Nomadic and Communal Performances of Home at the University of Northern Iowa

Author

• Nathaniel Aron, University of Northern IowaFollow

Availability

Thesis (UNI Access Only)

Keywords

Home; College students; Immigrants;

Abstract

University students often find themselves having to change their concept of home when they change residency to attend school. Even without officially changing residency, students often find themselves away from home, in unfamiliar environments and among new people. This research conceptualizes home as a performance enacted through interactions with people, places, and objects. Drawing on theories of improvisation, I outline a methodology of devised performance aimed at directing attention toward examining how students construct and deconstruct the University of Northern Iowa as a home. I then apply this method to explore students’ experiences on campus, ultimately arguing that the concept of home is not static but is continually fractured as students’ bodies are pulled in multiple directions by biological needs, work, academics, and extracurricular commitments.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Communication Studies

First Advisor

Danielle McGeough, Chair

Second Advisor

C. Kyle Rudick

Third Advisor

Francesca Soans

Date Original

2025

Object Description

1 PDF file (vii, 130 pages)

Copyright

©2025 Nathaniel Aron

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Aron, Nathaniel, "Nomadic and Communal Performances of Home at the University of Northern Iowa" (2025). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2296.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2296