Thesis (MFA)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2008. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sara Mast.

Today's young people increasingly tend to sit at home and relax, instead of being out and meet friends. This is based on my observations from my experience as a teacher. They are more and more in front of their computers and living their lives through their various Internet sites. There I was, stuck on how they behave in their environment, both private and public but also to their friends and their families versus their "internetlife". Young people are more and more at home and even the daily discussion are now placed on the internet instead of face to face communications or on the phone. This essay deals with the subjects selfrepresentation and self-identity that Erving Goffman handled in his book The self in everyday life respectively Anthony Giddens in Modernity and Sef-Identity. I chose to use Facebook. This to myself in my subconscious was assumed that all were somehow linked too. The internet has become such a big part of people's lives and in particular young people. I have taken two high-school classes and compared them to how they behave in reality and through their Facebook profiles. A media class and a social studies class were compared and back to back interviews, ten interviews with five people from each class. The study shows that students are fooling themselves and that they want to be perceived in a certain way by their environment, but this image does not always correspond with the image they provide on their Facebook profile. Later on their future reflections, but the potential consequences are postponed. / Dagens ungdomar tenderar allt mer att sitta hemma och slappa, istället för att vara ute och träffa kompisar. Detta baserar jag på iakttagelser från min praktik som pedagog. De sitter mer och mer framför sina datorer och lever sina liv genom sina olika internetsajter. Det jag fastnade för var hur de beter sig i sin omgivning, både privat och offentligt men också mot sina vänner och sina familjer kontra sitt ”internetliv”. Ungdomar är mer och mer hemma och till och med diskussioner förs nu via MSN istället för öga mot öga eller telefonen. Uppsatsen behandlar begreppen självrepresentation och självidentitet som Erving Goffman behandlar i sin bok Jaget & Maskerna respektive Anthony Giddens i sin Modernitet och självidentitet. Jag valde att använda mig av Facebook. Detta för att jag själv i mitt undermedvetna antog att alla vi människor på något sätt är knutna till webbplatsen. Internet har blivit en del av människors liv och i synnerhet ungdomars. Jag har tagit två gymnasieklasser och jämfört dessa om hur de beter sig i sin verklighet och genom sin profil på Facebook. En medieklass samt en samhällsklass blev jämförda och ställda mot väggen i tio intervjuer med fem personer från varje klass. Studien visar att eleverna lurar sig själva och att de gärna vill uppfattas på ett visst sätt av sin omgivning, men denna bild överensstämmer inte alltid med bilden de ger på sin Facebookprofil. Sedermera finns framtidsreflektioner, men eventuella konsekvenser skjuts på framtiden.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:56:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andreia_ Souza.pdf: 1918871 bytes, checksum: 8040530ecf3ecb949eb384c2e9b7b62c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-25 / Fundação Araucária / The globalized world provides the appearance of new social, political and economic relations. These changes, many times, result in identity and cultural conflicts, which change the comprehension of unified concepts of language, nation and culture. In this context, the discourse genre advertisement is each time more present in the daily and adapted to the nowadays needs. In this way, It is possible to see the occurrence of these conflicts, from nation identity representation, also in the advertisements. In this way, the main goal of this research is to analyze the national identity representation in advertisements, in the context of globalization. For this, there was an association between sociolinguistics and critical discourse analyzes. Based on these perspectives, it was seen the use of linguistic, identity and cultural aspects, besides observing with which objectives the use of linguistic diversity and national identity happen and to evidence how the power relations are established from the use of this identities and from linguistic and cultural diversity. The analysis of national identity representation in the selected advertisement showed different views of the globalized world and power relations in a hierarchical structure between the presented national identities. These analyze help in the comprehension of some elements from nowadays society, making possible a critical comprehension of these advertisements. In this way, the present study wants to contribute with the discussion of some aspects related to advertisements as a genre that reflects the historical and social aspects related to the society and create social representations, as the ones related to language, to identity and to culture. Besides of this goal, this study wants to mature a theoretical discussion from the articulation between the used sheds, showing that nowadays the rigid division between knowledge areas are should not be so hard. / O mundo globalizado possibilita o surgimento de novas relações sociais, políticas e econômicas. Estas mudanças, muitas vezes, resultam em conflitos identitários e culturais, modificando a compreensão de conceitos unificadores de língua, nação e cultura. Neste contexto, o gênero discursivo propaganda mostra-se cada vez mais inserido no cotidiano, adaptando-se às necessidades contemporâneas. Assim, pode-se verificar a ocorrência desses conflitos, a partir de representações de identidades nacionais, também no gênero propaganda. Sob esta perspectiva, o objetivo da pesquisa é analisar as representações de identidades nacionais em propagandas comerciais, no contexto da globalização. Para isto, partiu-se da articulação dos pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da Sociolinguística e da Análise de Discurso Crítica. Com base nestas perspectivas, observou-se a utilização de aspectos linguísticos, identitários e culturais, além de averiguar com que objetivos ocorre a utilização da diversidade linguística e de identidades nacionais e evidenciar como são estabelecidas as relações de poder a partir da utilização destas identidades e da diversidade linguística e cultural. As análises das representações das identidades nacionais nas propagandas selecionadas evidenciaram diferentes narrativas do mundo globalizado e relações de poder em uma estrutura hierárquica entre as identidades nacionais apresentadas. Estas análises auxiliam na compreensão de elementos da sociedade contemporânea, possibilitando uma leitura mais crítica das propagandas. Assim, a pesquisa busca contribuir com a discussão de aspectos referentes à propaganda, enquanto um gênero que reflete as mudanças históricas e sociais pelas quais passa a sociedade e que constrói representações sociais, como as referentes à língua, à identidade e à cultura, além de buscar amadurecer a discussão teórica a partir da articulação entre as duas vertentes utilizadas, evidenciando que na contemporaneidade não cabe mais a divisão rígida entre as áreas de conhecimento.

Abstract  The purpose of this essay is to examine the role of street art in modern cities. In order to explore this we’ve chosen Berlin as our case study, particularly the districts Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. Our chosen method is ethnography. The theoretical perspectives we’ve chosen that allow us to gain a deepened understanding of the role of street art in the urban landscape is representation and urban identity. These perspectives have been used to investigate what is represented in street art and how different forms of street art shape and affect the city's identity. Our results show that street art plays a role in creating urban identity and culture around a place and how different conditions of the districts have a potential role in what kind of street art is created. We have seen that street art functions as a representation for socioeconomic challenges, and that there is a culture of reproduction that is reflected by the street art. Gentrification of the city and commodification of street art have an impact on artistic expression, available space and the street art’s ability to communicate with citizens. / Sammanfattning Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka gatukonstens roll i stadsmiljön. För att utföra detta har vi studerat Berlin, med särskilt fokus på stadsdelarna Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg och Prenzlauer Berg. Vår valda metod är etnografi. De teoretiska perspektiv vi använt för att skapa fördjupad förståelse för gatukonstens roll är representation och urban identitet. Teorierna har använts för att undersöka vad gatukonsten representerar samt hur olika former av gatukonst formar och påverkar stadens identitet. Vårt resultat visar att gatukonst spelar en roll i det urbana identitetsskapandet och kulturen för en plats, vilka olika förutsättningar en stadsdel har, men även en potentiell roll i vilken gatukonst som skapas. Vi har sett att gatukonst kan fungera som representation för socioekonomiska utmaningar samt att det finns en kultur av reproduktion som reflekteras genom gatukonsten. Gentrifieringen av staden och kommodifierad gatukonst har en påverkan på konstnärligt uttryck, tillgänglig yta och gatukonstnärernas förmåga att kommunicera med invånarna.

<p dir="ltr">The Arabian Peninsula’s diverse environmental landscapes have profoundly influenced its internal cultures and shaped its interactions with the wider world. However, there remains a persistent tendency to view this region as isolated and disconnected from global dynamics. This anthology seeks to challenge that misconception by situating Arabia firmly within a global context, emphasizing its environmental diversity and interconnectedness. It serves as a comprehensive educational resource for undergraduate students and engages a broader audience interested in the peninsula’s cultural and environmental heritage. The collection explores three key themes: the cultural and economic history of coffee, the interconnectedness of the Red Sea’s coral reefs with the peninsula, and the richness of the Arabian Desert. Beginning in the bustling markets, Jean de La Roque and Sir John Malcolm’s accounts of the early coffee trade highlight its profound economic and cultural impacts. Insights from T.E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell, along with Ali Al-Naimi’s narrative, trace coffee’s evolution from a regional commodity into a modern global economic force, illustrating how this simple bean became integral to the peninsula’s identity and its connections with the wider world.</p><p dir="ltr">Bridging the gap between land and sea, the anthology transitions to the Red Sea’s coral reefs as a symbol of environmental diversity. Through the narratives of voyagers like Emily Ruete, pilgrims such as Shakib Arslan and Lady Evelyn Cobbold, and adventurers like Henri de Monfreid, this section portrays how these marine ecosystems have facilitated cultural exchanges, navigation, and personal transformation. The coral reefs are depicted not merely as biological wonders thriving under extreme conditions, but as integral elements that connect the peninsula with surrounding seas, emphasizing Arabia’s connectedness with the ancient trade routes and modern shipping networks. The final section re-examines the Arabian Desert, challenging its perception as a barren wasteland. Through the observations of Carsten Niebuhr, the travels of Freya Stark, the narratives of Abdelrahman Munif, and the memoirs of Huda Al-Ghoson, the anthology unveils the desert’s cultural and historical richness. It illustrates the adaptability of life in the desert and its significant role in economic and cultural exchanges, highlighting the desert as a space of vitality and heritage rather than desolation. By integrating the stories of coffee, coral reefs, and the desert, this anthology offers a comprehensive view of how these elements have shaped—and been shaped by—the dynamic environment of the Arabian Peninsula. It bridges the gap between land and sea to reflect the region’s environmental diversity and global interconnectedness, providing a holistic perspective that honors the full spectrum of the Arabian Peninsula’s identity. This collection underscores the importance of recognizing Arabia’s integral role in global environmental and cultural systems, fostering a more nuanced and connected understanding of the region. </p><p><br></p>

This dissertation seeks to explore the perceived intricate relationship that exists between constructed identity, discrimination and violence as portrayed in Bessie Head's trilogy from varying perspectives, including aspects of postcoloniality, materialist feminism and liminality. Starting with a background to some of the origins of racial hybridity in Southern Africa, it looks at how racial identity has subsequently influenced the course of Southern African history and thereafter explores historical and biographical information deemed relevant to an understanding of the dissertation. Critical explorations of each text in the trilogy follow, in which the apparent affinities that exist between identity, discrimination and violence are analysed and displayed. In conclusion the trilogy is discussed from a largely sociological perspective of hope in a utopian society. / English Studies / M.A.(English)

Mad Pursuits: Therapeutic Narration in Postwar American Fiction examines three mid-century American novels—J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952), and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar (1963)—in relation to the rise and popularization of psychoanalytic theory in America. The study historicizes these landmark novels as representing and interrogating postwar America’s confidence in the therapeutic capacity of narrative to redress psychological problems. Drawing on key concepts from narrative theory and the multidisciplinary field of narrative and identity studies, I argue that these texts develop a multi-layered, formal problematization of therapeutic narration: the narrativization of the self through modes of interpretation based on character action and development. The study, thus, investigates how the texts both critique the purported effectiveness of being healed through narrative means, as well as how they problematize their society’s investment in this method. I propose that the novels ultimately explore submerged possibilities for realizing what I call fugitive selves by creating self-representations that negotiate and exceed the confines of the paradigmatic models of plot and character of the period. In Chapter One, I argue that the ego and pop psychological movements during the postwar era encouraged the American public to define and realize psychological health, success and happiness through narrativized means. I show in Chapter Two how careful differentiation between narrative levels of interpretation in The Bell Jar reveals the novel’s complication of the self created in narrative, with and against the socio-cultural scripts and therapeutic assumptions of the period. Chapter Three concentrates on The Catcher in the Rye’s various methods of de-composing the narrative identity of the subject created through developmental and therapeutic narration. In the final chapter, I read Invisible Man as a satire of postwar psychoanalytic theory and method specifically concerning racialized narrative identities, and as a reflection on a method of enduring psychological illness. The Conclusion brings together several argumentative strands running throughout the dissertation regarding what the novels contrastively reveal about the perils, and even the possibilities, inherent in the narrativizing of the self in early postwar America.

This dissertation seeks to explore the perceived intricate relationship that exists between constructed identity, discrimination and violence as portrayed in Bessie Head's trilogy from varying perspectives, including aspects of postcoloniality, materialist feminism and liminality. Starting with a background to some of the origins of racial hybridity in Southern Africa, it looks at how racial identity has subsequently influenced the course of Southern African history and thereafter explores historical and biographical information deemed relevant to an understanding of the dissertation. Critical explorations of each text in the trilogy follow, in which the apparent affinities that exist between identity, discrimination and violence are analysed and displayed. In conclusion the trilogy is discussed from a largely sociological perspective of hope in a utopian society. / English Studies / M.A.(English)

<p>My dissertation is a Black feminist inquiry into how Black women writers employ soul food imagery to equally assert their characters’ Blackness and sexual agency in post-Black Arts texts. These include Gayl Jones’ <em>Eva’s Man </em>(1976), Ntozake Shange’s <em>Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo</em> (1982), Gloria Naylor’s <em>Bailey’s Café</em> (1992), and TT Bridgeman’s <em>Pound Cake for Sweet Pea </em>(2004). These novelists tell complex stories of Black women’s grappling with respectability, trauma, and erotic and sexual agency. In each novel, these Black women share a common reliance upon soul food that is often underexamined in critical scholarship. I argue that soul food is essential to how Black women cope with the duality of pleasure and pain by helping them assert liberated senses-of-self amidst sexism and its attendant emotional and physical violence. I also conceptualize this coping as a vibrational reprieve. </p>

Anthologies composed for adolescent readers are rare in both Afrikaans and Dutch. These anthologies are published at quite lengthy intervals, because they are post-publications in which already published volumes are absorbed. These anthologies are, however, to an increasing extent the medium by which readers become aware of poetry and are also introduced to different poets. For that reason it can be concluded that anthologies inform poetic taste. The empathy and love towards poetry experienced by young children in both languages are gradually replaced by an apathetic attitude towards poems and even an antipathetic attitude in general during adolescence. The first reaction to poetry is usually emotional and this indicates the way for further intellectual development. When selecting poems for the adolescent reader, the different developmental aspects affecting the adolescent and his identity development must be taken into consideration. The needs of the adolescent reader must be kept in mind. Needs in reading develop as a result of general needs that should be satisfied in the first place. Should this be the case, the need for reading would develop. In this study different theoretical points of view, namely reader-response criticism, developmental psychology, general needs and reading-related needs are used to determine the representation of identity in poems. Specific theories of poetry are used as instruments in text studies and analyses with regard to representation of identity in anthologies for adolescents. Poems in Versreise (Vermaak et al.) and Met gekleurde billen zou her gelukkiger leven zijn (Van Coillie) are analysed focusing on the representation of time and space, speaker and perspective, atmosphere and metaphorical language. For the purposes of this study analyses were conducted to evaluate and interpret the representation of identity in the texts of both anthologies. The differences and similarities between the Afrikaans and Dutch poetry texts for the adolescent had to be identified. The differences were used to determine which type of text would support the Afrikaans identity, the Dutch identity or the Flemish identity. The similarities, on the other hand, were used to determine the type of text that would not appeal to the Afrikaans, Dutch or Flemish adolescents only, but to adolescents in general. In this study method-pluralism is scientifically unavoidable. Different methods were systematically combined to support the specific methods of approach. The research was done in accordance with four methods: a synopsis of existing and appropriate theory of literature and forming of theory with regard to relevant concepts and terms; the analyses of texts in two anthologies; a summary of critical opinions stated in different reviews as well as surveys and interviews based on consultations via e-mail with the different role players, i.e. the anthology composers, illustrators and publishers. / Thesis (MA (Afrikaans en Nederlands))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.