The artist discusses his Master of Fine Arts exhibit, titled DUNIDEDCUDIGUNADIE. The exhibit is to be held at the Tipton Gallery in downtown Johnson City, TN, from April 2nd to April 10th, 2020. A live reception will be held the evening of April 3rd, featuring a performance with the work, titled Look at You! The following thesis explores the artist’s formative years – investigating how childhood experiences combine with artistic and theoretical influences to inform his art-making process.

The Rohingya are considered one of the most oppressed ethnicities in the group, due to their losing their citizenship and being persecuted, and being victims of state-sponsored violence. This thesis aims to find the reasoning behind, why the Rohingya have been targeted and treated as a scapegoat within Myanmar. To do this, this research is conducting a historical analysis to find the historical reasons for the discourse the different Myanmar governments have used to discredit the Rohingya claims to their place in the Rakhine state. A comparative analysis with other historically oppressed ethnicities is also implemented to highlight the unique case of the Rohingya and to better understand the nature of how scapegoats form. In support of the academic material, the research is also utilizing a media analysis of state-sponsored newspapers to understand the discourse of the conflict. Finally, this variety of analytic methods is tied together with a theoretical framework consisting of the joint use of Post-colonialism, Social-Identity theory, and Scapegoat theory.

This thesis explores the implications of René Girard’s mimetic theory on Genesis 1 and 2 in the Old Testament. It tests the extent to which Genesis 1 and 2 are structured sacrificially or mythically as outlined by Girard. René Girard’s theory is summarized and clarified as to how the theory can be applied to biblical texts. In addition, Girard’s theory is explained in the context of theory-making in late modernity, and critiques of Girard from biblical, anthropological, sociological, and theological perspectives are addressed. A sacrificial structure is explored in Genesis and Exodus that informs the exegesis of Genesis 1 and 2. The critical elements in Girard’s scapegoat mechanism—acquisitive desire leading to rivalry, crisis, and ultimately to an expulsion—are examined in the expulsion of the Hebrews from Egypt (Exodus 1) and the expulsions of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis (Gen 12-21). A particular pattern takes shape that structures the narratives in the Pentateuch. An exegesis of Israel’s narrative of origins in Genesis 1 and 2 follows, incorporating Girard’s theoretical insights with higher critical methods conventionally employed to the Old Testament. The thesis discovers striking parallels with Israel’s narrative of origins. They are indeed sacrificially structured, but they also interrogate that structure and describe an alternative sacrificial response. The sacrifice that Yahweh instigates dismantles the mythical structure even as it moves through the sequence. The thesis concludes with a validation of Girard’s theory and explains how Girard’s theory can be useful to the current exegetical tasks. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (Old Testament)

This thesis explores the implications of René Girard’s mimetic theory on Genesis 1 and 2 in the Old Testament. It tests the extent to which Genesis 1 and 2 are structured sacrificially or mythically as outlined by Girard. René Girard’s theory is summarized and clarified as to how the theory can be applied to biblical texts. In addition, Girard’s theory is explained in the context of theory-making in late modernity, and critiques of Girard from biblical, anthropological, sociological, and theological perspectives are addressed. A sacrificial structure is explored in Genesis and Exodus that informs the exegesis of Genesis 1 and 2. The critical elements in Girard’s scapegoat mechanism—acquisitive desire leading to rivalry, crisis, and ultimately to an expulsion—are examined in the expulsion of the Hebrews from Egypt (Exodus 1) and the expulsions of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis (Gen 12-21). A particular pattern takes shape that structures the narratives in the Pentateuch. An exegesis of Israel’s narrative of origins in Genesis 1 and 2 follows, incorporating Girard’s theoretical insights with higher critical methods conventionally employed to the Old Testament. The thesis discovers striking parallels with Israel’s narrative of origins. They are indeed sacrificially structured, but they also interrogate that structure and describe an alternative sacrificial response. The sacrifice that Yahweh instigates dismantles the mythical structure even as it moves through the sequence. The thesis concludes with a validation of Girard’s theory and explains how Girard’s theory can be useful to the current exegetical tasks. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (Old Testament)

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:39:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1175806 bytes, checksum: 57ae7b385bb8bbdf21b4b0e34d85b84e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This dissertation aimed at analyzing four short stories from the book A mulher que prendeu a chuva e outras histórias, by the Portuguese writer Teolinda Gersão. Those are: Encontro no S-Bahn , A mulher que prendeu a chuva , A ponte na Califórnia and Um casaco de raposa vermelha . For this, we relied on the theoretical proposal by Wolfgang Iser, in particular literary anthropology in the category of violence, according to the assumptions of René Girard, and by the method titled topoanalysis, we want to identify possible answers to the following questions: To what extent when literature is interlocking the real with fiction and imaginary can it give us clues to rethink how anthropos - as a perceptive subject - reacts before a space that is unknown? And what about borderline spaces? In which way does the human being respond to the direct conflict of his or her desires with alienating processes with other forms of valid knowledge? What are the implications of that? How the violence is presented? We verified that all short stories analyzed presented a prominence of feminine perspective in common, the presence of a scapegoat, and the conflict that generates violence in spaces, when they are urban, intimate, borderlines or "non-places". / O presente trabalho propõe-se a analisar quatro contos integrantes do livro A mulher que prendeu a chuva e outras histórias, da escritora portuguesa Teolinda Gersão, a saber: Encontro no S-Bahn , A mulher que prendeu a chuva , A ponte na Califórnia e Um casaco de raposa vermelha . Para tanto, nos baseamos na proposta teórica de Wolfgang Iser, nomeadamente a antropologia literária; na categoria da violência, segundo os pressupostos de René Girard; e através do método intitulado topoanálise buscamos, ao final, apontar possíveis respostas para as seguintes questões: Até que ponto a literatura ao imbricar o real com o fictício e o imaginário, pode nos dar pistas para (re)pensar como o anthropos - enquanto sujeito perceptivo - reage diante de um espaço que lhe é desconhecido? E em meio a espaços fronteiriços? De que maneira o ser humano responde ao confronto direto com os seus desejos, com processos alienantes, com outras formas de conhecimento válido? Quais as implicações disso? Como a violência se apresenta? Verificamos que todos os contos enfocados apresentam em comum a voz feminina em destaque, a presença do bode expiatório e o confronto que gera violência em meio a espaços, sejam eles urbanos, íntimos, fronteiriços ou não-lugares .

Orientador: Mário Luiz Frungillo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T15:02:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Brito_MelissaBarros_M.pdf: 1433251 bytes, checksum: 9c3f5fbc60205a8fc202ea5ca8d5e9a7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a construção do bode expiatório de José Saramago à luz das teorias de René Girard. Para analisar a construção de Saramago, foram eleitos dois de seus romances: Ensaio sobre a cegueira (1995) e Ensaio sobre a lucidez (2004), livros que mantêm entre si uma continuação. O foco desta dissertação está voltado para a personagem mulher do médico, que divide o espaço da narrativa com outros que serão de fundamental importância para o desenvolvimento da trama. É essa personagem quem faz o papel de bode expiatório nas tramas de Saramago. A leitura dos romances de Saramago sob esse viés é possível em razão das teorias e estudos elaborados por René Girard, que procura compreender e teorizar o desejo mimético, a violência fundadora e a escolha (construção) do bode expiatório. As teorias defendidas por René Girard acerca da escolha do bode expiatório ¿ desde o seu surgimento até o seu sacrifício para o surgimento de uma nova sociedade ¿ nos ajuda a compreender os movimentos criados por José Saramago no decorrer dos dois romances e a importância que a personagem mulher do médico tem para ajudar a discutir as relações de poder e, principalmente, para revelar a crítica de José Saramago aos estados tidos como democráticos. Neste trabalho me interessa, sobretudo, observar o percurso desta personagem desde o primeiro romance em que aparece como uma espécie de heroína abnegada até o segundo romance, quando se torna vítima do sistema ¿ portanto o bode expiatório ¿, até a sua execução, e quais são as questões que estão envolvidas na construção criada por Saramago para melhor compreender a crítica aos estados democráticos em suas obras / Abstract: This work aims to analyse the construction of José Saramago¿s scapegoat with the help of René Girard¿s theoretical writings. In order to do it, two novels writen by Saramago were selected: Ensaio sobre a Cegueira (Blindness, 1995) and Ensaio sobre a Lucidez (Seeing, 2004), whose themes derive one from another. The focus is put on the main character, named simply as doctor¿s wife, who shares the narrative space with other characteres responsible for the developing of the plot. It¿s doctor¿s wife who plays the role of the scapegoat in Saramago¿s novels. The reading of both books from the point of view of Girard¿s works is possible because there are a sort of resemblances between the novels and the theory: the mimetic desire, the founding violence e the choosing of the scapegoat are all themes and subjects that belong both to Saramago¿s literature and Girard¿s thought. Finally, the work also wants to understand the trajectory of doctor¿s wife from the first novel, where she shows herself as some sort of unselfish heroine, to the second novel, when she becomes a victim of the political system ¿ therefore, the scapegoat ¿ until her execution. The goal is to reveal what is behind the construction of the character in order to be able to comprehend the critics that Saramago draws to the democratic system in his literary works / Mestrado / Teoria e Critica Literaria / Mestra em Teoria e História Literária

This essay intends to discover how a qualitative discourse of right-wing populismcan be seen within the Swedish parliament, by exploring how politicians in theparliament are using the "us against them" and if a scapegoat is created by doing so.The essay's key questions are going to examine the differences and similaritiesbetween the Social democratic government from 2020-2022 and the current centerright government compared to the opposition parties, between social democrats andcenter-right government on right-wing populist discourse, and what the media isnotifying about the political debate within the government. By doing so, we can find out important explanatory factors on why the shift inpolitics in Sweden has gone to more right-wing populist rhetoric, to understand whythis has been occurring in the Swedish government. By looking at the factors of whya rise of right-wing populism has occurred within different types of governmentparties and the type of similarities and differences they have on different parties’discourse about the framing of anti-immigration rhetoric.

Witchcraft discourse in South Africa has increasingly permeated all social structures, thereby becoming a real threat to the process of reconstruction and development. The neglect of witchcraft accusations and their resultant consequences can cause the country to lose all it gained as a result of the liberation struggle. In this study I examine the historical developments of witchcraft accusations around the world in general, and in South Africa in particular as well as the threats they pose to society. I analyse five broad areas: 1) The inborn h tendency to scapegoat; jealousy; and the role religion plays in the escalation of these problems; 2) The African world-view and its consequences on interpersonal relationships; 3) Colonial and missionary attempts to suppress the African world-view; 4) Ways and means of containing the conflicts arising from the witchcraft problem; and 5) Summary of findings. The research was occasioned by the untold suffering victims of witchcraft accusations have to undergo in the three Northern Provinces of South Africa. Because of the cruelty and misery such accusations cause the poor people of these rural provinces urgent attention is needed to contain them, especially since such accusations have not diminished despite all governmental efforts to curtail them. At the centre of witchcraft accusations there are stress, hatred, vindictiveness, and aspirations to become famous. The fear that one may be victimised by either being accused of witchcraft or being bewitched is very real even today. The relevance of the study is apparent when one considers the feelings of helplessness that paralyses the opponent of this carnage, such as government and the churches. A number of resources should thus be employed to counter would be put into it. This threat which is aggravated by the abject poverty prevalent in the rural communities of the three Provinces. The prevailing conditions of abject poverty play a definite role in the creation, promotion and escalation of the scourge. Policy makers should therefore have clear grasp of the extent to which poverty has influence on society in any effort to contain witchcraft accusations. I conclude the study by ~ecommending transformational paths to the Government, NonGovernmental Organisations and other Community Leaders to follow in attending to improve the lot of the poor. This is done by highlighting ten findings that emerged during the study. The findings were the result of analyses of archival records, literature and case studies on witchcraft accusations. Because the subject of witchcraft is so wide and emotive I have employed several sociological and anthropological theories to cover as wide a field as possible. The incorporation of so many theoretical approaches into the study presents on interpretive and analytical explanation of the causes, effects and containment of witchcraft accusations. The overall conclusion is encapsulated by the title of the study Moloi ga a na mmala (A witch has no colour). A witch remains unidentifiable, but witch-hunters and sniffers know how to identify their witches. Although the process remains paradoxical, it is practised on a daily basis. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D.Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

Violence in traditional “satisfaction” atonement theologies is addressed here. An alternative non-violent view follows in discussion with Weaver / Heim. Weaver outlines a nonviolent Jesus narrative focussing on God’s rule made visible in history. Jesus’ saving death stems not from God but Jesus’ opposing evil powers. For viability violent biblical texts are disregarded. Church history interpretation is nonconventional. Early church is nonviolent. The subsequent Constantinian “fall” births the violent satisfaction model. Weaver’s problematical violence definition receives attention. Girard’s scapegoating philosophy and Jesus’ rescuing humankind from this evil undergirds Heim’s approach. Scapegoating establishes communal peace preventing violence. The bible is antisacrificial giving victims a voice. Jesus becomes a scapegoating victim, yet simultaneously exposes and reverses scapegoating, his death stemming from evil powers not God. Nonviolent atonement influences numerous theological concepts with Incarnational theology demonstrating Jesus’ humanness impacting upon atonement. Four ways to live out transformation established by Jesus’ saving work follow. / School of Humanities / MTH (Systematic Theology)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the social and cultural contexts of 1QS (Serek ha-Yahad) by means of a textual study. The analysis of the text is performed in a synchronic perspective. This means that lexical choices, grammatical forms, references, topics, themes, and intertextuality are analyzed text-internally. By doing so, this study sheds new light on old questions of textual cohesion and coherence, questions that until now have been dealt with mostly from a diachronic perspective. The text analysis entails investigation in view of three interrelated dimensions of language function: ideational, interpersonal, and textual. These imply language as transmitting information, creating and sustaining relations, and functioning to organize itself into cohesive units. Although applying some of the terminology from the field of text linguistics (SFL), the focus in this study is on what a text means rather than why. This means that the semantic-pragmatic aspects of language are of foremost interest here. The analysis is performed from bottom and up, then from top down again. Words, phrases, and sentences are investigated up to the broadest linguistic level, namely, to the semantic discourse itself. With an understanding of the larger discourse at hand thanks to this analysis of textual cohesion and coherence, textual details are once again revisited and interpreted anew. In this work, 1QS is analyzed from beginning to end—chronologically, so to say. Then, at the end of each major section, the discourse is analyzed overall. Following the text analysis, conclusions of the investigations are presented. The conclusions argue that the hierarchal structure of the community and its stringent regulations are to be understood as a corrective in response to corrupt society. It is also argued that language in 1QS has a performative function. Rather than describing the way things are, it aspires to evoke the ideal society. Instead of understanding 1QS and the community mirrored in it as a deviant group with little or no contact with the surrounding world, it is then understood as a potent contribution to late Second Temple Jewish discourse concerning how to create a just society and a sanctifying cultic practice. In the final chapter, the insights gained from textual analysis of 1QS are brought into encounter with the theoretical framework posited by French historian and philosopher René Girard (1923–2015). In light of Girard’s philosophy, the hierarchal organization of the community (the Yahad) as well as its regulations can be interpreted as an effort to prevent a mimetic crisis. The function of the scapegoat in 1QS is discussed in light of Girard’s grand theory of the mechanisms of scapegoating in all societies. The study closes with the tentative hypothesis that the community in 1QS deconstructs the scapegoating mechanism by taking the role of the scapegoat upon itself.