Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Fear in art'

This arts-based study discusses using the horror film and monsters as a means of exploring the personification of fear in contemporary society. The paper incorporates the viewing and dissection of horror films into an artistic process to explore fears in order to further artistic expression. It additionally shows how this process can be used in an art classroom within the context of contemporary art to empower students and facilitate art criticism discussions.

The contents here in examine the artistic process undertaken by Vanessa Fassie to create the mixed media work, reunion. The subjects of fear, archetypal symbolism, personal and collective histories were examined through research, archival evidence, video, sound, movement, and installation. reunion, examines not only the powers of personal and collective histories through the symbolic language of archetypes, but also how fear manifests and evolves through time. The culmination of this work was the creation of an installation within the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University. This Thesis was created through the use of Microsoft Word 2004.

This research paper is an art-based heuristic influenced study on the fear of aging and the self using an art-based modality of exploration. The researcher sought to study three questions. First, to explore the relationship between aging, beauty, youth, and social pressures. Second, to explore the fears related to aging, (losing appearances, finance, health, and death). Thirdly, to considering the implications of findings to the clinical realm. The art based methodology offered a form of investigation which, informed by heuristic steps of inquiry, augmented both personal meaning and growth. Data consisted of art made over a three-month period as well as structured journaling regarding the research questions and art making process. The imagery, journaling and observations were then collected during the illumination and explication phase, culminating in a final art response of the findings in a creative synthesis.

During the early stages of the seventeenth century in Seville, images of the Last Judgment participated in a long artistic tradition of inspiring fear about the impending apocalypse. This thesis focuses on two paintings of the Last Judgment, one by Francisco Pacheco for the church of St. Isabel in 1614 and the other by Francisco Herrera el Viejo for the church of St. Bernardo in 1628. Pacheco was an influential artist and theoretician in the development of Sevillian art, who substantiated the core values of the Counter-Reformation. In a similar way, Herrera's participation in such development was vital because he was one of the first artists to experiment with naturalism in Seville. The Last Judgment paintings by Pacheco and Herrera sought to activate viewers' consciousness and self-assessment on their actions and thus modify their behavior. By interpreting primary sources such as Pacheco's Arte de la Pintura, this thesis investigates the cultural impact of these paintings through phenomenological methods. These methods derive from theoretical materials formulated by Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Louis Lankford, and Paul Ricoeur. The goal of these methods is to describe the experience of fear and evil in response to the Last Judgment paintings by Pacheco and Herrera. The results of this study illustrate the cultural perspective of evil by placing these paintings in relation to other popular and institutional manifestations of religion, particularly the Spanish auto de fé.

This study investigates the politics of public space and social fear that work to create new scenarios for social and racial segregation in the processes of gentrification, such as privatization, fortification, and symbolism in public art in a major southern metropolitan city. The Public Art Program of Atlanta, Georgia is implementing public art projects at various sites, chosen based on being in depressed neighborhoods in the hope that it will bring new life to blighted urban areas and change the current use of space. Through an applied anthropological and multi-perspective approach, this study explores how middle and upper class residents currently regard their in-town neighborhood, surrounded by historic black universities and neighborhoods, public housing, and having a highly visible homeless population. Fortification, privatization, and residents’ response to the public art project speak profoundly to the processes of gentrification that are occurring there.

La te si doctoral tracte d' una causa d' exempció de la responsabilitat penal reconeguda a l'article 20.6 del vigent codi penal: la por insuperable. L' objectiu principal de la tesi és donar un contingut a aquesta eximent per tal de que trobi l'adient reconeixement als tribunals, que tradicionalment han ignorat aquesta eximent.
El primer capítol de la tesi tracta del seu fonament, és a dir, de la raó o raons que han portat al legislador a reconèixer la por insuperable com a una causa de exempció de la responsabilitat penal. L'anàlisi del fonament de la por insuperable s'estudia a l'àmbit de les doctrines de justificació del dret penal (teories de la pena). Partint d' aquestes doctrines de justificació trobem que la doctrina utilitarista no pot fonamentar sòlidament l'eximent de por insuperable, doncs aquesta eximent no té a veure amb la maximització de la felicitat col·lectiva sinó més aviat amb qüestions de responsabilitat personal. Per això, en la tesi el fonament de la por insuperable es situa al marc de les doctrines retribucionistes i mixtes.
Per a aquestes doctrines el fonament de l'exempció de pena en el cas de la por insuperable és l'afecció a la voluntat o llibertat d'elecció que es dóna en les situacions de por insuperable. Però aquesta afecció de la llibertat d' elecció no es pot interpretar com una pèrdua de les facultats psíquiques de la persona, tal i com, erròniament interpreten els nostres tribunal s, doncs la persona que es veu amenaçada no perd les seves facultats per valorar la situació. Per tant, "insuperable" no vol dir insuperable psicològicament, sinó que amb aquest adjectiu el legislador està fent referència a una avaluació normativa: es tracta d'una situació en la que no es pot exigir a la persona que superi la por que pateix i s'enfronti al amenaça.
A la tesi es defensa aquesta reconstrucció normativa de l'eximent, posant de relleu, però, que el fonament de l'exempció de pena és la preferència legítima pels propis interessos. La base del principi d'inexigibilitat o raonabilitat és la legitimitat d'una valoració parcial del conflicte en el que es troba la persona, quan l' amenaça afecta als seus bens o als d'aquells pels que se sent afectivament lligat.
Al segon capítol s' analitza el problema de la naturalesa jurídica de l'eximent de por insuperable. El cert és que la doctrina penal majoritària considera que la por insuperable és una causa d'inculpabilitat, malgrat que no han tampoc faltat autors que hagin catalogat a aquesta eximent com una causa de justificació. A la tesi s'analitzen els arguments tradicionalment utilitzats per la doctrina penal per a concloure que la por insuperable pertany a la categoria de la culpabilitat, posant de relleu que aquests arguments no semblen convincents. Això no obstant, no vol dir que l'eximent de por insuperable sigui en realitat una causa de justificació, però cal trobar una explicació més solida pel fet que aquesta eximent es consideri una causa d'inculpabilitat.
Aquesta explicació pren com a punt de partida la diferència entre la valoració imparcial d'un conflicte (és a dir, la valoració que faria una persona no implicada en el conflicte) i la valoració parcial (és a dir, la valoració que fa la persona que es troba en aquell conflicte) del mateix. A la tesi es defensa que en las situacions d'amenaça i conflicte de bens jurídics, quan ambdós es troben en la mateixa situació enfront el dret, la justificació de la conducta necessita una fonamentació més forta que la valoració parcial del conflicte, doncs a nivell d' antijuridicitat, on el legislador valora els conflictes, s' ha de donar el mateix valors als bens jurídics de tots els ciutadans, sense que es pugui aquí apel·lar a preferències personals. La valoració parcial del conflicte queda amb això reservada per a un altre nivell de la teoria del delicte: la culpabilitat, on no és tracte ja de valorar un conflicte d'interessos com de decidir si la persona mereix un càstig pel seu fet.
El tercer capítol tracta de la qüestió relativa als requisits que cal exigir per poder aplicar l'eximent de por insuperable. Certament, la llei penal no demana cap requisit concret per aplicar l'eximent, però les exigències normatives es troben en realitat resumides en l'adjectiu "insuperable" que acompanya i defineix a la por.
La doctrina penal ha utilitzat tradicionalment el paràmetre del "home mig en la posició de l'autor" per a determinar quan la por és insuperable. Però aquest criteri de determinació de la insuperabilitat de la por té greus problemes, que porten que a la tesi es rebutgi i en el seu lloc es presentin tota una sèrie de requisits normatius que han de servir per determinar quan es pot considerar que la por és (normativament) insuperable. Aquests requisits es poden dividir en dos grans grups: per una part els requisits referents al mal que amenaça a la persona. Es tracta aquí de determinar com ha de ser aquest mal per tal de que es pugui aplicar l'eximent. Per altra banda, en segon lloc els requisits referents a l'acció defensiva duta a terme per la persona.
Per últim, el quart capítol de la tesi es dedica a la delimitació de la por insuperable davant la resta d' eximents reconegudes pel codi penal. Es tracta aquí de determinar si la por insuperable té un àmbit reservat d' aplicació que justifiqui el seu manteniment al codi penal.
La dificultat d'aquest tema és que l'eximent de por insuperable té relacions amb tota la resta d'eximents penals. En primer lloc amb les causes d'inimputabilitat reconegudes a l'art. 20.1 del codi penal: alienació mental i trastorn mental transitori. Però aquests casos no pertanyen en realitat a l'eximent de por insuperable sinó a les eximents d'alienació o trastorn mental transitori
En segons lloc, l'eximent de por insuperable està relacionada amb les causes de justificació de legítima defensa, estat de necessitat i exercici legítim de un dret, ofici o càrrec i compliment del deure. A la tesi es defensa que l'eximent de por insuperable només es podrà aplicar quan, per no donar-se tots el requisits necessaris per aplicar alguna d'aquestes eximents, no es pugui justificar la conducta, però, malgrat això, hi hagin raons per no castigar la conducta, considerant-la inculpable. A la tesi s'analitzen detingudament aquests supòsits.
Amb tot es pot afirmar que l'eximent de por insuperable és una eximent necessària que pot complir el paper d'eficaç clàusula de tancament del sistema de causes d'exempció de la responsabilitat penal.
La tesis doctoral estudia una causa de exención de la responsabilidad criminal reconocida en el código penal español (art. 20.6), y que lleva por nombre el "miedo insuperable". El objetivo fundamental de la investigación es dotar de contenido a esta eximente, con el fin explícito de que ello posibilite una mayor atención de los tribunales hacia esta eximente, tradicionalmente marginada en el foro penal.
El primer capítulo de la tesis se dedica al fundamento de la eximente. La discusión sobre el fundamento de la eximente de miedo insuperable se sitúa en un determinado marco teórico: las doctrinas de justificación del derecho penal (las "teorías de la pena").
En el capítulo se comienza analizando la fundamentación del miedo insuperable desde la perspectiva de la doctrina utilitarista, concluyendo que una doctrina de este tipo no puede fundamentar convincentemente la eximente de miedo insuperable. Por ello, el fundamento de la eximente se sitúa en el marco de una doctrina retribucionista o mixta de justificación del castigo.
Según estas doctrinas el fundamento de la eximente se sitúa en la afección a la voluntad o libertad de la persona que acontece en los supuestos de miedo insuperable. El aspecto decisivo de la eximente no reside en la cantidad de presión psíquica que recibe el afectado, sino que estamos ante una cuestión sobre las exigencias normativas que pueden requerirse de la persona que se encuentra en una situación de presión (miedo) que limita su voluntad o libertad de elección. Exigencias normativas que se han resumido en los conceptos de razonabilidad o inexigibilidad.
Por tanto, se eximirá de pena por miedo insuperable cuando la persona amenazada por un mal que le provoca miedo solucione razonablemente el conflicto ante el que se enfrenta, siéndole inexigible el comportamiento conforme a la ley. El por qué se exime de pena en estas situaciones tiene que ver con el reconocimiento de la especial relación que el autor tiene con el bien jurídico en peligro y la aceptación de un doble nivel de enjuiciamiento de las acciones que una sociedad liberal debe reconocer: la valoración imparcial versus la valoración parcial del conflicto.
En el capítulo segundo se analiza la naturaleza jurídica de la eximente de miedo insuperable. La posición mayoritaria de la doctrina y jurisprudencia española considera al miedo insuperable como una eximente perteneciente a la culpabilidad. Nuestro T.S. llega a esta conclusión al considerar el miedo insuperable como un supuesto de inimputabilidad análogo al trastorno mental transitorio, pero con ello se desconoce el verdadero fundamento de la eximente.
Por su parte, la doctrina apoya la catalogación del miedo insuperable como causa de inimputabilidad en su propio fundamento, esto es, la inexigibilidad de otra conducta, principio que se liga a la categoría de la culpabilidad. Sin embargo, con ello se desconoce que, tal y como es aceptado mayoritariamente tras la obra de HENKEL, el principio de inexigibilidad no se limita a desempeñar un papel en la categoría de la culpabilidad, sino que está presente en cada una de las diversas categorías del delito, por 10 que no parece un argumento concluyente en favor de la inclusión del miedo insuperable en la categoría de la culpabilidad. Debido a esta problemática en la doctrina penal se han barajado otra serie de argumentos que llevarían al miedo insuperable a la culpabilidad al negar que pueda ser una causa de justificación (falta de un interés preponderante, desvalor del comportamiento, consecuencias reflejas de la justificación de la conducta, responsabilidad civil). Pero estos argumentos adicionales tampoco parecen concluyentes.
En este capítulo se defiende que la resolución del problema sobre la naturaleza jurídica de la eximente de miedo insuperable, tras la aceptación del papel multifuncional que su principio fundamentador (la inexigibilidad) desempeña en toda la teoría del delito, requiere la presentación de las razones materiales que conducen a una institución penal fundamentada en dicho principio en una u otra categoría penal.
Descartada la posibilidad de situar tales razones en la diferenciación del parámetro de enjuiciamiento de la inexigibilidad (general versus individual), creo que 10 que conduce a la eximente de miedo insuperable a la categoría de la culpabilidad es que se fundamenta en la valoración parcial del conflicto ante el que se enfrenta la persona amenazada por un mal, y dicha valoración (y consiguiente resolución) parcial no puede dar lugar a la justificación de la conducta (que se base, por contra, en un juicio imparcial, esto es, con independencia de quién es el afectado por la situación) sino todo lo más a su exculpación.
En el tercer capítulo se analiza el problema de los requisitos necesarios para la aplicación de la eximente de miedo insuperable, pues aunque es cierto que esta eximente supone reconocer la valoración parcial de la persona, en todo caso, su alcance no es ilimitado.
En la doctrina penal, la referencia normativa a la insuperabilidad del miedo se ha concretado tradicionalmente a través del parámetro del "hombre medio en la posición del autor": insuperable sería así aquel miedo que el hombre medio situado en la posición del autor no pudiera (en sentido normativo y no psicológico) vencer. Al criterio del hombre medio en la posición del autor se le ha criticado, con razón, que es demasiado vago e impreciso para poder concretar la referencia a la insuperabilidad del miedo. Sin embargo, creo que éste no es el problema fundamental que debe afrontar el criterio del hombre medio en la posición del autor. A mi entender más importante es el hecho de que este parámetro ha producido en la práctica el nocivo efecto de encubrir la discusión sobre las exigencias normativas que deben requerirse para aplicar la eximente de miedo insuperable. Por otra parte, a dicho criterio puede también reprochársele que no permite tomar en consideración todas las características individuales relevantes en el juicio sobre la insuperabilidad del miedo.
Por ambas razones, en la tesis se estima inadecuado el parámetro del hombre medio en la posición del autor como medio de delimitación de las exigencias normativas que cabe requerir a quien obra por miedo insuperable. En su lugar, se presentan una serie de requisitos normativos que pueden servir de base para dicha concreción.
Estos requisitos pueden agruparse en dos grandes categorías, una relativa a las exigencias concernientes al mal amenazante (esto es, se trata aquí de averiguar qué características debe tener el mal amenazante para poder aplicar la eximente de miedo), y otra referente a los requisitos relativos a la acción defensiva llevada a cabo (es decir, interesa aquí cómo debe ser la reacción defensiva para que pueda estimarse el miedo insuperable).
El cuarto y último capítulo de la tesis se dedica a la delimitación entre el miedo insuperable y el resto de causas de exención de la responsabilidad penal. Se trata, en definitiva, de comprobar si el miedo insuperable tiene un ámbito específico de aplicación que pueda explicar, de un lado, su relación con el resto de eximentes, y de otro, su mantenimiento dentro del catálogo general de causas de exención.
La relación entre la eximente de miedo insuperable y el resto de causas de exención de la pena puede agruparse en dos grandes grupos. Por una parte, el constituido por la relación entre la eximente de miedo y las causas de ausencia de acción e inimputabilidad (permanente o transitoria: arto 20.1 CP) y por otra parte, el grupo configurado por la delimitación entre el miedo insuperable y las causas de justificación de legítima defensa, estado de necesidad, y ejercicio legítimo de un derecho, oficio o cargo, y cumplimiento de un deber.
This doctoral dissertation studies the DURESS defence regulated in the Spanish criminal law. It focuses on the Spanish regulation of the duress defence ("unavoidable fear" article 20.6 Spanish Penal Code), but also analyzes the German and Anglo-American (English and North-American) provisions. The basic problem of duress, in the Spanish criminal system, is that the courts hardly apply this defence. Naturally, this opens the question about the relevance of the defence in the criminal process, and more specifically, its necessity considering all the other criminal defences. The aim of the dissertation is to offer an 'explanation of duress in order to avoid the conclusion that this defence is not necessary in our criminal code, and to make possible its implementation by the courts.
The first and most important question in order to understand duress relates to the fundamentation of this defence. This issue is analyzed by examining the explanation of duress offered by the different punishment justification theories (utilitarism, just desert and mixed theories). It is discussed that the utilitarian theory cannot give a convincing basis for the defence and so the fundamentation of duress must be searched in the retribution or mixed theory of justification. Both theories consider that the fundamentation of duress is the affection to the free will or liberty. What explains the defence is the difficulty to obey the law in certain circumstances due to the threat (pressure) of an evil. But this difficulty (or affection of the free will) cannot be understood as a psychological incapacity to act (as the Spanish courts do). For this reason the literature considers that the fundamentation of duress has a normative nature: in fact, this defence opens the question about how far can the law condone a citizen acts done precisely in order to avoid one's danger or evil. To sum up this normative fundamentation the literature requires clear normative concepts, like the reasonability of the action. In short, duress is a defence that requires an inquiry about why can be fairly expected of the actor under certain circumstances.
In the dissertation this understanding of duress is defended and it is also accepted that the basis of the reasonability of the action lays on agent-relative reasons: the person acts to avoid an evil that threatens himself or a relative or close persons. This is the basic difference between duress and the defence of necessity, based in agent-neutral reasons (the weight of the interests at stake).
This fundamentation of duress can also explain in a more coherent way why duress has been traditionally considered as a paradigmatically example of excuse. It is so regarded by the great majority of authors, but the explanations offered are not conclusive. Claims of justification need a stronger reason than the alleged reason, based in agent-relative motives, provided by the duress defence. So, the difference between the agent-neutral and agent-relative reasons to act can be assumed by the criminal law through the difference between justification and excuses. At the level of justification the legislator values the conflicting interests, and here the legislator cannot value the particular goods of one citizen as more important than the goods of another. At the level of excuse the issue is not to value the interests at stake in order to allow the act, but to decide if the actor is accountable for a wrongful act. At that level an agent-relative reason can play a significant role, explaining and giving a rationale to the defence.

But, naturally, even an agent-relative defence has its own limits. The dissertation analyses the requirements to apply the defence of "unavoidable fear" through the comparative analysis of the conditions required by the German and Anglo-American law, and also by the courts. The conditions related to two major requirements: one refers to the threatening evil, and one refers to the action done under duress. The thesis depends, in any case, that the determination of the requirements necessary to apply the defence cannot be achieved through a general standard like "the average man".
Finally, the dissertation offers delimitation between duress and the others criminal defences, particularly the justifications of self-defence (art.20.4 Spanish Penal Code) and necessity (art. 20.5 Spanish Penal Code). The basic idea is that the defence of duress plays a significant role allowing the aquitment in cases where the courts cannot apply a justification, because a requirement is lacking, but there are still good (agent-relative) reasons not to punish the actor.

Scenario House, a gallery based installation, is comprised of a room constructed as a ???family room??? within a domestic space, a television with a looped video work and a sound componant played through a 5.1 sound system. The paper is intended to give my work context in relation to the processes leading up to its completion. This is achieved through clarification of the basis for the installation including previous socio-political discourses within my art practice. It then focuses on ways that the installation Scenario House is based on gun practice facilities such as the Valhalla Shooting Club. Further it gives an explanation of the actual production, in context with other art practices. It was found that distinctions between ???war as a game??? and the actual event are being lost within ???simulation revenge scenarios??? where the borders distinguishing gaming violence, television violence and revenge scenarios are increasingly indefinable. War can then be viewed a spectacle where the actual event is lost in a simplified simulation. Scenario House as installation allows audience immersion through sound spatialisation and physical devices. Sound is achieved by design of a 5.1 system played through a domestic home theatre system. The physical design incorporates the dual aspect of a gun shooting club and a lounge room. Further a film loop is shown on the television monitor as part of the domestic space ??? it is non-narrative and semi-documentary in style. The film loop represents the mediation of the representation of fear where there is an exclusion of ???the other??? from the social body. When considering this installation it is important to note that politics and art need not be considered as representing two separate and permanent realities. Conversely there is a need to distance politicised art production from any direct political campaign work in so far as the notion of a campaign constitutes a fixed and inflexible space for intellectual and cultural production. Finally this paper expresses the need to maintain a critical openness to media cultures that dominate political discourse. Art practices such as those of Martha Rosler, Haacke and Paul McCarthy are presented as effective strategies for this form of production.

The anxiety provoked by acknowledgement of the imminent end of existence or death is probably the one which agitates a human being most deeply. The attempt of this paper is not to give an answer as to how to reach immortality, but to explore the author's assumption that for acknowledgement of the mystery of death it is necessary first to discover a being's authentic identity. That is to discover her/his real essence which is hidden under the 'artificial' identity, where this identity is considered the being's ego, an identity formed upon the relative truth of life. The truths of life are relative because they are established by the people, thus they are based upon the changeable and contradictory nature of human beings. The focus of the paper is on researching the establishment of a being's identity, which is formed through she/he having two contradictory relationships with other human beings. The first one is negation and the other one is of acknowledgement of the identity of the other. The examination deals with art works of several contemporary artists, where most of them have experienced war. The philosophical framework of this examination uses the texts of French philosopher Emmanual Levinas, amongst others

El presente trabajo de investigación parte del complejo miedo-terror como inherente a la condición humana, y pretende observar cómo dicho complejo se manifiesta en la historia del arte, especialmente en las artes visuales, desde comienzos de la modernidad hasta fines del siglo XX. La manifestación del complejo se lleva a cabo a través de tres figuras, las cuales surgen a partir de la desintegración de la figura medieval de lo demoníaco: lo sublime, lo siniestro y lo abyecto. Lo sublime alude a una amenaza proveniente de una fuerza situada más allá de la razón individual; lo siniestro a la amenaza que procede del inconsciente; y lo abyecto a la que proviene del propio cuerpo, trasladándose al cuerpo social. La reflexión sobre las tres figuras se construye primordialmente desde fuentes literarias, psicológicas, antropológicas y filosóficas, manteniendo como eje de la misma un atlas iconográfico que refleja la manifestación del complejo miedo-terror.
The present investigation of the complex fear – terror, as inherent in the human condition, aims to observe how this complex is manifested in the history of art, particularly in the visual arts since the beginning of modernity to late twentieth century. The manifestation of the complex is carried out through three figures, which arise from the disintegration of the medieval figure of the demonic: the sublime, the sinister and the abject. The sublime refers to a coming threat of force located beyond the individual reason; the sinister to the threat by the unconscious; and the abject which comes from the body, moving into the social body. Reflection on the three figures is constructed primarily from literary, psychological, anthropological and philosophical sources, maintaining the same axis as an iconographic atlas that reflects the complex manifestation of fear - terror.

This paper will explore how portrayals of male violence against female characters in film and television have affected the way in which women navigate through society. Images of exploitation, degradation, and violence towards females are constantly presented in television and film, creating an over saturation in the media market and fostering a sense of normalcy the extremely problematic issue of violence. Often, these images are internalized by women to the extent that their view the men around them becomes as distorted as the men who view them as nothing more than sex object. Men become their source of fear and what was carried out on television becomes an accepted possibility and expectation in reality, regardless of whether these men actually pose of threat. Through examining television shows and news broadcasts, the paper reveals how media serves to perpetuate traditional notions of gender, power, and assault created in American society and offers solutions to rework the traditional systems or thought.

Reconsidérer les images médiatiques d'évènement à travers le prisme des peurs collectives permet de soulever autrement les questions politiques et sociales propres aux images. L'évolution des médias d'information avec Internet ainsi que les fréquents débats publics sur les images d'actualité révèlent une nouvelle appréhension des images d'évènements. La relation ambigüe de croyance et de mise en doute propre à toute image s'associe à la viralité des images médiatiques d'aujourd'hui. Photographies et vidéos d'attentats, de catastrophes et de crises diverses propagent et redéfinissent des peurs, en faisant ressurgir la peur des images. Pouvoirs des médias et des images se conjuguent pour créer un climat anxiogène, qui oscille entre réalité et fiction. Cette recherche doctorale en arts plastiques interroge alors les pratiques et positionnements d'artistes qui problématisent ces relations entre images, peurs et événements. L'expérience de l'évènement médiatisé, proposée et fabriquée, à nouveau, par ces artistes, se construit dans le rapport entre excès et manque de visibilité (que donner à voir, ou non) et peut conduire à la conjuration ou l'amplification des peurs collectives, comme à un appel à la vigilance. En articulant investigation théorique et pratique personnelle – dont le moteur est la collecte d'images médiatiques – il s'agit de démontrer les aspects négatifs comme positifs des usages des images et des peurs aujourd'hui, à la fois remèdes et poisons d'une société inquiète
Reconsidering event media pictures trough the prism of collective fears allows raising differently the political and social issues. The evolution of the news media with Internet as well as the frequent public debates on the news pictures reveal a new apprehension of event pictures. The ambiguous relation of belief and doubt inherent to any picture reinforce the virality of today's media images. Photographs and videos of terrorist attacks, disasters and various crises spread and redefine fears, bringing out the fear of pictures. Powers of media and pictures combine together creating a climate of anxiety which oscillates between reality and fiction. This fine arts doctoral research questions the practices and the positioning of artists who problematize these relationships between images, fears and events. The experience of the mediatised event, re-proposed and re-made by these artists, is built in the relationship between excess and lack of visibility (which pictures to diffuse or not) and can exorcise or amplify collective fears, like a call for vigilance. Articulating theoretical investigation and personal practice - which is based on the collection of media pictures - allows demonstrating the negative and positive aspects of the uses of pictures and fears today, simultaneously remedies and poisons of a worried society

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Fear of the real or perceived consequences of receiving a bid protest exists. U.S. Navy contracting officers have some concern of protests. This concern can be linked to certain consequences on acquisition strategies. There is enough qualitative and quantitative empirical evidence to suggest that fear of protest can impact what would otherwise be prudent business decisions. The greatest concerns are a few instances of inappropriate uses of lowest price technically acceptable and the reduced technical evaluation effectiveness attributed to fear of protests. If fear waters down the source selection hindering its ability to distinguish between the true value of offers, then contracting officers must ask themselves why go through the trouble of a best-value source selection? Could contracting officers simply award to the low bidder? To what extent is the set of stringent source selection rules driving the acquisition team to this result by default (i.e., regardless of source selection method actually employed)? Thus, for the sake of stringent, fairness-based rules, contracted outcomes can be compromised. Whether the tradeoff is prudent remains to be determined. Further research is needed to ascertain these other culprits, then compare the relative effects of fear of protest among other factors.

Exposure therapy is considered to be a first line treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders as supported by several review studies. However, there is no clear understanding of how it works. The present study examined how framing exposure exercises impacted outcomes in socially anxious individuals. We conducted a brief two-session exposure-based intervention, including experiential exercises from each therapeutic rationale, with homework assigned between sessions. We were specifically interested in the efficacy of four brief skills interventions: (a) fear reduction, (b) psychological flexibility, (c) values rationale, and (d) control for reducing public speaking anxiety from first to second exposure session. By combining participants at Utah State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, 81 individuals were randomized to participate in the study. Consistent with our prediction, individuals receiving an active intervention improved to a greater extent on major outcome measures of social anxiety compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between active interventions. Results showed no significant group differences in SUDs change at session 1 or session 2. Additionally, at session 1 those who received an active intervention displayed more within-session exposure engagement than individuals in the control condition. Importantly, there was no difference in between-session exposure engagement (number of exposures attempted) between groups. Overall, the results from this study suggest that there may not be one right way to implement exposure. Furthermore, there may be an overarching mechanism by which exposure works.

Fear is one of the oldest and most basic of human emotions. In this thesis, I will explore the topic of fear in relation to literature, both a staple of the horror genre as well as a device in literary works, as well as in my own writings. In addition, I will use Sigmund Freud's theory of the “uncanny” as a possible device to examine the complexities of fear and its effects both on the mind and body through the medium of literature, and, more specifically, where and how these notions are used within my own short stories. By exploring how and why certain fears are generated, we may be able to better examine our own reactions in this regard.

The purpose of this thesis was to compare the contributions of attentional resources relevant to postural control between fall-fearful and non-fearful older adults. Levels of postural challenge and instructions of task prioritization were manipulated to obtain this goal. Results indicated that fall-fearful subjects demonstrated a reorganization of attentional resources when challenge to upright standing was imposed. Additionally, only non-fearful subjects demonstrated flexibility in the prioritization of the cognitive task. However both fall-fearful and non-fearful subjects demonstrated flexibility in the prioritization of the postural task. Findings suggested that fall-fearful older adults reorganize the allocation of attentional resources differently than non-fearful counterparts, potentially placing them at greater risk for falling as their awareness of the external environment and threats to balance may be compromised.
xii, 80 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

Of the approximately 3.9 million dogs that enter US animal shelters each year, many exhibit behaviors related to fear, which can affect their likelihood of adoption. Current dog training procedures to treat fear include counterconditioning and desensitization, which can often take months or years to show any behavior change and do not teach specific behaviors aimed to increase the dog's chance of being adopted. The current study used a negative reinforcement shaping procedure to teach fearful dogs to approach and and interact with people. The results showed that constructional fear treatment increased the amount of time the dog spent at the front of the kennel, and increased sniffing, tail wagging, and accepting petting for all 3 participants.

Thesis advisor: John P. Christianson
Trauma and exposure to extreme stressors greatly increases a person’s vulnerability to developing mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patients with PTSD often have impaired fear and safety learning, and despite the fact that women are more than twice as likely to develop PTSD, much of the research on this disorder has relied on the use of male subjects. This paper will review potential contributors to the sex differences seen in PTSD and fear-related learning. Our group has found that female rats show greater fear discrimination abilities than their male counterparts, but show no difference in levels of safety learning. Analysis of specialized extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets (PNNs) revealed that females displayed a much higher density of PNNs in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) than males, but not in the prefrontal cortex (PFC)
Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2017
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Departmental Honors
Discipline: Psychology

This thesis will examine such ''biopiracy' patents' and tries to evaluate whether the criticisms related with them are true and whether and how far these patents have indeed negative impacts on indigenous communities and developing countries. It will be shown that the fear of the slogan 'biopiracy' is exaggerated since the criticisms related with it are largely unjustified and since there is no direct impact on indigenous communities or developing countries. Even the few negative impacts can be resolved by the developing countries with the help of suitable national legislation. Thus, developing countries should rather enact appropriate legislation to make use of the available TRIPS regulations to promote innovation in their own territory to benefit better from their resources than it is the case up to now. [...]

The threat superiority effect refers to an ability to quickly and efficiently detect threatening cues in one’s environment. Hence, ensuing and appropriate behavioral defense responses entail greater chances of survival for an organism. Some researchers argue that natural selection has led us to automatically prioritize threats that would have been salient during the period of evolutionary adaptation; as for example snakes. However, others have also argued that activation of our defense response system is more flexible, thus able to also be triggered to dangers of more recent age: such as guns or airplane crashes. The present study has sought to impact this debate, by measuring the electrodermal activity (EDA) – more specifically the skin conductance responses (SCRs) – of subjects who were visually presented with both evolutionary (snakes and spiders) and modern (guns and knives) fear-relevant stimuli. The results demonstrated no significant difference between the two categories within subjects, suggesting that both evolutionary and modern threatening cues activate the defense response system in a similar manner. Although the results are preliminary, and would need further verification in higher powered studies, they can be seen to favor the view that our defense response system is flexibly adaptive in relation to the age of a given threat.

Elite freestyle snowboarders often expose themselves to large risks while performing their sport. A natural response to risk is fear, and it is the aim of this study to explore how elite freestyle snowboarders experience and cope with emotions of fear in conjunction with performing their sport. When examining these mechanisms, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will be used as the theoretical framework. The aim is to try to determine if the riders accept or avoid situations, thoughts and emotions of fear. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven elite freestyle snowboarders (six men and one woman). The content of the interviews where processed with theory driven thematic analysis and inductive thematic analysis. The analysis revealed eight themes related to the athletes’ experience of fear: (1) Sources of fear, (2) Fear inducing events and situations, (3) Physiological responses, (4) Cognitive changes, (5) Action tendencies, (6) Fear appraisal, (7) Fear and risk and (8) Fear as a problem. In the analysis of the participants’ coping strategies for fear two themes emerged: Coping strategies not related to ACT and ACT-related coping strategies. It can be concluded from this study that elite freestyle snowboarders at times experience fear when exposed to high risk of injury, and can interpret this experience both as a negative and positive for well-being and performance. Participants use a range of coping strategies for fear; some which are in line with traditional sport psychology with an avoidance approach. Despite no previous ACT training, some participants have developed an accepting approach to relate to fear. The complexity of ACT as a theoretical framework is also demonstrated in this study due to the difficulties in categorizing the distinction between processes and orientations of strategies.

This thesis explores young tourists' perceptions of fear while they are on holiday. This work is important because it sheds light on tourists' emotional experiences on holiday, adding to our overall understanding of tourist behaviour. While the importance of investigating perceptions of fear has been recognized within a number of different disciplines (e.g. psychology, sociology, criminology, marketing), perceptions of fear have remained relatively unexplored within the tourism experience. This thesis also investigates young tourists' perceptions of fear from a gender perspective. Although gender has been regarded as one of the most important factors influencing perceptions of fear, gendered perceptions of fear among tourists in the holiday environment in general, and young tourists in particular, have received little attention. The thesis is based on three months of fieldwork conducted in the summer of 2007 on the island of Ios, Greece. The choice of Ios as a study site was based on the fact that the island is promoted as the 'party island of Greece' and attracts many young tourists. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted among young tourists on the island. In order to explore gender-based similarities and differences in the perception and expression of fear, the interviews were conducted with 13 females and 12 males. Systematic observations were also carried out during the fieldwork. The findings reveal that, although some respondents perceived fear as a negative emotion, others referred to fear as a positive component in the tourism experience. In particular, it was found that while on holiday on Ios young tourists participated in activities that they perceived as risky in order to experience fear. However, only optimal levels of fear were conceived as pleasant. With regard to gendered perceptions of fear, the results show that gender, despite having been traditionally constructed as a binary concept, did not play a major role in influencing young tourists' perceptions of fear on holiday. Rather, with the exception of women's concerns of sexual violence, the findings of this thesis demonstrate that more marked differences occurred in the perception and expression of fear among the various masculinities and femininities than between men and women.

Escape maintained behavior in dogs is generally displayed by one of two behaviors-fleeing or aggression. Once aggression is negatively reinforced by the removal of the aversive stimulus, it is very difficult to eliminate from the organism's repertoire. Counterconditioning is the process of pairing a positive reinforcer with an aversive stimulus in the attempts that an organism will no longer exhibit fear responses in its presence. This process must be done gradually with small approximations. Many organisms have been trained to tolerate the presence of aversive stimuli via counterconditioning. However, this process can be time consuming and has inconsistent results. The purpose of this experiment was to monitor the effects of counter conditioning around an aversive stimulus while simultaneously training an identical behavior in the presence of a neutral stimulus. The results demonstrated that even though counterconditioning produced approach to the aversive stimulus the subject still exhibited numerous fear responses when results were compared to the control condition.

The purpose of this study is to test, within a feminist criminology framework, the hypothesis that vulnerability, expressed through age, gender and socio-economic status directly and indirectly affects fear of crime in Canada. Using multiple regression and path analysis, this research also evaluates the significance of predictors generally accepted in American and British fear of crime research, including previous victimization, neighbourhood incivilities, perception of crime rate, neighbourhood attachment and satisfaction with police. Results from the 1994 Winnipeg Area Study indicate that gender and age but not socio-economic status were significant predictors with specific types of crime. Neighbourhood disorder was also a useful predictor. Winnipeggers expressed a general fear of crime, indicated by worry about both specific property and personal crimes. Based on this data, the vulnerability hypothesis has not been supported. The crime-specific explanation for fear of crime was also not accepted. FurtherCanadian research using multiple measures of fear is required. Social change is required to reduce fear of crime. On a local level, the Winnipeg Police Service and related community agencies should expand their strategy and adopt a multidimensional approach to personal safety beginning with the recognition of the pervasiveness of domestic and interpersonal violence.

This study was conducted on-site in Istanbul, Turkey, to determine the effects that mass media has on citizens' perceptions about fear of crime, in particular, and fear, in general. Specifically, the study was designed to (1) determine the tendency of citizens' media consumption, (2) determine the level of fear of crime among Turkish citizens, (3) establish the effect of media on citizens' fear of crime, and (4) determine if gender, age, educational level, neighborhood, and monthly income have an independent effect on fear of crime. To achieve this purpose, after administering a survey in Istanbul, the researcher collected appropriate data and then utilized regression analysis to examine the relationship between media variables and fear of crime. A survey consisting of three parts was administered to 545 Turkish citizens over the age of 18 who currently reside in Istanbul, Turkey. In Part I of the survey, respondents were asked to identify their trends in relation to media consumption, and in Part II respondents were asked to report their feelings about fear of crime. Finally, Part III consisted of socio-demographic characteristics including gender, age, marital status, level of education, and income. The media variables used for this study were, general TV viewing, watching crime drama, watching TV news, listening to radio news, reading newspaper news, and reading Internet news. Regarding the independent effects of socio-demographic variables on fear of crime, only gender was found to be significantly related thereby supporting the research hypothesis. From six media variables, only watching crime drama show and reading Internet news found to be related with individuals' fear of crime; however, this relation disappeared after controlling with socio-demographic variables. In addition, no cultivation effect could be found among the sub-groups of sample.

Many people who receive exposure-based treatments for anxiety disorders exhibit a return of fear and avoidance which is often referred to as renewal or relapse. Human and nonhuman research on fear conditioning and renewal has been instrumental in helping understand relapse in anxiety disorders. The purpose of this investigation was to examine renewal of human avoidance and assess whether avoidance may aid in sustaining renewal of fear responses. We adopted a multimodal measurement approach consisting of an approach-avoidance task along with ratings of perceived threat and fear and measures of skin-conductance, a widely used physiological measure of fear. A traditional, single-subject research design was used with six healthy adults. All tasks employed a discrete trial procedure. Experimental conditions included Pavlovian fear conditioning in which increased probability of money loss was paired with a “threat” meter in Context A and later followed extinction in Context B. Fear and avoidance increased to higher threat levels in Context A but not Context B. Renewal testing involved presenting the threat meter on a return to Context A to determine if it evoked fear and avoidance (i.e., relapse). As predicted, renewal testing in Context A showed that increased threat was associated with increased avoidance, ratings of perceived threat and fear, and higher skin-conductance. Moreover, results showed that renewal maintained over six blocks of trials. This is the first investigation of renewal of threat and avoidance in humans that highlights avoidance as a mechanism that may contribute to maintaining fear in anxiety pathology.

Understanding how emotions influence motivation among students is critical to the talent development process. Research shows that certain emotions elicit an approach motive while other emotions elicit an avoidance motive. This study explored emotional disposition and fear of failure among undergraduates enrolled in honors college (n = 63) compared to undergraduates enrolled in regular college courses (n = 296). Results suggest that dispositional shame is positively correlated with fear of failure; however, neither gender nor enrollment in honors college predict fear of failure beyond dispositional shame. Students enrolled in honors college do not differ on measurements of shame and fear of failure compared to students not enrolled in honors college. In general, female undergraduates were more likely to report experiences of shame, guilt, fear of shame and embarrassment, and fear of devaluing one's self-estimate than their male peers. The findings are discussed in light of a need to understand high-ability college students.

Between 1947 and 1954, the Texas State Legislature enacted a series of eight highly restrictive anti-communist laws. Designed to protect political, military, and economic structures in the state from communist infiltration, the laws banned communists from participating the political process, required registration of all communists who entered the state and eventually outlawed the Communist Party. Drawn from perceptions about Cold War events, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Korean War, and an expanding economy inside of Texas, members of the state legislature perceived that communism represented a threat to their state. However, when presented with the opportunity to put the laws into action during the 1953 Port Arthur Labor Strike, the state government failed to bring any charges against those who they labeled as communists. Instead of actually curtailing the limited communist presence inside of the state, members of the state government instead used the laws to leverage political control throughout the state by attacking labor, liberals in education and government, and racial minorities with accusations of communism.

Background: The presence of a dermatological condition may deter contact with the affected person because it falsely signals the threat of disease to others. The current study investigated whether avoidance of anticipated contact was expressed towards individuals with visible dermatological conditions, and was associated with disgust, health anxiety and contamination fear. Method: 236 participants completed an online survey. They were randomly allocated to one of three conditions where they viewed a face with the appearance of acne, psoriasis, or no visible dermatological condition. Participants rated the attractiveness of the face, and indicated their willingness for social and indirect contact with the person. Measures of disgust, health anxiety and contamination fear were completed. Results: Consistent with the prediction, participants reported significantly less willingness for indirect contact with a person with acne or psoriasis. Contrary to prediction, participants expressed more willingness for social contact with a person with acne or psoriasis compared to a person with no dermatological condition. Contrary to prediction, there was not a consistent relationship between willingness for contact and disgust, health anxiety or contamination fear. Instead, the perceived attractiveness of the person depicted in the acne and psoriasis conditions was positively correlated with willingness for social and indirect contact. Conclusion: The findings suggest that people respond differently to individuals with dermatological conditions. Reported willingness for social contact may be motivated by socially desirable responding, yet as the potential for immediate physical contagion increases, indirect contact is possibly avoided. The positive association between perceived attractiveness and increased willingness for contact with individuals with dermatological conditions substantiates appearance-related concerns reported by this population. Further research investigating observed behaviour in interactions with individuals with dermatological conditions is required to examine what underpins willingness for contact in light of the limited association between disgust, health anxiety, contamination fear, and contact.

Thesis (MScPhysio)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The anterior cruciate ligament is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee, with only one third of athletes returning to their pre-injury level of sport. Identifying intrinsic factors associated with an increased likelihood of return to sport may improve the surgical outcome. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was performed. The objective was to systematically appraise publications describing intrinsic factors which may be associated with return to sport, after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A comprehensive eligibility checklist was composed. Methodological quality appraisal of cohort studies revealed that high quality studies were included in the review. A descriptive synthesis of the findings associating intrinsic factors with return to sport was performed. Ten studies were included. The most important finding was the association of fear of re-injury preventing return to sports participation. Knee function did not always correspond with the likelihood of returning to sport. Younger athletes and competitive, male athletes appeared more likely to return. Across these studies, the 141 athletes not returning to pre-injury sport were questioned as to the reason for non return. An average of 35% (49 athletes) cited fear of re-injury as the reason. Fear of re-injury was thus investigated further as it could be considered in the post-operative management of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In a qualitative study with supplemental cross-sectional analysis, factors informing fear of re-injury were explored. Male and female athletes, aged 17-50 years were included (n=59). Reconstruction procedures using any graft type were included; however revision and multi-ligament reconstruction was excluded. Twenty-four participants (41%) did not return to the pre-injury sport. Those citing fear of re-injury as the only reason for not-retuning to sport were interviewed (n=12). Thus, those who did not return to pre-injury type and level of sport despite good knee function. Athletes’ experiences informing fear of re-injury were explored by semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed by content analysis. Codes were allocated and categorised and these categories were synthesised into themes. The Qualitative review guidelines – RATS were followed. From the participant interviews, four themes emerged: undergoing the surgery and recovery again, nature of the pre-injury sport imposing risk of re-injury, personality traits, and social priorities. An accelerated rehabilitation programme was suggested to improve the post–operative experience. The supplementary analysis revealed athletes younger than 20 years of age were more likely to return to sport. Modifiable fears include pain, length of rehabilitation, mechanism of injury and psychological aspects. Pain management, motivation and education are important considerations post-operatively and during rehabilitation. Clinicians should be aware of factors informing fear of re-injury on an individual basis to develop a tailored management plan.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OPSOMMING Die anterior kruisligament is die mees algemeen beseerde ligamente in die knie, met slegs een derde van die atlete wat terugkeer na hul pre-besering vlak van sport. Identifisering van intrinsieke faktore wat verband hou met 'n verhoogde moontlikheid van terugkeer na sport kan die chirurgiese uitkoms verbeter. 'n Sistematiese oorsig wat die Voorkeur Verslag Items vir Sistematiese oorsig en Meta-ontledingsriglyne volg, is uitgevoer . Die doel was om stelselmatig publikasies, wat intrinsieke faktore beskryf wat verband hou met terugkeer na sport na anterior kruisligament rekonstruksie, te beoordeel. 'n Omvattende kontrolelys is saamgestel. Metodologiese kwaliteit beoordeling van ‘n groep studies het 'n hoë gehalte studie aan die lig gebring, wat ingesluit is in die oorsig. 'n Beskrywende sintese van die bevindinge wat intrinsieke faktore met die terugkeer na sport assosieer, is uitgevoer. Tien studies is ingesluit. Die belangrikste bevinding wat terugkeer na sportdeelname verhinder was die vrees van herbesering. Kniefunksie het nie altyd ooreengestem met die moontlikheid van terugkeer na sport nie. Jonger atlete en wedywerende manlike atlete was meer geneig om terug te keer. In al die ingesluite studies, is die 141 atlete wat nie teruggekeer het na sport voorbesering ondervra oor die rede vir nie terugkeer. 'n Gemiddeld van 35% (49 atlete) het vrees vir herbesering as rede aangevoer. Vrees vir herbesering is dus verder ondersoek, as oorwegende faktor in die post-operatiewe bestuur van anterior kruisligament rekonstruksie. In 'n primêre, kwalitatiewe studie met aanvullende deursnee-analise, is die redes vir die vrees vir herbesering ondersoek. Manlike en vroulike atlete, tussen die ouderdomme van 17-50 jaar is ingesluit (n = 59). Rekonstruksie prosedures deur enige soort oorplanting is ingesluit; hersiening en verskeie ligament rekonstruksie is egter uitgesluit. Vier-en-twintig deelnemers (41%) het nie teruggekeer na die pre-besering sport nie. Diegene wat vrees vir herbesering as die enigste rede vir nie terugkering na sport aanvoer, is onderhoude mee gevoer (n = 12). Dus, diegene wat nie teruggekeer het na pre-besering, tipe en vlak, van sport ten spyte van goeie knie funksie. Die redes vir die vrees vir herbesering is ondersoek deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Dataanalise is uitgevoer deur die inhoud / tematiese analise. Kodes is toegeken en gekategoreer. Hierdie kategorieë is herverdeel in temas. Uit die deelnemer onderhoude, het vier temas na vore gekom: die operasie en herstel proses, die aard van die prebesering sport as risiko vir herbesering, persoonlikheidseienskappe en sosiale prioriteite. 'n Versnelde rehabilitasieprogram is voorgestel om die post-operatiewe ervaring te verbeter. Die aanvullende analise het getoon dat atlete jonger as 20 jaar oud meer geneig was om terug te keer na die sport. Aanpasbare oorsake van vrees sluit in pyn, die lengte van rehabilitasie, meganisme van besering en sielkundige aspekte. Pyn bestuur, motivering en opvoeding is belangrike oorwegings post-operatief en tydens rehabilitasie. Dokters en fisioterapeute moet bewus wees van die vrees vir herbesering en die veranderbare oorsake daarvan ondersoek op 'n individuele basis om 'n pasient spesifieke bestuursplan te ontwikkel.

This study is based on the statistical finding that every tenth women in Sweden refrains to go outside alone in their own residential area when it is dark because they are afraid (BRÅ 2015:88) and strives to discuss this problem further. The purpose of this study is to argue that there is a need to address women’s fear of sexual violence as a human rights concern in Sweden. Women’s ability to enjoy their human rights is restricted by their fear and the normalization of women’s fear contributes to this problem. Furthermore, Martha Nussbaum’s capability approach and her theoretical understanding of emotions enable an understanding of how the concept of bodily integrity is affected by women’s fear. Women’s fear of sexual violence can be understood as a problem of social inequality that is affected by the underlying structures of gender inequality. Therefore, it is essential to identify the nature of the attitudes that tend to undermine women and result in violence against women. The fear of sexual violence is dependent on the occurrence of violence against women, which is a human rights violation. However, the fear of sexual violence is not a human rights violation yet it should be understood as a human rights concern.

Different family structures and levels of parental and financial stress were investigated in relation to children's overtly expressed fears, and secondarily, covertly measured fears and concerns. The family structures consisted of divorced and remarried families divided into those divorced less than two years and those divorced greater than two years. Intact families were used as the control group. One-hundred-twenty-one children from six to eleven years of age and their biological mothers from a semirural, southwestern town comprised the sample. The children were administered five instruments assessing overt fears, covert fears/concerns, and positiveness in family relationships. Mothers were given eight self-report measures which included a questionnaire, a report of their child's overt fears, and an indication of the positiveness in family relationships. Results indicated that the children of divorced, single mothers tended to report greater overt fears than remarried and intact families. Indications of covert fears of death and separation were also suggested. This was especially true for those single mothers divorced less than two years. Children of intact families did not generally differ from remarried groups although there were implications that remarriage too soon after divorce may impact covert fears as well as positive feelings toward the stepfather. Children of mothers reporting high levels of stress reported greater levels of overt fears than children of low stress mothers. Financial stress for mothers appeared to have greater implications for children's overt and covert fears than did parental stress. In contrast to the children of mothers reporting high levels of stress, mothers who reported low levels of stress tended to have children who reported fewer overt fears but greater covert fears and concerns. Recommendations for future research including adding parental measures to assess the coping styles as well as the effectiveness of such coping with divorce and remarriage, using different measures of overt and covert fears, and extending the study to include data from the biological fathers as well as families in which the father has custodial rights.

Path models assessed different models of influential order for parental bonding; adult romantic attachment; views of self, world/others, and the future; the fear of intimacy; and cognitive distortions among child molesters and non-offending controls. Child molesters receiving sex offender treatment reported more problematic parental bonding; insecure adult romantic attachment; negative views of self, world/others, and the future; a greater fear of intimacy, and more cognitive distortions regarding adult-child sex. The predicted path models were not established as the models did not adequately fit the data. However, post hoc logistic regressions indicated that Maternal Optimal Bonding, Preoccupied attachment, and cognitive distortions regarding adult-child sex significantly predicted child molester status. Overall, the findings provide support for a multi-factorial model of child molestation derived from attachment theory. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are also discussed.

This thesis is an investigation into the use of defensive architectural techniques by civilian settlers in frontier South Australia and the Northern Territory between 1847 and 1885. By focussing specifically on the civilian use of defensive architecture, this study opens a new approach to the archaeological investigation and interpretation of Australian rural buildings, an approach that identifies defensive strategies as a feature of Australian frontier architecture. Four sites are analysed in this study area, three of which are located in South Australia and one in the Northern Territory. When first built, the structures investigated were not intended, or expected, to become what they did - their construction was simply the physical expression of the fear felt by some of the colonial settlers of Australia. Over time, however, the stories attached to these structures have come to play a significant part in Australia’s frontier mythology. These structures represent physical manifestations of settler fear and Aboriginal resistance. Essentially fortified homesteads, they comprise a body of material evidence previously overlooked and unacknowledged in Australian archaeology, yet they are highly significant in terms of what they can tell us about frontier conflict, in relation to the mindsets and experiences of the settlers who built them. This architecture also constitutes material evidence of a vanguard of Australian colonisation (or invasion) being carried out, not by the military or police, but by civilian settlers. v Apart from this, these structures play a part in the popular mythology of Australia’s colonial past. All of these structures have a myth associated with them, describing them as having been built for defence against Aboriginal attack. These myths are analysed in terms of why they came into existence, why they have survived, and what role they play in the construction of Australia’s national identity. Drawn from, and substantiated through, the material evidence of the homesteads, these myths are one component of a wider body of myths which serve the ideological needs of the settler society through justifying its presence by portraying the settlers as victims of Aboriginal aggression.

The Naturalization Act of 1790’s requirements of residency and “good character,” reveal that the First Congress set the limits on the access of immigrants to citizenship to mostly restrict European foreigners, rather than African Americans or Native Americans. These residency and “good character” clauses resulted from a combination of concerns regarding foreigners that came to prominence during the Confederation Period. Among these fears were the perceived abilities of immigrants to the gain control over land in the trans-Appalachian West and control over political influence in the unstable political order after the American Revolution. These worries about national stability were inflamed by long standing concerns over integration of immigrants on the basis of language or tendencies towards “monarchism,” which were seen as contrary to republican values. Using British legal understanding of subjecthood and naturalization, policymakers in the First Congress framed the Naturalization Act of 1790 as a narrower definition of citizenship derived from prejudice against foreign outsiders. The conception of the United States as an asylum for mankind came to ironic demise through the republican principles it sought to uphold. On October 22, 1782, a Westchester County sheriff entered the Crompond, New York headquarters of the French Expeditionary Force to the Americas to arrest General Rochambeau. The shocking treatment of Rochambeau revealed the increasing tensions in the Franco-American relations that began after the Battle of Yorktown and developed through the winter residence of the French Army in Williamsburg, Virginia. Historians of the Franco-American relationship, such as Durand Echeverria and Peter P. Hill, commonly suggest the beginning of the Confederation Period as the start of French disillusionment, relying on French views of confederation politics as “chaos or fears of an “imperial reconciliation” as motivation for the decline. However, a comparison in the rhetoric by the French Expeditionary Force over the winter at Newport in 1780-1781 and the winter in Williamsburg in 1781-1782 revealed that discourteous observations in journals of French officers dramatically increased. Additionally, the claims letters sent by common Virginians to the governor’s office suggest that the quartered French soldiers had worn out their welcome, even as the government officials attempted continuing displays of friendship. The process of Franco-American disillusionment occurred just after General Cornwallis’s defeat at Yorktown and the loss of a common American and French objective.

Parmi les objets utilitaires en métal vil, les luminaires constituent une partie importante des collections byzantines et du matériel archéologique trouve en contexte. En vue d'une première étude d'ensemble, nous avons choisi de traiter les quatre types de luminaires que l'on rencontre le plus fréquemment dans l'empire byzantin : les lampes à bec, les candélabres, les lampes en forme de coupe et les lustres. Il convenait aussi de présenter les accessoires associés à ces objets, à savoir les éléments de suspension, les récipients à huile, les supports de mèche, et de mentionner les combustibles employés. L'objectif principal est d'établir une typologie formelle pour chaque catégorie de luminaire étudiée. Le matériel issu de contextes archéologiques permet de localiser la production et d'illustrer sa diffusion chronologique et spatiale. La comparaison systématique de nos luminaires avec des objets équivalents en céramique et en verre, aussi bien que leur mise en rapport avec d'autres types d'objets métalliques contemporains, qu'il s'agisse d'objets utilitaires ou de dévotion, sert à les rattacher à un contexte artisanal précis. Nous procédons par la suite à l'examen des matériaux, des techniques de fabrication et de décor des luminaires en métaux cuivreux. Les analyses chimiques, l'observation des moules et des traces de procédés divers sur les objets fournissent notre point départ. Une collecte de renseignements archéologiques et textuels relatifs à l'artisanat du cuivre complète notre approche technique. Le cout de la matière et sa résistance à l'usure font de nos luminaires des objets relativement précieux que l'on peut associer à des utilisateurs aises, laïcs ou ecclésiastiques. Nous nous penchons sur les contextes de découverte, ainsi que sur les sources écrites et picturales, afin de déterminer les lieux dans lesquels ils étaient employés et de préciser la terminologie des luminaires à Byzance
Among the utilitarian objects made from non-precious metals, lighting devices constitute an important part of byzantine collections and archeological finds. We have chosen to examine the four main types of lighting devices most commonly used in the byzantine empire : lamps, lampstands, hanging bowl lamps and polikandela. We also present the different accessories associated with these objects, such as suspension chains, oil containers, wick holders, and to specify the fuel employed. Our main objective is to establish a typology for each category of lighting device. Material discovered in archeological context allows us to locate production centers and illustrate the distribution of the different types in space and time. Systematic comparison of our lighting devices with equivalent objects in clay and glass, as well as with other contemporary metal objects, whether utilitarian or devotional, helps us relate them to a specific crafts'context. We then examine the materials, fabrication and decorative techniques of the lighting devices made from copper alloys. Chemical analyses, close observation of moulds and of traces left by different techniques on the objects themselves, constitute our starting point. A survey of archeological and litterary evidence concerning the copper industry and craftsmanship completes our technical approach. Cost and resiliance turn our lighting devices into relatively precious objects, which can be associated with wealthy, lay or ecclesiastical users. We take into consideration the archeological contexts, as well as pictorial and litterary information, in order to determine where these lighting devices were used and which terms described them in Byzantine times