University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences / Department of Communication

I place the political career of one woman through an examination of her public rhetoric. Frances Perkins served as Secretary of Labor for twelve years, an accomplishment more impressive than that of being the first woman to serve in this post. I examine her career as the Secretary of Labor (1933-1945) in terms of selected portions of the speeches she delivered, articles and full-length works she published, and the legislation she helped to enact. To establish the characteristics of Frances Perkins's arguments, it is important to discuss the individuals who influenced her and how she interacted with them. The list includes: Professors Annah May Soule and Simon N. Patten; photojournalist Jacob A. Riis; politicians Timothy D. Sullivan, Alfred E. Smith, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt; social reformer Florence Kelley; and Democratic Party organizer Mary W. Dewson. The terms that frame the study are: (1) placement, drawing upon the Greek notion of topoi, that is, the place one goes to find arguments; (2) public; and (3) memory. The questions about Frances Perkins that most intrigue me are about: (1) the nature of the arguments she discovered which then inspired her to choose and sustain a long political career; (2) the way she developed her public persona; and (3) ways the accomplishments of admirable political women from the past can be woven into the fabric of time that is history. The following views of particular theorists dominate the theoretical framework of the study: (1) Kenneth Burke's notions of terministic screens and creative circumferencing; (2) Ernesto Grassi's belief in ingenium, "the source of the creative activity of topics"; (3) Lucy F. Townsend's concentric circle approach to the writing of biography; and (4) Carolyn G. Heilbrun's appeal to scholars to tell heroic tales of women. A topical philosophical view, informed by feminist criticism, maintains that logic and imagination are inseparable, that first principles precede deduction. Sophocles's Antigone is utilized to explicate this belief and to highlight the guiding principle in Frances Perkins's career--maintaining a balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the state.

The industrial safety posters produced by Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) during WW2 are evidence of a politically progressive, socially engaged and mass-produced graphic communication in Britain. These characteristics allow the RoSPA posters to qualify, by Walter Benjamin’s criteria, as exemplars of Modernist cultural production in the age of mechanical reproduction. The emergence of these images, within the unlikely context of war, is evidence of the social change identified by George Orwell as a necessary condition of victory. Furthermore, the presence of this material, within an English context, counters the prevailing orthodoxy of an English resistance to Modernism. The thesis describes the administrative and technical determinants of the posters, as indicated by the structure of RoSPA, the personalities behind the campaign and the technical expertise of the printers; Loxley Brothers of Sheffield. Quaker and Nonconformist antecedents are revealed to define the values of both administration and printers. The thesis explores the RoSPA posters’ use of Surrealist techniques and iconography and also their appeal to a wider and international Left community. The address of the RoSPA posters to the neophyte industrial worker offers the opportunity, exemplified by the special case of women workers, to project an “imagined community” beyond the normal tribal and class distinctions of British society through “Social Vision.” The RoSPA posters make explicit a connection, within English Modernism, between community, technology, progress and dissent. A catalogue of posters is appended to the thesis. The RoSPA posters reaffirm the progressive, emancipatory and radical quality of the popular experience of the Home-Front in Britain during WW2. The social changes, precipitated by the circumstances of war, of which the RoSPA posters are a manifestation, alter the role of graphic designer in relationship to community through an embrace of technology. The concept of graphic authorship is, in consequence, irrevocably changed.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2243. Adviser: Cara A. Finnegan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 281-303) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Cette thèse interroge ce en quoi le musée constitue une clef de développement de la fabrique & de la communication de l'histoire. Nous observons que l'historien-ne se confronte à des dilemmes communicationnels: retranscrire l'insaisissable passé au monde présent ; résoudre le paradoxe historiographique de la mise en relation du réel & du discours. Notre proposition consiste à transposer au musée ces problématiques communicationnelles historiennes. Voici le troisième dilemme : faire de l'histoire renvoie à l’écriture tandis que dans la société postmoderne où nous vivons, les images ont de plus en plus remplacé les textes écrits comme forme culturelle dominante.Le musée pose la question de la représentation du passé. Nous présentons un travail de modélisation muséale de l'opération historiographique. Les mouvements de production & de communication de l'histoire au musée nous orientent vers les principes de l'histoire publique & vers des questions esthétiques. Nous explorons l'hypothèse conceptuelle d'une esthétique de l'histoire, dispositif sensible, social & agissant dont le musée d'histoire participe. Après des démarches exploratoires d'observation participante, nous entreprenions une enquête qualitative. Suite à cette campagne de témoignages, nous avons développé sous LaTeX un programme de moissonnage thématique des données. Les résultats abordent : 1) les dispositifs, fonctionnements & vies des musées visités ; 2) l'histoire des musées d'histoire ; 3) une stylistique de l'histoire ; 4) l'idée d'esthétique de l'histoire. La principale originalité de cette thèse vient des jalons qu'elle pose à une réflexion sur le concept nouveau d'esthétique de l'histoire. / This thesis interrogates the key role of museums in the development of the fabrics of history and in his communication. We make the observation that the historian is subjected to communicational dilemmas: to retranscribe the imperceptible past to the contemporary world; to solve the historiographic paradox linkage of the actual and the discourse. Our suggestion consists in moving the historical communication problems to the museum. Here the third dilemma: to make history sends one back to writing, whereas in the postmodern society in which we live, images have increasingly been replaced by the written word as a dominant cultural form.The museum rises the issue of the representation of the past. Thus, we present a work of museum modelling of the historiographical operation. The production and communication movements of history in a museum orients us towards the principles of public history and towards æsthetic questions. Hence, we explore the conceptual hypothesis of an historical æsthetics, a sensitive, social and active system in which a museum can participate. Following the exploratory process of participative observation, we initiated a qualitative survey. After this extensive data acquisition campaign, we developed a programme based on the LaTeX type setting system, for sorting data by topics. The results enabling us to develop: 1) the systems, the functioning and the operation of the museums visited; 2) the history of museums of history; 3) the stylistics of history; and 4) the idea of æsthetics of history.The originality of this thesis gains its interest to establishing a foundation for a reflection about the new concepts of the æsthetics of history.

Early contact period studies of first intercultural interactions are important for understanding both traditional pre-contact society and the changes brought about by culture contact. Using documentary records kept by early Euroamerican visitors, the sociolinguistic technique of interactional analysis was employed to identify and analyze specific Euroamerican descriptions of intercultural exchange interactions during early contact period Hawai'i (1778-1819). Statistical analyses revealed clear and consistent differences in the reported exchange experiences of high and low status individuals from both cultures. In the majority of the seven hundred and one (701) events, high status individuals from both cultures interacted together or low status individuals from both cultures interacted together. Interactions with mixed high and low status interactants rarely were reported. High status interactions were described in more detail than were low status interactions, and high status interactants were associated much more frequently with the rarer or less common aspects of exchange than were low status interactants. This was true for type of exchange, nature of exchange (whether mediated or direct), complexity of event description, and both Euroamerican and Hawaiian exchange goods. Narrator and voyage characteristics exhibited similarly distinct status associations. The early historic period was not a homogeneous or monolithic period. All major aspects of exchange events demonstrated simple diachronic change, and many were significant under more powerful statistical analysis as well. Some temporal variations were due to changes in narrator characteristics, particularly purpose of voyage. Other changes reflected shifting methods of control by both Euroamerican and Hawaiian high status individuals as well as the consolidation of power by high status Hawaiian ali'i. Mediated events were especially good indicators of these developments. A complementary analysis of thefts revealed clear status distinctions between low status Hawaiian thieves, low status Euroamerican victims, and high status Hawaiian agents of return. These descriptions indicated that thefts were neither numerous nor particularly important. Thus, interactional analysis provided an alternative to anecdotal ethnohistoric analysis. At the same time, it demonstrated the importance of analyzing collections of ethnohistoric documents in order to assess the variation (and the meaning of that variation) both within and between the individual documents.

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Esta pesquisa contextualiza a emergência histórica do Boletim Sem Terra, sistematiza o conteúdo e forma da publicação desde a primeira edição ­ em maio de 1981 ­ até a consolidação do Jornal Sem Terra, como instrumento do então recém-fundado Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST). O estudo parte de uma discussão conceitual sobre a comunicação de massa e hegemônica, passando pelos referenciais de cidadania, jornalismo alternativo, mídia radical e popular, para situar o objeto no conjunto da comunicação contra- hegemônica. Analisa a questão agrária e a luta pela terra no Brasil, com a apresentação de outras experiências de imprensa de movimentos sociais do campo. A partir de uma perspectiva histórica da ocupação da Encruzilhada Natalino, no Rio Grande do Sul, que originou o Boletim Sem Terra, sistematiza o conteúdo de 43 edições da publicação, divididas em quatro fases, até sua transferência de Porto Alegre para São Paulo, em maio de 1985. Por fim, analisa as práticas e formas de fazer do periódico, sua relação com a Igreja e seu papel na articulação do MST nacionalmente. / This research contextualizes the historical urgency of \"Boletim Sem Terra\" (Landless workers Bulletin). It systematizes the contents and form of the publication, since its first edition, in May 1981, up to its consolidation as \"Jornal Sem Terra\" (Landless workers Newspaper), as a tool of the at the time newly founded Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST, Landless Workers\' Movement). The study starts from a conceptual discussion about mass and hegemonic communication, going through citzenship referential, alternative journalism, radical and popular media, to place the subject in the counter-hegemonic communication group. This study analyzes the agrarian issue and the struggle for land in Brazil, introducing others rural social movements media experiences. Taking a historical perspective about the occupation of \"Encruzilhada Natalino\", in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - where the bulletin was created -, this research systematizes the contents of 43 editions of the publication, divided in four periods, until it was transfered to São Paulo, in May 1985. Lastly, this study analyzes the periodical\'s uses and ways of being produced, its relationship with the Church and its role in MST\'s national organization and political articulation.

Esta pesquisa contextualiza a emergência histórica do Boletim Sem Terra, sistematiza o conteúdo e forma da publicação desde a primeira edição ­ em maio de 1981 ­ até a consolidação do Jornal Sem Terra, como instrumento do então recém-fundado Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST). O estudo parte de uma discussão conceitual sobre a comunicação de massa e hegemônica, passando pelos referenciais de cidadania, jornalismo alternativo, mídia radical e popular, para situar o objeto no conjunto da comunicação contra- hegemônica. Analisa a questão agrária e a luta pela terra no Brasil, com a apresentação de outras experiências de imprensa de movimentos sociais do campo. A partir de uma perspectiva histórica da ocupação da Encruzilhada Natalino, no Rio Grande do Sul, que originou o Boletim Sem Terra, sistematiza o conteúdo de 43 edições da publicação, divididas em quatro fases, até sua transferência de Porto Alegre para São Paulo, em maio de 1985. Por fim, analisa as práticas e formas de fazer do periódico, sua relação com a Igreja e seu papel na articulação do MST nacionalmente. / This research contextualizes the historical urgency of \"Boletim Sem Terra\" (Landless workers Bulletin). It systematizes the contents and form of the publication, since its first edition, in May 1981, up to its consolidation as \"Jornal Sem Terra\" (Landless workers Newspaper), as a tool of the at the time newly founded Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST, Landless Workers\' Movement). The study starts from a conceptual discussion about mass and hegemonic communication, going through citzenship referential, alternative journalism, radical and popular media, to place the subject in the counter-hegemonic communication group. This study analyzes the agrarian issue and the struggle for land in Brazil, introducing others rural social movements media experiences. Taking a historical perspective about the occupation of \"Encruzilhada Natalino\", in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - where the bulletin was created -, this research systematizes the contents of 43 editions of the publication, divided in four periods, until it was transfered to São Paulo, in May 1985. Lastly, this study analyzes the periodical\'s uses and ways of being produced, its relationship with the Church and its role in MST\'s national organization and political articulation.

This dissertation investigates how history is used in historical documentary films, and argues that the maker of such films constantly negotiates between cognitive, moral, and aesthetic demands. In support of this contention is discussed a number of historical documentaries by Swedish historian-filmmakers Olle Häger and Hans Villius. Other historical documentaries supply additional examples. The analyses take into account both the production process and the representations themselves. The history culture and the social field of history production together form the conceptual framework for the study, and one of the aims is to analyse the role of professional historians in public life. The analyses show that different considerations compete and work together in the case of all documentaries, and figure at all stages of pre-production, production, and post-production. But different considerations have particular influence at different stages in the production process and thus they are more or less important depending on where in the process the producer puts his emphasis on them. In the public service television setting, the tendency to make cognitive considerations is strong. For example, historical documentarists often engage historians as advisors, and work long and hard interpreting visual source materials such as photographs. The Häger and Villius case also indicates that the influence exerted on programmes by aesthetic considerations grows as the filmmaker learns about the medium. Among general conclusions are that it is not always important that the producer be a trained historian. What is crucial is that whoever is to succeed in making fine historical programmes must learn both history and filmmaking, must learn to balance the demands of content and form. Previously, researchers have suggested that historical documentaries function as entertainment, orientation, and restoration; this study adds the functions of interpretation and legitimisation. Finally, the study submits that typically historical documentaries attempt to convey cognitive and moral insights about the past.