of children learned to imagine through advertising, how that imagining carried over into modern marketing and how design history can teach us about how to rethink youth-directed communication with imagination and integrity.
Summary
This chapter has located the mid-twentieth-century comic book advertising in their historical and cultural context. It has elaborated on how the combination of visual storytelling, post-war optimism, and psychological manipulation created a new kind of persuasion directed toward young readers. Comic book advertisements have been found operating not merely as sales tools but as instruments of identity formation-offering transformation, empowerment, and belonging through acts of consumption. Situating these artifacts within broader shifts in culture and media, this chapter thus laid the foundation for understanding exactly how the visual language of persuasion evolved into a resilient paradigm for modern marketing
Espoused Eschatology, An Extension of Inaugurated Eschatology
No full textJewish weddings are as important to Jewish culture today as they were in the time of Christ. There is a process to the event that begins with a betrothal period, followed by a wedding procession and a lavish feast. In ancient Judah, the groom brought his bride to a place he prepared for her at his father\u27s house. The Gospel of John reveals a distinct methodical interaction with the cultural and institutional norms of Judaism, as is argued to reveal the motif of a divine betrothal process. While the Synoptics have been argued to be more concerned about historical matters, John might appear more theological. He does include the life, death, and resurrection accounts, which are historically aligned, but there is a significant message that John is presenting that stands out from the others. When John describes the born-again existence of the believer in his discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus, there is more to this account than on the surface. There is a reason that John begins his account of Jesus’ signs with a wedding in Cana, where he uses the Jewish stone jars reserved for purification rituals to lavishly celebrate a wedding feast. John authored his Gospel later in life, and not far from the period when he was banished to the Isle of Patmos and wrote Revelation. Even if there is no agreed-upon date for the latter, it falls within the latter part of the first century. There is undoubtedly an interconnection in his writing as these are the work of a mature John and are not only influenced by the biblical writings but also nuanced by his experience and relationship with Jesus. He specifically chose each event that he presents in his Gospel to add to his audience’s awareness that there is a divine wedding going to take place and that they have the opportunity to be included as the bride. This by no means is to say that John was more focused on the idea of marriage than presenting his account of Jesus’ life on earth, but it is apparent that John employed the notion of a bride betrothed to a bridegroom to describe his understanding of the eschatological process. He appears to employ what the audience would have thought about certain Jewish institutions, such as a wedding, the temple, the rabbinical structure, and social norms, as well as the Jewish feasts, to describe changes that Jesus would bring about following his resurrection. Most scholars would agree that the notion of the “already and not yet” is found throughout John’s Gospel and letters. I would add that certain events are presented as a shadow of what is later described in the book of Revelation. In his Gospel account, John is doing more than providing historicity of the happenings throughout Jesus’ life up to the ascension. He is methodically introducing his audience to view contemporary Jewish institutions and festivals through the lens of a bride who is receiving her dowry through the crucifixion and resurrection of her bridegroom. He does this while explaining the role of the Spirit of God in the life of the bride of Christ. Moreover, John reveals the need to abide in him and recounts the priestly prayer that Christ himself presented to the Father for his betrothed to help her remain faithful until that day when it is time for a wedding, and she is brought to her glorious groom
Social Support in the College Classroom and the Impact Supportive Communication has on Student Academic Success and Quality of Life
No full textCollege students often encounter academic and personal challenges that lead to stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. These challenges can feel burdensome, making it difficult for them to determine the best course of action for the issues they face. They frequently experience difficulties in managing the demands of college. Given these challenges, a potential solution for their anxiety and stress is social support through supportive communication from friends, instructors, and others at the college or university. Guided by social support theory and social penetration theory and employing a quantitative methodology, the research examined the impact of supportive communication on college students’ academic success and quality of life within a classroom setting. The two areas of focus are communication between instructors and students, and the support students receive from family and friends. The participants included diverse college students from both university and community college settings across the United States, spanning various academic disciplines, ages, ethnicities, and living situations. The study illustrated how communication styles, encouragement, and feedback contributed to students’ academic performance, motivation, and overall quality of life. College students and their peers require learning environments that foster communication styles that support their education and overall well-being. The data was analyzed using statistical techniques such as regression and correlation. The analysis highlights the importance of social support in the classroom from instructors to students. The research will assist instructors and higher education institutions in incorporating and promoting a more positive, supportive learning atmosphere
Institutional Factors Contributing to Child Sexual Abuse In Independent Baptist Churches: A Phenomenological Study
No full textThe purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe childhood sexual abuse survivor’s within Independent Baptist Churches experiences reporting and engaging with church leaders about their abuse in the United States. While there is great variety within these churches, they typically share a similar style of church leadership and accountability structures for that leadership. Tragically, child sexual abuse within these churches is far too common, as is demonstrated both by scientific research and by stories reported by journalists. This study will seek to look into both the ecclesiology of the church structures of these Independent Baptist churches and into teachings and practices of these churches as related to understanding and reporting abuse to determine causative factors for the abuse. I will specifically be interviewing those who are survivors of child sexual abuse within Independent Baptist Churches to see their experience reporting the abuse as well as their experience with counseling following the abuse. The end goal will be to present recommendations to churches to safeguard the children present from any predators in the pulpit or the pew. The qualitative interviews with the participating survivors of child sexual abuse did in fact portray a pattern of a leadership structure, lack of accountability, practices regarding reporting, and lack of sufficient help after the abuse that were common in each situation, all of which portray areas where churches can look to improve safety within the church and their testimony outside the church in a positive way
Attitudes of Postpartum Women Accessing Women
No full textThere is an increase in substance use and mental health concerns among postpartum women. Although primary care, behavioral health, and integrative care services are available to postpartum women to increase wellness, these services are not being accessed. While there have been many barriers and challenges identified with postpartum women accessing services, stigma around services has been identified as the most common barrier. This led to looking at the attitudes that postpartum women have regarding accessing these services to improve wellness. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore postpartum women’s attitudes toward accessing behavioral health services, primary care services, and integrative care services to improve wellness. Surveys were completed by 25 women who reside in the United States, are over the age of 18, and have given birth within the last year in the United States. Themes from the responses provided on the surveys were analyzed and compared to determine postpartum women’s attitudes toward accessing primary care, behavioral health, and integrative care services. It was found that postpartum women’s attitudes toward accessing primary care services were overwhelmingly positive while their attitudes regarding accessing behavioral healthcare services and integrative healthcare services were mixed between positive and negative attitudes. These findings provide the healthcare community with a better understanding of how to increase access to care to support postpartum women in their wellness
Measuring Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Burnout in Paramedics, Dispatchers, and Call Takers of Western Canada
No full textThe following dissertation examines depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout in dispatchers and paramedics of Western Canada. This study is meant to bridge a research gap in mental health among emergency health workers in British Columbia, Canada. The samples were collected through two self-reporting surveys, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI), both of which are strongly validated and widely used in similar research. Of the 948 dispatchers and paramedics who participated, 771 (81.3%) responses qualified to be included. The data was entered into the Intellectus software where a variety of tools were utilized to evaluate the results statistically. This analysis leads to a discussion of the findings, followed by recommendations. As this data was gathered through self-reporting surveys, there is a possibility of skewed results. Therefore, future research designs should consider developing methodologies that lessen possible inaccuracies. Further research may include studying the benefits of developing a mental health curriculum for paramedic schools and using pre-employment filtering systems during interviews, exploring resilience and suitability of potential EMS candidates, and the mental health status of retirees from the field