Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Music As A Bridge And Platform For Personal, Cultural, And Societal Change: The Work Of Billie Holiday, Adrienne Auer

Senior Theses

Billie Holiday came into this life faced with many hardships and struggles. She was raised with harsh realities and hard choices inherent in an inequitable culture that allowed discrimination, segregation, disenfranchisement, and continued acts of oppression and brutality. Her life story, her musicality, her songwriting, her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues, and the feeling that she put into almost everything she touched created a lasting legacy. This essay examines how Billie Holiday was able to channel her emotionality and her life experiences into her art. It draws from Billie Holiday’s autobiography and her songs, from the work of noted …

Teach Your Children White?, Katelyn Johnson

Senior Theses

Through exploration of early childhood literature - focused on those intended as read aloud and including illustrations – this thesis will investigate the impact and influence of cultural and racial diversity and representation in books on the development of a child’s identity as well as broader world view. The thesis will also research the histories of cultural diversity and representation in children’s literature. The research parameters for this project are focused on Marin County and will include: access to culturally diverse literature in public libraries throughout the county; library procurement policies and the impact on cultural diversity within the collection; …

Eisenhower Internationalism And Nasser Nationalism: The Suez Crisis Defining International Policy In Post-Colonial Egypt, Dominic Supple

Senior Theses

The nationalization of the Suez Canal by the Egyptians in 1956 was an international controversy. As history, the topic has been just as controversial among scholars; however events such as: the planning of the Aswan Dam, the Protocol of Sèvres, the Bandung Conference, and the Baghdad Pact have helped crystalize the perspective and significance of the Suez Crisis. The United States dealings in Egypt during the Suez Crisis, and subsequent relations with Abdel Nasser, cemented United States Cold War foreign policy, culminating in the passing of the Eisenhower Doctrine. While these events were the enactment of containment policy, they also …

Inside Out [Published Under The Title "Sam Shepard Is A Place"], Marianne Rogoff

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

"Sam Shepard is a place, and in The One Inside (Knopf 2017) you’re there with him on the ground in the American desert. Shepard doesn’t like to fly so maybe this gives him a different point of view from the rest of us who are always taking off, in the air, and landing. His characters are found in motel rooms on empty highways, on porches, wandering open space, asleep under overpasses, walking next to the interstate as cars fly by so fast they never stop to notice anyone’s there."

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Circling Centre, Finding Our Way Home: Circumambulation Pilgrimages Around Iona, Mount Tamalpais And Labyrinths, Cindy Pavlinac

Faculty Authored Books and Book Contributions

Pilgrimage requires a journey. Humans are walkers, traversing the landscape seeking adventure and home. Walking pilgrimages along historic routes and concentrated journeys in a labyrinth all involve circling a centre. Places of natural grandeur have long attracted those undertaking journeys to sites of magic, prophecy, safety, hope and the supernatural. The landscape informs the journey and pilgrims notice things that can only be revealed by walking through that specific landscape. The boundaries between inner and outer landscape become blurred as the pilgrim enters an expanded relationship to the self. Walking engages the body while freeing the mind for deep contemplation …

Teaching Dystopia, Amy Wong

Literature, Languages, and the Humanities | Faculty Scholarship

This year, those of us who work in college classrooms kicked off our semesters with the spectacle of Trump’s inauguration: its bluffed militarism, its dark vision, its citation, in effect, of Bane, from the Batman dystopia The Dark Knight Rises. Everything about the inauguration presaged the bitter, disputatious, spectacle-driven manias that have come to mark the 45th Presidency. It was clear, on that grey January day, that dystopia was newly in vogue as he intoned: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. We all bleed …

Three Poems: "Shameless Things" | "Lunch Poems @ Dokkyo" | "Yosano Akiko On Jikkan", Judy Halebsky

Literature, Languages, and the Humanities | Faculty Scholarship

Three poems by Judy Halebsky:

• Shameless Things
• Lunch Poems @ Dokkyo
• Yosano Akiko on Jikkan

Schizophrenia And Its Effects On An American Family: A Call To Action For The 21st Century, Cynthia Newton Captain

Senior Theses

Our country’s healthcare system is at a moral crossroads. The way we treat those whom we call “the homeless” is deplorable. The majority of the homeless are mentally ill and need treatment. Our country needs to treat those with the severe brain diseases of schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and bi-polar disorder just as we would Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Those with severe mental illness, who have no insight into their illness, should not be allowed to dictate their own treatment. If a homeless person is brought to San Francisco General Hospital and is found to be a schizophrenic in psychiatric …

Advertisements And Social Appeal: Reshaping Of The Twentieth Century American Woman, Janet L. Tumpich

Senior Theses

Americans have been exposed to products and information through various mediums of advertisements. During the early 1900s, American advertisements (ads) increasingly overwhelmed the western world and could be seen in thousands of publications. The early ads featured imagery that depicted the everyday lives of American women, men, and children with the goal of selling products and services. Since women were identified as the primary consumer of the family, product ads often featured imagery of women as homemakers and in circumstances that portrayed them as feminine, and concerned with their appearance or pleasing their man. As the century progressed, and women …

Humanization Of The Enemy: The Pacifist Soldier And France In World War One, Daniel E. Stockman

Senior Theses

Not all French citizens were enthused by the prospect of war in 1914, nor were they all so willing to embrace a dehumanized view of the enemy. Some French citizens believed the “Great War” to be a patriotic endeavor. Propaganda encouraged this nationalism and the dehumanization of the enemy. “Political” pacifism existed within the French Third Republic psyche following France’s defeat in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. However, these pacifistic undertones were systematically undermined as France began to militarize itself. Drawing from a series of notebooks, and established academic sources, this paper shows that some French soldiers endured a world at …

Roman Propaganda In The Age Of Augustus, Alex Pollok

Senior Theses

This paper is an examination of the methods and utilizations of propaganda in the Late Republic/Early Imperial period of Ancient Rome. The focus is on the propaganda of Augustus Caesar whose rulership ushered in the era referred to as the Pax Romana or Roman Peace. Augustus created a mythical image of himself that served as inspiration for future emperors. This image and its influence on future Romans is also examined. Today, we have film and/or television acting as the primary focal point for propaganda. In ancient Rome, the primary methods were literature, statues, monuments, and coins (though these are still …

Love Sick The Musical - A Reflection Of My Undergraduate Studies, William Kelly

Senior Theses

No abstract available

Humanity On The Verge Of Insanity: Maintaining Cultural Identity Against Oppressive Rule, Danica Katarina Skoric

Senior Theses

Ubuntu is a South African term in the Bantu language that translates to “human kindness.” This essay discusses the present-day impact of the South African philosophical concept of Ubuntu in light of the dehumanization, which Aboriginal Australians and Black South Africans faced, specifically during the period of 1960-1985. How has humanity been enslaved and degraded by assimilation and a cruel division of races, yet positively evolved and progressed due to the efforts of both female and male activists--in particular literary figure Oodgeroo Noonuccal and political leader Nelson Mandela? A lack of respect and tolerance as a result of colonialism has …

The Gender Wage Gap In The Film Industry: A Review Of Literature, Christine Pires

Senior Theses

The gender wage gap is defined as the difference between the amounts of money paid to women and men, often for doing the same work (Cambridge, 2017). The gender wage gap is a reoccurring financial issue in all aspects of the business world. Most all career paths have had a wage gap between men and women. Having equal pay for equal work should be a thing of the past. However, women today are still fighting to close the wage gap and work equally in all fields. The film industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in America and still, …

Juneau: Notes From The Bus, Cara Makuh

Senior Theses

This creative writing project is about a week I spent alone in Juneau, Alaska. All time and travel was spent on foot, bus and boat. Alone, I had many different experiences, and every time I interacted with a new person, that isolation became a shared experience, if even for a minute. Each day started out a blank slate, and eventually wrote itself into a story with a unique identity of its own as each day does as we travel through seconds and minutes that build up into completed days. Social interactions with so many different people turns them from strangers …

The Severity And Lack Of Awareness Of Dermatomyositis, Alexander Lorenzo Perez Herrera

Senior Theses

Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune disease that affects a very small percentage of the population, close to 10 cases per million, according to the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD). The amount of men that are diagnosed with this disease are even smaller. However, hardly anyone knows what Dermatomyositis is, let alone what its side effects are. The purpose of this research paper is to exploit the severity of Dermatomyositis for those who are unaware of its existence, characteristics and significance within the health community. In doing so, I hope to create awareness throughout society by also telling my father’s …

Lacuna: Transcendence Of The Human Body Through The Space Between, Anica Bottom

Honors Theses

This essay examines the author’s choreography, Lacuna, and research integral to its representation. During the choreographic process, experimentation of how the human body moves in relation to different architectural space was observed. In collaboration with the cast of dancers, cohesion of personal experiences in particular locations was evaluated: specifically, investigation of how environments has the ability to trigger habits or patterns of movement from both past and present experiences. A closer look at how the body responds on a visceral level to the physical and emotional sense of place is described. Although the choreographic piece, Lacuna, came to …

Scattered Swirls: Understanding A Fragmented Past Through Embodied Knowledge, Maxine Patronik

Honors Theses

For my Senior Dance Project, which represents the culminating work of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program, I created a work of choreography with a chosen cast of five dancers and explored the vast theme of memory. The choreographic process helped me narrow down and identify the specific theme I wanted to explore, namely, the relationship of memory to the physical and moving body. As the piece developed and as I drew more experience from working with my dancers, I became particularly interested in the body as a repository of truth and how the body sustains truthful knowledge over …

The Sustainable Future Of The Modern Fashion Industry, Zhanna Kutsenkova

Honors Theses

Sustainable fashion is a recent movement within the fashion industry that aims to reduce textile waste and environmental depletion while increasing ethical treatment of workers; the goal is to slow down the global production and consumption process in order to form an industry that will be more sustainable in the long run. Along with the development of more socially and eco-conscious production and marketing practices, there is still room for the sustainable fashion movement to grow beyond its current scope. With the support of growing information networks and brand transparency consumers will be better equipped than ever before to make …

The Experience Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through The Lens Of Abraham Lincoln: The Effects Of Mental Health Stigma, Daryl Claude Medina

Senior Theses

Living with generalized anxiety disorder, also known as GAD, in the United States of America is difficult not only for the individual, but also for the people around him or her. Lifestyle changes have to be made, family dynamics need to be adjusted, and last but not least, all relationships must become flexible. In fact, these major life changes are never fixed and must continually adapt to the needs of the individual with generalized anxiety disorder since it is a lifelong medical condition. As with any other mental illness, dealing with generalized anxiety disorder takes great sacrifice in terms of …

Cultivating Engagement Through Student-Centered Learning In A High School Media Art Class, Dyane Goldman

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Student-centered-learning is a broad term for an approach to education where students are independent, self-directed learners (Krueger, 2014). This active environment is invigorating, energizing and filled with students deeply engaged in the work at hand. Educators are leaning towards embracing methods that foster independence in their students and in turn, these methods are proving to be effective in cultivating an atmosphere of engagement in all types of learners.

This study assessed implementation of opportunities for self-directed learning, and evaluated student interest and engagement in classroom activities. A review of the literature indicates that adapting this approach can be effective in …

Literacy Revolution: How The New Tools Of Communication Change The Stories We Tell, Molly Gamble

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The transmission of culture depends upon every generation reconsidering what it means to be literate. The way we consider ourselves to be a literate species is changing, which puts us at a unique turning point in human history. Verbal literacy, or the ability to read and write, is slowly being replaced by visual literacy as a primary tool for human communication. As a culture, we tend to underestimate the creative ferment of our increasingly visual world. The linear, structured pathways of traditional literacy are shifting towards a creative and participatory pursuit of unstructured information that emphasize dimensional thinking. The acceleration …

Winged Women: Stewardesses, Sexism, And American Society, Michele Martin

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Airline stewardesses in the decades between 1950 and 1980 reflected a microcosm of the American feminist movement. Subjected to what feminist theorist Laura Mulvey called “the male gaze,” in which women are viewed as objects who exist for the viewer’s pleasure, they were selected for their youth and beauty and trained to serve. Regulations about height, weight, age, and marital status, ensured that stewardesses were young, thin, and single, and women in this job were fetishized as everything from girl next door to sex kitten. Stewardesses were expected to fulfill archetypal and stereotypical female roles, including mother, nurse, comforter, and …

Sonder: Locating The Unessentialized Self In Movement Practices, Joel Walsham

Honors Theses

This research will contend with the ever-present endeavor in many models of contemporary dance practices to ‘be yourself’ – to seek out an illusive core of your being, and engage with your essential self. Through a survey of cultural studies and social identity that includes the contributions of Judith Butler, Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, Todd Reeser, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, the idea of an essential self will be challenged, throwing into question the dominant conception of self used in contemporary dance practices. Through a brief review of two historical conceptions of self in dance, that of Isadora Duncan and the post-modern …

Three Women, Two Spheres, And A Contract: A Comparative Study Of Mary Astell And Mary Wollstonecraft Through The Lens Of Carole Pateman's "The Sexual Contract", Robyn Burke Dabora

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This project examines the writings of Mary Astell (1666-1731) and Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) regarding women in light of ideas articulated by Carole Pateman (1940- ) in her book, The Sexual Contract (1988). In her work, Pateman critiques the prescriptions for the management of society suggested by classic contract theorists such as Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1704) and cites that their solutions focus solely on men in the public sphere of society. Pateman illuminates the condition of women in the private sphere of the home, and asserts that this realm operates by mechanisms radically different from those of the …

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Julia Margaret Cameron, And The Arthurian Legends: Re-Writing And Re-Envisioning Women’S Roles In 19th Century England, Lisa Wagenhurst

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) the poet and Julia Margaret Cameron the photographer (1813-1879) worked collaboratively on the Idylls of the King; a work of epic poetry that Tennyson wrote about the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. His re-envisioned tales were cautionary and provided guidelines as to how women should behave or face the consequences of causing the downfall of society. Victorian society was in a precarious situation as women were expected to behave in certain ways, but at the same time they were finding their voices and beginning to speak out about patriarchal society …

Benefits Of Dance Education In An Urban Kindergarten Classroom, Anna M. Veelman

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Arts Education can be a valuable intervention for students in an urban education setting. Teaching through the arts can act as a Tier One intervention for students who exhibit disruptive behavior due to trauma in the classroom. It has proven to also benefit classroom culture as a whole. Arts have a healing power that allows students to learn social-emotional regulation skills, body-awareness, and expression.

Dance specifically allows students to express their emotions as well as allow them to release energy as well as support student’s positive behavior in the classroom. Data were collected on 25 kindergarten students with a sub-group …

At-Risk Collection, Michael Ensign

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Thesis collection made up of people of color killed by police violence or those at an increased risk of police violence.

Lacuna: Transcendence Of The Human Body Through The Space Between, Anica Bottom

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Examination of humans as dancers interaction with our surrounding environment. Performance and experimental movement improvisation clips shown.

Senior Thesis Art And Design Exhibition Opening Reception, Alison Andrews, Maggie Davila, Michael Ensign, Kayla Mahoney, Andrew Mccollum, Jocelyn Moreno, Jasmine Randhawa, Kyawt Nyunt

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Alison Andrews
"Mandala Paintings"
4 paintings, 30" x 30", Mixed Media on Panel

Statement:
I’ve been blessed with an extremely extensive travel log that exposed me to a broad scope of cultures, and more importantly, their art. A few years ago after returning from an especially inspiring trip to rural India, I began creating mandalas. At first these mandalas incorporated other classic Indian designs and patterns, similar to a henna tattoo. Overtime, I found solace in getting lost in creating mandala patterns and tuning out the rest of the world.

Maggie Davila
"Cambio"
Animated Video Installation

Statement:
The nonlinear animation …