America has a national ethos embodied in the moniker “land of the free” and defined by a set of ideals in which being free means all men and women have an equal opportunity for prosperity, the pursuit of happiness and success. In essence, simply having access to upward social mobility achieved through one’s own perseverance and hard work, the quintessential American Dream. The first use of the phrase American Dream was by James Truslow Adams to characterize the ideal that every man should live a richer and fuller life than his ancestors based on opportunity according to ability or achievement (1931). The current study examines whether perceptions of being able to achieve the American Dream have changed in light of the economic recession of 2008 using data from the General Social Survey (n=4217). Findings show that perceptions of the American Dream have changed based on an individual’s race and class over time. Those in society who are lower class, female, who do not believe in hard work, having below average income/financial situations stand to have lower odds in the belief in their ability to attain the American Dream. Whites have lower odds of believing in the American Dream when compared to Blacks. Furthermore, respondents in 2006 and 2010 had greater odds of belief in the American Dream compared to those in 2008.

This thesis investigates reading for pleasure in Britain from a variety of perspectives, in the context of popular concerns surrounding levels of readership, particularly among young people, and consists of four substantive chapters. The first chapter reports how book sales and library circulation have changed, and what predicts readership in the Taking Part survey. I show that claims surrounding changes in reading in Britain may be overstated, although the number of issues from British libraries has fallen, and that while the predictors of readership are largely as expected, there are some important results surrounding social status, and ethnic differences in children. The second chapter investigates changes in young people’s reading behaviour, using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England. I show that changes in young people’s reading cannot be explained through a displacement effects account, and that socioeconomic differences in readership do not increase as panel members get older. In the third chapter, I investigate whether the relationship between reading for pleasure and educational attainment can be explained through cultural capital, and extend this with occupational attainment, using the 1970 British Cohort Study. I show a relationship between reading for pleasure and occupational attainment net of education, and I show that this relationship seems to have a cultural dimension beyond a cognitive effect account. In the fourth chapter, I show that the relationship between leisure in adoles- cence and educational and occupational attainment is not driven purely by highbrow activities, as on a certain understanding of Bourdieu: in particular, I show a relationship between occupational attainment and middlebrow activities.

In “Patria Mia,” his 1913 series of essays in New Age magazine, Ezra Pound uses a metaphor for modernist cultural production that informs and structures this dissertation. “If it lie within your desire to promote the arts,” he writes, “you must not only subsidize the man with work still in him, but you must gather such dynamic particles together; you must set them where they will interact, and stimulate each other.” Salon hostess Mabel Dodge Luhan, in Movers and Shakers, announces a similar transformation in interpersonal relations: “Looking back on it now, it seems as though everywhere, in that year of 1913 . . . there were all sorts of new ways to communicate, as well as new communications.” I argue that these new forms of communication and interaction described by Pound and Dodge not only characterize the early twentieth century but also empower transnational experiments in literature, art, and politics that we now call “modernism.” Because of dramatic and wide-ranging developments in communications and travel technologies, modernists in the early years of the twentieth century cooperated and communicated regarding their experiments in new dynamic ways that make modernism an especially collaborative project. Before the Great War casts a dark shadow over the promises of modernity, editors, writers, artists, political radicals, hostesses, and intellectuals met in small private salons, published in alternative periodicals, and joined avant-garde movements. Reading these collaborative events illuminates the interactivity that crystallizes modernism as a cultural mode of production. To analyze collaborations in the development of modernism, I construct network graphs that visualize the webs of interaction I study. Rather than rely solely on diachronic readings of modernist texts, these visualizations provide a synchronic model for modernist cultural production as simultaneous connections, constituting a modernist totality. To analyze these network graphs, I apply concepts from network theory and sociology, two disciplines that begin in the modernist moment. Thus, this dissertation is both a theory of cultural production and an effect of that cultural production. The network is itself a modernist concept.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcus Ramusyo de Almeida Brasil.pdf: 16866646 bytes, checksum: 0f78b0d4e3f43982fa8e7a852280a7d6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-17 / The political dimension that surrounds the relations between music, popular culture and media productions is the main theme of the present study. The focus of the empirical observation performed was on the ties that connect media and marketing power to institutional politics. For such, the reggae phenomenon was analyzed from its genesis to nowadays, specially its path in the state of Maranhão and its capital, São Luís, from 1970 to 2011, with attention to the relations of its growth and broadcasting through radio and television programs, sound systems circuits, reggae club parties and the institutional political system. The main purpose was to analyze the relations between artistic expression, media and politics inside reggae in Jamaica and Maranhão; to understand how and why reggae possesses such a mobilizing potential and significant power to affect subjectivities, having established itself as a cultural element in Maranhão. The methodology was based upon a historical approach, and field procedures centered in direct observation, video and photographic documentation allied with the analysis of songs, videos, media and marketing materials. The theory references are set amongst authors that collaborate with reggae s historicity and with discussions in the areas of sociology of culture and cultural studies, such as White (1999), Albuquerque (1997), Silva (2007, 1992), Williams (2008, 1997), Benjamin (1994), Sodré (2006, 1998), Martín-Barbero (2001, 2004), Hall (2003), and others. The analysis sustained the initial theses that the reggae movement, as its symbolical apparatus, are being used and transformed by local politicians, through political marketing and media instrumentation strategies, into potential political influence and power / O presente trabalho tem como tema a dimensão política que perpassa a relação entre música, cultura popular e produção midiática. O recorte empírico para a pesquisa utiliza-se dos vínculos entre poder mercadológico-midiático e política institucional. Para tanto, é estudado o reggae desde sua gênese até os dias atuais, em especial, os trânsitos deste gênero musical no Estado do Maranhão e na sua capital, São Luís, de meados da década de 1970 a 2011, tendo em vista as relações estabelecidas entre o crescimento e a difusão deste fenômeno cultural através de: programas de rádio, programas de TV, circuito de radiolas, festas em clubes de reggae e o sistema político institucional. Os objetivos principais são analisar as imbricações entre expressão artística, mídia e política dentro do reggae na Jamaica e Maranhão; entender como e por que o reggae possui este potencial mobilizador e o significativo poder para afetar subjetividades, instaurando-se como elemento da cultura no Maranhão. A metodologia privilegia a perspectiva histórica de problematização do objeto, assim como os procedimentos de campo, que se centraram nas técnicas de observação direta, registro imagético e análise interna de obras musicais, videográficas, peças midiáticas, materiais de propaganda, etc. O referencial teórico trabalha principalmente com autores que colaboram com a historização do reggae, com a sociologia da cultura e com os estudos culturais, tais como: White (1999), Albuquerque (1997), Silva (2007, 1992), Williams (2008, 1997), Benjamin (1994), Sodré (2006, 1998), Martín-Barbero (2001, 2004), Hall (2003), entre outros. A análise realizada ao final da pesquisa sustenta a tese inicial de que o movimento reggae, assim como todo o aparato simbólico que o subjaz, estão sendo apropriados por atores da política local, para serem transformados através de estratégias de marketing político e instrumentos midiáticos em capital político para fins eleitorais

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:53:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcus Ramusyo de Almeida Brasil.pdf: 16866646 bytes, checksum: 0f78b0d4e3f43982fa8e7a852280a7d6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-17 / The political dimension that surrounds the relations between music, popular culture and media productions is the main theme of the present study. The focus of the empirical observation performed was on the ties that connect media and marketing power to institutional politics. For such, the reggae phenomenon was analyzed from its genesis to nowadays, specially its path in the state of Maranhão and its capital, São Luís, from 1970 to 2011, with attention to the relations of its growth and broadcasting through radio and television programs, sound systems circuits, reggae club parties and the institutional political system. The main purpose was to analyze the relations between artistic expression, media and politics inside reggae in Jamaica and Maranhão; to understand how and why reggae possesses such a mobilizing potential and significant power to affect subjectivities, having established itself as a cultural element in Maranhão. The methodology was based upon a historical approach, and field procedures centered in direct observation, video and photographic documentation allied with the analysis of songs, videos, media and marketing materials. The theory references are set amongst authors that collaborate with reggae s historicity and with discussions in the areas of sociology of culture and cultural studies, such as White (1999), Albuquerque (1997), Silva (2007, 1992), Williams (2008, 1997), Benjamin (1994), Sodré (2006, 1998), Martín-Barbero (2001, 2004), Hall (2003), and others. The analysis sustained the initial theses that the reggae movement, as its symbolical apparatus, are being used and transformed by local politicians, through political marketing and media instrumentation strategies, into potential political influence and power / O presente trabalho tem como tema a dimensão política que perpassa a relação entre música, cultura popular e produção midiática. O recorte empírico para a pesquisa utiliza-se dos vínculos entre poder mercadológico-midiático e política institucional. Para tanto, é estudado o reggae desde sua gênese até os dias atuais, em especial, os trânsitos deste gênero musical no Estado do Maranhão e na sua capital, São Luís, de meados da década de 1970 a 2011, tendo em vista as relações estabelecidas entre o crescimento e a difusão deste fenômeno cultural através de: programas de rádio, programas de TV, circuito de radiolas, festas em clubes de reggae e o sistema político institucional. Os objetivos principais são analisar as imbricações entre expressão artística, mídia e política dentro do reggae na Jamaica e Maranhão; entender como e por que o reggae possui este potencial mobilizador e o significativo poder para afetar subjetividades, instaurando-se como elemento da cultura no Maranhão. A metodologia privilegia a perspectiva histórica de problematização do objeto, assim como os procedimentos de campo, que se centraram nas técnicas de observação direta, registro imagético e análise interna de obras musicais, videográficas, peças midiáticas, materiais de propaganda, etc. O referencial teórico trabalha principalmente com autores que colaboram com a historização do reggae, com a sociologia da cultura e com os estudos culturais, tais como: White (1999), Albuquerque (1997), Silva (2007, 1992), Williams (2008, 1997), Benjamin (1994), Sodré (2006, 1998), Martín-Barbero (2001, 2004), Hall (2003), entre outros. A análise realizada ao final da pesquisa sustenta a tese inicial de que o movimento reggae, assim como todo o aparato simbólico que o subjaz, estão sendo apropriados por atores da política local, para serem transformados através de estratégias de marketing político e instrumentos midiáticos em capital político para fins eleitorais

This thesis studies the junior secondary EPA curriculum and the complex cultural process of teaching and learning of the curriculum. It draws on theoretical frameworks developed in the field of cultural studies and critical pedagogy, particularly works by Michel Foucault, Stuart Hall, Lawrence Grossberg and Paulo Freire. It investigates how the EPA curricular texts attempt to produce the identity characteristic of "rational, sensitive and active citizens" in contemporary Hong Kong through constructing differences that negate the Other. Through analyzing classroom discursive practices, the thesis examines how the curricular knowledge "interpellates" teachers into subject position to talk about the "rational, sensitive and active citizens". The curriculum is a vast textual world where different and even competing ideological imperatives and discourses coexist and circulate. This thesis argues that teachers' discourses about the EPA curriculum and their classroom discursive practices have contributed to the creation of tensions and contradictions within the curriculum discourse. Such tensions and contradictions, coming from teachers' beliefs and the cultural resources they possess, may delimit the regulatory effect of the curriculum discourse. As a result, the regulatory power of the curriculum discourse on "suturing" subject positions that form identities of "citizens" is subject to negotiation, and critical pedagogies have a role to play to open up dialogues among the subject positions made available in the curriculum.

Na fortuna crítica à obra de Paulo Leminski, é constante a adoção do modo paradoxal com o qual o autor procurou definir-se em sua obra poética, a saber, como poeta que comunga um repertório ao mesmo tempo erudito e popular ou, em seus próprios termos, um repertório de invenção e comunicação. No sentido de compreender a construção dessa representação, busquei reconstruir sua trajetória social em duas partes: até sua publicação nos dois últimos volumes de Invenção: revista de arte de vanguarda, em 1964 e 1967, atento aos condicionantes sociais e as estratégias que o levaram a ser publicado num periódico de que postulava uma posição formalista no campo literário brasileiro da época; e depois, até 1976, em que se percebe certo distanciamento do autor ao grupo concretista e certa adequação às transformações ocorridas no ambiente literário da época. Para tanto, é esboçada uma ligeira interpretação do contexto literário e social do início da década de 60 até meados da década de 70, com a intenção de tornar compreensíveis as escolhas estéticas e pessoais realizadas pelo poeta e, assim, evidenciar as razões sociais de sua auto representação. / In literary criticism to the work of Paulo Leminski is constantly adopting the paradoxical way in which the author tried to define himself in his poetry, namely, as a poet who shares a repertoire at the same time erudite and popular - or, in their own terms, a repertoire of \"invention\" and \"communication\". In order to understand the construction of this representation, I sought to rebuild his social trajectory in two parts: until he was published in the last two volumes of « Invenção revista de arte de vanguarda » in 1964 and 1967, aware of the social conditions and the strategies that have led him to be published in a journal that postulated a formalistic position in the Brazilian literary field at the time; and then, until 1975, in which can be perceived a certain distance of the author to « concretist group » and some adaptation to the changes occurring in the literary atmosphere of the time. Therefore, it is sketched a slight interpretation of literary and social context of the early 60th to the mid-70s, with the intention of making understandable the aesthetic and personal choices made by the poet and thus highlight the social reasons for their self representation.

This thesis, being one of exploratory research initially because of a paucity of research of a professional and academic nature, examines cockfighting in its social entirety, focusing upon its social structure. The lack of such previous research on cockfighting necessitated the collection of data through primary as well as secondary sources. Thus, a combination of research methods was employed to facilitate the investigation. A combination of data collection strategies also proved necessary for the realization of the total research objective, that being the presentation of cockfighting as a complete social structure involving a history and tradition, the activity as a sport, its organization, complexity, extent and distribution, as well as other social considerations. In essence then, the research focus addresses a socioethnographic investigation of cockfighting. The entire research strategy was intended to study the cockfighting participants au naturel, in the field, as they went about their day to day lives as opposed to depending on a sample studied in non-natural surroundings such as arrest records. Such observational research yields an immensity of detailed description that does not readily lend itself to the type of summary that is possible with quantifiable data. However, precise quantification often does not afford the detailed accuracy that is facilitated by observational research, and such detailed description becomes necessary to provide an adequate background of understanding to those having no social experience with such an activity, and for such an activity that has not previously stimulated much research interest. Thus, an ethnographic description of the sport is presented as well as the social and legal history of the sport, the linguistic influences of the activity, the distribution and regional variation of the sport, along with other surrounding activities. Such detailed presentation is essential for an accurate conception of cockfighting and its organization. In reviewing the literature concerning the concept of subculture, the requisites for the existence and thus the characteristics of a subculture are delineated; such characteristics are then reveals 2 to exist within the realm of cockfighting. Identified as inteqral to the cockfighting subculture are nine subcultural roles which present themselves in an evolutionary and chronological hierarchy. Also discerned by the research are four major motivations cited by the twenty informants for reason(s) of membership. Such motivational types may be directly associated with certain of the subcultural roles. Throughout the thesis, the culture and tradition of the cockfighting subculture is exposed along with the subcultural values and justifications. An analysis of subcultural "deviance" is presented largely from the perspectives of the labeling theory and symbolic politics. It was revealed that there seems to be a lack of development of a deviant self-image among members of the cockfighting subculture, and further, as indicated by the twenty informants, members of the cockfighting subculture are apparently rather tolerant of participants in various types of "deviant behaviors," possibly because of their association with a stigmatize activity. The organization of cockfighting is juxtaposed with the concept of voluntary associations after sufficient literature addressing voluntary associations has been reviewed. This juxtaposition reveals many similarities between the cockfighting subculture and the voluntary association, the one exception being the formal structure of the voluntary association. However, in that the cockfighting subculture has a tradition and a culture that functionally replaces the formal structure in many areas, the concept of "informal voluntary associations" emerges. This thesis finds that the cockfighting subculture is extremely organized and largely self-regulating and that the participants represent all social classes, thus violating the stereotypical conceptions and attitudes of the public concerning cockfighting. Finally, certain suggestions are made for potential and/or future research into cockfighting and related topics raised by this thesis.

Historically, social scientists have not only marginalized rap music as a viable unit of scholarly analysis, but failed at attempts to understand the thoughts and actions of rap music consumers. This study analyzes the connection between rap music’s (and the artists’) authenticity and how those perceptions of authenticity affect music consumers’ decision making process, thus providing a possible explanation as to why music fans purchase rap music. The goal of this research was to see if the reasons rap music fans provide explaining the rationale behind their purchases match the images and perceptions presumably held by the general public about rap music. A snowball sample was used to survey a total of 30 rap music “experts.” The findings from this study indicate the concept of authenticity is very important in validating not only rap music, but rap artist, rap music fans, and hip hop culture as a whole. The findings from this study provide empirical evidence supporting the importance of authenticity as a construct and the use of rap music as a unit of scholarly research analysis. By justifying the importance of authenticity to rap music and hip hop culture, this research proposes that authenticity may well be used as a means to maintain existing relationships with a fan-base and as a marketing tool used by record companies to attract new fans and generate album sales.

The aim of this research is to find social factors in Chinese academic immigrants’ conversion to Christianity using the perspectives of symbolic interactionism and social exchange theory. The research data are drawn from observation and interviews. Fourteen Chinese student converts were interviewed. The analysis focuses on the interaction between recruits and Christians. Results supported the idea that religious conversion happens progressively. Affective bonds are essential for the religious conversion of Chinese academic immigrants. Chinese Christian converts experienced five stages. First, they develop affective commitment to Christians close to them and regard them as their reference group. Second, an emergent generalized other is internalized in recruits’ minds through recruits’ acceptance of symbolic language in Christianity and interaction with Chinese Christians. Third, recruits understand the Bible with the perspective of Christians. Fourth, as the socially defined reality reinforces their beliefs and the affective bonds develop, recruits confess their sins and decide to believe in God. Finally, recruits strengthen their understanding of Christianity by intensifying interactions with Chinese Christians.