Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Dancing Mi Cultura: The Production Of Ethnic And National Identity In Midwestern Mexican-Americans Through The Performance Of Ballet Méxicano Folklórico, Katrina J. Frank

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies how Mexican Americans living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago produce connections to their Mexican heritage and culture through the performance of ballet Mexicano folklórico. Through ethnographic interviews of current and former folklórico dancers, as well as participant observation of adult folklórico dance practices, I contextualize the experiences of the interviewees using the anthropological theories of habitus, continuous and discontinuous selves, double-consciousness, liminality, and collective effervescence, as well as the works of Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, and Frantz Fanon, with the discussion of folklórico as an art, and the concept of institutional use of dance as …

International Marriages: Culture, Identity Formation, Social And Historical Context, Alec Bryan Schaer

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to examine how changes in sociopolitical and cultural landscapes affect the cultural and personal identities of individuals engaged in mixed heritage relationships. I examine relationships between Japanese women and American men to illustrate that the wider socio-political contexts of these individuals play key roles in how they view and portray themselves in relation to others; as Japanese, American, both, or neither.

This research is divided into two distinct periods, one before WWII and a second after WWII. For each of these periods, I examined the relevant socio-political and cultural circumstances which affected Japanese and …

Maasai Identity In The 21st Century, Allison Marie Kotowicz

Theses and Dissertations

The Maasai people of East Africa have managed to retain much of their culture and traditions in the face of colonialism and increasing internal and external pressures. The Maasai have been viewed by many as the iconic, traditional representation of Africa. This representation affects perceptions and ideas about what it means to be Maasai. However, a person or group's identity is not a static, singular phenomenon, but composed of multiple identities and layers which are constantly changing.

In today's world, the Maasai are faced with changes and challenges from processes such as globalization and modernity. As the world becomes more …