Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fandom Is A Way Of Life: A Folkloristic Ethnography Of Science Fiction Fandom, David Axler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A science fiction (“sf”) fan is an individual whose interest in this literary genre has extended past reading into involvement in such things as local science fiction clubs, fan magazines (“fanzines”), and sf conventions (“cons”). Science fiction fandom is the loosely-structured, geographically-dispersed organization of these fans. Drawing on both written sources and field interviews with eight informants, the history, composition and structure of sf fandom is examined from a folkloristic viewpoint. The forms of folklore which serve to bind the individual fan to the larger social entity of fandom are detailed.

Despite its literary orientation, fandom is primarily a social …

Structural Cohesion In Arnold Bennett's Clayhanger Trilogy, Laura Maurine Green

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This paper will demonstrate how Bennett’s “circumstantial” history of his age, as it streams by the reader, is controlled, analyzed, and interpreted. The framework of characters and events stand firm, their foundations solid in the systematic working-out, through symbolism and irony, of Bennett’s conviction that there is a “cause and effect” relationship between the physical environment and the character and sociological evolution and the character. Bennett writes that “the spirit of literature… enforces a moral wisdom by tracing everywhere of cause and effect.” The structures of characters and events are raised, reinforced, illuminated, inspected, and photographed through the use of …

The Female Image In The Caldecott Medal Award Books, Patricia Lee Brighton Roberts

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM: Millions of children read and view the Caldecott Winners each year There are no published studies regarding the possible stereo-typing of the role of the human, animal and inanimate female image in the texts and illustrations of these 37 books.

Purpose: The. investigation ·was conducted to determine the extent the total population of the Caldecott books did stereo-type the role of the human, animal and inanimate female image.

Procedures: The investigation was completed in four steps: (1) First, a panel of sociologists determined the content validity of the definitions used in the hypothesis; (2) Second, a Content Analysis Form …

An Analysis Of The Psychozoological Tales Of Rafael Arévalo Martínez, Ricardo Cortez Costello

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This paper will identify and analyze the literary phenomenon of the preponderance of the transfer of dumb animal. traits, including mannerisms, instincts and brute social behavior to human beings as found in the prose of Rafael Arevalo Martlnez of Guatemala. This literary phenomenon has been called.zoomorphimn and psychozoology.

Andre Gide, The Nonconformist, Edwa Langdon Mcdonald

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The life of André Gide is divided into four periods: his early life which he considered his period of darkness, his adolescence which was his period of mental confusion, his early mature years which was his period of defiance, and his later years which was his period of leadership. By studying his life the growth of his individualistic approach to everything and his reasons for not conforming to the pattern established by tradition will be traced.