The liberal arts curriculum is the product of the intellectual, political, and social climate of its age. The "traditional" curriculum of the mid-nineteenth century derived from Victorian religious attitudes and beliefs about character development. As the century progressed and state power gradually displaced clerical power in the universities, the ideal of a balanced, unified arts program in which all students learned to place their knowledge in a Christian context gave way to a variety of specialized programs and an emphasis on job-training rather than than character development. The scientific method became an accepted mode of inquiry, and arts disciplines multiplied as new methodologies (such as those used in the social sciences) were created and as society discovered a need for new kinds of expertise. From the late nineteenth century onwards, there were a number of competing theories regarding the nature of the university and the proper content and structure of the arts course. The sciences and social sciences benefited from the utilitarian emphasis in some respects, but professors in the humanities felt their prestige diminishing. Many of them embraced a theory about the importance of culture which was based on the teachings of Matthew Arnold, and they also took the lead in campaigns to reintroduce the kind of order and certainty which the traditional arts course had possessed by attempting to create a "common learning" or "core" of general education. This thesis analyzes the development of the arts curriculum over a period of one hundred and fifty years, and examines the reasons why the quest for unifying principles in liberal education remained unfulfilled in the secular university of the twentieth century.

In relation to the rest of the world, the track and field industry within the United States lacks interest from the public. The market makes a name for itself during the short period of time the sport is televised in the Olympic Games. This is a problem for the elite athletes who are considered professional but have little to show for this title. The current marketing strategies and distribution of wealth within the industry are ineffective and detrimental to the future success of the sport. We must point the finger at the governing powers and demand a change. I believe that this change comes in the form of innovation. We must find ways to innovate the sport in order to attract the attention of the public on a regular basis, which will result in added revenue and market growth. To do this, we have to cater the marketing efforts towards the experiences had by both athletes and fans of the sport. In my thesis, I address this issue knowing very well that innovation is key beforehand. The paper is outlined similar to what a marketing plan would look like in the business world. I begin with providing an understanding of innovation and how the process works. From there, I incorporate six important aspects to innovation that are required for success. With these tools on hand, I then produce a framework for identifying the need for innovation. This framework encompasses the problem, the industry, research efforts, creativity and risk measures, and finally the concluding remarks and recommendations from the information gathered. By combing data that shows financial instability, insight from elite athletes and the frustration from current fans of the sport, my study proves that innovation is a necessity. With that, I propose three recommendations based on level of effort and difficulty. The best-case scenario for innovation efforts involves the creation of a new competition stadium, the employment of enthusiastic and knowledgeable commentators, better standards for television coverage, and more organized funding for promotional aspects of the sport.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

acase@tulane.edu

The thesis paper titled Flutter explores French colonial textiles in relation to the Andalusian "zellige" (tiles). Using these art forms to create historical interventions I question the structures of power that shaped the visual language of empires. The body of work made as part of this thesis uses printmaking and motion graphics to reconstruct and deconstruct these systems of pattern and music, to explore a space for both to visually interact. This work grows out of an ongoing investigation of how the reading of cultural symbolism like ones found in historical signifiers (a sign's physical form such as a sound, printed word, or image as distinct from its meaning) like in such motifs are in states of flux and seek to discover new readings. / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu

This dissertation, Visualizing Virtual Space in Modern and Postmodern Literature, explores the nature of the virtual as it relates to Henri Lefebvre’s conception of spatial practice in literature and culture. The goal of this analysis is to locate a site within theories of space for the inclusion of the postmodern object narratives that have emerged in contemporary culture. In order to accomplish this goal, I have created a semantic square that configures Lefebvre's three conceptions of space with a new fourth term, integral space. The emergence of integral space is developed through the analysis of fiction by four major authors: William Gibson, Marcel Proust, James Joyce and David Foster Wallace. Each of these authors engages the virtual through a different narrative approach. Gibson uses the virtual to create the spatial practice of his characters. Proust uses the virtual to undermine the representations of space inherent in the autobiography. Joyce virtualizes his main character, through the narration, in order to build representational spaces. Finally, Wallace uses the virtual to create integral spaces of cultural critique for the subject of his text. By situating these four authors at vertices of the semantic square, the inherent dialectical conflicts among their positions are revealed. The exploration of these conflicts reveals the cultural power of integral space within contemporary practice. Integral spaces emerge through the postmodern process of cultural accumulation. The power of these spaces is their ability to reveal to their subjects the nature of the spatial practice that directs their everyday lives. The aesthetics of integral practice are firmly rooted in the later theories of Theodor Adorno. Adorno's aesthetics operate by negating the negation of identity in the subject. The synthesis of Adornian aesthetics with integral space allows the subject to create object narratives from the fractured materials of postmodern culture. This analysis uses the space created by this synthesis to explore the agency of the subject in contemporary spatial practice. Ultimately, integral spaces will be developed as the primary arena of spatial understanding in both contemporary literature and spatial practice. / acase@tulane.edu

acase@tulane.edu