Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 421 - 450 of 1224

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

How Media Frame Roller Derby Around The World In 20 Different Countries, Julie Chartrou May 2012

How Media Frame Roller Derby Around The World In 20 Different Countries, Julie Chartrou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A content analysis was conducted to analyze how media frame roller derby. The research included an analysis of newspaper articles published all around the world in 20 different nations from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2011, and different languages were considered. The research did not support previous studies concerning women athletes and the sport. Overall tone toward roller derby was mainly neutral, and the description of roller derby was not defined as sexist or using violent terms. Women journalists who wrote articles were slightly more sexist and used violent terms than men. Exploratory research showed that the previous findings …

Go to article

Art As A Media For Social Commentary : A Case Study Of Igbo Bongo Musicians, South-Eastern Nigeria., Ruth Stellamaris Opara 1980- May 2012

Art As A Media For Social Commentary : A Case Study Of Igbo Bongo Musicians, South-Eastern Nigeria., Ruth Stellamaris Opara 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the use of bongo music as a medium for social commentary in society. African traditional musicians, without formal education have been able to address socio-political and moral issues. The methodology includes the use of autobiographic stories and lyrical analysis. The lyrics are drawn from the musical CDs of two musicians who are of different generations. Reviews of literatures are also used to discuss the historical background of Nigeria and the Igbo people, the function of music in the life of an African culture including music, and the impact of colonization in African music. The analysis explores the …

Go to article

Mad At Miles : A Black Woman's Guide To Truth : Theatre Building Using Myths, Motifs, And Archetypes., Triza Triza Cox May 2012

Mad At Miles : A Black Woman's Guide To Truth : Theatre Building Using Myths, Motifs, And Archetypes., Triza Triza Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis chronicles my journey within the framework of a hero's journey, as a theatre artist in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Louisville's Theatre Arts Department. This thesis is divided into six chapters that explore the importance of using and understanding myths, motifs, and archetypes for character development in general and specifically for building the ensemble production from Pearl Cleage's collection of essays: Mad at Miles: A Black Woman's Guide to Truth. The Introduction explores the origins of the drive for humans to create art. Chapter One investigates my attraction to theatre through my personal …

Go to article

Richard Iii And A Comedian's Eye., William S. Salmons May 2012

Richard Iii And A Comedian's Eye., William S. Salmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a culmination of process and real life experiences I used as an actor to reach the goal of performing the role of Shakespeare's Richard III. Not only do I discuss the process I used, but I discuss the choices I made in pursuing this role through research, mentorship, and professionalism. Mostly I discuss why I was perfect for this particular role performed at the University of Louisville. This thesis is divided into four parts covering background, college, professional work, graduate work and finally performance of Richard III. Part One gives a historical background on my life from …

Go to article

The Kmea And Its String Program : Teaching Techniques Of String Teachers., Lyndsay Blair Joseph 1984- May 2012

The Kmea And Its String Program : Teaching Techniques Of String Teachers., Lyndsay Blair Joseph 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the teaching techniques of current string teachers within the Kentucky Music Education Association. Participants (N=31) completed a 17-question survey that focused on teaching techniques they use while teaching string orchestra. The participants included elementary, middle, and high school public string teachers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Results collected from the survey included demographic information about the teachers including the grade levels taught, number of years of teaching experience, the amount of time spent teaching per week, the participants primary instrument, and whether or not they gave private lessons. The survey questions also …

Go to article

Journey Towards Artistry : Blues For An Alabama Sky., Jacqueline L. Thompson 1979- May 2012

Journey Towards Artistry : Blues For An Alabama Sky., Jacqueline L. Thompson 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis represents and examines my metamorphic journey as it relates to acting. These pages hold my greatest fears, insecurities, perspectives, and mantras toward life and the magical world of theatre. Chapter One, Genesis of Passion, reveals how my childhood helped and hindered my progression as an artist in my adulthood. Chapter Two, Metamorphosis of an Artist, speaks to the mental and physical adjustments required to transition from the teacher back to the student. Chapter Three, Touched by An Angel, includes historical data surrounding Blues For An Alabama Sky as well as specific character research needed to bring my character …

Go to article

Developing Actor Expertise : The Presentation And Representation Of Man In Will Eno's The Flu Season., Conrad Harding Newman 1984- May 2012

Developing Actor Expertise : The Presentation And Representation Of Man In Will Eno's The Flu Season., Conrad Harding Newman 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines my work on the role of Man in the University of Louisville's 2011 production of Will Eno's The Flu Season directed by James Tompkins. It is composed of three primary chapters: rehearsal process, character development, and performance. The rehearsal chapter compares and contrasts my experiences working with Dr. Amy Steiger on Charles Mee's A Perfect Wedding and Professor James Tompkins on The Flu Season, highlighting the value of both collaborative and individual aspects in rehearsal. The styles of the directors are observed and discussed concerning their effect upon my acting process and development. In character development I …

Go to article

Dames, Doilies, & Divorce., Tenille Novinger May 2012

Dames, Doilies, & Divorce., Tenille Novinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My work focuses on repurposing historic images and feminine objects to create a contemporary dialogue about the traditions of courtship, marriage and divorce. The use of textiles and feminine objects such as doilies, lace, slips and wallpaper serve as the visual foundation of my work. I am interested in how these objects, often combined with selected texts, create metaphors regarding relationships. Courtship, marriage and divorce are the three potential steps of a relationship. This thesis is arranged into three chapters: materials, themes, and influences found within my studio research and subsequent MA in Studio Arts Exhibition, Dames, Doilies, & Divorce …

Go to article

Theory, Praxis And Transformation : The Dramatic Writing Of Suzan-Lori Parks As Liberatory Critical Pedagogy., Tamika Keene May 2012

Theory, Praxis And Transformation : The Dramatic Writing Of Suzan-Lori Parks As Liberatory Critical Pedagogy., Tamika Keene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined how the dramatic writing of Suzan-Lori Parks functioned as a form of critical pedagogy which may serve to elevate the critical consciousness of African American women. It sought to consider the implications of her dramatic writing in relation to the African American female experience. Specifically, this research explored Parks's dramatic work In The Blood by way of a constructed pedagogical model which utilized Henry A. Giroux's perspective on critical pedagogy and Lisa M. Anderson's perspective of a "black feminist aesthetic" (of theatre). This framework also incorporated methods of a literary deconstructive strategy, a black feminist approach and …

Go to article

Acting Without Expectations., Gary L. Brice May 2012

Acting Without Expectations., Gary L. Brice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines my preparation for performing Leland Cunningham in Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage. Using the motif of personal expectations, I explore how my ideas of performance have become unbalanced. I evaluate the origin of these performance expectations and discuss how they influenced this particular process. After considering my early career, graduate school experience, and character preparation, I use the final chapter to explore the debilitating nature of these expectations. I consider how and why I can no longer accept this frame work of unrealistic performance expectations; and how through this process I have reconsidered pursuing …

Go to article

Attempting Queen Margaret Through The Actor's Equation., Elizabeth Ann Tantanella Burrell May 2012

Attempting Queen Margaret Through The Actor's Equation., Elizabeth Ann Tantanella Burrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a brief examination of what is required to create a successful performance onstage, where a successful performance is defined by the audiences understanding of the text through the actor's performance. With that understanding comes a chance for the audience to reach a catharsis that can only be created in live theatre. The theory of "The Actor's Equation" is defined and applied to the performance of Queen Margaret in Shakespeare's Richard III, a production presented at the University of Louisville in October 2011. The thesis is broken into four chapters including actor training, the challenges and fears of …

Go to article

Please Don't Interrupt Me While I'M Ignoring You, Sherard Harrington Jan 2012

Please Don't Interrupt Me While I'M Ignoring You, Sherard Harrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of short stories and personal essays, Please Don’t Interrupt Me While I’m Ignoring You weaves a lamé of humor and private desperation on the page. An actor in one story craves career gratification, while a United Nations coordinator in another finds herself attracted to a nervous NGO. A housewife attempts to convince her husband to commit an infidelity, while an architect finds that his new pet companion isn’t helping him to get over his ex-girlfriend. Having a difficult time relating, these characters often find themselves stuck in a miscommunication loop, and their journey to get what they want …

Go to article

The Arctic Game, Sarah E. Nuernberger Jan 2012

The Arctic Game, Sarah E. Nuernberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since outsiders first visited the Arctic, they have believed in man's ability to conquer the region. Today's Arctic conquest is not one of heroic exploration, but rather one of ownership and exploitation. This paper illustrates contestation in the Arctic through the metaphor of a game, with attendant prizes, players, and rules. It focuses on how to prevent the future destruction of the Arctic given the interactions of the Arctic's landscape, prizes, players, and current management frameworks. In the wake of renewed resource exploitation and escalating climate change impacts, the current frameworks and mindsets are inadequate to support the precarious balance …

Go to article

0300–0430, Jesus M. Sierra Jan 2012

0300–0430, Jesus M. Sierra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Night, a time everyone experiences and few contemplate. It is a time of darkness both figuratively and literally. Darkness of the soul and of the mind, when some rest and others are restless. We live in an age of endless day where the night is nothing more than a time to be blinded by electronic light. With this in mind the question becomes how was our night seen in the past? Also, how was the night and the darkness represented throughout time? To answer these questions I researched the topic of night and made a film entitled 0300 - 0430. …

Go to article

If There's No "Fat Lady," When Is The Opera Over? An Exploration Of Changing Physical Image Standards In Present-Day Opera, Emily L. Stephenson Jan 2012

If There's No "Fat Lady," When Is The Opera Over? An Exploration Of Changing Physical Image Standards In Present-Day Opera, Emily L. Stephenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though present-day American society generally assumes opera is one of the few remaining entertainment fields where talent matters more than physical appearance, as the 2004 firing of Deborah Voigt demonstrates, present-day opera singers are increasingly being held to stricter image standards. In 2004, Covent Garden dismissed Voigt from their production of Ariadne auf Naxos, in which Voigt was supposed to reprise her critically acclaimed interpretation of the title role. According to Voigt, Covent Garden's casting director Peter Katona felt that she was too large to fit into the black dress the new production required of the character. Voigt's removal …

Go to article

Evaluating Human-Robot Implicit Communication Through Human-Human Implicit Communication, Andrew Xenos Richardson Jan 2012

Evaluating Human-Robot Implicit Communication Through Human-Human Implicit Communication, Andrew Xenos Richardson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research is examining ways to make human-robot (HR) communication more natural. Incorporating natural communication techniques is expected to make HR communication seamless and more natural for humans. Humans naturally incorporate implicit levels of communication, and including implicit communication in HR communication should provide tremendous benefit. The aim for this work was to evaluate a model for humanrobot implicit communication. Specifically, the primary goal for this research was to determine whether humans can assign meanings to implicit cues received from autonomous robots as they do for identical implicit cues received from humans. An experiment was designed to allow …

Go to article

The Fabricated Shopping Experience: An Impersonal Impression On Consumerism, Sherri Nienass Jan 2012

The Fabricated Shopping Experience: An Impersonal Impression On Consumerism, Sherri Nienass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I have a compulsion to document my surroundings. I do this in all forms possible; through a picture text-message, a point-and-shoot camera, or through a high end camera. Like most women in contemporary society, I feel an expectation to be gorgeous. While I do not feel this pressure directly from my boyfriend or close friends, I am constantly surrounded by advertisements for beauty products enforcing the importance of being attractive. My current occupation as a cosmetic counter makeup artist relies on convincing women to enhance their appearance. I am fascinated by how easily I can persuade clients to purchase unnecessary …

Go to article

The Immaculate Condemnation, Corey Robertson Jan 2012

The Immaculate Condemnation, Corey Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My work is a continuously evolving self portrait formulated by a combination of past experiences and influences. The Immaculate Condemnation body of work is a cathartic reaction that confronts Catholic Sin and rebels against gender conformity. As both a confirmed Catholic and transgender woman, I speak from an authentic voice that seeks open conversation regarding these topics. I also hope to demystify the transsexual body for the non-transgendered viewer. Additionally, I use allegoric imagery to communicate my interpretation of beauty, power, horror, and sex. I combine performance, photography, sculpture, video, audio, and graphic design to execute my installations. I intentionally …

Go to article

Decolonizing Psychic Space: Remembering The Indigenous Psychology Movement In Taiwan, Rong-Bang Peng Jan 2012

Decolonizing Psychic Space: Remembering The Indigenous Psychology Movement In Taiwan, Rong-Bang Peng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project is part of the historical struggle of the indigenous psychology movement in Taiwan. It turns a critical gaze back upon the movement itself in order to decolonize it from colonial cultural imaginary. The contribution of this project is two-fold. First, on the theoretical level, it introduces a critical perspective into the growing body of indigenous psychological research. The indigenous psychology movement risks repeating the vicious cycle of colonization and re-colonization without critically looking back at its own historical trajectory. Second, on the level of intervention, writing the history of the indigenous psychology movement will make this project a …

Go to article

Close Encounters, Martin Anthony Arnold Jan 2012

Close Encounters, Martin Anthony Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: The expressiveness of the human figure is the syntax and vocabulary that I use to explore the things that make us human. In coming to really know an individual, we not only gain insights into our own psychological make-up, but we may extrapolate our findings to the broader human condition. Although intimately concerned with highlighting the characteristics that make my subjects distinctive, I am equally determined to examine those traits underscoring our commonality, that bind us all into a human family. I look for fresh ways to pull back the curtain of privacy and allow viewers to intrude on …

Go to article

Masculinity In Comparative Black Literatures, Latoya Renee Jefferson Jan 2012

Masculinity In Comparative Black Literatures, Latoya Renee Jefferson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the ways in which Black men in Africa and throughout the African Diaspora define themselves as gendered beings in their fiction and drama beginning with Richard Wright's publication of Native Son in 1940 to Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter published 1980. Black men created a transnational dialectic concerning their masculinity which involved the creation and criticism of several types of masculinity. In Chapters 1 and 2, I discuss the theoretical and the historical framework for this project. In Chapter 3, I discuss the first type of Black masculinity which was based in opposition to Euro-American stereotypes …

Go to article

Nothing Less Than An Activist: Marge Baroni, Catholicism, And The Natchez, Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, Eva Elizabeth Walton Jan 2012

Nothing Less Than An Activist: Marge Baroni, Catholicism, And The Natchez, Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, Eva Elizabeth Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a religious and social history of the life of Natchez, Mississippi Catholic activist Marjorie R. Baroni (1924-1986). The study examines Baroni's Catholic faith-driven activism as a counter-narrative to the dominant Protestant narratives of religious motivations in the greater civil rights movement. In analyzing Baroni's story as a lived theological drama, I offer Baroni as a vessel for studying often overlooked Catholic influences in the movement: (1) The activist Catholic faith promoted by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement (2) The effects of the more inclusive decrees of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) on the Catholic Church …

Go to article

Understanding Gender And Sexuality In A Gay/Straight Alliance, Megan L. Duesterhaus Jan 2012

Understanding Gender And Sexuality In A Gay/Straight Alliance, Megan L. Duesterhaus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gay/Straight Alliances aimed at providing sexual minority youth and their allies with support, social events, and activism and education opportunities have proliferated in high schools in the United States over the past two decades. This study employs a qualitative, grounded theory approach to examine how sexual minority youth and their allies navigate gender, sexuality, and social movement participation. A year and a half of observation and 16 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with Gay/Straight Alliance members in a high school setting in the southeastern United States. The study reveals that, through the lens of frame analysis, the G/SA is analogous …

Go to article

The Sustainability Of Overconsumption? A Discursive Analysis Of Walmart's Sustainability Campaign, Kathleen Adams Jan 2012

The Sustainability Of Overconsumption? A Discursive Analysis Of Walmart's Sustainability Campaign, Kathleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study inquires as to whether Walmart’s sustainability campaign represents a sincere and holistic change throughout the company’s global supply chain or if it is simply a public relations campaign which caters to the growing target market of “next-generation” consumers and justifies further expansion into “emerging markets”. A critical analysis of Walmart’s sustainability discourse is presented, using transcribed texts of various corporate and publicitygeared publications. Frequently utilized terms and themes are identified throughout the big-box retailer’s sustainability campaign which convey a distinctly Neoliberal ethos—a political economy which lies at the heart of current practices of institutional unsustainability—and emphasize the role …

Go to article

One Time, One Place? Richard Wright And Eudora Welty's Shared Visual Politics In The Depression Era, Mallory Blasingame Jan 2012

One Time, One Place? Richard Wright And Eudora Welty's Shared Visual Politics In The Depression Era, Mallory Blasingame

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis questions the absence of critical comparative studies of Mississippi-born authors Richard Wright and Eudora Welty. It argues that, though the authors' writing has traditionally been understood as residing on opposite sides of the political spectrum, they share a political vision of the rural South and urban North in the Depression era that is established in their documentary works—Wright's 12 Million Black Voices (1941) and Welty's One Time, One Place (1971)—and extends into such fictional works as Wright's "Big Boy Leaves Home" (1936) and Native Son (1941) and Welty's "Moon Lake" (1949) and "Flowers for Marjorie" (1941). In chapter …

Go to article

A Historical Analysis Of Living Blues Magazine, Melanie Young Jan 2012

A Historical Analysis Of Living Blues Magazine, Melanie Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Living Blues magazine and its history through its stated cultural focus on African American music.

Go to article

The Lady Showroom: Optical Representations In The Works Of Joanna Baillie And Louisa Stuart Costello, Katherine Richards Jan 2012

The Lady Showroom: Optical Representations In The Works Of Joanna Baillie And Louisa Stuart Costello, Katherine Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much women's writing in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries attempts to depict other women visually through textual description, use of optical devices, and discussion of bodies and appearances. This thesis argues that they were trying to see and show other women as a way of understanding themselves and each other by examining intersections between visual culture and text through mirrors, miniatures, and portraits. This thesis demonstrates how these works reflect larger shifts in the optical unconscious of the eighteenth century. I focus on works by Joanna Baillie and Louisa Stuart Costello, who theorize the viewing process in their …

Go to article

Between Words: Popular Culture And The Rise Of Print In Seventeenth Century England, Christie Schneck Jan 2012

Between Words: Popular Culture And The Rise Of Print In Seventeenth Century England, Christie Schneck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seventeenth century England was forced to come to terms with events such as the Civil War and the regicide of King Charles I, in the midst of contending with the cultural changes brought upon by print culture, the effects of which appeared throughout all aspects of English society. These changes helped form a relationship between print and oral culture, one of negotiation among the producers and regulators of work and the society consuming the works. The discussion of this negotiation has led to varying conclusions concerning the true impact of printed materials on English society and culture, all of which …

Go to article

Vivacity: Discovering Zora Through Her Words, Kerri J. Alexander Jan 2012

Vivacity: Discovering Zora Through Her Words, Kerri J. Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In its simplest form, storytelling is the passing of information from one person to the next. When storytelling illuminates time, place and purpose, it is then able to entertain, comfort and transport any listener. As the keeper of the imagination, the storyteller has inspired me as a performer. After reading Zora Neale Hurston‘s Every Tongue Got to Confess, I found my single-defining connection to the art of storytelling. Halimuhfack ultimately became my thesis performance piece inspired by the folk tales from Every Tongue Got To Confess. The new theatre piece shares Hurston‘s folk tale the way it may have once …

Go to article

Performing Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years: An Exercise In Communication On Stage And Off, David Z. Sucharski Jan 2012

Performing Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years: An Exercise In Communication On Stage And Off, David Z. Sucharski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Communication, in its most basic sense, is foundational for any personal, human interaction and relationship. As theatre artists, we are charged with communicating complex story lines, conceptual ideas, and emotion to an audience. Sound communication is paramount to every aspect of a musical production, be it communication between actors/characters, actor and director, amongst the production team, and arguable the most important, between the actors and the audience. My years of education as a Masters in Fine Arts candidate in Musical Theatre have been spent polishing my ability to communicate physical and emotional choices with greater accuracy, depth, and truth. By …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last