While graffiti is revered as an art form to some, it is often seen as an unwanted nuisance by others. While vibrantly rich in history, graffiti has a controversial past, present, and future that will likely continue to be the subject of debate, especially with the insurgence of street art, an art form that often overlaps graffiti art in subject matter, media, aesthetic appearance, and placement as a public form of art. Distinguishing between street art and graffiti art proves quite challenging to the undiscerning eye, yet through a series of interviews and thorough investigation, I questioned the contexts of street art and graffiti art. By introducing non-traditional forms of art that are engaging to adolescent students, street art and graffiti art can expand the secondary art curriculum by helping students become more cognizant of current social, visual and cultural aesthetics in their own visual world.

This dissertation examines the various ways in which pop-cultural illustrations of the “bad nigger” figure beginning in the late 1960s helped to shape the kinds of defiant and oppositional practices that define the lives of black male youths today. I offer a brief history of the cultural and literary trope of the so-called “bad nigger.” I not only chart the cultural and political expressions of the “bad nigger” trope from the antebellum South to the industrial North, I also offer a critique of these accounts of defiant black male behavior that have dominated much of the intellectual discourse. Writing on the Streets: Urban Literature’s Black Male Hero does not pretend that the struggles of poor black inner-city life are somehow romantic or dramatic. What this dissertation does do, however, is offer popular black male cultural productions as a new critical site for engaging the cultural politics of economic power and racial oppression. Much of the scholarship on black male youth culture fails to engage popular texts that respond to black peoples’ negotiation of global issues. The works that do engage popular expressions and cultural productions often underestimate the importance violence, defiance, and opposition plays in the construction of a black male identity, not just for poor urban black male youths, but for men of color in general. Thus, this dissertation intends to magnify the need for more critical inquiry into popular cultural productions such as “street literature” and rap music, both of which contain poetic as well as practical elements of community uplift and self-empowerment and engage issues of cultural nihilism and self-destruction. This project’s focus on non-canonical texts follows bell hooks’ methodology and whose intellectual philosophy argues for “learning in relation to living regular life, of using everything we already know to know more. Merging critical thinking in everyday life with knowledge learned in books and through study has been the union of theory and practice that has informed my intellectual cultural work” (hooks 2). My hope, therefore, is that the readings I offer here will open the possibility for scholars and students of literature to consider more earnestly the importance of popular cultural productions in black communities. Furthermore, I write this dissertation in an effort to convince cultural and literary critics to concern themselves with the unique history and plight of poor urban black males confronting oppression and struggling in this criminal society.

This thesis investigates the relationship between Haring's artwork and its display as it influences the viewer's perception and interpretation.

El objetivo general de esta tesis era reunir nuevos conocimientos acerca del uso del lenguaje visual publicitario que confirmaran que éste puede ser utilizado para comunicar y construir identidades culturales en otras formas de comunicación basadas en la imagen, en otros ámbitos de nuestra realidad social y cultural como, en este caso, el Street Art. Y de manera más específica, la forma en que los artistas del Street Art utilizan los mecanismos retóricos de participación de la publicidad como vehículo para provocar una interacción con el destinatario, de manera que se sienta protagonista a la hora de completar el discurso final, con el propósito de que esta acción potencie el recuerdo de dicho discurso, de la obra o de la artista-marca. Por consiguiente, esta investigación se enfoca en comprobar de que manera los artistas callejeros han asimilado las prácticas retóricas que usa la creatividad publicitaria en la construcción del anuncio exterior para construir sus mensajes en sus trabajos artísticos. Lo que permitirá justificar que el lenguaje visual publicitario puede aplicarse en la creación de otro tipo de argumentos para mover y estimular audiencias específicas. De allí que en este trabajo de investigación no se estudien las significaciones derivadas del uso concreto de la imagen ni se midan los efectos de los mensajes contenidos en la obra del Street Art, sino que se evalúa la forma como estos artistas crean y usan dichos mecanismos y estructuras de la retórica visual publicitaria. Teniendo en cuenta, sin embargo, el medio donde se originan ambas imágenes para comprender el uso que se les da a estas estructuras discursivas. Acorde con esto, la tesis consta de dos partes. La primera, organizada en cuatro capítulos, corresponde al marco teórico general donde se definen los fundamentos y el ámbito de actuación de la actividad objeto de este estudio: la imagen como sistema de comunicación en ambas ocupaciones y la interacción estratégica entre arte y publicidad en la iconosfera urbana. La segunda constituye el análisis teórico y práctico que profundiza en los recursos retóricos de la imagen publicitaria como sistema de comunicación en el Street Art, en la creación y difusión de sus obras, los resultados de éstos, la discusión y las conclusiones de este estudio. Para ello, el material investigado consistió en obras creadas en su lugar de exhibición en el entorno del espacio urbano. Teniendo en cuenta que estas obras son usadas para seducir y comunicar mensajes visuales de un emisor a diferentes destinatarios y que estas participan en la construcción de la cultura visual de la ciudad. Así, el lenguaje icónico utilizado en el material de investigación es analizado con el propósito de comprobar si sus mensajes y la visualización de sus argumentos son creados utilizando la retórica visual del anuncio exterior publicitario. / The general objective of this work was to gather new knowledge about the use of the visual language of advertising to confirm that indeed it can be used to communicate and build cultural identities in other forms of communication based on the image, in other areas of our social and cultural reality as, in this case, the Street Art. In addition, more specifically, it gives the perception that street artists use participatory rhetorical devices of advertising as a vehicle to provoke an interaction in which the recipient is active and thus pay attention, feeling protagonist in completing the final speech. This action will enhance the memory or the remembrance of the speech, of the artwork or the artist-brand. Therefore, this research focuses on checking how street artists have assimilated rhetorical practices, traditionally used in advertising creativity in the construction of outdoor ad, to build their messages in their artwork. This will justify that advertising visual language can be applied in the creation of another type of argument to move and stimulate specific audiences. Hence this research did not examine the meanings derived from particular use of the image or measure the effects of the messages contained in the work of Street Art, but evaluates how these artists create and use such mechanisms and structures of visual rhetoric advertising. Considering, however, the environment where they originate both images to understand the use given to these discursive structures. According to this, the study was divided into two parts. The first, organized into four chapters, corresponding to the general theoretical framework which defines the fundamentals and scope of the activity covered by this study, the image as a communication system in both occupations and the strategic interaction between art and advertising in the urban iconosphere. The second, is the theoretical and practical analysis that deepens on rhetorical devices in advertising image as a communication system in the Street Art, the creation and dissemination of their works, the results of those, discussion and conclusions of this study. For this, the investigated material consisted of street artworks created in place of exhibition in the environment of urban space. Given that these works are used to seduce and communicate visual messages from a sender to several recipients, and are involved in the construction of the visual culture of the city. Thus, the iconic language used in the research material is analyzed with the purpose of ascertaining whether its messages and viewing of its arguments are created using the visual rhetoric of outdoor advertising.

This thesis examines the suburban verge’s latent potential as an alternative public space. It is located between the boundaries of private properties and public streets, where territorial boundaries and ownership are unclear. The site for this thesis is the southeast quadrant of the intersection at Jane Street and Finch Avenue West in the former city of North York, now part of Toronto. The intersection reveals a fertile field of public activity that engenders new forms of social engagement and invites a reconsideration of public space in the urban periphery. A product of Modern planning, the suburban verge is a buffer between vehicles and pedestrians. Home to hydro poles, streetlights, small-scale furnishings and the ubiquitous cast-in-place concrete sidewalk, the suburban verge is a definitive element of the suburban landscape that accounts for a substantial amount of neglected public land. The suburban verge’s ambiguity attracts a variety of unsanctioned and informal activities. At Jane and Finch, socio-economic issues, a diverse population and escalating pressure to increase density further intensify this unscripted behaviour. This thesis calls attention to the unrealized potential of the suburban verge. It does not set out to create new public space; rather, it draws upon existing social patterns in order to enrich the suburban public realm. Subtle inflections in the existing terrain, deliberately modest in form and operation, expand the social and ecological capacity of the suburban verge and demonstrate the need to consider the potential of everyday practices as a vehicle for generating dynamic public space.

Road traffic accidents have become ‘hidden epidemics’ across the world and have posed a substantial health and economic burden to many developing nations. In 2006, Ghana spent US$ 165 million (1.6% of GDP) on accident management. On average, five (5) people die and several others are injured on the country’s roads daily. In about 95% of road traffic crashes in the country, human factors have been implicated. Available evidence indicates that the casualty rate is on the rise in many parts of the country. However, little attempts have been made to understand the individual and situational determinants of road traffic crashes among drivers and pedestrians. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this research investigated drivers and pedestrians’ opinions about their traffic risk perception, attitudes and behaviour and their relationship with motor vehicle crashes with the overall goal of identifying and describing the proximal and distal factors of accident causation in the Manya Krobo area. Two sub-studies make up the content of the present research: The first study explored the individual and situational determinants of aberrant driving and traffic crashes among commercial drivers of passenger-carrying minibuses. Challenging working conditions, road rage behaviours, inadequate driver training, bad road infrastructure and equipment, and passenger distractions were among the reasons described for dangerous driving. Other motivations were risk-taking propensity, fatalism, and ineffective traffic law enforcement. In the second study, pedestrian road use attitudes and behaviour as well as their travel experiences in relation to pedestrian-vehicular crash involvements were investigated. The major behaviours reported to be influencing pedestrian-vehicle crashes included pedestrian-unfriendly road infrastructure, nearness of stores and supermarkets to major roads, risky pedestrian road use behaviour, aberrant driving, street hawking, parental negligence, and general disinterest in pedestrian law enforcement. Given the importance these findings may have for central government, road planners, and safety officials; discussions have been made and recommendations for accident countermeasures have been put forward. Keywords: Ghana; Pedestrians; Commercial drivers; Risk perception; Attitude; Behaviour; Streethawking; Driving apprenticeship

This thesis examines the suburban verge’s latent potential as an alternative public space. It is located between the boundaries of private properties and public streets, where territorial boundaries and ownership are unclear. The site for this thesis is the southeast quadrant of the intersection at Jane Street and Finch Avenue West in the former city of North York, now part of Toronto. The intersection reveals a fertile field of public activity that engenders new forms of social engagement and invites a reconsideration of public space in the urban periphery. A product of Modern planning, the suburban verge is a buffer between vehicles and pedestrians. Home to hydro poles, streetlights, small-scale furnishings and the ubiquitous cast-in-place concrete sidewalk, the suburban verge is a definitive element of the suburban landscape that accounts for a substantial amount of neglected public land. The suburban verge’s ambiguity attracts a variety of unsanctioned and informal activities. At Jane and Finch, socio-economic issues, a diverse population and escalating pressure to increase density further intensify this unscripted behaviour. This thesis calls attention to the unrealized potential of the suburban verge. It does not set out to create new public space; rather, it draws upon existing social patterns in order to enrich the suburban public realm. Subtle inflections in the existing terrain, deliberately modest in form and operation, expand the social and ecological capacity of the suburban verge and demonstrate the need to consider the potential of everyday practices as a vehicle for generating dynamic public space.

I dagens värld har länder ett tätt sammanlänkat ekonomiskt samarbete. Detta innebär att ifall ett land drabbas av en finanskris, kommer även andra länder att falla likt dominobrickor, in i en väntande finanskris. Just detta skedde år 2008 och 2011, då ett flertal av världens länder drabbades av en stor finansiell kris. I skuggan av dessa kriser växte en social rörelse fram vars syfte var att uppmärksamma människor om vad som, enligt rörelsen, egentligen hade hänt. Rörelsen som växte fram är känd som Occupy-rörelsen. Denna studie har som mål att undersöka hur två grupper inom rörelsen skapar legitimitet för ett alternativt perspektiv på finansiella kriser men även hur de vill lösa pågående och framtida ekonomiska kriser. För att detta ska bli möjligt användes Snow & Benfords inramningsteorier. Enligt Snow & Benford ska en inramning ses som en strukturell bas av en persons perspektiv och värderingar inom ett policyområde. Genom att använda sig av olika inramningar kommer personer att skapa olika lösningar samt strategier för att lösa ett problem. Snow & Benford anser att detta perspektiv även går att använda på sociala rörelser. För att kunna göra denna studie studerade jag Occupy Wall Street samt Occupy Stockholms Internetsidor. Min studie visar ett tydligt resultat. Grupperna anser inte att finanskriserna är ett problem i sig, utan ett symptom. Finanskriserna är ett symptom av ett underskott. Ett demokratiskt underskott.

Elastic cylinder vibration due to different shear parameter in the water flow is investigated experimentally in this research. The water flow ranges from 0.4 m/s to 1.06 m/s. It is found from the experiment that shear parameter has a significant influence on the amplitude of the cylinder vibration. The greater the shear parameter becomes, the later the delaying phenomenon also becomes. The delaying phenomenon will bring about resonant procrastination. Additionally, the greater shear parameter lessens the cylinder¡¦s drag force, but the lift force will be augmented, and the vibration orbit will be asymmetric. At lower flow velocity, cylinder¡¦s displacement is greater. With the enhancement of the shear parameter or the reduced velocity, the flow type and the vortex street behind the cylinder will turn more and more impalpable, and eventually become chaotic.

Spatial distributions of gaseous pollutants CO, NOx, and SO2 in a street canyon in Fung-Shan, Kaohsiung County were measured. The street runs west-to-east with two lanes in a single direction: traffic flows only from west to east. The street canyon is 60 m long (= L) and 20 m wide (= W). The heights of the five-story buildings on both sides of the street are about 16 m (= H). Therefore, the street canyon has an aspect ratio AR (= H/W) = 0.8, and a length to width ratio L/H = 3. Air was sampled on site on three consecutive days, 3 September to 5 September, in 2003. The sampling period were 20 h long, from 00:00 to 19:00 on September 4, but covered only the two rush hours, 07:00-10:00 and 16:30-20:00, on the other two days. Traffic emissions were also estimated using available emission factors from TANEEB (1992). Results show that motorcycles are dominant vehicle in the street. Emission estimations indicate that motorcycle contributed to about 75% of CO emission, automobiles contributed about 80% of NOx emissions, while motorcycles and automobiles each contributed about 50% of SO2 emissions. Variations of traffic emissions generally follow traffic flow rates, indicating reasonable estimations of traffic emissions. When wind blows perpendicularly to the street canyon, air pollutants tend to accumulate in the leeward side. For example, concentration of CO in the leeward side is about two times that in the windward side. Generally, concentrations of air pollutants decrease with height, about 10% to 20% reduction in concentration, particularly noticeable in the leeward side. Results also show that, on leeward side, concentrations of air pollutants in the corridor were lower than those outside the corridor, being about 53.3% difference in CO concentration. However, on windward side, concentrations of air pollutants in the corridor were higher than those outside the corridor, being about 100% difference in NO2 concentration. Keywords: Street Canyon, Mobile Sources, Air Quality, Emission Factor.