Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Path Of Devotion: Religious Ecstasy In Hindu And Christian Mystics, Jessica Leu

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

What comes to mind when one hears the phrase, “Religious ecstasy”? Images of well-known Christian saints in states of bliss worthy of being artwork come to mind, especially in the West. However, this association of ecstasy with Sainthood specifically distances the lay person from the idea that they too can experience the Divine as these mystics once did. In Bhakti Yoga, a branch of practices within Hinduism, this same association that religious ecstasy is only a characteristic of mystics does not exist. Rather, states of documented religious rapture are not only strived for but believed to be universally accessible. In …

Stress And Coping In Food-Insecure African Americans In Clark County, Nevada, Johanna Andrews

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

African Americans have the highest rates of food insecurity than any other racial/ethnic group in the nation as a result of poverty, low household income, unemployment, food injustice, food mirages, and racial segregation. This consistent uncertainty in food access demonstrably results in poor mental health outcomes for food-insecure African Americans. Thus, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping provides a theoretical framework to investigate how African Americans cope with food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate processes of coping with food insecurity and determine their impact on emotional well-being for African Americans in Clark County, Nevada. A …

The Fabric Of Civil War Society: The Effect Of Uniforms, Badges, And Flags, 1861 To 1939, Shae Cox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The story of the American Civil War is usually told though a chronological framework and the author typically selects an event or place for focus, but this dissertation uses the lens of uniforms, flags, and post-war badges to travel through chronology and highlight new negotiations of well-known stories. While uniforms might just seem to be articles of clothing to wear on the battlefield, both the Union and the Confederacy used uniforms and flags as specific representations of identity during and after the war to present their “true history.” Citizens and veterans from the former Union used the uniforms and the …

The Impact Of Culturally-Tailored Education On Knowledge And Behavior Related To Screening And Lifestyle Management Of Blood Pressure In African Immigrants, Sarah Erskine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The number of African Immigrants in the United States is increasing. The prevalence of hypertension among Blacks, including African Immigrants are high. In addition to the increased susceptibility to hypertension, lack of disease awareness and unhealthy lifestyle are documented barriers to achieving adequate blood pressure control. The purpose of this project was to determine the impact of implementing a 30-minute, culturally-tailored, evidence based educational session on hypertension to promote knowledge and initiate behavior change in African Immigrants. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Blood pressures were measured and survey instruments such as the Hypertension Evaluation of Lifestyle and Management scale …

Escaping Time: Messiaen’S Musical Language, Religious Symbolism, And Undermining Time In Quatour Pour La Fin Du Temps, Sarra Elizabeth Hey-Folick

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Scholars, including Robert Fallon and Wilfred Mellers, understand Olivier Messiaen’s Quatour pour la fin du Temps through the lens of war and captivity. Written during Messiaen’s imprisonment in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag VIII A during World War II, Quatour portrays the biblical “end of time” described in the book of Revelations. Messiaen drew connections between Quatour and the apocalypse with references to the angel of the apocalypse, the abyss, and the end of time. Messiaen, along with Étienne Pasquier, Jean Le Boulaire, and Henri Akoka premiered Quatour on January, 15th 1941, for their fellow prisoners and guards …

The Child Dreams: An Examination Of Gil Shohat’S Adaptation Of Hanoch Levin’S Play, Karin Hochman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

On January 18, 2010, Gil Shohat's operatic adaptation of Hanoch Levin's 1993 play, The Child Dreams, had its world premiere at the Israeli Opera. The opera was commissioned for the opening of that company's twenty-fifth season. Levin's play holds a central place in Israeli culture; given the play's stature, Shohat's musical work raises a number of essential questions about adaptations and their consequent reception. This document will examine the critical perception of the effort: did the critics reviewing the production understand Shohat's intentions and did they "read" the work in the same way that he did?

We possess a wealth …

The Musical Style And The Cultural Connotation Of Bright Sheng's Opera 'Dream Of The Red Chamber', Xirui Huang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

When people speak about the book Dream of the Red Chamber, their hearts soften. This novel is one of the Four Great Classical Novels in China, and the best-known one. Commissioned by the former director of San Francisco Opera David Gockley, the composer Bright Sheng and the librettist David Henry Hwang adopted the novel into the opera version of Dream of the Red Chamber. Since it premiered at San Francisco Opera house in September of 2016, there is no doubt that the opera was aimed for the Western opera audiences. The original book Dream of the Red Chamber is a …

Shattering The Glass: Will Gen Z Bring Us Closer To Gender Equality In Us Hospitality Leadership?, Denise Holly Ramirez Molintas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The continued underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions has impaired the hospitality industry’s capacity to achieve the fifth UN Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality. Although the industry has initiated programs to establish gender parity, the innate gendering through traditional leadership prototypes and gender-role stratification requires investigation. Scholars have noted the limited focus on gender-aware issues in hospitality research. Further, as gender is a socialized construct, historical shifts in gender ideologies have enabled changes in gendering at the individual, interactional, and institutional dimensions of society. Grounded in gender as a social structure theory and role congruity theory, this dissertation …

Thatcherism In The Contemporary British Novel, 1978-2012, David Mowatt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Thatcherism in the Contemporary British Novel, 1978-2012

This dissertation reveals a nuance to contemporary British texts that have thus far been almost homogenously categorized as contributing to a negative portrayal of the political, cultural, and social policies of the 1980s. A study of texts and criticism of the contemporary British novel highlights the disproportionate number of depictions that could be considered anti-1980s and, as a representation of that decade, in turn anti-Thatcherite. There is an apparent consensus in the damaging effects on almost all aspects of British society during the decade because of the many policies enacted by the Thatcher …

Love In South Korea: Transformations Of Intimacy And Gender Relations In Korean Romantic Relationships, Alex Joseph Nelson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Romantic love holds a central place in South Korean imaginaries, animating television dramas and pop ballads, but has been largely overlooked in Korea's ethnographic record. Drawing on data collected through 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork, survey research, interviews, and analysis of folklore, the present study investigates how South Koreans conceptualize romantic love, how those conceptions have changed over time, and the ways they are transforming with the Korean field of gender relations.

This study documents love's entwinement with marriage in South Korea. Koreans are developing companionate ideals of marriage that shift the focus of kinship from the parent-child relationship to …

Beyond Maidens And Mothers: A Study Of Till We Have Faces, Tamar Peterson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines how C.S. Lewis’ final novel, Till We Have Faces, demonstrates a significant diversion from the author's typical writing habits, especially regarding his depictions of women. Progressing through the novel chronologically, this thesis studies sixteen notable scenes that demonstrate this diversion. It tracks the development and depiction of women characters who exemplify a more realistic, complex, egalitarian writing style—one that allows women to wield legitimate power, excel in military combat, operate as conduits to the Divine, and enjoy their sexuality in affirming ways.

This thesis begins with an introduction to Lewis' position as a lay theologian and popular …

Exploration Of The Intersection Of Social Identities Of Female Leaders In Postsecondary Education: A Phenomenological Approach, Sara Shaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of female leaders currently in leadership roles in postsecondary education. This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted to explore intersecting identities and how the identities affected female leaders’ leadership experiences and decision-making processes. Through the theoretical framework of intersectionality, I explored the relationships among females, leadership, career decision-making, and other categorical social identities. Data gathered from semi-structured one-on-one interviews and demographic surveys with 11 female postsecondary leaders sought to understand how gender and selected social identities affect career decision-making of women in postsecondary leadership positions. The researcher identified seven themes: …

The Cello Concertos Of Karl Davydov (1838–1889): Historical Context And Pedagogical Rol, Adam Matthew Stiber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the large quantity of music produced by the outstanding cellists of past eras, the range of repertoire regularly used in teaching advanced cellists in the US is fairly limited. In particular, though the virtuosic compositions of Karl Davydov (1838–1889) are common fare in Russia and Eastern Europe, cellists in the US perform them only rarely. Davydov rose to the highest echelon of performers in his generation. Today, scholars widely credit him with founding the Russian school of cello playing. Members of Davydov’s pedagogical lineage achieved prominence as artists and teachers, and his compositions are proven instructional pieces. In this …

Excavating Gender: The Embodiment And (Re)Presentation Of Social Relations In Mierzanowice Communities Of The Early Bronze Age, Mark Paul Toussaint

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The construction of gender in a society is based on a discursive relationship between culture and biology. Ideological components are often translated into structural factors, which condition access to social and biological resources and exposure to risk. Cumulative differential health outcomes for groups can become embodied in ways that affect the skeleton. By conducting population-level analyses of skeletal markers of health and trauma, bioarchaeologists work backwards to attempt to reconstruct social conditions. Archaeological and mortuary context is an important part of this process.

Cemeteries of the Mierzanowice Culture (MC) in southern Poland (2300-1600 BCE) offer a unique opportunity to study …

Beginning The Baroque Bassoon: A Contemporary Approach, Elizabeth Ellen Valvano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

“Beginning the Baroque Bassoon: A Contemporary Approach” is an introductory method for bassoonists who are interested in learning how to play the baroque bassoon or transitioning from the modern bassoon to its baroque counterpart. This method begins with a history of the development of the bassoon before delving into specific performance techniques. This approach includes bassoon history, information on reed making, instructional examples, fingering charts, solo suggestions and playing examples, and resources for further study. While emphasizing beginning the baroque bassoon, this method also includes resources for the more advanced bassoonist. The goal of this text is to widen the …

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit, Ree Taylor

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Christology Of M. Shawn Copeland: Exploring The Evolution Of Womanist Christology, Dana A. Dominguez

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper explores the evolution of womanist Christology through the work of M. Shawn Copeland. To begin, the paper outlines womanist theological thought from the beginning, looking at the origins of womanism and early theologians who contributed to the discussion. Discussion narrows in on the tri-dimensional reality that Black women face in society and Copeland’s expansion of the notion to identify additional oppressive systems in place other than classism, racism, and sexism. Copeland’s Queer Jesus asks,“who is Jesus to us today?” in the discussion of heterosexism. The author argues that what further pushes Copeland’s Christology past early womanist theologians is …

Daughter Zion And The Mississippi Delta, Jane J. Griesemer

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In the Book of Lamentations, Jerusalem 587 BCE is personified as the suffering and persecuted Daughter Zion.¹ The biblical Daughter Zion and the present-day Mississippi Delta are separated in time by 2,604 years and separated in distance by 7,000 miles. Despite the vast expanse of space and time between the two, interesting and noteworthy comparisons can be drawn. In this paper, I will show how contemporary afflictions and persecutions facing the Mississippi Delta can be poetically retrieved through a consideration of the afflictions and persecutions related to the fall of Jerusalem. The cry of both dramas tragically emerges from …

Healing Binaries: Retrieving Ancient Near Eastern Goddess Traditions For Christian Spirituality, Kristin Kissell

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This work addresses the question of what we can learn about body, gender, and sexuality from ancient Near Eastern goddess traditions in order to subvert binaries of body/spirit and male/female in Christianity. The methodology used is a feminist and comparative. Beginning with an analytic account of body in the context of antiquity and today, I highlight the importance of understanding body personification in different times and spaces; emphasizing the need to continually hold the body, embodiment, and experience in tension and mystery rather than certainty and categorization. I seek to expose the damage such binaries, language, and categorization inflict upon …

The Chosen Ones Who Cry Out Day And Night: The Applicability Of Staurology To Woman Victims Of Violence, Rachel Knight

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No small amount of feminist theological scholarship has been dedicated to questioning whether a male savior can save women. Some scholars have further asserted that the crucifixion is inherently tainted by its intrinsic theme of violence. This paper argues for the relevance of the cross to women victims of violence. There are many factors that point to the possibility of an inclusive theology of the cross that does not glamorize violence. These include but are not limited to Biblical accounts of the “many women” who walked in solidarity with the battered Christ; female disciples who mourned together after His murder; …

Divine Over Matter: The Idolatry Of Consumerism, Shayne Yano

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Consumerism has evolved into a lifestyle in which people seek to find meaning in life through shopping and acquiring material possessions. Corporations like Apple use advertising to make buyers feel like they always need to have the latest and greatest in order to be happy, while websites like Amazon have made it possible to shop endlessly without even having to leave the couch. For many, these consumeristic habits have become commonplace, but there are potential dangers to this kind of lifestyle as it relates to a relationship with God. We are trained by clever marketing and advertisements to believe that …

From Goats To Gays: Dismantling Collective Practices Of Scapegoating, Stephanie Roy

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This work seeks to explore the contemporary and historical phenomena of scapegoating, as it is rooted in the scapegoat ritual of Leviticus XVI and operative in Christian faith communities and the Catholic Church today. I propose that in addition to exhibiting the Hebrew scapegoat ritual’s core components of selection, degradation, and alienation of the victim, the scapegoating practices employed by many Christians throughout the Common Era serve as a continuation of this ancestral tradition, displaying the same degree of calculated orchestration, need for cyclical repetition, and shared goal of revitalization and renewal for the community. Utilizing a historical-critical methodology, in …

A Christology From Below: The Scuffmark Christology Of Dolores Mission, Manuel Valencia

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Dolores Mission Church, located in Boyle Heights, is arguably the poorest parish in Los Angeles, California; and yet paradoxically, it is one of the most generous in the Archdiocese. This paper examines Dolores Mission, the Jesuits who shepherd this parish, and its people who, through their lives and ministry, continue the story of Jesus. Ministry begins inside this humble church where every evening, volunteers set up cots and blankets for homeless men and women. Over the years, the tight rows of cots have scarred and scraped straight lines along the church walls. “These scuff marks are evidence of ministry,” says …

Portrayal Of Immigration In Fiction For Grades 4-6, Melissa N. Marwedel

Graduate Research Papers

With an increasing awareness of immigrant students in American schools, this study sought to examine current upper elementary fiction portraying immigrant characters. The purpose of this research was to discover how immigrants are currently portrayed in upper elementary literature. Through engaging with high-quality literature, native-born students could gain a perspective on the experiences of their immigrant classmates and develop empathy for them. Nine upper elementary fiction books were examined and coded for initial and emerging themes. Four major themes emerged: Importance of Family, Language Conflict, Life After Immigration, and Identity Development. This research supports classroom teachers and teacher librarians in …

Characterizing Protagonists In Graphic Novels For Teens, Danielle Lahr

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to utilize qualitative content analysis to examine the main characters in teen graphic novels from 2018. This study is designed to analyze the main protagonist in graphic novels to find patterns to help secondary librarians and teachers choose graphic novels that will appeal to students in grades 9-12. Three questions this study asks are: 1)What traits make a compelling protagonist for high schoolers? 2)Are there any traits shared between protagonists in graphic novels? And 3)What roles do protagonists of graphic novels play in the storyline?

Alfred Hitchcock As A Cinematic Architect Of Suspense, Hannah Both

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Film has the ability to evoke powerful emotional reactions from its audience through the emotional atmosphere it creates. This almost intangible quality is difficult to quantitatively describe. Architecture, to the learned few, has a similar ability to evoke emotional reactions to the spatial atmosphere it creates. Broadly, the goal of this research is to investigate the emotional influence of suspense in cinematic space and how it might quantitatively be described through a series of definable principals or space making strategies evident through an analysis of Rear Window. The medium of film allows space to be released from the physical …

The Gothic Other: A Critique Of Race, Gender, Slavery, And Systemic Oppression Found In Nathaniel Hawthorne, Toni Morrison, And Hannah Crafts, Kelly Franklin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines three novels all communicating ideas about race, gender, and slavery under the conventions of Gothic literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables (1851) show how patriarchy oppressed and haunted women while keeping slavery at the margins. Beloved (1987), by Toni Morrison, fictionalizes the account of a female slave who murdered her child to assert her power and reject slavery. However, Morrison rewrites and defies aspects of the Gothic mode by bringing the ghost of the murdered child back to life, and later showing steps the community can take to heal from their collective trauma. The …

Adapting Instruments, Not Students: A Study Of Adaptive Musical Instruments, Cheyanne Maria Chapin

Honors Program Theses

The purposes of this study were to (1) create a categorized listing of adaptive instruments divided into categories that can help music therapists decide which clients can utilize them and for what purposes and (2) evaluate the anticipated enjoyment and sound rating of a select number of adaptive electronic instruments. For Part 1 of this study, children with special needs, with the help of their parents, were invited to take part in a questionnaire related to the impression of four select adaptive instruments (Light Block, Skoog, JamBoxx, SpecDrums). Participants were asked to watch videos of the four instruments and rate …

The Healing Properties Of Interactive Art: Creating A Proposal For Art Within A Hospital Environment, Alexandra Chase

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The consumption of art and interaction with it can be beneficial to individuals in many different ways. Play and exploration engage the mind and can have positive effects, no matter how small. Within a medical setting, this type of interactive art can promote healing within patients by engaging their bodies and minds. With these ideas in mind, the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (CHMC) put out a call for an interactive sculpture piece to be created for their upcoming building expansion. My piece, Garden Lanterns, was then conceptualized in order to fulfill their requirements and embrace the idea of providing …

The Impact Of Healing Arts On Students At The University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Wala Albahrani

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

A recently emerging way to decrease stress of individuals is by practicing therapeutic art. The aim of this form of therapy is to provide a sense of expression and relief to individuals who suffer from constant anxiety and stress. Therapeutic art can be performed by a therapy session where an individual express themselves using art to communicate their thoughts and emotions. Since this form of therapy does not require artistic sense or skills, many individuals can benefit from it. Moreover, another form of this therapy is surrounding stressed individuals with calming art, such as photography, music, sculpture, and painting, etc. …