This thesis identifies and examines the trope of barbershop violence in American literature. Drawing on a wide range of literary, scholarly, and historical documents, I explore the way that certain authors subvert traditional ideas about barbershop discourse and use the quintessential American setting as a stage for failed nostalgia, tragic miscommunication, and outbursts of irrational violence in order to craft fictions that call on readers to strive for a more authentic and humanistic identification with their fellow man. In the first chapter I take a close look at Herman Melville's tableau of barbering in the 1855 novella Benito Cereno within a socio-historic context and then trace allusions to this seminal barbering scene in a number of works to show how many authors depict barbershop miscommunication and violence in order to highlight the racial disparities at the heart of American society. In Chapter Two I borrow the sophisticated methodology of James Joyce scholar Cheryl Temple Herr to examine contemporary American novelist Don DeLillo's numerous depictions of the barbershop through the prism of Heideggerian ontology. / A Thesis Submitted to the Program in American & Florida Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 24, 2008. / Martin Heidegger, Razor, Don Delillo, Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway, Babo, Benito Cereno, Barber, Barbershop, Shaving, Shave, Cheryl Herr / Includes bibliographical references. / Dennis Moore, Professor Directing Thesis; John Fenstermaker, Committee Member; Timothy Parrish, Committee Member.

Comic books printed during the 1930s and 40s contained stories and characters that supported the New Deal and America's entry into World War II. Though comic books are typically seen solely as reflections of the decades; the comic books, in actuality, were propaganda for political stances. Moreover, these were the political stances of the Jewish Americans who built the comic book industry. While much of corporate America was terrified by FDR's New Deal policies, comic books supported the President. When war loomed on the horizon, comic book writers and artists sent patriotic superheroes to war long before the country became mobilized. Finally, the political dialogue taking place in comic books resonated with the American public because they were created in a time when patriotism was synonymous with sacrifice. / A Thesis Submitted to the Program in American & Florida Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 31, 2008. / Captain America, Heroes, FDR, New Deal, World War II, Jews, Jewish, Comic Book, Comic Books, Superman, Nazi, Hitler, War / Includes bibliographical references. / John Fenstermaker, Professor Directing Thesis; Barry Faulk, Committee Member; Ned Stuckey-French, Committee Member.

For 136 years, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has remained a classic in American children's literature. Although Alcott originally wrote the novel as a book for young girls, deeper issues run beneath the surface story of the March family. This thesis explores a few of these issues. Chapter One examines the roles of patriarchy and domesticity in Alcott's private life and in Little Women. Chapter Two emphasizes the Transcendentalist thinking that surrounded Alcott in her childhood, her own, feminized Transcendentalist philosophy, and how it subsequently infiltrates the novel. Chapter Three explores the role of the struggling female artist in Little Women, as portrayed by the March sisters, especially Jo and Amy March, and how the fictional characters' struggles reflect Alcott's own problems as a female writer in a patriarchal society. Chapter Four discusses Alcott's reformist ideas and the reformist issues that surface in Little Women. Domestic feminism--the idea that a reformed family, in which men and women equally participate in domestic matters, would lead to a reformed society--emerges as the predominant reformist issue in Little Women. Alcott believed that women should be able to choose the course of their adult lives, whether that included marriage, a professional career, or otherwise, without the threat of being ostracized from society. In Little Women, the March family serves as an example of a reformed, egalitarian family in which women exercise self-reliance, employ their non-domestic talents, and still maintain femininity. / A Thesis Submitted to the Program in American and Florida Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2005. / March 23, 2005. / Transcendentalism, Woman's Rights, Patriarchy, Domesticity, Domestic Feminism, Women Artists / Includes bibliographical references. / Dennis Moore, Professor Directing Dissertation; Leigh Edwards, Committee Member; John Fenstermaker, Committee Member.

This thesis examines extinct or vanishing towns along Florida's northwest coast, specifically communities in Wakulla and Levy Counties, that experienced a boom to bust phenomena between Florida's territorial period and the early twentieth century. The exceptional growth of the selected areas prospered largely due to an abundance of seemingly inexhaustible natural resources. The towns withered and disappeared when industrialization depleted the natural resources or when populations shifted according to changes in land availability and mandated land use. Lumberyards sometimes demanded specific wood for manufacture and harvested a species to decimation within a geographical area. Sawmill owners bought non-contiguous land or leased other nearby lands to meet the increasing need for production. Early Gulf Coast railroads tended to follow the path of high-yield lumber mills and commodified natural products. Newly implemented laws often changed the methods of available collection, and consumption of resources and became another factor in whether a town thrived or died. Small, independent commercial fishermen abandoned their livelihoods when new net bans challenged their authority. Hunting resorts closed in consequence of federal land purchases. The Civil War changed forever the labor force behind cotton production. Southerners who viewed slaves as just another limitless resource had to reevaluate their lifestyles. Even the old planters and slave owners who could readjust morally and socially were unable to realign themselves financially and the death of their beneficent town soon followed. Freedmen left their master's land when and if opportunity arose in favor of newer or black-cultured communities. An out-migration of freedmen could lead to the death of post Civil War towns. The demise of many southern ghost towns is often attributed to technological advances and progress bypassing the sleepier little villages, but this theory diminishes, if not totally dismisses the agency of a single person, or a select group of people, to make or challenge decisions contributing to the boom or bust of a particular settlement. It is true that the areas studied often witnessed a loss of transportation services and outward migration in favor of larger or newer sites, but a breach usually appeared in the town's power-structure long before population loss. Larger political, social, and economic forces working outside of the geographical area of a future ghost town were not truly as powerful as might be expected. Instead, the decisions of a relatively small group of citizens, who often had contacts with people connected to larger government forces, made decisions independently of a town council and greatly contributed to the sometimes gradual and sometimes swift extinction of their own districts. The town's lack of a powerful force could be equally devastating if the area received no external representation. / A Thesis Submitted to the Program in American and Florida Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Fall Semester, 2005. / November 4, 2005. / Richard Keith Call, Florida History, Ghost Towns, Extinct Towns, Wakulla County, Levy County, Magnolia, Port Leon, Newport, Arran, East Goose Creek, Wakulla Beach, West Goose Creek, Cedar Key, Rosewood, Turpentine, Naval Stores, Lumberyards, Seine Fishing, Florida Railroad, George Hamlin, Augustus Steele, David Levy Yulee, Henry Walker Sr., Civil War, Slaves, Hurricanes, Hunting Resorts / Includes bibliographical references. / Frederick Davis, Professor Directing Thesis; John Fenstermaker, Committee Member; Bruce Bickley, Committee Member.

Louis John Witte is a man whose name is lost to time and whose work is overshadowed by flashier modern-day computerized advancements in movie wizardry. Nevertheless, he remains a cornerstone upon which a thriving scientific discipline has been built. Although he and his creations existed well before the advent of computer technology, he is credited with inventing devices that advanced the art of faking realism by replacing state-of-the-art crude facsimiles and dangerous replications with safer, hyper-realistic models. Witte's inventions erased the boundary separating audiences from the bona fide. His contribution to the science of entertainment coincided with the historic period 1896-1946, in which "movies were the most popular and influential medium of culture in the United States" (Sklar 3). Not only did Witte give his valuable civilian expertise to his country, but he also was a veteran of WWI, when during a "long lonely and dangerous mission," he was wounded (Leavell Appendix II). "Sergeant Louis J. Witte," a telegram written to his mother reads, "was wound [sic] in the Meuse-Argonne operation, on the night of Oct. 2nd., 1918, by an air bomb, and was evacuated to the hospital" (Leavell Appendix II). Witte's service and injury earned him the Purple Heart commendation for his involvement in that battle. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Humanities (American Studies Program) in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2011. / January 31, 2011. / Special Effects, Film Industry, Twentieth Century Fox Films, Film Industry, Flare Machine Patent, Wave Machine Patent, Sound Machine Patent, Witte / Includes bibliographical references. / John Fenstermaker, Professor Directing Thesis; Dennis Moore, Committee Member; Timothy Parrish, Committee Member.

This thesis addresses the major activist and radical issues of the 1960s and early 1970s and illustrates the myriad shifts that take place within each of these social movements as depicted in the alternative press of the era. These movements serve as reflections of the shift of the collective American character throughout the 1960s, and while they propel America to adjust to new mindsets, they also reflect the desires – and fears – of a nation thrust into a chaotic postwar period. But despite their differences in goals and ideologies, the major movements of the era – the struggles for civil rights, women's rights, and peace in the face of war – bring with them many similarities, more than many historians are wont to depict. So often, such historians focus solely on one of the activist movements of the 1960s, seemingly overlooking other events of the decades that could perhaps be catalysts or results of a particular movement's actions. But the groups that formed and the events that took place within the decade did so with a high degree of interconnectedness, even in ways that are not readily apparent initially. This mentality is illustrated quite clearly within the alternative newspapers of the era. Specifically, the bylines and subjects showing up in a forum for one activist movement often echo those from other publications and other movements. More generally, the motives, tactics, and even slogans made successful by one movement often were employed by activists in other realms, adding much to the collective ideological shifts of the era. Through the alternative press, it is easy to see the tendencies toward chaos even within the movements themselves; rarely does a neat and tidy chronology of progression exist. These newspapers chronicled the transformations taking place with the times – indeed, a shift from semantics to activism, from a more passive ideology to one that was vibrant with action. But such shifts are not easily decipherable and are nestled among shades of gray rather than being decidedly black and white. And it is those gray areas, those areas of confusion, tension, frustration, and joy, that this thesis analyzes. / A Thesis submitted to the Program in American and Florida Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2004. / March 31, 2004. / Civil Rights, 1960s, Underground Press, Alternative Newspapers, Women's Liberation, Antiwar / Includes bibliographical references. / Neil Jumonville, Professor Directing Thesis; John Fenstermaker, Committee Member; Deborah Coxwell-Teague, Committee Member.

Recently museums have begun to feature public programming that engages new audiences, they partner with a number of diverse community organizations, and they put the focus of their efforts on education. With these new focuses they have changed from didactic institutions to places where the visitor may confirm his experience, and at times may add his own voice to the discussion. This shift in focus has been swift, and scholarship is only beginning to catch up with the values being expressed in the profession. It is my intention to offer a history of educational philosophy that is relevant and useful for museum professionals by closely examining two historical lines of thought. Progressive education provides a framework that museums can use to model their educational programming. Creating hands-on programming, and focusing on the individuality of the learner are important aspects of progressive educations that museum professionals can use for their own programming. The idea of the community school focuses on partnerships, the use of the physical building, and bringing a number of resources together in one place. This set of ideas follows the paths that museums use to receive funding and strengthen their relationships within their local community. Local history museums have begun to use these all ideas, and focusing their attention on similar work done in the past is an important step for the profession. Therefore these two concepts provide a historically relevant and important background for present day museum programming. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of American and Florida Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Fall Semester, 2008. / March 31, 2008. / Constructivism, Educational History, Community School, Progressive Education, Museum Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Neil Jumonville, Professor Directing Thesis; Wayne Wiegand, Committee Member; Jennifer Koslow, Committee Member.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the development and current status of sociology in Texas public junior colleges.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2008. / This study investigated the effect of IsiZulu/English code switching as a medium of instruction on Grade 10 students' performance and their attitudes towards biology. The increased failure rate of Black South African students in science subjects and the acute shortage of science personnel across many sciences-based professional affiliations were the motivations for the study. Four secondary schools in Esikhawini and KwaDlangezwa Townships in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa were randomly selected into experimental (IZECS) and comparison (EL) groups. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used to collect data from these schools, in addition to a biology achievement test, a questionnaire and direct classroom observations. A pre-test and post-test non-equivalent comparison-group experimental design was used to measure the differences in the performance and attitudes of the students, following the IZECS and EL instructional interventions. The students were taught the human breathing system using IsiZulu/English code switching in the experimental and the English language only in the comparison group as the two independent variables. The dependent variables were the students' performance in biology and their attitudes towards the subject. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested at a= 0.05 level of significance. The t-test statistic was used to establish comparisons between the students' performance in biology and their attitudes towards biology between the two groups. The result of the comparisons showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, in favour of the group that was taught using IsiZulu/English code switching on the performance in the post test. The attitudes of students in IsiZulu/English code switching group improved more favourably towards biology than those in the English language group following the interventions. The majority of the students that preferred IsiZulu/English code switching to other languages in both groups explained that the method would make biology easier to understand. Consequently, these students recommended that teachers should use IsiZulu/English code switching to teach biology for better understanding. They felt strongly that the adoption of IsiZulu/English code switching, as an instructional approach for teaching biology in Grade 10, would improve the students' performance and their attitudes towards the subject. Overall, the results from this study can be of use to teachers, educational planners and policy makers as they address the complex issue of language choice in South African classrooms.

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / Science students come to class with pre-instructional ideas that may influence the acquisition of science concepts. A basic assumption of the constructivist learning theory is that these pre-instructional ideas should be taken into account in constructing students' learning experiences in science classes. A number of conceptual change strategies have been studied in order to alter unscientific (also called alternative) conceptions towards the scientifically accepted conceptions. The challenging task of the science educator is to select appropriate teaching strategies and techniques that will enhance learning. This study investigated students’ alternative conceptions about electric circuits and the effect of activity-based instructional approaches in ameliorating these alternative conceptions. The approach took into account the prior beliefs of the students. A learning sequence was developed, presenting a variety of learning experiences in such a way and order that learners' alternative conceptions could progressively be changed into scientifically accepted ones. The sequence progressed from contextual to conceptual to formal activities. Co-operative learning, scientific enquiry, verbalisation and analogous reasoning techniques were used to guide learners in the acquisition of scientific concepts. The approach was based on the assertion that learners' scientific knowledge and understanding are socially constructed through talk, activity and interaction around meaningful problems and tools. vi The research population consisted of hundred (100) first-year science students enrolled at a South African university both from the NCS and the OSC (Nated 550). The test that served as pre- and post-test probed into learners' alternative conceptions about electric circuits. A theoretical framework, based on activity-theory as it is applied in a constructivist view of learning, was developed. A pre-post-test comparison group design was followed. In particular, the pre-test helped to identify alternative conceptions held by the students in the research sample. This was then followed by activity-based interventions within the pedagogical aegis of OBE with a view to alleviate the identified alternatives conceptions. These interventions were followed by a post-test in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the interventions in alleviating the identified alternative conceptions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. From the quantitative data, using McNemar and “t” test, the findings showed highly statistically significant gains between the pre- and post-test scores of both the OBE and OSC groups (p < 0, 05), thus indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. The qualitative data showed that most of the alternative conceptions appeared to have been alleviated, No statistically significant difference was found between the normalised gains of OBE and OSC groups. Keywords: alternative conceptions, conceptual change, electric circuits, activity-based instructional approaches, teaching strategies, activity-theory