Why is there only one Monopolies Commission? : British art and its critics in the late 1970s

This thesis examines the British art world in the period 1976-1981. The first section explores the crises in the artworld triggered by the International Monetary Fund Crisis of February 1976. Central to this analysis is the Labour and Conservative Party's ideological shift from culturalist paternalism to monetarist liberalism, the history and function of the Arts Council of Great Britain, the press scandals surrounding the Tate Gallery's purchase of Carl Andre's Equivalent VIII and the ICA's exhibition of COUM Transmission's Prostitution. The opportunist populist polemics of the 'crisis critics' (Richard Cork, Andrew Brighton, Peter Fuller and John Tagg) are then introduced alongside a discussion of the colossal changes in the British art press. This is followed by an analysis of Cork's defence of Conrad Atkison's work and of the Royal Oak murals. The second section looks at the postmodernism rejected by Cork and the populist crisis critics, namely, the scripto-visual work of John Hilliard, Victor Burgin, and John Stezaker. The influence of photoconceptualism on community artists and feminist artists is then examined. This is followed by an analysis of Art & Language's critique of 'Semio-Art'. This section concludes with an analysis of the 'new art history' in relation to the practices of Jo Spence and Terry Atkinson. The following section looks at 'conservative'/populist postmodernism as outlined in exhibitions such as The Human Clay (1976), Towards Another Picture (1978), Lives (1979) and Narrative Painting (1979). This includes extensive discussion of the work of David Shepherd, Peter Blake, Ron Kitaj, David Hockney, Steven Campbell, Women's Painting (Images of Men), and The School of London (The Hard Won Image). The final section opens with a lengthy examination of the agitational performances of COUM Transmissions, investigating their decision to abandon the publicly subsidised artworld in order to become the industrial band Throbbing Gristle. This is followed by an examination of British pro-Situationism, punk and new wave subcultures in the 1970s, relating them to the growth of the entrepreneurial art market of the early 1980s

Manifestations of humanism in Cuban history, politics, and culture

The thesis explores what it deems are some of the most perceptible humanistic features in Cuban history, politics, and culture, less specified, or highlighted, or generally not presented in a cohesive body of knowledge in the western scholarly world. In the context of its subject, the thesis embraces rational-critical thinking and supports the custom of non-violent dispute. Insofar as the Cuban Constitution incorporates a range of goals structured on socialist principles, the thesis sets out to scrutinise manifestations in Cuban thinking emblematic of the Marxist-humanist and/or anti-Stalinist philosophical traditions of revolutionary praxis. The thesis' main body investigates, illustrates, and analyses the presence of such features, focussing predominantly on the period 1959 to the late 1960s. Where the thesis does delve into timeframes beyond this era, it endeavours to show the continuity of relevant facets previously identified. Preceding the main examination, the thesis looks into what is widely perceived as the main roots of the country's humanist tradition, the moral ideas and standpoints of Jose Marti, the country's national hero. A further objective of this thesis lies in the belief that aspects of Cuba's national cultural policy in large measure addresses historical issues post-Apartheid South Africa confronts today

Border Crossers and Coyotes: A Reception Study of Latin American and Latina/O Literatures.

Since the 1970s, there has been an ongoing debate within the humanities regarding the canon and curricular reform. Moving beyond questions of advocacy and the dichotomy of center and periphery (without diminishing the necessity of these), Border Crossers and Coyotes: A Reception Study of Latin American and Latina/o Literatures surveys the various ways which marginalized texts enter U.S. academic discourse as well as analyzing the conflicts inherent in these border crossings. The study proposes the position of the coyote, a person who transports undocumented workers across the U.S./Mexico border for profit, as analogous to that of the critic/teacher. Employing a cultural studies perspective informed by postmodern anthropology, reader-response, and feminist theories, the study analyzes the reception of texts including the canonical, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, the representative such as Bless Me, Ultima and The House on Mango Street, the disciplinary border crosser Borderlands/La Frontera, and the collaboratively produced but singly authored Translated Woman and I Rigoberta Menchu. This analysis functions to uncover the ruptures within the current discourse on diversity which make manifest the struggle to negotiate the slippery space between erasure and appropriation. By performing close readings of critical responses to these texts, the study identifies various strategies of containment that foster decontextualizing, essentializing, and/or universalizing readings which neutralize their oppositional and transformative potential. This potential lies in the challenges which these texts pose to existing assumptions regarding genre, authorship, history, language and our conceptualization of literature itself. Institutional practices and pedagogies are also problematized as conflicted in responding to calls for diversity, primarily by tacking on Latin American and Latina/o cultural productions in a process of inclusion without influence. This study proposes the abandonment of such additive models in favor of a relational and transformative approach which allows for a revision of established reading practices and critical conventions

Contemporary public schools and the life process : cultural and ideological dimensions of the lived experience

The research is an analysis of the 'process of development' of a sample of sixteen subjects who attended 'public school' during the term of office of the present government.The specific methodology of the study was that of the 'life-history', in which each subject produced a written account of their life. This was followed by a taped interview which allowed elaboration of issues raised and discussion of aspects of experience not previously covered. Questionnaires were sent to headmasters in order to (a) gauge the specific values of particular schools and (b) to triangulate, where possible, information provided by subjects on the nature of their schooling.The research offers a contribution to sociological discussion at a number of levels:(1) it provides information on the process of elite production and reproduction, and the role in this of 'institutions of influence' and the individual's mediation of the input from these sources;(2) central sociological themes and concepts have been utilized, assessed and developed;(3) aspects of public school life previously accorded limited or inaccurate attention have been subject to empirical and theoretical analysis. The interaction of class and gender, control and hierarchy, the continued relevance of 'fagging' and the 'old boy' network and crucially the nature of sub-cultural affiliations are the principal examples;(4) the nature of the sector's self presentation is outlined;(5) this specific utilization of the life-history technique illuminates its value and potential as a sociological method

An investigation into the emergence of the anarcho-punk scene of the 1980s

This thesis aims to investigate the way in which anarchism - both as a means of theoretical political dissent as well as a practical tool of shock - was transformed from the `chaotic' intent of first wave punk towards a more informed political ideology in the emerging `anarcho-punk' scene of the 1980s. In particular, I wish to explore the way in which ideas surrounding `anarcho' and `punk' were fused together so as to provide a space where individuals could develop a more `informed lifestyle' in expressing a subversive distaste towards corporate forms of oppression such as multinationals, governments and the police. Chapter one will provide an overview of punk within a wider history of political and philosophical dissent, exploring ideas that link it to a continuing thread of agitation akin to groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Situationism. This debate will be further explored in chapter two. With particular attention to the music of the Sex Pistols, I wish to explore the extent to which the break down of the post-war consensus, and the resultant economic crisis in Britain in the 1970s, nurtured a social, political and musical environment for first wave punk to flourish. The anarcho-punk scene proper is introduced in the main body of this work. Here, I will turn primarily to the way in which the musical characteristics of the anarchopunk movement encompass the twin ideals of `punk' and `anarchism' so as to provide a new form of organised dissent towards a capitalist system seen to embody oppression and uniformity. In particular, I wish to explore the extent to which the practical realities of applying a complex political system such as anarchism had repercussions on the transformation of the British punk scene as a whole.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

An investigation into the emergence of the anarcho-punk scene of the 1980s

This thesis aims to investigate the way in which anarchism - both as a means oftheoretical political dissent as well as a practical tool of shock - was transformedfrom the `chaotic' intent of first wave punk towards a more informed politicalideology in the emerging `anarcho-punk' scene of the 1980s. In particular, I wish toexplore the way in which ideas surrounding `anarcho' and `punk' were fusedtogether so as to provide a space where individuals could develop a more `informedlifestyle' in expressing a subversive distaste towards corporate forms of oppressionsuch as multinationals, governments and the police.Chapter one will provide an overview of punk within a wider history of political andphilosophical dissent, exploring ideas that link it to a continuing thread of agitationakin to groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Situationism.This debate will be further explored in chapter two. With particular attention to themusic of the Sex Pistols, I wish to explore the extent to which the break down of thepost-war consensus, and the resultant economic crisis in Britain in the 1970s,nurtured a social, political and musical environment for first wave punk to flourish.The anarcho-punk scene proper is introduced in the main body of this work. Here, Iwill turn primarily to the way in which the musical characteristics of the anarchopunkmovement encompass the twin ideals of `punk' and `anarchism' so as toprovide a new form of organised dissent towards a capitalist system seen to embodyoppression and uniformity. In particular, I wish to explore the extent to which thepractical realities of applying a complex political system such as anarchism hadrepercussions on the transformation of the British punk scene as a whole

Alternative empires : Soviet montage cinema, the British documentary movement & colonialism

This is a study of Soviet montage cinema and the British documentary movement of the 1930s which brings together two usually divergent methodologies: postcolonial theory and "new" film history. The first chapter develops new insights into Eisenstein's October and Vertov's The Man With the Movie Camera, The second analyses two less well-known Vertov films, One Sixth of the Earth and Three Songs of Lenin, from the perspective of postcolonial theory, The third considers Pudovkin's Storm Over Asia and traces its reception in both the Soviet Union and England. The fourth and fifth chapters expand general issues and themes raised by the first two, and pursue specific questions raised by the third. These final chapters resituate the work of the British documentary movement in relation to the culture of British imperialism. This shift of focus entails the analysis of the production and contemporary critical reception of a number of films which have been marginalised in most retrospective historical accounts of the movement. By recontextualising these two groups of films, this study attempts to demonstrate how their various representations of the non-Western world are intertwined with and necessarily involve considering other issues, such as: periodisation within film history; the "influence" of Soviet montage on the British documentary movement; the construction of authorship; the division between "high" and "low" culture; the relationship between politics and film aesthetics; the postcolonial challenge to Marxism; cinematic internationalism. The first two chapters also integrate an ongoing critique of certain trends within post-1968 film theory and criticism, which developed in close association with a retrieval and revaluation of Soviet montage cinema and Soviet avant-garde culture of the 1920s, One of the aims of this thesis is to question some of the assumptions of this work, whilst at the same time demonstrating that historical research, even as it attempts to reconstruct former contexts, need not consign its objects of study to the past, but can be used instead to raise questions relevant to the present. In this respect, the thesis tries to remain closer to the spirit of post-1968 than does much of the more recent, "new" historical research into Soviet cinema and the British documentary movement, to which it is nevertheless greatly indebted

Flowers of Scotland?: a sociological analysis of national identities, Rugby Union and Association Football in Scotland

This thesis analyses the relationship between national identity and sport within Scotland, focusing on rugby union and association football. It investigates the complexity of defining a sporting `Scottish national identity', and suggests the possibility of competing definitions of national identity existing in Scotland within and across the two sports. The aim of the study is to critically examine existing assumptions surrounding Scottish sporting nationalism, to situate the conspicuously absent rugby union within the literature, and to locate contemporary Scottish sporting nationalism in post-1999 Scotland. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and observation, empirical data was collected and analysed utilising a cultural studies theoretical framework. The theoretical explanations have been informed by the work of Pierre Bourdieu's explanatory formula of practice and, at a secondary level, by Erving Goffman's dramaturgical model, demonstrating the compatibility of synthesising these two social theorists' concepts in formulating original research explanations. The findings suggest that the national identity and sporting relationship in Scotland is multi-faceted with a variety of overlapping factors contributing to sports supporters' feelings of national identification. Elements of a subtle class habitus emerge as a primary facet shaping national identity perception across both sports, revealing a class-based relationship to accumulating social and cultural capital at local and national levels. While national identity in Scottish sport is shown to be a factor shaping supporter identification, the typical understanding of national identity previously utilised and accepted in much of the literature is shown to be overly simplistic. Furthermore, other factors are shown to shape and affect local and national sporting identification in meaningful ways, which are often overlooked at the expense of seeking out the `national' explanation