Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p.122-129). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-137). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2005. / "Publication number AAT 3186475."

This study sketches out the ways in which a candidate talks to voters. In modern presidential campaigning far too much of the focus is upon the broadcast media and their role in determining what gets filtered through to the citizenry. This is not a study of the effects of the mass media. No attempt is made here to dispute or confirm the effects of television upon the political process. Instead, this is a study of public speaking--the relatively direct interaction between the candidate and the potential voter. The work addresses a theoretical concern about creating a public space where political communication can occur. The study is divided into rhetorical analyses of key elements of the political arena that candidates from both parties constructed. The first chapter outlines the mythic rhetoric of citizen participation that characterizes this election in New Hampshire and outlines how the press attempts to locate representations of that participation. The following three chapters treat separately key elements of the public sphere by investigating where the candidates spoke and to whom, outlining the choices of formats for these appearances, and describing the sorts of language and image strategies employed by the candidates. A fifth major chapter depicts alternate constructions of public space that a handful of candidates used to deviate from the general patterns. Although this study is focused upon a single primary election and offers a clear historical record this is not the main purpose of the work. The analysis is spatially oriented and is meant to offer a geographic record of how the campaign was shaped by collective and individual conceptions of a public stage. To accomplish this purpose a rhetorical analysis of the political arena is used to create a "map" of the 1988 New Hampshire primary. This map details where the candidates chose to speak, to whom, in what manner, and with what language and images.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2005. / "Publication number AAT 3186482."

<p> According to the scholarly literature, civic engagement practices inclusive of historically marginalized groups are critical to promote justice and contribute to the health of American democracy. Empirical studies meanwhile reveal a grim report of participation from low-income families and/or persons living in ethnically/racially diverse communities in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. Scholars have called for further research to address the gap in understanding how barriers to participation are created and reproduced in the day to day experience in marginalized communities, and what if anything can be done to transcend barriers and boundaries to broad based civic engagement. </p><p> By focusing on a high profile civic engagement effort in one low-income, multiethnic urban community, this research provides a context rich, textured account that sheds new light on these important questions. Drawing on four years of ethnographic research, this study finds that social and spatial boundary work intended to build diverse community engagement for an <i>inclusive </i> initiative ultimately created an <i>exclusive</i> process that kept most stakeholders out. This manuscript explains how these boundaries were created, how people gave them objective reality, and what their consequences were. The study also raises two fundamental needs for the future of civic engagement theory and practice: to change practices which are ineffective and often counterproductive of civic engagement objectives, and, to define an approach leading to meaningful participation. In response to these needs and associated tensions, this manuscript offers an integrated framework providing insights into how to create robust opportunities for civic engagement efforts in low-income and multiethnic communities.</p>

<p> The interplay between governmentality, biopolitics and the state manifests itself discursively and materially within the realm of sovereignty over territory and at the level of the population. This thesis is specifically concerned with the relational contexts of the People's Republic of China during the 'War on Terror.' Hence, this thesis engages how the state discursively produces what and how 'Uyghur' is relationally dependent on transforming notions of state sovereignty during the 'War on Terror.' Accordingly, the discursivity of 'Uyghur' allows for dialectic production by the state and the ontological rationalization of governmental practice that produces difference.</p>

Microgeneration technologies, such as solar photovoltaics (PV), have recently been cited as a potential solution to energy policy challenges such as climate change and security of supply. International evidence suggests that the benefit of a PV installation will depend on both the amount of electricity generated and the technology’s influence on energy consumption behaviour. This study seeks to quantify and explain this ‘double-dividend’ effect by examining photovoltaics in the UK domestic sector. Questionnaire and interview data were collected from owner-occupier PV households, revealing that the installation of PV increased awareness of electricity generation and consumption in the home. Guided by monitoring devices, an overall electricity saving (~8%) and load-shifting behaviours were observed. Although the installation of PV followed a series of other energy-saving measures, respondents showed an ongoing commitment to environmentally responsible behaviour and further reduction of the carbon footprint of household energy consumption. PV household electricity data and interviews with industry and government found that electricity tariffs, metering and other institutional constraints were important determinants of a household’s behavioural response. As these parts of the domestic PV system are largely still evolving, it is recommended that households and industry work together to develop systems that support sustainable electricity use, for both the early adopting households studied here and future adopters.

This research focuses on the Israeli town of Sderot and the rocket attacks it experienced since 2001. Sderot is a unique case study because it represents a group of individuals in a democratic country that lived with terrorism for almost a decade before the state took major defensive action. The situation in Sderot is one which has lacked attention in the media and in Political Science research. By analyzing the level of attention by multiple actors to the crisis in Sderot, the reasons for the perpetual insecurity of its population are discussed. The crisis is analyzed on four main levels: the experience of individuals in Sderot, the response of the Israeli government, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and the role of the United Nations. The preliminary chapter examines the impact of living with rocket fire while exploring methods by which Sderot residents have engaged in activism to improve their quality of life. The following chapter discusses Israeli national defense policy and examines where Sderot has ranked on the State's list of priorities. The third chapter consists of two main sections: an analysis of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, an explanation of Barnas' rise to power in Gaza. The latter section consists of an exploration of the politics surrounding the United Nation's level of attention to the crisis in Sderot. As one transitions from the individual level of analysis to the state level, the voices of Sderot residents become much quieter, and the realities of a state that is constantly attacked from beyond its borders can be understood. By analyzing the past failings of peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, lessons for future attempts at negotiations are discussed, and the ever-present link between peace and security is emphasized. Overall, the realities of daily life in a state which pursues a policy of security over diplomacy are illuminated.