This dissertation addresses two questions fundamental to Russian nineteenth-century intellectual history: 1) Why does literature about paranoid psychosis figure so centrally in the nineteenth-century canon? and 2) How did the absence of an epistemological tradition of reflexive self-consciousness influence the development of Russian ideas of subjectivity? I propose that the presence of paranoia in Russian fiction extends beyond the medical or psychoanalytic aspects of character traits or themes. I argue that literary representations of paranoia perform fundamental philosophical gestures and function as "epistemological speech acts." Russian narratives of paranoia (e.g., Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Garshin, Sologub) constitute a means of exploring the operations of a self-reflexive consciousness, familiar in the West through the Cartesian Cogito. In other words, the theme of paranoia in nineteenth-century Russian fiction actively responds to the regnant philosophical discourse and functions as a praxis for the exploration of philosophical questions. However, this is done in an alternative discourse to the propositional language generally favored in philosophical texts; as a result, the philosophical function of the fictions of paranoia has gone unrecognized, and the genre has been "exiled" from philosophical discourse. I argue that Russian texts of paranoid psychosis should be reconceived as venues for the play of the transcendental ego outside social or communal axes. Paranoia emerges as the Jakobsonian “dominant” within these texts, in that it is paranoia that engages with other narrative components and transforms them. Further, as prose fiction, these texts had the discursive and social capacity to resonate and divagate in ways impossible to philosophical texts. Ultimately, these narratives of paranoia are meta-epistemologies that interrogate their own discursive function and status. They raise critical questions not only about the ways in which we represent truth but about the ontological status of truth itself. / Slavic Languages and Literatures

This dissertation is a fragment of a larger -project that explores the works of five major oral mythtellers from Haida Gwaii, whose myths were transcribed in 1900 and 1901 by John Swanton: Haayas of the Hliiyalang Qiighawaay (Isaac Haias), Kingagwaaw of the Ghaw Sttlan Llanagaay (Walter Kingagwo), Gumsiiwa of the Xhiida Xhaaydaghaay (Job Moody), Ghandl of the Qayahl Llaanas (Walter McGregor) and Skaay of the Qquuna Qiighawaay (John Sky). While this larger frame constitutes the overall context, the thesis itself focuses on several myths that in their turn form only a small part of a larger whole, a part that is representative and unique at the same time: Skaay's Qquuna Cycle. The focus of the dissertation thus mirrors the structure of Skaay's work, which consists - to use one of Skaay's central images - of a series of boxes within boxes. The method of investigation is polyphonic, that is, a variety of different voices and discourses - including academic monologues, fictional dialogues, narratives, poems, autobiographical accounts, and various quotations - combine in order to do justice not only to the complexity of the myths but also to their inherent openness that allows a myriad of different readings, each of which depends on the concrete situation in which the myth is read or told (including social, historical and political conditions), the cultural background of the listener / reader and his or her familiarity with Haida culture, the individuality and predispositions of the listener/reader, and much more. What is in the innermost box of the myths, the dissertation concludes, will be something different for each listener/reader. Since the most important voice in the polyphonic choir is that of the mythteller, Skaay in this case, the analyzed myths are quoted in full length in Haida. Most of them are accompanied, for copyright reasons, not by Robert Bringhurst's poetic translations (which are easily accessible in Skaay's Being in Being) but by a modified version of Swanton's translations from 1905.

This dissertation analyzes the use of speech (prise de parole ) in Marguerite de Navarre's works of fiction in conjunction with the place that the arguments of the Quarrel about Women hold in her writings. / The texts of the Quarrel about Women, which were very popular in sixteenth century France, tried to prove the superiority or the inferiority of women depending on which side of the debate the writer belonged to. The works of Marguerite de Navarre incorporate numerous arguments of this literary debate to deconstruct them and establish a certain balance between the qualities and the defaults of men and women. Contrary to the writers of the Quarrel who were using as examples women from the Bible or the Antiquity, the Queen of Navarre's works portray mainly characters from daily life in situations that illustrate the way the two sexes use speech differently. / Thus, in the religious poems, women communicate more quickly with the divine because they listen more to their heart which is the receptacle of God. Indeed, the only obstacle that stands between them and mystical union resides in a too strong attachment to a human being, whereas men encounter more hindrances linked, among others, to ambition, science and lust. As for profane poems, they highlight the value of feminine friendship by presenting a free and equal verbal exchange, among women only, based on mutual aid. In the Heptameron, men, in the novellas, hold a greater power than women and it is mirrored in the efficiency of their prise de parole, while there is a certain equality, in the cornice, between the devisants of both sexes. Finally, in the theater, women as well as men deliver God's Word. / Speech which constitutes the most important meeting ground for men and women, in Marguerite's writings, demonstrates how the main criticism directed at women by the detractors of the Quarrel, their unstoppable and slanderous chattering, as well as many other faults are rejected by using examples of women that speak wisely. This makes Marguerite de Navarre's writings modern, because while they deconstruct the binary opposition of man versus woman, with everyday life examples, they do not propose to establish a new hierarchy and thus they are open to plurality.

At certain stages of a bumblebee colony life cycle workers lay eggs. Not all workers reproduce, however, since many continue to forage and care for the nest. This leads to questions regarding what differentiates a reproductive worker from a non-reproductive one. It is hypothesized that a form of reproductive competition takes place, where the most behaviourally dominant worker becomes reproductively dominant. The behaviour of orphaned Bombus impatiens pairs was recorded and aggression, social interactions, egg-laying, and ovarian development were identified. Experiment 1 examined the association between aggression and egg-laying. Contrary to the hypothesis, the most aggressive worker did not lay more eggs. When the ovarian development of workers was manipulated and two workers with developed ovaries were paired (Experiment 3), they were more aggressive than pairs with discouraged ovarian development. This provides support for the supposition that aggression and reproduction are related, however, it is only partial support as worker pairs with encouraged ovarian development did not lay more eggs. Since aggression is believed to be only one part of behavioural dominance, Experiment 2 studied the association between social interactions and aggression and reproduction. Results showed that when two socially active bees were paired they were more aggressive than pairs including one or two socially inactive bumblebees. No significant difference in ovarian development between socially active pairs and socially inactive pairs was found. Brood presence was also predicted to affect reproductive control. Experiment 1 found egg-laying and aggression were more likely to co-occur in the absence of brood. Results from Experiment 2 supplemented the first experiment since the absence of brood increased rates of aggression and ovarian development in pairs. Whereas the results confirm aggression has a role in worker reproduction the findings also reveal that behavioural dominance does not equate to reproductive dominance under all conditions. The primary contributions of this thesis were the development of a method to distinguish behavioural dominance from reproductive dominance and determining their relationship under different environments (brood presence) and experimental manipulations (ovarian development). These contributions further define dominance in Bombus impatiens.

This thesis describes the geomorphology and morphodynamics of two embayed, sandy, macrotidal beach-dune systems in the Cape St. James region of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Gilbert Bay beach is a small embayment with a southwest aspect that exhibits prograding dune ridges. Woodruff Bay beach, a larger system with a SE aspect, is characterized by large erosional scarps on the established foredune. Aspect to erosive conditions and embayment size control the distinct morphologic responses of these beach-dune systems. The morphodynamic regime at Cape St. James consists of high onshore sediment transport potential combined with an increasingly erosive water level regime that is forced by PDO and ENSO climatic variability events. Conceptual models of potential future responses of these beaches to sea level rise show a possible landward migration of up to 3.5 m at Gilbert Bay beach and up to 4 m at Woodruff Bay beach.

Hearth features are often central to hunter-gatherer campsite organization and activities and have long been a focus of study for archaeologists. Among these studies, few have undertaken analysis of calcined faunal remains contained within these features. This thesis investigates human subsistence and occupation at the Richardson Island site, Haida Gwaii, B.C., through examination of the hearth-derived fauna. This is one of very few faunal assemblages from the early Holocene on the northern Northwest Coast and dates to between 9300 and 9100 BP. Description of the taxa in the assemblages is followed by discussion of human technological adaptations for procurement. Hearth replications and a controlled burning experiment demonstrate the complex taphonomic trajectory of burnt fish bone assemblages. Cluster analysis showed weak hearth groupings based largely on taxonomic richness. Chi-squared tests showed that some Kinggi Complex artifact types vary in frequency when in close proximity to hearths. Overall, hearths and surrounding deposits show maritime capacities in the early Holocene.

This thesis presents a methodology for modelling underwater sound propagation from seismic airgun surveys. Subsequently, the method is applied to the case of predicting noise levels from offshore oil and gas exploration in the Queen Charlotte Basin region of the British Columbia offshore. Underwater noise levels are predicted using an integrated mod¬elling approach that incorporates (i) an airgun array source model. (ii) a broadband 3-D transmission loss model, and (iii) environmental databases of high resolution bathymetry. historical CTD casts and geoacoustic properties of the seabed. As part of this thesis, an airgun array source signature model is developed and then used for predicting the acoustic source level of a seismic airgun array. The airgun model, based on the physics of the oscillation and radiation of airgun bubbles, is validated against real airgun data. Under-water sound propagation is modelled in three dimensions using a parabolic-equation (PE) based, "Nx2-D" transmission loss model. Broadband sound propagation is approximated by modelling acoustic transmission loss at third-octave band centre frequencies; noise levels are computed by subtracting transmission loss from the respective third-octave band airgun array source levels. High resolution bathymetry and geoacoustic data for Queen Charlotte Basin are extracted along centrolineal radial transects for input to the propagation model. Additionally, principal component analysis is applied to a large collection of historical CTD data to extract seasonal sound speed profile variations. Transmission loss is modelled using both winter and summer sound speed profiles to bracket seasonal variations in acoustic propagation conditions. Noise level estimates from the acoustic modelling may be used to determine impact zones around the survey vessel where marine mammals are expected to exhibit disturbance reactions to airgun noise. Results from this study will aid in evaluating the potential environmental impacts of seismic exploration activity on marine ecosystems in British Columbia's offshore region.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 370-410).

This thesis describes the geomorphology and morphodynamics of two embayed, sandy, macrotidal beach-dune systems in the Cape St. James region of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Gilbert Bay beach is a small embayment with a southwest aspect that exhibits prograding dune ridges. Woodruff Bay beach, a larger system with a SE aspect, is characterized by large erosional scarps on the established foredune. Aspect to erosive conditions and embayment size control the distinct morphologic responses of these beach-dune systems. The morphodynamic regime at Cape St. James consists of high onshore sediment transport potential combined with an increasingly erosive water level regime that is forced by PDO and ENSO climatic variability events. Conceptual models of potential future responses of these beaches to sea level rise show a possible landward migration of up to 3.5 m at Gilbert Bay beach and up to 4 m at Woodruff Bay beach.

This thesis examines the political and social worldview of British and Indian royalty during the nineteenth century. Rather than viewing them as mere 'ornamental' figureheads, it seeks to highlight and scrutinise the ideas held by monarchs (sovereign or deposed) about empire and the role of royalty, as well as considering how their attempts at implementing such ideas can complicate existing narratives about the relative influence and authority of this group. Above all, this thesis breaks new ground by adopting a transnational approach in its study of such royal ideas and endeavours. Ruling dynasties, monarchs and courts have long been part of an interconnected, if rarefied, world encompassing Europe and Asia, though this is not adequately reflected in the historiography on the nineteenth century. This is despite the ironic fact that in that century, many royal houses were brought closer together than ever before, through the impact of growing global empires, and advancing communications and transportation networks. The first direct meetings between British and Indian royalty took place during this period, in the early 1850s, and are closely examined here. Based on a core case-study of the longstanding relationship between the Punjabi and British dynasties of Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Queen Victoria, and using a wide variety of textual and material sources, this thesis captures royal perspectives of their status and role in an evolving world, alongside considering how British and Indian royalty directly or indirectly influenced one another. This study effectively de-centres the British imperial official as the primary agent in Anglo-Indian elite encounters, and goes further to demonstrate that whether in the case of the connections between royal personages, or in the ties between ‘monarchy, nation and empire’, the capability for royal agency to shape the nature of such relationships evolved over time and was a consistently contested matter.