Communication Studies -- Graduate Theses
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This collection features graduate student theses produced in the Department of Communication Studies.
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- ItemA Scholarly Examination of Zoom Fatigue: A Systematic Review(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024) Onoigboria, DestinyThis systematic review focused on the nature, prevalence, contributing factors and mitigating strategies of Zoom fatigue. The study reviewed 42 research articles identified from the peerreviewed literature published between 2020-2024. In the current study, Nadler’s third skins theory and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory were used as the theoretical lens. The results indicate that Zoom fatigue is a construct with cognitive, physical, and social-psychological plight. Some of the main areas are; staring, self-observation, lack of motion and abnormal social signals. The findings reveal variations of the disorder affect more women than men and persons with previous anxiety or stress related disorders. Measures for reduction are development of structured breaks, provision for ‘no camera’ option, toggling between synchronous and asynchronous communication. The work shows that Zoom fatigue is a multifaceted phenomenon that relates to human psyche and cognitive activity; technologies and interfaces; as well as organisational and managerial institutions. All of these have important implications for remote work policies and design of video conferencing platforms. The research affirms and prescribes a multi-level response to the problem of Zoom fatigue that entails technology solutions, policy changes, and personal adaptations. More future longitudinal researches are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these interferences in the long term, as well as in different circumstances and with people.
- ItemThis is my story: Bringing voice to the violence of anti-Black racism trauma with African Nova Scotians through digital storytelling(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024) Willis, Rajean N.This qualitative research study explored and examined with six African Nova Scotian participants (co-researchers) their experiences of race-based trauma, and the ways these experiences impacted their overall well-being and quality of life. Specifically, I addressed the research question: What are the Indigenous ANS’ experiences of race-related trauma and how have these experiences impacted their overall well-being and quality of life? The study used an arts-based research method: digital storytelling. There is a growing body of literature examining the intersections and complexities of race-related experiences that have been identified as traumatic by those who experience them. This study looks explicitly at the relationship between racism, trauma, and Indigenous African Nova Scotians’ overall quality of life through their own accounts with a group of six co-researchers. Indigenous African Nova Scotian refers to those whose ancestors had arrived in Nova Scotia as early as the early 1700s, which are a group distinct from more recent Black immigrants (Elliott Clark, 2012). Using Digital Storytelling (DST), co-researchers created a two to five-minute mini-movie articulating their traumatic experience(s) with racism and its impact on their lives. Co-researchers participated in three two-hour group workshops, during which they engaged in finding their story, telling their story, crafting the story and sharing the story. Informed by theories such as Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Theory, Africentric Theory and Critical Race Theory, this study acknowledges the intersectional nuances of how anti-Black racism has been experienced with co-researchers. The recognition of structural and systemic anti-Black racism is reflected in the co-researchers’ digital stories. The resiliency and critical hope for equity and healing have also been made evident through their ability to take appropriate action against the assaults of anti-Black racism. Study recommendations point to the need to expand education, including African Nova Scotian-centred/Africentric pedagogies, to contextualize this reality into trauma-informed care in education. Additionally, this study provides further evidence of the value of DST as a research method for individual, communal, institutional, and structural transformation.
- ItemExploring the Impacts of Digital Media on Migration Perceptions and Decision-Making Between Nigeria and Canada(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2025) Asanbe O. GaffarThis study explores the impact of digital media on migration perceptions and decision-making, focusing on the migration nexus between Nigeria and Canada. It examines how platforms like YouTube influence migration trends, perceptions, and decisions, addressing the broader implications of digital media in the Information Age. Guided by a multi-faceted theoretical framework, including Media Systems Dependency Theory, Migration Systems Theory, and Social Capital Theory, the research analyses how digital communication reshapes transnational ties, and reduces/amplifies informational barriers and migration flows. Using a sequential explanatory design, the study integrates digital ethnography and qualitative content analysis, with data sourced from relevant YouTube videos and viewer interactions. MAXQDA software facilitated a systematic analysis of themes and narratives emerging from the content. Findings reveal that digital platforms significantly mediate migration experiences by providing practical insights, reducing perceived risks, and fostering diasporic connections. In addition, findings corroborate Dekker and Engbersen’s (2014) assertion that digital media serve as informal migration guides, while also aligning with Carling and Collins’ (2018) observation of the interplay between aspirations and anxieties in migration. This study on the impacts of digital media on migration perceptions and decision-making highlights the dual sentiments evident in migration narratives, where exhilaration over opportunities is tempered by cautionary tales of cultural adjustment and bureaucratic hurdles. Furthermore, it underscores how digital media bridges formal migration systems with the personalized experiences migrants need to navigate these systems effectively. This research emphasizes the stratified nature of digital access, as highlighted by Afrobarometer (2018), revealing that middle- and upper-class Nigerians—enabled by financial stability and digital literacy—are more likely to leverage platforms like YouTube. The findings also reflect on how digital tools support integration, facilitating connections with home and host communities, offering guidance on housing and employment, and easing daily life in Canada. However, the study calls attention to the digital divide that perpetuates economic disparities, urging policymakers to prioritize digital literacy and equitable access to migration resources. The study contributes to academic discourse on migration and digital media by uncovering the complex interplay between technology, transnational networks, and diasporic identities, offering practical implications for policymakers, content creators, and migration communities.
- ItemKnowing Our Worth: An exploration of how Indigenous Knowledge is perceived and valued in a colonized world(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2025) Dorey, CrystalSocietal and policy changes have begun to address the need to build better relationships with Indigenous people in Canada. The desire to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is critical for Indigenous organizations and of growing importance for non-Indigenous intuitions and entities. With the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action (2015), reconciliatory efforts are being made and advocacy for decolonizing Canadian systems, policies, and processes has increased. Part of this reconciliation process has been to create spaces and opportunities to amplify and include IK, voices, understandings and perspectives. The central purpose of this study was to examine how IK is perceived and valued in the Western world and whether Knowledge Holders are financially remunerated for their time and sharing their expertise. The study involved qualitative interviews in a case study with seven Mi’kmaw Knowledge Holders and three directors working for Mi’kmaw organizations in Nova Scotia. Using the theoretical lenses of critical sensemaking and the Mi’kmaw framework of Etuaptmumk, this study explored the foundational understandings of knowledge, and how experts are remunerated for their knowledge and expertise in Indigenous and Western worlds. Based upon experiences within the Mi’kmaw Nation, findings demonstrated that there are gaps in understandings and perspectives that impact the shared understanding of value of IK, which impacts how Knowledge Holders are remunerated. The culturally rooted desire of Mi’kmaq to share their knowledge and understandings has been misunderstood as an opportunity to get these teachings for free, which is not necessarily always the desire of Knowledge Holders. This study found that for reconciliatory efforts in Canada to be successful, there first needs to be a reconciliation of perspectives and understandings.
- ItemExploring Trust Between Parent Influencers and Parent Audiences on Social Media(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-09) Osei-Essah, JaniceA trend within the current digital landscape is the rise of social media influencers— individuals who have cultivated significant followings by sharing various forms of content. Among these influencers, parenting influencers have gained notable footing, focusing on discussing topics relevant to parents in the form of parenting advice and support. Influencers achieve this through a blend of sharing and parenting, which describes how parent influencers utilize social media to disclose aspects of their daily lives and parenting experiences while educating their audience. Based on Sztompka’s (1999) framework of trustworthiness, this study explores how parenting influencers establish, maintain and convey trustworthiness on social media platforms with their audiences. Using a digital netnography approach as method and Instagram as platform, the findings of this qualitative study were grouped according to themes related to three dimensions of the framework of trustworthiness. That is, performance (education and credentials; commitment and consistency), reputation (peer -to-peer cross promotion; testimonials) and appearance (relatability and authenticity). Future research can explore trust- building strategies from both the influencer and audience perspectives and across diverse influencer types and platforms to address existing gaps and further enrich the understanding of trust in social media contexts.