Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Looking At Me, Are You? Social Status And The Veil, Angelika Böck

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this article I discuss the dialogical method which is used to study the idea of perception among individuals, especially to understand the question of perception toward the veil in Yemen in 2007. Furthermore I elaborate on my exploration of “portrayal” as an art form which lies at the basis of my approach. To be occupied with matters of the veil means to deal with questions of image and gaze. Therefore I also try to give a basic overview on this topic. The article ends with a short description of a corresponding experiment I carried out in Germany one year …

Because I Am Not Here, Selected Second Life-Based Art Case Studies. Subjectivity, Autoempathy And Virtual World Aesthetics, Francisco Gerardo Toledo Ramírez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Second Life is a virtual world accessible through the Internet in which users create objects and spaces, and interact socially through 3D avatars. Certain artists use the platform as a medium for art creation, using the aesthetic, spatial, temporal and technological features of SL as raw material. Code and scripts applied to animate and manipulate objects, avatars and spaces are important in this sense. These artists, their avatars and artwork in SL are at the centre of my research questions: what does virtual existence mean and what is its purpose when stemming from aesthetic exchange in SL?

Through a qualitative …

Living A Parallel Life: Memoirs And Research Of A Transnational Korean Adoptee, Mary C. Robinson

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This thesis project consists of two parts: a memoir of my experience as a Korean adoptee, and a research paper examining how transracial, transnational adoption affects identity development in Korean adoptees. The memoir, as a first person narrative, gives voice to the research as one example of the findings. The majority of research on Korean adoptees has focused on levels of adjustment within a short time frame after adoptees’ placement in their adoptive homes. While the overwhelming majority of the prior research has declared positive and overall satisfactory adjustment for most adoptees, serious flaws exist in the methodologies that do …

Entre France Et Vietnam : Linda Lê Et La Problématique Mémorielle, Hervé Tchumkam

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

Building on Paul Ricoeur’s work on memory and forgetting, this article analyzes exile and identity in Linda Lê’s Calomnies, a novel that narrates the peregrinations of a young girl exiled from her native Vietnam because of French war but nevertheless living in France. Building on the contention that identity is somewhat problematic in exile, I argue that while the narrator’s resort to her relatives in order to remember her past, her struggle to battle oblivion often takes shape against the backdrop of collective memory. More specifically, I investigate Calomnies to show that the narrative of exile and the subsequent quest …

Langue Et Identité Chez Leïla Sebbar. Vers Une Filiation Renégociée, Cécilia W. Francis

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

In Je ne parle pas la langue de mon père (2003), L’arabe comme un chant secret (2010a), as well as in other components of her intimate prose, Leïla Sebbar reflects on her sense of dispossessed identity due to linguistic exile and an unknown heritage, resulting from ruptures in her paternal filiation. Drawing from the works of Jacques Derrida, Régine Robin and Simon Harel, which form the basis of our argumentation, we examine various dimensions of the severed parental bond. The article proposes to examine how Sebbar’s autobiographical writings, which incorporate scenarios dealing with legacy transmission expressed in terms of auditory …

Never Put Your Head Down Unless You Pray: The Stories Of African American Men In The Wisconsin Prison System, Julia Marie Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on offender narratives has not examined culture as a factor in how prisoners explain their crimes. This qualitative ethnographic research project explores the self-constructions of African American male prisoners using both participant observation with active gang members on the street and discourse analysis of over 300 letters written by incarcerated men. Focusing primarily on six prisoner consultants, this study investigates the claims that offenders make about themselves in reference to their identity. These convicted felons justify their crimes as rational under the circumstances prevalent in segregated inner cities. In reference to economic crimes such as drug dealing and …

Pre-Imposition Vs. In Situ Negotiation Of Group And Individual Identities: Spanish And English In Us Service Encounters, Laura Callahan

Modern Languages & Literature

This paper examines the supposed opposition between essentialist or positivist approaches to identity—which categorize group and individual members by a priori properties of sex, race, ethnicity, and native speakerhood—and constructionism, which views such properties as relational and negotiable. Even when categories such as sex, race, ethnicity, and native speakerhood are considered to have been imposed a priori, there nonetheless persists a general recognition that these are at least to some extent social constructs—if not the categories themselves, the ideas we have about them. Using data from previous empirical work in Spanish and English code-choice in US service encounters, this paper …

I'M Polynesian Too: Philosophy Of Assimilation, Cosmopolitanism, Colonialism, Race, & Culture, Aaron Hire

Senior Theses

Finding identity is difficult for mixed race and culture Polynesian Americans because there is no full integration into either racial/cultural side. For many Polynesian Americans (mixed race or not), finding an ethnic, cultural, and philosophical identity is a life-long struggle that constantly toils in matters tied to their souls and well being: issues of right and wrong, gender roles, morals/ethics, acceptance, and what it means to be human. For Polynesians and mixed race Polynesians, tribulation and alienation stem from the assimilation model that is present in the world today. “American Consumerist Cosmopolitanism,” as descended from colonialism, has impacted the well-being …

Authenticity And Identity-Making In A Globalized World: Capoeira In Boston And New York, Madeline L. Bishop

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

La Sangre Llama, Alicia Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

LA SANGRE LLAMA is an exhibition of paintings featuring works by Alicia Perez. The series of paintings are acrylic on canvas all 24" x 36", and explore the contemporary Latino immigrant experience that often involves instability, acculturation, and loss of identity. The attire found on the subjects all vary in patterns and colors to represent different nationalities that fall under the umbrella of Hispanic Culture. Intentionally concealed faces in the paintings emphasize the belief that many Hispanic immigrants are frequently viewed as stereotypes, rather than individuals. LA SANGRE LLAMA, which translates to "the blood beckons," affirms the notion that regardless …

The Changing Contours Of Maaori Identity And The Treaty Settlement Process, Evan Poata-Smith

Evan S. Te Ahu Poata-Smith

No abstract provided.

A Dangerous Professor Loses A Friendship, Michael C. Vocino

michael c vocino

A brief essay/short story based on the author's experience as a gay university professor and how creative teaching methods ended one of his vital friendships.

Not Just A Symbol But A Status Symbol, Summer D. Winston

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

I create art, not out of a deep understanding of the world around me, but out of a lack of one. Human psychology, motives, behaviors, stressors, intentions and identity are the themes that boggle me the most. Therefore, it is only natural that my work would be fueled by the questions these themes pose. In the past I sought to understand what pushes people to make certain choices and how can the world around us affect the formation of identity. Currently I wonder about identity in terms of what do people use to form and reinforce identity both real and …

Rhetoric And Composition Constructs “The Veteran”: An Examination Of The Student Veteran Identity As Found In Ccc And Tetyc Since September 11, 2001, Linda Gail Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Drawing on David L. Wallace’s assertion that the field of rhetoric and composition needs to interpret and present our research into cultural communities in ways that no longer tacitly assume our rhetorical choices are neutral, I present a critique of 19 articles from College Composition and Communication and Teaching English in the Two-Year College that contained one or more instances of five keywords and direct references to student veterans. Using a theoretical framework built from theory by James Berlin, Thomas Huckin, and Marguerite Helmers, I expose various stereotypical and problematic tropes we rely on and re-create in our scholarly writing …

Not You/Like You, With You: Toward A Praxis Of Love, Learning, And Liberation In Teaching Efl Writing — On Zombies, De-Colonial Feminisms, And Freire In Efl Contact Zones, Jessmaya Morales

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores EFL writing as a critical contact zone in which identity and subjectivity are found, denied, contested, de/constructed and occupied. The author opens with an account of a dream, utilized as a metaphor to examine EFL learning through the analytical lens of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The paper’s first section is a self-reflexive discussion of Freire’s pedagogy and why his unambiguous analyses of power, subjectivity, and the “banking system of education” are vital to the field of ELT. In the second section, the author discusses subjectivity, identity, and intersectionality as rooted in the work of …

The Impact Of Arranging Music For The Large Ensemble On The Teacher: A Phenomenological Exploration, James Teodor Lindroth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of what arranging music in the large instrumental ensemble music setting came to mean to the teachers doing the arranging. Four secondary music teachers (N=4) were asked to create a musical arrangement for one of their school ensembles. Over a period of seven weeks, participants rehearsed their arrangement with their students. This study was guided by research on creative identity, the self, and various identity theories from the field of the social sciences. Data were collected by way of in depth semi-constructed interviews, field observations, and journals; and were …

In Their Own Voices - Immigrant Musickers In A Changing City, Tiffany Pollock

Journal of Urban Culture Research

The following paper is drawn from a larger research project undertaken during2008-2009, in which I closely examined the immigrant music community in St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. To this end, I interviewed overtwenty-five people, most of them immigrant musicians, and in some cases viewedperformances and rehearsals, created jam sessions, and participated in variousmusic-making activities over an eight-month period. Here, I will present portraitsof some of my consultants from that time, whose negotiations in their musicmakingactivities demonstrate the diverse ways they see themselves in the Canadianmulticultural milieu and the issues faced in relocation. I will highlight someof their experiences that …

Butterbeer, Cauldron Cakes, And Fizzing Whizzbees: Food In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series, Leisa Anne Clark

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTThis thesis situates the Harry Potter books into the greater body of food studies and into the extant children's literary tradition through an examination of how food can be used to understand cultural identity. Food is a biological need, but because we have created social rules and rituals around food consumption and sharing, there is more to eating than simple nutritional value. The Harry Potter series is as much about overcoming childhood adversity, and good versus evil, as it is about magic, and food in the Harry Potter series is both abundant and relevant to the narrative, context, and themes …

Identification Through Inhabitation In Literature, Film, And Video Games, Charlotte Palfreyman Smith

Theses and Dissertations

In real life we each experience the world separately through our individual bodies, which necessitates what Kenneth Burke calls "identification." In this paper, I assert that as artistic media have structured our aesthetic experience in a way that increasingly resembles our lived, embodied experiences, our identification with fictional characters requires less imaginative effort and is more automatic and powerful. I will show this by analyzing how we inhabit characters through sensory engagement, point of view, and narrative form in literature, film, and video games (specifically action/adventure games, RPGs, and MMORPGs). I will then build off of Burke's foundational theory to …

The Journey To Peace And Healing: Discovering Identity Through Culture, Tradition, And Indigenous Knowledege, Vanessa Baíz Soto

Ethnic Studies

An accurate account of U.S. history is that of imperialism and colonization that includes the systematic extermination of indigenous populations, development of capitalism supported by slavery, and the exploitation of labor of oppressed populations, all supported by racist ideologies and practices. These ideologies and practices have been perpetuated and continue to plague the current state of colonized peoples. History has perpetuated itself and colonized peoples remain in a state of siege in which identities have been lost and cultures, traditions, and knowledge appropriated—all contributing to the loss of peace and balance within our lives and communities. This has been my …

L’Aventure Ambiguë De Hamidou Kane : Modernités En Abyme, Elisabeth Mudimbe-Boyi

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

The article seeks to revisit the interpretation of L’aventure ambiguë by proposing a reading that goes well beyond a simple binarism opposing tradition and modernity. The analysis emphasizes the philosophical dimension of the novel in order to show that African modernity is at the same time representation and critique of the Western modernity inscribed in abyme within the novel. Such approach allows the work to escape the prison house of contingency and to remain open and meaningful in different times and spaces.

Migration And The Foreign In Contemporary Spanish Poetry: El Sueño De Dakhla (Poemas De Umar Abass) By Manuel Moya, Debra Faszer-Mcmahon

Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature

Many critical studies have addressed the issue of immigration in contemporary Spanish narrative and film, but far fewer have analyzed this topic within the context of poetry. The representation of immigrant experience in poetic texts is significant not only because poetic works have received less attention, but also because of the significance of poetry within North African and Islamic culture. Manuel Moya’s recent award-winning collection places the question of North African immigration as a central concern. The text purports to offer a compilation of poetry produced by the Western Saharan immigrant Umar Abass, who currently resides in Madrid. The work …

The Politics Of Sex: Analyzing The Relationship Between The State And Gender Identity And Desire, Rachel Mayer

Honors Theses

The disenfranchised experiences of women are central to feminist understandings of identity. Crucial to this understanding is the question of what is the cause of female oppression and how to remedy the situation. This introduces the concept of state power and its relationship to women. The state, as the seat of legal and political power, has the ability to serve as both protector and oppressor. The thesis is devoted to exploring feminist perspectives and critiques on state power such as arguments for state intervention in the protection of women through concrete action such as gender-specific laws. Opposing this view is …

The Abaya: Fashion, Religion, And Identity In A Globalized World, Elizabeth D. Shimek

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The abaya is a traditional robe worn by women in the Arab Gulf states as both a symbol of national identity and as a part of Islamic veiling customs. Over the last twenty years, partly due to exposure to Western couture fashion, the abaya has changed from a plain, voluminous black robe to a unique signifier of personal taste through variations in fabrics, cuts, colors, and detailing. This study explores both the physical and symbolic changes the abaya (and the industry surrounding it) has undergone, as well as how these changes both reflect and provoke the conflicts in identity residents …

Through Other I'S: Las Otras, Brenda Nettles Riojas

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The “I” speaks in each of the poems presented; but whose I? The collection explores the use of personae, and gives voice to “the other” I’s/las otras, women who came before us and those who walk among us. Sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes the voices cross between languages. Written primarily in free verse, the poems are ordered to allow the mingling of languages from the speakers on the page. Through other eyes, some of the characters revive the past, speak from the grave. They provide a glimpse into what lies beyond the “I.” We hear the …

Anonymous Narrator, Ellen Hoffman

Oral Histories

As an Ohio native that became actively involved in her Native heritage later in life, my narrator presents an interesting perspective. She is an urban Indian, never having lived on a reservation. She was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools. Her story is a testament to the fact that even Native Americans that do not grow up with a strong tie to their Native heritage can go on to become very involved and influenced by Native activity.

“To Make Myself For A Person”: The Bildungsroman In Modern Jewish-American Literature, Kari Lynn Keeling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers and Abraham Cahan's The Rise of David Levinsky share many similarities: they both feature young Jewish protagonists who immigrate to America in search of the better life they believe America can provide. Though their novels have similar trajectories, each author answers the still relevant question of how immigrants might successfully assimilate into American culture in contrasting lights. Cahan's protagonist, in a superficial sense, achieves the "American dream," while Yezierska's Sara achieves a more modest success. However, Sara ultimately navigates the trials of cultural assimilation and identity formation more successfully. Levinsky gains monetary wealth by adapting to …

Rose, Alissa Feirson

Oral Histories

Rose was born on April 18, 1972 in Montana. She is a tribal member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa. Rose grew up in Montana and North Dakota. She moved to Columbus in the spring of 1998. Rose has been coming to NAACO for about 12 years.

A 'Living Art': Working-Class, Transcultural, And Feminist Aesthetics In The United States, Mexico, And Algeria, 1930s, Tabitha Adams Morgan

Open Access Dissertations

The cultural productions of Katherine Anne Porter, Anita Brenner, Tina Modotti, Maria Izquierdo, and Juanita Guccione represent a distinctive interweaving of gender and class consciousness, national identification and political resistance, as represented in their artistic work. These five women became transnational carriers of a radical realist and modernist thought, culture, and ideology that became transported through their art when their gendered and classed bodies were left otherwise silenced and boundaried. These women, their cultural productions, and the ways in which their art generates a counter discourse to the dominant and institutionalized conceptions of transculturalism, aesthetics, and re-production, are vital to …

The French Community At Uri: A Study Of Cultural And Linguistic Identity, Kayla L. Butts

Senior Honors Projects

The French Community at URI: A Study of Cultural and Linguistic Identity

Kayla Butts

Sponsor: Karen DeBruin, French

Growing up in a bi-racial family has always brought upon me the question of identity. To which culture do I belong and which values do I adopt? To make matters even more complex, I have fallen in love with the French culture and language and have chosen to major in it. Am I allowed to feel a part of this culture as well?

Whether it is part of ones ethnic background or not, human beings question if it is possible to truly …