Thesis (M.A.)--The Master's College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed February 8, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-50).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 P379 / Master of Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Maryland, Baltimore, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-241). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Oct. 9, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-45).

For years critics have noticed how Jane Austen uses a cold, a sore throat, a sprained ankle, or some other minor affliction (Watson 336) to further the plots of her novels. Although the recurring motif of illness appears to be nothing more than the recording of everyday trivialities, the frequent appearance of illness during the courtship narratives is intriguing. The bodily production of modesty requires the conscious display of delicacy; however, delicacy requires disability in order to be visible to society. Similarly, sensibility also requires the display of delicacy and, by extension, disability. Applying Judith Butlers performance theory to disability, it is possible to analyze the performance of delicacy used in both the production of modesty and sensibility, and thereby understand the degree to which delicacy is a learned performance rather than an innate feminine trait. Austens heroines display varying degrees of affectation of both modesty and sensibility through their performances of delicacy. These performances serve to highlight each heroines degree of modesty and sensibility, as well as to pique the interest ideally, although not always successfully of potential lovers. The performance of disability through delicacy is an essential feature of the temporary invalidism experienced by the heroines during the courtship narratives of Austens novels.

For years critics have noticed how Jane Austen uses a cold, a sore throat, a sprained ankle, or some other minor affliction (Watson 336) to further the plots of her novels. Although the recurring motif of illness appears to be nothing more than the recording of everyday trivialities, the frequent appearance of illness during the courtship narratives is intriguing. The bodily production of modesty requires the conscious display of delicacy; however, delicacy requires disability in order to be visible to society. Similarly, sensibility also requires the display of delicacy and, by extension, disability. Applying Judith Butlers performance theory to disability, it is possible to analyze the performance of delicacy used in both the production of modesty and sensibility, and thereby understand the degree to which delicacy is a learned performance rather than an innate feminine trait. Austens heroines display varying degrees of affectation of both modesty and sensibility through their performances of delicacy. These performances serve to highlight each heroines degree of modesty and sensibility, as well as to pique the interest ideally, although not always successfully of potential lovers. The performance of disability through delicacy is an essential feature of the temporary invalidism experienced by the heroines during the courtship narratives of Austens novels.

This dissertation contributes to the literature on resiliency and character strengths. College students (N = 223) were administered questionnaires to determine the hassles they experienced in the last month, as well as their levels of life satisfaction, resiliency, and the four character strengths of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Humility/Modesty, and Love. Reponses to the Ego Resiliency Scale were used to divide students into the following three groups: resilient, moderate-resilient, and low-resilient. Self-reported levels of life satisfaction, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Humility/Modesty, and Love were compared across the three groups to determine whether they were significantly related to resiliency. The results indicate that Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, and Humility/Modesty had a significant relationship with resiliency, but that Love did not. Resilient students' levels of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence as well as Gratitude were significantly higher than those of low-resilient students. However, resilient students' levels of Humility/Modesty were significantly lower than those of low-resilient students. Although Love was not significantly related to resiliency, the levels of Love for resilient students were relatively higher than those of low-resilient students. Life satisfaction also was significantly related to resiliency. Resilient students' levels of life satisfaction were significantly higher than those of low-resilient students. Gratitude and Love predicted students' levels of life satisfaction. Therefore, Gratitude seems to be the essential character strength related to both resiliency and life satisfaction among college students.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Religion, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

As clothing is the most visible type of consumption, what we wear often says a lot about who we are. We buy what we consider in line with our identity and avoid what we consider as not. Our consumption is influenced by a number of factors, whether internal or external and throughout the years we adopt a certain way of style. As our style evolves, on it depended fashion consumption is also going through a major change. In this master thesis, we present a study of young women from Generation Y, which adopted a style based on their personal needs, desires, and reflections on own body, and decided not to show their femininity in a predictable manner. Opinions on what is considered feminine vary across regions but in this research, we take an interest in Western culture consumers born and located in Europe. By adopting the modest style, women interviewed for the purpose of this study are perceived as challenging the stereotypical views of the female body, which is in the contemporary society and media often shown as an object of male desire, by wearing unisex, oversized, loose fit, deconstructed and even menswear garments. By the method of personal interviews, we asked nine young women about their opinions and reflections on their fashion consumption and views on communicating their self-identity and femininity through their individual take on the modest style. The research has, in addition to literature introducing symbolic consumption and the concept of the self, its foundation in framework discussing feminine identity and relation of the dress and the body. Based on the findings, the thesis presents an analysis of young women’s construction of feminine identity through modest style and reasons and clues influencing their fashion consumption. Through adaptation of modest style, young women purchase garments closely in line with their values and needs and are rarely influenced by opinions of their social groups. By dressing modestly, they demonstrate their femininity in an alternative way and priority in their fashion consumption is given to durable and timeless garments of high quality. In conclusion, we can see that participants are not only modest in their style, but also in the way they consume. Abandoning the presumption that Generation Y was “born to shop”, they are likely to invest in brand concepts with added value in form of appealing brand aesthetics, inspiring retail environment, outstanding personal approach or sustainable production of garments. By repairing or reselling their garments, buying them in second hand or from brands that produce their garments in an ethical way, today’s young women show that they are aware of environmental and political impacts of fashion, and their motivation to buy certain products is highly influenced by individual preferences and deeply rooted in their self-identity.