A content analysis of the political leadership language of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s
by Sanchez, Juan O., Ph.D., OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY, 2009, 131 pages; 3388544

Abstract:

This study examined the language used by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. A content analysis examined the use of transformational and transactional language, as well as language associated with the political issues pursued by the Klan. One hundred nine articles were extracted from six Klan publications providing 150,756 words of textual material. Six dictionaries were created centering on the topics of immigration, education, law enforcement, religion, racism, and language labeled Klan, used as a means of self-identification; also created were two dictionaries inclusive of transformational and transactional words. Two MANOVA's and two ANOVA's were conducted which indicated a higher proportional use of transformational than transactional language at the article level. ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc tests also indicated significant relationship between articles, and between publications. At the article level the analysis revealed the Klan used transformational language when addressing the issue of immigration. Analysis also revealed that the percent use of racism language differed between Klan publications. The difference between the publications may be a result of demographics associated with the respective regions in which the periodicals were published. What became evident was that religious intolerance and racism were of secondary importance within the Klan's sociopolitical beliefs. Historically, religious intolerance and racism have been the defining characteristic of the organization because they appeared to be salient aspects of its rhetoric. The content analysis, however, indicated they were not the principal issues the organization pursued; they were, in fact, the word categories least emphasized.

 
AdviserPhyllis A. Duncan
SchoolOUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/A 70-12, p. , Feb 2010
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsAmerican history; Modern history; Organizational behavior
Publication Number3388544
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3388544
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.