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Browsing by Author "Tham, Samuel M., advisor"

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    Affective attunement and counter-power affordances of Twitter to the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Enyinnaya, Virtue Chibuike, author; Tham, Samuel M., advisor; Arthur, Tori, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee member
    Using the Network theory of Power, and Affective Public, this study employs a Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA) to examine the affective attunement and counter-power affordances of Twitter during the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria. Drawing on qualitative data collected from Twitter during the protests, the study examined the ways in which Twitter facilitated affective attunement - the ability of Twitter users to attune to each other's emotions - in amplifying activist voices and mobilizing publics for collective action. It also analyzed the counter-power affordances of Twitter, which enabled protesters to challenge dominant discourses and power structures in Nigeria. Through a CTDA lens, the study explored the ways in which power, cultural ideologies, users' online experiences, and technology intersected in the #EndSARS protests, and how these dynamics shaped the outcomes of the protests in addressing police brutality in Nigeria. The findings suggest that Twitter played a significant role in the mobilization and organization of the protests, and that affective attunement and counter-power affordances were key factors in the success of the movement. This study contributes to our understanding of the complex relationships between power, technology, and social change, and provides insights for future research on the role of social media in protest movements within regimented democracies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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    Effect of fear and representations of great white sharks on great white shark conservation behavior
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Montgomery, Emily, author; Tham, Samuel M., advisor; Champ, Joseph, committee member; Aubry, Lise M., committee member
    Great white sharks are listed as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. This study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to test how different factors such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control along with representations and fear of great white sharks affect great white shark conservation behavior intentions. This study (n= 218) used a 2 (fear) x2 (representations) between-subjects experimental design. The main findings from this study found that participants had higher positive attitudes toward great white sharks when exposed to the stimuli featuring the presence of fear image compared to the absence of fear image; however, there was no significant difference in great white shark conservation behavior intention based on the four conditions participants were assigned to. All other results in this study analyzing factors of TPB and great white shark fear and representation were expected and supported by TPB and previous research.