In this thesis I describe Khmers negotiations of circumstances surrounding the disassembly, reconstruction, and redefinition of Khmer identity from their homeland in Cambodia to a traditional Khmer village recreated in the United States. Using a framework derived from a constructivist perspective, I have placed processes of negotiation and identity transformation within the lived context of Khmers lives. Thus, a holistic understanding of the interrelatedness of multiple changes in Khmerness is made possible. Ethnographic data collected between 1997 and 1999, through participant-observation and interviews, inform this study. Findings from this study reveal three levels of identity transformation as told by members of a small Khmer village established along the U. S. Gulf of Mexico. However, these three levels of transformation are not mutually exclusive nor are they necessarily sequential. Each transformation of Khmers identities constitutes permeable aggregates of other past and continuing disassemblies, reconstructions and redefinitions of Khmerness. Findings from this study demonstrate that Khmer identity shifts and is transformed by past and present experiences and with their changing circumstances, from endangered Cambodian, to refugees, to re-established Khmers in America.

This audio documentary explores the contemporary landscape of death and dying with specific focus on caregiving, the process of cultivating personal death value systems, and the importance of intergenerational exchange for fostering inquiry and acceptance of the aging process. The audio thesis is fluidly presented in three parts, with an accompanying annotation to be read after listening. For the sake of textual clarity, the annotation is separated into chapters. Chapter I explores hospice care and the complexities of the dying process, leading the listener to consider what it is like to work professionally in the field of end-of-life care. Chapter II explores implications of highly technological medical care and advancements in health sciences. Finally, Chapter III implicitly suggests through personal narrative that embodied experiences of caregiving and intergenerational exchange create spaces that subvert cultural and temporal fears of aging and the dying process.

This audio documentary explores the contemporary landscape of death and dying with specific focus on caregiving, the process of cultivating personal death value systems, and the importance of intergenerational exchange for fostering inquiry and acceptance of the aging process. The audio thesis is fluidly presented in three parts, with an accompanying annotation to be read after listening. For the sake of textual clarity, the annotation is separated into chapters. Chapter I explores hospice care and the complexities of the dying process, leading the listener to consider what it is like to work professionally in the field of end-of-life care. Chapter II explores implications of highly technological medical care and advancements in health sciences. Finally, Chapter III implicitly suggests through personal narrative that embodied experiences of caregiving and intergenerational exchange create spaces that subvert cultural and temporal fears of aging and the dying process.

The Zeitgeist project asks what role design students can play in enhancing creative endeavours and wellbeing of residents through an intergenerational co-design programme. Between Spring 2018 and Summer 2019, Zeitgeist brought together undergraduate design students and residents of long-term care homes for a project that challenged them to co-design publications that focused on the life experiences, stories and knowledge of the residents and emphasized an intergenerational exchange between two very different groups of people that could have a tangible, positive impact upon each other. It is often the case that residents in long-term care homes face issues of social isolation and diminishment of personal identity. In care homes opportunities for genuine creative and personal expression tend to be limited due to limited resources and a focus on medical priorities. It’s not unusual for residents to feel like they no longer have anything to contribute to society, that their story has closed and they no longer feel challenged, which can lead to cognitive decline. Design students are predominately young and tend to have limited life experience, with many still living at home and unsure about what direction they want their life to take. Zeitgeist looked to explore the possible benefits of a reciprocal relationship between the two parties by engaging participants in a range of creative activities that would allow for a mutual exchange of information and skills. This project uniquely positions an art and design university as a community partner for developing new approaches to enhance the wellbeing of seniors.