Syftet med föreliggande religionsvetenskapliga studie är att synliggöra hur betydande aspekter av livsåskådningskaraktär återspeglas i den populära tv-serien True Detective 1 – och med särskilt fokus på ateism undersöka och kartlägga en av tv-seriens karismatiska huvudkaraktärers perspektiv och positioneringar. I centrum står Rustin ”Rust” Cohle och dennes hållning, handlingar och tal. Undersökningen utgår från tre frågeställningar: Vilka olika livssynspositioneringar och tematiker av existentiell livsåskådningskaraktär är utmärkande för karaktären Rust? Hur kan dessa närmare beskrivas och förstås på ett övergripande plan? Och i vilken utsträckning har Rust lösgjort sig från en äldre form av ateism, till förmån för en senmodern och mindre polariserande variant? Runt karaktärskomplexet Rust – som en prototyp för en sorts förtrollande ateism – exponeras följande fyra kategorier: 1) Scientisten: En position präglad av en scientistisk och naturvetenskaplig, ateistisk hållning. 2) Zenbuddisten: En position präglad av asketism, kontemplation och en fascination av jaget som en illusion. 3) Terapeuten: En position karaktäriserad av den terapeutiska diskursen, vars psykologiserande förklaringar går ut på att legitimera individens lycka eller lidande – och därigenom tar över den äldre religiösa berättelsens funktion.4) Messiasgestalten: En position med markant messianska förtecken av både hög- och lågkristologisk natur och som i någon mening här inkorporerar övriga kategorier. Serien avspeglar således genom den messiasliknande karaktären Rust både starka ateistiska och scientistiska strömningar i vår tid, präglade av både naturvetenskap men också ett – till vissa delar – österländskt synsätt bortom den judisk-kristna traditionens epistem, hand i hand med ett semi-sekulärt och terapeutiskt trevande efter reflexivitet, mening och en större sakral och kanske rentav metafysisk öppning. Det är möjligen något av ett paradigmskifte – för att tala med Thomas Kuhn – som karaktären Rust föregriper och förkroppsligar. En både-och-människa som både vill ha det sakrala och profana som en möjlighet – inte som ett akademiskt motsatspar! / Enchanting atheism?: A study of atheism pictured in popular culture. True Detective as an example. The purpose of this study of religious science is to visualize how significant aspects of a characteristic philosophy and views of life are reflected in the popular TV series True Detective 1 – and with particular focus on atheism, explore and map the perspective and positioning of one of the charismatic main characters of the TV series. In the center stands Rustin “Rust” Cohle and his attitude, actions and speech. The study is based on three questions: What different views of life and themes of existential views are characteristic of the character Rust? How can these be more fully described and understood on an overall level? And to what extent has Rust broken himself away from an older form of atheism in favor of a late modern andless polarizing kind? Around the complex of character that is Rust - as a prototype for a kind of enchanting atheism - the following four categories are exposed: 1) The Scientist: A position characterized by a scientific and atheistic stance. 2) The Zen Buddhist: A position characterized by asceticism, contemplation and a fascination of the self as an illusion.3) The Therapist: A position characterized by the therapeutic discourse whose therapeutic narrative is based on legitimizing the happiness or suffering of the individual - thus adopting the function of the old religious narrative. 4) The Messiah character: A position with striking Messianic overtones of Christology of both high and low nature and which in some sense incorporates the other categories. Through the Messiah-like character Rust the series thus reflects both strong atheistic and scientific currents of our time, characterized by not only science but also – to some extent – by an Eastern view of life that goes beyond the episteme of the Jewish-Christian tradition, hand in hand with a semi-secular and therapeutic grasping for reflexivity, meaning and a greater sacred and perhaps even metaphysical opening. It is possibly somewhat of a paradigm shift – to some extent plead Thomas Kuhn – that the character Rust anticipates and embodies. A both-kind-person who wants to have the sacred as well as the profane as an opportunity - not as an academicopposing pair!

This dissertation explores the relationship of two of the most prominent women intellectuals of the twentieth century, Hannah Arendt and Susan Sontag. While they are not commonly considered to be related figures – Arendt is mainly recognized as a political thinker, Sontag is an icon of postwar popular culture – it has been anecdotally noted that they lived and worked in the same intellectual environment in postwar New York City, where their paths crossed a few times. However, a comprehensive systematic study of their relationship is missing. Starting from their Benjamin portraits of 1968 and 1978, I argue that Arendt’s and Sontag’s relationship is significant in terms of the German and US American tradition of literary criticism: Both women acted as transatlantic critics invested in cultural transfer between postwar US and Germany, and they employed similar styles of citation and editorial strategies to create and inscribe themselves into an authoritative literary tradition. With Arendt and Sontag, I discuss the critic’s task in terms of citational style and as a matter of taking care of literary traditions beyond national borders. As I demonstrate through comprehensive, in-depth archival analysis and close readings, Arendt and Sontag intervened with their Benjamin portraits in a heated debate about critical methods surrounding the editorial management of Benjamin’s estate and legacy through Theodor W. Adorno and Gershom Scholem in late 1960s Germany. Arendt’s portrait made Benjamin’s work available to an English-speaking audience for the first time and Sontag popularized his prominence in the US even further. Both stage Benjamin as a literary figure rather than a philosopher. Stylistically, they employ related strategies of citational mimicry to create an intimate connection between their voices and Benjamin’s, granting even unfamiliar readers access to Benjamin’s complex writing. Through constant dialogue with his work, their affective and affirmative mediation has significant editorial qualities. By preserving and promoting Benjamin as a critic in the US, Arendt and Sontag created a transatlantic tradition of literary criticism in which they inscribed themselves to gain critical authority in singular yet similar ways. Tracing the relationship between the portraits archivally, I argue that their similar citational creation of discursive authority results from Sontag’s comprehensive study of Arendt’s work and is thus an example of critical skill building through stylistic imitation. Rendering the hidden citational traces between the portraits transparent, I show how this line of influence ironically yields a lack of credit to Arendt on Sontag’s part. Like Arendt, Sontag reifies rather than breaks patriarchal citational chains. Illuminating what Arendt calls a “hidden tradition” – consisting in stylistically visible yet inexplicit commonalities – I draw on terminology gained from the current debate on critical method in Western literary studies to argue that the portraits afford a concept of criticism between such polemic poles as “surface” versus “depth” reading, “description” versus “interpretation” or “affirmation” versus “suspicion.” Characterizing this critical nuance with Arendt and Sontag as related critics, my study delineates a genealogy of a transatlantic mode of close reading with hermeneutic roots and a feminist twist.

The purpose of this paper is to present an opening to argue for a transtheoretical and - activist fellowship with Satan and the values connected to hir. A transactivist fellows-hip with Satan builds on two primary points of contact. It is on one hand the opportu-nity to take advantage of the non-conformist, non-normative and polemical signifi-cance Satan has been attributed, especially in the history of literature, but also in the history of religion. And on the other hand this study also dwells upon how Satan as a figure has served as an expression of evilness, hatred, darkness and suffering amongst people. The questions i ask, is if there is a course that allows me to theorize for a stra-tegic collaboration between the transactivist struggle and the ideas that is connected to the satanfigure in John Miltons Paradise Lost. I also ask if there is a transtheoretical-and activist approach where Satan can function as an ally within the transactivist re-sistance. The purpose of this paper also carries on a confrontation with the notion of ”tone-policing", and love and tenderness as the only sanctioned (and praised) incenti-ves for political struggle. In this thesis I make a link between the logic that connects to Satan as an ideological basis and a non-conformist (militant), seperatist, anti-capi-talist and queer attitude in transactivist struggle. With the help of Susan Stryker's the-ory of the monsteridentity I will experiment with extracts from John Milton's Paradise Lost, where the Satan figure and the transactivist position builds on a fellowship as my analysis proceeds. To do this i use a queer-deleuzian tool as a method that focuses on textual framings within the idea of spatial relations, meaning how the actual text can and should correspond with discourses outside its territorial space. This allow me to di-sengage Satan from its original amplitude, and instead of interpreting how Satan handles hirself in Paradise Lost, i will liberate Satan from this narrative and create a relation between hir and my thesis. In this way I create an occasion, through a theore-tical approach to trans-subjectivity as comparable to the perception of the monster as a non-normative figure, to bring the transgendered monster together with the satanic monster. The ”what” that will subsequently crystallize during the analysis have the intention to tell the story about the ways in which the non-confirmative transactivist have in common with Satan. After doing this i will conclude my thesis with a discus-sion that reflects on how this fellowship has evolved in relation to the proposed politi-cal and emotional connections between the non-confomative transactivist and Satan.

This dissertation evaluates the degree of "fit" in employing Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy [EFCT] within the context of congregational ministry and/or a Christian counselling center to counsel evangelical couples who have experienced an "attachment injury." The present study introduces and examines the possibility that, given an appropriate level of theological reflection, EFCT is an appropriate counselling methodology for use by evangelical clergy and counselors. Beginning with an examination of the values, assumptions and practices of EFCT this study explores three dimensions of the interface between EFCT and ecclesiastical practice: a) a theological reflection on the values and assumptions that inform the practice of EFCT; b) a comparison of EFCT with the marital counselling theories of Howard Clinebell, Jr., Larry Crabb, Jr., H. Norman Wright, and Everett L. Worthington, Jr., noting how each of these theories conceptualizes and treats both the marital dyad and emotional experience; and, c) an examination of Christians' perceptions of, and receptivity to, this model. The research demonstrates that the pastoral adaptation of EFCT highlighted in this study was rated favorably but not superior to the other four models. Specifically, it is noted that those who had previously experienced marital counselling, pastoral or otherwise, appeared to be attracted to the EFCT model as it was presented, even though the exemplar did not explicitly incorporate either the use of scripture, prayer, religious homework, or spiritual themes such as forgiveness and mutuality in marriage. The fact that even in the absence of an explicitly spiritual emphasis EFCT received high ratings suggests there is something within the model that speaks to the committed evangelical believer. The study concludes that even though EFCT may not be known within the evangelical community the perspective it offers "fits" with the values of this part of the Christian community and seems to appeal to those who have previously experienced marital difficulties. As a result, it may be stated that EFCT offers a mode of intervention that is suitable for use with evangelical Christians. / Practical Theology / D. Div. (Pracical theology)

Influenced by an ever-growing sense of alienation with my homeland, I have been determined to discover through my art practice an ability to challenge conventional notions of home, identity, communication and miscommunication. Exploring these themes, I became increasingly aware of the parallels between everyday life and art practice. By creatively connecting with a diverse amount of local people and their communities, I fulfilled desires to discover a sense of belonging and generated opportunities for others to break through traditional social boundaries and roles.

This thesis examines the beginning of Victoria, British Columbia’s, women’s movement, stretching its ‘start’ date to the late 1850s while arguing that, to some extent, the local movement criss-crossed racial, ethnic, religious, and gender boundaries. It also highlights how the people involved with the women’s movement in Victoria challenged traditional beliefs, like separate sphere ideology, about women’s position in society and contributed to the introduction of new more egalitarian views of women in a process that continues to the present day. Chapter One challenges current understandings of First Wave Feminism, stretching its limitations regarding time and persons involved with social reform and women’s rights goals, while showing that the issue of ‘suffrage’ alone did not make a ‘women’s movement’. Chapter 2 focuses on how the local ‘women’s movement’ coalesced and expanded in the late 1890s to embrace various social reform causes and demands for women’s rights and recognition, it reflected a unique spirit that emanated from Victorian traditionalism, skewed gender ratios, and a frontier mentality. Chapter 3 argues that an examination of Victoria’s movement, like any other ‘women’s movement’, must take into consideration the ethnic and racialized ‘other’, in this thesis the Indigenous, African Canadian, and Chinese. The Conclusion discusses areas for future research, deeper research questions, and raises the question about whether the women’s movement in Victoria was successful. / Graduate / 0334 / 0733 / 0631 / mlihmels@shaw.ca

This dissertation evaluates the degree of "fit" in employing Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy [EFCT] within the context of congregational ministry and/or a Christian counselling center to counsel evangelical couples who have experienced an "attachment injury." The present study introduces and examines the possibility that, given an appropriate level of theological reflection, EFCT is an appropriate counselling methodology for use by evangelical clergy and counselors. Beginning with an examination of the values, assumptions and practices of EFCT this study explores three dimensions of the interface between EFCT and ecclesiastical practice: a) a theological reflection on the values and assumptions that inform the practice of EFCT; b) a comparison of EFCT with the marital counselling theories of Howard Clinebell, Jr., Larry Crabb, Jr., H. Norman Wright, and Everett L. Worthington, Jr., noting how each of these theories conceptualizes and treats both the marital dyad and emotional experience; and, c) an examination of Christians' perceptions of, and receptivity to, this model. The research demonstrates that the pastoral adaptation of EFCT highlighted in this study was rated favorably but not superior to the other four models. Specifically, it is noted that those who had previously experienced marital counselling, pastoral or otherwise, appeared to be attracted to the EFCT model as it was presented, even though the exemplar did not explicitly incorporate either the use of scripture, prayer, religious homework, or spiritual themes such as forgiveness and mutuality in marriage. The fact that even in the absence of an explicitly spiritual emphasis EFCT received high ratings suggests there is something within the model that speaks to the committed evangelical believer. The study concludes that even though EFCT may not be known within the evangelical community the perspective it offers "fits" with the values of this part of the Christian community and seems to appeal to those who have previously experienced marital difficulties. As a result, it may be stated that EFCT offers a mode of intervention that is suitable for use with evangelical Christians. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Div. (Pracical theology)

Utilizing a mixed methods approach in assessing cities and metropolitan areas with the highest rates of breast cancer disparities in African-American communities, this study presents the Affiliate perspective of the Susan G. Komen non-profit organization in combination with available socioeconomic data and academic literature. Analyzed through an anthropological lens, qualitative and quantitative data illuminate the lived experiences and dynamic circumstances in which breast cancer disparities are disproportionately experienced in 21 of the nation’s populations of African-Americans. Two main recommendations arose from this research: prioritization of granting to activities such as patient navigation, usage of patient narrative messaging, community-based participatory research methods of program development and implementation, mobile mammography delivery, usage of lay health educators, and self-advocacy education to alleviate barriers to healthcare and supplementation of the current educational activities of the Komen Affiliates through program sharing and leverage of current assets with consideration of current Affiliate capacity. These recommendations may help in alleviating breast cancer disparities present in African-American communities with the highest levels of disparities in the nation.

This thesis deals with model-based approach to 3D tracking from monocular video. The 3D model pose dynamically estimated through minimization of objective function by particle filter. Objective function is based on rendered scene to real video similarity.

The focus of the present research work is the contemporary American short stories that bring up issues of compulsory norm and the conflict between marginalized characters and their environment. This research was based on those short stories that seemed to represent the idea of being "different" in the most complex and multilayered way, and its goal was to unfold new aspects of the conflict between "normal" and "abnormal"/"different". Variations of norm as well as diversity within the marginalized raise a number of questions about the reasons for their inability to coexist peacefully. The close reading and the analysis of the selected stories show that all the conflicts in them, in one way or another, repeat similar patterns and lead to the same root of the problem of misunderstanding, which is fear. To be more precise, all the cases of hate towards "different" characters can be explained by the hater's explicit or implicit fear of death in its various forms: inability to procreate one's own kind, cultural or personal self-identity loss, actual life threat in the form of a reminder of possible physical harm and death. Most often it would be the case where shame and fear of death overlap in a very complex way. In general, the cases of characters' otherness fall into three major groups. The nature of the alienation for each of these groups is described and analyzed in three separate chapters. Prejudice and stereotypes are playing a great role in formation of fears and insecurities which need to be dismantled in order to make peaceful coexistence possible. This work concludes with pointing out the crucial role of taking an approach of representation of various perspectives and diversification of voices in creative writing, academia and media in the context of multicultural society.