Why are expressions of corporate responsibility increasingly politicizing in the United States and what is Ben & Jerry’s role in this as a leading progressive brand? I examine the newly found...Show moreWhy are expressions of corporate responsibility increasingly politicizing in the United States and what is Ben & Jerry’s role in this as a leading progressive brand? I examine the newly found politicized marketing strategy in the US in which political opinion is increasingly expressed and discuss whether this derives from an increasing neoliberal rationality in society, the economy, and business life rather than that it stems from true social values and activism.Show less
This thesis researches the representation of East Asian characters and culture in two popular American movie productions that are based on novels; Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Crazy Rich Asians ...Show moreThis thesis researches the representation of East Asian characters and culture in two popular American movie productions that are based on novels; Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Crazy Rich Asians (2018). To do so, it will examine the use of Asian stereotypes and gender stereotypes in these movies, and will investigate whether the East Asian characters in the productions are three-dimensional. In the end, this thesis will argue that while in Memoirs of a Geisha, East Asian characters are generally portrayed in a stereotypical manner and women are sexualized, Crazy Rich Asians exposes and combats existing stereotypes through exaggeration and clashes between various ethnic Chinese characters, and offers three-dimensional East Asian characters. .Show less
This thesis examined Maxine Hong Kingston's three works on Chinese Diaspora life in American, namely The Woman Warrior, China Men, and Tripmaster Monkey. It demonstrates the individual trauma and...Show moreThis thesis examined Maxine Hong Kingston's three works on Chinese Diaspora life in American, namely The Woman Warrior, China Men, and Tripmaster Monkey. It demonstrates the individual trauma and collective traumas Chinese American immigrants endures and also examines the strategies to fight against victimization and the differences between different groups in fighting their trauma. The three works also serve as Kingston's working through her own personal trauma to establish her a mature Chinese American Identity.Show less
Charles Bukowski was an influential German-American poet, novelist and short storywriter who has received little scholarly attention despite his popularity among readers from all walks of life. One...Show moreCharles Bukowski was an influential German-American poet, novelist and short storywriter who has received little scholarly attention despite his popularity among readers from all walks of life. One of the reasons his work has been overlooked by scholars is that his work has often been described as chauvinist and misogynist for depicting characters that present hegemonic gender roles. This statement is valid to a certain extent as Bukowski’s early works especially presents male characters as macho men and female characters as passive, dependent women. This thesis, however, shows that Charles Bukowski's representation of hegemonic masculinity through the character Henry Chinaski, who is the protagonist of his novels, was less one-dimensionally chauvinistic and sexist, and started to become more flexible at an earlier stage in his writing than previously thought. Scholarly critics have formerly merely focused on Bukowski’s first three novels Post Office (1971), Factotum (1975) and Women (1978) in their discussion of Bukowski’s gender portrayal. This thesis, however, takes on a broader approach by reading additional short stories, poems and another 'Chinaski' novel Hollywood (1989), in order to analyze a diachronic development in the representation of masculinity and whether this development can be traced in general throughout his work, instead of in merely his first three novels. This thesis employs gender theory to firstly read whether the characters in Bukowski’s writings subvert or adhere to hegemonic gender roles, and secondly how their behavior is motivated by their gender identity.Show less
This thesis aims to investigate the prosthetic memories generated by the movie ''The Birth of a Nation'' made in 1915 by D.W. Griffith. The theory of prosthetic memory, conceived by Allison...Show moreThis thesis aims to investigate the prosthetic memories generated by the movie ''The Birth of a Nation'' made in 1915 by D.W. Griffith. The theory of prosthetic memory, conceived by Allison Landsberg, claims that the advent of mass culture has given rise to a new type of collective memory that can reach a broader audience than has been possible thus far. As such, it can potentially be politically progressive by enhancing mutual understanding between different groups. A close reading will be executed and subsequently considered in two sociopolitical contexts: that of 1915 when the film was issued, and the present. This is done because the sociopolitical values between these two eras with regard to race-based discrimination are significantly different, which in turn impacts the nature of the prosthetic memories generated. The thesis statement is, in that light, that the sociopolitical context in which a prosthetic memory is generated determines whether the memory is politically progressive or regressive. Landsberg has argued that prosthetic memories can be politically progressive but neither she has pointed at the importance of the sociopolitical context to this, nor has any other scholar. As such, the argument made in this thesis could potentially supplement Landsberg's theory.Show less
Native American logos, mascots, and slang names in sport contribute negatively to the traumatic memory of Native Americans. The stereotypical nature of these logos force the Native American...Show moreNative American logos, mascots, and slang names in sport contribute negatively to the traumatic memory of Native Americans. The stereotypical nature of these logos force the Native American community not only to adhere to a western view of Native Americans, but it also undermines Native Americans to actively retell their own story and therefore change this western view. This thesis contributes to the academic discussion by showing the case of the NFL-team The Washington Redskins. By analysing the logo and name of The Washington Redskins, this thesis shows how this team contributes negatively to the traumatic memory of Native Americans. As a conclusion, this thesis argues that, first of all, the stereotypical logo and name of The Washington Redskins change the narrative memory of Native Americans. Second of all, the commodification of the logo and name together with Barthes concept of myth keep the Native American community from telling their own narrative. To give the Native American community the chance to heal their traumatic memory, Native American logos, mascots, and slang names should therefore be excluded from not only sport, but from all media that includes these stereotypes.Show less
The agon is the democratic political arena in which all social groups are meant to participate in. Historically, however, certain social groups have been systematically denied this access to the...Show moreThe agon is the democratic political arena in which all social groups are meant to participate in. Historically, however, certain social groups have been systematically denied this access to the agon. Using Chantal Mouffe's theory of agonism and antaongism I will explore a new term, anti-agonism, to demonstrate how certain groups violently deny other groups this access. The two key periods involved are political protests surrounding Selma (1965) as well as key protests surrounding Ferguson (2014). Anti-agonism is always based on the othering and dehumanization of others, in this case it is othering of African Americans by White Americans, specifically police and state officials. This framing of African Americans as the Other allows for anti-agonism to thrive. This paper aims to reframe the conflict, illustrating that the problem is not whether disenfranchised social groups attempt to access the agon peacefully or through violence, but the response to that is problematic. While disenfranchised groups are othered, it remains difficult for them to partake in the political arena.Show less
Although assuming specific ethnic groups are essentially alike is often inaccurate, modern-day academia still does not consider the distinctiveness of Asian Americans. As this generalization...Show moreAlthough assuming specific ethnic groups are essentially alike is often inaccurate, modern-day academia still does not consider the distinctiveness of Asian Americans. As this generalization extends to the cultural identities and war trauma of Asian Americans, this thesis asks "How the war trauma of Japanese Americans on one hand and Korean Americans on the other was formulated and addressed differently in the U.S.?" This research question intends to challenge academia's assumption of homogeneity among ethnic groups by discovering differences within the same ethnic group to exemplify the inaccuracies inherent in homogenization. This thesis explores the war trauma of Korean Americans and Japanese Americans through three steps: finding the origin of each group’s trauma by looking at each groups' historical backgrounds, researching the concept of ‘political silence’ to understand how each group’s trauma was prevented from healing differently, and investigating how each group’s trauma and silence were overcome by examining each group's generation of ‘prosthetic memory’ by analyzing pertinent exhibitions. Results indicated that despite their external similarities, each group’s trauma is differentiated by various characteristics. In exploring each group's uniquenesses, this thesis will suggest and help develop a more constructive research.Show less
Commonly, Jewish Broadway plays are described in superficial readings as kitsch. However, this thesis claims that the theatre had a crucial role for the Jewish community between 1880 and 1930. By...Show moreCommonly, Jewish Broadway plays are described in superficial readings as kitsch. However, this thesis claims that the theatre had a crucial role for the Jewish community between 1880 and 1930. By engaging in the academic debate of memory studies, this thesis argues that memory had three main functions in Jewish Broadway plays: (1) the healing of traumatic memory through the interaction in performance,(2) the creation of a community bond and identity as well as (3) the facilitation of transcultural and intergenerational understanding. Therefore, this thesis illustrates how an artistic environment can facilitate the integration process of immigrants by connecting the old with the new homeland.Show less
This thesis examines the representation of female Presidents of the United States in popular culture. This thesis asks how these fictional depictions relate to the cultural understanding of the...Show moreThis thesis examines the representation of female Presidents of the United States in popular culture. This thesis asks how these fictional depictions relate to the cultural understanding of the actual office, and in particular how the characterization of these female Presidents reflects and challenges the public perception of the presidency as a masculine institution. To this end this thesis investigates Commander in Chief's portrayal of President Mackenzie Allen, State of Affairs’ depiction of President Constance Payton and House of Cards’ characterization of President Claire Hale Underwood with a focus on the presidents’ rise to power, their marriages and modes of motherhood, their issue competency and crisis management, and their femininity.Show less
This thesis explores how two novels lead the white liberal reader to recognize institutional racism in the American context. The main argument is that these novels, The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015...Show moreThis thesis explores how two novels lead the white liberal reader to recognize institutional racism in the American context. The main argument is that these novels, The Sellout by Paul Beatty (2015) and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013), redefine racism and how it functions in society for a white liberal audience. These novels guide the reader to compare two different definitions of racism, and how they operate in American society.Show less
