This thesis is a study and critique of John Hick's pluralistic hypothesis as presented in his book "An Interpretation of Religion." I primarily focus on two issues: Hick's epistemology of religious beliefs and the pluralistic hypothesis...
Rhetoric--Study and teaching (Higher); Academic writing--Study and teaching--Social aspects
Scholars in rhetoric and composition have heralded a new way of thinking about writing, referring to the change as a paradigm shift (Hairston, Young) or naming the new direction a "social turn" in rhetoric and composition (Bizzell,...
College students; College attendance; Educational attainment; Prediction of scholastic success
This dissertation explored the four-year college experience of first-generation and continuing-generation students at a small private institution. Using Astin's I-E-O model (1970), the following variables in the student experience were considered:...
Hurricane Katrina, 2005--Psychological aspects; Writing--Psychological aspects; Psychic trauma in literature; Crisis in literature
The discourses of "trauma" and "post-trauma" have become pervasive in representations of life as it is lived in contemporary globalized culture. As new media technologies make the world more accessible, we become accustomed to...
Women prisoners--Family relationships--Kentucky; Children of women prisoners--Kentucky; Prisoners' families--Effect of imprisonment on--Kentucky; Mothers--Kentucky
A phenomenological study of the lived experience of mothering during incarceration was conducted at a women's multi-custody level prison in Kentucky. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experience of mothering among...
The clinical experience represents a critical component in nursing education. During the clinical, students apply classroom theory to nursing practice and become socialized into the nursing profession. Because of the current nursing shortage,...
Entrepreneurship; Success in business; Creative ability in business
The theory of effectuation is ascending in entrepreneurship education. Hundreds of articles have been written on the topic. Many textbooks mention the theory, and one college level textbook teaches entrepreneurship entirely from an effectual...
This thesis is about graphic representations of violence and subjectivity. Simply stated, the violence in many recent horror films is motivated by a nihilism resulting from frustration with the inadequacy of contemporary subjectivity. I want to...
Women Veterans--United States; Military discharge--United States; Women college students--United States
Through an exploration of identity and enculturation experiences, this narrative
inquiry dissertation investigated how female veteran students make meaning of their
experiences and renegotiate their understandings of identity after transitioning...
Phenomenology and art; Art--Philosophy; Philosophy of mind; Husserl, Edmund, 1859-1938; Merleau-Ponty, Maurice, 1908-1961
This dissertation presents the philosophical concepts of Edmund Husserl on phenomenology and image-consciousness and explores the phenomenological project of Maurice Merleau-Ponty as I have sought to render them in my creative artwork. By building...
AIDS (Disease)--Prevention-- Evaluation; Nurses--Attitudes; Safe sex in AIDS prevention; Self-efficacy
This dissertation is a descriptive, correlational study that explores how a nurse's personal sexual relationship power, vicarious experience, and other interpersonal and socio-cultural variables are related to her self-efficacy to promote and teach...
Sick--Personal narratives; Sick--Psychology; Sick--Biography--History and criticism; Narrative medicine
This dissertation uses a phenomenological and sociological lens to explore how non-fiction illness narratives help us understand how perception of the self is disrupted because of serious illness or injury. Specifically, I use the French...
Senile dementia; Nursing home patients--Mental health; Anxiety in old age; Depression in old age
Dementia, depression, and anxiety are the most common psychiatric disorders among long-term care residents and, because dementia is associated with behavioral problems that can be difficult to manage, the growing number of long-term care residents...
This quantitative dissertation examines outcomes of a required service-learning program at a faith-based institution. Two hundred and ten students completed a pre/post survey administered to a sophomore level class about background, educational...
College freshmen--Conduct of life; College freshmen--Religious life--Kentucky; College freshmen--Kentucky--Attitudes
Students entering college for the first time are embarking on a life-changing journey like none they have experienced. The potential impact the college experience will have on their lives is extreme. Students will be engaged in class and...
Intimate partner violence--Psychological aspects; Victims of family violence--Rehabilitation; Victims of violent crimes--Mental health; Creative writing--Therapeutic use; Post-traumatic stress disorder--Treatment
Described as important long-term consequences of trauma exposure, disruptions in emotional processes are regarded as central features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, the nature of these posttraumatic emotional disruptions remains...
College dropouts--Kentucky; Academic achievement--Kentucky; Private universities and colleges--Kentucky
The persistence and attrition of second year college students is a growing concern of colleges and universities as second year college students face some of the greatest challenges (Gahagan & Hunter, 2006; Lemons & Richmond, 1987; Morgan...
Music teachers--Kentucky; Vocational guidance; School music--Instruction and study--Kentucky
This phenomenological study examines the experiences of current music teachers to determine what influences them to pursue a career teaching at the elementary level. Eight elementary music teachers from rural counties in Kentucky were interviewed...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic illness with the potential to affect many areas of one's life through painful physical symptoms and psychological distress. Despite the debilitating nature and increasing prevalence of IBD, there is...
Teachers of children with disabilities--Attitudes; Mainstreaming in education; Students with disabilities
This dissertation is an examination of general education teacher's attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special needs in their classroom and the variables that influence these attitudes. A theoretical framework for the examination of...
