Dissertations and Theses
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Publication Facade-poche: The performative representation of thickened window-walls in the works of Marcel Breuer, Richard Neutra, and Jose Luis Sert(2005) Hayub Song; Leatherbarrow, DavidFacade-poche, a term introduced and defined in this dissertation, designates the surfaces and inhabitable depths enclosed with "thickened" window-walls in late modern buildings. It is configured by platforms, window-walls, and overhangs, all of which create well-shaded, inhabitable, and external depths. Unlike a facade that behaves as a visual object, like a picture plane in the street, the inhabitable depth of the facade-poche makes the building and site operative for human use. Particularly in late modem architecture, thin window-wall configurations began to adopt sectionally thickening elements in order to improve its function of sunshading and lessoning glare. Meanwhile, the thin window-wall as a representative modern style was exploited as a voyeuristic tool and picture frame. At the same time, technical considerations of moderating glare and sunlight prompted the instrumental development of new glazing systems and sunshading devices. Yet, both drives neglected the patterns of use that occur in the transitional space between the building and the site, the facade and the street. My emphasis on human use is motivated by a desire to redirect considerations of 'form and function' toward the questions of 'what a building does to us' and 'what a building represents.' This theoretical direction will question traditionally divided architectural representations - iconic, tectonic, structural, and regional - and propose a more embracing mode of architectural presence, the performative representation. Performative representation will be differentiated from functional aesthetics by considering the topics of the site and the life practices, which present tasks beyond technical and aesthetic ones. Selected examples of the facade-poche from postwar America - the works of Marcel Breuer, Richard Neutra, and Jose Luis Sert, representatively - will support this proposal and provide a diversity of human use, both in non-urban and urban situations. I will argue that these facade-poches sustain the renewal of human use and in doing so, represent traces and possibilities of inhabitation from the scale of intimate to urban experiences. This argument suggests a new concept of the physiognomy of architecture in the perception, construction, and interpretation of the facade-poche. While the philosophical tradition of physiognomy, i.e. body and soul correlation, gave rise to an expressive, but merely surfacial facade, another tradition - the anonymous but shared tradition of cultural praxis - has given rise to another facade, one that is thicker, inhabitable, and expressive of life.Publication A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE EXCHANGES AMONG WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT(2024) Couba, Chantalle; McKee, AnnieDespite progress in workplace gender equality, women in management continue to face major challenges in professional settings. This study investigates the emotional experiences and perceptions of women in senior executive positions during professional resource exchanges with peers and superiors. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, twenty female-identified participants, all within two reporting levels of the CEO in large public and private companies, were interviewed.The findings reveal critical insights into the dynamics of professional resource exchange for women in management. The study highlights how self-confidence and personal agency significantly influence these exchanges, with challenging experiences often leading to valuable learning and adaptation. Importantly, the research exposes the persistent and detrimental impact of intersecting power dynamics and gender perceptions on these interactions. A key discovery is that women in management report more fulfilling and successful outcomes in professional resource exchanges when stereotype-based threats related to gender, race, and ethnicity are minimized or absent. This research not only sheds light on the continuing disparities and stereotypes faced by women in leadership roles but also offers a critical understanding of how these factors shape their professional interactions and experiences. The study's insights have significant implications for workplace equality initiatives and the advancement of women in corporate leadership.Publication An Officer and a Therapist: How Active-Duty Social Workers Navigated the Ethical Hazards of Their Dual Agency(2025-05-19) Dickinson, Samuel; Bell, HollyActive-duty LCSWs bear a simultaneous legal obligation to two entities that often have conflicting values and requirements for them to satisfy (the National Association of Social Workers and the Department of Defense), and this concurrent commitment routinely forces them to prioritize one side of their dual agency as both an officer and a therapist. The experience of having to navigate the ethically hazardous “mixed-agency dilemmas” that result from these competing prioritizations has been left unexamined in academic social work research. To respond to this gap in the literature, this qualitative pilot study examined the stories of seven formerly active-duty LCSWs using a reflexive thematic analysis. Common participant experiences included being subject to military medicine’s prioritization of DoD obligations over the NASW code of ethics, experiencing unavoidable dual relationships resulting from the intimate and boundaryless practice settings of operational medicine, and secondary gain issues of service members seeking mental health treatment as a way out of the military. While analyses of participants’ interviews revealed that LCSWs were often pressured to resolve mixed-agency dilemmas by favoring the officer side of their dual agency, participants overwhelmingly recommended navigating the mixed-agency dilemmas of their positions by prioritizing their identities as social workers, and by using the values and ethics of their licensure as a guiding heuristic while seeking out peer support and practicing self-care. This study recommends that MSW programs, the NASW, and military officer development schools increase their efforts to educate social workers on the reality of mixed-agency dilemmas in active-duty settings.Publication Toward a Culture of Connection: Sharing a Love Letter to Nature(2024) Molly M Peterson; Passmore, Holli-AnneThe relationship between human well-being and environmental well-being is deeply intertwined. This paper explores the constructs of gratitude, nature connectedness, and social relationships to establish the scientific foundation for a positive psychology intervention titled Toward a Culture of Connection: Sharing a Love Letter to Nature. The randomized controlled study will use research on the pathways to nature connectedness by targeting emotional and cognitive leverage points for greater systemic change, addressing calls for more comprehensive, system-informed approaches in positive psychology. As we confront unprecedented environmental challenges and a surge in loneliness and mental health issues, this intervention for couples seeks to enhance both human connection and nature connectedness. Social connection is one of the leading contributors to happiness, and by fostering stronger emotional bonds and a greater cognitive understanding of our interdependence with nature, the intervention aspires to promote happiness and drive positive behavioral changes that support human and environmental well-being.Publication Exploring Masculine Strengths Through Character Strengths: A Pilot Study of Positive Masculinity in Boys(2023) Ann C. Vanichkachorn; McGrath, RobertMedia driven debates arguing the fate of boys and men are commonplace, but little has been done to bring consensus in finding solutions. This study aims to explore how character strengths may be leveraged to enhance the healthy embodiment of masculinity. A sample of 107 preadolescent and adolescent males participated in this exploratory study of correlations between masculinity measured by the Children’s Personal Attributes Scale and character strengths identified through the VIA Inventory. Secondarily, the subject's self-reported willingness to express emotions was assessed by questions based on the Emotion Expression Scale for Children. Fifteen character strengths were found to be significantly positively correlated with masculinity scale scores and one character strength (humility) negatively correlated with masculinity. Leadership was found to be negatively correlated with emotional expression. Collectively, top strengths were less masculine than expected for students attending an all-boy school. When broken down by grade levels, significant differences were found that support prior studies assessing the differences in character strengths in boys from late childhood to late adolescence. While these findings are specific to the population studied, it may inform continued research in positive masculinity in boys and identify specific ways that character strengths-based interventions can help address the “plight” of boys and men.