This thesis attempts to survey the function of clothing adornment practices as a form social communication. It is shown that clothing enables the formation and distinction of social groups. The ways in which clothing becomes symbolic for a group and the way in which this system is challenged and/or destroyed are also examined. A distinction between fashion and antifashion is made to enable a repositioning of the Western system of dress into a wider context of meaning. Assumptions on the nature of appearance as related to the concept of truth are examined. Chapter One looks at the various and contradictory myths of body ideals, challenging the opposition of nature and culture. Chapter Two examines the uniform and applies its characteristics to all forms of dress. Chapter Three provides a brief summary of the history of sumptuary laws and how they operate in the social world. Throughout this work, common sense assumptions and privileged reading of particular theoretical frameworks are challenged. Theory itself is subject to fashion, allowing for a comparison to be made between human adornment and the methodologies that attempt to define its practices.

No description available.

This study assessed the differences between teachers'opinions and students' responses regarding the influence of clothing on adolescents' decisions to participate in social activities. Survey methodology was used with the final samples consisting of 336 students and 140 teachers who were drawn from six high schools located in economically depressed and non-depressed areas of the state of Oregon. All of the predominantly female students were enrolled in home economics classes. Their ages ranged from thirteen to twenty years with the mode being 16 years. The teachers taught a variety of subjects that spanned from science and math to liberal arts. The majority of the teachers had been working in their profession for eleven or more years. On the student and teacher questionnaires the question was asked why students did not participate in social events or school extracurricular activities. The following response choices were listed on both questionnaires: a) My parents will not let me go; b) I do not have the "right" clothes to wear; c) I don't have enough money; d) I really do not have any interest in going. On the teachers' questionnaire two additional reasons were listed: e) I do not have transportation; f) It conflicts with my work. A 7-point Likert type scale was used. The statistical treatment of data included descriptive statistics, t-test calculations and qualitative analysis. It was hypothesized that feelings of perceived clothing deprivation (not having "the right clothes to wear") would be the most important reason that students do not attend a social event. This hypothesis was based on previous literature that suggested clothing is very important during the adolescent stage of development. Contrary to this hypothesis, the students' mean scores revealed that not having the "right clothes" was the least important reason for not attending of the four reasons listed. As hypothesized, teachers rated not having "the right clothes to wear" as the least important factor for students deciding not to attend a social event. This hypothesis was exploratory in nature. One of the most important findings of this study was that teachers and students responded in the same pattern. This was not what was expected, but it was conceptually interesting to know they think alike rather than differently. / Graduation date: 1991

M.S.

This research investigated the relationships between clothing interest and self-perception among scoliosis patients and their non-handicapped peers. The objectives were (1) to investigate the differences in selected clothing interest factors and self-perception domains between female adolescents with scoliosis and non-handicapped female adolescents and (2) to investigate relationships between clothing interests and self-perception among female adolescents with scoliosis and non-handicapped female adolescents. Data were obtained from 70 female adolescents of which 35 had scoliosis and 35 were non-handicapped. A clothing inventory, developed by Creekmore in 1963 and revised by Borsari in 1978, titled "Dimensions of Clothing Interest," was used to measure clothing dimensions of interest, conformity, modesty, psychological awareness, and self concept. A second instrument, the "Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents", developed by Harter in 1988, was used to measure five domains of self-perception which were: social acceptance, athletic competence, romantic appeal, physical attractiveness, and global self-worth. / Master of Science

The purpose of this research was to determine and compare the dimensions of clothing interest between Afrikaans female clothing and textile students at The University of Pretoria and female clothing and textile students at Virginia Tech. An additional objective was to test the validity of the measuring instrument by factor analysis. Dimensions of clothing interest for the two groups were measured with the Gurel-Creekmore Clothing Interest Questionnaire, as revised and shortened by Borsari in 1978. T-tests indicated that the group mean scores differed significantly for three of the five dimensions. The Virginia Tech sample had a higher score on the interest and the self-concept dimensions while the Pretoria sample had a higher mean score on the modesty dimension. The factor structure for the American group was very similar to that established by Borsari in 1978 but differences existed for the structure of the South African group. / Master of Science

M.S.

The purpose of the study was to investigate Oriental women's clothing acquisition behaviors and to compare their body measurements with the measurements listed in Voluntary Product Standard, PS 42-70. A questionnaire was administered to 101 Oriental women residing in Tucson, Arizona. Thirty-nine body measurements were taken from each subject in the sample. The major type of store used most frequently was department store. It appears that Oriental women were not impulsive buyers or influenced by suggestive selling techniques but highly represented careful shopping characteristics. Fit was the most important consideration in purchasing a garment. Newspapers were the major information source of fashion for Oriental women. A significant fitting problem area appeared in garment length when Oriental women purchased ready-to-wear. Bigger differences were found in vertical than the circumference body measurements for Oriental women when the mean of body measurements was compared with the PS 42-70 measurements.

published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy