This is an ethnographic study of the lives and experiences of Eritrean refugee women in Um Gargur, a settlement in eastern Sudan established in 1976. It is based upon fourteen months of fieldwork and builds upon the findings of my 1985 M.Phil, thesis, "A Preliminary Study of the Position of Eritrean Refugees in the Sudan", for which I conducted two months of research in Urn Gargur. While the M.Phil, thesis was a comparative study of Um Gargur and two other cases of resettlement in Africa, here I am concerned primarily with questions of gender, everyday life, and how processes of change and realignments of power impact upon women in displaced heterogeneous societies. After more than a decade in exile the people of Um Gargur continue to be fiercely nationalistic and as unresigned to remaining refugees as they are to assimilating into Sudan. There is also a growing trend towards Islamic conservatism in the settlement. This, coupled with the fact that Um Gargur is composed largely of mistrusted "strangers", means that women experience more restrictions in Um Gargur than they did in their communities of origin. The aim of the thesis is to examine the effect of displacement and exile upon gender roles, social infrastructures, traditions and perceptions, as people of disparate origins, occasionally with conflicting beliefs and mores, negotiate a way of living together. The title "Mothers of Steel" is taken from a riot instigated by women when charges were introduced for water. As the women revolted, their children shouted "Our mothers are steel, our fathers are monkeys!" This represented the main crisis point between men and women. Yet although the title derives from this incident, women, as they feed, nurture, socialise their children and keep their families intact, have clearly become "mothers of steel" in the eyes of their children since they have lived in Um Gargur. Chapter One introduces an overview of the settlement and shows that women's deliberate exclusion from all formal institutions leaves them at a disadvantage despite the fact that over 50% of them are household heads for much of the year. The following chapters examine how categories as diverse as politics, honour, health, and economics, impinge on the lives of the refugee women and their families, and argue that in contexts of displacement, where social realities are constantly being redefined, these categories all have a moral dimension. In Chapters Three and Four I show how limited employment opportunities in Um Gargur have meant that the majority of men continuously resident in the settlement have lost their roles as providers while women's roles have taken on a new symbolic significance. The society attempts to compensate for men's loss of status by placing greater restrictions upon women. Women's reactions to this are varied, but significant numbers of them have redrawn the parameters of "honourable" behaviour to allow themselves more flexibility. Women establish ties, not unlike kinship bonds, which traverse ethnic and religious boundaries and offer limited economic power and physical and psychological support. In Chapter Five I explore the tensions between traditional beliefs and practices and "Western" models of health care. While society's notion of what constitutes honour has calcified in reaction to a situation of extreme social dislocation and jeopardisation of "male" and "female" behaviour patterns, I show in Chapter Six that the women of Um Gargur have recognised their common plight and responded by renegotiating their identity, whilst at the same time being the primary agents - through myths, songs, names, and stories about Eritrea - in the construction of their children's identities as Eritreans. In the Conclusion (Chapter Seven) I introduce the story of the aforementioned water riot to illustrate how radically women's perceptions of their own power have altered, and how their children now perceive them. I suggest that though the process of change has been slow, the pressures faced by the community have meant that women's reconceptualisation of their own roles has been inevitable.

Ce mémoire est consacré à la construction des personnages féminins juifs dans trois romans modernes et contemporains de la littérature québécoise de langue française. Il se penche sur les romans L’avalée des avalés (1967) de Réjean Ducharme, La Québécoite (1983) de Régine Robin et Hadassa (2006) de Myriam Beaudoin. Les fonctions, les valeurs et les discours entourant la présence des figures féminines juives sont analysés par le biais des dialogues entre les lieux et l’espace de manière à cerner les marqueurs identitaires, culturels, sociaux, linguistiques et religieux. Nous avons cherché à inscrire ce mémoire dans le prolongement du chapitre portant sur la figure féminine juive de l’ouvrage pionnier Mythes et images du Juif au Québec (1977) de Victor Teboul. Teboul considère la figure féminine juive comme un personnage principalement secondaire et sexuel. Cette analyse, très ancrée dans les discours sociaux de la période de publication, mérite d’être revisitée avec un corpus plus élargi et plus contemporain. Pour ce faire, nous avons cerné les principaux vecteurs identitaires féminins juifs en analysant les discours entourant leur présence, les dialogues entre identité, culture, Histoire et société et les dynamiques entre espaces et lieux. Nous avons constaté que, en plus de sortir des stéréotypes, l’identité des figures féminines juives des trois romans est modelée en fonction de son rapport aux lieux et à l’espace. D’une judéité littéraire foncièrement iconoclaste, en passant par une judéité culturelle et mémorielle jusqu’à une judéité qui se veut le plus réaliste, les trois romans du corpus diffèrent largement par leur rapport à la judéité. / This thesis is devoted to the construction of Jewish female characters in three novels of modern and contemporary Quebec french literature. It examines the novels of Réjean Ducharme, L’avalée des avalés (1967), Régine Robin, La Québécoite (1983), Myriam Beaudoin, Hadassa (2006). Functions, values and discourses surrounding the presence of Jewish women figures are analyzed by means of dialogues between places and spaces in order to identify markers of identity, culture, society, linguistic and religion. We sought to update the chapter on the female figure of the Jewish pioneering book Mythes et Images du Juif au Québec (1977) from Victor Teboul. Teboul considers the female Jewish character as a secondary and mainly sexual character. This analysis, deeply entrenched in social discourses of the period of publication, deserves to be revisited with a corpus broader and more contemporary. To do this, we identified the main vectors of female Jewish identity by analyzing the discourses surrounding this presence, dialogue between identity, culture, history and society and the dynamics between spaces and places. We found that, in addition to stereotypes, the Jewish identity of the female figures of the three novels is shaped by its relation with places and spaces. The three novels differ widely in their relationship to Jewishness.

Les Acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick ont un parcours identitaire collectif riche en rebondissements qui les a menés vers une identité singulière solide. Ils se trouvent désormais confrontés au contexte d’une nouvelle réalité qui est la mondialisation. Depuis les dernières décennies, les changements occasionnés par la mondialisation se répercutent dans la conception même que l’on se fait du parler acadien et des pratiques culturelles acadiennes. Le chiac par exemple, auparavant stigmatisé et dévalorisé, devient maintenant porteur de valeurs identitaires modernes rattachées au mélange des cultures et à l’ouverture à l’autre. Toutefois, les contours de l’identité acadienne demeurent flous et sujets aux débats épistémologiques. La situation particulière d’un groupe qui n’a plus de territoire officiellement reconnu a une forte incidence sur les critères d’appartenance que les acteurs peuvent mobiliser pour se définir. Comment expliquer les processus d’identifications et les stratégies identitaires qui définissent l’appartenance au groupe chez les Acadiens? Partagent-ils les mêmes processus identitaires présents dans la littérature sur le sujet? Une connaissance plus approfondie des processus généraux peut-elle aider à mieux saisir et expliquer la complexité d’un groupe sensiblement diasporique dont l’identité et ses contours sont incertains? L’anthropologie en milieu acadien est presque inexistante. D’autre part, l’identité culturelle est un sujet ayant été longuement étudié et débattu, mais qui demande toujours plus de précision. Cette recherche a permis de mieux cerner de quelle façon la représentation de l’acadianité évolue en milieu minoritaire. / Acadians in New Brunswick have a solid sense of collective identity that it the result of a long and eventful process. They are now faced with the a new reality that is the context shaped by globalization. In recent decades, the changes caused by globalization are reflected in the way that Acadie and Acadian cultural practices are framed discursively. Chiac, for example, was previously stigmatized and devalued, but now becomes the bearer of modern identity values attached to the mixing of cultures and openness to others. Yet the contours of Acadian identity remain unclear and are subject to epistemological debates. The particular situation of this group that has no officially recognized territory has a significant impact on what membership criteria actors can mobilize to define their group. How can we explain the process of identification and identity strategies that define group membership among the Acadians? Do they share the same identity processes that are mentioned in the literature on the subject? Could a deeper understanding of general processes help to better understand and explain the complexity of a group whose indentity is marked by the diasporic experience and whose contours are uncertain? Anthropology is almost nonexistent in the Acadian community. At the same time, cultural identity is a topic that has been extensively studied and debated, but that needs more precise definition. This research is aimed at contributing to a better understanding of how of the representation of minority Acadian identity has evolved.

This thesis focuses on the importance of the ballad in constructing national identity in Germany during the 20th century from 1918-1978. It presents a comparative approach using Scotland as a comparator, based on three significant time periods throughout the century: the Weimar Republic, the Nazi era and the German folk revival. In each of these eras the issue of national awareness was most in evidence and national identity was being created or was a particular object of tension. The modern Scottish literary renaissance and the Scottish folk revival will be used for comparative purposes. The comparative approach will also aid a deeper understanding of the concept of national identity itself. The hypothesis is that the ballad has contributed to the development of national identity in specific and differing ways in the two countries. Selected artists; poets, singers and Liedermacher have been chosen as representatives for each particular stage. The ballad in the 20th century has previously received little critical attention, thus this period has been chosen as the time frame of the thesis in an attempt to redress this balance and create new knowledge. The 20th century is also a rewarding area of study because it saw specific developments in the notion of nationalism and evidenced both the devastating results of the abuse of national identity and the positive power of the concept for nation building. The foundation of this thesis is the recognition that national identity is not necessarily natural, inherent and straightforward, but is rather a deliberate construction, created by people or groups within the nation for distinct political, social and cultural ends.

L’adaptation culturelle de programmes et de services postsecondaires peut-elle contribuer à la construction identitaire des étudiants de Premières Nations? L’enracinement identitaire peut-il à son tour favoriser la persévérance et la réussite scolaires? À travers les concepts de sécurité culturelle et d’enracinement identitaire, je démontrerai que la consécration d’espaces physiques et idéologiques à l’intérieur du système scolaire postsecondaire contribue à la rétention et à la réussite de persévérants de Premières Nations. Pour ce faire, je m’appuierai sur les conclusions d’une enquête, menée entre 2013 et 2015 auprès d’une centaine d’étudiants autochtones adultes et une quinzaine de professionnels du milieu. Cette recherche a été rendue possible grâce à la collaboration de différentes instances éducatives incluant notamment le volet Jeunes autochtones du Projet SEUR de l’Université de Montréal, l’Institution Kiuna, le Conseil en éducation des Premières Nations (CEPN), l’Aboriginal Resource Center du Collège John-Abbott, la First Peoples’ House et le Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA) de l’Université McGill, l'Aboriginal Student Resource Center de l’Université Concordia et le Centre de développement de la formation et de la main-d'oeuvre (CDFM) huron-wendat. À l’intérieur de ce mémoire, deux formules issues du système d'éducation québécois seront successivement analysées: 1.L’adaptation culturelle de services au sein de l’institution postsecondaire allochtone et 2. L’adaptation de programmes et de services à l’intérieur d’une institution affiliée par et pour les Premières Nations. Cette deuxième initiative sera examinée à travers une étude de cas de l’Institut collégial Kiuna et de son programme novateur de Sciences humaines - profil Premières Nations (300.b0) à la lumière des expériences du Collège Manitou de La Macaza (1973-1976) et des Tribal Colleges and Universities américains (TCU). / Can cultural adaptation of postsecondary programs and services contribute to the cultural empowerment of First Nations students? Can cultural identity act as an academic anchor for aboriginal students within the postsecondary system? Through cultural security and identity rooting concepts, I will demonstrate that the consecration of physical and ideological spaces within the postsecondary education system can contribute to the retention and success of First Nations students. This study draws on the findings of a field study conducted between 2013 and 2015 to which have participated more than 100 Aboriginal students and 15 professionals of various educational bodies, including Projet SEUR’s volet Jeunes autochtones (Université de Montréal), Kiuna Institution, the First Nations Education Council (FNEC), the Aboriginal Resource Center (John Abbott College), the First Peoples' House and the Indigenous Student Alliance (McGill University), the Aboriginal Student Resource Center (Concordia University) and the Wendake’s Centre de développement de la formation et de la main-d'oeuvre (CDFM) huron-wendat. Two distinct formulas will be therefore analyzed: 1. Cultural adaptation of academic services within the post-secondary institution and 2. Cultural adaption of academic programs and services within First Nations' postsecondary institution. This second strategy will be examined through a case study of the collegial Kiuna Institute, conducted among the French cohort of the First Nations Social Program. Results will be presented under the light of those collected in regard to La Macaza’s Manitou College (1973-1976) and American Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU).

Comparé à l’art contemporain chinois qui ne cesse de caracoler en tête du marché de l’art, le design graphique est un objet artistique, industriel et populaire, modeste dans ses ambitions culturelles. Toutefois ses enjeux présentent un important intérêt scientifique dès lors que toutes les productions spécifiques du design s’adressent davantage au peuple chinois qu’aux étrangers. Soumis à des commanditaires économiques et politiques, le design graphique en tant qu’objet de recherche témoigne non seulement des luttes existant à l’intérieur du champ du design chinois mais également de celles qui se livrent en pleine Chine postmoderne. Dans le cadre théorique des Etudes Culturelles, cette thèse considère que le design graphique recèle une fonction sociale et politique significative en Chine, dont les enjeux excèdent ceux que l’on pense être susceptibles de répondre à une simple fonction de communication commerciale. A partir d’analyse de quelques productions graphiques emblématiques historiques, cette recherche s’interroge sur la réactualisation de l’identité culturelle chinoise, en crise aujourd’hui. Au cours des périodes moderne, maoïste et postmoderne, le design graphique n’a cessé de participer à l’esprit du temps dominant. En tant que dispositif actif, socio-formant l’esprit et relevant de la culture, le design graphique intervient dans les processus de construction identitaire individuelle et collective. Cette recherche, après avoir rendu compte des rapports parfois ambigus ou incertains, exercés par les modèles graphiques hégémoniques et concurrentiels, s’attache à décrypter les actuelles tensions révélatrices de valeurs et visions du monde contradictoires. / Comparing to the Chinese contemporary art which constantly prance at the head of the art market, the graphic design is an artistic object, industrial and popular, and modest in its cultural ambitions. However, its stakes present a scientific interest important because all of the specific design productions direct to the Chinese people than the foreigners. Subject to the economic and political partners, the graphic design, as the object of research, attest the existing conflicts not only inside the field of Chinese design, but also engaged in the full postmodern China. In the theoretical frame of the Cultural Studies, this thesis considers that the graphic design receives a significant social and political function in China, those stakes exceed its simple function of commercial communication which we are likely to think. From analysis of some historic and symbolic graphic productions, this research examines the updating of the Chinese cultural identity, in crisis today. In modern times, Maoist and postmodern periods, the graphic design has continued to participate in the dominant spirit of the times. As an active device, socio-forming the spirit and arising from the culture, the graphic design intervenes in the processes of individual and collective identity construction. After reported the reports sometimes ambiguous or uncertain, which were exercised by the hegemonic and competitive graphic models, this research attempts to decipher the current revealing tensions of the values and visions in the contradictory world.

The aim of the work is to present Argentinian literary tradition as reflected in the Jorge Luis Borges' essays and collections of poems from his early creative period (twentieth and thirtieth of 20th century). The corpus of the analyzed works is created by three collections of poems - Passion for Buenos Aires, Moon across the Way, San Martin Copybook and three books of essays - Evaristo Carriego, The Size of My Hope and The language of the Argentines. At the beginning, the text is focused on Argentinian (respectively on Hispanoamerican) cultural context at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Then, the text continues by analysis of six Borges' books mentioned above reflecting five most important Argentinian motives - pampa, gaucho, compadrito, Buenos Aires and its suburbs and dictator. The author notices different attitudes to Argentinian topic and concludes that Argentina symbolizes very important theme, which is influenced also by Borges' predecessors (e. g. Sarmiento, Hernández or Lugones). Key words: Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian literary tradition, cultural identity, textual analyse, Buenos Aires, suburb, pampa, compadrito, dictator.

The thesis focuses on theme of cultural identity of Mexican Americans. The introduction is based on the common history of Mexico and the United States of America (the question of the immigration, the Chicano Movement, Chicano Spanish). Attention is paid to the conception of Mexican American literature and essayistic, poetic and narrative work of Tomás Rivera, the major representative of the Chicano movement literature. The most important part of this work consists of the analysis of some peculiar motives in Rivera's cycle ...And the Earth Did not Devour Him, that create a picture of Mexican American life (the motive of religion, despair, journey, etc.). To understand the integrity of Mexican American literature, (i.e. the literature of the Chicano Movement and the Chicana literature) Rivera is compared with Roberta Fernández's novel in six stories Fronterizas. 1

The thesis is of an analytical/interpretative character, focusing on the search for identity in the so-called "Palánek" cycle by Ladislav Ballek. The source texts are Ballek's novel collection Južná pošta (1974) and novels Pomocník (1977) and Agáty (1981). The comparison focuses mainly on the specific approach to national identity. The analytical part aims to grasp the different forms of human identity and to explain their specific nature (national, historic, cultural) with emphasis on the interpretation of specific texts with regard to their broader validity in the context of Slovak literature.

My diploma thesis focuses on including students from foreign countries in the first grade of primary school and problems related to these questions. It deals with Czech and foreign educational systems, which could help teachers to understand different approaches of parents from foreign countries and their children to education. This thesis explains multicultural differences, which could support better communication with students from foreign countries and their parents as well. This work offers possibilities of subvention of children from foreign countries in the process of including in the Czech educational system. On the basis of research it is obvious, that students from foreign countries are mostly successfully adapted to the educational system. Rarely there are problems with language boundaries or social and emotional development. Teachers consider admission of a student from a foreign country as a benefit but they often point out that it also means a harder work for them. In case of some difficulties teachers often cooperate with non-profit organisation Meta.