Sometimes the concrete form and skill of a work of art stand in a non-arbitrary or non-contingent relationship with the social circumstances of its facture. I hypothesise that this form and such skill was used by Diego Velázquez for artistically, socially and politically subversive purposes. In particular, I show how Velázquez used painting techniques to undermine the constitutional theory—or fiction—of the reigning monarch as mystically having two bodies: one ʻpublic’, sacred and immortal—even deified—, representing and incarnating the commonwealth, one ʻprivate’ and one mortal, capable of naturalist portraiture. In Hall XII at the Madrid Prado there hangs on your right as you exit a rather small bust portrait of the Iberian Habsburg monarch, Philip IV. It was painted in about 1653, during a pivotal period that saw a general climatic, economic, social, cultural, religious and political crisis and powerful intellectual developments that still characterise Western societies. The picture contains two essentially naturalistic motifs which can be seen from two different vantage points: a bust of a middle-aged man (ʻMotif I’) and, obliquely ʻat a glance’, a skull (ʻMotif II’). Both serve to subvert the constitutional fiction of the King’s Two Bodies: Motif I invites the beholder to approach closer to admire and work out the artist’s already at the time famously ʻloose’ technique, the use of manchas or borrones. The motif will then dissolve and show itself to be artifice which requires the beholder’s cooperation to make it look like the King. It suggests that the Monarchy similarly is an arti-fact that is manu-factured by artists in cooperation with the subjects. Motif II is in effect a vanitas, underlining the mortal and therefore human and transient nature of the monarch, and by implication of the monarchy itself. With the ambition of satisfying the Popperian test of hypothesis falsification, I have proceeded on the basis of the time-hallowed method of the connoisseur of looking closely at works of art in situ and, broadly understood, Wölfflin’s and Panofsky’s theoretical models, together with fundamentals of human psychology and physiology of perception and cognition, assuming an interaction of innate Gestalten and historically and culturally contingent habitus. I interpret my findings in the context of 17C Iberia, including intellectual contributions like that of Pacheco, Carducci, Castiglioni and Gracián. I rely on the rich historical literature on the period and on Philip IV and Velázquez (and their relationship). I make some comparisons between Velázquez, his fellow court-painters Hans Holbein, jr, and Anthony van Dyck, and an artist far from the courts but so close to Velázquez in technique and maybe personal convictions, Frans Hals. My hypothesis relies on three fundamental auxiliary claims—wagered against falsification—to support the claim that Velázquez was a subversive and to give the context for the subversiveness of the portrait of Philip IV: (1) Velázquez did have the practical freedom to produce this subversive royal portrait; (2) it is likely that he used that freedom for this purpose; and (3) he actively manipulated vision and visuality. I at least make likely all three claims. On the basis of Velázquez’s œuvre more generally—especially in his portraits of the marginalised—I show that he had a significant degree of freedom and that he consistently worked towards artistic, social and even political subversion (though not necessarily revolution) using his deep knowledge of vision, visuality and optics—science at the cutting edge in the 17C. As he appears to have suffered from the stain (mancha) of deficient limpieza de sangre, Velázquez’s own person and career—culminating in a knighthood—amounted in itself to social and political subversion. It is appropriate to characterise the technically resourceful Velázquez-the-painter as ingenioso. In fact, as the clever and skilled painter’s hidalguía was almost certainly proved with dissembling and falsified evidence, the mancha of his artisan antecedents—and possibly also of Jewish ancestry—makes him a true ingenioso hidalgo de la mancha. / A veces, la forma y la habilidad concretas de una obra de arte guardan una relación no arbitraria ni contingente con las circunstancias sociales de su realización. Mi hipótesis es que esa forma y esa habilidad fueron utilizadas por Diego Velázquez con fines artísticas, sociales y políticamente subversivos. En particular, muestro cómo Velázquez utilizó las técnicas pictóricas para socavar la teoría —o ficción— constitucional del monarca reinante como poseedor místico de dos cuerpos: uno «público», sagrado e inmortal —incluso divinizado—, que representa y encarna la mancomunidad, otro «privado» y mortal, susceptible de retrato naturalista.   En la sala XII del Museo del Prado de Madrid, a la salida, cuelga a la derecha un retrato de busto bastante pequeño del monarca ibérico de los Austrias, Felipe IV. Fue pintado hacia 1653, durante un periodo crucial en el que se produjo una crisis general climática, económica, social, cultural, religiosa y política, así como una poderosa evolución intelectual que aún caracteriza a las sociedades occidentales. El cuadro contiene dos motivos esencialmente naturalistas que pueden contemplarse desde dos puntos de vista diferentes: el busto de un hombre de mediana edad («Motivo I») y, de forma oblicua «en un vistazo», una calavera («Motivo II»). Ambos sirven para subvertir la ficción constitucional de los Dos Cuerpos del Rey: El Motivo I invita al espectador a acercarse para admirar y elaborar la ya entonces famosa técnica «suelta» del artista, el uso de manchas o borrones. El motivo se disolverá entonces y se mostrará como un artificio que requiere la cooperación del espectador para que se parezca al Rey. Sugiere que la Monarquía también es un arti-ficio fabri-cado por artistas en cooperación con los súbditos. El Motivo II es, en efecto, una vanitas, que subraya la naturaleza mortal y, por tanto, humana y transitoria del monarca y, por implicación, de la propia monarquía.  Con la ambición de satisfacer la prueba popperiana de falsación de hipótesis, he procedido basándome en el método consagrado por el tiempo del conocedor de observar de cerca las obras de arte in situ y, en sentido amplio, en los modelos teóricos de Wölfflin y Panofsky, junto con los fundamentos de la psicología humana y la fisiología de la percepción y la cognición, asumiendo una interacción de Gestalten innatas y habitus históricas y culturalmente contingentes. Interpreto mis hallazgos en el contexto de la Iberia del siglo XVII, incluyendo aportaciones intelectuales como las de Pacheco, Carducho, Castiglioni y Gracián. Me baso en la rica literatura histórica sobre el periodo y sobre Felipe IV y Velázquez (y su relación). Hago algunas comparaciones entre Velázquez, sus pares artistas de la corte Hans Holbein, jr, y Anthony van Dyck, y un artista alejado de la corte pero tan cercano a Velázquez en técnica y quizá en convicciones personales, Frans Hals.   Mi hipótesis se basa en tres afirmaciones auxiliares fundamentales —puestas en contra de la falsificación— para apoyar la afirmación de que Velázquez era un subversivo y para dar el contexto de la subversividad del retrato de Felipe IV: (1) Velázquez tenía la libertad práctica para producir este retrato real subversivo; (2) es probable que utilizara esa libertad para este fin; y (3) manipuló activamente la visión y la visualidad. Yo, al menos, hago probables las tres afirmaciones. Sobre la base de la obra de Velázquez en general —especialmente en sus retratos de marginados— demuestro que tenía un grado significativo de libertad y que trabajó constantemente en pro de la subversión artística, social e incluso política (aunque no necesariamente de la revolución) utilizando sus profundos conocimientos de la visión, la visualidad y la óptica, ciencia de vanguardia en el siglo XVII. Como parece haber sufrido la mancha de sangre carente de limpieza, la persona y la carrera de Velázquez —que culminó con el título de caballero— constituyeron en sí mismas una subversión social y política. Resulta apropiado calificar de ingenioso al pintor Velázquez, técnicamente ingenioso. De hecho, como la hidalguía del hábil e ingenioso pintor se probó casi con toda seguridad con pruebas disimuladas y falsificadas, la mancha de sus antecedentes artesanos —y posiblemente también de ascendencia judía— le convierte en un verdadero ingenioso hidalgo de la mancha.

This paper describes the processes, methods, backgrounds, and economic challenges, of Desalination and Water Recycling and provide current examples of both. To create a baseline with which to compare the two methods, I will also delve into the history of California water policy. This complicated past is the reason water importation into Southern California remains the main method of obtaining water. Yet, as the current drought continues and technology advances, the need for imported water will become obsolete as the methods for recycling and desalinating water become less expensive, more convenient and more equitable. In the conclusion, all the methods will be compared and I will give suggestions on potential solutions for solving San Diego’s water dependence.

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This thesis details -in personal narrative form- the process by which the author directed a production of Elizabeth Wong's Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Miami, Florida. The following text explains elements of pre-production, presents relevant research associated with the play, describes the production process in detail, and states conclusions drawn by the author about the experience. The work challenged both the ensemble and the director to seek new avenues of expression and theatricality different from those traditionally explored in their respective educational settings.

A woman just getting settled in New Orleans with her fiancé is uprooted by Hurricane Katrina. She spends the two months after the hurricane in various parts of Louisiana trying to pick up the pieces of her uprooted reality. Along the way, she encounters ordinary people who act as inspirations and is also reminded of her deceased Chinese grandmother, whom she was care-giver to before she died and whose stories about life in China and the US parallel the woman´s own life during the post-Katrina months of vulnerability and change.

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Esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo central analisar a ascensão eclesiástica da Igreja de Santiago de Compostela na primeira metade do século XII. Tendo isto em vista, propomos como chaves-explicativas para tal processo, por um lado, a latinização litúrgica da sé compostelana e, por outro, as peregrinações ao sepulcro do apóstolo Tiago, além da política gelmiriana desenvolvida em prol da exaltação da igreja jacobéia. Como referencial teórico adotamos os ensinamentos da nova História Política para compreendermos as articulações e relações múltiplas de poder entre os diferentes agentes históricos envolvidos. Por meio da Historia Compostelana e do Liber Santi Iacobi, bem como dos materiais bibliográficos estudados acreditamos que a latinização litúrgica da Igreja de Santiago, somada as peregrinações a Compostela foram às principais causas, ao lado da política desenvolvida pelo bispo e posteriormente arcebispo, Diego Gelmírez (1101-1140), para o ganho de importância adquirido pela sé compostelana no século XII. Sendo assim, a documentação nos permitiu constatar as tensões, negociações e acordos envolvendo a ascensão eclesiástica da igreja de Compostela, além de nos possibilitar a construção do objeto de aprendizagem digital – Em busca das relíquias - que contribuiu para darmos formato digital e escolar aos dados obtidos na pesquisa atrelados ao furto das relíquias de Braga por meio de um jogo. Gelmírez entendeu que para alcançar dignidades que o distinguisse em solo ibérico necessitava construir uma rede extensa de homens que apoiassem suas pretensões (mesmo as mais indecorosas, como o foi o pium latrocinium) formada por cônegos de sua inteira confiança e por alianças com aristocratas locais, com a monarquia e com legados papais para que trabalhassem em seu favor na cúria pontifícia junto ao papa. / Esta tesis de maestría tiene como objetivo principal analizar la ascensión eclesiástica de la Iglesia de Santiago de Compostela, en la primera mitad del siglo XII. Con esto en mente, proponemos como claves-explicativas para tal proceso, por una parte, la latinización litúrgica de la sede compostelana y, en segundo lugar, las peregrinaciones a la tumba del apóstol Tiago, además de la política gelmiriana desarrollada en favor de la exaltación de la iglesia jacobea. Como marco teórico adoptamos las enseñanzas de la nueva Historia Política para comprender las articulaciones y múltiples relaciones de poder entre los diferentes actores históricos involucrados. A través de la Historia Compostelana y del Liber Sancti Iacobi, así como de los materiales bibliográficos estudiados creemos que la latinización litúrgica de la Iglesia de Santiago, sumadas a las peregrinaciones a Compostela fueron las principales causas, junto a la política desarrollada por el obispo y luego arzobispo, Diego Gelmírez (1101-1140), para el gano de importancia adquirida por la sede compostelana en el siglo XII. Por lo tanto, la documentación nos permitió observar las tensiones, negociaciones y acuerdos que implican en la ascensión de la iglesia de Compostela, y nos permitirá construir el objeto de aprendizaje digital – Em busca das reliquias – lo que contribuyó a dar formato digital y didácticos a los datos logrados en la investigación vinculada con el robo de las reliquias de Braga por intermedio de un juego. Gelmírez ha entendido que para alcanzar dignidades que lo distinguiera en suelo ibérico, necesitaba construirse una red extensa de hombres que le apoyasen en sus demandas (incluso las más indecorosas, como fue el pium latrocinium) formada por los cánones de su completa confianza y alianzas con los aristócratas locales, con la monarquía y el legado papal para que trabajasen a su favor en la curia pontifical con el Papa.

Due to technological advances, local city governments are relying heavily on websites and the Internet to connect with citizens. This project will discuss the relationship between e-government and civic engagement in San Diego county and its effectiveness. E-government is defined as the delivery of a city government’s information and services to its citizens through its website. Civic engagement involves active participation from the citizens and is defined as the interaction between the city government and its citizens. This project will analyze the 18 city websites of San Diego county to determine the effectiveness of each city’s website in providing e-government and civic engagement services. Each website will be rated and ranked, and a detailed recommendation on how the 5 lowest ranking cities can revise their websites to increase civic engagement will be provided. It will be shown that novel approaches such as online civic engagement, financial transparency, and personalized mobile apps not only enhance civic engagement in several city government websites but also receive positive user feedback and high resident satisfaction ratings.

The paths to homelessness are complex and attributable to a combination of structural issues associated with poverty that can magnify personal vulnerabilities. However, as homelessness became more prominent in news media during the 1980s, media discourse increasingly focused on personal characteristics within the homeless population which cast people as personally responsible for their plight. Simultaneously, media explanations for homelessness that called attention to structural conditions that contribute to homelessness decreased during the decade. Scholars explain this shift by situating it within the social and political climate of the time. This study extends the line of research on homelessness in news media in order to understand how coverage of homelessness has changed between the 1980s and the 2010s. A quantitative content analysis examines newspaper articles in two cities in the western United States -- Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, California -- where homelessness is a prominent and enduring social and political issue. News articles are examined for changes between two time periods (1988-1990 and 2014-2016) in mentions of personal and structural factors as well as changes in the discussion of solutions for homelessness. Results show an increase over time in portrayals of structural factors that contribute to homelessness as well as an increase in talk about permanent housing solutions. However, mentions of personal problems and behaviors, such as mental illness and substance abuse, have also increased. This suggests that, while news discourse may be moving toward more nuanced portrayals that acknowledge societal factors, news media still tend to focus on characteristics of homelessness that can cast people as personally culpable.

Zugl.: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 2005