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- Title
- [1+∞=¿]: Eden, Dystopia, and a theistic humanism.
- Creator
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Yates, Stephen., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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After over millennia of ideological dominance throughout much of the world, theism found itself set against a new philosophical system known as humanism which valued the proliferation and evolution of humanity apart from theism's Divine control. This struggle has played itself out in numerous skirmishes, from Cold War aggressions between capitalism and communism to modern debate over evolutionary theory and education. Current research in both fields shows that this continuous ideological war...
Show moreAfter over millennia of ideological dominance throughout much of the world, theism found itself set against a new philosophical system known as humanism which valued the proliferation and evolution of humanity apart from theism's Divine control. This struggle has played itself out in numerous skirmishes, from Cold War aggressions between capitalism and communism to modern debate over evolutionary theory and education. Current research in both fields shows that this continuous ideological war has hurt the proliferation of either philosophy, leaving them often unable to constructively engage with the advancement of society. Because of this lack of engagement, one must look to pictures of the future to theorize how the two ideologies can engage one another for the benefit of humanity. Dystopian literature displays this future. However, Dystopia offers its explanation through a combination of the two ideologies, a theistic humanism that acknowledges Divine creation and control yet depicts the history of man as a struggle against that control in pursuit of his own evolution. This is presented through re-depictions of the Biblical narrative of Eden as a story of man's escape from a complex system of control. In analyzing Dystopian narratives throughout the 20th century (Zamyatin's We, Orwell's 1984, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Gibson's Neuromancer, and Sterling's Schismatrix), this study reveals the evolution of the ideas of the nature and power of God, control, and human development, eventually culminating in the possibility of human divinity as evolution brings about the post-human, and with it a liberal and freeing definition of Deity.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471832944, 341778, FSDT341778, fsu:19347
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Audience costs, autocratic regimes, and militarized conflict.
- Creator
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Uzonyi, Gary., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Traditionally, political science literature has focused on why a democratic peace exists. That is, why are two democratic states less likely to engage in conflict with one another than two dictatorships (or a democracy and a dictatorship) would be? The argument explaining this peace that has gained the most support is based on the idea that democratic leaders are less likely to make international threats that they do not plan to follow through on because their domestic audiences are more...
Show moreTraditionally, political science literature has focused on why a democratic peace exists. That is, why are two democratic states less likely to engage in conflict with one another than two dictatorships (or a democracy and a dictatorship) would be? The argument explaining this peace that has gained the most support is based on the idea that democratic leaders are less likely to make international threats that they do not plan to follow through on because their domestic audiences are more likely to hold them responsible for their actions. This accountability is known as an audience cost faced by the leader. Recently, some scholars have begun investigating variation in types of dictatorships to discover whether or not the type of autocracy - military junta, monarchy, personalist dictatorship, etc. - has any effect on the likelihood of conflict as well. My project builds upon this research. Instead of simply using regime type as a proxy for institutional variation, though, I am examining domestic institutions directly to see how this institutional variation among dictatorships affects a leader's likelihood of engaging in international conflict. I argue that dictatorships with institutions that impose higher levels of constraints on the executive will be less likely to enter into conflict than dictatorships with low levels of constraints would be. I test my hypotheses on a dataset containing approximately 200 countries in the post-war period and find empirical support for my theoretical predictions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471798481, 341760, FSDT341760, fsu:19329
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Copper bis(phenanthroline) complexes as simple models for molecular transducers.
- Creator
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Betancourt, Daniel., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Copper(II) complexes of the form [Cu(N~N)2](PF6)2 have been investigated as models for molecular transducers (N~N is 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; 1,10-phenanthroline; and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline). The potential use of these complexes to interconvert electrical and mechanical energy is based on the known changes in the metal-ligand geometry associated with the copper(II/I) couple. The complexes were prepared by reacting copper(II) nitrate with two...
Show moreCopper(II) complexes of the form [Cu(N~N)2](PF6)2 have been investigated as models for molecular transducers (N~N is 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; 1,10-phenanthroline; and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline). The potential use of these complexes to interconvert electrical and mechanical energy is based on the known changes in the metal-ligand geometry associated with the copper(II/I) couple. The complexes were prepared by reacting copper(II) nitrate with two equivalents of the ligand in water and the precipitating the complexes as their hexafluorophosphate salts. The complexes were studied by cyclic voltammetry in methylene chloride, acetonitrile, and acetone. The copper(II) complexes exhibited irreversible to quasi-reversible voltammograms in all solvents, with shifts in the peak reduction potentials consistent with the copper(I) oxidation state being favored by steric hindrance that favors a tetrahedral metal-ligand geometry. Attempts were also made to prepare a copper complex with 2,9-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline in the hopes that the hydroxyl groups on the phenanthroline ligand could be used to provide a means of mechanically perturbing the metal-ligand geometry to induce a shift in redox potential; however, the ligand could not be prepared in sufficient yield and purity. A precursor in this ligand synthesis, 2,9-dicarboxaldehyde-1,10-phenanthroline, was reacted with copper(II) nitrate in water giving a significant decrease in pH of the reaction mixture, possible due to acidity of the germinal diol formed by hydrolysis of the aldehyde group upon coordination to copper(II). A novel method for preparation of the bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) copper(I) complex is described. Unlike the copper(II) complexes, this complex exhibited a classic reversible voltammogram corresponding to the Cu(II/I) couple.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 496281636, 368250, FSDT368250, fsu:19393
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- D1 antagonist & [delta] FosB.
- Creator
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Arce, Darleine., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is a major integrative center for male rat sexual behavior. Past research has shown that activator protein (AP-1) transcription factors modulate gene expression. Two such factors are Fos and Jun, that bind together to form a dimer, which attaches to an activator binding site on the promoter region of a gene and thus initiates transcription of the gene. A variety of acute and chronic stimuli can induce these transcription factors, which in turn alter the...
Show moreThe medial preoptic area (MPOA) is a major integrative center for male rat sexual behavior. Past research has shown that activator protein (AP-1) transcription factors modulate gene expression. Two such factors are Fos and Jun, that bind together to form a dimer, which attaches to an activator binding site on the promoter region of a gene and thus initiates transcription of the gene. A variety of acute and chronic stimuli can induce these transcription factors, which in turn alter the expression of genes encoding receptors and kinase cascades, which then produce long-term changes in the neurochemistry of the brain. Dopamine is released in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of the MPOA during male rat sexual behavior and facilitates copulation. It is also important for maternal behavior. With repeated experience, male rats typically become more efficient copulators. Enhanced sexual behavior may result from long-term changes in neuronal responsiveness to sexual stimuli. The expression of the transcription factor ΔFosB may be a marker of cell activity mediating long-term neuronal changes; it has been shown to contribute to drug addiction. The aim of the present study is to test whether activation of dopamine D1 receptors contributes to the expression of the transcription factor ΔFosB. Recent research conducted in our lab suggests that this transcription factor is activated by copulation in male rats. The current research tests whether dopamine D1 receptors regulate copulation-induced expression of ΔFosB in the male rat MPOA.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- 645175497, 2181924, FSDT2181924, fsu:19213
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Development of data analysis for the investigation of the physical properties of polystyrene mixtures.
- Creator
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De Jesus, Nicole Marie., FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (Tallahassee, Fla.)
- Abstract/Description
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The use of light scattering theory for the characterization of polymers has been of interest in recent years. The ability for static light scattering measurements to determine physical and thermodynamic properties, such as the molecular weight, radius of gyration, and second virial coefficient, of polymers is important for future research and industrial applications. Knowledge of a polymer's chemical and physical properties, could lead to innovative changes in polymer formulation. The control...
Show moreThe use of light scattering theory for the characterization of polymers has been of interest in recent years. The ability for static light scattering measurements to determine physical and thermodynamic properties, such as the molecular weight, radius of gyration, and second virial coefficient, of polymers is important for future research and industrial applications. Knowledge of a polymer's chemical and physical properties, could lead to innovative changes in polymer formulation. The control of polymer formulation can allow for variations in polymer structure which can result in new functions and applications, such as new drug delivery or improvements in contact lenses.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- 644660926, 2181919, FSDT2181919, fsu:19208
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The distribution and program design of the IMF's poverty reduction and growth facility.
- Creator
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Barnett, Theodore Michael., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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The PRGF is commonly considered a curious foray by the IMF into areas outside of its mandate. By investigating the distribution of this facility through regression analysis and case studies, the PRGF does not appear to operate as a normal poverty reduction fund, and instead provides general budget support keeping in line with recent trends in development aid. The case studies and a thorough reading of IMF technical documentation are also used to demonstrate the design of this Facility and...
Show moreThe PRGF is commonly considered a curious foray by the IMF into areas outside of its mandate. By investigating the distribution of this facility through regression analysis and case studies, the PRGF does not appear to operate as a normal poverty reduction fund, and instead provides general budget support keeping in line with recent trends in development aid. The case studies and a thorough reading of IMF technical documentation are also used to demonstrate the design of this Facility and evaluates criticism of this design from the IMF itself and external sources. In the end, while it does appear as though the IMF has shown some increased flexibility in response to the latest financial crisis, the PRGF is not substantially different from previous IMF structural adjustment programs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- 644652267, 2181918, FSDT2181918, fsu:19207
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Finding virtue in the feminine: Plutarch's precepts for women.
- Creator
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Walker, Abbe., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Plutarch of Chaeronea (c. A.D. 46-after A.D. 120), the Greek essayist, biographer, and philosopher who provides much of our knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman world, has been an enormously influential figure over the centuries. My thesis, Finding Virtue in the Feminine: Plutarch's Precepts for Women, attempts to clarify our understanding of Plutarch's model of the ideal woman by comparing the representations of women in his philosophical essays, the Moralia (a set of didactic essays...
Show morePlutarch of Chaeronea (c. A.D. 46-after A.D. 120), the Greek essayist, biographer, and philosopher who provides much of our knowledge of the ancient Greek and Roman world, has been an enormously influential figure over the centuries. My thesis, Finding Virtue in the Feminine: Plutarch's Precepts for Women, attempts to clarify our understanding of Plutarch's model of the ideal woman by comparing the representations of women in his philosophical essays, the Moralia (a set of didactic essays aiming at improving the morals of his contemporary elite by means of philosophy) with the portrayal of actual historical women in his Parallel Lives. I examine the relationship between the two works by looking at specific moral issues dealing with women, as well as the role of women in Plutarch's time, and how that may have affected his writing. The evidence shows that Plutarch used the Parallel Lives as a biographical template to showcase the lessons learned in the essays of the Moralia: in this way he was able to present a model for women that incorporated the "timeless" virtues of the past while at the same time acknowledging the changing roles of women in his own time.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471832532, 341771, FSDT341771, fsu:19340
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Identification of novel nuclear markers for use in phylogenetic analysis.
- Creator
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Garcia, Michael R., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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The primary goal of this project was to identify novel nuclear markers to be used in phylogenetic analysis from a list of the 138 intronless nuclear genes of bony fish. The markers were identified based on several criteria which aid in parsimony analysis including a length of at least 400 bp, even base composition, conservation of sequence across taxa, and a gene family size of one. Twenty candidate genes were identified from the original list using a systematic elimination method based on...
Show moreThe primary goal of this project was to identify novel nuclear markers to be used in phylogenetic analysis from a list of the 138 intronless nuclear genes of bony fish. The markers were identified based on several criteria which aid in parsimony analysis including a length of at least 400 bp, even base composition, conservation of sequence across taxa, and a gene family size of one. Twenty candidate genes were identified from the original list using a systematic elimination method based on the qualities sought after. Only three of these genes have been successfully amplified across a diverse panel of chondrichthyans. Their sequences were analyzed and the resulting phylogenetic hypotheses were compared and contrasted with other current hypotheses, molecular and morphological, regarding chondrichthyan interrelationships. The result is that these genes do seem to accurately represent, to our current level of understanding, the interrelationships of chondrichthyans and may prove useful in phylogenetic analysis across many more taxa as well.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- 645222217, 2181925, FSDT2181925, fsu:19214
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The mafia in America: the media's influence on stereotypes of Italian Americans.
- Creator
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Vaccarello, Jaclyn., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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The Italian mafia has been a prominent theme in the media for decades. The media's portrayal of the mafia has created stereotypes for Italians that are largely accepted in American culture. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the history of the mafia in Italy and trace its journey to America. The true history of the mafia is not known for sure, but it can be argued that the mafia's roots date back to the Middle Ages when the feudal system was prevalent. This thesis then discusses...
Show moreThe Italian mafia has been a prominent theme in the media for decades. The media's portrayal of the mafia has created stereotypes for Italians that are largely accepted in American culture. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the history of the mafia in Italy and trace its journey to America. The true history of the mafia is not known for sure, but it can be argued that the mafia's roots date back to the Middle Ages when the feudal system was prevalent. This thesis then discusses numerous films in which the Italian mafia was present and the images it portrayed of Italians. Widely popular films and television shows such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos and the specific images they portray of Italian American women and men are analyzed. Films like these create negative stereotypes for Italians that are glorified by the flashy lifestyles of the gangster characters. Finally, this thesis then compiles statistical data about Americans' perceptions of Italians based on the images portrayed in the media and the facts about Italian Americans that contradict these images. Unfortunately, most Italian Americans embrace these stereotypes of their own ethnicity, thereby reinforcing it in the eyes of other non-Italian Americans.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471831354, 341796, FSDT341796, fsu:19365
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Nucleon pairing approximations in the nuclear shell model.
- Creator
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Morris, David D., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Abstract: Despite the relatively simple fundamental laws of nature, the diversity and complexity of our world is astonishing. The many-body problem is at the center of transition from simple microscopic components to macroscopic properties. In this thesis the author investigates computational techniques based on nucleon pairing that may help to advance forward and to calibrate the accuracy of the nuclear many-body approach, the Nuclear Shell Model. Solving the nuclear many-body problem is not...
Show moreAbstract: Despite the relatively simple fundamental laws of nature, the diversity and complexity of our world is astonishing. The many-body problem is at the center of transition from simple microscopic components to macroscopic properties. In this thesis the author investigates computational techniques based on nucleon pairing that may help to advance forward and to calibrate the accuracy of the nuclear many-body approach, the Nuclear Shell Model. Solving the nuclear many-body problem is not trivial. The computational complexity grows factorially with the number of particles, however at the same time large systems exhibit phenomena of interest such as: collective states, phase transitions, deformation, and vibrations. Exact computations become inhibited due to computer limitations, making the search for reliable approximate techniques important. The current solution realized within the nuclear shell model1,2 is to truncate the nuclear valence space to only a few single particle levels around the nuclear Fermi surface. However, excessive limitations placed on the valence space lead to poor or incorrect description of the nuclear structure. For example: intruder configurations, deformations, and other collective phenomena either do not appear or are suppressed within limited valence spaces. The large-scale shell model with an extended valence space faces numerous challenges. For instance, effective interactions are not known, and fitting to experimental observations is difficult. The number of possible many-body states for interesting nuclei is too large to be handled for on-demand computations. The focus of this study is to suggest and develop approximate techniques which, while working with the large spaces and retaining the phenomena of interest, will make calculations computationally feasible.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- 437255463, 244581, FSDT244581, fsu:19288
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Read all about it: a college musical.
- Creator
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King, Chantel., Rodriguez, Kristen., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Read All About It: A College Musical is a full-length musical screenplay centered around five college students during the course the fall and spring semesters of one academic year. It was written in collaboration with Kristen Rodriguez. Two important themes addressed are "don't judge a book by its cover," "there is more than one path to take in life," and "there is more than one 'right' way." The purpose of the musical format is to add to the element of expression, which can often be...
Show moreRead All About It: A College Musical is a full-length musical screenplay centered around five college students during the course the fall and spring semesters of one academic year. It was written in collaboration with Kristen Rodriguez. Two important themes addressed are "don't judge a book by its cover," "there is more than one path to take in life," and "there is more than one 'right' way." The purpose of the musical format is to add to the element of expression, which can often be repressed by submission to conformity, refusals to speak out, or due to fear. In addition, music gives the words more purpose and phrasing than if they were to be merely spoken. It is an added layer to help tell the story and the point of the song. The songs in a musical often are very moving and powerful, serving as a driving force for the story while exploring the characters' motivations and actions. The main characters in the screenplay learn about life, not only through their classes, but even more so from their interpersonal relationships within their groups and interconnecting thread between the five of them. These students begin the fall semester thinking and believing one way and end the spring semester with a new outlook on each other and themselves., The screenplay, as a whole, is intended to address and oppose certain stereotypical roles, particularly those based on race, religion, and politics. We show individuals who experience different forms of prejudice and misjudgment, which are irrational and unjustifiable caused, and the emotional journey, sometimes physical, it takes them. The screenplay can serve as an insight to people yet to be in college or as a time of reflection for those who are or once were. Yet, people who have experience any sorts of prejudgments can identify with the themes and stories in our screenplay. As in real life, the main characters realize that people are unique, and those who come from different lifestyles can be just as important and principled as people who share different or similar qualities as themselves. This is the moral of Read All About It.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 468826465, 341784, FSDT341784, fsu:19353
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Semantic fast mapping in kindergarteners after minimal exposure to written non-words.
- Creator
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Campbell, Kelli M., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the semantic fast-mapping abilities of kindergartners with typical language abilities. Of interest was whether phonotactic and/or orthotactic probabilities affected their ability to quickly learn semantic information about 12 non-words. Method: Participants included twenty-four kindergartners with low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds possessing normal hearing and nonverbal intelligence. Semantic fast-mapping was measured by the...
Show morePurpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the semantic fast-mapping abilities of kindergartners with typical language abilities. Of interest was whether phonotactic and/or orthotactic probabilities affected their ability to quickly learn semantic information about 12 non-words. Method: Participants included twenty-four kindergartners with low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds possessing normal hearing and nonverbal intelligence. Semantic fast-mapping was measured by the children's ability to produce correct semantic features of non-words presented during a shared storybook reading activity. Results: The results of the study indicated that some kindergartners fast-mapped semantic information after minimal exposure to non-words although to a lesser extent than past reports of young children's ability to fast map spoken semantic information. Additionally, the phonotactic and orthotactic probabilities of the non-words did not affect their ability to fast-map the semantic features of the non-words. Finally, post-hoc, pair-wise comparison revealed that the children significantly recalled more action features than adjectives. Conclusion: Some kindergartners from low SES backgrounds can fast-map the semantic features of non-words that they both hear and see in a storybook format; however, fast-mapping of semantic information for written words appears to be a challenging task for the majority of this group. Based on findings from previous research on spoken word semantic fast mapping, it may be that the outcomes of this study are due to the children's SES and accompanying reduced world experiences. Further research is necessary to confirm this explanation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471798499, 341759, FSDT341759, fsu:19328
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The sonic fetish: a study of the Marxist approach to popular music.
- Creator
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Westlake, Douglas., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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Two problems arose during the twentieth century that posed major problems for Marxism: the introduction of the mechanical reproduction of art and the rise of apathy amongst the proletariat. The twentieth century saw the beginning of the dissemination of immaterial artistic media, and it has culminated in the contemporary digital revolution. Nowhere has it had more of an impact than on the realm of popular music. This poses a major problem for aesthetic Marxism, because so many analyses of...
Show moreTwo problems arose during the twentieth century that posed major problems for Marxism: the introduction of the mechanical reproduction of art and the rise of apathy amongst the proletariat. The twentieth century saw the beginning of the dissemination of immaterial artistic media, and it has culminated in the contemporary digital revolution. Nowhere has it had more of an impact than on the realm of popular music. This poses a major problem for aesthetic Marxism, because so many analyses of Marx have focused on his connection to materialism. The revolutionary action of the proletariat was also a much-discussed aspect of Marx's philosophy, and it too posed a major problem for Marxism. By the middle of the twentieth century, the proletariat seemed inactive, and uninterested in advocating change. The Frankfurt school arose to confront these crucial Marxist dilemmas. First and foremost, the members emphasized the theoretical basis of Marxism. Coupled with psychoanalysis the members of the Frankfurt school attempted to explain the Marxist deficiencies. Theodor Adorno became one of the most important members of the Frankfurt school. It was Adorno's notion of the culture industry that saved Marxism from the passive and apathetic proletariat. The cultural apparatus acts to standardize enjoyment, in order to guarantee that every aspect of the proletariat's life is controlled. Adorno explains the cause of the proletariat's apathy, but his dogmatic appeal to materialism was his downfall. If Marxists are going to confront the aesthetic concerns of digital media, they must realize that matter doesn't matter.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471798484, 341822, FSDT341822, fsu:19391
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Wilde women: gender and performance in the social comedies of Oscar Wilde.
- Creator
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Velasco, Schuyler., Florida State University
- Abstract/Description
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This project discusses performance and gender issues in the social comedies of Oscar Wilde. Despite his strong identification as an aesthete, privileging art for its own sake separate from the natural realm, Wilde's social comedies deal with very real challenges of women during a transitional period in the history of European feminism, just before suffrage in England became an issue and the role of women began to shift to the public sphere. Wilde's comedies often been analyzed solely on the...
Show moreThis project discusses performance and gender issues in the social comedies of Oscar Wilde. Despite his strong identification as an aesthete, privileging art for its own sake separate from the natural realm, Wilde's social comedies deal with very real challenges of women during a transitional period in the history of European feminism, just before suffrage in England became an issue and the role of women began to shift to the public sphere. Wilde's comedies often been analyzed solely on the basis of text, rather than as pieces of art meant to be both viewed and read. My argument is that a full understanding of Wilde's plays requires both textual and performative analyses, and that Wilde's female characters, rather than the oft-studied male figures, are the characters that best exemplify the necessity of this dualistic study. In addition to looking at Wilde through the lens of performance theorists such as Judith Butler and Eve Sedgwick, this project analyzes adaptations of The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere's Fan from the silent film era to the present.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- 471832288, 341819, FSDT341819, fsu:19388
- Format
- Document (PDF)