Arts and Humanities Commons^™

In Her Possession And Keeping Revolutionary War Widows And The Politics Of Family Archives, 1820–1850, Riley Kathryn Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Revolutionary War widows deployed family archives as partisan tools to claim pensions. By reconsidering the relationship between women, family archives, and state building, it challenges established understandings of revolutionary women, nineteenth-century political economy, and memory.

Revolutionary War pension laws ignited fierce partisan debates. Since pensions would require Congress to impose tariffs and assemble a fiscal bureaucracy, they were generally supported by Whigs and contested by Democrats. Knowing that, women tailored their applications to their partisan audiences. Widows often appealed to Whigs by requesting welfare, citing their poverty. But when addressing Democrats, they framed the pensions they …

Adaptation And Art: An Examination Of The Costume Design Process In A Global Pandemic, Kyla Ann Little

Theses and Dissertations

Exploring experiences in the Costume Design and Technology Program at the University of South Carolina, this thesis entails the extensive journey from the first trepidatious costume rendering to fully designing costumes for a studio feature film that may be sold to Hallmark. Through a comprehensive curriculum that involved designing costumes for three realized productions, acquiring proficient skills in drawing, painting, digital rendering, patternmaking, and draping, I was able to finish off with an internship semester that encompassed five professional jobs in the industry. My odyssey highlights the ability to adapt to new challenges, including navigating the global pandemic as an …

Not Acting, Reacting: An Analysis Of Reaction Videos, Reactors, Viewers And Authenticity, Cameron Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The digital age has brought about a new type of YouTuber content creator, the Reactor. Reactors film their supposed first-time reaction to various online videos including trailers, film, television etc. Reactors represent a new performance mode at the intersection of audience member and performer attempting to recreate a lost sense of community in an increasingly digitally mediated world. The act of filming one's reaction calls into question the authenticity of a reaction however, it is this very authenticity that drives Viewers to watch the content made by Reactors. Using reaction videos to the first year of Marvel Studios Disney+ shows …

Gyno-Gerontological Discourse And The Dearth Of Old Women Narrators In British Fiction 1790-1860, Lavender Elisabeth Earnest

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the remarkable dearth of old woman narrators in British fiction between 1790 and 1860, both documenting their under-representation and explaining it as, in part, a product of a wave of medical discourse disparaging the physical and mental vitality of post-menopausal women. Regarding methodology, I perform a random sample upon a corpus of first-person novels published in the period and categorize each according to the gender and age of the narrator. This analysis exhibits, unsurprisingly, that most narrators in the dataset are either in the first half of their life, male, or both. Old women represent only a …

Eldest Daughter Or Third Parent? An Exploration Of Eldest Daughters In The Egyptian-American Diaspora, Fatima Abdel-Gwad

Theses and Dissertations

Egyptian-American first-born daughters in the diaspora women cope with the pressures of immigration by improvising processes of identity-making and preserving ethnicity. This group is subject to complex systems of gendered, classed, and racialized tensions that become relevant in their attempts to preserve cultural formations in the diaspora. This work seeks to showcase the various tensions present in diasporic existence and explore the methods with which these diasporic daughters participate in processes of cultural and ethnic preservation. Through the ethnographic accounts of six eldest daughters in the New York City and Northern New Jersey areas, this research explores the connections between …

We Are Rock Steady: Fighting Together Against Parkinson’S Disease (An Oral History Of The First Six Months Of The Rock Steady Boxing Program At The First Baptist Church In Hot Springs, Arkansas), Michael Alan White

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system due to a lack of the neurotransmitter, dopamine. There are many potential symptoms, the most common involve movement, balance, walking, twitching, rigidity, and speech. There is no cure but there are numerous treatments for the symptoms which often have serious side effects. Rigorous exercise has been found to delay and, in some cases, reverse the severity of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. One of the more successful exercise programs is Rock Steady Boxing, which was established in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2006 and currently has over 700 affiliated programs worldwide. In …

Abū ʿAmr Ibn Al-ʿAlāʾ (D. 154/770) And Qur’Anic Philology In The Second/Eighth Century, Ali Abdel Latif

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines Abū ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAlāʾ (d. 154/770), an important scholar whose life coincided with the rise of the various disciplines of Qur’anic philology. I examine his contribution to the field Qur’anic philology, focusing on three distinct yet overlapping genres: Qur’anic chronology, Qur’anic counting, and variant readings. Because these genres were still in development during his time, the material examined in this thesis allows us to examine their state before they reached full development. As we do not have a written corpus by Abū ʿAmr, we will analyse material that was transmitted by his students and preserved in …

The Impact Of Natural Resources And Foreign Aid On Governance: Evidence From The Mena Countries, Dalia Moharram

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical and empirical literature points out the “Curse of Natural Resources” where the abundance of resources in certain countries may hamper economic growth through several channels. The paper extends the previous research and investigates whether higher revenues- not only from natural resources’ rent but also from foreign aid- exhibit another type of curse in MENA countries. That is, do higher natural resources rent, and foreign aid erode the quality of institutions as measured by governance indicators in the MENA countries? This research utilizes a panel data fixed-effect model to investigate the abovementioned relationship during the period 2000-2020. The countries are …

Germania Our Mother, Columbia Our Bride: Das Arkansas Echo In The First World War, Harrison Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the tone and content that appeared in the German-language Arkansas newspaper, Das Arkansas Echo, during the First World War. The newspaper’s content between the American neutrality period (1914-1917) was compared to the American war period (1917-1918) to see how it changed as political situations changed and anti-German sentiment grew. Additionally, the actions of the Echo’s editorial staff outside of the newspaper were explored within the context of their published content. This thesis found that both periods contrasted sharply with each other. The newspaper expressed support for the Central Powers and the actions of Germany in the American …

A Universe Of Mirrors: The Mirror Metaphor In Ibn ʿArabī’S Thought In Relation To Ontology, Knowledge, And Perfection, Basma Eletreby

Theses and Dissertations

The mirror metaphor is ubiquitous in sufi texts. It operates uniquely in Ibn ʿArabī’s thought and writings as a representation of his conception of the cosmos. Being, knowledge, and perfection are among the seminal themes of al-Shaykh al-Akbar’s thought, and the mirror metaphor is employed in revealing their reality in his writings. As opposed to Unity of Being, a term that Ibn ʿArabī does not employ, the mirror embodies the pillars of Ibn ʿArabī’s conception of Being through representing the quintessential huwa lā huwa, the configuration of oneness and manyness, and most importantly, the definition of the relation between God …

Filling The Vacant Space: A Close Reading Of Kant’S Dialectic Of Pure Practical Reason, Mae Ashraf Ali Saafan

Theses and Dissertations

The main aim of this thesis is to explore Kant’s central notion of rational belief. Kant’s account of rational belief could be viewed as the ground on which rational moral agents assent to propositions that enable them to avoid any practical incoherence as they engage in their moral duty.

The paper will offer a close reading of the dialectic of pure practical reason, particularly the doctrine of the postulates of practical reason. In this doctrine, Kant argues that although there is no theoretical proof for or against freedom, God, and the immortality of the soul, rational moral agents ought to …

A Captive’S Subjectivity, Rebeca J. Blemur

Theses and Dissertations

The project discusses the effects of Haiti’s colonization as the space transitions from Hispaniola to Saint-Domingue and later to the free state of Haiti. This is done by studying the concept of the right to conquest and the absurdities that exist around the first appearances of international law. The project focuses on the pre-revolutionary period starting around the 1750s, the revolutionary period that began in the 1790s, the French oligarchical class’s attempt for social equality, and the war for ultimate colonial conquest between the French, Spanish, and British. The project will display how legally objectifying a human being manifests subjects …

Students’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Using Memes In Esl Classrooms, Fadwa Youssef

Theses and Dissertations

Using humor in the language classroom has proven to be an effective pedagogical teaching tool that builds rapport between students and teachers. It also reduces anxiety and affective filter as well as increases students’ performance and willingness to communicate in class using their L2 (Azizinezhad & Hashemi, 2011; Banks, 2014; Soares, 2015). Previous studies used humor broadly starting from humorous comments in class to funny TV shows, movies, or songs. Some studies went further using funny memes in class and fewer studies went all the way making students create memes as part of their class requirements (Purnama, 2017). Results of …

The Fight For Freedmen's Minds In Arkansas, Ellis Eugene Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Arkansas was one of the last states to develop a public primary and secondary school system for African American students. While education was for the most part privatized, an important philosophy for educating African Americans was developed early by the Free African Society and AME Church that influenced Arkansas public and private Freedman education. This thesis looks into that and competing philosophies and examines how obstacles were presented to impede African American education and thereby obstruct their entry socially, economically and politically into American society. Moreover, how elites knowingly and repeatedly attempted to install a defective educational system that would …

Language Maintenance And Proficiency Of World Language Teachers, Anna E. Robison

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine the current proficiency strengths and weaknesses of practicing K-12 non-native WL teachers in the states of Utah and Oklahoma. Data were gathered through a survey and the OPIc diagnostic grid. The results revealed what features of Function, Accuracy, Content, and Text Type were strengths and weaknesses for OPIc ratings Intermediate High, Advanced Low, Advanced Mid, and Advanced High. The self-reported OPI scores compared to the OPIc scores found an encouraging rate of TL maintenance and improvement. The language maintenance activities reported by the participants revealed the frequency with which they engage in …

The Influence Of The Abraham Accords On The Visual Coverage Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict In Arab Media: A Comparative Analysis, Mona Alsaba

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the influence of the official signing of the Abraham Accords on the Arab media visual coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This study operationalized visual frames in terms of the human-interest vs technical frame and peace vs war frame, and explored the use of graphic portrayal as a framing device, in order to compare between the Arab media visual framing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before and after the official signing of the Abraham Accords to examine the impact of foreign policy on the coverage among news outlets of different Arab countries. A comparative analysis was conducted relying on …

Metamorphis, Luca Lee Sobarzo Faust

Theses and Dissertations

Web3D interactive experience that explores time, communication, and transformation, from a personal storytelling perspective. Hosted on a web platform, the experience displays three environments: Metamorphis, Cuir AI, and Hain. These spaces propose a fragmented narrative that seeks to interrogate both the characters and the viewer’s perception on the linearity of time

Children And The Cold War: Race & Hypocrisy Amid Fear Of Nuclear War, Richard D. Mctaggart Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

During the Cold War, American propaganda centered the wellbeing of the child in its messaging warning of atomic attack at the hands of the Soviet Union. However, despite American claims that all children were valued by the United States, this was proven untrue by its unequal treatment of Black children.

Paper, Clay, And Thread: Tools Of Decolonization In The Work Of Guadalupe Maravilla, Juan Javier Salazar, And Julieth Morales, Alexandra J. Goldman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains case studies on artwork by Guadalupe Maravilla, Juan Javier Salazar, and Julieth Morales. Each chapter focuses on one important medium in ancient American indigenous art - cartography, ceramics, and textiles – as explored in-depth by a contemporary artist from a region in which the medium has significant roots.

Developing Mexico: History, Architecture, Photography, And Esther Born’S The New Architecture In Mexico, Tyler Considine

Theses and Dissertations

Esther Born’s The New Architecture in Mexico (1937) presents the first survey of Mexican modern architecture and documents early works by Luis Barragán, Juan O’Gorman, among other Mexican modernists. This thesis examines Born’s architectural photography alongside that of Lola Álvarez Bravo, Guillermo Kahlo, and other photographers and within discourses of modernity, history, and representation.

“This Little Patch Of Earth Is Inexhaustible”: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner And The Outdoors Movements, Erica Evans

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the influence of reform movements and hiking and mountaineering organizations on the life and work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. I explore how principles of these outdoors movements, including a healthy mind/body connection and rustic lifestyle, inform Kirchner’s works created while living in Davos, Switzerland.

Artist-Scholar: Tradition And Modernity In The Work Of Tseng Yuho, Jennie Tang

Theses and Dissertations

Chinese American artist-scholar Tseng-Yuho (1925-2017) developed an original, modern style called dsui hua based on her extensive knowledge of traditional Chinese ink art and scroll mounting techniques, Chinese and Western art history, and experiences living in or travelling to mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Paris, Hawai‘i, and New York.

Ernesto Deira, Rogelio Polesello, And The Esso Salons Of 1964–65, Jonas Albro

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation analyzes artworks by Argentinian painters Rogelio Polesello and Ernesto Deira shown in the Argentinian Esso Salon of 1964 and the International Esso Salon the following year in Washington D.C. at the Museum of the Pan American Union (PAU), and the complex networks of internationalization represented therein.

“W”: Women In Afropop Entertainment At The Intersection Of Race, Gender, Sexuality, And Culture, Coreen Robledo

Theses and Dissertations

Performing artist uses a personal and historical viewpoint as a catalyst to discuss some women's challenges in the Afropop and African entertainment by offering social, patriarchal, cultural, and sexual contexts that the writer argues construct the images, reputations, decision-making, and circumstances of Brown and Black women in the entertainment industry.

New Music For A New World: Robert Ashley’S Television Operas, Nicole Kaack

Theses and Dissertations

Robert Ashley defined the majority of his works as “television operas”—spoken narrative music for television broadcast. Analyzing Ashley’s works through their cross-disciplinarity, this thesis addresses the development of Ashley’s chosen medium; assesses his use of visual, linguistic, and musical structures; and interprets their basis in American cultural identity.

"Where Sex Is Directly Concerned" Agatha Christie And The Feminization Of Detective Fiction, Barbara Javori

Theses and Dissertations

Agatha Christie’s name is synonymous with the Whodunit. She is without a doubt one the most popular and best selling authors of all time. Christie’s work built upon the first examples of detective fiction, including Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, Christie’s embrace of the traditionally female spaces, her subversion of expectations, and her unlikely detectives set her apart from her predecessors with their focus on male intellect, patriarchal superiority, and absent female characters. Christie’s novels established recognizable patterns still used today in books, television and movies. This project examines the arc of detective fiction …

Realisms And The Body After War: Document, Truth, And Critique In Postrevolutionary Mexico And Weimar Germany, Eliana Blechman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines realisms and representations of the body in postrevolutionary Mexico, using the critical framework surrounding Neue Sachlichkeit and post-World War I Weimar society as a comparative model. Through imagery of soldiers, women, and class disparity, artists utilized realisms to relay record, suggest truth, and create criticism.

Cashing Out (Documentary), Girard Tecson

Theses and Dissertations

My 30-minute documentary film, Cashing Out, explores my journey into the world of sneaker culture and the major impact it made in my life.

Does Gender Matter? Gendered Relations In The Recording Studios, Diane Wong

Theses and Dissertations

Only 8.6% of all recording engineers currently employed in the United States are women. To understand the influence of a woman’s gender in their recording career, this study presents their experiences from multiple angles – the recording studio business, women engineers’ obstacles, the recording education pipeline, and diversity and inclusion in the industry.

Revolutionary Women, Fredgy Noël

Theses and Dissertations

Revolutionary Women is a five screen video installation that honors five women leaders of the Haitian Revolution that lasted from August 22, 1791- January 1, 1804. Women revolutionaries are almost non-existent in its historical documentation in spite of their important roles as fighters, military leaders, and spiritual guides. Revolutionary Women aims to fill this gap. It re-inserts these erased women into the history of the Revolution through telling the stories of Cécile Fatiman, Dédée Bazile, Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière, Victoria "Abdaraya Toya" Montou, and Sanite Bélair. The video installation takes an experimental mixed-media approach to tell their dynamic stories. The five screens …