Thèses sur le sujet « Exploring Modernity »

Includes bibliographical references.
This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of the Rex Trueform garment manufacturing factory in Salt River, Cape Town. It follows the narrative of the site from the date of completion of the first factory in 1938 up until conversion of the site into an office park in 2013. Architecturally, the buildings are key works by pioneer modernist architects, Policansky, Andrews and Niegeman . The analysis of the form and the space of the buildings is interlocked with an analysis of the conditions with in which these distinct buildings were conceived and built. As 20th century industrial buildings in Cape Town, they are representative of a particular kind of modernity, one that is entangled with constructions of race, class and gender. The dissertation looks at how particular notions of race, class and gender were constructed, materialised and inscribed in the architectural form and space. The buildings are a primary archival source, but conversational interviews with ex-workers begin to give a glimpse of what it was like to work for Rex Trueform, considered as a significant company in the clothing manufacturing industry. Visual material, drawings and film footage, tracks the architectural development of the site, linking it with key moments in the political life of South Africa. This raises questions around the relations hip between the apartheid state - endorsed white capital and disenfranchised black labour. Race and identity is a key theme, questioning the role that industry, sociology and apartheid played in the constructions and stabilising thereof with the Cape factory as a primary site. The buildings, situated both in the historical time as well as in the contemporary postapartheid framework, offer multiple readings of how space and architecture contributed towards ascribing identities onto people and how these ascribed identities were and are being contested and disrupted. The dissertation thus raises questions of how the modern city of Cape Town was produced by looking at some of the socio-political conditions under which Rex Trueform, a major industrial site, was developed.

Thesis (Ed.D.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005.
Theses (Faculty of Education) / Simon Fraser University. Includes bibliographical references leaves 322-244. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Sex tourism is one of the world's most controversial industries. While it generates tremendous revenue to the sex tourism destinations, the industry has been condemned as the two main reasons trafficking of women and children exist. Despite this, little research has examined the motivation of sex tourists. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the sex tourism phenomenon and, more specifically, motivation of tourists. This study is exploratory and qualitative in nature. Two key propositions are addressed (1) The person's level of perceived modernity relates to the perceived level of personal needs; and (2) The person's level of perceived personal needs relates to the person's desire of travel for sexual participation. A mixture of qualitative methods was utilized. The data was collected using semi-structured personal interviews with thirty-three male sex tourists who traveled to Pattaya, Thailand in 2005. The transcribed data was constantly compared and the interviews revealed four substantial themes with eight subsequent categories. It was discovered that sex tourists were pushed by two main motivational drives: physical and psychological needs which came together as personal needs. Physical needs consisted of "physical problems" and "unmet sexual needs." The psychological problems included "hedonistic drive" and "modernity." The physical gains (tangible attributes) and psychological gains (sense of belonging, freedom and excitement, and power reestablishment) attracted sex tourists to the sex tourism destinations. Therefore, modernity, one of three constructs in this study, was also supported as an important factor which indirectly affected the motivation of the sex tourists. The last chapter presents the study contribution, implementation, and suggestions for future research. For knowledge contribution to the academic field, this present study reinforces the reliability of Iso-Ahola's (1982) escaping-seeking motivation model. It provides both academic and tourism practitioners a better idea of what sex tourist motivational factors are. The knowledge of sex tourist motivation can assist tourism practitioners at the sex tourism destinations to improve positioning their destinations in the world tourism market. For the tourism academics, this study offers an exploratory ground for future research to build on both qualitatively and quantitatively in order to form a more rigorous sex tourist motivation model.
Ph. D.

My PhD thesis explores Iranian urban daily life by analysing Iranian cinema. Many scholars from different perspectives have focused on Iranian society in various political, social and cultural fields, although less attention is still being paid to Iranian daily life from the perspective of critical studies of everyday life. Moreover, many scholars have investigated Iranian films from macro- and micro-perspectives. Macro-sociological approaches have focused on the social, political and historical structures of Iranian cinema. These research are done in the field of sociology of cinema. Micro-sociological methods have analysed the representation of different features of everyday life, such as gender representation or consumption, but not daily life. These research are done in the field of sociology of film. However, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of any social phenomenon we have to make a connection between micro-sociology and macro-sociology. By problematising the concept of everyday life, this research tries to keep its distance from the dualism noted above and outlines Iranian urban daily life. Therefore, the thesis constructs an applicable theoretical framework to explore Iranian everyday life by a local approach. Through a new methodological approach, the thesis connects the sociology of cinema and sociology of film in order to make a connection between everyday life and its representation in films. The theoretical framework consists of the work of various critical theorists of everyday life (for example, Lefebvre and Simmel) which enables me to recognise the outline of everyday life and analyse power relations in daily life. By a Foucauldian approach I read the theories to conceptualise Iranian daily life. Moreover, I connect the theory of everyday life to Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis. I answer the research questions by using the following fourteen key signifiers: FilmFarsi, Sacred Defense Cinema, Value-based Cinema, Big Production Films, New-wave, Social Films, Children’s films, Entertaining Movies, Festival Cinema, Poetic Cinema, Underground Cinema, Accented Cinema, Independent Cinema, and Art and Experimental Films. The first research question focuses on the discursive context of cinema and everyday life. Describing the discursive structures of Iranian cinema in different periods enables an in-depth understanding of the role of cinema both as a modern social institution and as culture industry. The second research question focuses on ‘subject positions’ and the processes of representation of everyday life in Iranian films. The third question relates to the connections between daily experiences, subject positions, and the social structures located within discourses which shape daily life. This question explains the problematic Iranian urban daily life in terms of uncertainty and precariousness. By highlighting the importance of contextuality in everyday life studies, the thesis concludes with methodological suggestions for further research on everyday life and cinema.

Sexual health education is taking new innovative directions in establishing pedagogical partnerships between schools and community-based sexualities educators. Evaluations of The Sense Project, a community-based sexual health program in Montreal, demonstrate that youth respond enthusiastically to these initiatives. The partnerships, however, must navigate through the same epistemological and cultural tensions occurring everywhere as we collectively re-define knowing about questions of the body, sexualities, gender and youth. In the first phase of this study, former students of sex education reflect on their sexual health learning experiences. The study identified the content and pedagogies that supported or interfered with meaningful learning. Building on those insights, interviews with several teachers and community-based educators articulate what they see as the possible barriers and potential benefits of forming sexual health teaching partnerships. Implications for both groups of communities of practice are explored through the rich data emerging from their interviews. The findings of this study suggest that the pedagogical practices developed by this community agency offer an excellent resource for teachers and students of sexual health, and a model for other community educators. Recommendations are made to teacher education institutions regarding the theoretical, reflexive and praxis components that would support pre-service training in sexualities pedagogy. Finally, based on the model offered by the community-based educators, the thesis presents fifteen principles essential to the development and implementation of good sexual health pedagogy.
L'éducation à la sexualité prend un tournant innovateur en forgeant des partenariats entre les écoles et des organismes communautaires. Les évaluations du Projet Sens, un programme issue d'un organisme communautaire situé à Montréal, indiquent que les jeunes répondent avec enthousiasme à cette initiative. Ces partenariats, cependant, doivent naviguer a travers les mêmes tensions epistemologiques et culturelles se produisant partout alors que nous redéfinissons collectivement les savoirs entourant le corps, les sexualités, et l'identité des jeunes. Dans la première phase de cette étude, des étudiants ayant prit des cours d'éducation a la sexualité réfléchissent sur leurs expériences. L'étude identifie le contenu et les démarches pédagogues qui ont soutenu et ceux qui ont interféré un apprentissage significatif. En ce basant sur les résultats des cette première phase, des entrevues avec des enseignants et des éducateurs communautaire servent a identifier les barrières possibles et les avantages potentiels de former ces partenariats. Des implications pour les deux groupes sont explorées via les données riches émergeant des entrevues. Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent que les pratiques pédagogiques développées par cet organisme communautaire offrent une excellente ressource pour les enseignants et les étudiants et propose des pistes riches pour d'autres organismes communautaires. Des recommandations sont faites pour les programmes de formation des maîtres concernant les aspects théoriques, pratiques et réflexifs de cette formation. En conclusion, la thèse présente quinze principes essentiels au développement d'une approche pédagogique substantif.

The general concept of communication for development is that it explores the use of communication – both as a tool and as a way of expressing processes of social change. Artcan be regarded as a way of communication, and to use the arts in the field of communication for development is not new. Art as a force in social change has a long history.The purpose of this thesis is to take a closer look at the art project To Reveal, Remember and Expose and make an exploration of how or if an art project can facilitate new awareness,primarily around memories, heritage, identity and social change among project participantsand city inhabitants encountered by the project. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate the following questions: What kind of awareness will the participants get out of the project? Can the project create a new awareness in terms of memory and heritage? How does the project connect and relate to culture, identity and city space?Communication theory, concepts of culture and representation, identity and space in the formof private and public space are presented. Performance art and theory, art intervention, sitespecific art and tactical media are elaborated upon. The primary methodology used isparticipatory observation, which has been applied on the planning, actions and discussions ofthe project. An interview with the artist behind the project and a structural content analysis oftexts written by the students that participated in the art project will complement theparticipatory observation.The analysis of the project showed that the project could create awareness among itsparticipants, especially about people, time and space. The actions also gave some insight and awareness concerning memories and heritage of some objects and places. The projectconnected and related to culture, identity and space in different ways. There were similaritiesto tactical media as it create situations were criticality could occur, but it was hard to see awhole picture of the outcome as it was not possible to know what the “audience” thought. Alltopics are relevant in communication and development and social change, but the thesis wasnot able to show that the project could give access to ways of expressing processes of socialchange. For further research it is of relevance to consider the magnitude of social change anart project can bring, and take into consideration that social change usually take time and ishard to find in a short period of time.

This thesis examines the artistic achievement of the twentieth-century Chinese painter Fu Baoshi 傅抱石 (1904-1965) through his envisioning of a national identity and visual modernity in his academic work and painting during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The focus of this thesis is an analysis of a body of his landscape and figure paintings as well as the art historical writings which he produced in Chongqing during the war. The importance of these works is assessed through an analysis of Fu Baoshi’s early life in Nanchang (1904-1932) and his studies in Japan (1932-1935) which projected a formative influence on his artistic and intellectual development in Chongqing. Fu Baoshi‘s participation in cultural exchanges with Chinese artists and foreign figures in the revitalised artistic community in the war capital Chongqing played a significant role in his artistic evolution and the growth of his reputation in art circles in modern China. His pursuit of a new ideal form of artistic expression through models from the past is epitomised in his figure painting. His Sichuan landscape represents his consummate atmospheric approach which is associated with the wet climate and his structural approach using his innovative brush work known as Baoshi cun 抱石皴.

This thesis discusses the effects, primarily on a person’s identity, caused by rural to urban migration during the 1920s and 1930s through investigating the migrations of four literary characters—Quentin Compson, George Webber, Jefferson Abbott, and Prudence Bly—developed by three American Modernist—William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, and Dawn Powell. I first explore the population trends and movements of Americans out of rural areas to urban ones. In doing so, various sociological theories and historical events are referenced in order to better provide evidence for the reasons for this type of migration, and more importantly, in concern with this study, to illustrate common effects due to rural to urban migration that are explored in depth in subsequent chapters through the examination of the aforementioned characters. Even though the migration of people out of rural areas for more urban centers has occurred ever since the division of those two communities, the interwar years in American society is a key period to consider because of the great social and economic changes that occurred during those two decades. Additionally, it is in this era that we first see clear signs that the United States was transitioning to an urban dominated society. Each of the four characters focused on in this work undergo a rural to urban migration during their young adult years. Because each character experiences this migration in a different way, the severity of the effects of his or her migration changes too. Three of the four characters—Quentin, George, and Prudence—must cope with an identity crisis that is brought to the forefront by their rural to urban migration. Quentin experiences feelings of guilt over his opportunities versus that of his brothers. More importantly, he is unable to rectify the conflict between his perceived identity and the identity placed upon him by the urban community to which he migrates, thus influencing his suicide. George is unable to see the extreme influence that the nostalgic view of his hometown has on the way he perceives the rest of the world. Therefore, he is also unable to recognize the power of time and the inevitability of change. Each time he is forced to see the falseness of his nostalgia, a crucial portion of his identity is dismantled, throwing him into a deep depression. Prudence—due to the arrival of Jefferson, a hometown sweetheart—is forced to reconcile the rural identity she has tried for a decade to forget and the urban one she spent a decade creating. Only at the end of the novel, does she realize that her identity is actually a compilation of both her rural and urban parts. The fourth character—Jefferson Abbott—is relatively unaffected by his migration, in large part due to the stability and confidence he has in his own identity.

My research project explores connections between Iranian textile designs and western abstract painting. Based on the diaspora experience of my own life it investigates how the influence of two different creative traditions combined to produce new forms of culturally hybrid art. The research examines modernist abstract painting and nomadic weaving traditions and considers specific aesthetic issues that are common to both despite their separation in time and place. It uses this idea and observations to create work that speaks about how art can be a space in which culture can be positively combined and enjoyed.

This essay investigates interpretations of evil as expressed in contemporary music, focusing mainly on lyrics in contemporary popular music. The purpose is to analyze whether there is acertain aesthetic embracing of risk and innovation on display when discussing such subject matters, and to relate such aesthetic connotations to cultural and religious aspects. Lyrical interpretations of evil in a musical context appear to be existent in different forms andare in various ways attempts to integrate the existence of evil acts, as leading to suffering and pain, by incorporating such themes into lyrical material. There appears to be a possible aesthetic embraced when artists are advocating evil acts, however, not totally separable from the aesthetics of the extreme metal scene. Such forms of creative practice appear as reliant on the dialectic between historical perceptions of morality,modern society as globalized, segmented and restructured and the reoccurrence of religion in a secularized perspective. Themes regarding evil appear in this form of aesthetic in different ways to traditional discourse; making use of historical and contemporary images of evil and portraying them as desirable in various ways. In some instances such creative release is also linked to religious belief and practise, making the artistic performance equivalent of a transcendental event.

碩士
臺北市立大學
舞蹈學系暨碩士班
103
This study aimed to explore into modernity of the folk dance works choreographed by two esteemed dancer, Li-Hua Tsai and Chun-Ling Hsiao. There would be two folk dance works mainly discussed in this study. The first one is “Forgetting” in “Rise Like Incense”, the presentation of Taipei Folk Dance Theatre in 2011, which was choreographed by Tsai after her retirement from Taipei Physical Education College (TPEC). The second one is “Moonlight Shouts”, which was choreographed by Hsiao for the annul show of the Department of Dance in TPEC (now is University of Taipei).“Modernity” in the context referred to the choreographers’ perspectives on life, times, society, and history in their unique and collective time and space. The perspectives were possibly different from other generations, ethnic groups, and regions. In “Forgetting” and “Moonlight Shouts”, the researcher observed and discovered two distinct styles and creative structures. For example, there were disparate atmospheres through the works on stage, and new movements which were not in traditional dance. Besides, the composition of dance steps and patterns were different from traditional dance choreography, and also, different symbols referring to diverse perceptions were used in the dance patterns. Therefore, these two dance works, through their unique dance structures, movement vocabularies, choreography skills, symbols, and etc., could reflect humanity and values covered under people’s life in their times. Keywords: modernity, Li-Hua Tsai, Chun-Ling Hsiao

To be modern and modernity are among notions about which people frequently talk past each other at all levels. There is no settled meaning of modernity so far. On the one hand, academics take different approaches to the notion, resulting in more than three theories of modernity. In their everyday life, non-scholars conceptualise modernity based on its immediate effects. This research stems from the same premises that there is no single notion of modernity nor can people have a universal understanding of it. This study endeavours to explore modernity in Bena orature. It attempts to expose what Bena people think of modernity as they present opinions in their aesthetic communication - orature. To meet that aim, the study adopted grounded theory which enables the researcher to develop a theory from available data. Bena orature was collected, analysed, and using grounded theory methods, I formulated the Bena theory of modernity. Apart from Bena orature, post-performance discussions, additional informal discussions, and secondary data from among the Bena and other societies were employed to accomplish the objectives of the study. In the analysis of data, several categories emerged, one of which appeared to be the strongest. In grounded theory, this is referred to as the core category. The core category is the theme or concept which is regarded as the main issue discussed in the society under study. In this study, wellbeing was determined to be the core category over and above the others because of its ability to explain other categories. It was revealed that wellbeing is one of the concepts which not only surfaces in Bena society but to which many other issues are related, both in aesthetic and ordinary communication. Sometimes, it may appear as if people disagree on several issues. This might translate into disagreeing on some truths amongst themselves, but in fact, they disagree on how to enhance wellbeing among Bena. Owing to that, the research ends by formulating a theory of modernity of wellbeing. Put differently, what really concerns Bena society in this modern world is attempting to enhance wellbeing, both at the individual and societal levels.:TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i DEDICATION IV ABSTRACT V TABLE OF CONTENTS VI 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The Background to the Study 1.3 Statement of the Problem 1.4 Objectives of the Study 1.5 The Notion of Orature 1.6 The Notion of Modernity 1.7 Investigating Modernity in Orature 1.8 Position of the Researcher 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Approaches to Orature 2.2.1 Performance-centred Approach 2.2.2 Text-centred Theories 2.3 The Emergence and Development of Performance Theory 2.3.1.1 Performance Theory 2.3.1.2 Performer – Audience Relationship 2.3.1.3 Orature Performance Patterns 2.3.1.4 Functions of Orature Performances 2.3.1.5 Changing Nature of Orature in the African Context 2.3.1.6 Criticisms of Performance Theory 2.3.2 Re-emergence of Text-centred Approach 2.4 Modernity 2.5 The Origin and Development of Modernity 2.5.1 Modernity as Western Civilisation 2.5.2 Multiple Modernities (Alternative Modernities) 2.5.3 Modernity as Independent Civilization 2.5.4 Modernity as Interconnectedness 2.5.5 Modernity as Contemporaneity 2.6 Tradition versus Modernity Dichotomy 2.7 Social Construction through Narratives 2.7.1 Background to the Notion of Social Construction 2.7.2 Main Arguments of Social Construction 2.7.2.1 The Idea of Frames 2.7.3 Social Construction through Narratives 2.8 Conclusion 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Origin and History of Grounded Theory 3.3 Undertaking Grounded Theory 3.3.1 Category Development 3.3.2 Substantive Coding 3.3.3 Theoretical Sampling 3.3.4 Memo Writing 3.3.5 Theoretical Sensitivity 3.3.6 Selective and Theoretical Coding 3.4 Symbolic Interactionism 3.5 Complementary Theories 3.6 Applying Grounded Theory 3.7 Data Collection 3.7.1 Research Area 3.7.2 Data Collection 3.7.2.1 Participant Observation 3.7.2.2 Interviews 3.7.2.3 Group Interviews (Focus Group Discussion) 3.7.2.4 Recording Performance, Interviews and Group Interviews 3.7.3 Reviewing Bena Documents 3.8 Data Analysis 3.9 Conclusion 4 A DESCRIPTION OF THE BENA WORLD OF ORATURE 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Bena People 4.3 Contemporary Language Composition 4.4 Elements of Orature 4.4.1 Elements of Orature among the Bena 4.4.1.1 Tales 4.4.1.2 Tale Performers 4.4.1.3 Tale Performability 4.4.2 Performer-Audience Relationship among the Bena 4.4.2.1 Indexical References 4.4.3 Bena Songs 4.4.3.1 Bena Song Performers 4.4.4 The Bena Wedding Songs 4.4.4.1 Themes and Social Functions of the Bena Songs 4.4.5 The Bena Marriage Procedures 4.4.6 Grave Building among the Bena 4.4.7 Political Meetings 4.5 Conclusion 5 PERFORMING MODERNITY 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Uwatsalino (Usasa) 5.3 Uwukola (Romanticism) 5.3.1 Othering through Language 5.3.1.1 Monsterisation of Language 5.3.1.2 Emphasis 5.3.1.3 Euphemism 5.3.2 Fear of the Unknown 5.4 Ulutengamaso (Wellbeing) 5.4.1 Welfare 5.4.2 Grave Building 5.4.3 Christianity and Witchcraft 5.4.4 Architecture and Clothing 5.5 Uwukangafu (Bravery) 5.5.1 Courage, Perseverance and Cleverness 5.6 Kolatila (Duty) 5.6.1 Self-Reliance and Food Security 5.6.2 Thanksgiving and Labour 5.6.3 Marriage, Procreation, and Discrimination 5.7 Uwunu (Ubuntu/Humanity) 5.7.1 Obedience, Hospitality and Honesty 5.7.2 Relationship with Other People 5.7.3 Love and Harmony 5.7.4 Praises 5.7.5 Mourning 5.7.6 Humanity and Mortality 5.8 Core Category 5.9 Conclusion 6 MODERNITY OF WELLBEING AMONG THE BENA 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Wellbeing (Ulutengamaso) 6.3 Wellbeing and Other Categories 6.3.1 Wellbeing and Uwunu (Ubuntu/Humanity) 6.3.2 Wellbeing and Duty (Kolatila) 6.3.3 Wellbeing and Uwukola (Romanticism) 6.3.4 Wellbeing and Uwukangafu (Bravery) 6.3.5 Wellbeing and Uwatsalino (Usasa) 6.4 Grounding a Theory of Modernity as Wellbeing 6.5 The Relationship between Modernity as Wellbeing and Other Theories of Modernity 6.6 Conclusion 7 GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 7.1 Introduction 7.2 General Summary 7.3 Conclusion 8 REFERENCE 9 APPENDICES Paraphrased Bena Tales 10. ERKLÄRUNG

The whole idea of tradition and modernity in our age is subjective, the infusion of traditional knowledge with modern concepts and technology opens up a new dimension altogether. This project is an attempt to explore that dimension from a product design perspective to make a mundane everyday object fun, multipurpose and versatile in its usage. The knowledge of traditional craft could manifest itself in a variety of forms, for instance manufacturing, aesthetics, technique and material. The foundation of the project lies in the same. The overall form has explored the modern and pop culture dimension to make the product look more appealing so as to target a large customer base. The final product is the result of continuous research in terms of design value and has tried to establish a harmony between the trinity of market, form and function. After thorough conceptualisation, the objective has been to understand the feasibility of any concept, then coming out with the best possible way for its production. The whole process of production from availability of raw material to final polishing is included in the report. The everyday desk accessory is designed in a way that catches the curiosity of the onlooker and can be used in a way that is unique to the user, and their needs.

碩士
淡江大學
建築學系碩士班
106
The Gambia is a small country in West Africa whose borders follow the Gambia River and carve out a slice of neighboring Senegal. The country has a wide variety of geographical features such as the wetlands, forest cover, beautiful coastline, and migratory routes for birds etc. The country is rich and unique in ecological resources, with wonderful ecotourism resorts. According to statistics, The Gambia has about 540 species of birds, most of which each can be seen along the coastline and some in the inland of the country. The Gambia River is the Gambia and the Gambia is the river Gambia. It is a major tourist attraction and the dominant feature running through the heart of the country. In the lower estuary, mangroves dominate the riverside, with extensive reed belts in the in-between zone, while where the water is fresh, the banks are lined with gallery forest. In recent years however, nature reserves, bird watching, and the rise of ecotourism has made the Gambia an increasingly well-known travel and holiday destination. And for good reason. The country is home to vibrant ecosystems, varied landscapes and many different animal species. From savannahs to mangroves and wetlands. We want to design an Eco-tourist facility and/or a bird observatory tower near the bank of the river Gambia that will connect to the community. This will accommodate not only tourists coming to visit the area, but also local people that are going to interact with the tourists within a social and cultural aspect. This thesis is aiming to study and develop a sustainable model for the conflict that exists between architecture and eco-tourism because of current practices and their impact on natural habitat. Using bamboo as the main material for construction. Supported by the 3D printed joints. Which can be “do-it-yourself (DIY)”. The basic research methodology used in this research was qualitative. Firstly, I conducted a literatures review as outlined in the second chapter. The primary discourse of this research focuses on the practices of ecotourism in a place along the river Gambia. Exploring this issue is considered an important aspect in examining the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social equity, and environmental conservation. The following steps will be adopted in two phases to come up with the final design. Research phase and Design phase. The design phase will orient itself on creating proper design of thesis topic selected where the combination of all knowledge gathered form research phase would be applied. The site is located nearly 165 kilometers from Banjul. The site is located between Kiang west national park and Boa bolong wetland reserve. It is situated on the banks of the river Gambia, surrounded by woodland with plenty of birds, bush hogs and other wildlife. Inappropriate tourism development and practice can degrade habitats and landscapes, deplete natural resources, and generate waste and pollution. The local community is also in need of a better and healthy living. This has become a social, cultural, and economical issue prevalent for decades since there hasn’t been an established relationship between the local community and the tourist. A way to approach this issue is through the education of the local people and tourism through sustainable architecture and development. Community knowledge can be increased through environmental sustainable building techniques or new building techniques in vernacular architecture. Perhaps the community gets involve in the construction process, so they learn how to take care of their surroundings and its stewardship. In this way the sustainability of well-being of human cultures that inhibit those environments are sustained, and tourists can get engaged through community learning and interaction.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
設計研究所
95
This study will try to explore philosophy theories and literature thought how to influence visual representation design’s work. The French sociologist Derrida and his follower de Man Paul advance a new theory called” Deconstruction” to overthrow traditional thinking and reading mode. And then, the times get into a new times for raising the reader's status and inspire a cautious attitude to the world. Deconstruction not only influences philosophy but also literature. art. architecture and design etc. . Differance is an important concept of Darrida’s theory. It means that Darrida advocates meaning that can’t to be limited. Deconstruction doesn’t seek for so-called “original work”. No matter what is the first work. Deconstructionist advocates giving old text a new meaning. And to give old text a new appearance from a new angle and aspect. For this reason, this study and creative work accepts Xia- yu’s poems in existence called “mo ca, wu yi ming zhuang”, and try to give Xia- yu’s poems a new visual representation. Try to combine literature and design. In conclusion, this study will try understand the thoughts and cultural features brought by deconstruction, and to explore the characteristics of deconstructive expressions of plane design. And the most important is that deconstruction mirror new life in today's world from various angles.

碩士
國立東華大學
觀光暨遊憩管理研究所
97
According to the viewpoint of shifted consumer culture and the research of Munt(1994), the motivation of this research was to explore the causes of slow travel, and the concerns with post-modernism tourism. The study took China Times and United Daily newspaper from 2000-2009 as the subjects and applying categorization method for understanding the perception and practices of Slow travel in Taiwan. Moreover, in order to supply and compare with the data of document collection and newspaper categorization, this study participated “The Walking trip in 5th -7th Apr. 2009”,”Datong and Dali indigenous tribe tour in 20th -22nd Mar. 2009”,and “Slow living B&B tour in 26th -28th Nov. 2008” to get practical situation. The research found that slow travel is not only to retard transport speed, it also represents the anti-modernism attitude formed in Romanticism. Furthermore, slow travel in Taiwan has developed a special form which differs from the original, and it also reflects the consumptive phenomenon of “multiple identities” and “sign quick compression” in domestic society. Besides, “lifestyle of others” and “tourists in mass tourism” as the subjects to otherization in slow travel, and people to construct self-identity through the process of otherization; tourism differentiation strategy of new middle class and marketing devices is the key element to form otherizaiton, which bring about the introspection to class struggle situation.

碩士
銘傳大學
設計創作研究所碩士班
95
During the 70s to the 80s, the ideology of Post-modernism had a great impact on Western culture, art, and philosophy. Its diversity and open idea in the time of the consumer society of capitalism represented an emphasis of the ideology of products. Such the attached value is still unceasingly extended and developed until today. To take a view of current consuming culture in Taiwan, it is common to see that many young people like to use the signature appended on products to show their own styles and tastes. It is obviously to see that the functional stress in consuming product market is gradually replaced by the creative and unique features of subculture market. In today’s poster designs in Taiwan, we can find that designers begin to use visual images to show their concerns in the subculture issues derived from modern consumer society. This research aims to discuss and explore the meaning of the subculture image applied in the Taiwanese poster design through the aspect of the ideology of Post-modernism. There are three subject chosen in this discussion, which are Taiwanese betel nut culture, Japanese fortune cat culture, and exotic pet culture. Through a series of poster design, the result of the creation indicates that the visual imagery of current Taiwanese subculture contains the features of energy, superstition and exoticism.

碩士
靜宜大學
台灣文學系
101
In this thesis, the author discussed Kuo Songfen's novels“The Running Mother”,“About Writing”, and“Starry Night”based on Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis as well as the doctor-patient relationship raised by Sigmund Freud. The author applied the doctor-patient relationship of psychoanalysis for analyzing key factors affecting the mental problem of the main character of “The Running Mother”.When discussing the doctor-patient relationship in“About Writing”, the author sorted out the external environment as well as the lack of ego and passion experienced by the main character during the creating process. The relationship between the image of art creation and media was probed in the thesis, too. The author considered that novels are used by Kuo as a tool for exploring the possibility of disseminating the image created by him via media so people can understand his creative view. As for“Starry Night”, the author used historical materials as the foundation for defining the genre of contexts with genre classification controversy. The author also tried to uncover the reasons why Kuo purposively illustrate the mind and thoughts of the main character in such details. Another attempt of the author was to reveal implications from the use of techniques of the stream of consciousness by Kuo.

The project addresses issues of value and meaning in objects while at the same time considering more sustainable approaches to designing, making and consuming, through the reuse of already existing materials. By exploring concepts such as durability and ephemerality, the precious and the mundane, I have sought to show possibilities for reconciling the production of objects with reduced environmental effects of their production, use and disposal. This was an issue that tended to be neglected during the period of modernist design with its embracing of technology and the machine aesthetic. Since the 1960's with the emergence of designers and writers such as Victor Papanek and Buckminster Fuller there has been a growing concern to develop more sustainable approaches to design, and a broader consideration of meaning and engagement with objects. Some of the significant contemporary designers addressing these issues include Paolo Ulian, Hella Jongerius and Constantin and Laurene Boym. It is with reference to this field that I contextualise my practice. Through the research project I have recognised the importance of a local focus, in supporting more sustainable approaches and engagement with objects. In the process I have identified factors specific to designing with reuse materials, and have used them to guide the direction of the research. These include: material availability, perceived value of materials, time or cost required to achieve a high finish, design complexity and sophistication, and perceived value of the finished product. What has also emerged from the research is the importance of commercial considerations in designing for sustainability, as I believe economically viable objects contribute more than purely symbolic ones in influencing the perceptions and habits of designers and consumers. The project has shown that engagement with objects and sustainable approaches, when considered as integral to a design's development, can be mutually beneficial and lead to aesthetically sophisticated and highly valued objects.

This study examined the role of literacy in enhancing rural people's capabilities for participation in Uganda's Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA), an intervention aimed at improving rural livelihoods through commercialising subsistence agriculture. Using Amartya Sen's capability approach, in which poverty is conceptualised to be a capability deprivation as the conceptual frame of reference, the study aimed at exploring how literacy facilitates or inhibits rural subsistence farmers' participation levels in PMA activities in Manibe Sub-County, Arua District. Using data collected from 54 research participants analysed interpretively, the study revealed that the majority of PMA activities demand a high degree of interaction with written materials, mostly in English, which created an unconducive atmosphere for the unschooled in the target group, thereby forcing them to depend on literacy mediators. It further revealed that there were more women than men participating in parish level activities which greatly decreased in favour of men at sub-county levels and above. It also found that farmers' groups were treated uniformly which negatively affects some of them in terms of access to resources and options. It further revealed that lack of supporting resources, stringent conditions for accessing Enterprise Development Funds, and difficulties in meeting farmers' co-funding requirements, were creating serious obstacles in undertaking group activities, hence making many potential participants avoid PMA activities. The main thesis in the study is that transforming rural subsistence producers into small-scale commercial farmers as a rural poverty reduction strategy, without providing them with the means to expand their basic capabilities so as to move out of capability deprivation, will not by itself increase rural incomes and reduce poverty. It is argued further that engaging the rural subsistence farmers in commercial agriculture will tend to enrich the educated few who are already better resourced. Since capability deprivation, amongst others, manifests itself through widespread illiteracy, the study recommends that efforts to eradicate rural poverty should focus on expanding the capabilities of the target group through building their literacy skills and improving their access to basic resources.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.