Browsing by Author "Champ, Joseph, advisor"

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Open Access
A critical analysis of participatory research in the social sciences
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Russell, Gregory, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Arthur, Tori, committee member; Carcasson, Martin, committee member; Flores, David, committee member; Humphrey, Michael, committee member
In this dissertation, I put forward ethical, methodological, and epistemological reasons that warrant the presence of participants in the appraisal of social scientific research products. I discuss the nature of appraisal through Wittgenstein's linguistic philosophy and use it to support the claim that participatory research holds the capacity to improve formalized appraisal processes in cultural research. Extending the critique into a consideration of Western and Indigenous epistemologies, I attempt to deconstruct the ways in which Western academic research, specifically social scientific research, perpetrates colonialism and how, through participatory research, social scientific research practices might begin the process of decolonization. I then discuss how descriptive analytic techniques can make participant appraisal viable in academic contexts by showing how participatory strategies can license non-immersive data-collection methods, e.g., general interview-based research, in ways that are typically associated with those that are immersive, e.g., participant-observation.
Open Access
Copper-nickel mining in Minnesota: cartography of a news media controversy
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Beaton, William David, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Benson, Delwin, committee member; Jacobsen, Jaime, committee member; Knobloch, Katherine, committee member
The Iron Range of northeast Minnesota became home to modern environmental controversies when logging and mining companies founded small communities there in the late 1800s. Ever since, news media have consistently engaged in public discourse regarding the management of the region's world-renowned natural resources, such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Lake Superior (Searle, 1979; Paddock, 2001). But today, as state and federal governments consider approving a new, potentially environmentally risky copper-nickel mining industry, local news sources are under-equipped to produce coverage that can adequately communicate the complex legal, cultural, and scientific processes involved (Kojola, 2018; 2019; Phadke, 2018). Therefore, this master's thesis uses a novel combination of qualitative research approaches — including a hermeneutic reading of 680 newspaper articles and an actor-network theory (ANT) controversy cartography (CC) analysis — to map the associations and arguments of journalists, stakeholders, and policymakers and provide them with a reference resource they may use to inform their coverage and decision-making moving forward. Ultimately, this study conveys the complicated nature of the controversy, describes patterns of polarization apparent in sampled news coverage, and establishes a platform to empower future academic research, journalistic application, and public deliberation.
Open Access
Digitization, innovation, and participation: digital conviviality of the Google Cultural Institute
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Stone, Leah, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Seel, Pete, committee member; Amidon, Timothy, committee member; Guzik, Keith, committee member; Switzer, Jamie, committee member
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document.
Open Access
Examining the influence of social media on body image: Miss Perfection, a misperception
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Brown, Tina, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Switzer, Jamie, committee member; Ogle, Jennifer, committee member
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the potential influence of social media sites such as pro anorexia and pro bulimia blog sites, in the support or encouragement of eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, eating behaviors, and body dissatisfaction in females. Research shows that some women are easily influenced and pressured by social media and many other social influences to achieve the perfect body. Many pro anorexia and pro bulimia blogs contain information on disordered eating and behaviors, offer tips, and connect individuals to others who are struggling or engaging in disordered eating behaviors. This thesis provides insights into the possible reasons many females are engaging in these conversations and using these pro anorexia and pro bulimic blogs. Using the Uses and Gratifications theory to guide the research questions, I examined the ways in which females are engaging in these pro anorexia/pro bulimia blogs by analyzing comments posted on three blogs. It would seem obvious that pro anorexic and pro bulimic blogs would be harmful and influential to young females; however, the results did not support this assumption. Many of the users on these blogs would use these sites for several needs including: emotional and social needs, and to become informed. However, one key need that is often overlooked is the need for support. Many of the users seemed to seek out, contribute and use these sites for emotional and social support.
Open Access
Exploring haul videos on YouTube: a collective case study approach
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Keats, Emily S., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Rouner, Donna, committee member; Ogle, Jennifer, committee member
The present study is devoted to the exploration of haul videos on YouTube. As a phenomenon that has exploded within the last several years, these videos are ripe with data to be analyzed from numerous standpoints. The circuit of culture, a framework from the school of cultural studies, was used to guide this research. Three case studies were carried out for this project. Each case included a semi-structured online interview with a hauler (i.e. a producer of haul videos), as well as an examination of one haul video posted by each hauler and an analysis of 100 comments posted to each selected video. Constant comparison processes were used to analyze data sources from each. After engaging in an extensive investigation of the haul video phenomenon, I propose that three major themes exist, each of which relates to the circuit of culture. First, the concept of community is present within the fashion and beauty domain on YouTube. Second, production and consumption emerge as key moments that not only relate to the theoretical framework, they are interrelated and assist haul video producers and consumers (viewers) in creating meaning. Thirdly, the concept of identity is present in that producers and consumers alike engage in identity exploration and construction through their creation and consumption of haul videos. This research indicates that the hauling community on YouTube facilitates a shared sphere of meaning exchange, through which producers and viewers are able to consume, produce and decipher messages, virtually socialize, and engage in identity construction.
Open Access
Finding a story for ending mental health stigma
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Fleming, Kevin Casey, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Long, Marilee, committee member; Kreston, Rosemary, committee member
There is a discursive collision between the individual and the social models of disability, and mental health is at its focal point. Understanding this collision might help scholars and communication practitioners to better address one of the most troublesome public health issues— mental health stigma. There are multitudes of issues that exist at the heart of this discursive collision, and many are closely connected to mental health stigma. This thesis examines the issue of mental health stigma in a communications context. The study uses a qualitative focus group method to help elucidate how both mental health practitioners and non-professionals with expressed interests in reducing mental health stigma form their discourses about mental health conditions, the media, and society. The study seeks to identify practical narrative tools that communications practitioners could use for helping to de-marginalize people with mental health conditions. The study concludes with a call for communications practitioners to think more critically and creatively about how to approach reducing mental health stigma. Recommendations for practice and for future research are offered.
Open Access
Forging family outdoor identity: natural conversations about the effect of outdoor experiences on attitudes toward environmental science
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Crockett, Michele, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Long, Marilee, advisor; Bright, Alan, committee member
This study used a qualitative, "walking interview" method to explore how families' outdoor experiences and parent-child interactions affected their attitudes about environmental science. Members of six families--at least one parent and one child--were interviewed during a walk in a city-maintained natural area in Fort Collins, Colorado. The discussion examined the themes of family time spent outdoors, engagement in science topics at school, family discussions about environmental science, and family media use. The conversational data was analyzed using idiographic and nomothetic approaches, from which emerged the theme of family outdoor identity-the extent to which families perceive themselves as outdoor-oriented. Parents in the study exhibited varying degrees of guiding behavior in discussions about environmental science, regardless of whether one of the parents had a science background. Although this study indicated that young children in particular consume very little print media, older children use electronic media, particularly web-based search tools, to find information about environmental topics. In addition, social media emerged as a useful media tool for parents seeking information about environmental topics.
Open Access
Fort Collins veterinary practices and websites: how telemedicine is used as a marketing tool
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Weaver, Alice Malia, author; Seel, Pete B., advisor; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Rollin, Bernard, committee member
This thesis looked into how websites were viewed from the managerial side of the veterinary practice by conducting in-depth interviews with Online Content Managers (OCMs) from eight veterinary clinics in Fort Collins, CO. The study found that not only did the OCMs find it important to use everything available to them to gain the trust of new potential clients, they also wanted to start and keep an emotional connection with all of their clients via the website. The study also found that the staff and veterinarian biography section of the websites were very important, and that an emphasis was placed on having pictures to go with every staff member, especially if the pictures also had companion animals with the staff members.
Open Access
Framing an NFL legend: a comparative analysis framing and structural pluralism in regional vs. national newspaper coverage of Brett Favre's retirement(s)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Lundy, Catherine M., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Peek, Lori A., committee member; Trumbo, Craig, committee member
When legendary quarterback Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers, not even he knew what the coming year had in store. Favre's subsequent un-retirement, additional season with the New York Jets, and re-retirement attracted immense media attention unparalleled by another athlete. Framing theory was used to compare regional (Green Bay Press Gazette) and national (New York Times and USA Today) newspaper coverage during the tumultuous yearlong period. Qualitative content analysis revealed differences and similarities between the publications' framing of the storyline. Structural pluralism theory proposed further differences between the two classes of publication. This phenomenon suggests smaller, less varied communities' media report less conflict than news reports covering larger, more complex areas. Additionally, the study provided evidence of a ritualistic, religious treatment of sports in modern society and its print media.
Open Access
#instaworthy presentations of place: a place study of experience among teenagers on Instagram
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Hughes, Fan E., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Humphrey, Michael, committee member; Badia, Lynn, committee member
The present study is devoted to the exploration of place presentations and online representations of immersive place-based experiences by teenagers on Instagram. This study is curious to understand if students' from an international travel program, Rustic Pathways, presentations of place online are different or similar than descriptions of place experience offline and if these representations differ, why? The humanistic geography concept of 'place' and place attachment theory was used as a guiding framework for this study. This study employed a mixed methods approach, completing fifteen interviews with former Rustic Pathways students and textual analysis of ninety Instagram posts. The analysis applied multiple lenses of interpretation through a hermeneutic perspective as well as a critical textual analysis to understand both the constructed realities of place experience and to addresses the structures at work beyond individuals' actions within texts. After an extensive investigation into the phenomenon of place experience and place presentations on Instagram of Rustic Pathways participants on Instagram, I illustrate the place experience reflections as communicated by Rustic Pathways interview subjects. I also explore the interview subjects' descriptions of how their identity, values, and behaviors were influenced by place. I next explore the intersection of place and identity as observed on the Instagram platform. I examine how the data introduces conflicts in the communication of identity and experience as impacted by curated and invisible narratives, the discursive expectations of Rustic Pathways on the interview subjects and user's presentation of experience, as well as the influences of performativity on online representations of wild and exotic places. Finally, I explore the digital negotiations of place experience by examining the complexities of communicating offline experiences in an online space through identity performances.
Open Access
Mostly one shade of green: Sierra magazine and the discursive exploitation of "authentic nature"
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Walker, Brittany A., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Kodrich, Kris, committee member; Cross, Jennifer, committee member
Environmental discourse from the mainstream environmental movement often relies on nature-based schema and a human-nature dichotomy in describing the environment, which can prioritize natural spaces over human-occupied spaces. It can also run counter to the aims of the environmental justice movement to protect vulnerable humans from harm. The goal of this research was to better understand how the largest environmental organization in the U.S. conceptualizes nature and the environment, and how these conceptualizations may be informing the priorities of the Sierra Club and the environmental movement more broadly. The research question of this study was: How does the Sierra Club, in the discourse represented by its magazine, present a nature-based schema and a human-nature dichotomy which indicates a preference for the idea of nature protection at the expense of protection for the human sphere? This study aimed to answer this question by performing a critical discourse analysis of six issues of Sierra magazine from 2011-2016, a publication popular with, and influential to, environmentalists. Findings indicate that Sierra magazine reveres authentic nature more greatly than other spaces and that authentic nature is exploited for profit. Authentic nature experiences are also discursively reserved for the elite, rather being presented inclusively. Sierra heavily emphasizes nature protection and the enjoyment of nature, while alternative perspectives are rarely featured and make Sierra's focus on authentic nature stand out even more.
Open Access
News in a tumultuous border region: how journalists at the El Paso Times report on their Juarez neighbors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Carter, Cathleen, author; Kodrich, Kris, advisor; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Byrne, Zinta, committee member
This ethnographic study examines the complexity of reporting the news in a tumultuous border region. Using observation and in-depth interviews, it reveals how reporters and editors at the El Paso Times define their roles and responsibilities as they cover both the violence and the daily life on both sides of the United States/Mexico border. It investigates the way journalists attempt to meet the needs of the community, which in this case encompasses two major cities, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Ciudad Juarez, where thousands of men, women and children have been murdered in recent years, is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. The El Paso Times newsroom is seven blocks from Juarez. This study was conducted in the El Paso Times newsroom during October and November of 2009. It documents journalists at the El Paso Times as they attempt to accurately cover Juarez, despite the danger.
Open Access
Old media, new media: is the news release dead yet? How social media are changing the way wildfire information is being shared
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Chambers, Mary Ann, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Seel, Peter, committee member; Cheng, Tony, committee member
This qualitative study examines the use of news releases and social media by public information officers (PIO) who work on wildfire responses, and journalists who cover wildfires. It also checks in with firefighters who may be (unknowingly or knowingly) contributing content to the media through their use of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Though social media is extremely popular and used by all groups interviewed, some of its content is unverifiable. More conventional ways of doing business, such as the news release, are filling in the gaps created by the lack of trust on the internet and social media sites and could be why the news release is not dead yet. The roles training, friends, and colleagues play in the adaptation of social media as a source is explored. For the practitioner, there are updates explaining what social media tools are most helpful to each group. For the theoretician, there is news about changes in agenda building and agenda setting theories caused by the use of social media. Clues are found about the diffusion of this innovation as it applies to social media.
Open Access
Pinning for leisure or labor?: unveiling constructions of wedding planning via Pinterest
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Johnson, Emily, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Knight Steele, Catherine, committee member; Martey, Rosa Mikeal, committee member; O’Donnell-Allen, Cindy, committee member; Thompson, Deborah, committee member
Pinterest, a digital bulletin board website where users can create digital visual collections of meaningful content (i.e., pins), has been criticized for "killing feminism" (Odell, 2012), promoting "tight gender boundaries" (Pynchon, 2012), and encouraging "female cyber-exhibitionism" (e.g., promotion of images that perpetuate female domesticity) (Sandler, 2012). Further, the site has been critiqued as being a place for "wedding-obsessed" women who passively consume content and fantasize about a dream life (Tekobbe, 2013, p. 384). In an effort to investigate such criticisms more fully, this study examined an alternative understanding of Pinterest—one that describes the site as a digital structure that enables women to construct versions of the current and/or aspired self. The purpose of this study was to explore why and how the women interviewed use Pinterest as a tool for wedding planning. Specifically, this research examined how the site may contribute to identity construction, with focus devoted to how women construct a current and/or aspired self (with attention to an aspired bride identity). Using theoretical and conceptual frameworks of third-wave feminism, creativity, and structuration theory, it also explored how using Pinterest as a wedding planning tool connects to broader ideological discourses about feminism, cultural hegemony, and cultural consumption. The overarching question this study sought to address is whether using Pinterest as a wedding planning tool extends the traditional feminine role of wedding preparation (i.e., contribute to specific behavior determined by a patriarchal society) or provides an opportunity for women to engage in user-controlled behavior (i.e., offer an avenue to find voice and agency)? To investigate this complex digital phenomenon, 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with white, heteronormative, cis-gender, predominately middle to upper-middle class women who used Pinterest as their primary wedding planning tool (with the exception of one participant who was interviewed because she purposely chose not to use Pinterest as a planning tool). Analysis of interview transcripts and select pin boards was completed using constant comparison (Glaser, 1965). From this analysis, four key themes emerged: (1) The Labor of Wedding Planning and Pinterest; (2) Pinterest as a Place for Digital Collecting; (3) The Power of Pinterest: Escaping, Dreaming, and Visualizing; (4) Pinterest as an "Ideology of Personal Confidence." Within each of these themes, notions of user control and determinism were examined using Giddens' (1984) structuration theory. Further, repowered feminism and cyberfeminism (third-wave feminist theories) were used to analyze if and how user control can be experienced within the wedding planning experience both on and off Pinterest. Additionally, the concept of "little c" creativity (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996) was found to be present in how many of participants used Pinterest to find, appropriate, and actualize ideas in a physical sense (i.e., engage in meaning-making, which is argued to be user [or consumer]-controlled behavior). Drawing from the interpretations formed through interviews and analyses of exemplar pin boards, it was found that using Pinterest as a wedding planning tool facilitates both user-controlled and deterministic behavior. Although structural constraints such as patriarchy, hegemony, and economic factors play a role in how women experience determinism in using this platform, this study also found that user control occurs through meaning-making in the online and offline sense, as well as through wedding planning itself. For example, all 20 interview participants reported that they were the primary wedding planner within their relationship. Though it can be considered stereotypical in nature, holding this role allowed participants to experience control in making decisions that helped them to enact their wedding day vision (which oftentimes was formed through using Pinterest). Thus, in response to the overarching questions, it appears that Pinterest, as a form of "feminized popular culture" (Levine, 2015, p. 7), is perhaps best located somewhere in between—the experience is neither entirely deterministic nor is it entirely controlled by the user. Importantly, Pinterest also affords its users the opportunity to blend the offline and online wedding planning experience. The 'labors' associated with wedding planning are integrated as aspiring brides engage in planning via offline and online contexts and create meaning through the act of constructing wedding-oriented Pinterest boards. Ultimately, it seems that building one's wedding identity is dependent on processes in both spheres (online and offline). Further, findings from this study point to the need to re-address the definition of feminism in today's digitally-driven world. Although Pinterest has been criticized for its ability to contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypical gender roles (i.e., determinism), participants interviewed for this study reported feeling in control of and empowered by how they use the platform (i.e., agency). As a relatively new form of social media, Pinterest is unique in that it, at least to an extent, places power in the hands of the user. Rather than 'framing' an aspiring bride to think about weddings in a particular way, Pinterest enables users to create their own 'frame.' In other words, users exercise control by pinning content that resonates with the type of bride they want to be and the type of wedding they want to have (influenced by various identity factors).
Embargo
Prime Time tweets: a thematic analysis of Deion Sanders's tweets and social media's role in shaping the construction and perceptions of sports figure authenticity
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Singer, Mara F., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Donavan, D. Todd, committee member; Famulari, Umberto, committee member; Hoffman, K. Doug, committee member; Johnson, Emily, committee member
This dissertation explores the intersection of social media, personal branding, and fan perceptions of authenticity in the context of modern sports figures, focusing on the case of Deion 'Coach Prime' Sanders. Through two related studies, this research aims to better understand how Sanders leverages social media to build his personal brand and cultivate authentic connections with audiences. The first study employs focus groups and thematic analysis to examine how social media users perceive and construct Sanders's authenticity through his X (formerly Twitter) content. The second study conducts a qualitative thematic analysis of Sanders's X posts during his inaugural season as head football coach at the University of Colorado to identify authenticity management strategies. Ultimately framed by Actor-Network Theory, this research utilizes frameworks of perceived authenticity and authenticity management to provide a comprehensive understanding of the creation and reception of authenticity in sports figures' social media content. The findings offer insights into the factors influencing perceptions of sports figure authenticity on social media and the strategies employed to manage authentic self-presentation. This research contributes to digital sports media, personal branding, and fan engagement by addressing gaps in the literature regarding coaches' social media use and offering practical implications for sports organizations and figures aiming to build authentic connections with online audiences.
Open Access
Ride, record, repeat: tracking of cycling data as communication on three levels and how each meet a corresponding basic psychological need
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) McAbee, Jeffery J., author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Luft, Gregory, committee member; Hutcheson, Katherine, committee member
Self-tracking of health related data has grown more popular in the last decade. It is helpful to view this behavior as communication on three levels: communicating with the device, communicating with the self, and communicating with others. One theory of motivation, Self-determination Theory claims that motivation is internalized and therefore more effective to the degree to which the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met. In this qualitative study, 18 cyclists (9 male and 9 females) were interviewed regarding their own self-tracking of their rides on training apps like Strava and Training Peaks. The cyclists in this thesis provided some correlation between uploading their data to a device and the satisfaction of the need for autonomy. When viewing and responding to data visualizations of their rides, they were able to meet the need for competence. And they found that by using the social aspects of the apps they could satisfy their need for relatedness.
Open Access
Science communication and coproduction: applying the theory of motivated information management to the science-policy interface
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Middleton, Lindsey, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Anderson, Ashley, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee member
Science communication scholarship claims that engagement, dialogue, and interaction are important communicative components. But there are relatively very few studies of dialogic science communication processes from a science communication perspective. This study bridges science communication, interpersonal communication, and science-policy interface research and practice to learn how an interpersonal theory models science-policy communication. When science informs policy and land management, myriad science and policy actors must work together to come to a shared understanding of how science will be used. However, there may be differences across the science-policy interface. How do scientists structure research goals, and how do policymakers and managers set research goals? How do timelines differ? How do communication styles, cultures, and values differ? Can they come to a shared understanding? This work studies the policy side of a particular science-policy interface (coproduction) and describes how science stakeholders, or "information seekers," evaluate the utility of working with information providers from organizations outside their own to inform their own science and policy. Information seekers were interviewed, and they provided insights into their perceptions of (1) the trustworthiness and credibility of information providers, (2) their ability to communicate across the interface, (3) the usefulness of the information provided, and more. Results inform future coproduction practice, but also, this study demonstrates a successful application of an interpersonal communication theory to a science-policy interface. Future work might make further use of the predictive and explanatory utility of this model in science communication with high-priority stakeholders, and interpersonal theories and models arguably stand to further inform the dialogic components of science communication.
Open Access
The tweeting org: using grounded theory to build a language for nonprofit organizational account use of Twitter
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Reynolds, Alyssa Kate, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Christen, Cindy, committee member; Kelly, Kathleen, committee member
The Internet has changed how daily life functions on both personal and organizational levels, especially since the advent of Web 2.0. Many options for communicating are available, each with its own unique language and user base. Twitter, with more than 200 million users worldwide, is a platform worth studying and, likes its compatriot Facebook, it has heretofore been free to use. For nonprofits with limited resources, such platforms could see good returns in active audience and message visibility - for little investment. Before return can be measured, however, what is being said must first be addressed. The researcher employed a grounded theory approach with a sampling of nonprofit accounts in order to construct an understanding of the platform's 'language'. This resulted in the discovery of both inter-organizational and cross-organizational normative practices, as well as the development of a coding instrument for use in future research.
Open Access
Value weaving: superordinate mediatory framework through discursive applications
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Russell, Gregory, author; Champ, Joseph, advisor; Christen, Cindy, committee member; Carcasson, Martin, committee member
This study is concerned with establishing a theoretical framework of mediation that provides an applicable strategy for mediating antagonistic societal groups. Drawing from a variety of fields, including conflict resolution, structuralism/post-structuralism, social psychology, and political science, this interdisciplinary approach attempts to create novel forms of positive communication where communication does not currently exist by exploring the ways in which partisanship shapes belief systems into seemingly exhaustive wholes. Arising from an exploration of intersubjective epistemological claims, a theoretical groundwork of functional communication is rendered and ventures into post-structuralist conceptions of discourse. The researcher imposes himself as a third party mediator upon pro-life and pro-choice cultures in an attempt to compel members of these respective groups to cooperate with one another where they can, specifically in supporting low-income women facing a crisis pregnancy. Data was collected via in-depth qualitative interviews from partisan members on both sides of the abortion debate.