<p> In less than a decade since the onset of the global economic crisis, more than 2 million people have left Spain in search of work and the possibility of a livable existence. Many of these economic exiles are young and highly qualified, leading some to classify this exodus as a brain drain. Lingering labor market instability and growing mistrust in Spain&rsquo;s political system portend a challenging future for members of the so-called &ldquo;lost generation,&rdquo; both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, many questions remain about the lasting effects and repercussions of the crisis and massive departure of young Spaniards. </p><p> In response, the recession and ensuing surge in emigration have been popular themes of economic, demographic and sociological research in recent years; however, the cultural productions representative of this group remain relatively unstudied. The current investigation focuses on a selection of documentary films and fictional literature that portray the experiences of these highly qualified migrants. Through close analysis of these works, narrative patterns and trends appeared. These literary and audiovisual texts manifest the dialectical tensions of exile literature theorized by Sophia McClennen as well as the complex nostalgias of Svetlana Boym. They also reject and redefine the generational terms imposed upon them, express diasporic solidarity and call for political involvement and collective action. The rhetorical undercurrents at work in these constructions of individual and group identity suggest the emergence of an archetypal narrative of the new Spanish migrant. The cultural negotiations implicit in this narrative seem to confirm that sweeping but gradual societal changes are taking effect, even beyond Spain's borders.</p>

This thesis examines experimental film and video in 1980s Britain through a critical reassessment, mapping histories of these practices in relation to critical writing of the period. This historiographical analysis utilises material contained in The British Artists’ Film and Video Study Collection, part of the Museum at Central Saint Martins (UAL). Close analysis of a number of selected film and video works created within the artistic, activist and experimental communities active at the time both develops the thesis’ function as a new account of the period and provides a critical means of surveying historiography within the field of artists’ moving image. This study establishes the voice as a key theme in relation to both constructed narratives in historiographical writing and in works from this time. Employment of oral, primary source accounts frames analyses of voices in preexisting written histories and acts as a means to explore aural strategies and components within film and video works. Initial analyses of ‘historical recovery’ before, during and after the 1980s is followed by first considering how stories are recounted by voices, before investigating works that responded to events at the time and exemplified the struggles of voices during this significant period in British history. Focus on the voice frames a critical exploration of lexicons related to ghosts which appears later in the thesis. Jacques Derrida’s lecture and publication Specters of Marx (1994) is referenced to develop discussion of ghosting in relation to myths and historical sources in analysis of Ken McMullen’s Ghost Dance (1983), in which Derrida muses on ghosts and recording. An exploration of recording technologies and media informs a critique of writing history in order to reflect upon British film and video of the 1980s. It identifies a cacophony of voices – political, critical, activist and artistic – as characteristic of the times and a key element in the composition of the works and historical accounts of the moving image.

<p> David Lamelas&rsquo;s life-long research projects have included examinations of social phenomena. The artist takes interest in the dynamics of mass communication and media, urban mundane activities, and documentary films. He employs the element of time often in the structure of his art as an innovative approach by which to study his subjects. </p><p> I argue that in pairing the element of time with social phenomena, Lamelas exposes how people&rsquo;s perceptions, both the visual experience and the thought processes impacted by these experiences, tend to work, therefore leading viewers to consider systems of knowledge and their own accumulation of knowledge. His artwork provokes viewers to open their minds to new ways of seeing and thinking, stimulates self-awareness, and challenges their concepts of knowledge.</p><p>

<p>Saidou, Amina. Bachelor of Arts, Universite Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Spring 2006; Master of Arts, Universite Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Winter 2009; Bachelor of Arts (English/TESOL), Wilson College, Spring 2011; Master of Arts, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Spring 2013; Doctor of Philosophy, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Spring 2018 Major: Francophone Studies Title of Dissertation: Allegorie initiatique et engagement feminin a travers la litterature et le cinema francophones de l?Afrique subsaharienne et du Maghreb Dissertation Director: Dr. Amadou Ouedraogo Pages in Dissertation: 382; Words in Abstract: 380 ABSTRACT African women?s struggle for freedom can be thought of as an initiatory journey, an allegorical quest. Their long-lasting fight for emancipation happens to be about challenging and subverting traditional, patriarchal, and religious institutions. This research that focuses on female main characters analyzes the process of their emancipation as a journey. Through this study, we aim at deconstructing western feminist ideology and its stereotyping of African women. In doing so, we contribute to an understanding of African women identity(ies). Women in West and North Africa, just like westerners, often face misogyny and discrimination. Socio-cultural beliefs, religious, political, and historical standpoints are proven to be factors that contribute to undermining women?s self-fulfillment. Also, they are factors set to create discrepancies between African and Western feminisms as well as between African types of feminisms. Therefore, these factors should be taken into consideration when conceptualizing and analyzing African women. Although this can be true for most African women, authors construe and characterize their female characters as heroines. They discharge themselves of ?masculine domination.? This work first examines the representation of African women social status and interaction in francophone literary and cinematographic works. Next, based on critics like Pierre Bourdieu?s concepts of habitus and symbolic violence, the second chapter analyzes African women?s social behavior in reaction to oppression. Though violence is experienced through habitus, women who escape can free themselves through an undertaken journey. In this way, the third chapter examines women?s use of different strategies to resist oppression. Consequently, women need to overcome various challenges that they encounter. Overall, we ground our research on theories such as post-colonialism, deconstruction, feminisms, negofeminism, and the concept of ?everyday resistance? or cultural resistance. Also, we examine the authors? standpoints and purposes through their representation of heroines. African women are no more where/who they used to be. Nevertheless, because of deep-rooted and obsolete African cultural beliefs, they still have to fight hard for a more advanced emancipation. Unperceived violence can be more damaging for women who face challenges. Key fundamental aspects are the persistence in raising awareness and revisiting African traditions, values, and practices; encouraging women?s political and religious education; and fostering their economic enterprises for financial self-reliance. Most importantly, women?s self-awareness with regard to their ?reproduction of symbolic violence? is the key factor for this battle ground.

<p> The study investigated the indicators of acculturative stress among immigrants, and the stereotypes associated with immigrants as portrayed by American movies. The purposive sample (N=10) consisted of movies about immigrants produced in America between 2002 and 2017. Thus, drawing from the findings of previous studies on acculturation, the researcher developed a set of acculturative stress indicators (Socialization, Religion, Nutrition, Education, Language, and Citizenship). Also, the immigrant protagonist's race/ethnicity was a key factor that was considered because it is one of the primary basis for their identification in the movies. The ethnicity identified from the movies spread across 8 countries, which were classified into three ethnic categories: Asian, White, and Hispanic or Latino. Based on the results and findings of the study, the movies were found to portray more Socialization Stress Indicators and very little Religion Stress Indicators. There was a significant difference in the portrayal of the Language Stress Indicator between immigrant lead characters from Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and other ethnicities. The implications of movie based stereotypes about immigrants were discussed with regards to accurate and culturally appropriate portrayals. Therefore, the study highlights the need for extensive evidence-based research on the portrayal of immigrants in the movies, especially due to the high level of media consumption in recent times.</p><p>

<p>Media and culture are interrelated, which shapes what is culturally relevant. War films reflect a culture?s view on war as well as the viability of a culture?s mythology of war. Grounded in the concepts of war myth and genre, this thesis takes the stance that the Iraq and Afghanistan War film genre transforms the image of the American warrior. Iraq and Afghanistan War films, specifically The Hurt Locker, Green Zone, Lone Survivor, and American Sniper illuminate the destructive reality of war and the humanness of the warrior hero. They reaffirm the warrior?s heroism and sacrifice while also acknowledging war as damaging to the warrior?s psyches, hearts, minds, and bodies.

<p> Horror films, like any cultural product, are a result of their time and place in the world. The traditional reading of horror films focuses primarily on the negative treatment of women. However, there are some moments of resistance that allow for a strong female representation. As the horror film is a genre that targets primarily the youth market, some of these women step beyond the traditional cannon fodder and emerge as feminist role models. Over time the ways and means by which women stepped out of the shadows in the horror genre changed. These changes can in part be traced to the larger societal movements of their era, including Second and Third Wave Feminism. By looking at specific films and how they defined the horror genre over three decades, the impact of larger societal movements can be seen, as can the changing space of women within the genre. From the 1970s the films explored are: <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (Tobe Hooper, 1974), to <i>Carrie</i> (Brian DePalma, 1976), and <i>Alien</i> (Ridley Scott, 1979). From the 1980s the films used are: <i>Friday the 13th</i> (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980), <i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i> (Wes Craven, 1984), and <i> Aliens</i> (James Cameron, 1986). The 1990s films examined are: <i> The Silence of the Lambs</i> (Jonathan Demme, 1991), <i>New Nightmare </i> (Wes Craven, 1994), and <i>Scream</i> (Wes Craven, 1996). Over the course of the decades and through these films this work demonstrates the historical links to how women are portrayed in the horror film, their relationship to the genre as a whole, and the feminist movements of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. In tracing these moments of resistance this work illuminates why these characters have withstood the test of time and why audiences continue to flock to horror films.</p>

abstract: Media is a powerful tool used to reflect and affect change in society. Within this study, a brief historical context is provided of roles African Americans in film were traditionally cast in. By employing Critical Race Theory (CRT), cultural capital, and NewBlackMan frameworks, I analyzed how Black male film directors and producers depicted race, class, gender within the Black film boom of the early 2000s. I examined the depictions of educational outcomes of the characters within films utilized in this study. My results display progress that still needs to be made in breaking down traditional gender roles, how race needed to be more critically examined, and how educational outcomes of the characters were not realistic. I also provide suggestions for conducting media studies through the discipline of education in the future. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 2010

This thesis proposes a new analytical perspective to the interplay between the entertaining escapism afforded by spectacular action sequences and the expression of cultural themes in the 2000s-present contemporary superhero film cycle. In the introduction I give a review of the spectacle and narrative debate to explain how current studies on popular action film have tended to primarily focus on the way spectacular displays support narrative progression by driving forward the film plot’s narrative chain of cause-and-effect over time. However, the review then explains that whenever the cultural themes invested in these action film narratives are concerned, there is often an assumption that thematic values only surface intermittently as symbolic motifs at certain moments, and so do not really benefit from this kind of storytelling momentum to the same extent. The introduction then sets up my claim that spectacle not only aids the progression of plot by energising narrative causality and temporal progression, but spectacle also contributes other rhythmically kinetic arcs of narration able to developmentally evolve thematic tales of cultural conflict, which I term as narrativised spectacle. I explain my method as one combining a genre theory framework to uncover the cultural contradictions invested in action narratives alongside a neoformalist analysis of the rhythmic components of physical motion, editing, framing, composition and digital visual effects that express these thematic tensions. Examples are then given to show why contemporary superhero films depend on such kinetic kinds of spectacular rhythm, and provide a key case study to work with. Each chapter finds evidence for my claim by analysing how different kinds of kinetic arc are generated by the audio-visual rhythms of spectacle: able to introduce, challenge, destabilise, conflate, reinstate and eventually reconcile a series of conflicting cultural themes akin to an evolving tale. In the first chapter I explore the physical and spatial spectacle of action sequences. In the second chapter I look at the melodramatic theatrics of performance techniques. In the third chapter I critically interrogate the violent action of the superhero film alongside the themes of masculinity invoked therein. In the final chapter I deal with superheroines. Although these heroines employ these same thematic rhythms as male superheroes, the kinetic arcs are noticeably far more interrupted, due to being burdened with themes of androcentrism. The conclusion then summarises exactly what narrativised spectacle contributes to existing debates on spectacle and narrative, and why it is particularly useful for studying the contemporary superhero-action film.

This thesis examines the different ways the cinemas of Éric Rohmer, Jacques Rivette, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard adapted literary and artistic motifs characteristic of the nineteenth-century romantic and realist traditions, from the 1960s to the 1980s. The selection of these four directors is based on their early and formative commitment to the politique des auteurs, a film criticism trend that was significantly indebted to central aesthetic precepts of the realist and naturalist novels. The profound social changes of the 1960s led directors, artists and writers to question long-accepted ideas about representation and authorship. The left-wing culture in France, which envisioned art and political protest as an inseparable whole, extensively criticised the nineteenth-century discourse on the realist novel as the outward revelation of the author's inner life. As a result, critics rapidly considered the politique des auteurs and, by extension, the universalist and openly westerncentric premises of the Nouvelle Vague as unpersuasive and dismissible. This thesis acknowledges that the relation these directors maintained with nineteenth-century thought has been overshadowed by scholarship on their individual careers, a research tendency that consolidates the notion of rupture and discontinuity between Rohmer, Rivette, Truffaut and Godard's filmographies. However, each one of them commonly returned to nineteenth-century sourcing and imagery in the post-1968 period through adaptations and transpositions of Heinrich von Kleist, Honoré de Balzac, Adèle Hugo, Prosper Mérimée and so on. As the first work to regroup this 'gang of four' in the aftermath of Rohmer's forced resignation in Cahiers du cinéma, this thesis argues that their approaches to the nineteenth-century cultural legacy should be assessed as distinct forms of reaffirming, revising, challenging and commenting on their former vision of cinema as a novelistic space, able to manifest the essence of sheer appearances. As the chapters will demonstrate, their engagements with nineteenth-century art and literature are complex. They are, on the one hand, inflected by their personal responses to the politicisation of the 1960s and 1970s French film culture and, on the other hand, informed by their individual understanding of the role of nineteenth-century narratives and aesthetic patterns within the framework of modern filmmaking. The introduction chapter lays the theoretical foundations of the Nouvelle Vague's early engagements with notions of romanticism and realism and, in light of the existing scholarship, establishes the aims and methodology of this thesis. Chapter two examines Rohmer's cinematic transposition of Balzac's rhetorical realism and analyses the paradoxes and modernist potential of the director's neoclassical film aesthetics in Die Marquise von O ... (1976). Chapter three explores the ways Rivette turns the Balzacian myths of Icarus and Pygmalion into more immediate accounts on his contemporaries' struggle for unalienated and totalising works of art through Out 1: Noli me tangere (1971) and La Belle Noiseuse (1991). Chapter four analyses Truffaut's long series of engagements with nineteenth-century imagery and explores the reasons why L'enfant sauvage (1970), Les deux anglaises et le continent (1971), L'histoire d'Adèle H. (1975) and La chambre verte (1978) coincided with his growing conservatism. Chapter five develops Godard's relationship with the romantic legacy through the case-studies of Passion (1982) and Prénom Carmen (1983) - films which allude to Charles Baudelaire's entangled notions of spleen and the ideal and give an unprecedented attention to the aesthetics of chiaroscuro. The conclusion chapter establishes points of convergences and contrasts between the four directors through a comparative account that also addresses the ways in which their individual stands towards the romantic and realist legacies have evolved.