An inquiry into the transformation of the collective U.S. memory of the Tulsa Race Massacre through remediation in HBO's Watchmen (2019) and Lovecraft Country (2020).
James Marion Sims (1813-1883) is known as the ‘godfather of gynaecology.’ This American doctor had a career spanning Alabama, New York City and even undertook a European tour. He founded the United...Show moreJames Marion Sims (1813-1883) is known as the ‘godfather of gynaecology.’ This American doctor had a career spanning Alabama, New York City and even undertook a European tour. He founded the United States’ first Woman’s Hospital, but one of his first major contributions to medicine was finding a cure for vesico-vaginal fistula: the tearing of the vaginal wall due to trauma. This launched his career in medicine. However, he found this cure by performing medical experiments on enslaved Black women in his private clinic. In the Woman’s Hospital his patients were predominantly Irish immigrant women from the working classes of the city. This research explores what made it possible for a White man such as Sims to perform these unethical experiments on these women, who were racialised as Black. Through Foucault’s concept of the medical gaze and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectional feminist critique, this thesis explores the professionalisation of medicine in the nineteenth century, scientific racism, the genesis of gynaecology, racial formation, medical experimentation and how Sims fits into these structures. The focus is the identity formation of Sims himself and his patients, who were intersectionally marginalised. Considering their race, class, ability and gender, one can reconstruct how they fit into the fabric of American society, and why exactly Sims and his colleagues were allowed to experiment on enslaved, working class, ill women when they never considered treating more privileged women (or men) in such a manner.Show less
In this thesis, Eisenhower's public approach to religion is analysed by examining his religion-related remarks during his public appearances. This research shows that Eisenhower mostly focused on...Show moreIn this thesis, Eisenhower's public approach to religion is analysed by examining his religion-related remarks during his public appearances. This research shows that Eisenhower mostly focused on religion in general instead of specific religions during public appearances.Show less
A thorough study of the personal writings of Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, in an effort to show that Jefferson was far more radical in his thoughts than one would assume.
The Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern American South on the basis of Neo-Confederate collective memory. Collective memory is a powerful tool:...Show moreThe Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern American South on the basis of Neo-Confederate collective memory. Collective memory is a powerful tool: it shapes a group’s identity. With recent controversy calling for the removal of Confederate symbolism throughout the southern United States, the SCV is fighting a rigorous battle not only for the construction of Confederate symbolism (as their forefathers have) but instead, for their defense. Its appeal however is questionable. How can a heritage organization maintain and further advance its legitimacy on the basis of a re-written history? How does the use of collective memory construction allow the SCV to use its construction and appropriation of the “Lost Cause” myth to advance Neo-Confederate ideology into Southern collective memory?Show less
This study examines the public debate surrounding gangsta rap as a musical genre in 1980s-1990s America. Whereas most academic studies of the genre have focused on testing and contesting negative...Show moreThis study examines the public debate surrounding gangsta rap as a musical genre in 1980s-1990s America. Whereas most academic studies of the genre have focused on testing and contesting negative stereotyping of the music by approaching the genre as a cultural and political product with deep roots in African-American history and culture, this study focuses on the public reactions that emerged against the genre as well as the national discourses that ensued. An extensive analysis of the treatment of those stereotypes and characteristics most commonly ascribed to gangsta rap in scholarly research and anti-gangsta rap campaigns, this study constructs a better understanding of the way gangsta rap was defined by its mainstream opponents (black and white), what its societal positioning was in an era of increasing poverty and tension in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and why the genre was considered so controversial. Additionally, the public discussion of gangsta rap is linked to the concurrent public discussion of crime, African-American youth and economically disenfranchised neighborhoods, which offers interesting new insights into the problematic stereotyping of these subjects in American society.Show less
