The daytime serial drama, commercially known as the soap opera, has for a long time been diminished as an inferior artform, which previous research has connected to bias towards its historically predominantly female audience as well as its close relation to advertising. This thesis examines Guiding Light (original title The Guiding Light, CBS, 1937-1956, 1952-2009) and its transition from radio to television in the 1950s by using a historiographical approach through analysis of archive artefacts that cover the decade. The archive material, consisting of newspapers and magazines, have two parts to play: the first regarding the influence of the sponsor Procter & Gamble considering the soap opera’s status as a thriving advertisement vehicle of the time, and the second in the relationship between soap opera and its listeners/viewers throughout the era of transition. Throughout the years that it existed as a combination serial; both factors were seen to play a vital role in shaping the serial, both from an industry point-of-view, and as evident in its text. The two perspectives are often contradictory to one another but the co-existence of them is essential to the shaping of the soap opera’s history writing. Gender ties into both angles as the transition added to a growing social panic surrounding the housewife as a pillar for postwar US-American values.

No description available.

A survey and assessment of Canadian monetary conditions and policies during the period from the end of World War II to the end of 1951, with particular reference to the two periods of rapid inflation (July 1946 to December 1948 and July 1950 to December 1951). / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This thesis aims to analyse Argentinean radio broadcasting in the 1950s and especially how this medium issued the so-called radio theatre that the audience received in their everyday life. More precisely it is investigated how radio theatre in the 1950s is remembered today, both by listeners who took part in these broadcasts and how it is remembered in the media. Of special interest is what is articulated as specific about its form and how radio theatre was integrated in and changed everyday life. The audience was not only able to receive radio theatre but was also able to contribute with their own stories. Argentina was one of the pioneering countries in the field of broadcasting, performing its first radio broadcast on August 27, 1920, in the city of Buenos Aires. The Argentinian radio broadcasting was a place of entertainment, information, social and political discussions. One of the main changes in Argentina radio broadcasting happened in 1929 in Buenos Aires. This change was influenced by the first broadcast of radio theatre. In the beginning, radio plays were about stories of “gauchos” (in English cowboys) and folklore, provoking enthusiasm amongst the audience. Argentina radio theatre continues to develop with the introduction of gender-oriented goals which became significant successful. The radio play began to cover the whole family`s interest. Argentina radio theatre caused a significantly change in its audiences’ customs throughout the country. This thesis research has adopted the Media Memory studies theories and is based on Bertolt Brecht’s theory of radio as well as McQuail`s audience theory. Additionally, this study is situated and looked at in a wider framework of previous research conducted by Barfiel, Hilmes & Loviglio, Brandt and Crook. To reach the objective of this study, 17 semi- structured qualitative interviews have been conducted with Argentinians who lived in different cities and listened to radio plays during the 1950s. The results of this research project demonstrate that nowadays, radio theatre audiences from the 50s reflect on and feel nostalgic about the way they used to listen to radio dramas in those days. More specifically, about waiting for the broadcast to start, gathering with the family around the radio set, or talking to friends or relatives about the episode of the day. In addition, radio play audiences reflect positively on the opportunity to meet in person the actors of the radio plays when they were on tour in Argentina. Moreover, this study illustrates that nowadays, Argentinian media also remember radio theatres through publishing articles that refer to them.

附屬於台鐵的《暢流》半月刊（1950~1991）是一本為火車乘客、鐵路員工發行的綜合性雜誌，講求「消閒」與「興趣」，內容五花八門，包括詩詞、遊記、書畫金石、人物軼聞、歷史掌故、文化探源、海外新知、文學創作等，堪稱一般大眾居家旅行必備良伴。本研究藉由細讀《暢流》，管窺戰後二十年間的文學文化生產的情況，一方面爬梳《暢流》的發展史及其週邊，一方面由文學研究的角度出發，指出《暢流》的特色、文學史上的定位，以及《暢流》所代表的美學取向。 　　本研究首先交代《暢流》刊史，分從：一、組織面上，說明《暢流》發行單位與歷任主事者的更迭與改組；二、經營面上，說明《暢流》的行銷方式、普及情形、售價調整、叢書出版等概況；三、編輯面上，點出編輯和作者的互動關係，闡釋編輯方針、刊物內容、讀者反應之間的交流與影響。接著，本研究聚焦《暢流》的形式與內容，追溯其承襲日本明治末期及中國民初以來鐵路附屬雜誌之脈絡，並在與同時代報刊的各種功能、類型對比下，照見《暢流》的綜合性。 　　本研究的第二部分，著重以「日常生活理論」分析《暢流》的旅遊書寫與生活新知。在外省人士以「由景點至風景線」的趨勢逐步認識台灣的同時，旅遊活動的頻繁複寫，使我們見到個體在現代的日常世界中，藉著「移動」所呈現的豐沛活力。另外，差異性不斷地展現在《暢流》的旅遊書寫中，展現在旅人對異地風俗、景觀的敏銳感知當中，於是，旅遊書寫的「非常」意義也由此展開。更重要的是，文本中橫貫公路、福隆海水浴場這些「地點神話」的建構過程裡可以得見，隨著五○年代中期以後台海情勢緊張、反共話語沸騰，同時期的《暢流》卻因為滿眼盡是遊山玩水的旅人，遂勾勒出一個現代化社會的輪廓：即連長年備戰的離島空間，都褪去反攻戰略跳板的色彩，而更接近於現代性不斷滲透、施展其神力的實驗場。另一方面，《暢流》的生活常識、科學新知則是時人在濃厚現代性的環境下，對「日常」萬象的期許與再現。 　　承上，本研究的第三部分由日常生活理論提示的「變動」、「流動」出發，析論《暢流》的文學作品內涵及其美學特徵。第一，本研究標舉「日常生活書寫」作為思考五○年代台灣文學的新框架，其具體文本內涵則包括購物活動、鄰里角力、社群關係的解散或重組、對愛情的質詰、以及寫實的社會百態等。第二，《暢流》的日常生活書寫顯示：所謂「反共」集體意識很可能是一種虛張聲勢，當脫去政治框架，「日常」仍將獲得普遍的關注。另外，在現代性的介入使日常不斷流變的歷程裡，「懷鄉」不再只是政治話語的附屬品，而成為日常書寫的同質異構體。 　　對《暢流》的全面探析，有助調校關於五○、六○年代社會實況的刻板印象。在看似政治掛帥、反共聲浪不斷的外象之下，現代性的滲透、現代生活的浮現，一一成為不宜忽略的面向。由此，五○、六○年代台灣文學的文藝美學、活動板塊、評價定位等，將再次走入評家論者的視野，亟待進一步的詮釋。 / With the research strategy of close reading and the methodology of Everyday life and culture theory, this thesis focuses on the Chang-Liou Fortnightly(1950-1991) to discover its developmental history, significant characteristics, and representative position in modern Taiwanese Literature. Aiming at the staff and the passengers, the Chang-Liou Fortnightly is an affiliated comprehensive magazine to the Taiwan Railway Administration, which includes classical poetry, travel notes, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and graphic arts, anecdotes, general knowledge, science and technology, overseas experience, literary works and creative writings, etc. In the first place, this thesis explicates the developmental history of the Chang-Liou Fortnightly in three aspects: 1, at the organizational level; 2, at the management level; and 3, at the editing level. The second part of study borrows a lot from Everyday life and culture theory to analyze the travel notes and the common knowledge in the Chang-Liou. While the mainlanders build a gradual understanding into Taiwan by the sequence which is named as “from scenic spots to landscape”, the frequent replication of tourism activities shows rich vitality in the course of moving and commuting. In addition, we can indicate a strong “non-everydayness” from the observation on local scenery and customs out of the travel notes. Above all, the emergency of “location myth” surrounding the Central Cross-Island Highway and the Fulung Beach for example reflect a modern image and also reveal a modern atmosphere during the martial law period. On the other hand, general knowledge, science and technology, and overseas experience all together outline the “everydayness” in the Chang-Liou. The third part of this thesis, Chapter 4, discuss the meaning, the connotation and the text feature of the literary works especially those written by women writers. In view of “flowing” and “changing” hinted by Everyday life Theory, literary works in the Chang-Liou present a distinctive array of themes including shopping, neighborhood wrestling, interpersonal relation restructuring, questioning love, and investigating social issue. Besides, under the framework of “Everyday life writing”, the widespread perspective on taking the 1950s Taiwanese literature as anti-communist literature requires further reading and revaluation. Therefore, so-called nostalgic prose is no longer the product of political discourse, but another type of practice on Everyday life writing. Studying the Chang-Liou on the Everyday life Theory basis improves the formation of railway magazine history and helps recognize how modernity influences everyday life during the first two decades in postwar Taiwan, so as to urge existing interpretations of 1950s Taiwanese literature and modern Taiwanese female literature to make certain alterations. Although purpose of the magazine is for leisure and for interests, the Chang-Liou expresses serious concern on literature, culture, and society, that is definitely a key notion for further research.

(in English) The main topic of this thesis is both analysis and interpretation of the relationship between funeral rites, political power and society. Funeral rites are understood as a complex of performative, symbolic social acts, which are themselves comprised of various distinctive phases and signs. The meaning of these acts and signs is important because it can change the features and practice of the collective it is assigned to. The main purpose of this thesis is not only to perform a thick description of different kinds of communist funeral rite in the given time period but to interprate it in the wider social and cultural context as well. The concept of political religion as a heuristic tool was used in the thesis in order to distinguish an ambivalent nature of communist ideology which manifested itself in funeral rites. Funeral rites are analyzed as models for human behavior, which represent key values and norms of communist ideology. At the same time, funeral rites are analyzed as forms of cultural management. That is the reason, why are put under scrutiny not only the rites which are significant for society as a whole but also the funeral rites of individual actors.

[pt] Esse trabalho tem por objetivo jogar luz sobre o comércio de moda feminina em Copacabana no final dos anos 1940 e anos 1950, dando enfoque principalmente à Celeste Modas. A partir de entrevistas com pessoas que trabalharam com moda nessas décadas; da pesquisa em jornais e na revista Rio Magazine; e de fotos antigas das lojas mais renomadas do Centro da Cidade, então principal comércio de moda feminina no Rio de Janeiro, buscou-se entender o quanto as casas que surgiram em Copacabana no período se basearam no modelo físico e na forma de produção de vestuário estabelecidas pelas distintas lojas do Centro; e o quanto elas se adaptaram ao imaginário simbólico de Copacabana e às ideias de modernidade e distinção do período. / [en] This work aims to enlighten about the womenswear retail businesses in Copacabana in the late 1940s and 1950s, in particular about Celeste Modas. Drawing from interviews with professionals who worked in fashion at the time; going through newspapers from the period and Rio Magazine; and using antique photos of Rio s most renowned shops in the city Centre (the main shopping area at the time), it aimed to understand to which extent the Copacabana boutiques relied on the retail and production model already in place in the Centre, and how much they adapted their retail businesses to fit into the symbolic conception of Copacabana and the ideas of modern and luxury of the period.

When a new type of jazz, later often referred to as free jazz, entered the Swedish jazz scene at the time when the 1950s became the 1960s, an intense debate occurred within the Swedish jazz community. A debate between those in favor of the new style, its expressions and the direction in which jazz was moving towards in general, versus those who disliked this new development, thought that it was too extreme and was not in line with the traditions of jazz. This essay will bring this debate to light and analyze different aspects of it, with a similar controversy in mind which took place at the time of the arrival of bebop, approximately fifteen years earlier. The primary aim is to integrate free jazz into the Swedish jazz narrative, something that has been neglected in earlier research. Through discourse analysis, contemporary thoughts and values are brought to the surface. In part to better understand how and why these different opinions came to be, but above all, if they were part of other contemporary discussions, strives and struggles within the Swedish jazz community. The findings point towards the fact that free jazz played an important role in both the contemporary Swedish jazz discourse and the development of jazz at large. Free jazz expanded the spectrum of expression within the genre and helped jazz in general to reach a status of high culture, a strive that had existed for a long time.

The dissertation is dedicated to the under-researched subject of the official sculpture in the DDR and ČSR in the time-frame 1948-1968. By evaluating the material on a broad background of the art historical, historical, cultural and ideological determinants, the dissertation endeavour to provide an accurate insight into the internal processes of the cultural machinery of the Socialist states with regard to sculpture and sculptors. The comparative character of the dissertation contributes to the understanding of the critical questions of art historical research of the period - such as the (in)authenticity of the local varieties of Socialist Realism and relatedness to the SSSR Socrealism, dates of the Socrealism existence, engagement of modernist sculptors, principles of the state/artist relationship or the second life of the Socrealist sculpture.

ZERO apparaît le 24 avril 1958 à l’occasion de la septième « exposition d’un soir » qui a lieu à Düsseldorf, dans l’atelier d’Otto Piene et de Heinz Mack. La thématique de cette exposition, « Le tableau rouge », rejoint celle du premier numéro de cette nouvelle revue d’artistes, ZERO. S’ensuivent deux autres numéros, respectivement sortis en octobre 1958 (« Vibration ») et en juillet 1961 (« Dynamo »). Autour de la revue pilotée par Mack et Piene se nouent alors différents projets collaboratifs et expositions collectives, à partir desquels ZERO devient une sorte d’échangeur entre plusieurs tendances nées au tournant des années 1950-1960. Cette recherche monographique a pour ambition première de renouveler les perspectives sur une revue et une mouvance artistique peu étudiées en France, et ce à partir de la question de l’immatériel réfractée au prisme de la technique. L’optimisme technologique présumé de ZERO est réexaminé à l’aune du « discours autorisé », de la poïétique des œuvres, de l’expérience esthétique et de leur réception critique. Dès lors, les œuvres et les discours dévoilent une image bien moins nette du passé, tissée de contradictions, qui traduit d’une part la difficile négociation d’un tournant sociétal marqué par la mécanisation et l’automation, l’information, l’accélération et la menace nucléaire et, d’autre part, l’ambition pour l’art dynamique (vitaliste) et « idéaliste » de ZERO de jouer un rôle actif dans la définition de l’époque, en s’adressant aux imaginaires et en occupant les territoires de l’expérience sensible. / ZERO was created on the 24th of April 1958, on the occasion of the seventh « Night Exhibition », which took place in Otto Piene’s and Heinz Mack’s studio in Düsseldorf. The theme of this exhibition, « The Red Painting » was the same as the inaugural edition of ZERO, a new artist magazine. Following this initiative, two other issues were published, one dedicated to “Vibration” (October 1958), the other to “Dynamo” (July 1961). Various collaborative projects and collective exhibitions revolved around the magazine edited by Mack and Piene, from which ZERO became a platform between several tendencies which had come into being by the early 1960s. This study aims at renewing and enriching knowledge of both a magazine and a movement that have not been the subject of any extensive examination so far. For this purpose, this research focuses on the immaterial art of ZERO as refracted through the prism of technology. ZERO’s alleged technological optimism is explored by the light of the “authorized discourses”, the poietic of the works of art, their aesthetic experience and their critical reception. Therefore, the works of art and the discourses reveal a far less clear picture of the past, which is not free of discrepancies. On the one hand, this reflects the complex issue of dealing with societal shifts characterized by mechanization and automation, information, acceleration, nuclear threat; and, on the other hand, this demonstrates the ambition for ZERO’s both dynamic (vitalist) and “idealistic” art to play an active role in defining the spirit of the era by addressing imaginaries and by occupying territories of sensitive experience.