Theses and Dissertations

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/3086

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VOWEL HARMONY AND RELATED ASSIMILATORY PROCESSES IN UYGHUR: PHONOLOGICAL VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE STANDARD LANGUAGE AND DIALECTAL FORMS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-05) Li, Gehong; Özçelik, Öner
Modern Uyghur exhibits a complex system of vowel harmony characterized by interactions of backness, height, and rounding. While backness harmony underlies the canonical vowel harmony rules, non-canonical patterns emerge involving the high unrounded vowel /i/—a neutral phoneme that orthographically lacks a [+back] counterpart and consonant triggers. This thesis investigates these processes through a dialect-sensitive approach integrating phonetic and phonological analysis of Uyghur data. The study first examines the historical formation of Modern Standard Uyghur (SU) as an orthographic compilation of multiple subdialects. Although dialectal differences in Uyghur do not cause mutual intelligibility breakdowns, they produce notable phonetic and phonological variation. SU alone fails to capture these divergences, underscoring the importance of dialectology in Uyghur phonological research. Previous analyses have treated non-canonical vowel harmony as lexically conditioned exceptions. In contrast, this thesis adopts a feature-geometric framework (drawing on Halle et al.’s (2000) Revised Articulator Theory) wherein adjacent consonants bear secondary articulations that influence vowel allophony. This approach accounts for harmony processes affecting both vowel phonemes and their allophones. The analysis also addresses coda clusters: it proposes that the phoneme /i/ is specified as [+RTR] in default where the feature [RTR] spreads when [back] does not. This suggests an underlying [RTR] (tongue-root) harmony system operating subordinately when the higher-ranked [back] harmony fails to predict vowel alternations, which could be explained by a revised contrastive feature hierarchy for Uyghur: [low] ≈ [labial] > [back] > [RTR]. The thesis includes a preliminary acoustic analysis of a Yarkand Subdialect speaker’s vowel space, revealing discrepancies between perceptual judgments and instrumental measurements. Fieldwork constraints highlight the influence of orthography on dialectal phonology. These findings reinforce the need for an integrated approach combining phonology, phonetics, and sociolinguistics in future linguistic inquiries of Modern Uyghur. Ultimately, the study challenges the notion of Modern Uyghur as a uniform phonological entity. It demonstrates that Uyghur vowel harmony is an evolving system shaped by dialectal contrasts reflecting both diachronic change and synchronic variation. Bridging theoretical phonology with experimental data, this work contributes to an all-rounded understanding of Uyghur phonology by emphasizing dialectal sensitivity in linguistic analysis
Three Essays in Behavioral Macroeconomics
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-05) Kang, Nayeon; Matthes, Christian
Economic agents make decisions and form forecasts about the future based on their perceptions. However, as human beings, we are subject to psychological and cognitive limitations, which can lead to suboptimal or biased choices. This dissertation investigates how such human traits shape expectations and decision-making and whether they help explain empirical patterns observed in economic data. The first chapter studies the effect of the Federal Reserve’s communication on short-term inflation forecasts. Using micro-level survey data, I show that after the Fed adopted an explicit inflation target in 2012, individuals (1) became more confident in their beliefs with lower subjective uncertainty, and (2) less prone to overreacting to new information, aligning more closely with rational expectations. I develop a parsimonious inflation expectations model featuring smooth diagnostic expectations. The findings suggest that transparent monetary communication not only anchors long-run inflation expectations but also enhances the rationality of short-run forecasting behavior. The second chapter applies a rational inattention model to the pre-Great Moderation era, a period marked by high macroeconomic volatility. I find that during such volatile times, households and firms respond more swiftly in their consumption and pricing decisions. A DSGE model with rational inattention generates sluggish responses to monetary, technology, and firm-specific shocks—even in the absence of Calvo pricing or habit formation. This suggests that slow adjustment dynamics in the data may reflect cognitive constraints rather than structural rigidities. The third chapter, co-authored with Sergii Drobot, examines how political partisanship shapes individuals’ forecasting behavior. To assess the impact of electoral outcomes on expectations, we conducted two waves of surveys, with the second wave administered on the morning of November 6, 2024—immediately after the U.S. presidential election. We find that: (1) Democratic-affiliated households revise their forecasts more pessimistically, while Republican-affiliated households re-vise theirs more optimistically, particularly lowering their unemployment forecasts; (2) Republican households exhibit greater confidence, indicating reduced subjective uncertainty; and (3) despite the public nature of the news—Trump’s victory—forecast disagreement narrows among Republicans but widens among Democrats.
Cooperation Under Changing Conditions: Tests of Mutualism Theory in Legume-Rhizobium Systems
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-04) Caple, Mackenzie Allen; Lau, Jennifer A.
Cooperation between leguminous plants and nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria is a critical component of global nitrogen cycling. However, evolutionary and mutualism theory predict that increased soil nitrogen will disrupt this mutualism. I explored the effects of soil nitrogen on legume-rhizobium mutualism with a combination of greenhouse and field studies. First, I grew field-collected plants and soil microbes from across a natural soil nitrogen gradient with three levels of nitrogen fertilizer to study how soil nitrogen contributes to local adaptation. Although plants from high-nitrogen sites were more plastic in their allocation of resources to rhizobia than plants from low-nitrogen sites, I only found local adaptation of rhizobia to high-nitrogen sites; there was no evidence for plant local adaptation to N. Second, I used a field experiment to study the effects of the 2021 emergence of Brood X cicadas, which should result in a natural nitrogen pulse, on wild legumes through changes in maternal effects and soil microbial communities. I found that decaying cicadas affected multiple generations of plants: seeds from plants amended with cicadas were more likely to germinate, and soil microbial communities from cicada-addition plots accelerated early seedling growth. Finally, I experimentally evolved soil microbial communities in the greenhouse to investigate the direct and indirect (light and host availability) pathways by which nitrogen fertilization of plant communities can lead to a decline in microbial mutualism, and whether the mutualism decline observed in the field can be reversed by ceasing fertilization. I found that no single factor caused strong mutualism decline, but that any combination of two or three factors caused soil microbes to be less beneficial to plant growth. However, soil microbes from nitrogen-addition field plots did not become more beneficial to plants after evolving in low-nitrogen greenhouse conditions. Together, these results demonstrate how the complexities of real-world conditions complicate the predictions of simple theoretical frameworks and highlight the importance of considering the broader biotic community context in studies of evolutionary ecology
FORENSIC FABULAE: STORY STRUCTURES IN ATTIC ORATIONS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-04) Kochman, Sidney; Christ, Matthew R.
Growing literary interest in the Attic Orators has led to an increasing number of literary analyses of their stories. These literary analyses have assumed that certain groupings of the speeches (e.g., by author, procedure, or position) can be meaningfully used for comparative analysis. In this dissertation, I set out to examine the corpus of Attic forensic oratory through a structural lens to see whether, when you apply different structural readings to the corpus, these or any other distinct categories or genres of narrative emerged. To pursue that goal, in each chapter I applied a different theoretical framework that has been previously productive in generating narrative groupings to the corpus as a whole to see whether any novel or useful categories emerged. I looked at narrative introductions, the chronotope, focalization, and character types. Although there are some commonalities, such as the narratives from inheritance disputes appearing to be meaningfully distinct from the rest of the corpus regardless of the analytic approach taken, each of these theoretical approaches generates different narrative groups. The implications of my findings are, thus, twofold. First, the groupings that my chapters identified should in and of themselves be productive avenues for further comparative studies of narrative in the orators. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, the variety of potential narrative categories that emerge when applying a theoretical lens to the corpus in a category-agnostic way, demands that future comparative studies of narrative technique in Athenian forensic orations starts by questioning the validity and applicability of the axes along which the corpus is being divided for comparison.
TEACHERS’ REPORTED IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-01) Aljumah, Laila Abdulwahab; Brannan, Ana Maria
Teachers play a crucial role in positively influencing the behavior of students with ADHD by implementing recommended behavioral strategies. However, there is limited research on the factors that impact general education teachers' implementation of the recommended behavioral strategies. Guided by an adapted theory of planned behavior, this study examined factors that could predict teachers' implementation of behavioral strategies. I collected and quantitatively analyzed online survey data. The results revealed that general education teachers in my sample employed both effective and ineffective behavioral strategies. The findings suggest that some of the theory's assumptions were supported. The results indicate that teachers’ appraisals of effectiveness of behavioral strategies predicted implementation of behavioral strategies, regardless of whether research evidence supported their effectiveness. This suggests that teachers’ misconceptions about the effectiveness of strategies may lead them to implement strategies with little evidence of effectiveness. Confidence in applying the behavioral strategies and perceiving facilitators could enhance teachers' implementation of behavioral strategies, particularly those with stronger evidence of effectiveness, as it emerged as a significant predictor of implementation across several strategies (e.g., stimulant medication and offering immediate tangible rewards for engaging in positive behavior). Overall, there were differences in the factors that predicted “how often” a strategy was implemented compared to “how well” they were implemented.
MUSIC ON THE MARCH: AMERICANISM, VETERANS’ ORGANIZATIONS, AND DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-12) Van Vleet, Matthew; Cohen, Judah
The American Legion and other military veterans’ organizations played a significant role in shaping twentieth-century American politics, civic life, and cultural (including musical) identity in service of Americanism: their conception of the political, social, and cultural values of the United States. Through its deep-rooted association with the Legion and related organizations, drum and bugle corps—a marching arts tradition derived from military music practices— represents a unique intersection of Americanism, veterans’ organizations, and music, serving as an important medium for the cultivation and expression of Americanism. Following World War I, the Legion developed competitive drum and bugle corps as an activity at first for military veterans and later for civilian youth that reflected the political goals of the organization, instilling and promoting the Legion’s ideological values. Drum and bugle corps then spread to other veterans’ and civic organizations that concerned themselves with Americanism, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy Scouts of America, and Catholic Youth Organization, before developing its own sense of community and tradition. As the politics of Americanism evolved over time, especially regarding the role of the military in American society during times of war and peace, the expression of Americanism in drum and bugle corps evolved with them. Major developments in Americanism in drum and bugle corps coalesce around three twentieth-century wars and their aftermaths: World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. The origins of competitive drum and bugle corps are directly tied to the origins of the American Legion, a veteran’s organization founded by and for veterans of World War I. Consequently, the Legion (and to a lesser extent, the VFW) defined the early parameters and aesthetic of the activity in the 1920s and 1930s. Following World War II, drum and bugle corps grew even more popular, with junior drum corps (for participants under 21) becoming a significant branch of the activity. During the 1950s, drum and bugle corps absorbed Cold War attitudes toward Americanism from a new generation of participants looking to expand the activity, and the Legion and VFW maintained a vested interest in its governance. The Vietnam War drastically recontextualized the values of Americanism and militarism in American society. As a result, many drum corps began to downplay the overtly militaristic aspects of the activity in favor of a more outwardly entertaining presentation. In October 1971, thirteen prominent junior drum corps formed Drum Corps International, offering an alternative to the Legion’s regulations and forging a new competitive, educational, and artistic identity for the activity. The militaristic elements of drum and bugle corps were thus tempered, abstracted, and recontextualized, and less polarizing expressions of Americanism were cultivated instead. Americanism remained at the heart of the drum and bugle corps tradition through the end of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. As the evolving expressions of Americanism in drum and bugle corps demonstrate, military music and the marching arts represent complex and nuanced networks of meanings and associations in the construction of musical Americanism and American cultural identity.
THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF THE IRAQI MARJAʿIYYA
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-12) Al Ameri, Mohammed
This dissertation investigates the evolving role of the Shiʿi marjaʿiyya (religious authority) in Iraq’s socio-political landscape, focusing on the intersection of jurisprudence, religious guidance, and political engagement. It explores historical, jurisprudential, and contemporary perspectives on the political involvement of the marajiʿ (Shiʿi scholars) from the Abbasid Empire to post-2003 Iraq. Through a theoretical framework incorporating five models of wilayat al-faqih (guardianship of the jurist), this study examines the factors influencing direct and indirect political actions by the marjaʿiyya, including oppression, foreign intervention, institutional dynamics, political stability, and jurisprudential principles. The research is grounded in historical analysis, primary texts, and interviews with representatives of leading marajiʿ such as Sayyid ‘Ali al-Sistani. Findings reveal a nuanced, adaptive approach by the marjaʿiyya, shaped by context and shifting between activism and quietism. The study highlights the marjaʿiyya’s pivotal role in shaping Iraq’s political trajectory and its broader implications for understanding the compatibility of Islam and democracy. This work provides a framework for predicting the future political roles of Shiʿi jurists and the evolving influence of religious authority in Iraq and beyond.
THE EFFECTS OF NATIVE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE ON THE PHONOLOGICAL PERCEPTION OF COMPLEX LABIAL-VELAR STOPS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-10) Ajibade, Matthew Ayobami; Obeng, Samuel Gyasi
This study investigates the effects of native language experience and phonetic properties on the discrimination of labial-velar versus labial and velar contrasts, as well as voicing contrasts in labials, velars, and labial-velars. Research indicates that phonological perceptions are influenced by native language experience and the spe- cific features of sounds, raising the question of how listeners perceive a non-native phonological category that combines two L1 categories, such as labial-velar stops predominantly found in West African languages. Properties of labial-velars raise two main issues: (i) in the place of articulation, labial-velars are characterized by a nearly synchronous combination of labial and velar gestures, potentially being mapped into either category or perceived as distinct; (ii) in the voicing segment, labial-velar voicing distinctions may either resemble voicing in English labials and velars or constitute distinct voicing categories. Added to this perceptual complexity is the notion that heritage language experience confers a phonological advantage over non-native listeners, suggesting a potential perceptual advantage for heritage Yoruba speakers over non-native Yoruba listeners. For this dissertation, 20 native Yoruba, 20 heritage Yoruba, and 20 native English speakers without prior exposure to labial-velars, completed an oddity task. Participants listened to three VCV nonce words embedded in a carrier phrase and identified the odd item or chose whether they were the same. The intervocalic target contrasts were [gb]-[g] and [gb]-[b], [kp]-[k] and [kp]-[p] for place of articulation, and [p]-[b], [k]-[g], and [kp]-[gb] for voicing. Results indicate that (i) the labial feature in labial-velars is more salient than the velar gesture, even in intervocalic positions where cues from both gestures are available; (ii) the discrimination of voicing in labial-velars is more challenging than in labials and velars, particularly for non-native listeners; (iii) contrary to prevailing assumptions in heritage language research, the heritage advantage in phonological perception is not universal but rather contrast-dependent; and (iv) heritage experience may sometimes create a disadvantage in phonological perception.
OPTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF MYOPIA CONTROL CONTACT LENSES: ACCOMMODATION, RETINAL DEFOCUS AND THE EFFECTS OF PROLONGED ELECTRONIC DEVICE USE ON CHILDREN'S EYES
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-02) Singh, Neeraj Kumar; Kollbaum, Pete S.
This doctoral research advances the field of optical corrections for myopia control by introducing and validating novel optical measurement technologies and evaluating their application in myopia management strategies. Specifically, the dissertation first focuses on the validation of a high-resolution pyramidal wavefront sensing aberrometer, demonstrating its sensitivity (approximately four-times greater than available techniques) when quantifying the complex optics of myopia control lenses, such as dual-focus (DF) contact lenses (CLs). Next, using a novel zone-wise analysis technique, the impact of DF CLs on inducing myopic defocus was examined in a cohort of young adult myopes who habitually had large lags of accommodation compared to those with more accurate accommodation. The study systematically assessed the shift in refractive state introduced by these lenses during accommodation both when viewing on- and off-axis. The results indicate that DF CLs do not significantly affect the individual’s accommodative behavior when compared to single vision CLs. The results also indicated that the treatment zone of DF CLs effectively replaced the hyperopic defocus commonly found in eyes corrected with single vision lenses with myopic defocus. The magnitude of this myopic introduction depended on individuals’ habitual accommodative responses. Specifically, individuals with higher accommodative lags experienced less myopic defocus. The dissertation further extends the investigation to the effects of 1 hour sustained near viewing of electronic devices on accommodative responses and retinal defocus in myopic children wearing DF CLs and emmetropic children wearing no CL correction. A significant increase in hyperopic defocus over time was evident in both groups. The treatment zones of DF CLs lenses provided myopic defocus which reduced in magnitude at later time points. These insights emphasize the need for personalized approaches in myopia management, considering individual accommodative behaviors and visual habits in the digital age.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEXUAL EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-08) Wright, Brittanni N.; Herbenick, Debby
Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that mostly affects people of African heritage. The most known symptom of SCD is a pain crisis. A pain crisis is when red blood cells sickle in the blood vessels and cause intense, often debilitating pain. Until the late 1990s, SCD was seen as a pediatric health condition as people were not expected to live beyond their childhood. However, due to the advancements in medicine, people living with sickle cell disease (PLWSCD), in economically advanced countries, are living longer into adulthood. Thus, attention has shifted to investigate how SCD affects a person’s sexual health. Methods: 18 PLWSCD, in the United States of America and Canada, participated in in-depth recorded interviews. Using thematic analysis, the interviews were coded, and themes were created. Results: In Manuscript 1, four themes were produced: 1) Pain and Pleasure or Pleasure and Pain; 2) It Happens: Pain in Genitals; 3) Conversations with Partners; and 4) Please Talk to Us. For Manuscript 2, three themes were generated: 1) Let’s Reposition: Navigating Mobility; 2) Not Right Now; and 3) What Will They Think About Me. Conclusion: Overall, PLWSCD experienced a sex-or orgasm induced pain crisis, but little attention is given to this phenomenon by healthcare providers or within the sickle cell community at large. Furthermore, to their displeasure, PLWSCD lamented that sexual partners often questioned their ability to decide if they were fit enough to engage in sexual activities. Finally, due to complications from SCD, many participants have undergone surgeries for joint replacements. However, after undergoing joint replacement surgery, their ability to navigate sexual positions was stymied. Therefore, the Sickle Cell Disease and Sexuality Framework was created to help clinicians and PLWSCD understand how SCD affects a person’s sexual life.
SONIC INTERVENTIONS: SILENCE, SOUND, AND MELODY IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-08) Stern, Kortney; Ingham, Patricia
In “Sonic Interventions: Silence, Sound, and Melody in Medieval Literature,” I examine five early literary texts, spanning from the late-fifth to early-fifteenth-century: Geoffrey Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, the anonymous Le Roman de Silence, the aptly named Book of Margery Kempe, John Gower’s “Apollonius of Tyre” and the anonymous, late fifth-century Historia Apollonii Regis Tyri. These five works may differ in author, time of composition, and genre, but I yoke these stories together because of each author's treatment of agency and the sonic. In response to the latter, many texts from past and present include representations of sound, but there is more regarding the sonic in these five works than the mere presence of such a literary feature. What joins these five works is how each author draws upon sound as an alternative way to animate their marginalized characters when their voices fail. Even when voice proves to be impossible for myriad reasons, these early literary works showcase marginalized characters that can temporarily rebel, refute, and resist through their author's orchestration of what I refer to as “sonic expressions” or the ability to express through sound. In this dissertation, I examine expressions of silence, laughter, weeping, and song. As a result, I argue that each author repositions minoritized character(s) from the margins of the text to its center because the agency sound affords these figures, however temporarily. When marginalized voices are silenced, oppressed, or ignored in the story, their sonic expressions still pulsate across the page.
NEGOTIATING GENDER ACCOUNTABILITY ACROSS CONTEXTS: THE CASE OF THE FORMER COLLEGE ATHLETE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-07) Russian, Anna Elyse Acosta; Cha, Youngjoo
The purpose of this dissertation is to uncover the nuanced ways individuals make sense of shifting gender accountability norms as they transition out of a unique social context and into broader U.S. society. This dissertation examines how 84 former Division I college athletes use the socialization they acquired through college sport in their lives once they are no longer student-athletes. I ask: When is being a former college athlete utilized as an asset, and when is it seen as a liability? How does race and gender impact these choices? I use the case study of former Division I college athletes to investigate three key things. First, to explore how women and men translate the skillset acquired in the previous context of college athletics to their current workplace context that associates such skills with the masculine-typed ideal worker image. Second, to uncover the degree to which women and men can use a gendered status marker to their advantage at work. Third, to explore the extent to which broader cultural gender norms impede or facilitate the maintenance of one’s athletic identity—a social identity cultivated and rewarded by all genders in the college athletics context, still seen as masculine by broader U.S. society. Results show all former student-athletes use the social skills learned through college athletics in their work life today, but men can benefit from these skills to a greater degree than women because they more directly embody the ideal worker image. Respondents are more likely to use their college athlete credential in workplace contexts that share similar values and norms as college athletics. These workplace contexts are more likely to be predominantly white and men-dominated spaces than not. Thus, unsurprisingly, white men were more likely than Black men and Black and White women to use their athlete credential to their advantage at work. Furthermore, I find men have a smoother transition to recreational sporting life than women because broader gender norms continue to view athletics as a predominantly man-centric activity. I argue the case of the former D1 college athlete serves as an appropriate site to explore the ways in which people use or reject social practices previously learned in an overarchingly masculine institution as they navigate the contexts surrounding work and sport in their lives today.
PERINATAL LOSS – BEREAVEMENT CARE EXPERIENCES OF INDIANA WOMEN AND HEALTH PROVIDER PERSPECTIVES
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-08) Jackson, Frederica; Obeng, Cecilia S.
Background: Perinatal bereavement care after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death is understudied in Indiana. The aims of this dissertation study were five-fold: (1) to understand perinatal bereavement care experiences of Marion County, IN women, (2) to examine how women’s participation in a peer support program impacts their journey with loss, (3) to collect bereaved women’s recommendations for improving existing bereavement care in Indiana, (4) to identify provider-reported challenges and gaps in perinatal bereavement care, and (5) to collect health provider’s recommendations to improve perinatal bereavement care in Indiana. Methods: Adopting a critical theoretical framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 bereaved women and 8 perinatal bereavement nurses. Using a phenomenological approach, interview transcripts were coded, analyzed, and organized into categories and themes. Results: Bereavement care experiences vary depending on the facility where the loss occurred, and the availability of a bereavement nurse. Widespread disparities in bereavement care for early term miscarriage persists, while attitudes of hospital staff continue to affect women’s emotional health. Support group participation impacts women positively through finding healing and purpose in their loss. Women recommend bereavement as a standard of care across Indiana birthing facilities, mandatory bereavement training for health professionals, robust follow-up care and mental health support for bereaved parents, and comprehensive lactation education for women who experience late to full term loss. Providers face challenges following up with patients, providing care to families as a result of financial barriers, and encounter language and cultural difficulties when serving immigrant and refugee groups. Providers recommend creating more community-based and culturally inclusive bereavement resources, and increased financial support for loss families. Conclusion: Future programs to improve perinatal bereavement care in Indiana must consider the experiences of bereaved parents and the recommendations made by women and health providers when designing interventions for this underserved group.
SILENTLY FINDING THE FULCRUM: TIPPING THE GENDER BALANCE IN THE AMERICAN TURNERS TURNVEREIN MOVEMENT
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-05) Hamilton, Holly H.
During much of the nineteenth century the flow of European immigrants to the United States was dominated by those of German origin. Among them were many Turner (gymnasts) who were political exiles from the 1848-1849 Revolutions and facing imprisonment in Germany for revolutionary activities. In 1848 the first Turnverein (gymnastic society) was founded by Turners who had settled in Cincinnati. Turner societies were established mostly in larger cities east of the Mississippi where Turnplätze (outdoor grounds) were erected or Turnhallen (gymnasiums) were built to accommodate Turnen (gymnastics). In 1866 the Turners established a Turnlehrerseminar (Turner Normal College) to train gymnastics teachers and successfully lobbied to introduce Turnen and physical education in the public schools. Membership in a Turnverein was limited to men, yet as early as 1857 girls and women were encouraged to participate in Turnen. Even though women were denied membership and the privileges it afforded, by the early twentieth century Turnen had been transformed from a predominantly male activity to one dominated by females. The primary aim of this project is to explain why females were able to thrive corporeally in the male-dominated Turnverein environment. The Turners maintained annual statistics which are used to provide evidence of greater participation levels by females than males, and convention meeting minutes expose how and why the membership did not support women's rights or women as Turnverein members. Females were able to thrive because the Turner constitution stated its commitment to developing strong and healthy individuals. The Turners chose to integrate females into the Turnen ranks, rather than limiting their classes to males. Because females had access to physical spaces like the Turnhalle, they were able to leverage the agency of the body in pursuit of Turnen. Women were able to go to school, become gymnastic or physical education teachers, and be independent. Locating female corporeal empowerment, especially in a male- dominated environment, is vital for countering oppression. Hopefully, the Turners' contributions to gymnastics, physical education, and women's sports will be more fully recognized.
FLASHES DE UM PASSADO PRESENTE: A FOTOGRAFIA E A MEMÓRIA DAS DITADURAS MILITARES BRASILEIRA E ARGENTINA NA PROSA LITERÁRIA DO SÉCULO XXI
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-08) de Oliveira e Silva Lemos, Marcela
Nesta tese, investigo a écfrase enquanto recurso de inserção de fotografias em narrativas brasileiras e argentinas sobre o legado das ditaduras militares sul-americanas publicadas após 2011—em um contexto de crescentes disputas memoriais e polarização política—e classificadas como literatura de memória e/ou pós-memória. Baseando-me em um referencial teórico e crítico sobre fotografia, (pós-)memória, filosofia da história, intermidialidade e desconstrução, dirijo a um corpus literário composto por obras de Micheliny Verunschk, Marcia Tiburi, Claudia Lage, Paloma Vidal, Julián Fuks e Mariana Enriquez as questões: (1) que funções têm as fotografias ecfrásticas em cada obra? (2) Como essas funções corroboram ou retificam o papel atribuído à foto na popular estrutura de transmissão de memórias conhecida como pós-memória? (3) Que efeitos têm as fotografias ecfrásticas na leitura das narrativas em nível estrutural e diegético? (4) Considerando esses efeitos, que extrapolações se permitem sobre a relação entre a literatura e a memória de forma a contribuir para o entendimento da literatura de memória? Proponho inicialmente que, no corpus, a écfrase transpõe para o texto literário a instabilidade ontológica da fotografia e seu potencial vestigial e espectral. Pressuponho também a necessidade de se considerarem as especificidades do contexto sul-americano na utilização da pós-memória como enquadramento de produtos culturais sobre as ditaduras, bem como as dificuldades de se projetarem expectativas éticas atuais sobre essa literatura. O estudo do corpus confirma esse pressuposto e convida à reformulação da hipótese inicial. Ao revelar a estrutura fotográfica das narrativas brasileiras e argentinas e a utilização da écfrase nessas narrativas como figuração de processos de resistência, deslocamento e arruinamento da representação, a análise evidencia que os momentos ecfrásticos e as fotos (d)escritas simbolizam, ou ainda, ressaltam que aquela instabilidade ontológica e aquele potencial vestigial e espectral já habitam tanto a fotografia quanto a escrita. Ao formular o papel das fotos ecfrásticas e refletir sobre suas implicações para a literatura de memória, esta tese reforça a noção de que uma estrutura de transmissão de memórias em produtos culturais da América do Sul se caracterizaria como antilogocêntrica e dispersa na esfera pública em vez de restrita à privada e familiar.
FROM BATEY TO MARQUESINA: THE HISTORY, FORM, AND USE OF THE CARPORT IN PUERTO RICO
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-07) Colom Braña, Gloria M.; Jackson, Jason Baird
This project examines the cultural practices enacted within carports in Puerto Rico, specifically how these have been transferred from the packed earth batey in front of the house, to the modernist space associated with car storage. The research interweaves material culture, geography, and folkloristic ethnography to gain a more complete concept of how vernacular architecture continues to develop in Puerto Rico. This work takes into account the Puerto Rico’s historic relationship to the United States and the contemporary economic, social, and political realities. I traveled to Puerto Rico during the summers and fall over various years, performing a building survey of single-family houses throughout the municipality of Arecibo, archival research, interviews, an online survey, ethnographic observations, and autoethnographic reflections. The introductory chapter presents the research context, theoretical framing, and methodology along with a chapter breakdown. The rest of the dissertation is dedicated to presenting (1) the historical context of how the carport became endemic in Puerto Rico as part of overarching changes throughout Puerto Rico, with the socio-cultural impact; (2) taking a closer look at the carport as a space within the Puerto Rican house, its different materials and components, the relationship of each part to the other, and what these say about contemporary Puerto Rican houses; (3) an analysis of the social and cultural engagements within carports, ranging from daily interactions to life major life events, and how people’s relationship to the carport is changing due to climate, political, and economic changes occurring in Puerto Rico. This project contributes to folklore studies by researching uses of space that have not been previously studied, and within these spaces, seeking the contemporary adaptations of traditional interactions in modernist spaces, in such a way that can be compared to other case studies throughout the world.
IDENTITY AND CODE-SWITCHING: A SOCIOPHONETIC STUDY OF BILINGUALS OF MEXICAN HERITAGE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-07) Colina-Marin, Andreina Isabel; Díaz-Campos, Manuel, Ph.D.
The objective of the present study is to analyze word-initial voice onset time (VOT) in the context of code-switching (CS). More specifically, this study combines research methods from sociolinguistics and phonetics to investigate how 32 heritage Spanish speakers (HSSs) of Mexican descent, living in Indiana, produce VOT for /p t k/ in word-initial stops in CS contexts. There is a scarcity of work in his area and by adopting a sociophonetic approach the investigation provides new insights into the phonological system of bilingual speakers. The methodology included four tasks: a demographic and language attitudes questionnaire, a reading task, an image naming task, and an opinion task. A total of 4,608 tokens were analyzed, for which several crosstabulations and logistic regressions were run in R. Participants’ VOT values were compared to their perceptions of their heritage identity, their language use, and their language attitudes. The present study advances the field of sociophonetics regarding the existing understanding of five main topics. First, it shows that for the community of heritage Spanish speakers that live in Indiana, the most relevant variable that predicts the type of VOT production seems to be switch direction. According to the results, switching to Spanish promotes shorter, Spanish-like VOT, and switching to English promotes longer, English-like VOT, supporting Bullock et al. (2006), Piccinini & Arvaniti (2015), Olson (2016), and Ronquest (2016). Second, the results show that there is a higher variability of VOT in the image naming task. Third, the results show that the amount of Spanish and CS used, as well as the languages spoken by the participants’ parents, are related to production. Fourth, the results indicate that participants’ attitudes toward CS are mostly neutral in Indiana, and they are not related to VOT. Lastly, the results show that the higher use of CS, as part of translanguaging, does not hinder the resemblance of phonetic production of /p t k/ VOT to monolingual parameters. The results suggest that the use of CS as part of the pedagogical approach of translanguaging in the classroom may be beneficial.
NEGOTIATING GENDER ACCOUNTABILITY ACROSS CONTEXTS: THE CASE OF THE FORMER COLLEGE ATHLETE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-07) Russian, Anna Elyse Acosta; Cha, Youngjoo, Ph.D.
The purpose of this dissertation is to uncover the nuanced ways individuals make sense of shifting gender accountability norms as they transition out of a unique social context and into broader U.S. society. This dissertation examines how 84 former Division I college athletes use the socialization they acquired through college sport in their lives once they are no longer student-athletes. I ask: When is being a former college athlete utilized as an asset, and when is it seen as a liability? How does race and gender impact these choices? I use the case study of former Division I college athletes to investigate three key things. First, to explore how women and men translate the skillset acquired in the previous context of college athletics to their current workplace context that associates such skills with the masculine-typed ideal worker image. Second, to uncover the degree to which women and men can use a gendered status marker to their advantage at work. Third, to explore the extent to which broader cultural gender norms impede or facilitate the maintenance of one’s athletic identity—a social identity cultivated and rewarded by all genders in the college athletics context, still seen as masculine by broader U.S. society. Results show all former student-athletes use the social skills learned through college athletics in their work life today, but men can benefit from these skills to a greater degree than women because they more directly embody the ideal worker image. Respondents are more likely to use their college athlete credential in workplace contexts that share similar values and norms as college athletics. These workplace contexts are more likely to be predominantly white and men-dominated spaces than not. Thus, unsurprisingly, white men were more likely than Black men and Black and White women to use their athlete credential to their advantage at work. Furthermore, I find men have a smoother transition to recreational sporting life than women because broader gender norms continue to view athletics as a predominantly man-centric activity. I argue the case of the former D1 college athlete serves as an appropriate site to explore the ways in which people use or reject social practices previously learned in an overarchingly masculine institution as they navigate the contexts surrounding work and sport in their lives today.
THRIVING OR SURVIVING IN NEW YORK CITY: THE BLACK TEACHER EXPERIENCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-06) Hawkins, Jasmine N.; Danns, Dionne, Ph.D.
This study aims to explore the experiences of Black teachers in New York City within the context of neoliberal urban reforms. It seeks to understand how these teachers articulate their ideas of freedom in the classroom and how neoliberal policies such as gentrification and accountability affect their experiences. By centering the voices and experiences of Black teachers, the study aims to shed light on the complex relationship between race, economics, and liberation, ultimately informing policy and systemic solutions informed by their insights. The literature on Black teachers in both the North and South regions, spanning historical and contemporary contexts, reveals systemic challenges rooted in racial and economic policies. These issues, historically known as slavery and Jim Crow, have evolved into contemporary manifestations under neoliberalism. Neoliberal ideologies exacerbate disparities for Black educators, leading to displacement, job insecurity, and underrepresentation. Prioritizing market-oriented approaches in education exacerbates inequalities and weakens community connections. Gentrification worsens these challenges by displacing long-time residents, including Black teachers, favoring corporate interest over community needs and wants. The study’s framework integrates Critical Race Theory (CRT) with an emancipatory perspective, emphasizing legal, subjective, and socio-economic liberation to understand the experiences of Black teachers in New York City. Drawing from CRT’s focus on normalizing racism and storytelling, the study aims to illuminate the complexities of racism and liberation. The methodology employs qualitative research techniques, primarily in-depth interviews, to capture the diverse voices within the Black teaching community. Sixteen teachers were interviewed. The findings reveal Black teachers’ deep commitment to teaching as a contribution to liberation, emphasizing the importance of representation in schools for both students and educators. Despite challenges such as affordable housing and accountability, Black teachers aspire to go beyond mere survival, seeking authentic representation, connection, and leadership opportunities within educational institutions. Addressing the challenges faced by Black teachers requires transformative approaches that center their voices and experiences, challenge systemic inequalities perpetuated by neoliberalism, and prioritize equity, justice, and empowerment.
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE RHOTIC VARIATION AND DELETION IN SALVADOR AND SÃO PAULO
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2024-05) Jagiella, Francis Edward III; de Jong, Kenneth, Ph,D.
Brazilian Portuguese has two rhotic phonemes: the alveolar flap /ɾ/ and the historically long version which previous publications variously call velar, uvular, or glottal fricatives, or alveolar trills or approximants. This variation occurs both within and across dialects. Deletion is also common, most notably in word-final position. This word-final deletion has been attributed to African influences on Brazilian Portuguese. Salvador is the largest Brazilian city with a population predominantly self-identified as being of African descent (Brazilian census categories preto “black” and pardo “brown” or “mixed race”). Given these factors, there is a question of how race may be tied to deletion of the rhotic in this variety. For this dissertation, 35 participants (self-identified as 21 preto, 6 pardo, 7 white, 1 indigenous) from Salvador were recorded reading predetermined stimuli of isolated words and sentences. Additionally, 10 participants (1 preto, 3 pardo, 6 white) from São Paulo were recorded and demographically matched to a subset of participants from Salvador. There are 6,383 total instances of the rhotic phoneme. Productions were classified as exhibiting deletion or for voicing, frication, flapping, and place characteristics. The results indicate that the surface forms of the phoneme are more variable than previously cited, with palatal fricatives common in Salvador and flap + fricative variants common in São Paulo, along with other less frequent forms. Furthermore, participants identifying as preto or pardo delete the phoneme more frequently than those identifying as white. This difference is further complicated by the fact that most Brazilians, regardless of identification, have a mix of African, Indigenous American, and European ancestry, and a lack of consistent classification of individuals into racial categories. In Salvador, glottal fricatives predominate across the board with higher deletion rates. In São Paulo, glottal fricatives predominate in onset position, but alveolar trills and approximants and flap + fricative variants predominate in coda position. When demographically matched for race, age, gender, and socioeconomic class, deletion rates are higher in Salvador, suggesting that African influences are stronger there than São Paulo. Deletion is the most common word-finally, but it occurs in all environments.

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