2,478 research outputs found
Psyche as a Playable Construct in Video Games
The aim of this masterâs thesis called Psyche as a Playable Construct in Video Games is to explore how the human mind is reflected in video games and how thus the psyche becomes a playable environment. This study also analyzes whether video games as a medium can promote self-reflection and empathy by portraying the psyche and developing narratives around this theme. These set objectives are achieved by performing medium-specific multimodal discourse analysis of three case studies, as well as comparative game analysis. The purpose is to discover how the psyche nowadays becomes an accessible, interactive, and embodied virtual environment through various modern modes of expression. In addition to the topic of the psyche as a game setting the research also looks at the reflection of the psyche in the theories of psychoanalysts, the principles of creating playable virtual spaces and mental landscapes, and the unique manner of video games in representing phenomena. This thesis includes a review of relevant scholarship into game studies, psychoanalysis and multimodal discourse, as well as an examination of three video games of different scales and genres, all of which render the human psyche psyche a playable construct: Nevermind (2015), When the Darkness comes (2019) and Psychonauts 2 (2021). By showing distinctive approaches to representing the psyche and interaction with it, this research highlights the enormous potential of video games to offer their users experiences that cannot be delivered through any other channel. As well, my thesis demonstrates how game design reflects scientific discoveries about the psyche to the present day: as independent but influenceable; chaotic and multi-layered but deterministic. It also proposes future research suggestions in this context on how likely are games set in the human mind to promote compassion, empathy, and self-analysis in a wide audience.Master's Thesis in Digital CultureDIKULT350MAHF-DIKU
The Gaze and the Other on Social Media: Reexamining Existence as Human Beings in the Digital Age
Social media is now a prevailing tool for people and we often interact with other people on social media. Human interaction takes place both in face-to-face settings and on social media and becoming so-called influencers is a dream among teenagers. However, using social media necessarily entails exposure to the other people and social media companies. Then, is using social media existentially beneficial? I explore this question by employing arguments from Erving Goffman, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Guy Debord to explicate the existential issues which social media entails. From Sartre and Debordâs perspectives, we are inevitably objectified by the gaze when using social media but we might use social media as a means to achieve our goals. Then, I argue that Social media would be a valuable tool for us to achieve our own goals but we are inevitably objectified and easily feel existential anxiety in our everyday life
What's in Lisbon? Art Museums, Art Dealers, and Refugees in Portugal between 1933 and 1945
This thesis focuses on the transactions of works of art that took place in Portugal
during the period of the Third Reich (1933-1945), the institutions and individuals
involved in these transactions, and the works of art that were the object of those
transactions. Drawing on American, Austrian, British, Dutch, French, German,
Portuguese, and Swiss primary sources, the thesis sets out to determine the extent
of the influence of the refugee flux into the country and of the international
circulation of Nazi-looted art on the Portuguese art market. It does so by
identifying and studying the actions of specific groups identified as having the
higher chances of benefiting from these circumstances: importers and exporters of
non-contemporary works of art; national art museums in Lisbon and Porto, cities
with international communications and transport networks, which hosted the
highest number of refugees; public museums in seaside and spa resorts, where
thousands of refugees resided during the war years; and the foreign art dealers
who opened businesses in Lisbon. Conceptually, it begins with a large universe of
analysis, narrowing its scope as the chapters progress, culminating in the study of
the actions of one single figure, and clarifying the provenance of one single
painting, in a case study that brings together various areas of research examined
previously. While findings confirm the supposition that the Portuguese State and
public institutions did not knowingly engage in the acquisition of Nazi-looted art
during this period, they reveal that some of their acquisitions require further
provenance research, and that the actions of specific individuals in bringing works
of art into the country demand further scrutiny
Writing Facts: Interdisciplinary Discussions of a Key Concept in Modernity
"Fact" is one of the most crucial inventions of modern times. Susanne Knaller discusses the functions of this powerful notion in the arts and the sciences, its impact on aesthetic models and systems of knowledge. The practice of writing provides an effective procedure to realize and to understand facts. This concerns preparatory procedures, formal choices, models of argumentation, and narrative patterns. By considering "writing facts" and "writing facts", the volume shows why and how "facts" are a result of knowledge, rules, and norms as well as of description, argumentation, and narration. This approach allows new perspectives on »fact« and its impact on modernity
The Witcraft of Seeing Things Differently : Hyperdetermined Humor, Unusual Viewpoints, and Narrative Rhetoric in Terry Pratchett's Discworld Novels
Sir Terry Pratchettin maineikasta ja menestynyttÀ Discworld-romaanisarjaa luonnehditaan yleensÀ koomiseksi fantasiaksi, ja vaikka sitÀ on aiemmin tutkittu etupÀÀssÀ fantasiakirjallisuutena, niin fantasiamiljöön lisÀksi toinen nÀiden kirjojen silmiinpistÀvÀ piirre on huumorin ylenpalttinen runsaus. TÀssÀ vÀitöskirjassa olen valinnut harvinaisemman lÀhestymistavan tutkiessani Discworld-romaaneja ensisijaisesti humoristisena kirjallisuutena, ja sen mukaisesti vÀitöskirjani keskeisimpÀnÀ tavoitteena on tutkia Terry Pratchettin huumorin poetiikkaa. Tarkemmin sanottuna olen asettanut tÀssÀ vÀitöskirjassa tehtÀvÀkseni kartoittaa Terry Pratchettin huumorille ominaisimmat komiikan keinot ja tutkia, mikÀ tekee Discworld-romaaneista hauskoja.
Discworld-romaaneille ominainen huumorin runsaus koostuu humorististen kuvausten ja koomisten kohtausten tiheÀn esiintymisen lisÀksi komiikan keinojen laajasta valikoimasta. TÀssÀ vÀitöskirjassa vÀitÀn, ettÀ Terry Pratchettin huumori on hyperdeterminoitua, mikÀ tarkoittaa, ettÀ hÀn yhdistelee erilaisia komiikan keinoja samassa kuvauksessa tai kohtauksessa. Siksi Pratchettin huumorin poetiikkaa kÀsittelevÀ vÀitöskirjani on samalla myös tutkimus hyperdeterminoidun huumorin rakentumisesta. SelkeyttÀÀkseni huumorin hyperdeterminaation rakentumista jaottelen komiikan keinot neljÀÀn kategoriaan: tilanteellisiin, kontekstuaalisiin, rakenteellisiin ja tyylillisiin. Sovellan tÀtÀ jaottelua vÀittÀmÀllÀ, ettÀ humoristista kuvausta tai koomista kohtausta voidaan perustellusti sanoa hyperdeterminoiduksi silloin, kun siinÀ yhdistellÀÀn komiikan keinoja useammasta kuin yhdestÀ kategoriasta.
PidĂ€n Pratchettin huumorille ominaisten komiikan keinojen kartoittamista yhtenĂ€ tĂ€mĂ€n vĂ€itöskirjan keskeisimmistĂ€ kontribuutioista kirjallisen huumorin tutkimukselle. Tilanteellisista komiikan keinoista tarkastelen Discworld-romaaneista löytĂ€miĂ€ni esimerkkejĂ€ draamallisesta ironiasta ja absurdista logiikasta. Kontekstuaalisista komiikan keinoista kĂ€sittelen Pratchettin parodiaa ja satiiria, kun taas rakenteellisista komiikan keinoista tutkin, kuinka Pratchett kĂ€yttÀÀ paraprosdokiania, bathosta, toistuvia piloja (âfigginâ) ja koomisia alaviitteitĂ€. TyylillisistĂ€ komiikan keinoista tutkailen Pratchettin koomisia kielikuvia (hyperbolia, metaforia, vertauksia ja personifikaatioita), hĂ€nen sanaleikkejÀÀn (paronomasia, antanaklasis, sanataskut ja kaksikieliset sanaleikit) sekĂ€ Pratchettin koomisia eufemismeja.
LisĂ€ksi osoitan vĂ€itöskirjassani, ettĂ€ Terry Pratchettin huumorille on ominaista kulttuuristen kliseiden (eli tuttujen kulttuuri-ilmiöiden, totunnaisten ajattelutapojen ja vakiintuneiden esittĂ€misen konventioiden) esittĂ€minen humoristisen epĂ€tavallisista nĂ€kökulmista kĂ€sin. Discworld-romaaneissa Pratchett siirtÀÀ erilaisia oman maailmamme kulttuuri-ilmiöitĂ€ Discworld-nimiseen (suom. Kiekkomaailma) fantasiamaailmaansa, ja tĂ€mĂ€n maailmojen törmĂ€yttĂ€misen seurauksena kulttuuriset kliseet nĂ€yttĂ€ytyvĂ€t lukijalle samanaikaisesti tuttuina ja koomisen outoina. TĂ€llaiset humoristiset nĂ€kökulmat vahvistavat osaltaan huumorin hyperdeterminaatiota. Samalla kun fantasiamiljöö mahdollistaa kahden maailman koomisen törmĂ€yttĂ€misen ja oman maailmamme kulttuuristen kliseiden peilaamisen toisen maailman avulla, huumori toisaalta mahdollistaa Kiekkomaailmassa normaalia fantasiaa vapaamman mielikuvituksen lennon, eikĂ€ monia Discworld-romaaneissa kuvattuja asioita, tapahtumia ja ilmiöitĂ€ voisi esiintyĂ€ maailmoissa, jotka eivĂ€t rakennu absurdin logiikan, kulttuurisilla kliseillĂ€ leikittelyn ja koomisen liioittelun kaltaisten todellisuuta vÀÀristĂ€vien periaatteiden luoman âtaikuudenâ varaan.
Komiikan keinojen moninaisuuden, hyperdeterminoidun huumorin ja epĂ€tavallisten nĂ€kökulmien lisĂ€ksi tutkin vĂ€itöskirjassani sitĂ€, millaisia arvottavia asenteita kertojan humoristiset nĂ€kökulmat ja humoristisiin kuvauksiin sisĂ€ltyvĂ€t henkilöhahmojen tunnereaktiot paljastavat. Tulkitsen tĂ€llaisen arvottavan huumorin kirjalliseksi retorisen vaikuttamisen keinoksi, jonka avulla kirjailija pyrkii ohjailemaan lukijansa hyvĂ€ksyviĂ€ ja paheksuvia asenteita. Useimmiten Pratchettin huumori on kulttuurikriittistĂ€, eli parodista ja satiirista, mutta toisinaan humoristiset nĂ€kökulmat esittĂ€vĂ€t todellisen maailman kulttuuri-ilmiöitĂ€ myönteisinĂ€ ja ihailtavina. VĂ€itĂ€n tutkimuksessani, ettĂ€ kirjallisuuden retoriikka perustuu tĂ€llaisten kielteisten ja myönteisten asenteiden esittĂ€miselle ja ettĂ€ huumori on yksi kertomuksen retoriikan vaikutuskeinoista.Sir Terry Pratchettâs bestselling Discworld series of novels has been commonly described as comic fantasy, and although it has been previously studied mainly as fantasy literature, another conspicuous feature in these novels, in addition to the fantasy milieu, is their rich and abundant humor. In this study, I have chosen the road less travelled by approaching the Discworld novels as humorous literature, and, consequently, my main goal here is to study the poetics of Terry Pratchettâs humorâ his âwitcraftâ. To be more precise, in this dissertation I have set myself the task of mapping out the comic devices that are most characteristic for Terry Pratchettâs witcraft and investigating what makes the Discworld novels funny.
The richness of humor that is characteristic for the Discworld novels consists partly of the frequent occurrences of humorous descriptions and comic scenes, but also of the numerous comic devices that Pratchett deploys. In this dissertation, I argue that Terry Pratchettâs humor is hyperdetermined, which means that he tends to combine numerous comic devices in the same description or scene. Consequently, this study on the poetics of Terry Pratchettâs humor is at the same time a study on the construction of hyperdetermined humor. To better understand how hyperdetermined humor is constructed, I have devised a taxonomy that divides comic devices into four categories: situational, contextual, structural, and stylistic. Based on this taxonomy, I argue that the humor of a humorous description or a comic scene can be said to be truly hyperdetermined whenever it combines comic devices from more than one of these categories.
I consider mapping out the comic devices that are most characteristic for Terry Pratchettâs witcraft to be one of the major contributions of this dissertation to the academic study of humor in literature. Of situational comic devices, I discuss and analyze examples of dramatic irony and absurd logic that I have detected in the Discworld novels. Of contextual comic devices, I discuss Pratchettâs parody and satire; of structural comic devices, I study Pratchettâs use of paraprosdokian, bathos, figgins (or running gags), and comic footnotes. Of stylistic comic devices, I investigate Pratchettâs comic imagery (hyperboles, metaphors, similes, and personifications), his puns (paronomasia, antanaclasis, portmanteaux, and bilingual puns), as well as Pratchettâs comic euphemisms.
In this dissertation, I also demonstrate that representing cultural clichĂ©s (i.e., familiar cultural phenomena, customary ways of thinking, and conventional ways of representing) from humorously unusual viewpoints is characteristic for Terry Pratchettâs witcraft. In the Discworld novels, Pratchett transfers various cultural phenomena from the real world, our âRoundworldâ, to a fantasy world called the Discworld, and as a result of this interworldly resonance, the cultural clichĂ©s of our Roundworld appear to the reader simultaneously as familiar and comically strange. These humorous viewpoints can be viewed as an additional constituent of hyperdetermined humor. While the fantasy setting of the Discworld novels allows Pratchett to set up comic resonance between the worlds, Pratchettâs humor also makes the Discworld a more imaginative and fantastic place than typical fantasy worlds. Many events and phenomena that are represented in the Discworld novels can only exist in a world where reality is distorted and enhanced by the special âmagicâ of comically absurd logic, playing with cultural clichĂ©s, and humorous exaggerations. In addition to the abundance of comic devices, hyperdetermined humor, and humorously unusual viewpoints, I also study in this dissertation what kinds of evaluative attitudes the narratorâs humorous viewpoints and the charactersâ emotional reactions reveal. According to my interpretation, such evaluative attitudes are means of narrative rhetoric, where the author attempts to guide the readerâs attitudes of approval or disapproval. Pratchettâs humor is often criticalâparodical or satiricalâalthough occasionally the narratorâs humorous viewpoints represent the cultural phenomena of our Roundworld in a positive light, as something admirable. In this dissertation, I argue that narrative rhetoric is based on representing negative and positive attitudes, and that humor is one possible means of narrative rhetoric
A qualitative study exploring whether emotion work conducted by health visitors has an influence on their assessment and identification of children in need of care and protection?
There is an increased understanding that experiencing adversity in childhood can have a significantly negative impact on the long-term developmental wellbeing of children and young people, as well as their families and communities. Political and societal ambition is that such adverse experiences and their consequences are eradicated through preventative and early intervention measures taken by health, education, and social care practitioners on the identification of a child(ren) who requires support.
Professionals working with children have become increasingly proficient in this type of work however no professional is infallible. As a result, many children and young people living with adverse circumstances can go unnoticed. For some this includes experiencing harm which often only comes to light when they have been significantly or fatally injured.
Every child living in the United Kingdom is aligned with the universal health visiting service following birth to school entry. Health visitors play an essential role in âsearching for health needsâ through the âsurveillance and assessment of the populationâs health and wellbeingâ (Nursing & Midwifery Council [NMC] 2004, page 11) . Such universal contact based on these core principles mean that health visitors are ideally positioned to identify children living in challenging situations but, like others, they can find this difficult on occasions.
The purpose of this study is to explore whether health visitors view the emotion work they carry out as part of their role has an influence on their ability to assess, identify, and respond to children in need of care and protection.
STUDY â METHOD:
The study has been progressed qualitatively, using a reflexive ethnographic approach to interviews as the main data collection and analytic method with short periods of office-based observation. 16 health visitors who managed caseloads of between 100-450 pre-school children were observed and interviewed to understand their experiences, values, and beliefs. Geeâs (2014) toolkit was used to critically analyse the discourse shared during the interviews.
FINDINGS:
The emergent findings demonstrate that health visitors can be conceptualised as âapplied clinical anthropologistsâ in the way they develop relationships with families to gain access to their home environments. The approach taken is to gather information to the depth required for a social, bioecological assessment (Bronfenbrenner 2005) of a child in the context of their family and community system. Health visitors are welcomed by most families and are often successful in assessing and responding to child need. However, at times, the level of engagement necessary can be overwhelming for both the health visitor and parent/carer. This influences the level of child centred assessment obtained.
The study has demonstrated that the influences on the work of the health visitor can be interpreted through a complex interplay of theoretical concepts. Firstly, Bourdieuâs âtheory of practiceâ (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992, page 4) provides the basis on which to understand why challenges and barriers arise during the relational work of the health visitor with the child and family. Secondly, Grossâ (2014) Emotion Regulation Framework and Hochschildâs (1983) theory of Emotional Labour, are utilised to consider how health visitors and families respond emotionally to these challenges. The study then goes on to demonstrate what impact these responses can have on the assessment of children.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Implications for practice are that health visitors require increased rates of supervision. This should include an observational element. Educational programmes for health visitors, require a focus on promoting professional wellbeing with learning sessions on unconscious bias. Research and learning developments are suggested to influence assessment and decision-making practice. Research with other professional groups and children & families is recommended to build on the findings of this study in order to influence future safeguarding policy and practice to protect children
The Evolution of Political Moments on Network Late Night: From Cautious Big-Tent Entertainment to Biting Narrowcast Infotainment
Late night talk shows have been an integral part of U.S. television since the 1950s, and the genre continues to thrive today in an ever changing media landscape. In my dissertation, I argue that the contemporary programs of Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! make up a category of late night talk shows that I term as satirical network late night. From a visual standpoint, these programs look almost identical to past programs like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson or the Late Show with David Letterman with their sets, house bands, monologues, sketches, desk pieces, and guest appearances. However, these satirical network late night programs produce political content that differs vastly from their predecessors. I assert that these programs are steeped in brazen partisanship, amplify the news media, and function as a sensationalized form of infotainment. This is not the big-tent and âleast objectionable programmingâ offered on past network programs like Carsonâs Tonight Show. Additionally, this is not what was offered on cable parody news programs such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that presented a veiled partisanship, served as a watchdog over the media and political spheres, and lambasted the entertainment-laden modes of modern news reporting and punditry. In less than a decade, satirical network late night has disrupted genre conventions that existed on network television for over sixty years. This research breaks down what makes these new satirical network late night programsâ political content distinct and helps to decipher why these changes took place in mid-2010s
Cerebral Metamorphopsia: Perceived spatial distortion from lesions of the adult human central visual pathway
Metamorphopsia is the perceived visual illusion of spatial distortion. Cerebral causes of metamorphopsia are much less common than retinal or ocular causes. Cerebral metamorphopsia can be caused by lesions along the central visual pathway or as a manifestation of epileptogenic discharges. Geometric visual distortions may result from structural lesions of the central visual pathway after reorganisation of the retinotopic representation in the cortex. Very few experimental investigations have been performed regarding cerebral metamorphopsia as it is often viewed as a clinical curiousity and analysis of the perceived distortion is difficult due to its subjective nature. Investigations have been undertaken to understand cortical plasticity as an explanation for visual filling-in. There has been much interest in cortical reorganisation after injuries to the peripheral and central visual pathway. Behavioural experiments aimed at quantifying the possible visual spatial distortion surrounding homonymous paracentral scotomas may be able to demonstrate cortical reorganisation after brain-damage and provide clues regarding the neural processes of visual perception.
The aims of the thesis are:
1. To identify which cases of metamorphopsia, both published and unpublished, might be a consequence of cortical spatial reorganisation of retinotopic projections.
2. To investigate perceptual spatial distortion surrounding homonymous paracentral scotomas in adults with isolated unilateral injuries of the striate cortex.
A review of the literature describing cases of cerebral metamorphopsia was performed. Metamorphopsia caused by retinal or ocular pathology, psychiatric conditions, drugs or medications were excluded. A retrospective case series of eight patients with metamorphopsia from a cerebral cause was performed in two clinical neurology practices specialising in vision disorders. Two cases who suffered from paracentral homonymous scotomas due to isolated unilateral primary visual cortex (V1) lesions were identified from a Neuro-ophthalmology practice. Neuropsychophysical experiments to investigate visual spatial perception surrounding their scotomas were developed and tested using MATLAB and Psychtoolbox.
The use of the term 'metamorphopsia' was only in reference to cases in which contours or lines were experienced as distorted. In the published literature, few cases of cerebral metamorphopsia have been identified as being potentially due to cortical reorganisation. The main result is a statistically significant visual spatial distortion in the visual field surrounding a paracentral homonymous scotoma when compared to a normal control. There is also significant distortion of perception in the subjects' "unaffected" visual hemifield.
After lesions of V1, visual perceptual spatial distortions may occur in the visual field surrounding homonymous paracentral scotomas. The spatial distortion may also occur in the normal hemifield possibly due to long-range cortical connections crossing to the other hemisphere through the corpus callosum. A collaborative approach across disciplines within vision science is required to further investigate the mechanisms responsible for perceptual visual illusions. Behavioural testing in brain-damaged cases remains important in developing theories of normal visual processing. New neuroimaging and neuroscience techniques could then test these theories, furthering our understanding of visual perception. An understanding of normal visual perception could allow future modification of neuronal processes to harness cortical reorganisation and potentially restore functional vision in humans with lesions of the central visual pathway
Boredom
This Element challenges prevailing views of boredom as a modern phenomenon and as an experience occurring inside our minds
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