FICS Theses and Dissertations
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Theses and dissertations by graduate students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.
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ItemThe Reproduction of the Rule Regime in Licensure Examination Through the Communicative Practices of Personnel of a Regulatory Body: An Ethnomethodological Study( 2023)This study explored the communicative practices of personnel assigned in licensure examinations and how their communicative practices reproduce rule regime in licensure examination administration. The research framework used in this Study is the Socio-Cultural Tradition of Communication Theory, which theorizes communication as the (re)production of social order (Craig, 1999). Using this framework, this Study assumed that rule regime is reproduced by the communicative practices established from the participants. The use of Ethnomethodology as a qualitative research method in this Study explored the participants’ acts of communication in licensure examinations towards surfacing themes that described their communicative practices. Eight (8) participants were identified in this Study, each with rich experiences in their specific roles in the licensure examination administration. The participants’ narratives were subjected to Grounded Theory Method (GTM) and Thematic Analysis for data interpretation. Fifteen (15) communicative practices of assigned personnel in licensure examinations emerged in the analysis: (1) roaming around; (2) resolving issues; (3) retaining professional composure; (4) reviewing exam statistics; (5) re-checking documents; (6) securing retrieval procedures; (7) reprimanding; (8) reporting incidents and violations; (9) reporting issues; (10) reminding procedures to prevent cheating; (11) removing prohibited materials or items in the examination room; (12) rendering support to ensure consistency; (13) the wearing of respective badges; (14) referring issues to higher authority; and (15) ensuring the record of accountable persons. These communicative practices reproduced five dimensions of the rule regime in the licensure examination: (1) rule alignment; (2) rule implementation; (3) rule compliance; (4) rule preservation; and (5) rule authority. Roaming around, resolving issues, and retaining professional composure align knowledge and actions with the rules. Reviewing exam statistics, re-checking documents, and securing retrieval procedures of examination paraphernalia are performed to ensure that rules are implemented. Reprimanding, reporting of violations, and reporting of issues are done when rules are not complied. Reminding procedures to prevent cheating, removing prohibited materials or items in the examination room, and rendering support to ensure consistency are meant to preserve the integrity of the examination process. Finally, by putting in place respective badges, referring issues to higher authority, and recording of accountable persons, the established authority is recognized.
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ItemOnline Communication and Social Construction of Reality on Disaster( 2023)Human interaction produces a shared reality that is “subjectively meaningful and objectively factual.” This dissertation investigated the online communication and construction of social reality on disaster through the lens of Socio-Cultural Tradition which claims that communication is viewed as the creation and enactment of social reality. That is, as people talk, they collectively “co-construct their own social worlds.” Specifically, the study looked into the local government unit’s (LGU) online communication practices, the online discourse that arise from the LGU’s disaster communication, what the online communication reveals about disaster, and the social construction of reality on disaster. Through the LGU’s official social media platform, which is publicly accessible and the primary online resource in information dissemination during the first six months of COVID-19 in the Philippines, the posts and comments used in the discourse were carefully examined. A qualitative approach particularly content analysis and thematic analysis was utilized to explore the meanings embedded in the online posts and texts. Top-down online communication expressed the planning, monitoring, implementation and collaborative efforts of the local government while the online discourse related to disaster communication revealed expression of gratitude, acknowledged the efforts of stakeholders and examined the strategic plan of the local government among others. Online communication revealed that disaster is a construct that converges stakeholders, connects people together and strengthens community resilience. The permanence of language and its detachability from the “here and now” permeates the reconstruction of subjectivity that influences conversations and narratives in online communication.
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ItemAuthority of Non-Human Agents: Speech Act Analysis of Peace Process Documents( 2023)The study answered the questions “what is the authority of peace agreements” and “how do the peace agreements perform/invoke its power.” Exploring Francois Cooren’s seminal concepts on nonhuman agency and Searle’s Speech Act Theory, the study analyzed the two milestone peace agreements in the Philippines’ Mindanao peace process, namely (1) 1996 Final Peace Agreement and Implementation of 1976 Tripoli Agreement, and (2) 2014 Comprehensive Agreement of Bangsamoro (CAB). The authority of the peace agreement lies, first, on its assertives – its power to affirm and assure the implementation of those written provisions. Second is in directives, third is in commissives and last are expressives and declarations. The peace agreement has the authority to force two settling parties to enter into an agreement. Moreover, the agreements performed the following roles; under the assertives, the peace agreements in Mindanao assert to: (1) recognize the Bangsamoro identity for the realization of the lasting peace, (2) affirm the autonomy of the Bangsamoro, (3) highlight the need of transition, and (4) upholds the significance of socio-economic, cultural and educational development; and under the directives, the agreements command or order to (a) implement significant monitoring and transition mechanisms, (b) draft and pass the basic law, (c) devise a normalization program, and, (d) mandate equal representation.
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ItemSocial Media Culture Among Automobile Training Industry Associates and Trainees and Their Performance in the Workplace( 2023)202 Saudi national trainees and 32 multinational associates at an automobile training industry were participants to examine the association between their social media culture (SMC) and performance. Cochran’s formula with a 95% confidence level and 5 confidence interval was utilized. Generally, all variables were analyzed with chi square and phi coefficient for the frequency distribution and cross tabulation used. Data were gathered through a one-shot survey research design; wherein qualitative methods were employed for triangulation. In a multicultural organization, it could be inferred that SMC was typically propagated by a combination of factors. It emerged organically among members while organizational policies, leadership support, and communication channels could have shaped and influenced it. The study found out that their participation in SMC translated into tangible actions. In addition, it not only disclosed that the emerging SMC was often created to foster stakeholders’ connectivity, knowledge exchange, and engagement, but it also confirmed its added value to organizational communication. Ultimately anchored with computer-mediated communication (CMC) (Walther, 2011), it revealed a slightly moderate direct positive association between SMC shareholders and their workplace performance. This implies that engagement with SMC can have some beneficial effects in a professional setting.
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ItemKdrama and Filipino TV Series Demystified: A Comparative Close Reading Analysis of its Technical and Narrative Elements( 2023)Anchored on John Fiske’s Codes of TV Production, Stuart Hall’s Encoding and Decoding Mode, and Jacques Lacan’s Psychoanalytic Theory, the study compared and analyzed two high rated shows on Netflix, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a Korean drama text and House Arrest of Us, a Filipino TV series based on technical and narrative elements as well as meanings and contexts through close reading. A highly budgeted Extraordinary Attorney Woo had a strong synergy of cinematography, directing, editing, production, lighting, graphics, and audio design that led to a superior output. As a textual medium, it served as a vehicle for knowledge sharing, inclusion of popular culture, presenting multi-faceted characters, and boasting of a strong plot. On the other hand, while House Arrest of Us shared several similarities, variations in the manner of execution, creative choices, and cultural differences differed. In terms of the narrative elements, House Arrest of Us also integrated popular culture, transformed the text using literary devices, information education, and Koreanization of the text. The difference lay in the integration of Filipino songs and dances, the exploration of various comedic styles, and the tackling of current local issues. The House Arrest of Us showed improvement in their craft even if they were greatly challenged in terms of budget, staffing, and production culture. Hence, there is a need to sharpen the skills of the production crew, lobby for government support to fuel the creative economy, introduce a change in the industry of drama production, and forge a strong public and private partnerships.