ScholarWorks@Georgia State University
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Publication Open Access “Get Ready With Me”: Asian Queer Male Beauty Influencers Shaping Gender and Make-up on TikTok(2026-05-13)Social media influencers have challenged historically traditional male/female binary beauty norms through representation that intersects multiple factors of identity, like culture, gender, and sexuality. Drawing on the theoretical approaches of gender performativity, queer theory, and queer of color critique, this study examines the communicative and discursive aspects of beauty within the digital beauty landscape, with a particular focus on the contributions of gay male beauty influencers of color in make-up self-application, a hegemonic domain of women historically. This dissertation explores how popular Asian queer male beauty influencers in the United States use their video content on TikTok to shape discourse regarding beauty, sexuality, and gender, which directly defies Western traditional beauty standards, including how their Asian culture, gender, and sexuality are presented in personal organic content versus paid promotional content. Critical discourse analysis is applied to TikTok content (10 ‘get ready with me’ and makeup tutorial videos and 10 sponsored/paid videos) from three self-identifying queer male beauty influencers, Patrick Simondac, Aditya Madiraju, and Patrick Ta, to determine how their discourse and verbal and nonverbal communication in the video content signify visibility and liberation regarding beauty and queer men of color. The results indicate that gestures, language, and sexuality are sites for extending masculinity and gender performativity. The application of make-up is more than an art form; it serves as an expressive infusion between personality, culture, and femininity. By centering their sexuality in their content (both paid and unpaid content), the Asian queer male beauty influencers challenge the dominant narrative about how Asian men are allowed to appear in Western media, such as vulnerable, masculine, and beautiful, in comparison to desexualized and effeminate subjects. The ultimate goal of this research is to benefit LGBTQ+ beauty influencers, creators, and communities by validating the experiences of queer identities of color.Publication Open Access Learning a World Language: An Interview Study of American Deaf Experiences(2025)Research regarding the world language learning experiences of signing deaf persons is limited to date. Much of the literature collected regarding deaf people learning a world language stems from the same sources, focusing on European or Asian contexts. The literature shows much of the world language learning focused on learning English for professional reasons or to satisfy a school requirement. Sign language was not used for instruction in every classroom with deaf students. No studies gathered information regarding students learning a world sign language or studying abroad for academic purposes. With a framework of Vygotskian Pragmatism, this interview study will use semi-structured interviews conducted in American Sign Language to gather information regarding the world language learning or international travel experiences of deaf adults educated in the United States. Participants were recruited via personal and professional networks and represented multiple school settings. Data collected included information regarding translanguaging practices in the classroom and cultural experiences abroad.Publication Open Access Financial Capability And Digital Credit: Understanding Buy Now, Pay Later In The Lives Of Financially Constrained Consumers(2026-05-12)Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has emerged as a rapidly growing form of installment-based digital credit in the United States, often marketed as a flexible and inclusive alternative to traditional borrowing. This dissertation examines how BNPL functions within the financial lives of consumers facing structural financial constraints, with particular attention to perceived financial well-being and financial capability. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates a quantitative analysis of U.S. adults with a qualitative focus-group study of financially constrained young adults. The findings show that the relationship between BNPL use and perceived financial well-being varies meaningfully by income: frequent use is associated with lower perceived financial well-being among low- and middle-income consumers, while no significant association is observed among higher-income users. Qualitative findings further reveal that BNPL is understood and navigated primarily through experiential learning, belief-based financial knowledge, and social context, enabling short-term financial flexibility and, in some contexts, generating longer-term strain. Together, the studies show that BNPL operates as a context-dependent financial tool whose implications depend on income, financial buffers, and the alignment between access to credit and consumers' ability to manage repayment obligations. The dissertation offers contributions to research and theory by reframing BNPL as a context-dependent financial tool, and to practice by highlighting how product design and access structures shape consumers' ability to manage repayment obligations over time.Publication Open Access Manufacturing as an Innovation Engine: Capability Systems That Accelerate Product Commercialization(2026-05-08)This dissertation explores how manufacturing capabilities drive successful product innovation in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. While innovation is widely acknowledged as essential for organizational survival, most CPG firms remain hindered by stagnation or emerging maturity. Building on James G. March’s (1991) Theory of Organizational Ambidexterity, this study examines the tension between operational efficiency and radical innovation. Using in-depth interviews with senior leaders from two contrasting CPG organizations, the research identifies a persistent "Integrity Gap": a breakdown between initial product design intent and final manufacturing execution, often caused by late manufacturing involvement and entrenched functional silos. To address this challenge, the study introduces the Continuous Lifecycle Manufacturing Innovation (CLMI) model, which embeds manufacturing experts into early-stage, multidisciplinary "Insight to Solution" teams. This approach enables real-time technical validation and safeguards product intentionality from concept through launch. Furthermore, this research operationalizes "Human Software”, the tacit knowledge and problem-solving skills of frontline operators, and the Integrated Innovation Stack, a framework for getting different functions to work together. Collectively, these frameworks provide a strategic roadmap for shifting manufacturing from just executing tasks to becoming a proactive, integrated force that drives ongoing innovation and competitive edge in the CPG sectorPublication Open Access Effectiveness Of Ring Roads in Reducing Traffic Congestion in Cities with a Case Study of Atlanta(2026-05)Metropolitan regions worldwide increasingly rely on ring roads to redistribute traffic, support mobility, and reduce urban congestion. However, persistent congestion despite significant investment raises questions about their long-term effectiveness under sustained demand growth and rising freight activity. This dissertation evaluates the effectiveness of ring roads in reducing congestion, using Atlanta’s Interstate 285 (I-285) as a case study. A quantitative panel data approach is employed, using multi-year traffic data across I-285 stations (2014–2024). A two-way fixed effects (TWFE) regression model examines the relationship between traffic volume (AADT), freight composition (truck percentage), and congestion cost. Congestion is measured using Total Daily Congestion Cost (TDC), which converts travel delay into economic impact using value-of-time estimates for passenger and freight vehicles. The findings indicate that ring roads do not inherently guarantee sustained congestion reduction. Congestion on I-285 is primarily driven by increases in traffic demand and freight activity, with significant spatial variation across roadway segments. No strong evidence of long-term improvement is observed, suggesting that I-285 functions as a congestion accumulation corridor rather than a consistent relief mechanism under high-demand conditions. The results further show that capacity expansion alone is insufficient without complementary operational and policy interventions. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical, corridor-level evidence using an integrated econometric and economic-impact framework. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for freight management, demand control, and intelligent transportation systems to improve mobility in growing metropolitan regions.
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