Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Black comedy'

This exegesis will aim to research and analyse the conventions of writing a black comedy in a feature film script. As a screenwriter with a particular interest in black comedy, my aim is to explore the technical structures of black comedy in order to facilitate the writing of a tragicomic screenplay. We will attempt to define the components of black comedy and survey its origin in theatre and literature. The exegesis will aim to explore what components comprise the middle ground between drama and humour and position it in relation to the classical genres of tragedy and comedy. The exegesis will also aim to examine the function of black comedy in relation to the psychology of the protagonist and the audience, as well as defining the characteristics of the genre in the context of Screenwriting. The exegesis will observe the film adaptation of the renowned play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as a case study. The research will inform the writing of the feature length screenplay entitled The Actions.

This thesis revisits the popular cultural narrative of black-Jewish relations in the United States — an association based on relational suffering — through an examination of contemporary Jewish American humour. It considers how Jewish comedians both identify with and distance themselves from African American culture, history, and experience in order to negotiate their place in the US racial system. At times, Jewish Americans express their ethnic particularity and marginality through cross-racial identification with African Americans as racial Others. At other times, they separate themselves from blackness to strengthen their associations with dominant white culture. Focusing on the work of Jewish comedians in the US and Australia, this thesis contributes to key concerns underpinning the narrative of black-Jewish relations including the use of blackness to narrate Jewish alterity and subjectivity, the unstable relationship of Jewishness to white privilege, and the potential and limits of interracial identification. The first two chapters provide a historical framework for the development of black-Jewish relations and its articulation in Jewish American comedy. The three chapters that follow perform in-depth case studies of three prominent Jewish comedians — Larry David and Sarah Silverman from the US and John Safran from Australia — focusing on their use of African American tropes and themes to construct gendered and racialised Jewish diasporic identities. The chapters on David and Silverman highlight their critical engagement with gendered Jewish American stereotypes such as the nebbish Jewish man and the Jewish American Princess. The chapter on Safran shifts cultural and geographical perspective to look at how a Jewish Australian comedian draws on African American and Jewish American popular culture to perform a Jewish Australian identity. As such, this last chapter provides a useful way to think about transnational engagements with black-Jewish relations. The thesis examines postmodern blackface, racial satire, cringe comedy, and comic failure in the work of these comedians to investigate the productive and risky elements of racial and ethnic comedy. By analysing their performances within the social and cultural contexts of their production and reception, the thesis illuminates the unique ability of comedy to engage with controversial issues of racial and ethnic difference. It also demonstrates the ways in which Jewishness continues to be an ambivalently white ethnic group in the United States.

It has become a critical commonplace of recent years that the current period of political drama started with the upheavals of 1968. It is often stated that before that year, playwrights of the post 1956 generation generally held liberal views which were broadly critical of British society's major institutions, but stopped short of criticising such bodies as the Labour Party. My aim will be to reassess this view in the light of the black comedies of the period 1964 to 1974. These plays held in common a number of stylistic characteristics and thematic obsessions, and were particularly notable for their close reference to contemporary events and political crises. In attempting to establish a continuity through this period, I will try to reappropriate to the modern canon a number of playwrights, who have been marginalised or forgotten since the mid seventies. I also deal with several of the 'major' works of the period, with specific reference to their relevance to contemporary events at the time of their initial productions. This will necessitate a certain amount of detailed historical background. The thesis is divided into two halves, comprising three and two chapters, respectively. The first part examines the premierships of Home, Wilson and Heath in that order, with particular reference to the way in which the politics and character of each were reflected in black comic satire. The second half of the thesis considers three black comic stereotypes, each of which mirrored the leading social themes of the day. The figure of the meritocrat, the 'classless' individual who rises to prominence on the strength of his or her own abilities, a particular political creation of our period is lampooned mercilessly throughout, although in different ways, depending upon the historical circumstances. Doctors and Policemen are also characteristic figures of the period, and I consider the way in which the latter group, in particular, provided a succession of stock characters which would be moulded to address particular public scandals in the immediate wake of their occurrences.

In humour studies research, there have been few attempts to elucidate why black humour was such a prevalent, powerful force in late twentieth century culture and why it continues to make a profound impression in the new millennium. As Dana Polan (1991) laments: ???Rarely have there been attempts to offer material, historically specific explanations of particular manifestations of the comic???.1 This thesis offers an interdisciplinary analysis of black humour in the late twentieth century. I contend that the experience of black humour emerges from the intricacies of human beliefs and behaviours surrounding death and through the diverse rituals that shape experiences of loss. I suggest that black humour is an attempt to articulate the tension between the haunting absence and disturbing presence of death in contemporary society. Chapter 1 of this thesis offers an historical and etymological perspective on black humour. In Chapter 2, I argue that the increasing privatisation and medicalisation of death, along with the overt mediatisation of death, creates a problematic juxtaposition. I contend that these unique social conditions created, and continue to foster, an ideal environment for the creation and proliferation of black humour. In Chapters 3 and 4, I examine the structures and functions of black humour through three key theories of humour: incongruity, catharsis and superiority. Chapter 5 looks at ways in which the experience of black humour creates resolutions and forces dissonances for people entwined with loss. In this final chapter, I also consider how black humour may help people make meaning from issues surrounding death. Throughout this theoretical discussion, I interweave the analysis of a range of scenes from contemporary black comic texts (i.e. plays, screenplays and television scripts). On the whole, this thesis works towards a more complex, specific understanding of the phenomenon of black humour within a social context.

As obras de Jane Austen são extremamente populares tanto entre leitores comuns e estudiosos de literatura desde a época em que foram publicados, no início do século XIX até os dias de hoje. Tamanha popularidade foi responsável por inúmeras obras de arte, especialmente na literatura e no cinema, que foram ou implicitamente ou explicitamente influenciados pela obra de Austen. Um de seus romances mais adaptados é Orgulho e Preconceito, talvez seu romance mais lido, estudado e adaptado. Um dos motivos para tal apreciação é provavelmente resultado dos valores morais que Jane Austen expõe em seus romances. Estes valores, mesmo duzentos anos mais tarde, permanecem importantes e de grande valor, especialmente na era pós-moderna, quando o excesso de liberdade e alternativas parecem deixar a humanidade mais desprovida de um suporte seguro na vida. Esta é a razão que permite um fã de Austen encontrar na religião um possível diálogo, onde, em um mundo cheio de incertezas, certos códigos morais são as certezas a que alguém pode se segurar. Em 2003, Andrew Black dirigiu o filme Pride and Prejudice: a latter-day comedy1, uma transposição moderna do romance de Austen, no qual os personagens vão à igreja e estudam em uma universidade religiosa. Meu trabalho busca estabelecer uma relação entre o livro de Jane Austen, o filme de Andrew Black e as questões sobre moralidade e religião, e como o romance e o filme estabelecem uma conexão não apenas em seus elementos de ficção como personagens e enredo, mas principalmente no que diz respeito a uma das possíveis mensagens finais em ambas obras.
The works of Jane Austen are extremely popular both among average readers and literature scholars from the time they were published, in the early 19th century until today. Such popularity has been responsible for innumerous works of art, especially in literature and cinema, that were either implicitly or explicitly influenced by Austen’s work. One of her most adapted novels is the 1812 novel Pride and Prejudice, which is perhaps her most read, studied and adapted novel. One of the reasons for such appraisal has probably to do with the moral values Jane Austen exposes in her novels. Those values, even two hundred years later, remain important and of great worth, especially in the postmodern era, when the excess of freedom and alternatives seems to make humanity more deprived of a secure ground in life. This is the reason that allows an Austen fan to find in religion a possible dialogue, where, in a world full of uncertainties, some moral codes are the certainties one can hold onto. In 2003, Andrew Black directed a movie entitled Pride and Prejudice: a latter-day comedy, a transposition of Austen’s novel to a modern setting, where the characters are themselves churchgoers and students at a religious university. My work is aimed at establishing a connection between Jane Austen’s novel, Andrew Black’s movie and the issue of morality and religion, and how the novel and movie establish a connection not only in terms of fictional elements such as characters and plot, but mainly in regards to one of the possible final messages in both works.

The Black arrived in Rio Grande do Sul as a slave to work in the ranches and the Charqueadas. As the province was constantly in the brink of war defending the southern border, he was also called to arms in the front lines, mainly as lancer. In the second half of the 19th century, emerged, at both national and international levels, the first manifestations for the ending of the slave system. During the imperial period there were law proposals for the control and extinction of forced labour. With the proclamation of the Republic (and the slavery abolished by law) public policies were adopted for the inclusion of the black in the class-based society. The abolitionist movements that arose prior to the Golden Law became organized movements. The Republic's first years were of much political instability for Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul. For that, the State Government turned the old Civic Guard into a well armed and trained militia for protection and maintenance of the government. This institution placed on record the Afro-Brazilian presence since its origin through settlement books and existing photography in Historical Center Coronel Pillar's collection. In the settlement books of the time we observe the subscription of countless black soldiers enlisted before the beginning of the Federalist Revolution. In the album published to honor the 30 years of the Military Brigad of the Rio Grande do Sul, in 1922, with more than 400 pictures, are shown at least 30 pictures portraying the presence of black in its ranks. In the sociocultural context at that time the Military Brigad was also used as a tool for insertion of the black into the social order. By reading the "Orders of the Day" it was possible to identify black inclusion actions in the institution. This way, an iconographic analysis methodology was applied and a multimedia platform was developed to house the elaborate cataloge. Thus, the analyzed pictures will be preserved and disclosed by accessible electronic media and available to other interested people.
O negro chegou ao Rio Grande do Sul como escravo para trabalhar, principalmente nas estâncias de criação de gado e nas charqueadas. No clima de instabilidade que vivia a Província em defesa da fronteira sul este sujeito também foi levado às linhas de frente das batalhas, principalmente como lanceiro. Na segunda metade do século XIX, surgiram as primeiras manifestações em âmbito internacional e também nacional para o fim do sistema escravista. Durante o período imperial já havia propostas de leis para o controle e extinção do serviço forçado. Com a proclamação da República (e a escravidão já extinta por lei) foram adotadas políticas para a inserção do negro na sociedade. Os movimentos abolicionistas surgidos anteriormente à Lei Áurea tornaram-se movimentos organizados. Os primeiros anos da república foram de muita instabilidade política ao Brasil e ao Rio Grande do Sul, por isto o Governo Estadual transformou a antiga Guarda Cívica em uma milícia bem armada e treinada para a proteção e mantenimento do governo a Brigada Militar. Esta Instituição deixou registrada a presença do negro desde a sua origem através dos livros de assentamento e fotografias existentes no acervo do Centro Histórico Coronel Pilar. Nos livros de assentamento da época observamos a inscrição de inúmeros soldados negros alistados antes do início da Revolução Federalista. No Álbum publicado em homenagem aos 30 anos da Brigada Militar do Rio Grande do Sul, em 1922, com mais de 400 imagens, são mostradas pelo menos 30 fotografias onde estão registrados sujeitos negros em suas fileiras. No contexto sociocultural da época a Brigada Militar também foi utilizada como instrumento de inserção do negro na ordem social. Através das leituras das Ordens do Dia foi possível identificar ações de inclusão do negro na instituição. Desta forma, foi aplicada uma metodologia de análise iconográfica e desenvolvido um catálogo virtual que foi inserido em uma Plataforma Multimídia. Assim, as imagens analisadas serão preservadas e divulgadas através de mídia eletrônica acessível e disponível para as demais pessoas interessadas.

Los textos de CineScrúpulos son elaborados por los alumnos, profesores y colaboradores de la Facultad de Comunicaciones de la UPC. Las imágenes utilizadas son de distintas páginas web. El uso de las mismas se inscribe en lo estrictamente académico y divulgativo.
se ha convertido en un referente cinematográfico por derecho propio. La figura que se aleja como danzando, dueña de su propio futuro incierto, es una de las odas más hermosas al optimismo y a la sonrisa permanente, a pesar de las adversidades que afronta. Porque no debemos olvidar que Charlot es pobre pero digno, a pesar de que Chaplin, el personaje de carne y hueso, estuvo rodeado de una serie de polémicas por sus aparentes constructos ideológicos y por su conocido interés por las féminas. Pero eso no opaca un corpus fílmico que alumbró piezas que hoy son consideradas clásicos indiscutibles de la historia del cine. Por ello, en aras de saldar una cuenta pendiente, hemos decidido dedicar la presente edición de CineScrúpulos al genio de Chaplin. Pero no es lo único. Como suele suceder en cada ciclo académico, este número viene sazonado con algunos artículos interesantes. Nuevamente ingresamos al terreno de la tecnología para indagar si el universo de futuro que plantea la serie Black mirror tiene algún punto de conexión con el imaginario que despliega James Cameron en sus películas. De más está decir que el autor de Terminator (James Cameron, 1984) es un visionario y enfrenta en cada una de sus obras una serie de retos a nivel técnico pero también narrativo. Lástima que el presente texto haya sido elaborado antes del estreno de ese laberinto de discurso que es Black mirror: Bandersnatch (David Slade, 2018), pero prometemos en el futuro una indagación al respecto. Los dibujos animados también tienen su espacio en CineScrúpulos. Por supuesto, estamos hablando de los ejemplos más descabellados, surrealistas y transgresores que uno puede tener a mano. ¿Dragon Ball Z? No te pases. El universo de Chuck Jones está plagado de delicias que se disfrutan mejor a medida que pasan los años. Y Space jam (Joe Pytka, 1996) fue un producto altamente disfrutable en la década de los noventa. La gran interrogante que se plantea es si maneja el mismo tipo de comedia o toma otros referentes. Leer para creer. Y ya que hablamos de risotadas, el tercer artículo de fondo intenta establecer similitudes y diferencias entre un puñado de películas marca Tondero y otras que establecen nuevos derroteros en el cine de género en el Perú y que tiene que ver con el desenfreno. Es bueno hacer industria, pero las voces disidentes merecen ser escuchadas. Como puedes ver, esta edición está plagada de sonrisas.

Fowl Feathered Fox: Monsters, Pipers, Families and Flocks is a doctoral work consisting of a full-length stage play and an exegesis. An introduction outlines the scope of the doctoral work, while a concluding chapter reflects on research findings and considers staging issues and implications. Appendices include images incorporated into the play’s action as well as photographed excerpts from a series of visual diaries used to document the play’s evolution. The play, Fowl Feathered Fox, explores the nature of delusion, deception and the tragedy of The Beast Within. Borrowing as it does from the traditions of revenge tragedy, comedy and horror, the style of Fowl Feathered Fox is both sensual and sensationalistic. Indeed, by virtue of overstepping traditional ideological, stage and venue boundaries to tap into an audience’s faculties of taste, physical sensation and smell, I aim to confront, seduce and repel on every possible sensory level. Here, in keeping with the conventions of Renaissance revenge tragedies as well as contemporary re-imaginings of the genre in popular culture, a tragic protagonist is forced to behave as a detective in order to put an end to a terrible, taboo curse. As a black comedy however, Fowl Feathered Fox makes light of taboo topics, as the darkness of the subject matter is buoyed by meta-theatrical gags, ironic humour, word-play and brief forays into interpretive dance. In the tradition of horror film and fiction, my eponymous ‘fowl feathered fox’ is a specifically Australian re-imagining of the archetypal shapeshifter, blending the qualities of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the false prophet, the Pied Piper and the werewolf. Surrealism, with its roots in psychoanalysis, underscores the play’s visual aesthetic: this stage is littered with fearful, surgically invasive and aggressively sexual forms, objects and images. The exegesis, Monsters, Pipers, Families and Flocks, interrogates various mythic, historical and fictional examples of charismatic cult leadership, locating patterns in the paradigmatic nexus shared by monsters, cults and families. A trio of exegetical essays considers the tragic nature of lycanthropy, Nietzsche’s conception of the Apollonian/ Dionysian dichotomy, the socio-cultural dynamics of charismatic cult leadership and the frightening, fascinating phenomenon of pseudologia fantastica. The first exegetical essay explores the lycanthropic and messianic qualities of two real-life malevolent cult leaders: Rock Theriault (Canada) and William Kamm (Australia). The second exegetical essay interrogates the enthralling, intoxicating qualities of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and Greek demi-god Dionysus, finding parallels in tragic revenge narratives wrought by infamous American cult leaders such as Charles Manson and David Berg. Finally, the third exegetical essay examines monstrous, messianic mothers from Greek myth, horror fiction and memoir: specifically, the goddess Demeter, Margaret White from Brian de Palma’s Carrie (1976) and notorious Australian cult leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne.

In this paper, the coarse mesh transport method is extended to hexagonal geometry. This stochastic-deterministic hybrid transport method calculates the eigenvalue and explicit pin fission density profile of hexagonal reactor cores. It models the exact detail within complex heterogeneous cores without homogenizing regions or materials, and neither block-level nor core-level asymmetry poses any limitations to the method. It solves eigenvalue problems by first splitting the core into a set of coarse meshes, and then using Monte Carlo methods to create a library of response expansion coefficients, found by expanding the angular current in phase-space distribution using a set of polynomials orthogonal on the angular half-space defined by mesh boundaries. The coarse meshes are coupled by the angular current at their interfaces. A deterministic sweeping procedure is then used to iteratively construct the solution. The method is evaluated using benchmark problems based on a gas-cooled, graphite-moderated high temperature reactor. The method quickly solves problems to any level of detail desired by the user. In this paper, it is used to explicitly calculate the fission density of individual fuel pins and determine the reactivity worth of individual control rods. In every case, results for the core multiplication factor and pin fission density distribution are found within several minutes. Results are highly accurate when compared to direct Monte Carlo reference solutions; errors in the eigenvalue calculations are on the order of 0.02%, and errors in the pin fission density average less than 0.1%.

Mestrado em Biologia Aplicada
Silver nanoparticles have increased importance due to their antimicrobial activity, being used in several applications such as in prosthesis, medical devices, food storing and cosmetics. Its increasing manufacturing will reflect in the environment, as for instance in the air, exposing the organism to its potential harmful effects. Altogether, the aim of this work was to evaluate the potential genotoxic effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone coated AgNPs. For that, a human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line, A549, was exposed to increased concentrations of 0, 50 and 100 μg/mL PVP coated silver nanoparticles, of 10 and 20 nm, for 24h. Both the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay and the comet assay were used to evaluate the potential genotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles. To validate the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay, a human bone cell line, MG-63, was exposed to increased concentrations of 20 nm PVP coated silver nanoparticles. In A549 cell line, the comet assay revealed an increase in DNA damage, with increase concentration of silver nanoparticles of 10 nm. By other hand, for 20 nm AgNPs a significant increase in DNA damage was observed only for the lowest concentration (50 μg/mL). The cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay showed a cytostatic effect of silver nanoparticles. In MG-63 cell line it was observed an increase in both micronucleus and nuclear buds for 50 μg/mL, indicating the presence of DNA damage. Altogether, the results suggest that PVP coated silver nanoparticles have the potential to induce DNA damage, dependent on the concentration and the size, and have a cytostatic effect on cells.
As nanopartículas de prata têm grande importância pelas suas propriedades antimicrobianas sendo cada vez mais usadas, por exemplo, no revestimento de próteses, em material médico, no revestimento de embalagens alimentares e em cosmética. A sua crescente manufacturação reflectir-se-á também na sua existência no meio ambiente, como por exemplo, no ar, expondo o organismo aos seus potenciais efeitos prejudiciais. Este trabalho teve como objectivo a avaliação dos possíveis efeitos genotóxicos de nanopartículas de prata revestidas com polivinilpirrolidona. Para isso, usou-se uma linha celular de epitélio pulmonar, A549, que foi exposta a concentrações crescentes de 0, 50 e 100 μg/mL de nanopartículas de prata revestidas com PVP, de 10 e 20 nm, durante 24h. O teste dos micronúcleos por bloqueio da citocinese e o ensaio de cometas foram usados para avaliar os potenciais efeitos genotóxicos das nanopartículas de prata. Para validação do teste dos micronúcleos por bloqueio da citocinese, uma linha celular de osso, MG-63, foi exposta a concentrações crescentes de nanopartículas de prata revestidas com PVP, de 20 nm. Na linha celular A549, o ensaio de cometas revelou um aumento do dano no DNA com o aumento da concentração de nanopartículas de 10 nm. Por outro lado, os resultados obtidos para as nanoparticulas de 20 nm mostraram um aumento significativo da degradação do DNA apenas para a concentração mais baixa (50 μg/mL). O teste dos micronúcleos mostrou um efeito citostático das nanopartículas de prata. Na linha celular MG-63 verificou-se um aumento de micronúcleos e protusões nucleares para a concentração de 50 ug/mL, indicando a presença de dano no DNA. Em conjunto, os resultados sugerem que as nanopartículas de prata revestidas com PVP têm potencial para provocar dano no DNA, dependente da sua concentração e do seu tamanho, e têm um efeito citostático nas células.

Modalities of Freedom argues that comedy and the laughter it ignites is a vital component of feminist and anti-racist community building. The chapters of my dissertation analyze the work of three Black standup comedians from the United States: Wanda Sykes, Jackie Mabley and Mo’Nique. These three women have an outsized presence in standup comedy, but have been chronically underrepresented in academic literature despite their nuanced, complex and emboldening performance styles. I claim that their particular brands of humor are modalities of freedom. That is, under varying social, temporal and cultural contexts, Sykes, Mabley and Mo’Nique resist and expose marginalization and oppression. In turn, their comedic material and the act of laughter bond their audiences and generate anti-racist/feminist coalitions. The first chapter of my dissertation shows how Wanda Sykes employs comedic performance to “crack up” white supremacist historical narratives. That is, Sykes’ comedy functions as historiographical intervention that not only critiques history, but also moves Black lesbian women from silenced subjects to active (re)creators of United States’ collective memory. My chapter on Jackie “Moms” Mabley claims that Mabley’s legacy has been misremembered in both mainstream and scholarly texts. Employing Black queer theoretical frameworks, I trace how Mabley’s standup solidified important precedents for Black female comics in contemporary U.S. performance and generated specific modalities of freedom unique to Black feminist humor. The final chapter of my dissertation analyzes Mo’Nique’s 2007 documentary I Coulda Been Your Cellmate. This film is a live taping of Mo’Nique performing for convicts at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Mo’Nique’s performance articulates the multiplicities of identity, and builds feminist community across difference. Mo’Nique and the women in the audience demonstrate how laughter is an intimate survival strategy and a freeing act even while under the restriction of state power. In short, my dissertation is an effort to validate how laughter can harness and express the complexities of Black feminist lives, and be a productive site for social change and stability.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: A, page: 2945. Adviser: Peter A. Davis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-263) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

South African women of different ethnicity and background, having lived under apartheid, are now challenged by the freedoms expressed in the Bill of Rights and the new Constitution. This study, identifying the connections between gender, race, class and social relations, incorporates an ethnographic methodology and a cultural studies perspective in the reception analysis of thirteen multicultural focus groups. In the analysis of their response to two locally produced situation comedies, Suburban Bliss and Going Up III, the effort to determine existing cultural barriers is made, examining laughter as a benchmark for the comprehension by women from different backgrounds. The theoretical framework for the research evaluates the extent to which the writers, producers and directors created a text which connects with the multicultural women viewers' reality. Changes affecting the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in terms of broadcasting policy, are traced, and a brief history of the organization since the inception of broadcasting in South Africa is incorporated. Language policy had ret1ected the overt political ideology of Afrikaner nationalism, consequently the political changes resulting from the 1994 democratic election led to major transformations in language and style of programming to incorporate local content for multicultural audiences. This caused economic hardship for the SABC, as advertising revenue was drastically curtailed. Textual analysis of both Suburban Bliss and Going Up III employed a mix of structural, semiotics, and ideological analysis. Through interviews with the production team it became apparent that SB was based on American sitcom genre, while GU III is a hybrid combination, conceived to meet the perceived needs of the local multilingual multicultural audience. The extent to which the programmes mediate the producer/audience relationship, contributing to the hegemonic process is investigated, as the interpretation of the text can be different in the decoding from that originally intended by the producer or encoder when creating the programme. The situation comedies by depicting in a humorous vein the realities of affirmative action, adult access to pornography, the aspirations of the new black elite, feminine participation in the democratic process, and the rejection of authoritarian censorship from the state or the home indicates the ideological position of the production teams. The responses of the focus groups were examined in terms of their own identity as well as where an historic individuality expands into the collective communities of nations, gender, classes, generations, race and ethnic groups. Identity was perceived as connected but distinct and separate, as any event can affect both individuals and society. The thesis explores the proposition that humour as 'cultural reconcilation' can be effective if people are prepared to alter negative patterns of thinking and social practices.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.

The hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] is a human carcinogen, which is still authorized for use in several industrial settings because it has been difficult to replace. This was the reasoning to select it as a priority chemical by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU, https://www.hbm4eu.eu/), which aims to bridge chemicals human exposure to their possible impact on health. For that purpose, not only exposure was evaluated, but also early effect biomarkers were done to reflect potential health outcomes in several countries across Europe. In Portugal, the study was developed in one aircraft maintenance company since the substitution of Cr(VI) is not expected in the near future. Following the company agreement and the volunteers informed consent, an individual questionnaire was filled in order to obtain personal information, as well as lifestyle habits and occupational issues. Personal air samples were collected in order to assess occupational exposure to Cr(VI) soluble and insoluble compounds. Sampling for effect biomarkers analyses involved blood samples from 50 workers and 26 healthy individuals (controls). Biomarkers of effect involving the analysis of chromosome alterations (micronucleus assay) and DNA damage (comet assay) were studied; the results were statistically compared. Cr(VI)-exposed workers display a significantly higher frequency of micronucleated binucleated cells (p < 0.001) and an increased level of DNA breaks (comet assay) (p < 0.001) when compared with the non-exposed group. Only in the workplaces dedicated to painting exterior surfaces the values (0.4 mg/m3) were higher than the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL of 0.010 mg/m3) currently proposed by the Directive (EU) 2019/130, 16/01/2019. The present results suggest a potential health risk for this group of workers given that an association between an increased micronucleus frequency and cancer risk has been shown. Also, these findings should promote the investment in new risk management measures and the effective application of the ones already in place, such as adequate local ventilation and a frequent use of protective equipment.

No
Drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) are generated by the chemical disinfection of water and may pose hazards to public health. Two major classes of DBPs are found in finished drinking water: haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs). HAAs are formed following disinfection with chlorine, which reacts with iodide and bromide in the water. Previously the HAAs were shown to be cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of HAAs in human somatic and germ cells and whether oxidative stress is involved in genotoxic action. In the present study both somatic and germ cells have been examined as peripheral blood lymphocytes and sperm. The effects of three HAA compounds: iodoacetic acid (IAA), bromoacetic acid (BAA) and chloroacetic acid (CAA) were investigated. After determining appropriate concentration responses, oxygen radical involvement with the antioxidants, butylated hydroxanisole (BHA) and the enzyme catalase, were investigated in the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay under alkaline conditions, >pH 13 and the micronucleus assay. In the Comet assay, BHA and catalase were able to reduce DNA damage in each cell type compared to HAA alone. In the micronucleus assay, micronuclei (MNi) were found in peripheral lymphocytes exposed to all three HAAs and catalase and BHA were in general, able to reduce MNi induction, suggesting oxygen radicals play a role in both assays. These observations are of concern to public health since both human somatic and germ cells show similar genotoxic responses.