This thesis seeks to trace the representations of male homosexuality in Taiwanese society since the 1970s, with a specific focus on the legacies and representations of Pai Hsien-yung’s novel Niezi (Crystal Boys, published in 1983), widely regarded as the first full-length novel themed on homosexuality in Taiwan’s literary history. Set in 1970s Taiwan during the Martial Law period, the novel’s portrayal of the underground homosexual community and male prostitution culture based in Taipei’s New Park (now 228 Park) did not capture critical attention or gain commercial success when published, owing to the then conservative social atmosphere. Nonetheless, after the lifting of Martial Law, as Taiwan became a democratised nation with mature elective democracy and participation in globalised cultural circuits, Niezi became canonised and politicised as the iconic text for a sequence of social activism regarding homosexual human rights in academia and related cultural activities in the 1990s and 2000s. Even today, Niezi is still considered the most debatable representative homosexual literary text in Taiwan’s homosexual community. While Niezi’s iconic status has stood the test of time over the past three decades, the changing interpretations of the text offer a great resource through which to examine the representations of male homosexuality in Taiwan during this period. Taiwanese society transformed from an authoritarian regime in the 1970s and 1980s, to quasi-democracy in the early 1990s, then full elective democracy in the mid-1990s, and now Taiwan has fully joined the globalised circuits of the capitalist economy, with free markets, cross-cultural communication and rapid flows of information. This social transformation brought about changing interpretations of Niezi, in which male homosexuality was no longer a social taboo, and activist cultural critics started to demand equal rights for homosexuals inspired by Euro-American theoretical discourse and social reform. The social transformation also saw two visual adaptations of the novel through the forms of film and television, which I shall examine in this thesis. I will also demonstrate not just how male homosexuality has been represented in different social contexts, but also what has contributed to the endurance of Niezi’s legacies in the past three decades. In addition, while there was a great amount of homosexual literature produced after the lifting of Martial Law owing to social liberalisation, the thesis will also consider Niezi’s continuing iconic status.

M.A. / The 1950s saw an upsurge in gang activities and as a result other alternative cultures emerged. In the midst of gang activities, a subcultural group that has come to represent the black township was in form; Amapantsula. This study examines changing Amapantsula identities, from the original style and dance to the present day, through the voices of actual Amapantsula insiders. Duduza township is used as a case study for the research. This dissertation attempts to begin to answer these more general question of what it is that constitutes the Amapantsula identity. While much work, past as well as recent, refers to Amapantsula, there are few studies dealing with Amapantsula as an identity, although some have been done on the links between kwaito music and Amapantsula. Although there has been a focus on kwaito music, which is associated with Amapantsula identity, there has not been much reference to the meaning of the accompanying dance. Moreover, present-day identification with Amapantsula identity has not been explored, and questions as to why most of the youth take part in it have been left unanswered. The following methodologies have been used. In this dissertation, data was generated through the use of interviewing (collecting oral histories using structured and semi-structured interviews) and by participant observation. The thesis consists of six chapters where within each new chapter deals with different aspects, of how the amapantsula construct their identities will be explored. In chapter 1 some of the theoretical considerations which inform this dissertation are examined. This is followed by a discussion of the debates in the literature on the Amapantsula. Some of the theoretical concepts that are explored touch on i my understanding of culture, including popular culture and subcultures. Theories on the origins of the Amapantsula are considered. Questions on whether they are a subculture or not, whether all Amapantsula are also tsotsis and the connection between the Amapantsula and political resistance will also be deliberated upon. All these issues will also be further reflected upon in individual chapters. The age bracket that defines the Amapantsula shifts continuously since they have began to be noticed as a popular phenomenon. Prior to 1976, the majority of Amapantsula ranged from the ages of 30 onwards. However, the political shifts that took place in the ’70s influenced the changes that the Amapantsula underwent in terms of age and behavioural patterns. For the process of this research the ages range between of 14 and 25, but also Amapantsula from different generations have been used so that a holistic conclusion can be reached. Chapter two outlines the Amapantsula of Duduza and includes the historical background of the township. There is also a discussion on how identity and performance is enacted and experienced by Amapantsula in this particular township. Chapter three explores issues of masculinity within the subculture of Amapantsula, in particular, how Amapantsula live their masculinity in their everyday lives. How concepts of masculinity impact on performance is also examined. In addition, a brief discussion of abomshoza (the female counterpart) is introduced. Chapter four looks at the dress and style of Amapantsula, focussing particularly on the fossilised icons of the 16 inch and All Star. Finally, chapter five deals with the dance, such as the origins of dance and how it can be used to construct a large part of the Amapantsula identity, with particular reference to meaning in dance by the Via Katlehong. This dissertation attempts to illustrate the dynamic process of identity creation through the use of Amapantsula.

Global change-failure rates remain over 70%, despite over a half-century of research, theory development, and mitigation strategies. Although researchers studying the problem of change failure recognize that subcultural perceptions influence change success, especially in hybrid organizations where subcultural differences are more profound, the perceptions that predispose a subculture to support or resist organizational change remain relatively unknown. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to address the problem of the high cost of change failure by identifying perceptions that influence change success within a maritime organization. The study'€™s conceptual framework was founded on the interpretive paradigm and social constructivist epistemology, leveraging insights from change, conflict, social identity, attachment, cultural, and construal level theories. Data were collected from 20 shipboard workers attending a maritime institute through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and face-to-face interviews. Manual and software assisted analysis of the data revealed potentially influential perceptions related to trust, value, communication, inclusiveness, and respect that are worthy of future research and quantitative analysis, particularly in relation to their situational context and net combined influence. Researchers and change designers may use insights and methods from this study in developing future studies on subcultural perceptions. More successful perception-mitigating change designs could support positive social change by reducing operational costs associated with change failure and fatigue, as well as organizational stress and frustration associated with directed change.

A great deal of previous sociological research has examined the social contours of subcultures, focusing either on highly transient subcultures (e.g., among youth) or, conversely, stable institutionalized subcultures (e.g., among professionals). More recent scholarship has examined how leisure subcultures are formed and sustained around a particular interest or activity (e.g., windsurfing). However, little attention has been paid to the role of recreational settings (i.e., specific geographical locales) in the formation of leisure subcultures. Using the Appalachian Trail as a case study, I aim to fill that gap by examining a long-distance hiking subculture. I use ethnographic data collected from long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail to carry out the study. My investigation is guided by a subcultural perspective which allows me to identify and understand the sociality and social practices of a long-distance hiking subculture. Consequently, long-distance hikers can be identified and understood through (1) a negative relation to work, (2) a negative or ambivalent relation to class, (3) an association with territory, (4) non-domestic forms of belonging, (5) a range of excessive attributes, and (6) a refusal of the banalities of ordinary life. My qualitative analysis of long-distance hikers’ accounts and interactions permits me to explore how subcultural ideologies and practices are combined with a socially significant place to forge powerful emotional bonds among long-distance hikers and strong attachments to the Appalachian Trail.

This paper intends to create discussions on the ways personal styles are presented and perceived within the lesbian subcultural community by individual lesbians through consumption, basing on in-depth semi-structured interviews with lesbians from Sweden and Taiwan. Style in this paper is contextualized mainly as dress modes, bodily appearance and adornments. From the interviews I found different degrees of femininity and masculinity expressed by each respondent, and their ways of interpreting and make sense of their own bodies and comments on other styles. There is an apparent lack within the current gender discourses to support cross-dressing and other acts which contradict the conventional way of doing gender. Differences in one’s self-taste of style representation and her conception of gender also lead to different degrees of acceptance to certain styles and behaviors.

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of subculture and its meanings in today's discourse. I will also examine the post-subculture concept of neo-tribe and the differences between the two concepts. It is also my intention to show how subcultural groups undergo crises of authenticity in membership. By analyzing the Deadheads, the group of loyal fans surrounding the band the Grateful Dead, as a case study I will explore several factors contributing to a crisis of authenticity in membership within the subculture: the internet, the death of Jerry Garcia, and commercialization. I will also examine how the concept of subculture has evolved over time and been replaced with concepts such as the neo-tribe. / Master of Science

Policing in America has lost more officers to suicides than line of duty deaths over the past four years. As the gatekeepers to the criminal justice system, the well-being of officers is critical as unhealthy police using poor coping strategies to handle their stress can lead to a multitude of negative consequences for the communities they serve, their departments, their fellow officers, and themselves. While the technology of policing is quickly advancing, the routine duties of officers remain stressful. This stress requires officers to use effective coping strategies to deal with it, but the traditional subculture of policing promotes maladaptive, rather than adaptive, coping strategies. To understand how the subculture influences police and the coping strategies they use, research must understand the socialization process of recruits entering the job. The current research seeks to understand how police recruits are socialized into the police subculture and how this affects the coping strategies they use to deal with the stressors they will confront on the job. The research analyzes how the network position of recruits influences their adoption of the police subculture and how this, in turn, affects their development of coping strategies. Recruits were surveyed three times during their academy training to examine the transitioning and socialization that occurs throughout the police academy. Results reveal that networks affect the adoption of the police subculture by recruits and this socialization process impacts the development of coping strategies by recruits. Findings highlight the need for future work to continue the longitudinal research approach to examine how the networks change once recruits complete their field training and probationary period. / Doctor of Philosophy / Police officers are engaged in an occupation that induces a vast amount of stress, leading to burnout and poor coping strategies. Blue H.E.L.P. began tracking the suicide rates of law enforcement and found that officers are dying more often by their own hands than in line of duty deaths. We have also seen growing tensions between police and communities, further leading to lower retention rates of current officers. The current study seeks to understand how police recruits are trained to endure the stress of their occupation. Policing is comprised of a unique occupational culture that creates solidarity among its members, which can influence how officers learn to utilize coping mechanisms. The current research examines how new police recruits fit into this occupational culture and how this affects their coping strategies over time. Results show that how new recruits are socialized into the occupational culture matter in terms of how they learn to cope with their job. Understanding how new recruits are taught to cope is imperative to destigmatize the notion of well-being to train healthier officers and to potentially lower suicide rates among our nation's law enforcement.

This thesis is a study of the student subculture and cultural variances of that subculture represented by the dorm practices of the inner dorms on Harvey Mudd College’s campus. Using Dick Hebdige’s theory of subcultures and David Schneider’s theory of cultural variances, this work examines the ways that the four inner dorms support and reproduce the Harvey Mudd College student subculture so that all students share values and behaviors that are unique to the Harvey Mudd student population. After first establishing the presence of a Harvey Mudd College student subculture, viewing the dorm practices of North, South, East, and West dorms at Harvey Mudd College through the lens of four main values shared by Harvey Mudd students presents the case that each of the four inner dorms work to provide students of all backgrounds the opportunity to be participating members of the Harvey Mudd student subculture.

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Sexism is a widespread social problem that exists throughout the world today. It persists within the dominant culture, as well as in various subcultures, including the punk subculture (Daugherty 2002; Leblanc 1999; McRobbie 1991; Rosenberg and Garofalo 1998). Nijole Benokraitis and Joe Feagin's (1995) theory of sexism posits that subtle sexism is the unequal and harmful treatment of women that is typically less visible than blatant sex discrimination. This particular type of sexism may often go unnoticed, as society has internalized subtle sexist behaviors. Empirical research on subtle sexism has been conducted in various settings, such as the employment, academic, and military sectors of society (Benokraitis 1997). However, this theory has not been adequately applied to subcultural research. This research investigates whether subtle sexism exists within a group of self-identified anarchist punks who contend their primary tenets/principles dictate that they reject all forms of inequality. Moreover, if sexism does exist within the AP subculture, eradication of this problem within this community may be a daunting task -- as sexism may persist in subtle, invisible, and obstinate ways. This exploratory and descriptive research will utilize interviews of fifty men and women to examine if sexism exists, specifically in a subtle manner, and, if so, to illuminate manifestations of sexism within the anarchist punk community. Additionally, this study engages Benokraitis and Feagin's (1995) sexism theory to a non-traditional, subcultural setting.