Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / Ph.D.

This dissertation gives an aesthetic analysis on the selected woodblock prints of the Okinawan artist Gima Hiroshi concurrent with an exploration of the identity politics of the Okinawans. Deconstructing the historical circumstances of the archipelago, the contradictions and predicaments that the islanders have been struggling with from the trade era and annexation period, to the wartime, the U.S. occupation and the reversion to the Japanese state are portrayed in the war prints. With the constitution of a multi-vocal identity, a regionalist identity has been articulated. This regionalism is manifested in the artist’s prints about traditions, customs and everyday life in terms of folk dance, drum playing, craftsmanship, festivities, daily activities, agriculture, residential space and the practices related to nature. Following a thorough discussion of the visual texts is the elucidation of essentialism in contemporary Okinawan studies that identity politics is itself delimiting and institutionalizing in representation. Essentialist representations reinforce the dichotomy of the self/other structure that they can be more detrimental than explicit performative discourses. As a concluding argument, this essay finishes with a proposed alternative to essentialist literature – visual representations. The interpretative potentiality and transformative powers of art serve as a stepping stone for the third party to experience the experience of the Other, which challenges the presumptions imposed by the self/other narrative. In this process, the marginalized can be made visible. / published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

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本文主要研究十九世紀末二十世紀初的一種傳統民間藝術--年畫。這短短的幾十年見證了在中國發生的一系列翻天覆地的社會政治變化：清政府的垮臺，外國勢力的入侵，以及西方先進技術與思想的引入；這些變化我們都可以在這一時期的年畫中找到。本文的地點範圍主要集中于天津楊柳青，另外其他中國北方的年畫產地的年畫，如武強、楊家埠，以及江蘇的桃花塢等，也會在文章因行文需要而被提到。總的來說，本文分為三個大部份，也就是年畫的生產、內容和消費。我認為這些新內容之所以在年畫中出現主要有三個原因：首先，西方先進印刷技術和新的繪畫風格的引入讓年畫內容的轉變有了可能性；其次一些維新人士創辦的畫報和報刊也對年畫的發展產生了影響；最後便是民初時期民國政府採取的對年畫的干涉。本文將這些在年畫中出現的新的主題進行了詳細的探討。一方面，我們可以發現反帝和其他愛國的內容被放入年畫，以此激發百姓的愛國情緒。與傳統年畫主要關注家庭這一點不同的是，改良年畫的重心放在了保衛國家這個更高的主題上。另一方面，在這類年畫中，婦女不再被認為是男人的附屬品，它們鼓勵婦女實現經濟和人格上的獨立，並且有必要的話，也可以成為士兵，加入到保家衛國的行列中。最後一方面，西方先進事物的引入，如鐘錶、自行車、火車和飛機等，為大眾引領了一種新的物質文化，也在不知不覺中改變中百姓的日常生活習慣。作為結論，我提出改良年畫是大眾文化和精英文化互動產生的結果。它們大多數都是在民國政府的提倡之下而生產的，但是年畫的商業本質決定了它需要有一定的市場以保證盈利。這樣，傳統年畫的形式被保留了下來，同時改革家和當權者為其填入了新的思想和觀念，用來教育廣大百姓。這種“舊瓶裝新酒的宣傳方式雖然效果在清末民初效果不佳，但是它卻在某種程度上為中國作為一個現代國家的出現奠定了基礎。 / This research examines nianhua年畫 (New Year pictures), a form of traditional folk art, from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. This time period witnessed a series of dramatic social and political changes in China: the collapse of Qing Dynasty, invasions of foreign powers, and introduction of Western advanced technologies and ideas, all of which could be found in nianhua prints. The spatial focus is mainly on Yangliuqing楊柳青, a town very close to Tianjin. However, nianhua produced in other places in North China, such as Wuqiang武強 and Yangjiabu楊家埠, and those from Taohuawu桃花塢 in the Yangzi River Delta, will also be mentioned, for some of them are of great use in my writings. Generally, this study has three sections: the production and circulation of nianhua in Yangliuqing, the contents of nianhua with new elements, and how common people reacted to the reformed nianhua. I demonstrate that the import of Western advanced printing technologies and painting styles, pictorials and vernacular newspapers published by social reformers, and the involvement of Republican government were the major reasons for the appearance of new elements in nianhua. Then the new themes in nianhua are discussed in details. First of all, anti-imperialist and other patriotic topics are found to arouse nationalist sentiments among the masses. The emotions in new nianhua started to shift from protecting home and family to defending the nation. At the same time, women were no longer treated as men’s subordinate; instead, they were also encouraged to earn their own bread and even go to the battlefield to save their country. Finally, the imports of Western inventions, such as clocks, bikes, trains, and planes, emerged in nianhua, building a new material culture for the common people. I conclude that reformed nianhua was a result of the interaction between popular culture and elite culture. Most of them were advocated by the Republican officials; but the commercial nature of nianhua determined that it needed to have market amog consumers. The form of traditional nianhua was kept, while social reformers and authorities fill new values and beliefs into it to educate the common people. This “new-wine-in-old-bottles way of propaganda resulted in limited success; but to some extents it paved the way for the emergence of a modern nation. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Wan, Mi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-159). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / List of Figures --- p.v / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Statement of Research Problem --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Nianhua: The Background --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methodology --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4 --- Literature Review --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5 --- Structure of the Thesis --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- From Festivity to Propaganda: Nianhua’s Political and Educational Roles --- p.24 / Chapter 2.1 --- The Production and Circulation of Nianhua in North China --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Influence of Printing Technical Improvement and Western Painting Styles on Nianhua --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3 --- Nianhua and Social Reform Promoters in the Late Qing --- p.41 / Chapter 2.4 --- Nianhua as a Popular Education Tool in the Republican Era --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- From Protecting My Home to Defending My Nation: Nationalism in Nianhua --- p.68 / Chapter 3.1 --- Nation, Nationalism, and National Identity --- p.70 / Chapter 3.2 --- When China Confronted the West --- p.73 / Chapter 3.3 --- Anti-Imperialism in Nianhua --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4 --- Attitudes towards the Qing Government --- p.90 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Gender in Nianhua --- p.95 / Chapter 4.1 --- Women’s Appearance and Female Warriors in Nianhua --- p.98 / Chapter 4.2 --- Promotion of Women’s Education in Nianhua --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Import of Western Objects and Interpretation of the Western World --- p.119 / Chapter 5.1 --- The Clock --- p.119 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Bicycle --- p.125 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Plane --- p.128 / Chapter 5.4 --- The Train --- p.130 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.138 / Bibliography --- p.150

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Sudhindra Nath Mishra. / M.S.