The French composers Tristan Murail (b.1947) and Gerard Grisey (1946-98) are the two chief originators of “Spectral Music”, an approach to composition that developed in France from the mid-1970s, and which is characterised by the ‘spectrum’, a conception and codification of sound as a collection of individual, related partials, realised by orchestral synthesis. While the composers’ exploitation of the physical characteristics of sound, based on technological analysis, is well documented, Murail has drawn analogies throughout his mature work with other phenomena, including those associated with electroacoustic means of sound treatment and production, morphologies found in the earth’s surface (both land and water) and recently developed scientific paradigms (chaos theory and fractal geometry). In Murail’s most recent works, the complex properties of sound samples are used as compositional models. The application of these analogies is diverse, ranging from the use of relatively simple algorithms to the formation of elaborate structures that possess a highly evocative and metaphorical mode of communication. The use of inharmonic sounds, or “noise”, in particular, evokes nature and places the work in a particular relationship with the world. The thesis investigates the appropriation of phenomena by analogy through analysis of key compositions. While research focuses on Murail, the work will be contextualised alongside that of Grisey, and within Spectral Music in general, in order to gain a greater critical understanding of the music

This thesis explores the recent phenomenon of music concert goers filming these concerts and uploading the footage to YouTube. This contemporary practice poses several questions of the nature of contemporary music culture. The status of the concert as live event is problematised by this mediation of the experience. The videos create producers of fans and allow these fans to make a substantive contribution to music culture as authors of music texts consumed through a major distribution network. The fact that these fans are not paid for their efforts begs the question as to what they gain from this enterprise; particularly as it serves as a distraction for filmers from the immersive concert experience. This thesis will use the work of Walter Benjamin on the ‘aura' as a yardstick against which to judge current attitudes amongst music fans as to the status of live music alongside other ways of experiencing music. The thesis will also offer a contemporary reappraisal of Pierre Bourdieu's concept of ‘cultural capital' that accounts for the recognition that filmers receive from other music fans for their efforts in filming concerts. Concerts are restricted spaces in which music is simultaneously produced and consumed. Broadcasting videos of these events on YouTube provides recognition for filmers both for having attended and managed to capture footage to be shared with those unable to attend for various reasons. Filmers are not paid for their efforts and so this recognition serves as a form of cultural capital in lieu of financial reward. The thesis is based upon interviews with a global sample of music fans who either film concerts or watch these films on YouTube.

Despite depression having become such a common phenomenon in our modern-day life, there is still much that the social work profession needs to learn about it, in order to facilitate a process that will enable clients to deal not only with the immediate effects of depression but also with the changes it might bring about with regard to their families. The majority of the research conducted thus far appears to have focused on depression in women, with precious little attention to the experience of depression by male sufferers. By way of this study, the researcher aims to address these problems. It is interesting to note that we still do not really know precisely what meaning men’s family roles, such as that of fatherhood, actually hold for them. As anyone who has studied depression will know only too well, people’s perceptions of the world and of themselves change with the onset of depression. It is therefore quite possible that perceptions regarding family roles may similarly be subject to change. This study attempts to find answers to questions such as these with a view to improved future research and therapy. Constructivism forms part of a broad post-modernist approach to the social sciences. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of personal construct creation as well as the development of such construct through social processes. With its use of narrative and metaphorical techniques, it offers a unique glimpse into the construct system of the interviewee. In an effort to explore the meanings and experiences of men who are struggling with depression, three case study narratives obtained from selected persons are offered. By way of a co-construction of these stories, certain conclusions are arrived at, leading to specific recommendations for future practice and research. / Dissertation (MSD (Research))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted