Hezbollah through the populist lens : an analysis of the statements of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah 1992-2009

This research forms a discursive analysis of almost two decades of key statements delivered by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of the Lebanese nationalist militia and political party, Hezbollah. The statements, sourced primarily from a translated compilation edited by Nicholas Noe and published by Verso (2007), reflect the continually evolving populist strategies of a party which has, against many odds, gained a large and impressively cross-sectarian support base in Lebanon and the surrounding region. The aim of the study is two-pronged. It hopes to offer an insightful analysis into the pragmatic politicking of a democratically elected, yet demonstrably lethally armed political party which is possessed of the potential to greatly influence peace and conflict in the region. It also seeks to promote an alternative theoretical perspective to research which continually seeks to locate similar such case studies on an ideologically loaded matrix of'terrorism vs. freedom fighter'. The theory outlined in Ernesto Laclau's 'On Populist Reason' (2005) functions as the framework for analysis. This non-pathological theory of populism provides an excellent lens through which to more objectively examine the way in which popular support is mobilized by what may be essentially democratic, yet highly controversial political movements. After analyzing constructions of 'the enemy', 'the people' and the role of the signifier of resistance over three separate chronological time periods, the research concludes that the politicking of Hezbollah has witnessed a significant discursive shift away from the rhetoric of extremism and towards that of political moderation. This analysis is noteworthy at a time when dominant western political discourses proclaim the dangers of openly 'fundamentalist' or extremist discourses as a threat to the ideals of global liberal democracy. It is concluded that political research should not underestimate the intelligence and pragmatism of groups who build, mobilize and maintain their support as powerful, armed and potentially dangerous non-state actors. A theoretical approach which allows for the insightful analysis of discursive phenomena, within the context of important socio-political factors, retains more likelihood of offering genuine insight into the popular political as it relates to a volatile regional and potentially global context

Interactive stem cells: Education through game design

In my thesis I developed an interactive website intended to educate the non-scientific or lay public about stem cells. Most people have heard about stem cells but few truly understand them. It would be beneficial to those wishing to engage in the current stem cell debate to be more thoroughly educated. Currently, the information available is all geared towards scientists or from a biased source. I used a series of Flash games to convey the important information in an engaging way. The site is intuitive enough that even users unfamiliar with the Internet and basic high-school science knowledge will be able to navigate through it and access the information. Thesis URL: http://www.stemcelltastic.co

Palestinian Film: Hyperreality, Narrative, and Ideology

Both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have developed diametrically opposed national narratives and identities that are both predicated on the concept of victimization. These narratives have developed into simulacral narratives as the result of the nature of their development. This paper deals with the Palestinian simulacral narrative which bolsters societal values, particularly the value of victimhood, that are crucial to coping with the prolonged conflict. The Western media, at any given moment during the conflict, has either accepted the concept of Palestinian\u27s as victims of the conflict and the Palestinian simulacral narrative, or rejected it. The media then produces a hyperreality of the conflict for its Western viewers which influences the West\u27s acceptance or rejection of the Palestinian simulacral narrative. This paper uses Michel Khleifi\u27s Canticle of the Stones, Hany Abu-Assad\u27s Paradise Now, and Elia Sulieman\u27s Chronicle of a Disappearance and Divine Intervention to examine the degree to which Palestinian films confirm or contradict the societal beliefs that contribute to the prolongation of the conflict and the relationship between the presentation of those beliefs, the hyperreality of the Western community, and Western public opinion. It also examines the relationship between the presentation of violence in the films and the presence of violence in Palestine

Modern Palestinian Filmmaking in a Global World

This dissertation employs a comprehensive approach to analyze the cinematic accent of feature length, fictional Palestinian cinema and offers concrete criteria to define the genre of Palestinian fictional film that go beyond traditional, nation-centered approaches to defining films. Employing Arjun Appardurai’s concepts of financescapes, technoscapes, mediascapes, ethnoscapes, and ideoscapes, I analyze the filmic accent of six Palestinian filmmakers: Michel Khleifi, Rashid Masharawi, Ali Nassar, Elia Suleiman, Hany Abu Assad, and Annemarie Jacir. After a detailed examination of each filmmaker’s body of work, I examine the trends that occur across the genre that have the greatest impact on the Palestinian filmic accent and that differentiate the genre of Palestinian film from that of accented cinema more generally. These trends include the interstitial nature of Palestinian fictional filmmaking, the importance of relationships between Palestinian filmmakers, the seeming necessity of travel to the education and training of the directors, and the invasive nature of the Israeli occupation on any film made in or about the West Bank or Gaza. My analysis identifies a thematic shift within the genre from a focus on collective and nationalist themes to themes that center upon individual experiences of occupation. While other scholars argue this shift is the result of new directors entering the genre, my analysis identifies this trend within the corpus of individual directors whose work spans the entirety of the Palestinian fictional film genre, indicating this shift is the result of a change in accent rather than the result of the appearance of new directors. By examining both the individual accent of Palestinian filmmakers and the regional accent of Palestinian fictional film, I deduce that the thematic shift from collective to individual experiences is accompanied by a move toward increased reliance on Palestinian funding and personnel for these cinematic projects and increases in the availability of these films to Palestinians living in Israel proper as well as those living in the West Bank and Gaza. From this information, I have concluded that Palestinian fictional cinema is in the process of a significant change in accent, indicating that the accent of a regional cinema changes over time in addition to changing across areas and individuals, which Naficy has previously noted

Land Grant Application- Bailey, Hudson (Portland)

Land grant application submitted to the Maine Land Office on behalf of Hudson Bailey for service in the Revolutionary War, by their widow Sarah.https://digitalmaine.com/revolutionary_war_me_land_office/1046/thumbnail.jp

Adolescent autonomy in anxiety disorder treatment: An exploratory study of individual therapy versus relational therapy

Adolescents, who guard their autonomy fiercely, frequently are reluctant to fully engage in family therapy. This also is true for adolescents being treated for anxiety disorders, which is the most common mental health condition in this age group, with a prevalence of 6.5%. Because anxiety disorders present young and frequently persist into adulthood, early treatment is imperative. While caregiver involvement is often an aid in therapeutic treatment, this study aims to investigate whether relational or individual therapy is more effective for adolescents being treated for anxiety disorders. The study hypothesizes that adolescents will have better outcomes in individual therapy

Untold Stories of American History

Throughout the Untold Story Project, students will seek to find stories that have been left out of the dominant narrative of history. Students will study the experiences of Native Americans, African-Americans, and women to discover how these groups have been left out of the story of how America began. In addition to identifying the stories, students will seek to understand the motive behind leaving out certain groups and identify the harm that those decisions have caused

The Untold Stories Project

Students will learn the stories that have been left out of the dominant narrative of history. In 6th grade, students will study the experiences of Native Americans, African-Americans, and women to discover how these groups have been left out of the story of how America began. In 7th grade, students will discover how Native Americans and Tejanos were the first Texans, and explore the enduring legacy of segregation in San Antonio today. Students will demonstrate meaning-making and transfer by creating an exhibit for a living history museum which would take place at an off-campus venue (such as a museum, a local library, or an art gallery!). The museum will contain two galleries: a 6th grade section devoted to the Untold Stories of historical or modern figures left out of the dominant early American historical narrative, and a 7th grade section that reflects the histories of the different ethnic neighborhoods of San Antonio, the city in which our school is located. In order to prepare for their exhibits, students will visit local museums, create exhibit prototypes, and receive feedback from local history museum experts. At the exhibition, students are responsible for putting together a trifold poster about their historical figure or neighborhood in San Antonio, as well as either illustrating or building a set that immerses the audience in history. (For example, students could illustrate iconic buildings from the West Side (the historic Mexican Quarter) of San Antonio or create a life-sized model of a Caddo Indian home.

Attitudes to investment risk amongst West Midland canal and railway company investors, 1760-1850

Attitudes to environmental and investment risk are examined to determine whether they were a defining characteristic of middle-class behaviour in the period 1760 to 1850. Approximately 6,000 investors in eleven canal companies and seven railway companies were investigated to determine whether evaluation and mitigation of investment risk is determined by socio-economic background and gender. Investment risk was defined as inadequate access to, and imperfect interpretation of, information. The effectiveness of information transfer through public and private spheres was examined and the effect of differential access to these information conduits, as a consequence of gender or socio-economic background, was investigated. Investors' response to the risk environment of early death, war and unpredictable economic cycles was examined. Each canal company and the group of railway companies was ranked according to the level of investment risk during both the construction and operating period, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative tests. The risk preferences of 'economic' and 'financial' investors were compared. The strategies used by each group of investor to mitigate risk were examined. The study provides new evidence of the effective transmission of national market sentiment by the 1770s, but reveals that the physical market in canal company shares remained local and continued its separate existence long after the institutionalised national market for railway shares was established. Perceptible differences in the risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies of different groups of investors were observed. This was attributed to differential access to information, which in turn was attributed to gender and social, political and religious affiliation. The study provides evidence that although differences in behaviour were observed amongst groups within the sample population, it shared common investment strategies and that attitudes to risk and risk mitigation should be considered as valid criteria for class differentiation