Digital Commons Network^™

Lost, Beat, Blank: The Punk Unconscious In Subversive And Transgressive Cultural Productions, Joel R. West

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Although punk was not used as a signifying term for a subculture or its cultural production until the 1970s, the punk spirit can be identified within cultural texts that precede the term. A punk aesthetics includes rejection of societal norms, class-consciousness, and spontaneity, or a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach that is antagonistic toward the modes of production. In this thesis, I claim and develop a concept I call the punk unconscious; in the texts I examine, punk aesthetics can be found just below the surface through the employment of specific theoretical frameworks, namely Fredric Jameson’s political unconscious and Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogic …

Religious Consumption: Inside The Minds Of Apple And Catholic Devotees, Yi-Chia Wu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Cult-like phenomena have been researched widely in the fields of marketing, religion, sociology, and---more recently---in the field of neuroscience, where the exploration between individuals and brands through these lenses begins to offer glimpses into the relationship between brands and their devotees. Religion, a multidimensional influence on human behavior and decision-making, has been under-researched in the marketing discipline due to the sensitivity of religious topics and difficulties in measuring the impact of so potentially broad a field as "religion". This research narrows the topic and begins filling in the gap in the religion-brand relationship and explores what constitutes a cult-like allegiance …

Adolescent Street Literacy: The Art Of The Hustle, Regina L. Welch

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis is an ethnographic analysis of street youths, runaways and foster children. It focuses on the rhetorical and literacy practices that serve as a foundation for an underground community. Very little research, within the English field or from a literacy perspective, has been done on this demographic. This study includes data from interviews conducted with eight individuals who were “homeless” between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Homeless is being defined as any duration spent absent of a stable living situation, including, but not limited to, foster homes, sleeping on the streets or in temporary settings, with …

Redemption Denied: Variations Of The Underworld Descent In Cormac Mccarthy's Blood Meridian And The Road, Nathan W. Calley

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The classic device of the underworld journey has seen countless incarnations in literature, the most popular of which occurs in Dante’s Inferno. While the mythic origins of the hell descent have inspired numerous imitators, very rarely are the biblical origins considered. Focusing on the Old Testament books of Jonah and Job, this study seeks to illustrate the importance of biblical intertextuality as a model for analyzing the redemptive aspects in the hell narratives that precede Cormac McCarthy’s renditions of the journey in Blood Meridian (1985) and The Road (2006). Following theories of archetypal analysis set forth by Northrop Frye, I …

E Pluribus Unum: The Pursuit Of Linguistic Equality Through Adequation And Denaturalization, Natalie A. Tupta

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The oppressive ideology of standard language in the US perpetuates linguistic discrimination in all facets of life, from the classroom to the housing market to politics. Many Americans justify the degradation of non-standard language users by identifying the imagined cognitive deficiencies of those who do not use standard language. In response to previous research providing evidence of linguistic injustices, this research confounds existent ideology and exposes the gravity of the injustices perpetuated by the US government and educational system. By comparing this linguistic social justice movement to the American Civil Rights Movement and by borrowing the philosophy of Martin Luther …

Learning To Speak: Poems, Celina A. Gomez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This project is a collection of poetry that weaves together past, present, and the hopes of a future that causes change. It is set in South Texas and discusses borders spanning from social class, language, and identity. The collection primarily focuses on the Chican@ voice and the shame that comes from the borderlands. I have drawn from the Rio Grande Valley as a source of inspiration while also using family experiences, my own reaction to shame, and the possibilities of an empowered voice.

Future Memory: Ray Bradbury And The Aesthetics Of Nostalgia, Billy J. Cryer

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Upon the publication of The Martian Chronicles in 1950, Ray Bradbury quickly emerged as the nation’s leading science fiction writer. Bradbury’s novel figured among the most prominent tales of Mars—eclipsing even the highly popular Mars novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, who first popularized the Mars adventure novel with the appearance of A Princess of Mars in 1912.

While many critics praised The Martian Chronicles for its inventiveness, its acute treatment of social injustices, and its lyrical prose, other critics were quick with complaints. Prime among these was a plangent criticism of Bradbury’s attitude toward science and technology: critics alleged that …

Creolization Of Identity In Caribbean Texts: Towards The Healing Of The Creole, Victoria A. Marin

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Creolization became an important element to creole identity by explaining the development of cultural mixing in the Caribbean. While many scholars have focused on the marginalization of creole identity at the hands of the colonizer, this paper addresses the way creole subjects use creolization as a form of agency. Two specific post-colonial texts will be explored in the order of Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea and Michelle Cliff's No Telephone to Heaven. The essay begins with Wide Sargasso Sea to gain an early historical context of the treatment of creole women, and to establish the need of developing a voice …

La Evolución Del Personaje Femenino Y Su Transformación Político-Social En La Obra De Julia Álvarez "En El Tiempo De Las Mariposas", Lorena M. Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

En esta investigación, se analizara la evolución del personaje femenino y su transformación político-social en la obra literaria de Julia Álvarez, En el tiempo de las Mariposas. Se analizará el rol social pasivo del personaje femenino y su transición al rol político social activo. La novela histórica se basa en la historia de la República Dominicana “Las hermanas Mirabal” consideradas iconos nacionales, por lo tanto se tomará en cuenta el aspecto histórico. Me basaré en la teoría crítica de la Estilística y estudios de Avelina Aguilar, Willie Muñoz y Julia Álvarez, así como mi propia aportación. Me apoyaré también en …

Not My Son, Cynthia Marie Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This screenplay is an intimate and honest exploration of the nature of various relationships between fathers and sons. It explores how fatherly expectations can make lasting impacts, both helpful and detrimental, on their sons that can ultimately drive a wedge between them if the sons think they have failed their fathers or if the fathers think that the sons have not lived up to their potentials. The screenplay also lightly explores the quest for perfection and what ultimately is the price of that quest, especially for those who cannot meet those unrealistic expectations imposed on them by their parents and/or …

Women's Speech As Reflected In The Television Series, Friends, Gema Del Moral

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research focuses on analyzing how contemporary women’s speech is reflected in the popular television show Friends through the characters’ differences in gender and their variances in language forms. The aim of this thesis is to find out if there are certain lexical and syntactical characteristics that distinguish women’s language from men’s language. In this study, a corpus linguistic approach is used to collect the data and make a quantitative analysis based on the verbal communication of the characters involved in Season 4 of Friends. The analysis of the linguistic features of verbal communication of all the characters in Season …

A Conversation With Rita Moreno: Examining The Employment Challenges Of The Latino Actor, Valente Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Rita Moreno has worked as an actress for more than 70 years. Her first acting job was in the play Skydrift, on Broadway, at age 13, in 1944. She is in an unusual position having garnered all the major acting awards and the presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award bestowed upon a non-military person in the United States. She is the only Latino EGOT as she has an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, the top awards in the field of entertainment. I thought it would be interesting to ask her what her biggest challenge was in …

Doc And The Chimera Conspiracy, Jesus Beltran Ii

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Doc and the Chimera Conspiracy, is a story that takes place in a world which diverged from our own in 1861 and led to a cooperation between the stoic science of Europe and the holistic science of indigenous people around the world. It is because of the cooperation that there is an explosion in advancements of science and technology. One of these advancements is the creation of Clones and human/animal genetic creations known as Chimera. I tell the story of Jack (a.k.a. Doc) a Chimera who lives in this present day, alternative Earth. The story teeters on the edges of …

Women, War, And Planes: Women Airforce Service Pilots' Experience Working Alongside The Army Air Force During World War Ii, Stephanie Michelle Cavin

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Women, War, and Planes discusses the Women Airforce Service Pilots’ (WASP) experience during World War II as a non-militarized program working alongside the Army Air Forces in the continental United States. The mostly white, twenty to thirty aged pilots recruited from a national pool of women flew many different types of planes from basic, lighter aircraft to heavy, four engine models. The Army Air Forces and WASP leaders promised pilots full militarized status. However, the WASPs never received military status or rank while in the program, and in turn, did not receive the same protections afforded to men of who …

A Sociolinguistic Study On The Use Of Coke In The Rgv, Kylie Ross

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This is a sociolinguistic study, examining the relationship between the usage of the term coke and the population of the RGV, which seeks to explain why (if) this phenomenon persists and identify connections between Spanish/Mexican cultures intertwined in the network of English/Spanish usage. It pursues to go a step further, addressing what social factors have an influence on the term choice and what implications this influence can provide for SLA in specific regions. To do this, various groups have been polled, surveyed and informally interviewed in an effort to make connections between the usage of coke and social conventions. The …

Queer Monsters, And Bruno & His Speaking Queers, Charles R. Mcgregor

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This multi-genre thesis spans across nonfiction (Queer Monsters), poetry (Bruno & His Speaking Queers), and fiction (A Queer Empire Named Eden) in an attempt to break down the categorical control the hegemonic powers like to assert over not only the arts, but gender and sexuality as well. The creative pieces are unapologetically polemic tackling queer issues and the newfound surge in acceptance for queers across the United States. The creative works question how far queers should assimilate into a hegemonic system that was built with heteronormativity enshrined as one of its cornerstone pillars. The nonfiction piece tracks the author’s own …

Eavesdropping On The Past: An Oral History Exploration Of English And Spanish In Contact In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, 1904-1945, Aaron B. Cummings

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis investigates the interaction of English and Spanish L1 communities in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas from 1904 to 1945 (an era of mass English L1 migration from the Northern United States and Canada to this historically Spanish-speaking region) via analysis of oral interviews that record both language communities’ memories of the era’s social structures. Collectively, the interviews tell the story of the region’s sociocultural and sociolinguistic environment with a view to exploring how members of each community reacted to the presence of the other language during the first years of significant English/Spanish language contact in previously …

His Words Spoke To Me: An Analysis Of Cult Rhetoric Through Memoir, Devan Leigh Lemke

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Through my analysis of memoirs of former cult members, a pattern of rhetorical coercive techniques grounded in the theories of Kenneth Burke and Chaim Perelman surfaces. Burke’s theory of identification presents an explanation of why group members believe they share the same interests as the group. Perelman’s theory of disassociation explains why the group believes outrageous statements made. Perelman’s theory of presence explains why it is impossible to logically express any concerns within the group. The simultaneous existence of all three theories renders a powerful blow to the human psyche. The identity of the member is so shattered, that they …

Study Of Creative Processes That Lead To Successful Visually Narrative Art Products, Denissa U. Kiehl

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The success of an artist’s work depends upon a few key factors. No matter which field of study you pursue as an individual it is important to examine and understand previously collected knowledge and works developed within that field. Once an artist has learned from the successful “Old” methods and examples of artworks he or she may then combine the “Old” with some of his or her “New” methods and ideas. When it comes to visual narrative art there is a large variety of visual art and other creations to learn from. Factors related to decision making will change with …

Difference In The Perception Of Political Art Inside And Outside The Art Gallery, Jose Maria Parga

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of the research for this exhibit was to explore whether a major difference exists in the way political art is perceived by an audience when the art is in an art exhibition and when it is seen in an urban environment. Since the subject matter of En el País de No Pasa Nada, is the current wave of violence and corruption happening in Mexico, the targeted audience for this exhibited is limited to Mexican people and people on the US border with Mexico. If there is a difference in perception, what does the work of art gain, and …

Reflections Of Oppression, Fatemeh Semiari

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis is an investigation into the lives of women living in Iran. I develop a critical framework for understanding it. It is now my understanding that women suffer greatly from the restrictions they are subjected to. I discuss what some of these restrictions are, and how these pressures create turmoil and confusion within some women. The artwork created for my thesis project is a reflection upon the relationship between social proscription and a woman’s desire to express her individuality publicly. The women I portray in my thesis project exhibit a range of emotions such as anger, depression, despair, defeat, …

Developing The Modern Heroine Of Fantasy Literature: An Examination Of Lyra From "His Dark Materials" And Clary From "The Mortal Instruments", Diana Aileen Borghols Herrera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This work looks at the figure of the heroine as present through the characters of Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials and Clary Fairchild in The Mortal Instruments. The characters will be analysed within the fantasy genre and the tradition of the heroic figure. By defining the hero and the heroine, two types of characters with different traits, I will show that the heroic archetype for the female is not entirely set. Lyra and Clary share some similarities but their relation to their respective role is perceived and fulfilled through varying degrees of commitment. The analysis will be contained to …

La Intencion Pictorica En Tres Novelas De Corte Realista De Ana Maria Matute, Viviana Carvajal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis proposes a study about the profound relationship existing in the literary production of the Spanish author, Ana María Matute, between the poetic language found in her narrative and the Visual Arts. While a number of critics and researchers have analyzed in depth the works of this author, there is no abundance of studies that explore the pictorial intention found in them. Likewise, there are scarce or marginal contributions focused on the notion of ekphrasis in connection to her narrative. In order to analyze the rhetoric structure in Matute’s narrative, a definition of “space” as a literary category is …

Landing: On The Other Side, Marianita Escamilla

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Landing: On the Other Side a collection of essays that discuss one woman's struggle with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia (FM). The narratives are organized non-chronologically because the more pervasive effects of this chronic illness manifest in waves that do not follow a simple means of progression. Rather, FM's most powerful symptom is the highly variable pain strength coupled with its unpredictability.

The mass marketability of this text, as with other illness/disability narratives, lies in the universal message of prevailing against adversity. A person need not suffer from this illness or any ailment to comprehend the narrator's plight. While this …

The Best Bullies: A Critical Analysis Of Young Adult Anti-Bullying Novels, Nina Marie Bone

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Recently, bullying has become a critical area of research across disciplines exploring effective tools for dealing with this increasing problem. Emerging from this critical research is a new sub-genre of young adult (YA) anti-bullying literature that is becoming increasingly popular. This thesis offers a critical analysis of the contemporary YA anti-bullying literature and how it corresponds to The Bullying Circle, a highly effective bully prevention program tool. This work will incorporate scholarship about the educational interpretation of YAL and the potential impact it has on adolescents. Looking at The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli with …

Deconstructing The Rhetoric Of Fear In Post 9/11 Young Adult Literature, Ronald Dean Straight

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study demonstrates how M.T. Anderson's "Feed" (2002), Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" (2006), and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" (2011) offer young adult readers alternative messages through tropes and rhetorical devices within a mediated reality. The outcome of these messages offers mixed messages about rebellion and conformity to young adults living in a post 9/11 global community. The development of this message begins with teens in "Feed" exploring a dystopian future where society is tied together through technology that eliminates boundaries. The teens within the story explore a world, for a week, where those boundaries are reestablished due to an act of terror, …

A Historical Analysis Of The Reasoning And Rationale Behind The Federal Prohibition Of Marijuana, Carlos Caro

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis argues that the federal government first created and then maintained the prohibition of marijuana as a reflection of and reaction to, social, political and economic events happening at large in the U.S. and abroad. This thesis primarily compares and contrasts the treatment of marijuana by the federal government and society at large during the 1930s through the early 1980s by building upon scholars’ previous links to race, ethnicity, class and morality to display a pattern of change that was convenient to the federal government’s continued efforts to prohibit marijuana. This thesis demonstrates that changes in attitude and perception …

Postmodern And Posthuman Literature, John P. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The thesis is an analysis and application of Posthuman theory. Beginning with a debate on societal progress between Slavoj Zizek and Francis Fukuyama, the thesis explores the possibility of a Posthuman ethics. The main theoretical contributors are Carey Wolfe, Corey Anton, and Benedict Anderson. The primary texts analyzed are Eric Blair's (George Orwell) 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and William Gibson's Neuromancer.

"But, Whatever The Reason, His Heart Or His Shoes, He Stood There On Christmas Eve, Hating The Whos": Dr. Seuss' The Grinch As The Racialized Other In American Culture, Marina Malli

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis analyzes Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch as a modern myth in US society that provides an imaginary resolution to the perceived encroachment of racial and cultural heterogeneity in the various time periods in which the text has circulated. Each chapter closely reads three different versions of the story, including Dr. Seuss’ children’s book published in 1957, the 1966 animated TV special directed by Chuck Jones, and the 2000 film directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey. In each chapter, I consider the racial politics prevalent in each time period in order to elucidate my claim that various media …

Language Attitudes, Ideologies, Maintenance, And Spanish Heritage Learners In The South Texas Border, Hyanghee Lee

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Unlike the situations in Europe or Canada, the power of language exercised by the speakers in the U.S.A is centered on English. Considering the general perception of a language as an index of an ethnic identity, this circumstance clearly reflects a linguistic inequality in the multiethnic U.S. society. The primary objective of this study is to examine the language ideologies and attitudes that the Spanish Heritage Learners in South Texas adapt and exercise in their daily activities. This investigation also attempts to analyze the correlations between language attitudes and the intergenerational transmission of Spanish, which would significantly impact the maintenance …