ix, 318 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation explores the interaction between filmmaking and the changing exigencies of leftist political ideologies in China at different stages of modernity: semi-colonial modernity, socialist modernity, and global modernity. Besides a historical examination of the left-wing cinema movement in the 1930s and socialist cinema in the Mao era, it focuses on the so-called "main melody" films that are either produced with financial backing by the state or sanctioned by governmental film awards in 1990s China. As products of globalization, Chinese "main melody" films are growing in complexity and maturity with the deepening of globalization, especially in competition with Hollywood cinema. Inspired by Louis Althusser, this dissertation attempts to address the lacunae of existing scholarship on Chinese "main melody" films by analyzing the role of the film medium as a significant ideological state apparatus (ISA) in serving ideological transitions occurring in 1990s China. Meanwhile, it also examines how the operation of the ideological mechanism in Chinese "main melody" films is different from the Althusserian definition. An examination of the polyphonic narration of history shows how the revolutionary history has been retold in "main melody" films in different ways to create a rich discursive space in post-socialist China. Special attention has also been paid to the cinematic representation of Chinese nationalism, contending that the instigation of nationalism in non-EuroAmerican societies--despite the fact that nationalism can be easily appropriated by the state as an effective ideological discourse to conceal domestic social conflicts--calls attention to the often ignored historical linkages between colonialism and the expanding global capitalism. In addition, it also examines the role of Chinese intellectuals in the discursive construction of nationalism. An analysis of Chinese masculinity shows that recent changes in gender discourse are closely related to China's socio-economic development in the era of globalization. Based on Stuart Hall's "encoding/decoding" model, the last part of this dissertation explores how the Chinese spectator as a subject can negotiate the ideological interpellation by the "main melody" film text in his/her own way. / Adviser: Tze-Ian Sang

Evaluations of the stance of 1 Peter toward the Roman Empire have for the most part concluded that its author adopted a submissive or conformist posture toward imperial authority and influence. Recently, however, David Horrell and Travis Williams have argued that the letter engages in a subtle, calculated (“polite”) form of resistance to Rome that has often gone undetected. Nevertheless, discussion of the matter has remained largely focused on the letter’s stance toward specific Roman institutions, such as the emperor, household structures, and the imperial cults. Taking the conversation beyond these confines, the present work examines 1 Peter’s critique of the Empire from a wider angle, looking instead to the letter’s ideology or worldview. Using James Scott’s work to think about ideological resistance against domination, I consider how the imperial cults of Anatolia and 1 Peter offered distinct constructions of time and space—that is, how they envisioned reality differently. Insofar as these differences led to divergent ways of conceiving the social order, they acquired political valences and generated potential for conflict. 1 Peter, I argue, confronted Rome on a cosmic scale with its alternative construal of time and space. For each of the axes of time and space, I first investigate how it was constructed in cultic veneration of the emperor, and then read 1 Peter comparatively in light of the findings. Although both sides employed similar strategies in conceptualizing time and space, they parted ways on fundamental points. We have evidence that the Petrine author consciously, if cautiously, interrogated the imperial imagination at its most foundational levels, and set forth in its place a theocentric, Christological understanding of the world.

Syftet med den här undersökningen är att undersöka vilka värderingar och attityder till det svenska samhällets månkulturalitet som speglas i skönlitteraturen idag, hur det kan påverka läsaren, samt hur det överrensstämmer med de värderingar kring ämnet som vår skola vill förmedla och föra vidare till sina elever. Det görs genom en ideologikritisk analys av det valda materialet som i detta fall utgörs av fyra böcker ur bokserien "LasseMajas Detektivbyrå" skrivna av författaren Martin Widmark. Analysen fokuserar på hur karaktärer med utländsk bakgrund framställs i böckerna. Resultaten av analysen visar att de förekommande karaktärerna med utländs bakgrund framställs som stereotypa i materialets alla böcker. Dock dras slutsatsen att det inte vilar en negativ värdering kring att de framställs på detta sätt, eller vårt mångkulturella samhälle som de representerar. Snarare försöker författaren uppmärksamma samt lyfta olikheter och visa hur de berikar vårt samhälle. Genom att hans böcker har ett enkelt språk samt ger extra stöd med hjälp av illustrationerna blir de lättillgängliga för en stor läsarkrets, vilket gör att han sprider dessa positiva värderingar kring mångkulturen till ett stort antal barn och ungdomar. Värderingarna som böckerna förmedlar stämmer bra överrens med skolans värdegrund och kan därigenom anses vara goda exempel på skönlitteratur att lyfta in i skolans verksamhet idag. / The aim of this report is to find out what kind of values and attitudes towards today’s multiculturalism that is being reflected in modern fiction. It will also try to find out how those values can affect the reader, and how they conform with the values on the subject which our school is advocating. To answer these questions, I am going to do an ideologically critical analysis of the chosen material. In this case, it consists of 4 books from the series of “LasseMajas Detektivbyrå” written by the author Martin Widmark. The analysis is focusing on the characters with foreign ethnicity and how they are portrayed in the books.  The result of the analysis shows that those characters are portrayed in a stereotypically way in all the books. Although we reach the conclusion that it is not done on purpose with negative values. The author is rather trying to make us pay attention to the multiculturalism from a positive point of view, and show how it can enrich our society. Due to the simplicity of the language and the illustrations as an extra support, his books become easily accessible for many children. This also helps spreading the positive values on to a large group of readers. The values which these books are communicating goes well in agreement with our school. Therefore, the books can be considered as good examples of fiction that can be used in today’s classroom.

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<p>  </p> <p>Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album <em>Jagged Little Pill</em> was released during the third wave of feminism, when sexual liberation for women was considered a priority and was especially prevalent in music with the rise of riot grrrl groups. Morissette’s album has transcended into the current fourth wave of feminism because she wrote palatable songs about female oppression and sexual liberation, which are tenets that were shared between the third and fourth waves of feminism. With the development of social media, feminism became decentralized and made it easier for <em>Jagged Little Pill </em>to grow in popularity and continue to resonate with a new generation of feminists almost thirty years after its release. Through analyzing the album using ideological criticism, this thesis will uncover different themes of oppression and liberation experienced by women throughout these two waves of feminism. </p>

Shīʿī aḥādīth, particularly on women, are an immensely understudied area. Studies on Shīʿī aḥādīth on women usually centre on Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, and little research explores pre-Islamic sacred female figures in Shīʿī aḥādīth. At the same time, there an urgent interest in Shīʿism as well as women in Islam, and a desire for new methods to be applied as well as new questions to be asked. This thesis will analyse Shīʿī aḥādīth about women in pre-Islamic sacred history who appear in the Qurʾān (focusing on Eve, Sārah, Hājar, Zulaykhā, Bilqīs, and the Virgin Mary), and apply the methodologies of ideological criticism and feminist hermeneutics (to be explained in Chapter 1) to explore the subtexts about the essential nature and role of women communicated through these narrations. In addition to exploring the roots of these ideas, it will compare them against the contemporary Shīʿī ideology of gender referred to as the ‘separate-but-equal’ ideology to explore how well this ideology corresponds to Shīʿī narrations. (What constitutes an ‘ideology’ will be explored in Chapter 1.) Rather than attempting to derive the ‘authentic’ teachings of the Prophet or the Imāms, this study will take a stance of inauthenticity with respect to narrations and treat narrations as socio-cultural artefacts representing the diversity of views and beliefs of the Shīʿī community. This distinguishes it from other works which either attempt to derive the ‘authentic’ teachings of the Prophet, or else which presume that all narrations equally reflect what the Prophet and Imāms actually said. This avoids the sticky question of which narrations are actually ‘true’ and allows them to be treated equally as cultural artifacts in negotiating a Shīʿī ideology of gender. Because this study focuses on sacred female figures shared with the Judaeo-Christian tradition, it allows for the exploration of how ideas about women from outside the Islamic tradition were integrated into the Shīʿī corpus through isrāʾīlīyāt, particularly through the intertextual synthesis of pre-Islamic material (such as the Bible) with post-Prophetic notions (such as normative paradigms of jurisprudential discourse). Two trends will emerge from these narrations. The first heavily reinforces patriarchal norms, such as women’s seclusion, the need for male authority, and male guardianship over women. These narrations reflect jurisprudential discourse and are largely found in two of the four most prominent books of Shīʿī ḥadīth, al-Kāfī and al-Faqīh. However, in the second, other narrations form a ‘counter-narrative’ in which women and men are portrayed as equals; these narrations invoke the imagery of esoteric Shīʿism and focus on the narrative of wilāyah (loyalty to and love of the Prophet, Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, and the Shīʿī Imāms). Since both sets of narrations address uniquely Shīʿī concerns, such as the Imāmate, it can be deduced that these differing portrayals of women reflect competing concerns in the early and mediaeval Shīʿī communities with respect to determining Shīʿī identity and orthodoxy, and may also reflect the spread of and resistance to Arabization. Lastly, because many narrations attributed to Imam ʿAlī convey strikingly different views about women, the penultimate chapter will explore whether Imam ʿAlī was misogynistic through a comparison of two foundational Shīʿī texts: Kitāb Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilālī (c. 100 AH) and Nahj al-Balāghah (c. 400 AH).

Chapter one gives a proposed outline for the research that will develop the theological-ethical dimension of neighbor as discerned from Leviticus 19. This chapter will give the reader an understanding of the purpose, motivation, and a hypothesis for the proposed research. An outline of the impending study will also be highlighted. In chapter two a brief discussion of two events and the evangelical denomination that have shaped my worldview will be highlighted. This chapter will also explore the diverse world of ideological criticism. A look at the wide ranging areas of specialties within ideological criticism will be the focus of this chapter. The way in which ideological criticism will be utilized as an interpretive methodology will be argued alongside Mary Douglas’ ring composition as a function of socio-rhetorical criticism. A grammatical analysis of Leviticus 19 will comprise chapter three. The Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible will be the primary source for this analysis. The exegesis of Leviticus will be the foundation for the study of the proposed topic. The purpose for the historical setting of the writing of Leviticus 19 will be given as well as archaeological evidence describing the societal make-up of the time period. An alternative interpretative emphasis will be argued in chapter four. Ring composition, as outlined by Mary Douglas, will be the tool utilized for this interpretation for Leviticus 19. This chapter will also explore the ways in which three New Testament characters utilized and contextualized passages from Leviticus 19. Chapter five will spotlight the recent events of May 2008. This month demonstrated the explosive consequences of unleashed and uncontrolled xenophobic violence. This month saw some of the most terrifying events since the inception of democracy in South Africa. Commentary and deliberation on the causes that sparked this violence will be examined through the eyes of journalists, politicians, citizens, foreigners and religious leaders. The reluctance of evangelicals to engage in social transformation will be critically analyzed in chapter six. Two movements that polarized the evangelical community will also be addressed. The thrust of this chapter will be the proposed theology of transformation. If this strategy of transformation might be utilized by the evangelical church, sustainable social justice could be possible. This strategy will be presented in a practical, applicable manner. The interrelationship between spiritual and social transformation will conclude this chapter. All of these will be encapsulated within the idea of ubuntu or African hospitality. Chapter seven will bring to a conclusion the research. There is a short synopsis of past and present religious creeds and statements of faith. The Hitler Effect will be examined in the light of how people focus on the minute differences instead of celebrating their overwhelming similarities. The events of November 2008 in America will be viewed through the refining lenses of society and its effect within greater society. This chapter will conclude with a summary of the study, reflections and future considerations. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The essay draws on Angela Standhartingers article ”Frauen in Mahlgemeinschaften. Diskurs und Wirklichkeit einer antiken, frühjüdischen und frühchristlichen Mahlpraxis” which examines the representation of women in the ancient tradition of symposia. This thesis studies how Luke and Paul represent women at The Last Supper τὸ πάσχα and the Lord’s Supper κυριακὸν δεῖπνον, and therefore focusses on the pericopes Luke 22:7-30 as well as 1 Cor. 11. Even though these biblical texts are written by men from an androcentric perspective, they show spaces - gaps which are opposed to what the texts seem to convey. Thus, it is possible to break through the patriarchal discourse to render women visible in the texts.   I argue that Luke and Paul represent women in their roles and positions both out of their personal experiences and social ideology. Yet, reflecting on a Christan social order, there can be noticed an earthly approach, relating to the cultural order, in Luke 22:7-30 in distinction from a cosmic approach in 1 Cor. 11.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In this study, ideological criticism combined with use of muted group theory are employed to analyze four Quiverfull mothering blogs in order to unveil the models of mothering and maternal messages that emerge from the discourse. The Quiverfull, comprised of fundamentalist Christians who advocate prolific birth rates and strict traditional gender norms, propose a very narrowly defined view of motherhood. Therefore, the goal of this study is to analyze how Quiverfull mothers choose to construct and maintain their own rhetorical vision of motherhood through mommy blogs, in an effort to understand if Quiverfull mothers also struggle to “get it right” like so many other contemporary mothers, faced with cultural contradictions. The findings unveil that Quiverfull mothers struggle with many of the same ideological pressures that mainstream mothers endure such as being almost entirely responsible for childrearing, wanting to find time for themselves amidst society’s demands that children become a mother’s “everything,” and negotiating their role as mothers in the public sphere. However, Quiverfull mothers’ primary difference from mainstream mothers is through their relationship with God. They relinquish all control to God’s will, challenging the notion that good mothers must always be in control. Additionally, Quiverfull mothers distance themselves from feminist ideology by promulgating the need for male authority and criticizing all pro-choice sentiment. Moreover, through the exploration of these online artifacts, this study acknowledges the ideological differences between mothering groups, yet exposes that both mainstream and Quiverfull mothers find success as a mother almost unattainable. As a result, this study proposes that mommy blogs have the rhetorical ability to challenge mothering models that destine many mothers to “fail,” imbue value into motherhood, and unite women of competing and polarized ideologies as a way to question the “timeless truth” of what constitutes good mothering.

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